Spring-Loaded Contact With Spherical Isolator and Angled Plunger
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spring-loaded contacts in electronic devices suffer from reduced reliability due to entanglement between the spring and plunger, leading to cosmetic and functional failures, and potential damage from high current flow through the spring.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a spherical isolation object between the plunger and spring, along with an angled back surface and retention guide on the plunger, to prevent entanglement and isolate the spring from high currents, ensuring reliable contact and reduced risk of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring-loaded contact uses a conventional design with a plunger and spring, then it can provide automatic retraction and electrical connection, but the spring and plunger may become entangled leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
A non-conductive ball is introduced as an intermediary element between the plunger and the spring. This ball acts as a mediator that prevents direct contact and potential entanglement between the plunger and spring while still allowing the spring to exert its biasing force on the plunger through the ball, thereby maintaining the automatic retraction function without the harmful entanglement effect
Solution Approach 2:
The internal structure of the spring-loaded contact is segmented into distinct functional zones: the plunger forms a first cavity, the non-conductive ball occupies an intermediate position, and the spring forms a second cavity. This segmentation separates the plunger and spring components spatially, preventing their direct interaction and entanglement while maintaining individual functionality
2Ease of operation
If the plunger is depressed and breaks contact with the barrel or housing, then the contact can be made with the second contact, but large current flow through the spring may damage or destroy the spring
Solution Approach 1:
The non-conductive ball serves as an electrical isolator between the conductive plunger and the conductive spring. When the plunger is depressed to make contact with the second contact, the non-conductive ball prevents electrical current from flowing through the spring to the barrel or housing, thereby blocking the harmful high current flow path while still allowing mechanical force transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The non-conductive ball is positioned in advance between the plunger and spring to prevent the harmful effect of high current flow before it can occur. This preemptive isolation ensures that even if the plunger breaks contact with the barrel or housing during operation, the spring remains protected from damaging currents
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 enhances the reliability of spring-loaded contacts by preventing entanglement and protecting the spring from high currents, thereby improving the longevity and performance of electronic device connectors.
Implementation Method 1
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
Data Source
AI summary
A spring-loaded contact may include a barrel to form a housing for the spring-loaded contact, a plunger at least partially enclosed by the barrel, a spring enclosed by the barrel, and a sphere between the plunger and the spring. A back of the plunger may be formed at an angle and to include a retention guide, the retention guide partly over the sphere such that the sphere may be in contact with the back of the plunger and the retention guide.