Electrical Connector Bar Locking Mechanism for TPA Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniaturized electrical connectors face issues with mechanical weakness and assembly challenges due to the scaling down of terminal position assurance devices, leading to potential misalignment and damage during assembly and handling.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a bar locking mechanism with a shroud and terminal holder portion that secures the terminal position assurance device on both ends, preventing accidental movement and ensuring robustness, while allowing easy assembly and preventing misalignment by using a bar with recesses and protrusions to lock the bar in specific positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the connector is miniaturized to reduce space recruitment, then the connector size is reduced, but the mechanical strength of the connector and wires deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct functional modules: a housing portion, a terminal holder portion with cavities for terminals, and a separate TPA device with a bar that can move independently. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall compactness, resolving the contradiction between miniaturization and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The TPA device is nested within the terminal holder portion during assembly, with the bar moving along the mating axis inside the housing. The TPA device is surrounded by the terminal holder portion at a first distance, creating a compact nested structure that minimizes overall connector size while maintaining structural integrity through the nested arrangement.
2Ease of operation
If the TPA device is moved perpendicular to the mating axis for cavity access during assembly, then the cavities become freely accessible for terminal loading, but the TPA device becomes vulnerable to accidental movement or breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The TPA device incorporates a movable bar that can dynamically change position along the mating axis between a first position (inactive) and a second position (active). The bar is locked in the first position during assembly to allow easy cavity access, then transitions to the second position after terminal insertion to provide terminal position assurance. This dynamic positioning resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The bar is preliminarily positioned in the first inactive position before terminal insertion, allowing free access to cavities during assembly. After terminals are loaded, the bar is moved to the second active position to lock terminals in place. This preliminary positioning ensures that the TPA device does not interfere with assembly operations while maintaining reliability during operation.
3Volume of moving object
If the TPA device protrudes outside the terminal holding housing portion for miniaturization, then the connector size is reduced, but the protruding part becomes easily movable or breakable
Solution Approach 1:
The TPA device is nested within the terminal holder portion, surrounded by it at a first distance, creating a protected internal structure. The bar moves along the mating axis within the housing rather than protruding externally, which maintains compact connector size while protecting the TPA device from external forces that could cause accidental movement or breakage.
4Reliability
If a locking mechanism with bar and recesses is implemented to secure TPA device position, then the terminal position assurance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into simple, discrete elements: the bar with its longitudinal axis aligned with the mating axis, recesses formed in the housing portion, and protrusions on the bar that engage with the recesses. This segmentation creates a reliable locking mechanism while keeping individual components simple and the overall structure manageable.
Data Source
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AI summary
Electrical connector (10), comprising a connector housing (100) having a first wall (110) arranged perpendicular to a mating axis (X), a second wall (120) extending from the first wall (110) along the mating axis (X) in a mating direction (M), defining a shroud (130), the shroud (130) surrounds, with a first distance (140), a terminal holder portion (150) that surrounds the mating axis (X), whereby the terminal holder portion (150) comprises at least one cavity (160) aligned along the mating axis (X) and adapted to receive an electrical terminal, whereby the terminal holder portion (150) comprises at least one tunnel (170), arranged perpendicular to the mating axis (X), along a bar axis (Y), providing access to the at least one cavity (160), wherein a bar (200) is at least partly inserted in the at least one tunnel (170), wherein the at least one tunnel (170) comprises a first bar locking means and whereby the bar (200) comprises a second bar locking means, whereby the a first bar locking means and the second bar locking means cooperate to lock the bar (200) releasable in a first position (A) or in a second position (B), whereby the shroud (130) comprises an shroud opening (132) surrounding the bar axis (Y), whereby a first end (202) of the bar (200) is hold in the shroud opening (132) when the bar (200) is in the first position (A).