TW202414911A - Wire-to-board connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a wire-to-board connector. The wire-to-board connector includes a plug, a fastener, a socket, and a plurality of second electrodes. The fastener provides a first segment of the snap structure, and the socket offers a second segment. After the socket is installed on a circuit board, the plug is combined with the socket so that the bottom of the plug is abutted on the surface of the circuit board. According to the thickness of the circuit board, there is a distance between the first segment of the buckle structure and the surface of the circuit board. When the space is in the first segment Within a predetermined locking range established by the snap structure and the second segment of the snap structure, at least a part of the first segment of the snap structure snaps to the second segment of the snap structure so that the plug and the fastener are not disengaged.

Description

Wire-to-Board Connectors

The present invention relates to the technical field of a connector, and in particular to providing a wire-to-board connector suitable for circuit boards of different thicknesses.

Traditional submerged board type electrical connectors need to be designed according to the thickness of the circuit board. In order to be able to design a universal connector for circuit boards of various thicknesses, the present invention proposes a wire-to-board connector to solve the problems that traditional connectors cannot overcome.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wire-to-board connector, which provides a first-section buckle structure and a second-section buckle structure so as to be applicable to circuit boards of different thicknesses, thereby achieving the purpose of saving mold opening and redesign.

The object of the present invention is to provide a fastener to securely fasten the plug and the socket based on the above-mentioned wire-to-board connector.

The object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of stoppers based on the above-mentioned wire-to-board connector, which can not only cooperate with the fasteners to firmly lock the plug and the socket, but also prevent the fasteners from being disengaged due to the movement of the cable.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a first section buckle structure and a second section buckle structure with a step difference (or section, drop) based on the above-mentioned wire-to-board connector.

To achieve the above-mentioned and other purposes, the present invention provides a wire-to-board connector embedded in a circuit board having thickness. The wire-to-board connector includes a plug, a fastener, a socket and a plurality of second electrodes. The plug is formed with a second buckle groove having a plurality of first protrusions, a receiving space and a plurality of first electrode holes. The first electrode holes can be provided with a cable. The fastener is formed with a plurality of second protrusions and a first section buckle structure. The second protrusions are provided corresponding to the first protrusions. The fastener is driven by an external force and rotated by the action of the second protrusions and the first protrusions. The socket is formed with a plurality of guides, a plurality of second electrode holes and a second section buckle structure. The socket is guided to the receiving space by the guides so that the second electrode holes are provided in the receiving space. The second electrodes are arranged in the second electrode holes. After the socket is arranged on the circuit board, the plug is combined with the socket so that the bottom of the plug is attached to the surface of the circuit board and the first section buckle structure is at a distance from the surface of the circuit board according to the thickness of the circuit board. When the distance is within a predetermined buckle range, at least a part of the first section buckle structure is buckled with the second section buckle structure, so that the plug and the fastener are not separated.

In order to fully understand the purpose, features and effects of the present invention, the present invention is described in detail through the following specific embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

In the present invention, "a" or "an" is used to describe the units, components and assemblies described herein. This is only for the convenience of explanation and to provide a general meaning for the scope of the present invention. Therefore, unless it is obvious that it is otherwise intended, such description should be understood to include one, at least one, and the singular also includes the plural.

In the present invention, the terms "include", "comprising", "having", "containing" or any other similar terms are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a component, structure, article or device containing multiple elements is not limited to those listed herein, but may include other elements that are not expressly listed but are generally inherent to the component, structure, article or device. In addition, unless expressly stated to the contrary, the term "or" refers to an inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or".

Please refer to Figures 1(a) and 1(b), which are three-dimensional schematic diagrams of a wire-to-board connector. Figure 1(a) is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the wire-to-board connector from a first perspective, and Figure 1(b) is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the wire-to-board connector from a second perspective.

The wire-to-board connector 10 is embedded in a circuit board 2 having a thickness d. Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is a three-dimensional schematic diagram illustrating the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 1 (a) and FIG. 1 (b) of the present invention being embedded in a circuit board.

The wire-to-board connector 10 includes a plug 12, a fastener 14, a socket 16, and a plurality of second electrodes 18. In another embodiment, the wire-to-board connector 10 may also include an upper housing 20.

Here, the plug 12 is explained using a rectangular body as an example, and reference can be made to Figures 3(a) to 3(c), which are three-dimensional schematic diagrams of the plug of the wire-to-board connector of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention from various viewing angles, wherein Figure 3(a) is a front view of the plug of the wire-to-board connector of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention; Figure 3(b) is a side view of the plug of the wire-to-board connector of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention; and Figure 3(c) is a rear view of the plug of the wire-to-board connector of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention.

The plug 12 is formed with a second buckle groove 122 having a plurality of first protrusions 1222, a receiving space SP and a plurality of first electrode holes 124. The first electrode holes 124 can be used to set cables (not shown), and the number of the first electrode holes 124 is greater than or equal to the number of cables. Here, the number of the first electrode holes 124 is not limited. In addition, the first side surface 126 and the second side surface 128 of the plug 12 are defined here, and according to this definition, the second buckle groove 122 is formed on the first side surface 126 and the first electrode holes 124 are formed on the second side surface 128.

In another embodiment, the plug 12 further includes V-shaped clamping structures 130 formed on two sides of the plug 12 for mechanical clamping to assemble the connector.

In another embodiment, the plug 12 further includes a plurality of first stoppers 1210, and reference can be made to FIG6(b). In FIG6(a) and FIG6(b), FIG6(a) is a top view of a wire-to-board connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; and FIG6(b) is an A-A cross-sectional view of the wire-to-board connector of FIG6(a) according to the present invention. In FIG6(b), the first stoppers 1210 are formed in the accommodation space SP.

Next, the fastener 14 will be described. FIG. 4 may also be referred to, which is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the fastener of the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 1( a ) and FIG. 1( b ) of the present invention.

Here, the fastener 14 is formed with a plurality of second protrusions 142 and a first segment buckle structure 144. The second protrusions 142 are arranged corresponding to the first protrusions 1222. When the fastener 14 is driven by an external force, the fastener 14 can rotate by the second protrusions 142 and the first protrusions 1222.

Here, the first section buckle structure 144 can be designed in conjunction with the second section buckle structure 166 mentioned later in response to different thicknesses d of the circuit board 2. Here, the structure disclosed in FIG. 4 is only an example, and the present invention is not limited to any form of structure. As long as the first section buckle structure 144 and the second section buckle structure 166 can be applied to the assembly of circuit boards 2 of different thicknesses d without redesigning or re-molding, that is, the wire-to-board connector 10 can be fully, partially or partially buckled to achieve the buckle effect when joining circuit boards 2 of different thicknesses d, they all belong to the invention scope of the first section buckle structure 144 and the second section buckle structure 166 mentioned in the present invention.

In FIG. 4 , for example, the first segment buckle structure 144 is a plurality of first buckle blocks 1442 and a plurality of third buckle blocks 1444, and the first buckle blocks 1442 have a first inclined surface and the third buckle blocks 1444 have a third inclined surface. The height H1 of the first buckle blocks 1442 protruding from the surface S1 of the fastener 14 is higher than the height H2 of the third buckle blocks 1444 protruding from the surface S1 of the fastener 14.

Here, the socket 16 is also explained using a rectangular body as an example, and reference can be made to Figures 5(a) to 5(d), which are three-dimensional schematic diagrams of the socket combined with the upper shell of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention from various viewing angles, wherein Figure 5(a) is a three-dimensional diagram of the socket combined with the upper shell of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention; Figure 5(b) is a front view of the socket combined with the upper shell of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention; Figure 5(c) is a side view of the socket combined with the upper shell of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention; and Figure 5(d) is a rear view of the socket combined with the upper shell of Figures 1(a) and 1(b) of the present invention.

The socket 16 is formed with a plurality of guide members 162, a plurality of second electrode holes 164 and a second segment buckle structure 166. The socket 16 is guided to the accommodation space SP of the plug 12 through the guide members 162 so that the second electrode holes 164 are disposed in the accommodation space SP. In addition, the second electrode holes 164 can be used to dispose the second electrodes 18 (as shown in FIG. 1 ).

It is worth noting that a chamfer design can be selectively formed at the junction of the socket 16 and the plug 12, such as the chamfers 1214, 1614 in FIG. 6(b), so that the socket 16 and the plug 12 can be easily assembled and disassembled.

In addition, for the convenience of subsequent explanation, refer to Figure 5(c) to define the first side 168 and the second side 1610 of the socket 16. According to this definition, the second section snap structure 166 is formed on the first side 168, and the corresponding side of the socket 16 where the second section snap structure 166 is not formed is the second side 1610.

In this embodiment, the upper shell 20 can form a plurality of first fixing members (not shown) and the socket 16 further includes a plurality of second fixing members (not shown). The first fixing members are arranged corresponding to the second fixing members, and the upper shell 20 and the socket 16 can be combined by the first fixing members and the second fixing members. For example, the first fixing members and the second fixing members can be designed as grooves and hooks for each other, and the purpose is to fix the upper shell 20 to the socket 16 so that the second electrode 18 assembled in the socket 16 can obtain protection and insulation.

Here, the second section buckle structure 166 can be designed in accordance with the circuit board 2 of different thickness d and in cooperation with the first section buckle structure 144 mentioned above. Here, the structure disclosed in FIG. 5( b ) is only an example and is not limited to any structure. As long as the second section buckle structure 166 and the first section buckle structure 144 can still buckle completely, partially or partially to achieve the buckle effect after the circuit board 2 of different thickness d is combined with the wire-to-board connector 10, they all belong to the invention scope of the second section buckle structure 166 and the first section buckle structure 144 mentioned in the present invention.

In FIGS. 5( a) and 5( b), the second section snap-in structure 166 is a plurality of first snap-in grooves 1662 and a plurality of third snap-in blocks 1664. The first snap-in grooves 1662 are arranged corresponding to the first snap-in blocks 1442 and the third snap-in grooves 1664 are arranged corresponding to the third snap-in blocks 1444. The first snap-in grooves 1662 and the first snap-in blocks 1442 are snap-in at the first snap-in point A and the third snap-in grooves 1664 and the third snap-in blocks 1444 are snap-in at the third snap-in point B. After the plug 12 and the socket 16 are assembled, the distance between the first snap-in point A and the surface of the circuit board 2 is greater than or equal to the distance between the third snap-in point B and the surface of the circuit board 2. Here, the first buckle point A and the third buckle point B have different heights, and the first buckle blocks 1442 and the third buckle blocks 1444 protrude from the surface S1 of the fastener 14 by a height H1, H2, so that the wire-to-board connector 10 can achieve the purpose of snapping when combined with the circuit board 2 of different thickness d. Please refer to Figures 7(a) to 7(c) for the relevant schematic diagrams of the first section snapping structure combined with the second section snapping structure of the present invention, wherein Figure 7(a) is a top view of the first section snapping structure combined with the second section snapping structure of the present invention; Figure 7(b) is a B-B cross-sectional view of the first section snapping structure combined with the second section snapping structure of Figure 7(a) of the present invention; and Figure 7(c) is an external schematic diagram of the first section snapping structure combined with the second section snapping structure of Figure 7(a) of the present invention.

FIG. 7( a) shows that the first-section snap-fit structure 144 and the second-section snap-fit structure 166 can be designed to operate within the range of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm thickness of the circuit board 2, that is, when the thickness of the circuit board 2 is 0.8 mm, the third snap-fit grooves 1664 and the third snap-fit blocks 1444 can be fully snap-fitted; and, if the thickness of the circuit board 2 is greater than 0.8 mm, for example, when the thickness is 1.0 mm (or 1.2 mm), the third snap-fit grooves 1664 and the third snap-fit blocks 1444 can no longer be snap-fitted, but can still be partially or incompletely snap-fitted through the first snap-fit grooves 1662 and the first snap-fit blocks 1442.

The B-B cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 7( b) shows that when the plug 12 is inserted into the circuit board 2 with a thickness of 1.0 mm (or 1.2 mm), the third snap grooves 1664 and the third snap blocks 1444 cannot be fully snapped, and the first snap grooves 1662 and the first snap blocks 1442 need to be partially or incompletely snapped. From the appearance of the fastener 14, when the fastener 14 is partially or incompletely snapped into the second segment snap 166 structure, the fastener 14 forms the first segment snap. The surface S1 of the buckle structure 144 and the surface S2 of the circuit board 2 are inclined and sandwiched at an angle; in addition, FIG. 7(c) shows a schematic diagram of the appearance of the first section buckle structure combined with the second section buckle structure, which indicates that when the plug 12 is inserted into the circuit board 2 with a thickness of 0.8 mm, the third buckle grooves 1664 and the third buckle blocks 1444 can be completely buckled, so that the surface S1 of the first section buckle structure 144 formed by the fastener 14 and the surface S2 of the circuit board 2 are sandwiched at an angle of 90 degrees or close to 90 degrees.

In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 6( b ), the socket 16 further includes a plurality of second stoppers 1612. The second stoppers 1612 cooperate with the first stoppers 1210 mentioned above to buckle the plug 12 and the socket 16 when they are combined. Here, the second stoppers 1612 are illustrated as protrusions and the first stoppers 1210 are illustrated as grooves. It is worth noting that the first stoppers 1210 and the second stoppers 1612 can prevent the fastener 14 from being lifted up by pulling the cable during the installation process, thereby causing the plug 12 to be separated from the socket 16.

At the same time, it can also be understood from FIG. 6( b) that the bottom of the plug 12 can be tightly attached to the circuit board 2.

In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 6( a ), the socket 16 further forms a plurality of guide posts 1616 and the plug 12 further forms a plurality of first openings 1216. The first openings 1216 are arranged corresponding to the guide posts 1616, and the plug 12 is coupled to the socket 16 so that the guide posts 1616 are inserted into the first openings 1216. In addition to achieving the purpose of fixing and positioning, the first openings 1216 can also be used to observe whether the guide posts 1616 are correctly inserted into the first openings 1216.

In another embodiment, referring to FIG. 6( a ), the plug 12 may further form a plurality of second openings 1212 , and the positions of the second openings 1212 correspond to the second stoppers 1612 , so that the locking state of the first stoppers 1210 and the second stoppers 1612 can be observed.

According to the above description, after the socket 16 is set on the circuit board 2, the plug 12 is combined with the socket 16 so that the bottom of the plug 12 can be attached to the surface of the circuit board 2. The thickness of the circuit board 2 can be used to determine the distance between the first section snap structure 1210 and the surface of the circuit board 2. When the distance is within a predetermined snap range, for example, the predetermined snap range is related to the thickness d of the circuit board 2, and the thickness d range is between 0.6mm and 1.4mm, at least a portion of the first section snap structure 1210 is snapped with the second section snap structure 1612, so that the plug 12 and the fastener 14 are not separated.

The present invention has been disclosed in the above with preferred embodiments, but those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments are only used to describe the present invention and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that all changes and substitutions equivalent to the embodiments should be included in the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be based on the scope defined by the application patent.

2: Circuit board 10: Wire-to-board connector 12: Plug 122: Second snap groove 1222: First protrusion 124: First electrode hole 126, 168: First side 128, 1610: Second side 1210: First stopper 1212: Second opening 1216: First opening 130: Clamping structure 14: Fastener 142: Second protrusion 144: First section snap structure 1442: First snap block 1444: Third snap block 16: Socket 162: Guide 164: Second electrode hole 166: Second section snap structure 1662: First snap groove 1664: Third snap block 1612: Second stopper 1616: Guide post 18: Second electrode 20: Upper housing 1214, 1614: Chamfer d: Thickness SP: Accommodation space S1, S2: Surface H1, H2: Height A: First snap point B: Third snap point

FIG. 1(a) is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a wire-to-board connector from a first perspective. FIG. 1(b) is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a wire-to-board connector from a second perspective. FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram illustrating the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention embedded in a circuit board. FIG. 3(a) is a front view of the plug of the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the plug of the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 3(c) is a rear view of the plug of the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram illustrating the fastener of the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 5(a) is a perspective view of the socket combined with the upper shell of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 5(b) is a front view of the socket combined with the upper shell of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 5(c) is a side view of the socket combined with the upper shell of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 5(d) is a rear view of the socket combined with the upper shell of FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 1(b) of the present invention. FIG. 6(a) is a top view of a wire-to-board connector of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6(b) is an A-A cross-sectional view of the wire-to-board connector of FIG. 6(a) of the present invention. FIG. 7(a) is a top view of the first segment buckle structure combined with the second segment buckle structure of the present invention. Figure 7(b) is a B-B cross-sectional view illustrating the first section buckle structure of Figure 7(a) of the present invention combined with the second section buckle structure. Figure 7(c) is a schematic diagram illustrating the appearance of the first section buckle structure of Figure 7(a) of the present invention combined with the second section buckle structure.

10: Wire-to-board connector

12: Plug

14: Fasteners

16: Socket

18: Second electrode

20: Upper shell

Claims (10)

A wire-to-board connector is embedded in a circuit board with thickness, and the wire-to-board connector includes: A plug, which is formed with a second buckle groove having a plurality of first protrusions, a receiving space and a plurality of first electrode holes, wherein the first electrode holes are provided for arranging cables; A fastener, which is formed with a plurality of second protrusions and a first section buckle structure, wherein the second protrusions are arranged corresponding to the first protrusions, and the fastener is driven by an external force and rotated by the action of the second protrusions and the first protrusions; and A socket, which is formed with a plurality of guides, a plurality of second electrode holes and a second section buckle structure, wherein the socket is guided to the receiving space by the guides so that the second electrode holes are arranged in the receiving space; and A plurality of second electrodes, which are arranged in the second electrode holes; After the socket is arranged on the circuit board, the plug is combined with the socket so that the bottom of the plug is attached to the surface of the circuit board and the first section buckle structure is determined to have a distance from the surface of the circuit board according to the thickness of the circuit board. When the distance is within a predetermined buckle range, at least a part of the first section buckle structure is buckled with the second section buckle structure, so that the plug and the fastener are not separated. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 1, wherein the first section snap-in structure is a plurality of first snap-in blocks and a plurality of third snap-in blocks, and the first snap-in blocks have a first inclined surface and the third snap-in blocks have a third inclined surface, and the height of the first snap-in blocks protruding from the surface of the fastener is higher than the height of the third snap-in blocks protruding from the surface of the fastener; and the second section snap-in structure is a plurality of first snap-in grooves and A plurality of third snap blocks, the first snap slots are arranged corresponding to the first snap blocks and the third snap slots are arranged corresponding to the third snap blocks, the first snap slots are snapped with the first snap blocks at a first snap point and the third snap slots are snapped with the third snap blocks at a third snap point, and the distance between the first snap point and the surface of the circuit board is not less than the distance between the third snap point and the surface of the circuit board. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 2, wherein when the thickness of the circuit board is 0.8 mm, the third snap grooves and the third snap blocks are fully snapped together. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 2, wherein when the thickness of the circuit board is 1.0 mm or 1.2 mm, the first latch grooves and the first latch blocks are partially or incompletely latched. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 1, wherein when the fastener completely snaps into the second-section snap-in structure, the surface of the first-section snap-in structure formed by the fastener and the surface of the circuit board are at an angle of 90 degrees or close to 90 degrees; and, when the fastener partially or incompletely snaps into the second-section snap-in structure, the surface of the first-section snap-in structure formed by the fastener and the surface of the circuit board are inclined and at an angle. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 1, wherein the predetermined snap-in range is related to the thickness of the circuit board, and the thickness range is between 0.6 mm and 1.4 mm. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 1, wherein the plug further forms a plurality of first openings and the socket further forms a plurality of guide pins, the first openings are arranged corresponding to the guide pins, and the plug is combined with the socket so that the guide pins are inserted into the first openings. The wire-to-board connector as described in claim 1 further includes an upper shell having a plurality of first fixing structures and the socket further includes a plurality of second fixing members, and the upper shell and the socket are combined via the first fixing members and the second fixing members. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 1, wherein the plug further includes a plurality of first stop members and the socket further includes a plurality of second stop members, the first stop members are formed in the accommodating space, the second stop members are arranged corresponding to the first stop members and the second stop members are arranged on the corresponding sides of the second section snap-on structure. A wire-to-board connector as described in claim 9, wherein the plug further forms a plurality of second openings, the positions of the second openings corresponding to the second stoppers, so as to observe the locking state of the first stoppers and the second stoppers.