TWI896154B - Power connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A power connector includes a housing defining a longwise slot and plural power terminal assembly each including a first terminal, a second terminal, an assembling member and plural retaining members. Each of the first and second terminals including a base portion and elastic arms each with a contacting portion facing the longwise slot. The base portions of the first and second terminals stick against opposite first and second surfaces of the assembling member and then are fitted with the retaining members. The assembling member with the first and second terminals are then assembled into the housing, the first and second terminals expose between the housing and the assembling member, thereby increasing heat radiation performance.

Description

power connector

The present invention relates to a power connector.

A power supply unit (PSU) is an electrical energy conversion device whose primary function is to convert alternating current (AC) into low-voltage, stable DC. This DC power is then supplied to the motherboard via the card's gold fingers, which then connect to a docking card-edge power connector. To achieve greater power, current is currently being increased by increasing the number of metal sheets per terminal and connecting them in parallel. For example, in the connector disclosed in CN109326909A, the fixed ends of the first, second, third, and fourth pins of the first and second terminals intersect and pass through a plastic connector block to connect to the tail. The connector block connects the individually separated pins into a single unit, forming a modular terminal, thereby enhancing the overall connection stability of the terminal. However, as the transmission current increases, the temperature inevitably rises. The four pins buried in the connection block relatively weaken the heat dissipation effect.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide an improved power connector to solve the above problems.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a power connector that can improve the temperature rise problem of the power terminal.

To achieve the above objectives, the present invention may employ the following technical solution: A power connector comprises an elongated body and a plurality of power terminal assemblies, the power terminal assemblies comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a mounting member, and a plurality of fixing members. The body is provided with a slot extending in the longitudinal direction; each of the first and second terminals comprises a base and a flexible arm extending from the base, the distal end of the flexible arm being provided with a contact portion facing the slot; the mounting member has first and second opposing surfaces; the base of the first terminal abuts the first surface of the mounting member and is secured by one fixing member; the base of the second terminal abuts the second surface of the mounting member and is secured by another fixing member; the mounting member is mounted and fixed to the body, with the bases of the first and second terminals exposed between the body and the mounting member.

Compared to conventional technology, the first and second terminals of the present invention are mounted on two opposing surfaces of the mounting member, increasing the exposed space of the first and second terminals and enhancing heat dissipation.

100: Power connector

200: Power connector

10: Main Body/Insulated Main Body

110: Docking surface

11: Card slot

111: Power card slot

112: Signal card slot

12: Sidewall

131: Terminal slot

132: Terminal hole

133: Depression

14: Heat dissipation holes

20A: Power terminal assembly

20: First terminal

201: Base

202: Elastic Arm

203: Connector

204: Contact area

21: External terminal piece

22: Middle terminal piece

23: Inner terminal piece

211, 221, 231: Base

212, 222, 232: Elastic Arm

214: Contact/First Contact

224: Contact/Second Contact

234: Contact/Third Contact

215, 225, 235: terminal part

241, 242, 243: Through holes

251: Groove

30: Second terminal

301: Base

302: Elastic Arm

303: Connector

304: Contact area

315: First contact

325: Second contact area

34: Third terminal

35: Fourth terminal

40: Mounting parts

41: First Surface

42: Second Surface

43: Fixing hole

44: Limiting part

45: Fixed slot

46: Positioning column

50:Fixer

51: Copper nails

511: Cap

52: Metal Sheet

521: Substrate

522: Arms crossed

53: Arms crossed

60: Insulated Body

61: External terminal piece

611: Elastic Arm

612: Base

613:Through hole

62: Inner terminal piece

63: Mounting parts

631: First Surface

632: Second Surface

64: Copper nails

A1, A2, B1, B2: Side

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the power connector of the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the dotted line II-II in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a partial top view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a 3D exploded view of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a three-dimensional view of the insulating body in Figure 4 from another angle.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the power terminal assembly.

Figure 7 is a 3D exploded view of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a 3D exploded view of Figure 7 from another angle.

Figure 9 is a front view of the first terminal.

Figure 10 is a rear view of the first terminal.

Figure 11 is a perspective exploded view of the power terminal assembly, where the mounting element is another embodiment 1.

Figure 12 is a partial exploded view of the mounting and fixing parts in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a perspective exploded view of the power terminal assembly, where the mounting element is another embodiment 2.

Figure 14 is a further exploded perspective view of the power connector in Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a power connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of the power terminal assembly in Figure 15.

Figure 17 is a three-dimensional view of Figure 16 from another angle.

Figure 18 is a 3D exploded view of Figure 16.

Figure 19 is a 3D exploded view of Figure 18 from another angle.

Figures 1-10 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention, a card-edge power connector capable of transmitting high currents, up to 3200-4000 watts. This power connector is typically used to connect to a card board with gold fingers in a PSU. As shown in Figures 1-3 , the power connector 100 comprises an elongated body 10, typically made of an insulating material. The body 10 has a mating surface 110 and a slot 11 extending longitudinally. The slot 11 penetrates the mating surface 110, and is flanked by multiple terminals 20 and 30, with each row of terminals arranged longitudinally. In this embodiment, the card slot consists of two parts: a power card slot 111 on the left and a signal card slot 112 on the right. The longitudinal direction can also be referred to as the left-right direction. Referring to Figures 4-5, the sidewalls 12 on either side of the power card slot are provided with multiple terminal slots 131, and the sidewalls on either side of the signal card slot are provided with multiple terminal holes 132. The width of the terminal slots 131 (i.e., the dimension along the longitudinal or left-right direction) is greater than the width of the terminal holes 132. Two rows of heat dissipation holes 14 are provided in the sidewalls corresponding to each terminal slot 131, extending transversely through the sidewalls. A row of first terminals 20 and a row of second terminals 30 are located on either side of the power card slot 111. A row of third terminals 34 and a row of fourth terminals 35 are located on either side of the signal card slot for signal transmission. The first and second terminals 20 and 30 are housed in terminal slots 131, respectively, while the third and fourth terminals 34 and 35 are housed in terminal holes 132. In this embodiment, the direction perpendicular to the sidewall 12 is defined as the transverse direction. The first and second terminals 20 and 30 are aligned transversely. This allows the first and second terminals to be secured to a mounting member to form a terminal assembly, which can then be assembled into the terminal slot 131 of the main body 10.

More specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6-7 , each of the first and second terminals includes an outer terminal piece 21, a middle terminal piece 22, and an inner terminal piece 23, each formed by stamping from a copper plate. Note that in this embodiment, the first and second terminals have identical structures, so the second terminal is not specifically described or labeled; only brief descriptions are provided where necessary. The power connector of this embodiment is a vertical connector. Figures 15-19 illustrate a right-angle connector. For ease of description, the slot 11 is used as the reference point, with the direction toward the slot 11 considered inward. The portion of the slot 11 proximal to the mating surface 110 is higher, and the portion proximal to the bottom is lower. The direction perpendicular to the sidewall 12 is considered horizontal. Each of the outer, middle, and inner terminal pieces includes a base 211, 221, 231 and multiple elastic arms 212, 222, 232 extending from the base. The ends of the elastic arms are provided with contact portions 214, 224, 234 facing the mating grooves. In this embodiment, the three elastic arms are independent of each other, but their roots are connected to the base. The number of elastic arms can be increased or decreased as needed. The base of each of the three terminal pieces is provided with two through-holes 241. The mounting member 40 is provided with a fixing hole 43 on its first surface 41. After the bases of the three terminal pieces are stacked against each other, a fixing member 50 in the form of a copper nail 51 passes through the circular through-holes 241 of the first and second terminals and is fixed within the fixing hole 43 on the first surface 41 of the mounting member. Similarly, the second terminal 30 is secured to the second surface 42 of the mounting member by another copper pin 51, which will not be further described. The mounting member 40 can be made of an insulating material, a conductive material, or a conductive plastic material. The cap 511 of the copper pin 51 is exposed outside the power terminal assembly 20A. As shown in Figure 5 , the inner wall of the terminal slot 131 is further provided with two recessed portions 133 near the bottom. When the power terminal assembly 20A is assembled into the terminal slot 131, the cap 511 precisely interferes and secures within the recessed portions 133. The cross-sectional view in Figure 2 shows the position of the power terminal assembly 20A within the terminal slot, with the two copper pins 51 not touching each other.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6-7, the spacing between adjacent elastic arms 202 remains consistent. The mounting member 40 is provided with outwardly protruding stoppers 44 on its first and second surfaces. The stoppers 44 are inserted into the gaps between the elastic arms to facilitate the stopper function during assembly.

Figures 11-12 illustrate another embodiment 1 of the fixing member 50. The fixing member comprises two stamped metal plates 52. Each metal plate 52 includes a base plate 521 and a pair of arms 522 folded out from the sides of the base plate 521. The mounting member 40 has two fixing slots 45 formed on its bottom surface. The base plate 521 is secured within the corresponding fixing slots 45 by means of barbs provided thereon. The pair of arms 522 pass through the through-holes 242 provided at the bases of the three terminal plates and then fold and snap onto the bases of the outer terminal plates 21. The arms 522 are in the shape of a vertical straight plate, while the through-holes 242 are shaped like a bone with widening ends to facilitate the arms 522's passage through the through-holes 242.

Figures 13-14 illustrate another embodiment 2 of the fixing member. The fixing member comprises a pair of arms 53 folded out from the sides of the base 211 of each outer terminal piece 21. These arms are inserted inward and secured to the mounting member 40. In this embodiment, the middle and inner terminal pieces 22 and 23 have grooves 251 at their base edges. The arms 53 pass through these grooves and are secured to the mounting member 40. This not only secures the three terminal pieces but also facilitates alignment of the three terminals. The retaining portion 44 of the mounting member 40 is inserted into the gap between adjacent elastic arms while pressing downward against the upper edge of the base. The mounting member has positioning posts 46 protruding from its first and second surfaces, which pass through the through-holes 243 provided at the base of the three terminal pieces, thereby further positioning the three terminal pieces. The positioning posts 46 are elliptical interfaces.

As shown in Figures 7 and 2 , the external terminal piece 21 includes a base 211, three elastic arms 212 extending upward from the base, and three pins 213 extending downward from the base. The three elastic arms are arranged parallel to each other but spaced apart and located in the same plane. The base 211 is connected to the base 211 in an undivided, integral manner. The ends of the elastic arms 212 are bent downward toward the slot to form a hook-shaped end portion 215. The protruding portion of the hook constitutes the contact portion 214, herein referred to as the first contact portion 214. In this embodiment, the width of the end portion 215 decreases along the longitudinal direction and is offset to one side. The middle terminal piece 22 includes a base 221, three elastic arms 222 extending upward from the base, and three pins 223 extending downward from the base. The three elastic arms are arranged parallel to each other but spaced apart and located in the same plane. The base is connected to the body without separation. The ends of the elastic arms are curved toward the slot to form an arcuate terminal portion 225. The protruding portion of the arcuate portion constitutes the contact portion 224, herein defined as the second contact portion 224. In this embodiment, the width of the arcuate terminal portion 225 decreases along the longitudinal direction and is offset to one side. The inner terminal piece 23 comprises a base 231, three elastic arms 232 extending upward from the base 231, and three pins 233 extending downward from the base. The three elastic arms 232 are arranged parallel to each other but spaced apart and located in the same plane. The base 231 is connected to the inner terminal piece 231 without any separation. The ends of the elastic arms are curved toward the slot, forming arc-shaped end portions 235. The protruding portion of the arc constitutes the contact portion 234, here referred to as the third contact portion 234. The definitions of the first, second, and third contacts above do not imply a specific order of contact; they are provided for ease of distinction and for the sake of writing.

As shown in FIG9 , the widths of the three terminal portions 215 , 225 , and 235 are smaller than their corresponding elastic arms and are offset to one side. The terminal portion 215 of the outer terminal piece is offset to the right, and the terminal portion 235 of the inner terminal piece is located below the terminal portion 215 of the outer terminal piece. The two have the same width and are located directly below. The terminal portion 225 of the middle terminal piece is offset to the left and is located to the left of the two terminal portions 215 and 235 of the inner and outer terminal pieces. In this way, the contact portion configuration is formed. As shown in FIG2 , the third contact portion 234 is located below the first contact portion 214, and the second contact portion 224 is located on one (right) side of the first contact portion 214 and the third contact portion 234 and is located between the first contact portion 214 and the third contact portion 234 in the height direction. Because the three contacts simultaneously contact the same gold finger on the card, each terminal maintains stable, three-point contact with the same gold finger. Even if one contact fails, good electrical continuity is achieved. Referring to Figure 10 , the side edge of the end portion 225 of the middle terminal piece protrudes longitudinally beyond one side of the elastic arm, while the end portion 215 of the outer terminal piece does not. In this embodiment, the three end portions are staggered, maximizing the length of the elastic arm within a limited space and minimizing positive force.

More specifically, as shown in Figure 2 , the vertical distance between the first contact portion 214 and the second contact portion 224 is 1 mm, and the vertical distance between the second contact portion 224 and the third contact portion 234 is 1.2 mm. During insertion of the card into the slot 11, the contact height can vary by 2.2 mm. As shown in Figure 9 , there is a first distance between the sides A1 and A2 of adjacent elastic arms, and a second distance between the sides B1 of the first and third contact portions 214 and 234 and the side B2 of the second contact portion 224. The first distance is greater than the second distance, maximizing the width of the contact portions within a limited range.

As shown in Figure 2, the three bases are tightly stacked together. The elastic arms 212 of the outer terminal piece extend vertically upward from the base, both lying in the same plane. The inner wall of the slot is slightly tilted outward. Meanwhile, the elastic arms 222 and 232 of the middle and inner terminal pieces bend slightly inward at their bases where they connect to the bases before extending vertically upward again. This creates a space between the inner, middle, and outer rows of elastic arms in the horizontal direction. After the power card is inserted, the inner, middle, and outer rows of elastic arms are offset outward from this space. The pins of the three terminal strips are arranged in three rows. To optimize the use of the main circuit board, the spacing between the three rows of pins is the same. The pins 213 and 223 of the outer and middle terminal strips are first bent outward and then extended vertically downward. The pin 233 of the inner terminal strip is first bent inward and then extended vertically downward.

As shown in Figure 3, when viewed from the mating direction, the end portion 215 of the outer terminal piece in the first terminal corresponds to the end portion 225 of the middle terminal piece in the second terminal, and the end portion 225 of the middle terminal piece in the first terminal corresponds to the end portion 215 of the outer terminal piece in the second terminal. The ends of the inner terminal pieces in the first and second terminals are staggered longitudinally, so that the contact portions can be arranged in a corresponding manner.

Figures 15 to 19 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention, a right-angle horizontal power connector 200. Each of the first and second terminals consists of two terminal pieces: an outer terminal piece 61 and an inner terminal piece 62. The inner and outer terminal pieces of the first terminal are first secured to the first surface 631 of the mounting member 63 via copper nails 64. The inner and outer terminal pieces of the second terminal are then secured to the second surface 632 of the mounting member 63. The connectors are then inserted into the insulating body 60 from front to back. A through-hole 613 is provided at the base where the elastic arm 611 connects to the base 612. A fixing piece, in the form of a copper nail 64, passes through the through-hole 613 and is secured to a fixing hole provided on the first surface of the mounting member.

The above embodiments are preferred embodiments of the present invention, but are not exhaustive. Any equivalent modifications to the technical solutions of the present invention made by persons of ordinary skill in the art after reading this specification are covered by the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

20: First terminal

21: External terminal piece

22: Middle terminal piece

23: Inner terminal piece

30: Second terminal

41: First Surface

43: Fixing hole

44: Limiting part

50:Fixer

Claims (13)

A power connector comprises an elongated body and a plurality of power terminal assemblies, wherein the power terminal assemblies include a first terminal, a second terminal, a mounting member, and a plurality of fixing members. The body is provided with a slot extending in the longitudinal direction; each of the first terminal and the second terminal includes a base and an elastic arm extending from the base, and the distal end of the elastic arm is provided with a contact portion facing the slot; wherein the mounting member is provided with a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the base of the first terminal is affixed to the first surface of the mounting member and fixed by one of the fixing members; the base of the second terminal is affixed to the second surface of the mounting member and fixed by another of the fixing members, the mounting member is mounted and fixed to the body, and the bases of the first terminal and the second terminal are exposed between the body and the mounting member. A power connector as described in claim 1, wherein each of the first terminal and the second terminal includes at least an inner terminal piece and an outer terminal piece, each of the inner terminal piece and the outer terminal piece includes the base and a plurality of elastic arms extending from the base, and the end of the elastic arm is provided with a contact portion facing the card slot. A power connector as described in claim 1, wherein each of the first terminal and the second terminal includes at least an outer terminal piece, a middle terminal piece and an inner terminal piece, each of the outer, middle and inner terminal pieces includes the base and a plurality of elastic arms extending from the base, and the end of the elastic arm is provided with a contact portion facing the card slot. A power connector as described in claim 1, wherein each of the first terminal and the second terminal includes at least an outer terminal piece, a middle terminal piece and an inner terminal piece stacked on each other. A power connector as described in any one of claims 2, 3, and 4, wherein the fixing member is a copper nail; the bases of the first and second terminals are provided with through holes, the copper nail passes through the through hole of the first terminal and is fixed to the first surface of the mounting member, and the copper nail passes through the through hole of the second terminal and is fixed to the second surface of the mounting member. The power connector as described in claim 5, wherein laser spot welding is further performed on the outer side of the copper nail to further fix the copper nail to the mounting part. A power connector as described in claim 1, wherein the fixing member is a pair of metal sheets, each metal sheet includes a base sheet and a pair of arms bent from both sides of the base sheet, the base sheet is fixed to the mounting member, and the arms pass through the through hole provided with the first terminal and are fixed to the first surface of the mounting member. A power connector as described in claim 7, wherein the through hole is a bone-like structure extending in the height direction, wide at both ends and narrow in the middle. A power connector as described in claim 8, wherein the first terminal is provided with a groove at the side edge of the base, and the arm passes through the groove to fix the mounting piece. A power connector as described in any one of claims 2, 3, and 4, wherein the fixing member is a pair of arms bent out from both sides of the base of each of the external terminal pieces, and the arms are bent inward and fixed to the mounting member. The power connector as described in claim 1, wherein the mounting member is made of an insulating material, or made of a conductive material, or made of a conductive plastic material. The power connector as described in claim 1, wherein the mounting member is made of an insulating material, or made of a conductive material, or made of a conductive plastic material. A power connector as described in claim 1, wherein a through hole is provided at the root where the elastic arm is connected to the base, and the fixing member passes through the through hole and is fixed to the mounting member.