Floating Connector Module Assembly for High-Density Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors face challenges in achieving a higher density of contacts while ensuring proper alignment during mating, which can lead to contact damage if not aligned correctly.
Innovation Solution
The connector assembly features a modular design with a mounting frame that allows limited floating movement, incorporating a support structure with blocking surfaces and pins to secure the connector module, enabling precise alignment and increased contact density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If connector density is increased, then contact density is improved, but alignment difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector module is designed with floating capability, allowing it to move dynamically during the mating process. The connector module can float laterally relative to the mounting frame, enabling automatic alignment compensation. This dynamic adjustment mechanism resolves the contradiction by allowing high contact density while maintaining ease of alignment through movement during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment process is made self-aligning through the floating mechanism. When the connector module is inserted, it automatically adjusts its position laterally to achieve proper alignment with the mating connector. The blocking surfaces guide the insertion while the floating capability allows self-correction, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment and enabling high contact density.
2Quantity of substance
If connector density is increased, then contact density is improved, but risk of contact damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The floating mechanism allows the connector module to move dynamically during insertion, automatically compensating for misalignment. This reduces the risk of contact damage by preventing forced insertion, thereby enabling higher contact density without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The blocking surfaces are designed to guide the insertion process beforehand, preventing excessive lateral forces before contact is made. This preliminary guidance cushioning protects the high-density contacts from damage during the mating operation.
3Ease of operation
If floating movement is allowed, then alignment is improved, but connector stability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector module is designed with conditional stability: it can float laterally during insertion for alignment, but becomes stable once mated. The floating mechanism provides alignment capability while the blocking surfaces and mounting frame ensure stability during operation, resolving the contradiction between alignment and stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector assembly includes a connector module having a connector body with side edges and end edges. The connector body has contact channels holding contacts. The connector assembly includes a mounting frame having side walls and an end wall opposite a window between the side walls. The window is open to and provides access to a passage that receives the connector module. The mounting frame includes a connector module support structure for supporting the connector module in the passage that defines a confined space oversized relative to the connector body of the connector module to allow a limited amount of floating movement in the confined space in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the mating direction.