Electrical Connector TPA and Anti-Scooping Rib Integration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current electrical connectors with closely spaced terminal cavities lack sufficient space for both a terminal position assurance member (TPA) and anti-scooping ribs, making it difficult to ensure proper terminal positioning and prevent angled connections.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring a housing with a channel and a terminal position assurance member (TPA) having a blade with a plate and a raised rear edge, which allows for a pre-locked and fully locked position, ensuring proper terminal alignment and preventing deflection of the locking latch, while accommodating an anti-scooping rib.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a terminal position assurance member (TPA) and anti-scooping rib are both provided in current connectors, then terminal positioning reliability and anti-scooping capability are improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the TPA blade and anti-scooping rib into a single integrated structure. The TPA blade extends laterally to engage the locking latch while simultaneously providing anti-scooping functionality, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing overall structural complexity while maintaining both terminal positioning reliability and anti-scooping capability
2Reliability
If a TPA and anti-scooping rib are both provided in current connectors, then terminal positioning and angled connection prevention are improved, but the space required in the connector housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated TPA blade structure performs dual functions within a single spatial footprint. The blade extends laterally from the housing to engage the locking latch for terminal positioning while its configuration also provides anti-scooping protection, thereby maintaining reliability without increasing the space required in the connector housing
3Productivity
If terminal cavities are closely spaced, then connector compactness is improved, but space for TPA and anti-scooping rib becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated TPA blade structure enables closely spaced terminal cavities by consolidating the functions of terminal positioning and anti-scooping protection into a single component. This merger reduces the total space requirement, allowing for more compact connector designs with closely spaced terminals while still providing adequate space for the combined structure
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector is disclosed having a housing having at least one row of terminal receiving passageways. Each passageway includes a locking latch. An overstress protection rib is positioned below each latch. A channel extends through a front wall of the housing and adjacent to the at least one row of terminal receiving passageways, and on the opposite side of the latch. A terminal position assurance member (TPA) has a pre-locked position with the TPA positioned forward of the latch allowing the latch to resile into the channel, and a fully locked position where the TPA is positioned underneath the latch.