HDMI Plug Retention Tabs for Vibration-Resistant Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
HDMI connectors are prone to loose connections due to movement or vibration, leading to costly issues such as loss-of-picture complaints in audio/video systems, and existing locking solutions can damage equipment if not used correctly.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating retention features like spring-biased movable tabs and additional slot-shaped openings in HDMI plugs and receptacles that increase the force required to extract the plug, ensuring secure engagement and reduced risk of damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If locking HDMI connectors are used to prevent loose connections, then connection stability is improved, but risk of equipment damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic retention tabs that automatically engage and disengage based on insertion and extraction forces. The tabs are spring-biased to move between engaged and disengaged positions, providing adaptive retention without requiring manual locking actions that could damage equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention tabs are designed to automatically engage with the receptacle during normal insertion and automatically disengage when extraction force is applied. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual locking or unlocking operations, preventing user-induced equipment damage while maintaining connection stability.
2Reliability
If retention features are added to HDMI plugs, then connection stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The retention tabs are integrated directly into the connector body as unified structural elements rather than separate components. The slot-shaped openings are formed as continuous features in the connector housing, merging multiple functions into fewer elements and reducing overall structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention tabs are designed as flexible, spring-biased elements that can deflect and move within their slots. This flexibility allows the tabs to provide retention force while accommodating manufacturing tolerances and assembly variations, simplifying the overall connector 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 proposed design enhances the retention force of HDMI connectors, reducing the likelihood of loose connections and equipment damage while maintaining compatibility and ease of use.
Implementation Method 1
A movable tab is biased to extend outward from the slot-shaped opening... configured to retreat into a second position... when longitudinally engaged by a leading edge of the mating HDMI receptacle
Data Source
AI summary
High-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) plugs are modified to include one or more retention features that increase the force needed to extract a fully inserted HDMI plug from a compatible mating receptacle. In several embodiments, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) plug includes a connector body having a mating end configured for insertion in a longitudinal direction into a mating HDMI receptacle and having a slot-shaped opening along at least one wall of the connector body, extending in the longitudinal direction. A movable tab is biased to extend outward from the slot-shaped opening in a first position, when unconstrained by the mating HDMI receptacle, and configured to retreat into a second position, substantially within said opening, when longitudinally engaged by a leading edge of the mating HDMI receptacle during insertion of the connector body. Additional retention features and mating HDMI receptacles are also described.