Electrical Plug Earthing with Integrated Metallic Housing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical plugs with multiple metallic housing parts face complex earthing configurations, leading to increased mounting effort and costs, as well as reduced longevity due to corrosion and high electrical transition resistance in screw connections.
Innovation Solution
An electrical plug design featuring a plug housing with a first and second outer housing part, an earthing contact, and a separate earthing connection element made of metal, where the earthing connection element is connected to both housing parts, providing a robust and efficient earthing solution through a combination of clamping and screw connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screw connections are used to earth multiple separate outer housing parts, then the housing parts can be connected, but the electrical transition resistance increases over time and corrosion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate outer housing parts into a single integrated housing structure. This eliminates the need for screw connections between housing parts, thereby preventing corrosion at connection points and maintaining low electrical transition resistance throughout the product lifecycle. The integrated housing ensures reliable and durable earthing connections without the degradation issues associated with mechanical fasteners.
2Reliability
If individual strands are crimped onto earthing contact for each housing part, then each part can be earthed, but the mounting effort and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple earthing connections into a single integrated earthing contact within the unified housing structure. Instead of requiring separate crimping operations for each housing part, the integrated design provides a single earthing contact that serves the entire housing assembly, dramatically reducing mounting effort and simplifying the earthing configuration process.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated earthing contact is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously - it provides earthing for the entire housing assembly, replaces multiple individual earthing contacts, and eliminates the need for separate connection mechanisms. This multi-functional approach reduces both complexity and mounting effort while maintaining reliable earthing.
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
The design achieves a significant reduction in transition resistance to less than 20 mΩ, ensuring reliable earthing and extending the longevity of the electrical plug by simplifying the earthing process and enhancing electrical conductivity.
Implementation Method 1
The earthing connection element is electrically connected to the earthing contact, the first outer housing part, and the second outer housing part
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical plug includes a plug housing having a first outer housing part and a second outer housing part separate from the first outer housing part, an earthing contact disposed in the plug housing, and an earthing connection element separate from the earthing contact and disposed in the plug housing. The first outer housing part and the second outer housing part are each at least partly metallic. The earthing connection element is electrically connected to the earthing contact, the first outer housing part, and the second outer housing part.