Crown springs and high-power connectors

Abstract

This utility model discloses a crown spring and a high-power connector, relating to the field of connector technology. The crown spring includes an upper ring portion, a lower ring portion, multiple support portions, and multiple conductive terminals. Each support portion has its two ends connected to the upper and lower ring portions respectively, and the support portions are spaced apart circumferentially along the upper ring portion. Each pair of adjacent support portions, together with the upper and lower ring portions, forms an outer frame. Each conductive terminal is located in the lower ring portion, within an outer frame. Each conductive terminal extends obliquely upwards along the lower ring portion and gradually tapers in a vertically upward direction. This utility model aims to improve the clamping force of the conductive terminals to ensure the connector's current-carrying capacity under high current conditions.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the power supply architecture of servers or data centers, two components are typically connected via connectors for pluggable connections. With technological advancements, connectors now need to handle increasingly higher current ratings. To prevent excessive temperature rise, the industry commonly uses a crown spring structure as the elastic conductive unit on the socket side. This structure utilizes multiple parallel conductive terminals to form multi-point contact with the pins, reducing contact resistance and increasing current carrying capacity.

[0003] During each assembly and disassembly process, the pins need to be inserted and removed once or even multiple times in the crown spring structure. After multiple assembly and disassembly, the clamping force of the conductive terminals decreases, and some conductive terminals may not be able to maintain stable contact with the pins, resulting in increased connector resistance and decreased current carrying capacity. Utility Model Content

[0004] The main purpose of this invention is to propose a crown spring and a high-power connector, which aims to improve the clamping force of the conductive terminals to ensure the current carrying capacity of the connector under high current.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the crown spring proposed in this utility model includes:

[0006] Upper ring;

[0007] Lower ring;

[0008] Multiple support portions, each with its two ends connected to the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion respectively, are spaced apart circumferentially along the upper ring portion; each pair of adjacent support portions, together with the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion, forms an outer frame; and

[0009] Multiple conductive terminals are provided, each of which is located in the lower ring portion and within an outer frame. Each conductive terminal extends obliquely upward along the lower ring portion and gradually tapers in the vertically upward direction.

[0010] In one embodiment, the conductive terminal includes a bent-connected extension and a plug-in portion, the extension being disposed on the lower ring portion, and the plug-in portion being located at the end of the extension portion away from the lower ring portion;

[0011] The extension portions all extend diagonally upward along the lower ring portion and gradually taper in the vertically upward direction; the outer contour of the insertion portion is rectangular.

[0012] In one embodiment, each of the plug portions is bent along an axis away from the upper ring portion.

[0013] In one embodiment, both the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion are open-loop structures, wherein one of the support portions is connected to the opening of the upper ring portion and the opening of the lower ring portion.

[0014] In one embodiment, the crown spring is an integrally stamped structure; the thickness of the crown spring is defined as H, where 0.3mm≤H≤0.5mm.

[0015] In one embodiment, each of the support portions extends outward from both sides to form a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, both of which are connected to the upper ring portion.

[0016] In one embodiment, the length of the outer frame extending along the circumferential direction of the upper ring portion is defined as L1, where 2.8mm ≤ L1 ≤ 4.2mm; and the length of the outer frame extending along the axial direction of the upper ring portion is defined as L2, where 5.1mm ≤ L2 ≤ 7.7mm.

[0017] In one embodiment, the distance between the end of the conductive terminal furthest from the upper ring and the adjacent support portion is defined as d, where 0.3mm ≤ d ≤ 0.5mm.

[0018] In one embodiment, the length of the conductive terminal extending along the axial direction of the upper ring is defined as L3, where 4.6 mm ≤ L3 ≤ 7.0 mm.

[0019] This utility model also proposes a high-power connector, including a housing and the aforementioned crown spring, wherein the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion are both assembled and connected to the housing, and the crown spring is configured to be inserted into the pins of another connector.

[0020] In the technical solution of this utility model, the crown spring includes an upper ring portion, a lower ring portion, multiple support portions, and multiple conductive terminals. Both ends of each support portion are connected to the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion, respectively, and the support portions are spaced apart circumferentially along the upper ring portion. Each pair of adjacent support portions, together with the upper and lower ring portions, forms an outer frame. Each conductive terminal is located in the lower ring portion, within an outer frame. Each conductive terminal extends obliquely upwards along the lower ring portion and gradually tapers in a vertically upward direction. In the technical solution of this utility model, by designing the conductive terminals with a narrow upper and wide lower structure, the conductive terminals possess greater elastic deformation capacity and recovery force during insertion and removal, significantly improving the clamping force of the conductive terminals on the pins. Even after multiple insertions and removals, stable contact pressure is maintained, effectively suppressing the increase in contact resistance and ensuring reliable current carrying capacity under high current. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an embodiment of the crown spring provided by this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top view of one embodiment of a crown spring;

[0024] Figure 3 A bottom view of one embodiment of a crown spring;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded planar structure of an embodiment of a crown spring.

[0026] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0027] 1 Upper ring 32 Second connecting part 1a Opening 4 conductive terminals 2 lower ring 41 extension 3 Support section 42 Connector 3a Outer frame

[0028] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0029] 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.

[0030] It should be noted that if the embodiments of this utility model involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.

[0031] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this utility model involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.

[0032] In existing technology, when two components are connected in a pluggable manner via a connector, the crown spring structure acts as a conductive unit on the socket side, forming multi-point contact with the pins through multiple parallel conductive terminals. However, after repeated insertion and removal, the clamping force of the conductive terminals gradually decreases, and some terminals cannot maintain stable contact, resulting in increased contact resistance.

[0033] To solve the above problems, this utility model proposes a crown spring 1000. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of the crown spring 1000 provided by this utility model.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 4 This utility model proposes a crown spring 1000, including an upper ring portion 1, a lower ring portion 2, multiple support portions 3, and multiple conductive terminals 4; both ends of each support portion 3 are respectively connected to the upper ring portion 1 and the lower ring portion 2, and the support portions 3 are distributed circumferentially along the upper ring portion 1; each pair of adjacent support portions 3, together with the upper ring portion 1 and the lower ring portion 2, forms an outer frame 3a; each conductive terminal 4 is disposed in the lower ring portion 2, and each conductive terminal 4 is located within an outer frame 3a; each conductive terminal 4 extends obliquely upward along the lower ring portion 2 and gradually tapers in the vertically upward direction.

[0035] The upper ring 1 refers to the annular structure located at the top of the crown spring 1000, used to form the top fixing point of the support structure. The lower ring 2 refers to the bottom annular structure coaxially arranged with the upper ring 1, used to fix the root of the conductive terminal 4. The support 3 refers to the longitudinal connecting body connecting the upper and lower rings 2, which is spaced apart to form multiple independent outer frames 3a. The outer frame 3a refers to the closed area formed by adjacent support 3 and upper and lower rings 2. The conductive terminal 4 refers to a contact component with elastic deformation capability, whose obliquely upward layout generates progressive contact pressure when the pin is inserted. The vertically upward direction refers to the direction extending along the axis of the upper ring 1, specifically the direction from the lower ring 2 toward the upper ring 1. The conductive terminal 4 is arranged to extend obliquely upward along the lower ring 2, meaning that the conductive terminal 4 extends from the lower ring 2 toward the upper ring 1 in the direction extending along the axis of the upper ring 1, while approaching the central axis of the upper ring 1.

[0036] When the pin is inserted, the conductive terminal 4 undergoes elastic deformation along an oblique path, and its contraction tendency causes it to form multi-point contact with the pin surface.

[0037] In the technical solution of this utility model, by designing the conductive terminal 4 as a structure that is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, the conductive terminal 4 has greater elastic deformation capability and recovery force during insertion and removal, which significantly improves the clamping force of the conductive terminal 4 on the pin. Even after multiple insertions and removals, it can still maintain stable contact pressure, effectively suppress the increase of contact resistance, and ensure reliable current carrying capacity under high current.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 In one embodiment of the present invention, the conductive terminal 4 includes a bent extension 41 and a plug-in portion 42. The extension 41 is disposed on the lower ring portion 2, and the plug-in portion 42 is located at the end of the extension 41 away from the lower ring portion 2. The extension portions 41 are all arranged to extend obliquely upward along the lower ring portion 2 and gradually shrink in the vertical upward direction. The outer contour of the plug-in portion 42 is rectangular.

[0039] The extension 41 refers to the conductive structure that extends upwards at an angle from the lower ring 2. Its outer contour is trapezoidal, specifically an isosceles trapezoid or a right trapezoid. The extension 41 can be formed by stamping a metal sheet to create a bending angle. Its oblique extension path can disperse insertion and extraction stress, preventing excessive local deformation and loss of springback capability. The insertion part 42 refers to the end structure that contacts the pin. It can be formed by stamping a rectangular contour. The rectangular outer contour can increase the contact area and improve clamping stability. The bending connection refers to the bending transition formed between the extension 41 and the insertion part 42. It can be formed by stamping a fixed bending angle. The bending structure can enhance the elastic recovery capability of the conductive terminal 4.

[0040] The conductive terminal 4 is fixed to the lower ring 2 via the extension 41, and the insertion part 42 forms a bent structure at the end of the extension 41. When the pin is inserted, the insertion part 42 is compressed and undergoes elastic deformation, and the rectangular outer contour forms a surface-to-surface contact with the pin surface; during the insertion and removal process, the oblique contraction design of the extension 41 disperses the stress along the axial direction, and the bent connection absorbs some of the deformation energy, reducing the accumulation of plastic deformation.

[0041] By using a split bending design, the contact area and the support area are separated. The independent deformation of the plug portion 42 avoids stress concentration in the extension portion 41, while the rectangular outline makes the contact surface of the plug portion 42 more uniform. The bent plug portion 42 can still maintain elastic recovery after repeated deformation, the oblique contraction design of the extension portion 41 reduces the risk of root fatigue, and the rectangular contact surface reduces local wear, thereby extending the service life of the conductive terminal 4 and maintaining stable contact resistance and current carrying capacity.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the plug-in portions 42 is bent along a direction away from the axis of the upper ring portion 1.

[0043] The bending away from the axis of the upper ring 1 refers to the outward shift of the projection of the plug part 42 on the horizontal plane relative to the central axis of the upper ring 1.

[0044] By bending the plug portion 42 outward, the insertion area formed by each plug portion 42 gradually shrinks along the direction of pin insertion. This allows the conductive terminal 4 to increase the clamping force on the pin during insertion, ensuring a stable low-resistance contact between the pin and the plug portion 42, thereby extending the service life of the high-power connector under frequent plugging and unplugging conditions.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 as well as Figure 3 In one embodiment of the present invention, both the upper ring portion 1 and the lower ring portion 2 are open-ring structures, wherein a support portion 3 is connected to the opening 1a of the upper ring portion 1 and the opening 1a of the lower ring portion 2.

[0046] Among them, the open-loop structure refers to the construction form of the ring-shaped component with a gap or break, which can be achieved by forming an opening 1a on the ring-shaped metal sheet using a stamping process.

[0047] Specifically, the upper ring 1 and the lower ring 2 form a non-closed ring structure through the opening 1a, and the two openings 1a are provided with support parts 3 to form a connecting structure.

[0048] Both the upper ring 1 and the lower ring 2 are open-ring structures, which facilitates the crown spring 1000 to be stamped from a planar structure. At the same time, the open-ring structure allows the ring to undergo moderate elastic deformation to adapt to shells of different sizes. The double connection of the support part 3 at the opening 1a effectively suppresses the risk of structural deformation during assembly and insertion / removal.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one embodiment of this utility model, the crown spring 1000 is an integrally stamped structure; the thickness of the crown spring 1000 is defined as H, where 0.3mm≤H≤0.5mm.

[0050] The integrated stamping structure refers to a structure in which the upper ring 1, lower ring 2, support 3, and conductive terminal 4 of the crown spring 1000 are formed in one step through a stamping process. Specifically, this can be achieved using a metal sheet stamping die, with continuous punching and bending processes to form the complete structure. This structure avoids connection defects caused by welding or riveting, and improves the overall mechanical strength. The thickness H refers to the thickness of the metal sheet constituting the crown spring 1000, which can be determined through experiments or simulations, for example, selected between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm, to balance the elastic deformation capacity of the conductive terminal 4 with the structural rigidity, ensuring that the clamping force is maintained after multiple insertions and removals.

[0051] Specifically, the crown spring 1000, manufactured using a one-piece stamping process, has no seams or connection points between its support portion 3 and the ring portion, avoiding the risk of structural separation due to repeated insertion and removal. The selected thickness range allows the conductive terminal 4 to provide sufficient elastic deformation space to maintain contact pressure without compromising fatigue resistance due to excessively thin material. During pin insertion, the conductive terminal 4 experiences a uniform stress distribution, reducing the attenuation of clamping force caused by localized plastic deformation.

[0052] By optimizing structural integrity and material parameters, it was determined that when the thickness H of the crown spring 1000 is 0.4mm, it can maintain stable contact resistance during long-term use and also maintain sufficient structural strength, thereby improving the current carrying capacity and service life of the connector.

[0053] Please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the support portions 3 extends outward from both sides to form a first connecting portion 31 and a second connecting portion 32, and both the first connecting portion 31 and the second connecting portion 32 are connected to the upper ring portion 1.

[0054] Specifically, the support portion 3 is fixed to the upper ring portion 1 at multiple points via the first connecting portion 31 and the second connecting portion 32 extending from both sides. During the insertion of the pin, the lateral force borne by the support portion 3 is distributed to the two connecting portions, avoiding local deformation caused by a single-point connection. At the same time, the symmetrical structure formed by the two connecting portions can balance the torsional stress generated during insertion and removal, preventing breakage or loosening between the support portion 3 and the upper ring portion 1.

[0055] The double-sided extended connection design enhances the connection strength between the support part 3 and the upper ring part 1, significantly improving the service life of the crown spring 1000.

[0056] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this utility model, the first connecting part 31 and the second connecting part 32 are not symmetrical structures.

[0057] It should be noted that, Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a portion of the crown spring after it has been unfolded into a plane.

[0058] Please refer to Figure 4 In one embodiment of this utility model, the length of the outer frame 3a extending along the circumferential direction of the upper ring portion 1 is defined as L1, 2.8mm≤L1≤4.2mm; the length of the outer frame 3a extending along the axial direction of the upper ring portion 1 is defined as L2, 5.1mm≤L2≤7.7mm.

[0059] The circumferential extension length of the outer frame 3a refers to the span of the space formed by the adjacent two support parts 3, the upper ring part 1, and the lower ring part 2 in the circumferential direction. This can be achieved by adjusting the spacing between the support parts 3. The axial extension length of the outer frame 3a refers to the height of the outer frame 3a in the direction perpendicular to the circumferential axis. This can be achieved by limiting the axial distance between the upper ring part 1 and the lower ring part 2. This parameter is used to ensure that the extension path of the conductive terminal 4 meets the elastic deformation requirements, while avoiding excessive bending of the conductive terminal 4 during insertion and removal due to excessive axial dimension.

[0060] Specifically, the circumferential length of the outer frame 3a is controlled within a specific range, ensuring that each outer frame 3a accommodates only a single conductive terminal 4, and that adjacent outer frames 3a are evenly spaced. As the conductive terminal 4 extends obliquely upward along the lower ring 2, its contraction angle matches the axial length of the outer frame 3a, thereby generating a stable elastic clamping force when the pin is inserted. The axial length of the outer frame 3a further restricts the free end displacement of the conductive terminal 4, preventing clamping force attenuation due to material fatigue after repeated insertions and removals.

[0061] By limiting the circumferential and axial extension range of the outer frame 3a, it is ensured that the conductive terminal 4 can form dense contact points while maintaining stable elastic deformation capability, thereby significantly improving the insertion and removal life.

[0062] By optimizing the dimensions of the outer frame 3a, and determining L1 to be 3.5mm and L2 to be 6.38mm, the distribution density and elastic deformation capability of the conductive terminals 4 can be balanced, forming multi-point uniform contact when the pins are inserted. At the same time, it avoids the increase in contact resistance caused by loose structure, and ultimately improves the long-term reliability of the connector in high-current scenarios.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 4 In one embodiment of this utility model, the distance between the end of the conductive terminal 4 away from the upper ring portion 1 and the adjacent support portion 3 is defined as d, where 0.3mm≤d≤0.5mm.

[0064] Among them, the spacing d refers to the minimum distance between the end of the conductive terminal 4 and the side wall of the adjacent support part 3. Specifically, it can be achieved by adjusting the width of the support part 3 and the extension angle of the conductive terminal 4. The setting of this distance needs to take into account both the bottom width of the conductive terminal 4 and the structural compactness of the crown spring 1000.

[0065] By optimizing the spacing between two adjacent support parts 3 and the width of the bottom of the conductive terminal 4, d is determined to be 0.4 mm as the optimal choice. While retaining the necessary degree of freedom of movement of the conductive terminal 4, the structural compactness of the crown spring 1000 can be maintained to ensure the structural strength of the crown spring 1000.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 4 In one embodiment of this utility model, the length of the conductive terminal 4 extending along the axial direction of the upper ring portion 1 is defined as L3, where 4.6mm≤L3≤7.0mm.

[0067] The length of the conductive terminal 4 extending along the axial direction of the upper ring 1 refers to the straight distance of the conductive terminal 4 extending from the starting point of the lower ring 2 along the axis of the upper ring 1. Specifically, it can be achieved by controlling the forming size using laser cutting or precision stamping processes. This length range can ensure that the conductive terminal 4 forms sufficient elastic deformation space during insertion and removal, while maintaining an effective contact area with the pin.

[0068] Specifically, the conductive terminal 4 is limited to a specific axial extension length range, which allows it to generate appropriate elastic deformation during pin insertion to maintain clamping force, while avoiding insufficient contact area due to excessive length or stress concentration caused by excessive length. For example, by optimizing the axial extension length, the conductive terminal 4 can maintain stable contact pressure after multiple insertions and removals, thereby reducing contact resistance and suppressing temperature rise.

[0069] The axial extension length of the conductive terminal 4 is preferably 5.76 mm, i.e., L3 = 5.76 mm. This length can meet the elastic deformation requirements and avoid permanent deformation caused by material fatigue.

[0070] Based on the preferred dimensions in the above embodiments, a preferred embodiment can be derived where the dimensions of the crown spring 1000 are: H = 0.4 mm, L1 = 3.5 mm, L2 = 6.38 mm, L3 = 5.76 mm, and d = 0.4 mm.

[0071] This utility model also proposes a high-power connector, which includes a housing and a crown spring 1000. The specific structure of the crown spring 1000 is as described in the above embodiments. Since this high-power connector adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here. The upper ring portion 1 and the lower ring portion 2 are both assembled and connected to the housing, and the crown spring 1000 is configured to insert into the pins of another connector.

[0072] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present utility model and does not limit the patent scope of the present utility model. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the present utility model and the contents of the present utility model specification and drawings, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A crown spring, characterized in that, include: Upper ring; Lower ring; Multiple support portions are provided, with each support portion having its two ends connected to the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion respectively. The support portions are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the upper ring portion. Each pair of adjacent support portions, together with the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion, forms an outer frame. as well as Multiple conductive terminals are provided, each of which is located in the lower ring portion and within an outer frame. Each conductive terminal extends obliquely upward along the lower ring portion and gradually tapers in the vertically upward direction.

2. The crown spring as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The conductive terminal includes a bent extension and a plug-in portion, the extension being disposed on the lower ring portion, and the plug-in portion being located at the end of the extension portion away from the lower ring portion; The extension portions all extend diagonally upward along the lower ring portion and gradually taper in the vertically upward direction; the outer contour of the insertion portion is rectangular.

3. The crown spring as described in claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the aforementioned plug-in portions is bent along the axis away from the upper ring portion.

4. The crown spring as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion are open-loop structures, wherein one of the support portions is connected to the opening of the upper ring portion and the opening of the lower ring portion.

5. The crown spring as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The crown spring is an integrally stamped structure; the thickness of the crown spring is defined as H, 0.3mm≤H≤0.5mm.

6. The crown spring as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the support portions extends outward from both sides to form a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion, both of which are connected to the upper ring portion.

7. The crown spring according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The length of the outer frame extending along the circumferential direction of the upper ring portion is defined as L1, where 2.8mm ≤ L1 ≤ 4.2mm; the length of the outer frame extending along the axial direction of the upper ring portion is defined as L2, where 5.1mm ≤ L2 ≤ 7.7mm.

8. The crown spring as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The distance between the end of the conductive terminal furthest from the upper ring and the adjacent support portion is defined as d, where 0.3mm ≤ d ≤ 0.5mm.

9. The crown spring as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The length of the conductive terminal extending along the axial direction of the upper ring is defined as L3, where 4.6mm ≤ L3 ≤ 7.0mm.

10. A high-power connector, characterized in that, The high-power connector includes a housing and a crown spring as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the upper ring portion and the lower ring portion are assembled to the housing, and the crown spring is configured to engage with the pins of another connector.

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