Floating connector

Abstract

The invention provides a floating connector, and relates to the technical field of connectors, the floating connector comprises an external shell and a contact fixedly assembled in the external shell, the tail part of the contact is electrically connected with a floating section, the floating section is composed of a bending elastic section and a connecting pin, and the bending elastic section can be telescopically deformed along the axial direction under the action of an external force. The connector can be compatible with installation distance errors of an equipment panel and a printed board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, specifically to a floating connector. Background Technology

[0002] When dealing with large equipment and installing connector arrays, the distance between the equipment panel and the printed circuit board is not constant due to processing errors and stress deformation. It will vary within a certain range. When multiple connectors are connected, since the connectors in the existing technology are all fixed-length installation structures, it is necessary to constantly adjust the distance between the equipment panel and the printed circuit board to ensure the installation of the connectors, which makes assembly difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a floating connector that is compatible with the mounting distance errors of device panels and printed circuit boards.

[0004] To achieve the above technical objectives, the technical solution adopted is: a floating connector, including an outer shell and a contact element fixedly assembled inside the outer shell, the tail of the contact element being electrically connected to a floating section, the floating section being composed of a bending elastic section and a connecting pin, the bending elastic section being able to stretch and deform axially under external force.

[0005] The beneficial effects are: by replacing traditional cable connections with connecting pins, the risks of incorrect wiring and improper assembly of contact components due to manual cable assembly are avoided, and the overall space occupied by the connector inside the device is reduced. Furthermore, the elastic deformation of the bending elastic section is compatible with installation distance errors on the device panel and printed circuit board.

[0006] The floating connector also includes a floating cap that is sleeved on the tail of the outer housing and can slide axially. The floating cap is clearance-fitted with the tail of the outer housing and has mounting holes for connecting pins to pass through.

[0007] The beneficial effect is that the floating cap provides support to the tail of the outer shell, ensuring that the overall axial position of the floating connector remains unchanged after installation. It will only undergo axial floating deformation and will not float laterally.

[0008] The connecting pin is provided with a contact limiting surface. When the connecting pin passes through the mounting hole, it presses against the end face of the floating cap through the contact limiting surface to prevent the contact from retracting.

[0009] The beneficial effect is that the limiting surface of the contact element further limits and fixes the connection pin and the floating cap. It only allows for outward pulling and not inward pushing, making installation more convenient.

[0010] The extension direction of the connection pin is consistent with the insertion direction.

[0011] The beneficial effects are: this connection pin design allows for the use of connector arrays for connection to printed circuit boards and installation in device housings, facilitating plug-in connections with the devices to be connected and automated device assembly.

[0012] The width of the flexible bending section is greater than the width of the connecting pin.

[0013] The beneficial effect is that the widened bending area can better transfer heat from the connector contact area, improving the overall current carrying capacity of the product.

[0014] The tail of the outer shell and the floating cap are provided with an axial anti-rotation structure, which consists of a groove and a protrusion that can slide axially within the groove.

[0015] The beneficial effect is that the axial anti-rotation structure ensures that the floating cap can move along the axis of the main shell.

[0016] The outer shell tail and the floating cap are provided with a floating limiting structure. The floating limiting structure consists of a two-section groove and a protrusion set in the two-section groove. The axial movement distance of the protrusion in the two-section groove limits the axial stretchable length of the bending elastic section.

[0017] The beneficial effects are: the floating limit structure can further constrain the movement of the floating cap axis, and at the same time, the combination of the two-section groove and the protrusion can control the degree of freedom of the floating positioning column at different stages.

[0018] Stress holes are provided on both sides of the circumference of the protrusion.

[0019] The beneficial effects are: by adding stress holes, the part where the protrusion is located can be deformed and installed into the two-section groove, and the floating cap can be disassembled by deformation.

[0020] The connection pins can be connected to the device to be connected via soldering, fisheye crimping, or screws.

[0021] The beneficial effects are: different connection methods can be used to connect to the device to be connected, and different connection forms can be selected according to different working conditions and the device to be connected.

[0022] The floating cap is equipped with positioning pins for positioning in conjunction with openings on the device to be connected.

[0023] The beneficial effects are: the circumferential positioning of the floating cap can be achieved through the positioning pin, and after positioning the floating cap, the installation position of the outer shell can also be further positioned. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the rear end of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the floating process of the present invention; In the figure: 1. Outer shell, 2. Contact element, 3. Floating section, 3-1. Bending elastic section, 3-2. Connecting pin, 3-2-1. Contact element limiting surface, 4. Floating cap, 4-1. Mounting hole, 4-2. Positioning post, 5. Slide groove, 6. Protrusion, 7. Two-section groove, 8. Protrusion, 9. Stress hole. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0026] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the drawings only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0027] The structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings of this specification are only for the purpose of assisting those skilled in the art in understanding and reading the content disclosed in the specification, and are not intended to limit the conditions under which the present invention can be implemented. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportions, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives that the present invention can produce, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0028] The orientations or positional relationships indicated by terms such as "up," "down," "left," "right," "middle," "longitudinal," "lateral," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "radial," and "circumferential" in this specification are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the purpose of simplifying the description. They are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0029] like Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, a floating connector includes an outer housing 1 and a contact 2 fixedly assembled inside the outer housing 1. The outer housing 1 is typically circular and hollow, with its surface used for mounting structures to fix the contact 2. Its length is related to the contact 2 and the floating segment 3. The tail of the contact 2 is electrically connected to the floating segment 3. The floating segment 3 consists of a bent elastic segment 3-1 and a connecting pin 3-2. The bent elastic segment 3-1 and the connecting pin 3-2 can be integrally formed by bending. The bent elastic segment 3-1 can deform axially under external force. Figure 1 As shown, the bending elastic segment 3-1 can be a serpentine, wavy, or other bending structure. The number and length of the bending segments affect the amount of floating deformation, and the design should be carried out according to the working conditions.

[0030] A floating connector further includes a floating cap 4 that is sleeved on the tail of an outer housing 1 and can slide axially. The floating cap 4 is cylindrical, open at one end, and has a bottom surface at the other end for fixing to the device to be connected. The floating cap 4 is clearance-fitted with the tail of the outer housing 1 to provide axial sliding and prevent tilting. The floating cap 4 is provided with a mounting hole 4-1 for the connecting pin 3-2 to pass through. The shape and size of the mounting hole 4-1 match the connecting pin 3-2, and its design thickness should be consistent with the connecting pin 3-2 to prevent the floating section 3 from shaking due to the shaking of the connecting pin 3-2.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown, the connecting pin 3-2 is provided with a contact limiting surface 3-2-1. When the connecting pin passes through the mounting hole 4-1, it presses against the end face of the floating cap 4 through the contact limiting surface 3-2-1 to prevent the contact 2 from retracting. To achieve the extrusion of the contact limiting surface 3-2-1 from the mounting hole 4-1, the mounting hole 4-1 has a certain amount of deformation. This deformation can be achieved by the material of the floating cap 4 itself, or by adding stress holes above and below the mounting hole 4-1.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the extension direction of the connection pin 3-2 is consistent with the insertion direction, which makes the connection pin 3-2 a direct connection pin. After passing through the mounting hole 4-1, it can be directly plugged into the device to be connected, such as a printed circuit board, to achieve direct connection.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the width at the connection between the bending elastic section 3-1 and the connecting pin 3-2 is greater than the width of the connecting pin 3-2. The width direction refers to the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. The widened bending area can better transfer heat from the connector contact area and improve the overall current carrying capacity of the product.

[0034] An axial anti-rotation structure is provided on the tail of the outer shell 1 and the floating cap 4. The axial anti-rotation structure consists of a groove 5 and a protrusion 6 that can slide axially within the groove 5. The axial anti-rotation structure has two configuration forms: (1) as shown in Figure 2As shown, the groove 5 is provided on the outer housing 1, and the protrusion 6 is provided on the floating cap 4. (2) The groove 5 is provided on the floating cap 4, and the protrusion 6 is provided on the outer housing 1. The groove 5 mentioned above is a long groove opened to the port.

[0035] The outer shell 1 and the floating cap 4 are provided with a floating limiting structure. The floating limiting structure consists of a two-section groove 7 and a protrusion 8 set in the two-section groove 7. The axial movement distance of the protrusion 8 in the two-section groove 7 limits the axial stretchable length of the bending elastic section 3-1. The floating limiting structure has two configuration forms: (1) the two-section groove 7 is set on the floating cap 4 and the protrusion 8 is set on the surface of the outer shell 1; (2) as shown in the figure. Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the two-section groove 7 is provided on the outer shell 1, and the protrusion 8 is provided on the inner wall of the floating cap 4.

[0036] Stress holes 9 are provided on both sides of the circumference of the protrusion 8. The optimal form of the stress holes 9 is to be elongated holes extending along the axial direction to the tail edge. Taking the protrusion 8 located inside the floating cap 4 and the two-section groove 7 located on the outer shell 1 as an example, Figure 2 As shown, the floating cap 4 has strip-shaped stress holes 9 extending to the end face.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the floating cap 4 is provided with positioning pins 4-2 for positioning in conjunction with openings on the device to be connected, and the number of positioning pins 4-2 is at least two.

[0038] like Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the working principle of the floating cap on the panel mounting connector and its contact component with the internal printed circuit board. Figure 4 (a) shows the initial position of the connector. At this point, the first end of the floating connector is installed on the device panel by pressing the mounting nut. The sealing of the inside and outside of the device housing panel is achieved by using a nut to press the panel sealing gasket against the panel. The left end of contact 2 is positioned and fixed to the outer housing 1 by the elastic barbs on the stainless steel sheath of the component. The right end of contact 2 can be directly connected to the printed circuit board by welding, fisheye crimping (not shown in the picture), or screw connection (not shown in the picture). When connected, the floating cap 4 restricts the direction and position of the connection pins 3-2.

[0039] When installing connector arrays on large equipment, the distance between the equipment panel 10 and the printed circuit board 11 is not a constant value due to processing errors and deformation under stress; it will vary within a certain range. Figure 4As shown in (b), this distance can increase from L to L'. In state L, the contact is in its initial state. Taking the protrusion 8 on the floating cap 4 and the two-section groove 7 on the outer housing 1 as an example, the protrusion 8 on the floating cap 4 is in section A of the two-section groove 7. In state L', the connector is in the floating state. At this time, the connecting pin 4-2 on the contact 2 is pulled away from the panel by the printed circuit board. The left end of the contact 2 is fixed inside the outer housing 1 by the elastic barbs and cannot change its position relative to the device panel 10. Therefore, the bending elastic section 3-1 on the contact 2 is stretched and deformed to adapt to the process of L increasing to L'. At the same time, because the connecting pin 3-2 is installed in the mounting hole 4-1 of the floating cap 4, the axial anti-rotation structure that cooperates with the outer housing 1 and the floating cap 4 restricts the connecting pin to move only axially during this process. The floating cap 4 will not be tilted relative to the outer housing 1. The protrusion 8 on the floating cap 4 is in section B of the floating limit feature of the main housing.

[0040] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit or restrict the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection declared by the present invention.

Claims

1. A floating connector, comprising an outer housing (1) and a contact (2) fixedly assembled inside the outer housing (1), characterized in that: The tail of the contact (2) is electrically connected to the floating section (3). The floating section (3) consists of a bending elastic section (3-1) and a connecting pin (3-2). The bending elastic section (3-1) can be stretched and deformed along the axis when subjected to external force.

2. A floating connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a floating cap (4) that is fitted on the tail of the outer housing (1) and can slide axially. The floating cap (4) is clearance-fitted with the tail of the outer housing (1). The floating cap (4) is provided with a mounting hole (4-1) for connecting pins (3-2) to pass through.

3. A floating connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting pin (3-2) is provided with a contact limiting surface (3-2-1). When the connecting pin passes through the mounting hole (4-1), it presses against the end face of the floating cap (4) through the contact limiting surface (3-2-1) to prevent the contact (2) from retracting.

4. A floating connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The extension direction of the connecting pin (3-2) is consistent with the insertion direction.

5. A floating connector as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The width of the bending elastic segment (3-1) is greater than the width of the connecting pin (3-2).

6. A floating connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The tail of the outer shell (1) and the floating cap (4) are provided with an axial anti-rotation structure, which consists of a groove (5) and a protrusion (6) that can slide axially in the groove (5).

7. A floating connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The outer shell (1) is provided with a floating limit structure at the tail and the floating cap (4). The floating limit structure consists of a two-section groove (7) and a protrusion (8) set in the two-section groove (7). The axial movement distance of the protrusion (8) in the two-section groove (7) limits the axial stretchable length of the bending elastic section (3-1).

8. A floating connector as described in claim 7, characterized in that: Stress holes (9) are provided on both sides of the circumferential direction of the protrusion (8).

9. A floating connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The connection pins (3-2) can be connected to the device to be connected by soldering, fisheye crimping or screw connection.

10. A floating connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The floating cap (4) is provided with a positioning post (4-2) for positioning in conjunction with an opening on the device to be connected.

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