Bidirectional Connector Assembly with Removable Cover
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connector assemblies are difficult to manipulate, especially with a large number of circuits or terminals, as receptacle carriers can only be inserted in one direction, leading to complex wire routing and manufacturing challenges due to the need for lengthy carriers and complex housing molds.
Innovation Solution
A connector assembly design allowing receptacle carriers to be inserted from either side of the housing, with a cover that can be positioned in different orientations and a lever mounted on the cover instead of the housing, simplifying assembly and manufacturing by reducing the complexity of mold cavities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If receptacle carriers are inserted in only one direction, then the connector structure is simpler, but the assembly becomes difficult to manipulate especially with large number of circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into multiple receptacle carrier receiving cavities with openings on different sides, allowing independent insertion of each carrier from the most convenient direction. This segmentation enables operators to access different carriers from different sides, greatly improving ease of assembly for connectors with large numbers of circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is designed with universal access capability by providing openings on multiple sides, allowing receptacle carriers to be inserted from any direction. This multi-directional access design makes the connector universally adaptable to different assembly scenarios and wire routing configurations.
2Quantity of substance
If carriers are made lengthy to accommodate large number of terminals, then all terminals can be housed, but insertion becomes very difficult and molding becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using one long carrier to house all terminals, the housing is divided into multiple separate receptacle carrier receiving cavities. Each cavity accommodates a separate, shorter receptacle carrier. This segmentation allows terminals to be distributed across multiple compact carriers rather than forcing all terminals into a single lengthy carrier, thereby simplifying molding and insertion operations.
3Reliability
If lever is mounted on housing with many shoulders and cavities, then the lever is securely attached, but the mold complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The lever mounting function is extracted from the housing structure. Instead of integrating lever mounting features directly into the complex housing with its many shoulders and cavities, the lever is mounted separately on the cover. This extraction eliminates the need for additional lever mounting members on the housing, thereby simplifying the mold design while maintaining secure lever attachment.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If cover has openings for wire routing in only one direction, then wire path is controlled, but wire manipulation in confined spaces becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having fixed openings in the cover that force wires to route in a single direction, the design inverts the approach by providing multiple openings on different sides of the housing. This allows wires to be routed from different directions depending on the specific assembly requirements and available space, making wire manipulation much easier in confined spaces while still maintaining controlled wire paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector assembly which has a housing (4) and a cover. The housing (4) has a connector mating face and a cover mating face (53). The cover is removably attached to the housing. The cover has a wire receiving cavity with an opening at the end of the cavity. One or more receptacle carrier receiving cavities (42) extend through respective openings on either side of the housing (4), thereby allowing one or more receptacle carriers (10) to be inserted into the respective receptacle receiving cavities (42) through the respective openings on either side of the housing. The cover can be positioned on the housing in different orientations.