Electrical Connection Element With Spring Blade Clamping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection elements for electrical outlets face challenges in minimizing material usage while ensuring satisfactory clamping and electrical contact, particularly in meeting standards like Franco-Belgian and Schuko standards, which require robustness without deformation under varying pin diameters.
Innovation Solution
The connection element decouples clamping and electrical contact functions, using a leaf spring made of stainless steel with a specific shape to clamp both the electrical wire and pin, allowing for reduced conductive material usage while maintaining effective clamping and contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If complex known solutions are used to meet clamping and electrical contact requirements, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the clamping function and electrical contact function into a single integrated receiving cell structure. The receiving cell simultaneously clamps the pin mechanically and establishes electrical contact, eliminating the need for separate complex components while maintaining reliability through the unified design.
2Reliability
If more conductive material is used to ensure satisfactory electrical contact and clamping, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but material consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the receiving cell into distinct functional zones: a clamping portion for mechanical grip and a contact portion for electrical conduction. This segmentation allows optimization of material distribution, using conductive material only where electrically necessary while maintaining clamping effectiveness with minimal material.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving cell exhibits local quality variations with different portions having different properties. The clamping portion is optimized for mechanical grip while the contact portion is optimized for electrical conduction, allowing minimal conductive material to be used precisely where needed for satisfactory electrical contact.
3Reliability
If more conductive material is used to ensure satisfactory clamping and contact, then reliability is improved, but heating increases due to longer current path
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the receiving cell into clamping and contact portions, the patent creates a direct, short current path through the contact portion. This segmentation ensures that current flows through minimal material distance, reducing resistive heating while maintaining reliable electrical connection.
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 design achieves reliable electrical connection and clamping without excessive material usage, adhering to standards and reducing heat generation by minimizing conductive material, thus optimizing the connection element's performance and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a spring blade (200; 400), in particular made of stainless steel, which makes it possible to clamp the electrical wire and also to clamp the pin in its socket
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~6
Figure 7~11
AI summary
The invention relates to a connection element (1) for an electrical socket, comprising a body (100) and a spring blade (200) housed in this body, said spring blade comprising, at a first free end (201), two arms (211, 212) adapted to clamp together a connecting pin introduced into this connection element and, at a second free end (202), at least one other arm (221, 222) adapted to clamp, against said body of the connection element, an electrical wire, the spring blade being formed in one piece, by a metal strip of which a part (210) located at its first free end has a longitudinal slot (210A) separating said two arms, said body forming, on the one hand, a housing (110) which receives said second free end of the spring blade, and on the other hand, a receiving recess.According to the invention, this body (100) comprises two wings (101, 102) each extending along a longitudinal direction of the connecting element, and each comprising a flat part (111, 112) partially delimiting said housing (110) and a curved part (123, 124) partially delimiting said receiving cavity (120), and said spring blade (200) is adapted to cooperate with said wings of the body (100) so as to limit the spacing of the curved parts (123, 124) delimiting the receiving cavity.