Connector Front Portion With Resilient Terminal Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connectors with housings lacking a wall for supporting the front end of a terminal fitting often result in the terminal fitting becoming inclined, making it difficult to connect to a mating terminal.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a housing with a resilient portion that presses the terminal fitting against a facing wall surface, preventing an inclined posture by sandwiching it between the resilient portion and the wall surface, and incorporating a retainer that moves between temporary and complete locking positions to ensure proper alignment and secure connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the housing has no wall for supporting the front end part of the terminal fitting, then the device complexity is reduced, but the terminal fitting becomes inclined and connection to mating terminal becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two functional parts: a front portion that presses the terminal fitting via the resilient portion, and a rear portion that accommodates the terminal fitting. This segmentation allows the front end support function to be transferred from the housing wall to the resilient portion, resolving the contradiction between simplified housing structure and proper terminal fitting alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient portion acts as an intermediary element between the front portion and the terminal fitting. It provides the necessary support and pressing force to prevent inclination of the terminal fitting, enabling proper connection to the mating terminal while allowing the housing to have a simpler structure without the traditional front end support wall.
2Reliability
If a resilient portion is added to press the terminal fitting, then connection stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient portion is integrated with the front portion to form a unified structure. The front portion includes both the pressing function (via the resilient portion) and the locking function (via the retainer), merging multiple functions into a single component. This reduces the overall device complexity while maintaining connection stability through the resilient pressing action.
Solution Approach 2:
The front portion serves multiple functions: it provides structural support, contains the resilient portion for pressing the terminal fitting, and includes the retainer for locking. This multi-functionality allows a single component to achieve connection stability without requiring additional separate parts, thereby avoiding excessive increase in device complexity.
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 design allows for satisfactory connection of the terminal fitting to a mating terminal by preventing an inclined posture and reducing component count through integration of the resilient portion and retainer, thereby enhancing connection stability and simplicity.
Implementation Method 1
a front portion to be mounted on a front surface side of the housing, the front portion including a resilient portion for pressing the terminal fitting
Data Source
AI summary
A connector 10 is provided with a housing 20, a terminal fitting 30 to be accommodated into a cavity 21 of the housing 20, and a front portion 50 to be mounted on a front surface side of the housing 20. The front portion 50 includes a resilient portion 55 for pressing the terminal fitting 30 and sandwiching the terminal fitting 30 between a facing wall surface portion 21B of the cavity 21 and the resilient portion 55.