Flippable Receptacle Connector Shielding Plate Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flippable plug connectors require costly MUX (or SS switch) integration to handle super speed signaling, which degrades signal quality and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A receptacle connector design featuring an insulative housing with a mating tongue, two rows of contacts, and a shielding plate embedded within the housing, integrated via insert molding, which allows for effective signal transmission without the need for additional switching components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If MUX (or SS switch) is built into the silicon to handle super speed signaling, then the plug connector can be flippable, but the cost increases and signal quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the plug connector flippable through complex MUX integration, the invention inverts the approach by making the receptacle connector flippable. The receptacle connector includes a housing with a front opening and a contact assembly that can be rotated 180 degrees, allowing the receptacle to be installed in either orientation. This eliminates the need for MUX while achieving the same versatility goal.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the flippable mechanism from the plug connector and relocates it to the receptacle connector. By removing the MUX component from the plug and implementing the flipping capability in the receptacle instead, the solution eliminates the harmful effects of MUX integration while preserving the desired adaptability.
2Speed
If MUX (or SS switch) is built into the silicon, then super speed signaling can be handled, but signal quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a shielding plate as an intermediary component between the contact assembly and the external environment. The shielding plate includes a shield opening that allows signal transmission while providing EMI shielding. This mediator protects the super speed signals from interference without requiring MUX integration, thus maintaining both speed and signal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The shielding plate is positioned in advance to prevent EMI from affecting the super speed signals. By establishing protective shielding before signals are transmitted, the invention preemptively counteracts potential signal degradation without needing complex switching components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If MUX (or SS switch) is built into the silicon, then flippable functionality is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the expensive MUX component with a simple, low-cost mechanical flipping mechanism. The receptacle connector housing and contact assembly can be manufactured using conventional molding and assembly processes, eliminating the need for costly silicon integration of MUX while achieving the same flippable functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the orientation parameter of the receptacle connector by allowing 180-degree rotation, rather than changing the electrical configuration through MUX. This parameter change approach uses simple mechanical design instead of complex electronic components, significantly reducing manufacturing cost.
Data Source
AI summary
A receptacle connector includes an insulative housing defining a base and a mating tongue extending from the base, the mating tongue defining a thicken step structure around a root thereof adjacent to the base; two rows of contacts disposed in the insulating housing with contacting sections exposed upon the mating tongue and mount tails out of the base; and a shielding plate embedded within the insulative housing and disposed between the two rows of contacts. The shielding plate defines a pair of locking sides for locking with an internal latch of a corresponding plug and the locking sides protruding beyond corresponding lateral sides of the mating tongue. The insulative housing and the shielding plate are integrally formed via an insert molding process while at least one row of the contacts are configured to be forwardly assembled to corresponding passageways in the insulating housing.