Electrical connector

Abstract

The application provides an electric connector, which comprises: an insulating shell, a plurality of terminal receiving cavities are arranged in the insulating shell and extend through the front and back of the insulating shell, and a fixing slot is arranged on each side of each terminal receiving cavity; a plurality of conductive terminals are arranged in the plurality of terminal receiving cavities respectively; each conductive terminal comprises a clamping part, a connecting part extending forward from the clamping part, and a crimping part and a wire crimping part extending backward from the clamping part; a vertical extension piece extending upward is arranged on each side of the clamping part, and a fixing wing is horizontally bent outward at the upper end of each vertical extension piece, and the fixing wing is clamped into the fixing slot. The electric connector can enhance the stability of the conductive terminal and improve the reliability of the electric connector during connection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and more particularly to an electrical connector that can improve terminal stability. Background Technology

[0002] Chinese invention patent CN111262066B discloses a power connector including an insulating housing and a terminal. The insulating housing defines a terminal receiving groove and includes a retaining wall. The terminal is located in the terminal receiving groove and includes a plug portion, a stop portion, and a wiring portion. The stop portion abuts against the retaining wall and includes a first and a second horizontal portion. The first horizontal portion includes a first front edge. The second horizontal portion includes a second front edge. A portion of the front end of each of the first and second horizontal portions is cut off, so that when the terminal clamps a wire, the first and second front edges do not flare outwards, but extend parallel to each other or backwards respectively, thus preventing the stop portion from prematurely abutting against the retaining wall due to protrusion.

[0003] In one embodiment of the power connector, the insulating housing has a rib, and the terminal has a first clamping arm and a second clamping arm. The first middle portion of the first clamping arm and the second middle portion of the second clamping arm together clamp the rib of the insulating housing to fix the terminal to the insulating housing. The insulating housing includes two side walls, each side wall having a stop to support the terminal and further fix the terminal in the vertical direction within the insulating housing.

[0004] In this design, the two side blocks support the bottom sides of the terminal, which are usually rounded. In addition, there is no locking structure on this type of terminal to prevent it from wobbling up and down. Therefore, when this power connector is connected to another connector, the terminal is prone to wobbling up and down when subjected to external force. Further improvements are needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to propose an electrical connector that can improve terminal stability.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in this invention is as follows: An electrical connector includes: an insulating shell having a plurality of terminal receiving cavities extending through the front and rear, each terminal receiving cavity having a fixing slot on each side; a plurality of conductive terminals, which are respectively installed into the plurality of terminal receiving cavities; each conductive terminal includes a locking part, a mating part extending forward from the locking part, and a crimping part and a wire crimping part extending rearward from the locking part; each side of the locking part has a vertically extending piece extending upward, and the upper end of each vertically extending piece is bent outward horizontally to form a fixing wing, the fixing wing being correspondingly locked into the fixing slot.

[0007] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following advantages: In the electrical connector of the present invention, a fixing wing extends horizontally outward from both sides of the locking part of the conductive terminal, and a fixing slot is provided on each side of the terminal receiving cavity of the insulating shell. The fixing wing is locked into the fixing slot, fixing the position of the conductive terminal on the insulating shell. In particular, it limits the conductive terminal from moving in the vertical direction, thereby preventing the conductive terminal from shaking (especially in the vertical direction) when docking with another connector, enhancing the stability of the conductive terminal and improving the reliability of the electrical connector during docking. Attached Figure Description

[0008] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The image shows a rear view of the electrical connector, with one of the conductive terminals and wires omitted.

[0010] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 AA cross-section view.

[0011] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of section B in the image.

[0012] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 CC cross-section view.

[0013] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 DD cross-sectional view.

[0014] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 3D exploded view.

[0015] Figure 8 and Figure 9 yes Figure 7 Two different perspective views of the conductive terminals.

[0016] Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the electrical connector of the present invention, wherein... Figure 1 A terminal position retainer has been added to the electrical connector structure.

[0017] Figure 11 and Figure 12 yes Figure 10 Two different perspectives of a three-dimensional exploded view.

[0018] Figure 13 yes Figure 10 A sectional view.

[0019] The reference numerals in the attached drawings are explained as follows: 100, electrical connector; 100a, electrical connector;

[0020] 1. Insulating housing; 11. Locking protrusion; 12. Terminal receiving cavity; 121. Connecting cavity; 122. Wiring cavity; 13. Retaining wall; 14. Fixing slot; 15. Receiving groove; 16. Elastic locking arm; 161. Locking notch; 17. Snap-on part;

[0021] 2. Conductive terminal; 21. Connecting part; 211. Connecting arm; 2111. Guide tip; 212. Slot; 22. Locking part; 221. Bottom connecting piece; 2211. Locking opening; 2212. Reinforcing protrusion; 222. Vertical extension piece; 2221. Rear part; 223. Fixing wing piece; 2231. Bevel; 23. Crimping part; 24. Wire pressing part;

[0022] 3. Wire; 31. Inner conductor; 32. Insulating outer sheath;

[0023] 4. Terminal position retainer; 41. Base; 42. Terminal stop; 43. Locking part; 431. Snap groove; 432. Elastic locking arm. Detailed Implementation

[0024] Although the invention can be readily embodied in various forms, only some specific embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail in this specification. It is understood that this specification should be regarded as an exemplary illustration of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to what is described herein.

[0025] Therefore, a feature pointed out in this specification is used to illustrate one feature of one embodiment of the invention, and does not imply that every embodiment of the invention must have the described feature. Furthermore, it should be noted that this specification describes many features. While certain features may be combined to illustrate possible system designs, these features may also be used in other combinations not explicitly stated. Therefore, unless otherwise stated, the described combinations are not intended to be limiting.

[0026] In the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, the directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, and back) used to explain the structure and movement of the various elements of the invention are relative rather than absolute. These descriptions are appropriate when these elements are in the positions shown in the drawings. If the descriptions of the positions of these elements change, these directional indications also change accordingly.

[0027] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] See Figures 1 to 7 The preferred embodiment of the electrical connector 100 mainly includes an insulating housing 1, a plurality of conductive terminals 2 installed in the insulating housing 1, and a plurality of wires 3 correspondingly connected to the rear end of the plurality of conductive terminals 2.

[0029] The insulating housing 1 is integrally injection molded from insulating material. The main structure of the insulating housing 1 is roughly rectangular, with a locking protrusion 11 extending from its upper surface. When the electrical connector 100 is mated with an external mating connector, the locking protrusion 11 can lock with the mating connector.

[0030] The insulating housing 1 has multiple terminal receiving cavities 12 extending from front to back inside. In this embodiment, these terminal receiving cavities 12 are distributed in two rows, one above the other, with multiple terminal receiving cavities 12 in each row arranged in a left-right direction. The number and arrangement of the terminal receiving cavities 12 can be set according to actual needs and are not limited here.

[0031] See Figure 3 and Figure 6 The terminal receiving cavity 12 has a protruding baffle 13 on its inner wall, thereby dividing the terminal receiving cavity 12 into a docking cavity 121 located on the front side and a wiring cavity 122 located on the rear side. The docking cavity 121 and the wiring cavity 122 are connected front to back. The docking cavity 121 is for another docking connector (not shown) to be inserted and dock with the electrical connector 100, while the wiring cavity 122 can accommodate the front end of the wire 3.

[0032] The insulating housing 1 also has an elastic locking arm 16 protruding upward from the bottom of the terminal receiving cavity 12. The elastic locking arm 16 extends upward at an angle from back to front, and its rear end is joined to the lower wall of the terminal receiving cavity 12. The front end of the elastic locking arm 16 extends out of the terminal receiving cavity 12, so that the front end of the elastic locking arm 16 can move up and down elastically. The front end of the elastic locking arm 16 is provided with a locking notch 161.

[0033] See Figures 4 to 6 Each terminal receiving cavity 12 has a fixing slot 14 on each side. The fixing slot 14 extends horizontally and is open at its rear end and on one side facing the other fixing slot 14. The two fixing slots 14 are flush in the height direction. The front end of the fixing slot 14 is blocked by the baffle 13, and the rear end of the fixing slot 14 penetrates the rear end face of the insulating housing 1.

[0034] Furthermore, the insulating housing 1 is provided with two receiving slots 15 on the upper side of the terminal receiving cavity 12. The two receiving slots 15 extend parallel in the vertical direction and are open at their rear and lower sides.

[0035] See also Figure 8 and Figure 9 The conductive terminal 2 is formed by stamping a metal sheet. The conductive terminal 2 includes a locking part 22, a mating part 21 extending forward from the locking part 22, and a crimping part 23 and a crimping part 24 extending backward from the locking part 22 in sequence.

[0036] The locking part 22 is U-shaped and mainly includes a horizontally extending bottom connecting piece 221 and two vertically extending pieces 222 that are respectively bent vertically upward from both sides of the bottom connecting piece 221.

[0037] The bottom connecting piece 221 has a locking opening 2211 in the middle, which is connected to the two vertical extension pieces 222. The bottom connecting piece 221 also has a downwardly protruding reinforcing protrusion 2212 in front of the locking opening 2211, which is adjacent to the locking opening 2211.

[0038] The two vertical extension pieces 222 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. Each vertical extension piece 222 is arranged vertically and extends in the front-back direction. The front part of the upper end of each vertical extension piece 222 bends outward horizontally to extend a fixed wing piece 223, and the fixed wing pieces 223 on the two vertical extension pieces 222 bend outward relative to each other. The two fixed wing pieces 223 are approximately located on the same horizontal plane, and a rearwardly inclined slope 2231 is provided between the front edge and the outer edge of each fixed wing piece 223. The slope 2231 can be formed by cutting off the front corner of the fixed wing piece 223. The rear part 2221 of each vertical extension piece 222 continues to extend vertically upward, wherein the upper edge of the rear part 2221 of the vertical extension piece 222 is higher than the upper surface of the fixed wing piece 223.

[0039] The mating portion 21 is used to mate with another mating connector. In this embodiment, the mating portion 21 is formed by stamping a sheet to create a hollow needle-like structure. The mating portion 21 includes two mating arms 211 extending forward from the two vertical extension pieces 222, respectively. Each mating arm 211 is formed by first bending the vertical extension piece 222 towards the other mating arm 211 and then extending forward parallel to the other mating arm 211. The end of each mating arm 211 is also provided with a guide tip 2111 extending obliquely towards the other mating arm 211, thereby allowing smooth insertion into the other mating connector. The bottom sides of the two mating arms 211 are connected together, while the top side is provided with a slot 212.

[0040] See Figure 7Both the crimping portion 23 and the wire clamping portion 24 are used to clamp the conductor 3. The crimping portion 23 is used to clamp the inner conductor 31 of the conductor 3. The wire clamping portion 24 is located behind the crimping portion 23 and is used to clamp the insulating outer sheath 32 of the conductor 3. Both the crimping portion 23 and the wire clamping portion 24 are made of metal sheet stamped into a ring shape.

[0041] Combination Figures 2 to 6 The multiple conductive terminals 2 are divided into two rows, upper and lower, and are respectively installed in the multiple terminal receiving cavities 12 of the insulating housing 1.

[0042] The locking part 22 of each conductive terminal 2 is used to lock with the insulating housing 1 to fix the position of the conductive terminal 2 in the insulating housing 1. The mating part 21 of each conductive terminal 2 extends forward into the mating cavity 121 of the terminal receiving cavity 12 for mating with an external mating connector. The crimping part 23 and the crimping part 24 are located in the wiring cavity 122 of the terminal receiving cavity 12 to introduce the front end of the wire 3 into the insulating housing 1.

[0043] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, the bottom connecting piece 221 and the vertical extension piece 222 of the locking part 22 are housed in the terminal receiving cavity 12. The two side walls of the terminal receiving cavity 12 roughly limit the two vertical extension pieces 222 of the locking part 22 in the left-right direction. The two fixing wing pieces 223 on the upper side of the locking part 22 are respectively locked into the two fixing slots 14 on both sides of the terminal receiving cavity 12 from back to front. The fixing wing pieces 223 and the fixing slots 14 are planarly fitted, which has good fitting reliability. The two fixing slots 14 respectively restrict the movement of the two fixing wing pieces 223 in the vertical direction and the rotation in the vertical plane. The two fixing slots 14 on the left and right sides further restrict the movement of the vertical extension piece 222 in the left-right direction, thereby improving the positional stability of the conductive terminal 2 on the insulating housing 1. In addition, the two fixed slots 14 are located near the top of the terminal receiving cavity 12, making the structure of the terminal receiving cavity 12 asymmetrical in the vertical direction, forming a foolproof design that can prevent the conductive terminal 2 from being incorrectly assembled with the terminal receiving cavity 12.

[0044] Preferably, the thickness of the fixing wing 223 is approximately equal to or slightly less than the height of the fixing slot 14, so that the fixing wing 223 can be smoothly inserted into the fixing slot 14 and can be properly locked in the fixing slot 14.

[0045] Main references Figure 6In the front-rear direction, the leading edge of the fixed wing 223 abuts against the retaining wall 13 of the insulating housing 1, thereby preventing the conductive terminal 2 from moving further forward. The inclined surface 2231 at the leading edge of the fixed wing 223 prevents the leading corner of the fixed wing 223 from prematurely contacting the retaining wall 13 during assembly, thus preventing inaccurate installation of the conductive terminal 2.

[0046] Main references Figure 3 The elastic locking arm 16 at the bottom of the terminal receiving cavity 12 engages with the locking opening 2211 at the bottom of the locking part 22. Specifically, the locking notch 161 of the elastic locking arm 16 engages with the front wall of the locking opening 2211. Thus, the elastic locking arm 16 provides an upward elastic support force to the locking part 22. At the same time, the elastic locking arm 16 also prevents the locking part 22 from moving backward, that is, prevents the conductive terminal 2 from being dislodged from the insulating housing 1 by force during docking.

[0047] Main references Figure 4 The rear portions 2221 of the two vertical extension pieces 222 respectively extend into the two receiving grooves 15 on the upper side of the terminal receiving cavity 12, thereby restricting the movement of the two vertical extension pieces 222 in the left and right directions through the two receiving grooves 15, and further improving the positional stability of the conductive terminal 2.

[0048] Based on the above structural description, during assembly, the electrical connector 100 first connects the multiple wires 3 one-to-one with the multiple conductive terminals 2. The inner conductor 31 of each wire 3 extends into the crimping portion 23 of the conductive terminal 2. The crimping portion 23 is formed by stamping, clamping the inner conductor 31 within it and forming an electrical connection. The wire clamping portion 24 is formed by stamping, clamping the insulating outer sheath 32 of the wire 3 within it. Next, the conductive terminal 2 is inserted from the rear of the insulating housing 1 into the terminal receiving cavity 12, causing the fixing wing 223 of the conductive terminal 2 to extend into the fixing slot 14 and secure it. During the forward movement of the conductive terminal 2, the bottom of the locking portion 22 slides against the elastic locking arm 16, and the locking portion 22 applies a downward force to the elastic locking arm 16, pressing down the front end of the elastic locking arm 16. When the locking opening 2211 of the locking part 22 reaches above the locking notch 161, the elastic locking arm 16 springs back upward, and the locking notch 161 locks with the locking opening 2211. At this time, the conductive terminal 2 is installed in place in the terminal receiving cavity 12.

[0049] As described above, in the electrical connector 100, a fixing wing 223 extends horizontally outward from both sides of the locking portion 22 of the conductive terminal 2, and a fixing slot 14 is provided on each side of the terminal receiving cavity 12 of the insulating housing 1. The fixing wing 223 is locked into the fixing slot 14, fixing the position of the conductive terminal 2 on the insulating housing 1. In particular, it limits the conductive terminal 2 from moving in the vertical direction, thereby preventing the conductive terminal 2 from shaking (especially in the vertical direction) when docking with another connector, enhancing the stability of the conductive terminal 2, and improving the reliability of the electrical connector 100 during docking.

[0050] See Figures 10 to 13 The provided electrical connector 100a, based on the electrical connector 100 of the aforementioned embodiment, further includes a terminal position retainer 4 installed behind the insulating housing 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, there are two terminal position retainers 4, which are respectively provided for the upper and lower rows of conductive terminals 2. Each terminal position retainer 4 abuts against the rear end edge of the vertical extension piece 222 of the plurality of conductive terminals 2 located in the same row, so as to ensure that the plurality of conductive terminals 2 cannot be dislodged from the insulating housing 1.

[0052] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the terminal position retainer 4 includes a base 41, a plurality of terminal abutment portions 42 extending forward from the base 41, and two locking portions 43 extending forward from both sides of the base 41. The locking portions 43 extend downward beyond the base 41. In this embodiment, the locking portion 43 is an elastic locking arm 432 with a locking groove 431 in the middle. In other embodiments not shown, the locking portion 43 may also be an elastic locking arm with an inwardly protruding hook.

[0053] Corresponding to each terminal position holder 4, each side of the insulating housing 1 is provided with an outwardly protruding latching portion 17. In this embodiment, the latching portion 17 is a latching protrusion, while in other embodiments not shown, the latching portion 17 can also be a latching groove.

[0054] See also Figure 10 and Figure 13The terminal position retainer 4 is mounted on the rear end of the insulating housing 1. The base 41 abuts against the rear end face of the insulating housing 1, and the locking part 43 locks into the corresponding latching part 17 of the insulating housing 1, thereby fixing the terminal position retainer 4 onto the insulating housing 1. Each terminal stop part 42 extends into a corresponding terminal receiving cavity 12 and abuts forward against the rear end edge of the vertical extension piece 222 of the conductive terminal 2. In the electrical connector 100a of this preferred embodiment, the terminal position retainer 4 prevents the conductive terminal 2 from retracting, effectively resists the force exerted on the conductive terminal 2 during mating, further improves the positional stability of the conductive terminal 2, and thus improves the reliability of mating.

[0055] In some other embodiments not shown, the two terminal position holders 4 can also be combined into one.

[0056] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily make corresponding modifications or alterations based on the main concept and spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of protection claimed in the claims.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that, include: An insulating housing with multiple terminal receiving cavities extending from front to back inside, and a fixing slot on each side of each terminal receiving cavity. Multiple conductive terminals are respectively installed into multiple terminal receiving cavities; each conductive terminal includes a locking portion, a mating portion extending forward from the locking portion, and a crimping portion and a wire crimping portion extending rearward from the locking portion; each side of the locking portion is provided with an upwardly extending vertical extension piece, the locking portion includes a horizontally extending bottom connecting piece and two vertical extension pieces extending upward from both sides of the bottom connecting piece respectively; the upper end of each vertical extension piece is horizontally bent outward to form a fixing wing piece, the fixing wing piece... The corresponding locking mechanism is secured into the fixing slot; a locking opening is provided in the middle of the bottom connecting piece; an elastic locking arm protrudes upward from the bottom of the terminal receiving cavity of the insulating housing, and the elastic locking arm is locked with the locking opening; the front part of the vertical extension piece bends and extends out to form the fixing wing piece, and the rear part of the vertical extension piece continues to extend vertically upward, with the upper edge of the rear part of the vertical extension piece being higher than the upper surface of the fixing wing piece; the insulating housing is provided with two receiving grooves on the upper side of the terminal receiving cavity, and the rear parts of the two vertical extension pieces extend into the two receiving grooves accordingly.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing slot extends horizontally, with its rear end and one side facing another fixing slot open. The fixing wing can be locked into the fixing slot from back to front. The two fixing slots are located near the top of the terminal receiving cavity, making the terminal receiving cavity asymmetrical in the vertical direction.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front edge of the fixed wing abuts against the insulating housing, and the rear edge of the vertical extension is abutted by a terminal position retainer mounted behind the insulating housing.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The insulating housing has a snap-fit ​​portion protruding outward on each side; the terminal position retainer includes a base, a plurality of terminal stop portions extending forward from the base, and two locking portions extending forward from both sides of the base, the locking portions extending downward beyond the base; the locking portions are locked together with the snap-fit ​​portions; the terminal stop portions extend into the terminal receiving cavity and abut forward against the rear end edge of the vertical extension piece.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The docking part includes two docking arms that extend forward from the two vertical extension plates respectively. Each docking arm is formed by the vertical extension plate first bending towards the other docking arm and then extending forward parallel to the other docking arm. Each docking arm also has a guide tip that extends obliquely towards the other docking arm at its end.

6. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The locking part is U-shaped, with two vertical extension pieces on both sides of the locking part spaced apart and facing each other. The two fixing wings extend outward from the upper ends of the two vertical extension pieces in opposite directions.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The bottom connecting piece also has a downwardly protruding reinforcing protrusion in front of the locking opening, which is adjacent to the locking opening.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The elastic locking arm extends upward and tilts from back to front. The rear end of the elastic locking arm is joined to the lower wall of the terminal receiving cavity. The front end of the elastic locking arm extends out of the terminal receiving cavity. The front end of the elastic locking arm is provided with a locking notch and is locked in place with the locking opening.

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