Patent Publication Number: US-2016226165-A1

Title: Power connector and method of making the same

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a power connector which can be produced and assembled easily and a method of making the same. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A conventional power connector usually includes a plurality of power contacts and a housing receiving the power contacts. Each power contact has a mating portion electrically connecting with a complementary connector and a soldering portion connecting with a printed circuit board or a terminal device. Generally, the mating portions and the soldering portions are provided correspondingly. In other words, each mating portion connects with a respective soldering portion. However, when the conventional power connector is used in an environment needing high electric current, the power contacts of such conventional power connector are easier to be invalid, which in turn make troubles for users. 
     TW patent application no. 201405977 discloses a power connector, which connects a plurality of power contacts and a contact bus bar together by a number of screws and nuts. Therefore, the current in the contact bus bar is equal to the total current through all the power contacts. However, the plurality of screws and nuts not only increase cost, but also are assembled complicated. 
     It is desirable to provide an improved power connector and a method of making the same for solving above problems. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the present invention includes a power connector. The power connector comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of power contacts received in the insulative housing, a contact bus bar electrically connecting with the plurality of power contacts and a fastening element fastening the contact bus bar and an outer terminal arranged behind the insualtive housing together. The insulative housing has a mating face at a front side thereof. The power contacts are provided with soldering pads, and the contact bus bar has a front mating pad engaging with the soldering pads. At least one in the front mating pad and the soldering pad is formed with a soldering hole. The front mating pad and the soldering pads are connected electrically via soldering tin set in the soldering hole. 
     In another aspect, the present invention further includes a method of making the power connector. The method includes providing a plurality of power contacts and an insulative housing, and fixing the power contacts to the insulative housing, the power contacts being provided with soldering pad; providing a contact bus bar and a fastening element and fastening the contact bus bar and an outer terminal together via the fastening element, the contact bus bar having a front mating pad to engaging with the power contacts, and at least one in the front mating pad and the soldering pad being formed with soldering hole; fixing the contact bus bar, the fastening element and the outer terminal to a rear side of the insulative housing and enabling the front mating pad of the contact bus bar abut against the soldering pad; and welding the soldering pads of the power contacts and the front mating pad at the position of the soldering hole via soldering tin. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The components in the drawing are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the described embodiments. In the drawings, reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout various views, and all the views are schematic. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a first embodiment of a power connector in the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1 , while viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially exploded view of the power connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3 , while viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the power contact, contact bus bar and fastening element of the power connector shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , while viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a second embodiment of a power connector in the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the power contact, contact bus bar and fastening element of the power connector shown in  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 8 , while viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 10  is a partially exploded, perspective view of the power connector shown in  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating a third embodiment of a power connector in the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the power contact, contact bus bar and fastening element of the power connector shown in  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a partially exploded, perspective view of the power connector shown in  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view illustrating a fourth embodiment of a power connector in the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the power contact, contact bus bar and fastening element of the power connector shown in  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a partially exploded, perspective view of the power connector shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure in detail. In the following description, the same drawing reference numerals are used for the same elements in different drawings. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 6 , a first preferred illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure discloses a power connector  100 . The power connector  100  comprises an insulative housing  1 , a plurality of power contacts  2  and signal contacts  3  accommodated in the insulative housing  1 , two contact bus bars  4  and two fastening members  5  mechanically and electrically fastening the contact bus bars  4  and two second outer terminals (not shown) together respectively. 
     Please refer together to  FIGS. 3-5 , the insulative housing  1  comprises a main portion  11 , an extension portion  12  backwardly extending from the main portion  11  and two side portions  13  located at two sides of the main portion  11 . The side portion  13  is provided with a guide pole  131  which is close to the main portion  11  and a fixing hole  132  far from the main portion  11 . The guide pole  131  is used to guide a mating connector inserting into the power connector  100 , and the fixing hole  132  is used to fix the power connector  100  to an electronic device (not shown). 
     The main portion  11  has a mating face  110  at a front side thereof, a mounting face  111  at a rear side thereof and a plurality of receiving slots  112  extending through the mating face  110  and mounting face  111  along a front to back direction. In the present embodiment, the receiving slots  112  comprise a plurality of power contact slots  1121  and a plurality of signal contact slots  1122 . The power contact slots  1121  are arranged along a transverse direction of the insulative housing  1 . The signal contact slots  1122  are located between the power contact slots  1121 . 
     Each power contact slot  1121  has a middle slot  1123  for receiving a mating contact and two position slots  1124  at two sides of the middle slot  1123 . The position slots  1124  is wider than the middle slot  1123  along a top to bottom direction, and the position slots  1124  are formed with stop blocks  1125  at a front side thereof. The stop blocks  1125  prevent the power contacts  2  from moving forwardly. The extension portion  12  comprises a bottom wall  122  backwardly extending from a bottom side of the main portion  11  and a plurality of clapboards  121  backwardly extending from the mounting face  111 . The clapboards  121  are perpendicular to the bottom wall  122 , and the bottom wall  122  connects the bottom ends of the clapboards  121 . 
     Please refer together to  FIGS. 3-6 , each power contact slot  1121  is arranged with a pair of power contacts  2 . There are ten power contact slots  1121  corresponding to ten pairs of the power contacts  2  in the present invention. Each pair of the power contacts  2  comprises a first contact  21  and a second contact  22 . Both the first contact  21  and the second contact  22  comprise a contacting pad  23  confronting to each other, a connecting pad  25  and a soldering pad  24  extending from a rear edge of the contacting pad  23 . The connecting pads  25  and the soldering pads  24  of each pair of power contacts  2  extend toward each other respectively. The contacting pads  23  of the first and second contacts  21 ,  22  are received in the position slots  1124 , and each contacting pad  23  is designed with a pair of resisting tabs  231  at upper and lower edges thereof. The position slots  1124  are formed with a limited block (not shown) at a rear side of the resisting tabs  231 . The resisting tabs  231  resist the limited blocks to prevent the power contacts  2  from moving backwardly. The contacting pads  23  abut against a rear side of the stop blocks  1125  to limit the power contacts  2  from moving forwardly. 
     In the present embodiment, in three power contact slots  1121 , the pair of power contacts  2  connect with each other respectively, that is the current transmitted in the power contact slot  1121  is equal to the total current through the pair of power contacts  2  respectively. Specifically, please refer together to  FIGS. 2-6 , the soldering pads  24  of said three pairs of power contacts  2  are provided with fixing hole (not shown), and each pair of the power contacts  2  is fixed with a first outer terminal by a screw  54 , a nut  55  and the fixing holes. 
     In detail, the connecting pad  25  of the second contact  22  is located behind and overlaps with the connecting pad  25  of the first contact  21 . Besides, the soldering pad  24  is adjacent to the connecting pad  25  along the top to bottom direction, and the soldering pad  24  and the connecting pad  25  are located at a common surface. Hence the soldering pads  24  of the first contact  21  and the second contact  22  overlap each other along the front to back direction too, and the fixing holes of the first and second contacts  21 ,  22  correspond to each other along the front to back direction. In the present embodiment, the soldering pad  24  connects with the connecting pad  25  along the top to bottom direction, but spaces from the contacting pad  23  along the front to back direction. Of course, in an alternative embodiment, the soldering pad  24  can also be designed to extend from the contacting pad  23  directly. 
     For transmitting high current, there are two groups of power contacts  2  connecting in series by one contact bus bar  4  respectively. One group comprises three pairs of the power contacts  2 , and another group comprises four pairs of the power contacts  2 . The power contacts  2  in said one group will be illustrated in detail hereinafter, and said another group will be omitted. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the soldering pads  24  of the power contacts  2  in said one group connect with a second outer terminal in series through the contact bus bar  4 , therefore the current in the second outer terminal is equal to the total current through all power contacts  2  in said one group. The contact bas bar  4  is designed with a front mating pad  41  connecting with the soldering pads  24 , a rear pad  42  opposite to the front mating pad  41  and a bridge  43  interconnecting the lower ends of the front mating pad  41  and the rear pad  42 . The rear pad  42  connects with the second outer terminal. The front mating pad  41  and the rear pad  42  extend along the bottom-to-top direction and are parallel to each other. Taking the bridge  43  as a reference, the front mating pad  41  is higher than the rear pad  42 . The bridge  43  is supported by the bottom wall  121  of the extension portion  12 . At least one in the front mating pad  41  and the soldering pad  24  of the power contacts  2  in said one group is formed with a soldering hole  40 , and the front mating pad  41  and the soldering pads  24  of the power contacts  2  in said one group are connected electrically via soldering tin set in the soldering hole  40 . 
     In the present invention, the front mating pad  41  and some soldering pads  24  of the power contacts  2  in said one group are formed with said soldering hole  40 . In detail, the soldering pads  24  of each pair of power contacts  2  in said one group are located at a front side of the front mating pad  41  and overlap each other along a front to back direction. The soldering pad  24  of the second contact  22  is sandwiched between the first contact  21  and the front mating pad  41 . Hence the soldering pad  24  of the second contact  22  and the front mating pad  41  are provided with the soldering hole  40 , and the soldering holes  40  of the second contact  22  and the front mating pad  41  correspond to each other along the front to back direction. The diameter of the soldering hole  40  of the second contact  22  is smaller than that of the soldering hole  40  of the front mating pad  41 . The soldering pad  24  of the first contact  21  is not designed with the soldering hole  40 . The front mating pad  41  and the soldering pads  24  of all power contacts  2  in said one group are connected electrically by soldering tin set in the soldering holes  40  of the second contacts  22  and the front mating pad  41 . 
     Besides, because the soldering pad  24  and the connecting pad  25  are located at a common surface, then the connecting pads  25  of the second contacts  22  are sandwiched between the front mating pad  41  and the connecting pads  25  of the first contacts  21 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3 to 6 , the fastening element  5  comprises a positioning nut  51  and a screw  52  interconnecting the contact bus bar  4  and the second outer terminal. The rear pad  42  defines a positioning hole  421 . The positioning nut  51  is positioned between the front mating pad  41  and the rear pad  42  and defines a screw hole  511  corresponding to the positioning hole  421 . The contact bus bar  4  is formed with a plurality of protrusions  44  to fix the positioning nut  51  between the front mating pad  41  and the rear pad  42 . The protrusions  44  protrude upwardly from the bridge  43 . The screw  52  extends through the positioning hole  421  and matches with the screw hole  511  to fix the second outer terminal and the rear pad  42  together. 
     As described above, the soldering pads  24  of the power contacts  2  in said two groups electrically connect with the contact bas bars  4  in series via soldering tin set in the soldering holes  40 , that make the power connector  100  have a simple structure, be assembled easily and have a lower cost. 
       FIGS. 7 to 10  illustrates a power connector  100 ′ according to a second embodiment. Because the power connector  100 ′ is different from that of the first embodiment only in terms of the matching construction between the contact bas bar  4 ′ and the power contacts  2 ′ in said two groups, but is almost the same in terms of the other configurations, a description of what has not any different construction is not repeated. 
     In the second embodiment, the front mating pad  41 ′ of the contact bas bar  4 ′ is provided with a plurality of through holes  411 ′. Some soldering pads  24 ′ of the power contacts  2 ′ in the two groups cross the through holes  411 ′ and are positioned at a rear side of the front mating pad  41 ′, and said some soldering pads  24 ′ are all provided with the soldering holes  40 ′. 
     In detail, at least one soldering pad  24 ′ of the power contacts  2 ′ in each pair of the two groups extends through the through hole  411 ′ and is positioned at the rear side of the front mating pad  41 ′. When another soldering pad  24 ′ of the power contacts  2 ′ in each pair is not positioned at the rear side of the front mating pad  41 ′, said another soldering pad  24 ′ is located at the front side of the front mating pad  41 ′, and the front mating pad  41 ′ is designed with the soldering holes  40  to solder with said another soldering pad  24 ′ by soldering tin. When said another soldering pad  24 ′ of the power contacts  2 ′ in each pair also crosses through the through hole  411 ′ and is positioned at the rear side of the front mating pad  41 ′, said another soldering pad  24 ′ is also designed with the soldering hole  40 ′. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , in the second embodiment, one soldering pad  24 ′ of the power contacts  2 ′ in each lateral pair of each group crosses through the through hole  411 ′ and is positioned at the rear side of the front mating pad  41 ′, and another soldering pad  24 ′ is located at the front side of the front mating pad  41 ′. All the soldering pads  24 ′ of the power contacts  2 ′ in the middle pair extend through the through hole  411 ′ and are positioned at the rear side of the front mating pad  41 ′. In the present embodiment, the soldering pads  24 ′ of the middle pair of the power contacts  2 ′ are arranged along the top to bottom direction, and the soldering holes  40 ′ are designed at adjacent side edges of the soldering pads  24 ′ and correspond to each other. 
     Besides, in the second embodiment, the soldering pad  24 ′ and the connecting pad  25 ′ all extend from the rear end of the contacting pad  23 ′, while the connecting pads  25 ′ are located at the front of the front mating pad  41 ′, and the connecting pads  25 ′ of the power contacts  2 ′ in each pairs overlap each other along the front to back direction. 
       FIGS. 11 to 13  illustrates a power connector  600  according to a third embodiment, the power connector  600  is almost similar to that in the second embodiment. However, different from the second embodiment, the soldering pads  64  which contact with the contact bus bar  7  all cross through the through holes  711  defined in the contact bus bar  7 , and the soldering pads  64  of the power contacts  62  in each pair overlap each other at the rear side of the front mating pad  71 . The soldering holes  70  of the power contacts  62  in each pair correspond to each other along the front to back direction. 
       FIGS. 14 to 16  illustrates a power connector  800  according to a fourth embodiment. The power connector  800  is almost similar to that in the third embodiment, and the difference is that: not only the soldering pads  84  which contact with the contact bus bar  9  all cross through the through holes  911  defined in the contact bus bar  9 , but also the connecting pads  85  all cross through the through holes  911  and are located at the rear side of the front mating pad  91 . The connecting pads  85  are close to the front mating pad  91  too. The soldering pads  84  and the connecting pads  85  of the power contacts  82  in each pair overlap each other at the rear side of the front mating pad  71  respectively. Besides, the soldering pads  84  bend from the rear ends of the contacting pads  83 , and the connecting pads  85  extend from the soldering pads  84  and space apart from the contacting pads  83  along the front to back direction. 
     According to above illustration of the power connector  100 ,  100 ′,  600  and  800 , the present invention further discloses a method of making the power connector  100 ,  100 ′,  600  and  800 . The method comprises: first, providing a plurality of power contacts  2 ,  2 ′,  62 ,  82  and an insulative housing  1 ,  1 ′,  60 ,  80  and fixing the power contacts  2 ,  2 ′,  62 ,  82  to the insulative housing  1 ,  1 ′,  60 ,  80 , the power contacts  2 ,  2 ′,  62 ,  82  being provided with soldering pad  24 ,  24 ′,  64 ,  84 ; secondly, providing a contact bus bar  4 ,  4 ′,  7 ,  9  and a fastening element  5 , and fastening the contact bus bar  4 ,  4 ′,  7 ,  9  and an outer terminal together via the fastening element  5 , the contact bus bar  4 ,  4 ′,  7 ,  9  having a front mating pad  41 ,  41 ′,  71 ,  91  to engage with the power contacts  2 ,  2 ′,  62 ,  82 , and at least one in the front mating pad  41 ,  41 ′,  71 ,  91  and the soldering pad  24 ,  24 ′,  64 ,  84  being formed with soldering hole  40 ,  40 ′,  70 ,  90 ; thirdly, fixing the contact bus bar  4 ,  4 ′,  7 ,  9 , the fastening element  5  and the outer terminal to a rear side of the insulative housing  1 ,  1 ′,  60 ,  80  and enabling the front mating pad  41 ,  41 ′,  71 ,  91  of the contact bus bar  4 ,  4 ′,  7 ,  9  abut against the soldering pad  24 ,  24 ′,  64 ,  84 ; finally, welding the soldering pads  24 ,  24 ′,  64 ,  84  of the power contacts  2 ,  2 ′,  62 ,  82  and the front mating pad  41 ,  41 ′,  71 ,  91  at the position of the soldering hole  40 ,  40 ′,  70 ,  90  via soldering tin. 
     The contact bus bar  4 ,  4 ′,  7 ,  9 , the fastening element  5  and the outer terminal are supported by the bottom wall  122  and clapboards  121 . Besides, in the second, third and fourth embodiments, the contact bus bar  4 ′,  7 ,  9  is further positioned by the through holes  411 ′,  711 ,  911  designed on the front mating pad  41 ′,  71 ,  91 , that enable the welding connection between the power contacts  2 ′,  62 ,  82  and the contact bus bar  4 ′,  7 ,  9  more conveniently, and the contact area is increased by the contact between the soldering pads  24 ′,  64 ,  84  and the front mating pad  41 ′,  71 ,  91 . 
     As described above, the electrical connection between the contact bus bar  4 ,  4 ′,  7 ,  9  and the power contacts  2 ,  2 ′,  62 ,  82  can be realized by the soldering holes  40 ,  40 ′,  70 ,  90  and soldering tin, that can make the power connector  100 ,  100 ′,  600 ,  800  be produced and assembled easier. Besides, the structure of the power connector  100 ,  100 ′,  600 ,  800  can avoid many position elements, hence the cost for making the power connector  100 ,  100 ′,  600 ,  800  is down too. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of preferred and exemplary embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and that changes may be made in detail within the principles of present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broadest general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.