Low Profile Electrical Connector Housing Protrusions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing CPU connectors, such as land grid array sockets, increase the height of the contact due to the need for barbs to secure the terminal, which is unfavorable for low-profile electrical connectors.

Innovation Solution

A low-profile electrical connector design featuring a housing with passageways and protrusions that secure contacts with solder balls, where the contacts have a base portion with a hole aligning with the protrusions, allowing for a low-profile configuration while maintaining electrical connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If barbs are used to secure the terminal in the passageway, then the terminal is firmly fixed, but the height of the contact must be increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecuring of terminalVSAvoidheight of contact

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from vertical barbs extending upward to engage the terminal, to horizontal protrusions extending laterally from the passageway walls. This dimensional change allows the securing mechanism to operate in the horizontal plane rather than requiring vertical space, thereby reducing the height of the contact while maintaining effective securing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having the terminal engage the securing feature from below (as with vertical barbs), the patent inverts the arrangement so that protrusions extend outward from the passageway to engage the terminal. This inversion allows the securing action to occur at a lower height profile.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Length of moving object

If the contact height is reduced for low profile design, then the connector achieves lower profile, but the securing mechanism becomes more difficult to implement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheight of contactVSAvoidsecuring mechanism design

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The securing mechanism is segmented into multiple independent protrusions positioned at different locations around the passageway. Each protrusion can be independently formed and positioned, allowing for a distributed securing approach that maintains effectiveness while keeping individual components simple and the overall height low.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the securing function with the passageway structure itself by integrating protrusions directly into the passageway walls. This merging eliminates the need for separate securing components, simplifying the overall design while achieving effective terminal retention at reduced height.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS8974236B2Low profile electrical connector

Publication Date: 2015.03.10 HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO LTD

AI summary

An electrical connector for electrically connecting a central processing unit (CPU) to a printed circuit board (PCB) includes a housing, a number of contacts, and a number of solder balls. The housing has a number of passageways extending passing through the housing and a number of protrusions located outside the passageways and corresponding the passageways one-to-one. A number of contacts partially are disposed in the passageways and each has a hole to match with the protrusion and secure the contacts on the housing. A number of solder balls are connected with corresponding contacts.