Electrical Connector Back Shell With Universal Accessory Socket

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing electrical connectors require multiple configurations of back shells and housings, leading to increased costs, complexity, and manufacturing difficulties due to their specific design compatibility, limiting their versatility across different applications.

Innovation Solution

The electrical connector design includes a back shell with an accessory socket that can hold various accessories, such as tie bars or clips, which are configured to engage the cable, allowing for interchangeable back shells and housings that can support different cable configurations, thereby reducing the need for multiple specific configurations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple different back shell and housing configurations are fabricated and stocked for different electrical connector applications, then the electrical connectors can be optimized for specific applications, but the cost, complexity, and difficulty of manufacturing and supplying increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication-specific optimizationVSAvoidnumber of configurations

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The back shell is designed with a universal accessory socket that can accommodate different types of accessories (such as strain relief members, seals, or identification tags) through a single standardized interface. This allows one back shell configuration to serve multiple application-specific needs by simply changing the accessory, eliminating the requirement for multiple specialized back shell variants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The electrical connector is divided into modular components: a standardized back shell with a universal socket, interchangeable accessories, and compatible housings. This segmentation allows the accessory socket and back shell to be standardized while maintaining application-specific functionality through the interchangeable accessory component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple different back shell and housing configurations are fabricated and stocked for different electrical connector applications, then the electrical connectors can be optimized for specific applications, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapplication-specific optimizationVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The back shell is designed with a universal accessory socket that can accommodate different types of accessories (such as strain relief members, seals, or identification tags) through a single standardized interface. This allows one back shell configuration to serve multiple application-specific needs by simply changing the accessory, eliminating the requirement for multiple specialized back shell variants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The accessory socket is integrated directly into the back shell structure, combining the support function and the accessory mounting function into a single component. This merging reduces the total number of parts that need to be manufactured and stocked, as the back shell itself becomes the universal mounting platform for various accessories.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If back shells are designed for use with specific housings, then the connection between back shell and housing can be optimized, but the versatility across different electrical connector configurations decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoidcompatibility across configurations

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The back shell is designed with a universal accessory socket that can accommodate different types of accessories (such as strain relief members, seals, or identification tags) through a single standardized interface. This allows one back shell configuration to serve multiple application-specific needs by simply changing the accessory, eliminating the requirement for multiple specialized back shell variants.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from fixed, application-specific back shell-housing pairings to a dynamic configuration where a universal back shell can adapt to different applications by accepting different accessories. This dynamic adaptability maintains connection reliability through standardized interfaces while enabling versatility across configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8491328B2Electrical connector for terminating a cable

Publication Date: 2013.07.23 TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GMBH

AI summary

An electrical connector is provided for terminating a cable. The electrical connector includes an electrical contact configured to be terminated to a wire of the cable, and a housing extending between a mating end and a cable end. The housing is configured to mate with a mating connector at the mating end. The electrical contact is held by the housing. A back shell is mounted to the cable end of the housing. The back shell includes an opening configured to hold an end of the cable such that the back shell supports the end of the cable. The back shell includes an accessory socket. An accessory is held within the accessory socket of the back shell such that the accessory extends outwardly from the back shell. The accessory is configured to engage the cable.