Electrical connector and electrical connector assembly

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of electric connectors, in particular to an electric connector and an electric connector assembly, the electric connector comprising an insulating body and a plurality of terminals, the insulating body being provided with an upper wall, a lower wall and oppositely arranged two side walls connecting the upper wall and the lower wall, the upper wall, the lower wall and the two side walls enclosing a slot, the two side walls being respectively provided with a relief groove at the slot opening end of the slot, the relief groove being communicated with the slot and the outside world, each terminal being provided with an abutting part exposed in the slot, the abutting part being configured to elastically abut an electronic card; the relief groove is configured to avoid the outer peripheral contour of the electronic card, so that the electronic card is inserted into the slot. According to the application, the relief groove is arranged at the slot opening end of the side wall, the accommodation space at the slot entrance is effectively expanded without increasing the overall length and width of the insulating body, the connector can be adapted to a new generation of high-current electronic cards with an increased outer peripheral contour, and the technical problem that a conventional connector cannot be assembled in place due to the blocking of the side wall glue position is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electrical connector technology, and more particularly to an electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly. Background Technology

[0002] M.2 connectors, as an important type of high-speed electrical connector, are widely used in signal and power transmission scenarios of storage devices such as solid-state drives. One end of the connector is connected to the PCB (printed circuit board) via SMT (Surface Mount Technology Welding), while the other end is connected to the electronic card via a slot. The overall structure mainly consists of an insulating body, terminals, and a shielding shell. Some connectors adapted to high-speed transmission requirements will also add shielding shell springs and terminal grounding structures to improve high-frequency transmission characteristics and meet the requirements of high-speed data interaction.

[0003] When conventional electrical connectors are used to fit solid-state drive expansion cards with high current requirements, the increased size of the new generation of expansion cards causes the adhesive pads on both sides of the slot to form a hard obstruction, preventing the expansion card from being properly assembled with the electrical connector. In order to fit the larger expansion cards, conventional solutions require increasing the overall size of the electrical connector, which in turn increases the area occupied by the electrical connector on the PCB board. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides an electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly to solve the problem that when conventional electrical connectors are used to adapt to solid-state drive expansion cards with high current requirements, the increased size of the new generation of expansion cards causes the adhesive pads on both sides of the slot to form a hard obstruction, preventing the expansion card from being assembled with the electrical connector. In order to adapt to the larger expansion cards, conventional solutions require increasing the overall size of the electrical connector, which in turn increases the area occupied by the electrical connector on the PCB board.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides an electrical connector, comprising: An insulating body has an upper wall, a lower wall, and two opposing side walls connecting the upper wall and the lower wall. The upper wall, the lower wall, and the two side walls enclose a slot. The two side walls each have a clearance groove at the slot opening end, and the clearance groove connects the slot to the outside. Multiple terminals, each of which is disposed on the insulating body, each of which has an abutment portion exposed in the slot, the abutment portion being configured to resiliently abut an electronic card; The clearance slot is configured to avoid the outer periphery of the electronic card so that the electronic card can be inserted into the slot.

[0006] Optionally, the sidewall facing the slot has a guide surface configured to guide and abut the electronic card, and the guide surface forms a flared structure at the slot opening.

[0007] Optionally, the angle formed between the guide surface and the bottom of the slot is not less than 40 degrees.

[0008] Optionally, the insulating body is provided with a positioning member, which is located in the slot and connects the upper wall and the lower wall. The positioning member extends along the direction from the bottom of the slot to the opening of the slot, and is configured to cooperate with the key slot of the electronic card.

[0009] Optionally, in the direction from the bottom of the slot to the opening of the slot, the length of the positioning member is greater than the length of the sidewall.

[0010] Optionally, the clearance groove is arranged to overlap with the upper wall and the lower wall on opposite sides, forming an extended installation area.

[0011] Optionally, the length of the sidewall is 0 to 1.475 mm in the direction from the bottom of the slot to the opening of the slot.

[0012] Optionally, the electrical connector further includes an isolator disposed on the insulating body, the terminal having a resilient segment, a mounting segment, and a connecting segment connected in sequence, the abutting portion being located at the end of the resilient segment away from the mounting segment; the isolator has a clamping portion clamping the end of the mounting segment near the resilient segment.

[0013] Optionally, the insulating body has a mounting groove, the insulating member is disposed in the mounting groove, and the two ends of the insulating member have snap-fit ​​portions, which abut against the inner wall of the mounting groove.

[0014] Optionally, in the direction from the upper wall to the lower wall, the distance between the spacer and the elastic segment is not less than 0.1 mm.

[0015] In a second aspect, this application provides an electrical connector assembly, including the electrical connector and electronic card provided in the first aspect of this application, wherein the electronic card is inserted into the slot and the electronic card has a mating portion disposed in the clearance groove.

[0016] The technical solutions provided in this application have the following advantages compared with the prior art: The electrical connector provided in this application, by creating a clearance groove at the end of the side wall slot, effectively expands the receiving space at the slot entrance without increasing the overall length and width of the insulating body. This allows the connector to adapt to the new generation of high-current electronic cards with larger outer contours, solving the technical problem of conventional connectors being unable to be assembled properly due to obstruction by the side wall adhesive. Simultaneously, since there is no need to increase the size of the insulating body, the connector's footprint on the PCB board remains the same or only slightly increases, meeting the application requirements of high-density PCB layout. Furthermore, the design of the clearance groove directly connecting to the slot ensures that the electronic card insertion path remains straight, avoiding terminal damage caused by oblique insertion or misalignment, and improving insertion / removal life and connection reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this application.

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector assembly provided in this application embodiment. Figure 1 ; Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector assembly provided in this application embodiment. Figure 2 ; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the insulating body provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector assembly provided in this application embodiment. Figure 3 ; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view along the AA direction; Figure 6 for Figure 4 Sectional view in the BB direction; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view at point D; Figure 8 for Figure 4 Sectional view in the CC direction.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1. Insulating body; 11. Upper wall; 12. Lower wall; 13. Side wall; 1a. Slot; 1b. Clearance groove; 14. Positioning element; 15. Extended installation area; 131. Guide surface; 1c. Mounting groove; 2. Terminal; 211. Abutment part; 21. Flexible section; 22. Mounting section; 23. Connecting section; 3. Isolating component; 31. Clamping part; 32. Snap-fit ​​part; 4. Electronic card; 4a. Keyway; 41. Mating part; 5. Circuit board. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0023] The following disclosure provides numerous different embodiments or examples for implementing various structures of this application. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. These are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of this application. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples. Such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0024] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used in the text to describe the relative position or movement of one element or feature relative to another element or feature, as shown in the figure. These relative terms include, for example, "inside," "outside," "middle," "outer," "below," "below," "above," "front," "back," etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation, other than those depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure undergoes a positional flip, orientation change, or change of motion, these directional indications will change accordingly. For instance, an element described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features." Therefore, the example term "below" can include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions), and the spatial relative descriptors used in the text will be interpreted accordingly.

[0025] To address the technical problem that conventional electrical connectors cannot be properly assembled with high-current solid-state drive (SSD) cards due to the increased size of the new generation of SSD cards, where the adhesive pads on both sides of slot 1a create a hard obstruction, and that conventional solutions require increasing the overall size of the electrical connector to accommodate the larger card, thus increasing the area occupied by the connector on circuit board 5, this application provides an electrical connector that effectively expands the accommodating space at the entrance of slot 1a by creating a clearance groove 1b at the slot end of side wall 13, without increasing the overall length and width of the insulating body 1. This allows the connector to accommodate the new generation of high-current electronic cards 4 with larger outer contours, solving the technical problem of conventional connectors being unable to be properly assembled due to the obstruction of the adhesive pads on side wall 13.

[0026] Figures 1 to 7 An electrical connector provided in this application embodiment includes an insulating body 1 and a plurality of terminals 2. The insulating body 1 has an upper wall 11, a lower wall 12, and two opposing side walls 13 connecting the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12. The upper wall 11, the lower wall 12, and the two side walls 13 enclose a slot 1a. The two side walls 13 are respectively provided with clearance grooves 1b at the slot opening end of the slot 1a. The clearance grooves 1b connect the slot 1a to the outside. Each terminal 2 is disposed on the insulating body 1. Each terminal 2 has an abutment portion 211 exposed in the slot 1a. The abutment portion 211 is configured to elastically abut an electronic card 4. The clearance grooves 1b are configured to avoid the outer periphery of the electronic card 4 so that the electronic card 4 can be inserted into the slot 1a.

[0027] In this embodiment, the insulating body 1 is injection molded from a high-temperature resistant plastic material such as liquid crystal polymer (LCP) or high-temperature nylon (PA9T / PA10T). It has an upper wall 11 and a lower wall 12 arranged relatively parallel to each other, and two side walls 13 vertically connecting the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12. The upper wall 11, the lower wall 12, and the two side walls 13 together form a slot 1a with a front opening. The two side walls 13 are respectively provided with clearance grooves 1b at the slot opening end (i.e., the front opening) of the slot 1a. The clearance grooves 1b extend from the inner side surface of the side wall 13 to the outer side surface, thereby forming a notch structure at the front end of the side wall 13. The notch structure communicates with the slot 1a and extends to the outside. Multiple terminals 2 are fixed to the insulating body 1 by insertion molding or assembly. The terminals 2 have abutment portions 211 exposed in the slot 1a. The abutment portions 211 can be elastic arms or contact springs. The abutment portions 211 protrude toward the inside of the slot 1a to form elastic electrical contact with the inserted electronic card 4. When the enlarged electronic card 4 is inserted, the portion of the outer periphery of the electronic card 4 that exceeds the width of the conventional slot 1a can be accommodated in the clearance groove 1b, avoiding interference with the front end of the side wall 13, thus allowing the electronic card 4 to be smoothly inserted into place. This electrical connector can be applied to an M.2 solid-state drive interface. In this case, the electronic card 4 is an M.2 solid-state drive module, with its width increased by approximately 0.5mm to 1.0mm compared to the conventional size. The portion of the outer periphery of the electronic card 4 that exceeds the width of the conventional slot 1a can be accommodated in the clearance groove 1b, avoiding interference with the front end of the side wall 13, thus allowing the electronic card 4 to be smoothly inserted into place.

[0028] The electrical connector provided in this application embodiment effectively expands the receiving space at the entrance of the slot 1a by opening a clearance groove 1b at the slot end of the side wall 13, without increasing the overall length and width of the insulating body 1. This allows the connector to adapt to the new generation of high-current electronic cards 4 with larger outer circumference contours, solving the technical problem that conventional connectors cannot be assembled properly due to the obstruction of the adhesive part of the side wall 13. At the same time, since there is no need to increase the size of the insulating body 1, the area occupied by the connector on the circuit board 5 can be maintained at the original level or only slightly increased, meeting the application requirements of high-density board layout. In addition, the design of the clearance groove 1b directly communicating with the slot 1a ensures that the insertion path of the electronic card 4 remains straight, avoiding damage to the terminal 2 caused by oblique insertion or misalignment, and improving the insertion and removal life and connection reliability.

[0029] Please see Figures 1 to 3In one embodiment, the sidewall 13 facing the slot 1a has a guide surface 131. This guide surface 131 is formed by cutting or oblique demolding from the inner side of the sidewall 13. It extends obliquely from the slot opening of the slot 1a towards the bottom, making the opening width at the slot opening greater than the width of the bottom area, thereby forming a flared structure at the entrance of the slot 1a. An oblique angle is formed between the guide surface 131 and the bottom wall of the slot 1a. This angle can be designed according to the insertion angle of the electronic card 4 and the thickness of the outer shell to ensure that when the electronic card 4 is inserted, the side first contacts the guide surface 131 rather than directly impacting the front end of the sidewall 13. Specifically, the guide surface 131 can be a single inclined plane that extends in a straight line from the front end of the slot to the inner wall of the side wall 13 near the slot 1a, forming a linear flared guide; the guide surface 131 can also be a segmented composite curved surface, with the front section being an outwardly convex arc surface with a large radius of curvature to provide initial insertion, and the rear section transitioning to an inclined plane to stably abut against the side edge of the electronic card 4, thereby achieving progressive guidance and positioning during the insertion of the electronic card 4.

[0030] The flared structure formed at the slot of the guide surface 131 provides a tapered insertion channel for the electronic card 4, allowing it to slide into the correct position along the guide surface 131 even with slight alignment deviations during insertion. This reduces the alignment accuracy requirements for insertion and removal operations and improves the user experience. Simultaneously, the abutment between the guide surface 131 and the side edge of the electronic card 4 provides lateral limiting and posture correction for the electronic card 4 during insertion, preventing uneven force or plastic deformation of the terminal 2 abutment portion 211 due to skewed insertion, thus protecting the elastic contact performance of the terminal 2. Furthermore, the flared structure creates a progressive contact between the outer contour of the electronic card 4 and the front end of the side wall 13, rather than a rigid obstruction. Even if the size of the electronic card 4 is slightly increased, it can be smoothly inserted through the elastic clearance of the guide surface 131. This, combined with the clearance groove 1b, further enhances the connector's compatibility with electronic cards 4 of varying sizes.

[0031] Please see Figures 4 to 6 In this embodiment, the included angle α formed between the guide surface 131 and the bottom of the slot 1a is not less than 40 degrees, ensuring that the guide surface 131 has sufficient slope to effectively guide and avoid the electronic card 4. The included angle can be set to an acute angle of 60 degrees. At this time, the slope of the guide surface 131 is moderate, which can provide a significant flaring and insertion effect, while maintaining a certain structural strength at the front end of the side wall 13. This is suitable for scenarios where the size increment of the electronic card 4 is small and the mechanical strength requirements of the connector are high. The included angle can also be set to a smaller slope of 45 degrees. At this time, the flaring degree of the slot is more significant, which can provide a larger initial insertion space for the increased size of the electronic card 4. At the same time, the contact between the guide surface 131 and the side edge of the electronic card 4 is smoother, reducing the frictional resistance at the initial insertion stage. This is suitable for application scenarios where the size increment of the electronic card 4 is large or frequent insertion and removal are required.

[0032] By limiting the included angle to no less than 40 degrees, it is ensured that the guide surface 131 has sufficient slope to form an effective flared guide structure, avoiding the phenomenon of the electronic card 4 scraping or getting stuck between the side and the front end of the side wall 13 due to an insufficient slope. At the same time, this angle range achieves a balance between guiding performance and structural strength, satisfying the functional requirement of smooth insertion of the electronic card 4 while preventing structural weakening or injection molding deformation caused by excessive thinning of the front end of the side wall 13. In addition, the included angle of no less than 40 degrees makes the guide surface 131 and the side edge of the electronic card 4 form point contact or line contact rather than surface contact, reducing the contact area and frictional resistance during insertion, allowing the electronic card 4 to enter the depth of the slot 1a more smoothly, improving the smoothness of the insertion and removal operation and the service life of the connector.

[0033] Please see Figures 3 to 6 In one embodiment, the positioning member 14 is a strip-shaped boss structure protruding into the slot 1a, generally integrally injection molded with the insulating body 1, and simultaneously connecting the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12 to form a through-connection structure. The positioning member 14 extends longitudinally along the direction from the bottom to the opening of the slot 1a, with its front end near the opening for initial insertion and its rear end near the bottom for limiting stop and structural reinforcement of the insulating body 1. The positioning member 14 can be a single rib structure, located in the center or offset position in the width direction of the slot 1a, cooperating with the central keyway 4a of the electronic card 4 to achieve foolproof orientation, suitable for electronic cards 4 with single keyway 4a specifications such as M.2 M key or B key; the positioning member 14 can also be a double rib parallel structure, with a groove formed between the two ribs, cooperating with the corresponding double keyway 4a or irregular keyway 4a on the electronic card 4, which can simultaneously achieve foolproof orientation and multi-position insertion depth control, suitable for high-power electronic cards 4 with composite keyway 4a structures.

[0034] The bridging structure connecting the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12 of the positioning member 14 significantly enhances the structural rigidity of the insulating body 1 in the slot 1a area, preventing the weakening of the side wall 13 caused by the opening of the clearance groove 1b and the guide surface 131, and improving the overall resistance to torsion and deformation of the connector. At the same time, the mating cooperation between the positioning member 14 and the keyway 4a of the electronic card 4 achieves mechanical guidance of the insertion direction and precise limiting of the insertion depth, avoiding damage to the terminal 2 abutment part 211 due to over-insertion of the electronic card 4 or poor contact due to insufficient insertion. In addition, the positioning member 14 divides the slot 1a into multiple independent terminal 2 receiving areas, which can physically isolate different functional pins, reduce crosstalk between high-speed signal terminals 2, and improve high-frequency transmission performance.

[0035] Please see Figure 8In this embodiment, the positioning member 14 extends along the groove bottom to groove opening of the slot 1a, and its longitudinal length is greater than the length of the side wall 13 in this direction, so that the front end of the positioning member 14 protrudes from the front end face of the side wall 13, forming a front guide structure. The front end of the positioning member 14 can be set as a single-stage boss, and the end face of the boss is a flat end face perpendicular to the insertion direction. When the electronic card 4 is inserted, the front end of the keyway 4a abuts against the flat end face to obtain a clear initial positioning reference. The front end of the positioning member 14 can be set as a multi-stage stepped boss, which consists of a first-stage narrow boss and a second-stage wide boss from front to back. The first-stage narrow boss is used for the initial introduction of the keyway 4a, and the second-stage wide boss is used for the stable fitting of the keyway 4a, so as to realize the progressive and precise positioning during the insertion of the electronic card 4. The design of the positioning element 14 protruding from the front end of the side wall 13 ensures that the electronic card 4 contacts the positioning element 14 first when inserted into the keyway 4a. This initial correction of the insertion direction is completed before the side of the electronic card 4 reaches the guide surface 131 of the side wall 13, shortening the insertion stroke of the electronic card 4 in an unconstrained state and effectively preventing the electronic card 4 from scraping or getting stuck against the front end of the side wall 13 due to initial misalignment. Simultaneously, the protruding positioning element 14 provides a clear insertion starting point for the electronic card 4, allowing the user to receive clear insertion feedback, reducing the alignment difficulty of blind insertion operations, and improving the smoothness of insertion and removal operations and the user experience. The longitudinal protrusion structure of the positioning element 14 forms a staggered guide hierarchy with the side wall 13. During the insertion process, the electronic card 4 sequentially passes through three stages: front-end guidance of the positioning element 14, correction by the guide surface 131 of the side wall 13, and rear-end limiting of the positioning element 14. This achieves multi-level stable control of the insertion path, improving the accuracy of insertion and removal operations and the reliability of the connection.

[0036] Please see Figure 3In one embodiment, the opposite side walls of the clearance groove 1b extend upward to overlap with the upper wall 11 and downward to overlap with the lower wall 12, respectively, so that the clearance groove 1b penetrates the full thickness of the side wall 13 in the height direction, forming an extended installation area 15 between the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12. This extended installation area 15 communicates with the slot 1a and together constitutes the receiving space of the electronic card 4. The upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12 maintain their full thickness in the area adjacent to the clearance groove 1b to form a clamping structure for the electronic card 4. When the electronic card 4 is inserted, the main body is clamped by the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12, and the structure of the side edge of the electronic card 4 is accommodated in the extended installation area 15 after the side wall 13 is missing. By overlapping with the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12, the clearance groove 1b forms a concave extended installation area 15 in the thickness direction of the side wall 13. This extended installation area 15, combined with the clamping structure retained by the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12, achieves the dual technical effects of expanding the installation space of the electronic card 4 and ensuring the clamping function. The main body of the electronic card 4 is still provided with stable elastic clamping force by the complete area of ​​the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12, ensuring the reliability of the electrical connection and vibration resistance. The increased portion of the outer periphery of the electronic card 4 is accommodated within the extended mounting area 15 formed by the absence of the side wall 13, avoiding structural interference with the insulating body 1. This design allows the insulating body 1 to solve the problem of assembling the enlarged electronic card 4 while maintaining the necessary clamping function of the connector, without increasing the length or width, through the coordinated layout of partially removing the side wall 13 and retaining the structure of the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12. This avoids the problem of the electronic card 4 becoming loose or having poor contact due to the completely open side wall 13, and improves the structural reliability and compatibility of the connector.

[0037] Please see Figures 6 to 8 In this embodiment, the length of the sidewall 13 in the direction from the bottom of the slot 1a to the opening of the slot 1a is set to 0 to 1.475 mm. This length defines the extension dimension of the front end solid area of ​​the sidewall 13 in the insertion direction. The length of the sidewall 13 can be set in a conventional range of 0.8 mm to 1.475 mm. At this time, the front end of the sidewall 13 has sufficient solid length to open the guide surface 131 and the clearance groove 1b, which is suitable for the adaptation scenarios of standard size electronic cards 4 or micro-incremental electronic cards 4. The length of the sidewall 13 can be reduced to 0 mm, that is, the front end of the sidewall 13 is completely flush with the bottom wall of the slot 1a. At this time, the clearance groove 1b is completely connected with the slot 1a, and there is no solid obstruction at the front end of the sidewall 13. This is suitable for thick electronic cards 4 or special electronic cards 4 with significant outer peripheral flanges.

[0038] Limiting the length of the sidewall 13 to a short range of 0 to 1.475 mm effectively reduces the space occupied by the front end of the insulating body 1 in the insertion direction, providing a compact design basis for the arrangement of the clearance slot 1b and the guide surface 131. This allows the connector to achieve structural and functional integration of the slot area without increasing the overall length. Simultaneously, this length range complements the front protrusion structure of the positioning member 14. The short solid design of the sidewall 13, combined with the longitudinal protrusion of the positioning member 14, ensures multi-point progressive guidance during the insertion of the electronic card 4 while avoiding structural interference between the front end of the sidewall 13 and the front end of the positioning member 14, achieving efficient utilization of the space in the slot 1a entrance area. Furthermore, the lower limit of the sidewall 13's length extending to the extreme design of 0 mm provides structural possibilities for the connector to adapt to electronic cards 4 of extreme sizes, expanding the product's specification coverage.

[0039] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one embodiment, the isolator 3 is stamped from a conductive metal sheet such as copper alloy or stainless steel, and its surface may be nickel-plated or gold-plated to improve corrosion resistance and conductivity. It has a clamping part 31 adapted to the mounting section 22 of the terminal 2. The clamping part 31 is an elastic claw or a bent clip structure. The terminal 2 is stamped from a copper alloy substrate and its surface is nickel-plated or gold-plated. It has an elastic section 21, a mounting section 22 and a connecting section 23 connected in sequence. The elastic section 21 is exposed in the slot 1a for elastic contact with the electronic card 4. The mounting section 22 is embedded in the insulating body 1 for fixing the position of the terminal 2. The connecting section 23 extends to the outside of the insulating body 1 for soldering and conducting with the circuit board 5. The clamping part 31 of the isolator 3 is a symmetrically arranged double elastic claw. The double claw extends from the main body of the isolator 3 toward the terminal 2 and is elastically clamped in the transition area of ​​the mounting section 22 near the elastic section 21. The common ground connection between the isolator 3 and the terminal 2 is achieved through mechanical clamping and metal-to-metal contact. The clamping part 31 can be a combination structure of a single-arm elastic clamp and a supporting boss. The clamp extends from the main body of the isolator 3 to the top of the mounting section 22, and the supporting boss is located below the mounting section 22. The clamp and the boss work together to clamp the mounting section 22 and form a stable low-impedance electrical contact.

[0040] The clamping part 31 clamps the mounting section 22 at the end near the elastic section 21, making the fixed position of the isolator 3 on the terminal 2 adjacent to the electrical contact area in the slot 1a. This effectively shortens the common ground path length and improves the electromagnetic shielding effect during high-frequency signal transmission. At the same time, this clamping position is far from the free end of the elastic section 21, avoiding constraints on the elastic deformation capability of the elastic section 21 and ensuring that the abutment part 211 can maintain sufficient elastic travel to form a reliable electrical contact with the electronic card 4. In addition, the mounting section 22, as the rigid fixing area of ​​the terminal 2, has a higher structural strength than the slender elastic section 21. The clamping part 31 acting at this position can reduce the impact on the overall mechanical properties of the terminal 2, prevent the terminal 2 from deforming or displacing due to the clamping force, and ensure the stability of the terminal 2 installation and the consistency of the electrical connection.

[0041] Please see Figure 6 and Figure 7 In one embodiment of this application, the insulating body 1 is injection molded from a high-temperature resistant plastic material such as liquid crystal polymer or high-temperature nylon. A mounting groove 1c is formed in the area adjacent to the mounting section 22 of the terminal 2. This mounting groove 1c is a narrow, elongated cavity extending along the length of the insulating body 1. The insulating member 3 is embedded in the mounting groove 1c and fixed by the snap-fit ​​portions 32 at both ends. The insulating member 3 is stamped from a conductive metal sheet such as copper alloy or stainless steel, with both ends bent to form elastic snap-fit ​​portions 32. These snap-fit ​​portions 32 form an interference fit or a snap-fit ​​abutment with the inner wall of the mounting groove 1c. Specifically, the snap-fit ​​part 32 can be an outwardly bent elastic abutment piece, which forms an elastic interference fit with the inner wall of the mounting groove 1c. The friction between the abutment piece and the groove wall enables the stable installation of the isolation member 3. The snap-fit ​​part 32 can also be a piercing structure with a sharp edge, which extends outward from the end of the isolation member 3. During installation, the piercing structure pierces into the plastic side wall 13 of the mounting groove 1c, and the isolation member 3 is anchored and fixed through mechanical interlocking.

[0042] The isolator 3 is fixed by direct contact or piercing engagement between its two end snap-fit ​​portions 32 and the inner wall of the mounting groove 1c. This eliminates the need for additional locking components such as lock bars on the insulating body 1, simplifying the connector's structure and assembly process, and reducing the number of parts and manufacturing costs. Simultaneously, both contact and piercing fixing methods allow for a certain installation tolerance within the groove, absorbing dimensional deviations during the injection molding of the insulating body 1, ensuring precise alignment and reliable clamping between the isolator 3 and the mounting section 22 of the terminal 2. Furthermore, the symmetrical arrangement of the snap-fit ​​portions 32 at both ends of the isolator 3 ensures a uniform distribution of fixing force along the length of the isolator 3, preventing warping or displacement of the isolator 3 under insertion and removal vibration environments, and improving the long-term stability of the common ground connection.

[0043] Please see Figure 5The isolator 3 is embedded in the insulating body 1 and located below the terminal 2. In the vertical direction from the upper wall 11 to the lower wall 12, there is a gap between the isolator 3 and the elastic segment 21, which is not less than 0.1 mm, to avoid interference between the isolator 3 and the elastic deformation area of ​​the elastic segment 21. The elastic segment 21 extends upward from the mounting section 22 into the slot 1a. The vertical distance between the top surface of the isolator 3 and the bottom surface of the elastic segment 21 is 0.1 mm to 0.3 mm. This distance ensures that the two do not contact each other and makes the isolator 3 as close as possible to the elastic segment 21 to optimize the high-frequency shielding effect. The vertical distance between the top surface of the isolator 3 and the bottom surface of the reinforcing rib is not less than 0.1 mm. This distance prevents the elastic segment 21 from contacting the isolator 3 when it is deformed by pressure.

[0044] The distance between the isolator 3 and the elastic segment 21 is limited to not less than 0.1 mm, providing sufficient safety clearance for the elastic deformation of the elastic segment 21 during insertion and removal. This prevents mechanical interference or electrical short circuits when the elastic segment 21 is pressed down, ensuring the elastic stroke and contact reliability of the terminal 2 abutment 211. Simultaneously, this distance limits the minimum proximity between the isolator 3 and the elastic segment 21, allowing the isolator 3 to be as close as possible to the electrical contact area without affecting the operation of the elastic segment 21, shortening the common ground path and improving electromagnetic shielding effectiveness during high-frequency signal transmission. Furthermore, this spacing requirement, combined with the fixing method of the isolator 3 clamped in the mounting section 22, allows the vertical position of the isolator 3 to be defined by the depth of the mounting groove 1c and the height of the snap-fit ​​portion 32. Precise spacing control can be achieved without additional positioning structures, simplifying the mold design and molding process of the insulating body 1.

[0045] In a second aspect, this application provides an electrical connector assembly, including the electrical connector provided in the first aspect of this application and an electronic card 4. The electronic card 4 is inserted into a slot 1a and has a mating part disposed in a relief groove 1b.

[0046] The electronic card 4 of this application is an M.2 solid-state drive module with a rectangular plate-shaped body. The body is enlarged in width to accommodate high current requirements, and the side edges of the body form outwardly expanding mating portions. The insulating body 1 of the electrical connector has a slot 1a formed by an upper wall 11, a lower wall 12, and two side walls 13. The two side walls 13 have clearance grooves 1b at the slot openings. The clearance grooves 1b overlap with the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12 to form an extended mounting area 15. When the electronic card 4 is inserted, the body is accommodated in the slot 1a, and the abutment portion 211 of the terminal 2 elastically abuts against the gold finger area of ​​the electronic card 4 body. The outwardly expanding mating portions due to the increased size are accommodated in the clearance grooves 1b and the extended mounting area 15, allowing the electronic card 4 to be smoothly assembled into place. The electronic card 4 can be an M.2 M-key solid-state drive, with its main body width increased by approximately 0.5mm to 1.0mm compared to the standard specification. The widened side edge of the main body is directly accommodated as a mating part within the extended installation area 15 formed by the overlap of the clearance groove 1b and the upper wall 11 and the lower wall 12. The electronic card 4 can be a rugged solid-state drive with a metal casing, the metal casing of which extends beyond the edge of the standard circuit board 5 in the width direction. The extended edge of the metal casing is accommodated as a mating part within the clearance groove 1b and the extended installation area 15.

[0047] The increased size of the electronic card 4 naturally expands its mating portion, forming a fitting and receiving relationship with the clearance groove 1b and the extended installation area 15. This allows the electronic card 4 to be assembled with a standard-sized connector without modifying its main body thickness or adding extra structures, solving the technical problem of interference between the enlarged electronic card 4 and the connector sidewall 13, preventing its insertion. Simultaneously, the main body of the electronic card 4 is still stably held by the main body areas of the upper wall 11, lower wall 12, and sidewall 13, with the mating portion only accommodated within the clearance space partially missing from the sidewall 13. This ensures structural stability and electrical connection reliability after the electronic card 4 is inserted. Furthermore, this component structure enables compatibility with various enlarged electronic cards 4 without significantly increasing the length, width, and height of the insulating body 1. This avoids the conventional design of enlarging the connector size entirely to accommodate the enlarged electronic card 4, reducing the connector's footprint on the circuit board 5 and improving the board layout density and design flexibility of the storage device.

[0048] It should be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” as used herein may also include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” and “having” are inclusive and therefore indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not construed as requiring them to be performed in a particular order described or illustrated unless the order of performance is explicitly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0049] Although terms such as first, second, third, etc., may be used in this document to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or segments should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or segment from another. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms used herein do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer, or segment discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or segment without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0050] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement this application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features claimed herein.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that, include: An insulating body (1) has an upper wall (11), a lower wall (12), and two opposing side walls (13) connecting the upper wall (11) and the lower wall (12). The upper wall (11), the lower wall (12), and the two side walls (13) enclose a slot (1a). The two side walls (13) are respectively provided with clearance grooves (1b) at the slot opening end of the slot (1a). The clearance grooves (1b) connect the slot (1a) to the outside. Multiple terminals (2), each of the terminals (2) is disposed on the insulating body (1), each of the terminals (2) has an abutment portion (211) exposed in the slot (1a), the abutment portion (211) being configured to resiliently abut an electronic card (4); The clearance groove (1b) is configured to avoid the outer periphery of the electronic card (4) so ​​that the electronic card (4) can be inserted into the slot (1a).

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sidewall (13) has a guide surface (131) on the side facing the slot (1a). The guide surface (131) is configured to guide and abut the electronic card (4). The guide surface (131) forms a flared structure at the opening of the slot (1a).

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The angle formed between the guide surface (131) and the bottom of the slot (1a) is not less than 40 degrees.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The insulating body (1) is provided with a positioning member (14), which is located in the slot (1a) and connects the upper wall (11) and the lower wall (12). The positioning member (14) extends along the direction from the bottom of the slot (1a) to the opening of the slot. The positioning member (14) is configured to cooperate with the key slot (4a) of the electronic card (4).

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the direction from the bottom of the slot (1a) to the opening of the slot, the length of the positioning member (14) is greater than the length of the side wall (13).

6. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The clearance groove (1b) overlaps with the upper wall (11) and the lower wall (12) on opposite sides, forming an extended installation area (15).

7. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, In the direction from the bottom of the slot (1a) to the opening of the slot, the length of the sidewall (13) is 0 to 1.475 mm.

8. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The electrical connector further includes an isolator (3) disposed on the insulating body (1). The terminal (2) has an elastic segment (21), a mounting segment (22), and a connecting segment (23) connected in sequence. The abutment portion (211) is located at the end of the elastic segment (21) away from the mounting segment (22). The isolator (3) has a clamping portion (31) clamping the mounting segment (22) at the end near the elastic segment (21).

9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, characterized in that, The insulating body (1) has an installation groove (1c), the isolation member (3) is disposed in the installation groove (1c), and the two ends of the isolation member (3) have snap-fit ​​parts (32), which abut against the inner wall of the installation groove (1c).

10. The electrical connector according to claim 8, characterized in that, In the direction from the upper wall (11) to the lower wall (12), the distance between the isolation member (3) and the elastic segment (21) is not less than 0.1 mm.

11. An electrical connector assembly, characterized in that, Includes an electrical connector and an electronic card (4) as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, the electronic card (4) being inserted into the slot (1a), the electronic card (4) having a mating part (41) disposed in the clearance groove (1b).

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