Door Lock Terminal Assembly for Easy Shearing and Secure Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicular door lock devices face challenges in reliably preventing positional deviation of conductive terminals during the shearing off of connecting portions, which increases costs due to the need for a large force and thicker terminal materials.
Innovation Solution
A vehicular door lock device featuring a housing with engagement grooves and terminals made of conductive thin plates, where the terminal's end portions are bent at right angles to engage with the grooves, allowing for easy assembly and shearing off of connecting portions, even with thinner materials, using folded portions to form pins that engage with the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If terminals are made of thicker conductive plate material to reliably fix terminals to housing, then reliability of terminal fixation is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and ease of shearing off connecting portions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is divided into distinct functional segments: thin conductive portions for electrical connection and folded pin portions for mechanical engagement. This segmentation allows each part to have optimized thickness - thin for ease of shearing, folded for reliable fixation - resolving the contradiction between reliability and ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal transitions from a two-dimensional thin plate to a three-dimensional structure by folding end portions 180 degrees to form pins. This dimensional change creates engagement protrusions that provide reliable fixation without requiring increased material thickness, thereby maintaining ease of shearing while improving fixation reliability
2Ease of manufacture
If terminals are made of thinner conductive plate material to reduce manufacturing cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but reliability of terminal fixation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is segmented into thin conductive portions for cost-effective electrical connection and folded pin portions for reliable mechanical engagement. This allows use of thinner, lower-cost material while maintaining fixation reliability through the folded engagement structure
Solution Approach 2:
By folding the thin terminal end portions 180 degrees to form three-dimensional pins, the invention compensates for the reduced material thickness. The folded structure creates engagement protrusions that provide reliable fixation despite using thinner, more cost-effective material
3Ease of manufacture
If large force is applied to shear off connecting portions, then connecting portions are successfully sheared off, but positional deviation of terminals with respect to housing occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The pin portions are pre-formed by folding the terminal end portions 180 degrees before the shearing operation. This preliminary action creates engagement features that will secure the terminal position before shearing occurs, preventing positional deviation during the subsequent shearing process
Solution Approach 2:
The folding operation transforms the flat terminal into a three-dimensional structure with engagement pins before shearing. This pre-formed 3D structure provides positional stability during the shearing process, allowing connecting portions to be sheared off without causing terminal displacement
Data Source
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AI summary
In a vehicular door lock device, it is possible to easily shear off connecting portions in a terminal, reliably assemble the terminal onto a housing, and reduce costs for the terminal. The apparatus includes a housing 5, a motor 14 arranged on the housing 5, a terminal 19 that is electrically connected to the motor 14 and that is made of a conductive thin plate including a connecting portion 19d that connects adjacent conductive portions 19a. An electrical circuit related to the motor 14 is formed by dividing the conductive portions 19a from each other by shearing off the connecting portions 19d. The housing 5 includes engagement grooves 52a that are opened at right angles with respect to mounting portions 52c on which the conductive portions 19a of the terminal 19 are mounted. The terminal 19 includes the conductive portions 19a and pins 19b that are arranged at end portions of the conductive portions 19a, that are bent at right angles, and that are engaged with the engagement grooves 52a. The pins 19b are formed by folded portions 19f that are obtained by folding end portions of the terminal 19 at 180 degrees.