Lever-Type Connector Guide Protrusion Sliding Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lever-type connectors face issues with incomplete fitting due to variations in product size, rattling of parts, and connector tilt during vehicle body assembly, leading to insufficient interference between the lever arm and the vehicle body panel, resulting in half-fitted connectors.
Innovation Solution
A lever-type connector design featuring a guide protrusion and guide groove mechanism that allows the lever to become slidable once the housings are completely fitted, ensuring reliable assembly by releasing engagement when fitting is complete, thus preventing interference with the mounting hole.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lever arm is designed to interfere with the vehicle body panel to detect semi-fitted state, then the detection reliability is improved, but the lever arm may cause insufficient interference due to product size variations and assembly tilt, leading to false detection
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is designed to transition from a rotational movement mode during fitting to a slidable movement mode after fitting is complete. The guide protrusion engages with the guide groove during rotation, then disengages to allow sliding, dynamically adapting the lever's movement characteristics to different assembly stages to ensure reliable detection despite manufacturing variations
Solution Approach 2:
The lever's movement is extended from a single rotational dimension to include a sliding dimension along the vehicle body panel. This two-dimensional movement path (rotation + sliding) provides additional clearance and accommodation for product size variations and assembly tilt, preventing false detection while maintaining reliable semi-fitted state detection
2Ease of operation
If the lever is rotatably supported during fitting operation, then the fitting process is simplified, but the support shaft and lever may be damaged during assembly and disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The lever's movement mode dynamically changes from rotational (during fitting) to sliding (after fitting). The guide protrusion guides the lever through rotation during the fitting operation, then disengages from the guide groove to allow the lever to slide along the vehicle body panel, reducing stress on the support shaft and lever during subsequent assembly and disassembly operations
Solution Approach 2:
The guide groove acts as an intermediary guiding structure that temporarily constrains the lever's movement during the critical fitting operation, then releases this constraint to allow free sliding. This intermediary mechanism protects the support shaft and lever from excessive stress by providing a controlled path during the most demanding phase of assembly
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 connector can be easily and reliably assembled to the vehicle body panel only when the housings are fully fitted, preventing incomplete attachments and ensuring proper alignment, while also reducing the risk of damage to the support shaft and lever during assembly and disassembly.
Implementation Method 1
a cam follower provided on one of the lever and the first housing; a cam groove provided on the other of the lever and the first housing, the cam groove to which the cam follower is engageable
Implementation Method 2
a guide protrusion provided on one of the lever and the second housing, and a guide groove having an arc-shape provided on the other of the lever and the second housing, the guide groove to which the guide protrusion is engageable
Implementation Method 3
a bearing portion provided on the other of the second housing and the lever, the bearing portion comprising a shaft sliding groove for sliding the support shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A lever-type connector includes: a first housing; a second housing capable of fitted to and removed from the first housing; a lever rotatably supported by the second housing for fitted to and removed the first housing and the second housing by a rotation operation; a support shaft provided on the second housing; a bearing portion provided on the lever and comprising a shaft sliding groove for sliding the support shaft; a cam follower provided on the lever; a cam groove provided on the first housing, the cam groove to which the cam follower is engageable; a guide protrusion provided on the second housing, and a guide groove provided on the lever, the guide groove to which the guide protrusion is engageable. When the first housing and the second housing are completely fitted by the rotation operation of the lever, the lever becomes slidable with respect to the second housing.