Wafer-Based Electrical Connector Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed electrical connectors, such as Twinax or Quadrax connectors, are costly and time-consuming to manufacture due to high cycle times, necessitating a more economical manufacturing method while maintaining high electrical performance.
Innovation Solution
The design features a conductive connector shell with a contact subassembly comprising signal and ground wafers, where the ground wafer is sandwiched between the signal wafers, with dielectric wafer bodies overmolded around the contacts to provide integral and laterally spaced signal and ground contacts for improved electrical continuity and isolation, and a method of assembling these components within a conductive shell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional machining methods are used for high-speed electrical connectors, then electrical performance can be maintained, but manufacturing cost and cycle time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The contact assembly is divided into separate signal wafer and ground wafer components that can be manufactured independently using cost-effective stamping and overmolding processes, then assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific manufacturing process while maintaining overall electrical performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the manufacturing parameters from traditional precision machining to stamping and overmolding processes. By adjusting material selection, molding temperature, and assembly tolerances, the patent achieves the necessary electrical performance with lower-cost processes that have different parameter requirements than conventional machining.
2Productivity
If wafer bodies are overmolded around contacts to provide integral construction, then manufacturing efficiency improves, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact assembly is divided into separate signal wafer and ground wafer components that can be manufactured independently using cost-effective stamping and overmolding processes, then assembled together. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific manufacturing process while maintaining overall electrical performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The ground wafer is nested between the two signal wafers in a sandwich configuration, with all three wafers fitting within the connector shell. This nested arrangement allows efficient packaging of multiple components while maintaining organized assembly sequences and reducing overall complexity.
3Reliability
If ground wafer is sandwiched between signal wafers, then electrical isolation and continuity are improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The ground wafer acts as an intermediary component between the two signal wafers, providing both electrical isolation for differential signals and a reference plane for impedance control. This intermediary structure simplifies the overall design by consolidating multiple functions into a single intermediate layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different properties to different regions of the wafer structure. The ground wafer provides continuous grounding in certain areas while maintaining isolation in others, and the overmolded dielectric material provides localized insulation and mechanical support where needed, allowing optimized electrical performance without uniform complexity throughout.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3C
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
An electrical connector, and method of assembly, that has a conductive connector shell and a contact subassembly received therein. The contact subassembly has first and second signal wafers and a ground wafer sandwiched between the signal wafers. Each of the signal wafers includes one or more signal contacts and a dielectric wafer body formed around the signal contacts such that the tail and mating ends of the signal contacts are outside of the wafer body. The ground wafer includes one or more ground contacts and a dielectric wafer body formed around the ground contacts such that the tail ends of the ground contacts are outside of the wafer body of the ground wafer.