Connector, connector assembly and connector matching method

Abstract

The invention discloses a connector, a connector assembly and a connector matching method. The connector includes: a housing including a front side wall and a rear opening opposite in a longitudinal direction thereof; and the board card is arranged in the shell, extends in the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction and is provided with a contact pad which is used for being electrically contacted with a terminal of a matching connector. An elastic arm is formed on the front side wall, the elastic arm is suitable for elastically moving in the longitudinal direction, and the elastic arm protrudes towards the rear opening of the shell relative to the inner surface of the front side wall. When the connector and the mating connector are plugged together with a predetermined insertion force, the mating housing of the mating connector overcomes the elastic arm until the mating housing moves to a position in contact with the front side wall so as to ensure that a predetermined scraping distance exists between the terminal and the contact pad. When the predetermined insertion force is released, the mating housing is moved to a position separated from the front side wall under the action of the elastic arm, so that a predetermined gap is formed between the housing and the mating housing. Therefore, the electrical signal integrity and the electrical contact performance can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a connector, including a connector component of the connector and a connector mating method. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, when the plug connector and the socket connector are mated together, there may or may not be a gap between the housing of the plug connector and the housing of the socket connector in the mating direction. If there is a gap, the electrical and signal integrity performance (SI performance) of the plug connector and the socket connector will be improved, but the scraping distance between the contact pads on the board of the plug connector and the terminals of the socket connector will be shortened, reducing the electrical contact performance between the two. If there is no gap, it will ensure that there is a sufficient scraping distance between the contact pads on the board of the plug connector and the terminals of the socket connector, but the electrical and signal integrity performance of the plug connector and the socket connector will be reduced. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to solve at least one aspect of the above-mentioned problems and defects in the prior art.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a connector is provided. The connector comprises: a housing, comprising front side walls and a rear opening opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction thereof; and a board, which is arranged in the housing, extends in the lateral and longitudinal directions of the housing, and has a contact pad for electrically contacting a terminal of a mating connector. An elastic arm is formed on the front side wall, the elastic arm is suitable for elastically moving in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the elastic arm protrudes toward the rear opening of the housing relative to the inner surface of the front side wall.

[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the connector and the mating connector are plugged together with a predetermined insertion force, the mating shell of the mating connector overcomes the elastic force of the elastic arm until it is moved to a first position in contact with the inner surface of the front side wall, so as to ensure that there is a predetermined scraping distance between the terminal and the contact pad in the longitudinal direction; when the predetermined insertion force applied to the connector and the mating connector is released, the mating shell is moved to a second position separated from the inner surface of the front side wall under the action of the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm, so that there is a predetermined gap between the shell and the mating shell in the longitudinal direction.

[0006] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connector also includes: a locking member, fixed to the shell and including an elastic lock, wherein the elastic lock is suitable for engaging with a slot on the shielding shell of the mating connector to lock the connector to the mating connector.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the elastic lock includes an elastic cantilever and a protrusion formed on the end of the elastic cantilever; when the matching shell moves between the first position and the second position relative to the shell, the protrusion of the elastic lock is located in the slot and moves in the slot.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, when the mating shell is moved to the second position relative to the shell, the protrusion of the elastic lock button abuts against the inner side of the slot to prevent the shell from being disengaged from the mating shell.

[0009] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing is an injection-molded part that is molded on the locking part through an insert injection molding process, so that the housing and the locking part are integrated into one piece.

[0010] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an opening is formed on the front side wall, and the elastic arm is suspended in the opening and protrudes into the interior of the housing through the opening.

[0011] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the board is fixed to the front side wall of the shell and extends in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the shell; and the board has a front and a back side opposite to each other in the thickness direction thereof, and a row of contact pads are respectively formed on the front and the back side of the board for respectively making electrical contact with the two rows of terminals of the mating connector.

[0012] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connector further comprises: a cable, a conductor core of which is electrically connected to the board card.

[0013] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the board has a front side and a back side opposite to each other in the thickness direction thereof, and a row of welding pads are respectively formed on the front side and the back side of the board; the connector includes two rows of cables, and the exposed conductor cores of one row of cables are respectively welded to a row of welding pads on the front side of the board, and the exposed conductor cores of the other row of cables are respectively welded to a row of welding pads on the back side of the board.

[0014] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the connector further includes: a cable retaining body, which is molded on one end of the two rows of cables by an embedded injection molding process so that the two rows of cables are held together, and the cable retaining body is installed and fixed to the shell to fix the two rows of cables to the shell.

[0015] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the two rows of cables extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the board; the ends of one row of cables in the two rows of cables are bent at a first predetermined angle, and the first predetermined angle is less than 90 degrees; the ends of the other row of cables in the two rows of cables are bent 90 degrees.

[0016] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the exposed conductor cores of the row of cables are bent at a second predetermined angle relative to the ends of the row of cables, and the sum of the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle is equal to 90 degrees.

[0017] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are both equal to 45 degrees; or the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are respectively equal to 60 degrees and 30 degrees; or the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are respectively equal to 30 degrees and 60 degrees.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, a connector assembly is provided. The connector assembly comprises: the aforementioned connector; and a mating connector mating with the connector. The mating connector comprises a mating housing and terminals arranged in the mating housing, the mating housing is inserted into the housing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof, and the terminals are in electrical contact with contact pads on the board.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mating shell has a front end face and a rear end face opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction thereof; when the mating shell is moved to the first position relative to the shell, the front end face of the mating shell is abutted against the inner surface of the front side wall of the shell; when the mating shell is moved to the second position relative to the shell, a predetermined gap is provided between the front end face of the mating shell and the inner surface of the front side wall of the shell in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mating connector further comprises: a shielding shell, which is sleeved on the mating housing. A card slot is formed on the shielding shell, and the card slot engages with the elastic lock of the connector to lock the connector and the mating connector together.

[0021] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a slot is formed on the mating housing, and the terminal includes an elastic contact portion located in the slot; the board is inserted into the slot and the contact pad on the board is in electrical contact with the elastic contact portion.

[0022] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mating connector includes upper and lower rows of terminals, the elastic contact portions of the upper row of terminals are electrically contacted with a row of contact pads on the front side of the board, and the elastic contact portions of the lower row of terminals are electrically contacted with a row of contact pads on the back side of the board.

[0023] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shielding shell has plugging pins suitable for plugging into a circuit board, and the terminal further has welding pins extending from a rear end surface of the mating shell for welding to the circuit board.

[0024] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mating connector further includes: a terminal retaining body, which is molded on the two rows of terminals by an embedded injection molding process to hold the two rows of terminals together; the terminal retaining body is installed and fixed in the mating housing to install and fix the two rows of terminals in the mating housing.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present invention, a connector mating method is provided. The connector mating method comprises the following steps:

[0026] S10: providing the aforementioned connector and a mating connector suitable for mating with the connector;

[0027] S20: plugging the connector and the mating connector together with a predetermined insertion force until the mating housing is moved to the first position relative to the housing; and

[0028] S30: Release the connector and the mating connector to allow the mating housing to be moved to the second position relative to the housing under the action of the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm.

[0029] In the aforementioned exemplary embodiments according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the electrical and signal integrity performance of the connector and the mating connector, and also to ensure that there is a sufficient scraping distance between the contact pads on the connector board and the terminals of the mating connector, thereby improving the electrical contact performance of the two.

[0030] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 A perspective schematic diagram showing a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 An exploded schematic diagram showing a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 An exploded schematic diagram showing a connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing a mating connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 An exploded cross-sectional view showing a connector and a mating connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 An assembled cross-sectional view showing a connector and a mating connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the mating housing is moved longitudinally to a first position in contact with the housing under a predetermined insertion force;

[0038] Figure 8 An assembled cross-sectional view showing a connector and a mating connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the mating housing is moved longitudinally to a second position separated from the housing under the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm;

[0039] Fig. 9 A schematic plan view showing a board of a connector and terminals of a mating connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Fig.10 A perspective schematic diagram showing a cable assembly and a board according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a cable assembly and a card according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The technical solution of the present invention is further specifically described below by examples and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall inventive concept of the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0043] In addition, in the detailed description below, for ease of explanation, many specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, it is apparent that one or more embodiments may be implemented without these specific details. In other cases, known structures and devices are embodied in a schematic manner to simplify the accompanying drawings.

[0044] According to a general technical concept of the present invention, a connector is provided.

[0045] The connector comprises: a housing, comprising front side walls and a rear opening opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction thereof; and a board, which is arranged in the housing, extends in the transverse and longitudinal directions of the housing and has contact pads for electrically contacting with terminals of a mating connector. An elastic arm is formed on the front side wall, the elastic arm is suitable for elastically moving in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the elastic arm protrudes toward the rear opening of the housing relative to the inner surface of the front side wall.

[0046] According to another general technical concept of the present invention, a connector assembly is provided. The connector assembly includes: the aforementioned connector; and a mating connector mating with the connector. The mating connector includes a mating housing and terminals arranged in the mating housing, the mating housing is inserted into the housing in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction thereof, and the terminals are in electrical contact with contact pads on the board.

[0047] According to another general technical concept of the present invention, a connector mating method is provided. The connector mating method comprises the following steps: providing the aforementioned connector and a mating connector suitable for mating with the connector; plugging the connector and the mating connector together with a predetermined insertion force until the mating housing is moved to the first position relative to the housing; and releasing the connector and the mating connector to allow the mating housing to be moved to the second position relative to the housing under the action of the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm.

[0048] Figure 1 A perspective schematic diagram showing a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 An exploded schematic diagram showing a connector assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing a connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 An exploded schematic diagram showing a connector 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing a mating connector 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a connector 1 is disclosed. The connector 1 includes: a housing 10 and a board 11. The housing 10 includes a front side wall 102 and a rear opening 101 opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction Y thereof. The mating housing 20 of the mating connector 2 is inserted into the housing 10 of the connector 1 via the rear opening 101 of the housing 10. The board 11 is arranged in the housing 10. The board 11 extends along the transverse direction X and the longitudinal direction Y of the housing 10 and has a contact pad 11a for electrically contacting the terminal 21 of the mating connector 2. An elastic arm 102a is formed on the front side wall 102 of the housing 10, and the elastic arm 102a is suitable for elastically moving in the longitudinal direction Y of the housing 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic arm 102a protrudes toward the rear opening 101 of the housing 10 relative to the inner surface 102c of the front side wall 102.

[0050] Figure 6 An exploded cross-sectional view showing a connector 1 and a mating connector 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 An assembled cross-sectional view showing a connector 1 and a mating connector 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the mating housing 20 is moved in the longitudinal direction Y to a first position in contact with the housing 10 under the action of a predetermined insertion force; Figure 8 An assembled cross-sectional view showing a connector 1 and a mating connector 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, wherein the mating housing 20 is moved to a second position separated from the housing 10 along the longitudinal direction Y under the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm 102; Fig. 9 A schematic plan view showing a board card 11 of a connector 1 and a terminal 21 of a mating connector 2 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, when the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 are plugged together with a predetermined insertion force, the mating housing 20 of the mating connector 2 overcomes the elastic force of the elastic arm 102a until it is moved to the first position ( ) in contact with the inner surface 102c of the front side wall 102. Figure 7 The position shown in the figure) is ensured to ensure that there is a predetermined scraping distance between the terminal 21 and the contact pad 11a in the longitudinal direction Y. In this way, it is ensured that there is a sufficient scraping distance between the terminal 21 and the contact pad 11a in the mating direction (i.e., longitudinal direction Y) of the connector 1 and the mating connector 2, so that the oxide layer on the contact pad 11a and the terminal 21 can be effectively scraped off, thereby improving the electrical contact performance of the two.

[0052] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, when the predetermined insertion force applied to the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 is released, the mating housing 20 is moved to a second position ( ) separated from the inner surface 102c of the front side wall 102 by the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm 102a. Figure 8 The housing 10 and the mating housing 20 are arranged in a predetermined gap in the longitudinal direction Y. In this way, the electrical and signal integrity performance (SIperformance) of the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 can be improved. Therefore, the present invention can improve the electrical contact performance between the connector 1 and the mating connector 2, and can also improve the electrical and signal integrity performance of the connector 1 and the mating connector 2.

[0053] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector 1 also includes a locking member 13, which is fixed to the shell 10 and includes an elastic lock 131, and the elastic lock 131 is suitable for engaging with a card slot 231 on the shielding shell 23 of the mating connector 2 to lock the connector 1 to the mating connector 2.

[0054] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the elastic lock 131 includes an elastic cantilever 131b and a protrusion 131a formed on the end of the elastic cantilever 131b. When the mating housing 20 moves between the first position and the second position relative to the housing 10, the protrusion 131a of the elastic lock 131 is located in the slot 231 and moves in the slot 231.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, when the mating housing 20 is moved to the second position relative to the housing 10 , the protrusion 131 a of the elastic lock 131 abuts against the inner side of the slot 231 to prevent the housing 10 from being separated from the mating housing 20 .

[0056] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the housing 10 is an injection-molded part that is molded on the locking member 13 by an insert injection molding process, so that the housing 10 and the locking member 13 become an integral part.

[0057] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, an opening 102 b is formed on the front side wall 102 of the housing 10 , and the elastic arm 102 a is suspended in the opening 102 b and protrudes into the interior of the housing 10 through the opening 102 b .

[0058] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the board 11 is fixed to the front side wall 102 of the housing 10 and extends in the longitudinal direction Y and the transverse direction X of the housing 10. The board 11 has a front and a back side opposite to each other in the thickness direction Z thereof, and a row of contact pads 11a are formed on the front and back sides of the board 11, respectively, for respectively making electrical contact with the two rows of terminals 21 of the mating connector 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact pads 11a on the front and back sides of the board 11 are arranged in a row along the transverse direction X of the housing 10.

[0059] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector 1 further includes a cable 12. The conductor core 12a of the cable 12 is electrically connected to the board 11. In the illustrated embodiment, the board 11 has a front and a back side opposite to each other in the thickness direction Z thereof, and a row of soldering pads 11b are respectively formed on the front and back sides of the board 11. The connector 12 includes two rows of cables 12, the conductor cores 12a of one row of cables 12 are respectively soldered to a row of soldering pads 11b on the front side of the board 11, and the conductor cores 12a of the other row of cables 12 are respectively soldered to a row of soldering pads 11b on the back side of the board 11.

[0060] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the connector further comprises a cable retainer 14, which is molded on one end of the two rows of cables 12 by an insert injection molding process so that the two rows of cables 12 are held together. The cable retainer 14 is mounted and fixed to the housing 10 to fix the two rows of cables 12 to the housing 10.

[0061] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a connector assembly is also disclosed. The connector assembly includes: the aforementioned connector 1 and a mating connector 2, and the mating connector 2 is mated with the connector 1. The mating connector 2 includes a mating housing 20 and a terminal 21 disposed in the mating housing 20, and the mating housing 20 is inserted into the housing 10 along a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction Y thereof, and the terminal 21 is in electrical contact with the contact pad 11a on the board 11.

[0062] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the mating housing 20 has a front end face 20c and a rear end face opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction Y. When the mating housing 20 is moved to the first position ( Figure 7 When the mating housing 20 is moved to the second position (as shown in the figure), the front end face 20c of the mating housing 20 abuts against the inner surface 102c of the front side wall 102 of the housing 10. Figure 8 When the housing 20 is in the position shown in the figure, there is a predetermined gap in the longitudinal direction Y between the front end surface 20 c of the mating housing 20 and the inner surface 102 c of the front side wall 102 of the housing 10.

[0063] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the mating connector further includes a shielding shell 23, which is sleeved on the mating housing 20. A card slot 231 is formed on the shielding shell 23, and the card slot 231 engages with the elastic lock 131 of the connector 1 to lock the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 together.

[0064] like Figures 1 to 9As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, a slot 201 is formed on the mating housing 20, and the terminal 21 includes an elastic contact portion 21b located in the slot 201. The board 11 is inserted into the slot 201 and the contact pad 11a on the board 11 is in electrical contact with the elastic contact portion 21b of the terminal 21.

[0065] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the mating connector 2 includes upper and lower rows of terminals 21, the elastic contact portions 21b of the upper row of terminals 21 are electrically in contact with a row of contact pads 11a on the front side of the board 11, and the elastic contact portions 21b of the lower row of terminals 21 are electrically in contact with a row of contact pads 11a on the back side of the board 11.

[0066] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the shielding shell 23 has a plug pin 23a suitable for being plugged into a circuit board (not shown), and the terminal 21 also has a welding pin 21a extending from the rear end face of the mating shell 20 for being welded to the circuit board.

[0067] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the mating connector 2 further includes a terminal retaining body 24, which is molded on the two rows of terminals 21 by an insert injection molding process to hold the two rows of terminals 21 together. The terminal retaining body 24 is installed and fixed in the mating housing 20 to install and fix the two rows of terminals 21 in the mating housing 20.

[0068] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, in another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a connector mating method is also disclosed. The connector mating method comprises the following steps:

[0069] S10: providing the aforementioned connector 1 and a mating connector 2 suitable for mating with the connector 1;

[0070] S20: plugging the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 together along the mating direction with a predetermined insertion force until the mating housing 20 is moved to a first position relative to the housing 10;

[0071] S30 : releasing the connector 1 and the mating connector 2 to allow the mating housing 20 to be moved to the second position relative to the housing 10 under the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm 102 .

[0072] Fig.10 A perspective schematic diagram showing a cable assembly and a board according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; Fig.11 A cross-sectional view of a cable assembly and a card according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0073] like Fig.10 and Fig.11As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the two rows of cables 12 extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the board 11. The end 121 of one row of cables 12' (the upper row of cables in the figure) of the two rows of cables 12 is bent at a first predetermined angle, and the first predetermined angle is less than 90. The end 121 of the other row of cables 12" (the lower row of cables in the figure) of the two rows of cables 12 is bent 90 degrees. After being bent, the end 121 of the two rows of cables 12 is retained in the cable retaining body 14 to form a cable assembly, and then the conductor cores 12a of the two rows of cables 12 are welded to the board 11.

[0074] like Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the exposed conductor cores 12a of a row of cables 12' are bent at a second predetermined angle relative to the ends 121 of the row of cables 12', and the sum of the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle is equal to 90 degrees.

[0075] like Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are both equal to 45 degrees. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, for example, the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle may be respectively equal to 60 degrees and 30 degrees, or respectively equal to 30 degrees or 60 degrees.

[0076] like Fig.10 and Fig.11 As shown, in the illustrated embodiment, since the bending angle of the end 121 of a row of cables 12 ′ is less than 90 degrees, the bending radius of the end 121 of the row of cables 12 ′ can be reduced, thereby reducing the volume of the connector.

[0077] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments described above are exemplary and may be improved upon by those skilled in the art. The structures described in the various embodiments may be freely combined without causing any conflicts in structure or principle, and these changes should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0078] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings are intended to exemplify the preferred implementations of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0079] Although some embodiments of the general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.

[0080] It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the word "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. In addition, any element reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connector, characterized in that: include: A housing (10) comprising a front side wall (102) and a rear opening (101) opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction (Y) thereof; and A board (11) is arranged in the housing (10), extends in the transverse direction (X) and the longitudinal direction (Y) of the housing (10) and has a contact pad (11a) for electrically contacting a terminal (21) of a mating connector (2), An elastic arm (102a) is formed on the front side wall (102), and the elastic arm (102a) is suitable for elastically moving in the longitudinal direction (Y) of the housing (10). The elastic arm (102a) protrudes toward the rear opening (101) of the housing (20) relative to the inner surface (102c) of the front side wall (102).

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: When the connector (1) and the mating connector (2) are plugged together with a predetermined insertion force, the mating housing (20) of the mating connector (2) overcomes the elastic force of the elastic arm (102a) until it is moved to a first position in contact with the inner surface (102c) of the front side wall (102), so as to ensure that there is a predetermined scraping distance between the terminal (21) and the contact pad (11a) in the longitudinal direction (Y); When the predetermined insertion force applied to the connector (1) and the mating connector (2) is released, the mating shell (20) is moved to a second position separated from the inner surface (102c) of the front side wall (102) under the action of the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm (102a), so that a predetermined gap is provided between the shell (10) and the mating shell (20) in the longitudinal direction (Y).

3. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A locking member (13) is fixed to the housing (10) and comprises an elastic locking catch (131), wherein the elastic locking catch (131) is adapted to engage with a slot (231) on the shielding shell (23) of the mating connector (2) so as to lock the connector (1) to the mating connector (2).

4. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic lock buckle (131) comprises an elastic cantilever (131b) and a protrusion (131a) formed on the end of the elastic cantilever (131b); When the matching housing (20) moves between the first position and the second position relative to the housing (10), the protruding portion (131a) of the elastic lock buckle (131) is located in the slot (231) and moves in the slot (231).

5. The connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: When the mating shell (20) is moved to the second position relative to the shell (10), the raised portion (131a) of the elastic lock (131) abuts against the inner side edge of the slot (231) to prevent the shell (10) from being separated from the mating shell (20).

6. The connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The housing (10) is an injection-molded part that is molded on the locking part (13) through an embedded injection molding process, so that the housing (10) and the locking part (13) become an integrated part.

7. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: An opening (102b) is formed on the front side wall (102), and the elastic arm (102a) is suspended in the opening (102b) and protrudes into the interior of the housing (10) through the opening (102b).

8. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The board (11) is fixed to the front side wall (102) of the housing (10) and extends in the longitudinal direction (Y) and the transverse direction (X) of the housing (10); and The board card (11) has a front side and a back side opposite to each other in the thickness direction (Z) thereof, and a row of contact pads (11a) are respectively formed on the front side and the back side of the board card (11) for respectively electrically contacting the two rows of terminals (21) of the mating connector (2).

9. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: A cable (12) having a conductor core (12a) electrically connected to the board (11).

10. The connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: The board (11) has a front side and a back side opposite to each other in the thickness direction (Z) thereof, and a row of welding pads (11b) are respectively formed on the front side and the back side of the board (11); The connector (12) comprises two rows of cables (12), the exposed conductor cores (12a) of one row of cables (12') of the two rows of cables (12) are respectively soldered to a row of soldering pads (11b) on the front side of the board (11), and the exposed conductor cores (12a) of the other row of cables (12") of the two rows of cables (12) are respectively soldered to a row of soldering pads (11b) on the back side of the board (11).

11. The connector according to claim 10, characterized in that: Also includes: A cable retaining body (14) is formed on one end of the two rows of cables (12) by an insert injection molding process, so that the two rows of cables (12) are retained together. The cable holding body (14) is mounted and fixed to the housing (10) to fix the two rows of cables (12) to the housing (10).

12. The connector according to claim 11, characterized in that: The two rows of cables (12) extend in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the board (11); The end portion (121) of the row of cables (12') in the two rows of cables (12) is bent at a first predetermined angle, and the first predetermined angle is less than 90 degrees; The end portion (121) of the other row of cables (12") of the two rows of cables (12) is bent 90 degrees.

13. The connector according to claim 12, characterized in that: The exposed conductor cores (12a) of the row of cables (12') are bent at a second predetermined angle relative to the ends (121) of the row of cables (12'), and the sum of the first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle is equal to 90 degrees.

14. The connector according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are both equal to 45 degrees; or The first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are respectively equal to 60 degrees and 30 degrees; or The first predetermined angle and the second predetermined angle are equal to 30 degrees and 60 degrees respectively.

15. A connector assembly, characterized in that: include: The connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14; and A mating connector (2) is mated with the connector (1), The mating connector (2) comprises a mating housing (20) and a terminal (21) arranged in the mating housing (20); the mating housing (20) is inserted into the housing (10) along a direction parallel to its longitudinal direction (Y); and the terminal (21) is in electrical contact with a contact pad (11a) on the board (11).

16. The connector assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that: The mating housing (20) has a front end face (20c) and a rear end face which are opposite to each other in the longitudinal direction (Y) thereof; When the mating shell (20) is moved to the first position relative to the shell (10), the front end surface (20c) of the mating shell (20) abuts against the inner surface (102c) of the front side wall (102) of the shell (10); When the mating shell (20) is moved to the second position relative to the shell (10), a predetermined gap is provided between the front end surface (20c) of the mating shell (20) and the inner surface (102c) of the front side wall (102) of the shell (10) in the longitudinal direction (Y).

17. The connector assembly according to claim 16, characterized in that: The mating connector also includes: A shielding shell (23) is sleeved on the matching shell (20). A card slot (231) is formed on the shielding shell (23), and the card slot (231) engages with the elastic lock buckle (131) of the connector (1) to lock the connector (1) and the mating connector (2) together.

18. The connector assembly according to claim 17, wherein: A slot (201) is formed on the mating housing (20), and the terminal (21) comprises an elastic contact portion (21b) located in the slot (201); The board card (11) is inserted into the slot (201) and the contact pad (11a) on the board card (11) is in electrical contact with the elastic contact portion (21b).

19. The connector assembly according to claim 18, characterized in that: The mating connector (2) comprises upper and lower rows of terminals (21), wherein the elastic contact portions (21b) of the upper row of terminals (21) are in electrical contact with a row of contact pads (11a) on the front side of the board (11), and the elastic contact portions (21b) of the lower row of terminals (21) are in electrical contact with a row of contact pads (11a) on the back side of the board (11).

20. The connector assembly according to claim 19, wherein: The shielding shell (23) has a plugging pin (23a) suitable for plugging into a circuit board, and the terminal (21) also has a welding pin (21a) extending from the rear end surface of the mating shell (20) and used for welding to the circuit board.

21. The connector assembly according to claim 19, wherein: The mating connector (2) further comprises: A terminal retaining body (24) is molded on the two rows of terminals (21) by an insert injection molding process to hold the two rows of terminals (21) together; The terminal retaining body (24) is installed and fixed in the mating housing (20) to install and fix the two rows of terminals (21) in the mating housing (20).

22. A connector mating method, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S10: providing a connector (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14 and a mating connector (2) suitable for mating with the connector (1); S20: plugging the connector (1) and the mating connector (2) together with a predetermined insertion force until the mating housing (20) is moved to the first position relative to the housing (10); S30: Loosen the connector (1) and the mating connector (2) to allow the mating housing (20) to be moved to the second position relative to the housing (10) under the action of the elastic restoring force of the elastic arm (102).

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