Connector Housing Locking Position Coincides With Terminal Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connectors in vehicles experience dimensional changes due to temperature variations, leading to shifts in terminal contact positions, which can cause friction, plating peeling, rust, and increased electrical resistance.
Innovation Solution
A connector design where the locking position of the connector housing coincides with the contact position of the terminals, utilizing an elastically deformable locking mechanism, such as a locking protrusion and arm, to stabilize the terminal contact state by minimizing positional shifts due to volume changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the locking position is positioned distant from the terminal contact position in the fitting direction, then the locking mechanism can be structurally simpler and easier to manufacture, but the range of dimensional change affecting terminal contact position is expanded, causing larger shifts and potential reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the locking position and terminal contact position to coincide or come close to each other in the fitting direction. This integration ensures that dimensional changes from thermal expansion affect both the locking mechanism and terminal contact equally, preventing relative positional shifts between terminals while maintaining structural simplicity
2Reliability
If the locking position coincides with the terminal contact position, then the relative positional shift between terminals is minimized, but the locking mechanism becomes more complex and harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking mechanism and terminal contact structure at the same position in the fitting direction. By integrating these functions at one location rather than separating them, the design achieves reliable terminal contact stability while avoiding the complexity that would arise from adding separate locking and contact structures
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 effectively reduces relative positional shifts between connector and mating terminals, maintaining stable contact and preventing issues like plating peeling and increased electrical resistance, thereby enhancing connector reliability.
Implementation Method 1
when a temperature changes, a volume change arises due to an expansion or a contraction of the resin
Implementation Method 2
a locking mechanism which locks the mating housing and formed to be fitted to the mating housing
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a connector housing including a locking mechanism which locks a mating housing and formed to be fitted to the mating housing, and a connector terminal held by the connector housing to come into contact with a mating terminal held by the mating housing. The connector housing is designed to have a locking position of the connector housing with the mating housing by the locking mechanism and a contact position of the connector terminal with the mating terminal, and the locking position and the contact position coincide with or come close to each other in a fitting direction relative to the mating housing.