Patent Application
20130130571
The present disclosure relates to electrically conductive connections, structural associations of a plurality of mutually insulated electrical connecting elements, coupling devices, or current collectors (IPC H01R). More specifically, the present disclosure relates to high-voltage connection systems for electric machines.
For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiment(s) illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby intended; any alterations and further modifications of the described or illustrated(s), and any further applications of the principles of the teaching as illustrated therein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates.
Generally, one form of the present system is an electric machine with high-voltage terminals. A wire entrance for each terminal allows assembly machinery or personnel to put a wire into contact with the terminal. A curved housing defines access ports that allow the machinery or personnel to complete the connection of the wire to the terminal. Variations will occur to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure
Turning to
In
Housing 210 in this embodiment comprises a substantially cylindrical wire entrance 220, threaded into an interface 225 to align axis 222 of wire entrance 220 with a terminal 120. Thus, in this embodiment, wire entrance 220 helps the assembly technician or robot bring a high-voltage wire 240 into contact with terminal 120. Access holes 230 in housing 210 enable the technician to reach terminal 120 with a tool, for example, a screwdriver, and tighten the screw (see
As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the connection of the wire 240 to terminal 120 is made secure by positioning of the uninsulated end 245 of the wire 240 under the head of the terminal screw and tightening it down to make a secure connection with the top surface 124 of terminal 120. In some embodiments, axis 232 of screw hole 230 is substantially perpendicular to axis 222, enabling the assembly technician to exert axial and rotational force on the tool (e.g., screwdriver or socket wrench) to tighten securely the terminal screw on terminal 120. Observe that in some embodiments terminals 120 are roughly coplanar, and axes 232 of access holes 230 are roughly parallel. In other embodiments, terminals 120 lie along a curve, and axes 232 are normal to that curve, yet also perpendicular to the respective axis 222 of cable entrance 220. In yet other embodiments, axes 232 of access holes 230 are normal to the outer surface of housing 120.
The tool is then removed from access hole 330. It is noted that in this embodiment the portion of housing 310 in the neighborhood of access holes 330 has an outer surface with a constant curvature of radius R, and each access hole 330 has an axis 350 that is normal (perpendicular) to the surface of housing 310 at that particular point, but is not necessarily aligned with the corresponding terminal screws 340. In other embodiments, access holes 330 have axes that have different angles of entry than the normal to the surface of housing 310 at that particular point, but each of the access hole axes is collinear with the axis of a terminal screw 340. In still other embodiments, the axes of access holes 330 are both normal to the surface of housing 310 and collinear with the axis of a terminal screw 340. After the tool is removed, plugs (see
While in the embodiment shown in
In other embodiments, access hole 430 and plug 460 use different techniques to maintain the plug 460 in place. Some of these embodiments use a friction fit, such as between a smooth metal outer surface of plug 460 and a rubber inner surface of access hole 430. Other techniques will occur to those skilled in the art for maintaining plugs 460 in access holes 430, some of which enable convenient removal by a technician who needs to access the terminals 120 inside, while avoiding accidental removal of the plug 460. Still other embodiments use plugs having tamper-evident and/or tamper-resistant features that will occur to those skilled in the art.
In alternative embodiments, wherein access holes 430 have parallel axes 450 that intersect the outside surface 412 of the housing 410 at different angles from the normal to outside surface 412, the edge 436 of a particular access hole 430 may be asymmetric about axis 450 of that access hole 430. In some such embodiments, the plugs 460 are contoured to align with the outer surface 412 of the housing 410 and form a substantially continuous curve with it when the plugs 460 are in place. As a non-limiting example, these plugs 460 may be pushed into their respective access holes 430, being rotated as necessary to align with the surrounding outer surface 412.
All publications, prior applications, and other documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if each had been individually incorporated by reference and fully set forth. While the system has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected.
