Integrated Grounding Contact Insert for Low-Heat Fault Current Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grounding devices for electrical connectors face challenges in efficiently dissipating fault currents, are complex and costly to produce, and have limited scalability and miniaturization capabilities due to force-fitting connections and rigid spring arms, leading to increased heating and potential damage.
Innovation Solution
A grounding device with a plate-shaped base body and radially extending contact elements, made from conductive materials like copper alloys, allows for reliable PE contacting and high current load capacity, featuring integrally bonded connections and resilient contact elements for secure and efficient fault current dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate contact element surrounding the PE contact in a force-fitting manner is used to establish a continuous metal connection, then the grounding connection is achieved, but the mounting becomes complicated and difficult to automate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the contact element and spring arms into a single grounding device unit that is injection-molded directly into the insulating body. This merging of previously separate components (contact element, spring arms, insulating body) eliminates the need for separate mounting steps and force-fitting operations, while maintaining the reliable continuous metal connection for grounding.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding device is pre-formed as an integrated unit during the injection molding process, with the contact element and spring arms already in their final positions and configurations. This preliminary formation eliminates the need for subsequent assembly operations, making the manufacturing process simpler and more automatable while ensuring proper grounding connection.
2Reliability
If the connection arrangement is introduced deeply into the monolithic contact body, then the contact surfaces can contact the metal housing, but gaps and openings must be made in the integrally formed contact body requiring complex slide tools
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating gaps and openings in an already-formed insulating body to accommodate the grounding device, the patent inverts the process by forming the grounding device and integrating it into the insulating body during the injection molding process itself. This eliminates the need for subsequent gap-cutting operations and complex slide tools, while still achieving proper contact between the contact surfaces and metal housing.
3Ease of operation
If gaps protrude very deeply into the insulating body, then the connection arrangement can be received, but the selection of flame-retardant plastics materials is limited due to material flowability requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding device is pre-formed with the contact element and spring arms in their final configurations before being integrated into the insulating body during injection molding. This preliminary formation eliminates the need for deep gaps to accommodate the components, allowing the use of a broader range of flame-retardant plastics materials with varying flowability characteristics, thereby increasing material selection flexibility.
4Reliability
If the known connection arrangement with two contact points and concave contact surfaces is used, then the grounding connection is established, but the total contact surface is very small leading to increased end resistance and significant heating at the contact point
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the contact surfaces from concave to convex spherical shapes. This curvature change increases the contact surface area between the contact element and spring arms, and between the spring arms and metal housing, thereby reducing end resistance and minimizing heating at the contact points while maintaining reliable grounding connection.
5Ease of manufacture
If force-fitting connections are used for all contact points, then the grounding device can be assembled, but additional heating occurs leading to increased probability of damage in the plug connection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the connection method from force-fitting to integrally bonded (welded or metallurgically bonded) connections for the contact element to spring arms and housing. This parameter change in the joining method reduces contact resistance and eliminates the additional heating associated with force-fitting connections, while still allowing for feasible assembly through standardized bonding processes.
6Productivity
If the pin configuration is designed with multi-pin or miniaturization, then the contact density increases, but the gaps required for receiving the connection arrangement reduce the available space making realization difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the grounding device components (contact element, spring arms) into a single integrated unit that is injection-molded directly into the insulating body. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate gaps to accommodate multiple separate components, maximizing the available space for pin configurations and enabling multi-pin and miniaturized designs without compromising grounding functionality.
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 provides a robust, cost-effective, and scalable grounding system that ensures reliable fault current dissipation and secure electrical connections, even under harsh conditions, with minimized volume resistances and improved heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
at least one contact element (5) having a contact surface (14) extending radially outwards... reliable PE contacting and high current load capacity... reliable fault current dissipation
Implementation Method 2
made from conductive materials like copper alloys... improved heat dissipation... minimized volume resistances
Data Source
AI summary
A grounding device, in particular for a contact insert, having a substantially plate-shaped base body made of an electrically conductive material, wherein the base body has at least one passage for a contact, in particular a contact pin, and at least one contact element having a contact surface extending radially outwards. Furthermore, a grounding unit, a contact insert and an electrical plug connector are specified. Furthermore, a method for producing a contact insert is described.