Plug connector with lateral heterogeneous terminal slots and its connector body

Abstract

This invention relates to a plug connector with lateral heterogeneous terminal slots and its connector body. The plug connector includes a connector body and a plurality of metal terminals. The connector body has at least one row of slots, and the same row of slots includes a plurality of terminal slots arranged along the horizontal axis. Each terminal slot includes a narrow slot area and a wide slot area to accommodate each metal terminal. Furthermore, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape or orientation of two adjacent terminal slots in the same row of slots is different from each other. Thus, by means of lateral heterogeneous arrangement, the arrangement density of metal terminals and mechanical installation stability can be effectively improved.

Description

Plug connector with lateral heterogeneous terminal slots and its connector body Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to plug connectors, and more particularly to a plug connector that uses a laterally heterogeneous arrangement of multiple terminal slots to improve the arrangement density of metal terminals and the stability of mechanical installation. Prior Technology

[0002] Note that connectors refer to all connecting elements and accessories used in electronic signal and power transmission. Their main function is to establish and maintain connections between circuits. They are responsible not only for transmitting power but also for data transmission. They are an important component in any modern electronic system. From mobile phones and computers to large industrial machinery, all rely on connectors to complete their basic functions.

[0003] As electronic devices become increasingly smaller, connectors are also being designed to be thinner and lighter. However, when the number of terminals that need to be installed in the connector increases, or when the installation space is limited, the slot structure is easily crowded, resulting in insufficient wall thickness between adjacent slots. This increases the risk of mold processing, forming deformation, and damage to the slot wall when installing terminals.

[0004] In view of this, the industry urgently needs a connector structure that can take into account terminal arrangement density, installation stability and process efficiency, so as to provide a more flexible slot configuration. This is also a major topic explored in this work. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to stand out in the highly competitive market, the creator, with years of professional experience in the design, processing and manufacturing of various power or signal connectors, and adhering to the spirit of continuous improvement, has finally developed a plug connector with lateral heterogeneous terminal slots and its connector body after long-term research and experimentation. It is hoped that the market will favor this creation.

[0006] One objective of this invention is to provide a connector body with lateral heterogeneous terminal slots, applicable to a plug connector, comprising a base and at least one insertion portion. The base has at least one row of slots arranged along the longitudinal axis, and each row of slots includes a plurality of terminal slots arranged along the transverse axis, each forming a corresponding rear opening on the rear side of the base. Each terminal slot includes at least a narrow slot region and a wide slot region, with the maximum transverse width of the narrow slot region being less than the maximum transverse width of the wide slot region. Each insertion portion is integrally formed on the front side of the base, and its front side has at least one front opening. Each insertion portion has at least one insertion space, and each insertion space is connected to the corresponding front opening and the corresponding terminal slot. Furthermore, at least one of the longitudinal cross-sectional shapes and orientations of two adjacent terminal slots in the same row of slots is different from each other. Thus, the lateral heterogeneous arrangement effectively improves the arrangement density of metal terminals and the stability of mechanical installation.

[0007] Optionally, the terminal slot may further include a transition region that connects the narrow slot region and the wide slot region, and the width of the transition region in the horizontal direction gradually increases from the narrow slot region to the wide slot region.

[0008] Optionally, in two adjacent terminal slots in the same slot group, the narrow slot area of ​​one terminal slot is relative to the wide slot area of ​​the other terminal slot; and the wide slot area of ​​the terminal slot is relative to the narrow slot area of ​​the other terminal slot.

[0009] Optionally, two adjacent terminal slots in the same slot group have the same longitudinal cross-section shape, and the orientation of the longitudinal cross-section of one of them is 180 degrees rotated from the orientation of the longitudinal cross-section of the other.

[0010] Optionally, the top or bottom of two adjacent terminal slots in the same slot group may be at different horizontal heights.

[0011] Optionally, the base is provided with multiple rows of slots, and the two terminal slots that are opposite each other in two adjacent rows of slots have substantially the same shape and orientation in their longitudinal sections.

[0012] Another objective of this invention is to provide a connector with a lateral heterogeneous terminal slot, including the connector body as described above, and a plurality of metal terminals, wherein each of the metal terminals can be respectively installed into the corresponding terminal slot and the respective mating space.

[0013] Optionally, the metal terminal includes at least one wing that is elastic, can be installed into the terminal slot, and its end is forced against the inner wall of the narrow slot area of ​​the terminal slot and applies an unfolding force to the inner wall of the narrow slot area.

[0014] Optionally, the metal terminal is provided with two wings, the ends of which are separated from each other in opposite directions, and the maximum separation distance is greater than the width of the narrow groove area corresponding to the terminal slot in the horizontal direction.

[0015] Optionally, the metal terminal includes at least one insert card, and at least one groove wall of the terminal slot is provided with an insert card recess. When the metal terminal is installed into the corresponding terminal slot, each insert card can extend into the corresponding insert card recess.

[0016] Optionally, the insert recess is located on the groove wall corresponding to the narrow groove area of ​​the terminal slot.

[0017] To facilitate your review committee's further understanding of the purpose, technical features, and effects of this invention, the following detailed description is provided with accompanying drawings and examples: Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0018] [Figure 1] is a rear-view stereoscopic diagram of the connector in this creation; [Figure 2] is a front-view stereoscopic diagram of the connector in this invention; [Figure 3] is an exploded view of the connector in this work; [Figure 4] is a rear view of the connector in this creation; and [Figure 5] is a partial cross-sectional view of the connector body of this creation. Implementation

[0019] To make the purpose, technical content, and advantages of this invention clearer, the following description, in conjunction with specific embodiments and accompanying drawings, provides further insight. Those skilled in the art will understand the advantages and effects of this invention, and it can be applied through other different specific embodiments. Details in this specification can be modified and changed without departing from the concept of this invention. Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not depictions of actual dimensions. Moreover, unless the context clearly indicates or defines it, the terms "a" and "the" in this invention include the plural.

[0020] It should be understood that the terms used herein generally have their common meaning in the art, and in case of conflict, any definition given herein shall prevail. Since the same thing can be expressed in multiple ways, the use of alternatives or synonyms does not exclude other synonyms, and the use of terms is illustrative only and does not limit the scope or meaning of this work or any term. The terms first, second, or third, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements. These terms are used to distinguish one element from another and should not impose any substantial limitations on any element, nor should they limit the assembly or arrangement order of the elements in practical applications. Furthermore, directional terms mentioned in the embodiments, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right," are only for reference to the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for illustrative purposes and not for limiting the scope of protection of this work.

[0021] Furthermore, the terms "substantially" or "approximately" used in the specification can refer to the average of a numerical or complex numerical value within a range of deviations from a particular value that can be recognized or determined by those skilled in the art, including taking into account certain specific errors that may occur when measuring the particular value due to limitations of the measurement system or equipment. For example, the numerical value referred to as "substantially" can include ±5%, ±3%, ±1%, ±0.5%, ±0.1% of the particular value and one or more standard deviations.

[0022] This invention relates to a plug connector with a lateral heterogeneous terminal slot and its connector body. To facilitate the explanation of the component features and relative positional relationships, the spatial form of the component is defined in the following description based on three mutually orthogonal axes: the horizontal axis (X-axis), the vertical axis (Z-axis), and the depth axis (Y-axis). Specifically, the horizontal axis (X-axis) refers to the left-right extension direction, where the upper left of Figure 1 represents the left side of the component, and the lower right of Figure 1 represents the right side of the component; the vertical axis (Z-axis) refers to the up-down extension direction, where the upper part of Figure 1 represents the upper (top) side of the component, and the lower part of Figure 1 represents the lower (bottom) side of the component; the depth axis (Y-axis) refers to the front-back extension direction, where the lower left of Figure 1 represents the rear side of the component, and the upper right of Figure 1 represents the front side of the component.

[0023] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4. In one embodiment, the connector C includes a connector body 1 and a plurality of metal terminals 2, and each metal terminal 2 can be assembled into the connector body 1. Furthermore, depending on product requirements, the metal terminals 2 can be one of the following types: power terminals, signal terminals, and ground terminals. These metal terminals 2 can be all of the same type, or a mixture of multiple types can be used to improve the flexibility of product applications. In addition, to avoid overly complex diagrams, some diagrams only show a small number of metal terminals 2, as previously stated.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the connector body 1 includes a base 11 and at least one insertion portion 13. The base 11 has a plurality of rows of slots 12 arranged vertically along the longitudinal axis (Z-axis), and each slot group 12 contains a plurality of terminal slots 121 arranged horizontally along the transverse axis (X-axis). Furthermore, each terminal slot 121 forms a corresponding rear opening 123 on the rear side of the base 11. In other words, when viewed from the rear side of the connector body 1 along the depth direction (Y-axis), the shape of the rear opening 123 substantially corresponds to the shape of the terminal slot 121 in the longitudinal section (XZ plane). However, depending on the actual needs of the product, in other embodiments, the connector body 1 may have only a single row of slots 12.

[0025] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, referring again to Figure 4, the terminal slot 121 is divided into a narrow slot region 121A, a transition region 121B, and a wide slot region 121C. The maximum horizontal width of the narrow slot region 121A is less than the maximum horizontal width of the wide slot region 121C. The transition region 121B connects the narrow slot region 121A and the wide slot region 121C, and its horizontal width gradually increases from the narrow slot region 121A towards the wide slot region 121C. This increase in width can be linear or non-linear. However, depending on actual needs, in some embodiments, the transition region 121B may be omitted from the terminal slot 121; or, the number of narrow slot regions 121A, transition regions 121B, and wide slot regions 121C in the terminal slot 121 can be one or more.

[0026] Furthermore, referring to Figures 1 to 4, each of the plug-in portions 13 is integrally formed on the front side of the base 11. In this embodiment, the connector body 1 has only one plug-in portion 13, and the front side of the plug-in portion 13 has a plurality of front openings 130. The plug-in portion 13 has a plurality of plug-in spaces 132, wherein each plug-in space 132 is connected to the corresponding front opening 130 and terminal slot 121 (as shown in Figure 5), but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments of the present invention, the connector body 1 can have multiple independently spaced plug-in portions 13, and each plug-in portion 13 has a front opening 130 and a plug-in space 132, and the aforementioned front opening 130 and plug-in space 132 can be connected to the corresponding terminal slot 121; in other words, when the connector body 1 of the present invention requires a structure of multiple front openings 130 and plug-in spaces 132, the plug-in portion 13 can be a single block or multiple independent cylindrical bodies.

[0027] Furthermore, referring again to Figures 1 to 4, the metal terminal 2 can connect to an electronic wire. When it is installed into the connector body 1, a portion of it is located in the insertion space 132, and the remaining portion is located in the corresponding terminal slot 121. The metal terminal 2 includes at least one wing 21. In this embodiment, it has two relatively separated elastic wings 21, with their ends opening in opposite directions. The maximum separation distance G is greater than the width of the narrow slot region 121A of the terminal slot 121 in the horizontal direction. Moreover, when the metal terminal 2 is assembled into the terminal slot 121, the wings 21 are pressed into the narrow slot region 121A and abut against its inner wall. At the same time, the outward unfolding force generated by its elastic restoring force can improve the installation stability of the metal terminal 2 in the terminal slot 121. However, in other embodiments of this invention, the metal terminal 2 may not have wings 21.

[0028] Furthermore, to further improve the installation stability of the metal terminal 2, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, the metal terminal 2 is also provided with at least one insert 23, which can be bent outward from its body. Also, at least one groove wall of the terminal slot 121 is provided with an insert recess 1210. In this embodiment, the insert recess 1210 is located on the groove wall corresponding to the narrow groove region 121A (but not limited thereto). When the metal terminal 2 is inserted into the terminal slot 121, the insert 23 can engage with the corresponding insert recess 1210 to prevent displacement due to external forces (such as vibration) during use. Additionally, depending on the production requirements of the product, the insert recess 1210 can span the common groove wall of two adjacent terminal slots 121, but is not limited thereto. Thus, through the variation in width of the terminal slot 121, the narrow slot area 121A can fit tightly with the wing or other structure of the metal terminal 2 to provide additional mechanical fixing force, prevent the terminal from shaking, and maintain stable contact during connection and insertion to avoid poor contact; the wide slot area 121C provides enough space to make the installation of the metal terminal 2 smoother, which helps to improve assembly efficiency and consistency.

[0029] Furthermore, referring again to Figures 1 to 5, in order to improve the arrangement density and mechanical installation stability of the metal terminals 2 to meet the design requirements of thinness and lightness, this invention adopts a "laterally heterogeneous and longitudinally isomorphic" arrangement for the terminal slots 121. In this embodiment, two adjacent terminal slots 121 in the same row of slots 12 have substantially the same longitudinal cross-sectional shape (or geometric profile), but the longitudinal cross-sectional orientation of one of them is obtained by rotating the longitudinal cross-sectional orientation of the other by 180 degrees clockwise. Specifically, the narrow slot area 121A of one terminal slot 121 is relative to the wide slot area 121C of another terminal slot 121; the wide slot area 121C of the terminal slot 121 is relative to the narrow slot area 121A of another terminal slot 121, to form a complementary left-right arrangement. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the top horizontal heights of two adjacent terminal slots 121 in the same row of slots 12 are inconsistent. As shown in Figure 4, the top horizontal height H1 of the two rightmost adjacent terminal slots 121 in the lower row of slots 12, located in the narrow slot area 121A of the left terminal slot 121, is lower than the top horizontal height H2 of the wide slot area 121C of the right terminal slot 121. In this case, the bottom horizontal heights of the two rightmost adjacent terminal slots 121 in the upper row of slots 12 are also inconsistent. However, this is not a limitation. In other embodiments, the top and bottom horizontal heights of two adjacent terminal slots 121 may have subsequent variations. First, the top and bottom horizontal heights of both are kept at the same level. Second, the top and bottom horizontal heights of both are inconsistent. Third, the top horizontal heights of both are inconsistent, but the bottom horizontal heights are kept at the same level. Fourth, the top horizontal heights of both are kept at the same level, but the bottom horizontal heights are inconsistent.

[0030] Referring again to Figures 1 to 5, the lateral heterogeneous arrangement design allows adjacent terminal slots 121 to share or align part of the slot wall structure. This effectively shortens the spacing between the terminal slots 121 without reducing the slot wall thickness and strength, achieving a high-density, compact arrangement and helping to reduce the lateral dimensions of the connector C body. However, in other embodiments of this invention, adjacent terminal slots 121 with different shapes can also be provided in the same slot group 12 to accommodate metal terminals 2 of different sizes or types, further enhancing the design flexibility and functional integration capabilities of the connector C and meeting diverse application needs. In other words, as long as one of the shapes and orientations of two adjacent terminal slots 121 is different from each other—for example, their shapes are different, their orientations are different, or both their shapes and orientations are different—it is considered "lateral heterogeneous" in this invention.

[0031] Furthermore, referring again to Figures 1 to 5, in this embodiment, the two terminal slots 121 facing each other in adjacent rows of slot groups 12 have substantially the same shape and orientation in their longitudinal sections, forming an identical vertical arrangement. Thus, this longitudinally isomorphic arrangement design allows the upper and lower terminal slots 121 to share an assembly fixture, which helps standardize mold cavities, reduces mold processing and maintenance costs, and simplifies the automated assembly process of the metal terminals 2, improving production efficiency and consistency. In addition, the longitudinally isomorphic arrangement also helps the connector C maintain overall structural stress balance during insertion and removal, avoiding fatigue or deformation of local structures due to stress concentration, thereby extending product lifespan and improving connection stability. This is particularly suitable for applications requiring frequent insertion and removal or long-term vibration.

[0032] Note that the above description is only a preferred embodiment of this invention. However, the scope of the rights claimed by this invention is not limited thereto. All equivalent variations that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art based on the technical content disclosed in this invention should be included within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0033] 1: Connector body 11: Base 12: Tank Group 121: Terminal slot 121A: Narrow slot area 121B: Transitional Region 121C: Wide slot area 1210: Embedded recess 123: Rear opening 13: Connector 130: Front opening 132: Plug-in space 2: Metal terminals 21: Wings 23: Embedded Cards C: Connector G: Separation distance H1, H2: Horizontal height

Claims

1. A connector body with lateral heterogeneous terminal slots, applied to a plug connector, comprising: A base having at least one row of slots, the same row of slots including a plurality of terminal slots, each terminal slot arranged along a horizontal axis and forming a corresponding rear opening on the rear side of the base; each terminal slot includes at least a narrow slot region and a wide slot region, wherein the maximum horizontal axis width of the narrow slot region is less than the maximum horizontal axis width of the wide slot region; and at least one plug-in portion integrally formed on the front side of the base, each plug-in portion having at least one front opening on its front side, each plug-in portion having at least one plug-in space, and each plug-in space communicating with the corresponding front opening and the terminal slot; wherein, at least one of the shapes and orientations of the longitudinal sections of two adjacent terminal slots in the same row of slots is different from each other.

2. The connector body as described in claim 1, wherein, The terminal slot also includes a transition region that connects the narrow slot region and the wide slot region, and its width in the horizontal direction gradually increases from the narrow slot region to the wide slot region.

3. The connector body as described in claim 1, wherein, In the same slot group, the narrow slot area of ​​one terminal slot is relative to the wide slot area of ​​the other terminal slot; the wide slot area of ​​the terminal slot is relative to the narrow slot area of ​​the other terminal slot.

4. The connector body as described in claim 3, wherein, Two adjacent terminal slots in the same row of slots have the same longitudinal cross-section shape, and the orientation of the longitudinal cross-section of one of them is 180 degrees rotated from the orientation of the longitudinal cross-section of the other.

5. The connector body as described in claim 3, wherein, Two adjacent terminal slots in the same slot group have different top or bottom horizontal heights.

6. The connector body as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The base has multiple rows of slots, and the two terminal slots facing each other in adjacent rows have essentially the same shape and orientation in their longitudinal sections.

7. A connector with lateral heterogeneous terminal slots, comprising: The connector body as described in any one of claims 1 to 6; And a plurality of metal terminals, which are respectively installed into the corresponding terminal slots and the corresponding insertion spaces.

8. The connector as described in claim 7, wherein, The metal terminal includes at least one wing that is elastic and can be installed into the terminal slot, and its end is forced to abut against the inner wall of the narrow slot area of ​​the terminal slot and exert an unfolding force on the inner wall of the narrow slot area.

9. The connector as described in claim 8, wherein, The metal terminal has two wings, the ends of which are separated from each other in opposite directions, and the maximum separation distance is greater than the width of the narrow groove area corresponding to the terminal slot in the horizontal direction.

10. The connector as described in claim 7, wherein, The metal terminal includes at least one insert card, and at least one groove wall of the terminal slot is provided with an insert card recess. When the metal terminal is installed into the corresponding terminal slot, each insert card can extend into the corresponding insert card recess.

11. The connector as described in claim 10, wherein, The recessed slot is located on the wall of the terminal slot corresponding to the narrow slot area.

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