Textile Connector Clamp Structure to Prevent Crimp Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crimping methods for connecting textiles or flexible materials to electrical connectors often damage the materials and compromise their conductive properties, leading to potential tearing and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
A connection device with a body having parallel first and second surfaces, an aperture, and attachment means such as a hinge or detachable element, allowing the textile to be inserted, folded, and secured without crimping, using a tongue and groove mechanism to compress and hold the textile securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If crimping is used to connect textile to electrical connector, then electrical connection is achieved, but the textile is damaged and conductive properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful crimping action from the connection process and replaces it with a clamp-based mechanical fastening system. The clamp holds the textile against the electrical connector contacts through friction and normal force without penetrating or deforming the textile structure, thus eliminating the damage while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamp serves as an intermediary element between the electrical connector and the textile. Instead of directly crimping the textile to the connector, the clamp mediates the connection by clamping the textile against the connector's contact surfaces, distributing the mechanical stress and preventing direct damage to the conductive fibers.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If fold is created in textile to pass through body, then stress forces are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The body is designed with curved surfaces and rounded edges that guide the textile through a folding path. The curved geometry naturally promotes the formation of folds that distribute tensile stresses, while the smooth transitions prevent stress concentration points that would occur with sharp angles or rigid structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The textile is routed through three-dimensional space by passing it through the body and creating folds that utilize spatial arrangement rather than simple linear extension. This dimensional approach allows stress distribution through geometric configuration without adding mechanical components.
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
The solution provides a reliable and robust electrical connection without damaging the textile, reducing the risk of tearing and improving connectivity by distributing stress forces effectively.
Implementation Method 1
The use of textiles or flexible materials comprising electrically conductive fibres, such as a silver coating, is known in order to heat the vehicle's interior... This type of resistance heating in fact provides immediate heating
Data Source
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Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The present invention concerns a connection device for electrically connecting a textile to at least one electrical contact of a connector, the connection device (10, 100) being configured so as to be received in the connector (300) in an insertion direction (D), the connection device (10, 100) comprising: a body (12, 112) provided with a first end (18, 118) and with a second end (20, 120) which is opposite to the first end (18, 118) in the insertion direction (D), the body (12, 112) comprising a first surface (14, 114) which extends between the first end (18, 118) and the second end (20, 120), and further comprising a second surface (16, 116) opposite to the first surface (14, 114), the first surface (14, 114) comprising, at the first end (18, 118), a portion (26, 126) which extends essentially transversally from the first surface (14, 114), said portion (26, 126) comprising an aperture (28, 128) into which the textile (200) can be inserted, and the second surface (16, 116) being provided with an attachment means (32, 101) for the textile (200) at the first end (18, 118).