Connector Seal Lug Structure to Prevent Rotation and Dislodging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing seals in connectors are prone to dislodging, changing orientation, or moving during repeated mating and unmating cycles, leading to unreliable sealing and potential leaks, and overmolding these seals is costly and limits serviceability.
Innovation Solution
A seal with a monolithic body and lugs formed in a single piece from an elastomeric material, featuring a sealing passageway and lugs that engage with locking slots in the housing to secure the seal in place, preventing movement and rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a typical O-ring seal is positioned peripherally around the connector in a groove, then the seal prevents ingress of moisture and environmental conditions, but the seal is dislodged or rotated during repeated mating and unmating cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is segmented into a body portion and multiple lug portions that extend from the body. The lugs are received in corresponding slots in the housing, dividing the seal into functional segments that work together - the body provides sealing while the lugs provide positioning and anti-rotation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The lug portions act as intermediaries between the seal and the housing. These lugs engage with slots in the housing to prevent dislodgement and rotation, mediating the connection between the seal and housing without requiring overmolding.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the seal is overmolded on the connector to prevent movement, then the seal position stability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and serviceability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed as a segmented component with distinct body and lug portions that can be manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation allows for simpler, more cost-effective manufacturing compared to overmolding, while maintaining position stability through the lug-slot engagement mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sealing function (body) with the positioning function (lugs) into a single integrated seal component. This combination eliminates the need for separate overmolding processes while achieving both sealing and position stability requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the seal is overmolded on the connector, then the seal position stability is improved, but the serviceability of the seal is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented design with removable lugs allows the seal to be disassembled and serviced independently of the connector housing. The lugs can be removed from the slots, enabling the seal body to be replaced without replacing the entire connector assembly, thus improving serviceability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lug portions can be extracted or removed from the housing slots, allowing the seal body to be taken out and replaced. This extraction capability enables easy servicing and replacement of the seal without permanent attachment to the connector.
Data Source
AI summary
A seal includes a body and a plurality of lugs separated from one another around a perimeter of the body and extending from the body along the longitudinal direction. The body defines a scaling passageway extending along a longitudinal direction through the seal. The body and the lugs are monolithically formed in a single piece from an elastomeric material.