Angular Offset Contact Element for Secure Grounding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact elements for connecting cable lugs to ground terminals lack secure and efficient angular offset connections, leading to potential dislodgment and rotation issues during assembly and disassembly.
Innovation Solution
The contact element features a connector plate with angularly and vertically offset plug and jack areas, allowing for a plugged connection that interlocks perpendicularly, preventing dislodgment and rotation, and enabling secure stacking without vertical alignment or rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact elements are connected using conventional alignment methods, then assembly is simple, but the connection is insecure and prone to dislodgment and rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs asymmetric plug and jack areas with angular offset around the central opening. The plug area and jack area are positioned at different angular locations (e.g., 0° and 60° for a hexagonal pattern) and at different vertical levels, creating an asymmetric configuration that prevents rotation and ensures secure engagement when stacked contact elements are assembled.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from two-dimensional planar alignment to three-dimensional angular and vertical offset alignment. The plug and jack areas are not only angularly offset around the central opening but also vertically offset, requiring the stacked contact elements to be positioned at specific angular and vertical relationships, thereby preventing dislodgment and rotation through multi-dimensional constraint.
2Productivity
If contact elements require vertical alignment for connection, then the connection structure is simple, but assembly time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric angular offset of plug and jack areas creates a unique orientation for each contact element in the stack. This asymmetry allows for rapid visual and tactile identification of the correct assembly orientation, eliminating the need for time-consuming alignment procedures while maintaining high precision through the inherent geometric constraints of the offset configuration.
3Stability of the object's composition
If contact elements are stacked without angular offset, then assembly is straightforward, but rotation and dislodgment occur during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric angular positioning of plug and jack areas around the central opening creates a stable stacked configuration. When contact elements are assembled with the correct angular offset, the asymmetric geometry locks them in place, preventing rotation and dislodgment. The asymmetry ensures that only one orientation is valid, providing both stability and assembly guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing angular and vertical offsets in addition to simple vertical stacking, the invention adds dimensional constraints that enhance stack stability. The plug and jack areas engage at specific angular positions and vertical levels, creating a three-dimensional interlocking structure that resists rotation and dislodgment while maintaining operational simplicity through self-aligning geometry.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclose a contact element comprising a connector plate having a central inner opening and a conductor receptacle extending outwardly from the connector plate. The connector plate has at least one pair of connection areas including a plug area and a jack area. The plug area and the jack area of each particular pair are angularly offset by a predefined offset angle around a center of the inner opening and are vertically offset from one another in a direction perpendicular to the connector plate such that they are configured for mutual lateral engagement when arranged facing and vertically offset from one another. Further embodiments disclose a method for connecting two contact elements, and a set having multiple superimposed contact elements that are angularly offset by an offset angle. The contact elements of the present disclosure may be used to attach individual leads to a ground terminal in a vehicle body.