Inline Light Tape Connector for Push-Lock Waterproof Joining
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing light tape connectors are often incompatible with difficult installation settings, requiring relative rotation or a rotating nut, making them unsuitable for installations that are hard to access or obscured.
Innovation Solution
A system of inline connectors for light tape segments that allow for releasable interlocking without rotation, using male and female connectors with locking features and sealing rings, enabling waterproof connections suitable for challenging installation environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If threaded connection or rotating nut is used to connect light tape segments, then mechanical strength and secure attachment are improved, but ease of installation and accessibility are worsened due to requiring relative rotation in difficult-to-access settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional threaded connection approach by using a straight push-to-connect interface instead of requiring rotational movement. The male connector simply pushes into the female connector along the longitudinal axis, eliminating the need for rotation while maintaining secure mechanical attachment through complementary geometries and locking features.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into distinct male and female components with separate mechanical and electrical connection functions. The mechanical connection provides structural strength while the electrical contacts ensure electrical continuity, allowing each aspect to be optimized independently for its specific purpose.
2Reliability
If complex locking mechanisms are added to ensure secure attachment, then reliability of connection is improved, but device complexity and ease of manufacture are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the mechanical locking function and electrical connection function into a single integrated connector assembly. The male and female connectors simultaneously establish both mechanical and electrical connections through one push-to-connect action, eliminating the need for separate locking mechanisms and simplifying the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector incorporates self-aligning and self-locking features that automatically ensure proper connection without requiring external tools or complex adjustment mechanisms. The complementary geometries guide the connectors into proper alignment, and the locking features automatically engage to secure the connection.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If waterproof sealing is implemented to protect against environmental exposure, then protection against liquids is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible waterproof sealing elements such as O-rings or gaskets that conform to the connector interfaces. These thin film seals provide effective protection against liquid ingress while maintaining a simple connector design that is easy to manufacture and assemble, avoiding the need for complex waterproofing structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus, methods and systems for connecting segments of a light tape. The light tape may include a first segment extending along an axis. The first segment may include a first male connector connected to a first end of the segment. The first male connector may include a conductor pin, an extension defining a groove and a sealing ring seated in the groove. The first segment may include a first female connector connected to a second end of the segment. The first female connector may include a hole for receiving the conductor pin and a receptacle for receiving the extension. The first male connector may be releasably interlocked with a second female connector connected to a second segment. The first male connector and the second female connector may releasably interlocked along the axis, without rotation of the second female connector relative to the first male connector about the axis.