Lateral Plug-in Connector for Mezzanine PCBs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plug-in connectors for mezzanine applications face challenges in miniaturization, current carrying capacity, thermal stability, and reliability, especially under high acceleration conditions, and require a design that allows for a small physical height while maintaining high contact density and reliability.
Innovation Solution
The plug-in connector features contact elements with a predefined transverse extension, oriented vertically to the longitudinal direction, allowing lateral plug-in and enabling a small physical height with reliable contact-making, high current, and thermal loading capabilities, while accommodating mechanical tolerances without additional material consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the plug-in connector is miniaturized to achieve small physical dimensions, then the packing density increases, but the current carrying capacity and thermal stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The contact elements are oriented vertically to the plane of the circuit board, utilizing the third dimension (height) to achieve compact footprint while maintaining adequate contact area for current carrying capacity. The contact slot has a predefined transverse extension in the longitudinal direction, creating a rectangular contact area that optimizes both space utilization and electrical performance.
2Volume of moving object
If the contact elements are oriented vertically to achieve compact height, then the physical dimensions are reduced, but the plug-in operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of the conventional horizontal plug-in operation, the connector is designed for vertical plug-in operation. The contact slot is oriented such that the plug-in direction is vertical to the longitudinal direction of the connector, inverting the traditional approach and enabling compact height while maintaining simple operation.
3Quantity of substance
If the contact slot has predefined transverse extension to enable lateral plug-in, then the contact density increases, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The contact slot is designed with a predefined transverse extension in the longitudinal direction of the connector, changing the geometric parameters to enable lateral plug-in operation. This parameter optimization allows increased contact density while maintaining achievable manufacturing tolerances through careful dimensional design.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a plug-in connector (10a, 10b) comprising at least one contact element (12a, 12b), extending in a longitudinal direction (14a, 14b) of the plug-in connector, which in the fitted condition of the plug-in connector (10a, 10b) on a printed circuit board (38a, 38b) extends at least approximately in parallel to the plane (40a, 40b) of the circuit board (38a, 38b). The plug-in connector (10a, 10b) according to the invention is characterized in that the contact slot/the contact pin (28a, 28b) of the contact element (12a, 12b) has a predefined transverse extension (32a, 32b) in at least approximately the longitudinal direction (14a, 14b) of the plug-in connector and that the plug-in direction (34a, 34b) of the contact slot/contact pin (28a, 28b) is oriented at least approximately vertically to the plane (40a, 40b) of the circuit board (38a, 38b). Accordingly, a mating plug-in connector (10a, 10b) engages the plug-in connector (10a, 10b) laterally as it is mounted.The plug-in connector (10a, 10b) according to the invention allows tolerances to be compensated between the printed circuit boards (38a, 38b) in the longitudinal direction (14a, 14b) of the plug-in connector, in the transverse direction (24a, 24b) of the plug-in connector and in the plug-in direction (34a, 34b). The plug-in connector according to the invention (10a, 10b) is suited especially for mezzanine applications.