electrical connectors

Abstract

The present invention provides an electrical connector comprising an insulating body, a plurality of conductive terminals fixed within the insulating body, and a shielding shell, wherein the conductive terminals comprise a first terminal group and a second terminal group, the insulating body comprising a main body portion and a docking portion, the first and second terminal groups each being provided with twelve conductive terminals, and the conductive terminals in the first and second terminal groups being arranged in corresponding and opposite directions, each conductive terminal having a contact arm, a retaining portion, and a tail portion, the electrical connector further comprising at least one inner insulating member mounted within the insulating body, the first type of conductive terminals being embedded in the inner insulating member to form a terminal assembly, two second type of conductive terminals arranged opposite to each other in height having their retaining portions connected by a bridge portion, and their tail portions being symmetrically arranged in height, the second type of conductive terminals being directly assembled into the insulating body from back to front. The electrical connector of the present invention can transmit high-frequency signals and large currents, and has a simple manufacturing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric connector. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of science and technology in the electronics industry, the size of electronic products is developing in a trend of becoming thinner, lighter and shorter. This requires the size of components of electronic products to become smaller and smaller, and the connector industry is the first to bear the brunt.

[0003] The next-generation USB Type-C connector is required to be smaller, which leads to stricter mechanical requirements and increased product design complexity. To meet the needs of thinner and lighter devices while ensuring product structural reliability, major manufacturers have launched corresponding structural designs.

[0004] Existing USB Type-C plug connectors typically use injection molding to form two conductive terminals, which are then assembled with the front body to form a complete unit. This not only complicates the manufacturing process but also can lead to tolerance accumulation, resulting in product defects. Furthermore, conventional USB Type-C plug connectors typically cannot transmit high currents and cannot meet application requirements.

[0005] In view of this, it is necessary to improve the existing electrical connector to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which can transmit high frequency signals and large currents and has a simple manufacturing process.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object of the invention, the present invention provides an electrical connector comprising an insulating body, a plurality of conductive terminals fixed within the insulating body, a locking member, and a shielding shell covering the insulating body. The conductive terminals include a first terminal group and a second terminal group arranged in two rows along the height direction. The insulating body includes a main body portion and a docking portion located on the front side of the main body portion and forming a receiving space. The first and second terminal groups are each provided with twelve conductive terminals, and the conductive terminals in the first and second terminal groups are arranged in corresponding and opposite directions. Each of the conductive terminals has a resilient contact arm protruding into the receiving space, a retaining portion fixed within the insulating body, and a tail portion extending rearward from the retaining portion. The electrical connector further comprises at least one inner insulating member mounted within the insulating body. The first type of conductive terminals are embedded in the inner insulating member to form a terminal assembly. Two second type conductive terminals arranged opposite to each other along the height direction have their retaining portions connected by a bridge portion to form a conjoined terminal. The tail portions of the two second type conductive terminals forming the conjoined terminal are symmetrically arranged along the height direction. The second type of conductive terminals are directly assembled into the insulating body from back to front.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, the first and second terminal groups each include a pair of ground terminals located on the outermost sides, a pair of power terminals located inside the ground terminals, two pairs of high-speed signal terminals located between the ground terminals and the adjacent power terminals, and four signal terminals located between the pair of power terminals. In each terminal group, the high-speed signal terminals and the four signal terminals are first-type conductive terminals, and the ground terminals and the power terminals are second-type conductive terminals.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the tail of each second-type conductive terminal includes a soldering portion connected to the circuit board and a connecting portion connected to the material strip, and the rear end face of the connecting portion is located in front of the rear end face of the soldering portion.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the electrical connector has an upper row of inner insulating parts and a lower row of inner insulating parts assembled with each other along the height direction, and the first type of conductive terminals in the first terminal group and the second terminal group are respectively embedded in the upper and lower rows of inner insulating parts.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, each of the inner insulating parts includes a base portion covering the retaining portion of the conductive terminal and a notch formed by being recessed forward from the rear end surface of the base portion. A pair of notches of the inner insulating parts are arranged opposite to each other and connected to form a receiving cavity for receiving the locking part.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, each of the inner insulating parts also has at least one snap-on portion protruding from its surface, and the snap-on portion is located on the side of the inner insulating part facing away from the other inner insulating part. The top and bottom walls of the insulating body are respectively provided with snap-on grooves that snap into engagement with the snap-on portion, and the snap-on grooves penetrate the corresponding top wall or bottom wall of the insulating body along the height direction.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, the insulating body also has an installation space formed by being recessed forward from its rear end surface, and the inner insulating member is assembled into the installation space from back to front, and each of the inner insulating members has a pair of recessed grooves at its top or bottom to accommodate the corresponding power terminals.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the main body also has a transverse wall formed between its top wall and bottom wall and four extension walls extending backward from the rear end surface of the transverse wall, each of the extension walls includes a first extension wall extending in a horizontal direction and at least one second extension wall connected to the first extension wall and extending in a height direction.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, each of the said clearance grooves has a first clearance groove that passes through the inner insulating part along the height direction and a second clearance groove that does not pass through the inner insulating part along the height direction, the front end face of the said bridging portion abuts against the rear end face of the first extension wall, and the rear end face of the said bridging portion abuts against the rear wall face of the first clearance groove.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the insulating body also has a plurality of limiting walls relatively arranged in the installation space, each of the limiting walls extends in the front-to-back direction, and is spaced apart from adjacent limiting walls or side walls of the insulating body to form a terminal extension groove for accommodating the second type of conductive terminals.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: the electrical connector of the present invention can be inserted into the docking connector in both directions, and some conductive terminals are embedded in the inner insulating part and then installed in the insulating body, while the other conductive terminals are directly installed in the insulating body. This can not only meet the transmission requirements of high-frequency signals and large currents, but also simplify the manufacturing process of the entire electrical connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the first embodiment of the electrical connector of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another view of the electrical connector shown.

[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A partially exploded view of the electrical connector shown.

[0021] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Another view of the electrical connector shown.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 The electrical connector is shown as a partially exploded view with the shielding housing removed.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The electrical connector is shown in a three-dimensional exploded view with the insulating body and metal spring removed.

[0024] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A partially exploded view of the terminal assembly of the electrical connector is shown.

[0025] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the insulating body of the electrical connector is shown.

[0026] Figures 9 to 11 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electrical connector shown.

[0027] Figure 12 It is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the second embodiment of the electrical connector of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 13 yes Figure 12 A partially exploded view of the electrical connector shown.

[0029] Figure 14 yes Figure 13 The electrical connector is shown as an exploded perspective view with the insulating body removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional changes made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 1 to 11 The figure shows a first embodiment of the electrical connector 100 of the present invention, which includes an insulating body 1, a plurality of conductive terminals 2 fixed in the insulating body 1, a locking member 3, a shielding shell 4 covering the outside of the insulating body 1, and a pair of metal springs 5 ​​arranged between the insulating body 1 and the shielding shell 4.

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5 and Figures 8 to 11 As shown, the insulating body 1 has a main body 11, a docking portion 12 arranged in front of the main body 11, and a mounting portion 13 located behind the main body 11 and protruding outward, wherein the main body 11 and the docking portion 12 are arranged in an elliptical column as a whole, and a receiving space 120 open to the front is formed on the inner side of the docking portion 12 for the docking socket connector to be inserted in the forward or reverse direction.

[0033] A plurality of terminal receiving slots 10 are respectively defined on the inner sides of the top and bottom walls of the insulating body 1. The terminal receiving slots 10 extend forward to the inner sides of the docking portion 12 and communicate with the receiving space 120. In this embodiment, the terminal receiving slots 10 do not penetrate the corresponding top and bottom walls of the insulating body 1 in the height direction. That is, when viewed from the top or bottom, the conductive terminals 2 are not exposed outside the top or bottom walls of the insulating body 1. Therefore, there is no need for insulating mylar on the upper and lower sides of the insulating body 1, which reduces the number of parts, lowers the production cost of the product, and also reduces the number of assembly steps, effectively improving the production efficiency of the product.

[0034] The main body 11 has at least one snap groove 112 formed by being recessed outward from the inner sides of its top wall and bottom wall. In the embodiment shown in the present invention, the snap groove 112 penetrates the corresponding top wall or bottom wall along the height direction, and a plurality of the snap grooves 112 are respectively provided on the top wall and the bottom wall.

[0035] In the present invention, the insulating body 1 has a symmetrical structure both vertically and horizontally. The main body 11 further comprises a transverse wall 113 formed between its top and bottom walls, and four extension walls 114 extending rearward from a rear end surface 1130 of the transverse wall 113. The extension walls 114 connect the top and bottom walls of the main body 11. The four extension walls 114 are arranged side by side and spaced apart in the transverse direction. The two central extension walls 114 are H-shaped, while the two lateral extension walls 114 are symmetrically T-shaped. The two lateral extension walls 114 are respectively connected to the side walls of the insulating body 1.

[0036] Each of the extension walls 114 includes a first extension wall 1141 extending horizontally and at least one second extension wall 1142 connected to the first extension wall 1141 and extending in the height direction. Specifically, each of the central extension walls 114 has a pair of second extension walls 1142 spaced apart and opposed to each other in the transverse direction, while each of the extension walls 114 on either side has a second extension wall 1142 connected to the inner end of its first extension wall 1141.

[0037] The mounting portion 13 includes a mating portion 131 at the front and a protruding portion 132 at the rear. The outer surface of the protruding portion 132 is located outside the outer surface of the mating portion 131 . That is, compared with the mating portion 131 , the protruding portion 132 is bulged.

[0038] The insulating body 1 is provided with slots 14 on both sides in the lateral direction. A pair of the slots 14 are open laterally outward and extend forward from the rear end surface 130 of the insulating body 1 to the docking portion 12 , and are laterally connected to the receiving space 120 on both sides of the docking portion 12 .

[0039] Please refer to Figures 2 to 3 、 Figures 5 to 7 and Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the conductive terminals 2 include a first terminal group 21 and a second terminal group 22 arranged in two rows along the height direction. The first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 correspond to each other and are arranged in opposite directions.

[0040] In this embodiment, each of the first and second terminal sets 21 and 22 has twelve conductive terminals, namely, a first ground terminal (Gnd) 20a, a first pair of high-speed signal terminals (TX1+-, differential signal terminals for transmitting high-speed signals) 20b, a first power terminal (Power / VBUS) 20c, a function detection terminal (CC1, for detecting forward and reverse insertion and identifying the cable function), a pair of low-speed signal terminals (D+-, differential signal terminals for transmitting low-speed signals), an expansion terminal (SBU1, which can be additionally defined for other purposes), a second power terminal (Power / VBUS), a second pair of high-speed signal terminals (RX2+-, differential signal terminals for transmitting high-speed signals) 20b, and a second ground terminal (Gnd) 20a. In other embodiments, the number of signal terminals (function detection terminals, low-speed signal terminals, and expansion terminals) between the two power terminals 20c can be increased based on application requirements.

[0041] In other words, the pair of ground terminals 20a are arranged at the outermost sides of the first / second terminal group, and the pair of power terminals 20c are located inside the pair of ground terminals 20a. A pair of high-speed signal terminals 20b are arranged between each ground terminal 20a and the adjacent power terminal 20c.

[0042] The conductive terminals 2 include first-type conductive terminals embedded in the inner insulator 6 to form a terminal assembly, and second-type conductive terminals assembled directly into the insulating body 1 from back to front. The terminal assembly includes a rearwardly open receiving cavity located between the first and second terminal groups 21 and 22. In the present invention, in each terminal group (first and second terminal groups), the high-speed signal terminal 20b and four signal terminals (a function detection terminal, a low-speed signal terminal, and an expansion terminal) are first-type conductive terminals, while the ground terminal 20a and power terminal 20c are second-type conductive terminals.

[0043] In addition, please refer to Figure 5 and Figures 8 and 9As shown, the insulating body 1 further comprises an installation space 15 formed by being recessed forward from its rear end surface, and a plurality of limiting walls 16 disposed relative to the installation space 15. Each limiting wall 16 extends in the front-to-back direction, with its rear end surface located forward of the rear end surface 130 of the insulating body 1. The limiting walls 16 are protrudingly formed on the inner surfaces of the top and bottom walls of the insulating body 1, and the terminal receiving slot 10 and the snap slot 112 are both in communication with the installation space 15. Furthermore, a terminal extension slot 101 for receiving and positioning the second-type conductive terminal is formed between each limiting wall 16 and an adjacent limiting wall 16 or a side wall of the insulating body 1. This secures the second-type conductive terminal at its rear half to prevent the rear half of the plug-in second-type conductive terminal from deflecting.

[0044] In the present invention, the limiting wall 16 is connected to the corresponding extending wall 114 and extends backward from the rear end surface of the corresponding extending wall 114 to jointly accommodate the corresponding conductive terminal 2 .

[0045] Please refer to Figures 2 to 6 and Figure 8 、 Figure 9 As shown, the electrical connector 100 further includes at least one inner insulating member 6 assembled from back to front within the mounting space 15. Preferably, the electrical connector 100 includes an upper row of inner insulating members and a lower row of inner insulating members assembled with each other along the height direction, and the first type of conductive terminals in the first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 are embedded in the upper and lower rows of inner insulating members, respectively.

[0046] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the electrical connector 100 has a pair of inner insulating members 6 assembled with each other along the height direction, that is, the upper row of inner insulating members is one inner insulating member 6, and the lower row of inner insulating members is another inner insulating member 6. The first type of conductive terminals (high-speed signal terminals and the four middle signal terminals) in the first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 are respectively embedded in the corresponding inner insulating members 6 to form the first and second terminal assemblies respectively; in other embodiments, the electrical connector 100 may also have only one inner insulating member 6, and the first type of conductive terminals in the two rows of conductive terminals are embedded at the same time.

[0047] In this embodiment, the two inner insulating members 6 are identical in structure and size, allowing the first and second terminal assemblies to share a common mold. Furthermore, each inner insulating member 6 includes a base portion 61 that covers the retaining portion 202 of the conductive terminal 2 and a recessed portion 62 formed forwardly and recessed from the rear end of the base portion 61. The recessed portions 62 of the pair of inner insulating members 6 are disposed opposite each other and communicate with each other to form a receiving cavity.

[0048] Each inner insulating member 6 further has at least one snap-fit ​​portion 63 protruding from its surface. The snap-fit ​​portion 63 is located on the side of the inner insulating member 6 facing away from the other inner insulating member 6 to snap into engagement with the snap-fit ​​grooves 112 on the top and bottom walls of the insulating body 1 .

[0049] The inner insulator 6 is assembled from back to front into the mounting space 15 on the rear side of the insulator body 1. Each inner insulator 6 has a pair of recessed slots 64 recessed at its top or bottom to accommodate a corresponding power terminal 20c. In this embodiment, each recessed slot 64 includes a first recessed slot 641 extending vertically through the inner insulator 6 and a second recessed slot 642 extending horizontally beyond the inner insulator 6. The first recessed slot 641 and the second recessed slot 642 are connected in the front-to-back direction.

[0050] Furthermore, the inner insulator 6 is divided by a pair of recesses 64 into a pair of side portions 651 and a central portion 652. In this embodiment, the central portion 652 is wider in the transverse direction than each side portion 651. Each side portion 651 is provided with a protruding latch portion 63. The central portion is formed with a pair of latch portions 63 spaced apart in the transverse direction. The latch portions 63 are narrower in the transverse direction than the side portions 651 and are located in the middle of the inner insulator 6 in the front-to-back direction. Each latch portion 63 has an obliquely extending guide surface 631 at its front end to guide the inner insulator 6 into the installation space 15. The central portion 652 is sandwiched and constrained between two adjacent extension walls 114, while each side portion 651 is sandwiched and constrained between an extension wall 114 on either side and its adjacent extension wall 114.

[0051] The base portion 61 further has a connecting wall 611 and protrusions 612 located on both sides of the connecting wall 611. Each protrusion 612 extends in the front-to-back direction and is connected to the connecting wall 611. The connecting wall 611 is located on the inner side of the second clearance groove 642, that is, the connecting wall 611 of the upper inner insulating member 6 is located on the lower side of its second clearance groove 642 and is connected to the bottom end of the corresponding protrusion 612. The connecting wall 611 of the lower inner insulating member 6 is located on the upper side of its second clearance groove 642 and is connected to the top end of the corresponding protrusion 612. The connecting wall 611 and the protrusions 612 on both sides surround and form a part of the second clearance groove 642 close to the horizontal center plane of the electrical connector 100.

[0052] Furthermore, each of the inner insulating parts 6 also has at least one protrusion 66 protruding from the base part 61 and a recessed part 67 recessed on the base part 61; in this embodiment, each of the protrusions 66 is in the shape of a long strip extending in the front-to-back direction, and a pair of interference parts 661 are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction.

[0053] In addition, each of the conductive terminals 2 has an elastic contact arm 201 protruding into the receiving space 120, the retaining portion 202 fixed in the insulating body 1, and a tail portion 203 extending backward from the retaining portion 202. The contact arms 201 are arranged in two rows on the upper and lower sides of the receiving space 120.

[0054] In this embodiment, the contact arms 201 protrude upward or downward into the receiving space 120 and have contact portions 2011 at their free ends. These contact portions 2011 protrude toward the corresponding contact arms 201 in the other row, thereby clamping the tongue of a mating connector (not shown) between the contact portions 2011. Furthermore, the terminal receiving slots 10 correspond vertically to the contact portions 2011 of the conductive terminals 2, providing space for the contact portions 2011 of the conductive terminals 2 to float outward, facilitating mating of the mating connector. The contact portions 2011 of the first and second terminal groups 21, 22 are positioned on the insulating body 1 in the same manner as the mating portions of the corresponding terminals on a standard USB Type-C plug connector.

[0055] The ground terminal 20a and the power terminal 20c in the first terminal group 21 are connected to the corresponding ground terminal 20a and the power terminal 20c in the second terminal group 22 to form a conjoined ground terminal and a conjoined power terminal, respectively. In this embodiment, the retaining portions 202 of the ground terminal 20a and the power terminal 20c in the first terminal group 21 are connected to the retaining portions 202 of the corresponding conductive terminals in the second terminal group 22 along the height direction via a bridge portion 204 to form a conjoined terminal.

[0056] During assembly, the first and second terminal groups 21 and 22 can be assembled into the insulating body 1 at the same time, which greatly facilitates assembly. In this embodiment, the four signal terminals located inside the power terminals 20c in the two rows of terminal groups are separately arranged to form independent conductive terminals. Figure 9 The front end face of the bridging portion 204 abuts against the rear end face of the first extension wall 1141, and the rear end face of the bridging portion 204 abuts against the rear wall face of the first clearance groove 641. The rear half of the contact arm 201 is accommodated in the limiting space formed by the extension wall 114, thereby realizing the positioning of the connected terminal.

[0057] In this embodiment, the length of the first clearance groove 641 extending backward from the front end surface of the inner insulating member 6 is greater than the length of the extension wall 114 extending backward, so that the bridge portion 204 of the integrated power terminal is accommodated in the portion of the first clearance groove 641 that is longer than the extension wall 114.

[0058] The tail portion 203 of each second-type conductive terminal (ground terminal 20a and power terminal 20c) includes a soldering portion 2031 for connecting to a circuit board (not shown) and a connecting portion 2032 for connecting to a strip. The rear end of the connecting portion 2032 is located in front of the rear end of the soldering portion 3021 and is disposed on the side of the soldering portion 2031 facing away from the soldering surface 2033. In this embodiment, the soldering portion 2031 of the second-type conductive terminal and the tail portion 203 of the first-type conductive terminal extend rearward and beyond the rear end 130 of the insulating body 1.

[0059] Please refer to Figures 4 and 5 Combined with Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the locking member 3 is made of metal and is located in the center of the insulating body 1 along the height direction. In this embodiment, the locking member 3 includes a base 31, a locking arm 32 extending forward from the base 31, and a soldering foot 33 extending rearward from the base 31 beyond the rear end surface 130 of the insulating body 1 for soldering to a circuit board (not shown). This allows the locking member 3 to also function as a grounding device.

[0060] The base 31 and locking arms 32 of the locking member 3 are bilaterally symmetrical. The solder legs 33 extend in the same direction and are located on either side of the circuit board (not shown) in the height direction. The base 31 is a horizontally positioned sheet-like structure comprising a laterally extending, strip-shaped beam 311 and a pair of protrusions 312 positioned oppositely from the beam 311. The protrusions 312 are formed laterally outwardly on either side of the beam 311 to electrically connect to the shielding housing 4.

[0061] The locking arms 32 extend in pairs from both sides of the base 31 in the same direction and are laterally arranged on the outside of the conductive terminal 2. Each locking arm 32 has a cantilever 321 connected to the base 31 and a locking protrusion 322 arranged at the end of the cantilever 321. The locking protrusions 322 on the paired locking arms 32 protrude toward each other.

[0062] When the locking member 3 is assembled into the insulating body 1 from back to front, the base 31 is fixed within the mounting portion 13 of the insulating body 1. The locking arms 32 are inserted into the corresponding slots 14 on both sides of the insulating body 1 from back to front, with the front portions of the cantilevered arms 321 protruding into the receiving space 120 to lock and secure the mating connector. The base 31 and locking arms 32 are vertically positioned between the first and second terminal groups 21 and 22, and the crossbar 311 is received within the receiving cavity formed between the first and second terminal groups 21 and 22.

[0063] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the front end of the shielding shell 4 has an elliptical docking frame opening, which is consistent with the docking frame opening of the standard USB Type-C plug connector and is used for forward and reverse insertion of the docking socket connector, and has the advantage of being convenient to use in both forward and reverse insertion.

[0064] The shielding shell 4 is a seamless structure formed by drawing, which includes a frame portion 41 located at its front end and an extension portion 42 extending backward from the frame portion 41 as a whole. In this embodiment, the extension portion 42 is an enlarged structure formed by expanding outward from the frame portion 41 as a whole, wherein the overall height of the extension portion 42 is greater than the overall height of the frame portion 41, and the distance the extension portion 42 expands outward in the height direction is greater than the distance it expands outward in the lateral direction.

[0065] During assembly, the shielding shell 4 is sleeved on the outside of the insulating body 1 from front to back, wherein the frame portion 41 is sleeved on the outside of the main body 11 and the docking portion 12, the extension portion 42 is sleeved on the outside of the matching portion 131, and the protruding portion 132 is exposed on the rear side of the shielding shell 4.

[0066] Please refer to Figures 3 to 5 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, in this embodiment, the number of the metal springs 5 ​​is a pair, and each metal spring 5 comprises a base plate 51 attached to the outside of the insulating body 1, fixing plates 52 bent from both sides of the base plate 51 and fixed to the coupling holes 121 of the insulating body 1, a plurality of inner supporting springs 53 extending forward from the base plate 51 and protruding inwardly into the receiving space 110, and a plurality of outer supporting springs 54 bent and protruding outwardly (upward or downward) from the base plate 51. The base plate 51 is continuously bent, the inner supporting springs 53 are located outside the outer supporting springs 54 in the transverse direction, and the inner supporting springs 53 are used to abut against the grounding member on the docking connector, and the outer supporting springs 54 abut against the inner wall of the shielding shell 4 (the inner surface of the top wall and / or bottom wall of the shielding shell 4) to form a grounding effect.

[0067] When each of the metal springs 5 ​​is placed in the corresponding receiving area 122 of the insulating body 1, the metal spring 5 is located in front of the conductive terminal 2 in the front-to-back direction, the base plate 51 is located in the receiving area 122, and the inner supporting spring 53 passes through the corresponding receiving hole 123 and protrudes into the receiving space 110 to abut against the grounding piece on the docking connector.

[0068] Please refer to Figures 12 to 14 FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of an electrical connector 100 ′ according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the electrical connector 100 ′ has a similar basic structure to the electrical connector 100 ′ in the first embodiment, and both include an insulating body 1 ′, a plurality of conductive terminals 2 ′, a locking member 3 ′, a shielding shell 4 ′, and an inner insulating member 6 ′ integrally formed with a portion of the conductive terminals 2 ′. The difference is that:

[0069] Retaining grooves 14' extending in the front-to-back direction are provided on either side of the insulating body 1'. A pair of retaining grooves 14' are symmetrically positioned on either side of the insulating body 1'. Each retaining groove 14' extends forward from the rear end of the mounting portion 13' into the interior of the docking portion 12' and communicates with the receiving space 120'. Each retaining groove 14' is open only to the outside on either side of the docking portion 12'; the portions on either side of the main body 11' or the mounting portion 13' are closed.

[0070] In this embodiment, a pair of locking members 3' are independently provided and positioned on opposite sides of the conductive terminal 2' in the transverse direction. Each locking member 3' is vertically positioned and comprises a vertically positioned, plate-like base 31' and a solder leg 33' at its rear end. The solder leg 33' is asymmetrically structured, located only on one side of the base 31' in the height direction.

[0071] In this embodiment, the electrical connector 100' comprises eight independent inner insulators 6'. Each inner insulator 6' is in the form of an elongated strip extending in the front-to-back direction and is integrally formed with the corresponding two conductive terminals 2'. Specifically, each inner insulator 6' is in the form of an elongated strip extending in the front-to-back direction and has a latching portion 63' protruding from its top / bottom surface and protrusions 612' disposed on opposite sides of its transverse direction. Furthermore, the interference portion 661' of the protrusion 66' is formed on one side of its transverse direction.

[0072] The electrical connectors 100, 100' of the present invention can be inserted into a mating connector in either direction. A portion of the conductive terminals 2, 2', including the high-frequency signal terminals, are embedded in the inner insulating members 6, 6' and then installed in the insulating body 1. The remaining conductive terminals 2 are directly installed in the insulating body 1. This not only enables the electrical connectors 100, 100' to transmit high-frequency signals, but also simplifies the manufacturing process of the entire electrical connector 100. Furthermore, because the ground terminals 20a and the power terminals 20c in the upper and lower rows of conductive terminals 2 are connected as a whole, assembly is convenient and high current transmission is possible.

[0073] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising an insulating body, a plurality of conductive terminals fixed within the insulating body, a locking member, and a shielding housing covering the insulating body, wherein the conductive terminals include a first terminal group and a second terminal group arranged in two rows along a height direction, the insulating body including a main body portion and a docking portion located on a front side of the main body portion and forming a receiving space, the first and second terminal groups each including twelve conductive terminals, and the conductive terminals in the first and second terminal groups are arranged in corresponding and opposite directions, each conductive terminal including a resilient contact arm protruding into the receiving space, a retaining portion fixed within the insulating body, and a tail portion extending rearward from the retaining portion, characterized in that: The electrical connector also has at least one inner insulating member installed in the insulating body, the first type of conductive terminal is embedded in the inner insulating member to form a terminal assembly, and the two second type conductive terminals arranged opposite to each other in the height direction are connected by a bridge portion to form a connected terminal, and the tails of the two second type conductive terminals forming the connected terminal are symmetrically arranged in the height direction, and the second type of conductive terminals are directly assembled into the insulating body from back to front, and the main body has a transverse wall formed between its top wall and bottom wall and four extension walls extending backward from the rear end surface of the transverse wall, each The extension wall includes a first extension wall extending in the horizontal direction and at least one second extension wall connected to the first extension wall and extending in the height direction. The inner insulating member has a pair of recessed grooves recessed at the top or bottom thereof to accommodate corresponding power terminals. Each of the recessed grooves has a first recessed groove that penetrates the inner insulating member in the height direction. The length of the first recessed groove extending backward from the front end surface of the inner insulating member is greater than the length of the extension wall extending backward. The front end surface of the bridging portion abuts against the rear end surface of the first extension wall, and the rear end surface of the bridging portion abuts against the rear wall surface of the first recessed groove.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The first and second terminal groups each include a pair of ground terminals located on the outermost sides, a pair of power terminals located inside the ground terminals, two pairs of high-speed signal terminals located between the ground terminals and the adjacent power terminals, and four signal terminals located between the pair of power terminals. In each terminal group, the high-speed signal terminals and the four signal terminals are first-type conductive terminals, and the ground terminals and the power terminals are second-type conductive terminals.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The tail portion of each second-type conductive terminal includes a soldering portion connected to a circuit board and a connecting portion connected to a material strip, and a rear end surface of the connecting portion is located in front of a rear end surface of the soldering portion.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein: The electrical connector comprises an upper row of inner insulating members and a lower row of inner insulating members which are assembled with each other along the height direction. The first type of conductive terminals in the first terminal group and the second terminal group are embedded in the upper and lower rows of inner insulating members respectively.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: Each of the inner insulating members includes a base portion covering the retaining portion of the conductive terminal and a notch formed by being recessed forward from the rear end surface of the base portion. A pair of notches of the inner insulating members are arranged opposite to each other and connected to form a receiving cavity for receiving the locking member.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein: Each of the inner insulating parts also has at least one snap-on portion protruding from its surface, and the snap-on portion is located on the side of the inner insulating part facing away from the other inner insulating part. The top and bottom walls of the insulating body are respectively provided with snap-on grooves that snap into engagement with the snap-on portion, and the snap-on grooves penetrate the corresponding top wall or bottom wall of the insulating body along the height direction.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein: The insulating body further comprises an installation space which is recessed forward from its rear end surface, and the inner insulating member is assembled into the installation space from the rear to the front.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: Each of the clearance grooves further comprises a second clearance groove which does not penetrate the inner insulating member in the height direction, and the first clearance groove and the second clearance groove are connected in the front-to-back direction.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: The insulating body further has a plurality of limiting walls relatively arranged in the installation space, each of the limiting walls extending in the front-to-back direction and spaced apart from adjacent limiting walls or side walls of the insulating body to form a terminal extension slot for accommodating the second type conductive terminal.

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