Wedge Tip Electrical Connector for High Contact Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for connecting electrical conductors suffer from high contact resistance and premature failure, especially when connecting stranded or segmented conductors, due to insufficient contact pressure and material degradation, leading to excessive heating and reduced conductivity over time.
Innovation Solution
A metal clamp with a central threaded through-hole for a wedge-shaped fixing screw tip that securely engages the conductor ends, ensuring a firm contact and high contact force by utilizing a thread direction opposite to the screw's external thread, allowing deeper penetration and reduced friction, thereby maintaining a permanent current-carrying connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional terminal screws are used to clamp conductors, then the conductors are mechanically fixed to the terminal, but the contact force is insufficient and unevenly distributed, leading to high contact resistance and premature failure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the clamping element by using a wedge-shaped tip instead of a conventional screw tip. This wedge shape concentrates the clamping force into a smaller contact area, increasing the contact pressure and improving the electrical connection reliability between conductors and terminal.
Solution Approach 2:
The clamping mechanism is segmented into multiple independent wedge-shaped tips that can be individually adjusted. This allows each tip to apply contact force independently to different conductors, ensuring uniform and sufficient contact force distribution across all connected conductors, thereby reducing contact resistance and improving connection reliability.
2Device complexity
If conventional terminal design is used, then the structure is simple, but the individual wires inside the conductor rub against each other during tightening, reducing internal pressure and leading to excessive heating
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge-shaped tips are designed to penetrate and compress the conductor strands before the final tightening is completed. This preliminary compression action ensures that the individual wires inside the conductor are pre-positioned and pressed together, reducing internal friction and preventing excessive heating during operation while maintaining a relatively simple terminal structure.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If aluminum conductors are connected with conventional terminals, then the connection is initially established, but material flow increases due to heating, reducing contact pressure over time and making the connection unusable
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge-shaped tip design creates a self-regulating contact mechanism. As the conductor material attempts to flow or deform under heat and pressure, the wedge geometry maintains consistent contact pressure by converting any material movement into increased compression against the wedge face. This feedback mechanism compensates for material flow in aluminum conductors, maintaining adequate contact pressure throughout the service life and preventing connection failure.
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 reduces contact resistance and enhances the durability of electrical connections by ensuring a high and consistent contact force, even with multi-wire or segmented conductors, preventing premature failure and maintaining conductivity over the device's service life.
Implementation Method 1
the tip provided with an external thread is screwed into a recess of the fixing screw provided with an internal thread and that the external thread of the tip runs in the opposite direction to the external thread of the fixing screw. When tightening the fixing screw, the advance of the tip is greater than the advance of the fixing screw itself. This ensures that the tip penetrates deep into the interior of the terminal and is pressed there between the end faces of the two conductors
Implementation Method 2
the tip provided with an external thread is screwed into a recess of the fixing screw provided with an internal thread and that the external thread of the tip runs in the opposite direction to the external thread of the fixing screw
Implementation Method 3
a tapering, approximately wedge-shaped tip which, in the assembled position, is firmly attached to the end faces of the two in the piece of pipe rests against the conductor inserted
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The device comprises a metallic clamp (1) that is designed as a pipe section and comprises two through holes provided with a thread for receiving clamping screws (2) provided with an external thread, in its wall. In the pipe section of the clamp, a central through hole provided with a thread is furnished between the two through holes in order to receive a fixing screw (3) provided with an external thread, where the fixing screw has a tapered, approximately wedge-shaped tip (11), which lies rigidly against the end faces of two conductors (4, 5) inserted into the pipe section. The device comprises a metallic clamp (1) that is designed as a pipe section and comprises two through holes provided with a thread for receiving clamping screws (2) provided with an external thread, in its wall. In the pipe section of the clamp, a central through hole provided with a thread is furnished between the two through holes in order to receive a fixing screw (3) provided with an external thread, where the fixing screw has a tapered, approximately wedge-shaped tip (11), which lies rigidly against the end faces of two conductors (4, 5) inserted into the pipe section, in the assembled position. The tip provided with an external thread is screwed into a hole of the fixing screw provided with an internal thread. The external thread of the tip runs opposite to the external thread of the fixing screw. Two middle through-holes lying against diametral to each other for the reception of each fixing screw are arranged in the pipe section of the metallic clamp. The surface of the tip is structured.