Electrical Terminal Crimp Members with Varying Teeth Count
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors face challenges in securely and efficiently connecting flat flex cables to electrical devices, particularly in providing reliable strain relief and maintaining a compact design while ensuring ease of manufacturability.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector features a dielectric housing with crimp fitting terminals that include crimp members with varying numbers of crimp teeth, allowing for secure piercing and folding onto the flex cable, ensuring electrical communication and strain relief, while allowing for a compact and manufacturable design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional crimp members with uniform crimp teeth are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the strain relief and connection reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the crimp teeth configuration among multiple crimp members. Specifically, the first crimp member has a different number of crimp teeth compared to the second crimp member, allowing each crimp member to perform its function optimally - one providing stronger strain relief while the other ensures adequate electrical contact, thereby improving overall connection reliability without requiring a completely complex new structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the crimping function by dividing it into multiple crimp members with different tooth configurations. This segmentation allows the strain relief function and electrical contact function to be distributed to different crimp members, improving reliability by ensuring that if one crimp member fails, the other can still maintain the connection
2Strength
If multiple crimp members with different numbers of crimp teeth are used, then strain relief is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by configuring different numbers of crimp teeth on different crimp members based on their specific functions. The first crimp member with more teeth provides enhanced strain relief, while the second crimp member with fewer teeth maintains manufacturability. This localized differentiation optimizes strain relief performance without requiring complete redesign of all crimp members, thus balancing manufacturing ease with improved strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the number of crimp teeth as a key parameter of the crimp members. By changing this discrete parameter rather than redesigning the entire crimp member geometry, the patent achieves improved strain relief while maintaining compatibility with existing manufacturing processes and tooling, thus preserving ease of manufacture
3Reliability
If crimp members with varying crimp teeth are implemented, then connection security is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating only the crimp teeth configuration of specific crimp members rather than redesigning the entire terminal structure. This localized modification enhances connection security through optimized strain relief and contact pressure distribution while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity by keeping other terminal components unchanged
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with one embodiment, an electrical connector includes a connector housing, and at least one electrical terminal supported by the connector housing. The electrical terminal defines a mating portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion carrying a pair of crimp members having crimp teeth configured to pierce through a flex cable when crimped so as to mount the flex cable to the mounting portion of the electrical terminal.