CN112005448A

CN112005448A - Probe pin

Info

Publication number: CN112005448A
Application number: CN201980027027.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 笹野直哉; 寺西宏真; 酒井贵浩; 崔时薰
Original assignee: Omron Corp
Current assignee: Omron Corp
Priority date: 2018-05-22
Filing date: 2019-05-15
Publication date: 2020-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 2039-05-15
Also published as: JP7226441B2; JPWO2019225441A1; TW202004191A; TWI734985B; KR20200133366A; WO2019225441A1; CN112005448B; KR102442364B1

Abstract

The probe pin includes: a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion; an intermediate portion and a buffer spring portion arranged in series between the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion. The buffer spring portion is configured to be elastically deformable in a second direction intersecting a first direction, which is an arrangement direction of the first contact spring portion, the intermediate portion, the buffer spring portion, and the second contact spring portion, with respect to the intermediate portion, and the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are configured to be elastically deformable in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction with respect to the intermediate portion.

Description

Probe pin

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a probe pin which can be disposed in a connector connectable to an object to be connected.

Background

In an electronic component module such as a USB device, a conduction check, an operation characteristic check, and the like are generally performed in a manufacturing process thereof. These inspections are performed by connecting an inspection apparatus and an electronic component module with a connector.

As such a connector, there is a connector described in patent document 1. The connector includes: the electronic component module includes a base portion that can be arranged on the substrate, a fitting portion that extends from an upper portion of the base portion in parallel with an upper surface of the substrate and that can be fitted with the electronic component module, and a plurality of contact members that are attached to the base portion. In the connector, the movement restricting portion provided on the base portion and the movement restricting portion provided on the fitting portion are engaged with each other with a gap therebetween, and the fitting portion is movable relative to the base portion within the range of the gap. Thus, even when the electronic component modules are connected obliquely to the fitting direction, the electronic component modules can be smoothly fitted and connected.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2015-158990

However, in the above connector, since the movement restricting portions are provided at both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the base portion and the fitting portion, it may be difficult to move the fitting portion as designed if each member of the base portion and the fitting portion is not formed with high accuracy. In this case, if the electronic component module is connected obliquely to the fitting direction, stress in a direction intersecting the predetermined contact direction is applied to the contact member, and the contact member may be damaged.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a probe pin which is not easily damaged even if stress is applied in a direction crossing a predetermined contact direction.

A probe pin according to an example of the present invention is a probe pin that can be disposed on a connector connectable to a connection target, and includes:

a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion;

an intermediate portion and a buffer spring portion arranged in series between the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion,

both end portions of the intermediate portion in a first direction, which is an arrangement direction of the first contact spring portion, the intermediate portion, the buffer spring portion, and the second contact spring portion with respect to the intermediate portion, are connected to the first contact spring portion and the buffer spring portion, respectively,

the buffer spring portion is configured such that both end portions in the first direction are connected to the intermediate portion and the second contact spring portion, respectively, and are elastically deformable in a second direction intersecting the first direction,

the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are configured to be elastically deformable in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction with respect to the intermediate portion.

According to the probe pin, the probe pin includes the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, and the intermediate portion and the buffer spring portion which are arranged in series between the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, and the buffer spring portion is configured to be elastically deformable in a second direction intersecting with a first direction which is an arrangement direction of the first contact spring portion, the intermediate portion, the buffer spring portion, and the second contact spring portion with respect to the intermediate portion. The first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion are configured to be elastically deformable in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction with respect to the intermediate portion. With this configuration, even if a stress is applied in a direction intersecting the predetermined contact direction, the stress can be dispersed by the buffer spring portion, and damage to the probe pin can be reduced. As a result, a probe pin that is less likely to be damaged can be realized.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the first terminal connection portion side of the connector of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a first terminal connecting portion of the connector of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a probe pin of the connector of fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a first modification of the connector of fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the connector of fig. 9 on the side of the first terminal connection portion with the connector housing removed.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a second modification of the connector of fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing a first terminal connection portion of a third modification of the connector of fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in fig. 1 showing a fourth modification of the connector in fig. 1.

Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a state before the first contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 7 is elastically deformed.

Fig. 15 is a plan view showing a state in which the first contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 7 is elastically deformed.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing a fifth modification of the connector of fig. 1.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a first modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing a second modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing a third modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a fourth modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view showing a fifth modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view showing a sixth modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view showing a seventh modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 24 is a perspective view showing an eighth modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view showing a ninth modification of the probe pin of fig. 7.

Fig. 26 is a plan view showing a state before the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 25 are elastically deformed.

Fig. 27 is a plan view showing a state in which the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 25 are elastically deformed.

Fig. 28 is a perspective view showing a probe pin according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 29 is a plan view showing a state before the first contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 28 is elastically deformed.

Fig. 30 is a plan view showing a state in which the first contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 28 is elastically deformed.

Fig. 31 is a perspective view showing a modification of the probe pin of fig. 28.

Fig. 32 is a plan view showing a state before the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 31 are elastically deformed.

Fig. 33 is a plan view showing a state in which the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion of the probe pin of fig. 32 are elastically deformed.

Detailed Description

An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (e.g., terms including "upper", "lower", "right", and "left") are used as necessary, but the use of these terms is helpful for understanding the present invention with reference to the drawings, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention according to the meaning of these terms. The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. The drawings are schematic, and the ratio of the dimensions and the like do not necessarily match reality.

(first embodiment)

The connector 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is configured to be connectable to an inspection apparatus 100 and an inspection object 200 (see fig. 3) which are examples of connection objects, and includes a connector housing 10 and a first terminal connection portion 20 (an example of a housing of the connector 1) which is swingably supported by the connector housing 10, as shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 2, the connector housing 10 is provided with an urging portion 30 inside.

As shown in fig. 1, the connector housing 10 is, for example, a substantially rectangular box-like shape, and is composed of an upper housing 11 and a lower housing 12 which are stacked in a thickness direction (i.e., in the vertical direction in fig. 1). The connector housing 10 has an opening surface 13 on one of side surfaces facing the longitudinal direction (i.e., the first direction X), and an opening 14 having a substantially elliptical shape is provided in the opening surface 13.

As shown in fig. 3, the connector housing 10 is provided inside with a substrate 40 and a second terminal connection portion 50 connectable to the inspection apparatus 100. The substrate 40 is electrically connected to the first terminal connection portion 20 and the second terminal connection portion 50 via connection terminals 41 (shown in fig. 6) provided at both ends of the plate surface in the first direction X. The second terminal connection portion 50 is disposed on the opposite side of the first terminal connection portion 20 in the first direction X with respect to the substrate 40.

As shown in fig. 3, in the first terminal connecting portion 20, a first end 201, which is one end in the first direction X intersecting (e.g., orthogonal to) the opening surface 13, is located inside the connector housing 10, and a second end 202, which is the other end in the first direction X, is exposed to the outside of the housing 10 while being connectable to the inspection object 200. The inspection object 200 is, for example, an electronic component module having a USB connector or an HDMI connector.

As shown in fig. 4, the first terminal connecting portion 20 is arranged at the reference position P with a gap 15 between the inside of the opening 14 and the edge portion of the opening 14, and is supported by the connector housing 10 on the opening surface 13 so as to be swingable in any direction of up, down, left, and right in fig. 4. In this embodiment, the gap 15 is provided over the entire circumference in the first direction X (i.e., the paper surface penetrating direction in fig. 2) around the first terminal connecting portion 20 at the reference position P.

In detail, as shown in fig. 3, the first terminal connecting portion 20 includes: a plate-shaped probe pin 60; and a connection housing 21 that extends in the first direction X and is provided with a first housing portion 22 that houses the probe pin 60 so that a plate surface thereof faces in a second direction Y (shown in fig. 4) intersecting with (e.g., orthogonal to) the first direction X. In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 2, the first terminal connecting portion 20 includes a plurality of probe pins 60, a plurality of pairs of first housing portions 22 are provided in the connecting housing 21, the plurality of pairs of first housing portions 22 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, and the probe pins 60 are housed in the respective first housing portions 22. Thus, each pair of the first receiving portions 22 is disposed symmetrically with respect to a center line L1 of a third direction Z intersecting (e.g., orthogonal to) the first direction X and the second direction Y of the first terminal connecting portion 20, and is electrically independent from each other, as viewed in the first direction X. That is, the probe pins 60 accommodated in each pair of the first accommodation portions 22 can hold the inspection object 200 from the third direction Z by the first contact spring portion 61 described later, and can hold the substrate 40 from the third direction Z by the second contact spring portion 62 described later.

As shown in fig. 3, a support portion 211 for supporting a biasing member (i.e., a coil spring 31) of a biasing portion 30 described later is provided at an end portion on the first end portion 201 side of the coupling case 21, and a recess 23 and a confirmation window 24 which are open in the first direction X and which can accommodate the inspection object 200 from the first direction X are provided at an end portion on the second end portion 202 side of the coupling case 21. A first contact spring portion 61, which will be described later, of each probe pin 60 is disposed in the recess 23. That is, the inspection object 200 is connected to the first terminal connecting portion 20 along the first direction X. The confirmation window 24 communicates with the first housing 22 and the outside of the connection housing 21, and the first contact spring portion 61 of each probe pin 60 can be confirmed from the outside of the connection housing 21.

As shown in fig. 5, the first terminal connecting portion 20 has a conductive shell portion 25, and the conductive shell portion 25 covers the outer surface of the connecting housing 21 and is provided with a ground terminal 26 disposed inside the connector housing 10. In this embodiment, the housing portion 25 is made of metal such as iron, and covers a region other than the second end portion 202 connected to the outside of the housing 21 in an electrically independent state from each probe pin 60. With this configuration, when a connection object such as the inspection object 200 is connected to the first terminal connecting portion 20, the connection object such as the inspection object 200 does not contact the housing portion 25, and damage to the connection object such as the inspection object 200 is reduced when the connection object is connected to the first terminal connecting portion 20. A pair of ground terminals 26 is provided at each of both ends of the housing portion 25 in the second direction Y.

As shown in fig. 3, a recess 212 capable of accommodating the housing portion 25 is provided on the outer surface of the connection housing 21. The outer surface of the housed case portion 25 is configured to be flush with the outer surface of a portion where the recess 212 of the connection case 21 is not provided (for example, the end portion 213 on the second end portion 202 side of the connection case 21).

As shown in fig. 6, the ground terminals 26 of each pair are arranged to face the third direction Z and to be contactable with the connection terminals 41 of the substrate 40 in a state of being elastically deformed in the third direction Z.

As shown in fig. 2, the biasing portion 30 is disposed inside the connector housing 10, and biases the first terminal connecting portion 20 toward the reference position P with respect to the connector housing 10. Specifically, the biasing portion 30 is configured by a plurality of biasing members (four coil springs 31 in this embodiment), and the four coil springs 31 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a virtual straight line (for example, a center line L1 in the third direction Z of the first terminal connecting portion 20) orthogonal to the first direction X.

Each coil spring 31 is housed in a coil spring housing portion 16, and the coil spring housing portion 16 is constituted by a substantially cylindrical recess portion 214 provided in the support portion 211 of the coupling case 21 and substantially

cylindrical recess portions

111, 121 provided in the upper case 11 and the lower case 12, respectively, and disposed in the recess portion 214 of the coupling case 21 so as to face each other. By using the coil spring 31 as the urging member, the first terminal connecting portion 20 can be swung in the first direction X in addition to an arbitrary direction on the opening 13.

As shown in fig. 7, each probe pin 60 has a plate shape and includes: the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62, and the intermediate portion 63 and the buffer spring portion 64 that are arranged in series along the first direction X between the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62. That is, the first contact spring portion 61, the intermediate portion 63, the buffer spring portion 64, and the second contact spring portion 62 are aligned along the first direction X. Each probe pin 60 is formed by, for example, electroforming, and the first contact spring portion 61, the intermediate portion 63, the buffer spring portion 64, and the second contact spring portion 62 are integrally formed.

The first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 each have a meandering shape when viewed in the second direction Y, and are configured to be elastically deformable in the third direction Z with respect to the intermediate portion 63. The first contact spring portion 61 is formed of a plurality of elastic pieces (two belt-shaped

elastic pieces

611 and 612, for example, in the present embodiment) arranged with a gap 65 therebetween. For example, the first contact spring portion 61 has a wave shape or a meandering shape that is bent at two positions in the first direction X. The respective

elastic pieces

611, 612 are connected to each other at end portions that are distant from the intermediate portion 63 in the extending direction of the first contact spring portion 61 (i.e., the first direction X). That is, the gap 65 is surrounded by the

elastic pieces

611 and 612 and the intermediate portion 63, and extends from one end to the other end in the extending direction of the first contact spring portion 61. In the vicinity of the bent portion of the first contact spring portion 61 that is distant from the intermediate portion 63 in the first direction X, a contact portion 66 (see fig. 3) is provided that can contact the inspection object 200 housed in the recessed portion 23 from the third direction Z via the opening portion 14. The contact portion 66 is configured to elastically deform in a direction in which an area contacting the inspection object 200 expands in addition to the third direction Z in a state in which a force in the third direction Z is applied by the inspection object 200 connected to the connector 1 (see fig. 14 and 15), and the gap 65 is narrowed. That is, the first contact spring portion 61 is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction in which an area in contact with the inspection object 200 is expanded in addition to the third direction Z in a state in which a force in the third direction Z is applied by the inspection object 200 connected to the connector 1, and is configured to be narrow in the gap 65 between adjacent ones of the plurality of

elastic pieces

611, 612. With this configuration, the first contact spring portion 61 can be elastically deformed more smoothly, and the durability of the first contact spring portion 61 can be improved. Further, since the first contact spring portion 61 is elastically deformed more smoothly, damage to the inspection object 200 due to contact of the first contact spring portion 61 can be reduced more reliably. In this embodiment, the first contact spring portion 61, which is inserted into and removed from the connector 1 more frequently than the board 40 and comes into contact with the inspection object 200, is configured by a plurality of

elastic pieces

611 and 612.

The second contact spring portion 62 has the same structure as the first contact spring portion 61, except that it is constituted by one elastic piece. That is, the second contact spring portion 62 has a wave shape or a meandering shape that is curved at two positions in the first direction X, and a contact portion 68 (see fig. 3) that can contact the substrate 40 from the third direction Z is provided near a curved portion that is distant from the buffer spring portion 64 in the first direction X.

The intermediate portion 63 has a substantially rectangular shape, and both end portions in the first direction X are connected to the first contact spring portion 61 and the buffer spring portion 64, respectively. A first positioning portion 631 is provided at an end portion of the intermediate portion 63 on the buffer spring portion 64 side, and the first positioning portion 631 restricts movement of the probe pin 60 in the first direction X and in the direction toward the second contact spring portion 62 when the probe pin is accommodated in the first accommodation portion 22 of the connection housing 21. The first positioning portion 631 is constituted by a plane extending in the third direction Z in a direction away from the damper spring portion 64.

The buffer spring portion 64 has a substantially rectangular frame shape protruding from the intermediate portion 63 in the third direction Z, and both end portions in the first direction X are connected to the intermediate portion 63 and the second contact spring portion 62, respectively, and are elastically deformable in the second direction Y (i.e., the plate thickness direction) with respect to the intermediate portion 63. A second positioning portion 641 is provided at an end portion of the buffer spring portion 64 on the intermediate portion 63 side, and this second positioning portion 641 restricts movement of the probe pin 60 in the first direction X and in the direction toward the first contact spring portion 61 when stored in the first storage portion 22 of the connection housing 21. The second positioning portion 641 is constituted by a flat surface extending in a direction away from the damper spring portion 64 in the third direction Z and in a direction opposite to the first positioning portion 631 of the intermediate portion 63.

Further, at an end portion of the second positioning portion 641 distant from the intermediate portion 63 in the third direction Z, a protrusion portion 642 is provided, and the protrusion portion 642 extends from the second positioning portion 641 to the first contact spring portion 61 along the first direction X. As shown in fig. 3, the projection 642 is provided in the third direction Z in the support portion 211 of the coupling housing 21 and accommodates the recess 215 disposed between the coil spring 31 and the intermediate portion 63.

As shown in fig. 3, the second contact spring portion 62 and the buffer spring portion 64 are located outside the connection housing 21 and inside the connector housing 10, respectively. The buffer spring portion 64 is housed in the second housing portion 17 provided inside the connector housing 10, and the second contact spring portion 62 is housed in the third housing portion 18 provided inside the connector housing 10.

As shown in fig. 8, the shortest distance D1 between the plate surface of the intermediate portion 63 and the first housing portion 22 in the second direction Y is smaller than the shortest distance D2 between the plate surface of the buffer spring portion 64 and the second housing portion 17 in the second direction Y. Further, the plate thickness W1 of each probe pin 60 is set to be 1/2 or less (preferably 1/3 or less) of the shortest distance W2 between the plate surfaces of the adjacent probe pins 60. Although not shown, the shortest distance between the plate surface of the second contact spring portion 62 and the third accommodating portion 18 in the second direction Y is substantially the same as the shortest distance D1 between the plate surface of the intermediate portion 63 and the first accommodating portion 22 in the second direction Y.

The connector 1 includes: a connector housing 10 having an opening surface 13 provided with an opening 14; a first terminal connecting portion 20 which is disposed at a reference position P in the opening portion 14 with a gap 15 provided between the first terminal connecting portion and an edge portion of the opening portion 14, and which is supported by the connector housing 10 in a state of being swingable on the opening surface 13; and a biasing portion 30 that biases the first terminal connecting portion 20 toward the reference position P. With such a configuration, even when the inspection object 200 is connected from a direction intersecting the connection direction of the first terminal connecting portion 20 (i.e., the first direction X), the first terminal connecting portion 20 can be returned to the reference position P by the biasing force of the biasing portion 30 after the first terminal connecting portion 20 is temporarily displaced from the reference position P against the biasing force of the biasing portion 30. Therefore, the first terminal connecting portion 20 can be self-aligned with respect to the inspection object 200, and therefore, the connector 1 can be connected without damaging the connection object such as the inspection object 200.

The first terminal connecting portion 20 has a conductive shell portion 25 covering the outer surface thereof, and the conductive shell portion 25 is provided with a ground terminal 26 disposed inside the connector housing 10. The loss of the signal flowing through the high-frequency region of the connector can be reduced by the housing portion 25.

Further, a substrate 40 electrically connected to the first terminal connecting portion 20 is provided inside the connector housing 10, and the ground terminal 26 is configured to be contactable with a connection terminal 41 of the substrate 40 in an elastically deformed state. With such a configuration, the contact pressure of the ground terminal 26 with respect to the connection terminal 41 of the substrate 40 can be increased, and the contact reliability between the ground terminal 26 and the connection terminal 41 can be improved.

The biasing portion 30 is formed of a plurality of biasing members (e.g., coil springs 31), and the plurality of biasing members are arranged symmetrically with respect to a virtual straight line L1 orthogonal to the first direction X. With this configuration, the variation in the biasing force with respect to the first terminal connecting portion 20 can be reduced, and the first terminal connecting portion 20 can be more reliably swung as designed. As a result, the first terminal connecting portion 20 can be more reliably self-aligned with respect to the connection object such as the inspection object 200.

In addition, the first terminal connecting portion 20 includes: a plate-shaped probe pin 60; the probe pin 60 includes a first contact spring portion 61 and a second contact spring portion 61, and an intermediate portion 63 and a buffer spring portion 64 which are arranged in series between the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 in the first direction X. The first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 are configured to be elastically deformable in the third direction Z with respect to the intermediate portion 63, both end portions of the intermediate portion 63 in the first direction X are connected to the first contact spring portion 61 and the buffer spring portion 64, respectively, both end portions of the buffer spring portion 64 in the first direction X are connected to the intermediate portion 63 and the second contact spring portion 62, respectively, and are elastically deformable in the second direction Y with respect to the intermediate portion 63. The second contact spring portion 62 and the buffer spring portion 64 are located outside the connector housing 21 and inside the connector housing 10, and the connector housing 10 is provided with a second housing portion 17, and the second housing portion 17 can extend in the first direction X and house the buffer spring portion 64. The shortest distance D1 between the plate surface of the intermediate portion 63 in the second direction Y and the first housing portion 22 is smaller than the shortest distance D2 between the plate surface of the damper spring portion 64 in the second direction Y and the second housing portion 17. With such a configuration, even if the inspection object 200 is connected to the first terminal connecting portion 20 from a direction intersecting the contact direction (i.e., the first direction X), and a stress in a direction intersecting a predetermined contact direction (e.g., the second direction Y) is applied to the probe pin 60, the stress is dispersed by the buffer spring portion 64, and damage to the probe pin 60 is reduced. That is, even when a connection object such as the inspection object 200 is connected to the first terminal connection portion 20 from a direction intersecting the contact direction, the probe pin 60 which is less likely to be damaged can be realized.

The connection housing 21 has a confirmation window 24 through which the first contact spring portion 61 can be confirmed from the outside of the connection housing 21, and the confirmation window 24 communicates with the first housing portion 22 and the outside of the connection housing 21. The confirmation window 24 allows the user to easily confirm the received state of the first contact spring portion 61 of the probe pin 60 received in the first receiving portion 22.

The first terminal connecting portion 20 includes a plurality of probe pins 60 and a plurality of first receiving portions 22 arranged at intervals in the second direction Y and receiving the probe pins 60, respectively, and the plate thickness W1 of each probe pin 60 is equal to or less than 1/2 of the shortest distance W2 between the plate surfaces of the adjacent probe pins 60. With this configuration, the insulation of each probe pin 60 can be ensured.

The probe pin 60 further includes positioning

portions

631 and 641, and the

positioning portions

631 and 641 are provided between the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 and specify the position in the first direction X with respect to the first terminal connecting portion 20 when the probe pin is stored in the first storage portion 22. The positioning

portions

631 and 641 reduce the falling of the probe pin 60 from the first housing portion 22.

The positioning part has: a first positioning portion 631 provided on one side of the third direction Z of the intermediate portion 63 and restricting movement to one side of the first direction X (for example, to the direction of the second contact spring portion 62); and a second positioning portion 641 which is provided on the other side of the buffer spring portion 64 in the third direction Z and restricts movement to the other side in the first direction X (for example, to the direction of the first contact spring portion 61). With this configuration, the probe pin 60 can be further prevented from falling off from the first housing section 22.

In the connector 1, the connector housing 10 is constituted by the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 12 laminated in the third direction Z, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in fig. 9, it may be constituted by a left case 71 and a right case 72 which are laminated in the second direction Y. In this case, as shown in fig. 10, the four coil springs 31 of the biasing portion 30 may be arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line L2 of the first terminal connecting portion 20 in the second direction Y when viewed from the first direction X (i.e., the paper surface penetrating direction in fig. 10).

The shortest distance D1 between the plate surface of the intermediate portion 63 of the probe pin 60 housed in the first housing portion 22 and the first housing portion 22 is smaller than the shortest distance D2 between the plate surface of the buffer spring portion 64 of the probe pin 60 and the second housing portion 17, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the shortest distance D1 and the shortest distance D2 may be set to be the same.

The outer shell 25 is not limited to a case of being configured to cover a part of the connection housing 21, and may be configured to cover the entire connection housing 21 as shown in fig. 9, or may be omitted when it is not necessary to consider signal loss in a high frequency region.

The ground terminal 26 is not limited to the configuration of contacting the connection terminal 41 of the substrate 40 in the elastically deformed state, and may be configured of contacting the connection terminal 41 of the substrate 40 in the non-elastically deformed state. In this case, for example, the ground terminal 26 may be connected to the connection terminal 41 of the substrate 40 by soldering or the like to improve contact reliability.

The biasing portion 30 is not limited to the case of being constituted by 4 coil springs 31, and may be constituted by 1 to 3 coil springs 31, or may be constituted by 5 or more coil springs 31, for example. The biasing unit 30 is not limited to the case where the plurality of coil springs 31 are disposed above and below the third direction Z, and the plurality of coil springs 31 may be disposed above and below the third direction Z and on one or both of the right and left sides of the second direction Y.

The biasing member is not limited to the coil spring 31, and may be formed of a plate spring 32, for example, as shown in fig. 12. In fig. 12, two leaf springs 32 are disposed respectively above and below the third direction Z (only 3 leaf springs 32 are shown in fig. 12), and 2 leaf springs 32 are disposed respectively on both the left and right sides in the second direction Y.

The structure of the terminal connecting portion can be appropriately changed according to the design of the connector 1 and the like.

For example, the probe pin of the first terminal connecting portion 20 is not limited to the probe pin 60 described above, and a probe pin having another configuration may be used. For example, as the probe pin of the first terminal connecting portion 20, a probe pin formed by a method other than electroforming may be used, or a probe pin not provided with the

positioning portions

631 and 641 may be used.

The connection housing 21 is not limited to the case where there are a plurality of pairs of first housing portions 22 arranged at intervals in the second direction Y, and for example, as shown in fig. 13, a plurality of first housing portions 22 may be provided only on one side of the third direction Z with respect to the center line L1 (on the side of the upper housing 11 with respect to the center line L1 in the third direction Z in fig. 13). In this case, the ground terminal 26 of the housing portion 25 may be provided only on one side of the center line L1 in the third direction Z.

As shown in fig. 5, the tip portions of the first contact spring portions 61 and the second contact spring portions 62 of the plurality of probe pins 60 of the first terminal connecting portion 20 are aligned in a straight line along the second direction Y (only the second contact spring portions 62 are shown in fig. 5), but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the plurality of probe pins 60 may be arranged in a zigzag manner in which the tip portions of the first contact spring portions 61 and the second contact spring portions 62 are alternately offset from the first direction X.

As shown in fig. 16, the confirmation window 24 may be omitted.

The plate thickness W1 of each probe pin 60 is not limited to the case where the shortest distance W2 between the plate surfaces of the adjacent probe pins 60 is 1/2 or less (preferably 1/3 or less), and the plate thickness W1 of each probe pin 60 may be larger than 1/2 of the shortest distance W2 between the plate surfaces of the adjacent probe pins 60.

The probe pin 60 includes: the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62, and the intermediate portion 63 and the buffer spring portion 64 that are arranged in series between the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 may have any configuration as long as the buffer spring portion 64 is elastically deformable in the second direction Y with respect to the intermediate portion 63, and the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 are elastically deformable in the third direction Z with respect to the intermediate portion 63.

For example, as shown in fig. 17, the first contact spring portion 61 may be constituted by 1 elastic piece, and the second contact spring portion 62 may be constituted by a plurality of elastic pieces. In the probe pin 60 of fig. 17, the second contact spring portion 62 is composed of two

elastic pieces

621 and 622 arranged with a gap 67 therebetween.

In addition, as shown in fig. 18, each of the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 may be constituted by a plurality of elastic pieces. In the probe pin 60 of fig. 18, the first contact spring portion 61 is constituted by 3

elastic pieces

611, 612, and 613 arranged with a gap 65 therebetween, and the second contact spring portion 62 is constituted by 3

elastic pieces

621, 622, and 623 arranged with a gap 67 therebetween.

The buffer spring portion 64 is not limited to the frame shape, and any structure may be adopted as long as it can be elastically deformed in the second direction Y with respect to the intermediate portion 63. For example, as shown in fig. 19, the buffer spring portion 64 may be configured by a first connection portion 643 connected to the intermediate portion 63, a second connection portion 644 connected to the second contact spring portion 62, and a third connection portion 645 having a wave shape or a meandering shape connected to the first connection portion 643 and the second connection portion 644 and extending in the first direction X. As shown in fig. 20, the third connection portion 645 may be a rod shape extending in the first direction X.

As shown in fig. 21 and 22, the damper spring portion 64 may have a rib 647 that defines a through hole 646 penetrating the damper spring portion 64 in the second direction Y. In the probe 60 of fig. 21, 1 rib 647 that divides the through hole 646 into two in the third direction Z is provided. In the probe 60 of fig. 22, 2 ribs 647 that divide the through hole 646 into 3 in the first direction X are provided.

As shown in fig. 23, the projection 642 of the damper spring portion 64 may be omitted. As shown in fig. 24, press-fitting projections 648 may be provided on both sides of the projection 642 in the third direction Z. The projections 648 project in the first direction X from the intermediate portion 63 toward the second contact spring portion 62 and in the third direction Z in a direction away from each other.

As shown in fig. 25, a protruding portion 649 may be provided at the end portion of the buffer spring portion 64 on the second contact spring portion 62 side in the first direction X. The protruding portion 649 is disposed at one end in the third direction Z of the side surface of the second contact spring portion 62 that connects the buffer spring portions 64 in the first direction X. The protruding portion 649 is configured such that the tip thereof can contact the inner surface of the connector housing 10 in a state of being housed in the connector housing 10. In addition, the second contact spring portion 62 is connected to the other end of the side surface of the buffer spring portion 64 provided with the protruding portion 649 in the third direction Z. In the probe 60 of fig. 25, the two

elastic pieces

611 and 612 are integrated at the tip 614 of the first contact spring portion 61, which is apart from the intermediate portion 63 in the first direction X.

As shown in fig. 26 and 27, in the probe 60 of fig. 25, the contact portion 66 of the first contact spring portion 61 is configured to be elastically deformed in a direction in which an area in contact with the inspection object 200 expands in addition to the third direction Z in a state in which a force in the third direction Z is applied by the inspection object 200 connected to the connector 1, and the gap 65 is narrowed. In addition, in a state where the contact point portion 68 of the second contact spring portion 62 is urged in the third direction Z by the substrate 40, the contact point portion is elastically deformed in a direction in which an area in contact with the substrate 40 is expanded in addition to the third direction Z, and the gap 67 is narrowed.

Each of the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 is not limited to the case of having a wave shape or a meandering shape that curves at two positions in the first direction X, and may be, for example, a substantially L-shape or a substantially J-shape that curves at one position in the first direction X.

(second embodiment)

As shown in fig. 28, a probe 60 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is different from the probe 60 according to the first embodiment in that a buffer spring portion 64 is not provided. In the second embodiment, the same portions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted, and points different from those in the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in fig. 28, in the probe 60 of the second embodiment, the intermediate portion 63 is composed of an intermediate portion main body 163 and an auxiliary intermediate portion 164. The intermediate body 163 has the same shape and structure as the intermediate portion 63 of the probe 60 in fig. 7. The auxiliary intermediate portion 164 has the same shape and structure as the buffer spring portion 64 of the probe 60 in fig. 7, except that the through hole 646 is not provided. That is, the auxiliary intermediate portion 164 is configured to have higher rigidity than the damper spring portion 64 and not to be elastically deformed in the second direction Y with respect to the intermediate portion main body 163 as compared with the damper spring portion 64.

As shown in fig. 29 and 30, the probe 60 of fig. 28 is configured to be elastically deformed in a direction in which an area in contact with the inspection object 200 expands in addition to the third direction Z, and to narrow the gap 65, in a state in which the contact point portion 66 of the first contact spring portion 61 is urged in the third direction Z by the inspection object 200 connected to the connector 1, similarly to the probe 60 of fig. 7.

The probe pin 60 according to the second embodiment is also configured to be disposed on the connector 1 in a state where the first contact spring portion 61 can contact the inspection object 200, similarly to the probe pin 60 according to the first embodiment (see fig. 3). In this way, the probe pin 60 is disposed on the connector 1 in a state where the first contact spring portion 61 can contact the inspection object 200, and conduction inspection, operation characteristic inspection, or the like is performed. In such an inspection, the connection and disconnection of the inspection object 200 to the connector 1 are repeated at a higher frequency than the inspection apparatus 100 and the board 40 electrically connected to the second terminal connection portion 50 connectable to the inspection apparatus 100 (that is, the inspection apparatus 100 and the board 40 are an example of the first connection object, and the inspection object 200 is an example of the second connection object).

However, in general, the probe pin for inspection frequently repeats connection and disconnection with respect to the object to be connected, and therefore, durability is required. In order to ensure durability, when the probe pin is formed of a material having high hardness, such as a nickel alloy or a titanium alloy, the object to be connected may be damaged. On the other hand, if the probe pin is made of a material having low hardness such as beryllium steel or phosphor bronze, the probe pin does not have sufficient durability, and the contact portion may be deteriorated due to wear caused by sliding caused by repetition of connection and disconnection with respect to the object to be connected.

According to the probe pin 60 of the second embodiment, the first contact spring portion 61 is elastically deformed more smoothly, and the durability of the first contact spring portion 61 is improved, and the damage of the connection object due to the contact of the first contact spring portion 61 can be more reliably reduced. That is, the life of the connector 1 in which the probe pins 60 are arranged can be extended.

Further, by forming the probe pin 60 of a material having a high hardness such as a nickel alloy or a titanium alloy and reducing the thickness of the first contact spring portion 61, the contact portion 66 that is in contact with the inspection object 200 is displaced more flexibly, and the first contact spring portion 61 is elastically deformed more smoothly. Further, by connecting the front ends of the

elastic pieces

611 and 612 of the first contact spring portion 61 to each other and surrounding the gap 65 with the

elastic pieces

611 and 612 and the intermediate portion 63, the strength of the first contact spring portion 61 can be increased, and the durability of the first contact spring portion 61 can be further improved. Further, since the first contact spring portion 61 is formed of the plurality of

elastic pieces

611 and 612, a plurality of electrical paths are formed from the contact portion with the inspection object 200 to the intermediate portion 63, and the electrical resistance of the probe pin 60 can be reduced.

In the probe pin 60 shown in fig. 28, the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 each extend along the first direction X, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the second contact spring portion 62 may be configured to extend in the second direction Y. In addition, the second contact spring portion 62 may be configured to be elastically deformed in a direction in which the extending direction thereof intersects the second direction Y.

As shown in fig. 31, in the probe pin 60 of fig. 28, the second contact spring portion 62 may be formed of a plurality of elastic pieces. In the probe pin 60 of fig. 31, the second contact spring portion 62 is composed of two

elastic pieces

621, 622.

As shown in fig. 32 and 33, the probe pin 60 of fig. 31 is also configured to be elastically deformed in a direction in which an area in contact with the inspection object 200 expands in addition to the third direction Z in a state in which the contact point portion 66 of the first contact spring portion 61 is urged in the third direction Z by the inspection object 200 connected to the connector 1, and the gap 65 is narrowed, similarly to the probe pin 60 of fig. 25. In addition, the contact point portion 68 of the second contact spring portion 62 is configured to elastically deform in a direction in which an area in contact with the substrate 40 expands in addition to the third direction, and the gap 67 is narrowed, in a state in which a force in the third direction Z is applied by the substrate 40.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the following description, reference signs are attached to the description as an example.

A probe pin 60 according to a first aspect of the present invention is a probe pin 60 that can be disposed in a connector 1 connectable to connection objects 100 and 200, and includes:

a first contact spring portion 61 and a second contact spring portion 62;

an intermediate portion 63 and a buffer spring portion 64 arranged in series between the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62,

both ends of the intermediate portion 63 in a first direction, which is an arrangement direction of the first contact spring portion 61, the intermediate portion 63, the buffer spring portion 64, and the second contact spring portion 62 with respect to the intermediate portion 63, are connected to the first contact spring portion 61 and the buffer spring portion 64, respectively,

the buffer spring portions 64 are configured to be connected to the intermediate portion 63 and the second contact spring portions 62 at both ends in the first direction X, respectively, and to be elastically deformable in a second direction Y intersecting the first direction X,

the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 are configured to be elastically deformable in a third direction Z intersecting the first direction X and the second direction Y with respect to the intermediate portion 63.

According to the probe pin 60 of the first aspect, even if stress in a direction intersecting the predetermined contact direction is applied, the stress can be dispersed by the buffer spring portion 64, and damage to the probe pin 60 can be reduced. As a result, the probe pin 60 which is less likely to be damaged can be realized.

The probe pin 60 according to the second aspect of the present invention further includes positioning

portions

631 and 641, and the

positioning portions

631 and 641 are provided between the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 and determine the position X in the first direction with respect to the housing 10 when the probe pin is housed in the housing 10 of the connector 1.

According to the probe pin 60 of the second aspect, the probe pin 60 can be prevented from falling off from the first housing portion 22 by the positioning

portions

631 and 641.

In the probe pin 60 of the third aspect of the present invention,

the positioning part has:

a first positioning portion 631 provided on one side of the third direction Z of the intermediate portion 63 and restricting movement to one side of the first direction X;

and a second positioning part 641 which is provided on the other side of the damper spring part 64 in the third direction Z and restricts movement to the other side in the first direction X.

According to the probe pin 60 of the third aspect, the probe pin 60 can be further reduced from coming off the first housing portion 22.

In the probe pin 60 of the fourth aspect of the present invention,

at least one of the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62 is formed of a plurality of

elastic pieces

611 and 612 arranged with a gap 65 therebetween.

In the probe pin 60 of the fifth aspect of the present invention,

the first contact spring portion 61 is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction in which an area in contact with the connection object 200 expands even in a state in which a force in the third direction Z is applied by contact with the connection object 200 to be connected.

In the probe pin 60 of the sixth aspect of the present invention,

the first contact spring portion 61 is configured such that the gap 65 between adjacent ones of the plurality of

elastic pieces

611 and 612 is narrowed in a state where the force in the third direction Z is applied by the contact with the connected object 200.

According to the probe pin 60 of the fourth to sixth aspects, the first contact spring portion 61 can be more smoothly elastically deformed, the durability of the first contact spring portion 61 can be improved, and the damage of the connection object due to the contact of the first contact spring portion 61 can be more reliably reduced.

A probe pin 60 according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is a probe pin 60 that can be disposed in a connector 1 connectable to an

object

100, 200, and includes:

a plate-shaped first contact spring portion 61 extending in the first direction X;

a plate-shaped second contact spring portion 62;

an intermediate portion 63 disposed between the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62,

the first contact spring portion 61 is elastically deformable in a third direction Z intersecting the first direction X and a second direction Y which is a plate thickness direction of each of the first contact spring portion 61 and the second contact spring portion 62, and is composed of a plurality of

elastic pieces

611 and 612 arranged with a gap 65 therebetween,

the second contact spring portion 62 is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction Z intersecting the extending direction of the second contact spring portion and the second direction,

ends of the plurality of

elastic pieces

611, 612 in the first direction, which are away from the intermediate portion, are connected to each other.

According to the probe pin 60 of the seventh aspect, the first contact spring portion 61 can be elastically deformed more smoothly, and damage to the connection object due to contact of the first contact spring portion 61 can be reduced more reliably while improving durability of the first contact spring portion 61.

In the probe pin 60 of the eighth aspect of the present invention,

the

objects

100 and 200 include a first object 100 and a second object 200, which has a higher repetition frequency of connection and disconnection with respect to the connector 1 than the first object 100,

the probe pin 60 can be arranged in the connector 1 in a state where the first contact spring portion 61 can contact the second connection object 200.

According to the probe pin 60 of the eighth aspect, the first contact spring portion 61 is configured to be able to contact the second connection object 200, and the second connection object 200 is connected and disconnected more frequently with respect to the connector 1, so that the life of the arranged connector 1 can be extended.

In the probe pin 60 of the ninth aspect of the present invention,

elastic pieces

611 and 612 is narrowed in a state where the force in the third direction Z is applied by the contact of the connected object 200.

In the probe pin 60 of the tenth aspect of the present invention,

the first contact spring portion 61 is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction in which an area in contact with the connection object 200 expands, in a state in which a force in the third direction Z is applied by contact with the connection object 200 to be connected.

According to the probe pin 60 of the ninth and tenth aspects, the first contact spring portion 61 can be elastically deformed more smoothly, and damage to the connection object due to contact of the first contact spring portion 61 can be reduced more reliably while improving durability of the first contact spring portion 61.

An inspection method according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is an inspection method using a probe pin 60 that is a probe pin 60 that can be arranged on a connector 1 connectable to a

connection object

100, 200, the method including:

a plate-shaped second contact spring portion 62;

elastic pieces

611 and 612 arranged with a gap 65 therebetween,

the ends of the plurality of

elastic pieces

611, 612 in the first direction, which are away from the intermediate portion 63, are connected to each other, wherein,

the

objects

the probe pin 60 is disposed on the connector 1 in a state where the first contact spring portion 61 can contact the second connection object 200.

According to the inspection method of the eleventh aspect, the probe pin 60 is arranged on the connector 1 so that the first contact spring portion 61 having high durability is brought into contact with the second connection object 200 having a high repetition frequency of connection and disconnection with respect to the connector 1. With such a configuration, the life of the connector 1 can be extended.

In addition, any of the various embodiments and modifications described above can be appropriately combined to exhibit the respective effects. In addition, combinations between the embodiments or examples or combinations of the embodiments and examples may be made, and combinations between features in different embodiments or examples may also be made.

While the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the art. Such variations and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the invention as claimed.

Industrial applicability

The probe pin of the present invention can be applied to a connector used for inspection of a USB device or an HDMI device, for example.

Description of the symbols

1: connector with a locking member

10: connector housing

11: upper shell

111: concave part

12: lower casing

121: concave part

13: open face

14: opening part

15: gap

16: coil spring housing

17: second receiving part

18: third containing part

20: first terminal connecting part

201: first end part

202: second end portion

21: connecting shell

211: support part

212: concave part

213: end part

214. 215: concave part

22: the first accommodating part

23: concave part

24: window for confirmation

25: outer shell part

26: grounding terminal

30: force application part

31: spiral spring

32: plate spring

40: substrate

50: second terminal connecting portion

60: probe pin

61: first contact spring part

611. 612, 613: elastic sheet

614: front end

62: second contact spring part

621. 622, 623: elastic sheet

63: intermediate section

163: intermediate body

164: auxiliary intermediate part

631: a first positioning part

64: buffer spring part

641: second positioning part

642: protrusion part

643: first connecting part

644: second connecting part

645: third connecting part

646: through hole

647: ribs

648: protrusion

649: projection part

65. 67: gap

66. 68: contact part

71: left shell

72: right casing

100: inspection apparatus

200: examination object

L1, L2: center line

P: reference position

X: a first direction

Y: second direction

Z: third direction

D1, D2: shortest distance

W1: thickness of board

W2: shortest distance

Claims

1. A probe pin which can be disposed in a connector connectable to an object to be connected, the probe pin comprising:

a first contact spring portion and a second contact spring portion;

both ends of the intermediate portion in a first direction are connected to the first contact spring portion and the buffer spring portion, respectively, the first direction being an arrangement direction of the first contact spring portion, the intermediate portion, the buffer spring portion, and the second contact spring portion with respect to the intermediate portion,

2. The probe pin of claim 1,

the connector further includes a positioning portion that is provided between the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion and that determines a position in the first direction with respect to the housing when housed in the housing of the connector.

3. The probe pin of claim 2,

the positioning part has:

a first positioning portion provided on one side of the intermediate portion in the third direction and configured to restrict movement to one side of the first direction;

and a second positioning portion provided on the other side of the buffer spring portion in the third direction and configured to restrict movement to the other side of the first direction.

4. The probe pin according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

at least one of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion is formed of a plurality of elastic pieces arranged with a gap therebetween.

5. The probe pin of claim 4,

the first contact spring portion is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction in which an area in contact with the connection object expands in a state in which the third direction force is applied by contact with the connection object to be connected.

6. The probe pin according to claim 4 or 5,

the first contact spring portion is configured to narrow the gap between adjacent ones of the plurality of elastic pieces in a state where the third direction force is applied by contact with the connected object.

7. A probe pin which can be disposed in a connector connectable to an object to be connected, the probe pin comprising:

a plate-shaped first contact spring portion extending in a first direction;

a plate-shaped second contact spring portion;

an intermediate portion disposed between the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion,

the first contact spring portion is elastically deformable in a third direction intersecting the first direction and a second direction that is a plate thickness direction of each of the first contact spring portion and the second contact spring portion, and is composed of a plurality of elastic pieces arranged with a gap therebetween,

the second contact spring portion is configured to be elastically deformable in a direction intersecting with the second direction and an extending direction of the second contact spring portion,

end portions of the plurality of elastic pieces in the first direction, which are distant from the intermediate portion, are connected to each other.

8. The probe pin of claim 7,

the connection object includes a first connection object and a second connection object, the second connection object has a higher repetition frequency of connection and disconnection with respect to the connector than the first connection object,

the probe pin may be disposed on the connector in a state where the first contact spring portion is contactable with the second connection object.

9. The probe pin according to claim 7 or 8,

10. The probe pin according to any one of claims 7 to 9,

11. An inspection method using a probe pin that is provided in a connector connectable to an object to be connected, the method comprising:

a plate-shaped first contact spring portion extending in a first direction;

a plate-shaped second contact spring portion;

end portions of the respective plurality of elastic pieces in the first direction, which are distant from the intermediate portion, are connected to each other,

the probe pin is disposed on the connector in a state where the first contact spring portion is contactable with the second connection object.