Pendulum System Conical Spiral Wire Bundle

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing pendular systems, such as fluxgate magnetometers, face challenges in reducing mass and dimensions while maintaining robust electrical connections and avoiding interference during significant movements, leading to bulky and heavy devices.

Innovation Solution

A pendular system with connecting wires gathered in a conical spiral twist, where the twist is shaped to minimize height and maximize length, ensuring a flexible and enduring connection without wire breakage or equilibrium shifts, and featuring a homogeneous structure with no angular changes along its length.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wires are gathered into a twist to protect them during strong pendulum swing, then robustness of electrical connection is improved, but mass and dimensions of the flow valve increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverobustness of electrical connectionVSAvoidmass of flow valve
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the traditional linear or planar wire arrangement into a three-dimensional conical spiral structure. This spatial transformation allows the wires to be distributed along the conical surface, maximizing the use of available space while minimizing the overall dimensions and mass of the protection structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The wires are nested within the conical spiral structure, with each wire following the spiral path. This nesting approach allows multiple wires to be organized in a compact manner, reducing the overall volume occupied by the wire bundle while maintaining robustness during pendulum swing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If wires are gathered into a twist to protect them during strong pendulum swing, then robustness of electrical connection is improved, but dimensions of the flow valve increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverobustness of electrical connectionVSAvoiddimensions of flow valve
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The conical spiral structure utilizes three-dimensional space efficiently, arranging wires along a conical surface rather than in a linear or planar configuration. This dimensional approach minimizes the bounding box dimensions while accommodating the necessary wire length and protection requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The conical spiral introduces curvature to the wire arrangement, allowing the wires to follow a smooth spiral path along the cone surface. This curved configuration reduces sharp angles and stress concentrations while compacting the overall structure, thereby reducing dimensions without compromising robustness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Reliability

If a traditional twist structure is used, then electrical connection is protected, but interference between turns of the cone may occur during large displacement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection of electrical connectionVSAvoidinterference between turns
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The conical spiral structure provides different local characteristics along its length. The spacing between successive turns varies along the cone surface, with greater separation in regions where large displacement might cause interference. This local variation in spacing prevents turn-to-turn contact while maintaining the protective twist structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The conical spiral geometry is designed in advance to accommodate the expected range of pendulum displacement. By pre-configuring the wire paths along the cone surface with appropriate spacing, the structure prevents interference before it can occur during operation, eliminating the need for additional clearance mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3516408B1Pendulum system and method of fabricating such a system
Publication Date: 2021.12.15 SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSE (FR)
  • EP3516408B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The invention relates to a pendulum system comprising a pendulum (3) joined to a connector (13), said system comprising connection wires connecting the pendulum to the connector, which wires are twisted together to form a twisted bundle (14) that includes a central spiral portion generally in the shape of a cone, the apex of which is connected to the connector so as to be the part of the spiral closest to the pivot point of the pendulum. The invention also relates to a method for producing such a pendulum system.