Plug Receptacle with Floating Contact Spring for Thermal Cycling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Plug-in connections for electrical components face issues with thermal cycling, leading to relative movements between metal conductors and contact faces, resulting in frictional corrosion and unreliable electrical connections due to differing thermal expansion behaviors of materials.
Innovation Solution
A plug receptacle and plug design featuring a housing with a floating electrical connecting conductor, such as a helical spring, that exerts a connecting force orthogonally to the contact region, combined with a locking element and lever mechanism, to stabilize the connection and reduce frictional corrosion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a direct plug-in connector is used on the printed circuit board, then the electrical connection is simple and direct, but thermal expansion differences cause relative movements between the metal conductor and contact face, leading to frictional corrosion and increased electrical resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic compensation mechanism where the connecting conductor is allowed to move axially within the housing to compensate for thermal expansion differences. The conductor can dynamically adjust its position along the insertion direction to maintain optimal contact pressure and electrical connection stability despite temperature variations, resolving the contradiction between simple structure and reliable connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and position parameters of the connecting conductor by allowing axial movement within the housing. This parameter change enables the conductor to adapt its position and contact force in response to thermal expansion, maintaining electrical connection reliability without requiring a complex indirect connection structure.
2Reliability
If additional contact pins are used with soldering connections to reduce relative movements, then thermal cycling resistance is improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the additional contact pins and soldering connections from the design. Instead of using these extra components to achieve thermal cycling resistance, the invention uses the existing direct plug-in connector structure with a floating connecting conductor that compensates for thermal expansion, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the floating connecting conductor as an intermediary element between the plug and printed circuit board. This mediator absorbs the thermal expansion differences through axial movement, preventing direct transmission of thermal stress to the contact interface, thus achieving thermal cycling resistance without additional contact pins or soldering.
3Device complexity
If the connecting conductor is rigidly fixed in the housing, then the structure is simple and stable, but thermal expansion causes frictional corrosion at the contact interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the rigid fixed conductor into a dynamic floating conductor that can move axially within the housing. This dynamic arrangement allows the conductor to compensate for thermal expansion by adjusting its position, thereby preventing frictional corrosion at the contact interface while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides beforehand cushioning against thermal expansion by allowing the connecting conductor to move axially in the housing. This pre-established freedom of movement cushions the system against thermal stress, preventing frictional corrosion before it can occur at the contact interface.
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
This design effectively reduces frictional corrosion and ensures a permanent, reliable electrical connection by compensating for thermal expansions and preventing relative movements at contact points, thereby enhancing resistance to thermal cycling.
Implementation Method 1
Changes in temperature of the plug-in connections which occur can lead to relative movements between the metal conductor in the plug and the metal contact face on the printed circuit board. These relative movements are predominantly the result of the different thermal expansion behavior of the materials used
Implementation Method 2
an electrical connecting conductor (140) which is arranged in a floating manner in the housing (110) and which is designed to electrically connect the at least one plug receptacle conductor (102) to the at least one plug conductor (202, 204) and to exert a connecting force onto the contact region (203, 205) of the at least one plug conductor (202, 204)
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments include a plug receptacle for an electrical plug-in connection for receiving a plug with electrical plug conductor comprising a contact region for electrical connection to the plug receptacle comprising: a housing with an insertion region into which the plug can be releasably inserted; an electrical plug receptacle conductor rigidly arranged in the housing; and an electrical connecting conductor floating in the housing configured to electrically connect the plug receptacle conductor to the plug conductor. The electrical connecting conductor exerts a connecting force onto the contact region of the plug conductor once inserted into the plug receptacle. The connecting force runs substantially orthogonally in relation to said contact region.