Panel Mount Connector Sealing for Corrosion-Resistant Mounting Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The mounting hole of a panel in existing panel mount connectors is prone to corrosion due to water intrusion, as the inner peripheral edge is a fracture surface and the sealing member contacts the outer peripheral edge from the inside, allowing water to penetrate and corrode the mounting hole.
Innovation Solution
A panel mount connector design featuring a panel side housing with an inner receptacle projecting outward, an outer housing with an outer receptacle, and a lever mechanism that moves between connection positions to sandwich a seal between the outer peripheral edge of the panel and the outer receptacle, preventing water intrusion from the outside.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the mounting hole sealing member contacts the outer peripheral edge of the mounting hole from the inside of the panel, then the connector can be mounted on the panel, but water can intrude into the mounting hole causing corrosion of the fracture surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the sealing approach by having the panel seal contact the outer peripheral edge of the mounting hole from the outside of the panel rather than from the inside. This reversal allows the seal to prevent water intrusion at the fracture surface before water can cause corrosion, while the lever mechanism provides the necessary mounting function from the inside.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel seal acts as an intermediary element positioned between the mounting hole and the external environment. The seal is sandwiched between the outer peripheral edge of the mounting hole and the tip part of the outer receptacle, creating a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between water and the vulnerable fracture surface.
2Reliability
If a seal is positioned to contact the outer peripheral edge of the mounting hole from the outside, then water intrusion is prevented, but the connection mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function and the mounting function into a single integrated mechanism. The lever, when moved to the connection completion position, simultaneously fits both the inner housing and outer receptacle to the inner receptacle while sandwiching the panel seal, achieving both waterproofing and mounting in one action.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever mechanism serves multiple functions: it acts as both the mounting mechanism and the sealing mechanism. By moving the lever to the connection completion position, the system simultaneously achieves mechanical attachment and waterproof sealing, eliminating the need for separate sealing and mounting operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A panel mount connector is to be mounted on a panel including a connector mounting hole, and provided with a panel side housing including an inner receptacle projecting outwardly of the panel from the connector mounting hole and to be mounted on the panel, an inner housing to be fit into the inner receptacle, an outer housing including an outer receptacle disposed outside the panel and to be externally fit to the inner receptacle, the inner housing being mounted in the outer housing, a panel seal to be sandwiched between an outer peripheral edge part of the connector mounting hole in the panel and a tip part of the outer receptacle with both the inner housing and the outer receptacle fit to the inner receptacle, and a lever mounted movably between a connection start position and a connection completion position with respect to the outer receptacle.