Spring Contact PCB Connection with Vibration Lock
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connection systems for high-current applications face challenges in achieving manual ease of use, vibration resistance, and robust mechanical locking, often leading to plastic deformation and high manual force requirements, especially when multiple contacts are involved.
Innovation Solution
A connection arrangement featuring pluggable spring-like contact elements with a reversible deflection characteristic, coordinated with plated-through holes in a printed circuit board, and a separate vibration-resistant mechanical locking mechanism, allowing manual insertion and removal without plastic deformation, even under harsh conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional drilling and plating processes are used to create through-holes, then electrical connections between layers can be established, but the manufacturing complexity and number of process steps increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the drilling and plating process steps from the manufacturing sequence. By forming conductive pathways through the dielectric material using only additive deposition processes, the patent removes the need for mechanical drilling and separate plating operations, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining electrical connection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical drilling operations with a chemical/depositional process. Instead of using mechanical force to create holes and then applying plating, the patent uses sequential additive deposition of conductive materials that self-organize into conductive pathways, substituting mechanical systems with material deposition and self-assembly mechanisms
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple process steps including drilling and plating are employed, then through-holes can be formed, but the manufacturing time and production cycle increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the functions of hole formation and conductive pathway creation into a single integrated process. By combining what were previously separate drilling and plating operations into one additive deposition sequence, the patent reduces the number of discrete process steps while maintaining precise control over conductive pathway formation, thereby improving manufacturing throughput
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary patterning and material deposition actions in a sequential additive manner before final curing. By progressively building conductive pathways layer by layer and allowing self-organization during the process, the patent achieves precise through-hole formation without requiring subsequent correction or additional processing steps
3Reliability
If drilling and plating processes are used, then electrical conductivity can be achieved, but the overall manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the costly drilling and plating process steps from the manufacturing sequence. By using only additive deposition processes to form both the structural and conductive pathways in a single integrated sequence, the patent reduces material waste, equipment requirements, and labor costs while maintaining electrical conductivity
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental manufacturing parameters from subtractive/mechanical processes to additive/depositional processes. By controlling deposition thickness, material composition, and curing parameters sequentially, the patent achieves cost-effective manufacturing through reduced process steps, lower material waste, and simplified equipment requirements while maintaining reliable electrical conductivity
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
Enables reliable, high-current connections with low manual effort, vibration resistance, and robust mechanical locking, reducing plastic deformation and electrical losses, suitable for automotive and off-road applications.
Implementation Method 1
the printed conductive pathways comprising a self-organized conductive paste
Implementation Method 2
wherein the layers are formed by successively printing dielectric material and curing the printed dielectric material with UV irradiation
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~6
Figure 7~8
AI summary
Connection arrangement with a plug-in element comprising at least one pluggable spring-like contact element, in particular a plurality of pluggable spring-like contact elements, with a reversible deflection characteristic, and with a printed circuit board with plated-through holes arranged in an arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the contact element or contact elements of the plug-in element, wherein the holes and the contact element or contact elements that can be plugged into them are matched to each other in such a way that the plug-in element can be connected to and removed from the printed circuit board by hand by inserting the contact element or contact elements into the holes, wherein the connection arrangement is provided with a vibration-resistant mechanical lock to prevent unintentional removal of the plug-in element from the printed circuit board.wherein the contact element or contact elements have or have two legs leaving a gap between them, and wherein the contact element or contact elements are or are provided as two curved spring elements spaced apart from each other.