Connector Housing Closure with Sliding Shutters for Compact Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closure arrangements for connector insertion openings in housings require significant structural space due to pivotable closure parts that project into the housing interior, making them bulky and inefficient in protecting against dirt and moisture ingress.
Innovation Solution
The closure parts are designed to be displaceable along convex slide curves on the front wall, guided by spring forces, allowing them to move parallel to the wall during connector insertion, thus minimizing structural space, and are pivotable about transverse axes for further opening, using a single-piece stadium-shaped spring plate element for spring forces and peg-like fastening for assembly simplicity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If closure parts are made pivotable about a pivot axis at edges of the insertion opening, then the closure arrangement protects the housing interior against dirt and moisture ingress, but the closure parts project into the housing interior space requiring large structural space
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the closure parts pivotable about edges (conventional approach), the invention inverts the approach by making them displaceable along the front wall surface. The closure parts move parallel to the front wall along convex slide curves rather than rotating about pivot axes, which eliminates the need for them to project into the housing interior space while maintaining their protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions the closure part motion from a rotational movement (pivotable about an axis) to a translational movement along a curved path on the front wall surface. This dimensional change in motion pattern allows the closure parts to achieve the same protective effect without requiring interior space projection.
2Volume of moving object
If closure parts are made displaceable along convex slide curves on the front wall, then the structural space requirement is minimized, but the closure parts require effective guidance on their displacement travel
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses convex slide curves (curved surfaces) on the front wall to guide the closure parts. These A-class curved surfaces provide effective guidance for the displacement travel of the closure parts, ensuring they move precisely along the intended path while minimizing structural space. The curvature of the slide curves inherently provides the guidance function without requiring additional complex mechanical guides.
3Device complexity
If closure parts are designed as plate-like form with minimal components, then the construction is simplified, but the spring forces required for displacement and pivoting must be efficiently generated
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into a single spring element. This single spring element simultaneously generates the first spring forces that displace the closure parts toward one another along the slide curves, and the second spring forces that enable pivoting about the transverse axes. This consolidation reduces the number of components while providing all necessary forces for the closure parts' operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element is designed with multi-functionality, serving both to provide the displacement forces (first spring forces) and the pivoting forces (second spring forces). This universal component performs multiple functions that would traditionally require separate springs or actuation mechanisms, thereby simplifying the overall construction.
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 design effectively protects the housing interior from dirt and moisture while maintaining a small structural footprint, suitable for USB connection sockets with electrical components, by allowing the closure parts to move along the slide curves and pivot efficiently, using minimal components and space.
Implementation Method 1
spring arms which generate the first spring forces are arranged at the central regions of the longitudinal extent of the stadium-shaped spring plate element, by means of which spring arms the closure parts are acted on toward one another with a preload
Implementation Method 2
the central regions of the longitudinal extent of the stadium-shaped spring plate element may extend parallel to one another, wherein said central regions can be acted on by the free ends of the projections of the closure parts so as to move away from one another and thus generate the second spring forces
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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Figure 7
AI summary
The invention relates to a closure arrangement for closing off an insertion opening 2 in a front wall 1 of a housing for a connector 11 which is insertable through the insertion opening 2, on a displacement travel extending at right angles to the front wall 1, into the interior 4 of the housing and which can be contacted there with a contact piece 12. Having two closure parts 5, 5' which are arranged on the inner side of the front wall 1 and which, counter to spring forces, can be acted on by the connector 11 inserted into the insertion opening 2 such that they are movable away from one another from a closed position, in which they each close off half of the insertion opening 2 and in which the closure parts 5, 5' bear against one another, by way of their end sides 7, 7' facing toward one another, in the center of the insertion opening 2, into an open position, in which the connector 11 can pass through. The closure parts 5, 5' are, with their mutually opposite regions directed toward the front wall 1, displaceably in contact with slide curves 3, 3' of the front wall 1, which extend from the outer region to the inner region of the insertion opening 2 such that they diverge from one another in convex fashion. Here, those regions of the closure parts 5, 5' which bear against the slide curves 3, 3' have contours 6, 6' corresponding to the slide curves 3, 3', and the closure parts 5, 5' are acted on displaceably toward one another along the slide curves 3, 3' by first spring forces.