Rolled-Side Plug Contact for Compact High-Current Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plug connectors face challenges in miniaturization while maintaining electrical safety and high current transmission, as reducing size decreases insulation distances and conductor cross-sections, limiting their ability to conduct high currents reliably.
Innovation Solution
A plug contact stamped from a strip of sheet metal with cut edges and rolled sides, featuring a clamping section, spring elastic contact arms, and a relief cut that allows for reduced overall length while maintaining effective contact arm length and elasticity, allowing for adjustable contact arm width and elasticity through cutouts and step contours.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the plug connector size is reduced, then the plug connector becomes more compact and installation space is reduced, but the insulation distances between contacts and conductor cross-sections are reduced, limiting the ability to conduct high currents reliably
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is divided into functionally distinct sections: a clamping section for mechanical fixation and a contact arm section for electrical connection. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the clamping section can be compact while the contact arm maintains sufficient length and cross-section for high current transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact arm is configured to extend in multiple dimensions rather than a single linear direction. By using a folded or multi-segment geometry, the effective electrical path length is maintained while the overall projection size of the connector is reduced, allowing compact packaging without sacrificing current transmission capability.
2Length of moving object
If the contact length is reduced, then the overall plug connector size is reduced, but the effective contact arm length is reduced, affecting contact reliability and current transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The contact arm uses a three-dimensional configuration where it may fold back on itself or extend in non-linear paths. This allows the physical length of the contact arm to be greater than the linear distance between connection points, maintaining effective electrical connection while reducing the overall footprint in the plug connector assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact arm geometry is designed to nest within the plug connector housing, with portions of the contact arm folding back into the available space. This nesting arrangement maximizes the use of internal volume, allowing longer contact arms to be accommodated within a compact overall size.
3Volume of moving object
If the clamping section size is reduced, then the overall contact size is reduced, but the ability to stabilize long contact arms against transversal forces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The contact geometry is designed with varying cross-sections and thicknesses at different locations. The clamping section has localized reinforcement features that provide high stiffness where needed for stabilization, while other portions of the contact arm have reduced dimensions to minimize overall size. This local differentiation of structural properties allows compact design without compromising stability.
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
This design enables reduced plug connector size while maintaining reliable high current transmission and electrical safety, with simplified fabrication and reduced installation space, allowing for longer contact arms with the same contact length and adjustable elasticity.
Implementation Method 1
two spring elastic contact arms forming a receiving cavity between each other
Data Source
AI summary
A plug contact stamped from a strip of sheet metal, the plug contact including cut edges and rolled sides; a clamping section configured to fix the plug contact in a contact carrier; a contact fork formed by two spring elastic contact arms forming a receiving cavity between each other and including cut edges that are oriented towards each other, wherein a first end of the two spring elastic contact arms respectively originates from the clamping section and a second end of the two spring elastic contact arms respectively forms a contact bud, wherein the two spring elastic contact arms include rolled sides that are oriented towards each other and produced by forming the second end of the spring elastic contact arms respectively.