Terminal Block Cover with Pivoting Arm for Stepped Terminals
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing terminal blocks for vehicle-mounted battery assemblies face challenges in preventing short circuits between positive and negative terminals due to tool contact, especially when there are stepped portions or insufficient space for slide covers, leading to increased component counts and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A terminal block design featuring external extraction positive and negative fastening portions at different heights, with a terminal cover having a fitting portion, hinge portion, and arm portion that covers both fastening portions, providing a lock function to maintain the cover's state and prevent rattling, thus ensuring the terminals are not simultaneously exposed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a slide cover is used to prevent short circuits between terminals, then short circuit prevention is improved, but the number of components increases and applicability is reduced when there are stepped portions or insufficient space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cover body and arm portion into a single integrated terminal cover component. The arm portion acts as a lever arm that pivots about a fulcrum point on the terminal block, allowing the cover body to be positioned over one terminal while the arm extends to cover the other terminal. This merging eliminates the need for separate slide cover components and reduces the overall number of parts required.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal cover employs a dynamic pivoting mechanism where the cover body can rotate about the fulcrum point. This dynamic action allows the cover to transition between covering the positive terminal and covering the negative terminal, providing flexible short circuit prevention without requiring a complex multi-component system. The arm portion moves to different positions to adapt to the covering needs of either terminal.
2Reliability
If a slide cover is used to prevent short circuits, then short circuit prevention is improved, but applicability is reduced in cases with stepped portions or limited space
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic pivoting capability of the terminal cover allows it to adapt to different terminal configurations. When the positive and negative terminals are at different heights (stepped portions), the arm portion can pivot to position the cover body over the higher terminal while extending to cover the lower terminal. This dynamic adjustment provides versatility that fixed slide covers cannot achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a vertical dimension to the cover structure through the arm portion extending upward from the terminal block surface. This vertical extension allows the cover body to be positioned at the appropriate height to cover terminals even when they are at different levels, solving the stepped portion problem by utilizing the third dimension (height) rather than being constrained to a single plane.
3Adaptability or versatility
If external extraction fastening portions are positioned at different heights, then adaptability to stepped portions is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal block is designed with both the positive and negative fastening portions extending to the same external height, creating a universal interface that accommodates terminals at different heights. The internal structure handles the height difference through the fulcrum mechanism, while the external interface remains simple and uniform. This multi-functional design allows the same external structure to work with terminals of varying heights without increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal block for a vehicle-mounted battery assembly, the terminal block being attached to a total positive/negative terminal block which is attached to the vehicle-mounted battery assembly. An external extraction positive-side fastening portion and an external extraction negative-side fastening portion are positioned at different heights. A terminal cover is configured to cover the external extraction positive-side fastening portion. The terminal cover includes a fitting portion fitted into the terminal block for the vehicle-mounted battery assembly, a hinge portion engaged with the fitted portion, an arm portion engaged with the hinge portion, and a cover body engaged with the arm portion. The arm portion has a predetermined length, so that by hinge operation of the hinge portion, the cover body covers both the external extraction positive-side fastening portion and the external extraction negative-side fastening portion which are positioned at different heights.