Electrical Connector Contact Spring Support Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors experience breakage of electrical connection due to vibration or shock, as the free ends of the contact are directly linked to separate springs, leading to gaps between the mating contacts, and the structure limits the range of movement of the arms, making it difficult to align multiple contacts closely.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector features a contact section with a pair of arms and a support, where the arms are connected to a pair of springs that bend and extend beyond the tabs, allowing elastic deformation and movement in the left-right direction, ensuring the mating contact is held securely and maintaining electrical connection even under shock, while avoiding interference with the tabs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the free ends are directly linked to separate springs, then the structure is simple, but electrical connection breaks under vibration or shock
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the support functions by introducing a common support member that supports both free ends of the contact. This common support moves integrally with the contact, ensuring that both free ends follow the mating contact's movement without gaps, thereby maintaining reliable electrical connection while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
2Length of moving object
If tabs are disposed with wider space to avoid interference, then arm movement range is extended, but contact pitch cannot be narrowed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent relocates the tabs from the frontward direction (where they would interfere with arm movement) to the backward direction relative to the support. This dimensional repositioning allows the arms to move freely in the frontward direction to follow the mating contact, while the tabs remain in the backward direction to provide electrical connection, thus enabling both wide arm movement range and narrow contact pitch.
3Ease of manufacture
If tabs are positioned at the front like arm tips, then assembly is simplified, but arm movement is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of positioning the tabs at the frontward direction like the arm tips (conventional approach), the patent inverts the tab positioning to the backward direction relative to the support. This inversion eliminates interference between tabs and arms, allowing full arm movement range while still maintaining electrical connection functionality.
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 that the electrical connection is hard to break and allows for a larger range of movement of the arms, enabling the contacts to be aligned with a narrower pitch, thus maintaining stability and reducing the size of the connector.
Implementation Method 1
The pair of springs bend from both left and right sides of the support respectively, and frontward further than the tabs. The pair of springs also extend backward and then connect to the tabs. The pair of springs support the contact section and allow the contact section to move in the left-right direction by elastic deformation.
Data Source
AI summary
A contact is attached to a connector housing thereby contacting a mating connector. The contact includes a contact section, a pair of tabs, and a pair of springs. The contact section is includes a pair of arms that extend frontward while facing each other and a support bearing the pair of arms. The pair of tabs are positioned on left and right sides of contact with the contact section positioned between. The pair of springs bend from both left and right sides of the support respectively, and frontward further than the tabs. The pair of springs also extend backward and then connect to the tabs. The pair of springs support the contact section and allow the contact section to move in the left-right direction by elastic deformation.