USB Type-C Contact Bridge Punching Direction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The traditional method of punching out contact bridges in USB Type C connectors towards the shielding plate can result in barbs extending towards the shielding plate, leading to potential shorting and compromising the shielding effect due to insufficient distance between the contacts and the shielding plate, posing a risk during signal transmission.

Innovation Solution

The contact bridges are removed by punching from the inner hidden surface to the outer exposed surface of the contact sections, causing the barbs to extend away from the shielding plate, ensuring a safe distance of at least 0.125 mm between the contacts and the shielding plate, thereby preventing shorting and maintaining the shielding effect.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If contact bridges are punched out towards the shielding plate to maintain smooth contact surface, then contact surface smoothness is improved, but the distance between contacts and shielding plate becomes insufficient leading to potential shorting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontact surface smoothnessVSAvoidshorting prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional punching direction by punching from the outer exposed surface toward the inner hidden surface instead of toward the shielding plate. This reversal causes barbs to extend away from the shielding plate, maintaining both contact surface smoothness and adequate clearance to prevent shorting between contacts and shielding plate

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the punching direction from a vertical approach (toward the shielding plate) to a horizontal approach (from outer surface inward). This dimensional change in the punching vector ensures that barbs extend perpendicular to the shielding plate, maintaining safe clearance while preserving contact surface quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If punching is performed from outer surface to inner surface, then distance between contacts and shielding plate is maintained, but contact surface smoothness may be affected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclearance maintenanceVSAvoidcontact surface smoothness

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the punching direction to proceed from outer surface inward rather than toward the shielding plate, the patent ensures that barbs are formed extending away from the shielding plate. This maintains the required 0.125 mm clearance while the punching process still produces a sufficiently smooth contact surface for reliable electrical connection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS10312635B2Contact bridge punched out away from shielding plate

Publication Date: 2019.06.04 FOXCONN INTERCONNECT TECHNOLOGY LTD

AI summary

An electrical connector includes a terminal module enclosed within a metallic shell. The terminal module including two contact module commonly sandwich a shielding plate therebetween. In each contact module, before forming the complete terminal module, the bridges between the contacting sections of the neighboring contacts are removed by punching in a direction from the inner hidden surface to the outer exposed surface of the contacting section of the contact. Such an outward punching results in the barbs extending away from the shielding plate after the whole terminal module is formed so as to avoid the defect due to the unexpected relatively tiny distance between the contacting sections of the contacts and the shielding plate in the mating tongue along the vertical direction.