Low Profile Electrical Connector With Bottomless Cover and Lock Bar

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrical connector assemblies face limitations in miniaturization, particularly in reducing height and width, which restricts their further development and application in compact devices.

Innovation Solution

The design incorporates a low-profile electrical connector assembly with topless slots and a bottomless connector cover, featuring a transverse groove with undercuts and a depending lock bar, along with thinner attachment portions on the terminals for ultrasonic welding, allowing for reduced width and increased terminal density, and a connector cover with a face plate and ledge for secure assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Length of moving object

If conventional electrical connector assembly structure is used, then reliable terminal retention and insulation are achieved, but height and width cannot be reduced further

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveheightVSAvoidterminal retention

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional connector structure by using a bottomless connector cover instead of a traditional closed housing. The connector base becomes the supporting element with integrated retention features, while the cover provides closure and protection. This inversion allows for reduced height while maintaining terminal retention reliability through the integrated retention slots and lock arms in the connector base.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs thin-walled connector base and cover structures that provide sufficient mechanical strength and retention functionality while minimizing overall height. The flexible lock arms and retention slots are designed with appropriate wall thickness to ensure reliable terminal retention without adding excessive height to the assembly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Productivity

If terminal width is reduced to increase terminal density, then more terminals fit in available space, but manufacturing precision and assembly difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveterminal densityVSAvoidterminal width

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent optimizes the dimensional parameters of terminals, particularly the attachment portion width, to achieve higher terminal density. By carefully selecting and standardizing terminal width parameters within manufacturing capabilities, the design accommodates more terminals per unit width while maintaining manufacturability and assembly feasibility through the ultrasonic welding process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If insulation jackets are stripped from cables, then terminal attachment is simplified, but manufacturing time and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveterminal attachmentVSAvoidassembly time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the insulation jacket removal step from the manufacturing process by designing the terminal attachment portion to work effectively with the insulation jacket intact. The ultrasonic welding process and terminal crimping mechanism are configured to penetrate or grip through the insulation jacket, eliminating the need for stripping while simplifying the attachment process and reducing assembly time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 configuration results in a compact, high-density electrical connector assembly that can be further miniaturized by reducing the width of the sub-assembly without stripping insulation jackets, enhancing its applicability in smaller devices.

Implementation Method 1

Each electric cable is ultrasonically welded to a weld pad of one terminal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrasonic welding: Ultrasonic Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS7347738B2Low profile electrical connector assembly and terminal therefor

Publication Date: 2008.03.25 APTIV TECHNOLOGIES AG

AI summary

A low profile electrical connector assembly has terminals attached to insulated electric cables that are disposed in topless slots of a connector base. Each terminal has two longitudinally spaced retention slots. The connector base has two transverse grooves that extend through sidewalls of the topless slots to provide terminal retainers that engage the forward retention slots to retain the terminals in a longitudinal direction. The connector base has a third transverse groove that extends through the sidewalls of the topless slots with selected sidewalls having undercuts for retaining a bottomless connector cover. The connector cover has a face plate that has a plurality of apertures that align with the topless slots, a lower ledge, and a depending lock bar. The lock bar is disposed in the third transverse groove and extends through the rearward retention slots to further retain the terminals in the longitudinal direction. The depending lock bar has a lip engaging the undercuts and the lower ledge of the cover is located in a bottom face groove of the connector base to hold the connector cover down on the topless slots. The connector cover is held in an assembled position by engaging portions of the face plate and the connector base.