Connector Rib Inclined Surface Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors fail to suppress backlash and inclination between male and female housings due to large tolerance in the receptacle, causing functional failure of ribs and holding caps.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a first housing with a receptacle, a second housing capable of engagement, a locked portion, and ribs with inclined surfaces and flat portions that guide the engagement sequence to reduce backlash and inclination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ribs are provided at the rear-end inner circumferential surface of the covering portion and front-end outer circumferential surface of the holding cap to reduce backlash and inclination, then backlash and inclination are suppressed, but the ribs do not function when tolerance of the receptacle is large, causing engagement failure
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surface of the rib performs preliminary action by guiding the engagement process before the locking portion engages. The inclined surface makes contact first to guide the housings into proper alignment, ensuring that subsequent engagement of the locking portion and ribs occurs at the correct position even when receptacle tolerance is large.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib structure is modified by adding an inclined surface with specific geometry. The inclined surface changes the engagement parameters by providing a gradual contact surface that accommodates tolerance variations in the receptacle, allowing the rib to function reliably across different manufacturing tolerances.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the locking portion engages first to secure the housings, then engagement is secure, but backlash and inclination cannot be suppressed during the engagement process
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surface of the rib performs preliminary alignment action before the locking portion engages. This ensures that the housings are properly aligned and backlash is reduced before the locking portion secures the engagement, making the overall process smoother and more reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement process is segmented into distinct phases: first the inclined surface of the rib engages for alignment, then the locking portion engages for securing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without interference from the other.
3Reliability
If the flat portion of the rib contacts the receptacle to suppress inclination, then inclination is reduced, but the engagement process becomes rough when tolerance is large
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surface performs preliminary engagement to guide the housings into proper alignment before the flat portion contacts the receptacle. This preliminary action ensures that when the flat portion does contact, the housings are already properly oriented, reducing impact and improving smoothness even with tolerance variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The rib structure incorporates an inclined surface that changes the engagement parameters by providing a gradual contact surface. This allows the flat portion to engage more smoothly by reducing the impact of tolerance variations through the preceding inclined surface contact.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a first housing including a receptacle, a second housing capable of being engaged with or disengaged from the receptacle, a locked portion provided in the first housing, a locking portion provided in the second housing capable of locking an engaged state of the first housing and the second housing by locking the locked portion, and a rib provided in one of the first housing and the second housing, which includes an inclined surface and a flat portion in sequence along the connecting direction of the first housing and the second housing. A position and a length of the rib and a position of the locking portion are set in such a manner that the first housing and the second housing start to be engaged in the order of the inclined surface of the rib, the locking portion, and the flat portion of the rib.