Elastomeric Protective Housing for Electrical Junctions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing protective boxes for electrical installations often fail to match the geometric configuration of junction areas between connection bars and devices, leading to imperfect protection and thermal dissipation issues due to trapped air, which can degrade performance and safety.
Innovation Solution
A protective case with two shells that enclose at least 50% of the connection bar's area at the junction, featuring a fixing element and additive manufacturing for customized fit, reducing trapped air volume and enhancing thermal dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If protective boxes are made with fixed geometric shapes to match specific junction zone configurations, then protection precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase due to needing multiple molds for different configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The protective box transitions from a fixed geometric shape to a deformable structure that can adapt its shape. The box body is designed to be elastically deformable, allowing it to conform to different junction zone geometries through compression or expansion, thereby providing precise protection for various configurations without requiring multiple specialized molds
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the protective box is changed from rigid to elastically deformable. By modifying the material properties or structural characteristics of the box body, it gains the ability to change its shape parameters dynamically, enabling it to match different junction zone geometries while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
2Adaptability or versatility
If protective boxes are designed to fit multiple configurations, then adaptability is improved, but protection precision deteriorates due to spacing between connection bars and case walls
Solution Approach 1:
The protective box employs elastic deformation capability to bridge the gap between fixed geometry and multi-configurational adaptability. When installed, the box can be compressed or expanded to eliminate spacing between its inner wall and connection bars, ensuring both adaptability to different configurations and precise protection without air gaps
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic deformable box body acts as an intermediary that adapts to the junction zone geometry. Through controlled deformation, it maintains intimate contact with connection bars across different configurations, preventing air gap formation while preserving the ability to accommodate various geometries
3Ease of manufacture
If protective boxes are made from molded plastic with standard shapes, then ease of manufacture is improved, but thermal dissipation deteriorates due to trapped air blades causing heat accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic deformable box body can be compressed during installation to eliminate air gaps between the case walls and connection bars. This dynamic adjustment ensures direct thermal contact between the protective box and the electrical components, significantly improving heat dissipation while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single mold design
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic deformability, which initially seems to add complexity, actually enables better thermal contact. By allowing the box to be compressed and conform to the junction zone, it eliminates the harmful air gaps that cause heat accumulation, thereby converting the potential disadvantage of deformability into a benefit for thermal management
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 effectively reduces the risk of performance degradation and improves safety by ensuring better contact with the connection bars and devices, allowing for precise temperature measurement and improved thermal dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
the volume of air trapped inside of the case and directly in contact with the connection bar is reduced. The risk of degradation of performance linked to warm -up is therefore decreased
Implementation Method 2
the heat produced by joule effect by the circulation of the current in the connection bars leads to an elevation of the temperature of the air blade
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 6~9
AI summary
This electrically insulating protective enclosure (2) for an electrical installation comprises at least one electrical connection bar (4), the protective enclosure comprising at least two shells (8, 10), characterized in that each shell (8, 10) includes internal surfaces intended to enclose at least a part of the connection bar at the level of a junction zone, at least 50% of the area of said internal surfaces being in direct contact with an electrically conductive element of the junction zone.