Direct Mount Connector Terminal Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional device-direct mount connectors face disengagement issues due to excessive force, leading to potential damage of the housing lance and reduced reliability of electrical connections, and the existing solutions either increase production costs or hinder miniaturization and lightweight design.
Innovation Solution
A direct mount connector terminal with an electrical connection portion, a bent portion, a parallel portion, and a locking portion that disperses force and locks onto the connector housing lance, preventing disengagement and ensuring reliable connections without exerting force on the lance, thus allowing for miniaturization and lightweight design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the female terminal is fastened to the female housing with a screw, then the terminal is securely fixed and cannot disengage, but the production steps and number of parts increase, resulting in increased production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the terminal and housing into a unified structure where the terminal is press-formed or integrally formed in the housing, eliminating separate fastening components like screws. This merging reduces the number of parts while maintaining secure connection through the unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal structure includes self-locking features where the terminal automatically secures itself to the housing through its own structural elements, such as the locking portion that engages with the lance, eliminating the need for additional fastening components.
2Ease of manufacture
If the female terminal is press-formed or integrally formed in the female housing, then the production process is simplified and production cost is reduced, but the female housing cannot be miniaturized and lightweighted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the housing into separate components: the main housing body and the terminal, which are assembled together through press-fitting or integral forming of specific portions. This segmentation allows the housing to be miniaturized and lightweighted while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular assembly.
3Reliability
If excessive force is applied during connector assembly, then the male and female terminals are firmly connected, but the housing lance may be damaged causing disengagement of the terminal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a resilient portion in the lance that can elastically deform to absorb excessive assembly forces before causing damage. This beforehand cushioning through elastic deformation protects the lance from permanent damage while still ensuring reliable terminal connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the lance by adding a resilient portion with specific elastic properties, allowing it to dynamically adjust its rigidity based on applied force. This parameter change enables the lance to withstand normal assembly forces while protecting against damage from excessive forces.
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 effectively prevents disengagement of the terminal from the housing, enhances connection reliability, and allows for miniaturization and lightweight design of the connector, ensuring accurate current measurement without displacing the current measurement portion.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient portion (22a) extending in the insertion direction and having a predetermined flexibility; when a force with a direction F in FIG. 8 applied to the male connector 120 is excessive, the resilient portion (22a) is deformed
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is to provide a direct mount connector terminal and a direct mount connector for improving reliability of connection thereof. The direct mount connector terminal is locked to a connector housing with a lance of the connector housing. The direct mount connector terminal includes an electrical connection portion extending toward a connection direction of a mating terminal, a bent portion connected to and bent with respect to the electrical connection portion, a parallel portion connected to the bent portion and parallel to the electrical connection portion, and a locking portion disposed on the parallel portion and to be locked to the lance of the connector housing.