Multiple Coaxial Connector Alignment Structure to Prevent Contact Buckling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multiple coaxial connectors are inadequate in correcting tilt and shaft misalignment during fitting, leading to increased force on contacts and potential buckling.
Innovation Solution
The connector design includes a receptacle shell with a tapering guide hole and accommodation portion that corrects misalignment by guiding the plug shells before full insertion, reducing insertion force and preventing buckling by ensuring the receptacle contact is fitted after misalignment correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional connector fitting is used without alignment correction mechanism, then the connector structure is simple, but tilt and shaft misalignment occur causing increased insertion force and contact buckling
Solution Approach 1:
The guide hole and accommodation portion perform preliminary alignment correction before the main contact fitting occurs. The plug shells are guided through the tapered guide hole and seated in the accommodation portion first, establishing proper alignment before the plug bodies and contacts engage, thereby reducing insertion force and preventing contact buckling
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is divided into distinct functional segments: the guide hole for alignment, the accommodation portion for positioning, and the main fitting area for electrical contact. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, with the alignment functions occurring before the contact engagement
2Reliability
If alignment correction mechanism is added to the connector, then insertion force is reduced and contact buckling is prevented, but the connector structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The plug shells are nested within the guide hole and accommodation portion during the alignment phase. The guide hole contains the plug shells, which in turn contain the plug bodies, creating a nested arrangement that guides alignment before final engagement, improving reliability without requiring separate external alignment devices
3Ease of operation
If the receptacle shell entirely accommodates the protruding plug shells with appropriate length relationship, then tilt and shaft misalignment are corrected, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide hole is designed with a tapered parameter change, being wider at the opening and narrower at the bottom. This gradual parameter change provides self-aligning action that compensates for minor dimensional variations, allowing misalignment correction without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances on all components
Data Source
AI summary
A plug includes a housing, a plurality of plug shells that are accommodated in the housing in a manner to protrude from the housing by a predetermined length A, a plurality of plug bodies that are accommodated in the plug shells respectively, and a plurality of plug contacts that are fixed to the plug bodies respectively. A receptacle includes a receptacle shell, a receptacle body, and a receptacle contact. The receptacle shell includes: an accommodation portion that entirely accommodates ends of the plurality of plug shells protruding from the housing, and whose insertion-direction length B satisfies B<A.