Connector Guide Protrusion for Terminal Collision Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors risk damaging terminals or communication holes when terminals are inserted obliquely due to the formation of depressions in terminal chambers by communication holes, leading to potential collisions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a guide protrusion with an inclined surface at the upstream edge of communication holes to guide the terminal end upward, preventing collisions with the downstream edge of the communication hole during oblique insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the communication hole is formed to allow spacer insertion, then the spacer can be inserted to engage with terminals, but the depression formed in the terminal chamber causes terminals to collide with the communication hole edge during oblique insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The guide protrusion acts as an intermediary element between the terminal and the communication hole. It mediates the interaction by providing a guiding surface that redirects obliquely inserted terminals onto the correct insertion path, preventing direct contact between the terminal and the harmful edge of the communication hole.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide protrusion applies preliminary anti-action by opposing the incorrect oblique insertion direction before the terminal can reach the harmful edge. The inclined surface of the guide protrusion exerts a corrective force on the misaligned terminal, redirecting it toward the proper insertion path in advance of the potential collision.
2Device complexity
If no guide structure is provided, then the connector structure remains simple, but terminals inserted obliquely collide with the communication hole edge causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The communication hole structure is segmented by adding the guide protrusion as a distinct functional element. This segmentation allows the communication hole to maintain its primary function of spacer insertion while the guide protrusion provides the secondary function of terminal guidance, thereby improving reliability without significantly complicating the overall structure.
3Device complexity
If the terminal chamber has a flat bottom, then the structure is simple, but oblique terminal insertion causes collision with the communication hole edge
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of changing the entire terminal chamber structure, the guide protrusion is added locally at the specific location where the communication hole opens into the terminal chamber. This local modification provides the necessary guidance function only where needed, minimizing structural complexity while effectively preventing terminal collision.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes: a housing; a plurality of terminal chambers formed in the housing along a longitudinal direction thereof to accommodate terminals therein; a spacer insertion hole formed in the housing along a height direction thereof perpendicular to the longitudinal direction to communicate with the terminal chambers through communication holes and allow an insertion of a spacer for engaging with the terminals, each of the communication holes formed so as to communicate each of the terminal chambers with an outside of the housing, and forming a depression on an underside of each terminal chamber; and a guide protrusion formed about an upstream-side edge of each of the communication holes in an inserting direction of the terminal to lead a front end of the terminal inserted into the terminal chamber toward an upside of a downstream-side edge of each communication hole in the inserting direction.