Resilient Sheet-Metal Holding Frame for Serviceable Plug Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing holding frames for plug connectors are complex to assemble, require unscrewing and unlocking for module replacement, and often lack suitable protective grounding and heat resistance, especially when used in metallic connector housings.
Innovation Solution
A holding frame made partially of resilient sheet metal, allowing for easy module insertion and removal with minimal effort, providing protective grounding and high heat resistance through a design that includes a base frame with a rectangular cross-section and deformation sections with varying elasticity, enabling secure module retention without additional locking means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If holding frames are made of metallic material for protective earthing, then protective grounding and heat resistance are improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The holding frame is divided into two separate frame halves that can be assembled together. Each frame half has corresponding recesses and holding means that engage with modules. This segmentation allows the metallic frame to be manufactured in smaller, more manageable pieces that are easier to assemble and disassemble, while still providing the required protective earthing when the halves are joined together.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame halves are designed to be separable and reassemblable. The dynamic aspect is体现在 the ability to disassemble the frame halves to replace individual modules and then reassemble them. This dynamic design eliminates the need to unscrew or permanently lock the entire frame structure, simplifying the replacement process while maintaining protective grounding through the metallic construction.
2Reliability
If holding frames use complex locking mechanisms for module retention, then module security is improved, but ease of operation and assembly speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The complex locking mechanisms are extracted and replaced with simpler holding means. The frame halves have recesses and holding means that provide sufficient retention for modules without requiring additional locking components. This extraction of unnecessary complexity allows modules to be secured reliably while enabling quick removal and replacement by simply separating the frame halves.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding frame employs a dynamic design where frame halves can be easily separated and reassembled. This dynamic approach allows modules to remain securely held during normal operation while enabling rapid replacement when needed. The simplicity of the holding means combined with the separable frame halves achieves both reliable retention and ease of operation.
3Strength
If holding frames are designed as single-piece structures, then structural strength is improved, but manufacturing flexibility and assembly ease deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The holding frame is segmented into two frame halves that are manufactured separately and then assembled. This segmentation provides manufacturing flexibility, allowing each half to be produced using standard die-casting processes and then joined together. The segmented design maintains sufficient structural strength for the application while enabling easier manufacturing and assembly compared to a single-piece structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The two frame halves are merged together to form the complete holding frame structure. This merging provides the structural strength needed for the application while maintaining the manufacturing flexibility benefits of segmented construction. The frame halves are joined in a manner that ensures structural integrity while allowing for future disassembly and reassembly for module replacement.
4Reliability
If holding frames require unscrewing for module replacement, then secure mounting is improved, but productivity and assembly time deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The holding frame employs a dynamic, tool-free assembly and disassembly mechanism. The frame halves can be separated and reassembled without requiring screws or other fastening tools. This dynamic design maintains secure mounting of modules during normal operation while dramatically improving productivity during module replacement, as technicians can quickly access and replace modules by simply separating the frame halves.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the frame into two separable halves with corresponding holding means, the design eliminates the need for threaded fasteners. The segmented structure allows modules to be securely held during operation while enabling rapid replacement through simple separation and reassembly of the frame halves, thereby improving assembly speed and productivity.
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 simplifies the assembly process, ensures easy module replacement, provides robust protective grounding, and maintains high mechanical robustness and heat resistance, ensuring reliable operation in harsh environments.
Implementation Method 1
holding frame made partially of resilient sheet metal, allowing for easy module insertion and removal with minimal effort
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a
AI summary
The aim of the invention is to provide a holding frame for a plug connector with a good heat resistance and a high mechanical robustness and to enable a protective earthing during installation in a metallic plug connector housing, yet at the same time guarantee a convenient serviceability, in particular during replacement of individual modules (3). To achieve this aim, the manufacture of the holding frame at least partially from resilient sheet metal is proposed. Due to the resilient properties of the sheet metal, it is possible to insert or remove modules (3) with very little effort. The sheet metal can be bent and/or folded in certain regions and can thereby be strengthened in targeted regions, in order to achieve a particularly advantageous combination of holding and actuating forces.