Connector Housing Protrusions for Contact Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electrical connectors face deflection issues due to applied loads during mating, which can cause mechanical stress and potential damage, especially when connecting vertical motherboards to horizontal daughter cards.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of protrusions within the receptacle housing's contact assembly receiving area, which correspond to wells in the contact assembly, provides a snug fit and prevents incorrect orientation, minimizing deflection and shear stress by ensuring proper alignment and secure insertion of the plug connector.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If male and female latch portions are assembled to provide proper positioning, then the connector achieves ease of operation, but the latch portions deflect under applied load causing mechanical stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning of contact assemblyVSAvoidresistance to deflection under load

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The housing is segmented into multiple contact assembly receiving areas, each with its own protrusions. This segmentation allows independent alignment and stress distribution for each contact assembly, preventing deflection under load while maintaining ease of positioning during assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusions are integrated directly into the housing structure rather than being separate components. This merging of alignment features into the housing itself provides both positioning function and structural strength to resist deflection under applied load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Manufacturing precision

If protrusions are added to housing to minimize movement, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealignment of contact assemblyVSAvoidhousing structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusions are formed as integral parts of the housing during the housing manufacturing process. This merging eliminates the need for separate alignment components, reducing device complexity while achieving precise alignment through the protrusion-well interface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The protrusions are strategically placed only at specific contact assembly receiving areas where alignment is needed, rather than throughout the entire housing. This localized approach provides manufacturing precision where required without unnecessarily increasing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If contact assembly is secured with protrusions and wells, then reliability is improved, but the risk of incorrect orientation insertion remains

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure insertion of contact assemblyVSAvoidincorrect orientation insertion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The protrusions are positioned asymmetrically within the contact assembly receiving areas, creating a unique geometric pattern that only matches the correct orientation of the contact assembly. This asymmetric arrangement prevents incorrect insertion while maintaining reliable secure insertion through the protrusion-well fit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP1897177B1Electrical connector housing alignment feature

Publication Date: 2015.12.02 FCI ASIA PTE LTD

Figure 1~2
Figure 3A
Figure 3B~4

AI summary

An electrical connector receptacle housing (2150) is provided that includes protrusions (2116) in the housing's contact assembly receiving area. The location of each protrusion (2116) corresponds to a location of a well (2190) formed in a contact assembly (2160) between dual beams of ground contacts (2175). When the contact block (2160) is received in the housing (2150), each protrusion (2116) is received in a corresponding well (2190). The protrusions (2116) may be sized to provide a snug fit as the contact block (2160) is received in the receptacle housing. The protrusions (2116) thus help minimize the movement of the contact block.