Electrical Connector Terminal Hooking and Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face issues with terminal stability due to excessive upward movement, leading to deformation and loose contact, as the thin welding portion requires significant displacement to engage with the locking block, affecting contact stability and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design incorporates a hooking portion with a concave portion and a locking block, where the hooking portion moves only by the thickness of the welding portion to engage, reducing the required force and preventing deformation, along with bending portions and stopping portions to limit horizontal movement, ensuring stable contact and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hooking portion moves a large distance to engage with the locking block, then the terminal can be securely locked, but the terminal deflects and deforms during the process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the engagement direction from horizontal (width direction) to vertical (thickness direction). The hooking portion engages with the locking block by moving downward along the thickness direction of the welding portion, rather than moving horizontally. This dimensional change reduces the engagement distance from the width of the welding portion to its thickness, minimizing deformation while maintaining locking reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the thickness parameter of the welding portion as the engagement distance, which is inherently smaller than the width parameter. By designing the locking block to engage in the thickness direction and the hooking portion to move accordingly, the engagement distance is reduced to approximately the thickness of the welding portion, thereby reducing the force required and preventing terminal deformation
2Ease of manufacture
If the welding portion is made thin for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing is easier, but the hooking portion requires larger displacement to engage, causing deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent redirects the engagement motion from the width dimension to the thickness dimension. The hooking portion engages with the locking block by moving in the thickness direction of the welding portion, which is a smaller dimension. This allows the welding portion to remain thin for ease of manufacture while the engagement operation requires minimal displacement in the thickness direction, avoiding deformation
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the hooking portion move horizontally along the width of the welding portion to engage with the locking block, the patent inverts the approach by having the locking block engage from the side corresponding to the thickness direction. The hooking portion moves downward along the thickness direction to engage, which is the opposite of the conventional horizontal engagement approach
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes an insulation body having multiple terminal slots, and multiple terminals received in the terminal slots. Each terminal has a connection portion, a contact portion extending upward from the connection portion and urging against a chip module, and a welding portion extends downward from the connection portion. A side of the welding portion is provided with a hooking portion. The terminal slot has a first side face. A locking block protrudes from the first side face corresponding to a plate surface of the welding portion. The hooking portion is located below the locking block, and the locking block stops the hooking portion, so as to prevent the hooking portion from moving upward.