Self-Adjusting Torque Wrench Adapter for Multi-Size Fasteners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional torque wrenches require a large assortment of sockets for different fastener sizes, leading to inconvenience and expense, as well as delays in matching the correct socket to a fastener, necessitating a new socket for each new fastener encountered.
Innovation Solution
A torque wrench with an adjustable adapter module featuring a gear train, clamps, and integral lobes that can radially engage and lock onto a range of different sized fasteners through rotation, eliminating the need for multiple sockets by using a single tool for various sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sockets of different sizes are used to accommodate different fastener sizes, then the torque wrench can handle various fastener sizes, but the device complexity and quantity of equipment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly is designed as a universal interface that can accommodate multiple fastener sizes through a single device. The adapter body with its internal cavity and adjustable clamps allows one adapter to replace multiple size-specific sockets, making the torque wrench applicable to various fastener dimensions without requiring multiple dedicated tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp mechanism incorporates movable elements that can dynamically adjust to different fastener sizes. The clamps are positioned to engage with the fastener head and can be adjusted radially to match different diameters, allowing the adapter to adapt its configuration based on the specific fastener being worked on, rather than being fixed for a single size.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sockets are carried to address different fastener sizes, then all fastener sizes can be accommodated, but the weight and portability of the tool set decrease
Solution Approach 1:
By designing the adapter assembly as a multi-functional component that can handle various fastener sizes, the need to carry multiple separate sockets is eliminated. The single adapter body with adjustable clamps replaces what would otherwise require a collection of different-sized sockets, significantly reducing the total weight of equipment that needs to be transported and stored.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functionality of multiple size-specific sockets into a single integrated adapter assembly. Instead of having separate tools for different fastener sizes, the clamps, driver, and adapter body are combined into one unit that performs the function of multiple sockets, reducing the overall mass of the tool set while maintaining versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the correct socket is manually matched to each fastener, then the appropriate tool can be selected, but the time required for tool selection and changeover increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter assembly incorporates self-adjusting clamps that automatically adapt to the fastener size through a cam mechanism or spring-loaded positioning system. When the adapter is placed over a fastener, the clamps self-adjust to the correct radial position without requiring manual intervention to select or change sockets, eliminating the time-consuming process of matching the correct tool to each fastener size.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter is pre-configured with multiple clamp positions or a mechanism that allows rapid adjustment to different sizes. The clamps are positioned and biased in advance to engage with the fastener head, and the adapter body is designed with preliminary alignment features that guide the clamps into the correct configuration when the fastener is inserted, reducing the time required to prepare the tool for each fastener size.
Data Source
AI summary
A torque wrench is disclosed for use in rotating a range of different sized fasteners. The torque wrench may include an input end configured to receive a torsional input, and a gear train operatively driven to rotate by the torsional input. a driver connected to the gear train and a plurality of clamps disposed at least partially inside the driver. The clamps may be movable to radially engage a range of different sized fasteners by rotation of the driver in either of a clockwise direction or a counterclockwise direction. The torque wrench may further include a housing configured to enclose the gear train, the driver, and the clamps.