Switching Device Flat Fixed Contacts Insulator Recess

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing switching devices with buried conductors and exposed fixed contacts often suffer from bending errors and level differences, leading to uncertain contact conditions and defective contacts due to the need for conductor bending.

Innovation Solution

A switching device design featuring flat fixed contacts exposed from a recess portion in an insulator, eliminating the need for conductor bending and thus preventing level differences between contacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a conductor is bent to expose a portion for fixed contacts, then the conductor can be used for both insulation and contact functions, but bending errors cause level differences between fixed contacts leading to defective contact

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconductor structureVSAvoidcontact level alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the bending operation from the conductor fabrication process. Instead of bending the conductor to create exposed portions, the conductor is embedded in the insulator in a straight configuration, and the insulator surface is processed to create recesses that expose the conductor portions. This separates the conductor formation from the contact creation, eliminating bending errors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention inverts the conventional approach: instead of exposing conductor portions by bending or removing insulator material around the conductor, the insulator is molded with recess portions that directly expose the embedded conductor. This reverses the sequence from conductor-shaping to insulator-shaping, eliminating the need for conductor bending.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Device complexity

If wiring board is used for fixed contacts, then contact structure is simple, but manufacturing cost is high

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact structureVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention merges the insulator and conductor functions into a single integrated structure. The insulator serves both as the insulating material and as the structure that holds and exposes the conductor portions. This eliminates the need for separate wiring boards while maintaining simple contact structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The insulator is given multiple functions: it provides electrical insulation, structural support, and contact formation through its recess portions. The conductor serves dual purposes as both the electrical connection element and the contact element when exposed through the insulator recesses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS7288735B2Switching device

Publication Date: 2007.10.30 KK TOKAI RIKA DENKI SEISAKUSHO

AI summary

The conductors are shaped into a flat shape and a part of the conductors is exposed from the recess portion formed in a part of the insulator respectively to constitute fixed contacts. Therefore, there is no necessity to bend the conductors and thus a bending error is not caused. As a result, no level difference can be generated between the fixed contacts and the problem of defective contact due to such level difference can be never caused.