Pluggable Connector Retention Clip Segmentation

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional pluggable connectors with low temperature, high viscosity overmold materials for cable support bodies have poor mechanical properties, leading to retention feature failure under high cable strain or pull, resulting in connector failure and the need for a reliable mechanical retention feature.

Innovation Solution

A pluggable connector design featuring a retention clip with higher shear strength, made from a different dielectric material, that engages latches in the plug body to securely hold the cable assembly in place, allowing for greater resistance to pullout forces and enabling the reuse of the cable assembly without discarding it.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If low temperature, high viscosity overmold material is used for cable support body, then low pressure molding is achieved and material migration is reduced, but mechanical properties deteriorate and retention features shear off under high cable strain

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelow pressure moldingVSAvoidmechanical strength of retention features

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The cable support body is divided into two separate components: the original cable support body made of low viscosity material for easy molding, and an additive made of high viscosity material with high shear strength to reinforce retention features. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while being manufactured separately and assembled together.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite structure by combining the cable support body (made of low viscosity overmold material) with an additive (made of high viscosity material having high shear strength). This composite approach allows the retention features to benefit from both the ease of molding of the base material and the mechanical strength of the additive material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-generated harmful factors

If low temperature, high viscosity overmold material is used for cable support body, then material migration into unwanted areas is reduced, but retention features fail under high cable pull

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematerial migrationVSAvoidretention feature reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-generated harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cable support body is divided into two separate components: the original cable support body made of low viscosity material for easy molding, and an additive made of high viscosity material with high shear strength to reinforce retention features. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while being manufactured separately and assembled together.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite structure by combining the cable support body (made of low viscosity overmold material) with an additive (made of high viscosity material having high shear strength). This composite approach allows the retention features to benefit from both the ease of molding of the base material and the mechanical strength of the additive material.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If retention features are made from same material as cable support body, then manufacturing is simplified, but connector failure requires discarding entire cable subassembly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidconnector repairability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The cable support body is divided into two separate components: the original cable support body made of low viscosity material for easy molding, and an additive made of high viscosity material with high shear strength to reinforce retention features. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while being manufactured separately and assembled together.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The additive is designed as a separate, replaceable component that can be removed and replaced independently when retention features fail. This allows the cable assembly to be repaired by replacing only the additive rather than discarding the entire cable subassembly, implementing the discarding and recovering principle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Data Source

PatentUS9385466B2Retention features for cable assembly of a pluggable connector

Publication Date: 2016.07.05 TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GMBH

AI summary

A pluggable connector includes a plug body having a cavity and at least one latch and a cable assembly having electrical contacts and at least one cable terminated to corresponding electrical contacts. The cable assembly has a cable support body engaging and surrounding each electrical contact and each cable. The positions of the electrical contacts and cable are fixed relative to the cable support body. A retention clip is separately provided from and removably coupled to the cable support body. The retention clip has at least one retention tab extending therefrom being received in the cavity such that the retention tab engages the corresponding latch of the plug body to retain the cable assembly in the cavity.