Electrical Component Double Floating Bearing System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical components, such as battery packs, face challenges with high contact resistance and wear due to precise alignment requirements during charging, leading to increased maintenance and installation efforts, especially when used in heavy-duty applications like forklifts and buses.

Innovation Solution

The electrical component features a double floating bearing system with a contact carrier and plug contacts that allow for lateral and angular adjustments, utilizing compensating devices with centering cones and preloading springs to facilitate easy connection and reduce contact resistance, along with guide pins having annularly enlarged outer contours for precise alignment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If flat connections are pressed parallel against each other to minimize contact resistance, then contact resistance is reduced, but precise alignment is required which increases difficulty of operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact resistanceVSAvoidalignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The contact surfaces are designed with a curved contour instead of flat surfaces, allowing them to adapt dynamically to angular deviations and lateral offsets during connection. The curved shape enables automatic alignment compensation, reducing the need for precise manual alignment while maintaining low contact resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The contact surfaces are designed with specific geometric parameters (curved contour with defined radius) that allow them to accommodate misalignment within a certain range. By changing the shape parameter from flat to curved, the system gains tolerance to positioning errors while maintaining electrical contact quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If high charging current is used to ensure rapid charging, then charging speed is improved, but heat load and wear on contact surfaces increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharging speedVSAvoidheat load and wear
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The curved contact surfaces enable dynamic adaptation during connection, ensuring optimal contact pressure distribution even under high current loads. This reduces localized stress concentrations that would otherwise lead to increased wear and heat generation at specific contact points.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The design anticipates high current operation and the associated thermal and mechanical stresses by using curved contact surfaces that distribute loads more evenly. This pre-engineered load distribution cushions against the harmful effects of high current before they can cause excessive wear or overheating.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Reliability

If manual alignment is performed to achieve precise connection, then contact resistance is reduced, but installation time and effort increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact resistanceVSAvoidinstallation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The curved contact surfaces enable the connection system to self-align automatically during the mating process. The geometry of the curved surfaces guides the components into proper alignment without requiring manual intervention, thereby reducing installation time while maintaining low contact resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The dynamic adaptation capability of the curved contact surfaces allows them to automatically adjust to minor misalignments during connection, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual alignment procedures while ensuring reliable electrical contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

This solution reduces contact resistance, increases durability, and simplifies the connection process, leading to lower maintenance and installation efforts, while ensuring reliable and secure power transmission with reduced plug-in forces.

Implementation Method 1

compensating devices with centering cones and preloading springs

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

guide pins having annularly enlarged outer contours for precise alignment

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical constraint: Geometry

Data Source

PatentEP2612403B1Electrical component
Publication Date: 2018.11.28 PHOENIX CONTACT GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2612403B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2612403B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2612403B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

An electrical component (1) having a housing (2) and having a plurality of plug contacts (3, 4, 5, 6). In this case, the plug contact (3-6) is held in a floating manner on a contact mount (7), and the contact mount (7) is held in a floating manner on the housing (2).