PCB Plug-In Connector With Slotted Pin for High-Current Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing circuit card connectors are complex and expensive to produce, especially when designed to transmit high currents, as they require intricate manufacturing processes and automated soldering, limiting their cost-effectiveness and efficiency in handling currents above 24 amperes per plug contact.
Innovation Solution
A circuit card connector with a pin contact featuring a pin axis, a cable connection area, and a plug-in end, including at least one slot that runs through the pin axis, forming segments that can move towards each other for elasticity and deformation, allowing for high current transmission with reduced transition contacts and simplified production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact springs are soldered to the printed circuit board using automated SMT process, then high current transmission capability is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the contact spring from the insulating body and makes it the dominant component that directly contacts the printed circuit board. The contact spring is no longer embedded or soldered to the board, but rather inserted into contact holes through the insulating body, eliminating the need for complex automated SMT soldering processes while maintaining high current transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of soldering the contact spring to the printed circuit board as in conventional designs, the patent inverts the approach by having the contact spring insert through the insulating body and directly contact the board's contact holes. This reversal eliminates the soldering step and simplifies the manufacturing process.
2Ease of manufacture
If contact springs are positioned and held in insulating body by snapping, then assembly is simplified, but manufacturing precision and reliability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The contact spring is segmented into multiple sections along its length, with slots created at specific positions. These slots allow the spring to be compressed and expanded, enabling precise positioning when inserted through the insulating body. The segmentation provides controlled flexibility that ensures accurate alignment with contact holes while maintaining secure positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the contact spring by creating slots that allow controlled deformation. The spring can be compressed to a smaller diameter for insertion, then expands to its original diameter to make reliable contact with the printed circuit board. This parameter change enables both easy assembly and precise positioning.
3Reliability
If multiple transition contacts are used to transmit high currents, then current transmission capability increases, but device complexity and production cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of the contact spring, insulating body positioning structure, and electrical connection into a single integrated component. The contact spring serves as both the electrical conductor and the positioning element that fits through the insulating body's opening, eliminating the need for separate transition contacts and reducing the number of assembly steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design enables efficient and cost-effective transmission of high currents by reducing the number of transition contacts and simplifying production, allowing for currents up to 160 amperes or more per plug connection while maintaining reliable electrical conductivity.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one pin contact can be plugged directly into corresponding through-contact openings of a printed circuit board and thus electrically contacted with the contact material of the corresponding conductor track
Data Source
Figure 1a~1c
Figure 2a~3b
Figure 4a~4c
AI summary
The problem addressed by the invention is that of providing a printed circuit board plug-in connection for transmitting the highest possible currents between a printed circuit board and an electrical cable, the printed circuit board plug-in connection being manufactured as simply and economically as possible. For this purpose, a plug-in connection having a slotted pin contact (1) is proposed. Said pin contact (1) is arranged in an insulating body (2) and can be inserted directly into a passage contact opening (41) of a printed circuit board (4) in order to establish electrical contact. The insulating body (2) has detent arms (23), which releasably engage in detent openings (43) of the printed circuit board in a locking manner at the same time. By means of dovetail connections (21, 21', 22, 22'), several insulating bodies (2) can be fastened to each other, i.e. can be cascaded with each other. A strain relief element (3) can also be fastened to an insulating body (2) by means of the dovetail connection (21, 21', 22, 22') in order to provide strain relief for individual conductors of the cable.