Highly compliant and highly repeatable retention mechanism for attaching and quickly releasing components

A retention mechanism, comprising:

• a body having an attachment feature for securing a first component to the body, a conical element extending from the body, and a convex knob on a distal end of the element with a diametrical slit extending therethrough, wherein the element has a minor diameter that is less than a diameter of the knob;
• a base having an attachment feature for securing a second component to the base, a conical opening for receiving the knob and the element of the body, and a pair of diametrical, orthogonal slits extending through the opening to define a set of four segments for securing the knob;
• wherein
• the retention mechanism has a released position wherein the body is separated from the base, a transition phase wherein the knob is inserted into the opening in the base such that the segments of the base and the knob are temporarily and elastically deformed, and an engaged position wherein the body joins the first component to the second component via the base while the body and the base are free of elastic deformation to avoid creep;
• and wherein
• the slits in the body and the base provide elastic deformation therebetween and extend the usable life thereof.