Segmented Tubular Male Terminal for Low-Resistance Stamped Contacts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing cost of male terminals with a substantially cylindrical contact portion is high due to forging or cutting processes, and partial plating is necessary, further increasing costs and conductor resistance.
Innovation Solution
A male terminal structure comprising multiple metal plate portions with recessed portions forming a tubular contact portion and a conductive connecting portion, manufactured by press-stamping, and an insulating cap for detachable attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a substantially cylindrical contact portion is manufactured by forging or cutting, then the contact portion can be easily inserted between resilient contact pieces and conductor cross-sectional area can be secured, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact portion is divided into multiple plate portions (first plate portion, second plate portion, etc.) that are arranged side by side and connected at their end surfaces. Each plate portion can be independently formed by press-stamping, avoiding the need for expensive forging or cutting processes while maintaining the cylindrical shape and insertion capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of forming the contact portion by stacking plates in the thickness direction (vertical stacking), the invention arranges plate portions side by side in the horizontal direction and connects them at end surfaces. This dimensional change allows press-stamped plates to form a cylindrical shape that can be easily inserted into the female terminal.
2Reliability
If partial plating is applied to the contact portion, then contact performance with resilient contact pieces is improved, but manufacturing cost and conductor resistance increase
Solution Approach 1:
Plating is applied to the plate portions before they are assembled into the contact portion structure. This preliminary plating action allows the entire surface of each plate to be plated uniformly, eliminating the need for complex partial plating processes later and reducing both cost and conductor resistance.
3Productivity
If multiple plate portions are combined to form the contact portion, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple plate portions are connected at their end surfaces to form an integrated contact portion structure. The connection at end surfaces merges the individual plates into a unified cylindrical form that functions as a single component, reducing structural complexity while maintaining manufacturing advantages.
Data Source
AI summary
A male terminal of a novel structure is disclosed which can reduce manufacturing cost while suppressing an increase of conductor resistance. A male terminal 10 is provided with a plurality of plate portions 12, 14 made of metal, a plurality of recessed portions 18, 20 respectively provided in the plurality of plate portions 12, 14 and each extending from a tip part toward a base end part of the corresponding plate portion 12, 14 while having an arcuate cross-sectional shape, a tubular contact portion 28 provided by combining the plurality of recessed portions 18, 20, and a conductive connecting portion 30 provided by combining the base end parts of the plurality of plate portions 12, 14.