Lever-Type Connector Unlocking Mechanism Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing lever-type connectors face challenges in enhancing strength due to the need for large grooves in the moving plate, which compromises structural integrity, and require unlocking ribs on the female housing that can be prone to breakage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a moving plate with a through hole and a wall extending along the receptacle's inner surface, featuring an unlocking portion with a projection that displaces the initial locking portion via contact with the female housing, eliminating the need for large grooves and external unlocking ribs, and includes separation restricting portions to prevent premature detachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If large grooves are formed in the moving plate to allow unlocking ribs to pass through, then the unlocking function is achieved, but the strength of the moving plate is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the unlocking function from the female housing (removing the need for unlocking ribs) and relocates it to the moving plate by forming grooves in the male connector instead. This allows the unlocking action to occur without requiring protruding ribs on the female housing that would compromise its strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the female housing actively unlock the lever through protruding ribs, the invention inverts the approach by having the male connector's moving plate create the unlocking mechanism through its grooves. The lever's locking piece interacts with these grooves to achieve unlocking, reversing which component performs the active unlocking action.
2Ease of operation
If unlocking ribs are provided on the female housing to release initial locking, then the unlocking function is achieved, but the female housing structure becomes more complex and prone to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention completely removes the unlocking ribs from the female housing structure. The unlocking function is achieved entirely through the interaction between the lever's locking piece and the grooves formed in the male connector's moving plate, simplifying the female housing to a basic housing structure without additional unlocking components.
Solution Approach 2:
The moving plate in the male connector performs the unlocking function through its own groove structure, without requiring additional components on the female housing. The grooves are self-formed in the moving plate and automatically interact with the lever's locking piece to achieve unlocking when the connector is assembled.
3Strength
If the moving plate is made strong by avoiding large grooves, then the strength is enhanced, but the unlocking function becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The moving plate maintains overall strength by avoiding large grooves, but locally provides the necessary groove features at specific positions where the locking piece interacts with them. The grooves are formed in a way that maintains the plate's structural integrity while enabling the unlocking function at the interaction points.
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
This configuration enhances the strength of the connector, simplifies the female housing structure, and ensures smooth connection and prevention of premature separation, thereby improving the overall operational reliability and strength of the lever-type connector.
Implementation Method 1
A resilient locking piece is provided on the arm of the lever and functions to hold the lever at the initial position. The resilient locking piece is a cantilever and a locking projection on a tip part of the resilient locking piece is lockable to the receptacle.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a lever (50) to connect a male housing (20) and a female housing (10) by rotating from an initial position to a connection position. The male housing (20) includes a receptacle (22) and a moving plate (30) movable in a connecting direction of the housings (10, 20). The lever (50) includes plates (51) extending along an outer surface of the male housing (20). The moving plate (30) includes a wall (33) extending along an inner surface of the receptacle (22). The plate (51) of the lever (50) includes an initial lock (54) to limit rotation of the lever (50) toward the connection position by being locked to the receptacle (22). The wall (33) includes unlocking portions (38) to push the initial locking portions (54) in an unlocking direction by contacting the female housing (10). The unlocking portion (38) is separated from surroundings by long narrow slits (39).