Bayonet Locking Device Axial Disconnection Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bayonet-type locking devices in electrical connection systems are complex to manufacture and assemble, and require high precision, making them costly and inefficient for fast disconnection, especially in emergency situations without human intervention.
Innovation Solution
A connection system with a bayonet-type locking device featuring a locking nut with an internal and external shell, where the locking pin is attached to a flexible strip, allowing disengagement under a pull force, eliminating the need for intermediate ramp spring elements and simplifying the design for easy assembly and manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bayonet-type locking device is used to mechanically lock the plug to the receptacle, then the locking efficiency is improved and manual locking becomes easy and fast, but the disconnection process becomes complex requiring rotation in contrary sense and cannot achieve fast disconnection without human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The locking nut is divided into two separate shells: an internal shell that remains stationary during locking operations, and an external shell that rotates during locking but translates axially during disconnection. This segmentation allows the locking function to remain bayonet-type (rotational) while the disconnection function becomes linear (axial translation), simplifying the disconnection mechanism and enabling fast release without rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using rotational movement in both locking and disconnection (traditional bayonet mechanism), the invention inverts the disconnection mechanism to use axial translation rather than rotation. The external shell's axial translation under pull force directly drives the locking pin out of the locking ramp, reversing the conventional approach where disconnection also requires rotation.
2Speed
If quick release mechanisms are designed to allow fast disconnection with axially applied external force, then the disconnection speed is improved, but the mechanism design becomes complex requiring high precision manufacturing and important number of specific pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the locking and disconnection functions into a single integrated structure where the external shell serves both as the rotational element for locking and as the axial translation element for disconnection. The locking pin is directly attached to the external shell, eliminating the need for separate ramp spring elements and intermediate components, thus reducing the number of parts while maintaining fast disconnection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The external shell performs multiple functions: it rotates during locking to engage the locking pin with the locking ramp, and it translates axially during disconnection to release the locking pin from the ramp. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components dedicated to each function, simplifying the overall mechanism design and reducing manufacturing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If ramp spring elements are mounted into the first coupling ring to achieve quick disconnection, then the disconnection function is improved, but the manufacturing costs increase due to complex assembly and high precision requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the ramp spring elements from the mechanism. Instead of using separate spring elements mounted into the coupling ring, the locking pin is directly attached to the external shell, which provides the necessary mechanical advantage for quick disconnection through axial translation. This removal of unnecessary components simplifies manufacturing and reduces costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The external shell itself provides the mechanical advantage needed for quick disconnection through its axial translation movement. The geometry of the external shell and locking pin arrangement creates a self-service mechanism where the pull force applied to the external shell automatically translates into the force needed to release the locking pin from the ramp, without requiring additional spring elements or intermediate components.
Data Source
Figure 1~2A
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4~6
AI summary
A connection system, comprising: - two system elements forming a plug and a receptacle, a locking device comprising • a locking nut mounted free in rotation around the plug or the receptacle, • a locking pin being arranged into the locking nut, the locking pin being adapted to be engaged into a locking ramp provided in the receptacle or the plug by relative translation between the plug and the receptacle and rotation of the locking nut to mechanically lock the plug to the receptacle when they are in mutual connection, the arrangement of the said locking pin being such that a pull force applied to a sliding part of the locking nut, in a sense opposite to the sense of their mutual connection, disengages the locking pin from the locking ramp, allowing the unlocking of the plug from the receptacle.