Gas Sensor Terminal Locking Mechanism for Stable Electrical Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gas sensors experience unstable electrical connections between metal terminal members and electrode pads due to inadequate locking mechanisms, leading to potential disconnection under external forces and increased friction during assembly, which decreases efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A gas sensor design featuring a metal terminal member with forward and rear locking portions, held by forward and rear separators with specific locking surfaces, preventing axial movement and maintaining stable connections while minimizing frictional forces during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the resistance against coming off is increased by decreasing the clearance between the locking portion and the wall surface of the groove, then the locking reliability is improved, but a larger frictional force is produced between the locking portion and the wall surface of the groove, which increases the pulling-in load on the lead wire and decreases assembly efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The single separator is divided into two separate separators (first separator and second separator), each with its own locking groove. This segmentation allows each separator to provide independent locking action, achieving reliable locking without requiring excessive clearance reduction that would increase friction and assembly difficulty.
2Device complexity
If a single locking portion is used in the separator, then the device complexity is reduced, but the metal terminal member may move forward under external force causing unstable electrical connection
Solution Approach 1:
The separator structure is segmented into two separate separators, each providing a locking groove. This creates multiple locking points (first locking groove and second locking groove) that work together to prevent both forward and rearward movement of the metal terminal member, ensuring stable electrical connection without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is extended from a single-point locking in one dimension to multi-point locking distributed along the axial direction. The first and second locking grooves are positioned at different locations, providing locking action in multiple positions to constrain the metal terminal member more effectively.
Data Source
AI summary
A gas sensor includes a sensor element having electrode pads, metal terminal members connected to the respective electrode pads, separators, and lead wires connected to the rear ends of the metal terminal members. Each metal terminal member has a forward locking portion and a rear locking portion provided at the forward and rear ends, respectively. The separator is composed of a forward separator and a rear separator connected to each other. The forward separator includes a first locking portion having a rearward-facing surface, and the rear separator includes a second locking portion having a forward-facing surface. The metal terminal member is held between the forward separator and the rear separator in a state in which the forward locking portion is in locking engagement with the rearward-facing surface and the rear locking portion is in locking engagement with the forward-facing surface.