Segmented Contact Element Wear Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact elements in plug connectors experience premature wear due to vibrations, leading to increased contact resistance and potential failure in transmitting electrical energy or signals, as their coatings wear out quickly.
Innovation Solution
A contact element with multiple contact points, where the second point takes over after defined wear of the first, ensuring continuous low-resistance electrical signal transmission, with a base body and coating configuration that allows for efficient wear compensation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a coating is applied to the base body to improve contact resistance, then contact resistance is reduced, but the coating wears out quickly under vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element is segmented into multiple contact points (first contact point and second contact point) at different distances from the contact surface. This segmentation allows sequential use of contact points, where the first contact point is used initially and the second contact point takes over after the first contact point's coating wears out, thereby extending the overall service life while maintaining low contact resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The second contact point is pre-positioned at a greater distance from the contact surface than the first contact point. This preliminary positioning ensures that when vibrations cause the coating at the first contact point to wear out, the second contact point is already in position to make contact with the contact surface, providing automatic failover without requiring intervention.
2Device complexity
If a single contact point is used to simplify the structure, then device complexity is reduced, but the service life is limited due to coating wear
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element incorporates multiple contact points (first and second contact points) formed as integral parts of the base body. This segmentation into multiple contact points extends the service life by enabling sequential use, while the contact points are designed with simple geometries (such as spherical sections) that minimize the increase in manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact element serves multiple functions through its multiple contact points: the first contact point provides initial low-resistance contact, and the second contact point provides backup contact after wear occurs. This multi-functionality extends the service life without requiring multiple separate contact elements, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
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 significantly extends the service life of contact elements by enabling sequential use of multiple contact points, maintaining low contact resistance and reliable transmission even under mechanical and thermal stress.
Implementation Method 1
the contact elements can be designed, for example, in the form of a spring tab, which is elastically deflected upon contact with the mating contact element
Implementation Method 2
the coating wears out relatively quickly when exposed to vibrations, i.e. is removed
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Contact element for making electrical contact with a contact area of a mating contact element, characterized by a contact region which forms at least two contact points, wherein the two contact points are distinguished from one another in the new state in respect of the distance from the contact area of the mating contact element, so that, in the new state, a first of the contact points makes contact with the contact area and, after a defined amount of wear of the first contact point, the second contact point makes contact with the contact area.