Flexible Female Terminal Jig for Stable Connector Current Evaluation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing charging connectors with varying coolability affect the charging time, necessitating an evaluation method to reliably assess their coolability, as inconsistent contact resistance between male and female terminals leads to unreliable results.
Innovation Solution
An evaluation jig with female terminals featuring multiple contact pieces and a support structure, where each contact piece is flexible and elastically deformable, ensuring consistent contact resistance and reproducibility, even when the terminals are inclined, by having a contact portion that protrudes inward radially and is curved, allowing for precise evaluation of the charging connector's coolability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional female terminal with rigid contact pieces is used, then the structure is simple, but the contact resistance varies when repeatedly connected and pulled out, leading to unreliable evaluation results
Solution Approach 1:
The contact piece is designed with a flexible portion that allows dynamic deformation during connection and disconnection. The flexible portion includes an elastic deformation region that enables the contact piece to adapt to positional variations and maintain stable contact resistance through elastic recovery, transforming a static rigid structure into a dynamic adaptive structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact piece's physical parameters are optimized by controlling the thickness and material properties of the flexible portion. The thickness is set within a specific range (0.5-2.0 mm) to achieve appropriate flexibility, and the material is selected to provide the desired elastic modulus, enabling the contact piece to deform elastically and maintain stable electrical contact.
2Reliability
If the female terminal is designed with precise alignment features, then the contact resistance is stable, but the ease of operation decreases due to alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible portion is localized to specific regions of the contact piece where deformation is needed, while other portions maintain their structural integrity. The flexible portion's thickness is locally controlled to provide flexibility only where required, allowing the contact piece to self-align during insertion while maintaining stable contact resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible contact piece automatically adjusts its position and orientation during insertion through elastic deformation, enabling self-alignment without requiring precise manual positioning. The elastic portion absorbs misalignment errors and guides the contact piece into the correct position, making the connection process more convenient.
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 evaluation jig ensures reliable reproduction of contact resistance, enabling accurate assessment of the charging connector's coolability, thereby optimizing charging time and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible piece being elastically deformable so that the flexible piece has a distal end portion to be displaceable in a radial direction of the cylinder relative to a proximal end portion of the flexible piece
Implementation Method 2
the contact portion having a shape curved so as to protrude inward in the radial direction
Data Source
AI summary
An evaluation jig includes a female terminal connectable to a male terminal of a charging connector. The female terminal includes a plurality of contact pieces and a support portion. Each contact piece has a flexible piece, and a contact portion protruding toward the center axis from an inner surface of the flexible piece. The flexible piece forms a portion of a cylinder having the center axis. The flexible piece has a length equal to or larger than twice an outer diameter of the cylinder in a direction parallel to the center axis. The flexible piece is elastically deformable so that the flexible piece has a distal end portion to be displaceable in a radial direction of the cylinder relative to a proximal end portion of the flexible piece. The contact portion has a shape curved so as to protrude inward in the radial direction.