Personal Care Plug-Socket Geometry for Moisture-Safe Power Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal care appliances designed for use in wet conditions face challenges with electrical connectors and power supply devices due to remnant moisture, leading to issues like electrolysis and inadequate ingress protection, which can reduce appliance life and safety.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates specific socket and plug geometries with optimized curvature ratios and projection/notch features to ensure proper fitting and watertightness, preventing reverse polarity insertion and reducing the risk of electrical creepage, while allowing compatibility with power supply devices of matching or higher IP classes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional plug and socket geometries are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but electrical safety and ingress protection are insufficient due to inadequate prevention of moisture ingress and electrolysis
Solution Approach 1:
The socket and plug incorporate asymmetric geometric features including a projection on the socket circumferential wall and a corresponding notch on the plug circumferential wall. These asymmetric elements prevent reverse polarity insertion and ensure proper orientation during connection, thereby enhancing electrical safety without requiring complex additional components
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design utilizes specific curvature ratios in the circumferential wall segments. The third circumferential wall segment has a radius of curvature where the ratio of radius of curvature to pin distance is at most 0.35, creating optimized curved surfaces that improve sealing and prevent moisture ingress while maintaining manufacturability through standard forming processes
2Object-affected harmful factors
If standard connector designs are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but protection against remnant moisture and electrolysis is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention specifies precise geometric parameters including the curvature ratio (radius of curvature to pin distance ≤ 0.35) and the positions of projection and notch features. These parameter changes optimize the connector geometry to prevent moisture accumulation and electrolysis while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing tolerances and processes
3Adaptability or versatility
If simple connector geometries are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but compatibility control with appropriate IP classes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric projection and notch features serve as mechanical interlocking elements that ensure compatibility between appliances and power supply devices with matching or higher IP classes. These features provide geometric fitting control without requiring complex additional mechanisms, maintaining ease of manufacture while enabling IP class adaptability
Data Source
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AI summary
Personal care appliances (11, 12), power supply devices (40), and kits comprising the same are disclosed. The personal care appliance (11, 12) and power supply device (40) may have mating connectors.