Distribution Board Contactor Assembly for Compact Durable Bus-Bar Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional contactors in distribution boards suffer from durability issues due to fatigue accumulation during repeated coupling and disconnection, and require a large volume to maintain contact area for high current ratings, complicating maintenance and replacement of branching circuit-breakers.
Innovation Solution
A contactor assembly with a housing, contactor, presser, and connector design that allows easy connection to a bus-bar, featuring rotating contact branches and a protrusion for vertical movement, ensuring durability and compact size while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a bifurcated tongs type contactor is used to allow easy coupling and disconnection, then ease of operation is improved, but durability deteriorates due to fatigue accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The contactor is divided into multiple contacting branches (first contacting branch and second contacting branch) that can independently contact the bus-bar. This segmentation allows the contactor to distribute mechanical stress across multiple contact points, reducing fatigue accumulation on any single branch while maintaining ease of coupling and disconnection.
2Power
If the contactor size is increased to maintain contact area for large rated current, then current capacity is improved, but volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contacting branches are configured to contact the bus-bar at multiple spatial locations and orientations. By utilizing three-dimensional spatial arrangement of contact points rather than relying solely on increasing the contact surface area in two dimensions, the contactor achieves high current capacity with a more compact volume.
3Volume of moving object
If the contactor is made compact to reduce volume, then device size is reduced, but contact area decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The contacting branches are designed with specific local geometries and materials optimized for high current density at the contact points. By concentrating current flow through strategically positioned contact areas with enhanced local conductivity and surface properties, the contactor maintains adequate contact area for high current ratings while keeping the overall volume compact.
Data Source
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AI summary
A contactor assembly is connected to a bus-bar of a main circuit-breaker. The assembly includes a housing including an opening defined therein; a contactor passing through the opening, wherein the contractor includes contacting portions projecting forwardly of the opening and coupled portions projecting rearwardly of the opening; a presser passing through the opening, wherein the presser is interposed between the contactor and the housing, wherein the presser is supported on the housing and presses the contacting portions and the coupled portions; and a connector coupled to the coupled portions of the contactor and electrically connected to the contactor.