Connector terminal assemblies and connectors

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of connector technology, providing a connector terminal assembly and a connector. The connector terminal assembly includes a male terminal and a female terminal. The male terminal includes a plug portion; the female terminal includes a mating portion, one end of which has a plug groove. The male terminal is plugged into the plug groove to electrically connect with the female terminal. At least one of the plug portion and the mating portion is made of a thermally expanding material; or, at least one of the outer surface of the plug portion and the groove wall of the plug groove is coated with a thermally expanding material coating. Through the above methods, the connector terminal assembly of this invention can adjust the contact area between the male and female terminals according to the temperature change caused by the current magnitude.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and more particularly to a connector terminal assembly and a connector. Background Technology

[0002] Contacts are the core components of electrical connectors. To improve connection stability, the insertion gap between male and female terminals is usually kept very small. This causes repeated wear of the contacts during insertion, leading to increased contact resistance and significantly reducing the service life of the contacts. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a connector terminal assembly to solve the technical problem that the contact mounting method in the prior art seriously affects its service life.

[0004] This invention provides a connector terminal assembly, including: a male terminal, including a plug portion;

[0005] The female terminal includes a mating portion, one end of which has a insertion slot. The male terminal is inserted into the insertion slot via the insertion portion to electrically connect with the female terminal.

[0006] At least one of the plug-in portion and the mating portion is made of a thermally expanding material; or, at least one of the outer surface of the plug-in portion and the groove wall of the plug-in groove is coated with a thermally expanding material coating.

[0007] According to a connector terminal assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, the insertion slot includes an opening portion and a body portion, wherein the circumferential dimension of the opening portion is smaller than the circumferential dimension of the body portion.

[0008] According to a connector terminal assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, at least two snap-fit ​​blocks are provided at the end of the mating portion, and adjacent snap-fit ​​blocks are spaced apart;

[0009] The snap-fit ​​block narrows and encloses along the length direction away from the groove body to form the groove opening.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the connector terminal assembly of the present invention, the snap-fit ​​blocks are evenly distributed and spaced apart along the circumferential circumference of the mating portion.

[0011] According to a connector terminal assembly of one embodiment of the present invention, the circumferential dimension of the insertion portion is not less than the circumferential dimension of the slot portion;

[0012] When the male terminal is connected to the female terminal, the plug portion at least partially abuts against the groove wall of the slot portion.

[0013] According to a connector terminal assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, a heat-adapting zone is formed at the connection between the slot portion and the slot body portion, and the circumferential dimension of the heat-adapting zone is not less than the circumferential dimension of the insertion portion.

[0014] According to a connector terminal assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, a limiting groove is formed circumferentially at the connection between the slot portion and the slot body portion;

[0015] The groove wall of the limiting groove and the surface of the insertion part are coated with a thermal expansion material coating; or, the mating part and the insertion part are made of a thermal expansion material.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the connector terminal assembly of the present invention, the plug portion is coated with a thermal expansion material coating at intervals along the axial direction; or, the groove wall of the plug groove is coated with a thermal expansion material coating at intervals along the axial extension direction of the mating portion.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the connector terminal assembly of the present invention, the outer surface of the plug portion is coated with a thermal expansion material coating, and the coating thickness of the thermal expansion material coating decreases along the direction away from the mating with the plug groove.

[0018] This invention also provides a connector, including the connector terminal assembly described above.

[0019] The connector terminal assembly provided in this invention allows for the adjustment of the contact area between the male and female terminals during electrical connection. The heat generated by the connection causes the thermal expansion material coating to expand, increasing the contact area between the male and female terminals. This increased contact area reduces the contact resistance, thereby decreasing the heat generated by the electrical connection and causing the thermal expansion material coating to shrink back to its initial state. Then, in the initial state, the contact area between the male and female terminals is small, resulting in high resistance and gradually increasing heat generation. This cycle repeats. The connector terminal assembly of this invention can adjust the contact area between the male and female terminals based on the temperature changes caused by the current.

[0020] The connector provided in this embodiment of the invention includes the connector terminal assembly described above and has all the beneficial effects of the connector terminal assembly, which will not be elaborated here. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connector terminal assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The top view shown;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The sectional view shown at point AA;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the exploded structure.

[0026] Figure label:

[0027] 10. Male terminal; 110. Plug-in part;

[0028] 20. Female terminal; 210. Mating part; 2110. Insertion groove; 2111. Groove opening; 2112. Groove body; 2113. Heat adaptation zone; 2114. Limiting groove; 2120. Snap-fit ​​block. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] The following is combined Figures 1 to 4 This invention provides protection for a connector terminal assembly, including a male terminal 10 and a female terminal 20. The male terminal 10 includes a plug portion 110; the female terminal 20 includes a mating portion 210, one end of which has a plug groove 2110. The male terminal 10 is plugged into the plug groove 2110 through the plug portion 110 to electrically connect with the female terminal 20. At least one of the plug portion 110 and the mating portion 210 is made of a thermally expanding material; or, at least one of the outer surface of the plug portion 110 and the groove wall of the plug groove 2110 is coated with a thermally expanding material coating.

[0033] That is, there are several cases regarding the connection method of male terminal 10 and female terminal 20: The first case is that a thermal expansion material coating is applied to the outer surface of male terminal 10, while female terminal 20 is left untreated. In this case, after male terminal 10 is inserted into the insertion slot 2110 on female terminal 20, the heat generated by the electrical connection between male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 causes the thermal expansion material coating on the outer surface of male terminal 10 to expand and completely adhere to the groove wall of insertion slot 2110 of female terminal 20, increasing the contact area between male terminal 10 and female terminal 20. As the contact area increases, the electrical connection resistance decreases, resulting in less heat generation. When the temperature of the contact surface between male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 is lower than the lower limit of the thermal expansion material's expansion temperature, the thermal expansion material contracts, causing the contact area between male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 to decrease, and then the electrical connection resistance increases, forming a cycle.

[0034] The second method involves coating the wall of the female terminal 20's insertion slot 2110 with a thermal expansion material, while leaving the male terminal 10 untreated. That is, when the male terminal 10 is inserted into the female terminal 20's insertion slot 2110, the surface of the male terminal 10 remains unchanged. The heat generated by the electrical connection causes the thermal expansion material coating on the wall of the insertion slot 2110 to expand, thereby altering the contact area between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 with changes in current. The specific principle is the same as the first method described above and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0035] The third method involves coating the outer surface of the male terminal 10 with a thermal expansion material coating, and simultaneously coating the groove wall of the female terminal 20's insertion groove 2110 with a thermal expansion material coating.

[0036] That is, when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are coated at the same time, the thermal expansion material coating will be more efficient in changing with heat and more sensitive to temperature. For the specific principle of temperature change, please refer to the first method above, which will not be elaborated here.

[0037] The fourth type: The insertion part 110 of the male terminal 10 is made of a thermal expansion material coating, while the female terminal 20 is not treated.

[0038] That is, the material of the male terminal 10 has been improved. The specific principle of its cooperation with the female terminal 20 can be referred to the first method, which will not be elaborated here.

[0039] Fifth type: The mating part 210 of the female terminal 20 is made of thermally expanding material, and the male terminal 10 is not treated.

[0040] That is, the material of the female terminal 20 has been improved. The specific principle of its cooperation with the male terminal 10 can be referred to the first method, which will not be elaborated here.

[0041] The sixth type is in which the insertion part 110 of the male terminal 10 and the mating part 210 of the female terminal 20 are both made of thermally expandable material.

[0042] That is, the materials of both male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 are improved. The specific principle of the mating between male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 can be referred to the first method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0043] For the six setting methods mentioned above, you can choose one of them. You can choose the specific setting method according to your needs. This embodiment does not limit it.

[0044] In this embodiment, a thermal expansion material layer is preferably coated on the groove wall of the insertion groove 2110 of the male terminal 10 or the female terminal 20.

[0045] Because the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 are coated with a thermal expansion material, when they are connected, the heat generated by the electrical connection causes the thermal expansion material coating to expand, thereby increasing the contact area between the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20. As the contact area gradually increases, the contact resistance between the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 decreases. When the temperature of the contact surface between the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 falls below the lower limit of the thermal expansion material's expansion temperature, the thermal expansion material contracts, causing the contact area between the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 to gradually decrease. Then, the electrical connection resistance between the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 increases, resulting in increased electrical heat generation. The thermal expansion material then expands again to increase the contact resistance between the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20, and this cycle repeats. In other words, the connector terminal assembly of the present invention can adjust the contact area between the male terminal 10 and female terminal 20 according to the temperature change caused by the current magnitude.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In some embodiments of the present invention, the insertion groove 2110 includes a groove opening 2111 and a groove body 2112, wherein the circumferential dimension of the groove opening 2111 is smaller than the circumferential dimension of the groove body 2112.

[0047] In other words, the insertion slot 2110 has a tapered structure. When the insertion part 110 is connected into the insertion slot 2110, the connection between the insertion part 110 and the slot opening 2111 is tighter, ensuring the connection stability of the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20. Furthermore, when the male terminal 10 is inserted into the insertion slot 2110, the electrical connection generates heat, causing the thermal expansion material coating to expand. Consequently, the contact area of ​​the insertion part 110 at the slot body 2112 gradually increases, resulting in a decrease in the contact resistance between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20. As the contact resistance decreases, the heat generated by the electrical connection decreases, the thermal expansion material coating shrinks, and the contact area between the insertion part 110 and the insertion slot 2110 decreases, returning to the initial state. In the initial state, because the contact area is smaller, the resistance increases, and the heat generated increases, causing the thermal expansion material coating to expand. This cycle repeats, thus allowing adjustment of the contact area between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 based on the temperature change caused by the current.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some other embodiments of the present invention, the end of the mating part 210 is provided with at least two snap-fit ​​blocks 2120, and adjacent snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 are spaced apart; the snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 are narrowed and enclosed along the length extension direction away from the groove body 2112 to form a groove 2111.

[0049] The number of card blocks 2120 can be two, three, four, etc., and there is no limit here.

[0050] In this embodiment, the snap-fit ​​block 2120 is provided to facilitate snap-fit ​​of the plug-in portion 110, because the size of the plug-in slot 2110 will increase as the number of times the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are plugged in increases.

[0051] Therefore, the present invention sets the snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 apart at intervals. In this way, even if one or two snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 are damaged or bulge during the insertion process, the other snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 will still play a snap-fit ​​role. Moreover, in the process of repeated expansion and contraction of the thermal expansion material coating, setting the snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 apart can reduce the deformation of the snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 as much as possible, thereby improving the service life of the female terminal 20.

[0052] Preferably, the snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 are evenly distributed and spaced apart along the circumference of the mating portion 210. Because the snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the mating portion 210, the force on the snap-fit ​​blocks 2120 is more uniform during the expansion and contraction of the thermal expansion material coating.

[0053] In some embodiments of the present invention, the circumferential dimension of the plug portion 110 is not less than the circumferential dimension of the slot portion 2111; when the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 are connected, the plug portion 110 at least partially abuts against the slot wall of the slot portion 2111.

[0054] That is, when the insertion part 110 mates with the insertion groove 2110, due to the limitation that the cross-sectional size of the insertion groove 2110 is smaller than that of the insertion part 110, after the insertion part 110 is inserted into the insertion groove 2110, the insertion part 110 abuts against the groove wall of the insertion groove 2110 and is in linear contact. As the thermal expansion material coating expands, the end of the groove 2111 sequentially abuts against the groove wall of the insertion groove 2110 in the inward direction.

[0055] Furthermore, a heat-adapting zone 2113 is formed at the connection between the slot portion 2111 and the slot body portion 2112, and the circumferential dimension of the heat-adapting zone 2113 is not less than the circumferential dimension of the insertion portion 110.

[0056] That is, the closer the slot opening 2111 is to the slot body 2112, the larger the gap between the plug-in part 110 and the plug-in slot 2110. As the thermal expansion material coating expands, the plug-in part 110 will slowly and completely abut against the slot wall of the plug-in slot 2110, thereby increasing the contact area between the plug-in part 110 and the slot wall of the plug-in slot 2110. When in full contact, the contact resistance between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 is the smallest, and the heat generated is also the least. The temperature will gradually decrease. During the decrease, the thermal expansion material coating shrinks, and the contact area between the plug-in part 110 and the slot wall of the plug-in slot 2110 gradually decreases to the initial state. This process is repeated, thereby adjusting the contact area according to the temperature change caused by different current magnitudes.

[0057] Specifically, a limiting groove 2114 is provided circumferentially at the connection between the groove opening 2111 and the groove body 2112; one of the groove wall of the limiting groove 2114 and the surface of the insertion part 110 is coated with a thermal expansion material coating; or, one of the mating part 210 and the insertion part 110 is made of a thermal expansion material.

[0058] The limiting groove 2114 can be an arc-shaped groove, which allows the contact area between the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20 to change linearly. As for the method of setting the thermal expansion material coating, it can be set on the insertion part 110 or coated on the groove wall of the limiting groove 2114, and there is no limitation here.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, the insertion portion 110 is coated with a thermal expansion material coating at intervals along the axial direction; or, the groove wall of the insertion groove 2110 is coated with a thermal expansion material coating at intervals along the axial extension direction of the mating portion 210.

[0060] In other words, the coating method for the thermal expansion material can be either full coating or intermittent coating; the specific coating method is not limited here. Intermittent coating can save on thermal expansion material coating and reduce costs, and it can also prevent the thermal expansion material coating from exerting excessive force on the groove wall of the insertion groove 2110, which could cause deformation of the insertion groove 2110.

[0061] In some other embodiments of the present invention, the outer surface of the plug portion 110 is coated with a thermal expansion material coating, and the coating thickness of the thermal expansion material coating on the plug portion 110 decreases along the direction away from the direction of engagement with the plug groove 2110.

[0062] In this way, when the current is too large, the uneven thickness of the thermal expansion material coating can push the male terminal 10 out, causing the male terminal 10 to be unloaded away from the female terminal 20, thus achieving the effect of automatically disconnecting the male terminal 10 and the female terminal 20, avoiding the occurrence of contact burn-out and instantaneous disconnection caused by excessive current and high temperature.

[0063] This invention also provides protection for a connector, including the connector terminal assembly described above.

[0064] In embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0065] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0066] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connector terminal assembly, characterized in that, include: Male terminal, including the plug portion; The female terminal includes a mating portion, one end of which has a insertion groove. The male terminal is inserted into the insertion groove through the insertion portion to electrically connect with the female terminal. At least one of the insertion portion and the mating portion is made of a thermally expanding material; or, at least one of the outer surface of the insertion portion and the groove wall of the insertion groove is coated with a thermally expanding material coating. The insertion groove includes an opening and a body, the circumferential dimension of the opening being smaller than the circumferential dimension of the body, and a thermal adaptation zone is formed at the connection between the opening and the body, the circumferential dimension of which is not smaller than the circumferential dimension of the insertion portion. At least two locking blocks are provided at the end of the mating portion, with adjacent locking blocks spaced apart. The snap-fit ​​block narrows and encloses along the length direction away from the groove body to form the groove opening; The insertion portion is coated with a thermal expansion material coating at intervals along the axial direction; or, the groove wall of the insertion slot is coated with a thermal expansion material coating at intervals along the axial extension direction of the mating portion. The outer surface of the plug portion is coated with a thermal expansion material coating, and the coating thickness of the thermal expansion material coating decreases along the direction away from the plug groove.

2. The connector terminal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The snap-fit ​​blocks are evenly distributed and spaced apart along the circumference of the mating part.

3. The connector terminal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The circumferential dimension of the plug portion is not less than the circumferential dimension of the slot portion; When the male terminal and the female terminal are connected, the plug portion at least partially abuts against the groove wall of the slot portion.

4. The connector terminal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, A limiting groove is provided circumferentially at the connection between the groove opening and the groove body. The groove wall of the limiting groove is coated with a thermal expansion material coating.

5. A connector, characterized in that, Includes the connector terminal assembly as described in any one of claims 1-4.

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