Bifurcated Contact Jacket for Current Capacity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Bifurcated contacts in electrical connections face limitations due to increased heat development, leading to reduced current carrying capacity, which conventional solutions address by increasing the construction height.
Innovation Solution
An electrically conductive jacket is integrated around the bifurcated contact, providing additional current paths without enlarging the construction height, and featuring shoulders to form contact points with the mating contact, thereby enhancing current carrying capacity and reducing heat generation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional solutions are used to compensate for heat development in bifurcated contacts, then current carrying capacity is improved, but construction height is enlarged
Solution Approach 1:
The electrically conductive jacket is nested around the bifurcated contact, with the jacket's inner surface surrounding the contact limbs. This nesting arrangement allows the jacket to provide additional current paths and contact points without increasing the overall construction height, as the jacket fits within the existing spatial envelope of the connector assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing height vertically to add current carrying capacity, the invention utilizes the radial dimension by adding an electrically conductive jacket around the bifurcated contact. The jacket's inner surface creates additional contact points with the mating contact in the horizontal plane, effectively adding current paths without vertical expansion.
2Loss of energy
If additional current paths are provided to reduce heat generation, then current carrying capacity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electrically conductive jacket serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides additional current paths through its inner surface contact points, offers mechanical support and positioning for the bifurcated contact, and maintains the compact construction height. This multi-functionality reduces heat generation without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the functions of heat dissipation, current conduction, and mechanical support into a single integrated component - the electrically conductive jacket. By combining these functions rather than adding separate components for each, the solution reduces heat generation while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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 effectively increases current carrying capacity and reduces heat development in electrical systems while maintaining a compact design, saving costs and improving installation situations by providing additional contact points without increasing the structural height.
Implementation Method 1
The limited current carrying capacity due to the increased heat development in the bifurcated contact is disadvantageous with such a connection. This electrically conductive jacket provides an additional current path without enlarging the constructional height and thus reduces the generation of heat.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connection device comprises a bifurcated contact to establish an electrical connection with a mating contact, the bifurcated contact having at least two limbs, at least one web region between the limbs, and an electrically conductive jacket that is in contact with said web region. The bifurcated contact includes a region wherein the jacket at least partially surrounds the two limbs, which provide a plurality of contact positions within the jacket.