Male end electric connector and electric connector assembly

Abstract

The utility model relates to a male end electric connector and an electric connector assembly. The male end electric connector comprises a front shell, a male end terminal assembly and a rear shell. The front shell is provided with a positioning cavity, and the positioning cavity is located at the rear end of the front shell. The male end terminal assembly is used for being installed in the front shell from the rear end of the front shell. The rear shell is provided with a front positioning part and a rear positioning part, and the outer surface of the front positioning part is configured to be matched with the inner surface of the positioning cavity of the front shell, so that the front shell is fixedly connected to the rear shell; the inner surface of the rear positioning portion is configured to cooperate with the outer surface of a part of the male end terminal assembly so as to fixedly connect the male end terminal assembly to the rear housing. According to the technical scheme provided by the utility model, the manufacturing cost of an electric connector product can be reduced, and the production efficiency of the electric connector product can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of connector technology, and in particular to automotive male type-C connectors. Background Technology

[0002] Type-C is a USB interface standard. This interface has no reversible orientation, allowing for easy plugging and unplugging, and supports USB standard functions such as charging, display, and data transfer. With the increasing adoption of Type-C, more and more automotive parts manufacturers and producers are beginning to use automotive Type-C connectors.

[0003] Existing automotive Type-C connectors typically consist of a housing and terminal assemblies, with the housing housing and protecting the terminal assemblies. The assembly and positioning of the terminal assemblies within the housing are accomplished using one or more TPA (Terminal Position Assurance) components. Typically, TPA components are molded using individual plastic molds. To ensure the terminal assemblies are fixed in position within the housing, existing automotive Type-C connectors (including male and female Type-C connectors) generally require high dimensional accuracy from the TPA components and the housing and terminal assemblies they connect to. Furthermore, assembling and positioning the connector's housing and terminal assemblies using TPA components places high demands on the precision of the assembly equipment and presents a significant challenge in improving connector assembly efficiency.

[0004] The same issues exist in other automotive connectors that utilize TPA components for terminal assembly and positioning. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical solution proposed in this utility model aims to solve the problems of high manufacturing cost and / or low assembly efficiency of existing vehicle connectors.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a male electrical connector is provided, the male electrical connector comprising a front housing, a male terminal assembly, and a rear housing, the front housing having a positioning cavity located at the rear end of the front housing; the male terminal assembly being for mounting from the rear end of the front housing into the front housing; the rear housing having a front positioning portion and a rear positioning portion, the front positioning portion being configured such that its outer surface mates with the inner surface of the positioning cavity of the front housing to securely connect the front housing to the rear housing, and the rear positioning portion being configured such that its inner surface mates with a portion of the outer surface of the male terminal assembly to securely connect the male terminal assembly to the rear housing.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electrical connector assembly is provided, the electrical connector assembly comprising a male electrical connector as described above; and a female electrical connector having a mating cavity configured for at least partial insertion therein of a mating portion of the male electrical connector.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution proposed in this utility model can meet the assembly and positioning of terminal components in the housing without the need for TPA parts, thereby effectively reducing the manufacturing cost of electrical connector products and improving the production efficiency of electrical connector products. Attached Figure Description

[0009] To further illustrate the above and other advantages and features of the various embodiments of the present invention, a more specific description of the various embodiments of the present invention will be presented with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the present invention and are therefore not intended to limit the scope of protection claimed by the present invention.

[0010] Figure 1 An exploded view of a male Type-C connector as seen from the front end, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0011] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the front housing of a male Type-C connector, viewed from the rear end, is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 This diagram shows a front housing and male terminal assembly mounted together, viewed from the rear direction, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the rear housing of a male type-C connector, viewed from the rear end direction, is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a male Type-C connector, viewed from the rear end, according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0015] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the male type-C connector, viewed from the front end, is shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Some of the attached figure labels:

[0017] 100 male Type-C connector;

[0018] 1 Front housing; 11 Matching part; 111 Terminal receiving cavity; 12 Front end of front housing; 13 Terminal limiting cavity; 131 Inner wall of terminal limiting cavity; 14 Rear end of front housing; 15 Positioning cavity; 151 Stop wall; 152 Opening; 153 Side wall of positioning cavity; 154 Gap;

[0019] 2. Male terminal assembly; 21. Sheath; 211. Stop face; 23. Male terminal; 231. First part of male terminal; 25. Wire; 251. Second part of wire;

[0020] 3 Rear housing; 31 Front positioning part; 311 Main body part; 313 Protrusion part; 33 Rear positioning part. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. More details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can obviously be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art can make similar extensions and derivations based on actual application situations without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should not be limited by the content of this specific embodiment.

[0022] This application uses specific terms to describe embodiments of the application. Terms such as "one embodiment," "other embodiments," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a particular feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of the application. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that "one embodiment," "other embodiments," or "some embodiments" mentioned twice or more in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the application can be appropriately combined.

[0023] It should be noted that, in order to simplify the description of the present application and thus aid in the understanding of one or more embodiments, the description of the embodiments of the present application may sometimes combine multiple features into a single embodiment, drawing, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of the application requires more features than those mentioned in the claims.

[0024] Figure 1 An exploded view of a male Type-C connector 100, viewed from the front end, according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 As shown, the male type-C connector 100 (hereinafter referred to as connector 100) may include a front housing 1, a male terminal assembly 2 and a rear housing 3.

[0025] See Figure 1The front housing 1 may have a mating portion 11, which may be located at the front end 12 of the front housing 1, for at least partially inserting into the mating cavity of a mating end connector (e.g., a female Type-C connector) to connect the connector 100 to the mating end connector (e.g., a female Type-C connector) to form an electrical connector assembly. See also Figure 1 The mating part 11 may have a terminal receiving cavity 111. The terminal receiving cavity 111 may extend through the mating part 11 and is used to receive a portion of the male terminal 23. The front housing 1 may have a rear end 14 opposite to the front end 12, and the male terminal assembly 2 may be installed into the front housing 1 from the rear end 14 of the front housing 1.

[0026] See Figure 2 , Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the front housing 1 in a male type-C connector 100, viewed from the rear direction, according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the front housing 1 may also have a terminal limiting cavity 13 and a positioning cavity 15. The terminal limiting cavity 13 may be located between and communicate with the terminal receiving cavity 111 and the positioning cavity 15 of the mating part 11. The positioning cavity 15 may be located at the rear end 14 of the front housing 1. See also Figure 2 The front housing 1 may have a stop wall 151, which may be located between the terminal limiting cavity 13 and the positioning cavity 15. The positioning cavity 15 may extend from the rear end 14 of the front housing 1 to the front end 12 and terminate at the stop wall 151.

[0027] See Figure 1 The male terminal assembly 2 may include a sheath 21, the front end of which may have a stop surface 211. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the male terminal assembly 2 may further include a male terminal 23, the first part 231 of which may extend from the stop surface 211 at the front end of the sheath 21, and the second part ( Figure 1 (Not shown) may be located inside the sheath 21. See also Figure 1 The male terminal assembly 2 may also include a wire 25. The wire 25 may be electrically connected to the male terminal 23, for example, the first portion of the wire 25 ( Figure 1 (Not shown) may be located within the sheath 21 and electrically connected to the second portion of the male terminal 23 located within the sheath 21. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the second part 251 of the conductor 25 can extend from the rear end of the sheath 21.

[0028] During the installation of the male terminal assembly 2 from the rear end 14 of the front housing 1, the first portion 231 of the male terminal 23 of the terminal assembly 2 can enter the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 from the rear end 14 of the front housing 1, and further enter the terminal limiting cavity 13 and the terminal receiving cavity 111. See Figure 3 , Figure 3 This diagram shows a front housing 1 and a male terminal assembly 2 assembled together, viewed from the rear direction according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] When the male terminal assembly 2 is installed into the front housing 1, the front end terminal of the first portion 231 of the male terminal 23 (which is located away from the stop surface 211 of the sheath 21) is located in the terminal receiving cavity 111 of the mating portion 11 of the front housing 1, and the rear end terminal of the first portion 231 (which is located close to the stop surface 211 of the sheath 21) is located in the terminal limiting cavity 13 of the front housing 1, and the outer surface of the rear end terminal can contact the inner wall 131 of the terminal limiting cavity 13. The sheath 21 of the male terminal assembly 2 is located at least partially in the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1, and the stop surface 211 at the front end of the sheath 21 can contact the stop wall 151 of the front housing 1. The contact between the inner wall 131 of the terminal limiting cavity 13 and the outer surface of the rear end terminal of the first portion 231 of the male terminal 23 prevents the front housing 1 and the male terminal assembly 2, which are installed together, from shaking relative to each other in the circumferential direction. The contact between the stop wall 151 of the front housing 1 and the stop surface 211 at the front end of the sheath 21 of the male terminal assembly 2 can prevent the male terminal assembly 2 from moving further to the front end 12 of the front housing 1.

[0030] See Figure 1 The connector 100 may also include a rear housing 3. The rear housing 3 can be formed by injection molding and can be fixedly connected to the front housing 1 and the male terminal assembly 2 during the injection molding process. For example, the front housing 1 and the male terminal assembly 2 can be pre-assembled to form a pre-installed part (such as...). Figure 3 (As shown), the pre-installed component is then placed in an injection mold for forming the rear housing 3, and finally the rear housing 3 is formed by injection molding. During the formation of the rear housing 3, the material constituting the rear housing 3 can first fill the cavity between the front housing 1 and the male terminal assembly 2 in a flowing state (this cavity may include the opening 152 and the gap 154 ​​in the positioning cavity 15, such as...). Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the cavity portion between the injection mold and the pre-installed part (not shown in the figure) can then be cured to form a solid rear housing 3. The cured rear housing 3 can further secure the front housing 1 and the male terminal assembly 2, which are mounted together, to each other.

[0031] See Figure 1 The rear housing 3 may have a front positioning portion 31, which may be located at the front end of the rear housing 3. The front positioning portion 31 may be configured such that its outer surface mates with the inner surface of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 to securely connect the front housing 1 to the rear housing 3. Figure 1As shown, the front positioning part 31 may have a main body 311. The main body 311 may be configured to fill the gap 154 ​​between the sidewall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 and the sheath 21 of the male terminal assembly 2. See also Figure 1 The front positioning portion 31 may also have a protrusion 313, which protrudes outward from the outer surface of the main body portion 311. The protrusion 313 may be configured to fill the opening 152 on the side wall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1. The number and shape of the protrusions 313 may be adapted to the number and shape of the openings 152 described below.

[0032] See Figure 2 The sidewall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 may have an opening 152. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the sidewall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 may have three openings 152, each of which may be configured as a T-shaped opening. Correspondingly, the front positioning portion 31 of the rear housing 3 may have three protrusions 313, each of which may be configured as a T-shaped protrusion to fill the corresponding T-shaped opening. The engagement between the T-shaped opening and the T-shaped protrusion prevents the front housing 1 and the rear housing 3 from separating from each other, thereby fixing the front housing 1 to the rear housing 3.

[0033] In other embodiments, the sidewall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 may have other numbers of openings 152. For example, the sidewall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 may have two openings 152, which may be symmetrically (e.g., left-right symmetrical or top-bottom symmetrical) arranged on the sidewall 153. In other embodiments, the openings 152 may be configured to have other shapes, such as trapezoidal, star-shaped, etc., as long as the opening of such shape cooperates with the corresponding protrusion to prevent the front housing 1 and the rear housing 3 from separating from each other.

[0034] In other embodiments, the inner sidewall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 may have a groove. Correspondingly, the front positioning portion 31 of the rear housing 3 may have a protrusion protruding outward from its outer surface, which may be configured to engage with the groove on the inner sidewall 153 of the positioning cavity 15 of the front housing 1 to securely connect the front housing 1 to the rear housing 3.

[0035] See Figure 4 , Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the rear housing 3 in a male type-C connector 100, viewed from the rear end, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. Figure 4 As shown, the rear housing 3 may have a rear positioning portion 33, which may be located at the rear end of the rear housing 3. The rear positioning portion 33 may be configured such that its inner surface mates with the outer surface of a portion of the male terminal assembly 2 to securely connect the terminal assembly 2 to the rear housing 3.

[0036] In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the sheath 21 of the male terminal assembly 2 may have a tail 213, which may have a groove. The rear positioning portion 33 of the rear housing 3 may have a protrusion protruding inward from its inner surface, which may be configured to engage with the groove of the tail 213 of the sheath 21 of the male terminal assembly 2 to prevent the terminal assembly 2 and the rear housing 3 from disengaging from each other, thereby securing the terminal assembly 2 to the rear housing 3.

[0037] In other embodiments, the sheath 21 of the male terminal assembly 2 may have a tail, the outer surface of which may form a bent surface relative to the outer surface of the front end portion of the wire 25 (i.e., the portion near the sheath 21). The inner surface of the rear positioning portion 33 of the rear housing 3 may be configured to mate with the bent surface to prevent the terminal assembly 2 and the rear housing 3 from disengaging from each other, thereby securing the terminal assembly 2 to the rear housing 3.

[0038] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a male type-C connector 100 as viewed from the rear end according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of a male type-C connector 100 as viewed from the front end, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0039] In the technical solution proposed in this utility model, the desired connector product can be obtained by first assembling the front housing 1 and the male terminal assembly 2, and then forming the rear housing 3 on the assembled front housing 1 and male terminal assembly 2 by injection molding, without any additional assembly steps. Due to the connection relationship between the rear housing 3 and the front housing 1 and the male terminal assembly 2, the position of the male terminal assembly 1 in the front housing 1 of the obtained connector product can be fixed.

[0040] Although the connector 100 has been described above in the context of a male Type-C connector, it should be understood that the connector 100 described herein can also be applied to other types of electrical connectors, such as other non-Type-C interface electrical connectors.

[0041] The following is a list of additional non-limiting examples that can be applied to one or more of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0042] Example 1. A male electrical connector comprising:

[0043] A front housing having a positioning cavity located at the rear end of the front housing;

[0044] A male terminal assembly for mounting from the rear end of the front housing into the interior of the front housing; and

[0045] Rear housing, the rear housing having:

[0046] A front positioning part, the outer surface of which is configured to mate with the inner surface of the positioning cavity of the front housing, to securely connect the front housing to the rear housing; and

[0047] A rear positioning portion, the rear positioning portion being configured such that its inner surface mates with the outer surface of a portion of the male terminal assembly to securely connect the male terminal assembly to the rear housing.

[0048] Example 2. The male electrical connector as described in Example 1, wherein the front housing further comprises:

[0049] A terminal limiting cavity, wherein the terminal limiting cavity is connected to the positioning cavity;

[0050] A stop wall, located between the positioning cavity and the terminal limiting cavity and configured to prevent the male terminal assembly from moving further toward the front end of the front housing during the installation of the male terminal assembly from the rear end of the front housing to the front housing.

[0051] Example 3. The male electrical connector as described in Example 2, wherein the front housing further has a mating portion located at the front end of the front housing and having a terminal receiving cavity extending therethrough.

[0052] The terminal limiting cavity is located between the positioning cavity and the terminal receiving cavity and communicates with both the positioning cavity and the terminal receiving cavity.

[0053] Example 4. The male electrical connector as described in Example 3, wherein the male terminal assembly includes:

[0054] A sheath, the front end of which has a stop surface;

[0055] A male terminal, wherein a first portion of the male terminal extends out of the sheath from the stop face at the front end of the sheath and a second portion is located within the sheath; and

[0056] The wire is electrically connected to the male terminal.

[0057] When the male terminal assembly is installed into the front housing, a portion of the first part of the male terminal is located in the terminal limiting cavity of the front housing, at least a portion of the sheath is located in the positioning cavity of the front housing, and the stop surface of the sheath contacts the stop wall inside the front housing.

[0058] Example 5. The male electrical connector as described in Example 4, wherein the front positioning portion in the rear housing has a body portion configured to fill the gap between the sidewall of the positioning cavity of the front housing and the sheath of the male terminal assembly.

[0059] Example 6. The male electrical connector as described in Example 5, wherein the sidewall of the positioning cavity of the front housing has at least one opening, and the front positioning portion of the rear housing has at least one protrusion, each of the at least one protrusion protruding outward from the outer surface of the body portion and used to fill a corresponding opening in the at least one opening.

[0060] Example 7. The male electrical connector as described in Example 6, wherein the positioning cavity of the front housing has two symmetrically arranged openings on its sidewall, and the front positioning portion of the rear housing has two symmetrically arranged protrusions.

[0061] Example 8. The male electrical connector as described in Example 6, wherein the opening is configured as a T-shaped opening and the protrusion is configured as a T-shaped protrusion for filling the T-shaped opening.

[0062] Example 9. A male electrical connector as described in any one of Examples 3-8, wherein the male electrical connector is an automotive male type-C connector.

[0063] Example 10. An electrical connector assembly, the electrical connector assembly comprising:

[0064] Male electrical connectors as described in any of Examples 3-9; and

[0065] A female electrical connector having a mating cavity configured for at least partial insertion of a mating portion of a male electrical connector therein.

[0066] Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be limited thereto, but rather to be limited only by the scope set forth in the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A male electrical connector, characterized in that, The male electrical connector includes: A front housing having a positioning cavity located at the rear end of the front housing; A male terminal assembly for mounting from the rear end of the front housing into the interior of the front housing; and Rear housing, the rear housing having: A front positioning part, the outer surface of which is configured to mate with the inner surface of the positioning cavity of the front housing, to securely connect the front housing to the rear housing; and A rear positioning portion, the rear positioning portion being configured such that its inner surface mates with the outer surface of a portion of the male terminal assembly to securely connect the male terminal assembly to the rear housing.

2. The male electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front housing also has: A terminal limiting cavity, wherein the terminal limiting cavity is connected to the positioning cavity; A stop wall, located between the positioning cavity and the terminal limiting cavity and configured to prevent the male terminal assembly from moving further toward the front end of the front housing during the installation of the male terminal assembly from the rear end of the front housing to the front housing.

3. The male electrical connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The front housing also has a mating portion located at the front end of the front housing and having a terminal receiving cavity extending therethrough. The terminal limiting cavity is located between the positioning cavity and the terminal receiving cavity and communicates with both the positioning cavity and the terminal receiving cavity.

4. The male electrical connector as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The male terminal assembly includes: A sheath, the front end of which has a stop surface; A male terminal, wherein a first portion of the male terminal extends out of the sheath from the stop face at the front end of the sheath and a second portion is located within the sheath; and The wire is electrically connected to the male terminal. When the male terminal assembly is installed into the front housing, a portion of the first part of the male terminal is located in the terminal limiting cavity of the front housing, at least a portion of the sheath is located in the positioning cavity of the front housing, and the stop surface of the sheath contacts the stop wall inside the front housing.

5. The male electrical connector as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The front positioning portion in the rear housing has a main body portion configured to fill the gap between the sidewall of the positioning cavity of the front housing and the sheath of the male terminal assembly.

6. The male electrical connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The sidewall of the positioning cavity of the front housing has at least one opening. The front positioning portion of the rear housing has at least one protrusion, each of the at least one protrusion protruding outward from the outer surface of the main body and used to fill a corresponding opening in the at least one opening.

7. The male electrical connector as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The positioning cavity of the front housing has two symmetrically arranged openings on its side wall, and The front positioning part of the rear housing has two symmetrically arranged protrusions.

8. The male electrical connector as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The opening is configured as a T-shaped opening, and The protrusion is configured as a T-shaped protrusion to fill the T-shaped opening.

9. The male electrical connector as described in any one of claims 3-8, characterized in that, The male connector is a vehicle-mounted male type-C connector.

10. An electrical connector assembly, characterized in that, The electrical connector assembly includes: The male electrical connector as described in any one of claims 3-9; and A female electrical connector having a mating cavity configured for at least partial insertion of a mating portion of a male electrical connector therein.

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