Releasable Line Retention Bracket with Flexible Detent Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing securing mechanisms are labor-intensive to manufacture and assemble, and their parts tend to have suboptimal performance over time, necessitating a more efficient and reliable releasable securing solution.
Innovation Solution
A line retention device with a retention bracket assembly featuring releasably engageable end portions and a middle portion that moves between open and closed positions, utilizing a unique detent mechanism with a primary opening and keyway configuration to securely hold lines, allowing for easy engagement and disengagement through a flexible intermediate portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional securing mechanisms are used, then they can secure objects to payload structures, but they are labor-intensive to manufacture and assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism is divided into separate modular components: a retention bracket with detent features, a line retention device with engaging protrusions, and a release mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured independently using standard fabrication processes, reducing manufacturing complexity and enabling parallel production, thereby improving both ease of manufacture and assembly productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent features and engaging protrusions are designed to automatically align and lock components together during assembly without requiring precise manual positioning or additional fastening operations. The mechanism self-assembles through its own geometric features, eliminating labor-intensive alignment and securing steps while maintaining secure attachment.
2Reliability
If traditional securing mechanisms are used, then they can hold objects, but their parts are susceptible to suboptimal performance over time
Solution Approach 1:
The detent features incorporate stress-distributing geometries and compliant elements that preemptively accommodate thermal expansion, vibration, and load variations before they can cause failure. The design includes built-in stress relief paths and tolerance compensation features that prevent performance degradation over time, ensuring reliable operation throughout the extended service duration.
Solution Approach 2:
The securing mechanism utilizes composite construction combining rigid structural elements for load-bearing with compliant polymer components for stress absorption and corrosion resistance. This composite approach creates a system that maintains performance reliability under varying environmental conditions and extends service life by preventing common failure modes such as fatigue, corrosion, and thermal stress.
3Reliability
If a secure engagement mechanism is used, then lines can be securely retained, but the mechanism may be difficult to release
Solution Approach 1:
The release mechanism employs an intermediary tool or actuator that interfaces with a specific release feature on the retention device. This intermediary element translates a simple user action into the complex sequence of movements required to disengage the detent features, maintaining secure engagement during normal operation while enabling easy release when needed. The intermediary mediates between the user and the secure locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement mechanism transitions from a static locked state to a dynamic release process through a cam or lever action. The release feature is designed so that a small input force applied by the user creates a mechanical advantage that dynamically overcomes the detent engagement forces. This dynamic approach allows secure retention during operation while enabling quick, easy release when the release mechanism is activated.
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 provides a secure, efficient, and reliable mechanism for retaining lines, offering improved manufacturing ease and long-term performance by ensuring secure engagement with an audible and tactile indication of locking, while allowing for easy release without damaging the components.
Implementation Method 1
The intermediate portion is configured to flex between a first, relaxed position with the necked down portion in the keyway so the male detent is blocked from moving out of the female detent and a second release position wherein the necked down portion is out of the keyway and aligned with the primary opening
Data Source
AI summary
A line retention device configured to releasably retain one or more lines therebetween. The device has a retention bracket with a female detent on a first end portion and having a receiving aperture defined by a primary opening and a keyway. A male detent is on a second end portion and has a proximal portion, a head portion, and an intermediate portion. The intermediate portion extends through the receiving aperture when the retention bracket is in the closed position with proximal and head portions on one side of the female detent and the intermediate portion on the opposite side of the female detent. The intermediate portion is configured to flex between a first, relaxed position with a necked down portion in the keyway so the male detent is blocked from moving out of the female detent portion and a second release position wherein the necked down portion is out of the keyway and aligned with the primary opening so the male detent can pass through the primary opening to move the retention bracket from the closed position to the open position.