Elastic Cap Attachment for Secure Connector Housing Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connector units require complex structures and labor-intensive processes to attach caps, complicating the assembly and increasing the risk of caps coming off the panel frame.
Innovation Solution
A connector unit with a cap that features L-shaped arms made of elastic material, including a support portion, bent portion, and hook portion, allowing easy attachment and secure retention to the connector housing through cap attachment holes, utilizing dimensions and elastic deformation for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the end of the support plate is fitted into the recessed portion to prevent the cap from coming off, then the cap retention reliability is improved, but the device structure becomes complicated and the attachment process requires more work
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped arm is made of elastic material, allowing it to be flexibly inserted through the cap attachment hole and retained by the connector housing without requiring complex recessed portions or support plates. The elasticity enables the arm to deform during insertion and then maintain a secure fit
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates the unnecessary support plate and recessed portion components from the conventional structure. By using the elastic L-shaped arm alone, the patent removes the complex fitting mechanism while maintaining cap retention functionality
2Ease of operation
If the L-shaped arm dimensions are designed with thin-wall part in bent portion, then the ease of attachment is improved, but the structural strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wall thickness parameter of the L-shaped arm by introducing a thin-wall part in the bent portion. This parameter change allows the arm to be more easily deformed during attachment while the overall elastic material properties and geometry maintain sufficient structural strength for retention
3Reliability
If the hook portion length is made larger than the cap attachment hole dimension, then the cap retention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped arm serves multiple functions: the support portion provides structural support, the bent portion enables elastic deformation for easy insertion, and the hook portion provides retention. This multi-functional design achieves reliable cap retention without requiring separate retention mechanisms, thereby avoiding increased complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cap can be easily attached and securely retained on the connector housing, maintaining a simple structure while preventing accidental detachment, and includes drainage features to manage water ingress.
Implementation Method 1
an L-shaped arm joined to a lid portion of a cap and made of an elastic material includes a support portion, a bent portion formed at a tip of the support portion, and a hook portion extending from the bent portion
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~7
AI summary
A connector unit includes a cap that is attached to a connector housing and openably and closably covers an opening portion, the cap including an L-shaped arm made of an elastic material and having a support portion, a bent portion, and a hook portion, the cap being retained by the connector housing with the support portion being passed through a cap attachment hole of the connector housing, the support portion and the hook portion each have a thickness dimension smaller than a dimension of the cap attachment hole, a maximum dimension of the bent portion is larger than the dimension of the cap attachment hole, and the hook portion has a length dimension larger than the dimension of the cap attachment hole when viewed in a direction perpendicular to a plane including the support portion, the bent portion, and the hook portion.