Fused-Flexible Busbar Structure for Vibration-Tolerant Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional busbars in automotive, military, marine, and aviation applications face challenges due to their high manufacturing costs, inability to accommodate manufacturing tolerances, and high failure rates, especially in environments with vibration, heat, and moisture, which limit their performance and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A busbar with integrated fused and unfused segments, where the fused segments are stiff and the unfused segments are flexible, allowing for complex geometric configurations and reduced material waste, enabling efficient installation and increased durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional custom fabricated busbars are used, then complex geometric configurations can be achieved, but manufacturing costs increase and installation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The busbar is divided into multiple modular segments that can be independently manufactured and then connected together. Each segment can be produced using standard fabrication processes, avoiding the need for expensive custom molds while still achieving complex overall geometries through modular assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple busbar segments are nested or interconnected through standardized coupling mechanisms, allowing complex three-dimensional configurations to be built from simpler individual components. This nesting approach enables geometric flexibility without requiring complex manufacturing for each unique shape.
2Reliability
If conventional fasteners are used to install busbars, then secure connections can be achieved, but installation difficulty increases due to protective equipment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical fasteners requiring tools and protective equipment are replaced with a push-to-connect electrical coupling system. The electrical connection itself provides the securing mechanism, eliminating the need for separate mechanical fastening operations and associated safety precautions.
Solution Approach 2:
The busbar segments are designed with self-aligning and self-securing features that automatically ensure proper connection when plugged together. The system performs its own alignment and securing functions without requiring external tools or specialized installation procedures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom fabricated busbars are used, then specific configurations can be achieved, but alterations become time-consuming and increase labor costs
Solution Approach 1:
The modular segment design allows individual sections to be easily replaced or reconfigured without affecting the entire busbar assembly. Standardized interfaces enable quick swapping of segments to accommodate design changes or modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized coupling mechanisms and segment designs allow the same basic components to serve multiple configuration needs. A single set of modular segments can be arranged in various configurations to meet different application requirements, reducing the need for custom fabrication for each variation.
4Shape
If conventional busbars with complex geometries are installed, then system requirements can be met, but failure rates increase due to vibration, heat, and moisture
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the busbar into modular segments with standardized connections creates multiple independent connection points that are more resilient to vibration and thermal stress than single complex joints. Each segment can move independently to accommodate expansion and contraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection design incorporates parameters that accommodate environmental variations, including flexible coupling mechanisms that tolerate thermal expansion, vibration isolation features, and sealed interfaces that resist moisture ingress while maintaining electrical connectivity.
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
The solution reduces manufacturing costs, enhances reliability, and improves performance by allowing for flexible installation and reduced failure rates in harsh environments, while eliminating the need for custom molds and minimizing handling and shipping issues.
Implementation Method 1
The fused segment of the busbar contains at least one region of conductors that has been partially solidified or fully solidified, which increases the stiffness of the fused segment of the busbar
Implementation Method 2
The unfused segment of the busbar contains unsolidified regions of conductors, not partially solidified or fully solidified regions of conductors, that cause the unfused segment to be flexible and capable of being bent
Data Source
AI summary
A busbar for use in mechanically and electrically connecting components in a device or system. The busbar includes a plurality of conductors arranged to provide two opposed end portions and an intermediate portion, wherein each of the conductors has a plurality of intermediate extents that traverse the intermediate portion. The intermediate portion including: (A) an unfused segment where no intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a single consolidated conductor, and (B) a fused segment that includes (i) a partial solidification zone where a majority of the intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a partially solidified region that provides a single consolidated conductor, (ii) a full solidification zone where all of intermediate extents of the conductors are fused together to form a fully solidified region that provides a single consolidated conductor, and (iii) an unsolidified region where all of the intermediate extents of the conductors are not fused together.