Split Shroud Electrical Terminal Assembly with Integrated Spring Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical terminal assemblies face challenges in providing both adequate compression force and protection to contact arms, especially when used with oversized male terminals, as conventional designs often result in damage during handling and installation due to the lack of integrated protection mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The electrical terminal assembly incorporates a spring member with a shroud that extends around and beyond the contact arms, providing side and end protection, and includes a tapered profile to accommodate oversized terminals without engaging the spring member, ensuring secure mating and reduced risk of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spring member is added to maintain compression force, then contact reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the spring member and front end protection cage into a single integrated component. The spring member includes legs that form the cage structure, eliminating the need for separate protection pieces while maintaining both compression force and contact arm protection functions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If front end protection is added to protect contact arms, then protection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spring member's legs extend to form a cage that protects the contact arms during shipping, handling, installation, and use. This integration eliminates the need for additional separate protection pieces, reducing device complexity while maintaining protection capability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the shroud extends beyond contact arms for protection, then protection capability is improved, but volume of stationary object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud includes a terminal pass that creates a dimensional opening, allowing oversized male terminals to pass through without engaging the spring member. This dimensional feature enables protection against side and end damage while accommodating larger terminals, optimizing space utilization.
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 solution effectively maintains compression force while offering integrated protection to the contact arms, allowing for secure engagement with oversized male terminals and reducing the risk of damage during handling and installation, while also optimizing the terminal assembly's size for housing.
Implementation Method 1
The spring member maintains the desired compression force without requiring that the size of the contact portion be increased
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member with a contact base. A plurality of contact arms extend from the contact base in an arm direction. The contact arms are arranged on opposed sides of a terminal plane. The electrical terminal assembly includes a spring member supported on the contact member. The spring member includes a spring base. A plurality of spring arms extend from the spring base on opposed sides of the terminal plane in the arm direction. The spring arms engage the plurality of contact arms and bias the contact arms toward the terminal plane. The spring member also includes a shroud. The shroud extends in the arm direction around and beyond the contact arms. The shroud includes a terminal pass that the terminal plane is located in.