CN115939824A

CN115939824A - Electric connector and manufacturing method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN115939824A
Application number: CN202110918075.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杨策航
Original assignee: All Best Precision Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: All Best Precision Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-11
Filing date: 2021-08-11
Publication date: 2023-04-07

Abstract

The invention discloses an electric connector and a manufacturing method thereof, wherein the method comprises the following steps: an insulator, a plurality of rows of terminals and a plurality of corresponding fasteners. The multiple rows of terminals are fixedly arranged on the insulating body in sequence and the multiple rows of terminals are arranged in parallel. The fixing pieces are combined to the insulating body and used for structurally restraining the corresponding terminals. A method for manufacturing an electric connector comprises the steps of fixing a plurality of first terminals on an insulating body to form a row, combining a first fixing piece to the insulating body to structurally constrain the row of the first terminals, fixing a plurality of second terminals on the insulating body to form a row, combining a second fixing piece to the insulating body to structurally constrain the row of the second terminals, and so on, thereby completing the electric connector. The electrical connector may provide data transfer compliant with the PCIe 4.0 standard.

Description

Electric connector and manufacturing method thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of electrical connectors, and more particularly, to an electrical connector with multiple rows of terminals and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background

Electrical connectors have been widely used in the environmental requirements of power or signal connections. To increase the signal transmission efficiency of a single connector, the connectors are also developed toward multi-contacts or increasing the signal transmission frequency. As the contact density increases, the difficulty of manufacturing the electrical connector increases, such as difficulty in assembling the terminals and difficulty in fixing the terminals. High signal transmission frequencies also place high demands on impedance matching. When the impedance of the electrical connector is not matched with that of the transmission line, the electrical connector reflects signals, so that the signals are attenuated. The higher the impedance mismatch, the more signal attenuation and the loss of signal transmission function of the electrical connector. In a connector with a high contact density, the relative position between terminals, the insulation arrangement, and the like all affect the impedance. The mechanical and electrical requirements of the electrical connector make the electrical connector difficult to manufacture.

Disclosure of Invention

An embodiment of the present invention provides an electrical connector, which uses a plurality of fixing members to fix a plurality of rows of terminals, so as to provide a high contact density and have a stable impedance, the electrical connector including:

the connector comprises an insulating body, a row of first terminals, a first fixing piece, a row of second terminals, a second fixing piece, a row of third terminals, a third fixing piece, a row of fourth terminals and a fourth fixing piece. The first terminals are fixedly arranged on the insulating body in a first direction. The first fixing part is combined to the insulating body, so that the first terminal structure is constrained between the first fixing part and the insulating body. The second terminals are fixedly arranged on the insulating body in the first direction relative to the first terminals, and the first fixing piece is located between the first terminals and the second terminals. The second fixing part is combined to the insulating body, so that the second terminal structure is constrained between the second fixing part and the first fixing part. The third terminal is fixedly arranged on the insulating body in the first direction, and the second fixing piece is located between the second terminal and the third terminal. The third fixing element is combined to the insulating body, so that the third terminal structure is constrained between the third fixing element and the second fixing element. The fourth terminal is fixedly arranged on the insulating body relative to the third terminal in the first direction, and the third fixing piece is located between the third terminal and the fourth terminal. The fourth fixing element is combined to the insulating body, so that the fourth terminal structure is constrained between the fourth fixing element and the third fixing element. The first terminal, the second terminal and the insulating body form a first plug port, and the third terminal, the fourth terminal and the insulating body form a second plug port. The first plug port and the second plug port are arranged in a second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The first plug port and the second plug port together provide data transmission conforming to PCIe 4.0 (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express 4.0) standard.

An embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for manufacturing an electrical connector, which can manufacture a connector having a plurality of rows of terminals, wherein the plurality of rows of terminals are fixed by a plurality of fixing members, and the electrical connector can provide a high contact density and has stable impedance, and the method includes:

providing an insulating body; providing a plurality of first terminals; fixing the first terminals on the insulating body in a row in a first direction; providing a first fixing piece; combining the first fixing part to the insulating body so that the first terminal structure is constrained between the first fixing part and the insulating body; providing a plurality of second terminals; fixing the plurality of second terminals to the insulating body in a row in the first direction with respect to the first terminals; providing a second fixing piece; combining the second fixing part to the insulating body, so that the second terminal structure is constrained between the second fixing part and the first fixing part; providing a plurality of third terminals; fixing the plurality of third terminals on the insulating body in a row in the first direction; providing a third fixing piece; combining the third fixing element to the insulating body, so that the third terminal structure is constrained between the third fixing element and the second fixing element; providing a plurality of fourth terminals; fixing the fourth terminals to the insulating body in a row in the first direction with respect to the third terminals; providing a fourth fixing piece; and combining the fourth fixing element to the insulating body, so that the fourth terminal structure is constrained between the fourth fixing element and the third fixing element. The first terminal, the second terminal and the insulating body form a first plug port, the third terminal, the fourth terminal and the insulating body form a second plug port, the first plug port and the second plug port are arranged in a second direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first plug port and the second plug port jointly provide data transmission meeting PCIe 4.0 standard.

Compared with the prior art, the electric connector of the invention utilizes the plurality of fixing pieces to fix the plurality of rows of terminals, so that the terminals can be stably arranged in high density, the relative position and the insulation configuration between the terminals can be accurately designed, and further, stable impedance can be provided. The electric connector manufacturing method of the invention sequentially and alternately assembles the multiple rows of terminals and the multiple fixing pieces on the insulating body to further complete the electric connector with the multiple rows of terminals, so the electric connector manufacturing method can effectively and stably fix the multiple rows of terminals on the insulating body, and the manufactured electric connector has high contact density and stable impedance.

The advantages and spirit of the present invention can be further understood by the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the electrical connector of fig. 1 from another perspective.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of fig. 2 taken along line X-X.

Fig. 4 is a partial exploded view of the electrical connector of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the insulative housing of the electrical connector of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a first fixing member of the electrical connector in fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a schematic view of the first fixing member in fig. 6 from another viewing angle.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view of a second fixing member of the electrical connector of fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view of the second fixing member in fig. 8 from another viewing angle.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a third fixing member of the electrical connector in fig. 4.

Fig. 11 is a schematic view of the third fixing element in fig. 10 from another viewing angle.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of the fourth fixing element of the electrical connector in fig. 4 from another perspective.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector with solder balls.

Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector with solder balls.

Fig. 15 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 16 is a schematic view illustrating the first terminal and the first fixing member assembled to the insulating body.

Fig. 17 is a schematic view illustrating the second terminal and the second fixing member assembled to the insulating body after the first terminal and the first fixing member are assembled.

Fig. 18 is a schematic view of the third terminal and the third fixing element assembled to the insulating body after the second terminal and the second fixing element are assembled.

Fig. 19 is a schematic view illustrating the fourth terminal and the fourth fixing element being assembled to the insulating body after the third terminal and the third fixing element are assembled.

Fig. 20 is a schematic view of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 21 is a schematic view of the electrical connector of fig. 20 from another perspective.

Fig. 22 is a schematic view of an electrical connector solder ball.

The reference numbers illustrate:

1,3: an electrical connector;

1a: a first plug port;

1b: a second plug port;

10: an insulating body;

102: a first fixing hole;

104: positioning a groove;

106: a first engagement structure;

108: a second fixing hole;

110: a second engagement structure;

112: a third fixing hole;

114: a third engagement structure;

116: a fourth fixing hole;

118: a fourth engagement structure;

12: a first terminal;

122: a fixed part;

124: a connecting portion;

126: a contact portion;

14: a first fixing member;

142, 148: positioning a groove;

144: a first front abutment;

146: a bump;

150: a first rear abutment;

16: a second terminal;

162: a fixed part;

164: a connecting portion;

166: a contact portion;

18: a second fixing member;

182: a second front abutment;

184: a bump;

186: positioning a groove;

188: a second rear abutment;

20: a third terminal;

202: a fixed part;

204: a connecting portion;

206: a contact portion;

22: a third fixing member;

222: a third front abutment;

224: a bump;

226: positioning a groove;

228: a third rear abutment;

24: a fourth terminal;

242: a fixed part;

244: a connecting portion;

246: a contact portion;

26: a fourth fixing member;

262: a fourth front abutment;

264: a bump;

28: a solder ball;

40: a jig;

402: a through hole;

d1: a first direction;

d2: a second direction;

d3: a third direction;

s102, S104, S106, S108, S110, S112, S114, S116, S118: and (4) implementing the steps.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more apparent, the embodiments of the present invention are further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The exemplary embodiments and descriptions of the present invention are provided to explain the present invention, but not to limit the present invention.

Please refer to fig. 1 to 4. An electrical connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an insulative housing 10, a row of first terminals 12, a first fixing member 14, a row of second terminals 16, a second fixing member 18, a row of third terminals 20, a third fixing member 22, a row of fourth terminals 24, and a fourth fixing member 26. The first terminals 12 are fixedly arranged on the insulating body 10 in a first direction D1 (indicated by an arrow in the figure). The first fixing element 14 is assembled to the insulating body 10, so that the first terminal 12 is structurally constrained between the first fixing element 14 and the insulating body 10. The second terminal 16 is fixedly arranged on the insulating body 10 in the first direction D1 relative to the first terminal 12, and the first fixing member 14 is located between the first terminal 12 and the second terminal 16. The second fixing element 18 is assembled to the insulating body 10, so that the second terminal 16 is structurally constrained between the second fixing element 18 and the first fixing element 14. The third terminal 20 is fixedly arranged on the insulating body 10 in the first direction D1, and the second fixing element 18 is located between the second terminal 16 and the third terminal 20. The third fixing element 22 is assembled to the insulating body 10, such that the third terminal 20 is structurally constrained between the third fixing element 22 and the second fixing element 18. The fourth terminal 24 is fixedly arranged on the insulating body 10 in the first direction D1 relative to the third terminal 20, and the third fixing element 22 is located between the third terminal 20 and the fourth terminal 24. The fourth fixing element 26 is assembled to the insulating body 10, so that the fourth terminal 24 structure is constrained between the fourth fixing element 26 and the third fixing element 22.

Therefore, through the insulating body 10, the first fixing element 14, the second fixing element 18, the third fixing element 22 and the fourth fixing element 26, effective structural constraint can be provided for each row of

terminals

12, 16, 20 and 24, so that each row of

terminals

12, 16, 20 and 24 can be stably arranged on the insulating body 10, and stable impedance is provided. The first terminal 12, the second terminal 16 and the insulating body 10 form a first plug port 1a, the third terminal 20, the fourth terminal 24 and the insulating body 10 form a second plug port 1b, the first plug port 1a and the second plug port 1b are arranged in a second direction D2 (shown in the figure by an arrow), and the first direction D1 is perpendicular to the second direction D2. In practice, the first socket port 1a and the second socket port 1b can provide data transmission conforming to the PCIe 4.0 standard.

Please refer to fig. 3, 5 to 7. In the present embodiment, the insulative housing 10 has a row of first fixing holes 102 corresponding to the first terminals 12. The first fixing holes 102 are arranged in the first direction D1 and extend along a third direction D3 (shown by an arrow in the figure). The fixing portions 122 of the first terminals 12 are fixed in the corresponding first fixing holes 102, and a gap exists between the fixing portion 122 and the sidewall of the first fixing hole 102 in parallel to the first direction D1, so that the impedance of the electrical connector 1 can be designed by controlling the size of the gap. In addition, in the present embodiment, the insulating body 10 has a row of positioning slots 104 corresponding to the first terminals 12. The positioning slots 104 are arranged in a first direction D1 and extend along a second direction D2. The first fixing member 14 also has a row of positioning grooves 142 corresponding to the first terminals 12. The positioning slots 142 are arranged in a first direction D1 and extend along a second direction D2. The connecting portion 124 of the first terminal 12 is received in the positioning slot 104 of the insulation body 10 and the positioning slot 142 of the first fixing element 14. The

positioning grooves

104 and 142 can be parallel to the first direction D1 and the third direction D3 to structurally constrain the connecting portion 124 corresponding to the first terminal 12. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first fixing element 14 further has a plurality of first front abutting portions 144 correspondingly disposed at the bottom of the positioning groove 142. The first fixing member 14 abuts against the connecting portion 124 of the corresponding first terminal 12 in the third direction D3 by the first front abutting portion 144; in other words, the first front abutting portion 144 and the portion of the insulating body 10 corresponding to the first front abutting portion 144 clamp the connecting portion 124 of the first terminal 12 together in the direction parallel to the third direction D3. In practice, the positioning groove 142 of the first fixing member 14 can be omitted, and the plurality of first front abutting portions 144 can be realized by a single structural rib, which can abut against the connecting portion 124 of the first terminal 12 at the same time. In this embodiment, the depth of the positioning groove 102 of the insulating body 10 (in the third direction D3) can be designed to make the structural rib abut against the insulating body 10 (and the connecting portion 124 of the first terminal 12), so that the structural constraint of the first terminal 12 can be achieved. In addition, since the first fixing hole 102 itself has a positioning effect, the positioning slot 142 of the insulating body 10 is also omitted. In addition, in the present embodiment, the insulative housing 10 has a first engaging structure 106, and the first fixing member 14 is detachably connected to the insulative housing 10 through the first engaging structure 106; the first engaging structure 106 is implemented as a slot, and the first fixing member 14 is implemented as two protrusions 146 (located on two sides of the first fixing member 14 in a direction parallel to the first direction D1). The first fixing member 14 is detachably connected to the insulating body 10 by firmly locking the protrusion 146 into the slot, so that the first fixing member 14 abuts against the first terminal 12. But in practice it is not limited thereto, for example by means of a resilient snap-fit connection.

Please refer to fig. 3, 5 to 9. In this embodiment, the insulative housing 10 further has a row of second fixing holes 108 corresponding to the second terminals 16. The second fixing holes 108 are arranged in the first direction D1 and extend along the third direction D3. The fixing portions 162 of the second terminals 16 are fixed in the corresponding second fixing holes 108, and a gap exists between the fixing portions 162 and the side walls of the second fixing holes 108 in a direction parallel to the first direction D1, so that the impedance of the electrical connector 1 can be designed by controlling the size of the gap. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first fixing member 14 has a row of positioning slots 148 corresponding to the second terminals 16. The positioning slots 148 are arranged in the first direction D1 and extend along the second direction D2. The connecting portions 164 of the second terminals 16 are received in the corresponding positioning slots 148, so that the positioning slots 148 have a structure constraint effect on the corresponding second terminals 16. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first fixing element 14 further has a plurality of first rear abutting portions 150 correspondingly disposed at the bottom of the positioning slot 148. The second fixed member 18 has a second front abutment 182, implemented as a single structural rib. The second fixing member 18 abuts against the second terminal 16 with the second front abutting portion 182 in the third direction D3, and the second terminal 16 abuts against the first rear abutting portion 150 in the third direction D3, so that the second front abutting portion 182 and the first rear abutting portion 150 jointly clamp the connecting portion 164 of the second terminal 16 in a direction parallel to the third direction D3. In practice, the second front abutting portion 182 may abut against the first fixing member 14, depending on the depth of the positioning slot 148 and the corresponding size of the second terminal 16. In practice, the positioning groove 148 may be omitted, and the plurality of first rear supporting portions 150 may be implemented by a single structural rib. In addition, in the present embodiment, the insulation body 10 has a second engaging structure 110, and the second fixing member 18 is detachably connected to the insulation body 10 through the second engaging structure 110; the second engaging structure 110 is implemented as a slot, and the second fixing member 18 is implemented as two protrusions 184 (located on two sides of the second fixing member 18 in a direction parallel to the first direction D1). The second fixing member 18 is detachably connected to the insulative housing 10 by the protrusion 184 being firmly engaged with the slot, so that the second fixing member 18 abuts against the second terminal 16. The above description related to fixing and restraining the first terminal 12 is applicable and not repeated herein. In addition, the contact portion 126 of the first terminal 12 and the contact portion 166 of the second terminal 16 are exposed at the front side of the insulating body 10 to form a first plug port 1a together with the insulating body 10.

Please refer to fig. 3, fig. 5, fig. 8 to fig. 11. In this embodiment, the insulative housing 10 further has a row of third fixing holes 112 corresponding to the third terminals 20. The third fixing holes 112 are arranged in the first direction D1 and extend along a third direction D3. The fixing portion 202 of the third terminal 20 is fixed in the corresponding third fixing hole 112, and there is a gap between the fixing portion 202 and the sidewall of the third fixing hole 112 parallel to the first direction D1, and the size of the gap is controlled, which is beneficial to design the impedance of the electrical connector 1. In addition, in the present embodiment, the second fixing element 18 has a row of positioning slots 186 corresponding to the third terminal 20. The positioning slots 186 are arranged in the first direction D1 and extend along the second direction D2. The connecting portion 204 of the third terminal 20 is received in the corresponding positioning slot 186, so that the positioning slot 186 has a structure constraint effect on the corresponding third terminal 20. In addition, in the present embodiment, the second fixing member 18 further has a plurality of second rear abutting portions 188 correspondingly disposed at the bottom of the positioning groove 186. The third fixing member 22 has a third front abutting portion 222, which is implemented as a single structural rib. The third fixing member 22 abuts against the third terminal 20 with the third front abutting portion 222 in the third direction D3, and the third terminal 20 abuts against the second rear abutting portion 188 in the third direction D3, so that the third front abutting portion 222 and the second rear abutting portion 188 commonly clamp the connecting portion 204 of the third terminal 20 in a direction parallel to the third direction D3. In practice, the third front abutting portion 222 may abut against the second fixing member 18, depending on the depth of the positioning groove 186 and the corresponding size of the third terminal 20. In practice, the positioning groove 186 may be omitted, and the plurality of second rear abutting portions 188 may be implemented by a single structural rib. In addition, in the present embodiment, the insulative housing 10 has a third engaging structure 114, and the third fixing element 22 is detachably connected to the insulative housing 10 through the third engaging structure 114; the third engaging structure 114 is implemented as a slot, and the third fixing member 22 is implemented as two protrusions 224 (located on two sides of the third fixing member 22 in a direction parallel to the first direction D1). The third fixing member 22 is detachably connected to the insulating housing 10 by firmly locking the protrusion 224 into the slot, so that the third fixing member 14 abuts against the third terminal 20. The above description related to fixing and restraining the first terminal 12 is applicable and not repeated herein.

Please refer to fig. 3, fig. 5, fig. 10 to fig. 12. In this embodiment, the insulating body 10 further has a row of fourth fixing holes 116 corresponding to the fourth terminals 24. The fourth fixing holes 116 are arranged in the first direction D1 and extend along the third direction D3. The fixing portions 242 of the fourth terminals 24 are fixed in the corresponding fourth fixing holes 116, and a gap exists between the fixing portion 242 and the sidewall of the fourth fixing hole 116 in a direction parallel to the first direction D1, so that the impedance of the electrical connector 1 can be designed by controlling the size of the gap. In addition, in the present embodiment, the third fixing element 22 has a row of positioning slots 226 corresponding to the fourth terminal 24. The positioning slots 226 are arranged in the first direction D1 and extend along the second direction D2. The connecting portion 244 of the fourth terminal 24 is received in the corresponding positioning groove 226, so that the positioning groove 226 has a structure constraint effect on the corresponding fourth terminal 24. In addition, in the present embodiment, the third fixing element 22 further has a plurality of third rear abutting portions 228 correspondingly disposed at the bottom of the positioning groove 226. The fourth fixing member 26 has a fourth front abutting portion 262 implemented by a plurality of protrusions formed on the structural rib corresponding to the positioning groove 226. The fourth fixing member 26 abuts against the fourth terminal 24 with the fourth front abutting portion 262 in the third direction D3, and the fourth terminal 24 abuts against the third rear abutting portion 228 in the third direction D3, so that the connecting portion 244 of the fourth terminal 24 is clamped by the fourth front abutting portion 262 and the third rear abutting portion 228 together in a direction parallel to the third direction D3. In fact, the fourth front leaning part 262 may lean against the third fixing element 22, which depends on the depth of the positioning groove 226, the corresponding size of the fourth terminal 24, and the structural size of the fourth front leaning part 262 (for example, leaning and matching the fourth front leaning part 262 is realized by a single structural rib instead). In practice, the positioning groove 226 may be omitted, and the plurality of third rear supporting portions 228 may be implemented by a single structural rib. In addition, in the present embodiment, the insulative housing 10 has a fourth engaging structure 118, and the fourth fixing element 26 is detachably connected to the insulative housing 10 through the fourth engaging structure 118; the fourth engaging structure 118 is implemented as a slot, and the fourth fixing member 26 is implemented as a plurality of protrusions 264. The protrusion 264 is firmly clamped into the slot, so that the fourth fixing member 26 is detachably connected to the insulating body 10, and the fourth fixing member 26 can abut against the fourth terminal 24. The above description about fixing and restraining the first terminal 12 is applicable here, and is not repeated herein. In addition, the contact portion 206 of the third terminal 20 and the contact portion 246 of the fourth terminal 24 are exposed at the front side of the insulative housing 10 to form a second plug port 1b together with the insulative housing 10.

In addition, in the embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the first front abutting portion 144, the first rear abutting portion 150, the second front abutting portion 182, the second rear abutting portion 188, the third front abutting portion 222, the third rear abutting portion 228 and the fourth front abutting portion 262 are substantially located on the same horizontal plane (a horizontal chain line is shown in the figure), so that the force of the fixing

members

14, 18, 22 and 26 abutting against the

terminals

12, 16, 20 and 24 can be directly transmitted to the insulating body 10, and the fixing stability of the

terminals

12, 16, 20 and 24 is improved. Further, each

abutment

144, 150, 182, 188, 222, 228, 262 is located near a distal end of the terminal 12, 16, 20, 24 (e.g., a solder portion for connecting to a circuit board (illustrated in fig. 3 with a dashed box)), which is beneficial for stably fixing the terminal 12, 16, 20, 24 as a whole for transportation and installation (e.g., placement on the circuit board). But the invention is not limited thereto. In addition, in the embodiment, although each of the fixing

members

14, 18, 22, 26 abuts against the connecting

portion

124, 164, 204, 244 of each of the

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24, a gap between the fixing member and the connecting

portion

124, 164, 204, 244 is still remained, which is beneficial for designing the impedance of the electrical connector 1.

In addition, in the present embodiment, each of the

terminals

12, 16, 20, and 24 is L-shaped. Taking the second terminal 16 as an example, the connecting portion 164 extends along the second direction D2, the fixing portion 162 and the contact portion 166 extend along the third direction D3, the corresponding positioning groove 142 and the connecting portion 164 also extend along the second direction D2, and the third direction D3 is perpendicular to the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the second direction D2 is not perpendicular to the third direction D3, and the second terminal 16 is correspondingly in an L shape. In addition, in the embodiment, the first to fourth connecting

structures

106, 110, 114 and 118 are substantially arranged in the second direction D2, but the invention is not limited thereto.

In practice, the ends of the connecting

portions

124, 164, 204, 244 may be formed into a desired shape according to the mounting method of the electrical connector 1 electrically connected to the circuit board. For example, when the plug-in type installation is adopted, the tail end is in a column shape. Also, for example, in case of surface mount mounting, the end provides a surface parallel to (the pads of) the circuit board. Also for example, solder balls 28 are provided on the ends, which are also surface mounted, as shown in fig. 13 and 14. The ends of the connecting

portions

124, 164, 204, and 244 are pointed columns and are covered by the solder balls 28 (in fig. 14, the solder balls 28 are represented by spheres for simplicity of drawing).

In practice, the electrical connector 1 can be manufactured by the following method. Referring to fig. 15, a flowchart of a method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the invention is shown. Please also refer to FIG. 16. According to the method for manufacturing an electrical connector, as shown in step S102, an insulating body 10 (shown in fig. 5) and the plurality of first terminals 12 (shown in fig. 3 and 4) are provided; as shown in step S104, the first terminals 12 are inserted into (the first fixing holes 102 of) the insulating housing 10 in the third direction D3 to be fixed on the insulating housing 10 in a row in the first direction D1; in step S106, a first fixing element 14 is provided (as shown in fig. 6 and 7) and the first fixing element 14 is assembled to the insulating body 10, such that the first terminal 12 is structurally constrained between the first fixing element 14 and the insulating body 10, as shown in fig. 17 (see also fig. 3). The fixing portions 122 of the first terminals 12 are fixed in the corresponding first fixing holes 102. The connecting portion 124 of the first terminal 12 is located in the positioning slot 104 of the corresponding insulation body 10 and the positioning slot 142 of the corresponding first fixing element 14, and the first fixing element 14 abuts against the first terminal 12 in the third direction D3 by the first front abutting portion 144; as described above for fixing and constraining the first terminal 12 in the electrical connector 1, in fact, the first front abutting portion 144 may also abut against the insulating body 10, which is not described herein. The first front abutting portion 144 and the portion of the insulation body 10 corresponding to the first front abutting portion 144 clamp the connecting portion 124 of the first terminal 12 together in the direction parallel to the third direction D3. In addition, the first fixing member 14 is detachably connected to the insulating body 10 via the first engaging structure 106.

Please refer to fig. 15 and 17. According to the method for manufacturing an electrical connector, as shown in step S108, a plurality of second terminals 16 (shown in fig. 3 and 4) are provided and the plurality of second terminals 16 are inserted into (the second fixing holes 108 of) the insulating body 10 in the third direction D3 so as to be fixed on the insulating body 10 in a row in the first direction D1 relative to the first terminals 12; in step S110, a second fixing element 18 is provided (as shown in fig. 8 and 9), and the second fixing element 18 is assembled to the insulation body 10, such that the second terminal 16 is structurally constrained between the second fixing element 18 and the first fixing element 14, as shown in fig. 18 (see also fig. 3). The fixing portions 162 of the second terminals 16 are fixed in the corresponding second fixing holes 108. The second terminals 16 are placed in the positioning slots 148 of the corresponding first fixing member 14, and the second fixing member 18 abuts against the second terminals 16 with the second front abutting portion 182 in the third direction D3; as described above with respect to fixing and restricting the second terminal 16, in practice, the second front abutting portion 182 may be designed to abut against the first fixing element 14, which is not described herein. Also, the second terminal 16 abuts against the first rear abutting portion 150 in the third direction D3. The second front abutting portion 182 and the first rear abutting portion 150 together clamp the connecting portion 164 of the second terminal 16 in a direction parallel to the third direction D3. In addition, the second fixing member 18 is detachably connected to the insulating body 10 via the second engaging structure 110. The contact portion 126 of the first terminal 12 and the contact portion 166 of the second terminal 16 are exposed at the front side of the insulating body 10 to form a first plug port 1a together with the insulating body 10.

Please refer to fig. 15 and fig. 18. According to the method for manufacturing an electrical connector, as shown in step S112, a plurality of third terminals 20 (shown in fig. 3 and 4) are provided and the plurality of third terminals 20 are inserted into (the third fixing holes 112 of) the insulating body 10 in the third direction D3 to be fixed on the insulating body 10 in a row in the first direction D1; in step S114, a third fixing element 22 is provided (as shown in fig. 10 and 11) and the third fixing element 22 is assembled to the insulating body 10, such that the third terminal 16 is structurally constrained between the third fixing element 22 and the second fixing element 18, as shown in fig. 19 (see also fig. 3). The fixing portions 202 of the third terminals 20 are fixed in the corresponding third fixing holes 112. The third terminal 20 is placed in the positioning slot 186 of the corresponding second fixing element 18, and the third fixing element 22 abuts against the third terminal 20 in the third direction D3 with the third front abutting portion 222; as described above with respect to fixing and restricting the third terminal 20, in practice, the third front abutting portion 222 may be designed to abut against the second fixing element 18, which is not described in detail. Also, the third terminal 20 abuts against the second rear abutting portion 188 in the third direction D3. The third front abutting portion 222 and the second rear abutting portion 188 together clamp the connecting portion 204 of the third terminal 20 in a direction parallel to the third direction D3. In addition, the third fixing member 22 is detachably connected to the insulating body 10 via the third engaging structure 114.

Please refer to fig. 15 and fig. 19. According to the method for manufacturing an electrical connector, as shown in step S116, a plurality of fourth terminals 24 (shown in fig. 3 and 4) are provided and the plurality of fourth terminals 24 are inserted into (the fourth fixing holes 116 of) the insulative housing 10 in the third direction D3 so as to be fixed on the insulative housing 10 in a row relative to the third terminal 20 in the first direction D1; in step S118, a fourth fixing element 26 is provided (as shown in fig. 12) and the fourth fixing element 26 is assembled to the insulation body 10, such that the fourth terminal 24 is constrained between the fourth fixing element 26 and the third fixing element 22, as shown in fig. 2 (see also fig. 3). Wherein the fixing portions 242 of the fourth terminals 24 are fixed in the corresponding fourth fixing holes 116. The fourth terminal 24 is placed in the positioning groove 226 of the corresponding third fixing element 22, and the fourth fixing element 26 abuts against the fourth terminal 24 in the third direction D3 with the fourth front abutting portion 262; as described above with respect to fixing and limiting the fourth terminal 24, in practice, the fourth front abutting portion 262 may be designed to abut against the third fixing member 22, which is not described in detail herein. Also, the fourth terminal 24 abuts against the third rear abutting portion 228 in the third direction D3. The fourth front abutting portion 262 and the third rear abutting portion 228 collectively clamp the connecting portion 244 of the fourth terminal 24 in a direction parallel to the third direction D3. The contact portion 206 of the third terminal 20 and the contact portion 246 of the fourth terminal 24 are exposed at the front side of the insulative housing 10 to form a second plug port 1b together with the insulative housing 10. Thereby, the electrical connector 1 is completed.

In addition, in practice, if the electrical connector (with solder balls 28) shown in fig. 13 and 14 is to be manufactured, the above-mentioned method for manufacturing an electrical connector needs to provide a jig 40 after step S118, as shown in fig. 22. Jig 40 has four rows of through holes 402. Then, a jig 40 is placed on the insulating body 10, so that the first terminal 12, the second terminal 16, the third terminal 20 and the fourth terminal 24 are respectively aligned with the four rows of through holes 402; a solder ball 28 is placed in each via 402. The inner diameter of the through hole 402 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the solder ball 28, so that the solder ball 28 will contact the ends of the

corresponding terminals

12, 16, 20, 24 after being placed in the through hole 402. Then, the solder balls 28 are heated so that the solder balls 28 melt to be soldered on the ends of the first terminal 12, the second terminal 16, the third terminal 20, and the fourth terminal 24 (see fig. 13). The solder balls 28 cover the ends of the

corresponding terminals

12, 16, 20, 24. In practice, by selecting appropriate solder balls 28,

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24 (or their outer surface coatings) and fixture 40 materials, the solder balls 28 can be easily combined with the

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24, and the combination of the solder balls 28 and the fixture 40 can be avoided; this can be achieved by a similar method of chip solder ball implantation, and is not described in detail. After the solder balls 28 are solidified, the jig 40 is removed. Thereby, the electrical connector 1 with the solder balls 28 is completed.

As described above, the electrical connector 1 of the present embodiment utilizes the plurality of fixing

members

14, 18, 22, 26 to fix the plurality of rows of

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24, so that the

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24 can be stably arranged at a high density, and the relative positions and the insulation configurations between the

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24 can be precisely designed, thereby providing stable impedance. In the method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to the present embodiment, the

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24 in multiple rows and the fixing

members

14, 18, 22, 26 in multiple rows are sequentially assembled on the insulating body 10 in a staggered manner, so as to complete the electrical connector 1 having the terminals in multiple rows, and therefore, the method for manufacturing an electrical connector can effectively and stably fix the

terminals

12, 16, 20, 24 in multiple rows on the insulating body 1, so that the electrical connector 1 manufactured by the method has high contact density and stable impedance. In addition, the electrical connector 1 of the present embodiment is a female terminal connector, but the invention is not limited thereto. As shown in fig. 20 and 21, an electrical connector 3 according to another embodiment of the present invention is a male connector, and the structure of the terminal fixing is the same as that of the electrical connector 1, and is not repeated herein.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and all the equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention should be covered by the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

an insulating body;

a row of first terminals fixedly arranged on the insulating body in a first direction;

the first fixing piece is combined to the insulating body, so that the first terminal structure is restrained between the first fixing piece and the insulating body;

a row of second terminals fixedly arranged on the insulating body in the first direction relative to the first terminals, the first fixing member being located between the first terminals and the second terminals;

the second fixing piece is combined to the insulating body, so that the second terminal structure is constrained between the second fixing piece and the first fixing piece;

a row of third terminals fixedly arranged on the insulating body in the first direction, wherein the second fixing member is located between the second terminals and the third terminals;

a third fixing element combined to the insulating body, so that the third terminal structure is constrained between the third fixing element and the second fixing element;

a row of fourth terminals fixedly arranged on the insulating body in the first direction relative to the third terminals, the third fixing member being located between the third terminals and the fourth terminals;

the fourth fixing piece is combined to the insulating body, so that the fourth terminal structure is restrained between the fourth fixing piece and the third fixing piece;

the first terminal, the second terminal and the insulating body form a first plug port, the third terminal, the fourth terminal and the insulating body form a second plug port, the first plug port and the second plug port are arranged in a second direction, the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first plug port and the second plug port jointly provide data transmission meeting PCIe 4.0 standard.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the first fixing member has a first front abutting portion, the first fixing member abuts against the first terminal or the insulating body with the first front abutting portion in a third direction, the second fixing member has a second front abutting portion, the second fixing member abuts against the second terminal or the first fixing member with the second front abutting portion in the third direction, and the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the first fixing member has a first rear abutting portion, the second terminal abuts against the first rear abutting portion in the third direction, and the second fixing member abuts against the second terminal with the second front abutting portion in the third direction.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein the first fixing member has a positioning groove extending in a direction different from the third direction, the first rear abutting portion is located in the positioning groove, and the second terminal is located in the positioning groove.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the third fixing member has a third front abutting portion, and the third fixing member abuts against the third terminal or the second fixing member with the third front abutting portion in a third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the housing has a first engagement structure and a second engagement structure arranged in the second direction, the first securing member is removably coupled to the housing via the first engagement structure, and the second securing member is removably coupled to the housing via the second engagement structure.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein a solder ball encapsulates an end of the first terminal.

8. A method for manufacturing an electrical connector, comprising the steps of:

(a) Providing an insulating body;

(b) Providing a plurality of first terminals;

(c) Fixing the first terminals on the insulating body in a row in a first direction;

(d) Providing a first fixing piece;

(e) Combining the first fixing part to the insulating body so that the first terminal structure is constrained between the first fixing part and the insulating body;

(f) Providing a plurality of second terminals;

(g) Fixing the plurality of second terminals to the insulating body in a row in the first direction with respect to the first terminals;

(h) Providing a second fixing piece;

(i) Combining the second fixing part to the insulating body, so that the second terminal structure is constrained between the second fixing part and the first fixing part;

(j) Providing a plurality of third terminals;

(k) Fixing the plurality of third terminals on the insulating body in a row in the first direction;

(l) Providing a third fixing piece;

(m) assembling the third securing member to the insulative body such that the third terminal structure is constrained between the third securing member and the second securing member;

(n) providing a plurality of fourth terminals;

(o) securing said fourth terminals to said insulative body in a row in said first direction relative to said third terminals;

(p) providing a fourth fixing member;

(q) assembling the fourth fixing element to the insulating body such that the fourth terminal structure is constrained between the fourth fixing element and the third fixing element;

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first fixture has a first front abutment portion, the second fixture has a second front abutment portion, step (e) comprises abutting the first fixture against the first terminal or the insulative body with the first front abutment portion in a third direction, and step (i) comprises abutting the second fixture against the second terminal or the first fixture with the second front abutment portion in the third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first fixture has a first rear abutment, step (g) comprises abutting the second terminal against the first rear abutment in the third direction, and in step (i), the second fixture abuts the second terminal with the second front abutment in the third direction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first securing member has a detent extending in a direction other than the third direction, the first rear abutment is located in the detent, and step (g) includes locating the second terminal in the detent.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the third fixture has a third forward abutment, and step (m) includes abutting the third fixture against the third terminal or the second fixture with the third forward abutment in a third direction, the third direction being perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the housing has a first engagement structure and a second engagement structure arranged in the second direction, wherein in step (e) the first securing member is removably coupled to the housing via the first engagement structure, and in step (i) the second securing member is removably coupled to the housing via the second engagement structure.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising, after step (q), the steps of:

providing a jig which is provided with four rows of through holes;

placing the jig on the insulating body so that the first terminal, the second terminal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal are respectively aligned with the four rows of through holes;

placing a solder ball in each through hole;

heating the solder balls so that the solder balls are soldered on the ends of the first terminal, the second terminal, the third terminal and the fourth terminal; and removing the jig.