Modular Joint Connector Layout for Reduced Housing Height
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional joint connectors are thick, limiting their arrangement locations and hindering device thinning due to their housing design, which makes it difficult to achieve height reduction.
Innovation Solution
A joint connector design featuring connecting units with plate-like conductors and a housing that allows for coupling of multiple units, where the conductors have trunk and branch portions, enabling the output terminal portions to be arranged in parallel, reducing the overall height by using a coupling mechanism between the housing's coupling portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the housing is made thick to house the joint terminal, then the joint terminal can be properly housed and connected, but the overall height of the joint connector increases, limiting arrangement locations and preventing device thinning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the output terminal portions from a vertical stacking arrangement to a parallel arrangement on the same plane. The conductors are configured with trunk portions extending in a first direction and branch portions diverging in a second direction, allowing terminals to be arranged horizontally rather than vertically. This dimensional change reduces the height (thickness direction) of the housing while maintaining all necessary terminal connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The joint connector is divided into multiple connecting units, each housing a set of conductors with trunk and branch portions. This segmentation allows the conductors to be arranged in a compact planar configuration within each unit, reducing the overall height requirement while maintaining the ability to house and connect multiple terminals effectively.
2Quantity of substance
If terminals are arranged in stack, then multiple terminals can be housed, but the height of the device increases, making it difficult to achieve device thinning
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of stacking terminals vertically in the thickness direction, the patent arranges output terminal portions in parallel on the same plane in the lateral direction. The conductors extend from the housing in the lateral direction rather than the vertical direction, enabling multiple terminals to be housed without increasing device height, thus achieving device thinning while maintaining the quantity of terminals.
3Ease of manufacture
If the joint connector is made thick, then the housing can accommodate all conductors and terminals, but the connector is restricted in terms of arrangement locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent redesigns the conductor and terminal arrangement to utilize the lateral dimensions rather than the vertical dimension. By arranging output terminal portions in parallel on the same plane and having conductors extend laterally, the housing thickness is reduced, making the joint connector suitable for arrangement in narrow spaces and various locations where space is constrained in the vertical direction.
Data Source
AI summary
A joint connector includes one or more connecting units, in which one of the connecting units includes: a plurality of conductors; and a housing that holds the plurality of conductors, the conductor includes: trunk portions each of which having first ends and second ends; and branch portions each of which diverging from the trunk portion, the branch portion includes an output terminal portions, the housing includes: a first coupling portion disposed on a side of the first end; and a second coupling portion disposed on a side of the second end, and the first coupling portion of one of the housings and the second coupling portion of another one of the housings are coupled each other, causing the first end of the conductor and the second end of another one of the conductors to be connected to each other.