Snap-Locked Contact Carrier for Precise Connector Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors face challenges in assembly efficiency and positioning accuracy due to the need for welding large conductor cross-sections, which complicates assembly and increases mechanical deformation, especially in high-current applications.
Innovation Solution
A contact carrier with a locking device that securely holds plug contacts and cables, allowing tool-free assembly by opposing the assembly movement to the plug connection, with visual verification for secure locking, and a mechanical stop to ensure precise positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If welding is used to join conductors to contact elements, then strong metallurgical bond and reduced resistance are achieved, but assembly complexity increases and positioning accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the welding process from the assembly sequence, performing conductor-to-contact-element joining before final connector assembly. This separates the welding operation from the mechanical assembly, allowing welding to be done on loose components with better accessibility and then inserting the pre-assembled units into the connector housing, thereby reducing overall assembly complexity while maintaining bond strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-joining conductors to contact elements through welding before the final connector assembly step. This preliminary joining ensures proper positioning and strong bonds are established beforehand, allowing the main assembly process to focus only on mechanical insertion and locking, thus reducing assembly complexity while maintaining connection strength
2Power
If conductor cross-section is increased for high-current transmission, then current-carrying capacity improves, but bending stiffness increases and assembly difficulty worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the connector assembly into modular units: contact elements with pre-attached conductors form one assembly unit, the housing forms another, and locking mechanisms form separate components. This segmentation allows large-conductor assemblies to be prepared independently with proper positioning fixtures, then easily inserted into the housing as complete modules, reducing the handling difficulty associated with large conductor cross-sections while maintaining high current-carrying capacity
3Weight of moving object
If contact element size is reduced for compact design, then space requirements and weight decrease, but current-carrying capacity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dimensional parameters of contact elements by providing multiple size variants with different cross-sections (e.g., 150 mm², 240 mm², 300 mm²) to match different current requirements. This allows selection of optimally sized contacts for each application, minimizing weight and space while maintaining sufficient current-carrying capacity. The standardized range of sizes enables compact design without sacrificing power transmission capability
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a contact carrier for receiving and retaining at least one plug contact, at which a line, cable can be electrically connected, the contact carrier having at least one locking device for fastening the contact carrier within a plug connector housing, the at least one locking device being formed by at least one snap hook, which, when the contact carrier is in the locked position within the plug connector housing, engages in a cutout such that the contact carrier is fastened in the plug connector housing. The invention also relates to a method for mounting a contact carrier in a plug connector housing and to a plug connection, comprising a plug connector housing and a contact carrier received and fastened therein.