JP2018206622A - Connection module, and relay connector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a connection module which facilitates reduction of cost, and a relay connector.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a connection module 10 for connecting a first terminal A that is a connection target, with a terminal member 2. The connection module comprises: a conductive connection member 8 having a substantially cylindrical shape; and a first support plate 4 in which a penetration hole 44 penetrating in a plate thickness direction is formed, for holding the connection member 8 which is inserted into the penetration hole 44 and installed in such a manner that an axial direction of the connection member 8 is belong the penetration direction. The connection member 8 includes: a terminal member connection part 81 which is connected with an end side of the terminal member 2; and a terminal lock part 82 into which a distal end of the first terminal A is inserted and locked. The terminal lock part 82 consists of a recess that is formed by recessing an axial center part of the connection member 8 in its axial center direction, and is configured to be expanded/reduced and deformable by forming multiple slits 85 extending substantially in an axial direction on a peripheral surface of the recess.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a connection module for connecting a first terminal to be connected to a terminal member, and a relay connector using the connection module.

  Conventionally, a relay connector in which a terminal member is held on a base plate in which a plurality of through holes are formed, a first connection object composed of a connection switching unit used in a substrate inspection apparatus, and an inspection jig having a probe Relaying between a second connection target composed of a connector or the like is performed (for example, see Patent Document 1). The terminal member of the relay connector is provided with a plunger formed in a substantially rod-like shape by a conductive material such as a conductive metal, a cylindrical body (cylinder portion) held in a through hole of the base plate, and the cylindrical body. Compression springs.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the relay connector according to Patent Document 1 includes an elongated cylindrical body 101, a plunger 102 that is slidably supported at the distal end portion of the cylindrical body 101, and a tubular body 101. A terminal member 100 having a compression spring 103 is provided. On the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 101, a partition wall portion 104 serving as a retaining portion for the compression spring 103 and one or a plurality of sliding contact pieces 106 are provided. Then, the first terminal 105 and the terminal member 100 of the relay connector are electrically connected by bringing the sliding contact piece 106 into sliding contact with the peripheral surface of the first terminal 105 inserted into the proximal end portion of the cylindrical body 101. Is configured to do.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-149275

  By the way, according to the above-described technique, the partition wall portion 104 serving as a retaining portion of the compression spring 103 and one or a plurality of sliding contacts are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the elongated cylindrical body 101 having a diameter of, for example, less than 1 mm. Since it is necessary to provide the piece 106, it is inevitable that the structure becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost increases.

  The objective of this invention is providing the connection module and relay connector which are easy to reduce cost.

  The connection module which concerns on this invention is a connection module for connecting the 1st terminal which is a connection object, and a terminal member, Comprising: The electroconductive connection member which has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the penetration penetrated in a plate | board thickness direction A hole is formed, and includes a first support plate that holds the connection member inserted and installed in the through-hole so that the axial direction of the connection member is aligned with the penetration direction. A terminal member connecting portion connected to one end portion side of the terminal member; and a terminal locking portion inserted and locked to the distal end portion of the first terminal. Expanding / contracting by forming a plurality of slits that are formed by recessing the axial center of the member in the axial direction and that extend substantially in the axial direction of the connecting member on the peripheral surface of the recess. Deformation is possible. In addition, extending in the axial direction is a concept including a case where the connecting member is slightly inclined from the axial direction.

  According to this configuration, since the connection member is inserted and installed in the through hole formed in the first support plate, the outer peripheral surface of the connection member having a substantially cylindrical shape is supported by the inner peripheral surface of the through hole. Is done. Further, since the tip end portion of the first terminal is inserted and locked in the terminal locking portion, the outer peripheral portion of the connection member is sandwiched and held between the inner peripheral surface of the through hole and the tip end portion of the first terminal. Will be. As a result, the strength of the connecting member can be supplemented. Therefore, since the cost of the connection member can be reduced as compared with the case where the connection member is sandwiched between the through hole and the first terminal and is not reinforced, it is easy to reduce the manufacturing cost of the connection module. Furthermore, according to this configuration, when the terminal member is connected to the connecting member, the terminal locking portion is pressed inward in accordance with the compressive force applied in the axial direction of the terminal member from the terminal member, and the diameter is reduced. The terminal locking portion can be brought into pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the first terminal inserted and locked in the terminal locking portion, so that the first terminal and the connection member can be firmly electrically connected.

  In addition, the inner diameter of the hollow portion is formed to a value equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the first terminal, that is, equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the first terminal. preferable.

  According to this configuration, the terminal member and the first terminal can be reliably electrically connected via the connecting member by press-fitting the distal end portion of the first terminal into the terminal locking portion.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said terminal member connection part consists of a ring-shaped part which has the outer diameter below the outer diameter dimension of the said terminal member.

  According to this configuration, when connecting the terminal member to the connection member, the base end portion of the terminal member can be reliably pressed against the terminal member connection portion according to the pressing force applied from the terminal member. The terminal member and the connection member can be firmly electrically connected.

  Moreover, the relay connector according to the present invention is a relay connector that includes the above-described connection module and relays between the first terminal and the second terminal to be connected, and includes the connection member and the second terminal. The terminal member made of a conductive material to electrically connect the terminal member, and a support member that supports the terminal member, the terminal member includes a cylindrical body having an urging member disposed on one end side, and A proximal end portion is inserted and supported on the other end side from the biasing member in the cylindrical body, and is biased to the other end side in the cylindrical body in accordance with the biasing force of the biasing member. A plunger, and the support member includes the first support plate and a second support plate that supports a portion on the other end side of the terminal member.

  According to this structure, the 1st support plate which comprises the connection module by the part of the other end part side of the terminal member provided with the plunger urged | biased by the biasing member to the other end part side being supported by the 2nd support plate. Since the connection member installed in the terminal member is connected to one end of the terminal member, the first terminal is connected to the terminal connection member of the connection module while reducing the cost of the relay connector, and the second terminal is connected to the plunger. By bringing them into contact, the first terminal and the second terminal can be made conductive.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the first support plate is formed with a guide portion that guides one end portion side of the terminal member toward the center position side of the connection member.

  According to this configuration, when the base end portion of the terminal member is connected to the connection member, the terminal member is guided from the center of the connection member by guiding the terminal member to the center position side of the connection member using the guide portion. It is possible to reduce the possibility of being in a single contact state in contact with the shifted position. Thereby, it can suppress that a big force acts on a part of connection member, and local deformation arises. In addition, when the connection member is inserted and installed in the through hole of the first support plate, the installation work of the connection member can be performed easily and appropriately by using the guide portion.

  It is preferable that the base end part of the cylindrical body located on the one end part side of the terminal member is installed so as to be in pressure contact with the terminal member connection part.

  According to this configuration, the first terminal and the terminal member can be electrically connected by press-contacting the base end portion of the cylindrical body to the terminal member connecting portion, so that the structure of the terminal member is simplified and relayed. It becomes easy to reduce the cost of the connector.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the space | gap part which has the space | interval corresponding to the principal part of the said terminal member is provided between said 1st support plate and said 2nd support plate.

  According to this configuration, compared to the case where an insulating material such as resin or glass fiber is disposed in the entire area between the first support plate and the second support plate, the relative dielectric constant of the space between the adjacent terminal members is It can be suppressed to about 1/3 to 1/4. Therefore, even when a large number of terminal members are arranged in a matrix in the relay connector, the occurrence of mutual interference between the terminal members, that is, so-called crosstalk can be effectively suppressed with a simple configuration.

  Moreover, it is good also as a structure by which the 3rd support plate which has the penetration hole into which the said cylindrical body is penetrated is arrange | positioned in the said space | gap part.

  According to this configuration, in the process of assembling the relay connector, there is an advantage that the installation work of the terminal member can be performed easily and appropriately, and the installation state of the terminal member in the assembly state of the relay connector can be stably maintained. .

  Such a connection module and a relay connector can easily reduce the cost.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the relay connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled sectional view which shows the specific structure of the terminal member provided in the relay connector. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which connected the 1st terminal and the 2nd terminal to the relay connector. It is a perspective view which shows the specific structure of the connection member provided in the relay connector. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which connected the 1st terminal to the connection member shown in FIG. It is process drawing which shows the assembly process of a relay connector. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the terminal member provided in the relay connector. It is sectional drawing which shows the prior art example of the terminal member provided in the relay connector.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the structure which attached | subjected the same code | symbol in each figure shows that it is the same structure, The description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of a relay connector 1 using a connection module 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded cross section showing a specific configuration of a terminal member 2 provided in the relay connector 1. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first terminal A and the second terminal B are connected to the relay connector 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a specific configuration of the connection member 8 provided on the relay connector 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first terminal A is connected to the connection member 8 shown in FIG.

  The relay connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to the first terminal A of the connection switching unit that is the first connection target on the lower side (hereinafter referred to as one end side) of FIG. By connecting the second terminal B of the connector for the inspection jig, which is the second connection target, to the other end side), the first terminal A and the second terminal B are relayed.

  The connection switching unit is a so-called scanner device used in a substrate inspection apparatus that inspects the electrical characteristics of the wiring pattern provided on the substrate, and includes a power supply unit, a voltage detection unit, and a current detection unit for inspection of the inspection device body. The electrical connection relationship between the inspection unit and the probe provided in the inspection jig connector which is the second connection target is switched.

  The connection switching unit is composed of a substrate unit having a plurality of switching elements. In the connection switching unit, a plurality of first terminals A composed of electrode pins or the like connected to each switching element are arranged at a predetermined pitch. The first terminal A protrudes from a connection switching unit (not shown) disposed below the relay connector 1 toward the relay connector 1 (upper side in FIG. 1). Then, by attaching the connection switching unit to the relay connector 1, the base end portion of the terminal member 2 located on one end side of the relay connector 1 and the first terminal A of the connection switching unit are electrically connected. It is like that.

  In the inspection jig connector, a plurality of second terminals B made of electrode pins or the like are arranged at a predetermined pitch. The second terminal B is connected to each probe of an inspection jig pressed against an inspection point such as a wiring pattern to be inspected via a conducting wire. The second terminal B protrudes from an unillustrated inspection jig connector disposed above the relay connector 1 in the drawing toward the relay connector 1 side (lower side in FIG. 1). When the inspection jig connector is attached to the relay connector 1, the distal end portion of the terminal member 2 located on the other end side of the relay connector 1 and the second terminal B of the inspection jig connector are electrically connected. To be connected to.

  The relay connector 1 is not limited to a relay between the connection switching unit and the inspection jig connector, and can be applied to various other uses. That is, the connection target connected to the one end portion side of the relay connector 1 is not limited to the first terminal A provided in the connection switching unit. Moreover, the connection object connected to the other end side of the relay connector 1 is not limited to the second terminal B provided on the inspection jig connector.

  The relay connector 1 includes a terminal member 2 made of a conductive material formed in a rod shape having a predetermined length, and a support member 3 that supports the terminal member 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal member 2 of the relay connector 1 is arranged on a cylindrical body 21 having a predetermined length formed of a conductive material such as a conductive metal and on one end side (the lower side in FIG. 1). An urging member 22 formed of a compression coil spring or the like provided, and a plunger 23 that is slidably supported by inserting a proximal end portion on the other end side (upper side in FIG. 1) in the cylindrical body 21. Have.

  The plunger 23 is formed in a long and narrow cylindrical shape using a conductive material such as a conductive metal, and has an outer diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 21 at a base end portion located on one end side (the lower side in FIG. 2). The flange part 24 which has is provided. Moreover, the front-end | tip part located in the other end part side of the plunger 23 is formed in the shape of a conical taper.

  On one end portion side (the lower side in FIG. 2) of the cylindrical body 21, a locking portion 25 serving as a retaining portion for the urging member 22 is provided. Further, a diameter-reduced portion 26 that is reduced in diameter so that the diameter thereof is smaller than the outer diameter of the flange portion 24 of the plunger 23 is provided at the axially intermediate portion of the cylindrical body 21.

  And the biasing member 22 is inserted into the one end part side of the cylindrical body 21 by inserting the biasing member 22 from the opening part provided in the other end part side (upper side of FIG. 2) of the cylindrical body 21. Arranged. Further, the flange portion 24 is inserted from the opening on the other end side of the cylindrical body 21 and is press-fitted to a position over the reduced diameter portion 26 of the cylindrical body 21. Accordingly, the terminal member 2 is configured in which the plunger 23 is slidably supported in a state where the flange portion 24 is urged toward the other end portion side of the cylindrical body 21 according to the urging force of the urging member 22. .

  In a state where the second terminal B is not pressed against the distal end portion of the plunger 23, that is, in a state where the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is opened, the flange portion 24 urged by the urging member 22 is compressed in the cylindrical body 21. Abutting on the diameter portion 26, the tip end portion of the plunger 23 is held in a state of projecting outward of the cylindrical body 21 by a predetermined projecting length t (see FIG. 1). And when the 2nd terminal B is connected to the terminal member 2 of the relay connector 1, as shown in FIG. 3, the plunger 23 resists the urging | biasing force of the urging | biasing member 22, and the one end part of the cylindrical body 21 Slide to the side.

  The support member 3 includes a first support plate 4 that supports the one end portion side portion of the cylindrical body 21, and the other end portion portion of the terminal member 2, that is, the distal end portion of the plunger 23, which is located on the lower side in FIG. 1. And a second support plate 5 for supporting. Between the first and second support plates 4 and 5, a third support plate 6 having an insertion hole 61 that supports an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the terminal member 2 is disposed.

  The 1st, 2nd support plates 4 and 5 and the 3rd support plate 6 are formed with insulating materials, such as resin and glass fiber. The first, second support plates 4, 5 and the third support plate 6 are connected to each other via a connecting member 7 disposed at a corner portion or the like of the relay connector 1.

  The first support plate 4 is disposed on the outer side of the relay connector 1 (lower side in FIG. 1) and on the inner side of the relay connector 1 (upper side in FIG. 1). And an intermediate plate 43 disposed between the outer plate 41 and the inner plate 42. An insertion hole 40 through which the first terminal A is inserted is formed in the outer plate 41.

  The intermediate plate 43 is formed with a through hole 44 having a circular cross section having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the connection member 8 made of a conductive material such as a conductive metal. In the through hole 44, the connecting member 8 is inserted and installed so that its axial direction is along the through direction of the through hole 44.

  Further, the inner plate 42 has a guide hole 45 having a diameter larger than that of the through hole 44 and the terminal member 2, and a tapered surface continuously provided on the other end side, that is, a diameter on the other end side. A guide portion 47 is formed which includes a tapered surface 46 formed larger than the portion side. The guide portion 47 is configured to guide the terminal member 2 to the center position side of the connecting member 8 when the base end portion of the terminal member 2 is connected to the connecting member 8. The inner module 42 and the intermediate plate 43 and the connecting member 8 constitute the connecting module 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the connecting member 8 includes a terminal member connecting portion 81 formed of a ring-shaped portion having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body 21, and an axially central portion of the connecting member 8. A terminal locking portion 82 composed of a hollow portion recessed in the axial direction of the connecting member 8 so that the inner diameter of the first terminal A is smaller than the outer diameter of the first terminal A, and an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first terminal A. The ring-shaped terminal insertion part 83 has a substantially cylindrical shape, specifically, a drum shape.

  The terminal locking portion 82 is configured to be able to be expanded and contracted by forming a plurality of slits 85 extending in the axial direction of the connecting member 8 on the peripheral surface thereof. The slit 85 may be configured to be slightly inclined from the axial direction of the connecting member 8, and only needs to extend substantially in the axial direction of the connecting member 8.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the base end portion of the cylindrical body 21 is pressed against the terminal member connection portion 81 in a state where the connection member 8 is inserted and installed in the through hole 44 of the intermediate plate 43, thereby The member 2 and the connection member 8 are electrically connected. Further, the first terminal A and the connecting member 8 are electrically connected by press-fitting the tip end portion of the first terminal A into the terminal locking portion 82.

  When the terminal member 2 is connected to the connection member 8, the proximal end portion of the cylindrical body 21 is guided and pressed to the center position side of the connection member 8 by the tapered surface 46 and the guide hole 45 of the inner plate 42. . Then, according to the compressive force applied from the cylindrical body 21 in the axial direction of the connecting member 8, the terminal member connecting portion 81 and the terminal locking portion 82 are pressed inward as shown by an arrow W in FIG. By deforming the diameter, the inner surface of the terminal locking portion 82 is firmly pressed against the peripheral surface of the first terminal A.

  On the other hand, the second support plate 5 is disposed on the outer side plate 51 on the outer side of the relay connector 1 (upper side in FIG. 1) and on the inner side of the relay connector 1 (lower side in FIG. 1). And an inner plate 52 formed thereon. A plunger insertion hole 53 having a diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the plunger 23 and slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body 21 is formed in the inner plate 52.

  The distal end portion of the terminal member 2 is supported by the second support plate 5 by inserting the distal end portion of the plunger 23 into the plunger insertion hole 53. Further, the cylindrical body 21 is arranged on one end side of the inner plate 52 so that the cylindrical body 21 is held between the first support plate 4 and the second support plate 5. ing.

  The outer plate 51 is provided with a guide portion 50 that guides the second terminal B toward the distal end side of the plunger 23. The guide portion 50 is formed on the outer side of the relay connector 1, that is, on the other end portion side of the outer plate 51, and on the inner side of the relay connector 1, that is, on one end portion side of the outer plate 51. And a guide hole 55 having a circular cross section.

  The guide hole 55 is connected to the narrow diameter portion side of the guide surface 54, that is, one end portion side of the guide surface 54, and has a circular cross section formed with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the plunger 23 and the second terminal B. It consists of through holes. Accordingly, when the terminal member 2 and the second terminal B are electrically connected, the plunger 23 and the second terminal B are inserted into the guide holes 55, respectively.

  The guide surface 54 is formed of an inner tapered surface formed such that the diameter on one end surface side (the lower side in FIG. 3) is smaller than the diameter on the other end surface side (the upper side in FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 3, when the second terminal B is inserted into the guide hole 55 to electrically connect the second terminal B and the terminal member 2, the second terminal B is guided by the guide surface 54. The second terminal B is configured to be guided to the center side of the hole 55 and to be brought into pressure contact with the tip of the plunger 23 located at the center of the guide hole 55.

  The thickness of the inner plate 52, that is, the depth of the plunger insertion hole 53 is smaller than the protruding length t of the plunger 23. As a result, the distal end portion of the plunger 23 projects from the plunger insertion hole 53 into the guide hole 55. The distal end portion of the plunger 23 is disposed at a position where the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is not projected to the guide surface 54 side with respect to the connecting portion 56 between the guide surface 54 and the guide hole 55. That is, the distal end portion of the plunger 23 remains in the guide hole 55.

  When the second terminal B is guided to the center side of the guide hole 55 by the guide surface 54, the second terminal B is moved in a direction intersecting the axial direction. Further, since the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is disposed at a position that does not protrude toward the guide surface 54 side relative to the connecting portion 56, the second terminal B is guided to the center portion side of the guide hole 55 by the guide surface 54. After this, the second terminal B comes into contact with the plunger 23. Therefore, after the 2nd terminal B and the plunger 23 contact, the possibility that the 2nd terminal B may move to the direction which cross | intersects an axial direction is reduced. As a result, application of a force that bends the plunger 23 in a direction crossing the axial direction is suppressed, and the possibility of damage to the plunger 23 is reduced.

  Further, the plate thickness T of the second support plate 5 composed of the outer plate 51 and the inner plate 52 is formed to be larger than the protruding length t of the plunger 23 protruding to the outer side of the cylindrical body 21. Thereby, even when the second terminal B is not in pressure contact with the distal end portion of the plunger 23, the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is positioned closer to one end portion of the second support plate 5 than the outer end surface of the second support plate 5. Thus, the terminal member 2 is disposed so that the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is prevented from projecting to the outer side of the second support plate 5.

  The connecting member 7 is composed of a column 71 having upper and lower ends inserted into and fixed to mounting holes formed in the first support plate 4 and the second support plate 5, and a pipe material externally fitted to the column 71. The first and second spacers 72 and 73 are provided. The first spacer 72 is disposed between the first support plate 4 and the third support plate 6, thereby regulating the interval between the first support plate 4 and the third support plate 6. On the other hand, the second spacer 73 is disposed between the second support plate 5 and the third support plate 6, thereby regulating the interval between the second support plate 5 and the third support plate 6. .

  The first support plate 4 and the second support plate 5 connected to each other by the connecting member 7 have a distance K corresponding to the sum of the thickness of the third support plate 6 and the total length of the first and second spacers 72 and 73. It is installed in a state of being opposed to each other. This interval K has a value corresponding to the main part of the terminal member 2, that is, has a length at least half that of the cylindrical body 21, and the maximum is equal to the total length of the cylindrical body 21 or more. It is set to a short value. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the interval K is formed to a value slightly shorter than the entire length of the cylindrical body 21.

  FIG. 6 is a process diagram showing an assembly process of the relay connector 1. In order to assemble the relay connector 1, first, as shown in FIG. 6A, the first support plate 4 is configured by superposing the outer plate 41, the intermediate plate 43, and the inner plate 42. Then, after the connection member 8 is inserted and installed in the through hole 44 of the intermediate plate 43, the lower end portion of the support 71 is inserted and fixed in the mounting hole of the first support plate 4.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6B, after first fitting the first spacer 72 on the support 71, the third support plate 6 is placed on the first spacer 72 and supported by the support 71. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6C, the second spacer 73 is externally fitted and supported on the support 71. Further, the tubular member 21 of the terminal member 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 61 of the third support plate 6 and the terminal member 2 is erected in a state where the proximal end portion of the tubular member 21 is in contact with the connecting member 8. (See FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the second intermediate portion 51 and the inner plate 52 are formed in a state in which the axially intermediate portion and the base end portion of the terminal member 2 are supported by the third support plate 6 and the first support plate 4. The support plate 5 is fixed to the upper end of the support 71. Then, the distal end portion of the plunger 23 positioned on the other end side of the terminal member 2 is supported by the second support plate 5 by inserting the distal end portion of the plunger 23 into the plunger insertion hole 53 of the inner plate 52.

  Thus, the relay connector 1 including the terminal member 2 having the cylindrical body 21 made of a conductive material, the urging member 22 and the plunger 23 and the support member 3 that supports the terminal member 2 is configured. Then, a connection member 8 for electrically connecting the first terminal A to be connected to the terminal member 2 is disposed on the first support plate 4 that supports a portion on one end side of the terminal member 2, and this connection Since the member 8 is provided with the terminal member connection portion 81 to which the proximal end portion of the cylindrical body 21 is press-contacted and the terminal locking portion 82 to which the distal end portion of the first terminal A is inserted and locked, a simple structure is provided. With the configuration, the relay connector 1 having excellent durability can be manufactured at low cost.

  That is, in the above-described embodiment, the connection member 8 made of a conductive material such as a conductive metal is connected to the terminal member connection portion 81 formed of a ring-shaped portion having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body 21. A terminal locking portion 82 composed of a recessed portion in which the inner diameter of the central portion of the member 8 is recessed to a value smaller than the outer diameter of the first terminal A, and a terminal having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first terminal A An insertion portion 83 is provided. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the base end portion of the cylindrical body 21 is pressed against the terminal member connection portion 81 in a state where the connection member 8 is fitted and held in the through hole 44 of the intermediate plate 43. By doing so, the terminal member 2 and the first terminal A can be electrically connected via the connection member 8.

  Therefore, as in the prior art shown in FIG. 8, the partition wall 104 serving as a retaining portion of the compression spring 101 and one or more sliding contacts are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the elongated cylindrical body 101 having a diameter of less than 1 mm. The above-described electrical connection can be appropriately performed without employing a complicated structure such as providing the piece 106. As a result, it is easy to simplify the structure of the terminal member 2 and reduce the manufacturing cost of the relay connector 1 and the connection module 10.

  The outer diameter of the terminal member connecting portion 81 is not necessarily set to a value smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body 21, and at least the inner diameter of the terminal member connecting portion 81 is a value smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body 21. If it is set to, it is possible to press-contact the base end part of the cylindrical body 21 to the terminal member connection part 81. FIG.

  Further, as described above, the terminal locking portion 82 composed of a hollow portion in which the inner diameter of the axially central portion of the connecting member 8 is depressed to a value smaller than the outer diameter of the first terminal A is substantially formed on the peripheral surface thereof. By forming a plurality of slits 85 extending in the axial direction of the connection member 8, the terminal locking portion 82 can be expanded and contracted. Therefore, when the terminal member 2 is supported by the support member 3 of the relay connector 1, In accordance with the pressing force applied from the cylindrical body 21, the inner surface of the terminal locking portion 82 is firmly pressed against the peripheral surface of the first terminal A, and the first terminal A and the connecting member 8 are firmly electrically connected. be able to.

  That is, by pressing the terminal locking portion 82 inward and reducing the diameter thereof in accordance with the compressive force applied from the cylindrical body 21 in the axial direction of the connecting member 8, as shown by an arrow W in FIG. The inner surface of the terminal locking portion 82 is firmly pressed against the peripheral surface of the first terminal A, and the electrical connection state between the first terminal A and the connection member 8 can be stabilized.

  It is not always necessary to set the inner diameter of the terminal locking portion 82 to a value smaller than the outer diameter of the first terminal A. The inner diameter of the terminal locking portion 82 and the outer diameter of the first terminal A are substantially equal to each other. In accordance with the compressive force applied from the body 21 to the connecting member 8 in the axial direction, the terminal locking portion 82 is pressed inward to reduce the diameter thereof, whereby the terminal locking portion is formed on the peripheral surface of the first terminal A. The inner surface of 82 may be pressed firmly.

  Further, according to the connection module 10 described above, since the connection member 8 is inserted and installed in the through hole 44 formed in the intermediate plate 43, the outer peripheral surface of the connection member 8 having a substantially cylindrical shape penetrates. It is supported by the inner peripheral surface of the hole 44. Further, since the distal end portion of the first terminal A is inserted and locked to the substantially cylindrical terminal locking portion 82, the outer peripheral portion of the connecting member 8 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 44 and the first terminal A. It is sandwiched and held between the tip portions of the. As a result, the strength of the connecting member 8 can be supplemented with a simple configuration. Therefore, the structure of the connection member 8 can be simplified compared to the case where the through hole 44 and the first terminal A are not reinforced, and the costs of the relay connector 1 and the connection module 10 can be easily reduced.

  In addition, the terminal insertion part 83 which comprises the connection member 8 is abbreviate | omitted, and it is also possible to comprise the connection member 8 by the terminal member connection part 81 which consists of a ring-shaped part, and the terminal latching | locking part 82 which consists of a hollow part. However, when the ring-shaped terminal insertion portion 83 having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first terminal A is provided in the connection member 8, the terminal insertion portion 83 is inserted into the through hole 44 and installed. Thus, the connection member 8 can be stably held on the intermediate plate 43.

  When the guide plate 47 having a guide hole 45 having a larger diameter than the through hole 44 and a tapered surface 46 formed on one end of the guide hole 47 is formed on the inner plate 42, a terminal member is formed. When connecting the two base end portions to the connection member 8, the terminal member 2 can be guided to the center position side of the connection member 8 and properly contacted. For this reason, the terminal member 2 is prevented from being in a single-contact state where the terminal member 2 is in contact with a position shifted from the center of the connection member 8, and a large force acts on a part of the connection member 8 to cause local deformation. Can be suppressed. Moreover, when the connection member 8 is inserted and installed in the through hole 44 of the first support plate 4, the installation work of the connection member 8 can be performed easily and appropriately by using the guide portion 47. .

  The guide hole 45 may be omitted, and the taper surface 46 may be provided in the entire guide portion 47. The curved surface curved in a bowl shape instead of the taper surface 46, or the diameter may be reduced stepwise. It is good also as a structure which provided the step-shaped guide surface formed in this way. Further, the tapered surface may be omitted and the guide portion 47 may be provided with only the guide hole 45, or the inner plate 42 and the guide portion 47 may be omitted. Furthermore, the first support plate 4 does not have to be a three-layered structure including the outer plate 41, the inner plate 42 and the intermediate plate 43, and can be formed of one or two plate materials.

  When the gap between the first support plate 4 and the second support plate 5 is provided with a gap having a gap K corresponding to the cylindrical body 21 in the main part of the terminal member 2, the adjacent terminal member The relative dielectric constant of the space between the first support plate 4 and the second support plate 5 is 1/3 to 1/4 compared to the case where an insulating material such as resin or glass fiber is disposed in the entire region. It can be suppressed to the extent. Therefore, even when a large number of terminal members 2 are arranged in a matrix in the relay connector 1, it is possible to effectively suppress the occurrence of mutual interference between the terminal members 2, that is, so-called crosstalk.

  It is also possible to adopt a structure in which the third support plate 6 disposed in the gap between the first support plate 4 and the second support plate 5 is omitted. However, when the third support plate 6 having the insertion hole 61 through which the cylindrical body 21 of the terminal member 2 is inserted is disposed in the gap portion, in the assembly process of the relay connector 1, FIG. As shown, the terminal member 2 can be erected easily and properly using the third support plate 6. Moreover, in the assembled state of the relay connector 1, there is an advantage that the installation state of the terminal member 2 can be stably held by the third support plate 6.

  In addition, the second support plate 5 is connected to a guide surface 54 formed of a constricted tapered surface having a diameter on one end side smaller than that on the other end side, and one end side of the guide surface 54. In addition, when the guide portion 50 having a guide hole 55 having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the plunger 23 and the second terminal B is provided, as shown in FIG. When the B is inserted into the guide hole 55 to electrically connect the second terminal B and the terminal member 2, the second terminal B is smoothly guided to the center of the guide hole 55 by the guide surface 54. be able to. For this reason, the 2nd terminal B can be reliably made to contact | abut to the front-end | tip part of the plunger 23 located in the center part of the guide hole 55. FIG.

  Instead of the guide surface 54 formed of the tapered surface, the guide portion 50 is provided with a curved surface curved in a bowl shape or a step-shaped guide surface formed so that the diameter gradually decreases. It is good also as a structure. The guide surface 54 may have a shape that gradually decreases in diameter toward the inner support as it approaches the first support plate 4 so as to guide the second terminal B toward the distal end side of the plunger 23. The shape of the surface 54 is not limited to a specific shape. In addition, the guide hole 55 connected to the narrow diameter portion of the guide surface 54 may be omitted, and the guide surface 54 made of the tapered surface or the like may be provided over the entire area of the outer plate 51 of the first support plate 4. .

  Further, in the above-described example, the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is positioned closer to one end portion side of the second support plate 5 than the outer end surface of the second support plate 5, that is, more than the outer end surface of the second support plate 5. The terminal member 2 is disposed so as to be located on the inner side of the second support plate 5. For this reason, the relay connector 1 is dropped by preventing the distal end portion of the plunger 23 from protruding toward the outer side of the second support plate 5 when the relay connector 1 is transported or stored. In such a case, it is possible to reduce the possibility that damage such as breakage of the plunger 23 due to interference of the distal end portion of the plunger 23 with another member can be reduced.

  Note that the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is not necessarily limited to the example in which it is disposed at a position that does not protrude toward the guide surface 54 with respect to the continuous portion 56. Even if the distal end portion of the plunger 23 protrudes toward the guide surface 54 from the connecting portion 56, the distal end portion of the plunger 23 is positioned on the inner side of the second support plate 5 from the outer end surface of the second support plate 5. If this is the case, the possibility of damage to the plunger 23 can be reduced.

  Further, it is not always necessary to position the distal end portion of the plunger 23 on the inner side of the second support plate 5 with respect to the outer end surface of the second support plate 5. You may install so that it may protrude from a little. Even in this case, the relay connector 1 can be made compact by reducing the protruding amount of the plunger 23, and the tip of the plunger 23 interferes with other members when the relay connector 1 is transported or stored. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of a situation such as breakage.

  In the above-described embodiment, the inner plate 52 of the second support plate 5 located on the one end side of the guide portion 50 is larger than the outer diameter of the distal end portion of the plunger 23 and is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical body 21. Since the plunger insertion hole 53 having a smaller diameter is formed, the distal end portion of the plunger 23 can be stably supported by the plunger insertion hole 53. In addition, since it is possible to restrict the movement of the cylindrical body 21 disposed on the one end side of the inner plate 52 to the outer plate 51 side, the cylindrical body 21 is connected to the first support plate 4 and the second support plate. There is also an advantage that it can be held stably between the two.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a modification of the connection member 8a. In the connection member 8a according to this modification, a plurality of protrusions 86 are formed on one end portion side portion (upper side portion in FIG. 7) of the terminal member connection portion 81a. In the illustrated example, three protrusions 86 formed in a sinusoidal shape protrude from one end side portion of the terminal member connection portion 81a. According to this configuration, the respective protrusions 86 are brought into pressure contact with a plurality of locations at the base end portion of the terminal member 2, whereby the electrical connection between the terminal member 2 and the terminal member connecting portion 81a can be more reliably performed. it can.

  The shape of the protrusion 86 is not limited to a sinusoidal shape, and can be changed to various shapes such as an arc shape such as a semicircular shape, a triangular shape, or a trapezoidal shape. Moreover, the number of the protrusions 86 should just be three or more.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Relay connector 2 Terminal member 3 Support member 4 1st support plate 5 2nd support plate 6 3rd support plate 7 Connection member 8, 8a Connection member 9 Cavity part 10 Connection module 21 Cylindrical body 22 Energizing member 23 Plunger 24 Flange Part 25 Locking part 26 Reduced diameter part 40 Insertion hole 41 Outer plate 42 Inner plate 43 Intermediate plate 44 Through hole 45 Guide hole 46 Tapered surface 47, 50 Guide part 51 Outer plate 52 Inner plate 53 Plunger insertion hole 54 Guide surface 55 Guide Hole 56 Connecting portion 61 Insertion hole 62 Inclined surface 71 Column 72 First spacer 73 Second spacer 81, 81a Terminal member connection portion 82 Terminal locking portion 83 Terminal insertion portion 85 Slit 86 Protrusion A First terminal B Second terminal K interval

Claims (8)

A connection module for connecting a first terminal and a terminal member to be connected,
A conductive connecting member having a substantially cylindrical shape;
A through hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction is formed, and a first support plate for holding the connecting member inserted and installed in the through hole so that the axial direction of the connecting member follows the penetrating direction Prepared,
The connection member has a terminal member connection portion connected to one end portion side of the terminal member, and a terminal locking portion to which the tip end portion of the first terminal is inserted and locked,
The terminal locking portion is composed of a hollow portion in which the axial center portion of the connection member is recessed in the axial direction, and a plurality of the terminal locking portions substantially extend in the axial direction of the connection member on the peripheral surface of the recess portion. A connection module configured to be capable of expansion / contraction deformation by forming a slit.   The connection module according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the recess is formed to a value equal to or smaller than an outer diameter of the first terminal.   The connection module according to claim 1, wherein the terminal member connection portion is a ring-shaped portion having an outer diameter equal to or less than an outer diameter of the terminal member. A relay connector that includes the connection module according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and relays between the first terminal and the second terminal to be connected,
The terminal member made of a conductive material that electrically connects the connection member and the second terminal;
A support member for supporting the terminal member,
The terminal member is supported by a cylindrical body in which an urging member is disposed on one end side, and a base end portion inserted and supported on the other end side from the urging member in the cylindrical body. A plunger that is biased toward the other end of the cylindrical body in accordance with the biasing force of the biasing member;
The said support member is a relay connector which has said 1st support plate and the 2nd support plate which supports the site | part of the other end part side of the said terminal member.   The relay connector according to claim 4, wherein the first support plate is formed with a guide portion that guides one end portion side of the terminal member to a center position side of the connection member.   The relay connector according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a proximal end portion of a cylindrical body located on one end portion side of the terminal member is installed so as to be pressed against the terminal member connecting portion.   The space | gap part which has the space | interval corresponding to the principal part of the said terminal member is provided between said 1st support plate and said 2nd support plate. Relay connector. The relay connector according to claim 7, wherein a third support plate having an insertion hole through which the cylindrical body is inserted is disposed in the gap portion.

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