Identical Connector Housings for EV Charging Cable Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Charging cables for electric vehicles have high production costs due to the use of numerous high-quality components, which are necessary for reliable electrical connections and water protection, making it challenging to reduce manufacturing effort while maintaining quality.
Innovation Solution
The charging cable design features identical housings and contact collars for both connectors, reducing the number of components and manufacturing costs, with a simple sealing mechanism using stretchable grommets and anti-kink elements, and optional sensor integration for temperature monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-quality connectors with many components are used to handle high charging currents, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing identical housings for both connectors in the charging cable. Instead of creating two different connector designs, the same housing structure is used for both ends, reducing the number of unique components that need to be manufactured and assembled. This maintains reliable electrical connections while lowering manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the housing designs of both connectors into a single standardized housing structure. By combining the design requirements into one universal housing, the patent reduces the total number of different components needed, simplifies the supply chain, and reduces assembly variations, thereby improving ease of manufacture while maintaining reliability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a charging cable has connectors at both ends for connection to vehicle and charging station, then versatility is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating a housing design that can serve both as a vehicle connector and a charging station connector. The same housing structure accommodates different contact collar configurations, allowing one housing type to fulfill multiple connector roles. This reduces the number of unique housing components needed while maintaining the versatility to connect to both vehicles and charging stations.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple sealing measures are used to protect connectors against water ingress, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but protection reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible grommets made of elastomeric material to seal around the cable conductor where it enters the connector housing. These flexible sealing elements conform to the cable shape and provide effective water protection through a simple, cost-effective design that integrates into the universal housing structure without adding complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a
AI summary
The charging cable (10) comprises an electrical conductor (19) having several electrical conductors (191, 192) enclosed by a conductor sheath (190), which are connected at one end to first terminal contacts (15A) of a first connector (1A) and at the other end to second terminal contacts (15B) of a second connector (1B), wherein the first connector (1A) comprises a housing (11) and a first contact collar (16A) held by this housing (11) in which the first terminal contacts (15A) are located, and the second connector (1B) comprises a housing (11) and a second contact collar (16B) held by this housing (11) in which the second terminal contacts (15B) are located.According to the invention, the housing (11) of the first connector (1A) and the housing (11) of the second connector (1B) are identical and have a first housing shell (111) and a second housing shell (112) which are connected to each other and together form a housing connection part (119) with a receiving opening (110), and the first and second contact collars (16A, 16B) each have a collar connection part (169) which is held in the receiving opening (110) by the housing connection part (119) of the associated housing (11).