Compact Electrical Plug With Articulated Rocker Contacts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical plugs are bulky due to their design, which does not effectively reduce overall dimensions when electrical contacts are retracted, as they either slide or rotate, leading to a mere redistribution of volume rather than a genuine size reduction.
Innovation Solution
An electrical plug with a pair of elongated contacts and connecting members that include rockers hinged to a support body, allowing a 90° rotation from an open to a closed configuration, forming a compact group by reclining the contacts, utilizing an articulated quadrilateral kinematic mechanism and prismatic coupling to achieve a real reduction in size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If electrical contacts are made retractable to reduce overall dimension, then the plug becomes more compact, but the body must be sufficiently large to contain the contacts in closed configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by transitioning electrical contacts from a parallel arrangement (occupying lateral space) to a stacked arrangement (occupying vertical space). The contacts rotate around axes perpendicular to their longitudinal axes, allowing them to be positioned one above another in the closed configuration, thereby reducing the lateral dimensions of the plug body required to contain them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by positioning the electrical contacts within the body of the plug in a nested manner. In the closed configuration, the contacts are contained within the body volume, with each contact positioned in a space-efficient arrangement where one contact can be positioned above or alongside another, maximizing the use of internal body volume.
2Ease of operation
If electrical contacts are rotated around a common axis to achieve closed configuration, then the contacts are hidden inside the plug, but there is no effective reduction of overall dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by using non-common, asymmetric rotation axes for each electrical contact. Instead of rotating all contacts around a single common axis (which would require a large cylindrical volume), each contact rotates around its own axis that is perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and positioned to optimize compactness. This asymmetric arrangement allows the contacts to converge to a smaller overall footprint in the closed configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions the rotation mechanism from a planar rotation around a common axis to a three-dimensional arrangement where each contact rotates around an axis perpendicular to its length. This allows the contacts to be folded into a compact stacked arrangement, reducing the overall volume required compared to planar rotation.
3Volume of moving object
If electrical contacts are made movable between open and closed configurations, then the plug can be more compact, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the electrical contacts movable rather than fixed, allowing them to transition between open and closed configurations. Each contact is connected to the body through connecting members that enable rotation, providing dynamic adaptability. The system transitions from a static fixed-contact design to a dynamic movable-contact design, where the contacts can change position based on operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the plug into distinct movable components: the body, the electrical contacts, and the connecting members. Each contact is a separate element that can move independently, connected to the body through its own connecting members. This segmentation allows for simplified individual component design and assembly, despite the overall system's mobility requirement.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical plug includes a support body, a pair of electrical contacts of elongated shape having respective longitudinal axes arranged coplanar on a common lying plane, and connecting members adapted to allow a mutual movement between said electrical contacts and the support body. The connecting members include a first rocker hinged to the support body according to a first hinging axis perpendicular to the lying plane, and a second rocker hinged to the support body according to a second hinging axis parallel and spaced with respect to the first hinging axis, each electrical contact being fixed overhanging a respective of the first and second rockers.