JP5887042B1 - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector that not only prevents deformation of a contact portion of a connector but also effectively prevents dust from being attached, has a small number of parts, and does not generate contact resistance with respect to electrical connection within the connector. The purpose is to provide. In a connector in which a conductive contact member on which a connection terminal portion and a lead electrode portion are formed is provided in a housing made of an insulating material, a guard position that guards the periphery of the connection terminal portion and the terminal portion are connected to each other An insulative terminal cover that moves between a retracted position that is in a possible state is provided, and a terminal cover spring portion formed on the conductive contact member is used as a connector that biases the terminal cover to the guard position. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector provided with a conductive contact member in which a connection terminal portion is formed, and more particularly to a connector provided with a terminal cover for guarding the periphery of the connection terminal portion.

In general, connectors are widely used to electrically connect parts, members and the like, and there are various types of connectors. For example, a battery storage unit of a mobile phone which is a small portable terminal is electrically connected to a battery pack. A small connector is provided to make the connection. (Patent Document 1)
That is, in FIG. 5, a battery storage portion 502 that stores a square plate-like battery pack 510 is formed on the back side of the mobile phone body 501, and a connector 503 provided on one inner surface thereof corresponds to this. It is a small connector. The connector 503 is provided with three elastic electrode pieces 504, and is usually used for positive and negative power supplies and sensor electrodes.

As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic electrode piece 504 is a metal spring plate bent left and right in an S-shape, and its base 504a is fixed to a fixing portion 505a of a resin housing 505 of the connector 503. An end-side contact portion 504 b protrudes from the housing 505. The housing 505 is fixed to the side surface of the mobile phone main body 501, and a folded portion 504c connected to the base 504a serves as an extraction electrode electrically connected to a circuit on the main body 501 side.
Therefore, the elastic electrode piece 504 is elastically deformed in the directions of arrows A, B, C, and D, but there is almost no margin for elastic deformation in the depth direction in FIG.

The battery pack 510 that is electrically connected to the connector 503 has a built-in lithium ion battery, and a pack terminal portion 511 is provided at a position corresponding to the connector 503 on the outer surface thereof. Three pack electrodes 512 are arranged at positions corresponding to the elastic electrode pieces 504.
Therefore, when the battery pack 510 is stored in the battery storage unit 502 so that the pack electrode 512 of the battery pack 510 corresponds to the elastic electrode piece 504 of the connector 503, the mobile phone main body 501 side is connected from the battery pack 510 via the connector 503. Is supplied with power.
A lid 520 is fitted in the opening of the battery storage unit 502 so as to be freely mounted.

However, since the contact portion 504b of the elastic electrode piece 504 is exposed in the battery housing portion 502, the connector 503 is exposed to the mounting angle of the pack 510 or the positional deviation with respect to the battery housing portion 502 when the battery pack 510 is attached. When the corner of the pack 510 or the side of the side wall 513 hits the elastic electrode piece 504 and slides in the depth direction in FIG. 6, the elastic electrode piece 504 may be plastically deformed by the external force in the depth direction.
Further, in a state where the battery pack 510 is not inserted, the foreign matter may directly hit the contact portion 504b and be deformed.
When the elastic electrode piece 504 is deformed, even if the battery pack 510 is correctly inserted, it does not come into contact with the pack electrode 512 of the battery pack 510, or even if it is partially contacted, predetermined elastic contact cannot be obtained. Inconveniently, the contact resistance increases.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate the inconvenience due to the deformation of the elastic electrode piece 504 on the connector 503 side when the battery pack is stored or the battery pack is replaced, a spring pin connector 600 as shown in FIG. Has been used a lot.

As shown in FIG. 7, the spring pin connector 600 has a structure in which the distal end side of the conductive spring pin 603 is pushed out by the coil spring 602 from the distal end of the conductive tube 601 fixed to the resin housing 605. Yes. The spring pin 603 is electrically connected to the wiring of the external circuit board through the conductive tube 601 and the drawing contact piece 604 that is in electrical contact with the outer surface of the conductive tube 601.
When the spring pin connector 600 is provided instead of the connector 503 of the battery storage unit 502, the spring pin 603 protrudes into the battery storage unit 502, so that it contacts the pack electrode 512 of the battery pack 510 with appropriate elasticity, and is electrically Connected.

The spring pin connector 600 shown in FIG. 7 has a cylindrical shape in addition to the spring pin 603 having a columnar shape even when an external force is applied to the spring pin 603 in the vertical and horizontal directions when the battery pack 510 is replaced or stored. Since the tube 601 slides in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the tube 601, it has a strong rigidity as a whole and is not easily deformed by a mechanical force that is normally generated.
Therefore, even if the battery pack 510 is inserted in a violent manner or a force due to rubbing of the battery pack 510 is applied, the normal shape and position are maintained and almost no contact failure or non-contact occurs due to battery replacement. do not do.

JP 2012-133906 A

However, the spring pin connector 600 requires at least the conductive spring pin 603, the tube 601, and the coil spring 602, and it is necessary to provide a drawing contact piece 604 for connection to an external substrate or the like. As the number of parts increases, high dimensional accuracy is also required.
In addition, since electrical connection is made between the spring pin 603 and the tube 601, and between the tube 601 and the contact piece 604, the reliability in that point is lacking, and contact resistance is generated in the connector 600. This is inconvenient for a cellular phone or the like in which power consumption must be reduced as much as possible.

  In addition, since the spring pin 603 of the spring pin connector 600 is exposed to the outside in the same manner as the elastic electrode piece 504 of the connector 503 shown in FIGS. May be disturbed.

Furthermore, the pack electrode 512 of the battery pack 510 is formed to be slightly recessed from the side wall 513 of the battery pack 510 as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the battery pack 510 is stored in the battery storage unit 502, for example, in the case of the connector 503, the contact portion 504 b of the elastic electrode piece 504 is once recessed in the arrow B direction by the side wall 513 of the battery pack 510. When it comes to a position corresponding to the pack electrode 512 of 510, it returns to the direction of arrow A by elastic force and contacts the pack electrode 512 with an appropriate elasticity.
Therefore, in the process of replacing or storing the battery pack 510, the surface of the side wall 513 of the pack 510, the corners and sides of the pack 510, and the surface of the contact portion 504b of the elastic electrode piece 504 are in sliding contact. It tends to damage the surface and increase the contact resistance.
Since the process of reaching the contact between the spring pin 603 of the spring pin connector 600 and the battery pack 510 is the same, the surface of the spring pin tends to be similarly damaged.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and not only can prevent deformation of the contact portion of the connector, but also can effectively prevent adhesion of dust, and the number of parts can be reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that does not cause contact resistance with respect to electrical connection within the connector.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a connector capable of suppressing damage to the surface of the contact portion caused by the connection partner in the connection process with the connection partner.

(1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the connector of the present invention is a connector in which a conductive contact member in which a connection terminal portion and a lead electrode portion are formed is provided in a housing made of an insulating material.
A terminal cover spring portion formed on the conductive contact member by providing an insulating terminal cover that moves between a guard position for guarding the periphery of the connection terminal portion and a retracted position at which the terminal portion can be connected. The terminal cover is urged to the guard position by using.

According to the connector of the present invention according to the first aspect, since the terminal cover guards the connecting terminal portion, not only the adhesion of dust is suppressed, but there is no need for foreign matter directly hitting the connecting terminal portion. Direct application of external force is also prevented, and deformation and damage of the terminal portion are prevented.
In addition, since the terminal cover spring portion for biasing the terminal cover is formed on the conductive contact member, the number of components can be reduced as compared with the case where the spring portion is a separate component.
In addition, since there is no electrical contact portion between the connection terminal portion and the extraction electrode portion, not only the reliability of the electrical connection is high, but also the resistance value can be lowered by the amount of no contact resistance.
Also, since the tip of the terminal cover comes into contact with the connection partner until the connection terminal is in contact with the electrode of the connection partner, the surface of the contact part may be damaged in the process up to contact with the connection partner. It is suppressed.
In addition, when the terminal cover is formed of a material without a hole, the effect of preventing the adhesion of dust is further increased.

(2) Further, in the connector according to the present invention, the guard position of the terminal cover is a position where the tip end portion of the terminal cover protrudes from the contact portion of the connecting terminal portion, and the retracted position is the tip end portion of the terminal cover. And the contact portion of the connection terminal portion are flush with each other.
According to the connector of the present invention of this aspect, not only is dust adhesion, damage, and prevention of deformation more effective, but the terminal cover is also contacted even when the contact portion is electrically connected to the connection partner. Since the periphery of the portion is guarded, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the contact portion even in an electrically connected state.

(3) Further, the connector according to the present invention is characterized in that the terminal cover is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a guide hole for slidably fitting the terminal cover in the moving direction is formed in the housing.
According to the connector of the present invention according to this aspect, the terminal cover is guarded by the terminal cover because the terminal cover is strongly maintained in the fitting relationship with the guide hole of the housing even when an external force is applied in a direction other than the moving direction. The deformation of the connecting terminal portion can be prevented more firmly.

(4) Moreover, the connector of this invention forms the spring part for terminals which urges | biases the said connection terminal part in the protrusion direction between the extraction electrode part and connection terminal part of the said electroconductive contact member, The spring constant of the terminal spring portion is larger than the spring constant of the terminal cover spring portion.
According to the connector of the present invention according to this aspect, the terminal cover moves to the retracted position at a relatively early stage so that the connecting terminal portion can be connected, and the contact portion of the connecting terminal portion is elastic force of the terminal spring portion. Is elastically contacted with the electrode of the other end of the connection, so that electrical connection is possible with the intended contact resistance, and the electrical connection is stable and reliable.

(5) The connector according to the present invention is characterized in that the terminal cover spring portion is formed in a portion obtained by extending one end of the connection terminal portion of the conductive contact member.
According to the present invention according to this aspect, since a series of conductive contact members can be used, the members can be used efficiently and effectively.
Further, since the flat conductive material can be manufactured in a process of punching into a predetermined shape and bending, the conductive contact member can be easily manufactured and the cost can be reduced.

(6) The connector of the present invention is characterized in that the housing is provided with a housing space for housing the terminal spring portion, and the lead electrode portion of the conductive contact member is fixed.
According to the connector of the present invention of this aspect, since the conductive contact member is accommodated in the housing, not only the handling as a connector is easy, but also the attachment to the attachment location is facilitated. Therefore, it is suitable as a small connector used in a power storage unit of a mobile phone.

(7) In the connector of the present invention, the conductive contact member is formed by bending the series of elongated metal plates so that the extraction electrode portion, the connection terminal portion, and the terminal cover spring portion are arranged in this order. Is formed,
At least a part from the contact portion to the terminal cover spring portion is supported by the housing so that rotation in the vicinity of the contact portion due to force applied to the contact portion of the connection terminal portion is suppressed. It is characterized by that.
According to the connector of the present invention of this aspect, it is possible to suppress wear due to friction of the contact portion. Here, “supported by the housing” is not limited to a form directly supported by the housing, but includes a form indirectly supported by a terminal cover or the like.

(8) The connector of the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of the conductive contact members are provided in the housing, and a terminal cover used for the plurality of connection terminal portions is integrally formed.
According to the connector of this aspect of the present invention, since the terminal cover is integrally formed, the number of parts is reduced as a whole, and the manufacture is simplified.

According to the present invention, since the terminal cover guards the connecting terminal portion, not only the dust is suppressed, but also an unnecessary external force such as direct contact with the connecting terminal portion may directly act. This prevents the terminal portion from being deformed or damaged.
In addition, since the terminal cover spring portion for biasing the terminal cover is formed on the conductive contact member, the number of components can be reduced as compared with the case where the spring portion is a separate component.
In addition, since there is no electrical contact portion between the connection terminal portion and the extraction electrode portion, not only the reliability of electrical connection is high, but also the resistance value can be lowered by the amount of no contact resistance.

It is the external appearance perspective view of the connector which concerns on one embodiment of this invention, (a) is the figure seen from the front side and (b) from the back side. It is a disassembled perspective view of the connector of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the assembly state of the conductive contact member 4 and the terminal cover 3 of the connector of FIG. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of the main part showing the operation state of the connector of FIG. 1, where FIG. It is a perspective view of the conventional mobile phone. It is principal part sectional drawing of the connector of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional spring pin connector.

<Embodiment 1>
Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1A and 1B are a front side external perspective view and a rear side external perspective view of a connector 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 1. In the following description, the vertical and horizontal directions and the front and rear directions are as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector 1 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped resin (insulating material) housing 2 having three sides extending in the up / down / left / right and front / rear directions, and three resin rounded rectangular tubes. Terminal cover 3, three conductive contact members 4 corresponding to each of these terminal covers 3, and two metal reinforcing tools 2 </ b> T.

  In the upper part of the housing 2, three guide holes 2 </ b> A having a rounded square cross section penetrating in the front-rear direction are provided so as to be arranged in the left-right direction. Each guide hole 2A corresponds to one terminal cover 3, and the corresponding terminal cover 3 is slidably inserted. Further, the U-shaped connection terminal portion 5 which is a part of the conductive contact member 4 is relatively slidable within the corresponding terminal cover 3. A plurality of meat steals 2S are formed in the lower front portion of the housing 2. In addition, the reinforcing tool 2T is provided at each of the lower portions of the left and right side surfaces of the housing 2 and is used for reinforcing and mounting the housing 2. The connector 1 of the present embodiment has dimensions that are less than 10 mm in length, width, and height.

(Structure of conductive contact member 4)
The conductive contact member 4 is subjected to a bending process so that it is bent or curved at various points in the extended direction with respect to an intermediate body which is a series of elongated metal plates (for example, a plate made of a Corson alloy having good electrical conductivity). Is formed. This intermediate can be obtained by cutting out from a single metal plate. From the viewpoint of productivity and quality maintenance, the conductive contact member 4 is preferably obtained from a series of metal plates as described above, but may be formed by integrating separately prepared parts by welding or the like. I do not care.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the conductive contact member 4 is formed into a pistol-like shape as a whole by the above bending process. The conductive contact member 4 has a connection terminal part 5, a guide piece 6, a terminal cover spring part 7, a terminal spring part 8, and a fixing part 9 for the sake of convenience, paying attention to the role of each part. Then you can see. These are formed so that the fixing portion 9, the terminal spring portion 8, the connection terminal portion 5, the guide piece 6, and the terminal cover spring portion 7 are arranged in this order from one end to the other end of the conductive contact member 4. ing.

  A position corresponding to the barrel of the pistol is a connection terminal portion 5 that is bent and formed in a U-shape protruding forward. The vicinity of the apex of the U-shaped projection is the tip contact portion 5a (the portion that contacts the external electrode). In this embodiment, the front end contact portion 5a is slightly protruded forward, and the contact property to the external electrode or the like is better. However, this processing may be omitted.

  The upper portion of the U-shaped connection terminal portion 5 is a guide piece 6 extending in a wide flat plate shape. The front end portion of the guide piece 6 is branched to the left and right, and each branch destination is bent so as to protrude obliquely forward and downward from the rearward protruding state, and this portion is a pair of left and right terminals. The cover spring portion 7 is provided.

  Since the terminal cover spring portion 7 is a pair of left and right in this way, the rear portion of the terminal cover 3 can be supported from each position on the left and right sides and stably urged forward. Furthermore, the distance between the pair of left and right terminals of the terminal cover spring portion 7 is larger than the width of the terminal spring portion 8, as is the width of the gap 3 </ b> E of the terminal cover 3. As a result, it is possible to prevent the conductive contact member 4 and the terminal cover 3 from interfering with the terminal spring portion 8 (so as to form a three-dimensional intersection) while having a symmetrical and well-balanced shape. (See FIG. 4). Therefore, while the connector 1 is relatively compact, the shape of the terminal spring portion 8 can be increased, and the maximum amount of movement of the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a can be increased. Is expensive.

  On the other hand, the lower part of the U-shaped connecting terminal part 5 is wider than the connecting terminal part 5 and has an S-shape (from the side close to the tip contact part 5a, the convex part on the lower side and the upper side A terminal spring portion 8 formed so that convex portions appear in order and a fixing portion 9 formed by extending the tip portion downward are connected. At the tip of the fixing portion 9, a pair of left and right fixing holding pieces 9a folded back so as to protrude forward from a state where the portions extending slightly to the left and right respectively protrude upward, and rearward from the state protruding downward A lead electrode portion 9c that is folded back so as to protrude is formed. As shown in FIG. 1B, the pair of left and right fixing holding pieces 9 a are fitted and fixed in a pair of left and right fixing holes 2 </ b> B formed in the lower portion of the rear wall of the housing 2. The extraction electrode portion 9c is used for connection to an external circuit (usually, a circuit on the device main body side where the connector 1 is mounted). The form of the pair of left and right fixing holding pieces 9a is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a form that is folded back so as to protrude forward from a state protruding in the left and right directions.

(Structure of terminal cover 3)
In FIG. 2, the cylindrical terminal cover 3 includes a cylindrical terminal cover portion 3 </ b> A that protrudes from the front surface of the housing 2 as shown in FIG. 1A, and a support cylinder portion 3 </ b> B that is positioned in the guide hole 2 </ b> A of the housing 2. In addition, the rear portion includes a contact portion 3 </ b> C that is enlarged to the left and right. A gap 3E is formed in the lower portion of the support cylinder portion 3B, and when the support cylinder portion 3B is cut along a plane whose normal is the front-rear direction, the cross section looks like a U-shape with the lower side convex. A plurality of guide ribs 3 </ b> D are arranged in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral portion of the terminal cover 3 to facilitate sliding in the guide hole 2 </ b> A of the housing 2.

A pair of upper guide grooves 3a are formed on the left and right sides of the upper part of the inner wall surface of the terminal cover 3 so as to extend in the front-rear direction from the back side. As shown in FIG. 3, the guide piece 6 of the conductive contact member 4 is slidably fitted into the upper guide groove 3 a, and the distal end portion of the terminal cover spring portion 7 is behind the contact portion 3 </ b> C of the terminal cover 3. Abutting against the wall, the terminal cover 3 is urged forward. In this state, the tip contact portion 5a is set to stop at a position recessed by a distance C ₀ (for example, 0.1 mm) from the tip of the terminal cover 3 (see FIG. 4).

That is, when the terminal cover 3 is pushed to the back side against the urging force of the terminal cover spring portion 7, the terminal cover 3 has a movement space for moving to the back side at least for the distance C ₀ , The guide groove 3a and the guide piece 6 are fitted. Note that the terminal spring portion 8 connected to the connection terminal portion 5 extends below the support cylinder portion 3B through the gap 3E as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the terminal cover 3 and the conductive contact member 4 are inserted along the upper guide groove 3a of the terminal cover 3 until the connecting terminal portion 5 is located in the cylindrical terminal cover portion 3A. Then, the terminal spring portion 8 is combined in a state where the terminal spring portion 8 protrudes from the gap 3E below the support cylinder portion 3B.

(Structure of guide hole 2A and housing 2)
As is apparent from FIGS. 1B and 2, the housing 2 has an accommodation space 2 </ b> C of the conductive contact member 4 communicating with the lower portion of the rounded square guide hole 2 </ b> A as far as the bottom wall of the housing 2. Is formed.

  As is apparent from the cross section of the housing 2 in FIG. 4, the guide hole 2A includes a small-diameter portion 2a corresponding to the outer shape of the terminal cover 3 and a large-diameter portion 2b corresponding to the outer shape including the contact portion 3C. The abutting portion 2c is a contact portion 2c that determines the protruding dimension of the terminal cover 3. The communicating portion between the accommodation space 2C and the guide hole 2A has a dimension equal to or larger than the gap 3E formed in the terminal cover 3, and the accommodation space 2C is at least the terminal spring portion 8 of the conductive contact member 4. It has a size larger than the width of. In addition, as for this accommodation space 2C, the front side is sealed with the wall as shown in FIG.

(Internal configuration of connector 1)
The terminal cover 3 and the conductive contact member 4 are assembled in the state shown in FIG. 3, and the terminal spring 3 and the fixing portion 9 are inserted into the accommodation space 2C while the terminal cover 3 is inserted into the guide hole 2A from the back side of the housing 2. Position. In this state, the connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 is formed by fitting the pair of fixing holding pieces 9 a into the pair of fixing holes 2 </ b> B and fixing the conductive contact member 4 to the housing 2.

(Connector operation)
As is apparent from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4A, the connector 1 is in the initial state (the terminal cover 3 is not pushed at all), and the terminal cover 3 inserted into the guide hole 2A from the back side is the front side. The cylindrical terminal cover portion 3A protrudes from the bottom. The protrusion amount L ₀ in this initial state is, for example, about 1.6 mm. The position is determined when the front wall of the contact portion 3C of the terminal cover 3 contacts the contact portion 2c of the housing 2.

In this initial state, the tip contact portion 5 a of the connection terminal portion 5 remains at a position recessed from the tip of the terminal cover 3 by a distance C ₀ . The terminal cover 3 elastically maintains its position by the spring action of the terminal cover spring portion 7. The terminal spring portion 8 is located in the accommodating space 2C and the large diameter portion 2b of the guide hole 2A.

  Therefore, normally, since the entire circumference of the connecting terminal portion 5 is guarded by the highly rigid terminal cover 3 up to the tip contact portion 5a, the external force acting on the connecting terminal portion 5 is all received by the terminal cover 3. Therefore, the connection terminal portion 5, in particular, the tip contact portion 5a is not deformed and the surface is not damaged, and dust can be prevented from adhering.

  Next, the operation when it is assumed that the connector 1 is provided in the mobile phone body 501 in place of the conventional connector 503 shown in FIG. 5 will be described. When the battery pack 510 is pushed in from above, the tip of the terminal cover 3 is first pushed by the battery pack 510 and the terminal cover 3 tries to move backward against the urging force of the terminal cover spring portion 7.

  At this time, since a backward force is applied to both the terminal cover spring portion 7 and the terminal spring portion 8, the terminal cover spring 7 is bent to move backward (“first movement”). And the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a are simultaneously moved backward (referred to as “second movement”) by bending the terminal spring portion 8 in parallel.

  In this embodiment, the spring constant of the terminal cover spring portion 7 is set to be considerably smaller than the spring constant of the terminal spring portion 8. Therefore, the amount of movement of the first movement is larger than that of the second movement, and the end portion of the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a are flush with each other at a relatively early stage after the battery pack 510 starts to be pushed in. . These spring constants indicate spring constants in the front-rear direction (the direction in which the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a move).

  In the present embodiment, the above-described spring constants are set so that the same level is achieved before the terminal cover 3 moves backward by a movement amount X1 (for example, 0.3 mm). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, this flushness is already achieved when the terminal cover 3 is moved backward from the initial state by the movement amount X1.

  After the end portion of the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a are flush with each other, when the battery pack 510 is further pushed in, both the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a are further increased by the same amount by the battery pack 510. Pressed. Therefore, the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a move further rearward while maintaining this flushness. At this stage, since the force applied to the terminal spring portion 8 increases, the second movement further proceeds. However, since the force applied to the terminal cover spring portion 7 is basically constant, the first movement does not occur.

Thus, finally, the battery pack 510 is completely stored in the battery storage unit 502, and the battery pack 510 is attached to the mobile phone body 501 so that the pack electrode 512 is kept in contact with the tip contact part 5a. Retained. FIG. 4C shows the state of the connector 1 in which the terminal cover 3 has moved backward from the initial state by a movement amount X2 (for example, 1.3 mm) to reach this final contact state. The tip end portion of the terminal cover 3 is maintained in a state protruding by (L ₀ -X2) from the front surface of the housing 2, and the tip contact portion 5a is also the same. The amount of protrusion at this time is specified in advance by the shape, dimensions, etc. of the battery pack 510 and the mobile phone body 501.

  As for the spring constants of the terminal cover spring portion 7 and the terminal spring portion 8, it is usually sufficient to set the spring constant of the terminal cover spring portion 7 sufficiently small as described above. Adjustment can be made as necessary within a range in which the portion 5a properly contacts the pack electrode 512 (that is, the tip contact portion 5a is not recessed from the tip of the terminal cover 3).

  For example, when adjusting the timing at which the end portion of the terminal cover 3 and the tip contact portion 5a are flush or the contact pressure of the tip contact portion 5a is adjusted, each spring constant may be appropriately changed within the range. . Examples of the method of changing each spring constant include a method of changing the thickness and component ratio of the metal plate to be used or the shape and width of the terminal cover spring portion 7 or the terminal spring portion 8.

  As described above, in the state of FIG. 4C, the tip contact portion 5a and the pack electrode 512 are in contact with each other with a predetermined contact pressure, and are electrically connected by an intended contact resistance. Further, since the tip contact portion 5a is covered with the cylindrical terminal cover portion 3A, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering in the contact state. During this time, the terminal spring 8 is bent in the front-rear direction in the housing 2 to generate the desired force. When the battery pack 510 is removed, the operation is the reverse of the above, and the connection terminal portion 5 is always protected by the terminal cover 5, so that deformation and dust adhesion can be prevented.

  Further, the terminal spring portion 8 in the present embodiment is formed in an S shape as described above, and is located behind the tip connection portion 5a, and buckles the force with which the tip contact portion 5a is pushed backward. The load can be received in a form close to this. Therefore, it is possible to make the linear movement in the front-rear direction of the tip contact portion 5a stable and smooth.

  In this embodiment, the terminal spring portion 8 has such a feature, and the guide piece 6 on the upper side of the U-shaped connection terminal portion 5 is fitted in the upper guide groove 3 a of the terminal cover 3. Furthermore, the terminal cover 3 is inserted into the guide hole 2 </ b> A of the housing 2. As described above, the upper portion of the connection terminal portion 5 (the side away from the fixed portion 9 when viewed from the tip contact portion 5a) is indirectly supported by the housing 2 via the terminal cover 3, and is in the front-rear direction. In other directions, relative movement with the housing 2 is suppressed. Therefore, when force is applied to the tip contact portion 5a, the rotation in the vicinity of the tip contact portion 5a is suppressed by this support, and the tip contact portion 5a can be moved rearward as linearly as possible. This point will be described in detail by comparison with the conventional specification.

  For example, in the case of the connector 503 having a leaf spring structure shown in FIG. 6, the part below the contact portion 504 b of the elastic electrode piece 504 (the side away from the fixing portion to the mobile phone body 501) is separated from the mobile phone body 501. It is free. Therefore, when the contact portion 504b is pushed by the battery pack 510, the vicinity of the contact portion 504b moves in the pushed direction while slightly rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow in the broken line frame in FIG. When such rotation occurs, there is a concern about wear of the contact portion 504b due to friction between the contact portion 504b and the battery pack 510. This phenomenon may occur not only when the battery pack 510 is attached, but also when, for example, an impact is applied to the mobile phone body 501 and the vibration is transmitted to the connector 503.

  On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, as already described, since the upper portion of the connection terminal portion 5 is supported by the housing 2, the rotation in the vicinity of the tip contact portion 5a is suppressed. Therefore, even though the connector has a leaf spring structure, the movement of the tip contact portion 5a becomes extremely linear, and wear due to friction of the tip contact portion 5a is suppressed as much as possible.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the connector 1 of the present embodiment can be applied even under a condition where the pack electrode 512 of the battery pack 510 is recessed from the side wall 513. In this case, in the process until the battery pack 510 is completely stored, the distal end portion of the terminal cover 3 and the distal end contact portion 5a are pushed by the side wall 513, so that the final connection state (see FIG. 4C) is exceeded. Further, it may move backward. Even when the battery pack 510 is temporarily housed in this way, the front end portion of the terminal cover 3 and the front end contact portion 5a are in the final connected state until the battery pack 510 is completely stored. Thus, an appropriate connection between the pack electrode 512 and the tip contact portion 5a is obtained.

  Further, the connector 1 of the present embodiment can be applied under the condition that the pack electrode 512 is recessed from the side wall 513 as shown in FIG. 6 and the terminal cover 3 hits the side wall 513 in the final connection state. In this case, the terminal cover 3 hits the side wall 513 in the final connection state. However, the tip contact portion 5a is attached to the terminal cover 3 by bending the terminal cover spring portion 7 further rearward than the state shown in FIG. Projects forward from the tip. Thus, in the final connection state, the tip contact portion 5a protrudes forward from the tip portion of the terminal cover 3, and the tip contact portion 5a contacts the pack electrode 512.

<Embodiment 2>
In the first embodiment, each terminal cover 3 is provided for each connection terminal portion 5, but a plurality of connection terminal portions 5 may be guarded by a common terminal cover 3. For example, when two connection terminal portions 5 are provided, the right side piece of the terminal cover spring portion 7 of the right connection terminal portion and the left side piece of the terminal cover spring portion 7 of the left connection terminal portion 5. May be used as a terminal cover spring portion of the terminal cover 3. Moreover, it can also be set as the terminal cover which united and integrated the three terminal covers 3 in FIG.

<Other embodiments>
[1] In the first embodiment, the terminal cover is made of resin without holes. However, it is possible to prevent external force from being directly applied to the connecting terminal portion even if the terminal cover is formed in a net shape or a lattice shape.
[2] The conductive contact member 4 of Embodiment 1 has one end of the connecting terminal portion extended to form a terminal cover spring portion, but a portion on the fixed portion 9 side is extended to be used for the terminal cover. A spring portion may be formed. Even in this case, since the conductive contact member is formed, the number of parts does not change.

<Others>
As described above, the connector 1 is a connector 1 in which the conductive contact member 4 in which the connection terminal portion 5 and the extraction electrode portion 9c are formed is provided in the housing 2 made of an insulating material. In addition, the connector 1 is provided with an insulating terminal cover 3 that moves between a guard position that guards the periphery of the connecting terminal portion 5 and a retracted position where the connecting terminal portion 5 is in a connectable state. The terminal cover 3 is urged to the guard position by using the terminal cover spring portion 7 formed in (1).

  Therefore, according to the connector 1, the terminal cover 3 guards the connection terminal portion 5, so that not only the dust is suppressed, but also an unnecessary external force such as direct contact with foreign matter directly hits the connection terminal portion 5. The action is also prevented, and deformation and damage of the terminal portion are prevented. Moreover, since the terminal cover spring portion 7 for urging the terminal cover 3 is formed on the conductive contact member 4, the number of components can be reduced as compared with the case where the spring portion is a separate component.

  Further, since there is no electrical contact portion between the connection terminal portion 5 and the extraction electrode portion 9c, not only the reliability of the electrical connection is high, but also the resistance value can be lowered by the amount of no contact resistance. . Further, until the connecting terminal portion 5 comes into contact with the connection partner electrode portion, the tip end portion of the terminal cover 3 comes into contact with the connection partner, so that the contact portion surface is damaged in the process up to the contact with the connection partner. It is suppressed.

  As mentioned above, although each embodiment of the present invention was described concretely, the present invention is not limited to these contents. The present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist thereof. For example, the number of contact portions, the positional relationship, and the like can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the contact partner (battery pack or the like).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Connector 2 Housing 2A Guide hole 2B Fixed hole 2C Accommodating space 2S Meat stealing 2T Reinforcing tool 2a Small diameter part 2b Large diameter part 2c Contact part 3 Terminal cover 3A Cylindrical terminal cover part 3B Supporting cylinder part 3C Contact part 3D Guide rib 3E Gap 3a Upper guide groove 4 Conductive contact member 5 Connection terminal portion 5a Tip contact portion 6 Guide piece 7 Terminal cover spring portion 8 Terminal spring portion 9 Fixing portion 9a Fixing holding piece 9c Lead electrode portion

Claims (7)

In a connector provided with a conductive contact member formed with a connecting terminal portion and an extraction electrode portion in a housing made of an insulating material,
A terminal cover spring portion formed on the conductive contact member by providing an insulating terminal cover that moves between a guard position for guarding the periphery of the connection terminal portion and a retracted position at which the terminal portion can be connected. And urging the terminal cover to the guard position using the connector.   The guard position of the terminal cover is a position where the tip end portion of the terminal cover protrudes from the contact portion of the connecting terminal portion, and the retracted position is a contact portion between the tip end portion of the terminal cover and the connecting terminal portion. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the positions are flush with each other. The terminal cover is formed in a cylindrical shape,
The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a guide hole for slidably fitting the terminal cover in the moving direction is formed in the housing.   The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the terminal cover spring portion is formed in a portion obtained by extending one end of the connection terminal portion of the conductive contact member.   A terminal spring portion for biasing the connection terminal portion in the protruding direction is formed between the lead electrode portion and the connection terminal portion of the conductive contact member, and the spring constant of the terminal spring portion is set to the terminal. 5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector has a spring constant larger than that of the cover spring portion.   The connector according to claim 5, wherein the housing is provided with a housing space for housing the terminal spring portion, and is fixed with a lead electrode portion of the conductive contact member. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the conductive contact members are provided on the housing, and a terminal cover used for the plurality of connection terminal portions is integrally formed .