Protective Separator for Right Angle Plug Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of a cost-effective and simple protective separator for rectangle plug connections that can automatically separate in response to mechanical loading, which is essential for preventing damage and allowing rapid resumption of operation in industrial settings.
Innovation Solution
A bulkhead mounted housing with two reversibly separable regions, where the first region can be attached to a surface and the second region locked onto a mating plug housing, allowing separation when a predefined tensile force is exceeded, thereby protecting against mechanical destruction and enabling quick reassembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high retaining forces are used in the locking bracket to ensure stable connection, then connection stability is improved, but the risk of severe damage from excessive tensile forces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective separator divides the housing into two separable regions (first region attachable to surface, second region lockable to mating plug) that can detach from each other under excessive load, segmenting the force transmission path to prevent damage to the cable and mating connector while maintaining stable connection during normal operation
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective separator with automatic separation capability is implemented, then damage protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking bracket employs a cam mechanism with a cam surface that converts axial separation force into radial locking force, creating a dynamic locking system that automatically transitions from locked to unlocked state when subjected to excessive tensile force, providing automatic protection without complex sensors or control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism acts as an intermediary element between the first and second regions, mediating the force transmission and enabling automatic separation through mechanical advantage, where the cam surface geometry controls the separation threshold and force distribution
3Speed
If the protective separator requires rapid separation capability for emergency situations, then response speed is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cam-based locking mechanism enables rapid separation by converting small axial forces into large radial locking forces during normal operation, and reversibly allowing quick release when the cam is rotated or pushed axially, achieving fast separation without complex actuating mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The locking bracket is designed to be manually operable without tools, where the cam mechanism can be quickly released by simple axial movement or rotation, enabling user-initiated rapid separation for maintenance or emergency situations without requiring specialized tools or complex procedures
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a protective separator for a rectangle plug connection, which is appropriate for cost-effective and uncomplex retrofitting to existing rectangle plug connections, and permits the deliberate and reversible separation of the plug connection in response to increased mechanical loading, in order to prevent mechanical damage and, optionally, to permit the most rapid resumption of operation possible. This disclosure includes a protective separator for a rectangle plug connection, having a bulkhead mounted housing having a first region and a second region, wherein the first region is directly attachable to a surface and/or to a surface mounted housing, and wherein the second region can be locked onto a mating plug housing, wherein the first region and the second region can be mutually separated in a reversible manner by the action of a predefined tensile force.