Housing Part for Electric Plug Connector with Elastic Contact-Securing Notch
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing housing parts for electric plug connectors face issues with contact-securing members breaking due to manufacturing inaccuracies or excessive forces, and their elastic configurations limit additional features and are costly to produce.
Innovation Solution
A contact-securing member with a rib and a recessed latching mechanism that provides elasticity and stability, allowing for a positive-locking engagement with the housing body, enabling the use of additional elements and easy tool adjustments without redesigning lateral slides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the contact-securing member is configured to be elastic with large-area openings, then manufacturing tolerances can be compensated and elasticity is improved, but the outside of the contact-securing member cannot be used for additional elements and production becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The contact-securing member is divided into two functional parts: a rigid body portion for structural stability and additional elements, and a localized elastic portion with a recess for flexibility. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire contact-securing member elastic with large-area openings, only a specific local region (the limb with recess) is designed to be elastic. The rest of the member maintains full structural integrity and can accommodate additional elements.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the contact-securing member is made rigid for stability, then additional elements can be accommodated, but manufacturing tolerances cannot be compensated and the member may break under excessive forces
Solution Approach 1:
The contact-securing member is divided into two functional parts: a rigid body portion for structural stability and additional elements, and a localized elastic portion with a recess for flexibility. This segmentation allows each part to optimize its function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire contact-securing member elastic with large-area openings, only a specific local region (the limb with recess) is designed to be elastic. The rest of the member maintains full structural integrity and can accommodate additional elements.
3Ease of manufacture
If lateral slides are used for production to create elongation portions and latching lugs, then complex structures can be manufactured, but tool redesign is expensive and complex when changes are needed
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using complex movable lateral slides to create the recess, a simple fixed tool part is used. The recess is formed by the fixed tool part itself, inverting the approach from complex movable tools to simple fixed tools.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex lateral slide mechanism is extracted and replaced with a simpler fixed tool part that directly forms the recess. This extraction simplifies the tooling system while maintaining manufacturing capability.
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
The solution enhances the stability and elasticity of the contact-securing member, allowing for secure retention and easy adaptation to changed requirements, while enabling the use of additional elements and simplifying production processes.
Implementation Method 1
with at least one contact-securing member (7), which is pivotably mounted on the housing body (3) about a pivot axis (S)
Implementation Method 2
The contact-securing notch (11) is configured to be elastic as a result of the recess (19) on the limb (13)
Implementation Method 3
a latching head (37) with a counter-latching lug (39) can be formed between the receiver (33) for the rib (31) and a receiver (27) for the contact-securing notch (11)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a housing part (1) for an electric plug connector, with a housing body (3), which has at least one contact element receiver (5) for an electric contact element, and with at least one contact-securing member (7), which is pivotably mounted on the housing body (3) about a pivot axis (S), with at least one contact-securing notch (11) spaced apart from the pivot axis (S) in a longitudinal direction (L) running transverse to the pivot axis (S) and running parallel to the pivot axis (S), which contact-securing notch (11) is pivotable about the pivot axis (S) into the contact element receiver (5), wherein the contact-securing notch (11) is configured to be hook-shaped in a cross-section transverse to the pivot axis (S) with a limb (13) pointing towards the contact element receiver (5) and a latching lug (15) which projects along the longitudinal direction (L). In order to make available a housing part (1) which can be produced at low cost, enables reliable operation and in the case of which a rapid response to changed demands is enabled during production, it is provided according to the invention that the limb (13) has a recess (19) in the cross-section on its side (17) opposite the latching lug (15).