JP2815138B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly, to a battery connector having a structure in which the span of a contact used in a battery is shortened.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a connector for electrically connecting two terminals A and B is shown in FIGS. 7A , 7B and 7C.
As such, one end portion 1a of the thin have elongated elastic conductive plate (commonly referred to as a contact) 1 is fixed by the fixing unit 2, to connect this to the terminal A electrically, the other end portion 1b of the contact 1
Is a free end, and the other end 1b is configured to be able to move up and down with the one end 1a as a fulcrum.

[0003] Then, one surface of the other end portion 1b of the contact 3 is provided on the (upper surface in FIG. 7), when the contact 3 is in contact with the terminal B, the terminal A, the B are electrically connected, Chi immediately, on when Do <br/> is, the contact 3 away from the terminal B and the terminal a, B is electrically disconnected, immediately Chi, made to be off.

As shown in FIGS. 7 (B) and 7 (C) , the drive unit for moving the other end 1b of the contact 1 up and down moves in both directions along the longitudinal direction of the contact 1 and at the same time. A slider 4 having a slope rising from one end 1a to the other end 1b is generally used.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7 (B), when the slider 4 is at the rightmost position, the slope of the slider 4 is not engaged with the contact 1, so that the contact 1 has a current maintaining force based on its elasticity. It is in the horizontal state where it descended to the bottom. In this state, the contact 3 is off since it is not in contact with the terminal B.

When the slider 4 slides to the left as shown by an arrow P in FIG. 7C, the slope of the slider 4 comes into contact with the contact 1. When the slider 4 slides further, the slope of the slider 1 causes the contact 1 to move. Work to lift upwards.

Since one end 1a of the contact 1 is horizontally fixed by the fixing portion 2, the slider 4 advances while bending it against the elasticity of the one end 1a of the contact 1. Therefore, bending stress is generated inside the one end 1a.

[0008] When the slider 4 reaches the left end, the contact 1 is in the highest position. As a result, the contact 3 comes into contact with the terminal B, and the connector is turned on.

The slider 4 moves rightward (the direction opposite to the arrow P).
, The contact 1 performs the opposite operation,
The contact is restored by the elasticity, the contact 3 leaves the terminal B, and the connector is turned off. At this time, the internal stress at one end 1a of the contact 1 is eliminated.

[0010] The magnitude of the elasticity of the contact 1 is determined by the thickness, material, etc. of the conductive plate constituting the contact.
Response speed required for the connector, repeatable times the number of ON / OFF, i.e., the life of the conductive plate, the driving force of the slider 4,
It is determined in consideration of cost, manufacturing difficulty, and the like.

[0011]

With the recent miniaturization of electronic equipment, the distance between the two terminals A and B to which the connector is connected tends to be gradually reduced. Accordingly, the span of the contact 1 has to be shortened.

However, in the prior art described above, if the distance that the contact 3 moves up and down in order to come into contact with the terminal B is the same, the smaller the span of the contact 1, the more the bending angle of the one end 1a becomes. It gets bigger,
When the contact 1 is repeatedly turned on / off, the internal stress repeatedly applied to the one end 1a increases, and the metal fatigue also increases.

In order to compensate for the shortening of the life of the contact 1 due to the metal fatigue, it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the contact 1 or use a material having high strength. However, there are the following problems.

If the thickness of the contact 1 as a whole is increased,
As a result , the elasticity increases, and the force for driving the slider 3 must be increased. One end 1a of the contact 1
If only the structure is reinforced, manufacturing is not easy.
In addition, if a material resistant to fatigue is used as the material of the contact 1, the manufacturing cost increases accordingly.

[0015] Accordingly, the present invention has an object to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a small-sized, simple-structured, easy-to-manufacture and low-cost connector.

[0016]

In order to solve the above problems, a connector according to the present invention is fixed in a housing.
With a wide fixed part, extending from the wide fixed part
Elastic conductors whose ends are free ends and whose free ends are electrical contacts
A contact made of an electric plate is incorporated, and the contact
Between the wide fixed part and the free end in N-shape
Forming the contact point perpendicular to the N-shaped surface.
This is to move up and down. Also, the N character
Slider engagement with middle part of mold shaped contact
Surface, and the slider moves by engaging with the slider engagement surface.
To move the electrical contact at the free end up and down
That's what we did. In addition, the above-mentioned N
The shape of the character is perpendicular to the surface of the elastic conductive plate.
Is a This provided a buffer portion of the U-shaped configuration that motion.

[0017] It has been such a structure, that is, by forming the intermediate portion of the contact to the N-shape, will be connected in substantially have long span than connecting the two points directly . Therefore, if the distance at which the contact is moved up and down is the same, the bending angle of the root portion (fixed one end) of the contact is almost the same as that of a linear contact equal to the entire length of the N-shape. Metal fatigue when repeated on / off is compared with the structure of the prior art in which the metal fatigue is simply made straight.
All can be reduced.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the connector according to the present invention will be described below. The connector of the present embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in (A), (B) and (C), an electronic device such as a video camera-side socket 10 and a plug 20 attached to a battery pack containing a battery, and the plug 20 is inserted into the socket 10. It is used as a battery connector for electrically connecting the electronic device and the battery 5 by electrically connecting them.

The socket 10 includes a wiring board 11 and a fixed cover 12 that covers the upper half of the wiring board 11 and the left and right sides.
And a movable cover 13 that covers the remaining half above the wiring board 11 in a curtain shape.

On the upper surface of the wiring board 11, a plurality of contact pieces 14 which are in contact with the contacts of the plug 20 are provided. Also,
On the lower surface of the wiring board 11, a plurality of pin terminals (not shown) are provided.
1 and connected to the contact piece 14.

The fixed cover 12 is composed of an upper plate about half the size of the wiring board 11, left and right side plates, and a rear plate, and is attached so as to form a space between the upper plate and the wiring board 11. Have been.

The movable cover 13 is normally pushed by an internal spring (not shown) to cover the wiring board 11 as shown in FIG. 1A. 1B, it slides into a gap formed between the wiring board 11 and the upper plate of the fixed cover 12, and as a result, functions to expose the contact piece 14.

As shown in FIG. 2, the plug 20 has an internal structure which is a feature of the present invention, and includes a housing 21 having a lower block 27 and an upper block 28, and contacts 22, 23. , A slider 24, a coil spring 25, and a lever 26.
You.

The housings 21, as shown in FIG. 2, when viewed from the side, in combination with the lower block 27 of the L-shaped, reverse L-shaped and the upper block 28, generally formed square hollow box-like Have been.

The lower block 27 includes a vertical plate 27a serving as a front wall of the plug 20, a horizontal plate 27b serving as a bottom plate of the plug 20, and side walls 27c and 27d provided on both left and right sides of a rear portion of the horizontal plate 27b. Consists of

The vertical plate 27a has a contact 2 to be described later.
Two grooves 27e for fitting and fixing one end of each of the rods 2 and 23 and a groove 27f for fixing one end of a lever 26 described later are cut vertically.

The horizontal plate 27b of the lower block 27,
That is, the bottom plate of the plug 20 has two rectangular openings 27 g for allowing the lower ends of the contacts 22 and 23 to be inserted into and removed from the housing 21, and the lever 2.
6 is provided with a rectangular opening 27h for taking in and out the tip portion.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, on the lower surface of the plug 20, the contacts 22 and 23 corresponding to the respective openings 27g are formed.
Are marked with a plus sign 30a and a minus sign 30b indicating the polarity.

Returning to FIG. 2, the upper block 28 includes a horizontal plate 28a serving as a lid of the plug 20, and a vertical plate 28b serving as a rear wall of the plug 20. The lower surface of the horizontal plate 28a is formed to smoothly slide the upper surface of a slider 24 described later in the front-rear direction.

On the back surface of the vertical plate 28b of the upper block 28, a projection 28c for supporting a coil spring 25 described later is integrally formed as shown by a dotted line in FIG.

The lower block 27 and the upper block 28 are made of a plastic having some flexibility and elasticity, and each of them is provided with a plurality of projections and depressions which mesh with each other at the time of assembly.

The con tact 22, 23 because they have the same structure, below, with the typically contacts 22, FIG. 4
This will be described with reference to (A), (B), (C), and (D).

The contact 22 is integrally formed of a thin and long elastic conductive plate stamped from a thin elastic conductive plate.
The lower end 22h including the contact 29 that contacts the contact piece 14 (see FIG. 1) of the “0” and an N-shaped portion between the upper end and the lower end 22h.
It is formed in a shape.

The upper end has a battery-side terminal 22a, and a locking portion 22b which bends horizontally below the terminal 22a and serves as a vertical stopper for the entire contact 22;
A wide fixing portion 22c that bends downward from the locking portion 22b and is fitted into a groove 27e provided in the lower block 27 of the housing 21 shown in FIG.
And

[0035] The contact 22 is in the curved portion 22d of the lower fixing part 22c, bent at right angles, becomes there <br/> or et N-shape. The curved portion 22d is where bending stress is applied when the intermediate portion is driven up and down by the slider 24, as described later. Therefore, in order to buffer the above-mentioned stress, a buffer portion 22e that is curved symmetrically with the bending direction of the curved portion 22d is provided adjacent to the curved portion 22d.

The buffer portion 22e has a wide fixed portion 22c.
Of the fixing portion 22c formed in an N-shape between the first end and the free end
The N-shaped part is provided on the surface of the elastic conductive plate.
U-shaped so that it can move vertically in the vertical direction
Have been.

The bent portion 22f is formed at the N-shaped linear portion.
N-shape provided continuously from the U-shaped buffer portion 22e
It is provided on one straight part of the mold shape, and its last end
Forms a slider engagement surface 22g that is bent downward and round.
ing. The slider engaging surface 22g is inclined surface of the slider 24 to be discussed later abuts engaged by the slider 24 moves relatively back and forth, the slider engagement by to slide the inclined surface on mating surface 22g moves up or down, as a result, lower end 22 which is the other linear portion of the N-shape
h is moved up and down (see FIG. 6).

After the contact 22 is bent at the last bending point of the bent portion 22f, as shown in FIG.
Is bent downward at an angle θ with respect to the plane, and enters the lower end portion 22h from here.

The lower end portion 22h is bent downward at a position closer to the front end to a deeper angle, and then is bent upward at a position substantially in the same row as the slider engagement surface 22g. Has formed. At the top of this chevron, that is, at the lowermost end of the contact 22, a contact 29 that contacts the contact piece 14 of the socket 10 is attached.

5A , 5B, and 5C.
As shown in (C), (D) and (E), a substantially rectangular pushing block 24a is formed of a plastic material,
A left arm 24b and a right arm 24c projecting in the left-right direction from the pushing block 24a are integrally formed.

Left and right 2 of the upper surface of the pushing block 24a
As shown in FIG. 5 (A), a semi-cylindrical guide 24d which is long in the front-rear direction is integrally formed at the location, and smoothly moves in the front-rear direction along the lower surface of the upper block 28 of the housing 21 shown in FIG. Can be slid.

In the center of the upper part of the upper surface of the pushing block 24a, a round and square spring receiving groove 24e is cut from the front edge to the center in the front-rear direction. One end of the coil spring 25 is housed in the spring receiving groove 24e during assembly.

The rear surface of the pushing block 24a is shown in FIG.
(B), the is formed on a flat vertical surface,
As shown in FIG. 5C, two right-angled triangular prisms 24f having a downward slope from the rear surface to the front surface are integrally formed on the lower surface of the pushing block 24a.

The position of each inclined surface of the right and left right triangular prisms 24f is determined by the position of each slider engagement surface 2 of the contacts 22 and 23, respectively.
It is formed to match the position of 2g.

The left arm 24b and the right arm 24c of the slider 24 have different lengths. These are the contacts 22, 2
This is because the position of the third battery-side terminal 22a is symmetrical with respect to the center of the plug 20 and does not hinder the movement of the slider 24.

The coil spring 25 is one from the front of the slider 24 constantly in order to urge rearward, the <br/> end is accommodated in the spring receiving groove 24e of the slider 24, the other end , And is supported by a spring projection 28c provided on the inner surface of the upper block 28 of the housing 21.

The levers 26, the plug 20 is inserted, has a function of actuating rod for operating the switch for detecting the socket 10 side, it has a special structure. Since this is not directly related to the present invention, further description is omitted.

Assembling of a connector having such a structure
In other words, as shown in FIG. 2 , the plug 20 is assembled by first fitting the fixing portions 22c of the contacts 22, 23 into the grooves 27e provided in the vertical plate 27a of the lower block 27, and The contacts 22 and 23 are pushed down until the contact 22b contacts the upper surface of the vertical plate 27a. Then, the fixing portions 22c of the contacts 22 and 23 are fixed to the vertical plate 27a, and the bent portions 22f float horizontally.

The vertical portion of the lever 26 is fitted into a groove 27f provided in the vertical plate 27a of the lower block 27. Then, the horizontal portion of the lever 26 is moved to the lower block 2
7 is stored in a hole 27h provided in the horizontal plate 27b.
At this time, the tip of the horizontal portion of the lever 26 projects from the lower surface of the horizontal plate 27b.

Next, the slider 24 is moved to the left and right arms 24.
The b and 24c are placed at the rearmost position in the housing 21 with the left and right sides facing each other. At this time, the contacts 22, 23
Bent portion 22f does not abut against the inclined surface of the slider 24,
Therefore, it is held horizontally.

Next, while the coil spring 25 is fitted as described above, the upper block 28 is covered from above the slider 24 and slightly pressed to engage the concave and convex portions provided on the corresponding portions. Thus, the assembly is completed, and the solid plug 20 is obtained.

The plug 20 assembled as described above
Operation connects the terminals 22a of the con tact 22 and 23 connecting line between the positive and negative terminals of the battery,
The pin terminal of the socket 10 is connected to the electronic device.

Then, the plug 20 slides on the upper surface of the wiring board 11 while pushing the front edge of the slide cover 13 of the socket 10. At this time, the lever 26 is pushed from below by the surface of the wiring board 11 and is retracted inward from the lower surface of the plug 20 by its elasticity.

[0054] The slider 24, immediately after insertion of the plug 20, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, because not in contact with the contact 22, 23 located at the rear of the housing 21, N-shaped contact 22 and 23 bent portion 22f of shape
Is horizontal. Therefore, the contact 29 does not protrude outside from the opening 27g provided in the lower block 27.

Therefore, the plug 20 is still connected to the socket 1
0, the left and right arms 2 of the slider 24
4b and 24c abut the front surfaces of the left and right plates of the fixed cover 12 of the socket 10 and are forcibly stopped, and as a result, only the housing 21 moves forward.

That is, the slider 24 is
, Relatively to the contacts 22 and 23. Therefore, the inclined surface of the slider 24 is
The slider engagement surfaces 22g of the sliders 2 and 23 are engaged and come into contact with each other.

Then, as the plug 20 advances, the slider engagement surfaces 22g of the contacts 22 and 23
4 is slid along the inclined surface and pushed down. This force, N-shaped bent portion 22f, hold itself was maintained flat state, by the buffer portion 22e each other via Hirakikaku a bending portion 22 d, N-shaped bent portion 22f tilts forward and downward .

When the slider 24 reaches the forefront in the housing 21, the slider engagement surface 22g of the contacts 22, 23 is at the top of the inclined surface of the slider 24 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. The portion 22h is most inclined. In this state, the contacts 22, 23
Of the plug 27 comes out from the lower surface of the opening 27g, that is, the lower surface of the plug 20 .

The contact 29 comes into contact with the contact piece 14 of the socket 10, and as a result, the electronic device 5 and the battery 6 are electrically connected.

[0060]

As described above, in the connector according to the present invention, the intermediate portion of the contact is formed in an N-shape, so that even if the distance between the two terminals is short, the connector is resistant to metal fatigue and has a necessary driving force. Is small, so that it can be used for a battery connector of a miniaturized electronic device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a plug and a source constituting a connector according to the present invention .
It is the schematic perspective view which showed the structure of the socket, (A) is
It is a perspective view of a socket, (B) is a socket and a plug.
It is a perspective view at the time of fitting, (C) is a plug in a socket.
It is a perspective view at the time of fitting.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the plug.

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the plug.

FIG. 4A is a plan view of a contact, and FIG.
It is a front view, (C) is a sectional view on the AA line of (A).
(C) is a plan view.

FIG. 5A is a plan view of a slider, and FIG.
It is a rear view, (C) is a bottom view, (D) is a front view
(E) is a right side view.

FIG. 6 shows a contact in a housing forming the plug;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the movement of

FIG. 7 shows a conventional connector .
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an arrangement relationship between a contact and a slider.
(B) is a cross-sectional view when the contact is off.
(C) is a cross-sectional view when the contact is on.
You.

[Description of Signs] 5; battery; 10; socket; 20; plug;
Housing, 22; contact, 22a; battery side end
Child, 22b; locking part, 22c; fixed part, 22d; curved
Part, 22e; buffer part, 22f; bent part, 22g;
Engagement surface, 22h; lower end, 23; contact, 24;
Slider (drive means), 24a; pushing block,
24b; left arm, 24c; right arm, 24d; guy
C, 24e; spring receiving groove, 24f; right-angled triangular prism, 2
5; coil spring, 27; lower block, 27a; vertical
Plate, 27b; horizontal plate, 27e; groove, 27f; groove, 27
g; rectangular opening, 27h; hole, 29; contact

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H01R 4/48 H01R 4/50 H01R 23/68

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A wide fixing portion fixed in a housing.
The other end extending from the wide fixed portion is referred to as a free end.
A core made of an elastic conductive plate having the free end as an electrical contact.
Ntakuto is incorporated, between the wide fixing portion and a free end of the contact
Is formed in an N-shape, and the contact is formed on the surface of the N-shape.
A connector characterized by being vertically moved with respect to the connector. 2. A contact formed in the N-shape.
A slider engaging surface is provided at the space between the slider engaging surfaces.
When the slider moves, the free end
2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the target contact is moved up and down . 3. The N-shaped part is provided on the fixed part side.
U-shaped moving vertically to the surface of the elastic conductive plate
The connector according to claim 1 or 2, characterized that you provided a buffer portion of the mold shape.