Electrical Contact Segmentation for Mechanical and Electrical Trade-offs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical contacts for chip modules to print circuit boards face a trade-off between mechanical and electrical performance, where longer resilient spring arms improve mechanical characteristics but worsen electrical performance.
Innovation Solution
The design includes an insulative housing with passageways for contacts that have a mating part with a spring arm and a soldering part with a solder tail, where the spring arm is pressed to contact the soldering part, forming a short electrical path while maintaining mechanical strength through a cantilevered and restrained beam structure, and optionally linked via a bridge for enhanced resiliency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the resilient spring arm is made longer to improve mechanical performance, then the mechanical strength and resiliency are enhanced, but the electrical performance deteriorates due to increased electrical resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is divided into two separate parts: a mating part with a spring arm for mechanical connection to the CPU, and a soldering part with a solder tail for electrical connection to the printed circuit board. These parts are spaced apart or linked via a bridge, allowing the spring arm to be long for mechanical strength while the electrical path remains short for good electrical performance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the resilient spring arm is extended to enhance mechanical resiliency, then the contact can better absorb mounting variations, but the electrical transmission path becomes longer increasing resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is segmented into a mating part containing the spring arm and a soldering part containing the solder tail, positioned at opposite ends. This segmentation allows the spring arm to provide mechanical resiliency for adapting to mounting variations while the electrical current flows through a short path from the spring arm contact point directly to the solder tail, minimizing electrical resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact structure transitions from a single linear path to a spatial arrangement where the mating part and soldering part are positioned at opposite ends of the contact body. This dimensional separation allows independent optimization of mechanical resiliency (through the spring arm length) and electrical transmission (through the short internal path).
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 configuration achieves superior mechanical performance with improved electrical conductivity by forming a short electrical path between the CPU and the printed circuit board, ensuring reliable connections and enhanced strength without compromising electrical efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The spring arm is downwardly pressed by the CPU to contact the soldering part when the CPU is mounted upon the electrical connector
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing retaining a plurality of contacts therein. The contact includes a mating part with a first body and a spring arm extending therefrom for mating a conductive pad of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a soldering part with a second body and a solder tail extending therefrom for mounting a solder ball thereon. The spring arm is downwardly pressed by the CPU to contact the soldering part when the CPU is mounted upon the electrical connector The mating part and the soldering part are spaced from each other either without any connection, or alternately linked with each other via a bridge transversely connected therebetween wherein the latter may optionally omit the barbed structure from one of the mating part and the soldering part.