Spring Terminal Structure for Low-Resistance Vibration Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional terminals with one-sided or two-sided spring types experience increased electrical resistance due to displacement, as the thin spring pieces included in the conductive path increase resistance and are not effective in maintaining contact pressure when subjected to external forces like vibration.
Innovation Solution
A terminal design featuring thicker plate-like conductors with resilient pieces that sandwich a mating conductor, ensuring consistent contact pressure and reducing electrical resistance by using multiple resilient pieces and protrusions to maintain contact across various orientations and displacements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If thin spring pieces are used as resilient contact pieces, then the terminal structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but electrical resistance increases due to the thin contact pieces being included in the conductive path
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient contact piece is divided into two distinct components: a thick conductor (first conductor 11 or second conductor 12) that forms the main conductive path, and a thin spring piece (first resilient piece 31 or second resilient piece 32) that provides contact pressure. This segmentation allows the conductor to be thick for low resistance while the spring piece remains thin for ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring piece acts as an intermediary between the thick conductor and the mating conductor. It transfers the contact pressure from the thick conductor to the mating conductor without being part of the main current path, thus avoiding the resistance issue while maintaining the mechanical function.
2Device complexity
If thin spring pieces are used as resilient contact pieces, then the terminal structure is simple, but contact pressure consistency deteriorates when subjected to external forces like vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a rigid thick conductor that maintains structural integrity and a flexible thin spring piece that adapts to external forces. The thick conductor provides stable mounting and positioning, while the spring piece absorbs vibrations and maintains consistent contact pressure despite external disturbances.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring piece introduces dynamic flexibility to the otherwise rigid terminal structure. It can deform elastically in response to vibrations and external forces, automatically adjusting to maintain optimal contact pressure with the mating conductor without requiring a complex active control system.
3Device complexity
If single-sided spring configuration is used, then the terminal structure is simple, but contact pressure maintenance is insufficient under displacement
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal can be configured with asymmetric spring placement (one-sided or two-sided) depending on the application requirements. The asymmetric design allows optimization for specific mounting scenarios while the thick conductor provides a stable base that compensates for the simplified spring configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The thick conductor acts as a cushioning element that absorbs and distributes displacement forces before they reach the spring-mating conductor interface. This pre-cushioning effect helps maintain contact pressure even when the terminal is subjected to external forces or misalignment.
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 terminal effectively suppresses the increase in electrical resistance and contact resistance by ensuring consistent contact pressure and multiple contact points, even under displacement, thereby stabilizing the connection between the terminal and the mating conductor.
Implementation Method 1
a first spring member including a first resilient piece, the first spring member being mounted on the first wall... a second spring member including a second resilient piece, the second spring member being mounted on the second wall... the first resilient piece biasing the first plate portion in a direction toward the second plate portion, the second resilient piece biasing the second plate portion in a direction toward the first plate portion
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal includes a case including a first wall, a second wall and coupling walls, a first spring member including a first resilient piece and mounted on the first wall, a second spring member including a second resilient piece and mounted on the second wall, a plate-like first conductor thicker than the first resilient piece and having a longitudinal direction along the first direction, and a plate-like second conductor thicker than the second resilient piece and having a longitudinal direction along the first direction. The first conductor includes a first connecting portion on one side in the longitudinal direction to be connected to another member and a first plate portion on the other side in the longitudinal direction. The second conductor includes a second connecting portion on one side to be connected to the other member and a second plate portion on the other side.