Curved Corner Locking Structure for Electronic Component Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic component units on wire harnesses, such as those used in vehicles, lack durability in their locking structures, which can lead to instability and potential disconnection under mechanical stress or vibration.
Innovation Solution
A locking structure featuring a curved recess side corner and a matching curved protrusion side corner, with the recess and protrusion surfaces inclined, is implemented to distribute stress and prevent point contact, enhancing durability by relaxing stress concentration and accommodating various installation angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional locking structure with straight corners is used, then the assembly is simple to manufacture, but the durability is poor due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The locking protrusion and locking recess are designed with curved surfaces instead of straight edges. The locking protrusion has a curved surface that corresponds to the curved surface of the locking recess, allowing stress to be distributed across the curved interface rather than concentrated at sharp corners. This curvature design maintains manufacturing feasibility while significantly improving durability by eliminating stress concentration points.
2Reliability
If the locking surfaces are inclined, then the resistance to mechanical stress and vibrations is enhanced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined locking surfaces are designed with curved profiles rather than sharp angular transitions. This curvature allows the surfaces to maintain the necessary inclination angle for stress resistance while avoiding stress concentration at the edges. The curved design provides a gradual transition that is more tolerant to manufacturing variations, reducing the stringency of precision requirements while maintaining the beneficial stress distribution.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a simple locking structure is used, then the device complexity is low, but the stability under vibration is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The locking structure maintains a relatively simple overall form factor while incorporating curved surfaces on the locking protrusion and recess interfaces. This curvature modification adds minimal geometric complexity but provides significant improvement in stability under vibration by preventing stress concentration and improving contact distribution. The curved design allows the simple locking structure to achieve enhanced stability without requiring additional locking mechanisms or complex features.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking structure includes a locking recess that is formed in a recessed shape on one of a housing which houses an electronic component and a holding member to which the housing is assembled; and a locking protrusion that is formed in a protrusion shape capable of being fitted to the locking recess on the other of the housing or the holding member and capable of being locked to the locking recess. The locking recess has a recess side corner that is formed in a curved shape at an end of the recess side locking surface that is a locking surface with the locking protrusion, and the locking protrusion has a protrusion side corner formed in a curved shape and facing the recess side corner at an end of the protrusion side locking surface that is a locking surface with the locking recess.