Electrical connector

Abstract

The present application provides an electric connector, which comprises an insulating body, a plurality of conductive terminals fixed in the insulating body, and a resistance element electrically connected with the corresponding conductive terminal. The insulating body has a receiving space for the reverse insertion of a mating socket connector and a mounting portion at the rear end. The conductive terminals are assembled into the insulating body from the rear to the front and have welding portions exposed to the mounting portion. The welding portions are all horizontally arranged flat plate structures. The mounting portion of the insulating body has a plurality of partitions arranged along the height direction. The partitions separate the adjacent welding portions from each other. The welding portions are arranged into two rows along the height direction. The resistance element is connected with one row of welding portions, and the other row of welding portions is connected with a cable. The electric connector of the present application has improved conductive terminals, thereby not only saving the cost of the built-in circuit board structure but also simplifying the connection process.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on January 12, 2017, with application number 201710021917.3 and invention title "An Electrical Connector". Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and more particularly to an electrical connector that can be inserted in either direction. Background Technology

[0003] With the rapid development of science and technology in the electronics industry, the size of electronic products is becoming increasingly thinner and smaller, which requires the components of electronic products to be smaller and smaller, and the connector industry is the first to be affected.

[0004] The requirement for smaller dimensions in the next generation of USB Type-C connectors has led to higher demands on mechanical performance and increased design complexity. To cater to thinner and lighter devices while ensuring product structural reliability, major manufacturers have introduced corresponding structural designs.

[0005] Existing USB Type-C connectors typically use injection molding to form two terminal assemblies, which are then assembled with the front body to form a single unit. This process can lead to tolerance accumulation. Other connectors use an assembly method where the conductive terminals are installed into a single-piece insulating body. However, the ends of the conductive terminals require an internal circuit board for connection to the cable. Additionally, there is usually a central locking element between the two rows of conductive terminals. This locking element typically has a main body and a pair of locking arms extending forward from both sides of the main body. This approach is less than ideal in terms of cost and assembly.

[0006] In view of this, it is necessary to improve the existing electrical connectors to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electrical connector with improved conductive terminals.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the present invention provides an electrical connector comprising an insulating body, a plurality of conductive terminals fixed within the insulating body, and resistive elements electrically connected to the corresponding conductive terminals. The insulating body has a receiving space for insertion of a mating socket connector in both directions and a mounting portion located at its rear end. The conductive terminals are assembled into the insulating body from back to front and have solder portions protruding from the mounting portion. The solder portions are all horizontally arranged flat plate structures. The mounting portion of the insulating body has a plurality of partitions arranged along the height direction, which separate adjacent solder portions from each other. The solder portions are divided into two rows arranged along the height direction. The resistive element is connected to one row of solder portions, and the other row of solder portions is connected to a cable.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the conductive terminal includes a power terminal and a ground terminal located outside the power terminal. The soldered portion of the power terminal is located on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction, and the soldered portion of the ground terminal is also located on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the conductive terminal includes a first terminal group and a second terminal group with contact arms arranged in two rows along the height direction, and each of the first terminal group and the second terminal group is provided with a pair of grounding terminals and a pair of power terminals.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, a pair of grounding terminals in the first terminal group are integrally connected with the corresponding grounding terminals in the second terminal group to form a single grounding terminal, and the welded portions of the two single grounding terminals are placed on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the welded portions of the two integrated grounding terminals extend toward each other.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, a pair of power terminals in the first terminal group and a pair of power terminals in the second terminal group are integrally connected to form an integrated power terminal. The integrated power terminal includes a pair of plate portions spaced apart in the lateral direction, an elastic contact arm extending forward from the plate portion, and a tail portion located at its rear end and connecting the pair of plate portions. Each plate portion extends forward to form a pair of contact arms spaced apart in the height direction. The tail portion has two welding portions located on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the two welded portions extend in a direction away from each other, and the tail portion also has a connecting portion located in the lateral direction between the two welded portions and connecting the two welded portions to each other at their two ends.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, at least one of the first terminal group and the second terminal group further has a detection terminal located inside the power terminal, wherein the solder portion of the detection terminal extends toward the power terminal away from its adjacent power terminal.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, the welding part of the detection terminal and the welding part on the same side of the ground terminal or power terminal are mechanically and electrically connected through the resistive element.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, at least one of the first terminal group and the second terminal group further includes a pair of signal terminals, each of the signal terminals having a solder portion protruding from the mounting portion, the solder portions of the pair of signal terminals extending toward a direction away from each other, and in the lateral direction, the solder portions of the pair of signal terminals are located between the solder portions of the ground terminal and the power terminal on the same side.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The conductive terminals of the electrical connector of the present invention are assembled into the insulating body from back to front, and the conductive terminals have a horizontally arranged and flat plate-shaped welding part. The resistive element is connected to the welding part on one side and the cable is connected to the welding part on the other side. This not only eliminates the need for an internal circuit board structure and saves costs, but also simplifies the connection process. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional assembly diagram of the electrical connector of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Another view of the electrical connector shown;

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Another view of the electrical connector shown;

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the connection between the conductive terminals of the electrical connector and the resistive element.

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Another view of the conductive terminals and resistive elements of the electrical connector shown.

[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows a 3D assembly of the electrical connector after the resistors have been removed.

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of the electrical connector after the shielding housing has been removed.

[0027] Figure 9 yes Figure 7 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the electrical connector shown;

[0028] Figure 10 yes Figure 5 A planar schematic diagram of the conductive terminals and resistive elements of the electrical connector shown.

[0029] Figure 11 yes Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the integrated power terminal of the electrical connector shown. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] Please refer to Figures 1 to 11 As shown, this is a preferred embodiment of the electrical connector 100 of the present invention. The electrical connector 100 includes an insulating body 1, a plurality of conductive terminals 2 fixed in the insulating body 1, a locking member 3, a shielding shell 4 covering the insulating body 1, and a resistive element 5 electrically connected to the corresponding conductive terminals 2.

[0032] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 and combined Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the insulating body 1 has a main body 11, a mating portion 12 disposed in front of the main body 11, and a mounting portion 13 located behind the main body 11 and protruding outward. The main body 11 and the mating portion 12 are generally arranged in an elliptical cylindrical shape. The inner side of the mating portion 12 forms a forward-opening receiving space 120 for the mating socket connector to be inserted in either the forward or reverse direction. The insulating body 1 has a plurality of terminal slots 10 extending through it in the front-back direction. The terminal slots 10 are arranged side by side along the transverse direction of the electrical connector 100.

[0033] Each terminal slot 10 extends forward from the rear end face of the insulating body 1. Part of the terminal slot 10 extends forward to the inside of the docking portion 12 and communicates with the receiving space 120. The remaining part of the terminal slot 10 extends forward to the inside of the main body portion 11 and does not extend to the inside of the docking portion 12. That is, the remaining part of the terminal slot 10 is closed inside the main body portion 11 and does not communicate with the receiving space 120.

[0034] The insulating body 1 has retaining grooves 14 extending in the front-rear direction on both sides. A pair of retaining grooves 14 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the insulating body 1, and are recessed from the rear end of the mounting part 13 into the docking part 12 and communicate with the receiving space 120.

[0035] Please refer to Figures 3 to 11 As shown, the conductive terminal 2 includes a first terminal group 21 and a second terminal group 22 arranged in two rows along the height direction. The first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 correspond to each other and are arranged in opposite directions. The mating portions of the first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 are positioned on the insulating body 1 in the same way as the mating portions of the corresponding terminals on a standard USB Type-C plug connector.

[0036] The first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 are each provided with a pair of grounding terminals 23 and a pair of power terminals 24. The pair of grounding terminals 23 are located on both sides of the first terminal group 21 or the second terminal group 22, and the power terminals 24 are located inside the adjacent grounding terminals 23.

[0037] In this configuration, a pair of grounding terminals 23 in the first terminal group 21 are integrally connected to the corresponding grounding terminals 23 in the second terminal group 22 to form a single grounding terminal. The two terminal groups 21 and 22 together have two single grounding terminals located on either side of each other. Specifically, each single grounding terminal has a pair of elastic contact arms 231 arranged opposite each other along the height direction and protruding into the receiving space 120, a retaining portion 232 fixed in the terminal slot 10 of the insulating body, and a tail portion 233 extending rearward from the retaining portion 232 and protruding from the mounting portion 13 of the insulating body 1. The retaining portion 232 is placed vertically, located behind the pair of contact arms 231, and integrally connected to them. The pair of contact arms 231 and the retaining portion 232 of each single grounding terminal have a two-to-one correspondence, and are connected to form a tuning fork-shaped structure with the opening facing forward. The tail portion 233 is L-shaped and has a vertical portion 2331 connected to the retaining portion 232 and a horizontally arranged welding portion 2332 electrically connected to a cable (not shown). The welding portions 2332 of the two integrated grounding terminals on both sides extend in opposite directions. Furthermore, the welding portions 2332 of the two integrated grounding terminals extend towards each other and are located on different horizontal planes.

[0038] The pair of contact arms 231 extend downward or upward into the receiving space 120 to form contact arms 231 of two corresponding conductive terminals in the upper and lower rows. The corresponding conductive terminals in the upper and lower rows share a retaining portion 232 and a tail portion 233. Each contact arm 231 has a mating portion 2311 located at its free end, and the mating portion 2311 of one of the pair of contact arms 231 protrudes toward the contact arm 231 of the other. In the height direction of the electrical connector 100, the retaining portion 232 of the integrated grounding terminal protrudes upward and / or downward to form an interference portion 2321, so as to interfere with the top and bottom surfaces of the corresponding terminal slot 10.

[0039] A pair of power terminals 24 in the first terminal group 21 and a pair of power terminals 24 in the second terminal group 22 are integrally connected to form a single power terminal. Specifically, the single power terminal includes a pair of vertically placed plate portions 241, elastic contact arms 242 extending forward from each plate portion 241, and a tail portion 243 located at its rear end and connecting the pair of plate portions 241. The pair of plate portions 241 are spaced apart in the lateral direction, and their top and / or bottom surfaces are provided with interference portions 2411 protruding outward in the height direction. Each plate portion 241 extends forward to form a pair of contact arms 242 spaced apart in the height direction, and the pair of contact arms 242 are arranged opposite each other to serve as contact arms for corresponding power terminals in the first and second terminal groups 21 and 22, respectively. The tail portion 243 is in a continuous stepped shape and protrudes from both sides of the mounting portion 13 of the insulating body 1. It includes two welded portions 2431 at different heights and a connecting portion 2432 located between the two welded portions 2431 in a transverse direction. The welded portions 2431 are horizontally arranged, and the connecting portion 2432 is connected to the two adjacent ends of the two welded portions 2431. The connecting portion 2432 is Z-shaped and includes a pair of vertical portions 2433 respectively connected to the corresponding welded portions 2431 and a horizontal portion 2434 located between the pair of vertical portions 2433 to connect the pair of vertical portions 2433.

[0040] The shape and structure of the contact arm 242 of the integrated power terminal are the same as those of the contact arm of the integrated power terminal, and will not be described again here. In this embodiment, some conductive terminals in the first terminal group 21 and the corresponding conductive terminals (ground terminal 23 and power terminal 24) in the second terminal group 22 are integrally connected to form an integrated terminal. During assembly, the conductive terminals in the first and second terminal groups 21 and 22 can be simultaneously assembled into the insulating body 1, which greatly facilitates the assembly.

[0041] At least one of the first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 also has a detection terminal 25 (CC1, used to detect reversible insertion and identify the cable) located inside the power terminal 24 and a pair of signal terminals 26. The other terminal group of the first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22 may also be provided with corresponding conductive terminals on a standard USB Type-C plug connector as needed.

[0042] In this embodiment, the first terminal group 21 is provided with the detection terminal 25 and a pair of signal terminals 26. The detection terminal 25 has an elastic contact arm 251 protruding into the receiving space 120, a retaining portion 252 fixed in the terminal groove 10 of the insulating body, and a tail portion 253 extending rearward from the retaining portion 252 and protruding from the mounting portion 13 of the insulating body 1. The tail portion 253 is L-shaped and has a horizontally arranged welding portion 2531. Specifically, the tail portion 253 extends from the rear end of the retaining portion 252 toward the second terminal group 22 and is bent so that its welding portion 2531 is horizontally arranged, and the welding portion 2531 extends toward the direction away from its adjacent power terminal. The welding portion 2531 and the welding portion of the conductive terminals (ground terminal 23 and power terminal 24) in the second terminal group 22 are at the same height.

[0043] The pair of signal terminals 26 are basically the same in shape and structure, each having an elastic contact arm 261 protruding into the receiving space 120, a retaining portion 262 fixed in the terminal groove 10 of the insulating body, and a tail portion 263 extending rearward from the retaining portion 262 and protruding from the mounting portion 13 of the insulating body 1. The tail portion 263 is L-shaped and has a horizontally arranged solder portion 2631. The two solder portions 2631 of the pair of signal terminals 26 extend in opposite directions.

[0044] Please refer to Figures 4 to 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the welded portions of the conductive terminals 2 are arranged in two rows along the height direction and are respectively disposed on both sides of the mounting portion 13 of the insulating body 1. Specifically, on one side, the welded portion 2332 of the grounding terminal 23, the two welded portions 2631 of the pair of signal terminals 26, and one welded portion 2431 of the integrated power terminal are flush with each other and located at a first height; on the other side, the welded portion 2332 of the grounding terminal 23, the welded portion 2531 of the detection terminal 25, and the other welded portion 2431 of the integrated power terminal are flush with each other and located at a second height. The horizontal portion 2434 is located along the height direction between the welded portions 2631 of the signal terminals 26 and the welded portions 2531 of the detection terminals 25.

[0045] The mounting portion 13 of the insulating body 1 has several partitions 131 arranged along the height direction. The partitions 131 separate adjacent welding portions 2332, 2431, 2531, and 2631 from each other. The welding portions 2332, 2431, 2531, and 2631 are all horizontally arranged flat structures to achieve electrical connection with the cable, eliminating the need for the built-in circuit board in the traditional structure, which not only saves costs but also saves time and effort. At the same time, the welding portion 2531 of the detection terminal 25 is mechanically and electrically connected to the welding portions 2332 and 2431 on the same side as the grounding terminal 23 or the power terminal 24 through the resistor element 5. When the welding portion 2531 of the detection terminal 25 is connected to the grounding terminal 23 or the power terminal 24, the resistance value of the resistor element 25 can be adjusted as needed.

[0046] The conductive terminals 2 are assembled from back to front into the corresponding terminal slots 10 of the insulating body 1, and the contact arms 231, 242, 251, and 261 protrude from the receiving space 120 to contact the mating connector. Since the welding portions 2332, 2431, 2531, and 2631 of the conductive terminals 2 are all horizontally arranged flat structures, they can be directly welded to the cable without the need for an internal circuit board.

[0047] The locking member 3 is made of metal. A pair of locking members 3 are independently arranged and positioned opposite each other on both sides of the conductive terminal 2 in the lateral direction. Each locking member 3 has a base 31, a locking arm 32 at its front end, and a protrusion 33 extending from the inner side of the base 31 towards the other locking member 3. When the locking member 3 is assembled into the insulating body 1, it is assembled from back to front into the retaining grooves 14 on both sides of the insulating body 1, and is positioned between the first and second terminal groups 21 and 22 along the height direction. The locking arm 32 extends forward from the front end of the base 31 into the receiving space 120, and is locked and secured with the mating connector within the receiving space 120. The protrusion 33 engages with an abutment provided within the insulating body 1. The rear part of the base 31 is mechanically and electrically connected to the shielding housing 4. In this embodiment, the rear part of the base 31 is welded to the inner side of the shielding housing 4.

[0048] The front end of the shielding housing 4 has an elliptical mating frame, which is consistent with the mating frame of a standard USB Type-C plug connector, for reversible insertion of the socket connector, providing the advantage of convenient use as it can be inserted in either direction. The shielding housing 4 is fitted over the outside of the insulating body 1 from front to back and is connected to the pair of locking fasteners 3.

[0049] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0050] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent embodiments or modifications made without departing from the spirit of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising an insulating body, a plurality of conductive terminals fixed within the insulating body, and resistive elements electrically connected to the corresponding conductive terminals, wherein the insulating body has a receiving space for insertion of a mating socket connector in both directions and a mounting portion located at its rear end, the conductive terminals being assembled into the insulating body from rear to front and having solder portions protruding from the mounting portions, the solder portions being all horizontally arranged flat plate structures, characterized in that: The mounting portion of the insulating body has several partitions arranged along the height direction, which separate adjacent welded portions from each other. The welded portions are arranged in two rows along the height direction and are respectively arranged on both sides of the mounting portion. The resistive element is connected to one row of welded portions, and the other row of welded portions is connected to a cable. The conductive terminal includes a first terminal group and a second terminal group with contact arms arranged in two rows along the height direction. The first terminal group and the second terminal group are each provided with a pair of ground terminals and a pair of power terminals. At least one of the first terminal group and the second terminal group also has a detection terminal located inside the power terminal. The welded portion of the detection terminal extends in a direction away from its adjacent power terminal. The welded portion of the detection terminal and the welded portions of the ground terminals and power terminals located on the same side of the mounting portion are arranged to form one row of welded portions. The welded portion of the detection terminal and the welded portion of the ground terminals or power terminals located on the same side are mechanically and electrically connected through the resistive element.

2. The electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive terminal includes a power terminal and a ground terminal located outside the power terminal. The soldered portion of the power terminal is located on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction, and the soldered portion of the ground terminal is also located on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction.

3. The electrical connector as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A pair of grounding terminals in the first terminal group are integrally connected to the corresponding grounding terminals in the second terminal group to form a single grounding terminal. The welded portions of the two single grounding terminals are located on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction.

4. The electrical connector as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The welded portions of the two connected grounding terminals extend toward each other.

5. The electrical connector as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A pair of power terminals in the first terminal group and a pair of power terminals in the second terminal group are integrally connected to form an integrated power terminal. The integrated power terminal includes a pair of plate portions spaced apart in the lateral direction, an elastic contact arm extending forward from the plate portion, and a tail portion located at its rear end and connecting the pair of plate portions. Each plate portion extends forward to form a pair of contact arms spaced apart in the height direction. The tail portion has two welding portions located on both sides of the mounting portion in the height direction.

6. The electrical connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The two welded portions extend in directions away from each other, and the tail portion also has a connecting portion located in the lateral direction between the two welded portions and connecting the two welded portions to each other at their two ends.

7. The electrical connector as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: At least one of the first terminal group and the second terminal group further has a pair of signal terminals, each of the signal terminals having a solder portion protruding from the mounting portion, the solder portions of the pair of signal terminals extending toward each other, and in the lateral direction, the solder portions of the pair of signal terminals being located between the solder portions of the ground terminal and the power terminal on the same side.

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