Pass Through Plate Conductor Attachment With Latch Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pass through plates in vehicles face issues with the attachment of electrical conductors, which can break under loads or impacts, leading to safety hazards and costly replacements, as the conductors are immovably fixed and lack robustness against lateral forces.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an attachment member with a recessed section and radially moving latch elements that securely hold the electrical conductor in place, allowing for easy removal and replacement without replacing the entire plate, and provides lateral support to prevent detachment from external forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the electrical conductor is immovably fixed to the pass through plate using encapsulated attachment, then the conductor placement is fixed and stable, but the attachment lacks robustness against lateral forces and impacts causing the conductor to break away
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment member is segmented into distinct functional zones: an encapsulated portion for fixed attachment to the pass through plate, and a receptacle portion with latch elements for secure but replaceable conductor retention. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function optimally - the encapsulated portion provides stable mounting while the receptacle portion provides impact-resistant conductor retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch elements are configured to be movable relative to the receptacle wall, transitioning between engaged and disengaged states. This dynamic capability allows the attachment to accommodate lateral forces and impacts while maintaining secure retention, and enables easy conductor replacement without damaging the pass through plate.
2Reliability
If the electrical conductor is encapsulated and immovably fixed in the pass through plate, then the conductor is securely attached, but replacing the conductor requires removal and replacement of the entire pass through plate which is costly and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment member is divided into an encapsulated portion integrated with the pass through plate and a separate receptacle portion that holds the conductor. This segmentation allows the conductor to be replaced by simply detaching it from the receptacle portion, leaving the encapsulated attachment member and pass through plate intact, significantly reducing repair time and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor is extracted from the encapsulated attachment and placed into a separate receptacle portion of the attachment member. This extraction allows the conductor to be independently removed and replaced without affecting the encapsulated attachment member or the pass through plate, enabling easy maintenance.
3Device complexity
If the electrical conductor is attached with simple encapsulated construction, then the pass through plate construction is simple, but the attachment lacks sufficient strength to resist lateral forces during use
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment member is segmented into an encapsulated portion for simple integration with the pass through plate and a receptacle portion with latch elements for enhanced strength. This segmentation adds strength where needed while maintaining simple construction overall, as the encapsulated portion remains straightforward while the receptacle portion provides the necessary mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment member functions as a composite structure combining the encapsulated portion (integrated with pass through plate) and the receptacle portion (with movable latch elements). This composite construction provides both the simplicity of encapsulated attachment and the strength of a robust retention mechanism, resisting lateral forces effectively.
Data Source
AI summary
Pass through plates have a body with an opposed first surface and second surface and an attachment member extending therethrough. The attachment member includes a wall structure configured to accommodate placement of an electrical conductor therein. The attachment member may include a recessed section configured to accommodate an outer section of the electrical conductor to prevent rotational movement of the electrical conductor therein. A retaining element is configured to contact the electrical conductor and retain axial placement of the electrical conductor within the attachment member when the electrical conductor is installed in the wall structure. The retaining element may comprise one or more latch elements extending along the attachment member wall and configured to move radially. The retaining element may be configured to contact a portion of the electrical conductor once installed in the attachment member. The attachment element and retaining element are integral with the pass through plate body.