One-Piece Meter Jaw Assembly Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current meter socket designs require numerous components, leading to reduced reliability, increased assembly costs, and excessive temperature rise, which can damage watt-hour meters and their components.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates one-piece meter jaw members with S-shaped resilient contacts and a U-shaped power connector, reducing the number of components and improving thermal conductivity, thereby minimizing heat generation and thermal gradients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate components are used for meter jaws and connectors, then assembly flexibility and adjustability are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate components (meter jaw, connector, mounting elements) into a single integrated one-piece meter jaw assembly. This eliminates the need for multiple discrete parts while maintaining all necessary functions, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost while preserving assembly flexibility through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The one-piece meter jaw assembly is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: providing electrical connection, mechanical retention, structural support, and thermal management. This multi-functional integration reduces the overall component count while maintaining the adaptability and versatility needed for different assembly configurations.
2Reliability
If traditional meter jaw materials and configurations are used, then electrical conductivity is maintained, but temperature rise increases which can damage meters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameters of the meter jaw assembly, specifically optimizing its geometry (thickness, length, cross-sectional area) to reduce electrical resistance and improve heat dissipation. By changing these dimensional parameters, the assembly maintains high electrical conductivity while significantly reducing temperature rise during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite construction techniques, combining highly conductive materials with optimized structural configurations. The one-piece assembly uses material composition and geometric design working together to achieve both excellent electrical conductivity and effective thermal management, preventing excessive temperature rise.
3Temperature
If jaw compressive force is increased to reduce heating, then thermal management improves, but installation force required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the geometric parameters of the jaw assembly to achieve the desired compressive force with minimal installation effort. By adjusting dimensions such as jaw thickness, leverage points, and contact surface area, the design generates sufficient compressive force for effective thermal management while keeping the installation force below 100 pounds.
Solution Approach 2:
The meter jaw assembly incorporates curved or S-shaped resilient contacts that provide mechanical advantage and distributed force application. This curvature allows the jaw to flex and engage the meter blade smoothly, generating the necessary compressive force for heat reduction without requiring excessive installation force.
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
This solution decreases the number of manufacturing operations, reduces heat generation, and minimizes thermal gradients, enhancing the reliability and cost-effectiveness of meter socket assemblies while maintaining electrical conductivity.
Implementation Method 1
S-shaped resilient contacts extending from the base tab and having outer curved sections mutually curved toward one another to form a meter connector blade receiving space between the outer curved sections
Implementation Method 2
improving thermal conductivity, thereby minimizing heat generation and thermal gradients
Implementation Method 3
maintaining electrical conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
An improved meter jaw assembly includes a one-piece meter jaw member formed by extrusion and including a pair of resilient jaw contacts extending from a base tab which also has a U-shaped wire receiver extending therefrom. Inner surfaces of the receiver are grooved to receive a slide nut with a threaded slide screw to clamp the end of a power cable therein. The jaw members include mounting keys to secure them to a mounting block. In a mold-in embodiment of the assembly, a pair of jaw members have mounting keys molded into the mounting block. In a slide-in embodiment, a pair of jaw members are retained in slide-in channels within the mounting block.