Modular Connectors

Abstract

To provide a modular connector that is mounted on a printed circuit board and has a degree of freedom in combination of signal modules and power modules. [Solution] A modular connector 100 includes at least one signal module 1, a plurality of power modules 2, and a cover member 3. The signal module includes a first insulating housing 11 and a plurality of first contact members 12. Each of the power modules includes a second insulating housing 21 and a plurality of second contact members 22. The signal module is removably assembled between the power modules. The mating connector has a plurality of signal contact members and a plurality of power contact members. When the connectors are mated, the signal contact members and the power contact members contact the first contact members and the second contact members, respectively, so that the modular connector can transmit signals and currents simultaneously.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular connector, and more particularly to a modular connector having a power module and a signal module. [Background technology]

[0002] Board-to-board connectors are common electronic connectors that can connect two circuit boards and realize the transmission of signals, data and power. Especially in the automotive field, it is necessary to transmit high-current power and signals. However, the design of traditional board-to-board connectors has certain limitations, such as the fixed design of plug connectors and socket connectors, where the contact positions of signal terminals and power terminals are fixed. As the market demand for board-to-board connectors continues to increase, the number of terminals on the connector and the flexibility of installation also need to be adjusted to meet the needs of various applications.

[0003] Current board-to-board connector designs have several inherent deficiencies. First, the terminal positions are fixed, which limits the flexibility of the connector and makes it difficult to adapt to circuit boards of different sizes and layouts, resulting in design and layout limitations and potentially increasing system complexity and cost. In addition, the fixed connector design is susceptible to mechanical stress, which is prone to damage to the connector, especially when mated and unmated frequently, reducing the reliability and service life of the system. In addition, the assembly speed of traditional connectors is slow, which limits production efficiency and increases costs. It is necessary to improve production efficiency to meet market demand, especially for mass production. In cases where high current needs to be transmitted in automotive applications, traditional connector designs may not be able to meet the high current demand, resulting in performance limitations and safety hazards.

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides a modular connector for board-to-board connection, which can solve the problems of the prior art board-to-board connectors, such as the inability to adjust the position of the terminals, low assembly efficiency, and high temperature generation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The objective of the present invention is to provide a modular connector, which includes a signal module and a power module. The signal module and the power module are both installed on a printed circuit board. The signal module and the power module have corresponding engaging parts for engaging with each other. Users can assemble a modular connector having different numbers of modules through the engaging parts based on actual usage demands. In addition, each independent module can be freely assembled and / or disassembled. Thus, the modular connector can be quickly assembled. The number of terminals for connecting signals and power is highly flexible.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention discloses a modular connector that is installed on a printed circuit board and mated with a mating connector. The modular connector includes at least one signal module, a plurality of power modules, and a cover member. The signal module includes a first insulating housing and a plurality of first contact members. The first contact members are installed in the first insulating housing and are arranged adjacent to each other along a first direction. Each of the power modules includes a second insulating housing and a plurality of second contact members. The second contact members are installed in the second insulating housing and are arranged adjacent to each other along the first direction. The signal module is removably assembled between the power modules. The mating connector has a plurality of signal contact members and a plurality of power contact members.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, the signal module has two first engagement portions, and the power module has at least one second engagement portion, the first engagement portions are formed on opposite sides of the first insulating housing, respectively, and the second engagement portion is formed at one end of the second insulating housing adjacent to the signal module, and the first engagement portion engages with the second engagement portion.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the modular connector further includes a cover member, which is installed at one end of the first insulating housing away from the printed circuit board, and the cover member has a main body and a plurality of extensions, which are formed by extending from the main body along a second direction, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first insulating housing has a first housing body and a plurality of first accommodating grooves, which are installed in the first housing body and accommodate a portion of the first contact member, and the second insulating housing has a second housing body and a plurality of second accommodating grooves, which are installed in the second housing body and accommodate a portion of the second contact member.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first insulating housing has a plurality of recesses, the recesses are formed on opposite sides of the first housing body, and the extensions are disposed in engagement with the recesses.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the power supply module has a fastening member, the second insulating housing has a through hole, the through hole is formed on one side of the second housing body that does not contact the signal module, and the fastening member is installed in the through hole.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first contact member has a first fixed portion and a first contact portion, the second contact member has a second fixed portion and at least one second contact portion, the first fixed portion and the second fixed portion are respectively installed in the first accommodating groove and the second accommodating groove, and when the modular connector and the mating connector are mated, the first contact portion and the second contact portion contact the signal contact member and the power contact member, respectively.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the second contact members are disposed in pairs in the second receiving grooves.

[0014] In another embodiment of the present invention, the at least one signal module is a plurality of signal modules, and the signal modules and the power modules are arranged in a staggered manner.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first contact member has a first solder terminal, the second contact member has at least one second solder terminal, and the first solder terminal and the second solder terminal are soldered to a printed circuit board.

[0016] Those skilled in the art will be able to understand other objects, implementation means and embodiments of the present invention by referring to the drawings and the embodiments described below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a modular connector in a mated state according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a modular connector in an unmated state according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] Schematic diagram of the mating connector of the first embodiment of the present invention [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the mating connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention from a different viewing angle; [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a modular connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a modular connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention from another perspective; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the mating connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the modular connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a power module and a signal module of a mating connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a power module and a signal module of a modular connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a second contact member according to the first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the second contact member in contact with the first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a second contact member according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] Schematic diagram of a modular connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention [Figure 15] 4 is a schematic diagram of a modular connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The contents of the present invention will be described below through examples. Note that the examples of the present invention are examples of embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention to the environments, applications, or specific aspects described in the examples. Therefore, the explanation of the examples is intended to explain the present invention, but does not limit the present invention. Note that in the embodiments and drawings, components that are not directly related to the present invention are omitted and not shown. The dimensional relationship between the components in the drawings is intended to facilitate understanding, and does not limit the actual dimensions.

[0019] Description will be made with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a modular connector 100 in a mated state according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a modular connector 100 in a non-mated state according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figures 3 and 5 are schematic diagrams of a mating connector 200 and a modular connector 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, respectively. The modular connector 100 of the present invention is installed on a printed circuit board 300 and mated with the mating connector 200. The mating connector 200 is installed on another printed circuit board 300. The mating connector 200 has a number of signal contact members 201 and a number of power contact members 202. In the embodiment of the present invention, the modular connector 100 is specifically a socket connector. The mating connector 200 is specifically a plug connector, which mated with the modular connector 100. The two connectors have roughly the same structure, and both can transmit signals and power. The modular connector 100 includes a signal module 1, two power modules 2, and a cover member 3. In this embodiment, the signal module 1 is detachably assembled between the power modules 2. The cover member 3 is installed at one end of the signal module 1, away from the printed circuit board 300. In more detail, in this embodiment, the arrangement of the signal module 1 and the power module 2 is exemplified as power-signal-power, but the connection positions and the number of modules can be adjusted according to actual usage demands and are not limited thereto.

[0020] The signal module 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 8. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the modular connector 100 from another viewing angle. FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the modular connector 100. The signal module 1 includes a first insulating housing 11, a plurality of first contact members 12, and two first engagement portions 13. The first contact members 12 are installed in the first insulating housing 11 and are arranged adjacent to each other in the first insulating housing 11 along the first direction D1. The first engagement portions 13 are formed on both opposing sides of the first insulating housing 11. In detail, the first insulating housing 11 has a first housing body 111, a plurality of first accommodating grooves 112, and four recesses 113. The first accommodating grooves 112 are installed in the first housing body 111 and accommodate a part of the first contact members 12. The recesses 113 are formed on both opposing sides of the first housing body 111. Two recesses 113 are formed on each side. The cover member 3 is disposed in engagement with the recesses 113. Furthermore, the positions and number of the recesses 113 can be adjusted according to the actual situation, and are not limited thereto.

[0021] In detail, each of the first contact members 12 includes a first fixing portion 121, a first contact portion 122, and a first solder terminal 123. When the first contact members 12 are installed in the first accommodating grooves 112, the first fixing portion 121 is installed in the first accommodating grooves 112. The first solder terminals 123 are soldered to the printed circuit board 300. When the modular connector 100 is in a mated state, the first contact portion 122 contacts a portion of the signal contact member 201.

[0022] Next, the power supply module 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, the power supply module 2 includes a second insulating housing 21, a plurality of second contact members 22, a second engagement portion 23, and a fastening member 24. The second contact members 22 are installed in the second insulating housing 21 and are arranged adjacent to each other in the second insulating housing 21 along the first direction D1. The second engagement portion 23 is formed at one end of the second insulating housing 21 close to the signal module 1. The second engagement portion 23 engages with the first engagement portion 13 to connect the adjacent signal module 1 and / or the power supply module 2. In detail, the second insulating housing 21 has a second housing body 211, three second accommodating grooves 212, and a through hole 213. The second accommodating groove 212 is installed in the second housing body 211 and accommodates a part of the second contact member 22. The through hole 213 is formed on one side of the second housing body 211 that does not contact the signal module 1, and accommodates the fastening member 24. By soldering the fastening member 24 to the printed circuit board 300, the modular connector 100 can be stably mounted on the printed circuit board 300. In addition, the formation positions and the number of the through holes 213 can be adjusted according to the actual situation, and are not limited thereto.

[0023] Specifically, each of the second contact members 22 includes a second fixing portion 221, a second contact portion 222, and two second solder terminals 223. When the second contact members 22 are installed in the second receiving grooves 212, the second fixing portion 221 is installed in the second receiving grooves 212. The second solder terminals 223 are soldered to the printed circuit board 300. When the modular connector 100 is in a mated state, the second contact portion 222 contacts a portion of the power contact member 202 to form an electrical connection of the modular connector 100. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 11, and FIG. 12, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the second contact members 22 are installed in the second receiving grooves 212 in pairs. In other words, the second contact members 22 are installed in each second receiving groove 212 in pairs. The two second contact portions 222 of the second contact member 22 contact and clamp the power contact member 202 of the mating connector 200. In addition, each of the second contact members 22 has two second solder terminals 223. When a current passes through the second solder terminals 223, since multiple distributed solder terminals are provided, the second solder terminals are less likely to become hot even when a large current passes through the connector, and thus have a superior heat dissipation effect.

[0024] 13, in the second embodiment of the present invention, a second contact member 22 is installed in the second receiving groove 212 and bent in two directions to form a plurality of second fixing portions 221 and a plurality of second contact portions 222. The second contact member 22 has a second solder terminal 223.

[0025] 5 and 8, the cover member 3 includes a main body 31 and four extensions 32. The extensions 32 are formed to extend from the main body 31 along a second direction D2. The second direction D2 is perpendicular to the first direction D1. The extensions 32 engage with the recesses 113 of the first insulating housing 11. The positions and number of the extensions 32 can be adjusted according to actual conditions and are not limited thereto.

[0026] Further, the combination method of the signal module 1 and the power module 2 of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the two first engagement parts 13 formed on both sides of the first insulating housing 11 are engaged with the corresponding second engagement parts 23 of the second insulating housing 21. The first engagement parts 13 and the second engagement parts 23 each have a groove and / or an engagement block structure. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the first engagement parts 13 on both sides are grooves and engagement blocks, and the second engagement parts 23 corresponding to the first engagement parts 13 which are grooves have an engagement block structure. Meanwhile, the second engagement parts 23 corresponding to the first engagement parts 13 which are engagement blocks have a groove structure. In addition, in the third embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 14, the first engagement parts 13 on both sides have a symmetrical groove structure. The second engagement parts 23 corresponding to the first engagement parts 13 which are grooves are both engagement block structures. Note that the structure of the first engagement parts 13 and the second engagement parts 23 can be adjusted according to the actual situation and are not limited thereto. In addition, the combination direction of the first engagement portion 13 and the second engagement portion 23 in this embodiment includes a combination direction along the second direction D2 or a combination direction along a third direction D3 perpendicular to the second direction D2 (not shown).

[0027] In the fourth embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 15, the number of signal modules 1 is two, and the number of power modules 2 is three. The signal modules 1 and the power modules 2 are arranged in a staggered manner. Specifically, the power module 2 sandwiched between the two signal modules 1 has two second engagement parts 23. The two second engagement parts 23 are formed on both sides of the second insulating housing 21 and are respectively combined with the first engagement parts 13 of the adjacent signal modules 1. When the current passes through the modular connector 100, due to the existence of multiple distributed power modules, the temperature is not likely to become high even when a large current passes through, and this combination also has a better heat dissipation effect. Specifically, in this embodiment, the signal module 1 and the power module 2 are arranged in the form of power-signal-power-signal-power, but the connection position and the number of modules can be adjusted according to the actual usage demand, and are not limited thereto.

[0028] Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 7, the mating connector 200 of the present invention differs from the modular connector 100 in that the structural designs of the signal module 1, the power module 2, and the cover member 3 are slightly different. Below, only the differences are described, and the same technical contents are omitted. The signal contact member 201 of the mating connector 200 is arranged corresponding to the first contact member 12 of the signal module 1 of the modular connector 100. The power contact member 202 of the mating connector 200 is arranged corresponding to the second contact member 22 of the power module 2 of the modular connector 100. In each embodiment of the present invention, one power contact member 202 is provided, and in different embodiments, one power contact member 202 can contact a set of one (see Fig. 13) or two power contact members can contact a set of two (see Fig. 12) second contact members 22.

[0029] As mentioned above, the modular connector of the present invention has a combination of a signal module and a power module, and the mating parts of the signal module and the mating parts of the power module are mated with each other, so that the user can select and use different numbers of modules according to the actual signal and power demands during connection. The number and structure of the mating parts to be connected can also be adjusted. In this way, the modular connector can be customized and detachably assembled into modules, which can improve the assembly efficiency and reduce the high temperature caused by the passage of a large current.

[0030] The above examples are for explaining the embodiments of the present invention and for explaining the characteristic configurations of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above examples. Modifications or equivalent arrangements that can be easily made by those skilled in the art are also within the scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the rights of the present invention is based on the scope of the utility model registration claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 100 Modular Connectors 200 Mating Connector 201 Signal contact member 202 Power supply contact member 300 Printed Circuit Board 1 Signal Module 11 First insulating housing 111 First housing body 112 First storage ditch 113 Recess 12 First contact member 121 1st fixed part 122 1st contact part 123 First solder terminal 13 First engagement portion 2 Power Supply Module 21 Second insulating housing 211 Second housing body 212 Second storage ditch 213 Through hole 22 second contact member 221 2nd fixed part 222 2nd contact part 223 Second solder terminal 23 Second engagement portion 24 Fastening member 3 Cover member 31 Main unit 32 Stretching section D1 1st direction D2 2nd direction D3 Third direction

Claims

1. A modular connector that is installed on a printed circuit board and mated with a mating connector, at least one signal module having a first insulating housing and a plurality of first contact members, the first contact members being mounted on the first insulating housing and arranged adjacent to each other along a first direction; a plurality of power supply modules each having a second insulating housing and a plurality of second contact members, the second contact members being mounted on the second insulating housing and arranged adjacent to each other along the first direction; the signal module is detachably assembled between the power supply modules; The mating connector is a modular connector having a plurality of signal contact members and a plurality of power contact members.

2. 2. The modular connector of claim 1, wherein the signal module has two first engagement portions and the power module has at least one second engagement portion, the first engagement portions being formed on opposite sides of the first insulating housing, the second engagement portion being formed at one end of the second insulating housing adjacent to the signal module, and the first engagement portion engaging with the second engagement portion.

3. The modular connector further includes a cover member. the cover member is disposed at one end of the first insulating housing away from the printed circuit board, the cover member having a main body and a plurality of extensions; 3. The modular connector of claim 2, wherein the extension is formed to extend from the body along a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction.

4. The first insulating housing has a first housing body and a plurality of first receiving grooves, The first receiving groove is disposed in the first housing body and receives a portion of the first contact member; the second insulating housing has a second housing body and a plurality of second receiving grooves; 4. The modular connector of claim 3, wherein the second receiving groove is disposed within the second housing body and receives a portion of the second contact member.

5. The first insulating housing has a plurality of recesses; The recesses are formed on opposite sides of the first housing body, The modular connector of claim 4 , wherein the extension is disposed in engagement with the recess.

6. The power supply module has a fastening member, The second insulating housing has a through hole. the through hole is formed on one side of the second housing body that does not contact the signal module, The modular connector of claim 5, wherein the fastening member is disposed in the through hole.

7. the first contact member has a first fixed portion and a first contact portion; the second contact member has a second fixed portion and at least one second contact portion; The first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are respectively disposed in the first receiving groove and the second receiving groove, 7. The modular connector of claim 6, wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion contact the signal contact member and the power contact member, respectively, when the modular connector and the mating connector are mated.

8. 5. The modular connector according to claim 4, wherein the second contact members are disposed in pairs in the second receiving grooves.

9. 9. The modular connector of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal module is a plurality of the signal modules, and the signal modules and the power modules are arranged in a staggered manner.

10. the first contact member having a first solder terminal; the second contact member having at least one second solder terminal; 10. The modular connector of claim 9, wherein the first solder terminal and the second solder terminal are soldered to the printed circuit board.

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