Wrench With Curved Positioning Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flex-head ratcheting wrenches fail to effectively apply driving force when the positioning mechanism's teeth are damaged or deformed, as the mechanism cannot restrain the head properly.
Innovation Solution
A wrench design featuring pivotally coupled segments with a locking device that includes curved positioning surfaces and a catch, allowing selective engagement and disengagement to prevent or allow rotation, ensuring effective force application regardless of the positioning mechanism's condition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a positioning mechanism with teeth is used to restrain the head, then the head can be locked at various angles, but the mechanism fails when teeth are damaged or deformed
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning surface is divided into multiple curved segments (first positioning surface, second positioning surface, etc.) instead of using a single toothed structure. Each curved surface segment can independently engage with the catch, providing multiple locking positions without requiring interlocking teeth. This segmentation eliminates the vulnerability of toothed mechanisms while maintaining the ability to lock at various angles.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using protruding teeth that engage with corresponding grooves (traditional positioning mechanism), the invention inverts the approach by using curved surfaces that abut against the catch. The catch acts as the active locking element that presses against the curved positioning surfaces, rather than teeth interlocking with each other. This inversion eliminates tooth damage issues while achieving the same positioning function.
2Reliability
If the positioning mechanism uses curved positioning surfaces instead of teeth, then the mechanism remains functional even when surfaces are worn, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the positioning function and the locking function into a single integrated system. The curved positioning surfaces are formed directly on the head body, and the catch incorporates both the locking action and the positioning engagement. This merging eliminates the need for separate toothed components while achieving reliable positioning through the combination of curved surfaces and catch engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved positioning surfaces are self-aligning features that automatically guide the catch into the correct position during rotation. The geometry of the curved surfaces ensures proper engagement without requiring additional alignment mechanisms or complex adjustment systems. The system serves itself by using the natural geometry of the curved surfaces to achieve accurate positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A wrench has a first segment and a second segment pivotally coupled together. The second segment is selectively positionable at various fixed pivotal positions relative to the first segment. The first and the second segments engage with a locking device. The first segment has a first joining end forming a first positioning surface and a second positioning surface. The locking device includes a catch selectively engagable and disengagable from the first and the second positioning surfaces. The catch has a body section abutting against the first positioning surface in a direction radial to the axis of rotation when the first segment is at a first fixed pivotal position relative to the second segment. The first body section is abutted against the second positioning surface in a direction radial to the axis of rotation when the first segment is at a second fixed pivotal position relative to the second segment.