Floating Ganged Coaxial Connector Latch for Blind-Mate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ganged coaxial connector assemblies face challenges in ensuring precise alignment and reliable electrical contact due to component tolerances, leading to unpredictable performance and potential misalignment issues.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a mated connector assembly with pivotally mounted latches and radially and axially floating coaxial connectors, where the latches provide a secure engagement and biasing force to facilitate proper mating while allowing for axial, radial, and angular adjustments, ensuring consistent contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If ganged coaxial connectors are designed with fixed positioning, then manufacturing precision can be improved, but adaptability to alignment misalignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector design incorporates spring-loaded mechanisms that allow the connector elements to dynamically adjust their positions during mating. The springs enable axial compression and expansion, while the floating contact elements permit radial movement, allowing the system to adapt to misalignment while maintaining reliable electrical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design changes the physical state of the contact elements by allowing them to transition between different positions and orientations. The spring-loaded elements can compress, extend, and deflect radially, changing their geometric parameters to accommodate alignment variations while maintaining functional performance.
2Device complexity
If multiple connectors are ganged together in a common housing, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability of individual connector engagement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ganged connector assembly is segmented into independent connector units, each with its own spring-loaded contact elements and shielding. This segmentation allows each connector to function independently with its own alignment compensation mechanism, ensuring that failures or misalignments in one connector do not affect the others.
Solution Approach 2:
Each connector element within the ganged assembly has locally optimized properties including individual spring constants, contact pressures, and floating mechanisms. This local quality ensures that each connector can independently achieve reliable engagement despite variations in the overall assembly alignment.
3Ease of operation
If blind mate connectors are used to enable push-on interconnection, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The blind mate connector incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms including spring-loaded elements that can compress and expand, and floating contact elements that can move radially and axially. These dynamic features automatically compensate for alignment misalignments during the push-on mating operation, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design includes self-aligning features where the spring-loaded elements and floating contacts automatically adjust their positions during mating. The system performs its own alignment correction without requiring external adjustment or high-precision manufacturing, simply by allowing the elastic elements to deflect into their proper engagement positions.
Data Source
AI summary
A mated connector assembly includes: a first connector assembly, comprising a plurality of first coaxial connectors mounted on a substrate, each of the first coaxial connectors connected with a respective first coaxial cable, and further comprising a latch pivotally mounted to the substrate, the latch having an arm with a free end; a second connector assembly, comprising a plurality of second coaxial connectors and a shell, each of the second coaxial connectors connected with a respective second coaxial cable, the shell defining a plurality of electrically isolated second cavities, each of the second coaxial connectors being located in a respective second cavity and mounted therein to float radially and axially relative to each of the other second coaxial connectors; wherein a slot is present is the shell, the slot providing access to one of the second cavities from outside the shell; wherein in a mated condition each of the first coaxial connectors is mated with a respective second coaxial connector; and wherein the latch is pivotable between an unlatched position, in which the free end of the arm is absent from the slot, and a latched position, in which the free end of the arm of the latch extends through the slot and engages a second coaxial connector; and wherein the first and second connector assemblies are secured in the mated condition by the latch when the latch is in the latched position.