Unitary Rotary Joint With Selective Plating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotary joints, or slip rings, require numerous components and intricate assembly processes, leading to increased manufacturing costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A rotary joint is designed as a single unitary structure with integral conductive and insulating surfaces, utilizing plateable and non-plateable resins to create conductive pathways through molding and electroless plating, eliminating the need for individual conductive rings and reducing assembly steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional slip rings are assembled using multiple isolated conductive contact rings over a non-conductive mandrel, then electrical isolation between circuits is achieved, but the number of components and assembly steps increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple isolated conductive rings and non-conductive mandrel into a single integrated body formed by molding a non-conductive material and selectively plating conductive surfaces. This single integrated body performs both the function of electrical isolation (previously provided by the non-conductive mandrel) and electrical conduction (previously provided by separate conductive rings), thereby reducing component count while maintaining electrical isolation between circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure combining a non-conductive molded body with selectively applied conductive plating. The non-conductive material provides the insulating matrix, while the conductive plating is applied only to specific surfaces that require electrical conduction. This composite approach eliminates the need for separate non-conductive mandrel and conductive ring components, as the single molded body with selective plating performs both functions.
2Reliability
If conventional slip rings use multiple components and intricate assembly steps, then reliable electrical connections are established, but manufacturing time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the conductive pathways through selective plating of the molded body during the manufacturing process. Instead of assembling pre-made conductive rings, the conductive surfaces are created in advance as integral parts of the molded body, with plating applied only to the specific surfaces that will contact electrical connectors. This eliminates the need for separate assembly steps and reduces manufacturing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple manufacturing operations into a single molding and plating process. The non-conductive body is molded with the precise geometry required, and conductive plating is applied selectively to the appropriate surfaces in the same manufacturing cycle. This merging of operations eliminates the need for separate assembly steps involving multiple components, thereby increasing productivity while maintaining reliable electrical connectivity.
3Reliability
If conventional slip rings assemble multiple conductive rings over a mandrel, then electrical circuits are isolated, but the number of raw materials and manufacturing steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system consisting of a non-conductive molded body with selectively applied conductive plating. This single composite structure replaces the multiple separate materials (non-conductive mandrel material, conductive ring materials, and insulating washers) used in conventional slip rings. The non-conductive body provides the insulating matrix, while the conductive plating is applied only to the specific surfaces requiring electrical conduction, thereby reducing overall material consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates unnecessary components from the conventional slip ring design. By using a single molded non-conductive body with selective plating, the patent removes the need for separate non-conductive mandrel, individual conductive rings, and insulating washers. Only the essential functional surfaces are plated with conductive material, extracting away the excess materials used in traditional multi-component assemblies.
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
This approach simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and maintains reliable electrical connectivity across multiple circuits with reduced component count and assembly complexity.
Implementation Method 1
plating an electrically conductive material to at least a portion of the exposed surface of the plateable resin material
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary joint and a method for making a rotary joint are disclosed. The rotary joint includes a cylindrical core having an external surface including at least two circumferentially oriented groove regions and a partition region intermediate the groove regions. At least a portion of the surface of a groove region is electrically conductive and at least a portion of the surface of the partition region is electrically insulating. A method for making the rotary joint includes molding the cylindrical core from a plateable resin and molding over at least some of the plateable resin with a non-plateable resin. A conductive material is plated over the plateable resin to form a rotary joint of unitary structure, eliminating the numerous components and assembly steps associated with conventional rotary joints.