A power connector and a power connector assembly

Abstract

This invention provides a power connector and a power connector assembly. The power connector includes: an insulating shell with a first end forming a mating cavity and a second end forming a connecting cavity; matching combination grooves and combination slides are respectively provided on both sides of the insulating shell, wherein the combination slide of one power connector is adapted to be inserted into the combination groove of another power connector; a pair of power terminals are disposed opposite to each other within the insulating shell; each power terminal includes a connecting piece and a plurality of power elastic arms disposed on the connecting piece, the connecting piece being located within the connecting cavity for electrical connection with a cable extending into the connecting cavity, and the power elastic arms being exposed within the mating cavity to form a plurality of power contacts. The connector provided by this invention can meet the current requirements of electrical equipment for scalability, ease of maintenance, high versatility, and modularity.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of connectors, in particular to a power connector and a power connector assembly. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a core component of power transmission and electrical connection, the power connector is widely used in electronic devices, communication devices, industrial control and other fields. Its structural stability, current carrying capacity, heat dissipation performance and adaptive flexibility directly affect the operation reliability of the electrical system.

[0003] The power connector disclosed in the prior art is mostly designed with a whole insulation body structure. The insulation body is an integral forming member, which has a fixed number of mating slots and terminal mounting spaces inside. A plurality of power terminal modules are integrated and assembled in the whole insulation body in a fixed arrangement. Although the power connector of this structure can meet the current carrying and heat dissipation performance requirements, the number of slots, the arrangement of terminal modules and the mounting space are all fixed designs. The number of power terminal modules cannot be increased or decreased according to the actual power transmission requirements. When the equipment is upgraded or the power is adjusted, the connector needs to be replaced as a whole. When a single power terminal module is damaged, the entire connector needs to be disassembled or even replaced as a whole. The general applicability and assembly and maintenance convenience are poor, which cannot meet the current electrical equipment requirements for expandable, easy-to-maintain, high-universal and modular power connectors. SUMMARY

[0004] Therefore, in order to overcome the problem that the existing power connector cannot meet the current electrical equipment requirements for expandable, easy-to-maintain, high-universal and modular use, the present application provides a power connector which can be combined and expanded as needed, and provides a corresponding power connector assembly.

[0005] Therefore, according to a first aspect, the present application provides a power connector, comprising:

[0006] An insulation shell, a first end of which is formed with a plug-in cavity, and a second end of which is formed with a connecting cavity; the two sides of the insulation shell are also respectively provided with matching combination sliding grooves and combination sliding columns, and the combination sliding column of one power connector is adapted to be plugged into the combination sliding groove of another power connector;

[0007] A pair of power terminals are oppositely arranged in the insulation shell; the power terminal includes a connecting piece and a plurality of power elastic arms arranged on the connecting piece. The connecting piece is located in the connecting cavity to be electrically connected with the cable extending into the connecting cavity, and the power elastic arms are exposed in the plug-in cavity to form a plurality of power contacts.

[0008] Optionally, the power connector further comprises:

[0009] A first fitting member, comprising a first clamping portion and a first fitting portion;

[0010] The second fitting member includes a second locking part and a second fitting part;

[0011] The insulating shell has a third and a fourth locking part on each side that match the first and second locking parts. The first fitting part can be fixed inside the insulating shell through the first and third locking parts, and the second fitting part can be fixed inside the insulating shell through the second and fourth locking parts.

[0012] The power terminal is provided with a third fitting part and a fourth fitting part on both sides, which match the first fitting part and the second fitting part respectively. When the first fitting part and the second fitting part are fixed in the insulating shell, the first fitting part and the third fitting part fit together, the second fitting part and the fourth fitting part fit together, and the power terminal is fixed in the insulating shell.

[0013] Optionally, the plurality of power flexible arms include a plurality of first arms and a plurality of second arms, wherein the first arms are bent toward the insertion cavity to form a first contact, and the second arms are bent toward the insertion cavity to form a second contact, and the first contact and the second contact are arranged one after the other in the insertion direction.

[0014] Optionally, the power connector also includes:

[0015] A pair of first support terminals are disposed opposite to each other on the outer side of a pair of power terminals away from the insertion cavity; the first support terminals include a plurality of first support arms disposed corresponding to a plurality of power elastic arms, and the first support arms abut against the outer side of the corresponding power elastic arms.

[0016] Optionally, the power connector also includes:

[0017] The signal terminal is disposed inside the insulating housing and spaced apart from the power terminal; the first end of the signal terminal is provided with two sets of signal elastic arms, which are exposed in the insertion cavity to form signal contacts, and the second end of the signal terminal forms a wire clamping connection part.

[0018] Optionally, the signal terminal also includes a limiting part, which is disposed between the signal elastic arm and the wire clamping connection part;

[0019] After the second fitting part passes through the signal terminal, it fits into the fourth fitting part. The second fitting part abuts against the limiting part to restrict the movement of the signal terminal.

[0020] Optionally, the power connector also includes:

[0021] The second support terminal is fixedly connected to the signal terminal; the second support terminal includes two sets of second support arms corresponding to the two sets of signal elastic arms, and the second support arms abut against the outer side of the corresponding signal elastic arms.

[0022] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a power connector assembly, comprising: at least two power connectors as described in the first aspect or any embodiment of the first aspect; the at least two power connectors are sequentially connected by a combined slide groove and a combined slide post.

[0023] Optionally, the outer periphery of the insulating housing is provided with a mounting plate, and the combined sliding column protrudes from the mounting plate; when at least two power connectors are connected in sequence, the mounting plates are connected in sequence.

[0024] The technical solution of this invention has the following advantages:

[0025] 1. The power connector provided by the present invention has matching combination grooves and combination slides on both sides of the insulating shell, so that the power connector is a power connector whose combination slide is suitable for insertion into the combination groove of another power connector. It is an expandable power connector that can be combined in corresponding quantities according to the usage needs of specific application scenarios, and can meet the current requirements of electrical equipment for expansion, easy maintenance, high versatility and modularity.

[0026] 2. The power connector provided by the present invention further improves the structural versatility of the power connector by including a signal terminal spaced apart from the power terminal inside the insulating shell; by including a limiting part in the signal terminal, the first fitting member and the second fitting member can fix the power terminal inside the insulating shell while the second fitting part in the second fitting member can also cooperate with the limiting part to fix the signal terminal, thereby improving the assembly convenience of the power connector. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the power connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power connector assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 An exploded view of the power connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Sectional view at position AA in the middle;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Sectional view at position BB in the middle;

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the power terminal and the first support terminal provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the signal terminal and the second support terminal provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0036] 100 - Power connector;

[0037] 110 - Insulating outer shell; 110a - Insertion cavity; 110b - Connection cavity;

[0038] 111-Combined slide groove; 112-Combined slide column; 113-Third locking part; 114-Fourth locking part;

[0039] 120 - Power terminal; 121 - Connecting piece; 122 - Power flexible arm; 122a - Power contact; 1221 - First arm; 1221a - First contact; 1222 - Second arm; 1222a - Second contact; 123 - Third fitting part; 124 - Fourth fitting part;

[0040] 130 - First support terminal; 131 - First support arm;

[0041] 140 - First fitting part; 141 - First locking part; 142 - First fitting part;

[0042] 150 - Second fitting part; 151 - Second locking part; 152 - Second fitting part;

[0043] 160 - Signal terminal; 161 - Signal flexible arm; 161a - Signal contact; 162 - Wire clamp connection part; 163 - Limiting part;

[0044] 170 - Second support terminal; 171 - Second support arm;

[0045] 180 - Mounting plate. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0048] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0049] It is important to note that the constructions and arrangements of this application shown in several different exemplary embodiments are merely illustrative. Although only a few embodiments are described in detail in this disclosure, those who consult this disclosure will readily understand that many modifications are possible (e.g., changes in the size, dimensions, structure, shape, and proportions of various elements, as well as parameter values ​​(e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.), mounting arrangements, use of materials, color, orientation, etc.) without substantially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter described in this application). For example, an element shown as integrally formed may be composed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements may be inverted or otherwise altered, and the nature or number or position of discrete elements may be changed or altered. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be changed or rearranged according to alternative embodiments. In the claims, any "device plus function" clause is intended to cover the structure described herein that performs the function, and not only structurally equivalent but also equivalent in structure. Other substitutions, modifications, alterations, and omissions may be made in the design, operation, and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments, but extends to various modifications that still fall within the scope of the appended claims.

[0050] Furthermore, to provide a concise description of exemplary embodiments, not all features of actual embodiments (i.e., those features not related to the currently considered best mode for carrying out the invention, or those features not related to implementing the invention) may be omitted. Moreover, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the invention described below may be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0051] Example 1

[0052] Please refer to Figures 1-7 This is a schematic diagram of the power connector provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] like Figures 1-4 As shown, the power connector includes an insulating housing 110 and a pair of power terminals 120. The first end of the insulating housing 110 forms a mating cavity 110a, and the second end forms a connecting cavity 110b. Matching combination grooves 111 and combination slide posts 112 are also provided on both sides of the insulating housing 110. Figure 2 As shown, a combination slide post 112 of a power connector is adapted to be inserted into a combination slide groove 111 of another power connector; a pair of power terminals 120 are disposed opposite each other in an insulating housing 110. Each power terminal 120 includes a connecting piece 121 and a plurality of power elastic arms 122 disposed on the connecting piece 121. The connecting piece 121 is located in a connecting cavity 110b for electrical connection with a cable extending into the connecting cavity 110b. The power elastic arms 122 are exposed in a mating cavity 110a, forming a plurality of power contacts 122a.

[0054] In this embodiment, a fixed connection can be provided between the connecting pieces 121 of a pair of power terminals 120.

[0055] In this embodiment, the power elastic arms 122 of the power terminal 120 can be arranged in rows on the plugging plane.

[0056] In specific implementation, in order to reduce the unit point current density of the power contact 122a in this embodiment, improve its stability and reduce temperature rise, the power elastic arm 122 in the power terminal 120 can be set to two or more (that is, the power contact 122a on each power terminal 120 is two or more).

[0057] In specific implementation, in order to further reduce the unit point current density of the power contact 122a in this embodiment, improve its stability, and reduce temperature rise, such as Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown, a plurality of power elastic arms 122 can be provided, including a plurality of first arms 1221 and a plurality of second arms 1222. The first arms 1221 are bent toward the insertion cavity 110a to form a first contact 1221a, and the second arms 1222 are bent toward the insertion cavity 110a to form a second contact 1222a. The first contacts 1221a and the second contacts 1222a are arranged one after the other in the insertion direction.

[0058] In specific implementation, the first arm 1221 and the second arm 1222 can be arranged in a row, with the first arm 1221 and the second arm 1222 spaced apart; for example, such as Figure 6 As shown, a power terminal 120 can be configured to include 11 first arms 1221 and 10 second arms 1222 (that is, a power terminal includes 11 first contacts 1221a and 10 second contacts 1222a). Correspondingly, the power connector has a total of 42 power contacts 122a.

[0059] In this embodiment, the cable can be resistance welded or ultrasonically welded to the connecting piece 121 inside the connecting cavity 110b, thereby achieving one-time forming and low contact impedance.

[0060] As an optional specific implementation of this embodiment, in order to further reduce the temperature rise of the power connector and further improve its structural stability, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 6 As shown, the power connector in this embodiment may also include a pair of first support terminals 130, which are disposed opposite to the pair of power terminals 120 on the outer side away from the insertion cavity 110a; the first support terminals 130 include a plurality of first support arms 131 disposed corresponding to a plurality of power elastic arms 122, and the first support arms 131 abut against the outer side of the corresponding power elastic arms 122.

[0061] In this embodiment, the power terminal 120 is fixedly connected to the insulating shell 110; as an optional specific implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figures 3-6As shown, the power terminal 120 in this embodiment may also include a first fitting member 140 and a second fitting member 150. The first fitting member 140 includes a first locking portion 141 and a first fitting portion 142, and the second fitting member 150 includes a second locking portion 151 and a second fitting portion 152. The insulating housing 110 has a third locking portion 113 and a fourth locking portion 114 on each side, which match the first locking portion 141 and the second locking portion 151. The first fitting member 140 can be fixed to the insulating housing via the first locking portion 141 and the third locking portion 113. Inside 110, the second fitting member 150 can be fixed inside the insulating shell 110 by the second locking part 151 and the fourth locking part 114; the power terminal 120 is provided with a third fitting part 123 and a fourth fitting part 124 on both sides, which match the first fitting part 142 and the second fitting part 152 respectively. When the first fitting member 140 and the second fitting member 150 are fixed inside the insulating shell 110, the first fitting part 142 and the third fitting part 123 are fitted together, the second fitting part 152 and the fourth fitting part 124 are fitted together, and the power terminal 120 is fixed inside the insulating shell 110.

[0062] For example, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the first locking part 141 and the second locking part 151 can be hook-type parts, the third locking part 113 and the fourth locking part 114 can be block-type parts; the first fitting part 142 and the second fitting part 152 can be fitting column-type parts, and the third fitting part 123 and the fourth fitting part 124 can be fitting groove-type parts.

[0063] As an optional specific implementation of this embodiment, in order to further improve the structural versatility of the power connector in this embodiment, such as... Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 7 As shown, the power connector in this embodiment may also include a signal terminal 160, which is disposed inside the insulating housing 110 and spaced apart from the power terminal 120. The first end of the signal terminal 160 is provided with two sets of signal elastic arms 161, which are exposed in the insertion cavity 110a to form a signal contact 161a. The second end of the signal terminal 160 forms a wire clamping connection portion 162.

[0064] In practice, the cable corresponding to the signal terminal 160 can be pressed into the cable clamping connection part 162 by several clamps, making assembly convenient and quick.

[0065] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 7As shown, the source connector may also include a second support terminal 170, which is fixedly connected to the signal terminal 160. The second support terminal 170 includes two sets of second support arms 171 corresponding to the two sets of signal elastic arms 161, and the second support arms 171 abut against the outer side of the corresponding signal elastic arms 161.

[0066] In this embodiment, to further improve the assembly convenience of the power connector, such as Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the signal terminal 160 may also include a limiting part 163, which is disposed between the signal elastic arm 161 and the wire clamping connection part 162; and a second fitting part 152 is provided to pass through the signal terminal 160 and fit with the fourth fitting part 124, and the second fitting part 152 and the limiting part 163 abut against each other to restrict the movement of the signal terminal 160.

[0067] The power connector in this embodiment has matching combination grooves 111 and combination slide posts 112 on both sides of the insulating shell 110. This makes the power connector a power connector whose combination slide post 112 is suitable for insertion into the combination groove 111 of another power connector. It is an expandable power connector that can be combined in corresponding quantities according to the usage needs of specific application scenarios, and can meet the current requirements of electrical equipment for expansion, easy maintenance, high versatility and modularity.

[0068] Example 2

[0069] Please refer to Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the power connector assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, the power connector assembly includes at least two power connectors 100 as described in any one of Embodiment 1, and the at least two power connectors 100 are connected sequentially via a combined slide groove 111 and a combined slide post 112.

[0070] In practical implementation, in order to further improve the structural integrity of the power connector assembly, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the outer periphery of the insulating housing 110 may have a mounting plate 180, and the combined sliding post 112 protrudes from the mounting plate 180; when at least two power connectors are connected in sequence, the mounting plates 180 are connected in sequence.

[0071] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A power connector, characterized in that, include: An insulating shell has a first end forming a insertion cavity and a second end forming a connection cavity; the insulating shell also has matching combination slide grooves and combination slide posts on both sides, and the combination slide post of one power connector is adapted to be inserted into the combination slide groove of another power connector; A pair of power terminals are disposed opposite each other within the insulating housing; each power terminal includes a connecting piece and a plurality of power elastic arms disposed on the connecting piece, the connecting piece being located within the connecting cavity for electrical connection with a cable extending into the connecting cavity, and the power elastic arms being exposed within the plug-in cavity to form a plurality of power contacts.

2. The power connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The first fitting member includes a first locking part and a first fitting part; The second fitting member includes a second locking part and a second fitting part; The insulating shell is provided with a third locking part and a fourth locking part on both sides, which match the first locking part and the second locking part respectively. The first fitting member can be fixed in the insulating shell through the first locking part and the third locking part, and the second fitting member can be fixed in the insulating shell through the second locking part and the fourth locking part. The power terminal is provided with a third fitting part and a fourth fitting part on both sides, which match the first fitting part and the second fitting part respectively. When the first fitting part and the second fitting part are fixed inside the insulating shell, the first fitting part and the third fitting part fit together, the second fitting part and the fourth fitting part fit together, and the power terminal is fixed inside the insulating shell.

3. The power connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The plurality of power elastic arms include a plurality of first arms and a plurality of second arms, wherein the first arms are bent toward the insertion cavity to form a first contact, and the second arms are bent toward the insertion cavity to form a second contact, wherein the first contact and the second contact are arranged one after the other in the insertion direction.

4. The power connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Also includes: A pair of first support terminals are disposed opposite to each other on the outer side of the pair of power terminals away from the plug cavity; the first support terminals include a plurality of first support arms disposed corresponding to a plurality of power elastic arms, and the first support arms abut against the outer side of the corresponding power elastic arms.

5. The power connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, Also includes: The signal terminal is disposed inside the insulating housing and spaced apart from the power terminal; the first end of the signal terminal is provided with two sets of signal elastic arms, which are exposed in the insertion cavity to form signal contacts, and the second end of the signal terminal forms a wire clamping connection part.

6. The power connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The signal terminal also includes a limiting part, which is disposed between the signal elastic arm and the wire clamping connection part; After the second fitting portion passes through the signal terminal, it fits into the fourth fitting portion, and the second fitting portion abuts against the limiting portion to restrict the movement of the signal terminal.

7. The power connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The second support terminal is fixedly connected to the signal terminal; the second support terminal includes two sets of second support arms corresponding to the two sets of signal elastic arms, and the second support arms abut against the outer side of the corresponding signal elastic arm.

8. A power connector assembly, characterized in that, include: At least two power connectors as described in any one of claims 1-7; At least two of the power connectors are connected sequentially via the combined slide and the combined slide post.

9. The power connector assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, An mounting plate is provided on the outer periphery of the insulating shell, and the combined sliding column protrudes from the mounting plate; when at least two power connectors are connected in sequence, each mounting plate is connected in sequence.

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