FFC Connector Anti-Overstress Locking Arm Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical connectors, particularly flexible flat cable (FFC) connectors, are prone to overstress due to their compact size, which can lead to accidental damage during assembly or disassembly, as users may unintentionally apply excessive force, causing stress on the locking mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design incorporates a locking terminal with a locking arm that extends through an actuator, featuring anti-overstress mechanisms such as stopping features and a support arm to limit motion and prevent overstressing, ensuring the locking arm flexes safely and maintains a fixed position, while an actuator is movably coupled to the housing to facilitate easy latching and release of the FFC.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the connector is made compact to save space, then the size is reduced, but the locking mechanism becomes more prone to overstress and accidental damage
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arm is designed with inherent flexibility to act as a cushioning element. When excessive force is applied to the actuator, the locking arm flexes elastically to absorb the overload, preventing damage to the rigid housing and other connector components. This prior cushioning mechanism protects the compact connector from accidental overstress during assembly or disassembly operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arm's material properties and geometric parameters are specifically engineered to provide the right balance of flexibility and strength. By changing parameters such as cross-sectional dimensions, material modulus, and arm geometry, the design achieves optimal stress distribution that protects against overstress while maintaining compact dimensions.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the locking arm is made rigid to maintain position, then positioning stability is improved, but the risk of overstress damage increases under accidental force
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arm incorporates elastic flexibility as a built-in cushioning mechanism. Under normal operating conditions, the arm maintains stable positioning through its rigid structure. However, when accidental excessive force is applied, the flexible portions of the locking arm deform elastically to absorb the overload, preventing damage to the housing and other components while gradually returning to its original position.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arm may utilize composite material structures or hybrid construction combining rigid and flexible sections. This allows different portions of the locking arm to serve different functions: rigid sections provide positioning stability while flexible sections absorb overstress, achieving both stability and damage protection in a single integrated component.
3Ease of operation
If the actuator is made accessible outside the housing for easy operation, then ease of operation is improved, but the risk of unintended force application increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible locking arm serves as a protective cushion between the user's finger and the internal connector components. When users inadvertently apply excessive force to the externally accessible actuator, the locking arm's elastic deformation absorbs the overload, preventing damage to the housing and contacts while allowing the actuator to remain easily accessible for normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arm acts as an intermediary element between the actuator and the rigid housing structure. This intermediate flexible component mediates the transmission of forces, allowing normal operational forces to be transmitted effectively while filtering out and absorbing excessive or unintended forces before they can reach and damage the internal components.
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 design effectively reduces the risk of damage to the connector by preventing overstressing during both assembly and disassembly, ensuring robust performance and longevity by limiting the range of motion and applying resistance against unintended force application.
Implementation Method 1
a locking terminal mounted to the housing, the locking terminal comprising a locking arm extending through a portion of the actuator... configured such that, in a first position of the actuator, the portion of the locking arm extending beyond the actuator contacts a lower surface of the cavity... in a second position of the actuator, the portion of the locking arm extending beyond the actuator contacts the upper surface of the cavity within the housing
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a housing, a plurality of contacts arranged in the housing, an actuator mounted to the housing and configured to move relative to the housing, and a locking terminal mounted to the housing, the locking terminal comprising a locking arm extending through an interior portion of the actuator and into a cavity within the housing, the cavity having an upper surface and a lower surface. Movement of the actuator relative to the housing may cause the interior portion of the actuator to push against at least part of the locking arm and rotate the at least part of the locking arm. When the actuator is in a first position, the locking arm may contact a surface of the cavity within the housing, which may inhibit the actuator from rotating in a first direction.