Pivoting Lever Electrical Connector for EV Power
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Fretting corrosion in electrical connectors due to vibrational loads leads to increased ohmic contact resistance, energy loss, and safety risks, particularly in high-power applications like electric vehicles, where existing solutions like high-voltage compression lug connections are cumbersome, labor-intensive, and pose safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring a housing with pivoting lever and pusher element that ensures electrical contacts are bottomed out against each other before the connector housings, eliminating the need for lug connections by distributing mating forces effectively across contact pairs within manufacturing tolerances, thus reducing fretting corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high voltage compression lug connections are used to secure high power electrical connections, then the connection can handle high currents (50 A or higher), but the exposed uninsulated parts create safety risks to humans and electromagnetic radiation risks to the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an insulating housing as an intermediary that completely encloses the electrical contacts and connection elements. This mediator allows high power transmission while preventing direct exposure of conductive parts, thereby eliminating both safety risks to humans and electromagnetic radiation risks to the vehicle without compromising power transmission capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an inert, insulated environment by enclosing all electrical contacts within a non-conductive housing. This inert enclosure isolates the high-voltage components from the external environment, preventing harmful interactions while maintaining the high power transmission function internally
2Power
If high voltage compression lug connections are used for high power transmission, then adequate insulation can be provided, but the installation becomes time-consuming and laborious requiring dedicated tools and multiple marking steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates pre-configured electrical contacts and connection elements that are already positioned and prepared within the housing before installation. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for time-consuming on-site adjustments, markings, and dedicated installation tools, allowing for rapid plug-and-play installation while maintaining high power transmission capability
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed with self-aligning and self-securing features that automatically position and secure the electrical contacts during insertion, eliminating the need for manual alignment, marking, and fastening operations. The connection establishes proper electrical contact and mechanical securing through its own structural design, dramatically reducing installation time and labor requirements
3Adaptability or versatility
If lug connections are used with additional loops of excess cable for potential reparations, then repair flexibility is provided, but the total mass of the vehicle increases reducing energy efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the electrical connector with nested, space-efficient cable routing where excess cable length is compactly stored within the housing structure or along the connection path. This nesting approach provides the necessary repair flexibility while minimizing the external volume and mass added to the vehicle, thereby maintaining energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional space management by routing excess cable through multiple dimensions - along the housing interior, through channels, and in compact loops that utilize vertical and lateral spaces. This dimensional approach allows sufficient cable length for repairs without adding proportional mass, optimizing the weight-to-flexibility ratio
4Strength
If lug connections are used for high power transmission, then adequate mechanical strength can be achieved, but thermal expansion, vibrations and compression stress cause wear requiring frequent refastening and preventative maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple securing functions into a single integrated connector assembly where the housing, contacts, and fastening elements work together as one unit. This merged design ensures that thermal expansion, vibrations, and compression stresses are distributed across the entire assembly rather than concentrating wear on individual fastening points, eliminating the need for frequent refastening while maintaining high mechanical strength and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates dynamic compensation features that allow the connector assembly to adapt to thermal expansion and vibration stresses in real-time. These dynamic elements absorb and accommodate dimensional changes and mechanical stresses, preventing wear and maintaining secure connections under varying operational conditions without requiring preventative maintenance
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a housing defining an internal connector space and mateable with a mating housing of a second electrical connector in a mating direction parallel to a mating axis, a pair of electrical contacts housed in the internal connector space and mateable with a plurality of second electrical contacts of the second electrical connector, and a lever housed in the internal connector space. A mechanical contact between the housing and the lever establishes a fulcrum of the lever. The fulcrum is arranged between the electrical contacts. A pivoting of the lever moves a position of the electrical contacts relative to the housing.