Offset Two-Row Connector for Ribbon Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for connecting ribbon or foil cables, particularly in applications like vehicle steering systems, face challenges with insulation displacement technology's suitability for stranded conductors and the complexity of producing two-row plugs with precise positioning of separate electrically conductive flat parts.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece electrically conductive flat part with offset contact pins and conductors, allowing for parallel arrangement and easy production through punching and bending processes, which simplifies the manufacturing of a two-row plug and enhances stability and precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If insulation displacement technology is used to connect ribbon cables, then electrical contact is established by cutting through insulation, but the technology is less suitable for stranded conductors which require greater flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The connector is divided into two separate flat parts, each handling specific conductor rows. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized for different conductor types (solid or stranded) while maintaining reliable electrical contact through insulation displacement technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-plane connector to a three-dimensional structure with two flat parts positioned at different heights. This dimensional change enables the connector to accommodate stranded conductors requiring flexibility while maintaining stable electrical contact through the vertical separation of contact rows.
2Manufacturing precision
If two separate electrically conductive flat parts are used to create a two-row plug, then contact pins can be arranged in parallel planes, but precise positioning during overmolding becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
A positioning element is introduced as an intermediary component between the two flat parts. This element serves as a reference structure that automatically ensures precise positioning during the overmolding process, eliminating the need for complex alignment procedures while maintaining high manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The flat parts are pre-positioned and fixed relative to each other before the overmolding process begins. This preliminary action establishes the correct spatial relationship between contact pins, allowing the subsequent overmolding to proceed without complex positioning requirements.
3Reliability
If header connectors contact perpendicular to the ribbon cable plane, then electrical contact is established, but installation space with minimum height is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes vertical separation to position two rows of contact pins in parallel planes at different heights. This dimensional arrangement allows electrical contact to be established while reducing the overall installation space height, as the contacts are distributed vertically rather than requiring a single high-clearance plane.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is segmented into two flat parts with contact pins arranged in separate rows at different heights. This segmentation enables the distribution of contact points across multiple vertical levels, reducing the minimum height space required for installation while maintaining reliable electrical contact.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electrically conductive, one-piece flat part (100) for a connector with contact pins (112, 114) arranged in two parallel rows and a connection area for a cable, comprises a connecting element (102). Conductors (108, 110) extending from the first and second sides of the connecting element terminate in the first and second contact pins (112, 114), respectively, extend from the first and second sides of the connecting element (102). The conductors (108, 110) located on opposite sides of the connecting element (102) are connected to the connecting element (102) offset from each other such that the imaginary straight extension of a conductor (108, 110) on one side of the connecting element (102) runs alongside or between two conductors (108, 110) on the opposite side of the connecting element (102).The first contact pins (112) are connected to the first conductors (108) extending from the first side of the connecting element (102) via an offset area (132), which compensates for the offset of the first and second conductors (108, 110) on the connecting element (102).