Electrical connector assembly

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly (100) is provided and is adapted to electrically connect an electronic component to a circuit board (200). The electrical connector assembly includes: a housing (110) having a plug-in terminal (111) for grounding; a first electrical connector (120) mounted to the housing and adapted to be electrically connected to the circuit board; and a second electrical connector (130) mounted to the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector being adapted to electrically connect the electronic component. The first electrical connector is provided with a protective grounding terminal (140), which includes: two mounting legs (141) positioned opposite to each other along a first direction (X) and adapted to be mounted to the circuit board; and a floating structure connected to the two mounting legs in a suspended manner to allow the floating structure to be at least partially displaceable relative to the mounting legs in at least one direction, and the plug-in terminal is inserted into the floating structure along a third direction (Z) transverse to the first direction and a second direction to electrically contact the protective grounding terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to electrical connectors, and more particularly, to an electrical connector assembly having a floating terminal structure. Background Art

[0002] Electrical connectors are commonly used to establish electrical connections between electronic components such as cables and circuit boards. The terminals of conventional electrical connectors are usually fixed, and very high requirements are imposed on the overall assembly tolerances. Conventionally, multiple types of separate connectors need to be installed on the circuit board, such as connectors for signal connections, connectors for power connections, etc., and the connectors occupy a large space on the circuit board. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To overcome at least one of the above and other problems and defects existing in the prior art, the present disclosure is proposed.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical connector assembly adapted to electrically connect an electronic component to a circuit board. The electrical connector assembly includes: a housing having a plug-in terminal for grounding; a first electrical connector mounted to the housing and configured to be electrically connected to the circuit board; and a second electrical connector mounted to the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector being configured to be electrically connected to the electronic component; the first electrical connector is provided with a protective grounding terminal, the protective grounding terminal including: two mounting legs positioned opposite to each other in a first direction and configured to be mounted to the circuit board; and a floating structure connected to the two mounting legs in a suspended manner to allow the floating structure to be at least partially displaceable relative to the mounting legs in at least one of the first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the plug-in terminal is inserted into the floating structure in a third direction transverse to the first direction and the second direction to make electrical contact with the protective grounding terminal.

[0005] In some embodiments, the floating structure includes: a first U-shaped member located between the two mounting legs and having two first arms respectively connected to the two mounting legs; and a second U-shaped member offset from the first U-shaped member in the second direction and joined to the first U-shaped member, the second U-shaped member having two second arms that can be elastically deformed in the first direction, and the two second arms are configured to clamp the plug-in terminal between the two second arms.

[0006] In some embodiments, each second arm is inclined inward in the first direction relative to the corresponding first arm, such that the opening dimension of the second U-shaped member in the first direction is smaller than the opening dimension of the first U-shaped member in the first direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, the bottom portion of the first U-shaped member is partially engaged with the bottom portion of the second U-shaped member, and each first arm is spaced apart from the corresponding second arm.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first U-shaped member and the second U-shaped member are made of an elastic material.

[0009] In some embodiments, each second arm has a generally C-shaped structure that opens outward in a first direction.

[0010] In some embodiments, each first arm of the first U-shaped member is connected to a corresponding mounting leg via a third U-shaped member.

[0011] In some embodiments, the floating structure is formed as a single piece.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first electrical connector includes: a first insulating housing; a plurality of first terminals partially mounted in the first insulating housing; and a flange protruding outward from the first insulating housing, to which a protective ground terminal is mounted.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second electrical connector includes: a second insulating housing that is at least partially disposed in a mounting hole formed in the housing; and a plurality of second terminals partially mounted in the second insulating housing; the plurality of first terminals include first signal terminals and first power terminals, and the plurality of second terminals include second signal terminals that electrically contact the first signal terminals and second power terminals that electrically contact the first power terminals. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0015] Figure 1A is a side view schematically showing the structure of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 1B is a side perspective view schematically showing the structure of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a portion of the housing is removed to expose the protective ground terminal;

[0017] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the structure of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of the second electrical connector of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 4A is a side perspective view schematically showing the structure of a protective grounding terminal of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4B is another side perspective view schematically showing the structure of a protective grounding terminal of an electrical connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0021] Figure 5 is schematically showing Figure 1B the structure of the part within the virtual circle in Detailed Description of the Embodiment

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same or similar components are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. The following description of the various embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the general concept of the present disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0023] In addition, in the following detailed description, for the sake of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it is obvious that one or more embodiments can also be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are illustrated in a schematic manner to simplify the drawings.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an electrical connector assembly 100 is provided, which is adapted to electrically connect an electronic component to a circuit board 200. The electronic component may include, for example, a cable, a circuit, or another circuit board. Exemplarily, the electrical connector assembly is a wire-to-board connector, such as an IDC (Insulation Displacement Connector), and can be used as a vehicle connector, such as for connecting a lighting device.

[0025] As Figures 1A to 2 shown, the electrical connector assembly 100 is disposed or mounted on the circuit board 200 and includes a housing 110, and a first electrical connector 120 and a second electrical connector 130 mounted to the housing 110. The housing 110 may be provided with a plug-in terminal 111 for grounding. For example, the housing may be made of a conductive material such as aluminum; as an example, the housing may be a part of a vehicle frame. The first electrical connector 120 is used to electrically connect to the circuit board 200, that is, to electrically connect to the electronic components on the circuit board to provide signals and / or power to the electronic components.

[0026] In some examples, as Figures 1A to 3As shown, the first electrical connector 120 includes a first insulating housing 121 and a plurality of first terminals (or contacts) partially installed in the first insulating housing 121, such as a plurality of first signal terminals 122 for signal connection and a plurality of first power terminals 123 for power transmission. The second electrical connector 130 is used, for example, to electrically connect an electronic component such as a cable to the first electrical connector 120, and includes a second insulating housing 131 and a plurality of second terminals (or contacts) partially installed in the second insulating housing 131, such as a second signal terminal 132 electrically contacting the first signal terminal 122 and a second power terminal 133 electrically contacting the first power terminal. In the illustrated example, the first insulating housing 121 and / or the second insulating housing 131 are at least partially disposed or installed in a mounting hole 112 formed in the housing 110, the second electrical connector 130 is located on a side of the housing 110 facing away from the circuit board 200, and the first electrical connector 120 is located on the other side of the housing 110 facing the circuit board 200.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first electrical connector 120 is provided with a protective grounding terminal 140, which is used to be electrically connected or electrically contacted with the plug-in terminal 111, so as to provide grounding protection for the electronic components on the circuit board. Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the first electrical connector 120 has a flange 124 protruding outward from the first insulating housing 121 , and the protective grounding terminal 140 is mounted to the flange 124 and is spaced apart from the first terminal.

[0028] When assembling an electrical connector, due to certain manufacturing tolerances or assembly errors, the terminals that are to be in electrical contact with each other may not be strictly aligned with each other, which places higher demands on the assembly operation. In an embodiment according to the present disclosure, the above-mentioned one or more terminals of the electrical connector assembly may have a floating structure, which can be offset or shifted to a certain extent in one or more directions under the action of an applied external force (such as the force applied when inserting the terminal), thereby alleviating or eliminating the assembly difficulties caused by manufacturing tolerances or assembly errors, and enabling reliable contact between the terminals. In the following, this floating structure will be described by taking the protective grounding terminal as an example.

[0029] like Figures 1A to 5As shown, the protective grounding terminal 140 includes two mounting legs 141 and a floating structure. The two mounting legs 141 are positioned relative to each other along a first direction X and are used to be mounted (such as welded) to the circuit board 200. The mounting legs 141 can pass through the flange 124 to extend toward the circuit board 200. The floating structure is connected to the two mounting legs 141 in a suspended manner to allow the floating structure to be at least partially displaced relative to the mounting legs 141 in one or more directions (such as at least one direction in the first direction X and a second direction Y perpendicular to the first direction X) under the action of an applied external force (such as a force applied when inserting the terminal) to adapt to the position of the plug-in terminal 111 to be plugged into the protective grounding terminal, ensuring that the plug-in terminal can make proper electrical contact with the protective grounding terminal. The plug-in terminal 111 can be inserted into the floating structure along a third direction Z different from (such as transverse to, for example, substantially orthogonal to) the first direction and the second direction to electrically contact the protective grounding terminal 140.

[0030] As an example, the mounting leg 141 can be formed with a stop portion 149, which can be formed at a substantially middle position along the length direction of the mounting leg, for abutting against the flange 124 to prevent the mounting leg 141 from further extending through the flange 124, so that the floating structure is located on the side of the flange 124 away from the circuit board 200.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, if Figures 1A to 5 As shown, the floating structure includes a first U-shaped member 143 and a second U-shaped member 144, the first U-shaped member 143 is located between the two mounting legs 141, and has two first arms 1432, each of which is connected to one mounting leg 141, for example, each first arm 1432 can be directly extended from the corresponding mounting leg 141, or as shown in the figure, connected to the corresponding mounting leg 141 via another member, such as a third U-shaped member 142. The opening direction of the third U-shaped member is opposite to the opening direction of the first U-shaped member and the second U-shaped member. These U-shaped members can be made of elastic material.

[0032] The second U-shaped member 144 is offset from the first U-shaped member 143 in the second direction Y and is joined to the first U-shaped member 143, for example, the bottom 1431 of the first U-shaped member 143 is partially joined to the bottom 1441 of the second U-shaped member 144. The second U-shaped member 144 has two second arms 1442 for clamping the plug-in terminal 111, and the ends of the second arms 1442 are free ends to form an opening, and the plug-in terminal 111 is partially inserted between the two second arms 1442 through the opening. Exemplarily, the second arms 1442 can be elastically deformed in the first direction X to adapt to the position and / or insertion direction of the plug-in terminal. For example, a substantially V-shaped or conical opening is formed between the ends of the two second arms 1442.

[0033] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, such a floating structure including a first U-shaped member and a second U-shaped member can be partially displaced or offset relative to the mounting leg in one or more directions (such as the first direction X and / or the second direction Y) to accommodate the position and / or insertion direction of the plug-in terminal. Thus, even in the presence of manufacturing tolerances or assembly errors, such as when the plug-in terminal is not inserted centered or along the central axis of the protective grounding terminal, under the action of the applied external force, this floating structure (i.e., its first U-shaped member and / or second U-shaped member) can be displaced or offset to a certain extent, ensuring proper docking and electrical contact between the plug-in terminal and the protective grounding terminal.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, each second arm 1442 is inclined inward in the first direction X relative to the corresponding first arm 1432, such that the opening dimension of the second U-shaped member 144 in the first direction X is smaller than the opening dimension of the first U-shaped member 143 in the first direction X, so as to facilitate clamping of the inserted plug-in terminal 111. Each second arm 1442 is spaced apart from the corresponding first arm 1432, such as in the Y direction.

[0035] In the illustrated embodiment, each second arm 1442 has a generally C-shaped structure that opens outward in the first direction X, so that the second U-shaped member 144 can form an insertion space with a constricted neck, so as to facilitate firmly clamping the inserted plug-in terminal 111 at the constricted neck by the relatively positioned second arms 1442.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment, the above floating structure can be formed as an integral member, such as being stamped from a metal sheet.

[0037] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes can be made therein without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. In addition, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified, the terms "comprising", "including", "having" used herein do not exclude other elements or steps. Also, any element numbers in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly (100) adapted to electrically connect an electronic component to a circuit board (200), the electrical connector assembly comprising: A housing (110) having a plug-in terminal (111) for grounding; A first electrical connector (120) mounted to the housing and configured to be electrically connected to the circuit board; And A second electrical connector (130) mounted to the housing and electrically connected to the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector being configured to electrically connect the electronic component; Wherein, the first electrical connector is provided with a protective grounding terminal (140), and the protective grounding terminal includes: Two mounting legs (141) positioned opposite to each other along a first direction (X) and configured to be mounted to the circuit board; and A floating structure connected to the two mounting legs in a hanging manner to allow the floating structure to be at least partially displaceable relative to the mounting legs in at least one of the first direction and a second direction (Y) perpendicular to the first direction, The plug-in terminal is inserted into the floating structure in a third direction (Z) transverse to the first direction and the second direction to make electrical contact with the protective grounding terminal, Wherein, the floating structure includes: A first U-shaped member (143) located between the two mounting legs and having two first arms (1432) respectively connected to the two mounting legs; and A second U-shaped member (144) offset from the first U-shaped member in the second direction and joined to the first U-shaped member, the second U-shaped member having two second arms (1442) that can be elastically deformed in the first direction, and the two second arms are configured to clamp the plug-in terminal between the two second arms.

2. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, Each second arm is inclined inward in the first direction relative to the corresponding first arm, such that the opening dimension of the second U-shaped member in the first direction is smaller than the opening dimension of the first U-shaped member in the first direction.

3. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The bottom (1431) of the first U-shaped member is partially joined to the bottom (1441) of the second U-shaped member, and each first arm is spaced apart from the corresponding second arm.

4. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, The first U-shaped member and the second U-shaped member are made of an elastic material.

5. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, Each second arm has a generally C-shaped structure that opens outward in the first direction.

6. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein, Each first arm of the first U-shaped member is connected to the corresponding mounting leg via a third U-shaped member (142).

7. The electrical connector assembly according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The floating structure is formed as an integral member.

8. The electrical connector assembly according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the first electrical connector (120) includes: A first insulating housing (121); A plurality of first terminals partially mounted in the first insulating housing; And A flange (124) protruding outward from the first insulating housing, to which the protective grounding terminal is mounted.

9. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 8, wherein the second electrical connector (130) includes: A second insulating housing (131) at least partially disposed in a mounting hole (112) formed in the housing; And A plurality of second terminals partially mounted in the second insulating housing, The plurality of first terminals includes a first signal terminal (122) and a first power terminal (123), The plurality of second terminals includes a second signal terminal (132) that electrically contacts the first signal terminal and a second power terminal (133) that electrically contacts the first power terminal.

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