Flat Circuit Electrical Connector with Direct Conductive Shell Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors for flat circuit devices, such as FPCs and FFCs, face issues with increased thickness, higher production costs, and precision requirements due to the need for insulated housings and complex assembly processes, which also lead to impedance mismatching in signal transmission.
Innovation Solution
The design eliminates the need for insulated housings by using conductive shells directly attached to the flat circuit device's supporting board, reducing thickness and assembly complexity while maintaining precise contact through a shielding conductor and pressing tongues, ensuring consistent impedance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If insulated housings are used to support the connectively engaging protrusion, then the structural integrity and insulation are improved, but the thickness and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the insulated housing from the connector structure, extracting only the essential supporting board portion that provides both mechanical support and electrical connection functions. This eliminates unnecessary insulating materials and reduces overall thickness while maintaining structural integrity through the supporting board's rigid construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the supporting board and conductive shells into an integrated structure where the supporting board serves as both the mechanical foundation and the electrical connection interface. The conductive shells are directly attached to the supporting board, merging insulation, support, and electrical functions into a unified compact structure.
2Reliability
If insulated housings and complex assembly processes are used, then the insulation and structural stability are improved, but the production cost and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the insulated housing from the assembly, eliminating the need for separate insulating components and their associated assembly steps. The supporting board alone provides the necessary structural stability, and the conductive shells are directly mounted to it, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing production costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functions into the supporting board structure, which simultaneously provides mechanical support, electrical connection, and positioning for the conductive shells. This integration eliminates the need for separate insulated housing components and reduces assembly complexity, making manufacturing more cost-effective while maintaining structural stability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the grounding path distance varies, then the grounding flexibility is improved, but the impedance matching and signal integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an equipotential grounding structure by directly connecting the conductive shells to the supporting board, which is itself electrically connected to the ground terminal. This direct connection path ensures consistent electrical potential and uniform impedance characteristics, eliminating signal integrity issues while maintaining grounding effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the grounding path into the supporting board structure itself, which provides a rigid, precision-machined electrical connection path from the conductive shells to the ground terminal. This integrated approach ensures consistent impedance matching and signal integrity while maintaining grounding flexibility through the board's design.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector comprising an end portion of a flat circuit device which forms a connectively engaging protrusion on which a plurality of contacting terminals are arranged and a supporting board portion for supporting the connectively engaging protrusion, and first and second conductive shells having respectively first and second plate portions opposite to each other with the supporting board portion between, wherein the first conductive shell is attached to the supporting board portion with the first plate portion thereof covering directly a first surface of the supporting board portion and the second conductive shell is attached also to the supporting board portion with the second plate portion thereof covering directly a second surface opposite to the first surface of the supporting board portion, so as to hold the connectively engaging protrusion supported with the supporting board portion for causing the same to engage with a mating electrical connector.