TWM518839U - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

Electrical connector

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector for clamping and electrically connecting wires.

A conventional connector for forming an electrical connection by a clamping method, for example, Taiwan Patent No. I410009 discloses a connector for electrically connecting a lamp tube, the connector comprising an insulative housing, a conductive terminal and an upper cover. The conductive terminal has a pair of clamping arms, and the clamping arms are pressed by the two interference portions of the upper cover to cause the clamping arms to clamp and fix the tube. However, since the clamp arm contacts the lamp arm and the interference portion contacts the clamp arm when the lamp is in the working state, the heat generated by the lamp tube is directly transmitted to the interference portion via the clamp arm, since the interference portion (insulating housing) is made of a plastic material. Long-term high temperature easily leads to embrittlement of plastic materials.

In addition, for example, the Chinese Patent Publication No. CN102237608A discloses an operating device for an electric terminal clip that can be used to remove or insert an electric wire by manipulating a leaf spring that presses a button with a pressing arm to open the contact frame. The plate spring can be returned to its original position to hold the wire when the button is released. Since the button needs to travel up and down, it is not conducive to the design and use requirements of the low height of the electrical connector.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector that can solve the aforementioned problems.

Therefore, in some embodiments, the electrical connector of the present invention is for electrically connecting a wire, comprising: an insulating shell, a terminal and an upper cover. The insulating case has a receiving groove and a wire inlet connected to the receiving groove space along a wire insertion and removal direction. The terminal is disposed in the insulating case and located in the receiving groove, and includes a pair of elastic arms that are opposite to each other and extend in the direction in which the wires are inserted and removed. The pair of resilient arms each have a free end, and the free ends of the pair of resilient arms are resiliently displaceable relative to each other and used to hold the wire together. The upper cover is disposed on a top side of the insulating case and is movable between a first position and a second position along the wire insertion and removal direction, and has a protrusion protruding into the receiving groove. When the upper cover is in the first position, the free end of the pair of elastic arms is in a clamping state in which the wire can be clamped, and when the upper cover is in the second position, the convex end of the pair of elastic arms The portion is expanded to release the free end of the pair of resilient arms in a released state in which the wire is unwound.

In some embodiments, the insulating case further has an upper opening above the receiving groove and communicating with the receiving groove space, and the upper cover is located in the upper opening when the first position is located, and in the first The upper cover portion moves out of the upper opening when the position is two.

In some embodiments, the bump is located at a position corresponding to the resilient arm but not with the pair of resilient arms when the upper cover is in the first position.

In some embodiments, the movement of the upper cover from the first position to the second position is toward moving away from the wire entrance.

In some embodiments, the pair of resilient arms each have a fixed end portion, the fixed ends of the pair of resilient arms are opposite to each other and spaced apart from each other and the free end is adjacent to the wire inlet, and the pair of elastic arms are fixed The ends to the free ends gradually approach each other.

In some embodiments, the pair of elastic arms respectively have a guiding portion protruding from the top side thereof, and the guiding portions of the pair of elastic arms are opposite to each other and respectively have a guiding surface facing the wire inlet. The bump abuts between the guiding portions of the pair of resilient arms when the upper cover is in the second position.

In some embodiments, the bump tapers to a width that is tapered at an end remote from the wire entrance.

In some embodiments, the terminal further includes a bottom plate extending in the direction in which the wire is inserted and removed, and a pair of limiting portions respectively extending from the two sides of the bottom plate adjacent to the wire inlet and opposite to each other, the pair The fixed ends of the elastic arms are respectively connected to the pair of limiting portions.

In some embodiments, the terminal further includes at least one weld extending from the bottom plate.

In some embodiments, it is also used to electrically connect another wire, and further includes another terminal. The two terminals have the same structure, and the insulating case further has another receiving groove and another wire inlet connected to respectively Correspondingly accommodating the two terminals and the two wires, the insulating shell further has two sidewalls opposite to each other and spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the wires are inserted and removed, and a first connecting the one ends of the two sidewalls and having the two wire inlets End wall, another connecting the two side walls a second end wall opposite to the first end wall and a partition wall connecting the first end wall and the second end wall and spaced between the two side walls to be separated from the two side walls The two accommodation slots.

In some embodiments, the two side walls and the top side of the first end wall together define an upper opening, the two side walls respectively having at least one limiting recess formed on the inner side, the upper cover further having a plate portion and another a bump and at least two limiting protrusions, a part of the bottom surface of the plate portion abuts against a top surface of the partition wall, the two protrusions projecting from a bottom surface of the plate portion and respectively extending into the two receiving slots, the two The limiting protrusions respectively protrude from opposite sides of the plate portion and are respectively disposed with the limiting recesses of the two side walls to limit the upper cover. The upper cover is located in the upper opening when the first cover is located at the first position, and is located at the upper opening The upper cover portion moves out of the upper opening beyond the second end wall in the two positions.

In some embodiments, the partition wall has a guide groove formed on a top surface thereof and extending along the wire insertion and removal direction, and the upper cover further has a guiding rib, and the guiding rib is located between the two convex blocks. The bottom surface of the plate portion extends and extends along the wire insertion and extraction direction and is slidably received in the guide groove relative to the guide groove.

The present invention has at least the following effects: the upper cover can move between the first position and the second position along the wire insertion and removal direction and move the joint block together to control the free end of the elastic arm of the terminal in the clamping state or in the released state. It can easily plug and unplug the wire and achieve zero insertion force. Furthermore, the upper cover moves in the direction of the wire insertion and removal, which can reduce the height of the overall electrical connector, and the bump of the upper cover does not directly contact the terminal in the working state of the wire, and can avoid the long-term thermal embrittlement of the bump and affect its function.

100‧‧‧Electrical connector

1‧‧‧Insulated shell

11‧‧‧ side wall

111‧‧‧Limited recess

1111‧‧‧Upper stop surface

1112‧‧‧ Side stop surface

12‧‧‧First end wall

13‧‧‧Second end wall

14‧‧‧ partition wall

141‧‧‧ top

142‧‧

15‧‧‧ accommodating slots

16‧‧‧Wire entry

17‧‧‧Opening

2‧‧‧ terminals

21‧‧‧floor

22‧‧‧Limited

221‧‧‧ side spurs

222‧‧‧Tear shrapnel

23‧‧‧Flexible arm

231‧‧‧ Fixed end

232‧‧‧Free end

233‧‧‧ Main body

234‧‧‧Guidance

2341‧‧‧ Guide surface

24‧‧‧Fixed Department

241‧‧‧Spurs

25‧‧‧Weld Department

3‧‧‧Upper cover

31‧‧‧ Board Department

311‧‧‧ bottom

32‧‧‧Bumps

33‧‧‧ Guide ribs

34‧‧‧Limited convex

35‧‧‧ Groove

A‧‧‧Wire insertion and removal direction

C‧‧‧Wire

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present electrical connector electrically connecting two wires, one of which is covered FIG. 2 is another perspective view of FIG. 1 illustrating the embodiment; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the components and wires of the embodiment; FIG. 4 is another angle of FIG. Figure 5 is a side view showing the state in which the upper cover of the embodiment is in the first position and the wire is not inserted; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Figure 5, illustrating the upper cover of the embodiment In the first position, the relationship between the bump and the terminal; FIG. 7 is a side view illustrating the state in which the upper cover of the embodiment is in the first position and the wire is inserted; FIG. 8 is a line along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. The cross-sectional view of the embodiment shows the relationship between the terminal and the wire when the upper cover of the embodiment is in the first position; FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the upper cover of the embodiment in a second position; FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating The upper cover of this embodiment is in the second position and is not inserted Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI of Figure 10, illustrating the action of the bump and the terminal when the upper cover of the embodiment is in the second position; Figure 12 is a side view illustrating the The upper cover of the embodiment is in the second position and the state of the wire is inserted; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIII-XIII in FIG. The relationship between the terminal and the wire when the upper cover of the embodiment is in the second position.

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, an embodiment of the electrical connector 100 of the present invention is used for electrically connecting two wires C, comprising: an insulating case 1, two terminals 2 and an upper cover 3.

The insulating housing 1 has two side walls 11, a first end wall 12, a second end wall 13, a partition wall 14, two receiving slots 15, two wire inlets 16 and an upper opening 17. The two side walls 11 are opposite to each other and spaced apart from each other and disposed in a wire insertion and removal direction A. The first end wall 12 connects one end of the two side walls 11 , and the second end wall 13 connects the other ends of the two side walls 11 and the first end The partition wall 14 is opposite to the first end wall 12 and the second end wall 13 and is spaced between the two side walls 11 and spaced apart from the two side walls 11 to partition the two receiving slots 15 . In other words, the two accommodating grooves 15 are defined by the two side walls 11, the first end wall 12, the second end wall 13, and the partition wall 14. The two wire inlets 16 are disposed on the first end wall 12 and are in spatial communication with the two receiving slots 15 in the wire insertion and removal direction A, respectively. The upper opening 17 is defined by the two side walls 11 and the top side of the first end wall 12 and is located above the accommodating groove 15 and is in spatial communication with the accommodating groove 15 .

The two terminals 2 are disposed in the insulating case 1 and respectively located in the two receiving slots 15 and include a bottom plate 21 extending along the wire insertion and removal direction A, a pair of limiting portions 22, a pair of elastic arms 23, and a pair of fixing portions. 24 and two welded portions 25. The pair of limiting portions 22 are respectively bent and extended from the wire inlets 16 adjacent to the two sides of the bottom plate 21 and opposite to each other for fixing to the insulating case 1 and for guiding the wires C limit. In this embodiment, each of the limiting portions 22 has a side rib 221 and a tearing elastic piece 222 to be positioned opposite to the insulating case 1 , and each of the limiting portions 22 is disposed opposite to the other limiting portion 22 in an inverted L shape. And the two limiting portions 22 form a frame shape together with the bottom plate 21 to confine the wire C therein. The pair of elastic arms 23 are opposite to each other and extend in the wire insertion and removal direction A, respectively, and have a fixed end portion 231, a free end portion 232, and a main body portion 233 connecting the fixed end portion 231 and the free end portion 232. The fixed ends 231 of the pair of resilient arms 23 are opposite and spaced apart from each other and are respectively coupled to the pair of limiting portions 22 to be adjacent to the wire entry 16 as compared to the free end portion 232. The pair of resilient arms 23 are gradually closer to each other from the fixed end 231 to the free end 232 and the free ends 232 are resiliently displaceable relative to each other and used to hold the wire C together. The pair of resilient arms 23 each have a guiding portion 234 protruding from the top side thereof. The guiding portions 234 of the pair of resilient arms 23 are opposite each other and have a guiding surface 2341 facing the wire inlet 16 respectively. In the present embodiment, the guiding portion 234 of the pair of elastic arms 23 is integrally connected with the free end portion 232. The pair of fixing portions 24 are respectively bent and extended from one ends of the bottom plate 21 away from the wire inlet 16 and opposed to each other, and each has a plurality of ribs 241 protruding from opposite sides to be fixed to the insulating case 1. In the present embodiment, the two soldering portions 25 are respectively extended from the opposite ends of the bottom plate 21 in the wire insertion and removal direction A to be soldered to a circuit board (not shown). Of course, only one of the soldering portions 25 can be implemented. The terminal 2 of the present embodiment can be applied to a plurality of wire diameters C. For example, the wire diameters of the two wires C of the present embodiment are different.

In this embodiment, the two side walls 11 of the insulating case 1 respectively have two limiting recesses 111 formed on the inner side, and the partition wall 14 has a A guide groove 142 formed on the top surface 141 thereof and extending in the wire insertion and removal direction A. The upper cover 3 is disposed on the top side of the insulating case 1 and is movable between the first position (see FIG. 1) and a second position (see FIG. 9) along the wire insertion and removal direction A, and has a plate portion 31. Two bumps 32, a guiding rib 33 and four limiting protrusions 34. A portion of the bottom surface 311 of the plate portion 31 abuts against the top surface 141 of the partition wall 14. The two protrusions 32 protrude from the bottom surface 311 of the plate portion 31 and extend into the two receiving grooves 15 respectively. The protrusion 32 is tapered at a width away from the wire inlet 16 to be tapered. The guiding rib 33 protrudes from the bottom surface 311 of the plate portion 31 between the two protrusions 32 and extends along the wire insertion and removal direction A and is slidably received in the guiding groove 142 relative to the guiding groove 142. The limiting protrusions 34 respectively protrude from opposite sides of the plate portion 31 and are respectively disposed to match the limiting recesses 111 of the two side walls 11 to limit the upper cover 3 . Specifically, each of the limiting recesses 111 is formed with an upper blocking surface 1111 and a side blocking surface 1112. Each of the limiting convex portions 34 is a thick and thin block to form a slope on the side to facilitate the upper cover. 3 is mounted on the insulating case 1 from the top to the bottom. The upper cover 3 is located in the upper opening 17 when the upper cover 3 is located in the first position, and the partial bottom surface 311 of the plate portion 31 abuts against the top surface 141 of the partition wall 14 to be supported by the partition wall 14 and the limiting protrusion 34 The top surface 141 can be blocked by the upper stop surface 1111 of the corresponding limiting recess 111, thereby limiting the upper cover 3 in the up and down direction. Moreover, one side of the adjacent wire inlet 16 of the plate portion 31 can be blocked by the first end wall 12 (in the first position), and the side of the back guide line 16 of the limiting protrusion 34 can be blocked by the side of the corresponding limiting recess 111. The face 1112 is stopped (located in the second position), whereby the upper cover 3 can be restricted in the wire insertion and removal direction A to be restricted from moving between the first position and the second position. The guide groove 142 of the top surface 141 of the partition wall 14 by the guide rib 33 of the upper cover 3 In cooperation, the upper cover 3 can be linearly slid along the wire insertion and removal direction A, thereby making the upper cover 3 slide smoothly between the first position and the second position.

The structural design that allows the upper cover 3 to slide between the two positions along the wire insertion and removal direction A can be variously. For example, the drawer-like structure forms a sliding groove on both side walls of the insulating case and forms a matching sliding rail on both sides of the upper cover. It can be adjusted according to the general sliding structure design, and is not limited to the embodiment, as long as the function of moving the upper cover 3 between the two positions along the wire insertion and removal direction A is achieved. Of course, the upper cover 3 in this embodiment may have only two limiting protrusions 34 and are respectively disposed on two sides of the plate portion 31. Therefore, each of the side walls 11 of the insulating case 1 may be correspondingly provided with a limiting recess 111. Furthermore, although the present embodiment is described in terms of a structure suitable for electrically connecting two wires C, it may be equivalently changed to be suitable for electrically connecting a single wire C.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 to FIG. 8 , for convenience of explanation of the action relationship between the bump 32 and the terminal 2 , the following description will be given of the relationship between the single bump 32 and the terminal 2 corresponding to the bump 32 . When the upper cover 3 is in the first position, the protrusion 32 is located at a position corresponding to the elastic arm 23 but not to the pair of elastic arms 23 (see FIG. 6), and the free end 232 of the pair of elastic arms 23 is at A clamping state in which the wire C can be clamped. That is, at this time, the elastic arm 23 is not subjected to the force of the projection 32 such that the free end portion 232 of the pair of elastic arms 23 tends to maintain a relatively close position when the wire C is placed at the free end of the pair of elastic arms 23. When the two free end portions 232 are elastically displaced from each other in a direction away from each other, the pair of elastic arms 23 generate an elastic restoring force for returning the free end portion 232 to the original position, and the free end portion 232 is biased on the wire C. Hold the wire C in place (see Figure 8).

Referring to FIG. 9 to FIG. 13 , in the embodiment, the movement of the upper cover 3 from the first position to the second position is moving away from the wire inlet 16 . When the upper cover 3 is in the second position, the upper cover 3 partially moves out of the upper opening 17 beyond the second end wall 13 (see FIG. 4), and the projection 32 opens the free end 232 of the pair of elastic arms 23. The free end portion 232 of the pair of elastic arms 23 is released in a released state (see Figs. 11, 13). Specifically, during the movement of the upper cover 3 from the first position to the second position, the tapered front end of the projection 32 first abuts against the guiding surface 2341 of the guiding portion 234 of the elastic arm 23 (see FIG. 3). The guiding portion 234 of the two elastic arms 23 is gradually extended relative to the guiding surface 2341, and the entire elastic arm 23 is driven by the guiding portion 234 so that the free end portion 232 is also outwardly extended to make the two free ends 232 A distance is maintained between the two ends, and the distance between the two free ends 232 is greater than the wire diameter of the wire C, so that the wire C is not clamped by the free end 232 and can pass between the two free ends 232 without barriers. Easy to plug and unplug the wire C. That is, when the wire C is to be inserted, the upper cover 3 is moved to the second position, and the free end portion 232 of the pair of elastic arms 23 is opened by the projection 32 to release the two free ends 232. When the wire C is inserted, the zero insertion force can be achieved. After the wire C is inserted into the positioning, the upper cover 3 is moved to the first position (see FIG. 1), and the force applied to the elastic arm 23 by the protrusion 32 is removed. The two free ends 232 clamp the wire C. Since the zero insertion force can be achieved when the wire C is inserted, the embodiment is particularly suitable for the wire C to be a soft multi-core wire, so that the user can conveniently position the wire C. If the wire C is to be inserted and the wire C is to be pulled out, the upper cover 3 is also moved to the second position, and the two free ends 232 are released, so that the wire C can be easily pulled out. . In the present embodiment, the upper cover 3 further has two recesses 35 provided on the top surface 141 to facilitate the user to apply force to the upper cover 3 to easily push the upper cover 3.

Since the upper cover 3 is moved in the wire insertion/removal direction A to eliminate the stroke of the upper and lower pressing, the height of the entire electrical connector 100 can be lowered. In this embodiment, the upper cover 3 and the insulating case 1 are both made of a plastic material. When the electrical connector 100 is inserted with the wire C, the bump 32 of the upper cover 3 does not directly contact the terminal 2, and the operation of the wire C can be avoided. Direct conduction of thermal energy to the bumps 32 causes the bumps 32 to embrittle and affect their function.

In summary, the upper cover 3 is movable between the first position and the second position along the wire insertion and removal direction A and moves together with the projection 32 to control the free end 232 of the elastic arm 23 of the terminal 2 in the clamp. When the state is held or released, the wire C can be easily inserted and removed, and the effect of zero insertion force can be achieved. Moreover, the upper cover 3 is moved along the wire insertion and removal direction A, and the height of the overall electrical connector 100 can be lowered, and the bump 32 of the upper cover 3 does not directly contact the terminal 2 in the working state of the wire C, and the long-term heating of the bump 32 can be avoided. Embrittlement affects its function.

However, the above description is only for the embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention cannot be limited thereto, that is, the simple equivalent changes and modifications made by the present patent application scope and the contents of the patent specification are still It is within the scope of this new patent.

1‧‧‧Insulated shell

23‧‧‧Flexible arm

232‧‧‧Free end

32‧‧‧Bumps

Claims (12)

An electrical connector for electrically connecting a wire, comprising: an insulating case having a receiving groove, and a wire inlet connected to the receiving groove space along a wire insertion and removal direction; a terminal disposed at the wire The insulating case is located in the accommodating groove and includes a pair of elastic arms that are opposite to each other and extend in the direction in which the wires are inserted and removed. The pair of elastic arms respectively have a free end portion, and the free ends of the pair of elastic arms can mutually Elastically displaced in a relatively distant direction and used to clamp the wire; and an upper cover disposed on a top side of the insulating case and movable between a first position and a second position along the wire insertion and removal direction, and And a protrusion protruding from the accommodating groove; wherein, when the upper cover is in the first position, the free end of the pair of elastic arms is in a clamping state capable of clamping the wire, and the upper cover is located at the In the second position, the projections open the free ends of the pair of resilient arms such that the free ends of the pair of resilient arms are released from the release of the wires. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the insulative housing further has an upper opening above the receiving slot and communicating with the receiving slot space, the upper cover being located in the upper opening when the first position is located And in the second position, the upper cover portion moves out of the upper opening. The electrical connector of claim 2, wherein the bump is located at a position corresponding to the resilient arm but does not interact with the pair of resilient arms when the upper cover is in the first position. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein the movement of the upper cover from the first position to the second position is toward moving away from the wire entrance. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the pair of resilient arms further have a fixed end portion, the fixed ends of the pair of resilient arms are opposite to each other and spaced apart from each other and the free end is adjacent to the wire inlet, The elastic arms are gradually brought closer to each other from the fixed end to the free end. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pair of elastic arms respectively have a guiding portion protruding from a top side thereof, the guiding portions of the pair of elastic arms are opposite to each other and respectively a guiding surface facing the wire inlet, the protrusion abutting between the guiding portions of the pair of elastic arms when the upper cover is in the second position. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the bump is tapered at a width away from an end of the wire inlet to be tapered. The electrical connector of claim 6, wherein the terminal further comprises a bottom plate extending in the direction in which the wire is inserted and removed, and a pair of legs respectively extending from the entrance of the wire adjacent to the wire and extending opposite to each other The fixed portion of the pair of elastic arms is respectively connected to the pair of limiting portions. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein the terminal further comprises at least one weld extending from the bottom plate. The electrical connector of claim 1, further configured to electrically connect another wire, and further comprising another terminal having the same structure, the insulating case further having another receiving groove and another wire The inlets respectively accommodate the two terminals and the two wires, and the insulating shell further has two side walls which are opposite to each other and are spaced apart from each other and are parallel to the direction in which the wires are inserted and removed, and the two sides are connected One end of the wall is provided with a first end wall of the two wire inlets, a second end wall connecting the other ends of the two side walls and opposite to the first end wall, and a connecting the first end wall and the second end And a partition wall between the two side walls and spaced apart from the two side walls to partition the two accommodating grooves. The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein the two side walls and the top side of the first end wall together define an upper opening, the two side walls respectively having at least one limiting recess formed on the inner side, the upper cover further having a a plate portion, another protrusion and at least two limiting protrusions, a part of the bottom surface of the plate portion abutting against a top surface of the partition wall, the two protrusions projecting from a bottom surface of the plate portion and respectively extending into the two sides The two limiting protrusions respectively protrude from opposite sides of the plate portion and are respectively disposed with the limiting recesses of the two side walls to limit the upper cover. The upper cover is located in the upper opening when the first cover is located at the first position. And in the second position, the upper cover portion moves out of the upper opening beyond the second end wall. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein the partition wall has a guide groove formed on a top surface thereof and extending in a direction in which the wire is inserted and removed, the upper cover further having a guiding rib, wherein the guiding rib is located at the two A bottom surface of the plate portion protrudes between the bumps and extends along the wire insertion and removal direction and is slidably received in the guide groove relative to the guide groove.