Push-Pull Rod Locking Element With Rotatable Snap Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing push-pull rods with locking elements face challenges in assembly, particularly in confined spaces with limited accessibility, as they often require specific orientations and cannot be easily mirrored for assembly on both sides, leading to restricted installation possibilities.
Innovation Solution
A locking element with a rotatably connected snap element and lever arm, allowing the snap element to change direction after bolt insertion, enabling releasable locking of the rotary movement between the adapter and body, and featuring a latching device for secure engagement with a counter-element, facilitating assembly in restricted spaces and allowing for mirror-inverted operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional locking element with fixed snap element direction is used, then the locking function is reliable, but the assembly is restricted to specific orientations and cannot be mirrored for assembly on both sides
Solution Approach 1:
The snap element is made rotatable relative to the lever arm, allowing it to dynamically change its engagement direction. This dynamic capability enables the locking element to adapt to different assembly orientations (including mirrored configurations) without requiring multiple different locking elements, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking element is divided into separable functional components: the lever arm, the bolt, and the snap element. The snap element can be independently rotated relative to the lever arm about an axis parallel to the bolt, allowing its engagement direction to be adjusted without affecting the other components. This segmentation enables orientation flexibility while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Ease of operation
If the snap element is rotatably connected to the lever arm, then assembly in confined spaces with limited accessibility is enabled, but the mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable connection between the snap element and lever arm provides dynamic adjustment capability, allowing the snap element to be oriented in the most accessible direction during assembly. This dynamic feature enables operation in confined spaces without requiring the assembler to reach from specific directions, while the rotational mechanism itself remains mechanically simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The snap element is allowed to rotate about an axis parallel to the bolt (a different dimension than the usual pivoting axis), adding a degree of freedom to the mechanism. This dimensional change enables the snap element to access positions that would be unreachable with a fixed or single-axis pivoting design, improving assembly accessibility without significantly increasing complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single locking element design is used for both mirror-inverted orientations, then manufacturing and inventory are simplified, but the locking element must accommodate both orientations which increases design complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The locking element is designed with universal applicability through the rotatable snap element, which can be oriented to accommodate both mirror-inverted configurations. This single multi-functional design replaces the need for separate left-handed and right-handed locking elements, simplifying manufacturing and inventory while the rotational mechanism keeps the structural complexity manageable.
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 simplifies assembly by allowing easy operation and reliable locking of the push-pull rod in various orientations, ensuring secure locking without the need for separate locking elements for different orientations, and is robust and easy to manufacture.
Implementation Method 1
the snap element being rotatably connected to the lever arm about an axis of rotation parallel to the bolt
Implementation Method 2
a latching device for cooperating with a counter element on the body and thus for releasably locking (locking) the rotary movement of the adapter relative to the body
Implementation Method 3
a lever arm and a bolt connected to the lever arm
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1d
Figure 2a~2d
AI summary
The invention relates to: a locking binding element (1) for releasably locking an adapter (3) relative to a body (4) of a push-pull rod (1), said element comprising a lever arm (5) and a pin (6) connected to the lever arm (5), a snap-action element (7), and a latching device (8); and a push-pull rod (2) comprising such a locking device (1). According to the invention, the snap-action element (7) is rotatably connected to the lever arm (5). This allows a more flexible use of the locking element (1) on the push-pull rod (2).