Bongo Fury

For a long time I have thought about moving my cruise control controller to the centre console, using the ash tray behind the gear lever.
I've unscrewed the top stuff from the ash tray, so I've still got the metal carcass to work with.
I expect to ditch the current light that illuminates the ash tray and possibly use its mounting for a connector.
I'd like to mount the other half of the connector through the ashtray base so that when the ash tray is inserted it mates with the connector mounted on the top of the engine cover.
Conversely when the ashtray is removed the connector disconnects and the c/c controller removed with the ashtray.

My problem is where do I source a suitable low current connector that
a) has a low insertion force
b) no catches to prevent easy separation
c) can be mounted on a bracket rather than a PCB

I've trawled Maplin but struggling to find something.
Has anybody any ideas on what sort of connector I should be searching for and where best to look?

Thanks
Chris

Rather than worry about easy seperation I'd consider a cable (or string) slightly shorter than your new wiring. That way if you forget to unclip it the cable will prevent pulling the wires.

Unclip connector then unclip safety cable.

That way you could use pretty much any loom connector block.

http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/s ... connectors

Thanks Bob for the link

I was going for the seamless approach thinking it might be more mechanic-proof! The loose connector approach is undoubtedly easier to design.

Could something be designed that uses these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291330796346

Whatever you do needs to be failsafe in the event of it going open circuit!

mikeonb4c wrote:Could something be designed that uses these?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291330796346

Whatever you do needs to be failsafe in the event of it going open circuit!

sorry officer about doing 90, I accidentally lifted the ashtray.
And there rests an advantage with the connector that needs to be unclupped to separate.

It might be possible to construct something using a USB plug/socket, but how many wires do you need to connect?
However the main problem is you need to clamp the connectors to the sheath of the cable as otherwise the tension will be applied to the individual wires and the crimp/solder connection to the pins this will mean one wire will take the initial strain until it "stretches" and evens up the strain across all the wires, this will eventually break the shortest wire which takes the strain. Also you mustn't forget the affects of vibration on the wires/pins this is often the cause of failure rather than actual strain on the wires themselves.

Yup, although less glamorous, you might be better with lockable connectors and a warning notice to unplug them. Fact is though that every connector is a potential open circuit waiting to happen, so make them good ones