Coupling and release device and hinge device employing same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mounting and dismounting devices for toilet seats and lids require users to perform multiple actions, such as pressing a button and extracting a shaft, making the dismounting process cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A mounting and dismounting device with a pin case that includes an insertion section, a passage section, and a holding section, allowing the pin to be inserted and secured orthogonally, simplifying the mounting and dismounting process by sliding the device to open and close the pin case's ports, thereby facilitating easy insertion and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a button and spring mechanism are used to lock the pin in the groove, then the locking reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because the user must press the button against the biasing force while extracting the pin
Solution Approach 1:
The pin's own head portion serves as the actuating element. When the user pulls the pin, the head portion automatically moves along the head passage space, triggering the shaft to slide and release from the groove without requiring a separate button-pressing action. The system uses the removal action itself to trigger the release mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring the user to press a button to initiate release (active pushing action), the design allows the user to simply pull the pin (passive pulling action). The movement direction is inverted: rather than pushing to release, the user pulls to trigger the automatic release sequence through the head passage space mechanism.
2Strength
If the pin has a groove formed along the circumferential direction for locking, then the locking strength is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional shaft, spring, and button components
Solution Approach 1:
The button component is extracted/removed from the system entirely. The release function previously performed by the button is now achieved through the automatic movement of the shaft triggered by the pin's head portion sliding along the head passage space during removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking and release functions are merged into a single automatic mechanism. The shaft simultaneously provides locking engagement with the groove and automatic release through sliding movement when the pin is pulled, eliminating the need for separate button-pressing and shaft-extraction actions.
3Reliability
If the shaft must be extracted from the groove to remove the pin, then the locking reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases because both button pressing and pin extraction must be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The useful action of pin removal is made continuous. As the user pulls the pin, the head portion continuously moves along the head passage space, which continuously drives the shaft to slide and disengage from the groove, achieving release and removal in a single continuous motion without interruption for button pressing.
Solution Approach 2:
The head passage space is pre-configured to guide the head portion's movement path. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that when the pin is pulled, the head portion automatically follows the predetermined path that triggers the shaft's sliding motion, preparing the release mechanism in advance without requiring user intervention.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4(A)~4(D)
AI summary
An object is to simplify mounting and dismounting work by a user. To this end, a mounting and dismounting device 6 according to the present invention is provided with a pin case 10 for mounting and dismounting a pin 3 having a rod portion 3A and a head portion 3B protruding further toward the outside than an outer peripheral surface of the rod portion 3A. The pin case 10 has an insertion section 20 having an insertion hole 21 into which the pin 3 is inserted, a passage section 30 having a head passage space 31 which communicates with the insertion hole 21 and allows the head portion 3B of the pin 3 inserted into the insertion hole 21 to move in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the insertion hole 21, and a holding section 50 having a rod disposition space 51 which communicates with the insertion hole 21 and the head passage space 31 and in which the rod portion 3A is to be disposed, the holding section 50 holding the rod portion 3A in the rod disposition space 51 by opening and closing an opening and closing port 52 between the rod disposition space 51 and the insertion hole 21. In a case where the rod portion 3A is held in the rod disposition space 51, an end portion on the head passage space side of the holding section 50 fastens the