Three-Jaw Wrench Head for Confined Space Torque Engagement

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Solution Overview

Problem

The challenge lies in accurately engaging and measuring torque on tube-nuts in confined spaces within aircraft structures using torque wrenches with crow's-foot extensions, where proper engagement is difficult and accurate torque measurements are hard to obtain.

Innovation Solution

A wrench head design featuring a working axis with three jaws - a first jaw, a second jaw, and a third jaw, each with specific convex and planar contact surfaces, allowing for serial coupling and placement over a fastener from a lateral direction, providing multiple regions of contact and preventing closure during ratcheting motion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Force

If torque wrenches with crow's-foot extensions are used to secure tube-nuts in confined spaces, then torque application capability is improved, but engagement accuracy and measurement precision deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetorque application capabilityVSAvoidtorque measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ForceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wrench head is divided into three separately pivotable jaws (first jaw, second jaw, third jaw) that can be independently positioned and adjusted. This segmentation allows each jaw to be precisely aligned with the tube-nut facets, improving both engagement accuracy and torque measurement precision while maintaining the ability to apply torque in confined spaces

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The jaws are designed to be pivotable relative to each other about the working axis, allowing dynamic adjustment of jaw positions to match the specific geometry of the tube-nut. This dynamic adaptability ensures accurate engagement and reliable torque measurements across different tube-nut configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If traditional wrench heads are used in confined spaces, then access to tube-nuts is limited, but engagement accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccess to confined spacesVSAvoidengagement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The wrench head design incorporates jaws that can be positioned in three-dimensional space around the tube-nut, with each jaw pivotable about the working axis. This spatial arrangement allows the wrench to access tube-nuts in confined spaces from various angles while maintaining precise engagement through multi-point contact

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If multiple contact surfaces are added to improve engagement, then contact regions increase, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveengagement reliabilityVSAvoidwrench head structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each jaw is designed with multiple contact surfaces (arcuate convex contact surfaces and planar contact surfaces) that can engage with different facets of the tube-nut. This multi-functional design allows the same jaw structure to provide reliable engagement across various tube-nut orientations and configurations without requiring entirely separate components for each engagement scenario

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11351662B2Wrench head

Publication Date: 2022.06.07 THE BOEING CO

AI summary

A wrench head comprises a working axis, a first jaw, a second jaw, and a third jaw. The first jaw comprises first-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, second first-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, third first-jaw arcuate convex contact surface, and first-jaw planar contact surface. The second jaw is coupled with and is pivotable relative to the first jaw and comprises second-jaw arcuate convex contact surfaces. The third jaw is coupled with and is pivotable relative to the second jaw and comprises a third-jaw arcuate convex contact surface and a third-jaw planar contact surface.