Male connector with TPA structure

Abstract

The utility model provides a male connector with a TPA structure, which comprises a male sheath and a terminal slot, the terminal slot is fixedly connected in the male sheath, the TPA structure is movably connected in the male sheath, and the TPA structure and the terminal slot are mutually matched and connected. One side of the terminal slot is provided with a limiting wall used for limiting the TPA structure. According to the utility model, the TPA structure is assembled in the male sheath, and one side of the terminal slot is provided with the limiting wall, so that the TPA structure can be stably assembled, the space of the male connector is saved, and firm and reliable connection and compact interior of the male connector are realized.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of automobile accessories, especially relates to a male connector with TPA structure. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the continuous improvement of the degree of electronization and intelligentization of automobiles, the automobile wire harness connector as a key component of the electrical system, its importance is increasingly prominent. However, the traditional connector lacks effective wire harness guiding structure, resulting in disordered wire harness, not only affecting the appearance, but also increasing the difficulty of installation and maintenance, easy to cause wiring error, even there is a security risk; The terminal retention force of the traditional connector is insufficient, and the terminal is easy to loosen in the harsh environment such as vibration and impact, resulting in signal transmission interruption and affecting the stable operation of the automobile electrical system; The structure design of the traditional connector is unreasonable, the space is large, it is difficult to meet the development trend of automobile lightweight and miniaturization, also limits its application in narrow space.

[0003] In related technologies, some connectors use simple wire harness fixing devices such as straps, buckles, etc., but the fixing effect is limited, and the wire harness disorder problem cannot be effectively solved; Some connectors use TPA structure to improve the terminal retention force by increasing the locking device, but the structure is complex, inconvenient to install, and occupies a large space; Some connectors reduce the volume by optimizing the structure design, but often at the expense of performance, it is difficult to balance miniaturization and high reliability.

[0004] Therefore, it is currently necessary to provide a firm and small male connector. UTILITY MODEL CONTENTS

[0005] In order to solve all or part of the problems of the above prior art, the utility model provides a firm and reliable and compact internal male connector.

[0006] In order to achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides the following technical scheme:

[0007] A male connector with TPA structure, comprising a male sheath and a terminal slot, the terminal slot is fixedly connected in the male sheath, the TPA structure is movably connected in the male sheath, and the TPA structure is movably connected with the terminal slot, one side of the terminal slot is provided with a limiting wall for limiting the TPA structure.

[0008] Further, the limiting wall is arc-shaped.

[0009] Further, the male connector comprises a TPA guiding assembly for guiding and limiting the assembly of the TPA structure, and the TPA guiding assembly comprises vertical guiding grooves and horizontal guiding platforms respectively arranged on the opposite sides of the inner wall of the male sheath.

[0010] Further, the male sheath comprises a pre-locking position and a final locking position, when the TPA structure is in the pre-locking position, there is a gap between the TPA structure and the lateral guide platform, when the TPA structure is in the final locking position, the TPA structure is close to the lateral guide platform.

[0011] Further, the TPA structure comprises a TPA rib, when the TPA structure is in the pre-locking position, the TPA rib is close to the limiting wall.

[0012] Further, at least one side of the TPA structure is provided with a TPA tab.

[0013] Further, the male connector further comprises a wire cover, a plurality of barb structures and a guide structure, the barb structure and the guide structure are bidirectionally slidably connected, the barb structure is at least partially fixedly arranged on the wire cover, and the guide structure is at least partially fixedly arranged on the male sheath.

[0014] Further, the terminal slot comprises a repair terminal slot and a male terminal containing slot, and the repair terminal slot is arranged on both sides of the male terminal containing slot.

[0015] Further, the terminal slot is provided with a front-end terminal prevention structure and a rear-end terminal prevention structure, the contact surface of the front-end terminal prevention structure is provided with a chamfer, and the contact surface of the rear-end terminal prevention structure is provided with a limiting platform.

[0016] Further, the outer side wall of the male sheath is provided with a mistake prevention strip, a chamfer structure and a buckle, the mistake prevention strip is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the male sheath, the chamfer structure is symmetrically arranged on the four sides of the male sheath, and the buckle is a trapezoidal structure step.

[0017] The utility model has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0018] 1) by assembling the TPA structure into the male sheath, and arranging a limiting wall on one side of the terminal slot, the TPA structure can be stably assembled, the space of the male connector is saved, the connection of the male connector is firm and reliable, and the internal part is compact.

[0019] 2) by arranging a guide assembly on the inner side wall of the male sheath, the precision and stability of the TPA structure assembly are improved.

[0020] 3) by bidirectional sliding connection of the barb structure and the guide structure, the wiring harness is stable and orderly, and the reliability of wiring is improved.

[0021] In order to make the above and other purposes, characteristics and advantages of the utility model more obvious and easy to understand, the following preferred embodiments are taken, and the details are described as follows with reference to the drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of a male connector with a TPA structure according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a TPA structure in the pre-locked position according to the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a TPA structure according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a TPA structure in the final locking position according to this utility model.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the male connector in the left and right directions after assembly of a TPA structure according to this utility model.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the male connector in the front-rear direction when the TPA structure of this utility model is not assembled.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of a male sheath and a wire cover in this utility model.

[0030] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a male sheath and a wire cover in this utility model.

[0031] Reference numerals: 1. Male connector; 11. Wire cover; 12. Male sheath; 121. Pre-lock position; 122. Final lock position; 123. Snap-on; 124. Anti-misalignment strip; 125. Mating chamfer; 13. Terminal slot; 131. Rework terminal slot; 132. Male terminal receiving slot; 133. Anti-terminal forward movement structure; 134. Anti-terminal backward movement structure; 14. TPA structure; 141. TPA guide post; 142. TPA rib; 143. TPA lever; 144. TPA limiting platform; 15. Limiting wall; 16. TPA guide assembly; 161. Vertical guide groove; 162. Horizontal guide platform; 17. Barb structure; 18. Guide structure. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the utility model, not all. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor fall within the scope of the utility model.

[0033] The present inventors have found that the existing male connector has the following problems: the harness guide mechanism has a long assembly time, affecting production efficiency; the harness guide mechanism can only be fixed in one direction, and the number of spare parts is large, and the process is complex; the connector TPA is assembled outside the connector, and vibration during transportation may cause the TPA (Terminal Position Assurance, secondary locking mechanism of terminal) to be assembled to shift; there is no mistake-proofing feature, and there is a risk of assembly in the opposite direction during mating; the connector body is heavy, bulky, occupies a large space, and has high production cost; the injection molding of the mating interface of the connector is prone to deformation, and the mating guide of the male and female connectors is insufficient; the switching of the TPA pre-lock and final lock positions of the connector is inconvenient; and the TPA of the connector is prone to falling off during transportation after being assembled into the sheath.

[0034] In order to clearly illustrate the scheme of the present application, the front, rear, left, right, up and down directions are defined as shown in Figure 1 It can be understood that the front-rear direction in the embodiments of the present application refers to the length direction when the male sheath is placed as shown, the left-right direction refers to the width direction when the male sheath is placed as shown, and the up-down direction refers to the height direction when the male sheath is placed as shown.

[0035] In order to solve the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a male connector 100, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2The male connector 100 includes a wire cover 11, a male sheath 12, a terminal slot 13, and a TPA structure 14. The wire cover 11 is bidirectionally assembled with the male sheath 12 to achieve bidirectional fixation of the wire harness, avoid wire harness clutter, and improve the orderliness of wire harness arrangement. The male sheath 12 is used to protect the internal terminals and insulators from the external environment, such as preventing dust and moisture from entering, while also providing certain mechanical strength and support to keep the male connector 100 stable during plugging and unplugging. The terminal slot 13 is used to accommodate fixed terminals, and the TPA structure 14 is used to ensure that the terminals in the male connector 100 cannot be easily pulled out, increase the holding force of the terminal structure, and avoid problems such as signal attenuation and distortion caused by positional offset of the terminals, to ensure the quality and stability of signal transmission and improve the stability of the electrical system. At the same time, the TPA structure 14 of the present embodiment is inserted inside the male sheath 12, which ensures firm and reliable terminal connection while making the overall male connector 100 compact and high in space utilization, achieving a compact design of the male connector 100, facilitating installation in a small space, and meeting the development needs of automobile lightweighting and miniaturization.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 A limiting wall 15 is provided on one side of the terminal slot 13 to prevent the TPA structure 14 from falling out of the male sheath 12. The limiting wall 15 makes the cooperation between the TPA structure 14 and the terminal slot 13 tight, so that it is not easy to fall off. Specifically, the direction in which the TPA structure 14 is assembled towards the male sheath 12 is defined as a first direction, and the direction in which the TPA structure 14 moves left and right in the male sheath 12 is defined as a second direction, and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. The limiting wall 15 can provide resistance to the movement of the TPA structure 14 in the first direction, ensuring that there is no risk of the TPA structure 14 falling during transportation. Further, the limiting wall 15 is in the shape of a circular arc, which can better disperse external pressure, reduce stress concentration points, and improve the durability and life of the structure. At the same time, compared to a right angle or sharp design, the circular arc-shaped limiting wall 15 can provide higher structural strength under the same amount of material, making the connection between the male sheath 12 and the TPA structure 14 firm and reliable.

[0037] Further, reference Figure 2 and Figure 3The male connector 100 comprises a TPA guiding assembly 16. The TPA guiding assembly 16 is used for guiding and limiting the TPA structure 14, and comprises vertical guiding grooves 161 and a horizontal guiding platform 162, which are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the inner wall of the male sheath 12. The vertical guiding grooves 161 are formed by a pair of mutually symmetrical triangular prisms and the body of the male sheath 12 into a groove shape, and are used for guiding and limiting the position movement of the TPA structure 14 in a first direction; the horizontal guiding platform 162 is formed by a triangular platform arranged on the inner side wall of the male sheath 12, and is used for guiding and limiting the position movement of the TPA structure 14 in a second direction, and the platform shape can form a more stable contact surface when abutting against the TPA structure. Thus, the TPA structure 14 is precisely guided and limited, the assembly difficulty of the TPA structure 14 is reduced, and the assembly firmness is improved. Further, the side surface of the TPA structure 14 can be provided with a TPA guiding column 141, and through the mutual cooperation of the vertical guiding grooves 161 and the TPA guiding column 141, the TPA structure 14 is more stably assembled into the male sheath 12, and the TPA structure 14 is precisely guided to cooperate with the terminal slot 13.

[0038] Further, referring to Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , the TPA structure 14 comprises a TPA rib 142, a TPA tab 143 and a TPA limiting platform 144, and the male sheath 12 comprises a pre-locking position 121 and a final locking position 122. The TPA rib 142 is arranged at the intersection of the TPA structure 14 and the male sheath 12, so that the TPA structure 14 is stably assembled. The TPA tab 143 is arranged on at least one side of the TPA structure 14, and by pulling the TPA tab 143, the TPA structure 14 can be reciprocally switched between the pre-locking position 121 and the final locking position 122, and the surface of the TPA tab 143 is provided with a smooth pressing surface, which facilitates the operator to pull with the finger pad and conforms to the ergonomic design. The pre-locking position 121 and the final locking position 122 are respectively semi-cylindrical accommodating spaces, and the side surface of the TPA structure 14 comprises a semi-cylindrical body which can be mutually clamped with the pre-locking position 121 and the final locking position 122, so that the TPA structure 14 and the pre-locking position 121 and the final locking position 122 form a more stable locking state. At the same time, the semi-cylindrical body of the side surface of the TPA structure 14 can be provided as an elastic component, so that the TPA structure 14 is more stably moved from the pre-locking position 121 to the final locking position 122.

[0039] Referring to Figure 2 , when the TPA structure 14 is in the pre-locking position 121, there is a gap between the TPA structure 14 and the horizontal guiding platform 162.

[0040] Referring to Figure 4When the TPA structure 14 is in the final locking position 122, the TPA structure 14 is tightly attached to the transverse guide platform 162, and the TPA rib 142 interferes with the limiting wall 15. Thus, the TPA structure 14 can only be assembled into the public sheath 12 from the pre-locking position 121 and stably kept in the final locking position 122 to increase the holding force of terminal pulling out. Here, the TPA structure 14 can be moved from the pre-locking position 121 to the final locking position 122 by pushing the TPA push piece 143. At the same time, the TPA limiting platform 144 interferes with the terminal slot 13, so that the TPA structure 14 is more accurately matched with the terminal slot 13, and the firmness and reliability of the assembly of the TPA structure 14 are improved. It can be seen that this setting only needs to use part of the space in the public sheath 12, add the pre-locking position 121 and the final locking position 122, and fix the TPA structure 14, so that the public connector 100 can be designed to be light and small, and the TPA structure 14 can be conveniently and firmly installed in a small space.

[0041] Optionally, referring to Figure 4 , the terminal slot 13 includes a repair terminal slot 131 and a public end accommodating slot 132, and the repair terminal slot 131 is arranged on both sides of the public end accommodating slot 132. The public end accommodating slot 132 is used to accommodate the fixed terminal body, and the repair terminal slot 131 is used to adjust the fixed terminal in the public end accommodating slot 132 to a movable state to take out the terminal, thereby facilitating viewing or repair, etc.

[0042] Optionally, referring to Figure 5 , Figure 6 , the terminal slot 13 is provided with a front-end terminal prevention structure 133 and a rear-end terminal prevention structure 134. The contact surface of the front-end terminal prevention structure 133 with the terminal is provided with a limiting chamfer to limit the position of the elastic tongue of the terminal to prevent the front-end terminal from moving forward. The contact surface of the rear-end terminal prevention structure 134 with the terminal is provided with a limiting platform to limit the position of the elastic tongue of the terminal to prevent the rear-end terminal from moving backward. At the same time, the front-end terminal prevention structure 133 and the rear-end terminal prevention structure 134 form an accommodating space for the elastic tongue, and the repair terminal slot 131 has a slot hole leading to the accommodating space. By compressing the elastic tongue through the slot hole of the repair terminal slot 131, the terminal can be pulled out of the public end accommodating slot 132. It can be seen that by arranging the repair terminal slot 131 and the public end accommodating slot 132, the front-end terminal prevention structure 133 and the rear-end terminal prevention structure 134 on the terminal slot 13, the volume of the connector can be saved, the terminal can be more conveniently inserted and pulled out, the public connector 100 is firm and reliable, and the risk of displacement of the terminal during transportation is avoided.

[0043] Optionally, referring to Figure 7The outer side wall of the male connector 100 is provided with a buckle 123, an error prevention strip 124 and a matching chamfer 125. The buckle 123 is a trapezoidal structure step. The error prevention strip 124 is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the male connector 100. The chamfer structure is symmetrically arranged around the male connector 100. Thus, the risk of assembling the male and female connectors is reduced, and the precision and reliability of the matching of the male connector 100 and the female connector are improved.

[0044] Optionally, referring to Figure 7 、 Figure 8 The male connector 100 comprises a barb structure 17 and a guide structure 18. The barb structure 17 and the guide structure 18 can be slidably connected with each other, so that the wire cover 11 and the male connector 100 are bidirectionally assembled. In the embodiment, the barb structure 17 is at least partially fixedly arranged on the wire cover 11, and the guide structure 18 is at least partially fixedly arranged on the male connector 12. When the male connector 100 is fully assembled with the terminal, the wire cover 11 is pushed, so that the barb structure 17 slides along the guide slope until the wire cover 11 cannot be pushed, thereby fixing the wire harness on one side of the male connector 12 and protecting the stability of the terminal connection. As shown, the assembly of the wire cover 11 and the male connector 12 can be performed from left to right or from right to left, thereby increasing the fixing mode of the wire harness, improving the orderliness of the arrangement of the wire harness and the flexibility of application in various scenes.

[0045] The male connector provided by the utility model is described in detail above. In this paper, specific examples are applied to describe the structure and working principle of the utility model. The above description of the embodiments is only used to help understand the method and core idea of the utility model. It should be pointed out that for ordinary skilled persons in the technical field, the utility model can be improved and modified without departing from the principle of the utility model. These improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the utility model.

Claims

1. A male connector with a TPA structure, characterized by, The male connector comprises a male sheath and a terminal slot fixedly connected in the male sheath, a TPA structure movably connected in the male sheath, and the TPA structure and the terminal slot are movably connected with each other, and one side of the terminal slot is provided with a limiting wall for limiting the TPA structure.

2. The male connector with TPA structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting wall is in a circular arc shape.

3. The male connector with TPA structure according to claim 1, wherein, The male connector comprises a TPA guiding assembly for guiding and limiting the assembly of the TPA structure, and the TPA guiding assembly comprises vertical guiding grooves and horizontal guiding platforms respectively arranged on opposite sides of the inner wall of the male sheath.

4. The male connector with TPA structure according to claim 3, characterized in that, The male sheath comprises a pre-locking position and a final locking position, when the TPA structure is in the pre-locking position, there is a gap between the TPA structure and the horizontal guiding platform, and when the TPA structure is in the final locking position, the TPA structure is in close contact with the horizontal guiding platform.

5. The male connector with TPA structure according to claim 4, wherein, The TPA structure comprises a TPA rib, and when the TPA structure is in the pre-locking position, the TPA rib is in close contact with the limiting wall.

6. The male connector with TPA structure according to claim 4, wherein, At least one side of the TPA structure is provided with a TPA tab.

7. The male connector with TPA structure of claim 1, wherein, The male connector further comprises a wire cover, a plurality of barb structures and a guiding structure, the barb structures and the guiding structure are bidirectionally slidably connected, the barb structures are at least partially fixedly arranged on the wire cover, and the guiding structure is at least partially fixedly arranged on the male sheath.

8. The male connector with TPA structure of claim 1, wherein, The terminal slot comprises a repair terminal slot and a male terminal containing slot, and the repair terminal slot is arranged on both sides of the male terminal containing slot.

9. The male connector with TPA structure of claim 1, wherein, The terminal slot is provided with a front terminal prevention structure and a rear terminal prevention structure, the contact surface of the front terminal prevention structure is provided with a chamfer, and the contact surface of the rear terminal prevention structure is provided with a limiting platform.

10. The male connector with TPA structure of claim 1, wherein, The outer wall of the male sheath is provided with a mistake prevention strip, a chamfer structure and a buckle, the mistake prevention strip is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the male sheath, the chamfer structure is symmetrically arranged around the male sheath, and the buckle is in a trapezoidal structure step.

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