Connector Spacer Support Wall Terminal Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors with spacers that lock terminal metal fittings in terminal housing chambers face issues with inclination and positional deviation when a strong force acts on the electric wire, leading to improper electrical connections due to the lack of complete closure in the opening region between adjacent chambers.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a support wall extending from the peripheral end of the opening region, which is longer than the spacer's thickness, to prevent the terminal metal fitting's inclination by supporting its tip portion and reducing the opening area, ensuring proper alignment and contact between terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If an opening region is formed between adjacent terminal housing chambers to reduce connector size, then the connector size is reduced, but the terminal metal fitting may incline and move position when subjected to strong external forces
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple terminal housing chambers with an opening region between adjacent chambers. The spacer is segmented with multiple through-holes positioned at different locations to lock different portions of terminal metal fittings, providing distributed restraint against inclination and movement while maintaining the compact open structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A spacer is introduced as an intermediary component between the terminal metal fittings and the housing chambers. The spacer with strategically positioned through-holes acts as a mediator that restrains the terminal metal fittings from inclining or moving position when subjected to external forces, while allowing the opening region to maintain connector compactness.
2Reliability
If a spacer locks the terminal metal fitting to restrict rearward movement, then the terminal fitting is secured in position, but the terminal fitting may dig into the spacer when strong force acts on the electric wire
Solution Approach 1:
The spacer is divided into multiple sections with through-holes at different positions along its length. This segmentation distributes the locking function across multiple contact points, preventing concentrated stress that would cause the terminal fitting to dig into a single location while maintaining effective position restraint.
Solution Approach 2:
Through-holes are positioned at specific locations on the spacer corresponding to different portions of the terminal metal fitting. This local quality approach places locking features exactly where needed to restrain specific parts of the terminal fitting, distributing the mechanical stress and preventing digging while maintaining overall position stability.
3Device complexity
If the terminal metal fitting is allowed to move rearward while locked by the spacer, then the locking mechanism is simple, but the terminal fitting may rotate and cross into adjacent chambers
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple through-holes are positioned at different locations on the spacer to lock different portions of the terminal metal fitting. This segmentation creates multiple restraint points that prevent rotation and crossing into adjacent chambers while maintaining a relatively simple locking mechanism structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The positions and numbers of through-holes on the spacer are optimized to provide adequate restraint against rotation and crossing. By carefully selecting the parameters of the locking mechanism (hole positions, hole sizes, hole patterns), reliable terminal fitting alignment is achieved without excessive structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a housing, a terminal metal fitting inserted into a housing chamber forwardly in a housing direction, and a spacer locking the terminal metal fitting. The terminal metal fitting has a plate-like lock piece extending in the housing direction. The terminal metal fitting is locked by contacting a rear edge of the lock piece with the spacer. The housing has an opening region between two adjacent terminal housing chambers and a support wall extending from a peripheral end portion of the opening region backwardly in the housing direction. The support wall supports a tip portion of the terminal metal fitting to eliminate movement of the tip portion through the opening region, even when the terminal metal fitting moves backwardly in the housing direction while allowing the rear edge of its lock piece to dig into the spacer.