Knob and Lever Assembly with Spring Clip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing knob and lever assemblies require complex structures, numerous components, and are prone to separation under external forces, with screw-based assemblies being time-consuming and lacking a fixed orientation, leading to low productivity and assembly instability.
Innovation Solution
A simplified assembly using a knob with a cylindrical hollow part and accommodating groove, a lever with a seating groove, and a spring clip with radial slits, allowing for one-touch assembly with a strong coupling force and adjustable orientation through guide grooves and protrusions, and enabling easy separation with a spring clip that compresses and expands to secure the components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screw-based assembly is used to connect knob and lever, then the connection is secure, but the assembly time is long and productivity is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the screw component entirely from the assembly system. Instead of using screws to connect the knob and lever, it employs a snap-fit mechanism where the lever is inserted into the hollow part of the knob, and the spring clip automatically secures the connection through elastic deformation, eliminating the need for time-consuming screwing operations while maintaining secure connection
Solution Approach 2:
The spring clip performs self-service by automatically securing the lever to the knob through its elastic properties. When the lever is inserted, the spring clip deforms elastically and then locks into position, creating a secure connection without requiring external fastening operations. This self-securing mechanism dramatically reduces assembly time while ensuring reliable connection
2Stability of the object's composition
If screw-based assembly is used, then the connection is fixed, but the orientation adjustment requires additional processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetric guide grooves and guide protrusions that work together to automatically orient the lever correctly as it is inserted into the knob. The guide groove in the lever has a specific shape that complements the guide protrusion on the knob, ensuring that the lever can only be inserted in the correct orientation, thereby eliminating the need for separate orientation adjustment processes while maintaining stable connection
3Ease of operation
If one-touch assembly structures are used, then assembly is straightforward, but the number of components increases and the assembly may separate under large external force
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the spring clip by utilizing its elastic characteristics. The spring clip is designed with specific elastic properties that allow it to deform under insertion force during assembly and then maintain a secure locking force under external loads. This parameter change from rigid to elastic behavior enables the one-touch assembly to withstand large external forces while maintaining connection stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved and rounded geometric features throughout the design, including the cylindrical hollow part of the knob, the rounded ends of the lever, and the elastic deformation capability of the spring clip. These curved geometries allow for smooth insertion and secure locking, enabling straightforward one-touch assembly while the interlocking curved surfaces prevent separation under external forces
4Reliability
If complex structures with many components are used, then the assembly may be more secure, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into fewer components. The spring clip simultaneously serves as a fastener, a positioner, and a shock absorber. The lever's hollow part and the spring clip work together as an integrated locking mechanism. This merging of functions reduces the total number of components needed while maintaining secure assembly, thereby simplifying manufacturing and reducing cost
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 enables a strong, secure coupling between the knob and lever with reduced components, facilitating quick assembly and maintaining stability under external forces, while allowing for easy adjustment and separation, thus enhancing assembly efficiency and maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
a spring clip having a plurality of rings configured to be fitted onto the seating groove of the lever, having an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the seating groove and smaller than the diameter of the body part, and having an outer diameter larger than the diameter of the body part, wherein in a process of assembling the lever into the knob with the spring clip fitted onto the lever, the outer diameter of the spring clip is compressed by the inner diameter of the hollow part of the knob as the lever is fitted into the knob, and the outer diameter of the spring clip expands into the accommodating groove of the knob
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly includes a knob, a lever, and a spring clip. The knob includes a substantially cylindrical hollow part having a first inner diameter, and an accommodating groove extending along the hollow part and having a second inner diameter larger than the first diameter. The lever includes a substantially cylindrical body part having a diameter corresponding to the first diameter, and a seating groove formed in the body part at a position of the body part facing the accommodating groove when the knob is assembled to the lever. A spring clip is fitted onto the seating groove of the lever such that the spring clip is disposed in a space formed between the accommodating groove and the seating groove when the knob is assembled to the lever. The spring clip provides a coupling force between the knob and the lever.