Rotating Electrical Plug with Tactile Feedback Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical plugs lack adjustable angular positioning, leading to inaccurate fits with different electrical sockets, safety concerns due to unstable adjustments, and difficulties in verifying correct positioning visually, auditorally, or tactilly.
Innovation Solution
A rotating electrical plug design featuring a hollow shell with locating blocks, a rotary member with notches, and a metal elastic member, allowing tactile and auditory feedback during angle adjustment, ensuring accurate and secure positioning through friction and audible engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If angle adjustment mechanism is added to electrical plug, then adaptability to different sockets is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical plug incorporates a rotary member that can rotate relative to the hollow shell, transforming a static plug into a dynamic one with adjustable angular position. This dynamic structure allows the plug to adapt to different socket orientations while maintaining a relatively simple overall design through controlled rotational movement rather than complex mechanical linkages
Solution Approach 2:
The plug is divided into separable components: a fixed hollow shell and a rotatable rotary member. This segmentation allows the rotary member to be independently rotated to different angular positions and then locked, providing adaptability without requiring the entire plug structure to be complex. The locating blocks and notches further segment the rotation into discrete, manageable positions
2Ease of operation
If friction-based positioning is used, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates tactile feedback through friction between the rotary member and hollow shell, allowing the user to sense when the rotary member is properly positioned. The elastic member provides additional feedback through deformation as it pushes the rotary member against the hollow shell. This feedback mechanism compensates for variations in manufacturing precision by allowing users to feel when correct positioning has been achieved
Solution Approach 2:
The friction force between the rotary member and hollow shell is carefully controlled through material selection and surface treatment, creating an optimal balance between ease of rotation and positioning stability. The elastic member's force is adjusted through its selection and installation to provide sufficient pushing force for tactile feedback without excessive complexity in the overall design
3Measurement precision
If locating blocks and notches are used for positioning, then positioning accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locating blocks on the hollow shell and corresponding notches on the rotary member automatically engage to lock the rotary member at specific angular positions. This self-locking mechanism provides accurate positioning without requiring additional complex locking devices or adjustment mechanisms. The system serves itself by using the interaction between these simple geometric features to achieve precise angular positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning function is merged into the basic structural components of the plug. The locating blocks and notches are integrated into the hollow shell and rotary member respectively, rather than being separate added components. This merging provides accurate positioning capability while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity
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
Enables precise and secure angular adjustment of the plug to fit various sockets, providing tactile and auditory confirmation of correct positioning, thus preventing accidental disengagement and ensuring safety.
Implementation Method 1
a metal elastic member mounted in the shaft sleeve around the shaft and stopped with one end thereof against the inside annular flange of the shaft sleeve
Implementation Method 2
the user can sense the positioning between the hollow shell and the rotary member auditorally and tactilly when changing the installation angle
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating electrical plug includes a hollow shell, a bottom cap attached to one side of the hollow shell, a rotary member detachably inserted into an opposite side of the hollow shell to selectively force respective locating notches thereof into engagement with locating blocks in the rotary member, an electrode holder coupled to the rotary member to hold electrodes in the hollow shell, an elastic member mounted in a sleeve of the electrode holder, and a fastening device affixed to the end cap to hold down the elastic member. Thus, the rotating electrical plug has a simple structure, and allows adjustment of the installation angle positively and safely to fit different electrical sockets.