High-Voltage Connector Housing That Eliminates Triple Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-voltage electrical connections are prone to malfunction due to the formation of triple points, which are junctions between conductors, solid dielectrics, and gases, leading to discharge events and connection failures, particularly in harsh environments like aircraft and automotive applications.
Innovation Solution
A connector device with a housing made of dielectric materials that eliminates gas presence between conductive and dielectric components, using a dielectric cover and base with contacting means that ensure all conductive elements are at the same electrical potential, and optionally includes dielectric grease to fill air cavities, preventing triple points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional connector designs are used with conductors, solid dielectrics, and gas interfaces, then the connector can be manufactured with standard materials and processes, but triple points form at the junctions leading to discharge events and connection failures in high-voltage applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes gas from the interface between conductors and dielectric materials by sealing the connector housing to create a gas-free environment. This extraction of the harmful gas phase eliminates the triple point condition while maintaining the essential conductor-dielectric interface for electrical connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an inert environment by sealing the connector housing to exclude gas, effectively replacing the atmospheric gas environment with a vacuum or gas-free atmosphere at the critical interfaces. This prevents the formation of triple points that would otherwise occur with air present.
2Reliability
If the housing is sealed to eliminate gas between conductive and dielectric elements, then triple points are prevented and connection reliability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases due to the need for gas-tight sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the sealing function directly into the housing structure itself, combining the mechanical housing with gas-tight sealing features. This merging eliminates the need for separate sealing components and reduces overall device complexity while achieving the gas-free environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the housing materials and interfaces to achieve gas-tight sealing, such as using materials with appropriate thermal expansion coefficients, surface finishes, and elastic properties that enable reliable sealing without complex additional structures.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4~5A
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a connector device for connecting at least one electrical cable and comprising a housing, wherein the housing comprises a cover comprising a dielectric cover wall material and a base comprising a dielectric base wall material, the cover and the base being configured to be mated to each other in a closed state of the housing and to receive an end portion of the at least one electrical cable comprising an electrically conductive portion, and a contacting means for electrically contacting the electrically conductive portion of the at least one electrical cable in the closed state of the housing. The cover and the base are configured such that in the closed state of the housing the housing is substantially gas-free between a) the electrically conductive portion of the at least one electrical cable and the dielectric cover wall material, b) the electrically conductive portion of the at least one electrical cable and the dielectric base wall material, c) the contacting means and the dielectric cover wall material, and d) the contacting means and the dielectric base wall material.