TW201526417A - Connector assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector assembly for preventing overcurrent from occurring in the connector assembly is provided. The connector assembly may include a plurality of terminals, a molding portion in which the terminals are insert-molded, a resistor device mounted in the molding portion to be in contact with a power terminal to which power is input among the terminals, a cover housing to house the molding portion, and a shell connected to an outside of the cover housing.

Description

Connector assembly [Related application cross-reference]

Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0159170 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 19, 2013 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014 filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on April 15, 2014 The disclosure of the '0044559' content is hereby incorporated by reference.

This invention relates to a connector assembly, and more particularly to a connector assembly that avoids overcurrent.

Safety controls are used to protect components and systems in the vehicle as well as vehicle occupants. For example, the vehicle components can be disposed in a power circuit to protect the output circuit from downstream of the power supply surge. Typical power systems include fuses, relays, connectors, etc. to avoid overcurrent or overvoltage conditions that can damage downstream circuits.

When an overcurrent flows in a circuit, the resistance value increases. Existing overcurrent protection devices for protecting circuits by avoiding overcurrent flowing in the circuit are being used.

For example, when an overcurrent flows in a circuit, the temperature rises due to an overcurrent, and the resistance value also increases. Therefore, an existing overcurrent protection device can be used which utilizes a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) device to block overcurrent flow.

However, the existing overcurrent protection device includes a PTC device or a circuit equipped with a fuse, a relay, or the like.

One concept of the present invention provides a connector assembly that avoids overcurrents in the connector.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a connector assembly is provided that is coupled to a socket, the connector assembly includes a plurality of terminals; a molded portion, the terminal is inserted into the molding; and a resistor device is fixed In the molded portion, in contact with a power terminal, wherein in the terminal, power is input to the power terminal; a cover is received to receive the molded portion; and a casing is connected to the cover One outside.

The molded portion is formed such that at least a portion of the power terminal is exposed to the outside of the molded portion. A slit portion is formed by at least partially cutting the exposed portion of the power terminal. The resistor device is in contact with the cutout portion and is connected to the power terminal. An area where the resistance device and the power supply terminal are in contact with each other is welded or welded.

The cover housing includes a retainer that is disposed in a front end portion of the cover housing to guide the connection of the housing in a direction in which the cover housing is inserted into the slot. The housing is slidably coupled to the exterior of the cover housing in a rear side of the cover housing. The retainer projects from the cover housing along the front end portion of the cover housing to prevent the housing from contacting the slot when the connector assembly is coupled to the slot. The retainer has a height such that a surface of the retainer is in the same plane as a surface of the housing when the housing is coupled to the cover housing. The housing is formed from a metallic material and the covering outer casing is made of a non-conductive material.

The connector assembly further includes a lock lever for hooking the slot, the lock lever is coupled to the cover housing, and the housing includes a hook portion that is hooked to when the housing is coupled to the cover housing The lock lever.

A stepped portion is formed on a rear side of each of the terminals.

The resistor device includes a polymerized positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device or a ceramic PTC device.

1‧‧‧Connector assembly

10‧‧‧ terminals

11‧‧‧Power terminal

12‧‧‧ stepped part

20‧‧‧Molded part

23‧‧‧Resistor unit

24‧‧‧cut section

25‧‧‧welding area

26‧‧‧First housing lock firmware

30‧‧‧Resistor

40‧‧‧ Covering the outer casing

41‧‧‧Terminal housing

43‧‧‧stops

45‧‧‧bar housing

50‧‧‧Lock lever

60‧‧‧shell

63‧‧‧ front

65‧‧‧Block lock firmware

66‧‧‧Second housing lock firmware

These and/or other concepts, features and advantages of the present invention will be further and more fully understood from the following description of the embodiments illustrated in the appended claims. The perspective view of the connector assembly of the first embodiment; the second view is the bottom perspective view of the connector assembly of the first figure; the third figure is an exploded perspective view of the connector assembly of the first figure, illustrating one of the connector assemblies The fourth process is a cross-sectional view illustrating a side portion of the connector assembly of the first figure; the fifth figure is a perspective view illustrating a main portion of the front end portion of the connector assembly of the first figure; A circuit diagram of the operation of the connector assembly of the first figure; and a seventh diagram of the operation of the circuit of the sixth figure.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same elements are denoted by the same element symbols, although they are illustrated in different drawings. In addition, in the following description of the specific embodiments of the present invention, the conventional functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when the subject matter of the present invention becomes unclear.

Also, the terms first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. are used herein to describe elements in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention. These terms are only used to distinguish elements from each other, and are not intended to imply or teach the nature, order, or order of the elements. It is understood that when an element is described as "connected", "coupled" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or the intermediate element.

Hereinafter, the connector assembly 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be further described with further reference to the first to seventh figures. The first figure is a perspective view of the connector assembly 1, and the second figure is a bottom perspective view of the connector assembly 1. The third figure is an exploded perspective view of the connector assembly 1 for illustrating the assembly process of the connector assembly 1. The fourth figure is a cross-sectional view illustrating a side portion of the connector assembly of the first figure, and the fifth figure is a perspective view illustrating a main portion of the front end portion of the connector assembly 1. The sixth diagram is a circuit diagram illustrating the operation of the connector assembly 1, and the seventh diagram is a diagram illustrating the operation of the circuit of the sixth diagram.

In the following description, the terms "front" and "back" as used herein will be explained in terms of the direction in which the connector assembly 1 is connected to a slot (not shown), and the term "upper surface" is used herein. The description of the "lower surface" is based on the directions shown in the drawings (for example, the first drawing). The above terms are used to distinguish elements from each other, and are not intended to imply or teach the nature, order, or order of the elements.

According to a specific embodiment, a plug conforming to the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 standard will be described as an example, however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, it is obvious that the plug can be used for various standards, such as the USB 3.0 Micro-B standard, the USB 2.0 standard, or the USB 2.0 Micro-B standard.

The connector assembly 1 can include a molded portion 20, a cover housing 40 and a housing 60. A plurality of terminals 10 are insert molded in the molded portion 20, and a resistor device 30 is fixed in the molded portion 20. The molded portion 20 is housed in the cover case 40. The housing 60 covers the cover housing 40.

The terminal 10 is electrically connected to a slot, or a corresponding connector to which the connector assembly 1 is coupled, and may include an input/output (I/O) terminal for connection to a power source or a peripheral device. The terminal 10 includes various pins according to standards, and at least one of the terminals 10 includes, for example, a power supply terminal through which power is input or output. In addition, each of the terminals 10 includes a stepped portion 12 such that the rear side portion is higher than the front side portion.

The position of the power terminal 11 is not limited by the drawings. At the same time, the shape of each of the terminals 10 is also not limited by the drawings, and may have substantially various shapes.

The molded portion 20 having the terminal 10 inserted and molded therein is formed of an injection-molded resin material. In order for the terminal 10 to be smoothly connected to the slot or the corresponding connector, the molded portion 20 may partially expose both the front side and the rear side of the terminal 10 to the outside of the molded portion 20.

Further, when the resistance device 30 is fixed, the molding portion 20 may partially expose the power terminal 11 to the outside of the molded portion 20 to electrically connect the power terminal 11 to the resistance device 30. For example, the molding portion 20 may include a resistance device accommodating portion 23 which is recessed by a predetermined size so that the resistance device 30 can be fixed in the resistance device accommodating portion 23. The power terminal 11 is protruded outward from the resistance device accommodating portion 23 and exposed.

The molded portion 20 and the housing 60 can be locked to each other. To this end, a first housing lock 26 is formed in one side of the molded portion 20 to lock the molded portion 20 to the housing 60. Additionally, a second housing lock 66 is formed in the housing 60 to lock the housing 60 in the molded portion 20. The first housing lock 26 and the second housing lock 66 are shaped to interface with each other Hehe. For example, the first housing lock 26 has a hook shape, and the second housing lock 66 has a hole shape for the hook to hang, however, the present invention is not limited thereto. Thus, the shape, position and size of each of the first housing lock 26 and the second housing lock 66 can vary.

The resistance device 30 can include, for example, a PTC device. Further, the resistance device 30 may be, for example, a polymerizable PTC device or a ceramic PTC device. For example, when the resistance device 30 is formed of a polymer material, a space is formed between the molded portion 20 and the cover case 40, and thus the resistance device 30 can be expanded due to an increase in temperature. For example, the resistance device accommodating portion 23 of the molded portion 20 is formed to be larger than the resistance device 30, and therefore, a predetermined gap can be maintained between the inner wall surface of the resistance device accommodating portion 23 and the resistance device 30.

The resistance device 30 is connected to the power supply terminal 11 and functions as a switch to selectively block the power supply terminal 11. Referring to the sixth and seventh figures, the current I has a value of "V/Ri" under normal conditions. When an overcurrent flows (I = V / Rs) having a value higher than a predetermined value, the resistance increases due to an increase in temperature, and PTC trip occurs. Further, when the interruption occurs in the resistance device 30, the applied overcurrent can be eliminated and the temperature is lowered. Therefore, the resistance is also lowered, so the resistance device 30 can return to the normal state.

In order to selectively block the power terminal 11, the port portion 24 of the power terminal 11 can be cut, and the cutout portion 24 can be connected to the resistance device 30. As shown in the third and fifth figures, the power terminal 11 is completely cut away, and the slit portion 24 is connected to the resistance device 30 by welding or welding. A region where the power supply terminal 11 and the resistance device 30 are in contact with each other is referred to as a fusion bonding region 25.

The cover housing 40 is formed to accommodate the molded portion 20 into which the terminal 10 is insert molded. The cover housing 40 functions to receive and support the terminal 10. Exposed to the outside of the molded part 20 The terminal 10 is provided as a free end, and the cover 40 is a support terminal 10 as a free end. Therefore, the bootable connector assembly 1 can be smoothly connected to a slot or a corresponding connector, and the terminal 10 can be prevented from being damaged.

Referring to the third figure, a terminal accommodating portion 41 is formed to accommodate the terminal 10, and a lever accommodating portion 45 is formed to accommodate a lock lever 50.

Furthermore, the cover housing 40 forms part of the exterior of the connector assembly 1. The cover case 40 is formed of a non-conductive material or a resin material to enhance molding and to stably electrically connect the terminals 10.

The housing 60 is slidably coupled to the exterior of the cover housing 40. The cover housing 40 is inserted into the housing 60 in a rear side portion of the cover housing 40. For example, the housing 60 is formed of a metallic material to form the exterior of the connector assembly 1 and to fix the strength.

The cover housing 40 may include a stopper 43 formed in a front end portion of the cover housing 40. The stopper 43 can limit the length of the housing 60 to be attached to the cover housing 40. Since the housing 60 is formed of a metal material, when the connector assembly 1 is connected to the slot or the corresponding connector, the area where the front portion 63 of the housing 60 contacts the slot or the corresponding connector may be damaged. Such as wear or scratches. However, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the stopper 43 is formed in the front end portion of the cover case 40 and is formed of a resin material, and therefore, when the connector assembly 1 is connected to the slot or the corresponding connector, The stopper 43 is in contact with the housing 60 instead of the housing 60. Therefore, the above damage can be avoided.

For example, the stopper 43 protrudes outward from the cover casing 40 along a front end portion of the cover casing 40 by a predetermined height. Further, the stopper 43 is formed partially or completely along the front end portion of the cover casing 40. When the cover housing 40 is inserted into the housing 60, the stopper 43 has The height allows the surface of the stopper 43 to be on the same plane as the surface of the housing 60, so that the exterior of the connector assembly 1 will be smooth.

The connector assembly 1 includes a lock bar 50 that allows the connector assembly 1 to be coupled to a corresponding connector or slot. For example, at least one lock bar 50 is provided that has a hook to be hooked to a corresponding connector or slot. However, the present invention is not limited to the drawings, and the position and shape of the lock lever 50 and the number of the lock levers 50 may be substantially variously changed.

The lock bar 50 can be received in the cover housing 40. In the housing 60, the lever lock 65 is secured to the lock lever 50 and exposes the lock lever 50.

In accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, the connector assembly 1 includes a resistive device 30 and, therefore, overcurrent in the connector assembly 1 can be avoided. In addition, the connector assembly 1 can effectively avoid overcurrent in a large range of currents, such as low current, or over current, and rated current. Further, the resistance device 30 may be included in the connector assembly 1, and thus, an overcurrent occurring in the connector assembly 1 may be avoided, and the connector assembly 1 of a small size may be formed. Further, in the connector assembly 1, the resistance device 30 is located at a contact point relatively close to the terminal 10, and therefore, when heat is generated in the contact point, the resistance device 30 sensitively detects heat. In addition, the resistive device 30 will react even to low heat because the resistive device 30 is located near the point of contact. Therefore, the sensitivity and accuracy of detecting overcurrent can be improved.

As described above, in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, the resistive device 30 is secured in the connector assembly and thus effectively avoids overcurrent in the connector assembly.

Moreover, in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present invention, the resistive device 30 is secured in the connector assembly and thus can form a connector assembly having a small size.

In addition, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the resistor device 30 is fixed to the connection. In the assembly, adjacent to the contact point of the terminal. Therefore, heat generation can be detected more sensitively, and the occurrence of overcurrent is sensitively detected.

Several examples have been described above; it should be understood that various modifications can be made. For example, the techniques may be performed in a different order, and/or components in the system, architecture, apparatus, or circuit may be combined in different ways and/or replaced or supplemented with other components or equivalents thereof. , can also achieve the right results. Therefore, other embodiments are also within the scope of the following patent claims.

1‧‧‧Connector assembly

10‧‧‧ terminals

11‧‧‧Power terminal

20‧‧‧Molded part

23‧‧‧Resistor unit

24‧‧‧cut section

26‧‧‧First housing lock firmware

30‧‧‧Resistor

40‧‧‧ Covering the outer casing

41‧‧‧Terminal housing

43‧‧‧stops

45‧‧‧bar housing

50‧‧‧Lock lever

60‧‧‧shell

63‧‧‧ front

65‧‧‧Block lock firmware

66‧‧‧Second housing lock firmware

Claims (10)

A connector assembly connected to a socket, the connector assembly comprising: a plurality of terminals; a molded portion, the terminal is insert molded therein; and a resistor device fixed in the molded portion In contact with a power terminal, wherein power is input to the power terminal; a cover is received to receive the molded portion; and a case is coupled to an outer portion of the cover. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the molded portion is formed such that at least a portion of the power terminal is exposed to the outside of the molded portion, wherein the portion of the mouth is at least partially cut by the power source The exposed portion of the terminal is formed, and wherein the resistive device is in contact with the cutout portion and is coupled to the power supply terminal. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein a region of the resistor device in contact with the power terminal is welded or soldered. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the cover housing includes a stopper disposed in a front end portion of the cover housing in a direction in which the cover housing is inserted into the slot Guiding the connection of the housing, and wherein the housing is slidably coupled to the exterior of the cover housing in a rear side of the cover housing. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the retainer protrudes from the cover outer casing along the front end portion of the cover outer casing to avoid the housing at the connector total Touch the slot when it is connected to the slot. The connector assembly of claim 5, wherein the retainer has a height such that a surface of the retainer is adjacent to a surface of the housing when the housing is coupled to the cover housing On the same plane. The connector assembly of claim 4, wherein the housing is formed of a metallic material and the covering outer casing is made of a non-conductive material. The connector assembly of claim 4, further comprising: a lock lever for hooking the slot, wherein the lock lever is coupled to the cover housing, and wherein the housing includes a hook portion, It is hooked to the lock bar when the housing is coupled to the cover housing. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein a stepped portion is formed on a rear side of each of the terminals. The connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the resistor device comprises a polymerized positive temperature coefficient (PTC) device or a ceramic PTC device.