Cantilevered Connector Terminals for Misalignment Insertion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional connectors require a movable housing to accommodate misalignment during counterpart terminal insertion, which leads to increased loads on the terminals, reducing their resistance to shock and vibration.

Innovation Solution

A connector design that eliminates the need for a movable housing by using cantilevered terminals with a resilient member, allowing counterpart terminals to be inserted from spaced locations in the height direction through insertion apertures, with the resilient member providing contact points and alleviating terminal loads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a movable housing is provided to accommodate misalignment during counterpart terminal insertion, then misalignment accommodation is improved, but the load on terminals increases and durability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemisalignment accommodationVSAvoidterminal durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and eliminates the movable housing from the connector structure. Instead of using a separate movable housing component to accommodate misalignment, the patent integrates the misalignment accommodation function directly into the resilient member of the terminal, thereby removing the source of excessive load on terminals while preserving the misalignment accommodation capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the misalignment accommodation function with the terminal's resilient member. The resilient member is designed to perform both electrical connection and misalignment compensation functions simultaneously, eliminating the need for a separate movable housing and reducing the load on terminals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a movable housing is provided to accommodate misalignment, then misalignment accommodation is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemisalignment accommodationVSAvoidconnector structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the movable housing component from the connector assembly, simplifying the overall structure. By integrating the misalignment accommodation function into the terminal's resilient member, the patent reduces the number of parts and simplifies the connector construction

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The resilient member is designed to perform multiple functions: electrical connection and misalignment accommodation. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining misalignment accommodation capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a movable housing is provided to accommodate misalignment, then misalignment accommodation is improved, but manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemisalignment accommodationVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By eliminating the movable housing component, the invention reduces the number of parts that need to be manufactured, assembled, and quality-checked. This streamlining of the component list directly reduces manufacturing complexity and cost

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The integration of misalignment accommodation into the resilient member reduces the total part count and simplifies the manufacturing process. Fewer components mean fewer manufacturing steps, less assembly work, and lower overall production costs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 enhances the durability of the terminals by reducing the load on them, streamlines the construction, minimizes the number of parts, and lowers manufacturing costs by eliminating the movable housing.

Implementation Method 1

a movable housing enabled for movement relative to the stationary housing as a result of resilient deformation of the terminals

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS12212088B2Connector capable of accommodating misalignment at time of counterpart terminal insertion

Publication Date: 2025.01.28 HIROSE ELECTRIC CO LTD

AI summary

A housing having a height, width, and a depth direction, and cantilevered terminals having one end side secured to the housing on one side in the depth direction and having a resilient member forming a free end in an end portion on the other end side opposite to said one end side on the side opposite to the one side in the depth direction. Counterpart terminals are inserted into an insertion space within the housing from locations spaced apart in the height direction through insertion apertures occupying a predetermined area in a plane formed by the depth direction and width direction of the housing, the resilient member has contact points that contact with counterpart terminals inserted through the insertion apertures, and at least a portion of the resilient member other than the contact points, along with the contact points, is positioned within the bounds of the predetermined area in at least the plane.