Cantilevered Connector Damping Element for Clearance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors, particularly automotive connectors, face challenges in achieving a precise fit between male and female connectors to prevent fretting corrosion and nonuniform contact pressure while maintaining a watertight seal, which is complicated by manufacturing tolerances and vibration-induced stresses.
Innovation Solution
A vibration damping and clearance compensation element with a flexible wall mounted in a cantilevered fashion, featuring a hollow space and contact elements, that compensates for manufacturing tolerances and reduces vibrations, ensuring uniform contact pressure and seal integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If crash ribs are used to improve tight seat between connectors, then clearance between connectors is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases and uniform contact pressure cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible wall with cantilever elements instead of rigid crash ribs. The flexible wall can elastically deform to accommodate manufacturing tolerances while maintaining consistent contact pressure, eliminating the need for complex molding tool debugging required by rigid crash ribs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical properties of the contact structure by using a flexible material with specific elasticity characteristics. This allows the contact element to adapt its deformation parameter based on the actual clearance, achieving uniform contact pressure without precise manufacturing control.
2Reliability
If connectors are designed to fit precisely to avoid fretting corrosion, then contact pressure uniformity improves, but mating force increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dynamic flexible wall that can adapt during the mating process. The cantilever elements deflect elastically to accommodate clearance variations, maintaining reliable contact pressure uniformity while requiring lower peak mating forces compared to rigid precise-fit designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible wall acts as a cushioning element that absorbs the impact and clearance variations before they can cause fretting corrosion or require high mating forces. The elastic deformation of the cantilever elements provides a compliant interface that protects against harmful vibrations and stress concentrations.
3Force
If crash ribs are designed to provide line contact, then friction is reduced, but dimensional accuracy becomes difficult to ensure due to compression during mating
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible wall with cantilever contact elements provides a compliant contact surface that can deform elastically during mating. This flexibility compensates for dimensional variations and ensures consistent contact without requiring high dimensional accuracy, while still providing reduced friction through the large contact area.
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
The solution effectively addresses the precise fit between connectors, reducing mating forces and ensuring uniform contact pressure and watertight seals by compensating for manufacturing tolerances and damping vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
The flexible wall comprises an elasticity to compensate any manufacturing tolerances and compensates any desired clearances
Implementation Method 2
vibration damping and clearance compensation element reduces the vibrations of an electrical connector when mated with a counterpart
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
Vibration damping and clearance compensation element 1 of an electrical connector 100, comprising: a flexible wall 10, comprising a first main surface 20, a second main surface 30; wherein the flexible wall 10 is mounted in a cantilevered fashion; a hollow space 40 adjacent to the first main surface 20 of the flexible wall 10; and at least one contact element 50 extending from the second main surface 30 of the flexible wall 10. Further, a ring compensator or seal holder 110, a terminal position assurance element 120 and an electrical connector 100 with a vibration damping and clearance compensation element 1 is claimed.