Expansion Card Connector Bottom Engaging Portion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing PCI-E connector design poses difficulties in connecting or removing an external power cord due to the engaging portion being on the top surface near the cooling fin, making it hard for users to operate safely and efficiently, and there's a risk of short circuits from exposed metal pins.
Innovation Solution
The expansion card assembly features a connector with an engaging portion on the bottom surface of the housing, exposed out of a notch on the expansion card body, and a configuration of pins that allows for easy connection and disconnection of the external power cord without risking finger scalds or short circuits, with an extension portion covering the pins to prevent contact with the cooling fin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the engaging portion is disposed on the top surface of the connector close to the cooling fin, then the connector structure is compact, but the user cannot easily connect or remove the external power cord due to limited finger movement space
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging portion is inverted from the conventional top surface location to the bottom surface of the housing. This inversion allows users to easily access and operate the engaging portion with fingers from below, eliminating the space constraint problem while maintaining structural compactness.
Solution Approach 2:
The engaging portion is positioned in a different spatial dimension (bottom surface instead of top surface), creating vertical separation between the engaging portion and the cooling fin. This dimensional change provides sufficient finger movement space while keeping the connector structure compact.
2Reliability
If the metal pin is exposed out of the housing of the connector, then the electrical connection is established, but the metal pin may come into contact with the cooling fin to short circuit the discrete graphics card
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful factor (short circuit risk) is extracted by separating the metal pin from the cooling fin through the extension portion. The extension portion acts as an isolating structure that extracts the pin from the hazardous proximity to the cooling fin while maintaining electrical connection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The extension portion serves as an intermediary structure between the metal pin and the housing. It allows the pin to extend beyond the housing for electrical connection while preventing direct contact with the cooling fin, thus mediating between electrical connectivity and safety requirements.
3Ease of operation
If the engaging portion is disposed on the top surface near the cooling fin, then the connector design is simplified, but the user is likely to get fingers scalded by the cooling fin when operating the engaging portion
Solution Approach 1:
The engaging portion is inverted to the bottom surface, reversing the conventional arrangement. This inversion creates physical distance between the user's fingers and the hot cooling fin, eliminating the scalding risk while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The engaging portion is repositioned in the vertical dimension (from top to bottom surface), creating spatial separation from the cooling fin. This dimensional relocation ensures that user operations on the engaging portion do not bring fingers into contact with the hot cooling fin.
Data Source
AI summary
An expansion card assembly, including an expansion card body and a connector. The expansion card body includes a notch recessed into an edge thereof. The connector includes a housing. The housing includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and an engaging portion disposed on the bottom surface. The bottom surface is close to the expansion card body. The engaging portion is exposed out of the notch. The engaging portion connects the connector with an external power cord. A user operates the engaging portion at the bottom surface of the housing of the connector with fingers. Therefore, the expansion card assembly and the connector solve the problem that the too narrow space between the top surface of the housing and the other components makes it difficult for the user to stretch fingers into the space between the top surface of the housing and the other component.