Contact Spring Assembly With Latching Shaft for Fast Wire Contacting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing contact spring assemblies for electrical conductors are complex to assemble and require intricate movement schemes, making them inefficient for high-cycle rate production, and may not securely fix the contact spring under tensile forces.

Innovation Solution

A contact spring assembly with a base leg merging into a holding leg that has latching projections engaging with mating contours in a receiving shaft, allowing for simple linear insertion and automatic assembly, enhancing secure fixing and electrical contact through a conductive structure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the base leg is riveted to the busbar, then the contact spring is reliably held in position under high tensile forces, but the assembly process becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure fixing of contact springVSAvoidassembly cycle rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The base leg is segmented into a receiving shaft portion and a clamping portion, with the receiving shaft providing a simplified insertion path through the busbar. This segmentation allows the contact spring to be inserted linearly without complex riveting operations, significantly improving assembly speed while maintaining reliable fixation through the latching mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The contact spring incorporates self-latching projections that automatically engage with the busbar structure upon linear insertion. This self-latching mechanism eliminates the need for manual riveting or complex fastening operations, enabling automatic assembly machines to operate at high cycle rates while ensuring secure fixation under tensile forces.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Manufacturing precision

If a complex movement scheme is used for assembly, then precise positioning can be achieved, but the assembly machine becomes complex and operates at lower cycle rates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidassembly machine complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using complex movements to guide the contact spring into position, the invention inverts the approach by providing a pre-formed receiving shaft in the busbar that guides the base leg along a simple linear path. The receiving shaft is positioned to automatically align the contact spring with the supporting wall, achieving precise positioning through the structure itself rather than through complex assembly movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Productivity

If the contact spring is easily assembled, then production efficiency increases, but the fixing reliability under tensile forces may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly cycle rateVSAvoidfixing strength under tensile forces

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base leg is nested within the receiving shaft, with the receiving shaft providing both a guide path and a retention structure. The latching projections on the base leg engage with corresponding features in the receiving shaft, creating a nested configuration that is both simple to assemble via linear insertion and highly reliable under tensile loads due to the interlocking geometry.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

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

Facilitates easy and efficient assembly with high-cycle rate production capabilities and secure fixing of the contact spring, even under tensile forces, while improving the electrical contact between the contact spring and the conductive structure.

Implementation Method 1

The latching projections, which project in opposite directions transversely to the base leg and are latched with mating contours on the walls of the receiving shaft

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

Owing to the elastic restoring force of the spring, a gripping edge formed at the free end of the clamping leg engages in the circumferential surface of the copper wire

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic restoring force: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS20240204428A1Contact spring assembly for the self-locking contacting of a wire of an electrical conductor

Publication Date: 2024.06.20 HARTING ELECTRIC STIFTUNG & CO KG

AI summary

A contact spring assembly for the self-locking contacting of a wire (28) of an electrical conductor includes a support wall (24) made of a conductive material and a contact spring (10). The contact spring (10) has a base leg (20) held stationary with respect to the support wall and a clamping leg (18) which, together with the support wall (24), forms an insertion receptacle (26) for the wire (28) of the conductor. The insertion receptacle is tapered in the insertion direction. The base leg (20) of the contact spring transitions into a holding leg (22′ 22′), which is inserted into a receiving shaft (30) stationary with respect to the support wall (24) and has two detent projections (38), which protrude perpendicularly to the base leg in opposite directions and are locked to mating contours (34) on the walls of the receiving shaft.