Hollow Step Drill Bit With Flute Design for Chip Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing step drill bits are limited in their ability to efficiently drill progressively sized holes in thin-walled workpieces, as they often require multiple bits or struggle with material wear and debris removal.
Innovation Solution
A step drill bit design featuring axially stacked, progressively sized steps and a flute with a cutting edge, manufactured using additive manufacturing or molding processes, which includes a drive assembly with high impact resistance and a cladded cutting edge for enhanced wear resistance and debris removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional step drill bits are used to drill progressively sized holes, then multiple drill bits are required, but this increases device complexity and loss of time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple drill bit sizes into a single step drill bit body with multiple concentric steps, each step having a different diameter. This merging of multiple separate drill bits into one integrated tool allows the user to drill progressively sized holes with a single bit, eliminating the need to switch between multiple bits and reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The step drill bit is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating multiple drilling sizes in one tool. Each step on the bit body can be used to drill holes of different diameters, making the single bit universal for various hole size requirements that traditionally would have required multiple specialized bits.
2Productivity
If traditional step drill bits are used for drilling, then material wear and debris removal are problematic, but this reduces tool life and cutting efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The drill bit incorporates segmented features including multiple flutes that divide the cutting and debris removal functions. The flutes create separate channels for chip evacuation, while radial reliefs segment the cutting edges to reduce continuous contact with the workpiece, minimizing material wear and improving debris removal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing radial reliefs at specific locations on the steps and flutes. These reliefs create localized areas that reduce friction and heat generation at the cutting edges, while the flutes provide localized channels for efficient debris removal. This targeted application of relief features extends tool life without compromising overall cutting efficiency.
3Loss of substance
If a hollow interior cavity is incorporated in the drill bit body, then material waste is reduced, but this increases manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The drill bit body incorporates a hollow interior cavity that creates a porous or hollow structure, significantly reducing the amount of material required to manufacture the tool. This reduces material waste and cost while maintaining the structural integrity needed for drilling operations. The hollow design allows material to be removed from the center while preserving the outer cutting features.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow interior cavity is nested within the outer body of the drill bit, creating a nested structure where the functional cutting elements are on the outer surface while the inner cavity provides material reduction. This nesting approach allows the bit to maintain its external dimensions and cutting performance while minimizing material usage through the internal hollow space.
Data Source
AI summary
A drilling tool includes a drive assembly with a shank that is configured to couple to a power tool and a step drill bit. The step drill bit includes a body having a proximal end adjacent the shank, a distal end opposite the proximal end, and a bit axis extending centrally through the body between the proximal end and the distal end. The body is defined by a wall extending around the bit axis to define a hollow interior cavity of the body. The step drill bit also includes a plurality of axially stacked, progressively sized steps with a first step at the proximal end and a terminal step at the distal end and a flute extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The flute defines a cutting edge.