EP1965469A2 - Electrical connector - Google Patents
Electrical connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1965469A2 EP1965469A2 EP08250645A EP08250645A EP1965469A2 EP 1965469 A2 EP1965469 A2 EP 1965469A2 EP 08250645 A EP08250645 A EP 08250645A EP 08250645 A EP08250645 A EP 08250645A EP 1965469 A2 EP1965469 A2 EP 1965469A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- battery
- connector
- contacts
- portions
- connection face
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/02—Contact members
- H01R13/22—Contacts for co-operating by abutting
- H01R13/24—Contacts for co-operating by abutting resilient; resiliently-mounted
- H01R13/2442—Contacts for co-operating by abutting resilient; resiliently-mounted with a single cantilevered beam
Definitions
- the present invention relates to electrical connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to electrical connectors which include contacts that are installed in a connector housing and protrude therefrom, which is electrically connectable to a counterpart unit through press-connection of such contacts to conductive parts provided in the counterpart unit, and which can for instance be applied as a battery connector used in portable electronic equipment.
- battery connectors used in portable electronic equipment are composed of a connector housing and contacts that protrude from the connection face thereof and possess bias force.
- the contacts are displaced, against their bias force, and a connected state is maintained by means of the contacting force generated by the bias force.
- Fig. 6 is an exterior perspective view illustrating an example of a battery connector of the related art that has long been in use.
- Fig. 7 gives cross-sectional views of the battery connector in Fig. 6 , Fig. 7A being a cross-sectional view illustrating the unconnected state, and Fig. 7B being a cross-sectional view illustrating the connected state.
- the connector 600 is composed of a connector housing 610 and contacts 620.
- the front face 614 of the connector housing 610 which is the connection face, there are provided multiple openings 617 that are separated by multiple partitioning walls 618.
- the interior of the connector housing 610 is partitioned by the partitioning walls 618 into separate contact housing spaces that house the contacts 620.
- Fig. 7 gives cross-sectional views of the battery connector in Fig. 6 , Fig. 7A being a cross-sectional view illustrating the unconnected state, and Fig. 7B being a cross-sectional view illustrating the connected state.
- the connector 600 is composed of
- the contacts 620 are constituted of a piece of conductive metallic sheet material and composed of a fixing portion 621 that is fixed to the connector housing 610, a resilient portion 622 that is endued with bias force by being bent into an approximate S-shape, a contacting portion 623 that has a curved contacting part, and a latching portion 624 that is bent into a hook shape and is provided at the opposite end of the contact 620 to the end where the fixing portion 621 is provided.
- the contacting portions 623 protrude forward from the front face 614 of the connector housing 610.
- the upper portions of the connector housing 610's partitioning walls 618 widen out, rendering the upper portions of the openings 617 narrow, and such narrowed portions latch with the latching portions 624, thereby regulating the amount by which the contacting portions 623 protrude from the front face 614.
- the pressing force brings the electrodes 650 disposed at the innermost part of the hollows 647 provided in the connection face 645 of the battery 640 into contact with the contacting portions 623 of the contacts 620, and the shape of the contacts 620 is changed at the resilient portions 622, against the bias force, so that the contacting portions 623 are displaced toward the connector housing 610 (see Fig. 7B ).
- the connector disclosed in JP-A-2005-129374 which can be rendered compact and effects good contacting, has contacts possessing a retained portion, a contacting portion, and an elastic deformation portion, with the elastic deformation portion forming, between the retaining portion and contacting portion, an approximate S-shape composed of a first curved portion, a connecting portion and a second curve portion that are joined together in the order given, and with a displacement regulating protrusion being formed on the connecting portion.
- displacement regulating engagement slots are provided that engage with the displacement regulating protrusions.
- the displacement of the contacts' elastic deformation portions is regulated by the engagement action of the displacement regulating protrusions and displacement regulating engagement slots.
- the displacement amount of the second curved portions is restricted, which enables compactness, and moreover, the displacement amount of the contacting portions can be rendered large.
- Fig. 8 similarly to Fig. 7 , gives cross-sectional views of battery connectors of the related art, Fig. 8A being a cross-sectional view illustrating the state prior to connection to a battery with electrodes located in a deep position, Fig. 8B being a cross-sectional view illustrating the state where, to obtain an adequate stroke amount, the battery connector in Fig. 8A is forcibly connected to the battery in such a manner as to interfere therewith, and Fig. 8C being a cross-sectional view illustrating a battery connector in which, to obtain an adequate stroke amount, the amount by which the contacting portions protrude from the connector housing is increased.
- the electrodes 650 of the battery 640 are relatively proximate to the front face of the connector, adequate bias force and contacting force is obtained and hence a good state of conduction is assured.
- the position in which the electrodes are formed varies widely with the battery used, and if the battery connectors of the related art described above are connected to a battery with electrodes in a position distanced from the battery's connection face, or in other words, to a battery in which the hollows where the electrodes are formed are relatively deep-set (see Fig. 8A ), the contacting portions' stroke amount will be inadequate and they will not be able to contact with the battery's electrodes with adequate bias force, which will result in poor contacting or other fault.
- An advantage of some aspects of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that has contacts that have an adequate stroke displacement amount, and are able to contact with adequate contacting force, even in cases where the conductive members of the counterpart unit - such as the electrodes of a battery - are located in a deep position.
- Another advantage is to provide an electrical connector whose contacts exhibit adequate strength with regard to external forces.
- an electrical connector that is connected to a counterpart unit having hollows formed to a certain depth in a face of the casing thereof and provided with conductive members at the innermost part of such hollows
- the electrical connector includes: a connector housing having contact retaining portions and a connection face that contacts with the counterpart unit; and contacts constituted of a conductive plate-form body and having: a fixing portion that is fixed to the connector housing by one of the contact retaining portions; a contacting portion that projects from the connection face and contacts with one of the conductive members; a resilient portion that is located between the fixing portion and the contacting portion and that biases the contacting portion so as to protrude from the connection face; and a latching portion that regulates the amount by which the contacting portion protrudes from the connection face.
- Such electrical connector has the innovative feature that in the connection face of the connector housing there are provided contact support portions which protrude a certain distance from the connection face and onto the contact support portions the latching portions latch.
- connection face of the connector housing being provided with contact support portions that project a certain distance therefrom and latch with the latching portions, the position at which the latching portions latch is shifted further forward than in the related art, thereby enabling the contacting portions to be disposed further forward relative to the connection face, virtually without changing the length of the metallic material.
- the fact that the contact support portions protrude from the connection face means that the contacting portions can be protected from external forces.
- the amount by which the contacts protrude from the connection face of the connector housing is increased without increasing the portion of the contacts that is not shielded by the connector housing.
- the contacts can be connected to the conductive members (electrodes) of the battery or other counterpart unit with an adequate stroke amount even in cases where the counterpart unit's hollows are formed to be relatively deep-set.
- reliable connection is enabled.
- a part of the portion of the contacts that is not shielded by the connector housing is protected by the contact support portions, with the result that deformation, degradation or damage of the contacts by external forces when the device is not in use can be prevented.
- connection face of the connector housing preferably there will be openings formed in the connection face of the connector housing, and the contact support portions will be so formed as to protrude from the vicinity of such openings.
- openings are formed in the connection face of the connector housing, and the contact support portions are formed so as to protrude from the vicinity of such openings.
- the contact support portions will preferably be so shaped as to be inserted into the hollows in the counterpart unit upon connection to the counterpart unit.
- the contact support portions are formed in shapes corresponding to the shape of the counterpart unit, and therefore, upon connection, the contact support portions will be received into the corresponding hollows in the counterpart unit, and even if counterpart unit's conductive members are located in a deep position in the hollows, the contacts will contact against the conducting members with an adequate stroke, so that connection will be reliably effected.
- the counterpart unit will be a secondary battery and the electrical connector will be a battery connector.
- Fig. 1 is an exterior perspective view of the battery connector of the embodiment
- Fig. 2 gives other views of the battery connector in Fig. 1
- Fig. 2A being a plan view
- Fig. 2B a front view
- Fig. 2C a bottom view
- Fig. 2D a left side view
- Fig. 2E a right side view thereof
- Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III - III in Fig. 2 .
- a battery connector 1 of this embodiment is composed of a connector housing 10 and multiple contacts 20 installed inside the connector housing 10. In the example used here, five identically shaped contacts are installed in the connector housing 10.
- the connector housing 10 takes the form of a rectangular solid composed of a top face 11, left and right faces 12, 13, a front face 14, a rear face 15 and a bottom face 16. In the interior thereof is formed a contact housing space 101 for housing the contacts 20 (see Fig. 3 ).
- the front face 14 of the connector housing 10 constitutes a connection face for connection with a battery 40 which is the counterpart unit.
- openings 17a to 17e that communicate with the contact housing space 101 in the interior of the connector housing 10.
- the openings 17a to 17e are separated by partitioning walls 18a to 18d provided therebetween. These partitioning walls 18a to 18d connect the front face 14 and rear face 15 inside the connector housing 10, and form the contact housing space 101 into separate spaces. These separate contact housing spaces 101 each house a contact 20.
- contact support portions 19a 1 , 19a 2 to 19e 1 , 19e 2 are provided so as to protrude forward from the front face 14.
- These contact support portions 19 are formed in left-right symmetrical pairs at the two sides of each opening 17a to 17e.
- the contact support portions 19a 1 and 19a 2 are provided at the two sides of the opening 17a, and likewise the contact support portion pairs 19bi and 19b 2 to 19e 1 and 19e 2 are provided at the two sides of the openings 17b to 17e respectively.
- the sides of the contact support portions 19 formed on both sides of the openings 17a to 17a widen out in the direction of the opening 17a to 17e to which each is proximate, and the latching portions 24 of the contacts 20 latch onto such widened portions.
- a distance W 10 from the right edge to the left edge of each pair of contact support portions 19 provided at an opening 17 is made slightly smaller than a width W 40 of hollows 47 provided in a connection face 45 of the battery 40 to be described hereafter.
- the contact support portions 19 have a contour P 10 which is shaped so as to be received onto an inner surface P 40 of the hollows 47 in the battery 40. It should be noted that although in the foregoing the contact support portions 19 are described as being formed at both sides of the openings 17a to 17e, they could alternatively be provided at only one side thereof.
- latching means On the inside surface of the rear face 15 of the connector housing 10 there are provided latching means, not shown in the drawings, which are able to retain retained portions 21b of fixing portions 21 of the contacts 20 to be described hereafter.
- the contacts 20 are composed of the fixing portion 21, a resilient portion 22, a contacting portion 23 and the latching portion 24.
- the fixing portion 21 of the contacts 20 has at its rear end a contact tail 21a that extends horizontally and is both physically and electrically connected to a printed wiring board (not shown in the drawings) on which the bottom face 16 of the connector housing 10 is placed, and has also the retained portion 21b that is bent vertically upward from the contact tail 21a and extends upward.
- the retained portion 21b is provided with a latching member or the like attaching structure, not shown in the drawings, which, by latching with the latching means formed on the inside surface of the connector housing 10's rear face 15, fixes the contact 20 to the connector housing 10.
- the resilient portion 22 of the contacts 20 has: a first curved portion 22a that curves in a U-shape from the top extremity of the fixed portion 21; a first connecting portion 22b that extends downward from the first curved portion 22a; a second curved portion 22c that curves in a horizontal and forward direction from the bottom extremity of the first connecting portion 22b; a second connecting portion 22d that extends horizontally forward from the forward extremity of the second curved portion 22c; a third curved portion 22e that curves obliquely upward from the forward extremity of the second connecting portion 22d; and an extension 22f that extends obliquely forward and upward from the forward extremity of the third curved portion 22e.
- the resilient portion 22 forms an approximate S-shape and the contact 20 is able to generate adequate bias force in the forward-backward direction.
- the contacting portion 23 of the contacts 20 takes the form of an approximate U-shape, or of an arc, that starts at the forward extremity of the resilient portion 22's extension 22f and curves rearward, the curved surface thereof constituting a contacting part 23a.
- the contacting portion 23's contacting part 23a and vicinity are narrower than the other parts thereof.
- the latching portion 24 of the contacts 20 is formed by the metallic material beyond the end of the contacting portion 23 being folded back and downward. This latching portion 24 latches onto the contact support portion 19.
- the contacts 20 are inserted into the contact housing spaces 101 through the openings 17 formed in the front face 14 of the connector housing 10, and are fixed to the connector housing 10 by latching of the retained portions 21b of the fixing portions 21 with latching members or the like (not shown in the drawings) that are provided on the inside surface of the connector housing 10's rear wall 15, or in a like location.
- the extension 22f of the contact 20's resilient portion 22 protrudes forward beyond the connector housing 10's front face 14, so that the contacting parts 23a of the contacting portions 23 are located to the front of the connector housing 10 when the device is not in use.
- the latching portions 24 latch onto the contact support portions 19 which are formed protruding from the front face 14. Thereby, deformation and deterioration/damage of the contacts 20 will be prevented if external forces should act on the contacting portions 23 when the device not in use.
- the contacting portions 23 of the contacts 20 protrude further forward from the connector housing 10's front face 14 by the amount that the connector housing 10's contact support portions 19 protrude.
- the portion of the contacts 20 that is not shielded by the connector housing 10 does not differ from that in the related art connectors, and consequently the contacts 20 are not liable to be deformed by external forces.
- the connector housing 10 there are formed recesses into which L-shaped gland terminals 30 are inserted.
- the gland terminals 30 enable gland connection of the connector housing 10, and are also used to fix the connector housing 10 robustly to a printed wiring board (not shown in the drawings).
- the connector housing 10 is described as being provided with five openings 17a to 17e into which five contacts 20 are fitted, but the number of contacts can be altered as appropriate. For instance, three openings could be formed in the connector housing 10, and three contacts 20 fitted thereinto.
- FIG. 4 is an exterior perspective view illustrating the main elements of a battery to which the battery connector of the present embodiment is connected.
- the battery 40 takes the form of a rectangular solid composed of a top face 41, a bottom face 42, side faces 43, 44, the connection face 45 and a rear face 46.
- Multiple hollows 47 are formed in particular positions in the connection face 45.
- Fig. 4 five hollows 47a to 47e are formed, corresponding to the connector 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 .
- an electrode 50 50a to 50e serving as conductive member of the counterpart unit.
- Each hollow 47 has a width W 40 .
- each hollow 47 has a streamlined inner surface P 40 .
- Fig. 5 gives views illustrating connection of the battery connector of the first embodiment to the battery, Fig. 5A being a cross-sectional view of the unconnected state and Fig. 5B being a cross-sectional view of the connected state.
- the contacting parts 23a of the contacting portions 23 of the contacts 20 in the battery connector 1 protrude forward from the front face 14 of the connector housing 10, due to bias force generated by the first, second and third curved portions 22a, 22c and 22e.
- the latching portions 24 of the contacts 20 are latched onto the inside of the contact support portions 19, and the contacts 20 are protected from external forces by the contact support portions 19.
- the hollows 47 in the battery 40 receive the contacting portions 23 of the battery connector 1's contacts 20, and the battery 40 is brought close to the battery connector 1 so that the contacting parts 23a contact against the electrodes 50.
- each pair of contact support portions 19 is smaller than the width W 40 of the hollows 47 in the battery 40, and the contour P 10 of the contact support portions 19 is formed to correspond to the shape of the inner surface P 40 of the hollows 47, the contact support portions 19 fit securely into the hollows 47 in the battery 40.
- each contacting portion 23 of the contacts 20 is protected by a pair of contact support portions 19, so that deformation of the contacts 20 due to external forces during use of the device is prevented. Additionally, since the contact support portions 19 protrude from the front face 14 of the connector housing 10, the contacting portions 23 can be made to protrude further forward by the same amount.
- the contacting portions 23 With such structure that enables the contacting portions 23 to protrude further forward, even if the electrodes 50 provided at the innermost part of the hollows 47 in the battery 40 are located in a position deeper than the connection face 45 of the battery 40, the contacting portions 23 will contact the electrodes 50 with an adequate stroke and there will be a good degree of tight contacting between the electrodes 50 and the contacting parts 23a.
- the contact support portions 19 are formed with a shape corresponding to that of the hollows 47 of the battery 40, upon connection the contact support portions 19 are introduced into the hollows 47. Thereby, the contacting portions 23 are able to obtain a stroke displacement amount adequate to contact the electrodes 50, without the battery 40 interfering with the connector housing 10.
- the battery connector described in the foregoing embodiment of the invention can be applied as a connector that connects batteries used in portable electronic equipment such as mobile telephones. Also, besides such battery connectors, the invention will also be advantageously applied as a connector for connection with a counterpart unit in which the conductive members are disposed in a position deeply recessed from the housing connection face of the counterpart unit.
- Various modifications may be made to the embodiment of the invention herein before described without departing from the scope of the present invention.
- Further aspects and features of the present invention are defined in the appended claims. Further aspects include an electrical connector that is connected to a counterpart unit.
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- Battery Mounting, Suspending (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to electrical connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to electrical connectors which include contacts that are installed in a connector housing and protrude therefrom, which is electrically connectable to a counterpart unit through press-connection of such contacts to conductive parts provided in the counterpart unit, and which can for instance be applied as a battery connector used in portable electronic equipment.
- In the related art, battery connectors used in portable electronic equipment such as mobile telephones are composed of a connector housing and contacts that protrude from the connection face thereof and possess bias force. When a battery's electrodes are pressed against the contacts, the contacts are displaced, against their bias force, and a connected state is maintained by means of the contacting force generated by the bias force.
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Fig. 6 is an exterior perspective view illustrating an example of a battery connector of the related art that has long been in use.Fig. 7 gives cross-sectional views of the battery connector inFig. 6 ,Fig. 7A being a cross-sectional view illustrating the unconnected state, andFig. 7B being a cross-sectional view illustrating the connected state. AsFig. 6 shows, theconnector 600 is composed of aconnector housing 610 andcontacts 620. In thefront face 614 of theconnector housing 610, which is the connection face, there are providedmultiple openings 617 that are separated by multiple partitioningwalls 618. The interior of theconnector housing 610 is partitioned by the partitioningwalls 618 into separate contact housing spaces that house thecontacts 620. AsFig. 7 shows, thecontacts 620 are constituted of a piece of conductive metallic sheet material and composed of afixing portion 621 that is fixed to theconnector housing 610, aresilient portion 622 that is endued with bias force by being bent into an approximate S-shape, a contactingportion 623 that has a curved contacting part, and alatching portion 624 that is bent into a hook shape and is provided at the opposite end of thecontact 620 to the end where thefixing portion 621 is provided. Through theopenings 617, the contactingportions 623 protrude forward from thefront face 614 of theconnector housing 610. The upper portions of theconnector housing 610's partitioningwalls 618 widen out, rendering the upper portions of theopenings 617 narrow, and such narrowed portions latch with thelatching portions 624, thereby regulating the amount by which the contactingportions 623 protrude from thefront face 614. - When a battery (secondary battery) 640 is connected to the
connector 600, the pressing force brings theelectrodes 650 disposed at the innermost part of thehollows 647 provided in theconnection face 645 of thebattery 640 into contact with the contactingportions 623 of thecontacts 620, and the shape of thecontacts 620 is changed at theresilient portions 622, against the bias force, so that the contactingportions 623 are displaced toward the connector housing 610 (seeFig. 7B ). The larger the stroke displacement amount of the contactingportions 623, the greater will be the contacting force between the contactingportions 623 and theelectrodes 650. Therefore, an issue in the related art has been how to increase the stroke displacement amount of the contactingportions 623. - Accordingly, the connector disclosed in
JP-A-2005-129374 -
Fig. 8 , similarly toFig. 7 , gives cross-sectional views of battery connectors of the related art,Fig. 8A being a cross-sectional view illustrating the state prior to connection to a battery with electrodes located in a deep position,Fig. 8B being a cross-sectional view illustrating the state where, to obtain an adequate stroke amount, the battery connector inFig. 8A is forcibly connected to the battery in such a manner as to interfere therewith, andFig. 8C being a cross-sectional view illustrating a battery connector in which, to obtain an adequate stroke amount, the amount by which the contacting portions protrude from the connector housing is increased. - In the battery connectors of the related art described above, provided that the
electrodes 650 of thebattery 640 are relatively proximate to the front face of the connector, adequate bias force and contacting force is obtained and hence a good state of conduction is assured. However, there is the problem that the position in which the electrodes are formed varies widely with the battery used, and if the battery connectors of the related art described above are connected to a battery with electrodes in a position distanced from the battery's connection face, or in other words, to a battery in which the hollows where the electrodes are formed are relatively deep-set (seeFig. 8A ), the contacting portions' stroke amount will be inadequate and they will not be able to contact with the battery's electrodes with adequate bias force, which will result in poor contacting or other fault. - Thus, to obtain an adequate stroke amount for the contacting
portions 623 of theconnector 600, it is necessary to shift thebattery 640 toward theconnector 600 by a certain distance. However, if one attempts to secure such shift distance with theconnector 600 of the related art, one will have to shift thebattery 640 to a position where the connection face 645 thereof and theconnector housing 610 of theconnector 600 interfere, which is practically impossible (seeFig. 8B ). - It is possible, as in the connector 600' shown in
Fig. 8C , to obtain an adequate stroke amount by lengthening the contactingportions 623 of the contacts 620' so as to increase the amount of the projection from thefront face 614 of theconnector housing 610, but as a result the conductive metallic plate material forming the contacts 620' will be longer and the strength thereof lessened, besides which, to the extent that they project from theconnector housing 610, thecontacts 620 will be vulnerable to external forces, and so liable to become deformed or damaged. - An advantage of some aspects of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that has contacts that have an adequate stroke displacement amount, and are able to contact with adequate contacting force, even in cases where the conductive members of the counterpart unit - such as the electrodes of a battery - are located in a deep position.
- Another advantage is to provide an electrical connector whose contacts exhibit adequate strength with regard to external forces.
- According to an aspect of the invention, an electrical connector that is connected to a counterpart unit having hollows formed to a certain depth in a face of the casing thereof and provided with conductive members at the innermost part of such hollows, the electrical connector includes: a connector housing having contact retaining portions and a connection face that contacts with the counterpart unit; and contacts constituted of a conductive plate-form body and having: a fixing portion that is fixed to the connector housing by one of the contact retaining portions; a contacting portion that projects from the connection face and contacts with one of the conductive members; a resilient portion that is located between the fixing portion and the contacting portion and that biases the contacting portion so as to protrude from the connection face; and a latching portion that regulates the amount by which the contacting portion protrudes from the connection face. Such electrical connector has the innovative feature that in the connection face of the connector housing there are provided contact support portions which protrude a certain distance from the connection face and onto the contact support portions the latching portions latch.
- With the electrical connector of such aspect, thanks to the connection face of the connector housing being provided with contact support portions that project a certain distance therefrom and latch with the latching portions, the position at which the latching portions latch is shifted further forward than in the related art, thereby enabling the contacting portions to be disposed further forward relative to the connection face, virtually without changing the length of the metallic material. Also, the fact that the contact support portions protrude from the connection face means that the contacting portions can be protected from external forces. Thus, the amount by which the contacts protrude from the connection face of the connector housing is increased without increasing the portion of the contacts that is not shielded by the connector housing. Thereby, the contacts can be connected to the conductive members (electrodes) of the battery or other counterpart unit with an adequate stroke amount even in cases where the counterpart unit's hollows are formed to be relatively deep-set. Thus, reliable connection is enabled. Also, a part of the portion of the contacts that is not shielded by the connector housing is protected by the contact support portions, with the result that deformation, degradation or damage of the contacts by external forces when the device is not in use can be prevented.
- In such electrical connector, preferably there will be openings formed in the connection face of the connector housing, and the contact support portions will be so formed as to protrude from the vicinity of such openings.
- With such preferred mode, openings are formed in the connection face of the connector housing, and the contact support portions are formed so as to protrude from the vicinity of such openings. Thereby, it will be possible to install the contacts into the connector housing interior through the openings, and no hindrance will be posed by the contact support portions during such installation. Also, if the contact support portions are provided at the sides of the openings, deformation of the contacts due to external - especially lateral - forces can be satisfactorily curbed.
- Also, in such electrical connector, the contact support portions will preferably be so shaped as to be inserted into the hollows in the counterpart unit upon connection to the counterpart unit.
- With such preferred mode, the contact support portions are formed in shapes corresponding to the shape of the counterpart unit, and therefore, upon connection, the contact support portions will be received into the corresponding hollows in the counterpart unit, and even if counterpart unit's conductive members are located in a deep position in the hollows, the contacts will contact against the conducting members with an adequate stroke, so that connection will be reliably effected.
- Also, preferably the counterpart unit will be a secondary battery and the electrical connector will be a battery connector.
- With such preferred mode, it will be possible to provide a battery connector that, through adequate stroke and bias force, will effect reliable connection even with a battery whose electrodes (conductive members) are located in deep positions. This can prevent occurrence of power failures due to poor contacting with the power source during use of portable electronic equipment and the like.
- Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which:
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Fig. 1 is an exterior perspective view of a battery connector in an embodiment of the invention. -
Fig. 2 gives other views of the battery connector inFig. 1 ,Fig. 2A being a plan view,Fig. 2B a front view,Fig. 2C a bottom view,Fig. 2D a left side view andFig. 2E a right side view thereof. -
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III - III inFig. 2 . -
Fig. 4 is an exterior perspective view illustrating main elements of a battery to which the battery connector inFig. 1 is connected. -
Fig. 5 gives views illustrating connection of the battery connector of the embodiment to the battery,Fig. 5A being a cross-sectional view of the unconnected state, andFig. 5B being a cross-sectional view of the connected state. -
Fig. 6 is an exterior perspective view illustrating an example of a battery connector of the related art that has long been in use. -
Fig. 7A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the unconnected state of the battery connector inFig. 6 , andFig. 7B is a cross-sectional view illustrating the connected state thereof. -
Fig. 8A is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state prior to connection to a battery having electrodes located in a deep position,Fig. 8B is a cross-sectional view illustrating the state where the battery connector inFig. 8A is connected to the battery in such a manner as to interfere therewith, andFig. 8C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a battery connector in which the amount by which the contacting portions protrude from the connector housing is increased. - An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should however be understood that the following embodiment is intended by way of an example of a battery connector serving as an instance of an electrical connector that carries out the technical concepts of the invention, not by way of limiting the invention to this particular battery connector. The invention can equally well be adapted by those skilled in the art to yield other embodiments within the scope and spirit of the claims.
- To begin with, a battery connector in an embodiment of the invention is described with reference to
Figs. 1 to 3 .Fig. 1 is an exterior perspective view of the battery connector of the embodiment,Fig. 2 gives other views of the battery connector inFig. 1 ,Fig. 2A being a plan view,Fig. 2B a front view,Fig. 2C a bottom view,Fig. 2D a left side view andFig. 2E a right side view thereof, whileFig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line III - III inFig. 2 . - A
battery connector 1 of this embodiment is composed of aconnector housing 10 andmultiple contacts 20 installed inside theconnector housing 10. In the example used here, five identically shaped contacts are installed in theconnector housing 10. - The
connector housing 10 takes the form of a rectangular solid composed of atop face 11, left and right faces 12, 13, afront face 14, arear face 15 and abottom face 16. In the interior thereof is formed acontact housing space 101 for housing the contacts 20 (seeFig. 3 ). Thefront face 14 of theconnector housing 10 constitutes a connection face for connection with abattery 40 which is the counterpart unit. - In the
front face 14 of theconnector housing 10 there are providedmultiple openings 17a to 17e that communicate with thecontact housing space 101 in the interior of theconnector housing 10. Theopenings 17a to 17e are separated by partitioningwalls 18a to 18d provided therebetween. Thesepartitioning walls 18a to 18d connect thefront face 14 andrear face 15 inside theconnector housing 10, and form thecontact housing space 101 into separate spaces. These separatecontact housing spaces 101 each house acontact 20. - In an upper location on both sides of the
openings 17a to 17e in thefront face 14, contact support portions 19a1, 19a2 to 19e1, 19e2 (denoted by the numeral "19" when referred to collectively below) are provided so as to protrude forward from thefront face 14. Thesecontact support portions 19 are formed in left-right symmetrical pairs at the two sides of eachopening 17a to 17e. Thus, the contact support portions 19a1 and 19a2 are provided at the two sides of theopening 17a, and likewise the contact support portion pairs 19bi and 19b2 to 19e1 and 19e2 are provided at the two sides of theopenings 17b to 17e respectively. - The sides of the
contact support portions 19 formed on both sides of theopenings 17a to 17a widen out in the direction of theopening 17a to 17e to which each is proximate, and the latchingportions 24 of thecontacts 20 latch onto such widened portions. - A distance W10 from the right edge to the left edge of each pair of
contact support portions 19 provided at anopening 17 is made slightly smaller than a width W40 of hollows 47 provided in aconnection face 45 of thebattery 40 to be described hereafter. Also, thecontact support portions 19 have a contour P10 which is shaped so as to be received onto an inner surface P40 of the hollows 47 in thebattery 40. It should be noted that although in the foregoing thecontact support portions 19 are described as being formed at both sides of theopenings 17a to 17e, they could alternatively be provided at only one side thereof. - On the inside surface of the
rear face 15 of theconnector housing 10 there are provided latching means, not shown in the drawings, which are able to retain retainedportions 21b of fixingportions 21 of thecontacts 20 to be described hereafter. - The
contacts 20 are composed of the fixingportion 21, aresilient portion 22, a contactingportion 23 and the latchingportion 24.
The fixingportion 21 of thecontacts 20 has at its rear end acontact tail 21a that extends horizontally and is both physically and electrically connected to a printed wiring board (not shown in the drawings) on which thebottom face 16 of theconnector housing 10 is placed, and has also the retainedportion 21b that is bent vertically upward from thecontact tail 21a and extends upward. The retainedportion 21b is provided with a latching member or the like attaching structure, not shown in the drawings, which, by latching with the latching means formed on the inside surface of theconnector housing 10'srear face 15, fixes thecontact 20 to theconnector housing 10. - The
resilient portion 22 of thecontacts 20 has: a firstcurved portion 22a that curves in a U-shape from the top extremity of the fixedportion 21; a first connectingportion 22b that extends downward from the firstcurved portion 22a; a secondcurved portion 22c that curves in a horizontal and forward direction from the bottom extremity of the first connectingportion 22b; a second connectingportion 22d that extends horizontally forward from the forward extremity of the secondcurved portion 22c; a thirdcurved portion 22e that curves obliquely upward from the forward extremity of the second connectingportion 22d; and anextension 22f that extends obliquely forward and upward from the forward extremity of the thirdcurved portion 22e. Through such structure, theresilient portion 22 forms an approximate S-shape and thecontact 20 is able to generate adequate bias force in the forward-backward direction. - The contacting
portion 23 of thecontacts 20 takes the form of an approximate U-shape, or of an arc, that starts at the forward extremity of theresilient portion 22'sextension 22f and curves rearward, the curved surface thereof constituting a contactingpart 23a. The contactingportion 23's contactingpart 23a and vicinity are narrower than the other parts thereof. - The latching
portion 24 of thecontacts 20 is formed by the metallic material beyond the end of the contactingportion 23 being folded back and downward. This latchingportion 24 latches onto thecontact support portion 19. - The
contacts 20 are inserted into thecontact housing spaces 101 through theopenings 17 formed in thefront face 14 of theconnector housing 10, and are fixed to theconnector housing 10 by latching of the retainedportions 21b of the fixingportions 21 with latching members or the like (not shown in the drawings) that are provided on the inside surface of theconnector housing 10'srear wall 15, or in a like location. Theextension 22f of thecontact 20'sresilient portion 22 protrudes forward beyond theconnector housing 10'sfront face 14, so that the contactingparts 23a of the contactingportions 23 are located to the front of theconnector housing 10 when the device is not in use. Also, asFig. 3 shows, the latchingportions 24 latch onto thecontact support portions 19 which are formed protruding from thefront face 14. Thereby, deformation and deterioration/damage of thecontacts 20 will be prevented if external forces should act on the contactingportions 23 when the device not in use. - Compared with the
related art connector 600, the contactingportions 23 of thecontacts 20 protrude further forward from theconnector housing 10'sfront face 14 by the amount that theconnector housing 10'scontact support portions 19 protrude. However, due to the provision of thecontact support portions 19, the portion of thecontacts 20 that is not shielded by theconnector housing 10 does not differ from that in the related art connectors, and consequently thecontacts 20 are not liable to be deformed by external forces. - Further, in the side faces 12, 13 of the
connector housing 10 there are formed recesses into which L-shapedgland terminals 30 are inserted. Thegland terminals 30 enable gland connection of theconnector housing 10, and are also used to fix theconnector housing 10 robustly to a printed wiring board (not shown in the drawings). - In the foregoing the
connector housing 10 is described as being provided with fiveopenings 17a to 17e into which fivecontacts 20 are fitted, but the number of contacts can be altered as appropriate. For instance, three openings could be formed in theconnector housing 10, and threecontacts 20 fitted thereinto. - Next will be described the operation of connecting the
battery connector 1 of the present embodiment to a battery constituting the counterpart unit.Fig. 4 is an exterior perspective view illustrating the main elements of a battery to which the battery connector of the present embodiment is connected. - The
battery 40 takes the form of a rectangular solid composed of atop face 41, abottom face 42, side faces 43, 44, theconnection face 45 and arear face 46. Multiple hollows 47 are formed in particular positions in theconnection face 45. InFig. 4 , fivehollows 47a to 47e are formed, corresponding to theconnector 1 shown inFigs. 1 and2 . In the inner recesses of each hollow there is provided an electrode 50 (50a to 50e) serving as conductive member of the counterpart unit. Each hollow 47 has a width W40. Also, each hollow 47 has a streamlined inner surface P40. -
Fig. 5 gives views illustrating connection of the battery connector of the first embodiment to the battery,Fig. 5A being a cross-sectional view of the unconnected state andFig. 5B being a cross-sectional view of the connected state. In the unconnected state of thebattery connector 1 andbattery 40, asFig. 5A shows, the contactingparts 23a of the contactingportions 23 of thecontacts 20 in thebattery connector 1 protrude forward from thefront face 14 of theconnector housing 10, due to bias force generated by the first, second and thirdcurved portions portions 24 of thecontacts 20 are latched onto the inside of thecontact support portions 19, and thecontacts 20 are protected from external forces by thecontact support portions 19. - When the
battery connector 1 andbattery 40 are connected, asFig. 5B shows, the hollows 47 in thebattery 40 receive the contactingportions 23 of thebattery connector 1'scontacts 20, and thebattery 40 is brought close to thebattery connector 1 so that the contactingparts 23a contact against theelectrodes 50. When, in that state, thebattery 40 is shifted further toward theconnector 1, rearward pushing force is applied to the contactingparts 23a of the contactingportions 23 by theelectrodes 50, and theresilient portions 22 of thecontacts 20 change shape, against the bias force, at the first, second and thirdcurved portions parts 23a move rearward, and moreover move upward over the surface of theelectrodes 50, so that the contactingparts 23a and the surfaces of theelectrodes 50 contact tightly against each other with an adequate wiping action. Also, at this time, theconnection face 45 of thebattery 40 and thefront face 14 of theconnector housing 10 becomes close to each other. Further, since the width W10 between the two lateral extremities of each pair ofcontact support portions 19 is smaller than the width W40 of the hollows 47 in thebattery 40, and the contour P10 of thecontact support portions 19 is formed to correspond to the shape of the inner surface P40 of the hollows 47, thecontact support portions 19 fit securely into the hollows 47 in thebattery 40. - Thus, by providing the
connector housing 10 withcontact support portions 19 that protrude from thefront face 14, each contactingportion 23 of thecontacts 20 is protected by a pair ofcontact support portions 19, so that deformation of thecontacts 20 due to external forces during use of the device is prevented. Additionally, since thecontact support portions 19 protrude from thefront face 14 of theconnector housing 10, the contactingportions 23 can be made to protrude further forward by the same amount. With such structure that enables the contactingportions 23 to protrude further forward, even if theelectrodes 50 provided at the innermost part of the hollows 47 in thebattery 40 are located in a position deeper than theconnection face 45 of thebattery 40, the contactingportions 23 will contact theelectrodes 50 with an adequate stroke and there will be a good degree of tight contacting between theelectrodes 50 and the contactingparts 23a. - Also, since the
contact support portions 19 are formed with a shape corresponding to that of the hollows 47 of thebattery 40, upon connection thecontact support portions 19 are introduced into the hollows 47. Thereby, the contactingportions 23 are able to obtain a stroke displacement amount adequate to contact theelectrodes 50, without thebattery 40 interfering with theconnector housing 10. - The battery connector described in the foregoing embodiment of the invention can be applied as a connector that connects batteries used in portable electronic equipment such as mobile telephones. Also, besides such battery connectors, the invention will also be advantageously applied as a connector for connection with a counterpart unit in which the conductive members are disposed in a position deeply recessed from the housing connection face of the counterpart unit.
Various modifications may be made to the embodiment of the invention herein before described without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Various further aspects and features of the present invention are defined in the appended claims.
Further aspects include an electrical connector that is connected to a counterpart unit. An electrical connector that is connectable to a counterpart unit having hollows formed to a certain depth in a face of the casing thereof and provided with conductive members at the innermost part of such hollows, the electrical connector comprising: - a connector housing having contact retaining portions and a connection face that comes into close proximity with the counterpart unit; and
- contacts constituted of a conductive plate-form body and comprising: a fixing portion that is fixed to the connector housing by one of the contact retaining portions;
- a contacting portion that projects from the connection face and contacts with one of the conductive members;
- a resilient portion that is located between the fixing portion and the contacting portion and that biases the contacting portion so as to protrude from the connection face; and
- a latching portion that regulates the amount by which the contacting portion protrudes from the connection face;
- in the connection face of the connector housing there being provided contact support portions which protrude a certain distance from the connection face, and with the effect that the latching portions can latch onto the contact support portions
Claims (4)
- An electrical connector that is connectable to a counterpart unit having hollows formed to a certain depth in a face of the casing thereof and provided with conductive members at the innermost part of such hollows, the electrical connector comprising:a connector housing having contact retaining portions and a connection face that comes into close proximity with the counterpart unit; andcontacts constituted of a conductive plate-form body and comprising:a fixing portion that is fixed to the connector housing by one of the contact retaining portions;a contacting portion that projects from the connection face and contacts with one of the conductive members;a resilient portion that is located between the fixing portion and the contacting portion and that biases the contacting portion so as to protrude from the connection face; anda latching portion that regulates the amount by which the contacting portion protrudes from the connection face;in the connection face of the connector housing there being provided contact support portions which protrude a certain distance from the connection face, and onto the contact support portions the latching portions latch.
- The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein openings are formed in the connection face of the connector housing, and the contact support portions are so formed as to protrude from the vicinity of the openings.
- The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact support portions are so shaped as to be inserted into the hollows in the counterpart unit upon connection to the counterpart unit.
- The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the counterpart unit is a secondary battery and the electrical connector is a battery connector.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2007050192A JP4482568B2 (en) | 2007-02-28 | 2007-02-28 | Electrical connector |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1965469A2 true EP1965469A2 (en) | 2008-09-03 |
EP1965469A3 EP1965469A3 (en) | 2012-01-04 |
Family
ID=39272835
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP08250645A Withdrawn EP1965469A3 (en) | 2007-02-28 | 2008-02-26 | Electrical connector |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1965469A3 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4482568B2 (en) |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN101800371A (en) * | 2009-01-20 | 2010-08-11 | 泰科电子日本合同会社 | Electrical cnnector |
WO2011019862A1 (en) * | 2009-08-14 | 2011-02-17 | Symbol Technologies, Inc. | Ramped battery contact systems and methods |
US8100731B2 (en) | 2010-01-15 | 2012-01-24 | Omron Corporation | Electric connector, electronic device, and electrically-conductive touch method |
US8197290B2 (en) | 2010-01-15 | 2012-06-12 | Omron Corporation | Electric connector, electronic device, and electrically-conductive touch method |
WO2015032098A1 (en) | 2013-09-09 | 2015-03-12 | Nokia Corporation | Battery connector and manufacturing method therefor |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP5972645B2 (en) * | 2012-04-04 | 2016-08-17 | 富士通コンポーネント株式会社 | Connector and connector connection method |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2005129374A (en) | 2003-10-24 | 2005-05-19 | Smk Corp | Connector |
Family Cites Families (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP3746240B2 (en) * | 2002-02-28 | 2006-02-15 | 日本航空電子工業株式会社 | connector |
TW532630U (en) * | 2002-05-24 | 2003-05-11 | Molex Inc | Electrical connector |
USD486448S1 (en) * | 2002-06-20 | 2004-02-10 | J.S.T. Mfg. Co., Ltd. | Connector to battery |
-
2007
- 2007-02-28 JP JP2007050192A patent/JP4482568B2/en active Active
-
2008
- 2008-02-26 EP EP08250645A patent/EP1965469A3/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2005129374A (en) | 2003-10-24 | 2005-05-19 | Smk Corp | Connector |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN101800371A (en) * | 2009-01-20 | 2010-08-11 | 泰科电子日本合同会社 | Electrical cnnector |
CN101800371B (en) * | 2009-01-20 | 2014-06-11 | 泰科电子日本合同会社 | Electric connector |
WO2011019862A1 (en) * | 2009-08-14 | 2011-02-17 | Symbol Technologies, Inc. | Ramped battery contact systems and methods |
US8993153B2 (en) | 2009-08-14 | 2015-03-31 | Symbol Technologies, Inc. | Ramped battery contact systems and methods |
US8100731B2 (en) | 2010-01-15 | 2012-01-24 | Omron Corporation | Electric connector, electronic device, and electrically-conductive touch method |
US8197290B2 (en) | 2010-01-15 | 2012-06-12 | Omron Corporation | Electric connector, electronic device, and electrically-conductive touch method |
WO2015032098A1 (en) | 2013-09-09 | 2015-03-12 | Nokia Corporation | Battery connector and manufacturing method therefor |
EP3044838A4 (en) * | 2013-09-09 | 2017-04-19 | Nokia Technologies Oy | Battery connector and manufacturing method therefor |
US9761980B2 (en) | 2013-09-09 | 2017-09-12 | Nokia Technologies Oy | Battery connector and manufacturing method therefor |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2008218035A (en) | 2008-09-18 |
EP1965469A3 (en) | 2012-01-04 |
JP4482568B2 (en) | 2010-06-16 |
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