Segmented Busbar Connection with Form-Fit Tabs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting busbars to ensure permanent, reliable, and quick electrical contact are either expensive or prone to detachment under vibration loads, and do not easily accommodate different materials and temperature/corrosion behaviors.
Innovation Solution
The use of stamped and bent busbars from copper or aluminum, with embossed contact tabs and receptacles that provide a mechanical form fit and electrical connection, allowing for easy assembly and disassembly without destruction, and ensuring long-term contact through matching contours and materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If busbars are connected using screws, welded, or riveted, then reliable electrical contact is ensured, but the joining process becomes expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The busbar is divided into two separate parts: a first busbar with contact receptacles and a second busbar with contact tabs. These segmented parts can be quickly connected by inserting the tabs into the receptacles and pressing them together, eliminating the need for expensive and time-consuming screw, weld, or rivet operations while maintaining reliable electrical contact through the direct metal-to-metal connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines mechanical connection and electrical connection into a single integrated action. The contact tabs and contact receptacles are designed such that insertion and pressing simultaneously achieve both mechanical joining and electrical contact, eliminating the need for separate joining and electrical connection operations.
2Productivity
If springs are used to connect busbars, then assembly and disassembly become faster, but the connection may loosen under high vibration loads
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the spring element from the connection mechanism entirely. Instead of using springs that can loosen under vibration, the design uses rigid contact tabs and receptacles that create a stable, vibration-resistant connection through direct insertion and pressing, eliminating the reliability issue associated with spring-based connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact tabs are pre-formed with the correct geometry and the contact receptacles are pre-formed with matching geometry during the busbar manufacturing process. This preliminary preparation allows for quick and reliable assembly without requiring complex assembly mechanisms or adjustment procedures during the actual connection process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different materials are used for busbars, then adaptability to different applications is improved, but contact reliability decreases due to varying temperature and corrosion behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different material qualities to different parts of the system. The contact tabs and contact receptacles are specifically designed with material selection optimized for electrical contact reliability and corrosion resistance at the connection interface, while the main busbar body can use materials optimized for its specific application requirements. This local optimization allows adaptability while maintaining contact reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 1b
Figure 1d
AI summary
The present invention relates to an arrangement comprising a first busbar and a second busbar for electrically connecting electrical conductors and/or assemblies, wherein the busbars each have at least one surface spanned in a longitudinal direction and an extension direction, wherein the busbars each have • at least one contact tab extending from an edge of the surface and/or • at least one contact receptacle arranged in the surface, wherein at least one contact tab of one busbar is arranged in at least one contact receptacle of the other busbar, and wherein the contact tab received in the contact receptacle is mechanically and electrically connected to it by means of a positive-locking and preferably also force-locking contact.The present invention further relates to a busbar for such an arrangement and to a method for electrically connecting at least two such busbars.