Ball-Latched Piston Mechanism for Switch Contact Bounce Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical switches face the challenge of contact bounce, which leads to increased wear and material degradation due to repeated arcing, despite efforts to minimize it through force and speed control.
Innovation Solution
A contact bounce reduction system comprising a movable member, a piston with radial seats for balls, and resilient members that apply radial forces to hold the balls in place until a threshold force is applied, allowing the piston to move rapidly and reduce contact bounce by distributing force and increasing initial speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the movable contact impacts the second contact with great force to reduce contact bounce, then contact bounce is reduced, but wear and material degradation increase due to repeated arcing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies beforehand cushioning by using a resilient member (spring) that is pre-compressed to store elastic potential energy. When the movable contact approaches the second contact, the resilient member releases this stored energy to provide a cushioning force that reduces impact severity while maintaining sufficient contact force to minimize bounce. This resolves the contradiction by reducing wear through energy absorption while preserving contact reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the resilient member - positioned between the movable contact and the second contact. This intermediary absorbs and modulates the impact energy, transforming the direct high-force impact into a controlled, cushioned contact sequence. The resilient member acts as a mediator that reduces the harmful effects of impact (wear) while maintaining the necessary contact dynamics (bounce reduction).
2Loss of substance
If the movable contact impacts the second contact with controlled force to minimize wear, then wear is reduced, but contact bounce increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic action through the oscillatory motion of the resilient member. The spring compresses during contact, stores energy, then rebounds to maintain contact pressure, creating a periodic cycle of compression and expansion. This periodic action ensures that even with controlled impact forces, the contact maintains sufficient pressure throughout the cycle to minimize bounce while the resilient member absorbs excess energy to reduce wear.
3Loss of time
If the piston moves rapidly to reduce contact bounce time, then contact bounce duration is reduced, but the force required to overcome resilient member resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-compressing the resilient member before the piston's main actuation stroke. The pre-compressed spring is already storing elastic potential energy and exerting a preliminary force on the piston. When the piston actuates, it builds upon this pre-positioned state, requiring less additional force to achieve rapid motion while the stored energy in the spring assists the piston's movement, reducing the overall force requirement while maintaining short contact bounce duration.
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 system reduces contact bounce, minimizes wear, and decreases material degradation by applying a high initial force to overcome resilient member resistance, resulting in fewer arcs and reduced electrical energy erosion.
Implementation Method 1
the first resilient member is configured to act with a radial force onto the first ball to hold the first ball in the seat when the piston is in the default extended position, wherein the second resilient member is configured to act with a radial force onto the second ball to hold the second ball in the seat when the piston is in the default extended position
Implementation Method 2
the third resilient member configured to bias the piston towards the default extended position... and the third resilient member to accumulate energy
Implementation Method 3
The movable member is configured to move from a non-contact position relative to the piston to contact the piston and actuate the piston from the default extended position towards the retracted position with a force greater than a threshold value
Data Source
AI summary
A contact bounce reduction system including: a movable member, and a contact bounce damping device including: a body, a first ball and a second ball, a first resilient member and a second resilient member, a piston. The first resilient member holds the first ball in the seat and the second resilient member holds the second ball in the seat when the piston is in a default extended position, and a third resilient member biases the piston towards the default extended position. The movable member actuates the piston towards the retracted position, causing the first ball and the second ball to move radially out from the seat, and the third resilient member to accumulate energy.