High-Voltage Connector Rib Structure for Insulation and Cable Stress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for high-voltage circuits lack sufficient clearance and creepage distances between terminals, leading to inadequate electrical insulation and potential stress concentration on high-voltage cables.
Innovation Solution
The connector design includes a housing with partition walls and insulating ribs that increase clearance and creepage distances between adjacent housing chambers, while supporting a connector position assurance for smooth sliding, and distributes bending stress on high-voltage cables by forming the insulating rib thinner than the partition wall with a step at the boundary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the housing chambers are arranged closely to reduce connector size, then the connector becomes more compact, but the clearance and creepage distances between high-voltage terminals become insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple partition walls that create separate housing chambers for high-voltage terminals. The partition walls include insulating ribs that extend into the housing chambers, effectively segmenting the space and providing electrical insulation between adjacent terminals while maintaining a compact overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing distance in the horizontal plane between terminals, the insulating ribs extend vertically from the partition walls into the housing chambers. This dimensional approach increases clearance and creepage distances without significantly increasing the horizontal footprint of the connector.
2Reliability
If the partition wall thickness is increased to improve insulation, then electrical insulation between terminals is enhanced, but bending stress concentration on high-voltage cables increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall structure varies locally: the base partition wall provides structural support, while insulating ribs extend locally from the partition wall into the housing chamber. This local addition of insulating material provides enhanced electrical insulation without requiring a uniform increase in partition wall thickness throughout, thereby reducing stress concentration on cables.
3Ease of operation
If the connector position assurance is made to slide smoothly for easy operation, then ease of connection is improved, but the structural complexity of the housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition walls serve multiple functions: they provide structural support for the housing chambers, provide electrical insulation between terminals, and serve as mounting surfaces for the connector position assurance. The insulating ribs extend from the partition walls to provide both insulation and sliding surfaces, reducing the need for separate components and simplifying the overall structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector connected to a counterpart connector includes a housing with a plurality of housing chambers, into each of which a high-voltage terminal fixed to a high-voltage cable is inserted. A connector position assurance is slidably provided in the housing along the insertion/removal direction of the high-voltage terminals to ensure the housing position relative to a counterpart housing. The housing includes at least one partition wall partitioning the housing chambers, a placing table positioned orthogonally to the insertion/removal and adjoining directions, on which the connector position assurance is slidably mounted, and at least one insulating rib extending from the individual partition walls in the pulling-out direction of the high-voltage terminals. The insulating ribs increase the clearance and creepage distances between adjacent high-voltage terminals and support the placing table or the connector position assurance protruding from the placing table.