Orthogonal Board Connector With Twisted Self-Mating Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed communication systems require complex and costly electrical connectors for direct plug orthogonal systems, with existing designs necessitating two different right-angle connector designs and often involving additional adapter connectors, leading to increased expenses.
Innovation Solution
The development of an electrical connector with a housing featuring twisted signal contacts and ground shields, forming a hermaphroditic mating interface, which allows for direct mating of identical connectors at right angles without the need for additional adapters, providing effective shielding and reducing manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two different right angle connector designs are used for direct plug orthogonal connections, then signal transmission between perpendicular circuit boards is achieved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single right angle connector that can mate with itself in orthogonal configurations. The connector features identical contact patterns and shielding structures on both sides, allowing it to serve as either male or female connector and enabling direct plug connections between perpendicular circuit boards without requiring different connector designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of two different right angle connectors into a single universal connector design. By combining the mating interface, signal contacts, and ground shields into one self-mating connector structure, the system eliminates the need for separate male and female right angle connectors, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining signal transmission capability.
2Reliability
If two different right angle connector designs are used, then orthogonal signal transmission is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases due to tooling investments
Solution Approach 1:
The universal right angle connector design allows a single tooling setup to produce connectors for both sides of the orthogonal connection. By making the connectors identical and self-mating, the system eliminates the need for separate tooling investments for different connector designs, thereby reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining reliable signal transmission.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adapter connectors are added between connectors, then connection flexibility is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for adapter connectors by designing the right angle connector with self-mating capability. The connector's identical contact patterns and shielding structures allow direct orthogonal connections without requiring additional adapter components, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining connection flexibility.
4Reliability
If shielding is added to high speed connectors, then signal integrity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the shielding structures into the universal right angle connector design itself. The ground shields are integrated into the connector housing and contact arrangement, providing necessary electromagnetic shielding for high speed signals while maintaining the simplified single-connector architecture. This integration approach maintains signal integrity without adding separate shielding components that would increase device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes wafer assemblies coupled to a housing. Each wafer assembly includes a leadframe, a wafer body holding the leadframe, and a ground frame coupled to the wafer body to provide electrical shielding for the leadframe. Each leadframe has signal contacts with mating ends extending from the wafer body for mating with mating signal contacts of a mating electrical connector. The mating ends are twisted 45° to define twisted mating interfaces. Each ground frame has ground shields extending from a ground plate along the mating ends of the signal contacts. The ground shields are twisted 45° relative to the ground plate to define twisted shield zones along the mating ends of the signal contacts.