A damped stability-enhancing inter-mating FAKRA connector

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of dampening type stability-increasing mutual matching FAKRA connector, it is related to electrical connector technical field, to solve the problem of existing Mini FAKRA connector male and female end after plug-in displacement, unstable signal transmission. The connector includes the male connector and female connector of mutual clamping, male connector contains the male end shell with plug-in cavity, female connector contains female end shell, further include the damping member for limiting the relative displacement of both housings;Damping member is the independent component between both interfacing end faces or integrated component fixed on any housing, can form elastic pre-tightening force after plugging;Damping member can adopt the combined structure of sheath and spring piece, or at least one rubber pad structure. Through the application of the utility model, it can effectively dissipate vibrational mechanical energy, limit the displacement in each direction, improve signal transmission stability, adapt to L3 level autonomous driving demand, and give consideration to assembly and maintenance convenience, with strong practicality and popularization value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of electrical connector technology, and in particular relates to a damped, stabilized, and interlocking FAKRA connector. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous upgrading and iteration of autonomous driving technology, in-vehicle displays need to transmit key information such as autonomous driving operation status and environmental perception data in real time through high-speed connectors. Mini FAKRA connectors are widely used in in-vehicle autonomous driving systems due to their small size, light weight and high-speed transmission capabilities. They are mainly used in scenarios such as surround view cameras, GPS navigation and driver assistance systems. Their performance directly affects the operational safety and reliability of autonomous driving systems.

[0003] Existing Mini FAKRA connectors, in order to ensure ease of assembly and maintenance, all employ a snap-fit ​​structure for locking the male and female ends. However, this structure has significant drawbacks in practical applications: after the male and female ends are mated, due to the inherent characteristics of the snap-fit ​​locking structure, a certain axial gap will exist. During vehicle operation, complex vibration conditions can cause the connector's male and female shells to shift back and forth, leading to unstable impedance matching. Impedance mismatch further causes system misjudgments and increases the bit error rate, ultimately resulting in problems such as screen flickering, lag, and blackouts on the vehicle's display screen. This interferes with the operator's accurate judgment of the autonomous driving system's status, and in severe cases, can even affect the normal operation of the autonomous driving system, becoming one of the bottlenecks restricting the large-scale application of Level 3 autonomous driving technology.

[0004] Analysis reveals that the core cause of unstable signal transmission in existing Mini FAKRA connectors is the relative displacement of the male and female shells after mating. Under vibration conditions, this displacement fails to effectively dissipate mechanical energy, causing vibration and impact to be directly transmitted to the connector's interior, thus disrupting impedance matching stability. Currently, there is no effective solution to precisely limit the relative displacement of the male and female shells without compromising the ease of connector assembly and maintenance. Therefore, developing a FAKRA connector that enhances signal stability through a damping structure is of great significance for overcoming existing technological bottlenecks and promoting the large-scale application of Level 3 autonomous driving technology. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector. By adding a damping component with a specific structure, the relative displacement between the male and female shells is limited, dissipating the mechanical energy generated by vibration and impact, improving the impedance matching instability problem under vibration conditions, significantly improving signal transmission stability, and solving the problems of screen flickering and black screen that are prone to occur in existing Mini FAKRA connectors under extreme vibration environments.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector includes a male connector and a female connector that are snap-fitted together. The male connector includes a male housing with a mating cavity for the female connector to be inserted into. The female connector includes a female housing and a damping element, at least partially disposed between the male housing and the female housing, for limiting the relative displacement between the male housing and the female housing.

[0008] Furthermore, the damping element is an independent component disposed between the mating end faces of the male end housing and the female end housing, or an integrated component fixed on the male end housing or the female end housing. The damping element is configured to form an elastic preload after the male end connector and the female end connector are mated together, so as to limit the relative displacement between the male end housing and the female end housing.

[0009] Furthermore, the damping element includes a sheath and a spring plate fixed thereon. The sheath is fitted over the outside of the male end housing, and the spring plate abuts against the end face of the male end housing. The spring plate is positioned corresponding to the position of the female end connector to provide elastic damping.

[0010] Furthermore, the sheath has a cavity through which the male end housing passes, and the spring has a recess through which the female end connector passes. The recess is coaxially arranged and connected to the cavity.

[0011] Furthermore, the sheath has a locking groove that communicates with the receiving cavity, and the locking groove has a movable latch for fixing the sheath to the male end shell.

[0012] Furthermore, the latch includes a horizontal portion and an inclined portion. The horizontal portion is connected to one end of the locking groove, and the inclined portion extends into the receiving cavity. The end of the inclined portion abuts against the outer wall of the male end housing to prevent the damping element from dislodging outward along the axial direction.

[0013] Furthermore, at least one positioning block is protruding on the end face of the sheath that connects to the spring piece, and a corresponding positioning groove is opened on the spring piece. The spring piece achieves circumferential positioning through the cooperation of the positioning block and the positioning groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the damping element is at least one rubber pad fixed on the end face of the male or female housing. The rubber pad is deformed under pressure after the male connector and the female connector are mated together, thus forming damping.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this technology are:

[0016] 1. By adding damping components, the relative displacement between the male and female housings is precisely limited. In particular, the elastic preload generated by the damping components in all directions can effectively dissipate the mechanical energy generated by vibration and impact in the system. This fundamentally solves the impedance matching instability problem caused by displacement in existing Mini FAKRA connectors, significantly improves the signal transmission stability of the product, avoids problems such as screen flickering, stuttering, and black screen, and ensures the accuracy of the autonomous driving system's status judgment.

[0017] 2. The damping components are divided into two types: independent components and integrated components. The appropriate type can be selected flexibly according to the actual application scenario and assembly requirements, adapting to different vehicle installation environments and making them highly practical. Neither type of damping component requires major modifications to the overall structure of the existing connector, which takes into account the convenience of assembly and maintenance and reduces modification and production costs.

[0018] 3. The damping structure of this utility model can effectively improve the insufficient test performance of the existing Mini FAKRA connector in extreme vibration application environment, enhance the vibration resistance of the connector, meet the high requirements of L3 autonomous driving technology for the stability of connector signal transmission, and is of great significance to promoting the large-scale application of L3 autonomous driving technology. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings described below are merely some embodiments. Those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of the present utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Exploded structure diagram;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the intermediate damping component;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Exploded structure diagram.

[0025] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0026] 100. Male connector; 110. Male housing; 111. Plug cavity; 200. Female connector; 210. Female housing; 300. Damping element; 310. Sheath; 311. Receiving cavity; 312. Locking groove; 313. Locking latch; 313a. Horizontal part; 313b. Inclined part; 314. Positioning block; 320. Spring; 321. Alternating groove; 322. Positioning groove; 330. Rubber pad; 400. Terminal; 500. Insulator; 600. Shielding shell. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0028] Example 1

[0029] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, this embodiment provides a damped, stabilized, and mating Mini FAKRA connector, including a male connector 100, a female connector 200, and a damping element 300.

[0030] The male connector 100 and the female connector 200 are interlocked. The male connector 100 includes a male housing 110, and the front end of the male housing 110 has a mating cavity 111 for accommodating the mating portion of the female connector 200. The outer walls of the male housing 110 and the female housing 210 are respectively provided with interlocking structures, such as latches or slots, to achieve a locking connection between the two.

[0031] The female connector 200 includes a female housing 210, the front end of which has a mating portion that can be inserted into the mating cavity 111 to complete an electrical connection. When mating with the male connector 100, the end face of the female housing 210 is opposite to the end face of the male housing 110. Furthermore, both the male connector 100 and the female connector 200 include terminals 400, insulators 500, and shielding shells 600.

[0032] The damping component 300 is disposed on the male end housing 110 or the female end housing 210 to limit the relative displacement between the male end housing 110 and the female end housing 210. Specifically, it includes a sheath 310 and a spring piece 320 fixed thereon, which is an integrated component.

[0033] The sheath 310 has a ring-shaped structure and can be injection molded from engineering plastics such as PBT and PA, providing good rigidity and wear resistance. A receiving cavity 311 is formed through the sheath 310 along the insertion direction of the connector. The size of the receiving cavity 311 matches the size of the male end shell 110, allowing the sheath 310 to be tightly fitted onto the outside of the male end shell 110 or the female end shell 210, while also facilitating the installation and removal of the sheath 310.

[0034] In this embodiment, a rectangular locking groove 312 communicating with the receiving cavity 311 is provided on one side wall of the sheath 310 corresponding to the slot structure of the male end outer shell 110. A movable latch 313 for limiting is provided at the end of the locking groove 312 away from the spring piece 320.

[0035] The latch 313 includes an integrally formed horizontal portion 313a and an inclined portion 313b. The horizontal portion 313a is connected to one end face of the locking groove 312, and the inclined portion 313b extends inclinedly from the end of the horizontal portion 313a into the receiving cavity 311. The end of the inclined portion 313b abuts against the end face of the slot structure on the outer wall of the male end housing 110. When the sheath 310 moves outward along the axial direction, i.e. away from the female end connector 200, the inclined portion 313b is elastically deformed by the pressure of the outer wall of the male end housing 110, forming a reverse resistance to prevent the damping element 300 from disengaging. Preferably, the inclination angle of the inclined portion 313b is preferably between 15 degrees and 45 degrees, which can ensure smoothness during assembly and provide sufficient anti-disengagement force.

[0036] The spring piece 320 is a ring-shaped elastic metal sheet or a highly elastic synthetic rubber sheet. A recessed groove 321 is formed through the spring piece 320, the size of which is larger than the mating portion of the female end housing 210, ensuring that the female end connector 200 can pass through smoothly. A positioning groove 322 is provided on the spring piece 320, which cooperates with a positioning block 314 protruding from the end face of the sheath 310 to achieve precise circumferential positioning. During manufacturing, the spring piece 320 is placed on the end face of the sheath 310, so that the positioning block 314 is embedded in the positioning groove 322. Then, the spring piece 320 and the sheath 310 are cured together by a molding process such as insert injection molding, or they can be fixed by adhesive or riveting.

[0037] When the male connector 100 and the female connector 200 are mated, the end face of the female housing 210 first contacts the spring 320, and continues to push it forward, causing the spring 320 to deform under pressure until the male and female ends are locked together. At this time, the spring 320 stores elastic potential energy, forming a continuous preload in all directions, pressing the male housing 110 and the female housing 210 together and eliminating the mating gap. Under vehicle vibration conditions, any displacement in any direction that attempts to separate the male and female ends will be resisted by the elastic resistance of the spring 320. The vibration energy is converted into the elastic deformation energy of the spring 320 and the internal frictional heat energy of the material and dissipated, thereby effectively suppressing displacement.

[0038] Example 2

[0039] like Figures 4 to 5 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment lies in the structural form of the damping element 300. In this embodiment, the damping element 300 is an independent component fixed between the mating surfaces of the male end housing 110 and the female end housing 210, and is at least one rubber pad 330. Specifically, three independent arc-shaped rubber pads 330 are fixed on the mating surface of the male end housing 110. Alternatively, the rubber pad 330 can also be an integral annular rubber pad 330.

[0040] The rubber pad 330 is made of oil-resistant rubber, silicone, or thermoplastic elastomer, with a thickness designed according to the required preload force, typically 0.5-2 mm, and a Shore hardness of 40A-80A. During installation, the rubber pad 330 is pre-fixed to the mating end face of the male end housing 110 or the female end housing 210 using adhesives, slots, or in-mold encapsulation. In this embodiment, three arc-shaped rubber pads 330 are respectively fixed to the edges of the mating end face of the male end housing 110.

[0041] The outer periphery of the rubber pad 330 is designed to lie between the outer periphery of the male housing 110 and the opening edge of the mating cavity 111. This dimensional relationship ensures that the rubber pad 330 is only deformed by pressure at the end face of the housing during mating and will not be squeezed into the mating cavity 111, thus avoiding affecting the contact reliability of the terminal 400.

[0042] When the male connector 100 and female connector 200 are mated and locked together, the end face of the female housing 210 contacts and compresses the rubber pad 330. Under axial pressure, the rubber pad 330 undergoes elastic deformation, and the molecular friction within its material generates a significant damping effect, dissipating vibrational energy. Simultaneously, the elastic restoring force generated by the compressed rubber pad 330 also creates a continuous elastic preload F between the male and female ends, effectively suppressing relative movement between them. The contour design of the rubber pad 330 ensures that it can be fully compressed to generate sufficient preload and damping without interfering with the normal insertion of the female housing 210 or the movement of the snap-fit ​​structure.

[0043] This solution has a simpler structure and lower cost, making it suitable for applications with relatively weak vibration intensity or limited space.

[0044] The embodiments described above merely illustrate the implementation of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, 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 damped, stabilized, mating FAKRA connector, characterized in that, The device includes a male connector and a female connector that interlock with each other. The male connector includes a male housing and a mating cavity for the female connector to be inserted into. The female connector includes a female housing. It also includes a damping element, which is at least partially disposed between the male end housing and the female end housing, for limiting the relative displacement between the male end housing and the female end housing.

2. The damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The damping element is an independent component disposed between the mating end faces of the male end shell and the female end shell, or an integrated component fixed on the male end shell or the female end shell. The damping element is configured to form an elastic preload after the male end connector and the female end connector are mated together, so as to limit the relative displacement between the male end shell and the female end shell.

3. The damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The damping element includes a sheath and a spring plate fixed thereon. The sheath is fitted over the outside of the male end housing, and the spring plate abuts against the end face of the male end housing. The spring plate is positioned corresponding to the position of the female end connector to provide elastic damping.

4. The damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sheath has a cavity through which the male end housing passes, and the spring has a groove through which the female end connector passes. The groove is coaxially arranged with and connected to the cavity.

5. The damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The sheath has a locking groove that communicates with the receiving cavity, and the locking groove has a movable buckle for fixing the sheath to the male end shell.

6. The damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector according to claim 5, characterized in that, The latch includes a horizontal portion and an inclined portion. The horizontal portion is connected to one end of the locking groove, and the inclined portion extends into the receiving cavity. The end of the inclined portion abuts against the outer wall of the male end housing to prevent the damping element from dislodging outward along the axial direction.

7. The damped, stabilized, mating FAKRA connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, At least one positioning block is protruding on the end face of the sheath that connects to the spring piece, and a corresponding positioning groove is opened on the spring piece. The spring piece achieves circumferential positioning through the cooperation of the positioning block and the positioning groove.

8. The damped, stabilized, and mating FAKRA connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The damping element is at least one rubber pad fixed on the end face of the male or female connector housing. The rubber pad is deformed by pressure after the male connector and the female connector are mated together, thus forming damping.

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