Elastomeric Insulating Body for High Voltage Plug Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing high-voltage plug connectors require complex production processes, regular maintenance, and are prone to failure due to aging, with issues such as grease degradation and inability to be repaired.
Innovation Solution
A high-voltage plug connector with an insulating body made of elastomeric material that forms a pressure chamber with the cable end section and housing, eliminating the need for additional sealing elements and grease, and allowing for easy removal for repair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rubber cone plug is used with grease for sealing, then a high-voltage seal can be achieved, but regular maintenance is required due to grease degradation and cable aging
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric insulating body automatically maintains the high-voltage seal through its elastic properties, compensating for cable aging and housing deformation without requiring external intervention or maintenance. The material self-adjusts to maintain contact pressure and sealing integrity over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism from relying on grease (which degrades) to relying on the elastic properties of the insulating body itself. The elastomeric material's ability to deform and recover provides continuous sealing pressure without degradation, fundamentally changing the sealing parameter from chemical (grease) to mechanical (elasticity).
2Ease of operation
If a cast resin insulating body is used, then no maintenance is required, but the connector is prone to failure and cannot be repaired
Solution Approach 1:
The elastomeric insulating body introduces dynamic, flexible properties to the connector system. Unlike rigid cast resin, the elastomeric material can deform and adapt, allowing the connector to be disconnected and reconnected multiple times while maintaining sealing integrity, thus enabling repairability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an elastomeric material that combines the insulating properties of resin with the flexibility and recoverability of rubber. This composite behavior allows the material to maintain permanent deformation-free sealing while being removable and reparable, unlike pure thermosetting cast resin.
3Reliability
If the cable end section is partially stripped, machined, and rubber is wrapped and vulcanized, then a rubber body can be produced, but the production process becomes very complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the insulating body and sealing elements into a single integrated elastomeric component. This eliminates the need for separate rubber wrapping, vulcanization, and sealing element assembly steps, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the production approach from mechanical processing (stripping, machining, wrapping, vulcanizing) to a molding process where the elastomeric insulating body is formed in one piece. This parameter change from subtractive/mechanical manufacturing to formative manufacturing reduces complexity.
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
The solution provides a maintenance-free, reliable high-voltage seal that compensates for cable aging and eliminates the need for regular maintenance, reducing production and maintenance costs while ensuring permanent safety from high voltages.
Implementation Method 1
Since the elastomer advantageously behaves like a liquid under pressure, a force exerted on the insulating body, particularly in the plug-in connection direction, causes a gap-free, high-voltage-tight pressing of the corresponding plug-in connection part against the insulating body
Implementation Method 2
a pressure chamber is formed between the plug housing, the corresponding plug-in connection part and the cable end section, which is essentially completely filled by the insulating body. Since the elastomer advantageously behaves like a liquid under pressure, a force exerted on the insulating body causes a gap-free, high-voltage-tight pressing
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A high-voltage connector (11) for a high-voltage cable (13) comprises an insulating body (28) made of a polymer material, which surrounds a cable end section (18) of the high-voltage cable (13) on the sheath side. The insulating body (28), which is contained in a rigid housing (19), consists of an elastomeric material.The connector part (11) is shaped such that, as a result of the connection with a corresponding connector part (12), a substantially closed pressure chamber (43) is formed between the housing (19), the corresponding connector part (12) and the cable end section (18), the pressure chamber (43) being substantially completely filled by the insulating body (28), so that applying pressure to the insulating body (28) results in a gap-free, high-voltage-tight contact of the corresponding connector part (12) against the insulating body (28), a gap-free, high-voltage-tight contact of the insulating body (28) against the housing (19) and a gap-free, high-voltage-tight contact of the insulating body (28) against the sheathing surface (46) of the cable end section (18).