TWM665270U - Connector with protective bollard - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention is a connector with a protective column, comprising an insulating body, a plurality of metal terminals and a metal shell, wherein the front side of the insulating body is provided with at least one docking groove; each of the metal terminals is arranged in the insulating body, and the front section thereof will expose the corresponding docking groove, and the rear section thereof will extend out of the insulating body to be fixed to a connection medium; The front side of the metal shell is provided with a front opening, in which the insulating body can be installed, and the front opening is connected to the docking groove. In addition, at least one protective column is provided in the metal shell protruding from the back to the front, and the protective column corresponds to the outer side surface of one side wall of the insulating body. In this way, the stability and impact resistance of the connector can be enhanced by the design of the protective column.

Description

Connector with protective bollard

This invention relates to a connector, and in particular to a connector having a protective column in a metal shell, and the protective column corresponds to an opposite side wall of an insulating body.

According to the standard, connector refers to all connection components and their accessories used in electronic signal and power transmission. Its main function is to establish and maintain the connection between circuits. It is not only responsible for transmitting power, but also covers data transmission. It is an important component in any modern electronic system. From mobile phones, computers to large industrial machinery and equipment, all rely on connectors to complete their basic functions.

Generally speaking, connectors are roughly composed of a metal shell, an insulating body, and terminals. During the production and use of connectors, the original structure is not sufficient to protect the insulating body from lateral forces. When the connector is squeezed laterally or the plugging and unplugging direction is incorrect, it is easy to cause the insulating body and the terminal structure to move or deform, thereby affecting the service life and stability of the entire connector. It can be seen that the protection measures in existing connectors are mainly concentrated on the external structure of the connector, but the protection design of the internal structure is often less involved.

In addition, as the purpose and installation location change, connectors also have a variety of different structural types to adapt to and meet the needs of use, but no matter what type of connector, it is usually designed to be thinner and lighter. The above design concept will cause the connector shell to be too thin and fragile, and cannot provide better protection. Therefore, how to improve the above problem is a major topic explored in this creation.

In order to stand out in the fiercely competitive market, the creator relied on his rich practical experience in designing, processing and manufacturing various power or signal connectors for many years, and adhered to the spirit of continuous improvement. After a long period of hard research and experiments, he finally developed this creation, a connector with a protective column, hoping that the advent of this creation will gain market favor.

One purpose of the invention is to provide a connector with a protective column, comprising an insulating body, a plurality of metal terminals and a metal shell, wherein the front side of the insulating body is provided with at least one docking groove; each of the metal terminals is arranged in the insulating body, and its front section will expose the corresponding docking groove, and its rear section will extend out of the insulating body to be fixed to a connecting medium; A front opening is provided on the front side of the metal shell, the insulating body can be installed in the metal shell, and the front opening is connected to the docking groove. In addition, at least one protective column is provided in the metal shell protruding from the back to the front, and each of the protective columns corresponds to the outer side surface of one of the side walls of the insulating body. In this way, the stability and impact resistance of the connector can be enhanced by the design of the left protective column and the right protective column.

Optionally, the left-right width of the guard column is not less than the left-right width of the corresponding side wall of the insulating body.

Optionally, the horizontal height of the top surface of the guard column is not lower than the horizontal height of the top surface of the corresponding side wall of the insulating body.

Optionally, the vertical height of the guard column is at least not less than two-thirds of the vertical height of the corresponding side wall of the insulating body.

Optionally, the front side of the guard column at least does not exceed the front side of the insulating body.

Optionally, the front side of the guard post extends beyond the front side of the insulating body.

Optionally, at least one positioning column is provided on the bottom side of the protective column and/or the metal shell.

Optionally, the protective column is located between the insulating body and one of the inner walls of the metal shell, and a side groove is formed between the protective column and the corresponding inner wall of the metal shell.

Optionally, the top surface or the bottom surface of the insulating body is spaced apart from the top inner wall or the bottom inner wall of the metal shell to form a first groove.

Optionally, the width of the first groove in the left-right direction is different from the width of the side groove in the left-right direction.

Optionally, a height of the first groove in the vertical direction is different from a height of the side groove in the vertical direction.

Optionally, a height of the first groove in a vertical direction is different from a width of the side groove in a horizontal direction.

Optionally, the metal shell is made of cast iron.

Optionally, the connector further comprises a cover, wherein a rear opening is provided on the rear side of the metal shell for the insulating body to extend into the metal shell from the rear to the front, and the cover can be assembled to the rear side of the metal shell and at least cover a partial portion of the rear opening.

Optionally, the metal shell is divided into a front section area and a rear section area, the front section area is in the form of a frame, and its vertical height is greater than the vertical height of the rear section area.

In order to help the review committee to have a deeper understanding of the purpose, technical features and effects of this creation, we provide an example with diagrams and a detailed description as follows:

In order to make the purpose, technical content and advantages of this creation clearer, the following is further explained in conjunction with specific implementation methods and attached figures. The technical personnel in this field can understand the advantages and effects of this creation, and this creation can be applied through other different specific embodiments. The details in this manual can be modified and changed without deviating from the concept of this creation. In addition, the attached figures of this creation are only for simple schematic illustration and are not drawn according to the actual size. In addition, unless the context clearly indicates or defines otherwise, the meaning of "a" and "the" in this creation includes the plural.

It should be understood that the terms used herein generally have the common meaning in the art, and in the event of a conflict, any definition given herein shall prevail. Since the same thing can be expressed in many ways, the use of alternatives or synonyms does not exclude other synonyms, and the use of terms is illustrative only and does not limit the scope and meaning of this creation or any term. The terms first, second, or third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements. The aforementioned terms are used to distinguish one element from another, and should not impose any substantial restrictions on any element, nor should they limit the assembly or setting order of each element in practical application. In addition, the directional terms mentioned in the embodiments, such as "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", etc., are only referenced to the directions of the attached drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are used to illustrate and are not used to limit the scope of protection of this creation. Furthermore, the term "and/or" used herein may include any one or more combinations of the associated listed items as appropriate.

This invention is a connector with a protective column. To facilitate the description of the component features and relative position relationship, in the subsequent description, the spatial form of the component is defined according to three mutually orthogonal axes. The aforementioned three axes are the horizontal axis (X axis), the longitudinal axis (Y axis) and the vertical axis (Z axis). Specifically, the horizontal axis (X axis) refers to the left and right extension direction. The upper left corner of Figure 1 is the component 1 is the left side direction of the component, and the lower right side of Figure 1 is the right side direction of the component; the longitudinal axis (Y axis) refers to the front-to-back extension direction, wherein the lower left side of Figure 1 is the front side direction of the component, and the upper right side of Figure 1 is the rear side direction of the component; the vertical axis (Z axis) refers to the up-down extension direction, wherein the upper side of Figure 1 is the upper (top) side direction of the component, and the lower side of Figure 1 is the lower (bottom) side direction of the component. In one embodiment, please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4 , the connector system includes a connector C and a circuit board P, wherein the connector C can be fixed to the top surface of the circuit board P, and the positions of the connector C and the circuit board P have the following two installation modes: (1) Part of the area of the connector C is located within the top projection range of the circuit board P, and the other part of the area extends outside the top projection range. In other words, the connector C can cross the side edge position of the circuit board P (as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 ); or (2) The entire connector C is located within the top projection range of the circuit board P, and the mating surface of the connector C can be close to the side edge of the circuit board P. The aforementioned "close" also includes the situation where the mating surface of the connector C is aligned with the side edge of the circuit board P.

Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. The connector C includes an insulating body 1, a plurality of metal terminals 2, a metal shell 3 and a cover 4. The front side of the insulating body 1 is provided with a docking groove 10. The docking groove 10 can be inserted into a tongue of a docking connector so that the connector C and the docking connector can be plugged into each other. However, this is not limited to this. According to the actual needs of the product, the insulating body 1 can also be provided with a plurality of docking grooves 10. Moreover, the docking grooves 10 can be arranged in the left-right direction or the up-down direction, and the length and shape of each docking groove 10 can be the same or different.

In addition, please refer to Figures 1 to 5 again. The metal terminals 2 can be arranged in the insulating body 1. The metal terminals 2 can be composed of a single type or multiple types of terminals, and the terminal types include but are not limited to power terminals, signal terminals and ground terminals. In this embodiment, part of the metal terminals 2 can be fixed to an upper terminal seat 21 to form an upper terminal set 2A, and the other part of the metal terminals 2 can be fixed to a lower terminal seat 22 to form a lower terminal set 2B, and the upper terminal seat 21 and the lower terminal seat 22 can be assembled to a carrier seat 23 and then installed together in the insulating body 1, but it is not limited to this. In other embodiments of the present invention, the upper terminal seat 21 and the lower terminal seat 22 can be directly assembled to each other, and the carrier seat 23 is omitted; or, the metal terminals 2 can also be directly fixed to the insulating body 1.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the front section of the metal terminal 2 is exposed in the corresponding docking groove 10 so as to be electrically connected to the terminal on the tongue plate of the docking connector; the rear section of the metal terminal 2 can extend out of the insulating body 1 so as to be fixed to the circuit board P. In this embodiment, the rear section of the metal terminal 2 is at least L-shaped to have a flat contact area, suitable for being fixed to the circuit board P using surface mount technology (SMT) and providing a stable soldering point to ensure good electrical contact and mechanical strength during the assembly process. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, according to product requirements, for example, if the connector C is in the form of a wire-end connector, the aforementioned circuit board P can be replaced by an electronic wire or other connecting medium, and the rear section of the metal terminal 2 can be in various forms such as a straight line.

Furthermore, please refer to FIG. 2, FIG. 7 to FIG. 8, the front side of the metal shell 3 is provided with a front opening 31, and the rear side of the metal shell 3 is provided with a rear opening 32, and the front opening 31 and the rear opening 32 are connected, so that the insulating body 1 can extend from the back to the front into the metal shell 3 and be installed in the metal shell 3, and the front opening 31 will be connected with the docking groove 10 of the insulating body 1, so that the tongue plate of the docking connector can extend into the docking groove 10 through the front opening 31. In addition, the bottom side of the metal shell 3 is also provided with a lower opening 33, so that the rear section of the metal terminals 2 can be exposed from the lower opening 33 of the metal shell 3 and can be fixed to the circuit board P. The cover 4 can be assembled to the rear side of the metal shell 3 and can completely or partially cover the rear opening 32 to provide appropriate protection for the insulating body 1 and the metal terminal 2 and block foreign objects from the outside. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, according to product requirements, the connector C can be provided with no cover 4; or, the metal shell 3 can be provided with no rear opening 32; or, the metal shell 3 can be provided with no lower opening 33, so that the rear section of the metal terminal 2 is exposed outside the rear opening 32, etc.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the metal housing 3 may be made of cast iron and may be divided into a front section 3A and a rear section 3B, wherein the front section 3A is in the form of a frame and its vertical height is greater than that of the rear section 3B; the left-right length of the front section 3A may be less than that of the rear section 3B. However, in some embodiments, the left-right lengths of the front section 3A and the rear section 3B may be the same, or the left-right length of the front section 3A may be greater than that of the rear section 3B. In addition, please refer to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 , a left protection column 35 and a right protection column 36 are provided in the metal shell 3 from the back to the front. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional configuration of the left protection column 35 and the right protection column 36 is a rectangular column, but it is not limited thereto. According to the actual needs of the product, the three-dimensional configuration of the left protection column 35 and the right protection column 36 can be a circular column or other non-rectangular column; or, only a single protection column can be provided in the metal shell 3, for example, one of the left protection column 35 and the right protection column 36, and according to the setting position of the single protection column, it can have the structural characteristics of the left protection column 35 or the right protection column 36.

Continuing from the above, please refer to FIGS. 2 and 6 to 8. The left guard column 35 will be spaced apart from the left inner wall of the metal shell 3 by a distance, so as to form a left side groove 342 between the left guard column 35 and the aforementioned left inner wall; the right guard column 36 will be spaced apart from the right inner wall of the metal shell 3 by a distance, so as to form a right side groove 343 between the right guard column 36 and the aforementioned right inner wall, but it is not limited thereto. In other embodiments of the present invention, the metal shell 3 may be provided with only a single side groove, for example, one of the left side groove 342 or the right side groove 343; or, no side groove may be provided; and the left guard column 35 and the right guard column 36 may be spaced apart from each other by a distance. A accommodating space 30 is provided between the two protective columns 36, and the accommodating space 30 can be used to accommodate the insulating body 1. In other words, the left protective column 35 will be located between the left inner wall of the metal shell 3 and the left side surface of the insulating body 1, and the right protective column 36 will be located between the right inner wall of the metal shell 3 and the right side surface of the insulating body 1. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, if only a single protective column is provided, the accommodating space 30 will be formed between the aforementioned protective column and the inner wall of the metal shell 3. Specifically, when the metal shell 3 is only provided with a left protective column 35, the accommodating space 30 will be formed between the left protective column 35 and the right inner wall of the metal shell 3. Thus, the following effects can be achieved through the design of the left protection column 35 and/or the right protection column 36: (1) Since the side wall of the insulating body 1 is opposite to the left protection column 35 and/or the right protection column 36, it can effectively prevent or reduce the movement or deformation of the insulating body 1 inside the metal shell 3 due to lateral force or extrusion, thereby maintaining the structural stability of the connector C; the aforementioned lateral force or extrusion may come from inaccurate force application during the plugging and unplugging process, deviation of the installation direction of the insulating body 1, or from factors such as vibration, external force impact and temperature change; (2) When the insulating body 1 is impacted during the plugging and unplugging process, the left protective column 35 and the right protective column 36 can absorb or disperse part of the impact force, reduce the negative impact on the insulating body 1 and the metal terminal 2, and thus extend the service life of the connector C; (3) The left protective column 35 and the right protective column 36 can help reduce electromagnetic interference and ensure the signal transmission stability of the metal terminal 2, especially in high-speed signals or sensitive electrical environments, which can help improve signal quality.

In addition, please refer to Figures 2, 6 to 8 again. In some embodiments, the top surface of the insulating body 1 is separated from the top inner wall of the metal shell 3 by a distance to form a first groove 341, but this is not limited to it. When the metal shell 3 does not have a lower opening 33, the aforementioned first groove 341 can be located between the top surface of the insulating body 1 and the bottom inner wall of the metal shell 3. Furthermore, the first groove 341 and the left groove 342 and/or the right groove 343 can have the following variations: (1) As shown in FIG. 10A , the left-right width NW1 of the first groove 341 is different from the left-right width NW2 of the side grooves (e.g., the left groove 342 and/or the right groove 343); (2) As shown in FIG. 10B , the vertical height NH1 of the first groove 341 is different from the left-right height NH2 of the side grooves (e.g., the left groove 342 and/or the right groove 343); and, although FIG. 10B only shows the left groove 342, based on the presentation of FIG. 2 , the aforementioned different height differences can also be shown; (3) As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 10A to FIG. 10B, the vertical height NH1 of the first groove 341 is different from the horizontal width NW2 of the side grooves (such as the left side groove 342 and/or the right side groove 343).

In addition, referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 8 , the bottom sides of the left protection column 35 and the right protection column 36 are respectively provided with a plurality of positioning columns 37, and the positioning columns 37 are used to be fixed to the circuit board P so that the metal housing 3 can be stably positioned on the circuit board P. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the number of positioning columns 37 provided on the left protection column 35 and the right protection column 36 can be the same or different; or, the positioning columns 37 can be provided only on the left protection column 35 or the right protection column 36; or, the left protection column 35 and the right protection column 36 are not provided with positioning columns 37, but positioning columns 37 are provided on the bottom sides of other parts of the metal housing 3.

Please refer to Figures 2 and 9 again. According to the actual needs of the product, the left protection column 35 and the right protection column 36 can have subsequent design changes. In order to conveniently represent various changes, only a partial diagram of the left protection column 35 is shown, but the right protection column 36 can also have the same characteristics. Please refer to Figures 2 and 9. From the front view, the left-right width W1 of the left protection column 35 can be greater than the left-right width W2 of the left side wall. It is particularly mentioned here that the aforementioned "left-right width W2 of the left side wall of the insulating body 1" refers to the horizontal extension distance from the left side of the insulating body 1 to the docking groove 10. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the left-right width W1 of the left guard column 35 can be equal to the left-right width W2 of the left side wall. In other words, the left-right width W1 of the left guard column 35 is at least not less than the left-right width W2 of the left side wall of the insulating body 1. Similarly, the left-right width of the right guard column 36 can also be not less than the left-right width of the right side wall of the insulating body 1, and the aforementioned "left-right width of the right side wall of the insulating body 1" refers to the horizontal extension distance from the right side surface of the insulating body 1 to the docking groove 10.

Continuing from the above, please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 9 again. In this embodiment, the horizontal height of the top surface of the left protective column 35 can be consistent with the horizontal height of the top surface of the left side wall of the insulating body 1, and both are based on the imaginary line L1 of FIG. 9 as a reference standard. It is particularly mentioned here that in actual products, the front end of the left protective column 35 may have a chamfer or fillet, so the "top surface horizontal height" mentioned above refers only to the horizontal height of the complete plane part of the left protective column 35, and does not include any range of the chamfer or fillet transition area. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the horizontal height of the top surface of the left protective column 35 can exceed the horizontal height of the top surface of the left side wall of the insulating body 1. In other words, the horizontal height of the top surface of the left protective column 35 is at least not lower than the horizontal height of the top surface of the left side wall of the insulating body 1. Similarly, the horizontal height of the top surface of the right protective column 36 is not lower than the horizontal height of the top surface of the right side wall of the insulating body 1. In addition, in order for the left protective column 35 and the right protective column 36 to achieve the expected effect, the vertical height of the left protective column 35, as viewed from the front view, is at least not less than two-thirds of the vertical height of the left side wall of the insulating body 1, and the aforementioned "vertical height of the left protective column 35" excludes the length of the positioning column 37. Similarly, the vertical height of the right protective column 36 can also be at least not less than two-thirds of the vertical height of the right side wall of the insulating body 1. Furthermore, according to the actual needs of the product, the front side of the left protective column 35 is used as a reference standard (such as the imaginary line L2 from Figure 11A to Figure 11B). In Figure 11A, the front side of the left protective column 35 can not exceed the front side of the insulating body 1; in Figure 11B, the front side of the left protective column 35 can be flush with the front side of the insulating body 1; in Figure 11C, the front side of the left protective column 35 can exceed the front side of the insulating body 1. It is particularly mentioned here that the front side mentioned above does not include any range of chamfered or rounded transition areas. Similarly, the front side of the right protective column 36 can also exceed or at least not exceed (including being flush with) the front side of the insulating body 1.

The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, the scope of rights claimed by the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent changes that can be easily thought of by those familiar with the art based on the technical content disclosed in the present invention should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

1: Insulation body 10: Docking groove 2: Metal terminal 2A: Upper terminal set 2B: Lower terminal set 21: Upper terminal seat 22: Lower terminal seat 23: Carrier seat 3: Metal shell 3A: Front section 3B: Rear section 31: Front opening 32: Rear opening 33: Lower opening 341: First groove 342: Left side groove 343: Right side groove 35: Left protective column 36: Right protective column 37: Positioning column 4: Cover C: Connector P: Circuit board W1, W2, NW1, NW2: Width NH1, NH2: Height L1, L2: Imaginary line

[Figure 1] is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the connector system of the present invention; [Figure 2] is a front view schematic diagram of the connector system of the present invention; [Figure 3] is a side view schematic diagram of the connector system of the present invention; [Figure 4] is an exploded schematic diagram of the connector system of the present invention; [Figure 5] is an exploded schematic diagram of the insulating body and metal terminals of the present invention; [Figure 6] is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cross section of the connector of the present invention in the front view direction; [Figure 7] is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the metal frame of the present invention in the front view direction; [Figure 8] is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the metal frame of the present invention in the rear view direction; [Figure 9] is a partial front view schematic diagram of the connector of the present invention; [Figure 10A] is a front view schematic diagram of the connector system of the present invention, and is used to indicate the width difference between the first groove and the side groove; [Figure 10B] is a partial front view schematic diagram of the connector system of the present invention, and is used to indicate the height difference between the first groove and the side groove; [Figure 11A] is a partial bottom view schematic diagram of one form of the connector of the present invention, and the partial front section area of the metal shell is removed to expose the left guard post and part of the insulating body; [Figure 11B] is a partial bottom view schematic diagram of another form of the connector of the present invention, and the partial front section area of the metal shell is removed to expose the left guard post and part of the insulating body; and [Figure 11C] is a partial schematic diagram of another form of the connector of the present invention, viewed from above, with the partial front section of the metal shell removed to expose the left protective column and part of the insulating body.

1: Insulation body

2:Metal terminal

3:Metal shell

3A: Front area

3B: Posterior area

341: First groove

342: Left side groove

343:Right side groove

35: Left guardrail

36: Right guardrail

37: Positioning column

4: Mask body

C: Connector

P: Circuit board

Claims (15)

A connector with a protective column comprises: an insulating body, the front side of which is provided with at least one docking groove; a plurality of metal terminals, which are arranged in the insulating body, the front section of each metal terminal will expose the corresponding docking groove, and the rear section of each metal terminal will extend out of the insulating body to be fixed to a connecting medium; and a metal shell, the front side of which is provided with a front opening, in which the insulating body can be installed, and the front opening will be connected to the docking groove, wherein at least one protective column is provided in the metal shell from the back to the front, and each of the protective columns will correspond to the outer side surface of one of the side walls of the insulating body. A connector as described in claim 1, wherein the left-right width of the protective column is not less than the left-right width of the corresponding side wall of the insulating body. A connector as described in claim 1, wherein the horizontal height of the top surface of the protective column is not lower than the horizontal height of the top surface of the corresponding side wall of the insulating body. A connector as described in claim 3, wherein the vertical height of the protective column is at least not less than two-thirds of the vertical height of the corresponding side wall of the insulating body. A connector as described in claim 1, wherein the front side of the protective column at least does not extend beyond the front side of the insulating body. A connector as described in claim 1, wherein the front side of the protective column extends beyond the front side of the insulating body. A connector as described in claim 1, wherein at least one positioning column is provided on the bottom side of the protective column and/or the metal shell. A connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the protective column is located between the insulating body and one of the inner walls of the metal shell, and a side groove is formed between the protective column and the corresponding inner wall of the metal shell. A connector as described in claim 8, wherein the top surface or the bottom surface of the insulating body is spaced a distance from the top inner wall or the bottom inner wall opposite to the metal shell to form a first groove. A connector as described in claim 9, wherein the left-right width of the first groove is different from the left-right width of the side groove. A connector as described in claim 9, wherein the vertical height of the first groove is different from the vertical height of the side groove. A connector as described in claim 9, wherein the height of the first groove in the vertical direction is different from the width of the side groove in the left and right direction. A connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the metal shell is made of cast iron material. The connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 further includes a cover body, wherein a rear opening is provided on the rear side of the metal shell for the insulating body to extend into the metal shell from the rear to the front, and the cover body can be assembled to the rear side of the metal shell and at least cover a partial portion of the rear opening. A connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the metal shell is divided into a front section area and a rear section area, the front section area is in the form of a frame, and its vertical height is greater than the vertical height of the rear section area.

Images