Gear-Rack Electrical Connector Lever for Low Mating Force
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lever-type electrical connectors require excessive user input force to mate and un-mate due to inefficiencies in force transfer and frictional forces, especially in large connectors with high pin counts, exceeding industry standards.
Innovation Solution
A modular electrical connector design with a U-shaped lever and integrally formed gear wheel elements, featuring a 'double gear configuration' that ensures parallel force application and reduced friction, allowing for easy mating and un-mating with balanced force distribution through rotatable gear wheels and telescopic lever arm for enhanced usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a U-shaped lever with cam groove and cam follower arrangement is used to mate connectors, then the connectors can be shifted between unmated and fully mated configurations, but the user input force exceeds the industry standard maximum of 75 N due to high frictional forces and inefficient force transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional cam groove and cam follower mechanical system with a gear wheel and rack system. The gear wheels engage with the rack to provide mechanical advantage, transforming the user's rotational input into linear mating force. This substitution eliminates the sliding friction of cam followers and replaces it with rolling contact and gear meshing, significantly reducing energy loss and user input force requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the force transfer system by introducing gear ratios. The gear wheels have different numbers of teeth and pitch radii, creating a mechanical advantage that amplifies the user's input force. By adjusting the gear parameters (number of teeth, pitch radius), the system optimizes the force multiplication to keep user input below 75 N while still achieving the required mating force.
2Power
If a U-shaped lever with cam groove and cam follower arrangement is used, then connectors can be mated, but the force transfer efficiency is low requiring greater user effort
Solution Approach 1:
The gear wheel and rack mechanism replaces the inefficient cam-based force transfer system. The gear meshing provides direct positive engagement with high efficiency, eliminating the sliding friction and mechanical inefficiencies of the cam groove-follower arrangement. This substitution dramatically improves force transfer efficiency, reducing the user effort required to mate the connectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear teeth utilize curved contact surfaces that roll against each other during engagement, replacing the linear sliding contact of cam followers. This curved contact geometry reduces friction and improves the efficiency of force transfer from the user's input to the mating action, requiring less user effort.
3Force
If a lever actuator is used to provide mechanical advantage, then mating force can be reduced, but the mechanical advantage is insufficient to overcome high frictional forces in large connectors with 90 or more pin contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the force application by using multiple gear wheels (typically two or more) distributed along the lever. Each gear wheel engages with the rack at different positions, distributing the force multiplication across multiple contact points. This segmentation allows the system to overcome the cumulative friction of 90 or more pin contacts by applying amplified force at multiple locations simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters by using gear wheels with different numbers of teeth and pitch radii. This creates varying mechanical advantage ratios at different positions along the lever, allowing optimization of the force distribution to match the friction profile of large connector assemblies with high pin counts.
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 facilitates easy and reliable mating and un-mating of electrical connectors with minimal user effort, adhering to industry force standards while reducing friction and maintaining a compact footprint.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of first gear wheel elements, each one integrally formed at a respective ends of the sidebars and being rotatable around a pair of first rotation pins... the first gear wheel elements each comprise a first set of gear teeth for meshing with a teethed rack of a counter electrical connector
Implementation Method 2
The first set of gear teeth comprise a first rotation radius of the first gear wheel elements around the first rotation pins... the second set of gear teeth comprise a second rotation radius of the first gear wheel elements around first the rotation pins; wherein the first rotation radius is different to the second rotation radius
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a connector housing and a U-shaped lever, comprising a crossbar and two sidebars extending from the ends of the crossbar. A pair of first gear wheel elements. Each one of the first gear wheel elements is integrally formed at respective ends of the sidebars and are rotatable around a pair of first rotation pins extends to the outside from opposing outer side walls of the connector housing. The first gear wheel elements each comprise a first set of gear teeth for meshing with a teethed rack of a counter electrical connector. The first gear wheel elements each comprise a second set of gear teeth for meshing with second gear wheel elements.