Patent ID: 8308167

Claim:
A locking mechanism for use in quick-release applications, comprising: a housing including a longitudinal axis, a first end portion of the housing including first and second furcations defining a slot therebetween, an inner surface of the first furcation including a first groove therein: a piston including a body section, a first end of the body section defining first and second shoulders, a tongue extending away from the shoulders along the longitudinal axis, a surface of the tongue including a second groove therein; a sleeve slidably engaging an outer surface of the piston body section; and a canted-coil spring; wherein the locking mechanism comprises a first configuration in which the tongue is disposed within the slot such that the furcations abut the shoulders and the first and second grooves are aligned, the canted-coil spring is disposed within the first and second grooves and is compressed by the first and second grooves, and the sleeve is positioned over at least a portion of a junction between the housing and the piston such that the sleeve engages the outer surface of the piston body section and outer surfaces of the furcations, thereby resisting relative motion of the housing and the piston in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.