Modularized stacked combined type connector and manufacturing method

Abstract

The invention discloses a modular stacked combined type connector and a manufacturing method, the modular stacked combined type connector comprises a connector socket and a prestress composite beam type connector plug, the prestress composite beam type connector plug is formed by applying pretightening force to an end assembly and an expansion assembly through an axial fastener, and the plug is rotationally clamped into the socket by taking a top rotary connection structure as a fulcrum and is locked by a bottom locking mechanism; through C5210-H material selection, mechanical matching design of 0.275 mm elastic sheet thickness and a composite coating process with the surface roughness Ra smaller than or equal to 0.6 mu m and the hardness larger than or equal to 430 HV, combination of mechanical structure design and a surface treatment process is achieved, and therefore plugging resistance is reduced. According to the connector, flexible recombination of the number of the pins is realized, and through cooperation of rotary plugging and low-friction surfaces, plugging resistance is reduced and contact reliability is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of connectors, in particular to a modular stacked combined connector and manufacturing method. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the application scenarios of cable harness production workshop, component performance test and equipment overhaul, the test interface as the key component connecting the test equipment and the measured component directly affects the efficiency of the test work. At present, the traditional connector widely used in these places is usually designed as a solid overall structure, and the number of pins is often fixed as a standard specification, such as common 16, 32, 64, 96 or 128 pins. In this prior art, all the pins share an insulator shell and the same outlet, and when independent connection of multiple measured objects is needed, technicians usually need to specially make complex multi-branch cables to adapt to different measured objects.

[0003] The traditional overall connector structure has the following main technical problems in actual use:

[0004] Firstly, the fixed pin number specification design leads to great inconvenience and lack of flexibility in selection. When the actual test demand point number is small, it is necessary to select a large point number connector, causing the idle and waste of interface resources; and when the demand point number is large or special, it is often difficult to find a suitable model to match. If the connector is forcibly disassembled for use, it will cause the problem of interface incompatibility.

[0005] Secondly, due to the solidification of the traditional connector structure, all lines share the outlet, which cannot meet the flexible one-to-one independent connection demand and does not have the ability of disassembly, recombination or subsequent expansion. This leads to the need to frequently replace different types of connectors or make complicated adapter cables when facing the test demand of multiple components, which not only increases the material cost, but also seriously limits the adjustment flexibility of test configuration and the overall test efficiency. SUMMARY

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is: in view of the technical problems of the existing traditional connector that the pin number is fixed due to the solidification of the structure, cannot be flexibly adapted to different test demands, and in the high-frequency plugging scene, the contact resistance is unstable due to material stress relaxation and plating wear, the plugging life is short, the temperature rise is too high, etc., a modular stacked combined connector is provided, which can flexibly adjust the pin number configuration, support on-demand expansion, and has excellent anti-fatigue performance, low contact resistance and long life characteristics.

[0007] The technical solution adopted by the present application to solve the technical problem is:

[0008] A modular stack combination connector comprises a connector plug and a connector socket; the connector plug comprises two end supports, two end assemblies arranged between the two end supports, and a plurality of expansion assemblies arranged between the two end assemblies in a detachable stack manner;

[0009] The end supports, the end assemblies and the expansion assemblies are connected in series by axial fasteners and pre-tightening force is applied to form a rigid overall structure; the number of the end assemblies and the expansion assemblies can be increased or decreased according to the interface requirements of the measured object to adjust the total pin number of the connector plug; the connector plug is hung on the connector socket by a top screwing structure, and can rotate relative to the connector socket by taking the top screwing structure as a rotating fulcrum to realize plug-in connection or separation.

[0010] Further, each end assembly and each expansion assembly is provided with an independent insulator shell and an independent wire outlet; the wire outlet is used to allow the cable to be independently led out from the corresponding end assembly or expansion assembly to realize one-to-one independent electrical connection between the connector plug and the measured object.

[0011] Further, the top screwing structure comprises a T-shaped screwing block arranged at the top of the end assembly and a limiting clamping groove arranged at the top of the connector socket;

[0012] The T-shaped screwing block has a vertical neck and a horizontal head, and the slot width of the limiting clamping groove is greater than the width of the neck and less than the width of the head;

[0013] The T-shaped screwing block is constructed to be able to be tilted and clamped into the limiting clamping groove to form a rotating fulcrum; the pins in the connector plug are distributed along the height direction of the connector plug, and the upper end thereof is adjacent to the T-shaped screwing block; the connector plug can rotate around the rotating fulcrum, so that the pins in the connector plug are sequentially inserted into the jack of the connector socket from top to bottom.

[0014] Further, the rear side of the end assembly and the expansion assembly is provided with a wire arranging assembly; the wire arranging assembly comprises a fixed plate and a movable plate; the fixed plate is provided with a support boss protruding outward, and the movable plate is mounted on the support boss; a wire arranging channel is formed between the fixed plate and the movable plate, and the wire arranging channel is used to accommodate and fix the cable led out from the wire outlet.

[0015] Further, a bottom locking mechanism is arranged between the connector plug and the connector socket; the bottom locking mechanism comprises a hook assembly pivoted to the bottom of the end assembly and a locking protrusion arranged at the bottom of the connector socket; the hook assembly can be rotated relative to the end assembly and clamped to the locking protrusion after the connector plug is rotated to the plug-in position, so as to lock the connector plug to the connector socket.

[0016] Furthermore, an outwardly protruding force-applying handle is provided on the lower rear side of the end assembly and the extension assembly; the force-applying handle has an outwardly and downwardly inclined plate-like structure, which is used to provide a uniform force-applying operation part when the connector plug rotates around the top screw structure.

[0017] Furthermore, at least two axial fasteners are provided, passing through the corner positions of the end support, end assembly, and extension assembly; the corner positions of the end support are provided with through holes, and the end assembly and extension assembly are provided with shaft holes coaxially corresponding to the through holes. The axial fasteners apply axial pre-tightening pressure to the series-connected end assembly and extension assembly, so that the multiple independent insulating shells of the end assembly and extension assembly form a prestressed composite beam structure to limit the perpendicularity deviation of the pin.

[0018] Furthermore, the connector socket is provided with a socket, and the socket is provided with an elastic metal spring; the base material of the elastic metal spring is C5210-H phosphor bronze with a conductivity ≥12%IACS; the elastic metal spring is constructed as a cantilever beam structure with a cantilever thickness h of 0.275mm; when the interference fit between the pin and the socket is 0.075mm, the positive contact force on one side of the elastic metal spring is ≤3.3N, and the equivalent stress under the maximum deformation is ≤405MPa.

[0019] Furthermore, both the pins of the connector plug and the sockets of the connector socket are provided with a composite plating layer; the composite plating layer includes, from the inside out, a copper plating base layer, a chemical nickel layer, a hard gold layer and a sealing layer; the surface roughness Ra of the socket substrate after machining is ≤0.8μm, the surface roughness Ra of the composite plating layer is ≤0.6μm, and the Vickers hardness is ≥430HV; the static dry friction coefficient between the pins and the socket is 0.12~0.16.

[0020] A method for manufacturing a modular stacked connector includes the following steps:

[0021] Step S1: Based on the preset target insertion and extraction force threshold and friction coefficient, the design thickness of the elastic metal spring is calculated using the cantilever beam deformation formula;

[0022] Step S2: The insertion hole substrate is machined using a milling and turning machine tool and ceramic-coated cutting tools to control the inner wall roughness Ra≤0.8μm;

[0023] Step S3: Perform copper plating, electroless nickel plating, hard gold plating, and hole sealing on the processed pins and holes to obtain a low coefficient of friction surface with a Vickers hardness ≥430HV.

[0024] Step S4: Connect the end assembly and the extension assembly in series with axial fasteners and apply pre-tightening force to form a prestressed composite beam structure.

[0025] The technical effects achievable by this invention include the following:

[0026] 1. By adopting a modular stacking structure and applying pre-tightening force using axial fasteners, the dispersed end components and extension components are solidified into a "prestressed composite beam" structure. On the one hand, this solves the problem of the fixed number of pins and inflexible adaptation in existing technologies; on the other hand, the prestressed structure effectively limits the perpendicularity deviation of the pins, overcomes the docking jamming problem caused by loose components in traditional modular connectors, and improves the overall rigidity and alignment accuracy of the mechanical structure.

[0027] 2. Based on the lever principle of using a top-screw structure to achieve row-by-row insertion, this invention further incorporates a specific surface treatment process (composite coating hardness ≥430HV, roughness Ra≤0.6μm), which reduces the dry friction coefficient between the pins and the socket to 0.12~0.16. This combination of mechanical structure design and surface treatment process reduces insertion and extraction resistance and solves the problems of laborious operation and severe wear of large-core connectors.

[0028] 3. By selecting C5210-H phosphor bronze material with high resistance to stress relaxation, and setting the thickness of the spring cantilever to 0.275mm based on mechanical calculations, it is ensured that when the interference fit between the pin and the socket is 0.075mm, the equivalent stress inside the material is always within the safe elastic range of ≤405MPa. This effectively avoids plastic deformation caused by excessive stress and ensures the contact reliability of the connector under long-term high-frequency use.

[0029] 4. By precision machining (Ra≤0.8μm) and multi-layer composite plating of the socket substrate, combined with a substrate with conductivity ≥12%IACS, a flat and dense contact interface is constructed. This not only reduces contact resistance and effectively suppresses the temperature rise effect under high current transmission, but also achieves one-to-one independent signal transmission with electrical isolation through the independent insulating shell and cable outlet design, effectively avoiding signal crosstalk and improving the accuracy of test data.

[0030] 5. Utilizing the bottom locking mechanism, namely the cooperation between the hook assembly and the locking boss, the plug is mechanically locked after being rotated to the insertion position. This structure, in conjunction with the aforementioned highly elastic restoring metal spring, ensures that the contact area maintains stable positive pressure even under vibration or cable tension in the testing environment, preventing accidental disconnection. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a modular stacked connector in Example 1;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the connector plug in Example 1 (with the cover plate removed);

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the connector socket in Example 1;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the mid-terminal component in Example 1;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled structure of the ribbon cable assembly in Example 1;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the connecting rod connecting the cover plate and the end assembly in Embodiment 1;

[0037] Figure 7 The derivation of the engineering calculation formula and the total deformation analysis diagram of the elastic metal spring in the socket in Example 1 are shown.

[0038] Figure 8 This is an equivalent stress analysis diagram of the elastic metal spring inside the socket in Example 1;

[0039] Figure 9 This is an equivalent strain analysis diagram of the elastic metal spring inside the socket in Example 1;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a lifespan analysis diagram of the elastic metal spring inside the socket after 2000 insertions and removals in Example 1.

[0041] Reference numerals: 1. Connector plug; 2. Connector socket; 3. Connecting rod; 4. Cover plate; 5. End assembly; 6. Extension assembly; 61. Insulator housing; 62. Pin; 63. Cable outlet; 7. Shaft hole; 8. T-shaped screw-in block; 9. Limiting slot; 10. Insertion hole; 11. Mounting bracket; 12. Hook structure; 121. Rotating pin; 122. Hook part; 123. Locking handle; 124. Return spring; 13. Square locking boss; 14. Cable assembly; 141. Fixing plate; 142. Movable plate; 143. Cylindrical boss; 144. First connecting hole; 145. Second connecting hole; 146. Cable management channel; 15. Force application handle. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but these specific embodiments do not limit the scope of protection of the present invention in any way.

[0043] Example 1

[0044] See Figures 1 to 10A modular stackable connector includes a connector plug 1, a connector socket 2, a connecting rod 3, a cover plate 4, an end assembly 5, and an extension assembly 6. This connector is primarily used in cable harness workshops, component testing, or equipment overhaul testing interface scenarios. It allows for flexible adjustment of the number of pins according to actual testing needs and utilizes a top-screwing and bottom-locking mechanism to achieve quick connection and disconnection with low insertion and extraction force, thereby improving testing efficiency and interface compatibility.

[0045] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The connector plug 1, as the moving end of the entire connection system, has a stacked cuboid structure that can accommodate different numbers of conductive pins. The connector plug 1 is composed of two side cover plates 4, end assemblies 5 adjacent to the cover plates 4, and several extension assemblies 6 stacked in the middle. The cover plates 4 are located on the outer sides of both ends of the connector plug 1, and their outer contours mate with the sides of the end assemblies 5. They are used to protect the internal components and serve as a load-bearing skeleton. The four corners of the cover plates 4 have through holes for the connecting rods 3 to pass through.

[0046] See Figure 2 and Figure 4 The end assembly 5 and the expansion assembly 6, as the core units carrying the conductive pins, are arranged vertically and closely between the two cover plates 4. The expansion assembly 6 is a card-type modular unit; expansion assemblies 6 with different pin numbers and specifications have the same external outline, ensuring that they can be stacked arbitrarily. Each end assembly 5 and each expansion assembly 6 includes an independent insulating housing 61, a pin 62, and a cable outlet 63, realizing a true one-to-one correspondence of independent signal channels. The end assembly 5 and the expansion assembly 6 are provided with shaft holes 7 at the four corners of the cover plate 4, coaxial with the through holes of the cover plate 4.

[0047] See Figures 1 to 3 The top of the end assembly 5 is provided with a T-shaped screw-in locking block 8 extending towards the socket. This T-shaped screw-in locking block 8 consists of a vertical neck and a horizontal head, forming a T-shaped cross-section structure. Correspondingly, the top of the connector socket 2 is provided with multiple limiting blocks, forming limiting slots 9 between the limiting blocks. The width of the slot 9 is greater than the width of the neck of the T-shaped screw-in locking block 8, but less than the width of its head. The limiting slot 9 is sufficient to accommodate the neck and lock the head onto the limiting blocks on both sides. The T-shaped screw-in locking block 8 is engaged in the limiting slot 9 to form a rotating hinge structure, which is used to establish a rotation fulcrum for the plug relative to the socket. This rotation fulcrum allows the pins 62 on the plug to be inserted into the socket holes 10 in the socket row by row from top to bottom.

[0048] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The bottom of the end assembly 5 extends downward to form a triangular mounting bracket 11, and the hook structure 12 is mounted on the mounting bracket 11 via a rotating pin 121. The hook structure 12 includes a hook portion 122 located at the front end of the rotating pin 121 and a locking handle 123 located at the rear end of the rotating pin 121. The hook portion 122 has a hook-shaped structure and is located at the bottom front end of the connector plug 1. The locking handle 123 is located at the bottom rear end of the connector plug 1 and has a flat handle shape. The top of the locking handle 123 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the end assembly 5 via a return spring 124. Correspondingly, the bottom outer side of the connector socket 2 is provided with a square locking boss 13, which has a downward protruding block structure. This bottom locking mechanism is used to lock the entire plug and socket by engaging the hook portion 122 with the square locking boss 13 after the plug is rotated to the insertion position.

[0049] See Figure 3 The core electrical connection area is located in the center of the front of the connector socket 2, specifically between the top limiting slot 9 and the bottom square locking boss 13. This area has multiple sockets 10 arranged in a standard spacing array. Each socket 10 has an internal elastic metal spring for receiving and clamping the inserted pins 62. The arrangement of the sockets 10 corresponds exactly to the arrangement of the pins 62 on the connector plug 1. Correspondingly, each end assembly 5 and extension assembly 6 of the connector plug 1 has an outwardly protruding pin 62 at its front end. The position of the pins 62 strictly corresponds to the stacking position of each assembly. The mating area between the sockets 10 and the pins 62 is located between the top limiting slot 9 and the bottom square locking boss 13, making the connector plug 1 a lever structure that saves effort: the top is the fulcrum, the middle is the resistance point, and the bottom and the force application handle 15 are the power points. Because the resistance point, namely the contact point between the pin 62 and the socket 10, is closer to the fulcrum, while the force-applying handle 15 is farther from the fulcrum, the operator can overcome the frictional resistance inside the socket 10 with a smaller force, thus achieving easy insertion and removal.

[0050] To address the technical challenge of traditional connectors easily relaxing and failing under high-frequency insertion and removal, this embodiment employs specific material selection and mechanical structure optimization for the elastic metal spring within the aforementioned socket. Firstly, in terms of material selection, C5210-H phosphor bronze, which exhibits high conductivity and excellent resistance to stress relaxation, was chosen, unlike conventional phosphor bronze. This material has a conductivity ≥12% IACS, ensuring a contact resistance ≤5mΩ under optimal contact conditions.

[0051] Secondly, the structural dimensions were not selected according to convention, but based on rigorous engineering calculations. For example... Figure 7As shown, with the initial insertion force set at 2N and the friction coefficient taken as an extreme value of 0.3, the calculated positive pressure on one side of the contact area needs to be controlled within 3.3N. Based on the structural dimensions of the pin and the socket, the design interference fit δ between the pin and the socket is determined to be 0.075mm. Based on the formula for the deflection δ at the free end of the cantilever beam: In the formula: F is the known elastic force (N), L is the effective cantilever length (mm), E is the elastic modulus of the material (E≈110GPa for phosphor bronze), and I is the moment of inertia of the section (mm). 4 δ represents the deformation (mm) at the free end of the spring piece. The formula for the moment of inertia of a rectangular section is... Substituting into the deformation formula, we can derive the expression for the material thickness h in reverse: The formula for calculating thickness h is obtained by refining the formula: .

[0052] The optimal cantilever thickness h = 0.275 mm was calculated to meet the mechanical performance requirements.

[0053] See Figure 7 The simulation verification showed that when the single-sided spring sheet was subjected to a force of 3.3N, the maximum deformation was 0.088mm. This simulated value was slightly larger than the design interference δ of 0.075mm, mainly because the simulation model did not fully simulate the rigid constraint of the inner wall of the socket on the deformation of the spring sheet. In actual assembly, the effective deformation of the elastic metal spring sheet is limited by the socket structure and controlled by the designed interference fit to ensure that the positive contact force is within the design range. Therefore, when the design interference Max is 0.075mm, the positive force is ≤3.3N / side. Further equivalent stress analysis was performed. According to the mechanical properties of C5210-H, its tensile strength is 540~630MPa, yield strength ≥450MPa, and the safety factor is 0.9. Figure 8 As shown, the equivalent stress under maximum deformation is controlled within 405 MPa (simulation shows a maximum value of 383.77 MPa) to ensure sufficient safety redundancy of the material and avoid material failure due to unexpected overload. The analysis results meet the requirements, and the design retains sufficient safety redundancy, effectively avoiding plastic deformation of the material due to unexpected overload. Meanwhile, as... Figure 9 The equivalent strain analysis result shown is 3.5‰, which meets the material property requirement of C5210-H with an elongation of ≥10%.

[0054] To further reduce insertion and extraction resistance, improve signal transmission stability, and enhance overall structural rigidity, this invention also relates to a specific manufacturing and assembly process for the aforementioned connector assembly:

[0055] First, the substrate of the socket 10 is machined using a high-precision milling and turning machine tool. A side milling power head with a speed of up to 6000 r / min is used in conjunction with a ceramic composite coating tool to ensure that the initial roughness of the inner wall of the socket 10 before coating reaches Ra≤0.8μm, providing a good base for subsequent surface treatment.

[0056] Next, a composite surface treatment is performed. The surfaces of pin 62 and socket 10 undergo a special "four-layer composite plating" process: copper plating base layer + electroless nickel plating layer + hard gold plating layer + hole sealing treatment. Among them, the copper plating base layer process utilizes its excellent leveling effect to further reduce the surface roughness to a measured Ra≤0.6μm; the hard gold plating and hole sealing processes enable the Vickers hardness of the socket 10 surface to reach above 430HV. The measured data shows that this process reduces the dry friction coefficient between pin 62 and socket 10 from 0.2~0.3 in the conventional process to 0.12 in the initial stage of insertion and removal; after 2000 insertion and removal cycles, the friction coefficient is still ≤0.16.

[0057] Finally, to ensure the overall rigidity of the modular components during repeated insertion and removal, the connecting rod 3 is made of high-strength alloy steel. During assembly, axial pre-tightening pressure is applied through fasteners, causing the multiple independent insulator shell modules 61 to exhibit a prestressed composite beam structure in terms of mechanical properties. This effectively counteracts the bending moment generated during insertion and removal, ensuring that the perpendicularity deviation of the pins 62 is controlled within a minimal range and preventing jamming due to loose modules. The "prestressed composite beam structure" described in this article refers to a structural state in which multiple originally independent insulator shells are coupled together in terms of mechanical response through axial pre-tightening force, thereby exhibiting a bending stiffness and deformation coordination similar to a single continuous beam as a whole.

[0058] See Figure 4 and Figure 5 Both the end component 5 and the expansion component 6 have a cable routing assembly 14 on their outer sides for overall cable routing. The cable routing assembly 14 includes a fixed plate 141 fixedly connected to the end component 5 or the expansion component 6 and a movable plate 142 detachably connected to the fixed plate 141. The fixed plate 141 has cylindrical bosses 143 at its upper and lower ends on its outward side, and the cylindrical bosses 143 have through first connecting holes 144. The movable plate 142 has second connecting holes 145 coaxial with the first connecting holes 144 at its upper and lower ends. The movable plate 142 is connected to the fixed plate 141 by screws passing through the first connecting holes 144 and the second connecting holes 145. After connection, the gap formed between the fixed plate 141 and the movable plate 142 constitutes a cable management channel 146 for the cable routing of the pins 62 to pass through, thereby organizing the cable routing and preventing stress on the cable root.

[0059] See Figure 1 and Figure 2On the bottom outward side of the end assembly 5 and the extension assembly 6, below the ribbon cable assembly 14, there is an outwardly protruding force-applying handle 15. The force-applying handle 15 has an acute-angled or triangular plate-like structure that slopes outward and downward. This force-applying handle 15 serves as a unified force point for the operator to apply rotational torque, mainly providing a labor-saving operating grip during the process of rotating the pins 62 on the connector plug 1 to insert them from top to bottom into the sockets 10 in the connector socket 2, and during the process of pulling the connector plug 1 out of the connector socket 2.

[0060] See Figure 6 The connecting rods 3 are slender rod-shaped structures, with four rods, each passing through one of the four corners of the cover plate 4, end assembly 5, and all extension assemblies 6. The two ends of the connecting rods 3 are axially locked using fasteners. The connecting rods 3 function not only as physical connectors but also as prestressed tensioning elements. During assembly, by tightening the fasteners, the connecting rods 3 apply significant axial prestressing pressure to the end assembly 5 and extension assemblies 6. This prestressing force causes the multiple independent insulating shells 61 to exhibit mechanical properties as a prestressed composite beam structure. This structure counteracts the tensile stress generated by the rotational insertion and removal operation, ensuring that the reference surfaces of all modules remain tightly fitted during insertion and removal, guaranteeing the rigidity requirements for the perpendicularity of the pins 62, and preventing jamming due to loose modules.

[0061] The working principle and method of the above-mentioned modular stacked connector are as follows:

[0062] The first step involves the operator determining the required number of pins based on the current testing requirements. The corresponding number of extension components 6 are then stacked between the two end components 5. Four connecting rods 3 are passed through the pre-drilled holes in the cover plate 4, end components 5, and extension components 6. By tightening the fasteners at both ends of the connecting rods 3, axial pre-tightening pressure is applied to the series-connected components, integrating the loose modules into a single, high-rigidity connector plug 1. At this point, the connecting rod 3 structure transforms the dispersed modules into a pre-stressed composite beam structure capable of withstanding high torque, thus providing strength assurance for subsequent rotation operations. Subsequently, the operator passes the cable through the cable management channel 146 of the cable routing assembly 14, using the fixed plate 141 and the movable plate 142 to neatly bind and organize the cable.

[0063] In the second step, the operator holds the assembled connector plug 1 and moves it above the connector socket 2. The T-shaped screw-on locking block 8 on the top of the end assembly 5 of the connector plug 1 is then tilted and inserted into the limiting slot 9 on the top of the connector socket 2. At this time, the head of the T-shaped screw-on locking block 8 is restricted by the limiting slot 9, and the neck is located at the opening of the slot, with the plug hooked onto the socket, achieving automatic centering and positioning. Once the head of the T-shaped screw-on locking block 8 is engaged with the limiting slot 9, its cooperation with the limiting slot 9 restricts the degree of freedom of movement of the connector plug 1 relative to the connector socket 2 to rotation about the horizontal axis. Axial and radial displacements are also constrained, thus forming a stable rotary hinge and establishing the rotation center for the insertion process.

[0064] Thirdly, the operator grasps the force-applying handle 15 on the rear side of the connector plug 1 and presses it downwards using the top T-shaped screw-on locking block 8 as an axis. During this process, the connecting rod 3 structure evenly transmits the downward pressure to the entire plug assembly. As the plug rotates downwards around the top fulcrum, the pins 62 inside the connector plug 1 do not simultaneously contact the socket 10, but rather sequentially insert into the socket 10 of the connector receptacle 2 row by row from top to bottom. This sequential insertion trajectory decomposes the large peak force that originally needed to overcome the friction of all the pins 62 simultaneously into several staggered, stepped waveforms, thereby reducing the instantaneous torque required by the operator.

[0065] In this process, the special surface treatment process of the pin 62 and the socket 10 plays a key role. Thanks to the aforementioned special surface treatment process, the coefficient of friction between the pin 62 and the socket 10 is controlled at around 0.12, and the measured initial insertion and extraction force of a single pin 62 is only 0.9~1.2N. At the same time, because it is inserted by rotating around the top, the pin 62 has a small tangential component at the moment of entering the socket 10. This tangential component drives the tip of the pin 62 to generate slight wiping friction on the spring surface of the socket 10, which can effectively remove the oxide layer or dust on the metal surface and reduce the contact resistance.

[0066] In the fourth step, when the connector plug 1 is rotated and pressed down to the almost fully closed position, the operator presses the locking handle 123 at the bottom upwards. The hook structure 12 rotates around the rotating pin 121, compressing the return spring 124. When the hook structure 12 moves from in front of the square locking boss 13 to behind it, the locking handle 123 is released, the return spring 124 returns to its original position, and the hook part 122 at the front end lifts up and engages with the square locking boss 13 at the bottom of the connector socket 2 to form a lock. Utilizing the lever principle, the hook part 122 applies sufficient locking force to the plug, firmly locking the plug to the socket to prevent accidental dislodgement due to vibration or cable pulling during testing, ensuring the stability of signal transmission. In this step, the locking handle 123, combined with the high elasticity and resilience of the C5210-H material, ensures that the positive pressure of the contact area remains stable even when the connector is subjected to vibration or accidental cable pulling in the testing environment. This effectively avoids the instantaneous disconnection phenomenon common in traditional connectors and ensures the stability of the contact resistance.

[0067] Fifth, after the test is completed, the operator pulls the locking handle 123 upwards to disengage the hook part 122 from the square locking boss 13, thus releasing the locking state. Then, the operator holds the force application handle 15 and pulls upwards, causing the connector plug 1 to rotate upwards around the top T-shaped screw-on locking block 8. During the removal process, the pins 62 disengage row by row from bottom to top. This peeling-off removal method avoids the difficulties caused by the vacuum adsorption effect and static friction common in traditional vertical removal. Finally, the T-shaped screw-on locking block 8 is removed from the limiting slot 9, completing the entire disassembly process.

[0068] In the sixth step, for scenarios requiring simultaneous testing of multiple components of different specifications, the operator can loosen connecting rod 3, separate the modules, and reassemble and lock the expansion component 6 according to the new testing requirements. The entire reconfiguration process utilizes a modular, standardized interface, achieving true multi-functionality and rapid switching, thus improving equipment utilization and testing efficiency.

[0069] To verify the advancement of the technical solution of this invention, a connector manufactured using the materials, dimensions, and processes described in this embodiment was compared with existing technology products using ordinary phosphor bronze and conventional tin plating processes. The measured data are as follows:

[0070] (1) Under the rated test conditions of applying a 5A current for 2 hours, the temperature rise of the product of the present invention is less than 10°C; while the temperature rise of the prior art product is as high as 18°C. This shows that the low contact resistance design of the present invention reduces the Joule heating effect.

[0071] (2) For example Figure 10The life analysis and physical sample test results show that after 2000 complete insertion and removal cycles, the change in contact resistance is consistently <5mΩ, the peak insertion and removal force is ≤1.6N (only 1.4~1.8 times the initial value), and visual inspection reveals no exposed substrate in the plating. In contrast, existing technology products show plating wear failure after approximately 1000 insertion and removal cycles.

[0072] Thanks to its modularity, this invention can be quickly reassembled according to wire harness specifications, improving equipment utilization; and thanks to its excellent locking structure and vibration resistance, it meets the signal transmission stability requirements in dynamic connection scenarios.

[0073] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any improvements or substitutions based on the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Furthermore, the parameters, materials, and processes mentioned in the above embodiments are not unique. Without departing from the technical essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various alternative choices, and these alternative solutions should also be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A modular stackable connector, characterized in that, Includes a connector plug and a connector socket; the connector plug includes two end supports, two end assemblies disposed between the two end supports, and a plurality of extension assemblies that are detachably stacked between the two end assemblies; The end supports, end assemblies, and extension assemblies are connected in series by axial fasteners and preloaded to form a rigid integral structure; the number of end assemblies and extension assemblies can be increased or decreased according to the interface requirements of the object under test to adjust the total number of pins of the connector plug. The connector plug is attached to the connector socket via a top screw-on structure, and can rotate relative to the connector socket using the top screw-on structure as a pivot point to achieve plugging or unplugging.

2. The modular stackable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each end assembly and each extension assembly has an independent insulating housing and an independent cable outlet; the cable outlet is used to allow cables to be independently led out from the corresponding end assembly or extension assembly to achieve a one-to-one independent electrical connection between the connector plug and the object under test.

3. The modular stackable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top screw-on structure includes a T-shaped screw-on block disposed on the top of the end assembly and a limiting slot disposed on the top of the connector socket; The T-shaped screw-on block has a vertical neck and a horizontal head, and the width of the limiting slot is greater than the width of the neck and less than the width of the head. The T-shaped screw-in locking block is designed to be tilted and inserted into the limiting slot to form a rotation fulcrum; the pins inside the connector plug are distributed along the height direction of the connector plug, with their upper ends adjacent to the T-shaped screw-in locking block; the connector plug can rotate around this rotation fulcrum, so that the pins inside the connector plug are inserted into the socket holes of the connector socket row by row from top to bottom.

4. The modular stackable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rear outer side of the end assembly and the expansion assembly is provided with a ribbon cable assembly; the ribbon cable assembly includes a fixed plate and a movable plate; The fixed plate has an outwardly protruding support boss, and the movable plate is installed on the support boss; A cable management channel is formed between the fixed plate and the movable plate. The cable management channel is used to accommodate and fix the cables leading out from the outlet.

5. The modular stackable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, A bottom locking mechanism is also provided between the connector plug and the connector socket; the bottom locking mechanism includes a hook assembly pivotally connected to the bottom of the end assembly and a locking boss provided at the bottom of the connector socket; the hook assembly can rotate relative to the end assembly and engage with the locking boss after the connector plug is rotated to the insertion position, thereby locking the connector plug in the connector socket.

6. The modular stackable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end assembly and the extension assembly are provided with an outwardly protruding force-applying handle on the lower rear side; the force-applying handle is a plate-like structure that is inclined outward and downward, and is used to provide a uniform force-applying operation part when the connector plug rotates around the top screw structure.

7. The modular stackable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axial fasteners are provided in at least two positions, passing through the corner positions of the end support, end assembly, and extension assembly; the corner positions of the end support are provided with through holes, and the end assembly and extension assembly are provided with shaft holes coaxially corresponding to the through holes. The axial fasteners apply axial pre-tightening pressure to the series-connected end assembly and extension assembly, so that the multiple independent insulating shells of the end assembly and extension assembly form a prestressed composite beam structure to limit the verticality deviation of the pin.

8. The modular stackable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connector socket has a socket with an elastic metal spring inside; the base material of the elastic metal spring is C5210-H phosphor bronze with a conductivity ≥12% IACS; the elastic metal spring is constructed as a cantilever beam with a cantilever thickness h of 0.275mm; when the interference fit between the pin and the socket is 0.075mm, the positive contact force on one side of the elastic metal spring is ≤3.3N, and the equivalent stress under the maximum deformation is ≤405MPa.

9. The modular stackable connector according to claim 8, characterized in that, The connector plug pins and connector sockets are both coated with a composite plating layer. The composite plating layer consists of a copper base layer, a chemical nickel layer, a hard gold layer, and a sealing layer from the inside out. The surface roughness Ra of the socket substrate after machining is ≤0.8μm, the surface roughness Ra of the composite plating layer is ≤0.6μm, and the Vickers hardness is ≥430HV. The static dry friction coefficient between the pins and the socket is 0.12~0.

16.

10. A method for manufacturing a modular stacked connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Step S1: Based on the preset target insertion and extraction force threshold and friction coefficient, the design thickness of the elastic metal spring is calculated using the cantilever beam deformation formula; Step S2: The insertion hole substrate is machined using a milling and turning machine tool and ceramic-coated cutting tools to control the inner wall roughness Ra≤0.8μm; Step S3: Perform copper plating, electroless nickel plating, hard gold plating, and hole sealing on the processed pins and holes to obtain a low coefficient of friction surface with a Vickers hardness ≥430HV. Step S4: Connect the end assembly and the extension assembly in series with axial fasteners and apply pre-tightening force to form a prestressed composite beam structure.

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