Board Connector Leg Design for Insertion Force Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing board connectors require increased deformation of legs to enhance engagement margins with circuit boards, leading to higher insertion forces and potential enlargement of the connector, which complicates the deformation process.
Innovation Solution
A board connector design featuring legs with a recessed base end and a displacement allowing space within the housing, allowing for sufficient resilient displacement without enlarging the connector, and incorporating a pressed portion to enhance locking margins by tilting the leg and increasing the locking force through a mating connector's pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the engagement margin between the locks and the circuit board is increased to enhance holding force, then the locking force is improved, but the insertion force increases due to greater leg deformation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The leg is divided into functionally distinct segments: a resilient base end portion that deforms during insertion, a locking portion that engages the circuit board, and a pressed portion that receives external force. This segmentation allows the base end to provide necessary deformation while the locking portion maintains sufficient engagement margin, resolving the contradiction between insertion force and locking force.
Solution Approach 2:
The displacement allowing space is formed by recessing the bottom surface in the thickness direction of the housing, utilizing the Z-dimension (depth) rather than increasing lateral dimensions. This provides sufficient resilient displacement region for the leg base end without enlarging the connector, enabling greater engagement margin without proportionally increasing insertion force.
2Ease of operation
If longer legs are used to enable greater deformation, then the leg deformation capability is improved, but the connector size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The displacement allowing space extends in the thickness direction (Z-dimension) from the bottom surface, providing vertical displacement capacity without increasing the lateral footprint of the connector. This allows the leg to achieve sufficient resilient displacement for easy deformation while maintaining a compact connector size.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient portion of the leg is nested within the housing structure, with the displacement allowing space recessed into the bottom surface. This nested arrangement allows the leg to deform within the existing connector volume, providing adequate deformation capability without enlarging the overall connector dimensions.
3Device complexity
If the displacement allowing space is a bottomed recess, then the housing structure is simplified, but only limited depth can be ensured as the resilient displacement region
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating a bottomed recess with limited depth, the design inverts the approach by forming a through-hole that penetrates the bottom wall. This allows the resilient displacement region to extend through the entire thickness of the housing, ensuring sufficient displacement capacity while maintaining structural simplicity through a single continuous feature.
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
The design facilitates easy deformation of legs, maintains a stable locked state, and enhances the locking force with the circuit board without enlarging the connector, ensuring efficient and secure engagement.
Implementation Method 1
The legs restore resiliently when the locks pass through the through holes
Implementation Method 2
The displacement allowing space ensures a sufficient resilient displacement region for the leg
Data Source
AI summary
A board connector has a housing (11) with legs (16) on a lower surface (13) facing a surface side of a circuit board (30). A locking portion (21) is provided on a tip end of the leg (16) and protrudes in a direction intersecting with a projecting direction from the lower surface (13) and can be locked to an underside of the circuit board (30). A base end of the leg portion (16) is defined by a displacement allowing space (25) recessed in from the lower surface (13) of the housing (11).