Connector Terminal Assembly for Lamp Housing Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing connector systems for lamps, particularly those with metal housings like aluminum, require significant hand assembly and costly tooling for various connection types, making them inefficient and expensive to manufacture, especially when attaching to circuit boards.

Innovation Solution

A connector terminal assembly with a housing that includes conductive circuit and lamp connectors, allowing for easy alignment and attachment to a circuit board, featuring a 90-degree bend design for secure positioning and sealing, compatible with both sealed and unsealed connectors like FASTON and ring terminals, facilitating straightforward assembly and integration with existing vehicle electrical systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a connector terminal assembly is used for LED lamps with metal housings, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the device complexity increases due to integration requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated connector terminal assembly that includes circuit connectors, lamp connectors, and circuit board interface components. This merging of previously separate components (connector housing, circuit board mounting features, and electrical contacts) into one assembly simplifies the manufacturing process by reducing the number of separate parts that need to be produced and assembled, directly addressing the ease of manufacture improvement while managing device complexity through functional integration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate tooling is provided for each connection system, then the adaptability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The connector terminal assembly is designed with universal adaptability to accommodate multiple connection types (ring terminals, FASTON connectors, and other lamp connector types) through a single standardized interface. The assembly includes multiple lamp connectors that can accept different connector types, allowing the same circuit board and connector housing to work with various connection systems without requiring separate tooling for each type, thereby reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining versatility.

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

3Reliability

If hand assembly work is required for routing and soldering wires, then the reliability is improved, but the productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidproductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The connector terminal assembly is pre-assembled with circuit connectors already attached to the circuit board within the housing before installation. The circuit board is pre-positioned and secured within the connector housing, with connectors pre-routed and connected. This preliminary assembly of critical components before final installation maintains connection reliability through careful pre-assembly while significantly improving productivity by reducing on-site assembly steps to simply mounting the complete pre-assembled unit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2345840B1Connector terminal for lamps
Publication Date: 2015.07.29 GROTE IND INC
  • EP2345840B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2345840B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2345840B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

An electrical connection device (10) for a lamp housing (52) is disclosed. The electrical connection device allows for simple and straightforward alignment of circuit connector terminals with conductive power connection pads (66, 68) on a lamp circuit board (56) within a lamp housing (52)