Movable Connector Housing Lever Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connector arrangements in automotive engineering face challenges in miniaturization, requiring high forces for assembly and maintaining reliable electrical contact within limited space, making them difficult to assemble without tools and prone to disconnection.
Innovation Solution
A connector arrangement with a movable connector housing and a separate contact partner housing, featuring a tab that applies contact force through a lever mechanism, allowing for easy assembly and secure latching without excessive force, ensuring reliable electrical contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the connector arrangement is miniaturized to reduce installation space, then the volume of the connector is reduced, but the assembly force required increases and contact reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing is designed to move dynamically from a first position to a second position during assembly. This movement activates the tab mechanism which progressively applies contact force to the contact partners, ensuring reliable electrical contact even in miniaturized connectors without requiring excessive initial assembly force.
Solution Approach 2:
The tab is pre-positioned on the connector housing in a first position where it does not yet act on the contact partners. During the mating process, the housing movement causes the tab to move into a second position where it applies contact force. This preliminary positioning allows for easy initial insertion while ensuring contact reliability is established through the subsequent housing movement.
2Volume of moving object
If the connector arrangement is miniaturized to reduce installation space, then the volume of the connector is reduced, but the assembly effort increases making tool-free assembly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate functional components: a connector housing that moves relative to a contact partner housing, with the tab as a separate force-applying element. This segmentation allows the housing to be inserted easily without tools while the tab mechanism automatically provides the necessary contact force through relative movement, simplifying the overall assembly process for miniaturized connectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector housing's own movement during insertion activates the tab mechanism which automatically applies contact force to the contact partners. The system uses the insertion motion itself to generate the necessary contact pressure, eliminating the need for additional assembly tools or complex manual force application in miniaturized connector assembly.
3Force
If high forces are applied to ensure reliable electrical contact, then the contact force increases, but the assembly process becomes difficult without tools and the connector size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying high force statically during insertion, the tab is designed to dynamically apply contact force after the housing moves from the first position to the second position. This dynamic force application ensures reliable electrical contact while allowing for easy initial insertion without tools, as the high contact force is generated automatically through the housing movement rather than requiring manual force application.
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 solution enables miniaturization of connector assemblies with reduced assembly forces, enhanced contact security, and reliable long-term electrical connectivity within constrained spaces.
Implementation Method 1
the connector housing having a tab that reaches into the mating connector housing and extends over the contact partners of the connector... the tab is deflected with support on the mating connector housing and acts on the contact partners of the plug connector and also on the contact partners of the mating connector in order to apply a sufficiently high contact force
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The arrangement has a plug-in connector (1) and a mating connector (2) that are intermateable with each other, where a contact partner (5) i.e. bushing contact, of the plug-in connector is arranged in a contact chamber of a contact partner housing (3). The housing is arranged in a plug-in connector housing (4) that is movable relative to the contact partner housing. The connector housing has a plate (8) pointing towards the mating connector, extending over the contact partner into a mating connector housing (7) and acting on the contact partner in an assembled condition.