Electrical Connector Secondary Lock Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrical connectors used in harsh environments, such as automotive applications, face challenges with terminal dislodgment due to vibration and require complex and costly tooling for manufacturing and assembly, necessitating a cost-effective and reliable solution.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a housing with separate front and rear components, featuring front and rear terminal channels, keying features for alignment, and an independent secondary lock (ISL) device with a staged mating sequence to securely lock terminals in place, using dielectric materials for the housings and a lock plate to block terminal removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate secondary lock device is used as a backup locking feature, then terminal security is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary lock device is integrated with the housing structure, where the lock plate forms part of the housing assembly and the locking feature is built into the housing itself. This merging reduces the number of separate components while maintaining the backup locking function, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost without compromising terminal security
2Reliability
If a separate secondary lock device is used as a backup locking feature, then terminal security is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary lock device is integrated with the housing structure, where the lock plate forms part of the housing assembly and the locking feature is built into the housing itself. This merging reduces the number of separate components while maintaining the backup locking function, thereby reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost without compromising terminal security
3Reliability
If terminals are locked in cavities with a primary latch, then terminal security is improved, but the connector requires complex tooling for manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into separate front and rear sections that can be manufactured independently using simplified tooling, then assembled together. The primary latch and secondary lock features are distributed across these segments, allowing each part to be manufactured with simpler, less expensive tooling while maintaining the overall locking functionality
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a front housing having front terminal channels and rear housing having rear terminal channels aligned with the front terminal channels. An ISL device is coupled to the housing with a front plate positioned in front of the front housing and a lock plate positioned between the front housing and the rear housing. The ISL device has a staged mating sequence with the housing, wherein in a first stage, lock plate channels are aligned with the front and rear terminal channels to allow the terminals to at least partially pass therethrough, and wherein in a second stage, the lock plate is moved relative to the housing to a blocking position where the lock plate blocks the terminals from removal from the front terminal channels.