Electrical Machine Connector Housing Radial Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical machines with printed circuit boards are not suitable for high temperatures and are prone to damage from vibrations, as soldered connections can detach and electrical connections between the board and plastic components can be destroyed.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates radial windows in the connector housing, allowing for preassembly and welding of electrical contacts within the housing, eliminating the need for a printed circuit board and enabling reliable connections that withstand high temperatures and vibrations through resistance or laser welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If soldered connections are used on the printed circuit board, then electrical connections can be established, but the connections become detached at high temperatures and are vulnerable to vibration damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the soldered mechanical/electrical connection system with a welded connection system. The welding process creates metallurgical bonds between the printed circuit board contacts and the connector housing contacts, which are far more resistant to high temperatures and vibrations compared to soldered joints. This substitution of connection methodology directly resolves the reliability issue under thermal and vibrational stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the connection method from soldering to welding, fundamentally altering the physical and chemical parameters of the joint. Welding creates a stronger, more temperature-resistant metallurgical bond compared to the lower-melting-point solder joints. This parameter change enables the electrical connections to withstand the high-temperature operating environment (up to 150°C or higher) and severe vibrations (up to 30g acceleration) without detachment.
2Ease of manufacture
If a printed circuit board is used with separate assembly steps, then electrical connections can be made, but additional installation space is required and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the printed circuit board assembly with the connector housing assembly into a single integrated unit. The printed circuit board is positioned and welded directly within the connector housing in one assembly operation, eliminating the need for separate assembly steps where the board is mounted, connected, and then housed. This merging of assembly operations reduces manufacturing complexity and the number of discrete steps required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the radial dimension by forming radial windows in the connector housing wall, allowing welding tools to access contacts from the radial direction rather than requiring axial access. This dimensional approach enables the welding operation to occur within the compact housing volume without requiring additional axial space, maintaining compactness while facilitating the integrated assembly process.
3Volume of stationary object
If welding is performed through radial windows, then welded connections can be formed within the housing cavity, but access for welding tools is required through the housing wall
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces radial windows in the connector housing wall to provide radial access paths for welding tools. Instead of requiring axial access from the end of the housing, the welding operation is enabled through the radial dimension by creating openings in the housing wall. This allows welding tools to reach contacts located within the housing cavity without increasing the axial or radial dimensions of the overall assembly, maintaining compactness while enabling manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector housing is segmented by creating radial windows that divide the housing wall into separate sections. These windows provide dedicated access pathways for welding tools to reach specific contacts within the housing cavity. The segmentation of the housing structure enables selective access to different contact points without requiring complete disassembly or large openings, facilitating efficient welding operations while preserving the overall compact housing design.
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 solution allows the electrical machine to operate at high temperatures and withstand significant vibrations, ensuring robust connections and preventing damage from external accelerations up to 30 g, while maintaining a compact and slender cylindrical design.
Implementation Method 1
the welded connections to be advantageously formed within the cavity of the connector housing
Implementation Method 2
it is however also possible to perform these welded connections by means of laser welding, in which the laser beam impinges on the electrical contacts and mating contacts through the radial openings
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical machine (10) and a method for producing such a machine, with a pole pot (15), in which a stator (16) and a rotor (18) are held, and axially on the open side of the pole pot (15) a connector housing (33) with an integrated terminal connector (37) is arranged, wherein the connector housing (33) has a circumferential wall (83), which lies axially against the pole pot (15), and the circumferential wall (83) has radial windows (110), in order to make electrical contacting of electrical contacts (30) of the connector housing (33) with electrical mating contacts (133) of the stator (16) possible after the placement of the connector housing (33) onto the pole pot (15).