Rotatable Key Ring Fluid Connector for High-Rigidity Hoses
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, connecting fluid transfer connectors with high-rigidity hoses requires significant force due to the need to rotate the plug with the hose to engage keys with key grooves, posing a burden on workers.
Innovation Solution
A fluid transfer connector plug with a rotatable ring body featuring keys or key grooves on its outer periphery, allowing easy engagement with corresponding key grooves or keys on the socket without needing to rotate the plug body or hose, facilitated by a main key or key groove with a larger width for easy recognition and positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a key and key groove are used to prevent wrong connection, then connection reliability is improved, but a large force is required to rotate the plug with high-rigidity hose to engage the key with the key groove
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is divided into two functional parts: a stationary plug body that maintains the fluid channel connection, and a rotatable ring body that carries the keys. This segmentation allows the keys to be positioned independently without requiring rotation of the entire plug and hose assembly, thereby reducing the force needed while maintaining connection reliability through the key-key groove engagement mechanism.
2Reliability
If keys and key grooves are fixed at predetermined positions on the plug and socket, then wrong connection is prevented, but the plug body and hose must be rotated to position the keys with respect to the key grooves on the socket
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the keys from the plug body and attaching them to a rotatable ring body, the invention allows independent positioning of the keys. The worker can rotate only the ring body to align keys with key grooves on the socket, rather than rotating the entire plug and hose assembly, significantly improving ease of operation while maintaining prevention of wrong connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring body can be rotated beforehand to pre-position the keys in the correct orientation before insertion. This preliminary positioning action simplifies the connection process by ensuring that when the plug is inserted, the keys are already aligned with the key grooves on the socket, reducing the need for forceful rotation during connection.
3Quantity of substance
If the hose has a large inner diameter (25 mm or more) to transfer liquid chemical, then the hose has high rigidity, but rotating the plug with the thick hose becomes extremely burdensome
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the plug into a stationary body and a rotatable ring body carrying the keys. This allows the keys to be positioned by rotating only the lightweight ring body rather than the entire plug assembly with the thick, high-rigidity hose attached, making the operation extremely easy despite the large hose diameter required for liquid chemical transfer.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a fluid transfer connector plug that allows for easy engagement of keys with key grooves. The fluid transfer connector plug includes: a plug body having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end allowing a hose to be fixed thereto, the distal end being removably connected to a socket, the plug body including a fluid channel communicating with the hose; a key plate on an outer periphery of the plug body, the key plate being rotatable relative to the plug body; and two or more keys on the key plate. The plug further includes a main key having a larger circumferential width than that of each of the other keys.