Connector Contact With Nested Bent Portion For Impedance Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electric connector contacts experience impedance mismatches due to exposed bent portions, leading to degraded transmission characteristics and increased assembly costs, especially when arranged in zigzag patterns.

Innovation Solution

A contact design with a main portion, a bent portion, a lead-out portion, and an extension portion that allows the bent portion to be housed inside the connector body without special tools, preventing impedance mismatches by pressing the extension portion to insert the main and bent portions into the terminal insertion hole.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the bent portion is exposed outside the body to receive press-fit force, then the main portion can be press-fitted into the terminal insertion hole, but impedance mismatches occur between the bent portion and the main portion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepress-fit assemblyVSAvoidtransmission characteristics
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The bent portion is nested inside the terminal insertion hole together with the main portion, both being inserted through the extension portion. This nesting arrangement prevents the bent portion from being exposed outside the body, thereby eliminating impedance mismatches while maintaining press-fit assembly capability through the extension portion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The extension portion acts as an intermediary that transmits the press-fit force to both the main portion and the bent portion simultaneously. By pressing the extension portion, both components are inserted into the terminal insertion hole without requiring the bent portion to be exposed, thus resolving the impedance mismatch issue while maintaining ease of assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the bent portion is pushed into the terminal insertion hole using a special tool, then insertion is achieved, but workability and assembly ease are worsened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsertion positionVSAvoidassembly ease
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The extension portion serves as a self-service mechanism that enables both the main portion and the bent portion to be inserted into the terminal insertion hole simultaneously through a single pressing action. This eliminates the need for special tools while maintaining precise insertion positioning, thereby improving both assembly ease and manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Area of stationary object

If contacts are arranged in zigzag pattern with bent portions next to each other in the upper row, then space is utilized, but the distance between bent portions increases impedance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnector widthVSAvoidimpedance consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By nesting the bent portion inside the terminal insertion hole together with the main portion, the invention eliminates the exposed bent portion that would otherwise be positioned next to adjacent contacts. This nesting arrangement ensures consistent impedance across all contacts in the zigzag pattern while maintaining efficient space utilization in the connector width.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP2015400B1Contact, and electric connector using the same
Publication Date: 2014.04.16 HOSIDEN CORP
  • EP2015400B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2015400B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2015400B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A contact 201a includes: a main portion 2012a adapted to be press-fitted into a first terminal insertion hole 111a formed in a body 100 of a connector; a bent portion 2013a disposed continuously to a center of a rear end of said main portion 2012a, bent downward and adapted to extend along a back surface of the body 100; a lead-out portion 2014a disposed continuously to a rear end of the bent portion 2013a; and a pair of extension portions 2016a disposed continuously at outer ends of the rear end of the main portion 2012a. The invention provides a contact in which a bent portion can be readily housed inside a connector body without using any special tool, and provides an electric connector using the same.