Two-Handle Powered Wrench for Hydrant Valve Torque
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable, hand-held tools for exercising fire hydrant valves often fail to provide sufficient torque while prioritizing operator safety, leading to potential injuries and fatigue due to the need for manual force and repetitive stress.
Innovation Solution
A hand-held powered wrench with a motor mounted on a primary handle and a secondary handle positioned 90° and 8 inches away, allowing for intuitive operation with one hand controlling the motor and the other sustaining torque, reducing the risk of injury and fatigue by distributing the workload effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single-handed hand-held powered tool is used, then the tool is portable and easy to position, but the operator experiences fatigue and injury risk due to manual force requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is segmented into two separate handle assemblies: a first handle assembly for supporting reaction force and a second handle assembly for controlling motor operation. This segmentation allows the operator to distribute physical effort across different body parts, reducing fatigue and injury risk while maintaining portability.
Solution Approach 2:
The first handle assembly acts as an intermediary between the operator and the torque-generating mechanism. By providing a dedicated surface for applying reaction force, it mediates the transfer of effort between the operator's body and the motor-driven torque application, reducing direct stress on any single body part.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a two-handed configuration is implemented, then operator safety and comfort are improved, but the tool complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool employs segmented handle assemblies where each handle serves a distinct function: one for reaction force support and another for motor control. This functional segmentation improves safety and comfort while keeping each segment relatively simple in design.
Solution Approach 2:
Both handle assemblies are integrated into a single portable tool structure that can be manually positioned and operated. The handles work together as a unified system that provides both mechanical support and control functions, avoiding the need for separate complex mechanisms.
3Device complexity
If the motor control is placed on the primary handle, then the tool structure is simplified, but the operator cannot naturally separate control function from torque application
Solution Approach 1:
The control function is segmented from the torque application function by placing the motor control mechanism on the second handle assembly, which is positioned away from the primary torque application point. This spatial segmentation enables natural functional dissociation during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The second handle assembly is positioned in a different spatial dimension relative to the first handle assembly, creating a three-dimensional configuration that naturally guides the operator's hands into distinct functional positions. This dimensional separation reinforces the functional separation between control and torque application.
Data Source
AI summary
A hand-held powered wrench includes a primary handle and a secondary handle. A motor is mounted on a primary handle. The secondary handle provides a second hand grip position which is significantly displaced from the primary handle axis, and includes a motor control for starting and stopping the motor. By having the significant displacement of the motor controlling second hand grip position, the operator naturally chooses a better stance and naturally dissociates the motor control hand from the torque sustaining hand in operation of the power wrench. The hand-held powered wrench can be used such as for safely exercising fire hydrant valves.