A wire end connector and a high current connector

Abstract

A kind of wire end connector, including an insulating base, the front end of which includes a plurality of insulating convex tubes extending forward from the front panel, the insulating convex tubes are hollow tubular respectively, the internal passage of the insulating convex tubes penetrates the front and back sides of the insulating base, the left and right sides of the insulating base are respectively provided with a positioning part, and each insulating convex tube is located between the two positioning parts;Two positioning modules are provided in the positioning parts, the positioning modules protrude from the front panel, and the positioning modules maintain the relative position of the front panel and the external connector when the wire end connector is connected to the external connector;A plurality of conductive terminal modules are respectively embedded in each insulating convex tube;And a plurality of cables are respectively electrically connected to each conductive terminal module.The present application can make the connector structure compact, and meet the more flexible and high utilization rate to set the connector on the server.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of connector technology, and more specifically to a wire-end connector and a high-current connector. Background Technology

[0002] A connector is a device that allows electronic products to interface with power supplies or other electronic products. It typically includes connecting terminals, wires, and a body formed by coating the connection between the connecting terminals and the wires.

[0003] Line-end connectors and board-end connectors are typically used together and mated together. Servers usually have multiple board-end connectors for line-end connectors to plug into, and the two are mated together through mutual plugging. In some existing servers, the height of each board-end connector is generally only 4 cm, and the width is also fixed. Multiple slot-type board-end connectors are arranged on the server (some are arranged in an array). Due to the need to plug in many connectors, the thickness and size requirements of the slots (board-end connectors) formed on the server are also quite strict.

[0004] Furthermore, for some high-current connectors, multiple terminals need to be arranged horizontally, which increases the length of the wire-end connector or board-end connector. Moreover, to ensure proper positioning between the wire-end connector and the board-end connector after mating (maintaining their relative positions after insertion), positioning modules (spring clips or spring hooks) are needed at both ends of the wire-end connector to cooperate with the board-end connector (hooks or latches) for positioning connection. Therefore, multiple terminals along with positioning modules form a long, strip-shaped wire-end connector with a large horizontal length. In server environments with limited space for connector installation (height and width restrictions in server connection surfaces), effective space layout and utilization are impossible, and more connectors cannot be installed and connected in series on server racks. Therefore, this invention addresses how to provide a compact connector structure that allows multiple terminals and positioning modules to be combined and fitted into a connector within a limited slot space. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wire-end connector and a high-current connector, which makes the connector structure more compact and allows for more flexible and efficient connector placement on servers.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the solution of the present invention is: A wire connector includes: an insulating base with a plurality of insulating protrusions extending forward from a front panel at its front end, each insulating protrusion being hollow and having an internal channel penetrating the front and rear sides of the insulating base; a positioning part being provided on the left and right sides of the insulating base, with each insulating protrusion located between the two positioning parts; two positioning modules being provided at the positioning parts, each positioning module protruding from the front panel, and the positioning modules maintaining the relative position of the front panel and the external connector when the wire connector is connected to an external connector; and a plurality of conductive terminal modules being embedded in each insulating protrusion. Multiple cables are electrically connected to each conductive terminal module.

[0007] Furthermore, each conductive terminal module includes a metal post and an annular terminal piece. The front end of the metal post is provided with a cup-shaped groove, and the annular terminal piece is disposed in the cup-shaped groove. The rear end of the metal post is provided with a wiring surface, and each cable is electrically connected to each conductive terminal module through the wiring surface.

[0008] Furthermore, the positioning part is a through hole penetrating the insulating base, the positioning module is a metal rod, and at least one of the two positioning modules has a thread at its front end, the thread protruding from the front panel, and the external connector has a positioning element that can be screwed into the thread at the front end of the metal rod.

[0009] Furthermore, it also includes an inner mold and an outer mold. The inner mold covers at least a portion of the insulating base and the cable, and the outer mold covers the outer part of the inner mold. Both positioning parts are through holes. The outer mold has connecting holes on both sides that penetrate the outer mold. The connecting holes are located behind the through holes and outside the inner mold. The two positioning modules are screws. The screws pass through the connecting holes of the outer mold and the through holes of the insulating base in sequence and then protrude from the front panel. The positioning element is a nut. When the front end of the screw is connected to the external connector by the wire connector, it is inserted into the nut and tightened into the nut by operating the rear end of the screw.

[0010] Furthermore, the insulating protrusions are arranged in alternating upper and lower rows, with the number of insulating protrusions in the upper row being less than the number in the lower row.

[0011] Furthermore, the insulating base includes a wall extending forward from the front panel, which surrounds the front panel and encloses each insulating protrusion therein.

[0012] Furthermore, at least one observation hole is provided on each of the two opposite sides of the enclosure, and the observation hole extends forward from the front panel. Furthermore, a tongue protrudes from each of the two opposite sides of the enclosure, and the outer portions of the two tongues form side openings in the side frames of the enclosure with a height lower than the tongues. Multiple limiting protrusions are provided inside the enclosure, and the inner surfaces of the multiple limiting protrusions, after connecting with the enclosure, form a groove into which an external connector can be embedded. The positioning part is located outside the limiting protrusions, and the height of the limiting protrusions is lower than the height of the enclosure.

[0013] Furthermore, the inner side of the wall is provided with multiple protruding ribs, which are parallel to the insulating convex tubes. The external connector is provided with multiple limiting grooves, and each protruding rib is inserted into the limiting groove for limitation when the line end connector is connected to the external connector.

[0014] A high-current connector includes the aforementioned wire-end connector and an external connector. The external connector is a board-end connector. The board-end connector includes a board-end base that engages with the insulating base of the wire-end connector. The board-end base has a plurality of slots for inserting insulating protrusions. Each slot has a board-end terminal that is electrically connected to a conductive terminal module. The left and right sides of the front end face of the board-end base each have a positioning element. Each slot is located between two positioning elements. When the wire-end connector and the board-end connector are inserted, the positioning module is inserted into the positioning element to form a positioning.

[0015] By adopting the above structure, this invention modifies the structural design of the insulating base of the wire-end connector, allowing multiple conductive terminal modules to be embedded in the insulating protrusions. The layout of the insulating protrusions on the insulating base is adjusted to make reasonable use of the height space, allowing the positioning parts, originally located on the outer sides of both ends of the connector, to be placed in suitable spaces on the left and right sides of the insulating base. This results in a compact structure that does not affect the maintenance of the relative positions after insertion and installation. The wire-end connector of this invention, together with the combined high-current connector, achieves a compact overall connector structure, enabling more flexible and efficient connector placement on servers. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the high-current connector of the present invention in the plugged-in state; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the wire connector and the external connector of the present invention in a mating state (mounting plate omitted, positioning module not positioned). Figure 3 for Figure 2 A cross-sectional view (the positioning module and positioning component are not yet screwed together). Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the connector of the present invention in the disassembled state; Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the connector of the present invention in the disassembled state; Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the wire connector of the present invention.

[0017] Label Explanation: 1. Wire connector; 11. Insulating base; 12. Front panel; 13. Insulating protrusion; 14 Positioning part; 15 Inner mold; 16 Outer mold; 161 Connecting hole; 17. Enclosure; 171. Observation hole; 172. Side opening; 173. Tongue; 18 Limiting protrusions; 181 Inner wall; 19 Protruding ribs; 2 Positioning modules; 21 Threads; 22 Operating section; 3 Conductive terminal module; 31 Metal pillar; 32 Ring-shaped terminal piece; 4. Cables; 5. External connectors; 51. Board end base; 511. Slots; 512 Limiting groove; 52 Board end terminal; 53 Mounting hole; 6 Positioning component; 7. Mounting plate; 71. Fastener. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To further explain the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0019] Combination Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the present invention discloses a wire connector 1, comprising: an insulating base 11 having a front panel 12, the front end of which includes a plurality of insulating protrusions 13 extending forward from the front panel 12, each of the insulating protrusions 13 being hollow tubular, the internal channels of the insulating protrusions 13 penetrating the front and rear sides of the insulating base 11, and a positioning part 14 provided on the left and right sides of the insulating base 11, with each insulating protrusion 13 located between the two positioning parts 14; two positioning modules 2, disposed on the positioning parts 14, the positioning modules 2 protruding from the front panel 12, the positioning modules 2 maintaining the relative position of the front panel and the external connector when the wire connector 1 is connected to an external connector 5; and a plurality of conductive terminal modules 3, each embedded in one of the insulating protrusions 13. Multiple cables 4 are electrically connected to each conductive terminal module 3.

[0020] In this embodiment, as Figure 6 As shown, each conductive terminal module 3 may include a metal post 31 and an annular terminal piece 32. The front end of the metal post 31 is provided with a cup-shaped groove (not shown in the figure), and an annular terminal piece 32 is provided in the cup-shaped groove. The rear end of the metal post 31 is provided with a wiring surface (not shown in the figure, the wiring surface can facilitate the welding of the wires in the cable to the metal post). Each cable 4 is electrically connected to each conductive terminal module 31 through the wiring surface.

[0021] Specifically, the positioning part 14 can be a through hole penetrating the insulating base 11, and the positioning module 2 can be a metal rod with its front end protruding from the front panel 12. The protruding part can be inserted into the positioning structure corresponding to the external connector 5 when the line connector 1 is inserted into the external connector 5, so that the front panel 12 and the external connector 5 can be maintained in relative positions. At least one of the two positioning modules 2 can have a thread 21 at its front end, with the thread 21 protruding from the front panel 12, and the external connector 5 is provided with a positioning member 6 that can be screwed into the thread 21 at the front end of the metal rod.

[0022] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the wire connector 1 also includes an inner mold 15 and an outer mold 16. The inner mold 15 covers at least a portion of the insulating base 11 and the cable 4, and the outer mold 16 covers the inner mold 15. Both positioning parts 14 are through holes. The outer mold 16 has connecting holes 161 on both sides that penetrate the outer mold. The connecting holes 161 are located behind the through holes (i.e., positioning parts 14) and outside the inner mold 15. In this embodiment, both positioning modules 2 are screws. The screws pass through the connecting holes 161 of the outer mold 16 and the through holes of the insulating base 11 in sequence and then protrude from the front panel 11. In this embodiment, the positioning element 6 in the external connector 5 corresponds to a nut. Of course, the external connector 5 can also have an internal thread that can cooperate with the thread 21 at the front end of the positioning module 2. When the wire connector 1 is connected to the external connector 5, the front end of the screw (i.e., the positioning module 2) can be inserted into the nut (and the positioning element 6), and the rear end of the screw exposed on the outer mold 16 can be tightened into the nut by operation. The front end of the positioning module 2 can be threaded 21, and the rear end of the positioning module 2 is provided with an operating section 22 that extends out of the outer mold 16, so as to facilitate the rotation operation of the positioning module 2.

[0023] In the wire connector 1, the insulating protrusions 13 on the front panel 11 can be arranged in alternating vertical rows, with the number of insulating protrusions in the upper row being less than that in the lower row. This arrangement of vertical rows with different numbers of protrusions shortens the length compared to a horizontal arrangement and utilizes the height space. Furthermore, the front panel 12 has suitable space on both sides for positioning portions 14, making efficient use of space and resulting in a more compact structure. In this embodiment, the front panel 11 has seven insulating protrusions 13, arranged in a three-upper-row and four-downper-row configuration. In the external connector 5, there is only one grounding terminal, which can be located on the outermost side of the lower row.

[0024] Furthermore, the insulating base 11 includes a surrounding wall 17 extending forward from the front panel 12, the surrounding wall 17 enclosing each insulating protrusion 13 within the front panel 12. For example... Figure 2 or Figure 4 As shown, at least one observation hole 171 can be provided on each of the two opposite sides of the enclosure 17. In this embodiment, two observation holes 171 are provided on each side, and the observation holes 171 are located at the front panel 12 and extend forward. Since the observation holes 171 are located exactly at the front side of the front panel 12, it is possible to observe whether the wire connector 1 and the external connection 5 are effectively connected (to observe whether they are loose), thereby observing whether they are tightly connected. Figure 1 As shown, since the external connector 5 generally needs to be fixed to the mounting plate 7 by multiple fasteners 71 (such as screws), the fasteners 71 face the insulating base 11 of the wire connector 1. In this embodiment, as... Figure 5As shown, the fasteners 71 are distributed at the four corners of the front side of the external connector 5. To prevent the fasteners 71 from interfering with the insulating base 11 when the wire connector 1 is plugged into the external connector 5, a clearance can be formed in the enclosure 17 of the insulating base 11. Specifically, the enclosure 17 can be rectangular, and tongues 173 can be protruding from two opposite sides of the enclosure 17. The outer portions of the two tongues 173 form side openings 172 in the side frames of the enclosure that are lower in height than the tongues 18. The side openings 172 form notches with lower height in the side or side corners of the enclosure 17, thereby providing clearance space for the protruding fasteners 71.

[0025] Additionally, within the insulating base 11, the enclosure 17 may also be provided with multiple limiting protrusions 18. The inner surfaces of these protrusions 18, when connected to the enclosure 17, form a groove into which an external connector 5 (board-end base 51) can be embedded. The positioning part 14 is located outside the limiting protrusions 18, and the height of the limiting protrusions 18 is lower than the height of the enclosure 17. The limiting protrusions 18 can be solid boss structures or form partition walls. In this embodiment, the enclosure 17 has four limiting protrusions 18 distributed at the four corners, and the positioning part 14 is located between the upper and lower limiting protrusions 18. Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, each limiting protrusion 18 forms a cavity by being enclosed between an inner wall 181 and a surrounding wall 17, with the height of the inner wall 181 being lower than the height of the surrounding wall 17. The shape and distribution of the limiting protrusions 18 are configured to match the external connector. The inner wall 181 and the surrounding wall located on the side of the inner wall 181 enclose a groove in which the plate end base 51 of the external connector 5 can be embedded. In this embodiment, the length of the two upper limiting protrusions is greater than the length of the lower limiting protrusion, and the minimum distance between the positioning part 14 and the upper and lower limiting protrusions can be the same. Furthermore, multiple protruding ribs 19 can be provided on the inner side of the surrounding wall 17, with the protruding ribs 19 parallel to the insulating protruding tube 13. The external connector 5 is provided with multiple limiting grooves 512, and in this embodiment, the limiting grooves 512 are provided on the outer side wall of the plate end base. Each protruding rib 19 can be inserted into the limiting groove 512 for limiting when the line end connector 1 is connected to the external connector 5, thereby improving the guiding and limiting effect during insertion.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the present invention also discloses a high-current connector, which includes the aforementioned wire-end connector 1 and an external connector 5, wherein the external connector 5 may be a board-end connector. Figure 5As shown, the board-end connector includes a board-end base 51 that engages with the insulating base 11 of the wire-end connector 1. The board-end base 51 has a plurality of recessed slots 511 for inserting insulating protrusions 13. Board-end terminals 52, which can form an electrical connection with the conductive terminal module 3, are respectively located within the slots 511. A positioning element 6 is located on each of the left and right sides of the front end face of the board-end base 51, and each slot 511 is located between two positioning elements 6. The positioning module 2 is inserted into the positioning element 6 when the wire-end connector 1 is inserted into the board-end connector to form a positioning. A fixing element 71 is located on the outside of the board-end base. Mounting holes 53 for the fixing element 71 can be provided at the four corners of the external connector 5, and the mounting holes 53 are located on the outside of the board-end base 51. With the above solution, when using the connector of the present invention, the wire end connector 1 can be directly plugged into the external connector 5. During plugging, each insulating protrusion 13 on the insulating base 11 is inserted into the slot 511 of the external connector. The conductive terminal module in the wire end connector 1 and the board end terminal in the external connector achieve current conduction. At the same time, the positioning module 2 on the wire end connector 1 can cooperate with the positioning part 6 of the external connector, for example, by means of a threaded connection to achieve positioning, so that the front panel 12 of the insulating base 11 and the external connector 5 are maintained in relative positions, and the two complete the plugging and cooperation.

[0027] The above embodiments and figures are not intended to limit the product form and style of the present invention. Any appropriate changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art should be considered as not departing from the patent scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wire-end connector, characterized in that, include: An insulating base includes multiple insulating protrusions extending forward from the front panel at its front end. Each insulating protrusion is hollow and has an internal channel that runs through the front and rear sides of the insulating base. A positioning part is provided on each of the left and right sides of the insulating base, and each insulating protrusion is located between the two positioning parts. Two positioning modules are provided at the positioning parts and protrude from the front panel. The positioning modules maintain the relative position of the front panel and the external connector when the line connector is connected to the external connector. Multiple conductive terminal modules are embedded in each insulating protrusion. Multiple cables are electrically connected to each conductive terminal module.

2. A wire connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Each conductive terminal module includes a metal post and an annular terminal piece. The front end of the metal post is provided with a cup-shaped groove, and the annular terminal piece is provided in the cup-shaped groove. The rear end of the metal post is provided with a wiring surface, and each cable is electrically connected to each conductive terminal module through the wiring surface.

3. A wire connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning part is a through hole that penetrates the insulating base. The positioning module is a metal rod, and at least one of the two positioning modules has a thread at its front end. The thread protrudes from the front panel. The external connector has a positioning element that can be screwed into the thread at the front end of the metal rod.

4. A wire connector as described in claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes an inner mold and an outer mold. The inner mold covers at least a portion of the insulating base and the cable. The outer mold covers the outer part of the inner mold. Both positioning parts are through holes. The outer mold has connecting holes on both sides that pass through the outer mold. The connecting holes are located behind the through holes and outside the inner mold. The two positioning modules are screws. The screws pass through the connecting holes of the outer mold and the through holes of the insulating base in sequence and then protrude from the front panel. The positioning element is a nut. When the front end of the screw is connected to the external connector by the wire end connector, it is inserted into the nut and tightened into the nut by operating the rear end of the screw.

5. A wire connector as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The insulating convex tubes are arranged in upper and lower rows and staggered, with the number of insulating convex tubes in the upper row being less than the number in the lower row.

6. A wire connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating base includes a wall extending forward from the front panel, which surrounds the front panel and encloses the insulating protrusions therein.

7. A wire connector as described in claim 6, characterized in that: At least one observation hole is provided on each of the two opposite sides of the wall, and the observation hole is located at the front panel and extends forward.

8. A wire connector as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The two opposite sides of the wall are provided with tongues, and the outer parts of the two tongues form side openings in the two side frames of the wall with a height lower than that of the tongues. The wall is provided with multiple limiting protrusions. The inner sides of the multiple limiting protrusions are connected to the wall to form a groove in which an external connector can be embedded. The positioning part is located on the outside of the limiting protrusions, and the height of the limiting protrusions is lower than the height of the wall.

9. A wire connector as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The inner side of the wall is provided with multiple protruding ribs, which are parallel to the insulating convex tubes. The external connector is provided with multiple limiting grooves. When the line end connector is connected to the external connector, each protruding rib is inserted into the limiting groove for limitation.

10. A high-current connector, characterized in that, Includes wire-end connectors and external connectors as described in claims 1-9. The external connector is a board-end connector. The board-end connector includes a board-end base that engages with the insulating base of the wire-end connector. The board-end base has a plurality of slots for inserting insulating protrusions. Each slot has a board-end terminal that forms an electrical connection with a conductive terminal module. The left and right sides of the front end face of the board-end base each have a positioning element. Each slot is located between two positioning elements. When the wire-end connector and the board-end connector are inserted, the positioning module is inserted into the positioning element to form a positioning.

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