Capacitor Relief Valve End Surface Orientation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing designs for electrolytic capacitors with relief valves on the side surface complicate manufacturing and fail to direct gas discharge effectively when mounted parallel to a substrate, potentially disturbing users or affecting other components.

Innovation Solution

A capacitor design with relief valves arranged in rotational symmetry on one end surface, ensuring gas discharge is directed away from the substrate and simplifying the manufacturing process by allowing lead wire placement independent of relief valve positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the relief valve is provided to the side surface of the electrolytic capacitor, then the manufacturing process becomes complicated and gas discharge direction cannot be controlled, but providing the relief valve to the end surface simplifies manufacturing and enables controlled gas discharge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process simplicityVSAvoidrelief valve positioning complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of providing the relief valve to the side surface as in conventional designs, the invention inverts the approach by providing the relief valve to the end surface of the capacitor body. This inversion simplifies the manufacturing process and enables controlled gas discharge direction while avoiding the complications of side surface relief valve placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention transitions the relief valve from the traditional side surface location to the end surface location, effectively changing the spatial dimension and orientation of the relief valve placement. This dimensional change allows for simplified manufacturing and controlled gas discharge in a specific direction away from the substrate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Area of stationary object

If the relief valve is provided to the end surface with auxiliary terminal, then the space for forming relief valve is limited, but providing it to the outer peripheral surface offers more space

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailable space for relief valveVSAvoidmanufacturing difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies local quality by specifically selecting the end surface region (excluding the auxiliary terminal area) for the relief valve placement. This localized approach ensures that the relief valve is positioned in an area with sufficient space while maintaining manufacturing simplicity, rather than distributing the relief valve across the entire outer peripheral surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the electrolytic capacitor is mounted upright on the substrate, then the assembly process is simple, but the thickness of electronic apparatus cannot be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly process simplicityVSAvoidapparatus thickness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the mounting orientation from upright (vertical) to laid (horizontal), effectively utilizing the planar dimension of the substrate instead of the vertical dimension. This dimensional change reduces the thickness of the electronic apparatus while the relief valve design ensures controlled gas discharge in the laid position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the gas discharge direction is not controlled, then the relief valve can be placed anywhere on the side surface, but discharged gas may disturb users or affect other components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelief valve placement flexibilityVSAvoidgas discharge impact on users and components

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the gas discharge function from the side surface location and relocates it to the end surface. By taking out the relief valve from the side surface and placing it on the end surface, the gas discharge direction is naturally controlled away from the substrate and other components, eliminating the harmful effects of uncontrolled gas discharge.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS9240284B2Cased capacitor within substrate circuit

Publication Date: 2016.01.19 RUBYCON CORPORATION

AI summary

The capacitor includes at least: a capacitor body; two lead wires provided on one end surface; a projecting portion provided at a substantially central portion of another end surface; and at least two relief valves provided on the another end surface. On the another end surface, the at least two relief valves are arranged in substantially rotational symmetry with respect to the projecting portion. Further, an axial center line of the projecting portion and an axial center line of the capacitor substantially correspond to each other. Also provided are a capacitor case to be used the capacitor and a substrate provided with a circuit using the capacitor.