Thin Connector Design with Segmented Insulators
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional connectors with both waterproof and electromagnetic shielding properties are bulky due to the molding of insulating material around the metal shell, leading to increased thickness and potential deformation or misalignment of contacts during manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A connector design featuring a first insulator with exposed front and rear parts, a ground plate, and a peripheral metal shell that surrounds the contacts and ground plate, with a second insulator covering the rear parts, ensuring precise alignment and reduced thickness while maintaining waterproof and shielding properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the housing is made of insulating material and molded to cover the periphery of the metal shell, then waterproof properties and electromagnetic shielding are achieved, but the overall size and thickness of the connector become large
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a front housing and a rear housing that are separately molded and then assembled together. The front housing covers the front surface and side surfaces, while the rear housing covers the rear surface. This segmentation allows each housing part to be optimized independently and reduces the overall thickness compared to a single integrated housing structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal shell is nested within the front housing, and the contact insulator is nested within the rear housing. The ground plate is positioned between the front and rear housings, with its front part extending into the counter connector accommodating portion. This nested arrangement allows compact integration of multiple functional components without increasing overall thickness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of contacts is increased and each contact is reduced in size, then the connector can handle more signals, but deformation or misalignment of contacts occurs due to injection pressure during housing molding
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into front and rear parts, with contacts positioned in the rear housing that is molded separately. This separate molding process reduces the injection pressure impact on the contacts during the front housing molding process, preventing deformation and misalignment while allowing for a higher density of contacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact insulator serves as an intermediary component that holds the contacts in precise positions. The contact insulator is molded separately and then assembled to the rear housing, providing a stable mounting structure for the contacts that is not affected by the injection pressure of the front housing molding process.
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 design achieves a thin, high-precision connector that effectively reduces electromagnetic wave influence and enhances waterproofing without deformation or misalignment issues, even with a large number of small contacts.
Implementation Method 1
a peripheral shell that is made of metal, that is placed over the first insulator so as to surround a periphery of the front end portions of the plurality of contacts and the front end portion of the ground plate
Implementation Method 2
A gasket is disposed along the periphery of the opening 7 to seal between an inner surface of the casing 6 and the front surface of the housing 1 of the connector
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a first insulator, contacts joined to the first insulator, a contact insulator integrally holding the contacts in a vicinity of rear end portions thereof, a ground plate which extends along the contacts, a metal peripheral shell placed over the first insulator so as to surround a periphery of front end portions of the contacts and a front end portion of the ground plate and electrically connected to the ground plate, and a second insulator that is formed so as to cover a rear part of the first insulator, a rear part of the peripheral shell, central parts of the contacts and a central part of the ground plate, with the rear end portions of the contacts, the contact insulator and a rear end portion of the ground plate being exposed.