Electrical connector preventing a terminal from being damaged by excess extrusion

An electrical connector includes a body, multiple terminals and a shell. The body includes a mating cavity defined by a top plate, a bottom plate and two side plates. The top plate and the bottom plate are respectively provided with multiple accommodating grooves, which include a wider first accommodating groove and a narrower second accommodating groove. Each terminal has an elastic portion accommodated in a corresponding accommodating groove. A first clearance is provided between the elastic portion and a side of the first accommodating groove close to the corresponding side plate. A second clearance is provided between the elastic portion and a side of the second accommodating groove close to the first accommodating groove. The first clearance is greater than the second clearance The shell has a top wall and two side walls. A mating port being defined by the front ends thereof is larger than the mating cavity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119(a), patent application Serial No. CN201710728828.2 filed in China on Aug. 23, 2017. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector preventing a terminal from being damaged by excess extrusion.

BACKGROUND

During mating of connectors, a better guiding device is not always designed between a receptacle and a plug. Thus, in the mating process, it always takes much time in alignment, and the plug and the receptacle cannot be smoothly mated due to any small-angle offset or misalignment of the plug, which may even cause structure damage on the connectors.

The U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,314 discloses a receptacle connector, which has an insulating body and a guiding shell. The insulating body includes a mating groove defined by a top wall, a bottom wall and two side walls. The mating groove penetrates through a front end surface of the insulating body. The top wall and the bottom wall are provided with a plurality of terminal slots communicated with the mating groove to accommodate a plurality of terminals. The guiding shell is provided with an accommodating space formed by an upper plate and two separating plates, the upper plate bends to the accommodating space to form two elastic arms, and the guiding shell is located at a front end of an opening of the mating groove of the insulating body.

In the patent, the guiding shell is fixed to the front end of the opening of the mating groove of the insulating body. When the receptacle connector is mated with a plug connector, the plug connector can effectively provide quick positioning of the vertical position under the guiding of the elastic arms, so that a tongue plate of the plug connector is accurately inserted into the mating groove, and the plug connector is accommodated in the accommodating space of the guiding shell, thus shortening time wasted by alignment failure during connector mating. However, in the patent, when the tongue plate of the plug connector mates with the receptacle connector, although alignment in the vertical direction can be accurately provided, there is no solution provided for the problem of alignment in a horizontal direction. When the connectors are mated with each other, the tongue plate is prone to a left-right offset due to inaccurate alignment in the horizontal direction, so that the terminals are prone to left-right offset. In particular, the terminals adjacent to the two side walls are offset seriously. That is, the offset of the terminals adjacent to the two side walls is greater than that of the terminals located between the top wall and the bottom wall, so that the terminals adjacent to the two side walls may be damaged due to excess extrusion with the corresponding terminal shells, thereby affecting the service life of the receptacle connector.

Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need to design a novel electrical connector exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

SUMMARY

An objective of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector preventing the terminals from being damaged by excess extrusion.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions.

An electrical connector, configured to be electrically connected to a mating plug, includes: a body, including a mating cavity defined by a top plate, a bottom plate and two side plates, the mating cavity allowing insertion of an insertion portion of the mating plug, wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are respectively provided with a plurality of accommodating grooves communicated with the mating cavity, the accommodating grooves include a first accommodating groove and a second accommodating groove, the first accommodating groove is located at an outer side of the second accommodating groove and adjacent to a corresponding one of the side plates, and a width of the first accommodating groove is greater than a width of the second accommodating groove; a plurality of terminals, each having an elastic portion accommodated in the corresponding accommodating groove, the elastic portion protruding into the mating cavity and configured to mate with the insertion portion, wherein a first clearance is provided between the elastic portion accommodated in the first accommodating groove and a side of the first accommodating groove close to the corresponding side plate, a second clearance is provided between the elastic portion accommodated in the second accommodating groove and a side of the second accommodating groove close to the first accommodating groove, and the first clearance is greater than the second clearance; and a shell, having a top wall and two side walls bending and extending downward from two opposite sides of the top wall, wherein a mating port is defined by front ends of the top wall and the two side walls, the mating port is larger than the mating cavity, the top wall shields the top plate and protrudes forward beyond the top plate, and each of the side walls shields the corresponding side plate and protrudes forward beyond the side plate.

In certain embodiments, at least two first accommodating grooves are located on a same side of the second accommodating groove, a first partition is provided between two adjacent ones of the first accommodating grooves, a second partition is provided between the first accommodating grooves and the second accommodating groove, and a width of the first partition is smaller than a width of the second partition.

In certain embodiments, the terminals are of a same structure, and distances between each two adjacent ones of the terminals are equal.

In certain embodiments, a third clearance is provided between the elastic portion accommodated in the first accommodating groove and a side of the first accommodating groove away from the corresponding side plate, and the third clearance is equal to the second clearance.

In certain embodiments, a partition is provided between two adjacent ones of the accommodating grooves, a plurality of ribs respectively protrudes from the partitions into the mating cavity, and a front end of the body has a guide chamfer extending from an opening of the mating cavity to front ends of the ribs.

In certain embodiments, the body has a connecting portion connecting the front ends of at least two ribs, a height of the connecting portion is same as heights of the ribs, and the guide chamfer extends to a front end of the connecting portion.

In certain embodiments, at least one of the ribs is located between two adjacent ones of second accommodating grooves, and a side surface of each of the ribs is flush with a corresponding side surface of the second accommodating groove vertically.

In certain embodiments, at least one of the ribs is located between the first accommodating groove and the second accommodating groove, one side surface of each of the ribs is flush with a corresponding side surface of the second accommodating groove vertically, and the other side face of each of the ribs is staggered with a corresponding side surface of the first accommodating groove vertically.

In certain embodiments, the elastic portion is provided with two chamfers respectively at two opposite sides thereof, each of the chamfers extends to a free end of the elastic portion, a front end of each of the accommodating grooves has a front wall surface, and the free end of the elastic portion is accommodated in the corresponding accommodating groove and shielded by the front wall surface.

Compared with the prior art, the electrical connector of certain embodiments of the present invention has the following beneficial effects.

The first accommodating groove is adjacent to the corresponding side plate. A first clearance is provided between the elastic portion accommodated in the first accommodating groove and a side of the first accommodating groove close to the corresponding side plate, a second clearance is provided between the elastic portion accommodated in the second accommodating groove and a side of the second accommodating groove close to the first accommodating groove, and the first clearance is greater than the second clearance. By increasing the first clearance, when the insertion portion is inserted into the mating cavity obliquely, the elastic portion is deformed in the first clearance, thus preventing the terminals from being damaged due to excess extrusion between the elastic portion and the side of the first accommodating groove close to the corresponding side plate, and thereby ensuring the service life of the electrical connector.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention may also adopt the following technical solutions.

An electrical connector, configured to be electrically connected to a mating plug, includes: a body, comprising a mating cavity defined by a top plate, a bottom plate and two side plates, the mating cavity allowing insertion of an insertion portion of the mating plug, wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are located at upper and lower sides of the mating cavity, the two side plates are located at left and right sides of the mating cavity, the mating cavity has a center line, the top plate and the bottom plate are provided with a plurality of first accommodating groves, at least one of the first accommodating grooves is respectively disposed at a left side and a right side of the center line, the first accommodating grooves are communicated with the mating cavity and adjacent to the corresponding side plate, and each of the first accommodating grooves has a left wall surface and a right wall surface disposed oppositely in a left-right direction; a plurality of terminals, correspondingly accommodated in the first accommodating grooves, each of the terminals having an elastic portion accommodated in the corresponding first accommodating groove, the elastic portion protruding into the mating cavity and mating with the insertion portion, wherein at the left side of the center line, a clearance between the elastic portion and the left wall surface is greater than a clearance between the elastic portion and the right wall surface, and at the right side of the center line, a clearance between the elastic portion and the left wall surface is smaller than a clearance between the elastic portion and the right wall surface; and a shell, having a top wall and two side walls bending and extending downward from two opposite sides of the top wall, wherein a mating port is defined by front ends of the top wall and the two side walls, the mating port is larger than the mating cavity, the top wall shields the top plate and protrudes forward beyond the top plate, and each of the side walls shields the corresponding side plate and protrudes forward beyond the side plate.

In certain embodiments, each of the top plate and the bottom plate are further provided with at least one second accommodating groove respectively, the first accommodating grooves are located on left and right sides of the at least one second accommodating groove, a width of each of the first accommodating grooves is greater than a width of each of the at least one second accommodating groove, a first partition is provided between two of the first accommodating grooves, a second partition is provided between the first accommodating grooves and the at least one second accommodating groove, and a width of the first partition is smaller than a width of the second partition.

In certain embodiments, the first accommodating grooves are bilaterally symmetric along the center line, the terminals are of a same structure, and distances between each two adjacent ones of the terminals are equal.

In certain embodiments, a partition is provided between two adjacent ones of the first accommodating grooves, a plurality of ribs respectively protrudes from the partitions into the mating cavity, and a front end of the body has a guide chamfer extending from an opening of the mating cavity to front ends of the ribs.

In certain embodiments, the body has a connecting portion connecting the front ends of at least two ribs, a height of the connecting portion is same as heights of the ribs, and the guide chamfer extends to a front end of the connecting portion.

In certain embodiments, a side surface of at least one of the ribs is staggered with a side surface of the corresponding first accommodating groove vertically.

In certain embodiments, the elastic portion is provided with two chamfers respectively at two opposite sides thereof, each of the chamfers extends to a free end of the elastic portion, a front end of each of the accommodating grooves has a front wall surface, and the free end of the elastic portion is accommodated in the corresponding accommodating groove and shielded by the front wall surface.

Compared with the related art, the electrical connector according to certain embodiments of the present invention also has the following beneficial effects.

At the left side of the center line, a clearance between the elastic portion and the left wall surface is greater than a clearance between the elastic portion and the right wall surface, and at the right side of the center line, a clearance between the elastic portion and the left wall surface is smaller than a clearance between the elastic portion and the right wall surface. When the insertion portion is inserted into the mating cavity obliquely, the terminals can be prevented from being damaged due to excess extrusion between the elastic portion and the side of the first accommodating groove close to the corresponding side plate, thereby ensuring the service life of the electrical connector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The description will be made as to the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inFIGS. 1-16. In accordance with the purposes of this invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention, in one aspect, relates to an electrical connector.

As shown inFIG. 1toFIG. 11, an electrical connector100in a first embodiment of the present invention is used for being electrically connected to a mating plug200, and includes a body1, two terminal modules2installed in the body1, and a shell3covering the body1.

As shown inFIG. 1, the body1is made of an insulating material, and includes a mating cavity14defined by a top plate11, a bottom plate12and two side plates13. The mating cavity14allows insertion of an insertion portion4of the mating plug200. The top plate11and the bottom plate12are located on the upper and lower sides of the mating cavity14, and the two side plates13are located on the left and right sides of the mating cavity14.

The top plate11and the bottom plate12are respectively provided with a plurality of accommodating grooves15communicated with the mating cavity14. The accommodating grooves15are symmetrically disposed in an upper row and a lower row (also referring toFIG. 10). A front end of each accommodating groove15has a front wall surface153, and each accommodating groove15is protrudingly provided with a stopping block154(also referring toFIG. 5).

As shown inFIG. 8andFIG. 9, the accommodating grooves15in each row include a plurality of second accommodating grooves152successively distributed in the middle, and a plurality of first accommodating grooves151that are located on the left and right sides of the second accommodating grooves152and adjacent to the corresponding side plates13. A width W1of each of the first accommodating grooves151is greater than a width W2of each of the second accommodating grooves152.

A partition16is provided between each of two adjacent accommodating grooves15. The partitions16includes a plurality of first partitions161located between two adjacent first accommodating grooves151, and a plurality of second partitions162located between the first accommodating grooves151and the second accommodating grooves152or located between two adjacent second accommodating grooves152. A width W3of each of the first partitions161is smaller than a width W4of each of the second partitions162.

As shown inFIG. 3,FIG. 4andFIG. 5, a plurality of ribs17respectively protrudes from the plurality of partitions16into the mating cavity14, and a front end of the body1has a guide chamfer19extending from an opening of the mating cavity14to front ends of the ribs17.

As shown inFIG. 10andFIG. 11, the ribs17include a plurality of first ribs171(or, in other embodiments, only one first rib171may be provided) located between the first accommodating grooves151and the second accommodating grooves152, and a plurality of second ribs172(or, in other embodiments, only one second rib172may be provided) located between two adjacent second accommodating grooves152.

One side surface of each of the first ribs171is flush with the corresponding side face of the second accommodating groove152vertically, and the other side surface of each of the first ribs171is staggered with the corresponding side surface of the first accommodating groove151vertically.

One side surface of each of the second ribs172is flush with the corresponding side surface of the second accommodating groove152vertically. That is, the side surface of each of the second ribs172is also flush with the corresponding side surface of the second accommodating groove152vertically.

As shown inFIG. 3,FIG. 4andFIG. 5, the body1has a connecting portion18connecting the front ends of at least two ribs17. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion18may be connected to the front ends of two ribs17, or may be connected to the front ends of three ribs17. In other embodiments, the connecting portion18may also be connected to the front ends of more than three ribs17. A height of the connecting portion18is the same as heights of the ribs17, and the guide chamfer19extends to a front end of the connecting portion18.

As shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 2, each terminal module2includes an insulating block21, and a row of terminals22insert-molded with the insulating block21. The terminals22are of the same structure, and are correspondingly accommodated in the accommodating grooves15. Distances between each two adjacent terminals22are equal (also referring toFIG. 10).

Each terminal22includes an elastic portion221, a tail portion222, and a main body portion223connecting the elastic portion221and the tail portion222.

The elastic portion221is accommodated in the accommodating groove15. The stopping block154stops the elastic portion221from moving toward the mating cavity14(also referring toFIG. 5andFIG. 6). The elastic portion221has a contact portion2211protruding into the mating cavity14and used to mate with the insertion portion4. Each of two opposite sides of the elastic portion221is provided with a chamfer2212. Each of the chamfers2212extends to a free end of the elastic portion221from the contact portion2211. The chamfer2212provide a guiding function, which can effectively avoid damage to the terminals22due to oblique insertion of the insertion portion4, and the free end of the elastic portion221is accommodated in the accommodating groove15and shielded by the front wall surface153(also referring toFIG. 5andFIG. 6).

The tail portion222extends beyond the body1, and uses the surface mounting technology to mount to a circuit board (not shown in the figures).

The main body portion223has a fixing portion2231fixed to the insulating block21, and an extending portion2232connecting the fixing portion2231and the elastic portion221. The extending portion2232is located behind the accommodating groove15and is not accommodated in the accommodating groove15(also referring toFIG. 8).

As shown inFIG. 9andFIG. 11, a first clearance S1is provided between the elastic portion221accommodated in the first accommodating groove151and a side of the first accommodating groove151close to the corresponding side plate13, and a second clearance S2is provided between the elastic portion221accommodated in the second accommodating groove152and a side of the second accommodating groove152close to the first accommodating groove151. The first clearance S1is greater than the second clearance S2.

A third clearance S3is provided between the elastic portion221accommodated in the first accommodating groove151and a side of the first accommodating groove151away from the corresponding side plate13, and a fourth clearance S4is provided between the elastic portion221accommodated in the second accommodating groove152and a side of the second accommodating groove152away from the first accommodating groove151. The second clearance S2, the third clearance S3and the fourth clearance S4are equal.

As shown inFIG. 10andFIG. 11, the mating cavity14has a center line L. The first accommodating grooves151are symmetrically disposed on the left and right sides of the center line L, and each first accommodating groove151has a left wall surface1511and a right wall surface1512disposed oppositely in a left-right direction.

At the left side of the center line L, a clearance (i.e., the first clearance S1) between the elastic portion221accommodated in the first accommodating groove151and the left wall surface1511is greater than a clearance (i.e., the third clearance S3) between the elastic portion221accommodated in the first accommodating groove151and the right wall surface1512.

At the right side of the center line L, a clearance (i.e., the third clearance S3) between the elastic portion221accommodated in the first accommodating groove151and the left wall surface1511is smaller than a clearance (i.e., first clearance S1) between the elastic portion221accommodated in the first accommodating groove151and the right wall surface1512.

As shown inFIG. 3andFIG. 4, the shell3is made of a metal material, and has a top wall31, a bottom wall32and two side walls33. The top wall31shields the top plate11and protrudes forward beyond the top plate11. The bottom wall32shields the bottom plate12and protrudes forward beyond the bottom plate12. Each side wall33shields the corresponding side plate13and protrudes forward beyond the side plate13.

As shown inFIG. 4andFIG. 6, the front end of the shell3has a mating port34located in front of the mating cavity14. A width of the mating port34is greater than that of the mating cavity14, and a height of the mating port34is greater than that of the mating cavity14. Thus, when the insertion portion4is inserted into the mating port34, a clearance is provided between the insertion portion4and the mating portion34, thereby causing that the insertion portion4is prone to oblique insertion into the mating cavity14due to misalignment. In this case, the offset of the terminals22adjacent to the two side plates13in each row of terminals22is greater than that of the terminals22adjacent to the center line L. In the present embodiment, by increasing the first clearance S1(also referring toFIG. 9andFIG. 11), the elastic portion221can be deformed in the first clearance S1, thus preventing the terminals22from being damaged due to excess extrusion between the elastic portion221and the side of the first accommodating groove151close to the corresponding side plate13, thereby ensuring the service life of the electrical connector100.

FIG. 12toFIG. 16show an electrical connector100in a second embodiment of the present invention. The difference of this embodiment from the first embodiment exists in that, in the present embodiment, each row of the accommodating grooves15only includes one second accommodating groove152, and a plurality of first accommodating grooves151are successively disposed at the left and right sides of the second accommodating groove152. Further, the ribs17do not include the second ribs172, but further include a plurality of third ribs173located between two adjacent first accommodating grooves151, where the side surfaces of the third ribs173adjacent to the side plates13are staggered with the corresponding side surfaces of the first accommodating grooves151vertically.

In other embodiments, the first clearance S1may be gradually increased from the center line L to the two side walls33, and the objectives of the present invention can be still achieved when the first clearance S1is greater than the third clearance S3.

To sum up, the electrical connector of certain embodiments of the present invention has the following beneficial effects.

(1) The first accommodating grooves151are adjacent to the corresponding side plate13. A first clearance S1is provided between the elastic portion221accommodated in the first accommodating groove151and a side of the first accommodating groove151close to the corresponding side plate13, and a second clearance S2is provided between the elastic portion221accommodated in the second accommodating groove152and a side of the second accommodating groove152close to the first accommodating groove151. The first clearance S1is greater than the second clearance S2. By increasing the first clearance S1, when the insertion portion4is inserted into the mating cavity14obliquely, the elastic portion221is deformed in the first clearance S1, thus preventing the terminals22from being damaged due to excess extrusion between the elastic portion221and the side of the first accommodating groove151close to the corresponding side plate13, thereby ensuring the service life of the electrical connector100.

(2) The first accommodating grooves151are adjacent to the corresponding side plate13. At the left side of the center line L, a clearance between the elastic portion221and the left wall surface1511is greater than a clearance between the elastic portion221and the right wall surface1512. At the right side of the center line L, a clearance between the elastic portion221and the left wall surface1511is smaller than a clearance between the elastic portion221and the right wall surface1512. When the insertion portion4is inserted into the mating cavity14obliquely, the terminals22can be prevented from being damaged due to excess extrusion between the elastic portion221and the side of the first accommodating groove151close to the corresponding side plate13, thereby ensuring the service life of the electrical connector100.

(3) The width of the first partition161is smaller than that of the second partition162. By reducing the width of the first partition161, the first clearance S1is correspondingly increased, thus preventing the terminals22from being damaged due to excess extrusion.

(4) A plurality of ribs17protrudes respectively from the plurality of partitions16into the mating cavity14. The ribs17can strengthen the combination force between the mating cavity14and the insertion portion4, thereby reducing a space for movement during vibration of the insertion portion4, and preventing an unstable electrical connection between the terminals22and the insertion portion4during the vibration. The front end of the body1has a guide chamfer19extending from an opening of the mating cavity14to front ends of the ribs17, and the insertion portion4can be directly guided and inserted into the mating cavity14, thereby reducing the wearing of the front ends of the ribs17caused by the insertion portion4, and reducing the difficulty in mating of the electrical connector100and the mating plug200.

(5) The body1has a connecting portion18connecting the front ends of at least two ribs17. A height of the connecting portion18is the same as heights of the ribs17, and the guide chamfer19extends to a front end of the connecting portion18, so as to increase the strength of the front ends of the ribs17, thereby improving the wear resistance of the ribs17.

(6) The side surface of each of the second ribs172is flush with the corresponding side surface of the second accommodating groove152vertically, thereby increasing the strength of the second rib172, and avoiding the phenomenon of short shots of the second rib172easily caused in a molding process.