Displaceable Shell Terminal Fitting Tab Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small male terminal fittings with long, narrow tabs are prone to deformation or breakage due to external interference, and existing methods to enhance strength are not applicable, necessitating a different approach to prevent damage.
Innovation Solution
A terminal fitting design featuring a displaceable shell that protects the tab from external interference by moving between a protecting and exposing position, with displacement restricting portions and a resiliently deformable locking lance to ensure proper insertion and retention within a connector housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shell is provided to protect the tab from external interference, then the tab is protected from deformation or breakage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shell is designed to be displaceable relative to the terminal main body, transitioning between a protecting position that surrounds the tab and an exposing position that allows connection. This dynamic structure enables the shell to provide protection when needed while allowing access when required, resolving the contradiction between protection and connectivity without requiring multiple separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The displacement restricting portions are integrated directly into both the terminal main body and the shell, combining the protection function and the displacement control function into a unified structure. This integration reduces the need for separate mechanisms while maintaining both tab protection and controlled accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If the shell is made displaceable to allow tab exposure for connection, then the tab can be connected to mating terminal, but the tab becomes vulnerable to external interference
Solution Approach 1:
The shell transitions dynamically between protecting and exposing positions, providing protection during storage and transport, and enabling connection during operation. This dynamic behavior ensures the tab is protected from external interference when not in use while remaining accessible when connection is required.
3Stability of the object's composition
If displacement restricting portions are added to control shell movement, then the shell position is controlled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement restricting portions are merged into the existing structures of the terminal main body and shell, rather than being added as separate external mechanisms. The restricting portions consist of engagement surfaces and geometric constraints that are integrated into the components themselves, providing position control without requiring additional complex mechanisms.
4Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to retain the terminal fitting in the housing, then the retention is secured, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lance is designed to automatically engage with the housing when the terminal fitting is inserted to the proper position. The resilient deformable nature of the locking lance allows it to self-activate through the insertion motion itself, without requiring separate actuation mechanisms, buttons, or external forces to engage the locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking lance acts as an intermediary element between the terminal main body and the housing, providing the retention function. The escaping hole in the shell serves as an intermediary feature that allows the locking lance to project out and engage the housing, enabling the locking mechanism to be integrated into the existing shell structure without requiring a completely separate locking system.
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 design effectively prevents tab deformation or breakage by shielding it from external interference until necessary, allowing secure connection to a mating terminal while simplifying the structure and ensuring proper insertion and retention within the housing.
Implementation Method 1
A resiliently deformable locking lance may be cantilevered obliquely back from the terminal main body for engaging a housing of a connector when the terminal main body reaches a proper insertion position to retain the terminal fitting in the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal fitting (T) includes a terminal main body (10) with a tab (11) at a front end part and a wire connecting portion (13) at a rear end part, and a shell (30) provided on the terminal main body (10) to be relatively displaceable between a protecting position for surrounding the tab (11) and an exposing position located behind the protecting position for exposing the tab (11). If the shell (30) is displaced to the protecting position, the tab (11) is protected from the interference of an external matter and the like, wherefore deformation, breakage and the like of the tab (11) can be prevented. Further, if the shell (30) is displaced to the exposing position to expose the tab (11), a mating terminal and the tab (11) can be connected.