Female end connector

Abstract

The utility model discloses a female-end connector. The female-end connector comprises a shell, a containing cavity with an opening and a plugging port communicated with the containing cavity. The shielding body is arranged in the containing cavity and is provided with a plurality of matching grooves, the matching grooves are arranged at intervals in the thickness direction, and the projections of the matching grooves in the thickness direction at least partially coincide; the plurality of conductive parts are correspondingly inserted and embedded in the matching groove from the opening along the axial direction; the electric connecting pieces are arranged on the shielding body, the electric connecting pieces are electrically connected with the conductive pieces in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and the electric connecting pieces are provided with male end matching parts opposite to the plugging ports; wherein each conductive part comprises a main body part and an end part, the projection of the main body part in the thickness direction at least partially coincides, the end parts are arranged in a staggered mode in the width direction, the electric connecting parts penetrate through non-coinciding areas of the end parts respectively, and the end parts are located in the coverage range of the plugging port in the thickness direction. The scheme has the advantages of being high in integration and good in adaptation degree.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of connectors, and more particularly to a female connector. Background Technology

[0002] Connectors are essential connecting devices for enabling the conduction of current and electrical signals. They are currently widely used in the automotive, industrial manufacturing, and other fields.

[0003] High-voltage charging connectors are currently used in automobiles for high-voltage charging of electric vehicles. With the increasing demand for high-voltage fast charging, in order to support high-current and high-voltage charging requirements, more and more connectors are starting to use aluminum busbars and copper busbars to replace wire harnesses or cable structures. Aluminum busbars are generally designed to be wider, and if they are arrayed along the width direction as in traditional technology, it will result in a large space occupation, a larger housing design size, and a change in the structural interface between the female and male terminals, which is not conducive to the adaptation of the male terminal. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides a female connector with advantages of high integration and good adaptability.

[0005] A female connector has intersecting axial, width, and thickness directions. The female connector includes: a housing with an open receiving cavity and a plug interface communicating with the receiving cavity; a shield disposed in the receiving cavity, having multiple mating slots spaced apart along the thickness direction, with the projections of the mating slots in the thickness direction at least partially overlapping; multiple conductive elements, correspondingly inserted into the mating slots along the axial direction from the open portion; and multiple electrical connectors disposed on the shield, each corresponding to one of the conductive elements and electrically connected, each electrical connector having a male mating portion opposite to the plug interface; wherein each conductive element includes a main body and a terminal head, the projections of the main body in the thickness direction at least partially overlapping, the terminal heads being staggered along the width direction, the electrical connectors penetrating the non-overlapping areas of the terminal heads, and the terminal heads all being within the coverage area of ​​the plug interface in the thickness direction.

[0006] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: In the embodiments of this application, the high-voltage connectors used for connecting wire harnesses in the related technology typically array the wire harnesses along the width direction, with an electrical connector at the end of each wire harness electrically connected to the wire harness. This allows the electrical connectors to be arrayed along the width direction, and the male connector has a plug corresponding to the electrical connector along the width direction to cooperate with the electrical connector on the female connector to achieve current conduction. Generally, there are two electrical connectors on the female end and two plugs on the male end. However, with the demand for high-voltage fast charging, in order to support the charging requirements of high current and high voltage, more and more connectors are starting to use connectors with conductive component structures. The conductive components are generally designed to extend wider in the width direction. If they are arrayed along the width direction as in traditional technology, it will result in a large space occupation and a large housing design size, which is inconvenient to use. In this embodiment, the conductive elements are spaced apart in the thickness direction and overlap in the width direction, thereby making comprehensive use of the space in the width and thickness directions to reduce the space occupied by the connector in the width direction. Furthermore, the ends of different conductive elements are spaced apart along the width direction and are all within the coverage of the insertion interface. This means that the connection interface between the female connector and the male connector does not need to be changed. In other words, this application can achieve integrated matching conductive elements without changing the mating interface of the male end, and can better adapt to the insertion of the male connector. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The technical solution and other beneficial effects of this application will become apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0008] Figure 1 This is an overall structural diagram of the female connector provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0009] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram provided in the embodiments of this application to represent the outer shell and tail clip structure;

[0010] Figure 3 This is an exploded structural diagram provided in the embodiments of this application to represent the structure of the shield and the limiting member;

[0011] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view provided in an embodiment of this application, illustrating the structure for fixing the spring to the conductive element;

[0012] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view provided in an embodiment of this application to represent an electrical connector.

[0013] Reference numerals: 1. Outer shell; 10. Receiving cavity; 101. Opening; 100. Insertion interface; 110. Hook protrusion; 12. Guide bar;

[0014] 2. Shielding body; 20. Matching slot; 200. Shielding hole;

[0015] 3. Conductive component; 31. Main body; 310. Positioning hole; 32. End head; 320. Connecting hole;

[0016] 4. Electrical connectors; 41. Bolt body; 42. Plastic body; 43. Protective cover; 44. Sealing ring;

[0017] 5. Limiting component; 50. Limiting hole;

[0018] 6. Tail clip; 61. Sleeve; 610. Hook hole; 611. Guide groove; 62. Baffle plate; 63. Sealing block; 630. Tail groove;

[0019] 7. Shielding layer; 8. Spring clip; 9. Copper bushing; 16. Spacer block;

[0020] X, axial direction; Y, width direction; Z, thickness direction. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0022] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document, unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0023] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-5 This application will be described in detail.

[0024] In related technologies, high-voltage connectors used to connect wire harnesses typically arrange the wire harnesses in an array along their width. Each wire harness has an electrical connector at its end, which connects to the harness. This arrangement of electrical connectors along the width results in a male connector with a corresponding plug along the width, which mates with the electrical connector on the female connector to conduct current. Generally, the female connector has two connectors, and the male connector has two corresponding plugs. However, with the increasing demand for high-voltage fast charging, to support high current and high voltage charging requirements, more and more connectors are starting to use conductive component structures. These conductive components are generally designed to extend wider in the width direction. If they were arranged along the width direction as in traditional technologies, it would result in a large footprint and a larger housing size, making them inconvenient to use.

[0025] Reference Figures 1-3 The present application provides a female connector having intersecting axes X, Y, and Z. Specifically, the axes X, Y, and Z are mutually perpendicular, forming a spatial rectangular coordinate system. The female connector includes a housing 1, a shield 2 disposed within the housing 1, a limiting member 5, a conductive member 3 inserted into the shield 2 and the limiting member 5, and an electrical connector 4 electrically connected to the conductive member 3.

[0026] Reference Figure 2 The housing 1 has an opening 101 for receiving cavity 10 and an insertion interface 100 communicating with the receiving cavity 10. Specifically, the housing 1 is generally rectangular, the receiving cavity 10 has an opening 101 at one end in the axial direction X, and the insertion interface 100 penetrates the housing 1 along the thickness direction Z. The opening 101 is used for the installation of the shield 2 and the limiting member 5, and the insertion interface 100 is used for the installation of the electrical connector 4.

[0027] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 A shielding body 2 is disposed in the receiving cavity 10. Multiple mating slots 20 are formed on the end of the shielding body 2 facing the opening 101. The mating slots 20 are spaced apart along the thickness direction Z, and their projections in the thickness direction Z at least partially overlap. Specifically, the shielding body 2 is approximately rectangular, and two mating slots 20 are provided, spaced apart along the thickness direction Z. A shielding hole 200 is provided through the shielding body 2 at the end away from the opening 101 for assembling the electrical connector 4.

[0028] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3The conductive element 3 has multiple corresponding mating slots 20, which are inserted and embedded into the mating slots 20 along the axial direction X by the open end 101. Specifically, the conductive element 3 is made of aluminum busbar or copper busbar, which can effectively increase the current carrying capacity and adapt to high voltage charging requirements. In order to ensure the shielding protection effect, the female connector also includes a shielding layer 7, which extends along the axial direction X and is sleeved on the outer wall of the conductive element 3.

[0029] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 Electrical connectors 4 are disposed on the shield 2. Multiple electrical connectors 4 are provided and each corresponds to a conductive element 3 for electrical connection. Each electrical connector 4 has a male mating portion opposite to the connector 100. Each conductive element 3 includes a main body 31 and a terminal head 32. The projections of the main body 31 in the thickness direction Z at least partially overlap. The terminal heads 32 are staggered along the width direction Y. The electrical connectors 4 penetrate the non-overlapping areas of the terminal heads 32. In the thickness direction Z, the terminal heads 32 are all within the coverage area of ​​the connector 100. In this embodiment, the projections of the terminal heads 32 in the thickness direction Z do not overlap. Two terminal heads 32 are used to install different electrical connectors 4. After installation, the assembly interface between the female connector and the male connector remains unchanged, allowing for good compatibility.

[0030] In this embodiment, the high-voltage connectors used for connecting wire harnesses in related technologies typically array the wire harnesses along the width direction Y. Each wire harness end is provided with an electrical connector 4 electrically connected to the wire harness. This allows the electrical connectors 4 to be arrayed along the width direction Y. The male connector has a plug corresponding to the electrical connector 4 along the width direction Y, thus engaging with the electrical connector 4 on the female connector to achieve current conduction. Generally, there are two electrical connectors 4 on the female end and two plugs on the male end. However, with the increasing demand for high-voltage fast charging, to support high current and high voltage charging requirements, more and more connectors are starting to use connectors with a conductive element 3 structure. The conductive element 3 is generally designed to extend relatively wide in the width direction Y. If it were arrayed along the width direction Y as in traditional technology, it would occupy a large space, and the design size of the housing 1 would also be large, making it inconvenient to use. In this embodiment, the conductive elements 3 are spaced apart in the thickness direction Z and overlap in the width direction Y, thereby making comprehensive use of the space in the width direction Y and the thickness direction Z to reduce the space occupied by the connector in the width direction Y. Furthermore, the ends 32 of different conductive elements 3 are spaced apart along the width direction Y and are all within the coverage of the insertion interface 100. This means that the connection interface between the female connector and the male connector does not need to be changed. That is, in this application, the mating interface of the male end can be maintained without changing the integrated matching conductive elements 3, which can better adapt to the insertion of the male connector.

[0031] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 As one optional embodiment of this solution, the female connector further includes a limiting member 5 and a tail clip 6. The limiting member 5 is disposed on the side of the shield 2 near the opening 101, and a limiting hole 50 is provided on the limiting member 5 for the conductive member 3 to pass through. The periphery of the limiting member 5 is sealed and abutted against the inner wall of the outer shell 1. The tail clip 6 is detachably disposed at the end of the outer shell 1 near the opening 101, and the tail clip 6 abuts the limiting member 5 against the shield 2. In one example, the limiting member 5 is a rubber body structure.

[0032] In this embodiment, the limiting member 5 serves two functions. First, it uses the limiting hole 50 to limit the conductive member 3, providing stable support and ensuring its stability. Second, it provides a seal, preventing external moisture or dust from entering the shielding body 2 through the opening 101 and affecting electrical performance. Finally, in this embodiment, the tail clip 6 is detachable, allowing the limiting member 5 to be removed from the receiving cavity 10, thus enabling replacement with limiting members 5 of different sizes and improving compatibility.

[0033] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 4 As one optional embodiment of this solution, the tail clip 6 includes a sleeve 61, a baffle plate 62, and a closing block 63 connected sequentially along the axial direction X. The sleeve 61 is fitted onto the outer side of the outer shell 1 at one end of the opening 101. The baffle plate 62 abuts against the end face of the opening 101. The closing block 63 has a tail groove 630 for the conductive component 3 to pass through. The sleeve 61 has a hook hole 610, and the outer wall of the outer shell 1 has a hook protrusion 110, which engages with the hook hole 610. The sleeve 61 also has a guide groove 611 along the axial direction X, and the outer wall of the outer shell 1 has a guide strip 12 along the axial direction X, which slides with the guide groove 611.

[0034] In this embodiment of the application, a specific structure of the tail clip 6 is disclosed. When installing the limiting member 5, the limiting member 5 is placed into the receiving cavity 10, and the sleeve 61 is sleeved on the open end 101 of the outer shell 1 along the axial direction X. The sleeve 61 is pushed towards the shield 2 so that the hook hole 610 and the hook protrusion 110 are engaged, thereby realizing the installation of the tail clip 6. The cooperation between the guide strip 12 and the guide groove 611 can ensure the accuracy and convenience of the sleeve 61 moving along the axial direction X.

[0035] Reference Figure 4As one of the optional embodiments of this solution, the female connector also includes a spring piece 8 disposed in the mating groove 20. One end of the spring piece 8 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the mating groove 20, and the other end of the spring piece 8 extends in a direction away from the opening 101. In the extension direction of the spring piece 8, the spring piece 8 is gradually moved away from the inner wall of the mating groove 20. A positioning hole 310 is provided on the main body 31, and the spring piece 8 is snapped into the positioning hole 310.

[0036] In this embodiment, the process of installing the conductive component 3 is as follows: the conductive component 3 is inserted into the mating groove 20 along the axial direction X. The conductive component 3 first contacts the spring piece 8 and pushes the spring piece 8 open until the free end of the spring piece 8 is engaged in the positioning hole 310. At this time, the conductive component 3 is limited by the positioning hole 310, which prevents the conductive component 3 from sliding out of the mating groove 20 and ensures the stability of the installation of the conductive component 3.

[0037] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 As one of the optional embodiments of this solution, the electrical connector 4 includes: a bolt body 41, which passes through the connection hole 320 along the thickness direction Z, and the outer wall of the bolt body 41 contacts the inner wall of the copper bushing 9; a plastic body 42, which is fixedly wrapped around the top of the bolt body 41; and a protective cover 43, which is fixedly disposed at the end of the plastic body 42 away from the bolt body 41.

[0038] Specifically, the top of the plastic body 42 is provided with a hexagonal interface, and the bottom of the protective cover 43 is provided with a hexagonal protrusion that is inserted into the hexagonal interface, so that rotating the protective cover 43 can correspond to rotating the bolt body 41.

[0039] This application discloses a specific structure of an electrical connector 4. The protective cover 43 is die-cast from aluminum alloy or zinc alloy, providing complete shielding protection for the female connector and bearing the torque transmitted by tools during the assembly of the bolt body 41. The protective cover 43 and the bolt body 41 are joined by a plastic body 42. This process can be completed in one or multiple mold forming processes. This prevents direct contact between the bolt body 41 and the metal part of the bolt by human hands after the bolt body 41 is assembled onto the conductive component 3, thus preventing electric shock. To improve sealing, a sealing ring 44 is also provided on the outer wall of the plastic body 42.

[0040] As one of the optional embodiments of this solution, the female connector also includes a pad 16, which is disposed between the nut of the bolt body 41 and the conductive element 3. One end of the pad 16 contacts the conductive element 3, and the other end of the pad 16 abuts against the bolt body 41 to support the bolt body 41 so that the bolt bodies 41 in different electrical connectors 4 are at the same height.

[0041] In this embodiment, since the two conductive parts 3 are spaced apart in the thickness direction Z, the heights of the two conductive parts 3 are not at the same horizontal plane. In order to keep the mating interface of the female end unchanged when mating the male end connector, it is necessary to keep the two electrical connectors 4 at the same height. Therefore, in this embodiment, the conductive part 3 with the lower height is compensated by placing a pad 16 under the nut of the bolt body 41 to keep the two electrical connectors 4 at the same height. There is no need to change the mating interface of the male end connector, which better adapts to the mating requirements of different male end connectors.

[0042] As one optional embodiment of this solution, the end head 32 is provided with a connecting hole 320 extending along the thickness direction Z. A copper bushing 9 is welded and embedded in the connecting hole 320. The electrical connector 4 passes through the copper bushing 9 and contacts the copper bushing 9 to achieve electrical connection. In conventional technology, the electrical connector 4 directly passes through the connecting hole 320 to make mechanical contact with the conductive component 3 to achieve electrical conduction. However, in general, the conductive component 3 is made of aluminum, and the electrical connector 4 is generally made of copper. Mechanical contact between aluminum and copper can easily lead to unstable electrical contact, electrochemical reactions, and other adverse conditions. Therefore, in this embodiment, aluminum and copper are pre-welded together, and then the electrical connector 4 contacts through a copper bushing 9 of the same material, thereby improving the stability of the electrical connection.

[0043] Unstable electrical contact: Aluminum is a reactive metal that oxidizes easily, forming an oxide film that increases contact resistance and reduces conductivity. Electrochemical reaction: Copper and aluminum have different electrical potentials, and an electrolyte is generated upon contact, forming a galvanic cell effect that accelerates the electrochemical corrosion of aluminum and increases contact resistance.

[0044] The above description is only a partial implementation of the embodiments of this application and is not intended to limit the application in any way. The protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A female connector characterized by comprising: The female connector has axes of axial direction (X), width direction (Y) and thickness direction (Z) intersecting with each other, and comprises: a shell (1) having a receiving cavity (10) with an opening (101) and a plug-in port (100) in communication with the receiving cavity (10); a shielding body (2) arranged in the receiving cavity (10) and having a plurality of mating grooves (20) arranged at intervals along the thickness direction (Z), projections of the mating grooves (20) on the thickness direction (Z) at least partially overlapping; a plurality of conductive pieces (3) arranged in the mating grooves (20) corresponding to the plug-in port (100) along the axial direction (X) through the opening (101); a plurality of electrical connecting pieces (4) arranged on the shielding body (2) and electrically connected to the conductive pieces (3) one by one, the electrical connecting pieces (4) having male end portions opposite to the plug-in port (100); wherein each of the conductive pieces (3) comprises a main body portion (31) and end head portions (32), the main body portion (31) having a projection on the thickness direction (Z) at least partially overlapping, the end head portions (32) being arranged at intervals along the width direction (Y), the electrical connecting pieces (4) penetrating non-overlapping regions of the end head portions (32) respectively, and the end head portions (32) being covered by the plug-in port (100) in the thickness direction (Z).

2. A female connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Further comprising a limiting piece (5) arranged on one side of the shielding body (2) close to the opening (101), the limiting piece (5) having limiting holes (50) for the conductive pieces (3) to pass through, and a tail clamp (6) arranged at one end of the shell (1) close to the opening (101), the tail clamp (6) abutting the limiting piece (5) on the shielding body (2).

3. A female connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second contact portions are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the female connector. The tail clamp (6) comprises a sleeve (61), a blocking plate (62) and a closing block (63) connected in sequence along the axial direction (X), the sleeve (61) is sleeved on the outside of the shell (1) at one end of the opening (101), the blocking plate (62) abuts the end face of the opening (101), the closing block (63) has tail grooves (630) for the conductive pieces (3) to pass through, wherein the sleeve (61) is provided with a hooking hole (610), the outer wall of the shell (1) is provided with a hooking protrusion (110), and the hooking protrusion (110) is connected to the hooking hole (610).

4. A female connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first and second contact portions are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the female connector. The sleeve (61) is further provided with a guide groove (611) along the axial direction (X), and the outer side wall of the shell (1) is provided with a guide strip (12) along the axial direction (X), the guide strip (12) and the guide groove (611) are slidingly connected.

5. A female connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second contact portions are arranged to be received in the first and second contact portions of a male connector. Further comprising a shielding layer (7) extending along the axial direction (X), the shielding layer (7) being sleeved on the outer side wall of the conductive pieces (3).

6. A female connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Also included is a spring sheet (8) disposed in the counter slot (20), one end of the spring sheet (8) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the counter slot (20), the other end of the spring sheet (8) extends away from the direction of the opening (101), in the extension direction of the spring sheet (8), the spring sheet (8) is gradually disposed away from the inner wall of the counter slot (20), the main body part (31) is provided with a positioning hole (310), the spring sheet (8) is clamped and disposed in the positioning hole (310).

7. A female connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein The end head part (32) is provided with a connecting hole (320) penetrating along the thickness direction (Z), a copper bushing (9) is embedded and welded in the connecting hole (320), the electric connecting piece (4) is disposed through the copper bushing (9), the electric connecting piece (4) is in contact with the copper bushing (9) to realize electrical connection.

8. A female connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the inner surface of the housing is formed with a plurality of recesses each of which is adapted to receive a respective one of the plurality of male connector pins. The electric connecting piece (4) comprises: A bolt body (41) is disposed through the connecting hole (320) along the thickness direction (Z), the outer side wall of the bolt body (41) is in contact with the inner wall of the copper bushing (9); A plastic body (42) is fixedly wrapped at the top end of the bolt body (41); A protective cover (43) is fixedly disposed at one end of the plastic body (42) away from the bolt body (41).

9. A female connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the female connector is configured to receive the male connector in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the female connector. The outer side wall of the plastic body (42) is further provided with a sealing ring (44).

10. A female connector as claimed in claim 8, wherein the female connector is configured to mate with a male connector having a mating face which is substantially parallel to the mating face of the female connector. Also included is a pad (16) disposed between the nut of the bolt body (41) and the conductive piece (3), one end of the pad (16) is in contact with the conductive piece (3), the other end of the pad (16) is in abutment with the bolt body (41) to support the bolt body (41) so that the bolt bodies (41) in different electric connecting pieces (4) are at the same height.

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