Heat Cost Allocator Housing Opening Detection With Spring Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat cost allocators require complex and costly mechanisms to detect manipulation or removal, often relying on SMD buttons or switches that can jam over time due to thermal and elastic deformations, compromising safety and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A heat cost allocator design featuring a housing with two parts, a spring element between the housing parts and a printed circuit board, where the spring element is tensioned by a holding element, allowing for reliable electrical contact detection when the housing is opened or closed, eliminating the need for expensive SMD buttons or switches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If SMD buttons or switches are used for manipulation detection, then the device can detect housing opening or removal, but the mechanism becomes complex and costly with long switching paths or 90° deflection required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the manipulation detection function from complex SMD buttons or switches and implements it using a simple spring element that makes direct electrical contact with contact pads on the printed circuit board. This eliminates the need for complex switching mechanisms, long switching paths, or 90° deflections while maintaining reliable detection of housing opening or removal events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical SMD button or switch system with a spring element that uses elastic deformation to achieve both mechanical retention and electrical contact functions. This substitution simplifies the overall mechanism by combining multiple functions into a single elastic component rather than requiring separate mechanical switching elements.
2Reliability
If metal springs are used to ensure restoring forces, then the system maintains reliability over time, but the mechanism becomes complicated and may jam under thermal loads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the retention mechanism and the manipulation detection mechanism into a single spring element. The spring provides both the mechanical retention force to hold the housing closed and the electrical contact function for detection. This consolidation eliminates complicated multi-component mechanisms that could jam under thermal loads while maintaining reliable restoring forces over the device's service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a retention mechanism to keep the housing closed, provides restoring force for opening detection, and maintains electrical contact for signal transmission. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components and reduces overall mechanism complexity while ensuring reliable operation under thermal and mechanical loads.
3Device complexity
If plastic parts are used for elastic deformation, then the mechanism is simpler, but elastic deformation over periods of more than 12 years and thermal loads causes jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a spring element made from elastic material that maintains reliable elastic deformation characteristics over long periods and under thermal loads. By selecting appropriate elastic materials with stable properties, the design achieves both simplicity and long-term reliability, avoiding the jamming issues associated with plastic parts while maintaining a simple mechanism structure.
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 solution enables simple, cost-effective detection of manipulation or removal, ensuring reliable electrical contact over the device's service life through the use of spring forces and gold-plated contacts, optimizing reliability and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a spring element (6) arranged between the first housing part (2.1) and the first side (5.1) of the printed circuit board (5) in such a way that an electrically conductive end region (6.1) of the spring element (6) is pressed onto the electrical contacts (4)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a heat cost allocator (1) with a housing (2) which has two housing parts (2.1, 2.2) that can be connected to one another, wherein a device for detecting manipulation that can be activated when the housing (2) is opened is arranged in the housing (2). According to the invention, a circuit board (5) is fastened in a first housing part (2.1), with at least two electrical contacts (4) spaced apart from one another and connected to an evaluation unit being arranged on a first circuit board side (5.1) facing the first housing part (2.1). Furthermore, according to the invention, at least one spring element (6) is arranged between the first housing part (2.1) and the first circuit board side (5.1), with an electrically conductive end region (6.1) of the spring element (6) being formed without a mechanical force directed against a spring force of the spring element (6). 6) is pressed onto the electrical contacts (4). Furthermore, according to the invention, when the housing (2) is closed, between a second housing part (2.2) and the spring element (6), there is at least one holding element that is mechanically coupled to the second housing part (2.2) and the spring element (6) and tensions the spring element (6) against the spring force (9) arranged.