TWM677253U - Wire end connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A wire end connector includes cable set, an insulated body, a circuit inserter and an intermediate connector. The interior of the insulated body is provided with a holding cavity. The circuit inserter is placed in the holding cavity, in which the circuit inserter includes a terminal group, the terminal group includes a first sub-terminal group and a second sub-terminal group, the first terminal group and the second terminal group are placed on the two sides of the circuit inserter respectively, and the terminal group is electrically connected to the terminal group. The intermediate connector is placed between the first sub-terminal group and the second sub-terminal group, in which the intermediate connector includes a first plate body and a second plate body. The first plate body has at least one first aperture and at least one second aperture. The second plate body has at least one first protrusion and at least one second protrusion. The first protrusion penetrates through the first aperture and the second protrusion penetrates through the second aperture.

Description

Line connector

This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and more particularly to an electrical connector that ensures stable electrical conduction between two adjacent terminals.

With ever-increasing demands for data transmission rates and the growing need for high-performance server systems designed specifically for artificial intelligence computing, high-speed connectors have become indispensable key components in modern electronic devices. High-speed connectors with wire-terminal connections, in particular, require high-density terminal configurations within limited space while ensuring signal integrity and stability, avoiding signal distortion or data errors caused by insertion loss, return loss, and crosstalk. Despite the existence of various technical solutions, existing wire-terminal connectors still face the challenge of unstable electrical conduction between terminals.

The publicly available prior art CN113690642B mentions that, between grounding terminals, the first and second solder pins of two shielding plates are respectively distributed side-by-side with the conductive portions of the first and second grounding terminals in the grounding terminal group along a first direction and are used to jointly solder to at least one external conductive component, thereby achieving stable electrical conduction between each shielding plate and its corresponding grounding terminal.

In view of this, one objective of this disclosure is to provide a wire-end connector that can solve the aforementioned problems.

To achieve the above objectives, according to some embodiments disclosed in this invention, a wire-end connector includes a cable assembly, an insulating body, a circuit board, and an intermediate connector. The insulating body has an internal receiving cavity. The circuit board is disposed within the receiving cavity, and the circuit board includes a terminal assembly, which includes a first sub-terminal assembly and a second sub-terminal assembly. The first and second sub-terminal assemblies are respectively located on opposite sides of the circuit board and are electrically connected to the cable assembly. The intermediate connector is disposed between the first and second sub-terminal assemblies, and includes a first plate and a second plate. The first plate has at least one first hole and at least one second hole. The second plate has at least one first protrusion and at least one second protrusion. The first protrusion penetrates the first hole, and the second protrusion penetrates the second hole.

In some embodiments, the aforementioned first sub-terminal group includes a plurality of first signal terminals and a plurality of first ground terminals. The aforementioned first plate has a plurality of first ground connections electrically connected to the first ground terminals.

In some embodiments, each of the aforementioned first grounding terminals has a first extension, a first bend, and a second extension, the first bend being located between the first and second extensions, the first extension contacting an intermediate connector, and the second extension connected to a first cable of the cable assembly.

In some embodiments, the first bend is L-shaped.

In some embodiments, the aforementioned second sub-terminal group includes a plurality of second signal terminals and a plurality of second ground terminals. The aforementioned second plate has a plurality of second ground connections electrically connected to the second ground terminals.

In some embodiments, each of the aforementioned second grounding terminals has a third extension, a second bend, and a fourth extension, the third extension contacting the intermediate connector, and the fourth extension connected to the second cable of the cable assembly.

In some embodiments, the second bend is L-shaped.

In some embodiments, the aforementioned intermediate connector further includes a third plate. The third plate is disposed between the first plate and the second plate.

In some embodiments, the third plate has at least one third hole and at least one fourth hole, wherein the at least one first hole overlaps with the at least one third hole, the at least one second hole overlaps with the at least one fourth hole, and at least one first protrusion penetrates through the at least one third hole, and at least one second protrusion penetrates through the at least one fourth hole.

In some embodiments, the first, second, and third plates of the aforementioned intermediate connector are made of metal.

In summary, in the embodiments disclosed in this invention, because the intermediate connector has a structure with three or more layers, the holes in the first and third plates overlap. The second plate has a protrusion that penetrates the holes in the first and third plates, achieving a snap-fit structure between the multiple layers of the intermediate connector, which helps to make the multi-layered structure of the intermediate connector more stable and less prone to loosening. Furthermore, the first extension of the first sub-terminal group and the third extension of the second sub-terminal group contact the intermediate connector, helping to ensure stable electrical conduction between adjacent terminals.

100, 300: Line connectors

110: Cable Set

112: First Cable

112a, 116a: Connecting parts

116: Second Cable

120: The Subject of Severed Ties

130: Circuit board

140, 340: Intermediate connectors

150: Reception cavity

160: Terminal block

162: First Sub-Terminal Group

162S: First Signal Terminal

162G: First grounding terminal

166: Second Sub-terminal Group

166S: Second Signal Terminal

166G: Second grounding terminal

170: First Plate

172: First Hole

176: Second hole

177: First grounding connection

180: Second Plate

182: First protrusion

186: Second protrusion

187: Second grounding connection

190: Third Plate

192: Third Hole

196: Fourth Hole

T199, T399: Thickness

210, 310: First extension

220, 320: First bend

230, 330: Second extension

240, 440: Third Extension

250°, 350°: Second bend

260, 360: Fourth Extension

410, 510: Slots

To make the above and other features, advantages and embodiments of this invention more apparent and understandable, the accompanying drawings are described in detail below:

Figure 1A is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a wire-end connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 1B is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the wire connector in Figure 1A after the insulation body has been removed.

Figure 1C is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the intermediate connector and terminal assembly in Figure 1B.

Figure 2 is a side view of the intermediate connector and terminal block structure shown in Figure 1B.

Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the intermediate connector of one embodiment of this invention.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wire-end connector and slot according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another embodiment of the present invention after the wire-end connector and slot are combined.

The following figures disclose several embodiments of the present invention. For clarity, many practical details will be described in the following description. However, it should be understood that these practical details should not be used to limit the present invention. That is, these practical details are not essential in some embodiments of the present invention. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, some conventional structures and components will be shown in a simplified schematic manner in the figures, and in all figures, the same reference numerals will be used to denote the same or similar components. And, where feasible, features of different embodiments can be interchanged.

Please refer to Figures 1A and 1B. Figure 1A is a three-dimensional schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a wire-end connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1B is a three-dimensional schematic diagram illustrating the wire-end connector 100 of Figure 1A after removing the insulating body 120 (as shown in Figure 1A). The wire-end connector 100 can be a high-speed connector used in servers or similar devices that require the transmission of large amounts of data. In one application, the wire-end connector 100 can be coupled to a board-end connector located within the aforementioned device for data transmission. The wire-end connector 100 includes a cable assembly 110, an insulating body 120, a circuit board 130, and an intermediate connector (not shown). The insulating body 120 has an internal receiving cavity 150. A circuit board 130 is disposed within a receiving cavity 150. The circuit board 130 includes a terminal block 160. The terminal block 160 includes a plurality of terminals located on the upper and lower sides of the circuit board 130. In some embodiments, the terminal block 160 of the circuit board 130 is bent to electrically connect to a cable assembly 110.

Please refer to Figure 1C, which is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the intermediate connector 140 and terminal group 160 in Figure 1B. Terminal group 160 includes a first sub-terminal group 162 and a second sub-terminal group 166. The first sub-terminal group 162 and the second sub-terminal group 166 are located on the upper and lower sides of the circuit board 130 (as shown in Figure 1B), respectively. The intermediate connector 140 is disposed between the first sub-terminal group 162 and the second sub-terminal group 166, and is electrically connected to both. The first sub-terminal group 162 includes a plurality of first signal terminals 162S and a plurality of first ground terminals 162G. The second sub-terminal group 166 includes a plurality of second signal terminals 166S and a plurality of second ground terminals 166G. The first grounding terminal 162G and the second grounding terminal 166G are used to provide grounding reference signals, and the first signal terminal 162S and the second signal terminal 166S are used to provide data signals.

Please refer to Figure 2, which is a side view of the intermediate connector 140 and terminal block (not shown) in Figure 1B. Terminal block 160 is electrically connected to cable assembly 110 for signal transmission.

Each terminal of the first sub-terminal group 162 has a first extension 210, a first bend 220, and a second extension 230. Taking the first ground terminal 162G of the first sub-terminal group 162 as an example, the first bend 220 is located between the first extension 210 and the second extension 230. The first extension 210 contacts the intermediate connector 140 to achieve an electrical connection between the intermediate connector 140 and the first sub-terminal group 162. The second extension 230 is connected to the connection portion 112a of the first cable 112 of the cable assembly 110 to achieve an electrical connection between the cable assembly 110 and the first sub-terminal group 162.

Considering the first signal terminal 162S of the first sub-terminal group 162, the connection method of the first extension 210, the first bend 220, and the second extension 230 of the first signal terminal 162S is similar to that of the first ground terminal 162G described above, but the first extension 210 of the first signal terminal 162S does not contact the intermediate connector 140.

Each terminal of the second sub-terminal group 166 has a third extension 240, a second bend 250, and a fourth extension 260. Taking the second ground terminal 166G of the second sub-terminal group 166 as an example, the second bend 250 is located between the third extension 240 and the fourth extension 260. The third extension 240 contacts the intermediate connector 140 to achieve an electrical connection between the intermediate connector 140 and the second sub-terminal group 166. The fourth extension 260 is connected to the connection portion 116a of the second cable 116 of the cable assembly 110 to achieve an electrical connection between the cable assembly 110 and the second sub-terminal group 166.

Considering the second signal terminal 166S of the second sub-terminal group 166, the connection method of the third extension 240, the second bend 250, and the fourth extension 260 of the second signal terminal 166S is similar to that of the second ground terminal 166G described above, but the third extension 240 of the second signal terminal 166S does not contact the intermediate connector 140.

In this embodiment, the first bend 220 and the second bend 250 may be L-shaped, but this embodiment is not limited to this. Furthermore, the first plate 170 has a plurality of first grounding connection portions 177, which are electrically connected to a first grounding terminal 162G. The second plate 180 has a plurality of second grounding connection portions 187, which are electrically connected to a second grounding terminal 166G.

Please refer to Figure 3, which is an exploded perspective view of an intermediate connector 140 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The intermediate connector 140 includes a first plate 170 and a second plate 180. The first plate 170 has at least one first hole 172 and at least one second hole 176. The second plate 180 has at least one first protrusion 182 and at least one second protrusion 186. The first protrusion 182 penetrates the first hole 172, and the second protrusion 186 penetrates the second hole 176. The intermediate connector 140 further includes a third plate 190 disposed between the first plate 170 and the second plate 180. The first plate 170, the second plate 180, and the third plate 190 of the intermediate connector 140 are made of metal. The third plate 190 has at least one third hole 192 and at least one fourth hole 196, wherein the at least one first hole 172 overlaps with the at least one third hole 192, the at least one second hole 176 overlaps with the at least one fourth hole 196, and the at least one first protrusion 182 penetrates the at least one third hole 192, and the at least one second protrusion 186 penetrates the at least one fourth hole 196. Through the design of the protrusions and holes, the first plate 170, the second plate 180, and the third plate 190 can be joined together.

Please refer to Figure 4, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wire-end connector 100 and slot 410 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The circuit board structure is not shown to illustrate the terminals of the wire-end connector 100 (e.g., first ground terminal 162G and second ground terminal 166G). The intermediate connector 140 contacts the first extension 210 and the third extension 240 to ensure stable electrical conduction between adjacent terminals. Compared to conventional wire-end connectors (not shown), the first bend 220 and the second bend 250 of the wire-end connector 100 of this embodiment are L-shaped, which helps to reduce the overall thickness T199 from 11.95 mm to 9.95 mm.

Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wire connector 300 and slot 510 after being combined according to another embodiment of the present invention. The structure shown in Figure 5 is similar to that in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the first bend 320 and the second bend 350 of the wire connector 300 are L-shaped. The intermediate connector 340 contacts the first extension 310 and the third extension 440. The difference between the structure in Figure 5 and that in Figure 4 is that the second extension 330 and the fourth extension 360 can be made into different shapes (e.g., forming more bends) according to the design of the wire connector 300, which also helps to reduce the overall structural thickness T399. Taking this embodiment as an example, compared to a traditional wire-end connector (not shown), it helps reduce the thickness of T399 from 11.95 mm to 9.95 mm.

In summary, because the intermediate connector of the disclosed wire-end connector has a structure of three or more layers, the holes in the first plate overlap with the holes in the third plate. The second plate has a protrusion that penetrates the holes in the first and third plates, achieving a snap-fit structure between the multiple layers of the intermediate connector, which helps to make the multi-layer plate structure of the intermediate connector more stable and less prone to loosening. Furthermore, the first grounding connection and the second grounding connection of the intermediate connector respectively contact the first extension of the first sub-terminal group and the third extension of the second sub-terminal group, which helps to ensure stable electrical conduction between adjacent terminals. Furthermore, since the first and second bends of the wire connector are L-shaped, different shapes can be made by combining the second and fourth extensions, which helps to reduce the thickness of the wire connector and further reduce its size. This is advantageous for applications in electronic devices, especially high-performance servers currently designed specifically for artificial intelligence computing.

The foregoing outlines the characteristics of several embodiments, enabling those skilled in the art to better understand the nature of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that they can readily use this disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to achieve the same purpose and/or the same advantages as the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art should also recognize that such equivalent structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of this disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to them without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.

110: Cable Set

112: First Cable

112a, 116a: Connecting parts

116: Second Cable

140: Intermediate Connector

162G: First grounding terminal

166G: Second grounding terminal

170: First Plate

177: First grounding connection

180: Second Plate

187: Second grounding connection

210: First Extension

220: First Bend

230: Second Extension

240: Third Extension

250: Second bend

260: Fourth Extension

Claims (10)

A wire connector includes: a cable assembly; an insulating body having an internal cavity; a circuit board disposed within the cavity, the circuit board including a terminal assembly, the terminal assembly including a first sub-terminal assembly and a second sub-terminal assembly, the first sub-terminal assembly and the second sub-terminal assembly being respectively located on opposite sides of the circuit board, the terminal assembly being electrically connected to the cable assembly; and an intermediate connector disposed between the first sub-terminal assembly and the second sub-terminal assembly, wherein the intermediate connector includes: a first plate having at least one first hole and at least one second hole; and a second plate having at least one first protrusion and at least one second protrusion; wherein the at least one first protrusion passes through the at least one first hole, and the at least one second protrusion passes through the at least one second hole. The line connector as described in claim 1, wherein the first sub-terminal group includes: a plurality of first signal terminals; and a plurality of first ground terminals; wherein the first plate has a plurality of first ground connections electrically connected to the first ground terminals. The wire-end connector as described in claim 2, wherein each of the first grounding terminals has a first extension, a first bend, and a second extension, the first bend being located between the first extension and the second extension, the first extension contacting the intermediate connector, and the second extension being connected to a first cable of the cable assembly. The wire connector as described in claim 3, wherein the first bend is L-shaped. The line-end connector as described in claim 1, wherein the second sub-terminal group includes: a plurality of second signal terminals; and a plurality of second ground terminals; wherein the second plate has a plurality of second ground connections electrically connected to the second ground terminals. The wire-end connector as described in claim 5, wherein each of the second grounding terminals has a third extension, a second bend, and a fourth extension, the second bend being located between the third extension and the fourth extension, the third extension contacting the intermediate connector, and the fourth extension being connected to a second cable of the cable assembly. The wire connector as described in claim 6, wherein the second bend is L-shaped. The wire connector as described in claim 1, wherein the intermediate connector further includes: a third plate disposed between the first plate and the second plate. The wire connector as described in claim 8, wherein the third plate has at least one third hole and at least one fourth hole, wherein the at least one first hole overlaps with the at least one third hole, the at least one second hole overlaps with the at least one fourth hole, and the at least one first protrusion passes through the at least one third hole and the at least one second protrusion passes through the at least one fourth hole. The wire connector as described in claim 8, wherein the first plate, the second plate, and the third plate of the intermediate connector are made of metal.