Stacked Electrical Connector Lock Housing Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors with stacked contact housings face positional displacement issues due to clearance between recesses and protrusions, leading to ineffective mating connections, especially when multiple stages are aligned.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design includes a lock housing with a cover plate and lock arms that engage with step portions on the contact housings, preventing linear movement and ensuring alignment, even with a clearance between recesses and protrusions, by using a cover plate with outer and inner protruding bars and elastic locking members to securely couple stacked contact housings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the length of the protrusion is made smaller than the length of the recess to facilitate engagement, then the ease of operation is improved, but positional displacement occurs within the clearance between contact housings
Solution Approach 1:
The lock arm acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the protrusion-recess engagement system and the contact housing alignment requirement. It provides an additional constraint mechanism that compensates for the positional displacement caused by the clearance, ensuring precise alignment while maintaining easy engagement operation.
2Productivity
If multiple contact housings are stacked vertically to increase terminal capacity, then the productivity is improved, but cumulative positional displacement occurs leading to ineffective mating connections
Solution Approach 1:
The lock arm merges multiple constraint functions into a single component: it prevents relative movement between adjacent contact housings, maintains vertical alignment, and ensures proper positioning for mating connections. This unified constraint mechanism addresses the cumulative displacement issue across multiple stacked housings.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock arm is designed to engage with the step portion before final mating connection occurs, preliminarily establishing and maintaining the correct positional relationship between contact housings. This preliminary constraint action prevents cumulative displacement from affecting the final mating effectiveness.
3Ease of operation
If the protrusion and recess are designed with clearance for easy engagement, then the ease of operation is improved, but the stability of the stacked structure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lock arm introduces a dynamic constraint mechanism that adapts to the clearance between protrusion and recess. It provides flexibility during engagement while maintaining stability in the final stacked configuration, allowing easy operation during assembly while ensuring structural stability during use.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an electrical connector having a plurality of contact housings and a lock housing. The plurality of contact housings are vertically positioned upon each other. Each contact housing having a first end, a second end, and a step portion disposed between the first end and the second end. The lock housing includes a cover plate extending across an upper side of the plurality of contact housings and a lock arm extending from the cover plate and engageable with at least one of the plurality of contact housings. The lock arm includes an end portion engageable with the step portion.