Electrical connector, mating electrical connector and electrical connector assembly

Abstract

The utility model provides an electric connector, a mating electric connector and an electric connector assembly, the electric connector comprises a housing and a conductive terminal, the housing comprises: a base provided with a plurality of terminal channels passing through from the rear surface of the base to the front surface thereof, the conductive terminal is arranged in the terminal channel and exposed from the front surface of the base to form a contact end portion; and a guide portion extending forward from the front surface of the base to form a mating end portion, the distance between the mating end portion and the front surface of the base is greater than the distance between the contact end portion of the conductive terminal and the front surface, the side surface of the guide portion is provided with a seating groove for the insertion of the conductive terminal and in communication with the terminal channel, so that a part of the conductive terminal is arranged in the terminal channel and the other part is arranged in the seating groove, a spacing groove is arranged in the guide portion and opens towards the mating direction. The electric connector and the electric connector assembly of the utility model are compact in structure, smaller in transverse dimension, can still meet the requirement of the creepage distance, and can also effectively avoid the risk of electric shock.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to a compact electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Electrical connectors are applicable to a variety of fields. They typically include plug-type connectors and socket-type connectors, which are mated together to form an electrical connector assembly, thereby enabling the transmission of current and signals. To facilitate the mating of plug and socket connectors, guide posts are usually provided on both lateral sides of the plug connector housing, while receiving slots are correspondingly provided on both lateral sides of the socket connector housing. The interaction between the guide posts and receiving slots facilitates the mating of the plug and socket connectors.

[0003] However, the arrangement of guide posts and receiving slots increases the lateral dimension of the electrical connector housing, which is not conducive to achieving a compact electrical connector structure, and consequently, to reducing the size of the electrical connector and the space occupied when the electrical connector is connected to a surface such as a board component. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a compact electrical connector and electrical connector assembly that can effectively reduce the lateral dimensions of the electrical connector while still meeting the creepage distance requirements.

[0005] According to one aspect of this application, an electrical connector is provided, including a housing and conductive terminals, wherein the housing includes: a base having a plurality of terminal channels extending from a rear surface of the base to a front surface of the base, wherein conductive terminals are disposed in the terminal channels and exposed from the front surface of the base to form contact ends; and a guide extending forward from the front surface of the base to form mating ends, wherein the distance between the mating ends and the front surface of the base is greater than the distance between the contact ends of the conductive terminals and the front surface, wherein a side of the guide is provided with a placement groove for inserting the conductive terminals, the placement groove communicating with the terminal channels, such that a portion of the conductive terminals is disposed in the terminal channels and another portion of the conductive terminals is disposed in the placement groove, wherein a spacer groove is provided in the guide, the spacer groove opening toward the mating direction of the electrical connector and the mating electrical connector.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the guide portion is disposed at at least one side end of the two transverse side ends of the base, and the guide portion is a partition with a thickness, wherein the spacer groove is formed in the partition with a thickness.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the guide portion is disposed at at least one side end of the two transverse side ends of the base, and the guide portion is two partitions disposed at intervals.

[0008] According to one embodiment, a spacer is provided between the two partitions, and the spacer extends a distance less than the distance the two partitions extend in the docking direction, thereby forming the spacer groove.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the mating end of the guide portion is provided with a guide slope.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the top and / or bottom of the guide portion are provided with grooves extending in the front-rear direction.

[0011] According to one embodiment, when the top of the guide portion is provided with a groove extending in the front-rear direction, the groove extends rearward along the top of the guide portion to the top of the base portion; when the bottom of the guide portion is provided with a groove extending in the front-rear direction, the groove extends rearward along the bottom of the guide portion to the bottom of the base portion.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the guide portion includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion, the first guide portion and the second guide portion are respectively disposed on two lateral ends of the base, and the width of the first guide portion is greater than the width of the second guide portion, and the first guide portion and / or the second guide portion are provided with the spacing groove.

[0013] According to one embodiment, a compartment for accommodating a signal terminal group is provided at one lateral end of the base, and a guide post is provided at the top of the compartment; the guide portion is provided at the opposite lateral end of the base.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the guide post is a semi-cylindrical or cylindrical shape, and its front end is formed into a semi-conical or conical shape, wherein the semi-conical or conical shape of the front end of the guide post extends forward along the top of the compartment beyond the front surface of the compartment.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the base is further provided with a support arm that extends forward from the front surface of the base, and the distance by which the support arm extends forward from the base is less than the distance between the mating end of the guide portion and the front surface of the base; the conductive terminal includes at least one grounding terminal, which is disposed on either side of the support arm.

[0016] According to one embodiment, a slot is provided on either side of the support arm, a portion of the grounding terminal is disposed in the terminal channel, and the other portion of the grounding terminal is disposed in the slot.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the grounding terminals are divided into a first grounding terminal and a second grounding terminal arranged at intervals.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the base is further provided with a second support arm, which is adjacent to a guide portion and extends forward from the front surface of the base, and the distance by which the second support arm extends forward from the base is less than the distance between the mating end of the guide portion and the front surface of the base.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the conductive terminal includes at least one power terminal, a second slot is provided on the side of the second support arm away from the adjacent guide portion, a portion of the power terminal is located in the terminal channel, and another portion of the power terminal is inserted into the second slot.

[0020] According to one embodiment, a mounting groove is provided on one side of the guide portion adjacent to the second support arm away from the second support arm, and the power terminal is partially located in the terminal channel and partially located in the mounting groove.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the conductive terminal includes a low-voltage side power terminal, and the base is further provided with a third support arm. The third support arm is located at a position corresponding to the low-voltage side power terminal and extends forward from the front surface of the base. The distance by which the third support arm extends forward from the base is less than the distance between the mating end of the guide portion and the front surface of the base.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the conductive terminal further includes a grounding terminal, and the third support arm is provided with a third slot on both the left and right sides. The low-voltage side power terminal is partially inserted into the terminal channel and partially inserted into the third slot on one side. The low-voltage side grounding terminal is partially inserted into the terminal channel and partially inserted into the third slot on the other side.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the base is further provided with a compartment that extends forward from the front surface of the base, and the distance by which the compartment extends forward from the base is less than the distance between the mating end of the guide portion and the front surface of the base; the conductive terminal includes a signal terminal group composed of a plurality of signal terminals arranged in the compartment.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the conductive terminal further includes a power supply terminal, which includes a low-voltage side power supply terminal located on one side of the signal terminal group and a high-voltage side power supply terminal located on the other side of the signal terminal group.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the electrical connector is further provided with at least one detection terminal.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the detection terminal is also disposed in the compartment, located next to the signal terminal, and a partition wall is disposed between the detection terminal and the signal terminal.

[0027] According to one embodiment, a spacer wall is also provided between the detection terminals.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the detection terminal and the power supply terminal at the same potential are integrally connected by insert molding.

[0029] According to another aspect of this application, a mating electrical connector is provided, comprising: a mating housing and mating conductive terminals. The mating housing is provided with a mating terminal channel, and the mating conductive terminals are disposed within the mating terminal channel and correspond to and mat with conductive terminals of a mating electrical connector to achieve electrical connection. The mating housing includes: a guide receiving portion communicating with the mating terminal channel and for receiving the guide portion of the electrical connector; and a conductive terminal receiving portion communicating with the mating terminal channel and for receiving the conductive terminals of the electrical connector. Both the guide receiving portion and the conductive terminal receiving portion are disposed on the mating surface of the mating housing and extend from the mating surface toward the interior of the mating housing. A spacer wall is provided within the guide receiving portion.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the spacer wall extends a longer distance in the mating direction relative to the conductive terminal within the guide receiving portion.

[0031] According to one embodiment, the guide receiving portion is formed at one end of the docking housing; a signal terminal group mating portion is formed at the opposite end of the docking housing to mate with the signal terminal group of the electrical connector, and a guide post receiving portion is provided above the signal terminal group mating portion to receive the guide post of the electrical connector.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the guide post receiving portion is formed with a groove that opens toward the signal terminal group mating portion, and when the mating electrical connector mates with the electrical connector, the guide post extends into the groove.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the mating housing of the mating electrical connector further includes: a support arm receiving portion for receiving the support arm of the electrical connector, the support arm receiving portion being disposed on the mating surface of the mating housing of the mating electrical connector and extending from the mating surface toward the interior of the housing; and a signal terminal group mating portion for mating with the signal terminal group of the electrical connector to achieve mating, and when the electrical connector and the mating electrical connector are mated, the signal terminal group mating portion is received in the compartment of the electrical connector.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the mating housing of the mating electrical connector further includes a detection terminal mating portion for mating with the detection terminal of the electrical connector to achieve mating, and when the electrical connector and the mating electrical connector are mated, the detection terminal mating portion is housed in the compartment of the electrical connector.

[0035] According to another aspect of this application, an electrical connector assembly is also provided, comprising: the electrical connector as described above; and the mating electrical connector as described above.

[0036] The electrical connector according to this application has a guide portion arranged laterally in the housing, and power terminals are arranged on both sides of the guide portion. Therefore, the guide post arranged in the housing in the prior art can be eliminated, effectively reducing the lateral dimension of the electrical connector, while still meeting the creepage distance requirements, and also avoiding the risk of electric shock. Attached Figure Description

[0037] The accompanying drawings are included herein to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and form a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the following description, serve to illustrate the concept of the invention.

[0038] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the electrical connector according to this application, wherein the conductive terminals are not assembled into the housing; Figure 2 This is another structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electrical connector according to this application, wherein conductive terminals are assembled into the housing; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the electrical connector according to this application, wherein the conductive terminals are not assembled into the housing; Figure 4 This is a structural schematic diagram from another angle of another embodiment of the electrical connector according to this application, wherein the conductive terminals are not assembled into the housing; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the electrical connector according to this application, wherein conductive terminals are assembled into the housing; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the power supply terminal and the detection terminal according to another embodiment; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to another embodiment; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to another embodiment; Figure 9 and Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to yet another embodiment; Figure 11 and Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to another embodiment; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector assembly according to the present application, wherein the electrical connector and the mating electrical connector are not mated together; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of an electrical connector assembly according to the present application, wherein an electrical connector and a mating electrical connector are mated together; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the mating electrical connector according to this application; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the mating electrical connector according to this application; Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a mating electrical connector according to another embodiment of this application; and Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of this application.

[0039] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1: Electrical connector assembly 10: Electrical connectors 100: Casing 110: Base 112: Terminal Channel 112a: Part One; 112b: Part Two; 112c: Part Three 115: Front surface 116: Rear surface 117: Support arm; 1171: Slot 118: Compartment; 1181: Partition wall; 1182: Partition slot 119: Second support arm; 1191: Second slot 113: Third support arm; 1131: Third slot 120: Guiding Department 120a: First guide section; 120b: Second guide section 122: Spacing groove 123: Groove 121: Mating end; 121a: Guide bevel. 124: Installation trough 125: Spacer 120': partition 130: Guide column 200: Conductive terminal 201: Contact end 210: Power terminal 210a: High-voltage side power supply terminal 210b: Low-voltage side power supply terminal 210c: Grounding terminal 210c1: First grounding terminal; 210c2: Second grounding terminal; 220: Signal terminal group 230: Detection terminal 30: Electrical connector 300: Dating housing 320: Dating surface 330: Guide section receiving section; 331: Partition wall 340: Conductive terminal receiving part 350: Support arm receiving part 360: Signal terminal block mating part 370: Detection terminal mating part 380: Guide post receiving part; 382: Groove 400: Connecting conductive terminal 410: Connecting power supply terminals 410a: High-voltage side connection power terminal 410b: Low-voltage side power supply terminal 410c: Grounding terminal 420: Connecting signal terminal block 430: Interlock Detection Terminal Detailed Implementation

[0040] In the following, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although this disclosure is open to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings. However, this disclosure should not be construed as limiting itself to the embodiments set forth herein, but rather, this disclosure is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and scope of the embodiments.

[0041] The following will refer to the appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 To illustrate the electrical connector 10 according to this application, in conjunction with reference to... Figure 1 and Figure 2The diagram illustrates a schematic structure of a plug-type electrical connector 10. The connector 10 mainly includes a housing 100 and a set of conductive terminals 200. According to one embodiment, the set of conductive terminals 200 may include power terminals 210, a signal terminal group 220, and detection terminals 230. The signal terminals in the signal terminal group 220 are typically arranged in an array. Of course, the detection terminals 230 can be omitted depending on the actual application requirements of the connector. Similarly, depending on the actual application requirements of the connector, the power terminals 210 may include a high-voltage side power terminal 210a and a low-voltage side power terminal 210b, and may also include a ground terminal 210c. The ground terminal 210c used to mate with the high-voltage side power terminal 210a can be referred to as the high-voltage side ground terminal; the ground terminal 210c used to mate with the low-voltage side power terminal 210b can be referred to as the low-voltage side ground terminal.

[0042] according to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the embodiment shown, the housing 100 is typically formed of an insulating material and includes a base 110 and a guide portion 120. However, the housing can also be formed of other suitable materials, for example, by molding plastic and metal portions together. The base 110 is provided with a plurality of terminal channels 112 (for simplicity, only some of the terminal channels 112 are shown in the figures), which extend from the rear surface 116 of the base 110 to its front surface 115, as shown in the accompanying drawing. Figure 4 As shown, the terminal channel 112 is formed in an inverted U-shape with an open bottom at the rear surface 116, and in the form of a slot at the front surface 115, including a first portion 112a located at the upper part and a second portion 112b located at the lower part, and a third portion 112c located between the first portion 112a and the second portion 112b, as shown. Figure 1 As shown, the first portion 112a and the second portion 112b are relatively narrow, while the third portion 112c is relatively wide. This facilitates the insertion of the conductive terminal 200 and also provides positioning and support for the conductive terminal 200. Alternatively, a shoulder or protrusion can be provided on the inner wall of the terminal channel 112 to assist in the positioning and support of the conductive terminal 200. Figure 2 As shown, each conductive terminal 200 is inserted into a corresponding terminal channel 112 on the rear surface 116 of the base 110, and the contact end 201 of each conductive terminal 200 extends from the front surface 115 of the base 110 after passing through the terminal channel 112.

[0043] In addition, the base 110 may also be provided with a compartment 118, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the compartment 118 extends forward from the front surface 115 of the base 110 and communicates with the corresponding terminal channel 112 (e.g. Figure 4 (As shown in the diagram). A signal terminal group 220, consisting of multiple signal terminal arrays, is disposed in the compartment 118. (As shown in the diagram). Figure 1 As shown, the compartment 118 and the terminal channel 112 can also be connected via multiple spacer slots 1182. Thus, each row of signal terminals can be inserted from the terminal channel 112 through the rear surface 116 of the base 110 and then passed through the respective spacer slots 1182 to be accommodated in the compartment 118. The spacer slots 1182 can be, for example, elongated slots extending from top to bottom, allowing an entire row of signal terminals to pass through. Figure 1 As shown, the low-voltage side power supply terminal 210b is provided on the left side of the adjacent signal terminal group 220, and the high-voltage side power supply terminal 210a is provided on the right side of the adjacent signal terminal group 220, but this is not a limitation.

[0044] In addition, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the electrical connector 10 according to this application is further provided with a guide portion 120, which can move along the transverse direction of the base 110. Figure 1 The guide portion 120 may be disposed on both sides of the base 110 (in the left-right direction), or it may be disposed on only one side, for example, only on the left or right side. In other embodiments, the guide portion 120 may also be disposed laterally along the base 110 at the middle of the base or at a position slightly off-center from the middle of one side. The guide portion 120 extends from the front surface 115 of the base 110 along... Figure 1 The front-to-back direction extends forward to form the mating end 121 ( Figure 2 (As shown in the diagram), the distance D from the mating end 121 to the front surface 115 of the base 110 is greater than the distance d1 from the contact end 201 of each conductive terminal 200 to the front surface 115, and also greater than the distance d1 along the spacer 118. Figure 1 The distance d2 extending forward from the front surface 115 in the front-rear direction. That is, the guide portion 120 extends the greatest distance from the front surface 115 of the base 110, so that when the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30 (in Figure 12 , 13 (As shown in the diagram) During docking, the guide portion 120 can serve a guiding function. To better achieve this guiding function, the mating end 121 of the guide portion 120 is also provided with a guiding slope 121a. (See diagram) Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, guide slopes 121a can be provided at both the upper and lower ends of the mating end 121, but this is not a limitation. For example, guide slopes 121a can be provided on both the left and right sides of the mating end 121.

[0045] The guide portion 120 also has a mounting groove 124 on its side for inserting the conductive terminal 200. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The diagram shows that both sides of the guide portion 120 are provided with mounting grooves 124. However, depending on actual needs, mounting grooves 124 can also be provided on only one side of the guide portion 120. The mounting grooves 124 are connected to the terminal channel 112, so that after the conductive terminal 200 is inserted into the terminal channel 112, part of it is disposed in the terminal channel 112 and part is disposed in the mounting grooves 124, such as... Figure 2 As shown in the figure.

[0046] The guide portion 120 can be a partition with a certain thickness, or it can be two partitions spaced apart, with a spacer, such as an insulator, between the two partitions. It is not limited to these, as long as the creepage distance between the conductive terminal 200 on the side of the guide portion 120 and its adjacent conductive terminal is sufficient. According to this application, the guide portion 120 provides guidance when the electrical connector 10 mates with the mating electrical connector 30. Simultaneously, since a mounting groove 124 is provided on one or both sides of the guide portion 120, the conductive terminal 200 can be inserted into the mounting groove 124. Therefore, while achieving the guiding function, the guide portion 120 does not increase the overall lateral width of the electrical connector 10, and through the thickness of the guide portion 120, the conductive terminals 200 on both sides of the guide portion 120 can meet the creepage distance requirements.

[0047] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the top of the guide portion 120 is also provided with a groove 123 extending in the front-rear direction. Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 11 , Figure 12 The groove 123 is also shown in the diagram (and will not be described again hereafter). The groove 123 can extend rearward from the top of the guide portion 120 to the top of the base 110, but is not limited thereto. Similarly, a groove 123 extending in the front-rear direction can be provided at the bottom of the guide portion 120, and the groove 123 can extend rearward from the bottom of the guide portion 120 to the bottom of the base 110, but is not limited thereto. The groove 123 can further increase the creepage distance between the conductive terminals 200.

[0048] In addition, refer to Figure 7 As shown, the Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the structure of an electrical connector 10 according to another embodiment. The guide portion 120 includes a first guide portion 120a disposed at the right end of the base 110 and a second guide portion 120b disposed at the left end of the base 110. According to this embodiment, Figure 7The left side of the base 110 is provided with a low-voltage side power terminal 210b, while the right side of the base is provided with a high-voltage side power terminal 210a. Based on safety regulations, the higher the voltage, the greater the creepage distance. Therefore, the width of the first guide portion 120a is greater than the width of the second guide portion 120b, thus satisfying the creepage distance requirements of both the high-voltage side power terminal 210a and the low-voltage side power terminal 210b.

[0049] Back to the appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 The base 110 is also provided with a support arm 117, which extends forward from the front surface 115 of the base 110, and the distance D between the mating end 121 of the guide portion 120 and the front surface 115 of the base 110 is also greater than the distance D along the support arm 117. Figure 1 The distance d3 extending forward from the front surface 115 in the front-back direction (in the middle) Figure 2 (as shown in the diagram) to ensure that the guiding function of the guide portion 120 is not interfered with. Considering that the grounding terminal 210c on the high-voltage side is typically large, the support arm 117 can be used to support the grounding terminal 210c on the high-voltage side, but is not limited thereto. Specifically, as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a slot 1171 can be provided on either side of the support arm 117, in conjunction with reference to the reference. Figure 4 After the high-voltage side grounding terminal 210c is inserted into the terminal channel 112 from the rear surface 116 of the base 110, part of the high-voltage side grounding terminal 210c is located in the terminal channel 112 and part is inserted into the slot 1171 so that the grounding terminal 210c can be better positioned and supported by the support arm 117.

[0050] In addition, such as Figure 8 As shown, the Figure 8 To illustrate the structure of the electrical connector 10 according to another embodiment, in the illustrated embodiment, the grounding terminal 210c can be divided into a first grounding terminal 210c1 and a second grounding terminal 210c2 according to actual needs. The first grounding terminal 210c1 and the second grounding terminal 210c2 can be spaced apart along the vertical direction, such as... Figure 8 As shown, but not limited to this, it can also be set at intervals along the left and right directions to meet different grounding requirements.

[0051] Return to the reference appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 The electrical connector 10 may also be equipped with a detection terminal 230 as needed, but the detection terminal 230 can be omitted depending on actual requirements. Figure 1 and Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the detection terminal 230 is also disposed in the compartment 118 and located beside the signal terminal group 220. A partition wall 1181 (e.g., between the detection terminal 230 and the signal terminal group 220) is provided. Figure 1 A partition wall 1181 extending vertically is provided between the detection terminals 230 (e.g., a partition wall 1181 is provided between the detection terminals 230). Figure 1 The partition wall 1181 extends along the left and right direction. The partition wall 1181 can protect the signal terminal and the detection terminal 230 on the one hand, and further increase the creepage distance on the other hand.

[0052] Next, refer to Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 Description of an electrical connector 10 according to another embodiment, wherein Figure 3 and Figure 4 Both images show the conductive terminal 200 not assembled into the housing 100. Figure 3 This is a view taken from the front of the electrical connector 10, and Figure 4 This is a view taken from the rear of the electrical connector 10; Figure 5 The diagram shows the conductive terminal 200 assembled into the housing 100, while Figure 6 The structure of the power terminal 210 and the detection terminal 230 according to this embodiment is shown. In this embodiment, the detection terminal 230 is no longer disposed in the compartment 118, but is integrated with the power terminal 210 at the same potential, for example, by being connected as a single unit through insert molding. Since the power terminal 210 and the detection terminal 230 at the same potential do not need to consider creepage distance, they can be directly integrated. Preferably, when the current carried by the high-voltage side power terminal 210a is less than the current carried by the low-voltage side power terminal, the detection terminal 230 and the high-voltage side power terminal 210a at the same potential can be integrated as a single unit. This is because the cross-sectional area of ​​the low-current power terminal 210 is smaller, thus providing sufficient space to integrate the detection terminal 230, thereby further optimizing the use of limited space. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the detection terminal 230 and the power terminal 210 at the same potential are connected as a single unit through insert molding, the width of the electrical connector 10 in the left-right direction can be further reduced.

[0053] like Figure 6 As shown, the detection terminal 230 may be located below and in front of the high-voltage side power supply terminal 210a, but is not limited thereto. The distance between the contact end of the detection terminal 230 and the front surface 115 of the base 110 is less than the distance between the contact end of the high-voltage side power supply terminal 210a and the front surface 115 of the base 110.

[0054] The remaining structure of the electrical connector 10 in this embodiment is the same as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The electrical connector shown in the figure has the same structure and will not be described again.

[0055] Next, please refer to the appendix. Figure 9 and attached Figure 10 The structure of the electrical connector 10 according to another embodiment is described. In this embodiment, the base 110 is further provided with a second support arm 119, which is located between the support arm 117 and the guide portion 120 located on the right side of the base 110. Similarly, the distance D between the mating end 121 of the guide portion 120 and the front surface 115 of the base 110 (in...) Figure 2 (As shown in the diagram) is also greater than the distance d4 that the second support arm 119 extends from the front surface 115 in the front-rear direction (in Figure 9 (as shown in the diagram) to ensure that the guiding function of the guide portion 120 is not interfered with. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a mounting groove 124 is provided on the right side of the right guide portion 120 away from the second support arm 119 (in... Figure 10 As shown in the diagram, a portion of the front surface 115 of the protruding base 110 of the power terminal 210 is disposed in the mounting groove 124, while the left side of the right guide portion 120 does not have any mounting groove or power terminal; a second slot 1191 is provided on the left side of the second support arm 119 away from the right guide portion 120 (in Figure 9 As shown in the diagram, a portion of the front surface 115 of the protruding base 110 of the power terminal 210 is inserted into the second slot 1191. That is, a portion of the power terminal 210 is located in the terminal channel 112, and the other portion of the power terminal 210 is inserted into the second slot 1191. In this embodiment, by providing the second support arm 119 and by providing the power terminal 210 on the left side of the second support arm 119 and the right side of the guide portion 120, a more sufficient creepage distance can be provided to meet the requirements of high creepage distance.

[0056] The remaining structure of the electrical connector 10 in this embodiment is the same as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The structure of the electrical connector shown in the figure or Figure 3 The electrical connector shown in the figure has the same structure and will not be described again.

[0057] Then refer to the appendix Figure 11 and attached Figure 12 According to another embodiment of the electrical connector 10, in this embodiment, the base 110 is further provided with a third support arm 113, which is located at a position corresponding to the low-voltage side power terminal 210b. Similarly, the distance D between the mating end 121 of the guide portion 120 and the front surface 115 of the base 110 (in...) Figure 2(As shown in the diagram) is also greater than the distance d5 that the third support arm 113 extends forward from the front surface 115 in the front-rear direction (in Figure 12 (As shown in the diagram) to ensure that the guiding function of the guide portion 120 is not interfered with. Furthermore, in this embodiment, third slots 1131 are provided on both the left and right sides of the third support arm 113. A portion of the low-voltage side power terminal 210b is inserted into the terminal channel 112, and the remaining portion is inserted into the left third slot 1131. A portion of the low-voltage side ground terminal 210c is inserted into the terminal channel 112, and the remaining portion is inserted into the right third slot 1131. According to this embodiment, by mounting a single low-voltage side power terminal 210b and a single low-voltage side ground terminal 210c on both sides of the third support arm 113, the length of the electrical connector 10 in the left-right direction can be effectively reduced. For example, in high-current applications on the low-voltage side, if the standard low-voltage side power terminal 210b consists of two flat terminals, assuming its rated current carrying capacity is M amperes, and the rated current of the electrical connector on the low-voltage side is 4.5... For a current rating of M amperes, four standard low-voltage side power terminals 210b and a single low-voltage side power terminal 210b can be used. Similarly, a low-voltage side ground terminal 210c is used. By using the above structure, the single low-voltage side power terminal 210b and the single low-voltage side ground terminal 210c are installed on both sides of the third support arm 113. This not only meets the practical application requirements of high current, but also effectively reduces the length of the electrical connector 10 in the left-right direction compared to setting five standard low-voltage side power terminals and five standard low-voltage side ground terminals to achieve the practical application requirements of high current.

[0058] The remaining structure of the electrical connector 10 in this embodiment is the same as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The structure of the electrical connector shown in the figure or Figure 3 The electrical connector shown in the figure has the same structure and will not be described again.

[0059] The following text will refer to the appendix. Figure 13 and attached Figure 14 According to the description of the electrical connector assembly 1 of this application, the electrical connector assembly 1 includes a plug-type electrical connector 10, which can be the type described above corresponding to the attached... Figure 1 -Appendix Figure 12 The illustrated embodiment includes an electrical connector 10. Furthermore, the electrical connector assembly 1 also includes a mating electrical connector 30, which can be a socket-type electrical connector. Power and signal transmission can be accomplished through the mating of the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30. (See attached image.) Figure 13 The image shows the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30 before they are mated together, while the attached... Figure 14The diagram shows the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30 after they are mated together.

[0060] Combined with reference to the appendix Figure 15 and attached Figure 16 The diagram illustrates a schematic structure of a mating electrical connector 30, which also includes a mating housing 300 and mating conductive terminals 400. After the mating electrical connector 30 mates with the electrical connector 10, the mating conductive terminals 400 and conductive terminals 200 form electrical contact to achieve power and signal transmission. The mating housing 300 is also provided with mating terminal channels, and the mating conductive terminals 400 are correspondingly disposed in each mating terminal channel. Corresponding to the conductive terminals 200 of the electrical connector 10, the mating conductive terminals 400 may also include mating power terminals 410, mating signal terminal groups 420, and mating detection terminals 430. The signal terminals of the mating signal terminal group 420 are usually arranged in an array. Of course, the mating detection terminals 430 may be omitted depending on the different embodiments of the electrical connector 10. Similarly, corresponding to the electrical connector 10, the mating power terminals 410 may include high-voltage side mating power terminals 410a and low-voltage side mating power terminals 410b, and may also include mating ground terminals 410c. The grounding terminal 410c includes: a grounding terminal on the low-voltage side corresponding to the grounding terminal on the low-voltage side and a grounding terminal on the high-voltage side corresponding to the grounding terminal on the high-voltage side.

[0061] Furthermore, corresponding to the structure of the electrical connector 10, the mating electrical connector 30 may further include: a guide receiving portion 330, which communicates with the mating terminal channel and is used to receive the guide portion 120 of the electrical connector 10; and a conductive terminal receiving portion 340, which communicates with the mating terminal channel and is used to receive the conductive terminal 200 of the electrical connector 10. Based on the specific structure of the electrical connector 10, the mating electrical connector 30 may further include: a support arm receiving portion 350, which is used to receive the support arm 117 of the electrical connector 10; and a signal terminal group mating portion 360, which is used to mate with the signal terminal group 220 of the electrical connector 10 to achieve mating, and when the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30 are mated, the signal terminal group mating portion 360 is housed in the compartment 118 of the electrical connector 10.

[0062] In the appendix Figure 15 and attached Figure 16 In this embodiment, only one support arm receiving portion 350 is provided. Of course, corresponding to other different embodiments of the electrical connector 10, the mating electrical connector 30 may also be provided with a second support arm receiving portion and a third support arm receiving portion to receive the second support arm 119 and the third support arm 113 of the electrical connector 10 respectively, and is not limited thereto.

[0063] like Figure 15 and Figure 16As shown, the guide receiving portion 330, the conductive terminal receiving portion 340, and the support arm receiving portion 350 are all disposed on the mating surface 320 of the mating housing 300 and extend from the mating surface 320 toward the interior of the mating housing 300. Clearly, the shape and size of the guide receiving portion 330, the conductive terminal receiving portion 340, and the support arm receiving portion 350 match the shape and size of the corresponding guide portion 120, the conductive terminal 200, and the support arm 117. Furthermore, the type of the mating conductive terminal 400 in each conductive terminal receiving portion 340 also corresponds to the type of the corresponding conductive terminal 200 in the mating electrical connector 10.

[0064] When the electrical connector 10 is provided with a detection terminal 230, the mating electrical connector 30 is also provided with a corresponding detection terminal mating part 370, such as... Figure 15 As shown, the detection terminal mating part 370 is used to mate with the detection terminal 230 of the electrical connector 10 to achieve docking, and when the electrical connector 10 and the docking electrical connector 30 are docked, the detection terminal mating part 370 is housed in the compartment 118 of the electrical connector 10.

[0065] According to this application, the electrical connector 10 has a guide portion 120 arranged laterally in the housing 100, and the power terminals 210 are disposed on both sides or one side of the guide portion 120. Therefore, the guide post disposed in the housing in the prior art can be eliminated, effectively reducing the lateral dimension of the electrical connector 10, while still meeting the creepage distance requirements. In addition, the support arm 117, the second support arm 119, and the third support arm 113 of the electrical connector 10 not only provide support and positioning for the corresponding conductive terminals 200 and ensure the creepage distance requirements of adjacent conductive terminals 200, but also enhance the strength of the housing 100.

[0066] like Figure 16 As shown, when the width of the guide portion receiving portion 330 of the mating electrical connector 30 is large, the operator may easily insert his / her fingers into the guide portion receiving portion 330 when mating the electrical connector 10 with the mating electrical connector 30. If the mating electrical connector 30 is energized at this time, there is a risk of electric shock.

[0067] Therefore, references will be used in the following text. Figure 17 and Figure 18 Description of another embodiment of the electrical connector assembly 1 according to this application, wherein Figure 17 The diagram shows the mating electrical connector 30 of the electrical connector assembly 1, wherein, for the sake of simplicity, some mating conductive terminals are omitted. Figure 18 The electrical connector 10 of the electrical connector assembly 1 is shown in the figure. For example... Figure 17As shown, according to another embodiment of the mating electrical connector 30, a spacer wall 331 is provided inside the guide receiving portion 330. This spacer wall 331 can be located at the exact center of the guide receiving portion 330 or it can be offset. The spacer wall 331 prevents an operator's fingers from accidentally entering the guide receiving portion 330, thereby avoiding the risk of electric shock. Furthermore, as... Figure 17 As shown, the distance between the front end of the spacer wall 331 and the mating surface 320 of the mating connector 30 is within the guide receiving portion 330 of the mating conductive terminal 400 (in Figure 13 The distance between the front end of the partition wall 331 and the mating surface 320 (also shown in the diagram) is that the distance the partition wall 331 extends along the mating direction of the electrical connector 30 and the electrical connector 10 is longer than the distance the mating conductive terminal 400 in the guide receiving portion 330 extends along the mating direction. In this way, the partition wall 331 can provide more effective safety protection and prevent the risk of electric shock.

[0068] Corresponding to the structure of the guide portion receiving portion 330 of the aforementioned mating electrical connector 30, as... Figure 18 As shown, the guide portion 120 of the electrical connector 10 is provided with a spacer groove 122. The spacer groove 122 opens towards the mating direction of the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30, so as to avoid the spacer wall 331 provided in the guide portion receiving portion 330 when the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30 are mated. When the guide portion 120 has a partition of a certain thickness, the spacer groove 122 can be directly formed in the partition of a certain thickness. The spacer groove 122 can penetrate the guide portion 120 or the spacer groove 122 can be U-shaped, with the opening facing the mating direction of the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30.

[0069] In the case where the guide portion 120 consists of two spaced-apart partitions and a spacer (e.g., an insulator) is provided between the two partitions, such as Figure 18 As shown, the spacer groove 122 can be formed by reducing the distance by which the spacer 125 extends from the front surface 115 of the housing 100 relative to the two partitions 120' (i.e., the distance extending in the mating direction). A mounting groove 124 can be formed on the side of the two partitions 120' that is furthest from each other, or alternatively, a mounting groove 124 can be formed only on the furthest side of one of the partitions. When the electrical connector 10 mates with the mating electrical connector 30, the spacer groove 122 can be used to accommodate the spacer wall 331 to prevent the spacer wall 331 from interfering with the mating of the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30.

[0070] In addition, with Figure 1 , Figure 2 The structures shown are different, in Figure 18 and Figure 17In the illustrated embodiment, the guide portion 120 adjacent to the signal terminal group 220 may be omitted, and instead, a guide post 130 may be disposed at the top of the compartment 118 within which the signal terminal group 220 is housed. That is, along... Figure 18 In the left-right direction (lateral direction), the guide post 130 and the guide part 120 are arranged opposite each other. When the electrical connector 10 is connected to the mating electrical connector 30, both the guide post 130 and the guide part 120 can play a guiding role.

[0071] like Figure 18 As shown, the guide post 130 can be semi-cylindrical with a semi-conical front end to facilitate insertion and mating without significantly increasing the overall height of the housing 100. However, this is not a limitation; the guide post 130 can also be cylindrical with a conical front end. The semi-conical or conical front end of the guide post 130 can extend forward along the top surface of the compartment 118 beyond its front surface, thus providing guidance when the electrical connector 10 and the mating electrical connector 30 begin to mate.

[0072] The top surface of the compartment 118 for accommodating the signal terminal group 220 is typically lower than the height of other parts of the housing 100. Therefore, the guide post 130, located at the top of the compartment 118, can better utilize this height difference, achieving a guiding function without increasing or excessively increasing the overall height dimension of the electrical connector 10. Furthermore, with... Figure 1 , Figure 2 Compared to the embodiments shown, the lateral dimension of the electrical connector 10 can be effectively reduced by omitting the guide portion 120 on the side adjacent to the signal terminal group 220.

[0073] For example Figure 17 As shown, in the mating connector 30, the aforementioned guide receiving portion 330 is formed only at one end of the mating housing 300; a signal terminal group mating portion 360 is formed at the opposite end of the mating housing 300 to engage with... Figure 18 The signal terminal group 220 of the electrical connector 10 shown in the figure mates with it, and, as Figure 17 As shown, a guide post receiving portion 380 is provided above the signal terminal assembly mating portion 360. This guide post receiving portion 380 can be integrally formed with the mating housing 300, and the guide post receiving portion 380 forms a groove 382 that opens towards the signal terminal assembly mating portion 360. When the mating electrical connector 30 mates with the electrical connector 10, the guide post 130 of the electrical connector 10 can extend into the groove 382. According to... Figure 17 In the illustrated embodiment, the groove 382 is semi-circular, but it is not limited to this and can be formed in other shapes, as long as it can engage with the guide post 130.

[0074] Since the features of the invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the nature of the invention, it should also be understood that the above embodiments are not limited to any of the details described above, unless otherwise stated, and should be broadly interpreted as falling within the scope defined by the appended claims. Therefore, all modifications and alterations falling within the scope and limits of the claims or equivalents thereof should be covered by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, comprising a housing and conductive terminals, wherein, The housing includes: A base having multiple terminal channels extending from the rear surface to the front surface of the base, wherein conductive terminals are disposed within the terminal channels and protrude from the front surface of the base to form contact ends; and A guide portion extends forward from the front surface of the base to form a mating end. The distance between the mating end and the front surface of the base is greater than the distance between the contact end of the conductive terminal and the front surface. A mounting groove for inserting the conductive terminal is provided on the side of the guide portion. The mounting groove communicates with the terminal channel, such that a portion of the conductive terminal is disposed in the terminal channel, and the other portion of the conductive terminal is disposed in the mounting groove. The guide portion is provided with a spacer groove, which opens toward the mating direction of the electrical connector and the mating electrical connector.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein, The guide portion is disposed at at least one side end of the two transverse side ends of the base, and the guide portion is a partition with a thickness, and the spacer groove is formed in the partition with a thickness.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein, The guide portion is disposed at at least one side end of the two transverse side ends of the base, and the guide portion consists of two partitions spaced apart from each other.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein, A spacer is provided between the two partitions, and the distance by which the spacer extends toward the docking direction is less than the distance by which the two partitions extend toward the docking direction, thereby forming the spacer groove.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion includes a first guide portion and a second guide portion, the first guide portion and the second guide portion are respectively disposed on two lateral ends of the base, and the width of the first guide portion is greater than the width of the second guide portion, and the first guide portion and / or the second guide portion are provided with the spacer groove.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein, One end of the base is provided with a compartment for accommodating a signal terminal group, and a guide post is provided on the top of the compartment; the other end of the base is provided with the guide portion.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, wherein, The guide post is a semi-cylinder or a cylinder, and its front end is formed into a semi-conical or conical shape. The semi-conical or conical shape of the front end of the guide post extends forward along the top of the compartment beyond the front surface of the compartment.

8. A mating electrical connector, comprising: A mating housing and mating conductive terminals, wherein the mating housing is provided with a mating terminal channel, and the mating conductive terminals are disposed within the mating terminal channel and correspond to and mat with the conductive terminals of a mating electrical connector to achieve electrical connection, wherein the mating housing includes: A guide receiving portion, communicating with the mating terminal channel, and used to receive the guide portion of the electrical connector; and A conductive terminal receiving portion is connected to the mating terminal channel and is used to receive the conductive terminals of the electrical connector; The guide portion and the conductive terminal receiving portion are both disposed on the mating surface of the mating housing and extend from the mating surface toward the interior of the mating housing. The guide section receiving section is provided with a partition wall.

9. The mating electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein, The spacer wall extends a longer distance in the mating direction relative to the conductive terminal within the guide receiving portion.

10. The mating electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein, The guide receiving portion is formed at one end of the docking housing; a signal terminal group mating portion is formed at the opposite end of the docking housing to mate with the signal terminal group of the electrical connector, and a guide post receiving portion is provided above the signal terminal group mating portion to receive the guide post of the electrical connector.

11. The mating electrical connector according to claim 10, wherein, The guide post receiving portion has a groove that opens toward the signal terminal group mating portion. When the mating electrical connector mates with the electrical connector, the guide post extends into the groove.

12. An electrical connector assembly, comprising: The electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1-7; as well as The mating electrical connector as described in any one of claims 8-11.

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