Electrical Connector Hump Design for Overload Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors for high-voltage and high-current applications lack effective mechanical overload protection, leading to potential plastic deformation and breakage under continuous loading or vibration.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector features a pin-shaped plug and sleeve-shaped coupling with a conductive contact element that extends over 180°, having inward and outward humps for prestressing, which provides a resilient connection and protects against mechanical overload by limiting deformation and preventing breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact element is made resilient to ensure reliable electrical connection, then electrical conductivity is improved, but the contact element becomes vulnerable to mechanical overload and plastic deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element features localized humps (protrusions) at specific positions that concentrate mechanical stress at these discrete points rather than distributing it uniformly. This allows the contact element to maintain overall resilience for electrical conductivity while the humps provide localized reinforcement against mechanical overload and plastic deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The humps on the contact element serve as pre-positioned protective features that absorb and distribute mechanical stresses before they can cause damaging plastic deformation or breakage. By having these reinforcement features built into the structure beforehand, the contact element can withstand vibrations and misalignments without compromising its electrical connection reliability.
2Reliability
If the contact element extends over the full circumference to maximize contact area, then electrical conductivity is improved, but the contact element becomes more susceptible to mechanical overload
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly thick circumferential contact element, the invention introduces humps at specific locations that provide localized mechanical reinforcement. This allows the contact element to maintain sufficient contact area for electrical conductivity while having strategically placed strengthening features that protect against mechanical overload without requiring increased thickness throughout the entire circumference.
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
The solution ensures a reliable, low-resistance electrical connection while preventing plastic deformation and breakage by distributing mechanical stress through the humps, maintaining conductivity and structural integrity under various loads.
Implementation Method 1
The contact element springs transversely to an insertion direction of the plug into the coupling, which is equivalent to plugging the coupling onto the plug. In the plugged-in state, the contact element rests elastically and resiliently and therefore with a prestress both on the inside of the plug and on the outside of the coupling
Implementation Method 2
When plugged in, the inward protruding humps rest against the connector. Because of the prestressing of the spring-loaded contact element, the inwardly protruding humps are in contact with the plug with a prestressing. In this way, the invention achieves a reliable, electrically well-conducting connection between the plug and the contact element with low electrical resistance
Implementation Method 3
The humps projecting outwards from the contact element do not lie against the sleeve, but there is a gap between the humps projecting outwards on the contact element and the coupling, even when the plug is plugged into the coupling. In the sleeve-shaped coupling, the contact element rests at a point other than the outwardly protruding humps in order to electrically conductively connect the contact element to the coupling. The protruding humps protect the contact element against mechanical overload. The outwardly protruding humps limit outward deformation of the resilient contact element and in this way prevent plastic deformation and breakage under continuous loading
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an electrical connector (1) with a pin-shaped plug (2) and a sleeve-shaped coupling (3) that encloses the plug with a gap (18), as well as open, ring-shaped, and spring-loaded contact elements (19) arranged in the gap (18). For good electrical contact, the invention proposes two opposing, inwardly projecting protrusions (23) on the contact elements (19). Outwardly projecting protrusions (24) limit the maximum possible deformation of the contact elements (19) and thereby prevent mechanical overload of the contact elements (19). (Figure 3)