The present invention generally relates to a construction kit of modular circuit elements and, more particularly, to a construction kit of modular circuit elements, in which individual circuit elements constituting an electronic circuit are implemented in the form of modules and in which respective circuit element block modules are electrically connected via lead wire connection block modules, thus constructing the electronic circuit that enables circuit experiments.
As typical circuit parts for existing circuit construction, two types are used. That is, typical circuit parts are classified into dip-type elements and Surface-Mount Device (SMD)-type elements, wherein SMD-type elements are used for commercial purposes and are manufactured as a board via a Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) operation on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). In contrast, dip-type elements are used for large-scale equipment or experiments.
Existing SMD-type elements are disadvantageous in that they are too small to be used for experiments in passive elements and Integrated Circuit (IC)-type elements. Dip-type elements are disadvantageous in that circuit construction is complicated when wires are connected and elements are inserted into a breadboard, and in that separate components such as solder or breadboard connectors are required for connection. For this reason, persons who investigate, or study and develop electronic circuits typically construct an electronic circuit using a socket, or construct an electronic circuit on a breadboard to thus conduct experiments.
Meanwhile, electronic circuit training kits may be used as training materials. Those training materials allow elementary, middle and high school students to understand electronic circuits via practical exercises. For such an electronic circuit training kit, several levels of products have been sold depending on the level of difficulty of electronic circuits. However, a single electronic circuit training kit is configured such that a circuit diagram, a simple specification, electronic elements (resistors, integrated circuits (ICs), condensers, diodes, etc.) and other components are enclosed. A learner inserts individual electronic elements and electronic parts into holes formed in a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), and solders them, thus completing the actual manufacturing of an electronic circuit.
However, when electronic elements are damaged due to overheating caused by inexperience in a soldering technique during a manufacturing process, or when a hole in a board is falsely determined and an electronic element is soldered in a hole at an inexact location, an electronic circuit is not normally operated. Most learners experience such non-functioning or malfunctioning of their constructed circuits. In particular, it is difficult to separate electronic elements and parts which are once fixed via soldering, and such electronic elements and parts may be additionally damaged due to re-heating in a separation procedure. Further, it is very difficult for persons who do not have expert knowledge of circuits to detect faults in individual elements on mutually connected electronic circuits.
The present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an construction kit of modular circuit elements, in which individual circuit elements constituting an electronic circuit are implemented in the form of modules, and which may intuitively check a circuit diagram and an actual configuration of each circuit element via the upper surface and the lower surface of each circuit element block module implemented in the form of a module, and enable a circuit element block module and a lead wire connection block module to be coupled to each other without requiring a soldering or wiring procedure, thus improving a user's convenience, preventing a wiring error and malfunctioning in ports which occur in existing SMD-type or dip-type circuit elements, and allowing the learning of electronic circuit construction to be improved via the strengthening of intuitive access of a learner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a construction kit of modular circuit elements, which allow even non-experts to construct a simple circuit using circuit element block modules and lead wire connection block modules, which are provided in the form of modules, without undergoing difficulty in wiring, thus enabling a complicated electronic circuit as well as a simple electronic circuit to be simply constructed, and allowing the constructed circuit to be intuitively checked.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a construction kit of modular circuit elements, in which, upon configuring a circuit element block module, a switch, a variable resistor, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an electric bulb, and a speaker that correspond to an input unit and an output unit are configured to be exposed so that they can be actually operated, adjusted, and output in the circuit element block module, thus allowing the user to personally control the elements in a constructed electronic circuit, and in which, upon configuring a lead wire connection block module, a signal measurement contact part is configured to be exposed and magnet members are configured in the lead wire connection block module, thus allowing the user to detect signals in circuit experiments via measurement equipment in the constructed electronic circuit; enabling learning to be performed by attaching circuit element block modules to an iron plate using the magnet members; enabling conductive portions to be firmly coupled; improving scalability by integrating multiple 4-direction and 4-channel configurations; and reducing molding costs upon upgrading.
In order to accomplish the above objects, a construction kit of modular circuit elements according to features of the present invention is a construction kit of modular circuit elements, in which individual circuit elements constituting an electronic circuit are provided in a form of modules, each of circuit element block modules including a block-shaped module case in which semicircular recessed or semicircular protruding channels are formed on side surfaces of the module case corresponding to four directions, other than an upper surface and a lower surface; a circuit diagram of a circuit element indicated on any one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the module case; an actual circuit element which is installed to be mounted in the module case, and an image of which is indicated on the upper surface or the lower surface of the module case that is opposite to the surface on which the circuit diagram of the circuit element is indicated; and a circuit element contact part connected to a lead wire of the circuit element and exposed to enable an electrical connection through the semicircular recessed or semicircular protruding channels formed on the side surfaces of the module case.
Preferably, the module case may be made of any one material selected from the group consisting of non-conductive materials including a plastic material, a wood material, and a rubber material.
Preferably, the circuit element contact part may be exposed to enable an electrical connection through the semicircular recessed or semicircular protruding channels formed on the side surfaces of the module case, and may be formed in any one of a horizontal linear shape extending from the lead wire of the circuit element and a shape including a part of a semicircular recess or a semicircular protrusion of a corresponding channel.
The circuit element block module may be an electronic part including a resistor, a diode, a condenser, an Integrated Circuit (IC), a transistor, a coil, a switch, a variable resistor, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an electric bulb, a display or a speaker.
Preferably, the circuit element block module implemented using the electronic part of the IC may be specialized for a single gate corresponding to any one of AND, NOT, OR, NAND, and NOR gates.
Preferably, each of the circuit element block modules implemented using electronic parts of the switch and the variable resistor may be configured to be exposed from any one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the module case so that the circuit element is operable.
Preferably, each of the circuit element block modules implemented using electronic parts including the LED, the electric bulb, the display, and the speaker may be configured to be exposed from any one of the upper surface and the lower surface of the module case so that a function of the circuit element depending on each characteristic thereof is operated and output.
Preferably, the construction kit may further include lead wire connection block modules coupled to the circuit element block modules on a module basis, upon constructing an electronic circuit of the circuit element block modules, thus assisting in an electrical connection.
Preferably, each of the lead wire connection block modules may include a block-shaped case coupled to the module case in a correspondence manner, and configured such that semicircular recessed or semicircular protruding channels are formed on side surfaces of the case corresponding to four directions; a connection line in which wiring including shapes of “┐, └, ⊥, ┤, ├, -, and |” is formed in the case; and a lead wire connection contact part configured to extend from the connection line and exposed to enable an electric connection through the semicircular recessed or semicircular protruding channels formed on the side surfaces of the case.
Preferably, the lead wire connection block module may further include a signal measurement contact part that is connected to the connection line so that signals are measured via measurement equipment including an oscilloscope in circuit experiments, and that is configured to be exposed from any one or both of upper and lower surfaces of the case, upon constructing an electronic circuit via a combination with the circuit element block modules.
Preferably, the lead wire connection block module may include one or more magnet members that are attached to a vertically standing iron plate and that enable an electrical connection between conductive portions of lead wire connection contact parts of the lead wire connection block modules to be firmly made, upon constructing an electronic circuit via a combination with the circuit element block modules.
Preferably, the construction kit may further include blank block modules for filling block spaces that remain as empty spaces in construction of an entire electronic circuit, upon constructing an electronic circuit via a combination of the circuit element block modules and the lead wire connection block modules.
Preferably, each of the blank block modules may be made of Styrofoam having a shape identical to that of the circuit element block modules and the lead wire connection block modules.
In accordance with the construction kit of modular circuit elements proposed in the present invention, individual circuit elements constituting an electronic circuit are implemented in the form of modules, a circuit diagram and an actual configuration of each circuit element may be intuitively checked via the upper surface and the lower surface of each circuit element block module implemented in the form of a module, and a circuit element block module and a lead wire connection block module may be coupled to each other without requiring a soldering or wiring procedure, thus improving a user's convenience, preventing a wiring error and malfunctioning in ports which occur in existing SMD-type or dip-type circuit elements, and allowing the learning of electronic circuit construction to be improved via the strengthening of intuitive access of a learner.
Further, in accordance with the present invention, even non-experts may construct a simple circuit using circuit element block modules and lead wire connection block modules, which are provided in the form of modules, without undergoing difficulty in wiring, thus enabling a complicated electronic circuit as well as a simple electronic circuit to be simply constructed, and allowing the constructed circuit to be intuitively checked.
Furthermore, the present invention is configured such that, upon configuring a circuit element block module, a switch, a variable resistor, a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an electric bulb, and a speaker that correspond to an input unit and an output unit are configured to be exposed so that they can be actually operated, adjusted, and output in the circuit element block module, thus allowing the user to personally control the elements in a constructed electronic circuit, and such that, upon configuring a lead wire connection block module, a signal measurement contact part is configured to be exposed and magnet members are configured in the lead wire connection block module, thus allowing the user to detect signals in circuit experiments via measurement equipment in the constructed electronic circuit; enabling learning to be performed by attaching circuit element block modules to an iron plate using the magnet members; enabling conductive portions to be firmly coupled; improving scalability by integrating multiple 4-direction and 4-channel configurations; and reducing molding costs upon upgrading.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings in order to describe the present invention in detail so that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can easily practice the present invention. In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of related known functions or configurations that are deemed to make the gist of the present invention obscure will be omitted. Further, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are used to designate elements for performing similar functions and operations throughout the drawings.
Throughout the entire specification, it should be understood that a representation indicating that a first component is “connected” to a second component may include the case where the first component is “indirectly connected” to the second component with some other component interposed therebetween, as well as the case where the first component is “directly connected” to the second component. Further, it should be understood that a representation such as “including” a certain component means that other components may be further included without excluding a possibility that other components will be added unless a description to the contrary is specifically pointed out in context.
The construction kit of modular circuit elements according to an embodiment of the present invention is a construction kit in which individual circuit elements constituting an electronic circuit are implemented in the form of modules. The construction kit of modular circuit elements according to the present invention is a modular construction kit for presenting a method capable of more simply constructing electronic circuits by overcoming disadvantages in that, in the case of an existing SMD-type, SMD-type elements are too small to be used for experiments in passive elements and IC-type elements and in that, in the case of an existing dip-type, the construction of circuits of dip-type elements is complicated when wires are connected and elements are inserted into a breadboard, and separate components such as solder or a breadboard connector are required for connection.
That is, the construction kit of modular circuit elements according to the embodiment of the present invention may present a type of module to which small ICs or resistors can be connected, without requiring a breadboard, and may be configured to have various sizes depending on the age of a user and the purpose of usage. For example, when the construction kit is used to instruct elementary school students in understanding logic gates, the construction kit may be manufactured and provided at a large size identical to that of the palm of the hand of a child depending on the usage purpose of the child to enable the configuration of gates. Further, when the construction kit is used to instruct college students or mechanical engineers in designing easy ICs, SMD-type elements may be manufactured and provided as small-sized structures having the same shape.
As shown in
Here, the module case 110 may be made of any one material selected from the group consisting of non-conductive materials including a plastic material, a wood material, and a rubber material. Further, the circuit element contact parts 140 are exposed to enable an electrical connection through the semicircular recessed or semicircular protruding channels 111 formed on the side surfaces of the module case 110. The module case 110 may be configured using any one of a horizontal linear shape in which each circuit element contact part 140 extends from the lead wire of the circuit element 130, as shown in
Further, circuit element block modules 100 may be configured using electronic parts including a resistor, a diode, a condenser, an IC, a transistor, a coil, a switch, a variable resistor, an LED, an electric bulb, a display, a speaker, etc. Here, a circuit element block module 100 configured using electronic parts of an IC may be specialized for a single gate, that is, one of AND, NOT, OR, NAND, and NOR gates. This shows that existing most gate elements are NAND and NOR gates, and these are specialized for a single gate element, so that only a single function may be more simply configured, more intuitive approach to learning or usage may be strengthened, and malfunction caused by wiring error in ports may be prevented. That is, in the case of typical logic gates and ICs, an actual IC is configured such that a large number of gates are complexly configured, thus making it convenient to construct a circuit. However, a problem in which, when it is desired to configure a single gate, it is difficult to understand circuits due to unnecessary input/output terminals may be solved. Further, as shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As described above, the construction kit of modular circuit elements according to embodiments of the present invention allows young children, who do not understand electronic circuits or adults who are unfamiliar with electronic circuits due to low professionalism, to desirably understand circuits and to manufacture electronic circuits, via intuitive observation of a circuit element diagram and a circuit element respectively configured on the upper and lower surfaces of the module case of the circuit element block module. In particular, in the past, a user experienced a lot of difficulty such as the problem of circuit construction error and polarity connection and low learning effects because it was difficult for the user to intuitively understand polarities and substances in the configuration of a circuit diagram and actual configuration. In contrast, the present invention may solve the conventional problems and may not require a circuit construction process such as soldering or wiring, thus improving the user's convenience.
The above-described present invention may be modified or applied in various manners by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, and the technical scope of the present invention should be defined by the accompanying claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10-2012-0120317 | Oct 2012 | KR | national |
This application is a continuation application, claiming the benefit under §365(c), of an international application serial number PCT/KR2013/007603, filed on Aug. 23, 2013, which claimed the benefit of a Korean patent application filed on Oct. 29, 2012 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office and assigned Serial number 10-2012-0120317, the entire disclosures of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/KR2013/007603 | Aug 2013 | US |
Child | 14698005 | US |