Connector Alignment Structure Using Protrusion-Recess Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors face issues with assembly errors and tolerance accumulation, leading to misalignment of guiding portions, which can result in male terminals interfering with housing portions during connection.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a female connector with a protrusion and a male connector with a recess, where the protrusion's base end is positioned inside an escape portion and its distal end fits into a recess, preventing displacement and ensuring proper alignment and connection of male and female terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the female connector is disposed inside the moving plate and the moving plate is disposed inside the hood portion, then the male terminal can be protected inside the hood portion, but assembly errors and tolerance accumulation cause the guiding portion to be displaced from its proper position, resulting in the male terminal interfering with the housing portion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a receiving groove as an intermediary structure in the hood portion that receives and positions the guiding portion of the female connector. This receiving groove acts as a mediator between the hood portion and the female connector, ensuring that the guiding portion is properly positioned even in the presence of assembly errors or tolerances, thereby preventing displacement and maintaining connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the receiving groove with dimensions that accommodate assembly errors and tolerances beforehand. The groove is configured to receive the guiding portion with sufficient clearance to absorb positioning deviations, providing a cushioning effect that prevents the guiding portion from being displaced outside its proper position during assembly
2Manufacturing precision
If the guiding portion is displaced due to assembly errors, then the male terminal cannot be properly guided into the female connector, but adding more positioning structures increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving groove in the hood portion serves multiple functions: it receives the guiding portion, positions it accurately, accommodates assembly tolerances, and prevents displacement. By making this single structure multi-functional, the patent achieves precise terminal alignment without adding multiple separate positioning structures, thereby avoiding increased device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A moving plate 44 includes a peripheral wall portion 73 disposed along an inner surface of a hood portion 56 of a male housing 42, a plate body 72 for positioning a tab 45 inside the hood portion 56, and an escape portion 82 that extends through the peripheral wall portion 73 in the thickness direction. The female housing 12 is disposed inside the peripheral wall portion 73. Either the female housing 12 or the hood portion 56 has a protrusion 28, and the other one has a recess 63. In a fitting state where the female connector 10 and the male connector 40 are fitted to each other, a base end side of the protrusion 28 is disposed inside the escape portion 82, and a distal end side of the protrusion 28 is fitted and positioned in the recess 63.