Plug Positioning Cap Gap Design for Secure Receptacle Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical plugs lack a positioning structure to ensure a firm engagement with the receptacle, making them susceptible to disengagement under external forces.
Innovation Solution
A plug design featuring a housing with a pin module that forms a gap with its outer surface, allowing the receptacle's wall to be received within this gap, providing a secure connection by covering the wall with the housing when engaged.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional electrical plug uses only pin engagement with the receptacle slot, then the device complexity is low, but the connection reliability is poor and the plug may disengage under external force
Solution Approach 1:
The housing of the plug is designed to receive and cover the wall of the receptacle, creating a nested structure where the housing envelops part of the receptacle wall. This nested configuration provides additional positioning and securing function beyond the pin-slot engagement, thereby improving connection reliability without requiring completely separate positioning components
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a new dimensional aspect to the connection mechanism by utilizing the gap between the housing inner side and pin module outer surface to receive the receptacle wall. This creates a positioning relationship in a different spatial dimension than the traditional pin-insertion dimension, enhancing connection stability without significantly increasing structural complexity
2Reliability
If the plug housing closely fits the pin module outer surface, then the manufacturing precision is high, but the receptacle wall cannot be received to provide secure positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The design intentionally extracts or removes the material that would otherwise fill the space between the housing and pin module, creating a deliberate gap. This gap is then utilized to receive the receptacle wall for positioning, converting what would be a precision tolerance issue into a functional positioning feature
Solution Approach 2:
The receptacle wall acts as an intermediary element that is received within the gap between the housing and pin module. This intermediary structure provides the positioning function, allowing the housing and pin module to maintain their respective positions while securing the overall connection through the wall-mediated interface
Data Source
AI summary
A plug, which is adapted to engage a receptacle on a circuit board, includes a housing, and a pin module received in the housing to form a gap between an inner side of the housing and an outer surface of the pin module. A wall of the receptacle is received in the gap, and the housing covers the wall of the receptacle when the plug engages the receptacle to have a firm connection between the plug and the receptacle.