Temperature Controller Substrate Contact Eliminates USB Port

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional temperature controllers are costly due to the inclusion of a particular-shape acceptance port for USB cable connections, which is unnecessary for users who do not require this feature, making it impossible to provide an inexpensive temperature controller.

Innovation Solution

A temperature controller with a substrate side contact portion on the circuit substrate that allows connection without a specific-shape acceptance port, paired with a cable device featuring a connector side contact portion and protection mechanisms to ensure secure and dust-proof connections, reducing the need for a particular-shape acceptance port.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a particular-shape acceptance port is provided for USB cable connections, then connection compatibility is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection compatibilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by using a standard rectangular opening instead of a USB-specific acceptance port. The opening can accommodate various connector types (USB, micro-USB, USB-C, etc.) through the cable device's own shaping, allowing the temperature controller to maintain connection compatibility across different cable types without requiring USB-specific molded openings, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while preserving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a particular-shape acceptance port is provided for USB cable connections, then connection stability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the shape-specific constraints from the temperature controller's opening and transfers them to the cable device's connector. By removing the USB-specific shaping requirements from the acceptance port and placing them only on the cable side, the temperature controller's structure is simplified while connection stability is maintained through the cable device's own connector design and securing mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2485333B1Temperature regulator, cable device, and temperature regulation unit
Publication Date: 2018.01.17 OMRON CORP
  • EP2485333B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2485333B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2485333B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The present invention is to provide an inexpensive temperature controller. A temperature controller (11) adjusts a temperature, and a cable device (29) is attachable to and detachable from the temperature controller. The temperature controller (11) includes a substrate side contact portion (21) formed on a surface (12a) on one side of a circuit substrate (12) for processing an input signal and brought into contact with the cable device (29) without having a particular-shape acceptance port for accepting a connection portion to be connected to the cable device (29). Therefore, the temperature controller (11) can be connected to the cable device (29) by the substrate side contact portion (21) formed on the surface (12a) on the one side of the circuit substrate (12). In this case, in the temperature controller (11), there is no need for having the particular-shape acceptance port for accepting the connection portion to be connected to the cable device (29). As a result, the inexpensive temperature controller (11) can be provided.