Conductive terminals, insulating housings and connectors

Abstract

To provide a conductive terminal that avoids a problem of reduced conductivity due to inability to secure to the insulating housing, guarantees contact reliability of a conductive terminal, and provides good guidance in a process of attaching the conductive terminal to the insulating housing.SOLUTION: A conductive terminal 200 configured to be attached to an insulating housing of a connector includes a mating portion 210 that is located at the front of the conductive terminal 200 and fit into the mating terminal of the mating connector, crimping portions 220 and 230 configured to be located at the rear of the conductive terminal 200, and crimp a wire, and a block portion 240 configured to be located between the mating portion 210 and the crimping portions 220 and 230, and limit the movement of the conductive terminal along the longitudinal direction in the insulating housing, and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in cooperation with the insulating housing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to conductive terminals and connectors including the conductive terminals. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, the conductive terminals of commonly used wire terminal connectors are crimped, and the conductive terminals are assembled into the insulating housing of the connector after crimping. Generally, there is no fixing structure between the conductive terminals and the insulating housing, so the conductive terminals cannot be fixed to the insulating housing, resulting in vertical or longitudinal displacement (e.g., wobbling). Therefore, during the assembly process of the conductive terminals and mating them with the male and female connectors, the conductive terminals are prone to tilting, resulting in reduced conductivity. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] In consideration of the problem of reduced conductivity of the conductive terminal caused by the inability to fix the conductive terminal to the insulating housing due to the lack of a fixing structure between the conductive terminal and the insulating housing, the present invention provides a conductive terminal, an insulating housing for a connector, and a connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] An aspect of the present invention provides a conductive terminal configured to be attached to an insulating housing of a connector, the conductive terminal including: a mating portion located at a front portion of the conductive terminal and configured to mate with a mating terminal of a mating connector; a crimping portion located at a rear portion of the conductive terminal and configured to crimp a wire; and a blocking portion located between the mating portion and the crimping portion and configured to cooperate with the insulating housing to limit movement of the conductive terminal in the longitudinal direction and in directions perpendicular to the longitudinal direction within the insulating housing.

[0005] In an embodiment, the block portion comprises a first portion extending from at least one of opposite sides of the conductive terminal.

[0006] In an embodiment, the block portion further comprises a second portion extending from the first portion, at least a portion of the second portion being disposed obliquely relative to the first portion.

[0007] In an embodiment, the outer surface of the second portion is configured to cooperate with the inner surface of the insulating housing.

[0008] In an embodiment, the outer surface of the second portion is configured to cooperate with the inner surface of the insulating housing.

[0009] In an embodiment, the second portion is configured to be at least partially received in a groove in the insulating housing such that an outer surface of the second portion cooperates with an inner surface of the groove.

[0010] In an embodiment, the second portion includes a flange extending outwardly from an end thereof.

[0011] In an embodiment, the contour of the outer surface of the second portion is at least partially complementary to the contour of the inner surface of the insulating housing.

[0012] In an embodiment, the outer surface of the second portion has a straight or curved cross section.

[0013] In an embodiment, the end of the second portion abuts the fitting or is located above the fitting.

[0014] In an embodiment, the crimping portion includes a first crimping portion configured to crimp onto the bare conductor of the wire and a second crimping portion located behind the first crimping portion and configured to crimp onto the outer insulation of the wire.

[0015] In an embodiment, at least one of the first crimping portion and the second crimping portion comprises a U-shaped base and a pair of flanks extending from opposite sides of the U-shaped base.

[0016] In an embodiment, the mating portion of the conductive terminal defines an insertion cavity and has a pair of resilient contact arms configured to clamp a mating terminal inserted into the insertion cavity.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention provides an insulating housing for a connector configured to receive a conductive terminal, the insulating housing including a cooperating portion configured to cooperate with a blocking portion of the conductive terminal according to the aforementioned aspect of the present invention to limit movement of the conductive terminal in a longitudinal direction and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction within the insulating housing.

[0018] Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a connector comprising an insulating housing and a conductive terminal mounted in the insulating housing, the conductive terminal being in accordance with a previous aspect of the present invention, the insulating housing including a cooperating portion that cooperates with a blocking portion of the conductive terminal to limit movement of the conductive terminal in a longitudinal direction and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction within the insulating housing.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has a fixing structure between the conductive terminal and the insulating housing, which avoids the problem of reduced conductivity caused by the inability to fix the conductive terminal to the insulating housing, ensures the reliability of the contact of the conductive terminal, and provides good guidance during the process of attaching the conductive terminal to the insulating housing.

[0020] Various embodiments will be illustrated and described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings serve to illustrate basic principles, so only aspects necessary for understanding the basic principles are shown. Please note that the drawings are not to scale, and the same reference numerals in different drawings indicate similar or identical features. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a connector having conductive terminals and an insulating housing according to the prior art; [Figure 2]1 is a perspective view of a conductive terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an insulating housing of a connector and cooperation between the insulating housing and the conductive terminals according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the conductive terminal of FIGS. 2 and 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of a connector including conductive terminals and an insulating housing according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the drawings, which form a part hereof. The drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present invention by way of example only, and the illustrated embodiments are not intended to present an exhaustive list of embodiments of the present 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 present invention. Therefore, the following description is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

[0023] 1 is a schematic diagram of a connector 100 according to the prior art, which includes a conductive terminal 101 and an insulating housing 102. As shown in FIG. 1, the conductive terminal 101 is assembled into the insulating housing 102 of the connector 100 after crimping. However, since there is no fixing structure between the conductive terminal 101 and the insulating housing 102, the conductive terminal 101 cannot be fixed to the insulating housing 102, and displacement (e.g., wobbling) occurs in the up-down or back-and-forth direction. Therefore, during the process of assembling the conductive terminal and mating the male connector and the female connector, the conductive terminal is prone to tilting, which leads to a decrease in the conductivity of the conductive terminal.

[0024] In consideration of the above problems, the present invention provides a conductive terminal, an insulating housing of a connector, and a connector including the conductive terminal and the insulating housing.

[0025] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a conductive terminal 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an insulating housing 301 of a connector 300 and the cooperation of the insulating housing 301 with the conductive terminal 200 of Figure 2 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view 400 of the conductive terminal of Figures 2 and 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the conductive terminal 200 is configured to be attached to an insulating housing 301 of a connector 300. The conductive terminal 200 includes a mating portion 210 and crimping portions 220 and 230. The mating portion 210 is located at the front of the conductive terminal 200 and is configured to mate with a mating terminal of a mating connector (not shown). The crimping portions 220 and 230 are located at the rear of the conductive terminal and are configured to crimp a wire (not shown).

[0027] 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the conductive terminal 200 further includes a blocking portion 240. The blocking portion 240 is located between the mating portion 210 and the crimping portions 220, 230 and is configured to cooperate with the insulating housing 301 to limit movement of the conductive terminal 200 in the longitudinal direction (direction L1 in the illustration, e.g., the length direction of the conductive terminal 200) and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (direction L2 in the illustration, e.g., the height direction of the conductive terminal 200) within the insulating housing 301.

[0028] 2 and 3 , in the illustrated embodiment, the block portion 240 includes a first portion 241 extending from at least one of the opposing sides of the conductive terminal 200. For example, the first portion 241 may be formed by extending substantially vertically upward from the base of the conductive terminal 200, or the first portion 241 may be formed by extending from the base of the conductive terminal 200 in another direction or at another angle. The block portion 240 further includes a second portion 242 extending from the first portion 241, at least a portion of the second portion 242 being disposed obliquely relative to the first portion 241. For example, at least a portion of the second portion 242 may include an inclined surface disposed at an oblique angle (e.g., less than 90 degrees) relative to the first portion 241.

[0029] 3 and 4 , in the illustrated embodiment, the outer surface of the second portion 242 is configured to cooperate with the inner surface of the insulating housing 301. As shown, the inner surface of the insulating housing 301 defines a first cooperating portion 302 and a second cooperating portion 303. The surface of the first cooperating portion 302 cooperates (e.g., contacts, engages, etc.) with the outer surface of the second portion 242 to limit movement of the conductive terminal 200 along directions L1 and L2 in the insulating housing, e.g., forward, upward, and downward. The cooperation of the surface of the first cooperating portion 302 with the outer surface of the second portion 242 also provides good guidance during the process of attaching the conductive terminal 200 to the insulating housing 301. In another embodiment, the first cooperating portion 302 can have a groove (not shown), and the second portion 242 can be configured to be at least partially received in the groove of the first cooperating portion 302, such that an outer surface of the second portion 242 cooperates with an inner surface of the groove to limit movement of the conductive terminal 200 along the directions L1, L2 in the insulating housing 301. The surface of the second cooperating portion 303 of the insulating housing 301 can define a recess (e.g., an L-shaped recess as shown), and the first portion 241 can be at least partially received in the recess to limit movement of the first portion 241 along the direction L1, thus further limiting movement (e.g., rearward movement) of the conductive terminal 200 along the direction L1. In some embodiments, to facilitate attachment of the conductive terminal 200 to the insulating housing 301, the second cooperating portion 303 may be formed from an elastic material such that, in the process of attaching the conductive terminal 200 and its block portion 240 to the insulating housing 301, the second cooperating portion 303 deforms upward from its original shape upon contact with the block portion 240 to provide a path for passage, and then returns to its original shape after the block portion 240 has passed, thereby restricting movement of the conductive terminal 200. In some embodiments, the first cooperating portion 302 may be integrally formed with the second cooperating portion 303 so that the conductive terminal 200 can be attached to the insulating housing 301 from the same mounting direction, or the first cooperating portion 302 and the second cooperating portion 303 may be formed separately so that the conductive terminal 200 can be attached to the insulating housing 301 from two mounting directions.

[0030] 2, in the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 242 of the block member 240 further includes a flange 243 extending outward from its end. The flange 243 increases the cooperation area between the block member 240 (and therefore the terminal 200) and the insulating housing 301, thereby providing a more secure fixing structure that can withstand greater forces, more adequately restricting movement of the terminal, and providing better guidance.

[0031] In some embodiments, the contour of the outer surface of second portion 242 can be at least partially complementary to the contour of the inner surface of insulating housing 301. For example, the outer surface of second portion 242 and the surface of first cooperating portion 302 of insulating housing 301 can have complementary contours, such as a linear cross-section (as shown in FIGS. 2-4 ), a curved cross-section (e.g., arcuate, etc.). The complementary contours can provide a more sufficient force and locking effect (e.g., more uniform force distribution, sealing engagement, etc.) when second portion 242 cooperates with insulating housing 301.

[0032] 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the end of the second portion 242 may be located above the fitting portion 210. In another embodiment, the end of the second portion 242 may abut against the fitting portion 210.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the crimping portions 220, 230 each include a first crimping portion 220 configured to crimp onto the bare conductor of the wire and a second crimping portion 230 located behind the first crimping portion 220 and configured to crimp onto the outer insulation of the wire.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 2, in the illustrated embodiment, the first crimping portion 220 can include a U-shaped base and a pair of flanks 222 extending from opposite sides of the U-shaped base, and / or the second crimping portion 230 can include a U-shaped base and a pair of flanks 232 extending from opposite sides of the U-shaped base.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, in the illustrated embodiment, the mating portion 210 of the conductive terminal 200 defines an insertion cavity and has a pair of resilient contact arms 212 configured to clamp a mating terminal inserted into the insertion cavity.

[0036] 2, 3, and 4, in the illustrated embodiment, the entire conductive terminal 200 may be a single metal part formed from a single metal plate. For example, the single metal plate may be formed into the conductive terminal 200 shown in FIGS. 2-4 by a process such as stamping or bending.

[0037] 5 is a perspective view of a connector 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention, including a conductive terminal 501 and an insulating housing 502. For example, the conductive terminal 501 may be the conductive terminal 200 of FIGS. 2-4, and the insulating housing 502 may be the insulating housing 301 of FIGS. 3 and 4. 1 of the prior art, after the conductive terminal 501 is attached to the insulating housing 502 of the connector 500, when the conductive terminal 501 is inserted into the insulating housing 502 and reaches a specified position, the movement of the conductive terminal 501 along the directions L1 and L2 is restricted by the cooperation of the blocking portion of the conductive terminal 501 and the insulating housing 502. That is, the conductive terminal cannot move forward, and its movement forward, backward, upward, and downward is restricted. This avoids the problem of reduced conductivity caused by the conductive terminal not being able to be fixed to the insulating housing, ensures the reliability of the contact of the conductive terminal, and provides good guidance during the process of attaching the conductive terminal to the insulating housing.

[0038] While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the specific embodiments are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, changes, additions, or deletions can be made to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. 1. A conductive terminal configured to be mounted to an insulating housing of a connector, the conductive terminal comprising: a mating portion located at the front of the conductive terminal and adapted to mate with a mating terminal of a mating connector; a crimping portion located at the rear of the conductive terminal and adapted to crimp a wire; a blocking portion located between the mating portion and the crimping portion and configured to cooperate with the insulating housing to limit movement of the conductive terminal along a longitudinal direction of the insulating housing and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; It is equipped with the block portion includes a first portion extending from at least one of both sides of the conductive terminal; the block portion further includes a second portion extending from the first portion, and at least a portion of the second portion is disposed obliquely relative to the first portion; an outer surface of the second portion configured to cooperate with an inner surface of the insulating housing; Conductive terminal.

2. A conductive terminal configured to be attached to an insulating housing of a connector, the conductive terminal comprising: a mating portion located at the front of the conductive terminal and adapted to mate with a mating terminal of a mating connector; a crimping portion located at the rear of the conductive terminal and adapted to crimp a wire; a blocking portion located between the mating portion and the crimping portion and configured to cooperate with the insulating housing to limit movement of the conductive terminal along a longitudinal direction of the insulating housing and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; It is equipped with the block portion includes a first portion extending from at least one of both sides of the conductive terminal; the block portion further includes a second portion extending from the first portion, and at least a portion of the second portion is disposed obliquely relative to the first portion; the second portion is configured to be at least partially received in a groove in the insulating housing such that an outer surface of the second portion cooperates with an inner surface of the groove. Conductive terminal.

3. A conductive terminal configured to be attached to an insulating housing of a connector, the conductive terminal comprising: a mating portion located at the front of the conductive terminal and adapted to mate with a mating terminal of a mating connector; a crimping portion located at the rear of the conductive terminal and adapted to crimp a wire; a blocking portion located between the mating portion and the crimping portion and configured to cooperate with the insulating housing to limit movement of the conductive terminal along a longitudinal direction of the insulating housing and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; It is equipped with the block portion includes a first portion extending from at least one of both sides of the conductive terminal; the block portion further includes a second portion extending from the first portion, and at least a portion of the second portion is disposed obliquely relative to the first portion; the second portion includes a flange extending outwardly from an end thereof; Conductive terminal.

4. A conductive terminal configured to be attached to an insulating housing of a connector, the conductive terminal comprising: a mating portion located at the front of the conductive terminal and adapted to mate with a mating terminal of a mating connector; a crimping portion located at the rear of the conductive terminal and adapted to crimp a wire; a blocking portion located between the mating portion and the crimping portion and configured to cooperate with the insulating housing to limit movement of the conductive terminal along a longitudinal direction of the insulating housing and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; It is equipped with the block portion includes a first portion extending from at least one of both sides of the conductive terminal; the block portion further includes a second portion extending from the first portion, and at least a portion of the second portion is disposed obliquely relative to the first portion; a contour of an outer surface of the second portion that is at least partially complementary to a contour of an inner surface of the insulating housing; Conductive terminal.

5. the outer surface of the second portion has a straight or curved cross section; The conductive terminal according to claim 1 .

6. An end of the second portion abuts the fitting portion or is located above the fitting portion. The conductive terminal according to claim 1 .

7. the crimping portion includes a first crimping portion configured to crimp onto the bare conductor of the wire, and a second crimping portion located behind the first crimping portion and configured to crimp onto the outer insulation of the wire; The conductive terminal according to claim 1 .

8. At least one of the first crimping portion and the second crimping portion comprises a U-shaped base and a pair of flanks extending from opposite sides of the U-shaped base. The conductive terminal according to claim 7 .

9. The mating portion of the conductive terminal defines an insertion cavity and has a pair of resilient contact arms; The pair of resilient contact arms are configured to clamp a mating terminal inserted into the insertion cavity. The conductive terminal according to claim 1 .

10. 1. An insulating housing for a connector configured to receive conductive terminals, comprising: a cooperating portion configured to cooperate with the blocking portion of the conductive terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 9 to limit movement of the conductive terminal along a longitudinal direction in the insulating housing and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; Insulating housing.

11. A connector comprising an insulating housing and a conductive terminal attached to the insulating housing, The conductive terminal is the conductive terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the insulating housing includes a cooperating portion that cooperates with the block portion of the conductive terminal to limit movement of the conductive terminal along a longitudinal direction of the insulating housing and a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; connector.

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