CN219833092U

CN219833092U - Electric connector

Info

Publication number: CN219833092U
Application number: CN202320291655.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杨奎; 胡小东
Original assignee: Amphenol Commercial Products Chengdu Co Ltd
Current assignee: Amphenol Commercial Products Chengdu Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-02-22
Filing date: 2023-02-22
Publication date: 2023-10-13
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-22

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electrical connector. The electric connector comprises an insulating shell, a second tower part and a lock catch, wherein the insulating shell comprises an insulating body and a first tower part arranged at the end part of the insulating body, a clamping groove recessed along the vertical direction vertical to the longitudinal direction is arranged on the abutting surface of the insulating body, and the first tower part protrudes out of the abutting surface along the vertical direction; the second tower section having a connecting end and a latch end opposite in a vertical direction, the connecting end being joined to the first tower section; the latch is movably disposed at a latch end of the second tower section between a latched position and an unlatched position. After the whole height of the tower part is increased through the second tower part, the electric connector can be suitable for higher electronic cards and has large mechanical strength. The stability of connection between the electronic card and the electric connector can be ensured. The lock catch can fix half or more than half of the edges of the electronic card on the electric connector, so that the stability of connection between the electronic card and the electric connector is further enhanced.

Description

Electric connector

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of connector technology, and in particular, to an electrical connector.

Background

Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. Manufacturing an electronic system on several printed circuit boards connected to each other by electrical connectors is generally easier and more cost-effective than manufacturing an electronic system as a single component. Conventional arrangements for interconnecting several printed circuit boards typically use one printed circuit board as a motherboard. Other printed circuit boards, called daughter boards or daughter cards, are then connected to the motherboard by electrical connectors to effect interconnection of the circuit boards.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to at least partially solve the problems in the prior art, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector is provided. The electric connector comprises an insulating shell, a second tower part and a lock catch, wherein the insulating shell comprises an insulating body extending along the longitudinal direction and a first tower part arranged at the end part of the insulating body, the insulating body is provided with a butt joint surface, the butt joint surface is provided with a clamping groove recessed along the vertical direction vertical to the longitudinal direction, and the first tower part protrudes out of the butt joint surface along the vertical direction; the second tower section having a connecting end and a latch end opposite in a vertical direction, the connecting end being joined to the first tower section; the latch is movably disposed at a latch end of the second tower section between a latched position and an unlatched position.

The connecting end of the second tower section at least partially encloses three sides of the first tower section.

The first tower section comprises an end surface opposite the second tower section in a vertical direction, and a first side surface and a second side surface opposite each other in a lateral direction, the lateral direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction, the connecting end of the second tower section encasing the end surface and at least partially encasing the first side surface and the second side surface.

Illustratively, the second tower section is comparable in size to the first tower section in the longitudinal direction.

Illustratively, the second tower portion extends beyond the interface of the insulator body in a vertical direction.

Illustratively, one or more of three faces of the first tower section at least partially enclosed by the second tower section are provided with engagement projections extending in a vertical direction, and the connecting end of the second tower section is provided with engagement grooves extending in a vertical direction into which the engagement projections are inserted.

Illustratively, the cross section of the engagement projection perpendicular to the vertical direction is dovetail-shaped.

The electrical connector further includes a protective member that engages the connecting ends of the first and second tower sections to connect the first and second tower sections together.

The protection member includes a protection main body, and first and second engaging portions connected to the protection main body, the first and second engaging portions being engaged to connection ends of the first and second tower portions, respectively, along a longitudinal direction.

The first engaging portion may include a first tab and a second tab disposed at intervals along the transverse direction, the first tower portion may include a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other along the transverse direction, the first side surface may be provided with a first slit extending along the longitudinal direction, the second side surface may be provided with a second slit extending along the longitudinal direction, and the first tab and the second tab may be inserted into the first slit and the second slit, respectively.

Illustratively, the first side surface is further provided with a first engagement projection thereon, the second side surface is further provided with a second engagement projection thereon, the connection end of the second tower portion is provided with a first engagement groove engaged with the first engagement projection and a second engagement groove engaged with the second engagement projection, the first side surface is further provided with a first boss spaced apart from the first engagement projection to form a first gap, the second side surface is further provided with a second boss spaced apart from the second engagement projection to form a second gap, and the first boss and the second boss are located outside the second tower portion.

The first boss includes two first sub-bosses spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, a first gap between the two first sub-bosses being aligned with the first engagement protrusion, and a width of the first gap being greater than or equal to a longitudinal dimension of the first engagement protrusion.

The second boss includes two second sub-bosses spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, a second gap between the two second sub-bosses aligned with the second engagement protrusion, and a width of the second gap is greater than or equal to a longitudinal dimension of the second engagement protrusion.

Illustratively, the protective body includes an end plate, a first side plate, and a second side plate extending in a longitudinal direction from opposite sides of the end plate in the transverse direction, respectively, the first tower portion being sandwiched between the first side plate and the second side plate, the first tab and the second tab being disposed on the first side plate and the second side plate, respectively, the second joint being disposed on the end plate, and the second joint being spaced apart from the first side plate and the second side plate in the vertical direction.

The second joint portion may include a first claw and a second claw disposed at intervals along the transverse direction, the connection end portion of the second tower portion may have an outer side surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a first claw groove and a second claw groove may be disposed on the outer side surface of the connection end portion, the first claw and the second claw may be inserted into the first claw groove and the second claw groove, respectively, and the first claw and the second claw may be located at both sides of the first tower portion, respectively, along the transverse direction.

Illustratively, the first jaw engages the first jaw slot by an interference fit, and/or the second jaw engages the second jaw slot by an interference fit.

Illustratively, the protective member includes a circuit board connection configured for connection with a circuit board machine.

Illustratively, the outer side surfaces of the protective member that are opposite in the lateral direction are flush with the outer side surfaces of the insulating body.

Illustratively, the mechanical strength of the material forming the second tower section is greater than or equal to the mechanical strength of the material forming the insulated housing.

The latch has a first abutment surface that abuts against a latch end of the second tower portion when the latch is in the locked position and a second abutment surface that abuts against a latch end of the second tower portion when the latch is in the unlocked position, a channel extending in a vertical direction being provided in the second tower portion, the electrical connector further comprising a push rod passing through the channel, the latch being pivotally connected to a first end of the push rod about a pivot axis, the pivot axis being at a distance from the first abutment surface that is less than a distance from the second abutment surface, a second end of the push rod opposite the first end being bent towards the inside of the slot, the second end of the push rod being below the slot when the latch is in the locked position and extending into the inside of the slot when the latch is in the unlocked position.

The second end of the push rod has a seating surface facing the abutment surface, which seating surface is flush with the bottom surface of the catch groove when the catch is in the locked position.

The electrical connector further comprises an elastic member connected between the push rod and the first tower part or between the push rod and the second tower part, the elastic member having a first amount of deformation when the latch is in the locked position and a second amount of deformation when the latch is in the unlocked position, the second amount of deformation being greater than the first amount of deformation.

Illustratively, a flange is provided on the intermediate section of the pushrod, and the resilient member is sleeved on the pushrod and sandwiched between the flange and the second tower section.

Illustratively, a receiving cavity is provided in the first tower section, and the resilient member is located in the receiving cavity.

The cross section of the channel is adapted to the cross section of the plunger.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector is provided. The electric connector comprises a connector main body, a push rod and a lock catch, wherein the connector main body is provided with a clamping groove extending along the longitudinal direction; the push rod is movably arranged on the connector main body along the vertical direction which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; a catch pivotably connected to the first end of the push rod between a locked position and an unlocked position, a second end of the push rod opposite the first end being curved inwardly toward the catch, the catch being configured to move the push rod in a vertical direction when pivoted between the locked position and the unlocked position, wherein the second end of the push rod is below the catch when the catch is in the locked position; and the second end of the push rod is in the clamping groove when the lock catch is in the unlocking position.

The latch has a first abutment surface that abuts the connector body when the latch is in the locked position and a second abutment surface that abuts the connector body when the latch is in the unlocked position, the pivot axis of the latch having a first distance to the first abutment surface and the pivot axis having a second distance to the second abutment surface, the first distance being less than the second distance.

Illustratively, the difference between the second distance and the first distance is equal to the distance the push rod is movable in the vertical direction.

The first abutment surface and the second abutment surface are illustratively connected by a circular arc transition surface.

Illustratively, the first abutment surface and the second abutment surface are perpendicular to each other.

The first abutment surface has a first dimension in the longitudinal direction when the shackle is in the locked position, and the second abutment surface has a second dimension in the longitudinal direction when the shackle is in the unlocked position, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension.

The first dimension of the first abutment surface is, for example, greater than or equal to half the distance of the card slot from an outer side of the connector body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Illustratively, the latch has a latch cavity therein into which the first end of the push rod extends, the first end of the push rod abutting against a sidewall of the latch cavity when the latch is in the latched position.

The electrical connector further includes an elastic member disposed between the push rod and the connector body, the elastic member having a first amount of deformation when the latch is in the latched position and a second amount of deformation when the latch is in the unlatched position, the second amount of deformation being greater than the first amount of deformation.

The connector body comprises an insulating housing comprising an insulating body extending in a longitudinal direction and a first tower portion arranged at an end of the insulating body, and a second tower portion having a connecting end and a latching end opposite in a vertical direction, the connecting end being joined to the first tower portion, a passage being provided in the second tower portion, a push rod passing through the passage and a first end of the push rod extending beyond the latching end.

The push rod is illustratively provided with a resilient member over the portion of the push rod located within the first tower portion, the resilient member being sandwiched between the flange and the second tower portion.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector is also provided. The electric connector comprises an insulating shell and a protective member, wherein the insulating shell comprises an insulating body extending along the longitudinal direction and a first tower part arranged at the end part of the insulating body, the insulating body is provided with a butt joint surface and a mounting surface which are oppositely arranged along the vertical direction, the butt joint surface is provided with a clamping groove, the first tower part protrudes out of the butt joint surface along the vertical direction, and the vertical direction is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; the protective member is coupled to the first tower portion, the protective member at least partially surrounding three sides of the first tower portion, the protective member including a circuit board connection configured for connection with a circuit board machine.

The protection member may include a protection body including an end plate, a first side plate and a second side plate extending in a longitudinal direction from opposite sides of the end plate in a lateral direction, the protection body at least partially surrounding three sides of the first tower portion, and a first joint provided on the first side plate and/or the second side plate, the first joint being joined with the first tower portion.

The first tower section comprises a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other in the transverse direction, a first slit extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on the first side surface, a second slit extending in the longitudinal direction is provided on the second side surface, the first slit and the second slit extend in the longitudinal direction, the first joint comprises a first insert sheet and a second insert sheet provided on the first side plate and the second side plate, respectively, the first insert sheet and the second insert sheet are inserted into the first slit and the second slit, respectively.

The first side panel, for example, encloses a portion of the first side surface between the first slit and the abutment surface.

Illustratively, the second side plate surrounds a portion of the second side surface between the second gap and the abutment surface.

Illustratively, the electrical connector further comprises: a second tower section having a connecting end portion and a latch end portion opposite in a vertical direction, the connecting end portion being joined to the first tower section, the protection member further including a second joining portion joined to the connecting end portion; and a latch movably disposed at a latch end of the second tower portion between a latched position and an unlatched position.

The second joint portion may include a first claw and a second claw disposed at intervals along the transverse direction, the connection end portion of the second tower portion having an outer side surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the outer side surface of the second tower portion being provided with a first claw groove and a second claw groove, the first claw and the second claw being inserted into the first claw groove and the second claw groove, respectively, the first claw and the second claw being located on both sides of the first tower portion, respectively, along the transverse direction.

Illustratively, the electrical connector further comprises: a push rod movably passing through the second tower section in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a first end of the push rod extending beyond a latch end of the second tower section; and a latch pivotally connected to the first end of the push rod between a locked position and an unlocked position, a second end of the push rod opposite the first end being curved into the catch slot, the latch being configured to move the push rod in a vertical direction when pivoted between the locked position and the unlocked position, wherein the second end of the push rod is below the catch slot when the latch is in the locked position and within the catch slot when the latch is in the unlocked position.

The latch has a first abutment surface that abuts against a latch end of the second tower portion when the latch is in the locked position and a second abutment surface that abuts against a latch end of the second tower portion when the latch is in the unlocked position, the pivot axis of the latch and the first abutment surface having a first distance therebetween, the pivot axis of the latch and the second abutment surface having a second distance therebetween, the first distance being less than the second distance.

The electrical connector further comprises an elastic member disposed between the push rod and the second tower portion or between the push rod and the first tower portion, the elastic member having a first amount of deformation when the latch is in the latched position and a second amount of deformation when the latch is in the unlatched position, the second amount of deformation being greater than the first amount of deformation.

In the electrical connector provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure, by engaging the second tower portion on the first tower portion of the insulating housing, it is thereby possible to increase the total height of the tower portion formed by the first tower portion and the second tower portion together. The second tower section and the insulating housing may be separately machined components. The insulating housing may still be fabricated using conventional processes and conventional materials. The insulating housing serves to hold the plurality of conductors thereon and to ensure electrical insulation between the plurality of conductors from each other, and thus the insulating housing is typically fabricated using an insulating material and by a molding process. While the insulation requirements for the second tower section are not high and the structure of the second tower section is relatively simple, so that more choices in materials and processing are possible. Illustratively, the second tower section may be selected from a stronger material, such as metal, ceramic, or the like. Thus, while the overall height of the tower portion of the electrical connector is significantly increased by the second tower portion, enabling it to be adapted to a higher electronic card, the electrical connector may still have sufficient mechanical strength. Thus, the stability of connection between the electronic card and the electric connector can be ensured. In addition, after the overall height of the tower portion is increased by the second tower portion, the position of the lock catch can be higher, whereby half or more than half of the edge of the electronic card can be fixed to the electrical connector. Desirably, by reasonably selecting the length of the second tower section, the center of gravity of the electronic card may be located within the area enclosed by the insulating housing and the second tower section, thereby further enhancing the stability of the connection between the electronic card and the electrical connector.

In the summary, a series of concepts in a simplified form are introduced, which will be further described in 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 disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The following drawings of the present disclosure are included as part of the disclosure herein for purposes of understanding the same. Embodiments of the present disclosure and descriptions thereof are shown in the drawings to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings of which there are shown,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector with an electronic card attached, wherein a latch is in a locked position, according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a front view of an electrical connector with an electronic card attached, wherein the latch is in an unlocked position, according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an electrical connector and an electronic card according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4a is a perspective view of the electrical connector of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4b is a partial top view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 4 a;

FIG. 5a is an enlarged view of a portion of the insulating housing of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5b is a partial, alternative angled view of the insulated housing of FIG. 5 a;

FIG. 5c is a partial front view of the insulated housing shown in FIG. 5 a;

FIG. 6a is an angled perspective view of the second tower section shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6b is another angled perspective view of the second tower section shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7a is a partial view of the insulated housing and second tower section shown in FIG. 3, with the protective member removed;

FIG. 7b is a cross-sectional view of the portion shown in FIG. 7a taken in a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction;

fig. 8a is a partial perspective view of the insulating housing and the protective member shown in fig. 3 assembled;

FIG. 8b is a cutaway perspective view of the portion shown in FIG. 8a taken in a plane perpendicular to the lateral direction;

fig. 9a is an angular perspective view of the protective member shown in fig. 3;

fig. 9b is another angular perspective view of the protective member shown in fig. 3;

fig. 10 is a partial perspective view of the electrical connector shown in fig. 4 a;

FIG. 11a is a partial cross-sectional view of the electrical connector and electronic card shown in FIG. 3 after connection, with the latch in a latched position;

FIG. 11b is a partial cross-sectional view of the latch shown in FIG. 11a with the latch in an unlatched position;

FIG. 12 is a comparison of the shackle in the locked position and the unlocked position, wherein the shackle in the unlocked position is shown in solid lines and the shackle in the unlocked position is shown in phantom lines;

fig. 13 is a perspective view of a latch of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

fig. 14 is a perspective view of a push rod of an electrical connector according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Wherein the above figures include the following reference numerals:

10. an electrical connector; 100. an insulating housing; 101. a butt joint surface; 102. a mounting surface; 103. a first clamping groove; 104. reinforcing ribs; 110. an insulating body; 120. a first column section; 121. an end surface; 122. a first side surface; 123. a second side surface; 124. a third side surface; 125. a fourth side surface; 130. an engagement protrusion; 131. a first engagement projection; 132. a second engagement projection; 140. a first boss; 140a and 140b, a first sub-boss; 150. a second boss; 150a and 150b, a second sub-boss; 161. a first slit; 162. a second slit; 170. a plate lock groove; 180. a receiving chamber; 200. a second column section; 201. a channel; 202. a second clamping groove; 210. a latch end; 220. a connecting end; 221. an engagement groove; 221a, a first engagement groove; 221b, a second engagement groove; 230. an outer side surface; 231. a first jaw groove; 232. a second jaw groove; 240. a junction chamber; 240a and 240b, engaging the cavity side walls; 300. a conductor; 310. a contact tail; 320. mounting a tail part; 400. locking; 401. a first abutment surface; 402. a second abutment surface; 403. a circular arc transition surface; 404. a first pivot hole; 405. a latch cavity; 405a, a first shackle cavity side wall; 405b, second shackle cavity sidewalls; 405c, third shackle cavity side walls; 410. an operation unit; 420. transverse ribs; 430. a pin shaft; 500. a push rod; 510. a first end; 520. a second end; 521. a seating surface; 530. a flange; 540. an arc-shaped connecting surface; 550. a second pivot hole; 600. an elastic member; 700. a protective member; 710. a protective body; 711. an end plate; 712. a first side plate; 713. a second side plate; 720. a first joint; 721. a first insert sheet; 722. a second insert sheet; 730. a second joint; 731. a first claw; 732. a second claw; 740. a circuit board connection portion; 741. a first fixed leg; 742. a second fixed leg; 743. a third fixed leg; 744. a fourth fixed leg; 20. an electronic card; 22. a notch; 40. a printed circuit board; 41. a bonding pad; 42. a fixing hole; 43. a plate lock hole; 50. and (5) a plate lock.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the following description illustrates preferred embodiments of the present disclosure by way of example only and that the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these details. Furthermore, some technical features that are known in the art have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.

Existing memory cards are typically designed according to standards such as DDR5 (double data rate 5 th generation) and have electrical and mechanical properties and parameters (including form factor) that meet these standards, and accordingly existing electrical connectors that connect these standard DDR memory cards to a motherboard are also designed based on these standards. As the amount of stored data increases, memory cards with high memory capacity have grown. The capacity of these memory cards increases and the size inevitably increases. In situations where space on a printed circuit board, such as a computer motherboard, is limited, it is an effective means to significantly increase the height of the memory card compared to its length and width. Therefore, there is a need for an electrical connector that is capable of connecting such high memory cards to a printed circuit board.

The inventors have appreciated and appreciated that for high electronic cards that are higher than standard electronic cards for various reasons, such as increased storage, the use of standard connectors, such as those prescribed by the joint electronic equipment engineering council (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council, JEDEC), cannot guarantee the strength of connection between the electronic card and the electrical connector. Such as an electrical connector for a standard DDR5 memory card, the latch on the electrical connector secures the memory card to the electrical connector by extending into a cutout in the side of the memory card. The standard DDR5 memory card is about 32mm in height, with the notch being about 1/2 the height of the memory card or less. For tall electronic cards, the height may be significantly greater than that of standard electronic cards, and the inventors have appreciated and appreciated that connecting such electronic cards directly to standard connectors, the location of the cutouts in the sides of the electronic card may be so low that the standard electrical connector will only hold a short (as compared to its height) lower section of the electronic card, so that a large portion of the top of the electronic card extends beyond the electrical connector. During use, any slight sloshing of the bottom of the electronic card is very noticeable as the sloshing generated at the top thereof. Moreover, an increase in the height of the electronic card also means an increase in weight. Therefore, there is a need to increase the mechanical strength of the electrical connector so that a high electronic card can be reliably connected to the electrical connector.

While the mechanical strength of an electrical connector may be increased by typically increasing the size of the electrical connector in all directions while maintaining a conventional design, the inventors have further appreciated and appreciated that such an electrical connector may have two adverse effects. First, the increased size of the electrical connectors requires a larger footprint on the printed circuit board, but the available space on the printed circuit board is increasingly limited in the trend of miniaturization, or the spacing between adjacent connectors is reduced, which is disadvantageous for heat dissipation. Second, the increased size of the electrical connector will not be compatible with industry standards such as JEDEC standards, which clearly is detrimental to the forward compatibility of high electronic cards with existing standard systems.

The inventors have appreciated and appreciated a design of an electrical connector that not only provides a reliable electrical connection between a high electronic card and the electrical connector, but also meets industry standard requirements in terms of dimensions in many directions. While the insulated housing of the standard electrical connector has tower sections protruding in the vertical direction at both ends, embodiments of the present disclosure provide electrical connectors that can add additional tower sections (second tower sections) to the existing tower sections (referred to as first tower sections for distinction). A catch may be attached to the top of the second tower section. The height of the opening on the side surface of the electronic card can be increased, so that the electric connector can lock a larger part of the electronic card on the electric connector, and the reliability of mechanical connection between the electronic card and the electric connector is ensured. The latch may illustratively be locked to the electronic card at a location, for example, greater than 1/2 height, and even up to 2/3 height.

The inventors have further appreciated and appreciated that by making the second tower section and the insulating housing as separate components, the material from which the second tower section is made will be more selective, e.g. the second tower section may alternatively be formed from a mechanically stronger material, without having to use an insulating material such as plastic, and thus the insulating housing is typically formed from an insulating material such as plastic. Thereby, the mechanical strength of the electrical connector can be improved. The overall mechanical strength can be further increased by designing the height of the second tower section as large as possible or by enabling the second tower section to enclose at least three sides of the first tower section. And they are manufactured separately also contributes to simplifying the manufacturing process, compared to manufacturing the second tower section and the insulating housing as one piece by an injection molding process (in which case the first tower section and the second tower section may be collectively referred to as a tower section). The inventors have further appreciated and appreciated that when the second tower section and the insulating housing are manufactured as one piece using an injection molding process, the middle portion of the tower section, which is exactly the location of the card slot corresponding to the edge receiving the add-on card and thus the thickness at that location is thinner, often forms a bond line after cooling. The bond line may result in a decrease in mechanical strength at that location, and may be more prone to cracking at the bond line when subjected to external forces. The second tower part and the insulating shell are respectively manufactured into separate components and then connected together, so that the position of the bonding line can be changed to a certain extent, and the integral mechanical strength is improved.

The inventors have also recognized and appreciated a design of a latch assembly that is particularly suited for use on an electrical connector for connecting high-electronic cards. The latch assembly may include a push rod movable in a height direction and a latch coupled to a first end of the push rod. The second end of the push rod can be bent into the clamping groove, and the second end of the push rod can be driven to move inside and outside the clamping groove through locking and unlocking of the lock catch. Specifically, when the lock catch is in the locking position, the second end of the push rod can be positioned outside the clamping groove, so that the electronic card is prevented from being influenced to be inserted into the clamping groove; when the lock catch is in the unlocking position, the second end of the push rod can move into the clamping groove along the height direction, so that the electronic card can be lifted upwards, the electronic card to be taken down can be identified from the electronic cards which are closely arranged, and the electronic card can be conveniently taken out. In some embodiments, the second end of the push rod may be flush with the bottom surface of the card slot when the lock catch is in the locking position, so as to perform a good supporting function on the electronic card, so that the acting force applied by the electronic card to the electrical connector may be shared, and the stability of the electronic card may be improved. For example, the latch may be a cam structure, and different portions of the latch may have different distances from the pivot axis of the latch, and the different portions may drive the push rod to move in the height direction when abutting against the second tower portion.

The inventors have further appreciated and appreciated that the push rod may extend through the second tower section and into the first tower section. The push rod may be made of a material having high mechanical strength, such as metal. Thus, the push rod can be used as an inner core of the second tower part, and the second tower part is structurally reinforced. The push rod may be made of a material having a higher mechanical strength than the second tower section, after all the push rod is structurally simpler than the second tower section, with fewer restrictions on the processing process, and thus more material selectivity, for example, may be selected from a harder alloy such as stainless steel. In some embodiments, a resilient member may be provided between the push rod and the first tower portion or between the push rod and the second tower portion, which may enable the shackle to ensure that the position of the push rod is relatively stable, both in the locked position and in the unlocked position, without randomly changing position in the height direction. Further, the elastic member may be configured to have a large deformation amount when the latch is in the unlocked position and to have a small deformation amount or no deformation amount when in the locked position, whereby the latch may be automatically pivoted to the locked position without operating the latch by an insertion force applied by a user and an elastic force released by the elastic member when the electronic card is inserted into the electrical connector. The user need only operate the latch to pivot to the unlocked position when it is desired to remove the electronic card from the electrical connector. It follows that the electrical connector is more convenient to use.

The inventors have further appreciated and appreciated that a protective member may be provided to strengthen one or more of the connections between the first and second tower portions, between the first and second tower portions and the printed circuit board. In some embodiments, the protective member may at least partially surround three sides of the first tower portion of the insulating housing, thereby structurally reinforcing the first tower portion. In some embodiments, the protective member may be connected between the first tower section and the second tower section, thereby forming a reliable mechanical connection therebetween. In some embodiments, the protective member may also be connected to the printed circuit board, thereby forming a reliable mechanical connection between the insulating housing and the printed circuit board and/or between the second tower portion and the printed circuit board. Of course, the protective member may also be applied to the first tower section in the absence of the second tower section. That is, for a standard electrical connector, the protective member may also be employed.

The electrical connector of some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the specific drawings. For clarity and conciseness of description, the vertical direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y are labeled in the figures. The vertical direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y may be perpendicular to each other. The vertical direction Z-Z generally refers to the height direction of the electrical connector. The longitudinal direction X-X generally refers to the length direction of the electrical connector. The lateral direction Y-Y generally refers to the width direction of the electrical connector.

As shown in fig. 1-4 a-4b, the electrical connector 10 may include an insulative housing 100. The insulating housing 100 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic. The insulating housing 100 may generally be a single piece. As shown in fig. 3-4, the insulating housing 100 may have a mating face 101 and a mounting face 102. The abutment surface 101 and the mounting surface 102 may be disposed opposite to each other in the vertical direction Z-Z. The abutment surface 101 may be provided with a first clamping groove 103 extending in the longitudinal direction X-X. The first card slot 103 may be recessed toward the mounting surface 102 along the vertical direction Z-Z. As shown in fig. 4a-4b, a plurality of conductors 300 may be disposed in the insulating housing 100. Adjacent conductors 300 may be spaced apart to ensure electrical isolation between adjacent conductors 300 from each other. The conductor 300 may be made of a conductive material such as metal. The conductor 300 may be generally an elongated, unitary piece. Each conductor 300 may include contact tails 310 and mounting tails 320 at both ends of the conductor 300 along its extension. The contact tails 310 may be used to electrically connect to circuitry on the electronic card 20. The electronic card 20 includes, but is not limited to, a memory card or a graphics card, etc. The mounting tail 320 may be connected to the pad 41 on the printed circuit board 40 by means of solder reflow. In this manner, the electronic card 20 is electrically connected to the printed circuit board 40 via the electrical connector 10, thereby interconnecting the circuitry on the electronic card 20 to the circuitry on the printed circuit board 40. The contact tail 310 of the conductor 300 may extend to the mating face 101. Illustratively, the contact tail 310 may be bent into the first card slot 103 on the mating face 101. The mounting tail 320 of the conductor 300 may extend beyond the mounting face 102. The conductors 300 may be arranged in two rows on either side of the first card slot 103, each row extending in the longitudinal direction X-X. Alternatively, the two rows of conductors 300 may be aligned with each other along the longitudinal direction X-X. Alternatively, the two rows of conductors 300 may be staggered in the longitudinal direction X-X to increase the spacing between the conductors 300 to reduce crosstalk.

As shown in fig. 4a, the insulating housing 100 may include a first tower section 120 along the insulating body 110. The insulating body 110 may extend in the longitudinal direction X-X. The first tower portion 120 may be disposed at an end of the insulating body 110. Illustratively, the first tower portion 120 may be provided only on one end of the insulating body 110 in the longitudinal direction X-X. Desirably, the first tower portions 120 may be provided on both opposite ends of the insulating body 110 in the longitudinal direction X-X. The first tower section 120 may protrude from the interface 101 in the vertical direction Z-Z. The first clamping groove 103 may extend from the insulator body 110 into the first tower portion 120. And a plurality of conductors 300 may be held on the insulator body 110. The first card slot 103 may be provided therein with a reinforcing rib 104. The reinforcing rib 104 may connect a pair of sidewalls of the first card slot 103 opposite in the transverse direction Y-Y, thereby securing mechanical strength of the insulating body 110. Alternatively, the reinforcing rib 104 may not be located at the center of the first card slot 103 along the longitudinal direction X-X, thereby functioning as a fool-proof function when the electronic card 20 is inserted.

As shown in fig. 1-4 a, the electrical connector 10 may further comprise a second tower section 200. The second tower section 200 may be made of the same material or a different material than the first tower section 120. The second tower section 200 may have a columnar structure extending in the vertical direction Z-Z. The outer dimensions of the second tower section 200 may be adapted to the outer dimensions of the insulating housing 100. The width of the second tower portion 200 may be equal to the width of the insulating body 110 and/or the first tower portion 120 along the transverse direction Y-Y. Along the longitudinal direction X-X, the length of the second tower section 200 may be equal to the length of the first tower section 120. The second tower section 200 may have a connecting end 220 and a latching end 210. The connecting end 220 and the latching end 210 may be disposed opposite in the vertical direction Z-Z. For the arrangement of the electrical connector 10 in fig. 1-4, the connecting end 220 may be the lower end of the second tower section 200 and the latching end 210 may be the upper end of the second tower section 200. The connection end 220 may be joined to the first tower section 120. The connection end 220 and the first tower section 120 may be coupled in a variety of ways, which are not limited. A second clamping groove 202 extending in the vertical direction Z-Z may be provided in the second tower section 200. The second card slot 202 may be aligned with the end of the first card slot 103 and the second card slot 202 may be inserted into a side edge of the electronic card 20. The second detents 202 on a pair of second tower sections 200 may be opposite each other. A pair of second card slots 202 together with the first card slot 103 form a card slot of the electrical connector 10.

As shown in fig. 1-4 a-4b, the electrical connector 10 may further include a latch 400. The latch 400 may be used to lock and unlock the electronic card 20 connected to the insulated housing 100 and the second tower section 200. The latch 400 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic using a molding process. The catch 400 may be provided at the catch end 210 of the second tower section 200. The latch 400 may be movably disposed at the latch end 210 between a latched position and an unlatched position. The latch 400 may be movably disposed at the latch end 210 by, for example, being pivotable, translatable, etc. In some alternative embodiments, the latch 400 may be pivotally connected to the latch end 210 between a latched position and an unlatched position. In an embodiment to be described later, the latch 400 may also be connected to other components such as the push rod 500. Regardless of the component to which the latch 400 is connected, the latch 400 is located at the location of the latch end 210. Thereby, the distance of the latch 400 to the insulating housing 100 can be increased so that the latch 400 can be latched to a higher position on the electronic card 20. Accordingly, the notch 22 on the taller electronic card 20 (e.g., a high DDR5 card) may be positioned higher such that the latch 400, the dielectric housing 100, and the second tower section 200 may secure a majority of the edges of the electronic card 20. Illustratively, the latch 400 may be located above the center of gravity of the electronic card 20. Thereby, the connection between the electronic card 20 and the electrical connector 10 can be secured with reliability and firmness.

As shown in fig. 1, the latch 400 can be pivoted between the locked position and the unlocked position by operating the operating portion 410 of the latch 400. The latch 400 is in the locked position and the cross rib 420 of the latch 400 can extend into the notch 22 on the side of the electronic card 20 and thereby can be snapped into engagement with the edge of the notch 22 so that the latch 400 can lock the electronic card 20 to the insulated housing 100 and the second tower section 200. In fig. 2, the latch 400 is shown in the unlatched position, the latch 400 pivoted outwardly and the transverse rib 420 is withdrawn from the notch 22 to allow the electronic card 20 to be removed from the dielectric housing 100 and the second tower section 200. Optionally, to facilitate handling of the latch 400, the handling portion 410 may be provided with anti-slip structures for increasing friction, such as one or more of grooves and ridges. The anti-slip feature facilitates a user to operate the latch 400 between a locked position and an unlocked position, and in particular to pivot from the locked position to the unlocked position.

In the electrical connector 10 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, by engaging the second tower section 200 on the first tower section 120 of the insulating housing 100, it is possible to increase the total height of the tower section formed by the first tower section 120 and the second tower section 200 together. The second tower section 200 and the insulating housing 100 may be separately machined components. The insulating housing 100 may still be fabricated using conventional processes and conventional materials. The insulating housing 100 serves to hold the plurality of conductors 300 thereon and to ensure electrical insulation between the plurality of conductors 300 from each other, and thus the insulating housing 100 is typically fabricated using an insulating material and through a molding process. While the insulation requirements for the second tower section 200 are not high, and the structure of the second tower section 200 is relatively simple, so that more choices in materials and processing are possible. Illustratively, the second tower section 200 may be selected from a stronger material, such as metal, ceramic, or the like. Thus, while the overall height of the tower portion of the electrical connector 10 is significantly increased by the second tower portion 200, enabling it to be adapted to a taller electronic card, the electrical connector 10 may still have sufficient mechanical strength. Thereby, the stability of the connection between the electronic card 20 and the electrical connector 10 can be ensured. In addition, the position of the latch 400 may be higher after the overall height of the tower is increased by the second tower section 200, whereby half or more of the edges of the electronic card 20 may be secured to the electrical connector 10. Desirably, by reasonably selecting the length of the second tower section 200, the center of gravity of the electronic card 20 may be located within the area enclosed by the insulating housing 100 and the second tower section 200, thereby further enhancing the stability of the connection between the electronic card 20 and the electrical connector 10.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 4a, the connecting end 220 of the second tower section 200 at least partially encases three sides of the first tower section 120. For example, as shown in fig. 5a and 5b, the first tower section 120 may include an end surface 121, a first side surface 122, a second side surface 123, a third side surface 124, and a fourth side surface 125. The end surface 121 may be opposite the second tower section 200 in a vertical direction Z-Z. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the end surface 121 may be located at the top of the first tower section 120. The first side surface 122 and the second side surface 123 may be opposite to each other in the lateral direction Y-Y. The third side surface 124 and the fourth side surface 125 may be opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction X-X. The third side surface 124 faces the outside of the insulating housing 100 with both the first side surface 122 and the second side surface 123, and thus they may also be referred to as outer sides. The fourth side surface 125 faces the inside of the insulating housing 100, and the clamping groove 103 may extend from the insulating body 110 into the first tower section 120 via the fourth side surface 125.

The first tower section 120 and the second tower section 200 are disposed in sequence along a vertical direction Z-Z. The connecting end 220 of the second tower section 200 may encase at least a portion of the end surface 121. In addition to the end surface 121, three sides of the first tower section 120 that are at least partially enclosed by the connecting end 220 may include two of a first side surface 122, a second side surface 123, a third side surface 124, and a fourth side surface 125. Of course, it is understood that the connecting end 220 of the second tower section 200 may also at least partially encase three or four of the first side surface 122, the second side surface 123, the third side surface 124, and the fourth side surface 125. Since the end of the clamping groove 103 is to pass through the fourth side surface 125, the connecting end 220 of the second tower section 200 may at least partially encase the first side surface 122, the second side surface 123 and the third side surface 124. Illustratively, the connecting end 220 of the second tower section 200 may be provided with an engagement cavity 240, as shown in fig. 6a and 6b, into which engagement cavity 240 the first tower section 120 may be inserted.

Illustratively, the connecting end 220 of the second tower section 200 may encase the end surface 121 and at least partially encase the first side surface 122 and the second side surface 123. Typically, the electronic card 20 has a generally laminar structure having a dimension in the longitudinal direction X-X that is substantially greater than a dimension in the transverse direction Y-Y. When subjected to an impact force in the lateral direction Y-Y, the electronic card 20 may shake greatly in the lateral direction Y-Y. The electrical connector 10 is small in size in the lateral direction Y-Y, which is about 6.5mm for a standard DDR5 electrical connector, so that rattling of the electronic card 20 in the lateral direction Y-Y is particularly likely to damage the insulating housing 100. In this case, the second tower section 200 at least partially encases both side surfaces of the first tower section 120 in the transverse direction Y-Y, and thus impact resistance of the first tower section 120 in the transverse direction Y-Y can be improved. As described above, the end portions of the card slot 103 extend into the first tower section 120, and the second tower section 200 can resist the lateral impact force acting on the electronic card 20 on the opposite sides of the card slot 103 in the lateral direction Y-Y, and thus can improve the impact resistance of the insulating housing 100 in the lateral direction Y-Y.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 7a and 7b, the second tower section 200 may be comparable in size to the first tower section 120 in the longitudinal direction X-X. Two sides of the second tower section 200, which are opposite in the longitudinal direction X-X, may be coplanar with the third side surface 124 and the fourth side surface 125, respectively, of the first tower section 120. In this way, the first tower section 120 may have a sufficiently large dimension along the longitudinal direction X-X, for example, to conform to industry standards such as JEDEC standards. In this way, it is ensured that the first tower section 120 has a sufficiently large mechanical strength. As will also be mentioned later, the first tower section 120 also needs to have a receiving cavity 180 therein for receiving the resilient member 600, and the second tower section 200 and the first tower section 120 are of uniform longitudinal dimensions, and the first tower section 120 may also have a space large enough to accommodate the receiving cavity 180. In addition, the second tower section 200 and the first tower section 120 have a neat structure in the longitudinal direction X-X, which may make the overall structure of the electrical connector 10 particularly compact. So arranged, the second tower section 200 may act as a reinforcement for the first tower section 120 in the entire longitudinal direction X-X, especially if the connecting end 220 of the second tower section 200 at least partially encases the first side surface 122 and the second side surface 123 of the first tower section 120.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 7a, the second tower section 200 may extend beyond the interface 101 of the insulator body 110 in the vertical direction Z-Z. In the illustrated resting state, the second tower section 200 extends downwardly below the docking surface 101. The more the second tower section 200 extends beyond the interface 101, the better the reinforcement of the first tower section 120 by the second tower section 200. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower end of the second tower section 200 is generally at an intermediate location between the interface 101 and the mounting surface 102. The second tower section 200 does not encase the first and second bosses 140, 150 on the first tower section 120. As will be mentioned later, the first and second bosses 140 and 150 serve to hold the protection member 700, and the first and second bosses 140 and 150 need to exert an upward force on the protection member 700, so the first and second bosses 140 and 150 need to have a sufficiently large vertical dimension. Thus, the second tower section 200 extends only to a location substantially midway between the interface surface 101 and the mounting surface 102. In other embodiments not shown, however, the lower end of the second tower section 200 may extend further downward relative to the illustrated embodiment, or may even extend flush with the mounting surface 102, if the protective member 700 does not need to be provided or by properly modifying the structure of the protective member 700.

For example, as shown in fig. 5 a-5 c, the engagement protrusion 130 may be provided on one or more of three sides of the first tower section 120 at least partially surrounded by the second tower section 200. The engagement protrusion 130 may extend in the vertical direction Z-Z. The cross-section of the engaging protrusion 130 perpendicular to the vertical direction Z-Z may be semicircular, trapezoidal, or any other shape. In the case where the engaging projections 130 are provided on each of the plurality of faces, these engaging projections 130 may have the same or different structures, which are not limited herein. As shown in fig. 6b, the connection end 220 of the second tower section 200 may be provided with engagement grooves 221. The engagement groove 221 may extend in the vertical direction Z-Z. The engagement protrusion 130 may be inserted into the engagement groove 221. The engagement groove 221 may have a shape adapted to the engagement protrusion 130. So configured, the second tower section 200 can be quickly coupled to the first tower section 120 in the vertical direction Z-Z by the engagement protrusion 130 and the engagement groove 221 cooperating with each other, so that the assembly of the electrical connector 10 will be more convenient. The second tower section 200 may be assembled downwardly onto the first tower section 120, and the upper ends of the engagement projections 130 may be provided with chamfers, whereby the upper ends of the engagement projections 130 may act as guides for the second tower section 200 during assembly of the second tower section 200 to the first tower section 120.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 5a, the engagement protrusion 130 may have a dovetail-shaped cross-section perpendicular to the vertical direction Z-Z. With this arrangement, even if only one engagement groove 221 is provided after the engagement protrusion 130 is connected with the engagement groove 221 in place, the engagement protrusion 130 is restrained in the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y, thereby restricting the degree of freedom in movement of the second tower section 200 in the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y with respect to the first tower section 120, and further making the connection of the first tower section 120 and the second tower section 200 more stable.

While in the illustrated embodiment the engagement protrusion 130 is provided on the first tower section 120 and the engagement groove 221 is provided on the second tower section 200, in other embodiments not shown, the positions of the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove may be interchanged, i.e. the engagement protrusion is provided on the second tower section 200 and the engagement groove is provided on the first tower section 120. Alternatively, when a plurality of engagement pairs of engagement projections and engagement grooves are provided, the engagement projections of one of the engagement pairs may be provided on the second tower portion 200, while the engagement projections of the other engagement pair may be provided on the first tower portion 120. As described above, the insulating housing 100 is typically manufactured by an injection molding process, which has a certain requirement for the thickness of the thinnest part, and if the coupling groove is provided in the first tower part 120, it may result in the first tower part 120 being partially thinner, which may not only be the requirement of the manufacturing process but also may result in the mechanical strength of the first tower part 120 being insufficient, and thus, it is preferable to provide the coupling protrusion 130 on the first tower part 120 and the coupling groove 221 on the second tower part 200.

As illustrated in fig. 5a and 5b, the engagement protrusion 130 may include a first engagement protrusion 131 disposed on the first side surface 122 and a second engagement protrusion 132 disposed on the second side surface 123. In this way, the first and second engagement protrusions 131 and 132 may be located at opposite sides of the first card slot 103 in the lateral direction Y-Y, respectively. The first and second engagement protrusions 131 and 132 may be symmetrically disposed at both sides of the first card slot 103. Alternatively, the first and second engagement protrusions 131 and 132 may be staggered a distance along the longitudinal direction X-X. Further, the first and second engaging projections 131 and 132 may have different structures than the one shown in the drawings. Correspondingly, as shown in fig. 6b, the engagement groove 221 on the connection end 220 of the second tower section 200 may comprise a first engagement groove 221a and a second engagement groove 221b. The first and second engagement grooves 221a and 221b may be provided on the engagement cavity sidewalls 240a and 240b of the engagement cavity 240 opposite in the lateral direction Y-Y. The first engagement protrusion 131 may be engaged with the first engagement groove 221 a. The second engagement protrusion 132 may be engaged with the second engagement groove 221b. By providing the first engaging protrusion 131 and the second engaging protrusion 132 on opposite sides of the first tower section 120, respectively, a reliable connection with the connection end 220 of the second tower section 200 in the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y is also possible.

Illustratively, as shown in FIGS. 1-4 a-4b, the electrical connector 10 may further include a protective member 700. The protection member 700 may be made of a strong material such as plastic, ceramic, metal, etc. Preferably, the protection member 700 may be made of a metal material. The strength of the metal material is high, and the material and processing cost is low. Preferably, the protection member 700 may be an integrated sheet metal part. Thus, the strength of the protection member 700 is high, and the processing process is simple and the cost is low. Alternatively, the protective member 700 may be engaged with the connection ends 220 of the first and second tower sections 120, 200 to connect the connection ends 220 of the first and second tower sections 120, 200 together. So arranged, by providing the protective member 700, the first tower section 120 and the second tower section 200 thereof can be further securely connected together. Alternatively, the protection member 700 may connect the first tower portion 120 with the printed circuit board to secure the reliability of the connection between the insulating housing 100 and the printed circuit board. Alternatively, the protection member 700 may connect the connection ends 220 of the first and second tower sections 120 and 200 with the printed circuit board to ensure reliability of connection between the insulating housing 100 and the second tower section 200 and the printed circuit board. Alternatively, the protection member 700 may connect the connection end 220 of the second tower section 200 with the printed circuit board, and since the first tower section 120 is sandwiched between the second tower section 200 and the printed circuit board, it is also possible to reliably connect the insulating housing 100 and the second tower section 200 with the printed circuit board. It can be seen that the protection member 700 may have different connection functions in different embodiments. The protection member 700 may have a different structure according to its different functions.

Regardless of the connection function of the protective member 700, the protective member 700 may at least partially surround three sides of the first tower section 120. Typically, the fourth side surface 125 of the first tower section 120 is connected to the insulator body 110, and referring to fig. 5a, 5b, 8a and 8b in combination, the protective member 700 may at least partially enclose the first side surface 122, the second side surface 123 and the third side surface 124 of the first tower section 120. For the first side surface 122 and the second side surface 123, the protection member 700 may surround the portions of the first side surface 122 and the second side surface 123 not covered by the second tower portion 200, whereby the second tower portion 200 and the protection member 700 together may perform a good reinforcing and protecting function for the first tower portion 120 in the lateral direction Y-Y. In addition, the protection member 700 may at least partially surround the third side surface 124.

As illustrated in fig. 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b, the protection member 700 may include a protection body 710 and a first engagement portion 720 and/or a second engagement portion 730 connected to the protection body 710. Although the protection member 700 includes the first engagement portion 720 and the second engagement portion 730 in the illustrated embodiment, it may include only one of the first engagement portion 720 and the second engagement portion 730, differently depending on the function of the protection member 700. The protective body 710 may be located at the periphery of the connection end 220 of the first and second tower sections 120 and 200. The first joints 720 may be respectively joined to the first tower sections 120 along the longitudinal direction X-X, e.g., inserted into the first tower sections 120. The second joint 730 may be connected to the connection end 220 of the second tower section 200 along the longitudinal direction X-X, for example, inserted into the connection end 220. The first engagement portion 720 may have the same shape or a different shape than the second engagement portion 730, which is not limited herein. The first engagement portion 720 and the second engagement portion 730 may be aligned or offset from each other along the transverse direction Y-Y. The first engagement portion 720 and the second engagement portion 730 may be spaced apart from each other along the vertical direction Z-Z. The first joint 720 and the second joint 730 can be inserted into the connection ends 220 of the first and second tower sections 120 and 200 along the longitudinal direction X-X, i.e., operated in the same direction, so that they can be inserted into the connection ends 220 of the first and second tower sections 120 and 200, respectively, with ease of operation. Typically, on the outer side of the second tower section 200 and the first tower section 120 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X-X (the side not facing the center of the insulating housing 100) is flush, as shown in fig. 7a, the protective body 710 may rest against this outer side of the second tower section 200 and the first tower section 120, so that the structure of the protective body 710 is simpler. Along the transverse direction Y-Y, the first tower section 120 may be narrower than the second tower section 200. The protective body 710 may surround lower portions of the first side surface 122 and the second side surface 123 of the first tower section 120, which are not covered by the second tower section 200, i.e., the protective body 710 may surround the first boss 140 and the second boss 150 shown in fig. 5a and 5b, respectively. Thus, along the transverse direction Y-Y, the space below the second tower section 200 and on both sides of the first tower section 120 may be occupied by the protective body 710. Illustratively, as shown in fig. 10, the outer side surfaces of the protection member 700, which are opposite in the lateral direction Y-Y, are flush with the outer side surfaces of the insulation body 110 and the outer side surface of the second tower portion 200. Thereby, the installation space occupied by the electrical connector 10 on the printed circuit board 40 can be reduced while ensuring the structural strength of the protection member 700 and the first tower portion 120.

For example, referring to fig. 8a, 8b, 9a and 9b in combination, the first engagement portion 720 may include a first tab 721 and a second tab 722. The first tab 721 and the second tab 722 may be spaced along the transverse direction Y-Y. The first tab 721 and the second tab 722 may be perpendicular to the vertical direction Z-Z or may have an angle other than 90 degrees with respect to the vertical direction Z-Z. The heights of the first tab 721 and the second tab 722 in the vertical direction Z-Z may be the same or different, and are not limited herein. Preferably, the first tab 721 and the second tab 722 may have the same structure and be located at the same vertical height for ease of processing and manufacturing. As shown in fig. 5a, a first slit 161 may be provided on the first side surface 122 of the first tower section 120. The first slit 161 may extend along the longitudinal direction X-X. The first slit 161 may penetrate to the third side surface 124 such that the first insertion piece 721 may be inserted into the first slit 161 along the longitudinal direction X-X from the side where the third side surface 124 is located. Alternatively, the first slit 161 may penetrate to the fourth side surface 125, whereby the first tab 721 may have a longitudinal length large enough to secure mechanical strength and reliability of connection with the first tower section 120. As shown in fig. 5b, a second slit 162 may be provided on the second side surface 123 of the first tower section 120. The second slit 162 may extend along the longitudinal direction X-X. The second slit 162 may penetrate to the third side surface 124 such that the second tab 722 may be inserted into the second slit 162 along the longitudinal direction X-X from the side of the third side surface 124. Alternatively, the second slit 162 may penetrate to the fourth side surface 125, whereby the second tab 722 may have a longitudinal length large enough to ensure mechanical strength and reliability of connection with the first tower section 120. The first tab 721 and the second tab 722 are respectively coupled to the first tower section 120 at both sides, so that the coupling of the first tower section 120 to the protection member 700 is relatively stable; moreover, the first tab 721 and the second tab 722 may also help to improve the impact resistance of the first tower section 120 in the transverse direction Y-Y.

Illustratively, in the case where the first engaging protrusion 131 is provided on the first side surface 122 of the first tower section 120 and the second engaging protrusion 132 is provided on the second side surface 123 of the first tower section 120, as shown in fig. 5a and 5b, the first boss 140 may also be provided on the first side surface 122 and the second boss 150 may also be provided on the second side surface 123. The first boss 140 and the second boss 150 may be located below the second tower section 200. The first and second engagement protrusions 131 and 132 are covered by the second tower section 200. The first and second bosses 140 and 150 may make the lateral width of the lower portion of the first tower section 120 greater than the lateral width of the upper portion thereof, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the first tower section 120. The first boss 140 may be spaced apart from the first engagement protrusion 131 to form a first slit 161. The second boss 150 may be spaced apart from the second engagement protrusion 132 to form a second slit 162. The first boss 140 and the second boss 150 may have the same structure, or different structures, which are not limited herein. The second tower section 200 extends in a vertical direction Z-Z all the way above the first and second slots 161, 162, as shown in fig. 7a, and thus it can also be considered that the first and second slots 161, 162 are collectively defined by the first and second tower sections 120, 200. And the first boss 140 and the second boss 150 may be located outside the second tower section 200. When the first insertion piece 721 is inserted into the first slit 161 formed by the first boss 140 and the first engagement protrusion 131, the first insertion piece 721 is positioned between the first engagement protrusion 131 and the first boss 140 in the vertical direction Z-Z, so that the first boss 140 and the first engagement protrusion 131 can block the first insertion piece 721 from moving in the vertical direction Z-Z. Similarly, the second boss 150 and the second engagement protrusion 132 may block the second tab 722 from moving in the vertical direction Z-Z. After the engagement of the second tower section 200 with the first tower section 120, the second tower section 200 can also act as a stopper for the protective member 700 in addition to the first engaging protrusion 131 and the second engaging protrusion 132. In this way, even if a certain component has a large machining tolerance, a tight connection between the protection member 700 and the first tower section 120 can be ensured.

As illustrated in fig. 5a, 5c, 7a and 8b, the first boss 140 may include two first sub-bosses 140a and 140b spaced apart in the longitudinal direction X-X. As shown in fig. 5c, the first gap between the two first sub-bosses 140a and 140b may be aligned with the first engagement protrusion 131. The width T1 of the first gap may be greater than or equal to the longitudinal dimension T2 of the first engagement protrusion 131. So arranged, the first engaging protrusion 131 can be formed easily by opening a mold when the first tower section 120 is manufactured by an injection molding process. Similarly, as shown in fig. 5b, the second boss 150 may include two second sub-bosses 150a and 150b spaced apart in the longitudinal direction X-X, and a second gap between the two second sub-bosses 150a and 150b may be aligned with the second engagement protrusion 132. The width of the second gap may be greater than or equal to the longitudinal dimension of the second engagement protrusion 132. So configured, when the first tower section 120 is manufactured using an injection molding process, the second engaging protrusion 132 can be formed by facilitating the mold opening.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 9a and 9b, the protective body 710 may include an end plate 711, a first side plate 712, and a second side plate 713. The end plate 711, the first side plate 712, and the second side plate 713 may be joined by welding, bonding, or the like, or may be integrally formed. The first side plate 712 and the second side plate 713 may extend in the longitudinal direction X-X from opposite sides of the end plate 711 in the transverse direction Y-Y, respectively. The protective body 710 may be generally U-shaped, as viewed along the vertical direction Z-Z. The first tower section 120 may be sandwiched between a first side plate 712 and a second side plate 713, as shown in FIG. 8 a. The protective body 710 may surround the first tower section 120 from three sides, thereby reinforcing the first tower section 120. Illustratively, the first joint 720 may be disposed on the first side plate 712 and/or the second side plate 713. In the case where the first joint portion 720 includes the first tab 721 and the second tab 722, the first tab 721 and the second tab 722 may be provided on the first side plate 712 and the second side plate 713, respectively. The first tab 721 and the second tab 722 may be bent toward each other from upper edges of the first side plate 712 and the second side plate 713, respectively. The second engagement portion 730 may be provided on the end plate 711. The vertical height of the end plate 711 may be greater than the vertical heights of the first side plate 712 and the second side plate 713. The second joint 730 may be spaced apart from the first and second side plates 712 and 713 along the vertical direction Z-Z. The protective body 710 may serve as a carrier for the first tab 721, the second tab 722, and the second joint 730. Typically, the protection member 700 may be a sheet metal member.

For example, the first side plate 712 may surround a portion of the first side surface 122 of the first tower section 120 between the first slit 161 and the abutment surface 101 (i.e., a portion not inserted into the second tower section 200), as shown in fig. 10. So configured, the first side plate 712 and the second tower section 200 together completely enclose the first side surface 122, thereby providing good reinforcement of the mechanical strength of the first tower section 120. Illustratively, the second side plate 713 may enclose a portion of the second side surface 123 of the first tower section 120 between the second slit 162 and the interface 101 (i.e., a portion not inserted into the second tower section 200). So arranged, the second side plate 713 and the second tower section 200 together fully enclose the second side surface 123, whereby a good reinforcement of the mechanical strength of the first tower section 120 can be achieved.

As illustrated in fig. 9a and 9b, the second engagement portion 730 may include first and second jaws 731 and 732 spaced apart along the transverse direction Y-Y, for example. The first and second claws 731 and 732 may have the same or different structures. The first and second claws 731 and 732 may extend from the protective body 710 generally along the longitudinal direction X-X. The first and second jaws 731 and 732 may be located at the same height along the vertical direction Z-Z, or at different heights. As shown in fig. 6a and 6b, the second tower section 200 may have an outer side 230 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X-X. A first jaw groove 231 and a second jaw groove 232 may be provided at the connection end 220 and on the outer side 230. The first and second jaws 731 and 732 may be inserted into the first and second jaw grooves 231 and 232, respectively, along the longitudinal direction X-X. The first and second claws 731 and 732 may be located at both sides of the first tower section 120 in the lateral direction Y-Y, respectively. In the foregoing embodiment, the first and second engagement grooves 221a and 221b, which are engaged with the first and second engagement protrusions 131 and 132, respectively, on the first tower section 120 may be provided on the engagement chamber side walls 240a and 240b of the engagement chamber 240 opposite in the lateral direction Y-Y, whereby the engagement chamber side walls 240a and 240b have a lateral width large enough to provide the first and second jaw grooves 231 and 232, respectively. Along the longitudinal direction X-X, the first jaw groove 231 is disposed at a distance from the first engagement groove 221a, and the second jaw groove 232 is disposed at a distance from the second jaw groove 232. The joint chamber sidewalls 240a and 240b may be spaced apart along the transverse direction Y-Y to form a joint chamber 240 extending through the second tower section 200 along the longitudinal direction X-X. The first and second claws 731 and 732 may be located at both sides of the first tower section 120 in the lateral direction Y-Y, respectively, whereby the first and second claws 731 and 732 may exert a reinforcing effect on the first tower section 120 at both sides of the first tower section 120. In addition, the lateral dimensions of the engagement cavity side walls 240a and 240b are smaller than the other portions of the second tower section 200, and the first and second claws 731 and 732 are inserted into the engagement cavity side walls 240a and 240b, respectively, and may also strengthen the engagement cavity side walls 240a and 240 b.

Illustratively, the first pawl 731 and the first pawl slot 231 can be engaged by an interference fit. The interference fit may make the connection of the first jaw 731 and the first jaw groove 231 more stable. Illustratively, the second pawl 732 and the second pawl slot 232 can be connected by an interference fit. The interference fit may make the connection of the first jaw 731 and the first jaw groove 231 more stable. Typically, the second tower section 200 and the protective members 700 are joined to both longitudinal ends of the insulating housing 100, and a pair of protective members 700 may be disposed opposite each other so as to hold the insulating housing 100 therebetween. While the connection between the second tower section 200 and the first tower section 120 along the longitudinal direction X-X mainly depends on the engaging protrusions 130 and the engaging grooves 221, the first tower section 120 is easily worn after long-term use, and thus the second tower section 200 and the first tower section 120 may be loose in the longitudinal direction X-X. The interference fit between the first jaw 731 and the first jaw groove 231, and/or the interference fit between the second jaw 732 and the second jaw groove 232 may allow the protection member 700 to be coupled with the second tower section 200 in all directions including the longitudinal direction X-X, thereby reducing wear of the first tower section 120 after long-term use.

As illustrated in fig. 9a, 9b and 10, the protection member 700 may further include a circuit board connection portion 740. The circuit board connection 740 may be configured for mechanical connection with the printed circuit board 40 (see fig. 1-3). In some alternative embodiments, the circuit board connection 740 may be one or more fixed feet, for example, four fixed feet. As shown in fig. 9b and 10, the first and second fixing legs 741 and 742 may be positioned on the first side plate 712, and the third and fourth fixing legs 743 and 744 may be positioned on the second side plate 713. The printed circuit board 40 may be provided with fixing holes 42 in one-to-one correspondence with the fixing pins. These fixing pins can be plugged into corresponding fixing holes 42 in the printed circuit board 40. The fixing feet may then be firmly fixed to the printed circuit board 40 by a soldering process. Alternatively, the circuit board connection portion 740 may have other connection structures, for example, the circuit board connection portion 740 may be inserted into the corresponding fixing hole 42 by interference fit, which is not limited herein. The circuit board connection part 740 may be disposed at both ends of the first and second side plates 712 and 713 opposite to the first engagement part 720 along the vertical direction Z-Z. In the case where the first engagement portion 720 includes the first tab 721 and the second tab 722, the first boss 140 and the second boss 150 may be sandwiched between the first tab 721 and the printed circuit board 40 and between the second tab 722 and the printed circuit board 40, respectively. In other embodiments, not shown, the circuit board connection 740 may also be connected to the end plate 711.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3 and 10, the electrical connector 10 may further include a plate lock 50. One end of the board lock 50 may be attached to the printed circuit board 40, for example, by being inserted into a board lock hole 43 on the printed circuit board 40. The other end of the plate lock 50 may be connected to the first tower section 120, for example, by being inserted into a plate lock slot 170 (shown in fig. 11b and 10) on the first tower section 120. The board lock 50 may also be soldered to the printed circuit board 40. The board lock 50 may be perpendicular to the circuit board connection portion 740, for example, the circuit board connection portion 740 may be disposed along the longitudinal direction X-X and the board lock 50 may be disposed along the transverse direction Y-Y, which may improve the connection reliability of the electrical connector 10 to the printed circuit board 40.

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a novel latch assembly is provided for an electrical connector that additionally adds a second tower section 200 to the end of the insulated housing 100. The electrical connector 10 in the disclosed embodiments has a taller tower section formed by the first and second tower sections 120, 200, as compared to standard electrical connectors suitable for standard electronic cards, so that there may be sufficient space on the tower section to install the new latch assembly. Referring to fig. 3, 11a, 11b, and 14 in combination, the latch assembly may include a latch 400 and a push rod 500. The push rod 500 has oppositely disposed first and second ends 510, 520. The shackle 400 is pivotally connected to a first end 510 of the push rod 500 between a locked position and an unlocked position. The second end 520 of the push rod 500 is bent toward the inside of the card slot 103. The push rod 500 is movably provided on the tower in the vertical direction Z-Z. The catch 400 is configured to enable the push rod 500 to move in the vertical direction Z-Z when pivoted between the locked and unlocked positions. The second end 520 of the push rod 500 is below the catch 103 when the catch 400 is in the locked position, as shown in fig. 11 a. The second end 520 of the push rod 500 is positioned within the catch 103 when the catch 400 is in the unlocked position, as shown in fig. 11 b.

As illustrated in fig. 11a, 11b and 14, the latch 400 may have a first abutment surface 401 and a second abutment surface 402. The first abutment surface 401 may abut against the latch end 210 of the second tower section 200 when the latch 400 is in the latched position. The second abutment surface 402 may abut the latch end 210 of the second tower section 200 when the latch 400 is in the unlatched position. In the illustrated embodiment, the first abutment surface 401 and the second abutment surface 402 are both planar. However, in other embodiments not shown, the first abutment surface 401 and the second abutment surface 402 may be curved, as long as they can abut against the latch end 210 and remain unchanged in position when subjected to no external force. As shown in fig. 6a, 11a and 11b, a channel 201 extending in the vertical direction Z-Z may be provided in the second tower section 200. The channels 201 may have the same cross section at different heights or different cross sections. The cross-section of the channel 201 may be rectangular, circular, or other shape. The push rod 500 may be disposed through the channel 201. The catch 400 may be pivotally connected to the first end 510 of the push rod 500 about a pivot axis P. In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 13, the latch 400 may have a first pivot hole 404. As shown in fig. 14, the pushrod 500 may have a second pivot hole 550 on the first end 510. The pin 430 may pass through the first pivot hole 404 and the second pivot hole 550 such that the shackle 400 may be coupled to the first end 510 of the push rod 500 about a pivot axis P defined by the pin 430. In other embodiments not shown, the catch 400 may also be pivotally connected to the first end 510 of the push rod 500 in other ways.

As shown in fig. 11b and 12, the first distance L1 of the pivot axis P to the first abutment surface 401 may be smaller than the second distance L2 of the pivot axis P to the second abutment surface 402. For convenience of description, the difference of L2-L1 is denoted as d, i.e., l2=l1+d. That is, the distance L1 of the pivot axis P to the upper end surface of the second tower section 200 when the latch 400 is in the latched position is smaller than the distance L2 of the pivot axis to the upper end surface of the second tower section 200 when the latch 400 is in the unlatched position. As shown in fig. 12, the pivot axis is located at the P1 position when the latch 400 is in the locked position (as shown by solid lines), and the pivot axis is located at the P2 position when the latch 400 is in the unlocked position (as shown by broken lines). The distance between P1 and P2 is d, so that when the latch 400 moves between the locked and unlocked positions, the push rod 500 is driven to move along the vertical direction Z-Z by the distance d. In this embodiment, the latch 400 adopts a cam structure, and in other embodiments not shown, the latch 400 may have other structures, as long as the push rod 500 can be driven to move along the vertical direction Z-Z during the pivoting process. The distance the push rod 500 can move can be changed by adjusting the magnitudes of the first distance L1 and the second distance L2.

As shown in fig. 11a, 11b, 12 and 14, the push rod 500 is generally L-shaped. An arcuate connecting surface 540 may be provided on the outside of the bend. The plate lock 50 may be located below the arcuate connecting surface 540. The push rod 500 may be made of a material having high mechanical strength, such as metal. As shown in fig. 11a, the second end 520 of the push rod 500 may be below the first detent 103 when the latch 400 is in the latched position. At this time, the second end 520 does not interfere with the electronic card 20. Illustratively, the second end 520 of the pushrod 500 may have a seating surface 521 facing the abutment surface 101. As shown in fig. 11a, the seating surface 521 may be flush with the bottom surface of the first card slot 103 when the latch 400 is in the latched position. Typically, the electronic card 20 may be supported on the bottom surface of the first card slot 103 when the latch 400 is in the latched position. The seating surface 521 is flush with the bottom surface of the first card slot 103 when the latch 400 is in the latched position, such that the seating surface 521 can also provide support for the electronic card 20. Since the mechanical strength of the push rod 500 is high, the force of the electronic card 20 acting on the insulating housing 100 can be shared, and the insulating housing 100 can be protected. And the side portion of the electronic card 20 can be firmly clamped therebetween by the cooperation between the upper latch 400 and the lower second end 520, thereby ensuring the firmness of the locked electronic card 20. And can also make the structure of the electrical connector 10 more compact. Of course, in other embodiments not shown, the seating surface 521 may be located at any position below the bottom surface of the first card slot 103 when the latch 400 is in the latched position, so long as the second end 520 of the push rod 500 does not protrude beyond the mounting surface 102 of the insulating housing 100.

As shown in fig. 11b, with the latch 400 in the unlocked position, the second end 520 of the push rod 500 moves upward into the first card slot 103. When the electronic card 20 needs to be mounted, the electronic card 20 may be inserted downward into the first card slot 103, and under the action of the downward insertion force, the lower end of the electronic card 20 may press against the second end 520 of the push rod 500 located in the first card slot 103, so as to urge the push rod 500 to have a downward movement tendency, and force the lock catch 400 to pivot about the pivot axis P thereof to the locking position. Until the electronic card 20 is inserted into place in the first card slot 103, the second end 520 of the push rod 500 is pushed under the first card slot 103. At this time, the latch 400 is pivoted to the first abutment surface 401 abutting against the latch end 210 of the second tower section 200, and the latch 400 can be held in the locked position.

When it is desired to remove the electronic card 20, the user may pivot the latch 400 such that the latch 400 pivots about the pivot axis P. During pivoting, the latch 400 is gradually pivoted by the first abutment surface 401 against the latch end 210 of the second tower section 200 to the second abutment surface 402 against the latch end 210 of the second tower section 200. Because the distance L1 from the pivot axis P to the first abutment surface 401 is smaller than the distance L2 from the second abutment surface 402, the distance between the latch end 210 and the pivot axis changes during the unlocking process, and the distance from the pivot axis P to the latch end 210 increases from L1 to L2, i.e., the pivot axis reaches the P2 position after rising from the P1 position by the distance d, as shown in fig. 12. Thus, the push rod 500 also moves up along with the pivot axis by a distance d. Thus, the pusher 500 can lift the electronic card 20 upward by the distance d. At this time, the user can conveniently take out the electronic card 20 after the up-shift.

For the purpose that pivoting of the latch 400 to the locked position may rely on the insertion force of the electronic card 20, the latch 400 may be held in the unlocked position with a lower stability than the locked position, for example. After all, the latch 400 is in the unlatched position for a short period of time and is in the rest position. Specifically, as shown in fig. 12, the first abutment surface 401 may have a first dimension W1 in the longitudinal direction X-X when the latch 400 is in the latched position. The second abutment surface 402 may have a second dimension W2 in the longitudinal direction X-X when the latch 400 is in the unlatched position. The first dimension W1 may be set to be greater than the second dimension W2. So configured, the latch 400 need only pivot a small angle from the unlatched position so that the second abutment surface 402 no longer abuts the upper end surface of the second tower portion 200 so that downward insertion force applied by the user to the electronic card 20 pivots the latch 400 toward the latched position. Moreover, when the lock catch 400 is in the locking position, the lock catch 400 has a larger contact area with the upper end surface of the second tower portion 200, and the lock catch 400 can be reliably kept in the locking position, so that the lock catch 400 can be unlocked by means of user operation.

As previously described, the second tower section 200 is provided with a second clamping groove 202, as shown in fig. 3 and 6 a. Illustratively, the first dimension W1 of the first abutment surface 401 (as shown in fig. 11 a) may be greater than or equal to half the distance W3 (as shown in fig. 6 a) of the second clamping groove 202 to the outer side 230 of the second tower section 200 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X-X. Thus, along the longitudinal direction X-X, the first abutment surface 401 may abut against a substantial portion of the top surface of the second tower section 200 when the latch 400 is in the latched position, thereby ensuring the stability of the latch 400 in the latched position. Along the longitudinal direction X-X, the first abutment surface 401 may not extend into the second card slot 202, so as to avoid interference with the electronic card 20. Alternatively, the first abutment surface 401 may be flush with the bottom surface of the second card slot 202 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X-X.

As shown in fig. 11a, 11b and 13, the first abutment surface 401 and the second abutment surface 402 may be connected by a circular arc transition surface 403. So arranged, the first abutment surface 401 can be smoothly transitioned to the second abutment surface 402. The shackle 400 may be pivoted very smoothly to the locked position after being disengaged from the unlocked position. Illustratively, the first abutment surface 401 and the second abutment surface 402 may be perpendicular to each other. By the arrangement, the lock catch 400 can be rotated by 90 degrees to realize the switching between the locking position and the unlocking position of the lock catch 400, the effective pivoting travel is less, and the switching time is shortened.

For example, as shown in fig. 11a, 11b and 13, a latch cavity 405 may be provided within the latch 400. The latch cavity 405 may extend from the first abutment surface 401 to the second abutment surface 402 through the arcuate transition surface 403. The first end 510 of the push rod 500 may extend into the latch cavity 405. The lock cavity 405 may have a pair of first lock cavity sidewalls 405a spaced apart in the transverse direction Y-Y, and second and third lock cavity sidewalls 405b and 405c connected between the pair of first lock cavity sidewalls 405a, as shown in fig. 13. In the illustrated embodiment, the second latch chamber side wall 405b and the third latch chamber side wall 405c may be perpendicular to each other. When the latch 400 is in the latched position, the first end 510 of the push rod 500 may abut the second latch cavity side wall 405b of the latch cavity 405, as shown in fig. 11 a. So configured, the first end 510 of the push rod 500 may be hidden within the latch cavity 405, resulting in a more compact structure. Moreover, the second latch cavity side wall 405b may provide a limiting effect on the first end 510 of the push rod 500, so that the latch 400 may be kept in the locked position after being pivoted to the locked position, so as to avoid excessive pivoting of the latch 400 under the action of an external force inserted into the electronic card 20.

Illustratively, as shown in fig. 11a and 11b, the electrical connector 10 may further include an elastic member 600. The elastic member 600 may be an elastic body formed of an elastic material such as rubber or the like, or various springs or the like. The elastic member 600 may be connected between the push rod 500 and the first tower section 120, or between the push rod 500 and the second tower section 200. The resilient member 600 may have a first amount of deformation when the latch 400 is in the latched position. The resilient member 600 may have a second amount of deformation when the latch 400 is in the unlocked position. The second deformation is greater than the first deformation. The first deformation may be zero or any value greater than zero. The first deformation amount and the second deformation amount may be stretching amounts or compression amounts. When the lock catch 400 is in the unlocked position, the elastic member 600 stores more elastic potential energy. The elastic member 600 may continuously store elastic potential energy when the user operates the latch 400 to pivot to the unlocking position. When the electronic card 20 is inserted into the electrical connector 10, the elastic body 600 can apply a downward force to the push rod 500 in addition to an insertion force applied to the electronic card 20 by a user, so that the user can insert the electronic card 20 more effort-saving. In addition, the shackle 400 can be stably held in the locked position. And the resilient member 600 may also hold the push rod 500 and the latch 400 in the current position when the electrical connector 10 is not in use, avoiding their random tampering.

For example, as shown in fig. 11a, 11b and 14, a flange 530 may be provided on the middle section of the push rod 500. The elastic member 600 may be sleeved on the push rod 500 and clamped between the flange 530 and the second tower section 200. The second tower section 200 and the insulating housing 100 are manufactured as separate members, respectively, independent of each other, and the elastic member 600 can be easily installed. In this embodiment, the resilient member 600 may be in a natural state or a less compressed state when the latch 400 is in the latched position. The resilient member 600 may be further compressed when the latch 400 is in the unlatched position. Alternatively, in other embodiments not shown, the resilient member 600 may also be provided between the flange 530 and the first tower section 120, for example below the flange 530. In this case, the elastic member 600 may be in a natural state or a less stretched state when the latch 400 is in the locked position. The elastic member 600 may be further stretched when the latch 400 is in the unlocked position.

For example, as shown in fig. 5a, 5b, 7b, 11a and 11b, a receiving cavity 180 may be provided within the first tower section 120. The elastic member 600 may be located within the receiving chamber 180. The receiving cavity 180 may be recessed downward from an upper end surface of the first tower section 120. In view of the relatively limited space on the first tower section 120, the receiving cavity 180 and the first clamping groove 103 may communicate with each other along the transverse direction X-X. This allows for easier mold opening and ease of installation of the second end 520 of the push rod 500. The receiving cavity 180 may be aligned with the channel 201 in the second tower section 200. The cross-sectional area of the receiving cavity 180 perpendicular to the vertical direction Z-Z may be greater than the cross-sectional area of the channel 201 in that direction. The cross-sectional area of the receiving cavity 180 may be adapted to the cross-sectional area of the elastic member 600. The receiving cavity 180 may also be used to receive a wider flange 530 of the push rod 500. The upper end of the elastic member 600 may abut against the lower end surface of the second tower section 200. Illustratively, the cross-section of the channel 201 may be adapted to the cross-section of the push rod 500. Whereby the channel 201 may guide the movement of the push rod 500 in the vertical direction Z-Z. In addition, the push rod 500 may be made of a material having a higher strength than the second tower section 200, in which case the push rod 500 may also strengthen the mechanical strength of the second tower section 200.

By proper arrangement, the various latch assemblies mentioned above may also be applied to embodiments in which the insulating housing 100 and the second tower section 200 are one piece, which may be referred to as a connector body, including the insulating housing 100 and the second tower section 200. The connector body may have a plurality of conductors 300 and a card slot disposed thereon, which may include a first card slot 103 and a second card slot 202.

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 present disclosure, and 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 provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended to limit the disclosure to the embodiments described.

While many inventive aspects are described above with reference to vertical connectors, it should be understood that aspects of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. As such, any one of the inventive features, either alone or in combination with one or more other inventive features, may also be used with other types of electrical connectors, such as right angle connectors, coplanar connectors, and the like. The electrical connector provided by the present disclosure may be used as a backplane connector, a daughter card connector, a stacked connector (stacking connector), a mezzanine connector (mezzanine connector), an I/O connector, a chip socket, a Gen Z connector, and the like.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the azimuth or positional relationships indicated by the azimuth terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "transverse", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", etc., are generally based on the azimuth or positional relationships shown in the drawings, merely to facilitate description of the present disclosure and simplify the description, and these azimuth terms do not indicate and imply that the apparatus or elements referred to must have a specific azimuth or be configured and operated in a specific azimuth, and thus should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure; the orientation terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer relative to the outline of the components themselves.

Spatially relative terms, such as "above … …," "above … …," "upper surface at … …," "above," and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one or more components or features' spatial positional relationships to other components or features as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass not only the orientation of the elements in the figures but also different orientations in use or operation. For example, if the element in the figures is turned over entirely, elements "over" or "on" other elements or features would then be included in cases where the element is "under" or "beneath" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "above … …" may include both orientations of "above … …" and "below … …". Moreover, these components or features may also be positioned at other different angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and all such cases 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 exemplary embodiments according to the present application. As used herein, the singular is also intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and furthermore, it is to be understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" when used in this specification are taken to specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, components, assemblies, and/or combinations thereof.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and the claims of the present application and the above figures are used for distinguishing between similar objects and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the data so used may be interchanged where appropriate such that embodiments of the application described herein may be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

the insulation shell comprises an insulation body extending along the longitudinal direction and a first tower part arranged at the end part of the insulation body, wherein the insulation body is provided with a butt joint surface, the butt joint surface is provided with a clamping groove recessed along the vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the first tower part protrudes out of the butt joint surface along the vertical direction;

A second tower section having a connecting end and a latch end opposite in the vertical direction, the connecting end being joined to the first tower section; and

a latch is movably disposed at the latch end of the second tower section between a latched position and an unlatched position.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the connection end of the second tower section at least partially encases three sides of the first tower section.

3. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the first tower section includes an end surface opposite the second tower section in the vertical direction, and first and second side surfaces opposite each other in a lateral direction, the lateral direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction, the connecting end of the second tower section encasing the end surface and at least partially encasing the first and second side surfaces.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein,

along the longitudinal direction, the second tower section has a size comparable to the size of the first tower section; and/or

In the vertical direction, the second tower portion extends beyond the interface surface of the insulator body.

5. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein one or more of three sides of the first tower section at least partially surrounded by the second tower section are provided with engagement projections extending in the vertical direction, and the connection end of the second tower section is provided with engagement grooves extending in the vertical direction, the engagement projections being inserted into the engagement grooves.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein the engagement protrusion has a dovetail shape in cross section perpendicular to the vertical direction.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising a protective member engaged with the connection ends of the first and second tower sections to connect the first and second tower sections together.

8. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the protective member includes a protective body and first and second engagement portions connected to the protective body, the first and second engagement portions being engaged to the connection ends of the first and second tower portions, respectively, along the longitudinal direction.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein the first engagement portion comprises first and second tabs spaced apart along the lateral direction,

the first tower part comprises a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other along the transverse direction, a first slit extending along the longitudinal direction is arranged on the first side surface, a second slit extending along the longitudinal direction is arranged on the second side surface, and the first inserting sheet and the second inserting sheet are respectively inserted into the first slit and the second slit.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein said first side surface is further provided with a first engagement projection, said second side surface is further provided with a second engagement projection, said connection end of said second tower portion is provided with a first engagement groove for engaging said first engagement projection and a second engagement groove for engaging said second engagement projection,

the first side surface is further provided with a first boss spaced apart from the first engagement projection to form the first gap, the second side surface is further provided with a second boss spaced apart from the second engagement projection to form the second gap,

The first boss and the second boss are located outside of the second tower section.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein,

the first boss comprises two first sub-bosses which are arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction, a first gap between the two first sub-bosses is aligned with the first joint protrusion, and the width of the first gap is larger than or equal to the longitudinal dimension of the first joint protrusion; and/or

The second boss includes two second sub-bosses disposed at intervals along the longitudinal direction, a second gap between the two second sub-bosses is aligned with the second engagement protrusion, and a width of the second gap is greater than or equal to a longitudinal dimension of the second engagement protrusion.

12. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein the protective body includes an end plate, a first side plate, and a second side plate, the first side plate and the second side plate extending in the longitudinal direction from opposite sides of the end plate in the transverse direction, respectively, the first tower portion being sandwiched between the first side plate and the second side plate,

the first inserting piece and the second inserting piece are respectively arranged on the first side plate and the second side plate,

The second engagement portion is disposed on the end plate and is spaced apart from the first side plate and the second side plate along the vertical direction.

13. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein the second engagement portion includes first and second jaws disposed at intervals along a transverse direction, the connection end of the second tower portion having an outer side perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the outer side of the connection end having first and second jaw grooves disposed thereon, the first and second jaws being respectively inserted into the first and second jaw grooves, the first and second jaws being respectively located on both sides of the first tower portion along the transverse direction.

14. The electrical connector of claim 13, wherein the first jaw engages the first jaw slot by an interference fit and/or the second jaw engages the second jaw slot by an interference fit.

15. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the protective member includes a circuit board connection portion configured for connection with a circuit board.

16. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein the opposing outer side surfaces of the protective member in the lateral direction are flush with the outer side surface of the insulative body.

17. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the mechanical strength of the material forming the second tower section is greater than or equal to the mechanical strength of the material forming the insulating housing.

18. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the latch has a first abutment surface that abuts the latch end of the second tower portion when the latch is in the locked position and a second abutment surface that abuts the latch end of the second tower portion when the latch is in the unlocked position,

a channel extending in the vertical direction is provided in the second tower section,

the electrical connector further includes a push rod disposed through the channel, the latch being pivotally connected to a first end of the push rod about a pivot axis, the pivot axis being less distant from the first abutment surface than the second abutment surface,

a second end of the push rod opposite to the first end is bent towards the inside of the clamping groove, and the second end of the push rod is positioned below the clamping groove when the lock catch is positioned at the locking position and stretches into the clamping groove when the lock catch is positioned at the unlocking position.

19. The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein the second end of the pushrod has a seating surface facing the mating surface, the seating surface being flush with a bottom surface of the card slot when the shackle is in the locked position.

20. The electrical connector of claim 18, further comprising a resilient member connected between the pushrod and the first tower portion or between the pushrod and the second tower portion, the resilient member having a first amount of deformation when the shackle is in the locked position and a second amount of deformation when the shackle is in the unlocked position, the second amount of deformation being greater than the first amount of deformation.

21. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein a flange is provided on an intermediate section of the pushrod, and the resilient member is sleeved on the pushrod and sandwiched between the flange and the second tower portion.

22. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein a receiving cavity is provided in the first tower portion, the resilient member being located in the receiving cavity.

23. The electrical connector of claim 18, wherein a cross-section of the channel is adapted to a cross-section of the pushrod.