USB Series A Connector with Equipotential Outer Pads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional USB Series A connectors pose risks of applying harmful electrical potentials to patients and causing equipment damage due to their design, particularly in medical applications where mis-insertion can occur, and they lack features to prevent such hazards.
Innovation Solution
A male connector with a contact pad substrate conforming to USB Series A pitch specifications, featuring electrically connected outermost contact pads and an insulating tubular portion to prevent potential differences, along with an insertion key and tapered handling portion to prevent mis-insertion, ensuring safety and reducing the risk of electrical shock and equipment damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional USB Series A connector design is used, then compatibility with standard USB receptacles is achieved, but risk of applying harmful electrical potentials to patients and causing equipment damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The two outermost contact pads are electrically connected together to form a common potential reference, ensuring that no potential difference can be applied between them. This equipotential configuration prevents harmful electrical currents from flowing through connected equipment or patients while maintaining compatibility with USB receptacles that expect a standard four-contact pad arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
An insulating tubular portion is introduced as an intermediary element between the contact pads and the external environment. This insulating barrier physically prevents mis-insertion into standard USB Series A receptacles while allowing the connector to maintain the USB contact pad pitch specification for proper alignment with compatible receptacles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the connector is designed to prevent mis-insertion, then safety is improved, but ease of operation may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating tubular portion is positioned asymmetrically relative to the contact pad arrangement, creating a unique geometric profile that prevents mis-insertion into standard USB receptacles. The asymmetric design ensures that only the correct oriented connector can be inserted, while the overall form factor remains compatible with USB receptacle dimensions for easy operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If the contact pad pitch conforms to USB Series A specification, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connector maintains the standard USB Series A contact pad pitch specification (2.0mm between innermost pads, 2.5mm between innermost and outermost pads) only in the critical contact region to minimize substrate manufacturing costs. The insulating tubular portion and the equipotential connection of outermost pads are applied locally to address safety concerns without requiring a complete redesign of the contact pad substrate.
Data Source
AI summary
A male connector (100) includes a contact pad substrate (101) and a connector shell (102). The contact pad substrate (101) includes a linear array of contact pads (103a, 103b, 103c, 103d) that are adapted for aligning with corresponding contacts (103′a, 103′b, 103′c, 103′d) of a contact-bearing tongue (104′) of a corresponding female connector (100′) that conforms to a USB Series A receptacle contact pad pitch specification. The two outermost contact pads (103a, 103d) of the linear array are electrically connected together. The connector shell (102) is formed from an insulating material and comprises a tubular portion (102a) for insertion into the corresponding female connector (100′), and a handling portion (102b) for handling during insertion.