Pivotable Contact Guard for Multi-Direction Cable Exit

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing contact protection solutions for electrical connections in vehicles require separate components for different cable exit directions, leading to increased storage and production efforts, especially for high-voltage battery connections where a universal solution is needed to accommodate various outlet directions.

Innovation Solution

A contact protection system comprising a lower part, a fixed upper part, and a pivotable upper part made of non-conductive material, allowing the cover to be oriented over a wide angular range to adapt to different cable exit directions, while providing protection against dirt and moisture ingress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If separate contact protection components are used for different cable exit directions, then effective protection against contact and corrosion is achieved, but storage and production efforts increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The contact protection device is designed with a pivotable upper part that can be rotated to different angular positions, allowing a single component to provide effective protection for multiple cable exit directions. This universal design eliminates the need for separate protection components for each direction, reducing both storage requirements and production complexity while maintaining reliable protection against contact and corrosion

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of manufacture

If a fixed contact protection housing is used, then manufacturing is simple, but adaptability to different cable directions is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcable direction adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The contact protection device incorporates a pivotable upper part that can be rotated and fixed at different angular positions according to the specific cable exit direction. This dynamic element allows the same housing design to be manufactured once and then adapted to multiple directions through simple rotation, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving high adaptability to different cable orientations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If multiple specialized contact protection devices are stored for different directions, then each direction is optimized, but storage space and inventory complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirection-specific optimizationVSAvoidinventory variety
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of maintaining separate optimized protection devices for each cable direction, the invention provides a single universal device where the upper part can be pivoted to the required angular position. This reduces inventory variety from multiple specialized components to a single multi-functional component, while still providing direction-specific optimization through the pivoting mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3716408B1Flexible contact safety for electrical connection
Publication Date: 2022.06.22 NEXANS SA
  • EP3716408B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3716408B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C
  • EP3716408B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A contact guard consists of a lower part, a fixed upper part, and a pivoting upper part made of an electrically non-conductive material, which together protect live parts of the electrical connection device from contact. The pivoting upper part of the contact guard allows it to be adjusted to different exit directions of an electrical conductor within a wide angular range. The contact guard can be implemented for different exit directions using the same components.