Connector CPA Arm Stability via Housing Protrusions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connectors with a CPA member often experience unintended deflection of the CPA arm during transportation, leading to deformation or premature release of the movement inhibition in the temporarily locked state, which can cause issues during mating with a mating connector.
Innovation Solution
The connector design includes a CPA member with a cantilever CPA arm and housing-side protrusions that prevent unintended deflection by ensuring the CPA arm remains stable in the temporarily locked state, using housing-side protrusions that come into contact with CPA-side protrusions only in the temporarily locked state and disengage in the fully locked state, allowing the CPA arm to transition securely.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the CPA arm is designed as a cantilever structure to enable movement inhibition and release, then the CPA member can effectively inhibit movement before mating and allow movement after mating, but the CPA arm becomes susceptible to unintended deflection during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The housing-side protrusions are pre-configured to contact the CPA-side protrusions and provide counteracting support force to the CPA arm before mating occurs. This preliminary anti-action prevents the CPA arm from deflecting under external forces during transportation, while still allowing the CPA arm to function properly when mating releases the inhibition.
Solution Approach 2:
The CPA-side protrusions and housing-side protrusions act as intermediary elements that transmit and distribute forces. The protrusions mediate between the external forces during transportation and the CPA arm, providing stable support without interfering with the CPA arm's primary function of inhibiting and releasing movement.
2Reliability
If the CPA arm is made more rigid to prevent deflection, then stability during transportation improves, but the ability to bend and release movement inhibition when mating occurs is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The CPA arm has different local properties: the region near the CPA body is supported by the housing-side protrusions to provide rigidity and prevent deflection, while the distal end region maintains flexibility to bend and release movement inhibition when mating occurs. This local differentiation of quality allows both stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The support function is segmented from the CPA arm itself and provided by separate housing-side protrusions. This segmentation allows the CPA arm to maintain its bending capability while receiving localized support at specific points to prevent unintended deflection during transportation.
3Reliability
If additional support structures are added to prevent CPA arm deflection, then stability during transportation improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing-side protrusions serve multiple functions: they provide support to prevent CPA arm deflection during transportation, and they also interact with the CPA-side protrusions to enable the movement inhibition and release functions. This multi-functionality avoids adding separate dedicated support structures, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support function is merged with the existing housing structure by forming housing-side protrusions as integral parts of the housing. This merging approach provides the necessary support without requiring separate additional components, thus minimizing the increase in device complexity.
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 alleviates unintended deflection of the CPA arm in the temporarily locked state, ensuring reliable mating by maintaining the stability of the CPA arm and preventing premature release of the movement inhibition.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of housing-side protrusions formed in a protruding manner on the CPA movement surface... the pair of housing-side protrusions comes into contact with the pair of CPA-side protrusions in the temporarily locked state
Data Source
AI summary
The connector 1 includes a connector body 11 and a CPA member 12. A pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 is provided on each of side edges 122c, constituting a pair, of a CPA arm 122 of the CPA member 12. A pair of housing-side protrusions 113 is formed in a protruding manner, on a CPA movement surface 112a of a CPA-receiving portion 112 of a housing 11a of the connector body 11, at such a position that the pair of housing-side protrusions 113 does not overlap with the CPA arm 122 in a top view of the CPA movement surface 112a and that the pair of housing-side protrusions 113 comes into contact with the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 in a temporarily locked state and comes out of contact with the pair of CPA-side protrusions 123 in a fully locked state.