Press-fit Contact Relief Section for Thermal Stress Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional press-in contacts for printed circuit boards face challenges in distributing press-in forces evenly, leading to potential damage from excessive tensile or compressive forces, especially when compensating for thermal expansion or mechanical stress, and often require additional housing components for stabilization.
Innovation Solution
An electrical press-in contact with a relief section that includes a compensation area for relative movement and a stop area to limit excessive movement, preventing damage by allowing force bypass in the press-in direction while allowing deformation in the opposite direction, thus eliminating the need for additional housing components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a press-in contact includes a relief section for compensating thermal expansion and mechanical stress, then the reliability of the electrical connection is improved, but the press-in contact becomes susceptible to excessive tensile or compressive forces that can damage the connection
Solution Approach 1:
The relief section is segmented into distinct functional zones: a compensation area with reduced wall thickness that allows controlled deformation, and a stop area with increased wall thickness that prevents excessive movement. This segmentation enables the relief section to simultaneously accommodate thermal expansion while resisting damaging forces.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the relief section have different wall thicknesses tailored to their specific functions. The compensation area has reduced wall thickness to allow deformation, while the stop area has increased wall thickness to provide mechanical strength and limit movement. This local variation in quality optimizes both compliance and strength where needed.
2Reliability
If additional housing components are used to stabilize the press-in contact and prevent excessive movement, then the strength and reliability of the connection are improved, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stabilization function previously requiring separate housing components is merged into the relief section itself. The stop area, integrated as part of the relief section, provides mechanical limiting of movement without requiring additional housing structures. This merging simplifies the overall device while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The relief section is designed to be self-regulating through its integrated stop area. When the press-in contact undergoes thermal expansion or mechanical stress, the relief section automatically compensates through controlled deformation in the compensation area, and the stop area automatically limits excessive movement. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for external stabilization components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the relief section is designed to allow free deformation for thermal compensation, then the adaptability to thermal loads is improved, but the press-in contact becomes vulnerable to collapse under press-in forces
Solution Approach 1:
The relief section is divided into a compensation area that allows free deformation for thermal compensation and a stop area that provides structural support. This segmentation enables the relief section to simultaneously achieve high adaptability to thermal loads while maintaining strength to resist press-in forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall thickness of the relief section is locally optimized: reduced in the compensation area to allow deformation and increased in the stop area to provide strength. This local quality variation enables the relief section to be both compliant for thermal compensation and strong for withstanding press-in forces.
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 solution ensures even force distribution, prevents damage to the press-in contact, and allows for reliable pressing without additional mechanical fixation, enhancing the durability and efficiency of press-in connections.
Implementation Method 1
the relief section has a compensation area and a stop area, the compensation area allows a coupled relative movement of the press-in section and the mounting section, especially for compensating bends or other relief zones, e.g. for thermal loads on the press-in contact
Implementation Method 2
the stop area blocks a movement of the press-in section and mounting section towards one another
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an electrical press-fit contact (1), in particular a press-fit pin contact, for transmitting electric current and/or electrical signals, comprising a press-fit section (300) and a mounting section (100) which are mechanically coupled to each other via a relief section (200), and the relief section (200) having a compensation area (210) and a stop area (220), wherein the compensation area (210) allows coupled relative movement of the press-fit section (300) and the mounting section (100), and the stop area (220) blocks movement of the press-fit section (300) and the mounting section (100) towards each other. The invention further relates to an electrical or electronic module or a printed circuit board with an electrical press-fit contact according to the invention.