Vise Jaw Plate with Selectively Extendable Pin System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing workholding devices for machine tools lack efficient and repeatable methods for locating and securing workpieces, often requiring separate work stops and tools for precise positioning.
Innovation Solution
A selectively extendable pin system integrated into jaw plates of vises, allowing pins to be extended or retracted for precise workpiece alignment and securing, eliminating the need for separate work stops and enabling repeatable positioning without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If separate work stops and tools are used for precise positioning, then positioning accuracy can be achieved, but device complexity and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the work stop function with the existing jaw plate structure by integrating pins directly into the jaw plate. This merging eliminates the need for separate work stops and positioning tools, reducing device complexity while maintaining positioning accuracy. The pins are housed in holes within the jaw plate and can be extended or retracted as needed, providing a unified structure that performs both jaw functions and work stop functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The jaw plate is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides the jaw's clamping function and simultaneously serves as a work stop through the integrated pins. This multi-functionality allows a single component to perform what previously required separate tools, reducing the overall number of components needed while maintaining precise positioning capability.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate work stops are used for precise positioning, then positioning accuracy is achieved, but setup time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pins are pre-installed in the jaw plate during manufacturing, eliminating the need for operators to install separate work stops during setup. The pins are ready for immediate use, and operators can simply extend or retract them as needed, significantly reducing setup time while maintaining positioning accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
By merging the work stop function into the jaw plate structure, the patent eliminates the time-consuming process of installing and positioning separate work stops. The integrated pins are immediately available for positioning operations, reducing setup time without sacrificing precision.
3Ease of operation
If pins are made selectively extendable for tool-free operation, then ease of operation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pins are designed to be dynamically adjustable between extended and retracted positions, allowing operators to adapt the positioning function to different workpiece sizes and configurations. This dynamic capability is achieved through a relatively simple mechanism involving holes of different diameters and should ers that allow manual extension and retraction without tools, balancing ease of operation with acceptable device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A jaw plate for a vise including a selectively extendable pin for locating a workpiece. An exemplary jaw plate may be installed in a workholding device, such as a vise, which may be used to hold a workpiece proximate a machine tool. An exemplary jaw plate includes a plurality of pins at predetermined locations along the jaw plate's front face. The pins may be individually selectively extended or retracted by an operator. In their extended positions, the pins may assist the operator in locating the workpiece relative to the machine tool in a correct and repeatable position.