KR20140001551U - Electrical connector and electrical connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board, the electrical connector comprising a housing and a plurality of connection terminals mounted inside the housing, each of the connection terminals being expandable and retractable exposed from the housing. A first contact end, a second contact end configured to connect to the circuit board, and a main body portion between the first contact end and the second contact end, each first contact end having an upper surface therein It is formed by bending in a plane parallel to the plane to be. The present invention also provides an electrical connector assembly comprising such an electrical connector. The larger sized portions of the first contact end are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the housing, thereby reducing the height of the housing on the circuit board, thus reducing the overall height of the electrical connector.

Description

Electrical Connector & Electrical Connector Assembly {ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY}

This application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201220450485.0, filed September 5, 2012 with the Patent Office of China, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly, to a socket electrical connector having a printed circuit board and an electrical connector assembly comprising the electrical connector.

In electrical devices such as mobile phones, various portable players, digital cameras and video cameras, GPS devices, tablet computers, and the like, electrical connectors are generally needed to electrically connect the printed circuit board to other electrical devices or batteries.

21 shows a perspective view of an electrical connector mounted on a prior art printed circuit board (PCB). The electrical connector 200 includes a housing and a plurality of connecting terminals mounted in the housing, each connecting terminal being formed by bending a metal sheet strip several times. Each connection terminal has a first contact end 201 having expandability and contractility exposed from the housing and a second contact end connected to the printed circuit board 300. At each first contact end 201, the width of the metal sheet for forming the connecting terminal is perpendicular to the thickness direction of the housing, ie parallel to the longitudinal direction of the printed circuit board 300. Such electrical connector 200 may not be adapted to be mounted in a thinner electrical device, or will adversely affect the mechanical performance of the electrical device itself or the requirements for its electrical performance when mounted in a thinner electrical device. In addition, all the spaces between the first contact end 201 of the electrical connector 200 of the prior art are the same, and the configuration of the housing of the electrical connector and the first contact end 201 when the spaces need to be changed. It is necessary to adjust the mounting schemes for. As a result, the cost for the use of the electrical connector is increased.

In order to overcome or alleviate one or more aspects of the aforementioned disadvantages, the present invention provides an electrical connector assembly comprising an electrical connector and an electrical connector with reduced overall thickness of the electrical connector.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board, the electrical connector including a housing and a plurality of connection terminals mounted inside the housing, each of the connection terminals being a housing Each first contact end having a first contact end having expandable and retractable properties exposed therefrom, a second contact end configured to connect to the circuit board, and a main body portion between the first contact end and the second contact end, Is formed by bending in a plane parallel to the plane in which the top surface of the circuit board is located.

In the above-described electrical connector, the first contact ends of the plurality of connection terminals are arranged in the upper row and the lower row in the height direction of the housing, and the first contact ends in the upper row and the lower row are staggered with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction of the housing. Are arranged.

In the above-described electrical connector, the electrical connector includes three connection terminals, and the first contact end of one connection terminal located in the upper row of the two connection terminals located in the lower row in the longitudinal direction of the housing. It is arranged between the first contact ends.

In the electrical connector described above, the housing has three receiving spaces, each corresponding to three connecting terminals and electrically insulated from each other, the front wall of the housing being provided with first openings and through the first openings of the connecting terminals. First contact ends respectively extend, second openings are provided in the rear wall of the housing and main body portions of the connecting terminals are respectively inserted into the second openings.

In the electrical connector described above, each of the connection terminals has a plurality of curved parts such that each of the first contact ends is elastically expandable and retractable with respect to each opening.

In the above-described electrical connector, each first contact end has a substantially U-shape and includes a first arm connected to the main body portion of the connecting terminal and a second arm having a free end, the free end being the first end. One contact end is located in each first opening as it extends from each first opening.

In the above-described electrical connector, each of the receiving spaces has a width substantially equal to the width of the main body portion of the connecting terminal, and each first opening has a height substantially equal to the width of the first contact end of each connecting terminal. Have

In the electrical connector described above, each main body portion is provided with one or more protruding portions, and one wall of each receiving space is formed with a positioning passage for forming a forced fit with the protruding portions.

In the above-described electrical connector, each second contact end portion includes an electrical contact perpendicular to the width direction of the connecting terminal, and a coupling portion connected between the electrical contact and the main body portion of the connecting terminal, wherein each coupling portion is It is associated with a corresponding notch formed in the housing.

In the above-described electrical connector, both of the auxiliary notches formed in the housing and the two walls of the accommodation space for receiving the connection terminals in the upper row are provided with positioning passages for forming a forced fit with the protruding portions. .

In the above-described electrical connector, recesses are formed in the portion of the housing corresponding to each of the electrical contacts.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector assembly comprising a circuit board, an electrical connector according to the various embodiments described above, and one or more fixing members extending through the housing to secure the electrical connector to the circuit board. .

In the electrical connector and the connector assembly according to various embodiments of the present invention, each first contact end is formed by bending in a plane parallel to the plane to a plane in which the top surface of the circuit board is located therein, thereby providing a first The larger sized portions of the contact ends are arranged in the longitudinal direction (lengthwise) of the housing, thereby reducing the height of the housing on the circuit board, thus reducing the overall height of the electrical connector.

The above and other features of the present invention will become more apparent by describing specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
2 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,
3 is a plan view of the electrical connector shown in FIG.
4 is a front view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2, FIG.
FIG. 5 is a rear view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a housing in the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2, FIG.
7 is a perspective view of a first connecting terminal in the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2, FIG.
FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the first connection terminal illustrated in FIG. 7;
9 is a perspective view of two second connecting terminals in the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2, FIG.
FIG. 10 is another perspective view of one second connection terminal shown in FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fixing member in the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2, FIG.
12 is a perspective view of the electrical connector of the present invention taken from the line ZZ shown in FIG. 4,
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the electrical connector of the present invention taken from the line YY shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of the present invention taken from the line WW shown in FIG. 5 without showing the connection terminals, FIG.
15 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of the present invention taken from the line WW shown in FIG. 5,
FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of the housing of the present invention taken from line XX shown in FIG. 5, in which connection terminals are not shown, FIG.
17 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of the present invention taken from the line XX shown in FIG. 5,
18 is a top perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 2,
19 is a top perspective view of an electrical connector of another embodiment of the present invention;
20 is a top perspective view of one connection terminal retracted in a housing;
21 is a perspective view of an electrical connector mounted on a prior art printed circuit board.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail later with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein, but rather these embodiments are intended to be exhaustive and complete, and to those skilled in the art. Is provided to fully convey the concepts of the present disclosure.

Electrical connector 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a mobile phone, various portable players, digital cameras and video cameras, GPS to electrically connect a circuit board, such as a printed circuit board (PCB) to other electrical devices or batteries It can be applied to small electric devices such as a device, a tablet computer and the like.

1, 2 and 7 to 10, an electrical connector 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is used to be mounted on a circuit board 400. As shown in FIG. The electrical connector 100 comprises a housing 1 and three connection terminals 2, 3, 4. All of the connection terminals 2, 3 and 4 are mounted inside the housing. Each of the connection terminals is formed, for example, by bending an elongated metal sheet and connected to the circuit board 400 and the first contact ends 21, 31, 41 having expandable and retractable properties exposed from the housing 1. Second contact ends 22, 32, 42 and main body portions 23, 33, 43 between the first contact end and the second contact end. Each first contact end 21, 31, 41 is such that the width of the metal sheet at each first contact end 21, 31, 41 is parallel to the thickness (or height) direction of the housing 1, It is formed by bending in a plane parallel to the plane in which the top (or bottom) surface of the circuit board is located.

1 and 2, in the electrical connector of the present invention, the first contact ends 21, 31, and 41 of the three connection terminals 2, 3, and 4 are arranged in an upper row and in the height direction of the housing 1. Arranged in a lower row, the first contact ends of the upper row and the lower row are staggered with respect to one another in the longitudinal direction of the housing 1. For example, the contact end 31 of the first connection terminal 3 located in the upper row is formed by the first contact end 31 of the two second connection terminals 2, 4 located in the lower row in the longitudinal direction of the housing. 41). Although the electrical connector of the above embodiment has three connection terminals, the present invention is not limited thereto, and as can be appreciated, the present invention may include only two connection terminals, or four, five or More connection terminals may be included, and these connection terminals may be arranged in one or two rows.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6 and 12-17, in one embodiment the housing 1 corresponds to three connection terminals 2, 3, 4 therein, respectively, and is electrically insulated from each other. Two receiving spaces 12, 13, 14, the front wall 11 of the housing 1 being provided with three first openings 112, 113, 114, through which openings each connecting terminal 2, 3, 4. Of the first contact ends 21, 31, 41 of the housing 1 are provided with second openings 152, 153, 154 in the rear wall 15 of the housing 1 and accommodating the main body parts of the respective connecting terminals inside the opening. It is inserted into the spaces 12, 13 and 14.

7 to 10, each of the connection terminals 2, 3 and 4 has a plurality of curved portions so that the connection terminals can be expanded and contracted in the width direction of the housing 1 through the elasticity of the metal sheet itself. Thus, each first contact end 21, 31, 41 may elastically expand and contract with respect to each opening 112, 113, 114. In addition, each first contact end 21, 31, 41 has a substantially U-shape and is connected to the main body portions 23, 33, 43 of the connecting terminals 2, 3, 4. And second arms 211, 311, 411 having free ends 212, 312, 412, wherein the free ends 212, 312, 412 each have a first contact end 21, 31, 41 as they extend from their respective first openings 112, 113, 114. It is located inside the first openings 112, 113, 114. That is, either one of the first contact ends 21, 31, 41 extends from or contracts within the respective first openings 112, 113, 114, and the free ends 212, 312, 412 are positioned inside the first openings 112, 113, 114. The free ends 212, 312, 412 will thus not be interfered by the expansion and contraction of the first contact ends 21, 31, 41.

In one embodiment of the electrical connector, each receiving space 12, 13, 14 has a width substantially equal to the width of the main body portions 23, 33, 43 of the respective connecting terminals 2, 3, 4. Each of the first openings 112, 113, and 114 has a height substantially equal to the width of the first contact ends 21, 31, and 41 of the respective connection terminals 2, 3, and 4 in the thickness direction of the housing 1. Have Thereby, the receiving spaces 12, 13, 14 are connected to the respective connection terminals 2, 3, 4 in order to limit the movement of the connection terminals 2, 3, 4 in the thickness direction (up-down direction) of the housing 1. ) In the thickness direction of the housing.

In addition, each main body portion 23, 33, 43 is provided with one or more protruding portions 231, 331, 431, so that one wall of the receiving space 12, 13, 14 is forcedly fitted into the protruding portions 231, 331, 431. Positioning passages 121, 131, and 141 for forming the grooves are formed. Each of the second contact ends 22, 32, and 42 has electrical contacts 221, 321, 421 perpendicular to the width direction of the connection terminals 2, 3, and 4, and electrical contacts 221, 321, 421 and the connection terminals 2, 3, 4. And engaging portions 222,322,422 connected between the main body portions 23,33,43 of each, each engaging portion 222,322,422 having a corresponding notch 156,157,158 formed in the housing 1 (shown in FIG. 5). ) Is combined. Positioning of the connection terminals 2, 3, and 4 in the front-back direction and the left-right direction inside the housing 1 can be achieved through the positioning passages 121, 131, 141 and the notches 156, 157, 158. As can be seen from the view of the connecting terminals 2, 3 and 4 shown in Figs. The protrusions are substantially the same in the front-rear direction of the housing 1, but the engaging portions 322 of the connecting terminals 3 in the upper row are connected to the connecting terminals 2, 4 in the lower row. Have different lengths in the up-down direction (thickness direction) of the housing 1 from the engaging portions 221, 422 of these.

A recess 155 is formed in the portion of the housing 1 corresponding to each electrical contact 221, 321, 421 so that the electrical contacts used as adhesive pads can be seen from the upper part of the housing. The recess 155 may also be used to prevent insufficient soldering or cold soldering of the electrical contacts 221, 321, 421 while facilitating detection of related sizes.

In assembling the electrical connector 100 of the present invention, the connecting terminals 2, 4 in the lower row are connected to the housing 1 through the second openings 152, 154 in the rear wall 15 from the rear portion of the housing 1. It can be inserted inside the receiving spaces 12, 14, after which the first contact ends 21, 41 are exposed through the respective first openings 112, 114 from the front part of the housing 1, on the one hand The protruding portions 231, 431 on the main body portions 23, 43 are joined inside the positioning passages 121, 141 and the electrical contacts 221, 421 which the engaging portions 222, 422 abut against the outside of the bottom wall of the housing 1. Are inserted into the notches 156,158 with holes. Then, the connecting terminal 3 in the upper row can be inserted into the receiving space 13 of the housing 1 from the rear portion of the housing 1 through the second opening 153 in the rear wall 15 and The first contact end 31 is exposed from the front part of the housing 1 through the first opening 113, while the protruding part 331 on the main body part 33 is inside the positioning passage 131. And a coupling portion 322 is inserted into the notch 157 with electrical contacts 321 abutting against the outside of the bottom wall of the housing 1.

18 is a top perspective view of the electrical connector 100 of the present invention, and FIG. 20 is a top perspective view of a state in which one connection terminal (eg, connection terminal 2) is retracted in the housing 1. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 20, when the electrical connector 100 is in electrical connection with a battery, for example, the battery exerts a pressing force on the first contact ends 21, 31, 41 exposed from the housing. The first contact ends 21, 31, 41 are resiliently retracted through the first openings 112, 113, 114 toward the inside of the housing, thereby maintaining good electrical connections between the first contact ends and the contacts of the battery. . According to the electrical connector 100 of the present invention, when the first contact ends 21, 31, 41 of the connection terminal are compressed, the contact areas of the first contact ends have smaller displacements in the horizontal direction.

According to the electrical connector of another embodiment of the present invention, both of the auxiliary notches formed in the housing 1 and the two walls of the accommodation space for receiving the connection terminals in the upper row are provided with a forced fit with the protruding portions of the connection terminals. Positioning passages for forming are provided. As a result, the upper accommodating space 13 can selectively accept the two types of connecting terminals, as desired, wherein the two types of connecting terminals have substantially the same outer profiles but their engaging portions extend in opposite directions. For example, the connecting terminal 3 of FIG. 18 is replaced by the connecting terminal 3 'of FIG. 19, and by such a substitution, the first contact end of the connecting terminals in the upper row and the other two first contact ends The distance in the left and right direction (length direction) between them can be changed, thereby accepting the requirements for various external electrical devices or batteries.

According to an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, the circuit board 400, the electrical connector 100 according to the various embodiments above, and the electrical connector 100 are connected to the circuit board 400. An electrical connector assembly is provided that includes two fixing members 5 (see FIG. 11) extending through the housing 1 to secure. As shown in FIG. 11, the fixing member 5 has a substantially T-shape and extends through each through-hole in the housing 1 to be fixed to the circuit board 400 by welding, for example. Can be.

According to the above-described various electrical connectors and electrical connector assemblies of the present invention, since the first contact end of each of the connection terminals is formed by bending in a plane parallel to the plane in which the top surface of the circuit board is located therein, the external electrical At each first contact end to which the device or battery is connected, the width of the metal sheet forming the connection terminals is parallel to the height (or thickness) direction of the housing, so that large size portions of the first contact ends are in the left and right directions of the housing. Arranged in the (length direction) and the spaces for the deformation of the connection terminals extend in the left and right direction, thereby reducing the height of the housing on the circuit board, thus reducing the overall height of the electrical connector. In addition, the distances between the first contact ends can be adjusted as needed. In addition, most parts of the connection terminals arranged in the upper row and the lower row are identical in structure and thus can be manufactured by a set of molds, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive. For example, many modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments by those skilled in the art, and the various features described in the different embodiments may be freely combined with each other without conflict in construction or principle. Thus, more kinds of electrical connectors and electrical connector assemblies can be achieved which overcome the technical problem of the present invention.

While various exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure. The scope is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

As used herein, an element cited alone and in conjunction with the words "a" or "an" should be understood as not excluding a plurality of said elements or steps unless such an exclusion is expressly stated. do. In addition, references to "one embodiment" of the present invention should not be interpreted as excluding the presence of further embodiments that also include the recited features. Moreover, unless specifically stated to the contrary, embodiments that “include” or “having” an element having a particular property or a plurality of elements may include additional such elements that do not have such property.

Claims (12)

An electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board,
Housing, and
A plurality of connection terminals mounted inside the housing,
Each of the connection terminals has a first contact end having expandable and retractable properties exposed from the housing, a second contact end configured to be connected to the circuit board, and a main body portion between the first contact end and the second contact end,
Each first contact end is formed by bending in a plane parallel to the plane in which the top surface of the circuit board is located,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
The method of claim 1,
The first contact ends of the plurality of connection terminals are arranged in the upper row and the lower row in the height direction of the housing,
The first contact ends in the upper row and the lower row are staggered with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction of the housing,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
3. The method of claim 2,
The electrical connector comprises three connection terminals,
The first contact end of one connection terminal located in the upper row is arranged between the first contact ends of two connection terminals located in the lower row in the longitudinal direction of the housing,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
The method of claim 3, wherein
The housing has three receiving spaces each corresponding to three connecting terminals and electrically insulated from each other,
First openings are provided in the front wall of the housing, through which the first contact ends of the connecting terminals extend, respectively,
Second openings are provided in the rear wall of the housing, and main body portions of the connecting terminals are respectively inserted into the second openings.
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
5. The method of claim 4,
Each of the connection terminals having a plurality of curved parts such that each of the first contact ends is elastically expandable and retractable with respect to each opening;
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
5. The method of claim 4,
Each first contact end has a substantially U-shape and includes a first arm connected to the main body portion of the connecting terminal and a second arm having a free end, the free end being the first contact end to each of the first contact ends. Located in each first opening when extending from the first opening,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
5. The method of claim 4,
Each of the accommodation spaces has a width substantially equal to the width of the main body portion of the connecting terminal,
Each first opening has a height substantially equal to the width of the first contact end of each connection terminal,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
5. The method of claim 4,
Each main body portion is provided with one or more protruding portions, and
One wall of each receiving space is provided with a positioning passage for forming a forced fit with the protruding portion,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
5. The method of claim 4,
Each second contact end includes an electrical contact perpendicular to the width direction of the connecting terminal, and a coupling portion connected between the electrical contact and the main body portion of the connecting terminal,
Each engaging portion engages a corresponding notch formed in the housing,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
The method of claim 9,
An auxiliary notch formed in the housing, and
Both walls of the accommodation space for accommodating the connection terminals in the upper row are provided with positioning passages for forming a forced fit with the protruding portions,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
11. The method of claim 10,
Recesses are formed in the portion of the housing corresponding to each of the electrical contacts,
Electrical connector for mounting on a circuit board.
Circuit board,
An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 11, and
At least one securing member extending through the housing to secure the electrical connector to the circuit board;
Electrical connector assembly.

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