Rotary Locking Connector With Integrated Strain Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connectors often fail to maintain the desired relative position between housings, leading to potential damage during assembly and disassembly due to incorrect or improper operation of locking arrangements, which can result in damage to the connector, cable, and counter connector.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a rotatory locking arrangement with a deflectable locking element and a strain relief arrangement, where the strain relief arrangement engages the locking element along an assembly path, ensuring automatic rotational locking between the inner and outer housings before the strain relief mechanism comes into full operation, reducing the risk of incorrect operation and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a locking arrangement is used to maintain the relative position of housings, then the stability of the housing connection is improved, but the risk of damage due to incorrect operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is activated automatically during the assembly process before the connector is fully assembled. The strain relief arrangement moves along the assembly path and engages the rotatory locking arrangement at the appropriate time, ensuring the housings are locked in the correct relative position before any damaging forces can occur. This preliminary automatic locking action eliminates the risk of incorrect manual operation.
2Reliability
If multiple separate operations are required for assembly and disassembly, then the locking can be secure, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking action and strain relief action into a single integrated operation. As the strain relief arrangement moves along the assembly path, it simultaneously performs the locking function by engaging the rotatory locking arrangement and the strain relief function by positioning itself to relieve cable stress. This merging of functions allows secure locking to be achieved through a single operation, greatly improving ease of assembly and disassembly while maintaining reliability.
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 ensures secure locking and easy assembly/disassembly by automatically engaging the rotatory locking mechanism, minimizing the risk of damage and simplifying the process with a single operation, while maintaining cable protection and alignment.
Implementation Method 1
a rotatory locking arrangement (8) comprising a deflectable locking element (80); a strain relief arrangement (9), being adapted to be moved along an assembly path with respect to at least one of said inner housing (5) and said outer housing (6)... said strain relief arrangement being adapted to engage said rotatory locking arrangement (8) by getting into contact with the deflectable locking element (80) along said assembly path
Data Source
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AI summary
In order to reduce the risk of damaging parts of the connector, the cable and/or the counter connector, the invention provides a connector (1) for a cable, said connector (1) comprising an outer housing (6); an inner housing (5), said inner housing (5) adapted to be at least partially received within said outer housing (6); a rotatory locking arrangement (8);a strain relief arrangement (9), being adapted to be moved along an assembly path with respect to at least one of said inner housing (5) and said outer housing (6), said assembly path starting at an initial position (I) and ending at a final position (F), the strain relief arrangement (9) being adapted to engage said rotatory locking arrangement (8) along said assembly path from a locking position (S) on, said locking position (S) being located between said initial position (I) and said final position (F), said rotatory locking arrangement (8) being adapted to couple said inner housing (5) and said outer housing (6) in a rotatory locked manner upon engagement by said strain relief arrangement (9).