Hinged Shutter Connector Protection Against Mud Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connector protection devices, such as caps and piston systems, are inadequate as they are cumbersome, prone to misplacement, and allow mud accumulation, leading to operational failures and installation difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A compact protection device featuring hinged shutters that rotate and translate to seal the connector ends, ensuring effective mud exclusion and automatic return to the closed position after disengagement, with a spring mechanism for both pivoting and translational return.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a cap is used to protect the connector element, then protection against mud is improved, but the risk of misplacement or loss increases and the connector becomes more cumbersome to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is integrated directly into the connector element structure, merging the protection function with the connector body. This eliminates the need for separate caps that can be misplaced, while maintaining effective mud protection through the shutter mechanism that closes automatically or is held closed by the spring.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter is designed as a movable component that can rotate between closed and open positions, dynamically adapting to the connector's operational state. The spring mechanism provides automatic return to the closed protective position, ensuring protection is maintained unless actively opened for connection.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a piston system is used to protect the connector element, then mud protection is improved, but the device complexity increases and the connector length increases making installation more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The protection mechanism is segmented into a shutter component that rotates on a hinge, separating the protective function from the complex piston structure. This segmentation simplifies the overall device while maintaining effective mud exclusion through the shutter's ability to close the open end.
Solution Approach 2:
The shutter moves in a rotational dimension rather than the linear reciprocating motion of a piston. This dimensional change simplifies the mechanism by eliminating the need for complex sealing and guiding structures required for linear piston movement, reducing overall device complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a piston system is used to protect the connector element, then mud protection is improved, but the connector length increases making wall mounting more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The shutter is nested within the connector element's structure, with the hinge and shutter mechanism integrated into the existing connector geometry. This nesting approach minimizes the additional length required compared to an external piston system, facilitating easier wall mounting and installation in space-constrained environments.
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 solution provides reliable protection against mud ingress, ensures easy handling, and maintains the shutters attached to the connector, preventing loss and facilitating seamless interlocking without compromising installation complexity.
Implementation Method 1
the return member of the first shutter is a helical spring mounted to work in compression so as to bring the shutter from the recessed position to the flush position and in torsion so as to bring the shutter back from its position release to its closed position
Data Source
Figure 1~3
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Figure 7~9
AI summary
The device has a shutter including a front face with a relief, and another shutter (21) including another front face with another relief (27). The reliefs enable the shutters to be constrained to pivot together about hinge axes, respectively. A laterally-offset hinge of the former shutter is mounted on corresponding open end so as to be movable in translation parallel to an engagement direction between a position in which the former shutter is flush with the open end and a position in which the former shutter is set back from the open end.