Electrical Connector Mold With Compliant Insert
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional injection-molding methods for electrical connectors often result in metal shavings forming during contact insertion, which can lead to undesirable electrical paths between adjacent contacts due to the mismatch in dimensions between the connector housing and contacts.
Innovation Solution
The use of a mold with angled contact receptors and a flexible seal to prevent injection molded plastic from entering post receptors, ensuring that any shavings are contained within the insulative housing and electrically isolated from adjacent contacts, thereby reducing the likelihood of electrical contact between shavings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional injection-molding methods are used with housing openings sized slightly smaller than contact cross-section, then contacts can be press-fit into the housing, but metal shavings form during insertion and can create electrical paths between adjacent contacts
Solution Approach 1:
A compliant insert is introduced as an intermediary element between the housing opening and the electrical contact. This insert has a bore that receives the contact, and the bore is sized to accommodate the contact without causing shavings. The compliant material allows the contact to be inserted without skiving while still providing a secure fit, thus eliminating the harmful metal shavings that would otherwise form and create electrical paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the dimensional parameters of the contact-receiving opening by introducing a compliant insert with a bore sized differently than the housing opening. The bore of the insert is sized to be slightly larger than the contact cross-section, allowing insertion without shavings, while the insert itself is retained within the smaller housing opening. This parameter change resolves the contradiction between achieving a secure press-fit and preventing shaving formation.
2Ease of operation
If housing openings are sized to receive contacts, then contacts can be inserted, but shavings amass at outer housing surface locations enabling electrical contact between adjacent contacts
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant insert serves as a mediator that captures and contains metal shavings generated during contact insertion. The insert's bore receives the contact, and any shavings produced are contained within the insert structure rather than amassing at the outer housing surface. This prevents shavings from creating electrical paths between adjacent contacts, thus maintaining electrical isolation and reliability while preserving ease of contact insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the contact-receiving function from the housing structure itself and places it within the compliant insert. By removing the direct interaction between the housing opening and the contact, the harmful effect of shavings amassing at the housing surface is eliminated. The insert isolates the contact insertion process within its own structure, preventing shavings from reaching locations where they could create electrical paths.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method are disclosed for manufacturing an electrical connector. A mold is presented having a pair of opposing dies that each define a mold pocket. The mold pockets of each die can be joined to form a mold cavity. Plastic can be injection molded into the mold cavity to form an electrical connector housing.