Floating Connector Assembly With Spherical Contact Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In floating connector assemblies, alignment issues between connectors can lead to uneven contact pressures, degrading the stability of electrical connections, and result in larger relay connector sizes.
Innovation Solution
A floating connector assembly design featuring a relay connector with contact spring parts arranged circumferentially and a tubular part with a spherical surface, ensuring consistent contact pressure and size reduction by maintaining equal distances from the spherical part's center to each contact point, even when connection axes are misaligned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spherical part is inserted into a relay connector to maintain equal contact pressures, then the stability of electrical connections is improved, but the size of the relay connector increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spheroidality by forming a spherical part on the inner periphery of the tubular part. This spherical surface enables the contact spring parts to maintain consistent contact pressure regardless of rotational position, solving the reliability issue. The spherical geometry is precisely controlled with a radius of 0.3-0.7mm to achieve the desired contact characteristics without excessive size increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by allowing the relay connector to rotate freely within the tubular part while maintaining stable electrical connections. The spherical part enables this rotational freedom, and the contact spring parts automatically adjust their contact points on the spherical surface, maintaining equal contact pressure throughout the rotation range.
2Ease of operation
If the relay connector is made larger to accommodate alignment variations, then the ease of operation is improved, but the volume of the floating connector assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spherical part provides a geometric solution that accommodates alignment variations and rotational misalignment without requiring a larger connector housing. The curved spherical surface naturally compensates for positional variations, maintaining reliable contact while keeping the overall assembly compact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the contact interface by introducing a spherical surface with specifically controlled radius (0.3-0.7mm). This parameter change enables the system to tolerate alignment variations and rotation while maintaining consistent contact pressure, eliminating the need to increase the overall connector size.
3Reliability
If multiple contact spring parts are arranged circumferentially to maintain stable connections during rotation, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the contact function into multiple contact spring parts arranged circumferentially. Each contact spring part independently contacts the spherical part, ensuring that electrical connectivity is maintained even when the relay connector rotates. This segmentation provides redundancy and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The spherical part serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a contact surface for multiple spring parts, enables rotational freedom, maintains equal contact pressure, and compensates for misalignment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional complex mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a floating connector that maintains the stability of electrical connections and achieves size reduction. A floating connector includes a relay connector and a first connector. The relay connector includes a first terminal having a plurality of contact spring parts, and the plurality of contact spring parts are arranged in a circumferential direction of the first terminal. The first connector includes a second terminal where a tubular part is formed, and a spherical part is formed an inner periphery of the tubular part. The plurality of contact spring parts come into contact with the spherical part in a state of being inserted into the tubular part of the second terminal. a distance from a center of the spherical part to a contact part between each of the contact spring parts and the spherical part of the second terminal is the same.