Windscreen Wiper Motor Contact Element with Offset Regions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contact elements for electric connections suffer from reduced reliability and increased resistance due to positional deviations between components, leading to incomplete contact and altered bearing surfaces during rotation or tilting.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a third contact region positioned differently relative to the longitudinal plane axes ensures continuous contact and improved reliability by maintaining multiple contact points even in suboptimal positions, with adjustable spring tension and curved sections for enhanced alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two contact regions are used to bear against the counterpart element, then the electric junction resistance is reduced under ideal alignment, but the reliability deteriorates when positional deviations occur during rotation or tilting
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element is divided into multiple independent contact regions (at least three) arranged at different positions relative to the longitudinal plane axes. This segmentation ensures that if one contact region loses contact due to positional deviation, other regions maintain the electrical connection, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact regions are arranged in a two-dimensional distribution pattern relative to the longitudinal plane axes rather than being aligned in a single line. This dimensional arrangement creates spatial redundancy, ensuring that rotational or tilting deviations do not cause all contact regions to lose contact simultaneously, thus maintaining connection reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If the contact element and counterpart element are precisely positioned, then the bearing contact is optimal and electric junction resistance is minimized, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element is pre-designed with multiple contact regions positioned at different locations relative to the longitudinal plane axes. This preliminary configuration anticipates potential positional deviations during operation, ensuring that adequate contact is maintained even when manufacturing or assembly precision is not perfect, thereby reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the spatial parameters of the contact regions by arranging them at different positions relative to the longitudinal plane axes. This parameter modification creates a more robust contact system that tolerates positional variations, effectively decoupling connection reliability from strict manufacturing precision requirements.
3Reliability
If multiple contact regions are arranged at different positions, then connection reliability is maintained during rotation or tilting, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact element is designed as a single integrated component that performs multiple functions: it provides multiple contact regions for electrical connection, accommodates positional deviations through its geometry, and maintains spring tension across all contact regions. This multi-functionality approach improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple contact regions are merged into a single contact element structure rather than being separate components. This merging approach maintains connection reliability through distributed contact regions while avoiding the complexity of multiple independent components, fasteners, or adjustment mechanisms.
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 ensures secure and reliable current supply by maintaining multiple contact points during twisting or tilting, reducing electric junction resistance and enhancing connection reliability.
Implementation Method 1
the contact element has at least two sections with at least one contact region at each section, wherein the sections are constructed to bear against the electrically conductive counterpart element under elastic pre-stress
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention concerns a contact element (10; 10a) for forming an electric connection (1) with a counterpart element (50), wherein the contact element (10; 0a) has at least two sections (12; 12a, 13; 13a) with respectively at least one contact region (21; 21a, 22; 22a, 22b; 23; 23a), wherein the sections (12; 12a, 13; 3a) are constructed to bear against the counterpart element (50) under elastic pre-stress, and wherein the at least two contact regions (21; 21a, 22; 22a, 22b; 23; 23a) are arranged on mutually facing sides of the sections (12; 12a, 13; 13a) with respect to a longitudinal plane (25) of the contact element (10; 10a) defined by two axes (X, Y) arranged perpendicular to each other. According to the invention, at least one third contact region (23; 23a) is provided, which is constructed to bear against the counterpart element (50) under elastic pre-stress, and the at least one third contact region (23; 23a) is arranged at a different position at least relative to one of the other contact regions (21; 21a, 22; 22a, 22b) in regard to an axis (Y) of the longitudinal plane (25) of the contact element (10; 10a).