Multi-contact connector with elastically deformable retention bracket
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Solution Overview
Problem
The removal of an insert from a multi-contact connector cavity, especially when contact elements are soldered to a printed circuit board or sealed, is complicated due to the inability to pass an extraction tool through the rear face of the connector body, requiring desoldering and making the process difficult.
Innovation Solution
A multi-contact connector design featuring an elastically deformable retention member with a locking tab and actuating elements that allow the insert to be withdrawn via either the front or rear face, facilitated by a tool that can apply force to the tab through the front or rear face, enabling easy extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the connector body is fixed on the card by its rear face with contact elements soldered to a printed circuit board, then the connector structure is stable and reliable, but the removal of the insert becomes complex requiring desoldering
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separable components: the connector body remains fixed on the card, while the insert can be independently removed. The retention member with deformable lugs provides a segmentation mechanism that allows the insert to be detached without affecting the soldered contact elements or the fixed connector body structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention member is pre-configured with deformable lugs that can be actuated before removal. By applying force to the lugs through the rear face, the locking mechanism is preliminarily disengaged, allowing subsequent easy extraction of the insert without requiring desoldering operations.
2Reliability
If sealing elements are provided at the rear of the cavity, then the connector sealing performance is improved, but the passage of extraction tools through the rear face becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The retention member provides a new dimensional approach to extraction. Instead of attempting to pass tools through the blocked rear face plane, the deformable lugs can be actuated from the rear face to release the locking mechanism, allowing the insert to be withdrawn along the cavity axis. This transforms the extraction problem from a planar obstruction issue to a three-dimensional release mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The deformable lugs act as an intermediary mechanism between the sealing elements and the insert removal process. The lugs can be actuated through the rear face despite the presence of sealing elements, serving as a mediator that enables extraction without compromising the sealing integrity during normal operation.
3Strength
If the retention member uses a locking position to prevent insert removal, then the insert retention strength is improved, but the extraction process becomes more difficult without proper actuation mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The retention member employs dynamic deformable lugs that can transition between locked and released states. During normal operation, the lugs maintain strong retention in the locking position. During extraction, force applied to the lugs causes them to deform and retract, dynamically changing the retention strength from high to low to facilitate easy removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the retention member is changed by applying force to the deformable lugs. The lugs transition from a rigid locked position to a deformed retracted position, changing the mechanical parameters of the retention system. This parameter change allows the insert to be withdrawn easily once the lugs are actuated, while maintaining strong retention during normal use.
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 design simplifies the removal of the insert by allowing extraction through either face, even when sealing elements or soldered contacts obstruct the rear face, ensuring efficient disassembly without the need for desoldering.
Implementation Method 1
the retention member comprising at least one elastically deformable lug movable between a locking position preventing the removal of the insert from the cavity and a position retracted allowing the insert to be withdrawn from the cavity
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
The connector (1) has a retention component (30) for retaining inserts (8, 9) in cavities (5, 6) of a connector body (2). The component has an elastically deformable bracket that is movable between a locking position preventing the removal of one insert from one cavity and a retracted position allowing the removal of the insert from the cavity through a rear face (4) of the connector body. The bracket has support faces that are arranged such that force is applied to the support faces and directed towards a front face (3) and the rear face to retract the bracket, respectively. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) an extraction tool for applying force on a retention component of a multi-contact connector (2) a method for removing an insert from a connector body.