An elbow cable connector

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of elbow cable connector, including shell and the cable assembly installed in shell, cable assembly includes shielding shell, insulator, terminal, back cover and cable;Insulator rear end is equipped with flange part, flange part is equipped with the accommodation groove and the accommodation cavity for installing terminal on being opened, the inner wall of accommodation groove is protruded with clamping block, back cover is fixed in the rear end of insulator by the clamping block of cantilever buckle of its two opposite ends extension and clamping cooperation;Flange part is equipped with at least one stop groove that is passed to the accommodation cavity on being opened, corresponding number of stop post is extended on back cover, stop post is passed through stop groove and extends into terminal bending gap to limit terminal axial displacement.This utility model is locked by bolt type of stop post and stop groove and riveting pressure package of rear shell, significantly improve terminal retention force and back cover anti-drop reliability, simple structure, convenient to assemble and disassemble, applicable to vehicle ethernet high-frequency vibration environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of connector technology, and in particular relates to a right-angle cable connector. Background Technology

[0002] Automotive Ethernet is a physical network used to connect various electrical devices within a vehicle, designed to meet the specific requirements of the automotive environment in terms of electrical characteristics, high bandwidth, low latency, audio and video synchronization, and network management. With the continuous evolution of automotive electronic architecture, the integration of in-vehicle devices is increasing, and wiring space is becoming increasingly compact. Traditional straight Ethernet harnesses are no longer sufficient for installation in many confined spaces, leading to a growing demand for elbow-type connectors.

[0003] In the traditional structure of existing Ethernet elbow terminals, the holding force of the terminal mainly relies on the piercing structures on both sides of the terminal and the insulator, resulting in relatively limited holding force. Under conditions where the cable harness is subjected to large thrust or long-term high-frequency vibration, the terminal is at risk of pin dislodgement, directly leading to unstable contact, affecting the reliability of signal transmission, and in severe cases, causing communication interruption.

[0004] Furthermore, existing insulator back cover structures are mostly designed for internal molding and rubber coating processes. When using assembly and riveting processes, the hook structure on the insulator has poor stress conditions and is at risk of breakage. Once the hook breaks, the back cover may fall off, which may cause abnormal noise inside the connector or even lead to a short circuit between the inner and outer conductors, posing an electrical safety hazard.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an Ethernet elbow cable connector that is simple in structure, easy to assemble, and highly reliable, so as to effectively solve the technical problems of terminal pin removal and easy detachment of the back cover without significantly increasing costs. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a bend cable connector. By optimizing the matching structure between the back cover and the insulator, reliable locking of the back cover and multiple anti-retraction measures of the terminals are achieved, thereby improving the product's vibration resistance and overall reliability.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A bendable cable connector includes a housing and a cable assembly installed inside the housing. The cable assembly includes a shielding housing, an insulator, a terminal, a rear cover, and a cable. The insulator, the terminal, and the rear cover are all installed inside the shielding housing, and the rear cover is installed at the rear end of the insulator and covers its rear end face. The end of the cable is installed inside the shielding housing and connected to the terminal.

[0009] The insulator has a flange at its rear end, and a receiving groove for installing the rear cover is provided on the flange. The rear cover has a pair of cantilever buckles, and a locking block that cooperates with the cantilever buckles is provided on the inner wall of the receiving groove. The rear cover is fixed to the rear end of the insulator by the locking engagement of the cantilever buckles and the locking block.

[0010] The insulator has a cavity for mounting the terminal inside, and at least one anti-retraction groove is provided on the flange to penetrate the cavity. A corresponding number of anti-retraction posts extend from the rear cover, and the anti-retraction posts pass through the anti-retraction groove and extend into the cavity to limit the axial retraction of the terminal during the insertion process.

[0011] Furthermore, the cantilever buckle extends downward from the upper end of the rear cover to form an elastic cantilever, and the end of the cantilever buckle is provided with a hook, which cooperates with the locking block to lock and restrict the rear cover from moving in the direction of detaching from the insulator.

[0012] Furthermore, the shielding housing includes a front shell and a rear shell connected to the front shell, the front end of the insulator and the front end of the terminal are inserted together in the front shell, and the rear end of the insulator, the rear end of the terminal and the rear cover are accommodated together in the rear shell.

[0013] Furthermore, the rear end of the front shell is provided with a plurality of stop blocks, which are located between the rear shell and the insulator and respectively abut against the inner wall of the rear shell and the outer wall of the insulator to fix the position of the front shell.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper end of the rear shell is provided with a joint portion, and the joint portion is provided with an opening for the front shell to pass through, for positioning when installed on the outer shell.

[0015] Furthermore, at least one barb is provided on the terminal along its length or circumferential direction. The barb is inclined toward the rear end of the insulator and interferes with the inner wall of the insulator to prevent the terminal from retracting to the rear end.

[0016] Furthermore, the terminal has a bent structure, with a notch at the bend of the terminal, and the anti-retraction post extends into the notch to abut against the terminal to restrict retraction.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower end of the anti-reverse post is chamfered to guide the anti-reverse post into the anti-reverse groove.

[0018] Furthermore, the outer contour of the rear cover coincides with the rear outer contour of the flange portion, so that the rear surfaces of the two are flush.

[0019] Furthermore, the rear end of the rear shell is riveted and deformed to cover the rear cover, forming an external lock on the rear cover.

[0020] Compared with existing technologies, the beneficial effects of this technology are:

[0021] 1. This utility model adopts an assembled insulator back cover structure. The anti-reverse post on the back cover cooperates with the anti-reverse groove on the flange of the insulator to form a pin-type fixing structure. It extends into the notch at the bend of the terminal to lock the terminal, which greatly improves the axial holding force of the terminal. Even if the wire harness is subjected to high frequency vibration or large thrust, the anti-reverse post can still effectively lock the terminal and prevent the terminal from coming off the pin, thus ensuring the stability of the electrical connection.

[0022] 2. The back cover is engaged with the blocks on the inner wall of the insulator receiving groove by the cantilever buckles on both sides, so as to achieve a reliable connection with the insulator; at the same time, the back shell of the shielding shell can be fully wrapped and locked after riveting, forming a double locking mechanism, which completely avoids the risk of the back cover falling off and eliminates the internal noise and short circuit hazards caused by the back cover falling off.

[0023] 3. The stop block at the rear end of the front shell abuts against the inner wall of the rear shell and the outer wall of the insulator, achieving precise positioning of the front shell; the outer contour of the rear cover coincides with the outer contour of the rear end of the flange, making the rear ends of the two flush, ensuring the consistency of the overall outer diameter of the cable assembly, facilitating the assembly and riveting of the shielding shell, and reducing the overall size of the connector. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The accompanying drawings described below are merely some embodiments. Those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort. In the drawings:

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the elbow cable connector of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the elbow cable connector of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of the local structure at point A;

[0028] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the elbow cable connector of this utility model;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the rear cover in this utility model;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the insulator in this utility model.

[0031] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0032] 10. Housing; 20. Cable assembly; 30. Shielding housing; 31. Front housing; 311. Stop block; 32. Rear housing; 321. Joint; 322. Opening; 323. Riveting part; 40. Insulator; 41. Flange; 42. Receiving groove; 421. Locking block; 43. Receiving cavity; 44. Anti-reverse groove; 50. Terminal; 51. Barb; 52. Notch; 60. Rear cover; 61. Cantilever buckle; 611. Hook; 62. Anti-reverse post; 621. Chamfer; 70. Cable. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0034] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment of the utility model provides a bent cable 70 connector, which has an overall 90-degree bend and is suitable for scenarios requiring wiring in confined spaces, such as vehicle Ethernet. The connector mainly includes an outer shell 10 and a cable assembly 20 installed inside the shell 10.

[0035] The cable assembly 20 is the core component for signal transmission and mechanical connection, comprising a shielding housing 30, an insulator 40, terminals 50, a rear cover 60, and a cable 70. The insulator 40, terminals 50, and rear cover 60 are all installed within the internal cavity of the shielding housing 30. The rear cover 60 is installed at the rear end of the insulator 40 and completely covers its rear end face, serving to protect the tail of the terminal 50 and provide insulation. The end of the cable 70 is inserted into the shielding housing 30 and electrically connected to the terminal 50. Signal transmission occurs via the connection between the terminal 50 and the inner conductor of the cable 70.

[0036] The insulator 40 is integrally molded from insulating plastic material using an injection molding process, and its overall shape is bent to adapt to the spatial orientation of the elbow connector. The rear end of the insulator 40 has an outwardly extending flange 41, the outer contour of which is larger than the outer contour of the main body of the insulator 40, forming a stepped structure. Near the center of the flange 41, a recessed receiving groove 42 is formed on the side of the flange 41 for mounting the rear cover 60. The shape of the receiving groove 42 is U-shaped and matches the front contour of the rear cover 60.

[0037] The receiving groove 42 has protruding locking blocks 421 on its left and right inner walls. Each locking block 421 is a boss structure with a certain height, with a horizontal engaging surface at its lower end and a downward-sloping guide slope at its upper end. The bottom wall at the upper end of the receiving groove 42 is set with a guide rounded corner to facilitate the sliding of the cantilever buckle 61.

[0038] The back cover 60 is also integrally injection molded from insulating plastic material. Cantilever buckles 61 extend from the left and right opposite ends of the back cover 60. Specifically, the cantilever buckles 61 extend downwards from the upper end of the back cover 60 to form elastic cantilever arms. The ends of the cantilever arms have inwardly protruding hooks 611. The cantilever buckles 61 have a certain elastic deformation capacity, expanding outwards when subjected to lateral pressure and elastically returning to their original position after the pressure is released.

[0039] During assembly, the rear cover 60 is pushed vertically forward into the receiving groove 42 from the upper end of the insulator 40. During this process, the hook 611 of the cantilever latch 61 contacts the upper guide slope of the latch block 421 and is subjected to a lateral outward force, causing the cantilever latch 61 to elastically deform and expand outward. When the rear cover 60 is pushed to the assembly bottom position, the hook 611 passes over the latch block 421, the cantilever latch 61 elastically resets, and the upper end face of the hook 611 engages and locks with the lower end face of the latch block 421, thereby restricting the rear cover 60 from moving in the direction of separation from the insulator 40, thus achieving vertical fixation of the rear cover 60 and the insulator 40. Furthermore, the cantilever latch 61 is tightly attached to the inner wall of the receiving groove 42, further restricting the movement of the rear cover 60 in other directions, thereby fixing the rear cover 60.

[0040] The symmetrically arranged cantilever buckles 61 on both sides share the force, resulting in more balanced force distribution and significantly improved fracture resistance compared to traditional hook structures. At the same time, the outer contour of the back cover 60 coincides with the rear outer contour of the flange 41, and after assembly, the rear surfaces of the two are flush, resulting in a smooth appearance and facilitating the subsequent assembly of the shielding shell 30.

[0041] The insulator 40 has an L-shaped receiving cavity 43 for mounting the terminal 50. The receiving cavity 43 extends along the bending path of the insulator 40, providing mounting space and insulation protection for the terminal 50. The upper end face of the flange 41 has at least one anti-reverse groove 44 that extends downwards into the receiving cavity 43, forming a through-hole. Specifically, the anti-reverse groove 44 is formed by extending downwards from the bottom wall of the upper end of the receiving groove 42 into the receiving cavity 43.

[0042] In this embodiment, the number of anti-reverse grooves 44 is set to two, corresponding to the bending notch 52 position of terminal 50.

[0043] The upper end of the rear cover 60 has downward-protruding anti-reverse posts 62, the same number as the anti-reverse grooves 44. The anti-reverse posts 62 are columnar structures, and their cross-sectional shape matches the cross-sectional shape of the anti-reverse grooves 44. The lower end of the anti-reverse posts 62 has a chamfer 621, forming a guide cone surface, which is used to guide the anti-reverse posts 62 to be quickly and accurately inserted into the anti-reverse grooves 44 during assembly, avoiding assembly difficulties or damage to parts caused by misalignment.

[0044] When the back cover 60 is assembled, the anti-reverse post 62 passes through the anti-reverse groove 44 and extends into the receiving cavity 43. The front end face of the anti-reverse post 62 presses against the end face of the bent notch 52 of the terminal 50, forming a lateral pressing structure. When the terminal 50 is subjected to a backward pushing force and tends to retract, the anti-reverse post 62 presses the terminal 50 from the front end, restricting its backward sliding, thereby effectively preventing the terminal 50 from retracting.

[0045] Furthermore, terminal 50 has a bent structure, including a straight insertion section at the front end and a wiring section at the rear end, both bent at approximately 90 degrees. A notch 52 is provided at the bend of terminal 50, which can be in the form of a groove, a cut edge, or an opening. After the anti-reverse post 62 extends downward into the receiving cavity 43, a portion of its post extends precisely into the notch 52, abutting against the bent portion of terminal 50 from the rear, forming a lateral anti-reverse barrier.

[0046] By engaging the anti-reverse post 62 with the bending notch 52, the anti-reverse post 62 effectively limits the position of the terminal 50, resulting in a compact structure and significant anti-reverse effect.

[0047] In addition, the outer wall of the terminal 50 is provided with a barb 51 structure. The barb 51 protrudes along the length or circumference of the terminal 50, and there is at least one barb, but multiple barbs can be provided to enhance the retaining force. The barb 51 is inclined towards the rear end of the insulator 40, that is, the tip of the barb 51 faces the rear end and the root is connected to the body of the terminal 50. The barb 51 forms an interference fit with the inner wall of the insulator 40.

[0048] When the terminal 50 is inserted, the barb 51 slides along the inner wall in the forward direction, and the insertion resistance is small. When the terminal 50 is subjected to axial force and tends to withdraw, the tip of the barb 51 pierces or gets stuck in the inner wall of the insulator 40, generating additional resistance and preventing the terminal 50 from withdrawing to the rear.

[0049] In summary, the terminal 50 anti-retraction system of this utility model includes a dual structure: the interference anti-retraction of the barbs 51 and the blocking anti-retraction of the anti-retraction by the locking post 62 into the notch 52. The dual structures work together to restrict the axial displacement of the terminal 50 from different directions and positions, ensuring the stable and reliable position of the terminal 50 under complex working conditions such as vibration, impact, and insertion / removal.

[0050] The shielding shell 30 is made of metal and serves as both electromagnetic shielding and mechanical protection. In this embodiment, the shielding shell 30 has a split structure, comprising a front shell 31 and a rear shell 32, which are assembled together to form a complete shielding shell.

[0051] The front housing 31 is cylindrical, with a mating interface at the front end for mating with the plug of the opposite connector. The front ends of the insulator 40 and the terminal 50 are inserted together into the internal cavity of the front housing 31. The front housing 31 provides lateral support and shielding protection for the mating end of the terminal 50, and the front housing 31 is snapped into the outer housing 10.

[0052] The rear shell 32 is a bent shell structure, roughly L-shaped, whose internal cavity accommodates the rear end of the insulator 40, the rear end of the terminal 50, and the rear cover 60. A connecting portion 321 protrudes from the upper end of the rear shell 32, and an opening 322 is formed on the connecting portion 321 for the front shell 31 to pass through. During assembly, the rear end of the front shell 31 extends into the interior of the rear shell 32 through the opening 322, while the front end of the front shell 31 protrudes out through the opening 322. The connecting portion 321 serves as a positioning element, ensuring accurate relative positioning between the front shell 31 and the rear shell 32.

[0053] A plurality of stop blocks 311 are provided on the outer edge of the rear end of the front shell 31, distributed circumferentially along the rear end of the front shell 31. In this embodiment, four stop blocks 311 are provided, one at the upper end and three at the lower end. The stop blocks 311 protrude outward from the outer wall of the front shell 31. When the front shell 31 and the rear shell 32 are assembled in place, the stop blocks 311 are located between the rear shell 32 and the insulator 40, and the front side of the stop blocks 311 abuts against the inner wall of the rear shell 32, and the rear side of the stop blocks 311 abuts against the outer wall of the insulator 40. Through the cooperation of the stop blocks 311 with the rear shell 32 and the insulator 40, the position of the front shell 31 is fixed, preventing the front shell 31 from shaking or tilting.

[0054] The rear end of the back cover 32 undergoes plastic deformation through a riveting process, converging inward to cover the outer periphery of the back cover 60, forming a riveting part 323 to externally lock the back cover 60. The riveted back cover 32 constrains the back cover 60 from all external angles. Even in extreme cases where the internal cantilever latch 61 fails, the riveting part 323 of the back cover 32 can still restrain the back cover 60 at the rear end of the insulator 40, preventing the back cover 60 from falling off. This dual locking design of internal snap-fit ​​and external riveting significantly improves the reliability of the back cover 60 installation.

[0055] The assembly process of this utility model elbow cable 70 connector is as follows:

[0056] 1. Insert the terminal 50 into the receiving cavity 43 from the rear end of the insulator 40. The barbs 51 on the terminal 50 form an interference fit with the inner wall of the receiving cavity 43, thereby achieving the initial fixation of the terminal 50 in the insulator 40.

[0057] 2. Align the rear cover 60 with the receiving groove 42 at the rear end of the insulator 40 and push it forward vertically. During the pushing process, the cantilever buckle 61 is elastically deformed by the pressure of the buckle block 421. After it is in place, it springs back and locks in place, thus completing the locking and fixing of the rear cover 60 and the insulator 40. At this time, the anti-retraction post 62 of the rear cover 60 passes through the anti-retraction groove 44 and extends into the receiving cavity 43, and extends into the notch 52 at the bend of the terminal 50, forming an anti-retraction structure for the terminal 50.

[0058] 3. Insert the front shell 31 into the rear end of the rear shell 32 and pass it through the opening 322. Then, insert the assembled insulator 40 assembly into the rear shell 32. The stop block 311 at the rear end of the front shell 31 abuts against the inner wall of the rear shell 32 and the outer wall of the insulator 40 for positioning.

[0059] 4. Insert the cable 70 from the lower end of the rear housing 32. The inner conductor of the cable 70 is electrically connected to the rear end of the terminal 50 by crimping or soldering.

[0060] 5. The rear end of the rear shell 32 is riveted to cause plastic deformation of the rear shell 32, which in turn covers the rear cover 60 to achieve the sealing of the shielding shell 30 and the external locking of the rear cover 60.

[0061] 6. Finally, install the outer shell 10 to complete the assembly of the entire elbow cable 70 connector.

[0062] In summary, by optimizing the structural design of the insulator 40 and the back cover 60, this utility model significantly improves the terminal 50 retention force and the anti-detachment reliability of the elbow cable 70 connector without increasing costs, making it particularly suitable for applications with high reliability requirements, such as automotive Ethernet.

[0063] The embodiments described above merely illustrate the implementation of this utility model, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the utility model patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A bendable cable connector, comprising a housing and a cable assembly installed within the housing, characterized in that, The cable assembly includes a shielding shell, an insulator, a terminal, a rear cover, and a cable. The insulator, the terminal, and the rear cover are all installed inside the shielding shell, and the rear cover is installed at the rear end of the insulator and covers its rear end face. The end of the cable is installed inside the shielding shell and connected to the terminal. The insulator has a flange at its rear end, and a receiving groove for installing the rear cover is provided on the flange. The rear cover has a pair of cantilever buckles, and a locking block that cooperates with the cantilever buckles is provided on the inner wall of the receiving groove. The rear cover is fixed to the rear end of the insulator by the locking engagement of the cantilever buckles and the locking block. The insulator has a cavity for mounting the terminal inside, and at least one anti-retraction groove is provided on the flange to penetrate the cavity. A corresponding number of anti-retraction posts extend from the rear cover, and the anti-retraction posts pass through the anti-retraction groove and extend into the cavity to limit the axial retraction of the terminal during the insertion process.

2. The elbow cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cantilever buckle extends downward from the upper end of the rear cover to form an elastic cantilever. The end of the cantilever buckle is provided with a hook, which cooperates with the locking block to lock and restrict the rear cover from moving in the direction of detaching from the insulator.

3. The elbow cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shielding shell includes a front shell and a rear shell connected to the front shell. The front end of the insulator and the front end of the terminal are inserted together in the front shell, and the rear end of the insulator, the rear end of the terminal, and the rear cover are accommodated together in the rear shell.

4. The elbow cable connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The front shell has several stop blocks at its rear end. The stop blocks are located between the rear shell and the insulator and abut against the inner wall of the rear shell and the outer wall of the insulator, respectively, to fix the position of the front shell.

5. The elbow cable connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The upper end of the rear shell is provided with a joint portion, and the joint portion is provided with an opening for the front shell to pass through, for positioning when installed on the outer shell.

6. The elbow cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal is provided with at least one barb protruding along its length or circumference. The barb is inclined toward the rear end of the insulator and interferes with the inner wall of the insulator to prevent the terminal from retracting to the rear end.

7. The elbow cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal has a bent structure with a notch at the bend. The anti-retraction post extends into the notch and abuts against the terminal to restrict retraction.

8. The elbow cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the anti-reverse post is chamfered to guide the anti-reverse post into the anti-reverse groove.

9. The elbow cable connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer contour of the rear cover coincides with the outer contour of the rear end of the flange so that the rear ends of the two are flush.

10. The elbow cable connector according to claim 3, characterized in that, The rear end of the rear shell is riveted and deformed to cover the rear cover, forming an external lock on the rear cover.

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