Bus Bar Connector with Floating U-Shaped Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors rigidly mounted to equipment drawers in electrical cabinets face difficulties in reinsertion and reengagement with bus bars due to misalignment, with limited success in providing self-alignment solutions.
Innovation Solution
The development of bus bar connectors that feature a flexible design allowing 'float' with respect to the bus bar, utilizing a U-shaped housing and conductive inserts with beveled edges and contact areas to facilitate engagement and secure attachment, enabling easy alignment and attachment to both bus bars and cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connector is rigidly mounted to the equipment drawer, then the connector maintains stable position and secure attachment, but misalignment with the bus bar makes it difficult to reinsert and reengage the drawer
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is designed with a floating mounting mechanism that allows dynamic adjustment of its position relative to the equipment drawer. The connector body can move independently within the cabinet space, enabling self-alignment with the bus bar during insertion while maintaining secure electrical connection. This dynamic capability resolves the contradiction by allowing the connector to be both securely attached and easily reinserted.
2Ease of operation
If the connector is mounted with restricted float to provide self-alignment, then some degree of misalignment compensation is achieved, but the solution has limited success in facilitating reengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs a floating mounting system that changes the positional parameters of the connector relative to the drawer. The connector can move in multiple directions (X, Y, Z axes) within acceptable tolerances, allowing it to accommodate variations in bus bar position and achieve reliable engagement even when drawer insertion depth varies. This parameter flexibility resolves the contradiction between self-alignment and engagement reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector adapted for connection to a bus bar includes a dielectric housing, a conductive insert, and a cable interface. The cable interface may include a cable crimp lug and clinch nut, a combined cable crimp and crimp nut, or an integral cable crimp.