Electrical Connector Shielding Plate Mating Tongue Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current connectors for transmitting high-speed differential signals lack compact size and high-frequency characteristics, necessitating an improved design that balances mechanical and electrical connectivity with reduced size and enhanced performance.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector with an insulative housing and metallic shielding/reinforcement plate that mechanically and electrically connects to grounding contacts, featuring a mating tongue with exposed contacting sections and a spring tang for reinforcement, allowing for efficient mounting to a printed circuit board while maintaining high-frequency signal transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a connector is designed to transmit high-speed differential signals, then signal transmission capability is improved, but the connector size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated structure. The shielding plate is merged with the reinforcement function, where the same metallic plate provides both electromagnetic shielding for high-frequency signals and mechanical reinforcement for the mating tongue. This eliminates the need for separate shielding components, reducing overall connector volume while maintaining signal transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The metallic shielding plate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electromagnetic shielding for differential signal pairs, mechanical reinforcement for the mating tongue structure, and electrical connection through connection to ground contacts. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, achieving compact size without compromising high-frequency performance.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connector structure is simplified to reduce size, then manufacturing ease is improved, but mechanical strength and electrical connectivity may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the shielding plate with the reinforcement function by having the metallic plate extend into the mating tongue to provide structural support. This integrated design strengthens the mating tongue without adding separate reinforcement components, maintaining mechanical strength while achieving compactness for ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding plate acts as an intermediary element that connects the ground contacts to the mating tongue structure. Through this intermediary connection, electrical connectivity is maintained while mechanical strength is reinforced, achieving both goals without increasing overall complexity or manufacturing difficulty.
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 solution provides a compact, high-frequency capable connector that effectively transmits differential signals with improved mechanical and electrical connectivity, addressing the need for enhanced performance in software applications.
Implementation Method 1
a spring tang to mechanically and electrically connected to the selected grounding contact
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector for mating with a plug and mounting to a printed circuit board, includes an insulative housing with a forwardly extending mating tongue thereof. A terminal module includes an insulator associated with a plurality of contacts commonly assembled into the housing. Those contacts are categorized with the differential pairs, the grounding contacts and the power contacts while each of the contacts includes a front contacting section exposed upon the mating tongue, a middle retention section retained to the insulator, and a rear tail section extending out of the housing. A metallic shielding/reinforcement plate associated with the terminal module is assembled into the housing, and includes a front region inserted into the mating tongue, a middle region with a spring tang to mechanically and electrically connected to the selected grounding contact, and a rear tail section extending out of the housing.