Flexible jack terminals, connectors and electrical connectors

Abstract

The present application relates to an elastic jack terminal, a connection socket and an electrical connector. The elastic jack terminal further includes a mounting shaft section, a contact structure and a positioning structure. The contact structure is connected to the end of the mounting shaft section. The contact structure includes a plurality of contact arms. The plurality of contact arms are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the mounting shaft section to enclose and form a plug hole for a pin terminal to be inserted. The contact arms are elastic bodies, enabling the plug hole to elastically expand and contract. The positioning structure includes a connecting arm and an abutting ring. The abutting ring has a through hole. Along the central axis of the mounting shaft section, the abutting ring is located at one end of the contact structure away from the mounting shaft section and is arranged at an interval from the contact structure. The abutting ring is used for abutting and positioning with an insulator. The through hole is aligned with the plug hole. One end of the connecting arm is connected to the mounting shaft section, and the other end is connected to the abutting ring. Both the contact structure and the positioning structure are generally annular structures, so they can be directly formed by rolling and stamping a sheet material, and the processing method is simple.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of conductive connection terminal technology, and in particular to a flexible socket terminal, a connection socket and an electrical connector. Background Technology

[0002] Electrical connector terminals are key structures used to achieve electrical connections, enabling stable transmission of current or signals through conductive contact with another terminal. However, current terminal structures require multiple processing and assembly steps, resulting in complex manufacturing processes that impact production efficiency and urgently need improvement. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a flexible socket terminal, a connection socket, and an electrical connector to address the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] This application provides a resilient socket terminal, which further includes a mounting shaft segment, a contact structure, and a positioning structure. The contact structure is connected to the end of the mounting shaft segment and includes multiple contact arms. The multiple contact arms are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the mounting shaft segment to form a plug hole. The plug hole is used for insertion of a pin terminal. The contact arms are elastic bodies, allowing the plug hole to expand and close elastically. The positioning structure includes a connecting arm and an abutment ring. The abutment ring has a through hole along the central axis of the mounting shaft segment. The abutment ring is located at the end of the contact structure away from the mounting shaft segment and is spaced apart from the contact structure. The abutment ring is used for positioning against an insulator. The through hole is aligned with the plug hole. One end of the connecting arm is connected to the mounting shaft segment, and the other end is connected to the abutment ring.

[0005] In one embodiment, the resilient socket terminal further includes a connector connected between the contact structure and the mounting shaft segment, such that at least a portion of the end of the contact structure is hollowed out between the contact structure and the mounting shaft segment.

[0006] In one embodiment, the insertion hole has an access hole section located at one end of the contact structure near the abutment ring, and the inner cross-sectional dimension of the access hole section gradually decreases in the direction close to the mounting shaft section along the axis of the mounting shaft section.

[0007] In one embodiment, the insertion hole further includes an inner hole section located on the side away from the abutment ring relative to the access hole section, and the smallest inner diameter of the insertion hole is located at the junction of the inner hole section and the access hole section; the access hole section includes a guide wall, which is arc-shaped and extends from the end of the contact structure near the abutment ring in a direction away from the abutment ring to a position where it connects with the hole wall of the inner hole section.

[0008] In one embodiment, in a direction perpendicular to the central axis of the mounting shaft segment, the inner wall of the through hole is located in the inner ring relative to the outer edge of the guide wall.

[0009] In one embodiment, the connecting arm and the plurality of contact arms are distributed on the same ring.

[0010] In one embodiment, one end of the plurality of contact arms away from the mounting shaft segment is turned inward toward the central axis of the mounting shaft segment relative to the other end.

[0011] In one embodiment, the mounting shaft segment includes a body and at least one limiting ring, the limiting ring protruding from the outer periphery of the body for fixed engagement with the insulator.

[0012] A second aspect of this application also provides a connector socket, the connector socket including the resilient socket terminals as described above.

[0013] A third aspect of this application also provides an electrical connector, which includes the resilient jack terminal as described above, or includes the connection socket as described above.

[0014] In the aforementioned resilient socket terminal, the insertion hole is formed by multiple contact arms surrounding it in the circumferential direction, and the abutment ring has a through hole and is hollow. That is to say, the contact structure and positioning structure included in the resilient socket terminal are both approximately annular structures, therefore they can be directly formed from sheet metal through rolling and stamping without other processing steps, simplifying the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the contact arms are configured as elastic bodies to more securely clamp the pin terminal. In this application, the abutment ring and the contact structure are spaced apart, so that the movement of the contact arms being stretched open by the pin terminal and their retraction movement based on their own elasticity are not interfered with by the abutment ring, allowing the contact arms to move freely and elastically, facilitating smooth insertion and mating of the pin terminal and the insertion hole. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a top view of a connection socket provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0016] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the connector along line AA.

[0017] Figure 3 This is an isometric view of a resilient socket terminal provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0018] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Side view of the flexible socket terminal shown.

[0019] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A top view of the flexible socket terminal shown.

[0020] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The cross-sectional view of the flexible socket terminal shown along line BB.

[0021] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified view of point C in the flexible socket terminal shown.

[0022] Reference numerals: 10, Connecting socket; 11, Flexible plug terminal; 12, Insulator; 12a, Mounting hole; 12b, Positioning wall; 13, Housing; 14, Joint seam; 100, Mounting shaft section; 110, Body; 120, Limiting ring; 130, Baffle; 140, Opening; 200, Contact structure; 210, Contact arm; 220, Plug-in hole; 221, Access hole section; 222, Inner hole section; 223, Guide wall; 300, Positioning structure; 310, Connecting arm; 320, Abutment ring; 321, Through hole; 400, Connecting body; 500, Connecting shaft section; O, Axis. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0024] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0025] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0026] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the use of descriptions such as "above" or "below" the second feature indicates that the first and second features are in direct contact or indirect contact via an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0028] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0029] Traditional electrical connector terminals are typically cylindrical, formed from a conductive rod-shaped substrate (such as a metal rod). Taking a metal rod as an example, a shoulder can be machined around its outer circumference to form a locating fit with a stepped hole in the insulator. Further, a hollow mounting cavity needs to be machined inside the metal rod, and then a crown spring is inserted into the cavity. This crown spring is a mating element with a concave arc surface. After the pin terminal is inserted into the crown spring, the concave arc surface of the crown spring fits tightly with the pin terminal, reducing the chance of the pin terminal falling out. However, this terminal manufacturing method requires not only turning and drilling, but also the insertion of a crown spring to mate with the pin terminal, making the operation cumbersome.

[0030] To address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a resilient socket terminal, which includes a contact structure and a positioning structure. The contact structure includes multiple contact arms spaced apart in the circumferential direction. These contact arms are elastic and collectively clamp a pin terminal, forming a stable connection with it. The positioning structure includes an abutment ring located at the end of the contact structure used for insertion with the pin terminal and spaced apart from the contact structure. The abutment ring is used to abut against an insulator for positioning, ensuring the resilient socket terminal has a defined axial position within the insulator. Since the multiple contact arms and the abutment ring are arranged in a ring shape, the resilient socket terminal provided in this application can be directly obtained from sheet metal through rolling and stamping, requiring no other processing steps, thus simplifying the manufacturing process. The following detailed description, in conjunction with the specification and specific embodiments, describes the resilient socket terminal provided in various embodiments of this application, as well as the connection socket and electrical connector including this resilient socket terminal.

[0031] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is an isometric schematic diagram of a connector socket provided in one embodiment of this application. The connector socket 10 provided in one embodiment of this application includes an insulator 12 and a resilient socket terminal 11, the resilient socket terminal 11 being disposed within the insulator 12. Thus, the insulator 12 isolates the resilient socket terminal 11 from the external environment, effectively blocking unintended current conduction paths. Furthermore, the insulator 12 provides mechanical support for the resilient socket terminal 11, giving it a defined position for easy insertion with a pin terminal (not shown in the figure, the same below).

[0032] Please see Figure 2 In one embodiment, the insulator 12 has a mounting hole 12a through which the resilient socket terminal 11 passes. Further, the mounting hole 12a has a positioning wall 12b in its wall, which abuts against the resilient socket terminal 11 to limit the axial position of the resilient socket terminal 11, placing it in the desired axial position.

[0033] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 An embodiment of this application provides a resilient socket terminal 11, including a mounting shaft section 100, a contact structure 200, and a positioning structure 300. Both the contact structure 200 and the positioning structure 300 are connected to the mounting shaft section 100. The contact structure 200 is used to insert into a socket terminal, and the two are electrically connected for transmitting current and signals. The positioning structure 300 is used for positioning and engaging with an insulator 12. The contact structure 200 is connected to the end of the mounting shaft section 100. The contact structure 200 includes a plurality of contact arms 210, which are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the mounting shaft section 100 to form a insertion hole 220. The insertion hole 220 is used for inserting a pin terminal. The contact arms 210 are elastic bodies, allowing the insertion hole 220 to expand and contract elastically. The positioning structure 300 includes a connecting arm 310 and an abutment ring 320, the abutment ring 320 having a through hole 321. Along the central axis O of the mounting shaft segment 100, the abutment ring 320 is located at the end of the contact structure 200 away from the mounting shaft segment 100 and is spaced apart from the contact structure 200. The abutment ring 320 is used for positioning and contacting the insulator 12. The through hole 321 is aligned with the insertion hole 220. One end of the connecting arm 310 is connected to the mounting shaft segment 100, and the other end is connected to the abutment ring 320.

[0034] In the aforementioned resilient socket terminal 11, the insertion hole 220 is formed by multiple contact arms 210 surrounding each other in the circumferential direction, and the abutment ring 320 has a through hole 321 and is hollow annular. That is to say, the main functional components of the resilient socket terminal 11, namely the contact structure 200 and the positioning structure 300, are both roughly annular structures. Therefore, they can be directly formed from sheet metal by rolling and stamping without any other processing technology, making the processing method simple.

[0035] Furthermore, the contact arm 210 is configured as an elastomer to more securely clamp the pin terminal. In this embodiment, the abutment ring 320 is spaced apart from the contact structure 200, so that the movement of the contact arm 210 being stretched open by the pin terminal and its movement retracting based on its own elasticity are not interfered with by the abutment ring 320, allowing the contact arm 210 to move freely and elastically, facilitating smooth insertion and engagement of the pin terminal and the insertion hole 220.

[0036] Please continue reading. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the connecting arm 310 and the plurality of contact arms 210 are distributed on the same ring. Therefore, the connecting arm 310, like the plurality of contact arms 210, can be easily formed by stamping, so that the abutment ring 320 can be stably positioned at the end of the contact structure 200 away from the mounting shaft section 100.

[0037] Please see Figure 3In one embodiment, the resilient socket terminal 11 has a joint seam 14 extending from and distributed across the mounting shaft section 100, the contact structure 200, and the positioning structure 300. The resilient socket terminal 11 can be stamped to form a hollow tube from a flat plate. The opposite sides of the flat resilient socket terminal 11 are rolled and then positioned facing each other to form the joint seam 14. That is, each structure included in the resilient socket terminal 11 can be obtained from a generally flat substrate through stamping, cutting, and rolling steps, making the processing simple and convenient. It is understood that the spacing between adjacent contact arms 210, the spacing between the connecting arm 310 and the contact arm 210, and other hollowed-out areas of the resilient socket terminal 11 mentioned below can be obtained by stamping and cutting off portions of the substrate.

[0038] Furthermore, since the multiple contact arms 210 are spaced apart, the joint seam 14 may coincide with the spacing between the contact arms 210, so that there will be no additional joint seam 14 on the contact structure 200.

[0039] Please see Figure 3 In one embodiment, the mounting shaft segment 100 includes a body 110 and at least one limiting ring 120. The limiting ring 120 protrudes from the outer periphery of the body 110 and is used for fixed engagement with the insulator 12. Further, the limiting ring 120 can be interference-fitted with the mounting hole 12a to fix it relative to the insulator 12. Of course, in other embodiments, the mounting hole 12a can also be configured to have an annular groove, through which the limiting ring 120 is engaged to achieve a fixed engagement.

[0040] Please continue reading. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the resilient socket terminal 11 further includes a connector 400 connected between the contact structure 200 and the mounting shaft segment 100, such that at least a portion of the end of the contact structure 200 is hollowed out from the mounting shaft segment 100. Because at least a portion of the end of the contact structure 200 is hollowed out from the mounting shaft segment 100, the contact arm 210 can move more freely and elastically with the insertion and removal of the pin terminal. In short, configuring at least a portion of the end of the contact structure 200 to be hollowed out from the mounting shaft segment 100 reduces the influence of the mounting shaft segment 100 on the position of the contact arm 210, facilitating the elastic deformation of the contact arm 210.

[0041] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the connector 400 is connected between the end of the mounting shaft segment 100 and the end of the contact structure 200. Furthermore, the connector 400 is configured as an arcuate plate, extending along the circumferential direction of the mounting shaft segment 100.

[0042] Please see Figure 7 Combined Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment, the insertion hole 220 has an access hole section 221. The access hole section 221 is located at one end of the contact structure 200 near the abutment ring 320. The inner cross-sectional dimensions of the access hole section 221 gradually decrease in the direction close to the mounting shaft section 100 along the axis O of the mounting shaft section 100. Thus, the access hole section 221 is generally flared, which facilitates the insertion of the pin terminal into the insertion hole 220 and improves the smoothness of the insertion.

[0043] Please see Figure 7 In one embodiment, the insertion hole 220 further includes an inner hole section 222, which is located on the side away from the abutment ring 320 relative to the access hole section 221. The inner hole section 222 communicates with the access hole section 221, and the smallest inner diameter of the insertion hole 220 is located at the junction of the inner hole section 222 and the access hole section 221. The access hole section 221 includes a guide wall 223, which is arc-shaped and extends from the end of the contact structure 200 near the abutment ring 320 in a direction away from the abutment ring 320 to a position where it connects with the hole wall of the inner hole section 222. Since the guide wall 223 extends inward from the end, when there is a certain misalignment of the pin terminal, the guide wall 223 can conveniently guide the pin terminal axially into the insertion hole 220.

[0044] Please see Figure 5 Combined Figure 7 In one embodiment, in the direction of the central axis O of the vertical mounting shaft segment 100, the inner wall of the through hole 321 is located in the inner circle relative to the outer edge of the guide wall 223. Because there is a gap between the abutment ring 320 and the contact structure 200, there is a risk that the pin terminal may protrude from the gap between the abutment ring 320 and the contact structure 200 when the pin terminal is inserted into the insertion hole 220. In this embodiment, the inner wall of the through hole 321 is positioned in the inner circle relative to the outer edge of the guide wall 223. With the circumferential contraction of the inner wall of the through hole 321, the risk of the pin terminal extending into the gap between the abutment ring 320 and the contact structure 200 can be reduced, improving the smoothness of insertion.

[0045] Please see Figure 6 In one embodiment, one end of a plurality of contact arms 210 away from the mounting shaft segment 100 is turned inward toward the central axis O of the mounting shaft segment 100 relative to the other end, so as to resiliently clamp the pin terminal and form a stable connection.

[0046] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 6In one embodiment, the mounting shaft segment 100 further includes a baffle 130 disposed within the body 110 to axially cut off the internal cavity of the body 110, reducing the probability of dust, debris, and other particles entering the terminal contact area (i.e., the insertion hole 220) and improving the stability of the electrical connection. In one embodiment, the baffle 130 may be formed by stamping a portion of the outer periphery of the body 110 and bending it into the body 110. An opening 140 is formed on the outer periphery of the body 110 after stamping.

[0047] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 In one embodiment, the resilient jack terminal 11 further includes a connecting shaft segment 500 connected to the end of the mounting shaft segment 100 away from the contact structure 200. The connecting shaft segment 500 is used for connection to an external cable.

[0048] Please refer to it again. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the connection socket 10 further includes a housing 13, and an insulator 12 is disposed within the housing 13.

[0049] One embodiment of this application also provides an electrical connector, which includes a resilient jack terminal 11 and a connection socket 10 as described in various embodiments, and thus the electrical connector also has all the beneficial effects of the resilient jack terminal 11 and the connection socket 10.

[0050] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0051] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An elastic jack terminal, characterized by, The resilient socket terminal includes: Install shaft section; A contact structure is connected to the end of the mounting shaft section. The contact structure includes multiple contact arms, which are spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the mounting shaft section to form a plug hole. The plug hole is used for inserting pin terminals. The contact arms are elastic bodies, allowing the plug hole to expand and close elastically. The positioning structure includes a connecting arm and an abutment ring. The abutment ring has a through hole along the central axis of the mounting shaft segment. The abutment ring is located at the end of the contact structure away from the mounting shaft segment and is spaced apart from the contact structure. The abutment ring is used for positioning against an insulator. The through hole is aligned with the insertion hole. One end of the connecting arm is connected to the mounting shaft segment, and the other end is connected to the abutment ring.

2. The elastic jack terminal according to claim 1, wherein The resilient socket terminal also includes a connector, which is connected between the contact structure and the mounting shaft segment, such that at least a portion of the end of the contact structure is hollowed out between the contact structure and the mounting shaft segment.

3. The elastic jack terminal of claim 1, wherein The insertion hole has an access hole section located at one end of the contact structure near the abutment ring. The inner cross-sectional dimension of the access hole section gradually decreases in the direction close to the mounting shaft section along the axis of the mounting shaft section.

4. The elastomeric jack terminal of claim 3, wherein: The insertion hole also includes an inner hole section, which is located on the side away from the abutment ring relative to the access hole section, and the smallest inner diameter of the insertion hole is located at the joint between the inner hole section and the access hole section; The access hole segment includes an inlet wall, which is arc-shaped and extends from one end of the contact structure near the abutment ring in a direction away from the abutment ring to a position where it connects with the hole wall of the inner hole segment.

5. The elastomeric jack terminal of claim 4, wherein: In the direction perpendicular to the central axis of the mounting shaft segment, the inner wall of the through hole is located in the inner ring relative to the outer edge of the guide wall.

6. The elastomeric jack terminal of claim 1, wherein: The connecting arm and the plurality of contact arms are distributed on the same ring.

7. The elastomeric jack terminal of claim 1, wherein One end of each of the contact arms, away from the mounting shaft section, is turned inward toward the central axis of the mounting shaft section relative to the other end.

8. The elastomeric jack terminal of claim 1, wherein: The mounting shaft section includes a body and at least one limiting ring. The limiting ring protrudes from the outer periphery of the body and is used for fixed engagement with the insulator.

9. A connection socket, characterized by The connection socket includes a resilient jack terminal as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. An electrical connector, comprising: The electrical connector includes a resilient jack terminal as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or a connection socket as described in claim 9.

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