A connector with a function of distributing or converging

Abstract

The utility model discloses a connector with the function of shunting or confluence, it includes plastic shell, install several metal terminal groups in the plastic shell, waterproof glue and set up in the plastic shell one end plastic back cover, plastic shell one end is provided with the insertion cavity, and the other end is provided with the accommodation groove, the metal terminal group includes the conducting strip that sets up in the accommodation groove and at least three conducting terminals that one end installs on the conducting strip and the other end stretches into the insertion cavity, wherein at least one conducting terminal is connected in one end of the conducting strip, and at least two conducting terminals are spaced apart and connected in the other end of the conducting strip, waterproof glue fills in the accommodation groove, and plastic back cover covers the waterproof glue in the accommodation groove. The utility model ensures that the current is clear in the shunting or confluence process, and the distribution is accurate, which significantly reduces the overall volume of the connector, and meets the demand of modern high-power small-size electronic products.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of connector technology, and in particular relates to a connector with splitting or merging functions. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional connectors typically achieve a simple "one-to-one" connection. However, in high-current, high-power applications such as energy storage, automobiles, and rail transit, directly using a single large wire and connector can lead to many technical and engineering challenges: (1) Limited current carrying capacity of a single conductor: When the current is large enough (e.g., hundreds of amperes), very thick wires are required. Thick wires are not only bulky and rigid, making wiring and installation difficult, but also the crimping and connection of their terminals become very difficult, making it hard to guarantee reliability; (2) Thermal management issues: When a large current passes through a single conductor, the presence of resistance will generate concentrated Joule heat. If the heat cannot be dissipated in time, it will lead to excessively high local temperatures, accelerating aging and even causing failures; (3) Reliability issues of connection points: Loosening, corrosion, or poor contact of a single high-current connection point can cause a surge in resistance at that point, generating dangerously high temperatures and becoming a single point of system failure.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies incorporate connectors that shunt and combine current. For example, the vehicle-mounted multi-channel signal connector disclosed in Chinese Utility Model Patent Publication CN204668662 U includes a socket. The socket comprises a housing and a fixed-impedance PCB board fixedly installed within the housing. The housing has an opening at its front end and two openings at its rear end, with six pins connected to the fixed-impedance PCB board in each opening. The soldered pin contacts allow current to flow in through one opening at the front and out through two openings at the rear, achieving current shunting. Conversely, current flowing in through the two rear openings and out through the front opening allows current to converge. However, in this design, the current flows in from one end of the housing and out from the other, making it a T-connector. This achieves a "physical branching of the circuit," with multiple pins in each opening. During shunting or converging, current flows in and out from multiple pins, leading to uneven current distribution. It does not achieve current shunting or converging management and also results in a complex housing structure and a large overall socket size, making it unsuitable for the needs of modern high-power, small-size electronic products.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a connector with splitting or merging functions to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of this invention is to provide a connector with current splitting or current combining functions, which ensures that the current has a clear path and is accurately distributed during the current splitting or current combining process, significantly reducing the overall size of the connector and meeting the needs of modern high-power and small-size electronic products.

[0006] This utility model achieves the above objective through the following technical solution: a connector with splitting or merging functions, comprising: The plastic housing has a plug-in cavity at one end and a receiving groove at the other end; A plurality of metal terminal assemblies are provided and are all inserted into the plastic housing. Each metal terminal assembly includes a conductive sheet disposed in the receiving groove and at least three conductive terminals, one end of which is mounted on the conductive sheet and the other end of which extends into the insertion cavity. At least one of the conductive terminals is connected to one end of the conductive sheet, and at least two of the conductive terminals are connected at intervals to the other end of the conductive sheet. Waterproof adhesive, which is filled into the receiving groove; A plastic back cover is disposed at one end of the plastic housing and covers the waterproof adhesive within the receiving groove.

[0007] Furthermore, four metal terminal groups are provided, and each metal terminal group includes three conductive terminals.

[0008] Furthermore, the conductive sheet has one mounting hole at one end and two mounting holes at the other end.

[0009] Furthermore, the conductive terminal is fixed inside the mounting hole by laser welding.

[0010] Furthermore, the two adjacent metal terminal groups are arranged symmetrically at the center.

[0011] Furthermore, the conductive terminals installed at the front end of the conductive sheets are located on the same straight line, and the conductive terminals installed at the rear end of the conductive sheets are located on the same straight line, forming two rows of conductive terminals evenly arranged front and back.

[0012] Furthermore, the plastic housing is provided with a plurality of mounting slots for mounting the conductive terminals, and the plurality of mounting slots are arranged in two rows, one in front of the other.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the conductive terminals is provided with a fixing barb that snaps into the mounting groove.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model of a connector with splitting or merging functions are as follows: (1) Excellent electrical performance, achieving efficient and precise current management: active current distribution and collection. Through the internally integrated conductive sheet, the connector achieves active current management based on Kirchhoff's current law, which ensures that the current path is clear and the distribution is precise during the current splitting or merging process; low connection impedance and loss. The conductive terminals and conductive sheets are fixed by laser welding, forming a stable and low-resistance metallic connection. Compared with the traditional elastic contact or mechanical crimping, this connection method significantly reduces the contact resistance and overall impedance, thereby reducing energy loss and heat generation, and improving system energy efficiency, especially suitable for high current application scenarios; (2) Significant structural optimization, high density, modular and compact design: extremely high space utilization and miniaturization. By adopting a centrally symmetrical layout of the four metal terminal groups and cleverly wiring with right-angled triangular conductive sheets, the twelve conductive terminals can be neatly arranged into two compact rows. This design maximizes the use of the internal space of the plastic shell and significantly reduces the overall volume of the connector, which is in line with the development trend of high power density in modern electronic devices. The modular design provides flexibility. The four independently set metal terminal groups constitute a modular unit. Users can flexibly choose to use one or more groups according to the actual current capacity and channel number requirements, which enhances the convenience and adaptability of product application and avoids waste of resources. (3) Excellent mechanical and environmental reliability: The robust mechanical fixation, through the cooperation of the fixing barbs and the mounting groove, achieves reliable fixation in the plastic housing, which can effectively prevent axial movement and loosening under plugging or vibration environment, and ensure the long-term stability of the connection; Strong environmental protection capability, by filling the rear receiving groove with waterproof glue and adding a plastic back cover, a full-range sealed protection is formed for the internal conductive sheet and solder joint. This design can effectively prevent the intrusion of water vapor, dust and corrosive gases, and greatly improve the long-term durability and safety reliability of the connector in harsh environments (such as automobiles, outdoor energy storage); Therefore, through its integrated conductive sheet design, compact symmetrical layout, and reliable laser welding and sealing technology, this connector successfully integrates a complex external current distribution network into a single connector. It is not just a simple connecting component, but a high-performance, highly reliable, and miniaturized "power management module" that can meet the stringent requirements of energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and rail transportation for high current handling, space saving, environmental adaptability, and long-term reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the connector with splitting or merging functions according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an exploded structural diagram of a connector with splitting or merging functions according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plastic shell according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of several metal terminal groups in an embodiment of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of current shunting using the metal terminal group in an embodiment of this utility model. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the principle of current convergence using the metal terminal group in an embodiment of this utility model. The numbers in the diagram represent: 100 - Connector with splitting or merging function; 1-Plastic housing, 11-Insertion cavity, 12-Accommodation groove, 13-Mounting groove; 2-Metal terminal group, 21-Conductive terminal, 21a-First conductive terminal, 21b-Second conductive terminal, 21c-Third conductive terminal, 22-Conductive sheet, 221-Mounting hole; 3-Waterproof adhesive; 4-Plastic back cover. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Please refer to Figures 1-6 This embodiment is a connector 100 with splitting or merging functions, which includes: The plastic housing 1 has a plug-in cavity 11 at one end and a receiving groove 12 at the other end; Metal terminal group 2, which is provided in several parts and is inserted into plastic housing 1. Each metal terminal group 2 includes a conductive sheet 22 disposed in the receiving groove 12 and at least three conductive terminals 21 with one end mounted on the conductive sheet 22 and the other end extending into the insertion cavity 11. At least one conductive terminal 21 is connected to one end of the conductive sheet 22, and at least two conductive terminals 21 are connected at intervals to the other end of the conductive sheet 22. Waterproof adhesive 3 is filled into the receiving groove 12; A plastic back cover 4 is disposed at one end of the plastic housing 1 and covers the waterproof adhesive 3 in the receiving groove 12.

[0017] In this embodiment, a total of four metal terminal groups 2 are provided. Each metal terminal group 2 includes three conductive terminals 21 and a conductive sheet 22 fixed to one end of each of the three conductive terminals 21. Therefore, a total of four conductive sheets 22 and twelve conductive terminals 21 are provided. Both the conductive terminals 21 and the conductive sheets 22 are made of conductive metal materials. The multiple metal terminal groups 2 provided allow for various selections during use. The appropriate metal terminal group 2 can be selected according to actual needs, which can improve the convenience of use.

[0018] The conductive sheet 22 is roughly in the shape of a right-angled triangle, with one mounting hole 221 at one end and two mounting holes 221 at the other end. In this embodiment, the conductive terminal 21 is fixed in the mounting holes 221 by laser welding, thereby achieving a fixed installation of the conductive terminal 21 and the conductive sheet 22, ensuring installation accuracy and reducing impedance. In other embodiments, the conductive terminal 21 and the conductive sheet 22 may also adopt other fixing methods, which are not limited here.

[0019] Each conductive sheet 22 has one conductive terminal 21 installed at one end and two conductive terminals 21 installed at the other end. Adjacent metal terminal groups 2 are arranged symmetrically, meaning that adjacent conductive sheets 22 and the conductive terminals 21 on the conductive sheets 22 are arranged symmetrically, so that the twelve conductive terminals 21 are evenly arranged in two rows, with six conductive terminals 21 in each row. Specifically, the arrangement is as follows: The first metal terminal group 2 has two conductive terminals 21 installed at the front end of the conductive sheet 22 and one conductive terminal 21 installed at the rear end; The conductive sheet 22 of the second metal terminal group 2 has a conductive terminal 21 installed at the front end and two conductive terminals 21 installed at the rear end; The conductive sheet 22 of the third metal terminal group 2 has two conductive terminals 21 installed at the front end and one conductive terminal 21 installed at the rear end; The fourth metal terminal group 2 has a conductive terminal 21 installed at the front end of the conductive sheet 22 and two conductive terminals 21 installed at the rear end; Several conductive terminals 21 installed at the front end of several conductive plates 22 are located on the same straight line, and several conductive terminals 21 installed at the rear end of several conductive plates 22 are located on the same straight line, so that several conductive terminals 21 form two rows evenly arranged front and back, which facilitates the insertion of conductive terminals 21 into the plastic housing 1. The structure is compact and can reduce the volume of the plastic housing 1, thereby reducing the volume of the connector.

[0020] In other embodiments, the number of metal terminal groups 2, the number of conductive terminals 21 contained in each metal terminal group 2, the arrangement direction of the conductive sheets 22, and the arrangement of the conductive terminals 21 are not limited and can be adjusted according to the actual situation.

[0021] The plastic housing 1 has several mounting slots 13 for mounting conductive terminals 21, which are arranged in two rows.

[0022] Each conductive terminal 21 is provided with a retaining barb that engages with the mounting groove 13 to secure the conductive terminal 21 within the mounting groove 13 and prevent axial movement of the conductive terminal 21. The retaining barb is existing technology and can be used with existing designs, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0023] During connector assembly, all conductive terminals 21 are inserted from one end of the receiving groove 12 through the mounting groove 13 into one end of the insertion cavity 11. The fixing barbs on the conductive terminals 21 are engaged in the mounting groove 13 to fix the conductive terminals 21 in the mounting groove 13. Then, conductive sheets 22 are laser-welded to the ends of the three conductive terminals 21 as a group. Next, waterproof adhesive 3 is filled into the receiving groove 12 to ensure the waterproof performance of the connector. Finally, the plastic back cover 4 is fastened to the tail of the plastic shell 1 to complete the connection assembly.

[0024] The principle of current shunting and converging is explained in detail below: If each metal terminal group 2 is provided with three conductive terminals 21, namely the first conductive terminal 21a, the second conductive terminal 21b, and the third conductive terminal 21c, and each conductive sheet 22 has one conductive terminal 21 installed at one end and two conductive terminals 21 installed at the other end, for example, the first conductive terminal 21a is fixed at one end of the conductive sheet 22, and the second conductive terminal 21b and the third conductive terminal 21c are fixed at the other end of the conductive sheet 22. Figure 5 As shown, if current flows into the first conductive terminal 21a, its current value is A1. Then, the current is split by the conductive sheet 22 into two paths, flowing into the second conductive terminal 21b and the third conductive terminal 21c respectively, thus achieving current splitting. The currents flowing into the second conductive terminal 21b and the third conductive terminal 21c are A2 and A3 respectively, and A1 = A2 + A3; Figure 6 As shown, if current flows in from the second conductive terminal 21b and the third conductive terminal 21c, the currents are respectively A. 22 With A 33 Then, the current is converged through the conductive sheet 22 into a single current that flows into the first conductive terminal 21a, thus achieving current convergence. The current flowing into the first conductive terminal 21a is A. 11 And A 22 +A 33 =A 11 .

[0025] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this utility model, and all such modifications and improvements fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A connector with splitting or merging functions, characterized in that, It includes: The plastic housing has a plug-in cavity at one end and a receiving groove at the other end; A plurality of metal terminal assemblies are provided and are all inserted into the plastic housing. Each metal terminal assembly includes a conductive sheet disposed in the receiving groove and at least three conductive terminals, one end of which is mounted on the conductive sheet and the other end of which extends into the insertion cavity. At least one of the conductive terminals is connected to one end of the conductive sheet, and at least two of the conductive terminals are connected at intervals to the other end of the conductive sheet. Waterproof adhesive, which is filled into the receiving groove; A plastic back cover is disposed at one end of the plastic housing and covers the waterproof adhesive within the receiving groove.

2. A connector with splitting or merging function as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The metal terminal group is provided in four parts, and each metal terminal group includes three conductive terminals.

3. A connector with splitting or merging function as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The conductive sheet has one mounting hole at one end and two mounting holes at the other end.

4. A connector with splitting or merging function as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The conductive terminal is fixed in the mounting hole by laser welding.

5. A connector with splitting or merging function as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The two adjacent metal terminal groups are arranged symmetrically at the center.

6. A connector with splitting or merging function as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The conductive terminals installed at the front end of the conductive sheets are located on the same straight line, and the conductive terminals installed at the rear end of the conductive sheets are located on the same straight line, forming two rows of conductive terminals evenly arranged front and back.

7. A connector with splitting or merging function as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The plastic housing has several mounting slots for installing the conductive terminals, and the mounting slots are arranged in two rows, one in front of the other.

8. A connector with splitting or merging function as described in claim 7, characterized in that: Each of the conductive terminals is provided with a retaining barb that snaps into the mounting groove.

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