Electrical Connector Terminal Elasticity and Miniaturization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face issues with stability and signal transmission due to non-elastic deformation of metal pins, which lead to poor mating and increased thickness, making them unsuitable for miniaturization and assembly.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design features an insulator body with terminals that have an elastic portion, an arched contact portion, and an abutting portion, allowing for elastic movement and reduced thickness, preventing mistaken contact with the shell and enhancing stability through preloaded elastic compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If metal pins rely only on elastic deformation to contact the socket surface, then the connector structure is simple, but the connection stability deteriorates after long period use or multiple insertions and removals
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is divided into multiple functional portions: a body portion, an elastic portion extending forward from the base, and an arched contact portion. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function - the body portion provides structural support while the elastic portion provides the necessary deformation capability, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and reliable connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal incorporates an elastic portion that can dynamically deform during insertion and removal operations. This dynamic capability allows the terminal to accommodate insertion forces without permanent deformation, maintaining connection stability over time while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
2Reliability
If sufficient deformation space is left for metal pins inside the plastic stacked body, then the pins can deform elastically, but the connector becomes quite thick
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal has varying thickness along its length - the body portion has sufficient thickness for structural support, while the elastic portion and contact portion are thinner to enable deformation. This local variation in quality allows the terminal to deform elastically without requiring excessive overall thickness, resolving the contradiction between deformation capability and compact size.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal thickness parameter is optimized along its length, with the elastic portion having reduced thickness compared to the body portion. This parameter change enables sufficient elastic deformation capability while minimizing the overall connector thickness, allowing adaptation to miniaturization trends.
3Ease of manufacture
If the plastic body consists of two portions (upper lip and lower lip), then the connector can be assembled, but the assembly process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The upper lip and lower lip are merged into a single integrated plastic body structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate assembly of two plastic components, simplifying the assembly process while maintaining the necessary structural functionality for terminal support and insulation.
4Length of stationary object
If the terminal thickness is reduced to support miniaturization, then the connector size decreases, but the terminal may contact the shell mistakenly
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is designed with a three-dimensional arched contact portion that extends forward from the elastic portion. This dimensional configuration creates natural clearance between the terminal and the shell, preventing mistaken contact while maintaining reduced overall thickness for miniaturization applications.
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 maintains stable connections over time, reduces the risk of signal failure, and supports miniaturization by ensuring reliable assembly and preventing terminal deformation, thus improving the longevity and performance of the connector.
Implementation Method 1
the contact portion 750 of the metal pins 75 relies only upon the elastic deformation of its own material to contact the surface of the inserted connector socket 8
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes an insulator body, a number of terminals arranged on the insulator body, and a shell surrounding the insulator body. The insulator body comprises a main body and a mating portion extending forward from the main body, the front end of the mating portion has a mating aperture, and the top and bottom sides of the mating aperture have a number of terminal grooves. Each terminal includes an elastic portion, a contact portion extending from the elastic portion, and an abutting portion located at the end of the contact portion. The terminals can be configured as to become gradually thinner toward the abutting portion.