Screwless Electrical Contact with Angled Cutting Edges
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screwless electrical contacts require stripping of the insulating sheath and use cutting elements that may not effectively contact the conductor core, leading to potential false connections due to incomplete cutting of the insulating film.
Innovation Solution
The electrical contact design features elastic arms with flexion points and angled contact walls that extend the cutting zone, allowing direct contact with the conductor core and breaking thin insulating films, ensuring secure connection without stripping, and accommodating various conductor diameters through adjustable cutting force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cutting elements are used to penetrate the insulating sheath, then connection speed is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential incomplete cutting and false contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting zone is segmented into multiple cutting edges arranged along the contact walls at different angles. This segmentation allows progressive cutting of the insulating sheath, ensuring complete penetration and reliable contact with the conductor core, thereby resolving the reliability issue while maintaining fast connection speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact walls are pre-configured with cutting edges at specific angles (including angles greater than 45°) to perform the cutting action automatically as the conductor is inserted. This preliminary arrangement of cutting edges ensures that the insulating sheath is completely cut before contact is made with the conductor core, preventing false contacts while maintaining fast connection.
2Reliability
If the cutting zone is extended to break insulating films, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting function and contact function are merged into a single integrated structure. The contact walls serve dual purposes: they provide mechanical support and contain the cutting edges that extend the cutting zone. This merging eliminates the need for separate cutting mechanisms, thereby improving reliability through extended cutting zone while avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact walls are designed with multi-functionality, serving as both structural supports and cutting tools. By incorporating cutting edges directly into the contact walls at various angles, the structure achieves extended cutting zone for breaking insulating films without requiring additional components, thus improving reliability without increasing complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If elastic arms with flexion points are used to accommodate different conductor diameters, then adaptability is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic arms incorporate flexion points that allow dynamic adjustment of the contact walls' position and angle. This dynamic capability enables the contact structure to adapt to different conductor diameters automatically during insertion, improving versatility while the flexion points are designed with standard geometric features that do not excessively increase manufacturing precision requirements.
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 ensures a reliable and secure connection by extending the cutting zone to prevent false contacts and accommodate different conductor sizes, enhancing the cutting efficiency and reliability of screwless terminal connections.
Implementation Method 1
elastic arms (11) having at least one flexion point (12)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
The object of the invention is to provide an electrical contact (1) for a terminal of the "screwless" type which allows connection of electrical conductors (8) both with and without the ends stripped of their insulating sheath (8a) due to the special shape of both their contact wall (9), with the ensuing contact edge (10), and their elastic arm (10) disposed before the contact wall (9) with at least one flexion point (12) and forming an angle (α) comprised between 0° and 90° between the two ends of said elastic arm (11). Additionally, the aforementioned shape allows extension (a) of the cut made by the contact edges (10), thereby breaking the possible thin insulating film that could appear during the cutting operation.