Terminal Block Locking Handle with Resilient Arm
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inferior connections between terminal blocks and circuit boards lead to loose or detached connections due to vibrations, resulting in broken circuits and unreliable signal transmission or power delivery.
Innovation Solution
A terminal block fastening device with a locking handle featuring a force arm, pivot point, and resilient arm that automatically fastens the circuit board with minimal effort and small displacement, ensuring secure attachment and easy detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a terminal block is connected to a circuit board without a locking mechanism, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the connection becomes loose or detached due to vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The locking handle incorporates a resilient arm that can dynamically adjust between locked and unlocked states. The resilient arm flexes to accommodate insertion forces and maintains continuous contact with the circuit board, providing adaptive securing rather than rigid fixed positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arm automatically engages with the circuit board upon insertion and self-secures the connection without requiring additional fastening operations. The spring-loaded mechanism maintains constant securing force and can automatically re-engage if dislodged, providing self-maintaining connection stability.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is added to secure the terminal block to the circuit board, then connection stability improves, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a locking handle for operation, a resilient arm for securing force, and engagement features on the terminal block body. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and assembled through straightforward processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arm functions as a flexible element that provides securing force through elastic deformation. This flexible component replaces rigid fastening elements, simplifying the overall structure and reducing manufacturing steps while maintaining reliable connection stability.
3Force
If a locking handle with long movement distance is used, then the fastening force is sufficient, but the device size increases and it cannot fit in compact equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The locking handle incorporates curved or angled paths for the resilient arm movement, allowing the fastening portion to traverse a shorter linear distance while maintaining sufficient fastening force through optimized force vector direction. The curved geometry multiplies the effective force application.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism utilizes multi-dimensional movement of the resilient arm, combining vertical, horizontal, and rotational components. This allows the fastening portion to reach the locked state through a compact three-dimensional path rather than a long linear trajectory, reducing the overall device footprint.
4Force
If the fastening portion requires large displacement to engage, then sufficient fastening force is achieved, but the operation requires more effort and time
Solution Approach 1:
The locking handle employs curved guide paths and angled surfaces that redirect the user's input force through a compact arc motion. This allows sufficient fastening force to be generated through a small rotational or arc-shaped movement rather than requiring large linear displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arm acts as an intermediary mechanical advantage element between the user's input on the locking handle and the fastening force applied to the circuit board. This intermediary component amplifies the input force while requiring minimal displacement, reducing operational effort.
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
Enhances the anti-pull-out feature of the terminal block, allowing for reliable signal transmission and power delivery while requiring less effort and maintaining a compact design for small equipment.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient arm disposed between the fastening portion and the force arm... When the force arm is released, the resilient arm is resiliently restored to drive the fastening portion of the locking handle to return to the locked state
Implementation Method 2
The locking handle includes a force arm, a fastening portion connected to one end of the force arm, a pivot point connected to the other end of the force arm... one end of the force arm, i.e. the pivot point, is fixed in the pivot hole of the body
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal block fastening device (100) includes a body (110) and a locking handle (200). The body (110) includes a socket (124) for insertion of a printed circuit board (10) and two through holes (128) perpendicular to the socket (124). The locking handle (200) is installed in the body (110). The locking handle (200) has a force arm (230), a fastening portion (202) connected to one end of the force arm (230), a pivot point (220) connected to the other end of the force arm (230), and a resilient arm (210) disposed between the fastening portion (202) and the force arm (230). The fastening portion (202) is operatively associated with the resilient arm (210) to move between a locked state (L) and a released state (R), so that the anti-pull-out effect on the printed circuit board (10) is improved.