Connector Nut Holding Structure for Concentric Fastening Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors face challenges in maintaining the proper positioning of the nut relative to the terminal, leading to decreased workability during fastening operations.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a plate-shaped conductor, a housing with an abutment surface, a nut, a support member, and a holding structure that includes a lock arm and a support piece to ensure the nut is positioned correctly, using a flexible lock arm to secure the nut in place and a holding recess to maintain alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the nut is simply inserted into the housing without a holding structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the nut positioning accuracy deteriorates leading to deviation from the normal position
Solution Approach 1:
A support member is introduced as an intermediary component between the housing and the nut. The support member includes a holding structure with a holding recess that receives the nut, and a lock arm that engages with the housing to secure the support member in place. This intermediary structure ensures the nut is positioned at the correct location on the housing without requiring direct complex integration into the housing itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The support member is pre-assembled with the nut positioned in the holding recess before being installed into the housing. The lock arm is pre-configured to engage with the housing at the correct position. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when the support member is installed, the nut is automatically positioned at the correct location on the housing, eliminating the need for post-installation adjustment.
2Reliability
If the nut is held firmly in place, then the reliability of fastening is improved, but the ease of operation during assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lock arm is designed with flexibility to allow dynamic engagement with the housing. During assembly, the lock arm can be temporarily deformed to facilitate easy installation of the support member and nut. Once assembled, the lock arm elastically returns to its original position, firmly engaging with the housing to secure the nut in place. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to be easy to assemble while maintaining high reliability during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the lock arm changes during assembly: it transitions from a flexible, easily deformable state during installation to a rigid, firmly engaged state during operation. The lock arm's engagement position with the housing is also a variable parameter that ensures proper positioning. These parameter changes enable the structure to be easy to assemble while maintaining high fastening reliability.
3Manufacturing precision
If the abutment surface is positioned deep in the holding recess, then the nut positioning precision is improved, but the volume of the housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is segmented between the support member and the housing. The support member's holding recess and abutment surface provide the deep positioning structure needed for high precision, while the housing only needs to accommodate the support member. This segmentation allows the abutment surface to be positioned deep in the holding recess without significantly increasing the overall housing volume, as the deep structure is contained within the support member component.
Data Source
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AI summary
A connector (1) includes: a plate-shaped conductor (3) having a through hole (31a) through which a fastening member is inserted; a housing (2) holding the conductor and having an abutment surface (25); a nut (6) having a screw hole (64) into which the fastening member is screwed, and fixed to the housing along a first direction (X) that is a direction in which the conductor extends; a support member (5) fixed to the housing and restricting the nut from escaping from the housing; and a holding structure holding the nut, wherein the abutment surface is a surface against which a side surface (61) of the nut abuts, such that the screw hole is positioned to be concentric with the through hole, and the holding structure holds the nut in a state where the side surface of the nut abuts against the abutment surface.