Electrical Connector Mating Lever Slide Track Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connector systems with mating levers face challenges in maintaining a constant transmission ratio due to varying mating resistance, requiring long lever arms that occupy excessive space, and existing guiding means like Archimedean spirals are difficult to define and control.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector assembly employs slide tracks with curved shapes composed of multiple radius segments, each with a different center and curvature radius, allowing the transmission ratio to adapt to changing mating forces, enabling a more consistent actuating moment and reducing lever length, thus optimizing space usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a long lever arm is used to compensate for non-ideal transmission ratio, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the transmission ratio variable rather than constant. The guiding means is designed with a transmission ratio that changes during the mating process, automatically adapting to the varying mating resistance. This eliminates the need for a long lever arm while maintaining ease of operation throughout the entire mating sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying the transmission ratio as a function of the mating process stage. The guiding means is configured to provide different transmission ratios at different positions, allowing optimal force transmission at each phase of mating without requiring excessive lever length.
2Stability of the object's composition
If Archimedean spiral guiding means is used to achieve constant transmission ratio, then transmission ratio stability is improved, but manufacturing precision and quality control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the guiding means into discrete, manufacturable features rather than requiring a continuous Archimedean spiral. The guiding means can be implemented as a series of steps, cam lobes, or segmented tracks that approximate the desired transmission ratio profile, making it easier to manufacture and inspect.
3Device complexity
If radius bow guiding means is used, then device complexity is reduced, but transmission ratio adaptability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent overcomes the limitation of simple radius bow guiding by implementing a dynamic transmission ratio profile within the simplified structure. The guiding means is designed to provide varying transmission ratios at different positions, allowing it to adapt to changing mating resistance while maintaining structural simplicity.
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
This solution provides a more efficient and space-friendly mating mechanism by compensating for varying mating resistances with adaptable transmission ratios, ensuring a consistent actuating force and facilitating easier manual operation while minimizing installation space requirements.
Implementation Method 1
The slide track (220, 222) has a curved shape that is composed of multiple radius segments, wherein a center and a radius of a first radius segment (S11, S21) is different from a center and a radius of a second segment (S12, S22). Each of the radius segments (S11, S12, S21, S22) defines a course of a transmission ratio between a pivoting movement of the mating lever and a movement of the electrical counter connector assembly (2)
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector assembly, a system and a method. The assembly comprises a housing 100, that houses at least one electrical contact a mating lever 200 that is arranged pivotable relative to the housing 100 between an alignment position and a mating position. The mating lever is configured to be engageable with the electrical counter connector assembly 2, in order to move the electrical counter connector assembly 2 along a mating direction A relative to the housing into a mated configuration, when being pivoted from the alignment position to the mating position. The mating lever 200 includes at least one first slide track 220 that is engageable with a corresponding first slide member 20 of the electrical counter connector assembly. The first slide track is shaped so that the pivoting movement of the mating lever 200 is transferred into an axial movement of the electrical counter connector assembly via the first slide member 20, if the first slide member is engaged with the first slide track. The first slide track 220 has a curved shape that is composed of at least two radius segments, wherein a center of a first radius segment is different from a center of a second segment, wherein each of the radius segments defines a transmission ratio between the pivoting movement of the mating lever 200 and the movement of the electrical counter connector assembly along the mating direction A.