Connector Housing Structure for Terminal Position Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors used for airbag inflators experience positional deviations of terminals due to the lack of effective mechanisms to stabilize their position within the housing.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a terminal with a groove-like connecting portion and a cover member projection that engages along a second axis, along with a housing configuration that includes projections and rotation restricting portions to stabilize the terminal's position, preventing movement along multiple axes and restricting rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a conventional connector structure is used without additional positioning mechanisms, then the device complexity is low, but the terminal positional stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a body portion and a cover member that can be assembled separately. The cover member contains positioning projections that engage with the terminal, segmenting the positioning function from the main housing body. This allows the terminal to be stabilized without requiring the entire housing structure to be complex.
Solution Approach 2:
Positioning projections on the cover member act as intermediary elements between the terminal and the housing body. These projections transmit positioning forces to the terminal, enabling stable terminal positioning through a simple mediating structure rather than requiring direct complex housing-terminal integration.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the cover member includes positioning projections to engage the terminal, then the terminal positional deviation is suppressed, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning function is segmented into separate projections on the cover member, allowing the cover to be manufactured and assembled independently. This segmentation enables modular manufacturing where the cover member with integrated positioning projections can be produced as a separate component and then assembled to the housing body, simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning projections are merged into the cover member structure itself rather than being separate components. This integration reduces the total number of parts and assembly steps, as the positioning function is combined with the protective cover function, making the manufacturing process more efficient.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a terminal and a housing for holding the terminal. The terminal includes a female terminal portion extending along a first axis and a wire connecting portion extending along a second axis intersecting the first axis. The female terminal portion includes a groove-like connecting portion to be connected to the wire connecting portion and a tubular portion extending in a forward direction from an end part of the connecting portion, the forward direction being one direction along the first axis. The connecting portion is open in a rearward direction opposite to the forward direction. The housing includes a housing body having a terminal accommodating portion for accommodating the terminal and a cover member to be attached to the housing body. The cover member includes a projection to be inserted inside the connecting portion and formed to be engageable with the connecting portion along the second axis.