Electrical Connector With Segmented Contact Tails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face challenges in efficiently conducting large currents and dissipating heat while preventing short circuits and ensuring robust soldering to printed circuit boards, particularly in configurations like USB Type-C connectors.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design features two rows of contacts with outermost ground and adjacent power contacts, each having a contacting portion, plural tail portions, and an intermediate portion, arranged in a symmetrical and systematic manner within an insulative housing enclosed by a shielding shell, optimizing current flow, heat dissipation, and soldering strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If ground and power contacts have single tail portions, then device complexity is reduced, but current conduction capability and heat dissipation are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The ground and power contacts are divided into multiple tail portions (at least two) instead of a single tail portion. This segmentation allows current to flow through multiple parallel paths, increasing the overall current conduction capability and improving heat dissipation efficiency without significantly complicating the manufacturing process
2Power
If ground and power contacts have wider width, then current conduction and heat dissipation improve, but risk of short circuits increases
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the wide ground and power contacts into multiple separate tail portions, the design achieves both wide contact area for heat dissipation and current conduction, while the gaps between tail portions provide natural insulation that prevents short circuits. Each tail portion can be independently managed for spacing and positioning
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate portion of each contact is designed with specific properties to provide electrical insulation between the contacting portion and the multiple tail portions. This local quality change ensures that the wide contact area for power conduction does not compromise insulation and short circuit prevention
3Strength
If ground and power contacts have plural tail portions, then soldering strength improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact structure is segmented into multiple tail portions that can be separately formed and positioned. This segmentation allows for standardized manufacturing processes where each tail portion can be consistently formed with proper spacing, improving soldering strength through multiple attachment points while maintaining manageable manufacturing precision through modular design
4Adaptability or versatility
If contact configuration is optimized for power delivery, then compatibility with Type C format is maintained, but structural integrity challenges arise
Solution Approach 1:
The ground and power contacts are segmented into multiple tail portions that are distributed within the Type C connector housing. This segmentation allows the contacts to conform to the Type C format specifications while maintaining structural integrity through proper distribution and support of the multiple tail portions within the housing structure
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes: an insulative housing having a base and a tongue; two rows of contacts arranged in the insulative housing and exposed respectively to two opposite surfaces of the tongue, each row of contacts including an outermost ground contact and an adjacent power contact next to the ground contact; and a shielding shell enclosing the insulative housing, wherein each of the ground contact and the power contact in at least one of the two rows has a contacting portion, plural tail portions, and an intermediate portion between the contacting portion and the plural tail portions.