Vehicle Connector Holder With Spring Compliance for Tolerance Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of electrical connectors in vehicle wiring harnesses is labor-intensive, prone to ergonomic issues, and often results in tolerance problems leading to potential electrical failures, with existing solutions either increasing costs or compromising assembly efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A connector holder with a main portion, attachment portions, and spring portions that allows for flexible movement in an oblique plane, enabling greater tolerance ranges and ergonomic improvements by accommodating misalignments and reducing assembly forces, thus enabling autodocking or automated assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual assembly of electrical connectors is performed to accommodate ergonomic issues and tolerance variations, then assembly flexibility and tolerance compensation are improved, but assembly time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector holder incorporates spring portions that provide dynamic flexibility, allowing the holder to move elastically in response to tolerance variations during automated assembly. This dynamic capability enables the system to accommodate position tolerances of mechanical parts (~1mm) while maintaining precise connector alignment (~0.1mm), eliminating the need for manual adjustment while preserving tolerance compensation benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The spring portions are designed with specific elastic characteristics that change the mechanical parameters of the connector holder system. The spring constant and movement range are optimized to provide sufficient compliance for tolerance accommodation while maintaining assembly precision, enabling automated assembly without manual intervention
2Ease of operation
If wiring harnesses are made longer to allow for manual assembly outside intended positions, then assembly flexibility is improved, but cost and assembly time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spring portions provide dynamic movement capability in an oblique plane, allowing the connector holder to adapt to position variations without requiring excessive wiring harness length. This elastic compliance enables precise connector mating while maintaining compact wiring harness design, eliminating the need for overlength compensation strategies
3Reliability
If electrical connectors are assembled with tight tolerances to prevent electrical failures, then connection reliability is improved, but assembly difficulty and detection time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The spring portions act as an intermediary element between the connector holder and the base assembly part, absorbing position tolerance variations before they affect the electrical connector alignment. This intermediary compliance mechanism ensures that connectors mate with precise ~0.1mm tolerance even when mechanical parts have ~1mm position tolerance, maintaining high connection reliability without increasing assembly complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic spring portions provide beforehand cushioning for position tolerance variations, compensating for misalignments before the electrical connectors make contact. This pre-compliance mechanism prevents tolerance-related assembly failures and eliminates the need for time-consuming detection and rework processes
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 connector holder reduces the risk of electrical connector breakage, allows for the use of shorter wiring harnesses, and improves assembly ergonomics, enabling precise connection even with tolerance differences, thereby enhancing assembly efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
at least two spring portions, each of the spring portions being connected to a respective one of the attachment portions and having a spring characteristic to allow movement of the main portion in a movement plane oblique to the assembly axis when the connector holder is attached to the base assembly part by means of the attachment portions
Data Source
AI summary
A connector holder can comprise a main portion for attaching a first electrical connector of the electrical connection assembly thereto or having the first electrical connector attached thereto, a second electrical connector being connectable to the first electrical connector along an assembly axis, the assembly axis extending along the attachment of the first electrical connector to the main portion. The connector holder can comprise at least two attachment portions for attaching the connector holder to a base assembly part of the electrical connection assembly, and at least two spring portions, each of the spring portions being connected to a respective one of the attachment portions and having a spring characteristic to allow movement of the main portion in a movement plane oblique to the assembly axis when the connector holder is attached to the base assembly part via the attachment portions.