Miniaturized Contact With Integrated Support Portions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional contacts for power supply have a large number of components and high assembly workload, and their design restricts miniaturization due to the need for vertical displacement limiting shafts and holes in conductive segments.

Innovation Solution

A contact design featuring a pair of conductive members with a biasing member that supports each other, eliminating the need for additional support structures and allowing miniaturization by integrating support portions within the conductive members, reducing the number of components and assembly complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vertical displacement limiting shafts and frames are added to support the elongated conductive segments, then the conductive segments can be supported against biasing force, but the number of components increases and assembly workload increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport stabilityVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support portions are integrated directly into the conductive members themselves, merging the support function with the conductive members. This eliminates the need for separate vertical displacement limiting shafts and frames, reducing the number of components while maintaining support stability against biasing force

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The conductive members support each other through their own integrated support portions, eliminating the need for external support structures. The conductive members perform both their primary function and the support function, reducing overall device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If holes are formed in the elongated conductive segments to insert vertical displacement limiting shafts, then the conductive segments can be supported, but the vertical dimension cannot be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport stabilityVSAvoidvertical dimension
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The support portions are formed as integral parts of the conductive members, merging the support structure with the conductive members themselves. This eliminates the need for separate shafts and frames that would increase vertical dimension, allowing miniaturization while maintaining support stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The separate vertical displacement limiting shafts and frames are extracted from the design and replaced with integrated support portions. This removal of external support structures enables reduction of the vertical dimension while maintaining the necessary support function

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 design reduces the number of components required, simplifies assembly, and enables miniaturization of the contact by eliminating the need for external support structures and holes, while maintaining the three-dimensional shape and preventing excessive load on the contact.

Implementation Method 1

a biasing member attached between the pair of conductive members and biasing the pair of conductive members toward each other in a biasing direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the support portion abutting the abutting portion of the other of the conductive members to support the other of the conductive members against the biasing force of the biasing member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical Force: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentEP2698877B1Contact and connector
Publication Date: 2017.02.01 JAPAN AVIATION ELECTRONICS IND LTD
  • EP2698877B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2698877B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2698877B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided are a contact and a connector which have a small number of components, reduce the workload for assembly, and achieve miniaturization of the contact. A contact (40) comprises a pair of conductive members (50) and a biasing member (60) attached between the pair of conductive members (50) and biasing the pair of conductive members (50) toward each other. The pair of conductive members (50) each have a base portion (51) and an attaching portion (52). The base portion (51) of one of the conductive members (50) and the base portion (51) of the other conductive member (50) are disposed spaced apart from each other. At least one of the pair of conductive members (50) has a support portion (56, 57) extending from the base portion (51) toward the other conductive member (50) and abutting against the other conductive member (50) to support the other conductive member (50).