High Voltage Plug Connector Dual-Stage Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-voltage plug connections in electric or hybrid vehicles pose safety risks due to voltages exceeding 45 volts, often around 300-400 volts, requiring enhanced safety measures to prevent improper handling and ensure operator safety during assembly.
Innovation Solution
The plug connector and mating connector are designed to require two independent means to transition from a pre-locking to a final locking position, incorporating features like projections, blocks, and tabs that necessitate deliberate action and tool usage, ensuring that electrical contact is made only after conscious operation and proper alignment, thus enhancing safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple plug-in connection is used for high-voltage applications, then ease of operation is improved, but safety is worsened due to risk of accidental contact with high voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The plugging process is segmented into two distinct phases: a pre-locking position and a final locking position. The contact partners are arranged such that in the pre-locking position, only mechanical contact is established while electrical contact is prevented. This segmentation allows the operator to first establish mechanical connection safely, then deliberately complete the electrical connection through a second independent actuation, thus maintaining safety while enabling operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pre-locking position serves as a preliminary action that establishes mechanical connection and proper alignment before electrical contact is made. This preliminary state allows verification of correct positioning and provides a safety checkpoint before the final electrical connection is established, preventing accidental high-voltage contact while maintaining operational capability.
2Reliability
If two independent means are required to complete plugging, then safety is improved by preventing accidental contact, but ease of operation is worsened due to additional steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions between two states: pre-locking and final locking. The contact partners are designed with dynamic positioning capabilities where they can occupy different spatial relationships during the plugging process. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt its safety characteristics based on the operational stage, providing enhanced safety during transition while maintaining operational efficiency.
3Reliability
If contact partners are arranged to prevent electrical contact in pre-locking position, then safety is improved, but device complexity is worsened due to additional structural requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The contact partners are nested within housings that provide structural guidance and positioning. The housing structures contain the contact partners in specific spatial arrangements that automatically enforce the pre-locking/final locking sequence. This nesting approach integrates safety functionality into the existing connector structure rather than adding separate safety mechanisms, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The connector has a plug-in connector unit (1) i.e. strapping plug, and a counter plug-in connector including respective housings (3) with contact partners (4) that are arranged with each other. The plug-in connector unit and the counter connector are moved relative to each other from pre-lock position into end-lock position if units e.g. protrusion (11), block and distant strap (14), independent of each other and formed by the plug-in connector unit and the counter connector are actuated. The contact partners are not electrically connected with each other in the pre-lock position. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating a plug-in connector for high voltage application.