Passive Current Sensor Direct Busbar Contact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Passive current sensors in electric vehicles face reliability issues due to low-strength soldered connections between printed circuit boards and busbars, which are prone to aging and difficult to quality-test.
Innovation Solution
A passive current sensor design featuring direct electrical and mechanical connections between voltage drop measuring contacts and busbars, eliminating the need for a printed circuit board, with contact pins securely fastened via a press fit or barb-like mechanism, and a redundant pair of voltage drop measuring contacts for validation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If soldered connections between PCB and busbars are used, then electrical connections can be established, but the connection strength and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the printed circuit board (PCB) from the system entirely. The voltage drop measuring contacts are directly attached to the busbars without any intermediate PCB substrate, eliminating the weak soldered connections that plagued the previous design. This extraction of the problematic PCB component directly resolves the contradiction between connection reliability and strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functions of the PCB and the voltage drop measuring contacts into a single integrated structure. The carrier serves both as the mounting substrate and as the element that directly contacts the busbars, creating a unified connection system that eliminates the weak interface between PCB and busbar.
2Ease of manufacture
If PCB with soldered connections is used, then voltage signals can be tapped, but quality testing of connections becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
By removing the PCB from the system, the patent eliminates the hidden soldered connections that made quality testing difficult. The direct attachment of voltage drop measuring contacts to busbars creates visible, accessible connection points that can be easily inspected and tested during quality control processes.
3Reliability
If direct contact connections are used, then connection strength and reliability are improved, but the structure becomes simpler
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves improved connection reliability by extracting and eliminating the PCB, thereby simplifying the overall structure. The direct contact connections between voltage drop measuring contacts and busbars create a more reliable system while simultaneously reducing structural complexity by removing unnecessary intermediate components.
Data Source
AI summary
A passive current sensor includes a pair of electrically conductive busbars, a shunt resistor electrically connecting the busbars, and a carrier having a first pair of voltage drop measuring contacts. At least one of the voltage drop measuring contacts is attached to each of the busbars and forms a direct electrical contact between the at least one voltage drop measuring contact and the busbar.