Elastic sheet type electric connector

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of electric connectors, and particularly discloses an elastic sheet type electric connector which comprises a shell and a terminal assembly arranged in the shell, the terminal assembly comprises a terminal and an elastic sheet elastically abutting against the terminal, and the elastic sheet is arranged in the shell. The elastic sheet can be separated from the terminal under the action of external force to form a clamping space for clamping a wire harness entering the shell, and an elastic sheet stopping part for stopping the elastic sheet is arranged on a separation path of the elastic sheet. Compared with the prior art, the elastic sheet type electric connector has the advantages that the elastic sheet stopping part is arranged on the separation path of the elastic sheet to protect the elastic sheet, so that the problem of elasticity damage caused by excessive separation of the elastic sheet is prevented, the elasticity of the elastic sheet is further ensured, the clamping force between the elastic sheet and the terminal is ensured, and the stable performance of the electric connector is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrical connector technology, and in particular to a spring-loaded electrical connector. Background Technology

[0002] A spring-loaded electrical connector is a type of electrical connector used for pluggable connections of wire harnesses. It mainly includes a housing and a terminal assembly housed within the housing. The terminal assembly includes terminals and springs that elastically abut against the terminals. Under external force, the springs can separate from the terminals to form a clamping space. Once the wire harness enters this clamping space, it is clamped by the elasticity of the springs, thus maintaining contact between the wire harness and the terminals. However, a problem exists in the existing technology: there is a lack of effective means to limit the degree of spring separation. When the springs separate from the terminals, excessive separation (deformation) can damage the springs' elasticity, thereby reducing their elastic force. This reduction in spring force directly affects the clamping force between the springs and the terminals, making it impossible to guarantee the clamping force of the wire harness. This can lead to poor contact between the wire harness and the terminals, loosening of the wire harness, and ultimately affect the stable performance of the electrical connector. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a spring-loaded electrical connector.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a spring-loaded electrical connector, including a housing and a terminal assembly disposed within the housing. The terminal assembly includes a terminal and a spring that elastically abuts against the terminal. The spring can separate from the terminal under external force to form a clamping space for clamping a wire harness entering the housing. A spring stop portion is provided on the separation path of the spring for stopping the spring.

[0005] Furthermore, the terminal has a first contact arm and a second contact arm, and the spring has a third contact arm that maintains contact with the first contact arm and an elastic arm that connects to the third contact arm and elastically abuts against the second contact arm. The elastic arm can separate from the terminal under the action of the external force to form the clamping space.

[0006] Furthermore, both the first contact arm and the second contact arm have opposing inner surfaces; the spring also has a bent portion connecting the third contact arm and the elastic arm, and the elastic arm elastically abuts against the inner surface of the second contact arm.

[0007] Furthermore, the bending portion is located on the outer side of the terminal facing the wire harness. The bending portion includes a first arc segment and a second arc segment connected to each other. The ends of the first arc segment and the second arc segment that are far apart from each other are connected to the elastic arm and the third contact arm, respectively. The curvature center of the first arc segment is located on the inner side of the bending portion, and the curvature center of the second arc segment is located on the outer side of the bending portion.

[0008] Furthermore, the third contact arm maintains contact with the inner side of the first contact arm; the inner side of the first contact arm is provided with a protrusion, and the third contact arm is provided with a recess corresponding to the protrusion; the terminal is also provided with a limiting socket, and the third contact arm is provided with a plug that can be inserted into the limiting socket at the position corresponding to the limiting socket. The plug and the limiting socket cooperate to prevent the third contact arm from disengaging from the first contact arm in the direction of the second contact arm.

[0009] Furthermore, the third contact arm is pushed laterally to the inner side of the first contact arm; the convex surface of the protrusion is configured to have at least a guide slope that gradually increases in the direction of the first contact arm toward the second contact arm; the limiting socket is configured to be located on the outside of the higher convex surface of the first contact arm near the protrusion.

[0010] Furthermore, the terminal also has a main body; the first contact arm and the second contact arm are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the main body, the spring stop and the limiting socket are both disposed on the main body, the spring stop is located between the first contact arm and the second contact arm, and two limiting sockets are configured, the two limiting sockets are respectively located on the main body near the two ends of the first contact arm.

[0011] Furthermore, the housing is provided with an assembly cavity for assembling the terminal assembly, the assembly cavity having one side extending through the housing to form an assembly opening; the terminal also has a stop portion adapted to the shape of the assembly opening to cover the assembly opening.

[0012] Furthermore, the housing is provided with a first through hole at the position corresponding to the spring piece, allowing the wire harness to freely enter and exit. The wire harness is used to squeeze the spring piece after passing through the first through hole, so as to enter the clamping space.

[0013] Furthermore, a second through hole is provided on the housing at the position corresponding to the spring piece.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the spring-type electrical connector of this utility model protects the spring by setting a spring stop part on the spring separation path, preventing the problem of elastic damage caused by excessive spring separation, further ensuring the spring force, ensuring the clamping force between the spring and the terminal, and improving the stability of the electrical connector. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the terminal assembly in one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled terminal assembly in one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0019] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the housing structure in one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the housing from another perspective in one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model.

[0024] The meanings of the labels in the attached diagram are as follows:

[0025] Housing 100; Assembly port 101; Through port 102; Slot 103; Assembly cavity 110; First through hole 120; Second through hole 130; Terminal assembly B; Spring piece 200; Third contact arm 210; Recess 211; Insert block 212; Elastic arm 220; Bending part 230; First arc segment 231; Second arc segment 232; Terminal 300; First contact arm 310; Protrusion 311; Guide slope 311a; Second contact arm 320; Welding part 330; Welding feet 331, 331a, 331b, 331c; Fixed welding foot 332; Main body part 340; Stop part 350; Limiting socket 360; Elastic block 370; Spring piece stop part 400. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly attached to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component.

[0028] 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 invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.

[0029] Please see Figures 1 to 8 In this article, combined with Figures 1 to 8 The structure shown is an exemplary description of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model, so as to more clearly illustrate the various components and mating relationships of the spring-loaded electrical connector. It should be understood that, although the following will... Figures 1 to 8 The illustrated spring-loaded electrical connector is described in detail as an example, but is not intended to limit the scope of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this invention. Apart from the components that solve the essential technical problems of this invention, the other components can be regarded as non-essential technical elements. These non-essential technical elements can be replaced by other technical elements with the same or similar functions or structures in other embodiments, or these non-essential technical elements may not be needed in other embodiments.

[0030] Please see Figure 1 The spring-loaded electrical connector shown includes a housing 100 and six sets of terminal assemblies B disposed within the housing 100. It should be understood that the number of terminal assemblies B is not limited to the five sets shown in the figure; in any case, the number of sets of terminal assemblies B should be at least one.

[0031] Please see Figure 2 Each terminal assembly B includes a spring piece 200 and a terminal 300 disposed within the housing 100. The spring piece 200 can elastically abut against the terminal 300, and can also separate from the terminal 300 under external force to form a clamping space (not shown) for clamping the wire harness entering the housing 100. A spring piece stop portion 400 is provided on the separation path of the spring piece 200 to stop the spring piece 200. The spring piece stop portion 400 is used to limit the movement stroke of the spring piece 200, thereby preventing the spring piece 200 from losing its elasticity due to excessive deformation. The spring piece 200 clamps the wire harness inserted into the housing 100 by cooperating with the terminal 300 to achieve an electrical connection between the wire harness and the terminal 300.

[0032] In each terminal assembly B, the spring 200 and the terminal 300 can be distributed in the housing 100 along the insertion direction of the wire harness (not shown in the figure). The spring 200 is closer to the wire harness side (hereinafter referred to as the first side), and the terminal 300 is further away from the wire harness side (hereinafter referred to as the second side opposite to the first side). The spring 200 and the terminal 300 can be partially misaligned along the insertion direction of the wire harness (from the first side to the second side or from the second side to the first side), or they can be set without misalignment.

[0033] Please see Figure 3The terminal 300 can be configured to have a first contact arm 310 and a second contact arm 320. The positions of the first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320 can be configured according to the shape of the spring 200. For example, the first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320 can be configured to be opposite to each other, with opposite inner surfaces and opposite back surfaces. The terminal 300 also has a welding portion 330, which can be configured as two (not limited to two) solder feet 331. The two solder feet 331 can be respectively disposed on the first side and the second side of the second contact arm 320. The welding portion 330, the first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320 can be connected by a main body portion 340, that is, the welding portion 330, the first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320 are all disposed on the main body portion 340. The main body portion 340 can be configured as a block structure. It should be understood that the main body 340 serves to connect the first contact arm 310, the second contact arm 320, and the soldering part 330. In other embodiments, the first contact arm 310, the second contact arm 320, and the soldering part 330 can also be directly connected. It is also understood that the soldering part 330 is provided for the terminal 300 to facilitate soldering the terminal 300 to the board-end device. Depending on the application of the spring-loaded 200 type electrical connector, the soldering part 330 of the terminal 300 is not a necessary component; for example, it can be replaced by a mating part for mating with the mating part of a mating electrical connector.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal assembly B can be mounted inside the housing 100 from the side of the housing 100 opposite to the wire harness (i.e., the second side). Therefore, the second side of the housing 100 is provided with a mounting opening 101 for inserting the terminal assembly B therein. Correspondingly, the terminal 300 (main body 340) has a stop 350 on its second edge facing the second side, which is adapted to the shape of the mounting opening 101. The stop 350 is used to cover the mounting opening 101, thereby blocking at least part of the foreign objects (including objects not belonging to the spring-loaded 200 type electrical connector, such as dust, particles, etc.). The stop 350 can be integrally bent from the second edge of the main body 340.

[0035] The first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320 can be disposed on two opposite sides of the main body 340. The first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320 can be integrally bent with the main body 340 by a bending process. Specifically, the first contact arm 310 is bent from the main body 340 toward a third side edge in a third side direction, which is perpendicular to the first side direction and the second side direction. The second contact arm 320 is bent from the main body 340 toward a fourth side edge in a fourth side direction (opposite to the third side direction). They are bent in the same direction, and their bending angles can both be configured to 90 degrees, thereby making the first contact arm 310, the second contact arm 320 and the main body 340 integrally form a concave structure.

[0036] The first contact arm 310 can be configured to maintain constant contact with one end of the spring piece 200 (the third contact arm 210 described below). The second contact arm 320 can be configured to elastically abut against the other end of the spring piece 200 (the elastic arm 220 described below), and the second contact arm 320 can separate from the spring piece 200 after an external force is applied to the spring piece 200 in a corresponding direction. The spring piece stop portion 400 described above is provided on the main body portion 340 and located between the first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320. The position of the spring piece stop portion 400 is determined according to the elastic force of the spring piece 200 itself. When an external force is applied to the spring 200 to separate it from the second contact arm 320 (pushing the spring 200 from the first side direction to the second side direction), the end of the spring 200 that elastically abuts against the second contact arm 320 moves towards the second side direction and towards the first contact arm 310. The spring stop portion 400 can prevent the spring 200 from separating further. The spring stop portion 400 can be stamped by a stamping process to form a stop protrusion protruding into the space between the first contact arm 310 and the second contact arm 320.

[0037] The spring 200 is configured to have a third contact arm 210 that maintains contact with the first contact arm 310 and an elastic arm 220 that is connected to the third contact arm 210 and elastically abuts against the second contact arm 320. The elastic arm 220 can separate from the terminal 300 under the action of the external force to form the clamping space.

[0038] In the illustrated embodiment, the third contact arm 210 remains in contact with the inner surface of the first contact arm 310. Thus, a protrusion 311 for limiting the horizontal displacement of the spring 200 is provided on the inner surface of the first contact arm 310. When assembling the spring 200 with the terminal 300, the third contact arm 210 of the spring 200 is pushed into the inner surface of the first contact arm 310 from the side of the first contact arm 310 away from the main body 340 towards the main body 340 (i.e., pushed into the first contact arm 310 in the direction of the main body 340 along the transverse direction of the first contact arm 310, as shown in the figure). Therefore, the convex surface of the protrusion 311 is configured to have at least a guide slope 311a that gradually increases in the direction of the first contact arm 310 towards the second contact arm 320; that is, the guide slope 311a is inclined towards the main body 340 and towards the second contact arm 320.

[0039] To prevent the third contact arm 210 from disengaging from the first contact arm 310 towards the second contact arm 320, a limiting socket 360 is also provided on the terminal 300. The limiting socket 360 is configured to be located on the outside of the higher convex surface of the first contact arm 310 near the protrusion 311. The limiting socket 360 is used to allow a portion of the third contact arm 210 to be inserted therein, thereby cooperating with the protrusion 311 to limit the third contact arm 210, ensuring that the third contact arm 210 remains in contact with the first contact arm 310. Preferably, there are two limiting sockets 360, which are respectively located on the main body 340 near the two ends of the first contact arm 310 (the two ends facing the first and second sides). Each limiting socket 360 can penetrate the main body 340 in a fourth side direction (away from the second contact arm 320).

[0040] The spring piece 200 is integrally bent using a bending process. Therefore, the third contact arm 210 and the elastic arm 220 are connected by a bending portion 230. The third contact arm 210 has a flat block structure adapted to the first contact wall. After being bent by the bending portion 230, the elastic arm 220 extends towards the second contact arm 320 and the first side direction until it elastically abuts against the inner surface of the second contact arm 320. The third elastic arm 220 is provided with a recess 211 (such as a groove, a through hole, etc.) corresponding to the position of the protrusion 311, and a plug 212 is provided on the third elastic arm 220 corresponding to the position of the limiting socket 360. The plug 212 is used to be inserted into the limiting slot when the third elastic arm 220 is assembled on the inner side of the first contact arm 310, so as to cooperate with the limiting socket 360 to restrict the third contact arm 210 from disengaging from the first contact arm 310 in the direction of the second contact arm 320.

[0041] When the spring 200 is assembled onto the terminal 300, the bent portion 230 is located outside the first side of the terminal 300. That is, the bent portion 230 is closer to the wire harness direction, thereby causing the entire spring 200 and the terminal 300 to be partially misaligned in the direction between the first and second sides. The bent portion 230 includes a first arc segment 231 and a second arc segment 232 connected to each other. The ends of the first arc segment 231 and the second arc segment 232 that are far apart from each other are connected to the elastic arm 220 and the third contact arm 210, respectively. The center of curvature of the first arc segment 231 is located inside the bent portion 230, and the center of curvature of the second arc segment 232 is located outside the bent portion 230. The second arc segment 232 is located outside the first end of the first contact arm 310 facing the first side. With this design, when the elastic arm 220 is squeezed and deforms towards the third contact arm 210, the design of the second arc segment 232 allows the bending part 230 to deform more smoothly in the fourth direction (away from the second contact arm 320), which has a certain protective effect on the bending part 230, thereby ensuring the elastic performance of the elastic arm 220.

[0042] Please see Figure 4 and Figure 5The internal structure of the housing 100 is configured according to the terminal assembly B. The housing 100 has an assembly cavity 110 for assembling the terminal assembly B, and the assembly cavity 110 extends through the housing 100 in a second-side direction to form the assembly opening 101. Based on the solder foot 331 described above being located on the third-side edge of the terminal 300 facing a third-side direction, a through-hole 102 is provided on one side wall of the housing 100 facing the third-side direction for the solder foot 331 to pass through the housing 100. The through-hole 102 also extends through the housing 100 in a second-side direction to facilitate the assembly of the terminal 300. The terminal 300 can be limited by the first contact arm 310, the second contact arm 320, and the first side edge of the terminal 300 engaging with the inner wall of the assembly cavity 110. The second side edge of the first contact arm 310 and / or the second contact arm 320 of the terminal 300 may be provided with an elastic locking block 370, and correspondingly, a locking groove 103 is provided on the housing 100 to engage with it. When the terminal 300 is installed into the assembly cavity 110, the elastic locking block 370 is engaged in the locking groove 103 to limit the terminal 300 from the second side direction.

[0043] The housing 100 has a first through hole 120 on its first sidewall facing the first side, corresponding to the position of the spring piece 200, for the free entry and exit of the wire harness. The position of the first through hole 120 is adapted to the position (height adapted) of the end of the elastic arm 220 away from the bending portion 230. The wire harness is used to squeeze the spring piece 200 into the clamping space after passing through the first through hole 120. The housing 100 also has a second through hole 130 on its first sidewall facing the first side. The second through hole 130 can be used to mount a push button or allow a push rod to freely enter and exit. Pushing the button or push rod can separate the spring piece 200 from the terminal 300 again, facilitating the removal of the wire harness. Compared to the first through hole 120, the second through hole 130 is closer to the end of the elastic arm 220 connected to the bending portion 230 (height adapted to the height of the end of the elastic arm 220 connected to the bending portion 230).

[0044] Please see Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model. The spring-loaded electrical connector of this embodiment includes a housing and terminal assembly that are structurally or functionally similar to those of the embodiments described above. The key difference is that in this embodiment, the solder foot 331a extends out of the housing from the second side of the main body.

[0045] Please see Figure 7This is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model. The spring-loaded electrical connector of this embodiment includes a housing and terminal assembly with the same or similar structure or function as those in the above embodiments. A subtle detail is that in this embodiment, the solder foot 331b is configured as a single unit, which is formed by bending once from the second edge of the main body towards the third side, and then bending a second time towards the second side. Another subtle detail is that fixed solder feet 332 are inserted into both opposite sides of the housing, and these fixed solder feet 332 are used for soldering to board-end devices.

[0046] Please see Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the spring-loaded electrical connector of this utility model. The spring-loaded electrical connector of this embodiment includes a housing, terminal assembly, and fixed solder feet with the same or similar structure or function as those in the above embodiments. The key difference is that the solder feet 331c are bent and extended from the second side edge of the second contact arm towards the third side, and a notch 104 is provided on the housing at a position corresponding to the solder feet, the notch 104 penetrating the housing in the second side direction.

[0047] In summary, compared with the prior art, the spring-type electrical connector of this utility model protects the spring by setting a spring stop part on the spring separation path, preventing the problem of elastic damage caused by excessive spring separation, further ensuring the spring force, ensuring the clamping force between the spring and the terminal, and improving the stability of the electrical connector.

[0048] The above embodiments only illustrate preferred implementations of this utility model, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A spring-loaded electrical connector, comprising a housing and a terminal assembly disposed within the housing, the terminal assembly comprising terminals and springs that elastically abut against the terminals, the springs being capable of separating from the terminals under external force to form a clamping space for clamping a wire harness entering the housing, characterized in that: A spring stop part is provided on the separation path of the spring piece for stopping the spring piece.

2. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The terminal has a first contact arm and a second contact arm, and the spring has a third contact arm that keeps in contact with the first contact arm and an elastic arm that is connected to the third contact arm and elastically abuts against the second contact arm. The elastic arm can separate from the terminal under the action of the external force to form the clamping space.

3. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The first contact arm and the second contact arm both have inner surfaces that are arranged opposite to each other; the spring also has a bent portion connected between the third contact arm and the elastic arm, and the elastic arm elastically abuts against the inner surface of the second contact arm.

4. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The bending portion is located on the outer side of the terminal facing the wire harness. The bending portion includes a first arc segment and a second arc segment connected to each other. The ends of the first arc segment and the second arc segment that are far apart from each other are connected to the elastic arm and the third contact arm, respectively. The curvature center of the first arc segment is located on the inner side of the bending portion, and the curvature center of the second arc segment is located on the outer side of the bending portion.

5. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The third contact arm maintains contact with the inner side of the first contact arm; the inner side of the first contact arm is provided with a protrusion, and the third contact arm is provided with a recess corresponding to the protrusion; the terminal is also provided with a limiting socket, and the third contact arm is provided with a plug that can be inserted into the limiting socket at the position corresponding to the limiting socket. The plug and the limiting socket cooperate to prevent the third contact arm from disengaging from the first contact arm in the direction of the second contact arm.

6. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The third contact arm is pushed laterally to the inner side of the first contact arm; the convex surface of the protrusion is configured to have at least a guide slope that gradually increases in the direction of the first contact arm toward the second contact arm; the limiting socket is configured to be located on the outside of the higher convex surface of the first contact arm near the protrusion.

7. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The terminal also has a main body; the first contact arm and the second contact arm are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the main body, the spring stop and the limiting socket are both disposed on the main body, the spring stop is located between the first contact arm and the second contact arm, and two limiting sockets are configured, the two limiting sockets are respectively located on the main body near the two ends of the first contact arm.

8. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The housing has an assembly cavity for assembling the terminal assembly, the assembly cavity having one side extending through the housing to form an assembly opening; the terminal also has a stop portion adapted to the shape of the assembly opening to cover the assembly opening.

9. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The housing has a first through hole at the position corresponding to the spring piece, allowing the wire harness to freely enter and exit. The wire harness is used to squeeze the spring piece after passing through the first through hole, so as to enter the clamping space.

10. The spring-loaded electrical connector as described in claim 8, characterized in that: A second through hole is also provided on the housing at the position corresponding to the spring piece.

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