Sliding Connector Locking for Vibration-Resistant Terminal Mating
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicular and aeronautical environments, vibrations cause relative movements between electrical terminals, leading to fretting corrosion in connector systems, which existing solutions like spring-cushioning only partially mitigate.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring a housing with a connector locking device that slides along the shell to absorb vibrations without transmitting them, blocking the form-fit connection and preventing unwanted movement between terminals, thereby reducing fretting corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If spring-cushioning is used to attenuate vibrations, then vibration absorption is improved, but relative motion between terminals still occurs causing fretting
Solution Approach 1:
A damping element is introduced as an intermediary component between the electrical terminals. This damping element absorbs vibrations and mechanical stresses before they can cause relative motion between the terminals, while the terminals themselves remain fixed relative to each other. The damping element acts as a mediator that protects the terminal connection from vibration-induced fretting.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into functionally separate components: the electrical terminals that maintain fixed relative positions for stable electrical connection, and the damping element that independently absorbs vibrations. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally without interfering with the other.
2Reliability
If the connector locking device blocks the form-fit connection, then vibration transmission to terminals is reduced, but the locking device must allow sliding movement along the mating axis
Solution Approach 1:
The connector locking device incorporates dynamic characteristics by allowing sliding movement along the mating axis while maintaining lateral blocking of the form-fit connection. This dynamic design enables the locking device to absorb vibrations through controlled movement while still providing stable lateral support to prevent terminal relative motion. The device transitions between locked and unlocked states through simple axial movement.
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 effectively absorbs vibrations, maintaining a secure electrical connection and reducing fretting corrosion, while allowing the connector locking device to move freely along the mating axis, ensuring the form-fit connection remains intact.
Implementation Method 1
the connector locking device receives the vibrations from the environment, slides along the shell accordingly, without impacting the form-fit connection
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a housing and an electrical terminal. The housing includes a connector locking device at least partially surrounding the shell, wherein the connector locking device is in a sliding contact with the shell thereby allowing a movement of the connector locking device along a mating axis relative to the shell. The connector locking device is configured to block a form-fit connection between a latching device of an electrical counter-connector and a protruding portion of the shell in a coupled state in which the electrical connector and the electrical counter-connector are coupled. A connector assembly includes the electrical connector and an electrical counter-connector configured to be mated with the electrical connector.