An electronic connector with reliable connection

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of energy storage system connectors, and particularly relates to a reliable electronic connector, which comprises a socket and a plug inserted into the socket. The socket has an annular clamping groove. The plug comprises a conductive head portion for being inserted into the socket, an insulating portion surrounding the conductive head portion, an elastic lock catch arranged on the insulating portion, and a limiting structure matched with the elastic lock catch. The insulating portion is sequentially provided with a clamping groove one and a clamping groove two. The limiting structure has a protruding portion one. The limiting structure is inserted into the insulating portion. When the limiting structure is slid to a gear two, the protruding portion is embedded into the clamping groove two and abuts against the tail portion of the elastic lock catch, thereby forming rigid limiting and forcibly preventing the lock catch from being deflected and tripped due to vibration or accidental touch, so that the connection reliability is greatly improved without increasing complex mechanical components. When it is needed to pull out, the limiting structure is only needed to be slid back to the gear one to remove the tail portion constraint, so that the lock catch can be easily pressed and unlocked, and safety and operation convenience are considered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of connectors, and specifically relates to a reliable electronic connector. Background Technology

[0002] Electronic connectors, as core components for achieving electrical connections and signal transmission, are widely used in consumer electronics, communication equipment, automotive electronics, industrial control, and new energy systems. Their basic structure typically includes a plug connector and a mating connector (such as a socket connector). The plug connector contains a connector housing with electrical connection terminals for conducting current or signals. The rear end of the housing is for cable entry, while the mating end is used for physical connection and electrical conduction with the mating connector.

[0003] In practical industrial applications, especially under conditions of high vibration, high impact, or frequent insertion and removal, the mechanical locking structure of connectors is highly susceptible to "disengagement" due to fatigue of the elastic clips, external impact, or accidental contact. This can lead to poor contact, signal interruption, or even power transmission failure, seriously threatening equipment operation safety and system stability. Particularly in the rapidly developing field of energy storage systems, such as electrochemical energy storage power stations, home energy storage devices, industrial and commercial energy storage systems, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, electronic connectors undertake the task of high-current, high-voltage connections in critical components such as between battery modules, between PCS (Power Conversion System) and battery clusters, and between DC buses and inverters. These connection points are often in environments with continuous charge-discharge cycles, drastic temperature changes, and frequent mechanical vibrations, placing extremely high demands on the locking reliability, durability, and safety of the connectors. Once a connection becomes loose, it can lead to system shutdown and data loss, or even serious safety accidents such as arcing, overheating, or fire, with unimaginable consequences. To address the risk of disengagement, existing technologies typically employ the following two improvement schemes: Firstly, increasing the number of locking points and distributing the force through a multi-locking structure improves the overall resistance to disengagement. However, while this solution improves reliability to some extent, it also increases structural complexity, assembly difficulty, and manufacturing costs, and is difficult to implement in space-constrained applications.

[0004] Secondly, an elastic locking structure is designed at the elastic arm of the buckle, preventing the elastic arm from deflecting when the buckle is engaged, thus forcibly locking the buckle in place. While this type of structure can effectively prevent accidental disengagement, it relies on precision mechanical components such as pivots, auxiliary springs, or torsion springs. This not only results in a complex structure and large size, but also makes it prone to functional degradation due to component wear or spring failure over long-term use, leading to high maintenance costs and remaining reliability concerns. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this application is to provide a reliable electronic connector with the advantages of simple structure, convenient operation and reliable locking.

[0006] This application provides a reliable electronic connector, including a socket and a plug that is inserted into the socket; The socket has an annular slot; The plug includes a conductive head for insertion into the socket, an insulating part surrounding the conductive head, an elastic latch on the insulating part, and a limiting structure that cooperates with the elastic latch. The elastic latch is an elastic lever and includes a hook head and a tail. The hook head is engaged with the annular groove by the elastic action of the elastic latch itself. The insulating part is provided with a slot 1 and a slot 2 in sequence. The limiting structure has a protrusion 1. The limiting structure is inserted into the insulating part. When the protrusion 1 is inserted into the slot 1, it is in position 1. The limiting structure disengages from the tail of the elastic buckle and is released from restriction. When the protrusion 1 is inserted into the slot 2, it is in position 2. The limiting structure abuts against the tail of the elastic buckle to prevent the elastic lock from rotating and to keep it in a locked state.

[0007] Optionally, the limiting structure has a stepped structure on one or both sides, the stepped structure having a stepped surface one and a stepped surface two distributed from bottom to top. When the limiting structure is in position one, the stepped surface one corresponds exactly to the tail of the elastic latch to prevent the tail from being pressed down excessively; when the limiting structure is in position two, the stepped surface two abuts against the tail of the elastic latch to prevent the elastic latch from rotating.

[0008] Optionally, guide strips are provided on one or both sides of the limiting structure, avoiding the step structure, and the insulating part is provided with guide grooves that slide with the guide strips, so as to limit the limiting structure up and down and left and right within a certain range.

[0009] Optionally, the limiting structure is further provided with a tilting operation part, one or both sides of which are connected to the side of the step structure.

[0010] Optionally, the surface of the tilting operation part is provided with an anti-slip uneven surface.

[0011] Optionally, the bottom of the limiting structure is provided with a second protrusion; The insulating part is provided with a raised rib that is slidably embedded in the bottom of the limiting structure, and the raised rib is provided with a protrusion three. When the limiting structure is in position one, the second protrusion abuts against the third protrusion and cooperates with the guide strip and guide groove to prevent the limiting structure from moving and sliding out of the insulating part.

[0012] Optionally, the elastic latch includes an elastic arm located at the bottom of the body, one end of the elastic arm being connected to the insulating part and the other end being connected to the body of the elastic latch, for generating an elastic force that engages the hook head with the annular groove.

[0013] Optionally, the elastic arm is in the shape of a bent plate.

[0014] Optionally, the cross-sectional shape of the first slot and the second slot is V-shaped.

[0015] Optionally, the pressing surface at the tail of the elastic buckle has a concave-convex structure for anti-slip purposes.

[0016] The beneficial effect of this application is that by setting an elastic lever-type latch and a sliding limiting structure on the plug insulation part in synergy, a "one-button switching, dual protection" anti-disengagement mechanism is achieved: under normal conditions, the elastic latch relies on its own elasticity to lock the hook head into the socket's annular groove to complete the initial locking; when the limiting structure slides to position two, its protrusion embeds into groove two and abuts against the tail of the elastic latch, forming a rigid limit, forcibly preventing the latch from deflecting and disengaging due to vibration or accidental contact, thereby significantly improving connection reliability without adding complex mechanical parts; when it is necessary to pull out, simply slide the limiting structure back to position one to release the tail constraint, and it can be easily pressed to unlock, balancing safety and ease of operation. This design has a simple structure, no easily damaged parts, and strong durability, making it particularly suitable for high-vibration and high-safety-requirement scenarios such as energy storage systems, effectively solving the pain points of traditional anti-disengagement solutions being complex in structure, high in cost, and prone to failure. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic connector provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the electronic connector provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 Top view of the electronic connector; Figure 4 for Figure 3 AA section view in the middle; Figure 5 for Figure 4 Enlarged view of area A in the image; Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional three-dimensional structural diagram of the limiting structure provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 A cross-sectional structural diagram of the plug provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 for Figure 7Enlarged view of area B in the image.

[0018] In the diagram: 100, socket; 110, annular slot; 200, plug; 210, conductive head; 220, insulating part; 221, slot one; 222, slot two; 223, guide groove; 224, rib; 225, protrusion three; 230, elastic latch; 231, hook head; 232, tail; 233, elastic arm; 240, limiting structure; 241, protrusion one; 242, step structure; 2421, step surface one; 2422, step surface two; 243, guide strip; 244, tilting operation part; 245, anti-slip concave-convex surface; 246, protrusion two. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0020] like Figure 1-8 As shown, this application provides a reliable electronic connector, including a socket 100 and a plug 200 inserted into the socket 100; the socket 100 has an annular groove 110; the plug 200 includes a conductive head 210 for insertion into the socket 100, an insulating portion 220 surrounding the conductive head 210, an elastic latch 230 disposed on the insulating portion 220, and a limiting structure 240 cooperating with the elastic latch 230. The elastic latch 230 is an elastic lever, and the elastic latch 230 includes a hook head 231 and a tail 232. The hook head 231 is connected by a spring... The elastic lock itself engages with the annular groove 110; the insulating part 220 is provided with groove 1 221 and groove 222 in sequence, and the limiting structure 240 has a protrusion 241. The limiting structure 240 is inserted into the insulating part 220. When the protrusion 241 is inserted into groove 1 221, it is in position one, and the limiting structure 240 is disengaged from the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230 and the restriction is released. When the protrusion 241 is inserted into groove 222, it is in position two, and the limiting structure 240 abuts against the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230 to prevent the elastic lock from rotating and to be in the latching state.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the reliable electronic connector provided in this application achieves a "one-button switching, dual protection" anti-disengagement mechanism by setting an elastic lever-type latch on the insulating part 220 of the plug 200 and a sliding limiting structure 240 in coordination: Under normal conditions, the elastic latch 230 uses its own elasticity to lock the hook head 231 into the annular groove 110 of the socket 100 to complete the initial locking; when the limiting structure 240 slides to position two, its protrusion is embedded into the groove two 222 and abuts against the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230 to form a rigid limit, forcibly preventing the latch from deflecting and disengaging due to vibration or accidental contact, thereby greatly improving the connection reliability without adding complex mechanical parts; when it is necessary to pull out, simply slide the limiting structure 240 back to position one to release the constraint of the tail 232, and it can be easily pressed to unlock, taking into account both safety and ease of operation. This design features a simple structure, no easily damaged parts, and high durability, making it particularly suitable for high-vibration and high-safety-requirement scenarios such as energy storage systems. It effectively solves the pain points of traditional anti-detachment solutions, which are complex in structure, high in cost, and prone to failure.

[0022] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 6 As shown, the limiting structure 240 has a step structure 242 on one or both sides. The step structure 242 has a step surface 1 2421 and a step surface 2422 distributed from bottom to top. When the limiting structure 240 is in position 1, the step surface 1 2421 corresponds exactly to the tail 232 of the elastic lock 230 to prevent the tail 232 from being pressed down excessively. When the limiting structure 240 is in position 2, the step surface 2422 abuts against the tail 232 of the elastic lock 230 to prevent the elastic lock from rotating.

[0023] Specifically, the limiting structure 240 forms a graded limiting effect on the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230 by providing two stepped surfaces, a first step 2421 and a second step 2422, with a height difference on its side: when the limiting structure 240 slides to position one, the lower step surface 2421 is located just below the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230, providing moderate support when the user presses to unlock, preventing the tail 232 from elastic fatigue or structural damage due to excessive downward pressure; when switching to position two, the higher step surface 2422 moves upward and abuts tightly against the tail 232, physically preventing the elastic latch 230 from having any tendency to rotate, thereby rigidly locking the position of its hook head 231 in the annular groove 110, eliminating the risk of disengagement caused by vibration or accidental contact. This structure does not require additional springs or pivots, and can achieve the dual function switching of "protective unlocking" and "forced anti-disengagement" solely by sliding displacement and step height difference, making it simple to implement, stable and reliable, and long-lasting.

[0024] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, guide strips 243 are provided on one or both sides of the limiting structure 240, avoiding the step structure 242. The insulating part 220 has guide grooves 223 that slide with the guide strips 243, which are used to limit the limiting structure 240 in the up and down and left and right within a certain range.

[0025] Specifically, the limiting structure 240 adds a guide strip 243 in the area avoiding the step structure 242, which forms a precise sliding fit with the guide groove 223 preset on the insulating part 220. This ensures that the limiting structure 240 slides smoothly along a predetermined trajectory when switching between position one and position two, avoiding misalignment between the step surface and the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230 due to tilting or shaking. Furthermore, the side wall and bottom of the guide groove 223 mechanically constrain the limiting structure 240 in the left-right (lateral) and up-down (vertical) directions, effectively preventing displacement or loosening under vibration or external impact. This ensures that the step surfaces 2421 and 2 always act precisely with the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230, improving the stability of the anti-loosening function and the operating feel. At the same time, it simplifies assembly, enhances the overall structure, and is suitable for industrial and energy storage applications with high reliability requirements.

[0026] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 6 As shown, the limiting structure 240 is also provided with a tilting operation part 244, one or both sides of which are connected to the side of the step structure 242.

[0027] Specifically, the limiting structure 240 integrates a tilting operation part 244, which extends from the side of the stepped structure 242 in the form of a slope or wedge shape. Users only need to apply lateral pushing force along the slope with their fingers to smoothly drive the limiting structure 240 to slide and switch gears within the insulating part 220 without the need for prying or using tools, greatly improving the convenience of human-machine operation. The tilting operation part 244 and the stepped structure 242 are integrally formed, which not only serves as a force transmission component to ensure that the pushing force is effectively converted into horizontal displacement, but also avoids the addition of extra parts and keeps the structure compact. At the same time, the sloped design naturally has the advantage of saving effort. Combined with the precise limiting of the guide bar 243 and the guide groove 223, the gear switching feel is clear and the positioning is accurate. It is especially suitable for industrial and energy storage site environments with limited space or where operation requires wearing gloves, taking into account functionality, safety and user experience.

[0028] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 6 As shown, the surface of the tilting operation part 244 is provided with an anti-slip uneven surface 245.

[0029] Specifically, the anti-slip textured surface 245 can be granular, striped, or wavy, effectively increasing the coefficient of friction of the finger contact surface and preventing slippage in complex working conditions such as wetness, oil, or wearing gloves. This ensures that the user can apply force stably and accurately control the limit structure 240 to switch between gear one and gear two. At the same time, the anti-slip textured surface 245 can also serve as a tactile feedback indicator, helping the user to quickly identify the operating area and the current gear status by touch, improving the safety and efficiency of blind operation.

[0030] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 8 As shown, the bottom of the limiting structure 240 is provided with a second protrusion 246; the insulating part 220 is provided with a rib 224 that is embedded and slidably engaged with the bottom of the limiting structure 240, and a third protrusion 225 is provided on the rib 224; when the limiting structure 240 is in position one, the second protrusion 246 abuts against the third protrusion 225 and engages with the guide bar 243 and the guide groove 223 to prevent the limiting structure 240 from moving and sliding out of the insulating part 220.

[0031] Specifically, when the limiting structure 240 slides to position one, the second protrusion 246 and the third protrusion 225 physically abut against each other to form a "terminal stop". Together with the lateral constraint of the guide strip 243 and the guide groove 223, they jointly prevent the limiting structure 240 from completely slipping out of the insulating part 220 due to misoperation or vibration, thus ensuring structural integrity and operational safety.

[0032] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 5 As shown, the elastic latch 230 includes an elastic arm 233 located at the bottom of the body. One end of the elastic arm 233 is connected to the insulating part 220, and the other end is connected to the body of the elastic latch 230, which is used to generate an elastic force for the hook head 231 to engage with the annular groove 110.

[0033] Specifically, this technical solution utilizes the elastic deformation characteristics of the spring arm 233: when the plug 200 is inserted into the socket 100, the hook head 231 is squeezed inward by the annular groove 110, and the spring arm 233 undergoes elastic deformation accordingly; once the hook head 231 is fully inserted into the annular groove 110, the elastic force of the spring arm 233 attempting to return to its original shape will firmly press the hook head 231 into the annular groove 110, forming a stable locking state, effectively preventing disengagement due to vibration or accidental pulling. Furthermore, this design based on the spring arm 233 not only simplifies the structure and reduces costs, but also improves the durability and reliability of the connector, making it suitable for various electrical connection applications requiring high stability. Simultaneously, when used in conjunction with the limiting structure 240, it can further enhance the anti-disengagement effect, ensuring a safe and reliable connection.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the elastic arm 233 is shaped like a bent plate.

[0035] Specifically, by stamping or injection molding metal or high-strength engineering plastic sheets into a single piece, it achieves high elasticity reserve and stable rebound force within a limited space. The bending structure effectively utilizes the bending stiffness and geometric deformation capacity of the material, absorbing impact energy through controlled deformation during the insertion process, and providing continuous and uniform clamping force after the snap-fit ​​is in place, ensuring that the hook head 231 always fits tightly against the inner wall of the annular slot 110, significantly improving vibration and impact resistance. At the same time, the plate structure is easy to manufacture, has good consistency, and a long fatigue life. The bending angle and arm length can be flexibly adjusted to adapt to different locking force requirements, balancing compact layout and high-performance output. It is particularly suitable for electronic connectors in space-constrained, high-frequency insertion and removal, and harsh operating conditions, such as energy storage high-voltage interfaces and automotive quick-connect connectors, significantly improving product reliability and service life.

[0036] In one possible implementation, such as Figure 5 As shown, the cross-sectional shape of slot 1 221 and slot 2 222 is V-shaped.

[0037] Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of slot 1 221 and slot 2 222 is designed as V-shape, which brings multiple advantages. First, the V-shaped cross-section provides more precise positioning guidance. When the protrusion on the limiting structure 240 slides into or out of the slot, its inclined side helps guide the protrusion to accurately enter the slot. Even with slight alignment errors, it can be smoothly returned to its original position, enhancing the fault tolerance and convenience of operation. Second, the V-shaped structure has the characteristic of concentrated support points in terms of force. When the limiting structure 240 is in position one or position two, the contact point between the protrusion and the V-shaped slot can effectively disperse and bear the pressure from the tail 232 of the elastic latch 230, reducing the risk of wear or deformation caused by stress concentration and improving the durability of the structure.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the pressing surface of the tail 232 of the resilient latch 230 is a textured surface for anti-slip purposes.

[0039] Specifically, the textured surface can be a grainy texture, a diamond pattern, a rectangular pattern, a wave groove, or a serrated texture, which significantly increases the coefficient of friction when pressed by fingers or tools, effectively preventing slippage in wet, oily, gloved, or high-speed operating environments, ensuring that users can apply force stably and trigger the unlocking action accurately.

[0040] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of protection of this application is limited to these examples; within the framework of this application, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of one or more embodiments of this application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0041] One or more embodiments in this application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications, and variations that fall within the broad scope of this application. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of one or more embodiments in this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A reliable electronic connector, characterized in that, Includes a socket (100) and a plug (200) that is inserted into the socket (100); The socket (100) has an annular slot (110); The plug (200) includes a conductive head (210) for insertion into the socket (100), an insulating part (220) surrounding the conductive head (210), an elastic latch (230) disposed on the insulating part (220), and a limiting structure (240) cooperating with the elastic latch (230). The elastic latch (230) is an elastic lever, and the elastic latch (230) includes a hook head (231) and a tail (232). The hook head (231) is engaged with the annular groove (110) by the elastic action of the elastic latch itself. The insulating part (220) is provided with a first slot (221) and a second slot (222) in sequence. The limiting structure (240) has a first protrusion (241). The limiting structure (240) is inserted into the insulating part (220). When the first protrusion (241) is inserted into the first slot (221), it is in position one. The limiting structure (240) is disengaged from the tail (232) of the elastic latch (230) to release the restriction. When the first protrusion (241) is inserted into the second slot (222), it is in position two. The limiting structure (240) abuts against the tail (232) of the elastic latch (230) to prevent the elastic latch from rotating and to be in the latching state.

2. The electronic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting structure (240) has a stepped structure (242) on one or both sides. The stepped structure (242) has a stepped surface one (2421) and a stepped surface two (2422) distributed from bottom to top. When the limiting structure (240) is in position one, the stepped surface one (2421) corresponds exactly to the tail (232) of the elastic latch (230) to prevent the tail (232) from being pressed down excessively. When the limiting structure (240) is in position two, the stepped surface two (2422) abuts against the tail (232) of the elastic latch (230) to prevent the elastic latch from rotating.

3. The electronic connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, Guide strips (243) are provided on one or both sides of the limiting structure (240) and away from the step structure (242). The insulating part (220) has a guide groove (223) that slides with the guide strip (243) to limit the limiting structure (240) up and down and left and right within a certain range.

4. The electronic connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The limiting structure (240) is also provided with a tilting operation part (244), one or both sides of which are connected to the side of the step structure (242).

5. The electronic connector according to claim 4, characterized in that, The surface of the tilting operation part (244) is provided with an anti-slip uneven surface (245).

6. The electronic connector according to any one of claims 3-5, characterized in that, The bottom of the limiting structure (240) is provided with a second protrusion (246). The insulating part (220) is provided with a raised rib (224) that is embedded and slidably engaged with the bottom of the limiting structure (240), and the raised rib (224) is provided with a raised part three (225). When the limiting structure (240) is in position one, the second protrusion (246) abuts against the third protrusion (225) and cooperates with the guide strip (243) and guide groove (223) to prevent the limiting structure (240) from moving and sliding out of the insulating part (220).

7. The electronic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic latch (230) includes an elastic arm (233) located at the bottom of the body. One end of the elastic arm (233) is connected to the insulating part (220), and the other end is connected to the body of the elastic latch (230) to generate an elastic force that causes the hook head (231) to engage with the annular groove (110).

8. The electronic connector according to claim 7, characterized in that, The elastic arm (233) is in the shape of a bent plate.

9. The electronic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cross-sectional shape of the first slot (221) and the second slot (222) is V-shaped.

10. The electronic connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressing surface of the tail (232) of the elastic buckle (230) is a concave-convex structure for anti-slip.

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