Electric meter box and connector thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of electric power equipment, and in particular to an electric meter box and a connector thereof. The electric meter box adopts an electric meter box connector; the electric meter box connector comprises a male end body and a female end body, a male terminal is arranged in the male end body, and a female terminal is arranged in the female end body; the female terminal comprises a spiral portion, the spiral portion is in a spiral shape with one end small and the other end large, and there is a preset distance between the two ends, the spiral portion can be elastically deformed along its own radial direction and has corresponding first and second states before and after the deformation, when in the first state, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion is R1, so that the male terminal can be inserted into the interior of the spiral portion; when in the second state, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion is R2, R2<R1, the inner surface of the spiral portion contacts and is electrically connected with the male terminal, and then by setting multi-point contact between the spiral portion and the male terminal, and using the elasticity of the spiral portion itself to clamp the male terminal, the docking stability is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of electric power equipment, in particular to an electric meter box and a connector thereof. Background Art

[0002] An electric meter box is a device used to store and manage electric meters. It is usually installed in a power system to measure and meter electric energy consumption. Depending on different needs and application scenarios, electric meter boxes come in a variety of types and materials.

[0003] The meter box connector is an important component used to connect the circuit in the meter box. Its main function is to build a bridge of communication between blocked or isolated circuits in the circuit, so that the current can flow and the circuit can achieve the predetermined function. At the current input end of the meter box, the meter box wiring connector plays an important role.

[0004] In the related technology, for example, Chinese patent CN204885669U discloses a board-to-board connector, which realizes electrical connection by clamping a hook on the female terminal into a groove on the male terminal, and improves the connection stability between the hook and the groove by relying on the elastic recovery property of the bending part of the female terminal.

[0005] During actual use, it was found that the elastic recovery force of the bending part of the female terminal is relatively small, and it is easy to cause contact breakage when over-voltage, long-term operation or frequent vibration occurs. In severe cases, there is even a risk of fatigue damage leading to breakage, affecting the normal use of the connector. Summary of the invention

[0006] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an electric meter box and a connector thereof to address the problem of poor connection stability of current connectors.

[0007] The above purpose is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0008] An electric meter box connector, comprising a male end body and a female end body which can be plugged into each other to form a connector, wherein a male terminal is arranged in the male end body; and a female terminal which can match the male terminal is arranged in the female end body;

[0009] The female terminal includes a spiral portion, which is in a spiral shape with one end small and the other end large, and a preset distance between the two ends. The spiral portion can undergo elastic deformation along its own radial direction and has corresponding first and second states before and after the deformation. When in the first state, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion is R1, so that the male terminal can be inserted into the interior of the spiral portion; when in the second state, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion is R2, R2<R1, so that the spiral portion can clamp the male terminal so that the inner surface of the spiral portion is in contact with the male terminal and is electrically connected.

[0010] Furthermore, the meter box connector further includes an adjusting mechanism, and the adjusting mechanism is used to switch the spiral portion between the first state and the second state.

[0011] Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism includes a gear, a locking assembly and an unlocking member, the gear being coaxially fixedly connected to the large end of the spiral portion to drive the spiral portion to rotate synchronously, thereby changing the state of the spiral portion; the locking assembly is used to lock the position of the gear so that the spiral portion is in the first state; the unlocking member is used to unlock the position of the gear so that the spiral portion switches from the first state to the second state.

[0012] Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism also includes a transmission member, and the transmission member is used to drive the gear to rotate.

[0013] Further, the transmission member includes a rack, which is arranged inside the female end body and meshes with the gear, and is able to elastically slide in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the spiral portion and has corresponding first and second positions before and after sliding. When the rack is in the first position, the spiral portion is in the second state, and when the rack is in the second position, the spiral portion is in the first state.

[0014] Furthermore, the locking assembly includes a slot and a locking block, the slot is arranged on the female end body; the locking block can be elastically rotatably arranged on the rack and can be engaged with the slot when the rack is in the second position.

[0015] Furthermore, the unlocking member includes an unlocking piece, which is inserted into the card slot and can slide along the card slot to disconnect the locking block from the card slot.

[0016] Furthermore, the adjustment mechanism also includes an elastic member, which is arranged between the rack and the female end body. Under the action of the elastic member, the rack has a tendency to move outward along an axial direction perpendicular to the spiral portion.

[0017] Furthermore, the meter box connector also includes a snap-on assembly, and the snap-on assembly is used to snap-on the male end body and the female end body together.

[0018] The invention also provides an electric meter box, which adopts an electric meter box connector.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] The invention relates to an electric meter box and a connector thereof, wherein the electric meter box adopts an electric meter box connector; during the connection process of the electric meter box connector, the spiral part is firstly placed in a first state, at which time the average spiral radius of the spiral part is R1, so that the male terminal is conveniently inserted into the interior of the spiral part, and then the spiral part is elastically deformed along its own radial direction and placed in a second state, at which time the average spiral radius of the spiral part is R2, so that the spiral part is conveniently clamped to the male terminal, so that the inner surface of the spiral part contacts and is electrically connected to the male terminal, so that there are multiple contact points between the spiral part and the male terminal, and even in the case of frequent vibrations, there will be no disconnection, thereby ensuring the stability and quality of the male end body and the female end body when docking; at the same time, the male terminal is clamped by utilizing the elasticity of the spiral part itself, and the spiral part has good elasticity and strength, and a large elastic force value, so that even in the case of overpressure and long-term working conditions, there will be no fatigue damage or even breakage, thereby ensuring that the male end body and the female end body have a long service life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an electric meter box connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of the female end body and the male end body of the electric meter box connector provided by one embodiment of the present invention when ready for insertion;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of the female end body and the male end body of the electric meter box connector after being plugged in according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of a female terminal of an electric meter box connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the top view of the female end body of the electric meter box connector provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The AA section view of the female end body of the meter box connector shown;

[0027] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A BB-section view of the female end body of the meter box connector shown;

[0028] Figure 8 for Figure 7 The schematic diagram of the partial enlarged structure of the C position of the female end body of the meter box connector shown;

[0029] Fig. 9 for Figure 5 A DD-direction cross-sectional view of the female end body of the meter box connector shown;

[0030] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 The EE-direction cross-sectional view of the female end body of the electric meter box connector shown;

[0031] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of an electric meter box provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] in:

[0033] 100, female end body; 110, female end housing; 111, mounting slot; 112, card slot; 120, female terminal; 121, connecting portion; 122, spiral portion; 123, gear; 130, rack; 131, locking block; 140, compression spring; 150, unlocking piece;

[0034] 200, male end body; 210, male end housing; 220, male terminal;

[0035] 300. Cabinet. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0037] The serial numbers assigned to the components herein, such as "first", "second", etc., are only used to distinguish the objects described and do not have any order or technical meaning. The "connection" and "coupling" mentioned in this application, unless otherwise specified, include direct and indirect connections (couplings). In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc. are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0038] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 10 As shown, an electric meter box connector provided by an embodiment of the present invention; in this embodiment, the electric meter box connector is configured to include a male end body 200 and a female end body 100 that can be plugged into each other to form a connector, and a male terminal 220 is arranged in the male end body 200. Specifically, the male end body 200 is configured to include a male end shell 210, and the male end shell 210 is configured to be a box-shaped structure, and the top of the male end shell 210 is open, and the male terminal 220 can be configured to be a sheet structure formed by bending a metal sheet into an L shape, and the male terminal 220 has a vertical section and a water section connected vertically. The flat section, the male terminal 220 is inserted into the inside of the male end shell 210 when in use, and the vertical section is extended along the height direction of the male end shell 210, and the horizontal section is extended along the width direction of the male end shell 210; the female end body 100 is provided with a female terminal 120 that can match the male terminal 220. Specifically, the female end body 100 is configured to include a female end shell 110, and the female end shell 110 is configured to have a box-shaped structure, and the top and bottom of the female end shell 110 are both open, and the female terminal 120 is inserted into the inside of the female end shell 110 when in use.

[0040] The female terminal 120 is configured to include a spiral portion 122, such as Figure 4 As shown, the spiral portion 122 is in a spiral shape with one end small and the other end large, and there is a preset distance between the two ends. Specifically, the spiral portion 122 can be set to a spiral structure formed by a metal sheet spiral and capable of expansion and contraction, and the metal sheet is wound layer by layer from outside to inside and from large to small along its thickness direction, and the extended height is formed by axial dislocation; the spiral portion 122 can be elastically deformed along its own radial direction and has a corresponding first state and second state before and after the deformation. When in the first state, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion 122 is R1, so that the male terminal 220 can be inserted into the interior of the spiral portion 122; when in the second state, as shown in FIG. Figure 3As shown, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion 122 is R2, R2<R1, so that the spiral portion 122 clamps the male terminal 220, so that the inner surface of the spiral portion 122 contacts and electrically connects with the male terminal 220, so that there are multiple contact points between the spiral portion 122 and the male terminal 220, and there will be no disconnection even in the case of frequent vibrations, thereby ensuring the stability and quality of the male end body 200 and the female end body 100 when docking; at the same time, the male terminal 220 is clamped by utilizing the elasticity of the spiral portion 122 itself. The spiral portion 122 has good elasticity and strength, and a large elastic force value. Even under overpressure and long-term working conditions, there will be no fatigue damage or even breakage, thereby ensuring that the male end body 200 and the female end body 100 have a long service life.

[0041] More specifically, Figure 4 As shown, the female terminal 120 is configured to also include a connecting portion 121, and the connecting portion 121 can be configured to be a sheet structure formed by bending a metal sheet into an L shape, and the connecting portion 121 has a vertical section and a horizontal section that are vertically connected, and one end of the vertical section is fixedly connected to the small end of the spiral portion 122, and is extended along the height direction of the female terminal shell 110, and the horizontal section is extended along the width direction of the female terminal shell 110.

[0042] In some embodiments, the meter box connector is configured to further include an adjustment mechanism, and the adjustment mechanism is used to switch the spiral portion 122 between the first state and the second state.

[0043] In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism is configured to include a gear 123, a locking assembly and an unlocking member, such as Figure 4 As shown, the gear 123 is coaxially fixedly connected to the large end of the spiral portion 122 to drive the spiral portion 122 to rotate synchronously, thereby changing the state of the spiral portion 122. The locking assembly is used to lock the position of the gear 123 so that the spiral portion 122 is in the first state; the unlocking member is used to unlock the position of the gear 123 so that the spiral portion 122 switches from the first state to the second state; specifically, during use, the position of the gear 123 is first unlocked by the unlocking member, and then the gear 123 is driven along the spiral portion 122 by the adjusting mechanism. Figure 4 As shown in the clockwise direction, the gear 123 synchronously drives the large end of the spiral portion 122 to rotate in the clockwise direction. Since the connecting portion 121 remains stationary, the spiral portion 122 contracts in its own radial direction to switch from the first state to the second state, so that the average spiral radius of the spiral portion 122 is reduced from R1 to R2, thereby facilitating the spiral portion 122 to clamp the male terminal 220. When the adjustment mechanism drives the gear 123 to rotate in the clockwise direction, the spiral portion 122 is rotated in the clockwise direction. Figure 4When rotating in the counterclockwise direction as shown, the gear 123 synchronously drives the large end of the spiral portion 122 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction. Since the connecting portion 121 remains stationary, the spiral portion 122 expands along its own radial direction to switch from the second state to the first state, so that the average spiral radius of the spiral portion 122 increases from R2 to R1, thereby facilitating the insertion of the male terminal 220 into the interior of the spiral portion 122. At the same time, the position of the gear 123 is locked by the locking assembly to avoid resetting due to the elasticity of the spiral portion 122 itself.

[0044] In a further embodiment, the adjustment mechanism is configured to further include a transmission member, and the transmission member is used to drive the gear 123 to rotate to change the state of the spiral portion 122 .

[0045] In this embodiment, the transmission member is configured to include a rack 130, which is disposed inside the female end body 100 and meshes with the gear 123, and can elastically slide along an axial direction perpendicular to the spiral portion 122 and has corresponding first and second positions before and after sliding. When the rack 130 is in the first position, the spiral portion 122 is in the second state, and when the rack 130 is in the second position, the spiral portion 122 is in the first state; specifically, as Figure 7 As shown, a mounting groove 111 is provided in the female housing 110 , the mounting groove 111 is extended along the length direction of the female housing 110 , and one end is open, the rack 130 is inserted in the mounting groove 111 , and can slide elastically in the mounting groove 111 .

[0046] In this embodiment, the adjustment mechanism is configured to further include an elastic member, which is disposed between the rack 130 and the female end body 100. Under the action of the elastic member, the rack 130 has a tendency to move outward in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the spiral portion 122; specifically, as Figure 7 As shown, the elastic member is configured as a compression spring 140, which is inserted into the mounting groove 111, and one end of the compression spring 140 is fixedly connected to the side wall surface of the rack 130, and the other end is fixedly connected to the inner wall surface of the mounting groove 111. Under the action of the compression spring 140, the rack 130 has a tendency to move toward the opening of the mounting groove 111.

[0047] In a further embodiment, Figure 8As shown, the locking assembly is configured to include a card slot 112 and a locking block 131. The card slot 112 is arranged on the female end body 100. Specifically, the card slot 112 is configured to be connected to the installation slot 111 and is arranged along the height direction of the female end housing 110. The card slot 112 is located at one end close to the opening of the installation slot 111; the locking block 131 can be elastically rotatably arranged on the rack 130, and can be engaged with the card slot 112 when the rack 130 is in the second position. Specifically, the locking block 131 is configured to be a hook-shaped structure. The locking block 131 has a connecting section and a hook section. The connecting section is connected to the bottom of the rack 130, and the hook section is configured to be away from One end of the installation groove 111 is open; initially, the connecting section and the rack 130 are arranged in parallel under the extrusion of the inner wall surface of the installation groove 111. During use, the rack 130 is pushed to move in the direction of inserting into the installation groove 111, so that the rack 130 moves from the first position to the second position, and the compression spring 140 is compressed at the same time. When the rack 130 moves to the hook section of the locking block 131 and contacts with the slot 112, the connecting section synchronously drives the hook section to rotate counterclockwise until it extends into the slot 112, and then the hook section can be clamped in the slot 112 under the action of the compression spring 140, so that the spiral portion 122 is in the first state.

[0048] In a further embodiment, Figure 8 As shown, the unlocking piece is configured to include an unlocking piece 150, which is inserted into the slot 112 and can slide along the slot 112 to disconnect the locking block 131 from the slot 112; during use, the unlocking piece 150 is pushed to move in the direction of the slot 112, and when the unlocking piece 150 moves to abut the locking block 131, as the unlocking piece 150 continues to move in the direction of the slot 112, the locking block 131 rotates counterclockwise to disengage from the slot 112, and then under the action of the compression spring 140, the rack 130 moves in the direction close to the opening of the mounting slot 111, and moves from the second position to the first position, so that the spiral portion 122 switches from the first state to the second state.

[0049] In some embodiments, the meter box connector is configured to also include a snap-on assembly, which is used to snap the male body 200 and the female body 100 together to improve the connection stability between the male body 200 and the female body 100; specifically, the snap-on assembly can be configured to include a first snap and a second snap, the first snap and the second snap have the same structure, the number of the first snap can be set to two, and they are respectively arranged on two opposite outer wall surfaces of the male shell 210, and the hook head of the first snap is downward and outward, the number of the second snap can be set to two, and they are respectively arranged on two opposite outer wall surfaces of the female shell 110, and the hook head of the second snap is upward and inward, and then when the male body 200 and the female body 100 are inserted into each other, the snap connection of the first snap and the second snap can snap the male body 200 and the female body 100 together, thereby effectively avoiding the risk of the male body 200 and the female body 100 loosening when subjected to vibration or impact.

[0050] In some embodiments, the meter box connector is configured to also include a guide assembly, which is used to align the male body 200 and the female body 100 for insertion, so as to reduce the matching error between the male terminal 220 and the female terminal 120, and avoid affecting the signal transmission between the male terminal 220 and the female terminal 120; specifically, the guide assembly can be configured to include a guide member and a guide groove that can cooperate with the guide member, the guide member can be set on the female shell 110, the guide groove can be set on the male shell 210, or the guide member is set on the male shell 210, and the guide groove is set on the female shell 110, and then when the male body 200 and the female body 100 are inserted into each other, the male body 200 and the female body 100 can automatically correct the insertion position through the cooperation of the guide member and the guide groove.

[0051] It can be understood that the guide member can be configured as a columnar, pyramidal or prism-shaped structure, and the guide groove is correspondingly configured as a structure corresponding to the guide member.

[0052] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an electric meter box, such as Fig.11 As shown, the electric meter box includes a box body 300, and various electronic devices are installed inside the box body 300 when in use. These electronic devices are connected through any of the above-mentioned electric meter box connectors.

[0053] The technical features of the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0054] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the description thereof is relatively specific and detailed, but it cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the patent of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, which all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An electric meter box connector, characterized in that: The meter box connector comprises a male end body and a female end body which can be plugged into each other to form a connector, wherein a male terminal is arranged in the male end body; and a female terminal which can match the male terminal is arranged in the female end body; The female terminal includes a spiral portion, the spiral portion is in a spiral shape with one end small and the other end large, and there is a preset distance between the two ends. The spiral portion can be elastically deformed along its own radial direction and has a corresponding first state and a second state before and after the deformation. When in the first state, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion is , so that the male terminal can be inserted into the interior of the spiral portion; when in the second state, the average spiral radius of the spiral portion is , < , so that the spiral portion clamps the male terminal so that the inner surface of the spiral portion and the male terminal are in contact and electrically connected; The meter box connector further comprises an adjustment mechanism, and the adjustment mechanism is used to switch the spiral portion between the first state and the second state; The adjusting mechanism includes a gear, a locking assembly and an unlocking member, wherein the gear is coaxially fixedly connected to the large end of the spiral portion to drive the spiral portion to rotate synchronously, thereby changing the state of the spiral portion; the locking assembly is used to lock the position of the gear so that the spiral portion is in the first state; the unlocking member is used to unlock the position of the gear so that the spiral portion switches from the first state to the second state.

2. The electric meter box connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjusting mechanism further comprises a transmission member, and the transmission member is used for driving the gear to rotate.

3. The electric meter box connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission member includes a rack, which is arranged inside the female end body and meshes with the gear. The rack can elastically slide in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the spiral portion and has corresponding first and second positions before and after sliding. When the rack is in the first position, the spiral portion is in the second state, and when the rack is in the second position, the spiral portion is in the first state.

4. The electric meter box connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The locking assembly comprises a slot and a locking block, wherein the slot is arranged on the female end body; the locking block is elastically rotatably arranged on the rack and can be engaged with the slot when the rack is in the second position.

5. The electric meter box connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The unlocking member comprises an unlocking piece, which is inserted into the card slot and can slide along the card slot to disconnect the card connection between the locking block and the card slot.

6. The electric meter box connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adjustment mechanism further comprises an elastic member, wherein the elastic member is arranged between the rack and the female end body, and under the action of the elastic member, the rack has a tendency to move outwards along an axial direction perpendicular to the spiral portion.

7. The electric meter box connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The meter box connector further comprises a clamping assembly, and the clamping assembly is used to clamp the male end body and the female end body together.

8. An electric meter box, characterized in that: The electric meter box adopts the electric meter box connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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