Electrical Connector Conductor Rail Tilting Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors for connecting conductors to circuit boards are costly to manufacture and prone to slant positioning, especially under tensile loading, which can lead to insecure connections.
Innovation Solution
A cost-effective electrical connector design featuring a conductor rail with a connecting arm and a spring-loaded contact arm, arranged in a U-shape to ensure perpendicular placement and secure contact with the circuit board, incorporating a holding device for defined positioning and alternating positions to cancel out tilting moments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If plug contacts are used for clamping in through openings of the circuit board, then connection and retrofitting can be done quickly and easily, but the plug contacts are costly to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into a housing and a conductor rail that can be inserted into the housing. The conductor rail is a separate component that can be manufactured independently using cost-effective methods, while the housing provides the structural framework. This segmentation allows the expensive clamping function to be achieved through a simpler, more economical design.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor rail is designed as a disposable or replaceable component that can be manufactured at low cost. Instead of using expensive reusable plug contacts, the invention employs a single-use conductor rail that achieves the same clamping function through a simpler geometry, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining connection speed.
2Productivity
If conventional connection plugs are used, then connection can be made quickly, but the connection plugs may be positioned at a slant to the circuit board under tensile loading
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor rail is designed with inherent flexibility that allows it to adapt to the circuit board surface. The rail can deform slightly to accommodate variations in board flatness and positioning, ensuring reliable electrical contact without requiring precise positioning. This dynamic adaptation prevents slant positioning under tensile loading while maintaining quick connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductor rail acts as a flexible element that can bend and conform to the circuit board surface. This flexibility allows the rail to maintain contact even when subjected to tensile forces, preventing slant positioning and ensuring stable electrical connection without compromising positioning accuracy.
3Reliability
If the connector is designed for secure contact under tensile loading, then connection reliability is improved, but the design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The housing and conductor rail are designed to work together as an integrated system. The housing provides structural support and guidance, while the conductor rail provides the electrical connection and clamping function. This merging of functions into a coordinated system achieves secure contact under tensile loading without requiring complex individual components, thereby reducing overall design complexity while improving 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
The connector allows for quick, economical, and secure connection of electrical conductors to circuit boards, maintaining contact integrity under tensile loading and preventing tilting, while providing favorable venting and creepage.
Implementation Method 1
The contact arm is designed as a spring in order to press against the circuit board to form a connection
Implementation Method 2
Owing to the spring configuration of the contact arm, it is pressed against a restoring force against the circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector and a method for fastening the connector to a circuit board has a connecting chamber in which a conductor rail is arranged. The conductor rail is electrically connected at a connecting side of the electrical connector to an electrical connecting part make electrical contact at a contact side with a circuit board. The conductor rail includes a connecting arm for connection with the electrical connecting part and a contact arm for connection with the circuit board. The connecting arm and the contact arm are joined together by a connection arm. The connecting part is displaced in a connecting direction extending parallel to the conductor rail for connection with the conductor rail. The contact arm is designed as a spring in order to press against the circuit board when they are connected. The conductor rail can be positioned in two mutually rotated positions and the electrical connector may have at least two adjacent connecting chambers.