Plug Connector Metal Limiter Vibration Restriction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors face issues with vibration-induced separation between plug and socket, leading to equipment malfunction and potential short circuits, especially in applications with strong vibrations, and the need for a thinner structure that balances security and miniaturization.
Innovation Solution
A connector assembly featuring a metal limiter with a metal bottom plate and side structures that form a limiting space to restrict vibration, combined with an insulating layer to prevent short circuits, allowing for a strong yet compact design that aligns with oblique insertion and counteracts multiple force vectors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thickened sleeve shell is used to prevent connector plug separation during vibration, then the reliability of the connector connection is improved, but the device size increases and miniaturization is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The connector assembly is divided into functional modules: the insulating body with accommodating space, the circuit board with terminals, and the metal limiter with bottom plate and side structures. Each segment performs a specific function, allowing the overall structure to be compact while maintaining connection stability through the coordinated action of these segmented components.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal limiter is nested within the insulating body structure, with the bottom plate positioned in the accommodating space and side structures extending to form the limiting space. The circuit board is nested within the accommodating space, and the entire assembly fits within the connector housing, achieving miniaturization through nested arrangement.
2Volume of moving object
If a thin sleeve shell is used to enable miniaturization, then the device size is reduced, but the connector plug becomes prone to cracking and separation under vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The connector assembly uses composite construction combining insulating material (insulating body) with metal components (metal limiter with bottom plate and side structures). This composite approach provides the strength and vibration resistance of metal where needed, while maintaining the overall compact size through the insulating body's lightweight structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal limiter components are strategically positioned at critical locations: the bottom plate at the rear to prevent plug withdrawal, and side structures at the front to limit lateral movement. This localized reinforcement provides strength exactly where needed to prevent cracking and separation, without requiring a uniformly thick shell throughout the entire connector.
3Reliability
If the connector structure is thickened to prevent separation, then the connection security is improved, but the space for electronic device miniaturization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The metal limiter side structures are designed with elastic deformation capability, allowing them to flex and adapt to the plug's position while maintaining the limiting function. This dynamic characteristic enables the connector to accommodate slight position variations and oblique insertion while maintaining connection security, without requiring excessive thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal limiter uses a three-dimensional configuration with the bottom plate extending in one dimension and side structures extending in perpendicular dimensions to form a limiting space. This multi-dimensional arrangement provides comprehensive restraint of the plug in multiple directions simultaneously, achieving secure connection with minimal overall thickness.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a plug connector engaged with a socket. The plug connector includes an insulating body and a metal limiter. The insulating body has a mating port and a space for accommodating a circuit board, and the mating port is connected with the space. The metal limiter includes a metal bottom plate and a pair of metal side structures. The metal bottom plate is arranged under the opening of the mating port. The pair of metal side structures are respectively connected to the two sides of the metal bottom plate and arranged on the left and right sides of the opening to form a limiting space. When the plug connector is matched with the socket, the metal shell of the socket is sheathed with the front end of the insulating body, and the metal shell is located in the limiting space to restrict the plug connector from shaking.