Locking Comb Prevents Contact Carrier Detachment in High-Pole Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-pole connectors face challenges in maintaining stability and preventing contact carriers from detaching from the housing during disconnection due to insufficient holding forces and assembly-related loads, especially when space constraints require smaller cross-sections and finer components.
Innovation Solution
A locking comb with a support element is integrated into the contact carrier, allowing it to be latched to the housing with minimal effort and providing additional support to prevent detachment by guiding the locking comb into insertion slots, ensuring the contact carrier remains secured during disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the contact carrier is latched to the housing using only latching elements on thin housing walls, then the assembly effort is reduced and the housing wall can deflect to accommodate the contact carrier, but the housing wall may deflect or give way under pull-out forces during disconnection, causing the contact carrier to detach
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into multiple independent components: latching elements for initial connection and a locking comb with locking elements for secondary securing. This segmentation allows the thin housing wall to deflect during assembly while the locking comb provides additional support against pull-out forces during disconnection, resolving the contradiction between ease of assembly and connection stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The latching elements perform the preliminary action of connecting the contact carrier to the housing during assembly. The locking comb with its locking elements then performs a secondary action to prevent detachment under load. This preliminary action ensures the housing wall can deflect during assembly without compromising final connection stability.
2Volume of moving object
If the housing cross-section is reduced to meet space constraints at installation sites, then the connector size is reduced, but the stability and holding forces required to prevent contact carrier detachment are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The locking comb extends in a direction transverse to the pull-out direction, utilizing a different spatial dimension to provide locking action. This allows the connector to maintain small cross-section in the installation plane while gaining additional holding force through the transverse locking elements that engage with corresponding elements on the contact carrier.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism combines rigid locking elements on the locking comb with the flexible thin housing wall. The rigid locking elements provide the necessary holding force against pull-out forces, while the flexible housing wall maintains its deflection capability during assembly, resolving the contradiction between small size and strength.
3Ease of operation
If the housing wall is made thin to allow deflection during assembly, then the contact carrier can be latched with little effort, but the housing wall becomes unstable and may deflect or give way under load during disconnection
Solution Approach 1:
The housing wall stability function is segmented from the latching function. The thin housing wall with latching elements handles the latching operation with minimal effort, while the locking comb with its locking elements provides the structural support needed to prevent housing wall deflection under load during disconnection.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking comb acts as an intermediary element between the thin housing wall and the contact carrier. It transfers and distributes the pull-out forces, preventing these forces from concentrating on the thin housing wall and causing deflection or failure, thereby maintaining both ease of latching and housing wall stability.
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The locking ridge (14) has a locking ridge back portion (16) which is provided with a prong portion (20) firmly. The prong portion is inserted into an insertion slot (28) of the contact carrier (8) provided in the housing (4). The supporting element (24) is provided for supporting the contact carrier so that loosening of the contact carrier latched with housing is prevented if the locking ridge is set in the locking position. An independent claim is included for plug connector.