Connector Holder Positioning With Curved Surfaces and Restricting Ribs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors face issues with looseness suppression when the holder's outer surface abuts against a curved inner surface due to size reduction, leading to unstable contact variations and potential looseness.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a housing with curved inner surfaces and protruding ribs and flat portions that press a holder's curved outer surface, along with position restricting ribs, to stabilize the holder's position and suppress looseness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the connector size is reduced, then the connector becomes more compact, but the holder may become loose due to insufficient space for flat guide walls
Solution Approach 1:
The inner surface of the hood portion is designed with different local geometries: curved surfaces in some areas and flat portions with guide ribs in other areas. This allows the holder to be stabilized at specific locations without requiring the entire hood portion to have flat surfaces, enabling size reduction while maintaining holder stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer surface of the holder is designed with a curved shape that corresponds to the curved inner surface of the hood portion. This curved-to-curved contact provides stable positioning and prevents holder looseness even in a compact connector design, eliminating the need for flat guide walls throughout the entire structure.
2Volume of moving object
If curved surfaces abut against each other due to elastic deformation, then the holder can be compact, but variations in contact occur leading to unstable looseness suppression
Solution Approach 1:
Flat portions with guide ribs are provided at specific locations on the inner curved surface of the hood portion. These localized flat contact areas ensure stable, variation-free contact with the holder's outer surface, preventing unstable looseness suppression while maintaining overall compact dimensions.
3Stability of the object's composition
If flat guide walls are provided inside the hood portion, then the holder can be stabilized, but the connector size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of providing flat guide walls throughout the entire hood portion, flat portions with guide ribs are provided only at specific strategic locations on the inner curved surface. This localized approach provides sufficient holder stabilization while minimizing the increase in connector size.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner surface of the hood portion is segmented into different functional zones: curved surfaces for overall compactness and localized flat portions with guide ribs for holder stabilization. This segmentation allows the connector to achieve both size reduction and holder stability.
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 design effectively suppresses holder looseness and achieves size reduction by ensuring stable contact and precise positioning without variations, using ribs and flat portions to maintain alignment.
Implementation Method 1
the holder is provided with a pair of base plate portions that are formed to have a flat shape and an elastic portion that couples the pair of base plate portions and is elastically deformable
Implementation Method 2
the facing flat portion is provided with a position restricting rib that presses the flat portion
Data Source
AI summary
In a connector including a housing including a hood portion including an inner surface formed to have a curved shape, a terminal being accommodated in the housing, and a holder being accommodated inside the hood portion and including an outer surface facing the inner surface of the hood portion, the outer surface being formed to have a curved shape, the inner surface of the hood portion is provided with a plurality of looseness suppressing ribs that press the outer surface of the holder, the outer surface of the holder is provided with a flat portion formed to have a flat shape, the inner surface of the hood portion is provided with a facing flat portion formed to have a flat shape parallel to the flat portion, the inner surface facing the flat portion, and the facing flat portion is provided with a position restricting rib that presses the flat portion.