RJ45 Connector Housing with Integrally Thickened Load Bar
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing RJ45 connector systems face issues with distortion during the crimping and shearing process, leading to non-compliant connectors due to various forces, and require manual cutting of wires, which is inefficient and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of an integrally thickened outer portion, or External Load Bar, which provides mechanical support and is sheared off concurrently with the wire ends, along with modifications to the crimping and shearing tool to ensure all wire ends are cut simultaneously, maintaining precise dimensions and reducing plastic material usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the connector housing is made with sufficient rigidity to support wires and contact blades in precise positions, then the connector can reliably mate with female receptacles, but the housing becomes difficult to deform into during injection molding and requires more material
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two distinct portions: a main body portion that is injection molded with standard moldability, and an integrally thickened outer portion that is formed separately and then attached to the main body. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently - the main body for ease of molding and the thickened outer portion for providing the necessary rigidity and mechanical support.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrally thickened outer portion is attached to the main body portion to form a unified connector housing structure. This merging combines the advantages of both portions: the moldable main body and the rigid thickened outer portion, achieving both ease of manufacture and sufficient structural strength.
2Ease of manufacture
If the housing material is made sufficiently moldable and deformable to capture and retain wires, then the housing can be easily formed during crimping, but the housing lacks sufficient rigidity to reliably support wires and contact blades in precise positions
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into a main body portion made of moldable material for easy wire capture and retention, and an integrally thickened outer portion that provides the necessary rigidity. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different functional requirements to different portions of the housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing utilizes a composite structure combining a moldable base material for the main body with a thickened outer portion that may use different material properties or reinforcement, creating a composite structure that exhibits both moldability and rigidity characteristics.
3Measurement precision
If manual cutting of wire ends is performed, then precise cutting can be achieved, but the process is inefficient and prone to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing with the integrally thickened outer portion is designed to work with automated crimping and shearing tools that perform wire cutting as part of the assembly process. The structure guides the wires and enables the tool to automatically cut all wire ends to the correct length without manual intervention, achieving both precision and efficiency through automation.
4Strength
If more plastic material is used in the housing to provide mechanical support, then the housing rigidity increases, but the material usage and waste increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire housing thick and rigid (which would waste material), the housing is segmented with an integrally thickened outer portion only where mechanical support is specifically needed. This localized thickening provides the necessary rigidity while minimizing overall material usage and waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing exhibits local quality variations with an integrally thickened outer portion providing enhanced rigidity and mechanical support only in specific areas where needed, while other portions remain thinner to reduce material consumption. This localized approach optimizes the balance between strength and material efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrical connector for Ethernet cable, having an elongated hollow housing with a forward end wall which must correctly fit within the opening in a mating connector, in which the forward end wall has a thickened outer portion that must be sheared off to fit the mating connector, and in which the thickened portion is formed integral with the wall so that it continues to support the wall while being sheared off.