Secondary Lock Mechanism for Electrical Connector Terminal Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors lack a reliable secondary locking mechanism to prevent terminal withdrawal after primary locking, which can lead to connection instability and failure under mechanical stress or vibration.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring a secondary lock that fits into a transverse slot within the connector body, utilizing lock nibs and wedges to engage internal partition walls and the floor, providing a preload and lock position to securely retain terminals in their cavities, acting as a backup to primary terminal locks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If only primary terminal locks are used in existing electrical connectors, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of terminal retention deteriorates under mechanical stress or vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into two distinct components: primary terminal locks integrated into the connector body, and a separate secondary lock that can be independently inserted and engaged. This segmentation allows each locking component to perform its specific function without interfering with the other, providing enhanced terminal retention through layered security while maintaining clear functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary lock is designed to be inserted and engaged in advance, establishing a preliminary locking state that secures terminals before the connector is subjected to mechanical stress or vibration. The lock nibs and lock wedges are pre-positioned to engage with the connector body features, creating a predetermined locking configuration that proactively prevents terminal withdrawal rather than reacting to stress conditions.
2Reliability
If a secondary lock mechanism is added to existing electrical connectors, then the reliability of terminal retention is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary lock is designed as a universal component that performs multiple functions: the lock nibs engage with partition walls to provide lateral retention, while the lock wedges engage with the floor to prevent withdrawal. This multi-functionality allows a single secondary lock component to address multiple retention requirements simultaneously, reducing the need for additional separate components and thereby limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The secondary lock features lock nibs and lock wedges that are nested within its structure, with the lock nibs extending from one side and the lock wedges from another. This nested configuration allows both locking features to be integrated into a single compact component that fits within the existing connector body space, minimizing the additional space and complexity required for the secondary locking mechanism.
3Ease of operation
If lock nibs engage partition walls to hold secondary lock in preload position, then the ease of terminal insertion is improved, but the structural complexity of the connector body increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lock nibs are designed to automatically engage with the partition walls when the secondary lock is inserted into the connector body. This self-engaging mechanism eliminates the need for additional actuating components or complex positioning systems, as the secondary lock itself performs the locking action through its own structural features interacting with the existing partition walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls are designed with specific local features at predetermined locations that accommodate the lock nibs. Rather than requiring the entire connector body structure to be complex, only localized areas of the partition walls are modified to provide engagement surfaces for the lock nibs, maintaining simplicity in the overall connector body while providing the necessary functionality at specific critical points.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector comprises a connector body having rows of longitudinal terminal cavities that are separated by internal partition walls of the connector body and that extend from an insertion end to a mating end for receiving electrical terminals attached to conductor wires. The connector body has primary terminal locks in the terminal cavities for retaining the electrical terminals in the terminal cavities. The connector body has a transverse slot that extends through a floor and intersects the rows of terminal cavities. A secondary lock fits into the transverse slot for retaining the electrical terminals in the terminal cavities. The secondary lock has lock nibs that engage internal partition walls of the connector body to hold the secondary lock in a preload position that permits insertion of the electrical terminals into the terminal cavities via openings at the insertion end of the connector body. The secondary lock has lock wedges that engage the floor of the connector body to hold the secondary lock in a lock position that prevents withdrawal of the electrical terminals in the terminal cavities via the openings at the insertion end of the connector body.