Heavy Duty Connector Plastic Frame With Box Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heavy duty connectors face challenges in achieving sufficient support strength while minimizing weight and manufacturing costs, as they typically rely on zinc alloy frames with high stiffness, which increases weight and cost.
Innovation Solution
A plastic frame with a pair of opposite end walls and longitudinal beams, featuring box-shaped cavities and protruding support ribs, is mounted on a support base plate, providing enhanced stiffness and support strength while maintaining a lightweight and cost-effective design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a zinc alloy metal frame with high stiffness is used, then the support strength is sufficient, but the weight and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter from metal (zinc alloy) to plastic, and modifies the structural parameters by introducing box-shaped cavities and support ribs. This transforms the frame's mechanical properties to achieve sufficient support strength with reduced weight through optimized geometric configuration rather than relying on high-density material
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses plastic material with specific structural design (box-shaped cavities and support ribs) to replace traditional metal alloy composite structures. The plastic frame with optimized geometry provides comparable mechanical performance to metal frames while significantly reducing weight
2Strength
If a zinc alloy metal frame with high stiffness is used, then the support strength is sufficient, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter from metal to plastic, which fundamentally alters the manufacturing process from metal forming (casting, stamping, machining) to plastic molding. This parameter change enables more cost-effective mass production through injection molding, reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adopts plastic material which is generally cheaper than zinc alloy metal, making the frame more cost-effective for mass production in heavy duty connectors where the frame serves as a structural component with sufficient but not extreme durability requirements
3Force
If the retention force between plug modules is increased to satisfy strength requirements, then the support strength is sufficient, but the weight and cost of the metal frame increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality enhancement by adding support ribs at specific locations on the longitudinal beams and designing box-shaped cavities in critical areas. This localized structural reinforcement concentrates the plastic frame's strength where needed to achieve sufficient retention force (greater than 300N) without requiring uniform thickening of the entire frame structure
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a connector including a plastic frame adapted to be positioned within an opening in a support base plate and mounted on the support base plate, and a plurality of plug modules mounted in the plastic frame. The plastic frame includes a pair of opposite end walls and a pair of opposite longitudinal beams connected between the pair of end walls. The longitudinal beams each comprises an outer sidewall, an inner sidewall opposite to the outer sidewall and a plurality of partition walls connected between the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall. The plurality of partition walls are arranged to separate an internal space between the inner sidewall and the outer sidewall into a plurality of box-shaped cavities. The longitudinal beams are configured with box-shaped cavities, which increases the overall stiffness of the longitudinal beams and the ability of the longitudinal beams to resist lateral deformation. In addition, the plastic frame has advantageous of light weight, convenient processing, low cost and the like.