JP2016529665A - Power connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector including a housing and a pair of terminals is disclosed. Each terminal includes a planar main body portion and a planar mounting portion formed at a first end of the main body portion, and a curved contact portion is disposed therebetween. The wire fixing position is formed at the second end of the main body portion by a pair of crimping portions, and fixes the wire to the terminal. The body portion and the mounting portion are received in a slot formed in the housing, the contact portion extends through a window formed in the housing, and the terminal mounting portion is translatable in the slot. [Selection] Figure 3

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a priority over Indian provisional application 921 / KOL / 2013 filed August 2, 2013, and US patent application No. 14 / 326,042 filed July 8, 2014. Both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

  The present invention relates to the field of connectors, and more specifically to the field of connectors suitable for power supply.

  Currently, there is a need for a wire-to-wire connector system, particularly a system for transferring power. A particular problem is that unique plug and receptacle connectors are generally required for connector systems. The corresponding components in these connectors are required to be assembled properly and accurately. Generally, each of these connectors includes an insulating housing and an electrically conductive terminal that is secured to the end of a cable or wire lead. The connector system generally includes a receptacle having a plug and corresponding male and female electrically conductive terminals.

  Each connector requires a plurality of terminated lead wires that are inserted into respective cavities within the housing. In some instances, this conductive terminal may not be inserted in the correct manner, or the wrong terminal is used, leading to corresponding terminal damage and electrical failure. Accordingly, a power terminal that eliminates these potential problems associated with wire-to-wire connector systems is desirable.

  The present disclosure relates generally to electrical power connectors that can be integrated into a connector system and provide desirable operation under high current density conditions. In general, the connector is suitable for use as a modular component within a modular assembly. For example, the modular assembly may take the form of a wire-to-board or wire-to-wire connector and provide a low profile connector system if desired.

  A connector assembly can be provided that includes a hermaphroditic plug connector and a receptacle connector that includes one or more hermaphroditic blade-type power contacts disposed within each of the connector housings. The plug and receptacle connector are slidably matable with each other and include corresponding molded cavities for receiving electrical terminals therein.

  In one embodiment, the terminal is constructed having a planar body portion and a planar fixed portion, between which a curved crosspiece contact portion is disposed. The cavity includes a terminal retention slot for securing a planar section of terminals within the housing cavity. In addition, the planar portion of the terminal is constructed such that there is interference between the planar portion of the terminal and a particular cavity opening, and the terminal orientation prevents erroneous assembly of the terminal into the housing cavity.

  The present invention is illustrated by way of example and is not limited to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements.

1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a power connector assembly. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the power connector assembly of FIG. 1 that is not fitted. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the power connector assembly of FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing of the power connector of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a power connector having terminals that are partially inserted. It is a perspective view of the terminal of the electric power connector of this indication. It is a fragmentary sectional view of the power connector of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a power connector having terminals that are partially inserted. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a power connector having fully inserted terminals. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a power connector having terminals that are partially inserted. It is sectional drawing of the non-aligned terminal before insertion. It is sectional drawing of the non-aligned terminal before insertion. It is an end view of the connector housing | casing which does not have a terminal. It is sectional drawing of the electric power connector assembly fitted. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a power connector having partially inserted terminals. FIG. 15 is another perspective view of the power connector of FIG. 14.

  The following detailed description describes exemplary embodiments and is not intended to be limited to the explicitly disclosed combination (s). Thus, unless stated otherwise, the features disclosed herein may be combined together to form additional combinations not specifically shown for the sake of brevity.

  1-3 illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, and it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and may be implemented in various forms. Accordingly, specific details disclosed herein are not to be construed as limiting, but merely as a basis for a claim and to teach one skilled in the art to make various uses of the present invention. It should be understood as a representative basis for.

  As shown in FIGS. 1-3, a wire connector system 10 is depicted having a first connector 20 and a second connector 60 that are removably locked together. The connector system is hermaphroditic, ie, each connector is a replica and can be connected together to itself. As can be appreciated, the electrical terminals are also hermaphroditic and can be connected to themselves.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the hermaphroditic power connector system 10 includes a first connector 20 and a second connector 60. Since both the first connector 20 and the second connector 60 are exactly the same, only one of the connectors 20 will be described. FIG. 4 shows a connector 20 that includes an insulating housing 22 having a terminal receiving portion 30 and an opening 32, whereby the opening 32 receives a terminal receiving portion 30 of a mating or second connector 20 ′. Configured as follows. The terminal receiving portion 30 includes a cavity 40 for receiving a terminal 60 that is electrically conductive having an opening or window 42 above the terminal receiving portion 30 facing the opening 32 therein. The cavity 40 corresponds to the mating axis A of the connector 20 with the front end 24 corresponding to the mating end of the connector and the rear receiving end 26 having a cavity opening 44 for receiving the terminal 60 in the rear portion 26 when assembled. Formed along.

  As best shown in FIG. 4, the cavity portion 40 of the connector housing 22 extends forward into a sloped portion or protrusion 46 formed in the cavity 40 at approximately the midpoint of the cavity 40. The main opening 44 is adjacent to the rear portion 26 of the body 22. A slot 48 is disposed on each side of the cavity 40 that extends forward from the gradient or bias portion 46 to the mating end 24 of the connector housing 22. Each slot 48 has an end or stop surface 50 that is positioned at the mating end 24 of the connector housing 22. The protrusion 52 is formed on the bottom surface of the cavity 40 having an angled section 54 facing the rear portion 26 of the connector and a shoulder section 56 facing the mating end 24 of the connector housing 22. Opposing the protrusion 52 on the bottom surface of the cavity 40 is a gradient protrusion or bias portion 46 formed on the surface of the cavity 40 of the connector housing 22.

  As shown in FIGS. 3-6, a terminal 60 is provided and has a flat, wire fixing portion 64 disposed at the first end 66 of the body portion 62 to secure the conductor or wire 80 to the terminal 60. A flat body portion 62. Since the terminal 60 is designed to mate with another terminal 60, it can be considered hermaphroditic. The wire securing portion 64 includes a first wing set 63 formed adjacent to the body portion 62 and a second wing set 65 formed adjacent to the first wing set 63. Both sets of wings 63, 65 are formed towards the first direction or upward direction U. A conductor or wire 80 having an insulating jacket or cover 81 has a portion of the wire 83 from which the cover 81 has been removed or removed, and a first pair of wings 63 over the bare wire portion 83. The wire 80 is fixed to the terminal 60 by crimping the wire 80 onto the second pair of wings 65. Further, the cantilever locking tongue 86 is formed from the main body portion 62 and extends in the second direction or the downward direction D.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a flat planar terminal mounting portion 90 is disposed at the second end 67 of the main body portion 62 and has a curved contact portion 92 and is planar with the planar mounting portion 90. Between the main body portion 62 and the main body portion 62. The main body portion 62 and the mounting portion 90 have a first width W1, the curved crosspiece portion or contact 92 portion has a second width W2, and the second width W2 is greater than the first width W1. small. In this embodiment, the main body portion 62 and the planar mounting portion 90 are coplanar. In other arrangements, the body portion 62 and the mounting portion may be located on different planes.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the curved contact portion 92 is shown as a convex arc extending in the first direction U, but an oval section or a second planar section can be substituted for the contact section 92. Can be used as a configuration. Although the contact portion 92 is illustrated as a continuous section, alternatively, it can be divided into a plurality of crosspiece portions or sections, as shown in FIG. 6, and the cross-section alters the elasticity or springiness of the beam 92. Can be modified as follows.

  7-10 illustrate the insertion process of each lead wire assembly 79 into its corresponding terminal receiving cavity 40 in the connector housing 22. The cavity 40 includes an opening 44 in the rear portion 26 of the connector housing 22 into which the terminal 60 of the lead wire assembly 79 is inserted and a slot 48 is formed transverse to the opening 44. . For proper insertion of the terminal 60, the mounting portion 90 of the terminal 60 must first be led into the lateral slot 48. The slot 48 ensures that the planar portion of the terminal 60 is held in alignment and maintains a flat planar body portion 62 of the terminal 60 and the proper height of the contact portion 92 of the terminal 60 and The height conforms to the thickness of the flat planar mounting portion 90.

  During insertion, the planar mounting portion 90 of the terminal 60 is first aligned with the opening 44, specifically, the planar mounting portion 90 is inserted into the opening 44, and during further insertion, the bent or gradient protrusion 46 is inserted. To align or lead in the slot 48. As best shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the opening 44 also has a diagonal distance across the opening 44, or the largest possible distance over the opening 44, of the planar mounting portion 90 of the terminal 60. It is comprised so that it may be less than the full width W1. As further illustrated in FIG. 13, the diagonal distance across the opening 44 is shown as U1 and U2, and in both examples U1 and U2 are less than the width W1 of the mounting portion 90. In this case, the edge of the planar mounting portion 90 engages or is adjacent to the housing 40 and cannot be inserted into the cavity 40 in the wrong or misaligned position, thus reducing the possibility of terminal breakage. .

  In this regard, as depicted in FIG. 8, during insertion of the terminal 60, the gradient protrusion 46 in the housing 22 engages the arc-shaped contact portion 92 to generate a preload or bias, and thus the terminal 60. Provides a downward or second direction D force. This bias keeps the flat planar mounting portion 90 of the terminal 60 and the flat planar main body portion 62 in constant contact with the bottom surface of the slot 48. Gradient protrusion 46 also includes a flat portion 47 having a longitudinal recess 49 formed in an intermediate portion of protrusion 46 so that recess 49 is in the middle or middle of contact portion 92, which is an arc-shaped region. Contact part. As best shown in FIG. 10, the protrusion 46 contacts only the contact portion 92 of the terminal 60 only on the outer region or edge of the arc-shaped contact portion 92, and thus the terminal 60 and the gradient protrusion 46. To minimize contact plating wear and damage in the area of electrical contact.

  During further insertion, a locking tongue 86 extending from the main body portion 62 engages the protrusion 52 at the bottom surface of the cavity 40. The sloped end 54 of the protrusion 52 engages the tongue 86 and pushes the tongue 86 upward as the terminal 60 advances into the cavity 40. The tongue 86 is in its original position behind the shoulder 56 of the protrusion 52 so that the trailing or back edge of the tongue 86 engages the shoulder 56 and locks the terminal 60 into the cavity 40. Ride on the protrusion 52 until it makes a noise and returns. As shown in FIG. 9, when the terminal 60 is fully inserted into the cavity 40, the planar mounting portion 90 of the terminal 60 is present in the front portion 24 of the cavity slot 48, but at the end of the slot 48. Does not extend. The space S exists between the front edge of the planar mounting portion 90 of the terminal 60 and the stop surface or end surface 50 of the slot 48, and the planar mounting portion 90 extends along the fitting direction A in the slot 48. Can be translated.

  As best shown in FIG. 13, the curved arc portion 92 of the electrical terminal 60 extends through a window 42 formed in the terminal receiving portion 32 facing the opening 30 in the connector housing 22. To do. When the first and second connectors 20, 20 ′ are mated, the terminal receiving portion 32 of the first connector 20 is received in the opening 30 ′ of the second connector 20 ′, and similarly the second connector 20. The “terminal receiving portion 32” is received in the opening 30 of the first connector 20. In this arrangement, the arc-shaped contact portions 92 of the electric terminals 60 protruding from the windows 42 of the connector housing 22 are engaged with each other. Due to the respective engagement of the fitting terminals 60, the curved arc portions 92 are distorted during the mutual engagement and tend to be flat. This translates the planar mounting portion 90 of each electrical terminal 60 within the slot 48 and allows proper electrical engagement between the terminals 60.

  14-15 are other embodiments, therefore, in addition to the construction of electrical terminals 60 described above, electrical terminals 60 of other embodiments are as best illustrated in FIG. A pair of alignment ribs 70 formed from the main body portion 62 of the terminal 60. The ribs or tabs 70 are curved in the opposite direction with respect to the convex arc contact portion 92, that is, the contact cross is curved upward U from the main body portion 62 of the terminal 60, and the aligned ribs 70 are downward D. Bend. The aligning ribs 70 are formed in this direction so that the gradient protrusions 46 can contact the curved crosspiece contact portion 92. If the cavity is modified to accommodate some upwardly formed aligning ribs 70, the gradient protrusion 46 cannot be molded into the cavity 40. During the process of forming the electrical terminal 60, for ease of manufacture, all curves or structures to be formed are generally formed in the same direction, for example, wire crimping portions or wings 63, 65, and aligned ribs 70, respectively. With their free ends pointing in the same direction, but in this case the gradient protrusions 46 are formed in the cavity 40 so that the gradient protrusions 46 cannot do so and the aligning ribs described are , Formed in the opposite direction.

  A pair of receiving grooves 72 corresponding to the aligned ribs 70 are formed in the housing 22 for receiving the ribs 70 when the terminals 60 are inserted into the housing 22. Further, the aligning ribs 70 have sloped or introducing portions 74 formed on their tips and are positioned on opposite sides of the main body portion 62 with locking tangs 56 disposed between the ribs 70. The introduction portion 74 assists in aligning the terminals 60 when the hollow portion 40 of the housing 22 is inserted. In this configuration, the rib 70 is formed larger than the outer jacket of the locking tongue 56, that is, because of the size and shape of the rib 70, the locking tongue 56 contacts and locks the locking tongue 56. Shielded or protected against any object that breaks.

  The disclosure provided herein describes features in terms of its preferred and exemplary embodiments. Numerous other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the present disclosure.

Claims (19)

A housing including a terminal receiving cavity, wherein the terminal receiving cavity includes a first end and a second end, the terminal receiving cavity including an opening at the first end, and the second end. A lateral slot formed in the cavity extending to a stop surface formed on the housing, and
A terminal positioned within the terminal receiving cavity, the terminal including a planar body portion and a planar mounting portion, wherein the terminal is disposed between the body portion and the mounting portion. Including a portion, the mounting portion comprising a terminal having a leading edge,
A connector wherein a space is defined between a leading edge of the mounting portion of the terminal and a stop surface of a slot formed at the second end of the cavity. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the main body portion and the mounting portion are on the same plane. The connector of claim 1, wherein the body portion and the mounting portion have a first width and the contact portion has a second width. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the first width is larger than the second width. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion has a width smaller than a width of the main body portion. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is formed in an arc shape. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion is configured to translate in a fitting direction. The connector of claim 1, wherein the terminal receiving cavity includes a sloped portion configured to engage a contact portion of the terminal. The connector of claim 8, wherein the sloped portion includes a flat portion having a longitudinal recess. A housing including a terminal receiving cavity, wherein the terminal receiving cavity includes a first end and a second end, the terminal receiving cavity including an opening at the first end, and the second end. A lateral slot formed in a cavity extending to the housing, wherein the opening provides a diagonal distance between two diagonals;
A terminal positioned within the terminal receiving cavity, the terminal including a planar body portion and a planar mounting portion, and disposed between the planar body portion and the planar mounting portion; A contact portion, wherein the body portion and the mounting portion have a first width, the contact portion has a second width, and the first width is greater than the diagonal distance; and A connector. The connector of claim 10, wherein the body portion and the mounting portion are coplanar. The connector according to claim 10, wherein a width of the contact portion is smaller than a width of the main body portion. The connector of claim 10, wherein the mounting portion is disposed in a lateral slot. The connector according to claim 13, wherein the mounting portion is translated in the fitting direction. A housing including a terminal receiving cavity, wherein the terminal receiving cavity includes a first end and a second end, the terminal receiving cavity including an opening at the first end, and the second end. A lateral slot formed in the cavity extending to a stop surface formed in the housing, wherein the opening further comprises a groove; and
A terminal positioned in the terminal receiving cavity, wherein the terminal is formed in a planar body portion, a planar mounting portion, a first direction, and between the body portion and the mounting portion; A contact portion disposed, the body portion having a locking tongue formed from the body portion and a rib formed from an outer edge of the body portion, the rib being in the groove A connector positioned and configured to provide a protective jacket over the locking tongue. The connector of claim 15, wherein the rib is formed in a second direction. The connector of claim 16, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction. The connector according to claim 15, wherein the rib has an introduction portion formed on a tip of the rib. The connector of claim 18, wherein the body portion includes a pair of ribs disposed on opposite sides of the locking tongue.

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