Snap-Fit Adapter for Civil Plugs to Industrial Sockets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adapters for connecting civil electrical plugs to industrial sockets require tools for assembly and disassembly and pose a risk of losing fastening screws, making the process cumbersome and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
An adapter device with a monolithic injection-molded plastic connector body featuring a rotatable locking ring and snap-engageable casing components that eliminate the need for tools and reduce the risk of lost fasteners, allowing for easy and quick engagement and disengagement of civil plugs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screws are used to fasten the half-shells of the protective casing, then the structural strength and reliability are improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates because tools are required for assembly and disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the screw-based mechanical fastening system with a snap-fit mechanism. The casing halves are equipped with complementary protrusions and recessions that engage through elastic deformation, eliminating the need for tools while maintaining structural integrity through distributed stress across multiple contact points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes elastic deformation as a key parameter change. The casing material is designed with specific elastic properties that allow temporary deformation during assembly, enabling the snap-fit engagement. This parameter change transforms the assembly process from rigid (screw-based) to flexible (elastic-based), achieving both strength and ease of operation.
2Reliability
If screws are used to fasten the half-shells, then the reliability of the connection is improved, but the loss of time increases due to the complexity of assembly and disassembly operations
Solution Approach 1:
The snap-fit mechanism replaces the multi-step screw assembly process with a single-action engagement. The elastic deformation allows the casing halves to self-align and lock into place without requiring tool manipulation, significantly reducing assembly time while maintaining connection reliability through distributed stress points.
Solution Approach 2:
The snap-fit mechanism is self-aligning and self-locking. The elastic deformation automatically positions the casing halves correctly during assembly, and the interlocking geometry maintains the connection without requiring additional fastening operations. This self-service characteristic eliminates time-consuming manual alignment and tightening steps.
3Strength
If screws are used for fastening, then the structural integrity is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional fastening components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fastening function with the structural body of the casing. Instead of separate screws and holes, the fastening features are integrated directly into the casing halves through molded-in protrusions and recessions. This merging reduces component count while maintaining structural integrity through the unified elastic deformation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the fastening function from the traditional screw-based system and embeds it directly into the casing geometry. The elastic snap-fit features are built into the casing halves themselves, eliminating the need for separate fastening components and reducing overall device complexity while preserving structural strength.
4Reliability
If traditional screw-based fastening is used, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates due to additional assembly steps
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening features are merged with the casing body and can be manufactured as a single integrated component through injection molding. The complementary protrusions and recessions are formed directly during the molding process, eliminating separate fastening component manufacturing and assembly steps while maintaining connection reliability through the elastic snap-fit mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Replacing the screw-based mechanical system with an integrated snap-fit mechanism eliminates multiple assembly operations. The elastic deformation-based fastening is built into the molding process itself, reducing manufacturing complexity from multi-step assembly to single-step molding while maintaining reliable connections.
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 adapter device enables tool-free assembly and disassembly, reducing the risk of lost parts and simplifying the connection process, making it more efficient and user-friendly for adapting household plugs to industrial sockets.
Implementation Method 1
a rotatable locking ring (22) configured for locking the civil plug (26) in the connector body (12)
Implementation Method 2
a rotatable locking ring (22) configured for locking the civil plug (26) in the connector body (12)
Implementation Method 3
snap-engageable casing components that eliminate the need for tools
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An adapter device for adapting civil electrical plugs (26) to industrial sockets, comprising: - a connector body (12) having a longitudinal axis (A) and having a plug portion (16) and a socket portion (18) located on opposite sides of a plane orthogonal to said longitudinal axis (A), and - a casing (14) comprising two shells (32) arranged on opposite sides with respect to a plane passing through said longitudinal axis (A), wherein said shells (32) have respective front sections (36) that enclose the socket portion (18) of the connector body (12), respective central sections (38) that enclose the civil plug (26) engaged in the socket portion (18) of the connector body (12) and respective rear sections (34) forming a hole (42) for the passage of an electric cable (44) connected to the civil plug (26), wherein said casing (14) comprises a ring-shaped closing element (34) which fastens said shells (32) together in the closed position, wherein the closing element (34) is in contact with the outer surfaces of the central portions (38) of said shells (32) and is provided with at least two elastically deformable teeth (52) which snap-engage respective seats (54) formed on the outer surfaces of the front sections (36) of said shells (32).