Memory Stick Connector With Lateral Jaws for Low-Wear Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for memory sticks, such as DIMMs, are prone to damage from frequent manual insertions and withdrawals during testing, leading to wear and potential damage to both the connector and the memory stick.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring lateral jaws that open to receive a memory stick, closing around it when pressed down, reducing wear by eliminating the need for forced insertion, allowing for repeated insertions and withdrawals without damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional connectors are used for memory stick insertion and removal, then electrical contact is established, but wear and damage occur due to forced insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs dynamic jaws that can open and close laterally to accommodate memory stick insertion and removal. The jaws move from an open position to close around the memory stick, establishing electrical contact without forced insertion. This dynamic mechanism allows repeated automated insertions and withdrawals while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector transitions from traditional vertical insertion to lateral jaw movement. The jaws open and close along a lateral axis perpendicular to the memory stick insertion direction, eliminating the need for forced vertical insertion. This dimensional change in the contact mechanism reduces wear and damage.
2Productivity
If commercial connectors designed for few insertions are used in production, then initial electrical contact is achieved, but connector damage occurs with repeated use
Solution Approach 1:
The connector uses dynamically movable jaws that open and close laterally rather than rigid fixed contacts. This dynamic design allows the connector to accommodate repeated automated insertions and withdrawals (thousands of cycles) without structural damage, significantly improving productivity compared to traditional connectors designed for only tens of insertions.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector changes the operational parameters by using lateral jaw movement instead of vertical forced insertion. This parameter change enables the connector to withstand numerous automated insertions and withdrawals while maintaining structural integrity, transforming it from a single-use or limited-use component to a reusable production-grade connector.
3Ease of operation
If manual insertion methods are used, then electrical contact is made, but the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The connector employs automated lateral jaw movement that can be controlled by a plunger mechanism. This dynamic system enables automated insertion and removal processes, eliminating manual operations and significantly reducing the time lost per memory stick while maintaining ease of operation through simple plunger actuation.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector replaces manual mechanical insertion with an automated plunger-driven lateral jaw movement system. The plunger mechanism automates the jaw opening and closing action, substituting manual labor with a simple automated mechanical system that reduces insertion time and enables high-volume production.
Data Source
AI summary
Connectors for memory sticks are disclosed. In one aspect, a connector or receptacle that is configured to couple to a first laminate structure, such as a printed circuit board (PCB), may include lateral jaws, which are opened to receive a second laminate structure, such as a memory stick. As the memory stick is pressed down into the connector, pressure on a trigger causes the jaws to close around the second laminate structure holding the second laminate structure in place. Because placing the second laminate in the connector in this fashion does not immediately force contacts on the second laminate structure against contacts in the connector, wear to both the second laminate structure and the connector is reduced, allowing for repeated insertions and withdrawals without damaging the second laminate structure and/or the connector.