Linear Lever Connector for Secure Coupling in Confined Spaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors with detachable plugs and caps are difficult to couple in small operation spaces due to the need for large forces and rotational movements, making them cumbersome and prone to separation under vibration.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a lever that moves linearly in the coupling direction to compulsorily press the cap into the plug, utilizing sliding grooves, guide holes, and pins to facilitate easy coupling and separation while preventing rotation and minimizing friction, allowing for one-handed operation in confined spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rotatable hinged lever is used to couple the cap and plug, then the coupling is compulsory and secure, but the lever requires a rotational radius that makes it difficult to operate in a small operation space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional rotational lever mechanism into a linear sliding lever mechanism. Instead of rotating the lever around a hinge point, the lever slides linearly along guide holes in the plug body in the same direction as the coupling force is applied. This inversion eliminates the need for rotational radius while maintaining the compulsory coupling function through linear motion that directly translates to drawing the cap into the plug.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dimension of lever movement from rotational (circular path) to linear (straight line path). The lever moves along guide holes that extend in the coupling direction, transforming the motion from a two-dimensional rotational arc to a one-dimensional linear path. This dimensional change allows the lever to operate effectively in confined spaces where rotational movement would be impossible.
2Reliability
If a large force is applied to couple the cap and plug by hand, then the coupling is secure, but it is difficult to apply such force in a small operation space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a lever as an intermediary mechanical element between the user's hand and the cap-plug coupling interface. The lever, connected to pins that engage with drawing grooves, acts as a force amplifier and direction converter. By moving the lever linearly, the user applies force that is transmitted through the pins and drawing grooves to compulsorily press the cap into the plug, making force application easier while maintaining coupling strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic elements including the movable lever that slides along guide holes, pins that move within drawing grooves, and spring-loaded lugs that engage with slots. These dynamic components allow the coupling mechanism to adapt to the applied force and maintain secure connection through controlled motion and elastic deformation, enabling effective coupling with reduced manual force requirement.
3Ease of operation
If the lever is moved linearly in the coupling direction, then the operation is simple and space-efficient, but additional mechanisms are needed to guide and constrain the lever movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components: the guide holes in the plug body simultaneously serve as both the linear guide for the lever and the structural element that defines the coupling direction. The pins connected to the lever and drawing grooves combine the functions of force transmission, motion constraint, and cap drawing. This merging reduces the need for separate guiding mechanisms while maintaining linear motion control.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever mechanism is designed to be self-guiding through the linear guide holes formed in the plug body. The guide holes themselves provide the constraining geometry that ensures the lever moves only in the desired coupling direction. The pins and drawing grooves work together to automatically translate lever motion into cap drawing without requiring external guidance systems, making the mechanism self-sufficient and simple.
4Ease of operation
If pins are allowed to move freely in the drawing grooves, guide holes, and operation holes, then the lever operation is smooth, but the pins may rotate sideward causing malfunction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric cross-sectional shapes for the pins and their corresponding guide holes/drawing grooves. The pins have a shape that fits precisely within the asymmetric guide features, allowing smooth linear motion while preventing sideward rotation. This asymmetric geometry provides inherent mechanical constraint that maintains pin orientation during lever operation without adding complex anti-rotation mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a cap detachably coupled to a plug in a coupling direction. The cap and the plug being electrically connected to each other. A lever is coupled to the plug. The lever is moveable linearly in a direction the same as the coupling direction. A coupling is actuated by the linear movement of the lever. The coupling draws and compulsorily presses the cap into the plug in the coupling direction to couple the cap and the plug.