Suction Portion Segmentation for Contact Mounting Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing contacts used for surface mounting on printed wiring boards often experience permanent deformation and altered product characteristics when automatically mounted by suction nozzles, leading to changes in pressure contact force and reduced stroke length.

Innovation Solution

A contact formed by bending a thin metal plate, featuring a solder bonding portion, an elastic contact portion, and a suction portion, where the suction portion is connected independently of the elastic contact portion and arranged parallel to the solder bonding portion, allowing for stable automatic mounting without distorting the elastic contact portion, thus maintaining product characteristics and ensuring adequate stroke for effective electrical connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If the first main body portion is connected to the top end of the elastic contact portion to serve as a suction face, then automatic mounting by suction nozzle becomes possible, but permanent deformation occurs in the elastic contact portion and product characteristics are altered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic mountingVSAvoidproduct characteristics
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The contact is divided into distinct functional portions: a solder bonding portion, an elastic contact portion, and a separately formed suction portion. The suction portion is connected to the solder bonding portion independently of the elastic contact portion, allowing the suction nozzle to act on the suction portion without transmitting deforming forces to the elastic contact portion, thus preventing permanent deformation while enabling automatic mounting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Extent of automation

If the first main body portion is connected to the top end of the elastic contact portion, then a suction face is provided for automatic mounting, but the stroke length is shortened by the first main body

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic mountingVSAvoidstroke
Core Design Contradiction:
Extent of automationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The suction portion is segmented as a separate component connected to the solder bonding portion rather than extending from the elastic contact portion. This configuration provides a suction face for automatic mounting while maintaining the full stroke length of the elastic contact portion, as the suction portion does not encroach on the elastic contact portion's movement space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the suction portion is connected independently to the solder bonding portion, then permanent deformation is prevented, but the device structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct characteristicsVSAvoidstructure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The suction portion, solder bonding portion, and elastic contact portion are formed integrally from a single sheet of metal plate through bending and shaping operations. This merging of components into a single monolithic structure reduces assembly complexity and manufacturing steps while maintaining the functional independence of each portion, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 solution prevents distortion of the elastic contact portion during automatic mounting, maintains product characteristics, and ensures effective electrical connection between the printed wiring board and conductive members, while simplifying manufacturing and reducing costs through the use of a single sheet of metal.

Implementation Method 1

When in contact with the conductive member, the elastic contact portion is pressed against the conductive member while being elastically deformed

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

it is proposed to connect a first main body portion arranged parallel to the undersurface of the solder bonding portion with a top end of the elastic contact portion and use the first main body portion as a suction face for the suction nozzle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP2352207B1Connecting element
Publication Date: 2019.01.02 KITAGAWA INDS
  • EP2352207B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1G
  • EP2352207B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2352207B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3G

AI summary

A contact includes a solder bonding portion, an elastic contact portion, and a suction portion. An undersurface of the solder bonding portion is a solder bonding face which is to be solder bonded to the conductor pattern. The elastic contact portion is connected to one end of the solder bonding portion and bent over the solder bonding portion. When in contact with a conductive member, the elastic contact portion is pressed against the conductive member while being elastically deformed. The suction portion is connected to the solder bonding portion independently of the elastic contact portion. The suction portion is made a suction face for a suction nozzle of an automatic mounter, with its top end being arranged in parallel to the undersurface of the solder bonding portion on the conductive member side of the elastic contact portion.