EP2846414A1 - Connector - Google Patents
Connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP2846414A1 EP2846414A1 EP20140183187 EP14183187A EP2846414A1 EP 2846414 A1 EP2846414 A1 EP 2846414A1 EP 20140183187 EP20140183187 EP 20140183187 EP 14183187 A EP14183187 A EP 14183187A EP 2846414 A1 EP2846414 A1 EP 2846414A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- connector
- terminal
- contact
- movable
- housing
- 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- Withdrawn
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Classifications
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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
- H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
- H01R13/629—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances
- H01R13/631—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances for engagement only
- H01R13/6315—Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances for engagement only allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection
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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
- H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
- H01R12/70—Coupling devices
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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
- H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
- H01R12/70—Coupling devices
- H01R12/91—Coupling devices allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating or self aligning
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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
- H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
- H01R12/70—Coupling devices
- H01R12/71—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures
- H01R12/712—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures co-operating with the surface of the printed circuit or with a coupling device exclusively provided on the surface of the printed circuit
- H01R12/716—Coupling device provided on the PCB
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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
- H01R13/26—Pin or blade contacts for sliding co-operation on one side only
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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
- H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
- H01R13/502—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a connector used for connecting, for example, a pair of printed substrates to each other.
- Connector units are thus far known that include a first connector attached to one of a pair of substrates disposed such that respective surfaces oppose each other, and a second connector attached to the other substrate, the first connector and the second connector being configured to be fitted together to connect the substrates, for example as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-18785 .
- One of the connectors includes a fixed housing to be fixed to the substrate, a movable housing disposed to move relative to the fixed housing in a front-back direction and a width direction of the connector, and a plurality of terminals each having an end portion retained by the movable housing and the other end portion retained by the fixed housing.
- the movable housing is displaced relative to the fixed housing by elastic deformation of a movable portion provided between the end portions of each of the terminals, so as to absorb a positional shift between the substrates arising from vibration or impact.
- some socket connectors corresponding to the first connector, include a first and a second contact portion terminal, which are elastically deformable, disposed so as to make contact with a contact portion of a terminal of a plug connector, corresponding to the second connector, the first and the second contact portion being located with a spacing therebetween in the direction in which the connectors are fitted together.
- the second contact portion can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion, which assures the electrical conduction between the terminal of the plug connector and the terminal of the socket connector.
- the terminal of the socket connector includes the first contact portion and the second contact portion, a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion elastically deformable in the direction to contact the terminal of the plug connector, a first fixing portion fixed to the movable housing, a movable portion elastically deformable in a width direction of the connector, a second fixing portion fixed to the fixed housing, and substrate connection portion to be connected to the substrate.
- the first elastic portion extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion, and the first contact portion is provided on the upper end portion of the first elastic portion.
- the second elastic portion extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion, and the second contact portion is provided on the upper end portion of the second elastic portion.
- the first and the second elastic portion are located with a spacing therebetween in a front-back direction, the second elastic portion being located closer to the center of the connector in the front-back direction.
- the proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion has to be shifted forward or backward in the front-back direction of the connector in order to avoid interference with a projecting portion of the first movable housing supporting the terminal of the plug connector, and hence the width of the second movable housing in the front-back direction has to be increased. Therefore, not only the socket connector but also the plug connector have to be made larger in the front-back direction.
- the present invention has been accomplished in view of the foregoing drawback, and provides a connector that suppresses an increase in size in the front-back direction, despite including a multi-contact terminal having a plurality of contact portions and elastic portions.
- the present invention provides a connector including a housing, and a terminal including a first contact portion and a second contact portion to be brought into contact with a mating terminal of a mating connector, a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion elastically deformable in a direction to contact the mating terminal, and a first fixing portion fixed to the movable housing.
- the movable housing includes a central partition wall formed at a central portion of the connector in a front-back direction and extending in the direction to contact the mating terminal, so as to oppose a projecting portion of a housing of the mating connector and to retain the mating terminal when the connectors are fitted together.
- the terminal is disposed such that the first fixing portion contacts the central partition wall, the first and the second elastic portion are formed so as to extend upward from an upper end portion of the first fixing portion and spaced from each other in the front-back direction with the second elastic portion located closer to the central portion in the front-back direction than the first elastic portion, and the second elastic portion includes a bent section formed close to a proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion, so as to circumvent along a shape of a distal end portion and a part of a lateral portion of the projecting portion of the mating connector.
- the proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion has to be shifted away from the central partition wall in order to avoid interference with the projecting portion, and hence the width of the movable housing in the front-back direction has to be increased. Therefore, not only the connector of the present invention but also the mating connector have to be made larger in the front-back direction.
- the second elastic portion including the bent section allows the interference to be avoided thereby enabling reduction in size of the connectors.
- the bent section serves to increase the spring length of the second elastic portion, thereby preventing degradation in insertion and removal performance and in spring elasticity, and decline in connection reliability of the connectors.
- the second contact portion can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion, which assures the electrical conduction with the mating connector.
- the bent section is connected via the proximal end portion to the first fixing portion at the position where the bent section contacts the central partition wall, and is bent away from the central partition wall and then curved toward the central portion in the front-back direction.
- the mentioned configuration allows the interference to be avoided, thereby enabling reduction in size of the connector.
- the bent section serves to increase the spring length of the second elastic portion, thereby preventing degradation in insertion and removal performance and in spring elasticity, and decline in connection reliability of the connectors.
- the foregoing connectors may be configured as a connector unit including a first connector attached to one substrate and a second connector attached to another substrate, the first connector and the second connector being configured to be fitted together to connect the substrates.
- the first connector includes a first fixed housing to be fixed to the one substrate, a first movable housing disposed so as to move relative to the first fixed housing, and a first terminal having one end portion retained by the first movable housing and the other end portion retained by the first fixed housing.
- the first terminal includes a movable portion elastically deformable in a front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion has a width taken in a width direction of the connector larger than a thickness taken in the front-back direction or an up-down direction of the connector.
- the second connector includes a second fixed housing to be fixed to the another substrate, a second movable housing disposed so as to move relative to the second fixed housing, and a second terminal having one end portion retained by the second movable housing and the other end portion retained by the second fixed housing.
- the second terminal includes a movable portion elastically deformable in the width direction of the connector, and the movable portion has a thickness taken in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector larger than a width taken in the width direction of the connector.
- the movable portion of the first terminal of the first connector can easily be elastically deformed in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector, since the movable portion is larger in the width direction than in the thickness direction.
- the movable portion of the second terminal of the second connector can easily be elastically deformed in the width direction of the connector, since the movable portion is larger in the thickness direction than in the width direction. Therefore, when the positional shift between the substrates takes place in the front-back direction of the connector the movable portion of the first terminal is elastically deformed, and when the positional shift between the substrates takes place in the width direction of the connector the movable portion of the second terminal is elastically deformed.
- Forming thus the movable portion of the first terminal of the first connector to be larger in the width direction than in the thickness direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion of the second terminal of the second connector to be larger in the thickness direction than in the width direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the width direction of the connector, allows the respective movable portions of the first and second terminals to be formed with an increased cross-sectional area, thereby enabling the allowable current of the terminal to be increased, unlike a configuration in which the movable portion is elastically deformable to a sufficient extent both in the front-back direction and in the width direction of the connector.
- One of the foregoing connectors may be configured as a connector attached to one substrate and configured to be fitted to another connector attached to another substrate so as to connect the substrates.
- the connector includes a fixed housing to be fixed to the one substrate, a movable housing disposed so as to move relative to the fixed housing, and a terminal having one end portion retained by the movable housing and the other end portion retained by the fixed housing.
- the terminal includes a first and a second contact portion to be brought into contact with a terminal of the another connector, with a spacing between the first and the second contact portion in the direction in which the connectors are fitted together, and a movable portion elastically deformable in the width direction of the connector, and the movable portion has a thickness taken in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector larger than a width taken in the width direction of the connector.
- the movable portion of the terminal configured as above has a thickness taken in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector larger than a width taken in the width direction of the connector, and is hence easy to elastically deform in the width direction of the connector. Accordingly, the cross-sectional area of the movable portion can be increased, so that the allowable current of the terminal can be increased.
- the terminal includes the first and second contact portions to be brought into contact with the terminal of the other connector, with a spacing defined between the first and the second contact portion in the direction in which the connectors are fitted together.
- the terminal contacts the mating terminal via the first and second contact portions, and hence exerts a larger contact force on the mating terminal to firmly hold the same, compared with the case of contacting via a single contact portion. Therefore, even though the connectors are subjected to vibration during the practical use, the first and second contact portions can be prevented from micro-sliding relative to the mating terminal and from thus scraping off the plating and increasing the contact resistance. In this aspect also, the connection reliability of the connectors can be upgraded.
- the connectors configured as above can suppress an increase in size in the front-back direction, despite including a multi-contact terminal having a plurality of contact portions and elastic portions.
- Fig. 1 through Fig. 16 illustrate a connector unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, used for connecting, for example, a pair of printed substrates to each other.
- X-direction represents a width direction of the connector
- Y-direction represents a front-back direction of the connector
- Z-direction represents an up-down direction of the connector.
- the connector unit includes a first connector 10 to be attached to a substrate 1 of the pair of substrates 1, 2 disposed such that respective surfaces oppose each other, and a second connector 20 to be attached to the other substrate 2.
- the first connector 10 includes a first fixed housing 11 to be attached to the substrate 1, a first movable housing 12 disposed so as to move relative to the first fixed housing 11, a plurality of first terminals 13 retained by the first fixed housing 11 and the first movable housing 12, and a pair of first fixing members 14 for fixing the first fixed housing 11 to the substrate 1.
- the first terminals 13 are aligned at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the connector so as to form two rows, the two rows being aligned in the front-back direction of the connector.
- the first fixed housing 11 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape smaller in height than in width and depth.
- the first fixed housing 11 includes a front face 11a, a rear face 11b, and a left and right lateral faces 11c, and the upper and the lower face are open upward and downward, respectively.
- a plurality of fixing grooves 11d for fixing the respective first terminals 13 are provided on the inner side of the front face 11a and the rear face 11b, and the lateral faces 11c each include a pair of cutaway portions 11e of a generally rectangular shape that delimit the movement of the first movable housing 12 in the front-back direction, the cutaway portions 11e being aligned in the front-back direction.
- the first movable housing 12 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape smaller in height than in width and depth.
- the first movable housing 12 is formed in a hollow shape having an opening oriented upward, and includes a projecting portion 12a erected upward from a central portion of the bottom face in the front-back direction.
- the projecting portion 12a has a flat shape extending in the width direction of the first movable housing 12, and includes a plurality of holding grooves 12b formed on the front and rear faces, for holding the respective first terminals 13.
- the top portion of the projecting portion 12a is located close to a bottom portion of an insertion cavity 22c of a second movable housing 22 and a distal end portion of a second elastic portion 23d extending in a bent shape from a first fixing portion 23e.
- the first movable housing 12 has an outer shape smaller than the inner shape of the first fixed housing 11, and disposed inside the first fixed housing 11 so as to move in the front-back direction and the width direction.
- the top end of the first movable housing 12 is located at generally the same level as the uppermost end portion of the first fixed housing 11.
- first movable housing 12 includes a pair of projections 12c projecting in the width direction from each of the lateral faces, the projections 12c being aligned in the front-back direction.
- the projections 12c are each disposed in the corresponding cutaway portion 11e of the first fixed housing 11 so as to move in the front-back direction, the width direction, and the up-down direction.
- a gap is provided between the bottom face of the first movable housing 12 and the substrate 1 as shown in Fig. 16 , and the gap serves as a moving margin that allows the first movable housing 12 to move downward (toward the substrate 1).
- the first terminals 13 are formed by bending conductive metal plates, and made larger in the width direction (X-direction) than in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction), as shown in Fig. 13 .
- the first terminals 13 each include a contact portion 13a to be brought into contact with a terminal of the second connector 20, a first fixing portion 13b fixed to the first movable housing 12, a movable portion 13c elastically deformable in the front-back direction of the connector, a second fixing portion 13d fixed to the first fixed housing 11, and a substrate connection portion 13e to be connected to the substrate 1.
- the contact portion 13a linearly extends in the up-down direction, and is retained by the holding groove 12c of the first movable housing 12.
- the first fixing portion 13b extends in the front-back direction from the lower end portion of the contact portion 13a, and is fixed to the lower face of the first movable housing 12.
- the movable portion 13c extends upward from the first fixing portion 13b along the outer face of the first movable housing 12, and is bent in an inverted U-shape in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the first movable housing 12 so as to extend downward. Accordingly, the movable portion 13c is elastically deformable in the front-back direction (Y-direction) of the connector, about the bent portion.
- the second fixing portion 13d extends downward as further extension of the movable portion 13c, and is fixed to the fixing groove 11d of the first fixed housing 11.
- the substrate connection portion 13e extends in the front-back direction from the lower end portion of the second fixing portion 13d, and sticks out of the first fixed housing 11 from the lower end portion of the front face 11a or rear face 11b of the first fixed housing 11.
- the portion of the first terminal 13 on the side of the first fixing portion 13b and the portion thereof on the side of the second fixing portion 13d are located with a spacing therebetween in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion 13c is provided between the first fixing portion 13b and the second fixing portion 13d.
- the first fixing members 14 are formed by bending a metal plate, and located on the respective sides of the first fixed housing 11 in the width direction.
- the first fixing members 14 are each formed in a generally channel shape so as to extend along the upper face of the corresponding lateral face 11c of the first fixed housing 11 toward the front and rear faces, and the front and rear end portions of the first fixing member 14 are respectively fixed to the front face and the rear face of the lateral face 11c.
- the first fixing members 14 each include a pair of fixing portions 14a, via which the first fixing member 14 is soldered to the substrate 1, formed so as to respectively extend in the front-back direction from the front and rear end portions.
- the first fixing member 14 also includes a rib portion 14b formed on the upper face so as to extend in the front-back direction.
- the second connector 20 includes a second fixed housing 21 to be attached to the substrate 2, the second movable housing 22 disposed so as to move relative to the second fixed housing 21, a plurality of second terminals 23 retained by the second fixed housing 21 and the second movable housing 22, and a pair of second fixing members 24 for fixing the second fixed housing 21 to the substrate 2, and the second terminals 23 are aligned at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the connector so as to form two rows, the two rows being aligned in the front-back direction of the connector.
- the second fixed housing 21 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape smaller in height than in width and depth.
- the second fixed housing 21 includes a front face 21a, a rear face 21b, and a left and right lateral faces 21c, and the upper and the lower face are open upward and downward, respectively.
- a plurality of fixing holes 21d for fixing the respective second terminals 23 are provided on the lower end portion of the front face 21a and the rear face 21b, and the lateral faces 21c each include a cutaway portion 21e of a generally rectangular shape that delimits the movement of the second movable housing 22 in the front-back direction.
- the second movable housing 22 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape larger in height than in width and depth.
- the second movable housing 22 includes an insertion port 22a formed on the upper face, for the projecting portion 12a of the first movable housing 12 to be inserted therethrough, the insertion port 22a having a slender shape extending in the width direction of the first movable housing 12.
- a plurality of terminal slots 22b in which the second terminals 23 are respectively accommodated are provided in the second movable housing 22.
- the terminal slots 22b are aligned at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the connector so as to form two rows, the two rows being aligned in the front-back direction of the connector.
- the upper portion of each of the terminal slots 22b is open toward a central portion of the inner space of the second movable housing 22 in the front-back direction, and the insertion cavity 22c, into which the projecting portion 12a of the first movable housing 12 is inserted through the insertion port 22a, is formed between the front row and the rear row of the terminal slots 22b.
- the second terminals 23 are each fixed to the lower portion of the corresponding terminal slot 22b, and the lower end portion of each of the terminal slots 22b is open downward.
- the second movable housing 22 has an outer shape smaller than the inner shape of the second fixed housing 21, and disposed inside the second fixed housing 21 so as to move in the front-back direction and the width direction.
- the second movable housing 22 sticks out upward from the uppermost end portion of the second fixed housing 21, by approximately half of the height of the second movable housing 22.
- the second movable housing 22 includes a projection 22c projecting in the width direction from each of the lateral faces. The projection 12c is disposed in the cutaway portion 21e of the second fixed housing 21 so as to move in the front-back direction, the width direction, and the up-down direction.
- the second terminals 23 are each formed by punching a conductive metal plate, into a shape larger in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction) than in the width (X-direction), as shown in Fig. 14 .
- the second terminals 23 each include a first contact portion 23a and a second contact portion 23b to be brought into contact with the first terminal 13 of the first connector 10, a first elastic portion 23c and the second elastic portion 23d elastically deformable in the direction for contacting the first terminal 13, the first fixing portion 23e fixed to the second movable housing 22, a movable portion 23f elastically deformable in the width direction of the connector, a second fixing portion 23g fixed to the second fixed housing 21, and a substrate connection portion 23h to be connected to the substrate 2.
- the first contact portion 23a and the second contact portion 23b have a generally triangular shape, and each project into the insertion cavity 22c from an upper portion of the terminal slot 22b.
- the contact portions 23a, 23b are located with a spacing therebetween in the up-down direction, the first contact portion 23a being located on the upper side of the second contact portion 23b.
- the second terminal 23 contacts the first terminal 13 via the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b, and hence exerts a larger contact force on the first terminal 13 to firmly hold the same, compared with the case of contacting via a single contact portion. Therefore, even though the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 fitted together are subjected to vibration during the practical use, the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b can be prevented from micro-sliding relative to the first terminal 13 and from thus scraping off the plating and increasing the contact resistance. Consequently, the connection reliability of the connectors can be upgraded.
- the first elastic portion 23c extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion 23e, and the first contact portion 23a is formed on the distal end portion of the first elastic portion 23c.
- the second elastic portion 23d extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion 23e, and the second contact portion 23b is formed on the distal end portion of the second elastic portion 23d.
- the elastic portions 23c, 23d are located with a spacing therebetween in the front-back direction, the second elastic portion 23d being located closer to the center of the insertion cavity 22c in the front-back direction.
- the second elastic portion 23d includes a bent section 23d1 formed close to the proximal end portion thereof connected to the first fixing portion 23e, so as to circumvent along the shape of the distal end portion and a part of the lateral portion of the projecting portion 12a of the first movable housing 12.
- the bent section 23d1 is connected via the proximal end portion to the first fixing portion 23e at the position where the bent section contacts a central partition wall 22e of the second movable housing 22 provided between the front row and the rear row of the second terminals 23.
- the second elastic portion 23d includes further includes an outward curved portion 23d2 bent forward or backward away from the central partition wall 22e and an inward curved portion 23d3 again curved toward the center of the insertion cavity 22c in the front-back direction.
- the proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion 23e has to be shifted forward or backward away from the central partition wall 22e in order to avoid interference with the projecting portion 12a of the first movable housing 12, and hence the size of the second movable housing 22 in the front-back direction has to be increased. Therefore, not only the second connector 20 but also the first connector 10 have to be made larger in the front-back direction.
- forming the second elastic portion 23d with the bent section 23d1 configured as above allows the interference to be avoided thereby enabling reduction in size of the connectors.
- the bent section 23d1 serves to increase the spring length of the second elastic portion 23d, thereby preventing degradation in insertion and removal performance and in spring elasticity, and decline in connection reliability of the connectors.
- the first fixing portion 23e extends downward from the proximal end portion of the elastic portions 23c, 23d, and is fixed to the lower end portion of the terminal slot 22b.
- the movable portion 23f extends upward from the lower end portion of the first fixing portion 23e along the outer face of the second movable housing 22, and then extends downward in an inverted U-shape from a generally central position of the second movable housing 22 in the up-down direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector, about the top end of the inverted U-shape.
- the second fixing portion 23g extends upward as further extension of the movable portion 23f, and is fixed in the fixing hole 21d of the second fixed housing 21.
- the substrate connection portion 23h extends in the front-back direction from the lower end portion of the second fixing portion 23g, and sticks out of the second fixed housing 21 from the lower end portion of the front face 21a or rear face 21b of the second fixed housing 21.
- the portion of the second terminal 23 on the side of the first fixing portion 23e and the portion thereof on the side of the second fixing portion 23g are located with a spacing therebetween in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion 23f is provided between the first fixing portion 23e and the second fixing portion 23g.
- the second fixing members 24 are formed by bending a metal plate, and located on the respective sides of the second fixed housing 21 in the width direction.
- the second fixing members 24 are each formed in a generally channel shape so as to extend along the upper face of the corresponding lateral face 21c of the second fixed housing 21 toward the front and rear faces, and the front and rear end portions of the second fixing member 24 are respectively fixed to the front face and the rear face of the lateral face 21c.
- the second fixing members 24 each include a pair of fixing portions 24a, via which the second fixing member 24 is soldered to the substrate 2, formed so as to extend in the front-back direction.
- the second fixing member 24 also includes a rib portion 24b formed on the upper face so as to extend in the front-back direction.
- the first fixed housing 11 of the first connector 10 is fixed to the substrate 1, by soldering the fixing portions 14a of the respective first fixing members 14 and the substrate connection portions 13e of the respective first terminals 13 of the first connector 10 to the substrate 1.
- the second fixed housing 21 of the second connector 20 is fixed to the substrate 2, by soldering the fixing portions 24a of the respective second fixing members 24 and the substrate connection portions 23h of the respective second terminals 23 of the second connector 20 to the substrate 2.
- the second connector 20 and the substrate 2 are turned upside down as shown in Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 , and the first movable housing 12 of the first connector 10 and the second movable housing 22 of the second connector 20 are fitted to each other.
- the second movable housing 22 is inserted in the first movable housing 12, and the projecting portion 12a of the first movable housing 12 is inserted in the insertion cavity 22c of the second movable housing 22 through the insertion port 22a thereof.
- the contact portions 13a of the respective first terminals 13 are press-inserted into between the front row and the rear row of the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b of the second terminal 23, and the contact portions 13a of the first terminal 13 and the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b of the second terminals 23 are respectively brought into contact with each other, so that the first terminals 13 and the second terminals 23 are respectively connected to each other.
- the second contact portion 23b of the second terminal 23 makes contact with the contact portion 13a of the first terminal 13 following first contact portion 23a of the second terminal 23, and therefore even though a foreign matter such as dust or stain is stuck to the contact portion 13a of the first terminal 13, the second contact portion 23b can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion 23a.
- the first movable housing 12 of the first connector 10 is displaced in the front-back direction (Y-direction) or the up-down direction (Z-direction) of the connector relative to the first fixed housing 11, to thereby absorb the positional shift between the substrates 1 and 2 in the front-back direction or the up-down direction of the connector.
- the second movable housing 22 of the second connector 20 is displaced in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector relative to the second fixed housing 21, to thereby absorb the positional shift between the substrates 1 and 2 in the width direction of the connector.
- the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13 of the first connector 10 is larger in the width direction (X-direction) than in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction), and can hence be elastically deformed easily in the front-back direction (Y-direction) or the up-down direction (Z-direction) of the connector.
- the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23 of the second connector 20 is larger in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction) than in the width direction (X-direction), and can hence be elastically deformed easily in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector.
- the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13 is elastically deform by a larger amount than the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23, and when the positional shift between the substrates 1 and 2 takes place in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23 is elastically deform by a larger amount than the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13.
- the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13 is located between the portion of the first terminal 13 on the side of the first fixing portion 13b and the portion thereof on the side of the second fixing portion 13d, and the mentioned portions of the first terminal 13 are spaced from each other in the front-back direction of the connector, making the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13 in a vertically elongate shape in the up-down direction does not lead to an increase in size of the first terminal 13 in the up-down direction.
- the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23 is located between the portion of the second terminal 23 on the side of the first fixing portion 23e and the portion thereof on the side of the second fixing portion 23g, and the mentioned portions of the second terminal 23 are spaced from each other in the front-back direction of the connector, making the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23 in a vertically elongate shape does not lead to an increase in size of the second terminal 23 in the up-down direction.
- the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13 of the first connector 10 is formed to be larger in the width direction than in the thickness direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the front-back direction (Y-direction) of the connector
- the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23 of the second connector 20 is formed to be larger in the thickness direction than in the width direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector.
- the movable portions 13c, 23f can be formed with an increased cross-sectional area, thereby enabling the allowable current of the terminals 13, 23 to be increased, unlike a configuration in which the movable portion is elastically deformable to a sufficient extent both in the front-back direction and in the width direction of the connector.
- the connectors configured as above enable the allowable current of the terminal to be increased, despite the connectors being configured to move relative to each other in the front-back direction and the width direction thereof, and are therefore applicable to large-current devices.
- the connectors may be applied to various purposes other than for the large-current devices.
- the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13 can be formed in a vertically elongate shape without incurring an increase in size of the first terminal 13 in the up-down direction.
- the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23 can be formed in a vertically elongate shape without incurring an increase in size of the second terminal 23 in the up-down direction.
- the mentioned configuration enables the displacement ranges of the first and second movable housings 12, 22 to be increased without incurring an increase in size of the first and second connectors 10, 20 in the up-down direction, thereby allowing the first and second connectors 10, 20 to be advantageously applied to the substrates 1 and 2 disposed with a narrow clearance or disposed so as to make a large positional shift therebetween.
- the movable portion 13c of the first terminal 13 is bent in the up-down direction, the movable portion 13c can be flexurally deformed about the bent position in the thickness direction, in which the movable portion 13c is smaller than in the width direction, and therefore the first terminal 13 can be elastically deformed easily.
- the movable portion 23f of the second terminal 23 is bent in the up-down direction, the movable portion 23f can be flexurally deformed about the bent position in the width direction, in which the movable portion 23f is smaller than in the thickness direction, and therefore the second terminal 23 can be elastically deformed easily.
- the first terminal 13 includes the contact portion 13a to be brought into contact with the second terminal 23
- the second terminal 23 includes the elastically deformable first and second contact portions 23a, 23b to be brought into contact with the contact portion 13a of the first terminal 13, the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b being disposed with a spacing therebetween in the direction in which the first and second connectors 10, 20 are fitted together. Therefore, even though a foreign matter such as dust or stain is stuck to the contact portion 13a of the first terminal 13, the second contact portion 23b can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion 23a, which assures the electrical conduction between the first terminal 13 and the second terminal 23.
- the first connector 10 may also be connected to a single-contact connector including only one each of the elastic portion and the contact portion.
- the first connector 10 may also be connected to a connector without a floating function in which the movable portion 23 is not included and the fixed housing 21 and the movable housing 22 are not distinctively provided.
- the counterpart of the second connector 20 is exemplified by the first connector 10 including the movable portion 13
- the second connector 20 may also be connected to a connector without a floating function in which the movable portion 13 is not included and the fixed housing 11 and the movable housing 12 are not distinctively provided.
- the connectors 10, 20 are configured on the premise that the substrates 1, 2 are opposed to each other in the up-down direction in the foregoing embodiment, in the case where the substrates are opposed in directions other than the up-down direction, the specified direction in which the substrates are opposed corresponds to the up-down direction in the present invention.
Landscapes
- Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
- Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a connector used for connecting, for example, a pair of printed substrates to each other.
- Connector units are thus far known that include a first connector attached to one of a pair of substrates disposed such that respective surfaces oppose each other, and a second connector attached to the other substrate, the first connector and the second connector being configured to be fitted together to connect the substrates, for example as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
2007-18785 - One of the connectors includes a fixed housing to be fixed to the substrate, a movable housing disposed to move relative to the fixed housing in a front-back direction and a width direction of the connector, and a plurality of terminals each having an end portion retained by the movable housing and the other end portion retained by the fixed housing. The movable housing is displaced relative to the fixed housing by elastic deformation of a movable portion provided between the end portions of each of the terminals, so as to absorb a positional shift between the substrates arising from vibration or impact.
- Now, some socket connectors, corresponding to the first connector, include a first and a second contact portion terminal, which are elastically deformable, disposed so as to make contact with a contact portion of a terminal of a plug connector, corresponding to the second connector, the first and the second contact portion being located with a spacing therebetween in the direction in which the connectors are fitted together. With the mentioned configuration, even though a foreign matter such as dust or stain is stuck to the terminal of the plug connector, the second contact portion can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion, which assures the electrical conduction between the terminal of the plug connector and the terminal of the socket connector.
- To be more detailed, the terminal of the socket connector includes the first contact portion and the second contact portion, a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion elastically deformable in the direction to contact the terminal of the plug connector, a first fixing portion fixed to the movable housing, a movable portion elastically deformable in a width direction of the connector, a second fixing portion fixed to the fixed housing, and substrate connection portion to be connected to the substrate.
- The first elastic portion extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion, and the first contact portion is provided on the upper end portion of the first elastic portion.
- The second elastic portion extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion, and the second contact portion is provided on the upper end portion of the second elastic portion. The first and the second elastic portion are located with a spacing therebetween in a front-back direction, the second elastic portion being located closer to the center of the connector in the front-back direction.
- Here, in the case where the second elastic portion of the socket connector is formed in a linear shape, the proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion has to be shifted forward or backward in the front-back direction of the connector in order to avoid interference with a projecting portion of the first movable housing supporting the terminal of the plug connector, and hence the width of the second movable housing in the front-back direction has to be increased. Therefore, not only the socket connector but also the plug connector have to be made larger in the front-back direction.
- The present invention has been accomplished in view of the foregoing drawback, and provides a connector that suppresses an increase in size in the front-back direction, despite including a multi-contact terminal having a plurality of contact portions and elastic portions.
- In an aspect, the present invention provides a connector including a housing, and a terminal including a first contact portion and a second contact portion to be brought into contact with a mating terminal of a mating connector, a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion elastically deformable in a direction to contact the mating terminal, and a first fixing portion fixed to the movable housing. The movable housing includes a central partition wall formed at a central portion of the connector in a front-back direction and extending in the direction to contact the mating terminal, so as to oppose a projecting portion of a housing of the mating connector and to retain the mating terminal when the connectors are fitted together. The terminal is disposed such that the first fixing portion contacts the central partition wall, the first and the second elastic portion are formed so as to extend upward from an upper end portion of the first fixing portion and spaced from each other in the front-back direction with the second elastic portion located closer to the central portion in the front-back direction than the first elastic portion, and the second elastic portion includes a bent section formed close to a proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion, so as to circumvent along a shape of a distal end portion and a part of a lateral portion of the projecting portion of the mating connector.
- In the case where the second elastic portion is formed in a linear shape, the proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion has to be shifted away from the central partition wall in order to avoid interference with the projecting portion, and hence the width of the movable housing in the front-back direction has to be increased. Therefore, not only the connector of the present invention but also the mating connector have to be made larger in the front-back direction.
- In contrast, the second elastic portion including the bent section allows the interference to be avoided thereby enabling reduction in size of the connectors. In addition, the bent section serves to increase the spring length of the second elastic portion, thereby preventing degradation in insertion and removal performance and in spring elasticity, and decline in connection reliability of the connectors.
- With the mentioned configuration, further, even though a foreign matter such as dust or stain is stuck to the contact portion of the terminal of the mating connector, the second contact portion can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion, which assures the electrical conduction with the mating connector.
- The bent section is connected via the proximal end portion to the first fixing portion at the position where the bent section contacts the central partition wall, and is bent away from the central partition wall and then curved toward the central portion in the front-back direction.
- The mentioned configuration allows the interference to be avoided, thereby enabling reduction in size of the connector. In addition, the bent section serves to increase the spring length of the second elastic portion, thereby preventing degradation in insertion and removal performance and in spring elasticity, and decline in connection reliability of the connectors.
- The foregoing connectors may be configured as a connector unit including a first connector attached to one substrate and a second connector attached to another substrate, the first connector and the second connector being configured to be fitted together to connect the substrates. The first connector includes a first fixed housing to be fixed to the one substrate, a first movable housing disposed so as to move relative to the first fixed housing, and a first terminal having one end portion retained by the first movable housing and the other end portion retained by the first fixed housing. The first terminal includes a movable portion elastically deformable in a front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion has a width taken in a width direction of the connector larger than a thickness taken in the front-back direction or an up-down direction of the connector. The second connector includes a second fixed housing to be fixed to the another substrate, a second movable housing disposed so as to move relative to the second fixed housing, and a second terminal having one end portion retained by the second movable housing and the other end portion retained by the second fixed housing. The second terminal includes a movable portion elastically deformable in the width direction of the connector, and the movable portion has a thickness taken in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector larger than a width taken in the width direction of the connector.
- In the connector unit configured as above, the movable portion of the first terminal of the first connector can easily be elastically deformed in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector, since the movable portion is larger in the width direction than in the thickness direction. Likewise, the movable portion of the second terminal of the second connector can easily be elastically deformed in the width direction of the connector, since the movable portion is larger in the thickness direction than in the width direction. Therefore, when the positional shift between the substrates takes place in the front-back direction of the connector the movable portion of the first terminal is elastically deformed, and when the positional shift between the substrates takes place in the width direction of the connector the movable portion of the second terminal is elastically deformed.
- Forming thus the movable portion of the first terminal of the first connector to be larger in the width direction than in the thickness direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion of the second terminal of the second connector to be larger in the thickness direction than in the width direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the width direction of the connector, allows the respective movable portions of the first and second terminals to be formed with an increased cross-sectional area, thereby enabling the allowable current of the terminal to be increased, unlike a configuration in which the movable portion is elastically deformable to a sufficient extent both in the front-back direction and in the width direction of the connector.
- One of the foregoing connectors may be configured as a connector attached to one substrate and configured to be fitted to another connector attached to another substrate so as to connect the substrates. The connector includes a fixed housing to be fixed to the one substrate, a movable housing disposed so as to move relative to the fixed housing, and a terminal having one end portion retained by the movable housing and the other end portion retained by the fixed housing. The terminal includes a first and a second contact portion to be brought into contact with a terminal of the another connector, with a spacing between the first and the second contact portion in the direction in which the connectors are fitted together, and a movable portion elastically deformable in the width direction of the connector, and the movable portion has a thickness taken in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector larger than a width taken in the width direction of the connector.
- The movable portion of the terminal configured as above has a thickness taken in the front-back direction or up-down direction of the connector larger than a width taken in the width direction of the connector, and is hence easy to elastically deform in the width direction of the connector. Accordingly, the cross-sectional area of the movable portion can be increased, so that the allowable current of the terminal can be increased.
- In addition, the terminal includes the first and second contact portions to be brought into contact with the terminal of the other connector, with a spacing defined between the first and the second contact portion in the direction in which the connectors are fitted together. With the mentioned configuration, when the connector is fitted to the other connector the second contact portion can make contact with the terminal of the other connector following up the sliding track of the first contact portion marked thereon, and therefore even though a foreign matter is stuck to the terminal of the other connector, the second contact portion can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion, which leads to upgraded connection reliability of the connectors.
- Further, the terminal contacts the mating terminal via the first and second contact portions, and hence exerts a larger contact force on the mating terminal to firmly hold the same, compared with the case of contacting via a single contact portion. Therefore, even though the connectors are subjected to vibration during the practical use, the first and second contact portions can be prevented from micro-sliding relative to the mating terminal and from thus scraping off the plating and increasing the contact resistance. In this aspect also, the connection reliability of the connectors can be upgraded.
- The connectors configured as above can suppress an increase in size in the front-back direction, despite including a multi-contact terminal having a plurality of contact portions and elastic portions.
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; -
Fig. 2 is a front view showing the first connector; -
Fig. 3 is a side view showing the first connector; -
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line IV-IV inFig. 2 ; -
Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the first connector; -
Fig. 6 is a bottom view showing the first connector; -
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a second connector; -
Fig. 8 is a front view showing the second connector; -
Fig. 9 is a side view showing the second connector; -
Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line X-X inFig. 8 ; -
Fig. 11 is a plan view showing the second connector; -
Fig. 12 is a bottom view showing the second connector; -
Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a first terminal; -
Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a second terminal; -
Fig. 15 is a perspective view for explaining a connection process of a connector unit; and -
Fig. 16 is a side cross-sectional view for explaining the connection process of the connector unit. -
Fig. 1 through Fig. 16 illustrate a connector unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, used for connecting, for example, a pair of printed substrates to each other. In the drawings, X-direction represents a width direction of the connector, Y-direction represents a front-back direction of the connector, and Z-direction represents an up-down direction of the connector. - The connector unit according to this embodiment includes a
first connector 10 to be attached to asubstrate 1 of the pair ofsubstrates second connector 20 to be attached to theother substrate 2. - Here, although the
second connector 20 is turned upside down inFig. 15 andFig. 16 with respect toFig. 7 to Fig. 12 , the up-down direction referred to in the following description will be based on the up-down direction inFig. 7 to Fig. 12 . - The
first connector 10 includes a first fixedhousing 11 to be attached to thesubstrate 1, a firstmovable housing 12 disposed so as to move relative to the first fixedhousing 11, a plurality offirst terminals 13 retained by the first fixedhousing 11 and the firstmovable housing 12, and a pair of first fixingmembers 14 for fixing the first fixedhousing 11 to thesubstrate 1. Thefirst terminals 13 are aligned at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the connector so as to form two rows, the two rows being aligned in the front-back direction of the connector. - The first fixed
housing 11 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape smaller in height than in width and depth. The first fixedhousing 11 includes a front face 11a, a rear face 11b, and a left and right lateral faces 11c, and the upper and the lower face are open upward and downward, respectively. - A plurality of fixing
grooves 11d for fixing the respectivefirst terminals 13 are provided on the inner side of the front face 11a and the rear face 11b, and the lateral faces 11c each include a pair of cutaway portions 11e of a generally rectangular shape that delimit the movement of the firstmovable housing 12 in the front-back direction, the cutaway portions 11e being aligned in the front-back direction. - The first
movable housing 12 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape smaller in height than in width and depth. The firstmovable housing 12 is formed in a hollow shape having an opening oriented upward, and includes a projecting portion 12a erected upward from a central portion of the bottom face in the front-back direction. - The projecting portion 12a has a flat shape extending in the width direction of the first
movable housing 12, and includes a plurality of holdinggrooves 12b formed on the front and rear faces, for holding the respectivefirst terminals 13. When thefirst connector 10 and thesecond connector 20 are fitted together, the top portion of the projecting portion 12a is located close to a bottom portion of an insertion cavity 22c of a secondmovable housing 22 and a distal end portion of a secondelastic portion 23d extending in a bent shape from a first fixing portion 23e. - The first
movable housing 12 has an outer shape smaller than the inner shape of the first fixedhousing 11, and disposed inside the first fixedhousing 11 so as to move in the front-back direction and the width direction. In this embodiment, the top end of the firstmovable housing 12 is located at generally the same level as the uppermost end portion of the first fixedhousing 11. - Further, first
movable housing 12 includes a pair ofprojections 12c projecting in the width direction from each of the lateral faces, theprojections 12c being aligned in the front-back direction. Theprojections 12c are each disposed in the corresponding cutaway portion 11e of the first fixedhousing 11 so as to move in the front-back direction, the width direction, and the up-down direction. Here, a gap is provided between the bottom face of the firstmovable housing 12 and thesubstrate 1 as shown inFig. 16 , and the gap serves as a moving margin that allows the firstmovable housing 12 to move downward (toward the substrate 1). - The
first terminals 13 are formed by bending conductive metal plates, and made larger in the width direction (X-direction) than in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction), as shown inFig. 13 . - The
first terminals 13 each include a contact portion 13a to be brought into contact with a terminal of thesecond connector 20, afirst fixing portion 13b fixed to the firstmovable housing 12, a movable portion 13c elastically deformable in the front-back direction of the connector, a second fixing portion 13d fixed to the first fixedhousing 11, and a substrate connection portion 13e to be connected to thesubstrate 1. - The contact portion 13a linearly extends in the up-down direction, and is retained by the holding
groove 12c of the firstmovable housing 12. - The
first fixing portion 13b extends in the front-back direction from the lower end portion of the contact portion 13a, and is fixed to the lower face of the firstmovable housing 12. - The movable portion 13c extends upward from the
first fixing portion 13b along the outer face of the firstmovable housing 12, and is bent in an inverted U-shape in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the firstmovable housing 12 so as to extend downward. Accordingly, the movable portion 13c is elastically deformable in the front-back direction (Y-direction) of the connector, about the bent portion. - The second fixing portion 13d extends downward as further extension of the movable portion 13c, and is fixed to the fixing
groove 11d of the first fixedhousing 11. - The substrate connection portion 13e extends in the front-back direction from the lower end portion of the second fixing portion 13d, and sticks out of the first fixed
housing 11 from the lower end portion of the front face 11a or rear face 11b of the first fixedhousing 11. - Thus, the portion of the
first terminal 13 on the side of thefirst fixing portion 13b and the portion thereof on the side of the second fixing portion 13d are located with a spacing therebetween in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion 13c is provided between thefirst fixing portion 13b and the second fixing portion 13d. - The
first fixing members 14 are formed by bending a metal plate, and located on the respective sides of the first fixedhousing 11 in the width direction. Thefirst fixing members 14 are each formed in a generally channel shape so as to extend along the upper face of the corresponding lateral face 11c of the first fixedhousing 11 toward the front and rear faces, and the front and rear end portions of the first fixingmember 14 are respectively fixed to the front face and the rear face of the lateral face 11c. Thefirst fixing members 14 each include a pair of fixing portions 14a, via which the first fixingmember 14 is soldered to thesubstrate 1, formed so as to respectively extend in the front-back direction from the front and rear end portions. The first fixingmember 14 also includes a rib portion 14b formed on the upper face so as to extend in the front-back direction. - The
second connector 20 includes a second fixedhousing 21 to be attached to thesubstrate 2, the secondmovable housing 22 disposed so as to move relative to the second fixedhousing 21, a plurality ofsecond terminals 23 retained by the second fixedhousing 21 and the secondmovable housing 22, and a pair ofsecond fixing members 24 for fixing the second fixedhousing 21 to thesubstrate 2, and thesecond terminals 23 are aligned at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the connector so as to form two rows, the two rows being aligned in the front-back direction of the connector. - The second fixed
housing 21 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape smaller in height than in width and depth. The second fixedhousing 21 includes a front face 21a, arear face 21b, and a left and right lateral faces 21c, and the upper and the lower face are open upward and downward, respectively. A plurality of fixing holes 21d for fixing the respectivesecond terminals 23 are provided on the lower end portion of the front face 21a and therear face 21b, and the lateral faces 21c each include a cutaway portion 21e of a generally rectangular shape that delimits the movement of the secondmovable housing 22 in the front-back direction. - The second
movable housing 22 is formed of a synthetic resin by molding, into a generally rectangular block shape larger in height than in width and depth. - The second
movable housing 22 includes an insertion port 22a formed on the upper face, for the projecting portion 12a of the firstmovable housing 12 to be inserted therethrough, the insertion port 22a having a slender shape extending in the width direction of the firstmovable housing 12. - A plurality of terminal slots 22b in which the
second terminals 23 are respectively accommodated are provided in the secondmovable housing 22. The terminal slots 22b are aligned at predetermined intervals in the width direction of the connector so as to form two rows, the two rows being aligned in the front-back direction of the connector. The upper portion of each of the terminal slots 22b is open toward a central portion of the inner space of the secondmovable housing 22 in the front-back direction, and the insertion cavity 22c, into which the projecting portion 12a of the firstmovable housing 12 is inserted through the insertion port 22a, is formed between the front row and the rear row of the terminal slots 22b. Thesecond terminals 23 are each fixed to the lower portion of the corresponding terminal slot 22b, and the lower end portion of each of the terminal slots 22b is open downward. - The second
movable housing 22 has an outer shape smaller than the inner shape of the second fixedhousing 21, and disposed inside the second fixedhousing 21 so as to move in the front-back direction and the width direction. In this embodiment, the secondmovable housing 22 sticks out upward from the uppermost end portion of the second fixedhousing 21, by approximately half of the height of the secondmovable housing 22. In addition, the secondmovable housing 22 includes a projection 22c projecting in the width direction from each of the lateral faces. Theprojection 12c is disposed in the cutaway portion 21e of the second fixedhousing 21 so as to move in the front-back direction, the width direction, and the up-down direction. - The
second terminals 23 are each formed by punching a conductive metal plate, into a shape larger in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction) than in the width (X-direction), as shown inFig. 14 . - The
second terminals 23 each include a first contact portion 23a and a second contact portion 23b to be brought into contact with thefirst terminal 13 of thefirst connector 10, a first elastic portion 23c and the secondelastic portion 23d elastically deformable in the direction for contacting thefirst terminal 13, the first fixing portion 23e fixed to the secondmovable housing 22, a movable portion 23f elastically deformable in the width direction of the connector, asecond fixing portion 23g fixed to the second fixedhousing 21, and asubstrate connection portion 23h to be connected to thesubstrate 2. - The first contact portion 23a and the second contact portion 23b have a generally triangular shape, and each project into the insertion cavity 22c from an upper portion of the terminal slot 22b. In this embodiment, the contact portions 23a, 23b are located with a spacing therebetween in the up-down direction, the first contact portion 23a being located on the upper side of the second contact portion 23b.
- Because of the mentioned configuration, the second terminal 23 contacts the
first terminal 13 via the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b, and hence exerts a larger contact force on thefirst terminal 13 to firmly hold the same, compared with the case of contacting via a single contact portion. Therefore, even though thefirst connector 10 and thesecond connector 20 fitted together are subjected to vibration during the practical use, the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b can be prevented from micro-sliding relative to thefirst terminal 13 and from thus scraping off the plating and increasing the contact resistance. Consequently, the connection reliability of the connectors can be upgraded. - The first elastic portion 23c extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion 23e, and the first contact portion 23a is formed on the distal end portion of the first elastic portion 23c.
- The second
elastic portion 23d extends upward from the upper end portion of the first fixing portion 23e, and the second contact portion 23b is formed on the distal end portion of the secondelastic portion 23d. In this embodiment, theelastic portions 23c, 23d are located with a spacing therebetween in the front-back direction, the secondelastic portion 23d being located closer to the center of the insertion cavity 22c in the front-back direction. - The second
elastic portion 23d includes a bent section 23d1 formed close to the proximal end portion thereof connected to the first fixing portion 23e, so as to circumvent along the shape of the distal end portion and a part of the lateral portion of the projecting portion 12a of the firstmovable housing 12. The bent section 23d1 is connected via the proximal end portion to the first fixing portion 23e at the position where the bent section contacts a central partition wall 22e of the secondmovable housing 22 provided between the front row and the rear row of thesecond terminals 23. The secondelastic portion 23d includes further includes an outward curved portion 23d2 bent forward or backward away from the central partition wall 22e and an inward curved portion 23d3 again curved toward the center of the insertion cavity 22c in the front-back direction. - In the case where the second
elastic portion 23d is formed in a linear shape, the proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion 23e has to be shifted forward or backward away from the central partition wall 22e in order to avoid interference with the projecting portion 12a of the firstmovable housing 12, and hence the size of the secondmovable housing 22 in the front-back direction has to be increased. Therefore, not only thesecond connector 20 but also thefirst connector 10 have to be made larger in the front-back direction. In contrast, forming the secondelastic portion 23d with the bent section 23d1 configured as above allows the interference to be avoided thereby enabling reduction in size of the connectors. In addition, the bent section 23d1 serves to increase the spring length of the secondelastic portion 23d, thereby preventing degradation in insertion and removal performance and in spring elasticity, and decline in connection reliability of the connectors. - The first fixing portion 23e extends downward from the proximal end portion of the
elastic portions 23c, 23d, and is fixed to the lower end portion of the terminal slot 22b. - The movable portion 23f extends upward from the lower end portion of the first fixing portion 23e along the outer face of the second
movable housing 22, and then extends downward in an inverted U-shape from a generally central position of the secondmovable housing 22 in the up-down direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector, about the top end of the inverted U-shape. - The
second fixing portion 23g extends upward as further extension of the movable portion 23f, and is fixed in the fixing hole 21d of the second fixedhousing 21. - The
substrate connection portion 23h extends in the front-back direction from the lower end portion of thesecond fixing portion 23g, and sticks out of the second fixedhousing 21 from the lower end portion of the front face 21a orrear face 21b of the second fixedhousing 21. - Thus, the portion of the
second terminal 23 on the side of the first fixing portion 23e and the portion thereof on the side of thesecond fixing portion 23g are located with a spacing therebetween in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion 23f is provided between the first fixing portion 23e and thesecond fixing portion 23g. - The
second fixing members 24 are formed by bending a metal plate, and located on the respective sides of the second fixedhousing 21 in the width direction. Thesecond fixing members 24 are each formed in a generally channel shape so as to extend along the upper face of the corresponding lateral face 21c of the second fixedhousing 21 toward the front and rear faces, and the front and rear end portions of the second fixingmember 24 are respectively fixed to the front face and the rear face of the lateral face 21c. Thesecond fixing members 24 each include a pair of fixing portions 24a, via which the second fixingmember 24 is soldered to thesubstrate 2, formed so as to extend in the front-back direction. The second fixingmember 24 also includes a rib portion 24b formed on the upper face so as to extend in the front-back direction. - With the connectors configured as above, the first fixed
housing 11 of thefirst connector 10 is fixed to thesubstrate 1, by soldering the fixing portions 14a of the respective first fixingmembers 14 and the substrate connection portions 13e of the respectivefirst terminals 13 of thefirst connector 10 to thesubstrate 1. Likewise, the second fixedhousing 21 of thesecond connector 20 is fixed to thesubstrate 2, by soldering the fixing portions 24a of the respective second fixingmembers 24 and thesubstrate connection portions 23h of the respectivesecond terminals 23 of thesecond connector 20 to thesubstrate 2. Connection and Working of connectors - To connect the
first connector 10 and thesecond connector 20 to each other, thesecond connector 20 and thesubstrate 2 are turned upside down as shown inFig. 15 andFig. 16 , and the firstmovable housing 12 of thefirst connector 10 and the secondmovable housing 22 of thesecond connector 20 are fitted to each other. - Upon doing so, the second
movable housing 22 is inserted in the firstmovable housing 12, and the projecting portion 12a of the firstmovable housing 12 is inserted in the insertion cavity 22c of the secondmovable housing 22 through the insertion port 22a thereof. Accordingly, the contact portions 13a of the respectivefirst terminals 13 are press-inserted into between the front row and the rear row of the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b of thesecond terminal 23, and the contact portions 13a of thefirst terminal 13 and the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b of thesecond terminals 23 are respectively brought into contact with each other, so that thefirst terminals 13 and thesecond terminals 23 are respectively connected to each other. - In this process, the second contact portion 23b of the
second terminal 23 makes contact with the contact portion 13a of thefirst terminal 13 following first contact portion 23a of thesecond terminal 23, and therefore even though a foreign matter such as dust or stain is stuck to the contact portion 13a of thefirst terminal 13, the second contact portion 23b can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion 23a. - In the case where the
substrates movable housing 12 of thefirst connector 10 is displaced in the front-back direction (Y-direction) or the up-down direction (Z-direction) of the connector relative to the first fixedhousing 11, to thereby absorb the positional shift between thesubstrates - In the case where the
substrates movable housing 22 of thesecond connector 20 is displaced in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector relative to the second fixedhousing 21, to thereby absorb the positional shift between thesubstrates - The mentioned working is realized because the movable portion 13c of the
first terminal 13 of thefirst connector 10 is larger in the width direction (X-direction) than in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction), and can hence be elastically deformed easily in the front-back direction (Y-direction) or the up-down direction (Z-direction) of the connector. - Likewise, the movable portion 23f of the
second terminal 23 of thesecond connector 20 is larger in the thickness direction (Y-direction or Z-direction) than in the width direction (X-direction), and can hence be elastically deformed easily in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector. - Accordingly, when the positional shift between the
substrates first terminal 13 is elastically deform by a larger amount than the movable portion 23f of thesecond terminal 23, and when the positional shift between thesubstrates second terminal 23 is elastically deform by a larger amount than the movable portion 13c of thefirst terminal 13. - In addition, since the movable portion 13c of the
first terminal 13 is located between the portion of thefirst terminal 13 on the side of thefirst fixing portion 13b and the portion thereof on the side of the second fixing portion 13d, and the mentioned portions of thefirst terminal 13 are spaced from each other in the front-back direction of the connector, making the movable portion 13c of thefirst terminal 13 in a vertically elongate shape in the up-down direction does not lead to an increase in size of thefirst terminal 13 in the up-down direction. - Likewise, since the movable portion 23f of the
second terminal 23 is located between the portion of thesecond terminal 23 on the side of the first fixing portion 23e and the portion thereof on the side of thesecond fixing portion 23g, and the mentioned portions of thesecond terminal 23 are spaced from each other in the front-back direction of the connector, making the movable portion 23f of thesecond terminal 23 in a vertically elongate shape does not lead to an increase in size of thesecond terminal 23 in the up-down direction. - According to this embodiment, as described thus far, the movable portion 13c of the
first terminal 13 of thefirst connector 10 is formed to be larger in the width direction than in the thickness direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the front-back direction (Y-direction) of the connector, and the movable portion 23f of thesecond terminal 23 of thesecond connector 20 is formed to be larger in the thickness direction than in the width direction, so as to be elastically deformed in the width direction (X-direction) of the connector. Therefore, the movable portions 13c, 23f can be formed with an increased cross-sectional area, thereby enabling the allowable current of theterminals - Consequently, the connectors configured as above enable the allowable current of the terminal to be increased, despite the connectors being configured to move relative to each other in the front-back direction and the width direction thereof, and are therefore applicable to large-current devices. Naturally, the connectors may be applied to various purposes other than for the large-current devices.
- In the foregoing connectors, since the portion of the
first terminal 13 on the side of thefirst fixing portion 13b and the portion thereof on the side of the second fixing portion 13d are spaced from each other in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion 13c of thefirst terminal 13 is located between those portions, the movable portion 13c can be formed in a vertically elongate shape without incurring an increase in size of thefirst terminal 13 in the up-down direction. - Likewise, since the portion of the
second terminal 23 on the side of the first fixing portion 23e and the portion thereof on the side of thesecond fixing portion 23g are spaced from each other in the front-back direction of the connector, and the movable portion 23f of thesecond terminal 23 is located between those portions, the movable portion 23f can be formed in a vertically elongate shape without incurring an increase in size of thesecond terminal 23 in the up-down direction. - The mentioned configuration enables the displacement ranges of the first and second
movable housings second connectors second connectors substrates - In addition, since the movable portion 13c of the
first terminal 13 is bent in the up-down direction, the movable portion 13c can be flexurally deformed about the bent position in the thickness direction, in which the movable portion 13c is smaller than in the width direction, and therefore thefirst terminal 13 can be elastically deformed easily. - Likewise, the movable portion 23f of the
second terminal 23 is bent in the up-down direction, the movable portion 23f can be flexurally deformed about the bent position in the width direction, in which the movable portion 23f is smaller than in the thickness direction, and therefore thesecond terminal 23 can be elastically deformed easily. - Further, the
first terminal 13 includes the contact portion 13a to be brought into contact with thesecond terminal 23, and thesecond terminal 23 includes the elastically deformable first and second contact portions 23a, 23b to be brought into contact with the contact portion 13a of thefirst terminal 13, the first and second contact portions 23a, 23b being disposed with a spacing therebetween in the direction in which the first andsecond connectors first terminal 13, the second contact portion 23b can make contact therewith after the foreign matter is removed by the first contact portion 23a, which assures the electrical conduction between thefirst terminal 13 and thesecond terminal 23. - Although the counterpart of the
first connector 10 is exemplified by the multi-contactsecond connector 20 including the plurality of elastic portions and contact portions in the foregoing embodiment, thefirst connector 10 may also be connected to a single-contact connector including only one each of the elastic portion and the contact portion. - Although the counterpart of the
first connector 10 is exemplified by thesecond connector 20 including themovable portion 23 in the foregoing embodiment, thefirst connector 10 may also be connected to a connector without a floating function in which themovable portion 23 is not included and the fixedhousing 21 and themovable housing 22 are not distinctively provided. Likewise, although the counterpart of thesecond connector 20 is exemplified by thefirst connector 10 including themovable portion 13, thesecond connector 20 may also be connected to a connector without a floating function in which themovable portion 13 is not included and the fixedhousing 11 and themovable housing 12 are not distinctively provided. - Further, although the
connectors substrates
Claims (2)
- A connector comprising:a housing; anda terminal including a first contact portion and a second contact portion to be brought into contact with a mating terminal of a mating connector, a first elastic portion and a second elastic portion elastically deformable in a direction to contact the mating terminal, and a first fixing portion fixed to the housing,wherein the housing includes a central partition wall formed at a central portion of the connector in a front-back direction and extending in the direction to contact the mating terminal, so as to oppose a projecting portion of a housing of the mating connector and to retain the mating terminal when the connectors are fitted together,the terminal is disposed such that the first fixing portion contacts the central partition wall,the first and the second elastic portions are formed so as to extend upward from an upper end portion of the first fixing portion and spaced from each other in the front-back direction with the second elastic portion located closer to the central portion in the front-back direction than the first elastic portion, andthe second elastic portion includes a bent section formed close to a proximal end portion connected to the first fixing portion, so as to circumvent along a shape of a distal end portion and a part of a lateral portion of the projecting portion of the mating connector.
- The connector according to claim 1,
wherein the bent section is connected via a proximal end portion to the first fixing portion at a position where the bent section contacts the central partition wall, and is bent away from the central partition wall and then curved toward the central portion in the front-back direction.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2013184389A JP5422776B1 (en) | 2012-09-05 | 2013-09-05 | connector |
JP2013243072A JP5481599B2 (en) | 2012-09-05 | 2013-11-25 | connector |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2846414A1 true EP2846414A1 (en) | 2015-03-11 |
Family
ID=52462760
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20140183187 Withdrawn EP2846414A1 (en) | 2013-09-05 | 2014-09-02 | Connector |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP2846414A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101514372B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN104425919B (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1637019B1 (en) * | 2003-06-11 | 2019-01-02 | Neoconix, Inc. | Land grid array connector |
Families Citing this family (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP6693750B2 (en) * | 2016-01-08 | 2020-05-13 | Koa株式会社 | Bracket for resistor, resistor with bracket, and manufacturing method thereof |
JP6739297B2 (en) * | 2016-09-09 | 2020-08-12 | ヒロセ電機株式会社 | Electric connector for circuit board and electric connector assembly for circuit board |
JP6806529B2 (en) * | 2016-11-02 | 2021-01-06 | 日本航空電子工業株式会社 | Floating connector and electrical connector |
CN109103696A (en) * | 2017-06-21 | 2018-12-28 | 达昌电子科技(苏州)有限公司 | Floatation style connector |
JP7297622B2 (en) * | 2019-09-20 | 2023-06-26 | 日本航空電子工業株式会社 | floating connector |
JP7091008B2 (en) * | 2020-04-24 | 2022-06-27 | 矢崎総業株式会社 | Mating connector |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4106841A (en) * | 1977-03-11 | 1978-08-15 | Bunker Ramo Corporation | Electrical connector for printed circuit boards |
JP3117439B1 (en) * | 1999-07-06 | 2000-12-11 | 山一電機株式会社 | Pinching socket |
JP2007018785A (en) | 2005-07-06 | 2007-01-25 | D D K Ltd | Connector |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6030245A (en) * | 1998-03-13 | 2000-02-29 | Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd. | Connector with hybrid latch device |
JP2005322470A (en) * | 2004-05-07 | 2005-11-17 | Iriso Denshi Kogyo Kk | Connector |
JP4044937B2 (en) * | 2005-03-11 | 2008-02-06 | イリソ電子工業株式会社 | connector |
JP5006610B2 (en) * | 2006-10-05 | 2012-08-22 | イリソ電子工業株式会社 | connector |
-
2014
- 2014-09-01 CN CN201410440023.4A patent/CN104425919B/en active Active
- 2014-09-02 KR KR1020140115935A patent/KR101514372B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2014-09-02 EP EP20140183187 patent/EP2846414A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4106841A (en) * | 1977-03-11 | 1978-08-15 | Bunker Ramo Corporation | Electrical connector for printed circuit boards |
JP3117439B1 (en) * | 1999-07-06 | 2000-12-11 | 山一電機株式会社 | Pinching socket |
JP2007018785A (en) | 2005-07-06 | 2007-01-25 | D D K Ltd | Connector |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP1637019B1 (en) * | 2003-06-11 | 2019-01-02 | Neoconix, Inc. | Land grid array connector |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR101514372B1 (en) | 2015-04-22 |
CN104425919A (en) | 2015-03-18 |
KR20150028202A (en) | 2015-03-13 |
CN104425919B (en) | 2018-06-08 |
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