Connector Guide Member Segmentation for Housing Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors with guide members are limited to specific shapes and sizes, preventing parts commonality across different types, as the metal housing is designed exclusively for a particular insulation body, restricting compatibility with housings of varying shapes and sizes or different numbers of contacts.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring separate guide members that can be attached to housings of various shapes and sizes, with each guide member comprising a side portion and supporting portions forming a receiving portion to guide and receive protruding blocks from a mating connector, allowing for compatibility with multiple types of connectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the metal housing is designed exclusively for a particular insulation body with specific shape and size, then the guide member can provide precise guidance and stable connection, but it cannot be combined with housings of different shapes or sizes, preventing parts commonality
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate components: the housing and the guide member are distinct and can be independently configured. The guide member is not integrated into the housing but is positioned separately, allowing the same guide member to be used with different housing types. This segmentation enables the guide member to serve multiple housing configurations without requiring custom design for each housing variant.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is designed with universal applicability to work with multiple housing types. By making the guide member independent and not housing-specific, it can serve as a common component across different connector configurations. The guide member maintains its guiding and positioning functions while adapting to various housing shapes and sizes, achieving multi-functionality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the guide member is integrated with a specific housing design, then the structure provides precise alignment and guidance, but it increases device complexity and prevents standardization across different connector types
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is separated from the housing into an independent component. This segmentation allows the guide member to maintain its precise alignment and guidance functions while being reusable across different housing designs. The separation reduces overall device complexity by eliminating the need for custom integrated guide-housing structures for each connector type.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is designed as a universal component that can be applied to multiple housing types. This universality reduces device complexity by standardizing the guide member design across different connector configurations, eliminating the need for multiple specialized guide member variants while maintaining manufacturing precision.
3Reliability
If a custom metal housing is designed for each connector type with different contact numbers, then each connector achieves optimal performance, but it increases manufacturing complexity and reduces parts commonality
Solution Approach 1:
The connector system is segmented into standardized components: the housing can vary by connector type while the guide member remains a common standardized component. This segmentation allows different housing designs to be produced for different connector types while maintaining ease of manufacture through the reuse of the standardized guide member across all variants.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide member is designed as a universal component that can be used across multiple connector types with different contact configurations. This universality reduces manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need to design and manufacture custom guide members for each connector variant, while still allowing each connector type to achieve optimal performance through its specific housing design.
Data Source
AI summary
A housing of a connector has end faces at both ends thereof in a pitch direction. The end faces correspond to protruding blocks of a mating connector 50, respectively. Two guide members are distinct and separated from each other. Each of the guide members has a side portion and two supporting portions. The guide members correspond to the end faces, respectively. Accordingly, the side portion and the supporting portions correspond to one of the end faces. The side portion is located apart from the end face corresponding thereto in the pitch direction. The side portion, the supporting portions and the end face corresponding to the side portion form a receiving portion. The receiving portion guides and receives the protruding block corresponding to the end face forming the receiving portion when the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other.