Intermediate Connector Layout for Board Misplacement Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intermediate electrical connectors require two types of circuit boards with alternating placement patterns, leading to cumbersome manufacturing and increased costs, and misplacement of circuit boards during assembly is difficult to detect due to similar top ends of vertically aligned boards.
Innovation Solution
The connector design features a housing with alternating supporting portions that ensure adjacent circuit boards are vertically inverted, allowing easy recognition of misplacement through visual inspection by positioning top ends at different heights, and includes signal transmission line pairs arranged in a staggered pattern to reduce cross-talk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If two types of intermediate boards with different electrically conductive line placements are provided in alternating pattern, then cross-talk between adjacent differential pair lines is reduced, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing only one type of intermediate board with asymmetric electrically conductive line placement, rather than using symmetric alternating patterns of two different board types. This asymmetric design reduces cross-talk while simplifying manufacturing to a single board type.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of alternating two different board types to reduce cross-talk, the patent inverts the approach by using a single board type with optimized asymmetric line placement. This inversion achieves the same cross-talk reduction benefit without the manufacturing complexity of producing two different board types.
2Ease of manufacture
If circuit boards are arranged side by side with top ends at the same height, then manufacturing is simplified, but misplacement of intermediate bodies during assembly becomes difficult to detect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual differentiation (analogous to color changes) by providing intermediate bodies with different orientations or visual markers. This allows operators to easily detect misplacement during assembly while maintaining simplified manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces asymmetric visual features or orientation markers on intermediate bodies. This asymmetry enables easy visual detection of misplacement during assembly while keeping the manufacturing process simple and cost-effective.
3Device complexity
If a single type of circuit board is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but cross-talk reduction capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of electrically conductive line placement on a single board type to optimize cross-talk reduction. By carefully designing the asymmetric line placement pattern, the patent achieves cross-talk reduction equivalent to using multiple board types while maintaining the cost advantage of single-type manufacturing.
Data Source
AI summary
The supported portions of the substrate are positioned offset from the center of the substrate in the vertical direction; adjacent intermediate bodies are provided in orientations vertically inverted relative to each other and every two supported portions are positioned so as to differ by a predetermined dimension P in the vertical direction; the lower lateral walls of the housing have formed therein, in an alternating manner, first lower supporting portions and second lower supporting portions positioned so as to differ by the predetermined dimension P in the vertical direction; the first lower supporting portions protrude upwardly of the second lower supporting portions and support from below the supported portions of the intermediate bodies in which the supported portions are positioned with an upward offset; and the second lower supporting portions support from below the supported portions of the intermediate bodies in which the supported portions are positioned with a downward offset.