Type-c connector and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a Type-C connector and a manufacturing method thereof, which comprises an insulating substrate, a clamping hook, an insulating base and a shielding shell; the insulating substrate is made of plastic material inlaid with metal oxide; the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate are respectively provided with a plurality of first conductor layers through laser irradiation and electroplating forming; the clamping hook is made of metal material; the insulating base is also made of plastic material inlaid with metal oxide; the insulating substrate and the insulating base are made of plastic material inlaid with metal oxide, and the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer are respectively formed on the insulating substrate and the insulating base through laser irradiation and electroplating, so that the traditional metal terminal and the EMI shell are replaced, the number of parts of the product is reduced, the cost is reduced, the production efficiency is effectively improved, the high-frequency interference between the metal terminals is avoided, the transmission of high-frequency signals is more favorable, and the use performance of the product is better.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connectors, and in particular to a Type-C connector and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] The Type-C connector is a USB interface standard that is smaller than both Type-A and Type-B. It can be used in both PCs (host devices) and external devices (slave devices, such as mobile phones). The Type-C connector has 4 pairs of TX / RX pins, 2 pairs of USB D+ / D- pins, 1 pair of SBU pins, 2 CC pins, 4 VBUS pins, and 4 ground pins.

[0003] Current Type-C socket connectors mainly consist of an insulating body, metal terminals, latches, an EMI sleeve, and a shielding shell. The insulating body includes a base and a tongue extending forward from the base. Multiple metal terminals are formed by stamping metal sheets and are arranged in two rows, embedded and fixed within the insulating body. Each metal terminal has a contact portion at its front end, exposed on the tongue surface, and a solder portion at its rear end, extending backward beyond the base. The latches are embedded within the insulating body. The EMI sleeve, also formed by stamping metal sheets, is fitted onto the front side of the base and contacts the EMI spring inside the Type-C plug connector. The shielding shell is fitted onto the insulating body and contacts the EMI sleeve to form a circuit, thus achieving better EMI protection.

[0004] Because the aforementioned Type-C socket connectors require stamping metal terminals and EMI sleeves from metal sheets, followed by embedding the metal terminals into the insulating body and assembling the EMI sleeve, current Type-C socket connectors have a large number of components, high costs, low production efficiency, and significant high-frequency interference between the metal terminals, which is detrimental to the transmission of high-frequency signals. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the current Type-C socket connectors. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention addresses the deficiencies of the prior art, and its main objective is to provide a Type-C connector and its manufacturing method, which can effectively solve the problems of high cost, low production efficiency and severe high-frequency interference caused by the large number of components in existing Type-C socket connectors.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A Type-C connector includes an insulating substrate, a snap hook, an insulating base, and a shielding shell;

[0008] The insulating substrate is a plastic material inlaid with metal oxide. Multiple first conductor layers are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate by laser irradiation and electroplating. The multiple first conductor layers are arranged laterally at intervals. Each first conductor layer extends longitudinally. Each first conductor layer has a contact area at its front end and a welding area at its rear end. Multiple contact areas are arranged laterally at intervals and exposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate. Multiple welding areas are arranged laterally at intervals and exposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate.

[0009] The hook is made of metal and is embedded and fixed in the insulating substrate. The front two sides of the hook are exposed on the front two sides of the insulating substrate, and the rear end of the hook has a welding foot that is exposed on the rear end of the insulating substrate.

[0010] The insulating base is fixed on the insulating substrate and located between the contact area and the welding area. The insulating base is also made of plastic material inlaid with metal oxide. The outer surface of the insulating base is formed with a second conductor layer by laser irradiation and electroplating. The second conductor layer includes a front connection area and a rear connection area that are arranged in front of and behind each other and are electrically connected.

[0011] The shielding shell is fitted over the insulating substrate and the insulating base and makes contact with the rear connection area for conduction.

[0012] The plastic material embedded with metal oxides includes copper oxide and nickel oxide, wherein the mass percentage of copper oxide is 3%, the mass percentage of nickel oxide is 11%, and the remainder is plastic material. The copper oxide and nickel oxide are uniformly embedded and distributed in the plastic material to ensure the overall insulation of the insulating substrate and the insulating base. At the same time, the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer formed have better conductivity.

[0013] As a preferred embodiment, the insulating base is inlaid or assembled with the insulating substrate.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment, the upper and lower outer surfaces of the insulating base are both formed with the aforementioned second conductor layer, and the rear connection area and the front connection area are staggered vertically.

[0015] As a preferred embodiment, the front end of the hook is provided with fixing holes on both sides, which are embedded in the insulating substrate to make the hook and the insulating substrate more firmly connected.

[0016] As a preferred embodiment, the front side of the insulating base is recessed with a limiting groove, and a limiting part is punched from the outside to the inside on the shielding shell. The limiting part is embedded in the limiting groove from front to back to restrict the shielding shell from moving backward.

[0017] As a preferred embodiment, the rear side of the insulating base is recessed with a buckle groove, and a buckle piece is punched from the outside to the inside on the shielding shell. The buckle piece is snapped into the buckle groove to fix it in place, thereby restricting the forward movement of the shielding shell.

[0018] As a preferred embodiment, the shielding shell is punched from the outside in to form a spring piece, which abuts against the rear connection area to make contact and conduct. The structure is simple, the connection is stable, and the assembly is convenient.

[0019] As a preferred embodiment, the insulating substrate has limiting platforms extending outward from both rear ends. These limiting platforms are embedded in the insulating base to make the insulating base and the insulating substrate more firmly bonded.

[0020] A method for manufacturing a Type-C connector includes the following steps:

[0021] (1) Stamping and forming of the ejector hook part;

[0022] (2) The hook is placed in the mold and the insulating substrate is injection molded using plastic material inlaid with metal oxide.

[0023] (3) A laser is used to irradiate the area set on the insulating substrate. Under the laser irradiation, some metal oxides in the plastic material are activated and release metal ions to form a first metal film layer composed of multiple metal particles.

[0024] (4) Electroplating is performed on multiple first metal film layers to thicken them and form multiple first conductor layers;

[0025] (5) An insulating base is injection molded from a plastic material inlaid with metal oxides and fixed on an insulating substrate to separate the contact area and the welding area.

[0026] (6) A laser is used to irradiate the area set by the insulating base. Under the laser irradiation, some metal oxides in the plastic material are activated and release metal ions to form a second metal film layer composed of multiple metal particles.

[0027] (7) Electroplating is performed on multiple second metal film layers to thicken them and form multiple second conductor layers;

[0028] (8) The formed shielding shell is placed outside the insulating substrate and the insulating base and makes contact with the subsequent connection area for conduction.

[0029] As a preferred embodiment, the laser spot diameter in steps (3) and (6) is 0.08 mm, and the spot overlap is 55%.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has obvious advantages and beneficial effects. Specifically, as can be seen from the above technical solution:

[0031] By using plastic material inlaid with metal oxides to make insulating substrates and insulating bases, and by forming a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer on the insulating substrates and insulating bases respectively through laser irradiation and electroplating, the traditional metal terminals and EMI housings are replaced. This reduces the number of parts in the product, which helps to reduce costs and effectively improves production efficiency. It also avoids high-frequency interference between metal terminals, which is more conducive to the transmission of high-frequency signals and results in better product performance.

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the structural features and effects of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional assembly schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the assembly from another angle of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a partial assembly diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the first state of the manufacturing process of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the second state of the manufacturing process of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the third state of the manufacturing process of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the fourth state of the manufacturing process of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram:

[0043] 10. Insulating substrate; 11. First conductor layer

[0044] 111. Contact area; 112. Welding area

[0045] 12. Limiting platform 20. Hook and clip

[0046] 21. Welding foot 22. Fixing hole

[0047] 30. Insulating base; 31. Second conductor layer

[0048] 311. Front Connector 312. Back Connector

[0049] 32. Limiting groove; 33. Buckling groove

[0050] 40. Shielding shell 41. Spring clip

[0051] 42. Limiting part; 43. Fastener piece

[0052] 50. Laser 101. First metal film layer. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Please refer to Figures 1 to 9 As shown, it illustrates the specific structure of a Type-C connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, including an insulating substrate 10, a snap hook 20, an insulating base 30, and a shielding shell 40.

[0054] The insulating substrate 10 is a plastic material inlaid with metal oxides. Multiple first conductor layers 11 are formed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate 10 through laser irradiation and electroplating. The multiple first conductor layers 11 are arranged laterally at intervals, and each first conductor layer 11 extends longitudinally. Each first conductor layer 11 has a contact area 111 at its front end and a welding area 112 at its rear end. The multiple contact areas 111 and welding areas 112 are laterally spaced and arranged side-by-side on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate 10. The plastic material inlaid with metal oxides is a known existing material. In this embodiment, the plastic material inlaid with metal oxides includes copper oxide and nickel oxide, with copper oxide accounting for 3% by mass and nickel oxide accounting for 11% by mass, the remainder being plastic material. The copper oxide and nickel oxide are uniformly inlaid and distributed in the plastic material to ensure the overall insulation of the insulating substrate 10, while the formed first conductor layers 11 have better conductivity.

[0055] The hook 20 is made of metal and is embedded and fixed within the insulating substrate 10. The front sides of the hook 20 are exposed on both sides of the front end of the insulating substrate 10, and the rear end of the hook 20 extends with solder feet 21, which are also exposed on the rear end of the insulating substrate 10. In this embodiment, there are two solder feet 21 arranged on the left and right sides to facilitate soldering and connection with external circuitry. Furthermore, fixing holes 22 are provided on both sides of the front end of the hook 20, and these fixing holes 22 are embedded within the insulating substrate 10 to ensure a more secure connection between the hook 20 and the insulating substrate 10.

[0056] The insulating base 30 is fixed to the insulating substrate 10 and located between the contact area 111 and the soldering area 112. The insulating base 30 is also made of plastic material inlaid with metal oxides. The material of the insulating base 30 is the same as that of the insulating substrate 10. A second conductor layer 31 is formed on the outer surface of the insulating base 30 by laser irradiation and electroplating. The second conductor layer 31 includes a front connection area 311 and a rear connection area 312 that are arranged front to back and electrically connected. The front connection area 311 is used for contact and conduction of the EMI spring contacts of the inserted connector. In this embodiment, the plastic material inlaid with metal oxides includes copper oxide and nickel oxide, with copper oxide accounting for 3% by mass and nickel oxide accounting for 11% by mass, the remainder being plastic material. The copper oxide and nickel oxide are uniformly inlaid and distributed in the plastic material to ensure the overall insulation of the insulating base 30, while the formed second conductor layer 31 has better conductivity. Furthermore, the insulating base 30 is embedded or assembled and fixed together with the insulating substrate 10, and the bonding method between the insulating base 30 and the insulating substrate 10 is not limited. In addition, the aforementioned second conductor layer 31 is formed on both the upper and lower outer surfaces of the insulating base 30, and the rear connection area 312 and the front connection area 311 are vertically offset. Moreover, limiting platforms 12 extend outward from both sides of the rear end of the insulating substrate 10, and the limiting platforms 12 are embedded in the insulating base 30 to make the bonding between the insulating base 30 and the insulating substrate 10 more stable.

[0057] The shielding shell 40 is fitted over the insulating substrate 10 and the insulating base 30 and makes contact with the rear connection area 312 for conduction. In this embodiment, a spring piece 41 is punched outwards on the shielding shell 40, and the spring piece 41 abuts against the rear connection area 312 for conduction. In addition, a limiting groove 32 is recessed on the front side of the insulating base 30, and a limiting portion 42 is punched outwards on the shielding shell 40. The limiting portion 42 is embedded in the limiting groove 32 from front to back to restrict the rearward movement of the shielding shell 40. A fastening groove 33 is recessed on the rear side of the insulating base 30, and a fastening piece 43 is punched outwards on the shielding shell 40. The fastening piece 43 is snapped into the fastening groove 33 for fixation to restrict the forward movement of the shielding shell 40.

[0058] This invention also discloses a method for manufacturing a Type-C connector, comprising the following steps:

[0059] (1) Stamping and forming of the card hook part 20.

[0060] (2) The hook part 20 is placed in the mold and the insulating substrate 10 is injection molded using plastic material inlaid with metal oxide.

[0061] (3) A laser 50 is used to irradiate the area set on the insulating substrate 10. Under the laser irradiation, some metal oxides in the plastic material are activated and release metal ions to form a first metal film layer 101 composed of multiple metal particles. The laser spot diameter is 0.08 mm and the spot overlap is 55% to better form the first metal film layer 101.

[0062] (4) Electroplating is performed on multiple first metal film layers 101 to thicken them and form multiple first conductor layers 11.

[0063] (5) An insulating base 30 is injection molded from a plastic material inlaid with metal oxides and fixed on the insulating substrate 10 to isolate the contact area 111 and the welding area 112.

[0064] (6) A laser is used to irradiate the area set by the insulating base 30. Under the laser irradiation, some metal oxides in the plastic material are activated and release metal ions to form a second metal film layer composed of multiple metal particles. The laser spot diameter is 0.08 mm and the spot overlap is 55% to better form the second metal film layer.

[0065] (7) Electroplating is performed on multiple second metal film layers to thicken them to form multiple second conductor layers 31.

[0066] (8) The formed shielding shell 40 is fitted over the insulating substrate 10 and the insulating base 30 and makes contact with the rear connection area 312 for conduction.

[0067] The key design feature of this invention is that by using a plastic material inlaid with metal oxides to make an insulating substrate and an insulating base, and by forming a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer on the insulating substrate and the insulating base respectively through laser irradiation and electroplating, the traditional metal terminals and EMI housing are replaced. This reduces the number of components in the product, which helps to reduce costs and effectively improves production efficiency. It also avoids high-frequency interference between metal terminals, which is more conducive to the transmission of high-frequency signals and results in better product performance.

[0068] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any limitation on the technical scope of the present invention. Therefore, any minor modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A Type-C connector, characterized in that: It includes an insulating substrate, a snap hook, an insulating base, and a shielding shell; The insulating substrate is a plastic material inlaid with metal oxide. Multiple first conductor layers are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate by laser irradiation and electroplating. The multiple first conductor layers are arranged laterally at intervals. Each first conductor layer extends longitudinally. Each first conductor layer has a contact area at its front end and a welding area at its rear end. Multiple contact areas are arranged laterally at intervals and exposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate. Multiple welding areas are arranged laterally at intervals and exposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the insulating substrate. The hook is made of metal and is embedded and fixed in the insulating substrate. The front two sides of the hook are exposed on the front two sides of the insulating substrate, and the rear end of the hook has a welding foot that is exposed on the rear end of the insulating substrate. The insulating base is fixed on the insulating substrate and located between the contact area and the welding area. The insulating base is also made of plastic material inlaid with metal oxide. The outer surface of the insulating base is formed with a second conductor layer by laser irradiation and electroplating. The second conductor layer includes a front connection area and a rear connection area that are arranged in front of and behind each other and are electrically connected. The shielding shell is fitted over the insulating substrate and the insulating base and makes contact with the rear connection area for conduction. The plastic material inlaid with metal oxides includes copper oxide and nickel oxide, wherein the mass percentage of copper oxide is 3%, the mass percentage of nickel oxide is 11%, and the remainder is plastic material, and the copper oxide and nickel oxide are evenly inlaid and distributed in the plastic material.

2. The Type-C connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating base is inlaid or assembled with the insulating substrate.

3. The Type-C connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and lower outer surfaces of the insulating base are both formed with the aforementioned second conductor layer, and the rear connection area and the front connection area are staggered vertically.

4. The Type-C connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the hook is provided with fixing holes on both sides, and the fixing holes are embedded in the insulating substrate.

5. The Type-C connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front side of the insulating base is recessed with a limiting groove, and a limiting part is punched from the outside to the inside on the shielding shell. The limiting part is embedded in the limiting groove from front to back.

6. The Type-C connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear side of the insulating base is recessed with a buckle groove, and a buckle piece is punched from the outside to the inside on the shielding shell. The buckle piece is snapped into the buckle groove for fixation.

7. The Type-C connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shielding shell has spring pieces punched from the outside in, which abut against the rear connection area to make contact and conduct.

8. The Type-C connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both rear ends of the insulating substrate extend outward from the limiting platforms, which are embedded in the insulating base.

9. A method for manufacturing a Type-C connector as described in any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: It includes the following steps: (1) Stamping and forming of the ejector hook part; (2) The hook is placed in the mold and the insulating substrate is injection molded using plastic material inlaid with metal oxide. (3) A laser is used to irradiate the area set on the insulating substrate. Under the laser irradiation, some metal oxides in the plastic material are activated and release metal ions to form a first metal film layer composed of multiple metal particles. (4) Electroplating is performed on multiple first metal film layers to thicken them and form multiple first conductor layers; (5) An insulating base is injection molded from a plastic material inlaid with metal oxides and fixed on an insulating substrate to separate the contact area and the welding area. (6) A laser is used to irradiate the area set by the insulating base. Under the laser irradiation, some metal oxides in the plastic material are activated and release metal ions to form a second metal film layer composed of multiple metal particles. (7) Electroplating is performed on multiple second metal film layers to thicken them and form multiple second conductor layers; (8) The formed shielding shell is placed outside the insulating substrate and the insulating base and makes contact with the subsequent connection area for conduction.

10. The method for manufacturing a Type-C connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: In steps (3) and (6), the laser spot diameter is 0.08 mm and the spot overlap is 55%.

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