Rotatable Plug Connector With Segmented Contacts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional connectors that allow free rotation with mating connectors often suffer from poor contact quality, mechanical stress issues, and inadequate electromagnetic shielding, especially when transmitting high electrical currents or voltages, leading to potential damage and interference.

Innovation Solution

The connector design features inner conductor parts that protrude beyond the housing with hollow cylindrical contact surfaces, allowing for free rotation and mechanical locking, while maintaining electrical insulation and electromagnetic shielding through a conductive housing and insulating parts, enabling high current transmission and secure mechanical connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the connector allows free rotation with mating connector, then ease of operation is improved, but contact quality and mechanical stability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of rotationVSAvoidcontact quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The connector allows dynamic rotation during insertion to accommodate alignment variations, while the hollow cylindrical contact surfaces with gaps provide mechanical locking features that stabilize the connection once inserted. The gaps in the contact surfaces engage with corresponding protrusions on the mating connector, preventing excessive rotation while allowing initial alignment adjustment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If conventional connectors allow free rotation, then ease of operation is improved, but mechanical stress on cable and connector increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of rotationVSAvoidmechanical stress resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The connector provides dynamic rotation capability during insertion but incorporates mechanical locking features through the hollow cylindrical contact surfaces with gaps. These gaps engage with corresponding features on the mating connector to prevent excessive rotation and stabilize the connection, thereby reducing mechanical stress on the cable and connector body.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If conventional connectors allow free rotation, then ease of operation is improved, but electromagnetic shielding deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of rotationVSAvoidelectromagnetic shielding
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The connector allows dynamic rotation during insertion but incorporates mechanical locking features through the hollow cylindrical contact surfaces with gaps. These gaps engage with corresponding features on the mating connector to prevent excessive rotation and stabilize the connection, thereby reducing mechanical stress on the cable and connector body.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Power

If jack plug connection is used for high current transmission, then power transmission capability should be improved, but contact quality and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecurrent transmission capabilityVSAvoidcontact quality
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The contact surface is segmented into hollow cylindrical shapes with gaps, creating multiple discrete contact points. This segmentation distributes the electrical current across multiple contact areas, reducing current density at any single point and improving both current transmission capability and contact reliability. The gaps between segments provide mechanical locking features that enhance connection stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2589116B1Rotatable plug-type connector
Publication Date: 2015.07.22 ROSENBERGER HOCHFREQUENZTECHNIK GMBH & CO KG
  • EP2589116B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2589116B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a plug-type connector for transmitting electric currents, having a plug-side end (20) which is designed to form a plug connection with a mating plug, a cable-side end (22) which is designed to be electrically and mechanically connected to a cable (24), in particular a cable (24) with a screen (26) and at least two lines (28, 30) within the screen (26), a housing (10), and having at least two internal conductor parts (12, 14) which are held at least partially within the housing (10) by an insulating part and are electrically insulated from one another, wherein the internal conductor parts (12, 14) project beyond the housing (10) in the axial direction at the plug-side end (20), wherein the internal conductor parts (12, 14) are arranged and designed in such a way that they form contact areas (40, 44) at the plug-side end (20) in the region in which they project beyond the housing (10), said contact areas being spaced apart from one another in the axial direction and serving to make electrical contact with corresponding conductor parts in the mating plug.