A compact copper foil soft connection bending device and a method of using the same

Abstract

The application discloses a small copper foil soft connection bending device and a use method thereof, and relates to the processing field of copper foil soft connection. The bending device comprises a bending plate, a bottom plate, a fixing support, a soft connection clamping plate and a fastening bolt. The bending plate comprises one bending part and two non-bending parts. One non-bending part is fixed perpendicularly to one end of the upper surface of the bottom plate, and the bending part faces the other end of the bottom plate. The fixing support is a hollow frame structure and is fixed to the outer side of the vertical non-bending part of the bending plate. A threaded hole is formed in the center of the side of the fixing support away from the bending plate, and the fastening bolt passes through the threaded hole and cooperates with the positioning groove at the corresponding position of the soft connection clamping plate. The fastening bolt is adjusted to fix the soft connection blank between the soft connection clamping plate and the bending plate, and the soft connection blank is ensured to be close to the bending plate, so that the bending angle of the soft connection blank is fixed, and the bending process of the soft connection blank is completed. The precision of the soft connection made by the application is higher, and the operation is simpler and more efficient.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the processing of copper foil flexible connectors, specifically to a small copper foil flexible connector bending device and its usage method, which is suitable for processing small flexible connectors using copper foils of various thicknesses and with a large number of layers. Background Technology

[0002] Copper foil flexible connectors are mainly used for flexible conductive connections between copper busbars and conductive components. The miniaturization of electrical equipment has also placed lightweight requirements on the design and production of flexible connectors. Especially in aerospace electrical systems, the internal structural space and insulation requirements necessitate precise requirements on the overall dimensions of the flexible connectors.

[0003] The processing of copper foil flexible connectors involves slicing, welding, pressing, shaping, and polishing. Traditional flexible connector processing methods struggle to guarantee precise dimensions and sizes, necessitating process control. Currently, a common method involves slicing single-layer copper foil to the designed length, arranging them sequentially, and then welding the ends. This process demands high precision from the slicing machine, increasing production costs. Furthermore, calculating the length of each layer when mixing copper foils of varying thicknesses is complex, requiring sorting and arrangement after slicing. These processes result in inconsistent finished flexible connectors, with dimensions and force characteristics not easily controlled within a narrow range. Consequently, current flexible connector processing methods cannot meet the high requirements of aerospace electrical systems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the issues of limited bending angles (only 180° multiples) and low precision in the bending process of copper foil flexible connectors, and to reduce the demands on machinery and processes during slicing, this invention provides a small copper foil flexible connector bending device and its usage method. This device enables the processing of copper foil flexible connector products to achieve arbitrary bending angles, thereby improving the consistency of the product's dimensions.

[0005] The small copper foil flexible connection bending device includes a bending plate, a base plate, a fixed bracket, a flexible connection clamp, and fastening bolts;

[0006] The outer surface length of the bent plate is exactly the same as the innermost length of the flexible connection. The bent plate includes one bent part and two non-bent parts. The two non-bent parts are located at both ends of the bent part. One of the non-bent parts is vertically fixed to one end of the upper surface of the base plate, and the bent part faces the other end of the base plate.

[0007] The fixing bracket is a hollow frame structure, fixed to the outer side of the vertical, non-bent part of the curved plate;

[0008] The fixed bracket has a threaded hole at the center of the side away from the curved plate. The fastening bolt passes through the threaded hole and engages with the positioning groove at the corresponding position on the flexible connection clamp.

[0009] The flexible connector blank to be bent is placed between the flexible connector clamp and the bending plate, and the flexible connector clamp and the flexible connector blank to be bent are fixed by adjusting the fastening bolts.

[0010] The length of the hollow part of the fixed bracket is greater than the width of the flexible connector clamp, and the width is greater than the sum of the thickness of the flexible connector clamp and the thickness of the flexible connector blank to be bent.

[0011] The dimensions of the curved plate are related to the dimensions of the flexible connection. After the dimensions of the flexible connection are designed, the curved plate of the corresponding dimensions is obtained by wire cutting or 3D printing.

[0012] The specific correlation between the dimensions of the bent plate and the flexible connection is as follows:

[0013] The sum of the lengths of the two non-bent portions of the curved plate is equal to the sum of the lengths of the straight portions of the flexible connection. The length of the curved portion on the outer surface of the curved plate is equal to the sum of the lengths of the shortest layer in the flexible connection. The central angle of the curved portion of the curved plate is equal to the ratio of the length difference between the innermost and outermost layers of the flexible connection to the thickness of the flexible connection, and the radius is equal to the ratio of the length of the curved portion to the central angle.

[0014] The curved plate and the base plate, as well as the curved plate and the fixed bracket, can be connected by welding, bolting, or integral molding, etc. The selected process and connection method do not affect the dimensions and processing accuracy of the curved plate. Integral molding can be achieved through wire cutting or 3D printing.

[0015] The method for manufacturing flexible connector products using the aforementioned small copper foil flexible connector bending device is as follows:

[0016] Step 1: Design the parameters of the copper foil flexible connector according to the actual requirements and create a model. Then, make a bent plate of the corresponding size based on the copper foil flexible connector model.

[0017] The parameters of copper foil flexible connectors include width, thickness, number of copper foil layers and thickness of a single copper foil layer, length of non-bent section, number of bent sections and length of each bent section.

[0018] Step 2: Select copper foil according to the width, thickness and maximum length of the copper foil flexible connection model, and slice it to obtain several copper foil slices;

[0019] Step 3: Align one end of all copper foil slices and weld them together, leaving the other end unwelded to obtain a flexible connector blank.

[0020] Step 4: Place the welding end of the flexible connector blank into the fixed bracket and adjust the fastening bolts to clamp the flexible connector blank between the bent plate and the flexible connector clamping plate.

[0021] Step 5: Press the unwelded end of the flexible connector blank against the bending plate, so that the flexible connector blank is bent according to the angle of the bending part. After the bending angle of the flexible connector blank is fixed, remove the flexible connector blank from the bending device to complete the bending process of the flexible connector blank.

[0022] Step six: Weld and fix the unwelded ends of the completed bent flexible connector blank, cut off the part that exceeds the design length, and shape and grind it to obtain a copper foil flexible connector product that meets the design dimensions.

[0023] The advantages of this invention are:

[0024] 1. This invention discloses a small copper foil flexible connector bending device and its method of use. Compared to the method of calculating the length of copper foil in layers and arranging them according to length before welding, this method does not require ensuring the arithmetic accuracy of the cut copper foil lengths. It only requires setting the copper foil to be of the same length, resulting in faster slicing speed and lower requirements for the overall copper foil slice length error, thus reducing the precision requirements on the machine to a certain extent. Furthermore, the method of calculating the length of copper foil in layers and arranging them requires manual arrangement of the copper foil in ascending order of length when there are many layers. This invention is simpler and more efficient, using copper foil of the same length throughout, and only requires arranging one end neatly before welding, greatly reducing the need for manual labor.

[0025] 2. The present invention provides a small copper foil flexible connector bending device and its usage method. Compared with the method of obtaining the bent flexible connector blank by repeatedly folding copper foil, it can be bent into any design angle, which helps to increase the variety of flexible connector shapes. Moreover, the bending accuracy is high, enabling the flexible connector to be used in occasions that require high-precision dimensions, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of flexible connector products.

[0026] 3. The present invention provides a small copper foil flexible connector bending device and its usage method. Compared with the method of calculating the pre-bending angle based on the angle of the flexible connector bending size, this invention only requires determining the flow parameters during the use of the flexible connector and obtaining the thickness value of the flexible connector. This allows for the rapid and accurate calculation of the required bending angle, greatly reducing the difficulty of pre-processing in the bending process and improving the design accuracy and consistency of the flexible connector. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a small copper foil flexible connection bending device provided by the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a simplified structural diagram of a single-bend copper foil flexible connection.

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of two adjacent copper foil layers in a single-bend copper foil flexible connection;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a simplified structural diagram of a double-bend copper foil flexible connection.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a simplified structural diagram of a three-bend copper foil flexible connection.

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the double-bending section copper foil flexible connection blank using a bending device in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a simplified structural diagram illustrating the length and arrangement of copper foil slices in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after single-end welding of copper foil slices in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the curved plate in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the copper foil flexible connection bending device of the present invention.

[0037] In the picture:

[0038] 1-Bent plate, 2-Base plate, 3-Fixed bracket, 4-Flexible connection clamp, 5-Fastening bolt, 6-Bolt, 7-Flexible connection blank, 11-Non-bent A part, 12-Bent part, 13-Non-bent B part. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0040] The present invention proposes a small copper foil flexible connector bending device and its usage method. The bending plate structure is designed according to the shape and size of the flexible connector, which reduces the difficulty and cost of blank processing and bending process, while improving the accuracy of bending process to a certain extent, and the finished flexible connector has good dimensional consistency.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention provides a small copper foil flexible connector bending device, comprising a bending plate 1, a base plate 2, a fixing bracket 3, a flexible connector clamping plate 4, fastening bolts 5, and fixing bolts 6. The flexible connector blank 7 is processed by bending using this bending device.

[0042] To more clearly illustrate the technical methods in the embodiments of the present invention, the relationship between the dimensions of the flexible connection structure and the bending angle needs to be explained before introducing the design method of the embodiments.

[0043] like Figure 2The diagram shows a simplified structure of a single-bend copper foil flexible connector, which is the simplest structure for multi-layer copper foil flexible connectors. The following analysis, using this simplest flexible connector structure, examines the relationship between the length of each copper foil layer and the bending angle.

[0044] like Figure 3 As shown, in the single-bend copper foil flexible connection structure, the thicknesses of two adjacent copper foil layers are δ1 and δ2, respectively, and the sum of the average lengths of each segment of the inner copper foil is w1 = s. 11 +l 11 +s 12 The sum of the average lengths of each segment of the same outer copper foil is w2 = s 21 +l 21 +s 22 Since the inner and outer layers of the copper foil in the straight section are of equal length, s 11 =s 21 s 12 =s 22 The central angle of the bent section of the copper foil is α1, therefore l 11 =r 11 α1,l 21 =r 21 α1. And r 21 =r 11 +δ1 / 2+δ2 / 2. Therefore, the length difference between the two copper foil layers Δ=w2-w1=l 21 -l 11 = (δ1 / 2 + δ2 / 2)α1. Therefore, the length difference between two adjacent copper foil layers in a flexible connection is related to their respective thicknesses and the dimensions of the bent portion.

[0045] Extending the above relationship to multi-layer copper foil flexible connectors, we can derive the relationship between the length difference between the innermost and outermost copper foil layers of the flexible connector and the thickness of the flexible connector and the central angle in the bending plate dimensions.

[0046] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, taking double-bend and triple-bend copper foil flexible connection structures as examples, the design of flexible connection structures with multiple bends is carried out. In the design process, each layer of copper foil in the flexible connection can be simplified, and the influence of the overall flexible connection thickness on the length of the inner and outer copper foil layers of the flexible connection is calculated. Specifically:

[0047] In addition to the side length, the design dimensions of a single-bend copper foil flexible connector include width b and thickness δ. The width b is limited by the size of the application environment; generally, ensuring sufficient insulation spacing between conductors is sufficient during design. After determining the width, the current density at the rated current value is calculated to determine the flexible connector thickness δ.

[0048] Once the thickness δ is determined, the length difference between the inner and outer layers of the flexible connector is easily obtained as Δ1 = w. n -w1 = δα1. And in... Figure 4 In the structure, there are two curved segments with a flexible connection whose inner and outer layer length difference is Δ2 = w. n -w1=δα1-δα2=δ(α1-α2). In the same way, in Figure 5 In the structure, the length difference between the inner and outer layers of the soft connection of the three curved segments is Δ3 = w n -w1=δα1-δα2+δα3=δ(α1-α2+α3).

[0049] Therefore, it can be seen that the difference in length between the inner and outer layers of a copper foil flexible connector with more bending segments is related to the bending direction and thickness, and the calculation method is similar to that described above.

[0050] Example

[0051] This embodiment uses Figure 4 Taking the copper foil flexible connection in the double-bend section as an example, and combining it with Figure 6 This describes how to use the bending device in this embodiment.

[0052] The double-bend copper foil flexible connector includes three straight segments and two bend segments. Both the straight and bend segments are smoothly connected, meaning that the direction of the straight segments is consistent with the tangential direction of the bend segments.

[0053] The method for fabricating a double-bent-segment copper foil flexible connection using the bending device of the present invention is as follows:

[0054] Step S1: Model the copper foil flexible connection structure of the double-bend section, and make a bent plate of the corresponding size according to the model, and select the thickness and number of layers of the flexible connection copper foil.

[0055] by Figure 4 Taking the double-bend copper foil flexible connector shown as an example, its innermost layer length is w1 = s 11 +l 11 +s 12 +l 12 +s 13 The outermost layer has a length of w. n =s n1 +l n1 +s n2 +l n2 +s n3 The length difference between the inner and outer copper foil layers is Δ2 = δ(α1 - α2).

[0056] Therefore, the total length of the curved plate is w1, and the sum of the lengths of the two non-curved parts is (s). 11 +s 12 +s 13 The outer surface length of the curved portion is (l) 11 +l 12The central angle of the curved section is α = Δ2 / δ, and the radius of the curved section is r = (l 11 +l 12 ) / α.

[0057] The selected flexible connector copper foil has a thickness of δ and a length of w. n In actual processing and production, to allow for a margin, the length can be slightly greater than w. n .

[0058] Step S2: Slice the selected copper foil, align all the copper foil slices, and then weld one end together using molecular diffusion soldering to obtain a flexible connector blank.

[0059] A simplified diagram illustrating the length and arrangement of copper foil slices is shown below. Figure 7 As shown, Figure 8 The image shows a flexible connector blank formed after single-end welding of a copper foil slice. To ensure the dimensional length of the bent portion, the welding length cannot exceed s. 11 .

[0060] Step S3: Place the welding end of the flexible connector blank in the fixed bracket and adjust the tightening bolts to ensure that the flexible connector blank is in close contact with the bending plate. Bend all layers of copper foil together toward the unwelded end to complete the design of the bending angle of the flexible connector blank.

[0061] It should be noted that the bending device in this embodiment can only bend flexible connections of the designed size. At the same time, the copper foil slices are of the same size, which reduces the requirement for slicing accuracy and avoids processing errors caused by parallax during bending, thereby improving the accuracy of processing flexible connections to a certain extent.

[0062] Step S4: Fix the copper foil at the unwelded end and remove the bent flexible connector blank. Weld the copper foil at the unwelded end to complete the bending process of the flexible connector.

[0063] Step S5: After bending, cut off the portion of copper foil in the flexible connector blank that exceeds the design length. The processed flexible connector blank meets the design requirements and is then processed into a finished flexible connector after subsequent shaping, grinding and surface treatment processes.

[0064] The design methods for each part of the bending device are given below. The structure of the bending plate 1 in the bending device is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, it includes a non-bent A portion 11, a bent portion 12, and a non-bent B portion 13.

[0065] This example uses Figure 4 Taking the double-bend copper foil flexible connection as an example, the design method of the corresponding bent plate is further explained as follows:

[0066] The sum of the lengths of the non-bent A portion 11 and the non-bent B portion 13 equals the sum of the lengths of the straight portions of the flexible connection (s). 11 +s 12 +s 13 The length of the curved portion on the outer surface of the bent plate is equal to the sum of the lengths of the shortest curved portion of all layers in the flexible connection. That is, in the embodiment, the length of the outer surface of the curved portion 12 is equal to the sum of the lengths of the curved portions of the inner layers of the flexible connection (l). 11 +l 12 The central angle α of the curved section is equal to the ratio Δ1 / δ of the length difference Δ1 between the innermost and outermost layers of the flexible connector and the thickness δ of the flexible connector. Where Δ1 = [(s n1 +l n1 +s n2 +l n2 +s n3 )-(s 11 +l 11 +s 12 +l 12 +s 13 ]], and at this time the central angle α is equal to the sum of all bending angles in the flexible connection design value (α1-α2). The radius of the bent portion 12 of the bent plate is equal to the ratio of the length of the bent portion 12 to the central angle, that is, the radius of curvature is (l 11 +l 12 ) / α.

[0067] It should be noted that, since the size of the bent portion of the bent plate is equal to the design size of the flexible connection, the flexible connection blank should be kept as close to the surface as possible during bending. This ensures that the bending angle is equal to the design angle and the bending length is equal to the design length.

[0068] In this embodiment, to ensure the dimensional accuracy of the bent plate 1, 6063 aluminum alloy was selected for wire cutting. Other materials and processing methods can also be selected for processing.

[0069] The following is combined Figure 10 The design method of other parts of the bending device is described in detail. The base plate 2 is connected to the bending plate 1, serving to fix and support the bending plate 1. Its shape is rectangular but not limited to other shapes. The fixing bracket 3 is a U-shaped plate, fixed to the bending plate 1 on both arms by screws. The fixing bracket 3 has a threaded hole in the middle for limiting the flexible connecting blank 7, thus fixing it to the bending plate 1.

[0070] It should be noted that the fixed bracket 3 can be designed in other shapes to ensure that the length and width of the limiting groove of the internal flexible connection blank are both greater than the flexible connection clamp.

[0071] The fastening bolt 5 matches the threaded hole of the fixing bracket 3, passes through the threaded hole of the fixing bracket 3 and connects to the positioning groove on the flexible connection clamp 4, fixing the flexible connection blank 7 on the bent plate 1.

[0072] The cutting edge of the fastening bolt 5 is machined into a cylinder smaller than the diameter of the positioning groove on the flexible connecting plate 4, and its length is slightly greater than the depth of the positioning groove. The fastening bolt can be tightened using an internal hexagonal screwdriver.

[0073] It should be noted that the cylindrical diameter of the cutting edge of the fastening bolt 5 is generally 0.2-0.5mm smaller than the diameter of the positioning groove. The length is 0.2-0.5mm greater than the depth of the positioning groove on the flexible connection clamping plate 4 to ensure a good fit and to ensure that the flexible connection blank 7 can be clamped without affecting the rotation of the fastening bolt 5.

[0074] The thickness of the flexible connector clamp 4 is less than the difference between the U-shaped inner groove dimension of the fixed bracket 3 and the thickness of the flexible connector blank 5. A shallow cylindrical groove is cut at the corresponding position on the mating surface with the fastening bolt 5 to serve as a limiting feature. The other side is used to clamp the flexible connector blank 7.

[0075] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the bending plate 1 and the base plate 2 are fixed by welding, and the bending plate 1 and the fixing bracket 3 are fixedly connected by bolts 6. The bending plate 1 and the base plate 2, and the bending plate 1 and the fixing bracket 3 are assembled into an integrated structure to improve the structural stability of the bending device.

[0076] The curved plate 1 and the base plate 2, as well as the curved plate 1 and the fixed bracket 3, can be connected by welding or bolts, or they can be an integrated design. When the curved plate 1, the base plate 2, and the fixed bracket 3 are integrally formed, they can be obtained by wire cutting or 3D printing, ensuring a certain level of mechanical strength. However, it is necessary to ensure that the dimensions of the curved plate are not affected by the overall processing precision.

[0077] The bending device and its method of use of this invention reduce the requirements for cutting and preparing copper foil for multi-layer copper foil flexible connections. Previously, it was necessary to cut copper foil of the same length as the number of layers and arrange them in sequence before welding. Ensuring alignment of the ends of the multi-layer copper foil placed very high demands on the fixtures and slicing machines. However, the bending device of this invention only requires cutting copper foil of the same length, eliminating the need for sorting, and the shaping and fixing can be completed on the bending device itself, greatly simplifying the slicing and welding process of flexible connections. Furthermore, the bending device of this invention is applicable to situations with different copper foil thicknesses, exhibiting good versatility and providing a foundation for developing optimal solutions for combinations of different thicknesses of inner layer copper foil in flexible connections.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing copper foil flexible connector products using a small copper foil flexible connector bending device, characterized in that, The specific steps are as follows: Step 1: Design the parameters of the copper foil flexible connector according to the actual requirements and create a model. Then, make a bending device of the corresponding size based on the copper foil flexible connector model. The bending device is used for bending processing of copper foil flexible connections with two reverse bending sections or three or more bending sections, and includes a bending plate, a base plate, a fixed bracket, a flexible connection clamping plate and fastening bolts. The curved plate includes one curved part and two non-curved parts. The two non-curved parts are located at both ends of the curved part. The first non-curved part is fixed vertically to one end of the upper surface of the base plate, and the curved part faces the other end of the base plate. A hollow frame structure fixing bracket is fixed on the outer side of the first non-bent section of the curved plate; a flexible connecting plate is placed inside the fixing bracket, and a positioning groove is opened on the flexible connecting plate; a threaded hole is opened at the center of the fixing bracket away from the side of the curved plate, and the fastening bolt passes through the threaded hole and cooperates with the positioning groove at the corresponding position on the flexible connecting plate. The flexible connector blank to be bent is placed between the flexible connector clamp and the outer side of the first non-bending section of the bending plate, and the flexible connector clamp and the flexible connector blank to be bent are fixed by adjusting the fastening bolts. The dimensions and bending angle of the bent plate are designed according to the dimensions of the flexible connection, specifically: The sum of the lengths of the two non-bent portions of the bent plate is equal to the sum of the lengths of the straight portions of the flexible connection. The length of the bent portion on the outer surface of the bent plate is equal to the sum of the lengths of the bent portions of the shortest layer in all layers of the flexible connection. The central angle of the bent portion of the bent plate is equal to the ratio of the length difference between the innermost and outermost layers of the flexible connection to the thickness of the flexible connection. The bending radius of the bent plate is equal to the ratio of the length of the bent portion to the central angle. The cutting edge of the fastening bolt is machined into a cylinder, the diameter of which is 0.2-0.5mm smaller than the diameter of the positioning groove, and the length is 0.2-0.5mm greater than the depth of the positioning groove; Step 2: Select copper foil according to the width, thickness and maximum length of the copper foil flexible connection model, and slice it to obtain several copper foil slices; The copper foil slices are of the same length; Step 3: Align one end of all copper foil slices and weld them together, leaving the other end unwelded to obtain a flexible connector blank. Step 4: Place the welding end of the flexible connector blank into the fixed bracket and adjust the fastening bolts to clamp the flexible connector blank between the bent plate and the flexible connector clamping plate. Step 5: Press the unwelded end of the flexible connector blank against the bending plate to bend the flexible connector blank according to the angle of the bending part. After the bending angle of the flexible connector blank is fixed, remove the flexible connector blank from the bending device to complete the bending process of the flexible connector blank. Step six: Weld and fix the unwelded ends of the completed bent flexible connector blank, cut off the part that exceeds the design length, and shape and grind it to obtain a copper foil flexible connector product that meets the design dimensions.

2. The method for manufacturing copper foil flexible connector products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The length of the hollow frame of the fixed bracket is greater than the width of the flexible connector plate, and the width is greater than the sum of the thickness of the flexible connector plate and the flexible connector blank to be bent.

3. The method for manufacturing copper foil flexible connector products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection between the bent plate and the base plate, and between the bent plate and the fixed bracket, can be welding, bolting, or integral molding. The selected process and connection method do not affect the size and processing accuracy of the bent plate. The one-piece molding process is achieved through wire cutting or 3D printing.

4. The method for manufacturing copper foil flexible connector products according to claim 1, characterized in that, The parameters of the copper foil flexible connector include width, thickness, number of copper foil layers and thickness of a single copper foil layer, length of non-bent section, number of bent sections and length of each bent section.

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