Integral Grounding Contacts in Electric Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing of electric connectors with metal shells as grounding shields faces challenges in ensuring the coplanarity of signal contacts and grounding contacts, leading to non-uniform contact pressure and potential poor or failed connections due to unsatisfactory coplanarity.
Innovation Solution
The design includes a housing with upper and lower grooves and a metal shell with an inwardly deformed portion and grounding contacts formed through a one-step stamping process, ensuring coplanarity and easy assembly, with the grounding contacts being elastically movable to maintain contact pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If grounding contacts are separately manufactured and assembled, then assembly flexibility is improved, but manufacturing precision and coplanarity of contacts deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding shield and grounding contacts are merged into a single integral structure formed by one-step stamping. The inwardly deformed portion of the metal shell is formed simultaneously with the grounding contacts, eliminating separate assembly steps while ensuring precise coplanarity of all grounding contacts relative to each other and to the signal contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The grounding shield is pre-formed with the inwardly deformed portion and grounding contacts integrated during the stamping process. This preliminary formation ensures that the grounding contacts are already positioned with correct coplanarity before assembly with the housing and signal contacts, preventing misalignment issues.
2Ease of operation
If multiple separate components are used, then ease of assembly is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The metal shell integrates multiple functions: it provides the grounding shield, forms the grounding contacts through its inwardly deformed portion, and serves as the structural housing. This merging of functions reduces the total component count while simplifying the assembly process, as fewer parts need to be handled and positioned during assembly.
3Productivity
If conventional stamping processes are used, then manufacturing speed is improved, but manufacturing precision of coplanarity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding shield is pre-formed with precise geometry during the initial stamping process. The inwardly deformed portion is designed with predetermined dimensions and angles that ensure correct coplanarity of grounding contacts. This preliminary precision forming allows subsequent assembly to proceed quickly without requiring additional precision adjustment steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The stamping process parameters are optimized to achieve both high speed and high precision. By controlling the stamping force, die geometry, and material properties, the process produces grounding contacts with consistent coplanarity while maintaining rapid production cycles. The one-step stamping methodology eliminates multiple processing steps that would slow production.
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
This design enhances manufacturing efficiency, reduces costs, and ensures high accuracy and durability of contact connections by maintaining coplanarity and rigidity of grounding contacts, improving signal transmission quality and reducing electromagnetic interference.
Implementation Method 1
a spring portion coupled to the contact portion to elastically move the contact portion
Data Source
AI summary
An electric connector has a housing, signal and ground contacts disposed in the housing and a metal shell surrounding the housing. The metal shell has a support segment covering a top surface of the housing and with a first edge positioned adjacent to a back surface of the housing, and a second edge positioned adjacent to a front surface of the housing. The ground contacts are formed integral with and extend forwardly from the second edge of the support segment by a one-step stamping process.