Elastic contact structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of elastic contact structures, fixed insulation part and movable insulation part are installed in sliding cavity, first contact piece is provided on fixed insulation part, second contact piece is provided on movable insulation part, first contact piece and second contact piece overlap, compression spring is abutted between movable insulation part and fixed insulation part, first contact piece and second contact piece are all located in compression spring, lower limit position step is provided on movable insulation part, and the bottom of sliding cavity is provided with limit hole.The utility model has the beneficial effects that: using the elastic recovery force of compression spring, the positive force in axial can be provided for second contact piece, make contact end and circuit board connect, ensure the reliability of signal transmission, simultaneously have reversible repair mode, almost have no influence to circuit board;Spring spiral surrounds contact piece and does not have any contact with contact piece, contact piece is not affected by spring compression inductance, can realize relatively high rate signal transmission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to high-speed cable connectors, and in particular to a flexible contact structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, common methods for connecting to circuit boards (PCBs) include "fisheye" crimping, soldering, and longitudinal elastic contact. Longitudinal elastic contact terminals mainly include cantilever beam terminals that slide against the PCB and columnar elastic terminals. While "fisheye" crimping simplifies the production process, improves efficiency, and enhances reliability and stability, it is an irreversible process. Once crimped, if problems arise, components need to be replaced. It also scratches the plating of the PCB vias, affecting reliability. Furthermore, it requires high design and manufacturing precision; the fit between the "fisheye" terminal and the PCB vias needs precise control, undoubtedly increasing initial costs. Soldering, while improving component integration and providing good connection reliability, and automated soldering technology can increase production efficiency, requires precise control of temperature, time, and pressure, placing very high demands on process technology. It is prone to various soldering defects, and some components in the soldering materials can also have environmental impacts. Longitudinal elastic contact terminals generally consist of a main body and a cantilever connected to the end of the main body. The cantilever provides positive force for contact with the circuit board through elastic deformation. However, this structure sometimes suffers from excessively short cantilever lengths, leading to plastic deformation that exceeds the material's yield strength and prevents rebound after compression. Increasing the cantilever length while still meeting yield strength requirements results in a longer transmission path, which cannot meet high-speed performance and high-density layout needs. Columnar elastic terminals include spring pins and button connectors. For example, the spring pin connector disclosed in Chinese invention patent CN111403941B directly terminates the active devices at both ends. In high-speed transmission, impedance matching is difficult due to the spring's compression inductance. Similarly, the button connector disclosed in Chinese invention patent CN110190428B, while capable of high-speed transmission, suffers from a complex structure with irregular wire winding, resulting in a complex, inefficient, and inconsistent winding process. If a break occurs during use, the haphazardly spliced ​​wires can cause unstable signal transmission.

[0003] Furthermore, with the rapid development of information technology and the continuous increase in data transmission rates, the performance requirements for connectors are also becoming increasingly stringent. Under today's demands for high density, high performance, and miniaturization, space constraints necessitate ever-increasing density requirements for the spacing of high-speed connectors, rendering traditional structures inadequate for current spatial constraints. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a new high-speed connector to address these technical challenges. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an elastic contact structure.

[0005] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution: an elastic contact structure includes a housing, a sliding cavity inside the housing, a fixed insulating part and a movable insulating part installed inside the sliding cavity, a first contact member is provided on the fixed insulating part, and the contact end of the first contact member protrudes upward from the fixed insulating part, and the elastic contact head of the first contact member protrudes downward from the fixed insulating part, a second contact member is provided on the movable insulating part, and the elastic contact head of the second contact member protrudes upward from the movable insulating part, and the contact end of the second contact member protrudes downward from the movable insulating part, the first contact member and the second contact member overlap, a compression spring abuts between the movable insulating part and the fixed insulating part, the first contact member and the second contact member are both located inside the compression spring, a lower limit step is provided on the movable insulating part, and a limit hole is opened at the bottom of the sliding cavity, the lower limit step abuts against the edge of the limit hole under the action of the compression spring.

[0006] Optionally, the bottom of the fixed insulating part is provided with an upper clearance groove, into which the elastic contact head of the second contact can slide into the upper clearance groove, and the top of the movable insulating part is provided with a lower clearance groove, into which the elastic contact head of the first contact can slide into the lower clearance groove.

[0007] Optionally, both the first contact and the second contact are provided with a bent portion, which is connected to the corresponding elastic contact head. The cantilever of the elastic contact head of the first contact is exposed in the upper clearance groove, and the cantilever of the elastic contact head of the second contact is exposed in the lower clearance groove.

[0008] Optionally, the axis of the first contact and the axis of the second contact are collinear.

[0009] Optionally, a raised ring is provided at the bottom of the fixed insulating part, and a raised ring is also provided at the top of the movable insulating part, with the two ends of the compression spring fitted onto the corresponding raised rings.

[0010] This utility model has the following advantages: 1. The elastic contact structure of this utility model is fixed by the first contact member and movable by the second contact member. The elastic restoring force of the compression spring can provide an axial positive force to the second contact member, so that the contact end is connected to the circuit board, ensuring the reliability of signal transmission. At the same time, it has a reversible repair method with almost no impact on the circuit board. Its structure is simple and the processing efficiency is high. 2. An insulator is provided on the signal contact, and the compression spring is connected to the insulator. The spring spiral surrounds the signal contact without making any contact with it. The signal contact is not affected by the spring compression inductance, which enables high-speed signal transmission. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 3 for Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the cross section of AA; Figure 4 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of BB; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the contact pair structure Figure 1 ; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the contact pair structure Figure 2 ; Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the contact pair structure Figure 3 ; Figure 8 for Figure 7 Cross-sectional view of CC; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the shielding component. Figure 10 Simulation diagram of impedance between compression spring and conductive part; Figure 11 Simulation diagram of losses related to the compression spring avoiding the conductive part and the compression spring contacting the conductive part; Figure 12 Simulation diagram of return loss regarding the compression spring avoiding the conductive part and the compression spring contacting the conductive part; Figure 13 Simulation diagram of crosstalk to prevent the compression spring from being connected to the conductive parts; In the figure, 1-fixed insulating part, 2-movable insulating part, 3-upper clearance groove, 4-lower clearance groove, 5-first contact, 6-second contact, 7-compression spring, 8-bore, 9-upper limit step, 10-lower limit step, 21-metal outer shell, 22-metal inner shell, 23-shielding plate, 24-printed board, 25-shielding component, 26-molded shell, 27-upper convex humb, 28-lower convex humb, 29-sliding cavity. Detailed Implementation

[0012] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0013] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0014] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this invention can be combined with each other.

[0015] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0016] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly understood by those skilled in the art. They are only used for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and 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 a limitation of this invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0017] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0018] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, a high-speed cable connector includes a metal inner shell 22 and a printed circuit board 24. The printed circuit board 24 is mounted on the bottom of the metal inner shell 22. In this embodiment, the connector also includes a metal outer shell 21, which covers the metal inner shell 22. Specifically, the metal inner shell 22 has flanges on both sides, and screw holes are provided on the flanges. After the metal outer shell 21 covers the metal inner shell 22, the metal outer shell 21 and the metal inner shell 22 are locked together by locking screws. In this embodiment, the top of the metal inner shell 22 is open, and the metal inner shell 22 has several vertically downward extending sliding cavities 29. Further, as... Figure 3 As shown, the metal inner shell 22 has a multi-level stepped groove, and the stepped surface of the multi-level stepped groove has sliding cavities 29 arranged side by side at intervals. That is to say, the sliding cavities 29 on the same row are arranged at intervals, and the sliding cavities 29 in adjacent rows are stepped. This allows multiple high-speed cables to be installed in a limited space, improving space utilization and making the size of the high-speed cable connector smaller.

[0019] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, a fixed insulating part 1 and a movable insulating part 2 are installed inside the sliding cavity 29. A first contact 5 is provided on the fixed insulating part 1, with the contact end of the first contact 5 protruding upward from the fixed insulating part 1 and the elastic contact head of the first contact 5 protruding downward from the fixed insulating part 1. A second contact 6 is provided on the movable insulating part 2, with the elastic contact head of the second contact 6 protruding upward from the movable insulating part 2 and the contact end of the second contact 6 protruding downward from the movable insulating part 2. The first contact 5 and the second contact 6 overlap, and a compression spring abuts between the movable insulating part 2 and the fixed insulating part 1. Spring 7, first contact 5 and second contact 6 are all located inside compression spring 7. The spring spiral surrounds the signal contact without making any contact with it. The signal contact is not affected by the spring compression inductance, which enables high-speed signal transmission. Furthermore, a limiting hole is opened at the bottom of sliding cavity 29. The contact end of second contact 6 passes through the limiting hole under the action of compression spring 7 and contacts the corresponding contact head on printed circuit board 24. Therefore, the elastic restoring force of the spring can provide the positive force of the contact axial direction, thereby ensuring effective contact with printed circuit board 24. Compared to the irreversibility and scratch damage to the circuit board caused by "fisheye" crimping, this structure can reduce the circuit board loss rate and further reduce costs. Compared to the high technical requirements of welding connections, this structure has lower requirements for the connection process. Compared to longitudinal elastic contact structures, which require materials with high yield strength and detailed analysis and design of cantilever length and spatial requirements, and which must consider losses due to excessively long cantilevers in high-speed transmission applications and cannot meet high-density arrangement requirements, this structure features vertically distributed contacts, less stringent requirements on cantilever length, and lower material requirements. This structure is suitable for high-density layouts. Compared to spring-loaded connectors, where the spring directly terminates the active devices at both ends, impedance matching is difficult to achieve during high-speed transmission due to the spring compression inductance. In reality, a long transmission path is formed based on the spring's winding path, significantly impacting not only impedance but also loss and return loss. This structure places the compression spring 7 on an insulating component, completely avoiding the conductive parts and preventing the inductance effect caused by spring compression. The transmission path only considers the distance between the contact pairs, excluding the spring. To further analyze impedance (TDR), loss (IL), and return loss (RL) fluctuations, simulations were performed on both states. Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, in Figure 10 , Figure 11 and Figure 12In the simulation, the solid black line represents the curve where the spring avoids the conductive parts, and the dashed black line represents the curve where the spring contacts the conductive parts. The simulation results show that when the spring avoids the conductive parts at both ends, the simulation results are smooth and continuous. However, when the spring contacts the conductive parts at both ends, the impedance transmission path increases significantly. This transmission path includes not only the length of the contact but also the winding length of the spring. Furthermore, both losses and return losses exhibit significant resonance in the low-frequency range, affecting signal transmission quality. Compared to button connectors, the metal wire winding in this structure is irregular, complex, inefficient, and inconsistent. If a break occurs at any point during use, the chaotic overlapping of the metal wires can easily lead to unstable signal transmission. This structure, through the compression spring 7, provides axial compression, improving the stability of signal transmission.

[0020] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, a plastic-encapsulated shell 26 is also encapsulated inside the metal inner shell 22. A high-speed cable is encapsulated inside the plastic-encapsulated shell 26, and the connection end of the high-speed cable is connected to the contact end of the corresponding first contact 5. A shielding element 25 is provided at the connection point between the high-speed cable connection end and the contact end of the corresponding first contact 5. The shielding element 25 contacts the metal inner shell 22, which in turn contacts the metal outer shell 21. This allows the connector to achieve full shielding, thereby reducing crosstalk. Figure 13 As shown.

[0021] In this embodiment, as Figure 8 , Figure 5 , Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, the bottom of the fixed insulating part 1 is provided with an upper clearance groove 3, into which the elastic contact head of the second contact 6 can slide into the upper clearance groove 3. The top of the movable insulating part 2 is provided with a lower clearance groove 4, into which the elastic contact head of the first contact 5 can slide into the lower clearance groove 4. Through the design of the clearance groove, the volume of the connector is further reduced. Moreover, both the first contact 5 and the second contact 6 are provided with bent portions, which are connected to the corresponding elastic contact heads. Part of the cantilever of the elastic contact head of the first contact 5 is exposed in the upper clearance groove 3, and part of the cantilever of the elastic contact head of the second contact 6 is exposed in the lower clearance groove 4. Preferably, the exposed cantilever of the contact is flush with the corresponding clearance groove. In use, the first contact 5... The elastic contact head of contact 5 makes contact with the cantilever of the second contact 6 exposed in the clearance groove. Moreover, the elastic contact head of the second contact 6 makes contact with the cantilever of the first contact 5 exposed in the clearance groove. This ensures that the first contact 5 and the second contact 6 are in elastic contact while also ensuring the structural strength of the contact area, thereby improving the reliability of the contact and ensuring the stability of signal transmission. Furthermore, the axis of the first contact 5 and the axis of the second contact 6 are collinear. Therefore, the contact pair composed of the first contact 5 and the second contact 6 is on the same straight line in the coupled state, which makes the distance between the contact and the inner wall of the sliding cavity 29 consistent, ensuring the consistency and symmetry of the shielding coupling distance.

[0022] In this embodiment, as Figure 8 As shown, a protruding ring 8 is provided at the bottom of the fixed insulating part 1, and a protruding ring 8 is also provided at the top of the movable insulating part 2. The two ends of the compression spring 7 are fitted onto the corresponding protruding rings 8, thereby ensuring that the compression spring 7 can achieve axial extension and contraction during the extension and contraction process, and thus provide axial positive force to the contact element.

[0023] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, a step is provided at the top of the sliding cavity 29, and an upper limit step 9 is provided at the top of the fixed insulating part 1. The encapsulation module presses against the fixed insulating part 1, and the upper limit step 9 abuts against the step at the top of the sliding cavity 29. When the encapsulation module is installed, the encapsulation module presses against the fixed insulating part 1, thereby preventing the fixed insulating part 1 from moving axially. On the movable insulating part 2, a boss is provided at its lower end, thereby forming a lower limit step 10 on the movable insulating part 2. The boss will pass through the limiting hole. Through the limitation of the lower limit step 10 and the limiting hole, the movable insulating part 2 can be prevented from exiting the sliding cavity 29 downward. The length of the boss is greater than the spring compression stroke, so that the control contact pair always moves axially and does not have any deviation that affects the function.

[0024] In this embodiment, as Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, a shielding plate 23 is also provided between the metal inner shell 22 and the printed circuit board 24. The shielding plate 23 has through holes to facilitate the passage of the contact head of the second contact member 6. Through the shielding plate 23, signal crosstalk can be further reduced.

[0025] In this embodiment, as Figure 9 As shown, the shielding component 25 includes a plate body, one end of which is provided with an upper protrusion 27 and the other end of which is provided with a lower protrusion 28. The metal inner shell 22 is provided with a mounting surface, and the plate body is mounted on the mounting surface. The upper protrusion 27 and the lower protrusion 28 are in contact with the shielding layer of the corresponding high-speed cable, so that the shielding layer of each high-speed cable can contact the metal inner shell 22 through the shielding component 25, which further improves the shielding performance of the connector and reduces signal crosstalk. Moreover, the sliding cavity 29 opened on the metal inner shell 22 has a conductive function, and the shielding plate 23 is in contact with the metal inner shell 22, thereby reducing the signal crosstalk in the sliding cavity 29.

[0026] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An elastic contact structure comprising a housing, characterized by: The housing has a sliding cavity, in which a fixed insulating part and a movable insulating part are installed. A first contact is provided on the fixed insulating part, with the contact end of the first contact protruding upward from the fixed insulating part and the elastic contact head of the first contact protruding downward from the fixed insulating part. A second contact is provided on the movable insulating part, with the elastic contact head of the second contact protruding upward from the movable insulating part and the contact end of the second contact protruding downward from the movable insulating part. The first contact and the second contact overlap, and a compression spring abuts between the movable insulating part and the fixed insulating part. Both the first contact and the second contact are located within the compression spring. A lower limiting step is provided on the movable insulating part, and a limiting hole is opened at the bottom of the sliding cavity. The lower limiting step abuts against the edge of the limiting hole under the action of the compression spring.

2. An elastic contact structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the fixed insulating part is provided with an upper clearance groove, and the elastic contact head of the second contact can slide into the upper clearance groove. The top of the movable insulating part is provided with a lower clearance groove, and the elastic contact head of the first contact can slide into the lower clearance groove.

3. A spring contact structure according to claim 2, wherein: Both the first contact and the second contact are provided with a bent portion, which is connected to the corresponding elastic contact head. A portion of the cantilever of the elastic contact head of the first contact is exposed in the upper clearance groove, and a portion of the cantilever of the elastic contact head of the second contact is exposed in the lower clearance groove.

4. A spring contact structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The centerline of the first contact element and the centerline of the second contact element are collinear.

5. The elastic contact structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The bottom of the fixed insulating part is provided with a protruding ring, and the top of the movable insulating part is also provided with a protruding ring. The two ends of the compression spring are fitted onto the corresponding protruding rings.

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