Widened Power Terminals for High Current USB-C Connectors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional USB Type C connectors are inadequate for large current conduction due to insufficient width of power and ground terminals, leading to potential power delivery limitations and risks of shorting.
Innovation Solution
The electrical connector design features widened power and ground terminals with a minimum width of 0.4 mm, along with specific spacing to ensure efficient large current conduction without shorting, incorporating an insulative housing, shielding shell, and symmetric terminal arrangement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the width of power terminal contacting portion is increased to conduct large current, then the current conduction capability is improved, but the device complexity increases due to non-uniform terminal widths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the contacting portions of power terminals and ground terminals wider than signal terminals. Specifically, the power terminal contacting portion has a width of 0.2mm to 0.3mm while signal terminals have a smaller width, allowing different terminal types to have optimized dimensions for their specific functions without increasing overall device complexity
2Power
If the width of power terminal contacting portion is increased to conduct large current, then the power delivery capability is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by specifying precise width ranges for different terminal types. The power terminal contacting portion is defined to have a width of 0.2mm to 0.3mm, while ground terminals have an even wider contacting portion. These parameter specifications enable manufacturing precision control while achieving the required power delivery capability
3Reliability
If the width of ground terminal contacting portion is increased to prevent shorting, then the safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the ground terminal contacting portion the widest among all terminals, with a width greater than 0.3mm. This localized widening of ground terminals provides enhanced safety and shorting prevention without requiring all terminals to be uniformly wide, thus avoiding unnecessary device complexity
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical connector includes: an insulative housing; two rows of terminals arranged in the insulative housing, each terminal having a contacting portion, a tail portion, and an intermediate portion between the contacting portion and the tail portion, each row of terminals including two outermost ground terminals, two power terminals, and plural signal terminals, each ground terminal being spaced from a neighboring power terminal by one or more signal terminals, a width of the contacting portion of the ground terminal being greater than a largest width of the signal terminal, a width of the contacting portion of the power terminal being greater than the largest width of the signal terminal; and a shielding shell enclosing the insulative housing; wherein the width of the contacting portion of the power terminal is equal to or greater than 0.4 mm.