Electric connector and electric connector assembly

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses an electrical connector (100) and an electrical connector assembly (200). The electrical connector comprises an insulating housing (110) and a conductive assembly (120). The conductive assembly comprises at least one conductive shell (130) which is assembled on the insulating shell; a plurality of contact terminals (140), each having a base (1401) and an electrical contact segment (1402) extending from the base, the plurality of contact terminals including at least a plurality of ground terminals (141); and a base plate (150) detachably connected to the insulating housing, the respective base portions (1401) of the plurality of ground terminals being fixed to the base plate, the conductive housing and the respective electrical contact segments of the plurality of ground terminals being held in contact electrical connection with each other by the base plate. The insulating shell is provided with a groove (1105) in at least one side wall (1101) extending in the longitudinal direction of the insulating shell, a supporting piece (160) is embedded in the groove, and the two free ends (1601) of the supporting piece are fixed in the groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly, to an electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly suitable for signal transmission in, for example, but not limited to, the field of data communications. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art used in the field of data communication, a connector assembly is usually used to realize the transmission of signals between two printed circuit boards (PCBs); specifically, as a typical example, the connector assembly mainly includes two connectors that match each other, and the two connectors are respectively installed on two printed circuit boards, and then the two connectors are matched together to realize the transmission of signals between the two printed circuit boards. The existing electrical connector usually includes an insulating housing (such as a plastic housing) and contact terminals (including signal terminals and ground terminals) assembled in the insulating housing. Through these contact terminals of each of the two electrical connectors assembled in the same electrical connector assembly, the two circuit boards are physically interconnected and electrically connected. In order to ensure high-frequency signal transmission performance, the electrical connector assembly in the prior art has very high requirements on the manufacturing tolerance of the insulating housing. Considering that the requirements for manufacturing accuracy using existing manufacturing technology will be very strict, it increases the difficulty and cost of manufacturing.

[0003] Theoretically, in the assembly of the electrical connector assembly, it is hoped that the bottom plane of each insulating housing of each electrical connector is flat and the insulating housing is generally straight as a whole. However, in practice, due to manufacturing and installation errors, and thermal deformation during welding, such as warping at the free end of the housing, it is difficult to achieve such expected surface flatness and overall straightness.

[0004] In particular, the structure of the current electrical connector usually has a longitudinal length much greater than the thickness, so that the overall structure is relatively long and thin, and thus during the reflow soldering process, due to the tendency of the electrical connector, for example, the two ends of the insulating housing to bend and deform (for example, upward), it is easy to cause empty solder joints on both sides. And during the process of assembling the electrical connector into an electrical connector assembly, the flatness of the insulating housings of the two mating electrical connectors (for example, reflected in the flatness of the surface) will jointly determine the assembly accuracy and stability of the assembled electrical connector assembly.

[0005] In the prior art, in order to avoid and reduce such problems, the manufacturing process is generally strictly monitored to improve manufacturing deformation, and the thermal deformation of the welding process is controlled by, for example, enhancing heat dissipation and controlling the single welding time and the time interval between welding, thereby reducing deformation and improving the resulting empty welding problem. However, the use of such a process control method in manufacturing will increase manufacturing costs and still cannot avoid the generation of defective products.

[0006] In view of the above technical problems, there is an urgent need in the art to design an improved electrical connector and electrical connector assembly that can effectively solve the empty welding problem caused by the deformation of the free end. Summary of the invention

[0007] The purpose of the present disclosure is to solve at least one aspect of the above-mentioned problems and defects existing in the prior art by providing an electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly with a simple structure and capable of achieving a surface flattening state of the electrical connector.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present disclosure is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0009] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector is provided, the electrical connector comprising an insulating housing and a conductive assembly. The conductive assembly comprises at least one conductive housing assembled on the insulating housing; a plurality of contact terminals, each of which has a base and an electrical contact segment extending from the base, the plurality of contact terminals comprising at least a plurality of grounding terminals; and a bottom plate detachably connected to the insulating housing, the respective bases of the plurality of grounding terminals being fixed to the bottom plate, and the respective electrical contact segments of the conductive housing and the plurality of grounding terminals being held by the bottom plate in contact-type electrical connection with each other. The electrical connector is formed with a groove in at least one side wall extending longitudinally thereof, and the insulating housing of the electrical connector is also provided with a support member embedded in the groove, the two free ends of the support member being fixed in the groove.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical connector is formed with two grooves respectively in two side walls extending along its longitudinal direction, and the at least one support member includes two support members respectively embedded in the two grooves, each support member is a slender member arranged along the longitudinal direction, and the two free ends of each support member are fixed in the corresponding groove.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, two free ends of each support member are respectively fixed to the groove of the insulating housing in an interference fit manner.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, each support member is further formed with a plurality of protruding structures spaced apart from the two free ends and each other along an extension direction thereof, and the plurality of protruding structures are fitted to a plurality of holes formed in the bottom plate.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of protruding structures are non-detachably fixed to the bottom plate in a form-fitting manner.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of protruding structures are formed as a plurality of barb-shaped protrusions and are non-detachably inserted into the plurality of holes.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of barb-shaped protrusions form an interference fit with respective hole walls of the plurality of holes.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of protruding structures are detachably fixed to the base plate in a snap-locking manner.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of protruding structures are hook-shaped structures and are snapped into a plurality of corresponding snap-in holes on the bottom plate.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, two free ends of each support member are irremovably fixed in the groove of the insulating housing by bonding or plugging.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the support member is a metal sheet or a metal bar.

[0020] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, an electrical connector assembly is provided, comprising two of the aforementioned electrical connectors, wherein the insulating shell of each of the electrical connectors comprises: a main body portion, which extends along a length direction and has a first end and a second end oppositely arranged in the length direction; a first guide structure, comprising at least one guide groove recessedly formed at the first end; and a second guide structure, comprising at least one guide column protruding from the second end, wherein the shape and size of the guide groove and the guide column of one of the two electrical connectors are determined to be respectively adapted to the shape and size of the guide column and the guide groove of the other electrical connector, so that the two electrical connectors engage with each other.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one guide groove includes two guide grooves arranged at intervals in the width direction of the body portion; and the at least one guide column includes two guide columns arranged at intervals in the width direction of the body portion.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, each guide groove is formed into a U-shape opening toward the second end, and a connecting portion is formed between each guide column and the column body portion, and the shape and size of the U-shaped opening are determined to be suitable for receiving the connecting portion.

[0023] According to the electrical connectors and electrical connector assemblies of the various embodiments disclosed above, the overall bending rigidity of the insulating shell of the electrical connector can be improved by additionally providing a groove in at least one side wall in each electrical connector and a support member embedded in the groove, thereby ensuring the coplanarity of the electrical connector (for example, at all welding locations thereof), effectively avoiding the occurrence of empty welds, and reducing the welding defect rate, thereby achieving improved product quality.

[0024] Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will help to have a comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the description, help explain some principles associated with the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings:

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment is shown using an isometric view;

[0027] Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the embodiment is shown in a partially exploded manner according to the functionality of the components / assemblies. Figure 1 An exploded view of an electrical connector;

[0028] FIG. 3( a ) illustrates a schematic diagram of a Figure 1 A top view of an electrical connector;

[0029] FIG. 3( b ) illustrates a schematic diagram of a Figure 1 A bottom view of an electrical connector;

[0030] FIG. 3( c ) illustrates a schematic diagram of a Figure 1 A left side view of an electrical connector;

[0031] FIG. 3( d ) illustrates a schematic diagram of a Figure 1 A right side view of the electrical connector;

[0032] FIG. 3( e ) illustrates a schematic diagram of a Figure 1 A front view of an electrical connector;

[0033] FIG. 3( f ) illustrates a schematic diagram of a Figure 1 a rear view of an electrical connector;

[0034] FIG3( g ) illustrates a cross-sectional view of the insulating housing in the electrical connector shown in FIG3( a ) taken along line AA according to an embodiment;

[0035] Figure 4 It shows that according to the embodiment Figure 1 A schematic exploded view of a conductive component in an electrical connector of , wherein all contact terminals have been removed for clarity;

[0036] Figure 5 It shows that Figure 4 A schematic perspective view of a conductive housing in the conductive assembly shown;

[0037] FIG. 6( a ) and FIG. 6( b ) show the structure of the device in a three-dimensional view and a top view, respectively. Figure 4 The schematic assembly diagram shows that the conductive housing in the conductive assembly is electrically connected to the ground terminal in contact.

[0038] Figure 7 The assembly structure of the electrical connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The technical solution of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below through specific embodiments and in combination with the accompanying drawings. In the specification, the same or similar figure numbers indicate the same or similar parts. The following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall technical concept of the present disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation of the present disclosure.

[0040] 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.

[0041] Figure 1 A schematic perspective view of an electrical connector 100 according to an embodiment is shown using an isometric view. Figure 2 The schematic diagram of the embodiment is shown in a partially exploded manner according to the functionality of the components / assemblies. Figure 1 Exploded view of the electrical connector 100.

[0042] According to an overall technical concept of the present disclosure, for example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, an electrical connector 100 is provided, and the electrical connector 100 includes an insulating housing 110 and a conductive component 120. In an exemplary embodiment, the insulating housing 110 is, for example, made of an insulating material, and the insulating housing 110 is defined by a first side and a second side opposite to each other in a normal direction orthogonal to both a longitudinal direction along its length direction and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In an exemplary embodiment, the conductive component 120 includes, for example, at least one conductive housing 130 assembled on the insulating housing 110, a plurality of contact terminals 140, and a bottom plate 150 detachably connected to the insulating housing 110. As an example, the plurality of contact terminals 140 include, for example, a plurality of ground terminals 141 and a plurality of signal terminals 142, and at least one power supply terminal 143, and the plurality of ground terminals 141 and the plurality of signal terminals 142 can be arranged in a middle area of ​​the electrical connector 100, and the power supply terminal 143 can, for example, be arranged in an edge area of ​​the electrical connector 100, as shown in FIG. Figure 1As shown. And as an example, the plurality of contact terminals 140 are, for example, arranged in multiple rows, more typically, for example, arranged in an array. As an example, each contact terminal 140 has a base 1401 and an electrical contact segment 1402 extending from the base 1401, and the base 1401 is, for example, at least partially exposed from the first side, and the electrical contact segment 1402 is, for example, at least partially exposed from the second side for electrical contact with a corresponding contact terminal 140 of another mating electrical connector 100 (not shown here). And, the plurality of contact terminals 140 generally, for example, include at least a plurality of grounding terminals 141 for achieving grounding of the electrical connector 100. The bottom plate 150 is, for example, disposed on the second side of the insulating housing 110. As an example, the respective bases 1401 of the plurality of grounding terminals 141 are fixed to the bottom plate 150, for example, by solder balls 1403 formed by welding, and the respective electrical contact sections 1402 of the conductive housing 130 and the plurality of grounding terminals 141 are maintained by the bottom plate 150 to be in contact with each other and electrically connected. That is, the electrical connector 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure improves the electrical performance of the entire electrical connector assembly 200 by forming the conductive housing 130 on the basis of the insulating housing 110 and electrically connecting all the grounding terminals 141 by the conductive housing 130 in contact with the grounding terminals 141. While improving the high-frequency signal transmission performance of the electrical connector assembly 200, the high requirements for the manufacturing tolerance of the insulating housing 110, for example, made of plastic, in order to ensure the high-frequency signal transmission performance in the prior art are relatively reduced, thereby improving the influence of the manufacturing tolerance of the plastic insulating housing 110 and all parts (such as terminals) in the prior art on the transmission of high-frequency signals. Furthermore, by providing the bottom plate 150 to which the respective base portions 1401 of the plurality of ground terminals 141 are commonly fixed, the impedance of the entire electrical connector 100 can be improved, thereby improving the transmission of high-speed signals.

[0043] Based on the above-mentioned arrangement of the electrical connector 100, by additionally providing a groove 1105 recessed in at least one side wall in a single electrical connector 100, and a support member 160 embedded in the groove 1105, for example, usually in the form of a slender member arranged along the longitudinal direction, the overall bending rigidity of the insulating shell 110 of the electrical connector 100 is effectively improved, thereby ensuring the coplanarity of the electrical connector 100 (for example, at all welding positions thereof), effectively avoiding the occurrence of empty welds, and reducing the welding defect rate, thereby achieving improved product quality.

[0044] In a further embodiment, for example, the electrical connector 100 is formed with a groove 1105 in at least one side wall 1101 extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the insulating housing of the electrical connector is further provided with a support member 160 embedded in the groove 1105, and two free ends 1601 of the support member 160 are fixed in the groove 1105. And, as an example, typically, each support member 160 is an elongated member arranged in the longitudinal direction.

[0045] Therefore, by utilizing the additional side wall groove 1105 and the arrangement in which a slender support member 160 is embedded, when, for example, the insulating shell 110 is heated during the manufacturing process and its two ends along the length direction have a tendency to warp and deform, for example, upward, since the two free ends 1601 of the support member 160 are fixed in the groove 1105, the support member 160 acts to tension the two ends of the insulating shell 110 outward in the length direction, thereby enhancing the overall rigidity of the insulating shell 110, and thereby improving the overall straightness and the flatness of the surface in the length direction, so as to counteract the tendency of thermal deformation during, for example, reflow soldering of surface mounting, thereby avoiding defects such as empty solder joints.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown, as an example, the electrical connector 100 is formed with two grooves 1105 respectively in two side walls 1101 extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the at least one support member 160 includes two support members 160 respectively embedded in the two grooves 1105, each support member 160 is an elongated member arranged in the longitudinal direction, and the two free ends 1601 of each support member 160 are fixed in the corresponding groove 1105. Thus, by arranging two elongated support members 160 in parallel in the two opposing side walls 1101, more uniform support for the overall rigidity of the entire insulating housing 110 is achieved.

[0047] FIG. 3( a ) illustrates a schematic diagram of a Figure 1 FIG3( b ) shows a top view of the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 1 FIG3( c ) is a bottom view of the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 1 FIG3( d ) shows a left side view of the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 1 FIG3( e ) is a diagram showing a right side view of the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 1 FIG3( f ) shows a front view of the electrical connector 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 1 FIG3(g) is a cross-sectional view of the insulating housing 110 in the electrical connector 100 shown in FIG3(a) taken along line AA according to an embodiment.

[0048] It should be noted that, since the various components / structures (e.g., ground terminals 141, signal terminals 142, terminal channels, etc.) in the electrical connector 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure are presented in multiple forms in the figure, for the purpose of clarity, the reference numerals in the figure only identify one or two identical components / structures, but not all identical components / structures. For example, only a limited number of contact terminals 140 and terminal channels, etc. are identified in the figure. However, those skilled in the art should know that these reference numerals can also refer to components / structures that are not identified in the figure but are the same as the components / structures identified by these reference numerals.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, for example, the insulating housing 110 is made of an insulating material such as plastic.

[0050] And, in an exemplary embodiment, for example Figure 1-2 As shown, the insulating shell 110 may include a frame-shaped main body portion 1103 extending along the length direction, and the main body portion 1103 has two side walls 1101 extending along the length direction and opposite to each other, and two end walls 1102 respectively arranged at two opposite first ends and second ends in the length direction, and a plurality of columns of first partition walls 1104 are also formed in the frame-shaped space jointly defined by the two side walls 1101 and the two end walls 1102 of the frame-shaped main body portion 1103. The plurality of columns of first partition walls 1104 extend, for example, in parallel to each other along the transverse direction (perpendicular to the length direction, also referred to as the width direction of the insulating shell 110) and are connected to the two side walls 1101, and are spaced apart from each other in the length direction. Thus, in the frame-shaped space, a plurality of first terminal installation channels 1106 for accommodating the plurality of contact terminals 140 are defined by the plurality of columns of first partition walls 1104, and each first terminal installation channel 1106, for example, accommodates at least one column of contact terminals 140, typically one column or two columns of contact terminals 140. The plurality of contact terminals 140 are arranged in a plurality of rows separated by the plurality of first partition walls 1104, more typically, for example, in an array arrangement alternately inserted between the plurality of first partition walls 1104.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the support member 160 is, for example, a metal sheet or a metal strip. Thus, the support member 160 is substantially an elongated member made of metal material and arranged along the longitudinal direction. Figure 1 and Figure 2 And combined Figure 3(a) to Figure 3(g)As shown, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, for example, the two free ends 1601 of each support member 160 are respectively fixed to the groove 1105 of the insulating housing 110 in an interference fit manner.

[0052] Due to the material properties of the metal support 160 itself, it has a certain bending rigidity and is not easy to cause obvious deformation in the extension direction perpendicular to the metal support 160 itself under the influence of the heat of reflow soldering. In addition, since the two free ends 1601 of the metal support 160 are tightly pressed against the walls of the groove 1105 of the insulating shell 110 and interfere with each other, the metal support 160 applies an outward force to the walls of the groove 1105, thereby ensuring that the metal support 160 provides additional bending rigidity to the insulating shell 110 during the manufacturing of the electrical connector 100, such as the reflow soldering process, thereby suppressing the warping deformation of the insulating shell 110, for example, in the normal direction orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction along its length and the lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, so that the entire insulating shell 110 and even the electrical connector 100 remain flat, which is conducive to smooth welding and avoids empty solder joints or cold solder joints at both ends.

[0053] And, if Figure 1 and Figure 2 And combined Figure 3(a) to Figure 3(g) As shown, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, for example, each support member 160 is also formed with a plurality of protruding structures 1602 spaced apart from the two free ends 1601 and each other along its extension direction, and the plurality of protruding structures 1602 are fitted into a plurality of holes formed in the base plate 150.

[0054] As an example, the plurality of protruding structures 1602 are non-detachably fixed to the bottom plate 150 in a form-fitting manner. In a further embodiment, the plurality of protruding structures 1602 are, for example, formed as a plurality of barbed protrusions and are non-detachably inserted into the plurality of holes. In a more specific embodiment, the plurality of barbed protrusions, for example, are in an interference fit with the respective hole walls of the plurality of holes.

[0055] By additionally providing a plurality of protruding structures 1602, especially a plurality of barbed protrusions, which are respectively matched to the bottom plate 150 (e.g., the hole walls of a plurality of holes) in the length direction of the metal support 160, it is achieved that the insulating housing 110 of the electrical connector 100 is respectively provided with additional support relative to the bottom plate 150 at a plurality of locations along the length of the metal support 160, and the bending rigidity of the insulating housing 110 along its length direction is further enhanced. And considering that the matching between the barbed protrusions, for example, and the holes on the bottom plate 150 is a permanent and non-detachable matching, the matching between the metal support 160 and the electrical connector 100 is firm and thus ensures that the metal support 160 and the insulating housing 110 are substantially formed into an integrated structure, and there is no risk of the metal support 160 being accidentally removed from the slot 1105 of the insulating housing 110.

[0056] As an alternative embodiment, the plurality of protruding structures 1602 can also be installed to the bottom plate 150 of the electrical connector 100 by means of snap locks and through the slots 1105 in the insulating housing 110, so as to be fixed to the bottom plate 150 in a detachable but firm manner. As an example, the plurality of protruding structures 1602 are hook-shaped structures and are snapped into a plurality of corresponding snap-in holes on the bottom plate 150. Thus, through this arrangement, it is also possible to achieve additional support for the insulating housing 110 of the electrical connector 100 relative to the bottom plate 150 at a plurality of locations along the length of the metal support 160, further enhancing the bending rigidity of the insulating housing 110 along its length. However, this type of cooperation, such as the snap-on locking method and the bayonet snap-fit ​​on the base plate 150, is a detachable non-permanent cooperation. Therefore, the metal support 160 does not actually form a completely structurally integrated structure with the insulating shell 110, but only serves to provide limited additional bending rigidity. In particular, the provision of additional bending rigidity still mainly occurs at the two free ends 1601 where the metal support 160 and the wall of the groove 1105 form a permanent interference fit.

[0057] In another alternative embodiment, the two free ends 1601 of each support member 160 can also be selected to be irremovably fixed in the groove 1105 of the insulating housing 110 by bonding or plugging. And further, it is also optional to additionally set a plurality of protruding structures 1602 (including but not limited to a plurality of barbed protrusions) in the extension direction of the metal support member 160, which are respectively matched to or irremovably fixed to the bottom plate 150 (for example, the hole walls of a plurality of holes) by bonding or plugging. Thus, due to the permanent combination of the two free ends 1601 of the metal support 160 and the insulating housing 110, the insulating housing 110 is given additional bending rigidity at the groove 1105 wall combined with the two free ends 1601 of the metal support 160, thereby ensuring that the insulating housing 110 is inhibited from warping and deformation in the normal direction orthogonal to both the longitudinal direction along its length and the transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (especially at the two ends of the insulating housing 110) during the manufacturing of the electrical connector 100, such as the reflow soldering process, so that the entire insulating housing 110 and even the electrical connector 100 remain flat, which is conducive to the smooth welding and avoids empty solder joints or cold solder joints at the two ends. In addition, the insulating housing 110 of the electrical connector 100 is given additional support relative to the bottom plate 150 at multiple locations along the length of the metal support 160, further enhancing the bending rigidity of the insulating housing 110 along its length. And considering that the fit between, for example, the barbed protrusion and the hole on the base plate 150 is a permanent and non-detachable fit, the fit between the metal support 160 and the electrical connector 100 is secure and thus ensures that the metal support 160 and the insulating housing 110 are essentially formed as an integrated structure, and there is no risk of the metal support 160 being accidentally removed from the groove 1105 of the insulating housing 110.

[0058] Figure 4 It shows that according to the embodiment Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a conductive component 120 in an electrical connector 100 , wherein all contact terminals 140 have been removed for clarity. Figure 5 Shown as Figure 4 FIG6( a ) and FIG6( b ) are schematic perspective views of the conductive housing 130 in the conductive assembly 120. FIG6( a ) and FIG6( b ) are schematic perspective views and top views of the conductive housing 130 in the conductive assembly 120, respectively. Figure 4 The schematic assembly diagram shows that the conductive housing 130 in the conductive assembly 120 is in contact and electrically connected with the ground terminal 141 .

[0059] like Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown in FIG. 6( a) and FIG. 6( b), in the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, the at least one conductive housing 130 is positioned between the insulating housing 110 and the bottom plate 150, and can be assembled to the insulating housing 110, for example, by at least partially plugging into the insulating housing 110. And as an example, each conductive housing 130 is, for example, respectively in contact-type conductive connection with a corresponding plurality of grounding terminals 141 to connect the plurality of grounding terminals 141 together. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the at least one conductive housing 130 may be disposed only in the middle region of the electrical connector 100 .

[0060] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, each conductive shell 130, for example, includes two second side walls 1301 arranged in parallel, and two second end walls 1302, each of the two second end walls 1302 is respectively connected between the ends of the same sides of the two side walls, the two second side walls 1301 and the two second end walls 1302 jointly define a second frame-shaped space, and a plurality of columns of second partition walls 1304 are also formed in the second frame-shaped space, the plurality of columns of second partition walls 1304, for example, extend parallel to each other in the second side walls 1301 and are connected to the two second side walls 1301, and are spaced apart from each other in the direction in which the second end walls 1302 extend. Thus, in the second frame-shaped space, the plurality of second terminal installation channels 1306 for allowing the plurality of contact terminals 140 (especially the respective electrical contact sections 1402 of the plurality of contact terminals 140) to pass through are defined by the plurality of second partition walls 1304, and each second terminal installation channel 1306, for example, accommodates at least one column of contact terminals 140, typically one column or two columns of contact terminals 140. The plurality of contact terminals 140 are arranged in a plurality of rows separated by the plurality of second partition walls 1304, more typically, for example, in an array arrangement alternately inserted between the plurality of second partition walls 1304. And, for example, a plurality of conductive protrusions 1303 are formed on the side surfaces 1304a and 1304b of each second partition wall 1304 and are respectively in contact-type electrical connection with the plurality of grounding terminals 141 passing through the plurality of second terminal installation channels 1306, thereby improving the electrical shielding performance of the electrical connector 100.

[0061] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 6( a ) and FIG. 6( b ), in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, preferably, the conductive housing 130 may be integrally formed with a plurality of conductive protrusions 1303 to simplify the manufacturing process.

[0062] like Figure 4, Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 6( a) and FIG. 6( b), in the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, a plurality of conductive housings 130 are formed side by side and parallel to each other on the insulating housing 110, and are arranged, for example, so that the second side wall 1301 of each conductive housing 130 is aligned along the lateral direction, i.e., the width direction, of the insulating housing 110. Figure 4 As shown, as an example, six conductive housings 130 are formed side by side and parallel to each other on the insulating housing 110. Of course, in other embodiments, other numbers of conductive housings 130 may be formed on the insulating housing 110 according to actual needs. In addition, it should be noted that, since the conductive protrusions 1303 are respectively arranged on the two sides of each vertical wall of the conductive housing 130, there is also a conductive protrusion 1303 between the outermost vertical walls of two adjacent conductive housings 130, which can be used to contact and connect the ground terminal 141 located between the two conductive housings 130.

[0063] As an example, the conductive housing 130 can be formed by physical vapor deposition (PVD) technology or molded interconnect device (MID) technology, and assembled on the insulating housing 110. Among them, MID technology refers to the technology of making or installing components with electrical functions on the surface of the injection-molded plastic housing, such as metal plating, so as to combine the electrical interconnection function of the components with the mechanical support function of the plastic housing. Of course, in other embodiments, other technologies that can metallize the plastic surface can also be used to form the conductive housing 130 on the insulating housing 110.

[0064] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 6 (a) and FIG. 6 (b), in the exemplary embodiment shown in the figure, the conductive housing 130 is a metalized housing formed by depositing a layer of metal on a plastic housing, and the insulating housing 110 is a plastic housing. In the exemplary embodiment, the conductive housing 130 is made by depositing a layer of metal nickel on the plastic housing. Of course, in other embodiments, the conductive housing 130 can also be made by depositing other conductive metal materials, or can also be made by die-casting or casting other conductive pure metal materials.

[0065] Based on the electrical connector 100 set up as above, a groove 1105 located in at least one side wall and a support member 160 embedded in the groove 1105 can be additionally provided in each electrical connector 100, for example, usually in the form of a slender member arranged along the longitudinal direction. When, for example, the insulating shell 110 is heated during the manufacturing process so that its two ends along the length direction have a tendency to warp and deform, for example, upward, since the two free ends 1601 of the support member 160 are fixed in the groove 1105, the support member 160 plays a role in tensioning the two ends of the insulating shell 110 outward in the length direction, so that the overall rigidity of the insulating shell 110 is enhanced to counteract the tendency of thermal deformation during, for example, surface mounting, such as reflow soldering. As a result, the overall straightness and the flatness of the surface in the length direction are improved, thereby ensuring the coplanarity of the electrical connector 100 (for example, at all its welding positions), effectively avoiding the occurrence of empty solder joints, and reducing the welding defect rate, thereby achieving improved product quality.

[0066] Figure 7 The assembly structure of the electrical connector assembly 200 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically illustrated.

[0067] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, Figure 4 The present disclosure further provides an electrical connector assembly 200, comprising two electrical connectors 100 according to the aforementioned, wherein the insulating housing 110 of each of the electrical connectors 100 comprises: a main body portion 1103, wherein the main body portion 1103 extends along a length direction and has a first end and a second end oppositely arranged in the length direction to serve as two end walls of the insulating housing 110 as described above; a first guide structure comprising at least one guide groove 201 recessedly formed at the first end; and a second guide structure comprising at least one guide column 202 protruding from the second end. As an example, the shape and size of the guide groove 201 and the guide column 202 of one of the two electrical connectors 100 are determined to be respectively adapted to the shape and size of the guide column 202 and the guide groove 201 of the other electrical connector 100, so that the two electrical connectors 100 engage with each other. As an example, the guide groove 201 on the insulating housing 110 of a single electrical connector 100 may be the same, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 to Figure 3(g) as shown; or Figure 7 In addition, as an example, the guide posts 202 on the insulating housing 110 of a single electrical connector 100 may be the same, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 to Figure 3(g) as shown; or Figure 7 The alternatives shown are different.

[0068] In a further embodiment, for example as shown in the figure, the at least one guide groove 201 includes two guide grooves 201 arranged spaced apart in the width direction of the main body 1103, and the at least one guide column 202 includes two guide columns 202 arranged spaced apart in the width direction of the main body 1103.

[0069] Preferably, for example, each guide groove 201 is formed into a U-shape opening toward the second end, and a connecting portion 203 is formed between each guide column 202 and the column body portion, and the shape and size of the U-shaped opening are determined to be suitable for receiving the connecting portion 203.

[0070] Through this arrangement, when the two electrical connectors 100 are assembled together, the guide column 202 of any one electrical connector 100 is adapted to engage with the guide groove 201 of the other electrical connector 100 to achieve the effect of guiding the two electrical connectors 100 to be assembled relative to each other. In other words, the guide groove 201 of one electrical connector 100 (hereinafter referred to as the first electrical connector) is adapted to receive the guide column 202 of the other electrical connector 100 (hereinafter referred to as the second electrical connector), and the guide column 202 of the first electrical connector is adapted to be guided and inserted into the guide groove 201 of the second electrical connector to be finally received therein, thereby ensuring that the two electrical connectors 100 are properly assembled relative to each other.

[0071] Furthermore, considering that the electrical connector assembly 200 provided in another aspect of the present disclosure includes two aforementioned electrical connectors 100 , it also has the advantages of the aforementioned electrical connector 100 , which will not be described in detail herein.

[0072] Those skilled in the art can understand that the embodiments described above are exemplary and can be improved by those skilled in the art. The structures described in various embodiments can be freely combined without causing conflicts in structure or principle.

[0073] Although the present disclosure is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the accompanying drawings are intended to exemplify the preferred implementation modes of the present disclosure and should not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.

[0074] Although some embodiments of the general concept of the present disclosure have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general concept of the present disclosure, and the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above exemplary embodiments, but should be limited only by the following claims and their equivalents.

[0075] 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 disclosure.

Claims

1. An electrical connector (100), comprising: Insulating housing (110); A conductive component (120) comprising: At least one conductive housing (130) assembled on the insulating housing (110); A plurality of contact terminals (140), each contact terminal (140) having a base (1401) and an electrical contact section (1402) extending from the base (1401), the plurality of contact terminals (140) comprising at least a plurality of ground terminals (141); and A bottom plate (150) is detachably connected to the insulating housing (110), the respective bases (1401) of the plurality of grounding terminals (141) are fixed to the bottom plate (150), and the respective electrical contact sections (1402) of the conductive housing (130) and the plurality of grounding terminals (141) are held by the bottom plate (150) in contact-type electrical connection with each other, The electrical connector (100) is provided with a groove (1105) in at least one side wall (1101) extending longitudinally thereof, and the insulating housing of the electrical connector is also provided with a support member (160) embedded in the groove (1105), and two free ends (1601) of the support member (160) are fixed in the groove (1105).

2. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 1, wherein: The electrical connector (100) is formed with two grooves (1105) respectively in two side walls (1101) extending along its longitudinal direction, and the at least one support member (160) includes two support members (160) respectively embedded in the two grooves (1105), each support member (160) is a slender member arranged along the longitudinal direction, and the two free ends (1601) of each support member (160) are fixed in the corresponding groove (1105).

3. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The two free ends (1601) of each support member (160) are respectively fixed to the groove (1105) of the insulating housing (110) in an interference fit manner.

4. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 3, wherein: Each support member (160) is also formed with a plurality of protruding structures (1602) spaced apart from the two free ends (1601) and each other along its extension direction, and the plurality of protruding structures (1602) are matched to a plurality of holes formed in the base plate (150).

5. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 4, wherein: The plurality of protruding structures (1602) are non-detachably fixed to the base plate (150) in a form-fitting manner.

6. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 5, wherein: The plurality of protruding structures (1602) are formed as a plurality of barb-shaped protrusions and are non-detachably inserted into the plurality of holes.

7. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 6, wherein: The plurality of barb-shaped protrusions are in interference fit with respective hole walls of the plurality of holes.

8. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 4, wherein: The plurality of protruding structures (1602) are detachably fixed to the base plate (150) in a snap-locking manner.

9. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 8, wherein: The plurality of protruding structures (1602) are hook-shaped structures and are snapped into a plurality of corresponding snap-in holes on the bottom plate (150).

10. The electrical connector (100) according to claim 2, wherein: The two free ends (1601) of each support member (160) are respectively and irremovably fixed in the groove (1105) of the insulating housing (110) by bonding or plugging.

11. The electrical connector (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: The support member (160) is a metal sheet or a metal strip.

12. An electrical connector assembly (200), comprising two electrical connectors (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the insulating housing (110) of each of the electrical connectors (100) comprises: A main body (1103), the main body (1103) extending along a length direction and having a first end and a second end arranged oppositely in the length direction; A first guide structure comprising at least one guide groove (201) concavely formed at the first end; and a second guide structure, comprising at least one guide post (202) protruding from the second end, The shapes and sizes of the guide slot (201) and the guide column (202) of one of the two electrical connectors (100) are determined to respectively match the shapes and sizes of the guide column (202) and the guide slot (201) of the other electrical connector (100), so that the two electrical connectors (100) are engaged with each other.

13. The electrical connector assembly (200) according to claim 12, wherein: The at least one guide groove (201) includes two guide grooves (201) arranged at intervals in the width direction of the body portion (1103); and The at least one guide column (202) includes two guide columns (202) arranged at a distance from each other in the width direction of the body portion (1103).

14. The electrical connector assembly (200) according to claim 13, wherein: Each guide groove (201) is formed into a U-shape opening toward the second end, and a connecting portion (203) is formed between each guide column (202) and the column body portion, and the shape and size of the U-shaped opening are determined to be suitable for receiving the connecting portion (203).

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