Card Connector Elastic Arm Guide Surface Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional card connectors with sharp-edged outside guides can damage electrical cards and circuit boards during insertion, and the guides' uniform width can cause contact with the circuit board, leading to potential damage.

Innovation Solution

The card connector features elastic arms with smooth, ridge-shaped convex surfaces that guide the electrical card during insertion, preventing scratches and damage, and tapered strengthening regions that avoid contact with the circuit board, ensuring a smooth and safe insertion process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the outside guide of the elastic arm has a sharp edge, then the card connector can provide structural support and guidance, but the sharp edge can scratch and damage the electrical card

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural supportVSAvoidscratch damage to electrical card

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The outside guide surface of the elastic arm is designed with a curved, arc-shaped profile instead of a sharp edge. This curved surface gradually guides the electrical card during insertion, eliminating scratch damage while maintaining structural support and guidance functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Ease of manufacture

If the outside guide of the elastic arm has uniform width from contacting portion to fixed end, then the structure is simple to manufacture, but the guide can contact and damage the circuit board during insertion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuniform width structureVSAvoiddamage to circuit board

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The outside guide of the elastic arm features a tapered width design where the width varies along its length. The guide is wider near the fixed end and gradually narrows toward the contacting portion, creating a tapered profile that prevents circuit board contact while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard forming processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 solution protects both the electrical cards and circuit boards from damage by using smooth, convex surfaces on the guide arms and tapered regions, ensuring a secure and damage-free insertion mechanism.

Implementation Method 1

Each of the elastic arms has a guide arm portion extending from the contacting portion

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS9553380B2Card connector

Publication Date: 2017.01.24 TYCO ELECTRONICS (SHANGHAI) CO LTD

AI summary

A card connector is disclosed having a base and a plurality of contacts. The plurality of contacts is positioned on the base. Each of the contacts has a contacting portion electrically contacting an electrical card when the electrical card inserted into the card connector. Each contact has an outer facing surface, and a supporting portion having two elastic arms extending from the base and intersecting at the contacting portion. Each of the elastic arms has a guide arm portion extending from the contacting portion at an angle of approximately 0 to 90 degrees with respect to a card insertion direction. Each guide arm portions has a smooth, ridge-shaped convex surface extending to the contacting portion and a smooth transitional surface with the outer facing surface of the contacting portion.