Electrical Connector Terminals With Soldered Posts for Stable Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors require complex assembly and bending processes for elastic arms, leading to insufficient normal force and increased fatigue, reducing the connector's usage life.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing electrical connectors where conductive posts are soldered onto elastic arms, allowing for simpler formation and ensuring sufficient normal force without the need for assembly into an insulating body, with the elastic arms being shorter and only deforming to maintain stable contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the elastic arms are made longer to extend out of the terminal receiving hole and contact the mating components, then the contact ability is improved, but the normal force becomes insufficient and fatigue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive terminal is divided into distinct functional segments: the elastic arms (first and second elastic arms) that provide contact force, and the conductive posts (first and second conductive posts) that provide the contact surface. This segmentation allows the elastic arms to be shorter while still maintaining effective contact through the rigid conductive posts, resolving the contradiction between contact ability and normal force.
2Force
If greater force is applied to ensure the elastic arms abut the mating components, then the contact force is improved, but the elastic arms fatigue more easily
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the force application function (elastic arms) from the contact interface function (conductive posts), the design allows the elastic arms to apply sufficient force without requiring excessive length or force that would cause fatigue. The rigid conductive posts bear the contact load, protecting the elastic arms from fatigue.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive terminal combines elastic material (for the elastic arms) with rigid conductive material (for the conductive posts). This composite structure allows the elastic portions to provide necessary force while the rigid portions provide durable contact surfaces, resolving the contradiction between contact force and usage life.
3Reliability
If the elastic arms are bent to form contact portions, then the contact structure is achieved, but the assembly process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive terminal is segmented into pre-formed elastic arms and separate conductive posts. The conductive posts are inserted into the elastic arms through a simplified assembly process, avoiding the need for complex bending operations during assembly. This segmentation maintains the contact structure while greatly simplifying manufacturing.
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 approach reduces fatigue in the elastic arms and maintains a stable contact status by ensuring each arm has sufficient normal force to abut electronic components effectively, thereby extending the connector's usage life.
Implementation Method 1
soldering at least one of the conductive members to one of the pre-soldering areas
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an electrical connector includes: providing a metal plate, and cutting the metal plate to form multiple base portions and pre-soldering areas; providing multiple conductive members, and soldering the conductive members to the pre-soldering areas; cutting and forming multiple elastic arms correspondingly according to locations of the conductive members in the pre-soldering areas as references, where a conductive terminal includes a base portion, at least one elastic arm and at least one conductive member; forming an insulating body on the conductive terminals by insert-molding, where the elastic arms and the conductive members are exposed from the insulating body; and forming the conductive terminals by cutting, where at least some of the conductive terminals are separated from each other and are not in contact with each other. The first electronic component and the second electronic component abut the elastic arms and the conductive members to deform and move.