Ethernet connector assembly, lidar, and mobile device

Abstract

The application provides an Ethernet connector assembly, a laser radar and a movable device. The Ethernet connector assembly comprises a shell, a hard circuit board, an interface connector and a flexible circuit board. The shell has a shielding cavity. The hard circuit board is arranged in the shielding cavity. The interface connector is used for plugging with an external device. The flexible circuit board is arranged in the shielding cavity. The flexible circuit board comprises a first end and a second end. The first end is detachably connected with the hard circuit board. The second end is fixedly connected with the interface connector. The Ethernet connector assembly has good signal transmission stability, flexible design, convenient assembly and convenient post-maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lidar technology, and in particular to an Ethernet connector assembly, lidar, and mobile device. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of LiDAR in fields such as autonomous driving, higher demands are being placed on its detection performance, leading to an exponential increase in LiDAR data output. To achieve real-time transmission of environmental perception data, LiDAR needs to establish a high-speed communication link from the vehicle's main control unit to its internal core circuit board via a gigabit Ethernet connector. However, vehicle-mounted LiDARs are often located in complex electromagnetic environments, and the coupling within their internal circuitry poses significant challenges to the interconnect stability, signal integrity, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of the connector interfaces.

[0003] In related technologies, connectors in lidar systems are usually directly soldered to the internal circuit boards. This method not only leads to complex assembly structures but also increases the difficulty of design flexibility and subsequent maintenance and replacement. Other solutions have attempted to use ordinary ribbon cables instead of direct soldering, but ordinary ribbon cables cannot meet the stable transmission requirements of gigabit Ethernet high-speed differential signals. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an Ethernet connector assembly, a LiDAR, and a mobile device to address the problem in related technologies where the connection between the LiDAR connector and the internal circuit board cannot meet the signal transmission requirements of Gigabit Ethernet.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted in this application is as follows: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide an Ethernet connector assembly, comprising: a housing, a rigid circuit board, an interface connector, and a flexible circuit board, wherein the housing has a shielding cavity; the rigid circuit board is disposed in the shielding cavity; the interface connector is used for insertion with an external device; the flexible circuit board is located in the shielding cavity, and the flexible circuit board includes a first end and a second end, the first end being detachably connected to the rigid circuit board, and the second end being fixedly connected to the interface connector.

[0006] In some implementations, the rigid circuit board is provided with a flexible circuit board connector, which is detachably connected to the first end and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board.

[0007] In some implementations, the flexible circuit board includes a first connecting segment, a flexible segment, and a second connecting segment connected in sequence. The first connecting segment is plugged into or snapped into the flexible circuit board connector, and the second connecting segment is soldered to the interface connector.

[0008] In some implementations, the rigid circuit board and the bottom shell of the housing have a gap along a first direction, the first direction being the thickness direction of the rigid circuit board; the height of the gap in the first direction is greater than the height of the flexible circuit board connector in the first direction, so that the flexible circuit board connector is located in the gap.

[0009] In some implementations, the flexible circuit board has a ground layer on the side adjacent to the rigid circuit board, and the ground layer is electrically connected to the housing through a conductive portion.

[0010] In some implementations, the conductive portion completely covers the grounding layer.

[0011] In some implementations, the conductive part is conductive foam or conductive adhesive.

[0012] In some implementations, the conductive part is conductive foam; there is a gap between the rigid circuit board and the bottom shell of the outer casing along a first direction, and the ratio of the thickness of the conductive part in the first direction to the height of the gap in the first direction is 1-1.3; wherein, the first direction is the thickness direction of the rigid circuit board.

[0013] In some implementations, the flexible circuit board has a multi-layer structure.

[0014] In some implementations, the interface connector includes a socket, an insulating plate, and pins, with one end of the pin passing through the insulating plate and soldered to the second end, and the other end of the pin located inside the socket to form a socket.

[0015] In some implementations, the socket is provided with a positioning post, the insulating plate is provided with a positioning hole, and the second end is provided with a through hole, and the positioning post can pass through the positioning hole and the through hole in sequence.

[0016] In some implementations, the pins include Ethernet shielding pins.

[0017] In some implementations, the socket is detachably connected to the housing by fasteners; and / or, the housing has a clearance opening, and the socket is disposed at the clearance opening such that the end of the pin connected to the second terminal is located in the shielding cavity.

[0018] In some implementations, the housing contains a motherboard electrically connected to the rigid circuit board, and the motherboard and the rigid circuit board are detachably connected; or, the motherboard and the rigid circuit board are an integral structure.

[0019] In some implementations, the housing includes a bottom shell and a shielding cover disposed on the bottom shell. The shielding cover has an opening on the side near the bottom shell, and the rigid circuit board covers the opening. The space between the shielding cover and the rigid circuit board constitutes the shielding cavity.

[0020] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a lidar, including an Ethernet connector assembly and a housing as described in the first aspect above, wherein the Ethernet connector assembly is disposed on the housing.

[0021] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide a mobile device, including a lidar and a mobile carrier as described in the second aspect above, wherein the lidar is disposed on the mobile carrier.

[0022] The beneficial effects of the Ethernet connector assembly provided in this application are as follows: This application connects the interface connector to the rigid circuit board via a flexible circuit board. Simultaneously, both the rigid and flexible circuit boards are housed within the shielded cavity of the housing. This allows the Ethernet signal between the rigid circuit board and the interface connector to resist electromagnetic interference during transmission, reducing the risk of Ethernet signal interference and thus improving the stability of Ethernet signal transmission. Furthermore, the first end of the flexible circuit board is detachably connected to the rigid circuit board. Therefore, during the Ethernet connector assembly design phase, there are fewer restrictions on the layout of the rigid circuit board and the installation position of the interface connector. Users can design flexibly according to actual needs. That is, users can change the length and other dimensions of the flexible circuit board to adapt to scenarios where the rigid circuit board and interface connector are located in different positions, thereby significantly increasing design flexibility. In addition, when the interface connector or the rigid circuit board fails, the flexible circuit board can be separated from the rigid circuit board, and only the corresponding component needs to be replaced, greatly reducing the difficulty of later maintenance. This achieves a balance of good signal transmission stability, flexible design, and convenient assembly, facilitating later maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0023] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning system on the Ethernet connector assembly provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 After the bottom shell inside the outer casing is not displayed. Figure 1 A partial structural diagram of the Ethernet connector component in the diagram; Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Top view of the Ethernet connector component; Figure 4 yes Figure 3 AA section view; Figure 5 This is a diagram of the assembly structure of the interface connector via a flexible circuit board and a rigid circuit board from one perspective. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A structural diagram from another perspective; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the interface connector provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0025] Figure label: 10. Outer shell; 101. Shielding cavity; 11. Bottom shell; 12. Shielding cover; 13. Gap; 20. Rigid circuit board; 21. Flexible circuit board connector; 30. Interface connector; 31. Socket; 310. Positioning post; 311. Clearance opening; 312. Opening; 32. Insulating plate; 320. Through hole; 33. Pin; 331. Ethernet shielding pin; 332. Data transmission pin; 40. Flexible circuit board; 401. First end; 402. Second end; 41. First connecting segment; 42. Flexible segment; 43. Second connecting segment; 50. Conductive parts; 60. Fasteners. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "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 accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application 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 application.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "joining" should be interpreted broadly, for example, as fixed connection, detachable connection, or integral connection; those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0029] 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 technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] With the widespread application of LiDAR in fields such as autonomous driving, higher demands are being placed on its detection performance, leading to an exponential increase in LiDAR data output. To achieve real-time transmission of environmental perception data, LiDAR needs to establish a high-speed communication link with the vehicle's main control system and internal core circuit boards via a gigabit Ethernet connector. However, vehicle-mounted LiDARs are often located in complex electromagnetic environments, and the coupling within their internal circuitry poses significant challenges to the interconnect stability, signal integrity, and electromagnetic compatibility of the connector interfaces.

[0031] In related technologies, connectors in lidar systems are usually directly soldered to the internal circuit boards. This method not only leads to complex assembly structures but also increases the difficulty of design flexibility and subsequent maintenance and replacement. Other solutions have attempted to use ordinary ribbon cables instead of direct soldering, but ordinary ribbon cables cannot meet the stable transmission requirements of gigabit Ethernet high-speed differential signals.

[0032] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a lidar system comprising a housing and an Ethernet connector assembly, the Ethernet connector assembly being disposed on the housing. A motherboard is housed within the housing. In the Ethernet connector assembly provided in this application, the rigid circuit board 20 within the housing 10 is detachably electrically connected to the interface connector 30 via a flexible circuit board 40. Furthermore, both the rigid circuit board 20 and the flexible circuit board 40 are housed within the shielding cavity 101 of the housing 10, thereby resisting electromagnetic interference and improving the stability of signal transmission.

[0033] It should be noted that the aforementioned motherboard is the main control board for the LiDAR.

[0034] The aforementioned LiDAR includes, but is not limited to, automotive LiDAR. When the LiDAR is automotive-grade, the core of its Ethernet interface circuit is a gigabit automotive physical layer transceiver (PHY) conforming to the Automotive Electronics Committee's automotive-grade reliability standard (AEC-Q100), adhering to the 1000BASE-T1 communication protocol, and designed to meet high standards for automotive-grade EMC, reliability, and functional safety (ISO 26262). It not only enables communication but is also crucial for ensuring the stable, real-time, and secure transmission of massive point cloud data by the entire autonomous driving system in complex and harsh automotive environments. In other words, the signals transmitted by the aforementioned Ethernet connector components must meet the stable transmission requirements of gigabit Ethernet high-speed differential signals.

[0035] refer to Figures 1 to 2 The Ethernet connector assembly includes: a housing 10, a rigid circuit board 20 (Printed Circuit Connector, PCB), an interface connector 30, and a flexible printed circuit board 40 (Flexible Printed Circuit Connector, FPC). The housing 10 has a shielding cavity 101. The rigid circuit board 20 is disposed in the shielding cavity 101. The interface connector 30 is used for interfacing with external devices. The flexible circuit board 40 is located in the shielding cavity 101 and includes a first end 401 and a second end 402. The first end 401 is detachably connected to the rigid circuit board 20, and the second end 402 is fixedly connected to the interface connector 30.

[0036] The aforementioned outer casing 10 includes, but is not limited to, stainless steel.

[0037] refer to Figures 1 to 2The housing 10 may include a bottom shell 11 and a shielding cover 12 disposed on the bottom shell 11. The bottom shell 11 may be plate-shaped, and the space between the shielding cover 12 and the bottom shell 11 forms a shielding cavity 101. The shielding cavity 101 may be a closed or substantially closed metal sealing structure. The bottom shell 11 may also be part of the Ethernet housing structure, with the shielding cavity 101 formed by providing the shielding cover 12 on the Ethernet housing.

[0038] The aforementioned rigid circuit board 20 refers to the circuit board inside the Ethernet unit that is electrically connected to the interface connector 30. This rigid circuit board 20 can be integrated with the motherboard inside the Ethernet unit, thereby reducing the number of components and simplifying the assembly process. This integrated structure includes the rigid circuit board 20 and the motherboard being integrally formed. Alternatively, the rigid circuit board 20 can be designed separately from the motherboard and fixed together by soldering. This allows for flexible arrangement of the rigid circuit board 20 and the motherboard, either stacked or vertically arranged, adapting to different locations of the interface connector 30. It also adapts to different housing arrangements and improves the integration of the interface circuitry. Based on the separate design of the rigid circuit board 20 and the motherboard, the rigid circuit board 20 can be detachably connected to the motherboard through plug-in, snap-fit, or flexible connection methods, facilitating disassembly, assembly, and subsequent maintenance.

[0039] The aforementioned shielding cavity 101, also known as an isolation cavity, is typically located adjacent to the interface connector 30. One function is electrical isolation, preventing high voltage (such as lightning strikes or static electricity) from entering the device's motherboard and causing damage. Another function is to suppress common-mode noise and improve the signal's anti-interference capability.

[0040] During the design phase of the aforementioned interface connector 30, users can design and customize the structure of the interface connector 30, including more additional pins, based on the standard RJ45 interface, as needed. The structure of the interface connector 30 in this embodiment is an improvement on the standard RJ45 interface; details of the specific structure are provided below.

[0041] This application connects the interface connector 30 to the rigid circuit board 20 via a flexible circuit board 40. Both the rigid circuit board 20 and the flexible circuit board 40 are housed within the shielding cavity 101 of the housing 10. This allows the Ethernet signal between the rigid circuit board 20 and the interface connector 30 to resist electromagnetic interference during transmission, reducing the risk of Ethernet signal interference and thus improving the stability of Ethernet signal transmission. Furthermore, the first end 401 of the flexible circuit board 40 is detachably connected to the rigid circuit board 20. This reduces the limitations on the layout of the rigid circuit board 20 and the installation position of the interface connector 30 during the Ethernet connector assembly design phase. Users can design flexibly according to actual needs; that is, users can change the length and other dimensions of the flexible circuit board 40 to adapt to scenarios where the rigid circuit board 20 and the interface connector 30 are located in different positions, significantly increasing design flexibility. In addition, when the interface connector 30 or the rigid circuit board 20 fails, the flexible circuit board 40 can be separated from the rigid circuit board 20, and only the corresponding component needs to be replaced, greatly reducing the difficulty of later maintenance. This achieves the goal of balancing good signal transmission stability, design flexibility, and convenient assembly for easy later maintenance.

[0042] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 In some implementations, the outer casing 10 includes a bottom casing 11 and a shield 12 disposed on the bottom casing 11. The shield 12 has an opening 312 on the side near the bottom casing 11. A rigid circuit board 20 covers the opening 312. The space between the shield 12 and the rigid circuit board 20 forms a shield cavity 101.

[0043] The aforementioned shielding cover 12 is made of metal. The material of the shielding cover 12 can be the same as that of the base shell 11, both being stainless steel. Alternatively, the material of the shielding cover 12 can be different from that of the base shell 11, but both must be metal. This facilitates the grounding connection of the interface connector 30.

[0044] The aforementioned base shell 11 and shielding cover 12 are, but are not limited to, detachably connected. This not only facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the shielding cover 12 and the base shell 11, but also makes it easier for the internal components of the shielding cover 12 to be maintained later.

[0045] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the rigid circuit board 20 is provided with a flexible circuit board connector 21, which is detachably connected to the first end 401 and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board 40.

[0046] The aforementioned flexible circuit board connector 21 is a dedicated connector for connecting the flexible circuit board 40 to the rigid circuit board 20.

[0047] The flexible circuit board connector 21 includes an insulating body, conductive terminals, and a locking device. The insulating body has a precise slot for inserting the flexible circuit board 40.

[0048] The aforementioned locking device acts as a "switch" for the connector, ensuring stable and reliable contact after the flexible circuit board 40 is inserted. There are two main types of locking devices: Flip-Lock (or Clamp Type) and Lift-Lift (or ZIF / LIF Type). ZIF (Zero Insertion / Extraction Force): When the flexible circuit board 40 is inserted in the open state, there is almost no resistance. After closing the locking device, it pushes a pressure bar to firmly press the flexible circuit board 40 onto the terminal. This is the most common and reliable type. LIF (Low Insertion / Extraction Force): The insertion / extraction force is lower than ZIF, but it is less reliable and is typically used in applications where frequent insertion / extraction is not required or where space is more limited.

[0049] The aforementioned insulating body is typically made of high-temperature resistant plastics (such as LCP and PPS), and its function is to fix the contacts and provide insulation protection.

[0050] The aforementioned conductive terminals are made of alloys such as phosphor bronze and beryllium copper, and are plated with gold or tin to ensure good conductivity and oxidation resistance. The terminals are precisely arranged within the body.

[0051] It should be noted that the detachable connection between the flexible circuit board connector 21 and the flexible circuit board 40 is determined according to the structure of the locking device in the flexible circuit board connector 21.

[0052] The relevant technology uses a standard RJ45 interface, which includes a standard 8-pin (8P8C) network connector, meaning it has 8 pins 33 internally, corresponding to the 4 pairs of wires on a twisted pair cable. These 8 pins 33 are primarily used for data transmission, and are therefore also called data transmission pins 332.

[0053] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The interface connector 30 in this embodiment includes a socket 31, an insulating plate 32, and pins 33. The pins 33 include not only the standard 8-pin (8P8C) of a standard RJ45 interface, but also Ethernet shielding pins 331. This provides the interface connector 30 with shielding functionality.

[0054] The material of the socket 31 in the aforementioned interface connector 30 includes, but is not limited to, high-strength engineering plastics. A mixture of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and glass fiber is preferred. This allows the interface connector 30 to possess both rigidity and temperature resistance. The socket 31 is detachably connected to the housing 10 via fasteners 60. This facilitates the connection between the socket 31 and the housing 10 and subsequent maintenance. The fasteners 60 can be screws or bolts. The number of fasteners 60 may include, but is not limited to, four, arranged at circumferential intervals along the interface connector 30, thereby improving the reliability of the connection between the socket 31 and the housing 10.

[0055] One end of pin 33 passes through insulating plate 32 and is welded to the second end 402, while the other end of pin 33 is located inside socket 31 to form a socket.

[0056] The Ethernet shielding pin 331 is, but is not limited to, soldered to the second end 402 of the flexible circuit board 40. In this way, compared with crimping, the Ethernet shielding pin 331 is more firmly connected to the flexible circuit board 40, thereby improving the shielding effect.

[0057] In this application, the interface connector 30 welds the pins 33 to the flexible circuit board 40 via an insulating plate 32. The insulating plate 32 not only serves as insulation but also as support, compensating for the insufficient rigidity of the connection between the flexible circuit board 40 and the pins 33. This achieves the goal of simultaneously improving the mechanical connection strength and electrical connection reliability between the flexible circuit board 40 and the pins 33.

[0058] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the outer shell 10 is provided with a clearance opening 311, that is, the shielding cover 12 is provided with a clearance opening 311, and the socket 31 is disposed at the clearance opening 311, so that the end of the pin 33 connected to the second end 402 is located in the shielding cavity 101. In this way, while ensuring that the interface connector 30 is firmly connected to the outer shell 10, as many pins 33 as possible are located in the shielding cavity 101, which is beneficial to further improve the shielding effect.

[0059] The aforementioned shielding cover 12 is also equipped with a cable tray (see reference). Figure 2 The window located in the lower right corner of the rigid circuit board 20 is used for the lead-out of connection lines for connecting to devices on the rigid circuit board 20.

[0060] It should be noted that the aforementioned insulating plate 32 can be made of a high-temperature resistant material. This reduces the risk of failure due to excessive temperature at the second end 402 of the interface connector 30 and the flexible circuit board 40 during operation, thereby indirectly improving the stability of signal transmission.

[0061] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some implementations, the socket 31 is provided with a positioning post 310, the insulating plate 32 is provided with a positioning hole, and the second end 402 is provided with a through hole 320. The positioning post 310 can pass through the positioning hole and the through hole 320 in sequence.

[0062] The aforementioned positioning hole can be a through hole penetrating the insulating plate 32, or it can be a groove penetrating the insulating plate 32.

[0063] The aforementioned positioning holes improve the positioning accuracy of the interface connector 30 and the flexible circuit board 40, and facilitate the assembly and connection of the interface connector 30 and the flexible circuit board 40.

[0064] The number of vias 320 is equal to the number of pins 33 of the interface connector 30. If the socket 31 is provided with positioning pins 310, the number of vias 320 is equal to the sum of the number of pins 33 and the number of positioning pins 310 of the interface connector 30.

[0065] The structure of the flexible circuit board 40 is described below.

[0066] refer to Figure 4 and Figure 6 In this embodiment, the flexible circuit board 40 includes a first connecting segment 41, a flexible segment 42, and a second connecting segment 43 connected in sequence. The first connecting segment 41 is inserted into or snapped into the flexible circuit board connector 21, and the second connecting segment 43 is soldered to the interface connector 30.

[0067] The first connecting segment 41 mentioned above includes, but is not limited to, gold fingers that are electrically connected to the flexible circuit board connector 21. The second connecting segment 43 mentioned above may be, but is not limited to, flexible, that is, the flexible segment 42 and the second connecting segment 43 may be flexible and bendable. The first connecting segment 41, the flexible segment 42 and the second connecting segment 43 may be, but is not limited to, formed by integral molding.

[0068] The aforementioned flexible circuit board 40 has a multi-layer structure, meaning it includes at least two copper foil layers. The copper foil layer furthest from the rigid circuit board 20 has a portion protruding beyond the protective film layer, forming a ground layer. Compared to a single-layer structure, the double-layer flexible circuit board 40 is more flexible, allowing for more flexible circuit design, and also helps to reduce the area of ​​the flexible circuit board 40.

[0069] refer to Figure 4 In this embodiment, the rigid circuit board 20 and the bottom shell 11 of the outer casing 10 are along the first direction ( Figure 4 The vertical direction of the rigid circuit board 20 has a gap 13, and the first direction is the thickness direction of the rigid circuit board 20; the height of the gap 13 in the first direction ( Figure 4The arrow h) is greater than the height of the flexible circuit board connector 21 in the first direction, so that the flexible circuit board connector 21 is located in the gap 13; wherein, the first direction is the thickness direction of the rigid circuit board 20.

[0070] It should be noted that the height of the aforementioned gap 13 in the first direction is greater than the height of the flexible circuit board connector 21, thus allowing the flexible circuit board connector 21 to be disposed within the gap 13. Simultaneously, this facilitates the grounding of the flexible circuit board 40 and the housing 10. The height of this gap 13 cannot be designed to be too large. While a large gap 13 would offer greater design freedom for components on the rigid circuit board 20, it would hinder the grounding connection of the flexible circuit board 40.

[0071] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, the grounding layer of the flexible circuit board 40 is electrically connected to the housing 10 through the conductive part 50, and the first end 401 of the flexible circuit board 40 and the conductive part 50 are both located in the gap 13. In this way, the interface connector 30 is connected to the housing 10 through the flexible circuit board 40 and the conductive part 50, thereby achieving grounding.

[0072] The conductive part 50 can be conductive foam. The conductive foam overlaps between the flexible circuit board 40 and the bottom shell 11 of the outer casing 10. Conductive foam is relatively inexpensive, easy to assemble, and deformable, adaptable to various scenarios with a certain height of the gap 13, making it widely applicable. This conductive part 50 completely covers the grounding layer. This provides better grounding and reduces the risk of short circuits.

[0073] It should be noted that the thickness of the conductive foam needs to be matched with the height of the gap 13 during the selection process. Specifically, if the thickness of the conductive foam is too small compared to the height of the gap, the contact surface will be too small, resulting in poor grounding effect; if the thickness of the conductive foam is too large compared to the height of the gap, it will continuously apply an elastic force to the rigid circuit board 20, causing the rigid circuit board 20 to move away from the bottom shell 11, resulting in poor grounding effect.

[0074] After multiple experiments, it was found that when the ratio of the thickness of the conductive part 50 in the first direction to the height of the gap 13 in the first direction is 1-1.33, specifically, when the ratio of the thickness of the conductive part 50 in the first direction to the height of the gap 13 in the first direction can be 1, 1.01, 1.02, ..., 1.05, ..., 1.1, ..., 1.15, ..., 1.2, ..., 1.25, ..., 1.3, the goal of achieving both good grounding effect and firm connection can be achieved.

[0075] Of course, to further improve the grounding effect, in some implementations, the conductive part 50 can also be conductive adhesive. That is, by filling the gaps with adhesive, the grounding layer is covered, and the rigid circuit board 20 and the bottom shell 11 are connected. This not only improves the strength of the connection between the rigid circuit board 20, the flexible circuit board 40 and the bottom shell 11 in the housing 10, but also further improves the grounding effect.

[0076] To address the aforementioned issues, this application also provides a mobile device, including a lidar and a mobile carrier, wherein the lidar is mounted on the mobile carrier.

[0077] The aforementioned mobile carriers include, but are not limited to, vehicles.

[0078] The lidar includes a housing, a motherboard disposed within the housing, and an Ethernet connector assembly. The Ethernet connector assembly includes: a housing 10, a rigid circuit board 20 (Printed Circuit Connector, PCB), an interface connector 30, and a flexible circuit board 40 (Flexible Printed Circuit Connector, FPC). The housing 10 has a shielding cavity 101; the rigid circuit board 20 is disposed in the shielding cavity 101; the interface connector 30 is used for interfacing with external devices; the flexible circuit board 40 is located in the shielding cavity 101, and the flexible circuit board 40 includes a first end 401 and a second end 402. The first end 401 is detachably connected to the rigid circuit board 20, and the second end 402 is fixedly connected to the interface connector 30.

[0079] In this embodiment, the motherboard and the rigid circuit board 20 are integrated into one structure. That is, the entire housing has a shielding cavity 101, and part of the motherboard structure is located in the shielding cavity 101. This can resist electromagnetic interference, thereby improving the stability of signal transmission.

[0080] It should be noted that the structure of the Ethernet connector assembly described above is the same as that in any of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0081] The mobile device of this application employs the aforementioned Ethernet connector assembly. A flexible circuit board 40 connects the interface connector 30 to the rigid circuit board 20. Both the rigid circuit board 20 and the flexible circuit board 40 are housed within the shielding cavity 101 of the housing 10. This design protects the Ethernet signal between the rigid circuit board 20 and the interface connector 30 from electromagnetic interference during transmission, reducing the risk of Ethernet signal interference and thus improving the stability of Ethernet signal transmission. Furthermore, the first end 401 of the flexible circuit board 40 is detachably connected to the rigid circuit board 20. Therefore, during the design phase of the Ethernet connector assembly, there are fewer restrictions on the layout of the rigid circuit board 20 and the installation position of the interface connector 30, allowing users to design flexibly according to actual needs. In other words, users can change the length and other dimensions of the flexible circuit board 40 to adapt to scenarios where the rigid circuit board 20 and the interface connector 30 are located in different positions, significantly increasing design flexibility. Furthermore, when the interface connector 30 or the rigid circuit board 20 fails, the flexible circuit board 40 can be separated from the rigid circuit board 20, and only the corresponding components can be replaced, which greatly reduces the difficulty of later maintenance. This achieves the goal of balancing good signal transmission stability, flexible design, and convenient assembly, thus facilitating later maintenance and meeting automotive-grade requirements.

[0082] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An Ethernet connector assembly, characterized in that, include: The outer shell (10) has a shielding cavity (101); A rigid circuit board (20) is disposed in the shielding cavity (101); Interface connector (30) for connecting to external devices; A flexible circuit board (40) is located in the shielding cavity (101). The flexible circuit board (40) includes a first end (401) and a second end (402). The first end (401) is detachably connected to the rigid circuit board (20), and the second end (402) is fixedly connected to the interface connector (30).

2. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rigid circuit board (20) is provided with a flexible circuit board connector (21), which is detachably connected to the first end (401) of the flexible circuit board and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board (40).

3. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flexible circuit board (40) includes a first connecting segment (41), a flexible segment (42), and a second connecting segment (43) connected in sequence. The first connecting segment (41) is plugged into or snapped into the flexible circuit board connector (21), and the second connecting segment (43) is welded to the interface connector (30).

4. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rigid circuit board (20) and the bottom shell (11) of the outer shell (10) have a gap (13) along a first direction, which is the thickness direction of the rigid circuit board (20). The height of the gap (13) in the first direction is greater than the height of the flexible circuit board connector (21) in the first direction, so that the flexible circuit board connector (21) is located in the gap (13).

5. The Ethernet connector assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The flexible circuit board (40) has a grounding layer on the side near the rigid circuit board (20), and the grounding layer is electrically connected to the housing (10) through a conductive part (50).

6. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The conductive part (50) completely covers the grounding layer.

7. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The conductive part (50) is conductive foam or conductive adhesive.

8. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The conductive part (50) is conductive foam; There is a gap (13) between the rigid circuit board (20) and the bottom shell (11) of the outer shell (10) along the first direction, and the ratio of the thickness of the conductive part (50) in the first direction to the height of the gap (13) in the first direction is 1-1.

3. Wherein, the first direction is the thickness direction of the rigid circuit board (20).

9. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The flexible circuit board (40) has a multi-layer structure.

10. The Ethernet connector assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, 6-9, characterized in that, The interface connector (30) includes a socket (31), an insulating plate (32) and a pin (33). One end of the pin (33) passes through the insulating plate (32) and is soldered to the second end (402). The other end of the pin (33) is located inside the socket (31) to form a socket.

11. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that, The socket (31) is provided with a positioning post (310), the insulating plate (32) is provided with a positioning hole, and the second end (402) is provided with a through hole (320). The positioning post (310) can pass through the positioning hole and the through hole (320) in sequence.

12. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that, The pin (33) includes an Ethernet shielding pin (331).

13. The Ethernet connector assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that, The socket (31) is detachably connected to the housing (10) by fasteners (60); And / or, the housing (10) is provided with a clearance opening (311), and the socket (31) is disposed at the clearance opening (311) so that the end of the pin (33) connected to the second end (402) is located in the shielding cavity (101).

14. The Ethernet connector assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, 6-9, and 11-13, characterized in that, The housing (10) contains a motherboard that is electrically connected to the rigid circuit board (20), and the motherboard and the rigid circuit board (20) are detachably connected; or, the motherboard and the rigid circuit board (20) are an integral structure.

15. The Ethernet connector assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, 6-9, and 11-13, characterized in that, The outer shell (10) includes a bottom shell (11) and a shield (12) disposed on the bottom shell (11). The shield (12) has an opening (312) on the side near the bottom shell (11). The rigid circuit board (20) covers the opening (312). The space between the shield (12) and the rigid circuit board (20) constitutes the shield cavity (101).

16. A lidar, characterized in that, It includes an Ethernet connector assembly and a housing as described in any one of claims 1-15, wherein the Ethernet connector assembly is disposed on the housing.

17. A mobile device, characterized in that, It includes the lidar and mobile carrier as described in claim 16, wherein the lidar is mounted on the mobile carrier.

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