Terminal Block Side Fastening Guide Face Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing terminal blocks with protruding guide walls increase costs and are prone to counterpart terminal slipping or deformation when fastened from the side, due to complex structures and exposed end faces.

Innovation Solution

A terminal block design featuring a pedestal with a guide face that inclines upward from the fixing face, allowing the fastening portion of the counterpart terminal to be smoothly guided to the fastening position without increasing costs, by forming a groove-shaped attachment portion with an embedded nut and a conductive metal terminal with a flat plate fixing face.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If protruding guide walls with a narrow portion are added to guide the counterpart terminal, then the counterpart terminal can be prevented from slipping and deforming, but the structure becomes complicated and costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of counterpart terminal slipping and deformationVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts only the essential guiding function from the complex protruding guide wall structure. By forming a guide face directly on the pedestal surface that guides the counterpart terminal from the side toward the fastening position, the solution eliminates the need for protruding walls and narrow portions, achieving the guiding function with a simpler structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of creating protruding structures to guide the terminal, the invention uses a recessed guide face approach. The guide face is formed as a surface feature on the pedestal rather than as protruding walls, inverting the conventional approach of using positive protrusions for guidance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Manufacturing precision

If protruding guide walls are added to guide the counterpart terminal, then guiding accuracy improves, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguiding accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide face is merged with the pedestal body as an integrated feature rather than being a separate component. The guide face is formed directly on the pedestal surface during the same manufacturing process, combining the guiding function with the pedestal structure itself to reduce manufacturing steps and costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If the counterpart terminal is fastened from the side, then installation flexibility improves, but the counterpart terminal may slip under the terminal or contact the end face causing deformation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation flexibilityVSAvoidprevention of terminal slipping and deformation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The guide face is pre-formed on the pedestal to perform the guiding action before the fastening operation. As the counterpart terminal approaches from the side, the guide face automatically directs it toward the correct fastening position, preventing slipping and deformation before they can occur during the fastening process

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The guide face acts as an intermediary element between the approaching counterpart terminal and the fastening position. It mediates the motion of the terminal, gradually directing it from the side approach toward the correct overlapping position on the fixing face, preventing direct contact with end faces and slipping

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11545766B2Terminal block

Publication Date: 2023.01.03 YAZAKI CORP

AI summary

A terminal block includes a pedestal and a terminal attached to the pedestal. A fastening portion of a connection terminal is overlapped on a fixing face of the terminal and is fastened to a fastening position on the fixing face. The connection terminal is brought close to and disposed at the fastening position of the terminal from a side. The pedestal has a guide face that guides the fastening portion of the connection terminal that approaches from a side upward from the fixing face toward the fastening position. The fastening portion passes beyond an edge portion of the guide face and arrives at the fastening position so as to be overlapped on the fixing face.