Electrical Connector Housing With Displacement Recess
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors face challenges in maintaining mold and housing strength while simplifying the mold shape without enlarging the connector size in the longitudinal direction, due to narrow spaces required for manufacturing and the trade-off between mold complexity and strength.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design includes a housing with a protruding wall featuring vertical wall portions and a displacement receiving recess, allowing the elastic arm portion of the terminal to displace elastically, enabling a simpler lower mold shape and larger upper mold groove without obstructing the displacement receiving recess, thus maintaining strength without enlarging the connector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the transition portion and elastic arm portion are situated inside the terminal groove, then the connector can be compact in size, but the mold shape becomes complex and strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the terminal groove into two distinct regions: a first region for receiving the transition portion and a second region for receiving the elastic arm portion. This segmentation allows each region to be optimized independently - the first region can be designed with sufficient depth and width for the transition portion while the second region accommodates the elastic arm portion, thereby simplifying the overall mold shape while maintaining compact connector dimensions.
2Ease of manufacture
If the vertical wall portion is narrowed to simplify the upper mold shape, then the mold becomes easier to manufacture, but the housing strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal groove is divided into two regions with different depth requirements. The first region (for transition portion) can be shallower while the second region (for elastic arm portion) can be deeper where needed. This segmentation allows the vertical wall portion to maintain sufficient strength in critical areas while having reduced depth in non-critical areas, simplifying mold manufacturing without compromising overall housing strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different depth characteristics to different portions of the terminal groove. The first region has one depth characteristic optimized for the transition portion while the second region has a different depth characteristic optimized for the elastic arm portion. This local differentiation allows the vertical wall portion to have varying thickness - thicker where structural strength is needed and thinner where it is not required, thereby simplifying mold manufacturing while maintaining housing strength.
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 allows for a stronger and simpler mold shape without increasing the connector's size, as the elastic arm portion is outside the displacement receiving recess, enabling a larger upper mold groove and sufficient vertical wall strength, while avoiding the need for a narrow upper mold portion.
Implementation Method 1
The elastic arm portion is capable of elastic displacement in a short direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a housing and a plurality of terminals disposed in the housing. The housing includes a bottom wall and a protruding wall. The terminal includes a held portion for being held in the housing, a base portion, a transition portion, an elastic arm portion and a contact portion. The protruding wall includes a plurality of vertical wall portions and a displacement receiving recess. The housing has an opening penetrating the bottom wall at least at a lower side of the displacement receiving recess. The displacement receiving recess communicates with the opening. Further, the base portion and the transition portion of the terminal are situated outside of the displacement receiving recess.