Wrench Stabilizing System Using Insertable Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pipe wrenches often slip or tip over during use, leading to instability and inefficiency when working with threaded pipes, requiring frequent repositioning and posing safety risks.
Innovation Solution
A wrench stabilizing system with a stabilizing piece inserted through an opening in the wrench head, featuring a base portion, connection portion, and abutment portion to securely support the wrench in a use position, allowing for stable operation and potential use as a storage rack.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pipe wrench is placed on the floor and held in an unstable position, then the worker can access the pipe, but the wrench slips or tips over causing injury and requiring frequent repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing system is divided into separate components: a stabilizing portion with base, connection, and abutment portions that can be inserted into the wrench through the insertion opening. This segmentation allows the wrench to maintain its original portable design while adding stability through a separate insertable component.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing portion acts as an intermediary element between the wrench and the supporting surface. It transfers the wrench weight to the surface through the base portion while preventing tipping through the abutment portion, thereby mediating the instability issue without altering the wrench's primary function.
2Reliability
If a stabilizing system is added to prevent wrench tipping, then wrench stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing portion is designed to be nested within the wrench structure by inserting through the existing insertion opening in the wrench head. The connection portion fits through the opening while the base and abutment portions extend outward, creating a compact nested configuration that minimizes added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The stabilizing portion serves multiple functions simultaneously: the base portion provides surface contact for support, the connection portion anchors to the wrench, and the abutment portion prevents rotation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting complexity increase.
3Reliability
If the stabilizing portion is designed with extensive surface contact, then stability and anti-rotation improve, but the ease of insertion and removal decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilizing portion is designed with dynamic insertion characteristics: the connection portion allows easy insertion through the opening, while the base and abutment portions provide stable positioning once inserted. The design enables quick installation and removal while maintaining stability during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion opening in the wrench head is pre-configured to receive the connection portion of the stabilizing system. This preliminary preparation of the opening allows for easy insertion of the stabilizing portion without requiring complex assembly steps, while the subsequent positioning of the base and abutment portions provides the needed stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A wrench stabilizing system, wherein the wrench has an insertion opening machined on an exterior surface of the wrench head which extends throughout a length of the wrench head. A stabilizing portion is inserted through the insertion opening on the wrench head, and effectively stabilizes and supports a wrench in a use position and prevents rotation of the pipe being worked on, while at the same time, enabling a worker to operate another wrench in the process.