Electric connector and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention provides an electric connector which comprises an insulation body, a terminal set contained in the insulation body and a metal shell covering the insulation body, the insulation body comprises a base part, an installation part vertically extending from the base part and a butt joint part transversely extending from the base part, and the base part, the installation part and the butt joint part are integrally connected. The terminal group comprises two rows of mounting arms accommodated in the mounting part and two rows of butt joint arms accommodated in the butt joint part, and the mounting arms and the butt joint arms are integrally connected and are perpendicular to each other in extension direction. According to the electric connector, the structures of the insulating body and the metal terminals are optimized, the butt joint part and the mounting part can be used for realizing electrical plugging with two electric connectors at the same time, and the mounting part is in pluggable connection with an onboard electric connector, so that the electric connector and a circuit board can be quickly and conveniently disassembled and assembled, and after-sales maintenance operation is facilitated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electrical connection, and in particular to an electrical connector and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development trend of small and light consumer electronic products such as notebooks, tablets, and mobile phones, the design and manufacturing process of their components are becoming increasingly demanding. As the products become increasingly light and thin, the internal space becomes very narrow, which requires that the internal layout of the product must be densely packed, and the volume of each electronic component is getting smaller and smaller, and thinner and lighter, and the reliability requirements for the process technology and product connection are getting higher and higher. The existing electrical connectors are generally soldered to the circuit board through surface mount technology (SMT), which is the most common electrical connection method at present. Taking the common Type C USB connector as an example, the tail of its terminal extends out of the insulating body and is soldered to the circuit board to achieve a fixed connection with the circuit board and electrical contact at the same time. Although this method is firm, it also brings certain troubles to subsequent after-sales maintenance or technical upgrades. Special methods must be used to melt the solder at the welding part before the electrical connector can be removed from the circuit board for maintenance or replacement. The entire disassembly process is very inconvenient. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem solved by the present invention is to provide an electrical connector and a manufacturing method thereof, so as to improve the problem of inconvenience in disassembly and maintenance.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: an electrical connector, comprising an insulating body, a terminal group accommodated in the insulating body, and a metal shell covering the insulating body, the insulating body comprising a base, a mounting portion extending vertically from the base, and a docking portion extending laterally from the base, the base, the mounting portion and the docking portion are integrally connected, the terminal group comprises two rows of mounting arms accommodated in the mounting portion, and two rows of docking arms accommodated in the docking portion, the mounting arms and the docking arms are integrally connected and their extension directions are perpendicular to each other.

[0005] Furthermore, the metal shell is installed on the docking part and forms a horizontal plug-in cavity to be plugged into and matched with a docking end electrical connector; a vertical plug-in cavity is formed in the mounting part to be plugged into and matched with a board-mounted electrical connector, and the two rows of mounting arms are distributed on both sides of the vertical plug-in cavity.

[0006] Furthermore, the mounting portion includes a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, the vertical plug-in cavity is formed between the side walls and the end walls, the two rows of mounting arms are distributed on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side walls to be plugged with the on-board electrical connector; the docking portion is provided with a horizontally extending tongue portion, the two rows of docking arms are distributed on the upper and lower surfaces of the tongue portion to be plugged with the docking end electrical connector.

[0007] Furthermore, the docking portion is provided with a connecting portion connected between the base portion and the tongue plate portion, a surface of the connecting portion is provided with a pair of convex ribs and a pair of grooves, and a narrow and long slot is formed between the connecting portion and the mounting portion.

[0008] Furthermore, the metal shell surrounds the outer periphery of the docking portion and is provided with a top cover, a bottom cover and a pair of arc-shaped side covers. The transverse plug-in cavity is formed between the top cover, the bottom cover and the side cover, and the tongue plate portion is surrounded in the transverse plug-in cavity.

[0009] Furthermore, a pair of downwardly protruding spring sheets and a pair of downwardly protruding holding arms are formed on the top cover, the spring sheets protrude into the transverse plug-in cavity, and the holding arms are formed on the rear edge of the top cover and protrude downward into the card slot.

[0010] Furthermore, the top cover is also provided with a pair of convex hooks protruding downward, the convex hooks and the grooves on the connecting portion are arranged in correspondence with each other up and down, and the convex hooks protrude downward into the grooves, and the convex hooks are located between the spring sheet and the clamping arm in the front-to-back direction.

[0011] Furthermore, a metal partition is provided between the two rows of docking arms, and the metal partition and the two rows of docking arms are embedded in the docking portion through an injection molding process, and the metal partition is only accommodated in the docking portion and does not extend into the base or the mounting portion.

[0012] Furthermore, the electrical connector also includes a metal cover, which is provided with a front cover plate covering the metal shell and a rear cover plate covering the base, and the front cover plate and the rear cover plate are both U-shaped and integrally connected to each other.

[0013] Furthermore, the front cover plate is provided with a pair of front ears located at both sides of the metal shell, and the rear cover plate is provided with a pair of rear ears located at both ends of the base, and the front ears and the rear ears are distributed front and back and are located at the same height.

[0014] Furthermore, the terminal group includes an upper mold group, a lower mold group, and a metal partition sandwiched between the upper mold group and the lower mold group, the upper mold group includes a plurality of upper row metal terminals and an upper body for holding the upper row metal terminals, the lower mold group includes a plurality of lower row metal terminals and a lower body for holding the lower row metal terminals, the upper row metal terminals and the lower row metal ends are both provided with docking arms and mounting arms, thereby forming the two rows of docking arms and the two rows of mounting arms.

[0015] Furthermore, the lower body is provided with a raised step portion, the step portion is stopped at one side of the upper body and the metal partition, and the step portion is located between the two rows of mounting arms, and the metal partition is clamped between the upper body and the lower body.

[0016] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an electrical connector, the method comprising the following steps: S01: providing a plurality of upper-row metal terminals and a plurality of lower-row metal terminals in an L-shape, and respectively manufacturing an upper module and a lower module through an injection molding process; S02: Assemble the upper mold assembly and the lower mold assembly up and down, and sandwich a metal partition between the two to form a terminal assembly; S03: forming an insulating body on the terminal group through an injection molding process, and forming a docking portion and a mounting portion facing different directions, and forming two rows of mounting arms in the mounting portion and two rows of docking arms in the docking portion by the upper and lower rows of metal terminals; S04: Cutting off the metal strip connecting the two rows of mounting arms; S05: Assembling a metal shell on the butt joint of the insulating body, so that the metal shell surrounds the butt joint and forms a transverse insertion cavity inside the butt joint; S06: Covering the metal shell and the insulating body with a metal cover at the same time.

[0017] Furthermore, in step S01, an upper module and a lower module are respectively manufactured by injection molding process, including: An upper body is formed on the upper row of metal terminals; A lower body is formed on the lower row of metal terminals, and a raised step portion is formed on the lower body.

[0018] Further, in step S03, the step portion is between the two rows of mounting arms.

[0019] Furthermore, step S06 also includes: welding and fixing the metal cover to the surface of the metal shell by spot welding.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the electrical connector of the present invention optimizes the structure of the insulating body and the metal terminals, and can simultaneously realize electrical plug-in with two electrical connectors by utilizing the docking portion and the mounting portion. By means of the plug-in connection between the mounting portion and an on-board electrical connector, it can quickly and conveniently realize disassembly and assembly with the circuit board, which is beneficial to after-sales disassembly and repair operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the electrical connector of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 It is a partial exploded view of the electrical connector of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 It is a partial manufacturing flow chart of the electrical connector of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 4 The figure is a flow chart of assembling the metal housing and the metal cover of the electrical connector of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 5 The figure is a schematic diagram of the plugging of the electrical connector of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] See also Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention provides an electrical connector 100, comprising an insulating body 10, a terminal group 20 accommodated in the insulating body 10, a metal shell 30 assembled on the insulating body 10, and a metal cover 40 crimped on the metal shell 30, wherein the terminal group 20 is used to realize electrical plugging with a docking element (a board-mounted electrical connector A and a docking end electrical connector B), the metal shell 30 improves the shielding protection effect, and the metal cover 40 can strengthen the shielding effect and strengthen the fixed combination of the electrical connector 100 and the circuit board C. Preferably, the docking end electrical connector B is a Type C USB connector, and the board-mounted electrical connector A is a board-to-board (BTB or Board to Board) electrical connector. The structures of the aforementioned components are described in detail below.

[0027] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the insulating body 10 is provided with a base 11, a mounting portion 12 integrally extending upward from the base 11, and a docking portion 13 integrally extending forward from the base 11, wherein the extending direction of the mounting portion 12 and the extending direction of the docking portion 13 are perpendicular to each other, and are respectively used to electrically contact with two different types of electrical connectors (not shown). The base 11 simultaneously connects the mounting portion 12 and the docking portion 13, and plays the role of connecting the mounting portion 12 and the docking portion 13, and the base 11, the mounting portion 12, and the docking portion 13 are integrally formed by an injection molding process, and a cut corner edge 111 is provided on both sides of the base 11 for matching with the metal cover 40. The mounting portion 12 is provided with a pair of side walls 121, a pair of end walls 122, and a vertical plug-in cavity 123 located on the inner sides of the side walls 121 and the end walls 122. The pair of side walls 121 are arranged parallel to each other, and the vertical plug-in cavity 123 is rectangular with an opening facing upward for electrically plugging with an on-board electrical connector A, thereby achieving installation cooperation with the circuit board C. Preferably, two rows of vertical terminal grooves facing the vertical plug-in cavity 123 are formed on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side walls 121 to accommodate the terminal group 20. The two rows of vertical terminal grooves are respectively located on both sides of the vertical plug-in cavity 123 and are arranged opposite to each other. The pair of end walls 122 are connected to both ends of the pair of side walls 121, and the thickness of the end walls 122 is greater than the thickness of the side walls 121. The docking portion 13 is located at the front side of the mounting portion 12, and extends horizontally forward from the base 11. The docking portion 13 is provided with a connecting portion 131 connected to the base 11 and a tongue portion 132 extending forward from the connecting portion 131. The connecting portion 131 is integrally connected to the base 11 and is used to install and fix the metal shell 30. The surface of the connecting portion 131 is provided with a pair of ribs 133 and a pair of grooves 134. The ribs 133 are used to clamp and interfere with the metal shell 30. The groove 134 is used to clamp and limit the metal shell 30. Preferably, a narrow and long groove 135 is formed between the connecting portion 131 and the base 11 for clamping the metal shell 30, and the length direction of the groove 135 is perpendicular to the length direction of the rib 133; the tongue portion 132 is sheet-shaped, which is integrally connected to the connecting portion 131, and the terminal group 20 is distributed on the upper and lower surfaces of the tongue portion 132 for electrical connection with a docking end electrical connector B.

[0028] It should be noted that the electrical connector of the present invention is electrically plugged with a butt-end electrical connector B through the butt-joint portion 13, and is connected with a board-mounted electrical connector A through the mounting portion 12, so that the electrical connector 100 is mounted and fixed on a circuit board C. When the electrical connector 100 needs to be disassembled and replaced, it only needs to pull out the mounting portion 12 to disconnect from the board-mounted electrical connector A (see FIG. Figure 5), compared with the prior art method that requires heating and melting the solder before disassembly and repair, the electrical connector 100 of the present invention has a faster disassembly method, which is beneficial to improving efficiency and reducing maintenance costs.

[0029] The metal shell 30 is formed by stamping a metal material in one piece. It is installed on the docking part 13 and surrounds the docking part 13 to provide protection and signal shielding. The metal shell 30 is provided with a top cover 31, a bottom cover 32, and a pair of arc-shaped side covers 33. A transverse plug-in cavity 34 is formed between the top cover 31, the bottom cover 32, and the side covers 33. A pair of downwardly protruding springs 35 and a pair of downwardly protruding holding arms 36 are formed on the top cover 31. The springs 35 protrude into the transverse plug-in cavity 34 and are used to be crimped to the docking end electrical connector B to increase the plug-in and pull-out force and retention force of the two electrical connectors. The holding arms 36 are formed on the rear edge of the top cover 31 and protrude downward into the card slot 135 to achieve position limitation in the front-to-back direction to prevent the metal shell 30 from being separated from the docking part 13 forward. Preferably, the top cover 31 is also provided with a pair of convex hook portions 37 protruding downward, the convex hook portions 37 and the grooves 134 on the connecting portion 131 are arranged in correspondence with each other up and down, and the convex hook portions 37 protrude downward into the grooves 134 to further limit the position of the metal shell 30, and the convex hook portions 37 are located between the spring piece 35 and the clamping arm 36 in the front-to-back direction.

[0030] The metal cover 40 is provided with a front cover plate 41 covering the metal shell 30 and a rear cover plate 42 covering the base 11. The front cover plate 41 and the rear cover plate 42 are both U-shaped and integrally connected to each other, and are made by stamping. The front cover plate 41 is provided with a pair of front ears 43 located on both sides of the metal shell 30, and the rear cover plate 42 is provided with a pair of rear ears 44 located at both ends of the base 11. The front ears 43 and the rear ears 44 are distributed front and back and are located at the same height for fixed installation. Preferably, the size of the rear ears 44 is larger than that of the front ears 43.

[0031] The terminal group 20 is embedded in the insulating body 10, and includes two rows of docking arms 201 distributed on the upper and lower surfaces of the tongue plate portion 132, and two rows of mounting arms 202 distributed on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side walls 121. The docking arms 201 are horizontally arranged and extend in the front-to-back direction, and the mounting arms 202 are vertically arranged and perpendicular to the extending direction of the docking arms 201. The docking arms 201 and the mounting arms 202 are integrally connected and together form an L-shaped structure. The docking arms 201 are used to be plugged with the docking end electrical connector B to achieve electrical connection, and the mounting arms 202 are used to be plugged with the onboard electrical connector A to achieve electrical connection, thereby establishing electrical connection with the circuit board C. Preferably, the terminal group 20 also includes a metal partition 23, which is buried in the docking part 13 and between the two rows of docking arms 201, and plays a role of shielding and grounding. The metal partition 23 and the two rows of docking arms 201 are buried in the docking part 13 through an injection molding process, and the metal partition 23 is only accommodated in the docking part 13 and does not extend into the base 11 or the mounting part 12.

[0032] It should be noted that the terminal group 20 includes an upper module 21, a lower module 22 and the metal partition 23. The two rows of mounting arms 202 belong to the metal terminals in the two modules, and the two rows of docking arms 203 also belong to the metal terminals in the two modules. Specifically, the upper module 21 includes a plurality of upper row metal terminals 21a and an upper body 21b for holding the upper row metal terminals 21a. The lower module 22 includes a plurality of lower row metal terminals 22a and a lower body 22b for holding the lower row metal terminals 22a. The upper row metal terminals 21a and the lower row metal terminals 22a are both provided with a docking arm 201 and a mounting arm 202. Thus, the upper module 21, the metal partition 23 and the lower module 22 are respectively manufactured and assembled together to form the terminal group 20, thereby forming two rows of mounting arms 202 and two rows of docking arms 201.

[0033] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an electrical connector, which comprises the following steps: S01: providing a plurality of upper-row metal terminals 21a and a plurality of lower-row metal terminals 22a in an L-shape, and respectively manufacturing an upper mold assembly 21 and a lower mold assembly 22 through an injection molding process; S02: Assemble the upper mold assembly and the lower mold assembly up and down, and sandwich a metal partition 23 between the two to form a terminal assembly 20; S03: forming an insulating body 10 on the terminal assembly 20 through an injection molding process, and forming a docking portion 13 and a mounting portion 12 facing in different directions, and forming two rows of mounting arms 202 in the mounting portion 12 and two rows of docking arms 201 in the docking portion of the upper and lower rows of metal terminals; S04: Cutting off the metal strip 25 connecting the two rows of mounting arms 202; S05: Assemble a metal shell 30 on the butt joint portion of the insulating body 10, so that the metal shell 30 surrounds the butt joint portion 13 and forms a transverse insertion cavity 34 inside the butt joint portion 13; S06 : Covering the metal shell 30 and the insulating body 10 with a metal cover 40 at the same time.

[0034] Among them, in the S01, an upper mold 21 and a lower mold 22 are respectively made by injection molding process, specifically including: forming an upper body 21b on the upper row of metal terminals 21a, forming a lower body 22b on the lower row of metal terminals 22a, and forming a raised step portion 24 on the lower body 22b. Preferably, the step portion 24 is located at the bottom of the vertical plug-in cavity 123, used to abut against the upper body 21b and the metal partition 23 to form a stopper, and the difference between the length of the lower body 22b and the length of the upper body 21b is equal to the width of the step portion 24, which can be referred to Figure 3 shown.

[0035] In S03 , the step portion 24 is between the two rows of mounting arms 202 . Preferably, the distance between the two rows of mounting arms 202 is equal to the width of the step portion 24 .

[0036] Wherein, S06 also includes: welding and fixing the metal cover 40 to the surface of the metal shell 30 by spot welding.

[0037] In summary, the electrical connector 100 described in the present invention optimizes the structure of the insulating body 10 and the metal terminal, and can simultaneously realize electrical plug-in with two electrical connectors by utilizing the docking portion 13 and the mounting portion 12. By means of the plug-in connection between the mounting portion 12 and a board-mounted electrical connector A, it can be quickly and conveniently disassembled and assembled with the circuit board C, which is beneficial to after-sales disassembly and repair operations.

[0038] The above is only the best embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the present invention in any form. Any technician familiar with the field can make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention by using the method disclosed above without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, which all fall within the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising an insulating body, a terminal group received in the insulating body, and a metal shell covering the insulating body, characterized in that: The insulating body includes a base, a mounting portion extending vertically from the base, and a docking portion extending laterally from the base. The base, the mounting portion, and the docking portion are integrally connected. The terminal group includes two rows of mounting arms accommodated in the mounting portion and two rows of docking arms accommodated in the docking portion. The mounting arms and the docking arms are integrally connected and their extension directions are perpendicular to each other.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The metal shell is installed on the docking part and forms a horizontal plug-in cavity to be plugged with a docking end electrical connector; a vertical plug-in cavity is formed in the installation part to be plugged with a board-mounted electrical connector, and the two rows of installation arms are distributed on both sides of the vertical plug-in cavity.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The mounting portion includes a pair of side walls and a pair of end walls, the vertical plug-in cavity is formed between the side walls and the end walls, the two rows of mounting arms are distributed on the inner wall surfaces of the pair of side walls to be plugged with the on-board electrical connector; the docking portion is provided with a horizontally extending tongue portion, the two rows of docking arms are distributed on the upper and lower surfaces of the tongue portion to be plugged with the docking end electrical connector.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein: The docking portion is provided with a connecting portion connected between the base portion and the tongue plate portion, a surface of the connecting portion is provided with a pair of convex ribs and a pair of grooves, and a narrow and long slot is formed between the connecting portion and the mounting portion.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: The metal shell surrounds the periphery of the docking portion and is provided with a top cover, a bottom cover and a pair of arc-shaped side covers. The transverse plug-in cavity is formed between the top cover, the bottom cover and the side covers, and the tongue plate portion is surrounded in the transverse plug-in cavity.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein: A pair of downwardly protruding spring sheets and a pair of downwardly protruding holding arms are formed on the top cover, the spring sheets protrude into the transverse plug-in cavity, and the holding arms are formed on the rear side edge of the top cover and protrude downward into the card slot.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein: The top cover is also provided with a pair of convex hooks protruding downward, the convex hooks and the grooves on the connecting part are arranged in correspondence with each other, and the convex hooks protrude downward into the grooves, and the convex hooks are located between the spring sheet and the clamping arm in the front-to-back direction.

8. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: A metal partition is provided between the two rows of docking arms. The metal partition and the two rows of docking arms are embedded in the docking portion through an injection molding process, and the metal partition is only accommodated in the docking portion and does not extend into the base or the mounting portion.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein: The electrical connector further comprises a metal cover, which is provided with a front cover plate covering the metal shell and a rear cover plate covering the base, wherein the front cover plate and the rear cover plate are both U-shaped and integrally connected to each other.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, wherein: The front cover plate is provided with a pair of front ears located at both sides of the metal shell, and the rear cover plate is provided with a pair of rear ears located at both ends of the base, and the front ears and rear ears are distributed front and back and are located at the same height.

11. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The terminal group includes an upper mold group, a lower mold group, and a metal partition sandwiched between the upper mold group and the lower mold group. The upper mold group includes a plurality of upper-row metal terminals and an upper body for holding the upper-row metal terminals. The lower mold group includes a plurality of lower-row metal terminals and a lower body for holding the lower-row metal terminals. The upper-row metal terminals and the lower-row metal ends are both provided with docking arms and mounting arms, thereby forming the two rows of docking arms and the two rows of mounting arms.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein: The lower body is provided with a raised step portion, the step portion is stopped at one side of the upper body and the metal partition, and the step portion is located between the two rows of mounting arms, and the metal partition is clamped between the upper body and the lower body.

13. A method for manufacturing an electrical connector, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: S01: providing a plurality of upper-row metal terminals and a plurality of lower-row metal terminals in an L-shape, and respectively manufacturing an upper module and a lower module through an injection molding process; S02: Assemble the upper mold assembly and the lower mold assembly up and down, and sandwich a metal partition between the two to form a terminal assembly; S03: forming an insulating body on the terminal group through an injection molding process, and forming a docking portion and a mounting portion facing different directions, and forming two rows of mounting arms in the mounting portion and two rows of docking arms in the docking portion by the upper and lower rows of metal terminals; S04: Cutting off the metal strip connecting the two rows of mounting arms; S05: Assembling a metal shell on the butt joint of the insulating body, so that the metal shell surrounds the butt joint and forms a transverse insertion cavity inside the butt joint; S06: Covering the metal shell and the insulating body with a metal cover at the same time.

14. The method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein: In step S01, an upper module and a lower module are respectively manufactured by injection molding process, including: An upper body is formed on the upper row of metal terminals; A lower body is formed on the lower row of metal terminals, and a raised step portion is formed on the lower body.

15. The method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein: In step S03, the step portion is located between the two rows of mounting arms.

16. The method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to claim 13, wherein: Step S06 also includes: welding and fixing the metal cover to the surface of the metal shell by spot welding.

Images