Elastic Contact With Projecting Tabs For Compact Spring Properties
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing contacts for electronic circuit boards face challenges in maintaining good spring properties while ensuring a compact size, as widening the contact portion for stability increases overall width, and narrowing it compromises spring properties.
Innovation Solution
A contact design featuring a fixing portion, an elastic contact piece, and projecting tabs formed from a metal thin plate, allowing the elastic contact piece to swing and deform, with projecting tabs that function as stoppers to prevent excessive compression and maintain contact integrity, ensuring electrical connection while minimizing overall width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the width of the contact portion is increased to ensure stability and spring properties, then the spring properties are improved, but the overall width of the contact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is divided into distinct functional segments: the contact portion (for spring properties), the leg portions (for mounting), and the joining portions (for soldering). This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the contact portion can maintain sufficient width for spring properties while the overall width is controlled by the narrower leg portions
Solution Approach 2:
The contact design transitions from a two-dimensional planar structure to a three-dimensional configuration with curved portions and vertical portions. The leg portions extend vertically from the base portion, allowing the contact portion to have adequate width without increasing the overall footprint width, as the mounting function is achieved in the vertical dimension
2Length of stationary object
If the overall width of the contact is reduced to achieve compact size, then the overall width is decreased, but the width of the contact portion becomes relatively narrow which compromises spring properties
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the contact into distinct functional zones (contact portion, leg portions, joining portions), the design allows the contact portion to maintain its width independently of the overall contact width. The leg portions can be positioned to provide mounting functionality without constraining the contact portion's dimensions
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the contact are given different local properties and dimensions appropriate to their function. The contact portion has sufficient width for spring properties, while the leg portions have dimensions optimized for mounting. This local optimization allows compact overall width without compromising the spring properties of the contact portion
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 design enables effective electrical connection between the conductor pattern and conductive member, maintains spring properties, and allows for compact integration into small devices by optimizing the use of space and preventing excessive deformation.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic contact piece extending from the fixing portion, the elastic contact piece being configured to be capable of swinging relative to the fixing portion by elastically deforming
Implementation Method 2
a pair of joining portions each extending from the opposite side of a corresponding leg portion from the side of the leg portion in which the base portion is located, a surface of each joining portion facing in the same direction as the second surface being configured to be soldered to the conductive pattern
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2E
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A contact in one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a fixing portion, an elastic contact piece, and a pair of projecting tabs, which are formed as an integrated entity from a metal thin plate. The projecting tabs project from the fixing portion at positions on both sides of the elastic contact piece. A dimension of the elastic contact piece in a width direction, which matches the direction of an interval between the projecting tabs, is a first dimension. The projecting tabs are formed such that each projecting tab is a flat plate having the same thickness as the thin plate. The projecting tabs are arranged such that the thickness directions thereof are the same direction, in locations that have inner surfaces of the projecting tabs facing each other, and an interval between the inner surfaces is a second dimension greater than the first dimension.