JP2011228157A - Connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To further miniaturize and simplify the construction of a slim-type connector structure which has made it possible to minimize the number of component parts and simplify a process for connecting wire-like terminals while also enabling connection work to be carried out easily and efficiently and the wire-like terminals to be firmly held after being disposed in place without exerting external forces thereon.SOLUTION: The connector comprises a contact 11 formed as an integral body and a housing 12 formed as an integral body, one pc. each. A pair of terminal contact parts 14 are disposed in parallel to an installation plane 100a. The housing 12 makes the pair of terminal contact parts 14 contact with a wire-like terminal 101a to hold them by moving along a linear direction relative to the contact 11, the housing 12 being slid on a side wall 16. In a state that before the above relative movement is carried out, the contact 11 is elastically deformed to open the pair of terminal contact parts 14, the housing 12 is locked to the side wall 16 of the contact 11.

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector connected to a linear terminal by contacting the linear terminal and holding the linear terminal.

  As a connector connected to a linear terminal by contacting the linear terminal and holding the linear terminal, those disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are known. The connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 is configured as a connector connected to a linear terminal protruding from an end of a fluorescent tube such as a cold cathode tube.

  In Patent Document 1, a housing-shaped socket body installed on a flat plate-like member provided as a substrate, a cover member provided movably in the socket body, and a pair provided as two contact pieces There is disclosed a connector configured to include three component parts including a terminal contact portion and a contact fixed to a socket body. And this connector, a pair of terminal contact portion is opened and closed by the cam body provided in this cover member with the movement of the cover member, the linear terminal of the fluorescent tube and the pair of terminal contact portions are in contact, It is electrically connected to a linear terminal.

  7 and 8 of Patent Document 2, a contact installed on a flat plate-like member provided as a substrate, and a housing provided as a slider that can slide along the linear direction with respect to the contact, A connector configured and provided is disclosed. In addition, the contacts in this connector are provided in the vicinity of a pair of terminal contact portions provided as contact portions arranged inside the housing and in contact with the linear terminals of the fluorescent tube, and the pair of terminal contact portions, respectively. And a pair of side wall-shaped guide plates that are disposed on the outer side of the housing and slidably support the housing. The housing is provided with a slide shaft. The pair of side wall-shaped guide plates are formed with slide holes through which the slide shaft slides and are connected by a bottom plate. The connector is configured so that the housing slides along the linear direction, and the housing presses the pressing portion of the contact so that the pair of terminal contact portions are displaced to contact the linear terminals. Has been.

JP 2009-26555 A JP 2008-34330 A

  In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, three components, that is, a socket main body, a cover member, and a contact are required as component parts, which increases the number of component parts. Further, in order to reduce the thickness of an application (for example, a liquid crystal display device) required in the market as a connector application target, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the connector built in the application. On the other hand, in the case of the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the pair of terminal contact portions in the contacts are provided so as to extend in the vertical direction with respect to the flat plate member. For this reason, in the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to reduce the thickness of a connector structure that directly affects the reduction in the thickness of an application required in the market such as a liquid crystal display device. It is difficult to meet this demand.

  On the other hand, in the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, since one contact and one housing are provided, the number of components of the connector can be minimized. And since a pair of terminal contact part is arrange | positioned in parallel with respect to a flat member, it becomes possible to achieve thickness reduction of a connector structure regarding the part corresponding to this terminal contact part. In the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, the housing is slid in a linear direction with respect to the contact, and the terminal contact portion is brought into contact with the linear terminal to complete the electrical connection to the linear terminal. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the connection process for the linear terminals.

  However, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a structure in which a large guide plate is formed integrally with a contact having a pair of terminal contact portions disposed inside the housing and disposed further outside the housing. . For this reason, an increase in size and complexity of the connector structure will be caused.

  Further, in the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, although the linear terminal can be arranged between the pair of terminal contact portions with almost no external force acting on the linear terminal, a slide shaft provided in the housing is provided. It is configured as a structure that is only slidably held in slide holes formed in the pair of side wall-shaped guide plates. For this reason, in the state before the electrical connection to the linear terminal is completed, the position of the housing with respect to the contact is not stable, and the efficient connection work is hindered. Therefore, it is possible to arrange a linear terminal between a pair of terminal contact portions with almost no external force acting on the linear terminal, and to realize a structure that allows easy and efficient connection work thereafter. It is hoped that

  Further, in the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, in the state where electrical connection is completed, the linear terminal is held only by the holding force by the housing. In the case of only the holding force by the housing, there is a possibility that a sufficient holding force for holding the linear terminal is insufficient. For example, in the case of a connector used in a high-temperature atmosphere, there is a high possibility that a sufficient holding force for holding a linear terminal is insufficient only with a holding force by a housing. Therefore, it is desired to have a structure that can hold the linear terminal more firmly by securing the holding force by the contact in addition to the holding force of the housing. However, it is also necessary to be able to dispose the linear terminal between the pair of terminal contact portions with almost no external force acting on the linear terminal. Therefore, it is possible to arrange a linear terminal between a pair of terminal contact portions with almost no external force acting on the linear terminal, and to realize a structure capable of holding the linear terminal more firmly. Is desired.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention can minimize the number of components and simplify the connection process for the linear terminals, and can be easily and efficiently performed after arranging the linear terminals with almost no external force. It is possible to perform connection work, hold the linear terminals firmly, and further reduce the size and simplify the structure in the thin connector structure that can meet the demand for thin application in the market. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can be used.

  The connector which concerns on 1st invention for achieving the said objective is related with the connector connected with respect to the said linear terminal by a contact contacting a linear terminal and hold | maintaining the said linear terminal. And the connector which concerns on 1st invention has a pair of terminal contact part which contacts from the both sides with respect to the side of the said linear terminal while being installed in a flat member, The said integrally formed A contact, and a housing that is formed so as to be slidable outwardly with respect to both side walls of the contact in a direction in which the side of the contact and the pair of terminal contact portions are arranged, and is integrally formed. The contact and the housing are provided one by one, and the pair of terminal contact portions are provided so as to extend in a cantilever manner in the contact, and the contact is installed in the flat plate member. The housing is arranged so as to extend parallel to the installation surface, and the housing is in sliding contact with the side wall of the contact with respect to the contact. The pair of terminal contact portions are held in contact with the linear terminals by performing a relative movement along a linear direction, and the contacts are elastically deformed in a state before the relative movement to perform the pair of contact. The terminal contact portion of the contact is locked to the side wall of the contact.

  According to the present invention, since the connector is configured by providing the contacts and the housing that are integrally formed one by one, the number of components of the connector can be minimized. And since a pair of terminal contact portions in the contact are arranged in parallel to the installation surface of the flat plate-like member, it meets the demand for thinning of applications in the market (for example, thinning of liquid crystal display devices). The connector structure can be thinned as possible.

  Further, the housing is disposed so as to be slidable on both side walls of the contact on the outside. For this reason, unlike the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, the connector of the present invention is formed integrally with a contact having a pair of terminal contact portions disposed inside the housing and disposed further outside the housing. There is no structure as if a large guide plate was provided. Thereby, in a thin connector structure, the structure can be further miniaturized and simplified. Further, in the connector of the present invention, the housing is slidably contacted with the contact and moves relative to the linear direction so that the terminal contact portion is brought into contact with the linear terminal to complete the electrical connection to the linear terminal. Therefore, the connection process for the linear terminals can be simplified.

  Furthermore, in the connector according to the present invention, the housing is locked to the side wall of the contact in a state in which the pair of terminal contact portions are opened in a state before moving relative to the contact. For this reason, in a state before being electrically connected to the linear terminals, the linear terminals can be easily arranged between the pair of opened terminal contact portions with almost no external force applied. Then, before the electrical connection to the linear terminal is completed, the housing can be temporarily locked to the side wall of the contact, and thereafter the housing is moved relative to the contact. The connection work can be easily and efficiently performed. Furthermore, since the linear terminals are arranged in a state where the contacts are elastically deformed in the housing and the pair of terminal contact portions are opened, the housing is then relatively moved to complete the electrical connection. In addition to the holding force at 1, the holding force by the elastic force of the contact is also secured. Thereby, a linear terminal can be hold | maintained more firmly.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, the number of components can be minimized, the connection process for the linear terminals can be simplified, and the connection work can be performed easily and efficiently after being arranged with almost no external force acting on the linear terminals. In addition, a connector that can hold the linear terminals firmly and that can further reduce the size and simplify the structure in a thin connector structure that can meet the demand for thin applications in the market. Can be provided.

  The connector according to a second aspect is the connector according to the first aspect, wherein the housing moves along a direction perpendicular to the installation surface, thereby moving the relative movement along a linear direction with respect to the contact. It is characterized by performing.

  According to the present invention, in the connector that is thinned by providing the pair of terminal contact portions so as to extend in parallel to the installation surface of the flat plate-like member, the housing moves relative to the installation surface perpendicularly. By carrying out, it is comprised so that a pair of terminal contact part may be made to contact a linear terminal and electrical connection may be completed. For this reason, there is no connector structure extending so that the relative movement direction of the housing spreads along the installation surface, and the relative movement direction of the housing is set to be space-efficient and compact with respect to the arrangement of the pair of terminal contact portions. Can do. Thereby, the connector structure can be further miniaturized.

  The connector according to a third aspect of the present invention is the connector according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the contact includes a portion that continues from each of the pair of terminal contact portions to a portion that constitutes a part of the side wall of the contact. A pair of extension portions formed so as to be able to bend together with the pair of terminal contact portions are provided, and the housing is configured to sandwich the contact from the outside with the relative movement. A contact position adjusting portion capable of adjusting an extension portion contact position, which is a position in contact with each of the pair of extension portions, and the contact position adjusting portion is the extension portion in each of the pair of extension portions. The length dimension of the path along the contact from the contact position to the position contacting the linear terminal in each of the pair of terminal contact portions, Wherein with the relative movement of, and adjusting to be shorter.

  According to the present invention, in the state before the relative movement of the housing, the length dimension of the path along the contact from the extension portion contact position to the position contacting the linear terminal is ensured long. Therefore, in a state where the linear terminals are arranged between the pair of terminal contact portions before the relative movement of the housing, the pair of extension portions are easily bent, so that the linear terminals are easily arranged. The pair of terminal contact portions can be easily opened. On the other hand, in the state after the relative movement of the housing, the length dimension of the path is adjusted to be short by the operation of the contact position adjusting unit. For this reason, in a state in which the linear terminals are held between the pair of terminal contact portions after the relative movement of the housing, the pair of extension portions are hardly bent, so that the linear terminals are more firmly held. can do. Therefore, when arranging the linear terminals, it is easy to open between the pair of terminal contact portions, and when holding the linear terminals, it is possible to ensure a stronger holding force. A connector structure that can be adjusted in accordance with the relative movement of the housing can be realized.

  The connector according to a fourth aspect is the connector according to the third aspect, wherein the contact position adjusting portion is provided as a part of a wall portion that contacts the side wall of the contact in the housing, and the thickness of the wall portion is changed. It is formed to have a portion.

  According to the present invention, the contact position adjusting portion that adjusts the length dimension of the path along the contact from the extension portion contact position to the position contacting the linear terminal with the relative movement of the housing. A part can be used effectively. Therefore, the contact position adjusting unit can be realized with a space-efficient and compact structure.

  The connector according to a fifth aspect is the connector according to the fourth aspect, wherein the contact position adjusting portion is provided so as to have a stepped portion formed in the wall portion of the housing.

  According to the present invention, the contact position adjusting unit can be realized with a simpler structure by providing the stepped portion on the wall portion of the housing.

  The connector according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the connector according to any one of the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, wherein the contact includes a part of a side wall of the contact from a portion continuous with each of the pair of terminal contact portions. A pair of extension portions formed so as to be able to bend together with the pair of terminal contact portions, and each of the pair of extension portions is bent and extended a plurality of times. It is characterized by being formed.

  According to the present invention, the pair of extension portions that can be bent together with the pair of terminal contact portions and extend to a portion constituting a part of the side wall of the contact are formed to bend and extend a plurality of times. For this reason, it is possible to secure a long length of the path along the contact in the pair of extension portions while suppressing the size of the contact from being increased and reducing the size. This realizes a connector structure in which the pair of extension portions can be easily bent so that the pair of terminal contact portions can be easily opened and the linear terminals can be easily arranged, and the connector can be miniaturized. Can do.

  A connector according to a seventh aspect is the connector according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the housing is provided with the contacts so that the pair of terminal contact portions are opened before the relative movement is performed. An opening / closing part is provided that is elastically deformed and that elastically recovers the contact by performing the relative movement and displaces the pair of terminal contact parts toward the linear terminals. And

  According to this invention, in a state before the housing is engaged with the side wall of the contact and performs relative movement, the pair of terminal contact portions are elastically deformed and forcibly opened by the opening / closing portion provided in the housing. It becomes a state. On the other hand, when the relative movement of the housing is performed, the opening / closing portion provided in the housing also moves, and the pair of terminal contact portions recovers and closes, so that the linear terminals are held. For this reason, the change in the position of the opening / closing portion relative to the pair of terminal contact portions before and after the relative movement of the housing is effectively utilized, and the pair of terminal contact portions are automatically linked to the operation of the housing before and after the relative movement of the housing. It is possible to configure a mechanism that opens and closes.

  A connector according to an eighth aspect is the connector according to the seventh aspect, wherein the housing moves along a direction perpendicular to the installation surface, thereby moving the relative movement along a linear direction with respect to the contact. The opening / closing portion is provided as a protruding portion of the housing and is provided as a portion that moves perpendicularly to the installation surface between the pair of terminal contact portions. To do.

  According to the present invention, since the relative movement direction of the housing is perpendicular to the installation surface, the relative movement direction of the housing is set to be space-efficient and compact with respect to the arrangement of the pair of terminal contact portions extending in parallel to the installation surface. Can be further reduced in size. The opening / closing portion is provided as a protruding portion that moves perpendicularly to the installation surface together with the housing between the pair of terminal contact portions. For this reason, in the connector structure further reduced in size, a pair of terminal contact portions parallel to the installation surface are automatically linked to the operation of the housing before and after relative movement of the housing in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface. The mechanism that opens and closes can be formed as a protruding portion with a simple structure.

  A connector according to a ninth invention is the connector according to the eighth invention, wherein the contact is provided with a plurality of first projecting pieces formed so as to project from each of the pair of terminal contact parts, When attached and locked to the contact, the opening / closing is between the first protruding piece portion protruding from one of the pair of terminal contact portions and the first protruding piece portion protruding from the other. The plurality of first projecting pieces are provided with inclined portions that are inclined so as to spread outward in a direction opposite to the insertion direction in which the opening / closing portion is inserted. It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, the pair of terminal contact portions is provided with a plurality of first projecting pieces into which the opening and closing portions are inserted, and these first projecting pieces are on the opposite side to the insertion direction of the opening and closing portions. An inclined portion extending outward is provided. For this reason, when the housing is attached and locked to the contact, the inserted opening / closing portion slides smoothly with respect to the inclined portion, and the plurality of first projecting pieces are directed outward. The pair of terminal contact portions are easily opened. Therefore, when the housing is locked to the contact, the pair of terminal contact portions can be opened more easily.

  A connector according to a tenth invention is the connector according to any one of the first to ninth inventions, wherein the contact has a plurality of second projecting piece portions formed so as to project from each of the pair of terminal contact portions. Each of the plurality of second projecting pieces is provided with a protruding portion formed to protrude toward the inside of the contact in a direction parallel to the direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions are arranged. In addition, each of the protruding portions restricts movement of the linear terminals held by the pair of terminal contact portions in a direction opposite to the installation surface side by performing the relative movement. To do.

  According to the present invention, the pair of terminal contact portions is provided with a plurality of second projecting piece portions each formed with a protruding portion protruding toward the inside of the contact. When the linear movement of the housing is performed and the linear terminals are held by the pair of terminal contact portions, the movement of the linear terminals to the side opposite to the installation surface side is restricted by the protruding portion. Is done. For this reason, it is possible to efficiently prevent the linear terminals held between the pair of terminal contact portions from dropping off by a simple configuration in which the second protruding piece portion having a protruding portion is provided on the pair of terminal contact portions. it can.

  The connector according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the connector according to any one of the first to tenth aspects of the present invention, wherein each of the pair of terminal contact portions is disposed inside the wall portion of the housing when the relative movement is performed. An inner engagement portion that is engaged with is provided.

  According to this invention, the inner side engaging part which engages with each of a pair of terminal contact part in the state after the relative movement of a housing is provided in the wall part inside of a housing. For this reason, in a state where the linear terminal is held between the pair of terminal contact portions, the pair of terminal contact portions is opened by the inner engagement portion engaging from both sides of the pair of terminal contact portions. Will be regulated. This prevents the pair of terminal contact portions from being opened, makes it possible to more securely hold the linear terminals between the pair of terminal contact portions, and efficiently prevent the linear terminals from falling off. Can do.

  The connector according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the connector according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects of the present invention, wherein each of the opposed surfaces of the pair of terminal contact portions facing each other has the line between the pair of terminal contact portions. A guide portion that guides the linear terminals toward a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface with respect to the pair of terminal contact portions in accordance with the action of the elastic force of the contacts that hold the shaped terminals. It is provided.

  According to the present invention, the guide portion for guiding the linear terminal to a predetermined position by the action of the elastic force of the contact is provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of terminal contact portions. For this reason, in a state where the pair of terminal contact portions hold the linear terminals, the linear terminals can be stably held at a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface.

  A connector according to a thirteenth invention is the connector according to the twelfth invention, wherein the guide portion has a slope surface formed on each of the facing surfaces and inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the grounding surface. Features.

  According to this invention, a guide part is provided as a part which has the inclined surface in the opposing surface of a pair of terminal contact part. For this reason, the guide portion that can stably hold the linear terminals held by the pair of terminal contact portions at a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface has a simple configuration using the inclination of the slope surface. Can be realized.

  A connector according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the connector according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the present invention, wherein the contact and the housing are respectively connected to the housing in a state before the relative movement of the housing is performed. The latching | locking part which mutually latches so that it may latch with respect to is provided as a part formed in convex shape.

  According to the present invention, the locking portion is provided as a portion that is formed in a convex shape in the contact and the housing and locks with each other. For this reason, about the latching | locking part which latches a housing to a contact in the state before the relative movement of a housing, it can form in space efficient by the structure using the part arrange | positioned in the contact and the housing close.

  A connector according to a fifteenth aspect is the connector according to the fourteenth aspect, wherein a pair of first convex portions forming a groove-shaped concave portion is formed between the contact and the housing as the locking portion. The other one of the contact and the housing is characterized in that a second convex portion that fits into the concave portion is formed as the locking portion.

  According to the present invention, in the contact and the housing, the engaging portion can be easily formed with a simple configuration in which the pair of first convex portions is formed on one side and the second convex portion is formed on the other side.

  A connector according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention is the connector according to any one of the first to fifteenth aspects, wherein the flat plate member is provided as a substrate or a metal bar member, and the linear terminal is a fluorescent tube. It is provided as a terminal.

  According to the present invention, in the connector for connecting the substrate or the metal bar member and the fluorescent tube terminal, the number of components can be minimized and the connecting process to the fluorescent tube terminal can be simplified, and the external force is applied to the fluorescent tube terminal. Can be connected easily and efficiently after being placed with almost no action, and the terminal of the fluorescent tube can be firmly held, and the structure of the thin connector structure can be further miniaturized and simplified. Can do.

  According to the present invention, the number of components can be minimized, the connection process for the linear terminals can be simplified, and the connection work can be easily and efficiently performed after arranging the linear terminals with almost no external force. In addition, it is possible to provide a connector that can firmly hold the shaped terminal and can further reduce the size and simplify the structure in a thin connector structure.

1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the contact in the connector shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the housing in the connector shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view, a front view, and a side view of the connector shown in FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing in the AA arrow direction position in FIG. 4, a BB arrow direction position, and CC line arrow position. It is sectional drawing in the DD arrow position in FIG. It is the top view and front view which are shown with a fluorescent tube about the connector shown in FIG. It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows a part of sectional drawing shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a housing is moved relative to a contact in the connector illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 10 is a plan view, a front view, and a side view of the connector shown in FIG. 9. It is sectional drawing in the EE arrow direction position in FIG. 10, a FF line arrow position, and a GG line arrow position. It is sectional drawing in the HH arrow line position in FIG. It is the top view and front view which are shown with a fluorescent tube about the connector shown in FIG. It is an enlarged view which expands and shows a part of FIG. 13 in a notch state. It is the front view and side view which show the connector which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, the top view with respect to the side view, and a bottom view. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing contacts in the connector shown in FIG. 15. It is a perspective view which shows the housing in the connector shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the housing in the connector shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the II arrow position in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the JJ line arrow position in FIG. 15, a KK line arrow position, and the MM line arrow position. FIG. 16 is a front view, a side view, a plan view, a bottom view, and a rear view showing the state where the connector shown in FIG. 15 is installed on the GND bar. It is sectional drawing in the NN line | wire arrow position in FIG. 21, and an expanded sectional view which expands and shows a part thereof. FIG. 16 is a front view, a side view, and a plan view, a bottom view, and a rear view showing the state in which the housing is moved relative to the contact in the connector shown in FIG. 15 together with the GND bar and a part of the fluorescent tube. It is sectional drawing in the RR line arrow position in FIG. It is sectional drawing in the SS arrow direction position in FIG. 23, and the expanded sectional view which expands and shows the one part by notch. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector which concerns on a modification. It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows a part in FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector which concerns on a modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention can be widely applied to a connector that is connected to a linear terminal by contacting the linear terminal and holding the linear terminal. In the following embodiments, a case where a linear terminal is provided as a terminal of a fluorescent tube will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this example and is connected to various types of linear terminals. The present invention can be widely applied to connectors.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The connector 1 exemplified in the present embodiment includes a substrate (mounting substrate) provided as a flat plate member in the present embodiment, and a terminal of a fluorescent tube such as a cold cathode fluorescent tube provided as a linear terminal in the present embodiment. , Is configured as a connector for connecting. The connector 1 includes a contact 11 and a housing 12.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view (FIG. 2A) showing a state of the contact 11 as viewed obliquely from above and a perspective view (FIG. 2B) of a state as viewed from obliquely below. 3 is a perspective view (FIG. 3 (a)) showing a state of the housing 12 as viewed obliquely from above and a perspective view (FIG. 3 (b)) of a state seen from obliquely below. FIG. 4 is a plan view (FIG. 4A), a front view (FIG. 4B), and a side view (FIG. 4C) of the connector 1 shown in FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4A (FIG. 5A), and a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 5 (b)) and a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 4 (c) (FIG. 5 (c)). Moreover, FIG. 6 is sectional drawing in the DD arrow direction position of FIG.4 (c).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, in the connector 1, one contact 11 and one housing 12 are provided. And this connector 1 is the board | substrate 100 (The part is shown in FIG.4 (b) and FIG. 5) in the state (The state shown to FIG. 1, FIG. 4 thru | or FIG. 6) in which the housing 12 was latched by the contact 11. FIG. And mounted by soldering. In addition, this board | substrate 100 is comprised as a mounting board provided as a flat member as mentioned above, for example, it is fixed with respect to the frame member, panel member, etc. which are not shown in figure as an application calculated | required by the market. It is provided as a printed circuit board connected via a connector 1 to a fluorescent tube constituting a backlight of a liquid crystal display device.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view (FIG. 7A) and a front view (FIG. 7B) showing the connector 1 in the state shown in FIG. 1 together with the fluorescent tube 101. 7 shows a state in which the connector 1 is installed on the board 100 (the board 100 is shown only in FIG. 7B and is not shown in FIG. 7A). ). The terminal 101a protruding from the end of the fluorescent tube 101 constitutes a linear terminal in the present embodiment as described above, and is arranged with respect to the connector 1 as shown in FIG. In the connector 1, the contact 11 with the housing 12 attached is installed on the substrate 100.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 to 7, the contact 11 includes a mounting portion 13, a pair of terminal contact portions 14, a pair of extension portions 15, side walls (16, 16), and a plurality of first protruding pieces. Part (17, 17), a plurality of second projecting piece parts (18, 18), an installation surface side drop prevention piece part 19, an installation surface side opening part 20, and the like, which are integrally formed of a conductive metal material. Has been. The mounting portion 13 is formed as a pair of leg-shaped portions, and is mounted on the solder printed or applied on the installation surface 100a (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 7) on which the contacts 11 are installed on the substrate 100. It is provided as a portion to be mounted and mounted on the installation surface 100a.

  The pair of terminal contact portions 14 includes a terminal contact portion 14a and a terminal contact portion 14b that are in contact with the side of the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 from both sides. And each terminal contact part (14a, 14b) in a pair of terminal contact part 14 is provided as a rectangular plate-shaped part extended in the cantilever shape in the contact 11, respectively, and when the contact 11 is installed in the installation surface 100a Are arranged so as to extend parallel to the installation surface 100a.

  The pair of extension portions 15 are formed so as to extend from a portion continuous to each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 (14a, 14b) to a portion constituting a part of each side wall 16 of the contact 11. An extension portion 15a and an extension portion 15b are provided. The pair of extension portions 15 are formed so as to be able to bend together with the pair of terminal contact portions 14. That is, the extension 15a extending from the terminal contact portion 14a to a part of the one side wall 16 is provided so as to be able to bend with respect to the one side wall 16 together with the terminal contact portion 14a. The extension 15b extending from the terminal contact portion 14b to a part of the other side wall 16 is provided so as to be able to bend with respect to the other side wall 16 together with the terminal contact portion 14b. And each of the extension part 15a and the extension part 15b in a pair of extension part 15 is formed so that it may bend and extend several times. In addition, in this embodiment, the extension part 15a and the extension part 15b which each bend twice in a semicircular arc shape are illustrated.

  The side walls (16, 16) are provided as a pair, and are disposed so as to extend perpendicularly to the installation surface 100a, and are disposed in parallel with each other in a state in which the pair of terminal contact portions 14 are aligned. . One side wall 16 is provided so as to integrally connect the extension 15a and one mounting part 13, and the other side wall 16 is provided so as to integrally connect the extension 15b and the other mounting part 13. Yes. The side walls (16, 16) are integrally connected by a back wall 21 disposed substantially perpendicular to the side walls (16, 16).

  The plurality of first projecting piece portions (17, 17) project from each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 toward the side opposite to the installation surface 100a (that is, toward the side opposite to the mounting portion 13). It is provided as a formed part. In addition, in this embodiment, the form in which the 1st protrusion piece part 17 protruded 1 each from each of the terminal contact part 14a and the terminal contact part 14b is illustrated.

  When the housing 12 is attached to the contact 11, the plurality of first projecting pieces (17, 17) are opened by inserting an opening / closing portion 22, which will be described later, provided in the housing 12 therebetween. It is configured. That is, when the housing 12 is attached to the contact 11, the first protruding piece 17 protruding from one terminal contact portion 14a of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 and the other terminal contact portion 14b are protruded. The opening / closing portion 22 is inserted between the first projecting piece portion 17 and the first projecting piece portion 17. Thus, as the opening / closing part 22 moves, the terminal contact part 14a and the terminal contact part 14b are bent outwardly together with the first projecting piece parts 17 urged by the sliding contact of the opening / closing part 22. It will be. Each of the plurality of first projecting pieces (17, 17) is provided with an inclined portion that is inclined so as to spread outward in a direction opposite to the insertion direction in which the opening / closing part 22 is inserted.

  The plurality of second projecting piece portions (18, 18) are provided as portions formed so as to project from each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 toward the side opposite to the installation surface 100a. The plurality of second projecting pieces (18, 18) are a plurality of first projecting pieces (17, 17) arranged on the base side of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 (the side continuing to the pair of extension portions 15). On the other hand, it arrange | positions at the front end side of a pair of terminal contact part 14. FIG. Thereby, when the opening / closing part 22 is in sliding contact with the plurality of first projecting pieces (17, 17), the plurality of second projecting pieces (18, 18) are configured not to interfere with the opening / closing part 22. ing.

  Each of the plurality of second projecting pieces (18, 18) has a protruding portion 18a that is bent so as to protrude toward the inside of the contact 11 in a direction parallel to the direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions 14 are arranged. Is provided. Each of the protruding portions 18a is restricted from moving in a direction opposite to the installation surface 100a side by the relative movement described later by the housing 12 and the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 held by the pair of terminal contact portions 14 being moved. Is configured to do.

  In the present embodiment, the second protruding piece 18 is formed to protrude from the terminal contact portion 14a and the terminal contact portion 14b one by one at a position shifted in the longitudinal direction of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. Although the form is illustrated, this need not be the case. For example, the second protruding piece 18 is formed so as to protrude one or more alternately from each of the terminal contact portion 14 a and the terminal contact portion 14 b at a position shifted in the longitudinal direction of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. There may be.

  The installation surface side drop-off prevention piece 19 is provided as a portion formed so as to protrude in a direction substantially parallel to the installation surface 100a from an edge portion of the terminal contact portion 14a on the side facing the installation surface 100a. . When the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 held by the pair of terminal contact portions 14 moves toward the installation surface 100a due to an external force or the like, the installation surface side dropout prevention piece 19 abuts on the terminal 101a. Thus, the terminal 101a is configured to be prevented from falling off from the pair of terminal contact portions 14.

  The installation surface side opening portion 20 is provided as a portion formed so as to protrude from each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 toward the installation surface 100a side. This installation surface side opening part (20, 20) is provided in a pair and is formed so as to protrude from each of the terminal contact part 14a and the terminal contact part 14b. And each installation surface side opening part 20 is formed so that it may spread toward the outer side in the front end side. For this reason, the housing 12 performs the relative movement described later with respect to the contact 11, and after the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is held between the pair of terminal contact portions 14, the housing 12 is returned to the state before the relative movement. When there is a need for work (that is, when it is necessary to return the housing 12 to the state in which the housing 12 is locked to the contact 11 as in the state before the relative movement), Along with the returning operation, the installation surface side opening portion 20 is configured to be slidable into contact with the opening / closing portion 22 of the housing 12 so that the pair of terminal contact portions 14 can be opened. Thus, when the housing 12 is returned to the state before the relative movement as described above, the pair of terminal contact portions 14 is opened together with the installation surface side opening portion 20, and the opening / closing portion 22 passes between them. Can be moved in a direction opposite to the direction of the relative movement to return to the state before the relative movement.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 to 7, the housing 12 has an outer shape formed in a case shape in which the contacts 11 are disposed inside, and is integrally formed of an insulating resin material. The housing 12 is provided with an upper surface portion 25 formed with a slit-like opening 25a into which the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is inserted. The upper surface portion 25 is formed as a flat surface and constitutes a suction surface when the connector 1 is sucked and transported when automatic mounting is performed by a mounting machine. A large opening 26 into which the contact 11 is inserted when the housing 12 is attached so as to cover the contact 11 is formed on the opposite side of the housing 12 from the upper surface portion 25.

  Further, the housing 12 covers the side of the contact 11 and is arranged so as to be slidable on the both side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11 on the outside. The housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11 along the linear direction while slidingly contacting the side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11, thereby connecting the pair of terminal contact portions 14 to the terminals of the fluorescent tube 101. It is configured to be held in contact with 101a. At this time, the housing 12 is configured to move relative to the contact 11 along the linear direction by moving along a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a (for the first embodiment). In the following description, the above relative movement by the housing 12 for holding the terminal 101a by the pair of terminal contact portions 14 is simply referred to as “relative movement”). On the other hand, in a state before the relative movement, the housing 12 is locked to the side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11 in a state where the contact 11 is elastically deformed and the pair of terminal contact portions 14 are opened. It is comprised so that. Hereinafter, these configurations will be described in detail.

  First, a configuration for locking the housing 12 to the contact 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 to 7 will be described. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2, 5, and 8, the housing 12 and the contact 11 are engaged with each other so that the housing 12 is locked to the contact 11 in a state before the relative movement of the housing 12 is performed. The latching | locking part (27,28) which stops is provided as a part formed in convex shape.

  As shown in FIGS. 2, 5 (c), and FIG. 8, the contact 11 is formed with a pair of first convex portions 27 as the locking portions (27, 28). Between the pair of first convex portions 27, a groove-shaped concave portion 27c is formed. A pair of 1st convex part 27 is each provided as a part of both side wall (16, 16), and is each provided with the 1st convex part 27a and the 1st convex part 27b, and is comprised. The first convex portion 27 a is formed as a convex portion formed such that the side facing the mounting portion 13 protrudes in a stepped manner, and an inclined surface is formed on the opposite side to the mounting portion 13. The first convex portion 27b is disposed on the mounting portion 13 side with respect to the first convex portion 27a, the side facing the mounting portion 13 is formed so as to protrude stepwise, and an inclined surface is formed on the opposite side to the mounting portion 13. It is provided as a formed convex part.

  Further, as the locking portions (27, 28) on the housing 12 side, as shown in FIG. 5 (c) and FIG. 8, the second convex portion 28 fitted into the concave portion 27c is formed on the wall portion of the housing 12. It is formed inside. The second convex portion 28 is provided as a stepped portion having an inclined surface formed on the side facing the mounting portion 13 and the side opposite to the mounting portion 13 protruding in a step shape. Since the first convex portion 27 and the second convex portion 28 are provided as described above, when the housing 12 is attached to the contact 11, the second convex portion 28 gets over the first convex portion 27a and is a concave portion. When the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11 toward the installation surface 100a, the second convex portion 28 is configured to easily get over the first convex portion 27b. In addition, about the shape and arrangement | positioning of a latching | locking part (27,28), you may implement various changes not only in the example mentioned above. For example, the pair of first convex portions 27 may be provided inside the wall portion of the housing 12, and the second convex portions 28 may be provided on the side wall 16 of the contact 11.

  Next, the configuration of the opening / closing part 22, the contact position adjusting parts (23, 23), and the inner engaging parts (24, 24) provided in the housing 12 will be described. Here, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the connector 1 showing a state in which the housing 12 is moved relative to the contact 11 from the state shown in FIG. 10 is a plan view (FIG. 10A), a front view (FIG. 10B), and a side view (FIG. 10C) of the connector 1 shown in FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line E-E in FIG. 10A (FIG. 11A), and a cross-sectional view taken along the line F-F in FIG. 11 (b)) and a cross-sectional view taken along the line G-G in FIG. 10 (c) (FIG. 11 (c)). Moreover, FIG. 12 is sectional drawing in the HH arrow line position of FIG.10 (c). 9 to 11, from the viewpoint of more clearly illustrating the structure of the connector 1, the illustration of the held fluorescent tube 101 and its terminal 101 a is omitted (in FIG. 12, only the terminal 101 a is shown in two points. This is illustrated by the chain line). FIGS. 13A and 13B are a plan view (FIG. 13A) and a front view (FIG. 13B) showing the connector 1 in the state shown in FIG. 9 together with the fluorescent tube 101. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view showing a part of FIG. 13B in a notched state.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 8 and FIGS. 10 to 14, the opening / closing part 22 is formed in a block shape having a rectangular cross section, and is provided as a part protruding from the wall part of the housing 12 to the inside of the housing 12. . The opening / closing part 22 is arranged so as to protrude and extend in parallel to the installation surface 100 a, and is perpendicular to the installation surface 100 a between the pair of terminal contact parts 14 as the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11. It is provided as a part that moves in the direction.

  When the housing 12 is attached and locked to the contact 11, the contact 11 is disposed inside the opening 26 of the housing 12. At this time, as described above, the opening / closing portion 22 is in sliding contact with the inclined portion of each first protruding piece portion 17, while the first protruding piece portion 17 on the terminal contact portion 14a side and the first protrusion on the terminal contact portion 14b side. It is inserted between the pieces 17. As a result, the opening / closing part 22 elastically deforms the contact 11 so as to open the pair of terminal contact parts 14 in a state before the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11. In addition, by the relative movement of the housing 12, the opening / closing part 22 passes between the pair of terminal contact parts 14, elastically recovers the contacts 11, and the pair of terminal contact parts 14 is connected to the terminals 101 a of the fluorescent tube 101. It is comprised so that it may displace in the direction which closes toward (refer FIG. 13).

  FIG. 5B and FIG. 6 are cross-sectional views of the state where the housing 12 is locked to the contact 11, and FIG. 11B and FIG. 12 which are cross-sectional views of the state where the housing 12 is relatively moved. As described above, the housing 12 is provided with contact position adjusting portions (23, 23). 6 and 12, the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is illustrated by a two-dot chain line. The contact position adjusting portion (23, 23) can adjust the extension portion contact position, which is a position in contact with each of the pair of extension portions 15 so as to sandwich the contact 11 from the outside with relative movement of the housing 12. A pair is provided as a small part. In FIG. 6, with respect to the extension portion contact position P1 of the housing 12 and the contact 11 before the housing 12 is relatively moved, the housing 12 contacts each of the pair of extension portions 15 so as to sandwich the contact 11 from the outside. An end position (illustrated as a line passing through the end position) is indicated by a two-dot chain line P1. In FIG. 12, the extension part contact position P <b> 2 in the housing 12 and the contact 11 in a state after the relative movement of the housing 12 is performed with respect to each of the pair of extension parts 15 so that the housing 12 sandwiches the contact 11 from the outside. This is indicated by an alternate long and two short dashes line P2 (shown as a line passing through this end position).

  The contact position adjusting portions (23, 23) are provided as part of the wall portion that contacts the side wall 16 of the contact 11 in the housing 12, and are arranged in parallel so as to face each side wall 16 of the contact 11 in the housing 12. Each wall portion is provided so as to have a portion where the thickness has changed. And each of this contact position adjustment part (23, 23) is dented toward the installation surface 100a side while being dented toward the outer side from the inner side of the housing 12 in the inner wall part in each said wall part of the housing 12. Are provided so as to have a stepped portion.

  Each contact position adjusting portion 23 is connected to the contact 11 from the extension portion contact position (P1, P2) in each of the pair of extension portions 15 to the position in contact with the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 in each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. The length dimension of the route (L1, L2) along is adjusted so as to be shortened with relative movement of the housing 12. That is, the path L1 along the contact 11 from the extension part contact position P1 in each of the pair of extension parts 15 to the position in contact with the terminal 101a in each of the pair of terminal contact parts 14 (both ends of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6). The length of the path L1) indicated by the arrow is set to be long. Then, when the housing 12 is relatively moved, a portion of the inner wall portion of the housing 12 that is formed so as to be recessed in the stepped shape of the contact position adjusting portion 23 is a portion provided as the first convex portion 27 b on the side wall 16. Will come into contact. Thereby, the path L2 along the contact 11 from the extension part contact position P2 in each of the pair of extension parts 15 to the position in contact with the terminal 101a in each of the pair of terminal contact parts 14 (in FIG. The length dimension of the path L2) indicated by the double-ended arrows is set to be shorter than the length dimension of the path L1.

  As well shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a pair of inner engagement portions (24, 24) are provided inside the wall portion of the housing 12. The inner engaging portions (24, 24) are provided as portions that engage with the pair of terminal contact portions 14 when the housing 12 is moved relative to each other. It forms as the part which protruded toward the inner side inside the part.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 14 which is a partially enlarged view of the state in which the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is held by the pair of terminal contact portions 14, each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 facing each other. Are provided with guide portions (29, 29). The guide portions (29, 29) move the terminal 101 a against the pair of terminal contact portions 14 in accordance with the action of the elastic force of the contact 11 that holds the terminal 101 a of the fluorescent tube 101 between the pair of terminal contact portions 14. It is provided so as to be guided toward a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a.

  Note that the guide portions (29, 29) exemplified in the present embodiment are configured to have slope surfaces that are formed on opposing surfaces of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 and are inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a. Has been. The above-described inclined surfaces are inclined so as to guide the terminal 101a toward the center in the direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a on the opposing surface at each of the terminal contact portion 14a and the terminal contact portion 14b. Inclined surfaces (as a pair of inclined surfaces inclined toward the center side in the direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a on the opposing surface and from the inside to the outside of the pair of terminal contact portions 14). Accordingly, the terminal 101a is guided toward a predetermined position on the center side in the direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a with respect to the pair of terminal contact portions 14 with the action of the elastic force of the contact 11.

  Further, as well shown in FIG. 11A, a protrusion 30 is provided on the back wall 21 of the contact 11. On the other hand, a stepped portion 31 that engages with the protruding portion 30 in a state where the relative movement of the housing 12 is completed is provided on the wall portion facing the back wall 21 inside the housing 12. The housing 12 is configured not to be detached from the contact 11 by the engagement between the projecting portion 30 and the step portion 31. The protrusion 30 is formed as a spring-like portion that is bent so that a part of the back wall 21 is cut out in a cantilever shape and protrudes outward and toward the installation surface 100a. Has been. For this reason, when the housing 12 is relatively moved, the protrusion 30 is bent toward the inside of the contact 11 to allow passage of the step portion 31, and after the relative movement of the housing 12 is completed, the protrusion 30 is connected to the step portion 31. The housing 12 is configured to be prevented from being detached by engagement.

  The housing 12 is formed with a removal hole 32 that opens toward the upper surface portion 25 at a position facing the step portion 30. When the housing 12 is returned to the state before the relative movement of the housing 12 after the relative movement of the housing 12 is completed (a state in which the housing 12 is locked to the contact 11), an elongated tool is inserted from the removal hole 32. By bending the protrusion 30 inward, the operation of releasing the engagement between the protrusion 30 and the step portion 31 is performed.

  Next, the operation of the connector 1 will be described. First, when the housing 12 is attached to the contact 11, as described above, the housing 12 is attached such that the opening / closing part 22 is inserted between the plurality of first projecting pieces (17, 17). . And a pair of terminal contact part 14 is opened with the some 1st protrusion piece part (17,17), and the opening-and-closing part 22 is arrange | positioned among them, and also in the recessed part 27c between a pair of 1st convex parts 27, it is 1st. With the two convex portions 28 fitted, the housing 12 is locked and attached to the contact 11 (see FIGS. 1 and 4 to 6).

  The connector 1 in a state where the housing 12 is locked to the contact 11 is conveyed to the substrate 100 while the upper surface portion 25 of the housing 12 is adsorbed in a mounting machine (not shown). The connector 1 is installed at a predetermined position on the installation surface 100 a of the substrate 100 in the mounting unit 13 by releasing the suction operation on the upper surface portion 25. When the substrate 100 on which the connector 1 is installed passes through the furnace, the connector 1 is soldered and fixed on the installation surface 100a by the mounting portion 13 and mounted. The substrate 100 is provided as a substrate on which a fluorescent tube 101 as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device is mounted, and a plurality of connectors 1 are mounted along the edge of the substrate 100.

  Next, the plurality of fluorescent tubes 101 are attached to the substrate 100 on which the plurality of connectors 1 are mounted. Each fluorescent tube 101 is connected to each connector 1 disposed on the substrate 100 at its terminal 101a. First, the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is disposed relative to the connector 1. At this time, the terminal 101a is inserted and disposed between the pair of terminal contact portions 14 with almost no external force acting on the fluorescent tube 101 and its terminal 101a. That is, the connector 1 is configured as a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) connector. The fluorescent tube 101 is supported by other than the connector 1 on a frame member or panel member to which the substrate 100 is fixed, for example. Moreover, the terminal which protruded from the edge part on the opposite side to the side connected to the connector 1 in the fluorescent tube 101 is connected with respect to the other connector which is not shown in figure.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the terminal 101 a of the fluorescent tube 101 is disposed between the pair of terminal contact portions 14 in the connector 1, the relative movement of the housing 12 with respect to the contact 11 is then performed. When this relative movement is performed, the housing 12 is biased vertically toward the installation surface 100a. As a result, the second convex portion 28 of the housing 12 gets over the first convex portion 27 b of the contact 11, and the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11 while sliding on the side wall 16 of the contact 11. Then, the opening / closing portion 22 that moves together with the housing 12 moves vertically between the pair of terminal contact portions 14 toward the installation surface 100 a side, passes through the pair of terminal contact portions 14, and then comes out to contact. 11 is elastically recovered and displaced in the closing direction. Thereby, the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 contacts and is held by the pair of terminal contact portions 14, and the terminal 101a and the connector 1 are electrically connected. The terminal 101 a is firmly held by the holding force of the housing 12 and the holding force due to the elastic force of the pair of terminal contact portions 14.

  When the relative movement of the housing 12 with respect to the contact 11 is completed and the connection between the terminal 101 a and the connector 1 is completed, the step portion 31 of the housing 12 is engaged with the protrusion 30 of the contact 11, and the housing 12 is moved from the contact 11. It is prevented from coming off. Further, when the connection is completed, the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is stably held at a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a by the action of the guide portions (29, 29) described above. In a state where the connection is completed, each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 is engaged with the inner engagement portions (24, 24) of the housing 12, and the terminal 101a includes a plurality of second protruding piece portions. The protruding portion 18a provided at (18, 18) prevents falling off to the side opposite to the installation surface 100a side.

  According to the connector 1 described above, since the connector 1 is configured by providing the contact 11 and the housing 12 that are integrally formed one by one, the number of components of the connector 1 can be minimized. Then, since the pair of terminal contact portions 14 in the contact 11 are arranged in parallel to the installation surface 100a of the substrate 100, there is a demand for thinning the application in the market (for example, thinning the liquid crystal display device). The connector structure can be made thin so as to be compatible.

  In the connector 1, the housing 12 is disposed so as to be slidable on the both side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11 on the outside. Therefore, unlike the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, the connector 1 is a large guide that is formed integrally with a contact having a pair of terminal contact portions disposed inside the housing and disposed further outside the housing. There is no structure as if a plate was provided. Thereby, according to the connector 1, in a thin connector structure, the structure can be further reduced in size and simplified. In the connector 1, the housing 12 is moved in a linear direction while being in sliding contact with the contact 11, thereby bringing the terminal contact portions (14 a, 14 b) into contact with the terminal 101 a of the fluorescent tube 101, and connecting the terminal 101 a of the fluorescent tube 101 to the terminal 101 a. Since the electrical connection is completed, the connection process for the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 can be simplified.

  Further, in the connector 1, the housing 12 is locked to the side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11 in a state where the pair of terminal contact portions 14 are opened before the relative movement with respect to the contact 11. . For this reason, in a state before being electrically connected to the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101, the terminal 101a can be easily arranged between the pair of opened terminal contact portions 14 with almost no external force applied. . Then, before the electrical connection to the terminal 101a is completed, a state in which the housing 12 is temporarily locked to the side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11 can be realized. The connection work can be easily and efficiently performed simply by moving the head 11 relative to the head 11. Further, since the terminal 101a is disposed in a state where the contact 11 is elastically deformed by the housing 12 and the pair of terminal contact portions 14 are opened, the housing 12 is then relatively moved to complete electrical connection. In addition to the holding force in the housing 12, the holding force by the elastic force of the contact 11 is also ensured. Thereby, the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 can be held more firmly.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the number of components can be minimized and the connection process to the linear terminal 101a can be simplified, and the wiring can be easily and efficiently connected after being arranged with almost no external force acting on the linear terminal 101a. Further reduction in size and simplification of the structure of a thin connector structure that can work and can firmly hold the linear terminal 101a and can meet the demand for thin application in the market. The connector 1 which can be provided can be provided.

  Further, according to the connector 1, in the connector that is thinned by providing the pair of terminal contact portions 14 so as to extend parallel to the installation surface 100a of the substrate 100, the housing 12 is perpendicular to the installation surface 101a. The pair of terminal contact portions 14 are brought into contact with the terminals 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 by performing relative movement to complete the electrical connection. For this reason, the connector 12 does not have a connector structure that extends so that the relative movement direction of the housing 12 extends along the installation surface 100a, and the relative movement direction of the housing 12 is compact in a space efficient manner with respect to the arrangement of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. Can be set to Thereby, the connector structure can be further miniaturized.

  Further, according to the connector 1, in the state before the relative movement of the housing 12, the length dimension of the path L1 along the contact 11 from the extension portion contact position P1 to the position in contact with the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is ensured long. The Therefore, in a state where the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is disposed between the pair of terminal contact portions 14 before the relative movement of the housing 12, the pair of extension portions 15 are easily bent, and therefore the terminal 101a is disposed. The pair of terminal contact portions 14 can be easily opened so as to be easy. On the other hand, in the state after the relative movement of the housing 12, the length dimension of the path L2 is adjusted to be short by the operation of the contact position adjusting portions (23, 23). For this reason, in the state where the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is held between the pair of terminal contact portions 14 after the relative movement of the housing 12, the pair of extension portions 15 are difficult to bend. It can be held firmly. Therefore, when arranging the terminal 101a, the pair of terminal contact portions 14 can be easily opened, and when holding the terminal 101a, a stronger holding force can be secured. A connector structure which can be adjusted with relative movement can be realized.

  Further, according to the connector 1, the length dimension of the path (L1, L2) along the contact from the extension portion contact position (P1, P2) to the position contacting the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is set to the relative movement of the housing 12. The contact position adjusting portions (23, 23) to be adjusted can be configured by effectively utilizing a part of the wall portion of the housing 12. Therefore, the contact position adjusting section (23, 23) can be realized with a space-efficient and compact structure. Further, according to the connector 1, by providing the stepped portion on the wall portion of the housing 12, the contact position adjusting portions (23, 23) can be realized with a simpler structure.

  According to the connector 1, the pair of extension portions 15 that can be bent together with the pair of terminal contact portions 14 and extend to the side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11 are formed to be bent and extend a plurality of times. For this reason, it is possible to secure a long length of the path along the contact 11 in the pair of extension portions 15 while suppressing the size of the contact 11 from being increased and reducing the size. Accordingly, the pair of extension portions 15 can be easily bent so that the pair of terminal contact portions 14 can be easily opened and the terminals 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 can be easily arranged, and the connector 1 can be miniaturized. A structure can be realized.

  Further, according to the connector 1, in a state before the housing 12 is locked to the side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11 and performs relative movement, the pair of terminal contact portions is provided by the opening / closing portion 22 provided in the housing 12. 14 is elastically deformed and is forcibly opened. On the other hand, when the relative movement of the housing 12 is performed, the opening / closing part 22 provided in the housing 12 is also moved, and the pair of terminal contact parts 14 are elastically recovered and closed, whereby the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is held. become. For this reason, the change in the position of the opening / closing portion 22 with respect to the pair of terminal contact portions 14 before and after the relative movement of the housing 12 is effectively utilized, and the pair of terminals is interlocked with the operation of the housing 12 before and after the relative movement of the housing 12. A mechanism for automatically opening and closing the contact portion 14 can be configured.

  Further, according to the connector 1, since the relative movement direction of the housing 12 is perpendicular to the installation surface 100a, the relative movement direction of the housing 12 is space efficient with respect to the arrangement of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 extending parallel to the installation surface 100a. It is set to be compact and the connector structure can be further miniaturized. And the opening-and-closing part 22 is provided as a protrusion part which moves to the installation surface 100a perpendicularly | vertically with the housing 12 between a pair of terminal contact parts 14. FIG. Therefore, in the connector structure further reduced in size, a pair of terminal contacts parallel to the installation surface 100a in conjunction with the operation of the housing 12 before and after relative movement of the housing 12 in the direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a. The mechanism for automatically opening and closing the portion 14 can be formed as a protruding portion with a simple structure.

  According to the connector 1, the pair of terminal contact portions 14 is provided with a plurality of first protruding pieces (17, 17) into which the opening / closing portion 22 is inserted, and these first protruding pieces (17 17) is provided with an inclined portion that spreads outward on the side opposite to the insertion direction of the opening / closing part 22. For this reason, when the housing 12 is attached to and locked with respect to the contact 11, the inserted opening / closing portion 22 slides smoothly with respect to the inclined portion, and the plurality of first protruding piece portions (17 17) is opened outward, and the pair of terminal contact portions 14 are also easily opened. Therefore, when the housing 12 is locked to the contact 11, the pair of terminal contact portions 14 can be opened more easily.

  Further, according to the connector 1, the pair of terminal contact portions 14 is provided with a plurality of second projecting pieces (18, 18) each having a protruding portion 18 a protruding toward the inside of the contact 11. When the housing 12 is relatively moved and the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is held by the pair of terminal contact portions 14, the protruding portion 18a causes the terminal 101a to the opposite side to the installation surface 100a side. Movement is restricted. For this reason, the terminal 101a held between the pair of terminal contact portions 14 is removed by a simple configuration in which the second projecting piece portions (18, 18) having the protruding portions 18a are provided on the pair of terminal contact portions 14. It can be prevented efficiently.

  In addition, according to the connector 1, inner engagement portions (24, 24) that engage with the pair of terminal contact portions 14 in a state after the relative movement of the housing 12 are provided inside the wall portion of the housing 12. Yes. For this reason, in a state where the terminal 101 a of the fluorescent tube 101 is held between the pair of terminal contact portions 14, the inner engagement portions (24, 24) are engaged from both sides of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. Opening of the terminal contact portion 14 is restricted. As a result, the pair of terminal contact portions 14 is prevented from opening, and the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 can be more firmly held between the pair of terminal contact portions 14, thereby effectively preventing the terminal 101a from dropping off. can do.

  Further, according to the connector 1, guide portions (29, 29) for guiding the terminal 101 a of the fluorescent tube 101 to a predetermined position by the action of the elastic force of the contact 11 are provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. Yes. For this reason, in a state where the pair of terminal contact portions 14 holds the terminal 101a, the terminal 101a can be stably held at a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a.

  Further, according to the connector 1, the guide portions (29, 29) are provided as a portion having a gradient surface on the facing surfaces of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. For this reason, the guide portions (29, 29) that can stably hold the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 held by the pair of terminal contact portions 14 at a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface 100a are inclined surfaces. This can be realized with a simple configuration using the inclination of the above.

  Further, according to the connector 1, the locking portions (27, 28) are formed as convex portions in the contact 11 and the housing 12 and locked with each other. For this reason, about the latching | locking part (27,28) which latches the housing 12 to the contact 11 in the state before the relative movement of the housing 12, it is space by the structure using the part arrange | positioned in the contact 11 and the housing 12 in the vicinity. It can be formed efficiently. Further, according to the connector 1, the engaging portions (27, 28) are easily formed with a simple configuration in which the pair of first convex portions 27 are formed on the contact 11 and the second convex portion 28 is formed on the housing 12. can do.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 15 is a front view (FIG. 15 (a)), a side view (FIG. 15 (c)), and a plan view corresponding to the side view (FIG. 15 (b)) showing the connector 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. And a bottom view (FIG. 15D). The connector 2 exemplified in the present embodiment includes a GND bar (ground bar) provided as a flat plate member in the present embodiment and a terminal of a fluorescent tube such as a cold cathode fluorescent tube provided as a linear terminal in the present embodiment. And a connector for connecting the two. The connector 2 includes a contact 41 and a housing 42.

  16 is a perspective view (FIG. 16 (a)) showing a state of the contact 41 as viewed obliquely from above and a perspective view (FIG. 16 (b)) of a state seen from obliquely below. 17 is a perspective view (FIG. 17 (a)) showing a state of the housing 42 seen from obliquely above, and a perspective view showing a state seen from obliquely above at a position different from FIG. 17 (a). (B)). 18 is a perspective view (FIG. 18 (a)) showing a state of the housing 42 seen from obliquely below and a perspective view showing a state seen from obliquely below at a position different from FIG. 18 (a). (B)). FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line JJ in FIG. 15A (FIG. 20A), and a cross-sectional view taken along line KK in FIG. 20 (b)) and a cross-sectional view taken along the line MM in FIG. 15 (d) (FIG. 20 (c)). FIG. 21 is a front view (FIG. 21 (a)), a side view (FIG. 21 (c)), and a side view showing a state where the connector 2 in the state shown in FIG. 15 is installed with respect to the GND bar 102. FIG. 21B is a plan view (FIG. 21B), a bottom view (FIG. 21D), and a rear view (FIG. 21E). 22 is a cross-sectional view (FIG. 22 (a)) taken along the line NN in FIG. 21 (a) and an enlarged cross-sectional view (FIG. 22 (b)) showing a part thereof enlarged. is there.

  As shown in FIGS. 15 to 22, in the connector 2, one contact 41 and one housing 42 are provided. The connector 2 is connected to the GND bar 102 (a part of which is shown in FIGS. 21 and 22) in a state where the housing 42 is locked to the contact 41 (the state shown in FIGS. 15, 19 to 22). Installed. In FIG. 19, the GND bar 102 and the fluorescent tube 103 are illustrated by a two-dot chain line.

  The GND bar 102 is provided as a flat plate member as described above, and is fixed to a frame member or a panel member (not shown). For example, the GND bar 102 is attached to the fluorescent tube 103 constituting the backlight of the liquid crystal display device. It is provided as a metal bar member constituting a conductor on the ground side (ground side) connected through the connector 2. Further, the terminal 103a protruding from the end of the fluorescent tube 103 constitutes a linear terminal in the present embodiment as described above, and is arranged with respect to the connector 2 as shown in FIG. In the connector 2, the contact 41 with the housing 42 attached is installed on the GND bar 102. In the present embodiment, the case where the connector 2 is installed with respect to the ground-side GND bar 102 will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the connector 2 can be applied. For example, a bar member provided as a flat plate member that is fixed to a frame member, a panel member, or the like not on the ground side but on the high voltage side, and is a metal bar member (metal bar) that constitutes the conductor on the high voltage side ), The connector 2 may be installed.

  As shown in FIGS. 15, 16, 19 to 22, the contact 41 includes an installation portion 43, a pair of terminal contact portions 44, a pair of extension portions 45, side walls (46, 46), and a plurality of protruding piece portions ( 48, 48), etc., and are integrally formed of a conductive metal material.

  The installation part 43 is provided with an attachment part 43a and a contact part 43b. The attachment portion 43a is formed in a flat plate shape and a pair of protruding piece portions, and is engaged with and attached to an installation surface 102a (see FIGS. 21 and 22) on which the contact 41 is installed in the GND bar 102. It is provided as a part to be provided. The contact portion 43b is formed as a pair of projecting piece portions extending in parallel to the attachment portion 43a while being formed so as to protrude from the attachment portion 43a via a bent portion. The contact portion 43b is formed so as to be in contact with the GND bar 102 on the side opposite to the installation surface 102a, and is provided as a portion constituting a contact that is electrically connected to the GND bar 102. .

  The contact 41 is attached to the GND bar 102 so as to be inserted into a cutout portion 102b formed as a cutout portion in the GND bar 102 in the installation portion 43 (see FIG. 21). Note that a pair of stopper portions 43c are formed in the attachment portion 43a. When the connector 2 with the housing 42 attached to the contact 41 is attached to the GND bar 102, the pair of stopper portions 43 c abut against the edge portion of the GND bar 102, so that the connector 2 is notched to the GND bar 102. It is configured to prevent being attached in a state of being inserted too deeply into the portion 102b (in an over-inserted state).

  Further, the pair of protruding piece portions in the attachment portion 43a are formed as stepped protrusions, and can be engaged with the housing 42 attached to the contact 41. The pair of housing side engagement portions (43d, 43d) is provided. The pair of housing side engaging portions (43d, 43d) and the housing 42 are engaged to prevent the housing 42 once attached to the contact 41 from being detached from the contact 41. (See FIG. 20B). Further, when the contact 41 is attached to the GND bar 102, the pair of GND sides that engage with the GND bar 102 by fitting into the holes formed in the GND bar 102 when the contact 41 is attached to the GND bar 102. Engagement portions (43e, 43e) are provided (see FIGS. 16 and 21). The pair of GND side engaging portions (43e, 43e) are formed as stepped protrusions, and are configured to engage with the GND bar 102 by elastic recovery after being elastically deformed once. . By this engagement, the contact 12 is fixed to the GND bar 102, and the contact 12 is prevented from falling off the GND bar 102.

  The pair of terminal contact portions 44 includes a terminal contact portion 44a and a terminal contact portion 44b that are in contact with the side of the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 from both sides. And each terminal contact part (44a, 44b) in a pair of terminal contact part 44 is provided as a rectangular plate-shaped part extended in the cantilever shape in the contact 41, respectively, and when the contact 41 is installed in the installation surface 102a Are arranged so as to extend parallel to the installation surface 102a. Further, the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are configured to be opened by inserting a later-described opening / closing portion 52 provided in the housing 42 when the housing 42 is attached to the contact 41. . In addition, the front end side of a pair of terminal contact part 44 is formed so that it may spread outside so that the opening / closing part 52 may be easily inserted between a pair of terminal contact parts 44. Moreover, the guide part comprised similarly to the guide part (29, 29) in the connector 1 of 1st Embodiment is provided in each of the mutually opposing surface in a pair of terminal contact part 44. As shown in FIG.

  The pair of extension portions 45 are formed so as to extend from a portion continuous to each of the pair of terminal contact portions 44 (44a, 44b) to a portion constituting a part of each side wall 46 of the contact 41. An extension 45a and an extension 45b are provided. The pair of extension portions 45 are formed so as to be able to bend together with the pair of terminal contact portions 44. That is, the extension 45a extending from the terminal contact portion 44a to a part of the one side wall 46 is provided so as to be able to bend with respect to the one side wall 46 together with the terminal contact portion 44a. The extension 45b extending from the terminal contact portion 44b to a part of the other side wall 46 is provided so as to be able to bend with respect to the other side wall 46 together with the terminal contact portion 44b.

  A pair of side walls (46, 46) are provided, are arranged perpendicular to the back wall 47 arranged to extend perpendicular to the installation surface 102a, and are arranged in a direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are arranged. Are arranged parallel to each other. Both side walls (46, 46) are integrally connected by the back wall 47 arranged perpendicularly to the both side walls (46, 46). The back wall 47 is provided so as to connect the side walls (46, 46) and the mounting portion 43a of the installation portion 43.

  The plurality of projecting pieces (48, 48) are configured as a plurality of second projecting pieces in the present embodiment, and project from each of the pair of terminal contact portions 44 toward the side opposite to the installation surface 102a. It is provided as a formed part. Each of the plurality of protruding pieces (48, 48) is provided with a protruding portion 48a that is bent so as to protrude toward the inside of the contact 41 in a direction parallel to the direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are arranged. ing. Each of the protruding portions 48a restricts the movement of the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 held by the pair of terminal contact portions 44 in the direction opposite to the installation surface 102a side by the relative movement described later by the housing 42. Is configured to do.

  In the present embodiment, the protruding piece portion 48 constituting the second protruding piece portion is one from each of the terminal contact portion 44a and the terminal contact portion 44b at a position shifted in the longitudinal direction of the pair of terminal contact portions 44. Although the form formed by protruding one by one is illustrated, this need not be the case. For example, the protruding piece portions 48 are formed so as to protrude one or more alternately from each of the terminal contact portions 44a and the terminal contact portions 44b at positions shifted in the longitudinal direction of the pair of terminal contact portions 44. Also good.

  As shown in FIGS. 15, 17 to 22, the housing 42 is provided with a base portion 49, a case portion 50, a pair of slide portions 51, and the like, which are integrally formed of an insulating resin material. The base 49 is provided as a plate-like portion that is disposed via the contact 41 with respect to the installation surface 102 a of the GND bar 102.

  The case portion 50 is provided as a case-like portion in which the pair of terminal contact portions 44 in the contact 41 is disposed on the inner side. In the case portion 50, a slit-like opening 50 a into which the terminal 103 a of the fluorescent tube 103 is inserted is formed on the side opposite to the side integrated with the base portion 49. In addition, when the housing 42 is attached to the contact 41, the pair of terminal contact portions 44 is inserted into the case portion 50 so as to cover the pair of terminal contact portions 44 along the longitudinal direction thereof. An opening 50b is formed.

  The pair of slide portions (51, 51) are provided as a pair of substantially rectangular plate-like portions extending in parallel with the base portion 49 and arranged in parallel to each other, and are integrated with the base portion 49 on the opposite side to the case portion 50. It has become. In the state where the housing 42 is attached to the contact 41, the pair of slide portions (51, 51) are arranged so as to extend along a direction parallel to the pair of terminal contact portions 44. The pair of slide portions (51, 51) is inserted into the notch portion 102b of the GND bar 102 together with the installation portion 43 of the contact 41 when the connector 2 is attached to the GND bar 102. Then, with the installation portion 43 engaged with the GND bar 102, the edge portion of the notch portion 102b in the GND bar 102 is disposed between the base portion 49 and the pair of slide portions (51, 51), and the pair of slide portions. (51, 51) is slidably supported with respect to the edge portion of the notch 102b.

  In addition, the housing 42 is disposed in the case portion 50 so as to cover the side of the contact 41 and to be in sliding contact with the both side walls (46, 46) of the contact 41 on the outside. The housing 42 moves relative to the contact 41 along the linear direction while being in sliding contact with the side walls (46, 46) of the contact 41, so that the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are connected to the terminals of the fluorescent tube 103. It is configured to be held in contact with 103a. At this time, the housing 42 moves in a linear direction with respect to the contact 11 by moving along the direction parallel to the installation surface 102a and parallel to the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the GND bar 102. (In the following description of the second embodiment, the relative movement by the housing 42 for holding the terminals 103a in the pair of terminal contact portions 44 is simply referred to as “ Relative movement ”). On the other hand, in a state before the relative movement, the housing 42 is locked to the side walls (46, 46) of the contact 41 in a state where the contact 41 is elastically deformed to open the pair of terminal contact portions 44. It is comprised so that. Hereinafter, these configurations will be described in detail.

  First, the structure for locking the housing 42 to the contact 41 as shown in FIGS. 15 and 19 to 22 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 16, 18, 20, and 22, each of the housing 42 and the contact 41 is configured to lock the housing 42 with respect to the contact 41 in a state before the relative movement of the housing 42 is performed. Locking portions (54, 55) that lock each other are provided as convex portions.

  As shown in FIGS. 16 and 22, as the above-described locking portions (54, 55), a pair of contacts 41 are provided on both sides of the installation portion 43 in a direction parallel to the direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are arranged. Contact-side convex portions (54, 54) are formed. The pair of contact-side convex portions (54, 54) are stepped in the direction in which the base portion 49 of the housing 42 faces the installation portion 43 (that is, the same direction as the side on which the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are disposed). It is provided as a convex part that rises low in a shape.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 22, as the locking portions (54, 55) on the housing 42 side, a pair of housing sides that respectively lock with the pair of contact side convex portions (54, 54). Convex portions (55, 55) are formed on the base 49 of the housing 42. The pair of housing-side convex portions (55, 55) project in a stepped manner toward the direction facing the installation portion 43 of the contact 41 at the base portion 49 (that is, the same direction as the side where the pair of slide portions 51 are disposed). Provided as a convex portion. And each housing side convex part 55 is each contact in the direction which goes to the back side (side where the back wall 47 is arrange | positioned) from the front side (side where the front end side of a pair of terminal contact part 44 is arrange | positioned) of the contact 41. The side protrusions 54 are abutted and locked. In addition, the corner portion of the contact-side convex portion 54 formed so as to be raised at the installation portion 43 is curved or chamfered so that the housing-side convex portion 55 can easily get over when the housing 42 is relatively moved. Is formed.

  Since the contact-side convex portion 54 and the housing-side convex portion 55 are configured as described above, the housing-side convex portion 55 is locked to the contact-side convex portion 54 when the housing 42 is attached to the contact 41. It will be. Then, when the housing 42 moves relative to the contact 41 in parallel with the installation surface 102 a, the housing side convex portion 55 gets over the contact side convex portion 54. In addition, about the shape and arrangement | positioning of a latching | locking part (54, 55), you may implement various changes not only in the example mentioned above.

  Next, the structure of the opening / closing part 52 and the contact position adjusting part (53, 53) provided in the housing 42 will be described. Here, FIG. 23 is a front view showing the connector 2 in a state where the housing 42 is moved relative to the contact 41 from the state shown in FIG. 15 together with the GND bar 102 and a part of the fluorescent tube 103 (FIG. 23A). FIG. 23 is a side view (FIG. 23C), a plan view (FIG. 23B), a bottom view (FIG. 23D), and a rear view (FIG. 23E) corresponding to the side view. FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line RR in FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line S-S in FIG. 23B (FIG. 25A) and an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a part thereof in a cutout state (FIG. b)).

  As shown in FIG. 15, FIG. 19 to FIG. 21, FIG. 23, and FIG. 24, the opening / closing part 52 is provided as a part protruding in a block shape toward the direction perpendicular to the base 49 inside the case part 50. ing. The opening / closing portion 52 is provided as a portion that moves in a direction parallel to the installation surface 102 a between the pair of terminal contact portions 44 along with the relative movement of the housing 42 with respect to the contact 41. Further, both end portions (52a, 52a) of the opening / closing portion 52 in the direction parallel to the base portion 49 are formed so as to become narrower toward the distal end side, and the most distal end portion thereof is an arcuate curved surface. (See FIGS. 19 and 24). Thus, the opening / closing part 52 is configured to easily pass between the pair of terminal contact parts 44 while opening the pair of terminal contact parts 44.

  When the housing 42 is attached and locked to the contact 41, the contact 41 is disposed inside the opening 50 b of the housing 42. At this time, the opening / closing part 52 is inserted between the pair of terminal contact parts 44. As a result, the opening / closing part 52 elastically deforms the contact 41 so that the pair of terminal contact parts 44 are opened before the housing 42 moves relative to the contact 41. When the housing 42 is relatively moved, the housing 42 is parallel to the installation surface 102a in the direction opposite to the direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions 44 extends with respect to the contact 41 (in the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 24). To) relative movement. By the relative movement of the housing 42, the opening / closing portion 52 passes between the pair of terminal contact portions 44, elastically recovers the contact 41, and the pair of terminal contact portions 44 becomes the terminals 103 a of the fluorescent tube 103. It is configured to be displaced in the closing direction (see FIG. 24).

  As shown well in FIG. 19, which is a cross-sectional view of the state where the housing 42 is locked to the contact 41, and FIG. 24, which is a cross-sectional view of the state where the housing 42 is relatively moved, the housing 42 includes a contact position adjusting portion. (53, 53) are provided. The contact position adjusting portion (53, 53) can adjust the extension portion contact position, which is a position in contact with each of the pair of extension portions 45 so as to sandwich the contact 41 from the outside, with the relative movement of the housing 42. A pair is provided as a small part. In FIG. 19, the housing 42 contacts each of the pair of extension portions 45 so as to sandwich the contact 41 from the outside with respect to the extension portion contact position P3 in the housing 42 and the contact 41 before the housing 42 is relatively moved. An end position (illustrated as a line passing through the end position) is indicated by a two-dot chain line P3. Further, in FIG. 24, the extension part contact position P4 in the housing 42 and the contact 41 in a state after the relative movement of the housing 42 is performed with respect to each of the pair of extension parts 45 so that the housing 42 sandwiches the contact 41 from the outside. This is indicated by a two-dot chain line P4 representing an end position in contact (illustrated as a line passing through the end position).

  The contact position adjusting portion (53, 53) is provided as a part of a wall portion that contacts the side wall 46 of the contact 41 in the case portion 50 of the housing 42. In the housing 42, each side wall 46 and each extension portion (45a) of the contact 41 are provided. , 45b) are provided so as to have portions where the thicknesses of the wall portions arranged to face each other are changed. Each of the contact position adjusting portions (53, 53) is inclined toward the inside of the case portion 50 and toward the distal end side of the pair of terminal contact portions 44 at the inner wall portion of each wall portion of the case portion 50. It is provided as a portion formed so as to rise in a step shape through the surface.

  Each contact position adjusting portion 53 is connected to the contact 41 from the extension portion contact position (P3, P4) in each of the pair of extension portions 45 to the position in contact with the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 in each of the pair of terminal contact portions 44. The length dimension of the route (L3, L4) along is adjusted so that it may become short with the relative movement of the housing. That is, the path L3 along the contact 41 from the extension part contact position P3 in each of the pair of extension parts 45 to the position in contact with the terminal 103a in each of the pair of terminal contact parts 44 (both ends of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 19). The length of the path L3) indicated by the arrow is set to be long. Then, when the housing 42 is relatively moved, a portion of the inner wall portion of the wall portion of the case portion 50 that is formed so as to rise in a step shape of each contact position adjusting portion 53 contacts each extension portion (45a, 45b). It will be. As a result, the path L4 along the contact 41 from the extension part contact position P4 in each of the pair of extension parts 45 to the position in contact with the terminal 103a in each of the pair of terminal contact parts 44 (indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 24). The length dimension of the path L4) indicated by the double-ended arrows is set to be shorter than the length dimension of the path L3.

  Next, the operation of the connector 2 will be described. First, when the housing 42 is attached to the contact 41, as described above, the pair of terminal contact portions 44 is inserted into the case portion 50 from the opening 50 b and the opening / closing portion 52 is connected to the pair of terminal contact portions 44. The housing 42 is attached so as to be inserted therebetween. Then, the pair of terminal contact portions 44 is opened, the opening / closing portion 52 is disposed therebetween, and the housing 42 is engaged with the contact 41 in a state where the housing side convex portion 55 is engaged with the contact side convex portion 54. It is stopped and attached (see FIGS. 15, 19, and 20).

  The connector 1 in a state where the housing 42 is locked to the contact 41 is installed at a predetermined position on the installation surface 102 a of the GND bar 102 in the installation portion 43 of the contact 41. At this time, the pair of GND side engaging portions (43e, 43e) are fitted into and engaged with holes formed in the GND bar 102, so that the connector 2 is fixed to the GND bar 102 at the contact 41. . The GND bar 102 is provided as a GND bar to which a fluorescent tube 103 as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device is mounted, and a plurality of connectors 2 are installed along the GND bar 102.

  Next, a plurality of fluorescent tubes 103 are attached to the GND bar 102 on which the plurality of connectors 2 are installed. Each fluorescent tube 103 is connected to each connector 2 arranged on the GND bar 102 by a terminal 103a. First, the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is arranged to the connector 2. At this time, the terminal 103a is inserted and disposed between the pair of terminal contact portions 44 with almost no external force acting on the fluorescent tube 103 and its terminal 103a. That is, the connector 2 is configured as a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) connector. The fluorescent tube 103 is supported by other than the connector 2 on the frame member or panel member to which the GND bar 102 is fixed. Further, the terminal protruding from the end of the fluorescent tube 103 opposite to the side connected to the connector 2 is connected to another connector (not shown).

  When the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is disposed between the pair of terminal contact portions 44 in the connector 2 (see FIG. 19), the housing 42 is then moved relative to the contact 41. When this relative movement is performed, the housing 42 is urged in the direction opposite to the pair of terminal contact portions 44 (in the direction of arrow Q in FIG. 24) parallel to the installation surface 102a. As a result, as shown well in FIG. 25, the housing-side convex portion 55 gets over the contact-side convex portion 54, and the housing 42 moves relative to the contact 41 while sliding on the side wall 46 of the contact 41. Then, the opening / closing part 52 that moves together with the housing 42 moves in parallel to the installation surface 102 a from between the pair of terminal contact parts 44, passes through the pair of terminal contact parts 44, and then comes out. It recovers and displaces in the closing direction. Thereby, the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 contacts and is held by the pair of terminal contact portions 44, and the terminal 103a and the connector 2 are electrically connected. The terminal 103 a is firmly held by the holding force of the housing 42 and the holding force due to the elastic force of the pair of terminal contact portions 44.

  When the relative movement of the housing 42 with respect to the contact 41 is completed and the connection between the terminal 103a and the connector 2 is completed, the housing 42 is engaged with the housing side engaging portion 43d of the contact 41, and the housing 42 is detached from the contact 41. Is prevented. Further, in the state where the connection is completed, the terminal 103a is prevented from dropping to the side opposite to the installation surface 102a by the protruding portions 48a provided on the plurality of protruding pieces (48, 48).

  According to the connector 2 described above, the connector 2 is configured by providing the contacts 41 and the housing 42 that are integrally formed one by one, so that the number of components of the connector 2 can be minimized. Since the pair of terminal contact portions 44 in the contact 41 are arranged in parallel to the installation surface 102a of the GND bar 102, there is a demand for thinning the application in the market (for example, a thinning demand for the liquid crystal display device). The connector structure can be made thin so as to be compatible with the above.

  In the connector 2, the housing 42 is disposed so as to be slidable on the both side walls (46, 46) of the contact 41 on the outside. Therefore, unlike the connector disclosed in Patent Document 2, the connector 2 is a large guide that is integrally formed with a contact having a pair of terminal contact portions disposed inside the housing and disposed further outside the housing. There is no structure as if a plate was provided. Thereby, according to the connector 2, in the thin connector structure, the structure can be further reduced in size and simplified. Further, in the connector 2, the housing 42 moves in a linear direction while being in sliding contact with the contact 41, thereby bringing the terminal contact portions (44 a, 44 b) into contact with the terminal 103 a of the fluorescent tube 103, and connecting the terminal 103 a to the fluorescent tube 103. Since the electrical connection is completed, the connection process of the fluorescent tube 103 to the terminal 103a can be simplified.

  Further, in the connector 2, the housing 42 is locked to the side walls (46, 46) of the contact 41 in a state in which the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are opened before the relative movement with respect to the contact 41. . For this reason, in a state before being electrically connected to the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103, the terminal 103a can be easily disposed between the pair of opened terminal contact portions 44 with almost no external force applied. . Then, before the electrical connection to the terminal 103a is completed, the housing 42 can be temporarily locked to the side walls (46, 46) of the contact 41. The connection work can be easily and efficiently performed only by moving relative to 41. Further, since the terminals 103a are arranged in a state where the contacts 41 are elastically deformed by the housing 42 and the pair of terminal contact portions 44 are opened, the housing 42 is then relatively moved so that the electrical connection is completed. In addition to the holding force in the housing 42, the holding force by the elastic force of the contact 41 is also ensured. Thereby, the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 can be held more firmly.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the number of components can be minimized and the connection process to the linear terminal 103a can be simplified, and the wiring can be easily and efficiently connected after being arranged with little external force applied to the linear terminal 103a. Further reduction in size and simplification of the structure can be achieved in a thin connector structure that can work and can hold the linear terminal 103a firmly, and can meet the demand for thin application in the market. It is possible to provide a connector 2 that can be used.

  Further, according to the connector 2, in the state before the relative movement of the housing 42, the length dimension of the path L3 along the contact 41 from the extension portion contact position P3 to the position contacting the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is secured long. The Therefore, in a state where the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is disposed between the pair of terminal contact portions 44 before the relative movement of the housing 42, the pair of extension portions 45 are easily bent, and thus the terminal 103a is disposed. The pair of terminal contact portions 44 can be easily opened so as to be easy. On the other hand, in the state after the relative movement of the housing 42, the length dimension of the path L4 is adjusted to be short by the operation of the contact position adjusting portion (53, 53). For this reason, in the state in which the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is held between the pair of terminal contact portions 44 after the relative movement of the housing 42, the pair of extension portions 45 are difficult to bend. It can be held firmly. Therefore, when arranging the terminal 103a, the pair of terminal contact portions 44 can be easily opened, and when holding the terminal 103a, a stronger holding force can be secured. A connector structure which can be adjusted with relative movement can be realized.

  Further, according to the connector 2, in a state before the housing 42 is locked to the side walls (46, 46) of the contact 41 and performs relative movement, the pair of terminal contact portions is provided by the opening / closing portion 52 provided in the housing 42. 44 is elastically deformed and forcibly opened. On the other hand, when the relative movement of the housing 42 is performed, the opening / closing part 52 provided in the housing 42 is also moved, and the pair of terminal contact parts 44 are elastically recovered and closed, whereby the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is held. become. For this reason, the change in the position of the opening / closing portion 52 with respect to the pair of terminal contact portions 44 before and after the relative movement of the housing 42 is effectively utilized, and the pair of terminals is interlocked with the operation of the housing 42 before and after the relative movement of the housing 42. A mechanism for automatically opening and closing the contact portion 44 can be configured.

  Further, according to the connector 2, the pair of terminal contact portions 44 is provided with a plurality of second projecting piece portions (48, 48) each formed with a protruding portion 48 a protruding toward the inside of the contact 41. When the housing 42 is relatively moved and the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is held by the pair of terminal contact portions 44, the protruding portion 48a causes the terminal 103a to the opposite side to the installation surface 102a side. Movement is restricted. Therefore, the terminal 103a held between the pair of terminal contact portions 44 can be removed by a simple configuration in which the second protruding piece portions (48, 48) having the protruding portions 48a are provided on the pair of terminal contact portions 44. It can be prevented efficiently.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as long as they are described in the claims. For example, the following modifications may be made.

(1) In the first and second embodiments, the connector connected to the terminal of the fluorescent tube constituting the backlight of the liquid crystal display device has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this example and the present invention is applied. Can do. The linear terminal may be a terminal other than the terminal of the fluorescent tube, and the flat member is a flat member other than a substrate or a metal bar member (GND bar, metal bar). Also good. That is, the present invention can be widely applied to a connector that is connected to a linear terminal by contacting the linear terminal and holding the linear terminal.

(2) About a pair of terminal contact part in a contact, a pair of extension part, a side wall, a plurality of 1st projection piece parts, and a plurality of 2nd projection piece parts, it is not restricted to the form illustrated in the 1st and 2nd embodiment. The shape and the like may be changed variously. The opening / closing part, the contact position adjusting part, and the inner engaging part in the housing are not limited to the forms exemplified in the first and second embodiments, and may be implemented with various modifications. About the latching | locking part in a contact and a housing, you may carry out by changing not only the form illustrated by 1st and 2nd embodiment but a shape etc. variously.

(3) The direction of relative movement of the housing with respect to the contact is not limited to the direction exemplified in the first and second embodiments, but may be any as long as the housing moves relative to the side wall of the contact along the linear direction. .

(4) In the first embodiment, the contact position adjusting portion has been described by taking as an example a form in which the thickness of the wall portion contacting the side wall of the contact in the housing is changed. It does not have to be. For example, the connector 3 whose sectional view is shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 or the connector 4 whose sectional view is shown in FIG. 28 may be implemented. In the description of FIGS. 26 to 28, elements similar to those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof is omitted.

  The connector 3 shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 is provided with contact position adjusting portions (60, 60). Each contact position adjusting portion 60 includes a contact side contact position adjusting portion 60 a provided so as to have a stepped shape on the side walls (16, 16) of the contact 11, and a wall portion of the housing 12. And a housing side contact position adjusting portion 60b provided so as to have a portion whose thickness has changed. FIG. 26A is a cross-sectional view of the state before the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11, and shows a cross-sectional view of the state corresponding to FIG. 5B in the first embodiment. . On the other hand, FIG. 26B is a cross-sectional view of the state after the housing 12 has moved relative to the contact 11, and shows a cross-sectional view of the state corresponding to FIG. 11B in the first embodiment. . In FIG. 26, illustration of the terminal 101a of the fluorescent tube 101 is omitted. FIG. 27 (a) is an enlarged cross-sectional view (FIG. 27 (a)) showing a part of FIG. 26 (a) in an enlarged manner, and FIG. 27 (b) is a part of FIG. 26 (b). It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows.

  The housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11, and the state of the connector 3 shifts from the state shown in FIGS. 26 (a) and 27 (a) to the state shown in FIGS. 26 (b) and 27 (b). By doing so, the contact position state of the contact side contact position adjustment part 60a and the housing side contact position adjustment part 60b changes. As a result, the contact position adjusting unit (60, 60) has a length dimension of the path along the contact 11 from the extended portion contact position to the position where the terminal 101a (not shown) in each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14 contacts. Is adjusted to be shorter. Also in the connector 3 including the contact position adjusting unit (60, 60), the same effect as that of the connector 1 including the contact position adjusting unit 23 can be obtained.

  The connector 4 shown in FIG. 28 is provided with contact position adjusting portions (61, 61) in the housing 12. Each contact position adjusting portion 61 includes a recessed portion formed so as to hold an edge portion of the extension portion (15a, 15b) constituting a part of the side wall 16 of the contact 11 so as to hold the edge portion. Configured. That is, when the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11, the contact position adjustment unit 61 holds the edge portion of the extension (15a, 15b) fitted therein, thereby adjusting the length of the predetermined path. It is provided as a part that is adjusted to be shorter. 28A is a cross-sectional view of the state before the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11, and shows a cross-sectional view of the state corresponding to FIG. 5B in the first embodiment. . On the other hand, FIG. 28B is a cross-sectional view of the state after the housing 12 has moved relative to the contact 11, and shows a cross-sectional view of the state corresponding to FIG. 11B in the first embodiment. . In FIG. 28, illustration of the terminal 103a of the fluorescent tube 103 is omitted.

  When the housing 12 moves relative to the contact 11 and the state of the connector 4 shifts from the state shown in FIG. 28A to the state shown in FIG. 28B, the extension portions (15a, 15b) The edge portion is fitted into the contact position adjusting unit 61. Accordingly, the contact position adjusting unit (61, 61) is configured to have a path length along the contact 11 from the extended portion contact position to a position where the contact position adjusting unit (61, 61) contacts the terminal 101a (not shown) in each of the pair of terminal contact portions 14. Is adjusted to be shorter. Also in the connector 4 including the contact position adjusting unit (61, 61), the same effect as that of the connector 1 including the contact position adjusting unit 23 can be obtained.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely applied to a connector that is connected to a linear terminal by contacting the linear terminal and holding the linear terminal.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 11 Contact 12 Housing 14 A pair of terminal contact part 16 Side wall 100 Board | substrate (plate-shaped member)
100a Installation surface 101a Fluorescent tube terminal (linear terminal)

Claims (16)

A connector that is connected to the linear terminal by contacting the linear terminal and holding the linear terminal,
The contact that is installed on a flat plate-shaped member and has a pair of terminal contact portions that are in contact with the side of the linear terminal from both sides, and is integrally formed,
A housing that is formed so as to be slidable on the outer side with respect to both side walls of the contact in the direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions are arranged and covers the side of the contact;
With
The contact and the housing are each provided one by one,
The pair of terminal contact portions are provided so as to extend in a cantilever manner in the contacts, and are arranged so as to extend in parallel to an installation surface on which the contacts are installed in the flat plate member,
The housing holds the pair of terminal contact portions in contact with the linear terminals by performing a relative movement along a linear direction while sliding on the side wall of the contact with respect to the contact. The connector is characterized in that the contact is elastically deformed to be engaged with the side wall of the contact in a state where the pair of terminal contact portions are opened before the contact is performed. The connector according to claim 1,
The connector is characterized in that the housing moves along a direction perpendicular to the installation surface to perform the relative movement along a linear direction with respect to the contact. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The contact is formed to extend from a portion continuous to each of the pair of terminal contact portions to a portion constituting a part of the side wall of the contact, and can be bent together with the pair of terminal contact portions. A pair of extensions formed in the
The housing is provided with a contact position adjusting portion capable of adjusting an extension portion contact position, which is a position in contact with each of the pair of extension portions so as to sandwich the contact from the outside with the relative movement. ,
The contact position adjusting portion is a length of a path along the contact from the extension portion contact position in each of the pair of extension portions to a position in contact with the linear terminal in each of the pair of terminal contact portions. The size of the connector is adjusted so as to be shortened with the relative movement of the housing. The connector according to claim 3,
The contact position adjusting portion is provided as a part of a wall portion that contacts the side wall of the contact in the housing, and is formed to have a portion in which the thickness of the wall portion has changed, connector. The connector according to claim 4,
The connector is characterized in that the contact position adjusting portion is provided so as to have a stepped portion formed in a wall portion of the housing. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The contact is formed to extend from a portion continuous to each of the pair of terminal contact portions to a portion constituting a part of the side wall of the contact, and can be bent together with the pair of terminal contact portions. A pair of extensions formed in the
Each of the pair of extension portions is formed to be bent and extend a plurality of times. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
In the housing, the contacts are elastically deformed so that the pair of terminal contact portions are opened in a state before the relative movement is performed, and the contacts are elastically recovered by the relative movement to be performed. An opening / closing part is provided for displacing the terminal contact part in the direction close to the linear terminal. The connector according to claim 7, wherein
The housing moves along a direction perpendicular to the installation surface to perform the relative movement along a linear direction with respect to the contact;
The opening / closing portion is provided as a protruding portion in the housing and is provided as a portion that moves perpendicularly to the installation surface between the pair of terminal contact portions. connector. The connector according to claim 8, wherein
The contact is provided with a plurality of first protruding piece portions formed so as to protrude from each of the pair of terminal contact portions,
When the housing is attached and locked to the contact, between the first protruding piece portion protruding from one of the pair of terminal contact portions and the first protruding piece portion protruding from the other. Inserted in such a way that the opening and closing part is received,
The plurality of first projecting pieces are each provided with an inclined portion that is inclined so as to spread outward in a direction opposite to the insertion direction in which the opening / closing portion is inserted. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The contact is provided with a plurality of second protruding piece portions formed so as to protrude from each of the pair of terminal contact portions,
Each of the plurality of second projecting pieces is provided with a protruding portion formed to protrude toward the inside of the contact in a direction parallel to the direction in which the pair of terminal contact portions are arranged,
Each of the protruding portions restricts movement of the linear terminals held by the pair of terminal contact portions in a direction opposite to the installation surface side by performing the relative movement. ,connector. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
An inner engagement portion that engages with each of the pair of terminal contact portions when the relative movement is performed is provided inside the wall portion of the housing. . The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
Each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of terminal contact portions facing each other is provided with the linear terminals in accordance with the action of the elastic force of the contacts that hold the linear terminals between the pair of terminal contact portions. A connector characterized in that a guide portion is provided for guiding the pair of terminal contact portions toward a predetermined position in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface. The connector according to claim 12,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide portion has a slope surface formed on each of the facing surfaces and inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the grounding surface. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
Each of the contact and the housing is formed with a protruding portion that locks the housing so that the housing is locked to the contact in a state before the relative movement of the housing is performed. A connector, characterized in that it is provided as a separate part. The connector according to claim 14, wherein
One of the contact and the housing is formed with a pair of first convex portions that form a groove-shaped concave portion therebetween as the locking portion,
The other of the contact and the housing is formed with a second convex portion that fits into the concave portion as the locking portion. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 15,
The flat plate member is provided as a substrate or a metal bar member,
The said linear terminal is provided as a terminal of a fluorescent tube, The connector characterized by the above-mentioned.

Images