Adjustment Mechanism for One-Handed Fit Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adjustment mechanisms for protective headgear and sporting equipment often require users to remove the equipment or use both hands to adjust the fit, and they lack the ability to incrementally tighten or loosen the fit while maintaining retention at any stopping point.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable mechanism featuring a cylindrical dial with a ledge and cutouts, an actuator with teeth that engages the dial, and drive-dogs with ramped edges, allowing for one-handed tightening and loosening by rotating the dial in opposite directions, which engages or disengages the actuator from the base to control the tension of the fit system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional adjustment mechanisms are used, then the fit can be adjusted, but both hands are required to operate the mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a dial for user input, drive-dogs for force transmission, and a ratchet mechanism for one-way engagement. This segmentation allows the operating elements to be separated from the adjustment elements, enabling one-handed operation while maintaining mechanical functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The drive-dogs act as intermediary elements between the dial and the adjustment mechanism. These intermediaries transmit rotational force from the dial while allowing the ratchet mechanism to provide one-way engagement, thereby enabling one-handed operation without requiring complex direct coupling
2Ease of operation
If conventional adjustment mechanisms are used, then the fit can be adjusted, but the equipment must be removed from the user to make adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment mechanism is designed to be self-contained and self-operable while the equipment remains on the user's body. The dial and drive-dog mechanism allow the user to independently adjust the fit without requiring removal of the equipment or assistance from others, enabling quick on-the-fly adjustments
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional adjustment mechanisms are used, then the fit can be adjusted, but incremental tightening or loosening with retention at stopping points is not possible
Solution Approach 1:
The ratchet mechanism creates periodic engagement points as the dial is rotated, allowing the adjustment mechanism to incrementally tighten or loosen the fit while maintaining retention at each stopping point. This periodic engagement enables precise fit customization with stable retention at each adjustment level
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism transitions between engaged and disengaged states dynamically as the dial is rotated. The drive-dogs engage and disengage from the ratchet teeth based on rotation direction, enabling incremental adjustment while maintaining reliability at each stopping position
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustment mechanism comprises a dial comprising an inner wall defining a hole passing through the dial, the inner wall comprising a ledge having one or more cutouts. The mechanism further comprises a base comprising a first set of teeth and an actuator comprising a second, the second set of teeth configured to engage the first set of teeth and allow the actuator to be rotated in a first direction but not in a second opposite direction. The actuator further comprises one or more drive-dogs configured to engage a cutout on the inner wall of the dial, each drive-dog comprising a ramped edge configured to disengage the drive-dog from the cutout and lift the second set of teeth from the first set of teeth when the dial is rotated in the second direction.