Self-Locking Electrical Connector With Truncated Cone Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for electrical power cables require complex manufacturing and significant effort to ensure perfect electrical contact, often involving additional material and labor costs due to the need for precise contact elements like copper, silver, or gold-plated contact lamellae or springs, and may not provide a simple or secure connection without tools.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a socket with a longitudinal cavity and a plug with a longitudinally projecting stud of mutually identical truncated cone shapes, allowing for self-locking and static friction to secure the connection, which can be enhanced with a locking mechanism such as a pin or screw to prevent unintentional disconnection, and is suitable for various materials like copper and aluminum.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact surfaces are manufactured with complex precision and firmly connected, then perfect electrical contact is ensured, but manufacturing complexity and effort increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex contact elements (contact lamellae, contact springs, silver or gold plating) from the connector design and replaces them with a simple geometric self-locking mechanism between the bolt and cavity. The truncated cone shape alone provides both mechanical locking and electrical contact, eliminating the need for additional specialized components.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex contact elements to ensure electrical contact, the invention inverts the approach by using the geometric shape itself (truncated cone) to provide both mechanical connection and electrical contact. The self-locking effect is generated by the geometry rather than by additional locking mechanisms or materials.
2Reliability
If contact elements like copper, silver, or gold-plated contact lamellae or springs are used, then electrical contact is improved, but material and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive, long-lasting contact elements (silver or gold plating, copper contact springs) with a simpler, single-piece truncated cone structure. The focus shifts from using expensive materials to ensure contact quality to using a simple geometric shape that provides both mechanical and electrical function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the mechanical connection function and electrical contact function into a single integrated component (the truncated cone bolt). The bolt simultaneously provides structural support, self-locking, and electrical conduction, eliminating the need for separate contact elements.
3Reliability
If a plug-in connector with multiple contact elements is used, then electrical contact is established, but assembly time and production effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the connector into two simple components (bolt and cavity) with complementary truncated cone shapes. This segmentation allows for rapid assembly by simply inserting the bolt into the cavity, where the self-locking effect automatically secures the connection without requiring assembly of multiple contact elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The truncated cone geometry provides self-locking functionality automatically upon insertion. The self-locking effect is generated by the geometry itself without requiring additional locking mechanisms, adjustment steps, or assembly of multiple contact elements, thereby dramatically simplifying the assembly process.
4Ease of operation
If conical shapes with self-locking are used, then connection simplicity is improved, but connection strength may be reduced compared to threaded connections
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the truncated cone geometry parameters (angle, dimensions, surface finish) to achieve the desired balance between ease of connection and connection strength. The specific angular parameters of the truncated cone are selected to generate sufficient frictional forces for self-locking while maintaining connection strength adequate for the application.
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
Enables quick, easy, and secure connections between electrical power cables without special tools, ensuring reliable electrical contact and detachment, while being cost-effective and adaptable for different applications, including wind turbines and electrical devices.
Implementation Method 1
Self-locking is generated by static friction between the precisely matched truncated cone surfaces of the bolt and cavity
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
A connector (1) for two electrical power cables is specified. The connector (1) has a plug (2) and a socket (3), each of which can be permanently connected to a conductor of the cables and is suitable for establishing a detachable electrical contact between the conductors. The socket (3) has a longitudinally extending recess (12), and the plug (2) has a longitudinally projecting pin (11) that can be inserted into the recess (12). The recess (12) and the pin (11) have identical frustoconical shapes, so that the pin (11) can be locked in a working position in the recess (12) by means of self-locking.