Terminal structure circuit board type electric connector

Abstract

The invention discloses a terminal structure circuit board type electric connector. The terminal structure circuit board type electric connector comprises at least one circuit board and a plurality of terminal butt joint metal pieces, the circuit board comprises a circuit board body and a plurality of first slotted holes, the plurality of first slotted holes are formed in the circuit board body and arranged in a row, so that the circuit board body is provided with a terminal part between two adjacent first slotted holes, and the plurality of terminal parts are arranged in a row and form a protruding structure in the direction far away from the circuit board body. The plurality of terminal butt-joint metal pieces are arranged on the protruding structures of the terminal part and are electrically connected with the circuit board, and the terminals of the pair of pair of connectors are in contact with the plurality of terminal butt-joint metal pieces to form electrical connection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of an electrical connector, and more particularly to a circuit board-type electrical connector that does not use a traditional metal spring arm as a terminal structure but instead forms the terminal structure with a circuit board. Background Art

[0002] Electrical connectors are commonly used in electronic devices to connect electrical connections and transmit electronic signals between them. Existing electrical connectors combine long, spring-shaped terminals formed from metal stamping with an insulating structure through a plastic injection molding process, thereby securing and insulating the terminals. The metal spring-shaped terminals consist of a bent, resilient mating portion, a retaining portion secured to the insulating structure, and a soldering portion for connection to the circuit board.

[0003] This existing metal spring-arm terminal has a bent elastic docking portion that extends to the outside of the insulating structure and protrudes from the insulating structure. When docked with an opponent's electrical connector, the metal spring-arm terminal is easily deformed and distorted due to improper insertion of the opponent's electrical connector, which may cause signal transmission problems or even damage the metal spring-arm terminal. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a circuit board type electrical connector with terminal structure, which abandons the metal spring arm-shaped terminals of the prior art and replaces them with terminals formed by a circuit board structure, thus solving the problem that the metal spring arm-shaped terminals of the prior art are easily deformed or even damaged.

[0005] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the present invention provides an embodiment of a circuit board-type electrical connector with a terminal structure, comprising at least one circuit board and a plurality of terminal mating metal members. The circuit board includes a circuit board body and a plurality of first slots. The plurality of first slots are formed in the circuit board body and arranged in a row, such that the circuit board body has a terminal portion between two adjacent first slots. The plurality of terminal portions are arranged in a row and form a protrusion structure away from the circuit board body. A plurality of terminal mating metal members are disposed on the protrusion structure of the terminal portion and electrically connected to the circuit board. The terminals of a pair of hand connectors contact the plurality of terminal mating metal members to form an electrical connection.

[0006] In another embodiment, the circuit board body further includes a first base portion having a first end edge and a second end edge oppositely disposed, and one end of the terminal portion is connected to the first end edge.

[0007] In another embodiment, the terminal mating metal piece extends to the first base portion.

[0008] In another embodiment, the circuit board body further includes a second base portion, and the other end of the terminal portion is connected to the second base portion.

[0009] In another embodiment, the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention also includes a plurality of welding metal parts and a plurality of solder feet. The plurality of welding metal parts are arranged on the second end edge of the first base. The plurality of welding metal parts respectively form electrical connections with the plurality of terminal docking metal parts, and the plurality of welding metal parts are electrically connected to the plurality of solder feet.

[0010] In another embodiment, the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention also includes at least one metal shell, the metal shell includes a shell body and a plurality of second slots, the shell body is arranged on the side of the circuit board body opposite to the plurality of protrusion structures, the plurality of second slots are formed on the shell body and correspond to the plurality of first slots, the shell body forms an elastic support portion between two of the second slots, and the plurality of elastic support portions are arranged in a row and abut against and support the plurality of terminal portions.

[0011] In another embodiment, the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention further includes an adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer combines the circuit board and the metal shell.

[0012] In another embodiment, the circuit board is a flexible circuit board, and the terminal connecting metal member is a metal pad disposed on the flexible circuit board.

[0013] In another embodiment, the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention includes two circuit boards and two metal shells. The protruding structures of the terminal parts of the two circuit boards are arranged facing each other, and a docking space is formed between the two circuit boards for inserting a mating connector.

[0014] In another embodiment, the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention further includes an electrical connection substrate. The two circuit boards are electrically connected by the electrical connection substrate, and the electrical connection substrate is sandwiched between the two circuit boards.

[0015] The present invention's circuit board-type electrical connector with a terminal structure employs multiple protrusions formed on a circuit board, and metal terminal mating members are positioned on these protrusions for electrical connection. When the tongue portion of a mating electrical connector is inserted into the connector, the mating members on the protrusions contact the terminals of the mating connector, forming an electrical connection. This eliminates the traditional use of spring-shaped metal terminals and replaces them with protruding circuit board structures. While achieving the same electrical connection through mating, it avoids the problems of conventional terminals that can easily distort, deform, or even break. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1This is a three-dimensional diagram of the circuit board-type electrical connector with a terminal structure of the present invention being arranged on a circuit board.

[0017] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of an embodiment of a circuit board type electrical connector with a terminal structure according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view along line AA.

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional exploded view of a circuit board type electrical connector with a terminal structure.

[0020] Figure 5 and Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the terminal structure of the circuit board type electrical connector from another perspective.

[0021] Figures 7 to 14 It is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the circuit board type electrical connector with terminal structure of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 15 It is a perspective view of another embodiment of the circuit board type electrical connector with a terminal structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 16 yes Figure 15 Front view of a circuit board type electrical connector with terminal structure.

[0024] Figure 17 It is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the circuit board type electrical connector with a terminal structure of the present invention.

[0025] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1, 1', 1" - terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector; 10 - circuit board; 11 - circuit board body; 12 - first slot; 13 - terminal part; 14 - first base; 15 - second base; 20 - terminal docking metal part; 20g - grounding terminal docking metal part; 30 - welding metal part; 40 - welding foot; 50 - metal shell; 51 - shell body; 52 - second slot; 53 - elastic support part; 60 - adhesive layer; 70 - electrical connection part; 131 - protrusion structure; 141 - first end edge; 142 - second end edge; O - docking interface; P - main circuit board; P1 - welding pad. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] See also Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 3 、 Figure 4 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6, which illustrates an embodiment of the present invention's terminal-structured circuit board-type electrical connector. This embodiment of the terminal-structured circuit board-type electrical connector 1 includes two opposing circuit boards 10, a plurality of terminal mating metal members 20, a plurality of welding metal members 30, a plurality of solder legs 40, two metal shells 50, an adhesive layer 60 connecting the circuit boards 10 and the metal shells 50, and an electrical connector 70. The plurality of terminal mating metal members 20 and the plurality of welding metal members 30 are disposed on the two circuit boards 10. The solder legs 40 are disposed on the circuit board 10 connected to the main circuit board P and form an electrical connection with the solder legs 30. The metal shells 50 are coupled to the circuit boards 10. Each metal shell 50 is used to support the circuit board 10 and maintain its structural shape. Furthermore, when the two metal shells 50 are coupled and positioned, a predetermined spacing is maintained between the two circuit boards 10, facilitating insertion of a mating electrical connector.

[0027] Please also refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The circuit board 10 includes a circuit board body 11 and a plurality of first slots 12. The plurality of first slots 12 are formed in the circuit board body 11 and arranged in a row. The first slots 12 are through holes that penetrate the circuit board body 11. Due to the provision of the plurality of first slots 12, the circuit board body 11 includes a plurality of terminal portions 13 disposed between two adjacent first slots 12, a first base portion 14 connected to one side of the terminal portion 13, and a second base portion 15 connected to the other side of the terminal portion 13. The first base portion 14 and the second base portion 15 are plate-like structures, and the terminal portion 13 is a rectangular parallelepiped structure. The two ends of the terminal portion 13 are respectively connected to the first base portion 14 and the second base portion 15, that is, the first base portion 14 and the second base portion 15 are located on opposite sides of the terminal portion 13. The first base portion 14 is close to the solder pad P1 of the circuit board P, and the second base 15 is close to the docking interface O of the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 of this embodiment.

[0028] Because the plurality of first slots 12 are arranged in a row, the plurality of terminal portions 13 are also arranged in a row. Each terminal portion 13 bends away from the circuit board body 11 to form a protrusion 131. Thus, the terminal portions 13 are disposed between the first base portion 14 and the second base portion 15 to form an arch-bridge-like structure. The protrusions 131 of the terminal portions 13 of the two circuit boards 10 are disposed opposite each other, that is, the protrusions 131 of the terminal portions 13 of the two circuit boards 10 bend and protrude toward each other. The circuit board 10 of this embodiment is a flexible circuit board (FPC).

[0029] A plurality of terminal docking metal parts 20 are disposed on the protruding structure 131 of the terminal portion 13 and form an electrical connection with the circuit board 10. The terminal docking metal part 20 of this embodiment is a metal pad. The terminal docking metal part 20 is disposed on the convex surface of the protruding structure 131 and covers the highest point of the convex surface of the protruding structure 131. The terminal docking metal part 20 extends from the terminal portion 13 to the first base portion 14. The first base portion 14 has a first end edge 141 and a second end edge 142 that are disposed opposite to each other. One end of the terminal portion 13 is connected to the first end edge 141, and the welding metal part 30 is disposed on the second end edge 142 of the first base portion 14. The welding metal part 30 is a metal columnar body disposed on the second end edge 142, and the welding metal part 30 has a recess at the end away from the circuit board 10. A plurality of solder legs 40 are soldered to the bottom surface of the soldering metal member 30 . The solder legs 40 are soldered to the soldering pads P1 of the main circuit board P, so that the soldering metal member 30 and the main circuit board P are electrically connected. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Two different sizes of welding legs 40 are shown. The welding metal member 30 of this embodiment can also be configured to be connected to a conductor of a cable.

[0030] The metal shell 50 includes a shell body 51 and a plurality of second slots 52. The shell body 51 is bonded to the circuit board body 11 via an adhesive layer 60. The shell body 51 is disposed on the side of the circuit board body 11 opposite the protrusion 131 of the terminal portion 13, that is, the shell body 51 is disposed on the back side of the circuit board body 11. The second slots 52 are formed in the shell body 51 and correspond to the first slots 12 of the circuit board 10. The shell body 51 forms an elastic support portion 53 between the two second slots 52. The plurality of elastic support portions 53 are arranged in a row and abut and support the terminal portion 13 of the circuit board 10.

[0031] Because the circuit board 10 of this embodiment is a flexible circuit board, the metal shell 50 supports the circuit board 10. Furthermore, the elastic support portion 53 is formed as a structure that protrudes away from the shell body 51. Therefore, after the metal shell 50 is bonded to the circuit board 10 via the adhesive layer 60, the elastic support portion 53 of the metal shell 50 maintains the shape of the protrusion 131 of the bent protrusion of the terminal portion 13 of the circuit board 10. The metal elastic support portion 53 can elastically deform and clamp the terminal 13 of the circuit board 10 when mated with a mating electrical connector. Thus, the terminal portion 13 of the circuit board 10 of the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 of the present invention, when combined with the elastic support portion 53 of the metal shell 50, can achieve the same electrical connection and clamping force as conventional metal spring-arm terminals.

[0032] An electrical connector 70 is disposed between the two circuit boards 10 and the metal housing 50. The electrical connector 70 is clamped between the two circuit boards 10, electrically connecting the circuits of the two circuit boards 10 via the electrical connector 70. The two metal housings 50 are secured together by snapping or welding, creating a predetermined spacing between the two circuit boards 10. In this embodiment, the electrical connector 70 is a rigid multilayer printed circuit board made of epoxy resin and fiberglass.

[0033] See also Figures 7 to 14 , which shows the manufacturing process of the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 of this embodiment. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, a first slot 12 is opened on the flexible substrate and a metal circuit, a terminal connection metal member 20, a welding metal member 30 and a soldering foot 40 are formed on the flexible substrate by a circuit board manufacturing process to form the circuit board 10 of this embodiment. Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, an adhesive layer 60 is applied to the back of the circuit board body 11 of one of the circuit boards 10, and then a metal shell 50 is formed by stamping and bending a metal sheet. The circuit board body 11 of the circuit board 10 is bonded to the metal shell 50 via the adhesive layer 60. Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, an adhesive layer 60 is applied to the back of the circuit board body 11 of another circuit board 10, and then a metal shell 50 is formed by stamping and bending a metal sheet. The circuit board body 11 of the circuit board 10 is combined with the metal shell 50 through the adhesive layer 60. Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the combination structure of two circuit boards 10 and a metal shell 50 is combined, and the two circuit boards 10 clamp the electrical connector 70 to form an electrical connection. The two metal shells 50 are fixed by snapping or welding, so that there is a predetermined distance between the two circuit boards 10.

[0034] See also Figure 15 and Figure 16 , which represents another embodiment of the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1' of this embodiment has a partially identical structure to the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 of the previous embodiment, so identical elements are given the same symbols and their descriptions are omitted. The difference between the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1' of this embodiment and the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 of the previous embodiment is that the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1' of this embodiment has only one circuit board 10, and therefore only one row of terminal portions 13, and the elastic support portion 53 of the metal shell 50 on the other side is used as a spring to clamp the opposing electrical connector.

[0035] See also Figure 17, which represents another embodiment of the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1" of this embodiment has a partially identical structure with the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 of the previous embodiment, so the same elements are given the same symbols and their descriptions are omitted. The difference between the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1" of this embodiment and the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 of the previous embodiment is that the distance between the second slots 52 of the metal shell part 50 of the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1" of this embodiment can be different depending on the width of the terminal docking metal part 20, and the distance between the second slots 52 on both sides of the grounding terminal docking metal part 20g with a larger width is greater than the distance between the two adjacent second slots 52 on both sides of the other terminal docking metal parts 20.

[0036] The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention can be applied to various female electrical connectors or male electrical connectors. As shown in the diagram of the present invention, the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector 1 can be used for the female electrical connector of a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) or a flexible flat cable (FFC) or a female electrical connector of a circuit board to a circuit board. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention can be a connector with one row of terminals or two rows of terminals, and therefore can also be used for electrical connectors of other electronic interfaces, such as the female electrical connector of USB2.0, the male electrical connector of USB3.0 type C, the male electrical connector of HDMI or the male electrical connector of DisplayPort, etc. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention can be used for interfaces of various existing electronic interfaces and complies with relevant specifications. Electrical connectors of various electronic interfaces provided with the terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector of the present invention are widely used in various electronic devices or modules, such as various interfaces of laptop computers, tablet computers, mobile phones or servers.

[0037] The present invention's circuit board-type electrical connector with a terminal structure employs multiple protrusions formed on a circuit board, and metal terminal mating members are positioned on these protrusions for electrical connection. When the tongue portion of a mating electrical connector is inserted into the connector, the mating members on the protrusions contact the terminals of the mating connector, forming an electrical connection. This eliminates the traditional use of spring-shaped metal terminals and replaces them with protruding circuit board structures. While achieving the same electrical connection through mating, it avoids the problems of conventional terminals that can easily distort, deform, or even break.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and it cannot be used to limit the scope of implementation of the present invention. That is, simple equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims and description of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention. In addition, any embodiment or claim of the present invention does not necessarily achieve all the purposes, advantages or features provided by the present invention. In addition, the abstract and title are only used to assist in searching patent documents and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. mentioned in the description or claims of the present invention are only used to name the elements or distinguish different embodiments or scopes, and are not used to limit the upper or lower limit of the number of elements.

Claims

1. A circuit board type electrical connector with terminal structure, characterized in that: include: At least one circuit board, comprising a circuit board body and a plurality of first slots, the plurality of first slots being formed in the circuit board body and arranged in a row, so that the circuit board body has a terminal portion between two adjacent first slots, the plurality of terminal portions being arranged in a row and forming a protrusion structure in a direction away from the circuit board body; and A plurality of terminal docking metal pieces are arranged on a plurality of the protruding structures of a plurality of the terminal parts and are electrically connected to the circuit board. The terminals of a pair of hand connectors contact the plurality of terminal docking metal pieces to form an electrical connection.

2. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The circuit board body also includes a first base portion, the first base portion has a first end edge and a second end edge which are arranged opposite to each other, and one end of a plurality of the terminal portions is connected to the first end edge.

3. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: At least one of the terminal butting metal parts extends to the first base.

4. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The circuit board body also includes a second base portion, and the other ends of the plurality of terminal portions are connected to the second base portion.

5. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a plurality of welding metal parts and a plurality of welding feet. The plurality of welding metal parts are arranged on the second end edge of the first base. The plurality of welding metal parts are respectively electrically connected with the plurality of terminal docking metal parts, and the plurality of welding metal parts are electrically connected with the plurality of welding feet.

6. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It also includes at least one metal shell, which includes a shell body and a plurality of second slots. The shell body is arranged on a side of the circuit board body opposite to the protrusion structure. The plurality of second slots are formed on the shell body and correspond to the plurality of first slots. The shell body forms an elastic support portion between two of the second slots. The plurality of elastic support portions are arranged in a row and abut against and support the plurality of terminal portions.

7. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The invention also comprises an adhesive layer, which combines the circuit board and the metal shell.

8. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The at least one circuit board is a flexible circuit board, and the plurality of terminal docking metal parts are metal pads arranged on the flexible circuit board.

9. The circuit board type electrical connector with terminal structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The invention comprises two circuit boards and two metal shells. The protrusion structures of the plurality of terminal parts of the two circuit boards are arranged facing each other, and a docking space is formed between the two circuit boards for inserting the counterpart connector.

10. The terminal structure circuit board type electrical connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: The invention also comprises an electrical connection substrate, the two circuit boards are electrically connected by the electrical connection substrate, and the electrical connection substrate is sandwiched between the two circuit boards.

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