Printed Electrical Connector with Mechanical Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors used in printed electronics are bulky and rigid, making them inconsistent with the flexible and conformable form factors required for modern wearable and flexible electronics, and they do not seamlessly integrate with printed circuits.
Innovation Solution
The development of a printed electrical connector using additive manufacturing technology, featuring two flat thermoplastic plates with mechanical registration features that align conductive traces, allowing for the integration of a connector with a printed circuit board and enabling alignment and contact of conductive layers through a compression mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional connectors are used with printed circuits, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the connectors are bulky and rigid which conflicts with flexible and conformable form factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connector and circuit board into a single integrated printed electrical connector assembly. The connector housing, contact members, and circuit traces are all printed together or pre-integrated on the same substrate, eliminating the need for separate conventional connectors and enabling flexible, conformable forms while maintaining reliable electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the connector by printing contact members with flexible materials and designing planar or conformable geometries instead of traditional rigid cylindrical shapes. This allows the connector to bend and conform to flexible substrates while maintaining electrical functionality.
2Reliability
If conventional connectors are used with printed circuits, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the connectors do not seamlessly integrate with printed circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing, contact members, and circuit traces are integrated into a single printed assembly. The circuit traces are printed directly on the same substrate as the connector components, creating a seamless integration where the connector is an inherent part of the circuit board rather than an add-on component.
Solution Approach 2:
The printed electrical connector assembly serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support, electrical connectivity, and circuit routing all in one integrated structure. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall device architecture.
3Shape
If additive manufacturing is used to print connectors, then flexible and conformable form factors are achieved, but alignment precision of conductive traces must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates alignment features such as registration marks, guide pins, or interlocking geometries into the printed connector design before final assembly. These pre-built alignment mechanisms ensure that conductive traces from multiple printed layers or components align precisely during assembly, maintaining manufacturing precision despite the flexibility enabled by additive manufacturing.
4Ease of manufacture
If planar geometry is used for printed connectors, then consistency with additive printing approaches is achieved, but traditional cylindrical connector geometries are abandoned
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the connector from traditional cylindrical shapes to planar or conformable shapes that are optimized for additive manufacturing. This allows the connector to be printed directly using 2D or 3D printing techniques, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining adaptability through flexible materials and modular designs that can accommodate various connection requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A printed electrical connector design includes two flat patterned thermoplastic plates printed with mechanical registration features that align conductive traces on the two plates of the electrical connector. A top plate is printed with a plurality of raised pedestals and a plurality of metallic traces. A bottom plate is printed with a plurality of recessed channels and a corresponding plurality of metallic traces. The plurality of recessed channels of the bottom plate are configured to mate with the plurality of raised pedestals on the top plate. The pedestals and channels of the top and bottom plates, respectively, serve to align the metallic traces that comprise the electrical connector. The printed electrical connector design allows printed electrical/electronic circuits and/or devices to be manufactured and interfaced with other printed electrical/electronic circuits and/or devices.