Shield Terminal Resilient Contact Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shield terminals with resilient contact pieces supported on both ends experience excessively high contact pressure, making it difficult and costly to manufacture, and lengthening the piece enlarges the terminal axially, necessitating a solution to reduce contact pressure without altering the shape or dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The shield terminal features a tubular fitting with resilient contacts having both ends connected to the fitting, an interlocking region radially deformable to alleviate stress, and a non-interlocking region to distribute external interference, maintaining contact pressure without shape or dimension changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If both ends of the resilient contact piece are connected to the fitting tube, then the contact pressure is enhanced, but the contact pressure becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient contact piece is divided into multiple sections along its length, with each section having different structural characteristics. The first section has the resilient contact portion, the second section has reduced thickness, and the third section connects to the fitting tube. This segmentation allows different portions to serve different functions: maintaining contact pressure where needed while reducing stress concentration in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient contact piece exhibits non-uniform local properties along its length. Specifically, the thickness varies: the first section has normal thickness for adequate contact pressure, the second section has reduced thickness to lower stiffness and stress, and the third section connects to the fitting tube. This local quality variation resolves the contradiction by providing high contact pressure at the contact interface while reducing overall stress in the structure.
2Stress or pressure
If the resilient contact piece is thinned or narrowed, then the contact pressure is reduced, but it becomes difficult and costly to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient contact piece is segmented into three distinct sections with different thicknesses. This segmentation allows the second section to be thinner (reducing contact pressure) while keeping the first section at normal thickness (maintaining manufacturability). The segmented design enables controlled stress distribution without requiring the entire piece to be thin, thus avoiding manufacturing difficulties.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly thinning or narrowing the resilient contact piece (which would complicate manufacturing), the invention applies local quality by varying the thickness only in the second section. This localized thinning reduces contact pressure in specific areas while maintaining adequate thickness in other areas for ease of manufacture.
3Stress or pressure
If the resilient contact piece is lengthened, then the contact pressure is reduced, but the outer conductor terminal enlarges in the axial direction
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient contact piece is segmented into three sections along its length, with the second section having reduced thickness. This segmentation allows the piece to achieve adequate length for stress distribution without requiring excessive overall length, because the reduced-thickness second section provides stress relief without adding significant axial dimension.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses local quality by varying the thickness in the second section rather than uniformly changing the dimensions throughout. This allows the resilient contact piece to achieve the necessary length for stress distribution while minimizing the axial enlargement of the outer conductor terminal, as the thickness reduction is localized rather than extending the overall length.
4Stress or pressure
If slits are introduced to reduce contact pressure, then the shielding function is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient contact piece is segmented into three sections, with the second section having reduced thickness. This segmentation achieves stress reduction without requiring slits that would compromise shielding. The segmented structure provides stress relief through controlled thickness variation while maintaining the integrity of the shielding function.
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
This configuration reduces contact pressure and maintains the shielding function by distributing stress through radial deformation of the interlocking region, preventing improper deformation and minimizing the impact of slits on the shielding function.
Implementation Method 1
The interlocking region is radially resiliently deflectable and has a free front end... When the resilient contact portion is deformed resiliently by being pressed radially, the interlocking region of the tubular fitting is connected to the front end of the resilient contact and resiliently deforms radially with the resilient contact
Data Source
AI summary
A shield terminal (10) includes an inner conductor terminal (11), dielectrics (12, 13) configured to accommodate the inner conductor terminal (11), an outer conductor terminal (20) configured to surround the dielectrics (12, 13), a tubular fitting (30) formed in a front end part of the outer conductor terminal (20) in an axial direction, and resilient contacts (31) formed in the tubular fitting (30) and having both front and rear ends integrally connected to the tubular fitting (30). The tubular fitting (30) has interlocking regions (39) surrounding only front end parts (31F) of the resilient contacts (31) and connected to front ends of the resilient contacts (31) are radially resiliently deflectable with front end sides thereof as free ends.