Touch-Safe Socket With Movable Bridge And Spring-Biased Carriage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch-safe sockets allow for accidental electrical contact when fingers are inserted, as they can be easily pressed against voltage-carrying components, and may also connect via thread pulling, posing a risk of electric shock.
Innovation Solution
A touch-safe socket design where the electrical article's poles engage with a movable bridge that extends through a stationary plate, requiring the bridge to be pressed into the socket for contact, and a spring-biased movable carriage with cooperating threads ensures safe engagement, accompanied by a mechanism to indicate connection via sound or light.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the socket uses a spring-biased disc or push-buttons for electrical contact, then electrical connection is provided when the bulb is inserted, but fingers can easily press these components causing electric shock
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs movable bridges and carriages that must be intentionally pressed to establish electrical contact. The spring-biased components remain retracted until sufficient force is applied, dynamically transitioning from a safe retracted state to an engaged conducting state only when properly activated
Solution Approach 2:
The movable bridges and carriages act as intermediary components between the user and the electrical contacts. These intermediaries must be deliberately actuated to connect the electrical circuit, providing a mechanical barrier that prevents accidental contact while enabling intentional connection
2Ease of operation
If the socket allows thread pulling for electrical contact, then connection is established when the bulb is screwed in, but accidental contact can occur through thread manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The thread engagement mechanism is coupled with movable bridges that remain disengaged until the threads are properly tightened. The dynamic system ensures that electrical contact is only established when the mechanical threading action has progressed sufficiently to activate the bridge movement
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical threading action must be completed as a preliminary step before electrical contact is established. The system requires the user to fully engage the threads, which then triggers the movement of movable bridges into contact with the electrical terminals
3Reliability
If the socket uses movable bridges and carriages for safety, then accidental contact is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The socket is divided into separate functional modules: stationary contacts, movable bridges, and movable carriages. Each segment performs a specific function, allowing the complex safety mechanism to be broken down into manageable, independently analyzable components
Solution Approach 2:
The movable bridges are nested within the socket housing, and the movable carriages are nested within the bridges. This nested arrangement allows multiple safety mechanisms to be integrated in a compact configuration, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining safety functions
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
Prevents accidental electrical contact by ensuring the movable bridge must be intentionally pressed into the socket, and the carriage's movement ensures secure engagement, reducing the risk of electric shock and allowing for easy identification of defective articles.
Implementation Method 1
the movable bridge is spring-biased
Implementation Method 2
the movable carriage is provided with threads which cooperate with threads on the electrical article
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
AI summary
A touch-safe socket (1) for electrical articles, such as bulbs (19) having threads, is provided with a movable carriage (6) carrying poles (4, 5), which are connected to an electrical supply via a wire (3). The movable carriage (6) has threads (9) which cooperate with threads (20) on the electrical article, and when the electrical article is screwed into the movable carriage, the movement will cause the poles (4, 5) to make contact with poles (12, 13) which are secured to a stationary plate. Further, a movable bridge (14) having poles (17, 18) is arranged inside the socket, which, when the electrical article is screwed in, will be moved into the socket and also make contact with the poles (12, 13) on the stationary plate. The invention provides a touch-safe socket, where it is impossible with the fingers to get an electric shock, since at least a movement of the carriage (6) and of the bridge (14) is necessary for electrical connection to the socket to be established.