Terminal assembly and connector

Abstract

The utility model discloses a terminal assembly and connector. The terminal assembly has opposite front end and rear end in its longitudinal direction, opposite inner side and outer side in its transverse direction, and opposite upper and lower sides in its height direction. The terminal assembly comprises: a main body portion formed as a flat plate extending along the longitudinal direction and the height direction; and a helical spring installed at the front end of the main body portion and adapted to electrically contact with a mating terminal, the axial direction of the helical spring being along the height direction. The terminal assembly of the utility model adopts a structure of a main body portion and a helical spring in a split type, the flat plate-shaped main body portion can maximize the volume of metal material of the terminal assembly in limited space, and the current-carrying capacity of the terminal assembly is improved; the helical spring can provide a large number of electrical contact points in limited space, so as to further improve the current-carrying capacity of the terminal assembly and ensure stable and reliable electrical contact with the mating terminal. The terminal assembly has a simple and compact structure and is easy to manufacture and assemble.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a terminal assembly and a connector including the terminal assembly. Background Technology

[0002] In the prior art, the terminals of the connector make electrical contact with the mating terminals through multiple bent elastic arms at their front ends. The bent structure requires a lot of space, which limits the thickness of the metal material of the terminals. As a result, the effective current-carrying cross-sectional area of ​​the terminals is limited and cannot carry a large current. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this utility model is to solve at least one aspect of the aforementioned problems and defects existing in the prior art.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a terminal assembly is provided. The terminal assembly has a front end and a rear end opposite each other in its longitudinal direction, an inner side and an outer side opposite each other in its transverse direction, and upper and lower sides opposite each other in its height direction. The terminal assembly includes: a main body portion formed as a flat plate extending along the longitudinal and height directions; and a helical spring mounted on the front end portion of the main body portion and adapted to make electrical contact with a mating terminal, the helical spring having an axial direction along the height direction.

[0005] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a groove is formed at the front end of the main body portion, the groove being recessed from the inner side of the main body portion toward the outer side of the main body portion and extending along the height direction; in the transverse direction, a portion of the helical spring is accommodated in the groove, and another portion of the helical spring protrudes from the inner side of the main body portion to be able to make electrical contact with the mating terminal.

[0006] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the main body has a plurality of said grooves arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction, and the terminal assembly includes a plurality of said helical springs, which are respectively accommodated in the plurality of grooves.

[0007] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the groove has an opening facing the inside of the main body, the depth of the groove in the lateral direction is greater than the radius of the helical spring, and the width of the opening in the longitudinal direction is not greater than the diameter of the helical spring.

[0008] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the groove extends from the upper side to the lower side of the terminal assembly, and the maximum length of the helical spring is not less than the length of the groove.

[0009] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the shape and size of the groove are designed such that the groove does not compress the helical spring when the helical spring is not in electrical contact with the mating terminal.

[0010] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the groove is formed by machining or die casting.

[0011] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the helical spring is a slanted coil spring.

[0012] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the helical spring is made of a copper alloy.

[0013] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the main body is made of copper.

[0014] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the terminal assembly further includes a conductive plate electrically connected to the rear end of the main body.

[0015] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the conductive plate is made of copper.

[0016] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the conductive plate is attached to the outer side of the main body.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, a connector is provided. The connector includes: a housing; and the aforementioned terminal assembly, which is inserted into the housing.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the housing has a front end and a rear end opposite each other in its longitudinal direction, left and right sides opposite each other in its transverse direction, and upper and lower sides opposite each other in its height direction, and includes: a main housing portion; and a plug portion extending forward from the front end of the main housing portion and having a side opening on one side in the transverse direction. The front end of the main body portion of the terminal assembly is received in the plug portion, the inner side of the main body portion is opposite to the side opening, and a portion of the helical spring extends from the side opening to enable electrical contact with the mating terminal.

[0019] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the plug portion has an upper sidewall and a lower sidewall opposite to each other in the height direction, the upper sidewall and the lower sidewall being respectively opposite to the two ends of the helical spring in the axial direction to define the axial position of the helical spring.

[0020] In the foregoing exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the terminal assembly adopts a separate structure of the main body and the helical spring. The flat main body maximizes the volume of metal material in the terminal assembly within a limited space, thereby greatly improving the current-carrying capacity of the terminal assembly to meet the needs of high-current applications. The helical spring, through multiple spring coils, makes electrical contact with the mating terminals, providing a large number of electrical contact points in a limited space, thereby reducing contact force and contact resistance, making the current distribution more uniform, and providing good heat dissipation performance, which can further improve the current-carrying capacity of the terminal assembly. In addition, the coils of the helical spring can flexibly deform, thereby compensating for deviations caused by tolerances and / or vibrations between mating components to ensure stable and reliable electrical contact. The terminal assembly has a simple and compact structure, and is easy to manufacture and assemble.

[0021] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. Figure 2 A perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear. Figure 3 An exploded view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This diagram shows a perspective view of the terminal assembly of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 show Figure 5 An exploded view of the terminal assembly shown; Figure 7 show Figure 5 A side view of the terminal assembly shown; Figure 8 A perspective view of a terminal assembly according to a second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solution of this utility model will be further described in detail below through embodiments and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar components. The following description of the embodiments of this utility model with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended to explain the overall concept of this utility model and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.

[0024] Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for ease of explanation to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated to simplify the figures.

[0025] According to a general technical concept of the present invention, a terminal assembly is provided. The terminal assembly has a front end and a rear end opposite each other in its longitudinal direction, an inner side and an outer side opposite each other in its transverse direction, and upper and lower sides opposite each other in its height direction. The terminal assembly includes: a main body portion formed as a flat plate extending along the longitudinal and height directions; and a helical spring mounted on the front end of the main body portion and adapted to make electrical contact with a mating terminal, the helical spring having an axial direction along the height direction.

[0026] According to another general technical concept of the present invention, a connector is provided. The connector includes: a housing; and the aforementioned terminal assembly, which is inserted into the housing.

[0027] First Embodiment Figures 1 to 7 This illustrates a first embodiment according to the present invention. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. Figure 2 A perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear. Figure 3 An exploded view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 This diagram shows a cross-sectional view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This diagram shows a perspective view of the terminal assembly 1 of the connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 show Figure 5 An exploded view of terminal assembly 1 shown; Figure 7 show Figure 5 The diagram shows a side view of terminal assembly 1.

[0028] like Figures 1 to 7As shown, in an exemplary embodiment of this utility model, a terminal assembly 1 is disclosed. The terminal assembly 1 has a front end and a rear end opposite each other in its longitudinal direction Y, an inner side and an outer side opposite each other in its transverse direction X, and upper and lower sides opposite each other in its height direction Z. The terminal assembly 1 mainly includes a body portion 11 and a helical spring 12. The body portion 11 is formed as a flat plate extending along the longitudinal direction Y and the height direction Z. The helical spring 12 is mounted on the front end of the body portion 11 and is adapted to make electrical contact with a mating terminal (not shown). The axial direction of the helical spring 12 is along the height direction Z. The longitudinal direction Y is the direction in which the terminal assembly 1 is inserted into the connector, the transverse direction X is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction Y, and the height direction Z is perpendicular to both the transverse direction X and the longitudinal direction Y.

[0029] The terminal assembly 1 adopts a split structure of main body 11 and helical spring 12. The flat main body 11 maximizes the volume of metal material in the terminal assembly 1 within a limited space. For example, the thickness of the main body 11 can be twice the thickness of the plate of the existing bent terminal (or the total plate thickness of the multi-layer bent terminal), thereby greatly increasing the effective current-carrying cross-sectional area of ​​the terminal assembly 1 and improving its current-carrying capacity to meet the needs of high-current applications. The helical spring 12 makes electrical contact with the mating terminal through multiple spring coils, providing a large number of electrical contact points in a limited space, thereby reducing contact force and contact resistance, making the current distribution more uniform, and having good heat dissipation performance, which can further improve the current-carrying capacity of the terminal assembly 1. In addition, the coils of the helical spring 12 can flexibly deform, thereby compensating for deviations caused by tolerances and / or vibrations between mating parts to ensure stable and reliable electrical contact. The terminal assembly 1 has a simple and compact structure and is easy to manufacture and assemble.

[0030] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a groove 111 is formed at the front end of the main body 11. The groove 111 is recessed from the inner side 112 of the main body 11 toward the outer side of the main body 11 and extends along the height direction Z. In the transverse direction X, a portion of the helical spring 12 is accommodated in the groove 111, and another portion of the helical spring 12 protrudes from the inner side 112 of the main body 11 to enable it to make electrical contact with the mating terminal.

[0031] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the figures. For example, in other embodiments, the helical spring 12 may be mounted to the main body 11 in other ways.

[0032] See also Figures 1 to 7 The groove 111 has an opening 111a facing the inside of the main body 11. The depth D of the groove 111 in the transverse X direction is greater than the radius of the coil spring 12, and the width W of the opening 111a in the longitudinal Y direction is not greater than the diameter of the coil spring 12, thereby preventing the coil spring 12 from falling out of the opening 111a.

[0033] The groove 111 extends from the upper side to the lower side of the terminal assembly 1 along the height direction Z. The maximum length of the helical spring 12 (i.e., its length in the free state) is not less than the length of the groove 111, thereby allowing the helical spring 12 to be arranged as long as possible within a limited space to provide as many electrical contact points as possible. This also allows the helical spring 12 to be inserted into the groove 111 from one end along the height direction Z, simplifying the assembly of the terminal assembly 1. The groove 111 can be formed, for example, by machining or die casting for ease of manufacture.

[0034] The shape and size of the groove 111 are designed such that when the helical spring 12 is not in electrical contact with the mating terminal, the groove 111 does not compress the helical spring 12, that is, the helical spring 12 is in a free state without deformation, so that when mating with the mating terminal, the helical spring 12 is more easily deformed, thereby reducing the positive contact force.

[0035] The helical spring 12 is a slanted coil spring, that is, in the free state without deformation, the individual coil of the helical spring 12 is inclined relative to the radial direction of the entire helical spring 12, making the helical spring 12 easier to deform, thereby reducing the positive contact force when mating with the mating terminal.

[0036] In one embodiment, the helical spring 12 is made of a copper alloy, thus possessing good mechanical and electrical properties. However, the present invention is not limited thereto; for example, in other embodiments, the helical spring 12 may also be made of stainless steel or other suitable materials.

[0037] In one embodiment, the main body 11 is made of copper, thus providing good electrical conductivity. However, the present invention is not limited to this; for example, in other embodiments, the main body 11 may also be made of a copper-zinc alloy or other suitable materials.

[0038] See also Figures 1 to 7 The terminal assembly 1 also includes a conductive plate 13, which is electrically connected to the rear end of the main body 11, thereby making full use of the space within the connector and further increasing the current carrying capacity of the terminal assembly 1. The conductive plate 13 is connected to the main body 11, for example, by fasteners 14 and / or riveting members 15.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal assembly 1 includes a conductive plate 13. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. For example, in other embodiments, depending on different electrical transmission requirements, multiple conductive plates 13 can be connected to the main body 11, and / or the thickness of the conductive plates 13 can be adjusted; in still other embodiments, if the main body 11 can meet the electrical transmission requirements, the conductive plate 13 may not be provided. Thus, the terminal assembly 1 has good versatility.

[0040] See also Figures 1 to 7 The conductive plate 13 is attached to the outer side 113 of the main body 11 to form a good electrical connection and to dissipate heat from the main body 11, thereby further improving the current carrying capacity of the terminal assembly 1.

[0041] Optionally, the conductive plate 13 is made of copper, thus having good electrical and thermal conductivity.

[0042] In another exemplary embodiment of this invention, a connector is also disclosed. The connector includes a housing 2 and the aforementioned terminal assembly 1. The terminal assembly 1 is inserted into the housing 2, for example, positioned and secured within the housing 2 by a locating pin 23.

[0043] The housing 2 has a front end and a rear end opposite each other in its longitudinal direction Y, left and right sides opposite each other in its transverse direction X, and upper and lower sides opposite each other in its height direction Z. The housing 2 includes a main housing portion 21 and a plug portion 22. The plug portion 22 extends forward from the front end of the main housing portion 21 and has a side opening 221 on one side in the transverse direction X. The front end of the main body portion 11 of the terminal assembly 1 is received in the plug portion 22, and the rear end of the main body portion 11 and the conductive plate 13 are received in the main housing portion 21. The inner side of the main body portion 11 is opposite to the side opening 221, and a portion of the helical spring 12 extends from the side opening 221 to enable electrical contact with the mating terminal.

[0044] The plug portion 22 has an upper sidewall 222 and a lower sidewall 223 that are opposite each other in the height direction Z. The upper sidewall 222 and the lower sidewall 223 are respectively opposite to the two ends of the coil spring 12 in the axial direction to define the axial position of the coil spring 12.

[0045] The housing 2 has a pair of plug portions 22 arranged side by side in the transverse X direction, with side openings 221 of the pair of plug portions 22 facing each other. The connector includes a pair of terminal assemblies 1, which are respectively inserted into the pair of plug portions 22 to mate with a pair of mating terminals on a mating component (not shown).

[0046] Second Embodiment Figure 8 This diagram shows a perspective view of the terminal assembly 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] and Figures 1 to 7 Compared to the first embodiment shown, Figure 8The main difference in the second embodiment shown is that the main body 11 of the terminal assembly 1 has multiple grooves 111 arranged side-by-side along the longitudinal direction Y. Correspondingly, the terminal assembly 1 includes multiple helical springs 12, which are respectively accommodated in the multiple grooves 111. This allows for a further increase in the number of electrical contact points within a limited space, thereby further improving the current-carrying capacity of the terminal assembly 1. Other technical features of the second embodiment are basically the same as those of the first embodiment and can be referred to accordingly. Figures 1 to 7 The first embodiment shown.

[0048] exist Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the terminal assembly 1 has two grooves 111 and two helical springs 12. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment; for example, in other embodiments, more grooves 111 and helical springs 12 may be arranged where space permits.

[0049] In another exemplary embodiment of this utility model, a connector is also disclosed. The connector includes, as shown below: Figures 1 to 4 The shell 2 shown and as Figure 8 Terminal assembly 1 is shown. Terminal assembly 1 is inserted into housing 2.

[0050] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments described above are exemplary and can be improved upon. The structures described in the various embodiments can be freely combined without causing structural or principle conflicts, and these changes should fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the embodiments disclosed in the drawings are intended to illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention and should not be construed as a limitation thereof.

[0052] While some embodiments of the general concept of this utility model have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general concept of this utility model, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

[0053] It should be noted that the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the words "a" or "an" do not exclude multiple elements. Furthermore, any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A terminal assembly having a front end and a rear end opposite each other in its longitudinal direction (Y), an inner side and an outer side opposite each other in its transverse direction (X), and upper and lower sides opposite each other in its height direction (Z), characterized in that, The terminal assembly (1) includes: The main body (11) is formed as a flat plate extending along the longitudinal (Y) and height (Z) directions; and A helical spring (12) is mounted on the front end of the main body (11) and is adapted to make electrical contact with a mating terminal, the axial direction of the helical spring (12) being along the height direction (Z).

2. The terminal assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front end of the main body (11) is formed with a groove (111), which is recessed from the inner side (112) of the main body (11) toward the outer side of the main body (11) and extends along the height direction (Z). In the transverse (X) direction, a portion of the helical spring (12) is accommodated in the groove (111), and another portion of the helical spring (12) protrudes from the inner side (112) of the main body (11) to enable it to make electrical contact with the mating terminal.

3. The terminal assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body (11) has a plurality of grooves (111) arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction (Y), and the terminal assembly (1) includes a plurality of helical springs (12) respectively housed in the plurality of grooves (111).

4. The terminal assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The groove (111) has an opening (111a) facing the inside of the main body (11), the depth (D) of the groove (111) in the transverse (X) direction is greater than the radius of the helical spring (12), and the width (W) of the opening (111a) in the longitudinal (Y) direction is not greater than the diameter of the helical spring (12).

5. The terminal assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The groove (111) extends from the upper side to the lower side of the terminal assembly (1), and the maximum length of the helical spring (12) is not less than the length of the groove (111).

6. The terminal assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The shape and size of the groove (111) are designed such that the groove (111) does not compress the helical spring (12) when the helical spring (12) is not in electrical contact with the mating terminal.

7. The terminal assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The groove (111) is formed by machining or die casting.

8. The terminal assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: The helical spring (12) is a slanted coil spring.

9. The terminal assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: The helical spring (12) is made of copper alloy.

10. The terminal assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that: The main body (11) is made of copper.

11. The terminal assembly according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, Also includes: The conductive plate (13) is electrically connected to the rear end of the main body (11).

12. The terminal assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that: The conductive plate (13) is made of copper.

13. The terminal assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that: The conductive plate (13) is attached to the outer side (113) of the main body (11).

14. A connector, characterized in that, Includes: Shell (2); and The terminal assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1-13 is inserted into the housing (2).

15. The connector according to claim 14, characterized in that: The housing (2) has a front end and a rear end opposite each other in its longitudinal direction (Y), left and right sides opposite each other in its transverse direction (X), and upper and lower sides opposite each other in its height direction (Z), and includes: Main shell (21); and The plug portion (22) extends forward from the front end of the main housing portion (21) and has a side opening (221) on one side in the transverse direction (X). The front end of the main body (11) of the terminal assembly (1) is housed in the plug portion (22), the inner side of the main body (11) is opposite to the side opening (221), and a portion of the helical spring (12) extends from the side opening (221) to be able to make electrical contact with the mating terminal.

16. The connector according to claim 15, characterized in that: The plug portion (22) has an upper sidewall (222) and a lower sidewall (223) opposite each other in the height direction (Z), the upper sidewall (222) and the lower sidewall (223) being opposite to the two ends of the helical spring (12) in the axial direction, so as to define the axial position of the helical spring (12).

Images