CN216698925U - Robust electrical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a robust electrical connector. A robust electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a latch. The insulating shell is provided with a receiving part. The lock catch is pivotally connected to the insulating housing between a locked position and an unlocked position, and an upper portion of the lock catch has a locking groove facing the insulating housing for catching a locking mating flange of a mating electrical component connected to the receiving portion when the lock catch is in the locked position. The lock catch is provided with a clamp, the clamp comprises a clamp main body, a first clamping jaw and a second clamping jaw, the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw are oppositely connected to the clamp main body, and the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw are respectively located on two sides of the locking groove to clamp the locking adaptive flange of the adaptive electric element. The adaptive electric element is tightly connected with the lock catch through the clamp, even if a gap exists between the locking adaptive flange and the side wall of the locking groove due to machining tolerance, the adaptive electric element cannot shake relative to the lock catch, the connection stability is high, and the adaptive electric element kept in the receiving part has good electrical performance.

Description

Robust electrical connector

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a robust electrical connector.

Background

Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. Manufacturing a system on several Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) connected to each other by electrical connectors is generally easier and more cost effective than manufacturing a system as a single component. Conventional arrangements for interconnecting several PCBs typically use one PCB as a backplane. Other PCBs, called daughter boards or daughter cards, are then connected to the backplane by electrical connectors to effect interconnection of these PCBs.

In prior art designs, in order to securely retain the daughter card to the electrical connector, a latch is typically provided on the dielectric housing of the electrical connector. After the daughter card is mounted in the electrical connector, the latches need to be controlled to move to the latched position to secure the daughter card to the electrical connector.

How to improve the stability of the daughter card in the housing is a major issue discussed in this application.

Disclosure of Invention

To at least partially address the problems with the prior art, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a robust electrical connector. The electrical connector includes an insulative housing and a latch. The insulating shell is provided with a receiving part. The lock catch is pivotally connected to the insulating housing between a locked position and an unlocked position, and an upper portion of the lock catch has a locking groove facing the insulating housing for catching a locking mating flange of a mating electrical component connected to the receiving portion when the lock catch is in the locked position. The lock catch is provided with a clamp, the clamp comprises a clamp main body, a first clamping jaw and a second clamping jaw, the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw are oppositely connected to the clamp main body, and the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw are respectively located on two sides of the locking groove to clamp the locking adaptive flange of the adaptive electric element.

Illustratively, each of the first jaw and the second jaw is in the form of a resilient beam.

Illustratively, the first clamping jaw comprises a first bending section, the second clamping jaw comprises a second bending section, the first bending section and the second bending section are both bent towards the locking groove, and the first bending section and the second bending section extend into the locking groove and are used for clamping the locking adapting flange of the adapting electric element.

Illustratively, the first jaw further includes a first outer end section connected to an outer end of the first curved section, the second jaw further includes a second outer end section connected to an outer end of the second curved section, the first and second outer end sections are located at a slot opening of the locking slot and form a clip opening of the clip, the clip opening has a gradually opening dimension toward an outside of the locking slot, and a maximum width of the clip opening is greater than a width of the slot opening.

Illustratively, the clip further includes a third jaw connected to the clip body, the third jaw being located at a top of the locking slot.

Illustratively, the third jaw is spring beam-shaped.

Illustratively, the third jaw includes a third curved segment that curves toward the interior of the locking slot, the third curved segment extending into the locking slot.

Illustratively, the spacing between the third curved segment and the top of the keyed mating flange of the mating electrical element is between-0.1 mm and 0.1 mm.

Illustratively, the latch further has first and second fixing grooves recessed from the locking groove to both sides, and the first and second jaws are mounted to the first and second fixing grooves, respectively.

Illustratively, the clip main body, and inner ends of the first and second clamping jaws connected to the clip main body are held between the first and second fixing grooves.

Illustratively, the clip further includes first and second holding portions connected to the clip main body, the first and second holding portions being fixed to the lock catches at tops of the lock grooves.

Illustratively, the first and second retaining portions are located above the first and second jaws, respectively, and extend toward both sides of the locking slot beyond inner ends of the first and second jaws connected to the clip body, respectively.

The latch may further include third and fourth fixing grooves recessed from the locking groove to both sides, and outer edges of the first and second retaining portions may be inserted into the third and fourth fixing grooves, respectively, and the third and fourth fixing grooves may extend to a surface of the locking groove where the groove opening is located.

Illustratively, the clip further includes a third jaw connected to the clip body, the third jaw being located between the first holding portion and the second holding portion.

Illustratively, the first holding portion and the second holding portion are disposed at a distance in a lateral direction of the locking groove so that the first holding portion and the second holding portion have elasticity.

Illustratively, the first and second holding portions are provided on outer side edges thereof with first and second abutting projections, respectively, which abut groove walls of the third and fourth fixing grooves, respectively.

Illustratively, the faces of the first and second abutment projections facing away from the slot opening are inclined towards each other in a direction away from the slot opening.

In the robust electrical connector of the disclosed embodiment, the first jaw and the second jaw may grip the locking mating flange in a lateral direction when the latch is in the locked position by providing a clip in the locking groove of the latch. Thus, the adaptive electric element is tightly connected with the lock catch through the clamping clip, and even if a gap exists between the locking adaptive flange and the side wall of the locking groove due to machining tolerance, the adaptive electric element cannot shake relative to the lock catch, so that the connection stability is high, and the adaptive electric element kept in the receiving part has good electric performance. Moreover, the clamp, especially the clamp main body, can also play a role of a supporting beam, so that the mechanical strength of the lock catch can be enhanced, and the lock catch is firmer and more durable.

A series of concepts in a simplified form are introduced in the summary of the invention, which is described in further detail in the detailed description section. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Advantages and features of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The following drawings of the present disclosure are included to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings, there is shown in the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic system with a latch in a locked position according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the electronic system shown in FIG. 1 with the latch in an unlocked position;

FIGS. 3A-3C are schematic views of a clip and locking adapter flange connection according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 4 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is an angled perspective view of a latch and clip according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is another angled perspective view of the catch and clip shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an angled perspective view of a shackle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another angle of the shackle shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a front view of the latch shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an angled perspective view of a clip according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of another angle of the clip shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a further angled perspective view of the clip shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a top view of the clip shown in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 14 is a front view of the clip shown in FIG. 10.

Wherein the figures include the following reference numerals:

a robust electrical connector 100; a conductor 110; an insulating case 200; a butt-joint surface 201; a mounting surface 202; a receiving section 210; a latch 300; a locking groove 310; a slot opening 311; a first fixing groove 320; a second fixing groove 330; a third fixing groove 340; a fourth fixing groove 350; a card holder 400; a clip main body 410; a first clamping jaw 420; a first curved section 421; a first outer end section 422; a second jaw 430; a second curved section 431; a second outer end section 432; a clip opening 440; a third jaw 450; a third curved section 451; a first holding portion 460; the first abutment projection 462; faces 462a, 462b, 462 c; the second holding portion 470; the second abutment projection 472; faces 472a, 472b, 472 c; an electronic card 900; a locking fitting flange 910; a gap 920.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. One skilled in the art, however, will understand that the following description merely illustrates preferred embodiments of the disclosure and that the disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these details. In addition, some features that are well known in the art have not been described in detail to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.

Card edge connectors are widely used for interconnection between printed circuit boards in electronic systems. DIMMs (dual in-line memory modules) are memory that are currently widely used in computers. DIMMs are interconnected with the motherboard of a computer by card edge connectors. The card edge connector is secured to the motherboard and conductors on the card edge connector interconnect with circuitry on the motherboard. DIMMs that are daughter cards are plugged into slots of a card edge connector, and thus DIMMs are also commonly referred to as memory cards. In order to firmly fix the memory card on the card edge connector, the card edge connector further comprises a latch which is pivotally connected to an insulating housing of the card edge connector, and after the memory card is inserted into place on the insulating housing, the latch is rotated to a locking position to firmly lock the memory card on the card edge connector.

Typically, both sides of the memory card are provided with a gap. When the latch pivots to the locking position, a part of the latch extends into the notch to be clamped with the edge of the notch, so that the memory card is locked on the card edge connector. The inventors have recognized that vibrations present in the operating environment during use may cause the memory card to wobble relative to the card edge connector, which may reduce the robustness of the memory card to card edge connector connection. The inventor has further recognized that the bottom of the memory card inserted into the slot of the insulating housing can be clamped by the conductive member on the insulating housing, so that the bottom of the memory card can be firmly fixed on the insulating housing, and the reason for the memory card shaking relative to the card edge connector may be that a certain gap exists between the latch and the memory card, thereby causing the memory card to shake in the latch.

The inventors have recognized that reducing the gap between the memory card and the latch helps to avoid situations where the memory card rattles against the card edge connector during use, thereby improving the stability of the interconnect system. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a clip is disposed on the latch. The clip is inserted into the locking groove of the lock catch. When the memory card is kept in the slot of the card edge connector, the card holder can clamp the memory card, so that the stability of the lock catch and the memory card is ensured. The robust electrical connector of some embodiments is described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

As shown in fig. 1-2 and 4, the robust electrical connector 100 may include an insulative housing 200 and a latch 300. For clarity and simplicity of description, the vertical direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X, and the lateral direction Y-Y are defined. The vertical direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y may be mutually perpendicular. The vertical direction Z-Z generally refers to the height direction of the robust electrical connector 100. The longitudinal direction X-X generally refers to the length direction of the robust electrical connector 100. The transverse direction Y-Y generally refers to the width direction of the robust electrical connector 100.

The insulating housing 200 may have a mating face 201 and a mounting face 202 opposite along the vertical direction Z-Z. The docking surface 201 may be provided with a receiving portion 210. Illustratively, the receiving portion 210 may be recessed inwardly from the docking surface 201 along the vertical direction Z-Z to form a slot. The receiving portion 210 may be used to receive a portion of the adapting electrical element to maintain the position of the adapting electrical element relative to the insulating housing 200. Adapting electrical components includes, but is not limited to, electronic cards. The electronic card may include one or more of a graphics card, a memory card, a sound card, and the like. The mating electrical element may also include a mating electrical connector, if possible. The mating electrical connector may be a header electrical connector, for example, when the robust electrical connector 100 is a receptacle electrical connector. The principles of the present disclosure will be described below by taking an example of an adaptive electrical component as an electronic card.

For example, the insulating housing 200 may have a substantially elongated bar shape. The insulating case 200 may extend along the longitudinal direction X-X. The receiving portion 210 may be in the form of an elongated slot extending along the longitudinal direction X-X. The electronic card 900 may be plugged into a socket of the mating face 201, as shown in fig. 4, and the mounting face 202 may be connected to a printed circuit board that serves as a backplane, thereby electrically connecting the electronic card 900 and the printed circuit board through the robust electrical connector 100, thereby enabling interconnection of circuitry on the electronic card with circuitry on the printed circuit board. Specifically, the insulating housing 200 may be provided with a plurality of conductors 110. The plurality of conductors 110 may be disposed spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction X-X to ensure electrical insulation between adjacent conductors 110 from each other. Conductors (e.g., gold fingers) that may be present on electronic card 900. When the edge of the electronic card 900 is inserted into the slot, the front ends of the plurality of conductors 110 may be electrically connected to the conductors on the electronic card 900. The rear ends of the plurality of conductors 110 may extend beyond the back side (mounting side 202) of the electronic card 900. When the robust electrical connector 100 is connected to a printed circuit board (not shown), the rear ends of the plurality of conductors 110 may be electrically connected to circuitry on the printed circuit board.

The orientation terms used herein are all relative to the robust electrical connector 100 in the laid out state shown in fig. 1-2, i.e., the side on which the mating face 201 is located is the upper side and the side on which the opposite mounting face 202 is located is the lower side. Alternatively, the receiving portion 210 in the form of a slot may be provided on the insulation case 200 extending along the longitudinal direction X-X. The insulating case 200 may be formed of an insulating material such as plastic using a molding process. The insulating housing 200 is typically a unitary piece.

The latch 300 may be pivotably connected to the insulative housing 200, such as pivotably connected to an end of the insulative housing 200. Specifically, the latch 300 can pivot between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch 300 is shown in the locked position in fig. 1, and the latch 300 may lock the electronic card 900 to the robust electrical connector 100. In fig. 2, the latch 300 is in the unlocked position, allowing the electronic card 900 to be inserted into the receiving portion 210 or allowing the electronic card 900 to be removed from the insulative housing 200. The latch 300 may be formed from an insulating material such as plastic using a molding process. The shackle 300 is typically a single piece. The materials of the latch 300 and the insulating housing 200 may be the same or different.

As shown in fig. 5-9, the upper portion of the shackle 300 may have a locking slot 310. The locking groove 310 may face the insulation case 200. That is, the slot opening 311 of the locking slot 310 may face the insulation housing 200. The locking slot 310 may be used to hold a locking mating flange of an electronic card 900 connected to the receiving portion 210 when the latch 300 is in the locking position. The locking mating flanges may protrude beyond the side edges of the electronic card 900. In some embodiments, the electronic card 900 may not explicitly include a protruding locking mating flange. For example, in the embodiment shown in fig. 2, a cutout 920 is provided on a side of the electronic card 900. When the latch 300 is in the locking position, the locking slot 310 may extend into the notch 920 to lock the edge of the notch 920. The protrusion below the gap 920 may be considered a locking fit flange 910. The portion of the shackle 300 that is positioned above the locking slot 310 may be inserted into the gap 920. In summary, those skilled in the art can make the locking slot 310 hold the electronic card 900 connected to the receiving portion 210 by appropriate modification.

Referring back to fig. 1-2 and 4, both ends of the insulative housing 200 may be provided with latches 300, and the two latches 300 are locked at both sides of the electronic card 900, respectively. The locking grooves 310 of the two lockers 300 face each other. Typically, the two latches 300 are of identical construction, but are arranged as mirror images of each other.

As shown in fig. 10-14, the shackle 300 may have a clip 400 disposed thereon. The clip 400 may be formed from a material such as metal using a sheet metal process. The clip 400 is generally a one-piece member. Clip 400 may include a clip body 410, a first clamping jaw 420, and a second clamping jaw 430. The first clamping jaw 420 and the second clamping jaw 430 may be oppositely connected to the clip main body 410. Specifically, the first and second clamping jaws 420 and 430 may be located on both sides of the clip body 410 and connected to the clip body 410, respectively. The first jaw 420, the second jaw 430 and the clip body 410 are connected in a generally C-shape surrounding the locking slot 310. The inner end of the clip 400 may be inserted into the locking slot 310, such as into the slot bottom of the locking slot 310. The first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may be respectively located at both sides of the locking groove 310.

The first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may grip the locking mating flange 910 of the electronic card 900. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3B, the locking slot 310 may gradually approach the locking mating ledge 910 as the latch 300 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position, whereby the clip 400 may gradually approach the locking mating ledge 910. When the latch 300 is pivoted to the locked position, the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may grip the locking mating flange 910, thereby securing the electronic card 900.

In the robust electrical connector 100 of the disclosed embodiment, the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may clamp the locking mating flange 910 in a lateral direction (e.g., the lateral direction Y-Y shown in the figures) when the latch 300 is in the locking position by providing the clip 400 in the locking slot 310 of the latch 300. In this way, the adaptive electrical component is tightly connected to the latch 300 by the clip 400, and even if there is a gap between the locking adaptive flange 910 and the sidewall of the locking groove 310 due to machining tolerance, the adaptive electrical component does not shake with respect to the latch 300, so that the connection stability is high, and thus the adaptive electrical component held in the receiving portion 210 has good electrical properties. Also, the clip 400, particularly the clip main body 410, may also function as a support beam, so that the mechanical strength of the latch 300 may be enhanced, making the latch 300 more robust.

Illustratively, each of the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may be in the form of a resilient beam. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the inner ends of the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may be connected opposite to the clip body 410. Thus, the outer ends of the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may have a certain elasticity, thereby forming an elastic beam. As used herein, the terms "inner end" and "outer end" refer to the locking slot 310, with the end of the slot opening 311 that is proximal to the locking slot 310 being the outer end and the end that is distal to the slot opening 311 being the inner end. In other embodiments, the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may be made of an elastic material, or have a thinner wall thickness, so that each of the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may have an elastic beam shape. With combined reference to fig. 3A-3B, with this arrangement, the lock adapter flange 910 may abut the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 during movement of the latch 300 from the unlocked position to the locked position to flex the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 away from each other, as indicated by the arrows in fig. 3A. When the latch 300 is moved to the locked position, the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 may tightly grip the locking adapter flange 910, as shown by the arrows in fig. 3B. Therefore, with this arrangement, the strength of the first clamping jaw 420 and the second clamping jaw 430 to clamp the locking adapter flange 910 is higher, so that the adaptive electrical component is connected with the latch 300 more tightly through the clip 400, the adaptive electrical component does not shake, and the mechanical performance and the electrical performance of the robust electrical connector 100 are more stable. Also, regardless of the width of the locking adapter flange 910, the locking adapter flange 910 can be tightly clamped by the elastic properties of the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430. Thus, the requirement for machining precision of the lock-fit flange 910 is reduced, making the robust electrical connector 100 more versatile.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 10-14, the first jaw 420 may include a first curved segment 421. Second jaw 430 may include a second curved section 431. The first and second bending sections 421 and 431 may each be bent toward the inside of the locking groove 310. In other words, the first and second curved sections 421 and 431 may each protrude toward the inside of the locking groove 310. The first and second curved sections 421 and 431 may extend into the locking groove 310 for clamping the locking fitting flange 910. In this way, in the moving process of the latch 300, the friction between the first clamping jaw 420 and the locking fitting flange 910 and the second clamping jaw 430 are small, so that the degree of wear of the three due to friction can be reduced, and the service lives of the three can be prolonged.

Further, as shown in fig. 10-14, the first jaw 420 may also include a first outer end section 422. The first outer end section 422 may be connected to the outer end of the first curved section 421. Second jaw 430 may also include a second outer end section 432. The second outer end section 432 may be connected to the outer end of the second curved section 431. The first and second outer end segments 422, 432 may be located at the slot openings 311 of the locking slots 310 and form the clip openings 440 of the clip 400. The locking adapter flange 910 is inserted into the clip 400 from the clip opening 440. The clip opening 440 may have an involute size toward the outside of the locking slot 310. Specifically, as shown in fig. 10, the first outer end section 422 may extend obliquely toward the left side from the first bent section 421. The second outer end section 432 may extend obliquely from the second curved section 431 toward the right side. As such, the clip opening 440 may be generally flared. The maximum width of the clip opening 440 may be greater than the width of the slot opening 311.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3B, as the latch 300 moves from the unlocked to the locked position, the lock mating flange 910 gradually approaches the clip opening 440. In this way, the clip openings 440 may function as guides. Even if the shackle 300 is misaligned during movement, the maximum width of the clip opening 440 may be large to guide the latch mating flange 910. By having the clip openings 440 of the involute dimensions, the biased latch 300 can be corrected to avoid the first jaw 420 and the second jaw 430 from being able to properly capture the locking adapter flange 910.

Illustratively, as shown in FIGS. 10-14, the clip 400 may further include a third jaw 450. The third jaw 450 may be attached to the clip body 410. Referring to fig. 3C, a third jaw 450 may be positioned at the top of the locking slot 310. The third jaw 450 may act as a stop to block the keyed mating flange 910, thereby preventing the mated electrical component from coming off the receptacle 210.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the inner end of third jaw 450 may be connected to clip body 410. Thus, the outer end of the third jaw 450 may have a certain elasticity, thereby forming a spring beam. In other embodiments, the third jaw 450 may be made of a resilient material or have a thinner wall thickness, so that the third jaw 450 may be in the form of a resilient beam. With combined reference to fig. 3C, with this arrangement, if the mating electrical component is not properly connected to the receiving portion 210 during movement of the latch 300 from the unlocked position to the locked position, the third jaw 450 may interfere with the locking mating flange 910. The elastic third jaw 450 may serve as a buffer to prevent the third jaw 450 and the locking fitting flange 910 from being deformed or even damaged due to interference.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 10-14, the third jaw 450 may include a third curved section 451. The third bent section 451 may be bent toward the inside of the locking groove 310. In other words, the third bent section 451 may protrude toward the inside of the locking groove 310. The third bent section 451 may extend into the locking groove 310. In this way, during the movement of the lock catch 300, once the third jaw 450 interferes with the locking adapter flange 910, the friction force between the two is small, so that the degree of wear caused by friction can be reduced, and the service life of the two can be further prolonged.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3C, the third curved section 451 is spaced from the top of the locking adapter flange 910 by a distance D, -0.1mm < D < 0.1 mm. That is, when the mating electrical component (electronic card 900) is connected in place with the receiving portion 210, there may be no space or only a small space between the third curved section 451 and the top of the locking mating flange 910; alternatively, during the installation of the adapter electrical component into the receiving portion 210, the top of the locking adapter flange 910 can abut against the third curved section 451, so that the third curved section 451 has a slight deformation toward straightening. As described above, the third bending portion 451 can reduce the displacement of the adaptive electric element in the vertical direction Z-Z when the adaptive electric element is connected to the receiving portion 210. In this way, wear of the adapting electrical element and the robust electrical connector 100 in the event of shaking may be reduced, improving the service life of both.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 5-9, the latch 300 may further have a first fixing groove 320 and a second fixing groove 330. The first and second fixing grooves 320 and 330 may be recessed to both sides from the locking groove 310. The first and second jaws 420 and 430 may be mounted to the first and second fixing grooves 320 and 330, respectively. By providing the first fixing groove 320 and the second fixing groove 330, the first clamping jaw 420 and the second clamping jaw 430 can be positioned, and the first clamping jaw 420 and the second clamping jaw 430 are prevented from being separated from the expected positions, so that the robust electrical connector 100 is ensured to have stable performance.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5-9, the inner end of the first jaw 420 may be connected to the clip body 410. The inner end of second clamping jaw 430 may be connected to clip body 410. The clip main body 410, the inner end of the first clamping jaw 420, and the inner end of the second clamping jaw 430 may be caught between the first fixing groove 320 and the second fixing groove 330. Thus, the outer end of the first jaw 420 and the outer end of the second jaw 430 may protrude out of the first and second fixing slots 320 and 330. So configured, even if the first and second clamping jaws 420 and 430 are made resilient, it is facilitated to make the maximum width of the clamping opening 440 larger than the width of the slot opening 311. Therefore, the robust electrical connector 100 is compact and inexpensive to manufacture.

Illustratively, as shown in FIGS. 10-14, the clip 400 may further include a first retaining portion 460 and a second retaining portion 470. The first holding portion 460 and the second holding portion 470 may be respectively attached to the clip main body 410. The first and second retaining portions 460 and 470 may be secured to the latch 300 at the top of the locking slot 310. By providing the first and second retaining portions 460 and 470, the clip 400 and the latch 300 can be firmly fixed, thereby ensuring stable performance of the robust electrical connector 100.

Illustratively, as shown in FIGS. 10-14, in embodiments where the clip 400 includes a third jaw 450, the third jaw 450 may be located between the first and second retaining portions 460, 470. Thus, the clip 400 is relatively symmetrical in construction and is easy to design and manufacture.

Further, as shown in fig. 10-14, the first retaining portion 460 may be located above the first clamping jaw 420. The second holding portion 470 may be located above the second jaw 430. The first retaining portion 460 may extend toward the outside of the locking groove 310 to be connected to the inner end of the clip main body 410 beyond the first clamping jaw 420. The second holding portion 470 may extend toward the outside of the locking groove 310 to be connected to the inner end of the clip main body 410 beyond the second jaw 430.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 5-9, the locker 300 may further have a third fixing groove 340 and a fourth fixing groove 350. The third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350 may be recessed to both sides from the locking groove 310. The outer side edges of the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 may be inserted into the third and fourth fixing slots 340 and 350, respectively. The third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350 may extend to the face of the groove opening 311 of the locking groove 310, respectively. By providing the third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350, the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 can be positioned, and the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 can be prevented from being separated from the expected positions, thereby ensuring stable performance of the robust electrical connector 100. The clip 400 may be installed into the lock catch 300 via the slot opening 311, and specifically, the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 may be aligned with the third and fourth fixing slots 340 and 350, respectively, and the first and second clamping jaws 420 and 430 may be directly inserted into the lock catch 300 aligned with the first and second fixing slots 320 and 330, respectively.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 5-14, the first retaining portion 460 may be provided with a first abutment projection 462 on an outer edge thereof. The first abutment projection 462 may abut the third fixing groove 340. The first holding portion 460 abuts with a side wall of the third fixing groove 340 by the first abutting projection 462. The second holding portion 470 may be provided on an outer edge thereof with a second abutment projection 472. The second abutment protrusion 472 may abut a groove wall of the fourth fixing groove 350. The second holding portion 470 abuts against a groove wall of the fourth fixing groove 350 by the second abutment projection 472. By providing the first and second abutment projections 462, 472, the material consumption of the first and second retention portions 460, 470 may be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of the robust electrical connector 100. Also, the contact area of the first holding part 460 and the third fixing groove 340 and the contact area of the second holding part 470 and the fourth fixing groove 350 may be reduced, so that friction may be reduced during installation, facilitating installation; and the possibility that the contact surface is not adapted due to the fact that the abutting surface is not flat can be reduced, and the requirement for machining precision is lowered.

Further, as shown in fig. 10 and 13, the first abutment projection 462 may include a face 462a, a face 462b, and a face 462 c. The surfaces 462a, 462b and 462c surround to form a first abutment projection 462. Face 462a faces slot opening 311, face 462b faces away from slot opening 311, and face 462c is connected between face 462a and face 462 b. The second abutment protrusion 472 may include a surface 472a, a surface 472b, and a surface 472 c. The surfaces 472a, 472b and 472c surround to form a second contact protrusion 472. Face 472a faces slot opening 311, face 472b faces away from slot opening 311, and face 472c is connected between face 472a and face 472 b. Wherein the face 462b and the face 472b may be inclined toward each other in a direction away from the slot opening 311. In this way, when the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 are inserted into the third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350, respectively, the first and second abutting protrusions 462 and 472 can play a guiding role, so that the deviation of the latch 300 can be corrected, and the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 cannot be normally inserted into the third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 5-14, the first and second retaining portions 460, 470 may be spaced apart along a lateral direction (i.e., the transverse direction Y-Y) of the locking slot 310. In this way, the first holding portion 460 and the second holding portion 470 can be made elastic. In this way, when the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 need to be inserted into the third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350, respectively, the user may control the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 to approach each other such that the distance therebetween is reduced, thereby facilitating the insertion into the third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350, respectively. When the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 have been inserted into the third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350, respectively, control may be cancelled, and the first and second holding portions 460 and 470 may be restored by elastic potential energy, and thus may be fixed to the third and fourth fixing grooves 340 and 350, respectively.

Thus, the present disclosure has been described in terms of several embodiments, but it will be appreciated that numerous variations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings of the disclosure, and that such variations, modifications, and improvements are within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as claimed. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. The foregoing embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure to the scope of the described embodiments.

Various changes may be made to the structures illustrated and described herein. For example, the above-described card holder is used on a card edge connector, but the card holder may also be used for any suitable electrical connector, such as a backplane connector, a daughter card connector, a stacking connector (stacking connector), a mezzanine connector (mezzanine connector), an I/O connector, a chip socket (chip socket), a Gen Z connector, and the like. When these connectors are used, the stability is insufficient, and the retainer can well reinforce the strength of the connectors.

Moreover, while many of the inventive aspects are described above with respect to a vertical connector, it should be understood that aspects of the disclosure are not so limited. As such, any of the inventive features, alone or in combination with one or more other inventive features, can also be used with other types of electrical connectors, such as right angle connectors, coplanar connectors, and the like.

In the description of the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the orientation words such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "lateral", "vertical", "horizontal" and "top", "bottom", etc., are usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplicity of description, and in the case of not making a reverse explanation, these orientation words do not indicate and imply that the device or element being referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore, should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure; the terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the interior and exterior relative to the contours of the components themselves.

Spatially relative terms, such as "above … …," "above … …," "above … …," "above," and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe the spatial relationship of one or more components or features shown in the figures to other components or features. It is to be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass not only the orientation of the component as depicted in the figures, but also different orientations of the component in use or operation. For example, if an element in the figures is turned over in its entirety, elements "above" or "over" other elements or features would include elements "below" or "beneath" other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "above … …" can include both an orientation of "above … …" and "below … …". Further, these components or features may also be positioned at various other angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), all of which are intended to be encompassed herein.

It is noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and/or "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, and it should be understood that when the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" are used in this specification, they specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of this application and in the drawings described above are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the data so used is interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the application described herein are capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

Claims (17)

1. A robust electrical connector, comprising:

the insulation shell is provided with a receiving part; and

a latch pivotably connected to the insulating housing between a locked position and an unlocked position, an upper portion of the latch having a locking slot facing the insulating housing for retaining a locking mating flange of a mating electrical component connected to the receptacle when the latch is in the locked position,

the lock catch is provided with a clamp, the clamp comprises a clamp main body, a first clamping jaw and a second clamping jaw, the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw are relatively connected to the clamp main body, the first clamping jaw and the second clamping jaw are respectively located on two sides of the locking groove, and the locking adaptive flange is used for clamping the adaptive electric element.

2. A robust electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein each of the first and second jaws is spring beam-like.

3. The robust electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the first jaw comprises a first curved section and the second jaw comprises a second curved section, the first curved section and the second curved section both being curved towards the locking groove, the first curved section and the second curved section protruding into the locking groove for clamping the locking mating flange of the mating electrical element.

4. The robust electrical connector of claim 3, wherein the first jaw further comprises a first outer end section connected to an outer end of the first curved section, the second jaw further comprises a second outer end section connected to an outer end of the second curved section, the first and second outer end sections being located at a slot opening of the locking slot and forming a clip opening of the clip, the clip opening having an involute dimension toward an outside of the locking slot, and a maximum width of the clip opening being greater than a width of the slot opening.

5. The robust electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the clip further comprises a third jaw connected to the clip body, the third jaw being located at a top of the locking slot.

6. A robust electrical connector as in claim 5 wherein the third jaw is spring beam-like.

7. The robust electrical connector of claim 5, wherein the third jaw includes a third curved segment that curves toward the locking slot, the third curved segment protruding into the locking slot.

8. The robust electrical connector of claim 7, wherein a spacing between the third curved segment and a top of the locking mating flange of the mating electrical component is between-0.1 mm and 0.1 mm.

9. The robust electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the latch further has first and second securing slots recessed to both sides from the latching slot, the first and second jaws being mounted to the first and second securing slots, respectively.

10. The robust electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the clip body and inner ends of the first and second jaws connected to the clip body are captured between the first and second securing slots.

11. The robust electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the clip further comprises first and second retaining portions connected to the clip main body, the first and second retaining portions being fixed to the latch at a top of the locking slot.

12. The robust electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the first and second retention portions are located above the first and second jaws, respectively, the first and second retention portions extending beyond inner ends of the first and second jaws connected to the clip body, respectively, toward both sides of the locking slot.

13. The robust electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the latch further has third and fourth fixing grooves depressed from the latching groove to both sides, outer edges of the first and second holding portions are inserted into the third and fourth fixing grooves, respectively, and the third and fourth fixing grooves extend to a face of the latching groove where the groove opening is located, respectively.

14. The robust electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the clip further comprises a third jaw connected to the clip body, the third jaw being located between the first and second retention portions.

15. The robust electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the first and second retention portions are spaced apart along a lateral direction of the locking slot such that the first and second retention portions are resilient.

16. The robust electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the outer edges of the first and second retention portions are provided with first and second abutment projections, respectively, which abut groove walls of the third and fourth securing grooves, respectively.

17. The robust electrical connector of claim 16, wherein faces of the first and second abutment projections facing away from the slot opening are inclined towards each other in a direction away from the slot opening.

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