Electrical connector

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector. An electrical connector includes a main body portion, a connection line, an electrical connection portion, a locking element, and a pressing element. The main body portion has a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion. The connection line is disposed at the first end portion of the main body portion. The electrical connection portion is disposed at the second end portion of the main body portion. The locking element is disposed at the electrical connection portion and has an abutting end and a buckling end. The abutting end is located in the main body portion and the buckling end is exposed outside the main body portion. The pressing element is movably disposed in the main body portion. The two ends of the pressing element are a pressing portion and a driving portion respectively. The pressing portion is disposed adjacent to the first end portion of the main body portion. The driving portion is used to contact the abutting end. When the pressing portion is pushed along the length direction of the pressing element, the driving portion drives the abutting end, and further drives the buckling end to move from the locking position to the unlocking position. When a plurality of electrical connectors are disassembled from the interface of the electronic device in an up-and-down arrangement, interference of the upper electrical connector with the lower electrical connector can be avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector. Background Art

[0002] Generally, an electrical connector for imaging applications may have a positioning member at its electrical connection portion to achieve a positioning effect when the electrical connection portion is inserted into an interface of an electronic device. The electrical connector may also have a pressing portion for unlocking. This pressing portion is usually disposed near the electrical connection portion and is pressed in a vertical direction. When the electrical connector needs to be detached from the electronic device, the user can press down the pressing portion to unlock the positioning member and then withdraw the electrical connection portion from the interface of the electronic device. However, when two or more electrical connectors are arranged vertically, such a design is not conducive to the operation of detaching the lower electrical connector. For example, since the upper electrical connector obstructs the operating space for the user to press the pressing portion of the lower electrical connector, the user must first remove the upper electrical connector before removing the lower electrical connector. In addition, the design of pressing down the pressing portion has a short lever arm for the positioning member, so the user needs to press the pressing portion of the electrical connector with great effort to unlock the positioning member and detach the electrical connector. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One aspect of the present disclosure is an electrical connector.

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electrical connector includes a main body portion, a connection line, an electrical connection portion, a locking element, and a pressing element. The main body portion has a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion. The connection line is disposed at the first end portion of the main body portion. The electrical connection portion is disposed at the second end portion of the main body portion. The locking element is disposed at the electrical connection portion and has an abutting end and a latching end. The abutting end is located in the main body portion and the latching end is exposed outside the main body portion. The pressing element is movably disposed in the main body portion. The two ends of the pressing element are respectively a pressing portion and a driving portion. The pressing portion is disposed adjacent to the first end portion of the main body portion. The driving portion is used to contact the abutting end. When the pressing portion is pushed along the length direction of the pressing element, the driving portion drives the abutting end, thereby driving the latching end to move from the locking position to the unlocking position.

[0005] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the angle between the length direction of the pressing element and the electrical connection portion is in the range of 0 degrees to 45 degrees.

[0006] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical connector further includes an upper cover. The upper cover covers the main body portion, the driving portion of the pressing element, and the abutting end of the locking element. The upper cover further includes a first interference structure disposed toward the pressing element, and the pressing element further includes a second interference structure disposed toward the upper cover, and the second interference structure is disposed to abut the first interference structure.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least a part of the pressing portion overlaps with the connection line in the vertical direction.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first interference structure is a rib protruding from the upper cover towards the pressing element, and the second interference structure is a bump protruding from the pressing element towards the upper cover. The bump is arranged to abut against the rib to generate feedback to the pressing element.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first interference structure is a rib protruding from the upper cover towards the pressing element, and the second interference structure is a groove on the pressing element facing the upper cover. The surface of the groove is arranged to abut against the rib to generate feedback to the pressing element.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first interference structure is a groove on the upper cover facing the pressing element, and the second interference structure is a bump protruding from the pressing element towards the upper cover. The bump is arranged to abut against the surface of the groove to generate feedback to the pressing element.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the pressing element further includes a pushing element. The pushing element is arranged to abut against the inner side wall of the upper cover to generate a pushing force.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving portion of the pressing element further includes a recess. A part of the abutting end is located in the recess.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driving portion of the pressing element has an inclined surface. The inclined surface is arranged to press the abutting end of the locking element.

[0014] In the above embodiment of the present disclosure, since at least a part of the pressing portion and the connecting wire overlap in the vertical direction, when a plurality of electrical connectors are detached from the interface of the electronic device in an up-and-down arrangement, interference of the upper electrical connector with the lower electrical connector can be avoided. That is, the user can directly remove the lower electrical connector without first removing the upper electrical connector to remove the lower electrical connector. In addition, such a design has a longer force arm, allowing the user to more easily push the pressing portion of the pressing element along the length direction of the pressing element, so that the buckling end of the locking element in the electrical connection portion descends, and further enabling the electrical connection portion to be detached from the interface of the electronic device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] One embodiment of the present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be emphasized that, in accordance with industrial standard practice, the various features are not drawn to scale and are for illustrative purposes only. In fact, for clarity of discussion, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased.

[0016] Figure 1 A perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 ShownFigure 1 Perspective view of an electrical connector, where the upper cover is shown in dashed lines.

[0018] Figure 3 With Figure 4 Illustrate Figure 2 Schematic diagram when the pressing portion of the electrical connector is pressed along the length direction of the pressing element, with the upper cover omitted.

[0019] Figure 5 Illustrate Figure 1 Schematic diagram when the electrical connectors in

[0020] Figure 6 Perspective view of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, where the upper cover is shown in dashed lines.

[0021] Figure 7 Illustrate Figure 6 Cross-sectional view of the electrical connector in

[0022] Figure 8 Illustrate the cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, where the cross-sectional position is the same as that in Figure 7 Same.

[0023] Figure 9 Illustrate the cross-sectional view of an electrical connector according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, where the cross-sectional position is the same as that in Figure 7 Same.

[0024] Among them, the reference numerals are explained as follows:

[0025] 100, 100a, 100b, 100c: Electrical connectors

[0026] 110: Main body portion

[0027] 112: First end

[0028] 114: Second end

[0029] 120: Connection line

[0030] 130: Electrical connection portion

[0031] 132: Top surface

[0032] 140: Locking element

[0033] 142: Buckling end

[0034] 144: Contact end

[0035] 146: Top surface

[0036] 150: Pressing element

[0037] 152: Pressing part

[0038] 154: Driving part

[0039] 154a: Inclined surface

[0040] 155: Recess

[0041] 156: Pushing element

[0042] 157: Second interference structure, bump

[0043] 158: Second interference structure, groove

[0044] 158a: Surface

[0045] 159: Second interference structure, bump

[0046] 160: Upper cover

[0047] 162: Opening

[0048] 163: Inner wall

[0049] 164: First interference structure, rib

[0050] 166: First interference structure, groove

[0051] 166a: Surface

[0052] 500: Electronic device

[0053] 510: Interface

[0054] d1: Distance

[0055] d2: Distance

[0056] D1: Moment arm

[0057] D2: Moment arm

[0058] F: Force

[0059] F1: Force

[0060] F2: Force

[0061] L: Length direction

[0062] V: Vertical direction

[0063] θ: Included angle Detailed implementation mode

[0064] The following disclosed embodiments provide many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different features of the provided subject matter. Specific examples of elements and arrangements are described below to simplify the present case. Of course, these examples are only examples and are not intended to be limiting. In addition, the present case may repeat element symbols and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and does not itself specify the relationship between the various embodiments and / or configurations discussed.

[0065] Spatial relative terms such as "below", "beneath", "lower", "above", "upper", etc. may be used herein for purposes of convenience in description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as shown in the drawings. Spatial relative terms are intended to cover different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0066] Figure 1 A perspective view of an electrical connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 A perspective view of the electrical connector 100, wherein the upper cover 160 is shown in dashed lines. Referring also to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the electrical connector 100 includes a body portion 110, a connecting wire 120, an electrical connection portion 130, a locking element 140, and a pressing element 150. The body portion 110 has a first end 112 and a second end 114 opposite to the first end 112. Among them, the connecting wire 120 is provided at the first end 112 of the body portion 110, and the electrical connection portion 130 is provided at the second end 114 of the body portion 110. The locking element 140 is provided on the electrical connection portion 130, and has a latching end 142 and an abutting end 144. The abutting end 144 is located in the body portion 110 and the latching end 142 is exposed outside the body portion 110. The latching end 142 and the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140 protrude upward from the top surface 132 of the electrical connection portion 130. The latching end 142 of the locking element 140 can be a positioning member of the electrical connection portion 130. For example, the latching end 142 of the locking element 140 can produce a positioning effect when the electrical connection portion 130 is inserted into the interface of an electronic device (which will be Figure 5 described in detail) to stably connect.

[0067] In addition, the pressing element 150 is movably provided on the body portion 110. The two ends of the pressing element 150 are a pressing portion 152 and a driving portion 154 respectively. The pressing portion 152 is adjacent to and provided at the first end 112 of the body portion 110. And, the pressing portion 152 is flush with or extends beyond the first end 112 of the body portion 110. At least a part of the pressing portion 152 and the connecting wire 120 are in the vertical direction V (seeFigure 3 ) overlap thereon. That is, the pressing portion 152 is disposed at a position close to the connection line 120, such that a part of the pressing portion 152 can be located above the connection line 120, allowing the user to push the pressing portion 152 along the length direction L of the pressing element 150 (see Figure 3 ) conveniently above the connection line 120. The driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 is used to contact the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140. When the user pushes the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150 along the length direction L of the pressing element 150, the driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 can drive the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140, thereby driving the latching end 142 from the locking position (for example Figure 2 the position of the latching end 142) to the unlocking position (for example Figure 3 the position of the latching end 142), so that the electrical connection portion 130 is unlocked and can be detached from the interface of the electronic device.

[0068] In this embodiment, the electrical connector 100 further includes an upper cover 160. The upper cover 160 of the electrical connector 100 covers the main body portion 110, the driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150, and the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140. In addition, the upper cover 160 of the electrical connector 100 further includes an opening 162, and the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150 extends outward from the opening 162 of the upper cover 160.

[0069] Specifically, since at least a part of the pressing portion 152 overlaps with the connection line 120 in the vertical direction V (see Figure 3 ), when a plurality of electrical connectors 100 are disassembled from the interface of the electronic device in a vertically arranged manner, interference of the upper electrical connector 100 with the lower electrical connector 100 can be avoided. That is, the user can directly remove the lower electrical connector 100 without having to first remove the upper electrical connector 100 to remove the lower electrical connector 100. In addition, such a design has a longer lever arm (which will be Figure 3 and Figure 4 described in detail), allowing the user to push the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150 along the length direction L of the pressing element 150 (see Figure 3 ) more labor-savingly, so that the latching end 142 of the locking element 140 in the electrical connection portion 130 descends, and then the electrical connection portion 130 is unlocked and can be detached from the interface of the electronic device.

[0070] In some embodiments, the electrical connector 100 may include a Display Port (DP) connector, a VGA connector, a USB connector, and an HDMI connector, but this is not intended to limit the present disclosure. The pressing element 150 may be made of nylon plastic, PBT (Poly Butylene Terephthalate) engineering plastic, PC (Polycarbonate) plastic, or ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) engineering plastic, but this is not intended to limit the present disclosure. The pressing element 150 made of the above materials has a smooth surface, so the friction with the main body 110 can be reduced. In this way, when the pressing portion 152 is pushed along the length direction L of the pressing element 150 (see Figure 3 ), the loss of the force for pushing the pressing portion 152 can be reduced, and the force can be effectively conducted from the driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 to the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140.

[0071] In this embodiment, the locking element 140 is a kind of elastic sheet structure, and its abutting end 144 is closer to the main body 110 than the buckling end 142. The distance d1 that the abutting end 144 protrudes from the top surface 132 of the electrical connection portion 130 is greater than the distance d2 that the buckling end 142 protrudes from the top surface 132 of the electrical connection portion 130. That is to say, the vertical height of the abutting end 144 protruding from the top surface 132 is greater than the vertical height of the buckling end 142 protruding from the top surface 132, but this is not limited thereto.

[0072] Figure 3 With Figure 4 Shown Figure 2 is a schematic diagram when the pressing portion 152 of the electrical connector 100 shown is pressed along the length direction L of the pressing element 150, and the upper cover 160 is omitted. At the same time, referring to Figure 3 With Figure 4 , in this embodiment, the included angle θ between the length direction L of the pressing element 150 and the electrical connection portion 130 may be in the range of 0 degrees to 45 degrees. Specifically, the included angle θ between the length direction L of the pressing element 150 and the electrical connection portion 130 is in the range of 5 degrees to 30 degrees. When the included angle θ is less than 5 degrees, the pressing portion 152 is likely to interfere with the main body 110 and the connection line 120 when being pressed along the length direction L of the pressing element 150, resulting in an increase in friction. When the included angle θ is greater than 30 degrees, the pressing portion 152 is likely to interfere with the upper cover 160 when being pressed along the length direction L of the pressing element 150, also resulting in an increase in friction.

[0073] In addition, the driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 is higher than the top surface 146 of the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140. The driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 further includes a recess 155. With such a design, a part (such as the top) of the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140 can be located in the recess 155 of the driving portion 154, so as to facilitate the driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 to press the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140 downward. In the present embodiment, the driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 may further have an inclined surface 154a. The inclined surface 154a of the driving portion 154 is arranged to press the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 3 , when a force F is applied to the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150 along the length direction L of the pressing element 150, the force F can be transmitted to the driving portion 154 of the pressing element 150 to generate a force F1. The force F1 has a force arm D1 perpendicular to it, and can generate a moment for driving the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140. In addition, please refer to Figure 4 , the force F can also be transmitted to the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140 to generate a force F2. The force F2 has a force arm D2 perpendicular to it, and can also generate a moment for driving the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140. Through the above design, when a thrust F is applied to the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150, a total moment of (F1×D1 + F2×D2) can be generated. The design that the pressing portion 152 is arranged at a position close to the connection line 120 has longer force arms D1 and D2, enabling the user to push the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150 along the length direction L of the pressing element 150 more labor - saving. Compared with the traditional design of applying force to press the locking element in the vertical direction, the combination of the pressing element 150 and the locking element 140 in the present disclosure can save more than 50% of the force.

[0075] Figure 5 Illustrates Figure 1 a schematic diagram of the electrical connector 100 shown in the above - and - below arrangement when in use. Please refer to Figure 5 , the two electrical connectors 100 are arranged one above the other, and the two electrical connection portions 130 of the two electrical connectors 100 are respectively inserted into the two interfaces 510 of the electronic device 500. The latching end 142 of the locking element 140 in the electrical connection portion 130 can produce a positioning effect. The electronic device 500 may include an image player, a display, a surveillance video device, a laptop computer, and a desktop computer. In some embodiments, when the lower electrical connector 100 is to be detached from the interface 510 of the electronic device 500, since the pressing portion 152 of the lower electrical connector 100 is arranged at a position close to the joint 120, interference from the upper electrical connector 100 to the lower electrical connector 100 can be avoided. That is to say, the user can directly remove the lower electrical connector 100 without having to remove the upper electrical connector 100 first, which is labor - saving and time - saving, and increases the convenience of operation.

[0076] In the following description, the described component connection relationships and functions will not be repeated, and are hereby stated first for clarity.

[0077] Figure 6 Fig. shows a perspective view of an electrical connector 100a according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the upper cover 160 is shown in dashed lines. Figure 7 Fig. shows Figure 6 a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector 100a along line 7-7 in Figure 7 wherein the pressing element 150 of Figure 6 has its bump 157 passing over the rib 164 of the upper cover 160 after being applied with force. Referring also to Figure 7 and Figure 1 , the electrical connector 100a includes a main body portion 110, a connecting wire 120, an electrical connection portion 130, a locking element 140, and a pressing element 150. Different from the

[0078] embodiment of

[0079] Figure 8 Figure 7 Fig. shows a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector 100b according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the cross-sectional position of which is the same as that inThe same. The upper cover 160 of the electrical connector 100b includes a first interference structure 164 facing the pressing element 150. In the present embodiment, the first interference structure 164 is a rib protruding toward the pressing element 150. Different from Figure 7 the embodiment of, the pressing element 150 of the electrical connector 100b includes a second interference structure 158 facing the upper cover 160, but does not have Figure 7 the bump 157. In the present embodiment, the second interference structure 158 is a groove facing the upper cover 160. The surface 158a of the groove 158 is arranged to abut against the rib 164 of the upper cover 160 to generate feedback to the pressing element 150. When a force is applied to the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150, the rib 164 of the upper cover 160 can be snapped into the groove 158 of the pressing element 150 to generate feedback to the user, so that the user knows that the driving portion 154 has driven the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140, that is, the latching end 142 of the locking element 140 has descended into the electrical connection portion 130, and the electrical connector 100b can be disassembled.

[0080] Figure 9 FIG. shows a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector 100c according to still another embodiment of the present disclosure, and the cross-sectional position is the same as that of Figure 7 the same. Different from Figure 8 the embodiment of, the upper cover 160 of the electrical connector 100c includes a first interference structure 166 facing the pressing element 150, but does not have Figure 8 the rib 164, and the pressing element 150 of the electrical connector 100c includes a second interference structure 159 facing the upper cover 160, but does not have Figure 8 the groove 158. The second interference structure 159 is arranged to abut against the first interference structure 166. In the present embodiment, the first interference structure 166 is a groove facing the pressing element 150, and the second interference structure 159 is a bump protruding toward the upper cover 160. The bump 159 of the pressing element 150 is arranged to abut against the surface 166a of the groove 166 of the upper cover 160 to generate feedback to the pressing element 150. When a force is applied to the pressing portion 152 of the pressing element 150, the bump 159 of the pressing element 150 can be snapped into the groove 166 of the upper cover 160 to generate feedback to the user, so that the user knows that the driving portion 154 has driven the abutting end 144 of the locking element 140, that is, the latching end 142 of the locking element 140 has descended into the electrical connection portion 130, and the electrical connector 100c can be disassembled.

[0081] The foregoing has outlined the features of several embodiments such that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures to achieve the same purposes and / or achieve the same advantages as the embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art should also recognize that such equivalent constructs do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that, Comprising: A main body portion having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion; A connecting wire provided at the first end portion of the main body portion; An electrical connection portion provided at the second end portion of the main body portion; A locking element provided at the electrical connection portion and having an abutting end and a latching end, wherein the abutting end is located in the main body portion and the latching end is exposed outside the main body portion; A pressing element movably provided in the main body portion, two ends of the pressing element being a pressing portion and a driving portion respectively, the pressing portion being adjacent to and provided at the first end portion of the main body portion, the driving portion being used for contacting the abutting end, the pressing portion being flush with or protruding beyond the first end portion of the main body portion, wherein when the pressing portion is pushed along a length direction of the pressing element, the driving portion drives the abutting end, thereby driving the latching end to move from a locking position to an unlocking position, the pressing element further comprising a return element; and An upper cover covering the main body portion, the driving portion of the pressing element, and the abutting end of the locking element, wherein the return element is arranged to abut against an inner side wall of the upper cover to generate a return force.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, An included angle between the length direction of the pressing element and the electrical connection portion is in a range of 0 degree to 45 degrees.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein The upper cover further comprises a first interference structure arranged towards the pressing element, and the pressing element further comprises a second interference structure arranged towards the upper cover, the second interference structure being arranged to abut against the first interference structure.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein, The first interference structure is a rib protruding from the upper cover towards the pressing element, and the second interference structure is a bump protruding from the pressing element towards the upper cover, the bump being arranged to abut against the rib to generate feedback to the pressing element.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein The first interference structure is a rib protruding from the upper cover towards the pressing element, and the second interference structure is a groove of the pressing element facing the upper cover, a surface of the groove being arranged to abut against the rib to generate feedback to the pressing element.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein The first interference structure is a groove of the upper cover facing the pressing element, and the second interference structure is a bump protruding from the pressing element towards the upper cover, the bump being arranged to abut against a surface of the groove to generate feedback to the pressing element.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein, At least a part of the pressing portion overlaps with the connecting wire in a vertical direction.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein, The driving portion of the pressing element further comprises a recess, and a part of the abutting end is located in the recess.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driving portion of the pressing element has an inclined surface arranged to press the abutting end of the locking element.

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