Hinged Wiring Arm Assembly to Reduce Conductor Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hinged devices with conductors between the base and display assemblies suffer from conductor damage due to excessive motion, leading to fraying and shorting, as the conductors are subjected to significant rotation and translation, which compromises their reliability and longevity.
Innovation Solution
The device employs a unique arm assembly with lower and upper links that define passages for the conductors, minimizing their motion relative to the base and display assemblies, and utilizing reinforcing elbows to facilitate smooth transitions, thereby reducing wear and exposure to damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conductors are routed between base and display assemblies in traditional hinged devices, then electrical connection is achieved, but conductor damage occurs due to excessive motion, fraying and shorting
Solution Approach 1:
A flexible printed circuit board (FPC) is introduced as an intermediary component between the base assembly and display assembly. The FPC includes a conductor that can accommodate the relative motion between assemblies through its inherent flexibility, while maintaining electrical connection. The FPC is mounted on a support structure that guides its motion path, allowing the conductor to bend and flex without damage during hinge rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor is designed with dynamic characteristics to adapt to changing spatial relationships. The FPC can dynamically change its shape and configuration as the hinge moves through different angles, transitioning from a straight configuration when assemblies are aligned to a bent configuration when assemblies are at angles, thereby accommodating motion without stress concentration.
2Reliability
If conductors are fixed between rotating assemblies, then electrical connection is maintained, but conductor twisting and abrasion increase due to rotation and translation
Solution Approach 1:
The FPC acts as a mediator that absorbs positional changes between the base and display assemblies. Instead of fixing the conductor rigidly between assemblies, the FPC is mounted on support structures that allow it to move relative to both assemblies, maintaining electrical connection while accommodating position instability through controlled flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor is implemented as a flexible printed circuit board, which is a thin, flexible substrate with conductive traces. This flexible film structure can bend, flex, and deform to accommodate relative motion between assemblies without twisting or abrading the conductor, thereby maintaining both electrical connection and durability during rotation and translation.
3Reliability
If reinforcing elbows are used to facilitate conductor transitions, then conductor wear is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structures that hold the FPC are merged with the existing hinge mechanism components. The FPC is mounted on support structures that are integrated into the base assembly and display assembly, combining the conductor support function with the mechanical hinge structure, thereby providing conductor protection without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The description relates to devices that can include a base assembly, upper assembly, an arm, and a conductor. In one example the base assembly can include a base shaft and the upper assembly can include an upper shaft. The arm can be secured to the base shaft and the upper shaft to translate a range of rotation of the arm around the base shaft to rotation around the display shaft. The conductor can extend from the base assembly into the arm parallel to the base shaft and extend from the arm into the upper assembly parallel to the upper shaft.