USB Male Connector Reinforcement Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
USB male connectors made from steel plate cold rolled commercial materials are prone to bending or cracking due to stress concentration when force is applied, and using stronger materials like stainless steel increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A USB male connector design that includes an insulating body with a slot for a reinforcement structure made of steel, iron, or alloy materials, which is inserted during manufacturing to enhance the strength of the connector without increasing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If steel plate cold rolled commercial material is used for the USB male connector shell, then the manufacturing cost is low, but the connector is prone to bending and cracking due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining the insulating body (plastic material) with a reinforcement structure (metal material such as steel, iron, or alloy). The reinforcement structure is embedded within the insulating body to create a composite structure that leverages the low cost and ease of manufacturing of plastic while gaining the strength and stress resistance of metal, thereby resolving the contradiction between manufacturing cost and connector strength
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement structure is strategically positioned in the transition area of the USB male connector where stress concentration occurs. This localized reinforcement provides enhanced strength precisely where needed without requiring the entire connector to be made from expensive strong materials, thus maintaining cost-effectiveness while improving strength at the critical stress-bearing location
2Strength
If stainless steel material is used for the connector shell to improve strength, then the connector strength increases, but the manufacturing cost becomes high
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire connector shell from expensive stainless steel, the patent uses a hybrid approach where only the critical reinforcement structure is made from strong metal material while the majority of the connector body remains as low-cost insulating material. This localized application of high-strength material provides necessary strength while significantly reducing overall manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure combining inexpensive insulating material with a reinforcement structure made of metal. This composite approach achieves the strength benefits of stainless steel in the critical areas without requiring the entire product to be made from expensive stainless steel, thereby resolving the cost-strength trade-off
Data Source
AI summary
A USB male connector and its companion electronic product are disclosed, which are related to the field of the connector structure, and improve the strength of a USB male connector at a lower cost, and therefore, preventing the USB male connector from bending and cracking. The USB male connector includes: an insulating body, a slot installed in the insulating body, and a reinforcement structure fixed in the slot, where the strength of the reinforcement structure is greater than the strength of the insulating body. The USB male connector has an open end and a tail end that is opposite to the open end. A socket of the slot is located in the tail end of the USB male connector. The electronic product includes an electronic product body and the USB male connector, where the USB male connector is fixedly connected to the electronic product body.