A socket connector and a method of assembling the same

Abstract

The application discloses a socket connector and an assembling method thereof. The socket connector comprises a connector inner housing for being assembled into a mounting hole of a device panel and located inside the device panel, the connector inner housing is provided with contact pieces arranged along an assembling direction of the connector inner housing, one end of the contact pieces is used for welding a printed board, and the socket connector further comprises a connector outer housing which is provided in a split mode with the connector inner housing and is used for being mounted to an outside of the device panel, the connector outer housing is provided with a plug slot which has an inner contour matched with an outer contour of a protruding mounting hole part of the connector inner housing so that a plug connector is plugged with the contact pieces. The socket connector of the application can be independently welded with the printed board, installation and use are facilitated, assembling efficiency is improved, cost is low, and use scenarios are widened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and more specifically to a socket connector and its assembly method. Background Technology

[0002] In new energy vehicles, the electrical connection between the printed circuit board inside the high-voltage enclosure and the external environment is primarily achieved through terminals or connectors mounted on the enclosure panel. As the integration level of high-voltage equipment in new energy vehicles continues to increase, more and more cable connectors are being replaced by printed circuit board connectors, resulting in not only higher integration but also more reliable connections.

[0003] Existing automotive printed circuit board (PCB) connectors mostly employ "post-soldering" or, as in patent (CN213184880U), adapter methods to achieve PCB connector installation. For "post-soldering" PCB connectors, the connector must first be fixed to the integrated device before pin soldering. Due to the large size of the integrated device, "post-soldering" requires sophisticated soldering equipment, is inconvenient to install, and has low soldering efficiency. While the adapter method mentioned in patent (CN213184880U) solves some of the problems associated with "post-soldering," it is more expensive. Furthermore, with a significant increase in the number of connector pins, the insertion and extraction force during installation also increases substantially, making installation inconvenient. Additionally, because the insertion and extraction force is directly related to the number of connector pins, it cannot be extended to applications with extremely high pin counts. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a socket connector and its assembly method to solve the problem of inconvenience in installation and use caused by post-soldering or conversion of existing socket connectors.

[0005] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to achieve the above objectives is as follows: A socket connector includes a connector inner housing for mounting into a mounting hole in a device panel and located inside the device panel. The connector inner housing has contacts arranged along the assembly direction of the connector inner housing, and one end of the contacts is used for soldering a printed circuit board. It also includes a connector housing that is separate from the connector inner housing and is used for mounting to the outside of the device panel. The connector housing has an inner contour that is adapted to the outer contour of the portion of the connector inner housing that extends out of the mounting hole so that the plug connector can be inserted into the contact.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board is connected to the contacts by soldering.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connector housing is provided with screw holes for easy mounting to the device panel by screws.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the screw holes are evenly distributed on the connector housing.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it further includes a conductive member disposed between the inner housing of the connector and the outer side of the device panel, which enables the load-bearing force on the inner housing of the connector along the axial direction of the mounting hole to be transmitted to the device panel.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conductive element is a locking pin for engaging between the inner housing of the connector and the outer side of the device panel. As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the connector inner housing is provided with a slot for placing the locking pin at the mounting hole.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, two slots are provided radially symmetrically along the inner housing of the connector, and two locking pins are provided corresponding to the slots.

[0012] An assembly method for a socket connector includes the following steps: a. Take the printed circuit board and solder it onto the contact parts of the connector's inner shell; b. Assemble the connector inner housing into the mounting hole of the device panel, so that the end of the connector inner housing with the printed circuit board is located inside the connector inner housing, and the end of the connector inner housing opposite to the end with the printed circuit board is located outside the connector inner housing. c. Take the connector housing and assemble it onto the device panel so that the slot corresponds to the contact.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step b, after the connector inner housing is assembled into the mounting hole of the device panel, a conductive element is provided between the connector inner housing and the outer side of the device panel to transmit the load-bearing force on the connector inner housing along the axial direction of the mounting hole to the device panel.

[0014] Beneficial effects of this invention: 1. When the socket connector of the present invention is applied to integrated equipment, the printed circuit board is directly soldered onto the contact. By setting separate connector inner shell and connector outer shell, after the connector inner shell with the soldered printed circuit board is inserted into the mounting hole, the connector outer shell can be fitted onto the connector inner shell. Compared with the existing post-soldering method, there is no need for a soldering device to integrate a large-sized equipment panel. The printed circuit board can be soldered independently, which facilitates installation and use, improves assembly efficiency, and compared with the adapter method, the contact and plug connector are directly plugged in, which not only reduces costs, but is also not limited by the adapter plugging and unplugging, and can broaden the application scenarios of the connector.

[0015] 2. After the connector inner shell of the present invention is installed through the device panel, by adding a conductive element between the outer side of the device panel and the connector inner shell, the axial constraint between the connector inner shell and the device panel can be achieved. The axial load force on the connector inner shell during the mating process with the plug is transferred to the device panel, avoiding stress on the solder pins. Thus, the load force will not affect the soldering parts of the contacts and the printed circuit board, ensuring the transmission quality of the connector. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the overall structure of a socket connector provided in an embodiment; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the connector inner shell and the device panel in a socket connector provided in an embodiment; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall assembly structure of a socket connector provided in an embodiment.

[0017] The markings in the diagram are: 1. Printed circuit board, 2. Connector inner shell, 201. Contact element, 202. Slot, 3. Connector outer shell, 301. Slot, 302. Screw hole, 4. Device panel, 401. Mounting hole, 5. Conductor element. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more; the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", "front end", "rear end", "head", "tail", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0019] This invention provides a specific embodiment of a socket connector: Please see Figures 1 to 3 As shown.

[0020] The socket connector of this embodiment includes a connector inner housing 2 and a connector outer housing 3. A contact 201 is provided on the connector inner housing 2. One end of the contact 201 is used to transmit signals after being mated with the plug connector. The contact 201 is arranged along the assembly direction of the connector inner housing 2. The device panel 4 has a mounting hole 401. The assembly direction refers to the insertion direction when the connector inner housing 2 is installed into the mounting hole 401 of the device panel 4. A printed circuit board 1 can be soldered to the other end of the contact 201. Soldering is usually done by soldering the printed circuit board 1 to the contact 201. In use, after the connector inner housing 2 is installed into the mounting hole 401, the printed circuit board 1 is located inside the device panel 4.

[0021] The connector housing 3 and the connector inner housing 2 are separate components. After assembly, they form a complete socket connector. In use, the connector housing 3 has a slot 301. The inner contour of the slot 301 matches the outer contour of the portion of the connector inner housing 2 that extends out of the mounting hole 401. It is usually a clearance fit. In use, the connector housing 3 is installed on the outside of the device panel 4. Screw holes 302 are provided on the connector housing 3. Multiple screw holes 302 are evenly distributed on the connector housing 3. For example, six are evenly distributed in the figure. The screw holes 302 facilitate the installation of the connector housing 3 onto the device panel 4 with screws. After the connector housing 3 is installed on the outside of the device panel 4, the slot 301 corresponds to the contact 201. After the plug connector is inserted into the slot 301, it can be plugged into the contact 201 to realize signal transmission.

[0022] By directly soldering the printed circuit board 1 onto the contact 201, and utilizing the separate connector inner shell 2 and connector outer shell 3, after inserting the connector inner shell 2 with the soldered printed circuit board 1 into the mounting hole 401, the connector outer shell 3 can be fitted onto the connector inner shell 2. Compared to the existing post-soldering method, there is no need for a soldering device. By integrating a large-sized device panel, installation and use are facilitated, and assembly efficiency is improved. Moreover, compared to the adapter method, the contact and plug connector are directly plugged in, which not only reduces production costs but is also not limited by adapter plugging and unplugging, thus broadening the application scenarios of the connector.

[0023] In this embodiment, after the connector inner housing 2 is installed into the mounting hole 401, the connector inner housing 2 and the mounting hole 401 are constrained radially by the device panel 4. In order to better achieve the axial constraint between the connector inner housing 2 and the device panel 4, and since the printed circuit board 1 is soldered to the contact 201, in order to avoid the influence of axial force on the soldering part during the plug and socket connector insertion and removal process, this embodiment also includes a conductive member 5. The conductive member 5 is used to be disposed between the outer side of the connector inner housing 2 and the device panel 4. After the conductive member 5 is installed, the conductive member 5 can transmit the load-bearing force on the connector inner housing 2 along the axial direction of the mounting hole 401 to the device panel 4, and avoid the axial force being transmitted to the soldering pins, so that the load-bearing force will not affect the soldering part of the contact and the printed circuit board, and ensure the signal transmission quality of the socket connector.

[0024] Understandably, the specific form of the conductive element 5 is not required, as long as it can transmit the aforementioned axial force from the connector inner housing 2 to the device panel 4, allowing the device panel 4 to bear the axial force. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the conductive component 5 adopts a locking pin, which is used to engage between the connector inner housing 2 and the outer side of the device panel 4. Specifically, a slot 202 can be provided at the mounting hole 401 of the connector inner housing 2. The slot 202 is arranged around the surface of the connector inner housing 2. In this embodiment, two slots 202 are symmetrically arranged radially along the connector inner housing 2. Two locking pins are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the slots 202. When in use, the locking pin is inserted along the slot 202. The locking pin can abut against the connector inner housing 2 and the device panel 4, which is convenient for assembly and has a good transmission effect.

[0025] The present invention also provides an assembly method for the socket connector in the above embodiments, specifically including the following steps: a. Take the printed circuit board 1 and solder it to the contact 201 of the inner shell 2 of the connector using soldering or other soldering methods.

[0026] b. Assemble the connector inner housing 2 into the mounting hole 401 of the device panel 4, such that the end of the connector inner housing 2 with the printed circuit board 1 is located inside the connector inner housing 2, and the end of the connector inner housing 2 opposite to the soldered printed circuit board 1 is located outside the connector inner housing 2. After assembling the connector inner housing 2 into the mounting hole 401 of the device panel 4, install the conductive member 5 between the connector inner housing 2 and the outside of the device panel 4, so that the load-bearing force of the connector inner housing 2 along the axial direction of the mounting hole 401 can be transmitted to the device panel 4.

[0027] c. Take the connector housing 3 and assemble it onto the device panel 4 using screws or other means, so that the slot 301 of the connector housing 3 corresponds to the contact 201, and complete the installation of the socket connector.

[0028] It should be noted that the parts not described in detail in this article are prior art. The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A socket connector, characterized in that, Includes a connector inner housing (2) for mounting into a mounting hole (401) of a device panel (4) and located inside the device panel (4), the connector inner housing (2) having a contact (201) arranged along the assembly direction of the connector inner housing (2), one end of the contact (201) for soldering a printed circuit board (1); It also includes a connector housing (3) that is separately disposed from the connector inner housing (2) and is used for mounting to the outside of the device panel (4). The connector housing (3) has a slot (301) whose inner contour is adapted to the outer contour of the portion of the connector inner housing (2) that extends out of the mounting hole (401) so that the plug connector can be inserted into the contact (201). The assembly method of this socket connector includes the following steps: a. Take the printed circuit board (1) and solder it onto the contact (201) of the inner shell (2) of the connector; b. Assemble the connector inner housing (2) into the mounting hole (401) of the device panel (4), so that the end of the connector inner housing (2) with the printed circuit board (1) is located inside the connector inner housing (2), and the end of the connector inner housing (2) opposite to the end with the printed circuit board (1) is located outside the connector inner housing (2). c. Take the connector housing (3) and assemble it onto the device panel (4) so ​​that the slot (301) corresponds to the contact (201).

2. A socket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The printed circuit board (1) is connected to the contact (201) by soldering.

3. A socket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The connector housing (3) is provided with screw holes (302) for easy mounting to the device panel (4) by screws.

4. A socket connector as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The screw holes (302) are evenly distributed on the connector housing (3).

5. A socket connector as described in any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a conductor (5) disposed between the connector inner housing (2) and the outer side of the device panel (4) and capable of transmitting the load-bearing force on the connector inner housing (2) along the mounting hole (401) to the device panel (4).

6. A socket connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The conductive element (5) is a locking pin placed between the connector inner housing (2) and the outer side of the device panel (4).

7. A socket connector as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The connector inner housing (2) has a slot (202) for placing the locking pin at the protrusion of the mounting hole (401).

8. A socket connector as described in claim 7, characterized in that, Two slots (202) are provided radially symmetrically along the inner shell (2) of the connector, and two locking pins are provided corresponding to the slots (202).

9. A socket connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step b, after the connector inner housing (2) is assembled into the mounting hole (401) of the device panel (4), a conductor (5) is provided between the connector inner housing (2) and the outer side of the device panel (4) to transmit the load-bearing force of the connector inner housing (2) along the axial direction of the mounting hole (401) to the device panel (4).

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