Telescopic Handle Locking Mechanism With Hingeless Clamping Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing telescopic handle locking mechanisms face issues with maintaining effective clamping or braking force while minimizing the risk of failure, particularly due to material elasticity and susceptibility to hinge attachment failure under stress, and they often fail to ensure complete release for unhindered movement of handle tubes.
Innovation Solution
The locking mechanism incorporates additional support for the clamping part in both the circumferential and axial directions, allowing better absorption and distribution of forces directly through the housing structure, eliminating reliance on susceptible hinge attachments, and includes a spreading member to actively push the clamping part away from the tube in the release position, enabling high friction for secure clamping and easy release.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If the clamping part is made of soft plastic with high friction coefficient to increase clamping force, then the clamping or braking effect is improved, but the inner tube movement is impeded and the clamping part may stick to the inner tube
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping part is designed with different material properties at different locations: the outer surface that contacts the inner tube has low friction to enable smooth movement, while the inner surface that contacts the spreading member has high friction to ensure effective force transmission during clamping. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between maintaining high clamping force and enabling free tube movement.
2Force
If the clamping force is increased by narrowing the clamping point to improve braking force, then the clamping or braking effect is improved, but the hinge attachment fails due to increased tensile force
Solution Approach 1:
The clamping part is extracted from the hinge attachment structure and designed as a separate, hingeless component that is displaceably guided directly by the spreading member. This eliminates the hinge attachment entirely, removing the reliability issue while allowing the clamping force to be increased through narrowing the clamping point without compromising the hinge structure.
3Ease of operation
If the outer sleeve is displaced in the release direction to enable tube movement, then the release function is achieved, but the clamping part only moves under its own elastic power which is insufficient after prolonged use
Solution Approach 1:
The spreading member is pre-loaded with elastic energy that is automatically activated when the outer sleeve is displaced in the release direction. This preliminary positioning of the spreading member ensures that as soon as the clamping direction displacement occurs, the elastic force is immediately applied to actively push the clamping part away from the inner tube, guaranteeing reliable release function even after prolonged use when material elasticity has degraded.
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
This configuration enhances the clamping or braking force while ensuring reliable operation and unhindered movement of telescopic handle tubes, reducing the risk of locking mechanism failure and allowing for free rotational and displacement movements without dragging or sticking issues.
Implementation Method 1
a displacement in the clamping direction K presses the clamping part against the telescopic handle in order to secure the inner tube and the outer tube against one another via a clamping force
Implementation Method 2
there is the problem that the pair of clamping jaws can only move under their own power, so to speak, in particular due to the material elasticity inherent in it
Data Source
AI summary
The utility model relates to a positioning mechanism for a telescopic rod. The positioning mechanism is used for housework tools or garden tools. The telescopic rod is provided with a positioning device with a clamping component, and telescopic rod pipe fittings can be mutually fixed through the positioning device. The positioning mechanism can reliably bear force applied on the clamping component, and a supporting portion is arranged on the positioning mechanism and used for circumferentially and/or axially supporting the clamping component.