Overmolded Lead Frame Contact Support for Impedance Matching
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed connectors experience signal integrity degradation due to impedance mismatch and positional tolerances, which limit their ability to maintain consistent transmission line impedance as contact beams deflect during mating.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a dielectric web between adjacent electrical contacts that cantilevers with respect to a pivot point, allowing the web and contact surfaces to move together, thereby maintaining a constant distance and improving impedance matching, and using a dielectric housing with strategically placed air gaps to reduce crosstalk and enhance signal integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If additional space is provided between walls and contacts for positional tolerances, then ease of operation is improved, but transmission line impedance matching deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the dielectric material movable rather than fixed. The dielectric material is configured to move together with the contact beams during deflection, maintaining a constant distance between the contact beams and dielectric surfaces. This dynamic adjustment ensures that impedance matching is preserved throughout the entire range of motion, resolving the contradiction between accommodating positional tolerances and maintaining transmission line impedance matching.
2Ease of operation
If contact beams are allowed to deflect freely during mating, then ease of operation is improved, but signal integrity deteriorates due to impedance changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a dielectric material that acts as a mediator between the contact beams. This dielectric material moves together with the contact beams during deflection, maintaining a constant geometric relationship and thereby maintaining consistent transmission line impedance. This intermediary element enables free contact deflection while preserving signal integrity, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
3Reliability
If dielectric material is placed between adjacent contacts to prevent shorting, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the universality principle by designing the dielectric material to perform multiple functions simultaneously. The dielectric material provides contact isolation to prevent shorting, maintains transmission line impedance matching, and moves with the contacts during deflection. By consolidating these multiple functions into a single component, the patent improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes first and second adjacent electrical contacts that each define respective first and second mating ends, the first mating end of a first one of the first and second adjacent electrical contacts defines a first contact surface, the second mating end of a second one of the first and second adjacent electrical contacts defines a second contact surface electrically isolated from the first contact surface; and a dielectric material positioned between the first and second adjacent electrical contacts. When a mating connector applies a force to the first contact surface and the second contact surface, the first and second mating ends and the dielectric material all move in a first direction.