Dial Lock Mechanism With Alternate Release for Thin Imaging Controls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operation devices with alternate mechanisms for dials have a large thickness due to the detachable coupling of lock buttons and pins, which necessitate a significant stroke for transitioning between locked and unlocked states.
Innovation Solution
An operation device with a dial and a dial lock member featuring a recessed portion, a lock lever member, and an alternate mechanism that moves the lock lever to engage and disengage with the recessed portion, reducing the thickness by integrating the lock lever and rotating body components within the dial's rotational center line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the lock button and lock pin are detachably coupled in a direction of the rotational center line of the dial to enable the alternate mechanism, then the dial can transition between locked and unlocked states, but the thickness of the dial becomes large due to the necessary stroke for separation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the direction of the locking mechanism from the rotational center line direction (thickness direction) to a radial direction perpendicular to the rotational center line. The lock pin now extends radially from the lock button, and the locking action occurs in the radial direction rather than the axial direction, thereby reducing dial thickness while maintaining alternate mechanism functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The lock pin is designed with an asymmetric structure where one end is attached to the lock button and the other end engages with the lock hole. The lock pin extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotational center line, creating an asymmetric arrangement that enables the alternate mechanism while minimizing the thickness required
Data Source
AI summary
An operation device includes a dial and a dial lock member including a recessed portion. The dial includes: a lock lever member that is movable in an extending direction of a rotational center line of the dial and includes a button portion and a projecting portion, the button portion being configured to be pressed down by a user, the projecting portion being configured to engage with the recessed portion of the dial lock member to bring the dial into a non-rotatable locked state when the button portion is pressed down; and an alternate mechanism configured to moves the lock lever member so as to bring the dial into a rotatable unlocked state in which engagement between the projecting portion and the recessed portion is released after the button portion in the locked state is pressed down by a user.