Confined Envelope Connector System for Aircraft Floor Raceways
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connector systems face challenges when installed in confined or recessed spaces, including difficult accessibility, requirement for specialized tools, susceptibility to damage from foreign matter, and the need to remove connectors for connection or disconnection.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector system with a frame that allows for selective engagement and disengagement of connectors without requiring access inside the recessed space, using a frame portion that moves to urge the first connector along a specific axis while constraining the second connector, and a cover to prevent foreign matter from entering the space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If connectors are installed in confined or recessed spaces, then living or working space clearance is improved, but accessibility and installation difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system is divided into two separate housings (first housing with male connector, second housing with female connector) that can be independently positioned in the recessed space. This segmentation allows each housing to be optimally placed for space clearance while maintaining accessibility through the frame opening for connection operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A frame structure acts as an intermediary element that provides access to the connectors through its opening. The frame portion with actuating features extends through the opening, allowing users to engage and disengage connectors without direct access to the recessed space, thus resolving the accessibility contradiction.
2Area of stationary object
If connectors are placed in recessed spaces, then clearance space is improved, but susceptibility to damage from foreign matter worsens
Solution Approach 1:
A cover element is provided that can be positioned over the opening to protect the connectors from foreign matter while allowing access when needed. The cover acts as a protective barrier that can be opened or removed to enable connection operations, thus resolving the contradiction between protection and accessibility.
3Area of stationary object
If connectors are installed in confined spaces, then space clearance is improved, but the need to remove connectors for connection/disconnection worsens installation complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The frame structure merges multiple functions: it provides structural support, defines the recessed space, and incorporates actuating features that enable connector engagement/disengagement through the opening. This integration eliminates the need to remove connectors from the recessed space, resolving the contradiction between space clearance and operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame portion is designed to be movable or adjustable, allowing it to facilitate connector engagement and disengagement operations. This dynamic capability enables connectors to remain permanently installed in the recessed space while still allowing easy connection and disconnection through the frame opening.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrical connector system is adapted for placement into a recessed space defining a raceway formed in a floor of an aircraft having an open region. The electrical connector system includes a first connector and a second connector connectable along a first axis. A frame is provided. The first connector is selectably movable in the frame along the first axis in response to movement of a frame portion, with the second connector being constrained by the frame to resist movement along the first axis. Movement of the frame portion permits selective engagement and disengagement between the first and second connectors, the frame portion being accessible from the open region.