Compact power connector and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

A compact power connector includes a cable having a core wire surrounded by a cable insulator. Each core wire includes an electric wire surrounded by a core wire insulator. The removed cable insulator exposes each core wire, and the removed core wire insulator exposes each electric wire. Each electric wire is reversely crimped to a corresponding terminal, which is placed in a cable retainer that supports and routes each core wire. The assembled cable retainer is inserted into a housing that includes a housing terminal slot corresponding to each terminal. An inner mold is injected around the exposed end of the cable retainer, any exposed core wires, and a first portion of a terminal of the cable. An overmold with an integral flange is injected around the exposed surface of the second portion of the terminal of the cable adjacent to the first portion, the inner mold, and the cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power connector for an electrical device. Background Art

[0002] Traditional connectors crimp the wire between the end of the wire and the terminal. This makes the traditional connector more slender, thus taking up more horizontal space. For short-profile connectors with limited horizontal space, traditional crimping cannot meet the short-profile requirements.

[0003] Typically, the mating of a connector to its receiving inlet leaves a visible gap in the frame surrounding the receiving inlet and provides an unfinished decorative effect on the chassis of the device being powered. One traditional solution to this problem is to introduce a separate flange in the connector body that is able to cover the gap in the frame surrounding the receiving inlet. The flange provides a flush effect with the device profile and enhances the decorative finish of the device, such as on the back of a monitor or any IT equipment. However, as a separate element, the flange compromises the integrity of the connector and reduces its tensile strength. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a compact power connector. The connector includes a cable having a plurality of core wires surrounded by a cable insulator. Each of the plurality of core wires includes an electric wire surrounded by a core wire insulator. The terminal of the cable has a portion of the cable insulator removed to expose a portion of each core wire, and each core wire has a portion of the core wire insulator removed to expose a portion of each electric wire. Each electric wire is reversely crimped to a corresponding terminal, the terminal is placed in a cable retainer, the cable retainer supports and routes each core wire, and the assembled cable retainer is inserted into a housing, the housing includes a housing terminal slot corresponding to each terminal. An inner mold is injected around the exposed end of the cable retainer, any exposed core wires, and a first portion of the terminal of the cable. An overmold with an integral flange is injected around the housing, the inner mold, and the exposed surface of the second portion of the terminal of the cable adjacent to the first portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Figure 1 An exemplary illustration depicting a cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment.

[0006] Figure 2 Describe the embodiment according to Figure 1 An exemplary illustration of an exploded view of a connector in FIG.

[0007] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is an exemplary illustration of a perspective view of an electric wire of a core wire wired to a terminal and a core wire reversely crimped according to an embodiment.

[0008] Figure 4A and Figure 4B According to the embodiment, Figure 3A and Figure 3B An exemplary illustration of a perspective view of a core wire and terminal retainer and its components.

[0009] Figure 5A and Figure 5B According to the embodiment, Figure 4A and Figure 4B An exemplary illustration of a perspective view of the core wires and terminals of the internal housing and its components.

[0010] Figure 6 According to the embodiment Figure 5A and Figure 5B An exemplary illustration of a perspective view of an assembled housing after application of an inner mold.

[0011] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is an exemplary illustration of front and rear perspective views of a completed connector including an overmold according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] The present disclosure is directed to a connector, such as a C13 connector, whose design requires a compact or shortened length / horizontal body shape, the connector having improved compact cable routing and enhanced tensile strength when tension is applied to the cable. Figure 1 As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 , an embodiment of the connector 100 may include a cable 102 terminated in the connector 100. The cable 102 may include a plurality of cores, each core surrounding a copper or similar conductive wire that may be connected to a terminal 104, such as in FIG. Figure 2 Terminals 104 may also be formed from copper or a similar conductive material.

[0013] The terminals 104, the cores and wires may be held in place by a cable retainer 108, which is positioned with a housing 110. The housing 110 includes a first end proximate to the terminal 116 of the cable 102 and a second end opposite the first end. The cable retainer 108 includes a first end 114 proximate to the terminal 116 and an opposite second end 106. The cable retainer includes a gap between the second end 106 and the second end of the housing 110 for a terminal slot 111 corresponding to each terminal 104. Once the terminals 104, the cable retainer 108, and the cores and wires are installed in the housing 110, an inner mold 112 of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), an engineering plastic, or a similar non-conductive material may be injected around the second end 114 of the cable retainer, around any exposed cores, and around the first portion of the terminal 116 of the cable 102. Then, an overmold 118 of PVC or a similar non-conductive material may be injected around the exposed surface of the housing 110, the inner mold 112, and the second portion 120 of the cable 102. The overmold 118 may include an integral flange 122. The profile of the integral flange may be in the form of any shape or any texture or color.

[0014] Figure 2 According to the embodiment Figure 1 As previously mentioned, the cable 102 may include a plurality of core wires 200, in this example, three core wires, each core wire including an electric wire 202 insulated by the core wire 200. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As more fully shown in FIG. 1 , the core wire 200 and the three wires of the cable 102 may include a live wire 300, a neutral wire 302, and a ground wire or earth wire 304. Figure 3A As shown, the hot wire 300 and the neutral wire 302, which can be interchanged in position, can be routed under each of the terminals 306 and 308 and reversely crimped at the front crimping pieces 310 and 312. Similarly, as shown in FIG. Figure 3B As shown, the ground or ground wire 304 can be routed over the top of the terminal 314 and reverse crimped at the first crimp 316. Reverse crimping of the crimp above or below the terminal allows the crimp and the terminal to occupy the same vertical space and a reduced horizontal space or length. By reverse crimping the wire on the first side (away from the terminal 116 of the cable 102) or front of the terminal, a more compact design can be made to reduce the overall horizontal length of the connector because no additional length is required on the opposite second side (closer to the terminal 116 of the cable 102) or back of the terminals 306, 308 and 314, and the additional length required on the first side or front of the terminals is already provided by the retainer 110 and the overmold 118, as shown. Figure 1 shown.

[0015] The housing 110 may also include a plurality of raised areas 109 configured to engage the overmold and prevent the overmold from pulling the housing loose. As shown, the raised areas may be on both sides of the housing 110 and may include one or more horizontal members and one or more vertical members. The areas 109 may be inserted into the housing, rather than raised, so that the overmold fills the areas 109.

[0016] Figure 4A and Figure 4B According to an embodiment, a Figure 3A and Figure 3B An exemplary illustration of a perspective view of a core wire and terminal retainer and its components. Figure 4A As shown, the cable retainer 108 is positioned on the second side of the terminals 306 and 308 so as to hold and route the live wire 300 and the neutral wire 302 to the front side of the terminals relative to the terminals 306 and 308. Figure 4B , the cable retainer 108 is also positioned on the second side of the terminal 314 to retain and route the ground or ground wire 304 to the front side of the terminal relative to the terminal 314. The cable retainer 108 can be formed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), engineering plastics, or similar non-conductive materials.

[0017] Figure 5A and Figure 5B According to the embodiment, Figure 4A and Figure 4B 1. An exemplary illustration of a perspective view of an inner housing and its components of a core wire and a terminal. After placing the cable retainer 108 relative to the wire and the terminal, the resulting terminal assembly 500 is inserted into the inner housing 110 through an opening in a second side 502 of the inner housing 110, the second side 502 of the inner housing 110 being opposite to a first side 504 of the inner housing 110. The first side 504 of the inner housing 110 is first formed with a terminal slot 111. Figure 5B The second side of the cable housing 108 is shown to include a plurality of grooves 113 or inserts configured to be filled by the inner mold 112 .

[0018] Figure 6 5 is an exemplary illustration of a perspective view of the housing assembly 600 after applying the inner mold 112 according to an embodiment. In order to inject the inner mold 112, the housing assembly 600 is placed in a first mold (not shown) that isolates a space in which a material for the inner mold 112 is formed, and then the heated material is injected into the first mold to form the inner mold 112.

[0019] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B1 is an exemplary illustration of a front and rear perspective view of a completed connector including an overmold 118 according to an embodiment. To inject the overmold 118, the housing assembly 600 and the completed inner mold 112 are placed in a second mold (not shown) that isolates a space in which a material for the overmold 118 is formed, and then the heated material is injected into the second mold to form the overmold 118 and complete the connector 100. Fig. 7A The completed connector 100 is shown with the terminal slot 111 formed in the first end 702 and the cable 102 entering the connector 100 from the opposing second end 704 . Figure 7B The same connector is shown from a second side 704 and better illustrates the flange 122 integrally formed in the cover film 118. In use, the flange 122 may be configured to abut a receptacle (not shown) into which the connector 100 is inserted.

[0020] Unless otherwise specifically stated or understood otherwise in the context of use, conditional language used herein, such as, among others, "can," "might," "may," "could," "for example," and the like, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include certain features, elements, and / or steps, while other embodiments do not include these features, elements, and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is generally not intended to imply that features, elements, and / or steps are in any way necessary for one or more embodiments, or that one or more embodiments must include logic for determining whether to include these features, elements, and / or steps or whether to perform these features, elements, and / or steps in any particular embodiment, with or without author input or prompting. The terms "include," "comprises," "has," and the like are synonymous and are used inclusively in an open-ended manner and do not exclude additional elements, features, actions, operations, and the like. In addition, the term "or" is used in its inclusive sense (rather than in its exclusive sense), and thus, when used (e.g., when connecting a series of elements), the term "or" means one, some, or all of the series of elements.

[0021] In one embodiment, a compact power connector includes: a cable with a plurality of core wires surrounded by a cable insulation, each of the plurality of core wires including an electric wire surrounded by the core wire insulation, a terminal of the cable having a portion of the cable insulation removed to expose a portion of each core wire, and each core wire having a portion of the core wire insulation removed to expose a portion of each electric wire; a plurality of terminals, each of the plurality of terminals corresponding to an electric wire, each terminal having a first end close to the terminal end of the cable and a second end opposite to the first end of the terminal, the second end of the terminal including a crimping piece; a cable retainer for crimping each of the plurality of core wires and Each of the plurality of wires is supported and routed to a crimping piece of a corresponding terminal so that each wire is reversely crimped to the terminal, a cable retainer having a first end close to the terminal end of the cable and a second end opposite to the first end of the cable retainer; a housing having a first end close to the terminal end of the cable and a second end opposite to the first end of the housing, the cable retainer and the plurality of terminals being inserted into an opening at the first end of the housing; an inner mold surrounding the first end of the cable retainer and surrounding the exposed portion of each core wire and the first portion of the terminal end of the cable and injected into the first end of the housing; and a covering mold injected around the exposed surface of the housing, the inner mold and the second portion of the terminal end of the cable.

[0022] In this embodiment, the overmold includes an integral flange located at the first end of the housing. In this embodiment, the flange is configured to abut the socket when the connector is inserted into the socket.

[0023] In this embodiment, the connector is a C13 connector.

[0024] In this embodiment, the second end of the housing includes a housing terminal slot corresponding to each terminal, the housing terminal slot being configured to receive a connector pin of the socket. In this embodiment, the overmold includes an overmold terminal slot corresponding to each housing terminal slot.

[0025] In this embodiment, the housing includes a plurality of raised areas configured to engage the overmold and prevent the overmold from pulling loose from the housing.

[0026] In this embodiment, the inner mold includes a first end near the terminal end of the cable, and the first end includes a plurality of retaining features, and the plurality of retaining features are configured to engage the overmold and prevent the overmold from pulling the housing loose. In this embodiment, the plurality of retaining features include a series of closed-end openings embedded in the inner mold.

[0027] In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a compact power connector includes: removing cable insulation surrounding a plurality of core wires at a terminal end of a cable to expose a portion of the plurality of core wires; removing core wire insulation surrounding the wires of each of the plurality of core wires to expose a portion of each wire; placing a terminal corresponding to each wire in a cable holder; placing each wire in the cable holder to route each wire to a corresponding terminal; reverse crimping each wire to the corresponding terminal to create a terminal assembly having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side; inserting the second side of the terminal assembly into a housing, the housing at a second end of the housing The invention comprises a shell terminal slot corresponding to each terminal, wherein a first side of the terminal assembly is exposed at a first end of the shell, and the first end of the shell is opposite to a second end of the shell; placing the shell and the cable into a first mold, and injecting one of polyvinyl chloride and engineering plastic material into the first mold to form an inner mold, the inner mold covers the exposed first side, the core wire exposed at the terminal of the cable, and the first part of the cable near the terminal of the cable; and placing the shell, the inner mold and the cable into a second mold, and injecting polyvinyl chloride material into the second mold to form a covering mold, the covering mold covers the shell, the inner mold, and any exposed surface of the second part of the cable adjacent to the first part of the cable.

[0028] In this embodiment, the second mold forms an integral flange in the overmold, the flange being positioned at the first end of the housing. In this embodiment, when the connector is inserted into the receptacle, the flange is configured to abut the receptacle.

[0029] In this embodiment, the connector is a C13 connector.

[0030] In this embodiment, the overmold forms an outer terminal groove corresponding to each housing terminal groove.

[0031] In this embodiment, the housing includes a plurality of raised areas configured to engage the overmold and prevent the overmold from pulling loose from the housing. In this embodiment, the inner mold includes a first end proximate to a terminal end of the cable, the first end includes a plurality of retention features configured to engage the overmold and prevent the overmold from pulling loose from the housing. In this embodiment, the plurality of retention features include a series of closed-end openings embedded in the inner mold.

[0032] Although certain example embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention disclosed herein. Therefore, nothing described above is intended to imply that any particular feature, characteristic, step, module, or module is necessary or indispensable. In fact, the new methods and new systems described herein can be embodied in a variety of other forms. In addition, without departing from the spirit of the invention disclosed herein, various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the methods and systems described herein can be made. The attached claims and their equivalents are intended to cover forms or modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of certain inventions disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A compact power connector, comprising: A cable having a plurality of cores surrounded by a cable insulation, each of the plurality of cores comprising an electric wire surrounded by the core insulation, a terminal of the cable having a portion of the cable insulation removed to expose a portion of each core, and each core having a portion of the core insulation removed to expose a portion of each electric wire; a plurality of terminals, each of the plurality of terminals corresponding to one wire, each terminal having a first end proximate to a terminal end of the cable insulation and a second end opposite to the first end of the terminal, the second end of the terminal comprising a crimping member; a cable holder that supports and routes each of the plurality of core wires and each of the plurality of wires to pass through a first end of its corresponding terminal and to a crimping piece of the corresponding terminal so that each wire is reversely crimped to the terminal, the cable holder having a first end proximate to a terminal end of the cable and a second end opposite to the first end of the cable holder; a housing having a first end proximate to a terminal end of the cable and a second end opposite to the first end of the housing, the cable holder and the plurality of terminals being inserted into an opening of the first end of the housing; an inner mold, the inner mold being injected into the first end of the housing around the first end of the cable retainer and around the exposed portion of each core wire and the first portion of the terminal end of the cable; as well as Overmolding, the overmolding film is injected around the exposed surface of the second portion of the housing, the inner mold and the terminal of the cable, Wherein the first end of the cable retainer includes a plurality of grooves or inserts configured to be filled by an inner mold.

2. The compact power connector according to claim 1, wherein: The overmold includes an integral flange positioned at the first end of the housing.

3. The compact power connector according to claim 2, wherein: The flange is configured to abut the receptacle when the connector is inserted into the receptacle.

4. The compact power connector according to claim 1, wherein: The connector is a C13 connector.

5. The compact power connector according to claim 1, wherein: The second end of the housing includes a housing terminal slot corresponding to each terminal, the housing terminal slot being configured to receive a connector pin of the socket.

6. The compact power connector according to claim 5, wherein: The overmold includes an overmold terminal slot corresponding to each housing terminal slot.

7. The compact power connector according to claim 1, wherein: The housing includes a plurality of raised areas configured to engage the overmold and prevent the overmold from pulling loose from the housing.

8. The compact power connector according to claim 1, wherein: The inner mold includes a first end proximate a terminal end of the cable, wherein the first end includes a plurality of retention features configured to engage the overmold and prevent the overmold from pulling loose from the housing.

9. The compact power connector according to claim 8, wherein: The plurality of retention features include a series of closed-ended openings embedded in the inner mold.

10. A method for manufacturing a compact power connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: removing cable insulation surrounding the plurality of core wires at a terminal end of the cable to expose a portion of the plurality of core wires; removing core wire insulation surrounding an electrical wire of each of the plurality of core wires to expose a portion of each electrical wire; placing a terminal corresponding to each wire in the cable holder; placing each wire in the cable holder to route each wire through a first end of its corresponding terminal closest to the end of the cable and to a crimp at a second end of its corresponding terminal opposite the first end; Reverse crimping each wire to a crimp of a corresponding terminal to create a terminal assembly having a first side and a second side opposite the first side; Inserting the second side of the terminal assembly into the housing, the housing comprising a housing terminal slot corresponding to each terminal at the second end of the housing, wherein the first side of the terminal assembly is exposed at the first end of the housing, the first end of the housing being opposite to the second end of the housing; placing the housing and the cable into a first mold, and injecting one of polyvinyl chloride and an engineering plastic material into the first mold to form an inner mold, the inner mold covering the exposed first side, the exposed core wires at the terminal end of the cable, and the first portion of the cable near the terminal end of the cable, wherein the inner mold fills a plurality of grooves or inserts in an end of the cable retainer proximate the terminal end of the cable; as well as The housing, inner mold, and cable are placed into a second mold, and polyvinyl chloride material is injected into the second mold to form an overmold covering the housing, inner mold, and any exposed surface of the second portion of the cable adjacent to the first portion of the cable.

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