String Trimmer Rack with Adjustable Compression Pin
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
String trimmers are loosely supported on racks during transportation, leading to bouncing and increased susceptibility to theft, as they are not securely held in place.
Innovation Solution
A string trimmer rack apparatus featuring a vertically upstanding support post with a curved shaft support hook and a compression pin that can be adjusted to securely hold the trimmer shaft, preventing unwanted movement and theft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If string trimmers are loosely supported on racks during transportation, then the rack structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but the trimmers bounce and are susceptible to damage and theft
Solution Approach 1:
The retention system is divided into separate functional components: a support post, a curved support hook, and an independently adjustable compression pin. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall system simplicity and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression pin is designed to be adjustable along the support post, allowing dynamic adaptation to different trimmer sizes and positions. This adjustability enables the same rack structure to securely hold various trimmer types without requiring multiple specialized racks.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If string trimmers are held more tightly against the rack, then the life of the trimmers increases by preventing damage, but the rack structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The curved support hook is positioned and shaped to provide preliminary support and alignment for the trimmer shaft before the compression pin is applied. This pre-positioning ensures the trimmer is already stabilized and properly oriented, reducing the force needed by the compression pin and minimizing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support hook and compression pin work together as an integrated retention system where the hook provides structural support and the pin provides adjustable compression. This combination achieves secure tight holding without requiring either component to be overly complex individually.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an adjustable compression pin is added to the rack, then the rack can accommodate different trimmer sizes, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable compression pin serves multiple functions: it provides compression force, acts as a positioning reference, and enables adaptation to various trimmer diameters and lengths. This single multi-functional component achieves versatility without requiring multiple specialized parts for different trimmer types.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression pin's position along the support post is variable, allowing changes in compression distance and force application point. This parameter adjustment enables the same physical component to accommodate different trimmer sizes and configurations without modifying the rack structure itself.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for restricting movement of a lawn implement shaft, for use in a lawn implement support system in cooperation with a vertically upstanding support member for horizontal support of shafted lawn implements during storage or transportation thereof including a support post for supporting a first end of a shafted lawn implement in conjunction with the vertically upstanding support member for supporting a second end of the shafted lawn implement. Further the apparatus includes a shaft support hook mounted to the support post, and projecting outwardly therefrom for a predetermined distance, the support hook being curved generally vertically and at a predetermined angle away from a first generally vertical plane defined by the support post, with a distal end of the shaft support hook being curved back toward a second vertical plane defined by the support post and perpendicular to the first vertical plane to define a shaft support region intermediate the hook and the support post. The present apparatus also includes a compression pin adjustably mounted to the support post adjacent the support hook for sliding movement therealong, the compression pin including a shaft abutment surface; and a device for fixing the compression pin at a predetermined position along the support post for restrictive contact with the lawn implement shaft.