Cigarette Lighter Plug Assembly With S-Shaped Power Cord Routing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional cigarette lighter plugs for automobile tire repairing devices face issues with poor contact and short circuits due to the separation of positive and negative electrode power parts, which are often wound and prone to removal problems, leading to fabrication difficulties and potential damage during insertion and removal.

Innovation Solution

A cigarette lighter plug design featuring a power cord with positive and negative electrode parts bent in an S shape to prevent winding and a pull ring mechanism that rotates at an angle for secure insertion and removal, engaging locking orifices and retainers to prevent damage and ensure proper contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the positive-electrode power part and negative-electrode power part are separated and welded at different positions, then the electrical connection is established, but the fabrication becomes troublesome due to cutting or winding in short length

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoidfabrication
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The power cord is divided into positive-electrode power part and negative-electrode power part as separate segments, each with equal length, allowing independent handling and connection while maintaining balanced fabrication ease and electrical reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of cutting or winding the power parts to short lengths as in conventional designs, the invention inverts the approach by maintaining equal full lengths of both power parts, eliminating fabrication troubles while ensuring reliable electrical connection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Ease of operation

If the power parts are pulled during insertion or removal, then the plug can be connected or disconnected, but this causes removal, poor contact, and short circuit

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsertion and removalVSAvoidcontact stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A pull ring is introduced as an intermediary component between the user's hand and the power cord. The pull ring absorbs the pulling force during insertion and removal operations, preventing direct stress on the power parts and their connections, thus maintaining contact stability while enabling easy operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The pull ring is pre-positioned on the power cord before insertion, and the power parts are pre-configured with equal lengths and proper routing. This preliminary arrangement ensures that during operation, the pulling force is naturally directed through the pull ring without causing removal, poor contact, or short circuit

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Volume of moving object

If the cigarette lighter plug is made in a small size, then it can be stored in the receiving groove of the air compressor box, but the internal components become cramped and harder to assemble

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplug sizeVSAvoidassembly
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The first housing and second housing are nested together to form a compact plug structure. The power cord and pull ring are nested within the housing cavities, allowing the entire assembly to fit in a small volume while maintaining proper component spacing and assembly ease through the nested configuration

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP3909756B1Cigarette lighter plug of automobile tire repairing device
Publication Date: 2024.02.07 CHOU WEN SAN
  • EP3909756B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3909756B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3909756B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A cigarette lighter plug (10) of an automobile tire repairing device, the tire repairing device contains: a box (7) for receiving an air pump (71). The cigarette lighter plug (10) is inserted into a power supply. The cigarette lighter plug (10) includes a first housing (1), a second housing (2), and a power cord (3). The power cord (3) includes a positive-electrode power part (31) and a negative-electrode power part (32), the second housing (2) includes a post (247), a first accommodation chamber (91), a column (245), a second accommodation chamber (92), a semi-arch flexible element (5). The second housing (2) further includes a wing (292), a third accommodation chamber (93) defined between the wing (292) and the column (245), and a fourth accommodation chamber (94) defined between a conductive foot (53) of the semi-arch flexible element (5) and the column (245) so as to receive the power cord (3). The first housing (1) is engaged with the second housing (2), and the power cord (3) is not winded or is bent in an S shape.