Blind-mating connector and automobile shock absorber

Abstract

The present invention discloses a blind-mating connector and an automobile shock absorber to which it is applicable. The blind-mating connector comprises a hollow cylindrical male end body and a female end body, wherein the male end body and the female end body are respectively provided with a male terminal and a female terminal in cooperation with each other; at least one guide groove is provided on the side wall of the butt end of the male end body along the axial direction of the male end body; at least one raised rib is provided on the outer surface of the butt end of the female end body along the axial direction of the female end body; the number and position of the raised ribs match the number and position of the guide grooves, so that after each rib is inserted into the corresponding guide groove, the male terminal and the female terminal can be correctly connected; an arc-shaped guide strip is provided on the inner surface of the butt end of the male end body, the end of the arc-shaped guide strip extending in a direction away from the top of the butt end, so that the raised rib on the female end body can slide into the guide groove along the arc-shaped guide strip. The present invention can realize self-guiding during the assembly process of the male and female connectors, so that the male and female connectors can only be assembled according to the set connection method, thereby improving assembly efficiency and preventing damage to the terminals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electric connectors, in particular to a blind-mating connector and an automobile shock absorber. Background Art

[0002] Since traditional connectors use visual perception to align male and female connectors, the traditional connector pairing and assembly method is difficult when mating male and female connectors in some difficult-to-observe areas inside the car, which seriously affects the efficiency of connector pairing and assembly. It can also lead to incorrect terminal connection or damage between terminals due to the force of plugging in the wrong direction. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to provide a blind-mate connector and automotive shock absorber that enable self-alignment during male and female connector assembly, allowing the male and female connectors to be assembled only according to the intended connection method, improving assembly efficiency while preventing terminal damage. The present invention employs the following technical solutions.

[0004] In one aspect, the present invention provides a blind-mate connector, comprising a male body and a female body, wherein both the male body and the female body are hollow cylinders, a male terminal is provided in the male body, and a female terminal that matches the male terminal is provided in the female body;

[0005] On the side wall of the butt-jointing end of the male end body, at least one guide groove is provided along the axial direction of the male end body; on the outer surface of the butt-jointing end of the female end body, at least one raised rib is provided along the axial direction of the female end body; the number and position of the raised ribs match the number and position of the guide grooves, so that after each raised rib is inserted into the corresponding guide groove, the male terminal and the female terminal can be correctly connected;

[0006] An arc-shaped guide strip with its end connected to the guide groove is provided on the inner surface of the butt end of the male end body, and the end of the arc-shaped guide strip extends in a direction away from the top end of the butt end, so that the raised rib on the female end body can slide along the arc-shaped guide strip into the guide groove.

[0007] Optionally, there are two guide grooves on the male end body, which are symmetrically arranged with the axial center line of the male end body 3 as the center; there are two protruding ribs on the female end body, which are symmetrically arranged with the axial center line of the female end body as the center.

[0008] Optionally, for the case where there are multiple guide grooves, in the present invention, the arc-shaped guide strips are respectively provided between two adjacent guide grooves, and the arc-shaped guide strips are arc-shaped oblique wedge-type guide strips, the middle part of which is located on the inner side of the top end of the male end body butt joint, and the two ends extend toward the guide grooves on both sides respectively.

[0009] Optionally, the distal end of the arcuate guide bar is connected to the middle of the guide slot in the longitudinal direction. The distance left on either side of the connection is used to allow sufficient distance for the guide bar to guide the raised ribs, and to prevent interference between the male and female terminals before they reach the proper mating position. This ensures that the male and female terminals are not mated until the female terminal body is guided by the arcuate guide bar to the correct position.

[0010] Optionally, the male and female terminals each include a terminal housing, the terminal housing being provided with a spring element with one end away from the terminal housing; the side walls of the male and female terminal bodies being provided with a first slot corresponding to the position of the spring element, and when the male terminal is installed in the male terminal body or the female terminal is installed in the female terminal body, the movable end of the spring element extends into the first slot. This allows the male and female terminals to be positioned within the male and female terminal bodies.

[0011] Optionally, the side walls of the male and female bodies are further provided with a second slot and a buckle that cooperate with each other. When the buckle is engaged in the second slot, the end of the buckle located in the slot abuts the terminal body. The engagement of the second slot and the buckle can further position the male and female terminals within the male and female bodies.

[0012] Preferably, the buckle is movably connected to the outer wall of the male terminal body and includes a connecting plate connected to the outer wall of the male terminal body and a snap-fit ​​portion. When the snap-fit ​​portion is engaged with the second slot, the connecting plate covers the upper portion of the first and second slots. This can help reduce the risk of rust and damage to the terminal caused by dust falling into the slot. A corresponding design can also be used on the female terminal.

[0013] In a second aspect, the present invention provides an automobile shock absorber, which uses the blind-plug connector described in the first aspect to access electrical signals. The male end body of the blind-plug connector is fixedly installed in the piston rod of the automobile shock absorber, and the female end body 9 is fixedly installed in the mounting seat. The end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the mounting seat of the female end body.

[0014] Optionally, a clamping hole is provided on the inner side wall of the piston rod, and an undercut matching the clamping hole is provided on the outer side wall of the male end body; used to achieve relative fixation between the male end body 3 and the piston rod;

[0015] The piston rod connection mounting seat has a toothed slot on the inner sidewall at one end, and a flange on the outer periphery of the port. The outer periphery of the opposite end of the female body's plug-in end is provided with a convex bump that mates with the toothed slot. The mounting seat includes a snap-fit ​​element, which comprises a ring shell surrounding the outer periphery of the rear end of the female body, with an interference convex bump on the inner edge of the ring shell mates with the flange. When the male and female bodies are plugged together, the convex bump on the female body is confined within the toothed slot on the inner side of the piston rod, limiting the piston rod's rotational freedom about its central axis. The flange on the outer periphery of the piston rod end engages with the interference convex bump on the inner edge of the ring shell, forming an anti-vibration self-locking structure. This effectively improves the mating stability and vibration resistance of the male and female connectors under the complex vibration conditions of automobile driving, thereby extending the service life of the connectors.

[0016] Optionally, the mounting seat further includes a rear cover; the snap-fit ​​element further includes a limiting piece located on one end surface of the ring shell, and a lead tube wall capable of docking with the rear cover to form a lead tube;

[0017] The limiting plate is provided with a stress relief hole and a plurality of female end body locking holes and a rear cover locking hole. The tail of the female end body is provided with a first locking tongue that matches the female end body locking hole, and the rear cover is provided with a second locking tongue that matches the rear cover locking hole.

[0018] A clamping point is provided on the outside of the lead tube wall of the snap element, and clamping rings are extended on both sides of the lead tube wall of the back cover. When the snap element and the lead tube wall of the back cover are combined into a lead tube, the clamping rings are clamped to the outer periphery of the clamping point; thereby, relative fixed installation can be achieved between the male end piston rod and the snap element, between the female end body and the snap element, and between the snap element and the back cover, thereby ensuring the vibration resistance of the connector.

[0019] Beneficial effects

[0020] The blind-mate connector of the present invention can be used for male-female registered electrical connections in invisible areas. It can self-align during the assembly process of the male and female connectors, allowing them to be assembled only according to the set connection method, improving assembly efficiency and preventing damage to the terminals. At the same time, through the matching design of the clip and the slot, the male and female terminals of the present invention can be reliably fixed in the plastic housing of the male and female terminal bodies, and have good vibration resistance. The automobile shock absorber based on the blind-mate connector of the present invention further improves the stability of the overall structure through the installation and matching between the various component structures, so that the electrical connection structure has better vibration resistance during the application of the automobile shock absorber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 Shown is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the blind-mate connector of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2Shown is a schematic diagram of the male end body structure;

[0023] Figure 3 Shown is a schematic diagram of the side structure of the male end body;

[0024] Figure 4 Shown is a schematic diagram of the axial cross-sectional structure of the male end body;

[0025] Figure 5 FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the self-guiding assembly process of the blind-mate connector of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 Shown is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the female end of the connector;

[0027] Figure 7 The figure shows the structure of the snap-fit ​​element. Figure 8 Shown is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a snap-fit ​​element;

[0028] Figure 9 Shown is a schematic diagram of the rear cover structure;

[0029] Figure 10 The figure shows the docking state of the male terminal and the female terminal;

[0030] Figure 11 The figure shows the male and female bodies in an unassembled state.

[0031] Figures 1-11 In the figure, 1- automobile shock absorber, 2- second card slot of male end body, 3- male end body, 4- undercut, 5- arc guide strip, 6- toothed slot, 7- flange, 8 - guide groove, 9- female end body, 10- first card slot of female end body, 11- second card slot of female end body, 12- convex hull, 13- ring shell, 14- back cover, 15- raised rib, 16- stress relief hole, 17- female end body positioning hole, 18- card point, 19- interference convex hull, 20- back cover positioning hole, 21- second card tongue, 22- snap ring, 23- male end spring clip, 24- male terminal shell, 25- female end spring clip, 26- female terminal shell, 27- first card slot of male end body, 28- first card tongue, 29- male end body buckle, 30- female end body buckle, 31- first waterproof ring, 32- second waterproof ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following is a further description with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] This embodiment introduces a blind-mate connector that can achieve self-alignment during the assembly process of male and female connectors, so that the male and female connectors can only be assembled according to a set connection method.

[0035] refer to Figures 1 to 11 As shown, the blind-mate connector includes a male end body 3 and a female end body 9. Both the male end body 3 and the female end body 9 are hollow cylinders. A male terminal is provided in the male end body 3, and a female terminal that matches the male terminal is provided in the female end body 9. The male and female terminals and their docking states can be referred to Figure 10 shown.

[0036] On the side wall of the butt end of the male end body 3, at least one guide groove 8 is provided along the axial direction of the male end body 3. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the number of guide grooves 8 is 2, which are symmetrically arranged with the axial center line of the male end body 3 as the center; on the outer surface of the docking end of the female end body 9, at least one raised rib 15 is provided along the axial direction of the female end body 9. In this embodiment, the number of raised ribs 15 is 2, which are symmetrically arranged with the axial center line of the female end body 9 as the center. The number and position of the raised ribs 15 match the number and position of the guide grooves 8, so that after each raised rib 15 is inserted into the corresponding guide groove 8, the male terminal and the female terminal can be correctly docked.

[0037] The inner surface of the butt end of the male end body 3 is provided with an arc-shaped guide strip 5 whose end is connected to the guide groove 8. The end of the arc-shaped guide strip 5 extends in a direction away from the top of the butt end. In this embodiment, two opposing arc-shaped oblique wedge-shaped guide strips are provided between the two guide grooves 8. The middle part of the arc-shaped guide strip is located inside the top of the butt end of the male end body 3, and the two ends extend toward the guide grooves on both sides. Figure 5 In the self-guiding assembly process shown, when the raised rib 15 fails to be aligned with the guide groove 8 at the beginning of the assembly operation, the raised rib 15 will first abut against the arcuate guide strip 5. Since the arcuate guide strip 5 is connected to the guide groove 8, the raised rib 15 on the female end body 9 will slide along the arcuate guide strip 5 into the guide groove 8 under the action of the assembly force, thus realizing self-guiding of the male and female terminal assembly process.

[0038] When applied to male and female terminals of different structural types, the number of guide grooves and the corresponding raised ribs can also be set to other multiple situations, and then arc-shaped guide strips 5 are respectively provided between two adjacent guide grooves 8.

[0039] Of course, the number of the guide groove and the arc-shaped guide strip may also be only one, and both ends of the arc-shaped guide strip are connected to the same guide groove.

[0040] As described above, the end of the curved guide bar 5 is preferably connected to the middle of the length of the guide slot 8. The length of the guide slot left on both sides of the connection is used to provide sufficient distance for the guide bar to guide the raised ribs on one side, and to prevent interference between the male and female terminals before the proper docking position on the other side. Ensure that the female terminal body 9 is guided by the curved guide bar to rotate to the correct position before the male and female terminals begin to plug.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] Based on the self-alignment during assembly achieved in Example 1, this embodiment further implements the following design to enhance the structural stability of the connector.

[0043] refer to Figure 10 The male terminal and the female terminal respectively include terminal shells: male terminal shell 24 and female terminal shell 26, and the terminal shells are provided with springs with one end away from the terminal shells: male end spring piece 23 and female end spring piece 25. Figure 1 and Figure 11 The side walls of the male body 3 and the female body 9 are provided with first card slots corresponding to the positions of the springs: the first card slot 27 of the male body and the first card slot 10 of the female body. When the male terminal is installed in the male terminal body or the female terminal is installed in the female terminal body, the movable end of the spring extends into the first card slot, thereby realizing the positioning of the male and female terminals in the male and female terminal bodies.

[0044] Combine Figure 1 and Figure 11 The side walls of the male and female bodies 3 and 9 also feature cooperating second slots and latches: male body second slot 2, female body second slot 11, male body latch 29, and female body latch 30. When the latches engage within the second slots, the ends of the latches located within the slots abut against the terminal body. The engagement of the second slots and latches further positions the male and female terminals within the male and female bodies.

[0045] The cooperation between the spring clip on the terminal shell and the first slot on the plastic shell of the male and female terminals, as well as the cooperation between the second slot and the buckle, can achieve double locking of the male and female terminals in the male and female terminal bodies, ensuring the positioning reliability between the male and female terminals and the plastic shell, and improving the vibration resistance of each of the male and female ends of the connector.

[0046] Reference again Figure 11 As shown, the male terminal's latch 29 is movably connected to the outer wall of the male terminal body 3. It includes a connecting plate connected to the outer wall of the male terminal body 3 and a snap-fit ​​portion. When the snap-fit ​​portion is engaged with the second slot, the connecting plate covers the upper portion of the first and second slots. This helps reduce the risk of terminal corrosion and damage caused by dust falling into the slot. A corresponding design can also be used on the female terminal.

[0047] Example 3

[0048] This embodiment introduces an automobile shock absorber 1, which uses the blind-plug connector introduced in Example 1 or Example 2 to access electrical signals. The male end body 3 of the blind-plug connector is fixedly installed in the piston rod of the automobile shock absorber, and the female end body 9 is fixedly installed in the mounting seat. The end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the mounting seat of the female end body 9.

[0049] refer to Figure 1As shown, a clamping hole is provided on the inner side wall of the piston rod, and an undercut 4 matching the clamping hole is provided on the outer side wall of the male end body 3, which is used to achieve relative fixation between the male end body 3 and the piston rod.

[0050] A toothed slot 6 is provided on the inner side wall of one end of the piston rod connection mounting seat, and a flange 7 is provided on the outer periphery of the port; a convex bump 12 is provided on the outer side of the opposite end of the plug-in end of the female end body 9 to match the toothed slot 6.

[0051] Combine Figures 6 to 8 The mounting seat includes a snap-fit ​​element, which includes a ring shell 13 arranged around the outer periphery of the tail of the female end body 9. The inner side of the edge of the ring shell 13 is provided with an interference convex hull 19 that cooperates with the flange 7.

[0052] like Figure 1 When the male body 3 and the female body 9 are plugged together, the convex bump 12 on the female body 9 is limited to the tooth-shaped slot 6 on the inner side of the piston rod, which can limit the rotational freedom of the piston rod around the central axis. and perpendicular to the central axis Freedom of movement in two straight directions ; Circle shell 13 Through elastic deformation Inside its edge Interference convex hull 19 is stuck The flange 7 on the outer periphery of the piston rod end forms an anti-vibration self-locking structure, which effectively improves the matching stability and anti-vibration performance of the male and female connectors under complex vibration conditions during car driving, and extends the service life of the connectors.

[0053] like Figures 7 to 9 The mounting base also includes a rear cover 14; the snap-fit ​​element also includes a stopper located on one end surface of the ring housing 13, and a lead tube wall that can be docked with the rear cover 14 to form a lead tube. After the mounting base is assembled, the rear cover 14 covers the stopper element's stopper and docks with the lower end of the snap-fit ​​element to form the lead tube. The lead tube wall of the snap-fit ​​element is provided with a snap point 18 on the outside, and a snap ring 22 extends from both sides of the lead tube wall of the rear cover 14. When the snap-fit ​​element and the lead tube wall of the rear cover are combined to form the lead tube, the snap ring 22 is engaged with the outer periphery of the snap point 18.

[0054] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 The limiting piece is provided with a stress relief hole 16 and a plurality of female end body positioning holes 17 and a rear cover positioning hole 20. The tail of the female end body 9 is provided with a first latch 28 that cooperates with the female end body positioning hole 17. The rear cover 14 is provided with a second latch 21 that cooperates with the rear cover positioning hole 20.

[0055] As described above, relatively fixed installation between the male piston rod and the snap element, between the female body 9 and the snap element, and between the snap element and the back cover can be achieved, thereby ensuring the anti-vibration performance of the connector.

[0056] On the basis of the above, in this embodiment, Figure 6As shown, a waterproof ring 32 is provided at the end of the female body 9 that cooperates with the cable, and an O-type waterproof ring 31 is provided at the position where the outer surface of the female body cooperates with the end of the piston rod, which effectively prevents external water vapor from corroding the center contact part, thereby improving the life of the connector.

[0057] Since the automobile shock absorber of this embodiment can achieve self-alignment, the assembly efficiency can be significantly improved. At the same time, the structural coordination of various parts ensures good anti-vibration performance and strong structural stability.

[0058] The embodiments of the present invention are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of the present invention, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the scope of protection of the purpose of the present invention and the claims, which are all protected by the present invention.

Claims

1. A blind-mate connector, comprising a male end body (3) and a female end body (9), wherein the male end body (3) and the female end body (9) are both hollow cylinders, a male terminal is provided in the male end body (3), and a female terminal matching the male terminal is provided in the female end body (9); characterized in that: On the side wall of the butt-jointed end of the male end body (3), at least one guide groove (8) is provided along the axial direction of the male end body (3); on the outer surface of the butt-jointed end of the female end body (9), at least one raised rib (15) is provided along the axial direction of the female end body (9); the number and position of the raised ribs (15) match the number and position of the guide grooves (8), so that after each raised rib (15) is inserted into the corresponding guide groove (8), the male terminal and the female terminal can be correctly butted together; An arc-shaped guide strip (5) whose end is connected to the guide groove (8) is provided on the inner surface of the butt end of the male end body (3), and the end of the arc-shaped guide strip (5) extends in a direction away from the top end of the butt end, so that the raised rib (15) on the female end body (9) can slide along the arc-shaped guide strip (5) into the guide groove (8); If there are more than two guide grooves (8), the arc-shaped guide strips (5) are respectively provided between two adjacent guide grooves (8), the middle of the arc-shaped guide strips (5) are located inside the top end of the butt joint of the male end body (3), and the two ends extend toward the guide grooves (8) on both sides respectively; The male terminal and the female terminal respectively include a terminal shell, and the terminal shell is provided with a spring piece with one end away from the terminal shell; the side walls of the male terminal body (3) and the female terminal body (9) are provided with a first card slot corresponding to the position of the spring piece, and when the male terminal is installed in the male terminal body or the female terminal is installed in the female terminal body, the movable end of the spring piece extends into the first card slot.

2. The blind-mate connector according to claim 1, wherein: The number of guide grooves (8) on the male end body (3) is two, and they are symmetrically arranged with the axial center line of the male end body (3) as the center; the number of raised ribs (15) on the female end body (9) is two, and they are symmetrically arranged with the axial axis of the female end body (9) as the center.

3. The blind-mate connector according to claim 1, wherein: The arc-shaped guide strip (5) is an arc-shaped oblique wedge-type guide strip.

4. The blind-mate connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The end of the arc-shaped guide strip (5) is connected to the middle of the guide groove (8) in the length direction.

5. The blind-mate connector according to claim 1, wherein: A second slot and a buckle that cooperate with each other are also provided on the side walls of the male end body (3) and the female end body (9); when the buckle is engaged in the second slot, the end of the buckle located in the slot abuts against the terminal body.

6. The blind-mate connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The buckle (29) is movably connected to the outer wall of the male end body (3), and comprises a connecting plate connected to the outer wall of the male end body (3) and a buckling portion; when the buckling portion is engaged in the second card slot (2), the connecting plate covers the first card slot (27) and the upper portion of the second card slot (2).

7. An automobile shock absorber, characterized in that: The automobile shock absorber uses the blind-plug connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6 to access the electrical signal, the male end body (3) of the blind-plug connector is fixedly installed in the piston rod of the automobile shock absorber, the female end body (9) is fixedly installed in the mounting seat, and the end of the piston rod is fixedly connected to the mounting seat of the female end body (9).

8. The automobile shock absorber according to claim 7, characterized in that: A clamping hole is provided on the inner side wall of the piston rod, and an undercut (4) that matches the clamping hole is provided on the outer side wall of the male end body (3); the undercut (4) is used to achieve relative fixation between the male end body (3) and the piston rod; A toothed slot (6) is provided on the inner side wall of one end of the piston rod connection mounting seat, and a flange (7) is provided on the outer periphery of the port; a convex bump (12) is provided on the outer side of the opposite end of the plug-in end of the female end body (9) to cooperate with the toothed slot (6); the mounting seat includes a snap-fit ​​element, and the snap-fit ​​element includes a ring shell (13) arranged around the outer periphery of the rear end of the female end body (9), and an interference convex bump (19) is provided on the inner side of the edge of the ring shell (13) to cooperate with the flange (7).

9. The automobile shock absorber according to claim 8, characterized in that: The mounting seat further includes a rear cover (14); the snap-fit ​​element further includes a limiting piece located on one end surface of the ring shell (13), and a lead tube wall capable of docking with the rear cover (14) to form a lead tube; The limiting plate is provided with a stress release hole (16) and a plurality of female end body locking holes (17) and a rear cover locking hole (20); the rear portion of the female end body (9) is provided with a first locking tongue (28) that matches the female end body locking hole (17); and the rear cover (14) is provided with a second locking tongue (21) that matches the rear cover locking hole (20); A clamping point (18) is provided on the outside of the lead tube wall of the snap element, and clamping rings (22) are extended on both sides of the lead tube wall of the rear cover (14). When the lead tube wall of the snap element and the lead tube wall of the rear cover are combined to form a lead tube, the clamping ring (22) is clamped to the periphery of the clamping point (18).

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