Connector assembly

Abstract

The application provides a connector assembly, which comprises a female connector, the female connector comprises an outer module and an inner module which are independently assembled respectively, the outer module comprises a shell and a shell locking component, the inner module is used for connecting to a wire to be connected and comprises an inner main body, an inner cover, a center terminal and a female shielding component, wherein the inner cover has a first locking structure, the inner module is fixed to the outer module through the first locking structure, the connector assembly adopts a modular structure and comprises a multiple locking mechanism and forms a stable shielding loop, and electrical stability, assembly reliability and shielding integrity of the connector assembly are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of connectors, and more specifically, to a connector assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle connectors, as crucial components for vehicle data transmission, are widely used in signal transmission for autonomous driving sensors (such as LiDAR and cameras) and in-vehicle communication systems (such as Ethernet and entertainment systems). Their performance and reliability directly affect the stability of the entire vehicle system. Commonly used connector types include FAKRA, Mini-FAKRA, HSD, and Ethernet connectors, each suitable for different frequency bands and scenarios.

[0003] With the rapid development of intelligent vehicles, autonomous driving, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technologies, high bandwidth, low latency, and interference resistance are required for in-vehicle data transmission. However, under complex in-vehicle conditions, vehicles may face vibrations, bumps, alternating high and low temperatures, humidity, and dust, thus testing the mechanical reliability, interference resistance, and signal transmission stability of connectors.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address or at least alleviate one or more of the above problems, the following technical solutions are provided.

[0006] According to one aspect of this application, a connector assembly is provided, comprising a female connector, the female connector comprising an outer module and an inner module separately assembled therefrom, the outer module comprising a housing and a housing locking member, the inner module being for connection to a wire to be connected and comprising an inner body, an inner cover, a center terminal and a female shielding member, wherein the inner cover has a first locking structure, and the inner module is fixed to the outer module by the first locking structure.

[0007] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, when the inner module is connected to the wire to be connected, the center terminal is crimped together with the inner core wire of the wire, and the female end shielding component is crimped together with the shielding layer of the wire.

[0008] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the connector assembly includes a male connector having a second locking structure, the male connector being fixed to the female connector by the second locking structure.

[0009] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the male connector includes a male shielding component, and when the male connector is installed on the female connector, the female shielding component contacts the male shielding component to form a shielding loop.

[0010] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the female end shielding component includes a surrounding portion disposed around the conductor and an elastic clip portion for contacting the male end shielding component.

[0011] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the female shielding component and the male shielding component are made of copper material plated with tin or silver.

[0012] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, when the male connector is installed on the female connector, the second locking structure pushes up the end of the housing locking member, so that the housing locking member can move into the limiting opening formed in the housing.

[0013] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, when the male connector is installed on the female connector, the insertion portion of the male connector is inserted into the socket formed in the center terminal, so that the male connector is electrically connected to the female connector.

[0014] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the center terminal has a terminal locking portion, the inner body has a limiting boss corresponding to the terminal locking portion, and the center terminal is fixed to the inner body by the limiting boss stopping the terminal locking portion.

[0015] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the connector assembly includes a rear cover, the housing has a third locking structure, and the rear cover is fixed to the housing by the third locking structure.

[0016] Optionally, according to some embodiments of this application, the connector assembly includes a sealing gasket disposed between the rear cover and the housing.

[0017] The connector assembly according to some embodiments of this application has advantages such as modular structure, multiple locking mechanisms, and integrated shielding. It can significantly improve the signal integrity, mechanical reliability, and electromagnetic compatibility of the connector assembly without increasing manufacturing complexity. It is particularly suitable for fields with high requirements for connector performance, such as intelligent driving of vehicles, radar signal transmission, and high-speed data communication. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Referring to the accompanying drawings, the above and other features of this application will become apparent, wherein, Figure 1 A perspective view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 2 An exploded view of the female connector of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 Another cross-sectional schematic diagram of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the outer module of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of the center terminal of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 7 A rear perspective perspective view of the male connector of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0019] It is readily understood that, based on the technical solution of this application, those skilled in the art can propose various interchangeable structural methods and implementations without altering the essential spirit of this application. Therefore, the following detailed embodiments and accompanying drawings are merely illustrative examples of the technical solution of this application and should not be considered as the entirety of this application or as limitations or restrictions on the technical solution of this application.

[0020] The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, and bottom mentioned or possibly used in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the accompanying drawings. These are relative concepts and may therefore vary depending on their location and usage. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and similar expressions are used for descriptive and distinguishing purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying the relative importance of the corresponding components or the order of components or assembly sequence.

[0021] refer to Figure 1 This illustrates a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present application, the connector assembly including a female connector 10. (Continue referring to...) Figure 2The figure shows an exploded schematic diagram of a female connector 10 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown, the female connector 10 may include an outer module and an inner module. The outer module includes a housing 1 and a housing locking member 2. The inner module is used to connect to the wire 7 to be connected and includes an inner body 3, an inner cover 4, a center terminal 5, and a female shielding member 6. The outer module and the inner module of the female connector 10 can be assembled independently and then fixed together by a locking structure (e.g., the first locking structure 15 described later). Such a modular split structure facilitates the control of the assembly process and reduces the assembly difficulty.

[0022] The outer module, including the housing 1 and the housing locking component 2, serves as external protection and locking support. In some embodiments of this application, the housing 1 may be made of rigid plastic material and has an internal assembly cavity for accommodating the inner module. The inner module forms the signal transmission and shielding path for the connector assembly. After the assembled center terminal 5, female shielding component 6, and wire 7 are installed in the inner body 3, the inner cover 4 may be installed to the inner body 3, for example, by interlocking, to fix and protect the center terminal 5, female shielding component 6, and connected wire 7 contained therein. The inner cover 4 may have a first locking structure 15, which allows the inner module to be fixed to the outer module after the outer module and inner module are assembled independently. The first locking structure 15 can be, for example, a snap-fit ​​structure. After the outer module completes its own component assembly, and the inner module completes its connection with the wire 7 and its own component assembly, the inner module is installed into the assembly cavity of the outer module's housing 1. The first locking structure 15 of the inner cover 4 engages with the corresponding limiting structure located inside the housing 1 to achieve a fixed assembly of the inner and outer modules, thereby preventing internal loosening due to thermal expansion and contraction or mechanical stress and improving the overall structural rigidity. Through the above construction, the key signal and shielding paths of the connector assembly can be pre-assembled in an independent environment, thereby avoiding secondary disturbances during the overall assembly process and improving the consistency and reliability of signal transmission.

[0023] When the inner module is connected to the conductor 7 to be connected, the center terminal 5, the female shielding component 6, and the conductor 7 can be assembled together by crimping. The center terminal 5 is crimped to the inner core wire of the conductor 7 to ensure stable electrical transmission, and the female shielding component 6 is crimped to the shielding layer of the conductor 7 to form a shielding structure, thereby preventing external electromagnetic interference while achieving stable electrical transmission. Depending on the needs, the crimping method can be interlocking, corrugated, etc., to improve the crimping strength. For example, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the female shielding component 6 may include a surrounding portion 61 disposed around the conductor 7 and a resilient clamping portion 62 for contacting the male shielding component 9 described later, to ensure shielding integrity and stability and improve the anti-interference capability of the connector assembly.

[0024] In some embodiments of this application, reference is made to Figure 6 To reliably fix the center terminal 5 and the inner body 3, the center terminal 5 may have a terminal locking portion 14, which may be integral with the center terminal 5, for example. Correspondingly, the inner body 3 may have a limiting boss 16 corresponding to the terminal locking portion 14. The limiting boss 16 may be, for example, a protruding structure with a slope on one side to guide the installation of the terminal locking portion 14 and stop the terminal locking portion 14. Specifically, the installation process of the center terminal 5 may be as follows: when the center terminal 5 is pushed toward the interior of the inner body 3 along the assembly direction, the terminal locking portion 14 contacts one side of the limiting boss 16 and is pushed upward to slide over the limiting boss 16; after the center terminal 5 is assembled in place, the terminal locking portion 14 elastically resets and abuts against the other side of the limiting boss 16. By stopping the terminal locking portion 14 with the limiting boss 16, the axial displacement of the center terminal 5 can be restricted, so that the center terminal 5 is reliably fixed in the inner body 3, thereby ensuring that the center terminal does not shift under conditions such as vibration and insertion / removal, and improving the contact stability of the connector assembly. In some embodiments of this application, the terminal locking portion 14 can be a flexible plastic part.

[0025] Further, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 7 According to some embodiments of this application, the connector assembly further includes a male connector 20, which can be mated with the female connector 10 to achieve electrical conduction and overall locking. The male connector 20 may have a second locking structure 11, through which the male connector 20 is fixed to the female connector 10. The second locking structure 11 may be, for example, a snap-fit ​​structure, to engage with a corresponding limiting structure disposed inside the housing 1, thereby fixing the male connector 20 and the female connector 10 together. In addition, the male connector 20 may have a metal insertion portion 12 for electrical connection with the center terminal 5. When the male connector 20 is installed on the female connector 10, the insertion portion 12 of the male connector 20 is inserted into a socket 13 formed in the center terminal 5, and the insertion portion 12 can contact the metal inner wall of the socket 13, thereby electrically connecting the male connector 20 and the female connector 10.

[0026] In some embodiments of this application, the male connector 20 includes a male shielding component 9, such as... Figure 4 and Figure 7As shown, the male shielding component 9 can be, for example, in the form of a metal sheet, which is disposed on the side wall of the assembly cavity of the male connector 20. When the male connector 20 is installed to the female connector 10, the female shielding component 6, especially the elastic clip portion 62, is elastically press-fitted to the male shielding component 9 on the side wall, so that the female shielding component 6 and the male shielding component 9 maintain continuous and stable contact to form a complete shielding loop surrounding the internal electrical connection area. Through the above structure, the female shielding component and the shielding layer of the wire are pressed together to form a continuous shielding path, and the male shielding component and the female shielding component are in contact with each other to form a low-impedance shielding loop, thereby constructing a complete and stable all-round ring shielding loop, effectively suppressing signal crosstalk and external electromagnetic interference. In some embodiments of this application, the female shielding component 6 and the male shielding component 9 can be made of copper material plated with tin or silver, wherein the copper substrate provides sufficient structural strength and the tin or silver plating provides good conductivity. In particular, when using tin plating, the oxidation and corrosion resistance of the components can be improved, and the service life can be extended; when using silver plating, better conductivity and shielding performance can be provided, making it suitable for high-frequency, high-precision signal transmission scenarios.

[0027] Furthermore, in some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, when the male connector 20 is installed onto the female connector 10, the second locking structure 11 can lift the end 21 of the housing locking member 2, allowing the housing locking member 2 to move into the limiting opening 18 formed in the housing 1. With this configuration, when the male connector 20 is installed in place, the end 21 of the housing locking member 2 is raised by the push of the second locking structure 11 to align with the limiting opening 18. At this time, the housing locking member 2 can be moved into the limiting opening 18, thereby further locking and allowing for a direct and quick determination of the connector assembly's assembly status. This effectively prevents problems such as poor contact and loose connection caused by incomplete insertion or misalignment, improving assembly pass rate and operational stability. In some embodiments of this application, the housing locking member 2 can be a flexible plastic part.

[0028] According to some embodiments of this application, such as Figures 1 to 4As shown, the connector assembly may include a rear cover 8, and correspondingly, the housing 1 has a third locking structure 17, through which the rear cover 8 is fixed to the housing 1. For example, the side of the rear cover 8 may have an opening 81 corresponding to the third locking structure 17 to form a snap-fit ​​structure with the third locking structure 17, thereby conveniently and firmly fixing the rear cover 8 to the housing 1 to prevent the rear cover 8 from falling off. By providing the rear cover 8, it is possible to prevent dust, moisture, and other debris from entering the connector, and it can also enhance the mechanical strength at the wire inlet and further compress and fix the wire to prevent loosening. In addition, in some embodiments of this application, the connector assembly may include a sealing gasket disposed between the rear cover 8 and the housing 1 to further improve sealing and protection performance.

[0029] According to some embodiments of this application, the connector assembly can be assembled as follows: a housing 1 and a housing locking member 2 are assembled together to form an outer module; an inner body 3, an inner cover 4, a center terminal 5, and a female shielding member 6 are assembled together to form an inner module, wherein during the assembly of the inner module, the wire 7 to be connected is crimped together with the center terminal 5 and the female shielding member 6; the inner module with the wire 7 is installed onto the outer module to form a female connector 10, wherein the inner module is fixed to the outer module by a first locking structure 15; a male connector 20 is installed onto the female connector 10, wherein the male connector 20 is fixed to the female connector 10 by a second locking structure 11, and the female shielding member 6 contacts the male shielding member 9 to form a shielding loop; and a rear cover 8 is installed onto the housing 1, wherein the rear cover 8 is fixed to the housing 1 by a third locking structure 17. Thus, the connector assembly according to some embodiments of this application can adopt a modular assembly method and include multiple locking mechanisms to form a stable shielding loop, significantly improving the electrical stability, assembly reliability, and shielding integrity of the connector assembly. It should be noted that the assembly method of the connector assembly according to this application is not limited to the above steps or sequence. Under different production conditions, the assembly steps and sequence can be adjusted according to actual needs. For example, the back cover can be installed on the housing before the male connector is installed on the female connector to prevent the inner module from loosening. Pre-treatment, inspection, sealing and reinforcement processes can also be added in a targeted manner.

[0030] It should be understood that all the above preferred embodiments are exemplary and not restrictive, and various modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art to the specific embodiments described above under the concept of this application should be within the scope of legal protection of this application.

Claims

1. A connector assembly, characterized in that, The connector includes a female connector comprising an outer module and an inner module, which are assembled independently. The outer module includes a housing and a housing locking component. The inner module is used to connect to the wire to be connected and includes an inner body, an inner cover, a center terminal, and a female shielding component. The inner cover has a first locking structure, and the inner module is fixed to the outer module by the first locking structure.

2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the inner module is connected to the wire to be connected, the center terminal is crimped together with the inner core wire of the wire, and the female end shielding component is crimped together with the shielding layer of the wire.

3. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a male connector, the male connector having a second locking structure, the male connector being fixed to the female connector by the second locking structure.

4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The male connector includes a male shielding component. When the male connector is installed on the female connector, the female shielding component contacts the male shielding component to form a shielding loop.

5. The connector assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The female shielding component includes a surrounding portion arranged around the conductor and an elastic clip portion for contacting the male shielding component.

6. The connector assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, The female shielding component and the male shielding component are made of copper material plated with tin or silver.

7. The connector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the male connector is installed onto the female connector, the second locking structure lifts the end of the housing locking member, allowing the housing locking member to move into the limiting opening formed in the housing.

8. The connector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the male connector is installed on the female connector, the insertion portion of the male connector is inserted into the socket formed in the center terminal, thereby electrically connecting the male connector and the female connector.

9. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center terminal has a terminal locking portion, and the inner body has a limiting boss corresponding to the terminal locking portion. The center terminal is fixed to the inner body by the limiting boss stopping the terminal locking portion.

10. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, Includes a rear cover, and the housing has a third locking structure, through which the rear cover is fixed to the housing.

11. The connector assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that, Includes a sealing gasket disposed between the rear cover and the housing.

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