Connector Slider with Push-Back Inclined Surface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors with a connector position assurance mechanism can unintentionally advance before fitting with a mating side connector, leading to malfunction and potential damage during the fitting process, resulting in increased costs due to additional mechanisms required to prevent this issue.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a slider that is slidably attached between a main locking position and a temporary locking position, with a push-back inclined surface, which regulates the bending of the locking arm and prevents unintentional movement, ensuring a reliable fitting state while reducing costs by avoiding unnecessary mechanism additions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a connector position assurance mechanism with a slider is added to prevent unintentional advancement, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The push-back inclined surface is designed to automatically push back the slider when it unintentionally advances before fitting with the mating side connector. This preliminary anti-action prevents the harmful effect of unintentional advancement without requiring complex control systems or additional actuators, thus improving reliability while maintaining simple device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The push-back inclined surface acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the locking arm and the slider. When the locking arm bends unintentionally, the inclined surface mediates the interaction by converting the bending motion into a pushing force that returns the slider to its correct position, resolving the contradiction through a simple mechanical intermediary rather than complex control mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If the slider is positioned at the temporary locking position to allow bending, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential unintentional movement
Solution Approach 1:
The slider is designed to be dynamically positionable between two states: the temporary locking position during normal fitting operations and the pushed-back position when unintentional advancement occurs. The push-back inclined surface enables automatic transition between these states based on the bending condition of the locking arm, providing both operational ease and reliability through dynamic positioning rather than fixed constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism enables the slider to self-correct its position automatically. When the locking arm bends unintentionally and pushes the slider forward, the push-back inclined surface causes the slider to self-return to its correct position without external intervention. This self-service capability resolves the reliability concern while maintaining the ease of operation at the temporary locking position.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The slider mechanism effectively maintains the fitting state between connectors, preventing malfunctions and damage, while reducing the need for additional costly mechanisms, thus ensuring smooth operation of the connector position assurance mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
at least one of the slider and the locking arm includes a push-back inclined surface inclined in a main locking position side and toward a bending direction in the lock release direction of the locking arm
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a housing fitted into a mating side housing, a locking arm including a locking portion, and a slider. The locking arm is connected to the housing and extends toward a rear end and along a fitting direction into the mating side housing. The locking arm is configured to be restored after bending in a lock release direction and the locking portion is configured to be engaged with an engagement portion of the mating side housing to lock the mating side housing and the housing, when the housing is being fitted into the mating side housing. A slider is slidably attached to the housing between a main locking position on a bending end side of the locking arm and a temporary locking position deviating from the main locking position.