Perforated Spring Collar Tabs for Shielding Connector Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional spring rings for shielding electrical connectors often fail to establish a secure contact between the inner and outer connector elements, leading to increased contact resistance and ineffective shielding against interference signals.

Innovation Solution

A spring ring design featuring perforated connecting webs with radially inward contact tabs, which provide additional contact force on the inner connector element, ensuring a secure and low-resistance connection without additional components, and maintaining structural integrity and ease of manufacturing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional spring rings are used for shielding connectors, then the structure is simple and manufacturing is easy, but contact resistance increases and shielding effectiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveshielding effectivenessVSAvoidspring ring structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting webs are segmented by perforations to create contact tabs that can independently deform and establish reliable contact with the inner connector element, ensuring low contact resistance while maintaining overall structural integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the spring ring serve different functions: spring elements provide outward contact force on the outer connector, while perforated connecting webs with contact tabs provide inward contact force on the inner connector, creating localized contact zones with optimized properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If spring elements are added to improve contact force, then contact resistance decreases, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontact resistanceVSAvoidspring ring fabrication
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting webs serve dual purposes: they structurally connect the spring elements to the outer edges while simultaneously forming contact tabs through perforations that provide additional contact force on the inner connector, eliminating the need for separate components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The perforated connecting webs automatically generate contact tabs that deform under load to establish reliable contact with the inner connector element, providing self-adjusting contact force without requiring additional adjustment mechanisms or components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 spring ring achieves significantly lower contact resistances and enhanced shielding effectiveness against both external and internal interference signals, ensuring reliable connectivity and interference prevention in electrical plug connections.

Implementation Method 1

several radially outwardly acting spring legs or spring elements, which are connected at least on one side to one of the edges to generate a spring-loaded contact force to the outer element of the connector

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSpring: Spring

Implementation Method 2

a portion of the connecting webs is perforated and each is formed with at least one radially inwardly projecting contact tab... The inward-facing contact tabs increase the pressure against the inner element of the connector

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2950395B1Grounding finger for shielding electric connectors
Publication Date: 2019.01.16 ITT MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES LLC
  • EP2950395B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2950395B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Spring collar (10) for a shield at an electrical connection between a connector and a mating connector of an electrical cable with a sleeve-shaped support element (1) which has a first outer edge (2) and a second outer edge (3) between which axial connecting webs (4) are provided, and with several radially outward acting spring legs (5) which are connected at least on one side to one of the edges (2, 3) to generate a spring-loaded contact force to the outer connector, wherein a part of the connecting webs (4) is perforated and each is formed with at least one radially inwardly pointing contact tab (6).