Conductive terminal and electrical connector having the same

Abstract

The application provides a conductive terminal and an electric connector with the same, the conductive terminal comprises a sleeve, a conductive elastic piece and a contact piece. The contact piece is provided with a receiving cavity, a contact part and a biasing part. The contact part is offset from the center line of the receiving cavity in the transverse direction to contact a mating element. The biasing part is located on the same side of the center line as the contact part and is longitudinally spaced to abut the conductive elastic piece. When the contact part is in contact with the mating element, the contact piece is forced to slide into the receiving cavity and is tilted, and the contact part and the sleeve form a first abutting position and / or a second abutting position in the transverse direction, so that the signal of the mating element is directly transmitted to the sleeve through the contact piece, and the signal path is shortened. At the same time, the conductive elastic piece is compressed and bent away from the biasing part, and abuts the other side of the contact piece, so that the contact between the contact piece and the sleeve is more stable. The signal transmission path is short and the contact is reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conductive terminal and an electrical connector having the conductive terminal, and more particularly to a conductive terminal that shortens the conductive path and provides stable contact, and an electrical connector having the conductive terminal. Background Technology

[0002] In existing connectors, signal transmission is achieved using probes. Each probe comprises a hollow tube, an upper needle tip, a lower needle tip, and a conductive spring. The hollow tube contains a conductive elastic element, and both ends of the tube have an upper and a lower needle tip that can move axially. The upper needle tip abuts against the upper end of the conductive spring, and the lower needle tip abuts against the lower end of the conductive spring. In the current transmission path, current flows in from the upper needle tip, passes through the conductive spring, and then flows out from the lower needle tip. The conductive spring provides mechanical elasticity and also acts as a conductive medium. Because the conductive spring has a helical structure, the current transmission path through it is longer, resulting in a lower natural resonant frequency. This frequency is easily matched with the vibration frequency within the operating range of the conductive terminal, potentially leading to the continuous accumulation of vibrational energy in the conductive spring and an increasingly larger amplitude, thus affecting the high-frequency performance of the probe.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to design a new conductive terminal and an electrical connector having the conductive terminal to overcome the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the problems of the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a conductive terminal that shortens the conductive path and provides stable contact, and an electrical connector having the conductive terminal.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a conductive terminal comprising: a sleeve, a conductive elastic element, and at least one contact element. The sleeve extends longitudinally along a first direction, the conductive elastic element is housed within the sleeve, and the contact element receives and protrudes from the sleeve for engaging with a mating element. The contact element is subjected to force to move relative to the sleeve along the first direction, and the conductive elastic element is subjected to force to expand and contract. The contact element includes a receiving cavity, a contact portion, and a biasing portion. The receiving cavity extends through the contact element along the first direction toward a side opposite to the contact portion and communicates with the space within the sleeve. The conductive elastic element is partially received within the receiving cavity. Before the contact element engages with the mating element, the receiving cavity is defined to have a centerline extending longitudinally along the first direction. The contact portion is biased relative to the centerline in a second direction and is disposed further away from the conductive elastic element in the first direction than the biasing portion, for abutting against the mating element. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. A biasing portion is disposed in the receiving cavity and spaced apart from the end of the receiving cavity away from the contact portion in a first direction. The biasing portion and the contact portion are located on the same side of the centerline in a second direction and are spaced apart in the first direction. When the conductive terminal is connected to the mating element, an electrical connection is achieved. The contact portion is displaced towards the sleeve under force. The conductive elastic element is compressed and contracted by the biasing portion and deforms and bends in the second direction away from the biasing portion. Thus, the conductive elastic element abuts against the contact element on the side away from the biasing portion in the second direction. The contact element is tilted under force and forms at least one first position abutment and / or at least one second position abutment with the sleeve. The first position abutment is located between the contact portion and the biasing portion along the first direction. The second position abutment is located on the side of the contact element away from the biasing portion along the first direction. The first position abutment and the second position abutment are located on opposite sides of the centerline in the second direction.

[0006] Furthermore, the contact element is formed by stamping metal sheet and includes a tubular main body and a long arm and a short arm connected to one end of the main body in a first direction, both of which are cantilevered. The receiving cavity extends through the main body in the first direction. The long arm and the short arm extend away from the conductive elastic element in the first direction on opposite sides of the center line, and bend towards each other in the second direction. The long arm extends beyond the center line, while the short arm does not extend beyond the center line. The contact portion is provided on the portion of the long arm that extends beyond the center line. In the first direction, the short arm is located on the side of the long arm facing the receiving cavity, and at least part of its projection overlaps with the long arm to support the long arm. The position where the long arm abuts the short arm is located in the area where the long arm extends beyond the center line.

[0007] Furthermore, the short arm has two sides arranged opposite each other along a third direction and an abutting surface connecting the two sides in a second direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the first and second directions. The abutting surface is located at the free end of the short arm and faces the long arm along the first direction. The abutting surface contacts the long arm to support the long arm.

[0008] Furthermore, the contact portion is located at the free end of the long arm, and its projection in the first direction is located within the area of ​​the contact surface.

[0009] Furthermore, at least one protrusion is provided on one of the inner wall of the sleeve and the outer peripheral wall of the contact, which protrudes towards the other and abuts against the other. When the conductive terminal abuts against the docking element, the protrusion abuts against the other of the inner wall of the sleeve and the outer peripheral wall of the contact at either the first position or the second position. The protrusion abutting at the first position is defined as the first protrusion, and the protrusion abutting at the second position is defined as the second protrusion.

[0010] Furthermore, along the first direction, the distance between the second protrusion and the biased portion is greater than the distance between the first protrusion and the biased portion. The conductive elastic element protrudes from the receiving cavity on the side of the biased portion away from the contact portion in the first direction. The conductive elastic element is a helical spring, including multiple spring coils. When the conductive terminal is connected to the docking element, the multiple spring coils bend and deform, and more than one of the spring coils abuts against the contact element.

[0011] Furthermore, the sleeve has a first end facing the docking element in a first direction, and when the conductive terminal docks with the docking element, the first protrusion is closer to the first end relative to the bias portion for the same contact.

[0012] Furthermore, the portion of the contact element with the corresponding receiving cavity and the sleeve are both cylindrical structures. The outer surface of the protrusion is an arc surface. The contact portion is located at the center of the contact element in a third direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. There are two first protrusions and two second protrusions. The two first protrusions are located on both sides of the contact portion in the third direction, and the two second protrusions are located on both sides of the contact portion in the third direction.

[0013] Furthermore, two of the first protrusions are provided on the sleeve, and two of the second protrusions are provided on the contact member.

[0014] Furthermore, the conductive terminal has two contacts, which are housed at opposite ends of the sleeve in a first direction. The two contact portions and two bias portions of the conductive terminal are located on the same side of the center line in a second direction. The conductive elastic element is a helical spring integrally formed from metal wire, including multiple spring coils. Both ends of the conductive elastic element in the first direction have multiple spring coils housed in corresponding receiving cavities. Each contact has two second protrusions, and the two second protrusions of one contact are directly opposite to the two second protrusions of another contact in the first direction.

[0015] Furthermore, the conductive elastic element is a helical spring integrally formed from a cylindrical metal wire, including a plurality of spring coils connected in sequence. The wire diameter of the metal wire is R. The contact element includes a main body and a stop portion. The contact portion is located outside the main body in a first direction. The receiving cavity penetrates the main body in the first direction away from the contact portion. The stop portion is located between the contact portion and the bias portion in the first direction. The stop portion and the bias portion protrude from the main body and the receiving cavity on both sides in the second direction toward the center line to stop the conductive elastic element. In the first direction, the bias portion has a first abutment portion on the side away from the contact portion, and the stop portion has a second abutment portion on the side away from the contact portion. Both the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion are used to abut against the spring coil of the conductive elastic element closest to the contact portion in the first direction. The distance between the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion in the first direction is greater than or equal to 1.5R and less than 3R.

[0016] Furthermore, each of the contact members and the mating elements is provided in pairs. The two mating elements are located on opposite sides of the conductive terminal along the first direction. The two contact members are housed at opposite ends of the sleeve in the first direction. The two contact portions and two bias portions of the conductive terminal are located on the same side of the center line in the second direction. The conductive elastic element is a helical spring integrally formed from metal wire, including multiple spring coils. Both ends of the conductive elastic element in the first direction have multiple spring coils housed in corresponding receiving cavities. The two contact members have different heights in the first direction.

[0017] Furthermore, the conductive terminal has two contacts, which are housed at opposite ends of the sleeve in a first direction. The two contact portions and two bias portions of the conductive terminal are located on the same side of the centerline in a second direction. When the conductive terminal is mated with the two mating elements, each contact forms at least one first position abutment and at least one second position abutment with the sleeve. The sleeve is divided into three regions of equal length in the first direction, defined as a first region, a second region, and an intermediate region between them. At least one first position abuts in the first region and is located further away from the intermediate region. The remaining first positions abut in the second region and are located further away from the intermediate region. All second positions abut in the intermediate region.

[0018] The present invention also provides an electrical connector, including a base and a plurality of conductive terminals. The base has a plurality of terminal holes extending through the base in a first direction, the plurality of terminal holes being used to accommodate the plurality of conductive terminals. Each conductive terminal includes: a sleeve, a conductive elastic element, and at least one contact. The sleeve extends longitudinally in the first direction, the conductive elastic element is housed within the sleeve, and the contact is received and protrudes from the sleeve for mating with a mating element. The contact is subjected to force to move relative to the sleeve in the first direction, and the conductive elastic element is subjected to force to expand and contract. The contact includes a receiving cavity, a contact portion, and a biasing portion. The receiving cavity extends through the contact in the first direction toward a side away from the contact portion and communicates with the space inside the sleeve. The conductive elastic element is partially housed in the receiving cavity. Before the contact is mated with the mating element, the receiving cavity is defined to have a centerline extending longitudinally in the first direction. The contact portion is biased relative to the centerline in a second direction and is disposed further away from the conductive elastic element in the first direction relative to the biasing portion. The conductive terminal is used to abut against the docking element. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The biasing portion is disposed in the receiving cavity and is spaced apart from the end of the receiving cavity away from the contact portion in the first direction. The biasing portion and the contact portion are located on the same side of the center line in the second direction and are spaced apart in the first direction. When the conductive terminal abuts against the docking element, an electrical connection is achieved. The contact portion is displaced towards the sleeve under force. The conductive elastic element is compressed and contracted by the biasing portion and deforms and bends in the second direction away from the biasing portion. Thus, the conductive elastic element abuts against the contact element on the side away from the biasing portion in the second direction. The contact element is tilted under force and forms at least one first position abutting and / or at least one second position abutting with the sleeve. The first position abutting is located between the contact portion and the biasing portion in the first direction. The second position abutting is located on the side of the contact element away from the biasing portion in the first direction. The first position abutting and the second position abutting are located on opposite sides of the center line in the second direction.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: By setting the contact portion to be offset relative to the center line in the second direction, when the contact portion mates with the mating element, the contact element is forced to tilt, forming a first position abutment and / or abutment at the second position with the sleeve. That is, through the contact element contacting the sleeve, the signal of the mating element can be directly transmitted to the sleeve through the contact element, shortening the signal transmission path. At this time, since the offset portion is set to be spaced apart from the contact portion along the first direction and located on the same side of the center line as the contact portion along the second direction, while the contact portion is displaced towards the sleeve under force, the conductive elastic element is compressed and contracted by the offset portion, deforming and bending in the second direction away from the offset portion, thereby abutting the side of the contact element away from the offset portion in the second direction, making the contact between the contact element and the sleeve more stable. Attached Figure Description Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a specific embodiment of the electrical connector of the present invention before the two mating elements are connected; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The exploded 3D view of the CEC connector shows only one conductive terminal; Figure 3 for Figure 2 3D exploded view of the conductive terminal further disassembled; Figure 4 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional assembly diagram of the conductive terminals; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Front view of the conductive terminal; Figure 6 for Figure 1 A partial sectional view of an electrical connector cut along the Y-axis direction by a plane defined by the Z and X axes; Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified view of part A in the image; Figure 8 for Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of the connector after it has been mated with two mating components, cut along the Y-axis direction by a plane defined by the Z-axis and X-axis. Figure 9 for Figure 8 A magnified view of part B in the image; Figure 10 for Figure 1 A partial sectional view of an electrical connector cut along the Z-axis direction by a plane defined by the X and Y axes; Figure 11 for Figure 1 A partial sectional view of an electrical connector cut along a direction by a plane defined by the M-axis and Z-axis. Figure 12 for Figure 11 A magnified view of part C; Figure 13 for Figure 11 A partial cross-sectional view of the CEC connector after it has been mated with two mating components; Figure 14 for Figure 13 A magnified view of part of D.

[0020] Explanation of icon numbers: Main body 111 First lateral edge 1111 Second lateral edge 1112 Containment cavity 112 Contact Department 113 Bias section 114a Stop part 114b First landing section 1141 Second landing section 1142 Long arm 115 Short arm 116 Side view 1161 Surface 1162 Projection P First convex portion P1 Second convex portion P2 Centerline L Conductive elastic element 12 Spring Coil 121 wire diameter R Sleeve 13 Region 13a Second Zone 13b Middle area 13c First end 131 Second end 132 First position to T1 The second position abuts T2 Base body 2 Terminal hole 21 Component 200 First direction Z Second direction X Third direction Y Detailed Implementation

[0021] To facilitate a better understanding of the purpose, structure, and features of this invention, a first direction (Z-axis), a second direction (X-axis), and a third direction (Y-axis) are defined, which are perpendicular to each other. This invention also defines a fourth direction (M-axis), which is perpendicular to the first direction (Z-axis). The invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 14 The diagram illustrates a specific embodiment of the electrical connector 100 of the present invention. The electrical connector 100 is used to mate with two mating elements 200 in a first direction Z. The two mating elements 200 are located on opposite sides of the electrical connector 100 along the first direction Z. One mating element 200 is a chip module, and the other mating element 200 is a circuit board. In other embodiments, the mating element 200 may also be other electronic components.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, the electrical connector includes a plurality of conductive terminals 1 and a base 2 for receiving the plurality of conductive terminals 1. The base 2 includes a plurality of terminal holes 21 extending through the base 2 along a first direction Z, and the plurality of terminal holes 21 are used to receive the plurality of conductive terminals 1.

[0024] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, each conductive terminal 1 includes two contacts 11, a conductive elastic element 12, and a sleeve 13 arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart along a first direction Z. The sleeve 13 extends longitudinally along the first direction Z and is a hollow cylindrical structure. The two contacts 11 of the same conductive terminal 1 are arranged opposite to each other in the first direction Z, and the two contacts 11 are housed at opposite ends of the sleeve 13 in the first direction Z, and both can slide relative to the sleeve 13 in the first direction Z. The conductive elastic element 12 is a helical spring integrally formed from a cylindrical metal wire and is built into the sleeve 13. The conductive elastic element 12 includes a plurality of spring coils 121 connected in sequence, and the wire diameter of the metal wire is R. In other embodiments, each conductive terminal 1 may include only one contact 11, one conductive elastic element 12, and a sleeve 13. The contact 11 is mated with one of the mating elements 200, and the sleeve 13 is mated with the other mating element 200.

[0025] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the contact element 11 is formed by stamping from a metal sheet and includes a cylindrical main body 111, a receiving cavity 112, a contact portion 113, a biasing portion 114a, a stop portion 114b, a long arm 115, and a short arm 116. The main body 111 has a hollow structure, and the receiving cavity 112 extends through both ends of the main body 111 along a first direction Z. The main body 111 includes a first side edge 1111 and a second side edge 1112 disposed opposite to each other along the first direction Z. The first side edge 1111 protrudes from the sleeve 13, and the second side edge 1112 is received within the sleeve 13. The contact portion 113 is disposed further away from the second side edge 1112 relative to the first side edge 1111 to abut against the mating element 200, and the biasing portion 114a is located between the first side edge 1111 and the second side edge 1112.

[0026] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the receiving cavity 112 communicates with the space inside the sleeve 13 to receive a portion of the conductive elastic element 12. The conductive elastic element 12 protrudes from the receiving cavity 112 on the side of the biased portion 114a away from the contact portion 113 in the first direction Z. Specifically, both ends of the conductive elastic element 12 in the first direction Z have a plurality of spring coils 121 received in the corresponding receiving cavities 112. In other embodiments, the receiving cavity 112 may penetrate the contact element 11 only along the first direction Z towards the side away from the contact portion 113, that is, the receiving cavity 112 penetrates the second side edge 1112 along the first direction Z without penetrating the first side edge 1111.

[0027] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, before the contact 11 mates with the docking element 200, the receiving cavity 112 is defined to have a center line L extending longitudinally along a first direction Z, and offset relative to the center line L in a second direction X perpendicular to the first direction Z. One of the contact 11 protrudes from one end of the sleeve 13 in the first direction Z to mate with one of the docking elements 200, and the other contact 11 protrudes from the other end of the sleeve 13 in the first direction Z to mate with the other docking element 200.

[0028] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, when the contact 11 docks with one of the docking elements 200, the contact 11 is tilted by force and moves relative to the sleeve 13 in the first direction Z within the sleeve 13.

[0029] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, both the biasing portion 114a and the blocking portion 114b are disposed in the receiving cavity 112. The biasing portion 114a and the contact portion 113 are located on the same side of the center line L in the second direction X, and are spaced apart in the first direction Z. The biasing portion 114a is spaced apart from the end of the receiving cavity 112 away from the contact portion 113 in the first direction Z, that is, the biasing portion 114a is spaced apart from the second side edge 1112 and is closer to the conductive elastic member 12 relative to the contact portion 113 in the first direction Z. The blocking portion 114b is located between the contact portion 113 and the biasing portion 114a along the first direction Z. The biasing portion 114a has a first abutting portion 1141 on the side of the first direction Z away from the contact portion 113, and the first abutting portion 1141 is used to abut against the conductive elastic member 12.

[0030] like Figure 8 and Figure 9As shown, the two contact portions 113 and the two bias portions 114a of the conductive terminal 1 are all located on the same side of the center line L in the second direction X. When the electrical connector 100 mates with the two mating elements 200, each of the two contact elements 11 is displaced towards each other in the direction of the sleeve 13. Each contact element 11 is tilted due to the biasing force caused by the corresponding contact portion 113 deviating from the center line L in the second direction X, so that the corresponding main body portion 111 and the sleeve 13 form at least one first position abutting T1 and to In this embodiment, each of the main body portions 111 and the sleeve 13 forms two first position abutments T1 and two second position abutments T2. The first position abutments T1 are located between the contact portion 113 and the offset portion 114a along the first direction Z. The second position abutments T2 are located on the side of the contact member 11 away from the contact portion 113 along the first direction Z of the offset portion 114a. The first position abutments T1 and the second position abutments T2 are located on opposite sides of the centerline L in the second direction X. Of course, in other embodiments, due to processing errors or other reasons (e.g., structural design requirements), each contact member 11 may only form a first position abutment T1 or only form a second position abutment T2 with the sleeve 13, that is, only one side abuts.

[0031] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the sleeve 13 is divided into three regions of equal length in the first direction Z, defined as a first region 13a, a second region 13b, and an intermediate region 13c located between the two. At least one of the first position abutments T1 is located in the first region 13a, and is located further away from the intermediate region 13c. The remaining first position abutments T1 are located in the second region 13b, and are located further away from the intermediate region 13c. All second position abutments T2 are located in the intermediate region 13c. In this embodiment, the first position abutment T1 corresponding to one of the contact members 11 is located in the first region 13a, the first position abutment T1 corresponding to another contact member 11 is located in the first region 13b, and the second position abutments T2 corresponding to both contact members 11 are located in the intermediate region 13c.

[0032] like Figure 11 and Figure 12 , Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, due to the force applied to the contact 11, it is displaced relative to the sleeve 13 in the first direction Z away from the corresponding docking element 200. After the contact 11 is displaced by pressure to a certain stroke, the conductive elastic element 12 is compressed by the first abutment portion 1141 and deforms and bends in the second direction X away from the bias portion 114a, thereby abutting against the inner peripheral wall of the main body portion 111 in the second direction X away from the bias portion 114a. This provides a force to the contact 11 at the portion between the bias portion 114a and the second side edge 1112, improving the stability of the contact 11 and the sleeve 13 in double contact in the second direction X.

[0033] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the blocking portion 114b and the biasing portion 114a protrude from both sides of the main body portion 111 in the receiving cavity 112 in the second direction X toward the center line L, respectively, to block the conductive elastic member 12. The blocking portion 114b has a second abutting portion 1142 on the side opposite to the contact portion 113 in the first direction. Both the first abutting portion 1141 and the second abutting portion 1142 are used to abut against the spring coil 121 of the conductive elastic member 12 closest to the contact portion 113 in the first direction Z. The distance between the first abutting portion 1141 and the second abutting portion 1142 in the first direction Z is greater than or equal to 1.5R and less than 3R.

[0034] like Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, both the long arm 115 and the short arm 116 are cantilever structures and are connected to the same end of the main body 111 in the first direction Z. Specifically, the long arm 115 and the short arm 116 are respectively connected to the first side edge 1111 on both sides of the center line L in the second direction X, and both extend towards each other in the second direction X. The long arm 115 extends beyond the center line L, while the short arm 116 does not extend beyond the center line L. The contact portion 113 is provided on the portion of the long arm 115 that extends beyond the center line L, and the contact portion 113 is located at the center of the contact member 11 in a third direction Y. In other embodiments, the contact portion 113 may be provided at the free end of the long arm 115.

[0035] like Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the short arm 116 is located on the side of the long arm 115 facing the receiving cavity 112 along the first direction Z, and at least a portion of its projection overlaps with the long arm 115 to support the long arm 115. Specifically, the short arm 116 has two side surfaces 1161 arranged opposite each other along the third direction Y, and an abutment surface 1162 connecting the two side surfaces 1161 in the second direction X. The abutment surface 1162 is located at the free end of the short arm 116 and faces the long arm 115 along the first direction Z. The abutment surface 1162 contacts the long arm 115 to support it. The position where the long arm 115 abuts the short arm 116 is located in the region of the long arm 115 beyond the centerline L. Along the first direction Z, the projection of the contact portion 113 in the first direction Z is located within the region of the abutment surface 1162.

[0036] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the sleeve 13 is formed by stamping metal sheet and includes a first end 131 and a second end 132 disposed opposite to each other in the first direction Z. The conductive terminal 1 is provided with at least one protrusion P between each of the contacts 11 and the sleeve 13. The protrusion P is disposed on the inner tube wall of the sleeve 13 or on the outer peripheral wall of the contacts 11. When the protrusion P is disposed on the inner tube wall of the sleeve 13, the protrusion P is formed by protruding from the inner tube wall of the sleeve 13 toward the contacts 11 and abuts against the outer peripheral wall of the contacts 11.

[0037] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, when the contact 11 mates with the docking element 200, the protrusion P forms a first position abutment T1 or a second position abutment T2 with the contact 11; when the protrusion P is provided on the outer peripheral wall of the contact 11, the protrusion P protrudes outward from the outer peripheral wall of the contact 11 and abuts against the inner wall of the sleeve 13. When the contact 11 mates with the docking element 200, the protrusion P forms a first position abutment T1 or a second position abutment T2 with the contact 11. The contact 11 and the sleeve 13 only contact each other through the protrusion P, so that there is a gap between the contact 11 and other parts of the sleeve 13, reducing the friction between the contact 11 and the sleeve 13 when the contact 11 moves relative to the sleeve 13 under pressure in the first direction Z.

[0038] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 10As shown, in this embodiment, each conductive terminal 1 has a total of 8 protrusions P, of which four protrusions P are provided on the inner wall of the sleeve 13, and the other four protrusions P are provided on the two contacts 11. In this embodiment, each contact 11 has two protrusions P. The outer surface of each protrusion P is an arc surface to adapt to the cylindrical structure of the main body 111 and the sleeve 13, which are respectively provided with the receiving cavity 112 on the contact 11, so as to facilitate the sliding of the contact 11 under the force of the sleeve 13, and make the relative movement between the contact 11 and the sleeve 13 smoother.

[0039] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the protrusion P that abuts against T1 at the first position is defined as the first protrusion P1, and the protrusion P that abuts against T2 at the second position is defined as the second protrusion P2. All four protrusions P on the sleeve 13 are first protrusions P1, with two first protrusions P1 located in the first region 13a, situated on both sides of the contact portion 113 in the third direction Y. The other two first protrusions P1 are located in the second region 13b, situated on both sides of the contact portion 113 in the third direction Y.

[0040] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 10 As shown, each contact 11 has two second protrusions P2, which are located on both sides of the contact portion 113 in the third direction Y. Thus, each contact 11 can form four-point contact with the sleeve 13, and each protrusion P is evenly distributed around the contact 11, preventing the contact 11 from wobbling circumferentially within the sleeve 13 in the direction perpendicular to the first direction Z. The two second protrusions P2 of one contact 11 are aligned one-to-one with the two second protrusions P2 of the other contact 11 in the first direction Z, ensuring the consistency of the signal transmission path when the two contact 11s are mated with the two mating elements 200. In other embodiments, the protrusion P of the conductive terminal 1 can be located at the center of the conductive terminal 1 in the third direction Y, thus adjusting the number of protrusions P accordingly.

[0041] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, along the first direction Z, the distance between the second protrusion P2 and the biasing portion 114a is greater than the distance between the first protrusion P1 and the biasing portion 114a. When the conductive terminal 1 is connected to the docking element 200, a plurality of spring coils 121 bend and deform, and more than one spring coil 121 abuts against the contact member 11.

[0042] The electrical connector of the present invention also has the following beneficial effects: 1. By setting the contact portion 113 to be offset relative to the centerline L in the second direction X, when the contact portion 113 mates with the docking element 200, the contact member 11 is forced to tilt, forming a first position abutment T1 and a second position abutment T2 with the sleeve 13. That is, through the contact member 11 contacting the sleeve 13, the signal of the docking element 200 can be directly transmitted to the sleeve 13 through the contact member 11, shortening the signal transmission path; and at this time, since the offset portion 114a is set... The contact element 11 is positioned at a distance from the contact portion 113 along the first direction Z and on the same side of the centerline L along the second direction X. When the contact portion 113 is displaced towards the sleeve 13 under force, the conductive elastic element 12 is compressed and contracted by the bias portion 114a, and deforms and bends in the second direction X toward the side away from the bias portion 114a, thereby abutting against the side of the contact element 11 away from the bias portion 114a in the second direction X, making the contact between the contact element 11 and the sleeve 13 more stable.

[0043] 2. By supporting the long arm 115 with the short arm 116 through projected overlap, stress can be dispersed and excessive deformation of the long arm 115 can be prevented. The position where the long arm 115 abuts against the short arm 116 is set in the area where the long arm 115 exceeds the center line L, so that the position where the short arm 116 supports the long arm 115 is closer to the end of the long arm 115, thereby enhancing the stress stability of the long arm 115 (when the contact portion 113 docks with the docking element 200).

[0044] 3. The contact surface 1162 is located at the free end of the short arm 116 and is arranged along the first direction Z towards the long arm 115, which helps to enhance the supporting force of the short arm 116 on the long arm 115 and reduce the stake effect.

[0045] 4. The contact portion 113 is located at the free end of the long arm 115, and its projection in the first direction Z is located within the area of ​​the abutment surface 1162. When the contact portion 113 is pressed, it can directly abut against the abutment surface 1162 along the first direction Z, ensuring that the displacement direction of the long arm 115 under force is completely in contact with the docking element 200. Since the contact portion 113 is not located at the position directly opposite the abutment surface 1162 along the first direction Z (for example, if the position where the abutment surface 1162 supports the long arm 115 is located at more than 1 / 2 of the length of the long arm 115, the contact portion 113 is prone to deflection when pressed and may not be able to contact the short arm 116), the contact area deviation can be reduced.

[0046] 5. By setting the protrusion P to form the first position abutting T1 and / or the second position abutting T2, the shaking of the contact member 11 in the sleeve 13 is restricted, and contact failure due to vibration or external force is avoided, thereby improving the contact stability between the contact member 11 and the sleeve 13.

[0047] 6. The distance between the second protrusion P2 and the biasing portion 114a is greater than the distance between the first protrusion P1 and the biasing portion 114a, ensuring that the receiving cavity 112 has a certain space in the length extension direction (first direction Z) of the contact member 11 to accommodate the multiple spring coils 121 of the conductive elastic member 12. When the conductive terminal 1 is connected to the docking element 200, the number of spring coils 121 bending and deforming and abutting against the contact member 11 is increased, which is beneficial to increase the force applied by the conductive elastic member 12 to the contact member 11 and the contact area between the two, further strengthening the stable contact between the contact member 11 and the sleeve 13.

[0048] 7. For the same contact 11, in the first direction Z, the first protrusion P1 is closer to the first end 131 than the bias portion 114a, that is, the distance between the first protrusion P1 and the first end 131 is less than the distance between the first protrusion P1 and the bias portion 114a, thereby shortening the signal transmission path and optimizing high-frequency performance.

[0049] 8. The contact member 11, which is a cylindrical structure, is provided with the main body 111 of the receiving cavity 112, the sleeve 13, and the protrusion P with an arc surface on the outer surface. This can reduce the frictional resistance of the contact surface between the contact member 11 and the sleeve 13, and extend the service life of the conductive terminal 1. The two first protrusions P1 are provided on both sides of the contact part 113 in the third direction Y, and the two second protrusions P2 are provided on both sides of the contact part 113 in the third direction Y, so that the force is balanced and the swaying of the contact member 11 in the sleeve 13 in the circumferential direction perpendicular to the first direction Z is reduced.

[0050] 9. For one of the contacts 11 of the conductive terminal 1 and the corresponding sleeve 13, two first protrusions P1 are provided on the sleeve 13 and two second protrusions P2 are provided on the contact 11. When the contact 11 is initially subjected to force and slides into the sleeve 13, the first protrusions P1 can contact the contact 11. That is, the contact 11 is preferentially triggered to abut during docking, shortening the initial contact stroke.

[0051] 10. The two contacts 11 are housed at both ends of the sleeve 13, and the first protrusion P1 and the second protrusion P2 are arranged opposite each other along the first direction Z, which facilitates the consistency of the signal transmission path and helps to meet the high frequency requirements of the conductive terminal 1.

[0052] 11. The distance between the first abutting part 1141 and the second abutting part 1142 along the first direction Z is greater than or equal to 1.5R and less than 3R, which provides sufficient clearance for the spring coil 121 to deform along the first direction Z when subjected to force, while limiting the distance to less than 3R, to prevent the spring coil 121 from getting stuck in the stop part 114b when bent and deformed under force due to the large distance between the first abutting part 1141 and the second abutting part 1142, and thus unable to return to its original shape, causing the conductive elastic element 12 to malfunction.

[0053] 12. The two contacts 11 are housed at opposite ends of the sleeve 13 in the first direction Z, and the two contact portions 11 and the two bias portions 114b of the conductive terminal 1 are located on the same side of the center line L in the second direction X. When the electrical connector 100 mates with the two mating elements 200, the bending of the conductive elastic element 12 is approximately in the shape of ")" or "(", which helps to ensure that the deformation direction of the conductive elastic element 12 is consistent with the skew direction of the two contacts 11 when subjected to force, further enhancing the stability of the two contacts 11 in contact with the sleeve 13 on both sides; the two contacts 11 have different heights in the first direction Z to accommodate the mating elements 200 with different elastic height requirements.

[0054] 13. The distribution design of the first position abutment T1 and the second position abutment T2 in the three regions of the sleeve 13, by setting abutment points (such as the first protrusion P1) in the first region 13a and the second region 13b, and setting an intermediate abutment point (such as the second protrusion P2) in the middle region 13c, allows the contact area between the contact member 11 and the sleeve 13 to cover the length direction of the sleeve 13. This distribution method is beneficial for suppressing resonance, optimizing the impedance matching of the signal transmission path, and thus improving signal integrity.

[0055] 14. By providing the electrical connector 100 with a plurality of the conductive terminals 1, it is beneficial to improve the high-frequency performance of the electrical connector 100.

[0056] The above detailed description is only an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical changes made using the content of this invention's specification and illustrations are included within the patent scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A conductive terminal, characterized in that, include: A sleeve, a conductive elastic element, and at least one contact element are provided. The sleeve extends longitudinally along a first direction, the conductive elastic element is built into the sleeve, and the contact element receives and protrudes from the sleeve for docking with a docking element. The contact element is subjected to force to move relative to the sleeve along the first direction, and the conductive elastic element is subjected to force to expand and contract. The contact includes a receiving cavity, a contact portion, and a biasing portion. The receiving cavity extends through the contact in a first direction toward a side away from the contact portion and communicates with the space inside the sleeve. The conductive elastic element is partially received in the receiving cavity. Before the contact is docked with the docking element, the receiving cavity is defined to have a centerline extending longitudinally along the first direction. The contact portion is biased relative to the centerline in a second direction and is disposed further away from the conductive elastic element in the first direction than the biasing portion, for abutting against the docking element. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. The biasing portion is disposed in the receiving cavity and is spaced apart from the end of the receiving cavity away from the contact portion in the first direction. The biasing portion and the contact portion are located on the same side of the centerline in the second direction and are spaced apart in the first direction. When the conductive terminal is connected to the mating element, an electrical connection is achieved. The contact portion is displaced towards the sleeve under force. The conductive elastic element is compressed and contracted by the bias portion and deforms and bends in the second direction away from the bias portion. Thus, the conductive elastic element abuts against the contact on the side away from the bias portion in the second direction. The contact is tilted under force and forms at least one first position abutment and / or at least one second position abutment with the sleeve. The first position abutment is located between the contact portion and the bias portion in the first direction. The second position abutment is located on the side of the contact away from the contact portion in the first direction. The first position abutment and the second position abutment are located on opposite sides of the center line in the second direction.

2. The conductive terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The contact element is formed by stamping a metal sheet and includes a tubular main body and a long arm and a short arm connected to one end of the main body in a first direction, both of which are cantilevered. The receiving cavity extends through the main body in the first direction. The long arm and the short arm extend away from the conductive elastic element in the first direction on opposite sides of the center line, and bend towards each other in a second direction. The long arm extends beyond the center line, while the short arm does not extend beyond the center line. The contact portion is provided on the portion of the long arm that extends beyond the center line. In the first direction, the short arm is located on the side of the long arm facing the receiving cavity, and at least part of its projection overlaps with the long arm to support the long arm. The position where the long arm abuts the short arm is located in the area where the long arm extends beyond the center line.

3. The conductive terminal according to claim 2, characterized in that: The short arm has two sides arranged opposite each other along a third direction and an abutting surface connecting the two sides in a second direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the first and second directions. The abutting surface is located at the free end of the short arm and faces the long arm along the first direction. The abutting surface contacts the long arm to support the long arm.

4. The conductive terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that: The contact portion is located at the free end of the long arm, and its projection in the first direction is located within the area of ​​the contact surface.

5. The conductive terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one protrusion is provided on one of the inner wall of the sleeve and the outer peripheral wall of the contact, which protrudes towards the other and abuts against the other. When the conductive terminal abuts with the docking element, the protrusion abuts against the other of the inner wall of the sleeve and the outer peripheral wall of the contact at either the first position or the second position. The protrusion abutting at the first position is defined as the first protrusion, and the protrusion abutting at the second position is defined as the second protrusion.

6. The conductive terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that: Along the first direction, the distance between the second protrusion and the biased portion is greater than the distance between the first protrusion and the biased portion. The conductive elastic element protrudes from the receiving cavity on the side of the biased portion away from the contact portion in the first direction. The conductive elastic element is a helical spring, including multiple spring coils. When the conductive terminal is connected to the docking element, the multiple spring coils bend and deform, and more than one of the spring coils abuts against the contact element.

7. The conductive terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that: The sleeve has a first end facing the docking element in a first direction, and when the conductive terminal docks with the docking element, the first protrusion is closer to the first end relative to the bias portion for the same contact.

8. The conductive terminal according to claim 5, characterized in that: The portion of the contact element with a corresponding receiving cavity and the sleeve are both cylindrical structures. The outer surface of the protrusion is an arc surface. The contact portion is located at the center of the contact element in a third direction. The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. There are two first protrusions and two second protrusions. The two first protrusions are located on both sides of the contact portion in the third direction, and the two second protrusions are located on both sides of the contact portion in the third direction.

9. The conductive terminal according to claim 8, characterized in that: Two first protrusions are provided on the sleeve, and two second protrusions are provided on the contact member.

10. The conductive terminal according to claim 9, characterized in that: The conductive terminal has two contacts, which are housed at opposite ends of the sleeve in a first direction. The two contact portions and two bias portions of the conductive terminal are located on the same side of the center line in a second direction. The conductive elastic element is a helical spring integrally formed from metal wire, including multiple spring coils. Both ends of the conductive elastic element in the first direction have multiple spring coils housed in corresponding receiving cavities. Each contact has two second protrusions, and the two second protrusions of one contact are directly opposite to the two second protrusions of another contact in the first direction.

11. The conductive terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive elastic element is a helical spring integrally formed from a cylindrical metal wire, including a plurality of spring coils connected in sequence. The wire diameter of the metal wire is R. The contact element includes a main body and a stop portion. The contact portion is located outside the main body in a first direction. The receiving cavity extends through the main body in the first direction away from the contact portion. The stop portion is located between the contact portion and the bias portion in the first direction. The stop portion and the bias portion protrude from the main body and the receiving cavity on both sides in the second direction toward the center line to stop the conductive elastic element. In the first direction, the bias portion has a first abutment portion on the side away from the contact portion, and the stop portion has a second abutment portion on the side away from the contact portion. Both the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion are used to abut against the spring coil of the conductive elastic element closest to the contact portion in the first direction. The distance between the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion in the first direction is greater than or equal to 1.5R and less than 3R.

12. The conductive terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two of each of the contact element and the docking element are provided. The two docking elements are located on opposite sides of the conductive terminal along the first direction. The two contact elements are housed at opposite ends of the sleeve in the first direction. The two contact portions and two bias portions of the conductive terminal are located on the same side of the center line in the second direction. The conductive elastic element is a helical spring integrally formed from metal wire, including multiple spring coils. Multiple spring coils are housed in corresponding receiving cavities at both ends of the conductive elastic element in the first direction. The two contact elements have different heights in the first direction.

13. The conductive terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive terminal has two contacts, which are received at opposite ends of the sleeve in a first direction. The two contact portions and two bias portions of the conductive terminal are located on the same side of the centerline in a second direction. When the conductive terminal is mated with the two mating elements, each contact forms at least one first position abutment and at least one second position abutment with the sleeve. The sleeve is divided into three regions of equal length in the first direction, defined as a first region, a second region, and an intermediate region between the two. At least one first position abuts in the first region and is located further away from the intermediate region. The remaining first positions abut in the second region and are located further away from the intermediate region. All second positions abut in the intermediate region.

14. An electrical connector, characterized in that: The device includes a base and a plurality of conductive terminals as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, the base having a plurality of terminal holes extending through the base in a first direction, the plurality of terminal holes being used to receive the plurality of conductive terminals.

Images