Busbar Connector Spring Contact Assembly for Misalignment Tolerance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing busbar connection systems require high manufacturing accuracy due to variations in contact distances, leading to increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An improved busbar assembly with an insulative housing and clamped electrical contacts featuring spring fingers and a clamp that allows for deflection zones to accommodate misalignment, ensuring reliable electrical connections despite manufacturing tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a modular connector design with separate contact and housing components is used, then assembly flexibility and manufacturing efficiency are improved, but the number of parts increases and assembly complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into modular components: a housing assembly (including insulating housing and shell), and a contact assembly (including contact carrier and contacts). These separate modules can be manufactured independently and then assembled, improving manufacturing efficiency and allowing parallel production while maintaining design flexibility.
2Reliability
If the contact assembly is pre-assembled within the housing assembly before final connector assembly, then assembly precision and connection reliability are improved, but the assembly process time and process complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The contact assembly is pre-assembled within the housing assembly before the final connector assembly step. The contact carrier is positioned and secured within the insulating housing, and the contacts are pre-installed on the contact carrier. This preliminary assembly ensures proper alignment and reduces errors during final assembly, improving connection reliability.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact connector design with integrated components is used, then the overall size and space requirements are reduced, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs a nested structure where the contact carrier is housed within the insulating housing, which is in turn enclosed by the shell. The contacts are mounted on the contact carrier, creating a compact nested arrangement. This nesting approach minimizes the overall connector volume while maintaining manufacturability through modular assembly steps.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, and a pair of contacts which are secured together by a clamp mounted within the housing. Each electrical contact includes a planar body, spring fingers extending from a first end of the body, and a coupling extending from the body to couple the electrical contacts to the housing. A first deflection zone between the clamp and first ends of the spring fingers allows the spring fingers to deflect in a lateral direction to receive the conductive component within the receiving space. A second deflection zone between the first ends of the spring fingers and the second ends of the bodies allow the bodies and spring fingers to deflect in the lateral direction when the conductive component is received within the receiving space, but the conductive component is not directly aligned with the receiving space.