Product/Electronic Designers Do you recognize this mechanism?

[Ocean Man]

Hey all, my team and I are working on a consumer electronics product and we're looking into implement this (Push-Hold-Push to unlock) mechanism. But we don't know what the part would be called.

Note I'm not talking about a cabinet. I'm showing a .GIF of a cabinet to illustrate the concept. What we're trying to do is on a smaller scale.

Think... like an SD card, you put in your camera or laptop. When you want it out, you push it again and it pops out. Does anybody know what goes into making something like that? We've constantly been searching for something to do with springs.


Thank you.

 

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[RazorCut]

I get what you mean. It would have to be in a sprung housing where the interface remains static and the removable media is located in the housing that moved back and forth engaging and dis-engaging.

 

[Rabby]

I think it is most often referred to as a push-push mechanism. Or push-hold push-release, push-in/push-out, etc.

There are different ways to implement it. Maybe this will get you started:

Smooth Operation for microSD Connectors

MicroSD cards are the smallest memory cards commercially available and are used in a host of devices such as mobile phones, tablet PCs, digital audio players, digital cameras and other electronic devices. At 15mm x 11mm x 1mm, these tiny cards are holding ever-increasing amounts of data at...

www.connector.com

SD Card Reader with Push/Push System

Yamaichi Electronics now offers the FPS009-2409-0, a new push/push SD/MMC card connector. The well-known top mount component FPS009-2405-0 for SD and MMC cards has been revised and replaced by the improved card holder FPS009-2409. The PCB layout is unmodified compared to the old version which...

www.electronicspecifier.com

If you want an easy, related mechanism to study, how about a ball-point pen? Many have a push-push button controlled from the back of the pen.

 

[Ocean Man]

I get what you mean. It would have to be in a sprung housing where the interface remains static and the removable media is located in the housing that moved back and forth engaging and dis-engaging.

That's what we've thought of so far, I guess it's the specific components that we're wondering about. Thank you.

I think it is most often referred to as a push-push mechanism. Or push-hold push-release, push-in/push-out, etc.

There are different ways to implement it. Maybe this will get you started:

Smooth Operation for microSD Connectors

MicroSD cards are the smallest memory cards commercially available and are used in a host of devices such as mobile phones, tablet PCs, digital audio players, digital cameras and other electronic devices. At 15mm x 11mm x 1mm, these tiny cards are holding ever-increasing amounts of data at...

www.connector.com

SD Card Reader with Push/Push System

Yamaichi Electronics now offers the FPS009-2409-0, a new push/push SD/MMC card connector. The well-known top mount component FPS009-2405-0 for SD and MMC cards has been revised and replaced by the improved card holder FPS009-2409. The PCB layout is unmodified compared to the old version which...

www.electronicspecifier.com

If you want an easy, related mechanism to study, how about a ball-point pen? Many have a push-push button controlled from the back of the pen.

Thank you for the links, they're helpful.

 

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[Ocean Man]

@B. Cole Is this something you could provide insight on?

 

[B. Cole]

@B. Cole Is this something you could provide insight on?

Aaah yes - used many a one in cabinet making, it’s called a push latch. Most of them work with a magnet in the latch, that contacts a steel strike plate attached to the door or drawer front. The non- magnetic versions have 2 “fingers” that pinch a stud mounted on the door/drawer front like a crab claw.

The function exists in electronic power buttons in a lighter duty form. Not sure what it’s called there, they seem to have a stop built in to keep them together.

Ditto above - a ball point pen, but it’s configuration gives a rotating action to change position with tabs at different depths on the cylindrical body.

 

[Ocean Man]

Aaah yes - used many a one in cabinet making, it’s called a push latch. Most of them work with a magnet in the latch, that contacts a steel strike plate attached to the door or drawer front. The non- magnetic versions have 2 “fingers” that pinch a stud mounted on the door/drawer front like a crab claw.

The function exists in electronic power buttons in a lighter duty form. Not sure what it’s called there, they seem to have a stop built in to keep them together.

Ditto above - a ball point pen, but it’s configuration gives a rotating action to change position with tabs at different depths on the cylindrical body.

That was SUPER informative! Thank you!

 

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[B. Cole]

That was SUPER informative! Thank you!

I did a quick look for some cross sections to try and see what the guts looked like, to no avail. I’d imagine you could pick a few and get the spec sheets/exploded diagrams, or just swing by the hardware store and buy one to dissect. Good luck man, excited to see what you do with it!

 

[Rabby]

Happened to find this rendering of a push-push SD card implementation. You can see it uses a spring lever following a groove:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVO042whQ_4

The function exists in electronic power buttons in a lighter duty form. Not sure what it’s called there, they seem to have a stop built in to keep them together.

The various "push" buttons are just called PB switches, or pushbutton, switches. The mechanical push-push types like the one below used to be a lot more common:

SPST PUSHBUTTON, PUSH ON/PUSH OFF

Judco model# J-188A-1. SPST, push-on push-off, plastic pushbutton. Contacts rated 6 amps @ 125 Vac. Black body, actuator and panel nut. 3/8-27 threaded bushing. 4 1/2" stranded wire pigtails. UL listed. For moisture-resistant cap/nut see CAT# WPC-3.

www.allelectronics.com

...but with smaller and cheaper electronics they're gradually being replaced by the "laptop power button" style push-push switches. Those use a circuit to do the job instead of simple mechanics (eg: spring lever and/or rotating cam).

Video is great for showing the action of (implementations of) a push-push PB switch. And, for reasons I can't fully explain I can get kind of nerdy about topics like this. I guess I like mechanical things. This one uses a ball bearing trapped in a grooved cam:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Meltd5Kclqs


A nice compact design using a lever bar, somewhat related to the SD card rendering:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ0BlovBWtk


Similar, also related to the SD card implementation:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JzjSsxSsb8

 

[Ocean Man]

Happened to find this rendering of a push-push SD card implementation. You can see it uses a spring lever following a groove:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVO042whQ_4




The various "push" buttons are just called PB switches, or pushbutton, switches. The mechanical push-push types like the one below used to be a lot more common:

SPST PUSHBUTTON, PUSH ON/PUSH OFF

Judco model# J-188A-1. SPST, push-on push-off, plastic pushbutton. Contacts rated 6 amps @ 125 Vac. Black body, actuator and panel nut. 3/8-27 threaded bushing. 4 1/2" stranded wire pigtails. UL listed. For moisture-resistant cap/nut see CAT# WPC-3.

www.allelectronics.com

...but with smaller and cheaper electronics they're gradually being replaced by the "laptop power button" style push-push switches. Those use a circuit to do the job instead of simple mechanics (eg: spring lever and/or rotating cam).

Video is great for showing the action of (implementations of) a push-push PB switch. And, for reasons I can't fully explain I can get kind of nerdy about topics like this. I guess I like mechanical things. This one uses a ball bearing trapped in a grooved cam:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Meltd5Kclqs


A nice compact design using a lever bar, somewhat related to the SD card rendering:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ0BlovBWtk


Similar, also related to the SD card implementation:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JzjSsxSsb8

Holy smokes! Thanks for provide the information. I’ll look into a push button as well and see if we need something more similar to the latch, push button, or sd card mechanism.

 

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