Connector With Exposed Metal Case And Grooved Insulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing connectors for devices like smartphones and audio players, which use a U-shaped or cap-shaped metal frame, result in high production costs due to the need for expensive molds.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring parallel contacts, a metal case with exposed surfaces, and a synthetic resin insulator with grooves, allowing for cost-effective manufacturing without the need for die molding and minimizing metal exposure to reduce corrosion and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a U-shaped or cap-shaped metal frame is used, then discharge and grounding functions are achieved, but production cost increases due to expensive molds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the expensive U-shaped or cap-shaped metal frame with a simple flat plate structure that can be manufactured at low cost. The metal case serves the grounding function without requiring complex mold-based fabrication, thereby reducing production costs while maintaining the essential discharge and grounding functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of the metal frame (grounding and discharge) from its complex U-shaped or cap-shaped form and implements it through a simpler flat plate structure. This separation of function from form allows for cost-effective manufacturing while preserving the required electrical functions.
2Reliability
If metal surfaces are exposed, then electrical connections are maintained, but corrosion and damage from dirt and liquid increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the insulator as a protective shell that covers and protects the metal case and contacts from environmental factors such as dirt and liquid. The insulator acts as a barrier while allowing the necessary electrical connections to function, thereby preventing corrosion and damage to the metal components.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator serves as an intermediary between the metal components and the external environment. It mediates the protection function by blocking harmful factors (dirt, liquid) from reaching the metal case and contacts, while still allowing electrical connections to be established through designated contact points.
3Ease of manufacture
If a flat plate insulator is used, then manufacturing cost decreases, but protection against dirt and liquid penetration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the limitation of the flat plate insulator by introducing grooves that create three-dimensional protective structures. These grooves form barriers that prevent dirt and liquid from reaching the contacts, adding protective functionality without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity or cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulator is segmented with grooves that divide the surface into separate regions. This segmentation creates physical barriers that block the path of dirt and liquid, preventing them from reaching the contacts while maintaining the overall simplicity and low-cost manufacturing approach of the flat plate structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector comprises: contacts disposed in a row so as to be mutually parallel; a metal case that comprises one surface which is parallel to the direction of disposition of the contacts and two surfaces which are perpendicular with respect to the direction of disposition of the contacts and sandwich the ends of the disposition of the contacts, and that arranged while kept from contact with the contacts; and a synthetic-resin insulator that is formed so as to encase the contacts and the metal case and that exposes part of the contacts and part of the metal case as external contact points.