Press Fit Terminal with Variable Elastic Piece Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Press fit terminals often damage substrates due to high stiffness, leading to insulation deterioration, and reducing stiffness compromises holding force and stability during press-fitting.
Innovation Solution
A press fit terminal design featuring a through bore with a top circular arc portion and a base end circular arc portion, where the elastic pieces have thinner circumferences around the top circular arc portion and thicker circumferences around the base end circular arc portion, with outwardly convex curved surfaces and a center pressure contact portion to maintain constant thickness and prevent substrate damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the stiffness of the press fit terminal is increased to maintain holding force, then the holding force is improved, but the substrate is more likely to be damaged during press-fitting
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic pieces are designed with non-uniform thickness: thinner at the top circular arc portion (easier to deform, reduces substrate damage) and thicker at the base end circular arc portion (maintains holding force). This local variation in quality allows simultaneous achievement of both objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The press fitting portion is segmented into distinct functional zones: top circular arc portion for substrate entry, middle section for expansion, and base end circular arc portion for holding. Each segment has optimized thickness to perform its specific function while contributing to the overall balance between holding force and substrate protection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the stiffness of the press fit terminal is decreased to prevent substrate damage, then substrate deterioration is reduced, but the holding force is decreased and the terminal may move in the through hole
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic pieces have different thicknesses at different locations: the top portion is thinner to reduce substrate damage, while the base end portion is thicker to ensure adequate holding force. This localized quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between preventing damage and maintaining strength.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the stiffness of the base portion is set lower than the insertion guide portion to prevent terminal movement, then the terminal stability is improved, but the force to expand the through hole increases and substrate damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic pieces are designed with location-specific thickness: thinner at the top for easy deformation and substrate protection, thicker at the base for stability. This local quality variation allows the base portion to provide stability without excessive expansion force that would damage the substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
Both the top circular arc portion and base end circular arc portion feature curved geometries that facilitate gradual deformation during press-fitting. The curved shapes distribute stress more evenly, reducing peak forces that could damage the substrate while maintaining terminal stability.
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 design prevents substrate deterioration during press-fitting, maintains holding force in the press-fit completion state, and enhances tolerance for misalignment and inclination, allowing for effective and stable insertion.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of elastic pieces having an inner edge portion and an outer edge portion and sandwiching the through bore therebetween, the inner edge portion and the outer edge portion having a convex curved surface shaped outward
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is to provide a press fit terminal which can suppress deterioration of the substrate when pressing and can ensure a holding force in a press-fit completion state. In elastic pieces, a portion around a top circular arc portion is formed to be thinner than a portion around a base end circular portion. Therefore, the elastic pieces can be easily deformed in the top side, and deterioration of a substrate can be prevented when pressing the press fit terminal into a through hole. Further, the elastic pieces around the base end circular portion are formed to be relatively thicker. Therefore, in the press-fit completion state, the elastic pieces can be pressed to the inner peripheral surface of the through hole with an appropriate pressure.