Power connector

Abstract

A power connector includes an insulating body and a plurality of power terminals fixed in the insulating body; the insulating body is provided with a mounting surface, a mating surface and a plurality of fixing slots passing between the mounting surface and the mating surface, adjacent fixing slots are separated by a partition wall, at least one power terminal is fixed in each fixing slot; the power terminal includes a main body part fixed in the fixing slot, a mating part provided at one end of the main body part and a mounting part provided at the other end of the main body part, the mating part extends towards the mating surface, and the mounting part extends from the mounting surface of the insulating body; the power terminal is provided with opposite first and second side surfaces, and a metal sheet is attached to the first side surface of the main body part of at least one power terminal, the metal sheet is located between the mating part and the mounting part without the mating part, without affecting the assembly and mating of the power terminal, the current carrying capacity is increased to support large current transmission.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic device technology, and more particularly to a power connector. Background Technology

[0002] For relevant known technologies, please refer to the high-density board-to-board power connector disclosed in Chinese Invention Patent CN112117573B, which includes a female connector unit and a male connector unit that cooperate with each other. The female connector unit includes a female plastic body and at least one first female terminal unit installed in the female plastic body. The male connector unit includes a male plastic body and at least one first male terminal unit installed in the male plastic body. Each unit is provided with two power terminals. It can be seen that the previous design increased the number of power terminals in the terminal unit to two in order to support high current transmission. However, this solution only increases the current carrying capacity by increasing the number of power terminals. In terms of the overall connector volume, this solution has certain spatial limitations and cannot meet the needs of larger current transmission. Utility Model Content

[0003] The main purpose of this utility model is to provide a power connector that can transmit large currents and ensure the stability of the overall power connector assembly.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a power connector, comprising an insulating body and a plurality of power terminals fixed within the insulating body; the insulating body is provided with a mounting surface, a mating surface, and a plurality of fixing grooves penetrating between the mounting surface and the mating surface, adjacent fixing grooves being separated by partition walls, and at least one power terminal being fixed in each fixing groove; the power terminal includes a main body portion fixed within the fixing groove, a mating portion disposed at one end of the main body portion, and a mounting portion disposed at the other end of the main body portion, the mating portion extending toward the mating surface, and the mounting portion extending from the mounting surface of the insulating body; The power terminal has a first side and a second side opposite to each other. At least one of the power terminals has a metal sheet attached to the first side of the main body. The metal sheet is located between the mating part and the mounting part but does not have a mating part.

[0005] Compared with the prior art, this utility model adds a metal sheet to the original power terminal to meet the needs of larger current transmission without affecting the assembly and docking of the power terminal. In addition, it also sets up guide posts and guide grooves with special structures to ensure the stability of the overall power connector assembly and docking. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1This is a perspective view of the socket connector of this application.

[0007] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Top view.

[0008] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A stereoscopic view from another perspective.

[0009] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The exploded diagram.

[0010] Figure 5 for Figure 4 An exploded view of the two power terminals and the metal plate located on the left side of the center.

[0011] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along the dashed line AA.

[0012] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the plug connector of this application.

[0013] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A stereoscopic view from another perspective.

[0014] Figure 9 for Figure 8 The exploded diagram.

[0015] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A three-dimensional view of a pair of power terminals and a metal plate located on the right side of the center.

[0016] Figure 11 for Figure 10 The exploded diagram.

[0017] Figure 12 This is a magnified view of the plug connector mounted on the PCB board.

[0018] Figure 13 for Figure 7 A cross-sectional view along the dashed line BB.

[0019] Figure 14 This is a cross-sectional view showing the socket connector and plug connector not mated.

[0020] Figure 15 for Figure 14 A cross-sectional view of the two connectors just after they have been mated. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The following detailed description of some embodiments of this application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described below can be combined with each other.

[0022] See Figures 1 to 15 as shown, the present application provides a power connector assembly 100, which includes a receptacle connector 10 and a plug connector 20 mated with each other. The receptacle connector 10 includes an elongated receptacle body 11 and a plurality of receptacle terminals 12 fixed in the receptacle body 11. The receptacle body 11 includes end walls 111 located at two longitudinal ends thereof, a mating face 112 for mating with the plug connector 20, and a pair of guiding posts 13 extending from the end walls 111 in the mating direction and beyond the mating face 112. The plug connector 20 includes an elongated plug body 21, a plurality of plug terminals 22 fixed in the plug body 21, and a pair of guiding slots 23 provided at two longitudinal ends of the plug body 21. The guiding posts 13 can be inserted into the guiding slots 23, so as to guide the mating of the receptacle connector 10 and the plug connector 20 and prevent mis-insertion.

[0023] More specifically, see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 15 as shown, each guiding post 13 of the receptacle connector 10 includes a vertical portion 131 extending from the mating face 112 in the mating direction and a front end portion 132 connected to the vertical portion 131. The front end portion 132 shrinks in sections in a linear manner, and a corresponding inclined portion 231 is disposed in the guiding slot 23 of the plug connector 20. The inclined portion 231 is gradually raised along the mating direction, so that the two connectors can be pre-positioned at the very beginning of mating. Moreover, the front end portion 132 of the guiding post 13 shrinks in sections, which achieves a better guiding effect than smooth shrinkage. In cooperation with the inclined portion 231 of the guiding slot, a certain holding effect is provided, so that the receptacle connector 10 and the plug connector 20 can remain relatively stable before the terminals of the two connectors are mated with each other (see Figure 15 ). In addition, the two guiding posts 13 have straight planes 133 facing each other, and each straight plane 133 is provided with an inclined surface 1331 at the front end portion 132 of the corresponding guiding post 13, which inclines in a direction away from each other, so as to assist the front end portion 132 to perform a guiding function.

[0024] Herein, "plug" and "receptacle" are merely naming manners for two mated connectors, and do not limit the specific functions of the connectors. Therefore, the guiding posts may also be disposed on the plug connector, and the guiding slots may also be disposed on the receptacle connector.

[0025] In this embodiment, both the receptacle connector 10 and the plug connector 20 are power connectors, in particular, a power connector that can support 48V high-current transmission of a PSU (Power Supply Unit) in a server. The two power connectors are mated with each other, so their structures are basically the same, each including a signal region S, and a first power region P1 (high frequency) and a second power region P2 (low frequency) located at two ends of the signal region S.

[0026] Taking the socket connector 10 as an example, refer to Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this is a power connector 10, including an insulating body 11 and a plurality of power terminals 12a and signal terminals 12b fixed within the insulating body 11. The insulating body 11 has a mounting surface 113, a mating surface 112, and a plurality of fixing slots 114 passing through the mounting surface 113 and the mating surface 112. Adjacent fixing slots 114 are separated by spacer walls 115, and at least one power terminal 12a is fixed in each fixing slot 114. In this embodiment, the first power area P1 has four fixing slots 114, and the second power area P2 has three fixing slots 114. Two power terminals 12a are fixed in each fixing slot 114 of the first power area P1, and one power terminal 12a is fixed in each fixing slot 114 of the second power area P2. The first power area P1 has an increased number of power terminals for transmitting AC power, while the second power area P2 has a relatively smaller number for transmitting DC power. Thus, the same connector can transmit both AC and DC power simultaneously. For example, in a PSU, the first power area P1 is used as the AC power input, and the second power area P2 is used as the DC power output. In other embodiments, one power terminal may be fixed in each fixing slot 114 of the first power area P1, or two power terminals 12a may be fixed in each fixing slot 114 of the second power area P2.

[0027] The power terminal 12a includes a main body 121 fixed in a fixing groove 114, a docking part 122 disposed at one end of the main body 121, and a mounting part 123 disposed at the other end of the main body 121. The docking part 122 extends toward the docking surface 112, and the mounting part 123 extends from the mounting surface 113 of the insulating body 11.

[0028] Each power terminal 12a has opposing first side 124 and second side 125. At least one power terminal 12a has a metal sheet 30 attached to the first side 124 of its main body 121. The metal sheet 30 is located between the mating portion 122 and the mounting portion 123, but no mating portion is provided. In this embodiment, each power terminal in the first power region P1 is covered with a metal sheet 30, while the power terminals in the second power region P2 are not further covered with metal sheets to achieve high current transmission. In other embodiments, the power terminals in the second power region P2 may also be further covered with metal sheets.

[0029] In summary, a metal plate was added to the original power terminals to meet the requirements for larger current transmission without affecting the assembly and connection of the power terminals.

[0030] Furthermore, both the power terminal 12a and the metal plate 30 are fixed in the fixing groove 114. Specifically, refer to... Figures 4 to 6As shown, a plurality of protruding posts 126 are disposed on the first side surface 124 of the power terminal 12a, the metal sheet 30 is provided with a plurality of openings 31 that are fitted and fixed with the protruding posts 126, the openings 31 penetrate two opposite side surfaces of the metal sheet 30, and the protruding posts 126 are inserted into the openings 31, so that the metal sheet 30 is limited and fixed on the power terminal 12a.

[0031] Further, refer Figure 3 As shown, the mounting portion 123 of the power terminal is a plurality of mounting legs 123 extending from the main body portion 121, and the metal sheet 30 is located above the mounting legs 123. That is, on the premise of not affecting the assembly and mating of the power terminal 12a, the current carrying capacity is increased to support high-current transmission.

[0032] Further, refer Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, a limiting portion 127 is protrudingly disposed on the second side surface 125 of the power terminal 12a, and the fixing groove 114 is provided with a limiting groove 117 for the limiting portion 127 to pass through. The limiting portion 127 includes a positioning portion 1271, the bottom of the limiting groove 117 is gradually raised toward the mating surface 112 to form an inclined surface 1171 and a raised portion 1172, the positioning portion 1271 slides along the inclined surface 1171 and finally is located above the raised portion 1172, in this way, the positioning portion 1271 is located in the limiting groove 117, so as to perform the limiting and fixing function on the entire power terminal 12a. The limiting portion 127 further includes a protruding piece 1272, and the protruding piece 1272 can be clamped in the limiting groove 117, so as to perform a reinforcing function.

[0033] In this embodiment, refer Figures 8 to 13 The illustrated plug connector 20 is also arranged in the same manner as the above-described socket connector 10, except that the specific structures of the terminals and the metal sheets are different.

[0034] Refer Figures 5 to 6 As shown, it shows the specific structure of the power terminal 12a and the metal sheet 30 in the socket connector 10.

[0035] The power terminal 12a has a plate-like structure, including a plate-like main body portion 121 and a plate-like mating portion 122. In the first power region P1 (high frequency), the plate-like mating portions 122 of the two power terminals 22a in one fixing groove 114 are parallel to each other. Viewed along the mating direction, the mounting legs 123 of the power terminal 12a and the main body portion 121 are located on different straight lines, and the mounting legs 123 are further away from the metal sheet 30 than the main body portion 121. Refer Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, in the same fixing groove 114, a partition wall 116 facing the second side surface 125 of the main body portion 121 and a rib 118 extending along the bottom 33 of the metal sheet 30 are disposed. The rib 118 is located below the bottom 33 of the metal sheet 30 and is spaced a certain distance to limit the positions of the power terminal 12a and the metal sheet 30.

[0036] See Figures 10 to 14 which illustrates the specific structures of the power terminal 22a and the metal sheet 30 in the plug connector 20.

[0037] The power terminal 22a is a plate-shaped structure, comprising a plate-shaped main body portion 221 and a plurality of elastic arms 222 extending from the main body portion 221 in the mating direction, i.e., the mating portion. The number of the elastic arms 222 on each power terminal 22a is not limited. In this embodiment, each power terminal 22a is provided with a pair of elastic arms 222. In the first power region P1 (high frequency), the elastic arms 222 of the two power terminals 22a in one fixing groove 214 first approach each other and then move away from each other from the main body portion 221, so as to abut against the plate-shaped mating portions 122 of the power terminals 12a in the receptacle connector 10, which can ensure the stability of the electrical connection between the two connectors.

[0038] See Figure 9 and Figure 10 which show that the mounting portion 223 of the plug connector 20 is a plurality of mounting legs 223 extending from the mounting surface 213 of the plug body 21, the metal sheet 30 is provided with a plurality of pins 32 adjacent to the mounting legs 223, and the pins 32 are located above the mounting legs 223. See Figure 12 which shows that the plug connector 20 can be mounted on a PCB board 40, the mounting legs 223 of the power terminal 22a are inserted into the PCB board 40, and the pins 32 of the metal sheet 30 are electrically connected to the surface of the PCB board 40. More specifically, in this embodiment, the PCB board 40 is provided with conductive pads 41, the pins 32 of the metal sheet 30 are located above the conductive pads 41 without contact, and are electrically connected by solder. With such arrangement, the metal sheet 30 is directly electrically connected to the PCB board 40 to transmit current without relying on the mounting legs 223 of the power terminal 22a, so as to achieve a better current load effect.

[0039] In summary, the above is an embodiment of the present application, and the arrangement of each element in the receptacle connector and the plug connector can be interchanged or identical to each other.

[0040] The above-mentioned embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, not all embodiments. Any equivalent variations made by those of ordinary skill in the art to the technical solution of the present utility model after reading the specification of the present utility model shall be covered by the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A power connector, comprising an insulating body and a plurality of power terminals fixed within the insulating body; The insulating body is provided with a mounting surface, a mating surface, and a plurality of fixing grooves that pass through the mounting surface and the mating surface. Adjacent fixing grooves are separated by partition walls, and at least one power terminal is fixed in each fixing groove. The power terminal includes a main body fixed in the fixing groove, a docking part disposed at one end of the main body, and a mounting part disposed at the other end of the main body. The docking part extends toward the docking surface, and the mounting part extends from the mounting surface of the insulating body. Its features are: The power terminal has a first side and a second side opposite to each other. At least one of the power terminals has a metal sheet attached to the first side of the main body. The metal sheet is located between the mating part and the mounting part but does not have a mating part.

2. The power connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The first side of the power terminal is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the metal sheet is provided with a plurality of openings that cooperate and fix with the protrusions, the openings penetrating two opposite sides of the metal sheet.

3. The power connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting portion consists of multiple mounting feet extending from the main body portion. The metal sheet has several pins adjacent to the mounting feet, and the pins are located above the mounting feet.

4. The power connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting portion consists of multiple mounting feet extending from the main body portion, and the metal sheet has several pins adjacent to the mounting feet; The power connector can be mounted on a PCB board, the mounting pins of the power terminal are inserted into the PCB board, and the pins of the metal plate are electrically connected to the surface of the PCB board.

5. The power connector as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The PCB board is provided with conductive pads, and the pins of the metal sheet are located above the conductive pads without contacting them, and are electrically connected by solder.

6. The power connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A limiting part is protruding on one side of the power terminal, and the fixing groove is provided with a limiting groove for the limiting part to pass through. The limiting part includes a positioning part. The bottom of the limiting groove gradually rises towards the mating surface to form an inclined surface and an increasing part. The positioning part slides along the inclined surface and is finally located above the increasing part.

7. The power connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The power connector includes a first power area and a second power area. Two power terminals are fixed in each of the fixing slots in the first power area, and one power terminal is fixed in each of the fixing slots in the second power area.

8. The power connector as described in claim 7, characterized in that: Each of the power terminals in the first power area is covered with the metal sheet.

9. The power connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The insulating body includes end walls at both ends of its longitudinal length and a pair of guide posts extending from the end walls along the mating direction and beyond the mating surface; the front end of each guide post tapers in a linear manner.

10. The power connector as described in claim 9, characterized in that: The two guide posts are provided with straight-through planes facing each other, and each of the straight-through planes is provided with an inclined surface at the front end of the corresponding guide post that slopes away from each other.

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