Tool Holder With Button-Actuated Ball Bearing Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tool holders fail to securely retain cutting and piercing tools over time, leading to safety concerns and reduced precision, and require users to manually handle tools for insertion, which can be hazardous and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A tool holder with a securing mechanism using radially movable ball bearings that can be actuated with a button, providing a quick-release and secure grip without requiring manual manipulation of a sleeve, along with a locking mechanism and ergonomic design for enhanced safety and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual handling of tools for insertion is required, then device complexity is reduced, but safety and ease of operation deteriorate due to hazardous manual manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The tool holder performs the tool insertion and securing operations automatically without requiring manual handling of the tool by the user. The gripping mechanism self-actuates to insert and secure the tool, eliminating the need for users to manually manipulate tools and thereby removing the associated safety hazards.
Solution Approach 2:
A gripping mechanism acts as an intermediary between the user and the tool. Instead of the user directly handling the tool, the gripping mechanism mediates the interaction by automatically grasping, inserting, and securing the tool, thereby protecting the user from direct exposure to potential hazards.
2Reliability
If simple retention mechanism is used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates as tools are not securely retained over time
Solution Approach 1:
The retention mechanism uses movable gripping elements that can dynamically adjust their position to securely hold the tool. The gripping mechanism transitions between different states (open/closed, engaged/disengaged) to reliably secure the tool while maintaining the ability to release it when needed, achieving both high reliability and controlled complexity.
3Manufacturing precision
If precise tool orientation is required, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional alignment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping mechanism is designed to automatically orient the tool in the correct position during the grasping and insertion process. The preliminary positioning features are built into the gripping elements themselves, which guide the tool into the proper orientation as they close around it, eliminating the need for separate alignment mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A tool holder including a main body, an activation button coupled to the main body, a tool securing portion at least in directly coupled to the activation button, wherein the activation button can be activated into a first state for coupling a tool to the tool holder and a second state for decoupling a tool from the tool holder.