Angular High-Voltage Plug Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing use of high-voltage electrical systems in motor vehicles poses challenges due to vibration, temperature, and environmental factors, requiring connections that are durable, sealed, and capable of handling high voltages while ensuring safety and efficiency, as traditional systems are not designed to handle these conditions effectively.
Innovation Solution
An angular high-voltage plug with a monolithic, electrically insulating housing made of a suitable plastic material, such as a fiber-reinforced polyamide, that can withstand high temperatures and transmit forces without deformation, featuring a robust crimped connection system for screening and interference fit to ensure reliable electrical contact and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional connection systems are used in high-voltage motor vehicle electrical systems, then the system is simpler and easier to manufacture, but the connection quality deteriorates under vibration and the system becomes unsafe
Solution Approach 1:
The connection system is divided into separate functional components: a plug with contact elements, a receptacle with corresponding contact elements, and a monolithic housing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall reliability under vibration conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is made from composite materials (polyamide with fiber reinforcement) that provide both mechanical strength to resist vibration and electrical insulation properties. This composite material approach enables the housing to simultaneously protect contact elements and maintain structural integrity under vibrational stress.
2Temperature
If conventional plastic materials are used for the housing, then the manufacturing cost is lower, but the housing cannot withstand temperatures up to 200° C. and deforms
Solution Approach 1:
The material parameters of the housing are changed by using high-temperature resistant polyamide compounds with fiber reinforcement. This parameter change enables the housing to withstand temperatures up to 200° C. without deformation while maintaining manufacturability through injection molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing uses composite materials (polyamide with glass or mineral fiber reinforcement) that combine the heat resistance of ceramic-like properties with the manufacturability of plastics. The fiber reinforcement provides thermal stability and mechanical strength at elevated temperatures while allowing conventional injection molding manufacturing.
3Temperature
If the housing is made from material with high temperature resistance, then the temperature withstand capability is improved, but the material becomes more brittle and fragile
Solution Approach 1:
The housing uses composite materials where organic polyamide provides toughness and ductility while inorganic fiber reinforcement (glass or mineral fibers) provides heat resistance. This combination prevents brittleness by maintaining the flexible polymer matrix that can absorb mechanical energy while the fibers provide thermal stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing design incorporates local reinforcement features and optimized wall thickness distributions to maintain mechanical strength in critical areas while using heat-resistant materials throughout. This local quality approach ensures that temperature resistance does not compromise overall structural integrity.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the housing permeability is high, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but debris such as oil, water, and dust can infiltrate and degrade the connection
Solution Approach 1:
The housing uses composite materials with inherently low permeability due to the tight bonding between polyamide matrix and fiber reinforcement. This material property naturally prevents dehydration and infiltration of oil, water, and dust without requiring additional sealing layers or complex sealing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The monolithic housing acts as a flexible yet protective shell that seals the contact elements. The housing design incorporates integrated sealing features at the interface between plug and receptacle, creating a protective barrier against debris infiltration while maintaining the simplicity of a single-piece construction.
5Power
If cable contacts are made with larger inner cable diameters for high current capacity, then the current carrying capability is improved, but the connections become more susceptible to vibration damage
Solution Approach 1:
The contact elements are nested within the monolithic housing structure, with contact elements positioned in recesses and secured through interference fits. This nesting arrangement protects large-diameter cable contacts from direct vibration exposure while maintaining their current carrying capability through proper mechanical anchoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing material provides vibration damping properties that protect the cable contacts from vibrational damage. The composite structure absorbs and dissipates vibrational energy before it can reach the cable connections, maintaining connection durability even with large-diameter high-current cables.
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
The solution provides a durable, high-voltage plug that maintains connection quality under motor vehicle conditions, prevents infiltration of debris, ensures screening, and reduces production complexity, enhancing safety and efficiency in motor vehicle electrical systems.
Implementation Method 1
The housing consists of a material that may be suitable for use at temperatures of up to 200° C. which may occur when the electrical plug connector is used in motor vehicles, and can also take up and transmit forces without significant deformation or fragility
Implementation Method 2
Such plastic materials may be additionally characterized by a very low permeability, which may prevent the diffusion of interfering media, such as water molecules, for example, into the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An angular high-voltage plug that connects to a cable is described for use in high-voltage electrical systems of motor vehicles. The angular high-voltage plug includes an electrically insulating monolithic housing. The plug also includes an outer conductor and an inner conductor. The outer conductor includes a first outer conductor part at the cable that includes a connecting area and a linking area and a second outer conductor part at the plug. The first outer conductor part and the second outer conductor part are interconnected using an interference fit.