Connector and electric control unit

Abstract

The invention discloses a connector and an electric control unit which are used for connecting one circuit board and another circuit board in a circuit board assembly. The connector comprises a base, the base comprises an insulating shell, and the shell is provided with a first end and a second end; a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal are electrically connected in the shell, the first terminal and the second terminal respectively extend out of the shell from the first end and the second end, the first terminal comprises a first welding part, the second terminal comprises a second welding part and a buffer section, and the buffer section is electrically connected with the first welding part and the second welding part. The buffer section has a flexible structure. The structure of the connector is simplified.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a connector for connecting circuit boards and an electric control unit with the connector built in. Background Art

[0002] A single circuit board in a circuit board assembly is electrically connected to another single circuit board through a connector. The connector can take many forms depending on the positional relationship of the two circuit boards to be connected, the space they provide for the connector, and the voltage and current to be transmitted. The connector can be an FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) connector, an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) connector, a WTB (Wire to Board) connector, and a BTB (Board to Board) connector. These connectors usually consist of a male connector and a female connector, which will occupy part of the space on the circuit board. In addition, the connection between them is a physical connection, which has the risk of failure and is not cheap to manufacture. Summary of the invention

[0003] One aspect of the present application is to provide a connector for connecting one circuit board with another circuit board in a circuit board assembly, comprising: a base, the base comprising an insulating shell, the shell having a first end and a second end; a first terminal and a second terminal, the first terminal and the second terminal being electrically connected within the shell, the first terminal and the second terminal extending out of the shell from the first end and the second end respectively, the first terminal comprising a first welding portion, the second terminal comprising a second welding portion and a buffer segment, the buffer segment having a flexible structure.

[0004] In one embodiment of the connector, the flexible structure is formed by metal stamping, the flexible structure is constructed to have a bent shape and is closer to the second end than the second welding portion, and the flexible structure has a stop portion, which is stopped outside the welding hole of the circuit board when the second welding portion is installed on the circuit board.

[0005] In an embodiment of the connector, the shape has at least two arcs connected in series, and directions of adjacent arcs are opposite.

[0006] In an embodiment of the connector, the first terminal and the second terminal are integrally formed; the first welding portion is configured to be welded to a circuit board patch after being bent; the second welding portion is plug-welded to another circuit board, and the second welding portion is configured to have a guide head; the one circuit board and the other circuit board are parallel to each other, and the first end and the second end are located at opposite ends of the shell in a direction perpendicular to any one of the circuit boards.

[0007] In one embodiment of the connector, the shell has a first foot and a second foot extending from both sides thereof, and the first terminal is arranged between the first foot and the second foot; the first foot and the second foot each have a bottom surface, and a positioning column is provided on the bottom surface for inserting a circuit board until the bottom surface abuts against the surface of the circuit board.

[0008] In an embodiment of the connector, there are at least two first terminals, wherein a first welding portion of one of the first terminals is bent toward the front side of the housing and a first welding portion of another first terminal is bent toward the back side of the housing.

[0009] In one embodiment of the connector, the bottom surface of any one of the first leg and the second leg is flat and lower than the bottom surface of the bent first soldering portion, so that during the insertion of the positioning column into the circuit board, the first leg and the second leg contact the circuit board before the first soldering portion.

[0010] In an embodiment of the connector, there are at least two first terminals, and the first welding portion of each of the first terminals is bent toward the front side of the shell, the bottom surface of any one of the first leg and the second leg includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface, the first bottom surface is located on the back side of the shell, the second bottom surface is located on the front side of the shell, and the bent first welding portion has a third bottom surface, wherein the first bottom surface is lower than the second bottom surface, and the third bottom surface is lower than the first bottom surface.

[0011] In an embodiment of the connector, ribs are provided below the first leg, the second leg, and the front or back surface of the shell to lower the center of gravity of the connector.

[0012] The present application simplifies the structure of the connector, and the two terminals are fixed in a single base and are responsible for connecting the circuit boards at their respective ends. The connection between the connector and each circuit board is a metal connection, and the two terminals are integrated, which reduces the connection points, improves the connection quality, and increases the service life of the circuit board assembly. Compared with the known connector including a male connector and a female connector, the present application saves space. By providing a flexible structure to absorb the energy generated by the stress change of the circuit board, the connection performance of the connector is improved, especially during vibration or thermal stress of the circuit board.

[0013] The present application also enables the connector to be stably connected between circuit boards by designing the foot of the base and the patch terminal.

[0014] Another aspect provided by the present application is to provide an electronic control unit, which includes a shell, a circuit board assembly is arranged in the shell, one circuit board in the circuit board assembly is connected to another circuit board through a connector described in any one of the above embodiments, and any one of the circuit boards is fixed to the shell.

[0015] The electronic control unit of the present application has the advantages of simple and reliable structure, easy manufacturing, and low cost.

[0016] Other aspects and features of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, as reference should be made to the appended claims. It should also be understood that the drawings are intended only to conceptually illustrate the structures and processes described herein and, unless otherwise indicated, are not necessarily drawn to scale. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The present application will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals in the drawings always refer to the same elements in the drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a circuit board assembly connected with the connector involved in the present application;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of removing the upper circuit board from the circuit board assembly;

[0020] Figure 3-4 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a connector involved in the present application;

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 3-4 A schematic diagram of the middle terminal integrated part;

[0022] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the connector involved in the present application;

[0023] Figure 7 for Figure 6 The front view of the connector;

[0024] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of circle A in the middle;

[0025] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of another embodiment of the connector involved in the present application;

[0026] Fig.10 for Fig. 9 The front view of the connector;

[0027] Fig.11 for Fig.10 A magnified image of circle B in the middle; and

[0028] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of an electronic control unit involved in the present application.

[0029] List of Reference Numerals

[0030] Circuit board assembly 10

[0031] Upper circuit board 12

[0032] Lower circuit board 14

[0033] Connector 16

[0034] Base 20

[0035] Housing 22

[0036] First end 24

[0037] Second end 26

[0038] Left 28

[0039] Right 30

[0040] Front 32

[0041] Back 34

[0042] Ontology 36

[0043] Top surface 38

[0044] First leg 40

[0045] Second leg portion 42

[0046] Vertical section 44

[0047] Horizontal section 45

[0048] Bottom surfaces 48, 49 of the first and second foot portions

[0049] Positioning columns 50, 51

[0050] First terminal 52

[0051] Second terminal 54

[0052] First welding portion 56

[0053] Second welding portion 58

[0054] Buffer segment 60

[0055] Guide head 62

[0056] Flexible structure 64

[0057] Stopper 66

[0058] Arc 68, 69

[0059] The bottom surface 70 of the first welding portion

[0060] Tendons 72, 73, 74

[0061] First bottom surface 77

[0062] Second bottom surface 78

[0063] The third bottom surface 79

[0064] Housing 80 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] In order to help those skilled in the art to accurately understand the subject matter for which protection is sought in the present application, the specific implementation of the present application is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0066] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of an embodiment of the connector involved in the present application connected to a circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly 10 includes two parallel circuit boards, the upper circuit board 12 and the lower circuit board 14, and the connector 16 is connected between the upper circuit board 12 and the lower circuit board 14. The upper and lower circuit boards 12 and 14 can be connected by multiple connectors of the present application, such as Figure 1 As shown, there are a total of 12 connectors dispersedly arranged and connected between two circuit boards in a direction perpendicular to the circuit boards. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The circuit board assembly in FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram after removing the upper circuit board. The circuit board assembly may also include more circuit boards, and the connector involved in the present application is connected between adjacent circuit boards.

[0067] Figure 3-5 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a connector involved in the present application. The connector 16 includes a base 20 and a first terminal 52 and a second terminal 54 supported by the base 20. The base 20 includes an insulating housing 22 and has a first end 24 and a second end 26. The first end 24 and the second end 26 are located at opposite ends of the housing 22, such as Figure 3As shown, the lower end of the housing 22 is the first end 24, and the upper end is the second end 26. The first terminal 52 and the second terminal 54 are electrically connected in the housing 22. The first terminal 52 and the second terminal 54 extend out of the housing 22 from the first end 24 and the second end 26, respectively, so that they are located outside the housing 22. The first terminal 52 includes a first welding portion 56, and the second terminal 54 includes a second welding portion 58. The two terminals are connected to the circuit board through the corresponding welding portions. In addition to the second welding portion 58, the second terminal 54 also includes a buffer section 60, and the buffer section 60 is arranged closer to the second end 26 than the second welding portion 58. The buffer section 60 has a flexible structure 64, such as Figure 5 As shown, the flexible structure 64 is configured to absorb energy generated from any circuit board in the circuit board assembly due to stress changes in the circuit board and transmitted to the connector.

[0068] By arranging such a flexible structure 64 in a section of the terminal, various forms of energy such as vibration, deformation, displacement, etc. can be absorbed. These energies are generated due to stress changes in the circuit board, for example, when the circuit board vibrates, or during temperature rise, two circuit boards produce different amounts of deformation. Starting from the circuit board, the energy generated by the stress change is transmitted to the connector 16 via the first terminal 52 or the second terminal 54. Because the flexible structure 64 can absorb the energy, the strength of other parts of the connector 16 is maintained.

[0069] In addition, the flexible structure 64 can also reduce the damage to the terminal caused by possible internal stress concentration. For example, if the welding holes on the corresponding positions of the circuit board are not aligned, the second terminal 26 may be deformed during installation, and the flexible structure 64 can protect the second terminal 26.

[0070] In addition to providing the flexible structure 64 on a section of the second terminal 54, the first terminal 52 may also be provided with a flexible structure. For example, the first terminal 52 includes another buffer section that is closer to the first end 24 than the first welding portion 56 and has the same or different flexible structure as the second terminal 54.

[0071] The flexible structure 64 is constructed to have a bent shape and a stopper 66 for positioning. When assembling the circuit board, the second soldering portion 58 can be inserted into the soldering hole on the circuit board, while the stopper 66 cannot pass through the soldering hole and is stopped outside the soldering hole, thereby positioning the circuit board, which is beneficial to the subsequent soldering between the circuit board and the second soldering portion 58. Figure 4As shown, the first terminal 52 and the second terminal 54 are metal parts and are integrally formed, for example, by a stamping process. The flexible structure 64 includes two arcs 68 and 69 connected in series, and the directions of the two arcs are opposite, and the overall shape is "S". The stop portion 66 is at the starting point of the shape, that is, the beginning of the upper arc 68. When the first terminal 52 and the second terminal 54 are integrated in the housing 22, the upper arc 68 in the flexible structure 64 is a C-shape opening toward the back of the housing 22, and the lower arc 69 is another C-shape opening toward the front of the housing 22. In addition, the directions of the two arcs 68 and 69 are not limited to opposite, and can be crossed. Inconsistent directions can avoid stress concentration; the number of arcs is not limited to two, and can be one C-shape, or more than two C-shapes. The flexible structure 64 can also have a wave shape or even a spring. The flexible structure 64 can absorb energy in all directions, including vertical and horizontal directions, so energy of any form and direction can be consumed in the flexible structure. In addition, since the directions of the multiple arcs in the flexible structure 64 are different, no stress concentration will be generated inside the flexible structure after the energy reaches the flexible structure.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiment, the first soldering portion 56 is configured to be bent in one direction, and the first soldering portion 56 is connected to the circuit board patch. The second soldering portion 58 is straight, and is plug-connected to the circuit board. The second soldering portion 58 has a guide head 62, which facilitates its insertion into the corresponding socket of the circuit board. In another embodiment, the first soldering portion 56 can be in the same form as the second soldering portion 58, that is, plug-connected to the circuit board and having a guide head.

[0073] In the illustrated embodiment, the connector 16 has three first terminals 52 and three second terminals 54. The number of the first terminals 52 and the second terminals 54 may be less than three or more than three.

[0074] The housing 22 has a substantially rectangular body 36 and a first foot 40 and a second foot 42 extending from the bottom of the body 36. The first foot 40 and the second foot 42 are respectively arranged on both sides of the housing 22, such as the left side 28 and the right side 30, and the two are arranged symmetrically. The first foot 40 and the second foot 42 each include a vertical section and a horizontal section 46, 47 connected to the vertical section 44, 45. The vertical sections 44, 45 of the first foot 40 and the second foot 42 respectively provide space for the bottom of the body 36. A plurality of first terminals 52 are located in the space. The horizontal sections 46, 47 of the first foot 40 and the second foot 42 respectively include a bottom surface 48, 49. Each bottom surface 48, 49 is provided with a positioning column 50, 51, which can be inserted into the circuit board until the bottom surface 48, 49 abuts against the surface of the circuit board, indicating that the circuit board has been installed in place. In the illustrated embodiment, the first foot 40 and the second foot 42 have different positioning posts 50 and 51, which depends on the layout of the circuit board and has a mistake-proofing effect. In other embodiments, the first foot 40 and the second foot 42 have the same positioning posts.

[0075] The top of the body 36 of the housing 22 is provided with a top surface 38. The top surface 38 provides a pick-up surface. During assembly, the robot transfers the connector 16 from one location to another through the top surface 38 under suction.

[0076] The base 20 is an injection molded part. As mentioned above, the terminal integral part of the first terminal 52 and the second terminal 54 is first stamped out. The terminal integral part has a flat cross-section. The terminal integral part is then placed in a mold formed according to the shape of the housing 22. Finally, the injection molding process is applied. While the base 20 is being molded, the base 20 is fixed together with the terminal integral part. The connector of the present application is easy to manufacture and implement, and the manufacturing process is simplified. By controlling the gaps between multiple terminal integral parts, a connector capable of operating at a high voltage greater than 100V can be obtained.

[0077] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the connector involved in the present application. For the sake of clarity, the connector is inverted. Figure 3-4The embodiment is shown from an angle. The connector has a top surface 38 of the body 36 of the housing 22 with a larger area. A plurality of first terminals 52 are arranged between the first leg 40 and the second leg 42, and are configured such that the first soldering portion 56 thereof is bent to connect with the circuit board patch. Different from the previous embodiment, the bending directions of at least two first soldering portions 56 are staggered. In the illustrated embodiment, the two first soldering portions 56 located at the most side positions are bent toward the front face 32 of the housing 22, while the third first soldering portion 56 in the middle is bent toward the back face 34 of the housing 22. By bending the terminals in different directions instead of bending in the same direction as in the previous embodiment, it can be ensured that the connector is assembled correctly to the circuit board. In one embodiment, the first soldering portion 56 is soldered to one circuit board first, and then the second soldering portion 58 is soldered to another circuit board. The plurality of first soldering portions 56 are bent in staggered directions to prevent the connector from tilting on the one circuit board, which is conducive to the insertion of the second soldering portion 58 into the other circuit board.

[0078] exist Figure 7-8 In the illustrated embodiment, in addition to the multiple first soldering portions being bent in different directions, the bottom surfaces 48 and 49 of the first leg 40 and the second leg 42 are configured to be lower than the bottom surface 70 of each first soldering portion 56. This design allows the first leg 40 and the second leg 42 to contact the circuit board before each first soldering portion 56 during the insertion of the connector into the circuit board, thereby keeping the connector in a neutral position. In one embodiment, only the height of the bottom surfaces 48 and 49 of the first leg 40 and the second leg 42 is designed to be lower than the bottom surface 70 of each first soldering portion 56, while the first soldering portions 56 are bent in the same direction. As long as the flat bottom surfaces 48 and 49 with a certain area are in contact with the circuit board, it can also be ensured that the connector is kept in a neutral position.

[0079] When the housing is relatively high, or when the two circuit boards need to be spaced sufficiently apart so that the housing has to be increased in height, the center of gravity of the connector is raised accordingly, which may cause tilting. This tilting occurs after the first soldering portion is soldered to a circuit board. Figure 6-8In the illustrated embodiment, ribs 72 and 73 extending to the side (such as the left or right side) are arranged on the first foot 40 and the second foot 42 to increase the weight of the bottom of the housing 22, thereby reducing the center of gravity and avoiding the tilting problem of the connector. The ribs can also enhance the strength of the housing. In the illustrated embodiment, the ribs 72 and 73 have a triangular shape, one of the two sides of which connects the vertical sections 44 and 45, and the other side connects the horizontal sections 46 and 47. Alternatively, by arranging the rib 74 at a position close to the bottom of the front 32 or back 34 of the housing 22, the center of gravity can also be lowered. In the embodiment in the figure, the rib 74 also has a triangular shape, one of the two sides of which connects the body 36 of the housing 22, and the other is connected to the enlarged bottom of the housing 22. In one case, the connector whose first welding portion 56 is bent toward the front 32 of the housing 22 will tilt toward the back 34 of the housing 22 after welding, and the rib 74 is arranged on the front 32 of the housing 22 to counteract the tilt.

[0080] Figure 9-11 Schematic diagram of another embodiment of the connector involved in the present application, in which the connector is also presented at an inverted angle for the sake of clarity. The bottom surface of the first leg 40 and the second leg 42 includes multiple surfaces, such as the first bottom surface 77 and the second bottom surface 78 shown in the figure. Multiple first terminals 52 are arranged in the space between the first leg 40 and the second leg 42. The first welding portion 56 of these first terminals 52 has a third bottom surface 79. The first welding portions 56 are all bent toward the front side 32 of the housing 22. The first bottom surface 77, the second bottom surface 78, and the third bottom surface 79 are designed to have a drop, wherein the third bottom surface 79 is the lowest, followed by the first bottom surface 77, and finally the second bottom surface 78. That is, the third bottom surface 79 is lower than the first bottom surface 77, and the first bottom surface 77 is lower than the second bottom surface 78. According to the housing 22 tending to tilt toward its back side 34, the first bottom surface 77 is arranged in the direction of the back side 34 of the housing 22 of each leg. The second bottom surface 78 is arranged in the direction of the front side 32 of the housing 22.

[0081] Fig.12 Schematic diagram of an embodiment of an electronic control unit involved in the present application. The electronic control unit includes a housing 80, in which a circuit board assembly 10 is arranged, such as a circuit board assembly consisting of upper and lower circuit boards 12 and 14 as shown in the figure, wherein the upper circuit board 12 and the lower circuit board 14 are connected by a plurality of connectors 16. The upper circuit board 12 and the lower circuit board 14 are respectively fixed to the housing 80. The electronic control unit can be various electronic control units (Electronic Control Unit, ECU), including a control unit containing a power module for a vehicle, such as a power electronic unit (Power Electronic Unit, PEU).

[0082] Although specific embodiments of the present application have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the principles of the present application, it should be understood that the present application can be implemented in other ways without departing from such principles.

Claims

1. A connector for connecting one circuit board to another circuit board in a circuit board assembly, characterized in that include: A base (20), the base (20) comprising an insulating housing (22), the housing (22) having a first end (24) and a second end (26); A first terminal (52) and a second terminal (54), wherein the first terminal (52) and the second terminal (54) are electrically connected in the housing (22), and the first terminal (52) and the second terminal (54) extend out of the housing (22) from the first end (24) and the second end (26), respectively; the first terminal (52) comprises a first welding portion (56), and the second terminal (54) comprises a second welding portion (58) and a buffer section (60), and the buffer section (60) has a flexible structure (64).

2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible structure (64) is formed by metal stamping. The flexible structure (64) is constructed to have a bent shape and is closer to the second end (26) than the second soldering portion (58). The flexible structure (64) has a stop portion (66). When the second soldering portion (58) is installed on the circuit board, the stop portion (66) is stopped outside the soldering hole of the circuit board.

3. The connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shape has at least two arcs (68, 69) connected in series, and the directions of adjacent arcs (68, 69) are opposite.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: The first terminal (52) and the second terminal (54) are integrally formed; the first welding portion (56) is configured to be welded to a circuit board patch after being bent; the second welding portion (58) is configured to be straight, plug-welded to another circuit board, and has a guide head (62); the one circuit board and the other circuit board are parallel to each other, and the first end (24) and the second end (26) are located at opposite ends of the housing (22) in a direction perpendicular to any one of the circuit boards.

5. The connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The housing (22) has a first foot (40) and a second foot (42) extending from both sides thereof, and the first terminal (52) is arranged between the first foot (40) and the second foot (42); the first foot (40) and the second foot (42) respectively have a bottom surface (48, 49), and positioning columns (50, 51) are provided on the bottom surfaces (48, 49) for inserting into a circuit board until the bottom surfaces (48, 49) abut against the surface of the circuit board.

6. The connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are at least two first terminals (52), wherein the first welding portion (56) of one of the first terminals (52) is bent toward the front side (32) of the shell (22), and the first welding portion (56) of the other first terminal (52) is bent toward the back side (34) of the shell (22).

7. The connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The bottom surface (48, 49) of any one of the first foot (40) and the second foot (42) is flat and lower than the bottom surface (70) of the bent first soldering portion (56), so that when the positioning column (50, 51) is inserted into the circuit board, the first foot (40) and the second foot (42) contact the circuit board before the first soldering portion (56).

8. The connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: There are at least two first terminals (52), and the first welding portion (56) of each of the first terminals (52) is bent toward the front side (32) of the shell (22); the bottom surface of any one of the first leg (40) and the second leg (42) includes a first bottom surface (77) and a second bottom surface (78); the first bottom surface (77) is located on the back side (34) of the shell (22); the second bottom surface (78) is located on the front side (32) of the shell (22); the bent first welding portion (56) has a third bottom surface (79); the first bottom surface (77) is lower than the second bottom surface (78); and the third bottom surface (79) is lower than the first bottom surface (77).

9. The connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: Ribs (72, 73, 74) are provided below the first leg (40), the second leg (42), and the front side (32) or the back side (34) of the housing (22) to lower the center of gravity of the connector.

10. An electronic control unit, characterized in that It comprises a shell (80), wherein a circuit board assembly (10) is arranged inside the shell (80), one circuit board in the circuit board assembly (10) is connected to another circuit board via a connector (16) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and any one of the circuit boards is fixed to the shell (80).

Images