Electrical Connector Shell Alignment via Enforcing Beams
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors with metal shells face issues of inaccurate alignment and deformation due to loose control over the relative dimensions and positions between the insulated housing and the metal shell, leading to potential misalignment during mating with a complementary connector.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring an insulated housing with a metal shell, where the metal shell has transversal walls forming an inverted U-shape with arms and a spring member, and the housing has enforcing beams that securely assemble the components to enhance alignment and stability, ensuring accurate mating with a complementary connector.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the metal shell is assembled to the insulated housing via thin and flexible arms, then the assembly is easier to manufacture, but the relative position between the insulated housing and the metal shell cannot be precisely controlled
Solution Approach 1:
The metal shell is divided into a body portion and arms, with the arms serving as separate mounting elements that can be independently positioned and secured to the insulated housing, allowing for both ease of assembly and precise positioning control
Solution Approach 2:
The arms are pre-formed with specific geometric features and mounting configurations that enable precise positioning before final assembly, ensuring accurate relative position control between the metal shell and insulated housing while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
2Ease of manufacture
If the connector guide is separately mounted on the printed circuit board, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the connector guide may deform before mounting, causing inaccurate guiding
Solution Approach 1:
The metal shell (connector guide) and insulated housing are combined into a single integrated assembly that is then mounted as one unit on the printed circuit board, eliminating the risk of deformation between separate components while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through integrated construction
3Extent of automation
If the insulated housing and connector guide are handled by a pick-up cover/device, then the assembly process is automated, but the control over relative dimension and position is loose
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated assembly is designed with distinct functional segments (metal shell body, arms, mounting features) that can be independently formed and positioned, allowing automated pick-up devices to handle the assembly while maintaining precise relative dimensions through the integrated structure
Solution Approach 2:
The metal shell and insulated housing are pre-assembled with precise relative positioning features before automation handling, ensuring that the pick-up cover/device can handle the pre-positioned assembly without compromising dimensional control
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 improved design enhances the combination between the insulated housing and the metal shell, providing increased tolerance and ensuring accurate alignment and secure mating of connectors, thus addressing the issues of deformation and misalignment.
Implementation Method 1
a spring member slantways extending downward and rearward from rear edge of the upper wall
Implementation Method 2
Each of the pair of enforcing beams defines a passage along a mating direction sandwiching lower sections of the corresponding arm and the transversal wall of the metal shell
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector (100) includes an insulated housing (1), a number of terminals (2) received in the insulated housing (1), a metal shell (3) assembled to the insulated housing (1). The metal shell (3) includes an inverted U-shaped body portion (30), with a pair of arms (33) extending rearward from rear edges of transversal walls (32) and a spring member (34) slantways extending downward and rearward from rear edge of an upper wall (31) thereof. The insulated housing (1) further has a pair of enforcing beams (16) attached to the lower sections thereof and extending beyond a front face of the insulated housing (1). The insulated housing (1) is assembled between the arms (33) of the metal shell (3), with the body portion (30) located forwardly of the insulated housing (1) and the spring member (34) located above of the insulated housing (1). Each of the pair of enforcing beams (16) defines a passage (163) along a mating direction sandwiching lower sections of the corresponding arm (33) and the transversal wall (32) of the metal shell (3).