Insulation Displacement Terminal Variable Slit Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pressure welding terminals fail to consistently provide sufficient contact reliability for electric wires of varying diameters, often resulting in insufficient pressure welding force for smaller diameters and excessive force leading to deformation or cutting for larger diameters, and require multiple terminals and jigs for different diameters.

Innovation Solution

A pressure welding terminal with a U-shaped slit featuring spring portions and a variable cross-sectional area, where the first slit provides a fixed width for smaller diameters and a second slit that widens for larger diameters, allowing elastic deformation to maintain a consistent push-in force and prevent plastic deformation, enabling the connection of wires with different diameters using a single terminal.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a pressure welding terminal with a fixed width slit is used, then it can maintain structural simplicity, but it cannot provide sufficient pressure welding force for small diameter wires and causes plastic deformation or cutting for large diameter wires

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact reliabilityVSAvoidadaptability to different wire diameters
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The slit width is made variable rather than fixed. The first slit portion maintains a fixed width for small diameter wires, while the second slit portion can change width to accommodate different wire diameters. This dynamic adjustment allows the terminal to adapt to various wire sizes while maintaining reliable pressure welding contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The physical parameter of slit width is changed to resolve the contradiction. By providing a first slit portion with fixed width and a second slit portion with variable width, the terminal can adjust its geometric parameter to match different wire diameters, ensuring adequate pressure welding force without causing deformation or cutting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If a pressure welding terminal with a narrowed slot is used, then it can accommodate different wire diameters, but it requires different push-in amounts for different diameters which complicates the system

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different wire diametersVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The slit is divided into two distinct portions: a first slit portion with fixed width and a second slit portion with variable width. This segmentation allows each portion to serve a specific function - the first portion provides stable contact for small wires while the second portion adapts to larger wires, eliminating the need for multiple terminals or complex adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If multiple pressure welding terminals are used for different wire diameters, then each terminal can be optimized for its specific diameter, but it increases the number of components and requires multiple jigs for connection

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepressure welding forceVSAvoidnumber of terminals and jigs
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single pressure welding terminal is designed to perform multiple functions by accommodating different wire diameters through the variable width second slit portion. This universal terminal eliminates the need for multiple specialized terminals and corresponding jigs, reducing component count while maintaining optimized pressure welding force for each wire size.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Ensures reliable pressure welding of wires with different diameters using a fixed push-in amount, reducing the need for multiple terminals and jigs, improving workability and preventing excessive force on larger diameters, while maintaining contact reliability through adjustable slit widths.

Implementation Method 1

only the spring portions are elastically deformed and the conductive body is pressure-welded by a reactive force thereof

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

the part where the area of the cross section is reduced is elastically deformed in addition to the spring portions. However, in the case where the conductive body having a large diameter is press-fitted, the part where the area of the cross section is reduced is more largely elastically deformed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2670001B1Insulation displacement terminal
Publication Date: 2019.09.11 OMRON CORP
  • EP2670001B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP2670001B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2670001B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The present invention provides an insulation dsplacement terminal (31) capable of insulation displacement and capable of retaining a plurality types of electric wires (17) having different diameters by a fixed push-in amount. Therefore, in an insulation displacement terminal (31) in which a slit (41) for press-fitting and retaining a conductive body of an electric wire (17) is provided between a pair of spring portions (32), and an upper edge of the conductive body (17) retained by the slit (41) is placed at a fixed position from an opening of the slit (41) i.e. at a fixed push-in amount, a region is povided where an area of a cross section of the spring portions (32) arranged on the lower side of the upper edge of the conductive body (17), at least on one of the pair of spring portions, is smaller than an area of a cross section of the spring portions at a position of the upper edge of the conductive body.