Connector Bent Groove Ventilation Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing connector designs face challenges in forming a properly configured ventilation groove due to interference with terminals, leading to difficulties in molding and potential breakage of pins during the manufacturing process.

Innovation Solution

A connector design featuring a bent groove shape in the overlapping surfaces of the cores, which avoids interference with terminals and allows for easy formation, utilizing a tower groove with offset inner and outer portions to create a ventilation path that communicates with outside air.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a straight groove is formed in the flat mating surfaces of the primary molded bodies, then the ventilation path is formed, but the groove interferes with the terminals and is difficult to form

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveventilation path formationVSAvoidgroove formation difficulty

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature by changing the groove shape from straight to bent. The bent groove configuration allows the ventilation path to be formed without interfering with the terminals arranged in the primary molded bodies, resolving the contradiction between forming a functional ventilation path and avoiding interference with terminal structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Reliability

If a pin is arranged in the mold for the connector housing to form the vent, then the vent is formed, but the pin may break during molding

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevent formationVSAvoidpin integrity during molding

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the pin from the molding process entirely. Instead of using a pin to form the vent, the ventilation path is formed by bending the groove in the primary molded bodies themselves. This eliminates the pin breakage issue while maintaining vent formation functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of manufacture

If the groove is formed to avoid terminals, then interference with terminals is prevented, but the groove configuration becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveterminal interference avoidanceVSAvoidgroove configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bent groove configuration provides a simple yet effective solution to avoid terminals. By curving the groove path rather than using complex three-dimensional routing, the patent achieves terminal interference avoidance with minimal increase in structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentUS10998682B2Connector

Publication Date: 2021.05.04 SUMITOMO WIRING SYSTEMS LTD

AI summary

A connector (1) forms an internal space (13) for accommodating a circuit board (12) and a case (11). The connector (1) includes first terminals (2), a first core (5), second terminals, a second core, a housing (8) and a ventilation path (14). The first core (5) holds the first terminals (2) while exposing both ends. The second core faces and overlaps the first core (5). The second core holds the second terminals while exposing both ends. The housing (8) covers at least parts of the first and second cores. The ventilation path (14) allows the internal space (13) to communicate with outside air. At least a part of the ventilation path (14) is constituted by a groove portion (512) in at least one of overlapping surfaces of the first and second cores (5) overlapping each other. The groove portion (512) has a bent shape in the overlapping surface.