In-Vehicle Connector Housing for Wiring Position and Compact Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for in-vehicle battery charging require large sealing materials to absorb wiring deviation, making it difficult to downsize the connector.
Innovation Solution
A connector design that includes a housing with a restricting portion to control the position of wiring members, using a first restricting portion to restrict the wiring member's position between a terminal and a sealing in a direction intersecting with the fitting direction, allowing for a downsized structure without the need for a large sealing material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large sealing material is used to absorb wiring member deviation, then sealing performance is improved, but connector size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing includes a restricting portion that preliminarily positions the wiring member before it reaches the sealing portion. By pre-restricting the wiring member's position in the fitting direction, the system prevents excessive deviation that would otherwise require a larger sealing material, thus maintaining compact connector size while ensuring adequate sealing performance
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning function is segmented from the sealing function. The restricting portion (first functional element) handles positioning independently, while the sealing portion (second functional element) focuses solely on sealing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling the use of a smaller sealing material since the positioning task is already handled by the restricting portion
2Manufacturing precision
If a large sealing material is used to accommodate wiring member deviation, then positioning tolerance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the functional responsibilities: the restricting portion handles positioning control, while the sealing portion handles sealing. This segmentation allows the sealing structure to remain simple and compact, as it no longer needs to compensate for wiring member positioning variations. The positioning tolerance is improved by the restricting portion's precise positioning feature rather than by enlarging the sealing material
Solution Approach 2:
The restricting portion performs preliminary positioning of the wiring member, establishing a controlled position before the wiring member reaches the sealing portion. This preliminary action reduces the positioning tolerance requirements for the sealing structure, allowing for a simpler, more compact sealing design while still achieving accurate final positioning
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for an in-vehicle component includes: a housing including a fitting portion opened in a first direction that is a fitting direction with a mating connector, and a housing portion opened in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; a first terminal including an electrode portion disposed in the fitting portion and connectable to the mating connector; a first wiring member extending in the second direction, passing through the housing portion, and electrically connected to the first terminal; and a first sealing that seals a periphery of the first wiring member at a position away from the first terminal. The housing includes a first restricting portion that restricts a position of the first wiring member in the first direction at a position between the first terminal and the first sealing in the second direction.