Electrical Connector Grounding via Shielding Shell Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors lack a reliable grounding circuit for grounding metal plates without requiring additional soldering pads on circuit boards, leading to instability and increased complexity.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring a grounding metal plate with extending portions that contact the outer shielding shell, allowing for grounding via soldering legs, which reduces interference and eliminates the need for additional soldering pads on the circuit board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a contact portion with pointed arch shape is used to contact the shielding member, then a grounding circuit is established, but the contact is unstable and grounding effect is poor due to lack of elasticity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the shape parameter of the contact portion from a pointed arch to a U-shape with a bottom. This structural modification provides elasticity and enables the contact portion to flexibly adapt to positional offsets, thereby maintaining stable contact with the shielding member and improving grounding reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The U-shaped contact portion with a bottom is designed to be flexible and elastic, allowing it to dynamically adjust to minor positional variations during assembly. This dynamic adaptability ensures continuous stable contact between the grounding terminal and the shielding member, resolving the instability issue.
2Reliability
If grounding is established via a soldering leg of the shielding member, then a grounding circuit is provided, but a soldering pad must be specially provided on the circuit board which increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the grounding function into the existing soldering pad structure. The grounding terminal's U-shaped contact portion contacts the shielding member, and the entire grounding path is achieved through the existing circuit board soldering pad, making the grounding system multi-functional without requiring dedicated grounding pads, thus reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the grounding circuit function with the existing soldering pad structure. By designing the grounding terminal to contact the shielding member through its U-shaped contact portion and using the same soldering pad for both signal and grounding functions, the design eliminates the need for separate grounding pads, simplifying the circuit board layout.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector comprise: an insulative body comprising a body portion and a tongue portion extending forwards from the body portion; a plurality of conductive terminals divided into a group of first conductive terminals and a group of second conductive terminals, a mating portion of each first conductive terminal is exposed on a first surface of the tongue portion, a mating portion of each second conductive terminal is exposed on the second surface of the tongue portion; an outer shielding shell fixed on the insulative body, having at least a grounding soldering leg and enclosing an outer space of the tongue portion to form a mating cavity; and a grounding metal plate comprising a main plate and at least an extending portion extending from the main plate, the main plate is embedded in the tongue portion and spaces the first conductive terminals apart from the second conductive terminals, the extending portion extends out from at least a side of the insulative body and electrically contacts the outer shielding shell. The present disclosure may reliably provide a grounding circuit for the grounding metal plate without a grounding soldering pad additionally provided on a circuit board.