Micro-Vibration Terminal Structure for Oxide-Resistant Plug Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The contact areas of plug-in terminals in electrical connections, particularly in motor vehicles, are prone to oxidation, leading to reduced conductive performance and a shortened service life due to the difficulty in treating oxide layers, which can result in connection failures and potential ignition or burning of wire harnesses.
Innovation Solution
A micro-vibration terminal design featuring a terminal fixing portion, a vibration body, and a connection arm with a recess, where the vibration body drives the connection arm to vibrate, creating relative motion and friction to remove oxidation layers, thereby reducing oxidation corrosion and prolonging the service life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the plug-in terminal is used for a period of time, then the oxide layer forms on the contact area, but the conductive performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vibration body that generates micro-vibrations to drive the connection arm to repeatedly contact and separate from the mating plug-in terminal. This mechanical vibration creates friction that removes oxide layers from the contact area, maintaining conductive performance over time and extending service life
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration body is driven by the natural vibration of the equipment itself, making the oxide removal process self-powered without requiring external energy sources. The system uses the equipment's own operational vibrations to continuously clean the contact surfaces
2Device complexity
If the contact area is located at the inner side of the plug-in terminal, then the structure is compact, but the oxide layer is difficult to treat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static contact structure into a dynamic one where the connection arm moves back and forth under vibration. This dynamic motion enables the contact surfaces to self-clean through friction, making the inner contact area accessible to cleaning forces despite its enclosed position
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration body generates micro-vibrations that propagate to the connection arm, creating repeated contact and separation movements. This mechanical vibration physically removes oxide layers from the otherwise difficult-to-access inner contact area
3Reliability
If the vibration body drives the connection arm to vibrate, then the oxidation layer is removed, but fretting corrosion may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the vibration parameters (amplitude, frequency) to achieve oxide removal while staying below the threshold that causes fretting corrosion. The micro-vibration intensity is optimized to clean surfaces without creating damaging friction
Solution Approach 2:
The vibration body is provided with a recess that replicates the contact interface geometry, allowing it to effectively transmit vibrations to the connection arm while distributing stresses to prevent fretting corrosion at critical contact points
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 micro-vibration terminal effectively removes oxidation layers through friction, reducing oxidation corrosion and extending the service life of plug-in terminals by enhancing elastic deformation capacity and avoiding fretting corrosion, ensuring reliable electrical connections.
Implementation Method 1
the vibration body is capable of vibrating with vibration of an equipment, the vibration body drives the connection arm to vibrate together
Implementation Method 2
resulting in a relative motion between the connection arm and the mating plug-in terminal and resulting in repeated friction. Through the friction, an oxidation layer on a surface of the contact area is removed
Implementation Method 3
enhance an elastic deformation capacity of the vibration body
Implementation Method 4
absorb energy during vibration
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a micro-vibration terminal, a plug-in structure and a motor vehicle, the micro-vibration terminal including a terminal fixing portion, a vibration body and a connection arm all of which are disposed sequentially, and the vibration body is fixedly connected to the terminal fixing portion, the terminal fixing portion is used for being electrically connected to a cable; the connection arm includes an overhanging end and a fixed end, the fixed end is fixedly connected to the vibration body, the overhanging end is used for being in contact fit with a mating plug-in terminal; and the vibration body is provided with a recess. Through the present disclosure, it is able to alleviate the technical problem that a contact area of a plug-in terminal is easy oxidized, and a service life of the plug-in terminal is shortened.