Female Button Rotator With Projection For Tactile Locking Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing female and male button systems fail to provide a consistent tactile sense of locking, leading to misunderstandings about their coupling status, as the tactile sense remains unchanged regardless of whether the male button is inserted or not.
Innovation Solution
A female button design featuring a rotator that transitions between unlocked and locked states, with radially outward displacement of arresting parts allowed in the unlocked state and hindered in the locked state, utilizing an elastic member and projections to increase rotational resistance when the button is locked, ensuring a clear tactile sense of locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protrusion is fitted with a recess to provide tactile sense of locking, then the tactile sense of locking is obtained, but the tactile sense remains unchanged regardless of whether the male button is inserted or not, leading to misunderstanding of coupling status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the tactile feedback dynamic rather than static. The rotator's rotational resistance changes based on the coupling state: when the male button is inserted, the rotator encounters increased rotational resistance; when not inserted, the rotator rotates freely. This dynamic change in rotational characteristics provides accurate tactile feedback about coupling status, resolving the contradiction between providing tactile feedback and avoiding misleading feedback.
2Ease of operation
If the rotator rotates freely to provide easy operation, then ease of operation is improved, but the tactile sense of locking becomes inconsistent, reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different rotational resistance characteristics at different stages of rotation. The pressing portion of the male button interacts locally with the rotator to create increased rotational resistance only when coupled, while the uncoupled state maintains free rotation. This localized differentiation in rotational quality provides both ease of operation and reliable locking feedback.
3Ease of operation
If the arresting part is displaced radially outward to allow insertion/removal, then ease of operation is improved, but the locking state cannot be distinguished from the unlocked state
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by providing tactile resistance feedback during rotation that indicates the coupling state. When the male button is inserted, the rotator experiences increased rotational resistance as feedback; when not inserted, the rotator rotates freely. This feedback mechanism allows the user to distinguish between locked and unlocked states while maintaining ease of operation for insertion and removal.
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 design reduces the likelihood of misunderstanding the coupling status by providing a distinct tactile sense of locking, enhancing user feedback and preventing unintended uncoupling, such as in nursing care or securing bags.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member arranged radially outward of the at least one arresting part with respect to the rotational axis of the rotator. The arresting part or the elastic member is provided with a projection which, when the rotator rotates toward the second position, displaces the arresting part toward the rotational axis before the rotator reaches the second position
Implementation Method 2
if the displacement of the arresting part toward the rotational axis is obstructed by the post, rotational resistance of the rotator is increased
Data Source
AI summary
A female button is in an unlocked state when a rotator takes a first position and is in a locked state when the rotator takes a second position, insertion and removal of a post of a male button being allowed in the unlocked state, and insertion and removal of the post of the male button being hindered in the locked state. Arresting part or elastic member is provided with a projection which, when the rotator rotates toward the second position, displaces the arresting part toward the rotational axis before the rotator reaches the second position and, if the displacement of the arresting part toward the rotational axis is obstructed by the post, rotational resistance of the rotator is increased.