Electrical Connector Guide Metal Member Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors suffer from wear and damage due to repetitive insertion and removal, with shield contact pieces prone to plastic deformation and insufficient strength for protecting the housing.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector features guide metal members with inverse U-shaped sections attached to the housing, providing enhanced holding strength and wear resistance through metal-to-metal contact, and auxiliary sections for increased reinforcement, preventing plastic deformation and secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If shield contact pieces are made elastic to guide the mating connector, then guiding function is improved, but strength and resistance to plastic deformation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The guide metal member is divided into multiple sections: a holding section with inverse U-shape for elastic deformation and guiding, and a joining section for rigid connection to the housing. This segmentation allows different parts to serve different functions - the holding section provides guiding through elastic deformation while the joining section provides strength and prevents plastic deformation through rigid metal-to-metal contact with the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide metal member combines both elastic guiding sections and rigid joining sections into a single integrated component. By merging the holding function (elastic) and the strengthening function (rigid) in one piece, the solution achieves both guiding capability and resistance to plastic deformation without requiring separate components.
2Strength
If guide metal members are attached to housing, then strength and wear resistance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide metal member is designed as an integrated component that combines the holding section (inverse U-shape) and the joining section into one piece. This merging reduces the number of separate parts needed, simplifying the overall structure while still providing enhanced strength and wear resistance through metal-to-metal contact with the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide metal member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it guides the mating connector through elastic deformation of the holding section, strengthens the housing through rigid metal-to-metal contact, and provides wear resistance at the contact surfaces. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Strength
If shield contact pieces are made rigid to protect housing, then strength is improved, but guiding function and adaptability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The guide metal member is segmented into an elastic holding section for guiding and a rigid joining section for strengthening. This segmentation allows the structure to be adaptable (through elastic deformation) in the guiding section while maintaining strength (through rigid metal-to-metal contact) in the joining section, simultaneously achieving both guiding adaptability and protective strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the guide metal member have different mechanical properties: the holding section is designed with elastic characteristics for guiding adaptability, while the joining section is designed with rigid characteristics for strength and protection. This local differentiation of material properties allows the single component to achieve both guiding adaptability and protective strength.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector is to be connected to a mating connector. The electrical connector includes a plurality of terminals; a housing for holing the terminals in a terminal arrangement direction; and a guide member for guiding the mating connector. The housing includes a sidewall portion and an edge wall portion connected to the sidewall portion. The guide member includes a first attaching portion, a second attaching portion, and a connecting portion connecting the first attaching portion and the second attaching portion. The first attaching portion is attached to the sidewall portion. The second attaching portion is attached to the edge wall portion.