Patent Publication Number: US-11038290-B2

Title: Connecting terminal and coaxial connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of PCT International Application No. PCT/EP2018/063253, filed on May 21, 2018, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Chinese Patent Application No. 201720577553.2, filed on May 23, 2017. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a coaxial connector and, more particularly, to a connecting terminal for a coaxial connector. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A coaxial connector for connecting a coaxial cable comprises an outer cylinder and a connecting terminal disposed at a central portion of the outer cylinder. Correspondingly, a fitting cylinder and a socket located at a center of the fitting cylinder are provided within a mating connector mated with the coaxial connector. When the coaxial connector and the mating connector are engaged with each other, the outer cylinder of the coaxial connector is connected with the mating cylinder of the mating connector, and the connecting terminal is inserted and electrically connected into the socket, thereby realizing the electrical connection between the cable and the mating connector. 
     SUMMARY 
     A connecting terminal for a coaxial connector includes a fixing portion, an inserting portion integrally connected to a first end of the fixing portion, a cable connecting portion integrally connected to a second end of the fixing portion opposite to the first end of the fixing portion, and a stopper portion disposed inside the fixing portion. The stopper portion prevents an injection molding gel from flowing from the second end to the first end within the fixing portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a partially sectional side view of a coaxial connector according to an embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a portion A of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view of a connecting terminal of the coaxial connector; 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the connecting terminal of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the connecting terminal of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional side view of the connecting terminal of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a state during a process of manufacturing the connecting terminal of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     The disclosure will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings containing embodiments, but it should be understood prior to this description that those skilled in the art may modify the disclosure described herein while obtaining the technical effect of the disclosure. Therefore, it should be understood that the above description is a broad disclosure for those of ordinary skill in the art, and its content is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. 
     In addition, in the following detailed description, for the sake of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, one or more embodiments may also be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are illustrated schematically in order to simplify the drawing. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a coaxial connector  100  according to an embodiment connects with a coaxial cable  200 , which includes a conductor core  201  and a protecting layer  202  wrapped around an outside of the conductor core  201 . In another embodiment, the coaxial cable  200  includes a conductor core  201 , a protective layer  202  wrapped around the outside of the conductor core  201 , and a peripheral conductor located at a periphery of the conductor core  201  and insulated from the conductor core  201 . 
     In the following description, if the coaxial connector  100  is a plug connector, the mating connector is a receptacle connector; and if the coaxial connector  100  is a receptacle connector, the mating connector is a plug connector. The embodiment of the disclosure will be described below using the coaxial connector  100  as a plug connector as an example. 
     The coaxial connector  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , includes a connecting terminal  1 , an insulator  2 , and an outer cylinder  3 . The insulator  2  is overmolded on the connecting terminal  1 , by an injection molding process, to which the cable  200  is connected, and the outer cylinder  3  is mounted on the outside of the insulator  2  so that the connecting terminal  1  and the outer cylinder  3  are electrically insulated from each other. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , the connecting terminal  1  is made of a single piece of metal sheet, for example a copper sheet, and includes a cylindrical fixing portion  11 , a cylindrical inserting portion  12  and a cable connecting portion  13 . The fixing portion  11  is configured to position the connecting terminal  1  to mount the connecting terminal  1  in the outer cylinder  3 . The insertion portion  12  is integrally connected to a first end of the fixing portion  11 , a right end in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , and is configured to be inserted into a socket of the mating connector. The cable connecting portion  13  is integrally connected to a second end, a left end in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , of the fixing portion  1  opposite to the first end, and is configured to electrically connect with the cable  200 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , a stopper portion  14  is provided inside the fixing portion  11 . The stopper portion  14  is configured to prevent an injection molding gel for forming the insulator  2  from flowing from the second end to the first end and into the insertion portion  12  inside the fixing portion  11 , when injecting the injection molding gel outside the fixing portion  11  and the wiring portion  13  during forming the insulator  2 . In this way, poor electrical contact between the insertion portion  12  of the connecting terminal  1  and the socket of the mating connector may be avoided. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , an opening  15  is formed on and leads to the inside of the fixing portion  11 . The stopper portion  14  is integrated with the fixing portion  11  and extends from an edge of the opening  15 , adjacent to the second end, toward the inside of the fixing portion  11 . In this way, the periphery of the opening  15  may be partially cut, and the cut portion of the fixing portion  11  is pressed inward so that the cut portion is inwardly bent, thereby forming the stopper portion  14 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-5 , an annular stopper protrusion  16  is further formed on the fixing portion  11 . The annular stopper protrusion  16  is located between the stopper portion  14  and the second end and protrudes radially outwardly around an outer peripheral surface of the fixed portion  11 , so as to prevent the injection molding gel outside the fixing portion  11  from flowing from the second end to the first end and the outside of the inserting portion  12  when the injection molding gel is injected outside the fixing portion  11  and the cable connecting portion  13 . In this way, poor electrical contact between the inserting portion  12  of the connecting terminal  1  and the socket of the mating connector may be further avoided. 
     The cable connecting portion  13  includes a first crimping portion  131  and a second crimping portion  132 , as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 7 . The first crimping portion  131  is configured to be crimped onto a portion of the protective layer  202  of the cable  200  so as to mechanically fix the cable  200 . The second crimping portion  132  is disposed between the second end of the fixing portion  11  and the first crimping portion  131 , and configured to be crimped onto an exposed conductor core  201  of the cable  200  so that the connecting terminal  1  is electrically connected to the cable  200 . An inwardly projecting rib  134  is provided inside the second crimping portion  132  to maintain good electrical contact between the second crimping portion  132  and the conductor core  201 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 3-6 , the first crimping portion  131  and the second crimping portion  132  both have substantially U-shaped cross-sections. In this way, when the protective layer  202  and the conductor core  201  of the cable  200  are crimped by the first crimping portion  131  and the second crimping portion  132 , respectively, the first crimping portion  131  and the second crimping portion  132  may be controlled to keep a consistent concentricity with respect to the inserting portion  11 , avoiding deviation of the first crimping portion  131  and the second crimping portion  132  with respect to an axis of the inserting portion  11 . 
       FIG. 7  shows a state during a process of manufacturing the connecting terminal  1 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the connecting terminal  1  is formed by using a single piece of copper sheet through mechanical processes, such as shearing, stamping, bending, etc., when making the connecting terminal  1 . It is necessary to retain a supporting portion  300  on the processed copper sheet in advance and form a fixing hole  301  on the supporting portion  300  so as to facilitate the operation. The copper piece is fixed to an operating frame by bolts passing through the fixing holes  301  so that the copper piece is machined. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3-7 , an outer edge of the first crimping portion  131  has a cut portion  133 . The cut portion  133  is configured to be connected to the support portion  300  for supporting the connecting terminal  1  during a process of manufacturing the connecting terminal  1 . An indentation  302  is formed between the cut portion  133  and the supporting portion  300 , so that after the process of machining the connecting terminal  1  is completed, the supporting portion  300  may be bent at the indentation  302  to remove the supporting portion  300  from the connecting terminal  1 , forming the final connecting terminal  1 . 
     In a process of assembling the coaxial connector  100 , the protective layer of the cable  200  is first stripped and removed to expose a portion of the conductor core  201 . Then, the conductor core  201  and a part of the protective layer  202  are respectively placed on the U-shaped structures of the second crimping portion  132  and the first crimping portion  131 . The second crimping portion  132  and the first crimping portion  131  are then clamped by crimping tools, such as clamps, to fix the conductor core  201  and the portion of the protective layer  202  into the second crimping portion  132  and the first crimping portion  131 , respectively. The injection molding gel is then applied on the first and second crimping portions  131 ,  132  of the connecting terminal  1  through an injection molding process. After the injection molding gel is solidified, the insulator  2  is coated around the outside of the second crimping portion  132  and the first crimping portion  131 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 7 , a plurality of notches  135  recessed inwardly from the outer edge of the first crimping portion  131  are provided on two opposite sides of the cut portion  133 . A length of the cut portion  133  in the axial direction of the connecting terminal  1  does not exceed the outer edge of the first crimping portion  131 . That is, the cut portion  133  is not beyond than, and in an embodiment is under, a plane defined by the outer edge of the first crimping portion  131 . In this way, in the process of mounting the connecting terminal  1  coated with the insulator  2  into the outer cylinder  3  by pushing the outer edge of the first crimping portion  131 , the cut portion  133  does not hinder but facilitates a movement of the connecting terminal  1 , allowing the connecting terminal  1  to be accurately positioned in the outer cylinder  3 . 
     An inserting end  121  of the inserting portion  12  has a truncated cone shape tapering toward a tip of the inserting end  121 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The inserting end  121  has a radially continuous cutout  122  which extends radially through the inserting end  121 . In this way, the inserting portion  12  may be easily engaged with the socket of the mating connector. 
     In an embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the fixing portion  11  and the inserting portion  12  both have seams  17  extending in an axial direction of the connecting terminal  1 . An internal space of the fixing portion  11  is in communication with an internal space of the inserting portion  12 . The seams  17  are formed during the process of forming the fixing portion  11  and the inserting portion  12  by crimping or curling, so that the inserting portion  12  may be radially expanded and contracted, which increases the engagement strength of the connecting terminal  1  with the mating connector. An outer diameter of the inserting portion  12  is smaller than an outer diameter of the fixing portion  11 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in the coaxial connector  100 , the insulator  2  is overmolded on at least one of the fixing portion  11  and the crimping portion  12 . The inserting portion  12  of the connecting terminal  1  is at least partially suspended within the outer cylinder  3  such that the inserting portion  12  is electrically connected to the socket of the mating connector, forming an electrical connection with the coaxial cable  200 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the coaxial connector  100  includes a housing  4  rotatably mounted on the outer cylinder  3 . The cable  200  passes through the housing  4  in the axial direction and connects to the connecting terminal  1 . A threaded portion  31  and a grooved operation portion  32  are provided on the outer cylindrical  3 , and the outer cylindrical  3  may be rotated by hand holding the grooved operating portion  32  so that the coaxial connector  100  and a threaded portion of the mating connector are engaged by screw thread while the inserting portion  12  is inserted into the socket of the mating connector. 
     In an embodiment, the outer cylinder  3  is electrically conductive, the cable  200  includes a peripheral conductor disposed on the periphery of the conductor core  201 , and the peripheral conductor is electrically connected to the outer cylinder  3  on the outside of the insulator  2 . In this way, while the coaxial connector  100  is threadedly engaged with the threaded portion of the mating connector, and the inserting portion  12  of the coaxial connector  100  is inserted into the socket of the mating connector, the outer cylinder  3  of the coaxial connector  100  is electrically connected to the mating cylinder of the mating connector. 
     Those skilled in the art may understand that the above-described embodiments are all exemplary, and the structures described in the various embodiments may be combined freely without any subject to conflict in structures or principles, so as to realize more kinds of connecting terminals and coaxial connectors on the basis of solving the technical problems of the disclosure. 
     After a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the disclosure, those skilled in the art may clearly understand that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims, and the disclosure is not limited to the implementations of the exemplary embodiments described in the specification.