Electrical Connector Wire Termination for High-Speed Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing USB connectors have a small size but low transmission rate, while high-speed serial bus interfaces like PCI Express and SATA have high transmission rates but are large and cumbersome, making them unsuitable for modern, miniaturized electronic devices and peripherals that require both small size and high data transmission efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector with an improved wire arrangement, featuring a conductive shell and insulative housing that accommodates two sets of contacts and wires for transmitting different signal types, including differential pairs and grounding contacts, to enhance data transfer capabilities while maintaining a compact size compatible with standard USB receptacles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If USB connector size is reduced for miniaturization, then portability is improved, but data transmission rate deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the connector in the depth dimension by adding a lower tongue portion below the top tongue portion. This vertical stacking arrangement allows additional contacts to be accommodated without increasing the connector's width or length, thereby maintaining a compact footprint while enabling high-speed data transmission capabilities through additional signal paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is segmented into multiple functional zones: a top tongue portion for USB 2.0 contacts and a lower tongue portion for additional high-speed contacts. This segmentation allows different signal types (USB 2.0 and USB 3.0) to be transmitted simultaneously through separate contact groups, resolving the contradiction between size and transmission rate by providing multiple communication channels within a compact form factor.
2Productivity
If additional contacts are added to increase data transmission rate, then bandwidth is improved, but connector complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 connector functionalities into a single integrated receptacle structure. The top and lower tongue portions are combined into one housing, with both sets of contacts electrically connected to the same insulative housing and shell assembly. This merging approach increases bandwidth by providing multiple signal paths while controlling complexity through a unified structural design rather than separate connectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed with universal functionality to support both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 protocols simultaneously. The receptacle can accept both traditional USB 2.0 plugs and extended USB 3.0 plugs with additional contacts, making it compatible with multiple device types and communication standards. This multi-functionality increases effective bandwidth while managing complexity through standardized contact arrangements that work across different protocol versions.
3Volume of moving object
If connector size is reduced for portability, then device compactness is improved, but wire arrangement difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wire arrangement challenge is resolved by utilizing the vertical dimension through the lower tongue portion. Wires for additional high-speed contacts are routed through the insulative housing to the lower tongue portion, which extends downward from the top tongue portion. This three-dimensional wire routing approach maintains a compact connector footprint while providing adequate space for wire termination and soldering connections without increasing the connector's planar dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire arrangement employs a nested structure where wires for the lower tongue portion contacts are routed through channels within the insulative housing, nesting the wire paths within the existing connector body. This nested wire arrangement allows multiple wire sets to be organized systematically within the compact housing, making the termination process more manageable despite the reduced overall connector size and added contact density.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector (100) includes an insulative housing (2) extending in a front-to-back direction, a conductive shell (7) enclosing the insulative housing and cooperating with the insulative housing to define a receiving cavity (101) adapted for receiving a complementary connector, a first set of contacts (3) held in the insulative housing for transmitting a first kind of signals, a second set of contacts (4) held in the insulative housing and comprising two pairs of differential contacts (41) respectively for transmitting and receiving a second kind of signals and a grounding contact (42), a first set of wires (51) and a second set of wires (52). Each first contact includes a contacting section (36) exposed in the receiving cavity and a tail section (35) extending rearward from the contacting section. Each of the second set of contacts includes a contacting section (43) exposed in the receiving cavity and a tail section (45) extending rearward form the contacting section. The first set of wires are aligned in one row and have inner conductors (510) electrically connecting with the tail sections of the first set of contacts. The second set of wires are aligned in one row and include a pair of differential pairs (521) electrically connecting with the two pairs of differential contacts for transmitting and receiving the second kind of signals and at least one grounding conductor (522) electrically connecting with the grounding contact.