Protective Cap Terminal Structure to Prevent Cap Shift
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Solution Overview
Problem
The protective cap in existing terminals is prone to shifting from its position due to external forces, exposing the terminal's surfaces and increasing the risk of electric shock.
Innovation Solution
A protective cap design with fitting protrusions and recesses that engage to prevent positional shifts, covering the terminal's end and side surfaces, and a simplified structure that resists pull-out forces without additional locking mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the protective cap is attached to the terminal using the conventional structure with tip covering portion and side surface covering portions, then the tip surface and side surfaces of the terminal are covered, but the protective cap may shift from the terminal in the plate thickness direction when external force is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The protective cap is divided into a tip covering portion and a pair of side surface covering portions that are coupled at base end parts. This segmentation allows each portion to independently engage with corresponding features on the terminal, improving both coverage and position stability when external forces are applied.
Solution Approach 2:
The side surface covering portions are positioned and coupled to the tip covering portion in a nested arrangement, where the side surface covering portions extend from the tip covering portion to cover the side surfaces. This nested structure ensures proper positioning and prevents shifting in the plate thickness direction while maintaining comprehensive coverage of the terminal surfaces.
2Stability of the object's composition
If additional locking mechanisms are added to prevent position shift of the protective cap, then the position stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is merged into the basic structure of the protective cap by forming locking protrusions on the side surface covering portions that engage with locking grooves on the terminal. This integration eliminates the need for separate locking mechanisms while providing reliable position stability, thus avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective cap structure itself provides the locking function through its own geometric features (locking protrusions and grooves) without requiring external locking mechanisms. The cap's own structure serves the dual purpose of coverage and positioning, simplifying the overall device while maintaining stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A connecting portion of the terminal has a projecting end surface and a pair of side surfaces, facing each other in a second direction serving as a plate width direction orthogonal to a first direction serving as a plate thickness direction of the connecting portion, and each side surface includes a fitting protrusion projecting outward in the second direction. A protective cap includes an end surface covering portion for covering the projecting end surface of the connecting portion and a pair of side surface covering portions, for covering the pair of side surfaces, of the connecting portion. Each side surface covering portion is coupled to the end surface covering portion at a base end part and includes a fitting recess, into which the fitting protrusion is fit. The fitting recess includes a pair of first facing portions, facing the fitting protrusion on both sides in the first direction.