Electric connector

Abstract

An electric connector comprises a connector body and a secondary lock. The connector body comprises a shell and a lock catch cantilever arranged on the shell, the shell is provided with a butt joint face, the lock catch cantilever extends backwards from the position close to the butt joint face, and the free end of the lock catch cantilever and the shell are arranged in a spaced mode to form a gap. The secondary lock comprises a first blocking part and a second blocking part; after the electric connector is inserted into a butt joint connector, the first resisting part of the secondary lock is inserted into the gap so as to prevent the lock catch cantilever from deforming, and the second resisting part abuts against the butt joint face arranged on the butt joint connector. The secondary lock is provided with the two resisting parts, the lock catch cantilever can be prevented from moving downwards in the up-down direction, the secondary lock can abut against a butt joint connector in the front-back direction, multiple fixing effects are achieved, and the structure is simple.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The invention discloses an electric connector. [Background technology]

[0002] CN206595480U discloses a double lock structure between Ethernet board-end and line-end automobile connectors, including a board-end connector body, a line-end connector body and a locking plate, wherein the board-end connector body can be plugged with the line-end connector body; the board-end connector body includes a buckle plate, which is arranged at the top of the board-end connector body, and the buckle plate near the plug-in end is provided with an inward hook-shaped body; the near plug-in end of the hook-shaped body is provided with a sliding slope; the line-end connector body includes a buckle strip, which is arranged at the top of the line-end connector body; the buckle strip includes a long bevel and a short bevel; the long bevel and the short bevel are respectively arranged at the near plug-in end and the far plug-in end of the buckle strip; the locking plate includes a longitudinal elastic fastener 31 and a transverse elastic fastener; the longitudinal elastic fastener and the transverse elastic fastener are respectively arranged in the middle and both sides of the locking plate. It can be understood from the patent drawings that the structure of the locking plate is complex and fragile, and it is easy to break when the size is relatively small.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an electrical connector to solve the above problems. [Summary of the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having an improved secondary lock.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: an electrical connector, comprising a connector body and a secondary lock; the connector body comprises a shell and a lock cantilever arranged on the shell, the shell has a docking surface, the lock cantilever extends backward from a position adjacent to the docking surface, and its free end is spaced apart from the shell to form a gap; the secondary lock comprises a first stopper and a second stopper; after the electrical connector is inserted into a docking connector, the first stopper of the secondary lock is inserted into the gap to prevent the lock cantilever from deforming, and the second stopper abuts against the docking surface provided on the docking connector.

[0006] Compared with the prior art, the secondary lock of the present invention has two abutting parts, which can prevent the lock cantilever from moving downward in the up and down directions, and can abut against the docking connector in the front and back directions, have multiple fixing effects, and are also simple in structure.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a docking connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the two connectors are docked with each other;

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1Section view along the selected line AA;

[0009] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Section view along the selected line BB;

[0010] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a docking connector;

[0011] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional diagram of the CEC connector;

[0012] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A three-dimensional diagram of the secondary lock and the housing being separated from each other;

[0013] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A three-dimensional image from another angle;

[0014] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A three-dimensional image of the secondary lock from another angle.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an electrical connector and a docking connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, wherein the two connectors are docked with each other;

[0016] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 Sectional view along the selected line CC;

[0017] Fig.11 yes Fig. 9 Sectional view along the selected line DD;

[0018] Fig.12 yes Fig. 9 A perspective view of a docking connector;

[0019] Fig.13 yes Fig. 9 A three-dimensional diagram of the secondary lock and the housing being separated from each other;

[0020] Fig.14 yes Fig.13 A three-dimensional view of the middle shell from another angle;

[0021] Fig.15 yes Fig.13 A three-dimensional image of the secondary lock from another angle.

[0022]

Component Symbol Description

[0023]

[0024]

[0025] The following specific implementation manner will further illustrate the present invention in conjunction with the above-mentioned drawings. [Specific implementation method]

[0026] Figures 1 to 8 A first embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1-3 As shown, the present invention is an electrical connector combination, which includes an electrical connector 100 and a docking connector 200. The electrical connector 100 is connected to a cable (not shown) at the rear end. The docking connector 200 can be installed on a circuit board (not shown) or connected to a cable (not shown) at the rear end. There is a locking structure between the two connectors to prevent them from being disengaged. In this embodiment, the electrical connector combination is generally used in automobiles, such as connecting wiring harnesses for headlights, to achieve a shockproof effect. For the convenience of description, the direction in which the two connectors face each other is the front end, and the direction opposite to each other is the rear end.

[0027] Ginseng Figure 4 As shown, the docking connector 200 includes a housing 30 made of insulating material, a docking cavity 31 is formed in the housing, and a plurality of conductive terminals (not shown) are fixed to the housing 30 and protrude into the docking cavity 31, forming a connector body in the form of a socket. The inner surface of a side wall of the housing is provided with a receiving groove 32 extending forward, and a rigid protrusion 33 is protruded in the receiving groove 32 to form a buckle 33, and a limiting groove 34 further extends forward through the side wall.

[0028] Ginseng Figure 5-8 As shown, the electrical connector 100 includes a housing 10 made of insulating material and a secondary lock 20. The housing has a mating surface 11 at the front end, a terminal slot 12 penetrating the mating surface, and a locking cantilever 13 at a side. A plurality of conductive terminals (not shown) are fixed in the terminal slot 12 to form a connector body in the form of a plug. In this embodiment, the locking cantilever 13 is arranged on the top side, and the locking cantilever 13 extends from the adjacent mating surface 11, and its free end is spaced apart from the housing 10 to form a gap 131.

[0029] More specifically, the lock cantilever 13 is provided with a longitudinal groove 132 extending in the front-to-back direction, a lock portion 133 running across the longitudinal groove, and a rear end bridge portion 134. The lock portion 133 is located in the longitudinal groove 132 to connect the two arms of the lock cantilever separated by the longitudinal groove, and the rear end bridge portion 134 connects the two arms together at the top. Figure 2-4 As shown, after the electrical connector 100 is inserted into the docking connector 200, the locking cantilever 13 is inserted into the receiving groove 32, and the buckle portion 33 passes over the locking portion 133 along the longitudinal groove 132 and abuts against the rear end of the locking portion 133, forming a locking effect. Since the locking cantilever 13 is elastic, it may deform downward and break away from the buckle portion 33 under improper circumstances, and the secondary lock 20 further locks the locking cantilever 13 for a second time to avoid failure of the locking function.

[0030] Ginseng Figure 6-8 As shown, the secondary lock 20 includes a base 21, and a blocking cantilever 22 and a pair of mounting arms 23 extending forward from the base. The pair of mounting arms 23 are respectively located on both sides of the blocking cantilever 22. The front ends of the mounting arms 23 are connected by a transverse portion 24. The outer side surfaces of the mounting arms 23 are provided with a pair of buckling recesses, namely a front buckling recess 231 and a rear buckling recess 232. A blocking column 25 extends upward at the corner of the mounting arm 23 and the transverse portion 24. The transverse portion 24 is provided with a front protrusion 241 protruding forward in the middle thereof.

[0031] The locking process of the secondary lock 20 is described below. Figure 7 As shown, the top side of the housing is provided with a mounting wall 14 extending upwardly from the outer side of the lock catch cantilever, and the mounting wall has a pair of mounting grooves 141. The secondary lock 20 is inserted into the mounting grooves 141 from the back to the front. Figure 2-3 As shown, first, the retaining protrusions 142 provided in the two mounting grooves 141 pass over the mounting arms 23 and retain in the front retaining recesses 231 of the mounting arms, so that the secondary lock is connected to the housing 10 and will not fall off at will, which is the pre-installed position. Further, after the two electrical connectors are docked, the lock cantilever 13 is fixed to the buckle portion 33, and the secondary lock 20 is further pushed forward, and the retaining protrusions 142 are retained in the rear retaining recesses 232, which is the final position. At this time, it can be seen that the transverse portion 24 abuts forward against the connection between the lock cantilever and the housing, and the front protrusion 241 protrudes into the front end of the longitudinal groove and is blocked by the connection between the lock cantilever 13 and the housing 10. A notch 242 is provided at the rear of the front protrusion 241. This structure can make the secondary lock have a certain amount of elastic deformation when inserted into the housing 10, so that the secondary lock 20 can be smoothly inserted into the housing. In the pre-installed position, the front end face of the stopper 221 provided above the front end of the stopper arm 22 stops at the rear end face of the lock portion 133, so that the stopper arm 22 cannot move forward. After the two connectors, the buckle portion 33 passes over the lock portion 133 and presses the stopper block 221 downward, so that the stopper block 221 can only move downward and escape from the restriction of the lock portion 133. At this time, the secondary lock 20 is pushed forward, and the stopper arm 22 moves forward and stops at the front end face of the buckle portion 133, further playing a locking role. At the same time, the installation arm 23 and the transverse portion 24 occupy the gap 131, so that the lock cantilever 13 cannot move downward, forming a secondary locking effect, thereby avoiding the possibility of separation and reducing risks.

[0032] Ginseng Figure 5 As shown, the stop column 25 stops at the front end of the top side of the housing, and its function is similar to the front protrusion 241. Figure 6 As shown, a first limiting portion 261 and a pair of second limiting portions 262 are provided at the junction of the base 21 and the blocking cantilever 22. When in the final position, the free end of the locking cantilever 13 is located on the first limiting portion 261 and is limited in the lateral direction by the pair of second limiting portions 262 ( Figure 5 The locking cantilever 13 is further protected by the mounting wall 14. A pressing portion 135 is provided on the top of the rear end bridge portion 134 to facilitate finger operation. The mounting wall 14 further extends upward with a protective portion 143 near the rear end bridge portion 134. The protective portion 143 is higher than the rear end bridge portion 134 to prevent the locking cantilever 13 in the middle from being accidentally damaged. The base 21 is a vertical plate structure. The mounting arm 23 and the blocking cantilever 22 extend from the bottom surface near the front wall of the base, so that the base 21 is relatively high in the up and down direction, which is convenient for finger operation during the plugging and unplugging process.

[0033] In the first embodiment described above, the secondary lock 20 is pre-installed on the connector body. At the same time, in order to prevent the secondary lock 20 from entering the final state due to accidental pushing when the two connectors are not docked, so that the two connectors cannot be docked, the secondary lock 20 is designed with a blocking cantilever 22. In general, the multiple functional effects make the structural design of the secondary lock more complicated. The present invention is further improved, and it is necessary to design a simpler secondary lock that meets the secondary locking function.

[0034] Figure 9-14 A second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Fig. 9 As shown, the electrical connector assembly of this embodiment includes an electrical connector 300 and a docking connector 400. Fig.12 As shown, the docking connector 300 includes a housing 60 made of insulating material, a docking cavity 61 is formed in the housing, and a plurality of conductive terminals (not shown) are fixed to the housing 60 and protrude into the docking cavity 61, forming a connector body in the form of a socket. A receiving groove 62 is provided on the inner surface of a side wall of the housing, and a locking groove 63 is provided in the receiving groove 62. The locking groove 63 does not penetrate forward and forms a locking surface 631 ( Fig.10 As can be clearly seen), the locking surface 631 constitutes the locking portion 631.

[0035] Ginseng Figure 13-14As shown, the electrical connector 100 includes a shell 40 made of insulating material and a secondary lock 50. The shell 40 has a docking surface 41 located at the front end, a terminal groove 42 penetrating the docking surface, and a lock cantilever 43 located on a side. A plurality of conductive terminals (not shown) are fixed in the terminal groove 42 to form a connector body in the form of a plug. In this embodiment, the lock cantilever 43 is arranged on the top side, and the lock cantilever 43 extends from the adjacent docking surface 41, and its free end is spaced apart from the shell 40 to form a gap. The lock cantilever 43 is provided with a convex portion 431 protruding upward, and the convex portion 431 constitutes a locking structure. A limiting frame opening 432 is provided at the free end of the lock cantilever, and the limiting frame opening 432 is aligned with the convex portion 431 in the front-to-back direction. The shell 10 is provided with a pair of protection parts 44 extending relative to each other, a first space 441 is formed below the two protection parts 44, and a second space 442 is formed between the two protection parts 44. The free end of the locking cantilever 43 is located in the first space 441, and the limiting frame opening 432 passes upward through the second space 442.

[0036] The secondary lock 50 includes a base 51, a first stopper 52 and a second stopper 53. The first stopper 52 and the second stopper 53 are formed by extending from the base 51. The first stopper 52 includes two mounting arms 521 extending forward from the base 51 and a transverse portion 522 connecting the ends of the mounting arms, and the mounting arms are provided with a transversely protruding retaining protrusion 5211.

[0037] Ginseng Figure 10-11 As shown, after the electrical connector 300 is inserted into the docking connector 400, the locking cantilever 43 is inserted into the receiving groove 62, and its protrusion 431 enters the locking groove 63 until the protrusion 431 convexly abuts against the locking surface 631. Subsequently, the secondary lock 50 is inserted, and its first stopper 52 is inserted into the gap between the locking cantilever 43 and the shell 40 to prevent the locking cantilever 43 from deforming, and the second stopper 53 abuts against the docking surface of the docking connector 400. More specifically, the second stopper 52 passes through the limiting frame opening 432 and abuts against the docking surface in front of the locking surface 631. The secondary lock 50 tightly abuts against the docking connector 200, preventing it from detaching from the electrical connector. Fig.11 As shown, the retaining protrusion 5211 is engaged with the housing 40, so that the secondary lock 50 cannot be separated from the housing 40. The secondary lock 50 can only be separated from the housing 40 by pulling it backward with force. The secondary lock 40 is provided with an operating portion 54 extending backward from the base 51. The second resisting portion 53 is provided with a groove 531 on the side facing the first resisting portion 52, and the groove 531 penetrates forward. More specifically, the front-to-back length of the first resisting portion 52 is greater than the front-to-back length of the second resisting portion 53, and its transverse width is greater than the transverse width of the second resisting portion 53, and the thickness along the up-down direction is less than the thickness of the second resisting portion.

[0038] The locking part of the locking cantilever of the first and second embodiments is slightly different from the buckle part of the docking connector, but the two can be varied in applicability according to the implementation method. Compared with the secondary lock of the first embodiment, the secondary lock of the second embodiment has no pre-locking position and can be directly inserted when needed. The second stopper 53 extends directly from the base, and the three-dimensional size can be designed to be larger, thereby further ensuring the locking effect. The structure itself is relatively simple but strong, and the cost can be reduced while meeting the function.

[0039] The above descriptions are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Any equivalent changes made to the technical solution of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field after reading the specification of the present invention are covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising a connector body and a secondary lock; the connector body comprises a shell and a lock cantilever disposed on the shell, the shell has a butt joint surface, the lock cantilever extends backward from a position adjacent to the butt joint surface, and its free end is spaced apart from the shell to form a gap; characterized in that: The secondary lock includes a first stop portion and a second stop portion; after the electrical connector is inserted into a docking connector, the first stop portion of the secondary lock is inserted into the gap to prevent the lock cantilever from deforming, and the second stop portion abuts against the docking surface provided on the docking connector.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The lock catch cantilever is provided with a lock portion and a limiting frame opening located at a free end thereof, the limiting frame opening is aligned with the lock portion in a front-to-back direction, and the second blocking portion passes through the limiting frame opening.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein: The shell is provided with a pair of protection parts extending relative to each other, a first space is formed below the two protection parts, a second space is formed between the two protection parts, the free end of the locking cantilever is located in the first space, and the limiting frame passes through the second space.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The secondary lock comprises a base, the first blocking portion and the second blocking portion are formed by extending from the base, and the first blocking portion is provided with a retaining protrusion fixedly matched with the shell to prevent the secondary lock from disengaging backwards.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: The second blocking portion includes two mounting arms extending forward from the base and a transverse portion connected to the ends of the mounting arms, and the mounting arms are provided with the buckling protrusion protruding transversely.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: The secondary lock is provided with an operating portion extending rearwardly from the base portion.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: The second resisting portion is provided with a groove on a side surface facing the first blocking portion, and the groove penetrates forward.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: The front-to-back length of the first resisting portion is greater than the front-to-back length of the second resisting portion, the lateral width of the first resisting portion is greater than the lateral width of the second resisting portion, and the thickness of the first resisting portion is less than the thickness of the second resisting portion.

9. An electrical connector, comprising a connector body and a secondary lock; the connector comprises a housing and a lock cantilever disposed on the housing, the housing having a mating surface, the lock cantilever extending backward from a position adjacent to the mating surface, and a free end of the lock cantilever is spaced from the housing to form a gap; characterized in that: The secondary lock includes a base, and a stop arm and a pair of mounting arms extending forward from the base. The front ends of the pair of mounting arms are connected to each other by a transverse portion, and the transverse portion has a front protrusion extending forward. After the electrical connector is inserted into a docking connector, the transverse portion of the secondary lock is inserted into the gap, and the front protrusion abuts against the connection between the lock cantilever and the shell.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, wherein: An upwardly protruding stop column is provided at the connection between the mounting arm and the transverse portion, and the stop column abuts against the connection between the lock cantilever and the shell.

Images