Patent Publication Number: US-2023140195-A1

Title: Connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of Chinese Patent Application No. 202122636057.9, filed on Oct. 29, 2021. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosure generally relates to an electrical connector. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A fitting between a conductive terminal and an insulation body of a connector at a buckle is generally a transition fitting or a clearance fitting, and a gap at the buckle depends on machining sizes and accuracy of parts of the connector. A portion of the conductive terminal engaged with the insulation body is often movable relative to the insulation body, and thus mechanical properties of the connector itself are disturbed by movement resulting from the clearance fitting between the conductive terminal and the insulation body. 
     SUMMARY 
     A connector includes an insulation body having a first side surface and a second side surface adjacent with each other at a corner, a buckle protrusion on the first side surface, and a notch portion at the corner. The connector includes a conductive terminal partially pressed against the second side surface of the insulation body and an engagement member having a main body and a wing. The main body is disposed on the second side surface. The wing extends from the main body in a first direction in which the main body faces the second side surface. The wing has a buckle opening interference fitted with the buckle protrusion. The engagement member presses the conductive terminal partially against the second side surface and the notch portion is covered by a portion of the engagement member between the main body and the wing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    is a top view of the connector; 
         FIG.  3    is an exploded perspective view of the connector; 
         FIG.  4    is an exploded top view of the connector; and 
         FIG.  5    is a sectional perspective view of the connector, taken along line A-A in  FIG.  2   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals and symbols shown in the drawings of the disclosure refer to elements or components performing substantially the same function. 
     The terminology used herein is intended to describe the embodiments, and is not intended to limit and/or constrain the disclosure. The singular forms “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the disclosure, the terms such as “include”, “comprise”, “have” and the like, are intended to specify the presence of stated features, number, steps, operations, elements, components and combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, number, steps, operations, elements, components and combinations thereof. 
     Although the terms such as “first”, “second” and the like are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only intended to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The term “and/or” includes a plurality of combinations of the associated items or any one of a plurality of associated items. 
     In the following detailed description, for convenience of illustration, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. However, one or more embodiments may be embodied without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in schematic form in order to simplify the drawings. 
       FIG.  1    shows a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The connector according to the disclosure includes a conductive terminal  10 , an insulation body  20 , and an engagement member  102 . In one embodiment, the conductive terminal  10  may be a power terminal. However, the conductive terminal  10  may also be other types of terminals, such as a signal terminal, which is not limited in the disclosure. The conductive terminal  10  may be made of a conductive elastic material, for example, metal materials such as copper or copper alloy. The insulation body  20  may be made of insulation material such as plastic. 
     As best shown in  FIGS.  1  and  3   , the insulation body  20  extends in a first direction X, a second direction Y perpendicular to the first direction, and a third direction Z perpendicular to the first and second directions X, Y. 
     The insulation body  20  includes two opposite first side surfaces XY and two opposite second side surfaces YZ, as shown in  FIG.  3   . In an embodiment, the first side surfaces XY are perpendicular to the second side surfaces YZ. The first and/or second side surfaces XY, YZ may be flat or curved, which is not limited in the disclosure. As shown in  FIGS.  1  and  2   , the conductive terminal  10  is supported on the first and second side surfaces XY, YZ, that is, both the first and second side surfaces XY, YZ are in contact with the conductive terminal  10 . 
     The first side surface XY has a buckle protrusion  201  protruding in the third direction Z. The conductive terminal  10  includes a buckle opening  101  corresponding to the buckle protrusion  201 , where the buckle opening  101  is configured to be interference fitted with the buckle protrusion  201  so that the conductive terminal  10  and the insulation body  20  are assembled together. In the shown embodiment, the first side surface XY has a recess, which has a depth in the third direction Z greater than or equal to a thickness of a wing  103  of the conductive terminal  10  in the third direction Z. The buckle protrusion  201  is disposed in the recess. 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , a side surface of the buckle protrusion  201  away from the second side surface YZ is spaced apart by a first distance D 1  from a plane where the second side surface YZ is located. 
     In an embodiment, a side surface of the buckle protrusion  201  close to the second side surface YZ is in the form of a ramp inclined from a top of the buckle protrusion  201  toward the first side surface XY, which facilitates an outer edge portion of the buckle opening  101  of the conductive terminal  10  to pass over the buckle protrusion  201 , so that the buckle opening  101  and the buckle protrusion  201  are snap-fitted with each other. The buckle protrusion  201  may also be in the shape of a cube, a cylinder, a hemispheroid and the like, which is not limited in the disclosure. The cross-sectional area of the buckle protrusion  201  is less than that of the buckle opening  101  of the conductive terminal  10 . 
     The insulation body  20  has a notch portion  202 , shown in  FIGS.  3  and  5   , and a bottom surface of the notch portion  202  is configured as a transition surface, or a ramp, between the first side surface XY and the second side surface YZ to connect with the first and second side surfaces respectively in a form of a non-right-angled corner. In other words, the notch portion  202  includes a bottom surface that is a transition surface between a portion of the first side surface XY and a portion of the second side surface YZ, and the bottom surface extends obliquely to the second side surface YZ from a plane where the first side surface XY is located, so that the bottom surface is oblique with respect to the plane where the first side surface XY is located and the plane where the second side surface YZ is located. As best shown in  FIG.  5   , a portion of the engagement member  102  between a main body and the wing  103  is spaced apart from the bottom surface of the notch portion  202  by a gap, after the engagement member  102  partially presses the conductive terminal  10  against the second side surface YZ. As shown in  FIG.  3   , the notch portion  202  has a first width W 1  measured in the second direction Y. 
     The engagement member  102  may be made of an elastic material, and the engagement member  102  includes a main body and the wing  103  extending from the main body in a direction in which the main body faces the second side surface YZ. The buckle opening  101  is provided in the wing  103 . In the shown embodiment, one engagement member  102  includes two wings  103 ; however, in other embodiments, the number of the wings  103  may be three, four and the like, which is not limited in the disclosure. In an embodiment, the wing  103  extends perpendicularly to the main body of the engagement member  102 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , an edge of the buckle opening  101  away from the main body of the engagement member  102  is spaced apart by a second distance D 2  from the plane where a surface of the main body facing the second side surface YZ is located. The second distance D 2  is less than or equal to the first distance D 1  between the side surface of the buckle protrusion  201  away from the second side surface YZ and the plane where the second side surface YZ is located. 
     When the buckle opening  101  of the engagement member  102  is engaged with the buckle protrusion  201  of the insulation body  20 , due to the existence of the notch portion  202 , the buckle opening  101  is snap-fitted or buckle-fitted with the buckle protrusion  201 , although the second distance D 2  is less than the first distance D 1 . After the assembly is completed, by virtue of the elasticity of the engagement member  102 , the outer edge of the buckle opening  101  and the side surface of the buckle protrusion  201  are tightly clamped together, so as to realize the interference fitting between the buckle opening  101  and the buckle protrusion  201 . In this way, the portion of the conductive terminal  10  pressed against the insulation body  20  is not moveable relative to the insulation body  20 . In other words, the engagement member  102  is in a tensioned state, after the buckle protrusion  201  is fitted into the buckle opening  101 . 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1  and  3   , a portion of the engagement member  102  corresponding to the notch portion  202  (i.e., the portion of the engagement member  102  between the main body and the wing) has a second width W 2  in the second direction Y, which is less than or equal to the first width W 1 . In the shown embodiment, the width of the wing  103  in the second direction Y is equal to the second width W 2 . 
     The engagement member  102  may be integral with the conductive terminal  10  so that the engagement member  102  is a part of the conductive terminal  10 . In this case, the engagement member  102  is made of a conductive elastic material, for example, the same material as the conductive terminal  10 . Alternatively, the engagement member  102  and the conductive terminal  10  may be separated components. When the conductive terminal  10  and the insulation body  20  are assembled together, the engagement member  102  may be firstly assembled with the conductive terminal  10 . For example, the engagement member  102  may be coupled with the conductive terminal  10  by welding or by glue. However, in another embodiment, the engagement member  102  may not be coupled with the conductive terminal  10 . In use, the conducting terminal  10  is arranged between the engagement member  102  and the insulation body  20  when the engagement member  102  is snap-fitted with the insulation body  20 . In this case, the engagement member  102  may be made of a conductive elastic material, or the engagement member  102  may be made of an insulative elastic material. 
     In the shown embodiment, the insulation body  20  includes two connection portions  203 , and the conductive terminal  10  is partially disposed on the outer side of the connection portion  203 . Opposite inner side surfaces of the two connection portion  203  may be provided with other terminals, such as a signal terminal. The conductive terminal  10  may include at least one elastic arm  107 , shown in  FIG.  3   , which is supported on the outer side surface of the connection portion  203 . 
     In the shown embodiment, the insulation body  20  further includes two supporting portions  204 , shown in  FIG.  1   , which are perpendicular to the first side surface XY and the second side surface YZ. Accordingly, the conductive terminal  10  further includes an engagement portion  105  having a fin  106 , as shown in  FIG.  3   . The fin  106  is configured to hold the supporting portion  204  of the insulation body  20  so that the engagement portion  105  of the conductive terminal  10  is unmoveable relative to the insulation body  20  in the second direction Y and the third direction Z. 
     In the shown embodiment, a side surface of the supporting portion  204  facing the fin  106  is provided with a groove in which the fin  106  can be accommodated, so that the engagement portion  105  is not moveable relative to the supporting portion  204  in the first direction X. In an embodiment, the depth of the groove of the supporting portion  204  in the third direction is greater than or equal to the thickness of the fin  106 . 
     The side of the supporting portion  204  facing the conductive terminal  10  includes a protruding portion  205 , and the engagement portion  105  of the conductive terminal is provided with an opening  108 . The opening of the engagement portion  105  is larger than the protruding portion  205  of the supporting portion  204 , so that the protruding portion  205  of the supporting portion  204  may pass through the opening  108  of the engagement portion  105 , as shown in  FIG.  1   , preventing the conductive terminal  10  from moving relative to the insulation body  20 . 
     In the prior art, there are usually errors in manufacturing processes, so that a buckle opening and a buckle protrusion may not be perfectly aligned with each other during initial assembly, and thus resulting in a clearance fitting or a transition fitting formed between the buckle opening and the buckle protrusion. 
     According to the structures of the insulation body  20  and the conductive terminal  10  of the connector provided in the disclosure, especially by the notch portion  202  provided in the insulation body  20 , an interference fitting between the buckle opening  101  and the buckle protrusion  201  can be achieved instead of the transition fitting or the clearance fitting there between in the existing design, so that the portion of the conductive terminal  10  contacting with the insulation body  20  is not moveable relative to the insulation body  20 . Further, the contact height of the conductive terminal  10  upon being assembled depends on the conductive terminal  10  itself, but is not disturbed by the clearance fitting between the terminal  10  and the insulation body  20 . Thus, the connector of the present disclosure does not require materials with too high mechanical properties, and also has a reduced size compared with the prior art. 
     Through the design of the disclosure, especially by the notch portion  202  provided in the insulation body  20 , a slight bending of the engagement member  102  toward the insulation body  20  at the notch portion  202  enables the buckle opening  101  to move to be aligned with the opening protrusion, when the conductive terminal  10  is assembled onto the insulation body  20 , even if the buckle opening  101  and the buckle protrusion  201  are initially misaligned with each other. Upon completion of the assembly, the buckle opening  101  and the buckle protrusion  201  are tightly clamped together to form an interference fitting. Through the interference fitting between the buckle protrusion  201  and the buckle opening  101 , a portion of the conductive terminal  10  contacting the insulation body  20  is not moveable relative to the insulation body  20 . 
     Although various embodiments of the disclosure have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and the equivalents thereof.