Wiring Connector Housing Interference Tab Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air conditioning systems face errors in wiring connections due to the similarity in male and female quick disconnect terminals, leading to potential malfunctions during manufacturing, assembly, and troubleshooting, as there are numerous possible configurations (11!) that can result in incorrect connections.
Innovation Solution
A wiring connector housing with interference tabs and spaced channels that register with corresponding quick connect terminals, preventing improper registration and ensuring correct alignment with isolation ridges on electrical relays, thereby preventing incorrect connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If all terminals on the multi-pole relay are made with the same male quick disconnect type, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to the possibility of incorrect connection of wires to relay terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making each channel unique with specific geometric features (interference tabs, isolation ridges, varying channel shapes) at localized positions. This allows each terminal position to have distinct characteristics while maintaining the overall simplicity of quick disconnect terminals, thus preventing incorrect connections without complicating the general terminal design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetry through the interference tabs and isolation ridges that create non-uniform, position-specific geometries in each channel. These asymmetric features ensure that only the correct wire can be inserted into the correct channel, preventing incorrect connections while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
2Reliability
If interference tabs and isolation ridges are added to prevent incorrect connections, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional structural features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the housing into multiple distinct channels, each with its own interference tab and isolation ridge configuration. This segmentation allows each channel to be independently designed with specific anti-misconnection features, providing high reliability while keeping each individual channel relatively simple and manageable
Data Source
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AI summary
A wiring connector housing (100) including a housing body (110) having first and second ends (111,112) and at least one interference tab (130) extending outwardly from the second end (112) is provided. The wiring connector housing (100) further comprises spaced apart channels (121-123) located through the housing body (110) extending from the first end (111) to the second end (112) with the first end (111) of the channels (121-123) each configured to receive a quick connector (200) therein. Each of the second ends (112) of the spaced apart channels (121-123) being located to register with and receive corresponding quick connect terminals therein. The at least one interference tab (130) is configured to contact an isolation ridge of an electrical relay and thereby prevent the second ends (112) of the spaced apart channels (121-123) from being improperly registered with the corresponding quick connect terminals.