Anti-deformation structure of a horizontal connector

Abstract

The application relates to a deformation-resistant structure of a horizontal connector, which comprises a shell, a plurality of fixing bases and terminals, the terminals are evenly and separately arranged on the fixing bases and form a plurality of terminal groups; wherein the fixing bases are provided with support structures for improving the deformation resistance of the fixing bases; the fixing bases are respectively provided with abutting portions and a plurality of connecting portions, and the support structures are arranged between the connecting portions and the abutting portions. The support structures are arranged on the middle portions of the terminal groups close to one end of terminal welding legs, can form a supporting action on the middle portions of the terminal groups close to the terminal welding legs, can effectively inhibit the arching, warping or deformation of the terminal groups on the outer side of the shell due to stress during assembly, welding and use, and improve the structural stability and mechanical strength of the terminal groups.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and more specifically, to a deformation-resistant structure for a horizontal connector. Background Technology

[0002] During the assembly of electrical connectors, terminal blocks are typically installed in insulating mounting bases, which are then riveted and secured to the housing to ensure a reliable connection between the terminal blocks and the housing. For structures with multiple terminals arranged along their length, the mounting bases are usually elongated near the terminal solder joints, with small spacing between adjacent mounting bases, forming an overall strip-like distribution.

[0003] During actual assembly, when the housing applies riveting pressure to the mounting base, this riveting pressure is transmitted to the terminal group through the mounting base. Due to the relatively low structural stiffness of the mounting base along its length and the lack of effective lateral connection or constraint structure between adjacent mounting bases, the mounting base is prone to uneven deformation in the direction of force when subjected to riveting load.

[0004] Furthermore, since the riveting load may be locally unbalanced or unevenly distributed during the assembly process, and the sides or ends of the fixed seat are usually constrained by the shell or tooling, the central area is relatively less constrained, making it more prone to outward bulging deformation during the pressure process.

[0005] For the reasons mentioned above, during the riveting assembly process, the area between adjacent fixing seats is prone to overall arching deformation along the length direction, causing relative displacement or height deviation of the fixing seats, which in turn affects the coplanarity of the terminal solder feet, reduces welding reliability, and adversely affects the assembly accuracy and performance of the electrical connector.

[0006] Therefore, how to improve the structural stability of adjacent fixed seats during the riveting process and suppress their warping deformation while ensuring the compactness of the assembly structure has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Based on the technical problems existing in the background art, the present invention proposes a deformation-resistant structure for a horizontal connector.

[0008] The present invention proposes a deformation-resistant structure for a horizontal connector, comprising a housing, several fixing bases, and terminals, wherein the terminals are evenly spaced on the fixing bases and form several terminal groups; wherein the fixing bases are provided with a support structure for improving the deformation resistance of the fixing bases; The fixing base is respectively formed with an abutment portion and a plurality of connecting portions, the abutment portion and the connecting portion corresponding to each other, and the supporting structure is disposed between the connecting portion and the abutment portion.

[0009] Furthermore, the housing includes a plug-in cavity, and the support structure is located on the terminal group remote from the plug-in cavity.

[0010] Furthermore, the terminal group includes at least a first terminal group and a second terminal group, and the first terminal group and the second terminal group are disposed away from the insertion cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, the support structure abuts against the abutment portion of the adjacent fixed seat for support and to form a force transmission structure.

[0012] Furthermore, extensions for guiding are provided at both ends along the width direction of the fixing seat, and a protruding structure is provided on one side of the extension for guiding the fixing seat to assemble with the outer shell.

[0013] Furthermore, the support structure is disposed between the extensions at both ends of the fixed base, and the support structure and the extensions protrude by the same dimension relative to the fixed base.

[0014] Furthermore, the support structure and the extension are disposed on the mounting base near the terminal solder foot.

[0015] Furthermore, the support structure, the extension, and the protrusion structure are each provided with a sloped structure to improve assembly speed and accuracy.

[0016] Furthermore, the connecting portion, the extension portion, the protruding structure, and the supporting structure are all integrally formed with the fixing base.

[0017] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by setting a support structure in the middle of the terminal group, a support function is formed in the middle of the terminal group, which can effectively suppress the arching, warping or deformation of the terminal group caused by stress during assembly, welding and use, and improve the structural stability and mechanical strength of the terminal group. Meanwhile, the extensions on both sides of the fixing base cooperate with the positioning grooves inside the housing to form a double limit on the terminal group in the left and right directions and the height direction, which can effectively improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal group, avoid unevenness of the terminal solder feet, and thus improve the welding reliability and assembly consistency of the product. Furthermore, by forming a "three-point stable support system" together with the extension and support structure, the overall flatness and coplanarity of the terminal group can be further improved, reducing the risks of poor soldering, bridging and poor contact, and improving the long-term reliability of connector products. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the deformation-resistant structure of a horizontal connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the outer shell of a horizontal connector anti-deformation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the terminal group of an anti-deformation structure for a horizontal connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a front view of the terminal group of a horizontal connector with an anti-deformation structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the first terminal group of an anti-deformation structure of a horizontal connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is an assembly schematic diagram of an anti-deformation structure for a horizontal connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Reference numerals: 100 housing, 110 insertion cavity, 120 locking hole, 130 groove, 140 guide groove; 200 fixing base, 210 support structure, 220 abutment part, 230 connecting part, 240 extension part, 241 protruding structure, 250 inclined surface structure, 260 buckle; 300 terminal, 310 first contact end, 320 second contact end, 400 terminal group, 410 first terminal group, 420 second terminal group, 430 third terminal group, 440 fourth terminal group. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, a clear and complete description will be provided below in conjunction with the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0021] Please refer to the attached document. Figures 1-6 This invention proposes a deformation-resistant structure for a horizontal connector, comprising a housing 100, a plurality of fixing seats 200, and terminals 300. The terminals 300 are evenly spaced on the fixing seats 200 and form a plurality of terminal groups 400. The fixing seats 200 are provided with a support structure 210 for improving the deformation resistance of the fixing seats 200. The fixing seats 200 are respectively formed with the support structure 210 and a plurality of connecting parts 230. The support structure 210 corresponds to the connecting parts 230 and is disposed between the connecting parts 230 and the support structure 210.

[0022] In this embodiment, the connector includes several fixing seats 200, and terminals 300 are evenly spaced on the fixing seats 200, forming several terminal groups 400. A support structure 210 is provided on the fixing seat 200 near the solder feet of the terminals 300 to improve the deformation resistance of the fixing seat 200 and prevent deformation of the terminal groups 400 during assembly into the housing 100. Specifically, the fixing seat 200 is provided with a support structure 210 and a connecting portion 230, and the positions of the support structure 210 and the connecting portion 230 are opposite to each other. The support structure 210 can be extended from the connecting portion 230, and the support structure 210 is located between the support structure 210 and the connecting portion 230 of two adjacent fixing seats 200. The fixing seat 200 near the solder feet of the terminals 300 has extension portions 240 at both ends along the width direction, and the extension portions 240 and the support structures 210 are located on the same side of the fixing seat 200, and their protrusion dimensions relative to the fixing seat 200 are consistent. During assembly, the extensions 240 of adjacent fixing seats 200 near the solder feet of terminal 300 abut against each other in sequence and are located on the same straight line. At the same time, the support structure 210 located in the connecting part 230 abuts against the support structure 210 to form the support structure 210, which can be riveted to the middle part of the terminal group 400 to prevent the middle part of the fixing seat 200 from deforming.

[0023] Furthermore, the support structure 210 and the connecting portion 230 are respectively formed with reinforcing portions that enhance the rigidity of the fixing seat 200 along a direction perpendicular to the fixing seat 200. When the fixing seat 200 located on the outermost side of the housing 100 is riveted, the force is applied to the support structure 210 through the support structure 210, thereby preventing deformation (such as outward arching) of the slender portion in the middle of the fixing seat 200 of the terminal group 400. It is worth mentioning that the reinforcing portion is a rib-shaped or protruding structure 241 and extends along the width direction of the fixing seat 200.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The housing 100 includes a plug cavity 110, and the support structure 210 is located at the terminal group 400 away from the plug cavity 110. The terminal group 400 includes at least a first terminal group 410 and a second terminal group 420, and the first terminal group 410 and the second terminal group 420 are disposed away from the plug cavity 110.

[0025] In a specific implementation: the terminal group 400 further includes a first contact end 310 and a second contact end 320. The first contact end 310 is disposed within the insertion cavity 110, and the second contact end 320 is disposed on the side of the insertion cavity 110 away from the housing 100 and protrudes relative to the housing 100 for connection with external devices. The terminal group 400 includes a first terminal group 410, a second terminal group 420, a third terminal group 430, and a fourth terminal group 440. The first contact ends 310 of the fourth terminal group 440, the third terminal group 430, the second terminal group 420, and the first terminal group 410 are stacked sequentially along the vertical direction, and the second contact ends 320 of the first terminal group 410 and the second terminal group 420 are disposed away from the insertion cavity 110 in the horizontal direction (i.e., the length direction). The support structure 210 is located between the second contact end 320 of the first terminal group 410 and the second contact end 320 of the second terminal group 420. Specifically, it is located in the middle of the fixing seat 200 of the outermost first terminal group 410 near the second contact end 320. During the assembly process, while riveting the left and right ends of the terminal group 400, the middle part of the terminal group 400 (i.e., the position corresponding to the support structure 210) can also be riveted to prevent the middle part of the terminal group 400 from arching in the horizontal direction away from the insertion cavity 110, which would affect the coplanarity of the solder feet of the terminal group 400.

[0026] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4 The support structure abuts against the abutment portion of the adjacent fixed seat to provide support and form a force transmission structure.

[0027] In specific implementation: the support structure 210 is specifically located between two adjacent terminal groups 400. When the extensions 240 at the left and right ends of the terminal group 400 abut against the extensions 240 of another terminal group 400, the outermost terminal group 400 of the housing 100 tends to deform in the horizontal direction along the insertion cavity 110 away from the housing 100. The support structure 210 is located between the two outermost terminal groups 400 of the housing 100 and can be used to support the middle part of the outermost terminal group 400 so as to rivet the middle part of the terminal group 400, thereby improving the flatness of the solder feet of the terminal group 400.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 The fixed base 200 has extensions 240 at both ends along its width direction for guiding, and a protrusion 241 on one side of the extension 240 for guiding the fixed base 200 to assemble with the outer shell 100.

[0029] In practical implementation: Each terminal group 400 has an extension 240 on each side of its fixing base 200 near the solder pad of the terminal 300, extending along the width direction. The extension 240 has a raised structure 241 above it, and the outer casing 100 has a corresponding groove 130 inside the extension 240. The groove 130 contains a guide groove 140, the width of which is smaller than the width of the groove 130. Furthermore, the groove 130 serves as a primary guide structure, and the guide groove 140 within it serves as a secondary guide structure. The extension 240 engages with both the primary and secondary guide structures to ensure a more stable fit between the left and right ends of the terminal group 400 and the outer casing 100.

[0030] In one embodiment, the extension 240 of the fixing base 200 is used to guide the terminal group 400. The housing 100 has a groove 130 corresponding to the extension 240, which is horizontally positioned on the left and right sides of the housing 100. The fixing bases 200 on each terminal group 400 near the solder feet (i.e., the second contact end 320) of the terminal 300 are all located at the same height on the terminal 300 (i.e., the second contact end 320 of each terminal group 400 extends outwards from the fixing base 200 with the same dimension). During assembly, the extensions 240 of the fixing bases 200 of the terminal group 400 are respectively embedded in the grooves 130, restricting the lateral movement and vertical floating of the terminal group 400 while ensuring that the solder feet of each terminal group 400 are located in the same reference plane.

[0031] Furthermore, the extension 240 mates with the recess 130 of the housing 100, including any one of clearance fit, interference fit, or transition fit.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The support structure 210 is disposed between the extensions 240 at both ends of the fixed base 200, and the support structure 210 and the extensions 240 protrude from the fixed base 200 by the same size.

[0033] In practical implementation: the support structure 210 and the extension 240 are located on the same side of the fixing base 200, and their protrusion dimensions relative to the fixing base 200 are consistent. While the extension 240 abuts against the adjacent fixing base 200, the support structure 210 abuts against the middle of the adjacent fixing base 200 to provide support for the terminal group 400 and to provide support force to the fixing base 200. While riveting the middle of the outermost terminal group 400, the support structure 210 can be used to rivet the outermost terminal group 400 and the adjacent terminal group 400.

[0034] It is worth mentioning that the support structure 210 and the extension 240 can be located on the same side of the fixing base 200 or on different sides. Specifically, the support structure 210 can be located on the fixing base 200 of the terminal group 400 adjacent to the outermost terminal group 400. The support structure 210 and the extension 240 are located on different sides, and the protrusion of the support structure 210 relative to the fixing base 200 is consistent with that of the extension 240. This ensures that while adjacent extensions 240 abut against each other during assembly, the support structure 210 can contact the middle of the adjacent fixing base 200, thus preventing the protrusion of the support structure 210 from being larger than that of the extension 240 and causing compression deformation to the adjacent terminal 300.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The support structure 210 and the extension 240 are provided on the fixing base 200 near the welding foot of the terminal 300.

[0036] In specific implementation: the support structure 210 and the extension 240 are used to adjust the coplanarity of the solder feet of the terminal 300. Specifically, the extension 240 is located on the left and right sides of the fixed base 200, and the support structure 210 is located in the middle of the fixed base 200, between the extensions 240 on the left and right sides of the fixed base 200. During assembly, riveting the extension 240 allows the two ends of the terminal group 400 to move along the groove 130 of the housing 100 to the predetermined installation position. At the same time, riveting the middle of the outermost terminal group 400 allows the support structure 210 to adjust the middle of the terminal group 400, preventing the solder feet of the two outermost sets of terminal groups 400 located in the housing 100 from arching outwards and affecting the coplanarity of the terminal 300.

[0037] Furthermore, a latch 260 is provided on the terminal fixing seat 200 away from the insertion cavity 110 of the outer casing 100, specifically located above the extension 240. The outer casing 100 is provided with a locking hole 120 corresponding to the latch 260. During the assembly process, several terminal groups 400 are sequentially assembled into the outer casing 100 along the installation direction, and the latch 260 of the fixing seat 200 of the outermost terminal group 400 is engaged with the locking hole 120 to prevent the terminal group 400 from falling out of the installation position.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 5 The support structure 210, the extension 240, and the protrusion structure 241 are each provided with a slope structure 250 to improve assembly speed and accuracy.

[0039] In specific implementation: the terminal group 400 includes a first terminal group 410, a second terminal group 420, a third terminal group 430 and a fourth terminal group 440. The fixing base 200 near the solder foot of the terminal 300 (i.e. the second contact end 320) is arranged in sequence along the horizontal direction (i.e. the length direction) according to the fourth terminal group 440, the third terminal group 430, the second terminal group 420 and the first terminal group 410, and the extensions 240 of the fixing base 200 abut against each other. The extensions 240 on the fixing base 200 and the support structure 210 are respectively provided with inclined structures 250 on the side near the insertion cavity 110. The inclined structures 250 are used to guide the terminal group 400 to move to the predetermined installation position, thereby improving the assembly efficiency.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 5 The connecting part 230, the extension part 240, the protruding structure 241 and the supporting structure 210 are integrally formed with the fixed base 200.

[0041] In practical implementation: the connecting part 230, the extension part 240, the protruding structure 241, and the support structure 210 are all manufactured by injection molding as a single unit, which results in high overall structural integrity and reliability, while reducing the number of individual parts. At the same time, it avoids the problem of loosening or damage to the connecting part 230 that exists in traditional designs, thus improving the overall strength of the connector. It is worth mentioning that the support structure 210 is one or more of the following: a support rib, a support boss, an arc-shaped support surface, or a wavy support surface.

[0042] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, apparatus, article, or method that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, apparatus, article, or method. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, apparatus, article, or method that includes that element.

[0043] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and 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 this application.

[0044] Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural or procedural changes made based on the content of this application's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A deformation-resistant structure for a horizontal connector, characterized in that, The device includes a housing, several mounting bases, and terminals. The terminals are evenly spaced on the mounting bases and form several terminal groups. The mounting bases are provided with a support structure to improve their resistance to deformation. The fixed base is respectively formed with an abutment portion and a plurality of connecting portions, the abutment portion and the connecting portion corresponding to each other, and the support structure is disposed between the connecting portion and the abutment portion.

2. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes a plug-in cavity, and the support structure is located on the terminal group remote from the plug-in cavity.

3. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The terminal group includes at least a first terminal group and a second terminal group, and the first terminal group and the second terminal group are disposed away from the insertion cavity.

4. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The support structure abuts against the abutment portion of the adjacent fixed seat to provide support and form a force transmission structure.

5. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The fixed base has extensions at both ends along its width direction for guiding purposes. One side of each extension has a protruding structure for guiding the fixed base to assemble with the outer shell.

6. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The support structure is disposed between the extensions at both ends of the fixed base, and the support structure and the extensions protrude by the same dimension relative to the fixed base.

7. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 6, characterized in that, The support structure and the extension are located on the mounting base near the terminal solder feet.

8. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support structure, the extension, and the protrusion structure are each provided with a sloping structure to improve assembly speed and accuracy.

9. The anti-deformation structure of the horizontal connector according to claim 8, characterized in that, The connecting part, the extension part, the protruding structure and the supporting structure are integrally formed with the fixed base.

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