TWI807894B - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector is provided for connecting to a load end. The connector includes a housing base, a conductive terminal, a signal terminal and a protrusion. An accommodation space of the housing base is in communication with an exterior through an opening end. A sleeve of the load end sleeves on the housing base through the open end along a first direction and slides a first displacement distance, a plurality of contact terminals slide into the accommodation space through the open end, and one of the plurality of contact terminals is interfered with a conductive elastic arm of the conductive terminal to form an electrical connection. A signal elastic arm of the signal terminal is accommodated in the accommodation space. The protrusion is elastically connected to the housing base and penetrates through the housing base. When the sleeve passes through the open end along the first direction and slides a second displacement distance, the protrusion is interfered with the sleeve and pushes the signal elastic arm inwardly, so that the signal elastic arm pushes against the other one of the plurality of contact terminals to form an electrical connection. The second displacement distance is greater than the first displacement distance.

Description

Connector

This case is about a connector, especially a high-power anti-flashover connector, which is used to avoid arc carbon deposition.

USB power supply is to use the USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector to transmit the power from the system power supply end (Provider) to the power receiving end (Consumer) for reception. In the past, various mobile devices such as laptops and mobile phones used different connector interfaces, resulting in incompatibility of various connectors on the market, which easily caused problems such as application restrictions and waste of resources. Therefore, in the current market, most of the PD power supply structures for various mobile devices have adopted the Type-C interface connector of the USB PD (Power Delivery) protocol, so that the data transmission, power supply and reception, and video signal transmission of mobile devices and peripheral storage devices can be completed with a single Type-C connector.

Due to its ease of use, Type-C connectors are now widely used in high-power power transmission and fast charging applications, etc., and the power supply and reception can be completed through the user's plugging and unplugging action. However, in the environment of high-power power transmission and fast charging applications, the power is transmitted directly from the power supply end to the power receiving end in an instant and in a large flow. If the user unplugs the connector between the power supply end and the power receiving end at will, it is easy to generate arc carbon deposits on the terminals of the power receiving end, the temperature rise is too high, and instantaneous flashover may also occur. Long-term use will reduce the service life of the connector and cause safety problems.

In view of this, it is necessary to provide a connector that performs voltage reduction in advance before the connector is pulled out from the load end, so as to avoid the occurrence of flashover during hot plugging, and at the same time avoid the generation of arc carbon deposits, prolong the service life of the connector, and solve the shortcomings of the conventional technology.

The purpose of this case is to provide a connector. The protrusion structure elastically connected on the shell base is used to control the disconnection sequence of the conductive terminal, the signal terminal and the plurality of contact terminals at the load end. When the connector is pulled out from the plurality of contact terminals at the load end, the protrusion structure first resets and releases the signal terminal, while the conductive terminal and the conductive contact terminal at the load end are still in a connected state. At this time, the power supply connected to the connector can control the voltage to drop first or stop the output voltage. When the conductive terminal and the conductive contact terminal of the load end are separated and disconnected, the potential difference between the conductive terminal and the conductive contact terminal of the load end is less than a certain level, which can avoid the occurrence of flashover during hot swapping, and at the same time avoid the generation of arc carbon deposits, thereby prolonging the service life and solving the problem of safety in use.

Another object of the present application is to provide a connector. When the plurality of contact terminals at the load end are connected to the connector along the first direction, the load end passes through the open end of the connector to complete the electrical connection between the conductive terminal and the signal terminal with the first displacement distance and the second displacement distance respectively. Since the first displacement distance is smaller than the second displacement distance, when connecting, the conductive terminal is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal first, and then the signal terminal is electrically connected to the signal contact terminal. Conversely, when the connector is separated from the load end along the first direction, when the separation distance is greater than zero and smaller than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the signal terminal will be disconnected from the signal contact terminal, while the conductive terminal will maintain electrical connection with the conductive contact terminal. At this time, the controller of the power supply at the connector connection end can determine that the connector is being unplugged according to the disconnection state of the signal terminal, and at the same time control the switching element or the power-off unit to reduce the output voltage or stop the output voltage, so that the output voltage Discharge is performed through a discharge path. Then, when the disengagement distance is greater than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the output voltage of the load terminal and the connector terminal has dropped from high voltage to low voltage output or the output voltage is stopped, and the disconnection of the conductive terminal and the conductive contact terminal of the load terminal will not easily cause flashover, and at the same time, the generation of arc carbon deposit can be avoided, thereby prolonging the service life and solving the problem of safety in use.

To achieve the aforementioned purpose, the present application provides a connector for docking with a load end. The load end includes a plurality of contact terminals and a shell, and the shell ring is provided on the plurality of contact terminals. The connector includes a shell seat, a conductive terminal, a signal terminal and a protrusion. The shell seat is spatially opposite to the plurality of contact terminals and the shell cover at the load end, and the shell seat includes an accommodating space and an open end, and the accommodating space communicates outwards through the open end. The conductive terminal is arranged in the accommodating space along the first direction, and includes a conductive elastic arm, wherein the shell sleeve is sleeved on the housing seat through the open end along the first direction and slides a first displacement distance, a plurality of contact terminals slide into the accommodating space through the open end, and one of the conductive contact terminals of the plurality of contact ends interferes with the conductive elastic arm to form an electrical connection. The signal terminal is disposed in the accommodating space along the first direction, and includes a signal elastic arm. The convex portion is elastically connected to the shell seat and runs through the shell seat, spatially relative to the signal elastic arm. When the shell sleeve passes through the opening end along the first direction and slides for a second displacement distance, the convex portion is interfered by the shell sleeve and pushes inwardly against the signal elastic arm, so that the signal elastic arm pushes against one of the plurality of contact terminals to form an electrical connection. The second displacement distance is greater than the first displacement distance.

In one embodiment, when the plurality of contact terminals and the housing slide through the opening end along the first direction for less than the second displacement distance, the protrusion does not interfere with the housing, and the signal elastic arm and the signal contact terminal are misaligned in the viewing direction of the first direction.

In one embodiment, when the connector and the load end are docked along the first direction, the conductive contact terminal first forms an electrical connection with the conductive terminal, and the shell then interferes with the protrusion, driving the protrusion to push the signal elastic arm inward against the signal contact terminal to form an electrical connection.

In one embodiment, when the connector is detached from the load end, the protrusion first breaks away from the interference with the shell in the first direction, and releases the signal elastic arm to separate the signal elastic arm from the signal contact terminal, and then the conductive elastic arm breaks away from the interference with the conductive contact terminal in the first direction, so that the conductive elastic arm is separated from the conductive contact terminal.

In one embodiment, when the connector is detached from the load end along the first direction, and the displacement distance of the connector relative to the load end is greater than zero and not greater than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the protrusion breaks away from the interference with the shell in the first direction, and releases the signal elastic arm, so that the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal, and the conductive elastic arm and the conductive contact terminal maintain interference in the first direction.

In one embodiment, when the connector is detached from the load end along the first direction, and the displacement distance of the connector relative to the load end is greater than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the conductive elastic arm breaks away from interference with the conductive contact terminal in the first direction.

In one embodiment, the connector is connected to a power supply, and the power supply includes a controller configured to control the output voltage transmitted through the conductive terminals, wherein when the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal and the conductive elastic arm is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal, the controller lowers the output voltage or stops the output voltage.

In one embodiment, the power supply further includes a power-off unit electrically connected to the controller. When the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal and the conductive elastic arm is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal, the controller lowers the output voltage through the power-off unit.

In one embodiment, the power-off unit is at least one selected from the group consisting of a controller, an amplifier, a resistor and a capacitor.

In one embodiment, the power supply further includes a switch element electrically connected to the controller. When the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal and the conductive elastic arm is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal, the controller lowers the output voltage through the switch element.

In one embodiment, the switching element is a MOSFET or a BJT.

In one embodiment, the shell seat includes an outer shell and an inner shell seat, the outer shell covers the inner shell seat, and the accommodating space is located in the inner shell seat.

In one embodiment, the protrusion includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion, which are opposite to each other in space. The first protrusion is elastically connected to the housing and protrudes outward from the housing. In space, it pushes the second protrusion inwardly against the housing at the load end when the housing interferes.

In one embodiment, in the first direction, the distance from the conductive elastic arm to the open end is equal to the distance from the signal elastic arm to the open end.

In one embodiment, in the first direction, the distance from the protrusion to the opening end is greater than the distance from the signal elastic arm to the opening end.

In one embodiment, the connector is a USB Type C connector.

In one embodiment, the plurality of contact terminals are a golden finger formed on a tongue.

In one embodiment, when the protrusion does not interfere with the shell, the conductive elastic arm and the signal elastic arm have a relative height difference in the viewing direction of the first direction, and form a level difference along the second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

1, 1a: Connector

10, 10a: shell seat

101: shell

102: Inner shell seat

11:Accommodating space

12: Open end

13: Fit section

20, 20a: convex part

201: first bump

202: Second bump

30: Conductive terminal

31: Conductive elastic arm

40: Signal terminal

41: Signal elastic arm

50: power supply

51: Controller

52: switch element

53: voltage stabilizing unit

54: Drive unit

55:Power-off unit

9: Load end

91: tongue

91a: Conductive contact terminal

91b: Signal contact terminal

92:Shell

920: inner peripheral wall

93: Controller

94: switch element

95: voltage stabilizing unit

96:Drive unit

D1: first displacement distance

D2: second displacement distance

、

、

、

、

、

:線段

,

,

,

,

,

: line segment

T1, T2, T3: timing

X, Y, Z: axes

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram showing the disconnected state of the connector and the load end of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the disconnected state of the connector and the load terminal of the first embodiment of the present invention from another perspective.

FIG. 2A is an exploded view showing the structure of the first embodiment of the connector.

FIG. 2B is an exploded view showing the structure of the connector of the first embodiment of the present application from another perspective.

線段對應導電端子之截面圖。 Figure 3A shows the edge of Figure 1A

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the conductive terminal.

線段對應訊號端子及凸部之截面圖。 Fig. 3B reveals that along Fig. 1A

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the signal terminal and the protrusion.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing that the connector and the load end of the first embodiment of the present invention are being plugged and unplugged.

線段對應導電端子之截面圖。 Figure 5A shows the edge of Figure 4

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the conductive terminal.

線段對應訊號端子及凸部之截面圖。 Fig. 5B reveals that along Fig. 4

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the signal terminal and the protrusion.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection state between the connector and the load terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention.

線段對應導電端子之截面圖。 Figure 7A shows the edge along Figure 6

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the conductive terminal.

線段對應訊號端子及凸部之截面圖。 Fig. 7B reveals that along Fig. 6

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the signal terminal and the protrusion.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the step-down mechanism of the connector and the load-side structure of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between voltage and time in the step-down mechanism of the connector and the load end of the first embodiment of the present case.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing the connector and the load end of the second embodiment of the present case.

Some typical embodiments embodying the features and advantages of the present application will be described in detail in the description in the following paragraphs. It should be understood that this case can have various changes in different aspects without departing from the scope of this case, and the descriptions and drawings therein are used as illustrations in nature rather than limiting this case. For example, if the following content of this case describes that a first feature is placed on or above a second feature, it means It includes the embodiment in which the above-mentioned first feature and the above-mentioned second feature are provided in direct contact, and also includes the embodiment in which an additional feature can be arranged between the above-mentioned first feature and the above-mentioned second feature, so that the above-mentioned first feature and the above-mentioned second feature may not be in direct contact. In addition, different embodiments of the present application may use repeated reference symbols and/or symbols. These repetitions are for the purpose of simplification and clarity, and are not intended to limit the relationship between various embodiments and/or the described appearance structures. Furthermore, in order to facilitate the description of the relationship between one component or characteristic part and another (plural) component or (plural) characteristic part in the drawings, space-related terms such as "inner", "outer", "upper", "lower" and similar terms may be used. Spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise positioned (eg, rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the description of the spatially relative terminology used be interpreted accordingly. Also, when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of this disclosure are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. In addition, it can be understood that although words such as "first", "second", and "third" may be used in the scope of the patent application to describe different components, these components should not be limited by these terms, and these components described in the embodiments are represented by different component symbols. These terms are used to distinguish between different components. For example, a first component can be called a second component, and similarly, a second component can also be called a first component without departing from the scope of the embodiments. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

線段對應導電端子之截面圖。第3B圖係揭示第1A圖中沿

線段對應訊號端子及凸部之截面圖。第4圖係揭示本案 第一實施例之連接器與負載端呈插拔中的示意圖。第5A圖係揭示第4圖中沿

線段對應導電端子之截面圖。第5B圖係揭示第4圖中沿

線段對應訊號端子及凸部之截面圖。第6圖係揭示本案第一實施例之連接器與負載端呈連接狀態的示意圖。第7A圖係揭示第6圖中沿

線段對應導電端子之截面圖。第7B圖係揭示第6圖中沿

線段對應訊號端子及凸部之截面圖。於本實施例中，連接器1例如是USB Type C連接器，用以與例如USB PD負載端9沿第一方向對接，其中第一方向例如以X軸方向作說明，但不以此為限，連接器1亦可為其他具有溝通協定的連接器。於本實施例中，負載端9包括複數個接觸端子以及殼套92，複數個接觸端子以金手指型式構成於一舌片91上，且至少包含一導電接觸端子91a與一訊號接觸端子91b。當然，本案並不受限於此。殼套92環設於複數個接觸端子的外周緣。另外，連接器1包括殼座10、導電端子30、訊號端子40以及凸部20。殼座10於空間上相對於負載端9的複數個接觸端子與殼套92。殼座10包括容置空間11以及開口端12，容置空間11通過開口端12向外連通。於本實施例中，導電端子30例如是VBUS及GND的導接端子，例如由金屬片製成，架構於殼座10內，且容置於容置空間11內。其中導電端子30包括導電彈性臂31，沿第一方向(X軸方向)設置。當負載端9的殼套92沿第一方向(X軸方向)通過連接器1的開口端12套合於殼座10上的套合段13且滑動第一位移距離D1(如第5A圖所示)，複數個接觸端子沿第一方向(X軸方向)通過開口端12滑入容置空間11，且導電接觸端子91a與導電彈性臂31於第一方向(X軸方向)上彼此干涉形成電性連接。於本實施例中，訊號端子40亦例如由金屬片製成，架構於殼座10內，且容置於容置空間11內。訊號端子40包括訊號彈性臂41，沿第一方向(X軸方向)設置。凸部20彈性連接於殼座10， 且貫穿殼座10，於空間上相對於訊號彈性臂41。其中凸部20例如與殼座10一體成形。凸部20相對殼座10上的一開口或孔洞設置，貫穿開口或孔洞，且通過部分側邊連接至殼座10，以實現凸部20在殼座10上的彈性支撐。凸部20至少凸出於殼座10的外側表面而外露於開口或孔洞，亦可分別凸出於殼座10的兩側表面而外露於開口或孔洞。當負載端9的殼套92沿第一方向(X軸方向)通過連接器1的開口端12且滑動第二位移距離D2時(如第7B圖)，凸部20受殼套92的內周壁920干涉向內推抵訊號彈性臂41，使訊號彈性臂41推抵訊號接觸端子91b而形成電性連接，其中第二位移距離D2大於第一位移距離D1。其中，第一位移距離D1可相等於開口端12沿第一方向至導電接觸端子91a與導電彈性臂31相干涉之處的距離；第二位移距離D2可相等於開口端12沿第一方向至凸部20的距離。 FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic diagrams showing the disconnected state of the connector and the load end of the first embodiment of the present case. Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B are exploded views showing the structure of the connector of the first embodiment of the present case. Figure 3A shows the edge of Figure 1A

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the conductive terminal. Fig. 3B reveals that along Fig. 1A

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the signal terminal and the protrusion. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing that the connector and the load end of the first embodiment of the present invention are being plugged and unplugged. Figure 5A shows the edge of Figure 4

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the conductive terminal. Fig. 5B reveals that along Fig. 4

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the signal terminal and the protrusion. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the connection state between the connector and the load terminal in the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7A shows the edge along Figure 6

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the conductive terminal. Fig. 7B reveals that along Fig. 6

The line segment corresponds to the cross-sectional view of the signal terminal and the protrusion. In this embodiment, the connector 1 is, for example, a USB Type C connector, which is used to connect with, for example, the USB PD load terminal 9 along a first direction, wherein the first direction is, for example, described as the X-axis direction, but not limited thereto, and the connector 1 can also be other connectors with communication protocols. In this embodiment, the load terminal 9 includes a plurality of contact terminals and a shell 92, the plurality of contact terminals are formed on a tongue 91 in the form of gold fingers, and at least include a conductive contact terminal 91a and a signal contact terminal 91b. Of course, this case is not limited to this. The shell 92 is arranged around the outer periphery of the plurality of contact terminals. In addition, the connector 1 includes a housing base 10 , conductive terminals 30 , signal terminals 40 and protrusions 20 . The shell base 10 is spatially opposite to the plurality of contact terminals and the shell 92 of the load end 9 . The housing base 10 includes an accommodating space 11 and an open end 12 , and the accommodating space 11 communicates with the outside through the open end 12 . In this embodiment, the conductive terminals 30 are, for example, VBUS and GND conductive terminals, made of metal sheet, constructed in the housing 10 , and accommodated in the accommodating space 11 . Wherein the conductive terminal 30 includes a conductive elastic arm 31 arranged along the first direction (X-axis direction). When the shell 92 of the load end 9 is fitted in the fitting section 13 on the shell base 10 through the open end 12 of the connector 1 along the first direction (X-axis direction) and slides a first displacement distance D1 (as shown in FIG. 5A ), a plurality of contact terminals slide into the accommodating space 11 along the first direction (X-axis direction) through the open end 12, and the conductive contact terminals 91 a and the conductive elastic arms 31 interfere with each other in the first direction (X-axis direction) to form an electrical connection. In this embodiment, the signal terminal 40 is also made of a metal sheet, and is framed in the housing 10 and accommodated in the accommodating space 11 . The signal terminal 40 includes a signal elastic arm 41 disposed along a first direction (X-axis direction). The protrusion 20 is elastically connected to the housing base 10 , and penetrates through the housing base 10 , and is spatially opposite to the signal elastic arm 41 . Wherein the protrusion 20 is integrally formed with the shell base 10 , for example. The protrusion 20 is disposed opposite to an opening or a hole on the housing base 10 , passes through the opening or the hole, and is connected to the housing base 10 through a part of the side, so as to realize the elastic support of the protrusion 20 on the housing base 10 . The convex portion 20 protrudes at least from the outer surface of the case base 10 to be exposed to the opening or the hole, and may protrude from both side surfaces of the case base 10 to be exposed to the opening or the hole. When the shell 92 of the load end 9 passes through the open end 12 of the connector 1 along the first direction (X-axis direction) and slides the second displacement distance D2 (as shown in FIG. 7B ), the protrusion 20 is interfered by the inner peripheral wall 920 of the shell 92 and pushes the signal elastic arm 41 inwardly, so that the signal elastic arm 41 pushes against the signal contact terminal 91b to form an electrical connection, wherein the second displacement distance D2 is greater than the first displacement distance D1. Wherein, the first displacement distance D1 may be equal to the distance from the opening end 12 along the first direction to the place where the conductive contact terminal 91a interferes with the conductive elastic arm 31; the second displacement distance D2 may be equal to the distance from the opening end 12 to the protrusion 20 along the first direction.

In this embodiment, the plurality of contact terminals of the load terminal 9 have the same shape and size, for example, are formed on a tongue 91 in the form of a gold finger, and at least include a conductive contact terminal 91a corresponding to the conductive terminal 30 and a signal contact terminal 91b corresponding to the signal terminal 40. The conductive contact terminal 91a and the signal contact terminal 91b on the tongue 91 have the same horizontal height (in the Z-axis direction) in the first direction (X-axis direction), but it is not a necessary technical feature to limit the present case, so it will not be repeated here.

It is worth noting that when the plurality of contact terminals of the load end 9 and the shell 92 slide through the open end 12 of the connector 1 along the first direction (X-axis direction), when the displacement distance is less than the second displacement distance D2, the convex portion 20 of the connector 1 does not interfere with the shell 92 of the load end 9. At this time, the signal elastic arm 41 and the signal contact terminal 91b are misaligned in the viewing direction of the first direction (X-axis direction), and form a shifted in position along the second direction (such as the Z-axis direction), that is, as shown in FIG. 5B, there is no form an electrical connection. And when the plurality of contact terminals of the load end 9 and the shell 92 slide along the first direction (X-axis direction) through the open end 12 of the connector 1 greater than the first displacement distance D1 and less than the second displacement distance D2, the conductive elastic arm 31 in the connector 1 interferes with the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load end 9, so that the conductive terminal 30 and the conductive contact terminal 91a form an electrical connection; while the signal elastic arm 41 of the connector 1 maintains a misalignment with the plurality of contact terminals in the first direction (X-axis direction). (misaligned), that is, the signal elastic arm 41 forms a potential difference with a plurality of contact terminals along the Z-axis direction and cannot be in contact. In other words, during the plugging and unplugging operation of the connector 1 relative to the load terminal 9 , the conductive terminals 30 and the signal terminals 40 are electrically connected or disconnected at different timings respectively.

In this embodiment, in the first direction (X-axis direction), when the protrusion 20 does not interfere with the housing 92, the conductive elastic arm 31 of the lead terminal 30 and the signal elastic arm 41 of the signal terminal 40 have a relative height difference in the viewing direction of the first direction. The distance from the conductive elastic arm 31 of the conductive terminal 30 to the open end 12 is equal to the distance from the signal elastic arm 41 of the signal terminal 40 to the open end 12; When the connector 1 and the load end 9 are docked along the first direction (X-axis direction), among the plurality of contact terminals passing through the open end 12, the conductive terminal 30 first forms an electrical connection with the conductive contact terminal 91a, and then the shell 92 of the open end 12 interferes with the convex portion 20, driving the convex portion 20 to push the signal elastic arm 41 against the signal contact terminal 91b to form an electrical connection between the signal terminal 40 and the signal contact terminal 91b. At this time, the convex portion 20 can be in the second direction. (such as the Z-axis direction) pushes against the signal elastic arm 41 so that there is no potential difference between the signal elastic arm 41 and the conductive elastic arm 31 in the second direction.

In this embodiment, when the connector 1 is detached from the load end 9, the convex portion 20 of the connector 1 will first break away from the interference with the shell 92 of the load end 9 in the first direction (X-axis direction), and release the signal The elastic arm 41 separates the signal elastic arm 41 from the signal contact terminal 91b, that is, the signal elastic arm 41 breaks away from interference with the signal contact terminal 91b in the second direction, so that the signal terminal 40 is first disconnected from the signal contact terminal 91b. Afterwards, the conductive elastic arm 31 is separated from the interference with the conductive contact terminal 91a in the first direction (X-axis direction), so that the conductive elastic arm 31 is separated from the conductive contact terminal 91a, that is, the conductive terminal 30 is disconnected from the conductive contact terminal 91a.

It should be noted that when the connector 1 is detached from the load end 9 along the first direction (X-axis direction), and the displacement distance of the connector 1 relative to the load end 9 is greater than zero and not greater than the difference between the second displacement distance D2 and the first displacement distance D1, the convex part 20 of the connector 1 will break away from the interference with the shell 92 of the load end 9 in the first direction (X-axis direction), and release the signal elastic arm 41, so that the signal elastic arm 41 is separated from the signal contact terminal 91b, and the conductive elastic arm 31 is separated from the conductive contact terminal 91a maintains interference in the first direction (X-axis direction). At this time, the signal terminal 40 is disconnected from the load terminal 9 , and the conductive terminal 30 is electrically connected to the load terminal 9 .

Furthermore, when the connector 1 is detached from the load end 9 along the first direction (X-axis direction), and the displacement distance of the connector 1 relative to the load end 9 is greater than the difference between the second displacement distance D2 and the first displacement distance D1, the conductive elastic arm 31 of the connector 1 is separated from the interference with the conductive contact terminal 91a in the first direction (X-axis direction), so that the conductive elastic arm 31 is separated from the conductive contact terminal 91a. At this moment, the signal terminal 40 is disconnected from the load terminal 9 , and the conductive terminal 30 is also disconnected from the load terminal 9 .

It can be known from the above that the disconnection sequence between the conductive terminal 30 and the signal terminal 40 and the plurality of contact terminals of the load terminal 9 is controlled by using the elastically connected convex portion 20 on the housing base 10 of the connector 1. When the connector 1 is pulled out of the plurality of contact terminals of the load terminal 9, the signal terminal 40 released by the convex portion 20 first disconnects the signal terminal 40 from the load terminal 9, while the conductive terminal 30 (VBUS and GND) and the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load terminal 9 are still in the same position. Connected. At this time, the connection between connector 1 and load terminal 9 can be disconnected according to the signal. Connect the message to control the voltage to drop first. When the subsequent conductive terminal 30 is separated from the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load end 9, the potential difference between the conductive terminal 30 of the connector 1 and the plurality of conductive contact terminals 91a of the load end 9 is less than a certain level, which can avoid the occurrence of hot-swappable flashover, and at the same time avoid the generation of arc carbon deposits, thereby prolonging the service life and solving the problem of safety in use. The step-down mechanism constructed by the connector 1 and the load terminal 9 is further explained as follows.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the step-down mechanism of the connector and the load-side structure of the first embodiment of the present invention. Refer to Figures 1A to 8. In this embodiment, the connector 1 is connected to a power source 50 , for example, and the load terminal 9 can receive the output of the power source 50 through the connector 1 . The voltage output between the power supply 50 such as a power supply terminal and the load terminal 9 of an electronic device such as a computer or a mobile device is, for example, performed through the USB PD protocol. Thereby, the power supply as the power supply terminal can provide different output voltages to the load terminal 9 through the connection of the connector 1 . In this embodiment, the power supply 50 includes a controller 51 , a switch element 52 , a voltage stabilizing unit 53 , a driving unit 54 and a power-off unit 55 . The controller 51 is electrically connected to the switching element 52 through the driving unit 54 , the switching element 52 is electrically connected to the voltage stabilizing unit 53 , and the power-off unit 55 is electrically connected to the controller 51 . The controller 51 can control the switching element 52 to transmit an output voltage through the driving unit 54 to the load terminal 9 through the connector 1 . The output voltage can be maintained stable by the voltage stabilizing unit 53 . On the other hand, the load end 9 includes, for example, a controller 93 , a switching element 94 , a voltage stabilizing unit 95 and a driving unit 96 . The controller 93 is electrically connected to the switching element 94 through the driving unit 96 , and the switching element 94 is electrically connected to the voltage stabilizing unit 95 . The controller 93 can control the switching element 94 to receive and transmit the output voltage from the connector 1 through the driving unit 96 .

In this embodiment, the connector 1 is, for example, a Type C connector. The signal terminal 40 of the connector 1 is electrically connected to the controller 51, and the signal contact terminal 91b of the load terminal 9 is electrically connected to the controller 93. The connector 1 can output communication information to Load terminal 9. When the connector 1 is pulled out from the plurality of contact terminals of the load end 9, the displacement of the connector 1 relative to the load end 9 starts to increase from zero displacement when fully connected. When the connector 1 is detached from the load end 9 along the first direction (X-axis direction), and the displacement distance of the connector 1 relative to the load end 9 is greater than zero and not greater than the difference between the second displacement distance D2 and the first displacement distance D1, the signal terminal 40 released by the protruding portion 20 of the connector 1 will disconnect the signal terminal 40 from the load end 9, while the conductive terminal 30 (VBUS and GND) and the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load end 9 are still connected. At this time, the controller 51 of the power supply 50 lowers the output voltage through the power-off unit 55 according to the signal terminal 40 disconnected from the load terminal 9 , so that the output voltage is discharged through a discharge path. In other embodiments, the power supply 50 outputs the voltage to the load terminal 9 through the connector 1 if the non-PD protocol is adopted. Then when the connector 1 is detached from the load end 9 along the first direction (X-axis direction), and the signal terminal 40 released by the protruding portion 20 of the connector 1 first resets, the signal terminal 40 is disconnected from the load end 9, while the conductive terminal 30 and the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load end 9 are still in a connected state. At this time, the controller unit 51 of the power supply 50 stops the output voltage through the power-off unit 55 according to the signal terminal 40 disconnected from the load terminal 9 . In this embodiment, the power-off unit 55 is, for example, at least one selected from the group consisting of a controller, an amplifier, a resistor and a capacitor. The switching elements 52, 94 may then be, for example, MOSFETs or BJTs. In the embodiment of the connector with PD protocol, the power-off unit 55 can be omitted. When the convex part 20 of the connector 1 first resets the released signal terminal 40, so that the signal terminal 40 is disconnected from the load terminal 9, while the conductive terminal 30 (VBUS and GND) is still connected to the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load terminal 9, the controller 51 of the power supply 50 can notify the driving unit 54 to turn off the switching element 52 according to the message that the signal terminal 40 is disconnected from the load terminal 9, so as to lower the output voltage and discharge the output voltage through a discharge path. Of course, this case is not limited to this. Certainly, the controller 93 of the load terminal 9 may also notify the driving unit 96 to turn off the switch element 94 due to the disconnection of the signal contact terminal 91 b from the connector 1 , so that the input voltage of the load terminal 9 is discharged through a discharge path.

Fig. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between voltage and time in the step-down mechanism of the connector and the load end of the first embodiment of the present case. In this embodiment, when the connector 1 is pulled away from the plurality of contact terminals of the load terminal 9 , in the T1 time signal, the signal terminal 40 is first disconnected while the conductive terminal 30 remains electrically connected. At this time, the controller 51 of the power supply 50 connected to the connector 1 controls the output voltage to start to decrease at the time sequence T2 according to the signal terminal 40 disconnected from the load terminal 9 . The output voltage starts to decrease from a high voltage such as 40V at the time sequence T2, and can drop to a low voltage range such as less than 5V at the time sequence T3. The timing from T2 to T3 is only a few microseconds (μs), which is much smaller than the displacement of the connector 1 relative to the conductive contact terminal 91a when the connector 1 is pulled away from the load terminal 9 . Therefore, this case connector 1 uses the elastic connection of the shell 10 to control the conductive terminal 30 and the number of signal terminals 40 and the plural contact terminal of the load end 9. When the number of contact terminals from the load end 9 from the connector 1, the signal terminal 40 of the signal terminal 40 and the load 9 broken Compliance, and conductive contact terminal 91A of the conductive terminal 30 (VBUS and GND) and the load 91A is still in a connection state. At this time, the controller 51 connected to the connector 1 can control the output voltage to drop from a high voltage to a low voltage in a very short time according to the signal disconnection message. When the subsequent conductive terminal 30 and the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load terminal 9 are further separated and disconnected, the potential difference between the conductive terminal 30 of the connector 1 and the conductive contact terminal 91a of the load terminal 9 is less than a certain level, which can avoid the occurrence of hot-swap flashover, and at the same time avoid the generation of arc carbon deposits, thereby prolonging the service life and solving the problem of safety in use.

In addition, please refer to Figure 1A to Figure 7B. In this embodiment, the housing base 10 includes an outer housing 101 and an inner housing base 102 , the outer housing 101 covers the inner housing base 102 , and the accommodating space 11 is located in the inner housing base 102 . In this embodiment, the protruding portion 20 includes a first protruding block 201 and a second protruding block 202 , which are spatially opposite to each other, wherein the first protruding block 201 is elastically connected to the housing 101 and protrudes outward from the housing 101 , and is spatially opposite to the housing 92 of the load end 9 . Wherein the first bump 201 is for example connected with the housing 101 Formed in one piece. The first protrusion 201 is disposed opposite to an opening or a hole on the housing 101 , passes through the opening or the hole, and is connected to the housing 101 through a part of the side, so as to achieve elastic support of the first protrusion 201 on the housing 101 . The first protrusion 201 at least protrudes outward from the surface of the casing 101 to be exposed. The second protrusion 202 is elastically connected to the inner housing base 102 and protrudes inwardly from the inner housing base 102 , and is spatially opposite to the signal elastic arm 41 . Wherein the second protrusion 202 is integrally formed with the inner casing 102 , for example. The second protrusion 202 is disposed opposite to an opening or a hole on the inner housing 102 , passes through the opening or the hole, and is connected to the inner housing 102 through a part of the side, so as to realize the elastic support of the second protrusion 202 on the inner housing 102 . The second protrusion 202 at least protrudes inwards from the surface of the inner housing 102 and is exposed. In this embodiment, when the number of contact terminals of the load 9 and the shell set 92 in the first direction (X -axis direction) slide 12 through the opening end of the connector 1, and the displacement distance is equal to the second movement distance D2. Push the signal contact terminal 91b and make the signal terminal 40 form an electrical connection with the signal contact terminal 91B. Of course, the configuration of the shell base 10 and the protrusion 20 is not limited thereto.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing the connector and the load end of the second embodiment of the present case. In this embodiment, the connector 1a is similar to the connector 1 shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 7B, and the same component numbers represent the same components, structures and functions, which will not be repeated here. In this embodiment, the shell base 10a is also composed of the outer shell 101 and the inner shell 102 . The outer shell 101 covers the inner shell seat 102 , and the accommodating space 11 is located in the inner shell seat 102 . In this embodiment, the protrusion 20 a is integrally formed with the housing 101 , for example. The convex portion 20 a is disposed opposite to the opening or hole communicating with the outer shell 101 and the inner shell seat 102 , and is connected to the outer shell 101 through a part of the side, so as to realize the elastic support of the convex portion 20 a on the outer shell 101 . The convex portion 20a protrudes outward from the outer shell 101 so as to be spaced relative to the shell 92 of the load end 9 ; At In this embodiment, when the plurality of contact terminals 91 and the shell 92 of the load end 9 slide through the open end 12 of the connector 1 along the first direction (X-axis direction), and the displacement distance is equal to the second displacement distance D2, the convex portion 20a of the connector 1 can interfere with the shell 92 of the load end 9, push the signal elastic arm 41 inward, and drive the signal elastic arm 41 to push against the signal contact terminal 91b to form an electrical connection between the signal terminal 40 and the signal contact terminal 91b. In one embodiment, the protruding portion 20 a can be disposed on the inner shell seat 102 , penetrate through the outer shell 101 , and be spatially opposite to the shell 92 of the load end 9 and the signal elastic arm 41 in the accommodation space 11 . Through the sheath 92 of the load end 9 being sleeved on the housing 10a, the sheath 92 can interfere with the protrusion 20a, and further drive the signal elastic arm 41 to push against the signal contact terminal 91b to form an electrical connection. In another embodiment, the outer shell 101 and the inner shell 102 of the housing 10a are integrally formed, and the protrusion 20a is elastically connected to the housing 10a, and is spaced relative to the shell 92 of the load end 9 and the signal elastic arm 41 in the accommodation space 11 . When the shell 92 of the load end 9 is sheathed on the shell base 10a through the open end 12, the shell 92 can also interfere with the protrusion 20a, and further drive the signal elastic arm 41 to push against the signal contact terminal 91b to form an electrical connection. In other words, the configuration of the shell base 10 a and the protrusion 20 a may depend on actual application requirements, and the present application is not limited thereto.

To sum up, this case provides a connector. The elastically connected protrusion structure on the shell base is used to control the disconnection sequence of the conductive terminal, the signal terminal and the plurality of contact terminals at the load end. When the connector is pulled out from the plurality of contact terminals at the load end, the signal terminal released by the protrusion structure will first disconnect the signal terminal from the load end, while the conductive terminals (VBUS and GND) and the conductive contact terminals at the load end are still connected. At this time, the power supply connected to the connector can control the voltage to drop first or stop the output voltage. When the conductive terminal and the conductive contact terminal of the load end are separated and disconnected, the potential difference between the conductive terminal and the conductive contact terminal of the load end is less than a certain level, which can avoid the occurrence of flashover during hot swapping, and at the same time avoid the generation of arc carbon deposits, thereby prolonging the service life and solving the problem of safety in use. Among them, the multiple contact terminals at the load end are along the When the first direction is docked with the connector, the load end passes through the open end of the connector to complete the electrical connection between the conductive terminal and the signal terminal with the first displacement distance and the second displacement distance respectively. Since the first displacement distance is smaller than the second displacement distance, when connecting, the conductive terminal is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal first, and then the signal terminal is electrically connected to the signal contact terminal. Conversely, when the connector is separated from the load end along the first direction, when the separation distance is greater than zero and smaller than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the signal terminal will be disconnected from the signal contact terminal, while the conductive terminal will maintain electrical connection with the conductive contact terminal. At this time, the controller of the power supply at the connector connection end can determine that the connector is being unplugged according to the disconnection state of the signal terminal, and at the same time control the switching element or the power-off unit to lower or stop the output voltage, so that the output voltage is discharged through a discharge path. Then, when the disengagement distance is greater than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the output voltage of the load terminal and the connector terminal has dropped from high voltage to low voltage output or the output voltage is stopped, and the disconnection of the conductive terminal and the conductive contact terminal of the load terminal will not easily cause flashover, and at the same time, the generation of arc carbon deposit can be avoided, thereby prolonging the service life and solving the problem of safety in use.

This case can be modified in various ways by people who are familiar with this technology, but it does not deviate from the intended protection of the scope of the attached patent application.

1: connector

10: shell seat

11:Accommodating space

12: Open end

13: Fit section

20: Convex

9: Load side

92:Shell

、

:線段

,

: line segment

X, Y, Z: axes

Claims (18)

A connector is used for docking with a load end, the load end includes a plurality of contact terminals and a shell, and the shell sleeve is arranged on the plurality of contact terminals, the connector includes: A shell seat, spatially opposite to the plurality of contact terminals of the load end and the shell cover, the shell seat includes an accommodating space and an open end, and the accommodating space communicates outward through the open end; A conductive terminal is disposed in the accommodating space along a first direction, and includes a conductive elastic arm, wherein the shell sleeve is fitted on the housing seat through the open end along the first direction and slides a first displacement distance, the plurality of contact terminals slide into the accommodating space through the open end, and one conductive contact terminal of the plurality of contact terminals interferes with the conductive elastic arm to form an electrical connection; A signal terminal is disposed in the accommodating space along the first direction, and includes a signal elastic arm; and A convex portion is elastically connected to the shell seat and runs through the shell seat, spatially relative to the signal elastic arm, wherein when the shell sleeve passes through the opening end along the first direction and slides a second displacement distance, the convex portion is interfered by the shell sleeve and pushes inwardly against the signal elastic arm, so that the signal elastic arm pushes against one of the plurality of contact terminals to form an electrical connection, wherein the second displacement distance is greater than the first displacement distance. The connector according to claim 1, wherein when the plurality of contact terminals and the shell cover slide through the opening end along the first direction for less than the second displacement distance, the protrusion does not interfere with the shell cover, and the signal elastic arm and the signal contact terminal are misaligned in the viewing direction of the first direction. The connector according to claim 1, wherein when the connector and the load end are butted together along the first direction, the conductive contact terminal first forms an electrical connection with the conductive terminal, and the shell then interferes with the protrusion, driving the protrusion to push the signal elastic arm inward against the signal contact terminal to form an electrical connection. The connector according to claim 1, wherein when the connector is detached from the load end, the protrusion first breaks away from the interference with the shell in the first direction, and releases the signal elastic arm, so that the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal, and the conductive elastic arm is separated from the interference with the conductive contact terminal in the first direction, so that the conductive elastic arm is separated from the conductive contact terminal. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein when the connector is detached from the load end along the first direction, and the displacement distance of the connector relative to the load end is greater than zero and not greater than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the protrusion breaks away from the interference with the housing in the first direction, and releases the signal elastic arm, so that the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal, and the conductive elastic arm maintains interference with the conductive contact terminal in the first direction. The connector according to claim 5, wherein when the connector is detached from the load end along the first direction, and the displacement distance of the connector relative to the load end is greater than the difference between the second displacement distance and the first displacement distance, the conductive elastic arm is free from interference with the conductive contact terminal in the first direction. The connector as described in claim 5 is further connected to a power supply, wherein the power supply includes a controller configured to control an output voltage transmitted through the conductive terminal, wherein when the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal and the conductive elastic arm is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal, the controller lowers the output voltage or stops the output voltage. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the power supply further includes a power-off unit electrically connected to the controller, and when the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal and the conductive elastic arm is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal, the controller lowers the output voltage or stops the output voltage through the power-off unit. The connector according to claim 8, wherein the power-off unit is at least one selected from the group consisting of a controller, an amplifier, a resistor, and a capacitor. The connector according to claim 7, wherein the power supply further includes a switch element electrically connected to the controller, and when the signal elastic arm is separated from the signal contact terminal and the conductive elastic arm is electrically connected to the conductive contact terminal, the controller lowers the output voltage through the switch element. The connector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the switching element is a MOSFET or a BJT. The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shell seat includes an outer shell and an inner shell seat, the outer shell covers the inner shell seat, and the accommodating space is located in the inner shell seat. The connector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the protrusion includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion, which are opposite to each other in space, wherein the first protrusion is elastically connected to the outer shell, and protrudes outward from the outer shell, spatially relative to the shell at the load end, and pushes inwardly against the second protrusion when the shell interferes, wherein the second protrusion is elastically connected to the inner shell seat, and protrudes inward from the inner shell seat, and is spatially relative to the signal elastic arm, when pushed by the first protrusion , to drive the signal elastic arm against the signal contact terminal. The connector according to claim 1, wherein in the first direction, the distance from the conductive elastic arm to the open end is equal to the distance from the signal elastic arm to the open end. The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the first direction, the distance from the protrusion to the open end is greater than the distance from the signal elastic arm to the open end. The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector is a USB Type C connector. The connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact terminals are a golden finger formed on a tongue. The connector according to claim 1, wherein when the protrusion does not interfere with the shell, the conductive elastic arm and the signal elastic arm have a relative height difference in the viewing direction of the first direction, and form a level difference along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

Images