Hit-Scoring Target Panel with Stacked Contact Pads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hit-scoring apparatuses for shooting practice are limited by the need for manual and costly assembly of conductive layers, prone to wire fatigue, and restricted measurement resolution due to the use of wires for connecting the moveable jaw to the discrimination circuitry, which hampers robustness and practicality in hostile environments.
Innovation Solution
A hit-scoring apparatus featuring a target panel with multiple discrete conductive areas on both layers, routed to separate contact pads on the edge, eliminating the need for wires between the moveable jaw and the circuitry, and ensuring proper registration through apertures and aligned contact pads, allowing improved resolution without increasing assembly costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the second layer is subdivided into distinctive areas to improve measurement resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for multiple wires connecting each sub-area to separate contact pads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar wiring architecture to a three-dimensional stacked architecture. Multiple contact pads are arranged in layers, with conductive vias connecting different layers vertically. This allows multiple contact areas to be connected to multiple contact pads without requiring crossing wires, enabling higher measurement resolution while maintaining manageable device complexity through vertical integration rather than horizontal wire routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where contact pads and conductive elements are organized in multiple stacked layers. Conductive vias embed within the substrate to connect different layers, creating a compact nested arrangement. This nested architecture allows multiple discrimination channels to be integrated within a confined space, enabling high-resolution area discrimination without proportionally increasing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If wires are used to connect the moveable jaw to the discrimination circuitry, then electrical connection is established, but reliability deteriorates due to wire fatigue from constant movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vulnerable wire connections from the movable jaw and relocates all electrical contacts to the fixed jaw. The movable jaw is made electrically insulating, eliminating the need for flexible wire connections that are prone to fatigue. This extraction of the connection point from the moving component to the fixed component significantly improves reliability while maintaining full operational functionality through the insulating material selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical wire connection system with an electrical contact system based on direct physical contact between conductive elements. Instead of using flexible wires that rely on mechanical flexibility to accommodate movement, the invention uses rigid conductive contacts on the fixed jaw that establish electrical connection through the clamping action itself, eliminating fatigue-related failures.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual assembly methods are used to fold and secure the conductive layers, then proper electrical connection is achieved, but productivity decreases due to time-consuming and expensive manual processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates conductive contact pads directly into the target panel structure during manufacturing, before the panel is assembled into the scoring apparatus. The contact pads are pre-formed on the rear surface of the target panel, and conductive vias are pre-established within the substrate. This preliminary preparation of electrical connections eliminates the need for time-consuming post-assembly wiring operations, significantly improving productivity while ensuring proper electrical connections are already in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the electrical connection function with the structural components of the target panel. The contact pads are integrated directly into the panel substrate rather than being separate components requiring additional assembly steps. This merging of functions reduces the number of discrete assembly operations needed, eliminating manual folding and securing steps, and enabling more efficient manufacturing processes.
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 measurement resolution and reduces assembly costs by eliminating wire connections, while maintaining robustness and practicality for use in hostile environments, with improved registration and reduced ambiguity in bullet impact detection.
Implementation Method 1
an electrically conductive first layer and an electrically conductive second layer separated and spaced apart from the front layer by at least one electrically non-conductive layer... detects when the two layers are shorted by a bullet
Data Source
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Figure 2a
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AI summary
The present invention is directed to a hit-scoring apparatus for shooting practice, also directed to a hit-scoring target panel for shooting practice.