Elastic Rod Locking Mechanism for Stable Lifting Body Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking-unlocking structures in water purification systems, such as the ball-point pen and latch schemes, face issues with maintaining the lifting state and easily releasing the engagement of teeth, leading to instability and inefficiency in repeated lifting and falling operations.
Innovation Solution
A locking-unlocking unit is introduced, comprising an actuation unit mounted on the lifting body and an actuation guide unit in the fixing body, which uses a lifting line and falling line to control the stopping and falling of the lifting body through elastic means, including a stop groove and anti-passing unit to ensure precise and repeatable operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If teeth engagement is used to maintain lifting state and release falling state, then the lifting body can be stopped in lifting state, but the engagement may be easily released by great force causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting body is divided into separate functional components: a lifting plate with lifting protrusions, a lifting body with stop grooves, and an actuation unit with elastic rod. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, improving reliability while maintaining ease of operation through the elastic rod's automatic engagement and disengagement mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic rod automatically engages the lifting protrusion with the stop groove to maintain the lifting state, and automatically disengages when force is applied, causing the lifting body to fall. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual intervention to release the engagement, improving ease of operation while maintaining stability through the elastic rod's controlled engagement
2Manufacturing precision
If latch unit is moved left and right by pushing the lifting body, then the engagement of teeth can be maintained, but the engagement may not be exactly achieved by the play of latch unit
Solution Approach 1:
The complex latch unit with left-right movement is extracted and replaced by a simpler elastic rod mechanism that moves only in the vertical direction. The elastic rod is inserted into the lifting protrusion and automatically engages with the stop groove, achieving precise engagement without the complexity of lateral movement mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of moving the latch unit laterally to achieve engagement, the invention inverts the approach by using the vertical movement of the elastic rod during the normal lifting and falling cycles to automatically achieve engagement and disengagement. This inversion simplifies the mechanism while maintaining precision
3Ease of manufacture
If simple structure is used for locking-unlocking unit, then manufacturing is simplified, but precise repetition of lifting and falling operations may be difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The complex mechanical latch system is replaced with a simple elastic rod mechanism that utilizes the existing vertical movement of the lifting body. The elastic rod's elasticity provides the necessary engagement and disengagement functions without requiring complex mechanical linkages, achieving both ease of manufacture and precise repetition of operations
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic rod serves multiple functions: it maintains the lifting state by engaging the stop groove, releases the lifting state when force is applied, and automatically returns to its original position. This multi-functionality is achieved with a simple component that can be easily manufactured while ensuring precise repetition of lifting and falling operations
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
This configuration allows for flexible, precise, and repeatable lifting and falling operations, simplifies manufacturing and assembly, and reduces the likelihood of failure, enabling easy maintenance and repair.
Implementation Method 1
the actuation unit circulating between the lifting line and the falling line of the actuation guide unit is instantly and exactly released from the stopping state due to the elasticity of an elastic rod lifted and falling together with the actuation unit
Data Source
AI summary
A locking-unlocking structure for stopping a lifting body, which is vertically lifted and falls through repetition of a pushing action, in a lifting state and for releasing a stopping state of the lifting body is provided. The locking-unlocking structure includes a lifting body, which is exactly lifted immediately upward, or falls without being fluctuated left and right and, to control lifting and falling operations of the lifting body, an actuation unit is mounted in the lifting body movably left and right, and an actuation guide unit, which guides an operation of the actuation unit, is fixedly mounted in a fixing body, and the lifting body is provided therein with a rotation groove allowing the actuation unit to be movable left and right when the lifting body is lifted or falls, and a rotation shaft rotatably coupled to the rotation groove is provided at one side of a lifting plate. The lifting plate is provided on a lower end of an opposite side thereof with a stop protrusion circulating a lifting line and a falling line branching left and right. The actuation guide unit, which is configured to guide an operation of the actuation unit, includes the lifting line having a rising curve line and the falling line having a falling curve line, the lifting line and the falling line branching left and right at a lower end of the actuation guide unit, to guide repeatedly circulating operations of the actuation unit. The actuation guide unit is provided at a central upper portion thereof with a stop groove interposed between the lifting line and the falling line to securely mount the stop protrusion in the stop groove.