Imaging Accessory Contact Height Configuration for Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging apparatus accessories experience increased wear on electric contacts due to frequent contact interactions during attachment and detachment, which can lead to communication inefficiencies and potential faults as the number of contacts increases to handle growing data exchange demands.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a contact holding member with electric contacts arranged in a specific order and height configuration, where the ground contact serves as a reference, reducing the contact pressure and wear by stabilizing the power supply and communication contacts, and optimizing the array to minimize wear during mounting and detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of electric contacts is increased to handle greater data exchange demands, then communication speed and data exchange capability are improved, but the amount of wear on electric contacts during attachment and detachment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electric contacts are divided into two distinct groups: a first group of communication contacts and a second group of ground contacts. This segmentation allows each group to be optimized independently, with the ground contacts positioned to provide stability while communication contacts handle data exchange, thereby managing wear distribution across the contact interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a height dimension to the contact interface by positioning ground contacts at a different height than communication contacts. This vertical differentiation creates a multi-level contact structure where ground contacts can engage first or simultaneously, providing a stable reference plane that reduces mechanical stress and wear on the communication contacts during attachment and detachment operations.
2Reliability
If steps are provided on the contact table to reduce contact wear, then the amount of wear on electric contacts is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the entire contact table structure with steps, the patent applies the height differentiation only to specific ground contacts. This localized approach provides the necessary wear reduction functionality while maintaining a simpler overall contact table design, avoiding unnecessary structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than making the communication contacts taller to clear obstacles, the patent inverts the approach by making ground contacts shorter (at a different height level). This inversion simplifies the contact table structure while still achieving the goal of reducing wear on communication contacts through proper contact sequence and stability provision.
Data Source
AI summary
A lens apparatus is mounted to a camera body by moving in a first direction as to the camera body. The camera body has a DGND terminal and multiple electric contacts, used for communication with an accessory mounted thereto, that are arrayed in order in a first direction. Contact portions of the multiple electric contacts at the lens apparatus include contact portions that are lower from an accessory-side contact holding member than a contact portion of the DGND terminal.