Clip-Based Fastening for Multi-Pin Connector Blind Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-pin connector attachment architectures require removal of the rear panel to access lower connector bores, disrupting service and being cumbersome, especially with increased cable and circuit densities, and prior solutions lack structural rigidity and ensure blind alignment.
Innovation Solution
A robust, metallic rear panel-attachment clip allows aligned 'blind' insertion of multi-pin connectors into the rear panel, eliminating the need for lower bores and providing stable retention without disrupting other circuit cards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional hardware fittings (screws) are used to attach multi-pin connectors to the rear panel, then stable mechanical retention is achieved, but the rear panel must be removed to access lower connector bores, disrupting service and reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment system is divided into two independent parts: upper attachment bores that remain accessible when the rear panel is installed, and lower attachment bores that are accessed through the connector itself. This segmentation allows the rear panel to stay in place while both upper and lower fittings are installed, eliminating service disruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector body serves as an intermediary structure that provides access to lower attachment bores through its own casing, rather than requiring removal of the rear panel. The lower bore is positioned such that it can be accessed from the exterior through the connector housing, making the rear panel removal unnecessary.
2Adaptability or versatility
If cable and circuit densities are increased to improve equipment functionality, then more connectors are needed, but access to attachment fittings becomes more difficult and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
Attachment bores are segmented into upper and lower positions with different access methods. Upper bores are accessed from the rear panel side, while lower bores are accessed through the connector housing, allowing independent access paths that work even when density increases and space becomes constrained.
Solution Approach 2:
Access to lower attachment bores is achieved by changing the dimensional approach - instead of accessing from the rear panel plane, the connector housing provides a third-dimensional access path through its own structure, allowing fitting insertion without rear panel removal.
3Productivity
If flimsy attachment methods like wire ties or lacing cords are used to avoid rear panel removal, then service continuity is maintained, but structural rigidity and stability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The solution merges the advantages of both rigid hardware fittings and non-invasive attachment by using standard screw fittings in conjunction with a connector design that allows access to all necessary bores without rear panel removal. This combination maintains both structural integrity and service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector housing itself serves the dual function of both the electrical connector and the access mechanism for lower attachment bores. The housing structure is designed to allow fitting insertion from the exterior, making the connector self-sufficient for its own attachment needs without requiring additional access mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A clip is attachable to a flange of a connector terminating an electrical cable, and is configured to mechanically couple one side of the flange to an edge of a connector-installation aperture of a chassis, such that a distal end of the connector may engage a receptacle within the chassis. When the connector, with the clip attached, is placed in the chassis' connector-installation aperture, a notch region of the clip engages the chassis at an edge of its connector-installation aperture, causing a bore on a second side of the flange to be coaxial with a bore in the chassis, so that a hardware fitting therethrough may secure the connector to the chassis.