Flexible Conductive Cap for Compact PCB Snap Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for health and sports devices, such as heart rate monitors, face challenges in providing a reliable and compact connection that withstands mechanical stress and moisture, while maintaining signal quality, especially when integrated into garments.
Innovation Solution
A male snap connection with an elongate stud featuring a flexible cap made of conductive sheet material, which forms a continuous spring force for electrical contact and mechanical lock with the PCB, eliminating the need for screws and allowing for a compact, space-saving design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard garment snaps are used to connect the telemetric transmitter to the belt, then the connection is mechanically secure and electrically reliable, but the protrusion thickness of around 4 mm increases the size and bulkiness of the device
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a protruding snap connection (extending outward from the belt surface) to a flush-mounted connection where the male snap portion is integrated into the PCB assembly. The female snap socket is mounted on the belt surface with the male portion inserting from below through the PCB, changing the dimensional orientation from external protrusion to internal integration, thereby reducing the 4 mm protrusion thickness to minimal height while maintaining connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The male snap portion is nested within the housing structure and PCB assembly. The stud is fastened to the housing at its mid-portion, with the end portion extending through an aperture in the PCB. The flexible cap is inserted into the aperture and deforms to create mechanical lock and electrical connection, nesting multiple components (stud, cap, PCB aperture) within each other to eliminate the need for separate external snaps
2Volume of moving object
If the male snap portion is integrated directly into the PCB, then the device becomes more compact, but the electrical connection and mechanical attachment become more difficult to assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible cap performs multiple functions automatically during the assembly process. As the cap is inserted into the aperture and the stud is pushed through, the cap deforms elastically to create its own mechanical lock with the PCB aperture walls and establishes electrical contact without requiring separate fastening operations. The cap self-adjusts and self-secures the connection, eliminating the need for screws, clips, or additional fasteners
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible cap utilizes elastic deformation as a key parameter change. The cap is made of conductive sheet material with specific flexibility characteristics that allow it to deform during insertion, create a mechanical lock through elastic recovery, and maintain continuous electrical contact. The elastic properties of the cap material enable it to accommodate tolerances and create reliable connections without precise manufacturing tolerances
3Reliability
If standard snaps with separate fastening operations are used, then the electrical connection is reliable, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the electrical connection function and the mechanical attachment function into a single integrated component - the flexible cap. The cap simultaneously provides electrical conductivity for signal transmission and mechanical elasticity for creating a secure physical connection. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate electrical connectors and mechanical fasteners, reducing the number of assembly steps and improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining reliable electrical connection
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 solution provides a reliable, noise-free electrical connection that withstands mechanical stress and moisture, ensuring stable signal quality without separate fastening operations, and can be easily integrated into garments, enhancing the usability and manufacturing efficiency of health and sports devices.
Implementation Method 1
by flexible deformation of the side members when sliding the cap and the end portion through the aperture
Implementation Method 2
The cap is made of a conductive sheet material... providing an electrical connection from the electronic device to the female snap
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns an electronic device, method for assembling components of an electronic device and a flexible cap for facilitating assembly of an electronic component of an electronic device. The electronic device has a housing and at least one male connection portion for providing a detachable connection of the electronic device to a female snap, and where the male connection portion comprises an elongate stud. An end portion of said stud is adapted to receive a flexible cap of a conductive sheet material having a top surface to fit on the top of the stud and at least two side elements, The side elements are formed as legs joined to the top surface by a first bend of the sheet material and are aligned generally along the wall of the end portion of the stud. An electrical connection and a mechanical lock between the end portion and the printed circuit board is created by flexible deformation of the side members when sliding the cap and the end portion through an aperture in the printed circuit board.