Electrical Connector Blocking Surfaces Watertightness Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face issues with watertightness and durability due to clearance between the connector body and sleeve-shaped cover, leading to production problems and increased wear during vibration, especially in automotive applications where over molding is necessary.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a flexible sleeve-shaped cover with protrusions that press against the inner connector housing, using blocking surfaces to create a sealed and robust connection, similar to a one-piece body, with inclined and rib-shaped features to enhance sealing and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If clearance is provided between the flexible arms and the recess to enable snapping assembly, then ease of assembly is improved, but watertightness deteriorates because over molding material can penetrate the clearance
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible arms are pre-flexed during assembly to reduce their protrusion, creating preliminary engagement with the recess before final snapping. This preliminary action reduces the effective clearance during the critical over-molding stage while still allowing easy assembly through the controlled flexing motion
Solution Approach 2:
The flexibility parameter of the arms is utilized dynamically - the arms are designed to be flexible enough to snap into place during assembly, but this same flexibility allows them to be pre-flexed to minimize clearance during over-molding, thereby maintaining both ease of assembly and watertightness
2Ease of operation
If clearance is provided between the connector body and sleeve shaped cover to enable assembly, then ease of assembly is improved, but durability deteriorates due to increased wear during vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The connector components are pre-positioned and pre-engaged during assembly to minimize final clearance. The flexible arms are pre-flexed and the cover is pre-aligned, so that when assembled, the clearance is minimized, reducing wear during vibration while maintaining ease of assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible arms provide dynamic compensation - they are designed to flex and adapt during assembly to enable easy connection, but once assembled, their flexibility allows them to maintain continuous contact and minimize clearance under vibration, thereby improving durability
3Reliability
If blocking surfaces are extended fully around the mating axis to provide complete sealing, then watertightness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking surfaces are designed to serve multiple functions: they provide mechanical blocking to prevent disassembly, create sealing surfaces for watertightness, and guide alignment during assembly. This multi-functionality allows full 360-degree blocking surfaces to achieve sealing without proportionally increasing complexity, as the same structures perform multiple roles
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a reliable, vibration-resistant, and watertight electrical connector that maintains performance over time, reducing terminal wear and contact resistance, while allowing for easy assembly and manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
uses the flexibility of the surrounding cover to press continuously the protrusion, attached on the surrounding cover, against the slope area attached on the inner connector housing. Because the surrounding cover wants to change the state, from being in flexed state to being in relax state
Data Source
Figure 1~5
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Figure 8~9
AI summary
An electrical connector (1) comprising a first connector housing (10), comprising a cavity (11) aligned along a mating axis (X), adapted to receive an electrical terminal, wherein the first connector housing comprises first holding means, protruding perpendicular to the mating axis (X), from an outer surface (12) of the first connector housing outwards, a second connector housing (50), surrounding the first connector housing along the mating axis (X), wherein the second connector housing comprises second holding means, protruding perpendicular to the mating axis (X), from an inner surface (52) of the second connector housing inwards, wherein the first holding means comprises a first blocking surface (28) extending perpendicular to the mating axis (X) and wherein the second holding means comprises a second blocking surface (70) extending perpendicular to the mating axis (X), wherein the first blocking surface (28) is arranged opposite the second blocking surface (70) and wherein the first holding means and the second holding means cooperate with each other to press the first blocking surface (28) to the second blocking surface (70) while holding the first connector housing and the second connector housing tightly together.