CN107591633B

CN107591633B - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: CN107591633B
Application number: CN201610525923.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 何家勇; 何文科
Original assignee: Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tyco Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-07-06
Filing date: 2016-07-06
Publication date: 2020-05-15
Anticipated expiration: 2036-07-06
Also published as: CN107591633A

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrical connector comprising: the insulating shell comprises a top wall, and at least one opening is formed in the top wall; and at least one conductive terminal, each conductive terminal including a movable contact portion, a fixed contact portion and an elastic deformation portion between the movable contact portion and the fixed contact portion, the movable contact portion and the fixed contact portion being integrally formed from a single piece of sheet metal. The movable contact is configured to move at least partially through a corresponding opening, and the fixed contact is fixed relative to the insulative housing. A conductive path is formed by a single conductive terminal, and a combination mode of realizing electric connection between two conductive parts through sliding contact does not exist, so that the conductive reliability of the conductive terminal is improved, and even if foreign matters such as dust, liquid and debris exist in a use environment, the movable contact part cannot be blocked from freely moving.

Description

Electrical connector

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrical connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector that maintains electrical connection with an external electronic device by means of elastic force.

Background

With the development of electronic technology, there is a demand for a portable electronic device to be electrically connected to a fixed electrical connector mounted on another device quickly, conveniently, and reliably so that the electronic device can obtain power from the other device or exchange data signals with the other device. For example, in automotive systems, it is desirable for in-vehicle entertainment equipment to be quickly and reliably electrically connected to an electrical connector mounted on an automobile.

The inventor knows that an electric connector comprises a conductive main body, a contact terminal and an elastic component, wherein an accommodating chamber is formed in the conductive main body, an opening is formed in the upper part of the accommodating chamber, and the conductive main body is electrically connected with an external conductive terminal; the contact terminal comprises a first part with a smaller diameter and a second part with a larger diameter, the first part extends out of the conductive main body through the opening, and the second part is arranged in the accommodating chamber and is in slidable contact with the inner wall of the accommodating chamber so as to keep the conductive main body and the contact terminal electrically connected; the elastic member is disposed in the accommodation chamber and elastically contacts the second portion of the conductive body. Thus, when the electronic device is electrically connected with the electrical connector, the electrical contact of the electronic device mechanically compresses the contact terminal of the electrical connector against the elastic force of the elastic member to move through the opening of the conductive body, thereby electrically connecting the electrical contact of the electronic device, the contact terminal, the conductive body, and the external connection terminal in sequence.

In such an electrical connector, the conductive body and the contact terminal are provided as two separable, separate components in slidable electrical contact therebetween. In use, if impurities such as dust and liquid enter between the conductive main body and the contact part of the contact terminal, the electric contact effect between the conductive main body and the contact terminal is poor, and the electric connection between the electronic device and the electric connector is failed.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electrical connector that can allow a movable contact portion to move freely while maintaining the conductive reliability of a conductive terminal.

According to an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector including: an insulating housing including a top wall, said top wall having at least one opening therein; and at least one conductive terminal, each conductive terminal including a movable contact portion, a fixed contact portion and an elastic deformation portion between the movable contact portion and the fixed contact portion, the movable contact portion and the fixed contact portion being integrally formed from a single piece of sheet metal. The movable contact is configured to move at least partially through a corresponding opening, and the fixed contact is fixed relative to the insulative housing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electrical connector further comprises a holding frame mounted on a lower portion of the top wall of the insulative housing, and the fixed contact part is fixed to the holding frame and exposed from a bottom side of the holding frame.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the holding frame comprises a body part provided with at least one passage running through it from top to bottom, the elastically deformable part passing through the passage and being deformed in the passage.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the main body is provided with a combination portion at both sides thereof, and the insulating housing is provided therein with a mating combination portion combined with the combination portion.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the coupling portion comprises a protruding rib extending in a horizontal direction, and the mating coupling portion comprises a groove extending in the horizontal direction, the protruding rib being slidably coupled into the groove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, at least one blocking protrusion is provided on one of the main body portion and the insulating housing, and at least one blocking groove is provided on the other of the main body portion and the insulating housing, the blocking protrusions and the blocking grooves respectively engaging to block the holding frame from being detached from the insulating housing.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the movable contact portion includes: a platform part arranged at one end of the elastic deformation part and positioned at the inner side of the top wall; and a cylindrical portion formed by stamping on the platform portion and extending at least partially out of the top wall through the opening.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the height and the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion are substantially equal.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the fixed contact part comprises: a flat soldering portion connected to the elastic deformation portion and configured to be soldered to an electrical contact of an external electronic device; and a mounting part formed at least one side of the welding part and inserted into the holding frame.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the mounting portion is provided with at least one barb to resist disengagement of the mounting portion from the holding frame.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the elastically deforming portion includes a first elastic arm having a first end connected to the welding portion to form a first U-shaped structure, and a first stopper portion is formed on the holding frame, and the first end of the first elastic arm is partially received in the first stopper portion to limit a deformation range of the elastically deforming portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the elastic deformation portion further includes a second elastic arm, a first end of the second elastic arm is connected to a second end of the first elastic arm to form a second U-shaped structure, a second stopper portion is formed on the insulating housing, and a first end of the second elastic arm is partially received in the second stopper portion to limit a deformation range of the elastic deformation portion.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the electrical connector further comprises a mounting member mounted on the insulative housing to mount the electrical connector to an electronic device.

According to the electric connector of the embodiment of the invention, a single conductive terminal forms a conductive path, and a combination mode of realizing electric connection between two conductive parts through sliding contact does not exist, so that the conductive reliability of the conductive terminal is improved, and even if foreign matters such as dust, liquid and debris exist in a use environment, the movable contact part cannot be blocked from freely moving.

Drawings

The invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the retention frame shown in FIG. 4; and

fig. 6 is a perspective view of a conductive terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

While the present invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which contain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that, prior to the description herein, one of ordinary skill in the art can modify the invention described herein while obtaining the technical effects of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing description is a broad disclosure of those skilled in the art, and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein.

Furthermore, in the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. It may be evident, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in schematic form in order to simplify the drawing.

According to a general inventive concept of the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector including: an insulating housing including a top wall, said top wall having at least one opening therein; and at least one conductive terminal, each conductive terminal including a movable contact portion, a fixed contact portion and an elastic deformation portion between the movable contact portion and the fixed contact portion, the movable contact portion and the fixed contact portion being integrally formed from a single piece of sheet metal. The movable contact is configured to move at least partially through a corresponding opening, and the fixed contact is fixed relative to the insulative housing.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a top view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line X-X of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the retention frame shown in FIG. 4; and fig. 6 is a perspective view of a conductive terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1-6, a conductive terminal 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes an insulative housing 1 and at least one conductive terminal 2. The insulating housing 1 comprises a top wall 11, said top wall 11 being provided with at least one substantially circular opening 12. Each of the conductive terminals includes a movable contact portion 21, a fixed contact portion 22 and an elastic deformation portion 23 between the movable contact portion 21 and the fixed contact portion 22, which are integrally formed by a machining process such as cutting, impressing, bending, punching or the like of a single piece of sheet metal such as copper or stainless steel. The movable contact portion 21 is arranged to move at least partially through a respective one of the openings 12, and the fixed contact portion 23 is fixed relative to the insulating housing 1.

An electrical connector provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may be mounted on a device for quick, convenient, and reliable electrical connection with an electronic device to enable the electronic device to draw power from the device or to exchange data signals with another device. For example, the electrical connector of embodiments of the present invention may be installed in an automotive system for quick and reliable electrical connection with a detachable in-vehicle entertainment device.

According to the electrical connector of the embodiment of the present invention, when the external electronic device is electrically connected to the electrical connector, the electrical contact of the electronic device and the movable contact portion of the electrical connector may be respectively aligned and pressed against the movable contact portions, so that the electrical contact of the electronic device and the movable contact portion of the electrical connector are reliably brought into contact together by the elastic force of the elastic deformation portion, thereby electrically connecting the electronic device to another device to which the electrical connector is mounted. In the electric connector, a single conductive terminal forms a conductive path, and a combination mode of realizing electric connection between two conductive parts through sliding contact does not exist, so that the conductive reliability of the conductive terminal is improved; it is possible to allow a large gap to exist between the opening of the insulative housing and the movable contact portion of the conductive terminal so as not to affect the movement of the movable contact portion, and even if external foreign matter such as dust, liquid, debris enters the gap, the free movement of the movable contact portion cannot be blocked, thus improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the conductive terminal of the electrical connector and the electrical contact of the electronic device.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical connector 100 further comprises: a holding frame 3 made of an insulating material, said holding frame 3 being mounted on the lower portion of the top wall 11 of the insulating housing 1, and the fixed contact portions 22 of the conductive terminals 2 being fixed to the holding frame 3 and exposed from the bottom side of the holding frame 3 to be connected to the corresponding electrical contacts of the external device by surface welding. The insulating housing 1 and the holding frame 3 are provided as separate structures, so that a structure for holding the conductive terminals is formed on the holding frame 3. The holding frame 3 may be made of a material different from that of the insulating housing, for example, a material softer than that of the insulating housing, so as to elastically hold the conductive terminals. In an alternative embodiment, the holding frame 3 may be made of the same material as the insulating housing.

Referring to fig. 1, 3 and 5, the holding frame 3 is made of an insulating material and includes a main body portion 31 having an outer contour of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, the main body portion 31 being provided with at least one passage 31 penetrating up and down, the elastic deformation portion 23 passing through the passage 31 and being deformed in the passage 1 under pressure to provide an elastic force to the movable contact portion 21.

Further, the main body 31 has a joint portion on both sides thereof, and the insulating housing 1 has a fitting joint portion to be joined to the joint portion. Specifically, the engaging portion includes a protruding rib 33 extending in the horizontal direction, the mating engaging portion includes a groove 13 extending in the horizontal direction, and the protruding rib 33 is slidably engaged into the groove 13 so that the holding frame 3 can be pushed from the side of the insulating housing 1 to be mounted into the insulating housing 1.

In one embodiment, at least one blocking protrusion 34 is provided on one of the body portion 31 and the insulating housing 1, and at least one blocking groove (not shown) is provided on the other of the body portion 31 and the insulating housing 1, and the blocking protrusions 34 are respectively engaged with the blocking grooves to prevent the separation of the holding frame 3 from the insulating housing 1, thereby securely holding the holding frame in the insulating housing 1, in a state where the protrusion rib 33 is slidably engaged into the groove 13.

As shown in fig. 3, 4 and 6, the movable contact portion 21 includes a terrace portion 211 and a columnar portion 212, the terrace portion 211 being provided at one end of the elastic deformation portion 23 and being located inside the top wall 11; the cylindrical portion 212 is formed on the platform portion 211 by a punching (deep drawing) process, and protrudes at least partially out of the top wall 11 through the opening 12. When pressed by an electrical contact of an external electronic device (not shown), the columnar portion 212 is partially contracted inside the insulating housing 1 against the elastic force of the elastic deformation portion 23, thereby maintaining a tight electrical connection with the electrical contact. The overall height and outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 212 are substantially equal. In addition, a circular arc surface 213 is formed at the tip of the cylindrical portion 212 so that the cylindrical portion 212 can smoothly pass through the opening 12.

As shown in fig. 3, 4 and 6, the fixed contact portion 22 includes a flat welding portion 221 and a mounting portion 222. The soldering portion 221 is connected to the elastic deformation portion 23 and configured to be soldered to an electrical contact of another external electronic device (not shown); the mounting portion 222 is formed at least one side of the welding portion 221 and inserted into an insertion groove (not shown) formed in the holding frame 3. The mounting portion 222 is provided with at least one barb 223 to prevent the mounting portion 222 from being detached from the holding frame 3, thereby firmly mounting the conductive terminal 2 on the holding frame 3 and keeping the soldering portion 221 exposed substantially in parallel at the bottom of the holding frame 3.

In one embodiment, the elastic deformation portion 23 includes a first elastic arm 231, a first end (left end in fig. 3) 232 of the first elastic arm 231 is connected to the soldering portion 221 to form a first U-shaped structure, a first position-limiting portion 35 is formed on the holding frame 3, and the first end 232 of the first elastic arm 23 is partially received in the first position-limiting portion 35 to limit the deformation range of the elastic deformation portion 23, so as to prevent the conductive terminal 2 from being damaged due to an excessive force applied in the height direction shown in fig. 3.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the elastic deformation portion 23 of the conductive terminal 2 further includes a second elastic arm 233, a first end of the second elastic arm 233 is connected to a second end of the first elastic arm 231 to form a second U-shaped structure, a second limiting portion 14 is formed on the insulating housing 1, and a first end of the second elastic arm 233 is partially accommodated in the second limiting portion 14 to limit a deformation range of the elastic deformation portion 23, so as to prevent the conductive terminal 2 from being damaged due to an excessive force applied in a height direction shown in fig. 3, for example, prevent the platform portion 211 of the movable contact portion 21 from being damaged due to a larger force applied.

As shown in fig. 1 and 4, the electrical connector 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention further includes a mounting member 4, and the mounting member 4 is mounted on the insulative housing 1 to mount the electrical connector 100 to the other electronic device (not shown). For example, two pairs of through holes are formed on the insulating housing 1, and the solder 4 is formed to have a substantially "inverted" shape and includes two solder legs which pass through the through holes and are exposed from the bottom of the insulating housing 1, respectively, so as to be fixed to a utilization electronic device (e.g., a printed circuit board) by soldering while keeping the solder parts 221 of the electrical connector 100 electrically connected to electrical contacts on the circuit board, respectively.

The assembly process of the electrical connector 100 of the present embodiment is described below in conjunction with the following description.

First, the insulating housing 1, the conductive terminals 2, the holding frame 3, and the mounting member 4 shown in fig. 4 are formed, respectively; pushing the holding frame 3 into the insulating housing 1 from the side of the insulating housing 1; thereafter, the conductive terminal 2 is inserted into the holding frame 3 and the insulating housing 1 from the bottom of the holding frame 3 such that the movable contact portion 21 and the elastic deformation portion 23 of the conductive terminal 2 pass through the passage 32 in the holding frame 3 and the movable contact portion 21 partially exposes the insulating housing 1 through the opening 12 in the top wall 11 of the insulating housing 1 while the mounting portion 222 of the fixed contact portion 22 is engaged in the insertion slot of the holding frame 3, thus assembling the electrical connector 100.

Finally, the mounting member 4 is inserted into the through-holes at both sides of the insulating housing 1, and the exposed soldering pins are soldered to a circuit board of another electronic device.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-described embodiments are exemplary and can be modified by those skilled in the art, and the structures described in the various embodiments can be freely combined without conflict in the structure or principle, thereby implementing more various electrical connectors on the basis of solving the technical problems of the present invention.

Having described preferred embodiments of the present invention in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims, and the invention is not to be limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Furthermore, any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

an insulating housing including a top wall, said top wall having at least one opening therein; and

at least one conductive terminal, each conductive terminal comprising a movable contact portion, a fixed contact portion and an elastically deformable portion between the movable contact portion and the fixed contact portion,

wherein the movable contact is configured to move at least partially through a corresponding opening, the stationary contact being fixed relative to the insulating housing,

the movable contact portion includes:

a platform part arranged at one end of the elastic deformation part and positioned at the inner side of the top wall; and

a cylindrical portion, the cross-section of which is circular, stamped and formed on the platform portion perpendicular to the plane of the platform portion, and extending at least partially out of the top wall through the opening.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising: and a holding frame mounted on a lower portion of the top wall of the insulating housing, the fixed contact part being fixed to the holding frame and exposed from a bottom side of the holding frame.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein said retention frame includes a body portion having at least one passage therethrough, said resilient portion passing through said passage and deforming therein.

4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the main body is provided at both sides thereof with coupling portions, and the insulative housing is provided therein with mating coupling portions coupled with the coupling portions.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein the engaging portion includes a protruding rib extending in a horizontal direction, and the mating engaging portion includes a groove extending in the horizontal direction, the protruding rib being slidably engaged into the groove.

6. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one blocking protrusion is provided on one of the body portion and the insulative housing, and at least one blocking groove is provided on the other of the body portion and the insulative housing, the blocking protrusions and the blocking grooves respectively engaging to block the holding frame from being removed from the insulative housing.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the height and outer diameter of the cylindrical portion are substantially equal.

8. The electrical connector of any of claims 2-6, wherein the fixed contact comprises:

a flat soldering portion connected to the elastic deformation portion and configured to be soldered to an electrical contact of an external electronic device; and

a mounting part formed at least one side of the welding part and inserted into the holding frame.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein the mounting portion has at least one barb disposed thereon to resist removal of the mounting portion from the retention frame.

10. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein the resilient deformation portion comprises a first resilient arm, a first end of the first resilient arm being connected to the solder portion to form a first U-shaped structure,

a first stopper portion is formed on the holding frame, and a first end of the first elastic arm is partially received in the first stopper portion to limit a deformation range of the elastic deformation portion.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the resilient deformation further comprises a second resilient arm, a first end of the second resilient arm being connected to a second end of the first resilient arm to form a second U-shaped structure,

a second stopper portion is formed on the insulating housing, and the first end of the second elastic arm is partially received in the second stopper portion to limit a deformation range of the elastic deformation portion.

12. The electrical connector as recited in any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a mounting member mounted on the insulative housing to mount the electrical connector to an electronic device.