Card Edge Connector Stability and Thermal Dissipation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing card edge connectors face issues with metal members falling off during electronic card insertion and removal, and the metal shell obstructs heat transfer due to its coverage of the housing top face.
Innovation Solution
The card edge connector design includes an insulative housing with side walls and a central slot, featuring embedded grooves on the side walls for metal members with bending portions that securely engage with the housing, enhancing stability and allowing for heat dissipation through exposed terminal grooves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the metal member covers the top face of the housing to provide protection, then the protective function is improved, but heat transfer is blocked disadvantageously
Solution Approach 1:
The metal member is segmented to include an opening that exposes the upper opening of the terminal-receiving passageway. This segmentation allows the metal member to provide protection over most of the housing top face while leaving a specific region open for heat transfer, thus resolving the contradiction between protective coverage and thermal dissipation.
2Device complexity
If the metal member is secured only by the tab matching with the aperture, then the assembly is simple, but the metal member falls off during card insertion and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The metal member incorporates a bending portion with a specific local structure that engages with the embedded groove in the housing. This local quality enhancement at the engagement interface provides reliable retention during card operations, while the overall assembly remains relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention mechanism transitions from a single-plane tab-aperture fit to a multi-dimensional engagement where the bending portion extends into the embedded groove. This dimensional change from 2D matching to 3D engagement significantly improves reliability while maintaining assembly simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A card edge connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of conductive terminals and a pair of metal members. The insulative housing defines two side walls extending in a longitudinal direction and a central slot disposed between said two side walls, the conductive terminals are disposed in the insulative housing and protruding into the central slot, the pair of metal members enclose the insulative housing, wherein each side wall defines an embedded groove recessed from a top surface thereof and extending along the side wall in said longitudinal direction, each metal member defines a main portion enclosing an outside of the side wall and a bending portion bending from an upside thereof, the bending portion is retained in the embedded groove to provide a stability for the card edge connector.