Connector Rib Prevents Front Holder Accidental Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors face issues with the front holder being inadvertently moved from a temporary locking position to a permanent locking position during handling or shipment, leading to difficulties in assembling and maintaining the connector, especially in miniaturized and multi-polar configurations.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a rib extending from the housing main body that fits into a through-hole of the front holder, with guiding surfaces for stable insertion and a rib that protrudes to absorb forces, preventing accidental movement to the permanent locking position, while allowing easy transition to the permanent lock and maintaining a compact form factor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the front holder is allowed to move freely from temporary locking position to permanent locking position, then assembly is simplified, but accidental locking occurs during handling or shipment
Solution Approach 1:
The rib protruding from the housing main body acts as a preliminary protective measure that prevents the front holder from accidentally moving to the permanent locking position during handling or shipment. The rib physically blocks the front holder's movement path unless a deliberate force is applied, thus preventing accidental locking while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib serves as an intermediary element between the housing main body and the front holder. It mediates the interaction by providing a physical barrier that controls the front holder's movement, allowing intentional transitions while preventing accidental ones. The rib translates the design intent of allowing movement into a controlled mechanism.
2Reliability
If the rib is made longer to protrude further, then protection against accidental locking is improved, but the connector size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rib is designed with specific local dimensions that provide adequate protection functionality without excessive length. The rib's length is optimized to extend just far enough to prevent accidental locking while maintaining a compact overall connector size. This local optimization allows the rib to perform its protective function efficiently without unnecessarily increasing the connector's footprint.
3Reliability
If the front holder is constrained more strongly at temporary locking position, then accidental movement is prevented, but intentional movement to permanent lock becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rib creates a dynamic constraint system where the front holder is passively constrained during normal handling but can be actively moved when deliberate force is applied. The constraint is not static or permanent but adapts based on the applied force, allowing easy intentional transitions while maintaining stability during storage and transport.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes: a housing main body including a rib extending frontward; a front holder fitted into the housing main body from the front, and capable of moving from a temporary locking position to a permanent locking position, and the front holder including a through-hole into which the rib is inserted; means for temporarily locking the front holder; and means for permanently locking the front holder. The rib is long enough for a front end of the rib to agree with, or jut out from, a rear end surface of the front holder which is located rearward in an insertion direction of the front holder while the front holder is held in the temporary locking position. The housing main body includes bendable lances for locking their corresponding terminals inserted into the housing main body. The front holder includes lance pressing parts restricting the bends of the corresponding bendable lances.