JP2020119836A - Electric relay body - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electric relay body that allows a connection member to tilt large to a contact member connected to an opposite connector.SOLUTION: There is provided an electric relay body that has a metallic contact member 20 in a columnar shape extending in one axial direction, and a metallic connection member 30 coupled to the contact member 20 in an electrically conductive state, the contact member 20 being inserted into and connected to an opposite connector 60 in the axial direction of the contact member 20, and the connection member 30 being connected to a connection object of the connection member 30, wherein the contact member 20 has a swing structure S such that one end side is in a columnar shape capable of relatively rotating around the axis of the contact member 20 for the opposite connector 60 and the other end side of the contact member 20 and one end side of the connection member 30 can swing relatively to each other, and the swing structure S allows the contact member 20 and connection member 30 to support each other so that the contact member 20 and connection member 30 can relatively swing around another axis orthogonal to the axis of the contact member 20 and the axis extending from the one end side to the other end side of the connection member 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to an electric relay that electrically connects an electric connector and a connection target.

This type of electrical relay body is disclosed in Patent Document 1 as an intermediate connector used in an electrical connector assembly. The intermediate connector of Patent Document 1 has two conductive terminals arranged in a housing, and each conductive terminal has a cylindrical first contact portion on one end side and a cylindrical second contact on the other end side. The parts are connected by a connecting part. The axis of the first contact portion and the axis of the second contact portion are in a positional relationship orthogonal to each other, and the connecting portion has a shape of a metal strip plate bent in the plate thickness direction, and the axes are orthogonal to each other. The contact portion and the second contact portion are connected. The counterpart first mounting connector to which the first contact portion is connected is attached to one circuit board, and the counterpart second mounting connector to which the second contact portion is connected is attached to another circuit board.

Each of the first mounting connector and the second mounting connector holds an elastic tubular member in a holding hole formed in the housing. The elastic tubular member has a tubular shape that receives the first or second contact portion of the conductive terminal in the axial direction, and is formed with a number of slits extending in the axial direction distributed in the circumferential direction except for the axial end. And has an annular constricted portion with a reduced diameter in the axial middle portion.

When the first contact portion is inserted into the elastic tubular member of the first attachment connector and the second contact member is inserted into the second tubular member of the second attachment member, the respective elastic tubular members are The annular neck portion elastically expands in diameter by the first contact portion or the second contact portion to generate contact pressure with the first contact portion or the second contact portion, and the first contact portion or the second contact portion with respect to each axis. The contact portion can be tilted by using the annular constriction portion as a fulcrum, thereby providing a floating characteristic.

JP, 2014-120377, A

In Patent Document 1, the first contact portion and the second contact portion provided on the conductive terminal of the intermediate connector can rotate relative to the first attachment connector and the second attachment connector about their respective axes, and Under the floating characteristics, the inclination with respect to the axis is allowed, but the allowable amount of the inclination is small. This inclination is because the elastic tubular member supports the first contact portion or the second contact portion with the annular constricted portion, that is, the minimum inner diameter portion as a fulcrum, in a state where the elastic cylindrical member is elastically deformable in the radial direction. Inclination around this fulcrum is possible, and the inclination is within the elastically deformable amount. As a result, the allowable tilt angle is small, and it is possible to deal with the degree of attachment error between the intermediate connector and the first and second attachment connectors, but it is not possible to deal with, for example, changing the attachment position.

In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electric relay body that can allow a large inclination of the connection member with respect to the contact member.

The electric relay body according to the present invention includes a columnar metal contact member extending in one axial direction, and a metal connection member electrically connected to and connected to the contact member. Is inserted and connected to the mating connector in the axial direction of the contact member, and the connection member is connected to the connection target of the connection member.

In such an electric relay body, in the present invention, the contact member has a cylindrical shape in which one end side is relatively rotatable with respect to the mating connector around the axis of the contact member, and the other end side of the contact member and one end side of the connection member are formed. It has a swinging structure capable of swinging relative to each other, and the swinging structure is provided around an axis line of the contact member and another axis line orthogonal to the axis line extending from one end side to the other end side of the connecting member. In addition, it is characterized in that the contact member and the connecting member support each other so that the contact member and the connecting member can swing relatively.

According to the present invention having such a configuration, since the one end side of the contact member is cylindrical, in addition to being rotatable about the axis of the contact member in a state where the contact member is inserted and connected to the mating connector, Since the connecting portion of the connecting member can swing about the other axes, a total of two degrees of freedom about the axes can be obtained. Therefore, the mating connector and the connection target are relayed by the electric relay under the condition that the position and the direction of the contact member and the connection member can be changed in a large range.

In the present invention, in the swing structure, a ring plate portion provided on the other end side of the contact member and another ring plate portion provided on one end side of the connection member are connected to extend to the other axis line. The members may be swingably connected.

By doing so, the two ring plate portions can be supported by the connecting member so as to be swingable around the other axis line with a simple structure, and the size can be reduced in the other axis line direction.

In the present invention, the connection member includes at least one of a columnar member and a flexible cable member in a portion extending from one end side to the other end side of the connection member according to design conditions of a device using an electric relay. You can

Further, in the present invention, when there is a degree of freedom in design conditions in a device using an electric relay body, the contact member and the connecting member may have the same shape.

By doing so, it is possible to reduce the types of parts forming the electric relay body, and it is possible to improve the management of parts and the reduction of production cost.

In the present invention, at least the contact member among the contact member and the connection member may be held by the housing. By doing so, the electrical relay body is protected, and the work of connecting the contact member to the mating connector and the work of connecting the connection member to the connection target can be performed safely and easily.

According to the present invention, as described above, the electric relay body has a structure in which the contact member and the connection member are connected to each other and is swingable around the axis of the contact member and another axis orthogonal to the axis of the connection member. In addition to the contact member having one end side having a cylindrical shape rotatable about its axis with respect to the mating connector, the connection member can swing about the other axis relative to the contact member, A large inclination of the connecting member is allowed, a large degree of freedom is obtained around the two axes, and as a result, the positions and directions of the contact member and the connecting member can be greatly changed, and the surrounding design using the electric relay body can be changed. Greatly improve the degree of freedom.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external appearance together with a mating connector in a state where the electric relay bodies as one embodiment of the present invention are paired and held by the housing. It is a perspective view which isolates and shows each member of one electric relay body in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that a connection member is rock|fluctuated about one electric relay body which assembled each member of FIG. It is the figure which looked at the electric relay of Drawing 3 in the direction of an axis of a connecting member. It is sectional drawing of the electric relay body and housing of FIG. 1, and a mating connector, FIG. 5(A) shows before mating connection with a mating connector, and FIG. 5(B) shows after mating connection. It is a perspective view which shows the electric relay body of other embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of an electric relay 10 as one embodiment of the present invention and a mating connector 60 which is one of the connection targets of the electric relay 10 in a state before connection. In FIG. 1, the illustration of the other connection target of the electric relay body 10 is omitted.

The electric relay body 10 shown in FIG. 1 is supported by a housing 50, and is connected to an elastic tubular member 61 as a contactor supported by a mating housing 70 in a mating connector 60.

Two electric relays 10 forming a pair are installed side by side in the housing 50, and both of the electric relays 10 installed side by side are formed in the same shape. In FIG. 1, they are symmetrical with respect to each other. It is arranged so as to form.

As shown in FIG. 2 in which the members are separated from each other, the electric relay body 10 includes a contact member 20 electrically connected at one end side to a mating connector 60 that is one connection target, and another connection target that is not shown. 2 has a connecting member 30 electrically connected to the above, and a rivet-like connecting member 40 that rotatably connects the two, and the other end of the contact member 20 shown in FIG. 2 and one end of the connecting member 30. The side and the connecting member 40 form a swing structure S.

The contact member 20 is made by processing a metal plate member having a strip-shaped portion, and has a cylindrical portion 21 formed by rolling the strip-shaped portion into a cylindrical shape with the longitudinal direction as an axis, and the upper end of the cylindrical portion 21. The cylindrical portion 21 has a pair of locking pieces 22 that are arranged radially outward and project from each other, and an annular plate portion 23 that extends from the cylindrical portion 21 in the axial direction and has a diameter in the axial direction. The columnar portion 21 has a slightly reduced diameter at the lower end so that it can easily enter the elastic tubular member 61 of the mating connector 60 with a contact pressure. The pair of locking pieces 22 abut the locking step portion of the housing 50 when the contact member 20 is inserted and assembled in the housing 50 in the axial direction thereof, and determine the axial position of the contact member 20. The ring plate portion 23 is formed with a hole portion 23A through which a post portion 42 of the connecting member 40 described later penetrates.

The connection member 30 includes a cable 31 connected to the other connection target (not shown), and a metal fitting 32 clamped to a core wire 31B that is exposed by removing the outer cover 31A of the cable 31 at its tip. The metal fitting 32 is formed by processing a metal plate, and has a clamp portion 33 clamped to the core wire 31B and an annular plate portion 34 extending from the clamp portion 33.

The clamp portion 33 has a C-shaped cross section perpendicular to the axis of the cable 31, and is crushed so that the tips thereof come close to each other, so that the tip of the clamp portion 33 has a core wire 31B of the cable 31. Is designed to be clamped. The annular plate portion 34 extending from the clamp portion 33 has an outer diameter substantially the same as that of the annular plate portion 23 of the contact member 20, and an inner diameter substantially the same as the hole 23A of the annular plate portion 23 of the contact member 20. 34A is formed.

In the present embodiment, the connecting member 40 is formed as a metal rivet and has a disk-shaped head portion 41 and a column portion 42. The column portion 42 has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the hole portion 23A formed in the ring plate portion 23 of the contact member 20 and the hole portion 34A formed in the ring plate portion 34 of the connection member 30. .. In the present embodiment, this connecting member 40 is used together with a conical disc-shaped disc spring 43 having a hole portion 43A having an inner diameter slightly larger than that of the column portion 42.

In the connecting member 40, the column portion 42 of the connecting member 40 is provided in the hole portion 43A of the disc spring 43, the hole portion 34A of the ring plate portion 34 of the connecting member 30, and the hole portion 23A of the ring plate portion 23 of the contact member 20. After being sequentially penetrated, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip (left end in FIG. 4) of the pillar portion 42 is crushed, so that the connecting member 30 can swing around the pillar portion 42 with respect to the contact member 20. The rocking structure S between the connection member 30 and the contact member 20 is formed as described above. At that time, the disc spring 43 is in a compressed state, and the compression elastic force causes a contact pressure between the ring plate portion 34 of the connection member 30 and the ring plate portion 23 of the contact member 20.

The housing 50 is made of an electric insulating material and holds two electric relay bodies 10 obtained by connecting and assembling the respective members of FIG. At this time, as described above, the two electric relays 10 are arranged and arranged side by side in a posture in which they are symmetrical to each other as shown in FIG. The two electric relays 10 are located in the direction in which the two electric relays 10 face each other and in the direction in which the locking pieces 22 are separated from each other.

As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 50 has a substantially cubic outer shape, and the electric relay 10 is located on both sides of a partitioning projection 51 provided so as to project upward. Support the body 10. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the housing 50 has recesses 52A and 52B formed in the upper and lower parts thereof, and the cylindrical portion 21 of the contact member 20 is inserted into a thick intermediate wall 53 between the recesses 52A and 52B. It has a support hole 53A to be supported.

Although not shown in FIG. 5, when the cylindrical portion 21 is inserted to a predetermined position in the intermediate wall 53, a pair of locking pieces 22 protruding from the cylindrical portion 21 come into contact with the locking step. 5, a portion is formed in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in connection with the upper portion of the support hole 53A. The support hole 53A and the locking stepped portion have a symmetrical shape corresponding to each of the two electric relays 10.

The recess 52B formed in the lower portion of the housing 50 is configured to receive a fitting protrusion 72A described later formed in the housing 70 of a mating connector 60 described later.

When two electric relays 10 are supported by such a housing 50, it is possible to fit and connect both electric relays 10 and the mating connector 60 by one operation. 50 is not essential, and the two electric relays 10 not supported by the housing 50 can be individually connected to the mating connector 60.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the mating connector 60 includes a metal elastic tubular member 61 as a terminal, a mating housing 70 made of an electrically insulating material for supporting the elastic tubular member 61, and the mating connector 70. It has a mounting member 80 supported by the housing 70 and fixedly mounted on a circuit board (not shown).

The elastic tubular member 61 is obtained by obtaining a slit-shaped strip-shaped plate in which a plurality of thin slits are formed in parallel with each other on a relatively thin metal plate as a semi-processed member, and then the longitudinal direction of the slit is set to the axial direction, It is obtained by rolling the strip-shaped plate with slits into a cylindrical shape and joining the circumferential end portions to each other, and then subjecting this cylindrical body to a diameter reduction process so as to reduce the diameter at the central position in the axial direction. In the elastic tubular member 61 thus obtained, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, a plurality of slits 61A extending in the axial direction are formed at a plurality of positions in the circumferential direction, and there are no slits at both ends in the axial direction. In the axial range in which the slit 61A is formed, the slit 61A has the elasticity in the radial direction and the reduced diameter portion 61C is formed at a substantially central position in the same direction. ing. The inner diameter of the reduced diameter portion 61C is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the columnar portion 21 of the contact member 20 in a free state in which no external force is applied, and when the columnar portion 21 is inserted into the reduced diameter portion 61C, The diameter-reduced portion 61C is elastically expanded by being pressed radially outward by the columnar portion 21 to generate a contact pressure with the columnar portion 21 and support the columnar portion 21. The cylindrical portion 21 is only in contact with the reduced diameter portion 61C in a narrow range in the axial direction, is rotatable about the axis in the elastic tubular member 61, and uses the reduced diameter portion 61C as a fulcrum. It can be slightly tilted.

Although not shown, the elastic tubular member 61 integrally has connecting legs electrically connected to the circuit board, or is electrically connected to a separate connecting leg.

The mating housing 70 in the mating connector 60 includes an upper housing 72 provided with a fitting projection 72A that fits into a recess 52B formed in the lower portion of the housing 50 that houses the contact member 20, and two lower housings assembled to the upper housing 72. And a housing 73.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper housing 72 has a fitting projection 72A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and a flange 72B projecting from the lower portion of the fitting projection 72A to the periphery. A positioning protrusion 72A-1 is provided on the side surface of 72A so as to project laterally.

When the flange portion 72B enters the recess 52B of the housing 50, the flange portion 72B abuts the bottom surface of the housing 50 to determine a predetermined entry position, and the positioning protrusion 72A-1 is positioned on the side wall of the housing 50. It fits into the recess 54 (see FIG. 1) for positioning, and holds a mounting bracket 80 for mounting the mating housing 70 to the circuit board. As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting member 80 is a plate-shaped member that is press-fitted from above into a slit 72A-2 formed in the positioning protrusion 72A-1, and the lower end side of the mounting member 80 is the positioning member. It projects downward from the lower surface of the protrusion 72A-1.

In the upper housing 72, through holes 74 corresponding to the contact members 21 of the two electric relays 10 are formed in the fitting protrusion 72A so as to vertically penetrate at two locations. As shown in FIG. 5, each through-hole 74 has a hole diameter and a hole length suitable for inserting a lower housing 73, which will be described later, which accommodates the elastic tubular member 61 from below, and has a lower housing 73 at the upper portion. The upper step portion 74A is provided to regulate the upper position of the.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), the lower housing 73 inserted into each through hole 74 has a bottomed cylindrical body, and a terminal hole 73A that opens upward is formed in the lower hole 73A. The elastic tubular member 61 as a terminal is housed therein. On the outer peripheral surface of the lower housing 73, there is provided an annular protrusion 73B that determines an insertion position when the upper half of the lower housing 73 is inserted into the through hole 74. It contacts the lower surface of the upper housing 72, and the insertion position of the upper half of the lower housing 73 into the through hole 74 is determined. Therefore, the lower half portion of the lower housing 73, that is, the portion below the annular protrusion 73B, is positioned so as to project below the upper housing 72.

The lower housing 73 is integrated with the upper housing 72 by inserting the upper half of the lower housing 73 into the corresponding through hole 74 in a state where the elastic tubular member 61 is housed in each terminal hole 73A. And the mating connector 60 is formed.

The mating connector 60 is arranged on a circuit board (not shown). The circuit board is formed with a hole (not shown) that allows the lower housing 73 to enter, and a slit (not shown) that allows the lower end of the mounting bracket 80 attached to the upper housing 72 to enter. The lower housing 73 is inserted into the hole of the circuit board and the lower end of the fitting 80 is inserted into the slit, and the lower end of the fitting 80 is soldered to the corresponding part of the circuit board. As a result, the mating connector 60 is fixed at a predetermined position on the circuit board.

The electric relay 10 is used and operates in the following manner. In the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, two electric relays 10 are paired and supported by a housing 50 to be used as a unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the two electric relays 10 are supported by the housing 50 in a posture symmetrical with respect to the facing direction. In use, the two electrical relays 10 are supported by the housing 50 and are positioned directly above the mating connector 60. Then, the fitting protrusion 72A of the upper housing 72 of the mating housing 70 of the mating connector 60 is fitted into the recess 52B formed in the lower portion of the housing 50.

When the mating projection 72A of the mating connector 60 fits into the recess 52B of the housing 50, the contact member 21 of the electric relay 10 projecting downward from the housing 50 is inserted into the elastic tubular member 61 of the mating connector 60. enter in. Since the contact member 21 has a cylindrical shape and is slightly larger in diameter than the diameter-reduced portion 61C of the elastic tubular member 61, the inner diameter of the diameter-reduced portion 61 can be expanded and the contact pressure can be elastically applied. It can rotate around the axis, and can be slightly tilted and radially displaced with the reduced diameter portion 61 as a fulcrum.

The connection member 30 swingably connected to the contact member 21 is connected to a connection target (not shown) after or before the fitting of the housing 50 and the mating connector 60.

The connecting member 30 and the contact member 20 are connected by the connecting member 40 to form the rocking structure S, and the connecting member 30 is connected around the axis of the connecting member 40 as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. It is swingable with respect to the contact member 20, and a large inclination of the connection member 30 with respect to the contact member 20 is allowed. Moreover, as described above, since the contact member 20 is rotatable about its axis, the connecting member 30 can be reoriented with great freedom about the axis of the connecting member 40 and about the axis of the contact member 20, and Even if the position of the connection target of the connection member 30 is not fixed, it is possible to follow that position.

In the present embodiment, the connection member 30 is not limited to be configured by the cable 31 and the metal fitting 32 clamped to the core wire of the cable 31, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, and has the same structure as the contact member 20. It is also possible. In FIG. 6, the contact member 20 and the connecting member 30 have the same structure and are connected by a connecting member 40 so as to be swingable. In FIG. 6, the connecting member 30 has the same reference numeral as that of the connecting member 30 in FIG. 2, and the contact member 20 and the common portion of FIG. "36" is attached to the stopper. As shown in FIG. 6, if the contact member 20 and the connecting member 30 have the same structure, the components of the electric relay body 10 are made common and the structure is simplified.

The present invention is not limited to use in a state in which the electric relay body is supported by the housing as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, and may be used by directly connecting to the mating connector without the housing. Further, depending on the number of terminals (elastic cylindrical body) of the mating connector, it can be used as a single electric relay or as two or more electric relays.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Electric relay body 20 Contact member 23 Ring plate part 30 Connection member 34 Ring plate part 40 Connecting member 50 Housing S Swing structure

Claims (5)

It has one columnar metal contact member extending in the axial direction and a metal connection member electrically connected to and connected to the contact member, and the contact member mates in the axial direction of the contact member. In an electric relay body that is inserted and connected to a connector, and a connection member is connected to a connection target of the connection member,
The contact member has a cylindrical shape whose one end side is rotatable relative to the mating connector around the axis of the contact member,
The other end side of the contact member and the one end side of the connection member have a swinging structure capable of swinging relative to each other.
In the swing structure, the contact member and the connection member are relatively swingable around another axis line orthogonal to the axis line of the contact member and the axis line extending from one end side to the other end side of the connection member. An electric relay having a structure in which the connection member and the connection member support each other. The swing structure swings a ring plate portion provided on the other end side of the contact member and another ring plate portion provided on one end side of the connection member by a connecting member extending to the other axis line. The electrical relay body according to claim 1, wherein the electrical relay bodies are operably connected. The electric relay according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting member has at least one of a columnar member and a flexible cable member in a portion extending from one end side to the other end side of the connecting member. .. The electric relay according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connecting member has the same shape as the contact member. The electrical relay body according to claim 1, wherein at least the contact member of the contact member and the connection member is held by a housing.

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