Electrical Connector Power Contact Embedded Conductive Bar
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors with large power contacts are prone to damage during manufacturing due to their split and narrowed contacting areas, which are not reliably protected.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring an insulative housing with a tongue portion and embedded conductive bars, where the conductive bars are mechanically and electrically connected to power contacts via linking bars, hiding them from the mating surface to prevent damage and ensure reliable exposure of standard contacting areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the contacting area of power contact is enlarged to deliver large power, then the power delivery capability is improved, but the contacting area becomes vulnerable to damage during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds the conductive bar within the housing structure, transitioning from an exposed contacting surface to an internal embedded configuration. This spatial repositioning protects the enlarged contacting area from manufacturing damage while maintaining its power delivery function through the housing wall to the external contact surface
Solution Approach 2:
The housing acts as an intermediary protective layer between the enlarged conductive bar contacting area and the external manufacturing environment. The housing shields the vulnerable enlarged contacting surface during assembly and manufacturing processes while still enabling electrical connection through its conductive features
2Reliability
If the conductive bar is exposed at the mating surface to enhance power delivery, then the electrical connectivity is improved, but the conductive bar becomes susceptible to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive bar is nested within the housing structure, with its enlarged contacting area positioned inside the housing rather than exposed externally. This nesting configuration protects the conductive bar from damage while maintaining electrical connectivity through the housing wall to the mating surface
3Adaptability or versatility
If the contacting area is split and narrowed to fit standard mating surfaces, then the compatibility is improved, but the manufacturing reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the conflict between enlarged contacting area and standard mating surface compatibility by using the housing wall as an intermediate dimension. The conductive bar maintains a large contacting area in the internal dimension while the housing provides the standard external mating dimensions, effectively decoupling the two requirements
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes an insulative hosing having a base and a tongue portion extending forwardly from the base. The tongue portion forms opposite mating surfaces. A plurality of contacts are disposed in the housing and spaced from one another. The contacts include the signal contacts, the power contacts and the grounding contacts. A space/area is formed between the power contact and the ground contact and is configured to be adapted to receive two contacts therein. A conductive bar extending in the front-to-back direction parallel to the contacting sections of the contacts, is embedded within the area and mechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding power contact via at least one linking bar which extends in the transverse direction with an offset manner for hiding the conductive bar from the mating surface in the vertical direction.