Shielded Connector Assembly With Protrusions for Smooth Plug Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connector assemblies with elastic fingers can cause plugs with irregular surfaces to become stuck or damaged when pulled out due to the fingers warping inward, leading to potential damage to the structure.
Innovation Solution
A connector assembly featuring a metal shielding cage with protecting protrusions on its inner surfaces adjacent to elastic fingers, which prevent the plug from hooking and pulling the fingers inward during ejection, thereby protecting the elastic fingers and ensuring smooth plug removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastic fingers are positioned inside the metal shielding cage to latch the plug, then the plug can be securely held during insertion, but the plug may hook and damage the elastic fingers during removal if the plug surface is irregular
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces protecting protrusions as intermediary elements between the plug and the elastic fingers. These protrusions are formed on the inner side surface of the metal shielding cage and extend toward the insertion space. When the plug is inserted, the protecting protrusions guide it into proper alignment. During removal, the protecting protrusions prevent the plug from directly contacting and hooking the elastic fingers, thus mediating the interaction to prevent damage while maintaining secure holding capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The protecting protrusions are pre-formed on the metal shielding cage before the plug insertion/removal cycle begins. These protrusions preliminarily establish a protective barrier that prevents harmful hooking action before it can occur. The protrusions are positioned to extend toward the insertion space in advance, creating a preventive structure that guides the plug and shields the elastic fingers from potential damage during the entire operation cycle.
2Reliability
If elastic fingers warp inward to latch the plug, then the connection is secure, but the plug becomes difficult to remove or may forcefully damage the structure
Solution Approach 1:
The protecting protrusions serve as mediators that intervene between the plug and the elastic fingers during the removal process. As the plug is pulled out, the protecting protrusions prevent the plug surface from directly engaging with the inward-warped elastic fingers, thereby eliminating the hooking effect that causes difficult removal. This allows the elastic fingers to maintain their secure latching position while the protecting protrusions ensure smooth plug extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The protecting protrusions provide beforehand cushioning by creating a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between the plug and the elastic fingers during removal. This cushioning effect absorbs and redirects the forces that would otherwise cause the plug to hook on the elastic fingers, enabling easy removal without compromising the security of the connection during insertion and holding phases.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The protecting protrusions effectively prevent the plug from catching the elastic fingers, allowing for easy ejection without damaging the structure, ensuring reliable and secure plug removal.
Implementation Method 1
a grounding member having a plurality of inner side elastic fingers which are positioned to an inner side of the metal shielding cage
Data Source
AI summary
A connector assembly includes a metal shielding cage and a grounding member. The metal shielding cage has an insertion space and a top wall, a bottom wall and two side walls which define the insertion space, the insertion space has a front end opening. The a grounding member is provided at the front end opening of the metal shielding cage, the grounding member has a plurality of inner side elastic fingers which are positioned to an inner side of the metal shielding cage. The metal shielding cage is constructed with a protecting protrusion which is formed on an inner side surface of at least one of the top wall, the bottom wall and the two side walls, the protecting protrusion is adjacent to the corresponding inner side elastic finger and is positioned behind the corresponding inner side elastic finger, and protrudes toward the insertion space. The protecting protrusion can avoid the pluggable module which inserts into the corresponding insertion space hooking and pulling the tip of the corresponding inner side elastic finger in a process that the pluggable module is pulled out from the corresponding insertion space.