Connector, pin detection method, and humidity sensor

Abstract

The present invention discloses a connector, a pin detection method, and a humidity sensor, aiming to solve the problem that the traditional connector for a humidity sensor only relies on electroplating an anti-corrosion layer to prevent the pins from oxidizing. After multiple uses, the anti-corrosion layer is prone to partial wear and shedding, resulting in the part not covered by the anti-corrosion layer coming into contact with humid air and causing the pins to be corroded. The present invention sets a protective shell that is not easily oxidized and corroded on the outer side of the conductive core, replacing the traditional electroplated layer for anti-oxidation. Even after multiple pluggings and unpluggings, the conductive core will not be oxidized and corroded due to wear, thus effectively ensuring the conductivity. The protrusion of the conductive core is electrically connected to the detection module, and the working state and real-time current value of the pin can be judged by obtaining the magnitude of the current value of the pin, so as to judge whether the pin is working properly and whether it is oxidized and corroded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of connectors, and specifically relates to connectors, pin detection methods, and humidity sensors. Background Art

[0002] In order to prevent food from getting damp and equipment from being corroded due to high environmental humidity, a combined solution of a humidity sensor and a temperature controller is usually adopted for prevention and control. However, in the prior art, the connectors for humidity sensors only use electroplated anti-corrosion layers for anti-oxidation treatment. As the number of pluggings and unplugging operations increases and the service time increases, the anti-corrosion layer will be more or less worn, resulting in the exposure of the copper core and then oxidation. This affects the connection effect of the terminals, causes poor contact of the humidity sensor, and thus leads to the paralysis of the entire humidity control system, resulting in inevitable losses. Therefore, a connector, a pin detection method, and a humidity sensor are proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] (I) Technical Problems to be Solved

[0004] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a connector, a pin detection method, and a humidity sensor with a simple structure, which can effectively prevent oxidation and can detect the alignment and working state of pins.

[0005] (II) Technical Solutions

[0006] The connector of the present invention is used in a humid environment detection system and includes a metal shell and a plurality of pins inserted on the metal shell for conductive connection. The pins include:

[0007] A protective shell, which is used to wrap the conductive core and is a columnar hollow structure. A cavity for accommodating the conductive core is radially penetrated in the middle of the protective shell. Wherein, an opening is provided on the outer side wall of the protective shell, and a groove for connecting a female connector is provided at one end of the protective shell. A detection module for detecting the conductive condition and alignment of the terminals is also embedded in the groove;

[0008] A conductive core, which is arranged in the cavity of the protective shell. A protrusion cooperating with the opening is provided on the side of the conductive core. The protrusion is exposed outside through the opening and is electrically connected to the detection module. The conductive core is a copper column;

[0009] The flexible conductive filler is made of conductive gel and is filled in the cavity to fill the gap between the cavity and the conductive core.

[0010] In the present invention, the detection module includes a circuit board, a signal transmission chip, and a detection chip disposed on the circuit board. The circuit board is provided with through holes for connecting pins, and contact portions for electrical connection are provided on the inner side walls of the through holes. The conductive core abuts against the contact portions through protrusions and is electrically connected.

[0011] In the present invention, the protrusion is a sector structure with non-connected head and tail, and rounded corners for facilitating connection are provided on the side edges of the protrusion. Among them, the protrusion and the conductive core are of an integral structure.

[0012] In the present invention, the flexible conductive filler is graphene aerogel, which is filled between the conductive core and the cavity to increase the conductive performance of the pin.

[0013] In the present invention, the material of the protective housing is stainless steel, silver metal, or aluminum metal.

[0014] In the present invention, the protective housing is fixedly connected to the metal housing, and a corrosion-resistant layer for preventing moisture oxidation is electroplated on the surface of the metal housing.

[0015] On the other hand, another pin detection method in the present invention includes the following steps:

[0016] S100. Obtain the conductive condition of the pin and the magnitude of the current value passing through the terminal;

[0017] S200. Check the conduction condition of each terminal and the magnitude of the current value through the detection chip to determine whether the pins are neat and whether they are all in a working state.

[0018] On the other hand, another humidity sensor in the present invention includes a humidity sensor main body, a wire, and the connector described in the above technical solution. The connector is connected to one end of the wire.

[0019] (III) Beneficial effects

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0021] In the present invention, by providing a protective housing that is not easily oxidized and corroded on the outer side of the conductive core, replacing the traditional electroplated anti-oxidation layer, even if it is inserted and removed multiple times, the conductive core will not be oxidized and corroded due to wear, thus effectively ensuring the conductivity;

[0022] In the present invention, a flexible conductive filler is also filled between the protective housing and the conductive core, effectively filling the gap between the two, not only ensuring a good connection effect and conductivity, but also greatly improving the overall structural stability of the pin, which is very reliable;

[0023] In the present invention, the protrusion of the conductive core is electrically connected to the detection module, and the working state and real-time current value of the pin can be judged by obtaining the magnitude of the current value of the pin, so as to judge whether the pin is working properly and whether it is oxidized or corroded. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 Partial structural schematic diagram of the connector in Embodiment 1;

[0026] Figure 2 Front cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the connector in Embodiment 1;

[0027] Figure 3 Three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the protective housing in Embodiment 1;

[0028] Figure 4 Three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the pin in Embodiment 1;

[0029] Figure 5 Overall structural schematic diagram of the detection module in Embodiment 1;

[0030] Figure 6 Step structural schematic diagram of the detection method in Embodiment 2.

[0031] 10. Metal housing, 101. Groove, 11. Pin, 111. Protective housing, 1111. Opening, 1112. Cavity, 112. Conductive core, 1121. Protrusion, 12. Flexible conductive filler, 13. Detection module, 131. Communication chip, 132. Detection chip, 133. Circuit board, 1331. Through hole, 134. Contact part, 135. Step-down module. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Embodiment 1

[0033] As Figure 1 、 Figure 2 shown, among which Figure 1 is the partial structural schematic diagram of the connector, Figure 2 is the front cross-sectional structural schematic diagram of the connector. The connector disclosed in the present invention includes a metal housing 10 plated with a corrosion-resistant layer and pins 11 inserted into the metal housing 10.

[0034] The present invention aims to solve the problem that the connector for traditional humidity sensors only relies on electroplating an anti-corrosion layer to prevent the oxidation of the pin 11. After multiple uses, the anti-corrosion layer is prone to partial wear and shedding, resulting in the part not covered by the anti-corrosion layer coming into contact with moist air, leading to the corrosion of the pin 11. In the present invention, the pin 11 is composed of a protective shell 111 and a conductive core 112. Among them, the protective shell 111 wraps the conductive core 112 to prevent the conductive core 112 from directly contacting moist air and being oxidized and corroded.

[0035] The material of the protective shell 111 is stainless steel, silver metal or aluminum metal, that is, the protective shell 111 needs to have a certain anti-oxidation and anti-corrosion effect. In actual use, it can be selected according to the specific use scenario and cost, that is, considering aspects such as the conductivity and hardness of the metal.

[0036] Further, as shown in Figure 3 、 Figure 4 , the protective shell 111 is a cylindrical structure as a whole and has a radially penetrating cavity 1112 at the center, that is, the protective shell 111 is a columnar hollow structure as a whole, and the shape of the conductive core 112 is also a cylindrical structure, which is embedded in the cavity 1112. In order to ensure good conductivity, the conductive core 112 is usually made of copper. However, no matter how well the dimensions of the conductive core 112 and the protective shell 111 fit and how compact they are, there will still be a gap between the two, which makes the core prone to dislocation or affects the conductive effect.

[0037] To eliminate the above problems, in the present invention, the cavity 1112 is also filled with a flexible conductive filler 12, which is mainly a polymer of graphene aerogel and composite aerogel. The gel-like flexible conductive filler 12 effectively fills the gap between the protective shell 111 and the conductive core 112, thereby greatly improving the overall stability and conductive effect of the pin 11.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 - 5 , specifically, one end of the metal shell 10 is provided with a groove 101 for cooperating with the female connector. The pins 11 are fixedly inserted in the groove 101 and are distributed in a certain regular pattern. A detection module 13 for detecting the working state and neatness of the pins 11 is also embedded in the groove 101.

[0039] The detection module 13 is composed of a circuit board 133, a detection chip 132 and a communication chip 131. Among them, a plurality of through holes 1331 with the same distribution as the pins 11 are provided on the circuit board 133, that is, the pins 11 all pass through the through holes 1331 and then are fixedly connected to the metal shell 10.

[0040] Further, an opening 1111 is provided on the side of the protective housing 111. The opening 1111 is of a fan-shaped structure, that is, the two ends of the opening 1111 are not connected to each other. A protrusion 1121 that cooperates with the opening 1111 is provided on the conductive core 112. The protrusion 1121 passes through the opening 1111 and extends outwards, mainly for realizing electrical connection with the circuit board 133, so as to judge whether the pin 11 is inserted in place and obtain the real-time current value of the pin 11 during operation.

[0041] On the side of the through hole 1331 of the circuit board 133, a contact part 134 that cooperates with the protrusion 1121 for electrical connection is provided. The material of the contact part 134 is also copper. It should be noted that the protrusion 1121 is of a fan-shaped structure and is an integral structure with the conductive core 112. When the protrusion 1121 abuts against the contact part 134, it is in a conducting state. In order to prevent the situation where the conductive core 112 cannot be conductively connected to the detection module 13 when the protrusion 1121 and the contact part 134 are at the same horizontal height, the contact part 134 is set as a ring structure. The protrusion 1121 and the contact part 134 are in an interference fit.

[0042] That is, by connecting the pin 11 to the detection module 13, the working state and real-time current data of the pin 11 can be obtained, and then the working state and real-time current value of the pin 11 can be directly judged.

[0043] Specifically, a voltage reduction module 135 is further provided between the contact part 134 and the two chips. The voltage reduction module 135 can be a resistor with a certain resistance value or a plurality of resistors connected in series, so as to prevent the supply voltage of the detection chip 132 and the communication chip 131 from being too high. One end of the pin 11 arranged in the groove 101 is the front end. It can be selected to electroplate an antioxidant layer on the front end of the pin 11, and the rear end is directly welded to the wire after the connector is assembled, and both are arranged in the insulating part without oxidation risk.

[0044] It should be noted that the communication chip 131 can be a wireless communication chip, that is, the data transmission method can be determined by the selection of the communication chip 131. Among them, the wireless communication methods include Bluetooth, wireless, WiFi, etc. Wired communication can also be selected, and its communication connection wire is connected to the terminal device through the rear end of the conductive terminal.

[0045] Embodiment 2

[0046] As Figure 6 shown, the present invention also discloses a pin detection method, which mainly includes steps S100 - S200;

[0047] S100, obtain the conductive condition of the pin and the magnitude of the current value passing through the terminal;

[0048] The purpose of this step is to obtain the real-time current data of the connector during conductive connection through the connection between the pins and the detection module. By analyzing the magnitude of this data, the working state and neatness of the pins can be detected.

[0049] S200. Check the conduction status and current value of each terminal through the detection chip to determine whether the pins 11 are neat and whether they are all in the working state.

[0050] The purpose of this step is based on the current value obtained in the previous step. When there is no current value, it indicates problems such as misalignment of the pins 11 or damage and shortness of the conductive cores 112, which can greatly reduce the maintenance time. If the current value is too small, it is necessary to check whether the conductive cores 112 are oxidized.

[0051] The embodiments described above are only used to describe the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the concept and scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design concept of the present invention, various variations and improvements made by those of ordinary skill in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention should fall within the protection scope of the present invention. The technical content claimed by the present invention has been fully recorded in the claims.

Claims

1. A connector for a wet environment detection system, comprising a metal housing and a plurality of pins inserted on the metal housing for electrical connection. It is characterized in that The pins include: A protective housing for wrapping a conductive core and having a columnar hollow structure. A cavity for accommodating the conductive core is radially penetrated in the middle of the protective housing. Wherein, an opening is provided on the outer sidewall of the protective housing. One end of the protective housing is provided with a groove for connecting to a female connector, and a detection module for detecting the electrical conductivity and alignment of the terminal is also embedded in the groove. A conductive core is disposed in the cavity of the protective housing. A protrusion cooperating with the opening is provided on the side of the conductive core. The protrusion is exposed outside through the opening and is electrically connected to the detection module. The conductive core is a copper column. The flexible conductive filler is made of conductive gel material and is filled in the cavity to fill the gap between the cavity and the conductive core. The flexible conductive filler is graphene aerogel, which is filled between the conductive core and the cavity to increase the electrical conductivity of the pin.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein The detection module includes a circuit board, a signal transmission chip, and a detection chip disposed on the circuit board. The circuit board is provided with through holes for connecting the pins, and contact parts for electrical connection are provided on the inner sidewalls of the through holes. The conductive core abuts against the contact parts through the protrusions and is electrically connected.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein The protrusion is a sector structure with non-connected head and tail, and rounded corners for easy connection are provided on the side edges of the protrusion. Among them, the protrusion and the conductive core are of an integral structure.

4. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material of the protective housing is stainless steel or silver metal or aluminum metal.

5. The connector according to claim 4, characterized in that The protective housing is fixedly connected to the metal housing, and the surface of the metal housing is electroplated with a corrosion-resistant layer for preventing moisture and oxidation.

6. The pin detection method of the connector according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that Including the following steps: S100. Obtain the electrical conductivity of the pin and the magnitude of the current passing through the terminal. S200. Check the conduction condition of each terminal and the magnitude of the current value through the detection chip to determine whether the pins are neat and whether they are all in a working state.

7. Humidity sensor, characterized in that, Including a humidity sensor body, a wire, and the connector according to any one of claims 1-5, and the connector is connected to one end of the wire.

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