Vacuum Circuit Breaker Bushing Terminal Plastic Deformation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing fabrication methods for bushing terminals in vacuum circuit breakers are inefficient, leading to high production costs, long working hours, poor productivity, and quality issues such as deteriorated conductivity and air bubbles due to excessive use of materials like silver and casting methods.
Innovation Solution
A bushing terminal design and fabrication method where a terminal body with annular protrusions is plastic-deformed to fit into a flange with a tapered insertion hole, preventing rotation and ensuring secure fixation, thereby reducing material waste and improving conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bushing terminal is divided into two parts and welded with subsidiary materials such as silver and lead, then the fabrication can be completed, but the working hours are excessively long, the unit cost is high, and the productivity is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the previously separate terminal body and flange into a single integrally formed bushing terminal. This eliminates the welding step and the need for separate fabrication of multiple components, thereby reducing working hours and improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through a unified forming process
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the bushing terminal fabrication into distinct forming stages: first forming the terminal body with cylindrical portion and flange portion, then performing localized plastic deformation of the annular protrusion. This segmentation allows complex geometry to be achieved through simplified sequential operations, improving both ease of manufacture and productivity
2Ease of manufacture
If the bushing terminal is fabricated by casting method, then the fabrication can be completed, but the delivery period is lengthened, the tissue is not densely formed causing conductivity deterioration, and air bubbles lead to quality problems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the casting method with a plastic deformation-based forming process. This mechanical forming approach eliminates the formation of air bubbles and porous tissue structure inherent in casting, ensuring dense material structure and excellent electrical conductivity while maintaining ease of manufacture through efficient forming operations
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental fabrication parameter from thermal casting to mechanical plastic deformation. This parameter change transforms the material structure from porous cast tissue to dense deformed metal, eliminating conductivity issues and air bubble defects while maintaining manufacturing efficiency
3Reliability
If the flange surface is silver-plated, then the appearance and conductivity are improved, but the production cost increases and unnecessary plating is performed on the flange portion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by concentrating the conductive surface only where electrically necessary - specifically on the cylindrical portion that contacts the tulip assembly. The flange surface, which serves only a mechanical mounting function, is left without plating, thereby eliminating unnecessary material cost while maintaining required conductivity at the contact interface
4Device complexity
If the bushing terminal is integrally fabricated, then the structure is simplified, but the flange surface is unnecessarily silver-plated and material waste occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The integrally formed bushing terminal applies local quality by providing different surface treatments to different regions: the cylindrical portion receives silver plating for electrical contact, while the flange portion remains unplated since it serves only mechanical mounting functions. This eliminates unnecessary material usage while maintaining the simplified integral structure
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 enhances productivity, reduces fabrication costs by 40%, and ensures 100% conductivity, addressing the inefficiencies and quality problems of previous methods.
Implementation Method 1
the annular protrusions are plastic-deformed so as to be fixed to the insertion hole of the flange
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a bushing terminal of a vacuum circuit breaker used for interrupting current, which includes: a terminal body having a cylinder that can be inserted into the interior of a contactor and annular protrusions formed to be protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the cylinder; and a flange having an insertion hole through which the cylinder is inserted, wherein the annular protrusions are plastic-deformed so as to be fixed to the insertion hole of the flange.