Receptacle Connector Crush Rib Datum Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connector assemblies face challenges in achieving precise alignment of contacts, which is crucial for effective data signal transmission between components in communication or computing systems.
Innovation Solution
The proposed receptacle connector features a housing with datum surfaces and a contact assembly having mating beams and tails, where the dielectric base with crush ribs engages corresponding surfaces to ensure fixed positioning and alignment with the plug connector, facilitating precise electrical connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If electrical contacts are positioned close to one another to increase the number of electrical connections, then the quantity of electrical connections is improved, but the alignment precision between plug connector and receptacle connector deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The contact assembly is segmented into multiple individual contacts arranged in rows, each contact being independently positioned within the dielectric base. This segmentation allows for increased density of connections while maintaining precise positioning through the structured arrangement in the dielectric base, resolving the contradiction between increasing connection quantity and maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The dielectric base acts as an intermediary component that precisely positions and holds multiple electrical contacts in fixed locations. The housing with its cavity and datum surfaces serves as another intermediary structure that receives and aligns the contact assembly. These intermediary elements enable dense contact arrangement while ensuring accurate alignment between mating connectors.
2Manufacturing precision
If the contact assembly is held in a fixed location relative to datum surfaces using crush ribs, then the alignment precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing and dielectric base are combined into an integrated assembly where the dielectric base is received within the housing cavity. The crush ribs are formed as integral features of either the housing or dielectric base, merging the alignment function into the existing structural components rather than adding separate alignment mechanisms, thus reducing overall device complexity while maintaining precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The crush ribs are pre-formed as integral features of the housing or dielectric base during manufacturing. The datum surfaces are also pre-established on these components. When the contact assembly is assembled, the crush ribs automatically force the datum surfaces to engage, performing the alignment action preliminarily during assembly rather than requiring additional adjustment steps, thereby simplifying the overall device structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A receptacle connector includes a housing having a socket configured to receive a plug connector. The housing includes a cavity having datum surfaces therein. The receptacle connector includes a contact assembly received in the cavity and located in a fixed location relative to the datum surfaces. The contact assembly has a dielectric base holding a plurality of contacts configured to mate with the plug connector received in the socket. The dielectric base has datum surfaces. At least one of the housing or the dielectric base comprising crush ribs forcing the datum surfaces of the dielectric base to engage corresponding datum surfaces of the housing.