Connecting Insert Retention Tab Oxide Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing terminal assemblies face challenges with oxidation at the interface between terminals and wires, leading to degraded electrical connections, and the use of perforated inserts is difficult due to oversizing and shifting during assembly, resulting in ineffective crimping and partial wire loading.
Innovation Solution
A connecting insert with a retention tab and oxide-permeating mesh structure is crimped between the terminal and wire, featuring retention tabs to secure the wire and a seal member for sealing, ensuring a stable and effective electrical connection while preventing oxidation by breaking through oxides during crimping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a perforated insert is used to prevent oxidation at the terminal-wire interface, then oxidation resistance is improved, but assembly difficulty increases due to oversizing and shifting of the insert
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting insert is divided into functional segments: a body portion with perforations for oxide removal, and a separate retention tab extension for positioning. This segmentation allows the insert to be oversized for effective oxide removal while the retention tab ensures proper positioning during assembly, resolving the contradiction between oxidation resistance and assembly ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention tab acts as an intermediary element between the insert body and the wire/terminal assembly. It mediates the positioning function, allowing the oversized insert body to be properly positioned during assembly without causing the shifting problems that would otherwise occur with oversized inserts.
2Ease of operation
If the insert is oversized to allow wire insertion, then wire insertion is facilitated, but the insert shifts relative to the wire during assembly, leading to partial wire loading
Solution Approach 1:
The insert is segmented into a body portion for wire insertion and a retention tab extension for positioning. The body can be oversized to facilitate wire insertion, while the retention tab provides the necessary positioning function to prevent shifting during assembly, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of wire insertion and positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention tab performs the positioning action preliminarily, before the final crimping operation. By establishing the correct position of the insert relative to the wire during the insertion phase, the retention tab prevents subsequent shifting that would lead to partial wire loading, ensuring precise positioning is achieved before the critical crimping step.
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 provides a simple, efficient, and reliable method for connecting wires to terminals, ensuring a solid electrical bond and fluid-tight seal, while preventing oxidation and maintaining wire position during assembly, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the terminal assembly process.
Implementation Method 1
The retention tab is configured to interfere with and retain the wire in the wire chamber
Implementation Method 2
the connecting insert is configured to be crimped between the wire barrel of the terminal and the exposed conductor of the wire when the wire barrel is crimped around the connecting insert and the wire
Implementation Method 3
The seal member is configured to be crimped between the wire barrel of the terminal and the insulating cover of the wire when the wire barrel is crimped around the seal member and the wire
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal assembly includes a terminal having a wire barrel and a mating segment configured to be mated to a mating component. The terminal assembly includes a shuttle assembly configured to be coupled to an end of a wire. The shuttle assembly includes a connecting insert defining a wire chamber configured to receive an exposed conductor of the wire. The connecting insert has a retention tab extending into the wire chamber. The retention tab is configured to interfere with and retain the wire in the wire chamber. The connecting insert is received in the wire barrel of the terminal and the connecting insert is configured to be crimped between the wire barrel of the terminal and the exposed conductor of the wire when the wire barrel is crimped around the connecting insert and the wire.