Non-Soldered USB Connector Assembly for Easy PCB Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional USB connectors are soldered directly to printed circuit boards, making repair or replacement complex and costly, and existing non-soldered solutions are large and costly, posing challenges for easy and cost-effective repairability.
Innovation Solution
A non-soldered USB connector assembly with a mounting bracket and spring contacts that removably attach to a PCB, allowing easy assembly and disassembly while maintaining signal integrity and supporting high data transfer speeds and power delivery, without the need for surface-mount technology.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If USB connectors are soldered directly to PCBs, then electrical connection reliability is improved, but repair complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The USB connector assembly is segmented into separate components: a mounting bracket that attaches to the PCB and a USB connector that attaches to the bracket. This allows the USB connector to be replaced independently without affecting the PCB or requiring soldering, thus maintaining connection reliability while dramatically improving ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket serves as an intermediary component between the PCB and the USB connector. It provides mechanical attachment points on the PCB and connection points for the USB connector, enabling reliable electrical connections through spring contacts while allowing the USB connector to be easily removed and replaced without soldering.
2Strength
If solder joints are used to attach USB connectors, then structural strength is improved, but repair cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the connection system into a mounting bracket and a separate USB connector component, the design maintains structural strength through the bracket's mechanical attachment to the PCB while enabling rapid connector replacement without time-consuming soldering processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket is pre-attached to the PCB with built-in spring contacts that are pre-positioned to make electrical contact. This preliminary preparation allows the USB connector to be quickly snapped into place without requiring time-consuming soldering operations, thus reducing repair time while maintaining structural integrity.
3Ease of repair
If non-soldered solutions are used for USB connectors, then repairability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides mechanical attachment to the PCB, houses the spring contacts for electrical connection, and serves as the mounting structure for the USB connector. This merging reduces overall assembly complexity while maintaining excellent repairability through simple connector replacement.
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
Enables easy replacement of damaged USB connectors by clients or end-users with minimal tools, maintaining functionality and structural integrity, and aligning with repairability requirements and legislation, such as the French Repairability Index.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of spring contacts disposed at least in part within the mounting bracket, where the spring contacts are configured to electrically connect to corresponding ones of a plurality of electrical contact pads of the PCB, and where an individual spring contact of the plurality of spring contacts applies a contact force to a corresponding one of the electrical contact pads of the PCB
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a highly-repairable, non-soldered Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector are described. In some non-limiting embodiments, a USB connector assembly comprises: a mounting bracket configured to removably attach to a printed circuit board (PCB); and a plurality of spring contacts disposed at least in part within the mounting bracket, wherein the spring contacts are configured to electrically connect to corresponding ones of a plurality of electrical contact pads of the PCB, and wherein an individual spring contact of the plurality of spring contacts applies a contact force to a corresponding one of the electrical contact pads of the PCB upon assembly of the mounting bracket onto the PCB.