Vibration-Resistant Electrical Connector Wedge Terminal Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical connectors in vibratory environments, such as automotive applications, experience fretting corrosion due to relative motion between mated terminals, which is exacerbated by high contact forces required to stabilize them, leading to increased insertion forces and ergonomic issues.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a connector body with a terminal cavity featuring a longitudinally oriented wedge feature and a biasing feature, such as a resilient cantilever beam, to limit terminal movement within the cavity, reducing relative motion and contact force between terminals, thereby minimizing fretting corrosion without increasing insertion force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If high contact force is applied between mated terminals to stabilize them in vibratory environment, then terminal stability is improved, but insertion force becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body is segmented into multiple cavity walls (first cavity wall, second cavity wall, third cavity wall) that independently engage with different features of the terminal (wedge feature, locking feature). This segmentation allows each wall to provide specialized stabilization without requiring excessive contact force across the entire terminal interface.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cavity walls provide different types of engagement: the first cavity wall provides lateral stabilization through the wedge feature, the second cavity wall provides longitudinal stabilization through the locking feature, and the third cavity wall provides additional lateral support. This local specialization of engagement qualities achieves comprehensive terminal stability without uniformly high contact forces.
2Reliability
If high contact force is applied between mated terminals to prevent relative motion, then fretting corrosion is reduced, but ergonomic guidelines are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The anti-fretting corrosion mechanism is segmented into multiple independent engagement features distributed across different cavity walls. The wedge feature engages the terminal's wedge surface, the locking feature engages the terminal's locking edge, and additional cavity walls provide support. This distributes the stabilizing function across multiple low-force contact points rather than requiring a single high-force contact, reducing insertion force while maintaining reliability against fretting corrosion.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity walls act as intermediary elements between the connector body and the terminal. Instead of direct high-force contact between mating connectors, the cavity walls mediate the interaction through distributed engagement features (wedge feature, locking feature), reducing the peak contact forces while still preventing relative motion that causes fretting corrosion.
3Stability of the object's composition
If high contact force is applied between mated terminals to stabilize them, then terminal positioning is improved, but additional mating assist devices are required
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is segmented into multiple engagement features: the wedge feature provides lateral positioning through engagement with the first cavity wall, the locking feature provides longitudinal positioning through engagement with the second cavity wall, and the third cavity wall provides additional lateral support. This segmentation of positioning functions into multiple passive geometric features eliminates the need for active mating assist devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design incorporates self-aligning and self-positioning features through the geometric configuration of the cavity walls and terminal engagement features. The wedge feature's tapered geometry automatically guides the terminal into proper lateral position, while the locking feature's engagement with the locking edge automatically establishes correct longitudinal positioning without requiring external assist devices.
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
This solution effectively reduces fretting corrosion and insertion force, ensuring stable terminal engagement while maintaining ergonomic compatibility and cost-effectiveness by limiting terminal movement in three orthogonal axes without increasing contact force.
Implementation Method 1
A biasing feature within the terminal cavity is configured to urge the wedge feature into intimate contact with surfaces of the terminal... The biasing feature may be characterized as a resilient cantilever beam
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector including a connector body that defines a terminal cavity within the connector body and an electrical terminal at least partially disposed within the terminal cavity. A first cavity wall within the terminal cavity defines a longitudinally oriented wedge feature. A biasing feature within the terminal cavity is configured to urge the wedge feature into intimate contact with surfaces of the terminal, such as those defined by a longitudinally oriented slot, thereby limiting a freedom of motion of the terminal within the terminal cavity. The wedge feature may be defined by the biasing feature or it may be defined by another cavity wall opposite the biasing feature within the terminal cavity.