Serviceable Locking Pin with Drainage Apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring-return, plunger-style locking/indexing pins are not user-serviceable, prone to water retention leading to ice buildup in cold weather, and have internal mechanisms obscured by metal knob-style grips, which are not durable enough for harsh environments.
Innovation Solution
A field-serviceable, freely-draining locking/indexing pin with a metal body and external apertures for drainage and visibility, featuring a spring-actuated mechanism with a retractable pin and handle, suitable for harsh environments and fluid connectors prone to loosening by vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing spring-return locking pins use permanently sealed closed design, then internal mechanism is protected, but water accumulates inside leading to ice buildup in cold weather
Solution Approach 1:
The locking pin body incorporates porous material or drainage structures that allow water to pass through and drain from the interior cavity, preventing water accumulation while maintaining protection of internal mechanisms. The porous structure enables selective permeability to water while preserving mechanical integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealed closed design is segmented into multiple sections with drainage apertures or channels, dividing the interior space to allow water evacuation paths while maintaining structural protection. This segmentation enables the body to both protect internals and drain water simultaneously.
2Strength
If metal knob-style grips are used on locking pins, then durability in harsh environments is improved, but internal mechanism becomes obscured and not visible
Solution Approach 1:
The grip structure is segmented or designed with transparent/semi-transparent sections that allow visual inspection of the internal mechanism while maintaining metal durability. The segmentation creates zones of different opacity to balance protection and visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The grip material incorporates transparent or translucent sections with selective optical properties, allowing light transmission to visualize internal mechanism status. The color or transparency changes based on operational state, enabling detection without compromising structural integrity.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If plastic knob-style grips are used on locking pins, then internal mechanism is visible, but the grips cannot withstand rigors of harsh operating environments
Solution Approach 1:
The grip is constructed from composite materials combining metal durability with transparent or translucent properties. The composite structure integrates metal reinforcement for strength with transparent polymers or coated metal surfaces that allow visual inspection of internal mechanisms while withstanding harsh environmental conditions.
4Reliability
If locking pins are made permanently sealed, then user serviceability is reduced, but internal mechanism is protected from contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The sealed structure is segmented into removable or accessible sections that allow user serviceability. The segmentation enables disassembly or access to internal mechanisms for maintenance while maintaining protective sealing during normal operation through reversible sealing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing mechanism transitions from static permanent seal to dynamic reversible seal, allowing the locking pin to switch between sealed protective state and open serviceable state. The dynamic sealing enables user access when needed while maintaining contamination protection during operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a reliable, user-serviceable locking mechanism that prevents water accumulation and ice buildup, ensuring operational integrity in harsh conditions and maintaining functionality across varying temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
A spring actuated assembly maintains an end of the pin in an extended position relative to an end of the barrel when no force is applied to the pin and allows the pin to retract relative to the end of the barrel when a force is applied to the pin
Data Source
AI summary
A locking pin assembly having a body including a wall defining an interior space and having at least one aperture therethrough for allowing fluid communication between the interior space and an exterior environment. A barrel defines a bore and has an outer wall with external threads. A pin travels longitudinally within the interior space of the body and the bore of the barrel. A spring actuated assembly maintains an end of the pin in an extended position relative to an end of the barrel when no force is applied to the pin and allows the pin to retract relative to the end of the barrel when a force is applied to the pin.