Contact Element Front Surface Segmentation for Creepage Distance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact devices face challenges in handling high voltage ranges while maintaining compactness and ensuring reliable electrical insulation, especially when soiled, due to limitations in creepage distance and secure locking mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The contact device features a contact element with a front surface comprising multiple sections arranged with offsets and inclinations, providing a long creepage distance and secure locking through a latching element, which allows for high voltage transfer and reliable insulation without modifying the contact housing geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact element uses a conventional single-plane front surface, then the contact housing can be compact, but the creepage distance is insufficient for high voltage applications
Solution Approach 1:
The front surface is designed with multiple sections (first, second, third sections) arranged at different positions and orientations in three-dimensional space. The first section is in a first plane, the second section is offset in the longitudinal direction, and the third section is inclined. This multi-dimensional arrangement increases the creepage distance along the insulating surface without requiring a larger contact housing volume, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and compactness.
2Reliability
If the contact element front surface is extended in the longitudinal direction to increase creepage distance, then high voltage insulation is improved, but the contact element length increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the front surface solely in the longitudinal direction, the invention utilizes multiple planes and orientations. The first section is in a first plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the second section is offset longitudinally, and the third section is inclined. This distributes the creepage path across multiple dimensions, achieving adequate creepage distance without excessive contact element length.
Solution Approach 2:
The front surface is segmented into multiple distinct sections (first, second, and third sections) that are arranged in different spatial configurations. Each section contributes to the overall creepage distance, allowing the total creepage path to be achieved through distributed segments rather than a single extended surface, thereby controlling the overall length.
3Reliability
If the contact element is designed with multiple body sections to accommodate the multi-section front surface, then the creepage distance is increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element body is segmented into corresponding body sections (first, second, third, and fourth body sections) that support the multi-section front surface. The first and second body sections are arranged at a distance from each other and extend in parallel in the longitudinal direction, with the first and second front surface sections arranged on respective body sections. This segmentation allows each body section to be optimized for its specific function while contributing to the overall creepage distance, managing complexity through functional modularity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention refers to a contact element (20, 25) and to a contact device (10) having such a contact element (20,25), wherein the contact element (20,25) comprises a contact body (95) extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the contact body (95) comprises a front surface (140), wherein the front surface (140) comprises a first section (145) and at least one second section (150), wherein the first section (145) is configured for application of a contact lock (220), wherein the second section (150) is arranged with an offset to the first section (145) in the longitudinal direction.Fig. 8