Electroformed Brush With Parallel Elastic Contact Pieces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional brush production is cumbersome, leading to high production costs and significant variations in positional accuracy of elastic contact pieces.

Innovation Solution

An integrally formed brush with a support and conductive portion, featuring elastic contact pieces that vary in width and thickness, and a sliding portion with a reverse U-shape bulge, which are electroformed for enhanced strength and reduced production complexity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If elastic contact pieces are positioned and welded in parallel one by one to an edge portion of a support, then the brush can be assembled, but it takes a lot of trouble with production, increases production cost, and causes variation in positional accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction simplicityVSAvoidpositional accuracy of elastic contact pieces

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The support and conductive portion are merged into a single integrally formed component through electroforming. This eliminates the need for separate positioning and welding operations for multiple elastic contact pieces, thereby simplifying production while ensuring high positional accuracy through the integral structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical welding process is replaced with an electroforming process. Instead of manually or mechanically positioning and welding separate contact pieces, the entire conductive portion with integrated contact pieces is formed through electrochemical deposition, eliminating positioning errors and simplifying manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Strength

If multiple separate components are joined to form the brush, then assembly is possible, but production cost increases and structural strength decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strength of brushVSAvoidnumber of components to join

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support and conductive portion are combined into a single integral structure formed by electroforming. This eliminates the need for joining multiple components, thereby increasing structural strength while reducing device complexity to essentially one piece.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Productivity

If conventional welding and positioning methods are used, then elastic contact pieces can be assembled, but production time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidproduction process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The multi-step mechanical assembly process (positioning, welding, inspection) is replaced with a single electroforming process. This dramatically improves productivity by forming the entire conductive portion with integrated contact pieces in one operation, while reducing production process complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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 configuration reduces production costs, enhances design freedom, and ensures high positional accuracy and durability of the elastic contact pieces, maintaining consistent contact force and reliability.

Implementation Method 1

the brush may be produced by electroforming

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectroforming: Electrodeposition

Data Source

PatentUS9172196B2Brush having a plurality of elastic contact pieces arranged in parallel

Publication Date: 2015.10.27 OMRON CORP

AI summary

An aspect of the present invention provides a brush in which positional accuracy of elastic contact pieces is enhanced while production cost is reduced by simplifying production, whereby the brush includes a support that is connected to a base and a conductive portion that is integral with the support, such that the conductive portion includes plural elastic contact pieces extending in parallel from a side edge of the support.