JPH11135172A - Elastomer connector for connecting ic card - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector which can be managed with a comparatively small compression load at pressure contacting and which will remain in tight attachment to the connecting electrode of an IC card, even when IC card is removed and will not slip off from a connector holder. SOLUTION: Insulating elastomer 3 and conductive elastomer 4 are laminated alternately on the two surfaces of an insulative elastomer sheet or film 2 in such a way that their surfaces stretch parallel to one another, and thus a rod- shaped connector member is formed which is installed with its laminate surface positioned vertically so that an elastomer connector 1 for connecting an IC card is accomplished, wherein the conductive elastomer 4 is structured so that 5-20 pts.wt. carbon fibers 5 are contained, with respect to 100 pts.wt. crude material for conductive eleastomer is substantially oriented vertically relative to a connecting electrode surface 6 of the elastomer connector 1 and protrudes 10-30 μm from the connecting electrode surface of the connector 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an insulating elastomer and a conductive material used for connection with various precision electronic devices, particularly, an IC card used as a storage medium of a personal computer, a mobile communication device, an electronic camera and the like. The present invention relates to an elastomer connector for IC card connection (hereinafter, simply referred to as a connector) in which elastomers are alternately multiplexed and stacked so that respective layers are parallel to each other.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a connector, there is provided a rod-shaped connector in which at least one of a conductive member layer having flexibility and an insulating member layer is alternately and multiplex-integrated such that joining surfaces thereof are parallel to each other. Proposed.

[0003]

Heretofore, the conductive member layer constituting the connector has usually been made of silicone rubber or thermoplastic elastomer mixed with conductive powder such as metal powder and carbon powder. In such a connector, when the IC card is removed, the connector comes into close contact with the connection electrode side of the IC card and comes off the connector holder. As a countermeasure, if the amount of the conductive powder in the conductive member layer is increased, the adhesiveness of the surface is reduced, and the adhesion between the connection electrode of the IC card and the connector is prevented to some extent. The elasticity is reduced, and the compressive load at the time of pressing is greatly increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a connector which requires a relatively small compressive load at the time of press-contact and does not come off from a connector holder by being in close contact with the connection electrode side of the IC card even when the IC card is removed. It is in.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has solved the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional connector. That is, the connector of the present invention has an insulating elastomer sheet or film (hereinafter referred to as an insulating elastomer). Insulated elastomer and conductive elastomer are alternately multiplexed on both sides of each sheet (represented by a sheet) so that the respective laminated surfaces are parallel to each other. ), Wherein the conductive elastomer is blended with carbon fiber in an amount of 5 to 20 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of the conductive elastomer raw material, and is substantially perpendicular to the connection electrode surface of the connector. (Including ± 10 °) and protrudes from the connection electrode surface of the connector in a range of 10 μm or more and 30 μm or less. In addition, it is preferable to use a sponge-like silicone rubber for the insulating elastomer sheet.

The method of manufacturing a connector according to the present invention is represented by a plastic film or sheet (hereinafter referred to as a plastic film) such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PC (polycarbonate), PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and the like. ), One of an uncured insulating elastomer and a conductive elastomer is provided thereon, and the other is provided thereon to form a two-layer sheet. Preferably, the insulating elastomer is provided first, cured, and then the insulating elastomer is cured. On top of this, 5 to 20 parts by weight of carbon fiber is blended with 100 parts by weight of the conductive elastomer raw material, and a conductive elastomer which is oriented in the same direction is provided.
It is a layer sheet. Next, the plastic film was peeled off from the two-layer sheet, and the conductive fibers and the insulating elastomer were alternately laminated so that the orientation directions of the carbon fibers in the conductive elastomer were substantially the same, It is integrated by heating to form a multilayer block.

The multilayer block is sliced in a direction perpendicular to the laminating direction and parallel to the orientation of the carbon fibers to obtain a striped sheet. The striped sheet is adhered to both sides of an insulating elastomer sheet to form a connector original plate. And, this connector original plate, carbon fiber in the conductive elastomer,
The connector of the present invention is obtained by cutting in a direction crossing the carbon fiber so as to protrude in a direction substantially perpendicular to the connection electrode surface of the connector and in a range from 10 μm to 30 μm from the connection electrode surface of the connector. Manufactured. In obtaining the striped sheet, instead of slicing the multilayer block body at right angles to the stacking direction, slice in parallel to the stacking direction, that is, move the slice blade in a direction parallel to the striped pattern of the striped sheet to be obtained. Push off the multilayer block.

Examples of the insulating elastomer component include various elastomer materials such as butadiene-based copolymers such as butadiene-styrene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, and butadiene-isobutylene, chloroprene polymer, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyurethane, and silicone. Selected from thermoplastic elastomers such as rubber or rubber,
Among them, silicone rubber which is excellent in heat resistance, cold resistance, weather resistance and electric insulation and is also non-toxic and thermoplastic rubber which can be recycled are preferable.

The conductive elastomer component is prepared by adding a conductivity-imparting agent such as carbon black, graphite and metal powder and a reinforcing agent to the conventionally known conductive elastomer raw material, that is, the above-mentioned insulating elastomer, and further adding the conductive elastomer raw material. The orientation of the carbon fiber is substantially the same (± 10 °, preferably ± 5 °, more preferably ± 2 °).
Electric resistance by blending 5 to 20 parts by weight such that the orientation direction is aligned) become all the carbon fibers within ° is ^10-4
~ 10Ωcm. If the amount of the carbon fiber is less than 5 parts by weight, the anti-adhesion function is not sufficient. If the amount is more than 20 parts by weight, the elasticity is insufficient and the pressure holding force must be increased. As the conductive elastomer component, as in the case of the insulating elastomer component, a conductive silicone rubber having excellent heat resistance, cold resistance, weather resistance, compression characteristics, and the like, and a conductive thermoplastic rubber that can be recycled are preferable.

As the insulating elastomer sheet, the materials listed above as the insulating elastomer component can be employed as the material of the insulating elastomer sheet. Preferably, the same elastomer component as that constituting the rod-shaped connector member is used. Good.
Further, in order to improve the connection of the electrode portion of the connector at the time of press-contact, a sponge-like one is preferable. When the connector is connected, the sponge-like one is compressed, and the foam cell is largely deformed to reduce the load. In addition, when the connector is incorporated into the connector holder, the width of the connector is made larger than that of the connector holder, and the insulating elastomer sheet is fitted in a compressed state, so that the connector can be installed in a compressed state in the width direction. It is possible to make the connector hard to fall off. From this viewpoint, the sponge preferably has an expansion ratio of 1.5 to 3.0. In addition, a sponge-like or non-sponge-like one having an elastic modulus in the range of 5 to ²⁰ kgf / cm ² is preferably selected.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The connector of the present invention and a method for manufacturing the same will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples. FIG. 1 shows a connector as an example of the present invention. In the figure, (a) is a perspective view of the connector of the present invention, and (b)
3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG. The connector 1 shown in the figure has a size of 4.4 mm in height, 2.7 mm in width and 30 mm in length, and is preferably used as an insulating elastomer sheet. The sponge-like silicone rubber sheet 2 shown in FIG. The elastomer 4 is alternately multiplexed and provided at an equal pitch (for example, 100 μm). In FIG. 1, the S-type connector members provided on both sides of the silicone rubber sheet are identical to each other, but the S-type connector members may have different pitches (lamination pitch and / or connection pitch). Good.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connector according to another embodiment of the present invention. This connector 1 'has the same size as the connector 1 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and is essentially the same connector, but has a thickness of 0.2 mm or more on both sides along the bottom length direction of the connector. 2 mm or less, 0.4 m in the figure
m, which has an overhang portion 7 made of an insulating elastomer such as silicone rubber, and has a T-shaped cross section as a whole. Note that the overhang portion 7 has a function of preventing the connector from falling off from the connector holder after being assembled, and may be provided slightly away from the lower end of the bottom of the connector as long as this function is not impaired. The shape does not have to be symmetrical.

A carbon fiber 5 having a diameter of 3 to 30 μm, preferably 5 to 15 μm is substantially parallel to the conductive elastomer 4 in the height direction of the connector 1 (within ± 10 °, preferably ± 5 °, more preferably ± 5 °). (Within ± 2 °), and the carbon fiber 5 protrudes from the connection electrode surface 6 within a range of 10 μm or more and 30 μm or less. If the amount of protrusion of the carbon fiber 5 is less than 10 μm, the anti-adhesion function is not sufficient, and if it exceeds 30 μm, leakage due to bending is likely to occur. The average carbon fiber protrusion height is 15
The thickness is preferably not more than 10 μm, and more preferably not more than 10 μm and not less than 3 μm, because there is no possibility that the protruding carbon fiber may be bent and leak at the time of pressing and holding.

In order to orient the carbon fiber in the height direction of the connector, for example, when the carbon fiber is a short fiber, a shear stress is applied to the carbon fiber in a flowing elastomer using an extruder or a calendar roll. By doing so, orientation can be achieved. When the carbon fiber is a long fiber, a plurality of carbon fibers can be drawn out in parallel, placed on a conductive elastomer sheet, and oriented by stacking another conductive elastomer sheet thereon. Alternatively, a woven or knitted fabric in which either the warp or the weft is carbon fiber may be sandwiched between uncured or unsolidified elastomer sheets.

Further, a carbon fiber is formed from the connection electrode surface.
In order to protrude 10 to 30 μm, if the diameter of the carbon fiber is in the range of 3 to 30 μm and the amount of carbon fiber is in the range of 5 to 20 parts by weight, it is preferable to cut with a push cutter. Alternatively, when the conductive elastomer raw material containing the carbon fiber is placed on the insulating elastomer, the rolling force and the amount of the roll bank are adjusted, and the shrinkage rate after heat curing or cooling and solidifying is appropriately experimentally determined. The amount of protrusion of the carbon fiber can be adjusted.

[0016]

【Example】

Example 1; insulating silicone rubber compound KE971U
An insulating elastomer member (made by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., trade name) is sheeted to a thickness of 50 μm using a calender roll on a PET film having a thickness of 75 μm and a width of 400 mm. After curing continuously at 150 ° C. for 1 minute under the same conditions, the obtained insulating silicone rubber sheet was wound into a roll.

Next, while rewinding the roll, a conductive silicone rubber compound KE87C40PU (trade name, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 100 is placed on the insulating silicone rubber sheet.
A conductive elastomer member containing 10 parts by weight of carbon fiber TORAYCAMLD-300 (trade name, manufactured by Toray Co., Ltd.) having a diameter of 7 μm and an average length of 130 μm is added to the weight part so that the carbon fiber added is oriented in the sheet flow direction. Was then sheeted to a thickness of 50 μm using a calender roll, and the obtained two-layer sheet was wound into a roll. While unwinding the roll, peel off only the PET film from the two-layer sheet, cut the two-layer sheet into appropriate dimensions, and make the obtained sheet the same carbon fiber orientation direction, and insulate it from the conductive elastomer member. The multi-layered elastomer members are laminated so as to be alternately multiplexed to form a multilayer block, which is cured and integrated at 150 ° C for 10 hours, and the multilayer block is perpendicular to the laminating direction and parallel to the carbon fiber orientation direction. Pressed with a cutter, sliced to a thickness of 0.75mm, 30c
An m-slice sheet (striped sheet) was obtained.

The obtained sliced sheet is made of a liquid silicone rubber KE1800TA / TB (trade name, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), and is a sponge-like (foaming ratio: 1.8) 30 mm square, 1 mm thick, insulating silicone rubber sheet (elastic modulus: 15 kgf). / cm ² ) The conductive elastomer is adhered to both sides of both sides vertically to a thickness of 2.7
A 30-cm square three-layer body having a thickness of 30 mm was cut out from the three-layer body with a cutter so that the orientation direction of the carbon fibers was the height direction.
m, height 4.4 mm, width 2.7 mm, pitch 100 μm,
10μm or more of carbon fiber on the connection electrode surface of the connector
A connector protruding in a range of 30 μm or less was obtained.

FIG. 3 shows the connector thus obtained.
The connector 1 was compression-fixed to a height of 3.9 mm using an inspection tool shown in Table 2 and left in an atmosphere of 80 ° C. for 5 days, and then the adhesive strength to an IC card was examined. The results are shown in Table 1 in comparison with the conventional connector. In addition, with the configuration shown in FIG.
Table 1 also shows the results of examining the connection resistance value and the load when compressed to mm. As is clear from Table 1,
According to the connector of the present invention, even if the compressive load is substantially the same as that of the conventional connector, the adhesive force to the IC card is extremely reduced, and the connector does not come off from the holder due to the close contact with the IC card. Further, the connection resistance value is extremely small.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing an inspection tool provided for examining the adhesive force to the IC card. The IC card 9 is placed on an aluminum plate 8 and The connector 1 is brought into contact with the electrode section 9 and paper 10
A plate 11 made of aluminum is placed on the connector 1 and tightened with a nut 12 to compress the connector 1. A spacer 13 is provided between the plates 8 and 11 so that the compressive force is always constant, and a constant gap is maintained.

FIG. 4 shows a predetermined height (3.9 in this figure).
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an inspection tool for examining a connection resistance value and a load when compressed into a printed circuit board 14, 15;
The connector 1 is disposed between the gold-plated electrodes 16 and 17 to form an inspection circuit.

[0022]

[Table 1]

Example 2 As in Example 1, the structure shown in FIG. 1 has a length of 30 mm, a height of 4.4 mm, a width of 2.7 mm and a pitch of 100 μm.
A connector protruding in the range of not less than μm and not more than 30 μm was obtained.
This connector is set in a mold having an upper mold 18 and a lower mold 19 and having a guide pin 20 shown in FIG. 5, and a silicone rubber compound KE153U (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
(Product name) 21 is cut into a length of 30 mm, a width of 0.6 mm, and a height of 0.55 mm, filled and cured and integrated at 150 ° C. for 3 minutes to form an overhang portion 7 made of silicone rubber as shown in FIG. A connector 1 'having a T-shaped structure was obtained.

A holder 22 shown in FIG. 6 is manufactured in accordance with the connector 1 'having the T-shaped structure, assembled into the housing of the electronic device, the IC card 9 is mounted, and the connector 1' is mounted on the housing of the electronic device. After leaving it in an atmosphere of 80 ° C. for 5 days in a state where it was connected to the printed circuit board 23, it was confirmed whether or not the connector 1 ′ was dropped when the IC card was removed. Were obtained. As a result, the connector of the present invention showed extremely high resistance to falling off as compared with the conventional connector.

[0025]

[Table 2]

[0026]

According to the connector of the present invention, particularly, the carbon fiber protruding from the connection electrode surface of the connector reduces both the compression load and the connection resistance at the time of press contact, and the connection electrode of the IC card even when the IC card is removed. It does not come off from the connector holder in close contact with the side.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a connector of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connector according to a different embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an inspection tool for examining the adhesive strength of a connector to an IC card.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of an inspection tool for checking a connection resistance value and a load of a connector.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a mold for molding a connector according to a different embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a connection state between a printed circuit board and an IC card of an electronic device using the connector of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1 '· · · connector 2 · · · · silicone rubber sheet 3 · · · · insulating elastomer 4 · · · · conductive elastomer 5 · · · · · · carbon fiber 6 Connection electrode surface 7 Overhang 8, 11 Board 9 IC card 10 Paper 12 ... Nuts 13 ... Spacers 14, 15, 23 ... Printed circuit boards 16, 17 ... Electrodes 18 ... ... Upper mold 19 ...・ ・ Lower mold 20 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Guide pin 21 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Silicone rubber compound 22 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Holder

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A rod-shaped connector member in which an insulating elastomer and a conductive elastomer are alternately and multiplexed on both surfaces of an insulating elastomer sheet or film such that the respective laminated surfaces are parallel to each other. IC provided
An elastomer connector for card connection, wherein the conductive elastomer contains 5 to 20 parts by weight of carbon fiber with respect to 100 parts by weight of a conductive elastomer raw material, and substantially corresponds to a connection electrode surface of the IC card connection elastomer connector. 10μm from the connection electrode surface of the connector
Characterized in that it protrudes in the range of not less than 30 μm or less.
Elastomer connector for IC card connection. 2. The elastomer connector for connecting an IC card according to claim 1, wherein said insulating elastomer sheet or film is made of sponge-like silicone rubber.