KR102575386B1 - Electrical connector and method of fabricating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical connector and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. An electrical connector is a connector mounted on a board and including a center contact to which a mating connector is electrically connected and a mold surrounding an outer surface of the center contact, wherein the center contact includes one end to which the mating connector is connected and one end to which the mating connector is connected. and an inner cavity portion, and the other end includes a lower cover extending from an outer wall of the center contact and closing the cavity portion in close contact with a lower end of the center contact.

Description

Electrical connector and manufacturing method thereof {ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND METHOD OF FABRICATING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an electrical connector and a method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an electrical connector including a lower cover for closing a lower portion of a center contact and a method for manufacturing the same.

The electrical connector is mounted on the board, and can electrically connect the cable and the board. As an example of such an electric connector, an electric connector electrically connected to a coaxial cable including a center contact is used.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-123873 discloses an electrical connector having a center contact.

Meanwhile, when a center contact included in an electrical connector is manufactured by a press method, a cavity is included inside the center contact. Due to such a cavity, a lead burning phenomenon may occur along an inner wall of the center contact through the open cavity during mounting of the center contact, and as a result, soldering reliability of the center contact may be deteriorated.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having improved product reliability.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method of an electrical connector having improved product reliability.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

An electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems is a connector mounted on a board and including a center contact to which a mating connector is electrically connected and a mold surrounding an outer surface of the center contact, wherein the The center contact includes one end facing the mating connector and the other end opposite to the one end, and the other end extends from an outer wall of the center contact and closes the lower end of the center contact in close contact with the lower end. include cover

In some embodiments of the present invention, the lower cover may be wrapped by an inner wall of the center contact.

In some embodiments of the present invention, an outer shell may further include an outer shell that surrounds the mold and supports the center contact from the substrate.

In some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of tension contact portions and a space surrounded by the tension contact portion are formed at the one end of the center contact, and the tension contact portion is formed when the central conductor of the mating connector is inserted into the space. The center conductor may be wrapped.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the center contact includes a slip prevention portion protruding from an outer wall, and the slip prevention portion is engaged with a sidewall of the mold to prevent the center contact from being pushed toward the board when the mating connector is fastened. can do.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the center contact includes a locking protrusion protruding from an outer wall, and the locking protrusion engages with a protrusion of the mold to prevent the center contact from being separated from the board when the mating connector is removed. can do.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the substrate may include a hole formed to correspond to the other end of the center contact, and at least a portion of the center contact may be inserted into the hole.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the other end of the center contact may protrude onto the other surface of the substrate opposite to the one surface.

A method of manufacturing an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a plurality of tension contact parts spaced apart by at least one cutout at one end and a lower cover protruding on the opposite side of the end and providing a development field to form a center contact by pressing the development field, and closing a lower portion of the center contact by bending the lower cover.

In some embodiments of the present invention, closing the lower portion of the center contact may include covering the lower cover with an inner wall of the center contact.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the steps of separating the center contact from the carrier, soldering and mounting the center contact on a board, and inserting and coupling the center contact into a mold having an insertion hole and an outer shell coupled thereto are further performed. can include

Other specific details of the invention are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present invention, a solder pillar between the center contact and the board can be reliably formed by the lower cover closing the cavity of the center contact. Therefore, separation of soldering between the central contact and the board due to external environmental factors such as vibration can be suppressed.

Therefore, electrical connectors according to embodiments of the present invention can have improved product reliability.

1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A and 2B are perspective views of a center contact included in an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along A-A' of FIG. 1;
4a and 4b show a soldering shape of a portion where an electrical connector is connected to a board according to some embodiments of the present invention along with comparative examples.
4A is a diagram showing a comparative example in which a lower portion of an electrical connector is soldered.
4B is a view showing a solder pillar formed by soldering a lower portion of an electrical connector according to some embodiments of the present invention.
5A and 5B are perspective views of an electrical connector according to another embodiment of the present invention.
6 to 7B are intermediate step views for explaining a manufacturing method of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and methods of achieving them, will become clear with reference to the detailed description of the following embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in various different forms, only these embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and common knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the holder of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification.

A component is said to be "connected to" or "coupled to" another component when it is directly connected or coupled to the other component or through another component in between. include all cases. On the other hand, when one component is referred to as “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another component, it indicates that another component is not intervened. “And/or” includes each and every combination of one or more of the recited items.

When an element is referred to as being “on” or “on” another element, it includes not only directly on the other element, but also a case in which another element is interposed therebetween. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as “directly on” or “directly on” another element, it indicates that another element is not intervened.

The spatially relative terms "below", "beneath", "lower", "above", "upper", etc. It can be used to easily describe components and their correlations with other components. Spatially relative terms should be understood as encompassing different orientations of elements in use or operation in addition to the orientations shown in the figures. For example, when flipping elements shown in the figures, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements may be placed “above” other elements. . Thus, the exemplary term “below” may include directions of both below and above. Elements may also be oriented in other orientations, and thus spatially relative terms may be interpreted according to orientation.

Terminology used herein is for describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular forms also include plural forms unless specifically stated otherwise in a phrase. As used herein, "comprises" and/or "comprising" means that a stated component, step, operation, and/or element is present in the presence of one or more other components, steps, operations, and/or elements. or do not rule out additions.

Although first, second, etc. are used to describe various constituent elements, these constituent elements are not limited by these terms, of course. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Accordingly, it goes without saying that the first component mentioned below may also be the second component within the technical spirit of the present invention.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used in a meaning commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly specifically defined.

Hereinafter, a connector for a flexible cable according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6B.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a center contact 10 , a mold 20 , and an outer shell 30 and may be mounted on a board 40 .

The center contact 10 may be mounted on the upper surface of the board and electrically connected to the board 40 . The center contact 10 may include one end protruding from the board 40 and connectable to the mating connector, and the other end facing the board 40 on the opposite side.

The center contact 10 may be formed of a material having copper and conductivity, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The center contact 10 may be made of an electrically conductive material such as gold or aluminum.

The shape of the center contact 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

2A and 2B are perspective views illustrating a center contact included in an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B , the center contact 10 includes a plurality of tension contact portions 11 formed at one end, a locking step 13 formed on an outer wall of the center contact 10 and a slip prevention portion 14 formed at the other end. A lower cover 12 may be included.

A plurality of tension contact portions 11 may be formed at one end of the center contact 10 . The plurality of tension contact portions 11 may have a shape surrounding the space 15 inside the center contact 10 . One end of the tension contact part 11 is connected to the sidewall of the center contact 10 to provide a certain amount of elastic force, that is, tension in the inner direction of the center contact 10 . Therefore, the center conductor of the mating connector coupled to the center contact 10 is inserted into the space 15 surrounded by the plurality of tension contact parts 11, and the elastic force of the tension contact part 11 applies pressure to the contact of the mating connector. It is possible to provide a constant fastening force by adding.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2A, the center contact 10 may include two tension contacts 11, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In a manufacturing method of an electrical connector to be described later, when two or more cutouts are formed between tension contact portions spaced apart from each other in a deployment length, the center contact 10 may include three or more tension contact portions 11 .

The center contact 10 may include a locking step 13 and a slip prevention part 14 on an outer wall. The locking jaw 13 may have, for example, a shape in which a portion of the circumference is formed along the outer wall of the center contact 10, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The locking jaw 13 is coupled to the mold 20 to prevent the center contact 10 from being separated from the board 40 when the mating connector is released in a state in which the electrical connector 1 is fastened to the mating connector. can prevent That is, when the mating connector is removed, force is applied in the direction in which the electric connector 1 protrudes from the board, and thus the center contact 10 can be removed like the mating connector. At this time, the locking protrusion 13 is engaged with and supported by the protrusion (21 in FIG. 3) formed in the mold 20, and can prevent the center contact 10 from being separated from the substrate 40 when the mating connector is removed.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the locking protrusion 13 may have a shape protruding from the outer wall of the center contact 10 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the locking protrusion 13 may be recessed into the center contact 10, and the protrusion 21 of the mold 20 may protrude and engage with each other.

The center contact 10 may include a slip prevention part 14 on an outer wall. Like the locking jaw 13, the anti-slip portion 14 may have a shape protruding from the center contact 10, but is not limited thereto, and the shape of the anti-slip portion 14 recessed into the center contact 10 is also possible. Also, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B , the slip prevention part 14 may have a triangular pyramid shape formed along the outer wall of the central contact 10 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The slip prevention unit 14 can prevent the center contact 10 from being pushed toward the board 40 due to pressure for fastening the mating connector when the mating connector is inserted. That is, when the center contact 10 and the mold 20 are assembled, the slip prevention part 14 engages with the sidewall of the mold 20 and pulls the center contact 10 in the opposite direction to the fastening force applied when the mating connector is inserted. can support

The lower cover 12 may extend from an outer wall of the center contact 10 to close the lower portion of the center contact 10 . The lower cover 12 may be connected to the outer wall of the center contact 10 through the connecting portion 16 . The lower cover 12 is wrapped by an inner wall surrounding the cavity (17 in FIG. 3) of the center contact 10, and can close the cavity (17 in FIG. 3).

A function of the lower cover 12 included in the central contact 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 4B.

3 is a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a view showing an experimental example of a part where the center contact 10 and the board 40 are mounted.

Since the center contact 10 is formed by pressing an open sheet as will be described later, a hollow portion 17 is formed inside the center contact 10 . That is, in the manufacturing process of the center contact 10, which is processed by pressing a mold instead of cutting, the center contact 10 includes the cavity 17 therein.

The center contact 10 is mounted using solder in order to be electrically connected to the board 40 . At this time, when soldering is performed in a state where the other end of the center contact 10 is open due to the cavity 17, a phenomenon in which the solder climbs along the inner wall of the center contact 10, that is, a lead burning phenomenon may occur. .

When such lead burning occurs, the solder pillar 51 for fixing the center contact 10 and the board 40 is insufficiently formed, as shown in FIG. 4A, and the center contact ( 10) and the substrate 40 may not be sufficiently fixed. Therefore, due to external factors such as vibration applied to the environment surrounding the electrical connector 1, cracks may occur in the solder connecting the central contact 10 and the board 40, or in severe cases, the connection may be separated.

Meanwhile, according to the electrical connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a lower cover 12 is provided at the other end of the center contact 10, and the lower cover 12 is in close contact with the outer wall of the center contact 10. By doing so, the lower part of the center contact 10 is closed. Therefore, the solder connecting the center contact 10 and the substrate 40 cannot climb the inner wall of the cavity 17 of the center contact 10, and the solder filler 52 as shown in FIG. can be formed normally.

In summary, due to the lower cover 12 included in the center contact 10 of the electrical contact 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the cavity 17 of the center contact 10 is closed and the substrate 40 ) and can be spaced apart from each other, and can prevent cracks in the solder or separation of the connection between the central contact 10 and the substrate 40 due to external factors such as vibration due to the reliably formed solder filler.

The mold 20 may surround the center contact 10 and support the center contact 10 . Also, since the mold 20 is made of an insulating material, the center contact 10 can be electrically insulated from the outer shell 30 .

The outer shell 30 may surround the mold 20 and the center contact 10 and be connected to the substrate 40 to support the mold 20 and the center contact 10 . The outer shell 30 may include a conductive metal material. Meanwhile, the outer shell 30 may be surrounded by an outer housing of the coaxial connector when a mating connector coupled to the electrical connector 1 according to some embodiments of the present invention is a coaxial connector.

Meanwhile, in the electrical connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the mold 20 is spaced apart from the substrate 40, and the outer shell 30 supports the mold 20 and the center contact 10. Although shown, the present invention is not limited thereto. If necessary, the configuration of the outer shell 30 may be omitted, and the mold 20 may have a configuration in which the mold 20 is connected to the substrate 40 to support the center contact 10 .

That is, the configuration of the outer shell 30 may be selectively adopted according to the type of a mating connector connected to the electrical connector 1 .

5A and 5B are perspective views illustrating an electrical connector according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B , in the electrical connectors 2a and 2b according to another embodiment of the present invention, the other end of the center contact 10 may be inserted into the hole 42 formed in the board 41 . FIG. 5A shows a shape in which only a part of the other end of the center contact 10 is inserted into the hole 42, and FIG. It shows a shape protruding onto the other surface.

That is, the center contact 10 in some embodiments of the present disclosure may penetrate part or all of the substrate 41 through a hole 42 formed at a position on the substrate 41 corresponding to the other end.

Therefore, the protruding length of the central contact 10 on one surface of the substrate 41 can be reduced by the length of which the other end of the center contact 10 penetrates part or all of the substrate 41 through the hole 42. there is. As the protruding length of the central contact 10 on one surface of the substrate 41 decreases, the mold 20 surrounding the central contact 10 and the outer shell 30 surrounding the mold 20 are formed on the substrate ( 41), the length protruding upward can be reduced, contributing to miniaturization of the electrical connector 2a.

Meanwhile, in order to electrically connect the substrate 41 and the center contact 10, soldering may be performed around the hole 42. The lower cover 12 formed at the other end of the center contact 10 may close the lower portion of the center contact 10 to prevent solder from burning into the center contact 10 beyond the hole 42 .

6 to 7b are intermediate step views for explaining a manufacturing method of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6 , a deployment field 60 connected to a carrier 61 is provided. The spread length 60 is pressed to constitute the center contact 10 . Accordingly, the first protrusion 113 and the second protrusion 114 and the lower cover 112 are formed to protrude from the deployment cabinet 60 .

In addition, the deployment field 60 includes a plurality of tension contact portions 111 spaced apart by one or more cutouts 115 at one end.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B , the center contact 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape by pressing the unfolded sheet 60, and the lower portion of the center contact 10 is closed by bending the lower cover 12.

The lower cover 12 covers the lower portion of the center contact (10 in FIG. 1) to close the cavity (17 in FIG. 3), and may cover at least a portion of the outer wall of the center contact (10 in FIG. 1).

Thereafter, the center contact 10 is completed by separating the development field 60 from the carrier 61 .

Subsequently, referring to FIG. 1 again, the center contact 10 is soldered to the board 40 and mounted, and the center contact 10 is fastened to the mold 20 and the outer shell 30 to form the electrical connector 1. complete

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art can realize that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. you will be able to understand Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not limiting.

1, 2a, 2b: electrical connector 10: center contact
20: mold 30: outer shell
40: substrate 60: unfolding field

Claims (11)

a center contact mounted on a substrate and electrically connected to a mating connector; and
A connector including a mold surrounding an outer surface of the center contact,
The central contact,
It includes one end to which the mating connector is connected, the other end on the opposite side of the one end, and an internal cavity,
The other end,
A lower cover extending from an outer wall of the center contact and in close contact with a lower end of the center contact,
The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the lower cover includes a lower cover that is curved to close the cavity. According to claim 1,
The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the lower cover is covered by an inner wall of the center contact. According to claim 1,
and an outer shell surrounding the mold and supporting the center contact from the substrate. According to claim 3,
A plurality of tension contact portions and a space surrounded by the tension contact portions are formed at the one end of the center contact,
The tension contact portion surrounds the center conductor of the mating connector when the center conductor is inserted into the space. According to claim 1,
The center contact includes a slip prevention portion protruding from an outer wall,
The slip prevention part is engaged with the sidewall of the mold to prevent the center contact from being pushed toward the board when the mating connector is fastened. According to claim 1,
The center contact includes a locking jaw protruding from an outer wall,
The locking jaw is engaged with the jaw of the mold to prevent the center contact from being separated from the board when the mating connector is removed. According to claim 1,
The substrate includes a hole formed to correspond to the other end of the center contact,
At least a portion of the center contact is inserted into the hole. According to claim 7,
The other end of the center contact protrudes onto the other surface opposite to the one surface of the board. A deployment length including a plurality of contacts, a plurality of tension contact parts spaced apart from one end of each of the plurality of contacts by at least one cutout, and a plurality of lower covers protruding on the opposite side of one end of each of the plurality of contacts. provide,
Pressing the developed sheet to form a center contact using one of the plurality of contacts, one of the plurality of tension contact parts, and one of the plurality of lower covers; and
and closing a lower portion of the center contact by bending a lower cover of the center contact. According to claim 9,
Closing the lower part of the center contact,
and wrapping a lower cover of the center contact with an inner wall of the center contact. According to claim 9,
separate the center contact from the carrier;
soldering and mounting the center contact on a board;
The method of manufacturing an electrical connector further comprising inserting and coupling the center contact into a mold having an insertion hole and an outer shell coupled thereto.