Powered Wall Plate Modular Segmentation for Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wall plates with spring biased connections are unsafe due to unreliability, leading to electrical and fire hazards, as they can short or become damaged over time, compromising safety and reliability in providing power and lighting.
Innovation Solution
A powered wall plate design featuring a body with openings for electrical contacts and a plug-in module or removable wire options, incorporating a current transfer feature that securely conveys electrical current from an electrical device, with safety features like caps and spring biased shutters to prevent electrical shocks and shorts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If spring biased connections are used to provide power and lighting, then ease of installation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential shorting and damage over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the electrical connection system into separate modular components: a wall plate unit and a receptacle unit with distinct contact points. This segmentation eliminates the spring biased connection mechanism while maintaining ease of installation through modular assembly, and improves reliability by providing stable, non-spring electrical contacts that cannot short or degrade over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mounting structure with separate electrical contacts that mediates between the wall plate and receptacle. This intermediary system provides stable electrical connection points that are not directly spring-biased, thereby maintaining reliability while preserving ease of installation through the modular design.
2Ease of operation
If spring biased connections are used to provide power and lighting, then ease of installation is improved, but safety deteriorates due to electrical and fire hazards
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the electrical connection into separate modular components with distinct contact points, the patent eliminates the spring biased mechanism that creates safety hazards. The modular design maintains ease of installation while improving safety through stable, non-spring contacts that cannot short or overheat.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of spring biased connections by eliminating them entirely and replacing with a design where electrical contacts are inherently safer due to their stable, non-spring nature. The modular architecture turns the installation simplicity benefit into a safety feature by allowing secure connections without spring mechanisms.
3Device complexity
If direct spring biased connections are used, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to inherent unreliability of spring mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrical connection system into modular units with separate, stable contact points, eliminating the need for spring mechanisms entirely. This segmentation maintains simplicity in the overall system architecture while dramatically improving reliability through the use of non-spring electrical contacts that cannot degrade or short over time.
4Ease of operation
If spring biased connections are used, then ease of installation is improved, but safety deteriorates due to direct access to electrical components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrical system into wall plate and receptacle units with separated contact points, eliminating spring mechanisms and providing inherent safety. This modular segmentation maintains ease of installation while improving safety by preventing direct access to electrical components through the physical separation and stable contact design.
Data Source
AI summary
A powered wall plate with at least two wall plate electrical current features behind the rear surface of the wall plate, each with a receiving prong, at least two electrical current transfer plugs with an electrical wire extending therefrom and configured to removably mate with the receiving prong. A plurality of LED lights is located along a bottom edge of the front surface, a photocell is exposed on the front surface of the wall plate, and a control switch has an on position, an off position, and an auto position. A transformer housing may extend forward of the front surface and includes a circuit therein operatively coupled to a USB port on a perpendicular surface of the transformer housing. The USB port is configured to provide power when power is supplied to the at least two electrical wires.