JP3023247B2 - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electric connector used mainly in a tool changer and the like, in which a plug and a socket are detachable, and more particularly to a spring contact element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as a tool changer capable of attaching and detaching tools and the like to and from a robot arm, an inner assembly attached to a robot arm, an outer assembly to which tools and the like are attached, and It is known to provide a locking means for locking the assembly and the outer assembly (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,524 and the drawings).

By the way, in the above-described tool changer, an electric system in each assembly is also connected by connecting the two assemblies, and a current from a power supply is supplied to a tool of the outer assembly.

As an electrical connector used in an apparatus such as the tool changer described above, the applicant has disclosed a plug having an engaging projection and a socket having an engaging groove having a sectional shape corresponding to the engaging projection of the plug. A spring contact element is disposed in the engagement protrusion or the engagement groove,
Even when there is an error in the position angle at the time of connection, a device that can be easily inserted and does not require a large pulling force at the time of disconnection has been devised, and has been filed earlier (Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 3-2926).
No. 7).

The spring contact element used in the above-described electric connector has a role of a spring for applying a contact pressure to the inclined surface of the engaging projection or the inclined groove surface of the engaging groove, and a function of contact / energization. Therefore, it is usually formed of a metal plate (conductive material) having a spring function (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 51-67985).

[0006]

However, when the contact element is formed from a metal plate having a spring function as described above, the spring force of the metal plate is increased in order to ensure contact and current supply. When the contact pressure is increased, a large stress acts on the contact element (metal plate) when the plug is inserted into the socket, and when the insertion and extraction between the socket and the plug are repeated, the life is greatly reduced due to the fatigue caused by the repetition. I do. On the other hand, if the spring force of the metal plate is reduced in order to extend the life, the contact pressure is reduced, the electrical conductivity is inferior, and the required electrical performance cannot be secured unless the dimension and shape are increased.

Further, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 58-21788, in order to increase the contact pressure of the contact web to prevent mechanical overload, the contact member replaces the contact web with the contact web. It is also known that at least the contact edge remains metallically bare, surrounded by an elastic embedding material, but the contact member replaces the contact web with
The contact web is difficult to completely surround by an elastic embedding material such that at least the contact edge of the contact web remains metallically bare, and the structure is complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an electrical connector having a contact element with improved durability while securing necessary current-carrying performance.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, a solution of the present invention is to provide a plug having an engaging projection,
And a socket having an engagement groove of the cross-sectional shape corresponding to the engaging portion of the plug, inserted into the engagement groove of the engagement convex portion
An electrical connector in which a plug and a socket are electrically connected by being inserted, and a contact element is disposed on one of the engaging protrusion and the engaging groove . The contact element includes an elastic member that applies a contact pressure to the other of the engagement protrusion and the engagement groove as an engagement partner, and the engagement member at an end.
The elastic member is fixed to one of the convex portion and the engaging groove, and is fixed to the elastic member.
Located on both sides of the board and electrically connected to each other
Is formed by a metal plate, it is assumed that the elastic material the elastic material on both sides of the metal plate is bulged outward each other is provided with a contact plate member having a bulging portion fitted.

[0010] The contact plate member is provided on both sides of the elastic member.
It is formed by stacking multiple thin metal plates
It can also be.

[0011]

According to the present invention, according to the present invention, the engagement protrusion of the plug and
And a contact element in one of the engagement grooves of the socket.
Since the plug is provided, the projection of the plug
When it is inserted into the concave groove, this engaging convex part is inserted into the engaging concave groove.
In this state, the outer surface of the contact plate of the contact element
It comes into contact with a certain engaging convex part or engaging concave groove,
The socket and the socket are electrically connected. Contact above
The element consists of an elastic material and a thickness that is located on both sides of this elastic material.
It is formed of a thin metal plate, and the elastic material is fitted at the bulging part.
Since it is made and a contact plate member for engagement, an elastic member energizing of the metal plate constituting the <br/> contact plate member, also fitted to the protruding portion of the <br/> metal sheet Thereby, the contact pressure is secured.

Further , the contact plate member is provided with a thickness on both sides of the elastic member.
The contact plate can be formed by stacking multiple thin metal plates
It is possible to secure a large amount of electricity by increasing the cross-sectional area of the material.
it can.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1 showing a schematic configuration of an electric connector, reference numeral 1 denotes a tapered electric connector.
A plug 2 having two inclined surfaces 2b, 2b and having an engaging projection 2a having an isosceles triangular cross section, and a socket having an engaging groove 3a having a cross section corresponding to the engaging projection 2a of the plug 2. 3 and the engagement groove 3 of the engagement protrusion 2a.
a, the plug 2 and the socket 3 are electrically connected.
It is to be continued. The engagement groove 3 of the socket 3
The contact elements 4, 4 are provided on the respective inclined groove surfaces 3b, 3b.
Are arranged. The contact element 4 is detachably fixed to the socket 3 by screws 5.

Although not specifically shown, crimp terminals to which cables are electrically connected are respectively fastened to the lower surface of the plug 2 and the upper surface of the socket 3 by bolts.

As shown in FIG. 2, the contact element 4 includes an elastic member 11 for applying a contact pressure with the engaging projection 2a of the plug 2 and metal plate members 12 located on both sides of the elastic member 11. And a contact plate member 13 composed of the same.

The elastic material 11 is made of rubber, urethane or the like.
Alternatively, a sponge-like material obtained by foaming them is used, and a contact pressure between the engaging convex portion 2a of the plug 2 and the sponge-like material is secured by the elastic force of the sponge.

Each of the metal plates 12 constituting the contact plate member 13 is made of a metal having good electric conductivity, and is formed using a thin metal plate so as to reduce stress (for example, phosphorus). Bronze, thickness 0.05mm). Each metal plate 12
Has a contact element main body 12a located on one side and the other side of the elastic member 11, and a mounting part 12b bent in one direction from a lower edge of the contact element main body 12a. Each of the mounting portions 12b is provided with mounting holes 12c, 12c, and is mounted on the socket 3 by screws 5, 5 through the mounting holes 12c, 12c.

Each contact element body 12a has a bulged portion 12d which is bulged outward and in which the elastic member 11 is fitted at a substantially middle portion in the vertical direction. Multiple rivets 1 at upper and lower ends
The two metal plates 12, 12 are fastened together by 4, and are electrically connected. Both metal plates 12,12
As means for fixing each other, in addition to the above riveting,
Other known means such as screwing, spot welding, soldering, etc. can be used.

As shown in FIG. 3, the contact plate member 13 is formed of the above-described thin metal plate material 1 in order to secure a necessary cross-sectional area in accordance with the required magnitude of the current as a whole.
A plurality of sheets 2 and 12 may be formed on each side of the elastic member 11 (three sheets are stacked on each side in the drawing).

The metal plate 1 constituting the contact plate member 13
As the material of 2, a conductive metal having conductivity, such as copper, copper alloy, stainless steel, silver, and gold, is used. When a plurality of metal plates are used, only metal plates of the same material are used. It can also be constituted by combining metal plate materials of different materials, for example, forming only the sliding surface portion with a metal plate material made of silver and other portions with a metal plate material made of copper. You can also.

With the above configuration, the contact plate member 13
The electrical conductivity is ensured by the (metal plate 12). on the other hand,
The elastic material 11 ensures a contact pressure between the plug 2 and the engaging projection 2a. Since the metal plate 12 is a thin plate, the spring force is not large and the plug 2
A very large stress does not act even when the socket 3 is inserted or removed from the socket 3, and the durability is improved without being affected by repeated fatigue. Further, a decrease in the contact pressure due to the reduced thickness is ensured by the elasticity of the elastic material 11. When a higher contact pressure is required, the elasticity of the elastic member 11 is increased. When a larger amount of current is required, a plurality of metal plate members 12 are used.
Can be ensured by increasing the cross-sectional area of.

As shown in FIG. 4, one side of the elastic member 11 and the other side of the metal plate are bent so as to be continuous at one end (the lower end in FIG. 4), thereby forming one sheet. Elastic material 1 made of metal plate materials 12A, 12A, 12A
1 may be configured to be sandwiched.

Further, in order to absorb the error generated in the insertion direction when the plug and the socket of the tapered electrical connector as described above are inserted and removed, it is possible to provide a spring that expands and contracts in the insertion direction on the plug side or the socket side. Become.

That is, as shown in FIG.
And pin members 21 and 22 protruding from both side surfaces of plug 2
The socket 3 and the plug 2 are rotatably supported by a casing (not shown) via the pin members 21 and 22.

Further, a small-diameter hole 23 is formed in the plug 2.
a and a large-diameter hole 23b, a spring 24 is provided in the small-diameter hole 23a, and a movable member 25 is inserted into the large-diameter hole 23b. By being inserted into the large-diameter hole 2c of the large-diameter plug 2, the relative movement can be performed by the length of the difference between the diameter of the large-diameter hole 2c and the pin member 22, thereby absorbing the error. be able to.

In this manner, the engagement projection 2 of the plug 2
When a is inserted into the engagement groove 3a of the socket 3, electrical connection is made elastically by the spring effect of the contact element 4. In this case, the engaging projection 2a and the engaging groove 3a have shapes corresponding to each other, and are rotatably supported on the casing by the pin members 21 and 22. Are corrected around the pin members 21 and 22 as the center of rotation, and the inclined surface of the engagement convex portion 2a is guided by the inclined surface of the engagement groove portion 3,
Easy to insert.

In the above embodiment, the contact elements are provided on the socket. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the contact elements 4, 4 are provided on the inclined surfaces 2b, 2b of the engaging projection 2a of the plug 2, as shown in FIG. You can also do so. Also, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the present invention can be similarly applied to a parallel type electrical connector. That is, the electrical connector 31 in which the engagement projection 32 a having a rectangular cross section of the plug 32 is engaged with the engagement groove 33 a of the socket 33.
In this case, the contact elements 4 and 4 can be provided on the vertical surfaces 32b and 32b of the engagement projection 32a (see FIG. 8), and the vertical groove surfaces 33b and 33 of the engagement groove 33a.
It is also possible to provide the contact elements 4 and 4 in b (see FIG. 7).

[0028]

As described above, the electrical connector of the present invention has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture because the contact element is formed by arranging the contact plate member made of a thin metal plate material on both sides of the elastic member. Thus, the electrical conductivity can be secured by the metal plate material of the contact plate member, and the contact pressure can be secured by the elastic material fitted to the bulging portion of the metal plate material.

[0029] Also, a thin thickness is provided on both sides of the elastic material.
Forming a contact plate member by stacking a plurality of metal plate materials
To increase the cross-sectional area of the contact
Can be maintained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a tapered electrical connector.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a contact element.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of another embodiment of the contact element.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of still another embodiment of the contact element.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of a modified example of the tapered electrical connector.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the tapered electrical connector.

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration diagram of a parallel electrical connector.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of the parallel electrical connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,31 Electrical connector 2,32 Plug 2a, 32a Engagement protrusion 3,33 Socket 3a, 33a Engagement groove 4 Contact element 11 Elastic material 12 Metal plate 12d Swelling 13 Contact plate member

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A plug having a 1. A engaging portion, and a socket having an engagement groove of the cross-sectional shape corresponding to the engaging portion of the plug, inserted into the engagement groove of the engagement convex portion By
An electrical connector in which a lug and a socket are electrically connected , wherein a contact element is disposed on one of the engaging protrusion and the engaging groove, and the contact element is an engagement partner. An elastic member for applying a contact pressure with the other one of the engaging convex portion and the engaging groove portion, and an elastic member attached and fixed at one end to one of the engaging convex portion and the engaging concave groove;
And located on both sides of the elastic material and electrically connected to each other
Is formed by a thin metal plate having a thickness which is, characterized in that the elastic material the elastic material on both sides of the metal plate is bulged outward each other is provided with a contact plate member having a bulging portion fitted And electrical connector. (2) The electrical connector of claim 1, The contact plate member has a plurality of thin members on both sides of the elastic material.
It must be formed by stacking two metal sheets
And an electrical connector.