JP2012174477A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electric connector that, while using a contact that has a long effective spring length, prevents contact between spring portions of the contact so as to be made smaller.SOLUTION: An electric connector 50 comprises: a conductive contact 10; and an insulating housing 30 that surrounds the conductive contact 10. The contact 10 has a spring portion 12 that is elastically displaceable and extends forward of the housing 30. The spring portion 12 comprises: a contact bend 22 that projects outward and forward from front of the housing 30; a pair of hooked portions 24 that are arranged more rearward than the contact bend 22; and a third bend 18 that is formed at rear of the contact bend 22 and has an apex positioned close to the pair of hooked portions 24. The pair of hooked portions 24 have a cutout 28 in a portion facing the third bend 18. When the spring portion 12 is elastically displaced toward the rear of the housing 30, the pair of hooked portions 24 receive the third bend 18 in the cutout 28 so as to prevent contact with the third bend 18.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector that is electrically connected to a battery (rechargeable battery) built in a portable electronic device such as a portable telephone.

Conventionally, a battery electrical connector electrically connects a battery to a portable electronic device such as a portable telephone that operates using the battery as a power source. Generally, an electrical connector for a battery is a small electrical connector (printed circuit board connector) that can be mounted on a printed circuit board built in an electronic device.
Such an electrical connector for a battery includes an insulating housing and a plurality of contacts accommodated in the housing. This contact is usually a so-called bellows contact obtained by punching a conductive metal plate into an extremely thin strip and then bending the strip so as to obtain uniform spring characteristics.

  In recent years, portable electronic devices and batteries built into the portable electronic devices have been further reduced in size and thickness, and electrical connectors used for these devices are required to be further reduced in size. Corresponding to the further miniaturization of such an electrical connector, an electrical connector having a structure using a contact having a long effective spring length while being a small-sized contact has been proposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). ).

JP 2004-207165 A (Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-377762) JP 2006-164682 A (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-352780) JP 2008-276987 A (Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-116162)

By the way, in the electrical connector having a structure using a contact having a long effective spring length even though it is a small contact, the structure of the contact is complicated, and the contact of the electrical connector is a counterpart terminal (battery electrode terminal) inside the electrical connector. There is a possibility that the spring portions of the contacts come into contact with each other in the process of elastic displacement due to the pressing force from the contact. This is not preferable for the control of portable electronic devices and batteries because the electrical resistance of the electrical connector changes suddenly when the spring parts of the contacts come into contact with each other.
Therefore, in designing the electrical connector, the shape of the spring part, the elastic coefficient, and the shape inside the housing are examined so that the spring parts of the contacts do not contact each other, but these are necessary for miniaturization of the electrical connector. This is a great constraint in designing a “spring characteristic with a large elastic displacement, softness and high wiping effect”. Here, the wiping effect means having a self-cleaning function that slides on the end face while the contact of the contact presses the mating terminal portion to remove the oxide film on the mating terminal portion.
However, nothing related to the elimination of these constraint conditions is found, including Patent Documents 1 to 3. Rather, Patent Documents 1 and 3 are based on the premise that the spring portions of the contacts are brought into contact with each other.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that does not allow the spring portions of the contacts to contact each other while using a contact having a long effective spring length for further miniaturization of the electrical connector.

(1) An electrical connector comprising a conductive contact and an insulating housing surrounding the contact,
The contact is formed by bending a band-shaped metal plate, and includes a base portion arranged at the rear of the housing, and an elastically displaceable spring portion extending from one end of the base portion to the front of the housing,
The spring portion includes a contact portion that protrudes outward and forward from the front surface of the housing, and an engagement portion that is connected to the free end portion of the spring portion from the contact portion and is disposed in the housing behind the contact portion. A proximity curved portion formed between the contact portion and the base portion and having a top portion close to the engaging portion inside the housing;
The housing includes, on the front surface of the housing, an engagement receiving portion that engages with the engagement portion when a contact is inserted into the housing and applies a predetermined preload to the spring portion.
The engaging portion has a concave portion in a portion facing the proximal curved portion, and when the spring portion is elastically displaced toward the rear of the housing, the engaging portion receives the proximal curved portion in the concave portion to contact the proximal curved portion. Avoid the electrical connector.

According to the electrical connector of (1), the spring portion of the contact is connected to the contact portion that protrudes outward from the front surface of the housing, and is connected to the free end portion side of the spring portion from the contact portion and at the rear of the contact portion. An engaging portion disposed inside the housing, and a proximal curved portion formed between the contact portion and the base portion and having a top portion close to the engaging portion inside the housing. In other words, the contact portion that is electrically connected to the counterpart terminal portion is located at the foremost position, and engages with the engagement receiving portion provided on the front surface of the housing to apply the preload to the spring portion. Is disposed inside the housing behind the contact portion, and the proximity curved portion is also located behind the contact portion and the top thereof is close to the engaging portion inside the housing.
The engaging portion has a concave portion in a portion facing the proximity curved portion, and when the battery is attached to the electronic device and the spring portion is elastically displaced toward the rear of the housing, the proximity curved portion is placed in the concave portion. By accepting, contact with the adjacent curved portion can be avoided.

  For this reason, since it is possible to effectively avoid contact between the engaging portion that is most likely to come into contact with the spring portion and the adjacent curved portion that is close to the engaging portion, the engaging portion and the contact portion that is continuously provided therewith can be avoided. The movable range can be increased, and the degree of freedom in setting the shape of the spring, the elastic coefficient, and the shape of the inside of the housing is greatly increased in order to achieve “spring characteristics with a large elastic displacement, softness, and high wiping effect”. To improve.

  (2) The electrical connector according to (1), wherein the spring portion alternately includes a forward curved portion curved in a certain direction and a backward curved portion curved in the reverse direction.

  According to the electrical connector of (2), since it is possible to effectively avoid contact between the engaging portion that is most likely to come into contact with the spring portion and the adjacent curved portion that is close to the engaging portion, The movable range of the contact points provided in a row is enlarged, and a spring part of a type having alternating forward curved parts curved in a certain direction and reverse curved parts curved in the reverse direction is effectively used to further increase the amount of displacement. In addition, it is possible to obtain favorable spring characteristics that can be elastically displaced softly.

  (3) The electrical connector according to (1) or (2), wherein the spring portion is formed between the contact portion and the proximity bending portion, and a top portion thereof is positioned in the vicinity of the inner surface of the housing. The housing includes a stopper on the inner surface thereof that abuts against the fulcrum bending portion and locks the fulcrum bending portion at a predetermined position when the spring portion is elastically displaced toward the rear of the housing, and the contact portion is a counterpart terminal. When retreating while pressing the part, the contact part recedes linearly toward the rear of the housing until the fulcrum bending part contacts the stopper, and after the fulcrum bending part contacts the stopper, An electrical connector that performs a rotation operation using a fulcrum.

According to the electrical connector of (3), the housing is provided with a stopper on its inner surface that abuts against the fulcrum bending portion and locks the fulcrum bending portion at a predetermined position when the spring portion is elastically displaced toward the rear of the housing. ing. Therefore, when the battery is mounted on the electronic device, the contact portion of the electrical connector moves backward while pressing the mating terminal portion, but the spring portion is located behind the housing until the fulcrum bending portion is locked by the stopper. It is elastically displaced in a straight line.
At this time, since the spring portion can be elastically displaced by using the entire spring portion including the fulcrum bending portion, it can be set to “a large elastic displacement amount and a soft spring characteristic”.

  On the other hand, after the fulcrum bending portion is locked by the stopper, the spring portion is elastically displaced using only the portion from the fulcrum bending portion to the contact portion of the spring portion, and the fulcrum bending portion is engaged by the stopper. Compared to when it is stopped (when it is elastically displaced using the entire spring portion), it changes to a harder spring characteristic. In addition, the portion of the spring portion from the fulcrum curved portion to the contact portion is rotated in the direction in which the contact portion is retracted to the housing side by the pressing force from the counterpart terminal portion with the fulcrum curved portion locked by the stopper as a fulcrum. I do. Due to this rotational operation, the contact portion is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the load direction, and the contact portion slides on the mating terminal portion while pressing the mating terminal portion, and thus has a wiping effect. This displacement in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion is generated at once after the fulcrum curved portion is locked by the stopper, that is, after the load on the mating terminal portion of the contact portion becomes large, so a large wiping effect Can be obtained.

As described above, the electrical connector (3) has “spring characteristics with a large amount of elastic displacement, softness, and a large wiping effect”. The electrical connector (3) can adjust the pressing force in the load direction and the displacement (wiping effect) in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion by adjusting the position of the stopper. In addition, since the rotating operation is used, the wiping can be greatly performed in the back direction while being low in height.
That is, since it is possible to effectively avoid contact between the engagement portion that is most likely to come into contact with the spring portion and the adjacent curved portion that is close to the engagement portion, the engagement portion and the contact portion that is connected to the engagement portion are movable. It is possible to increase the range and to move the spring portion in a complicated manner using such a rotational motion, and to obtain “a spring characteristic having a large elastic displacement amount, being soft and having a large wiping effect”.

  (4) In the electrical connector according to any one of (1) to (3), the engagement receiving portion does not interfere with the contact portion when the contact is inserted into the housing from the rear of the housing. An electrical connector disposed at a position that interferes with the engaging portion.

  According to the electrical connector of (4), when the electrical connector is assembled, the engagement portion can be engaged with the engagement receiving portion by inserting the contact from the rear of the housing. Therefore, when assembling this electrical connector, a separate step of engaging the engaging portion with the engaging receiving portion is not required. Further, when the contact is inserted into the housing, after the engagement portion is brought into contact with the engagement receiving portion, if the insertion distance is further increased, a large preload can be applied to the spring portion, and if the contact is inserted, a small preload is applied to the spring portion. Since it can be applied, the preload of the spring portion can be adjusted by the assembly position (insertion amount) of the contact to be engaged with the housing.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the electrical connector which does not contact the spring parts of contacts inside can be provided, using the contact with a long effective spring length for the further size reduction of an electrical connector.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance shape of the electrical connector which concerns on this invention. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1, and the state which the spring part is not elastically displaced is shown. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1, and the state which the spring part elastically displaced is shown. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1, and the state which the spring part further elastically displaced is shown. It is a perspective view which shows the position change of each part of a spring part when the spring part of the contact of the electrical connector which concerns on this invention is elastically displaced, (a) shows the state which the spring part is not elastically displaced, (b) Indicates a state in which the spring portion is elastically displaced. The housing of the electrical connector which concerns on this invention is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a rear view. The contact of the electrical connector which concerns on this invention is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view, (d) is a rear view. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the contact shown in FIG. 7. It is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1, and shows the process of inserting a contact in a housing and forming an electrical connector. It is a figure which shows the change of the load direction pressing force with respect to the load direction displacement of the contact part of the electrical connector which concerns on this invention, and the change of a displacement perpendicular to a load direction, (a) shows the case of a certain stopper position, (b) Indicates the case of another stopper position.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external shape of an electrical connector according to the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1, and is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the spring portion is not elastically displaced. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the spring portion is elastically displaced in the electrical connector, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the spring portion is further elastically displaced in the electrical connector. FIG. 5: is a perspective view which shows the position change of each part of a spring part when the spring part elastically displaces the contact of the electrical connector which concerns on this invention, (a) shows the state in which the spring part is not elastically displaced. , (B) shows a state where the spring portion is elastically displaced. 6A and 6B show a housing of an electrical connector according to the present invention, where FIG. 6A is a front view and FIG. 6B is a rear view. 7A and 7B show contacts of the electrical connector according to the present invention, in which FIG. 7A is a top view, FIG. 7B is a front view, FIG. 7C is a side view, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the contact.

An electrical connector 50 shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a power connector for electrically interconnecting a circuit board and a battery pack on the portable electronic device side. As shown in FIGS. The device-side circuit board 61 and the electrode terminal (mating-side terminal) 52 of the battery pack 51 are electrically connected to each other. The insulating housing 30 mounted on the circuit board 61, and the housing 30 And a plurality of (three in this embodiment) conductive contacts 10 held in parallel with each other at a predetermined pitch in the pitch direction (Z direction). The housing 30 includes a plurality (three in this embodiment) of contact receiving holes 33 that extend in the front-rear direction (X direction) of the housing 30.
Each contact 10 includes a contact bending portion 22 that extends in the vertical direction (Y direction) and protrudes forward (−X direction) from the contact accommodation hole 33. The contact bending portion 22 is a contact portion that is electrically connected to the electrode terminal 52 when the battery pack 51 is attached.

Among these, the housing 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape having a front surface 31 and a rear surface 32, and is formed by molding an insulating resin. The housing 30 is formed with a plurality of contact receiving holes 33 (three in the present embodiment) for receiving the contacts 10 at a predetermined pitch. Each contact receiving hole 33 is formed so as to penetrate the front surface 31 and the rear surface 32 of the housing 30.
Each of the contact receiving holes 33 is formed in the same shape (all three in the present embodiment). The contact accommodating hole 33 has an upper wall surface 33a, a lower wall surface 33b, a pair of opposed upper side wall surfaces 33d, and a pair of opposed lower side wall surfaces 33c. The pair of upper side wall surfaces 33d extend downward from the upper wall surface 33a and face each other substantially in parallel. The pair of lower side wall surfaces 33c extend upward from the lower wall surface 33b and face each other substantially in parallel. A distance m2 between the pair of upper side wall surfaces 33d is larger than a distance m1 between the pair of lower side wall surfaces 33c.

A shoulder 33e is formed between the upper side wall surface 33d and the lower side wall surface 33c, and the upper side wall surface 33d is connected to the lower side wall surface 33c via the shoulder portion 33e.
The pair of shoulder portions 33e respectively have a pair of protruding walls 36 that protrude from the shoulder portion 33e toward the upper wall surface 33a so as to provide a predetermined gap between the pair of shoulder portions 33e toward the upper wall surface 33a. . The pair of protruding walls 36 together with the upper wall surface 33a, the lower wall surface 33b, the pair of opposed upper side wall surfaces 33d, and the pair of opposed lower side wall surfaces 33c define a front opening 33f in the front surface 31 of the contact housing hole 33. ing. The front opening 33f is formed in a substantially T shape.

The pair of opposed upper side wall surfaces 33d have groove portions 33h in the vicinity of the upper wall surface 33a. Each of the pair of groove portions 33h has a groove portion bottom surface 33k. The pair of groove portions 33h may be formed adjacent to the upper wall surface 33a so that the end portion of the upper wall surface 33a becomes one side surface of the groove portion 33h.
The pair of groove portions 33h are each formed in a width S, and are formed at a distance m3 between the respective groove portion bottom surfaces 33k. Further, the pair of groove portions 33 h are open on the rear surface 32 of the contact accommodating hole 33, but may not extend to the front surface 31.

  The upper wall surface 33a, the lower wall surface 33b, the pair of opposed upper side wall surfaces 33d, the pair of opposed lower side wall surfaces 33c, the pair of opposed groove portions 33h, and the respective groove portion bottom surfaces 33k are connected to the rear surface 32 of the contact accommodating hole 33. is doing. Each connection portion has a chamfered portion 34.

  The contact accommodation hole 33 includes a stopper 35 protruding on the lower wall surface 33b in the direction of the upper wall surface 33a. The stopper 35 includes a steep slope 35a on the front surface 31 side, and a gentle slope 35b on the rear surface 32 side. The steep slope 35a may be perpendicular to the lower wall surface 33b. The stopper 35 may be formed integrally with the lower wall surface 33b.

  On the other hand, each contact 10 includes a substantially flat plate-like base portion 11 and a spring portion 12 that extends forward (from the −X direction) from one end of the base portion 11. The spring portion 12 is continuously provided from one end of the base portion 11 via the first bending portion 14 and continuously from the first spring portion 15 via the second bending portion 16. The second spring portion 17, the third spring portion 19 connected from the second spring portion 17 via the third bending portion 18, and the third spring portion 19 via the fourth bending portion 20. The fourth spring portion 21 that is continuously provided, the first connection portion 23 that is continuously provided from the fourth spring portion 21 via the contact bending portion 22, and the first connection portion 23 is bifurcated. A spring portion 12 that includes a pair of key-shaped portions 24 that are connected to each other via the second connection portion 26 and that can be elastically displaced by these members is formed. The key-shaped part 24 is disposed in the vicinity of the tip of the free end of the spring part 12. Further, the contact 10 includes a terminal portion 13 that is connected to the other end of the base portion 11.

The first spring portion 15 is bent from one end of the base portion 11 by the first bending portion 14 so as to be away from the virtual extension surface 11a of the base portion 11 (see FIG. 7C).
The second spring portion 17 is bent from one end of the first spring portion 15 by the second bending portion 16 and extends toward the virtual extension surface 11 a of the base portion 11 while facing the first spring portion 15. The third spring portion 19 is bent from one end of the second spring portion 17 by the third bending portion 18 and extends away from the virtual extension surface 11 a of the base portion 11 while facing the second spring portion 17. The fourth spring portion 21 is bent from one end of the third spring portion 19 by the fourth bending portion 20 and extends forward so as to be away from the third spring portion 19.

The first connection portion 23 is bent from one end of the fourth spring portion 21 by the contact bending portion 22 and extends rearward so as to approach the third spring portion 19. The pair of key-shaped portions 24 are bent by a second connecting portion 26 that is bifurcated in the pitch direction (Z direction) from the first connecting portion 23 and facing the third spring portion 19 while being virtually the base 11. It extends only a predetermined length away from the extension surface 11a.
With this configuration, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 are disposed in the vicinity of the distal end of the free end of the spring portion 12, and the contact bending portion 22 is disposed in the forefront (−X direction) of the contact 10.
The second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 are close to the third bending portion 18.

The second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 have a rectangular cutout portion 28 having a width d3 from the distal end of the free end of the spring portion 12. The notch portion 28 extends upward toward the second connection portion 26 along the pair of key-shaped portions 24, and is bent along the second connection portion 26 and forward toward the first connection portion 23. For a predetermined distance.
The cutout portion 28 faces the adjacent third bending portion 18.

  The contact bending portion 22 may have an isosceles triangle shape with the front of the contact 10 as a vertex. The contact bending portion 22 may include a bead portion 27 extending along the bending direction of the contact bending portion 22. The bead portion 27 increases the rigidity (bending rigidity and torsional rigidity) of the contact bending portion 22 and increases the contact surface pressure between the contact bending portion 22 and the electrode terminal 52 to ensure electrical connection therebetween.

The base 11 includes a pair of side portions 25 each extending in the pitch direction (Z direction). Protrusions 29 extending in the pitch direction are provided at both ends of the pair of side portions 25 in the pitch direction. The protruding portion 29 has a gentle inclined portion 29a in the front (−X direction) and a steep inclined portion 29b in the rear (X direction).
Each part of the contact 10 is formed to a thickness t.

Hereinafter, the width (distance) in the pitch direction (Z direction) of each part of the contact 10 will be described.
The width d5 between the tops of the protrusions 29 provided on the pair of side portions 25 has the maximum width in the pitch direction of the contacts 10, and the width of the pair of key-shaped portions 24 (the width of the pair of key-shaped portions 24). The distance d4 is larger than the width d4.

The widths of the pair of key-shaped portions 24 and the second curved portion 16 and the fourth curved portion 20 on the opposite side in the vertical direction (Y direction) are both set to a width d7. The width d7 may be the same as the width d2 that is the width of the third bending portion 18 described above.
Further, the first bending portion 14, the second bending portion 16, the third bending portion 18, and the fourth bending portion 20 may all have the same width d7 (width d2).

The first spring portion 15, the second spring portion 17, the third spring portion 19, and the fourth spring portion 21 have the widths of the first bending portion 14, the second bending portion 16, and the one end thereof continuously provided. It may be formed smaller than the width of the third bending portion 18 and the fourth bending portion 20, and may be configured to have a desired bending rigidity. The widths of the first spring portion 15, the second spring portion 17, the third spring portion 19, and the fourth spring portion 21 may all be the same.
Further, the widths of the first spring portion 15, the second spring portion 17, the third spring portion 19, and the fourth spring portion 21 may be the same as the width d7 (width d2) described above.

  The width d3 which is the width of the notch portion 28 (the distance between the insides of the pair of key-shaped portions 24) is that of the third curved portion 18 adjacent to the second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24. It is sufficiently larger than the width d2, which is the width.

  The width d1 of the contact bending portion 22 is preferably smaller than the width of the fourth bending portion 20 provided continuously from the contact bending portion 22 via the fourth spring portion 21.

  Hereinafter, a process of forming the electrical connector 50 by assembling the contact 10 to the housing 30 will be described.

The contact 10 can be manufactured by punching a conductive plate having a thickness t into a predetermined strip length by pressing and then performing a predetermined bending process.
In a stage before being assembled to the housing 30, the pair of side portions 25 of the contact 10 are respectively connected to extension portions 25b extending rearward (see FIG. 7). The extended portions 25b of the respective contacts 10 are connected to each other, and hold a plurality (three in this embodiment) of conductive contacts 10 in parallel with each other at a predetermined pitch in the pitch direction (Z direction). ing.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the electrical connector 50 shown in FIG. 1 and shows a process of forming the electrical connector 50 by inserting the contact 10 into the housing 30.

A plurality of (three in the present embodiment) contacts 10 held in parallel with each other at a predetermined pitch in the pitch direction by the extension 25b are a plurality of (in the present embodiment) a plurality of contacts 10 formed at a predetermined pitch. The extension portion 25b is held in the three contact housing holes 33 from the rear surface 32 side of the housing 30 and is integrally inserted toward the front (A direction).
When each contact 10 is inserted into each contact receiving hole 33, the pair of side portions 25 provided in the base portion 11 of each contact 10 is formed in the pair of groove portions 33 h provided in each contact receiving hole 33 of the housing 30. Each is engaged.

  The width d5 between the tops of the protrusions 29 provided on the pair of side portions 25 is slightly larger than the distance m3 between the groove bottom surfaces 33k of the pair of opposing groove portions 33h of the housing 30. . Therefore, the contact 10 is inserted while the projections 29 of the pair of side portions 25 are in strong contact with the groove bottom surface 33 k of the housing 30. Further, the width S of the pair of grooves 33 h is formed to be the same as the thickness t of the contact 10. For this reason, the contact 10 is inserted while the pair of side portions 25 are in strong contact with the side surfaces of the pair of groove portions 33 h of the housing 30.

The width d4 that is the width of the second connection portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 is formed to be slightly smaller than the distance m2 between the pair of upper side wall surfaces 33d of the contact accommodating hole 33.
The width d7 which is the width of the second curved portion 16 and the fourth curved portion 20 opposite to the pair of key-shaped portions 24 in the vertical direction (Y direction) is a pair of lower side wall surfaces 33c of the contact accommodation hole 33. It is formed to be slightly smaller than the distance m1 between the two.
Therefore, when each contact 10 is inserted into each contact accommodating hole 33, the spring portion 12 does not interfere with the contact accommodating hole 33, and the fourth spring portion 21 protruding forward from the contact accommodating hole 33, the contact bending portion 22, The first connection portion 23 and the second connection portion 26 do not interfere with the front opening 33 f of the contact accommodating hole 33.
Further, the fourth spring portion 21, the contact bending portion 22, the first connection portion 23 and the second connection portion 26, and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 of each contact 10 are passed through the rear surface 32 of each contact accommodation hole 33. At this time, since the chamfered portion 34 is provided on the rear surface 32 portion of each contact accommodation hole 33, even if there is a slight positional error between each contact 10 and each contact accommodation hole 33, it can pass smoothly.

When each contact 10 is inserted into each contact accommodation hole 33, the fourth curved portion 20 gets over the stopper 35 provided on the lower wall surface 33 b of the contact accommodation hole 33. When further inserted, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 abut against the pair of protruding walls 36 provided in the contact accommodating hole 33.
Here, since the length of the pair of key-shaped portions 24 is larger than the gap between the protruding wall 36 and the upper wall surface 33 a, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 cannot pass through the protruding wall 36.

At this time, the contact bending portion 22 at the free end of the spring portion 12, the fourth spring portion 21 provided continuously with one end of the contact bending portion 22, and the first connection portion provided continuously with the other end of the contact bending portion 22. 23 and the second connecting portion 26 protrude forward from the contact accommodating hole 33, and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 connected to the second connecting portion 26 are located inside the contact accommodating hole 33.
In this state, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 abuts against the pair of projecting walls 36 provided in the contact accommodation hole 33 and is prevented from moving forward (−X direction). By further inserting into the spring 33, a preload can be applied to the spring portion 12. The contact 10 is inserted to a position (predetermined position) where a predetermined preload is applied to the spring portion 12 (see FIG. 2).

  That is, when the electrical connector 50 is assembled, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 that are the engaging portions on the contact 10 side are the engagement receiving portions on the housing 30 side simply by inserting the contacts 10 from the rear of the housing 30. The pair of protruding walls 36 can be engaged. Therefore, when assembling the electrical connector 50, a step for separately engaging the engaging portion on the contact 10 side with the engaging receiving portion on the housing 30 side is not required.

  Further, when the contact 10 is inserted into the housing 30, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 are brought into contact with the pair of projecting walls 36, and then the distance from which the contact 10 is further inserted is increased to increase a large preload to the spring portion. 12 can be applied, and a small preload can be applied to the spring portion 12 by reducing the size. Therefore, the preload applied to the spring portion 12 can be adjusted by adjusting the insertion amount (assembly position) of the contact 10 into the housing 30.

  As described above, each of the protrusions 29 provided on the pair of side portions 25 has a gentle inclined portion 29a at the front thereof and a steep inclined portion 29b at the rear thereof (see FIGS. 7 and 8). ), The protrusion 29 can move forward with respect to the contacting groove bottom surface 33k, but the steep inclined portion 29b bites into the groove bottom surface 33k and is prevented from returning backward. That is, by pressing each contact 10 forward (A direction) with respect to the housing 30 via the extension portion 25b connected to the pair of side portions 25, each contact 10 is moved to a predetermined position (predetermined in the contact receiving hole 33). Each contact 10 is not easily removed from the contact accommodating hole 33. Therefore, each contact 10 can be fixed at a predetermined position of the housing 30 by a simple process.

  After each contact 10 is inserted into each contact receiving hole 33 to a predetermined position, each contact 10 is cut off from an extension 25b connecting each contact 10 at the position of the cutting portion 25a by a cutting jig (not shown), The assembly of the electrical connector 50 is completed.

  Next, an operation in which the spring portion 12 of the electrical connector 50 is elastically displaced will be described with reference to FIGS.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the electrical connector 50 shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state where the spring portion 12 is not elastically displaced.
As described above, the contact bending portion 22 at the free end of the spring portion 12, the fourth spring portion 21 provided continuously with one end of the contact bending portion 22, and the first connection provided continuously with the other end of the contact bending portion 22. The portion 23 and the second connection portion 26 protrude forward from the contact accommodation hole 33, and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 connected to the second connection portion 26 are disposed inside the contact accommodation hole 33. Has been.
In this state, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 abuts against the pair of protruding walls 36 provided in the contact accommodating hole 33 and is prevented from moving forward (−X direction). The preload is applied.
The contact bending portion 22 protrudes most forward in the electrical connector 50 and faces the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 approaching in the F direction.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of the electrical connector 50 shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state where the spring portion 12 is elastically displaced. This corresponds to a state where the battery pack 51 is being attached to the circuit board 61.
When the pressing force from the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 in contact with the contact bending portion 22 is equal to or higher than the preload applied to the spring portion 12, the pair of key-shaped portions 24 are separated from the pair of protruding walls 36, 22, a fourth spring portion 21 provided continuously with one end of the contact bending portion 22, a first connection portion 23 provided continuously with the other end of the contact bending portion 22, a second connection portion 26, and a pair of key shapes. The part 24 "is integrated and retracted backward (X direction) by the elastic displacement of the spring part 12.
“The contact bending portion 22, the fourth spring portion 21 connected to one end of the contact bending portion 22, the first connection portion 23 connected to the other end of the contact bending portion 22, the second connection portion 26, and When the pair of key-shaped portions 24 ”are further retracted, the fourth curved portion 20 comes into contact with the steep slope 35 a of the stopper 35 provided on the lower wall surface 33 b of the contact accommodating hole 33.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of the electrical connector 50 shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state where the spring portion 12 is further elastically displaced. This corresponds to a state in which the battery pack 51 is completely attached to the circuit board 61.
As shown in FIG. 3, the fourth bending portion 20 is locked at the position of the stopper 35 after contacting the steep slope 35 a of the stopper 35. When the contact bending portion 22 receives further pressing force from the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 entering the F direction, “the contact bending portion 22, the fourth spring portion 21 connected to one end of the contact bending portion 22, and the contact point”. The first connecting portion 23, the second connecting portion 26, and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 "connected to the other end of the bending portion 22 have the contact bending portion 22 as a fulcrum with the fourth bending portion 20 as a fulcrum. Rotation is performed in the backward direction (X direction), that is, in the clockwise direction in FIG. The contact bending portion 22 moves backward while applying a pressing force to the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 entering in the F direction by this rotation operation.

  At this time, the contact point C2 between the contact bending portion 22 and the electrode terminal 52 is “the contact bending portion 122, the fourth spring portion 121, the first contact point C1 when the contact point C2 is just in contact with the electrode terminal 52 shown in FIG. To the contact point C1 of the electrode terminal 52 with respect to the connection portion 123, the second connection portion 126, and the pair of key-shaped portions 124 ". That is, when the battery pack 51 is attached to the circuit board 61, the electrode terminal 52 is between the contact of the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 with the contact bending portion 22 and the attachment of the battery pack 51 to the circuit board 61. The contact point with the contact bending portion 22 as viewed from the point moves from C1 to C2 by a distance L1.

  On the other hand, the contact point with the electrode terminal 52 viewed from the contact bending portion 22 is “contact bending portion 122, fourth spring portion 121, first connection portion 123, second connection point at the time of just contacting the electrode terminal 52. The connection portion 126 and the pair of key-shaped portions 124 "move from the contact point C3 to C2 with respect to the electrode terminal 52 by a distance L2.

  Therefore, when the battery pack 51 is attached to the circuit board 61, the electrode terminal 52 is not yet attached until the battery pack 51 is attached to the circuit board 61 after the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 contacts the contact bending portion 22. The contact point with the contact bending portion 22 viewed from the distance moves from the C1 to C2 by the distance L1, and the contact point with the electrode terminal 52 viewed from the contact bending portion 22 moves from the contact points C3 to C2 by the distance L2. Has a sufficient wiping effect.

Here, as described above, the width d3 which is the width of the cutout portion 28 (the distance between the inside of the second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24) is the second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped. Since the width d2 which is the width of the third curved portion 18 adjacent to the portion 24 is sufficiently larger, the second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 have the contact curved portion 22 retracted. Even when the battery pack 51 is attached to the circuit board 61, the electrical resistance value of the electrical connector 50 does not change abruptly. (See Figure 5)
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, when the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61, the second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 are not in contact with the third bending portion 18, and Therefore, the movable range of the contact bending portion 22 can be set large.

The width d4 of the second connection portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 is formed to be slightly smaller than the distance m2 between the pair of upper side wall surfaces 33d of the contact accommodating hole 33, and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 The width d7 that is the width of the second curved portion 16 and the fourth curved portion 20 on the opposite side of the portion 24 in the vertical direction (Y direction) is based on the distance m1 between the pair of lower side wall surfaces 33c of the contact accommodating hole 33. Since the second connecting portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 are formed so as to be slightly smaller, the second curved portion 16 and the fourth curved portion 16 are formed by the pair of upper side wall surfaces 33 d of the contact accommodating hole 33. The portions 20 are respectively guided by the pair of lower side wall surfaces 33c of the contact receiving holes 33, and the movement in the width direction is restricted.
Accordingly, when the spring portion 12 is elastically displaced, each portion of the spring portion 12 of the contact 10 including the notch portion 28 is displaced and inclined (a roll centered on the X axis and a yaw centered on the Y axis). It does not occur, and the electrical connector can exhibit stable performance.

As described above, the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61. However, when the battery pack 51 is removed from the circuit board 61, the electrical connector 50 performs the above-described operation in the reverse direction.
That is, first, “the contact bending portion 22, the fourth spring portion 21 connected to one end of the contact bending portion 22, the first connection portion 23 connected to the other end of the contact bending portion 22, and the second connection. The portion 26 and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 "are directions in which the contact bending portion 22 advances (-X direction) with the fourth bending portion 20 locked by the stopper 35 as a fulcrum, that is, in FIG. Rotate around. The contact bending portion 22 moves forward while applying a pressing force to the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 that moves backward in the direction opposite to the F direction.
When the fourth bending portion 20 moves away from the stopper 35, “the contact bending portion 22, the fourth spring portion 21 connected to one end of the contact bending portion 22, and the second connection portion connected to the other end of the contact bending portion 22. The first connecting portion 23, the second connecting portion 26, and the pair of key-shaped portions 24 "provide a pair of key-shaped portions while applying a pressing force to the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 that is retracted in the direction opposite to the F direction. It advances linearly until 24 contacts the pair of protruding walls 36.

  FIG. 10 shows an electrical connection between the time when the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 contacts the contact bending portion 22 and the time when the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61 when the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61. It is a figure which shows the change of the load direction pressing force with respect to the load direction displacement in the contact point of the contact bending part 22 of the connector 50, and the displacement of a right-angle direction with a load direction.

(A) shows the case where the position of the stopper 35 is set to “a certain position”. Here, the load direction refers to the X direction in FIGS.
When the pressing force in the load direction from the electrode terminal 52 exceeds the preload P0 after the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 contacts the contact bending portion 22, the contact bending portion 22 moves backward (FIGS. 2 and 3). reference). At this time, as described above, the contact bending portion 22 recedes linearly in the load direction (X direction).

  When the fourth bending portion 20 comes into contact with the stopper 35 (corresponding to the load direction displacement of the contact portion = X1 and the load direction pressing force = P1), as described above, “the contact bending portion 22 and one end of the contact bending portion 22 The 4th spring part 21 provided continuously, and the 1st connection part 23, the 2nd connection part 26, and a pair of key shape part 24 "which were provided continuously at the other end of contact curved part 22 are the 4th curve. Rotating operation with the part 20 as a fulcrum is performed. In the rotation operation, since the position of the fourth bending portion 20 is fixed, only the fourth bending portion 20 and the fourth spring portion 21 of the spring portion 12 are effective for elastic displacement. The inclination of the graph of “load direction pressing force with respect to displacement in the load direction of the contact portion” once increases. Thereafter, the inclination of the graph gradually becomes smaller as the angle θ between the fourth spring portion 21 connecting the fourth bending portion 20 serving as a fulcrum and the contact bending portion 22 and the load direction increases. “Load direction displacement of the contact portion = X2, load direction pressing force = P2” indicates a state in which the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61.

  On the other hand, the displacement in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion relative to the load direction displacement of the contact portion (Y direction displacement) occurs when the fourth bending portion 20 abuts against the stopper 35 (load direction displacement of the contact portion = X1, contact point). The inclination of the graph of “displacement in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion relative to the load direction displacement of the contact portion” begins to occur and corresponds to the rotation operation fulcrum. As the angle θ between the fourth spring portion 21 connecting the four curved portions 20 and the contact curved portion 22 and the load direction increases, the angle θ gradually increases. “Displacement in the load direction of the contact portion = X2, displacement in a direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion = Y2” indicates a state in which the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61.

As described above, when the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61, the electrical connector 50 is in the period until the fourth bending portion 20 comes into contact with the stopper 35 (load direction displacement of the contact portion ≦ X1). After the fourth curved portion 20 abuts against the stopper 35 (load direction displacement of the contact portion> X1), the contact portion can be obtained. Therefore, a large wiping effect can be obtained between the contact bending portion 22 and the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51. Accordingly, it is possible to achieve a “balanced spring characteristic with a large elastic displacement amount, softness and a large wiping effect” with a good balance as a whole.
Further, in the electrical connector 50, since the displacement in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion is maximized in a region where the load direction pressing force of the contact portion is maximum, a preferable wiping effect can be obtained.

  The electrical connector 50 is a spring portion from the upper third bending portion 18 and the first bending portion 14 to the lower fourth bending portion 20 and the second bending portion 16 with respect to the size in the vertical direction (Y direction). 12 may be obtained by adding the wall thickness on the upper wall surface 33a side and the wall thickness on the lower wall surface 33b side of the housing 30 housing the spring 12 to the lower wall surface 33b. The upward projecting height from 61 can be kept low. The electrical connector 50 is configured to be able to perform wiping in the back direction (Y direction) while having such a low profile.

  (B) in FIG. 10 shows the same battery when the same contact 10 and housing 30 as in (a) are used, and only the fixed position (insertion amount) of the contact 10 with respect to the housing 30 is set to a different position (amount). When the pack 51 is attached to the circuit board 61, the contact curve of the electrical connector 50 from when the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 contacts the contact curve portion 22 to when the battery pack 51 is attached to the circuit board 61. It is a figure which shows the change of the load direction pressing force with respect to the load direction displacement in the contact point of the part 22, and the displacement of a right-angle direction with a load direction.

In this case, if the pressing force in the load direction from the electrode terminal 52 exceeds the preload P5 after the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 contacts the contact bending portion 22, the contact bending portion 22 moves backward toward the housing 30.
When the fourth bending portion 20 comes into contact with the stopper 35 (corresponding to the load direction displacement of the contact portion = X1 and the load direction pressing force = P6), similarly, “the contact bending portion 22 is connected to one end of the contact bending portion 22. The 4th spring part 21, the 1st connection part 23, the 2nd connection part 26, and a pair of key-shaped part 24 "which were provided in a row by the other end of the contact curve part 22 are the 4th curve part. Rotating operation with 20 as a fulcrum is performed. “Load direction displacement of the contact portion = X2, load direction pressing force = P7” indicates a state in which the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61. The graphs (P5, P6, P7) have the same shape as the graphs (P0, P1, P2) of (a), and are moved in the direction of the load direction pressing force by the amount of the preload change.

On the other hand, the displacement perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion relative to the load direction displacement of the contact portion (Y direction displacement) is the same as (a).
That is, the electrical connector 50 can easily adjust the preload applied to the spring portion 12 by adjusting the fixing position (insertion amount) of the contact 10 with respect to the housing 30 using the same contact 10 and the same housing 30. it can.

(C) of FIG. 10 shows a case where the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61 in the case where only the position of the stopper 35 in the housing 30 is arranged at “another position” using the same contact 10 as (a). The load with respect to the load direction displacement at the contact point of the contact bending portion 22 of the electrical connector 50 after the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 contacts the contact bending portion 22 until the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61. It is a figure which shows the change of the displacement of a direction pressing force and a right-angle direction with a load direction.
In this case, similarly to the setting of (a), when the pressing force in the load direction from the electrode terminal 52 exceeds the preload P0 after the electrode terminal 52 of the battery pack 51 contacts the contact bending part 22, the contact bending part 22 is Retreat backwards.

When the fourth bending portion 20 comes into contact with the stopper 35 (corresponding to load direction displacement of the contact portion = X3, load direction pressing force = P3), “the contact bending portion 22 and one end of the contact bending portion 22 are connected in a similar manner. The 4th spring part 21, the 1st connection part 23, the 2nd connection part 26, and a pair of key-shaped part 24 "which were provided in a row by the other end of the contact curve part 22 are the 4th curve part. Rotating operation with 20 as a fulcrum is performed. “Load direction displacement of the contact portion = X4, load direction pressing force = P4” indicates a state in which the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61. The setting of (c) corresponds to the case where the stopper 35 is arranged closer to the front surface 31 than the setting of (a).
In this way, by adjusting the position of the stopper 35, it is possible to adjust the timing for shifting from the linear retraction of the contact bending portion 22 to the rotation operation with the fourth bending portion 20 as a fulcrum while using the same contact 10. The magnitude of the load direction pressing force and its generation pattern can be adjusted.

On the other hand, the displacement in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion relative to the load direction displacement of the contact portion (Y direction displacement) is “load direction displacement of the contact portion = X4, displacement in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion = Y4”. A state in which the battery pack 51 is mounted on the circuit board 61 is shown. In the setting of (c), a larger displacement in the direction perpendicular to the load direction of the contact portion is generated than in the setting of (a).
As described above, the electrical connector 50 can easily adjust the position of the stopper 35 in the housing 30 while using the same contact 10, thereby easily increasing the magnitude of the load direction pressing force and its generation pattern, and the load at the contact portion. The displacement in the direction perpendicular to the direction can be adjusted.

  The electrical connector 50 uses the same contact 10 to change (adjust) the position of the stopper 35 in the housing 30 and to change (adjust) the fixed position (insertion amount) of the contact 10 with respect to the housing 30. It can also be used in combination. In this case, the preload applied to the spring part 12, the magnitude of the load direction pressing force and its generation pattern, and the displacement of the contact part in the direction perpendicular to the load direction can be adjusted as appropriate.

  As mentioned above, although demonstrated using embodiment of this invention, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. Various modifications, changes or improvements can be added to the above embodiment, and such modifications, changes or improvements can be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the base portion 11 is the upper side that is the side of the pair of key-shaped portions 24 and the third bending portion 18 with respect to the vertical direction (Y direction), but the base portion is in the vertical direction (Y direction). On the other hand, the lower side, which is opposite to the pair of key-shaped portions 24 and the third bending portion 18, may be used. In this case, the base may be fixed to a groove provided in the lower side wall surface 33c.

  In the above-described embodiment, the stopper 35 includes the steep slope 35a. However, the “contact curved portion 22, contact point” is based on the fourth curved portion 20 after the fourth curved portion 20 contacts the stopper 35. The fourth spring portion 21 provided continuously with one end of the bending portion 22, the first connection portion 23 provided continuously with the other end of the contact bending portion 22, the second connection portion 26, and a pair of key-shaped portions 24 ” In order to make the rotation operation of the first and second rotations smoother, an R surface may be used instead of the steep slope 35a.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the spring part 12 is what is called a snake type which has alternately the normal curve part curved in a certain direction, and the reverse curve part curved in the reverse direction, it is a spring part of other types. It may be.

10 Contact 11 Base 12 Spring Part 14 First Curvature (Reverse Curvature)
16 2nd bending part (forward bending part)
18 Third bending portion (proximity bending portion, reverse bending portion)
20 4th bending part (fulcrum bending part, normal bending part)
22 Contact curved part (contact part)
24 A pair of key-shaped parts (engaging parts)
26 Second connection portion 28 Notch (recessed portion)
30 Housing 31 Front 33 Contact receiving hole (inner surface)
33b Lower wall surface (inner surface)
35 Stopper 36 A pair of protruding walls (engagement receiving part)
50 Electrical connector 52 Electrode terminal (mating terminal)

Claims (4)

An electrical connector comprising a conductive contact and an insulating housing surrounding the contact,
The contact is formed by bending a strip-shaped metal plate, and has a base portion arranged behind the housing, and an elastically displaceable spring portion extending from one end of the base portion to the front of the housing. With
The spring portion is connected to the contact portion protruding outward from the front surface of the housing, and is connected to the free end portion side of the spring portion from the contact portion, and is disposed in the housing behind the contact portion. An engagement portion, and a proximity curve portion formed between the contact portion and the base portion and having a top portion close to the engagement portion inside the housing,
The housing includes, on the front surface of the housing, an engagement receiving portion that engages with the engagement portion and applies a predetermined preload to the spring portion when the contact is inserted into the housing.
The engaging portion has a recess in a portion facing the proximity curved portion, and when the spring portion elastically displaces toward the rear of the housing, the engagement portion receives the proximity curved portion in the recess. An electrical connector that avoids contact with adjacent curved parts.   2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the spring portion alternately includes a forward curved portion curved in a certain direction and a backward curved portion curved in the reverse direction.   3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the spring portion includes a fulcrum bending portion that is formed between the contact portion and the proximity bending portion, and a top portion of the spring portion is positioned in the vicinity of the inner surface of the housing. The housing is provided with a stopper on the inner surface thereof for contacting the fulcrum curved portion and locking the fulcrum curved portion at a predetermined position when the spring portion is elastically displaced toward the rear of the housing. When retreating while pressing the mating terminal portion, the contact portion recedes linearly toward the rear of the housing until the fulcrum bending portion contacts the stopper, and the fulcrum bending portion is the stopper. An electrical connector that performs a rotation operation with the fulcrum bending portion as a fulcrum after contacting the fulcrum.   The electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the engagement receiving portion does not interfere with the contact portion when the contact is inserted into the housing from the rear of the housing. An electrical connector disposed at a position that interferes with the engaging portion.

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