Double Wiping Blade Contact Assembly for Reliable Electrical Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Compact copper connectors face challenges in maintaining a robust electrical connection while being simple and inexpensive to manufacture, especially when handling multiple connections and potential load-induced performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A double wiping blade contact assembly with two stages of contact wiping areas and lead-in flanges guides blade contacts to establish multiple points of contact, ensuring a reliable connection by isolating the damaged area from the final contact point and allowing adjustable normal force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single contact point design is used, then the manufacturing is simple and inexpensive, but the electrical connection reliability deteriorates under load
Solution Approach 1:
The contact interface is segmented into two distinct stages: a first wiping stage with an upper lead-in flange and a second wiping stage with a lower lead-in flange. This segmentation allows the contact to be established in two separate locations along the blade contact, creating multiple contact points that improve reliability while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
2Productivity
If compact connector design is implemented, then the data channel density increases, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The double wiping contact utilizes the vertical dimension by positioning the first and second wiping stages at different heights along the blade contact. The upper lead-in flange guides contact at one vertical level while the lower lead-in flange guides contact at another vertical level, enabling multiple contact points within a compact footprint without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Reliability
If multiple contact points are created, then the electrical connection robustness improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first and second wiping stages are merged into a single integrated double wiping contact assembly that operates sequentially. The blade contact passes through both stages in one continuous motion, combining multiple contact functions into a unified structure that improves robustness while limiting complexity growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper lead-in flange performs a preliminary guiding action that directs the blade contact onto the first wiping stage. This preliminary positioning ensures proper alignment before the contact proceeds to the second wiping stage, enabling multiple contact points to be established automatically during the natural insertion motion without requiring additional complex control mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A double wiping blade contact assembly has a blade contact and a double wiping contact. The double wiping contact has first and second stage contact wiping areas. The second stage being at a distance from the first stage and wherein the first stage contact wiping area has an upper lead-in flange that guides the blade contact under the first stage contact wiping area and the second stage contact wiping area has a lower lead-in flange that guides the blade contact over the second stage contact wiping area.