Slip Ring PCB Contact Assembly for Impedance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing slip rings used in video pipe inspection systems face challenges in maintaining robustness in harsh environments while controlling impedance and reducing contact noise, often requiring expensive components and failing to optimize for high-speed, high-bandwidth signal transmission.

Innovation Solution

The slip ring design incorporates axially aligned electrical contact subassemblies with deformable printed circuit boards and spring elements to ensure consistent electrical contact, using a spring element to apply outward force and maintain alignment, thereby controlling impedance and reducing noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If spring loaded pins are used to ensure robust electrical contact in harsh environments, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical contact reliabilityVSAvoidslip ring structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the spring loading function from traditional pin contacts and relocates it to the PCB level, where individual contact pads are spring-loaded rather than entire pin assemblies. This reduces device complexity while maintaining contact reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies spring loading locally to specific contact areas on the PCB rather than using uniform spring-loaded pins throughout. This localized approach maintains reliability at critical contact points while reducing overall device complexity and cost.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If redundant pins are used to ensure contact in harsh environments, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical contact reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive silver graphite pins with cheaper PCB trace contacts that are sacrificial in nature. The PCB contacts are designed to be replaced rather than repaired, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining adequate reliability for the application.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the material parameter from expensive silver graphite to standard PCB copper traces, and changes the contact mechanism from mechanical pins to elastic PCB deformation. This parameter change reduces manufacturing cost while maintaining contact reliability through the spring-loaded PCB design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If traditional slip rings are used for robustness in harsh environments, then reliability is improved, but impedance control capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental robustnessVSAvoidimpedance control precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the robustness of spring-loaded mechanical contact with the impedance control capabilities of PCB traces. The composite structure integrates the elastic deformation mechanism with controlled impedance trace design, achieving both environmental robustness and impedance precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic spring-loaded PCB contacts that can adapt to misalignment and wear through elastic deformation. This dynamic capability maintains reliable contact in harsh environments while the PCB trace geometry maintains controlled impedance for signal integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

4Ease of operation

If pancake style slip rings are used for easy connection and disconnection, then ease of operation is improved, but robustness in harsh environments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection and disconnection easeVSAvoidenvironmental robustness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the slip ring into modular components with spring-loaded PCB contact subassemblies that can be easily assembled and disassembled. This segmentation maintains the ease of operation of pancake style slip rings while the spring-loaded contacts provide robustness for harsh environments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

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 robust and low-cost slip rings that maintain reliable electrical contact and low noise signals in harsh environments, suitable for high-speed signal transmission in video pipe inspection systems.

Implementation Method 1

The PCB includes an elastically deformable section surrounding the center contact area allowing the PCB to deform in an axial direction towards the other subassembly when a force is applied centrally to one face of the center contact area

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12525760B1Robust impedance controlled slip rings

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 SEESCAN INC

AI summary

A slip ring for transferring electrical signals between rotating and static elements of a device includes a rotating element, a static element, an electrical contact assembly, including a plurality of subassemblies, contacting the rotating element and static element, one subassembly including a deformable PCB, and a spring element positioned to supply an axially aligned force to a face of the PCB to facilitate electrical contact between the PCB and other electrical contacts elements on another subassembly.