Electrical Connector Shielding Plate Grounding Contact

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical connectors with metallic shielding plates often fail to securely contact upper and lower grounding contacts, leading to potential electrical interference and instability.

Innovation Solution

An electrical connector design featuring an insulative housing with upper and lower contact modules, where a metallic shielding plate is positioned between the modules to directly contact the exposed surfaces of the grounding contacts, ensuring secure contact and mechanical connection through abutting portions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a metallic shielding plate is positioned between upper and lower contact modules, then electrical interference is reduced, but secure contact with grounding contacts is not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical interferenceVSAvoidcontact stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (abutting portions with elastic deformation capability) between the shielding plate and grounding contacts. This intermediary allows the shielding plate to be indirectly connected to the grounding contacts through the abutting portions, which can deform elastically to establish reliable electrical contact. This resolves the contradiction by providing both shielding function and secure contact through the mediating abutting portions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes elastic deformation as a parameter change mechanism. The abutting portions are designed to undergo elastic deformation when the connector is assembled, transforming the rigid shielding plate into a configuration that can adaptively contact the grounding contacts. This parameter change (from rigid to elastically deformed state) enables secure contact while maintaining the shielding function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Strength

If grounding contacts are fully covered by contact modules, then mechanical support is improved, but electrical contact with shielding plate is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical supportVSAvoidelectrical contact

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the grounding contact into two functional parts: a first portion that is covered by the contact module for mechanical support, and a second portion that extends beyond the contact module to contact the shielding plate for electrical connection. This segmentation allows the grounding contact to simultaneously fulfill both mechanical support and electrical contact functions, resolving the contradiction between these two requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality differentiation to the grounding contact structure. Different portions of the grounding contact have different functions: the covered portion provides mechanical support while the exposed portion provides electrical contact. This local differentiation of function allows the single grounding contact component to satisfy both contradictory requirements of mechanical support and electrical contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 enhances electrical stability by ensuring secure contact between the shielding plate and grounding contacts, reducing electrical interference and improving the mechanical connection between the contact modules, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the electrical connector.

Implementation Method 1

the metallic shielding plate contacts the second bottom surface of the at least one first grounding contact and the second upper surface of the at least one second grounding contact

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical conduction: Conduction (electrical)

Data Source

PatentUS10141693B2Electrical connector with middle shielding plate contacting upper and lower contacts

Publication Date: 2018.11.27 FOXCONN INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY LTD

AI summary

An electrical connector for mounting on a printed circuit board includes an insulative housing having an upper contact module and a lower contact module. A row of upper contacts are retained in the upper contact module and a row of lower contacts are retained in the lower contact module. The row of upper contacts and the row of lower contacts includes plural conductive contacts and a pair of grounding contacts located at opposite sides of the conductive contacts. Each conductive contact is covered by matching surfaces of the upper contact module and the lower contact module, and each grounding contact is exposed on the matching surfaces of the upper contact module and the lower contact module. A shielding plate contacts the pair of grounding contacts in an up-to-down direction.