JP2001052769A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector capable of keeping reliable electrical connection over a long time even if an aging effect occurs. SOLUTION: A pair of metal plates 60, 150 interlaying a membrane circuit 20 are fixedly joined together by two joining members 70, 70. A single spot-like projecting part 153 positioned midway between the two joining members and projecting toward the membrane circuit is formed on the one plate 150 of the pair of metal plates. The spot-like projecting part serves to absorb mechanical looseness agedly produced between the membrane circuit and a terminal, and keeps highly reliable electrical connection over a long time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector for electrically connecting a harness and a membrane circuit.
In particular, the present invention relates to a connector capable of maintaining a reliable electrical connection for a long period of time.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art PET (polyethylene terephthalate)
For flexible and thin membrane circuits (also called electrode sheets, etc.) using a film of the material as the base material,
When electrically and mechanically connecting the harness, generally, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 5, the harness 10 and the membrane circuit 20 are fixedly connected at the terminal section 30. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the terminal section 30 in an enlarged manner.

[0003] A connector 40 for connecting the harness 10 and a conductive pattern of the membrane circuit 20 is used in the terminal section 30. The connector 40 includes a metal terminal 50 that is mechanically and electrically connected to the harness 10 in advance by pressing or crimping, and the like.
And two connecting members for firmly connecting (caulking) the three members by interposing the membrane circuit 20 between the terminal 50 and the washer 60, for example, a staple or a rivet 70, 70.

FIG. 7 is a plan view (a) and a side view (b) showing the terminal 50 alone. The terminal 50 has a connection part 51 connected to the end of the harness 10 at one end. The terminal 50 further has two through holes 52, 52 in its body 53 for allowing the rivets 70, 70 to pass therethrough.

[0005]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional connector, immediately after the rivet 70 or the rivet is driven, the membrane circuit 20 and the terminal 50 are pressed by the membrane circuit 20 and the terminal 50 by these. The electrical connection between them is good. However, over time, the PET film of the membrane circuit 20 becomes thin under the influence of heat from the surrounding environment. In addition, loosening of the rivet 70 occurs. When such a change over time occurs in a complex manner, the effect is reduced because the connection between the terminal 50 and the membrane circuit 20 is not clear, and finally the electrical connection state between the membrane circuit 20 and the terminal 50 is reduced. Becomes unstable (poor contact).

It is an object of the present invention to improve this point and to provide a connector capable of maintaining a reliable electrical connection for a long period of time even if a membrane circuit or the like changes with time.

[0007]

A connector according to the present invention comprises: a pair of metal plates for sandwiching a membrane circuit; two connecting members for fixedly connecting the pair of metal plates with the membrane circuit interposed therebetween; At least one of the pair of metal plates is provided with at least one convex portion which is located between the two coupling members and is formed so as to protrude toward the membrane circuit.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one of the pair of metal plates is a terminal connected to a harness, and the other is a washer. Further, the convex portion is formed on at least one of the terminal and the washer.

In the connector according to the present invention, at least one of a pair of metal plates connected by two connecting members (fitting, rivets, etc.) with the membrane circuit held therebetween is located at an intermediate position between the two connecting members. Thus, at least one protrusion (for example, a point-like protrusion, a linear protrusion, or the like) protruding toward the membrane circuit is formed. The convex portion elastically deforms the metal plate between the two coupling members, and acts to strongly press the convex portion against the membrane circuit by the elastic force of the metal plate. This makes it possible to absorb mechanical loosening that occurs with time between the membrane circuit and the terminal, and maintain a highly reliable electrical connection for a long period of time.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings. 1A and 1B are side views showing an embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIG. 1A shows a state before assembly, and FIG.
Indicates a state after assembly. The membrane circuit 20 is similar to that shown in FIG. This membrane circuit 20
140 of the present invention for connecting a harness to the
Is a terminal 150, a washer 60 and two rivets 7
It consists of 0,70. In this example, washers 60 and rivets 70 are conventional.

FIG. 2 is a plan view (a), a side view (b), and an AA sectional view (c) showing a terminal 150 according to the present invention as a single unit. The terminal 150 has a connection part 151 connected to the end of the harness at one end. Terminal 150 further comprises
Two through holes 15 for penetrating rivets 70, 70
2, 152 and a single point-like convex portion formed between the two through holes 152, for example, a dimple 153,
54.

The dimple 153 has two through holes 152,
It is formed at an intermediate point on the line connecting the lines 152, and its convex portion faces the membrane circuit 20. Such a terminal 15
When the membrane circuit 20 is interposed between 0 and the washer 60, and the three members are firmly fastened with the two rivets 70, 70, as shown in FIG. The tip P of the dimple 153 is formed by the elastic force (spring back) that attempts to return to the original shape (plane) that was not present.
A contact pressure F that presses the membrane circuit 20 is generated at zero.
This contact pressure F is caused by the elasticity of the metal terminal 150 and the washer.

At the same time, with the rivet 70 as a fulcrum, pressure is also generated at the end points P1 and P2 of the terminal 150, which are reaction points of the tip P0 of the dimple 153, in the direction of pressing the membrane circuit 20. After all, these three points P0, P1, P2
This establishes an electrical connection between the terminal 150 and the membrane circuit 20. Since the electrical connection is elastic, even if the thickness of the membrane circuit 20 is reduced due to the aging of the membrane circuit 20 and the fastening of the rivet 70 is loosened, the change in the mechanical connection is absorbed and stable for a long period of time. A reliable electrical connection is maintained.

When the dimple 153 is used as described above, the connection with the membrane circuit 20 becomes a point contact and the connection portion becomes clear, so that the reliability of the electrical connection is improved.
Further, since the contact portion becomes gas tight, the oxidizing action does not occur, and high reliability can be maintained for a long time.

The above-mentioned dimple 153 is
It may be formed on the 0 side. Further, the shape of the convex portion is not limited to the single dimple 153 described above. For example, as shown in the plan view (a) and the BB cross-sectional view (b) of FIG. 3, the terminal 1 in which two dimples 155 and 155 arranged in the width direction on the body 154 as the protrusions are formed.
4 or a terminal 170 having a body portion 154 formed with a bead 156 extending in the width direction as shown in the plan view (a) and the CC sectional view (b) of FIG.
Similar effects can be obtained. Also, rivets 70
May be another fixed connecting member such as a diaper.

Such a connector can be widely applied to home electric appliances such as microwave ovens and washing machines, industrial machines such as machine tools, and transportation equipment such as trains and motorcycles.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a connector capable of maintaining a reliable electrical connection for a long period of time even if a change over time occurs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view (a) before assembling and a side view (b) after assembling showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a plan view (a), a side view (b), and a cross-sectional view (c) showing the terminal of FIG. 1 alone.

FIG. 3 is a plan view (a) and a sectional view (b) showing terminals of a connector according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view (a) and a sectional view (b) showing terminals of a connector according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a connection portion between a membrane circuit and a harness.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal section of FIG.

7A and 7B are a plan view and a side view showing a conventional terminal alone.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 harness, 20 membrane circuit, 30 terminal part, 60 washer, 70 rivet, 140 connector, 150, 160, 170 terminal, 151 connection part, 152 through hole, 153, 155 dimple, Fifteen
4 ... trunk, 156 ... bead.

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission Date] July 17, 2000 (2007.1)
7)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claim 1

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0007

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0007]

A connector according to the present invention comprises: a pair of metal plates for sandwiching a membrane circuit; two connecting members for fixedly connecting the pair of metal plates with the membrane circuit interposed therebetween; on at least one of the pair of metal plates, positioned in the middle of the two coupling members, wherein a least one of the convex portion is formed so as to protrude toward the membrane circuit, said two coupling members And said
Press the membrane circuit against the tip of the projection
It is characterized by combining a pair of metal plates

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Moritaka Goto 1440 Mukurosaki, Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture Inside Fujikura Sakura Plant (72) Inventor Hideo Goto 1440 Mutsuzaki, Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture Inside Fujikura Sakura Plant ( 72) Inventor Kazumasa Isonaga 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Pref. In Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tsutomu Fukui 1-4-1 Chuo in Wako-shi, Saitama Pref. (72) Inventor Nobuhiro Koshiro 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Prefecture Inside Honda Technical Research Institute Co., Ltd. (72) Koichi Uechi 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Honda Technology Co., Ltd. F-term in the laboratory (reference) 5E085 BB01 BB12 BB30 CC03 DD08 EE02 FF01 HH06 JJ06

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pair of metal plates sandwiching a membrane circuit, two coupling members fixedly coupling the pair of metal plates with the membrane circuit interposed therebetween, and at least one of the pair of metal plates, A connector located at an intermediate position between the two coupling members, the at least one projection formed to protrude toward the membrane circuit. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein one of the pair of metal plates is a terminal connected to a harness, and the other is a washer. 3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion is formed on at least one of the terminal and the washer.