Polygon Buffer Ring Socket for Anti-Roll Impact Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sockets are prone to deformation and rolling when subjected to collisions or falls, making them difficult to handle and increasing the risk of damage.
Innovation Solution
A socket design featuring a main body with grooves and abutting portions, combined with a buffer ring deformed into a geometric polygon, which engages with the grooves and corner portions to prevent rolling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional smooth socket is used, then it is easy to manufacture and has simple structure, but it will roll on the ground when dropped and is difficult to retrieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by transforming the circular cross-section of the buffer ring into a geometric polygon with flat sides and corners. This asymmetric shape prevents the socket from rolling on the ground when dropped, as the polygonal shape creates stable resting positions on its flat sides rather than rolling continuously like a circular object would. This directly solves the retrieval difficulty problem while adding minimal structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the curved surface by introducing flat surfaces (sides) and sharp corners to the otherwise circular buffer ring. This transformation from a fully curved shape to a polygonal shape with flat regions prevents rolling motion while maintaining the overall circular envelope that allows the buffer ring to fit within the socket structure.
2Reliability
If a conventional smooth socket is used, then it has simple structure, but it deforms and damages easily under collision or impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by adding a buffer ring made of elastic or shock-absorbing material around the outer wall of the socket. This buffer ring is designed to deform elastically during impact or collision events, absorbing the shock before it reaches the main socket body. The buffer ring acts as a protective barrier that mitigates damage from drops and collisions, directly improving reliability while adding a relatively simple structural element.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer ring functions as a flexible protective shell that surrounds the rigid socket body. This flexible component can deform under impact forces, absorbing energy through elastic deformation, and then return to its original shape. This flexible shell approach provides impact protection while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure compared to more complex shock-absorbing mechanisms.
3Reliability
If a buffer ring with geometric polygon shape is added, then it prevents rolling and absorbs impact, but it increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single buffer ring component: (1) The polygonal shape provides anti-rolling functionality by creating stable resting positions on flat sides; (2) The elastic material provides shock absorption during impact; (3) The buffer ring fits within the circular envelope of the socket, maintaining compatibility with existing mounting structures. By combining these multiple protective functions into one integrated component, the patent achieves enhanced reliability without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer ring serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a shock absorber during impact, a anti-rolling element when the socket is dropped, and a protective barrier for the socket body. This multi-functionality allows a single component to address multiple problems (impact damage and rolling retrieval difficulty) without requiring separate mechanisms for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
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 buffer ring effectively absorbs impact and prevents the socket from rolling, enhancing user safety and convenience by allowing easy retrieval of the socket.
Implementation Method 1
a buffer ring (2) sleeved to the outer wall (11) in the axial direction (53) and deformed to be a geometric polygon (3)
Data Source
AI summary
A socket is provided, wherein the socket includes: a main body defining a circumferential direction, a radial direction and an axial direction, and including an outer wall and grooves, the grooves being disposed on the outer wall and extending in the radial direction, abutting portions each being formed between two neighboring ones of the grooves in the circumferential direction; and a buffer ring sleeved to the outer wall in the axial direction and deformed to be a geometric polygon, the geometric polygon including engaging portions engaged in the grooves and corner portions abutted on the abutting portions. Another socket is provided, wherein the socket includes: a main body including an outer wall; and a geometric polygon, the geometric polygon and the main body being integrally formed of one piece, the geometric polygon projecting from the outer wall.