Electrical Box Terminal Positioning With TPA-Guided Connector Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical distribution centers in vehicles suffer from poor positional deviations during installation and transportation, leading to potential damage and a need for improved mounting accuracy and stability.
Innovation Solution
An electrical distribution center with a Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) member and guide member system that stabilizes terminal positions through precise insertion holes and a hooking mechanism, ensuring accurate assembly and preventing shifting during transportation, along with a pre-locking mechanism for added stability and ease of operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If existing electrical distribution center standards are used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to poor positional deviations during installation and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining the terminal position assurance member with guide members and insertion holes before the actual connector installation. The guide members are pre-positioned on the housing to establish precise alignment paths, and the TPA member is pre-configured with multiple insertion holes at specific positions. This preliminary preparation ensures that when connectors are installed, they automatically follow the predetermined precise paths, achieving high manufacturing precision without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal position assurance member serves as an intermediary component between the housing and the connectors. It includes guide members that extend into the housing and define insertion holes, acting as a mediator to transfer and maintain precise positional information from the housing structure to the connector terminals. This intermediary mechanism ensures accurate terminal alignment while keeping the overall structure relatively simple, as the TPA member can be integrated into existing housing features.
2Reliability
If terminal position is not stabilized, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential damage and misalignment during installation and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through the self-aligning feature of the terminal position assurance member. The guide members with insertion holes automatically guide the connector terminals into the correct positions during installation, without requiring external alignment tools or complex adjustment procedures. The connector simply needs to be inserted, and the TPA member's guide structure automatically ensures proper alignment and positioning, making the installation process straightforward while maintaining high reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
By pre-configuring the guide members and insertion holes in the TPA member before installation, the patent eliminates the need for complex alignment operations during actual connector installation. The preliminary preparation of precise guide paths and positioning features ensures that connectors self-align during insertion, maintaining both ease of operation and terminal position stability.
3Manufacturing precision
If connectors are fixed with multiple insertion holes, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the terminal position assurance member: it combines the housing structure, guide members, and multiple insertion holes into a single integrated component. The TPA member integrates the guidance function (through guide members), the positioning function (through pre-defined insertion holes), and the protection function (by stabilizing terminal positions). This merging reduces the number of separate components while achieving high mounting accuracy through the coordinated action of these integrated features.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal position assurance member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support as part of the housing, guides connector installation through extendable guide members, positions terminals accurately through pre-defined insertion holes, and protects terminals during transportation. This multi-functionality allows a single component to achieve high mounting accuracy without requiring multiple separate specialized components, thereby managing device complexity effectively.
Data Source
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
An electrical distribution center includes a housing, an electronic device (2), an upper fixing member (3), a printed circuit board (4) (PCB), a lower fixing member (5) and a connector (6). The upper fixing member (3) has a first inserting hole. Pin terminals of the electronic device (2) pass through the first inserting hole and are connected to the PCB (4). A connector (6) mounting slot for fixing the connector (6) is arranged on the lower fixing member (5). A second insertion hole (52) and a guide rod member (7) are arranged in the connector (6) mounting slot. A TPA member (7) is sheathed on the guide rod member (7). The TPA member (7) has a third insertion hole (71). Pin terminals of the connector (6) pass through the third insertion hole (71) and the second insertion hole (52) and are fixed in the connector (6) mounting slot with the TPA member (7). The pin terminals of the connector (6) are connected to the PCB after passing through the first inserting hole.