Connector Cage Elastic Clip Radiator Thermal Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing connector designs with elastic clips suffer from reduced thermal contact performance and heat dissipation efficiency due to the elastic clip moving upward, which decreases the pressing force on the radiator, and the fins are easily crushed by direct pressure, leading to suboptimal heat transfer.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a separation mechanism with a lower and upper separation plate, where the elastic clip's longitudinal beams are fixed between these plates, preventing upward movement and maintaining pressure on the radiator, and transversal beams apply a downward force through elastic deformation, enhancing thermal contact and heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the spring piece of the elastic clip abuts against the center part of the bottom surface of the upper separation plate, then the elastic clip can be assembled easily, but the elastic clip moves upward when pushed, reducing the pressing force on the radiator and decreasing thermal contact performance
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic clip is divided into a plate-like main body part and a spring piece, with the spring piece positioned at the center. The main body part contacts the radiator fins while the spring piece contacts the separation plate, separating the thermal contact function from the elastic retention function to prevent upward movement and maintain pressing force.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring piece acts as an intermediary between the elastic clip and the upper separation plate. It provides elastic retention while its positioning and deformation characteristics prevent direct upward movement of the entire clip, thereby maintaining consistent pressing force on the radiator.
2Temperature
If the plate-like main body part of the elastic clip is directly pressed on the fins of the radiator, then thermal contact is achieved, but the fins are easily crushed
Solution Approach 1:
The plate-like main body part is designed with localized contact features that distribute pressure across multiple fins rather than concentrating force on single points. This local quality modification maintains thermal contact effectiveness while preventing fin crushing through optimized pressure distribution.
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 improves the elastic pressing force on the radiator, maintaining effective thermal contact and heat dissipation by preventing upward movement of the elastic clip and distributing pressure evenly, thus enhancing the connector's thermal performance.
Implementation Method 1
The spring piece of the elastic clip abuts against a center part of a bottom surface of an upper separation plate of the separation layer, so as to hold the radiator in the separation layer
Implementation Method 2
The radiator thermally contacts a plug module inserted into the lower receiving chamber below the separation layer
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a cage having a plurality of receiving chambers, a separation mechanism including a lower separation plate and an upper separation plate, a radiator disposed between the lower separation plate and the upper separation plate, and an elastic clip mounted on the radiator and elastically holding the radiator in the separation mechanism. The separation mechanism is located between and separates a pair of adjacent receiving chambers of the plurality of receiving chambers in a height direction of the connector. A pair of sides of the elastic clip opposite to each other in a lateral direction of the radiator are fixed between the lower separation plate and the upper separation plate.