Double-Sided Contact Module with Equal-Length Differential Pairs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical connectors with differential pairs experience transmission quality degradation due to unequal contact lengths, leading to skewing effects.

Innovation Solution

The electrical connector design features contact modules with differential pairs where the lower contact is curved and the upper contact is straight, ensuring equal lengths, and includes a grounding module sandwiched between the contact modules for improved signal transmission, with grounding contacts arranged densely to enhance shielding and reduce crosstalk.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the differential pair contacts are arranged in parallel with different transmission lengths, then the device complexity is reduced, but the transmission quality degrades due to skew

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact arrangement complexityVSAvoidtransmission quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies asymmetry by making one contact in each differential pair curved while the other remains straight. This asymmetric geometric configuration compensates for the natural length differences in parallel-arranged contacts, equalizing the electrical path lengths and eliminating skew without requiring complex routing arrangements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Reliability

If the lower contact is made curved to equalize lengths, then the transmission quality improves by reducing skew, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission qualityVSAvoidcontact geometry precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs curvature in the lower contact's body portion to achieve length equalization. The curved geometry provides a straightforward manufacturing solution that is easier to produce with standard techniques compared to achieving precise equal lengths through complex routing or adjustment mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If grounding contacts are arranged densely together, then the shielding effectiveness improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecrosstalk and interferenceVSAvoidgrounding structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple grounding contacts into a unified dense arrangement, either as discrete contacts positioned closely together or as an integrated grounding structure. This consolidation provides comprehensive shielding and crosstalk reduction while maintaining a relatively simple overall device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10833455B2Contact module having double-sided arranged contacts with insulator and respective equal length differential pair thereof

Publication Date: 2020.11.10 FOXCONN INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY LTD

AI summary

An electrical connector includes a pair of opposite contact modules commonly sandwiching a grounding module therebetween in a transverse direction wherein each contact module includes two sided contacts on two sides of an insulator while the front mating sections and/or the bottom connecting sections of all the contacts are aligned in the same line. The contacts on each side of the insulator include a plurality of differential pair contacts and a plurality of grounding contacts alternately arranged with each other along the side face wherein the lengths of the pair of contacts in each differential pair essentially have the same length for reducing skewing effect by extending the body of the lower contact curvedly while keeping that of the upper contact essentially straight in each differential pair.