EV Charging Plug Segmented Interface With Alignment Funnel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Land-side electric vehicle charging plugs experience high wear and tear, mechanical stress, and damage, leading to cumbersome and unreliable replacement processes, particularly when exchanging electrical contacts, which can result in poor contact quality and excessive heating due to high ohmic resistance.
Innovation Solution
A land-side electric vehicle charging plug with a plug base and a separate exchangeable interface featuring forced guidance means, such as a threading funnel, to align the interface with the connector base, reducing initial angle deviations and ensuring secure, reproducible contact, and an elastic guidance mechanism to counteract angular deviations, along with a securing element for tool-locked attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire charging cable including the land-side charging plug is replaced, then the reliability of the charging connector is improved, but the loss of time and productivity deteriorate due to opening the charging station and reconnecting the cable
Solution Approach 1:
The charging plug is divided into two separable parts: a reusable plug base and an exchangeable interface. This segmentation allows only the worn interface to be replaced while keeping the plug base and cable connected, eliminating the need to disconnect and reconnect the entire charging cable at the charging station.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface is extracted as a separate replaceable component from the plug base. This extraction enables independent replacement of the interface without affecting the plug base or cable connection, allowing quick replacement by simply removing and attaching a new interface.
2Productivity
If only the electrical contacts are exchanged on the shore-side charging plug, then the productivity is improved by avoiding full cable replacement, but the manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate due to cumbersome soldering or crimping processes that are very prone to poor implementation
Solution Approach 1:
The interface is segmented into a separate replaceable unit that contains the electrical contacts integrated with an interface body. This segmentation allows the entire interface assembly to be replaced as one unit, eliminating the need for separate soldering or crimping operations and ensuring consistent connection quality through standardized attachment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface is designed as a disposable or limited-life component that can be easily replaced. Instead of attempting to repair or re-solder contacts, the entire interface is replaced as a single unit, ensuring consistent quality without relying on the skill level of technicians performing complex electrical connections.
3Ease of operation
If adapter contacts are plugged together without exact axial alignment, then the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in plugging, but the device complexity increases with the need for precise alignment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
Forced guidance means are provided in advance on both the plug base and interface to pre-align them during the insertion process. These guidance features (such as guide pins, tapered surfaces, or alignment grooves) automatically correct angular deviations and ensure exact axial alignment of the electrical contacts before they engage, eliminating the need for manual alignment by the operator.
Solution Approach 2:
Forced guidance means act as an intermediary mechanism between the operator and the electrical contacts. During insertion, the guidance features mediate the alignment process by mechanically guiding the interface into proper position, ensuring that the contacts align perfectly without requiring the operator to achieve precise manual alignment.
4Ease of operation
If contacts are poorly aligned when plugged together, then the reliability deteriorates due to deformation or damage of contact ends, but the ease of operation improves by allowing free insertion
Solution Approach 1:
Forced guidance means are provided in advance to pre-align the interface and plug base during insertion. These guidance features (such as guide pins, tapered surfaces, or alignment grooves) automatically correct angular deviations and ensure exact axial alignment of the electrical contacts before they engage, preventing deformation or damage while maintaining ease of insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The forced guidance means provide protective alignment before the electrical contacts make full contact. By establishing proper alignment through mechanical guidance features during the insertion process, the system prevents misalignment damage before it can occur, cushioning the contacts from harmful forces.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a shore-side electric vehicle charging plug (10) with a plug base (20) and a separate and replaceable interface (30) which is detachably attached to the plug base (20), wherein the plug base (20) has an electrically non-conductive base body (22) and at least one charging current base contact (24), the interface (30) has an electrically non-conductive interface body (32) and at least one charging current interface contact (34) which is plugged together with the corresponding charging current base contact (24), and the plug base (20) and the interface (30) have positive guidance means (50-65) which form an insertion funnel (64, 65, 72, 73).