Socket Protector Guide Channel Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing socket safety devices face challenges in achieving precise positioning during assembly, which can lead to unwanted jamming, and they require complex mechanisms to ensure security against unintentional actuation and short circuits while maintaining user-friendliness.
Innovation Solution
A socket safety device with a locking plate that is rotatable between a cover plate and a base plate, featuring guide openings that form a continuous channel with the socket's guide pin, allowing for easy assembly and ensuring the locking plate can move between rest and open positions without hindrance, using a spring element to maintain the rest position and prevent short circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the outer contour of the socket safeguard is adapted precisely to the inner contour of the socket trough, then the through-holes are automatically positioned appropriately during assembly, but unwanted jamming of the components can easily occur during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The guide opening is segmented into two separate guide openings (first guide opening in the cover plate, second guide opening in the base plate) that together form a guide channel. This segmentation allows the assembly process to be divided into insertion (through the guide channel) and rotation (of the locking plate), preventing jamming while maintaining positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking plate is designed to be rotatable relative to the cover and base plates, transforming from a static to a dynamic component. The guide opening in the locking plate is designed to accommodate this rotation while maintaining guidance, allowing the system to transition smoothly from insertion to locked position without jamming.
2Reliability
If the locking plate is held in rest position by springs or other retaining elements, then security against unintentional actuation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using springs or retaining elements to hold the locking plate in the rest position, the invention inverts the approach by using the geometry of the guide opening and the guide pin interaction to naturally maintain the rest position. The locking plate is retained by the housing structure itself rather than additional retaining elements, simplifying the mechanism while maintaining security.
3Ease of operation
If the through-holes are designed as oblong holes to allow contact pins to engage in all positions, then user-friendliness is improved, but the precision of contact pin positioning may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The oblong through-holes are designed to work dynamically with the rotating locking plate. As the locking plate rotates into position, the contact pins are guided through the oblong holes, which initially allow free movement for user-friendliness but eventually constrain the pins to precise positions when the locking plate reaches its final position, achieving both ease of operation and positioning precision.
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 simplifies assembly, ensures secure positioning, and effectively prevents unintentional actuation and short circuits by allowing the locking plate to rotate and maintain an open passage for contact pins, enhancing user-friendliness and safety.
Implementation Method 1
The locking plate is held in its rest position by springs or other retaining elements
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A socket safety device (1, 1') with a locking plate (16, 56) slidably arranged between a cover plate and a base plate (12, 52, 14, 54), wherein the cover plate and the base plate (12, 52, 14, 54) are dimensioned in their external dimensions such that they can be inserted into the recess (18) formed by a socket (2), and wherein the base plate (14, 54) can be fastened in the recess (18) formed by the socket (2) by an associated fastening means (20), is intended to enable simplified installation in the socket to be secured using particularly simple means.According to the invention, the cover plate (12, 52) is provided with a guide opening (40) and the base plate (14, 54) is provided with a guide opening (42) in addition to the fastening means (20), wherein the guide openings (40, 42) form a continuous guide channel (44) suitable for receiving a guide pin (43) arranged on the socket (2) when the cover and base plates (12, 52, 14, 54) are assembled, and wherein the locking plate (16, 56) is provided with a guide opening (46) extending along a provided direction of movement such that the guide opening (46) of the locking plate (16, 56) in every position of the locking plate (16, 56) between the cover and base plates (12, 52, 14, 54) formed by their guide openings (40, 42) guide channel (44) remains open in the cross-section required for the passage of the guide pin (43) of the socket (2).