PCB-Mounted Auxiliary Switch for Aerospace Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Auxiliary switches in the aerospace industry are difficult to actuate and adjust during assembly, and often expensive, especially those used in relay/contactors, which complicates their implementation.
Innovation Solution
The design features a housing with separate releasable parts, a printed circuit board with electrical pads and contacts, and an actuator mechanism that moves within the housing to maintain engagement between the contacts and terminal conductors, allowing for easy assembly without adjustments, with multiple electrical contacts configured to switch between open and closed positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If off the shelf stand-alone micro switches or mating stamped contacts are used, then the auxiliary switch can be assembled, but adjustments are required during assembly which increases complexity and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the auxiliary switch contacts directly onto the printed circuit board, merging previously separate components (stand-alone micro switches or mating stamped contacts) into an integrated assembly. This eliminates the need for separate assembly and adjustment steps, directly resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and assembly complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The contacts are pre-positioned and fixedly mounted on the printed circuit board during PCB manufacturing, performing the positioning action in advance rather than during final assembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need for adjustments during assembly, addressing both ease of manufacture and reduced assembly complexity
2Reliability
If relay/contactor auxiliary switches are used, then electrical switching function is achieved, but they are difficult to actuate and expensive in the aerospace industry
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary switch contacts are directly mounted on the PCB and move with the actuator mechanism, allowing the system to switch contacts automatically through its own actuation motion without requiring separate relay/contactor components. This self-service approach eliminates actuation difficulties and reduces cost while maintaining switching reliability
3Reliability
If relay/contactor auxiliary switches are used, then electrical switching function is achieved, but they are expensive in the aerospace industry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive relay/contactor auxiliary switches with a cost-effective printed circuit board-based contact system. The PCB-mounted contacts provide the necessary switching function at a fraction of the cost of traditional relay auxiliary switches, directly addressing the cost issue while maintaining reliability through the rigid PCB structure and stable contact connections
Data Source
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AI summary
An auxiliary switch (100) includes a housing (102) including a first housing part (104) and a second housing part (106) separate from and releasably connected to the first housing part. A printed circuit board (140) is fixedly mounted within the housing and has an electrical pad (166) and an electrical contact (170) connected to the electrical pad. A terminal conductor (150) is electrically connected to the printed circuit board. An actuator mechanism (210) is mounted within the housing and has an electrical contactor (212) engaged to the terminal conductor. The actuator mechanism is configured to move within the housing and at least partially displace the electrical contact while maintaining engagement between the contactor and the terminal conductor.