Conductive Building Element with Curable Liquid Composites
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing toy building sets lack flexibility in configuring electric functions, as they are limited by the fixed placement of conductive inserts, restricting the variety of electrical connections that can be established between building elements.
Innovation Solution
The use of an electrically insulating and curable, liquid material with admixed conductive fibers or particles to create conductors that can be distributed and configured freely within the building elements, allowing for flexible electrical connections between coupling studs and complementary coupling means, enabling a wide range of electrical configurations through a manufacturing process involving injection molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed placement of conductive inserts is used in building elements, then manufacturing process is simple, but flexibility in configuring electric functions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the conductive material from solid inserts to a liquid state during injection molding, allowing it to be injected into molds in liquid form and then cured to achieve the desired conductor configuration. This parameter change enables flexible customization of conductor paths while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials consisting of conductive particles or fibers dispersed in a liquid polymer matrix. This composite approach allows the material to be injected in liquid form, take the shape of the mold cavity, and after curing, provide both structural integrity and electrical conductivity, thereby achieving flexible electrical configurations
2Adaptability or versatility
If custom conductor configurations are created for each building element, then electric function flexibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes injection molding technology, which is a hydraulic process, to inject liquid conductive material into molds under pressure. This allows complex conductor configurations to be created automatically through the molding process rather than manual assembly, maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving high design flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates conductor configuration design into the mold cavity design itself. The mold defines the final shape and position of conductors before the building element is even manufactured. This preliminary action in the mold design stage eliminates the need for post-manufacturing conductor routing or assembly steps
3Adaptability or versatility
If liquid conductive material is used instead of fixed inserts, then design freedom is improved, but material handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent exploits phase transition of the conductive material from liquid to solid state. The material is processed in liquid form during injection molding, allowing it to flow and conform to the mold cavity, then cured or solidified to achieve the desired rigid conductor configuration. This phase transition enables both design freedom and structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical conductor routing and assembly operations with a material injection and curing process. Instead of manually placing and securing conductive inserts, the liquid conductive material is injected directly into the final configuration and cured in place, eliminating complex mechanical handling steps
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 approach allows for a high degree of freedom in designing building elements with specific electrical functions, providing numerous options for configuring electric functions within toy building sets, enhancing the integration of electric functions into the toys.
Implementation Method 1
the large number of electrically conducting elements enable the conductor to convey the current through the conductor from the electrical contact face on the coupling stud and to the electrical contact face on the complementarily configured coupling means
Implementation Method 2
materials that cure by chemical setting like two-component materials
Implementation Method 3
materials that cure upon the influence of light or other irradiation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A building element for a toy building set, comprising a body part 1 with coupling studs 3a, 3b on the top face and complementarily configured coupling means 2a. 2b on the bottom face, and wherein one or more electrical conductors 4a, 4b is/are provided that connect one or more coupling studs with one or more complementarily configured coupling means; and wherein the conductors comprise an electrically insulating and curable material into which a plurality of electrically conductive elements are admixed and distributed, such as fibres or particles, in such a way that the conductor is able to convey he current through the conductor from the coupling stud to an electrical contact face on the complementarily configured coupling means.