Electrical connector

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes an insulating body, a first group of inner cavities arranged in the insulating body, and a first group of conductive parts. The first group of inner cavities includes a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity, wherein the first inner cavity has an opening connected to the outside at the first end of the insulating body, which is used to accommodate at least one wire, and the second inner cavity has an opening connected to the outside at the second end of the insulating body, which is used to accommodate at least one wire. The first group of conductive parts includes a plurality of conductive parts, and at least one conductive part of the first group of conductive parts is arranged on at least a portion of the inner wall of each inner cavity in the first group of inner cavities, and the first group of conductive parts are electrically connected to each other. The wires accommodated in the first group of inner cavities are electrically connected through the first group of conductive parts that are electrically connected to each other. The electrical connector provided by the present disclosure can realize electrical connection between multiple wires without the need for welding, thereby simplifying the electrical connection operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector, and in particular to an electrical connector for connecting wires. Background Art

[0002] At present, most cars use CAN (Controller Area Network) bus to realize data communication between many control units in the car's internal control system. The car's internal control system can realize data communication between various control units by electrically connecting the branch lines (hereinafter referred to as branch lines) from various control units to the CAN bus and using the CAN bus to transmit data between these control units.

[0003] In order to resist the interference of external signals on the CAN bus during data transmission, the CAN bus usually uses twisted pair cables, which are twisted together by two wires, and these two wires are called CAN-High (i.e. CAN-H) wire and CAN-Low (i.e. CAN-L) wire respectively. The CAN bus can include multiple bundles of such twisted pair cables. Similarly, the branch line usually also uses twisted pair cables, which are twisted by the branch-H wire and the branch-L wire. When the branch line twisted pair cable is electrically connected to the CAN bus twisted pair cable, the branch-H wire and the branch-L wire in the branch line twisted pair cable need to be electrically connected to the CAN-H wire and the CAN-L wire respectively. During the electrical connection process, in order to avoid a short circuit connection between the CAN-H wire and the CAN-L wire, the usual practice is: first pull the CAN-H wire and the CAN-L wire out of the harness and cut them, then weld the branch-H wire and the cut ends of the CAN-H wire together, and place the H wire welding point in an insulated bulkhead device. Similarly, weld the cut ends of the branch-L wire and the CAN-L wire together, and place the L wire welding point in another insulated bulkhead device. Finally, tie the two insulated bulkhead devices together with the welded three H wires and three L wires back into the wiring harness in opposite directions. Figure 1A The schematic diagram shows that the branch-H line 20H and the branch-L line 20L in the branch twisted pair in the prior art are welded to the CAN-H line 10H and the CAN-L line 10L respectively. Figure 1B The schematic diagram shows that the bulkhead device together with the welded CAN-H line 10H and CAN-L line 10L are tied back to the wiring harness 1 in the prior art. However, this approach usually has the following defects:

[0004] (1) The CAN bus twisted pair cable cannot be twisted longer than 50 mm, which greatly weakens the anti-interference ability of the twisted pair cable;

[0005] (2) Tying the CAN-H line and the CAN-L line back into the wiring harness in opposite directions will occupy a large length along the CAN bus, thereby limiting the number of control units that can be electrically connected to the CAN bus; and

[0006] (3) Bulbs will form at the wiring harness binding point, making it difficult to wrap the wiring harness.

[0007] In addition, the method of achieving electrical connection between wires by welding is difficult to operate and requires additional auxiliary tools. Once welding fails, it is necessary to re-weld, which not only shortens the usable length of the wire, but also affects the wiring of each harness in the CAN bus. Therefore, it is also necessary to propose an electrical connection method that is simpler and more convenient in operation. Summary of the invention

[0008] The technical solution proposed in the present invention aims to solve the problems in the above-mentioned prior art that the anti-interference ability of the CAN twisted pair is weakened, the number of control units that can be electrically connected to the CAN bus is reduced, the wiring harness is difficult to wrap, and / or the wire welding is difficult.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided, wherein the electrical connector comprises: an insulating body; a first group of inner cavities arranged in the insulating body, the first group of inner cavities comprising a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity, wherein the first inner cavity has an opening connected to the outside at the first end of the insulating body for accommodating at least one wire, and the second inner cavity has an opening connected to the outside at the second end of the insulating body for accommodating at least one wire; and a first group of conductive parts, the first group of conductive parts comprising a plurality of conductive parts, at least one conductive part of the first group of conductive parts is arranged on at least a portion of the inner wall of each inner cavity in the first group of inner cavities, and the first group of conductive parts are electrically connected to each other; wherein the wires accommodated in the first group of inner cavities are electrically connected via the first group of conductive parts that are electrically connected to each other.

[0010] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the first group of cavities are spatially isolated from each other.

[0011] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the first end of the insulating body is opposite to the second end, and the first and second inner cavities each extend in opposite directions toward their openings, the first inner cavity is used to accommodate one wire, the second inner cavity is used to accommodate two wires, and the two wires accommodated in the second inner cavity will be arranged to be in a first plane with the one wire accommodated in the first inner cavity.

[0012] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the first group of inner cavities further includes a third inner cavity having an opening communicating with the outside and located in a first plane with the first and second inner cavities, wherein each inner cavity is used to accommodate a wire.

[0013] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, at least one inner cavity in the first group of inner cavities includes a coated wire receiving portion and a bare core wire receiving portion, wherein the coated wire receiving portion is connected to the outside world, and the size of the bare core wire receiving portion is smaller than the size of the coated wire receiving portion.

[0014] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the conductive portion is provided on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed wire receiving portion, and the electrical connector further includes: a first group of through holes, the first group of through holes including at least one through hole for connecting the exposed wire receiving portion with the outside world; and a first group of locking members, the first group of locking members including at least one locking member and being configured to cooperate with corresponding through holes, and when the first group of locking members is in a locked position, the first group of locking members applies pressure to the conductive portion on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed wire receiving portion.

[0015] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the electrical connector further includes: a second group of inner cavities arranged in the insulating body, the second group of inner cavities including a fourth inner cavity and a fifth inner cavity, wherein the fourth inner cavity has an opening connected to the outside at the first end of the insulating body for accommodating at least one wire, and the fifth inner cavity has an opening connected to the outside at the second end of the insulating body for accommodating at least one wire; and a second group of conductive parts, the second group of conductive parts including a plurality of conductive parts, at least one conductive part of the second group of conductive parts is arranged on at least a portion of the inner wall of each of the second group of inner cavities, and the second group of conductive parts are electrically connected to each other; wherein the wires accommodated in the second group of inner cavities are electrically connected through the second group of conductive parts that are electrically connected to each other, and wherein the first group of inner cavities extends in a first plane, the second group of inner cavities extends in a second plane parallel to the first plane, and the first group of conductive parts are electrically isolated from the second group of conductive parts.

[0016] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the second group of inner cavities are spatially isolated from each other, the first group of conductive parts are integrally formed to form a single conductive part, and the second group of conductive parts are integrally formed to form a single conductive part.

[0017] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the first end of the insulating body is opposite to the second end, and the fourth and fifth inner cavities each extend in opposite directions toward their openings, and the fourth inner cavity is used to accommodate one wire, and the fifth inner cavity is used to accommodate two wires.

[0018] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the second group of inner cavities further includes a sixth inner cavity, the sixth inner cavity having an opening communicating with the outside and being located in the second plane with the fourth and fifth inner cavities, wherein each inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities is used to accommodate a wire.

[0019] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, at least one inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities includes a coated wire receiving portion and a bare core wire receiving portion, wherein the coated wire receiving portion is connected to the outside world, and the size of the bare core wire receiving portion is smaller than the size of the coated wire receiving portion.

[0020] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the conductive portion is provided on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed wire receiving portion of at least one inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities, and the electrical connector further includes: a second group of through holes, the second group of through holes including at least one through hole for connecting the exposed wire receiving portion in the second group of inner cavities with the outside world; and a second group of locking members, the second group of locking members including at least one locking member and being configured to cooperate with corresponding through holes, and when the second group of locking members is in a locked position, the second group of locking members applies pressure to the conductive portion on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed wire receiving portion in the second group of inner cavities.

[0021] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, at least one locking member in the first and second groups of locking members cooperates with the corresponding through hole through the following structure: a pressing structure or a threaded structure.

[0022] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, an additional conductive portion is provided at the bottom of at least one locking member in the first and second groups of locking members, and when the at least one locking member is in the locked position, the additional conductive portion on the at least one locking member is in electrical contact with at least the bare core wire of the wire to be placed in the bare core wire receiving portion, and the top of the at least one locking member is substantially flush with the corresponding through hole or is located within the corresponding through hole.

[0023] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, at least one locking member in the first and second groups of locking members cooperates with the corresponding through hole through a pressing structure, wherein the at least one locking member has a locking surface, and the corresponding through hole has an elastic member extending from the inner wall of the corresponding through hole toward the axis of the through hole, and the elastic member is used to press against the locking surface of the at least one locking member when the at least one locking member is in a locked position.

[0024] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the first end and the second end of the insulating body jointly define a length of the electrical connector, wherein the length of the electrical connector is less than 50 mm.

[0025] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the length of the electrical connector is less than 30 mm.

[0026] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the dimension of the electrical connector in a direction perpendicular to the first plane is less than three times the maximum of the minimum cross-sectional dimensions of the wires to be accommodated in the first and second sets of cavities.

[0027] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the dimension of the electrical connector in a direction perpendicular to the first plane is less than 2.6 times the maximum of the minimum cross-sectional dimensions of the wires to be accommodated in the first and second sets of cavities.

[0028] In at least one embodiment of one aspect of the present invention, the first inner cavity in the first group of inner cavities is used to accommodate a first conductor portion from one line of a first twisted pair of cables, the second inner cavity is used to accommodate a second conductor portion from the one line of the first twisted pair of cables and a conductor from one line of the second twisted pair of cables, and the fourth inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities is used to accommodate a first conductor portion from another line of the first twisted pair of cables, and the fifth inner cavity is used to accommodate a second conductor portion from the other line of the first twisted pair of cables and a conductor from another line of the second twisted pair of cables.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the electrical connector of the present invention can have one or more of the following advantages:

[0030] (1) The electrical connection operation is simplified by inserting multiple wires into the electrical connector and using the conductive parts in the electrical connector to achieve electrical connection between the multiple wires without using welding;

[0031] (2) By designing the length of the electrical connector to be less than 50 mm, the length of the twisted pair cable that cannot be twisted is shortened to less than 50 mm, thereby improving the anti-interference ability of the twisted pair cable;

[0032] (3) There is no need to pull out, cut, and weld the two wires of the CAN bus twisted pair cable, and then tie the two welded wires back to the wiring harness in opposite directions, thereby reducing the length occupied along the CAN bus, thereby increasing the number of control units that can be electrically connected to the CAN bus; and

[0033] (4) It eliminates the bulging of the wire harness caused by the back-binding operation, which is beneficial to the wiring harness wrapping. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to further illustrate the above and other advantages and features of various embodiments of the present invention, a more specific description of various embodiments of the present invention will be presented with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings only depict typical embodiments of the present invention and are therefore not to be considered as limiting the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0035] Figure 1A A schematic diagram showing that the branch-H line and the branch-L line in the branch twisted pair in the prior art are welded to the CAN-H line and the CAN-L line respectively.

[0036] Figure 1B The schematic diagram shows a prior art method of tying a bulkhead device together with welded CAN-H wire and CAN-L wire back to a wiring harness.

[0037] Figure 2A A front view of an electrical connector for electrically connecting a first group of wires to a second group of wires according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0038] Figure 2B A top view of an electrical connector electrically connecting a first group of wires and a second group of wires according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] Figure 2C The invention shows an embodiment of the Figure 2A Schematic diagram of the cross section taken through CC.

[0040] Figure 2D The invention shows an embodiment of the Figure 2A Schematic diagram of the cross section taken through DD.

[0041] Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the appearance of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0042] Figure 4 The invention shows an embodiment of the Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along line AA.

[0043] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a locking member 36A in a locked position according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Fig. 6A A front view of a wiring harness using an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0045] Figure 6B A top view of a wiring harness using an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings. More details are elaborated in the following description to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can obviously be implemented in a variety of other ways different from the description herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar generalizations and deductions based on actual application situations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should not be limited by the content of this specific embodiment.

[0047] The present application uses specific words to describe the embodiments of the present application. For example, "one embodiment", "other embodiments", and / or "some embodiments" refer to a certain feature, structure or characteristic related to at least one embodiment of the present application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment" or "other embodiments" or "some embodiments" mentioned twice or multiple times in different positions in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, some features, structures or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present application can be appropriately combined.

[0048] It should be noted that in order to simplify the description disclosed in this application and thus help understand one or more embodiments, in the following description of the embodiments of this application, multiple features are sometimes combined into one embodiment, figure or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not mean that the subject matter of this application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims. In fact, the features of an embodiment are less than all the features of a single embodiment disclosed below.

[0049] Reference Figures 2A-2D , Figure 2A-2B 1 and 2 respectively show a front view and a top view of an electrical connector 3 for electrically connecting a first group of wires and a second group of wires according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2C-2D The following are respectively shown along the Figure 2A Schematic diagram of the cross section taken along CC and DD.

[0050] like Figure 2A-2B As shown, the first group of wires includes wires 12A, 14A and 20A, and the second group of wires includes wires 12B, 14B and 20B. Figure 2A-2BAs shown, in the first group of wires, wire 12A is inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the upper left side of the electrical connector 3, while wires 14A and wire 20A are inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the upper right side of the electrical connector 3. In the second group of wires, wire 12B is inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the lower left side of the electrical connector 3, while wires 14B and wire 20B are inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the lower right side of the electrical connector 3.

[0051] like Figure 2C As shown in detail, the wires 12A and 12B are respectively inserted into the left upper inner cavity and the left lower inner cavity of the electrical connector 3 from the left side of the electrical connector 3. The left upper inner cavity and the left lower inner cavity are spatially independent of each other, and the cross-sectional shapes along CC can both be circular, and the size of the circular cross-sectional shape can be designed to just accommodate the wire 12A or 12B. Figure 2D As shown in detail, the wires 14A and 20A in the first group of wires are inserted from the right side of the electrical connector 3 into the upper inner cavity on the right side of the electrical connector, and the cross-sectional shape of the upper inner cavity on the right side along DD can be a rectangle, and the size of the rectangular cross-sectional shape can be designed to just accommodate both the wires 14A and 20A. Similarly, the wires 14B and 20B in the second group of wires are inserted from the right side of the electrical connector 3 into the lower inner cavity on the right side of the electrical connector, and the lower inner cavity on the right side is spatially independent of the upper inner cavity on the right side, and the cross-sectional shape of the lower inner cavity on the right side along DD can be a rectangle, and the size of the rectangular cross-sectional shape can be designed to just accommodate both the wires 14B and 20B.

[0052] In the embodiment shown in the present application, according to the cross-sectional shape of the wire to be accommodated by the upper and lower inner cavities on the left side of the electrical connector 3 (i.e., circular cross-sectional shape) and the number of wires (i.e., one), the cross-sectional shape of the upper and lower inner cavities on the left side of the electrical connector 3 along CC is designed to be circular and the size of the circular cross-sectional shape is designed to just accommodate the one wire, which can allow the overall size of the electrical connector 3 to be reduced. Similarly, in the embodiment shown in the present application, according to the cross-sectional shape of the wire to be accommodated by the upper and lower inner cavities on the right side of the electrical connector 3 (i.e., circular cross-sectional shape) and the number of wires (i.e., two), the cross-sectional shape of the upper and lower inner cavities on the right side of the electrical connector 3 along DD is designed to be rectangular and the size of the rectangular cross-sectional shape is designed to just accommodate the two wires, which can allow the overall size of the electrical connector 3 to be reduced. In other embodiments, the shape and size of the cross-sectional shape of the inner cavity of the electrical connector can be designed accordingly according to the cross-sectional shape of the wire to be accommodated by the inner cavity of the electrical connector and the number of wires. For example, when the wire to be accommodated in the inner cavity is a flat wire (so the cross-sectional shape of the wire is roughly rectangular), and the number of wires to be accommodated is one, the cross-sectional shape of the inner cavity can be designed to be rectangular and the size of the rectangular cross-section can be designed to just accommodate the flat wire.

[0053] When the first and second groups of wires are inserted into the electrical connector 3, the first group of wires 12A, 14A and 20A can be combined by Figure 4 The first conductive parts described in detail are electrically connected to each other, and the second group of conductive wires 12B, 14B and 20B can be combined by the following Figure 4 The second conductive parts described in detail are electrically connected to each other, wherein the first conductive part and the second conductive part are electrically isolated from each other. Thus, the first group of wires 12A, 14A and 20A are electrically connected to each other and the second group of wires 12B, 14B and 20B are electrically connected to each other through the electrical connector 3.

[0054] Continue to refer to 2A-2B, such as Figure 2A-2B As shown, the first group of wires and the second group of wires each include three wires, and the corresponding two wires in the two groups constitute a twisted pair. However, in other embodiments, only one group of wires may be included or more than two groups of wires may be included. In still other embodiments, the first group of wires and the second group of wires may each include three wires, but the corresponding two wires in the two groups may not constitute a twisted pair. In some other embodiments, the first group of wires and the second group of wires may come from two segments of the CAN bus twisted pair used to complete data transmission between control units in the internal control system of the car and a branch twisted pair of a control unit. For example, the first group of wires 12A, 14A and 20A are respectively the left segment of the CAN-H line, the right segment of the CAN-H line and the branch H line after the CAN bus twisted pair is cut, and the second group of wires 12B, 14B and 20B are respectively the left segment of the CAN-L line, the right segment of the CAN-L line and the branch H line after the CAN bus twisted pair is cut. The reverse is also possible.

[0055] Figure 3 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the appearance of an electrical connector 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the length, width, and height of the electrical connector 3 and each component of the electrical connector 3 refer to the maximum dimensions that can be measured along the length direction L, width direction W, and height direction H. Figure 3As shown, the outer shape of the electrical connector 3 is constructed as a cylinder. However, in other embodiments, the electrical connector 3 may be constructed as other shapes, for example, a polygonal prism, or a combination of a cylinder and a polygonal prism. In some embodiments, the electrical connector 3 may have a consistent cross-sectional outer contour perpendicular to the length direction L along the length direction L, for example, one or more dimensions such as width or height in each cross-sectional outer contour may be equal. However, in other embodiments, one or more dimensions of the cross-sectional outer contour of the electrical connector 3 perpendicular to the length direction L along the length direction L may be different, for example, one or more dimensions of the cross-sectional outer contour relatively close to the left side of the electrical connector 3 perpendicular to the length direction L may be greater than or less than one or more dimensions of the cross section relatively close to the right side of the electrical connector 3 perpendicular to the length direction L. In some embodiments, one or more dimensions of the cross-sectional outer contour relatively close to the left side of the electrical connector 3 perpendicular to the length direction L may be associated with the total cross-sectional area of ​​all wires inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the left side of the electrical connector 3, for example, in direct proportion. Similarly, one or more dimensions of the outer contour of the cross section cut perpendicular to the length direction L relatively close to the right side of the electrical connector 3 may be associated with, for example, proportionally associated with, the total cross-sectional area of ​​all wires inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the right side of the electrical connector 3. For example, when the total cross-sectional area of ​​all wires inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the left side of the electrical connector 3 is smaller than the total cross-sectional area of ​​all wires inserted into the electrical connector 3 from the right side of the electrical connector 3, then one or more dimensions of the outer contour of the cross section cut perpendicular to the length direction L relatively close to the left side of the electrical connector 3 may be smaller than one or more dimensions of the outer contour of the cross section cut perpendicular to the length direction L relatively close to the right side of the electrical connector 3.

[0056] Figure 4 The invention shows an embodiment of the Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the electrical connector 3 taken along line AA. Figure 4 As shown, the electrical connector 3 includes an insulating body 30 and a first group of inner cavities disposed in the insulating body 30, wherein the first group of inner cavities includes inner cavities 32A and 34A, and the inner cavity 32A or 34A extends in a first plane perpendicular to the height direction H. The inner cavities 32A and 34A may have openings 321A and 341A communicating with the outside at the left and right ends of the insulating body 30, respectively, to accommodate at least one wire, respectively. In some embodiments, the opening 321A may be used to accommodate the wire 12A as described above, and the opening 341A may be used to accommodate the wires 14A and 20A as described above, wherein the wires 14A and 20A may be arranged to be in the first plane with the wire 12A. Figure 4As shown, the left end of the insulating body 30 is opposite to the right end, and the inner cavities 32A and 34A each extend in opposite directions toward their openings, that is, the inner cavities 32A and 34A each extend in directions that are 180 degrees to each other toward their openings. In other embodiments, the inner cavities 32A and 34A can each extend in other directions toward their openings, for example, the inner cavities 32A and 34A can each extend in directions that are any angle between 0-180 degrees to each other toward their openings.

[0057] Continue to see Figure 4 , the inner cavity 32A may include a coated wire receiving portion 322A and a bare wire receiving portion 324A, and the inner cavity 34A includes a coated wire receiving portion 342A and a bare wire receiving portion 344A. The coated wire receiving portion 322A or 342A is used to accommodate the wire portion coated with an insulation layer inserted into the corresponding inner cavity, while the bare wire receiving portion 324A or 344A is used to accommodate the bare wire portion with the insulation layer stripped off and inserted into the corresponding inner cavity. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the cross-sectional dimensions of the bare wire receiving portion 324A are smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the coated wire receiving portion 322A, and the cross-sectional dimensions of the bare wire receiving portion 344A are smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the coated wire receiving portion 342A. For example, in a direction perpendicular to the first plane, the height dimension of the bare wire receiving portion 324A is smaller than the height dimension of the coated wire receiving portion 322A, and the height dimension of the bare wire receiving portion 344A is smaller than the height dimension of the coated wire receiving portion 342A. This design in which the cross-sectional dimensions of the bare wire receiving portion are smaller than the cross-sectional dimensions of the coated wire receiving portion can limit the depth of the wire inserted into the inner cavity, and can also help the operator to identify whether the wire is inserted in place during the process of inserting the wire into the electrical connector, thereby facilitating the operation. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional dimensions of the bare wire receiving portions 324A and 344A can be designed to be adapted to the size of the bare wire inserted therein, for example, the cross-sectional dimensions of the bare wire receiving portions 324A and 344A can be designed to just accommodate the bare wire to be inserted therein. The cross-sectional dimensions of the covered wire receiving portions 322A and 342A can be designed to be compatible with the dimensions of the wire portion covered with the insulation layer inserted therein, for example, the cross-sectional dimensions of the covered wire receiving portions 322A and 342A can be designed to just accommodate the wire portion covered with the insulation layer to be inserted therein. In other embodiments, the cross-sectional dimensions of the bare core wire receiving portion 324A can be equal to the cross-sectional dimensions of the covered wire receiving portion 322A, and / or the cross-sectional dimensions of the bare core wire receiving portion 344A can be equal to the cross-sectional dimensions of the covered wire receiving portion 342A.

[0058] Continue to see Figure 4The electrical connector 3 may further include a first group of conductive parts, which include conductive parts 31A and 33A. The conductive part 31A may be provided on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed core wire receiving part 324A of the inner cavity 32A, for electrically contacting the wire 12A inserted into the inner cavity 32A, and the conductive part 33A may be provided on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed core wire receiving part 344A of the inner cavity 34A, for electrically contacting the wires 14A and 20A inserted into the inner cavity 34A. The conductive part 31A and the conductive part 33A may be electrically connected to each other, and the wires 12A, 14A, and 20A may be electrically connected through the conductive parts 31A and 33A electrically connected to each other.

[0059] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the conductive portions 31A and 33A are integrally formed with each other as a single conductive portion. In some embodiments, the single conductive portion may be a single conductive sheet that is inserted into the inner wall of the inner cavity through the opening 321A or 341A. In other embodiments, the single conductive portion may be integrally formed on the inner wall of the inner cavity during the process of forming the electrical connector 3 using 3D printing technology. In still other embodiments, the conductive portions 31A and 33A may be separate individual conductive sheets that are electrically connected to each other by physical contact with each other.

[0060] Continue to see Figure 4 , the inner cavities 32A and 34A can be spatially isolated from each other. Such spatial isolation of the inner cavities 32A and 34A can prevent the conductive parts 31A and 33A from easily moving relative to the inner cavities 32A and 34A after being inserted into the inner walls of the inner cavities 32A and 34A as conductive sheets, thereby avoiding the use of a complex manufacturing process to form the conductive parts 31A and 33A fixed thereon on the inner walls of the inner cavities 32A and 34A. In other embodiments, the inner cavities 32A and 34A can be spatially connected to each other.

[0061] Continue to see Figure 4The electrical connector 3 may further include a first group of through holes, wherein the first group of through holes includes through holes 35A and 37A, the through hole 35A is used to connect the bare core wire receiving portion 324A of the inner cavity 32A with the outside, and the through hole 37A is used to connect the bare core wire receiving portion 344A of the inner cavity 34A with the outside. Correspondingly, the electrical connector 3 also includes a first group of locking members, wherein the first group of locking members includes locking members 36A and 38A respectively matched with the through holes 35A and 37A. When the locking member 36A is in the locking position, the locking member 36A can press the bare core wire of the wire 12A inserted into the bare core wire receiving portion 324A of the inner cavity 32A toward the conductive portion 31A located on the opposite inner wall of the bare core wire receiving portion 324A, so that the bare core wire of the wire 12A is in good electrical contact with the conductive portion 31A and the bare core wire of the wire 12A is fixed in the inner cavity 32A. Similarly, when the locking member 38A is in the locked position, the locking member 38A can press the bare core wires of the conductors 14A and 20A inserted into the bare core wire receiving portion 344A of the inner cavity 34A toward the conductive portion 33A on the relative inner wall of the bare core wire receiving portion 344A, so that the bare core wires of the conductors 14A and 20A are in good electrical contact with the conductive portion 33A and the bare core wires of the conductors 14A and 20A are fixed in the inner cavity 34A. In some embodiments, an additional conductive portion may be further provided on the bottom of at least one of the locking members 36A and 38A, which is used to make electrical contact with at least the bare core wire to be placed in the bare core wire receiving portion of the corresponding inner cavity, or even with the conductive portion in the corresponding inner cavity, so as to further enhance the electrical contact between the corresponding bare core wire and the conductive portion. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the cross-sectional dimension of the through hole 35A is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the through hole 37A, and accordingly, the bottom dimension of the locking member 36A is smaller than the bottom dimension of the locking member 38A. In other embodiments, the cross-sectional dimension of the through hole 35A may be greater than or equal to the cross-sectional dimension of the through hole 37A, and accordingly, the bottom dimension of the locking member 36A may be greater than or equal to the bottom dimension of the locking member 38A. In other embodiments, the cross-sectional dimension of the through hole 35A or 37A and the bottom dimension of the locking member 36A or 38A may be associated with the cross-sectional dimension and / or the number of wires inserted into the inner cavity 32A or 34A, for example, be proportional to the cross-sectional dimension and / or the number of the wires.

[0062] Although in Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector 3 includes a first group of through holes and a first group of locking members, and the first group of through holes includes two through holes 35A and 37A, and the first group of locking members includes two locking members 36A and 38A respectively cooperating with the two through holes 35A and 37A, but in other embodiments, the electrical connector 3 may not include through holes and locking members cooperating with the through holes. In other embodiments, the electrical connector 3 includes a first group of through holes and a first group of locking members, but the first group of through holes includes one through hole or more than two through holes, and the first group of locking members includes one locking member or more than two locking members respectively cooperating with the one through hole or more than two through holes.

[0063] Continue to see Figure 4 The locking member 36A and the through hole 35A can be matched with each other through a pressing structure. Figure 4 It can be seen that the through hole 35A is configured such that two elastic members extend from the inner wall of the through hole 35A toward the axis of the through hole, and the locking member 36A is configured in an "I"-shaped structure. In the process of inserting the locking member 36A into the through hole 35A from the top, the locking member 36A can continue to move downward by pressing the two elastic members against the inner wall of the through hole until the locking member 36A moves to the position as shown in FIG. Figure 5 Locked position shown. Figure 5 FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a locking member 36A in a locked position according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 As shown, at the locked position, the bottom of the elastic member presses against the locking surface 361A of the “I”-shaped locking member 36A, thereby preventing the locking member 36A from moving upward or moving out of the through hole 35A, thereby fixing the locking member 36A at the locked position. Figure 5 As shown, when the locking member 36A is in the locked position, the top of the locking member 36A is substantially flush with the through hole 35A. In other embodiments, when the locking member 36A is in the locked position, the top of the locking member 36A may be located in the through hole 35A, that is, the top of the locking member 36A is recessed in the through hole 35A.

[0064] Although in Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the locking member 36A is configured as an "I"-shaped structure, but in other embodiments, the locking member 36A may also be configured as other structures, such as an inverted "T"-shaped structure, or other locking member structures having a locking surface on which the elastic member can press. In other embodiments, the locking member 36A and the through hole 35A may also be matched by a threaded structure, for example, the through hole 35A may have an internal thread, and the locking member 36A may have an external thread that matches the internal thread, and the locking member 36A is fixed at the locking position as described above by the threaded structure.

[0065] The cooperation manner between the locking member 38A and the through hole 36A may be similar to the above-mentioned cooperation manner between the locking member 36A and the through hole 35A, and will not be repeated here.

[0066] Continue to see Figure 4 The electrical connector 3 may further include a second group of inner cavities disposed in the insulating body 30, wherein the second group of inner cavities includes inner cavities 32B and 34B, and the inner cavity 32B or 34B extends in a second plane perpendicular to the height direction H, wherein the second plane is parallel to the first plane described above with reference to the inner cavities 32A and 34A. Figure 4 As shown, the inner cavity 32B is located below the inner cavity 32A, the inner cavity 34B is located below the inner cavity 34A, and each inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities is not connected to each inner cavity in the first group of inner cavities. In some embodiments, the inner cavities 32A and 32B can be arranged relatively compactly, and the inner cavities 34A and 34B can be arranged relatively compactly, so that the overall height of the electrical connector 3 including the first and second groups of inner cavities can be reduced. Figure 4 , the inner cavities 32B and 34B may have openings 321B and 341B communicating with the outside at the left and right ends of the insulating body 30, respectively, for accommodating at least one wire, respectively. In some embodiments, the opening 321B may be used to accommodate the wire 12B as described above, and the opening 341B may be used to accommodate the wires 14B and 20B as described above, wherein the wires 14B and 20B may be arranged to be in the second plane with the wire 12B. As described above, the left end of the insulating body 30 is opposite to the right end, and from Figure 4 It can be seen that the inner cavities 32B and 34B extend in opposite directions toward their openings, that is, the inner cavities 32B and 34B extend in directions that are 180 degrees to each other toward their openings. In other embodiments, the inner cavities 32B and 34B may extend in other directions toward their openings, for example, the inner cavities 32B and 34B may extend in directions that are any angle between 0-180 degrees to each other toward their openings.

[0067] Continue to see Figure 4 , the inner cavity 32B may include a coated wire receiving portion 322B and a bare core wire receiving portion 324B, and the inner cavity 34B includes a coated wire receiving portion 342B and a bare core wire receiving portion 344B. The electrical connector 3 may also include a second group of conductive parts arranged on at least a portion of the inner wall of the second group of inner cavities, the second group of conductive parts including conductive parts 31B and 33B electrically connected to each other. The second group of conductive parts is electrically isolated from the first group of conductive parts. The electrical connector 3 may also include a second group of through holes and a second group of locking members matched with the second group of through holes, wherein the second group of through holes includes through holes 35B and 37B, and the second group of locking members includes locking members 36B and 38B respectively matched with the through holes 35B and 37B.

[0068] In an embodiment of the present invention, the second group of inner cavities may be similar to the above-mentioned first group of inner cavities, the openings 321B and 341B may be similar to the above-mentioned openings 321A and 341A, the coated wire receiving portions 322B and 342B may be similar to the above-mentioned coated wire receiving portions 322A and 342A, the exposed core wire receiving portions 324B and 344B may be similar to the above-mentioned exposed core wire receiving portions 324A and 344A, the second group of conductive portions 31B and 33B may be similar to the above-mentioned first group of conductive portions 31A and 33A, the second group of through holes 35B and 37B may be similar to the above-mentioned first group of through holes 35A and 37A, and the second group of locking members 36B and 38B may be similar to the above-mentioned first group of locking members 36A and 38A, which will not be repeated here.

[0069] In the above-described embodiments, the first group of cavities and the second group of cavities of the electrical connector 3 are both described as including two cavities. However, in other embodiments, the first group of cavities and / or the second group of cavities of the electrical connector 3 may include more than two cavities. In a non-limiting example, the first group of cavities of the electrical connector may include three cavities, which extend in the above-mentioned first plane perpendicular to the height direction H. Moreover, each of the three cavities may have an opening connected to the outside, and each opening may be used to accommodate a wire. For example, the three openings may be used to accommodate wires 12A, 14A, and 20A, respectively, and the angles between the three directions in which the three cavities extend toward their openings may be any angle between 0 degrees and 180 degrees. In this non-limiting example, the second group of cavities of the electrical connector may also include three cavities, which extend in the above-mentioned second plane perpendicular to the height direction H. Each of the three inner cavities may have an opening communicating with the outside, and each opening may be used to accommodate a wire. For example, the three openings may be used to accommodate wires 12B, 14B, and 20B, respectively, and the angles between the three directions in which the three inner cavities extend toward their openings may be any angle between 0 degrees and 180 degrees. In the embodiment where the first group of inner cavities and / or the second group of inner cavities of the electrical connector 3 include more than two inner cavities, except that the number of inner cavities is different and the angles between the directions in which the inner cavities extend toward their openings may be different, other aspects of the electrical connector 3 may be the same or similar to those described above, and will not be described in detail here.

[0070] Figure 6A-6B 1 and 2 show a front view and a top view of a wiring harness 1 using an electrical connector 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6A-6B As shown, the wires 12, 14 and 20 can all be twisted pairs, and the corresponding wires in the twisted pairs can be electrically connected to each other simply by inserting the corresponding wires in the twisted pairs into the electrical connector 3 of the present invention without the need for a complicated welding process.

[0071] In some embodiments, the length of the electrical connector 3 can be configured to be less than 50 mm, so that the length of the twisted pair after the electrical connection is achieved by the electrical connector 3 and not twisted is less than 50 mm, thereby improving the anti-interference ability of the twisted pair. In other embodiments, the length of the electrical connector 3 can be configured to be less than 30 mm. According to an embodiment of the present application, the height of the electrical connector 3 can be designed to be less than 3 times the maximum of the minimum cross-sectional dimensions of each wire to be accommodated, and can even be designed to be less than 2.6 times the maximum of the minimum cross-sectional dimensions of each wire to be accommodated. In one embodiment, when all the wires to be accommodated are round wires, since the cross-section of the round wire is round, the height of the electrical connector 3 can be designed to be less than 3 times or 2.6 times the maximum of the circular cross-sectional diameters of each round wire to be accommodated. In another embodiment, when all the wires to be accommodated are flat wires, since the cross-section of the flat wire is rectangular, the height of the electrical connector 3 can be designed to be less than 3 times or 2.6 times the maximum of the short sides of the rectangular cross-sectional dimensions of each flat wire to be accommodated. In another embodiment, when the accommodated wires include round wires and flat wires, the height of the electrical connector 3 can be designed to be less than 3 times or 2.6 times the maximum of the circular cross-sectional diameter and the short side of the rectangular cross-sectional area of ​​the accommodated wires.

[0072] In addition, when the electrical connector 3 is used for the electrical connection between the CAN bus twisted pair cables and the branch twisted pair cables of the control unit in the internal control system of the automobile, since there is no need to tie the three welded H wires and three L wires back to the wiring harness in opposite directions, wiring harness bulging is eliminated and the number of control units that can be electrically connected to the CAN bus can be increased.

[0073] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. However, it should be understood that various embodiments and variations can be adopted without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. A person of ordinary skill in the art can make many modifications and changes based on the concept of the present invention without creative work. Therefore, any technical solution that can be obtained by a person skilled in the art through logical analysis, reasoning or limited experiments based on the concept of the present invention on the basis of the prior art should fall within the scope of protection determined by the claims of the present invention.

[0074] The terms and expressions used herein are used as terms of description rather than limitation, and when such terms and expressions are used, it is not intended to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described (or some of them), and it should be recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all such equivalents.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, wherein the electrical connector comprises: Insulation body; A first group of inner cavities disposed in the insulating body, the first group of inner cavities comprising a first inner cavity and a second inner cavity, wherein the first inner cavity has an opening communicating with the outside at a first end of the insulating body for accommodating at least one wire, and the second inner cavity has an opening communicating with the outside at a second end of the insulating body for accommodating at least one wire; as well as A first group of conductive parts, the first group of conductive parts includes a plurality of conductive parts, at least one conductive part of the first group of conductive parts is disposed on at least a portion of the inner wall of each inner cavity in the first group of inner cavities, and the first group of conductive parts are electrically connected to each other; The wires contained in the first group of inner cavities are electrically connected via the first group of conductive parts electrically connected to each other. The first end of the insulating body is opposite to the second end, and The first inner cavity and the second inner cavity each extend in opposite directions toward their openings, the first inner cavity is used to accommodate one wire, and the second inner cavity is used to accommodate two wires, and the two wires accommodated in the second inner cavity will be arranged to be in a first plane with the one wire accommodated in the first inner cavity.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The first group of cavities are spatially isolated from each other.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: At least one lumen in the first group of lumens includes a covered wire receiving portion and a bare wire receiving portion, wherein the covered wire receiving portion is communicated with the outside, and the bare wire receiving portion is smaller in size than the covered wire receiving portion.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The conductive portion is disposed on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed core wire receiving portion, and the electrical connector further comprises: a first group of through holes, the first group of through holes comprising at least one through hole for connecting the exposed core wire receiving portion with the outside; and The first group of locking members includes at least one locking member and is configured to cooperate with the corresponding through hole. When the first group of locking members is in the locked position, the first group of locking members applies pressure to the conductive portion on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed core wire receiving portion.

5. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Also includes: A second group of inner cavities is disposed in the insulating body, the second group of inner cavities includes a fourth inner cavity and a fifth inner cavity, wherein the fourth inner cavity has an opening at the first end of the insulating body communicating with the outside world for accommodating at least one wire, and the fifth inner cavity has an opening at the second end of the insulating body communicating with the outside world for accommodating at least one wire; as well as a second group of conductive parts, the second group of conductive parts comprising a plurality of conductive parts, at least one conductive part of the second group of conductive parts being disposed on at least a portion of an inner wall of each of the second group of inner cavities, and the second group of conductive parts being electrically connected to each other; wherein the wires contained in the second group of inner cavities are electrically connected via the second group of conductive parts electrically connected to each other, and The first group of inner cavities extends in a first plane, the second group of inner cavities extends in a second plane parallel to the first plane, and the first group of conductive parts is electrically isolated from the second group of conductive parts.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second group of cavities are spatially isolated from each other, The first group of conductive parts are integrally formed to form a single conductive part, and The second group of conductive parts are integrally formed to form a single conductive part.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein: The first end of the insulating body is opposite to the second end, and The fourth and fifth lumens extend toward their openings in opposite directions, respectively, and the fourth lumen is used to accommodate one guide wire, and the fifth lumen is used to accommodate two guide wires.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein: The second group of inner cavities further includes a sixth inner cavity having an opening communicating with the outside and being located in the second plane together with the fourth and fifth inner cavities, wherein each inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities is used to accommodate a wire.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: At least one inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities includes a covered wire receiving portion and a bare wire receiving portion, wherein the covered wire receiving portion is communicated with the outside, and the bare wire receiving portion is smaller in size than the covered wire receiving portion.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: The conductive portion is provided on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed core wire receiving portion of at least one inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities, and the electrical connector further comprises: a second group of through holes, the second group of through holes comprising at least one through hole for connecting the exposed core wire receiving portion in the second group of inner cavities with the outside; and A second group of locking members, the second group of locking members includes at least one locking member and is configured to cooperate with the corresponding through hole. When the second group of locking members is in the locked position, the second group of locking members applies pressure to the conductive portion on at least a portion of the inner wall of the exposed core wire receiving portion in the second group of inner cavities.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein: The at least one locking member cooperates with the corresponding through hole through the following structure: a pressing structure or a threaded structure.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein: An additional conductive portion is provided at the bottom of at least one locking member in the first and second groups of locking members. When the at least one locking member is in the locked position, the additional conductive portion on the at least one locking member is in electrical contact with at least the bare core wire of the wire to be placed in the bare core wire receiving portion, and the top of the at least one locking member is substantially flush with the corresponding through hole or is located in the corresponding through hole.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein: At least one locking member in the first and second groups of locking members cooperates with the corresponding through hole through a pressing structure, Wherein the at least one locking member has a locking surface, and the corresponding through hole has an elastic member extending from the inner wall of the corresponding through hole toward the axis of the through hole, and the elastic member is used to press against the locking surface of the at least one locking member when the at least one locking member is in the locking position.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 7, wherein: The first end and the second end of the insulating body together define a length of the electrical connector, wherein the length of the electrical connector is less than 50 mm.

15. The electrical connector according to claim 14, wherein: The length of the electrical connector is less than 30 mm.

16. The electrical connector according to claim 14, wherein: The dimension of the electrical connector in a direction perpendicular to the first plane is less than three times the largest of the smallest cross-sectional dimensions of the wires to be accommodated in the first group of inner cavities and the second group of inner cavities.

17. The electrical connector according to claim 16, wherein: The dimension of the electrical connector in a direction perpendicular to the first plane is less than 2.6 times the largest of the smallest cross-sectional dimensions of the wires to be accommodated in the first and second sets of cavities.

18. The electrical connector according to claim 14, wherein: The first inner cavity of the first group of inner cavities is used to accommodate a first conductor portion from one line of a first twisted pair, and the second inner cavity is used to accommodate a second conductor portion from the one line of the first twisted pair and a conductor from one line of a second twisted pair, and The fourth inner cavity in the second group of inner cavities is used to accommodate a first conductor portion from another line of the first twisted pair, and the fifth inner cavity is used to accommodate a second conductor portion from the another line of the first twisted pair and a conductor from another line of the second twisted pair.

Images