Spring-Returned Cable Cover for Protecting Exposed Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Exposed metal conductive portions in connecting cables are prone to damage from accidental touch, posing risks during connection and disconnection with board-end connectors.
Innovation Solution
A connecting cable with a returnable protective cover, featuring an insulative seat, a circuit board, a protective cover, and a spring, where the protective cover is slidably connected to the insulative seat and returns to cover the conductive portions after disconnection, utilizing an elastic spring mechanism for protection and retraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the conductive portions are exposed for electrical connection, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to accidental touch damage
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is pre-positioned to cover the conductive portions before connection occurs. This preliminary protective action ensures that the conductive portions are shielded during handling and only exposed when actually needed for connection, thus preventing accidental touch damage while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cover acts as an intermediary element between the conductive portions and the external environment (including user fingers). This intermediary component provides a physical barrier that prevents direct contact with the conductive portions, thereby protecting them while allowing the connection function to proceed when the cover is intentionally moved.
2Reliability
If the protective cover is fixed to cover the conductive portions, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in exposing for connection
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover is designed to be movable rather than fixed. It can slide along the insulative base to transition between covering and exposing the conductive portions. This dynamic design allows the cover to maintain protection during storage and handling while easily exposing the conductive portions when connection is needed, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism provides automatic resetting of the protective cover to its covering position after connection. After the connecting cable is removed from the counterpart connector, the spring automatically pushes the protective cover back to cover the conductive portions, eliminating the need for manual intervention to restore protection. This self-service feature maintains reliability while minimizing operational complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the protective cover is made movable to allow exposure, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cover mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the protective cover itself, the spring for providing restoring force, and the insulative base with guiding features. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently and simplifies the overall design by avoiding complex integrated mechanisms. The simple sliding movement along the insulative base further reduces complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
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 protective cover effectively shields the conductive portions from accidental damage, enhancing the reliability, durability, and safety of the connecting cable by ensuring the conductive parts are protected both during and after use.
Implementation Method 1
One end of the spring connects with the body, and another end thereof is fixed on the protective cover. The protective cover is pushed by the counterpart connector to compress the spring and be exposed from the conducting opening. The protective cover returns back to an original position by an elastic reverting force from the spring.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A connecting cable (1) includes an insulative seat (10), a circuit board (20), a protective cover (30) and a spring (40). The insulative seat (10) includes a body (11). The body (10) is formed with a slot (110) and a conducting opening (111). The circuit board (20) includes a substrate (21) and conductive portions (22). The substrate (21) is inserted into the slot (110). The conductive portions (22) are exposed from the conducting opening (111). The protective cover (30) is disposed on the body (11) to cover the conducting opening (111) and slidable. The spring (40) has one end abutting against the body (11) and another end fixed on the protective cover (30). The conducting opening (111) may be opened by pushing the protective cover (30) by the counterpart connector (2) to compress the spring (40). The protective cover (30) may be returned back to an original position by an elastic force from the spring (40).