Electrical Connector Terminal Alignment via Insert Molding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors face issues with terminal misalignment and bending during assembly, leading to defective products and increased manufacturing costs due to the need for new molds when metal shell dimensions change.
Innovation Solution
The modular electrical connector design employs an insert-molding process to embed terminals in a dielectric module member, ensuring uniform alignment and compatibility with various metal shell specifications, reducing assembly time and waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If terminals are manually inserted into retention holes without pre-alignment, then assembly flexibility is maintained, but terminal misalignment and bending occur leading to defective products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-aligning and fixing the terminals to the insulated main body before assembly. The terminals are预先 (in advance) positioned and secured to the insulated main body, ensuring they are already aligned and fixed in the correct positions before the assembly process begins, thus preventing misalignment and bending during insertion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If metal shell dimensions are changed to meet different design specifications, then product adaptability is improved, but existing insulated main bodies and terminals become obsolete requiring new molds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the electrical connector into separate modular components: the insulated main body with pre-fixed terminals, and the metal shell. This allows the metal shell to be independently selected or changed according to different design specifications while the insulated main body with terminals remains reusable, eliminating the need to discard components when adapting to different metal shell dimensions.
3Ease of manufacture
If terminals are arranged without pre-positioning, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but assembly time increases due to alignment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning and fixing the terminals to the insulated main body in advance. This preliminary arrangement of terminals eliminates the need for time-consuming alignment operations during the final assembly process, as the terminals are already in their correct positions and orientations before assembly begins.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes a plurality of terminals, and a module member having a front end face, a rear end face and a bottom side interconnecting the front and rear end faces. The bottom side is dented inwardly to form an assembling chamber. The front end is dented inwardly to form a front opening in spatial communication with the assembling chamber. An insulated main body includes a base portion inserted into the assembling chamber in the module member, and a tongue plate projecting frontward from the base portion. Each terminal has a contact section embedded in the tongue plate via an insert-molding process and an inclined section extending from the contact section. A metal shell encloses the module member from an exterior thereof.