Battery Terminal Clamp Groove Depth Variation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery pole clamps face issues with groove depth reduction during the cupping process, leading to reduced adhesion and increased cracking risks, as the grooves are stretched and their depth is compromised, affecting the structural integrity of the clamping ring.
Innovation Solution
The grooves are designed with maximum depth at the wider portion and minimum depth at the narrower portion of the clamping ring, maintaining adequate depth post-cupping and reducing cracking risks, while ensuring increased adhesion by forming them with varying depths before bending, with maximum depth towards the periphery and minimum depth towards the middle of the metal plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If grooves are formed with constant depth on the inner surface of the clamping ring before the cupping process, then the grooves are stretched and their depth is considerably reduced during cupping, but forming grooves of constant depth is simple to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The groove depth is made non-uniform along its length, with greater depth at the first end portion (wider portion) and lesser depth at the second end portion (narrower portion). This local variation in groove depth compensates for the stretching effect during cupping, ensuring adequate adhesion at the wider portion while maintaining structural integrity at the narrower portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves are formed with predetermined varying depths before the cupping process. This preliminary action anticipates the stretching that will occur during cupping and pre-compensates for it by creating deeper grooves at locations that will experience greater stretching, thereby maintaining effective adhesion after deformation.
2Reliability
If the depth of grooves is increased all along their extent to improve adhesion, then adhesion between clamping ring and male terminal is improved, but cracks are formed in the clamping element especially at the inner edge
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly increasing groove depth throughout, the invention applies deeper grooves only at the first end portion where the clamping ring has greater width and can support the depth, while maintaining smaller groove depth at the narrower second end portion. This localized approach provides necessary adhesion without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove depth parameter is varied along the length of the groove, transitioning from greater depth at the first end portion to smaller depth at the second end portion. This parameter change optimizes the balance between adhesion requirements and structural strength across different locations of the clamping ring.
3Ease of manufacture
If grooves with maximum depth in the middle area of the plate are formed before bending (as taught in DE 3634099A1), then the grooves are compressed during bending, but the maximum depth is provided in an area with significant cracking risk
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing maximum groove depth in the middle of the plate as taught in prior art, the invention inverts this approach by placing maximum groove depth at the periphery (first end portion) where the clamping ring has greater width and can accommodate deeper grooves without cracking, while placing minimum depth at the narrower second end portion.
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
This design enhances the adhesion of the clamping ring on the male terminal while minimizing the risk of cracking, ensuring effective operation and structural integrity of the clamp.
Implementation Method 1
a cupping process: plastic deformation of a metal plate can be used to realize the structure of the plastic ring
Data Source
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AI summary
A clamp (1) for a male terminal, the clamp (1) comprising a pair of jaws (2); a clamping ring (3) having a pair of arms (4) with free ends (5) adapted to be moved toward each other by the pair of jaws (2), such pair of arms (4) having an inner surface (6) configured to engage a male terminal and extending between a wider portion (7), contiguous to the pair of jaws (2) along a contact line (45), and a narrower portion (8), opposite to wider portion (7), the narrower portion (8) defining an edge (17) of the inner surface (6); a set of first grooves (11) formed in the inner surface (6) of the pair of arms (4), each first groove (11) extending between a first end portion (41) at the wider portion (7) and a second end portion (42) at the narrower portion (8). Each first groove (11) has a maximum depth at the first end portion (41) and a minimum depth at the second end portion (42).