Heart-Shaped Self-Locking Button Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Self-locking buttons in prior art have complex structures and relatively short mechanical lifespans, typically lasting around 500,000 cycles.

Innovation Solution

A heart-shaped self-locking button design featuring a housing, push rod, pin, and elastic element, where the pin is fixed to the housing and cooperates with a heart-shaped structure on the push rod, with the elastic element pressing the pin to maintain contact throughout its movement, simplifying the structure and extending the mechanical lifespan.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional self-locking button structure is used, then the button can achieve self-locking function, but the structure becomes complex and the mechanical lifespan is limited to about 500,000 cycles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanical lifespanVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The button structure is segmented into distinct functional components: the button body with heart-shaped groove, the pin with elastic element for locking mechanism, and the base structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining the self-locking function and improving mechanical lifespan to approximately 1 million cycles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If the pin is not continuously pressed against the heart-shaped structure, then the structure is simpler, but the contact is intermittent causing reduced reliability of self-locking function

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveself-locking reliabilityVSAvoidelastic element structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic element is pre-configured to continuously press the pin against the heart-shaped groove before any operating force is applied. This preliminary action ensures that the pin maintains constant contact with the groove, providing reliable self-locking function from the initial state and throughout operation, while the elastic element itself remains a simple component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 design enhances the reliability of the self-locking function and doubles the mechanical lifespan to approximately 1 million cycles while maintaining a simple mold and low costs.

Implementation Method 1

the elastic element is disposed between the housing and the push rod and presses the pin towards the heart-shaped structure so that the pin maintains contact with the heart-shaped structure

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3051550B1Heart-shaped self-locking button
Publication Date: 2018.11.14 SIEMENS AG
  • EP3051550B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3051550B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3051550B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A heart-shaped self-locking button (100) comprising one housing (110) and one push rod (120). The push-rod (120) is slideably arranged with the housing (110). A heart-shaped structure (1231) is formed on the push rod (120). The button comprises one pin (150) and one flexible element (160). One end of the pin (150) is fixed on the housing (110), while the other end is fitted with the heart-shaped structure (1231). The flexible element (160) is arranged between the housing (110) and the push rod (120) and presses the pin (150) towards the heart-shaped structure (1231) to allow the pin (150) to be in constant contact with the heart-shaped structure (1231). The heart-shaped structure of the heart-shaped self-locking button is arranged on the push rod, thus allowing for a simple mold and lowered costs. Also, the flexible element between the housing and the push rod is utilized to press the pin towards the heart-shaped structure on the push rod to allow the pin to be in constant contact with the heart-shaped structure when moving, thus implementing a self-locking function and an extended mechanical life.