EV Service Plug Lever Mechanism for Reliable Current Interruption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing connectors for service plugs in electric vehicles require a prolonged period to ensure reliable interruption of current after signal line short circuit removal, making it difficult to detach the plug connector safely and reliably.

Innovation Solution

A connector system with an interlock busbar, clip busbar, and a lever that performs a first-half turning operation to remove the short circuit of conducting wires, followed by a sliding operation of a slider to block further lever movement, ensuring a reliable interruption of electrical conduction and subsequent removal of terminal short circuits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the lever performs continuous lifting and sliding operations to ensure current interruption time, then the required period of time can be ensured, but the operation becomes complex and difficult to control reliably

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereliable interruption of currentVSAvoidlever operation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lever operation is segmented into two distinct phases: a first-half turning operation that removes the short circuit of signal lines, and a second-half turning operation that removes the short circuit of terminals. This segmentation allows each phase to be controlled independently, ensuring reliable current interruption while simplifying the overall operation sequence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first-half turning operation is performed as a preliminary action to remove the short circuit of signal lines before the second-half operation removes the terminal short circuit. This preliminary action ensures that the current interruption time requirement is met before the final disconnection occurs, making the process more reliable and easier to control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the plug connector is detached immediately after signal line short circuit removal, then the operation is simple and fast, but the current interruption cannot be reliably ensured

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnector detachment simplicityVSAvoidcurrent interruption reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The detachment process is segmented into two sequential turning operations of the lever. The first-half operation handles signal line disconnection, and the second-half operation handles terminal disconnection. This segmentation maintains operational simplicity while ensuring that the current interruption time requirement is met through the controlled sequence of operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The lever is designed to perform dynamic turning operations that automatically control the timing and sequence of short circuit removal. The lever's motion dynamically manages the transition from signal line disconnection to terminal disconnection, ensuring reliable current interruption without requiring complex external control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3467959B1Connector and connector assembly
Publication Date: 2020.04.22 TE CONNECTIVITY JAPAN GK
  • EP3467959B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3467959B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3467959B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~3(C)

AI summary

A connector (20) and a connector assembly (10, 20) which remove a short circuit of terminals (12) after electrical conduction to the terminals is reliably interrupted. According to a first-half turning operation of a lever (24) in a mated state, a short circuit of two conducting wires (131) is removed by pulling out an interlock busbar (26) from an interlock connector (13) and the lever (24) also abuts against the slider (23) so that a further turning operation thereof can be inhibited. A sliding operation of the slider (23) enables a second-half turning operation of the lever (24), and according to the second-half turning operation of the lever (24), the terminals (12) are released from the pinching of the terminals (12) by the clip busbar (25).