Electrical Connector Grounding Pieces Offset to Prevent Sparkle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face a risk of shorting when attempting to conduct high currents due to the proximity of the grounding piece to the contacts, especially in thin housing designs, which is exacerbated by the need for thicker contacts to handle increased current for quick charging.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design features a pair of grounding pieces offset from the power contacts in both the vertical and transverse directions, eliminating the traditional shielding plate and thickening the contacts vertically to maintain the same mating height while increasing the distance between power contacts, thereby preventing shorting and enabling high current transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If the grounding piece is positioned close to the contacts to reduce housing thickness, then the housing structure becomes more compact, but the risk of electrical shorting between the grounding piece and power contacts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding function is segmented into multiple separate grounding pieces rather than a single continuous grounding structure. Each grounding piece is positioned in specific locations away from power contacts, dividing the grounding function into distributed segments that reduce the risk of shorting while maintaining effective grounding.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding pieces are positioned in the transverse direction away from power contacts, creating spatial separation in multiple dimensions. This dimensional arrangement ensures that grounding pieces are offset from power contacts both horizontally and vertically, eliminating the shorting risk while maintaining compact housing thickness.
2Power
If thicker contacts are used to handle high current for quick charging, then the current carrying capacity increases, but the distance between contacts and grounding piece decreases, increasing shorting risk
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding function is divided into multiple separate grounding pieces positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows each grounding piece to be optimally positioned away from thick power contacts, maintaining safe distances even when contacts are thickened for high current capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
Grounding pieces are positioned in the transverse direction away from power contacts, creating multi-dimensional spatial separation. This allows thick contacts to carry high current while grounding pieces remain offset in both horizontal and vertical dimensions, preventing shorting.
3Device complexity
If a single continuous grounding piece is used, then the grounding structure is simpler, but the proximity to contacts creates electrical sparkle and shorting risks
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding structure is segmented into multiple separate grounding pieces instead of a single continuous piece. This segmentation creates natural electrical isolation between grounding segments, preventing electrical sparkle and shorting while maintaining relatively simple individual piece designs.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing having a base and a tongue, an upper and lower rows of contacts mounted in the insulative housing and exposed upon the tongue and a pair of grounding pieces separated from each other and retained in the insulative housing between the two rows of contacts. Each grounding piece includes a securing portion disposed in the mating tongue and defines an abutment exposed upon corresponding side face of the mating tongue. The pair of grounding pieces are far away from corresponding power contacts along the transverse direction thereby resulting that the grounding pieces are wholly offset from the power contacts in the vertical direction so as to avoid the power contacts from electrical sparkle.