Connector Body Shape and Palm Pad Latch Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors for vehicles are often confusing to operate, as they require thumb or index finger triggers for latching, leading to user confusion during insertion and removal.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector designed for hand grasping with a body shape that encourages natural handling, featuring a palm pad for automatic latch operation, where the thumb goes around the top and fingers under a concavely curved bottom, and a spring mechanism for automatic latching and unlatching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thumb or index finger triggers are used for latch control, then the connector can be latched securely, but users become confused about how to operate it
Solution Approach 1:
The palm pad is positioned to be automatically depressed by the user's palm when they naturally grasp the connector body. This self-activating mechanism eliminates the need for users to understand or manually operate a separate latch trigger, while still achieving secure latching through the automatically actuated latch mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch mechanism is pre-positioned and spring-loaded so that it is ready to engage immediately upon insertion. The palm pad is pre-positioned to automatically depress the latch release during the natural grasping motion, ensuring the latch secures automatically before the user even completes the insertion motion.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the connector body is made heavy to carry high current, then electrical capacity is improved, but handling becomes less natural
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body incorporates a concavely curved bottom surface that conforms to the natural curvature of the human hand. This curved geometry allows users to comfortably grasp the heavier connector body with their fingers wrapping around it, making the weight and size more manageable and intuitive to handle during insertion and removal operations.
3Device complexity
If manual latch operation is required, then the latch mechanism can be simple, but the overall device complexity increases due to user intervention needs
Solution Approach 1:
The palm pad and latch trigger mechanisms are merged into a single integrated system. The palm pad's depression motion is directly coupled to the latch trigger, so that one automatic action (palm depression) simultaneously controls the latch operation. This integration eliminates the need for separate manual latch operations while keeping the underlying mechanical latch structure relatively simple.
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 connector allows for intuitive and effortless insertion and removal, eliminating the need for users to manually operate the latch, ensuring secure connection and easy handling.
Implementation Method 1
the latch is automatically lowered by a spring when the person releases his/her grasp on the body, to thereafter hold the body to the receiver
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector (10) which facilitates its proper holding for insertion and latching to a charging station receiver (14). The connector has a body (40) with a front portion (42) that extends along a horizontal axis (60), a rear portion (44) that extends at a rearward-downward inclined axis (62) of approximately 45°, and a middle portion (46) with a bottom (22) that is concavely curved to receive the small fingers of a hand. The front portion of the body has grooves (76) on opposite sides of a top ridge (72), so the person's thumb fits around the ridge and into a groove. A palm pad (30) lies immediately rearward of the top ridge and is automatically depressed by the person's palm to operate a latch (32).