Contact-Making Plug With Parallel Clamping Claw Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing contact plug connections fail to ensure a planar support of clamping claws on contact carriers with maximum dimensions, leading to uneven surface pressure and inadequate contact with conductor tracks, due to manufacturing tolerances.

Innovation Solution

The contact plug features pivotable and adjustable clamping claws connected via rotary joints with a guide link, allowing parallel alignment with the contact carrier, and spring means that generate clamping force independently of the receptacle, ensuring uniform force distribution and reliable contact across tolerances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the contact carrier has maximum dimension (maximum tolerance), then the clamping claws form an angle with the contact carrier, but this results in contact surfaces not resting flat on the circuit board, leading to undesirable surface pressure and inadequate contact

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact surface flatnessVSAvoidtolerance compensation
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The clamping claws are designed with pivot joints that enable dynamic adjustment of their orientation. This allows the claws to adapt their angle relative to the contact carrier, compensating for manufacturing tolerances in the contact carrier thickness and ensuring flat contact surfaces across the full tolerance range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The pivot joints allow the clamping claws to change their angular parameter dynamically. By adjusting the angle of the clamping claws through the pivot mechanism, the system compensates for variations in contact carrier dimensions, maintaining optimal contact geometry despite manufacturing tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of operation

If the clamping claws are designed as separate components with pivot joints, then adjustment movement is enabled, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic alignmentVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pivot joints are designed to automatically align the clamping claws with the contact carrier surfaces through mechanical guidance features. The system self-adjusts during assembly and operation without requiring external control mechanisms, reducing operational complexity while maintaining the benefits of adjustability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The clamping claw assembly is segmented into separate components connected by pivot joints, allowing independent adjustment of each claw. This segmentation enables automatic alignment while distributing the complexity across modular units that can be manufactured and assembled independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the spring means are supported exclusively on the contact plug, then clamping force is generated independently of the receptacle, but the contact connector requires additional structural elements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclamping force independenceVSAvoidstructural elements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spring means are extracted from the receptacle structure and supported exclusively on the contact plug components. This separation ensures that clamping force generation is independent of the receptacle's shape, relaxation, or manufacturing tolerances, improving reliability while the additional structural elements are confined to the contact plug assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 design ensures flat contact surfaces on the contact carrier, avoiding local pressures and ensuring reliable contact with conductor tracks, independent of manufacturing tolerances, and allows for self-sufficient clamping force generation without relying on the receptacle's shape or relaxation.

Implementation Method 1

spring means (20) which are supported exclusively on the contact plug (1) to generate the clamping force

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The clamping claws are assigned means (13) for automatically aligning the clamping claws with the flat surfaces of the contact carrier

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical guidance: Cam

Data Source

PatentEP2380240B1Contact-making plug and contact-making connection
Publication Date: 2019.01.09 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2380240B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2380240B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2380240B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a contact-making plug (1) used for making contact with a contact mount (6) which has two at least approximately parallel flat faces (7, 8), in particular with a printed circuit board, having two clamping claws (4, 5) which can pivot relative to one another transversely with respect to an insertion direction (E), at least one of which is in the form of a contact holder (2, 3) which is fitted with at least one sprung contact element (30) and is designed to rest on the contact mount (6) with a contact force, and having spring means for producing a clamping force which is independent of the contact force. According to the invention, means are provided for automatic paralleling (13) of the clamping claws (4, 5), in particular of contact surfaces (11) of the clamping claws (4, 5), with the flat faces of the contact mount (6).