Fused Stranded Cable Ends for High Pull-Out Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical cable assemblies face challenges in securely connecting electrical conductors to mating and mounting members without the use of crimp sleeves, which can lead to lower tensile pull-out forces and increased temperature rise.
Innovation Solution
The electrical cable assembly features stranded electrically conductive fibers shaped to define keyed surfaces, which are fused to each other at the ends before connection, allowing for secure attachment to mating and mounting members without crimp sleeves, utilizing ultrasonic bonding or soldering to enhance durability and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If crimp sleeves are used to connect electrical conductors to mating and mounting members, then the connection process is simple, but the tensile pull-out force is lower and temperature rise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical crimping system with an ultrasonic welding system. The ultrasonic welding device uses high-frequency vibrational energy to fuse the conductive fibers directly to the contact surfaces, eliminating the need for mechanical crimp sleeves. This substitution achieves both simplified manufacturing (no crimping tools needed) and superior mechanical strength (direct fusion bond).
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrasonic welding process utilizes phase transitions in the material at the contact interface. The high-frequency vibration generates localized heat that temporarily softens or melts the material, allowing fibers to fuse together and to the contact surface. As the material cools, it solidifies into a strong, permanent bond, achieving high tensile strength without complex mechanical assembly.
2Ease of manufacture
If crimp sleeves are used to connect electrical conductors, then the connection process is simple, but the temperature performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ultrasonic welding process replaces mechanical crimping with vibrational energy fusion. This creates a direct metal-to-metal bond between conductive fibers and contact surfaces, eliminating the interface resistance that generates heat in crimped connections. The resulting bond has superior thermal performance with minimal temperature rise under load.
3Strength
If stranded wire ends are shaped and fused without crimp sleeves, then tensile pull-out force and temperature performance improve, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple operations into a single integrated ultrasonic welding process. The shaping of wire ends and the fusion bonding occur in one continuous operation using the ultrasonic welding device. This merging of operations achieves high tensile strength while actually simplifying the overall manufacturing process compared to separate crimping and assembly steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The ultrasonic welding process is self-regulating and self-completing. The high-frequency vibration automatically generates the necessary heat at the contact interface, and the process self-terminates when the bond is formed. This eliminates the need for complex control systems, tooling adjustments, and quality verification steps, reducing manufacturing complexity despite the advanced bonding mechanism.
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 provides higher tensile pull-out forces and better temperature performance compared to crimped sleeves, while allowing for various cable sizes to attach to the same connectors, ensuring secure and efficient electrical connections.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing ultrasonic bonding or soldering to enhance durability and reliability
Implementation Method 2
utilizing ultrasonic bonding or soldering to enhance durability and reliability
Data Source
AI summary
Electrical cables are described having strands of fibers of wire that are fused together at their ends to facilitate attachment to a respective mating member and mounting member.