Electrical Connector Offset EMI Spring Mating Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional USB connectors with mating cavities formed solely by metallic shields are not suitable for manual operation and do not accommodate a supporting tongue, limiting their design flexibility and functionality.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector with an insulative housing enclosed within a metallic shield, where the mating cavity is formed by the insulative housing, allowing the spring tang of the metallic shield to extend into the cavity for engagement with the plug, and featuring a deflectable spring leaf and supporting tongue structure to ensure proper alignment and prevent interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the mating cavity is formed solely by the metallic shield, then the connector maintains traditional structure, but manual operation becomes difficult and design flexibility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The mating cavity formation function is segmented between two components: the insulative housing forms the front portion of the mating cavity, while the metallic shield forms the rear portion. This segmentation allows each component to contribute to the overall structure, improving manual operation through the housing's shape while maintaining EMI shielding functionality through the metallic shield.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulative housing acts as an intermediary structure that bridges the gap between traditional metallic shield-only designs and modern design requirements. It provides the necessary geometric guidance for manual insertion while allowing the metallic shield to maintain its EMI protection role, thus mediating between operational ease and structural integrity.
2Ease of operation
If the mating cavity is formed by the insulative housing, then manual operation is enhanced, but the spring tang alignment and interference prevention become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The spring tangs are pre-positioned and pre-aligned during the assembly process, with the metallic shield configured before final insertion. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the connector is manually operated, the spring tangs are already in the correct alignment, preventing interference and ensuring proper engagement without requiring high precision during the insertion operation itself.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances manual operation and alignment of the connector, providing a hybrid mating cavity that complies with the contour of the complementary plug connector while preventing interference with environmental parts, offering improved mechanical and electrical connectivity.
Implementation Method 1
a downwardly deflectable spring leaf unitarily formed with and extending forwardly from a main portion of a bottom wall of the shield
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing having a mating tongue and a supporting tongue both extending forwardly in a front-to-back direction and spaced from each other in a vertical direction perpendicular to said front-to-back direction. A plurality of contacts is disposed in the housing with corresponding contacting sections exposed upon the mating tongue and corresponding tails retained in the housing. A metallic shield encloses the housing and cooperates with the supporting tongue to commonly define a mating cavity in which the mating tongue extends forwardly. The supporting tongue includes a plurality of cutouts in which a plurality of offset spring tangs of the metallic shield extend with corresponding ends extending into the mating cavity.