Electrical connector and electronic device

Abstract

An electrical connector and an electronic device. The electrical connector comprises: conductive terminals (100), each of the conductive terminals (100) comprising at least two differential signal terminals (110) spaced apart from each other, wherein each differential signal terminal (110) has, along a signal transmission path, a wide-edge coupling section (111), a narrow-edge coupling section (112), and a bent connecting section (113) for connecting the wide-edge coupling section (111) and the narrow-edge coupling section (112); and an insulator (120), wherein the differential signal terminals (110) are embedded in the insulator (120), the insulator (120) is provided with thinning recesses (121), and the thinning recesses (121) are disposed corresponding to the wide-edge coupling sections (111) and located on the side of the bent connecting sections (113) facing away from the narrow-edge coupling sections (112).

Description

Electrical connectors and electronic equipment

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411453536.9, filed on October 17, 2024, entitled "Electrical Connector and Electronic Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of electrical connector technology, and more particularly to an electrical connector and electronic device. Background Technology

[0004] With the rapid development of information technology, high-speed signal transmission technology has been widely used in fields such as communications, computers, and consumer electronics. As a crucial component of signal transmission, the performance of high-speed connectors directly affects the transmission rate and stability of the entire system. However, existing high-speed connectors exhibit a certain degree of bandwidth suppression during high-speed signal transmission, limiting the improvement of signal transmission rates. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The main objective of this application is to provide an electrical connector and an electronic device.

[0006] This application provides an electrical connector comprising: conductive terminals, each conductive terminal including at least two differential signal terminals spaced apart, each differential signal terminal having a wide-side coupling section, a narrow-side coupling section, and a bent connecting section connecting the wide-side coupling section and the narrow-side coupling section along a signal transmission path; and an insulator, wherein the differential signal terminals are embedded in the insulator, and the insulator has a thinning groove, the thinning groove being disposed corresponding to the wide-side coupling section and located on the side of the bent connecting section opposite to the narrow-side coupling section.

[0007] This application provides an electronic device that includes the electrical connector described above. Attached Figure Description

[0008] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0009] Figure 1 is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electrical connector of this application;

[0010] Figure 2 is a partially enlarged structural diagram of part A in Figure 1;

[0011] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the differential signal terminal structure in an embodiment of the electrical connector of this application;

[0012] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the arrangement structure of multiple conductive terminals in the embodiment of the electrical connector of this application;

[0013] Figure 5 is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the electrical connector of this application, wherein the insulator has been hidden;

[0014] Figure 6 is a partial enlarged structural diagram of part B in Figure 5;

[0015] Figure 7 is a partial structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the electrical connector of this application;

[0016] Figure 8 is an exploded structural diagram of an embodiment of the electrical connector of this application, wherein the conductive terminals have been hidden;

[0017] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the electrical connector of this application.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals: 100, Conductive terminal; 110, Differential signal terminal; 111, Wide-side coupling section; 112, Narrow-side coupling section; 113, Bending connection section; 1131, First bending section; 1132, Second bending section; 120, Insulator; 121, Thinning groove; 122, Insulator body; 123, Crimping protrusion; 130, Fisheye connection section; 200, Circuit board; 300, Shielding structure; 310, Shielding plate; 311, Flanged edge; 312, Third bending section.

[0019] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0021] It should be noted that all directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of this application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of each component in a certain specific posture (as shown in the figure). If the specific posture changes, the directional indicator will also change accordingly.

[0022] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, descriptions involving "first," "second," etc., are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0023] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments of this application can be combined with each other, but only if they are based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be considered that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by the embodiments of this application.

[0025] With the increasing demand for ultra-high-speed, high-capacity transmission equipment, the signal rates of high-speed products are constantly improving. This increase in signal rate presents significant challenges to the design of high-speed links. As a critical component in high-speed links, the bandwidth of high-speed connectors directly constrains the upgrade of system speed.

[0026] In the prior art, connectors typically use differential pair signal terminals. When there is a bend at the crimp end, such as from wide to narrow, the bandwidth of the uncoupled segment formed in the differential pair signal terminal deteriorates significantly. In order to improve the crimping strength of the signal terminal, the signal terminal near the crimping surface is covered with insulating material, which further suppresses the improvement of bandwidth.

[0027] In view of this, this application provides an electrical connector and electronic device by creating a thinning groove in the insulator surrounding the signal terminals near the non-coupling section (i.e., the bent connection section). This facilitates contact between the differential signal terminals and the air. Since the relative permittivity of the insulator is greater than that of air, the relative permittivity of the medium surrounding the terminals can be reduced, effectively improving the signal transmission rate and meeting the requirements of high-speed signal transmission. Moreover, except for the thinning groove, the remaining portion of the insulator completely covers the signal terminals, ensuring the strength of the differential signal terminals and the circuit board at the crimping point while increasing bandwidth.

[0028] To better understand the above technical solution, the following detailed explanation is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, this application provides an electrical connector, which includes:

[0030] The conductive terminal 100 includes differential signal terminals 110, with at least two differential signal terminals 110 spaced apart. Each differential signal terminal 110 has a wide-side coupling section 111, a narrow-side coupling section 112, and a bent connecting section 113 connecting the wide-side coupling section 111 and the narrow-side coupling section 112 along the signal transmission path. It is understood that in this embodiment, the conductive terminal 100 is a differential terminal, and the signal is mainly transmitted in differential mode. Specifically, the wide-side coupling sections 111 of the two differential signal terminals 110 are arranged side-by-side along a first direction. After being bent and transformed by the bent connecting section 113, the narrow-side coupling sections 112 of the two differential signal terminals 110 are arranged side-by-side along a second direction, with the first and second directions perpendicular to each other. Thus, compared to the multiple rows of narrow-side coupling sections 112 of each terminal, the overall area of ​​the pressure contact surface with the circuit board 200 can be reduced, the board area occupied by the connector package can be reduced, and the density of the connector can be increased. Regarding the insulator 120, the differential signal terminal 110 is embedded in the insulator 120, which has a thinning groove 121. The thinning groove 121 is located on the side of the bent connection section 113 facing away from the narrow-side coupling section 112, corresponding to the wide-side coupling section 111. It is understood that when the differential signal terminal 110 is bent from the wide-side coupling section 111 to the narrow-side coupling section 112 via the bent connection section 113, the signal transmission mode changes from differential mode to common mode, resulting in bandwidth degradation. Simultaneously, the insulator 120 covering the differential signal terminal 110 further exacerbates the bandwidth degradation. Therefore, in this embodiment, a thinning groove 121 is provided on the wide-side coupling section 111 corresponding to the insulator 120. The thinning groove 121 allows for thinning of the insulator 120 at the location corresponding to the wide-side coupling section 111. This allows for better signal contact with air during transmission. Since air has a relatively low permittivity, this improves the signal transmission rate and increases bandwidth. Simultaneously, the thinning groove 121 is positioned away from the narrow-side coupling section 112, reducing its adverse impact on the structural strength of the narrow-side coupling section 112 and improving the bonding strength between the narrow-side coupling section 112 and the circuit board 200. Optionally, the shape of the thinning groove 121 is not limited and can be a rectangular groove, a circular groove, or other irregular shapes.

[0031] In the technical solution adopted in this embodiment, by providing a thinning groove 121 on the insulator 120, it is beneficial for the signal of the differential signal terminal 110 to contact with the air during propagation, reducing the relative permittivity of the medium surrounding the terminal, which can effectively improve the signal transmission rate, meet the requirements of high-speed signal transmission, and thus achieve broadband improvement. Moreover, the thinning groove 121 is provided corresponding to the wide-side coupling section 111, which can reduce the adverse effects on the structural strength of the narrow-side coupling section 112 and improve the crimping effect between the differential signal terminal 110 and the circuit board 200.

[0032] In the embodiments of this application, the width of the thinning groove 121 is greater than or equal to the width of the wide-side coupling section 111, thus covering the entire wide-side coupling section 111, allowing the transmitted signal of the entire wide-side coupling section 111 to reference air, reducing the relative permittivity of the medium near the entire wide-side coupling section 111 region; and / or, the length of the thinning groove 121 is less than or equal to the length of the wide-side coupling section 111, thus preventing the thinning groove 121 from extending to the vicinity of the narrow-side coupling section 112, reducing the adverse effect of the thinning groove 121 on the structural strength of the narrow-side coupling section 112, and improving the crimping strength between the narrow-side coupling section 112 and the circuit board 200; and / or, the depth of the thinning groove 121 is less than or equal to the distance from the surface of the insulator 120 to the surface of the wide-side coupling section 111, thus ensuring the strength of the narrow-side coupling section 112 of the differential signal terminal 110 when crimped to the circuit board 200 while improving the bandwidth.

[0033] In the embodiments of this application, referring to Figures 1, 4 and 5, two wide-side coupling segments 111 are arranged side by side along a first direction, and two narrow-side coupling segments 112 are arranged side by side along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are different. Optionally, the first direction and the second direction are arranged perpendicularly.

[0034] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the bent connecting segment 113 includes a first bent portion 1131, which connects the wide-side coupling segment 111 and the narrow-side coupling segment 112. The first bent portions 1131 bend in opposite directions in the second direction, and the distance between the two first bent portions 1131 along the second direction is L1, 0.2 mm ≤ L1 ≤ 0.5 mm. Because the first bent portions 1131 and the second bent portions 1132 bend in opposite directions, the differential signal terminal 110 forms a non-coupled segment at this location, reducing the bandwidth at that location. The larger the distance, the greater the adverse effect on bandwidth. Therefore, in this embodiment, 0.2 mm ≤ L1 ≤ 0.5 mm minimizes the distance between the first bent portions 1131 and the second bent portions 1132 while ensuring the two narrow-side coupling segments 112 are arranged along the second direction, allowing the differential signal terminal 110 to achieve partial coupling at this location, thereby improving bandwidth. Alternatively, L1 can be 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.3 mm.

[0035] In an embodiment of this application, referring to FIG7, the bent connection portion includes a second bent portion 1132. The first bent portion 1131 and the wide-side coupling segment 111 are connected through the second bent portion 1132. The ends of the two second bent portions 1132 away from the wide-side coupling segment 111 are arranged close to each other in a first direction. In this way, the spacing between the two wide-side coupling segments 111 can be reduced, which can effectively increase the bandwidth and improve the suppression effect on crosstalk.

[0036] In the embodiments of this application, the bending length of the second bending portion 1132 in the first direction is L2, where 0.05 mm ≤ L2 ≤ 0.1 mm. It is understood that L2 can be 0.05 mm, 0.1 mm, or 0.07 mm. In this way, while ensuring the arrangement of the two narrow-side coupling segments 112 in the second direction, the spacing between the two second bending portions 1132 in the first direction can be reduced, thereby increasing the bandwidth.

[0037] In embodiments of this application, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the differential signal terminal 110 further includes a fisheye connector 130, which is connected to the narrow-edge coupling section 112. It is understood that the fisheye connector 130 facilitates the connection between the narrow-edge coupling section 112 and the circuit board 200. That is, one end of the fisheye connector 130 is connected to the narrow-edge coupling section 112, and the other end of the fisheye connector 130 is crimped to the circuit board 200, thereby enabling signal transmission.

[0038] In an embodiment of this application, referring to FIG2, the insulator 120 includes an insulating body 122 and a crimping protrusion 123 protruding from the insulating body 122. A narrow-side coupling segment 112 is embedded in the crimping protrusion 123, and a wide-side coupling segment 111 and a bent connecting segment 113 are embedded in the insulating body 122. In this embodiment, the insulator 120 includes an insulating body 122 and a crimping protrusion 123, with the crimping protrusion 123 protruding from the insulator 120. The wide-side coupling segment 111 and the bent connecting segment 113 are embedded in the insulating body 122, and the narrow-side coupling segment 112 is embedded in the crimping protrusion 123. The crimping protrusion 123 can improve the structural strength of the narrow-side coupling segment 112, thereby ensuring the crimping effect between the narrow-side coupling segment 112 and the circuit board 200. In this application, the insulator 120 is injection molded on the surface of the conductive terminal 100.

[0039] In embodiments of this application, referring to FIG9, the electrical connector further includes a circuit board 200. Multiple sets of conductive terminals 100 are provided, and the narrow-edge coupling sections 112 of each set of conductive terminals 100 are electrically connected to the circuit board 200. Specifically, multiple sets of conductive terminals 100 are provided, each set of conductive terminals 100 including two differential signal terminals 110. Two insulators 120 are stacked, one insulator 120 corresponding to one differential signal terminal 110 in one set of conductive terminals 100, and the other insulator 120 corresponding to the other differential signal terminal 110 in the same set of conductive terminals 100. Of course, in other embodiments, a single insulator 120 can be shared, meaning the electrical connector has only one insulator 120.

[0040] In an embodiment of this application, referring to FIG6, the electrical connector further includes a shielding structure 300, which has a shielding space in which the conductive terminals 100 are disposed. The shielding structure 300 is provided to reduce signal crosstalk between two adjacent conductive terminals 100 in the electrical connector. The shielding structure 300 is disposed outside the conductive terminals 100, which can reduce signal crosstalk between the conductive terminal 100 and adjacent conductive terminals 100, thereby improving signal transmission quality.

[0041] In the embodiments of this application, referring to Figures 6 and 8, the shielding structure 300 includes two shielding plates 310 spaced apart, which are disposed on opposite sides of the conductive terminal 100. It is understood that the two shielding plates 310, disposed on opposite sides of the conductive terminal 100, can block signals and reduce signal crosstalk between adjacent conductive terminals 100. Furthermore, the shielding structure 300 in this embodiment consists of two spaced-apart shielding plates 310, which is simpler in structure and easier to manufacture compared to other shielding methods such as shielding sleeves. Optionally, the shielding plates 310 are metal plates.

[0042] In the embodiments of this application, referring to FIG6, the shielding plate 310 has a flange 311 at one end near the narrow side coupling section 112, and the flanges 311 on the two shielding plates 310 extend in a direction closer to each other. In this way, the shielding plate 310 can be closer to the narrow side coupling section 112, improving the shielding effect and thus reducing signal crosstalk.

[0043] In the embodiments of this application, referring to FIG7, the two shielding plates 310 have third bends 312 at the corresponding wide-side coupling sections 111, which bend towards each other. This allows the shielding plates 310 to be closer to the wide-side coupling sections 111, improving the shielding effect, thereby reducing signal crosstalk and effectively increasing bandwidth.

[0044] This application also proposes an electronic device, which includes the electrical connector described above. Specifically, the specific structure of the electrical connector is the same as described in the above embodiments. Since this electronic device adopts all the technical solutions of the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, and will not be described in detail here.

[0045] The above description is merely an exemplary implementation of this application and does not limit the patent scope of the embodiments of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the technical concept of the embodiments of this application and the contents of the specification and drawings of the embodiments of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, wherein, The electrical connector includes: A conductive terminal, comprising at least two differential signal terminals spaced apart, each differential signal terminal having a wide-side coupling section, a narrow-side coupling section, and a bent connecting section connecting the wide-side coupling section and the narrow-side coupling section along a signal transmission path; and An insulator, in which the differential signal terminal is embedded, the insulator having a thinning groove, the thinning groove being provided corresponding to the wide-side coupling section and located on the side of the bent connection section opposite to the narrow-side coupling section.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein, The width of the thinning groove is greater than or equal to the width of the wide-side coupling segment; and / or, the length of the thinning groove is less than or equal to the length of the wide-side coupling segment; And / or, the depth of the thinning groove is less than or equal to the distance from the surface of the insulator to the surface of the wide-side coupling segment.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein, The two wide-side coupling segments are arranged side by side along a first direction, and the two narrow-side coupling segments are arranged side by side along a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are different; The bent connecting section includes a first bent portion, which connects the wide-side coupling section and the narrow-side coupling section. The first bent portion has opposite bends in the second direction, and the distance between the two first bent portions along the second direction is L1, where 0.2 mm ≤ L1 ≤ 0.5 mm.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein, The bent connection portion includes a second bent portion, the first bent portion and the wide-side coupling segment are connected through the second bent portion, and the ends of the two second bent portions away from the wide-side coupling segment are arranged close to each other in the first direction.

5. The electrically conductive terminal of claim 4, wherein, The bending length of the second bending portion in the first direction is L2, where 0.05 mm ≤ L2 ≤ 0.1 mm.

6. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein, The differential signal terminal also includes a fisheye connector, which is connected to the narrow-side coupling segment.

7. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein, The insulator includes an insulating body and a crimping protrusion protruding from the insulating body. The narrow-side coupling section is embedded in the crimping protrusion, and the wide-side coupling section and the bent connecting section are embedded in the insulating body.

8. The electrical connector of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The electrical connector also includes a circuit board, and the conductive terminals are provided in multiple sets, with the narrow-side coupling sections of the multiple sets of conductive terminals all electrically connected to the circuit board.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8, wherein, The electrical connector further includes a shielding structure having a shielding space, and the conductive terminals are disposed in the shielding space.

10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein, The shielding structure includes two shielding plates spaced apart, which are located on opposite sides of the conductive terminal.

11. The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein, The shielding plate has a flange at one end near the narrow coupling section, and the flanges on the two shielding plates extend toward each other.

12. The electrical connector of claim 10, wherein, The two shielding plates have a third bend at the position corresponding to the wide-side coupling segment, which bends toward each other.

13. An electronic device, comprising: The electronic device includes an electrical connector as described in any one of claims 8 to 12.

Images