Connector Partition Wall Prevents Short Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Connectors face issues where small distances between grounding contacts and signal line contacts may lead to short circuits, while large distances increase the connector's size, and the substitution of power supply contacts for signal line contacts at ends can exacerbate these problems.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a housing with terminals, a conductive shell for electromagnetic shielding, grounding spring pieces positioned apart from the terminal group, and partition walls extending between the terminal group and grounding spring pieces to prevent short circuits while maintaining a compact size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the distance between grounding contacts and signal line contacts is made small, then the connector size is reduced, but the risk of short circuit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into distinct regions by partition walls that separate the terminal group from the grounding spring piece. This segmentation allows the grounding contacts and signal line contacts to be positioned closer together without direct contact, reducing connector size while preventing short circuits through physical isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
Partition walls act as intermediary structures between the terminal group and grounding spring piece. These walls provide physical separation and insulation, enabling the grounding contacts to be positioned near signal line contacts without creating a short circuit path, thus resolving the contradiction between compact size and short circuit prevention.
2Reliability
If the distance between grounding contacts and signal line contacts is increased to prevent short circuits, then reliability improves, but the connector size increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing horizontal distance to prevent short circuits, the solution introduces vertical separation through partition walls that extend in the front-rear direction. This dimensional approach allows grounding contacts to be positioned close to signal line contacts in the top view while maintaining electrical isolation through the partition structure, preventing short circuits without increasing connector width.
Solution Approach 2:
The partition walls are integrated within the housing structure, nesting the separation function within the existing connector geometry. This allows effective electrical isolation without adding external dimensions, maintaining compact connector size while ensuring reliability through internal structural organization.
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
The solution effectively prevents terminals from being short-circuited with ground potential while avoiding an increase in connector size, ensuring secure and efficient connections.
Implementation Method 1
a conductive shell, which is configured to at least partially cover the housing
Implementation Method 2
a grounding spring piece, which is electrically connected to the conductive shell, and is formed, apart from a terminal group including the plurality of terminals, at least one of a right side and a left side in a right-and-left direction orthogonal to the front-and-rear direction so that the grounding spring piece is brought into contact with the ground connection portion
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes: a housing, which includes a hole portion extending forward from an insertion slot into which an object is to be inserted; a plurality of terminals, which are arranged in the hole portion; a conductive shell, which is configured to at least partially cover the housing; a grounding spring pieces, which are electrically connected to the conductive shell, and is formed at a position apart from a terminal group toward a right side or a left side so that the grounding spring pieces are brought into contact with a grounding pad of the object; and a partition wall, which extends between the terminal group and the grounding spring pieces along a front-and-rear direction, and is configured to partition the terminal group and the grounding spring pieces.