Electric connector

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of BTB electric connectors, in particular to an electric connector. The electric connector comprises an insulating part, a conductive part and a covering part. The conductive part is arranged on the insulating part and comprises a contact part and a welding part, the contact part is used for being electrically connected with external equipment, and the welding part is used for being in welding connection with a mainboard; the covering part is arranged on the side, away from the insulating part, of the conductive part and located at the joint of the contact part and the welding part. According to the electric connector provided by the embodiment of the invention, the covering part is arranged at the joint of the contact part and the welding part and can replace a bare tin region electroplating jig to cover the bare tin region, so that the bare tin region electroplating jig is not needed, the complexity of an electroplating process is reduced, and the electroplating cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of BTB electrical connector technology, and more particularly to an electrical connector. Background Technology

[0002] A BTB (Board-to-Board) connector is a component used to connect different printed circuit boards (PCBs) in electronic devices. A BTB connector typically consists of a female connector and a male connector. The female connector includes a series of slots or holes with electrical contacts, while the male connector has corresponding pins or leads that can be inserted into the slots or holes in the female connector to complete the electrical connection.

[0003] BTB connectors typically use gold plating to improve their mechanical, electrical, and corrosion resistance. During gold plating, bare nickel areas need to be designed in the solder joints to prevent gold from seeping into the solder. Therefore, corresponding electroplating fixtures for the bare tin areas need to be designed, increasing the complexity and cost of the electroplating process. Utility Model Content

[0004] The embodiments of this application aim to provide an electrical connector that can at least improve the problems of complex electroplating processes and high electroplating costs associated with electrical connectors.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an electrical connector, the electrical connector including an insulating element, a conductive element, and a cover; the conductive element is disposed on the insulating element, the conductive element including a contact portion and a solder portion, the contact portion being used for electrical connection with an external device, and the solder portion being used for soldering connection with a motherboard; the cover is disposed on the side of the conductive element away from the insulating element, and is located at the connection between the contact portion and the solder portion.

[0007] In some embodiments, the insulating member is provided with a mounting groove, and the contact portion is disposed within the mounting groove.

[0008] In some embodiments, the contact portion includes an adhesive surface, a contact surface, and a side surface, wherein the adhesive surface is spaced apart from the contact surface, and the side surface connects the adhesive surface and the contact surface; the mounting groove includes a bottom wall and a side wall, wherein the bottom wall is connected to the adhesive surface, and the side wall is connected to the side surface.

[0009] In some embodiments, the sidewall is provided with a clearance opening, and the contact portion and the welding portion are connected to the clearance opening; the cover and the clearance opening form a through hole.

[0010] In some embodiments, the through hole is adapted to the cross-section of the connection between the contact portion and the weld portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the conductive element further includes a bent portion connected to the side of the contact portion away from the welded portion, and the bent portion and the contact portion clamp the insulating element.

[0012] In some embodiments, the welding portion includes a first segment and a second segment, the first segment being connected to the contact portion, the second segment being disposed at an angle to the first segment, and the second segment abutting against the cover.

[0013] In some embodiments, the contact portion has a groove on the side facing the bend, and the insulating member has a protrusion disposed within the groove.

[0014] In some embodiments, the cover and the insulation are integral.

[0015] In some embodiments, both the cover and the insulator are made of plastic, and the cover and the insulator are injection molded.

[0016] The electrical connector of this application embodiment has a cover at the connection between the contact part and the solder part, which can replace the bare tin area electroplating fixture to cover the bare tin area, thereby eliminating the need for a bare tin area electroplating fixture, reducing the complexity of the electroplating process, and reducing electroplating costs.

[0017] Furthermore, gold plating using a bare tin plating fixture results in poor stability, leading to gold seepage in the bare tin area and causing solder creep issues at the solder joints. However, by placing a cover at the connection between the contact and solder joints, the cover prevents molten solder from flowing to the contact area, thus mitigating the problem of the connector failing to engage with the corresponding male or female connector due to molten solder flowing to and solidifying at the contact area.

[0018] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, specific embodiments of this application are given below. Attached Figure Description

[0019] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded view of the electrical connector;

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 An exploded view of the electrical connector from another perspective;

[0023] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electrical connector;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the middle insulating component;

[0026] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the CEC connector;

[0027] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of another section of the CEC connector.

[0028] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows:

[0029] 100. Electrical connectors;

[0030] 1. Insulating component; 11. Mounting groove; 111. Bottom wall; 112. Side wall; 1121. Clearance opening; 12. Protrusion;

[0031] 2. Conductive components;

[0032] 21. Contact area; 211. Adhesive surface; 212. Contact surface; 213. Side surface; 214. Groove;

[0033] 22. Welding section; 221. First section; 222. Second section;

[0034] 23. Bending section;

[0035] 3. Covering component; a. Through hole. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To facilitate understanding of this application, the following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, will provide a more detailed account. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them.

[0037] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the application; the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, in the specification, claims, and foregoing description of the drawings are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0038] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of this application.

[0039] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to define components merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, these terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0041] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0042] Firstly, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 This application provides an electrical connector 100, which includes an insulating member 1 and a conductive member 2. The insulating member 1 is used to mount the conductive member 2 and to insulate each conductive member 2. The conductive member 2 is used to electrically connect to a circuit board and to engage with an external connector.

[0043] The insulating component 1 can be made of plastic and can be injection molded together with the conductive component 2, thereby fixing the conductive component 2 to the insulating component 1 and giving the insulating component 1 insulating properties.

[0044] The conductive component 2 is disposed on the insulating component 1. The conductive component 2 includes a contact portion 21 and a welding portion 22. The contact portion 21 is used for electrical connection with external devices, and the welding portion 22 is used for welding connection with external devices, such as a motherboard. Both the welding portion 22 and the contact portion 21 can be made of conductive metal, thereby achieving both welding and electrical connection. The welding portion 22 and the contact portion 21 can be manufactured integrally, for example, formed by punching from a metal sheet. The welding portion 22 and the contact portion 21 can be made of conductive materials such as copper, iron, or stainless steel.

[0045] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The contact portion 21 includes an adhesive surface 211, a contact surface 212, and a side surface 213. The adhesive surface 211 is spaced apart from the contact surface 212, and the side surface 213 connects the adhesive surface 211 and the contact surface 212. It can be understood that when the contact portion 21 is flattened, the adhesive surface 211 and the contact surface 212 are planar and parallel to each other, and the side surface 213 is perpendicular to the adhesive surface 211 and the contact surface 212. Both ends of the side surface 213 are connected to the adhesive surface 211 and the contact surface 212 respectively, thereby forming a closed shape. In this embodiment, the contact portion 21 is curved, therefore the adhesive surface 211, the contact surface 212, and the side surface 213 are all curved surfaces; along the normal direction, the distance between any two points on the adhesive surface 211 and the contact surface 212 is equal.

[0046] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The insulating component 1 has a mounting groove 11, and the contact portion 21 is disposed within the mounting groove 11. A groove, in a conventional sense, is formed by opening a plane along a direction perpendicular to the plane. The groove includes a bottom surface and a side surface 213, with the side surface 213 surrounding the bottom surface to form a cavity with an opening on one side. In this embodiment, please refer to... Figure 2 The mounting groove 11 is formed on a curved surface, and thus the mounting groove 11 extends along the curved surface of the insulating member 1. By providing the contact portion 21 within the mounting groove 11, it is beneficial to increase the firmness of the contact portion 21 in mounting to the insulating member 1.

[0047] Further, please refer to Figures 1 to 3, the installation groove 11 includes a bottom wall 111 and a side wall 112. The bottom wall 111 is connected to the bonding surface 211, and the side wall 112 is connected to the side surface 213. By connecting the side wall 112 to the side surface 213, the firmness of the contact part 21 installed on the insulating part 1 is increased. The bottom wall 111 and the bonding surface 211 can be connected by glue bonding, and the side wall 112 and the side surface 213 can be connected by glue bonding; or the insulating part 1 is combined with the conductive part 2 by injection molding to achieve the connection between the bottom wall 111 and the bonding surface 211 and the connection between the side wall 112 and the side surface 213.

[0048] Wherein, the thickness of the contact part 21 can be equal to or less than the depth of the installation groove 11, so that the contact part 21 is only exposed outward through the contact surface 212, reducing the problem of oxidation of the contact part 21 when contacting with air; when the thickness of the contact part 21 is equal to the depth of the installation groove 11, the contact surface 212 is smoothly connected to the outer surface of the insulating part 1, which is beneficial to improving the integrity of the insulating part 1 and the conductive part 2 connected as a whole and the combination is tight.

[0049] It can be understood that, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the side wall 112 is provided with an avoidance opening 1121, and the contact part 21 and the welding part 22 are connected at the avoidance opening 1121. That is, the avoidance opening 1121 is used for the welding part 22 to extend out of the installation groove 11. Wherein, along the direction perpendicular to the bottom wall 111, the depth of the avoidance opening 1121 is equal to the depth of the installation groove 11.

[0050] In some embodiments, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the conductive part 2 further includes a bending part 23, and the bending part 23 is connected to the side of the contact part 21 away from the welding part 22. Please refer to Figure 4 again, the bending part 23 and the contact part 21 clamp the insulating part 1. It can be understood that, please refer to Figure 4 , along the direction of the welding part 22 - the contact part 21 - the bending part 23, the contact part 21 is in an "L" shape, and the bending part 23 is connected to the end of the contact part 21 and bent, so that the contact part 21 and the bending part 23 are integrally in a "匚" shape to clamp the insulating part 1 and increase the firmness of the conductive part 2 installed on the insulating part 1.

[0051] Further, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3The contact portion 21 has a groove 214 on the side facing the bent portion 23, and the insulating member 1 has a protrusion 12 disposed within the groove 214. It is understood that the protrusion 12 is connected to the bottom wall 111 of the mounting groove 11. By providing the protrusion 12 and the groove 214, the "U"-shaped structure formed by the bent portion 23 and the contact portion 21 can be prevented from sliding relative to the insulating portion in the direction opposite to the opening, thereby increasing the firmness of the conductive member 2 mounted on the insulating member 1. Optionally, both the protrusion 12 and the groove 214 are rectangular. The groove 214 can be formed by stamping the contact portion 21, and the protrusion 12 can be formed by injection molding when combined with the contact portion 21 of the conductive member 2.

[0052] It should be noted that the conductive parts 2 of the electrical connector 100 are typically gold-plated to improve their mechanical, electrical, and corrosion resistance. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 1 During gold plating, a bare nickel area needs to be designed in the solder joint 22 to prevent gold seepage. Therefore, a corresponding bare tin plating fixture needs to be designed, increasing the complexity and cost of the electroplating process. Furthermore, gold plating using the bare tin plating fixture has poor stability and gold seepage can still occur. This can lead to solder creep in the solder joint 22, where solder flows along the solder joint 22 to the contact part 21, causing solder to solidify on the outer surface of the contact part 21. Consequently, the electrical connector 100 cannot properly engage with the corresponding male or female connector.

[0053] To improve the above-mentioned problems, please refer to some embodiments. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The electrical connector 100 also includes a cover 3, which is disposed on the side of the conductive member 2 facing away from the insulating member 1 and located at the connection between the contact portion 21 and the solder portion 22. The cover 3 can replace the bare tin area plating fixture to cover the bare tin area, thereby eliminating the need for a bare tin area plating fixture, reducing the complexity of the plating process, and reducing plating costs. It is understood that the cover 3 does not need to completely cover the bare tin area; even partial coverage of the bare tin area still has the technical effect of improving gold penetration in the solder portion 22, but the effect is optimal when the cover 3 completely covers the bare tin area.

[0054] Furthermore, by providing the cover 3 at the connection between the contact portion 21 and the solder portion 22, the flow of molten solder to the contact portion 21 can be reduced, thus improving the problem that the electrical connector 100 cannot be engaged with the corresponding male or female connector due to the molten solder flowing to the contact portion 21 and solidifying. It is understood that the cover 3 does not need to completely cover the bare solder area; even partial coverage still has the technical effect of reducing the flow of molten solder to the contact portion 21, i.e., improving the problem that the electrical connector 100 cannot be engaged with the corresponding male or female connector due to the molten solder flowing to the contact portion 21 and solidifying. However, the effect is optimal when the cover 3 completely covers the bare solder area.

[0055] It should be noted that, Figures 1 to 4 This is one embodiment of the present application. Figures 5 to 8 This is another embodiment of the present application. Figures 5 to 8 and Figures 1 to 4 The difference is that, Figures 4 to 8 The electrical connector 100 also includes a cover 3.

[0056] Further, please refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The cover 3 and the clearance opening 1121 form a through hole a. That is, the cover 3 spans the clearance opening 1121, that is, along the direction perpendicular to the arrangement of the contact portion 21 and the welding portion 22, both ends of the cover 3 extend beyond the conductive member 2, which can further reduce the flow of molten solder to the contact portion 21.

[0057] Furthermore, please refer to Figure 7 The cross-section of the through-hole a is adapted to the connection between the contact portion 21 and the welding portion 22. For example, the cross-section of the connection between the contact portion 21 and the welding portion 22 has the same shape and size as the cross-section of the through-hole a. This eliminates the gap between the inner wall of the through-hole a and the conductive element 2, which helps to improve the flow of molten solder from the gap between the inner wall of the through-hole a and the conductive element 2 to the contact portion 21. Optionally, the cross-section of the through-hole a is rectangular. The through-hole a can be formed by injection molding when combined with the conductive element 2.

[0058] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The welding part 22 includes a first segment 221 and a second segment 222. The first segment 221 is connected to the contact part 21, and the second segment 222 is set at an angle to the first segment 221. Please refer to [further details]. Figure 8 The second segment 222 abuts against the cover 3. Since the second segment 222 forms an angle with the first segment 221, when the conductive member 2 moves relative to the insulating member 1 along the direction of the first segment 221 toward the contact portion 21, the second segment 222 abuts against the edge of the through hole a, thereby preventing the conductive member 2 from moving relative to the insulating portion and increasing the firmness of the conductive member 2 mounted on the insulating member 1. Specifically, the second segment 222 abuts against the cover 3, meaning the bending direction of the second segment 222 is towards the cover 3 from the insulating member 1, i.e., bending away from the insulating member 1, so that the second segment 222 extends out of the insulating member 1, facilitating welding of the second segment 222 to external equipment. Optionally, the second segment 222 is set at a 90-degree angle to the first segment 221.

[0059] Regarding the aforementioned cover 3, the cover 3 can be integrated with the insulating component 1, meaning the cover 3 and the insulating component 1 can be made of the same material and manufactured together. This increases the connection strength between the cover 3 and the insulating component 1, eliminates the need for the process of connecting the cover 3 to the insulating component 1, and reduces production costs. Optionally, both the cover 3 and the insulating component 1 are made of plastic.

[0060] The cover 3 and the insulating part 1 can be formed as a whole by injection molding, and then the conductive part 2 can be installed on the whole of the insulating part 1 and the cover 3; or, the cover 3 and the insulating part 1 can be directly combined with the conductive part 2 by injection molding, which not only bonds the cover 3 and the insulating part 1 to the conductive part 2, but also eliminates the process of installing the conductive part 2 onto the insulating part 1, thus reducing production costs. Furthermore, when the cover 3 and the insulating part 1 are directly combined with the conductive part 2 by injection molding, there is no need to design an injection mold corresponding to the mounting groove 11 and the through hole a, which reduces the difficulty of injection molding and simplifies the injection molding process.

[0061] The electrical connector 100 of this application embodiment has a cover 3 provided at the connection between the contact portion 21 and the solder portion 22. This cover 3 can replace the bare tin area plating fixture to cover the bare tin area, thereby eliminating the need for a bare tin area plating fixture, reducing the complexity of the plating process, and lowering plating costs. It can also improve the problem that the electrical connector 100 cannot be engaged with the corresponding male or female connector due to molten solder flowing to the contact portion 21 and solidifying.

[0062] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit them; under the concept of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of this application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized by, The utility model relates to an electric connector, comprising: an insulating piece; an electrically conductive piece disposed on the insulating piece, the electrically conductive piece comprising a contact portion and a soldering portion, the contact portion being configured to electrically connect with an external device, and the soldering portion being configured to be soldered to a main board; a cover disposed on a side of the electrically conductive piece opposite to the insulating piece, and located at a junction of the contact portion and the soldering portion.

2. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein: the insulating piece is provided with a mounting groove, and the contact portion is disposed in the mounting groove.

3. The electric connector of claim 2, wherein: the contact portion comprises an adhesive surface, a contact surface, and a side surface, the adhesive surface being spaced apart from the contact surface, and the side surface connecting the adhesive surface and the contact surface; the mounting groove comprises a bottom wall and a side wall, the bottom wall being connected to the adhesive surface, and the side wall being connected to the side surface.

4. The electric connector of claim 3, wherein: the side wall is provided with a clearance, and the contact portion and the soldering portion are connected at the clearance; the cover and the clearance form a through hole.

5. The electric connector of claim 4, wherein: a cross section of the through hole is adapted to a cross section of the junction of the contact portion and the soldering portion.

6. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein: the electrically conductive piece further comprises a bent portion, the bent portion being connected to a side of the contact portion away from the soldering portion, and the bent portion and the contact portion clamping the insulating piece.

7. The electric connector of claim 6, wherein: the soldering portion comprises a first segment and a second segment, the first segment being connected to the contact portion, and the second segment being disposed at an angle with the first segment, and the second segment abutting against the cover.

8. The electric connector of claim 6, wherein: a side of the contact portion facing the bent portion is provided with a groove, and the insulating piece is provided with a protrusion, the protrusion being disposed in the groove.

9. The electric connector of claim 1, wherein: the cover and the insulating piece are integrated.

10. The electric connector of claim 6, wherein: the cover and the insulating piece are both made of plastic material, and the cover and the insulating piece are injection molded.

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