Wire-Tethered Electrode Staking Method for Taser Filament Integrity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electronic weapons face challenges in reducing manufacturing costs, manual labor required for electrode assembly, and minimizing damage to filaments during assembly, as they involve complex processes like crimping and threading which can weaken the filament.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a staking method for assembling electrodes, where a spear is inserted into the body of the electrode, creating a mechanical and electrical coupling that distributes the pulling force along a substantial portion of the filament, avoiding acute angles and thus preserving the filament's strength, and using a simpler tooling process that reduces external dimensions alteration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional crimping and threading methods are used to assemble the electrode, then the electrode can be manufactured with basic structural integrity, but the filament is damaged and weakened during assembly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefilament strengthVSAvoidassembly process simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The filament is pre-positioned within the body cavity before the spear is inserted and staked. This preliminary positioning ensures the filament is already in its final location, eliminating subsequent threading operations that would require pulling the filament through holes and tying knots, thereby preventing damage and weakening.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The conventional mechanical assembly methods (crimping, threading through holes, tying knots) are replaced with a staking process where the spear is mechanically secured into the body cavity. This substitution eliminates the need for repetitive threading and knot-tying operations that damage the filament.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If conventional assembly methods with multiple threading and knot-tying steps are used, then the electrode can be assembled, but manual labor and assembly time are increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly speedVSAvoidassembly process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple separate assembly operations (threading the filament through the body, tying knots to secure it, and securing the spear) are merged into a single integrated staking process. The spear insertion and securing action simultaneously completes the assembly, dramatically reducing manual labor and assembly time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The body is designed with a cavity that segments the assembly space, allowing the filament and spear to be independently positioned and then secured together in one action. This segmentation enables the complex assembly to be simplified into discrete, manageable components that come together through a single staking operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If conventional crimping methods are used to retain the shaft, then the shaft can be secured, but the process requires complex tooling and alters external dimensions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedimensional stabilityVSAvoidtooling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The complex crimping operation and its associated tooling are extracted from the assembly process. Instead of using crimping tools that alter external dimensions, the design takes out the need for such complex tooling by using a simpler staking process that secures components without requiring dimensional changes to the external structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS8953297B2Apparatus and methods for a wire-tethered electrode for an electronic weapon

Publication Date: 2015.02.10 TASER INT INC

AI summary

An electronic weapon has an installed deployment unit from which an electrode is launched. The electrode is tethered to the deployment unit by a wire or filament. According to various aspects of the present invention, a wire-tethered electrode for launching from a weapon, for impacting clothing of a human target, and for conducting a stimulus signal through the target to inhibit locomotion by the target includes an insulated wire, a spear, and a body. The wire mechanically couples the electrode to the weapon. The spear lodges in the clothing. The body has an interior. The interior confines the wire against the spear so that the stimulus signal ionizes air in a gap between an uninsulated end of the wire and the spear, and ionizes air between the barb and tissue of the target to facilitate conducting the stimulus signal through the spear and through the target.