Electrical connector and combination thereof

Abstract

An electrical connector and a combination thereof, the electrical connector comprising a body, a terminal assembly fixed to the body, and a locking device, wherein the locking device is pivotally mounted on the body. The body is provided with a first positioning column on its top surface, and the first positioning column is provided with a positioning groove opening backwards; the locking device comprises a rotating member and a locking member, and the rotating member is provided with a receiving groove and a first through hole; the locking member comprises an operating portion, a first positioning plate, and a pair of first holding arms, the locking member is accommodated in the receiving groove, and is held in the receiving groove by means of the first holding arms to prevent the locking member from falling off from the receiving groove. When the rotating member rotates backward to a position close to the top surface, the first positioning column passes through the first through hole and enters the receiving groove, and the locking member moves forward until the first positioning plate is inserted into the positioning groove to prevent the rotating member from rotating forward. The locking member of the present invention is installed in the rotating member and will not fall off, thereby avoiding the risk of loss and being convenient for users to use.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector and a combination thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Refer to CN106374282A, which discloses an electrical connector assembly for a high-voltage system of a new energy vehicle. This type of connector used for high voltage has very high requirements for the assembly stability and locking stability of the connector itself. Our company continues to invest in the research and development of such connectors and make improvements to overcome the defects in product design. [Summary of the invention]

[0003] The technical solution to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electrical connector and a combination thereof to increase the stability and convenience of the lock.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: an electrical connector, comprising a body, a terminal assembly fixed to the body and a locking device, wherein the locking device is pivotally mounted on the body; the body is provided with a first positioning column on its top surface, and the first positioning column is provided with a positioning groove opening backward; the locking device comprises a rotating member and a locking member, and the rotating member is provided with a receiving groove and a first through hole; the locking member comprises an operating part, a first positioning plate, and a pair of first holding arms, the locking member is accommodated in the receiving groove, and is held in the receiving groove by the first holding arms to prevent the locking member from falling off from the receiving groove; when the rotating member rotates backward to near the top surface, the first positioning column passes through the first through hole and enters the receiving groove, and the locking member moves forward until the first positioning plate is inserted into the positioning groove to prevent the rotating member from rotating forward.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical scheme: an electrical connector combination, which includes an electrical connector and a docking connector, and the docking connector is provided with guide pillars on its opposite sides; the electrical connector includes a body, a terminal assembly and a locking device, and the body is provided with ribs extending in the front-to-back direction on two opposite sides, and the ribs have an upper rib surface facing upward; the locking device includes a rotating member, and the rotating member has a sliding groove, a guide opening located at the front end of the sliding groove, and a hanging finger, and the guide pillar of the docking connector can slide from the guide opening and move in the sliding groove; when the rotating member rotates forward to a vertical state, the hanging finger abuts against the upper rib surface to limit the rotating member from continuing to rotate forward.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the locking member of the present invention is installed in the rotating member and will not fall off, thereby avoiding the risk of loss and being convenient for users to use.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] Figure 1It is a three-dimensional view of the electrical connector assembly of the present invention, wherein two connectors are ready to be mated.

[0008] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional image of the two connectors just connected.

[0009] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the two connectors when they are fully mated.

[0010] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the CEC connector.

[0011] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional image of the main body from another angle.

[0012] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional view of the rotating part from another angle.

[0013] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A stereogram from another angle.

[0014] Figure 8 for Figure 4 A three-dimensional view of the center lock fastener from another angle.

[0015] Fig. 9 for Figure 8 A stereogram from another angle.

[0016] Fig.10 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the electrical connector along the horizontal direction, showing the position relationship of the locking member in the accommodating groove when the locking member is in an unlocked state.

[0017] Fig.11 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the electrical connector along the vertical direction, showing the position relationship of the second latching arm of the latch member in the accommodating groove when the second latching arm is in an unlocked state.

[0018] Fig.12 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the electrical connector along the vertical direction, showing the positional relationship of the first positioning plate arm of the locking member in the accommodating groove when it is in the locking state.

[0019] Fig.13 Similar to Fig.11 , showing the positional relationship of the first positioning plate in the accommodating groove in the locked state.

[0020]

Component Symbol Description

[0021]

[0022]

[0023] The following specific implementation manner will further illustrate the present invention in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. [Specific implementation method]

[0024] Ginseng Figure 1-3 As shown, the present invention is an electrical connector assembly that can be used in a high voltage system of a new energy vehicle. The assembly includes an electrical connector 100 and a docking connector 200 that dock with each other. The docking process is first described below. When the electrical connector 100 is ready to be inserted into the docking connector 200 (such as Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 2 , the locking device 30 of the electrical connector is located in a substantially vertical position, and slide posts 51 are provided on opposite sides of the outer peripheral surface of the docking connector 200, and the guide opening 312 of the locking device 30 is aligned with the slide post 51. The slide post 51 passes through the guide opening 312 and enters the slide groove 311 of the locking device (as shown in FIG. 2 ). Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the locking device 30 is rotated backward with force. The shape of the slide groove 311 is designed so that the electrical connector 100 is further inserted into the docking connector 200 during the rotation process of the slide groove 311 and the slide post 51, so that the two are fully matched (as shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 3 At this time, the locking device 30 is located in a substantially horizontal position, close to the top surface of the body 10 of the electrical connector, and finally the locking device 30 is fixed by the locking member 32 to prevent the locking device from loosening or rotating in the reverse direction (i.e., rotating forward).

[0025] Similarly, when the electrical connector 100 needs to be unplugged, the locking member 32 is pulled backward and the locking device 30 is rotated forward until it abuts against the rib (eg, Figure 2 ), and then pull out the electrical connector 200 with force.

[0026] The detailed structure of the electrical connector 100 is described in detail below. Figure 4-5 As shown, the electrical connector 100 includes a body 10 , a terminal assembly 20 , and a locking device 30 . The locking device 30 is pivotally mounted on the body 10 .

[0027] The body 10 has two terminal holes 11 extending forward, and the terminal assembly 20 is accommodated in the terminal holes 11, and a cable is connected to the rear end thereof. The specific structure of the terminal assembly 20 refers to another patent application filed by the applicant on the same day. The body 10 is provided with a first positioning column 13 and two second positioning columns 14 on its top surface 101. The first positioning column 13 is provided with a positioning groove 131 opening backward, and the second positioning columns 14 are located on both sides of the rear of the first positioning column 13. The lateral width and height of the first positioning column 13 are greater than those of the second positioning columns 14. The body 10 is provided with a strip rib 15 extending in the front-to-back direction and a convex rib 16 located at the front end of the strip rib on its two opposite side surfaces 102. The strip rib 15 has an upper rib surface 151 facing upward, and a first pivoting portion 17, and the first pivoting portion 17 protrudes from the strip rib.

[0028] The locking device 30 includes a rotating member 31 and a locking member 32. The rotating member 31 is provided with a slide groove 311, a guide opening 312 at the front end of the slide groove, and a hanging finger 313, which is used to be matched with the docking connector 200. Figure 6-7 , the rotating member 31 is provided with a receiving groove 315, a first through hole 3161 and a second through hole 3162, and the locking member 32 is received in the receiving groove 315. In terms of the overall structure, the rotating member 31 includes two side portions 3181 and a horizontal bar portion 3182 that transversely connects the two side portions. The sliding groove 311, the guide opening 312 and the hanging finger 313 are arranged on the side portion 3181, and the receiving groove 315 and the first and second through holes 3161 and 3162 are arranged on the horizontal bar portion 3182. At the same time, the horizontal bar portion 3182 also serves as an operating portion for the user to apply force. The side portion 3182 is provided with a second pivoting portion 317, which cooperates with the first pivoting portion 17 to enable the rotating member to rotate relative to the main body 10.

[0029] The locking member 32 includes an operating portion 321, a first positioning plate 322, a pair of first holding arms 323, and a second holding arm 324 located between the first positioning plate and the first holding arm. The first holding arm 323 is held in the receiving groove 315 to prevent the locking member 32 from falling out of the receiving groove 315. Fig.10 The first latch arm 323 is provided with a laterally protruding latch head 3231, which can latch backwards on the abutment surface in the receiving groove to prevent the latch member 32 from falling off the rotating member 31. In this way, the latch member 32 is always placed on the latch device 30 to avoid the risk of loss. Fig.11 The second buckling arm 324 is provided with a buckle head 3241 protruding downward, which protrudes into the second through hole 3162 by gravity, and is buckled backward on the rear inner wall of the second through hole 3162, which can also prevent the lock member 32 from falling backward from the receiving groove 315, and is also blocked forward by the front inner wall of the second through hole 3162, limiting the lock member 32 from running freely. The operating portion 321 is plate-shaped, which is perpendicular to the first positioning plate and the first and second buckling arms.

[0030] When the rotating member 31 rotates backward to a position close to the top surface 101, Fig.12 As shown, the first positioning column 13 passes through the first through hole 3161 and enters the receiving groove 315, and the locking member 32 moves forward until the first positioning plate 322 is inserted into the positioning groove 131 of the first positioning column 13, thereby preventing the rotating member 32 from rotating forward. At the same time, the second positioning column 14 enters the second through hole 3162, and the second positioning column 14 pushes upward against the second holding arm 324 to move upward and break away from the restriction of the front inner wall of the second through hole 3162, so that the second holding arm 324 can move forward until the buckle head 3241 of the second holding arm 324 is buckled in the receiving groove, thereby locking the locking member to the main body 10. A third through hole is provided behind the second through hole 317 to form a resisting surface 3163, so that the buckle head 3241 can be buckled on the resisting surface 3163. From Fig.12 , 13 It can be seen that the first through hole 3161 extends upward through the top surface of the receiving groove 315, which is more conducive to the positioning of the first positioning column 13, and the second through hole 3162 extends to the receiving groove 315. The horizontal bar 3182 is provided with a receiving opening 319 at the corresponding operating part 321 to accommodate the operating part 321. The receiving opening 319 can not only limit the shaking of the operating part, but also help the appearance of the operating part and the rotating part to be more integrated.

[0031] When releasing the lock, a large force is used to move the lock member 32 backward, and the buckle head 3241 of the second buckle arm 324 is separated from the receiving groove 315, and the first positioning plate 322 is also separated from the first positioning column 13. Then the rotating member 31 is rotated forward until the hanging finger 313 abuts against the upper rib surface 151, limiting the rotating member 31 from further rotating forward. At this time, the rotating member 31 is approximately in a vertical state (such as Figure 2 As shown), then the electrical connector 100 can be pulled out. A through slot 3131 is provided between the hanging finger 313 and the rotating member 31, so that the hanging finger 3131 has a certain elasticity.

[0032] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, all simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention and the contents of the present invention description should still fall within the scope of the patent of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising a body, a terminal assembly fixed to the body, and a locking device, wherein the locking device is pivotally mounted on the body; characterized in that: The main body is provided with a first positioning column on its top surface, and the first positioning column is provided with a positioning groove opening backward; the locking device includes a rotating member and a locking member, the rotating member includes two side parts and a horizontal bar part transversely connecting the two side parts, the horizontal bar part is provided with a receiving groove penetrating backward and a first through hole penetrating downward; the locking member includes an operating part, a first positioning plate, and a pair of first holding arms, the locking member is accommodated in the receiving groove, and is held in the receiving groove by the first holding arms to prevent the locking member from falling off from the receiving groove; when the rotating member rotates backward to near the top surface, the first positioning column passes through the first through hole and enters the receiving groove, and the locking member moves forward until the first positioning plate is inserted into the positioning groove to prevent the rotating member from rotating forward.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The main body is provided with two second positioning columns on its top surface, and the rotating member is provided with two second through holes; the locking member includes second buckling arms respectively located between the first positioning plate and the first buckling arm, the second buckling arm having a buckle head protruding downward, and the buckle head of the second buckling arm protruding into the second through hole; when the rotating member rotates backward to near the top surface, the second buckling arm enters the second through hole and pushes against the buckle head of the second buckling arm to disengage from the second through hole, and the locking member moves forward until the buckle head of the second buckling arm is buckled in the accommodating groove, thereby locking the locking member to the main body.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The bottom surface of the accommodating groove is provided with a stop surface located behind the second through hole, and the buckle head can be buckled on the stop surface; when the operating part is moved backward with force, the buckle head can be separated from the stop surface.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The operating portion is plate-shaped and is perpendicular to the first positioning plate and the first and second holding arms.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: The main body is provided with strip ribs extending in the front-to-back direction and convex ribs located at the front ends of the strip ribs on two opposite sides, and the strip ribs have an upper rib surface facing upward; the rotating member has a slide groove, a guide opening located at the front end of the slide groove, and a hanging finger; when the rotating member rotates forward to a vertical state, the hanging finger abuts against the upper rib surface to limit the rotating member from continuing to rotate forward.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein: A through slot is provided between the suspension finger and the rotating member.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The transverse width and height of the first positioning column are both greater than those of the second positioning column, and the second positioning column is located behind the first positioning column.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The upper surface of the first positioning plate has a long groove penetrating forward.

9. An electrical connector combination, comprising an electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 and a docking connector, wherein the docking connector is provided with guide posts on its opposite sides; the body of the electrical connector is provided with ribs extending in the front-to-back direction on its two opposite sides, and the ribs have upper rib surfaces facing upward; the rotating member has a slide groove, a guide opening located at the front end of the slide groove, and a hanging finger, and the guide post of the docking connector can enter the slide groove from the guide opening and move in the slide groove; when the rotating member rotates forward to a vertical state, the hanging finger abuts against the upper rib surface of the rib to limit the rotating member from continuing to rotate forward; a through groove is provided between the hanging finger and the rotating member.

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