Flexible Power Connector With Angulating Contact Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical connectors face challenges in balancing power transmission capabilities with dimensional constraints and heat dissipation, while also requiring flexibility to accommodate mating and mounting tolerances.
Innovation Solution
The design of an electrical power contact with a mounting portion and a mating portion, featuring first and second contact blades that can elastically angulate, allowing for deflection between 0.25 mm and 3 mm, enabling sliding contact and improved flexibility to comply with various tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If power transmission capabilities are increased, then power transmission capability is improved, but dimensional constraints and heat dissipation are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is divided into multiple contact blades (first contact blade and second contact blade) that can deflect independently. This segmentation allows the contact to maintain smaller individual dimensions while collectively providing enhanced power transmission capability through parallel current paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact blades are designed with elastic properties to deflect dynamically in response to applied forces. This dynamic capability allows the contact to adapt its shape during insertion and mating, enabling effective power transmission without requiring larger static dimensions.
2Power
If power transmission capabilities are increased, then power transmission capability is improved, but heat dissipation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the contact into multiple blades creates separate heat dissipation paths. Each blade can dissipate heat independently to the substrate, preventing heat concentration and improving overall thermal management while maintaining high power transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact blades are designed with specific local properties including elastic modulus and thickness variations that optimize both electrical conductivity for power transmission and thermal conductivity for heat dissipation, allowing simultaneous improvement of both functions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If flexibility is increased to comply with tolerances, then adaptability is improved, but structural stability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The contact employs elastic deflection of the blades as a dynamic mechanism to accommodate dimensional tolerances and misalignments during insertion. The blades can bend and adapt to varying gap distances while maintaining stable electrical contact once mated, resolving the conflict between flexibility and stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic modulus and geometric parameters of the contact blades are specifically designed to provide optimal flexibility for tolerance compliance while maintaining sufficient structural stability. By adjusting these parameters, the contact achieves the desired balance between adaptability and stability.
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 enhances the flexibility of electrical contacts to accommodate different tolerances, ensuring reliable connections while maintaining effective power transmission and heat dissipation, thus addressing the limitations of existing connectors.
Implementation Method 1
A select portion of the power contact is configured to elastically angulate with respect to at least a portion of the mounting portion within a range that causes the first and second forwardmost tips to deflect a distance between approximately 0.25 mm and approximately 3 mm
Data Source
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AI summary
A power connector can include a dielectric connector housing and electrical contacts that are supported by the housing. The electrical contacts can each include first and second contact bodies. The first contact body can include a first contact blade and the second contact body can include a second contact blade that can define a mating portion of the electrical contact. The mating portion can be configured to mate with a complementary power connector along a mating direction so as to establish an electrical connection between the power connector and the complementary power connector. The contact blades can be configured to slide with respect to each other along the mating direction.