Shared Component Substrate for Electrical Connector Cost Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-port electrical connector assemblies are costly due to each substrate being adapted for mounting one capacitor, leading to an excessive number of resistors or capacitors.
Innovation Solution
A multi-port electrical connector assembly design featuring a first substrate with interconnected substrate halves, where circuit traces on one substrate half allow two adjacent conductive units to share a single electronic component, such as a capacitor, reducing the overall number of components needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If each substrate is adapted for mounting one capacitor, then the electrical connector assembly can be manufactured with simple individual substrate designs, but the number of capacitors increases leading to high cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate substrates into a single integrated substrate structure where two substrate halves are connected together. This merged substrate allows two conductive units to share a common capacitor, reducing the total capacitor count from two to one while maintaining the electrical functionality of both conductive units. The circuit traces on the substrate enable signal transmission between the conductive units and the shared capacitor.
2Quantity of substance
If two conductive units share one capacitor via circuit traces, then the number of electronic components is reduced lowering cost, but the substrate structure becomes more complex requiring interconnected substrate halves
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is segmented into two distinct substrate halves that are connected to each other. Each substrate half is associated with one conductive unit, allowing for modular design and assembly. The connection between substrate halves provides a common mounting location for the shared capacitor, enabling component reduction while maintaining structural organization and ease of assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector assembly has an insulative housing (2) defining a number of receiving spaces (24) and a number of contact modules (4) inserted in the receiving spaces. Each contact module comprises a first substrate (41) having a pair of substrate halves (411), and a pair of conductive units respectively mounted on corresponding substrate halves. The first substrate has a number of circuit traces formed thereon and one electronic component (415) disposed on one substrate half. The circuit traces is electrically connected with the pair of conductive units and the electronic component. The pair of conductive units share the electronic component commonly via the circuit traces.