Connector Terminal Layout to Prevent Solder Bridging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors face challenges in manufacturing complexity due to integrated terminals, leading to narrow pitch and potential solder bridging issues, making it difficult to produce compact and reliable connections between circuit boards.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a housing with side walls and end walls supporting terminals, reinforced by a metal fitting, with staggered terminal arrangements and offset contact surfaces to maintain insulation and prevent solder bridging, allowing for easier manufacturing and compact size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If terminals are integrated with the housing using overmolding or insert molding, then the connector becomes more compact with reduced pitch between terminals, but manufacturing complexity increases and it becomes difficult to precisely deploy a large number of terminals in a mold
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate components: the housing and the terminals are manufactured independently and then assembled. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized separately - the housing can be molded with precise geometric features while terminals can be precisely deployed using conventional terminal attachment methods, avoiding the manufacturing complexity of integrated molding while maintaining compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension by having terminals extend upward from the bottom surface of the housing rather than being integrated within the housing body. This dimensional arrangement allows compact horizontal pitch while providing sufficient vertical space for terminal structure and soldering operations, resolving the conflict between compact size and manufacturing ease.
2Volume of moving object
If the connector is made low-profile, then the connector becomes more compact, but the distance between the board connecting part and the contact part of each terminal becomes insufficient, resulting in poor connection due to solder wicking
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal structure utilizes the vertical dimension effectively, with the board connecting part extending downward from the housing bottom surface and the contact part extending upward from the housing top surface. This vertical arrangement provides sufficient distance between solder joints while maintaining a low horizontal profile, preventing solder wicking by ensuring adequate separation in the vertical direction despite compact horizontal dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal is segmented into distinct functional portions - the board connecting part, the intermediate structure, and the contact part - allowing each to be optimized for its specific function. The board connecting part can be designed with adequate length for reliable soldering while the contact part maintains proper clearance, and the intermediate structure bridges these portions without requiring excessive overall height.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector, including: a housing, a plurality of terminals and a reinforcing metal fitting attached to the housing, wherein the housing includes a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls connected to each end of the side walls, the side walls supporting the terminals, and the reinforcing metal fitting connected to the end walls; the terminal includes a board connecting part extending in a width direction of the connector, a second contact part with a first end connected to the board connecting part, and a first contact part with a second end connected to the second contact part; the side wall includes a bottom plate part, and a convex wall protruding from the bottom plate part in the mating direction; and the first contact surface having the first contact part is exposed to a first side surface and a second side surface of the convex wall at positions corresponding to the first side surface and the second side surface of the convex wall, and a second contact surface having the second contact part is exposed to a first side and a second side of the convex wall at positions offset inward in the width direction from the first side surface and the second side surface of the convex wall.