Lever-Lock Connector Assembly for Vibration-Stable Terminal Mating
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-vehicle connector devices experience degradation in quality and connection performance due to relative movement between components caused by vibration, leading to issues like rubbing and scraping.
Innovation Solution
A connector device design featuring a first and second connector with lugs and a lever that includes grooves, allowing for close contact and minimal backlash, and optionally a locking mechanism to prevent sliding operation, thereby stabilizing the connection and preventing relative movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional connector design without additional stabilization features is used, then the device complexity is low, but relative movement between components occurs due to vibration, leading to degradation in quality and connection performance
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct components: a first connector with a first lug, a second connector with a second lug, and a lever with a groove. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while working together to prevent relative movement, thereby improving connection reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a simple linear connection to a multi-dimensional constraint system. The groove in the lever constrains the lugs in multiple directions (preventing movement in width, length, and height directions), adding dimensional control to prevent vibration-induced degradation without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a locking mechanism is added to prevent sliding operation, then relative movement is prevented and connection stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lever is designed to be movable, allowing it to transition between a locked state (where the groove constrains the lugs) and an unlocked state (where the lugs can move). This dynamic design provides stable connection when needed while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly, balancing stability with operational flexibility without excessive complexity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the groove structure is designed to minimize backlash, then vibration resistance is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The groove is designed with specific local geometric features that provide effective constraint with moderate precision requirements. The groove's shape and positioning are optimized to prevent relative movement in critical directions while allowing for reasonable manufacturing tolerances, achieving good vibration resistance without excessive manufacturing difficulty.
Data Source
AI summary
A lever of a connector can rotate between a first position and a second position and can slide between the second position and a third position. When the lever is rotated to the second position in a state in which the connector whose lever is on the first position is on a fitting preparation position with respect to a mating connector, the connector is drawn to a fitting position, which is closer to the mating connector, by a cam mechanism and a main terminal of the connector and a mating main terminal of the mating connector are connected with each other. When the lever is slid to the third position, a flange portion provided to a housing of the connector and a mating flange portion provided to a mating housing of the mating connector are accommodated in a groove portion of the lever.