Universal Connector with Reversed Contact Arrangement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing USB and memory card connectors require users to align the male connector correctly with the female connector, which can be inconvenient and may lead to incorrect installation, especially in complex household appliances with integrated computers and various connector specifications.
Innovation Solution
A connector design with a base board having contacts on two opposite sides, where the reverse side contacts are arranged in reverse order and electrically connected to the front side contacts, allowing the connector to be plugged in with either side facing upward or downward, ensuring correct electrical connection and preventing short circuits through a short-circuit protection mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the male connector is designed with a predetermined correct orientation for plugging into the female connector, then the electrical connection reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users must align the connector correctly
Solution Approach 1:
The connector base board is designed with asymmetric contact arrangements where the front side and reverse side contacts are positioned differently and electrically connected through internal pathways. This asymmetric design allows the connector to function correctly regardless of insertion orientation, eliminating the need for users to align the connector in a specific direction while maintaining reliable electrical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector is designed with universal functionality by providing identical contact configurations on both the front side and reverse side of the base board. Both sides can independently establish correct electrical connections with the female connector, making the male connector adaptable to either insertion orientation and eliminating orientation-specific constraints.
2Ease of manufacture
If the connector contacts are arranged in a fixed order on one side only, then the manufacturing complexity is reduced, but the adaptability deteriorates as the connector cannot be plugged in from either side
Solution Approach 1:
The base board is segmented into distinct front side and reverse side contact regions, each with its own contact arrangement. The front side contacts and reverse side contacts are electrically connected through internal conductive pathways within the base board, allowing each side to function independently while maintaining overall system functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact arrangement extends from a single-sided two-dimensional layout to a dual-sided three-dimensional configuration. By adding contacts on both the front and reverse sides of the base board and establishing electrical connections between them, the design utilizes the third dimension (depth/thickness of the base board) to achieve orientation-independent connectivity.
3Ease of operation
If the male connector is incorrectly plugged into the female connector, then the ease of operation improves as no alignment is needed, but the reliability deteriorates due to potential hardware damage
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric contact arrangement on the base board ensures that correct electrical connections are established regardless of insertion orientation. The internal electrical pathways are configured so that whether the front side or reverse side contacts engage first, the final connection state is functionally equivalent and safe, preventing hardware damage from incorrect orientation.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector includes a base board having at least four contacts provided on each of two opposite sides thereof. The contacts on the second side of the base board are arranged in the reverse order relative to the contacts on the first side of the base board, and some of the contacts on the first and the second side of the base board are electrically connected to one another to enable the connector to plug in and electrically connect to a corresponding female connector.