Hinged Leadframe Assembly for Electrical Connector
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing manufacturing process for leadframe assemblies in electrical connectors is inefficient, leading to high costs and poor tolerance control, which affects signal integrity due to the need for separate leadframes and dielectric housings, and challenges in maintaining precise alignment and impedance between broadside-coupled signal pairs.
Innovation Solution
A hinged leadframe assembly design where the dielectric leadframe housing is folded along a hinge between the mating ends of the contacts, allowing for improved alignment and integration within a connector housing, reducing the need for separate pieces and enhancing tolerance control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate leadframes and dielectric housings are used for each IMLA, then manufacturing flexibility is maintained, but manufacturing efficiency decreases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate leadframe assemblies into a single integrated leadframe structure where multiple electrical contacts are arranged in parallel arrays on opposite sides of a common dielectric housing. This single leadframe is then insert-molded as one unit, eliminating the need to manufacture and assemble multiple separate IMLAs, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency while maintaining design flexibility.
2Manufacturing precision
If separate leadframe assemblies are used for broadside-coupled signal pairs, then contact alignment is achievable, but tolerance control deteriorates and signal integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating multiple electrical contacts into a single leadframe assembly with a common dielectric housing, the patent ensures that all contacts are manufactured and positioned as one unified structure. This eliminates cumulative alignment errors that would occur when assembling separate IMLAs, providing superior tolerance control and consistent differential impedance profiles for broadside-coupled signal pairs, thereby enhancing signal integrity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate IMLAs are assembled to form broadside-coupled pairs, then contact configuration is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the electrical contacts into parallel arrays on opposite sides of the dielectric housing, with each array containing multiple contacts arranged in rows and columns. This segmentation allows for flexible contact configurations and differential signal pair formations while maintaining a unified, less complex single-leadframe structure compared to assembling multiple separate IMLAs.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector is disclosed with a connector housing and a leadframe assembly received in the connector housing. The leadframe assembly may include a dielectric leadframe housing and first and second electrically-conductive contacts extending through the leadframe housing. Each of the contacts may define a respective broadside and a respective mating end. The leadframe housing may define a hinge between the mating ends of the first and second contacts. The leadframe housing may be folded along the hinge such that the broadside of the first contact is positioned along the broadside of the second contact. A method for manufacturing such an electrical connector may include stamping a leadframe from a sheet of electrically-conductive material, overmolding a hinged, leadframe housing onto the leadframe, folding the leadframe along the hinge such that a face of a first contact is positioned along a face of a second contact, and inserting the folded leadframe assembly into a connector housing such that the leadframe assembly is retained in the connector housing in a folded configuration.