An electrical connector and connector assembly

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of electric connector and connector assembly, belong to electric connector field, a kind of electric connector, including insulating shell and electric connection body, electric connection body is set to insulating shell, at least one side wall of insulating shell has from the insulating shell protruding for cooperating with the lock catch of butt connector piece.The electric connector and connector assembly of the utility model, since lock catch and insulating shell are integrally formed, there is no problem that lock catch is loose due to improper installation when being installed after.In cooperation with butt connector, it can provide more stable locking effect, greatly reduce the risk of connection failure caused by lock catch loosening in complex vibration environment or frequent plugging process, ensure the continuous stability of electrical connection, and protect the reliable operation of equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of electrical connectors, and particularly relates to an electrical connector and connector assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In the widespread application of electronic devices, electrical connectors, as key components for achieving electrical connections, directly affect the stability and reliability of equipment operation.

[0003] Currently, most electrical connectors on the market use a retrofit locking mechanism on the insulating shell when mating with a mating connector. This traditional method has several drawbacks. Firstly, retrofitting the locking mechanism requires additional assembly steps, increasing production time and costs. Furthermore, improper operation during assembly can easily lead to insecure installation of the locking mechanism, affecting the stability of the mating connector. Secondly, gaps may appear at the connection between the retrofitted locking mechanism and the insulating shell, easily accumulating dust, moisture, and other impurities, reducing the connector's insulation performance and potentially causing short circuits and other malfunctions, affecting its normal operation.

[0004] In real-world applications, such as inside electronic devices with complex vibration environments or in applications involving frequent plugging and unplugging of electrical connectors, the design of traditional electrical connectors with rear-mounted locking mechanisms makes it difficult to ensure a stable and reliable connection after mating with the connector. This severely restricts the application effect of electrical connectors in these scenarios and the overall performance improvement of the equipment. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electrical connector and connector assembly to overcome at least one of the aforementioned defects in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] The present invention provides an electrical connector, including an insulating shell and an electrical connector body. The electrical connector body is disposed on the insulating shell, and at least one side wall of the insulating shell has a locking element protruding from the insulating shell for mating with a mating connector.

[0008] Preferably, it also includes a protective plate, at least one side wall of the insulating housing has a mounting groove, the protective plate is mounted in the mounting groove, and surrounds the locking element.

[0009] Preferably, at least one side wall of the insulating shell has a limiting block protruding from the insulating shell, the inner side wall of the limiting block has a first slot, and both ends of the protective sheet have locking blocks that cooperate with the first slot.

[0010] Preferably, the protective plate is formed by bending a metal sheet along the contour of the locking element.

[0011] Preferably, one end of the locking element has a curved surface.

[0012] Preferably, at least one side of the insulating housing has a guide groove.

[0013] Preferably, the insulating housing includes a first housing and a second housing, which are snapped together.

[0014] Preferably, the first shell has a first hole and the second shell has a second hole. After the first shell and the second shell are snapped together, the first hole and the second hole surround each other to form an injection hole.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes an inner mold and a cable, one end of which extends into the insulating housing and is electrically connected to the electrical connector. The inner mold is disposed within the insulating housing and at least covers the electrical connection area between the cable and the electrical connector.

[0016] Preferably, the electrical connector is disposed within the insulating housing and has at least one plug portion extending out of the insulating housing.

[0017] Preferably, the electrical connector is a circuit board or a conductive terminal block.

[0018] This invention also provides a connector assembly, including the aforementioned electrical connector and a mating connector that mates with the electrical connector.

[0019] Preferably, the mating connector includes a mating connector body and a limiting seat rotatably connected to the mating connector body, the limiting seat cooperating with a locking element.

[0020] Preferably, at least one side wall of the limiting seat has a second slot, the second slot is arc-shaped, and one end of the locking element has an arc surface that mates with the second slot.

[0021] Preferably, it also includes a protective plate, at least one side wall of the insulating housing has a mounting groove, the protective plate is mounted in the mounting groove and surrounds the locking element, and the protective plate cooperates with the second slot.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0023] 1. Because the locking mechanism is integrally molded with the insulating housing, there is no issue of loosening due to improper installation of the locking mechanism after installation. When used with mating connectors, it provides a more secure locking effect, greatly reducing the risk of connection failure due to loosening in complex vibration environments or during frequent insertion and removal, ensuring the continuous stability of the electrical connection and guaranteeing reliable equipment operation.

[0024] 2. The protective plate forms an effective buffer barrier, which not only reduces the risk of locking instability due to wear of the locking components, but also significantly extends their service life, thereby improving the overall service life of the electrical connector and reducing the cost increase caused by frequent component replacement.

[0025] 3. The limiting block and the locking blocks at both ends of the protective plate cooperate through the first locking groove. After the protective plate is inserted into the mounting groove, the locking blocks are firmly embedded in the first locking groove, forming a reliable mechanical locking structure.

[0026] 4. The right end of the locking component has an arc surface, which not only ensures smooth docking and guidance, but also reduces the risk of wear and tear and enhances structural strength.

[0027] 5. The guide groove is designed to guide and position the connector during docking, thereby improving docking efficiency and ensuring accurate connection precision.

[0028] 6. The locking mechanism, consisting of a limit seat and a locking fastener, enables the electrical connector and the mating connector to be locked together, making operation simple. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Embodiment 1 of this utility model (excluding the cable and protective sheet).

[0031] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the protective sheet according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a top view of the structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model (excluding cables).

[0033] Figure 5 This is a right-side structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 of this utility model (excluding cables).

[0034] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of Embodiment 2 of this utility model (excluding cables).

[0035] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the connector assembly (excluding cables) according to Embodiment 3 of this utility model.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the second three-dimensional structure of the connector assembly (excluding cables) according to Embodiment 3 of this utility model.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the connector assembly (excluding the cable) according to Embodiment 4 of this utility model.

[0038] The labels in the attached diagram are as follows: 1-Insulating shell, 2-Electrical connector, 11-Locking element, 3-Protective plate, 31-Card block, 12-Mounting groove, 13-Limiting block, 131-First slot, 111-Arc surface, 14-Guide groove, 15-First shell, 16-Second shell, 17-First hole, 18-Second hole, 19-Injection hole, 4-Inner mold, 5-Cable, 21-Plug-in part, 6-Mating connector body, 7-Limiting seat, 71-Second slot. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0040] Contents not described in detail in this specification are existing technologies known to those skilled in the art. In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that terms such as "center," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting this utility model. Furthermore, terms such as "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] Example 1:

[0042] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, this embodiment provides an electrical connector including an insulating housing 1 and an electrical connector 2. In this embodiment, the electrical connector 2 is a circuit board, but in other embodiments it can be a conductive terminal group. The electrical connector 2 is disposed on the insulating housing 1. Both the front and rear side walls of the insulating housing 1 have locking members 11 protruding from the insulating housing 1 for mating with a mating connector. Since the locking members 11 are integrally formed with the insulating housing 1, there is no problem of loosening due to improper installation of the locking members 11 after installation. When mating with the mating connector, it can provide a more stable locking effect, greatly reducing the risk of connection failure due to loosening of the locking members in complex vibration environments or during frequent insertion and removal, ensuring the continuous stability of the electrical connection and ensuring reliable operation of the equipment. It avoids gaps at the connection between the locking members 11 and the insulating housing 1 after installation. This effectively prevents the intrusion of impurities such as dust and moisture, reduces the possibility of insulation performance degradation and short circuit failure, and improves the safety and reliability of the electrical connector in various environments. It eliminates the need for additional installation of the locking members 11, reducing labor costs and assembly time, and improving production efficiency. At the same time, it reduces the defect rate caused by assembly errors, further lowering production costs. The one-piece molding design reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, making the production process simpler and more efficient, which is beneficial for large-scale production and quality control.

[0043] The system also includes a protective plate 3. The front and rear side walls of the insulating housing 1 both have mounting grooves 12. The protective plate 3 is installed in the mounting grooves 12 and surrounds the locking element 11. During frequent mating between the electrical connector and the mating connector, continuous friction and collision occur between the locking element 11 and the limiting seat 7 of the mating connector. The protective plate 3 forms an effective buffer barrier, preventing direct contact between the locking element 11 and the limiting seat 7, greatly reducing wear. This not only reduces the risk of locking instability due to wear on the locking element 11 but also significantly extends its service life, thereby increasing the overall service life of the electrical connector and reducing the cost increase caused by frequent component replacements. When the locking element 11 wears, its mating accuracy with the limiting seat 7 of the mating connector may be affected, leading to reduced connection stability. The protective plate 3 ensures that the locking element 11 maintains its good shape and precision, enabling the electrical connector to maintain a stable and reliable connection when mating with the mating connector. This effectively reduces electrical faults caused by unstable connections and improves the stability and reliability of equipment operation.

[0044] The insulating housing 1 has a limiting block 13 protruding from its front and rear side walls. The inner side wall of the limiting block 13 has a first locking groove 131. Both ends of the protective plate 3 have locking blocks 31 that engage with the first locking groove 131. When installing the protective plate 3, align it with the mounting groove 12 and insert it into the groove. After insertion, the locking blocks 31 enter the first locking groove 131 and lock in place, achieving stable installation of the protective plate 3. The limiting block 13 and the locking blocks 31 at both ends of the protective plate 3 engage through the first locking groove 131. After the protective plate 3 is inserted into the mounting groove 12, the locking blocks 31 are firmly embedded in the first locking groove 131, forming a reliable mechanical locking structure. This effectively prevents the protective plate 3 from shifting or falling off due to vibration, insertion / removal, or other external forces during daily use of the electrical connector, ensuring that it always tightly surrounds and protects the locking element 11, continuously providing protection and guaranteeing the stability of the electrical connector's connection performance.

[0045] The protective plate 3 is formed by bending a metal sheet along the contour of the locking element 11, achieving a precise match with the contour of the locking element 11. When mating with the limiting seat 7 of the connector, this highly consistent contour maximizes the contact area and ensures more uniform contact. The uniform contact distribution effectively disperses stress generated during mating, preventing loosening or deformation due to localized stress concentration. When the electrical connector operates in complex environments such as vibration and impact, stable mating ensures continuous and reliable connection, reduces the risk of connection failure, guarantees stable transmission of electrical signals, and improves the overall system stability. The limiting seat 7 of the connector is made of the same material as the protective plate 3. The interaction of the same material reduces problems such as uneven wear and electrochemical corrosion caused by differences in material properties.

[0046] The right end of the locking element 11 has an arc surface 111, which not only facilitates smooth docking and guidance but also reduces the risk of wear and tear and enhances structural strength.

[0047] The insulating housing 1 has guide grooves 14 on both the front and rear sides, which play a guiding and positioning role when docking with the connector, improving docking efficiency and ensuring connection accuracy.

[0048] The insulating housing 1 includes a first housing 15 and a second housing 16, which are snap-fitted together for easy assembly. The first housing 15 has a first hole 17, and the second housing 16 has a second hole 18. After the first housing 15 and the second housing 16 are snap-fitted together, the first hole 17 and the second hole 18 form an injection hole 19 for injecting the inner mold 4. In this embodiment, the second housing 16 is located at the right end of the first housing 15.

[0049] The system also includes an inner mold 4 and a cable 5. The left end of the cable 5 extends into the insulating housing 1 and is electrically connected to the electrical connector 2. The inner mold 4 is disposed inside the insulating housing 1 and at least covers the electrical connection area between the cable 5 and the electrical connector 2. The inner mold 4 maintains the connection stability between the electrical connector 2, the cable 5, and the insulating housing 1, thereby improving mechanical reliability.

[0050] The electrical connector 2 is disposed inside the insulating housing 1 and has two plug-in portions 21 extending to the left out of the insulating housing 1.

[0051] Example 2:

[0052] like Figure 6 As shown, the difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that:

[0053] The electrical connector 2 is disposed inside the insulating housing 1 and has three plug-in portions 21 extending to the left out of the insulating housing 1.

[0054] Example 3:

[0055] like Figures 7 to 8 As shown, this embodiment provides a connector assembly, including the electrical connector of Embodiment 1 and a mating connector that mates with the electrical connector.

[0056] The mating connector includes a mating connector body 6 and a limiting seat 7 rotatably connected to the mating connector body 6. The limiting seat 7 cooperates with the locking member 11. Specifically, the limiting seat 7 has a second slot 71 on both its front and rear side walls. The second slot 71 is arc-shaped, and the right end of the locking member 11 has an arc surface 111 that cooperates with the second slot 71. After the electrical connector is inserted into the mating connector to the left, the limiting seat 7 is bent downwards, causing the second slot 71 to engage with the locking member 11. By limiting the locking member 11 with the limiting seat 7, the electrical connector and the mating connector are locked. When it is necessary to remove the electrical connector, the limiting seat 7 is bent upwards to unlock it, and then the electrical connector is pulled to the right. The operation is simple.

[0057] The device also includes a protective plate 3. Both the front and rear side walls of the insulating housing 1 have mounting grooves 12. The protective plate 3 is installed in the mounting grooves 12 and surrounds the locking element 11. The protective plate 3 engages with the second locking groove 71. The protective plate 3 protects the locking element 11, preventing friction between the second locking groove 71 and the locking element 11.

[0058] Example 4:

[0059] like Figure 9 As shown, this embodiment provides a connector assembly, including the electrical connector of Embodiment 2 and a mating connector that mates with the electrical connector.

[0060] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that: It includes an insulating housing (1) and an electrical connector (2); The electrical connector (2) is disposed on the insulating housing (1); At least one side wall of the insulating housing (1) has a locking element (11) protruding from the insulating housing (1) for engaging with a mating connector.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a protective sheet (3); At least one side wall of the insulating housing (1) has a mounting groove (12); The protective plate (3) is installed in the mounting groove (12) and surrounds the locking member (11).

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: At least one side wall of the insulating housing (1) has a limiting block (13) protruding from the insulating housing (1), and the inner side wall of the limiting block (13) has a first slot (131). Both ends of the protective plate (3) have locking blocks, which cooperate with the first slot (131).

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The protective plate (3) is formed by bending a metal plate along the outline of the locking member (11).

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the locking element (11) has an arc surface (111).

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating housing (1) has a guide groove (14) on at least one side.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating housing (1) includes a first housing (15) and a second housing (16); The first shell (15) and the second shell (16) are snapped together.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first shell (15) has a first hole (17), and the second shell (16) has a second hole (18); After the first shell (15) and the second shell (16) are snapped together, the first hole (17) and the second hole (18) are closed to form an injection hole (19).

9. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes the inner mold (4) and the cable (5); One end of the cable (5) extends into the insulating housing (1) and is electrically connected to the electrical connector (2); The inner mold (4) is disposed inside the insulating housing (1) and covers at least the electrical connection area between the cable (5) and the electrical connector (2).

10. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical connector (2) is disposed within the insulating housing (1) and has at least one plug-in portion (21) extending out of the insulating housing (1).

11. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical connector (2) is a circuit board or a conductive terminal group.

12. A connector assembly, characterized in that: Includes the electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1-11, and a mating connector that mates with the electrical connector.

13. The connector assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: The docking connector includes a docking connector body (6) and a limiting seat (7) rotatably connected to the docking connector body (6); The limiting seat (7) cooperates with the locking element (11).

14. The connector assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that: At least one side wall of the limiting seat (7) has a second slot (71), which is arc-shaped; One end of the locking element (11) has an arc surface (111); The arc surface (111) engages with the second slot (71).

15. The connector assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that: It also includes a protective sheet (3); At least one side wall of the insulating housing (1) has a mounting groove (12); The protective plate (3) is installed in the mounting groove (12) and surrounds the locking member (11); The protective plate (3) engages with the second slot (71).

Images