Connector Shielding Guiding Protrusions for Precise Mating Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In miniaturized signal connectors, existing connector shieldings often get damaged during mating and lack a well-defined positional relationship, which can lead to improper alignment and functionality issues.
Innovation Solution
A connector shielding with guiding protrusions that protrude from the shielding walls to guide the mating connector, ensuring proper alignment and preventing damage by defining the position of the shielding components relative to each other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If connector shielding is miniaturized to reduce size, then compactness is improved, but damage resistance during mating deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector shielding is segmented into multiple shielding walls with guiding protrusions on specific walls. This segmentation allows the protrusions to act as protective and guiding elements during mating, enabling the miniaturized connector to resist damage while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding protrusions are pre-positioned on the shielding walls before mating occurs. These protrusions preliminarily establish the correct alignment and position of the mating connector, preventing misalignment and reducing the risk of damage during the mating process.
2Volume of moving object
If connector shielding is miniaturized to reduce size, then compactness is improved, but positional definition deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the shielding structure into discrete walls with specific protrusions, the patent creates well-defined reference features. These segmented elements provide precise positional references that define the relationship between mating connectors, achieving good positional definition despite miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The guiding protrusions act as intermediary elements between the shielding walls and the mating connector. These protrusions mediate the positioning process, ensuring that the mating connector achieves the correct position relative to the shielding, thereby defining the positional relationship with high precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If guiding protrusions are added to shielding walls, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than complicating the entire shielding structure, the patent applies guiding protrusions only to specific shielding walls where they are most needed for alignment. This localized approach improves alignment precision while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding complex alignment mechanisms to the mating connector, the patent inverts the approach by incorporating guiding protrusions directly on the shielding walls. This reversal simplifies the overall system while achieving the desired alignment precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector shielding for a connector includes a plurality of shielding walls forming a receptacle receiving a mating connector and a guiding protrusion disposed on at least one of the shielding walls and protruding from the at least one of the shielding walls toward the receptacle. The receptacle is open in an insertion direction at a forward end for insertion of the mating connector. The shielding walls are parallel with each other at least in sections in a cross-section perpendicular to the insertion direction.