Inline Connector Dual-Gear Mating for Anti-Tilt Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inline electrical connector systems with single axially mounted mate assist sliders experience tilting during connector engagement, leading to alignment issues and increased peak mating force due to non-symmetrical passageways and lack of stability.
Innovation Solution
The inline electrical connector system incorporates a mate assist slider with a shroud, connector position assurance device, and dual gears with cam surfaces and rack teeth, ensuring anti-tilt and stable mating by engaging the female connector's gears with the mate assist slider's gear track, reducing the force required for mating and maintaining alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a single axially mounted gear is provided in the mate assist slider, then the peak mating force is reduced through mechanical advantage, but the connector system experiences tilting during engagement causing alignment issues
Solution Approach 1:
The single gear is segmented into two separate gears (first gear and second gear) positioned at different locations on the female connector. Each gear engages with its own dedicated rack teeth on the mate assist slider, creating two independent mechanical advantage systems that work together to prevent tilting while reducing peak mating force.
Solution Approach 2:
The two gear-rack mechanisms are combined to work together as a unified anti-tilt system. The first gear with first rack teeth and the second gear with second rack teeth operate simultaneously, merging their mechanical advantage effects to both reduce peak force and maintain alignment stability during connector engagement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If non-symmetrical passageways are used in the connector design, then the connector fits specific routing requirements, but the mating process experiences increased peak force and potential misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The mate assist slider acts as an intermediary mechanism between the male and female connectors. It provides the mechanical advantage needed to reduce peak mating force while accommodating the non-symmetrical passageway configuration, allowing the connector to maintain its routing adaptability without suffering from high mating forces.
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 dual gear and rack tooth mechanism provides stable and anti-tilt engagement, reducing the peak mating force and ensuring proper alignment of electrical terminals, resulting in a more reliable and efficient connection.
Implementation Method 1
The gear has a variable pitch radius which provides high mechanical advantage when the connector system components are experiencing their highest mating forces which reduces the peak mating force during mating
Implementation Method 2
an axial mate assist system that utilizes an axially mounted involute curved non-circular gear on the female connector
Data Source
AI summary
An inline electrical connector system includes male and female connectors and a mate assist slider. The male connector includes first and second spaced apart projections which engage with rotatable gears on the female connector, and the mate assist slider includes a gear track which engages with the gears. Axial movement of the female connector and mate assist slider relative to the male connector causes engagement of the first and second projections with the first and second gears, thereby causing the first and second gears to rotate relative to the gear track and draw the female connector and mate assist slider onto the male connector. A releasable connector position assurance device is provided on the mate assist slider to lock the components into a locked position.