Electrical Plug Connector Asymmetric Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional USB connectors are prone to damage during improper insertion, leading to disabled elastic transmission terminals and increased electromagnetic interference due to cracks in the iron shell, causing crosstalk issues during signal transmission.
Innovation Solution
The electrical plug connector features a metal shell with a receiving cavity, insulation housing, and point-symmetrical upper-row and lower-row elastic terminals, allowing for flexible orientation and contact with either set of terminals in a receptacle connector, along with clamping structures for grounding and a grounding sheet to reduce crosstalk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional USB electrical plug connector is inserted in improper orientation, then elastic transmission terminals or tongue portion may be damaged or broken, but this causes disablement of the terminals and connector failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by providing different terminal arrangements in upper and lower rows, where the upper-row elastic terminals and lower-row elastic terminals are positioned at different locations and orientations. This asymmetric design allows the connector to be inserted in either orientation (upside down or right side up) while ensuring that the corresponding terminals make proper contact with the receptacle connector, thereby preventing terminal damage regardless of insertion orientation.
2Strength
If cracks are provided in iron shell for firm connection, then connection strength is improved, but shielding effect is adversely influenced causing electromagnetic interference and crosstalk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the shielding structure into multiple isolated grounding segments rather than using a continuous cracked shell. The grounding sheet is divided into several grounding segments that are electrically connected to the connector shell through grounding connections. This segmented approach maintains the shielding effect by providing multiple separate grounding paths while avoiding the creation of large cracks that would compromise electromagnetic shielding and cause crosstalk between terminals.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If grounding sheet with grounding segments is used to reduce crosstalk, then electromagnetic shielding is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The grounding sheet serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electromagnetic shielding between signal terminals, establishes grounding connections through its segmented structure, and maintains mechanical stability within the connector assembly. By integrating these multiple functions into a single grounding sheet component, the patent reduces overall device complexity compared to using separate components for shielding and grounding.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical plug connector includes a metal shell, an insulation housing, upper-row elastic terminals, and lower-row elastic terminals. The metal shell defines a receiving cavity to receive the insulation housing. The insulation housing includes an upper member, a lower member, and a mating room between the upper member and the lower member. The upper-row elastic terminals are held on a lower surface of the upper member and include upper-row elastic contact segments extending toward the mating room for transmitting first signals. The lower-row elastic terminals are held on an upper surface of the lower member and include lower-row elastic contact segments extending toward the mating room for transmitting second signals.