Stowable Prong Charger with Spring-Loaded Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional charger devices with permanently deployed prongs are bulky, making them inconvenient for transportation and increasing the risk of snagging or damage during travel.
Innovation Solution
A charger device with stowable prongs that are biased towards an extended position and can be retracted into the housing, featuring a locking mechanism with a ribbed surface to separate travel paths and a spring-loaded mechanism for easy deployment and stowage, allowing for compact size and easy operation with minimal user effort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If prongs are permanently deployed, then electrical connection is ensured, but device size increases and portability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the prongs movable rather than fixed. The prongs can extend outward to engage with electrical outlets and retract inward to reduce device volume. This dynamic configuration allows the charger to adapt between two states: an operational state with extended prongs for reliable electrical connection, and a portable state with retracted prongs for compact storage and travel convenience.
2Reliability
If prongs are permanently deployed, then electrical connection is ensured, but risk of snagging or damage increases during travel
Solution Approach 1:
The movable prong design allows users to retract the prongs when not in use or during transportation, eliminating the protruding elements that could snag on clothing or other objects. This dynamic retraction capability directly addresses the harmful factors of snagging and damage risk while preserving the electrical connection function when needed.
3Volume of moving object
If stowable prongs are implemented, then device size is reduced, but operational reliability may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates spring mechanisms that automatically extend the prongs when the charger is placed in an electrical outlet, eliminating the need for manual extension by the user. This self-service feature ensures that the prongs are reliably positioned for electrical connection without requiring user intervention, thereby maintaining operational reliability while preserving the compact stowed configuration during transport.
4Ease of operation
If locking mechanism is added for stowable prongs, then prong position control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring-loaded locking mechanism automatically engages to hold the prongs in either the extended or retracted position without requiring user intervention. The mechanism uses spring force to maintain stable positions and automatically transitions between states based on user input, providing easy position control while minimizing the complexity of manual operation. The self-locking feature ensures reliable position maintenance without adding complex control systems.
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 stowable prongs reduce the device's size, enhancing portability and minimizing the risk of snagging or damage, while allowing for efficient charging and easy operation, even in limited visibility situations.
Implementation Method 1
prongs for engaging an electrical outlet, the prongs being coupled to one another by a cross-member and movable relative to the housing between a retracted position in which the prongs are received in the housing and an extended position in which theprongs protrude from the housing, theprongs being biased toward the extended position
Implementation Method 2
a locking member coupled to a carriage for moving into and out of engagement with the projection and being pivotable, the locking member comprising a rib separating a first travel path and a second travel path
Data Source
AI summary
A device having an electrical plug, such as a charger device, includes a locking member coupled to a carriage that is movable into a housing. Prongs of the device are movable between a retracted position and an extended position along two different travel paths by actuating the prongs or by actuating the carriage.