Holding Frame Guide Element for Pneumatic Connector Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing holding frames for connector modules often result in significant wear during plugging and unplugging due to misalignment, despite the use of guide means in the connector housing, which do not always correlate with the installation position of the holding frame.
Innovation Solution
A holding frame with an articulated connection between two halves, featuring a guide element and guide rail that allows precise alignment and fixing of the frames, ensuring the connector modules are parallel and securely aligned, reducing wear during plugging. The guide element includes a dual-function fixing mechanism and a grounding socket with a molded guide rail, allowing for reliable alignment without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If guide means are provided on the connector housing, then alignment is improved, but the guide means often do not correlate exactly to the installation position of the holding frame, resulting in significant wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a guide element as an intermediary component between the holding frame and the connector housing. This guide element features a guide rail that precisely correlates with the guide means on the connector housing, ensuring accurate alignment. The guide element acts as a mediator that transfers and refines the alignment function, allowing the holding frame to be precisely positioned even when the housing guide means do not directly correlate with the holding frame installation position.
2Ease of manufacture
If the holding frame consists of two halves connected by a joint, then ease of assembly is improved, but alignment precision between holding frames may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates alignment features directly into the joint connection between the two halves of the holding frame. The guide element with its precise guide rail is pre-integrated into the joint structure, ensuring that when the halves are assembled, the alignment is automatically established. This preliminary integration of alignment functionality into the assembly structure ensures both ease of assembly and precise alignment without requiring additional adjustment steps.
3Manufacturing precision
If additional guide components are added to achieve precise alignment, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the guide element with the joint structure of the holding frame. Rather than being a separate additional component, the guide element is integrated into the existing joint that connects the two halves of the holding frame. This merging of functions allows the joint to simultaneously provide both the mechanical connection and the precise alignment guidance, thereby achieving accurate alignment without significantly increasing device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a holding frame (1) into which plug connector modules (19) can be inserted. The holding frame (1) has guiding means, whereby the holding frame (1) can be aligned with a second holding frame (1') in the plug-in direction so as to fit in a precise manner. Two holding frames which can be plugged together contain at least one respective pneumatic plug connector module. The first holding frame (1) comprises a first pneumatic plug connector module (19), and the second holding frame (1') comprises a second pneumatic plug connector module (19). The first pneumatic plug connector module (19) is aligned with the second pneumatic plug connector module (19) such that the modules can be plugged together. Such pneumatic plug connector modules (19) are particularly sensitive to wear when they are plugged together without being aligned relative to one another in an exact manner.