Adjustable Rear Stud Connector for Circuit Breakers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional circuit breaker rear stud connectors experience high stress and strain forces due to misalignment of contact surfaces with bus bars, which can compromise the structural integrity of smaller circuit breakers.
Innovation Solution
A rear stud connector system comprising a stud and adapter with circumferentially extending slots and connector holes, allowing rotational adjustment to align with the bus bar and reduce stress, featuring a pin-cavity connection for precise alignment and reduced translational movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional rigid rear stud connectors are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but high stress and strain forces occur due to misalignment of contact surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the rear stud connector adjustable and flexible rather than rigid. The stud base includes slots that allow the contact surface to move and align with the bus bar, enabling the connector to adapt dynamically to misalignment conditions and reduce stress forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the structural parameters of the rear stud connector by introducing slots with specific dimensions and orientations. These parameter changes allow the contact surface to shift position relative to the stud base, enabling alignment adjustment while maintaining structural integrity.
2Reliability
If contact surfaces are forced into alignment, then connection security is improved, but undue stress and strain are imposed on the circuit breaker
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible slot design allows the contact surface to dynamically adjust its position to achieve proper alignment with the bus bar, ensuring reliable connection without forcing components together, thereby preventing stress-induced damage to the circuit breaker structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The slots act as an intermediary mechanism between the rigid stud base and the contact surface. This intermediary structure absorbs misalignment stresses and allows the contact surface to achieve proper positioning without transmitting excessive forces to the circuit breaker housing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If 90 degree incremental adjustment is provided, then adaptability is improved, but difficulty in making secure connection without unwanted forces increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of discrete 90-degree incremental adjustments, the patent provides continuous adjustment capability through slots that extend over angular ranges. This allows the installer to easily align the contact surface with the bus bar by moving it continuously within the slot boundaries, making the attachment process simpler and more intuitive.
Solution Approach 2:
The slot configuration provides multi-directional adjustment capability, allowing the rear stud connector to adapt to various bus bar positions and orientations. This universal adjustment mechanism eliminates the need for discrete angular increments and simplifies the connection process across different installation scenarios.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An adjustable rear stud connector is disclosed that is suitable for connecting a circuit breaker to a bus bar. Rear stud connectors are rotationally adjustable to contact a corresponding bus bar, while minimizing the stress applied to the rear stud connector when connected to the bus bar. The rear stud connector comprises a rear stud and a rear stud adapter. The rear stud comprises a stud blade and a stud base. The rear stud adapter comprises an adapter base and an adapter mount. The adapter base comprises a plurality of connector holes for connecting the stud base to the adapter base with fasteners. The stud base comprises a plurality of circumferentially extending slots with reference to a center axis of the stud base for connecting the stud base to the adapter base with fasteners and to allow for a degree of positional flexibility of the stud base relatively to the adapter base in a circumferential direction with respect to the center axis.