String Trimmer Shaft Restraint Hook With Adjustable Compression Pin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial lawn maintenance providers face issues with string trimmers being loosely supported on racks during transportation, leading to bouncing, damage, and susceptibility to theft due to lack of secure retention.
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 by providing a combination of traction surfaces and adjustable contact points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If string trimmers are loosely supported on racks during transportation, then the rack structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but the string trimmers bounce and are susceptible to theft
Solution Approach 1:
The compression pin is designed to be adjustable along the support post, allowing the restraint mechanism to adapt to different shaft positions and lengths. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the same simple rack structure to securely hold various string trimmer configurations while preventing bouncing and theft during transportation
Solution Approach 2:
The compression pin acts as an intermediary element between the support post and the string trimmer shaft. It provides the restraining force needed to secure the trimmer without requiring complex rack structures, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving security and stability
2Reliability
If string trimmers are held tightly against the rack, then bouncing movement is prevented and theft susceptibility is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The restraint mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the support post, the compression pin, and the restraining element. This segmentation allows each component to be simple in design while collectively providing secure restraint, avoiding the need for a complex integrated structure
Solution Approach 2:
The support post serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, guides the compression pin movement, and positions the restraining element. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components, maintaining device simplicity while achieving reliable security
3Reliability
If a compression pin is added to the support post, then the string trimmer shaft is securely restrained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression pin is integrated with the support post through a guide slot, merging two components into a closely coupled assembly. This integration provides secure shaft restraint while minimizing the increase in device complexity, as the pin and post work together as a unified restraint mechanism
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.