Rotatable Electric Coupling for Compact Pendant Arm Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pendant arm systems in medical, commercial, and industrial environments face challenges in maintaining reliable and continuous rotational electrical connections due to the sizing limitations of pivot joints, requiring miniature yet effective internal components for uninterrupted electric transmissions.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable electric coupling apparatus comprising a female and male connector half, with a female connector core and male connector core, utilizing dielectric adhesive and insulator elements to ensure a limitless rotational connection, allowing for secure and stable electrical transmission through pivot joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the pivot joint size is reduced to fit within pendant arm systems, then the device can be integrated into compact medical equipment positioning systems, but the internal elements must be miniature while still providing reliable electric transmissions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing the male connector inside the female connector, with multiple concentric conductive elements (inner conductor, intermediate conductor, outer conductor) arranged in nested layers. Each conductor is insulated and positioned within the connector housing, creating a compact nested structure that maintains reliable electrical connections while minimizing the overall pivot joint volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical connection is segmented into multiple independent conductive elements (inner conductor, intermediate conductor, outer conductor) that can be manufactured and assembled separately. Each conductor is insulated and positioned independently within the connector, allowing for modular manufacturing and assembly while maintaining reliable electrical transmissions through multiple parallel pathways.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connector design is simplified for ease of manufacture, then production costs decrease, but achieving a limitless rotational connection with multiple conductors becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The conductors are pre-assembled with their respective insulators and positioned within the connector housing before final assembly. The inner conductor is inserted through the female connector, followed by the intermediate and outer conductors, with each element pre-positioned and secured. This preliminary arrangement simplifies the final assembly process while ensuring proper alignment for limitless rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses insulating materials (insulating jacket on inner conductor, insulating layer on intermediate conductor, insulating layer on outer conductor) to create electrically isolated zones. This equipotential separation allows multiple conductors to be positioned close together without electrical interference, simplifying the mechanical assembly while maintaining electrical integrity for rotational applications.
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 reliable and continuous electric connection that can rotate 360 degrees without disruption, ensuring uninterrupted power and communication signals to technical equipment, such as surgical lights and monitors, while being compact enough to fit within the pivot joints of pendant arm systems.
Implementation Method 1
a female core spacer and a male insulator element, both of which are used to insulate the male and female coupling parts from one another
Data Source
AI summary
What is presented is a method of manufacturing a rotatable electric coupling. The rotatable electric coupling comprises a male connector half and a female connector half. The male connector half comprises one or more male coupling parts, one or more male insulator elements, and a male connector core that has a central burrow. The female connector half comprises a female core base having a channel, one or more female coupling parts that have a channel extender, one or more female core spacers that also have a channel extender, and a female end cap. The method comprises assembling the male connector half, assembling the female connector half, and inserting the male connector half into the female connector half.