Lever Connector Detection Member Nesting Against Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing lever-type connectors have exposed connection detecting members that are prone to damage from external forces, and there is a risk of the detecting member being forcibly pushed to the proper lock position or detached from the male connector. Additionally, the space between the connection lever and the male connector housing can cause deformation of the lever during connection operations.
Innovation Solution
A lever-type connector design that includes a housing, a rotatable lever with plate-like portions, and a detecting member with a recess. The detecting member is positioned inside the lever when it is in the initial position, and the projecting portion of the lever is disposed in the recess of the detecting member. This configuration protects the detecting member from external damage and guides the lever's displacement, preventing deformation and breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connection detecting member is exposed outside before connection, then the connection status can be detected, but the detecting member is vulnerable to external damage and forced movement
Solution Approach 1:
The detecting member is nested inside the lever body during the initial state, with only the operating portion exposed. This nesting protects the detecting member from external forces while allowing connection status detection through the lever's movement. The detecting member moves from a retracted position to an extended position as the lever rotates, enabling detection without direct external exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever acts as an intermediary between the external environment and the detecting member. The lever's rotation during connection indirectly moves the detecting member from its protected position to a detection position, allowing the detecting member to sense connection status without being directly exposed to external forces.
2Ease of operation
If there is space between the connection lever and housing, then the lever can rotate freely, but the lever may deform and enter this space during connection operation
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is designed with different local properties: the pair of plate-like portions have specific thickness and spacing to provide structural rigidity while allowing rotation. The operating portion has a different structure optimized for manual operation. This local differentiation allows the lever to rotate freely in the needed direction while resisting deformation in other directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever is constructed as a composite structure with the pair of plate-like portions connected by the operating portion. This composite design provides both the flexibility needed for rotation and the structural integrity to prevent deformation during connection operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A lever-type connector includes a housing, a lever to be mounted on the housing rotatably between an initial position and a completion position, and a detecting member to be mounted into the housing movably between a standby position and a detection position. The detecting member is movable from the standby position to the detection position with the lever located at the completion position. The lever includes a pair of plate-like portions, an operating portion coupling the pair of plate-like portions in a first direction and a projecting portion projecting from the operating portion. The detecting member includes a body portion and a recess recessed from the body portion. The detecting member is disposed inside the pair of plate-like portions in the first direction and the projecting portion is disposed in the recess with the lever located at the initial position and the detecting member located at the standby position.