connector

Abstract

A connector is provided that solves problems such as insufficient support for terminals of board-to-board connectors, reduced assembly efficiency, and high costs. [Solution] A connector 100 includes a housing 1, a tongue plate 2, and a plurality of contact members 3. The housing has a housing body 11 and a through groove. The through groove has a first open end and a second open end on opposite sides. An accommodating space is defined between the first open end and the second open end. The tongue plate is mounted on the housing and has a first body and a first head portion 22 connected to each other. The contact members are mounted adjacent to the tongue plate and have a first extension portion and a first curved portion. The first extension portion is formed to extend along a first direction and is connected to the first curved portion. When the tongue plate is engaged with the housing body and the contact members are mounted on the tongue plate, the first extension portion is mounted on the first body, and a part of the first curved portion contacts the first head portion.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a board-to-board connector having an integrated housing and tongue plate combination. [Background technology]

[0002] Board-to-board connectors provide electrical connections through connectors installed on printed circuit boards (PCBs). High-speed board-to-board connectors, which can transmit data at high speeds, are currently widely used in various fields, realizing reliable high-speed data transmission in smartphones, 5G communications, industrial automation, and in-vehicle systems. High-speed board-to-board connectors are precisely designed and have excellent signal integrity and low insertion loss. They can ensure high-speed and reliable transmission of data in high-frequency environments. As board-to-board connectors are applied to transmission in high-frequency environments and the application fields expand, improvements are required in the design of connectors and terminal structures. It is necessary to improve the assembly efficiency and accuracy of board-to-board connectors while maintaining high-speed transmission.

[0003] However, in the existing high-speed transmission board-to-board connector, when the connection distance of the connector increases, the length of the connector and its terminal structure also increases. In order to ensure sufficient support, the housing or support member supporting the terminals must usually adopt a two-part or multi-part design that connects back and forth. Although such two-part or multi-part connectors can prevent damage to the connector, they increase the assembly time and production costs.

[0004] SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE In view of the above, the present invention proposes a connector that solves the problems faced by the prior art in the form of insufficient support for the terminals of board-to-board connectors, reduced assembly efficiency, and high costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The objective of the present invention is to provide a board-to-board connector, which includes a housing, a tongue plate, and a contact member. The main feature of the present invention is to adopt an integrated housing and a tongue plate installed in the housing. The connector further has a plurality of restricting structures, which can be firmly engaged when the tongue plate is inserted into the housing. In the connector of the present invention, the contact member is fixed to the tongue plate inside the connector. In addition, the present invention further has a structure of a plurality of stoppers, which can make the connector accurately assembled and improve the stability of the connector. In addition, compared with the prior art connectors with two-part or multi-part housings, the design of the present invention can reduce the number of parts during automated assembly, thereby improving assembly efficiency.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention discloses a connector including a housing, a tongue plate, and a plurality of contact members. The housing includes a housing body and a through groove, the through groove being formed in the housing body, the through groove having a first open end and a second open end formed on opposite sides of the through groove, and an accommodating space is defined between the first open end and the second open end. The tongue plate is installed in the housing, the tongue plate has a first body and a first head portion connected to each other, the first head portion engages with the first open end, and the first body is accommodated in the accommodating space. The contact members are installed adjacent to each other on the tongue plate, the contact members have a first extension portion and a first curved portion, the first extension portion is formed extending along a first direction and is connected to the first curved portion. When the tongue plate is engaged with the housing body and the contact members are installed on the tongue plate, the first extension portion is installed on the first body, and a part of the first curved portion contacts the first head portion.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, the tongue plate has a plurality of receiving grooves extending from the first head portion to the first body, and the first extension portion is received in the receiving grooves.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first head portion has a plurality of first fixed holders, the first curved portion has a first fixed end, and the first fixed end is fixed to each of the first fixed holders.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing has two first guide rails formed symmetrically at one end of the housing body, and the first guide rails guide the tongue plate by accommodating a portion of the first head portion when the tongue plate is inserted into the housing.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, each of the first guide rails has two first recesses and a plurality of second recesses, the second recesses being formed between the first recesses, the first head portion has two first protrusions and a plurality of second protrusions, the second protrusions being formed between the first protrusions, and the first protrusions and the second protrusions engage with the first recesses and the second recesses, respectively.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing has two first locking portions formed on both opposing inner sides of the housing body, and the tongue plate has two first locking members formed on both opposing sides of the first body, the first locking members being located near the first open end and engaging with the first locking portions.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing has two second locking portions formed on both opposing inner sides of the housing body, and the tongue plate has two second locking members formed on both opposing sides of the first body, the second locking members being located near the second open end and engaging with the second locking portions.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, when the tongue plate is installed on the housing, the first body passes through the first opening end and the second opening end in sequence, and the second locking member passes through the first locking portion and abuts against the second locking portion, and the first locking member provides an elastic force, thereby causing the first locking member to abut against the first locking portion.

[0014] In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing has two second guide rails formed symmetrically to each other at the other end of the housing body, and the tongue plate has two protrusions formed on both opposing sides of the first body.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion has a C-shaped structure, and when the tongue plate is inserted into the housing, the protrusion is inserted into and installed in the corresponding second guide rail to guide the tongue plate.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present invention, the housing and the tongue plate define a plurality of insertion grooves and a plurality of insertion portions, the insertion grooves and the insertion portions are formed in the first head portion and the housing body, the shapes of the insertion grooves and the insertion portions are complementary to each other, and when the tongue plate is coupled to the housing, the insertion portions engage with the insertion grooves to restrict the tongue plate to the housing.

[0017] 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 implementation methods described below. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the housing and the tongue plate not yet inserted according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the housing and the tongue plate of the embodiment of the present invention when not inserted from another angle; [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] Schematic diagram showing the tongue plate and the contact member of the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Schematic diagram of the tongue plate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a contact member according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention from a different angle; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the connection relationship between the housing and the tongue plate according to the embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] 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.

[0020] The following description will be made with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are a schematic diagram and an exploded view of a connector 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The connector 100 according to the present invention includes a housing 1, a tongue plate 2, a plurality of contact members 3, and two metal pieces 4. The tongue plate 2 is installed on the housing 1. The contact members 3 are installed adjacent to the tongue plate 2. The metal pieces 4 are inserted and installed on both the left and right sides of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the tongue plate 2 is first assembled and coupled with the contact members 3, and then inserted and installed in the housing 1. Alternatively, the tongue plate 2 can be first inserted and installed in the housing 1 and then coupled with the contact members 3. In this embodiment, the connector 100 is a board-to-board connector, one end of which is installed on a printed circuit board (PCB), and the other end of which is connected to a mating connector (not shown). The mating connector is a floating board-to-board connector. The metal pieces 4 can also enhance the soldering strength of the connector 100. In this embodiment, the metal piece is provided on the housing 1, but it may be provided on the tongue plate 2 according to actual needs, and is not limited thereto.

[0021] Next, the housing 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 6. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 are schematic diagrams showing the housing and the tongue plate of the embodiment of the present invention before insertion. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the connector of the embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6 is a top view of the connector of the embodiment of the present invention. The housing 1 has a housing body 11, a through groove 12, two first guide rails 13, two second guide rails 14, two first locking portions 15, and two second locking portions 16. The through groove 12 is formed in the housing body 11. The through groove 12 has a first opening end 121 and a second opening end 122 formed on both opposing sides of the through groove 12. The tongue plate 2 is installed in the through groove 12. An accommodating space S is defined between the first opening end 121 and the second opening end 122. In detail, as shown in Fig. 3, the first guide rails 13 are formed symmetrically at one end of the housing body 11 and located on the same side as the first opening end 121. Each first guide rail 13 has two first recesses 131 and three second recesses 132. The three second recesses 132 are formed between two first recesses 131. The first recesses 131 and the second recesses 132 are all open recesses. The openings of the symmetrically formed recesses face inward. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the second guide rails 14 are formed symmetrically at the other end of the housing body 11. Each second guide rail 14 is a T-shaped opening. The openings of the symmetrically formed recesses face inward. When the tongue plate 2 is inserted and installed in the housing 1, the first guide rail 13 and the second guide rail 14 can perform a guiding function. Also, in this embodiment, the number of the first recesses 131 and the second recesses 132 of the first guide rail 13 is 2 and 3, respectively, as an example, but the formation position and the number can be adjusted according to the design of the actual connector, and are not limited thereto.

[0022] As described above, as shown in FIG. 5, the first locking portions 15 are formed on both opposing inner sides of the housing body 11. The first locking portions 15 are located near the first opening end 121 and have a groove-like structure. Similarly, the second locking portions 16 are formed on both opposing inner sides of the housing body 11. The second locking portions 16 are located near the second opening end 122 and have a protruding structure. When the tongue plate 2 is inserted into the housing 1 and installed, the first locking portions 15 and the second locking portions 16 function as limiting portions. In this embodiment, the number of the first locking portions 15 and the second locking portions 16 is two each, but the positions and numbers of the first locking portions 15 and the second locking portions 16 can be adjusted according to the design of the actual connector and are not limited thereto.

[0023] Next, the tongue plate 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 5, 7, and 8. The tongue plate 2 is installed in the housing 1. The tongue plate 2 has a first body 21, a first head portion 22, a plurality of accommodation grooves 23, two first locking members 24, two second locking members 25, and two protrusions 26. The first body 21 and the first head portion 22 are connected to each other. The first head portion 22 engages with the first opening end 121. The first body 21 is accommodated in the accommodation space S. The first head portion 22 has a plurality of first fixed holding portions 221, two first protrusions 222, and a plurality of second protrusions 223. As shown in Fig. 7, the first fixed holding portions 221 are formed on both opposing sides of the first head portion 22 that are distant from the first body 21. Meanwhile, the first protrusions 222 and the second protrusions 223 are formed on both opposing sides of the first head portion 22 that are close to the first body 21. As shown in FIG. 8, the second protrusion 223 is formed between the first protrusions 222. The first protrusion 222 and the second protrusion 223 engage with the first recess 131 and the second recess 132, respectively. The accommodation groove 23 extends from the first head portion 22 and is formed in the first body 21. A part of the contact member 3 is accommodated in the accommodation groove 23. A part of the contact member 3 interferes with the first fixed holding portion 221. The first locking member 24, the second locking member 25, and the protrusion 26 are formed on both opposing sides of the first body 21, respectively. The first locking member 24, the second locking member 25, and the protrusion 26 are formed on one side of the first body 21. The first locking member 24 is a bent extension member. An inclined protrusion is formed on the extension member. The first locking member 24 is formed near the first opening end 121. As shown in FIG. 7, the inclined protrusion of the extension member engages with the first locking portion 15, and the second locking member 25 is located near the second opening end 122 and engages with the second locking portion 16. In addition, the protrusion 26 is formed at the end portion close to the second opening end 122 of the first body 21. The protrusion 26 has a C-shaped structure and corresponds to and combines with the T-shaped opening of the second guide rail 14. In addition, in this embodiment, the number of the first locking members 24, the second locking members 25, and the protrusions 26 is two each, but the formation positions and numbers thereof can be adjusted according to the design of the actual connector and are not limited thereto.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, in the engagement state of the housing 1 and the tongue plate 2, the housing 1 and the tongue plate 2 engage with each other so that the flat surfaces abut against each other. Also, the housing 1 and the tongue plate 2 may be engaged in other ways. As shown in FIG. 11, the housing 1 and the tongue plate 2 define a plurality of insertion grooves A and a plurality of insertion parts B. The insertion grooves A and the insertion parts B are formed at the engagement positions of the first head portion 22 and the housing body 11. The insertion grooves A and the insertion parts B on the housing body 11 are alternately arranged, and the insertion grooves A and the insertion parts B on the first head portion 22 are alternately arranged. The insertion grooves A and the insertion parts B have complementary shapes and limit each other. In other words, the structure on the first head portion 22 corresponding to the insertion groove A on the housing body 11 is the insertion part B. Conversely, the structure on the first head portion 22 corresponding to the insertion part B on the housing body 11 is the insertion groove A. In addition, when the housing 1 and the tongue plate 2 are assembled and coupled, the insertion part B is inserted into the insertion groove A, so that the inner and outer structures are mutually restricted. This makes it possible to prevent the tongue plate 2 from being deformed beyond a predetermined position when inserted and installed. In addition, in this embodiment, the number and forming positions of the insertion grooves A and the insertion parts B can be adjusted according to the actual coupling situation, and are not limited thereto.

[0025] Next, the contact member 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 7, 9, and 10. The contact members 3 are adjacently installed on both side surfaces of the tongue plate 2. Each contact member 3 has a first extending portion 31 and a first curved portion 32. The first extending portion 31 is formed extending along the first direction D1. The first extending portion 31 is connected to the first curved portion 32. The first curved portion 32 has a first fixed end 321 formed on the first curved portion 32. The first extending portion 31 is installed in each accommodation groove 23 of the tongue plate 2. A part of the first curved portion 32 is installed in the first head portion 22. The first fixed end 321 is fixed to each first fixed holding portion 221 of the first head portion 22 of the tongue plate 2. In this embodiment, the first extending portion 31 of the contact member 3 is connected to a mating connector. The first curved portion 32 is connected to a printed circuit board (not shown). In addition, in this embodiment, the contact member 3 is illustrated as a signal transmission terminal, but it may also be a combination of a signal transmission terminal and a power terminal, and the type and number of terminals may be adjusted according to the actual usage situation, and are not limited thereto.

[0026] The structure of the connector 100 of the present invention will be described in detail below. As shown in Figures 5, 6 and 10, when the tongue plate 2 is engaged with the housing body 11 of the housing 1 and the contact member 3 is installed on the tongue plate 2, the first extension part 31 of the contact member 3 is installed on the first body 21, and a part of the first curved part 32 contacts the first head part 22. In detail, when the tongue plate 2 is inserted and installed in the housing 1, the first body 21 passes through the first opening end 121 and the second opening end 122 in sequence, and the second locking member 25 passes through the first locking part 15 and abuts on the second locking part 16. The first locking member 24 provides an elastic force, which causes the first locking member 24 to abut on the first locking part 15. When the tongue plate 2 is inserted into the housing 1 at the intended position, the combination of the first locking member 24 and the first locking portion 15, and the second locking member 25 and the second locking portion 16 function as limiting stoppers, thereby preventing the tongue plate 2 from falling off. On the other hand, when the tongue plate 2 is inserted into the housing 1, the first recess 131 and the second recess 132 of the first guide rail 13, and the first protrusion 222 and the second protrusion 223 of the first head portion 22 of the tongue plate 2, are fitted together in a corresponding manner. The first guide rail 13 guides the tongue plate 2 by receiving a part of the first head portion 22. Also, when the tongue plate 2 is inserted into the housing 1, the second guide rail 14 and the protrusion 26 of the tongue plate 2 are fitted together in a corresponding manner. The protrusion 26 is inserted and installed in the second guide rail 14 to guide the tongue plate. The combination of the first guide rail 13 and the first protrusion 222 and the second protrusion 223, and the second guide rail 14 and the protrusion 26, when the tongue plate 2 is inserted into the intended position of the housing 1, serves as a limiting stopper, improving the accuracy and stability during the assembly of the connector parts. In addition, in this embodiment, the first locking member 24 is designed as an elastic locking member. According to the actual assembly needs of the housing 1 and the tongue plate 2, at least one fixed locking structure similar to the first locking member 24 can be formed on the first head part 22. This can increase the limit engagement position when the housing 1 and the tongue plate 2 are assembled. In addition, the through groove 12 may have an alignment guide structure. When the tongue plate 2 is configured to be inserted into the center of the bottom of the housing 1, the tongue plate 2 slides along the direction of the first guide rail 13 and the second guide rail 14 inside the housing 1 to a predetermined position.The elastic lock and fixed lock structure lock in place, thereby preventing the tongue plate 2 from falling off. Meanwhile, the alignment guide structure ensures that the tongue plate 2 is aligned when inserted into the housing, improving the accuracy of part assembly.

[0027] In addition, in the connector 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the housing 1 has an integrated structure. The housing 1 may further include two positioning posts formed on the housing body 11. When the connector is connected to a printed circuit board, the positioning posts perform the functions of positioning and fixing.

[0028] As described above, the connector of the present invention includes a housing, a tongue plate, and a contact member. The contact member is installed only on the tongue plate and is locally fixed to the fixed holding portion of the tongue plate, and does not interfere with the housing. The arrangement of the first guide rail and the protrusion on the first head portion, the second guide rail and the protrusion, the first and second locking members of the tongue plate, and the first and second locking portions of the housing ensures that the tongue plate is positioned at a predetermined position when it is engaged with the housing, which improves the stability and accuracy of the assembly of the connector parts. Therefore, the connector of the present invention can optimally perform the functions of guiding and stopping when the connector parts are assembled in a predetermined position.

[0029] 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]

[0030] 100 Connectors 1. Housing 11 Housing body 12 Through groove 121 1st opening end 122 2nd open end 13 First guide rail 131 First recess 132 Second recess 14 Second guide rail 15 First locking portion 16 Second locking part 2. Tongue Plate 21 First Body 22 First head section 221 1st fixed holding part 222 1st protrusion 223 Second protrusion 23 Storage Groove 24 First locking member 25 Second locking member 26 Protrusion 3 Contact members 31 1st extension section 32 First curved section 321 1st fixed end 4 metal pieces A Insertion groove B Insertion part D1 1st direction S Storage space

Claims

1. A connector, a housing having a housing body and a through groove, the through groove being formed in the housing body, the through groove having a first open end and a second open end formed on opposite sides of the through groove, and an accommodating space being defined between the first open end and the second open end; a tongue plate that is installed on the housing and has a first body and a first head portion that are connected to each other, the first head portion engaging with the first open end, and the first body being received within the receiving space; a plurality of contact members disposed adjacent to the tongue plate, each having a first extending portion and a first curved portion, the first extending portion being formed to extend along a first direction and connected to the first curved portion; A connector, wherein when the tongue plate is engaged with the housing body and the contact member is placed on the tongue plate, the first extension portion is placed on the first body and a portion of the first curved portion contacts the first head portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the tongue plate has a plurality of accommodating grooves formed extending from the first head portion to the first body, and the first extension portion is accommodated in the accommodating grooves.

3. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the first head portion has a plurality of first fixed holding portions, the first curved portion has a first fixed end, and the first fixed end is fixed to each of the first fixed holding portions.

4. The connector of claim 1, characterized in that the housing has two first guide rails formed symmetrically at one end of the housing body, and the first guide rails guide the tongue plate by receiving a portion of the first head portion when the tongue plate is inserted into the housing.

5. 5. The connector of claim 4, wherein each of the first guide rails has two first recesses and a plurality of second recesses, the second recesses being formed between the first recesses, the first head portion has two first protrusions and a plurality of second protrusions, the second protrusions being formed between the first protrusions, and the first protrusions and the second protrusions engage with the first recesses and the second recesses, respectively.

6. The connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that the housing has two first locking portions formed on both opposing inner sides of the housing body, the tongue plate has two first locking members formed on both opposing sides of the first body, and the first locking members are located near the first opening end and engage with the first locking portions.

7. The connector of claim 6, characterized in that the housing has two second locking portions formed on both opposing inner sides of the housing body, the tongue plate has two second locking members formed on both opposing sides of the first body, the second locking members being located near the second opening end and engaging with the second locking portions.

8. The connector described in claim 7, characterized in that when the tongue plate is inserted and installed into the housing, the first body passes through the first opening end and the second opening end in sequence, and the second locking member passes through the first locking portion and abuts against the second locking portion, and the first locking member provides an elastic force whereby the first locking member abuts against the first locking portion.

9. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing has two second guide rails formed symmetrically to each other at the other end of the housing body, and the tongue plate has two protrusions formed on opposite side surfaces of the first body.

10. The connector of claim 9, characterized in that the protrusion has a C-shaped structure, and when the tongue plate is inserted into the housing, the protrusion is inserted and installed into the corresponding second guide rail to guide the tongue plate.

11. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the housing and the tongue plate define a plurality of insertion grooves and a plurality of insertion portions, the insertion grooves and the insertion portions are formed in the first head portion and the housing body, the shapes of the insertion grooves and the insertion portions are complementary to each other, and when the tongue plate is coupled to the housing, the insertion portions engage with the insertion grooves to restrict the tongue plate to the housing.

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