Push to release mechanism can be used in many fields. There are several types. We can call it push to open or push to close mechanism too. In this article, we introduce one type.
This push to release mechanism consists of five parts, refer to Figure 1. When we apply force on part 3 along the left arrow, it moves along the slot of part 2. In the meantime, one end of part 1 moves along trace F. After releasing part 3, the mechanism will be locked while the end of part 3 is in position a — now it is in the “retracted status”.
When we apply force on part 3 again along the left arrow, it moves about 1~3mm. At the same time, the end of part 1 moves along trace B. After releasing part 3, the end of part 1 will be in the position b — Now it is in the “extend status”.
Part 4 is a metal spring, and part 5 is the guiding part for the spring.
The above is a simple description of the principle. When you try to manufacture the mechanism, you may find it is not easy to get a workable mechanism. And you may need to try several times. The part’s dimension and tolerance is very important. Part 1 is made from metal, and it is difficult to make by hand.
If you have a 3d printer and want to have a try, you can download a simple 3d model here. Of course, the spring and part 1 (in Figure 1) should be made from metal. As we discussed above, perhaps you will be fail to 3d print a workable mechanism, especially when you use ABS/PLA material. And there is screw on part 3, usually the screws cannot be printed well, you can refer to this article.
If you plan to design and make some interesting product with this mechanism, you can get the kit, including physical parts, 3D and 2D digital files.
