Flat Conductor Connector Terminals for Vibration Wear Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flat conductor electric connectors experience wear and tear due to fine sliding contact between terminals and circuit portions under vibrating conditions, leading to metal powder accumulation and oxidation, which affects electrical conductivity.
Innovation Solution
The connector design includes elastically-displaceable terminals with an elastic portion between the attachment and contact arm, allowing displacement in multiple directions to accommodate vibrations, ensuring stable contact pressure and preventing sliding wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid terminals are used to maintain stable contact pressure, then contact reliability improves, but wear and tear increases under vibrating conditions due to fine sliding contact
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal structure incorporates an elastic portion that enables dynamic adaptation to vibrations. The contact arm portion can elastically displace in the upper-lower direction, allowing the terminal to dynamically adjust its position and maintain stable contact pressure while accommodating vibrational movements, thereby reducing fine sliding contact and wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic portion changes the mechanical parameters of the terminal by introducing elasticity. This allows the contact arm portion to deform elastically under vibration, transforming the rigid contact into a flexible contact that can absorb vibrational energy and maintain stable contact pressure without sliding wear.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If elastic terminals are introduced to accommodate vibrations, then wear reduction improves, but device complexity increases due to additional elastic components
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic portion is merged with the terminal body to form an integrated structure. The terminal includes a support portion, connection portion, upper arm portion, and elastic portion as a unified component, eliminating the need for separate elastic elements and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining wear reduction benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic portion functions as a flexible element within the terminal structure, allowing elastic displacement to accommodate vibrations. This flexible component is designed as an integral part of the terminal rather than a separate assembly, simplifying the overall device structure while achieving wear reduction.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the contact arm portion is made elastically displaceable in multiple directions, then vibration accommodation improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is segmented into distinct functional portions: support portion, connection portion, upper arm portion, and elastic portion. Each segment has a specific function, with the elastic portion dedicated to multi-directional displacement for vibration accommodation. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each portion's manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
Elasticity is localized to the elastic portion rather than the entire terminal. The support portion and connection portion maintain high rigidity for stable mounting, while the elastic portion provides localized flexibility for vibration accommodation. This local quality approach reduces overall manufacturing precision requirements by concentrating elastic functionality in a dedicated region.
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
This design maintains favorable contact between terminals and flat conductors, reducing wear and maintaining electrical conductivity even in vibrating environments.
Implementation Method 1
an elastically-displaceable elastic portion provided between the attachment portion and the contact arm portion, the elastic portion is elastically displaceable at least in one of the front-back direction, the terminal alignment direction, or an upper-lower direction
Data Source
AI summary
A flat conductor electric connector to hold a flat conductor inserted in a front-back direction includes: terminals arrayed in a flat conductor width direction; and a housing holding the terminals. Each terminal includes an attachment portion attached, on one end side, in a fixed manner to the housing, a contact arm portion extending in the front-back direction on the other end side to contact a circuit portion of the flat conductor, and an elastically-displaceable elastic portion provided between the attachment portion and the contact arm portion. The elastic portion is elastically displaceable at least in one of the front-back direction, the terminal alignment direction, or an upper-lower direction which is a flat conductor thickness direction. The contact arm portion is elastically displaceable at least in the upper-lower direction. When the elastic portion is elastically displaced, the contact arm portion is displaceable together with the elastic portion.