Switch Device Airflow Guide Prevents Foreign Material Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
In switch devices, foreign materials in the air accumulating chamber can be sucked into the contact chamber, leading to imperfect contacts due to the direct communication between the air accumulating chamber and the foreign material accumulating chamber in existing structures.
Innovation Solution
A switch device design featuring a base board with a fixed contact, an elastic sheet with a contact dome part, a first recessed part for the air accumulating chamber, a second recessed part for the foreign material accumulating chamber, a guide groove connecting the two, and a vent groove to direct airflow while preventing foreign material entry into the contact chamber, utilizing a nonreturn part to ensure foreign materials are guided into the foreign material accumulating chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the air accumulating chamber is provided over a part where terminals or electronic parts are mounted, then the volume of the air accumulating chamber can be ensured larger than that of the contact chamber, but foreign materials such as solder chips may be sucked into the contact chamber causing imperfect contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the air accumulation function and foreign material collection function into separate chambers. The air accumulating chamber (first recessed part) is separated from the contact chamber by introducing a foreign material accumulating chamber (second recessed part) as an intermediate structure. This segmentation prevents foreign materials from being directly sucked into the contact chamber while maintaining adequate air accumulation volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The foreign material accumulating chamber acts as an intermediary structure between the air accumulating chamber and the contact chamber. It serves as a buffer zone that captures foreign materials before they can enter the contact chamber, thus protecting contact reliability while allowing the air accumulating chamber to maintain its required volume.
2Reliability
If a foreign material accumulating chamber is provided between the contact chamber and air accumulating chamber, then foreign materials in the air accumulating chamber are temporarily collected, but the contact chamber may still suck the foreign materials from the foreign material accumulating chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The guide groove is designed with a circular arc part that creates a curved flow path. This curvature utilizes the inertial force of the air flow to guide foreign materials into the foreign material accumulating chamber while preventing them from being sucked back into the contact chamber. The non-linear path acts as a one-way guide that exploits fluid dynamics rather than requiring complex mechanical barriers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the pneumatic flow of air through the guide groove to achieve directional control of foreign materials. The circular arc guide groove creates a pressure differential and flow direction that naturally directs foreign materials into the accumulating chamber while preventing backflow to the contact chamber, utilizing aerodynamic principles rather than mechanical blocking structures.
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
This design effectively prevents foreign materials from entering the contact chamber, reducing imperfect contacts by ensuring they are directed into the foreign material accumulating chamber, thus maintaining contact integrity during the switch device's operation.
Implementation Method 1
the contact dome part is elastically deformed by receiving an operating force
Implementation Method 2
air in the contact chamber is compressed by the contact dome part of the rubber sheet to be pushed out to the air accumulating chamber
Implementation Method 3
a guide groove that has a straight part connected to the first recessed part and a circular arc part connected to the second recessed part at a position deviating from an extending line of the straight part to form a guide passage
Implementation Method 4
a nonreturn part provided inside the circular arc part in a connecting part of the second recessed part and the circular arc part of the guide groove
Data Source
AI summary
A switch device includes a base board having a face on which a fixed contact is provided and an elastic sheet that covers the face of the base board. The elastic sheet includes a contact dome part that covers the fixed contact to form a contact chamber, a movable contact that is provided on the contact dome part, a first recessed part that forms an air accumulating chamber, a second recessed part that forms a foreign material accumulating chamber, a guide groove that has a straight part and a circular arc part to form a guide passage for communicating the air accumulating chamber with the foreign material accumulating chamber, a nonreturn part provided inside the circular arc part, and a vent groove connected to the contact dome part and the guide groove to form a vent passage for communicating the contact chamber with the guide passage.