Aluminum Conductor Contact System with Shearing and Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to create a continuous cold weld connection between aluminum conductors and contact components, especially with larger cross sections, often requiring costly and non-portable high-tech welding units, and are hindered by oxide layers on aluminum surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A contact system featuring a housing with a shearing-off segment and a tapered compression segment, allowing for the severing and cold welding of aluminum conductors within a hydraulic unit, eliminating the need for additional friction welding processes by creating an oxide- and oil-free cut surface and using a hydraulic unit for compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If friction welding processes (ultrasound welding or rotary friction welding) are used to support the compression process, then a continuous cold weld connection can be achieved, but costly and non-portable welding units are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex friction welding units from the system by using a purely mechanical compression process. The compression tool directly compresses the aluminum conductor against the contact component without requiring ultrasound welding or rotary friction welding equipment, thereby removing the need for costly and non-portable welding units while still achieving reliable electrical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The aluminum conductor's own properties are utilized to achieve the connection. The natural flow and cold-welding characteristics of aluminum under high pressure are harnessed directly, without requiring external friction welding processes. The material's inherent behavior under compression is leveraged to create the electrical connection, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating complex welding equipment.
2Reliability
If additional friction welding processes are used, then continuous cold weld connection is achieved, but portability and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the bulky and non-portable friction welding units from the system. By using only a compression tool that directly compresses the aluminum conductor against the contact component, the system becomes portable and flexible while still achieving reliable continuous cold weld connections through pure mechanical compression.
3Ease of operation
If compression process alone is used without friction welding support, then portability is improved, but continuous cold weld connection cannot be achieved, especially with larger cross sections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by using a peening process before the compression step. The peening process pre-treats the aluminum conductor surface and creates favorable conditions for the subsequent compression process, enabling continuous cold weld connections even in larger cross sections. This preliminary preparation allows the portable compression tool to achieve reliable connections without requiring friction welding support.
4Strength
If steel screw is used to press the conductor against the wall, then connection is achieved, but the thread cuts into the surface of the conductor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the threaded mechanical system (steel screw with threads cutting into the conductor) with a direct compression system. A compression tool applies uniform pressure to press the aluminum conductor against the contact component without threads cutting into the surface. This substitution eliminates surface damage while maintaining strong electrical connections through pure compression force.
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
Enables the formation of continuous cold weld connections without additional welding processes, using readily available and portable hydraulic units, ensuring robust and flexible connections suitable for various aluminum conductor sizes and materials.
Implementation Method 1
enabling the severing/shearing-off of the aluminum conductor and its cold welding to the contact component by means of the contact component
Implementation Method 2
pressing the aluminum conductor against a boundary wall bounding the insertion volume for the aluminum conductor, to produce the cold weld
Implementation Method 3
produce the cold weld between the now oil- and oxide-free cut surface of the aluminum conductor and the contact component
Implementation Method 4
using a hydraulic unit for compression
Data Source
AI summary
Contact system for producing an electrically conductive contact between an aluminum conductor (3) and a contact component (2). A housing (1) is provided, as well as a contact component (2) having a shearing-off section (13) and a tapered compression segment (14), where the housing (1) has an insertion volume (4) for the aluminum conductor (3) and an insertion volume (5) for the contact component (2) and the two insertion volumes (4, 5) overlap within the housing (1) and form a common overlapping volume (8) so as to enable, when the aluminum conductor (3) has been pushed into the insertion volume (4), for the aluminum conductor (3), the severing/shearing-off and cold welding of the aluminum conductor (3) with the contact component (2) by means of the contact component (2).