Hourglass Connector Geometry for High-Pin Mating Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical connectors for medical devices, particularly those with a high pin count, face challenges in maintaining precise alignment, mechanical strength, and preventing damage during repeated connection and disconnection cycles.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electrical connector assembly featuring a female connector with an hourglass-shaped cavity and a male connector with an hourglass-shaped protrusion, ensuring precise alignment and mechanical strength through recessed pins and sockets, and asymmetrical peripheral areas for correct orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a high pin count connector is used, then the quantity of electrical contacts increases, but the precision of alignment and mechanical strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs an hourglass-shaped cavity with asymmetrical peripheral areas that are not symmetrical about the central area. This asymmetrical geometry provides inherent alignment features that guide the male connector into the correct position during insertion, maintaining precise alignment even as pin count increases to 100 or more contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The design nests the pins within the hourglass-shaped cavity and the sockets within the protrusion, creating a hierarchical structure where the hourglass geometry provides outer alignment constraints while the nested pins and sockets provide inner contact precision. This nested arrangement allows high pin counts to be accommodated while maintaining alignment through multiple levels of geometric constraint.
2Quantity of substance
If a high pin count connector is used, then the quantity of electrical contacts increases, but the mechanical strength deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hourglass-shaped cavity with asymmetrical peripheral areas creates a structurally efficient geometry that distributes mechanical loads across the connector body. The constricted central area of the hourglass shape acts as a natural reinforcement point, while the broader peripheral areas provide mounting surfaces, maintaining mechanical strength despite increasing pin count.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector applies different structural qualities to different regions: the hourglass cavity provides overall structural integrity and load distribution, while the recessed pin locations provide localized protection and support. This differentiation of local structural qualities allows the connector to maintain strength across the entire assembly while accommodating high pin counts.
3Ease of operation
If pins are exposed, then ease of connection is improved, but pin damage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The pins are pre-recessed into the hourglass-shaped cavity before the connection operation occurs. This preliminary positioning protects the pins from exposure and damage during handling and storage, while the hourglass geometry with its asymmetrical peripheral areas provides guide features that ensure proper alignment during the connection operation, maintaining ease of connection despite the recessed pin configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector assembly includes a female connector, which includes a female connector housing defining a cavity having an hourglass shape and a first array of electrically-conductive pins disposed within the cavity. The electrical connector assembly further includes a male connector that includes a male connector housing having an hourglass-shaped protrusion dimensioned to be inserted into and fit tightly within the cavity and a second array of electrically-conductive sockets, which are contained within the protrusion and are dimensioned and aligned so that upon insertion of the protrusion into the cavity, each of the pins is introduced into and makes electrical contact with a respective one of the sockets.