A connector assembly, communication device and communication apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application provide a connector assembly, a communication device and a communication equipment, and relate to the technical field of communication equipment, which are used for improving the problem that the elastic force of the connector increases too fast in over-insertion movement. The connector assembly comprises a mounting structure, a connector structure and a second elastic member; the connector structure is capable of over-insertion movement towards the mounting structure. The second elastic member is arranged between the mounting structure and the connector structure and has an elastic arm. At a starting position of the over-insertion movement, the elastic arm is in a pre-compressed state, and the elastic arm is rotated and / or bent under pressure to generate a third elastic force, and the component of the third elastic force in the plug-in direction is a second elastic force. During at least part of the over-insertion movement, the connector structure compresses the elastic arm, and the force growth rate of the second elastic force is less than or equal to 0, or the force growth rate is greater than 0 but gradually decreases with the increase of the stroke distance of the over-insertion movement. The above-mentioned connector assembly can be applied to the communication device and the communication equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of communication equipment technology, and in particular to a connector assembly, a communication device, and a communication equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In communication equipment employing an orthogonal architecture, horizontal and vertical insertion boards are connected via orthogonal connectors. Each orthogonal connector includes a male connector and a female connector, one of which is mounted on the rack of the horizontal insertion board, and the other on the rack of the vertical insertion board. The mating of the male and female connectors in the X-direction enables signal connection between the horizontal and vertical insertion boards.

[0003] Due to manufacturing and assembly factors, after mating, the mating surfaces of male and female connectors may have significant tolerances in the insertion and extraction directions. These tolerances can be positive or negative. Positive values ​​indicate a gap in the mating surfaces in the insertion and extraction directions, which can affect signal transmission stability. Negative values ​​indicate over-insertion interference, which can cause the frame to be squeezed or even deformed. Furthermore, horizontally inserted boards are connected to multiple vertically inserted boards via multiple orthogonal connectors, and vice versa. Among the multiple orthogonal connectors mating simultaneously, some male and female connectors may have positive tolerances, while others may have negative tolerances. To address these issues, related technologies employ an overall offset approach, applying a certain amount of over-insertion after mating to resolve the problem of large gaps in the insertion and extraction directions. To avoid the problem of over-insertion interference, a spring is used to achieve a floating connection between the male or female connector and the frame.

[0004] To ensure the stability of the male and female connectors during mating, the compression spring needs to be pre-compressed at the starting point of the over-mating motion to generate an initial elastic force greater than the connector's insertion and extraction force. To meet the requirements for the magnitude of the initial elastic force, while considering factors such as installation space and pre-compression amplitude, a compression spring with a large elastic coefficient is required. However, because the compression spring continues to compress during the over-mating motion, a large elastic coefficient will cause the elastic force generated by the spring to increase rapidly. Therefore, to avoid excessive elastic force, the over-mating travel distance must be limited to a relatively short level, resulting in significant limitations in application; for example, it cannot meet the requirements of large-size, high-performance communication equipment for a large over-mating travel distance. Utility Model Content

[0005] This application provides a connector assembly, a communication device, and a communication equipment to improve the problem of excessively rapid increase in elastic force during over-mating movements of the connector.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] In a first aspect, a connector assembly is provided, the connector assembly including a mounting structure, a connector structure, and a second elastic member; the connector structure is movably mounted on the mounting structure along a mating direction, and the movement of the connector structure includes an over-mating movement toward the mounting structure; the second elastic member is disposed between the mounting structure and the connector structure, and the second elastic member has an elastic arm.

[0008] At the starting position of the over-insertion motion, the elastic arm is in a pre-compressed state. The elastic arm rotates and / or bends under pressure, generating a third elastic force. The angle of action of the third elastic force is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. The angle of action is the angle between the direction of action of the third elastic force and the opposite direction of the over-insertion motion. The component of the third elastic force in the insertion and extraction direction is the second elastic force, which hinders the connector structure from performing the over-insertion motion.

[0009] During at least a portion of the over-insertion motion, the connector structure compresses the elastic arm, the rotation and / or bending amplitude of the elastic arm increases, and the included angle gradually increases within a preset range, which is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees; the force growth rate of the second elastic force is less than or equal to 0, or the force growth rate is greater than 0 but gradually decreases as the stroke distance of the over-insertion motion increases; the force growth rate is the change in force per unit stroke distance.

[0010] In the connector assembly provided in this application, the rotation and / or bending amplitude of the elastic arm in the second elastic element is varied, while simultaneously changing the magnitude and angle of the third elastic force. This allows the second elastic force (the product of the third elastic force and the cosine of the angle of action) to remain constant, decrease, or increase slowly during the over-mating motion, thereby mitigating the problem of excessively rapid increase in the elastic force. This design, on the one hand, significantly reduces the system's insertion and extraction force while maintaining the same over-mating stroke; on the other hand, it extends the stroke distance of the over-mating motion while maintaining the same system insertion and extraction force, thus making it better suited for scenarios with larger over-mating strokes.

[0011] In some possible implementations, the second elastic element further includes a fixing portion mounted on the mounting structure, and the elastic arm is connected to the fixing portion and extends outward from the fixing portion.

[0012] At the starting position of the over-mating motion, the elastic arm is in a pre-compressed state and rotates relative to the fixed part. During the over-mating motion, the connector structure compresses the elastic arm, and the rotation angle of the elastic arm relative to the fixed part increases.

[0013] In the connector assembly provided in this application, the second elastic element generates a second elastic force with the aforementioned changing characteristics through the rotation of the elastic arm, which has the advantages of simple structure, easy implementation, and high degree of freedom in adjusting the second elastic force.

[0014] In some possible implementations, the connector assembly further includes a top block located on the over-mating side of the connector structure in the mating direction and movably mounted on the mounting structure in the mating direction; a second elastic element is disposed between the top block and the mounting structure.

[0015] At the starting position of the over-insertion motion, the top block pre-compresses the second elastic element; during the over-insertion motion, the connector structure contacts the top block and moves synchronously, the top block continues to compress the second elastic element, and the second elastic force acts on the connector structure through the top block.

[0016] By setting a top block, it is beneficial to install and connect the second elastic element, and on the other hand, it can decouple the second elastic element from the connector structure, thereby avoiding the second elastic element from continuously generating elastic force on the connector structure outside of the over-insertion movement.

[0017] In some possible implementations, the second elastic element includes a torsion spring, which includes a helical portion and an elastic arm connected to the helical portion; the mounting structure is provided with a mounting portion, and the top block is provided with a contact portion; the contact portion is located on the over-insertion side of the mounting portion along the insertion / removal direction; the helical portion of the torsion spring is sleeved on the mounting portion, and the elastic arm contacts the contact portion.

[0018] The connector assembly provided in this application generates a second elastic force through the cooperation of a torsion spring, a mounting portion, and a contact portion, offering advantages such as simple structure, convenient installation, and ease of implementation. Furthermore, utilizing the working characteristics of the torsion spring facilitates a force reduction design for the second elastic force during over-insertion motion, thereby further reducing the force increase rate of the applied elastic force during over-insertion motion.

[0019] In some possible implementations, the second elastic force decreases as the angle of application increases during at least a portion of the over-insertion motion. This design helps to further reduce the force growth rate of the elastic force during the over-insertion motion.

[0020] In some possible implementations, at the starting position of the over-insertion movement, the applied angle is greater than or equal to 10 degrees and less than or equal to 80 degrees; during the over-insertion movement, the change in the applied angle is greater than or equal to 10 degrees. This design allows the cosine of the applied angle of the third elastic force to decrease significantly during the movement of the top block along the insertion / extraction direction from the insertion position to the over-insertion position (over-insertion movement), thereby helping to reduce the force growth rate of the second elastic force.

[0021] In some possible implementations, the second elastic element comprises at least two torsion springs. Compared to a single torsion spring, using two or more torsion springs reduces the requirements for the springs, thereby reducing design complexity and cost. Furthermore, it allows for a smaller size of each individual torsion spring, reducing its space requirements and enabling more flexible placement of the springs.

[0022] In some possible implementations, the torsion spring includes two elastic arms, one of which contacts the contact portion, while the other is fixed relative to the mounting portion. This design reduces the space occupied by the torsion spring, allows for more flexible placement of the torsion spring, and also helps to reduce the size of the connector assembly.

[0023] In some possible implementations, the second elastic element includes two pairs of torsion springs, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the top block along the second direction, with each pair of torsion springs symmetrically positioned at the two edges of the top block in the first direction; wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the insertion / removal direction are mutually perpendicular. This design allows the second elastic element to apply balanced force to the top block in both the first and second directions, thereby improving the positional stability of the mating connector and connector structure during insertion, reducing the likelihood of deflection relative to the insertion / removal direction, and contributing to the reliability of the signal connection.

[0024] In some possible implementations, the top block has a wiring cavity located at the midpoint between the first and second directions, extending through the wiring cavity along the insertion / removal direction; the helical portion of the torsion spring is located on both sides of the wiring cavity along the first direction. This design overcomes the limitations of installation space in the second direction, facilitates increasing the effective number of turns of the helical portion, thereby enabling the generation of a larger elastic force at the starting point of the over-insertion movement, and improves the adjustment range of the elastic force.

[0025] In some possible implementations, the torsion spring includes two elastic arms symmetrically arranged on both sides of the helical portion; the top block is provided with two contact portions, the mounting portion is located at the middle position of the top block in a first direction, the two contact portions are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the mounting portion along the first direction, and the two elastic arms respectively contact the two contact portions; wherein, the first direction is perpendicular to the insertion and removal direction.

[0026] This design allows the torsion spring to apply balanced force to the top block in the first direction, thereby improving the stability of the position of the mating connector and connector structure during the insertion process. It also makes it less likely for the connector to deflect relative to the insertion / removal direction, which helps to ensure the reliability of the signal connection.

[0027] In some possible implementations, the second elastic element includes two torsion springs symmetrically arranged on both sides of the top block along the second direction; wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the insertion / removal direction are mutually perpendicular. This design allows the second elastic element to apply balanced force to the top block in the first and second directions, thereby improving the stability of the position of the mating connector and connector structure during insertion, reducing the likelihood of deflection relative to the insertion / removal direction, and contributing to the reliability of the signal connection.

[0028] In some possible implementations, the contact portion has an arcuate contact surface that contacts the elastic arm during the insertion motion. This design reduces the sliding resistance between the contact portion and the elastic arm, and increases the rate of change of the angle of action of the third elastic force, thereby helping to reduce the force growth rate of the second elastic force.

[0029] In some possible implementations, the radius of the arc-shaped contact surface is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm. This design can increase the rate of change of the angle of action of the third elastic force while reducing the machining difficulty of the contact area.

[0030] In some possible implementations, the elastic arm includes an action segment that contacts the contact portion during the insertion motion; the action segment bends and extends toward the side away from the contact portion, and its curvature gradually increases as it approaches its end. This design increases the rate of change of the angle of action of the third elastic force, thereby helping to reduce the force growth rate of the second elastic force.

[0031] In some possible implementations, the effective number of turns of the helix is ​​greater than or equal to 3. This design can improve the stability of the torsion spring's output elastic force, which is beneficial to ensuring the working performance of the connector assembly.

[0032] In some possible implementations, the second elastic element is a spring sheet or a spring rod, and one end of the second elastic element is fixedly mounted on the mounting structure; at the starting position of the over-insertion movement, the second elastic element is in a bent state; during the over-insertion movement, the connector structure compresses the second elastic element, and the bending amplitude of the second elastic element increases.

[0033] In the connector assembly provided in this application, the second elastic element can also be an elastic element with a certain length, such as a spring sheet or a spring rod, which generates a second elastic force with the aforementioned changing characteristics by bending. The design is flexible and can adapt to different application scenarios.

[0034] In some possible implementations, the second elastic element includes an actuating rod and a torsion spring. The actuating rod is rotatably mounted on the mounting structure via a pivot. The torsion spring is sleeved on the pivot, and its two elastic arms act on the actuating rod and the mounting structure, respectively. The torsion spring generates a third elastic force through the actuating rod.

[0035] In the connector assembly provided in this application, the second elastic element can also be an elastic assembly including a torsion spring and an actuating rod, which is flexible in design and can adapt to different application scenarios.

[0036] In some possible implementations, the connector assembly further includes a first elastic element, which is a linear elastic element disposed between the mounting structure and the connector structure.

[0037] At the starting position of the over-insertion movement, the first elastic element is in a pre-compressed state, and the first elastic element generates a first elastic force, which generates a first elastic force that hinders the connector structure from performing the over-insertion movement; the ratio of the first elastic force to the second elastic force is greater than 0.5 and less than 1.5.

[0038] In the connector assembly provided in this application, the elastic force exerted by the elastic structure on the connector structure is the resultant force of the first elastic force and the second elastic force, that is, it is jointly generated by the first elastic element and the second elastic element. Furthermore, since the first elastic element is a linear elastic element, when generating the same magnitude of elastic force on the connector structure in the mating position (the starting position of the over-mating movement), compared to the related art schemes that rely solely on helical springs to generate the elastic force, the elastic coefficient of the first elastic element used in this application is smaller than the elastic coefficient of the helical springs used in the related art.

[0039] During the insertion motion, the force growth rate of the first elastic force is equal to the elastic coefficient of the first elastic element. In the related art, the force growth rate of the elastic force is equal to the elastic coefficient of the helical spring. Since the elastic coefficient of the first elastic element used in this application is less than the elastic coefficient of the helical spring used in the related art, the force growth rate of the first elastic force is less than the force growth rate of the elastic force used in the related art.

[0040] Furthermore, since the second elastic force remains unchanged or decreases during the over-insertion motion, and the force growth rate is less than or equal to 0, the total force growth rate of the elastic force in this application will not exceed the force growth rate of the first elastic force, that is, it is less than the force growth rate of the elastic force in the related art.

[0041] It can be seen that the connector assembly with the above design can reduce the force growth rate of the elastic force during the over-mating motion, and improve the problem of the elastic force growing too fast. Thus, the system insertion and extraction force can be significantly reduced under the same over-mating stroke, and the stroke distance of the over-mating motion can be increased under the same system insertion and extraction force, so it can be better suited for scenarios with a large over-mating stroke.

[0042] In the connector assembly provided in this application, the second elastic force generated by the second elastic element can have a force increase rate greater than 0 during the over-mating motion, but gradually decreases as the travel distance increases. This design significantly reduces the force increase of the second elastic force as the travel distance increases, thus slowing down the rate of force increase of the second elastic force; consequently, it significantly slows down the rate of force increase of the applied elastic force (the resultant force of the first and second elastic forces). Therefore, it can be seen that the connector assembly using the above design can improve the problem of excessively rapid increase in applied elastic force, thereby significantly reducing the system insertion and extraction force under the same over-mating travel distance, and also increasing the travel distance of the over-mating motion under the same system insertion and extraction force, thus making it better suited for scenarios with large over-mating travel distances.

[0043] This also shows that the combination of the first elastic element and the second elastic element, as linear elastic elements, can produce more flexible and diverse resultant force curves, making it easier to meet design needs and reduce design difficulty.

[0044] Furthermore, the first elastic force and the second elastic force are at roughly the same starting position during the over-interlocking motion. This design increases the influence of the force growth rate of the second elastic force on the force growth rate of the over-interlocking elastic force, thereby allowing for greater variation in the over-interlocking elastic force during the over-interlocking motion. This, in turn, facilitates adjustment of the system's insertion and extraction forces over a wider range, thus expanding the applicability of the connector assembly.

[0045] In some possible implementations, at the starting position of the over-mating motion, the ratio of the first elastic force to the second elastic force is greater than or equal to 1 and less than 1.2. This design ensures that the first and second elastic forces are substantially equal at the starting position of the over-mating motion, thereby further enhancing the influence of the force growth rate of the second elastic force on the force growth rate of the over-mating elastic force. This allows for greater variation in the over-mating elastic force during the over-mating motion, facilitating adjustment of the system's insertion and extraction forces over a wider range; thus, it improves the applicability of the connector assembly.

[0046] In some possible implementations, the first elastic element is a coil spring, leaf spring, clockwork spring, or air spring. This demonstrates that the first elastic element can be of different types, offering flexibility in design and adaptability to various application scenarios.

[0047] In some possible implementations, the over-mating travel distance is greater than or equal to 3.5 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm. The connector assembly provided in this application can significantly reduce the increase in elastic force during the over-mating movement, thus allowing for a larger travel distance and compensating for greater fit tolerances, resulting in a wider range of applications. For example, the over-mating travel distance can be set to 3.5 mm or more to meet the requirements of current large-size, high-performance communication devices for connector assemblies.

[0048] In a second aspect, a communication device is provided, the communication device including a rack and a connector assembly as described in any one of the first aspects; the connector assembly is disposed on the rack.

[0049] Thirdly, a communication device is provided, comprising orthogonally interlocking horizontal and vertical interlocking boards, wherein the horizontal or vertical interlocking boards employ the communication apparatus as described in the second aspect.

[0050] Fourthly, a communication device is provided, the communication device including a backplane assembly and a single-board assembly inserted into the backplane assembly, the backplane assembly or the single-board assembly being the communication device as described in the second aspect.

[0051] The technical effects achievable by the communication device and communication equipment provided in this application are the same as those achievable by the connector assembly in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a connector assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the mating of the connector assembly and the mating connector;

[0056] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the installation structure in the middle;

[0057] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the concealed mounting structure of the connector assembly;

[0058] Figure 7 for Figure 3 Exploded view of the connector assembly;

[0059] Figure 8 A diagram illustrating the insertion process between a mating connector and a connector assembly is provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0060] Figure 9 This provides a schematic diagram illustrating the change of elastic force with moving position in related technologies;

[0061] Figure 10 A diagram illustrating the insertion process of another mating connector and connector assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the elastic structure in the connector assembly provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0063] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a torsion spring provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a change in the elastic force provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another variation of the elastic force provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0066] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another variation of the elastic force provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0067] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of yet another elastic structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0068] Figure 17 A schematic diagram of another elastic structure provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0069] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of another connector assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0070] Figure 19 for Figure 18 Exploded view of the connector assembly;

[0071] Figure 20 for Figure 18 Schematic diagram of the structure of the top block;

[0072] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of another connector assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second elastic element in another connector assembly provided in this application embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0074] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them.

[0075] In the following embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive convenience only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., 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.

[0076] In the embodiments of this application, "upper", "lower", "left" and "right" are not limited to the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms can be relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings.

[0077] In the embodiments of this application, unless the context otherwise requires, the term "comprising" is interpreted as open and encompassing throughout the specification and claims, meaning "including, but not limited to." In the description of the specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiment," "exemplarily," or "some examples" are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0078] As used herein, “about,” “approximately,” or “approximately” includes the stated value and the average value within an acceptable range of deviation from the given value, wherein the acceptable range of deviation is determined by a person skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of the given quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system).

[0079] As used herein, “parallel,” “perpendicular,” and “equal” include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable range of deviation, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “parallel” includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; “perpendicular” includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°; “equal” includes absolute equality and approximate equality, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate equality may be, for example, a difference between the two equals being less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0080] It should be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can mean that the layer or element is directly on the other layer or substrate, or that there is an intermediate layer between the layer or element and the other layer or substrate.

[0081] Exemplary embodiments are described in this application with reference to cross-sectional views and / or plan views and / or equivalent circuit diagrams, which are idealized exemplary drawings. In the drawings, the thickness of layers and regions is enlarged for clarity. Therefore, variations in shape relative to the drawings are contemplated due to, for example, manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Thus, exemplary embodiments should not be construed as being limited to the shapes of the regions shown herein, but rather include shape deviations due to, for example, manufacturing processes. For example, etched regions shown as rectangular would typically have curved features. Therefore, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show the actual shapes of the regions of the device, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments.

[0082] This application provides a communication device 1000, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the communication device 1000 can adopt an orthogonal architecture, including at least two orthogonally plugged single-board devices 100. For example, the communication device 1000 can be a router, which includes orthogonally plugged line processing units (LPUs) and switch fabric units (SFUs). As another example, the communication device 1000 can be a switch, which includes orthogonally plugged interface boards and switch fabric units. The line boards, interface boards, and switch fabric units are collectively referred to as single-board devices 100.

[0083] In the communication device 1000 employing an orthogonal architecture, the single-board unit 100 is divided into horizontally plugged single boards and vertically plugged single boards according to their installation configuration. The orthogonally plugged horizontally plugged single boards and vertically plugged single boards achieve signal connection through a connector module (also known as an orthogonal connector) 200. The connector module 200 includes male connectors and female connectors that can be plugged into each other. One of the male connectors and the female connector is located on the rack of the horizontally plugged single board, and the other is located on the rack of the vertically plugged single board.

[0084] In some embodiments, the communication device 1000 may also employ a non-orthogonal architecture, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the device includes a backplane assembly 300 and a single-board assembly 100 mounted on the backplane assembly 300. The backplane assembly 300 and the single-board assembly 100 are also connected by a connector module 200. The connector module 200 includes a male connector and a female connector that can be mated together. One of the male connector and the female connector is mounted on the frame of the backplane assembly 300, and the other is mounted on the frame of the single-board assembly 100.

[0085] This application also provides a connector assembly 1, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the connector assembly 1 includes a male connector or a female connector, which can be used in the communication device 1000 described above. That is, the connector assembly 1 can be used as the male or female connector in the connector module 200 described above. The communication device 1000 also includes a female or male connector that mates with the male or female connector in the connector assembly 1. For ease of description, the male or female connector in the connector assembly 1 is referred to as the connector body 41, and the female or male connector used to mate with the connector body 41 is referred to as the mating connector 110. Through the mating of the connector body 41 and the mating connector 110, signal connections can be achieved between single-board devices 100 or between single-board devices 100 and backplane devices 300 in the communication device 1000. The connector module 200 in the above embodiment includes the connector assembly 1 and the mating connector 110.

[0086] like Figure 3 , Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the connector assembly 1 includes a mounting structure 2, a connector structure 4, and an elastic structure 3. The mounting structure 2 is a square frame structure surrounding the connector structure 4, used for mounting and securing the connector structure 4, the elastic structure 3, and other components within the connector assembly 1. The mounting structure 2 encloses a movable cavity 22, which extends a certain distance in the insertion / removal direction X, the first direction Y, and the second direction Z. The insertion / removal direction X, the first direction Y, and the second direction Z are mutually perpendicular three-dimensional orthogonal directions. The insertion / removal direction X can be the length direction of the connector assembly 1, the first direction Y can be the width direction of the connector assembly 1, and the second direction Z can be the height direction of the connector assembly 1.

[0087] Mounting structure 2 can be a separately installed square frame structure, or it can partially or completely reuse the rack in single-plate device 100 or backplate device 300. For example, in Figures 3 to 7 In the connector assembly 1 shown, the mounting structure 2 fully reuses the rack in the single-board assembly 100 or the backplane assembly 300. For example, in... Figures 18 to 20 In the connector assembly 1 shown, the mounting structure 2 is a separately set square frame structure.

[0088] Please refer to Figures 5 to 7 A connector structure 4 is mounted on the mounting structure 2. The connector structure 4 includes a connector body 41 and a connector bracket 42. The connector body 41 is used to mate with the mating connector 110 to achieve signal connection. A male or female connector can be selected according to the actual application scenario. The connector body 41 is mounted on the connector bracket 42, and the connector bracket 42 is movable on the mounting structure 2 along the insertion / removal direction X.

[0089] The connector structure 4, by setting up the connector body 41 and the connector bracket 42, facilitates, on the one hand, the design of allowing the connector body 41 to move relative to the mounting structure 2 along the insertion / removal direction X without modifying the connector body 41. This allows the connector assembly 1 to be used with commonly used male or female connectors, providing flexibility in application and convenient selection. On the other hand, it avoids direct force on the connector body 41 during movement along the insertion / removal direction X, thus preventing damage to the connector body 41 from external forces and affecting the reliability of the signal connection.

[0090] The connector bracket 42 and mounting structure 2 can be designed in any way that allows movement along the insertion / removal direction X. For example, such as... Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the mounting structure 2 is provided with a first sliding groove 21 extending along the insertion / removal direction X, and the connector bracket 42 is provided with a first sliding protrusion 421 extending into the first sliding groove 21. Through the cooperation of the first sliding protrusion 421 and the first sliding groove 21, the connector bracket 42 can slide relative to the mounting structure 2 along the insertion / removal direction X within the movable cavity 22. Furthermore, by designing the first sliding groove 21 and the first sliding protrusion 421, the sliding range of the connector bracket 42 can be designed, that is, the connector structure 4 can move relative to the mounting structure 2 within a preset range of motion along the insertion / removal direction X.

[0091] In the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment, the connector structure 4, through the cooperation of the connector bracket 42 and the mounting structure 2, can move relative to the mounting structure 2 within a preset range of motion along the insertion / removal direction X. For example... Figure 8 As shown, during the movement of the connector structure 4 relative to the mounting structure 2 along the insertion / removal direction X within a preset range, it has an mating position and an over-mating position. The mating position is where the connector structure 4 is positioned to mate with the mating connector 110. During the mating process between the mating connector 110 and the connector structure 4, the mating connector 110 and the connector structure 4 in the mating position continuously approach each other in the insertion / removal direction X. During this process, the mating connector 110 and the connector body 41 within the connector structure 4 are mated.

[0092] After the mating connector 110 and connector structure 4 (connector body 41) are mated, the mating connector 110 is allowed to push the connector structure 4 to continue moving along the insertion / removal direction X, thereby achieving over-mating between the mating connector 110 and connector structure 4 (connector body 41). The over-mating position is the position where the connector structure 4 stops after over-mating to the maximum allowable distance.

[0093] As can be seen from the above description, such as Figure 8 As shown, the mating process of the connector 110 and the connector assembly 1 can be divided into a mating stage and an over-mating stage. In the mating stage, the connector structure 4 is in the mating position, and the mating connector 110 and the connector structure 4 in the mating position approach each other in the insertion / removal direction X and complete the mating. In the over-mating stage, the mating connector 110 pushes the connector structure 4 to move from the mating position to the over-mating position along the insertion / removal direction X.

[0094] For ease of description, this article refers to the side of the mating position towards the over-mating position along the mating direction X as the over-mating side, and the movement of connector structure 4 from the mating position to the over-mating position along the mating direction X as the over-mating movement. In other words, the side facing forward during the over-mating movement is the over-mating side. From another perspective, "A is on the over-mating side of B along the mating direction X" means that A is located relative to B on the side away from the mating connector 110 along the mating direction X. Therefore, the over-mating movement is the movement towards the over-mating side along the mating direction X, with the mating position at the starting point and the over-mating position at the ending point. The over-mating movement can also be simply understood as the movement of connector structure 4 towards the mounting structure 2 along the mating direction X. The distance between the over-mating position and the mating position in the mating direction X is the over-mating travel distance of the over-mating movement, which is the maximum over-mating distance allowed by connector structure 4 in connector assembly 1.

[0095] In the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment, the connector structure 4 allows for over-mating movement, enabling the mating connector 110 and the connector structure 4 to over-mating a certain distance. This design, on the one hand, avoids mating gaps between the mating surfaces of the mating connector 110 and the connector body 41 in the insertion / removal direction X through over-mating, thereby helping to ensure the reliability of the signal connection. On the other hand, the over-mating movement can compensate for the mating tolerances of the mating connector 110 and the connector body 41 in the insertion / removal direction X, thus ensuring the insertion quality between the mating connector 110 and the connector body 41 even with mating tolerances. As can be seen from the above description, the over-mating travel distance is the maximum mating tolerance of the mating connector 110 and the connector body 41 in the insertion / removal direction X that the connector assembly 1 can compensate for.

[0096] Please continue to refer to this. Figures 3 to 7 The connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment also includes an elastic structure 3. The elastic structure 3 is disposed between the mounting structure 2 and the connector structure 4 and is used to generate an elastic force that resists the over-insertion movement of the connector structure 4. The direction of the elastic force is the same as the direction from the over-insertion position to the mating position along the insertion / removal direction X, that is, opposite to the movement direction of the connector structure 4 during the over-insertion movement, thereby resisting the over-insertion movement of the connector structure 4.

[0097] As described above, such as Figure 8As shown, when the mating connector 110 is inserted into the connector assembly 1, it goes through an insertion stage and an over-insertion stage in sequence. During the insertion stage, the elastic force exerted by the elastic structure 3 on the connector structure 4 is used to stably hold the connector structure 4 in the insertion position, thereby ensuring the positional stability of the connector structure 4 during the insertion process with the mating connector 110.

[0098] When the mating connector 110 and connector body 41 are mated under ideal conditions, the insertion and extraction force needs to meet a certain magnitude to complete the mating due to factors such as deformation and friction of the metal pin structure. This insertion and extraction force, which is required to complete the mating, is referred to as the connector insertion and extraction force. The connector insertion and extraction force is typically an important specification parameter between male and female connectors. In actual mating scenarios, there are usually positional and angular deviations between the mating connector 110 and connector body 41. These deviations cause additional interaction forces between the mating connector 110 and connector body 41 during mating. This interaction force results in the actual insertion and extraction force being greater than the connector insertion and extraction force, typically 1.2 to 1.4 times the connector insertion and extraction force.

[0099] Therefore, in order to ensure the positional stability of the connector structure 4 during the mating process, the elastic force generated by the elastic structure 3 should be greater than or equal to 1.4 times the connector insertion and extraction force for the connector structure 4 in the mating position.

[0100] During the over-mating phase, connector structure 4 overcomes the elastic force exerted by elastic structure 3 on connector structure 4 and moves from the mating position to the over-mating position along the mating direction X. In this case, the required mating force between mating connector 110 and connector structure 4 is equal to the elastic force, and the maximum value of the elastic force during the above movement process is the system mating force between mating connector 110 and connector assembly 1.

[0101] In addition, when the connector 110 and the connector structure 4 are inserted and separated, the elastic force can also make the connector structure 4 automatically return to the insertion position, thus facilitating subsequent re-insertion.

[0102] In related technologies, the elastic force acting on connector structure 4 is generated solely through the compression of a helical spring. Specifically, the helical spring is pre-compressed to a certain extent, causing it to exert an elastic force on connector structure 4 in the mating position. Due to space constraints, the size of the helical spring cannot be too large; furthermore, the compression amplitude of the helical spring during operation cannot be excessive. Therefore, to meet the requirement of a large elastic force (greater than or equal to 1.4 times the connector insertion / extraction force) for connector structure 4 in the mating position, related technologies typically use a helical spring with a high elastic coefficient. However, because the helical spring continues to compress during the over-mating motion, a high elastic coefficient leads to a rapid increase in the elastic force generated by the helical spring. Therefore, to avoid excessive elastic force, i.e., to avoid excessive system insertion / extraction force, the over-mating travel distance must be limited to a short level, resulting in significant application limitations.

[0103] For example, with technological advancements, the performance of communication equipment 1000 has significantly improved, while the number and size of components have also increased, resulting in a longer dimensional chain and larger cumulative tolerances. This increased cumulative tolerance leads to a larger mating tolerance between the mating connector 110 and the connector body 41 in the insertion / removal direction X. Therefore, to ensure good signal connection quality, a larger over-mating travel distance is needed to compensate for the increased mating tolerance. As can be seen from the above description, the solutions provided by related technologies are difficult to increase due to significant limitations in the over-mating travel distance, thus failing to meet the requirements for large over-mating travel.

[0104] For example, such as Figure 9 As shown, in a scenario where the connector insertion / extraction force Fc is 385N and the cumulative tolerance in the insertion / extraction direction X is 5mm, the elastic force (denoted by Fo) generated at the starting position (mating position) of the over-mating motion needs to be at least 1.4 times the connector insertion / extraction force Fc, i.e., at least 540N; simultaneously, the over-mating travel distance needs to be at least 5mm. In this case, the solution provided by the relevant technology will result in the elastic force (denoted by Ft) increasing to more than 3 times the connector insertion / extraction force Fc at the ending position of the over-mating motion. Figure 9 The Ft value is 1160N, meaning the system insertion and extraction force of a single connector assembly 1 exceeds 1KN. Furthermore, since multiple connector assemblies 1 may be provided in the same single-board device 100 or backplane device 300 (see reference...), Figure 1 and Figure 2 The communication device 1000 shown may cause the overall insertion and extraction force of the single board device 100 or the backplane device 300 to exceed the level that the structure cannot withstand.

[0105] Based on this, the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment adopts the following elastic structure 3. Please continue to refer to Figures 3 to 7The elastic structure 3 includes a top block 31, a first elastic element 33, and a second elastic element 32. The top block 31 is located on the over-mating side of the connector structure 4 along the insertion / removal direction X, and is movably mounted on the mounting structure 2 along the insertion / removal direction X. The top block 31 and the mounting structure 2 can be designed in any way that allows for movement along the insertion / removal direction X.

[0106] For example, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the mounting structure 2 is provided with a second sliding groove 23 extending along the insertion / removal direction X, and the top block 31 is provided with a second sliding protrusion 311 extending into the second sliding groove 23. Through the cooperation of the second sliding protrusion 311 and the second sliding groove 23, the top block 31 can slide relative to the mounting structure 2 along the insertion / removal direction X within the movable cavity 22. Furthermore, by designing the second sliding groove 23 and the second sliding protrusion 311, the sliding range of the top block 31 can be designed, that is, the top block 31 can move relative to the mounting structure 2 within a preset range of motion along the insertion / removal direction X.

[0107] like Figure 10 As shown, in the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment, by designing the connector structure 4, the top block 31, and their preset movement range in the insertion / removal direction X, the connector structure 4 can contact and push the top block 31 synchronously during the over-molding movement. The two components move in the same direction, have the same process, and the same over-molding travel distance. For ease of description, the synchronous movement of the top block 31 being pushed by the connector structure 4 in the over-molding movement is also referred to as the over-molding movement. Referring to the position definition of the connector structure 4 in the over-molding movement, the top block 31 also has a mating position and an over-molding position during the over-molding movement. During the over-molding movement of the connector structure 4 and the top block 31, the connector structure 4 in the mating position contacts the top block 31, and the connector structure 4 in the over-molding position contacts the top block 31.

[0108] In some embodiments, the connector structure 4 is floating relative to the mounting structure 2 in the first direction Y and the second direction Z, i.e., it has a certain mating clearance. Based on this, before the over-mating movement, the connector structure 4 and the top block 31 also have a certain mating clearance in the insertion / removal direction X, which is typically 0.2mm to 0.6mm. This design can compensate for the mating tolerance between the connector structure 4 and the mating connector 110 in the first direction Y and the second direction Z to a certain extent. In other words, even when there is a certain size of mating tolerance in the first direction Y and the second direction Z, the mating connector 110 and the connector structure 4 can still be mated through the floating design, thus making the adaptation more flexible.

[0109] like Figure 7As shown, the top block 31 is also provided with a wiring cavity 7 that runs through the insertion / removal direction X at the middle position of the first direction Y and the second direction Z. The cable connected to the connector body 41 is led out through the wiring cavity 7, thereby facilitating the electrical connection of the connector structure 4.

[0110] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The first elastic element 33 is a helical spring 6, which is located on the insertion side of the top block 31 along the insertion / removal direction X and extends along the insertion / removal direction X. The two ends of the helical spring 6 in the insertion / removal direction X contact the mounting structure 2 and the top block 31, respectively. The structure in the mounting structure 2 that contacts the ends of the helical spring 6 is called the spring limiting part. The position of this spring limiting part is fixed; it can be a part of the mounting structure 2 or a structure fixedly mounted on the mounting structure 2.

[0111] When the top block 31 compresses the compression coil spring 6, it generates a first elastic force in the insertion / removal direction X, pointing towards the top block 31. This first elastic force prevents the top block 31 and the connector structure 4 from moving from the mating position to the over-mating position along the insertion / removal direction X, thus preventing the over-mating movement of the top block 31 and the connector structure 4. Since the coil spring 6 is a typical linear elastic element, the first elastic force increases linearly with the increase of deformation.

[0112] like Figure 11 As shown, in the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment, by designing factors such as the top block 31, the helical spring 6 (e.g., original length, elastic coefficient, maximum deformation, etc.), and the setting position of the spring limiting part (the distance between it and the top block 31 in the mating position), the top block 31 pre-compresses the helical spring 6 at the starting position of the over-mating movement, and the helical spring 6 generates a first elastic force F1 under pressure. The magnitude of the first elastic force F1 is positively correlated with the pre-compression deformation of the helical spring 6.

[0113] In this case, during the over-insertion motion, that is, as the top block 31 moves along the insertion / extraction direction X from the insertion position to the over-insertion position, the top block 31 continues to compress the coil spring 6, the deformation of the coil spring 6 gradually increases, and the first elastic force F1 increases linearly. In other words, the force growth rate of the first elastic force F1 during the over-insertion motion is a fixed positive value.

[0114] It should be noted that the force growth rate in this article refers to the change in force per unit travel distance, that is, the ratio of the change in force to the travel distance. For example, in the over-interval motion from point A to point B, the change in force is the difference between the force at point B and the force at point A; the force growth rate is equal to the ratio of the change in force to the travel distance from point A to point B. Therefore, the force growth rate can be either positive or negative. For the first elastic force F1 generated by the coil spring 6, its force growth rate in the over-interval motion is equal to the elastic coefficient of the coil spring 6.

[0115] In the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment, the original length, over-compression amplitude, and pre-compression amplitude of the helical spring 6 can be designed according to factors such as the over-mating travel distance and installation space. For example, in some embodiments, at the starting position of the over-mating movement, the pre-compression amplitude of the helical spring 6 by the top block 31 is less than or equal to 50%. Here, the pre-compression amplitude refers to the ratio of the pre-compression deformation of the helical spring 6 to the maximum deformation, where the maximum deformation is the difference between the original length and the compressed length of the helical spring 6. This pre-compression amplitude can be, for example, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50%. During the over-mating movement, the over-mating compression amplitude of the helical spring 6 is greater than or equal to 10% and less than or equal to 20%. Here, the over-mating compression amplitude refers to the ratio of the over-mating travel distance to the maximum deformation of the helical spring 6. The over-insertion compression range can be, for example, 10%, 11%, 12%, 12.5%, 13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 17.5%, 18%, 19%, or 20%.

[0116] This design helps to control the deformation range of the helical spring 6 within a relatively stable linear deformation range during operation, thereby ensuring the stability of the first elastic force output. It also helps to reduce the length of the helical spring 6, saving installation space in the insertion / removal direction X, thus contributing to a reduction in the overall size of the connector assembly 1.

[0117] For example, in a scenario where the over-mating motion stroke is 5mm, a helical spring 6 with an original length of 46mm is used. The pre-compression amplitude of the helical spring 6 is 50%, meaning that at the starting position of the over-mating motion, the compressed length of the helical spring 6 is 23mm. During the over-mating motion, the over-mating compression amplitude is approximately 10.8%. This shows that the deformation range of the helical spring 6 during operation is 50% to 60% of its original length, which is a range with good linearity and relatively stable performance. Furthermore, the installation length of the helical spring 6 is 23mm, which is relatively small and helps to reduce the overall size of the connector assembly 1.

[0118] The first elastic element 33 may be selected from at least two identical helical springs 6, which are arranged side by side and abut against different positions on the top block 31.

[0119] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the first elastic element 33 uses four identical helical springs 6, which abut against four pressing positions on the top block 31. These four pressing positions are located at the four vertices of the target quadrilateral, which is parallel to the first direction Y and the second direction Z, and the intersection of its diagonals coincides with the center of the top block 31 in the first direction X and the second direction Y. For example, when the top block 31 is a square structure parallel to the insertion / removal direction X, the first direction Y, and the second direction Z, the four helical springs 6 respectively press against the four vertices of the top block 31 in the first direction Y and the second direction Z.

[0120] This design has several advantages. First, compared to using only a single helical spring 6, using two or more helical springs 6 reduces the requirements for that single spring, such as the elastic coefficient and pre-compression, thus reducing design complexity and cost. Second, compared to using only a single helical spring 6, using two or more helical springs 6 reduces the length of that single spring, thereby reducing its space occupation in the insertion / removal direction X and consequently reducing the overall size of the connector assembly 1. Third, different helical springs 6 pressing against different positions on the top block 31 improves the positional stability of the mating connector 110 and connector structure 4 during insertion, reducing the likelihood of deflection relative to the insertion / removal direction X and ensuring reliable signal connection.

[0121] In the above embodiments, the first elastic element 33 is illustrated by taking the helical spring 6 as an example. However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. The first elastic element 33 can be other linear elastic elements whose elastic force increases linearly with the deformation, such as leaf springs, clock springs, air springs, etc.

[0122] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 3 , Figures 5 to 7 In the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment, the elastic structure 3 further includes a second elastic element 32, which is selected as a torsion spring 5. Please also refer to... Figure 12 The torsion spring 5 includes a helical portion 51 and two elastic arms 52 connected to the helical portion 51. The two elastic arms 52 can be symmetrically arranged on both sides relative to the helical portion 51.

[0123] The torsion spring 5 can be set on one side of the top block 31 along the second direction Z. The mounting structure 2 is provided with a mounting part 24 corresponding to the spiral part 51 of the torsion spring 5. The top block 31 is provided with two contact parts 34 corresponding to the two elastic arms 52 of the torsion spring 5. The mounting part 24 and the two contact parts 34 are arranged in the insertion and removal direction X. The two contact parts 34 are located on the over-insertion side of the mounting part 24 along the insertion and removal direction X, and the two contact parts 34 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the mounting part 24 in the first direction Y.

[0124] The contact portion 34 on the top block 31 can be a separately provided structure, or it can reuse other structures on the top block 31. For example, in Figure 6 In the illustrated scheme, the contact portion 34 reuses the second sliding protrusion 311. That is, the contact portion 34 and the second sliding protrusion 311 are of the same structure. By reusing the structure, the purpose of simplifying the structure and reducing the volume can be achieved.

[0125] During installation of the torsion spring 5, the helical portion 51 of the torsion spring 5 is fitted onto the mounting portion 24, and the two elastic arms 52 respectively press against the two contact portions 34. It can be seen that the helical portion 51 is the fixing portion of the torsion spring 5, used to install the torsion spring 5 onto the mounting structure 2. One end of the elastic arm 52 is connected to the fixing portion, and the other end extends outward from the fixing portion.

[0126] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 11 In the connector assembly 1 provided in this embodiment, the design of the torsion spring 5, the mounting portion 24, and the contact portion 34 allows the contact portion 34 on the top block 31 to pre-compress the torsion spring 5 to a certain extent via the elastic arm 52 at the starting position of the over-insertion movement (the mating position). During the over-insertion movement, the contact portion 34, which moves with the top block 31, moves toward the end of the elastic arm 52 and continues to compress the torsion spring 5 via the elastic arm 52, increasing the compression amplitude.

[0127] The torsion spring 5, compressed by the contact portion 34, generates a third elastic force F3 acting on the contact portion 34 via the elastic arm 52. The direction of the third elastic force F3 is related to the contact characteristics (e.g., position and shape) of the elastic arm 52 and the contact portion 34. In this paper, the angle between the direction of the third elastic force F3 and the opposite direction of the over-insertion motion is called the action angle. Figure 11 In this context, θ is used as the denoting symbol.

[0128] By designing the mounting part 24, the contact part 34, and the torsion spring 5, the angle θ of the third elastic force F3 at the starting position of the over-mating motion (the mating position) can be greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. That is, the direction of the third elastic force F3 is biased towards the connector structure 4 or points towards the connector structure 4 along the over-mating direction. In this case, the third elastic force F3 has a component in the opposite direction of the over-mating motion; this component is referred to as the second elastic force F2 in this paper. The second elastic force F2 has the same direction of action as the first elastic force F1, meaning its direction is opposite to the direction of the over-mating motion. The second elastic force F2 can hinder the over-mating motion of the top block 31 and the connector structure 4.

[0129] By designing the mounting part 24, the contact part 34, and the torsion spring 5, the angle θ of the third elastic force F3 can gradually increase within the range of 0 degrees or less than 90 degrees during the insertion motion. In this case, the cosine value of the angle θ gradually decreases, meaning that the ratio of the second elastic force F2 to the third elastic force F3 gradually decreases.

[0130] The magnitude of the second elastic force F2 is the product of the magnitude of the third elastic force F3 and the cosine of the angle of action θ (cosθ). The magnitude of the third elastic force F3 is the quotient of the torque of the torsion spring 5 divided by the length of the lever arm. The torque of the torsion spring 5 is equal to the product of the spring constant and the compression angle. Therefore, it can be seen that the compression angle and the elastic constant are positively correlated with the third elastic force F3, while the length of the lever arm is negatively correlated with the third elastic force F3. The third elastic force F3 is positively correlated with the second elastic force F2, and the angle of action θ is negatively correlated with the second elastic force F2.

[0131] The lever arm length is related to the shape, size, and position of the torsion spring 5, as well as the contact position between the contact portion 34 and the elastic arm 52. The spring constant is related to the geometric parameters and material properties of the torsion spring 5, including the finite number of coils, diameter, and wire diameter. The compression angle is related to the shape, size, and position of the torsion spring 5, the contact position between the contact portion 34 and the elastic arm 52, and the movement distance of the contact portion 34 in the insertion / removal direction X.

[0132] Based on this, by designing the mounting part 24, the contact part 34, and the torsion spring 5, the magnitude and direction of the third elastic force F3 (the angle θ of action) can be controlled during the over-insertion motion, thus achieving control over the variation characteristics of the second elastic force F2. For example, during the over-insertion motion, by designing the increase of the third elastic force F3 to be less than the decrease of the cosine of the angle of action, the second elastic force F2 can be reduced. Alternatively, by designing the increase of the third elastic force F3 to be equal to the decrease of the cosine of the angle of action, the second elastic force F2 can remain constant.

[0133] In this embodiment, the second elastic force F2 remains unchanged or decreases during the over-insertion motion, that is, the force growth rate is less than or equal to 0.

[0134] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, in the connector assembly 1 provided in this application embodiment, the elastic force F generated by the elastic structure 3 on the connector structure 4 10 The resultant force of the first elastic force F1 and the second elastic force F2 is generated by both the helical spring 6 and the torsion spring 5. Therefore, when generating the same magnitude of elastic force on the top block 31 in the insertion position (the starting position of the over-insertion movement), compared to the related technology that relies solely on the helical spring to generate the elastic force F, this method achieves a higher result. 20 In this embodiment, the spring constant of the helical spring 6 is smaller than that of the helical spring used in related technologies (i.e., the slope of F1 in the figure is greater than that of F). 20 (The slope is smaller).

[0135] During the over-insertion motion, the force growth rate of the first elastic force F1 is equal to the elastic coefficient of the coil spring 6 used. In related technologies, the elastic force F... 20 The force growth rate is equal to the elastic coefficient of the helical spring used. Since the elastic coefficient of the helical spring 6 used in this embodiment is less than that of the helical springs used in related technologies, the force growth rate of the first elastic force F1 is less than that of the elastic force F in related technologies. 20 The growth rate of force.

[0136] Furthermore, since the second elastic force F2 remains unchanged or decreases during the over-insertion motion, and the force growth rate is less than or equal to 0, the acting elastic force F 10 The total force growth rate will not exceed the force growth rate of the first elastic force F1, meaning it is less than the force growth rate of the elastic force F in related technologies. 20 The growth rate of force.

[0137] It can be seen that the connector assembly 1 with the above design can reduce the applied elastic force F. 10 The force growth rate during over-insertion motion, improving the elastic force F 10 The problem of excessively rapid growth can be solved by significantly reducing the system's insertion and extraction force while maintaining the same insertion and extraction force, and by increasing the stroke distance of the insertion and extraction motion while maintaining the same system insertion and extraction force, thus making it more suitable for scenarios with a large insertion and extraction stroke.

[0138] In some embodiments, such as Figure 15As shown, during the over-interval motion, the force growth rate of the second elastic force F2 is greater than 0, but gradually decreases as the stroke distance increases. This design significantly reduces the force increase of the second elastic force F2 with increasing stroke distance, thus slowing down the rate of increase of the second elastic force F2; consequently, it significantly reduces the force of the applied elastic force F. 10 The rate of increase of the force (the resultant force of the first elastic force F1 and the second elastic force F2) is shown. It can be seen that the connector assembly 1 with the above design can improve the effect of the elastic force F. 10 The problem of excessively rapid growth can be solved by significantly reducing the system's insertion and extraction force while maintaining the same insertion and extraction force, and by increasing the stroke distance of the insertion and extraction motion while maintaining the same system insertion and extraction force, thus making it more suitable for scenarios with a large insertion and extraction stroke.

[0139] This also shows that the combination of the helical spring 6 and the torsion spring 5, which are linear elastic elements, can produce more flexible and diverse resultant force curves, making it easier to meet design needs and reduce design difficulty.

[0140] Furthermore, the aforementioned variation characteristics of the second elastic force F2 during the over-insertion motion can be distributed throughout the entire over-insertion motion, or they can be distributed in a portion of the over-insertion motion's stroke.

[0141] In some embodiments, the over-mating travel distance is greater than or equal to 3.5 mm and less than 12 mm, meaning the maximum allowable over-mating distance for connector structure 4 is greater than or equal to 3.5 mm and less than 12 mm, for example, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, 4.5 mm, 5 mm, 5.5 mm, ..., 10 mm, 11 mm, or 12 mm. A travel distance greater than 3.5 mm can meet the requirements of current large-size, high-performance communication equipment 1000 for connector assembly 1.

[0142] As can be seen from the above description, during the over-insertion motion, the smaller the force growth rate of the second elastic force and the slower the force increase rate of the applied elastic force, the more advantageous it is for connector assembly 1. The change in the second elastic force is related to the magnitude and angle of action of the third elastic force; the slower the change in the third elastic force and the faster the change in the angle of action, the smaller the force growth rate of the second elastic force.

[0143] Based on this, in some embodiments, the design of the mounting part 24, the contact part 34, and the torsion spring 5 ensures that the angle of action at the starting position (interlocking position) of the over-insertion movement is between 10 and 80 degrees, for example, 10, 20, 30, 40, 45, or 60 degrees; and that the change in the angle of action during the over-insertion movement is greater than or equal to 10 degrees, for example, 10, 20, or 30 degrees. This design allows the cosine of the angle of action of the third elastic force to be significantly reduced during the movement of the top block 31 along the insertion / removal direction X from the interlocking position to the over-insertion position (over-insertion movement), thereby helping to reduce the force growth rate of the second elastic force.

[0144] In some embodiments, such as Figure 16 As shown, the contact surface between the contact portion 34 and the elastic arm 52 in the torsion spring 5 is an arc-shaped contact surface. This design reduces the sliding resistance between the contact portion 34 and the elastic arm 52, and increases the rate of change of the angle of action, thereby helping to reduce the force growth rate of the second elastic force.

[0145] In some embodiments, the radius R of the arc contact surface is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm. This design can increase the rate of change of the action angle while reducing the processing difficulty of the contact portion 34.

[0146] In some embodiments, such as Figure 17 As shown, the elastic arm 52 in the torsion spring 5 includes an action segment 521. During the movement of the top block 31 along the insertion / removal direction X from the insertion position to the over-insertion position, the action segment 521 contacts the corresponding contact portion 34. The action segment 521 bends and extends away from the corresponding contact portion 34, and its curvature gradually increases as it approaches its end. This design also increases the rate of change of the action angle θ with the distance traveled in the insertion / removal direction X, thereby helping to reduce the force growth rate of the second elastic force.

[0147] In some embodiments, such as Figures 3 to 7 As shown, the second elastic element 32 includes two torsion springs 5, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the top block 31 along the second direction Z. The two torsion springs 5 ​​are arranged in the same way. This design allows the second elastic element 32 to apply a balanced force to the top block 31 in the second direction Z, thereby improving stability during the insertion motion.

[0148] In some embodiments, the mounting portion 24 is located at the middle position of the top block 31 in the first direction Y. This design allows the second elastic member 32 to apply balanced force to the top block 31 in the first direction Y, thereby further improving stability during insertion movements.

[0149] In some embodiments, such as Figures 18 to 20As shown, the second elastic element 32 includes four torsion springs 5, which are arranged in pairs on both sides of the top block 31 along the second direction Z. The two sets of torsion springs 5 ​​are arranged in the same way.

[0150] Taking one set as an example, two torsion springs 5 ​​are positioned on both sides of the top block 31 along the first direction Y. The contact portion 34 of the top block 31 corresponding to the two torsion springs 5 ​​is located in the middle of the two torsion springs 5, and the elastic arm 52 of the torsion spring 5 near the middle position contacts the contact portion 34. The other elastic arm 52 is fixedly positioned relative to the mounting portion 24. The helical portion 51 of the torsion spring 5 is located on both sides of the wiring cavity 7 along the first direction Y.

[0151] This design allows the second elastic element 32 to apply balanced force to the top block 31 in the first direction Y and the second direction Z, which helps improve stability during the insertion motion. On the other hand, by positioning the helical part 51 of the torsion spring 5 away from the wiring cavity 7, the limitation of installation space in the second direction Z can be overcome, which helps to increase the effective number of turns of the helical part 51. This, in turn, helps to generate a larger elastic force at the starting position of the insertion motion and helps to improve the adjustment range of the elastic force.

[0152] In the above embodiments, the connector assembly 1 is illustrated by taking one, two, and four torsion springs 5 ​​as examples of the second elastic element 32. However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. For example, in some embodiments, the second elastic element 32 may also adopt three or other numbers of torsion springs 5. By setting more than one torsion spring 5, on the one hand, the requirements for a single torsion spring 5 can be reduced, and on the other hand, the system insertion and extraction force can be adjusted within a wider range.

[0153] In some embodiments, the effective number of turns of the helical portion 51 in the torsion spring 5 is greater than or equal to 3. This design ensures that the torsion spring 5 can stably output the third elastic force.

[0154] In some embodiments, the first elastic element 33 is selected as a helical spring 6, and the second elastic element 32 is selected as a torsion spring 5. Through the design of the helical spring 6, the torsion spring 5, the top block 31, and the mounting structure 2, the first elastic force and the second elastic force satisfy the following conditions:

[0155] At the starting position of the over-insertion motion, the ratio of the first elastic force to the second elastic force is greater than 0.5 and less than 1.5.

[0156] In other words, at the starting position of the over-insertion motion, the first elastic force and the second elastic force are not significantly different. This design can increase the influence of the force growth rate of the second elastic force on the overall force growth rate of the acting elastic force, thereby allowing for changes in the acting elastic force during the over-insertion motion over a wider range. This also facilitates adjusting the system's insertion and extraction forces over a wider range, thus improving the applicability of the connector assembly 1.

[0157] In some embodiments, at the starting position of the over-insertion motion, the ratio of the first elastic force to the second elastic force is greater than or equal to 1 and less than 1.2.

[0158] In other words, the first elastic force and the second elastic force are basically close at the starting position of the over-insertion motion. Under this condition, the influence of the force growth rate of the second elastic force on the overall force growth rate of the acting elastic force can be further increased, thereby changing the acting elastic force in the over-insertion motion process over a larger range, which is beneficial to adjusting the system insertion and extraction force over a larger range.

[0159] Furthermore, at the starting position of the insertion motion, the first elastic force is greater than or equal to the second elastic force, meaning that the helical spring 6 is set as the main spring and the torsion spring 5 is set as the auxiliary spring. This design helps to ensure the stability of the force output and reduces the design difficulty of the torsion spring 5.

[0160] The above embodiments use torsion spring 5 as an example to illustrate the second elastic element 32. However, the embodiments of this application are not limited to this. Any elastic element or elastic component capable of generating the above-mentioned elastic force is acceptable.

[0161] For example, such as Figure 21 As shown, the second elastic element 32 can be an elastic element with a certain length, such as a spring sheet or a spring rod, with a free end and a fixed end at its two ends in the length direction. The mounting structure 2 is provided with a mounting part 24 for mounting the second elastic element 32. The second elastic element 32 is mounted on the mounting part 24 of the mounting structure 2 through the fixed end and contacts the contact part 34 on the top block 31.

[0162] At the starting position of the insertion motion, the contact portion 34 on the top block 31 pre-compresses the second elastic member 32, causing the second elastic member 32 to be in a bent state and generating a third elastic force acting on the contact portion 34. The angle of action of the third elastic force is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. The component of the third elastic force in the insertion / extraction direction X is the second elastic force.

[0163] During the insertion process, the contact portion 34 on the top block 31 continues to compress the second elastic element 32, the bending amplitude of the second elastic element 32 increases, the third elastic force increases, and the angle of action also increases.

[0164] As can be seen from the above description, the third elastic force generated by the second elastic element 32 using a spring sheet or spring rod can have the same or similar variation characteristics as the third elastic force generated by the torsion spring 5, and thus can achieve the same or similar technical effects.

[0165] For example, such as Figure 22As shown, the second elastic element 32 is an elastic assembly, which includes an actuating rod 321, a torsion spring 5, and a rotating shaft 322. The mounting structure 2 is provided with a mounting portion 24 for mounting the second elastic element 32. The actuating rod 321 is rotatably mounted on the mounting portion 24 via the rotating shaft 322 and contacts the contact portion 34 on the top block 31. The torsion spring 5 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 322, and its two elastic arms act on the actuating rod 321 and the mounting portion 24 respectively.

[0166] At the starting position of the insertion motion, the contact portion 34 on the top block 31 pre-compresses the torsion spring 5 through the actuating rod 321. The torsion spring 5 generates a third elastic force acting on the contact portion 34 through the actuating rod 321. The angle of action of the third elastic force is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. The component of the third elastic force in the insertion / extraction direction X is the second elastic force.

[0167] During the insertion motion, the contact portion 34 on the top block 31 continues to compress the actuating rod 321, causing the actuating rod 321 to rotate around the pivot 322, increasing the compression amplitude of the torsion spring 5. Therefore, the third elastic force generated by the actuating rod 321 on the contact portion 34 increases, and the angle of action of the third elastic force also increases.

[0168] As can be seen from the above description, the third elastic force generated by the second elastic element 32 using the elastic component can have the same or similar variation characteristics as the third elastic force generated by the torsion spring 5, and thus can achieve the same or similar technical effects.

[0169] In some embodiments, the top block 31 in the elastic structure 3 can be designed separately for the first elastic element 33 and the second elastic element 32. That is, the top block 31 includes a first sub-top block and a second sub-top block. The first elastic element 33 is disposed between the mounting structure 2 and the first sub-top block to generate a first elastic force; the second elastic element 32 is disposed between the mounting structure 2 and the second sub-top block to generate a second elastic force. This design allows the first elastic element 33 and the second elastic element 32 to act on different structures. This design, on the one hand, decouples the first elastic element 33 and the second elastic element 32, thereby avoiding mutual influence (e.g., cancellation) between the first elastic force and the second elastic force. On the other hand, it facilitates the separate design of the first elastic element 33 and the second elastic element 32, making the design of the first elastic element 33 and the second elastic element 32 more flexible.

[0170] In some embodiments, the top block 31 may be omitted from the elastic structure 3. In this case, the first elastic element 33 and the second elastic element 32 act directly on the connector structure 4, which can also achieve the effect of reducing the force growth rate of the elastic force during the over-insertion movement.

[0171] In some embodiments, the design of the first elastic element 33 and the second elastic element 32 ensures that the elastic structure 3 satisfies the following condition: during the insertion motion, the total force variation amplitude of the first and second elastic forces, i.e., the force variation amplitude of the applied elastic force, is less than 0.2, for example, 0 or 0.1. Here, the force variation amplitude refers to the ratio of the force variation to the initial value during the insertion motion; specifically, the magnitude of the applied elastic force at the starting position of the insertion motion is the first value, and the magnitude at the ending position of the insertion motion is the second value. The force variation amplitude is (first value - second value) / first value. This design allows the applied elastic force to remain constant or substantially constant during the insertion motion, thereby helping to reduce the insertion and extraction forces of the system and increase the insertion stroke distance.

[0172] In some embodiments, the elastic structure 3 may retain only the second elastic element 32. By generating an elastic force through the second elastic element 32 during the insertion and over-insertion phases, the effect of reducing the force growth rate of the elastic force during the over-insertion motion can still be achieved.

[0173] This application also provides a communication device, which includes a rack and the connector assembly described in the above embodiments, the connector assembly being disposed on the rack. This communication device can be a single-board device or a backplane device within a communication device.

[0174] 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. A connector assembly, characterized in that, The connector assembly includes a mounting structure, a connector structure, and a second elastic element; the connector structure is movably mounted on the mounting structure along the insertion / removal direction, and the movement of the connector structure includes an over-insertion movement toward the mounting structure; The second elastic element is disposed between the mounting structure and the connector structure, and the second elastic element has an elastic arm; At the starting position of the over-insertion movement, the elastic arm is in a pre-compressed state. The elastic arm rotates and / or bends under pressure to generate a third elastic force. The angle of action of the third elastic force is greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees. The angle of action is the angle between the direction of action of the third elastic force and the opposite direction of the over-insertion movement. The component of the third elastic force in the insertion and extraction direction is the second elastic force. The second elastic force hinders the connector structure from performing the over-insertion movement. During at least a portion of the over-insertion movement, the connector structure compresses the elastic arm, the rotation and / or bending amplitude of the elastic arm increases, the action angle gradually increases within a preset range, the preset range being greater than or equal to 0 degrees and less than or equal to 90 degrees; the force growth rate of the second elastic force is less than or equal to 0, or the force growth rate is greater than 0 but gradually decreases as the stroke distance of the over-insertion movement increases; the force growth rate is the change in force per unit stroke distance.

2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second elastic element further includes a fixing part, which is mounted on the mounting structure. The elastic arm is connected to the fixing part and extends outward from the fixing part. At the starting position of the insertion motion, the elastic arm is in a pre-compressed state and rotates relative to the fixed part; During the insertion process, the connector structure compresses the elastic arm, and the rotation angle of the elastic arm relative to the fixed part increases.

3. The connector assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connector assembly further includes a top block located on the over-mating side of the connector structure along the insertion / removal direction and movably mounted on the mounting structure along the insertion / removal direction; the second elastic member is disposed between the top block and the mounting structure. At the starting position of the insertion motion, the top block pre-compresses the second elastic element; During the insertion process, the connector structure contacts and moves synchronously with the top block, and the top block continues to compress the second elastic element.

4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second elastic element includes a torsion spring, the torsion spring including a helical portion and the elastic arm connected to the helical portion; The mounting structure is provided with a mounting part, and the top block is provided with a contact part; the contact part is located on the over-insertion side of the mounting part along the insertion and extraction direction; the helical part of the torsion spring is sleeved on the mounting part, and the elastic arm contacts the contact part.

5. The connector assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, During at least a portion of the over-insertion motion, the second elastic force decreases as the angle of action increases.

6. The connector assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, At the starting position of the over-insertion motion, the included angle of action is greater than or equal to 10 degrees and less than or equal to 80 degrees; During the over-insertion motion, the change in the applied angle is greater than or equal to 10 degrees.

7. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The second elastic element includes at least two of the aforementioned torsion springs.

8. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The torsion spring includes two elastic arms, one of which contacts the contact portion, and the other is fixedly disposed relative to the mounting portion.

9. The connector assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that, The second elastic element includes two pairs of torsion springs, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the top block along the second direction, and each pair of torsion springs is symmetrically arranged at the two side edges of the top block in the first direction. The first direction, the second direction, and the insertion / removal direction are all perpendicular to each other.

10. The connector assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that, The top block has a wiring cavity at the midpoint between the first direction and the second direction, and the wiring cavity extends through the insertion / removal direction; the helical portion of the torsion spring is located on both sides of the wiring cavity along the first direction.

11. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, The torsion spring includes two elastic arms, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the helical portion; The top block is provided with two contact portions, the mounting portion is located at the middle position of the top block in the first direction, the two contact portions are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the mounting portion along the first direction, and the two elastic arms respectively contact the two contact portions; Wherein, the first direction is perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction.

12. The connector assembly according to claim 11, characterized in that, The second elastic element includes two torsion springs, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the top block along the second direction; The first direction, the second direction, and the insertion / removal direction are all perpendicular to each other.

13. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 12, characterized in that, The contact portion has an arc-shaped contact surface, which contacts the elastic arm during the insertion movement.

14. The connector assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that, The radius of the arc contact surface is greater than or equal to 0.5 mm.

15. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 14, characterized in that, The elastic arm includes an action section, which contacts the contact portion during the insertion movement; The active segment bends and extends toward the side away from the contact portion, and the curvature gradually increases as it approaches the end.

16. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 15, characterized in that, The effective number of turns of the spiral section is greater than or equal to 3.

17. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second elastic element is a spring sheet or a spring rod, and one end of the second elastic element is fixedly installed on the mounting structure; At the starting position of the insertion motion, the second elastic element is in a bent state; During the insertion process, the connector structure compresses the second elastic element, and the bending amplitude of the second elastic element increases.

18. The connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second elastic element includes an actuating rod and a torsion spring. The actuating rod is rotatably mounted on the mounting structure via a pivot. The torsion spring is sleeved on the pivot, and its two elastic arms act on the actuating rod and the mounting structure, respectively. The torsion spring generates the third elastic force through the actuating rod.

19. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that, The connector assembly further includes a first elastic element, which is a linear elastic element, and is disposed between the mounting structure and the connector structure. At the starting position of the over-insertion movement, the first elastic element is in a pre-compressed state, and the first elastic element generates a first elastic force, which generates a first elastic force that hinders the connector structure from performing the over-insertion movement; the ratio of the first elastic force to the second elastic force is greater than 0.5 and less than 1.

5.

20. The connector assembly according to claim 19, characterized in that, At the starting position of the over-insertion motion, the ratio of the first elastic force to the second elastic force is greater than or equal to 1 and less than 1.

2.

21. The connector assembly according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that, The first elastic element is a helical spring, leaf spring, clock spring, or air spring.

22. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that, The travel distance of the over-insertion motion is greater than or equal to 3.5 mm and less than or equal to 12 mm.

23. The connector assembly according to any one of claims 3 to 16, characterized in that, The connector structure includes a connector body and a connector bracket. The connector body is mounted on the connector bracket, and the connector bracket is movably mounted on the mounting structure along the insertion / extraction direction. The connector bracket is floating relative to the mounting structure in a first direction and a second direction; Before the insertion movement, the connector bracket and the top block have a mating gap in the insertion / extraction direction; The first direction, the second direction, and the insertion / removal direction are all perpendicular to each other.

24. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes a frame and a connector assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 23; the connector assembly is disposed on the frame.

25. A communication device, characterized in that, The communication device includes orthogonally interlocked horizontal and vertical single boards, wherein the horizontal or vertical single board adopts the communication device as described in claim 24; Alternatively, the communication device includes a backplane assembly and a single-board assembly inserted into the backplane assembly, wherein the backplane assembly or the single-board assembly employs the communication device as described in claim 24.

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