SMT Electrical Contact with Flexible Spoon Head for Automated Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical contacts in electronic devices, such as styluses, are prone to misalignment and damage during assembly, particularly when using rigid contacts like Pogo pins, which can cause communication failures and require manual placement of SMT components, making automated assembly challenging and costly.
Innovation Solution
The development of electrical contacts with a contact head, spring, frame, and feet, designed for balanced pick-and-place operations, allowing for low-profile and tall SMT component placement, and featuring a split beam for accommodating various component heights, reducing the likelihood of damage and misalignment during assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid contacts like Pogo pins are used, then electrical connection is established, but the contacts may scrape against and damage the flexible circuit board
Solution Approach 1:
The contact features a flexible head portion that can bend and deform to accommodate misalignment and prevent damage to the flexible circuit board during insertion and operation
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element provides pre-compression and cushioning force to the contact head, allowing it to absorb impact and prevent scraping damage to the flexible circuit board during the insertion process
2Reliability
If rigid contacts are used, then electrical connection is established, but the contacts may become misaligned during assembly or battery replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The contact transitions from a rigid structure to a dynamic structure with a flexible head and spring element that can adapt its position and orientation to maintain proper alignment during assembly and operation
Solution Approach 2:
The contact head's flexibility allows it to change its physical parameters (shape, position) in response to external forces, maintaining optimal contact alignment under varying conditions
3Reliability
If traditional contact shapes are used, then electrical connection is established, but they are unsuitable for vacuum pick-and-place automated assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The contact is divided into distinct functional segments (foot, spring, flexible head) that can be manufactured separately and assembled, with the foot designed for vacuum pickup and the head designed for electrical contact
4Reliability
If traditional contact designs are used, then electrical connection is established, but separate or manual processes are required for placing SMT components
Solution Approach 1:
The contact serves multiple functions: electrical connection, mechanical support, alignment reference, and vacuum pickup target, eliminating the need for separate component placement processes
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
These contacts enable efficient, automated assembly of SMT circuit boards, reducing the risk of damage and misalignment, and allowing for the use of vacuum pick-and-place processes, thereby simplifying and cost-reducing the assembly of electronic devices like styluses and cellular phones.
Implementation Method 1
a spring having a pick surface at a first end, opposing first and second beams at a second end, and a U-shaped portion between the pick surface and the first and second beams
Implementation Method 2
The contacts described herein are less susceptible to permanent deformation from bending and twisting during assembly. Further, the contacts described herein, when mounted on one circuit board, reduce or eliminate the likelihood of damage to the other circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
A contact to provide an electrical connection between two circuit boards, such as a rigid circuit board and a flexible circuit board installed in a container, such as an electronic stylus or a cellular telephone. The contact head generally has the shape of an inverted spoon, which allows the contact head to slide smoothly onto a desired electrical contact pad on the flexible circuit board. The contact has a unitary design, including a spring, which reduces the likelihood of damage to the flexible circuit board or to the contact when the rigid circuit board is installed in the electronic stylus. The spring design reduces the likelihood that the contact will be bent when the rigid circuit board is installed, and also allows the contact to be balanced, which is advantageous for wave-soldering operations. The contact also has a pick surface, which is useful in vacuum pick-and-place operations.