JP2004348969A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connector capable of surely preventing the contact failures of terminals caused by the thermal expansion, heat shrinkage of the terminals, or a shock and a vibration, and the separation of soldering. <P>SOLUTION: Moving parts 34 elastically deformable in a right-and-left direction, a backward-and-forward direction, and an up-and-down direction are arranged on each of terminals 30, and then, the mutual movement of each of housings 10, 20 can be absorbed in either side in each direction of them. At that time, the mutual movement of each of the housings 10, 20 is controlled in a predetermined range by each of stoppers 40, and then, the breakage of each of the terminals 30 can be surely prevented without excessively deforming the moving part 34 of each of the terminals 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector attached to a printed board or the like and used to electrically connect a pair of boards.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as this type of electrical connector, a first housing arranged on one connection object side, a second housing arranged on the other connection object side, and one end side arranged on the first housing. A plurality of conductive terminals held at the other end and held at the second housing. The housings are provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction (the direction in which the terminals are arranged). It is known that a movable portion that is elastically deformable in the left and right direction of each housing is provided between the other end and the housing (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-2-106882
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the electric connector, since the housings are mutually movable only in the left-right direction, the housing cannot be allowed to move in the up-down direction (terminal connection direction). For this reason, for example, when one housing side is connected to a board and the other housing side is connected to a connector attached to another board, each terminal undergoes thermal expansion or thermal contraction due to thermal influences such as use environment. In addition, since the terminals of each connector are fixed to each board, there is a problem that the contact portions of the terminals slide with each other to cause a contact failure. In addition, since the electrical connector cannot tolerate movement in the front-rear direction (the direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the terminals), when an external impact or vibration occurs, the position of each board in the front-rear direction is displaced. However, there is a problem that the terminal cannot be absorbed and the terminal is deformed and the soldering with the substrate is separated.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to reliably prevent poor contact of a terminal due to thermal expansion, thermal shrinkage or impact or vibration of a terminal, or separation of soldering. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector which can be used.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a first housing disposed on one connection object side, a second housing disposed on the other connection object side, and one end side are provided. A plurality of conductive terminals held by the first housing and the other end held by the second housing, and each housing is provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction. In the connector, a movable portion that is elastically deformable in each of the left and right direction, the front and rear direction and the up and down direction of each housing is provided between one end side and the other end side of each terminal, and the left and right direction, the front and rear direction and the up and down direction of each housing Movement restricting means for restricting the mutual movement within a predetermined range. Thereby, the mutual movement of each housing is absorbed in any of the directions by the elastic deformation of the movable portion of each terminal. At this time, since the mutual movement of each housing is restricted within a predetermined range by the movement restricting means, the movable part of each terminal is not excessively deformed.
[0007]
According to a second aspect, in the electrical connector according to the first aspect, the movable portion of each of the terminals is formed to bend in a meandering manner. Thereby, in addition to the operation of the first aspect, the movable portion can be easily elastically deformed in the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction.
[0008]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the electric connector according to the first or second aspect, the movement restricting means is provided at a predetermined position of one housing, and is provided at a predetermined position of the other housing in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction. It is formed by a movement restricting portion that can be locked. Thereby, in addition to the effect of the first or second aspect, the mutual movement of each housing in each direction is reliably restricted by the simple structure.
[0009]
According to a fourth aspect, in the electrical connector according to the third aspect, the movement restricting portion is formed by a separate component attached to one housing. Thus, in addition to the operation of the third aspect, the molding and assembly of each housing is easier than, for example, a case where a portion having a movement restricting function is integrally formed in each housing.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric connector, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, FIG. 3 is a side sectional view thereof, FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing an attached state.
[0011]
This electrical connector includes an insulating first housing 10 and a second housing 20, which are formed separately from each other, a plurality of terminals 30 held by the housings 10, 20, and a connection between the housings 10, 20. It comprises a pair of stopper members 40 as a movement restricting portion for restricting the movement.
[0012]
The first housing 10 has an opening 11 on the upper surface for fitting a mating connector, and a plurality of terminal holes 12 for holding the respective terminals 30 on both sides in the front-rear direction within the opening 11 at regular intervals in the left-right direction. It is provided in. Grooves 13 for fixing the stopper members 40 are provided on both left and right sides of the first housing 10, respectively.
[0013]
The second housing 22 has a plurality of terminal holes 21 for holding the terminals 30 on both sides in the front-rear direction, and the terminal holes 21 are provided at equal intervals in the left-right direction. Further, on the lower surface of the second housing 20, projections 22 for engaging with the substrate are provided on both sides in the left-right direction, respectively, and each projection 22 is inserted into a hole provided on the substrate and locked on the substrate. . The left and right side surfaces 23 of the second housing 20 are formed so as to be able to be locked to the respective stopper members 40 in the left and right direction, and the respective side surfaces 23 have projections 24 which can be locked to the respective stopper members 40 in the front and rear direction and the up and down direction. Is provided.
[0014]
The terminals 30 are made of a conductive metal plate, and are arranged in a row on both sides in the front-rear direction of the connector body 10. One end of each terminal 30 is provided with a contact portion 31 with which a terminal of a mating connector comes into contact. The contact portion 31 is engaged with the first housing 10 by being inserted into the first housing 10 in the front-rear direction. It has become. The other end of each terminal 30 is provided with an engaging portion 32 that engages with the second housing 20, and the engaging portion 32 is formed in a bifurcated portion at a projecting portion provided on the second housing 20. By press-fitting 25, the second housing 20 is held. A connecting portion 33 connected to the substrate is provided at the other end of each terminal 30, and the connecting portion 33 is formed to extend downward from the engaging portion 32. Further, a movable portion 34 that is elastically deformable in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction of each of the housings 10 and 20 is provided between the contact portion 31 of each terminal 30 and the engagement portion 32, and the movable portion 34 has a width. Are formed to bend in a small meandering shape.
[0015]
Each stopper member 40 is formed by bending a plate-like member into a substantially rectangular ring shape, and is fixed to the first housing 10 by pressing both ends thereof into the grooves 13 of the first housing 10. In this case, each stopper member 40 is arranged on the side of the second housing 20, and each projection 24 of the second housing 20 is arranged inside each stopper member 40. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the interval X1 in the left-right direction (X direction) of each stopper member 40 is formed to be wider than the interval X2 in the left-right direction of both side surfaces 23 of the second housing 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the inner dimension Y1 of the stopper member 40 in the front-rear direction (Y direction) is formed to be larger than the front-rear dimension Y2 of the protrusion 24, and the lower surface of the protrusion 24 and the second housing 20 are formed. The gap Z1 in the vertical direction (Z direction) with respect to the upper surface 25 is formed wider than the thickness Z2 of the lower end of the stopper member 40.
[0016]
In the electrical connector configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 5, the second housing 20 is connected to one substrate A together with each terminal 30 by soldering the connection portion 33 of each terminal 30 to one substrate A. Fixed to. Also, by inserting each terminal 51 of the connector 50 attached to the other substrate B into the first housing 10 and connecting each terminal 51 of the connector 50 to the contact portion 31 of each terminal 30, each substrate A, B are electrically connected to each other.
[0017]
Here, when the substrates A and B are displaced in the left-right direction (X direction), the front-rear direction (Y direction), or the up-down direction (Z direction), the elastic deformation of the movable portion 34 of each terminal 30 is performed. Accordingly, the first housing 10 moves with respect to the second housing 20 following the boards A and B, and the displacement of the boards A and B is absorbed. When the terminals 30 and 51 undergo thermal expansion or thermal contraction, the movable portion 34 of each terminal 30 elastically deforms in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the thermal expansion or thermal contraction of the terminals 30 and 51 occurs. Is absorbed.
[0018]
In the case described above, the movement of the first housing 10 with respect to the second housing 20 in each direction is restricted to a predetermined range by each stopper member 40. That is, since the housings 10 and 20 can move by X1-X2 in the X direction, Y1-Y2 in the Y direction, and Z1-Z2 in the Z direction, the movable portion 34 of each terminal 30 may be excessively deformed. Absent.
[0019]
As described above, according to the electrical connector of the present embodiment, since the movable portions 34 that can be elastically deformed in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction are provided in each terminal 30, the mutual movement of the housings 10, 20 can be controlled in each direction. In any direction, the terminal can be reliably prevented from being inferiorly contacted with the terminal due to thermal expansion, thermal shrinkage, shock or vibration, peeling of soldering, or the like. At this time, since the mutual movement of each of the housings 10 and 20 is restricted within a predetermined range by each of the stopper members 40, the movable portion 34 of each of the terminals 30 is not excessively deformed, and damage to each of the terminals 30 is prevented. It can be reliably prevented.
[0020]
In addition, since the movable portion 34 of each terminal 30 is formed to bend in a meandering shape with a small width, the movable portion 34 can be easily elastically deformed in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction. 20 can be reliably moved relative to each other.
[0021]
Further, each of the stopper members 40 is formed by an annular member in which the protrusions 24 provided on both side surfaces 23 of the second housing 20 are arranged inside, and the side ends of each of the stopper members 40 and both sides of the second housing 20 are formed. The movement in the left-right direction (X direction) is restricted by locking with the surface, and the front-rear direction (Y direction) and the vertical direction (Z direction) are locked by locking the inner surface of each stopper member 40 and the protrusion of the second housing 20. ), The movement of each of the housings 10 and 20 in each direction can be reliably restricted by a simple structure, which is extremely advantageous for practical use.
[0022]
In this case, since each stopper member 40 is formed by a separate component attached to the first housing 10, the molding of each housing 10, 20 is smaller than in the case where a portion having a stopper function is formed integrally with each housing 10, 20. In addition, assembly can be easily performed, and productivity can be improved.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the electrical connector of the first aspect, the mutual movement of each housing can be absorbed in any of the left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction. Alternatively, it is possible to reliably prevent terminal contact failure or peeling of soldering due to shock or vibration. At this time, since the movable portion of each terminal is not excessively deformed, damage to each terminal can be reliably prevented.
[0024]
According to the electrical connector of the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the movable portion of each terminal can be easily elastically deformed in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction. It can be moved reliably.
[0025]
According to the electrical connector of the third aspect, in addition to the effects of the first or second aspect, the mutual movement of each housing can be reliably restricted by a simple structure, which is extremely advantageous for practical use.
[0026]
According to the electrical connector of the fourth aspect, in addition to the effects of the third aspect, the molding and assembly of each housing can be easily performed as compared with, for example, a case where a portion having a movement restricting function is integrally formed in each housing. Therefore, productivity can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector showing one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of an electrical connector. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of an electrical connector. FIG. 4 is a side view of an electrical connector. Side view showing the mounted state of the connector
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... 1st housing, 20 ... 2nd housing, 23 ... Side surface, 24 ... Projection, 30 ... Terminal, 34 ... Movable part, 40 ... Stopper member, A, B ... Substrate.

Claims (4)

A first housing arranged on one connection object side, a second housing arranged on the other connection object side, one end held by the first housing, and the other end arranged on the second housing; An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of conductive terminals held by a housing; and each housing is provided movably in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction.
Provided between the one end side and the other end side of each of the terminals is a movable portion that can be elastically deformed in the left-right direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction of each housing,
An electric connector comprising a movement restricting means for restricting a mutual movement of each housing in a left-right direction, a front-rear direction, and a vertical direction within a predetermined range. 2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion of each terminal is formed to bend in a meandering manner. 2. A movement restricting means provided at a predetermined position of one housing and formed at a predetermined position of the other housing by a movement restricting portion which can be locked in a left-right direction, a front-rear direction, and a vertical direction. Or the electrical connector of 2. The electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein the movement restricting portion is formed by another component attached to one housing.

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