CES Innovation Awards has recognized the BM50 Series compact FPC-to-board connector by Hirose Electric Co., Ltd. as honoree in the Mobile Devices & Accessories category. The BM50 Series has been selected for its 15A power supply capacity in a compact size that reduces the PCB mounting space by about 40 percent of its existing products.

This is the third time Hirose products have been selected as Innovation Awards Honorees, following the FX26 Series and BM46 Series at CES 2020.

Small with High Power Capacity

As power consumption increases with advances in smartphone functionality, so as the capacity and mounting space of the installed battery. Also, demand for smaller, thinner smartphones is on the rise, making it difficult to balance device size reduction and larger batteries. Larger battery capacity requires longer charging time, and fast charging becomes the norm. Thus, battery connectors are required to be small and have high power supply capacity.

Hirose has developed the BM50 Series to meet these demands. It reduced mounting area by approximately 40 percent and mated height by 0.1mm compared to existing products. It significantly reduces both the space used inside the device and the size of end products.

Suppresses Heat Generation to 30°C

While compact, the BM50 supports high current of 15A. The unique board mounting design suppresses heat generation to 30°C or less even when 15A is applied. It also supports USB Power Delivery, which allows up to 100W of power to be delivered via USB for fast charging. The fully armored design covers both ends of the housing with metal for enhanced robustness. It also promotes significant reduction in the risk of housing damage during misaligned mating.

Hirose aims to expand the use of the BM50 beyond smartphones to new markets, such as wearable devices, in the future.

The newly developed BM50 Series solves the battery connectivity issues of smartphones. Hirose also plans to release this year the BK22 Series compact FPC-to-board connector. It features the same performance as the BM50 Series but at a different size to meet evolving device needs.

Selection for the CES 2022 Innovation Awards program occurred ahead of CES, which is held every January in Las Vegas in the United States. The awards program is an international competition hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). It honors outstanding design and engineering in 27 product categories. A panel of experts in the consumer electronics industry consisting of media members, designers, and engineers evaluate submissions based on engineering, functionality, aesthetic, design, and what makes the product unique and innovative. This year’s honorees were selected from a record number of over 1,800 submissions.