Electrical Connector Contact Retention via Elastic Wings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face challenges in retaining contacts securely during mating and disengagement, particularly in miniaturized designs where the housing is weakened by retaining mechanisms, leading to potential breakage and reduced efficacy.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector features a base portion with receiving cavities and tongue plate portions that include retaining wings and pressing protrusions to securely engage contacts, ensuring stable retention and mating with a plug connector, while allowing for miniaturization without compromising structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the housing is made thinner for miniaturization, then the size of the electrical connector is reduced, but the structural strength of the housing is weakened making it prone to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the housing wall thickness non-uniform: the first wall portion (where contacts are retained) has a greater thickness than the second wall portion. This localized thickening provides structural strength at the critical contact retention area while maintaining overall miniaturization of the connector housing.
2Reliability
If barbs are used to engage contacts with the housing, then the contacts are retained in the housing, but the barbs easily break the thinner housing in miniaturized designs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical barb engagement system with an elastic retention system. The elastic contact members engage the contacts through elastic deformation rather than mechanical interlocking barbs, eliminating the stress concentration points that cause housing breakage while maintaining reliable contact retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the retention mechanism from rigid (barbs) to elastic (deformable contact members). The elastic contact members can deform to accommodate the contacts and housing, distributing stresses evenly and preventing housing breakage while maintaining retention reliability.
3Reliability
If the retaining portion is attached to the top face of the receiving groove, then the contact is retained, but a space is provided between the retaining portion and housing which weakens the retaining efficacy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-point retention approach to a distributed retention system. The elastic contact members engage the contacts at multiple points along the insertion direction, creating a distributed retention mechanism that eliminates gaps and strengthens the connection between the contact and housing without increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a base portion defining a receiving cavity, a tongue plate portion retained in the receiving cavity and a first set of contacts retained in the tongue plate portion. The tongue plate portion defines a mating portion projecting out of the at least one receiving cavity for mating with a plug connector and receiving grooves thereon. The first set of contacts includes four first contacts each defining a retaining portion received in a corresponding receiving groove and retained in the receiving cavity, a contacting portion extending forwards from a front end of the retaining portion and a mounting portion. The retaining portion defines a pair of wings bending upwards from two side edges thereof and projecting out of the receiving groove, and the base portion defines corresponding pressing portions projecting to and pressing the wings.