Elastic Connector Pin with Segmented Blades for PCB Thickness Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connector pins, particularly those used in stressed environments like aeronautics, are expensive to manufacture and require long metallized holes to ensure reliable connections, which can lead to increased PCB thickness and vulnerability under mechanical, vibratory, and thermal stresses.
Innovation Solution
A pin design featuring a flat end section with parallel, elastically deformable blades that can be adjusted in distance and material selection to ensure reliable contact with a shorter length, allowing for use in shorter holes and improved stress resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pins with needle-cat shaped end section are used to ensure reliable connection under stress, then connection reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The end section of the pin is segmented into two parallel blades separated by a slot, with contact portions on outer edges that can independently engage with the metallized hole. This segmentation allows the pin to maintain reliability through elastic deformation while using a simpler, more cost-effective manufacturing process compared to the needle-cat shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the pin end section from the complex needle-cat shape to a simpler parallel blade structure. By adjusting the distance between blades and the elasticity of the material, the pin achieves reliable connection under stress without requiring expensive manufacturing processes.
2Reliability
If pins with needle-cat shaped end section are used to ensure reliable connection, then connection reliability is improved, but metallized hole length must be increased
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented blade structure allows the contact portions to be positioned optimally within a shorter metallized hole. The two parallel blades with contact portions on their outer edges can engage the metallized hole more efficiently, reducing the required hole length compared to the needle-cat shape which requires longer engagement distance.
3Reliability
If longer metallized holes are used to accommodate distal and intermediate parts, then connection reliability is improved, but PCB thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the geometric parameters of the pin end section to the parallel blade configuration, the invention reduces the required engagement length within the metallized hole. This parameter change allows for shorter metallized holes and consequently thinner PCBs while maintaining connection reliability under mechanical, vibratory, and thermal stresses.
4Ease of manufacture
If simpler pin structures are used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but resistance to mechanical and thermal stresses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The parallel blade structure incorporates elastic deformation capability, allowing the blades to dynamically adapt to stresses. The blades can deform elastically under mechanical and thermal stresses to maintain contact pressure and connection reliability, while the overall structure remains simpler and more cost-effective to manufacture compared to rigid needle-cat shapes.
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
The pin design provides a reliable and cost-effective electrical connection with reduced PCB thickness and enhanced resistance to mechanical and thermal stresses, while minimizing the 'stub' effect on high-frequency signals.
Implementation Method 1
the blades being elastically deformable between a rest position and a close position in which the contact portions are close together
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a pin of an electrical connector, comprising a connecting section for connection to the connector and a free end section, the end section having a flat cross-section and being provided with a slot passing through the thickness of the end section and extending over a length of the free end section in order to form two blades parallel to each other, each one having a first straight edge bordering the slot and a second edge which extends opposite the slot and is provided with a contact portion projecting laterally in relation to an outer surface of the connecting section, the blades being transversely elastically deformable by varying the width of the slot. The invention also relates to a connector and to an electronic device comprising such a pin.