Pin Terminal Assembly with Overmolded Cavity Adaptor
Solution Overview
Problem
The production of pin terminals for various housings is inefficient and costly due to the complex geometry required for each cavity, leading to significant waste and limited flexibility in application, as they are typically produced using expensive conductive materials through screw machining.
Innovation Solution
A pin terminal assembly comprising a pin terminal with a retention section and a cavity adaptor made of non-conductive material, where the cavity adaptor is overmolded to correspond with the housing cavity, retaining the pin terminal and allowing for simpler and more economical production, while maintaining electrical connections and preventing movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If pin terminals are custom-shaped for each cavity through screw machining, then the pin terminal fits the cavity shape precisely, but manufacturing cost increases and material waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution divides the pin terminal into two separate components: a standardized pin terminal body and a cavity adaptor. The pin terminal body maintains a simple cylindrical shape for efficient manufacturing, while the cavity adaptor is shaped to match the cavity and is overmolded onto the pin terminal body, achieving precise fit without custom machining of the conductive material.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution uses composite construction by overmolding a non-conductive cavity adaptor material onto the conductive pin terminal body. This creates a composite structure where each material performs its optimal function: the conductive material provides electrical functionality while the non-conductive adaptor provides shape adaptation to the cavity.
2Manufacturing precision
If different pin terminals are produced for each cavity shape, then each pin terminal is optimized for its specific cavity, but manufacturing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the customization function from the pin terminal body to the cavity adaptor. A single standardized pin terminal body design can be mass-produced efficiently, while different cavity adaptors are attached to adapt the same pin terminal to various cavity shapes, dramatically improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining optimization for each cavity type.
Solution Approach 2:
The standardized pin terminal body serves as a universal component that can be used across multiple applications by simply changing the cavity adaptor. This multi-functionality allows the same pin terminal body to be optimized for different cavities through the adaptor, improving productivity while maintaining cavity-specific optimization.
3Reliability
If pin terminals are custom-shaped for each cavity, then the pin terminal retains well in the cavity, but production flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution segments the retention function into the cavity adaptor portion that interfaces with the cavity, while the pin terminal body remains standardized. This allows the retention characteristics to be optimized for each cavity type through the adaptor without sacrificing production flexibility, as the standardized body can be produced in volume and combined with different adaptors.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity adaptor acts as an intermediary between the standardized pin terminal body and the various cavity shapes. It provides the customized retention interface for each cavity while allowing the pin terminal body to remain a flexible, standardized component that can be produced efficiently and adapted to different applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A pin terminal assembly includes a pin terminal having a retention section and a cavity adaptor formed of a non-conductive material and engaging the retention section. The cavity adaptor has an outer shape corresponding to a cavity of a housing in which the pin terminal is inserted. The cavity adaptor retains the pin terminal in the cavity.