Vehicle Connector Guide-Hole Layout for Stable Docking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle connectors face issues with unstable docking, signal interference, and increased manufacturing costs due to improper alignment and close proximity of terminals, leading to potential safety hazards and reduced service life.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle connector design featuring a mounting body with integrally formed mating portions and guide holes, ensuring parallel alignment and stable insertion, along with a shielding plate to reduce signal interference, and a locking mechanism for secure attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the welding pins of the front and rear terminals are positioned close together to reduce connector size, then the compactness is improved, but signal interference increases and transmission reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A shielding plate is introduced as an intermediary element positioned between the front and rear terminals. This shielding plate acts as a mediator that blocks electromagnetic interference between the closely positioned welding pins, allowing the terminals to remain close together while preventing signal interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is segmented into distinct functional zones by the shielding plate, which divides the space between front and rear terminals. This segmentation isolates the electromagnetic fields of adjacent terminals, reducing mutual interference while maintaining compact overall dimensions.
2Length of moving object
If the terminal contacting portion protrudes close to the first sleeve front end face to reduce connector length, then the insertion depth is reduced, but the terminal is prone to squeezing and deformation during insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The guide hole is designed to preliminarily guide and align the mating connector before the contacting portion makes final contact. This preliminary alignment action prevents oblique insertion and ensures that the contacting portion engages properly without excessive protrusion, reducing the risk of squeezing and deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide hole acts as an intermediary structural element that mediates the insertion process. It provides a constrained path for the mating connector, ensuring proper alignment before the terminal contacting portion engages, thereby preventing deformation even when the protrusion distance is reduced.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the first sleeve and first housing are assembled with tilt or multiple sleeves are used to accommodate multiple terminals, then the terminal integration capacity is improved, but the coaxiality alignment becomes difficult to ensure
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple terminals and their associated shielding structures are merged into a single integrally formed shielding plate. This combining approach ensures that all terminals maintain proper coaxiality and alignment relative to each other, as the integral structure eliminates cumulative alignment errors that would occur with separate assembled components.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electromagnetic shielding between terminals, acts as a structural support element, and defines the coaxial alignment references for multiple terminals. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall structure while maintaining precise alignment.
4Volume of moving object
If the terminal contacting portion is positioned close to the first sleeve front end face to reduce connector dimensions, then the compactness is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases due to stricter tolerance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The guide hole provides preliminary alignment and guidance during assembly, which compensates for normal manufacturing tolerances. This allows the contacting portion to be positioned close to the sleeve end face without requiring excessively tight tolerances, as the guide hole ensures proper alignment during the insertion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide hole structure acts as a mediator that absorbs alignment variations caused by normal manufacturing tolerances. It provides a constrained insertion path that ensures proper positioning even when component dimensions vary within standard tolerance ranges, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle connector includes a mounting body, a mating body and a plurality of terminal portions fixed on the mounting body; the mating portion has a mating cavity that runs through front and back, each terminal portion includes an insulative housing and a conductive terminal disposed in the insulative housing, the conductive terminal defines a retaining portion fixed in the insulative housing and a contacting portion extending from the retaining portion and protruding out of the insulative housing; wherein the mounting body defines a base portion for fixing the mating body and two or more mating portions protruding forward into the mating cavity, the base portion defines a holding groove fixed to the insulative housing, each mating portion has a centerline parallel to the insertion direction and a guide hole communicates with the holding groove, the contacting portion of the conductive terminal extends into the guide hole.