Saw Blade Gripper With Cam Clamp for Variable Blade Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for securing tools with protruding blades during transport, such as chainsaws or concrete saws, fail to reliably hold the blades in place, risking damage to the equipment or vehicle and potential injury from falling blades.
Innovation Solution
A gripping mechanism comprising a housing with a piston and plunger system, where the plunger is extendable and includes a gripping surface, with a cam and springs to adjust the gripping force, and a backing plate with a hinge and rail system to accommodate blades of varying thicknesses, ensuring secure and adjustable grip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional securing methods (hooks, clamps, straps) are used to secure the main body of the tool, then the main body is held in place, but the protruding blade cannot be reliably secured
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping mechanism is divided into two independent gripping surfaces (first gripping surface on the mechanism, second gripping surface on the backing plate) that can clamp the blade at different locations along its length, allowing reliable securing of blades with varying thicknesses without requiring a single complex adjustable component
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping mechanism is designed to universally accommodate blades of different thicknesses through its multi-component clamping structure, where the combination of the mechanism's gripping surface and the backing plate's gripping surface creates a universal solution that adapts to various blade dimensions without requiring adjustment mechanisms
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed gripping mechanism is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate blades of different thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping system is segmented into a movable gripping mechanism portion and a stationary backing plate portion, where each component has a relatively simple structure but their combination provides adaptability for different blade thicknesses through the clamping action between the two surfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The backing plate serves as an intermediary element that works in conjunction with the gripping mechanism to provide the second gripping surface, enabling adjustable accommodation of different blade thicknesses while keeping each individual component structurally simple
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The mechanism effectively secures blades of different thicknesses, preventing them from falling and ensuring durability during transport, while allowing for easy insertion and adjustment to fit various blade sizes.
Implementation Method 1
at least one spring operatively arranged between the piston and the plunger for relating a change of a position of the piston to the plunger
Implementation Method 2
a cam eccentrically rotatable about an axis and operatively engaged with the piston for setting the position of the piston
Implementation Method 3
the plunger including a gripping surface... said pad increases a coefficient of friction of said gripping surface
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism for gripping an article including a housing, a piston slidably housed within the housing, a plunger slidably housed within the housing, wherein the plunger is at least partially extendable out from the housing, the plunger including a gripping surface, at least one spring operatively arranged between the piston and the plunger for relating a change of a position of the piston to the plunger, and a cam eccentrically rotatable about an axis and operatively engaged with the piston for setting the position of the piston.