Sensor Metal Terminal Displaced Axis Gap Inhibition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor technologies face challenges in ensuring reliable electrical connection and welding between metal terminals due to gaps formed during assembly, which reduces productivity and connection reliability.
Innovation Solution
The sensor design features metal terminals with displaced connection axes to ensure contact and prevent gaps, allowing for assured welding and improved connection reliability, along with a manufacturing method that aligns and assembles these terminals to maintain contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a male-type terminal member and a female-type terminal member are fitted to each other with the male member having a smaller diameter than the female member, then the terminals can be assembled together, but a gap is formed between them preventing welding
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by providing a projection on the male terminal that protrudes from its outer peripheral surface before assembly. This projection is designed to fit into a corresponding groove on the female terminal, ensuring that the terminals are pressed against each other with sufficient force to eliminate gaps and enable reliable welding, while still allowing easy assembly.
2Reliability
If a strip-like terminal contact portion is provided on the female terminal to press the male terminal against the inner wall, then gap formation can be prevented, but an extra manufacturing step is required reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the pressing function from a separate strip-like contact portion and integrates it directly into the male terminal structure. The projection on the male terminal itself performs the pressing action against the female terminal during assembly, eliminating the need for additional contact portions and reducing manufacturing steps while maintaining reliable terminal contact.
3Ease of manufacture
If the male terminal is pressed against the female terminal with insufficient spring force or with a deformed contact portion, then the pressing force becomes insufficient and gaps form between terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by designing the projection on the male terminal with predetermined geometric dimensions and material properties that ensure sufficient pressing force is generated during assembly. The projection's shape and size are optimized to create adequate contact pressure with the female terminal, guaranteeing reliable connection stability without requiring additional spring mechanisms or complex deformation control.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor (1) comprising: a sensor element (10); metal terminals; and a front side separator (90) and a rear side separator (95) to hold the metal terminals, the metal terminals each include a front side metal terminal (30) and a rear side metal terminal (40) respectively held by the front side separator and the rear side separator, a first connection portion (33) is provided on a rear side of the front side metal terminal, a second connection portion (43) is provided on a front side of the rear side metal terminal, and an axis P2 of one of the first and the second connection portion, in all of the plurality of metal terminals, is displaced toward a radially outer side of the sensor element relative to an axis P1 of a counterpart thereof, and the first connection portion and the second connection portion are in contact with each other.