Conductive terminal, housing and connector

Abstract

Conductive terminals, housings, and connectors are disclosed. A conductive terminal comprises: a terminal body having a cable end configured to be connected to a wire and a terminal end configured to be engaged with the housing, the terminal body comprising a bending portion at the terminal end, the bending portion having a protruding locking member on its top; the locking member being adapted to be engaged with the housing such that the conductive terminal and the housing are locked together and the locking member is exposed from the housing. The conductive terminal of the disclosure can be mated with a housing to obtain a connector with visible locking / unlocking.It is easy for a user to check whether the conductive terminal is inserted and locked in the correct position in the housing, thus improving the user experience and locking / unlocking efficiency.

Description

FIELD OF DISCLOSUREThe disclosure relates to the field of connectors, and more particularly to conductive terminals, housings, and connectors.BACKGROUNDIn the prior art, when a conductive terminal is inserted into a housing, a locking mechanism is required to accommodate the conductive terminal in an appropriate position in the housing and prevent it from being pulled out of the housing to establish a reliable electrical connection. For example, Chinese Patent Application No. 202010709154.3, entitled "Housing for Installing Terminals and a Connector", discloses a locking mechanism provided inside the bottom surface of a housing for preventing a terminal from being pulled out of the housing.However, when a conductive terminal is inserted into a housing, a locking mechanism is not visible because the locking mechanism is disposed at the bottom, and it is not easy for a user to check whether the conductive terminal is inserted and locked in place.Accordingly, there is a need for an improved conductive terminal as well as a corresponding housing.SUMMARYThe disclosure provides conductive terminals, housings, and connectors to address at least some of the above-referenced disadvantages of the prior art.In a first aspect of the disclosure, a conductive terminal suitable for mating installation in a housing is provided. The conductive terminal comprises: a terminal body having a cable end configured to be connected to a wire and a terminal end configured to be engageable with the housing, the terminal body comprising a bent portion at the terminal end, the bent portion having a protruding locking member at an upper surface thereof; the locking member being configured to mate with the housing such that the conductive terminal and the housing are locked together and the locking member protrudes from the housing.According to the aforementioned first aspect, as described above, the conductive terminal may further include one or more of the following preferred forms.In some preferred forms, the bend portion is formed by bending one end of the terminal body reversely away from the cable end at an angle of more than 90 degrees.In some preferred forms, the conductive terminal further comprises a restricting part extending from at least one of both sides of the terminal body to prevent at least a part of the upper surface of the bent portion from moving in the housing.In some preferred forms, at least a portion of the top surface of the flexure portion is configured to be biased to release a latch connection between the conductive terminal and the housing.In some preferred forms, the conductive terminal further comprises an expansion member extending from at least one of both sides of the terminal body, the expansion member adapted to cooperate with the housing such that the conductive terminal is clamped in the housing.In a second aspect of the disclosure, a housing suitable for mating installation with a conductive terminal is provided. The housing comprises: a body, the body having a receiving cavity for receiving the conductive terminal, and the top of the body having a locking hole extending to the receiving cavity; wherein the locking hole is configured to cooperate with a bent portion of the conductive terminal to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together and expose a portion of the bent portion of the conductive terminal.According to the above-mentioned second aspect, as described above, the housing may further comprise one or more of the following preferred forms.In some preferred forms, one or more protruding ribs are provided on the inner wall of the bottom of the housing, and the one or more ribs are configured to cooperate with the bottom of the conductive terminal.In some preferred forms, at least one or more ribs extend into the receiving cavity.In some preferred forms, the housing further comprises two opposing side portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and an end of at least one of the two side portions extends and extends outwardly to form a guide structure.In some preferred forms, the housing further comprises two opposing side portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and at least one of the two side portions is provided with a clamping portion that is inwardly recessed, the clamping portion being adapted to clamp the conductive terminal when the conductive terminal is received in the receiving cavity.In some preferred forms, the housing further comprises a blocking portion located between the top and bottom of the body and disposed adjacent an end of the receiving cavity, the blocking portion configured to prevent the conductive terminal from leaving or entering the housing from the end of the receiving cavity.In a third aspect of the disclosure, a connector is provided. The connector includes: a conductive terminal according to the aforementioned first aspect; and a housing according to the aforementioned second aspect, wherein the locking member of the conductive terminal is adapted to mate with the locking hole of the housing and is exposed from the locking hole to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together.In a fourth aspect of the disclosure, a conductive terminal suitable for mating installation in a housing is provided. The conductive terminal includes: a terminal body having a cable end configured to be connectable to a wire and a terminal end configured to be engageable with the housing, the terminal body including an engagement portion at the terminal end, the terminal portion having a locking hole at an upper surface thereof; the locking hole being adapted to be engageable with the housing and partially exposed from the housing to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together.According to the above-mentioned fourth aspect, as described above, the conductive terminal may further include one or more of the following preferred forms.In some preferred forms, the connecting portion includes a bent portion formed by reversing an end of the terminal body bent at an angle greater than 90 degrees away from the cable end.In some preferred forms, the conductive terminal further comprises a restricting member extending from at least one of both sides of the terminal body to prevent at least a part of the upper surface of the terminal portion from moving in the housing.In some preferred forms, at least a portion of the top surface of the terminal portion is configured to be biased to release a latch connection between the conductive terminal and the housing.In some preferred forms, the conductive terminal further comprises an expansion member extending from at least one of the two sides of the terminal body, the expansion member adapted to cooperate with the housing such that the conductive terminal is clamped within the housing.In a fifth aspect of the disclosure, a housing suitable for mating installation with a conductive terminal is provided. The housing comprises: a body, the body having a receiving cavity for receiving the conductive terminal, and the top of the body having an opening extending to the receiving cavity, the opening defining a locking member extending to the receiving cavity; wherein the locking member is adapted to mate with the top of the conductive terminal to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together and expose a portion of the top of the conductive terminal from the opening.In some preferred forms, one or more protruding ribs are provided on the inner wall of the bottom of the housing, and the one or more ribs are configured to cooperate with the bottom of the conductive terminal.In some preferred forms, at least one of the one or more ribs extends into the receiving cavity.In some preferred forms, the housing further comprises two opposing side panel portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and an end of at least one of the two side panel portions extends and extends outwardly to form a guide structure.In some preferred forms, the housing further comprises two opposing side portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and at least one of the two side portions is provided with a clamping portion that is inwardly recessed, the clamping portion being adapted to clamp the conductive terminal when the conductive terminal is received in the receiving cavity.In some preferred forms, the housing further comprises a blocking portion located between the top and bottom of the body and disposed adjacent an end of the receiving cavity, the blocking portion being adapted to prevent the conductive terminal from leaving or entering the housing from the end of the receiving cavity.In a sixth aspect of the preferred forms, a connector is provided. The connector includes: a conductive terminal according to the aforementioned fourth aspect; and a housing according to the aforementioned fifth aspect, wherein the locking member of the housing is configured to mate with the locking hole of the conductive terminal to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together and a part of the locking hole of the conductive terminal is exposed from the opening of the housing.Compared to the prior art, the conductive terminal and housing of the disclosure may mate to achieve a visible latch / unlatch connector. The user can easily check whether the conductive terminal is inserted and locked in place in the housing, thereby improving the user experience and locking / unlocking efficiency.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSVarious embodiments are illustrated and explained below with reference to the attached figures. The figures serve to illustrate the basic principle, so that only the aspects necessary for understanding the basic principle are presented. It should be noted that the figures are not drawn to scale and that the use of the same reference numerals in different figures indicates similar or identical features. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a conductive terminal according to embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example housing according to embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example connector including the conductive terminal of FIG. 1 and the housing of FIG. 2 according to embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another example of a conductive terminal according to embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another example housing according to embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another example connector including the conductive terminal of FIG. 4 and the housing of FIG. 5 according to embodiments of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONDetails of the preferred embodiments will be described below with reference to the figures which form part of the invention. The figures illustrate specific embodiments of the invention by way of example only, and the illustrated embodiments are not intended to present an exhaustive list of embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the following description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the appended claims.As mentioned above, when a conductive terminal is inserted into a housing, a locking mechanism is not visible when the locking mechanism is disposed at the bottom, so that it is not easy for a user to check whether the conductive terminal is inserted in place and locked in the housing.In view of the above problems, the present disclosure provides a conductive terminal and a housing each having a locking mechanism on the upper side, and a connector including such a conductive terminal and a housing. Specifically, a locking hole is disposed on the top of the conductive terminal or the housing, and a locking member is disposed on the top of the other terminal or the housing. When the conductive terminal is inserted into the housing, the locking member is fitted into the locking hole to achieve locking between the housing and the conductive terminal, and this locking can be easily observed. Moreover, the locking member can be released from the locking hole by biasing the top surface of the conductive terminal to achieve unlocking between the housing and the conductive terminal, and such unlocking can be easily observed.Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, there is shown an embodiment of a connector in which a locking hole is disposed on the top of a housing and a locking member is disposed on the top of a conductive terminal. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a conductive terminal 100 aaccording to embodiments of the disclosure, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a housing 200 aaccording to embodiments of the disclosure, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an example of a connector 300 aincluding the conductive terminal of FIG. 1 and the housing of FIG. 2.As shown in FIG. 1, the conductive terminal 100 aincludes a terminal body 101 aextending between a cable end 102 aand a terminal end 103 a. The cable end 102 ais configured to be connectable to a wire (e.g., a conductive wire such as a cable or an electrical wire), and the terminal end 103 ais configured to mate with a housing (e.g., the housing 200 aof FIG. 2 or a similar housing, etc.). For example, the terminal end 103 aof the conductive terminal 100 ais disposed near the front side of the terminal body 101 a, and the cable end 102 ais disposed near the back side of the terminal body 101 a. The terminal body 101 aincludes a bent portion 104 aat the terminal end 103 a, and the upper side 106 aof the bent portion 104 ahas a protruding locking member 105 a. The locking member 105a is adapted to mate with the housing such that the conductive terminal 100a is locked to the housing and the locking member 105a projects from the housing.As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 200 aincludes a body 201 a. The body 201a has a receiving cavity 206a for receiving a conductive terminal (e.g., the conductive terminal 100a of FIG. 1 or a similar conductive terminal, etc.), and the top surface 202a of the body 201a has a locking hole 204a extending to the receiving cavity 206a. The locking hole 204a is configured to cooperate with a bent portion of a conductive terminal (e.g., the conductive terminal 100a of FIG. 1 or a similar conductive terminal, etc.) to lock the conductive terminal to the housing 200a together and expose a portion of the bent portion of the conductive terminal.As shown in FIG. 3, the connector 300 aincludes the conductive terminal 100 aof FIG. 1 and the housing 200 aof FIG. 2 for proper installation with the conductive terminal 100 a. The locking member 105 aat the top surface 106 aof the conductive terminal 100 ais adapted to mate with the locking hole 204 aat the top surface 202 aof the housing 200 a, such that the conductive terminal 100 aand the housing 200 aare locked to each other and the locking member 105 ais exposed from the locking hole 204 a. For example, at least a portion of the terminal end 103 aof the conductive terminal 100 amay be inserted into the receiving cavity 206 aalong a first direction L 1 (i.e., a normal insertion direction of the conductive terminal), as shown in FIG. 2, such that the locking member 105 ais fitted (e.g., by snap-fitting, etc.) into the locking hole 204 ato achieve visible locking. It is understood that the locking element 105 ais not limited to the shape of the locking protrusion of FIG. 1, but may also have other shapes, such as an elastic locking arm (e.g., an integrated elastic arm or separate elastic arms), etc.According to the conductive terminal 100 aof FIG. 1, the housing 200 aof FIG. 2, and the connector 300 aof FIG. 3, the conductive terminal may mate with the housing to achieve a visible latch connector. It is convenient for a user to check whether the conductive terminal is inserted and locked in place when the conductive terminal is inserted into the housing, thereby improving user experience and locking efficiency.In the example of FIG. 1, the bending portion 104 amay be formed by bending an end of the terminal body 101 ain reverse away from the cable end 102 aat an angle greater than 90 degrees (e.g., 180 degrees or other angles), e.g., by bending in reverse from the bottom of the terminal body 101 aor in some other way. For example, after bending back, the conductive terminal 100 amay be generally V-shaped, U-shaped, or in other various shapes. For example, the bending back of the conductive terminal 100 acan easily form a longer bending portion 104 ato ensure sufficient contact between the housing and the conductive terminal 100 awhen they are in contact. Moreover, the bending portion 104 amay be elastic to provide sufficient elastic force when the housing and the conductive terminal 100 aare in pressure contact so as to be in full contact and a stable electrical connection is achieved.In the example of FIG. 1, the conductive terminal 100 amay further include restricting parts 110 a, 111 aextending from at least one of both sides of the terminal body 101 ato restrict the movement of at least a part of the bending portion 104 ain the housing. For example, the delimiting part can be arranged on at least one side of the bending section. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the restricting parts 110 a, 111 aare disposed at the terminal end 103 a, and when the conductive terminal 100 ais inserted into the housing 200 aalong the first direction L 1, the upper surface 106 acan be prevented from moving further along the first direction L 1 in the accommodation cavity 206 aof the housing 200 a, thereby preventing the conductive terminal 100 afrom being inserted into the housing 200 aa too far. For example, at least a portion of the top surface 106 a(e.g., an end 107 aof the top surface 106 a) is not inserted into the receiving cavity 206 a, and a portion of the top portion 106 a, which is located forward of the end 107 a, is prevented from moving further in the receiving cavity 206 aalong the first direction L 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, at least one of the restricting parts 110 a, 111 amay extend upward from the terminal body 101 aside to a height such that the (upper) height of at least one of the restricting parts 110 a, 111 ais higher than the (upper) height of the housing 200 aor the accommodation cavity 206 awhen the conductive terminal 100 ais inserted into the housing 200 a. Moreover, the restricting parts 110 a, 111 acan facilitate a user to hold the conductive terminal when performing the locking or unlocking between the conductive terminal 100 aand the housing 200 ato operate the conductive terminal more reliably.In the example of FIG. 1, at least a portion of the top surface 106 aof the flexure portion 104 a(e.g., the end 107 aof the top surface 106 a) may be configured to be biased to disengage the latching connection between the conductive terminal 100 aand the housing 200 a. For example, the top side 106 aof the bending portion 104 amay be adapted to be elastically deformed. When the conductive terminal 100 ais inserted into the housing 200 a(e.g., along the first direction L 1), the end 107 amay be biased downward. While the locking member 105a is aligned with the locking hole 204a of the housing 200a, the bias downward is released to cause the top surface 106a to jump upward, so that the locking member 105a is received in the locking hole 204a to lock the conductive terminal 100a and the housing 200a to each other and to prevent the conductive terminal 100a from being pulled out of the housing 200a, thereby achieving a stable and secure connection. When the conductive terminal 100 aand the housing 200 aare locked to each other, the end 107 amay be biased downward to release the locking connection, and the conductive terminal 100 amay be pulled out of the housing 200 a(e.g., along a second direction L 2 opposite to the first direction L 1, i.e., a normal pulling-out direction of the conductive terminal). In this way, visible locking / unlocking can be easily achieved, thereby improving user experience and locking / unlocking efficiency. In some examples, the end 107 aof the top surface 106 amay be disposed at an angle relative to another portion of the top surface 106 a. For example, the end 107 amay be generally horizontal and the other portion of the top surface 106 amay extend obliquely to the end 107 a.In the example of FIG. 1, the conductive terminal 100 amay further include expansion parts 108 a, 109 aextending from at least one of the two sides of the terminal body 101 a, and the expansion parts 108 a, 109 amay be adapted to cooperate with the housing 200 asuch that the conductive terminal 100 ais clamped in the housing 200 a. For example, the expansion part can be arranged on at least one side of the bending section. For example, the expansion portions 108 a, 109 amay extend outward from both sides of the terminal body 101 ato contact or engage the sidewall of the receiving cavity 206 aof the housing 200 ato clamp the conductive terminal 100 a(e.g., at least a portion of the terminal end 103 a) in the receiving cavity 206 aand thereby achieve a secure connection.As shown in FIG. 1, the restriction parts 110 a, 111 aare located between the expansion parts 108 a, 109 aand the components at the cable end.The cable end 102a is configured to be terminated to a wire. In the example of FIG. 1, the cable end 102 forms a crimping portion configured to be crimped to a wire end. The terminal body 101 aincludes one or more sets of crimping arms 112 a, 113 aat the cable end 102 a. The crimp arm may be initially placed in an open state defining a channel. Any number of sets of crimp arms 112a, 113a may be provided. During manufacture, the crimping arms 112a, 113a are crimped to a wire by a crimping operation. In an alternative embodiment, cable end 102a may be connected to the wire by an alternative device, not limited herein. For example, the cable end 102 amay include a cylindrical portion for crimping or may be soldered to the wire, etc.In the example of FIG. 2, the housing 200 amay also include one or more protruding ribs 208 a(two ribs are shown in the figure, for purposes of illustration only and not limitation) disposed on the inner wall of the bottom 203 aof the body 201 a, and the ribs 208 amay be adapted to cooperate (e.g., contact or engagement, etc.) with the bottom of the conductive terminal 100 a(e.g., the bottom of the terminal body 101 a). Thus, a conductive contact and no surface contact can be made between the conductive terminal 100a and the housing 200a, and the bonding is more secure and reliable because the bonding area between the conductive terminal and the housing is smaller. For example, at least one of the one or more ribs 208 amay extend into the receiving cavity 206 a. For example, at least one rib 208 amay be disposed fully within the receiving cavity 206 aor partially within the receiving cavity 206 aand partially outside the receiving cavity 206 a.Optionally, the bottom of the terminal body 101a of the conductive terminal 100a may have a groove matching the rib 208 to provide additional guidance when the conductive terminal 100a enters or exits the housing 200a. Alternatively, the bottom of the terminal body 101 aof the conductive terminal 100 amay be substantially flat.In the example of FIG. 2, the housing 200 amay further include two opposing side portions 211 a, 212 alocated between the top 202 aand the bottom 203 aof the body 201 a.An end of at least one of the two side portions 211 a, 212 amay be extended and extended outwards to form a guiding structure 207 a. As such, the guiding structure 207 amay form a tapered opening to achieve a guiding effect when the conductive terminal 100 aengages or leaves the housing 200 a.At least one of the two side portions 211 a, 212 ais provided with a clamping portion 205 athat is inwardly recessed, and the clamping portion 205 amay be adapted to clamp the conductive terminal 100 awhen the conductive terminal 100 ais accommodated in the accommodation cavity 206 a. For example, the clamping portion 205 amay have the shape of an elastic arm, and when the mating end of the conductive terminal 100 ais inserted into the receiving cavity 206 aof the housing 200 a, the clamping portion 205 amay expand outward and clamp the conductive terminal 100 a(e.g., the expansion parts 108 a, 109 a).In the example of FIG. 2, the housing 200 amay further include blocking portions 209 a, 210 alocated between the top 202 aand the bottom 203 aof the body 201 aand disposed adjacent to an end of the receiving cavity 206 a. For example, a first end of the receiving cavity 206 amay be provided with blocking portions 209 a, 210 ato prevent the conductive terminal 100 afrom being excessively inserted into and pulled out of the first end of the receiving cavity 206 awhen the conductive terminal 100 ais inserted from an opening at a second end of the receiving cavity 206 aalong the first direction L 1. Moreover, the blocking portions 209 a, 210 amay also prevent the conductive terminal 100 afrom being inserted into the receiving cavity 206 aalong the second direction L 2 to avoid an erroneous insertion operation.In the example of FIG. 2, the blocking portions 209 aand 210 amay be formed by extending inward from the two side portions 211 aand 212 atoward an end of the accommodation cavity 206 a. In other examples, the blocking portions may also be formed by extending upwardly from the bottom 203 aof the housing 200 atoward an end of the receiving cavity 206 a.Referring now to Figures 4 to 6, there is shown an embodiment of a connector in which a locking hole is disposed on the top of a conductive terminal and a locking member is disposed on the top of a housing. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another example of a conductive terminal 100 bin accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another example of a housing 200 bin accordance with embodiments of the disclosure, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another example of a connector 300 bincluding the conductive terminal 100 bof FIG. 4 and the housing 200 bof FIG. 5.As shown in FIG. 4, the conductive terminal 100 bincludes a terminal body 101 bextending between a cable end 102 band a terminal end 103 b. The cable end 102 bis configured to be connectable to a wire (e.g., a conductive wire such as a cable or an electrical wire), and the terminal end 103 bis configured to mate with a housing (e.g., the housing 200 bof FIG. 5 or a similar housing, etc.). For example, the terminal end 103 bof the conductive terminal 100 bis disposed near the front side of the terminal body 101 b, and the cable end 102 bis disposed near the back side of the terminal body 101 b. The terminal body 101 bincludes a terminal portion 104 blocated at the terminal end 103 b, and the upper surface 106 aof the terminal portion 104 bhas a locking hole 105 b. The locking hole 105 bis configured to mate with the housing and partially protrude from the housing to lock the conductive terminal 100 aand the housing together.As shown in FIG. 5, the housing 200 bincludes a body 201 b. The body 201 bhas a receiving cavity 206 bfor receiving a conductive terminal (e.g., the conductive terminal 100 bof FIG. 4 or a similar conductive terminal, etc.), and the top 202 bof the body 201 bhas an opening 204 bextending to the receiving cavity 206 b. The opening 204 bdefines a locking member 213 bextending toward the receiving cavity 206 b. The locking member 213 bis configured to cooperate with the top surface of the conductive terminal (e.g., the conductive terminal 100 bof FIG. 4 or a similar conductive terminal, etc.) to lock the conductive terminal to the housing 200 band expose the mating portion at the top surface of the conductive terminal from the opening 204 b.As shown in FIG. 6, connector 300 bincludes conductive terminal 100 bof FIG. 4 and housing 200 bof FIG. 5 for proper installation with conductive terminal 100 b. The locking member 213 bon the upper surface 202 bof the housing 200 bis adapted to mate with the locking hole 105 bon the upper surface 106 bof the conductive terminal 100 bsuch that the conductive terminal 100 band the housing 200 bare locked to each other and a part of the locking hole 105 bis exposed from the opening 204 b. For example, at least a portion of the opposite end 103 bof the conductive terminal 100 bmay be inserted into the receiving cavity 206 balong a first direction L1' (i.e., a normal conductive terminal insertion direction), as shown in FIG. 4, such that the locking member 213 bis fitted (e.g., snapped, etc.) into the locking hole 105 band at least a portion of the locking hole 105 bis exposed from the opening 204 bto achieve visible locking. It is understood that the locking element 213 bis not limited to the locking protrusion of FIG. 1, but may also have other shapes, such as an elastic locking arm (e.g., an integrated elastic arm or separate elastic arms), etc.For example, the opening 204 bmay define holes 214 b, 215 bextending to the receiving cavity 206 bon at least one side of the locking member 213 bto expose at least a portion of the locking hole 105 bwhen the locking member 213 bis inserted into the locking hole 105 b. In the example of FIG. 5, the opening 204 bis shown as a transverse "I". It should be appreciated that the opening 204 bmay also be a transverse "T" shape (e.g., a side defines an exposed hole) or other various shapes suitable for exposing the locking hole 105 b(e.g., a longitudinal "I" shape, "T" shape, etc.), which is not limited herein.According to the conductive terminal 100 bof FIG. 4, the housing 200 bof FIG. 5, and the connector 300 bof FIG. 6, the conductive terminal may mate with the housing to achieve a visible latch connector. It is convenient for a user to check whether the conductive terminal is inserted and locked in place when the conductive terminal is inserted into the housing, thereby improving user experience and locking efficiency.In the example of FIG. 4, similar to the bending portion 104 adescribed above with respect to FIG. 1, the terminal portion 104 bmay be formed by bending an end of the terminal body 101 btoward the cable end 102 bin an angle greater than 90 degrees (e.g., 180 degrees or other angles) in reverse. In other examples, the terminal portion 104 bmay be formed in other ways, which is not limited herein. For example, the top surface 105 bof the terminal portion 104 bmay be elastic to provide sufficient elastic force when the housing and the conductive terminal 100 bare in pressure contact so as to be in full contact and a stable electrical connection is achieved.In the example of FIG. 4, similar to the limiting parts 110 a, 111 adescribed above with reference to FIG. 1, the conductive terminal 100 bmay further include limiting parts 110 b, 111 bextending from at least one of the two sides of the terminal body 101 bto limit the movement of at least a part of the terminal portion 104 bin the housing. For example, the delimiting part can be located on at least one side of the counterpart.Similar to at least a portion of the top surface 106 aof the bent portion 104 adescribed above with respect to FIG. 1 (e.g., the end 107 aof the top surface 106 a), at least a portion of the top surface 106 bof the terminal portion 104 b(e.g., the end 107 bof the top surface 106 b) may be adapted to be biased to release the interlock connection between the conductive terminal 100 band the housing 200 b. For example, the top side 106 bof the terminal portion 104 bmay be elastically deformed. When the conductive terminal 100 bis inserted into the housing 200 b(e.g., along the first direction L1'), the end 107 bmay be biased downward. While the locking member 213b is aligned with the locking hole 105b of the conductive terminal 100b, the downward bias is released to cause the upper part 106b to jump up, so that the locking member 213b is received in the locking hole 105b to lock the conductive terminal 100b and the housing 200b to each other and prevent the conductive terminal 100b from pulling out of the housing 200b, thereby achieving a stable and secure connection. When the conductive terminal 100 band the housing 200 bare locked together, the end 107 bmay be biased downward to release the locking connection and allow the conductive terminal 100 bto be pulled out of the housing 200 b(e.g., along a second direction L2' opposite to the first direction L1', i.e., a normal pulling-out direction of the conductive terminal).In the example of FIG. 4, similar to the expansion parts 108 a, 109 adescribed above with reference to FIG. 1, the conductive terminal 100 bmay further include expansion parts 108 b, 109 bextending from at least one of the both sides of the terminal body 101 b, and the expansion parts 108 b, 109 bmay be adapted to cooperate with the housing 200 bsuch that the conductive terminal 100 bis clamped in the housing 200 b. For example, the expansion part can be arranged on at least one side of the connection section.The cable end 102 bof FIG. 4 is similar to the cable end 102 aof FIG. 1 and will not be described in more detail here.In the example of FIG. 5, similar to the rib 208 adescribed above with respect to FIG. 2, the housing 200 bmay also include one or more protruding ribs 208 b(two ribs are shown in the figure, for illustrative purposes only and not for limiting purposes) disposed on the inner wall of the bottom 203 bof the body 201 b. The ribs 208 bmay be configured to cooperate (e.g., contact or engagement, etc.) with the bottom of the conductive terminal 100 b(e.g., the bottom of the terminal body 101 b), which will not be described in detail herein.In the example of FIG. 5, the housing 200 bmay further include two opposing side portions 211 b, 212 blocated between the top 202 band the bottom 203 bof the body 201 b.In the example of FIG. 5, the housing 200 bmay include a guiding structure 207 b, which is similar to the guiding structure 207 adescribed above with reference to FIG. 2, wherein the guiding structure 207 bis formed on at least one side portion 211 b, 212 b, which will not be described in detail.In the example of FIG. 5, the housing 200 bmay include a clamping portion 205 b, which is similar to the clamping portion described above with respect to FIG. 2, wherein the clamping portion 205 bis formed on at least one side portion 211 b, 212 b, which will not be described in detail.In the example of FIG. 5, the housing 200 bmay include blocking portions 209 b, 210 bformed similar to the blocking portions 209 a, 210 adescribed above with respect to FIG. 2, which will not be described in detail.As shown in FIGS. 1-6, in the illustrated embodiments, the entire conductive terminals 100a, 100b and housings 200a, 200b may be a single metal part made of a single metal sheet. For example, a single metal sheet may be processed into the conductive terminal 100 aof FIG. 1, the conductive terminal 100 bof FIG. 4, the housing 200 aof FIG. 2, and the housing 200 bof FIG. 5 by methods such as punching, bending, or the like.While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, these embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications, additions or deletions may be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedCN 202010709154.3

[0002]

Claims

A conductive terminal suitable for mating installation in a housing, the conductive terminal comprising: a terminal body having a cable end configured to be connectable to a wire and a terminal end configured to mate with the housing, the terminal body comprising a bent portion at the terminal end, the bent portion having a protruding locking member at a top thereof; wherein the locking member is configured to mate with the housing such that the conductive terminal and the housing are locked together and the locking member is exposed from the housing.The conductive terminal according to claim 1, wherein the bent portion is formed by bending reversely an end of the terminal body away from the cable end at an angle of more than 90 degrees.The conductive terminal of claim 1, further comprising: a restricting part extending from at least one of both sides of the terminal body to restrict at least a part of the upper surface of the bending portion from moving into the housing.The conductive terminal of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the flexure portion is configured to be biased to release a latch connection between the conductive terminal and the housing.The conductive terminal of claim 1, further comprising: an expansion part extending from at least one of both sides of the terminal body, the expansion part being adapted to cooperate with the housing such that the conductive terminal is clamped in the housing.A housing suitable for mating installation with a conductive terminal, the housing comprising: a body, the body having a receiving cavity for receiving the conductive terminal, and the top of the body having a locking hole extending into the receiving cavity; wherein the locking hole is configured to cooperate with a bent portion of the conductive terminal to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together and expose a portion of the bent portion of the conductive terminal.The housing of claim 6, wherein one or more protruding ribs are provided on the inner wall of the bottom of the housing, and the one or more ribs are adapted to cooperate with the bottom of the conductive terminal.The housing of claim 6, wherein at least one of the one or more ribs extends into the receiving cavity.The housing of claim 6, further comprising: two opposing side portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and an end of at least one of the two side portions expands and extends outward to form a guide structure.The housing of claim 6, further comprising: two opposing side portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and at least one of the two side portions is provided with a clamping portion that is inwardly recessed, the clamping portion adapted to clamp the conductive terminal when the conductive terminal is received in the receiving cavity.The housing of claim 6, further comprising: a blocking portion located between the top and bottom of the body and disposed adjacent an end of the receiving cavity, the blocking portion configured to prevent the conductive terminal from exiting or entering the housing from the end of the receiving cavity.A connector suitable for the connection of a wire, the connector comprising: a conductive terminal as defined in any one of claims 1 to 5; a housing as defined in any one of claims 6 to 11, wherein the locking member of the conductive terminal is adapted to mate with the locking hole of the housing and to be exposed from the locking hole to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together.A conductive terminal suitable for mating installation in a housing, the conductive terminal comprising: a terminal body having a cable end configured to be connectable to a wire and a terminal end configured to mate with the housing, the terminal body comprising a terminal portion at the terminal end, the terminal portion having a locking hole at a top thereof; wherein the locking hole is configured to mate with the housing and partially protrude from the housing to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together.The conductive terminal of claim 13, wherein the terminal portion comprises a bent portion formed by bending reversely an end of the terminal body away from the cable end at an angle of more than 90 degrees.The conductive terminal of claim 13, further comprising: a restriction member extending from at least one of the two sides of the terminal body to prevent at least a portion of the top surface of the terminal portion from moving into the housing.The conductive terminal of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the terminal portion is adapted to be biased to release a latch connection between the conductive terminal and the housing.The conductive terminal of claim 13, further comprising: an expansion part extending from at least one of both sides of the terminal body, the expansion part being adapted to cooperate with the housing such that the conductive terminal is clamped in the housing.A housing suitable for mating installation with a conductive terminal, the housing comprising: a body, the body having a receiving cavity for receiving the conductive terminal, and the top of the body having an opening extending to the receiving cavity, the opening defining a locking member extending to the receiving cavity; wherein the locking member is configured to mate with the top of the conductive terminal to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together, and a portion of the top of the conductive terminal is exposed from the opening.The housing of claim 18, wherein one or more protruding ribs are provided on the inner wall of the bottom of the body, and the one or more ribs are adapted to cooperate with the bottom of the conductive terminal.The housing of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more ribs extends into the receiving cavity.The housing of claim 18, further comprising: two opposing side portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and an end of at least one of the two side portions extends and extends outward to form a guide structure.The housing of claim 18, further comprising: two opposing side portions located between the top and bottom of the body, and at least one of the two side portions is provided with a clamping portion that is inwardly recessed, wherein the clamping portion is configured to clamp the conductive terminal when the conductive terminal is received in the receiving cavity.The housing of claim 18, further comprising: a blocking portion located between the top and bottom of the body and disposed adjacent an end of the receiving cavity, the blocking portion adapted to prevent the conductive terminal from leaving or entering the housing from the end of the receiving cavity.A connector suitable for connecting a wire, the connector comprising: a conductive terminal as defined in any one of claims 13 to 17, a housing as defined in any one of claims 18 to 23, wherein the locking member of the housing is configured to mate with the locking hole of the conductive terminal to lock the conductive terminal and the housing together and a part of the locking hole of the conductive terminal is exposed from the opening of the housing.

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