Electrical Terminal Assembly with Segmented Spring Shroud
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical terminal assemblies face challenges in providing a balance between maintaining compression force between male and female terminals, protecting contact arms from damage, and ease of installation, while ensuring effective electrical conductivity and durability at varying temperatures.
Innovation Solution
The electrical terminal assembly incorporates a spring member with a spring base and spring arms that engage contact arms, featuring a shroud that extends around and beyond the contact arms for protection and easy assembly, made from materials like stainless steel for high temperature resilience, and a method of folding the shroud to secure the spring member in place.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a spring member with integral front end protection (cage) is provided, then contact arms are protected from damage, but installation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The spring member is divided into two separate components: the spring body and the shroud (front end protection). The shroud is provided as a separate piece that is attached to the spring body after the spring body is positioned on the contact member. This segmentation allows the spring body to be easily installed first, and then the shroud is added separately to provide protection, thereby resolving the contradiction between protection and ease of installation.
2Device complexity
If the spring member includes integral front end protection, then no additional pieces are needed, but the spring member becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the spring member into separate components (spring body and shroud), the invention reduces the complexity of each individual piece while maintaining the protective function. The spring body remains relatively simple in structure, and the shroud is a separate protective component that can be easily attached, thereby resolving the contradiction between device complexity and ease of operation.
3Ease of operation
If the shroud is provided as a separate piece, then installation is simplified, but additional pieces are added to the assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The shroud is designed to be attached to the spring body in advance during the assembly process, rather than being added as a final step. This preliminary action allows the spring body to be easily positioned on the contact member first, and then the shroud is attached to complete the assembly, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
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
This design maintains a strong compression force during mating while preventing contact arm damage and simplifying installation, ensuring durability and effective electrical conductivity across a range of temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
The spring member includes a spring base. A plurality of spring arms extend from the spring base in the arm direction. The spring arms include respective spring contacts where the spring arms engage one of the contact arms. The spring arms include respective spring deflections between the spring base and the spring contact.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical terminal assembly includes a contact member. The contact member includes 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 also includes a spring member. The spring member is supported on the contact member. The spring member includes a spring base. A plurality of spring arms extend from the spring base in the arm direction. The spring arms include respective spring contacts where the spring arms engage one of the contact arms. The spring arms include respective spring deflections between the spring base and the spring contact. Each spring deflection extends into a spring space between adjacent ones of the contact arms.