阅读说明：本技术 用于传送电功率的多部件式连接器 (Multi-part connector for transmitting electrical power ) 是由 钱寅 K·S·马兰多 J·M·皮克 R·施奈德 于 2020-04-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种多部件式连接器,用于电连接到导体以传送具有大于60Hz频率的AC电功率。连接器包括多个金属板。每个金属板具有相反的平坦表面并包括一对腿,该对腿以一空间分隔。多个绝缘层相应地与金属板的平坦表面邻接。绝缘层包括一对腿,该对腿以一空间分隔。金属板和绝缘层在堆叠中布置成使得金属板的所述空间和绝缘层的所述空间对齐以形成延伸穿过堆叠的沟道。导体设置在沟道中。(A multi-part connector for electrical connection to a conductor to transmit AC electrical power having a frequency greater than 60 Hz. The connector includes a plurality of metal plates. Each metal plate has opposing planar surfaces and includes a pair of legs separated by a space. The plurality of insulating layers respectively abut the flat surface of the metal plate. The insulating layer includes a pair of legs separated by a space. The metal plate and the insulating layer are arranged in the stack such that said spaces of the metal plate and said spaces of the insulating layer are aligned to form a channel extending through the stack. A conductor is disposed in the channel.)

1. In combination, an electrical conductor and an electrical connector, the connector comprising:

a plurality of metal plates, each plate having opposing planar surfaces and including a pair of legs separated by a space;

a plurality of insulating layers respectively adjoining the flat surface of the metal plate, each insulating layer including a pair of legs separated by a space;

wherein the metal plate and the insulating layer are arranged in a stack, the spaces of the metal plate and the spaces of the insulating layer being aligned to form a channel extending through the stack; and is

Wherein conductors are disposed in the channels of the connector to electrically connect the metal plates together.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein the combination carries AC electrical power having a frequency greater than 60 Hz.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the combination carries AC electrical power having a frequency in the range of greater than 60Hz to about 500kHz and a current in the range of from about 10 amps to about 100 amps.

4. The combination of claim 2, wherein the insulating layer is a coating adhered to the metal plates, and wherein at least one of the planar surfaces of each metal plate is coated by one of the insulating layers.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein each insulating layer is a coating formed from a material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, glass, ceramics, and glass ceramics.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein each insulating layer is a coating formed from one of epoxy and polytetrafluoroethylene.

7. The combination of claim 4, wherein two planar surfaces of each metal plate are coated with two of the insulating layers, respectively.

8. The combination of claim 4, wherein a portion of the inner edge of the metal plate is exposed and not covered by any polymer resin of the insulating layer.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein the exposed inner edge makes electrical contact with a conductor.

10. The combination of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is a polymer plate that is correspondingly contiguous with a metal plate.

11. The combination of claim 10, wherein said polymeric plates are each comprised of an insulating plastic selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, and nylon.

12. The combination of claim 1, wherein the insulating layer is a web correspondingly adjacent to the metal plate, and wherein each web is comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of cellulose paper, green shell paper, inorganic paper, non-cellulose polymer paper, and polymer film.

13. The combination of claim 1, wherein the metal plates are movable relative to each other, and wherein the conductors are bus bars having opposing planar surfaces.

14. The combination of claim 13, wherein the insulating layer is a coating adhered to the metal plates, and wherein at least one of the planar surfaces of each metal plate is coated by one of the insulating layers, the insulating layer coated metal plates forming the contact plates in a stacked arrangement;

wherein the connector further comprises a housing within which the stack of contact plates is held to be pivotally movable; and is

Wherein each contact plate comprises a pair of members having opposite first and second ends respectively, the members being joined together intermediate the first and second ends with the first ends separated by a first space and the second ends separated by a second space, the contact plates being arranged in the stack such that the first spaces are aligned to assist in forming the channel.

15. The combination of claim 14, wherein the channel is a first receiving channel, and wherein the contact plates are arranged in the stack such that the second spaces are aligned to help form a second receiving channel, the first and second receiving channels being oppositely directed; and is

Wherein the connector further comprises a mounting contact extending into the housing, the mounting contact comprising a plurality of fastening structures coupled to and extending from the strip section, the strip section being disposed in the second receiving channel, and the fastening structures being adapted to be inserted into the aperture of the substrate in a press-fit manner.

16. The combination of claim 1, wherein the conductor is part of a wire, the wire including an outer insulating jacket disposed over the conductor, the wire being disposed in the channel;

wherein the metal plates are secured together in a stack; and is

Wherein the plurality of metal plates have cutting edges for breaking an insulating sheath of the electric wire to allow the conductor to directly contact the metal plates.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the insulating layer is a coating adhered to the metal plates, and wherein at least one of the planar surfaces of each metal plate having a cutting edge is coated by one of the insulating layers, the insulating layer coated metal plates having a cutting edge forming a cutter plate in a stacked arrangement.

18. The combination of claim 17, wherein the flat surface of each of the outer pair of metal plates is coated with two of the insulating layers, respectively, the outer pair of metal plates coated with the insulating layers forming a holding plate;

wherein the cutter plate is disposed between the retention plates; and is

Wherein the retention plate is stiffer than the cutter plate in a direction perpendicular to the channel direction.

19. The combination of claim 18, wherein the cutter plate and the retainer plate are secured together by welding.

20. The combination of claim 19, wherein at least one of the cutter plates has a fastening structure extending therefrom that is resiliently deformable for insertion into a hole of a base plate in a press-fit manner.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a multi-part connector that is combined with a conductor to transmit electrical power.

Background

In electrical/electronic systems, electrical connections are established between the components of the system to transfer electrical power. To make these connections, connectors such as couplers and terminals are commonly used. These connectors may be of unitary, one-piece construction, or they may be formed from multiple component parts. The present disclosure relates to connectors of the latter type in combination with conductors.

Drawings

The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a coupling of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 shows a partially disassembled perspective view of the coupling with the contact plate stack removed from the housing;

FIG. 3 shows a plan view of one of the contact plates;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a mounting contact for connection to a coupler;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the mounting contact of FIG. 4 connected to the coupler of FIG. 1 to form a connector disposed between a bus bar and a printed circuit board;

fig. 6 shows a partially exploded perspective view of an Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC) having Insulation Displacement Terminals (IDTs);

fig. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the IDT shown in fig. 6;

fig. 8 illustrates a partially exploded perspective view of the IDT shown in fig. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a cutter plate with three contact protrusions;

FIG. 10 illustrates an exploded view of another IDT;

FIG. 11 illustrates a side perspective view of the IDT of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 illustrates a front elevational view of the first embodiment of the cutter plate having the IDTs of FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the cutter plate of FIG. 12 taken along line A-A of FIG. 12;

fig. 14 illustrates a plurality of IDTs of fig. 10 and 11, which respectively connect wires from the magnets to a plurality of bus bars;

FIG. 15 shows a side view of the first embodiment of the stack shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 shows a side view of a second embodiment of the stack shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 17 is a bottom end view of the embodiment of the IDT shown in FIGS. 6-8;

FIG. 18 illustrates a front elevational view of a second embodiment of the cutter plate having the IDTs of FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the cutter plate of FIG. 18 taken along line A-A of FIG. 18;

FIG. 20 illustrates a front elevational view of an embodiment of a retaining plate having the IDTs of FIGS. 10 and 11; and

fig. 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the retention plate of fig. 20 taken along line a-a of fig. 20.

Detailed Description

It should be noted that in the detailed description that follows, like parts have like reference numerals, regardless of whether they are shown in different embodiments of the present disclosure. It should also be noted that for the sake of clarity and brevity, the drawings may not necessarily be to scale and certain features of the disclosure may be shown in somewhat schematic form.

Electrical connectors, such as terminals or couplers, may be provided with a construction that includes a plurality of metal plates stacked together to form a body that defines a channel for receiving an electrical conductor, whereby the connector and conductor become physically and electrically connected together to transfer electrical power. The coupler 10 having such a configuration is shown in fig. 1-5, while the terminals 120, 190 having such a configuration are shown in fig. 6-14.

Referring now to fig. 1-3, a coupler 10 includes a stack 12 of plates including a plurality of contact plates 14. The stack 12 is disposed in a housing 16. Each of the contact plates 14 includes a support substrate 15 that is a unitary or monolithic conductive structure. The support substrate 15 may be composed of a conductive metal (e.g., a tin-plated copper alloy). The support substrate 15 may be formed by stamping one or more sheets of the conductive metal. In one or more embodiments, each contact plate 14 may further include one or more insulating coatings bonded to the support substrate 15, as will be discussed in more detail below. In other embodiments, the stack 12 may include a plurality of individual insulating plates or webs (webs) interleaved with the contact plates 14 (comprised of the support substrate 15), as also described further below. In still other embodiments, the contact plates 14 (comprised of the support substrate 15) may be separated by an air gap. Although the support substrates 15 may be separated by an air gap or insulation in some embodiments, the support substrates 15 in these embodiments are still electrically connected together to transfer electrical power, as described more fully below.

As best shown in fig. 3, each contact plate 14 includes a pair of irregularly shaped elements or legs 18 each having an upper first portion 22 and a lower second portion 24. The first portion 22 includes a first end 26 having an inwardly directed projection 27, while the second portion 24 includes a second end 28 extending laterally inwardly from the outer heel and then bending upwardly toward the longitudinal central axis L. The first end 26 has an inner edge 21, respectively, and the second end 28 has an inner edge 23. The legs 18 are joined together intermediate the first end 26 and the second end 28 by a cross-bar 30. The cross bar 30 extends laterally between the legs 18 and helps to give the contact plate 14a generally H-shape. The first end 26 defines a first receiving space 34 therebetween, while the second end 28 defines a second receiving space 36 therebetween. The first receiving space 34 adjoins the first interior space 38, while the second receiving space 36 adjoins the second interior space 40.

As best shown in fig. 2, the contact plates 14 are stacked together with their planar surfaces abutting or adjacent to each other to form the stack 12. The contact plates 14 are aligned with one another such that the first receiving space 34 forms a first receiving channel 42, the second receiving space 36 forms a second receiving channel 44, the first interior space 38 forms a first interior passage 46, and the second interior space 40 forms a second interior passage 48. The first and second receiving channels 42, 44 and the first and second internal passages 46, 48 extend in a stacking direction perpendicular to the planar surface of the contact plate 14. The narrowest portion of the first receiving channel 42 (adjoining the first inner passage 46) is called a contact zone 49. Similarly, the narrowest portion of the second receiving channel 44 (adjoining the second inner passage 48) is called a contact zone 51.

The housing 16 may be constructed of an insulative material (e.g., plastic) and is generally rectangular parallelepiped in shape having a first open end 58 and a second open end 60. The housing 16 includes a pair of parallel, opposing first side walls 50 and a pair of parallel, opposing second side walls 54. The first side walls 50 each have a rectangular main opening 62 disposed toward the first open end 58. The second sidewalls 54 each have a rectangular primary slot 66 disposed toward the first open end 58 and a rectangular secondary slot 68 disposed toward the second open end 60.

The contact plate 14 is secured within the housing 16 in a press-fit operation in which the stack 12 as a whole is pressed into the housing 16 through the second open end 60 of the housing 16. The resulting interference fit between the stack 12 and the housing 16 secures the contact plate 14 within the housing 16 but allows pivotal movement of the contact plate 14, as described below. The contact plate 14 is disposed within the housing 16 such that the first receiving space 34 of the contact plate 14 is aligned with the first open end 58 of the housing 16 and the second receiving space 36 of the contact plate 14 is aligned with the second open end 60 of the housing 16. In addition, the first receiving channel 42 of the stack 12 is aligned with the primary slot 66 in the housing 16, and the second receiving channel 44 of the stack 12 is aligned with the secondary slot 68 in the housing 16.

Referring now to fig. 4 and 5, the coupler 10 may be engaged with the mounting contacts 70 to form a connector 100 for connecting a PCB 102 to a bus bar 104. The mounting contacts 70 are of unitary, generally Z-shaped construction, and are electrically conductive and composed of a conductive metal (e.g., a tin-plated copper alloy). The mounting contact 70 has a strip section 72 with a securing structure 76 extending outwardly therefrom. Each fastening structure 76 may have an EON type press-fit configuration. The strip section 72 includes a central beam 74 having opposite ends joined to arms 82, 84 by bends 78, 80, respectively. The bent portions 78, 80 are bent in opposite directions to impart the mounting contact 70 with its Z-shape. A blade (blade)86 is coupled to an upper portion of beam 74 and has a beveled surface forming an elongated edge.

The mounting contacts 70 are mounted to the coupler 10 (to form the connector 100) by inserting the beams 74 into the second receiving channels 44 and the second internal channels 48 of the coupler 10. Inside the contact zone 51, the inner edge 23 of the contact plate 14 engages the flat surface of the beam 74 to make physical and electrical contact with the flat surface of the beam. With the beam 74 so positioned within the coupler 10, the arms 82, 84 are each disposed against the second side wall 54 of the coupler 10. The connector 100 is mounted to the PCB 102 by press fitting the fastening structures 76 of the mounting contacts 70 into the plated holes 90 of the PCB 102.

As is apparent from the above description, the bus bar 104 and the mounting contacts 70 electrically connect the contact plates 14 together. The bus bars 104 may act as current distributors that provide current to the contact plates 14, while the mounting contacts 79 may act as current collectors for current flowing through the contact plates 14. In this manner, the contact plate 14 electrically connects the bus bar 104 to the PCB 102 to allow electrical power to be transferred from the bus bar 104 to circuitry within the circuit PCB 102.

The strip 104 (with its long sides disposed parallel to the PCB 102) may be inserted into the first receiving channel 42 of the coupler 10 to form a physical and electrical connection between the strip 104 and the PCB 102. If the strip 104 is offset from the longitudinal center axis of the contact plate 14 when lowered into the first receiving channel 42, the coupling 10 will accommodate the misalignment. As the offset strip 104 moves into the first receiving channel 42, the strip 104 will contact the first end 26 of the contact plate 14, thereby causing the contact plate 14 to pivot about the center beam 74 of the mounting contact and guiding the strip 104 into the narrow contact zone 49 between the inner edges 21 of the first end 26 of the contact plate 14. Within the contact zone 49, the inner edge 21 of the contact plate 14 engages the flat surface of the strip 104 to make physical and electrical contact with the flat surface of the strip. The main opening 62 in one of the first side walls 50 allows this pivoting by receiving the first end 26 of the leg 18 of the contact plate 14. The contact plates 14 maintain a good physical and electrical connection with the strip 104 even though they have pivoted away from their normal position, thereby establishing a good physical and electrical connection between the PCB 102 and the strip 104. The structure of the mounting contacts 70 and the offset arrangement of the securing structures 76 therein help prevent the connector 100 from pivoting and otherwise moving due to torsional and other forces applied by the strip 104 when connected to the coupling 10.

Referring now to fig. 6, there is shown a partially exploded view of an Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC)120 generally comprising a laminated Insulation Displacement Terminal (IDT)122 and a housing 124. The IDCs 120 are operable to electrically connect the insulated wires 126 to an electrical/electronic device, such as a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 128. The wire 126 may have a conventional construction with an inner metal conductor covered with an outer insulation layer, which may be a coating or jacket composed of an insulative polymer material. The wire 126 may have a diameter of 10 gauge or greater. Although the IDC 120 is particularly well suited for use with larger gauge wire, its use is not limited to larger gauge wire but can be used with any gauge wire.

Referring now also to fig. 7 and 8, the IDT 122 includes a plurality of plates arranged in a stack 132. These plates include a plurality of cutter plates 130 disposed between outer retention plates 134. Each cutter plate 130 includes a support substrate 135 (shown in fig. 17) that is a unitary or monolithic electrically conductive structure. The support substrate 135 may be composed of a conductive metal (e.g., a tin-plated copper alloy). The support substrate 135 can be formed by stamping one or more sheets of the conductive metal. In one or more embodiments, each cutter plate 130 can further include one or more insulating coatings bonded to the support substrate 135, as will be discussed in more detail below. In other embodiments, the stack 132 may include a plurality of individual insulating plates or webs interleaved with the cutter plate 130 (consisting of the support base plate 135), as also described further below. Although the support substrates 135 are separated by insulation in some embodiments, the support substrates 135 in these embodiments are still electrically connected together to transfer electrical power, as described more fully below.

Referring now specifically to fig. 8 and 9, each cutter plate 130 includes a base 138 having a pair of engagement legs 140 extending from the base in a first direction and one or more contact protrusions 144 extending from the base in a second direction opposite the first direction. The engagement legs 140 are separated by slots 142. Each contact protrusion is adapted to form an electrical connection with an electrical/electronic device. By way of non-limiting example, the contact protrusions 144 may be press-fit contact protrusions (having an EON configuration) for securing within metal plated holes of the PCB 128. Alternatively, the contact protrusion 144 may be a pin or other type of configuration. Further, the location of the contact protrusions 144 may vary from cutter plate 130 to cutter plate 130, as shown in fig. 6-8 with respect to cutter plates 130a, 130b, 130 c. Further, the cutter plate 130 may also have a plurality of contact protrusions, as shown in fig. 9 with respect to the cutter plate 130 d.

Each notch 146 is correspondingly formed in the engagement leg 140 toward the free end of the engagement leg. Each notch 146 is arcuate and defined by a curved inboard surface that correspondingly abuts an inner edge 147 of engagement leg 140 at a pointed ridge 148. The sharp ridges 148 extend in the thickness direction of the cutter plate 130 and serve as scrapers and/or cutters for piercing the insulation layer of the wire 126 and are hereinafter referred to as cutters 148.

The retention plate 134 has a configuration generally similar to the cutter plate 130. However, unlike the cutter plate 130, the retention plate 134 is free of any cutters or scrapers for removing insulation from the wire 126. Further, the retention plate 134 is substantially thicker than the cutter plate 130. Each retention plate 134 includes a support substrate 150 (shown in fig. 17) that is a unitary or monolithic electrically conductive structure. The support substrate 150 may be composed of a conductive metal (e.g., a tin-plated copper alloy). The support substrate 150 may be formed by stamping one or more sheets of the conductive metal. In one or more embodiments, each retention plate 134 may further include one or more insulating coatings bonded to the support substrate 150, as will be discussed in more detail below. In other embodiments, one or more individual insulating plates or webs may be correspondingly disposed adjacent the retaining plate 134 (comprised of the support base plate 150), as also described further below.

Each retention plate 134 includes a base 152 having a pair of legs 156 extending therefrom in a first (downward) direction. In some embodiments, one or more contact protrusions may extend from the base 152 in a second direction opposite the first direction. The legs 156 are separated by slots 158.

With particular reference to fig. 7, the plates 130, 134 are secured together in the stack 132 by electron beam welding or laser beam welding to provide the IDT 122 with a base 160 (formed by the base 138 of the cutter plate 130 and the base 152 of the retention plate 134) and a pair of legs 164 (formed by the engagement legs 140 of the cutter plate 130 and the legs 156 of the retention plate 134). The legs 164 of the IDT 122 are separated by channels or channels 166 formed by the slots 146 in the cutter plate 130 and the slots 158 in the retainer plate 134. The cutters 148 in each of the engagement legs 140 are aligned to form a laminated cutting edge 170.

The welds may be formed in multiple locations. Preferably, there is at least one weld at the top of the base of the IDT 122 and at least one weld in each leg 164 of the IDT 122. As shown, a pair of upper welds 172 may be formed across the upper portion of the base 160 of the IDT 122. Additionally, as shown, a pair of lower welds 174 may be formed in each leg 164 of the IDT 122, with one lower weld 174 extending across the lower outer side surface of the leg 164 and the other lower weld 174 extending across the free end of the leg 164. In forming the welds 172, 174, filler metal in wire or powder form may be added to control the shape and size of the welds. For example, each weld 172, 174 may be provided with a crown (convex surface of the weld).

Referring back to fig. 6, the housing 124 is configured for use with the IDT 122. The housing 124 may be formed of plastic and may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 124 may be secured to a second electrical/electronic device (e.g., a PCB), and thus the housing may include features for mounting the housing 124 to the second electrical/electronic device. The housing 124 has an inner pocket 180 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the IDT 122. The slot 182 cooperates with the dimple 180 to form a path through the housing 124. The wires 126 extend through the path in the housing 124 and rest against the closed end of the slot 182, thereby extending across and through the recess 180.

With the wires 126 so positioned, the IDT 122 is pressed down into the recess 180. As the IDT 122 moves into the pockets 180, the wires 126 (relatively speaking) enter and move through the channels 166 unimpeded and then move into contact with the laminate cutting edge 170, which pierces and/or cuts the insulation of the wires 126. Continued (relative) movement of the wire 126 through the channel 166 displaces and/or removes portions of the insulation from the conductor, which then becomes in contact with the inner edge 147 of the cutter plate 130. The conductors of the wires 126 are retained in the channels 166 and engage the inner edge 147 of the cutter plate 130, thereby forming an electrical connection between the wires 126 and the IDT 122.

As is clear from the previous description, the wires 126 electrically connect the cutter plates 130 together, and the wires may act as current distributors that provide current to the cutter plates 130. In this manner, the wires 126 may enable electrical power to be transmitted through the cutter plate 130 to the circuitry within the PCB 102.

Referring now to fig. 10-14, an IDT 190 is shown for connecting a larger gauge wire 192 (e.g., a magnet wire) to a bus bar 194 (shown in fig. 14) composed of a conductive metal (e.g., copper or copper alloy). Wire 192 may have a diameter of 10 gauge or larger. The IDT 190 has a plurality of cutter plates 196 disposed between a pair of outer retention plates 198 to form a stack 200. Each cutter plate 196 includes a support substrate 202 (shown in fig. 13 and 19) that is a unitary or monolithic electrically conductive structure. The support substrate 202 may be composed of a conductive metal (e.g., a tin-plated copper alloy). The support substrate 202 may be formed by stamping one or more sheets of the conductive metal. In one or more embodiments, each cutter plate 196 may further include one or more insulating coatings bonded to the support substrate 202, as will be discussed in more detail below. In other embodiments, the stack 200 may include a plurality of insulating plates or individual insulating webs interleaved with the cutter plates 196 (consisting of the support substrate 202), as also described further below. Although the support substrates 202 may be separated by insulation in some embodiments, the support substrates 202 in these embodiments are still electrically connected together to transfer electrical power, as described more fully below.

Referring now specifically to fig. 12-13, each cutter plate 196 includes a base 210 having a lower portion with outwardly extending, opposing flanges 212. In addition, the support substrate 202 of each cutter plate 196 has opposing planar surfaces 214. A pair of engagement legs 216 extend upwardly from the base 210 and are separated by a slot 218 defined by an inner surface 220 of the engagement legs 216 and an inner surface of the radiused closed end. The inner surface 220 is formed in the support substrate 202 by chemical etching that forms a sharp edge 224 at the junction between the inner surface 220 of the leg 216 and the flat surface 214. In this manner, the inner surface 220 is generally concave in the direction between the surfaces 214, as shown in fig. 13. The sharp edge 224 in each engagement leg 216 extends longitudinally along substantially the entire length of the engagement leg 216. As will be described more fully below, sharp edge 224 is operable to pierce through an insulating coating on wire 192. The engagement legs 216 have some resiliency to allow outward deflection.

The retention plate 198 has a configuration generally similar to that of the cutter plate 196. Each retention plate 198 includes a support substrate 225 (shown in fig. 21) that is a unitary or monolithic electrically conductive structure. The support substrate 225 may be composed of a conductive metal (e.g., a tin-plated copper alloy). The support substrate 225 may be formed by stamping one or more sheets of the conductive metal. In one or more embodiments, each retention plate 198 may further include one or more insulating coatings bonded to the support substrate 225, as will be discussed in more detail below. In other embodiments, one or more separate insulating plates or webs may be correspondingly disposed adjacent the retaining plate 198 (comprised of the support base plate 225), as also described further below.

Each retention plate 198 includes a base 230 having a lower portion with an outwardly extending, opposing flange 232. A pair of legs 234 extend upwardly from the base 230 and are separated by a slot 236 defined by the inner surface of the legs 234 and a radiused closed end. Unlike cutter plate 196, however, the inner surface of leg 234 is free of any sharp edges for removing the insulating coating from wire 192.

The retention plate 198 has a more rigid configuration than the cutter plate 196. In particular, retention plate 198 is more rigid than cutter plate 196 in a lateral direction, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the direction of channel 240 formed by cutter plate 196 and retention plate 198 (described below).

Referring now specifically to fig. 11, the cutter plate 196 and the retention plate 198 are arranged in a stack 200 to provide the IDT 190 with a base 242 (formed by the base 210 of the cutter plate 196 and the base 230 of the retention plate 198) and a pair of legs 244 (formed by the engagement legs 216 of the cutter plate 196 and the legs 234 of the retention plate 198). Base 242 has outwardly extending opposing flanges 246 formed by flanges 212 of cutter plate 196 and flanges 232 of retainer plate 198. Legs 244 of IDT 190 are separated by a channel or channel 240 formed by slots 218 in cutter plate 196 and slots 236 in retainer plate 198. Inside 240, the inner surfaces 220 of the engagement legs 216 of the cutter plates 196 abut each other to provide a laminated serrated inner surface 250 for each leg 244 of the IDT 190, wherein the sharp edges 224 form a series of parallel sharp ridges arranged along the stacking direction of the cutter plates 196.

The cutter plate 196 and the retention plate 198 are secured together in the stack by electron beam welding or laser beam welding. The welds may be formed in multiple locations. For example, there may be a pair of welds on opposite sides of the base 242, respectively, and one or more welds in each leg 244.

Referring now to fig. 14, there is shown a plurality of magnet wires 192 wound around a magnet core 252. The ends of the wires 192 are correspondingly fixed to the bus bars 194 by the IDTs 190. The end of each wire 192 is pressed into the channel 240 of its corresponding IDT 190, which causes the serrated inner surfaces 250 of the legs 244 to peel away any insulating coating on the wire 192, thereby forming a good electrical connection between the wire 192 and the IDT 190. The outer surface 222 of the cutter plate 196 engages and makes electrical contact with the inner edge surface of the bus bar 194. In each IDT 190, the elasticity of the engagement legs 216 of the cutter plate 196 maintains a high normal force on the wire 192 in the event of a wire creep. The welded configuration of the IDT 190 together with the retention plate 198 provides structural rigidity to the IDT 190 against movement of the wire 192.

As is apparent from the foregoing description, for each IDT 190, wires 192 electrically connect cutter plates 196 together, and the wires may act as current collectors for current flowing through cutter plates 196. In this manner, the cutter plate 196 may transfer electrical power from the bus bar 194 to the wire 192.

For applications where the coupling 10 carries Direct Current (DC) or lower frequency (e.g., 60Hz or less) Alternating Current (AC), the stack 12 of couplings 10 may consist only of contact plates 14, with each contact plate 14 consisting only of a support substrate 15. Thus, when the contact plates 14 are stacked together to form the stack 12, the flat metal surfaces of the respective support substrates 15 abut each other.

Similarly, where IDT 122 and IDT 190 carry DC or lower frequency (e.g., 60Hz or less) AC, their stacks 132, 200, respectively, may each consist only of a cutter plate and a retention plate, where each of the cutter plate and retention plate consists only of a metal support substrate. Thus, when the cutter plate and the holding plate are stacked together to form their stack (132 or 200), the flat metal surfaces of the respective support substrates abut each other.

For applications where the coupling 10 carries higher frequency (e.g. greater than 60Hz) AC, the support substrates 15 of the contact plates 14 are separated from each other by some form of insulation. The insulation may be an insulating coating, an insulating plate or web or an air gap. The insulation mitigates resistance due to skin effects associated with currents at higher AC frequencies.

Similarly, for applications where IDT 122 and IDT 190 carry higher frequency (e.g., greater than 60Hz) AC, the support substrates of the cutter plate and the holding plate are separated from each other by some form of insulation. The insulation may be an insulating coating, an insulating plate or sheet, or an air gap. The insulation mitigates resistance due to skin effect (skin effect) associated with the current at the higher AC frequency.

This skin effect will be explained by referring to fig. 15, which shows a side view of a stack 12a consisting of a support substrate 15 (i.e. without an insulation provided, whether as a layer on the support substrate 15 or otherwise) of adjacent contact plates 14. When the coupling 10 carries DC or lower frequency (e.g. 60Hz or less) AC, the resistance of each contact plate 14 to current flow between its first portion 22 and its second portion 24 is dependent on the cross-sectional area of its support substrate 15, i.e. its thickness. Furthermore, the stack 12a actually forms a single conductor, wherein the total resistance to the current in the stack 12 depends on the total thickness of the stack 12a, i.e. the number of support substrates 15 multiplied by the individual thickness of each support substrate 15. Thus, for example, if nine contact plates 14 (consisting of the support substrate 15) are provided and each contact plate 14 (support substrate 15) is 0.4mm thick, the stack 12a will in fact form a single conductor having a thickness of 3.6 mm. In this regard, it is noted that for a given length of conductor, the greater its cross-sectional area, the lower its resistance (or impedance) to current flow.

When the stack 12a carries AC at a higher frequency (e.g., greater than 60Hz or greater) in contrast, it is believed that a skin effect occurs in which AC current does not penetrate deeply into the stack 12a due to eddy currents induced in the contact plate 14 (comprised of the support substrate 15). Instead, it is believed that the AC current will flow near the outer surface of the stack 12 a. More specifically, it is considered that an AC current flows in the outer side surfaces of the outer side contact plate 14a (the support substrate 15a) and the outer side contact plate 14i (the support substrate 15 i).

The formula relating to skin depth δ may be defined as the depth below the surface of the conductor at which the current density is lowCurrent density J reduced to the surface_S1/e (about 0.37),

δ＝sqrt{(2＊ρ)/(ω＊μ)}；

wherein the content of the first and second substances,

ρ ═ the resistivity of the conductor;

ω 2 π AC current frequency

μ ═ the permeability of the conductor.

It can be concluded that the skin depth δ is inversely proportional to the square root of the AC frequency ω. If the AC frequency f is increased from 1Hz to 100Hz, the skin depth δ will decrease to one tenth of the original value. In this respect, it can be noted that the skin effect (depth) is independent of the cross-sectional dimensions. In contrast, the skin effect depends on the frequency (f, or ω ═ 2 pi × f), resistivity (ρ) and permeability (μ) of the conductor. For a copper alloy, such as the one from which the support substrate 15 may be formed, the skin depth for an AC flow of 400kHz would be about 0.1 mm. Applying this to the stack 12a results in a total skin depth of 2 x 0.1mm to 0.2mm (for both outer contact plates 14a and 14 i). In other words, the skin effect (at 400 kHz) actually reduces the cross-sectional area of the current in the stack 12a by a factor of 18 (corresponding to a reduction in thickness from 3.6mm to 0.2 mm). This reduction in cross-sectional area in turn corresponds to a commensurate increase in impedance by a factor of about 17.

Providing the stack 12b with the insulation between the support substrates 15 (e.g., by using the insulation layer 270), as shown in fig. 16, significantly reduces the impedance of the coupler 10 under higher AC frequency conditions from that of the coupler 10 without the insulation as described above. This reduction occurs because the insulation separates the support substrates 15 such that each support substrate 15 becomes a separate conductor rather than actually forming a single conductor (as is the case in the stack 12a, for example). Applying a copper alloy to a stack 12b of nine support substrates 15 separated by insulation, with a skin depth of 0.1mm for an AC flow of 400kHz (described above), produced a total skin depth of 9 x 2 x 0.1 to 1.8mm, which was increased by a factor of 8 over the total skin depth of the stack 12a (0.2 mm). This increase in total skin depth in turn corresponds to a commensurate decrease in impedance by a factor of approximately 8.

In a similar manner to the coupler 10, providing the IDTs 120, 190 with insulation between the cutter plate and the support substrate of the retention plate (e.g., by using an insulating layer, as shown in fig. 17, 18) will significantly reduce the IDT 120, 190 impedance at higher AC frequencies from the IDT 120, 190 without insulation.

Reference is now made to fig. 16, 17, 19, 21. Fig. 16 is a side view of a stack 12b for use in the coupling 10. In the stack 12b, each contact plate 14 comprises a support substrate 15, the opposite flat metal surfaces of which respectively adjoin the insulating layer 270. Fig. 17 is a bottom end view of an IDT 122 in which the support substrate 135 of each cutter plate 130 has an insulating layer 272 adjacent to at least one of its planar faces, and the support substrate 150 of each holding plate 134 has an insulating layer 274 adjacent to its opposite planar face. Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the engagement leg 216 of the cutter plate 196 showing the insulating layer 276 disposed adjacent to the flat face of the support substrate 202. Fig. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the engagement leg 234 of the retention plate 198 showing the insulating layers 278 disposed adjacent opposite sides of the support substrate 225.

In some embodiments, the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may be coatings that are bonded or otherwise attached to the support substrates 15, 135, 150, 202, 225, respectively. In other embodiments, the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may also be separate plates or webs that are not attached to the support substrates 15, 135, 150, 202, 225. In these embodiments, the plate is at least semi-rigid and the web is at least semi-flexible.

The insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may each be a coating formed from a thermoplastic resin such as: polyamides (e.g., nylon), Polyoxymethylene (POM), Polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene ethers (including modified polyphenylene ether), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), ultra high molecular weight polyethylene, Polysulfone (PSF), Polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyarylates (U-type polymer), Polyetherketone (PEK), Polyaryletherketone (PAEK), tetrafluoroethylene/ethylene copolymer (ETFE), Polyetheretherketone (PEEK), tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkylvinylether copolymer (PFA), Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), thermoplastic polyimide resin (TPI), Polyamideimide (PAI), liquid crystalline polyesters, or combinations of any of the above.

In some embodiments, rather than being formed from a thermoplastic resin, the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may each be a coating formed from a thermosetting resin such as: epoxy resins, acrylic polyurethanes, polyester urethanes, silicone epoxies, polyester resins crosslinked with triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC), Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) functional acrylic polymers, or combinations of any of the above. The coating may also be formed from a polyester imide (PEI) varnish or a polyamide imide (PAI) enamel.

In those embodiments where the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 are composed of a polymeric resin, the insulating layers may be formed on the support substrate 15, 135, 150, 202, 225 by dip coating, solution coating, knife coating (air or blade), printing, powder coating, spray coating, or other suitable type of coating process. The specific method of forming the insulating layer may depend on the composition of the resin forming the insulating layer. The resin composition and the method by which the resin composition is applied to the support substrate 15, 135, 150, 202, 225 are selected to provide the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 with desired characteristics such as minimum thickness, flexibility during metal forming, good metal adhesion, good electrical insulation, and the ability to withstand elevated temperatures without loss of performance.

The coating thickness of the polymeric resin (thermoplastic or thermoset) depends on the thickness of the underlying support substrate, the particular resin used, and the method of applying the resin to the substrate. In general, the ratio of the thickness of the insulating layer (270, etc.) comprised of a polymeric resin to the thickness of the underlying support substrate (15, etc.) is less than 2:1, more preferably less than 1:1, still more preferably less than 1: 4. Thus, in embodiments where the support substrate 15 contacting the plate 14 has a thickness of 0.4mm, the insulating layer 270 has a thickness of less than 0.8mm, more preferably less than about 0.4mm, still more preferably less than 0.1mm (100 μm).

Epoxy resins applied by powder coating, such as resins made from epichlorohydrin and bisphenol a or epichlorohydrin and an aliphatic polyol (e.g., glycerol), are particularly suitable for forming the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278. Such epoxy resins are typically cured using amine or amide curing agents activated by elevated temperatures. Another particularly suitable resin is PTFE, which can be applied by spraying. PTFE has good insulating properties and has a low coefficient of friction, which will assist in pivoting the contact plate 14 in the coupling 10, as described above.

In some embodiments, each of the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may be a coating formed of an inorganic material (e.g., glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic) rather than an organic coating (e.g., a thermoplastic resin or a thermosetting resin). The glass material that can be used can be made of silicon dioxide (SiO)₂) Consisting of or comprising silicon dioxide (SiO)₂) Or quartz and further contains boron oxide (B)₂O₃) And alumina or bauxite (Al)₂O₃) And the like. Examples of ceramic materials that may be used include alumina (Al)₂O₃) Magnesium oxide (MgO), aluminum nitride (AlN), aluminum oxynitride (AlON), and zirconium oxide (ZrO)₂). Examples of microcrystalline glass materials that may be used include those in the following microcrystalline glass systems: li₂O--Al₂O₃--SiO₂Systems (i.e., LAS systems); 2) MgO- -Al₂O₃--SiO₂Systems (i.e., MAS systems); and 3) ZnO- -Al₂O₃--SiO₂Systems (i.e., ZAS systems).

In those embodiments in which the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 are composed of an inorganic material, the insulating layers may be formed on the support substrate 15, 135, 150, 202, 225 by a thermal oxidation process, a coating process, a printing process, or a deposition process. Examples of deposition processes include Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) (e.g., sputtering), Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), and cyclic deposition processes (e.g., Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)). The specific method of forming the insulating layer may depend on the composition of the inorganic material forming the insulating layer. The inorganic material and the method by which the inorganic material is applied to the support substrate 15, 135, 150, 202, 225 are selected to provide the insulating layer 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 with desired characteristics such as minimum thickness, flexibility during metal forming, good metal adhesion, good electrical insulation, and the ability to withstand elevated temperatures without loss of performance.

The thickness of the inorganic material coating depends on the thickness of the underlying support substrate, the particular inorganic material used, and the method of applying the inorganic material to the substrate. In general, the ratio of the thickness of the insulating layer (270, etc.) comprised of an inorganic material to the thickness of the underlying support substrate (15, etc.) is less than 2:1, more preferably less than 1:50, still more preferably less than 1: 200. Thus, in embodiments where the support substrate 15 of the contact plate 14 has a thickness of 0.4mm, the insulating layer 270 has a thickness of less than 0.8mm, more preferably less than 0.008mm (8 μm), still more preferably less than 0.002mm (2 μm).

Metal oxide ceramics (such as aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxynitride, and zirconium oxide) formed by PVD (such as sputtering) are particularly suitable for forming the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278.

Insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may be formed during the manufacture of contact plate 14, cutter plate 130, retention plate 134, cutter plate 196, and retention plate 198, respectively. As mentioned above, each of the aforementioned types of plates may be stamped from one or more flat sheets of conductive metal that form the support substrate. More specifically, a flat sheet may be stamped in a blanking operation, where a punch and die are used to form a plurality of particular types of plates from the sheet. One or both of the flat sides of the flat sheet may be coated with a desired resin (e.g., by powder coating) or a desired inorganic material (e.g., by PVD) before the flat sheet is stamped.

In powder coating operations, an electrostatic gun or corona gun may be used to spray charged powder onto each side of an electrically grounded flat sheet. The powder may be a solid particle or an atomized liquid. The spray gun imparts a positive charge to the powder as it is pushed by compressed air toward the flat sheet. The electrostatic charge accelerates the powder toward the flat sheet and helps the powder to coat and adhere to the flat sheet. After the powder is applied, the flat sheet is heated to melt the powder into a uniform film (and, for epoxy resins, cure the resin). The flat sheet is then allowed to cool to form a hard coating (insulating layer).

Instead of using a spray gun to apply the resin powder to the flat sheet, the resin powder may also be applied to the flat sheet in a fluidized bed. The resin powder and electrostatically charged media are loaded into a bed enclosure and then fluidized with air to form a cloud of charged powder above the bed. The grounded flat sheet is then passed through the charged cloud to attract the powder particles to its (two) opposing flat surfaces. The flat sheet is then heated and cooled as described above.

In a sputtering process, a flat sheet is placed in a PVD process chamber with a target (e.g., aluminum). A magnetron may be located in the process chamber and may include a central cathode and an annular outer anode. The cathode may be positioned directly behind the target and the anode may be connected to the chamber wall as an electrical ground. When energized, the magnetron generates a strong electric and magnetic field.

Initially, the process chamber is evacuated to a high vacuum. Then, a process gas is injected into the process chamber. The process gas generally comprises an inert gas such as argon, and the process gas may further comprise one or more reactive gases such as oxygen and/or nitrogen. When the magnetron is energized, a plasma is generated from the process gas.

Positive ions from the plasma are accelerated towards the cathode, which induces high-energy collisions with the target surface, thereby ejecting atoms from the target. These ejected atoms can react with reactive gas atoms (e.g., oxygen and/or nitrogen) to form a compound (e.g., alumina), which can then be deposited on a flat sheet.

After the flat sheet has been coated with a resin or inorganic material, the flat sheet may be stamped in a blanking operation to form a plurality of plates of a particular type, each plate having an insulating layer adhered to one or both flat surfaces. The shearing that occurs during the blanking operation ensures that the inner and outer edges of each plate are free of resin or inorganic material and consist of the bare metal of the underlying support substrate. In this regard, it should be noted that the only portions of the board (e.g., contact board 14 or cutter board 130 or 196) that need not be insulated with exposed metal are those portions that make electrical contact with another electrical component (e.g., a mounting contact 70 or a conductor of a wire 126 or 192, etc.). Thus, for example, inner edges 21, 23 of contact plate 14, inner edge 147 of cutter plate 130, and inner surface 220, sharp edge 224, and outer surface 222 of cutter plate 196 need to be uncoated and have exposed metal.

Thus, for example, a flat metal plate that has been coated with a resin or inorganic material (on one or both of its flat sides) may be stamped to form the plurality of contact plates 14. The shear that occurs removes the resin or inorganic material from the inner edges 21, 23 to expose the bare metal of the underlying support substrate 15. Thus, when the contact plate 14 is assembled in the coupling 10 and the coupling 10 is used as part of an electrical connector, electrical current may flow through the inner edges 21, 23 of the contact plate 14 between a contact (e.g., the mounting contact 90) engaged with the inner edge 21 and another contact (e.g., the contact 74) engaged with the inner edge 23.

In those embodiments in which the support substrates 15, 135, 150, 202, 225 are coated with a polymeric resin or an inorganic material, the coating may be formed on the support substrates such that there is only one coating between a pair of adjacent support substrates. Thus, for example, in the stack 12b of the coupler 10 shown in fig. 16, the support substrates 15b to 15i each have only their right flat face coated with the insulating layer 270; however, both flat surfaces of the support substrate 15a are coated with the insulating layer 270. As another example, in the stack 132 of IDTs 122 shown in fig. 17, the support substrates 150 each have both of their flat surfaces coated with the insulating layer 274, while the support substrates 135a and 135b have only their bottom (as shown in fig. 17) flat surfaces coated with the insulating layer 272, and the support substrate 135c has none of its flat surfaces coated, i.e., both flat surfaces are bare metal. Of course, although not shown in the drawings, a coating layer may be provided on both flat surfaces of each support substrate

In some embodiments, rather than coating the flat sheet prior to stamping the flat sheet to form the plate, the plate may be coated after the plate has been formed by stamping. In these embodiments, the edges of the board that need to be free of resin or inorganic material (e.g., the inner edges 21, 23 of the contact plate 14) may be masked or otherwise covered during coating of the board to prevent deposition of resin or inorganic material thereon. Alternatively, the edges can also be cleaned after the coating process.

In some embodiments, the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may be separate plates that are not attached to the support substrate, rather than coatings that are attached to the support substrate 15, 135, 150, 202, 225. For example, the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may be separate insulating plates that are semi-rigid and composed of an insulating plastic (e.g., PTFE, polyethylene) or nylon (e.g., nylon 6 or nylon 6/6). Nylons such as nylon 6/6 may contain fillers such as molybdenum disulfide to improve their properties. The insulating plates may have the same configuration as the support substrates of the contact plate, the cutter plate, and the holding plate, which are disposed adjacent thereto, but may have different thicknesses. Thus, for example, the insulating layer (plate) 270 may have the same shape or configuration as the support substrate 15 and will help form the stack 12 with the first and second receiving channels 42, 44 formed therein; the insulating layers (plates) 272, 274 may have the same shape or configuration as the support substrates 135, 150, respectively, and will help form the stack 132 with the channel 166 formed therein; and the insulating layers (plates) 276, 278, respectively, may have the same shape or configuration as the support substrates 202, 225, and will aid in forming the stack 200 with the channel 240 formed therein.

The thickness of the plates (forming the insulating layer) depends on the thickness of the adjacent plates (consisting of metal). In general, the ratio of the thickness of the insulating layer (270, etc.) comprised of the plates to the thickness of the adjacent plates (14, etc.) may be in the range from about 1:10 to about 2:1, more preferably in the range from about 1:5 to about 1: 1. Thus, in embodiments where contact plate 14 has a thickness of 0.4mm, insulating layer 270 (comprised of a plate) may have a thickness in a range from about 0.04mm to about 0.8mm, more preferably in a range from about 0.08mm to about 0.4 mm.

In still other embodiments, the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may be separate webs that are not attached to the support substrate. For example, the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 may beIs a single flexible web made of insulating paper or film. Examples of suitable insulating paper include cellulose paper, grey paper (fisherpaper), inorganic paper, and non-cellulose polymer paper (e.g.,which is a paper formed from fibers of meta-aramid polymer).

An example of an inorganic paper is a paper formed from glass fibers and/or microfibre (microfiber) which may further include an inorganic filler and an organic binder substantially present in an amount of less than 10 weight percent. Such inorganic paper is available under the trademark 3M corporationIs commercially available under the name

Another example of a suitable insulating film is a polyethylene film, such as a film formed from biaxially oriented PET, which is available under the trademark TELEPHONEAnd (4) nominally selling.

The insulating webs may have the same configuration as the contact, cutter and retention plates to which they are disposed adjacent, but may have different thicknesses. Thus, for example, the insulating layer (web) 270 may have the same shape or configuration as the support substrate 15 and will help form the stack 12 with the first and second receiving channels 42, 44 formed therein; the insulating layers (webs) 272, 274 may have the same shape or configuration as the support substrates 135, 150, respectively, and will help form the stack 132 with the channel 166 formed therein; and the insulating layers (webs) 276, 278, respectively, may have the same shape or configuration as the support substrates 202, 225, and will aid in forming the stack 200 with the channel 240 formed therein.

In some embodiments, the web composed of the paper or film described above may be adhered to the support substrate 15, 135, 150, 202 by an electrically insulating adhesive, and thus may be considered an insulating tape. The insulating adhesive may be a structural adhesive or a pressure sensitive adhesive, which in turn may be permanent or removable. For example, the insulating adhesive may be silicone-based, epoxy-based, polyurethane-based, or rubber-based. In addition, the insulating binder may include ceramic particles, such as alumina, aluminum nitride, and/or boron nitride. Only one side of each web adhered to the support substrate is provided with an insulating adhesive; the other side of the web contains no adhesive. In this way, if the contact plates 14 are provided with webs (insulating strips) with adhesive, adjacent contact plates 14 can move relative to each other without interference from the adhesive.

The thickness of the web (forming the insulating layer) depends on the thickness of the adjacent plates (consisting of metal). In general, the ratio of the thickness of the insulating layer (270, etc.) comprised of the webbing to the thickness of the adjacent panel (14, etc.) may be in the range of from about 1:10 to about 2:1, more preferably in the range of from about 1:5 to about 1: 1. Thus, in embodiments where contact plate 14 has a thickness of 0.4mm, insulating layer 270 (which is comprised of a webbing) may have a thickness in a range from about 0.04mm to about 0.8mm, and more preferably in a range from about 0.08mm to about 0.4 mm.

In embodiments where the insulating layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 are webs (strips) adhered to the support substrates 15, 135, 150, 202, 225 by an adhesive, each web forms a portion of the contact plate 14, the cutter plate 130, the retention plate 134, the cutter plate 196, and the retention plate 198, respectively. However, in embodiments where insulation layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278 are separate plates or webs (without adhesive), each insulation layer accordingly does not form a portion of contact plate 14, cutter plate 130, retention plate 134, cutter plate 196, and retention plate 198.

In these embodiments where the coupler 10, IDT 122 and IDT 190 have insulation layers 270, 272, 274, 276, 278, respectively, they can carry AC electrical power having a frequency in the range of greater than 60Hz to about 500kHz and a current in the range of from about 10 amps to about 100 amps.

It will be understood that the description of the above exemplary embodiments is intended to be illustrative only, and not exhaustive. Those of ordinary skill will be able to make certain additions, deletions, and/or modifications to the embodiments of the disclosed subject matter without departing from the spirit of the disclosure or its scope.