Connector, connector assembly, device module, and electronic apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of connectors, and provide a connector, a connector assembly, a device module, and an electronic apparatus. A female connector comprises a female housing and a female signal terminal, and a male connector comprises a male housing and a male signal terminal. The female housing comprises an insertion opening and an accommodating cavity, and the insertion opening enables the interior of the accommodating cavity to be communicated with the exterior. The female signal terminal is located inside the accommodating cavity and faces the insertion opening, and at least one of the female signal terminal and the male signal terminal of the male connector is elastic. When the female connector is connected to the male connector, the male signal terminal of the male connector is inserted into the accommodating cavity by means of the insertion opening, along the extension direction of a center line of the insertion opening, two opposite ends of the female signal terminal respectively abut against the male signal terminal and the female housing, and the end of the female signal terminal facing the insertion opening is in electrical contact with the male signal terminal. In this way, the stub structure in the prior art is removed, thereby increasing the bandwidth of the connector assembly.

Description

Connectors, connector assemblies, device modules and electronic devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510192557.8, filed on February 20, 2025, entitled “Connector, Connector Assembly, Device Module and Electronic Equipment”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of connector technology, and in particular to a connector, connector assembly, device module and electronic device. Background Technology

[0003] With the widespread application of communication technology and the continuous improvement of communication technology level, the demand for data transmission rate and transmission quality is getting higher and higher. Among them, high-speed connectors have been widely used in the field of communication. High-speed connectors have gradually become a commonly used type of connector in large communication equipment, ultra-high performance servers, supercomputers, industrial computers, high-end storage devices, etc.

[0004] In related technologies, high-speed connectors include male connectors that mate with each other. The male connector includes a male signal terminal, and the female connector includes a female signal terminal. Both the male and female signal terminals include a body, a protrusion, and a stub. When the male connectors are connected, the protrusion of the male signal terminal abuts against and makes electrical contact with the body of the female signal terminal, and vice versa. The stub ensures stable contact between the male and female signal terminals. However, after mating, the stub can cause a short-stub effect, affecting bandwidth improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a connector, connector assembly, device module, and electronic device that can improve the bandwidth of the connector assembly.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a female connector for connection with a male connector. The female connector includes a female housing and female signal terminals. The female housing includes a socket and a receiving cavity, the socket connecting the interior and exterior of the receiving cavity. The female signal terminals are located inside the receiving cavity and opposite the socket. At least one of the female signal terminals and the male signal terminals of the male connector is resilient. When the female connector is connected to the male connector, the male signal terminals of the male connector are inserted into the receiving cavity through the socket. Along the extension direction of the centerline of the socket, the opposite ends of the female signal terminals abut against the male signal terminals and the female housing, respectively. The end of the female signal terminal facing the socket is in electrical contact with the male signal terminal.

[0007] When the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal are electrically connected, since at least one of the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal is elastic, the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal can make stable electrical contact. Therefore, the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal do not need to be equipped with the stub structure in the prior art, and thus no stub effect will occur. This can further improve the bandwidth of the connector assembly and achieve higher speed connector performance requirements.

[0008] In one possible implementation, the female signal terminal is elastic, and the ratio of the first height to the second height of the female signal terminal is greater than or equal to 0.9. The first height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the female signal terminal after the external force that caused the deformation of the female signal terminal is removed, and the second height refers to the initial height of the female signal terminal in its natural state without any external force.

[0009] This design provides the female signal terminals with excellent flexibility, ensuring stable contact when the male and female signal terminals demating (separation) is 0.8mm or more after mating, thus improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the male and female connectors. Furthermore, the elimination of the need for additional structures to ensure stable contact between the male and female signal terminals simplifies the structure of the male and / or female connectors.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the female signal terminal is made of a first elastic conductive material.

[0011] In this way, the female signal terminal is elastic. By controlling the specific parameters of the first elastic conductive material, the female signal terminal can have good elasticity.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the first elastic conductive material includes at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the conductivity of the first elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8 × 10⁵ S / m. Thus, the female signal terminal has good conductivity, which helps to improve the transmission rate of the connector assembly.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the receiving cavity includes a receiving cavity section and a guide cavity section. The female signal terminal is located inside the receiving cavity section. The guide cavity section extends along the centerline of the socket and is located between the receiving cavity section and the socket, connecting the socket and the receiving cavity section. Along the direction from the receiving cavity section to the guide cavity section, the distance between the inner wall of the guide cavity section and the centerline of the socket gradually increases. This makes the guide cavity section flared, serving a guiding function to guide the male signal terminal into the receiving cavity section, ensuring alignment between the male and female signal terminals and improving the efficiency and accuracy of mating between the male and female signal terminals.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the female connector housing includes a plastic outer shell and a conductive outer shell. The plastic outer shell has a socket, and it is fixedly connected to the conductive outer shell, forming a receiving cavity. The conductive outer shell is used for electrical connection to the female connector signal terminals. Thus, the conductive outer shell, as an external structure for the female connector signal terminals, reduces the difficulty of externally connecting the female connector signal terminals and helps simplify the structure of the female connector.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the female connector further includes a conductive adhesive layer. Extending along the centerline of the socket, the conductive adhesive layer is located between the conductive housing and the female signal terminal. The conductive housing is bonded to and electrically connected to the female signal terminal via the conductive adhesive layer. This prevents the female signal terminal from moving freely within the receiving cavity, achieves a fixed connection between the female housing and the female signal terminal, and helps reduce the difficulty of aligning the male and female signal terminals.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the conductive shell is made of metal. Metal has high strength, and the conductive shell is not easily deformed after contacting the female signal terminal, providing good support for the female signal terminal and further ensuring stable contact between the female and male signal terminals. In addition, using metal to make the conductive shell is low-cost, simple in process, and highly efficient in manufacturing.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the female connector further includes an external conductive component. Along the extension direction of the centerline of the socket, the external conductive component and the female signal terminal are located on opposite sides of the conductive housing, and the external conductive component is electrically connected to the conductive housing. Thus, by electrically connecting the external conductive component to the device, the difficulty of electrically connecting the female connector to the device can be reduced.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the female connector further includes a conductive female shield, located outside the receiving cavity and fixedly connected to the outer wall of the female housing. The female shield is used for electrical connection with the male shield of the male connector. Because the female shield is located outside the receiving cavity and corresponds one-to-one with the female housing, each female shield shields a pair of female signal terminals, thereby reducing crosstalk between adjacent pairs of female signal terminals and helping to improve the bandwidth of the connector assembly.

[0020] In one possible implementation, at least one of the female shield and the male shield is flexible.

[0021] In this way, when the female connector is connected to the male connector, since at least one of the female and male shields is elastic, the male shield and the female shield always abut against each other along the extension direction of the center line of the socket, which makes stable electrical contact between the male shield and the female shield and helps to improve the reliability of the shield.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the female end shield is made of a second elastic conductive material.

[0023] In this way, the female end shielding component is elastic. By controlling the specific parameters of the second elastic conductive material, the female end shielding component can have excellent elasticity.

[0024] In one possible implementation, a guide slope is provided at the end of the female shield facing the male shield along the extension direction of the centerline of the socket.

[0025] In this way, during the connection process between the male connector and the female connector, the guide slope slides into contact with the male shield, and part of the female shield can be inserted between the male shield and the female housing, so that the female shield and the male shield can contact each other, reducing the difficulty of connecting the female shield and the male shield.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the female end shield includes a plurality of first shields arranged at intervals around the female end housing along the circumference of the socket.

[0027] In this way, multiple first shields together form a first shielding space to accommodate the mother signal terminals, thereby reducing crosstalk between two adjacent pairs of mother signal terminals.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the female end shield is a ring structure, and the female end shield is sleeved on the outer wall of the female end shell.

[0029] In this way, each pair of female signal terminals is located in a 360° fully enclosed first shielding space, which achieves full coverage of the differential pairs formed by the female signal terminals, significantly improving the shielding effect, reducing or avoiding crosstalk between adjacent signal differential pairs, and further increasing the bandwidth of the connector assembly.

[0030] In one possible implementation, the female end shield is made of a conductive, elastic, and abrasion-resistant material.

[0031] This gives the female shielding component good shear resistance. When the male shielding component undergoes shearing motion and friction on the surface of the female shielding component, the female shielding component does not suffer from damage, chipping, or other abnormalities.

[0032] In one possible implementation, the female connector further includes a conductive abrasion-resistant layer disposed on the surface of the female shield. When the male connector is connected to the female connector, the abrasion-resistant layer is located between the female and male shields and abuts against both shields respectively. The female shield is electrically connected to the male shield through the abrasion-resistant layer. Thus, the abrasion-resistant layer possesses excellent abrasion resistance, and when the surface of the male shield's abrasion-resistant layer undergoes shearing motion and friction, the second elastic conductive material shows no damage, shedding, or other abnormalities.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the wear-resistant layer is made of at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene.

[0034] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a male connector for connection with a female connector. The male connector includes a male housing and male signal terminals. The male signal terminals are fixedly connected to the male housing, and at least one of the male signal terminals and the female signal terminals of the female connector is elastic. When the female connector is connected to the male connector, the male signal terminals are inserted into the receiving cavity of the female connector and abut against and make electrical contact with the female signal terminals of the female connector.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the material of the male signal terminal is a rigid conductive material.

[0036] In this way, the male signal terminal has greater rigidity, and it will not deform during the electrical contact between the male and female signal terminals. This helps to reduce the difficulty of inserting the male signal terminal into the socket and improves the interoperability efficiency between the male and female signal terminals.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the male signal terminal is made of metal. This increases the rigidity of the male signal terminal, further reducing the difficulty of inserting it into the socket.

[0038] In one possible implementation, the male signal terminal is elastic, and the ratio of its third height to its fourth height is greater than or equal to 0.9. The third height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the male signal terminal after the external force causing its deformation is removed, and the fourth height refers to the initial height of the male signal terminal in its natural state without any external force. Thus, the male signal terminal has excellent elasticity, and the male and female signal terminals can maintain stable contact.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the male signal terminal is made of a third elastic conductive material. Thus, by controlling the specific parameters of the third elastic conductive material, the male signal terminal possesses excellent elasticity.

[0040] In one possible implementation, the third elastic conductive material includes at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the conductivity of the third elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8 × 10⁵ S / m. This ensures good conductivity of the male signal terminal, which helps to improve the transmission rate of the connector assembly.

[0042] In one possible implementation, the male connector further includes a male shield, which is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the male housing and is used for electrical connection with the female shield of the female connector. Thus, by providing partial male shields between two adjacent pairs of male signal terminals, the male signal terminals can be shielded, reducing crosstalk between adjacent pairs of male signal terminals and helping to improve the bandwidth of the connector assembly.

[0043] In one possible implementation, the male terminal shield is a ring structure, and the male terminal shield is fitted onto the male terminal housing.

[0044] In this way, each pair of male signal terminals is located in a 360° fully enclosed second shielding space, which achieves full coverage of the differential pair formed by the male signal terminals, significantly improving the shielding effect, reducing or avoiding crosstalk between adjacent signal differential pairs, and further increasing the bandwidth of the connector assembly.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the male shield is made of a rigid conductive material. This helps to reduce the difficulty of electrically connecting the male and female shields.

[0046] In one possible implementation, the male shield is made of a fourth elastic conductive material. This makes the male shield elastic, and when it comes into contact with the female shield, the male shield deforms, ensuring a stable electrical contact between the two.

[0047] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a connector assembly, including a female connector as described in any of the first aspects and a male connector as described in any of the second aspects. When the male connector is connected to the female connector, the female signal terminal and the male signal terminal abut and make electrical contact along the extension direction of the center line of the female connector's socket.

[0048] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a device module, which includes connected devices and connectors. The connector is a female connector according to any of the first aspects, or the connector is a male connector according to any of the second aspects.

[0049] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device that includes a connector assembly as described in the third aspect. Attached Figure Description

[0050] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the mating of the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal of a connector assembly in the related art;

[0051] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly in Figure 2;

[0053] Figure 4 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 3;

[0054] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the contact between the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal when the connector assembly in Figure 3 is in a fully connected state.

[0055] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the contact between the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal when the connector assembly in Figure 3 is in a disconnected state;

[0056] Figure 7 is a top view of the female connector in Figure 3;

[0057] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the female connector shown in Figure 7;

[0058] Figure 9 is an enlarged view of point B in Figure 8;

[0059] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another female end shielding component and female end housing provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another female connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of step one of a female connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of step two of a female connector provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 14 is a top view of the male connector in Figure 3;

[0064] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the VV direction in Figure 14;

[0065] Figure 16 is a top view of the male end shielding component in Figure 14;

[0066] Figure 17 is a top view of another male-end shielding component provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0067] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 100, Female connector; 110, Female housing; 111, Socket; 112, Receiving cavity; 1121, Guide section; 1122, Receiving cavity section; 1122a, First cavity section; 1122b, Second cavity section; 113, Plastic housing; 114, Conductive housing; 115, Groove; 120, Female signal terminal; 130, External conductive component; 140, Female shield; 141, Guide slope; 142, First shield; 150, Wear-resistant layer; 160, Electrical connector; 200, Male connector; 210, Male housing; 220, Male signal terminal; 220a, First part; 220b, Second part; 220c, Third part; 221, Cylindrical part; 222, Frustum; 230, Male shield; 300, Connector assembly; 400, First device; 500, Second device; P, Centerline. Detailed Implementation

[0068] The terminology used in the implementation section of this application is for the purpose of explaining specific embodiments of this application only, and is not intended to limit this application.

[0069] A connector, specifically an electrical connector, is a device that connects two electrical components to transmit current or signals. With the continuous development of communication technology, high-speed connectors have become one of the most common electronic components in the communication field. For example, communication equipment includes backplanes and individual boards. High-speed signal interconnection exists between individual boards, or between an individual board and a backplane, to achieve communication functionality. Taking the connection between an individual board and a backplane as an example, to achieve signal connection, the individual board and the backplane can be connected through a connector assembly.

[0070] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the mating of the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal of a connector assembly in the related art.

[0071] In related technologies, the connector assembly is a Venus-type double-arm connector, comprising a male connector and a female connector. The male connector includes a male signal terminal 10, and the female connector includes a female signal terminal 20. Both the male signal terminal 10 and the female signal terminal 20 include a body portion, a protrusion portion, and a stub connected in sequence. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the male signal terminal 10 includes a male body portion 11, a male protrusion portion 12, and a male stub connected in sequence, while the female signal terminal 20 includes a female body portion 21, a female protrusion portion 22, and a female stub connected in sequence. When the female connector and the male connector are mated, the male protrusion portion 12 abuts against and makes electrical contact with the female body portion 21, and the female protrusion portion 22 abuts against and makes electrical contact with the male body portion 11, thereby achieving an electrical connection between the female signal terminal 20 and the male signal terminal 10. During the insertion of the male and female connectors, the short post acts as a guide, ensuring smooth insertion of the terminal and preventing pin reversal. Simultaneously, the short post also ensures a stable electrical connection between the female signal terminal 20 and the male signal terminal 10.

[0072] However, when male and female connectors are mated, the short studs will cause a short stud effect, which will affect the bandwidth increase and make it impossible to achieve the higher speed connector performance requirements.

[0073] Therefore, embodiments of this application provide a female connector, a male connector, a connector assembly, a device module, and an electronic device. By removing the short post structure and ensuring that at least one of the female and male signal terminals is elastic, stable electrical contact between the female and male signal terminals is guaranteed, while effectively improving the bandwidth of the connector assembly and achieving higher-speed connector performance requirements.

[0074] This application provides an electronic device, which can be a laptop, communication device, server, supercomputer, router, switch, data center, supercomputing cluster, etc.

[0075] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0076] As shown in Figure 2, the electronic device includes a first device 400, a second device 500, and a connector assembly 300. The connector assembly 300 includes a male connector 200 and a female connector 100, which are plugged into each other to achieve electrical connection. The first device 400 is electrically connected to the male connector 200, and the second device 500 is electrically connected to the female connector 100. The first device 400 is electrically connected to the second device 500 through the connector assembly 300. For example, the first device 400 may be a first circuit board, and the second device 500 may be a second circuit board, with the first circuit board electrically connected to the second circuit board through the connector assembly 300.

[0077] It should be noted that, in actual implementation, the male connector 200 and the first device 400 (e.g., the first circuit board) can be pre-assembled into a first device module. Similarly, the female connector 100 and the second device 500 (e.g., the second circuit board) can also be pre-assembled into a second device module. By pre-assembling the male connector 200 and / or the female connector 100 with the device (e.g., the circuit board) into a device module, the assembly efficiency of electronic devices can be improved.

[0078] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the contact between the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal when the connector assembly in Figure 3 is in a fully connected state. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the contact between the male signal terminal and the female signal terminal when the connector assembly in Figure 3 is in a disconnected state.

[0079] As shown in Figure 4, the female connector 100 includes a female housing 110 and a female signal terminal 120. The female housing 110 includes a socket 111 and a receiving cavity 112. The socket 111 connects the inside and outside of the receiving cavity 112. The female signal terminal 120 is located inside the receiving cavity 112. The female signal terminal 120 is opposite to the socket 111 along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 (Z direction in Figure 4). The end of the female signal terminal 120 away from the socket 111 is used for electrical connection with a device. The male connector 200 includes a male housing 210 and a male signal terminal 220 (also called a male pin). The male signal terminal 220 is fixedly connected to the male housing 210. Part of the male signal terminal 220 is exposed. Along the length direction of the male signal terminal 220, one end of the male signal terminal 220 is used for electrical contact with the end of the female signal terminal 120 facing the socket 111, and the other end of the male signal terminal 220 is used for electrical connection with a device.

[0080] During the connection process between the male connector 200 and the female connector 100, the male connector 200 moves toward the female connector 100 along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111. The male signal terminal 220 is inserted into the receiving cavity 112 through the socket 111 until the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 face each other and make electrical contact, thereby realizing the mutual mating of the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120, and thus realizing the electrical connection between the male connector 200 and the female connector 100.

[0081] In this embodiment, at least one of the female signal terminal 120 and the male signal terminal 220 is elastic, meaning that the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 deforms when subjected to external force and has the ability to return to its original shape after the external force is removed. For example, as shown in FIG3, the female signal terminal 120 is elastic, while the male signal terminal 220 is not elastic. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the female signal terminal 120 is not elastic, while the male signal terminal 220 is elastic. Alternatively, in other embodiments, both the female signal terminal 120 and the male signal terminal 220 are elastic.

[0082] When the male signal terminal 220 is electrically connected to the female signal terminal 120, since at least one of the female signal terminal 120 and the male signal terminal 220 is elastic, along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111, the opposite ends of the female signal terminal 120 abut against the male signal terminal 220 and the female housing 110 respectively, so that the female signal terminal 120 and the male signal terminal 220 are always in contact. Specifically, when the male signal terminal 220 is electrically connected to the female signal terminal 120, the end face of the male signal terminal 220 facing the female signal terminal 120 abuts against the end face of the male signal terminal 220 facing the socket 111, thereby achieving electrical contact between the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120.

[0083] Because the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 are elastic, they can absorb the mating gap between the male connector 200 and the female connector 100, achieving stable contact under large tolerance conditions. For example, when the connector assembly 300 is in a fully connected (as shown in Figure 5) and a disconnected (as shown in Figure 6) state, the male signal terminal 220 can maintain stable electrical contact with the female signal terminal 120. The fully connected state refers to a zero mating gap between the male connector 200 and the female connector 100 along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111. The disconnected state refers to the state after the connector assembly 300 is out of the fully connected state. When the connector assembly 300 is in the disconnected state, the mating gap between the male connector 200 and the female connector 100 along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 is not zero.

[0084] It should be noted that when the connector assembly 300 is in either the fully connected or disconnected state, the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 are in electrical contact, ensuring that the male connector 200 and the female connector 100 are electrically connected. Furthermore, when the connector assembly 300 is in the disconnected state, the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 can maintain stable electrical contact when the mating gap is less than or equal to A mm. The value of A can be 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, etc.

[0085] Understandably, as the male connector 200 moves relative to the female connector 100 along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111, the height of the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 changes along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 during the transition between the fully connected and disconnected states of the connector assembly 300. This ensures that the female signal terminal 120 and the male signal terminal 220 maintain stable electrical contact at all times. The height change of the male signal terminal 220 and / or the female signal terminal 120 is due to their own elasticity.

[0086] In summary, when the male signal terminal 220 is electrically connected to the female signal terminal 120, since at least one of the female signal terminal 120 and the male signal terminal 220 is elastic, the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 are directly connected, and the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 can make stable contact. The male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 do not need to be provided with the stub structure in the prior art, realizing a "0" stub terminal direct connection structure. When the female connector 100 and the male connector 200 are connected, no stub effect will occur, which can further improve the bandwidth of the connector assembly 300 and achieve higher speed connector performance requirements. For example, the bandwidth can be increased to 110GHz+, supporting the development and application of 224G+ connectors.

[0087] Furthermore, by eliminating the short post structure, the radial dimensions of the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 in the socket 111 are reduced. This allows for a reduction in the radial dimensions of the female housing 110 and the male housing 210 in the socket 111, enabling a high-density structural design.

[0088] In some embodiments, the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 may be made of an elastic conductive material, thereby making the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 elastic. In some embodiments, the structure of the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 may be designed to make the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 elastic. In some embodiments, while the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 are made of an elastic conductive material, their structure is also designed to make the female signal terminal 120 and / or the male signal terminal 220 elastic.

[0089] The female connector 100 will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0090] Figure 7 is a top view of the female connector in Figure 3, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the female connector shown in Figure 7, and Figure 9 is an enlarged view of point B in Figure 8.

[0091] In one possible implementation, the female signal terminal 120 is elastic, and the ratio of its first height to its second height is greater than or equal to 0.9. The first height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the female signal terminal 120 after the external force causing its deformation is removed, and the second height refers to the initial height (also called the original height) of the female signal terminal 120 in its natural state without any external force. This gives the female signal terminal 120 excellent elasticity, ensuring stable contact when the male signal terminal 220 and female signal terminal 120 mate with each other, even with a demating (separation) of 0.8 mm or more, thus improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the male connector 200 and the female connector 100. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for additional structures to ensure stable contact between the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120, simplifying the structure of the male connector 200 and / or the female connector 100.

[0092] It is understandable that the second height is the height value of the mother signal terminal 120 when no deformation occurs, which can be understood as the height of its "relaxed" or "no-load" state.

[0093] There are no restrictions on the specific ratio of the first height to the second height. For example, the specific ratio of the first height to the second height can be 0.9, 0.92, 0.95, etc.

[0094] It should be noted that the ratio of the first height to the second height can be greater than or equal to 0.9, or less than 0.9. For example, the ratio of the first height to the second height can be 0.85, 0.7, 0.68, 0.65, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, etc. Furthermore, the larger the ratio of the first height to the second height, the better the elasticity of the female signal terminal 120 after the external force applied to it is removed, resulting in a more stable contact between the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120.

[0095] In one possible implementation, the female signal terminal 120 is made of a first elastic conductive material, which is both elastic and conductive, thus giving the female signal terminal 120 both elastic and conductive properties. Of course, in some embodiments, the structure of the female signal terminal 120 can also be designed to be elastic. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the structure of the female signal terminal 120 is designed while simultaneously using a first elastic conductive material.

[0096] For example, the first elastic conductive material may include one or more of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene. It should be noted that the components constituting the first elastic conductive material may include other components besides these.

[0097] In some embodiments, the conductivity of the first elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, which makes the female signal terminal 120 have good conductivity, which helps to improve the transmission rate of the connector assembly 300.

[0098] The specific value of the conductivity of the first elastic conductive material is not limited here. For example, the conductivity of the first elastic conductive material can be 5.8*10^5 S / m, 6*10^5 S / m, 7*10^5 S / m, etc.

[0099] It should be noted that the conductivity of the first elastic conductive material can be greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, or less than 5.8*10^5 S / m. For example, the conductivity of the first elastic conductive material can be 5*10^5 S / m. The female signal terminal 120 can be used in scenarios where the transmission rate requirement is not high, which helps to achieve low-cost connector assembly 300.

[0100] In this embodiment, the specific structure of the female signal terminal 120 is not limited. For example, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the female signal terminal 120 can be a cylindrical structure. Of course, the female signal terminal 120 can also have other structures; for example, it can also be a prismatic structure.

[0101] In this embodiment, the female connector 100 includes at least one female housing 110 and a plurality of female signal terminals 120, with two female signal terminals 120 disposed inside each female housing 110. For example, as shown in FIG8, the female connector 100 includes two female housings 110 and four female signal terminals 120, with two female signal terminals 120 disposed inside each female housing 110. Of course, the number of female housings 110 may be more than two or less than two; for example, the number of female housings 110 may be one or five.

[0102] To electrically insulate the two female signal terminals 120 inside the female housing 110, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the female housing 110 includes two sockets 111 and two receiving cavities 112, with each socket 111 corresponding to one of the two receiving cavities 112. Each socket 111 connects the interior and exterior of the corresponding receiving cavity 112. In this case, each receiving cavity 112 contains one female signal terminal 120, and the two female signal terminals 120 inside the female housing 110 are separated by a partition between the two receiving cavities 112, thus achieving electrical insulation. In other embodiments, the female housing 110 may also include one receiving cavity 112 and one socket 111. In this case, the two female signal terminals 120 are disposed in the same receiving cavity 112, and an insulating element is provided between the two female signal terminals 120 to achieve electrical insulation.

[0103] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 9, the receiving cavity 112 includes a receiving cavity section 1122 and a guide cavity section 1121. The female signal terminal 120 is located inside the receiving cavity section 1122. The guide cavity section 1121 is located between the receiving cavity section 1122 and the socket 111 along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 (as shown by the Z direction in Figure 9), connecting the socket 111 and the receiving cavity section 1122. Along the direction from the receiving cavity section 1122 to the guide cavity section 1121, the distance between the inner wall of the guide cavity section 1121 and the center line P of the socket 111 (as shown by L in Figure 4) gradually increases, making the guide cavity section 1121 flared outwards. This serves as a guide, directing the male signal terminal 220 into the receiving cavity section 1122, ensuring alignment between the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120, and improving the efficiency and accuracy of the mating between the male and female signal terminals 220.

[0104] In one possible implementation, as shown in FIG9, the receiving cavity 1122 includes a first cavity 1122a and a second cavity 1122b. The first cavity 1122a connects the guide cavity 1121 and the second cavity 1122b. Along the radial direction of the socket 111 (as shown by X in FIG9), the distance between the inner wall of the first cavity 1122a and the center line P of the socket 111 (as shown by M in FIG9) is smaller than the distance between the inner wall of the second cavity 1122b and the center line P of the socket 111 (as shown by N in FIG9). The female signal terminal 120 is located inside the second cavity 1122b. Along the radial direction of the socket 111 (as shown by X in FIG9), the distance between the side wall of the female signal terminal 120 and the center line P of the socket 111 is greater than the distance between the inner wall of the second cavity 1122b and the center line P of the socket 111 (as shown by N in FIG9). In this way, the position of the female signal terminal 120 in the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 can be restricted, thus preventing the female signal terminal 120 from moving.

[0105] As shown in Figure 9, in the X direction, the sidewall of the female signal terminal 120 is in clearance fit with the sidewall of the second cavity 1122b, and the female signal terminal 120 can move relative to the female housing 110. The female signal terminal 120 is compressed or rebounded along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 (as shown in the Z direction in Figure 9), so that the female signal terminal 120 can always be in contact with the male signal terminal 220.

[0106] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 9, the female connector housing 110 includes a plastic outer shell 113 and a conductive outer shell 114. The plastic outer shell 113 has a socket 111. The plastic outer shell 113 is fixedly connected to the conductive outer shell 114 and forms a receiving cavity 112 with the conductive outer shell 114. The conductive outer shell 114 is used for electrical connection with the female connector signal terminal 120. Thus, the conductive outer shell 114 serves as an external structure for the female connector signal terminal 120, reducing the difficulty of externally connecting the female connector signal terminal 120 and helping to simplify the structure of the female connector 100.

[0107] Of course, besides being constructed from a plastic outer shell 113 and a conductive outer shell 114, the female terminal housing 110 can also be made of plastic. In this case, the female terminal housing 110 can be an integral structure or a split structure. For example, the female terminal housing 110 may include a first plastic shell and a second plastic shell. The first plastic shell has a socket 111. The first plastic shell and the second plastic shell are fixedly connected and form a receiving cavity 112. The second plastic shell has a through hole communicating with the receiving cavity 112. The through hole is used to expose the female terminal signal terminal 120, so as to realize the electrical connection between the female terminal signal terminal 120 and the device.

[0108] The conductive housing 114 is made of a conductive material, giving it conductivity and enabling it to be electrically connected to the female signal terminal 120. In one possible implementation, the conductive housing 114 is made of metal. Metal has high strength, so the conductive housing 114 is not easily deformed after contacting the female signal terminal 120, providing good support for the female signal terminal 120 and further ensuring stable contact between the female signal terminal 120 and the male signal terminal 220. Furthermore, using metal to make the conductive housing 114 results in low cost, simple process, and high manufacturing efficiency.

[0109] Of course, in addition to being made of metal, in one possible implementation, the conductive housing 114 can also be made of a conductive non-metallic material, such as conductive plastic.

[0110] The specific structure of the conductive housing 114 is not limited here. For example, the conductive housing 114 can be a flat plate structure. Of course, the conductive housing 114 can also be other structures, such as a curved plate structure.

[0111] In one possible implementation, the female connector 100 further includes a conductive adhesive layer (not shown) extending along the centerline P of the socket 111. This conductive adhesive layer is located between the conductive housing 114 and the female signal terminal 120. The conductive housing 114 is bonded to and electrically connected to the female signal terminal 120 via the conductive adhesive layer. This prevents the female signal terminal 120 from freely moving within the receiving cavity 112, achieves a fixed connection between the female housing 110 and the female signal terminal 120, and helps reduce the difficulty of aligning the male signal terminal 220 with the female signal terminal 120.

[0112] It should be noted that, in addition to being indirectly electrically connected to the female signal terminal 120 through the conductive adhesive layer, the conductive housing 114 can also be directly electrically connected to the female signal terminal 120.

[0113] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 9, the female connector 100 further includes an external conductive element 130 (Cable). Along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 (as shown in the Z direction of Figure 9), the external conductive element 130 and the female signal terminal 120 are located on opposite sides of the conductive housing 114, and the external conductive element 130 is electrically connected to the conductive housing 114. Thus, by electrically connecting the external conductive element 130 to the device, the difficulty of electrically connecting the female connector 100 to the device can be reduced.

[0114] The material of the external conductive component 130 can be a metallic material or a non-metallic conductive material. When both the conductive housing 114 and the external conductive component 130 are made of metallic materials, they can be connected by welding to achieve a fixed connection and electrical connection between them.

[0115] The specific structure of the external conductive component 130 is not limited here. For example, the external conductive component 130 can be a cylindrical structure.

[0116] As shown in Figure 7, a pair of female signal terminals 120 inside the female housing 110 form a signal differential pair. In order to reduce crosstalk between adjacent differential pairs, in one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 7, the female connector 100 also includes a conductive female shield 140. The female shield 140 is located outside the receiving cavity 112 and is fixedly connected to the outer side wall of the female housing 110. The female shield 140 corresponds one-to-one with the female housing 110. The female shield 140 is used to electrically connect with the male shield 230 of the male connector 200. The male shield 230 and the female shield 140 form a shielded cavity that accommodates a pair of female signal terminals 120.

[0117] Since the female shield 140 is located outside the receiving cavity 112 and the female shield 140 corresponds one-to-one with the female housing 110, each female shield 140 shields a pair of female signal terminals 120 respectively, thereby reducing crosstalk between two adjacent pairs of female signal terminals 120 and helping to improve the bandwidth of the connector assembly 300.

[0118] In one possible implementation, the female shield 140 includes a plurality of first shields 142 arranged around the female housing 110 and spaced apart along the circumference of the socket 111. For example, as shown in FIG7, the number of first shields 142 is four; however, the number of first shields 142 may be more or less than four. The plurality of first shields 142 together form a first shielding space for accommodating the female signal terminals 120, thereby reducing crosstalk between adjacent pairs of female signal terminals 120.

[0119] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another female end shield and female end housing provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0120] Of course, in addition to being constructed by multiple spaced first shielding bodies 142, in another possible implementation, as shown in Figure 10, the female shielding member 140 is a ring structure, fitted onto the outer wall of the female housing 110. In this way, each pair of female signal terminals 120 is located within a 360° fully enclosed first shielding space, achieving full coverage of the differential pairs formed by the female signal terminals 120. This significantly improves the shielding effect, reduces or avoids crosstalk between adjacent signal differential pairs, and further increases the bandwidth of the connector assembly 300.

[0121] In one possible implementation, at least one of the female shield 140 and the male shield 230 is elastic, meaning that the female shield 140 and / or the male shield 230 deforms under external force and has the ability to return to its original shape after the external force is removed. For example, as shown in FIG4, the female shield 140 is elastic, and the male shield 230 is not elastic. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the female shield 140 is not elastic, and the male shield 230 is elastic. Alternatively, in some embodiments, both the female shield 140 and the male shield 230 are elastic.

[0122] When the female connector 100 is connected to the male connector 200, since at least one of the female shield 140 and the male shield 230 is elastic, the male shield 230 and the female shield 140 are always in contact along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 (Z direction in Figure 4), which makes the male shield 230 and the female shield 140 have stable electrical contact, which helps to improve the reliability of shielding.

[0123] In some embodiments, the female shield 140 and / or the male shield 230 are made of an elastic conductive material, thereby making the female shield 140 and / or the male shield 230 elastic. In some embodiments, the structure of the female shield 140 and / or the male shield 230 is designed to make the female shield 140 and / or the male shield 230 elastic. In some embodiments, while the female shield 140 and / or the male shield 230 are made of an elastic conductive material, their structure is also designed to make the female shield 140 and / or the male shield 230 elastic.

[0124] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 4, the female end shield 140 is made of a second elastic conductive material. This second elastic conductive material possesses both elasticity and conductivity, thus giving the female end shield 140 both elastic and conductive properties. Of course, in some embodiments, the structure of the female end shield 140 can also be designed to be elastic. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the structure of the female end shield 140 is designed while simultaneously using a second elastic conductive material to make the female end shield 140 elastic.

[0125] For example, the second elastic conductive material may include one or more of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene. It should be noted that the components constituting the second elastic conductive material may include other components besides these.

[0126] In some embodiments, the conductivity of the second elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, which makes the female end shield 140 have good conductivity, which helps to improve the transmission rate of the connector assembly 300.

[0127] The specific value of the conductivity of the second elastic conductive material is not limited here. For example, the conductivity of the second elastic conductive material can be 5.8*10^5 S / m, 6*10^5 S / m, 7*10^5 S / m, etc.

[0128] It should be noted that the conductivity of the second elastic conductive material can be greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, or it can be less than 5.8*10^5 S / m. For example, the conductivity of the second elastic conductive material can be 5*10^5 S / m.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the ratio of the first rebound height to the first initial height of the female shield 140 is greater than or equal to 0.9. The first rebound height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the female shield 140 after the external force causing deformation is removed, and the first initial height refers to the initial height of the female shield 140 in its natural state without any external force (also called the original height). This gives the female shield 140 excellent elasticity, further improving the stable contact between the male shield 230 and the female shield 140.

[0130] There is no restriction on the specific ratio of the first rebound height to the first initial height. For example, the specific ratio of the first rebound height to the first initial height can be 0.9, 0.92, 0.95, etc.

[0131] It should be noted that the ratio of the first rebound height to the first initial height can be greater than or equal to 0.9, or less than 0.9. For example, the ratio can be 0.85, 0.7, 0.68, 0.65, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, etc. Furthermore, the larger the ratio of the first rebound height to the first initial height, the greater the first rebound height after the external force applied to the female shield 140 is removed, resulting in better elasticity of the female shield 140 and more stable contact between the male shield 230 and the female shield 140.

[0132] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 9, a guide slope 141 is provided at the end of the female shield 140 facing the male shield 230 along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111 (Z direction in Figure 9). Thus, during the connection process between the male connector 200 and the female connector 100, the guide slope 141 slides into contact with the male shield 230, allowing a portion of the female shield 140 to be inserted between the male shield 230 and the female housing 110, thereby reducing the difficulty of connecting the female shield 140 and the male shield 230.

[0133] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another female connector provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0134] In one possible implementation, as shown in FIG11, the female connector 100 further includes a conductive wear-resistant layer 150 disposed on the surface of the female shield 140. When the male connector 200 is connected to the female connector 100, the wear-resistant layer 150 is located between the female shield 140 and the male shield 230 and abuts against both the female shield 140 and the male shield 230 respectively, and the female shield 140 is electrically connected to the male shield 230 through the wear-resistant layer 150.

[0135] As shown in Figure 11, when the female end shield 140 is provided with a guide slope 141, the wear-resistant layer 150 covers the guide slope 141. In addition, the wear-resistant layer 150 has good wear resistance. When the male end shield 230 performs shearing motion and friction on the surface of the wear-resistant layer 150, the second elastic conductive material does not suffer from damage, shedding, or other abnormalities.

[0136] For example, the material of the wear-resistant layer 150 includes at least one of the following: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene. Of course, the material of the wear-resistant layer 150 may include other materials in addition to these.

[0137] Of course, in addition to improving the shear resistance of the second elastic conductive material by setting the wear-resistant layer 150, in some embodiments, the female end shield 140 is made of a conductive elastic wear-resistant material, so that the female end shield 140 itself has good shear resistance. When the male end shield 230 performs shearing motion and friction on the surface of the female end shield 140, the female end shield 140 is not damaged or has any abnormalities such as chipping.

[0138] For example, the elastic wear-resistant material may include at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene. Of course, the elastic wear-resistant material may include other materials in addition to these.

[0139] It should be noted that in some scenarios, while the second elastic conductive material is an elastic wear-resistant material, it can also be provided with a wear-resistant layer 150, which can further improve the shear resistance of the second elastic conductive material.

[0140] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 9, the female connector 100 further includes an electrical connector 160 extending along the centerline P of the socket 111 (Z direction in Figure 9). The electrical connector 160 is located on the side of the female shield 140 away from the socket 111. The electrical connector 160 is electrically connected to the female shield 140, and the female housing 110 is insulated from the electrical connector 160. Thus, by electrically connecting the electrical connector 160 to each of the female shields 140 and grounding it, the difficulty of grounding the female shields 140 can be reduced.

[0141] In some embodiments, the electrical connector 160 may also be called an Organizer.

[0142] Electrical connector 160 is made of a conductive material, such as conductive plastic. Of course, electrical connector 160 can also be made of metal.

[0143] The specific structure of the electrical connector 160 is not limited here. For example, the electrical connector 160 has a flat plate structure and has a plurality of first through holes, each of which corresponds to a female end housing 110. Each female end housing 110 is inserted into a first through hole and fixedly connected to the electrical connector 160.

[0144] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG9, the outer wall of the female end housing 110 has a groove 115, and a portion of the female end shield 140 is located inside the groove 115. Along the extension direction of the center line P of the socket 111, the opposite ends of the female end shield 140 abut against the inner wall of the groove 115 and the electrical connector 160, respectively. In this way, the female end shield 140 is limited to prevent it from shaking.

[0145] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of step one of a female connector provided in an embodiment of this application, and Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of step two of a female connector provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0146] This application embodiment also provides a method for manufacturing a female connector 100, the method comprising the following steps:

[0147] S1. Prepare a terminal structure, which includes a female signal terminal 120, a conductive shell 114, a conductive adhesive layer, and an external conductive component 130.

[0148] Specifically, referring to Figure 12, a first strip assembly with a female signal terminal 120 is provided. The first strip assembly includes a first elastic conductive material strip (as shown by D in Figure 12) and a metal strip (as shown by H in Figure 12). The metal strip partially overlaps with the first elastic conductive material strip, and the first elastic conductive material strip has the female signal terminal 120. A conductive housing 114 and an external conductive component 130 are provided, and the conductive housing 114 and the external conductive component 130 are welded together to obtain a conductive structure. Then, conductive adhesive is applied to the surface of the conductive housing 114 to form a conductive adhesive layer, and the conductive structure is bonded to the female signal terminal 120 of the first strip assembly through the conductive adhesive layer. Finally, the first elastic conductive material strip is cut by laser cutting to separate the female signal terminal 120 from the first elastic conductive material strip, thus obtaining a terminal structure.

[0149] S2. Prepare a shielding structure, which includes a female shielding component 140, a wear-resistant layer 150, and a plastic shell 113. The female shielding component 140 includes a plurality of first shielding bodies 142, and the plurality of first shielding bodies 142 have guide slopes 141. The wear-resistant layer 150 covers the guide slopes 141.

[0150] Specifically, referring to Figure 13, a second strip assembly is provided, comprising a metal strip (shown as H in Figure 13) and a second elastic conductive material strip (shown as K in Figure 12). The second elastic conductive material strip partially overlaps with the metal strip and has multiple first shielding elements 142. A portion of the surface of the first shielding elements 142 is shielded by a shielding structure (e.g., a cover), and then a wear-resistant material is sprayed onto the guide slope 141 of the first shielding elements 142 to form a wear-resistant layer 150. A plastic housing 113 with conductive adhesive is provided, and then the first shielding elements 142 are bonded to the conductive adhesive. Finally, the second elastic conductive material strip is cut by laser cutting to separate the first shielding elements 142, obtaining the shielding structure.

[0151] S3. Assemble the terminal structure, shielding structure and electrical connector 160 to obtain the female connector 100.

[0152] The male connector 200 will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0153] Figure 14 is a top view of the male connector in Figure 3, Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view in the VV direction in Figure 14, Figure 16 is a top view of the male shield in Figure 14, and Figure 17 is a top view of another male shield provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0154] The male connector 200 includes at least one male housing 210 and at least two male signal terminals 220, with each male housing 210 corresponding to two male signal terminals 220. For example, as shown in Figure 14, the male connector 200 includes two male housings 210 and four male signal terminals 220, with each male housing 210 fixedly connected to two male signal terminals 220. Of course, the number of male housings 210 can be more than two or less than two; for example, the number of male housings 210 can be one or five.

[0155] The male connector 200 includes a second through hole penetrating the male housing 210. The second through hole corresponds one-to-one with the male signal terminal 220, as shown in Figure 15. The first part 220a and the second part 220b of the male signal terminal 220 are located on opposite sides of the male housing 210, respectively. The first part 220a of the male signal terminal 220 is used for electrical contact with the female signal terminal 120, the second part 220b of the male signal terminal 220 is used for electrical connection with the device, and the third part 220c of the male signal terminal 220 is embedded inside the second through hole.

[0156] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, the male signal terminal 220 includes a cylindrical portion 221 and a frustum portion 222. The cylindrical portion 221 is fixedly connected to the large end of the frustum portion 222, and the cylindrical portion 221 is fixedly connected to the male terminal housing 210. Along the direction from the cylindrical portion 221 to the frustum portion 222, the outer diameter of the frustum portion 222 gradually decreases, thereby making it easier for the male signal terminal 220 to be inserted into the socket 111, reducing the difficulty of aligning the male signal terminal 220 with the female signal terminal 120.

[0157] Of course, the structure of the male signal terminal 220 can be other than that shown in Figure 15. For example, in some embodiments, the male signal terminal 220 can be a cylindrical structure.

[0158] In one possible implementation, the male signal terminal 220 is made of a rigid conductive material. For example, the material of the male signal terminal 220 can be a metal, or it can be a non-metallic conductive material. Therefore, the hardness of the male signal terminal 220 is greater than that of the female signal terminal 120. During electrical contact between the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120, the male signal terminal 220 will not deform, which helps reduce the difficulty of inserting the male signal terminal 220 into the socket 111 and improves the interlocking efficiency between the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120.

[0159] In another possible implementation, the male signal terminal 220 is elastic, and the ratio of its third height to its fourth height is greater than or equal to 0.9. The third height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the male signal terminal 220 after the external force causing its deformation is removed, and the fourth height refers to the initial height of the male signal terminal 220 in its natural state without any external force. Thus, the male signal terminal 220 has good elasticity, and the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120 can maintain stable contact.

[0160] It is understandable that the fourth height is the height value of the male signal terminal 220 when no deformation occurs, which can be understood as the height of its "relaxed" or "no-load" state.

[0161] There are no restrictions on the specific ratio of the third height to the fourth height. For example, the specific ratio of the third height to the fourth height can be 0.9, 0.92, 0.95, etc.

[0162] It should be noted that the ratio of the third height to the fourth height can be greater than or equal to 0.9, or less than 0.9. For example, the ratio of the third height to the fourth height can be 0.85, 0.7, 0.68, 0.65, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, etc. Furthermore, the larger the ratio of the third height to the fourth height, the greater the third height after the external force applied to the female signal terminal 120 is removed, resulting in better elasticity of the female signal terminal 120 and more stable contact between the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120.

[0163] In one possible implementation, the male signal terminal 220 is made of a third elastic conductive material, which is both elastic and conductive, thus giving the male signal terminal 220 both elastic and conductive properties.

[0164] Of course, in some embodiments, the structure of the male signal terminal 220 can be designed to be elastic. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the male signal terminal 200 is made of a third elastic conductive material while designing the structure of the male signal terminal 220, thereby making the male signal terminal 220 elastic.

[0165] For example, the third elastic conductive material may include one or more of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, high-density polyethylene, etc. Of course, the third elastic conductive material may include other materials in addition to these.

[0166] In some embodiments, the conductivity of the third elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, which makes the male signal terminal 220 have good conductivity, which helps to improve the transmission rate of the connector assembly 300.

[0167] There are no restrictions on the specific value of the conductivity of the third elastic conductive material. For example, the conductivity of the third elastic conductive material can be 5.8*10^5 S / m, 6*10^5 S / m, 7*10^5 S / m, etc.

[0168] It should be noted that the conductivity of the third elastic conductive material can be greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, or less than 5.8*10^5 S / m. For example, the conductivity of the third elastic conductive material can be 5*10^5 S / m. The male signal terminal 220 can be used in scenarios where the transmission rate requirement is not high, which helps to achieve low-cost connector assembly 300.

[0169] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, each male housing 210 corresponds to a pair of male signal terminals 220 forming a signal differential pair. In order to reduce crosstalk between adjacent differential pairs, in one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 14, the male connector 200 further includes a male shield 230, which is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the male housing 210 and is used for electrical connection with the female shield 140.

[0170] As shown in Figure 15, a partial male shield 230 is provided between two adjacent pairs of male signal terminals 220 to shield the male signal terminals 220, thereby reducing crosstalk between the two adjacent pairs of male signal terminals 220 and helping to improve the bandwidth of the connector assembly 300.

[0171] In one possible implementation, as shown in Figure 14, the male terminal shield 230 is a ring structure, and the male terminal shield 230 is fitted onto the male terminal housing 210. In this way, each pair of male terminal signal terminals 220 is located within a 360° fully enclosed second shielding space, that is, the differential pair formed by the male terminal signal terminals 220 is fully enclosed, which significantly improves the shielding effect, reduces or avoids crosstalk between adjacent signal differential pairs, and further improves the bandwidth of the connector assembly 300.

[0172] In addition, the “0” stub structure formed by the mutual mating of the male signal terminal 220 and the female signal terminal 120, and the 360° full shielding structure composed of the male shield 230 and the female shield 140, can support a bandwidth increase to 110GHz+, enabling the development of 336G+ connectors.

[0173] When there are multiple male end housings 210, each male end housing 210 corresponds to a male end shield 230, and each male end shield 230 is fitted onto the outer wall of the corresponding male end housing 210.

[0174] In some embodiments, when there are multiple male terminal housings 210, as shown in FIG16, two adjacent male terminal shields 230 are integral structures, and multiple male terminal shields 230 constitute an integral component with a mesh structure. In this way, the volume of the mesh structure formed by multiple male terminal shields 230 can be reduced, further reducing the volume of the male terminal connector 200, which helps to achieve high-density design.

[0175] In some other embodiments, when there are multiple male end housings 210, as shown in FIG17, two adjacent male end shields 230 can also be separate structures, that is, two adjacent male end shields 230 are not a single structure.

[0176] Of course, in addition to being a ring structure, in another possible implementation, the male terminal shield 230 includes a plurality of second shields, which are arranged at circumferential intervals along the socket 111 and form a second shielding space. At least a portion of the male terminal signal terminal 220 is located inside the second shielding space to reduce crosstalk between two adjacent pairs of male terminal signal terminals 220.

[0177] The second shield can be a flat plate, an arc-shaped plate, or other structures. Furthermore, when the female shield 140 is constructed from multiple first shields 142, in some embodiments, the second shield corresponds one-to-one with the first shield 142. When the male connector 200 is connected to the female connector 100, the corresponding first shield 142 and second shield are electrically connected.

[0178] In some embodiments, when there are multiple male shielding elements 230, adjacent male shielding elements 230 may share the same second shield. When the male connector 200 is connected to the female connector 100, the second shield shared by the adjacent male shielding elements 230 is electrically connected to the two female shielding elements 140. Of course, in other embodiments, adjacent male shielding elements 230 may not share the same second shield.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the male shield 230 is made of a rigid conductive material, such as metal. In this case, the hardness of the male shield 230 is greater than that of the female shield 140, and the male shield 230 lacks elasticity, so it will not deform during contact with the female shield 140. Using a rigid conductive material to make the male shield 230 helps reduce the difficulty of electrically connecting it to the female shield 140.

[0180] In another possible implementation, the material of the male shield 230 is a fourth elastic conductive material, which makes the male shield 230 elastic. When the male shield 230 comes into contact with the female shield 140, the male shield 230 deforms to ensure stable electrical contact between the two.

[0181] For example, the fourth elastic conductive material may include one or more of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene. Of course, the fourth elastic conductive material may also include other materials besides these.

[0182] In some embodiments, the conductivity of the fourth elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, which makes the male end shield 230 have good conductivity, which helps to improve the transmission rate of the connector assembly 300.

[0183] There are no restrictions on the specific value of the conductivity of the fourth elastic conductive material. For example, the conductivity of the fourth elastic conductive material can be 5.8*10^5 S / m, 6*10^5 S / m, 7*10^5 S / m, etc.

[0184] It should be noted that the conductivity of the fourth elastic conductive material can be greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m, or it can be less than 5.8*10^5 S / m. For example, the conductivity of the fourth elastic conductive material can be 5*10^5 S / m.

[0185] In one possible implementation, the ratio of the second rebound height to the second initial height of the male shield 230 is greater than or equal to 0.9. The second rebound height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the male shield 230 after the external force causing deformation is removed, and the second initial height refers to the initial height (also called the original height) of the male shield 230 in its natural state without any external force. This gives the male shield 230 excellent elasticity, further improving the stable contact between the male shield 230 and the female shield 140.

[0186] There is no restriction on the specific ratio of the second rebound height to the second initial height. For example, the specific ratio of the second rebound height to the second initial height can be 0.9, 0.92, 0.95, etc.

[0187] It should be noted that the ratio of the second rebound height to the second initial height can be greater than or equal to 0.9, or less than 0.9. For example, the ratio of the second rebound height to the second initial height can be 0.85, 0.7, 0.68, 0.65, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, etc.

[0188] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or the internal connection of two components or the interaction between two components. 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. The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc. (if present) are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0189] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although the embodiments of this application have been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A female connector (100), characterized in that, For connection with male connector (200), including: The female end housing (110) includes a socket (111) and a receiving cavity (112), wherein the socket (111) connects the interior and exterior of the receiving cavity (112); A female signal terminal (120) is located inside the receiving cavity (112) and opposite the socket (111), and at least one of the female signal terminal (120) and the male signal terminal (220) of the male connector (200) is resilient; When the female connector (100) is connected to the male connector (200), the male signal terminal (220) of the male connector (200) is inserted into the receiving cavity (112) through the socket (111). Along the extension direction of the center line (P) of the socket (111), the opposite ends of the female signal terminal (120) abut against the male signal terminal (220) and the female housing (110) respectively. The end of the female signal terminal (120) facing the socket (111) is in electrical contact with the male signal terminal (220).

2. The female connector (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The female signal terminal (120) is elastic, and the ratio of the first height to the second height of the female signal terminal (120) is greater than or equal to 0.

9. The first height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the female signal terminal (120) after the external force that caused the deformation of the female signal terminal (120) is removed. The second height refers to the initial height of the female signal terminal (120) in its natural state without any external force.

3. The female connector (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The female signal terminal (120) is made of a first elastic conductive material.

4. The female connector (100) according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first elastic conductive material includes at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene.

5. The female connector (100) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The conductivity of the first elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m.

6. The female connector (100) according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The receiving cavity (112) includes: The receiving cavity (1122) has the female signal terminal (120) located inside the receiving cavity (1122); A guide cavity (1121) is located between the receiving cavity (1122) and the socket (111) along the extension direction of the center line (P) of the socket (111). The guide cavity (1121) connects the socket (111) and the receiving cavity (1122). Along the direction from the receiving cavity (1122) to the guide cavity (1121), the distance between the inner wall of the guide cavity (1121) and the center line (P) of the socket (111) gradually increases.

7. The female connector (100) according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The female end housing (110) includes a plastic outer shell (113) and a conductive outer shell (114). The plastic outer shell (113) has the socket (111). The plastic outer shell (113) is fixedly connected to the conductive outer shell (114) and forms the receiving cavity (112) with the conductive outer shell (114). The conductive outer shell (114) is used for electrical connection with the female end signal terminal (120).

8. The female connector (100) according to claim 7, characterized in that, The female connector (100) further includes a conductive adhesive layer extending along the centerline (P) of the socket (111). The conductive adhesive layer is located between the conductive housing (114) and the female signal terminal (120). The conductive housing (114) is bonded to and electrically connected to the female signal terminal (120) via the conductive adhesive layer; and / or, The conductive outer shell (114) is made of metal.

9. The female connector (100) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The female connector (100) further includes an external conductive element (130). Along the extension direction of the center line (P) of the socket (111), the external conductive element (130) and the female signal terminal (120) are located on opposite sides of the conductive housing (114), and the external conductive element (130) is electrically connected to the conductive housing (114).

10. The female connector (100) according to any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, The female connector (100) further includes a conductive female shield (140), which is located outside the receiving cavity (112) and fixedly connected to the outer side wall of the female housing (110). The female shield (140) is used to electrically connect with the male shield (230) of the male connector (200).

11. The female connector (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that, At least one of the female end shield (140) and the male end shield (230) is elastic.

12. The female connector (100) according to claim 11, characterized in that, The female end shield (140) is made of a second elastic conductive material.

13. The female connector (100) according to any one of claims 10-12, characterized in that, Along the extension direction of the center line (P) of the socket (111), the female end shield (140) facing the male end shield (230) is provided with a guide slope (141).

14. The female connector (100) according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, The female end shield (140) includes a plurality of first shields (142), which surround the female end housing (110) and are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the socket (111); or, The female end shield (140) has a ring structure and is sleeved on the outer wall of the female end housing (110).

15. The female connector (100) according to any one of claims 10-13, characterized in that, The female end shield (140) is made of a conductive, elastic, and wear-resistant material.

16. The female connector (100) according to any one of claims 10-15, characterized in that, The female connector (100) further includes a conductive wear-resistant layer (150) disposed on the surface of the female shield (140); When the male connector (200) is connected to the female connector (100), the wear-resistant layer (150) is located between the female shield (140) and the male shield (230) and abuts against the female shield (140) and the male shield (230) respectively. The female shield (140) is electrically connected to the male shield (230) through the wear-resistant layer (150).

17. The female connector (100) according to claim 16, characterized in that, The wear-resistant layer (150) is made of at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene.

18. A male connector (200), characterized in that, For connection with female connector (100), including: Male end housing (210); A male signal terminal (220) is fixedly connected to the male housing (210), and at least one of the male signal terminal (220) and the female signal terminal (120) of the female connector (100) is elastic; When the female connector (100) is connected to the male connector (200), the male signal terminal (220) is inserted into the receiving cavity (112) of the female connector (100) and abuts against and makes electrical contact with the female signal terminal (120) of the female connector (100).

19. The male connector (200) according to claim 18, characterized in that, The material of the male signal terminal (220) is a rigid conductive material.

20. The male connector (200) according to claim 19, characterized in that, The material of the male signal terminal (220) is a metal material.

21. The male connector (200) according to claim 18, characterized in that, The male signal terminal (220) is elastic. The ratio of the third height to the fourth height of the male signal terminal (220) is greater than or equal to 0.

9. The third height refers to the maximum rebound height reached by the male signal terminal (220) after the external force that caused the deformation of the male signal terminal (220) is removed. The fourth height refers to the initial height of the male signal terminal (220) in its natural state without any external force.

22. The male connector (200) according to claim 18 or 21, characterized in that, The male signal terminal (220) is made of a third elastic conductive material.

23. The male connector (200) according to claim 22, characterized in that, The third elastic conductive material includes at least one of the following materials: thermoplastic polyurethane, styrene-ethylene / butene-styrene block copolymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, and high-density polyethylene.

24. The male connector (200) according to claim 22 or 23, characterized in that, The conductivity of the third elastic conductive material is greater than or equal to 5.8*10^5 S / m.

25. The male connector (200) according to any one of claims 18-24, characterized in that, The male connector (200) further includes a male shield (230), which is fixedly connected to the outer side wall of the male housing (210) and is used to electrically connect with the female shield (140) of the female connector (100).

26. The male connector (200) according to claim 25, characterized in that, The male end shield (230) has a ring structure and is sleeved on the male end housing (210).

27. The male connector (200) according to claim 25 or 26, characterized in that, The material of the male end shield (230) is a rigid conductive material, or the material of the male end shield (230) is a fourth elastic conductive material.

28. A connector assembly (300), characterized in that, Includes a female connector (100) as described in any one of claims 1-17 and a male connector (200) as described in any one of claims 18-27; When the male connector (200) is connected to the female connector (100), along the extension direction of the center line (P) of the socket (111) of the female connector (100), the female signal terminal (120) abuts and makes electrical contact with the male signal terminal (220).

29. A device module, characterized in that, This includes connected devices and connectors; The connector is a female connector (100) as described in any one of claims 1-17, or the connector is a male connector (200) as described in any one of claims 18-27.

30. An electronic device, characterized in that, Includes the connector assembly (300) as described in claim 28.

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