High-Current Connector Screw Cover for Tilt-Free Isolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing high current connectors for vehicles with electric drives face issues with screw tilting and unintentional detachment, leading to potential electrical safety hazards and connection failures.

Innovation Solution

A high current connector design featuring a housing with a screw and screw head cover, where the screw head cover has a radial support portion that prevents tilting by resting against the receptacle internal wall, and a latching device secures the screw in the transport position, ensuring reliable electrical isolation and secure connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the screw is allowed to move freely in the receptacle, then the assembly process is simple, but the screw may tilt or detach unintentionally

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidconnection stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support portion is pre-positioned on the screw head cover to provide preliminary guidance and constraint during insertion. This preliminary action prevents tilting before the screw is fully secured, resolving the contradiction by maintaining both assembly simplicity and connection stability through advance positioning rather than complex locking mechanisms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The support portion acts as an intermediary element between the screw head cover and the receptacle internal wall. It mediates the interaction by providing a controlled contact surface that guides the screw into proper alignment while preventing unwanted movement, thus ensuring reliability without complicating the assembly process

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the support portion extends far radially outward, then tilting prevention is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetilting preventionVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The support portion is designed with local quality by extending radially outward only at the specific location where contact with the receptacle internal wall is needed for tilting prevention. This localized structural feature provides the necessary reliability without adding overall device complexity, as the support function is concentrated in a specific area rather than distributed throughout the entire screw head cover

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The support portion utilizes the radial dimension effectively by extending outward to contact the receptacle wall, providing tilting prevention through a different spatial approach. This dimensional solution addresses the reliability requirement without increasing complexity in other dimensions, maintaining a simple overall structure while solving the tilting problem through strategic radial extension

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4475342A1High current connector and module connector system with such a high current connector
Publication Date: 2024.12.11 TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GMBH
  • EP4475342A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4475342A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4475342A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a high current connector (10) and to a module connector system (5), wherein the high current connector (10) comprises a housing (15), a screw (20) and a screw head cover (35); wherein the screw (20) extends along a screw axis (45) and has a screw head (150); wherein the housing (15) has a first receptacle (105) which extends along the screw axis (45) and has a receptacle opening (120); wherein the screw head (150) and the screw head cover (35) are arranged in the first receptacle (105); wherein the screw head cover (35) on a side that faces the receptacle opening (120) covers the screw head (150) and electrically isolates the screw (20) at least in portions; wherein the screw head cover (35) has a cover portion (160) which extends outwards in the radial direction, and a support portion (165) which is arranged radially outside on the cover portion (160) and extends about the screw axis (45); wherein the first receptacle (105) has a receptacle internal wall (110) that faces the support portion (165), and the support portion (165) has an outer circumferential side (170); wherein the support portion (165) by way of the outer circumferential side (170) rests against the receptacle internal wall and supports the screw (20) in the radial direction.