Female Electrical Terminal With External Shell Elastic Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing female electrical terminals face issues with unreliable electrical contact due to improper deformation of the elastic element upon male terminal insertion, leading to reduced contact area and increased complexity and cost in assembly.
Innovation Solution
A female electrical terminal design featuring a conductive body with four contact projections and an integral elastic element housed within a shell that externally couples to the body's side walls, ensuring optimal force direction and assembly simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elastic element rests on the inner walls of the seat consisting of the terminal body, then the terminal structure is compact, but the elastic element deforms in an undesired way upon insertion of the male terminal blade, preventing reliable generation of impulse force towards the contact projections
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is divided into two separate components: the body (consisting of the seat and contact projections) and the shell (carrying the elastic element). This segmentation allows the elastic element to be properly supported by the shell rather than deforming against the inner walls of the body, ensuring reliable impulse force generation while maintaining structural clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shell acts as an intermediary component that properly supports the elastic element. Instead of the elastic element directly interacting with the inner walls of the body where it deforms undesirably, the shell provides the correct support structure, mediating the interaction between the elastic element and the body to ensure proper function.
2Ease of manufacture
If the elastic element is inserted into the seat under the undercut-folded ends of the body side walls, then the terminal can be assembled, but the structure becomes complex and assembly becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the terminal into body and shell components simplifies manufacturing and assembly. Each component can be produced separately with simpler geometries, avoiding the need for complex integrated features like undercuts, and then assembled through straightforward coupling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of inserting the elastic element into the body seat during assembly, the invention inverts the approach by carrying the elastic element on the shell from the beginning. This reverses the traditional assembly sequence and eliminates the need for complex insertion operations into the body.
3Reliability
If the elastic element pushes the male terminal against the inner walls of the seat, then electrical contact is achieved, but the contact area is reduced and contact quality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The shell serves as an intermediary that properly positions and supports the elastic element, enabling it to push the male terminal blade against the contact projections without the blade contacting the inner walls of the body. This intermediary support structure ensures optimal contact geometry and maximizes contact area.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the spatial arrangement by moving the elastic element support from the internal dimension (inner walls of the body) to the external dimension (outer surface of the shell). This dimensional shift allows the elastic element to approach the male terminal from a different direction, optimizing contact area and quality.
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 provides reliable, high-contact-area electrical connections while being cost-effective and easy to assemble, minimizing deformation issues and structural complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a pushing elastic element suitable for use to push the male terminal towards said bottom wall
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a female electrical terminal destined to couple with a male blade terminal (60), comprising a body (12) equipped with a bottom wall (15) having projections (18-21) for the electrical contact with the male terminal and two side walls (16, 17) defining with the bottom wall a housing seat (14) for the male terminal, the female terminal comprising a pushing elastic element (28) suitable for use to push the male terminal towards said bottom wall (15). Said contact projections (18-21) are at least four, the terminal comprising a shell (26) carrying the pushing elastic element (28) and being equipped with portions (31-34) for coupling with said body (12) that externally embrace said two side walls (16-17) of the body.