Female Connector Clip Locking for Alignment and Leak Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Quick-insertion connector assemblies often fail to ensure proper alignment and locking of male and female connectors, leading to potential misassembly and fluid leakage, as existing designs lack effective mechanisms to prevent incorrect insertion and ensure secure locking.
Innovation Solution
A female connector design featuring a clip mechanism with blocking members and support rings that align with the male connector's groove, preventing the clip from reaching a locked position unless the male connector is correctly aligned, and utilizing sealing rings for a secure fluid connection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a simple quick-insertion connector design is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to potential misassembly and improper locking
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs asymmetric features including a groove on the male connector that must align with specific openings in the female connector, and blocking members that prevent the clip from being actuated unless proper alignment is achieved. This asymmetric design ensures that only the correct orientation allows the locking mechanism to function, preventing misassembly while maintaining simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking members act as intermediaries between the clip mechanism and the operator. They physically prevent the clip from reaching its actuated position unless the male connector is properly aligned with the female connector. This intermediary mechanism ensures reliable locking only under correct assembly conditions without complicating the overall quick-connect operation.
2Reliability
If a clip mechanism with blocking members is added, then locking reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is segmented into distinct functional components: the male connector with its groove, the female connector with housing openings and support ring openings, the clip mechanism, and the blocking members. Each component has a specific function, and their modular design allows for straightforward assembly and manufacturing while ensuring reliable locking through their coordinated interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of allowing the clip to freely actuate and then preventing improper locking through complex constraints, the design inverts the approach by using blocking members that actively prevent clip actuation unless proper alignment is achieved. The blocking members are positioned to physically obstruct the clip mechanism until the groove aligns with the openings, at which point the obstruction is naturally removed and locking can proceed.
3Manufacturing precision
If alignment features like grooves and openings are implemented, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The groove on the male connector and the corresponding openings in the female connector are pre-formed during manufacturing as integral features of the respective components. This preliminary action ensures that when the components are assembled, the alignment features are already in their correct positions, eliminating the need for complex post-assembly alignment procedures and reducing the overall manufacturing complexity despite the precision requirements.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a female connector (102) for receiving a male connector. The female connector comprises a female connector housing (110), a support ring , a clip (220) and a clip blocking member (230). The clip blocking member is located outside the female connector housing, and has a pair of blocking faces which respectively face distal ends of the two clip legs of the clip. The male connector can be at least partially inserted into the internal space of a support ring located in a fluid channel of the female connector. When a groove of the male connector is aligned with a pair of housing openings and a pair of support ring openings, a pair of clip legs enter the groove of the male connector, and an operation portion of the clip can get into a travel end position. The pair of blocking faces are configured such that, when the groove of the male connector is not aligned with the pair of housing openings and the pair of support ring openings, and the pair of clip legs abut against the outer surface of the male connector, the pair of blocking faces can prevent the operation portion from getting into the travel end position by abutting against the distal ends of the pair of clip legs.