A floating connector with precise plug-in for board ends

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of electric connector, especially disclose a floating connector of accurate plug -in of board end, including casing piece and the conductive terminal of setting on casing piece, casing piece is used for fixed mounting on external circuit board and via the conductive terminal with external switching connector electric connection, casing piece still is provided with end foot structure on, and casing piece via end foot structure and external circuit board limit cooperation, the first end of conductive terminal and external circuit board electric cooperation, casing piece or / and external circuit board still are equipped with first guide structure, and external switching connector has the second guide structure with first guide structure cooperation, when external switching connector and casing piece butt joint, first guide structure and second guide structure are prior to the conductive terminal and switching connector cooperation, to guide switching connector and casing piece alignment makes switching connector and the second end electric connection of conductive terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electrical connector technology, and in particular discloses a floating connector for precise insertion at the board end. Background Technology

[0002] When connecting the external connector to the internal connector, obstructed visibility (blind mating) makes it difficult to accurately align the male and female connectors by feel alone, easily leading to pin damage. Traditional rigid connectors lack effective fault tolerance mechanisms, making them prone to mechanical interference during mating. This can cause conductive terminals to deform, wear, or even break under stress, severely impacting connection reliability and product lifespan. Furthermore, conventional guiding structures often operate simultaneously with electrical contact, failing to complete precise alignment before contact, further exacerbating electrical and mechanical risks during mating. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to overcome the shortcomings and deficiencies of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a floating connector for circuit board mating. Through the coordinated design of the floating plug structure and the guiding and positioning mechanism, high-precision plugging is achieved and alignment deviation is effectively compensated. It is especially suitable for floating connection scenarios of board to board or board to cable in precision electronic equipment.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a floating connector for precise board-end insertion, comprising a housing and conductive terminals disposed on the housing. The housing is used for fixed mounting on an external circuit board and electrically connected to an external adapter connector via the conductive terminals. The housing also has end-feet structures, which limit the housing's engagement with the external circuit board. The first end of the conductive terminals is electrically engaged with the external circuit board. The housing and / or the external circuit board also have a first guide structure, and the external adapter connector has a second guide structure that engages with the first guide structure. When the external adapter connector is mated with the housing, the first and second guide structures contact the adapter connector before the conductive terminals, guiding the adapter connector to precisely align with the housing so that the adapter connector is electrically connected to the second end of the conductive terminals.

[0005] Furthermore, the first guide structure is a guide pin or guide post disposed on the housing component, and the second guide structure is a guide groove or guide hole disposed on the adapter connector.

[0006] Furthermore, the end-feet structure includes a first end-feet disposed on the housing component, and a receiving groove for accommodating the first end-feet is provided on the external circuit board. The first end-feet is limited and engaged with the receiving groove of the external circuit board by means of welding, interference fit or snap-fit.

[0007] Furthermore, at least two first pins are provided, and the two first pins are spaced apart on the mounting surface between the housing and the external circuit board.

[0008] Furthermore, the floating connector with precise mating at the board end also includes a mounting shell. The external circuit board is detachably fixed inside the mounting shell via a first locking fastener. The middle part of the external adapter connector is detachably fixed to the mounting shell via a second locking fastener. The first end of the external adapter connector protrudes into the mounting shell and is plugged into the conductive terminal for conduction. The second end of the external adapter connector protrudes outside the mounting shell to facilitate the plugging and conduction of the external mating connector.

[0009] Furthermore, the end pin structure also includes a fixed pin and a limiting groove disposed on the housing component to cooperate with the fixed pin. One end of the fixed pin is fixedly connected to the external circuit board, and the other end of the fixed pin is used to protrude into the limiting groove to limit the housing component to the external circuit board.

[0010] Furthermore, at least two fixing pins are provided, with the two fixing pins located on both sides of the housing component, and the number of limiting grooves is the same as the number of fixing pins.

[0011] Furthermore, the other end of the fixed pin is detachably engaged with the limiting groove via an elastic snap-fit ​​structure, an interference fit structure, or a magnetic attraction structure.

[0012] Furthermore, the other end of the fixed pin is detachably engaged with the limiting groove via an elastic snap-fit ​​structure. The elastic snap-fit ​​structure includes an elastic arm disposed on the fixed pin. The free end of the elastic arm is provided with an arc-shaped snap-fit ​​protrusion. The limiting groove is provided with an inclined portion that abuts against the snap-fit ​​protrusion and an inner groove for accommodating the snap-fit ​​protrusion. The elastic arm, through the abutting engagement of the arc-shaped snap-fit ​​protrusion and the inclined portion, allows the snap-fit ​​protrusion to enter the inner groove, thereby achieving a detachable engagement between the fixed pin and the limiting groove.

[0013] Furthermore, the conductive terminal has a body portion and a second end pin disposed on the body portion. The extending direction of the body portion and the extending direction of the second end pin are intersected. The second end pin is located at the first end of the conductive terminal and is used for electrical connection with an external circuit board.

[0014] Furthermore, the housing is provided with a floating connector, and the second end of the conductive terminal is located inside the floating connector. The floating connector is used to extend the insertion space in the vertical direction, and the cross-sectional area of ​​the floating connector is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the pin of the external adapter connector.

[0015] Furthermore, the housing component is integrally formed by injection molding, and a groove is pre-formed on the housing component. The groove is located on the side of the housing component near the floating insertion interface to prevent cracking during injection molding.

[0016] The core technical solution of this utility model lies in constructing a dual protection mechanism that includes floating insertion and pre-guidance. The floating connector forms a limiting fit with the circuit board through the end pin structure on the housing, and a guiding mechanism (guide pin / slot structure) is set on the housing or circuit board before electrical contact, so that the adapter connector completes radial correction before contacting the conductive terminal. At the same time, the floating insertion interface expands the insertion space in the vertical direction, so that the second end of the conductive terminal floats adaptively within a limited range.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: First, the pre-guided structure eliminates initial alignment deviations through mechanical guidance, preventing scratching between the pins and terminals due to misalignment. Second, the floating interface provides flexible tolerance space for the mating process, reducing the requirements for assembly precision. Third, the limiting design of the end pin structure ensures a stable connection between the housing and the circuit board, while the detachable elastic snap-fit ​​structure facilitates maintenance and replacement. Ultimately, the connector achieves a comprehensive advantage of high reliability, long lifespan, and ease of maintenance during precision mating. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the floating connector of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of the floating connector of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the floating connector of this utility model when it is connected to an external circuit board and an external adapter connector.

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified structural diagram of part A in the middle;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the external adapter connector;

[0023] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the external circuit board;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the conductive terminal of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure when a slot is provided for the housing component of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the installation and mating structure of the housing, mounting shell, circuit board, and adapter connector of this utility model.

[0027] The reference numerals in the figures include:

[0028] 1. Housing component; 2. Conductive terminal; 3. End pin structure; 4. Elastic snap-fit ​​structure; 5. Floating connector; 6. Slot; 7. Mounting shell; 11. First guide structure; 111. Inclined guide surface; 100. Second guide structure; 200. Circuit board; 201. Positioning hole; 300. Adapter connector; 301. Pin; 12. Limiting groove; 121. Inclined part; 122. Inner snap groove; 21. Body part; 211. Pawl part; 212. Protrusion part; 213. Spring piece; 22. Second end pin; 31. First end pin; 32. Fixed pin; 321. Elastic arm; 322. Snap protrusion. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, the present invention will be further described below with reference to embodiments and accompanying drawings. The content mentioned in the embodiments is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0030] Please see Figures 1 to 9 As shown, this utility model discloses a floating connector for precise board-end insertion, comprising a housing 1 and conductive terminals 2 disposed on the housing 1. The housing 1 preferably adopts an integral injection-molded structure of insulating material, and is generally rectangular in shape, with its bottom surface serving as a mounting surface that can be directly attached to the surface of an external circuit board 200. Positioning sidewalls are formed on both sides of the housing 1, and a floating insertion interface 5 is provided at one end. This floating insertion interface 5 penetrates the housing 1 along its length and is used to accommodate the pin 301 structure of an external adapter connector 300. The floating insertion interface 5 is a rectangular hole structure.

[0031] The conductive terminals 2 are arranged along the length of the housing 1 and are equidistantly embedded in the internal cavity of the housing 1. In this embodiment, there are three conductive terminals 2. Each conductive terminal 2 has a body portion 21 and a second end foot 22 protruding from the other end of the floating connector 5 (the end away from the adapter connector 300). The second end foot 22 is formed by bending vertically from the body portion 21. The second end foot 22 extends out of the bottom surface of the housing and is fused or pressed with the external circuit board 200 to achieve electrical connection. The second end of the conductive terminal 2 extends into the floating connector 5 for electrical contact with the external male connector pin 301.

[0032] Specifically, in this connector, the external circuit board 200 is provided with a first guide structure 11, and the external adapter connector 300 is provided with a second guide structure 100 that cooperates with it. The first guide structure 11 can be fixed to the front end face of the housing 1 in the form of a guide pin, guide post or protrusion.

[0033] In this embodiment, the guide pin is a cuboid structure integrally formed with the circuit board 200. Inclined guide surfaces 111 are machined on both sides of its free end. The cross-section of the guide pin is slightly smaller than the diameter of the guide hole on the adapter connector 300 to ensure a small amount of floating before insertion. Similarly, the guide hole of the adapter connector 300 is provided with an inclined surface that mates with the inclined guide surface 111 of the guide pin, facilitating quick and unobstructed insertion.

[0034] Specifically, the floating connector with precise insertion at the board end also includes a mounting shell 7. The mounting shell 7 is roughly a cuboid structure. The external circuit board 200 is detachably fixed inside the mounting shell 7 via a first locking fastener 71 (the first locking fastener 71 is a nut, which forms a simple and stable threaded engagement structure with the threaded hole on the external circuit board 200 and the threaded hole on the mounting shell 7). The middle part of the external adapter connector 300 is detachably fixed to the mounting shell 7 via a second locking fastener 72 (the second locking fastener 72 also uses a threaded engagement structure). The first end of the external adapter connector 300 protrudes into the mounting shell 7 and is inserted into the conductive terminal 2 for conduction. The second end of the external adapter connector 300 protrudes out of the mounting shell 7 to facilitate insertion and conduction of the external pairing connector.

[0035] During mating, the guide pin and guide hole first contact and form a positioning fit. During this process, the guide pin gradually enters the guide hole, acting as a guide and corrector, ensuring that the pins 301 of the external adapter connector 300 automatically align with the center of the floating connector 5. This prevents the pins 301 of the adapter connector 300 from accidentally touching or misaligning with the conductive terminal 2. This design allows the pins 301 to complete mechanical alignment before contacting the electrical contacts, achieving precise mating, and is particularly suitable for board-to-wire connections under blind-mating conditions.

[0036] The surface of the housing 1 is provided with end foot structure 3, which is aligned and engaged with the holes or slots of the external circuit board 200, thereby achieving stable mechanical fixation and ensuring the spatial positioning accuracy of the electrical terminal plug-in.

[0037] Specifically, the bottom of the housing component 1 is provided with two first end feet 31, which are integrally formed cylindrical protrusions located at both ends of the housing mounting surface. The external circuit board 200 has corresponding positioning holes 201. After the first end feet 31 are inserted into the positioning holes 201, they can be fixed in three ways: first, by soldering or wave soldering to form a permanent fixation; second, by interference fit to achieve a glue-free tight fit; and third, by using a snap-fit ​​structure for detachable locking.

[0038] This embodiment preferably uses an interference fit structure to balance maintainability and mechanical stability. The two first end feet 31 are spaced apart from each other and are located at the insertion point of the housing 1 away from the second end feet 22 and close to the floating insertion interface 5. The cooperation with the three second end feet 22 can effectively prevent the housing from rotating or tilting during welding and improve assembly accuracy.

[0039] Preferably, the housing 1 is provided with a limiting groove 12, which cooperates with the metal fixing pin 32 fixed on the external circuit board 200 to form a second type of end pin structure 3. One end of the fixing pin 32 is fused to the circuit board 200, and the other end extends out of the surface of the circuit board 200 for insertion into the limiting groove 12 on the bottom side wall of the housing 1.

[0040] Each limiting groove 12 extends vertically and matches the size of the fixing pin 32, allowing the housing 1 to be vertically aligned with the circuit board 200 under the guidance of the pin. After assembly, the housing can be adjusted up and down along the pin to absorb assembly deviations. At least two fixing pins 32 are provided, distributed on the left and right sides of the housing 1 respectively, thereby achieving multi-point support and preventing the housing from tilting or loosening.

[0041] Furthermore, to facilitate easy assembly and disassembly and prevent loosening due to vibration, the other end of the fixed pin 32 adopts an elastic snap-fit ​​structure 4. The elastic snap-fit ​​includes an elastic arm 321 integrally formed on the pin, and the free end of the elastic arm 321 is provided with an outwardly protruding arc-shaped snap-fit ​​protrusion 322. The limiting groove 12 of the housing 1 is provided with a corresponding inclined guide and an inner snap-fit ​​groove 122. When the housing 1 is pressed onto the circuit board 200, the snap-fit ​​protrusion 322 slides in along the inclined part 121 and elastically deforms, finally entering the inner snap-fit ​​groove 122 to achieve locking.

[0042] Disassembly requires the use of a tool to pry open the elastic arm 321 to release the latch. The elastic arm 321 can be made of phosphor bronze or stainless steel spring 213, with a nickel-plated surface for corrosion protection. This detachable mating structure allows for repeated connector replacement and maintenance operations.

[0043] Specifically, the conductive terminal 2 is made of high-conductivity copper alloy by stamping. Its structure includes a horizontally extending body portion 21 and a second end 22 intersecting the body portion 21. The body portion 21 is tightly integrated with the floating insertion interface 5 inside the housing 1 to ensure the stability of the terminal. The second end 22 is vertically arranged at one end of the body portion 21 for welding or pressing to the pads of the external circuit board 200, and the other end forms a contact spring 213 structure within the floating insertion interface 5 of the housing 1. When the second end 22 of the conductive terminal 2 contacts the pin 301 of the adapter connector 300, a reliable electrical contact surface is formed through elastic deformation, with stable contact pressure and a certain floating tolerance. The terminal surface is gold-plated or tin-plated to reduce contact resistance and improve corrosion resistance.

[0044] Specifically, the first end of the body part 21 has a pawl part 211 and a protrusion part 212, which are used to improve mechanical stability when connected with the floating plug interface 5. The second end of the body part 21 consists of two spring pieces 213 that are close to each other in a "Y" shape, which facilitates the pin 301 of the adapter connector 300 to elastically resist and further tighten the fit.

[0045] Specifically, a floating connector 5 is provided at the front end of the housing 1. This connector has a through-cavity structure with a free gap space inside, allowing the contact part of the conductive terminal 2 to float slightly in the vertical or horizontal direction. The cross-sectional area of ​​the floating connector 5 is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the pin 301 of the external adapter connector 300, and the pin 301 can be freely aligned within a certain error range when inserted.

[0046] With this structure, when the adapter connector 300 has a slight positional deviation, the terminal contact portion can automatically compensate for the deviation as the pin 301 moves slightly, thereby preventing the pin 301 from scratching the terminal or causing stress damage. The floating interface can be equipped with elastic positioning pads or rubber limit rings along the direction of the pin 301 for return and shock absorption. This structure ensures reliable electrical connection and long service life even after multiple insertions and removals.

[0047] During injection molding, the entire housing 1 can also be made of high-strength PBT+GF30 insulating material, which has excellent heat resistance and dimensional stability. To prevent cracking of the housing due to local thickness differences during injection molding, a groove 6 is pre-formed on the side near the floating connector 5. This groove 6 extends along the outer wall of the housing to form a stress relief zone, ensuring smooth mold release and reducing molding stress concentration. It should be noted that when the groove 6 is designed, the floating connector 5 has a square structure, and its cross-sectional area is smaller than that of a rectangular floating connector 5.

[0048] In the operation of this invention, the connector is first assembled with the external circuit board 200 through the structure of the first end pin 31, the second end pin 22, and the fixed pin 32, ensuring that the position of the housing 1 is fixed. When the external adapter connector 300 (such as the external cable connector) is inserted, it is first guided by the guide structure. The guide pin first enters the guide hole to complete the pre-positioning, and then the contact part of the conductive terminal 2 in the floating connector 5 gradually contacts the pin 301 of the adapter connector 300 to form a connection. Because the floating connector 5 has a longitudinal buffer space, the pin 301 can be smoothly inserted without mechanical interference under slight deviation. The entire insertion process realizes a precise insertion mechanism of "guide first - contact later - automatic compensation", which greatly improves the assembly efficiency and connection reliability.

[0049] By pre-coordinating the guiding structure, the alignment difficulties during blind insertion are effectively solved, preventing the pin 301 from skewing and damaging the conductive terminal 2. The tolerance design of the floating connector 5 absorbs assembly and positional deviations, significantly improving the smoothness of insertion and mechanical life. The dual limiting structure of the end pins and fixed pins 32 ensures the connector is stably installed on the circuit board 200, preventing terminal deformation caused by welding stress. The overall shell is integrally injection molded, with high dimensional accuracy, simple assembly, and low cost, making it suitable for precision environments such as industrial control, electric vehicles, and hydraulic cylinder signal acquisition.

[0050] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation method and application scope based on the idea of ​​this utility model. The content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

Claims

1. A floating connector for precise board-end insertion, comprising a housing (1) and conductive terminals (2) disposed on the housing (1), the housing (1) being fixedly mounted on an external circuit board (200) and electrically connected to an external adapter connector (300) via the conductive terminals (2); characterized in that: The housing component (1) is also provided with a foot structure (3), which limits the engagement of the housing component (1) with the external circuit board (200) via the foot structure (3). The first end of the conductive terminal (2) is electrically engaged with the external circuit board (200). The housing component (1) and / or the external circuit board (200) are also provided with a first guide structure (11). The external adapter connector (300) has a second guide structure (100) that engages with the first guide structure (11). When the external adapter connector (300) is connected to the housing component (1), the first guide structure (11) and the second guide structure (100) engage with the adapter connector (300) before the conductive terminal (2) to guide the adapter connector (300) and the housing component (1) to align so that the adapter connector (300) is electrically connected to the second end of the conductive terminal (2).

2. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first guide structure (11) is a guide pin or guide post provided on the housing (1), and the second guide structure (100) is a guide groove or guide hole provided on the adapter (300).

3. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end-feet structure (3) includes a first end-feet (31) disposed on the housing (1), and a receiving groove for accommodating the first end-feet (31) is provided on the external circuit board (200). The first end-feet (31) is limited to the receiving groove of the external circuit board (200) by means of welding, interference fit or snap fit.

4. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floating connector with precise mating at the board end also includes a mounting housing (7). The external circuit board (200) is detachably fixed inside the mounting housing (7) via a first fastener (71). The middle part of the external adapter connector (300) is detachably fixed to the mounting housing (7) via a second fastener (72). The first end of the external adapter connector (300) protrudes into the mounting housing (7) and is plugged into the conductive terminal (2) for conduction. The second end of the external adapter connector (300) protrudes out of the mounting housing (7) to facilitate the plugging and conduction of external mating connectors.

5. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 1, characterized in that: The end-feet structure (3) further includes a fixed pin (32) and a limiting groove (12) provided on the housing (1) for use with the fixed pin (32). One end of the fixed pin (32) is fixedly connected to the external circuit board (200), and the other end of the fixed pin (32) is used to protrude into the limiting groove (12) to limit the housing (1) to the external circuit board (200).

6. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 5, characterized in that: At least two fixing pins (32) are provided, and the two fixing pins (32) are located on both sides of the housing (1). The number of limiting grooves (12) is the same as the number of fixing pins (32).

7. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 5, characterized in that: The other end of the fixed pin (32) is detachably engaged with the limiting groove (12) via an elastic snap-fit ​​structure (4) or an interference fit structure.

8. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 7, characterized in that: The other end of the fixed pin (32) is detachably engaged with the limiting groove (12) via an elastic snap-fit ​​structure (4). The elastic snap-fit ​​structure (4) includes an elastic arm (321) provided on the fixed pin (32). The free end of the elastic arm (321) is provided with an arc-shaped snap-fit ​​protrusion (322). The limiting groove (12) is provided with an inclined portion (121) that abuts against the snap-fit ​​protrusion (322) and an inner groove (122) for accommodating the snap-fit ​​protrusion (322). The elastic arm (321) uses the abutting engagement of the arc-shaped snap-fit ​​protrusion (322) and the inclined portion (121) to allow the snap-fit ​​protrusion (322) to enter the inner groove (122) to achieve the detachable engagement between the fixed pin (32) and the limiting groove (12).

9. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive terminal (2) has a body portion (21) and a second end pin (22) disposed on the body portion (21). The extending direction of the body portion (21) and the extending direction of the second end pin (22) are intersected. The second end pin (22) is located at the first end of the conductive terminal (2) and is used for electrical connection with an external circuit board (200).

10. The floating connector for precise mating at the board end according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing (1) is provided with a floating connector (5), and the second end of the conductive terminal (2) is located inside the floating connector (5). The cross-sectional area of ​​the floating connector (5) is greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the pin (301) of the external adapter connector (300).

Images