Board Mating Connector Ground Unit Tapered Portion Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Board mating connectors face issues with ground springs experiencing decreased restoring force and increased corrosiveness over time, and signal contact units suffer from degraded passive inter-modulation distortion (PIMD) characteristics due to RF signal transmission through metal springs.
Innovation Solution
The connector design replaces the ground spring with a tapered portion and slits, and incorporates dielectric units to minimize impedance changes, while the signal contact unit features a housing, contact portion, and signal spring configuration to enhance electrical connection and reduce PIMD.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a ground spring is used in the ground contact unit, then the ground contact unit can restore in the direction of the board, but the restoring force decreases and corrosiveness increases over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the ground spring from the ground contact unit entirely, extracting the problematic component that caused restoring force degradation and corrosion over time. The ground contact unit now consists of a ground contact portion and ground portion without any spring mechanism, eliminating the source of the reliability issue while maintaining the essential grounding function.
2Reliability
If a metal spring is used to connect housing and contact portion in signal contact unit, then electrical connection is achieved, but passive inter-modulation distortion (PIMD) characteristics are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dielectric material as an intermediary between the housing and contact portion in the signal contact unit. This dielectric member replaces the direct metal-to-metal spring connection, maintaining electrical isolation while preventing the metal spring from degrading PIMD characteristics. The dielectric acts as a mediator that preserves signal integrity while enabling mechanical connection.
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 configuration eliminates the problems associated with ground springs, minimizes impedance changes, and improves PIMD characteristics by maintaining restoring force and preventing corrosion, thereby ensuring reliable RF signal transmission.
Implementation Method 1
an outer diameter of the first protrusion is compressed by the first ground tapered portion, and the compressed outer diameter of the first protrusion is restored in a direction in which an inner diameter of the first ground tapered portion is increased so that the second ground portion is moved in a direction opposite to the direction of the first ground portion
Data Source
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AI summary
In one example, a board mating connection, which includes a ground unit in which a tapered portion is formed, includes: a signal contact unit which has one side in contact with a signal electrode of a board and is electrically connected to the signal electrode; a ground contact unit which has one side in contact with a ground electrode of the board and is electrically connected to the ground electrode; and a dielectric unit which is disposed between the signal contact unit and the ground contact unit, wherein the ground contact unit includes a first ground portion which has a first ground hollow portion and includes a second ground portion of which the other side is partially inserted into the first ground hollow portion and which has a second ground hollow portion, the first ground portion includes a first ground tapered portion formed on a wall thereof so as to have an inclined shape such that an inner diameter thereof is gradually decreased toward the other side thereof, and the second ground portion has the other end in contact with the first ground tapered portion and is relatively moved.