Bayonet Locking Sealing Cap for Connector Media Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing sealing caps for connectors fail to provide adequate protection against media such as dust and water, particularly at the mating face, and often lose functionality over time due to inconsistent sealing force.

Innovation Solution

A detachable sealing cap with a bayonet locking mechanism, featuring a locking cylinder and a docking cylinder with a seal in a circumferential groove, ensuring consistent force application for media-tight sealing, and allowing for stacking and color-coded identification of connector types.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a sealing cap is used to protect the mating face of a connector, then protection against media ingress is improved, but the sealing cap can be lost or misplaced during storage and transport

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotection against media ingressVSAvoidretention of sealing cap
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing cap is designed to be nested within another sealing cap of identical construction. The outer cap receives and retains the inner cap, creating a nested configuration. This ensures that during storage and transport, caps cannot be lost or misplaced, while maintaining their protective function against media ingress.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If a sealing cap is detachably fixed to the connector housing, then ease of removal and reattachment is improved, but consistent sealing force is difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveremoval and reattachment of sealing capVSAvoidsealing force consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing cap employs a bayonet locking mechanism that provides dynamic, repeatable engagement. The locking means enable the cap to be quickly attached and detached while maintaining consistent sealing force through the mechanical advantage of the bayonet principle, ensuring reliable sealing across multiple cycles of removal and reattachment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If a sealing cap with locking mechanism is used, then retention and consistent sealing are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveretention and sealing consistencyVSAvoidlocking mechanism structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing cap design segments the locking function from the sealing function. The locking means (bayonet mechanism) are integrated into the cap structure but operate as a distinct functional element, providing reliable retention and consistent sealing force without requiring overly complex overall design. The segmentation allows each function to be optimized independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3020097B1Closing cap for a plug-and-socket connector
Publication Date: 2019.03.06 HARTING ELECTRIC GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3020097B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3020097B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3020097B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to a closing cap for the media-tight sealing of a plug face of a plug-and-socket connector, in particular a round plug-and-socket connector, wherein the closing cap (1) can be detachably fastened to a plug-and-socket connector housing (3), and wherein the closing cap (1) comprises means (5, 6) such that the closing cap (1) can be detachably fastened to a further closing cap (1') of identical construction. The closing caps (1) can be stored, for example, stacked one on top of the other on a plug-and-socket connector housing in a switchgear cabinet. This simplifies storage.