Plug Connector Two-Stage Detent for Cable Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plug connectors struggle with locking thin, braided cables that easily buckle and require tools for insertion, while thicker cables can slip out due to insufficient retention forces, and loose contacts are difficult to lock in place.
Innovation Solution
A plug connector with a detent system featuring a two-stage locking mechanism: a preliminary locking position with low deflection resistance for easy insertion of buckling cables and a final locking position that can handle stiffer cables, allowing for easy installation and removal without tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a detent with high deflection resistance is used to retain thicker cables, then retention force is improved, but thin cables cannot be inserted without buckling
Solution Approach 1:
The locking process is segmented into two distinct stages: a preliminary locking position for initial insertion and a final locking position for secure retention. This segmentation allows the detent to provide different resistance levels at different insertion stages, enabling both thin and thick cables to be properly installed without buckling or requiring excessive force.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent system dynamically transitions between two states: a preliminary locking position with lower deflection resistance that facilitates easy insertion of thin cables, and a final locking position with higher deflection resistance that provides secure retention for thicker cables. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between retention force and insertion ease.
2Ease of operation
If a detent with low deflection resistance is used to allow easy insertion of thin cables, then insertion ease is improved, but thicker cables cannot be securely retained
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into two functional segments: a preliminary locking position that provides low resistance for easy insertion, and a final locking position that provides high resistance for secure retention. This segmentation allows the same detent to satisfy both contradictory requirements at different stages of the insertion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The detent dynamically adjusts its resistance characteristic based on the insertion stage. During initial insertion, it maintains low deflection resistance to prevent buckling of thin cables. Once inserted, it transitions to a final position with high deflection resistance to securely retain thicker cables, thus resolving the contradiction between insertion ease and retention force.
3Adaptability or versatility
If loose contacts are inserted into the plug connector, then adaptability is improved, but difficulty in locking them in place increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detent automatically performs a preliminary locking action as the contact is being inserted, providing immediate temporary retention. This preliminary action holds the contact in place long enough for the operator to complete the locking operation, eliminating the difficulty of keeping loose contacts in position during insertion.
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
Enables secure locking and easy installation/removal of both thin and thick cables without tools, preventing buckling during insertion and ensuring cables are held securely without damage.
Implementation Method 1
when a male or female plug contact is inserted into the insulating body the detent in its final locking position between the two guide bars can be deflected in spring-like fashion over the central area of the detent plate
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3B
Figure 4
AI summary
In a plug connector (11, 12), having an insulating body (13, 16), in which electrical male or female plug contacts (14, 15) that are arranged over and/or next to each other are accommodated in receiving boreholes (21, 22), and which at a front end (17, 18) is configured as a male plug attachment or female plug attachment and at the other, rear end (19, 20) is configured for the locking insertion of the male or female plug contacts (14, 15) that are attached to a cable into the insulating body (13, 16), a detent (23-26) that in the detent position protrudes into an area of the receiving boreholes (21, 22) engages behind a detent collar (65) of the male or female plug contacts (14, 15) that are inserted in opposition to the action of the detents (23, 26). To make possible the locking insertion of not only thicker and therefore relatively stiff cables but also of such thin cables, for example those that are braided, which due to their relatively small cross section easily buckle when stressed in the sliding longitudinal direction, it is provided that the detent (23-26) can be inserted into the receiving borehole (21, 22) in two successive detent steps or positions, whereby in placing the male or female plug contact (14, 15) into the first, preliminary locking position, the deflection resistance of the detent (23, 26) is smaller than it is in the case of bringing the male or female plug contact (14, 13) into the subsequent, second, and final locking position.