Connector Locking Lance with Thin-Walled Portion for Stress Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors experience unstable terminal holding due to stress concentration on the base end of the locking lance during bending, leading to potential deformation and damage, which affects the locking mechanism's stability.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a thin-walled portion on the free end side of the locking lance with a smaller thickness in the bending direction than the base end side, dispersing stress across multiple points and maintaining strength, along with an arc-shaped locking lance and deflection margin to reduce size and prevent deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the locking lance is made with uniform thickness, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but stress concentrates on the base end side causing deformation and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lance employs varying thickness along its length, with the thin-walled portion having reduced thickness compared to the base end side. This local quality variation allows the thinner section to flex and absorb bending stress during terminal insertion, preventing stress concentration at the base end while maintaining overall structural integrity and manufacturing feasibility.
2Strength
If the locking lance is made thicker, then strength and resistance to deformation increase, but the amount of entry into the terminal accommodating chamber increases and size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lance features non-uniform thickness distribution, with a thin-walled portion that has reduced thickness to minimize volume and allow sufficient bending entry into the terminal accommodating chamber. The base end side maintains greater thickness to provide necessary strength and stability, achieving optimal balance between strength requirements and spatial constraints.
3Device complexity
If the locking lance bends at the base end side only, then the locking mechanism is simple, but stress concentration occurs leading to unstable terminal holding
Solution Approach 1:
The locking lance is designed with a thin-walled portion that has reduced thickness specifically positioned to facilitate bending during terminal insertion. This localized thinning creates a flexible section that bends preferentially, dispersing stress away from the base end side while maintaining the simplicity of the overall locking mechanism without requiring additional components.
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 stabilizes terminal holding by dispersing bending stress, preventing deformation and damage, while reducing the connector's size by allowing multiple points of bending and eliminating the need for additional space for bending, thus enhancing the locking mechanism's reliability and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a thin-walled portion flexibly provided on the free end side of the locking lance, a thickness in a bending direction of the locking lance being set to be smaller than a thickness on a base end side of the locking lance in the thin-walled portion
Data Source
AI summary
The connector includes: a housing provided with a terminal accommodating chamber; a terminal to be accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber; a locking lance flexibly provided in the terminal accommodating chamber, a free end side of the locking lance configured to abut on the terminal when the terminal is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber, thereby the locking lance being restored after being bent, thereby the free end side being capable of locking the terminal in the terminal accommodating chamber; and a thin-walled portion flexibly provided on the free end side of the locking lance, a thickness in a bending direction of the locking lance being set to be smaller than a thickness on a base end side of the locking lance in the thin-walled portion.