Right-Angle Electrical Connector Height Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In electrical devices with limited physical space, existing right-angle electrical connectors often have a significant height due to their housing, which restricts the arrangement and number of circuit boards, particularly in backplane applications where minimizing connector height is desirable.
Innovation Solution
A right-angle electrical connector design featuring a dielectric connector housing with a mating portion and a guide portion that defines a mating plane and a guide plane perpendicular to it, allowing for reduced height while providing guidance for proper mating through a void suitable for receiving a complementary connector's header wall, thus minimizing overall height and optimizing board spacing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the connector housing is made with standard thickness and shape to provide physical guidance for mating, then the guidance function is improved, but the connector height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connector housing is segmented into two distinct functional portions: a mating portion with reduced thickness for minimizing height, and a guide portion with extended thickness for providing mating guidance. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized for its specific function without compromise.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the housing have different thickness characteristics tailored to their specific functions. The guide portion has increased thickness localized at the region requiring mechanical guidance, while the mating portion maintains reduced thickness to minimize overall connector height.
2Productivity
If the connector height is minimized to increase circuit board density, then the space utilization is improved, but the mating guidance capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into functional segments that can perform different tasks simultaneously. The guide portion protrudes beyond the mating portion to provide guidance features without increasing the overall connector height, as the guide portion is positioned to extend laterally rather than vertically.
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance function is shifted from the vertical dimension (height) to the lateral dimension. The guide portion extends beyond the mating portion in a direction perpendicular to the mating surface, providing guidance through lateral projection rather than vertical thickness.
Data Source
AI summary
A right-angle electrical connector is disclosed. The right-angle electrical connector may include an electrically conductive contact and a connector housing that contains the electrically conductive contact. The electrically conductive contact may define a mounting end and a mating end. The connector housing may include a mating portion and a guide portion. The mating portion may receive the mating end of the electrically conductive contact. The mating portion may define a mating plane. The guide portion may be connected to the mating portion and may define a guide plane orthogonal to the mating plane. The guide portion may extend beyond the mating portion. The mating portion may also define a mounting plane. The mounting plane may be orthogonal to the mating plane. The guide portion may define a void between the guide plane and the mounting plane, suitable for receiving a header wall of a complementary connector.