Floating Connector with Elastic Deforming Contacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floating connectors face a limitation in increasing the floating amount without expanding their overall size, as elongating the intermediate portions to enhance shifting capability leads to increased length, potentially violating design size requirements.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a stationary and movable housing with pairs of contacts, each comprising a first held portion, a second held portion, and an elastic deformation portion that includes projecting portions projecting in an approaching direction, allowing for increased elastic deformation without increasing the connector's size, including specific configurations of extending and bending portions to enhance shifting capability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the intermediate portions of contacts are elongated to increase the floating amount, then the shifting capability is enhanced, but the overall length of the connector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces projecting portions that extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis of the connector (transverse dimension). This allows the elastic deformation portion to utilize three-dimensional space for deformation, achieving increased floating amount without extending the connector's length in its primary direction. The projecting portions enable vertical or lateral displacement components that compensate for positional mismatches while maintaining a compact overall footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic deformation portion with projecting portions is designed to be dynamically deformable during the fitting process. The projecting portions can elastically bend and deflect to accommodate misalignment between mating connectors, then return to their original position. This dynamic flexibility provides the floating capability needed to absorb displacement without requiring excessive length in the contact's intermediate portion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the intermediate portions are made more flexible to increase shifting capability, then the floating amount increases, but the structural stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is segmented into distinct functional portions: a held portion fixed to the housing, an elastic deformation portion with projecting portions for flexibility, and a fitting portion for connection. This segmentation allows the elastic deformation portion to be optimized for flexibility while the held and fitting portions maintain structural stability. The projecting portions are specifically designed to undergo elastic deformation, isolating the flexibility requirement to a localized region without compromising the overall contact stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic deformation portion exhibits locally differentiated properties where the projecting portions have higher flexibility for deformation, while the held portion and fitting portion maintain greater rigidity for stable connection. This local quality variation ensures that flexibility is concentrated where needed for floating capability, while structural stability is maintained in the connection-critical regions through appropriate material selection and geometric design.
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 design effectively increases the floating amount while maintaining the connector's original size, preventing an increase in overall dimensions and ensuring reliable operation by preventing contact overlap and short circuits.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic deformation portion configured to couple the first held portion and the second held portion
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a stationary housing to be mounted to a connection object; a movable housing configured to move relative to the stationary housing; and at least one pair of contacts arranged so as to correspond to each other. Each of the contacts includes: a first held portion fixed to the stationary housing; a second held portion fixed to the movable housing; and an elastic deformation portion configured to couple the first held portion and the second held portion. The elastic deformation portion includes a projecting portion that projects in an approaching direction, which is a direction of approaching the elastic deformation portion of another contact, or in a separating direction, which is a direction opposite to the approaching direction.