Folded Sensor Connector With Stiffener Panel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art sensor connectors with multiple layers, such as FR-4 composite materials, face challenges in alignment precision, high manufacturing costs due to waste generation, and rough edges causing premature wear and debris, which affect the reliability and efficiency of sensor assemblies.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a flexible circuit with multiple layers, including electrical trace and EMI shield layers, folded around a stiffener panel with smooth edges, reducing waste and manufacturing costs while ensuring precise alignment and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple layer composite connectors with stiffeners are used, then structural strength and rigidity are improved, but alignment precision deteriorates due to cutting and stamping processes
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into separate functional layers (conductive layers, insulating layers, stiffener layers) that are assembled together. This segmentation allows each layer to be manufactured independently with optimized processes, reducing alignment issues while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible circuit board with conductive traces is nested within the stiffener structure, with conductive layers positioned between insulating layers. This nested arrangement provides precise alignment through the layered construction while maintaining structural strength from the stiffener.
2Ease of manufacture
If stiffeners are cut or stamped from sheet material, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but material waste increases and manufacturing cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener structure serves multiple functions: providing structural support, defining alignment features for circuit layers, and acting as a protective enclosure. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components and minimizes material waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffener geometry is optimized by changing parameters such as wall thickness, rib spacing, and overall shape to achieve the required structural strength with minimal material usage, reducing waste from the manufacturing process.
3Ease of manufacture
If stiffener edges are formed by cutting or stamping, then manufacturing ease is improved, but edge quality deteriorates causing premature wear and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener edges are pre-formed with smooth finishes during the molding process rather than being cut or stamped afterward. This preliminary action eliminates the need for additional deburring operations and prevents edge-related wear and debris issues before assembly begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical cutting or stamping process is replaced with a molding process that forms the stiffener edges in a single operation. This substitution eliminates the harmful effects of mechanical edge formation while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
4Manufacturing precision
If complex alignment tools are used to achieve precision, then manufacturing precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector structure includes self-aligning features such as positioning protrusions, recesses, and keyed geometries that automatically align components during assembly without requiring complex external tooling. This self-service alignment reduces tooling complexity and cost while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
An oximetry sensor assembly connector, and a method for making the same, is provided that includes a flexible circuit and a stiffener panel. The flexible circuit has a plurality of layers including at least one electrical trace layer and at least one electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield layer. The stiffener panel has a first side surface and a second side surface, which second side surface is opposite the first side surface. The flexible circuit includes a first segment and a second segment, and one or more of the plurality of layers are disposed within the first segment and the second segment. The flexible circuit is folded such that the first segment is contiguous with the first side surface of the stiffener panel, and the second segment is contiguous with the second side surface of the stiffener panel.