Shield Connector Shell Constraint for Secure Housing-Holder Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shield connectors lack robustness in their coupling portions, leading to easy release of the coupling between the housing and the holder, which affects water cut-off performance.
Innovation Solution
A shield connector design that includes a cylindrical housing, an annular seal member, a holder with an engagement piece, and a conductive shell. The shell has a facing surface that regulates outward deformation of the engagement piece, ensuring a secure coupling between the housing and the holder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the coupling portion between housing and holder is designed without additional deformation regulation, then the structure is simpler, but the coupling robustness deteriorates and the coupling can be easily released
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a facing surface on the shell that acts in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial engagement direction. This adds a dimensional constraint that prevents outward deformation of the engagement piece, thereby improving coupling robustness without complicating the axial engagement mechanism itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The facing surface is positioned locally at the critical location where the engagement piece interacts with the shell. This localized deformation regulation provides targeted reinforcement exactly where needed to prevent coupling release, rather than requiring overall structural reinforcement throughout the entire assembly.
2Reliability
If the engagement piece is allowed to deform freely, then the ease of assembly is improved, but the water cut-off performance deteriorates due to insufficient coupling robustness
Solution Approach 1:
The facing surface provides radial constraint that works independently from the axial engagement process. During assembly, the engagement piece can still be inserted axially with reasonable ease, but once engaged, the facing surface prevents outward deformation that would compromise water cut-off performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The facing surface is pre-positioned on the shell to regulate deformation before any potential leakage can occur. This preliminary constraint ensures that as soon as the engagement piece is inserted and engaged, the water cut-off performance is immediately secured without requiring additional adjustment or tightening operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A shield connector includes: a cylindrical housing that accommodates a terminal and holds the terminal; an annular seal member that seals between an outer peripheral surface of an electric wire connected to the terminal and an inner wall surface of the housing; a holder coupled to the housing along an axial direction of the housing to support the seal member; and a conductive shell that accommodates and holds the housing and the holder coupled to each other therein, in which an outer wall portion of the housing has a protruding portion protruding outward, the holder has an engagement piece extending along the axial direction and is coupled to the housing by engaging the engagement piece with the protruding portion from an outside, and the shell has a facing surface facing the engagement piece from an outside, and regulates outward deformation of the engagement piece by the facing surface.