Connector Terminal Adapter for Incompatible Housing Locking Features
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical terminals are often designed to fit specific connector housings, limiting compatibility with connector housings featuring different terminal cavity designs, which can lead to issues with terminal retention and assembly.
Innovation Solution
A connector assembly that includes a connector housing with a terminal cavity having a first primary locking feature, a second terminal with a second retaining feature designed for a different locking feature, and an adapter with attachment features that engage both the second terminal and the first primary locking feature of the terminal cavity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a terminal is designed with specific retaining features for a particular connector housing, then the terminal can be securely retained in that housing, but the terminal becomes incompatible with connector housings having different terminal cavity designs
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter acts as an intermediary component between the terminal and the connector housing. It has a first attachment feature that interfaces with the terminal's retaining features and a second attachment feature that interfaces with the connector housing's terminal cavity locking features, thereby enabling compatibility between incompatible terminal and housing designs
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system is segmented into three separate components: the terminal, the adapter, and the connector housing. This segmentation allows each component to maintain its original design characteristics while the adapter provides the necessary interface adaptation, resolving the compatibility issue without compromising retention reliability
2Adaptability or versatility
If an adapter is introduced to enable compatibility between incompatible terminals and connector housings, then connector versatility is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is designed with universal attachment features that can interface with multiple different terminal and housing designs. The first attachment feature can accommodate various terminal retaining features while the second attachment feature engages with the housing's primary locking feature, allowing one adapter design to serve multiple compatibility purposes
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A connector assembly includes a connector housing (2) defining a terminal cavity (3) within, the terminal cavity (3) having a first primary locking feature (4) configured to retain a first terminal having a first retaining feature (5) within the terminal cavity (3). The connector assembly also includes a second terminal (10) having a second retaining feature (18) that is configured to interface with a corresponding second primary locking feature (16) that is of a different design than the first primary locking feature (4). The connector assembly further includes an adapter (100, 300) having a first attachment feature (108, 308) configured to engage with the second retaining feature (18) of the second terminal (10) to attach the second terminal (10) to the adapter and having a second attachment feature (110, 310) configured to engage with the first primary locking feature (4) of the terminal cavity (3) to attach the adapter (100, 300) to the connector housing (2). A method of assembling a connector assembly is also presented.