Modular Header Assembly With Interchangeable Signal And Power Cartridges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automotive header connector designs face challenges with increasing capital investment and decreasing assembly rates as the number of blades increases, and struggle with the variability of compliant pins for mounting to circuit boards, leading to issues in accurately positioning contacts.
Innovation Solution
A modular header assembly system with interchangeable signal and power cartridges that can be guided and secured within a header housing, allowing for flexible configuration and easy mounting to circuit boards, and enabling multiple housings to be linked for unified assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of blades increases in existing header connector designs, then the functionality and current carrying capacity are improved, but the capital investment increases and assembly rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The header connector is divided into multiple independent cartridges, each containing a specific number of blades. These cartridges can be independently manufactured, tested, and assembled into the final connector. This segmentation allows parallel production of multiple cartridges simultaneously, maintaining high assembly rates while enabling flexible configuration of total blade count to meet different functionality requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridges are designed with standardized interfaces and mounting mechanisms that allow them to be universally assembled into various header connector configurations. The same cartridge design can be used across different applications by simply varying the number and type of cartridges installed, enabling a single production line to serve multiple product variants without retooling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of blades increases in existing header connector designs, then the current carrying capacity is improved, but the capital investment increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the connector into modular cartridges, the capital investment is distributed across smaller, independently manufacturable units. Each cartridge can be produced using simpler, less expensive equipment, and multiple cartridges can be assembled using basic mounting fixtures rather than complex automated assembly lines required for integrated high-blade-count designs.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cartridges are nested together within a common header housing to achieve the desired total blade count and current carrying capacity. This nesting approach allows the system to scale capability by adding modular units rather than requiring a completely new complex design for each capacity level.
3Adaptability or versatility
If compliant pins are used in existing header designs, then the mounting flexibility is improved, but the variability in true position causes mounting problems to circuit boards
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridges are pre-assembled with their blades precisely positioned and pre-tested for electrical continuity and mechanical integrity before being mounted into the final header connector. This preliminary assembly and quality control ensures that each cartridge meets strict positional tolerances, eliminating the variability issues that would otherwise propagate to the final circuit board mounting stage.
Data Source
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AI summary
A header assembly includes a header connector (104) including a housing (130) having a cavity (136) configured to receive a receptacle connector therein. The header housing (130) has at least one cartridge latch (200) in the cavity. A signal header cartridge (132) is received in the cavity and locked in the header housing by the at least one cartridge latch. The signal header cartridge has a plurality of signal contacts extending between mating portions and mounting portions that extend from the signal header cartridge. A power header cartridge (134) is received in the cavity and locked in the header housing by the at least one cartridge latch. The power header cartridge has a plurality of power contacts extending between mating portions and mounting portions that extend from the power header cartridge.