Internal Coil Spring Locking Mechanism With Release Hold
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spring lock mechanisms face challenges in achieving high safety, weight reduction, and size reduction due to the concentration of load on coil springs, which can lead to fracture and increased size, and lack a reliable mechanism for holding the locking released state.
Innovation Solution
A spring lock mechanism with a coil spring secured inside a lock drum, where the coil spring's winding outer diameter is 2-5% greater than the lock drum's inner diameter, allowing it to compress and increase in diameter to lock the turning mechanism, and a switching mechanism that extends or shortens the coil spring to switch between locked and released states, reducing the risk of fracture and allowing for a more compact design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the coil spring is located outside the lock drum and the secured end portion is bent toward the outside, then the switching mechanism can be provided outside the lock drum, but the size of the mechanism increases and the burden concentration on the spring wire material increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places the coil spring inside the lock drum, nesting the spring within the drum structure. This eliminates the need for external bending of the secured end portion and reduces the overall mechanism size while maintaining the switching mechanism's functionality through the inner circumferential surface contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the positioning dimension of the coil spring from external to internal relative to the lock drum. By locating the spring inside the drum and having it contact the inner circumferential surface, the design achieves compactness while the switching mechanism operates through dimensional changes in spring compression rather than external lever movements.
2Ease of operation
If the coil spring is located outside the lock drum, then the switching mechanism can be provided outside, but the height and diameter of the lock drum increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coil spring is nested inside the lock drum structure, with the spring's outer circumferential surface contacting the drum's inner circumferential surface. This nesting arrangement eliminates the need for external space, reducing both the height and diameter requirements of the lock drum while maintaining switching mechanism functionality.
3Reliability
If a burring portion is provided to hold the secured portion of the coil spring, then the burden is shared and fracture is prevented, but the number of windings increases and the lock drum size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coil spring is nested within the lock drum, eliminating the need for external burring portions. The drum's inner circumferential surface serves as the bearing surface, distributing the burden along the spring's outer circumference without requiring additional external structural elements, thus maintaining reliability while reducing size.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock drum's inner circumferential surface serves multiple functions: it acts as both the structural boundary of the drum and the bearing surface for the coil spring. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate burring portions, reducing the number of parts and overall size while maintaining burden distribution and fracture resistance.
4Ease of operation
If the coil spring is located outside the lock drum, then the switching mechanism can be provided outside, but the mechanism complexity increases due to foamed member entrance prevention covers
Solution Approach 1:
The coil spring is nested inside the lock drum, which simplifies the overall structure and eliminates the need for external foamed member entrance prevention covers. The drum itself serves as the containment structure, reducing component complexity while maintaining the switching mechanism's accessibility through the internal spring's outer surface.
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 enhances safety by distributing load effectively, reduces the risk of coil spring fracture, and achieves weight and size reduction while providing a reliable locking mechanism that can hold the released state securely.
Implementation Method 1
the diameter of the coil spring increases through compression of the spring wire material of the coil spring in the longitudinal direction
Implementation Method 2
a lock drum provided inside a coil spring that is configured of a spring wire material with a square section is fastened tight with the coil spring to cause a frictional force
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a spring lock mechanism including: a lock drum (11) provided on either one of a first member (20) and a second member (20); a coil spring (12) secured to the other member, abutting on the lock drum (11), and locking turning of the second member (30) in one direction relative to the first member (20) due to a frictional force; and a switching mechanism causing the second member (30) to turn relative to the first member (20) to switch a state in which the locking has been established and a state in which the locking has been released and held, in which the coil spring (12) abuts on an inner circumferential surface of the lock drum (11), the diameter of the coil spring (12) increases through compression of a spring wire material of the coil spring (12) in a longitudinal direction caused by the turning of the second member (20), the coil spring thus further presses the inner circumferential surface of the lock drum (11) and locks the turning due to the frictional force, and the switching mechanism accompanies an operation of extending or shortening a length of the coil spring (12) in the state in which the locking has been released relative to the length of the coil spring (12) in the state in which the locking has been established.