Electrical connector assembly

Abstract

This utility model discloses an electrical connector assembly, including a female connector and a male connector. The female connector includes a female body, several female terminals fixed to the female body, and a female housing housing the female body. The female body has a mating cavity recessed inward from its front end. The male connector includes a male body, several male terminals fixed to the male body, and a male housing supporting the male body. The male body is housed within the mating cavity. The female terminals have sheet-like elastic arms fixed to the inner peripheral wall of the mating cavity, and the male terminals have sheet-like contact arms exposed to the outer peripheral wall of the male body. Both the elastic arms and the contact arms are evenly arranged circumferentially, and the elastic arms have contact portions protruding radially inward into the mating cavity. When the male connector is screwed onto the female connector, the contact portions of the female terminals elastically abut against the contact arms of the male terminals, allowing the portable device to be stably fixed inside the vehicle and enabling the charging function of the portable device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrical connector technology, and in particular to an electrical connector assembly used in vehicles. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, to achieve mechanical fixation and electrical connection of external devices, multiple accessories, including mounting brackets and electrical connectors, are typically used. For example, to fix and connect a mobile phone in a car, a phone holder and charger are usually installed on the center console. However, most car phone holders use a clamping method to fix themselves to the center console and only provide the function of fixing a mobile phone or portable device. If you need to charge the device, you have to connect a cable from the charging port on the center console, and the charging cable runs around the center console area, which can affect safe driving and is very inconvenient.

[0003] Therefore, it is desirable to propose a new electrical connector assembly to overcome the above-mentioned defects. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly that can hold portable devices in automobiles while providing charging functionality.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an electrical connector assembly, comprising a female connector and a male connector rotatably inserted into the female connector, the female connector comprising a female body, a plurality of female terminals fixed within the female body, and a female housing housing accommodating the female body, the female body having a mating cavity recessed inward from the front end, the male connector comprising a male body, a plurality of male terminals fixed within the male body, and a male housing supporting the male body, wherein when the male connector is inserted into the female connector, the male body is accommodated within the mating cavity. The female connector terminal is provided with a sheet-like elastic arm fixed to the inner peripheral wall of the mating cavity, and the male connector terminal is provided with a sheet-like contact arm exposed on the outer peripheral wall of the male connector body. The elastic arm and the contact arm are evenly arranged circumferentially, and the elastic arm has a contact portion that protrudes radially inward into the mating cavity. When the male connector is screwed to the female connector, the contact portion of the female connector terminal elastically abuts against the contact arm of the male connector terminal.

[0006] In a preferred embodiment, the female housing has an inwardly recessed mounting cavity extending from the axial front end, the mounting cavity passing through the female body and having internal threads, and the male housing has a base and a threaded post extending axially forward from the base, the threaded post having external threads, the threaded post being threadedly connected to the mounting cavity so that the male connector is screwed onto the female connector.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the female body has an annular portion and several extension portions extending rearward from the rear end face of the annular portion. The female housing has a front housing portion, which has a receiving cavity recessed inward from the front end face and several through holes penetrating the rear end face axially. The through holes communicate with the receiving cavity. The annular portion is accommodated in the receiving cavity, and the extension portions pass through the through holes and extend out of the rear end face of the front housing portion.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment, the female terminal is assembled axially from front to back into the annular portion of the female body, and the elastic arms of several female terminals are circumferentially attached to the inner peripheral wall of the mating cavity. The female terminal is provided with a fixed arm extending axially backward from the elastic arm. The fixed arm is fixed in the annular portion and the extension portion and is provided with a welding portion extending backward from the rear end face of the extension portion.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the female terminal is further provided with a retaining portion that bends inward from the front end of the elastic arm, and the retaining portion retains itself on the axial front surface of the annular portion.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the front of the housing is provided with a protrusion that extends axially forward from the bottom wall of the receiving cavity. The protrusion extends axially forward into the mating cavity of the female body, and the protrusion does not contact the contact portion of the female terminal.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the female housing has a rear portion extending rearward from the rear end of the front portion of the housing, and the mounting cavity extends axially through the protrusion and into the rear portion of the housing.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the male seat body has an annular body sleeved on the outer periphery of the threaded column and several protrusions extending rearward from the annular body. The base has a through groove extending through the base axially. The annular body abuts against the front end face of the base, and the protrusions pass through the through groove and extend out of the rear end face of the base.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the male connector body is injection molded onto the male connector terminal and the male connector housing, and a retaining groove is formed between the annular body of the male connector body and the threaded post portion of the male connector housing. When the male connector is screwed onto the female connector, the front end of the protrusion is inserted into the retaining groove.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the contact arms of several male terminals are circumferentially attached to the outer peripheral wall of the annular body, and the male terminal is provided with an extension arm extending axially backward from the contact arm. The extension arm is fixed to the annular body and the protrusion and is provided with a welding portion extending backward from the rear end face of the protrusion.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following advantages: the female connector terminal is provided with a sheet-like elastic arm fixed to the inner peripheral wall of the mating cavity, and the male connector terminal is provided with a sheet-like contact arm exposed on the outer peripheral wall of the male connector body. Both the elastic arm and the contact arm are evenly arranged circumferentially, and the elastic arm has a contact portion that protrudes radially inward into the mating cavity. When the male connector is screwed onto the female connector, the contact portion of the female connector terminal elastically abuts against the contact arm of the male connector terminal. This electrical connector assembly allows the portable device to be stably fixed inside the vehicle and enables the vehicle to charge the portable device, meaning the portable device does not require an external wiring connection to the charging interface in the central control area. Furthermore, since both the female and male connector terminals are evenly arranged circumferentially, the number of corresponding terminals in the electrical connector assembly can be increased as needed, thereby achieving functional diversification of the electrical connector assembly. Furthermore, since the contact portion of the female connector terminal and the contact arm of the male connector terminal are both located on the corresponding peripheral wall, adding more corresponding terminals in this case will not increase the axial length of the female connector and the male connector, that is, adding more terminals will not change the overall volume of the electrical connector assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the electrical connector assembly in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the female connector in the electrical connector assembly shown.

[0018] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The diagram shown is an exploded view of the female connector.

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of the female connector shown.

[0020] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the male connector in the electrical connector assembly shown.

[0021] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The diagram shown is an exploded view of the male connector.

[0022] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 The cross-sectional view of the male connector shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the embodiments of this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting the utility model.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this utility model 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0025] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of embodiments of this utility model, "a number" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0026] In this embodiment of the invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; 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; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this embodiment of the invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0027] Please see Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a preferred embodiment of this utility model discloses an electrical connector assembly for mechanically and electrically connecting a portable device to an automobile. The electrical connector assembly includes a female connector 100 and a male connector 200 rotatably inserted into the female connector 100. The female connector 100 is embedded in the vehicle's cabin and electrically connected to the vehicle's electrical system; it can be integrally mounted inside the center console, thus not affecting the layout outside the center console. The male connector 200 is embedded in a bracket module to provide a holding function for the portable device.

[0028] Please see Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the female connector 100 includes a female connector body 10, a plurality of female connector terminals 20 fixed within the female connector body 10, and a female connector housing 30 that houses the female connector body 10. The female connector housing 30 is a metal housing. The female connector body 10 has an annular portion 11 and a plurality of extension portions 12 extending rearward from the annular portion 11. The female connector terminals 20 are assembled axially from front to back into the annular portion 11 of the female connector body 10.

[0029] Specifically, the female connector body 10 has a mating cavity 110 recessed inward from its front end, which is formed through the annular portion 11 from its axial front end inward. The female connector terminal 20 has a sheet-like elastic arm 21 fixed to the inner peripheral wall of the mating cavity 110 and a fixed arm 22 extending axially backward from the elastic arm 21. In this embodiment, the elastic arms 21 of several female connector terminals 20 are sheet-like structures and are evenly distributed circumferentially on the inner peripheral wall of the mating cavity 110, so that adding more female connector terminals 20 as needed will not increase the axial length of the female connector 100.

[0030] The elastic arms 21 of several female terminals 20 are circumferentially attached to the inner peripheral wall of the annular portion 11, and each elastic arm 21 has a contact portion 211 that extends radially inward into the mating cavity 110 for elastically abutting against the contact arm 61 of the male terminal 60. The fixing arm 22 is held within the annular portion 11 and the extension portion 12 and has a welding portion 221 extending rearward beyond the rear end face of the extension portion 12. The welding portion 221 is used to connect to the female terminal wire, thereby electrically connecting to the vehicle's electrical system. Simultaneously, the female terminal 20 also has a retaining portion 23 that bends inward from the front end of the elastic arm 21. The retaining portion 23 retains the front end of the elastic arm 21 on the axial front surface of the annular portion 11 to hold the front end of the elastic arm 21 to the front end face of the annular portion 11. In this embodiment, the female terminal 20 includes a signal terminal 201 that is different from other female terminals 20. The elastic arm 21 of the signal terminal 201 is axially lower than other female terminals 20 and is not provided with a fastening part.

[0031] The female connector housing 30 has a front housing portion 31, a rear housing portion 32 extending rearward from the rear end of the front housing portion 31, and a connecting protrusion 33 extending rearward from the rear end of the rear housing portion 32. The connecting protrusion 33 has external threads so that the female connector 100 can be stably fixed in the center console of the vehicle. The front housing portion 31 has a receiving cavity 311 recessed inward from the front end, a protrusion 312 extending forward axially from the bottom wall of the receiving cavity 311, and several through holes (not shown) extending axially through the rear end face of the front housing portion 31. The through holes communicate with the receiving cavity 311 and are arranged around the outside of the protrusion 312.

[0032] The annular portion 11 of the female connector body 10 is accommodated in the receiving cavity 311 and abuts against the inner peripheral wall of the receiving cavity 311, so that the female connector body 10 is located within the front portion 31 of the housing at its upper radial limit. The outer extension 12 of the female connector body 10 passes through the through hole and extends out of the rear end face of the front portion 31 of the housing, that is, the female connector body 10 isolates the fixing arm 22 of the female connector terminal 20 from the front portion 31 of the housing through the outer extension 12 to prevent short circuit between the two.

[0033] Simultaneously, the protrusion 312 extends axially forward into the mating cavity 110 of the female connector body 10, and the protrusion 312 does not contact the contact portion 211 of the female connector terminal 20. Furthermore, the female connector housing 30 is provided with a mounting cavity 301 recessed inward from the axial front end. The mounting cavity 301 extends axially through the protrusion 312 and into the rear portion 32 of the housing. That is, the mounting cavity 301 passes through the female connector body 10 and has internal threads for the threaded post portion 72 of the male connector 200 to be inserted.

[0034] Please see Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the male connector 200 includes a male connector body 50, a plurality of male connector terminals 60 fixed on the male connector body 50, and a male connector housing 70 supporting the male connector body 50. The male connector housing 70 is a metal housing. The male connector housing 70 has a base 71 and a threaded post portion 72 extending axially forward from the base 71. The threaded post portion 72 has external threads, and the threaded post portion 72 is threadedly connected to the mounting cavity 301, so that the male connector 200 is screwed onto the female connector 100.

[0035] The male connector body 50 has an annular body 51 sleeved on the outer periphery of the threaded post portion 72 and several protrusions 52 extending rearward from the annular body 51. The base 71 of the male connector housing 70 has a through groove 711 extending axially through the base 71. The annular body 51 of the male connector body 50 abuts against the front end face of the base 71, and the protrusions 52 pass through the through groove 711 and extend out of the rear end face of the base 71. In this embodiment, the male connector body 50 is injection molded onto the male connector terminal 60 and the male connector housing 70, and a retaining groove 501 is formed between the annular body 51 of the male connector body 50 and the threaded post portion 72 of the male connector housing 70. When the male connector connector 200 is screwed to the female connector connector 100, the front end of the protrusion 312 of the female connector housing 30 is inserted into the retaining groove 501.

[0036] The male connector 60 has a sheet-like contact arm 61 exposed on the outer peripheral wall of the male connector body 50, and an extension arm 62 extending axially rearward from the contact arm 61. The contact arm 61 is used for elastic contact with the elastic arm 21 of the female connector 20. Since the contact arm 61 of the male connector 60 has a sheet-like structure, the contact portion 211 of the elastic arm 21 has a long contact area on the contact arm 61. Furthermore, since the contact arms 61 are evenly distributed circumferentially on the outer peripheral wall of the male connector body 50, adding more male connectors 60 as needed will not increase the axial length of the male connector 200.

[0037] Specifically, several contact arms 61 are evenly attached to the outer peripheral wall of the annular body 51 in a circumferential direction, and the extension arm 62 is fixed within the annular body 51 and the protrusion 52 and is provided with a connecting foot 621 extending rearward from the rear end face of the protrusion 52. The connecting foot 621 is used to connect to the male connector wire. At the same time, since the protrusion 52 of the male connector body 50 passes through the through groove 711 and extends out of the rear end face of the base 71, the male connector body 50 isolates the extension arm 62 of the male connector terminal 60 from the base 71 through the protrusion 52 to prevent short circuit between the two.

[0038] When the male connector 200 is inserted into the female connector 100, the male connector body 50 is housed within the mating cavity 110 of the female connector body 10, and the front end of the protrusion 312 of the female connector housing 30 is inserted into the retaining groove 501. Furthermore, when the male connector 200 is screwed into the female connector 100, the contact portion 211 of the female connector terminal 20 elastically abuts against the contact arm 61 of the male connector terminal 60. This electrical connector assembly allows the portable device to be stably fixed inside the vehicle and enables the vehicle to charge the portable device, meaning the portable device does not require an external wiring connection to the charging interface in the central control area. Simultaneously, both the female connector terminal 20 and the male connector terminal 60 are evenly arranged circumferentially, meaning the number of corresponding terminals in the electrical connector assembly can be increased as needed, thereby achieving functional diversification of the electrical connector assembly. Furthermore, since the contact portion 211 of the female connector 20 and the contact arm 61 of the male connector 60 are both provided on the corresponding peripheral wall, adding the number of corresponding terminals in this case will not increase the axial length of the female connector 100 and the male connector 200, that is, adding the number of terminals will not change the overall volume of the electrical connector assembly.

[0039] In summary, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present utility model. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of the present utility model should still fall within the scope of the present utility model patent.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising a female connector and a male connector rotatably inserted into the female connector, the female connector comprising a female body, a plurality of female terminals fixed within the female body, and a female housing housing the female body, the female body having a mating cavity recessed inward from its front end, the male connector comprising a male body, a plurality of male terminals fixed on the male body, and a male housing supporting the male body, wherein when the male connector is inserted into the female connector, the male body is received within the mating cavity; characterized in that: The female connector terminal is provided with a sheet-like elastic arm fixed to the inner peripheral wall of the mating cavity, and the male connector terminal is provided with a sheet-like contact arm exposed on the outer peripheral wall of the male connector body. The elastic arm and the contact arm are evenly arranged circumferentially, and the elastic arm has a contact portion that protrudes radially inward into the mating cavity. When the male connector is screwed to the female connector, the contact portion of the female connector terminal elastically abuts against the contact arm of the male connector terminal.

2. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The female connector housing has an inwardly recessed mounting cavity extending from the axial front end. The mounting cavity passes through the female connector body and has internal threads. The male connector housing has a base and a threaded post extending axially forward from the base. The threaded post has external threads. The threaded post and the mounting cavity are connected by threads, allowing the male connector to be screwed onto the female connector.

3. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The female base body has an annular portion and several extension portions extending rearward from the rear end face of the annular portion. The female base shell has a front shell portion. The front shell portion has a receiving cavity recessed inward from the front end face and several through holes penetrating the rear end face along the axial direction. The through holes are connected to the receiving cavity. The annular portion is accommodated in the receiving cavity. The extension portions pass through the through holes and extend out of the rear end face of the front shell portion.

4. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The female terminal is assembled axially from front to back into the annular portion of the female body. The elastic arms of several female terminals are circumferentially attached to the inner circumferential wall of the mating cavity. The female terminal is provided with a fixed arm extending axially backward from the elastic arm. The fixed arm is fixed in the annular portion and the extension portion and is provided with a welding portion extending backward from the rear end face of the extension portion.

5. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that: The female terminal is also provided with a retaining part that bends inward from the front end of the elastic arm, and the retaining part is fastened to the axial front surface of the annular part.

6. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The front part of the housing is provided with a protrusion that extends axially forward from the bottom wall of the receiving cavity. The protrusion extends axially forward into the mating cavity of the female body, and the protrusion does not contact the contact portion of the female terminal.

7. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The female housing has a rear portion extending rearward from the rear end of the front portion of the housing, and the mounting cavity extends axially through the protrusion and into the rear portion of the housing.

8. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The male seat body has an annular main body sleeved on the outer periphery of the threaded column and several protrusions extending rearward from the annular main body. The base has a through groove that penetrates the base axially. The annular main body abuts against the front end face of the base, and the protrusions pass through the through groove and extend out of the rear end face of the base.

9. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The male connector body is injection molded onto the male connector terminal and the male connector housing, and a retaining groove is formed between the annular body of the male connector body and the threaded post of the male connector housing. When the male connector is screwed onto the female connector, the front end of the protrusion is inserted into the retaining groove.

10. The electrical connector assembly as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that: The contact arms of several male terminals are circumferentially attached to the outer peripheral wall of the annular body, and the male terminal is provided with an extension arm extending axially backward from the contact arm. The extension arm is fixed in the annular body and the protrusion and is provided with a welding portion extending backward from the rear end face of the protrusion.

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