Equipotential Wall Plate Grounding With Elastic Contact Arms

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical mural apparatuses face challenges in achieving a secure galvanic contact between a metallic mounting bracket and an outer mask while maintaining aesthetic integrity and minimizing the number of components used, with current methods often requiring additional screws for grounding.

Innovation Solution

An elastic conductive member with flexible arms of two types is fixed to a sub-plate using a local link, ensuring galvanic contact by protruding arms that encircle the sub-plate's edge, eliminating the need for additional components and maintaining the conductive member in place during manufacturing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional screws are used to ensure galvanic contact between bracket and outer mask, then security standard and galvanic contact reliability are improved, but device complexity and number of components increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegalvanic contact reliabilityVSAvoidnumber of components

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the grounding function with the existing elastic conductive member that is already part of the apparatus structure. The elastic conductive member is integrated into the assembly and performs dual functions: providing electrical connection and ensuring galvanic contact, thereby eliminating the need for separate screws or additional components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic conductive member inherently provides the galvanic contact through its own elastic properties and conductive material. The member self-adjusts to maintain electrical contact between the bracket and outer mask without requiring additional fastening components, making the system self-sufficient for grounding purposes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If additional screws are used to ensure galvanic contact, then security standard is improved, but aesthetic quality deteriorates due to visible additional components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegalvanic contact reliabilityVSAvoidaesthetic quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The grounding function is merged with the existing elastic conductive member that is already integrated into the apparatus design. This integration ensures that no additional visible components are introduced, maintaining the clean aesthetic appearance while achieving reliable galvanic contact for security standards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If manual assembly steps are added to ensure proper positioning of conductive member, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning precisionVSAvoidassembly speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The elastic hook is pre-formed on the elastic conductive member during manufacturing. This preliminary action ensures that during assembly, the hook automatically engages with the mounting bracket, providing self-positioning and self-alignment without requiring manual intervention for precise positioning, thus maintaining both precision and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic hook provides self-positioning capability during assembly. As the elastic conductive member is installed, the hook automatically engages with the bracket structure, ensuring correct positioning without requiring additional manual adjustment steps, thereby maintaining assembly speed and productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Device complexity

If elastic conductive member is used without additional fixing means, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of positioning during manufacturing may worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of componentsVSAvoidpositioning reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution provides a secure, automatic, and aesthetically preserved galvanic contact between the outer mask and bracket, ensuring the same safety level as existing methods but with simpler means, while optimizing the distribution of elastic forces and reducing material usage.

Implementation Method 1

the elastic conductive member comprising a flexible arm of a first type, each flexible arm of a first type protruding in a second direction opposite to the first direction and elastically pressing against the metallic bracket to form a galvanic contact

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS8829344B2Electrical equipotential mural apparatus

Publication Date: 2014.09.09 LEGRAND FRANCE SA

AI summary

A mural electrical apparatus has a metal mounting bracket, a sub-plate, a plate fixed to the sub-plate by a local link, this plate bearing or constituting a conductive portion. This apparatus further has an elastic conductive member provided at least with an orifice, a flexible arm, and a flexible arm, this member being secured to the sub-plate by the local link, crossing the orifice, and the flexible arms protruding in opposite directions to elastically respectively press against the conductive portion and against the bracket, the conductive portion thus, being brought to the same electric potential as the bracket.