Ground Terminal With Automatic Switching For Electronic Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical devices connected via non-shielded network cables without protective earth pose a safety risk, as they lack a ground connection, potentially leading to hazardous situations for users handling the devices, especially when separate ground cables are not correctly connected to the device's housing.
Innovation Solution
A ground terminal with a ground cable connecting device and an electrical switch that automatically switches between conductive and isolative modes based on the presence of a ground cable, ensuring safe electrical connections and reducing the risk of electrical hazards by clamping the cable and establishing a ground connection when present, and isolating when not.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate ground cable is connected to the device, then protective earth is provided and safety is improved, but device complexity and installation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the ground cable connecting device with the electrical switch into a single integrated ground terminal assembly. The ground cable connector and switch are merged such that the switch is mechanically coupled to the connector, allowing the grounding function and switching function to be implemented together in one component rather than separate elements
Solution Approach 2:
The ground terminal assembly serves multiple functions: it provides the ground cable connection point, houses the electrical switch, and establishes or breaks the ground connection to the housing based on cable presence. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate grounding components and control mechanisms
2Reliability
If the ground cable connecting device is always connected to the housing, then protective earth is always provided, but safety risk increases when ground cable is not connected
Solution Approach 1:
The ground connection is made dynamic through the electrical switch that can change its state based on ground cable presence. When a ground cable is detected, the switch closes to connect the housing to ground. When no cable is present, the switch opens to isolate the housing from the ground connection point, preventing electrical hazards while maintaining grounding capability when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback through the electrical switch that detects the presence or absence of the ground cable and automatically adjusts the grounding state accordingly. The switch monitors the connection status and responds by establishing or breaking the ground connection to the housing, creating a self-regulating safety mechanism
3Object-affected harmful factors
If electrical insulation is arranged between electronics and ground terminal, then safety is improved when no ground cable is connected, but operation complexity increases due to isolation/removal requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical switch automatically performs the isolation function without requiring manual intervention. When no ground cable is connected, the switch naturally remains open, providing electrical insulation between the ground terminal and housing. When a ground cable is connected, the switch automatically closes to establish the ground connection, eliminating the need for users to manually install or remove insulation components
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
Enhances user safety by ensuring the electrical device is less prone to becoming a hazard, as the ground terminal automatically establishes a safe connection when a ground cable is connected and isolates when it is not, thereby reducing the risk of electrical hazards during installation and usage.
Implementation Method 1
the switch establish electrical conduction between an electrical circuit of the electronic device and the ground cable connecting device
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a ground terminal for an electronic device. The ground terminal comprises a ground cable connecting device, an electrical switch, an electrical conductor connecting the ground cable connecting device to the electrical switch. The ground terminal and its ground cable connecting device is configured so that the electrical switch is brought in to a first mode in response to an electrical wire being connected to the ground cable connecting device, the first mode being a mode in which the switch establish electrical conduction between an electrical circuit of the electronic device and the ground cable connecting device. Moreover, the ground terminal and its ground cable connecting device is configured so that the electrical switch is in a second mode when no electrical wire is connected to the ground cable connecting device, the second mode being a mode in which the switch is electrically isolating the electrical circuit of the electronic device and the ground cable connecting device from each other.