Staggered Board Mount Connector Pad Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electrical connectors require large spaces for conductive pads due to the arrangement of elastic contact parts, leading to inconsistent connections when multiple connectors are attached to a circuit board, especially due to dimensional tolerances and attachment errors.
Innovation Solution
The board mount-type connector features contacts with a centerpiece secured to the housing, a mating interface, and a board interface with a bend that extends and then bends back towards the centerpiece, allowing for staggered arrangement of pad interfaces along the connector row, reducing the space needed for conductive pads and ensuring reliable contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If elastic contact parts are arranged in a conventional straight-line configuration, then the connector structure is simple, but the space required for conductive pads increases and connection reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The board interface transitions from a straight-line arrangement to a bent configuration that utilizes two-dimensional space more efficiently. The bend allows the contact path to fold back toward the extension line, creating a staggered arrangement that reduces the linear space requirement while maintaining connection reliability through increased pad width.
Solution Approach 2:
The board interface is divided into multiple segments including the initial extension portion and the bent-back portion. This segmentation allows each segment to perform a specific function: the extension portion reaches toward the conductive pad while the bent-back portion provides the elastic contact force, optimizing both space utilization and connection reliability.
2Reliability
If multiple connectors are attached to a circuit board, then connectivity increases, but dimensional tolerances and attachment errors cause inconsistent connections
Solution Approach 1:
The bent configuration changes the geometric parameters of the board interface, creating a staggered arrangement that accommodates dimensional tolerances. The bend allows for adjustment in the contact position while maintaining reliable electrical connection, ensuring consistent performance across multiple connectors attached to the circuit board.
3Reliability
If conductive pads are made wider to ensure reliable contact, then connection reliability improves, but the space required for each pad increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bent board interface configuration allows the contact path to utilize vertical space rather than only horizontal space. This dimensional change enables wider conductive pads for improved reliability while containing the overall space requirement through the folded-back arrangement that staggers the pad positions along the connector row.
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
This design allows for increased width of conductive pads without increasing space requirements, ensuring reliable contact even with multiple connectors, and enables repeated connections without compromising reliability.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic contact part that elastically contacts a conductive pad on a circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
A board mount-type connector having an insulative housing with a base and a row of contacts carried by the housing is disclosed. Each contact has a centerpiece secured to the housing along a substantially vertically upright inner wall of the base, a mating interface connected to one end of the centerpiece so that the mating interface contacts a mating contact, and a board interface connected to the remaining end of the centerpiece so that the board interface connects to a circuit board. Each board interface has a bend that initially extends away from an extension line associated with a generally vertically upright portion of the respective centerpiece and that is bent back toward the extension line. A pad interface extends from the free end of the board interface toward the extension line and the contacts of the row are staggered along a length of the row.