Electric connector

Abstract

The utility model provides an electric connector, and especially relates to a reliable MDR connector. The electric connector comprises an outer shell and a terminal assembly accommodated on the inner side of the outer shell. The electric connector further comprises latch structures which are respectively arranged on the inner surface of the outer shell and the terminal assembly and are matched with each other, and the terminal assembly is detachably fixed in the outer shell through the latch structures.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an electrical connector and a manufacturing method thereof, in particular, to a detachable electrical connector and a manufacturing method thereof, and more particularly, to a reliable MDR connector and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] This section provides background information related to the present application but this information does not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] With the rapid development of science and technology, people have higher and higher requirements on the frequency of use and functions of various electronic products such as mobile phones, computers, routers, etc. These electronic products are usually provided with electrical connectors, through which the electronic products can be connected with other electronic devices to charge the electronic products or exchange data with other electronic devices.

[0004] The electrical connector in the related art is provided with an outer shell, a terminal assembly accommodated in the outer shell, and a cover plate that cooperates with the outer shell to fix the terminal assembly. Usually, the terminal assembly includes a plurality of terminals arranged in an array and a receiving portion that is formed by injection molding and is integrated with the plurality of terminals. When assembling the electrical connector, the outer shell is first sleeved on the outside of the integrated terminal assembly, and then the cover plate is installed to the distal ends of each terminal of the terminal assembly. In the case where the plurality of terminals of the terminal assembly are arranged in an array, the process of assembling each terminal with the cover plate separately usually causes the terminal to shift in position under the action of force, thereby causing the assembled electrical connector to have problems such as poor contact. In addition, the electrical connector assembled in this way cannot be disassembled, so when a component, such as a terminal, fails, the entire electrical connector needs to be replaced, which greatly increases the cost.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an electrical connector that is simple in structure, easy to install, and detachable, so as to improve the working performance of the electrical connector and reduce the manufacturing cost and use cost of the electrical connector. Utility Model Content

[0006] This section provides a general summary of the application, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0007] The present application provides a detachable electrical connector, which is electrically connected to a matching electronic device along a mating direction on the proximal side. A non-limiting example of the electrical connector may be, for example, a reliable MDR connector. The electrical connector may be defined with a longitudinal direction parallel to the mating direction, a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a thickness direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the width direction. The electrical connector may include an outer shell and a terminal assembly accommodated inside the outer shell. The electrical connector may also include latch structures that are respectively arranged on the inner surface of the outer shell and on the terminal assembly and that cooperate with each other, and the terminal assembly may be fixed in the outer shell in a detachable manner by the latch structure.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the terminal assembly may include: a plurality of conductive elements, each of which may be configured to have a proximal portion extending in a longitudinal direction and a distal portion extending in a thickness direction substantially perpendicular to the proximal portion; an accommodating portion, which may accommodate and retain at least a portion of the proximal portions of the plurality of conductive elements; and a terminal organizer, which may be configured to retain the distal portions of the plurality of conductive elements into an array.

[0009] The outer shell can be configured to have a first sub-shell portion and a second sub-shell portion. The first sub-shell portion can be formed to have a cylindrical shape and be sleeved on the outer side of the accommodating portion of the terminal assembly. The second sub-shell portion can be configured to include a second shell side wall portion extending away from the first sub-shell portion in the longitudinal direction from two opposite first shell side wall portions of the first sub-shell portion in the width direction. The terminal assembly can be locked in place in the outer shell in a detachable manner by a latch structure that cooperates with each other and is arranged on the inner side surface of the second shell side wall portion and correspondingly arranged on the opposite two ends of the terminal organizer in the width direction.

[0010] According to the electrical connector provided by the exemplary embodiment of the present application, by first assembling the conductive element, the accommodating portion and the terminal organizing member into a single terminal assembly, the terminal assembly can be connected to the outer shell in a detachable manner through latch structures respectively arranged on the terminal organizing member and the outer shell. Thus, it is avoided that the conductive element will not be displaced by organizing and fixing the conductive element when assembling the terminal organizing member, thereby ensuring the reliability of the electrical connector and improving the assembly efficiency. In addition, the terminal assembly can be disassembled by unlocking the latch structure, and when the terminal assembly fails, only the terminal assembly can be replaced. Furthermore, when, for example, one of the conductive elements in the conductive element is damaged, one of the conductive elements in the terminal assembly can also be replaced. This latch connection structure is simple, and the connection is reliable and easy to disassemble and assemble, which improves the assembly efficiency of the electrical connector and greatly reduces the assembly cost.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the terminal organizer may be configured as a plate-shaped member having a plurality of through holes arranged in an array. The distal end portions of the plurality of conductive elements may extend through the plurality of through holes to be held in an array by the terminal organizer.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the latch structure may include: elastically deformable latch members respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the main body of the terminal organizer in the width direction, and latch engagement portions respectively arranged on the inner surfaces of two second shell side wall portions of the second sub-shell portion that are opposite to each other in the width direction.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the elastically deformable latch may include a cantilever arm extending in the longitudinal direction at two opposite ends of the body of the terminal organizer in the width direction. Each cantilever arm may be connected to the body of the terminal organizer by a base. The free end of each cantilever arm opposite to the base may extend in a manner separate from the body of the terminal organizer. Each cantilever arm may be provided with a protrusion that protrudes from the free end of the corresponding cantilever arm in the width direction away from the body of the terminal organizer.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the latch engaging portion may be arranged on the proximal inner surface of the second housing side wall portion. The second housing side wall portion may also be provided with a guide portion and a stop portion. The guide portion may be configured as a guide groove extending from the distal side edge of the second housing side wall portion toward the latch engaging portion. The stop portion may be arranged between the latch engaging portion and the guide groove. The stop portion may protrude from the second housing side wall portion toward the inner side of the outer housing. The stop portion may define the latch engaging portion together with the inner surface of the second housing side wall portion.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the cantilever arm portion can be configured such that: the free end of the cantilever arm portion can be slidably moved in the guide groove in the longitudinal direction, and the protrusion is locked into the latch engagement portion by passing the stop portion under the biasing action of the stop portion on the protrusion, thereby fixing the terminal assembly in a locked position relative to the outer shell. In the locked position, the stop portion abuts against the protrusion of the elastically deformable latch to prevent the relative movement of the terminal assembly in the longitudinal direction toward the distal end side of the outer shell.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the terminal organizer may further include a guide protrusion, which may be disposed on two opposite side walls of the terminal organizer in the width direction and close to the distal side edge of the terminal organizer. The guide protrusion may be configured to be able to slidably move relative to the outer shell in the guide groove, and when the terminal assembly is in the locked position, the guide protrusion may be accommodated and supported in the guide groove.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the plurality of conductive elements may include an upper conductive element subassembly and a lower conductive element subassembly located below the upper conductive element subassembly in the thickness direction. The upper conductive element subassembly may include a first group of upper conductive elements and a second group of upper conductive elements having a smaller size in the longitudinal direction than the first group of upper conductive elements. The first group of upper conductive elements and the second group of upper conductive elements are alternately arranged so that: the distal portions of the first group of upper conductive elements and the second group of upper conductive elements are parallel to each other and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and the proximal portions of the first group of upper conductive elements and the second group of upper conductive elements are side by side in the width direction.

[0018] The lower conductive element subassembly may include a first group of lower conductive elements and a second group of lower conductive elements having a smaller size in the longitudinal direction than the first group of lower conductive elements. The first group of lower conductive elements and the second group of lower conductive elements are alternately arranged such that: distal portions of the first group of lower conductive elements and the second group of lower conductive elements are parallel to each other and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and proximal portions of the first group of lower conductive elements and the second group of lower conductive elements are side by side in the width direction.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the plurality of conductive elements may be arranged such that: the size of the first group of lower conductive elements in the longitudinal direction is greater than the size of the second group of lower conductive elements in the longitudinal direction, the size of the second group of lower conductive elements in the longitudinal direction is greater than the size of the first group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction, and the size of the first group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction is greater than the size of the second group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction. Each conductive element in the first group of lower conductive elements may be aligned with a corresponding one of the first group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction, and each conductive element in the second group of lower conductive elements may be aligned with a corresponding one of the second group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the proximal portion of each conductive element in the upper conductive element subassembly may include: an upper mating portion disposed close to the proximal end and recessed toward the lower conductive element subassembly in the thickness direction; and one or more upper clipping portions disposed adjacent to the upper mating portion. Each upper clipping portion may be configured to have a larger dimension in the width direction than the remaining portion of the proximal portion and to have a shape tapered toward the proximal side.

[0021] The proximal portion of each conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly may include: a lower mating portion disposed close to the proximal end and protruding toward the upper conductive element subassembly in the thickness direction; and one or more lower clipping portions disposed adjacent to the lower mating portion. Each lower clipping portion may be configured to have a larger size in the width direction than the remaining portion of the proximal portion and to have a shape tapered toward the proximal side, and the lower mating portion is aligned with the upper mating portion in the thickness direction.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the accommodating portion may be formed to have: opposite terminal accommodating walls extending in the longitudinal direction and a terminal guide wall at the distal end side of the accommodating portion. The terminal guide wall may be provided with a plurality of accommodating holes extending through in the longitudinal direction, and the proximal end portions of the plurality of conductive elements extend through the accommodating holes and are accommodated inside the terminal accommodating wall.

[0023] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the plurality of accommodating holes may include a first row of holes and a second row of holes respectively arranged in the width direction and parallel to each other in the thickness direction. The first row of holes and the second row of holes may be arranged to be mirror-symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction and passing through the longitudinal center axis of the accommodating portion. Each of the first row of holes may have a narrowing portion and a widening portion located below the narrowing portion in the thickness direction. The widening portion may be arranged so that: when the clamping portion is accommodated in the widening portion, the side walls of the widening portion that are opposite to each other in the width direction abut against the clamping portion.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, when multiple conductive elements are fitted into the accommodating portion, the upper mating portion and the lower mating portion can be respectively passed through the narrowed portion of the first row of holes and the narrowed portion of the second row of holes and accommodated in the terminal accommodating wall, and the snap-fitting portions are respectively engaged in the corresponding widened portions.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a distal end of the distal portion of each conductive element, which is away from the proximal portion, may extend beyond the terminal organizing member in the thickness direction.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, a guide slope may be provided at a distal end portion of the guide groove, the guide slope causing the distal end portion of the guide groove to be formed to have an outwardly expanded configuration.

[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the second sub-housing portion may further include a bottom wall, and a distal edge of the bottom wall may be provided with an additional guide slope.

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the second sub-housing portion may further include a top wall, and a thinned portion is provided at a distal side edge of the top wall. When the terminal assembly is locked in the outer housing, the distal side surface of the thinned portion abuts against the side wall of the proximal side of the terminal organizer, and the outer surface of the thinned portion facing away from the proximal portion of the conductive element in the thickness direction is closer to the proximal portion of the conductive element than the outer surface of the terminal organizer facing away from the proximal portion of the conductive element in the thickness direction.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present application, a method for manufacturing an electrical connector is provided, which electrical connector is particularly a reliable MDR connector, and the method may include: providing an outer shell, setting a latching structure on the inner surface of the outer shell; providing a terminal assembly, setting a corresponding latching structure on the terminal assembly; and fixing the terminal assembly in the outer shell in a detachable manner through the latching structure of the outer shell and the latching structure of the terminal assembly.

[0030] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the method may further include: configuring the terminal assembly to include a plurality of conductive elements, a receiving portion, and a terminal organizer. Each conductive element is configured to have a proximal portion extending in the longitudinal direction and a distal portion extending in the thickness direction substantially perpendicular to the proximal portion. The receiving portion is used to accommodate and retain at least a portion of the proximal portions of the plurality of conductive elements, and the terminal organizer is used to retain the distal portions of the plurality of conductive elements in an array.

[0031] The electrical connector formed in this way assembles the conductive element, the accommodating portion and the terminal organizer into a separate module, namely a terminal assembly. Compared with the conventional technology in which the terminal organizer is assembled last, the terminal organizer of the electrical connector of the present application is detachably connected to the outer shell through a latch structure when the conductive element is already installed, thereby avoiding the displacement of the conductive element when assembling the terminal organizer and causing the terminal organizer to be offset from the outer shell, thereby significantly reducing the defective rate of product assembly and improving production efficiency.

[0032] The method may further include providing an outer shell, wherein the outer shell is formed to have a first sub-shell portion and a second sub-shell portion. The first sub-shell portion is sleeved on the outer side of the receiving portion of the terminal assembly, and the second sub-shell portion is configured to include a second shell side wall portion extending away from the first sub-shell portion in the longitudinal direction from two opposite first shell side wall portions of the first sub-shell portion in the width direction.

[0033] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the outer housing may be molded by injection molding.

[0034] The method may also include respectively providing latch structures that cooperate with each other on the inner surface of the second shell side wall portion and on the opposite ends of the terminal organizer in the width direction, and locking the terminal assembly into the outer shell in a detachable manner through the latch structures.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may further include: forming the terminal organizing member into a plate-like member, and providing a plurality of through holes arranged in an array on the plate-like member, so that the distal portions of a plurality of conductive elements extend through the plurality of through holes and are held in an array.

[0036] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing the terminal assembly may further include: providing elastically deformable latches at two opposite ends of the body portion of the terminal organizer in the width direction, respectively; and

[0037] Latch engaging portions are correspondingly provided on inner side surfaces of two second housing side wall portions of the second sub housing portion that are opposed to each other in the width direction.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing the terminal assembly may further include: providing a cantilever arm portion extending in the longitudinal direction at two opposite ends of the body portion of the terminal organizer in the width direction, the cantilever arm portion may be connected to the body portion of the terminal organizer through the base, and

[0039] A protrusion is provided at a free end of each cantilevered arm portion opposite the base portion such that the protrusion protrudes from the free end of the corresponding cantilevered arm portion in the width direction away from the body portion of the terminal organizer.

[0040] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing the outer shell may further include:

[0041] The second shell side wall portion is constructed to have a guide portion and a stop portion. The guide portion can be constructed as a guide groove extending from the distal side edge of the second shell side wall portion toward the latch engagement portion. The stop portion can be arranged between the latch engagement portion and the guide groove and protrude from the second shell side wall portion toward the inner side of the outer shell.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may further include:

[0043] Guide protrusions are respectively provided on two opposite side walls of the terminal organizer in the width direction and near the distal side edges of the terminal organizer, and are configured to be slidably movable relative to the outer housing in the guide grooves.

[0044] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may further include:

[0045] The plurality of conductive elements are structured to include an upper conductive element subassembly and a lower conductive element subassembly located below the upper conductive element subassembly in a thickness direction, wherein the upper conductive element subassembly includes a first group of upper conductive elements and a second group of upper conductive elements having a smaller size in a longitudinal direction than the first group of upper conductive elements, and the lower conductive element subassembly includes a first group of lower conductive elements and a second group of lower conductive elements having a smaller size in a longitudinal direction than the first group of lower conductive elements;

[0046] Alternately arranging the first group of upper conductive elements and the second group of upper conductive elements such that: distal end portions of the first group of upper conductive elements and the second group of upper conductive elements are parallel to each other and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and proximal end portions of the first group of upper conductive elements and the second group of upper conductive elements are side by side in the width direction; and

[0047] The first group of lower conductive elements and the second group of lower conductive elements are alternately arranged such that distal portions of the first group of lower conductive elements and the second group of lower conductive elements are parallel to each other and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and proximal portions of the first group of lower conductive elements and the second group of lower conductive elements are side by side in the width direction.

[0048] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may further include:

[0049] The dimension of the first group of lower conductive elements in the longitudinal direction is set to be larger than the dimension of the second group of lower conductive elements in the longitudinal direction, the dimension of the second group of lower conductive elements in the longitudinal direction is set to be larger than the dimension of the first group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction, and the dimension of the first group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction is set to be larger than the dimension of the second group of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction, and

[0050] Each conductive element in the first set of lower conductive elements is aligned with a corresponding one of the first set of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction, and each conductive element in the second set of lower conductive elements is aligned with a corresponding one of the second set of upper conductive elements in the longitudinal direction.

[0051] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may further include:

[0052] The proximal portion of each conductive element in the upper conductive element subassembly is formed to include: an upper mating portion that is close to the proximal end and recessed toward the lower conductive element subassembly in the thickness direction; and one or more upper clipping portions that are disposed adjacent to the upper mating portion, and each upper clipping portion is configured to have a larger size in the width direction than the remaining portion of the proximal portion and to have a shape that tapers toward the proximal side, and

[0053] The proximal portion of each conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly is formed to include: a lower mating portion close to the proximal end and protruding toward the upper conductive element subassembly in the thickness direction; and one or more lower clipping portions arranged adjacent to the lower mating portion, and each lower clipping portion is constructed to have a larger size in the width direction than the remaining size of the proximal portion and has a shape that tapers toward the proximal side, and the lower mating portion is aligned with the upper mating portion in the thickness direction.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may further include:

[0055] The accommodating portion is formed to have relative terminal accommodating walls extending in the longitudinal direction and a terminal guide wall on the distal side of the accommodating portion, and a plurality of accommodating holes penetrating in the longitudinal direction are arranged on the terminal guide wall so that the proximal portions of a plurality of conductive elements extend through the accommodating holes and are accommodated on the inner side of the terminal accommodating wall.

[0056] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may further include:

[0057] forming the plurality of receiving holes to include a first row of holes and a second row of holes arranged in the width direction and parallel to each other in the thickness direction, the first row of holes and the second row of holes being arranged to be mirror-symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction and passing through a longitudinal center axis of the receiving portion; and

[0058] Each of the first row of holes is arranged to have a narrowed portion and a widened portion located below the narrowed portion in the thickness direction.

[0059] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing a terminal assembly may also include: fitting a plurality of conductive elements into the accommodating portion by respectively passing an upper mating portion and a lower mating portion through a narrowed portion of a first row of holes and a narrowed portion of a second row of holes and being accommodated in a terminal accommodating wall, so that the snap-fitting portions are respectively engaged in corresponding widened portions.

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, providing the terminal assembly may further include: arranging a distal end of the distal portion of each conductive element, which is away from the proximal portion, to extend beyond the terminal organizer in the thickness direction.

[0061] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the method may further include: providing a guide slope at a distal end of the guide groove, the guide slope causing the distal end of the guide groove to be formed to have an outwardly expanded configuration.

[0062] In an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the method may further include: configuring a thinned portion at a distal side edge of a top wall of the second sub-housing portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] The present application will be better understood and further objects, details, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent from the following description of several specific embodiments of the present application provided by way of non-limiting means with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0064] Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] Figure 2 is a top view schematically showing an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 A cross-sectional enlarged view of part A;

[0067] Figure 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a terminal assembly of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0068] Figure 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an outer shell of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] Figure 6 is a top view schematically showing a terminal organizing member in a terminal assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of the terminal assembly shown in with the terminal organizer removed;

[0071] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the arrangement of conductive elements of a terminal assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] Fig. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a receiving portion according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] Fig.10 yes Fig. 9 A side view of the receiving portion viewed along the assembly direction;

[0074] Fig.11 is a perspective view schematically showing one terminal in a terminal assembly according to an embodiment of the present application; and

[0075] Fig.12 is a perspective view schematically showing another terminal in the terminal assembly according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0076] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings, each identical or nearly identical component shown in each figure may be represented by a similar number. For clarity, not every component will be labeled in every figure. In this regard, the exemplary embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the description set forth herein.

[0077] It should also be pointed out that, for the sake of clarity, not all features of an actual specific implementation are described and shown in the specification and drawings. In addition, in order to avoid unnecessary details that obscure the technical solutions that the present application focuses on, only the layout structures that are closely related to the technical content of the present application are described and shown in the specification and drawings, while other details that are not closely related to the technical content of the present application and are known to those skilled in the art are omitted.

[0078] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, each embodiment of the present application will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in each embodiment of the present application, many technical details are proposed in order to enable the reader to better understand the present application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical scheme claimed in the present application can also be implemented. The division of the following embodiments is for the convenience of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of the present application. The various embodiments can be combined with each other and referenced to each other without contradiction.

[0079] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present application described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein.

[0080] In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or apparatuses. It should also be understood that, as used herein, the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plural form unless otherwise specified.

[0081] The directions or positional relationships indicated by directional words such as "inside", "outside", "above", "below" and the like are usually based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise specified, these directional words do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific direction or be constructed and operated in a specific direction, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application.

[0082] Next, an exemplary embodiment of an electrical connector according to one aspect of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. A non-limiting example of an electrical connector according to the present application may be a reliable MDR connector. For clarity and simplicity of description, the longitudinal direction X, width direction Y, and thickness direction Z of the electrical connector 1 are marked in the figure. The longitudinal direction X, width direction Y, and thickness direction Z are perpendicular to each other. The longitudinal direction X can also be used to refer to the connection direction of the electrical connector 1 and the corresponding electronic device, that is, the mating direction of the electrical connector 1 and the corresponding electronic device.

[0083] The electrical connector 1 according to the exemplary embodiment may include an outer shell 20 and a terminal assembly 30 accommodated inside the outer shell 20. The terminal assembly 30 may include: a plurality of conductive elements, each conductive element 300 is configured to have a proximal portion 300A extending along the longitudinal direction X and a distal portion 300B extending along the thickness direction Z substantially perpendicular to the proximal portion 300A; an accommodating portion 320, the accommodating portion 320 accommodates and retains at least a portion of the proximal portions 300A of the plurality of conductive elements; and a terminal organizing member 330, the terminal organizing member 330 is configured to retain the distal portions 300B of the plurality of conductive elements in an array. The outer shell 20 may be configured to have a first sub-shell portion 210 and a second sub-shell portion 220. The first sub-shell portion 210 may be formed to have a cylindrical shape and be sleeved on the outer side of the accommodating portion 320 of the terminal assembly 30. The second sub-housing portion 220 may be configured to include a second housing side wall portion 230 extending from two opposite first housing side walls of the first sub-housing portion 210 in the width direction Y along the longitudinal direction X away from the first sub-housing portion 210. Latch structures that cooperate with each other are correspondingly provided on the inner side surface of the second housing side wall portion 230 and on two opposite ends of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y. The terminal assembly 30 may be removably locked in place within the outer housing 20 by the latch structures.

[0084] By assembling the conductive element with the receiving portion 320 and the terminal organizing member 330 to form a single component, and using the latch structures respectively provided on the terminal organizing member 330 and the corresponding housing to assemble the single component in place in the outer housing 20, the assembly can be easily achieved, thereby significantly improving the assembly efficiency. On the other hand, since this assembly only involves the relative movement between the latch structures, the assembly accuracy and reliability of the electrical connector 1 provided in this way are improved, thereby significantly reducing the defective rate of the product.

[0085] Those skilled in the art can understand that, as required, for the terminal assembly of the electrical connector of the present application, the conductive element and the accommodating portion 320 can also be an integral part formed by injection molding.

[0086] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal organizer 330 may be configured as a plate-like member having a plurality of through holes 3310 arranged in an array. The plurality of through holes 3310 may be used to allow the distal end portions 300B of the plurality of conductive elements to extend through and to hold the plurality of conductive elements. Figure 1 As shown in , the plurality of conductive elements are maintained in an array.

[0087] In some exemplary embodiments, a distal end 300z of the distal portion 300B of each conductive element 300, which is away from the proximal portion 300A, extends beyond the terminal organizer 330 in the thickness direction Z. Optionally, the distal portions 300B of the plurality of conductive elements may be electrically connected to the corresponding printed circuit board by soldering.

[0088] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 The latch structure may include an elastically deformable latch member, which is respectively disposed at two opposite ends of the body portion of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y. The elastically deformable latch member may include a cantilever arm portion 333. Figure 6 As best shown in FIG. 1 , the cantilevered arm portions 333 extend in the longitudinal direction X from opposite ends of the body portion of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y. As best shown in FIG.

[0089] Continue to refer to Figure 6, the terminal organizer 330 may include a body 331, a base 332 and a cantilever arm 333. The cantilever arm 333 may be connected to the body 331 through the base 332. The free end of each cantilever arm 333 opposite to the base extends approximately along the longitudinal direction X in a manner separated from the body 331 of the terminal organizer 330. A protrusion 3330 may be provided at the free end of each cantilever arm 333. The protrusion 3330 protrudes from the free end of the corresponding cantilever arm 333 away from the body 331 of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y. When the cantilever arm 333 is subjected to a compressive force applied along the width direction Y, it will move toward the body 331, and when there is no external force, it will return to the position in the static state.

[0090] It should be noted that the shape, size, arrangement, etc. of the terminal organizer 330 are not shown in the figure and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0091] The latch structure may further include a latch engaging portion 260 provided on the inner side surfaces of two second housing side wall portions 230 of the second sub-housing portion 220 that are opposite to each other in the width direction Y. Figure 5 , the second housing side wall portion 230 may also be provided with a guide portion and a stopper 250. In some exemplary embodiments, the guide portion may be configured as a guide groove 240 extending from the distal side edge of the second housing side wall portion 230 toward the latch engagement portion 260. The stopper 250 is provided between the latch engagement portion 260 and the guide groove 240. The stopper 250 may protrude from the second housing side wall portion 230 toward the inner side of the outer housing 20. The stopper 250 and the inner surface of the second housing side wall portion 230 together define the latch engagement portion 260.

[0092] When the terminal assembly 30 is fitted to the outer shell 20, the free end of the cantilever arm portion 333 can be slidably moved in the guide groove 240 along the longitudinal direction X. When the protrusion 3330 moves to the stop portion 250, the protrusion 3330 can be biased toward the corresponding body portion 331 under the action of the biasing force applied by the stop portion 250, so that the protrusion 3330 can pass over the stop portion 250 and be locked into the latch engagement portion 260, thereby fixing the terminal assembly 30 in a locked position relative to the outer shell 20. In the locked position, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the stopper 250 abuts against the protrusion 3330 of the cantilever arm 333 to prevent the relative movement of the terminal assembly 30 along the longitudinal direction X toward the distal end side of the outer housing 20 .

[0093] According to the electrical connector 1 of the exemplary embodiment of the present application, during the process of assembling the terminal assembly 30 to the outer shell 20, the terminal assembly 30 is guided to a proper position by the guide groove 240 and locked in the latch engagement portion 260 by the stopper 250, so that the terminal assembly 30 can move according to a fixed assembly path. This assembly method ensures the accuracy and reliability of the installation and prevents the displacement of the various components in the terminal assembly 30 relative to the outer shell 20 during the assembly process.

[0094] In some exemplary embodiments, preferably, when the terminal assembly 30 is locked in the outer shell 20, the elastically deformable latch is aligned with the guide groove 240 and the stopper 250 in the thickness direction Z, thereby preventing the terminal assembly 30 from moving relative to the outer shell 20 in the thickness direction Z. In addition, the stopper 250 abuts against the protrusion 3330 of the cantilever arm 333, thereby preventing the relative movement of the terminal assembly 30 from escaping from the outer shell 20 along the longitudinal direction X. Thus, according to the electrical connector 1 of the embodiment of the present application, the terminal assembly 30 can be firmly and reliably locked in the outer shell 20.

[0095] Continue to refer to Figure 6 The terminal organizer 330 may further include a guide protrusion 334, which may be provided on two opposite side walls of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y and near the distal side edge of the terminal organizer 330. The guide protrusion 334 may be configured to slidably move relative to the outer housing 20 in the guide groove 240. When the terminal assembly 30 is in the locked position, the guide protrusion 334 is received and supported in the guide groove 240.

[0096] In some exemplary embodiments, a guide slope 241 may be provided at the distal end of the guide groove 240, and the guide slope 241 has an outward expansion configuration. When the terminal assembly 30 is fitted to the mating portion, the cantilever arm 333 of the terminal organizer 330 first contacts the guide slope 241, and the outward expansion configuration makes it easier for the cantilever arm 333 to enter the guide groove 240.

[0097] In some exemplary embodiments, the guide protrusion 334 may taper toward the receiving portion 320 along the longitudinal direction X. It should be noted that the shape, number, position and arrangement of the guide protrusions shown in the present application are merely exemplary and may be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0098] Preferably, in the assembled state of the electrical connector 1, that is, when the terminal assembly 30 is in the locked position, the proximal side wall of the body portion 331 abuts against the second sub-housing portion 220, and the proximal end portion of the cantilever arm portion 333, that is, the protrusion 3330, is spaced apart from the second sub-housing portion 220 by a predetermined distance. When the terminal assembly 30 needs to be removed from the outer housing 20 for example, for inspection, the protrusion 3330 of the cantilever arm portion 333 can be clamped by a tool, such as a pliers, and a force is applied to the corresponding side wall away from the outer housing 20. At this time, the cantilever arm portion 333 moves toward the body portion 331, and because the protrusion 3330 is spaced apart from the second sub-housing portion 220, the arc movement of the protrusion will not be affected by the second sub-housing portion 220, thereby allowing for convenient disassembly.

[0099] In some exemplary embodiments, the second sub-housing portion 220 may further include a bottom wall 221 , and a distal edge of the bottom wall 221 may be provided with a guide slope for guiding when assembling the terminal assembly 30 .

[0100] Optionally, the second sub-housing portion 220 may further include a top wall 222, and a thinned portion 222a may be provided at a distal edge of the top wall 222. When the terminal assembly 30 is locked in the outer housing 20, the distal side surface of the thinned portion 222a abuts against the side wall of the proximal side of the terminal organizing member 330, such as Figure 2 The outer surface of the thinned portion 222a that faces away from the proximal portion 300A of the conductive element in the thickness direction Z is closer to the proximal portion 300A of the conductive element than the outer surface of the terminal organizing member 330 that faces away from the proximal portion 300A of the conductive element in the thickness direction Z. Figure 5 As shown in , the thickness of the thinned portion 222a in the thickness direction Z is smaller than that of other portions of the top wall 222. In the locked position of the terminal assembly 30, the contact area between the terminal organizer 330 and the top wall of the outer shell 20 is significantly reduced compared to the case where the thinned portion is not provided. When the terminal assembly 30 needs to be removed, due to the provision of the thinned portion, the space available for tools becomes larger, so it can be removed more easily.

[0101] In some exemplary embodiments, optionally, one side of the proximal end of the protrusion 3330 facing the side wall of the corresponding second sub-housing portion 220 can be formed as a smooth fillet. In the process of configuring the terminal assembly 30 to the outer housing 20, the smooth fillet first contacts the stopper 250 and passes over the stopper 250 so that the protrusion 3330 is accommodated in the corresponding latch engagement portion 260. Due to the design of the fillet, the resistance that needs to be overcome during the assembly process is reduced, so that when manual assembly is required, for example, when replacing damaged terminals or other components in the terminal assembly 30, assembly can be performed more easily, greatly improving maintenance efficiency.

[0102] It is understood that the expression "proximal end" used in the description of the present application refers to the end of the electrical connector 1 facing the electronic device when the electrical connector 1 is plugged into the corresponding electronic device, and the expression "distal end" refers to the end of the electrical connector 1 facing away from the electronic device when the electrical connector 1 is connected to the corresponding electronic device. In other words, the "proximal end" and the "distal end" respectively indicate the two opposite ends of the electrical connector 1 in the mating direction. In addition, the expression "inner side" used in the description of the present application refers to the inner side of the electrical connector 1.

[0103] Next, refer to Figures 7 to 10 The specific arrangement of the conductive elements in the terminal assembly 30 will be described in detail.

[0104] The plurality of conductive elements may include an upper conductive element subassembly S1 and a lower conductive element subassembly S2, wherein the lower conductive element subassembly S2 is located below the upper conductive element subassembly S1 in the thickness direction Z. Figure 8 As shown, the upper conductive element subassembly S1 may include a first group of upper conductive elements S11 and a second group of upper conductive elements S12 having a smaller size than the first group of upper conductive elements S11 in the longitudinal direction X. The first group of upper conductive elements S11 and the second group of upper conductive elements S12 may be alternately arranged such that: distal end portions 300B of the first group of upper conductive elements S11 and the second group of upper conductive elements S12 are parallel to each other and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction X, and proximal end portions 300A of the first group of upper conductive elements S11 and the second group of upper conductive elements S12 are side by side in the width direction Y.

[0105] Similar to the upper conductive element subassembly S1, the lower conductive element subassembly S2 may also include a first group of lower conductive elements S21 and a second group of lower conductive elements S22 having a smaller size than the first group of lower conductive elements S21 in the longitudinal direction X. The first group of lower conductive elements S21 and the second group of lower conductive elements S22 may be alternately arranged such that: distal end portions 300B of the first group of lower conductive elements S21 and the second group of lower conductive elements S22 are parallel to each other and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction X, and proximal end portions 300A of the first group of lower conductive elements S21 and the second group of lower conductive elements S22 are side by side in the width direction Y.

[0106] Continue to refer to Figure 8 , the sizes of the first group of lower conductive elements S21, the second group of lower conductive elements S22, the first group of upper conductive elements S11, and the second group of upper conductive elements S12 in the longitudinal direction X are successively reduced. According to an exemplary embodiment, preferably, each conductive element in the first group of lower conductive elements S21 is aligned with a corresponding conductive element in the first group of upper conductive elements S11 in the longitudinal direction X, and each conductive element in the second group of lower conductive elements S22 is aligned with a corresponding conductive element in the second group of upper conductive elements S12 in the longitudinal direction X, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As schematically shown in FIG.

[0107] Reference Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The accommodating portion 320 may have opposite terminal accommodating walls 321 extending along the longitudinal direction X and a terminal guide wall 322 at the distal end of the accommodating portion 320. The terminal guide wall 322 may be provided with a plurality of accommodating holes 323 extending through in the longitudinal direction X, and the proximal end portions 300A of the plurality of conductive elements extend through the accommodating holes 323 and are accommodated inside the terminal accommodating wall. In this way, replacement of a single conductive element may be achieved.

[0108] Reference Fig.11 , which exemplarily shows a conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly S2. The proximal portion 300A of each conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly S2 may include a lower mating portion 300v and one or more lower clipping portions 300u. The lower mating portion 300v is arranged close to the proximal end portion 300x, and protrudes toward the upper conductive element subassembly S1 in the thickness direction Z to form a step portion. The lower clipping portion 300u may be arranged adjacent to the lower mating portion 300v, and each lower clipping portion 300u is configured to have a larger size than the size of the rest of the proximal portion 300A in the width direction Y and has a shape that tapers toward the lower mating portion 300v (i.e., the proximal side of the conductive element).

[0109] Similarly, the proximal portion 300A of each conductive element in the upper conductive element subassembly S1 may include an upper mating portion 300n and one or more upper clamping portions 300m. The upper mating portion 300n is arranged close to the proximal end 300x and is recessed toward the lower conductive element subassembly S2 in the thickness direction Z to form a step portion. The upper clamping portion 300m is arranged adjacent to the upper mating portion 300n. Each upper clamping portion 300m is configured to have a larger size than the size of the rest of the proximal portion 300A in the width direction Y and has a shape that tapers toward the upper mating portion 300n (i.e., the proximal side of the conductive element).

[0110] When the conductive element 300 is fitted inside the accommodating portion 320, the lower mating portion 300v and the upper mating portion 300n are aligned up and down along the thickness direction Z. The lower mating portion 300v and the upper mating portion 300n at least partially form a mating accommodating seat. Preferably, the distance between the lower mating portion 300v and the upper mating portion 300n in the thickness direction Z is less than the thickness of the plug of the electronic device to be used. Therefore, when the plug of the matching electronic device is inserted into the matching accommodating seat formed by the lower matching portion 300v and the upper matching portion 300n, the slight elastic deformation of the lower matching portion 300v and the upper matching portion 300n protruding toward each other forms an interference fit between the conductive elements of the electrical connector according to the present application and the corresponding conductive elements of the plug of the matching electronic device, thereby making the electrical contact between the conductive elements of the electrical connector according to the present application and the corresponding conductive elements of the plug of the matching electronic device more reliable, thereby significantly improving the electrical connection reliability of the electrical connector 1 during connection and improving the stability of signal transmission.

[0111] In some exemplary embodiments, the upper clamping portion 300m and the lower clamping portion 300u can be respectively formed into an arrow-shaped shape that tapers toward the proximal end of the corresponding conductive element, or a tower-shaped shape composed of two or three consecutive triangles that taper toward the proximal end of the corresponding conductive element, wherein the top of the arrow-shaped shape or the tower-shaped shape points to the proximal end 300x of the corresponding conductive element. According to the configuration of the upper clamping portion 300m and the lower clamping portion 300u in the arrow-shaped shape or the tower-shaped shape, each conductive element can be easily inserted into the accommodating portion from the distal side of the accommodating portion 320 toward the proximal side of the accommodating portion 320 along the mating direction (corresponding to the X direction), and at the same time, a certain obstacle can be generated to the movement of the conductive element relative to the accommodating portion in the direction opposite to the above-mentioned insertion direction, thereby ensuring the structural stability and working stability of the terminal assembly. Preferably, the number of the upper clamping portion 300m and the lower clamping portion 300u can be set to 1, 2 or 3 respectively as needed. It should be noted that the number, shape, size, position and arrangement of the upper clamping parts 300m and the lower clamping parts 300u are not limited to the specific embodiments shown in the figures and can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0112] In some embodiments, a distal clamping portion for engaging with a corresponding through hole 3310 on the terminal organizing member 330 may be provided on the distal portion 300B of each conductive element 300. Fig.11 and Fig.12 According to the illustrated exemplary embodiment, an upper distal clamping portion 300e is provided on the distal portion 300B of each conductive element in the upper conductive element subassembly S1, and a lower distal clamping portion 300f is provided on the distal portion 300B of each conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly S2. The upper distal clamping portion 300e is provided at a position on the distal portion 300B of each conductive element in the upper conductive element subassembly S1 that is closer to the proximal portion 300A of the corresponding conductive element than the lower distal clamping portion 300f is provided at a position on the distal portion 300B of each conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly S2, and differs in the thickness direction Z by the same dimension as the spacing distance between the upper conductive element subassembly S1 and the lower conductive element subassembly S2 in the thickness direction Z. According to the arrangement of the upper distal clamping portion 300e and the lower distal clamping portion 300f on the distal portion 300B of the corresponding conductive element 300, the terminal organizing member 330 can be joined to the distal portion 300B of the conductive element in a manner roughly parallel to the proximal portion 300A of the conductive element 300, thereby reducing improper force on the distal portion 300B of the conductive element caused by the deflection of the terminal organizing member 330 when engaging with the distal portion 300B of the conductive element.

[0113] In some embodiments, the upper distal clamping portion 300e and the lower distal clamping portion 300f may be respectively configured to have a size larger than the size of the rest of the distal portion 300B in the width direction Y and to have an arrow-shaped shape that tapers toward the distal end portion 300z of the corresponding conductive element 300. The top of the arrow-shaped shape points to the distal end portion 300z of the corresponding conductive element 300. When the terminal organizer 330 is inserted and joined to the distal portion 300B of the conductive element 300 in the thickness direction Z from the distal end portion 300z of the conductive element toward the proximal portion 300A of the conductive element 300 through the through hole 3310 provided on the terminal organizer 330, the side walls of each through hole 3310 of the terminal organizer 330 that are opposite to each other in the width direction Y abut against the corresponding upper distal clamping portion 300e or the lower distal clamping portion 300f. According to the above-mentioned configuration of the upper distal clamping portion 300e and the lower distal clamping portion 300f, the terminal organizer 330 can be easily joined to the distal portion 300B of the conductive element 300, and at the same time, a certain degree of hindrance can be generated to the movement of the terminal organizer 330 relative to the distal portion 300B of the conductive element 300 in a direction opposite to the above-mentioned joining direction, thereby ensuring the structural stability and working stability of the terminal assembly.

[0114] Return to reference Fig.10 , the plurality of accommodating holes 323 may include a first row of holes L1 and a second row of holes L2 respectively arranged along the width direction Y and parallel to each other in the thickness direction Z. The first row of holes L1 and the second row of holes L2 may be arranged to be mirror-symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction Z and passing through the longitudinal center axis of the accommodating portion 320. Each of the first row of holes L1 may have a narrowing portion 323a and a widening portion 323b, and the widening portion 323b is located below the narrowing portion 323a in the thickness direction Z. The width of the widening portion 323b in the width direction Y may be greater than the width of the narrowing portion 323a in the width direction Y.

[0115] When the plurality of conductive elements are fitted into the accommodation portion 320, the upper mating portion 300n and the lower mating portion 300v are respectively accommodated in the terminal accommodation wall 321 by passing through the narrowed portion 323a of the first row of holes L1 and the narrowed portion 323a of the second row of holes L2, and the snap-fit ​​portions are respectively engaged in the corresponding widened portions 323b.

[0116] When the conductive element 300 is assembled to the receiving portion 320, the snap-fitting portion is received in the widened portion, and the side walls of the widened portion 323b that are opposite to each other in the width direction Y abut against the corresponding snap-fitting portion, thereby locking the conductive element in the width direction Y. In addition, due to the "pyramid-shaped" configuration of the snap-fitting portion, the position of the conductive element in the longitudinal direction X is also fixed, so that the conductive element is correctly positioned, and displacement of the conductive element 300 relative to the receiving portion 320 is prevented.

[0117] According to another aspect of the present application, a method for manufacturing an electrical connector is provided. A non-limiting example of the electrical connector may be, for example, a reliable MDR connector. The method may include:

[0118] Providing an outer shell 20, and providing a latch structure on the inner surface of the outer shell 20;

[0119] Providing a terminal assembly 30, and providing a corresponding latch structure on the terminal assembly 30; and

[0120] The terminal assembly 30 is detachably fixed in the outer housing 20 by means of the latching structure of the outer housing 20 and the latching structure of the terminal assembly 30 .

[0121] In some exemplary embodiments, the method may further include:

[0122] The terminal assembly 30 is constructed to include a plurality of conductive elements, a receiving portion 320 and a terminal organizing member 330, wherein each conductive element 300 is constructed to have a proximal portion 300A extending along a longitudinal direction X and a distal portion 300B extending along a thickness direction Z substantially perpendicular to the proximal portion 300A, at least a portion of the proximal portions 300A of the plurality of conductive elements is accommodated and held by the receiving portion 320, and the distal portions 300B of the plurality of conductive elements are held in an array by the terminal organizing member 330,

[0123] An outer shell 20 is provided, so that the outer shell 20 is formed to have a first sub-shell portion 210 and a second sub-shell portion 220, wherein the first sub-shell portion 210 is sleeved on the outer side of the accommodating portion 320 of the terminal assembly 30, and the second sub-shell portion 220 is configured to include a second shell side wall portion 230 extending away from the first sub-shell portion 210 along the longitudinal direction X from two opposite first shell side wall portions of the first sub-shell portion 210 in the width direction Y, and

[0124] Latch structures that cooperate with each other are respectively arranged on the inner surface of the second shell side wall portion 230 and on the opposite ends of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y, and the terminal assembly 30 is locked into the outer shell 20 in a detachable manner through the latch structure.

[0125] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the outer housing 20 may be molded by injection molding.

[0126] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include: forming the terminal organizing member 330 into a plate-like member, and providing a plurality of through holes 3310 arranged in an array on the plate-like member, so that the distal portions 300B of the plurality of conductive elements extend through the plurality of through holes 3310 and are held in an array.

[0127] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include:

[0128] Resiliently deformable latches are provided at opposite ends of the body portion of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y, respectively; and

[0129] The latch engaging portions 260 are correspondingly provided on the inner side surfaces of the two second housing side wall portions 230 of the second sub-housing portion 220 which are opposed to each other in the width direction Y.

[0130] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include:

[0131] The terminal organizer 330 has two opposite ends in the width direction Y of the main body provided with cantilever arms 333 extending in the longitudinal direction X. The cantilever arms 333 are connected to the main body of the terminal organizer 330 through a base.

[0132] A protrusion 3330 is provided at a free end portion of each cantilever arm portion 333 opposite to the base portion such that the protrusion 3330 protrudes from the free end portion of the corresponding cantilever arm portion 333 in the width direction Y away from the body portion of the terminal organizer 330 .

[0133] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the outer shell 20 may also include: configuring the second shell side wall portion 230 to have a guide portion and a stop portion 250, the guide portion being configured as a guide groove 240 extending from the distal side edge of the second shell side wall portion 230 toward the latch engagement portion 260, and the stop portion 250 being arranged between the latch engagement portion 260 and the guide groove 240 and protruding from the second shell side wall portion 230 toward the inner side of the outer shell 20.

[0134] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may also include: guide protrusions 334 are respectively arranged on two opposite side walls of the terminal organizer 330 in the width direction Y and near the distal side edges of the terminal organizer 330, and the guide protrusions 334 are configured to be able to move relative to the outer shell 20 in a slidable manner in the guide groove 240.

[0135] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include:

[0136] The plurality of conductive elements are configured to include an upper conductive element subassembly S1 and a lower conductive element subassembly S2 located below the upper conductive element subassembly S1 in a thickness direction Z, wherein the upper conductive element subassembly S1 includes a first group of upper conductive elements S11 and a second group of upper conductive elements S12 whose size in a longitudinal direction X is smaller than that of the first group of upper conductive elements S11, and the lower conductive element subassembly S2 includes a first group of lower conductive elements S21 and a second group of lower conductive elements S22 whose size in a longitudinal direction X is smaller than that of the first group of lower conductive elements S21;

[0137] The first group of upper conductive elements S11 and the second group of upper conductive elements S12 are alternately arranged such that: the distal end portions 300B of the first group of upper conductive elements S11 and the second group of upper conductive elements S12 are parallel to each other and spaced apart in the longitudinal direction X, and the proximal end portions of the first group of upper conductive elements S11 and the second group of upper conductive elements S12 are arranged side by side in the width direction Y; and

[0138] The first group of lower conductive elements S21 and the second group of lower conductive elements S22 are alternately arranged so that: the distal end portions 300B of the first group of lower conductive elements S21 and the second group of lower conductive elements S22 are parallel to each other and spaced apart along the longitudinal direction X, and the proximal end portions of the first group of lower conductive elements S21 and the second group of lower conductive elements S22 are side by side in the width direction Y.

[0139] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include:

[0140] The size of the first group of lower conductive elements S21 in the longitudinal direction X is set to be larger than the size of the second group of lower conductive elements S22 in the longitudinal direction X, the size of the second group of lower conductive elements S22 in the longitudinal direction X is set to be larger than the size of the first group of upper conductive elements S11 in the longitudinal direction X, and the size of the first group of upper conductive elements S11 in the longitudinal direction X is set to be larger than the size of the second group of upper conductive elements S12 in the longitudinal direction X, and

[0141] Each conductive element in the first group of lower conductive elements S21 is aligned with a corresponding conductive element in the first group of upper conductive elements S11 in the longitudinal direction X, and each conductive element in the second group of lower conductive elements S22 is aligned with a corresponding conductive element in the second group of upper conductive elements S12 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0142] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include:

[0143] The proximal portion 300A of each conductive element in the upper conductive element subassembly S1 is formed to include: an upper fitting portion 300n that is close to the proximal end portion 300x and is recessed toward the lower conductive element subassembly S2 in the thickness direction Z; and one or more upper clamping portions 300m that are disposed adjacent to the upper fitting portion 300n, and each upper clamping portion 300m is configured to have a size larger than that of the remaining portion of the proximal portion 300A in the width direction Y and to have a shape that tapers toward the proximal side, and

[0144] The proximal portion 300A of each conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly S2 is formed to include: a lower mating portion 300v close to the proximal end 300x and protruding toward the upper conductive element subassembly S1 in the thickness direction Z; and one or more lower clipping portions 300u arranged adjacent to the lower mating portion 300v, and each lower clipping portion 300u is constructed to have a larger size than the remaining size of the proximal portion 300A in the width direction Y and has a shape that tapers toward the proximal side, and the lower mating portion 300v is aligned up and down with the upper mating portion 300n along the thickness direction Z.

[0145] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may also include: forming the accommodating portion 320 to have relative terminal accommodating walls 321 extending along the longitudinal direction X and a terminal guide wall 322 on the distal side of the accommodating portion 320, and providing a plurality of accommodating holes 323 penetrating in the longitudinal direction X on the terminal guide wall 322, so that the proximal portions 300A of the plurality of conductive elements extend through the accommodating holes 323 and are accommodated on the inner side of the terminal accommodating wall 321.

[0146] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include:

[0147] The plurality of receiving holes 323 are formed to include a first row of holes L1 and a second row of holes L2 arranged along the width direction Y and parallel to each other in the thickness direction Z, and the first row of holes L1 and the second row of holes L2 are arranged to be mirror-symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction Z and passing through the longitudinal center axis of the receiving portion 320; and

[0148] Each of the first row of holes is configured to have a narrowed portion 323 a and a widened portion 323 b located below the narrowed portion 323 a in the thickness direction Z.

[0149] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may also include: fitting a plurality of conductive elements into the accommodating portion 320 by respectively passing the upper mating portion 300n and the lower mating portion 300v through the narrowed portion 323a of the first row of holes L1 and the narrowed portion 323a of the second row of holes L2 and being accommodated in the terminal accommodating wall 321, so that the snap-fitting portions are respectively engaged in the corresponding widened portions 323b.

[0150] In some exemplary embodiments, providing the terminal assembly 30 may further include: disposing a distal end 300 z of the distal portion 300B of each conductive element 300 away from the proximal portion 300A to extend beyond the terminal organizer 330 in the thickness direction Z.

[0151] In some exemplary embodiments, the method may further include: providing a guide slope at a distal end of the guide groove 240 , the guide slope causing the distal end of the guide groove 240 to be formed to have an outwardly expanded configuration.

[0152] In some exemplary embodiments, the method may further include: configuring a thinned portion at a distal side edge of the top wall of the second sub-housing portion 220 .

[0153] The electrical connector formed in this way assembles the conductive element 300, the accommodating portion 320 and the terminal organizing member into a separate module, namely, a terminal assembly. Compared with the conventional technique in which the terminal organizing member is assembled last, the terminal organizing member of the electrical connector of the present application is detachably connected to the outer shell through a latching structure when the conductive element is already installed, thereby avoiding the displacement of the conductive element when assembling the terminal organizing member and causing the offset of the terminal organizing member and the outer shell, thereby significantly reducing the defective rate of product assembly and improving production efficiency. In addition, the latching structure allows the terminal assembly to be disassembled from the outer shell when a damaged element, such as a conductive element, needs to be replaced, thereby significantly reducing costs.

[0154] It should be pointed out that the method for manufacturing an electrical connector of the present application is not limited to the method described in the above specific embodiments, and the various steps described only involve a non-exhaustive enumeration and do not have a specific order. Technical personnel in this field can adjust the order of the steps according to actual conditions.

[0155] Even though the present application has been described with respect to multiple specific embodiments, it is apparent that a feature shown or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment, and such variations fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. Implementations may also include any one of the above-described features or embodiments, or a combination of two or more of the above-described features or embodiments.

[0156] Thus, the present application has been described through the above-mentioned several embodiments, but it should be understood that those skilled in the art can make more variations, modifications and improvements according to the teachings of the present application, and these variations, modifications and improvements all fall within the spirit of the present application and the scope of protection claimed. The scope of protection of the present application is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents. The above-mentioned embodiments are only for the purpose of example and illustration, and are not intended to limit the present application to the scope of the described embodiments.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, wherein the electrical connector (1) is electrically connected to a matching electronic device along a mating direction at a proximal end side, the electrical connector (1) defining a longitudinal direction (X) parallel to the mating direction, a width direction (Y) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X), and a thickness direction (Z) perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction (X) and the width direction (Y), the electrical connector (1) comprising an outer shell (20) and a terminal assembly (30) accommodated inside the outer shell (20), characterized in that: The electrical connector (1) further comprises latch structures respectively arranged on the inner surface of the outer shell (20) and on the terminal assembly (30), which cooperate with each other, and the terminal assembly (30) is fixed in the outer shell (20) in a detachable manner by the latch structures.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The terminal assembly (30) comprises: a plurality of conductive elements, each conductive element (300) being configured to have a proximal portion (300A) extending along the longitudinal direction (X) and a distal portion (300B) extending along the thickness direction (Z) substantially perpendicular to the proximal portion (300A); an accommodating portion (320) for accommodating and retaining at least a portion of the proximal portions (300A) of the plurality of conductive elements; and a terminal organizing member (330) configured to retain the distal portions (300B) of the plurality of conductive elements in an array, and The outer shell (20) is configured to have a first sub-shell portion (210) and a second sub-shell portion (220), wherein the first sub-shell portion (210) is formed to have a cylindrical shape and is sleeved on the outer side of the accommodating portion (320) of the terminal assembly (30), and the second sub-shell portion (220) is configured to include a second shell side wall portion (230) extending away from the first sub-shell portion (210) along the longitudinal direction (X) from two opposite first shell side wall portions of the first sub-shell portion (210) in the width direction (Y), and the terminal assembly (30) is locked in place in the outer shell (20) in a detachable manner by means of latch structures that cooperate with each other and are arranged on the inner surface of the second shell side wall portion (230) and correspondingly on the opposite ends of the terminal organizing member (330) in the width direction (Y).

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The terminal organizing member (330) is constructed as a plate-like member having a plurality of through holes (3310) arranged in an array, and the distal end portions (300B) of the plurality of conductive elements extend through the plurality of through holes (3310) to be held in an array by the terminal organizing member (330).

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The latch structure comprises: Elastically deformable latching members are respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the main body of the terminal organizing member (330) in the width direction (Y), and latch engaging portions (260) are respectively arranged on the inner surfaces of two second shell side wall portions (230) of the second sub-shell portion (220) opposite to each other in the width direction (Y).

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, characterized in that: The elastically deformable latch comprises cantilevered arms (333) extending along the longitudinal direction (X) and arranged at two opposite ends of the main body of the terminal organizer (330) in the width direction (Y), each cantilevered arm (333) being connected to the main body of the terminal organizer (330) via a base, and a free end of each cantilevered arm (333) opposite to the base extending in a manner separate from the main body of the terminal organizer (330), each cantilevered arm (333) being provided with a protrusion (3330), the protrusion (3330) protruding from the free end of the corresponding cantilevered arm (333) away from the main body of the terminal organizer (330) in the width direction (Y).

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, characterized in that: The latch engaging portion (260) is arranged on the proximal inner surface of the second shell side wall portion (230), and the second shell side wall portion (230) is also provided with a guide portion and a stop portion (250), the guide portion is configured as a guide groove (240) extending from the distal side edge of the second shell side wall portion (230) toward the latch engaging portion (260), the stop portion (250) is arranged between the latch engaging portion (260) and the guide groove (240), the stop portion (250) protrudes from the second shell side wall portion (230) toward the inner side of the outer shell (20), and the stop portion (250) and the inner surface of the second shell side wall portion (230) jointly define the latch engaging portion (260).

7. The electrical connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cantilever arm portion (333) is constructed so that: the free end of the cantilever arm portion (333) can be slidably moved in the guide groove (240) along the longitudinal direction (X), and under the biasing action of the stop portion (250) on the protrusion (3330), the protrusion (3330) passes over the stop portion (250) and is locked into the latch engagement portion (260), thereby fixing the terminal assembly (30) relative to the outer shell (20) in a locked position, in which the stop portion (250) abuts against the protrusion (3330) of the elastically deformable latch to prevent the terminal assembly (30) from moving relative to the distal side of the outer shell (20) along the longitudinal direction (X).

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The terminal organizer (330) also includes a guide protrusion (334), which is arranged on two opposite side walls of the terminal organizer (330) in the width direction (Y) and close to the distal side edge of the terminal organizer (330), and the guide protrusion (334) is configured to be able to move relative to the outer shell (20) in a slidable manner in the guide groove (240), and when the terminal assembly (30) is in the locked position, the guide protrusion (334) is accommodated and supported in the guide groove (240).

9. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The plurality of conductive elements include an upper conductive element subassembly (S1) and a lower conductive element subassembly (S2) located below the upper conductive element subassembly (S1) in the thickness direction (Z), wherein the upper conductive element subassembly (S1) comprises a first group of upper conductive elements (S11) and a second group of upper conductive elements (S12) whose size in the longitudinal direction (X) is smaller than that of the first group of upper conductive elements (S11), the first group of upper conductive elements (S11) and the second group of upper conductive elements (S12) are alternately arranged such that: distal ends (300B) of the first group of upper conductive elements (S11) and the second group of upper conductive elements (S12) are parallel to each other and spaced apart along the longitudinal direction (X), and proximal ends of the first group of upper conductive elements (S11) and the second group of upper conductive elements (S12) are side by side in the width direction (Y); and Wherein, the lower conductive element subassembly (S2) includes a first group of lower conductive elements (S21) and a second group of lower conductive elements (S22) whose size in the longitudinal direction (X) is smaller than that of the first group of lower conductive elements (S21), and the first group of lower conductive elements (S21) and the second group of lower conductive elements (S22) are alternately arranged so that: the distal parts (300B) of the first group of lower conductive elements (S21) and the second group of lower conductive elements (S22) are parallel to each other and spaced apart along the longitudinal direction (X), and the proximal parts of the first group of lower conductive elements (S21) and the second group of lower conductive elements (S22) are side by side in the width direction (Y).

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, characterized in that: The plurality of conductive elements are arranged as follows: The size of the first group of lower conductive elements (S21) in the longitudinal direction (X) is greater than the size of the second group of lower conductive elements (S22) in the longitudinal direction (X), the size of the second group of lower conductive elements (S22) in the longitudinal direction (X) is greater than the size of the first group of upper conductive elements (S11) in the longitudinal direction (X), and the size of the first group of upper conductive elements (S11) in the longitudinal direction (X) is greater than the size of the second group of upper conductive elements (S12) in the longitudinal direction (X), and Wherein, each conductive element in the first group of lower conductive elements (S21) is aligned with a corresponding conductive element in the first group of upper conductive elements (S11) in the longitudinal direction (X), and each conductive element in the second group of lower conductive elements (S22) is aligned with a corresponding conductive element in the second group of upper conductive elements (S12) in the longitudinal direction (X).

11. The electrical connector according to claim 10, characterized in that: The proximal portion (300A) of each conductive element in the upper conductive element subassembly (S1) includes: an upper fitting portion (300n) arranged close to the proximal end (300x) and recessed toward the lower conductive element subassembly (S2) in the thickness direction (Z); and one or more upper clamping portions (300m) arranged adjacent to the upper fitting portion (300n), each upper clamping portion (300m) being configured to have a larger size than the remaining portion of the proximal portion in the width direction (Y) and having a shape tapered toward the proximal side, and Wherein, the proximal portion (300A) of each conductive element in the lower conductive element subassembly (S2) includes: a lower mating portion (300v) arranged close to the proximal end (300x) and protruding toward the upper conductive element subassembly (S1) in the thickness direction (Z); and one or more lower clamping portions (300u) arranged adjacent to the lower mating portion (300v), each lower clamping portion (300u) being configured to have a larger size than the remaining portion of the proximal portion (300A) in the width direction (Y) and having a shape tapering toward the proximal side, and the lower mating portion (300v) is aligned up and down with the upper mating portion (300n) along the thickness direction (Z).

12. The electrical connector according to claim 11, characterized in that: The accommodating portion (320) is formed to have: relative terminal accommodating walls (321) extending along the longitudinal direction (X) and a terminal guide wall (322) on the distal side of the accommodating portion (320), and the terminal guide wall (322) is provided with a plurality of accommodating holes (323) extending through in the longitudinal direction (X), and the proximal portions (300A) of the plurality of conductive elements extend through the accommodating holes (323) and are accommodated on the inner side of the terminal accommodating wall (321).

13. The electrical connector according to claim 12, characterized in that: The plurality of accommodating holes (323) include a first row of holes (L1) and a second row of holes (L2) respectively arranged along the width direction (Y) and parallel to each other in the thickness direction (Z), the first row of holes (L1) and the second row of holes (L2) being arranged to be mirror-symmetrical about a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction (Z) and passing through the longitudinal center axis of the accommodating portion (320), and wherein each of the first row of holes (L1) has a narrowed portion (323a) and a widened portion (323b) located below the narrowed portion (323a) in the thickness direction (Z), the widened portion (323b) being arranged such that: when the clamping portion is accommodated in the widened portion (323b), the side walls of the widened portion (323b) opposite to each other in the width direction (Y) abut against the clamping portion.

14. The electrical connector according to claim 13, characterized in that: When the plurality of conductive elements are fitted into the accommodating portion (320), the upper mating portion (300n) and the lower mating portion (300v) are respectively accommodated in the terminal accommodating wall (321) by passing through the narrowed portion (323a) of the first row of holes (L1) and the narrowed portion (323a) of the second row of holes (L2), and the snap-fitting portions are respectively engaged in the corresponding widened portions (323b).

15. The electrical connector according to claim 11, characterized in that: A distal end (300z) of the distal portion (300B) of each conductive element (300) that is away from the proximal portion (300A) extends beyond the terminal organizing member (330) in the thickness direction (Z).

16. The electrical connector according to claim 6, characterized in that: A guide slope (241) is provided at the distal end of the guide groove (240), and the guide slope (241) enables the distal end of the guide groove to be formed into a configuration that expands outward.

17. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 2 to 16, characterized in that: The second sub-housing portion (220) further comprises a bottom wall (221), and a distal edge of the bottom wall (221) is provided with an additional guiding slope (221a).

18. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 2 to 16, characterized in that: The second sub-shell portion (220) also includes a top wall (222), and a thinned portion (222a) is provided at the distal side edge of the top wall (222), and when the terminal assembly (30) is locked in the outer shell (20), the distal side surface of the thinned portion (222a) abuts against the side wall of the proximal side of the terminal organizing member (330), and the outer surface of the thinned portion (222a) that turns away from the proximal portion (300A) of the conductive element in the thickness direction (Z) is closer to the proximal portion (300A) of the conductive element than the outer surface of the proximal portion (300A) of the terminal organizing member (330) that turns away from the proximal portion (300A) of the conductive element in the thickness direction (Z).

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