Shared Ground Contact Tail for USB Type-C Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
USB Type-C connectors with ground contacts on opposite rows of a metallic plate lack efficient design integration, as one row typically lacks a soldering or tail portion, leading to potential connectivity issues and reduced reliability.
Innovation Solution
An electrical connector design featuring an insulative housing with upper and lower rows of contacts, where the ground contact in the upper row shares the tail portion with the ground contact in the lower row, along with a metallic element and shielding shell, ensuring stable contact with the metallic element and improved connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each ground contact in upper and lower rows has its own separate tail portion, then the connector structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the connectivity reliability is reduced due to potential contact issues in rows lacking tail portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tail portions of ground contacts from both upper and lower rows into a single shared tail portion. This consolidation ensures that both rows have reliable contact paths while reducing the number of separate components. The shared tail portion is soldered to the circuit board, guaranteeing consistent electrical connection for ground signals across both rows without requiring separate tail portions for each contact.
2Ease of manufacture
If one row of ground contacts lacks a tail portion to simplify manufacturing, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but connectivity reliability deteriorates due to potential contact issues
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having one row lack a tail portion, the patent combines the tail portions of both rows into a single shared structure. This approach maintains manufacturing simplicity by reducing the number of separate tail portions to one, while simultaneously improving reliability by ensuring both rows have access to a robust, shared soldered connection point.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ground contacts in upper and lower rows are independently structured, then the design is straightforward and easy to implement, but the connector lacks flexibility in mating orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The shared tail portion structure creates a universal ground contact configuration that serves both upper and lower rows simultaneously. This multi-functional design allows the connector to maintain reliable ground connections regardless of mating orientation, as both rows share the same robust connection path to the circuit board, enhancing adaptability without significant structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes: an insulative housing having a base and a tongue; an upper and lower rows of contacts arranged in the insulative housing and exposed respectively to an upper and lower surfaces of the tongue, each row of contacts including an outermost ground contact, the ground contact in the lower row having a contacting portion, a tail portion, and an intermediate portion between the contacting portion and the tail portion; a metallic element arranged between the upper row of contacts and the lower row of contacts; and a shielding shell enclosing the insulative housing; wherein the ground contact in the upper row and the ground contact in the lower row are in contact with the metallic element; and the ground contact in the upper row and the ground contact in the lower row share same tail portion of the ground contact in the lower row.