Electric Connector With Swingable Relay Contact
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric connectors that absorb positional displacement require multiple parts and complex assembly, increasing manufacturing costs and making size reduction difficult, while omitting the movable housing results in non-uniform orientations of contacts, preventing proper fitting with counter connectors.
Innovation Solution
An electric connector design featuring a fixing-side contact with a vertical portion sandwiched between rear arms of a relay contact, which is housed in an insulator with a specific groove configuration, allowing the relay contact to swing and maintain electrical connection with counter connectors despite positional displacement, without the need for sliding housings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If two housings (fixing-side housing and movable-side housing) are used to absorb positional displacement, then the connector can be fitted with counter connector while absorbing positional displacement, but the number of parts and assembly steps increases, increasing manufacturing cost and making size reduction difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the fixing-side housing and movable-side housing into a single integrated housing structure. The relay contact is directly mounted on the fixing-side contact within this unified housing, eliminating the need for a separate movable-side housing while maintaining the ability to absorb positional displacement through the swingable relay contact mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the movable-side housing from the connector structure, retaining only the essential fixing-side housing. This reduction in components directly addresses the complexity issue while the relay contact's swingable mechanism compensates for the removed housing's displacement absorption function.
2Device complexity
If the movable-side housing is omitted to reduce parts and assembly steps, then manufacturing cost decreases and size reduction becomes possible, but the orientations of contacts become non-uniform, preventing proper fitting with counter connector
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic swingable relay contact mechanism that can adjust its orientation to accommodate positional displacement. The relay contact is designed to swing between a first position (when no displacement occurs) and a second position (when positional displacement occurs), maintaining uniform contact orientation for proper fitting with the counter connector despite the absence of a movable-side housing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameter of the relay contact from a fixed rigid connection to a swingable articulated connection. This allows the relay contact to dynamically change its angular position, ensuring uniform orientation with the fixing-side contact while accommodating variations in counter connector positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If relay contact swings to accommodate positional displacement, then fitting with counter connector is achieved, but the ends of front arms may project into the opening of relay contact insertion groove, causing interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetry in the relay contact insertion groove design, making the groove width at its opening smaller than the opening width at the ends of the relay contact's front arms. This asymmetric dimensioning ensures that even when the relay contact swings to accommodate displacement, its front arm ends cannot project into the groove opening, preventing interference with counter connector fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary anti-action by designing the relay contact insertion groove with constrained dimensions that prevent the relay contact from swinging too far. The groove's opening width is specifically designed to be smaller than the front arm end opening width, creating a mechanical stop that prevents excessive swinging and potential interference before it can occur.
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
This design reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, lowers manufacturing costs, and enables miniaturization while maintaining electrical connectivity and absorbing positional displacement, ensuring reliable fitting with counter connectors.
Implementation Method 1
the relay contact is held to be swingable with respect to the fixing-side contact and is electrically connected to the fixing-side contact
Data Source
AI summary
An electric connector includes a fixing-side contact having a vertical portion of plate shape, a relay contact having a pair of front arms and a pair of rear arms, and an insulator having a relay contact insertion groove, the vertical portion of the fixing-side contact being sandwiched between the pair of rear arms so that the relay contact is held to be swingable with respect to the fixing-side contact and is electrically connected to the fixing-side contact, an opening width of an opening of the relay contact insertion groove of the insulator being shorter than an opening width at ends of the pair of front arms located on a forward side in a fitting direction.