Slideable Connector Latch Mechanism for Secure Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing accessory connectors for portable communication devices, such as two-way radios, face issues with variability in user interface due to torque and time requirements, susceptibility to corrosion, and electrostatic discharge, particularly in public safety environments where tactile feedback is crucial and reliability is essential.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a unitarily molded housing, cover, and latch mechanism that provides a slideable form factor for easy engagement and disengagement without screws, offering consistent and robust tactile feedback through angled tabs, side grips, and a scooped latch for intuitive operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a screw-type attachment mechanism is used, then the connector can be securely retained to the device, but the user interface varies between individuals in terms of torque applied and time needed to screw and unscrew
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct functional segments: a housing with internal threading, a separate latch mechanism, and a cover assembly. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, with the housing providing secure retention through threading while the latch and cover provide consistent, tool-free operation for the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a latch mechanism as an intermediary between the user and the screw-type retention system. The latch engages with the threaded housing to secure the connector, while the cover provides a user-friendly interface that masks the complexity of the threading mechanism. This intermediary layer allows secure retention without requiring users to directly manipulate screws.
2Reliability
If a screw-type attachment mechanism is used, then the connector can be securely retained to the device, but the connector is susceptible to corrosion and electrostatic discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters of the connector components, using corrosion-resistant materials such as plastic or coated metals for the housing and latch mechanism. This material selection eliminates the corrosion susceptibility inherent in traditional metal screw connections while maintaining the secure retention function through the threaded housing design.
3Ease of operation
If a slideable connector design is used, then the connector provides easy engagement and disengagement, but the connector requires a complex latch mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the latch mechanism with the cover assembly, integrating the locking function into the existing structural components. The cover serves both as a protective enclosure and as the operational interface for engaging and disengaging the connector. This merging reduces overall complexity by eliminating separate latch components while maintaining the slideable engagement functionality.
Data Source
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AI summary
A connector (100) is formed of a housing having a tab (112), a cover (104) for sliding over a section of the housing and a latch (106) slideably coupled to the cover. The connector (100) is attached to a device by aligning the tab (112) of the housing (102) into the device, sliding the cover (104) inward towards the housing thereby engaging the cover and housing to the device, and pressing the latch (106) downward to lock the connector to the device. The connector (100) is detached from the device by pulling the latch (106) upward to unlock the connector from the device, sliding the cover (104) outward to disengage the cover from the device, and releasing the tab (112).