Deep Drawn Sleeve Stepped Structure for Stable Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors face challenges in securely mounting a deep drawn sleeve to an insulative housing while minimizing space, as the rear part of the sleeve often lacks sufficient structural features for stable engagement.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design incorporates a deep drawn sleeve with a stepped structure, featuring a rear part with a notch that engages a restraining rib on the insulative housing's base, along with positioning grooves and claws for secure assembly, ensuring stable and space-efficient mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the rear part of the deep drawn sleeve is reduced in outer dimension to save space, then the volume and area of the sleeve are reduced, but the mounting stability and structural engagement capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The deep drawn sleeve is segmented into two distinct parts: a front part with a larger outer dimension for shielding and a rear part with a reduced outer dimension for space savings. The rear part incorporates a notch that segments the structure to enable engagement with the restraining rib on the housing base, allowing compact mounting while maintaining stability through the segmented design.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the sleeve have different dimensional qualities optimized for their specific functions. The front part maintains a larger transverse dimension for effective electromagnetic shielding, while the rear part is locally reduced in dimension for space efficiency. The notch in the rear part provides a localized engagement feature that ensures stable mounting despite the overall size reduction.
2Area of stationary object
If the rear part of the sleeve is reduced in dimension, then the space occupied is reduced, but the engagement structure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sleeve structure is segmented with a notch in the rear part, creating distinct functional zones. This segmentation allows the engagement mechanism to be integrated into the sleeve itself rather than requiring separate components, thereby reducing overall device complexity while achieving compact dimensions.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement structure is merged directly into the rear part of the sleeve through the notch feature. Instead of using a separate engagement component, the notch itself serves as the mounting interface with the restraining rib, simplifying the overall structure while maintaining the reduced area benefit.
3Reliability
If the sleeve is securely mounted to the housing base, then the reliability of the connection is improved, but the impact force from plug insertion is transferred to the contact module
Solution Approach 1:
The restraining rib on the housing base acts as an intermediary element between the sleeve and the housing. The notch in the sleeve engages with this intermediary rib, creating a stable connection that isolates the contact module from direct impact forces during plug insertion. The intermediary rib absorbs and distributes the mechanical stresses.
Solution Approach 2:
The engagement structure is segmented with the notch positioned in the rear part of the sleeve, away from the front tongue where contacts are located. This segmentation creates a mechanical isolation zone that prevents impact forces from being directly transmitted to the contact module, while still ensuring reliable mounting through the notch-rib engagement.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes: an insulative housing having a rear base and a front tongue with two opposite surfaces, plural contacts secured to the insulative housing and exposed to the two opposite surfaces of the tongue, and a deep drawn sleeve having a front part of a first transverse dimension and a rear part of a second transverse dimension less than the first transverse dimension, wherein the rear part of the sleeve is mounted to the base of the insulative housing and has a notch, and the base of the insulative housing has a restraining rib engaging the notch.