Power connector and power socket thereof

Abstract

A power supply connector and a power supply jack thereof, the power supply connector comprises an insulation body and two power supply terminals, the insulation body is provided with a butt joint groove and two fixing grooves located behind two sides of the butt joint groove, and each power supply terminal comprises a fixing part fixed in the corresponding fixing groove and a plurality of elastic arms extending forward from the fixing part. The power supply terminal further comprises a reinforcing plate, the reinforcing plate is fixed between the inner surface of the fixing part and the inner wall surface of the fixing groove, a plurality of additional elastic arms further extend out of the reinforcing plate, and the additional elastic arms are provided with additional contact parts protruding into the butt joint groove. According to the invention, more current channels can be formed in a limited space so as to reduce the heating problem when the current is increased, and meanwhile, the problems of structure complexity and cost caused by excessive terminal stacking are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrical connector technology, and in particular to a power connector and its power socket. Background Technology

[0002] In the design and application of high-current power connectors, increasing current capacity to meet the needs of different scenarios is a key challenge. As the power density of electronic devices continues to increase, the current that power connectors need to carry is also constantly increasing. However, this increase in current inevitably leads to more heat generation inside the connector, causing a series of problems such as excessive temperature rise, material aging, increased contact resistance, and even potential safety hazards. Therefore, how to effectively increase current capacity and control heat generation within a limited space has become a core issue in connector design.

[0003] Traditionally, a common solution is to add parallel terminals. Specifically, by using multiple terminals in parallel, the total current can be distributed across multiple paths, thereby reducing the current load on individual terminals and decreasing heat generation. However, this design approach has significant limitations. First, adding parallel terminals occupies more space, making the connector's internal structure more crowded, especially in high-density applications where space resources are already limited; this design further restricts the implementation of other functions. Second, adding parallel terminals also introduces additional complexity and cost, including more manufacturing steps, higher material consumption, and more complex assembly processes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a power connector and its power socket that can form more current channels in a limited space to reduce the heat generation problem when the current is increased, while reducing the structural complexity and cost problems caused by excessive terminal stacking.

[0005] The first aspect of this application provides a power connector, including an insulating body and two power terminals. The insulating body has a mating groove and two fixing grooves located on both sides and rear of the mating groove. Each power terminal includes a fixing part fixed to the corresponding fixing groove and a plurality of elastic arms extending forward from the fixing part. The plurality of elastic arms have contact portions protruding into the mating groove. Each power terminal also includes a reinforcing plate, which is fixed between the fixing part and the fixing groove. The reinforcing plate further extends a plurality of additional elastic arms, which have additional contact portions protruding into the mating groove.

[0006] In the power connector and its power socket of this application, two power terminals extend in the insertion direction of the power connector and the power socket through a reinforcing plate to form a contact. This can not only form more current channels in a limited space to reduce the heat generation problem when the current is increased, but also reduce the structural complexity and cost problems caused by excessive terminal stacking. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a top view of a power connector and a power socket according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 yes Figure 2 3D view of the power connector; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view along the dashed line AA; Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the insulating body in the middle; Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the first terminal piece in the power supply terminal block; Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A perspective view of the second terminal piece in the power supply terminal block; Figure 7 yes Figure 2 A three-dimensional view of the central reinforcement plate; Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A three-dimensional diagram showing the assembly of the reinforcing plate and copper nails; Figure 9 yes Figure 2 An 3D view of the assembly of the first terminal piece, the second terminal piece, the reinforcing plate, and the power cable in the power supply terminal block; Figure 10 yes Figure 2 A 3D view of a flexible grounding component; Figure 11 yes Figure 1 A 3D view of the power socket; Figure 12 yes Figure 11 A three-dimensional image from another angle; and Figure 13 yes Figure 11 A three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the middle section of the structure.

[0008] Component symbol explanation: Power connector 1 Insulating body 11, mating groove 1101, fixing groove 1102 Front end 111, partition 112 Rear end 113 First inner sidewall 1131 Second inner sidewall 1132 Power terminal 12 First terminal piece 121, fixing part 1211, first elastic arm 1212, second elastic arm 1213 Contact parts 1214, 1215; Supporting part 1216; Contact protrusion 1217; Welding part 1218 Second terminal piece 122, third elastic arm 1222, fourth elastic arm 1223 Contact parts 1224, 1225; Supporting part 1226 Negative extreme 13 Reinforcing plate 14, Additional elastic arm 141, Additional contact part 142, Support piece 143, Additional fixing part 144 16 copper nails, 18 flexible grounding parts, 19 power cables Power socket 100 Copper busbars 101 and 102, fastener 103, copper block 1031 First insulating component 104, Second insulating component 105, Screw 106, Connector 107 Connection direction D1. Detailed Implementation

[0009] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0010] Please see Figure 1 Embodiments of this application may provide a power connector 1 and a mating power socket 100. Please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 2 and Figure 3The power connector 1 includes an insulating body 11 and two power terminals 12. The insulating body 11 has a mating groove 1101 and two fixing grooves 1102 located on both sides and rear of the mating groove 1101. The two power terminals are respectively fixed in the corresponding fixing grooves 1102 and extend out of the fixing grooves 1102. Each power terminal includes a fixing part (e.g., fixing part 1211 hereinafter) fixed in the fixing groove 1102 and a plurality of elastic arms (e.g., first elastic arm 1212 hereinafter) extending forward from the fixing part. The plurality of elastic arms have contact parts (e.g., contact parts 1214 hereinafter) protruding into the mating groove 1101. The power terminal 12 also includes a reinforcing plate 14, which is fixed between the fixing part 1211 and the fixing groove 1102. The reinforcing plate 14 further extends a plurality of additional elastic arms 141, which have additional contact parts 142 protruding into the mating groove 1101. In this embodiment, the two power terminals have roughly the same structure, and can be a positive terminal and a negative terminal respectively, or vice versa. The following description mainly focuses on one of the power terminals 12, and the corresponding reinforcement plate is also described based on one of them.

[0011] Both the power terminal 12 and the reinforcing plate 14 are conductors. The power connector 1 utilizes the existing reinforcing plate 14, which is used to fix the power terminal 12, to assist the corresponding power terminal 12 in conducting and shunting current, thereby reducing the current load on the power terminal 12 and reducing heat generation. That is, by integrating the power terminal 12 and the reinforcing plate 14, without adding new conductor terminals in the original limited space, the current capacity can be increased while reducing heat generation.

[0012] Please see Figure 4 The insulating body 11 may include a first inner sidewall 1131 and a second inner sidewall 1132. Power terminals are respectively disposed on the first inner sidewall and the second inner sidewall. The outer surface of the reinforcing plate is fixed to the fixing part, and the inner surface is fastened to the inner wall surface of the fixing groove. Along the insertion direction D1, the insulating body 11 can be divided into a front end 111 and a rear end 113. The first inner sidewall 1131 and the second inner sidewall 1132 can be located at the rear end 113, and the front end of the insulating body 11 can be rectangular. Along the insertion direction D1, the end of the insulating body 11 (i.e., the end of the rear end 113) can be configured with a pointed guide, i.e., the inner bottom surface of the mating groove 1102 is V-shaped, thereby facilitating the quick and accurate insertion of the power connector 1 into the power socket 100. The front end 111 and the rear end 113 of the insulating body 11 can protrude outward to form a partition 112. The partition 112 can play a certain insertion limiting role when the power connector 1 is plugged into the power socket 100, thereby reducing the problem of damage to the power connector 1 or the power socket 100 caused by over-plugging.

[0013] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 5Each power terminal 12 includes a first terminal piece 121, which includes a plurality of first elastic arms 1212 and second elastic arms 1213. The first elastic arms 1212 and second elastic arms 1213 are arranged alternately in the inward and outward directions, with the second elastic arms 1213 being closer to the mating groove 1101 than the first elastic arms 1212. The first elastic arms 1212 and the fixing part 1211 are located on the same metal plate plane, while the second elastic arms 1213 are offset from the plane where the fixing part 1211 is located. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 9 The additional elastic arm 141 is located in the gap between the adjacent second elastic arms 1213.

[0014] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 6 Each power terminal 12 further includes a second terminal piece 122 stacked outside the first terminal piece 121. The second terminal piece 122 includes a plurality of third elastic arms 1222 and fourth elastic arms 1223. The third elastic arms 1222 and fourth elastic arms 1223 are arranged alternately in the inward and outward directions, and the fourth elastic arms 1223 are closer to the mating groove 1101 than the third elastic arms 1222. The first elastic arm 1212 is located in the gap between adjacent fourth elastic arms 1223. The third elastic arm 1222 and the fixing part 1221 are located on the same metal plate plane, and the fourth elastic arm 1223 is offset from the plane where the fixing part 1221 is located. Preferably, there is no gap or the gap between the first elastic arm 1212 and the second elastic arm 1213 is so small that other elastic arms cannot be provided, and there is no gap or the gap between the third elastic arm 1222 and the fourth elastic arm 1223 is so small that other elastic arms cannot be provided. In other embodiments, the power terminal may only have a first terminal piece and a reinforcing plate 14, or it may have multiple terminal pieces and reinforcing plates 14.

[0015] As described above, the elastic arms are provided with contact portions protruding into the mating groove 1101. The first elastic arm 1212 is provided with a corresponding contact portion 1214, the second elastic arm 1213 is provided with a corresponding contact portion 1215, the third elastic arm 1222 is provided with a corresponding contact portion 1224, and the fourth elastic arm 1223 is provided with a corresponding contact portion 1225. In this case, multiple contact portions can form parallel contact points, which can shunt current when transmitting current, thereby reducing the load on a single contact and thus reducing local temperature rise. In addition, when multiple contact portions contact the conductor of the power socket 100, they can break the oxide layer on themselves and / or the conductor of the power socket 100 by concentrating pressure, thereby reducing contact resistance. At the same time, multiple contact portions can self-adjust small displacements to maintain constant pressure and suppress oxide layer regeneration. As can be seen from the figure, the additional contact portion is located at the innermost side of the mating groove. The contact portions of the third and fourth elastic arms are arranged in a row, and the contact portions of the first and second elastic arms are arranged in a row and located between the contact portions of the additional contact portion and the contact portion of the first elastic arm in the front-back direction.

[0016] Multiple contact bumps 1217 can be formed on the side of the first terminal piece 121 that contacts the second terminal piece 122. Similarly, in this case, the oxide layer can be broken down by high voltage and multiple paths can be formed by parallel current shunting through the multi-contact method, thereby reducing the contact resistance to a fraction of that of surface contact or even lower, while improving the reliability and heat dissipation of the first terminal piece 121 and the second terminal piece 122.

[0017] Please see Figure 5 Each power terminal 12 has protruding abutment portions on both sides of its fixing portions 1211 and 1221. The abutment portions are fixed in the fixing groove 1102 by hard interference, thereby fixing the power terminal to the insulating body 11. The first terminal piece 121 has a protruding abutment portion 1216, and the second terminal piece 122 has a protruding abutment portion 1226.

[0018] Please see Figure 7-8 As shown, each reinforcing plate 14 is stamped with at least one abutting piece 143. The abutting piece 143 extends backward at an angle and abuts against the insulating body 11 to prevent the power terminal from detaching from the insulating body 11. Specifically, the reinforcing plate 14 is provided with an additional fixing part 144. The additional fixing part 144 is fixed to the fixing parts 1211 and 1221 of the first and second terminal pieces, and the abutting piece 143 extends from the additional fixing part 144.

[0019] Please see Figure 3 A preset gap is provided between the reinforcing plate 14 and the fixing part 1211 to improve the reliability of the power connector. This improved reliability may include compensating for thermal expansion and mechanical deformation, reducing fretting wear, optimizing contact pressure distribution, and improving assembly tolerance. Specifically, the two sides of the additional fixing part 144 are bent and abut against the fixing part 1211 of the first terminal piece, thereby forming the aforementioned preset gap.

[0020] Please see Figure 8 The reinforcing plate 14 can be used to fix the power terminal 12 to the first inner sidewall 1131 or the second inner sidewall 1132 using copper nails 16. Furthermore, the contact area between the copper nail 16 and the reinforcing plate 14 is larger than the contact area between the copper nail 16 and the positive terminal 12. In this case, the copper nail 16 can reduce the contact resistance when the reinforcing plate 14 and the power terminal 12 are in contact.

[0021] Preferably, the rear end of the power terminal 12 (i.e., the solder joints 1218, 1228) is connected to a power cable 19 or a power conductive plate, while the rear end of the reinforcing plate 14 is not connected to a conductive element, or in other words, has no solder joint. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 3The power cable 19 can be connected to a corresponding power terminal to deliver current. The power cable 19 can be disposed at the front end 111 of the insulating body 11, which is in the shape of a rectangular frame. There can be multiple power cables 19. For example, the power cable 19 connected to the power terminal 12 can include an input line, a 200-amp input line, a 250-amp input line, and a 300-amp input line. The power cable 19 connected to another power terminal can include an output line, a 200-amp output line, a 250-amp output line, and a 300-amp output line.

[0022] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 10 Two flexible grounding members 18 are provided on the outer side of the insulating body 11. The flexible grounding members 18 extend along the insertion direction D1 and bend toward the insulating body 11. When the power connector 1 is inserted into the power socket 100, the bent part of the flexible grounding member 18 applies a reaction force to the power socket 100 to enhance the contact strength between the two power terminals of the power connector 1 and the conductor of the power socket 100.

[0023] In the embodiments of this application, the two power terminals 12 are symmetrically arranged, and the two reinforcing plates 14 are symmetrically arranged. That is, the two power terminals may have the same or similar shape and size, but are arranged in opposite directions, and the two reinforcing plates 14 may also have the same or similar shape and size, but are arranged in opposite directions.

[0024] Please see Figure 11 The second aspect of this application provides a power socket 100 for insertion into a power connector 1 of any embodiment of the first aspect of this application. The power socket 100 is longitudinally arranged in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

[0025] Please see Figure 12 The power socket 100 includes a fixing member 103, a first insulating member 104, and two conductive copper busbars (positive copper busbar 101 and negative copper busbar 102). The two copper busbars are respectively embedded on opposite sides of the first insulating member 104, which is fixed to the fixing member 103. When the power socket 100 is connected to the power connector 1, the copper busbars are connected to the contact portion and the additional contact portion. In this case, the elongated or finned arrangement can form two parallel contact surfaces, thereby increasing the effective contact area with the power terminals of the power connector 1 and reducing the contact resistance. At the same time, it allows the power connector 1 of the above embodiment to slide laterally, thereby compensating for assembly tolerances and thermal expansion differences. In addition, during the insertion and removal process of the power connector 1 and the power socket 100, sliding friction can remove the oxide layer (contact resistance fluctuation can be controlled within a preset range, such as ±5%). Furthermore, the elongated or finned arrangement facilitates natural heat dissipation.

[0026] The fixing member 103 is made of copper profile, and its cross-section in the insertion direction is U-shaped. Copper blocks 1031 are provided on the inner sides of both ends of the fixing member 103. This improves heat dissipation efficiency through the use of copper. Along the insertion direction D1, the end of the first insulating member 104 near the power connector 1 is designed with a pointed tip. This provides insulation between the positive copper busbar 101 and the negative copper busbar 102, while the pointed tip facilitates insertion of the power connector 1 as described in the above embodiment.

[0027] Please see Figure 13 The power socket 100 also includes a second insulating member 105. The copper busbar is fixed to the fixing member by a screw 106, and the second insulating member 105 is sleeved on the screw 106 to isolate the copper busbar from the screw 106. Thus, the copper fixing member 103 can easily dissipate heat without affecting the current transmission of the positive copper busbar 101 and the negative copper busbar 102.

[0028] Please refer to the following: Figure 11 The power socket 100 also includes a connector 107, which is a copper profile and is used to connect to a copper busbar.

[0029] In summary, in the power connector 1 and its power socket 100 of this application, each power terminal 12 extends along the insertion direction D1 of the power connector 1 and the power socket 100 via a reinforcing plate 14 and forms a contact. The additional elastic arm 141 of the reinforcing plate is located in the gap formed by the elastic arm of the power terminal. This allows the reinforcing plate 14 to form a current-carrying channel, which can form more current channels in a limited space to reduce the heat generation problem when the current is increased, and at the same time reduce the structural complexity and cost problems caused by excessive terminal stacking.

[0030] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. A power connector, comprising an insulating body and two power terminals, wherein the insulating body is provided with a mating groove and two fixing grooves located on both sides of the mating groove, each power terminal includes a fixing part fixed to the corresponding fixing groove and a plurality of elastic arms extending forward from the fixing part, the plurality of elastic arms being provided with a contact part protruding into the mating groove; Its features are, Each of the power terminals also includes a reinforcing plate fixed between the fixing portion and the fixing groove, and the reinforcing plate further extends into a plurality of additional elastic arms, the additional elastic arms having additional contact portions protruding into the mating groove.

2. The power connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing part is stamped with at least one abutting piece, which extends backward at an angle and abuts against the insulating body.

3. The power connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reinforcing plate includes an additional fixing part corresponding to the fixing part. The two sides of the additional fixing part are bent and abut against the fixing part, so that there is a preset gap between the additional fixing part and the fixing part.

4. The power connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear end of the power terminal is connected to a power cable or a power conductive plate, while the rear end of the reinforcing plate is not connected to a conductive element.

5. The power connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power terminal includes a first terminal piece, which includes a plurality of first elastic arms and a plurality of second elastic arms. The first elastic arms and the second elastic arms are arranged alternately in the inward and outward directions, and the second elastic arms are closer to the mating groove than the first elastic arms. The additional elastic arms are located in the gap between adjacent second elastic arms.

6. The power connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The power terminal includes a second terminal piece stacked outside the first terminal piece. The second terminal piece includes a plurality of third elastic arms and a plurality of fourth elastic arms. The third elastic arms and the fourth elastic arms are arranged alternately in the inward and outward directions, and the fourth elastic arms are closer to the mating groove than the third elastic arms. The first elastic arm is located in the gap between adjacent fourth elastic arms.

7. The power connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, No other elastic arm can be set between the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm, and no other elastic arm can be set between the third elastic arm and the fourth elastic arm.

8. The power connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The additional contact portion is located at the innermost side of the docking groove. The contact portions of the third elastic arm and the fourth elastic arm are arranged in a row. The contact portions of the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are arranged in a row and are located between the contact portions of the additional contact portion and the first elastic arm in the front-back direction.

9. A power socket for mating with a power connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The power socket includes a fixing member, a first insulating member, and two copper busbars. The two copper busbars are respectively embedded on opposite sides of the first insulating member. The first insulating member is fixed to the fixing member. When the power socket is connected to the power connector, each copper busbar contacts the contact portion and the additional contact portion.

10. The power socket according to claim 9, characterized in that, The fastener is a copper profile, and the cross-section of the fastener in the insertion direction is U-shaped. Copper blocks are provided on the inner sides of the two ends of the fastener.

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