Movable Insulating Element for Electrical Connector Short Circuit Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical plug-in connectors face challenges in preventing short circuits between internal and external conductor contact elements due to protruding wires from the external conductor shielding braid, particularly in safety-critical applications, and current solutions like coating screws are costly and not fully reliable.
Innovation Solution
An electrical plug-in connector design featuring an insulating protective element that can be displaced between an assembly position and an insulating protection position, blocking the assembly access point to prevent short circuits, while allowing for cost-effective and efficient assembly, suitable for mass production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an insulating protective element is arranged between internal conductor contact elements and external conductor contact element to prevent short circuits, then reliability is improved, but assembly complexity increases and assembly access is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating protective element is designed as a movable component that can be displaced between two positions: an assembly position where it clears the assembly access point to allow tool insertion, and an insulating protection position where it blocks the assembly access point to prevent short circuits. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction by providing both assembly accessibility and short circuit protection at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating protective element is pre-positioned in the assembly position during manufacturing, clearing the assembly access point before assembly operations begin. This preliminary arrangement ensures that assembly tools can be inserted without obstruction, and after assembly is complete, the element is then moved to the insulating protection position to prevent short circuits.
2Reliability
If an insulating protective element with blocked assembly access point is used to prevent short circuits, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The movable insulating protective element allows manufacturers to choose the optimal configuration for each assembly stage: positioned to clear the assembly access point during assembly operations, and positioned to block the assembly access point after assembly to prevent short circuits. This eliminates the need for complex fixed structures while maintaining both assembly ease and short circuit protection.
3Ease of operation
If assembly access point is cleared for fastening internal conductor contact element, then ease of operation is improved, but risk of short circuit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating protective element dynamically transitions between clearing and blocking the assembly access point. During the assembly operation, it is positioned to clear the access point, allowing assembly tools to be inserted. After assembly is complete, it is moved to block the assembly access point, preventing protruding wires from establishing electrical connections between internal and external conductors.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable insulating protective element acts as an intermediary between the assembly access point and the internal conductor contact elements. When positioned to block the assembly access point, it serves as a physical barrier that prevents protruding wires from reaching the internal conductors, thereby eliminating the short circuit risk while maintaining ease of operation during assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical plug-in connector includes an internal conductor contact element, an external conductor contact element and an insulating protective element arranged between the internal conductor contact element and the external conductor contact element. The external conductor contact element may have a recess for providing an assembly access point for fastening the internal conductor contact element to an internal conductor of an electrical cable. The insulating protective element can be displaced between an assembly position, in which the assembly access point is cleared through the assembly recess to the internal conductor contact element, and an insulating protection position, in which the assembly access point to the internal conductor contact element is blocked by the insulating protective element.