Multipart Connector Housing for Resin-Sealed Contact Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connectors face reliability issues due to material property mismatches between housing materials and casting resin, particularly with elastic plastics, leading to separation under temperature fluctuations and moisture ingress.
Innovation Solution
A multipart housing design, where one part is made of a material suitable for resin connection and another part with elastic properties for snap hooks, ensuring compatibility with the casting resin and allowing for thermal expansion matching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an elastic plastic is used for the housing to provide elastic connecting elements such as snap hooks, then the housing can be attached to the electrical or electronic assembly, but the casting resin separates from the housing due to different coefficients of thermal expansion, especially during frequent temperature fluctuations
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two separate parts: a first housing part made of casting resin for encapsulating contact points, and a second housing part made of elastic plastic for providing snap hooks. This segmentation allows each part to have optimized material properties without compromising the other, resolving the thermal expansion mismatch issue while maintaining attachment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the housing have different material properties tailored to their specific functions. The first housing part uses casting resin with thermal expansion properties matched to the resin encapsulation, while the second housing part uses elastic plastic for mechanical attachment. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between thermal compatibility and mechanical flexibility.
2Ease of manufacture
If a single-material housing is used, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the housing cannot simultaneously achieve good connection to casting resin and elastic properties for snap hooks
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into multiple parts with different materials, each optimized for its specific function. The first housing part is designed for resin connection while the second is designed for elastic attachment, allowing both manufacturing simplicity and material compatibility without requiring a single material to satisfy conflicting requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing utilizes composite construction with different materials (casting resin and elastic plastic) combined in functional segments. This composite approach enables the housing to exhibit both the thermal stability needed for resin bonding and the elasticity required for snap hooks, overcoming the limitations of single-material designs.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the casting resin surrounds the entire housing, then protection from moisture is improved, but the resin separates from the housing due to thermal expansion differences
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented so that only the first housing part (made of casting resin) is surrounded by encapsulating resin. The second housing part (elastic plastic) remains externally accessible for attachment functions. This segmentation prevents thermal expansion mismatch while maintaining moisture protection where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Resin encapsulation is applied locally only to the first housing part where thermal compatibility exists, providing moisture protection at the contact points without subjecting the entire housing to encapsulation. This localized approach maintains both protection and structural stability.
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 enhances the durability and reliability of the connector by preventing resin separation and maintaining a secure, moisture-proof connection despite temperature fluctuations.
Implementation Method 1
The casting resin surrounds the contact points and protects them from the ambient atmosphere
Implementation Method 2
The first material, from which the first housing part is made, can have, for example, a coefficient of thermal expansion that is equal or nearly equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the casting resin
Data Source
AI summary
A connector having a housing, having first contact elements and second contact elements that are connected to one another and arranged in the housing in order to establish an electrical connection, having first lines that are connected to the first contact elements, having second lines that are connected to the second contact elements or whose ends form the second contact elements, and having a casting resin that at least partially surrounds the contact elements, but surrounds at least the contact points between the first and the second contact elements The housing is formed of multiple parts, and has at least a first housing part and a second housing part that are connected to one another. The contact points are provided in or on the first housing part, and the casting resin has a connection to the first housing part.