Electrical Connector Wire Trimming Support Wall
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors that integrate wire lacing features and cutting blades suffer from wire deflection during trimming, leading to incomplete cuts and potential electrical shorting, and are costly due to the use of hard metals and tight manufacturing tolerances.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design includes a rear housing with an outer support wall and a wire organizer, positioning the cutting blade between the support wall and the wire organizer, providing dual support for wires during trimming, ensuring clean cuts and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If cutting blades are used to trim wires during connector mating, then wire trimming is integrated into the connector assembly process, but wire deflection occurs during trimming leading to incomplete cuts and potential electrical shorting
Solution Approach 1:
A wire support feature is introduced as an intermediary element between the cutting blade and the wire. This support feature contacts the wire at a first location while the cutting blade contacts the wire at a second location, providing stabilization during the cutting process and preventing wire deflection that causes incomplete cuts or electrical shorting.
2Strength
If very hard metals are used for cutting blades, then cutting performance is improved, but the overall cost of the electrical connector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire support feature is designed as a disposable or replaceable component that can be made from less expensive materials. By providing stable wire support, the system allows the use of more cost-effective cutting blade materials rather than requiring very hard metals, thereby reducing overall connector manufacturing costs while maintaining cutting performance.
3Manufacturing precision
If tight manufacturing tolerances are applied to eliminate gaps between cutting blade and support wall, then cut quality is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wire support feature acts as a mediator that compensates for manufacturing tolerances and gaps between the cutting blade and support wall. By providing an additional support contact point, it ensures stable wire positioning even when gaps exist, thereby maintaining cut quality without requiring tight manufacturing tolerances.
4Device complexity
If wires are supported in a cantilevered beam configuration during trimming, then the connector structure is simplified, but wire deflection occurs leading to stretched and exposed conductors
Solution Approach 1:
The wire support feature introduces an additional support contact point that transforms the cantilevered beam configuration into a supported span configuration. This intermediary support prevents wire deflection during cutting, avoiding stretched and exposed conductors that could lead to electrical shorting, while maintaining relatively simple connector structure.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
An electrical connector (100) includes a front housing (120) holding a plurality of contacts and holding a cutting blade (174) proximate to a rear of the front housing (120). The electrical connector also includes a rear housing (122) having a wire organizer (180) at a front of the rear housing (122) that has a plurality of wire channels (182) configured to receive corresponding wires (146) therein. The rear housing (122) has an outer support wall spaced apart from, and arranged outward of, the wire channels (182), where the outer support wall has a front edge (196, 198). The wire channels (182) extending along wire channel axes that extend across the front edge (196, 198). During mating of the rear housing (122) with the front housing (120), the cutting blade (174) is configured to trim the wires (146) extending from the wire organizer (180) and is positioned between the outer support wall and the wire organizer (180). The wires (146) are terminated to the contacts when the front housing (120) and the rear housing (122) are mated.