Multi-phase Busbar Manufacturing Using Mechanical Clips and Mold Casting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing multi-phase busbars are costly and time-consuming due to the use of toxic laminating resins, which require safety precautions and extended production times, and involve complex mold setups and vacuum processes.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a mold with recesses to allow resin flow and air evacuation, enabling automated casting and demolding, reducing the need for human contact with resin and eliminating the requirement for vacuum processes, while using resin-repelling materials and ultrasonic vibrations to ease layer alignment and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If laminating resin is used to bond conducting layers, then the busbar structure is compact and stable, but production costs increase due to safety precautions for toxic resin
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hazardous laminating resin from the manufacturing process by using clips to mechanically bond the conducting layers instead. This eliminates the need for toxic resin application and curing, removing safety precautions and associated costs while maintaining structural stability through the clip mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding system (laminating resin) with a mechanical bonding system (clips). The clips are inserted into recesses in the busbar and mechanically secure the conducting layers, substituting chemical adhesion with mechanical fastening to avoid toxic material handling.
2Stability of the object's composition
If laminating resin is used to bond conducting layers, then the busbar structure is compact and stable, but production time extends due to curing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the curing step from the manufacturing process by eliminating the laminating resin. The clips provide immediate mechanical bonding without requiring chemical curing time, significantly reducing production time while maintaining the compact and stable busbar structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical clip system provides instant structural stability without the time-consuming chemical curing process. The clips are simply inserted into recesses and immediately secure the conducting layers, replacing the time-intensive resin application and curing sequence.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex mold setups with vacuum processes are used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and production efforts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex vacuum molding equipment and setup from the manufacturing process. The clips with integrated recesses and the busbar design with corresponding features enable precise alignment and bonding without vacuum processes, simplifying the device while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The clips serve as intermediaries that facilitate precise alignment and bonding of the conducting layers. The recesses in the clips and corresponding features on the busbar act as guiding elements, ensuring accurate positioning without requiring complex vacuum mold setups.
4Adaptability or versatility
If human staff handle resin and freshly cast products, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but safety risks increase due to toxic fumes exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the toxic resin from the manufacturing process, eliminating the harmful fumes exposure risk. The mechanical clip system requires no chemical handling, allowing staff to work with the busbar components without safety risks while maintaining manufacturing flexibility through automated or manual clip insertion.
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 approach reduces production efforts and costs, allows for automated handling, and simplifies the assembly process by eliminating the need for complex mold setups and vacuum processes, while ensuring safety by minimizing human exposure to toxic fumes and resins.
Implementation Method 1
providing a recess between an inner surface of the mold and the lateral edges of the first and second conducting layers, wherein the recess allows the resin to flow into spaces which are defined between the first and the second conducting layers and/or between the lateral edges of the first and second conducting layers and at least one of the inner surfaces of the mold
Implementation Method 2
the efforts and costs for assembling the busbar are lower, because there are no additional assembling steps required except the positioning of the connection areas of the conduction layers in the holding elements and positioning the arrangement in the mold
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of manufacturing a multi-phase busbar (1) comprising a first and second conducting layer (2a, 2b) made of a sheet metal, with first and second conducting pins (4a, 4b) mounted thereat, wherein the conducting layers (2a, 2b) are mechanically interconnected to each other and electrically insulated from each by cured resin (8) and comprise a first and second connection area (10, 12) at its opposing end portions is characterized by the method steps of providing a first and a second holding element (14, 16), each having a base body (14c) with slot shaped receiving pockets (14a; 16a) formed therein for receiving a connecting area (10, 12) of one of said conducting layers (2a, 2b) inserting said first and second connecting areas (10, 12) in said slot shaped receiving pockets (14a, 16a) of said holding elements (14, 1 6), placing said first and second holding elements (14, 16) with said conducting layers (2a, 2b) in a mold (18) and filling up said mold (18) with liquid curable resin (8), curing said resin (8).