Connector With Elastic Locking Claw Prevents Terminal Ejection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors with groove-like terminal housing chambers face issues with connection terminals easily coming out during assembly, and implementing a locking mechanism increases the connector housing size.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a plate-like housing with groove-like terminal housing chambers, an elastic locking claw that protrudes from the bottom surface, and locking protrusions that insert into recessed portions on the connection terminals to prevent them from coming out, maintaining stability without increasing the housing size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a groove-like terminal housing chamber opened upward is adopted to improve assembly operability, then the operability is improved, but the connection terminal easily comes out of the terminal housing chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into two independent components: a locking protrusion extending from the bottom surface of the terminal housing chamber, and a corresponding recessed portion in the connection terminal. This segmentation allows the locking function to be integrated into the housing structure without adding external retaining components, thus preventing terminal ejection while maintaining compact size and improving assembly operability.
2Reliability
If a locking mechanism is adopted to prevent connection terminal from coming out, then the terminal retention is improved, but the size of connector housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking protrusion is nested within the terminal housing chamber structure, extending from the bottom surface rather than adding external retaining walls or covers. The recessed portion in the connection terminal receives the locking protrusion, creating a nested locking arrangement that prevents terminal ejection without increasing the overall housing volume.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding locking mechanisms in the horizontal plane that would increase housing width or length, the locking protrusion extends vertically from the bottom surface of the terminal housing chamber. This dimensional change allows the locking function to be achieved without increasing the footprint of the connector housing.
3Reliability
If a locking mechanism is adopted to prevent connection terminal from coming out, then the terminal retention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking protrusion is merged with the terminal housing chamber structure, forming an integrated component rather than a separate part. The recessed portion in the connection terminal serves dual purposes: it receives the locking protrusion for retention and defines the insertion position. This merging reduces the number of components and simplifies the overall device complexity while maintaining reliable terminal retention.
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 connector effectively prevents connection terminals from coming out of the housing chambers, enhancing assembly operability and reliability while maintaining a compact housing size, and allowing for collective assembly of multiple terminals.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic locking claw, which allows each of the connection terminals to be inserted into each of the terminal housing chambers by elastic deformation and is locked to each of the connection terminals to prevent each of the connection terminals from coming out of each of the terminal housing chambers by elastic restoring
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a connector including at least one plate-like housing body, a plurality of groove-like terminal housing chambers each opened in an upper surface of the housing body and parallelly arranged, a plurality of connection terminals provided at ends of a plurality of electrical wirings and housed and disposed in the terminal housing chambers, respectively, and a cover part overlapping with the upper surface of the housing body to cover the terminal housing chambers, wherein an elastic locking claw, which allows each of the connection terminals to be inserted into each of the terminal housing chambers by elastic deformation and is locked to each of the connection terminals to prevent each of the connection terminals from coming out of each of the terminal housing chambers by elastic restoring, is provided to protrude from a bottom surface of each of the terminal housing chambers.