Electric Connector Sacrificial Element ESD Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) causes permanent damage to electronic devices due to Electrical Overstress (EOS), leading to functional failures, as electrostatic charges are difficult to avoid during manufacturing, assembly, and handling, resulting in potential short circuits and device shutdowns.
Innovation Solution
An electric connector design where a first vertical element connects to the top surface and a second vertical element connects to the bottom surface of horizontal elements, with the first vertical element or horizontal element being designed to burn out before the second vertical element at a specific voltage, creating a short circuit and preventing permanent damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional electric connector design is used, then the structure is simple, but the entire circuit suffers permanent damage when ESD occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The electric connector is segmented into multiple independent conductive elements (first vertical element, horizontal element, second vertical element) with different ESD resistance levels. This segmentation allows individual elements to fail independently while protecting the overall circuit, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity by distributing the protection function across separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed with predetermined weak points (first vertical element or horizontal element) that are engineered to fail before critical components. This preliminary action of creating controlled failure points prevents catastrophic damage to the entire circuit when ESD occurs, improving reliability without requiring complex active protection systems.
2Reliability
If the second vertical element is made highly resistant to ESD, then circuit protection is improved, but the cost and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different parts of the connector are assigned different ESD resistance qualities: the second vertical element is designed with high ESD resistance while the first vertical element and horizontal element have lower resistance. This local differentiation of properties provides targeted protection where needed while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard material selection and geometric design.
Solution Approach 2:
The design employs a sacrificial element strategy where cheaper, less ESD-resistant components (first vertical element, horizontal element) are intentionally positioned to fail first, protecting more critical or expensive components. This approach improves ESD protection capability while controlling manufacturing costs by using simpler materials and structures for the sacrificial elements.
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 increases the lifetime of electronic devices by ensuring a short circuit occurs before the second vertical element is damaged, thereby preventing permanent failure and allowing for replaceable components to maintain device functionality.
Implementation Method 1
the first vertical element or the horizontal element is burned out before the second vertical element below the horizontal element is burned out, thereby a short circuit occurring before the second vertical element is burned out
Data Source
AI summary
An electric connector includes a metal interconnect, a first vertical element and a second vertical element. The metal interconnect includes a plurality of horizontal elements. The first vertical element physically connects to a top surface of each of the horizontal elements. The second vertical element physically connects to a bottom surface of each of the horizontal elements, and the second vertical element misaligns the first vertical element. The present invention also provides an electric connector including a first vertical element and a second vertical element. The first vertical element physically connects to a top surface of a horizontal element. The second vertical element physically connects to a bottom surface of the horizontal element, and the second vertical element misaligns the first vertical element, wherein the first vertical element or the horizontal element is burned out before the second vertical element is burned out while a voltage is applied.