End Cell Heater Terminal Guide for Stable Snap Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing end cell heaters in fuel cells face issues with electrical connection failure due to separation of snap terminals during assembly or disassembly, leading to incomplete coupling despite applied fastening forces.
Innovation Solution
The end cell heater design includes a heater plate with a terminal guide and elastic protrusions to ensure electrical connection by guiding the first electrode terminal into contact with the terminal, even with positional errors, using a female and male snap terminal configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If snap terminals are used for electrical connection between heating element and terminal, then assembly is simplified, but electrical connection reliability deteriorates due to separation during assembly or disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a terminal guide as an intermediary component between the snap terminal and the terminal. The terminal guide includes a guiding portion that guides the snap terminal during assembly, ensuring proper alignment and preventing separation. This mediator structure maintains electrical connection reliability while preserving the simplicity of snap terminal assembly.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fastening force is increased to prevent snap terminal separation, then connection stability improves, but manufacturing complexity increases due to additional fastening mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal guide acts as a mediator that provides mechanical guidance and constraint for the snap terminal. The guiding portion with its specific geometry (protrusions and recesses) ensures stable connection through geometric constraint rather than additional fastening forces, thereby maintaining connection stability without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal guide creates a guided path that ensures the snap terminal maintains proper alignment and contact throughout the assembly and disassembly process. This geometric constraint system provides equipotential guidance, ensuring stable electrical connection regardless of minor variations in assembly force or alignment.
3Ease of operation
If positional tolerance is increased for easier assembly, then assembly ease improves, but electrical connection precision deteriorates leading to misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal guide performs preliminary alignment action during the assembly process. The guiding portion with its specific geometric features (protrusions and recesses) pre-aligns the snap terminal with the terminal before final contact is made. This preliminary guidance action ensures precise electrical connection even when positional tolerance is increased for easier assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal guide serves as a mediator that compensates for positional variations. By providing a guided path with geometric constraints, it ensures that even with increased positional tolerance for easier assembly, the snap terminal will still align properly with the terminal, maintaining manufacturing precision.
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 ensures reliable electrical connection between the heating element and terminal, preventing separation during assembly or disassembly, and maintains contact despite positional errors, enhancing the fuel cell's operational reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a heating element (200) stacked on a first surface of the heater plate (100) in a thickness direction
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an end cell heater for a fuel cell, including a heater plate; a power supply terminal coupled to the heater plate; a first electrode terminal coupled to a first end of the terminal; a heating element stacked on the heater plate; and a second electrode terminal coupled to the heating element and coupled corresponding to the first electrode terminal, wherein the heater plate includes a terminal guide protruding to surround the first electrode terminal, thereby ensuring electric connection between the first electrode terminal and the second electrode terminal.