Spring-Loaded Contact Piston for Entanglement Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spring-loaded contacts in electronic devices face reliability issues due to entanglement between the spring and plunger, leading to cosmetic or functional failures, and are prone to damage from excessive current flow.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an isolation object, such as a piston with a wider head portion and a narrower body, and an asymmetric interface between the plunger and the spring, to prevent entanglement and redirect current flow, thereby reducing the risk of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring-loaded contact uses a conventional plunger and spring arrangement, then the contact can be depressed and retracted, but the spring and plunger may become entangled, preventing reliable operation
Solution Approach 1:
A piston is introduced as an intermediary component between the plunger and the spring. The piston has a head portion that is wider than the spring diameter, creating a physical barrier that prevents the spring from becoming entangled with the plunger during depression and retraction cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact assembly is segmented into distinct functional zones: the plunger tip for contact engagement, the piston with its head and body portions for isolation and guidance, and the spring for providing restoring force. This segmentation prevents harmful interactions between components.
2Ease of operation
If the plunger is depressed and breaks contact with the barrel, then the contact mechanism can disengage, but large current flow through the spring may damage or destroy it
Solution Approach 1:
The piston serves as an electrical intermediary that maintains a conductive path between the plunger and the barrel even when the plunger is depressed. This prevents current from flowing through the spring, eliminating the risk of thermal damage while allowing full disengagement operation.
3Device complexity
If the plunger and spring are in direct contact, then the structure can be simple, but the spring may become caught between the plunger and barrel, causing functional failure
Solution Approach 1:
The piston is positioned between the plunger and spring to prevent the spring from being pinched or caught during operation. The head portion of the piston extends beyond the spring diameter, creating a clearance that eliminates the entanglement mechanism while adding minimal structural 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
Enhances the reliability of spring-loaded contacts by preventing entanglement and protecting the spring from excessive current, resulting in improved performance and longevity.
Implementation Method 1
Spring-loaded contacts may include a plunger biased by a spring, such that the plunger may be depressed when contacting a second contact, then retracted when disengaged from the second connector
Implementation Method 2
The piston may have a first head portion that is wider than the diameter of the spring, and the head portion may be located between the spring and the plunger. This may isolate the spring and the plunger such that the spring does not become entangled with the plunger
Data Source
AI summary
Spring-loaded contacts having an improved reliability. One example may provide spring-loaded contacts having a reduced likelihood of entanglement between a spring and a plunger. For example, a piston may be placed between a plunger and a spring. The piston may have a head portion that is wider than the diameter of the spring and located between the spring and the plunger to isolate the spring and the plunger. Another example may have a reduced likelihood of spring damage caused by excess current flow. For example, a plunger may have an eccentrically-tapered back. This eccentrically-tapered back may contact the head portion of the piston. The eccentricity may help to ensure that the plunger tilts at an angle such that the plunger or the piston, or both, contact a barrel of the spring-loaded contact, thereby avoiding current flow and resulting damage to the spring.