CN119983020A

CN119983020A - Connector and assembly method for connector

Info

Publication number: CN119983020A
Application number: CN202311496318.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陈维新; 徐程
Original assignee: Noma Connection Technology Wuxi Co ltd
Current assignee: Noma Connection Technology Wuxi Co ltd
Priority date: 2023-11-09
Filing date: 2023-11-09
Publication date: 2025-05-13
Also published as: WO2025098217A1

Abstract

A connector and an assembling method for the connector are provided. The connector includes a connector head, a connector body detachably fitted to the connector head to form a cavity, and a holder detachably attached to the connector head and configured to hold a plug completely inserted into the cavity within the cavity.

Description

Connector and assembling method for connector

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of machinery, and more particularly to a connector and an assembly method for a connector.

Background

The connector may be used in applications where fluid (e.g., fuel, natural gas, water, etc.) is delivered. A plurality of fluid conduits of limited length and/or orientation may be connected by connectors. For example, one fluid conduit may be disposed at one end of the connector and the other fluid conduit may be connected to the connector by a connector. The connector may be inserted into the receiving chamber of the connector and positioned in the receiving chamber in a fixed manner. Thus, repeating the above process multiple times using various fluid conduits and connectors can result in a collection of lines that meets a particular fluid delivery objective.

To meet the fluid delivery requirements in different scenarios, it is often necessary to manufacture the tail portion of the connector (also referred to as the connector tail or connector body) with different bend angles and/or with different numbers of passages. For one-piece connectors, the special configuration of the connector tail increases the difficulty and cost of manufacturing the connector. In addition, once one end of the connector (e.g., the connector header or connector body) is broken, the entire connector needs to be replaced, which also presents an inconvenience to maintenance and operation of the fluid delivery network.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the related art and to provide a connector allowing modular assembly.

The present disclosure provides a connector. The connector includes a connector head, a connector body detachably fitted to the connector head to form a cavity, and a retainer detachably attached to the connector head and configured to retain a plug fully inserted into the cavity within the cavity.

As is consistent with the related art, on average, the connector head may be short in length relative to the connector body and/or the connector head may have a relatively large cross-sectional area in a radial plane relative to the connector body.

According to the connector of the present disclosure, the connector head and the connector body may be separated from each other, so that the manufacturing cost and/or the manufacturing difficulty of the connector, which is originally integrally formed, are significantly reduced. Conventionally, connectors have been manufactured in one piece, which can be difficult due to the complexity of the required machining. However, by separating the connector header and the connector body and manufacturing them separately, the processing difficulty can be reduced and the reject rate of the molded parts can be reduced, thereby improving the overall yield and efficiency of the manufacturing process. Such separation may enable a more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process, which may benefit both manufacturers and consumers.

In the case where the connector head and the connector body are fixed to each other (e.g., via a connector), the retainer may be attached to the connector head, thereby obtaining an assembled connector substantially identical in structure and efficacy to the integrally formed connector. The connector thus assembled (which serves as a female connector) is ready to be fastened with the male connector to be inserted therein, thereby facilitating the establishment of a partial pipeline segment. This approach replaces the integrally formed connectors with modularly assembled connectors for constructing the fluid lines, which facilitates the overall modular assembly of the fluid delivery network.

The cavity formed when the connector body is assembled to the connector head is for receiving a plug inserted into the assembled connector. The plug may be any suitable type of male connector used in the related art for pipe network construction, and is not limited herein.

Any one or more of the connector head, connector body and retainer may be formed of the same or different materials for the purpose of adapting to a particular use scenario. Typical materials may include, but are not limited to, metals (including alloys), ceramics, plastics, and the like. The choice of material may be based on factors such as cost, weight, durability, thermal conductivity, chemical resistance, and other factors related to the intended use of the connector, which are not limited herein.

When a one-piece connector is arranged into a fluid delivery network, the retainer attachment may need to be reversed due to space constraints or the like (e.g., when a button on the retainer is blocked in its vicinity such that the button cannot be operated, etc.). For example, the orientation of the buttons may be adjusted 180 ° to restore the operable state. However, due to the integrally formed nature of the connector, when the connector head is redirected in accordance with the orientation adjustment of the retainer button, the orientation of the connector tail that is part of the one-piece connector also changes therewith, resulting in significant variations or even confusion in the fluid line layout. According to the modular connector disclosed herein, since the connector head is separate from the connector body rather than integral, there is greater tolerance for adjustment of the retainer orientation, thereby maintaining consistency in the routing of the tubing.

According to one possible embodiment, the connector may further comprise an identification element with an identification code. The identification element may be removably mounted to the connector head or the connector body.

To facilitate construction of the fluid delivery network, more particularly to ensure that the assembled connector and plug are correctly and fully latched to each other and/or to provide traceability of the connector components, the proposed connector may additionally comprise an identification element. Unlike the related art, the identification element disclosed herein is not initially fixed to any connector component (e.g., connector header, connector body, retainer, or combination thereof). Thus, when a situation occurs during construction or operation of the fluid delivery network in which the identification element becomes fouled due to mishandling or fluid erosion, the identification element may be replaced individually without having to replace the unaffected components, which provides for a facilitated modular assembly of the connector components. In addition, the flexible binding between the identification element and the connector head or connector body provides other benefits for the modular assembly of the proposed connector. For example, separating the identification element from the connector part allows the manufacture of the connector part without any consideration of the constructional features of the receiving area of the identification element. In this way, the processing complexity and thus the development costs of the connector part are reduced. The saved costs can be used to develop more diversified/customized components that meet future demands, thereby facilitating expansion of the modular assembly of the proposed connector to more new products and application scenarios.

In the related art, when a male connector (e.g., a plug) is inserted into a female connector, there may be a case where the male connector is not completely fitted into the female connector (e.g., there is still some play for the male connector to advance) and the retainer can still secure the male connector. By using the identification element disclosed herein, it is possible to ensure that the assembled connector is fully fitted with the plug and then the combined joint is firmly clamped again by using the retainer, thereby avoiding loosening between the male connector and the assembled connector and thus improving reliability.

According to one possible embodiment, one of the connector head and the connector body is provided with a first number of first members for mounting the identification element, and the other of the connector head and the connector body is provided with a second number of second members for holding the identification element.

Consider a simple example in which the connector head and the connector body are each provided with a respective one of the first or second members, the connector head and the connector body being alignable in a particular orientation and assembled to each other. In this way, the identification element may also be mounted to one connector assembly (e.g., one of the connector head or the connector body) through the two members in that particular orientation and held by the other connector assembly (e.g., the other of the connector head or the connector body) to reduce instability and sloshing due to installation pose, pipeline construction operations, and the like. However, when the connector head is redirected along with the retainer, the first and second members that were initially aligned are no longer registered (e.g., substantially aligned with each other), thereby requiring that redundant first and second members be provided on each connector component to account for various assembly possibilities between the connector components. Of course, it is also possible that the connector head remains unchanged together with the holder, while the connector body needs to be redirected, which also requires that redundant arrangements of the first and second members be made on the connector part. There are other situations, which the present disclosure does not limit. In this way, a plurality of possibilities are provided for the assembly of the modular connector, while at the same time ensuring that the identification element can be mounted to the assembled connector in various assembly modes, which increases the degree of freedom of assembly while ensuring assembly reliability.

In an example, the first number and the second number may be the same or different, depending on a priori knowledge of the pipeline layout and/or construction planning of the fluid delivery network, etc.

According to one possible embodiment, the second member is configured to receive the first member.

Configuring the second member to accommodate the first member may minimize modification to the appearance of the connector while allowing the identification element to be accessible (e.g., readable). This also improves design compatibility. For example, in an application scenario where no identification element is required, the connector part with the first and second members may be used for assembly for cost saving reasons. The first member is received by the second member as the connector head and the connector body are assembled to each other. In this way, from an external perspective of the assembled connector, only the second member may be exposed. Accordingly, the connector assembly provided with the first member and the second member can be used in a versatile scenario (e.g., with the need for error proofing measures (Poka-yoke) and/or product traceability, and without the need for error proofing measures and product traceability), thereby effectively reducing manufacturing and use costs.

Preferably, the first member is a boss and the second member is a recess. The size and geometry of the boss may be configured to be compatible with the size and shape of the identification element such that no displacement or oscillation in any direction and/or any angle occurs when the identification element is mounted to the boss. The dimensions and geometry of the recess may be configured to at least partially receive the boss such that the boss, and the identification element mounted thereon, may have as small a protrusion as possible relative to the outer wall of the connector part. The recess may have features for maintaining stability of the identification element. For example, the recess may be provided with a groove in which one side of the identification element is able to fit, such that when the first and second members are aligned one side of the identification element may be prevented from shifting and swinging by the constraint of the groove, thereby avoiding a change in position or even falling of the identification element due to unavoidable vibrations or other factors.

According to one possible embodiment, the first member is provided with a first feature cooperating with the identification element, wherein the identification code is not readable in case the identification element is detachably mounted to the first member via the first feature.

The term "mated" may mean that when a feature is present on the first member or the second member, a peer-to-peer feature is present on the identification element to enable at least a removable mounting of the identification element to the connector assembly (e.g., on the connector assembly). For example, when the feature is a positioning element, the counter feature may be a locking element such as a snap and groove, a protrusion and through hole, a magnet and complementary magnet, and the like, to which the present disclosure is not limited.

When the identification element is detachably mounted to the first member via a first feature provided on the first member, the identification code of the identification element may become unreadable due to a positional relationship between the first feature and the first member, a positional relationship between the first feature and a second member in registration with (e.g., aligned with) the first member, a positional relationship between the first feature and a shielding member on the connector part, or the like, or a combination thereof. This unreadability is because the smallest identifiable region of the identification code is obscured from full decoding of the identification code based on the information of the partially revealed identification code region that is read. Typically, the arrangement of the first feature is provided with a margin such that even if the identification element (which is mounted to the first member via the first feature) is subject to a change in position (e.g. wobble or rotation, etc.) relative to the first feature due to an unexpected factor, the identification code of the identification element is not readable, for example in case the plug is not fully inserted into the cavity. In this way, the occurrence of false negatives (FALSE NEGATIVE) is largely avoided, which is significant for the correct establishment of the fluid transport network and the safe routing of the fluid lines.

According to one possible embodiment, the first member is further provided with a second feature cooperating with the identification element, wherein, in case the plug is fully inserted into the cavity, the identification element is actuated to be detachably mounted to the first member via the second feature such that the identification code is readable.

As an implementation of the error protection measure, the second feature may ensure that the plug inserted into the cavity formed by the fitting of the connector head and the connector body is fully latched with the fitted connector. The distance between the first feature and the second feature may be set to cause the partially obscured identification code to be fully visible. Additionally, the second feature may be implemented in the same manner as the first feature. Alternatively, the second feature may be implemented differently than the first feature. When the plug is fully inserted into the cavity, the plug may be pushed so that the predefined feature of the plug abuts against the end of the identification element. As the plug is pushed further, the mounting of the predefined feature actuated identification element changes from being mounted via the first feature on the first member to being mounted via the second feature, while there is no play between the plug and the fitted connector. At this point, by explicit indication of the identification element (e.g., the identification code changes from partial occlusion to full display), the identification code thereon may be scanned to determine that the code is readable and thus that the plug is in place. As a result, the retainer (e.g., release retainer button) may be further manipulated to securely retain the plug within the cavity. In this way, the correct creation of the joint can be ensured by means of objective external indications, improving the safety and reliability of the fluid line layout, with respect to manual operations based entirely on feel and experience.

According to one possible embodiment, the connector body and the connector head are detachably assembled using a snap connection. Other connector forms are possible and are not limited herein.

According to one possible embodiment, the connector may further comprise a seal disposed between the connector head and the connector body. The number and type of seals may vary depending on the type of fluid being delivered, the properties of the fluid, the ambient temperature, the pipe material, etc. For example, in a fuel line, two O-rings plus an intermediate gasket may be used as a seal, and in a non-corrosive liquid line, only one O-ring may be used as a seal, the disclosure is not limited herein.

The present disclosure also provides an assembly method for a connector. The method includes providing a connector head, fitting a connector body to the connector head, and attaching a retainer to the connector head to form a fitted connector.

According to one possible embodiment, the method may further comprise mounting the identification element to one of the connector head or the connector body via a first member provided on one of the connector head and the connector body.

According to one possible embodiment, the first member is provided with a first feature cooperating with the identification element, and mounting the identification element may comprise mounting the identification element to the first member via the first feature such that the identification code of the identification element is not readable.

According to one possible embodiment, the method may further comprise providing a seal to the connector head prior to fitting the connector body to the connector head.

Drawings

Further features, details and advantages of the present disclosure are shown in the description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a modular connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic exploded view of another modular connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a component of a modular connector with error proofing in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of components of a modular connector without error proofing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of an assembled connector with different retainers oriented according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of another assembled connector with a different retainer oriented according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a schematic illustration of an assembly process of a modular connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following description of exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings. These exemplary embodiments are merely provided as specific implementations in which the disclosure may be practiced and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. The directional terms mentioned in the present disclosure, such as [ upper ], [ lower ], [ front ], [ rear ], [ left ], [ right ], [ inner ], [ outer ], [ side ], etc., refer only to the directions referring to the attached drawings. Accordingly, directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and understanding the disclosure, and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. In the drawings, like structural elements are denoted by like reference numerals. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and/or the structure of some of the elements may be simplified for clarity of understanding and convenience of description. That is, the size and structure of each component shown in the drawings are schematically shown, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

As shown in fig. 1, the modular connector includes a connector head 1, a connector body 2, and a retainer 3. The connector head 1 comprises a notch for attaching the holder 3 and an opening for inserting a male connector (e.g. a plug) therein. The connector body 2 comprises a first end for fitting with the connector head 1 and a second end for connection with other lines or components. As illustrated, the cross-section of the first end is shown as being larger than the cross-section of the second end, but this is not limiting of the present disclosure. The holder 3 is provided with means, such as one or more buttons, for operation by an operator. The insertion of the male connector into the cavity of the assembled connector consisting of the connector head 1 and the connector body 2 can be controlled by manipulating these components on the retainer 3, including holding the male connector in place or releasing the male connector, etc.

Fig. 2 is a schematic exploded view of another modular connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 differs from fig. 1 in that the modular connector shown in fig. 2 further comprises a marking element 4, a gasket 5 and an O-ring 6. As illustrated and as shown in the figures, the identification element 4 may be detachably mounted to the connector body 2. The connector body 2 is provided with a first member for mounting the identification element 4. After the connector body 2 is assembled with the connector head 1, a second member on the connector head 1 that is substantially in registry (e.g., aligned) with the first member of the connector 2 may be used to hold the identification element 4 to prevent the identification element 4 from changing position or even falling due to other factors such as unexpected vibrations. For example, before fitting the connector body 2 with the connector head 1, a seal may be loaded at the end of the connector head 1 facing the end to be fitted with the connector body 2. As shown, in an example, the seal may include a gasket 5 and an O-ring 6, however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

It should be noted that the number, location, and/or configuration of the first and second members shown in the figures are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It should also be appreciated that the positions of the first and second members shown in the figures may be reversed with respect to the connector body 2 and the connector head 1, thereby enabling the modular connector described in the present disclosure as well.

Fig. 3 is a component perspective view of a modular connector with error proofing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the first member 22 of the connector body 2 includes a first feature 221 and a second feature 222. Initially, the identification element 4 may be detachably mounted to the first member via the first feature 221, at which time the identification code on the identification element 4 is only partially visible, e.g. the information encoded therein cannot be read by the machine. When the connector body 2 and the connector head 1 are assembled together via a connector (e.g. a snap-fit connection as shown, i.e. tab 11 and receiving portion 21), the second member 12 of the connector head 1 may accommodate the first member 22. Further, when a male connector (e.g. a plug) is inserted into the cavity of the assembled connector assembled from the connector head 1 and the connector body 2, by pushing the male connector to displace towards the interior of the cavity, a predefined feature of the male connector may actuate the identification element 4 to move downwards such that the identification element 4 is driven to be mounted to the first member 22 via the second feature 222 on the first member 22. At this point the identification code on the identification element 4 is fully visible so that it can be scanned by the machine to obtain traceable information or be informed that the assembled connector has been successfully assembled with the male connector.

As shown, the identification element 4 is provided with peer-to-peer features, such as bumps 42, corresponding to the first and second features. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The connector head may comprise a recess and a sleeve 13 serving as the second member 12, which is not specifically shown in the previous figures.

Fig. 4 is a component perspective view of a modular connector without error proofing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 differs from fig. 3 in that, by way of example and not limitation, the connector head 1 in fig. 3 can be continued to be used and the connector body 2 modified without the need for error proofing functionality. For example, the first member 22 and the first feature 221 and the second feature 222 thereon are removed.

Fig. 5 is a schematic illustration of an assembled connector with different retainers oriented according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 is a schematic illustration of another assembled connector with a different retainer oriented according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the modular connector of the present disclosure allows the orientation of the retainer to be changed without affecting the overall orientation and arrangement of the assembled connector. As such, the modular connector of the present disclosure allows for customization of the connector body to meet different application scenario requirements.

As shown in fig. 7, an exemplary assembly process may include steps (a) through (g).

And (a) arranging a connector head on the column.

Steps (b) - (d) load the appropriate type and number of seals depending on the particular application.

And (e) mounting the identification element to the connector body.

And (f) assembling the connector body with the identification element and the connector head.

And (g) attaching the retainer to the assembled connector.

It should be noted that the steps (b), (c), (d) and (e) are optional.

While the present disclosure has been described in connection with certain embodiments, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but is intended to cover various arrangements made without departing from the scope of the broadest interpretation of the appended claims.

List of reference numerals:

1. connector head

11. Tongue with a convex part

12. Second component

13. Sleeve barrel

2. Connector body

21. Receiving part

22. First component

221. First characteristic

222. Second characteristic

3. Retainer

4. Identification element

42. Bump

5. Gasket ring

6O shaped rings.

Claims

1. A connector, comprising:

A connector head;

A connector body detachably fitted to the connector head to form a cavity, and

A retainer is removably attached to the connector head and is configured to retain a plug fully inserted into the cavity within the cavity.

2. The connector of claim 1, further comprising an identification element with an identification code, the identification element being removably mounted to the connector head or the connector body.

3. The connector of claim 2, wherein one of the connector head and the connector body is provided with a first number of first members for mounting the identification element, and the other of the connector head and the connector body is provided with a second number of second members for retaining the identification element.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the second member is configured to receive the first member.

5. The connector of claim 4, wherein the first member is a boss and the second member is a recess.

6. The connector of any one of claims 3-5, wherein the first member has a first feature thereon that mates with the identification element,

Wherein the identification code is not readable in the case that the identification element is detachably mounted to the first member via the first feature.

7. The connector of claim 6, wherein the first member further has a second feature thereon that mates with the identification element,

Wherein with the plug fully inserted into the cavity, the identification element is actuated to detachably mount to the first member via the second feature such that the identification code is readable.

8. The connector of any of claims 1-5, wherein the connector body and the connector head are detachably assembled using a snap-fit connection.

9. The connector of any of claims 1-5, further comprising a seal disposed between the connector head and the connector body.

10. A method of assembling a connector, comprising:

Providing a connector head;

fitting a connector body to the connector header, and

A retainer is attached to the connector head to form an assembled connector.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

An identification element is mounted to one of the connector head or the connector body via a first member disposed on the one of the connector head and the connector body.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the first member is provided with a first feature cooperating with the identification element, and

Installing the identification element comprises:

The identification element is mounted to the first member via the first feature such that an identification code of the identification element is not readable.

13. The method of any of claims 10 to 12, further comprising:

A seal is provided to the connector head prior to fitting the connector body to the connector head.