Electrical connector and connector assembly

Abstract

An electrical connector (100) and a connector assembly are provided. The electrical connector (100) is for mounting on a surface (11) of a circuit board (10) on which a land (12) is formed, and includes: an insulating housing (110); and a conductive terminal (120) disposed at least partially within the insulating housing and including a substantially plate-shaped main body (121) and a pin (122) extending from the main body, the pin having an elongated shape extending in a width direction (X) of the conductive terminal to be adapted to be soldered on the land of the surface in a surface-mounting manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of electrical connectors, and more particularly, to electrical connectors and connector assemblies that can at least increase the electrical channels of pins. Background Art

[0002] Electrical connectors are typically used to establish electrical connections between various electronic components or devices. Electrical connectors are usually mounted on the circuit board or similar structure of a device to mate with a mating connector or other electronic components.

[0003] In a conventional application where an electrical connector is mounted on a circuit board, considering the channel and contact density, the BGA technology is usually adopted, in which the pins of the conductive terminals of the electrical connector are provided or formed as spherical shapes (such as solder balls) for connecting to the pads on the circuit board. However, for the BGA mounting process, the pins or tails of the conductive terminals can only be designed with a narrow profile corresponding to the solder balls, and there are at least problems of high resistance and narrow electrical channels, especially in high-speed data transmission or high-current applications. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] In order to overcome at least one of the above and other problems and defects existing in the prior art, the present disclosure is proposed.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electrical connector for being mounted on the surface of a circuit board, on which pads are formed. The electrical connector includes: an insulating housing; and conductive terminals, at least part of which are disposed within the insulating housing and include a substantially plate-shaped body and pins extending from the body. The pins have a long strip shape extending along the width direction of the conductive terminals to be welded to the pads on the surface in a surface mount manner.

[0006] In some embodiments, a step is formed between the pins and the body.

[0007] In some embodiments, the pins and the body form an inverted "convex" shape profile.

[0008] In some embodiments, the dimension of the pins extending in the width direction is smaller than the width of the body, so that the step is formed by the pins and the body.

[0009] In some embodiments, the dimension of the pins extending in the width direction is greater than or equal to 40% of the width of the body.

[0010] In some embodiments, each pin has two opposite end faces in the width direction, the body has two opposite side faces in the width direction, and a step is formed between at least one of the two end faces and a corresponding side face in the two side faces.

[0011] In some embodiments, a step is formed between a surface of the pin in the thickness direction of the conductive terminal and a corresponding surface of the body in the thickness direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the thickness of the pin is less than the thickness of the body or less than the thickness of the conductive terminal.

[0013] In some embodiments, the soldering surface of the pin facing the circuit board is a plane.

[0014] In some embodiments, the conductive terminal includes at least two sub-terminals, the bodies of the at least two sub-terminals being stacked in the thickness direction of the conductive terminal in a manner that the surfaces of the at least two sub-terminals are in contact with each other, and at least one sub-terminal is formed with the pin.

[0015] In some embodiments, a step is formed between the body of one of the at least two sub-terminals that does not have a pin and the pin.

[0016] In some embodiments, the at least two sub-terminals include at least one inner terminal and at least two outer terminals, the body of the at least one inner terminal being positioned between the bodies of two adjacent outer terminals, and the inner terminal having the pins formed thereon, while the outer terminals not having the pins formed thereon, so as to form a step between the body of the outer terminal and the pins of the inner terminal.

[0017] In some embodiments, the insulating housing comprises a ceramic housing.

[0018] In some embodiments, the insulating housing is formed with a mounting hole, and the body of the conductive terminal is formed with barbs, protrusions, or ribs for interference engagement with the inner wall of the mounting hole.

[0019] In another embodiment, a connector assembly is provided, including a circuit board and an electrical connector described in any embodiment of this disclosure, wherein the pins of the conductive terminals of the electrical connector are surface-mounted to pads on the surface of the circuit board. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of various embodiments of the present disclosure will become clearer from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0021] Figure 1This schematically illustrates an electrical connector mounted on a circuit board;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 3 This is an exploded view schematically illustrating the structure of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the housing is partially removed to show the connection between the conductive terminals and the circuit board;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a side view schematically illustrating the structure of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the housing is partially removed to show the connection between the conductive terminals and the circuit board;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic side view illustrating a partial structure of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein the housing is partially removed to show the connection between conductive terminals and the circuit board and the terminals of the mating connector;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of the conductive terminals of an electrical connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of a conductive terminal according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of a conductive terminal according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0030] Figure 10 This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the structure of a conductive terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, identical or similar components are indicated by identical or similar reference numerals. The following description of various embodiments of this disclosure with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to illustrate the overall concept of this disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.

[0032] Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for ease of explanation to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated to simplify the figures.

[0033] In the following detailed description, directional terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "upper part" and "lower part", "inner", and "outer" are defined according to the accompanying drawings, but the shape and position of the parts are not limited by these terms and can be adjusted according to the actual application.

[0034] Furthermore, the terminology used herein is for describing exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit and / or constrain this disclosure. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the,” “the” are also intended to include the plural forms. In this disclosure, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and similar terms are used to enumerate features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more of said features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof.

[0035] Although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe a variety of different elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and a second element may be referred to as a first element. The term “and / or” includes a combination of multiple related items or any one of multiple related items.

[0036] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide electrical connectors that can be used to establish electrical connections between various types of electronic components or devices. As shown, the electrical connector 100 provided in the embodiments of this disclosure can be a board-end connector adapted to be mounted on a circuit board 10 of an electrical device (e.g., a PCB, such as a computer motherboard) and electrically connected to conductive structures on the circuit board 10, such as pads or conductive traces, for current transmission and / or signal communication. In some examples, such as Figure 1As shown, the electrical connector 100 can serve as a power connector to receive electrical power, for example, from a voltage regulation module (VRM) 20 mounted on the circuit board 10, and to supply power to other electronic components or devices via a mating connector (not shown). Alternatively or additionally, the electrical connector 100 can also be used as a receptacle connector for transmitting signals. Exemplarily, the electrical connector 100 can be mounted vertically or upright on the circuit board 10. In this disclosure, no particular limitation is made on the type and orientation of the electrical connector, as long as it is suitable for mounting on the circuit board.

[0037] In the illustrated embodiment of this disclosure, the electrical connector 100 mainly includes an insulating housing 110 and conductive terminals 120. The insulating housing 110 defines a socket 101 on a side opposite to the circuit board 10. The conductive terminals 120 are at least partially positioned (e.g., detachably mounted or assembled) within the insulating housing 110. When the electrical connector 100 is mounted vertically or upright on the circuit board 10, the conductive terminals 120 can be positioned within the insulating housing 110 to extend in a direction generally perpendicular to the surface of the circuit board 10 (the Y direction in the figure, also referred to as the length direction of the conductive terminals) and have a portion exposed in the socket 101 (a contact portion 124, as described below) for electrical connection (e.g., electrical contact) with a corresponding terminal 220 of a mating connector (not shown) inserted into the socket 101.

[0038] The conductive terminal 120 is made of a conductive material and includes a body 121 and pins 122. The body 121 may generally have a plate-like or flat shape. The pins 122 extend from the body 121 as the tail of the conductive terminal, for example, extending in the Y direction from the side of the body 121 facing the circuit board 10. The conductive terminal 120 may also include one or more resilient arms 123, each resilient arm 123 extending from the body 121 on the side opposite to the pins 122, such as extending into an elongated strip generally in the length direction Y, and having a contact portion 124 for electrically contacting the terminal 220 of the mating connector.

[0039] Unlike the conventional method of soldering solder balls set or formed on the conductive terminals of the connector onto the circuit board via BGA packaging, in the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the conductive terminals 120 of the electrical connector 100 are not provided with solder balls, but are adapted to be mounted on the surface 11 of the circuit board 10 in a manner such as surface mount, i.e., by surface mount technology (SMT), as if soldered to pads 12 formed on the surface 11.

[0040] In conventional connectors, the tails or leads of conductive terminals are typically dot-shaped, columnar, or spherical. For example, one or more spaced, narrow dot-shaped, columnar, or spherical leads are formed on the side of the conductive terminal body facing the circuit board. Their dimensions (such as width or diameter) are much smaller than the width of the body, for attaching solder balls thereon and soldering them to the circuit board. However, in embodiments of this disclosure, such as... Figure 3-10 As shown, the tail or pin 122 of the conductive terminal 120 may have an elongated shape extending along the width direction X of the conductive terminal 120 (instead of a dotted, columnar, or spherical shape as in conventional techniques), for example, suitable for surface mounting onto the pads 12 of the surface 11 of the circuit board 10. Compared to conventional dotted, columnar, or spherical pins, the elongated tail or pin 122 of the conductive terminal 120 has a larger dimension or width extending in the width direction X, reducing the resistance between the pin and the body, providing a wider electrical path, and facilitating current transmission. As an example, the soldering surface of the pin 122 facing the circuit board 10 may be substantially planar or flat.

[0041] In this disclosure, although pin 122 has a large or elongated dimension in the width direction X, corresponding to the width of conductive terminal 120, the dimension of pin 122 extending in the width direction X can also be referred to as its "width". Accordingly, the dimension of pin 122 extending in the length direction Y of conductive terminal 120 can be referred to as the "length" of pin 122. Obviously, as shown, pin 122 has an elongated profile whose "width" is greater than (e.g., much greater than) its "length".

[0042] In some embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 3-10 As shown, the pins 122 and the body 121 of the conductive terminal 120 can both form or define a step, that is, the pins 122 are "reduced" in size relative to the body 121, forming a stepped or stepped profile. Thus, when the pins 122 of the conductive terminal 120 are soldered to the pads 12 formed on the surface 11 of the circuit board 10 using an SMT process, as... Figure 6 As shown, during reflow soldering, this stepped or stepped profile formed between the pin 122 and the body 121 helps solder 13, such as tin, to move upward from the pad 12 along the pin 122 and adhere to the pin 122, so as to establish a reliable electrical connection between the pin 122 and the pad 12.

[0043] For example, such as Figure 3-10As shown, the pin 122 and body 121 of the conductive terminal 120 can both form a generally inverted "U" shaped profile, wherein the pin 122 forms the narrower portion of the "U" shaped profile, and the body 121 forms the wider portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the pin 122 and body 121 form a generally inverted "U" shaped shape in a plane perpendicular to the thickness direction Z of the conductive terminal 120. However, this disclosure is not limited to this; the pin and body can also form a generally inverted "U" shaped shape in a plane perpendicular to the width direction of the conductive terminal. For example, the thickness of the pin can be less than the thickness of the corresponding body or less than the thickness of the conductive terminal.

[0044] In some embodiments of this disclosure, such as Figure 3-10 As shown, the dimension of the lead 122 of the conductive terminal 120 extending in the width direction X can be smaller than the width of the body 122, so as to form a step between the lead 122 and the body 121. On the other hand, in order to facilitate surface mount soldering and reduce resistance, the lead 122 extends a larger dimension in the width direction X, such as between 40% and 95% of the width of the body 122, such as greater than or equal to 40%, 45%, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, etc. of the width of the body 122.

[0045] For example, such as Figure 3-10 As shown, each pin 122 has two opposite end faces in the width direction X, and the body 120 has two opposite side faces in the width direction X. A step can be formed between at least one end face of the pin 122 and a corresponding side face of the body 120, i.e., each serves as a step surface. In the illustrated embodiment, each pin 122 forms a step relative to the body 121 on both sides in the width direction X.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, in embodiments not shown, the thickness of the pin may be less than the thickness of the body, and a step may also be formed between a surface of the pin in the thickness direction of the conductive terminal (such as a surface in the XY plane) and a corresponding surface of the body in the thickness direction.

[0047] In exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the conductive terminal 120 may be a single sheet terminal or a multi-sheet stacked structure composed of at least two sub-terminals, such as... Figure 3-10 As shown. In this stacked structure, the bodies 121 of at least two sub-terminals are stacked in the thickness direction Z of the conductive terminal 120 and are in surface contact with each other, while at least one sub-terminal is formed with pins 122 suitable for surface mounting on the surface of a circuit board, and each sub-terminal may have a row of multiple elastic arms 123 spaced apart in the width direction X.

[0048] In the illustrated stacked structure, each sub-terminal of the conductive terminal 120 can be configured or formed as a pin 122, such as... Figure 10 As shown; or, as Figure 3-9 As shown, at least one sub-terminal of the conductive terminal 120 may be without pins or without any pins formed, thereby a step may be formed between the body of the sub-terminal without pins and the pin 122. For example, the sides of the bodies 121 of the respective sub-terminals of the conductive terminal 120 facing the circuit board 10 are substantially aligned with each other, so that the pin 122 protrudes relative to the body 121 of the sub-terminal without pins in the length direction Y.

[0049] In an exemplary embodiment, the sub-terminals of the conductive terminal 120 having a stacked structure may include at least one inner terminal 1201 and at least two outer terminals 1202, with the body of at least one inner terminal 1201 positioned between the bodies of two adjacent outer terminals 1202. At least one inner terminal 1201 may have a pin 122 formed, while no pin is formed on at least one outer terminal 1202, so as to form a step between the body 121 of the outer terminal 1202 and the pin 122 of the inner terminal 1201. In this stacked structure, the thickness of the pin 122 may be equal to or less than the thickness of the corresponding body 121, and due to the presence of the outer terminals, a stepped profile can also be formed between the pin and another body without pins.

[0050] For example, such as Figure 3-9 As shown, the conductive terminal 120 may include two outer terminals 1202 and two inner terminals 1201. The bodies 121 of the two outer terminals 1202 and the two inner terminals 1201 overlap each other in the thickness direction. The elastic arms 123 of the two inner terminals 1201 are arranged in two rows facing each other in the thickness direction Z. The elastic arms 123 of the two outer terminals 1202 are also arranged in two rows facing each other in the thickness direction Z. The plurality of elastic arms of each inner terminal 1201 and the plurality of elastic arms of the corresponding outer terminal 1202 are staggered in the width direction X, thereby clamping the inserted terminal 220 at least at the contact portion 124. Those skilled in the art will understand that although the construction and arrangement of the bodies and elastic arms of the sub-terminals of the conductive terminals with a stacked structure have been described above, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and the electrical connector may have any terminal construction and arrangement suitable for electrical connection.

[0051] In embodiments of this disclosure, the insulating housing 110 may be made of an insulating material such as plastic or a ceramic material. The ceramic housing has high thermal conductivity, thus preventing large housing warpage during pin reflow soldering, effectively reducing high-temperature deformation of the housing, and simultaneously increasing thermal conductivity and improving thermal performance.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, such as Figure 2-3 As shown, the insulating housing 110 includes a first housing 111 and a second housing 112, which can be formed, for example, in a plate shape. Mounting holes 1111 are formed in the insulating housing 110 or its first housing 111, such as a plurality of mounting holes 1111 arranged in an array, and each conductive terminal 120 is at least partially disposed or positioned in a corresponding mounting hole 1111. An insertion hole 101 is formed in the second housing 112. The first housing 111 and the second housing 112 can be connected to each other to accommodate the conductive terminal 120 during this process. For example, as... Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the first housing 111 may have a first positioning post 1112 formed or provided, and the second housing 112 may have at least a pair of spaced-apart second positioning posts 1122. During connection, the first positioning post 1112 is inserted between the pair of second positioning posts 1122. It is understood that the connection method of the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 is not limited to this, and screw connection, clamps, etc. can also be used.

[0053] In a further embodiment, such as Figure 2-3 As shown, a spacer 1113, such as a columnar structure, may be provided or formed on a housing, such as the first housing 111. When connected, the first housing 111 and the second housing 112 may be spaced apart from each other by the spacer 1113 so that the conductive terminal 120 housed therein may be exposed at least partially from the gap between the first housing 111 and the second housing 112, so as to dissipate the heat generated when the electrical connector is operating, especially the heat generated during high power or high current transmission.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2-3 As shown, the insulating housing 110 may further include a retaining member 113, such as a plate member, which can be positioned between the first housing 111 and the second housing 112. For example, a stepped surface 1114 is formed on the first positioning post 1112 of the first housing 111, and the periphery of the retaining member 113 can rest on the stepped surface 1114, such that the retaining member 113 is spaced apart from the first housing 111, and a groove 1132 is formed on the periphery of the retaining member 113 to allow the first positioning post 1112 of the first housing 111 to be inserted through the groove 1132, thereby stably positioning the retaining member 113 relative to the first housing 111. The retaining member 113 has a through hole 1131 through which the conductive terminal 120 can be inserted. For example, the elastic arm 123 of the conductive terminal 120 can be at least partially inserted into the through hole 1131, so that the retaining member 113 can reliably hold the conductive terminal 120 in the insulating housing 110 to ensure the stability of the contact point formed by the elastic arm 123.

[0055] For example, the body 121 of the conductive terminal 120 may be at least partially disposed in the mounting hole 1111 of the first housing 111. Exemplarily, the mounting hole 1111 may have a rectangular shape, and the body 121 of the conductive terminal 120 may be at least partially mounted in the mounting hole 1111 of the first housing 111, while a portion of the resilient arm 123 or its contact portion 124 of the conductive terminal 120 may protrude from the insertion hole 101 of the second housing 112 to make electrical contact with the terminal 220 of the mating connector. Exemplarily, the body 121 of the conductive terminal 120 may be formed with various engagement structures, such as a barbed structure 125 (see...). Figure 7 and 9 The barb structure 125 is formed, for example, on the side of the body 121 in the width direction X, for interfering with the inner wall of the mounting hole 111. Alternatively or additionally, the body 121 of the conductive terminal 120 may be formed with protrusions 126 for interfering with the inner wall of the mounting hole 1111 (see...). Figure 8 ) or rib 127 (see Figure 8 This is merely an example; it is understood that various joining or fixing structures can be used to mount conductive terminals within an insulating housing.

[0056] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide connector assemblies for mating with mating connectors to transmit power or signals between a power and / or signal source and an electrical component or device. The connector assembly primarily includes a circuit board 10 and an electrical connector 100 mounted thereon. The conductive terminals 120 of the electrical connector 100 have elongated pins 122, which are soldered, for example, to pads 12 on the surface 11 of the circuit board 10 in a surface-mount manner, thereby reducing connection resistance and providing a wide electrical path.

[0057] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” as used herein do not exclude other elements or steps. Additionally, any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An electrical connector (100) for mounting on a surface (11) of a circuit board (10), wherein pads (12) are formed on said surface, characterized in that, The electrical connector includes: an insulating housing (110); and conductive terminals (120), at least part of which are disposed within the insulating housing and include a substantially plate-shaped body (121) and pins (122) extending from the body, the pins having an elongated shape extending along the width direction (X) of the conductive terminal so as to be adapted to be soldered to pads on the surface in a surface mounting manner.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, A step is formed between the pins and the body.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pins and the body form an inverted "convex" shape profile.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The dimension of the pins extending in the width direction is smaller than the width of the body so that the step is formed by the pins and the body.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The dimension of the pins extending in the width direction is greater than or equal to 40% of the width of the body.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein each pin has two end faces opposite to each other in the width direction, the body has two side faces opposite to each other in the width direction, and a step is formed between at least one of the two end faces and the corresponding one of the two side faces.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, A step is formed between a surface of the pins in the thickness direction (Z) of the conductive terminal and the corresponding surface of the body in the thickness direction.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The thickness of the pins is smaller than the thickness of the body or smaller than the thickness of the conductive terminal.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The welding surface of the pins facing the circuit board is a flat surface.

10. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the conductive terminal includes at least two sub-terminals, the bodies (121) of the at least two sub-terminals are stacked in the thickness direction (Z) of the conductive terminal in a manner of surface contact with each other, and at least one sub-terminal is formed with the pins.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 10, characterized in that, A step is formed between the body of a sub-terminal without pins among the at least two sub-terminals and the pins.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the at least two sub-terminals include at least one inner terminal (1201) and at least two outer terminals (1202), the body of the at least one inner terminal is positioned between the bodies of two adjacent outer terminals, and the inner terminal is formed with the pins, and the pins are not formed on the outer terminals so that a step is formed between the body of the outer terminal and the pins of the inner terminal.

13. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-9 and 11-12, characterized in that, The insulating housing includes a ceramic housing.

14. The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-9 and 11-12, wherein the insulating housing is formed with mounting holes (1111), the body of the conductive terminal is formed with barb structures, bumps or ribs for interference fit with the inner wall of the mounting holes.

15. A connector assembly, characterized in that, The connector assembly includes a circuit board (10) and the electrical connector according to any one of claims 1-14, and the pins (122) of the conductive terminals (120) of the electrical connector are soldered to pads on the surface of the circuit board in a surface mounting manner.

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