Three-Prong Plug Structure With L-Shaped Prongs Against Bending
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Three-prong electrical plugs often fail due to bent or damaged prongs, weak plug housings, and poor connections, leading to intermittent power issues or complete loss of contact.
Innovation Solution
The design features L-shaped prongs with embedded feet in the housing, providing additional strength and stability, and an open-topped rectangular housing with an insulated plate and secure wiring connections to prevent prong bending and disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional straight prongs are used, then the plug structure is simple, but the prongs are easily bent or damaged during use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by changing the prong shape from straight to L-shaped. This curved configuration provides structural strength while distributing mechanical stress, making the prongs resistant to bending and damage during insertion and removal operations.
2Reliability
If prongs are securely attached to prevent detachment, then connection reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the prong and its mounting foot into a single integral L-shaped component. This combination eliminates separate attachment mechanisms, ensuring the prong cannot detach while simplifying the manufacturing process through reduced part count and assembly steps.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the housing is made robust to prevent pull-out, then plug stability improves, but the housing size and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped prong configuration creates a mechanical lever arm that distributes insertion and removal forces along the prong length rather than concentrating them at the base. This curved geometry provides structural stability and resistance to pull-out forces without requiring additional housing material or weight.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical jack or plug with a rectangular housing having a back wall and an insulated plate closing an open top. Parallel live and neutral flat prongs pass through apertures in the insulated plate with a longer ground prong passing through an aperture in the insulated plate below and between the live and neutral prongs. Each of the prongs has an integral L-shaped foot attached with a fastener to an underside of the insulated plate. An insulated electric line containing live, neutral and ground wires is secured in an aperture in the back wall with a pressure plate. The insulated wires are connected in the housing to the prongs with the fasteners for attaching the feet. The jack or plug optionally has at least one USB port and at least one LED for illuminating a logo on the insulated plate.