Locking Power Connector With Resilient Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power connectors, such as those following the IEC 60320 standard, are prone to accidental disconnection when force is applied, leading to unexpected power loss, and their production involves complex manual assembly due to the need for precise manipulation of internal components like coil springs and slide pieces, making fully automatic production challenging and costly.
Innovation Solution
A locking power connector apparatus featuring a pivoting latch plate with a slide piece biased by a resiliently flexible arm, which locks the plug by pivoting to engage with the power pin when inserted and can be released manually through a button mechanism, allowing for simplified automated assembly since the slide piece is a one-piece component made from flexible plastic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking mechanism with coil spring and slide piece is used to prevent accidental disconnection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the coil spring and slide piece into a single integrated component. The slide piece includes an integral resilient arm that provides the spring function, eliminating the need for separate coil spring and slide piece components. This merging reduces assembly complexity while maintaining the locking function that prevents accidental disconnection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter of the slide piece from rigid material to flexible/resilient material. The resilient arm is made of flexible plastic that can bend and provide spring force, transforming the mechanical properties of the component to eliminate the need for separate spring elements while maintaining the required elastic function.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism with multiple components is used to prevent accidental disconnection, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coil spring and slide piece into a single injection-molded component. The resilient arm is formed as an integral part of the slide piece through plastic injection molding, eliminating the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of spring and slide piece components. This significantly improves automated assembly capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical coil spring system with a flexible plastic resilient arm. The elastic deformation of the resilient arm provides the necessary spring force, substituting a simple plastic deformation mechanism for a complex mechanical spring system that would require precise manual assembly.
3Ease of manufacture
If a resiliently flexible arm is used instead of coil spring, then ease of manufacture is improved, but the biasing force mechanism becomes less traditional
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using flexible plastic with appropriate elasticity. The resilient arm is designed with specific thickness, length, and cross-sectional geometry to provide the required biasing force through elastic deformation, replacing the traditional coil spring mechanism with a material-property-based solution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a flexible resilient arm made of thin-walled plastic structure that bends and deforms elastically to provide spring force. This flexible component serves the same function as a coil spring but can be integrated into a single molded part, simplifying manufacturing and assembly.
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 solution provides a secure locking mechanism that prevents accidental disconnection while enabling cost-effective and automated production by simplifying the assembly process through the use of a single, flexible plastic component that provides the necessary biasing force for the latch plate, ensuring reliable and efficient manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
at least one arm that is an extension of the main body in a lateral direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction, said at least one arm being resiliently flexible in the longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
A locking socket 101 for making an electrical connection with an electrical plug has a socket connection portion with a pivoting latch plate type power pin locking mechanism 112, 114 having an aperture with edges for gripping an power pin when inserted. The latch plate 114 is biased away from a release orientation to a locking orientation. A release mechanism comprises a manual button engaged with a slide piece 128 which slides along a first direction 158 to pivot the latch plate from a locking orientation to a release orientation to release the inserted power pin. At least one resiliently flexible arm 152 extends laterally from a main body of the slide piece. The arm is progressively flexed by movement of the main body when the button is pressed, causing the arm to provide a biasing force that urges the slide piece in the opposite direction 159.