Detachable Swivel Coupling With Lever Actuation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing detachable swivel couplings require complex fine-motor skills and simultaneous opposing forces for operation, making them difficult to use under stress, with reduced manual dexterity, and are prone to durability issues.
Innovation Solution
A detachable swivel coupling design that uses gross-motor skills for operation, featuring a housing with a vertically extending axial cavity, an internal body that can be raised or lowered, and an actuator channel with an actuating device that disengages the releasable connection between the housing and socket mount, allowing for easy connection and disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a complex release mechanism with multiple fingers is used to extract the swivel, then the swivel can be securely locked, but the operation becomes time-consuming and requires fine-motor skills
Solution Approach 1:
The release mechanism is segmented into two independent functions: a lever for actuating the release and a separate gripping surface for holding the swivel. This segmentation allows the operator to use gross-motor skills on the lever while the mounting link provides the gripping function, eliminating the need for complex multi-finger coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever acts as an intermediary between the operator's hand and the internal release mechanism. By providing a lever with extended reach, the system mediates the force application, allowing operators with reduced manual dexterity to easily actuate the release without directly manipulating small internal components.
2Ease of operation
If the swivel housing rotates freely in the mounting link, then the swivel can be easily inserted, but re-positioning the housing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting link is designed with a predetermined geometry that guides the housing into the correct rotational position during insertion. The link's structure performs the positioning action preliminarily, so the operator does not need to manually re-position the housing after insertion.
3Reliability
If the swivel requires simultaneous opposing forces for removal, then the connection is secure, but the operation becomes counter-intuitive and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The requirement for simultaneous opposing forces is extracted from the operator's hands and transferred to the lever mechanism. The lever mechanically applies the necessary opposing forces internally, so the operator only needs to perform a single intuitive pulling motion on the lever.
4Volume of moving object
If the swivel size is reduced for compactness, then the device is more compact, but the swivel becomes difficult to locate and operate
Solution Approach 1:
While the overall swivel size is reduced, the lever is designed with locally enhanced features including extended length and increased surface area. This local quality enhancement ensures the lever remains easily locatable and operable despite the compact overall dimensions of the swivel.
Data Source
AI summary
A housing having a vertically extending axial cavity. An internal body carried in the axial cavity and operable between a raised position and a lowered position within the axial cavity. A socket mount receiving at least a portion of the housing in releasable interlocking engagement. An actuator channel disposed in the housing extending transverse to the axial cavity. An actuating device extending through the actuator channel and engaging the internal body. The internal body is operatively associated with a releasable connection between the housing and the socket mount. The actuating device causes the internal body to be depressed and moved from the raised position to the lowered position within the axial cavity so that the releasable connection is disengaged to release the interlocking engagement of the housing from the socket mount.