A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance

Abstract

The utility model discloses a low pressure connector of terminal position reliable guarantee. The low pressure connector includes each other's plug -in plug portion, socket portion, and the plug portion includes: locking piece, a plurality of low pressure terminal, TPA and plug shell, a plurality of low pressure terminal sleeve joint locking piece's mounting hole, and the lock body of TPA transversely inserts the assembly port of locking piece, and both are equipped with the sliding limit structure of guide prism, installation guide groove, and the lock body is pushed to move forward, when the side card head of TPA enters the first elastic buckle of locking piece, and the preloading of TPA is completed, when the side card head enters the second elastic buckle, a plurality of locking blocks are inserted into locking groove respectively, realize the position reliable fixing of low pressure terminal, and the both clamping fixed after the plug shell sleeve joint locking piece. The utility model has the effects of compact structure, convenient assembly, stable and reliable high position degree locking low pressure terminal, stable and reliable transmission current, guarantee high-precision product performance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrical connections, and in particular to a low-voltage connector that reliably ensures the terminal position. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the new energy industry, low-voltage connectors, as components for electrical connection or disconnection in transmission lines, are widely used in new energy vehicles or equipment. These vehicles and equipment provide low-voltage, high-current connections, and users are increasingly seeking high-performance, stable, and reliable low-voltage connectors. Current low-voltage connector terminal fixing structures typically employ either a spring arm on the terminal itself that snaps back onto the plastic housing or an additional external TPA (Transmission Terminal Apparatus). The problems with this terminal fixing structure are: firstly, during vehicle operation, the TPA may detach due to vibration, leading to terminal fixation failure and inability to reliably transmit current; secondly, the TPA may shrink due to harsh environments, causing it to detach, further compromising terminal fixation and current transmission; and thirdly, during connector assembly and use, it is impossible to determine whether the terminals are properly installed, making it difficult to guarantee electrical clearances and creepage distances between terminals, thus making it unsuitable for demanding high-voltage scenarios. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address one or more of the aforementioned problems, this invention provides a low-voltage connector that reliably ensures terminal position.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance includes a plug portion and a socket portion that are plugged into each other, characterized in that the plug portion includes: a locking member, a plurality of low-voltage terminals, a TPA, and a plug shell.

[0005] The locking component has several axial mounting holes and a transverse assembly opening on its upper surface. The lower end of the assembly opening is vertically connected to each mounting hole. One side wall of the assembly opening has two elastic buckles and the other side wall has a transverse mounting guide groove.

[0006] The low-voltage terminal is fitted with a mounting hole, and it has a locking groove with an open top.

[0007] The TPA has a guide prism on one side and a side latch on the other side. The lower end of the lock body has several vertical locking blocks. The lock body is inserted horizontally into the assembly port and the guide prism is horizontally slidably connected to the installation guide groove, pushing the lock body forward. When the side latch enters the first elastic latch, the TPA pre-installation is completed. When the side latch enters the second elastic latch, the several locking blocks are respectively inserted into the locking groove to reliably fix the position of the low-voltage terminal.

[0008] The plug housing is connected to the rear end of the locking mechanism, and the two are locked together.

[0009] In some implementations, the lock body and mounting opening, the guide prism and mounting guide groove, and the locking block and locking groove have the same outline dimensions and are fitted with a small clearance.

[0010] In some embodiments, the locking element has a number of mounting holes spaced equidistantly in the horizontal direction, and the lower end of the lock body has a number of locking blocks spaced equidistantly in the horizontal direction, with the horizontal spacing between the two being the same.

[0011] In some implementations, a toothed or triangular side latch is integrally provided on the side of the lock body;

[0012] The side wall of the assembly port is provided with two tooth-shaped or triangular elastic buckles.

[0013] In some implementations, the lock body has a vertical spring hole opposite to the side latch.

[0014] In some embodiments, the rear end of the lock body is also integrally provided with a push handle, and one end face of the locking component is provided with a receiving groove with the same outline size as the push handle.

[0015] In some embodiments, multiple positioning slots are symmetrically provided on the upper and lower sides of the rear end of the locking component;

[0016] The first locking block on the inner wall of the plug housing engages with the positioning slot.

[0017] In some embodiments, the socket portion includes a socket housing and a plurality of pins integrally injection molded and connected within the socket housing; the inner cavity of the socket housing is fitted with the front end of a locking member and the inner cavity wall of the socket housing is pressed against the outer end wall of the TPA; the outer wall of the socket housing is fitted with the front end ring of the plug housing, and the pins are interference-fitted into the low-voltage terminal.

[0018] In some embodiments, the sealing ring of the plug is press-fitted against the outer wall of the locking member, and during insertion, the sealing ring press-fitted against the sealing port at the front end of the socket housing.

[0019] In some embodiments, the CPA locking piece of the plug is slidably connected to the upper slide of the plug housing, and pushing the CPA locking piece can cause it to engage with the second locking block of the socket housing.

[0020] This low-voltage connector, which reliably ensures terminal position, achieves lateral elastic locking through the snap-fit ​​of the TPA's side latch and elastic buckle; vertical limiting through the sliding engagement of the guide prism and mounting guide groove; and longitudinal limiting through the insertion engagement of the assembly port and the TPA. This multi-locking structure reliably and stably confines the TPA to the set position, thus providing stable, reliable, and highly accurate locking of the low-voltage terminal. Its advantages are: firstly, the TPA structure is simple and easy to install; the structural cooperation between the TPA and the lock body reinforces the terminal, preventing it from shifting backward; the TPA will not fall off due to vibrations during vehicle operation or shrinkage caused by harsh environments; and the TPA reliably and stably ensures the fixed position of the terminal. First, it ensures stable and reliable current transmission, guaranteeing high-precision product performance. Second, during connector assembly and use, it effectively ensures that the terminals are installed correctly and that the electrical clearance and creepage distance between the terminals are maintained, making it suitable for low-current, high-voltage scenarios requiring high performance. Third, the structure is fixed and secure; even if the connector is accidentally unlocked, the TPA will not fall off, avoiding misoperation and effectively reducing product maintenance frequency, resulting in a long service life and low operating costs. Fourth, the structure features a guide mechanism for easy high-precision assembly and two elastic clips, one for pre-installation and one for locking. Effective locking is only possible when the low-voltage terminals are properly installed, ensuring installation accuracy and improving product yield. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a low-voltage connector that reliably ensures the terminal position according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a low-voltage connector that reliably ensures terminal position.

[0023] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the plug portion without the plug housing attached;

[0024] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A three-dimensional exploded view of the plug shown;

[0025] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the socket section shown;

[0026] Plug part 01, locking part 1, mounting hole 10, assembly port 11, elastic buckle 12, mounting guide groove 13, receiving groove 14, upper insertion interface 15, lower insertion interface 16, wire fixing hole 17, positioning slot 18, low voltage terminal 2, locking groove 20, TPA 3, lock body 30, guide prism 31, side locking head 32, locking block 33, vertical spring hole 34, push handle 35, plug housing 4, upper slide 41, signal line 5, connecting sleeve 51, sealing ring 6, CPA locking plate 7;

[0027] Socket part 02, socket shell 020, pin 021, second locking block 022, inner cavity wall 023, sealing port 024. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down" used in the following description refer to the directions in the accompanying drawings, while the terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the directions toward or away from the geometric center of a specific component, respectively.

[0029] Figures 1 to 5 The diagram schematically illustrates a low-voltage connector that reliably ensures terminal position according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the low-voltage connector includes a plug portion 01 and a socket portion 02 that are interlocked. The plug portion 01 includes: a locking member 1, a plurality of low-voltage terminals 2, a TPA 3, and a plug housing 4. TPA is an abbreviation for Terminal Position Assurance, which is a connector terminal holding aid used for protecting and limiting the position of the terminals.

[0030] The locking component 1 has several axial mounting holes 10 and a transverse mounting opening 11 on its upper surface. The lower end of the mounting opening 11 is vertically connected to each mounting hole 10. Preferably, the locking component 1 has several mounting holes 10 at equal intervals in the transverse direction. The mounting opening 11 has two elastic buckles 12 on one side wall and a transverse mounting guide groove 13 on the other side wall.

[0031] The low-voltage terminal 2 is fitted into the mounting hole 10, and it is provided with a locking groove 20 with an upper opening;

[0032] The TPA3 has a guide prism 31 on one side and a side latch 32 on the other side. The lower end of the lock body 30 has several vertical locking blocks 33. Preferably, the lower end of the lock body 30 has several locking blocks 33 at equal intervals in the horizontal direction, and the horizontal distance between adjacent lock bodies 30 and adjacent mounting holes 10 is the same.

[0033] The lock body 30 is inserted laterally into the assembly port 11 and the guide prism 31 is slidably connected to the installation guide groove 13, pushing the lock body 30 forward. When the side latch 32 enters the first elastic latch 12, the TPA3 pre-installation is completed. When the side latch 32 enters the second elastic latch 12, several locking blocks 33 are respectively inserted into the locking groove 20 to reliably fix the position of the low-voltage terminal 2.

[0034] The plug housing 4 is connected to the rear end of the locking component 1 and the two are locked together; a preferred locking structure is as follows: the upper and lower sides of the rear end of the locking component 1 are symmetrically provided with multiple positioning slots 18. The first locking block on the inner wall of the plug housing 4 locks into the positioning slots 18. This locking structure is simple and easy to assemble.

[0035] This low-voltage connector, which reliably ensures the terminal position, achieves lateral elastic locking through the snap-fit ​​of the side latch 32 of the TPA3 and the elastic buckle 12; vertical limiting through the sliding fit of the guide prism 31 and the mounting guide groove 13; and longitudinal limiting through the insertion fit of the assembly port 11 and the TPA3. This multi-locking structure reliably and stably restricts the TPA3 to the set position, thus reliably and securely locking the low-voltage terminal 2 with high position accuracy. Its advantages are: firstly, the TPA3 has a simple structure and is easy to install; secondly, the structural cooperation between the TPA3 and the lock body 30 reinforces the terminal, preventing it from shifting backward; and thirdly, the TPA3 is not affected by vibrations during vehicle operation. The TPA3 reliably and stably ensures the fixed position of the terminals, guaranteeing stable current transmission and high-precision product performance. Secondly, during connector assembly and use, it effectively ensures the terminals are installed correctly and maintains electrical clearance and creepage distance between terminals, making it suitable for low-current, high-voltage scenarios requiring high performance. Thirdly, the structure is stable and secure; even if the connector is accidentally unlocked, the TPA3 will not fall off, avoiding misoperation and effectively reducing product maintenance frequency, resulting in a long service life and low operating costs. Fourthly, the structure features a guide mechanism for high-precision assembly and two elastic clips 12, one for pre-installation and one for locking. Effective locking is only possible when the low-voltage terminal 3 is properly installed, ensuring installation accuracy and improving product yield.

[0036] Preferably, the lock body 30 and the mounting opening 11, the guide prism 31 and the mounting guide groove 13, and the locking block 33 and the locking groove 20 have the same outline dimensions and are fitted with a small clearance. The advantages are: this arrangement provides good installation accuracy, facilitates assembly, and effectively improves assembly efficiency.

[0037] Preferably, TPA3 is an elastic injection molded part, with a rectangular lock body 30 having a rectangular guide prism 31 integrally connected to one side wall and a rectangular locking block 33 integrally formed on the lower surface;

[0038] The assembly port 11 is a rectangular opening with its upper end face and at least one side end face open. A rectangular mounting groove 13 is formed on one side wall of the assembly port 11.

[0039] The locking groove 20 is a rectangular groove with an open top. Its advantages are: this design facilitates production and assembly.

[0040] Preferably, the lock body 30 has a toothed or triangular side latch 32 integrally provided on one side;

[0041] The assembly port 11 has two toothed or triangular elastic buckles 12 on one side wall. Both sides of the elastic buckles 12 are guide slopes, and the outer end of the first elastic buckle 12 has the same guide slope. The beneficial effect is that this setting facilitates gentle and quick assembly of the TPA3 and can obtain good locking force.

[0042] Preferably, opposite to the side latch 32, the lock body 30 is also provided with a vertical spring hole 34 to increase axial elastic deformation. Its beneficial effect is that the vertical spring hole 34 further improves the elastic performance of the TPA3, ensuring installation performance.

[0043] Furthermore, the rear end of the lock body 30 is integrally provided with a vertical push handle 35, and one end face of the locking component 1 is provided with a receiving groove 14 with the same outline size as the push handle 35. When the TPA3 is assembled, the push handle 35 fits into the receiving groove 14. Its beneficial effect is that this structure not only has good longitudinal limiting performance, but also further improves the ease of assembly.

[0044] Furthermore, the mounting hole 10 is a rectangular hole, and the front end of the mounting hole 10 is provided with a rectangular upper insertion interface 15 and a lower insertion interface 16. The rear end of the mounting hole 10 is provided with a circular wire fixing hole 17. The rear end of the low-voltage terminal 2 is connected to the signal line 5. The low-voltage terminal 2 is interference-fitted into the mounting hole 10, and the signal line 5 passes through the wire fixing hole 17 and its front end is connected to the sleeve 51 interference-fitted into the mounting wire fixing hole 17.

[0045] Furthermore, the socket part 02 includes a socket housing 020 and a plurality of pins 021 integrally injection molded and connected inside the socket housing 020. A second locking block 022 is provided on the outer wall of the socket housing 020.

[0046] The plug part 01 is inserted into the socket part 02. The inner cavity of the socket housing 020 is fitted with the front end of the locking piece 1 of the same size, and the inner wall 023 of the socket housing 020 is pressed tightly against the outer wall of the TPA3. The outer wall of the socket housing 020 is fitted with the front end ring of the plug housing 4, and the pin 021 is interference-fitted into the low-voltage terminal 2. The beneficial effect is that after the plug part 01 and the socket part 02 are mated, the inner wall of the socket housing 020 can press against the upper wall of the TPA3, providing secondary protection for the TPA3 and further ensuring that the TPA3 will not fall off in vibration or harsh environments.

[0047] Preferably, the plug portion 01 further includes a sealing ring 6, which is interference-fitted into the middle of the outer wall of the locking member 1. During insertion, the sealing ring 6 interference-seals the sealing port 024 at the front end of the socket housing 020. Its beneficial effect is that this arrangement improves the sealing performance of the connector and prevents foreign objects from entering.

[0048] Preferably, the plug portion 01 further includes a CPA locking piece 7, which is slidably connected to the upper slide 41 of the plug housing 4. During insertion, pushing the CPA locking piece 7 can cause it to engage with the second locking block 022 of the socket housing 020, thereby locking the plug housing 4 and the socket housing 020 a second time. The beneficial effect is that this arrangement effectively locks the connector.

[0049] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance, comprising a plug portion (01) and a socket portion (02) that are mutually inserted, characterized in that, The plug part (01) includes: a locking member (1), a plurality of low-voltage terminals (2), a TPA (3), and a plug housing (4); The locking component (1) is provided with a number of axial mounting holes (10) and a transverse mounting opening (11) on its upper surface. The lower end of the mounting opening (11) is vertically connected to each mounting hole (10). Two elastic buckles (12) are provided on one side wall of the mounting opening (11) and a transverse mounting guide groove (13) is provided on the other side wall. The low-voltage terminal (2) is connected to the mounting hole (10) and has an open locking groove (20). The TPA (3) has a guide prism (31) on one side and a side latch (32) on the other side. The lower end of the lock body (30) has several vertical locking blocks (33). The lock body (30) is inserted into the assembly port (11) laterally and the guide prism (31) is slidably connected to the installation guide groove (13) to push the lock body (30) forward. When the side latch (32) enters the first elastic buckle (12), the TPA (3) is pre-installed. When the side latch (32) enters the second elastic buckle (12), several locking blocks (33) are inserted into the locking groove (20) respectively to realize the reliable fixation of the position of the low voltage terminal (2). The plug housing (4) is attached to the rear end of the locking piece (1) and the two are locked together.

2. The low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lock body (30) and the assembly port (11), the guide prism (31) and the mounting guide groove (13), and the locking block (33) and the locking groove (20) have the same outline dimensions and are fitted with a small clearance.

3. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The locking component (1) has several mounting holes (10) spaced evenly in the horizontal direction, and the lower end of the lock body (30) has several locking blocks (33) spaced evenly in the horizontal direction, with the horizontal spacing of the two being the same.

4. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lock body (30) has a tooth-shaped or triangular side latch (32) integrally provided on its side. The assembly port (11) has two toothed or triangular elastic buckles (12) on its side wall.

5. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 4, characterized in that, Opposite to the side latch (32), the lock body (30) is provided with a vertical spring hole (34).

6. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, The rear end of the lock body (30) is also integrally provided with a push handle (35), and one end face of the locking component (1) is provided with a receiving groove (14) with the same outline size as the push handle (35).

7. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 6, characterized in that, The locking component (1) has multiple positioning slots (18) symmetrically arranged on the upper and lower sides of its rear end. The first locking block on the inner wall of the plug housing (4) engages with the positioning slot (18).

8. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 6, characterized in that, The socket part (02) includes a socket shell (020) and a plurality of pins (021) integrally injection molded and connected inside the socket shell (020); the inner cavity of the socket shell (020) is fitted with the front end of the locking member (1) and the inner cavity wall (023) of the socket shell (020) is pressed against the outer end wall of the TPA (3); the outer wall of the socket shell (020) is fitted with the front end ring of the plug shell (4), and the pins (021) are interference-fitted to the low voltage terminal (2).

9. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sealing ring (6) of the plug part (01) is press-fitted to the outer wall of the locking member (1). When the plug is inserted, the sealing ring (6) press-fitted to the sealing port (024) at the front end of the socket shell (020).

10. A low-voltage connector with reliable terminal position assurance according to claim 8, characterized in that, The CPA locking piece (7) of the plug part (01) is slidably connected to the upper slide (41) of the plug housing (4), and pushing the CPA locking piece (7) can cause it to engage with the second locking block (022) of the socket housing (020).

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