Rotatable Vehicle Connector Housing for Flexible Lead Routing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors for electrified vehicles are limited in accommodating multiple take-out locations, leading to increased part complexity and potential issues with lead stress and kinking due to fixed orientations.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle connector assembly with a first and second housing that can be selectively engaged in different positions, using clips and fingers to secure the housings and accommodate various take-out locations, allowing a single connector design to be used across multiple locations, including high-voltage applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional electrical connector uses a fixed orientation design, then the connector structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate multiple take-out locations leading to increased part complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing incorporates a rotatable component that allows the take-out location to be dynamically adjusted to different angular positions. This dynamic feature enables a single connector design to accommodate multiple take-out locations without increasing overall structural complexity, as the rotation mechanism integrates into the existing housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed with a universal housing structure that can accommodate multiple take-out locations through rotational adjustment. This multi-functional design allows the same connector body to serve different routing requirements, eliminating the need for multiple specialized connector variants and thereby reducing part complexity across the system.
2Ease of operation
If a connector has a fixed orientation, then manufacturing is simpler, but it causes lead stress and kinking due to inability to accommodate various routing locations
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable housing component allows the connector to be oriented dynamically during assembly to match various lead routing requirements. This reduces lead stress and kinking by enabling optimal routing paths without requiring complex multi-version manufacturing, as the same connector can be rotated to different positions during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design allows changing the orientation parameter (angular position) of the take-out location through rotation. This parameter adjustment enables flexible lead routing to accommodate different installation locations without increasing manufacturing complexity, as the base connector structure remains unchanged and only the orientation parameter varies.
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 enables a common connector housing to be used in various locations, reducing part complexity and minimizing lead stress and kinking by allowing flexible positioning of the connector assembly.
Implementation Method 1
The clips are configured to engage corresponding ones of the fingers to hold a circumferential position of the first housing relative to the second housing
Implementation Method 2
The clips contact the corresponding ones of the fingers to limit circumferential movement of the first housing relative to the second housing
Implementation Method 3
The lead is ultrasonically welded to the tab
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary vehicle connector assembly includes, among other things, a first housing, and a second housing configured to selectively engage the first housing in a first position to accommodate a first take-out location. The first housing is further configured to engage the second housing in a second position to accommodate a second take-out location different than the first take-out location. An exemplary electrical connection method includes, among other things, securing a first housing of a connector to a second housing in a first position to accommodate a first take-out location. The first housing is securable to the second housing in a second position to accommodate a second take-out location instead of the first take-out location. The first position circumferentially offset from the second position.