Vehicle Cable Connecting Device with Multi-Opening Housing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connecting devices for electric cables in vehicles often require extensive structural variations to accommodate different cable routings, particularly in restricted spaces like drive motors in rail vehicles and wheel hubs, limiting flexibility and increasing installation complexity.
Innovation Solution
A connecting device with a housing and contact elements featuring multiple openings that allow cables to be routed in different directions, enabling cables to be connected in various configurations using conductor bars and support elements, ensuring secure and efficient electrical connections without extensive structural changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If individual customer solutions with welded or cast terminal boxes are constructed for each cable routing requirement, then cable routing flexibility is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal box is designed with multiple opening types (first openings for direct cable routing, second openings for conductor bar connections) that can accommodate different cable routing configurations using the same basic structure. This universal design allows a single terminal box model to serve multiple customer requirements without extensive structural modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal box structure is segmented into functional components: housing with multiple opening types, contact elements, and conductor bars. This segmentation allows flexible combination of components to achieve different cable routing configurations while maintaining a standardized overall structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional terminal boxes are used to provide different cable routing options, then cable routing flexibility is improved, but space requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single terminal box incorporates both first openings (for direct cable access) and second openings (for conductor bar connections) within its housing, providing multiple cable routing options in one compact unit. This eliminates the need for multiple separate terminal boxes while maintaining space efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functionality of multiple terminal boxes into one unified structure by integrating different opening types and connection methods within a single housing, thereby reducing overall space requirements while providing versatile cable routing capabilities.
3Ease of manufacture
If standardized terminal boxes are used for different customer requirements, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but cable routing flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal box design incorporates dynamic adaptability through configurable conductor bars that can be positioned and connected to different contact elements based on customer requirements. This allows a standardized manufactured unit to be dynamically adapted to various cable routing configurations without requiring custom manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal box provides local quality variations through different opening types (first and second openings) and configurable conductor bar positions, allowing standardized manufacturing of the overall structure while enabling localized adaptation to specific cable routing needs through selective component configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A connection device for connecting at least two electric cables to an electric machine in a vehicle includes a housing and at least two contact elements. At least two openings, each allowing the passage of one of the cables, are located in the housing wall in such a way that only one of the cables that are fed in a direction through the openings in the housing and that continue to run in a straight line in the direction inside the housing makes direct contact with precisely one of the contact elements and can be electrically connected to this contact. All the other cables can be connected to a respective element of the remaining contact elements using a respective conductor bar.