Comb-Type Terminal Lock for Compact Multi-Row Electrical Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniature coaxial connectors face challenges in assembly and unseat detection due to small secondary lock surface areas, leading to increased production costs and complexity in molding, especially in connectors with multiple terminal rows, which often require additional components or larger sizes.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a connector housing with flexible primary locking mechanisms and a comb-type secondary locking mechanism that moves from a pre-staged to a staged position, engaging terminal edges to inhibit removal and provide unseat detection feedback, reducing the need for additional components and simplifying assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If traditional secondary lock features are used in miniature coaxial connectors, then the connector size is reduced, but the pushing surface area becomes small and assembly becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary locking mechanism is divided into multiple individual locking elements (comb teeth) that can engage with corresponding features on the electrical terminals. This segmentation allows the locking function to be distributed across multiple small contact points, maintaining compact connector size while providing adequate engagement surface area for reliable assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism extends in multiple spatial dimensions with comb teeth arranged in rows and columns that engage with terminals in corresponding arrays. This multi-dimensional arrangement maximizes the locking surface area within the limited connector volume, resolving the contradiction between small size and adequate engagement area.
2Reliability
If additional components are added to achieve proper terminal seating in multi-row connectors, then terminal seating reliability is improved, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary locking mechanism integrates multiple locking functions into a single unified component structure. The comb-type design with multiple teeth provides simultaneous engagement with multiple terminals across different rows, achieving reliable terminal seating without requiring separate locking components for each terminal or row.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary locking mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical retention for multiple terminals, ensures proper terminal seating through interference engagement, and enables unseat detection. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for additional separate components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
3Reliability
If traditional secondary locks are used in multi-row connectors, then terminal retention is achieved, but molding difficulty increases and production cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary locking mechanism incorporates flexible or resilient locking elements that can deform during the molding process to accommodate terminal variations, then maintain consistent engagement force. This dynamic characteristic allows for easier molding while ensuring reliable terminal retention, as the flexible elements compensate for manufacturing tolerances without requiring complex multi-cavity molds.
4Volume of moving object
If small secondary lock features are used in miniature connectors, then connector size is reduced, but unseat detection feedback becomes poor
Solution Approach 1:
The comb-type secondary locking mechanism provides tactile feedback through interference engagement, where proper terminal seating creates a distinct mechanical sensation or audible click. This feedback mechanism allows operators to detect proper terminal seating without requiring additional sensors or detection systems, maintaining good unseat detection capability in the compact connector design.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
An electrical connector (100) includes a connector housing (112) having terminal cavities (110) which are arranged in an array having at least two rows and at least two columns. Each of the terminal cavities (110) are configured to receive electrical terminals (108). Each terminal cavity defines a flexible primary locking mechanism (114) integrally formed with the connector housing (112) and configured to engage an edge (116) of at least one electrical terminal (108) of the plurality of electrical terminals, thereby inhibiting removal of the plurality of electrical terminals from the terminal cavities (110). The electrical connector (100) also includes a secondary locking mechanism (102) slidably attached to the connector housing (112) and movable from a pre-staged position (104) to a staged position (106). The secondary locking mechanism (102) defines a plurality of members (118) configured to extend into the terminal cavities (110) and engage the edge (116) of at least two electrical terminals of the plurality of electrical terminals when the secondary locking mechanism (102) is in the staged position (106), thereby further inhibiting removal of the plurality of electrical terminals from the terminal cavities (110).