Ring Terminal Plug Connector for Low-Resistance High-Current Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional plug connectors with tuning fork terminals experience high contact resistance due to small contact areas, leading to overheating when heavy currents flow, as the terminals are in contact at a single point.
Innovation Solution
A plug connector with a ring shape conductive terminal featuring multiple conductive contacts that increase the contact area with the docking terminal, reducing contact resistance and preventing overheating by distributing the current across multiple contact points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a tuning fork terminal is used for connection, then the connector structure is simple, but the contact area is small leading to high contact resistance and overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The ring shape conductive terminal is segmented into multiple conductive contacts (first conductive contact, second conductive contact, third conductive contact, fourth conductive contact) arranged around its circumference. This segmentation transforms a single-point contact into multiple contact points, increasing the total contact area and reducing contact resistance while maintaining structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single-point contact (zero-dimensional contact area) to a distributed circular contact pattern (one-dimensional contact distribution). The conductive contacts are arranged in a circular pattern around the ring shape terminal, expanding the contact interface from a point to a distributed set of points along a circular path, thereby increasing contact area and reducing resistance
2Power
If heavy current flows through the terminal, then power delivery is high, but overheating occurs due to excessive energy loss from high contact resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The current path is segmented into multiple parallel pathways through the first, second, third, and fourth conductive contacts. This segmentation distributes the heavy current flow across multiple contact points, reducing the current density at each contact point and minimizing energy loss due to resistance, thereby preventing overheating while maintaining high power delivery capability
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple conductive contacts are merged into a unified ring shape conductive terminal structure. The first, second, third, and fourth conductive contacts are electrically connected through the conductive body to form a complete current pathway. This merging creates multiple parallel current paths that collectively handle heavy current flow with reduced resistance and energy loss
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 increased contact area between the ring shape conductive terminal and the docking terminal effectively lowers contact resistance, preventing overheating even during heavy current flow, making the plug connector suitable for high-power applications.
Implementation Method 1
the contact area between the ring shape conductive terminal and the docking terminal is increased, and the contact resistance between the ring shape conductive terminal and the docking terminal is lowered
Implementation Method 2
the lowered contact resistance between the ring shape conductive terminal and the docking terminal can prevent overheating due to excessive energy loss from happening
Data Source
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AI summary
A plug connector includes a conductive body, an insulative body, and a ring shape conductive terminal. The conductive body has an assembling hole. The insulative body is sleeved on the conductive body, wherein the insulative body has an opening hole and the assembling hole is aligned with the opening hole. The ring shape conductive terminal is assembled in the assembling hole, wherein the ring shape conductive terminal includes a conductive inner ring and the conductive inner ring includes a plurality of conductive portions. The conductive portions are arranged circularly and each conductive portion has at least two conductive contacts.