Cord Cap Housing Assembly for Vibration-Resistant Power Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing electrical connector systems rely on friction alone for securing connections, which is unreliable, especially in applications where power continuity is critical, such as in data or medical fields, and can be compromised by vibration or mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
The development of locking electrical connector bodies formed from injection molded plastic housing portions that can be easily assembled using compression elements, incorporating strain relief extensions and alignment features to secure electrical components like surge suppression circuits and automatic transfer switches, eliminating the need for PVC over-molding and simplifying manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If friction only is used to secure electrical connector connections, then the manufacturing cost is low and assembly is simple, but the connection reliability is poor under vibration or mechanical stress
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connector housing is divided into multiple injection molded portions that are assembled together using compression elements. This segmentation allows each portion to be manufactured independently with optimized features, while the overall structure gains enhanced reliability through the interlocking assembly of multiple components rather than relying solely on friction fits.
Solution Approach 2:
Alignment features are pre-formed on the housing portions during injection molding, and compression elements are pre-positioned to engage with strain relief extensions. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment and secure connection before final assembly, eliminating the need for complex post-assembly adjustments and maintaining connection reliability under stress.
2Reliability
If PVC over-molding is used to secure electrical components, then the connection is secure, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using PVC over-molding to secure all components, the housing itself is segmented into multiple injection molded portions that can be independently manufactured. Electrical components are secured through mechanical features integrated into these portions, allowing parallel manufacturing and faster assembly compared to sequential over-molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
Strain relief extensions and alignment features are pre-formed on the housing portions during the injection molding process itself, before assembly. This preliminary action eliminates the need for separate over-molding steps to secure components, as the mechanical features are already in place to hold components firmly during final assembly.
3Manufacturing precision
If all electrical connector bodies are manufactured by a single manufacturer, then quality control is easier, but distribution and logistics become less flexible
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing is divided into multiple portions that can be manufactured by different suppliers. Each portion is designed with standardized interfaces and tolerance specifications, allowing quality control to be maintained across multiple manufacturers while enabling distributed production and flexible logistics.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing portions are designed with universal interfaces and standardized features that work together across different manufacturers. This universality ensures that components from different sources can be assembled reliably, enabling both quality control and distributed manufacturing capabilities simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector body is provided includes first and second housing portions formed from molded plastic. The housing portions include first and second interface surfaces that are configured to butt against one another to define a housing and one or more electrical components are disposed within an interior of the housing. The one or more electrical components may comprise connectors of a male or female cord cap, an in-line surge suppression circuit, and/or a compact automatic transfer switch. In one implementation, each of the first and second connector body portions may include a strain relief extension for engaging an electrical cord and a compression member (3691) may be disposed over the strain relief extensions to secure together the first and second connector body portions. The compression member may be selected from a set of compression members based on a size of the electrical cord.