Lever Connector Extended Plate for Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lever type connectors face challenges in reducing height while maintaining rigidity and preventing disengagement due to external forces, particularly when the thickness of the operation portion is reduced to minimize size.
Innovation Solution
A lever type connector design featuring a pair of side plate portions, an operation portion connecting them, a flexible arm portion with a latch receiving portion, and an extended plate portion that covers the arm portion, allowing the lever to rotate and latch onto the connector housing without increasing size, distributing applied forces and protecting the arm from external interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the thickness of the operation portion is reduced to reduce the height of the lever type connector, then the height is reduced, but the rigidity of the operation portion becomes insufficient to withstand rotational operation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extends the operation portion in the horizontal direction (left-right direction) to provide additional structural support. By increasing the length of the operation portion in this dimension, the overall rigidity is enhanced without increasing the height in the vertical direction, thus resolving the contradiction between compact height and operational rigidity
Solution Approach 2:
The lever body is constructed as an integrated structure combining the operation portion, side plate portions, and extended plate portion. This composite design distributes mechanical stresses across multiple components, allowing the operation portion to maintain sufficient rigidity even with reduced thickness, as the load is shared with the extended plate and side plates
2Strength
If the thickness of the operation portion is increased to ensure rigidity, then the rigidity is improved, but the size of the lever type connector is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing thickness in the vertical direction, the invention compensates for reduced thickness by extending the operation portion horizontally. This dimensional shift allows rigidity to be maintained through increased span and structural distribution rather than through increased thickness, avoiding volume increase
Solution Approach 2:
The lever body is segmented into functional portions: the operation portion for user input, the extended plate portion for structural support and force distribution, and the side plate portions for mounting. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently, with the extended plate providing rigidity support without requiring the operation portion to be thicker
3Device complexity
If the lock protection portion covers only the lock portion at the tip end of the lock arm, then the structure is simple, but the lock arm may deform downward when external force is applied to the basal end, causing disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The extended plate portion projects from the operation portion in the front-rear direction, creating a protective barrier that spans across the lock arm. This extension in the horizontal dimension provides continuous protection along the length of the lock arm, preventing external forces from deforming the lock arm downward without significantly increasing vertical height
Solution Approach 2:
The extended plate portion is positioned to cover the lock arm in advance, creating a protective shield before any external force is applied. This preliminary protective structure prevents the lock arm from being exposed to deforming forces, ensuring reliable engagement without requiring complex additional mechanisms
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 ensures the lever's rotational operation is stable and secure, preventing disengagement from the connector housing under external forces while maintaining rigidity without size increase, and provides a larger area for force distribution during operation.
Implementation Method 1
a lever type connector arranged to reduce the fitting operation force using a lever
Implementation Method 2
lever type connector arranged to reduce the fitting operation force using a lever
Implementation Method 3
a latch portion provided to the operation portion... a latch receiving portion provided on the free end of the arm portion and arranged to latch onto the latch portion
Implementation Method 4
a flexible arm portion extending upward from a rear end side in a connector fitting direction of an upper wall of the connector housing
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
A lever type connector preventing a lever from disengaging from a connector housing due to application of force and providing rigidity to withstand rotational operation of the lever without increasing size is provided. A lever type connector (1) includes a lever (3) having a pair of side plate portions (30) rotatably supported on walls on both sides (7) of a connector housing (2) and an operation portion (32) connecting the pair of side plate portions, a latch portion (38) arranged on the operation portion, an arm portion (13) extending from a rear end side (10) of an upper wall (8) of the connector housing and having a rearward-extending free end, and a latch receiving portion (18) provided on the free end to latch onto the latch portion. The operation portion includes an extended plate portion (33) opposed to the rear end side of the upper wall when the lever is rotated rearward from a standing state and the latch portion is latched onto the latch receiving portion, and the extended plate portion covers an upper surface of the arm portion.