Duplex Connector with Lateral Sliding Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional duplex quick-connect electrical fittings are bulky due to axially aligned and joined body portions, making them costly to produce and difficult to disassemble for inspection or cable removal.
Innovation Solution
A duplex electrical connector design featuring a front and rear connector body that slide apart at a right angle, with a snap ring and cable retaining rings for easy assembly and disassembly, allowing for reduced size and cost while enabling easy inspection of internal cable connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the connector bodies are designed to be easily disassembled for inspection or cable removal, then the ease of operation is improved, but the structural complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector body is divided into two separate pieces: a leading body portion and a trailing body portion. These segments can be easily separated from each other to allow inspection or removal of electrical cables, while still forming a functional connector when assembled. The segmentation enables the trailing body portion to be accessed independently without disassembling the entire connector.
2Ease of manufacture
If the size of the connector bodies is minimized to reduce production costs, then the manufacturing cost is improved, but the ease of assembly and disassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The two body portions are connected in a laterally offset configuration rather than being axially aligned. The trailing body portion is positioned laterally relative to the leading body portion, allowing the connector bodies to be smaller in size while still enabling easy assembly and disassembly through lateral movement rather than axial movement.
Data Source
AI summary
A duplex electrical connector constructed of two body portions with internal bores. The body portions easily assemble and disassemble in a sliding manner, the direction of the assembly and disassembly being substantially at right angles to the axes of the internal bores. A front connector body includes a leading end and a trailing end with a lip, a trailing flange, and a bottom periphery. A tab with an aperture therein extends from the top lip. A rear connector body includes a leading end with a front extension, a boss, a trailing end, and two internal bores extending from the trailing end to the leading end. Sliding assembly of the connector bodies enables minimizing the size of the connector bodies for reducing unit production costs while enabling easy disassembly of the two connector body portions for inspection of internal cable connections.