Female Contact Intermediate Part Vibration Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
In power connectors, vibration or impact causes relative movement between male and female contact portions, leading to contact failure due to friction and plating peeling, resulting in increased contact resistance.
Innovation Solution
A female contact design with an intermediate U-shaped part capable of absorbing forces along three orthogonal axes, using a combination of spring pieces and auxiliary spring pieces to maintain contact pressure and inhibit movement, ensuring reliable electrical connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring contact is provided in the female contact to produce contact pressure, then electrical connection is achieved, but vibration or impact causes relative movement between male and female contact portions leading to plating peeling and contact failure
Solution Approach 1:
The female contact is divided into three distinct parts: a socket part for receiving the male contact, a terminal part for electrical connection, and an intermediate part with U-shaped cross-section that absorbs vibration and impact forces. This segmentation isolates the contact portion from harmful external forces while maintaining electrical connection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate part with U-shaped cross-section is designed beforehand to absorb and cushion vibration and impact forces before they can reach the contact portion. This preemptive cushioning prevents plating peeling and contact failure by dissipating external forces through the intermediate structure.
2Reliability
If the contact portions are designed to fit tightly for low contact resistance, then electrical connection is improved, but friction increases causing plating peeling under vibration
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the female contact into socket part, terminal part, and intermediate part, the design allows the contact portions to maintain tight fit for low resistance while the intermediate part absorbs the harmful friction-generating vibrations, preventing plating peeling.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate part acts as a mediator between the socket part and terminal part, absorbing vibration and impact forces that would otherwise cause friction and plating peeling at the contact interface, while allowing the contact portions to maintain their tight fit.
3Ease of manufacture
If the female contact structure is simplified, then manufacturing is easier, but the ability to absorb vibration and impact forces is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate part is formed from a flexible sheet material with a U-shaped cross-section that can elastically deform to absorb vibration and impact forces. This flexible structure provides vibration resistance while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through sheet-based construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate part's U-shaped cross-section and flexible material properties are specifically designed to change physical parameters (flexibility, elastic deformation capability) that enable vibration absorption. This parameter optimization achieves both manufacturing ease and vibration resistance.
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 female contact effectively absorbs forces from vibration and impact, preventing contact failure and maintaining reliability by minimizing movement and friction between contact portions, thus enhancing the durability and stability of electrical connections.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of spring pieces (34) extending from the rear end side of the facing portion (31a) with their ends forming contact portions (34c) that contact the male contact (310), and a pair of auxiliary spring pieces (35) extending from the front end side of the side surfaces (31b)
Implementation Method 2
an intermediate part (50) interconnecting the socket part (30) and the terminal part (40), the intermediate part (50) being capable of absorbing a force along three orthogonal axes
Implementation Method 3
the intermediate part (50) being capable of absorbing a force exerted by vibration or other impact
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A female contact made of a bent sheet includes a socket part which receives a male contact, a terminal part to which an electrical wire is connected, and an intermediate part which interconnects the socket part and the terminal part. The intermediate part includes a U-shaped part having a U-shaped cross-section and an extended part extended outside the U-shape of the U-shaped part through a 90°-bent part from an edge in a width direction at one end of the U-shape. An end of the extended part is coupled to the socket part, and the other end of the U-shape is coupled to the terminal part. Both of the U-shaped part and the extended part have widths smaller than the width of a spring piece which is in the socket part and configured to contact the male contact. Even though a force is applied due to vibration or other impact, movement of the portion that is in contact with the male contact can be inhibited to avoid a contact failure due to friction.