Lever Connector Through-Hole Blocking for Water Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lever connectors attached to metal cases face challenges in achieving effective water resistance due to water entry through the through-hole for the cam pin, which can lead to corrosion and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
A lever connector design that includes a housing with a through-hole for the cam pin, where a lever is displaced from a first to a second position to attract a mating connector and further movable to a third position with a protrusion that blocks the through-hole, enhancing water resistance by reducing the opening area and preventing water ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a through-hole is provided for passing the cam pin, then the lever connector can be reliably fitted with small operating force, but water can enter through the through-hole reducing water resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is designed to move between different positions (first, second, and third positions) where it dynamically changes the state of the through-hole from open to blocked. This dynamic movement allows the system to switch between operational mode (lever displaced to second position for fitting) and protective mode (lever at third position blocking through-hole for water resistance), resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and water resistance
Solution Approach 2:
The lever acts as an intermediary element that mediates between the cam pin passage function and water protection function. By positioning the lever at different locations relative to the through-hole, it selectively allows or blocks water passage while maintaining the structural integrity needed for cam pin operation, thus resolving the contradiction between operational accessibility and water protection
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the through-hole is blocked to improve water resistance, then water entry is prevented, but the lever connector cannot be properly fitted
Solution Approach 1:
The lever's dynamic positioning enables the system to switch between protective state (blocking through-hole for water resistance) and operational state (displaced to second position allowing cam pin passage for fitting). This temporal separation of functions resolves the contradiction by ensuring that blocking and fitting operations occur at different times in the operational sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The lever is designed to be displaced to the second position before the fitting operation occurs, preliminarily opening the through-hole for cam pin passage. After fitting is complete, the lever can then move to the third position to block the through-hole for water protection. This preliminary action sequence resolves the contradiction by ensuring operational readiness before blocking
Data Source
AI summary
A connector 10 includes: a housing 20; and a lever 40 attached to the housing 20 in a displaceable manner and configured to attract a mating connector 60 by being displaced from a first position to a second position relative to the housing 20, wherein the housing 20 has a through-hole 26H for passing a cam pin 64 of the mating connector 60 through a cam groove 45 formed in an arm 41 of the lever 40, and the lever 40 is movable from the second position to a third position after moving from first position to the second position relative to the housing 20, and has a protrusion 49 that blocks the through-hole 26H when the lever 40 is at the third position.