Connector mating and locking structure

Abstract

This invention discloses a connector mating and fastening structure, comprising: a first connector with a cylindrical mating portion at one end and a connector bottom at the other end, the connector bottom having an annular surface facing the mating portion; two blocks protruding between the mating portion and the annular surface, and two symmetrically spaced clearance openings between the two blocks; two positioning blocks protruding from the inner edge of a fastening ring, and at least one hook forming on the outer edge of the fastening ring; the fastening ring fitting into the mating portion of the first connector, with the positioning blocks aligned with the clearance openings to allow the fastening ring to pass over the blocks; and the fastening ring being rotated to clamp the positioning blocks between the blocks and the annular surface, thereby providing the function of replacing fastening rings of different specifications and allowing selection of different styles or lengths of hooks to match the second connector to be mated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an improved connector structure, and more particularly to a mating and fastening structure for a connector that combines replaceability, rapid assembly, and stable engagement. Background Technology

[0002] With the trend towards miniaturization and multi-functionality of electrical equipment, the requirements for connectors are increasing daily. Connectors are mainly used to connect power sources, signal sources, and various electronic devices, thereby providing power or transmitting signals. They are an indispensable and important electrical component. Because wires themselves are flexible and used in various complex applications, connectors must be easy to plug and unplug while preventing them from detaching on their own. Specifically, in environments such as vehicles, airplanes, and ships, electrical equipment is constantly in motion, which can easily cause connectors to detach, resulting in interruptions in power supply or signal transmission. This can lead to malfunctions or shutdowns of the operating equipment, or even damage to the equipment or personal injury. Existing... To prevent connectors from detaching on their own, it is common practice to incorporate interlocking barbs to improve the stability of the connection. However, a closer look at the existing structures reveals some shortcomings, primarily due to the following reasons: most barbs are integrally molded onto the connector or injection-molded onto it, making it impossible to replace them with different barbs depending on the application requirements. Furthermore, the material of the barbs is the same as the connector's plastic, failing to combine structural rigidity and deformation elasticity, thus limiting the specifications of connectors that can use the barbs. A small number of connectors use separate barbs, which are fixed by a bidirectional interlocking method or a screw-locking method, resulting in the disadvantages of difficult assembly or easy detachment. Therefore, this invention provides a preferred solution that simultaneously addresses the aforementioned technical problems.

[0003] In view of this, based on the inventor's many years of experience in manufacturing, developing and designing related products, and after detailed design and careful evaluation of the above objectives, the inventor has finally arrived at an invention that is truly practical. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a connector mating and fastening structure to address the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art.

[0005] A first connector has a cylindrical part at one end with a docking portion and multiple first terminals inside the docking portion. The other end of the first connector has a connector bottom, and the connector bottom forms an annular surface facing the docking portion. The first connector has two blocks protruding between the docking portion and the annular surface. The two blocks are symmetrically arranged on the periphery of the cylindrical outer surface of the docking portion, and two clearance openings are symmetrically spaced between the two blocks. A fastening ring has two positioning blocks protruding from its inner edge, and at least one hook is formed on the outer edge of the fastening ring. The hook extends to a pressing part. The fastening ring is fitted into the docking portion of the first connector, and the positioning blocks are aligned with the clearance openings so that the fastening ring passes over the blocks. The fastening ring is then rotated so that the positioning blocks are clamped between the blocks and the annular surface.

[0006] The first connector has an electrical wire sheath extending from its bottom, and the electrical wire sheath is perpendicular to the mating part. When the fastening ring is located between the stop block and the annular surface, the hook body, which is not elastically deformed, is blocked by the electrical wire sheath, preventing the fastening ring from disengaging from the first connector.

[0007] When the wire sheath is aligned with any of the dodging openings, and the hook is positioned on the outside of the positioning block, and the hook is elastically deformed to compress the wire sheath, the fastening ring can be inserted between the stop block and the annular surface.

[0008] The connector has two symmetrically protruding wings at its bottom, with the two wings directly opposite the two stops. The pressing part of the hook is obliquely positioned in front of the wings, so that when the finger presses the pressing part, it can simultaneously press the wings to pull out the first connector.

[0009] It also includes a second connector, which forms a fixing plate, and the fixing plate has a recessed insertion hole in the center. The insertion hole is provided with a plurality of second terminals, and the first connector is inserted into the insertion hole with the mating part, and the first terminal contacts the second terminal to form a conductive connection.

[0010] The mating part has an annular groove recessed around its outer surface, and a water-stop ring is installed inside the annular groove. The water-stop ring protrudes outward from the annular groove and abuts against the inner wall of the insertion hole, thereby forming a first layer of waterproof effect between the first connector and the second connector.

[0011] The second connector has a washer installed at the bottom of the socket, and the mating part of the first connector presses against the washer to form a waterproof layer, thereby forming a second waterproof layer between the first connector and the second connector.

[0012] The outer edge of the fixing plate is provided with at least one hook seat, and the hook seat is provided with a hook groove, so that the hook body of the fastening ring can be inserted into the hook groove to form a fastening and fixing.

[0013] The fixing plate extends at least one hook arm at its outer edge, and the hook arm is fastened to the hook body of the fastening ring. The fixing plate is recessed at the hook arm to form an avoidance groove, and the avoidance groove provides the fastening ring to rotate so that the hook body can disengage from the hook arm.

[0014] The first connector has at least one recessed hole at the stop block, and the fastening ring has at least one protruding piece at the positioning block. The protruding piece is inserted into the recessed hole to form a positioning effect between the fastening ring and the first connector.

[0015] The main objective of this invention is that the first connector is provided with an annular surface and two adjacent stops and two clearance openings, allowing the fastening ring to be directly fitted onto the mating portion of the first connector. The positioning block is aligned with the clearance opening, allowing the fastening ring to pass over the stop. The fastening ring is then rotated at an appropriate angle, so that the positioning block is clamped between the stop and the annular surface. This allows for quick assembly of the fastening ring onto the first connector. Furthermore, the invention allows for the replacement of fastening rings of different specifications, enabling the selection of different styles or lengths of hooks to be used with the second connector to be mated, thereby effectively improving its practicality.

[0016] Other purposes, advantages, and novel features of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and related drawings.

[0017] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but this is not intended to limit the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an exploded side view of the first connector of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 A schematic diagram (I) of the steps for assembling the fastening ring of the first connector of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic diagram (II) of the steps for assembling the fastening ring of the first connector of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram (III) showing the steps of assembling the fastening ring for the first connector of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the invention's method of preventing the fastening ring from detaching on its own.

[0025] Figure 8This is a top cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector of the present invention before they are inserted into each other.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a top cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector of the present invention after they are inserted into each other.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of the action of the first connector pulling out the second connector according to the present invention.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a perspective view of the second connector according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 12 This is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0031] [This invention]

[0032] 10: First Connector

[0033] 11: Docking section

[0034] 111: Annular groove

[0035] 12: First terminal

[0036] 13: Bottom of the connector

[0037] 131: Torus

[0038] 132: Wing

[0039] 14: Stop

[0040] 141: Evasion Portal

[0041] 142: Concave hole

[0042] 15: Waterstop Ring

[0043] 16: Wire sheath

[0044] 20: Snap ring

[0045] 21: Positioning Block

[0046] 211: bumps

[0047] 22: Hook body

[0048] 221: Pressing part

[0049] 30: Second connector

[0050] 31: Fixing plate

[0051] 311: Evasion Gauge

[0052] 32: Socket

[0053] 33: Second terminal

[0054] 34: Hook Seat

[0055] 341: Hook

[0056] 35: Washer

[0057] 36: Hook arm Detailed Implementation

[0058] To enable those skilled in the art to have a better understanding of the purpose, features, and effects of the present invention, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with (brief explanation of the drawings):

[0059] As shown in Figures 1 through 6, a connector mating and fastening structure includes: a first connector 10, a fastening ring 20, and a second connector 30. One end of the first connector 10 is tubular with a mating portion 11, and a plurality of first terminals 12 are disposed within the mating portion 11. The other end of the first connector 10 has a connector bottom 13, and the connector bottom 13 forms an annular surface 131 facing the mating portion 11. Two blocks 14 protrude from the first connector 10 between the mating portion 11 and the annular surface 131. The two blocks 14 are symmetrically arranged around the periphery of the tubular outer surface of the mating portion 11, and two symmetrically spaced clearances 141 are provided between the two blocks 14. Two positioning blocks 21 protrude from the inner edge of the fastening ring 20, and at least one hook 22 is formed on the outer edge of the fastening ring 20. The hook 22 extends with a pressing portion 221. The fastening ring 20... The first connector 10 is fitted onto the docking part 11 and clamped between the stop block 14 and the annular surface 131 by the positioning block 21. A wire sheath 16 extends from the bottom 13 of the connector 10, and the wire sheath 16 is perpendicular to the docking part 11. The wire sheath 16 is directly opposite any of the dodging openings 141, and the hook body 22 is disposed on the outside of the positioning block 21. A second connector 30 forms a fixing plate 31. A socket 32 ​​is recessed in the center of the fixing plate 31, and a plurality of second terminals 33 are disposed in the socket 32. The first connector 10 inserts the docking part 11 into the socket 32, and the first terminal 12 contacts the second terminal 33 to form a conductive connection. At least one hook seat 34 protrudes from the outer edge of the fixing plate 31, and the hook seat 34 is recessed with a hook groove 341, so that the hook body 22 of the fastening ring 20 is inserted into the hook groove 341 to form a fastening and fixing.

[0060] The structure and function are further illustrated in Figures 1 through 7. First, the fastening ring 20 is fitted onto the mating portion 11 of the first connector 10, and the positioning block 21 is aligned with the avoidance opening 141, allowing the fastening ring 20 to pass over the stop block 14. Then, the fastening ring 20 is rotated so that the positioning block 21 is clamped between the stop block 14 and the annular surface 131. The wire sheath 16 is directly opposite the avoidance opening 141, and the hook 22 is located on the outside of the positioning block 21. Therefore, when the positioning block 21 passes through the avoidance opening 141, the pressing portion 221 of the hook 22 will press against the wire sheath 16, thus providing a safety feature for the user. The hook 22 is elastically deformed by applying force, and the buckling ring 20 can only be rotated when the hook 22 is in a state of elastic deformation and squeezing the wire sheath 16. The buckling ring 20 is then placed between the stop block 14 and the annular surface 131, thereby quickly positioning the buckling ring 20 between the stop block 14 and the annular surface 131. Similarly, when the buckling ring 20 is limited to being between the stop block 14 and the annular surface 131, the hook 22, which is not elastically deformed, is blocked by the wire sheath 16, preventing the buckling ring 20 from detaching from the first connector 10. This achieves the effect of preventing the buckling ring 20 from detaching from the first connector 10 on its own. In conjunction with Figures 8 and 9, the first connector 10 is inserted into the socket 32 ​​via the mating portion 11, forming a conductive connection between the first terminal 12 and the second terminal 33. Simultaneously, the hook body 22 of the fastening ring 20 is inserted into the hook groove 341, causing the hook body 22 to be fastened and fixed to the hook base 34. This connects the first connector 10 and the second connector 30, achieving a stable connection through a fastening mechanism. The mating portion 11 has an annular groove 111 recessed around its outer periphery. A water-stop ring 15 is installed inside the annular groove 111, and part of the water-stop ring 15 protrudes outward from the annular groove 111 and abuts against the inner wall of the insertion hole 32, thereby forming a first layer of waterproof effect between the first connector 10 and the second connector 30. In addition, a washer 35 is installed at the bottom of the insertion hole 32 of the second connector 30, and the mating part 11 of the first connector 10 presses against the washer 35 to form waterproof effect, thereby forming a second layer of waterproof effect between the first connector 10 and the second connector 30.

[0061] As shown in Figure 10, the bottom 13 of the connector has two symmetrically protruding wings 132, which are directly opposite the two stops 14. The pressing part 221 of the hook body 22 is obliquely placed in front of the wings 132. When the first connector 10 and the second connector 30 are connected and want to be separated, pressing the pressing part 221 with a finger can simultaneously press the wings 132 to pull out the first connector 10. This allows the hook body 22 to be controlled and the bottom 13 of the connector to be gripped, thus separating the first connector 10 and the second connector 30. This is suitable for small connectors that are difficult to plug and unplug, so as to facilitate the application of force for plugging and unplugging. Furthermore, the wings 132 can block the pressing part 221, preventing the hook body 22 from breaking due to excessive pressing of the pressing part 221, thereby effectively improving its durability.

[0062] In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 11, the fixing plate 31 extends at least one hook arm 36 at its outer edge, and the hook arm 36 is fastened and fixed to the hook body 22 of the fastening ring 20. The fixing plate 31 has a recessed avoidance groove 311 at the location directly opposite the hook arm 36, and the avoidance groove 311 provides the fastening ring 20 to rotate so that the hook body 22 can disengage from the hook arm 36. That is, the user can choose to press the pressing part 221 to disengage from the hook arm 36 by the upward swing of the hook body 22, or rotate the fastening ring 20 at an appropriate angle to allow the hook body 22 to slide away from the hook arm 36. This provides the function of pulling out the first connector 10 in different ways, and pulling out the first connector 10 by rotating and sliding is a practical function that saves effort.

[0063] In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figure 12, the first connector 10 has at least one recessed hole 142 at the stop block 14, and the fastening ring 20 has at least one protruding piece 211 at the positioning block 21. The protruding piece 211 is inserted into the recessed hole 142 to form a positioning effect between the fastening ring 20 and the first connector 10, thereby improving the positioning stability of the fastening ring 20.

[0064] By utilizing the structure of the above specific embodiment, the following benefits can be obtained: The first connector 10 is provided with the annular surface 131 and two adjacent stops 14 and two clearance openings 141, allowing the fastening ring 20 to be directly fitted onto the mating portion 11 of the first connector 10. The positioning block 21 is aligned with the clearance opening 141, allowing the fastening ring 20 to pass over the stop 14. Then, the fastening ring 20 is rotated at an appropriate angle, so that the positioning block 21 is clamped between the stop 14 and the annular surface 131, thus enabling the fastening ring 20 to be quickly fitted onto the mating portion 11. Assembled on the first connector 10, and having the function of replacing the fastening ring 20 of different specifications, thereby matching the second connector 30 to be connected with different styles or lengths of hook body 22, so as to effectively improve its practicality. Furthermore, the fastening ring 20 can be made separately from a material with higher elasticity, so that the fastening ring 20 provides sufficient elastic deformation capacity, and the material can be selected to meet the structural hardness required by the docking part 11, thereby allowing the selection of appropriate materials according to needs, reducing material costs and processing costs.

[0065] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention; that is, all equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims of the present invention should still fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0066] Of course, the present invention may have other various embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various corresponding changes and modifications according to the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mating snap structure of a connector, characterized by comprising: The first connector has a pair of connecting portions at one end of a cylindrical shape, a plurality of first terminals arranged in the connecting portions, a connector bottom at the other end, a circular surface formed from the connector bottom towards the connecting portions, two blocks protruding between the connecting portions and the circular surface, two avoidance openings symmetrically arranged between the blocks, a wire sheath extending from the connector bottom, the wire sheath and the connecting portions vertically arranged, and the wire sheath opposite to any of the avoidance openings. The clamping ring has two positioning blocks protruding from the inner edge, at least one hook body formed from the outer edge, the hook body arranged outside the positioning blocks, a pressing portion extending from the hook body, the clamping ring sleeved into the connecting portions of the first connector, the positioning blocks aligned with the avoidance openings, the pressing portion pressed on the wire sheath when the user pushes the clamping ring to make the positioning blocks pass through the avoidance openings, the hook body elastically deformed to make the clamping ring cross the blocks, the positioning blocks clamped between the blocks and the circular surface when the clamping ring is rotated, and the hook body not elastically deformed blocked by the wire sheath when the clamping ring is limited between the blocks and the circular surface, so that the clamping ring cannot be separated from the first connector. The connector bottom symmetrically has two wing portions opposite to the blocks, and the pressing portion of the hook body is obliquely arranged in front of the wing portions, so that the wing portions can be pressed when the pressing portion is pressed by the fingers to pull out the first connector.

2. The mating snap structure of a connector according to claim 1, wherein The second connector has a fixed plate, a plurality of second terminals arranged in a hole in the center of the fixed plate, the first connector inserted into the hole with the connecting portions and the first terminals in contact with the second terminals to form a conductive connection.

3. The mating snap structure of a connector according to claim 1, wherein The connecting portions have a ring groove recessed from the outer edge, and a water stop ring arranged in the ring groove, the water stop ring partially protruding outside the ring groove and abutting against the inner wall of the hole to form a first waterproof effect between the first connector and the second connector.

4. The mating snap structure of a connector according to claim 3, wherein The second connector has a gasket arranged in the hole, and the connecting portions of the first connector abutting against the gasket to form waterproof, thereby forming a second waterproof effect between the first connector and the second connector.

5. The mating snap structure of a connector according to claim 4, wherein The fixed plate has at least one hook seat protruding from the outer edge, and the hook body of the clamping ring inserted into the hook slot of the hook seat to form clamping fixation.

6. The mating snap structure of a connector according to claim 3, wherein The fixed plate has at least one hook arm extending from the outer edge, and the hook body of the clamping ring clamped with the hook arm, the fixed plate recessed to form an avoidance slot opposite to the hook arm, and the avoidance slot providing the clamping ring to rotate to make the hook body separated from the hook arm.

7. The mating snap structure of a connector according to claim 3, wherein The first connector has at least one recess hole recessed from the blocks, and the clamping ring has at least one protruding particle protruding from the positioning blocks, and the protruding particle inserted into the recess hole to form the positioning effect between the clamping ring and the first connector.

8. The mating snap structure of a connector according to claim 1, wherein ​

Images