Connector With Blade Member Cutting Flexible Substrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors mounted on flexible substrates often experience poor electrical contact due to shearing of insulating material, which can lead to unreliable connections between the conductive portions and the piercing portion, resulting in decreased reliability of the electrical connection.
Innovation Solution
A connector design that includes a housing and a base member with projections and blade members to cut the flexible substrate and conductors, ensuring that the cut-end-portions of the substrate are securely sandwiched between the projection and contact, maintaining reliable electrical contact without direct contact between the base member and conductors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a piercing portion is used to pierce the flat cable and conductive portion, then electrical connection is established, but insulating material may be caught between the piercing portion and flat conductor causing poor contact
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful insulating material is extracted and removed from the contact area by the blade member, which cuts away the insulating material that would otherwise be caught between the piercing portion and flat conductor, preventing poor contact and ensuring reliable electrical connection
Solution Approach 2:
The blade member acts as an intermediary element between the piercing portion and the flat conductor, performing the function of removing insulating material to facilitate clean contact between the electrical components
2Device complexity
If the connector uses a simple piercing structure, then the device complexity is low, but the electrical connection reliability decreases due to poor contact
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is segmented into distinct functional components: the piercing portion for establishing contact, the blade member for removing insulating material, and the projection for securing the flexible substrate. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently, improving reliability without excessive complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The piercing portion and blade member are combined into a single integrated structure, allowing both functions (piercing and insulating material removal) to be performed simultaneously during one insertion action, maintaining simplicity while improving connection reliability
3Ease of operation
If the connector is designed for easy mounting on flexible substrate, then ease of operation is improved, but securing the cut-end-portions reliably becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The projection is pre-formed on the base member with a structure designed to receive and secure the cut-end-portion of the flexible substrate. During mounting, the piercing portion and blade member first perform their functions, and then the projection automatically secures the substrate in place, maintaining both ease of operation and connection reliability
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
This design ensures reliable electrical connection by applying contact pressure to the cut-end-portions of the flexible substrate, facilitating easy mounting and maintaining connection even with non-elastically stretchable materials, thus enhancing the reliability of the electrical connection.
Implementation Method 1
a flat conductor 9 in the flat cable 2 is sheared by the piercing portion 7
Implementation Method 2
applying contact pressure to the cut-end-portions of the flexible substrate
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A connector includes a base member (14) having a first surface facing a bottom surface of a flexible substrate (21), a contact (13) having a second surface facing a conductive portion exposed on a top surface of the flexible substrate (21), a projection (14C) protrudingly formed at one of the base member and the contact, a projection accommodating portion (13D) of recess shape disposed at the other of the base member and the contact and configured to accommodate the projection as sandwiching the flexible substrate therebetween, and a blade member (15) configured to cut the flexible substrate at a position corresponding to the projection when the projection is accommodated in the projection accommodating portion with the flexible substrate being sandwiched therebetween.