Instrument Plug Structure With Compressed Elastic Ring Fastening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plugs for electronic plucked string instruments, such as electric guitars, suffer from loose connections due to insufficient fastening force, leading to frequent disconnection during intense musical performances, and existing solutions using elastic rings provide inadequate resistance to external forces.
Innovation Solution
A plug design featuring a metal plug main body with a tubular plug cover and an elastic ring made of polymer material, where the elastic ring is compressed between metal support portions, generating a strong fastening force through metal-to-metal contact and supplemented by the elastic ring's return force, preventing slacking even under impact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the plug cover is strongly tightened to the cable attachment portion with the use of a tool, then the fastening force is improved, but the plug cover becomes hard to restore and the connection may be disconnected by intense load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the plug cover from metal to resin, which has lower mechanical strength and yield strength. This allows the plug cover to be manually tightened and easily restored without requiring tools, while still providing sufficient fastening force for normal use conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin plug cover is designed as a component that can be easily replaced rather than restored. When the fastening force becomes insufficient or the plug cover is damaged, the entire plug cover can be replaced as a single unit, simplifying maintenance and ensuring reliable connection without requiring complex restoration procedures.
2Strength
If the plug cover is made of metal, then the fastening force is improved, but the manual tightening becomes insufficient and continuous retightening is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the plug cover from metal to resin, which has lower mechanical strength but sufficient elasticity for manual tightening. This allows the plug cover to be properly tightened by hand without requiring tools or continuous retightening, eliminating time loss during performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material qualities to different parts of the plug structure. The plug main body and cable attachment portion remain metal for strength, while the plug cover is made of resin for ease of manual operation. This local differentiation optimizes both fastening force and ease of tightening.
3Strength
If the elastic ring is made of rubber material, then the fastening force is improved, but the resistance to external forces during intense performance becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining resin plug cover with metal plug main body and cable attachment portion. This composite design provides both the elastic properties needed for fastening and the mechanical strength required to resist impact forces during intense musical performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the plug into distinct functional components: the resin plug cover for easy tightening and fastening, and the metal plug main body with cable attachment portion for structural strength and impact resistance. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function.
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
The design provides a robust, secure connection that resists disconnection during vigorous musical performances, ensuring consistent performance without the need for tools and minimizing wear on the plug components.
Implementation Method 1
an axial force contributing to the fastening between the female thread of the plug cover and the male thread of the attachment portion is mainly composed by a return force in an axial direction of the elastic ring which is compression deformed between the flange and the plug cover front end surface
Data Source
AI summary
A plug main body has an elastic ring installation portion formed on an outer peripheral surface of a cable attachment portion, and a main body side ring support portion formed to have a larger diameter axially adjacent to a front side of the elastic ring installation portion and regulating movement of the elastic ring installation portion to a front side of an elastic ring. A cover side ring support portion is formed in an inner surface of the plug cover, extends radially inward with regard to an axis of the main terminal portion and comes into contact with a rear side outer surface of the elastic ring. The elastic ring is axially compressed between the main body side ring support portion and the cover side ring support portion, and the front end surface of the plug cover is directly brought into contact with the rear end surface of the flange.