JP5892201B2 - Connector terminal - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector terminal used for electrical connection of various devices mounted on an automobile or the like.

  For example, a connector described in Patent Document 1 is known as a connector in which a substrate having a terminal portion on the end surface is fitted. As shown in FIG. 18, the connector 100 includes a board-side housing 101 and a wire-side housing 102 that are formed so as to be fitted to each other. The substrate side housing 101 is provided with a substrate 103 having terminal portions 104 on the end surface. The electric wire side housing 102 is provided with a terminal fitting 105 that can contact the terminal portion 104.

  The terminal fitting 105 is formed by bending a conductive plate, and a wire connecting portion 111 to which the wire W can be connected is provided at the rear end portion. A hollow connection portion 116 is formed in front of the electric wire connection portion 111, and an elastic contact piece 109 that is bent so as to turn as a whole is provided inside the connection portion 116. A pressing portion 107 projects from the back wall portion 106 of the substrate-side housing 101 toward the front. A guide surface 108 that presses the elastic contact piece 109 of the terminal fitting 105 is provided inside the tip of the pressing portion 107.

  In this connector 100, when the fitting operation is started by inserting the wire side housing 102 inside the board side housing 101, the board 103 is inserted into the wire side housing 102 from the board insertion port 112 as shown in FIG. Next, the pressing portion 107 is inserted into the pressing portion insertion space 114 from the pressing portion insertion port 113. Then, as the substrate 103 enters the back side of the substrate insertion port 112 and the guide surface 108 presses the press receiving portion 115 as shown in FIG. 20, the elastic contact piece 109 is elastically deformed toward the substrate 103 side. When the fitting operation proceeds to a predetermined position, the assembly of the connector 100 is completed. At this time, the pressing portion 107 presses the first bent portion 117 of the elastic contact piece 109 toward the substrate 103, whereby the elastic contact piece 109 reaches the contact position and the contact portion 118 contacts the terminal portion 104.

Japanese Patent No. 3669268

  However, in the connector 100, when the board 103 enters the back side of the board insertion slot 112, the guide surface 108 presses the press receiving portion 115 and the elastic contact piece 109 is not only elastically deformed to the board 103 side. The elastic contact piece 109 may be pushed into the back side of the substrate insertion port 112, and the elastic contact piece 109 may be buckled. Once the elastic contact piece 109 is buckled and deformed, it does not return to its original position, and the connector 100 cannot be used normally.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector terminal that prevents buckling deformation when a board is fitted into the connector housing.

The connector terminal of the present invention includes a terminal accommodating chamber, a terminal insertion port into the terminal accommodating chamber, a fitting portion formed adjacent to the terminal accommodating chamber, and fitted with a substrate having a terminal portion on the end surface. A connector terminal that is inserted into a terminal accommodating chamber from a terminal insertion port and accommodated in a connector housing having a shape that is folded back with the terminal body and the front in the insertion direction of the connector terminal as an opening. The spring piece has a curved surface portion that is formed in a convex curved shape toward the rear in the insertion direction of the connector terminal, is housed in the terminal body, and has a contact portion that projects from the terminal housing chamber to the fitting portion The terminal body is disposed at a position in contact with or close to the end on the rear side of the curved surface portion, and the terminal body is positioned in the width direction of the spring piece perpendicular to the insertion direction of the connector terminal. Side, connector In which the central portion in the direction orthogonal to the width direction of the insertion direction and the spring piece child consists bend towards the inside of the terminal receiving chamber, has a receiving portion for regulating the backward movement of the folded portion of the spring piece is there.

  When the board is fitted to the fitting part of the connector housing in which the connector terminal of the present invention is accommodated, the spring piece is pushed from the fitting part to the terminal accommodating chamber side when the board contacts the contact part, The folded portion of the piece tends to retreat toward the terminal insertion opening, but the retreat is restricted by the receiving portion of the terminal body.

The terminal body is a shape folded with the front in the insertion direction of the connector terminal as an opening, and the folded portion has a curved surface formed in a convex curved shape toward the rear in the insertion direction of the connector terminal, A spring piece having a contact portion housed in the terminal body and projecting from the terminal housing chamber to the fitting portion, and the terminal body is disposed at a position in contact with or close to the end on the rear side of the curved surface portion. cage, and the side surface of the terminal body located in the width direction of the spring piece that is orthogonal to the insertion direction of the connector terminal insertion direction and a central portion in a direction orthogonal to the width direction of the spring piece of the connector terminals, the terminal receiving chamber A connector terminal having a receiving portion that includes a bent portion facing inward and restricts the retraction of the folded portion of the spring piece, and the retraction of the folded portion of the spring piece when the board is fitted to the fitting portion. Is regulated Is, it is possible to prevent the buckling deformation of the spring piece, connection reliability of the connector terminal is improved.

It is an assembly perspective view of the connector in an embodiment of the invention. It is a sectional side view of FIG. It is a sectional side view of the state which decomposed | disassembled the connector of FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the electric wire side connector housing of FIG. It is the A section enlarged view of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the terminal main body of FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the sheath-like part of the terminal main body of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view of the protrusion part of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the spring piece of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the metal plate which forms the terminal main body of FIG. It is the B section enlarged view of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state of the spring piece before the incorporation to a terminal main body. It is a perspective view which shows the state which piled up the spring piece on the metal plate. It is a perspective view which shows the mode of the assembly of a connector terminal. It is a perspective view which shows the state which cut the carrier from the state of FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the mode of the assembly operation start to the connector housing of a connector terminal. It is a sectional side view which shows the mode in the middle of the assembly operation to the connector housing of a connector terminal. It is a sectional side view which shows the mode of the assembly operation completion to the connector housing of a connector terminal. It is a sectional side view which shows the mode of the assembly | attachment operation start of the board | substrate to a connector. It is a sectional side view which shows the mode of the assembly | attachment operation of the board | substrate to a connector. It is side sectional drawing before fitting both the housings of the conventional connector. It is a sectional side view which shows the mode of fitting operation of both the housings of FIG. It is a sectional side view when fitting operation of both the housings of FIG. 18 is completed.

  1 is an assembled perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1 in an exploded state, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part A of FIG. 3, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the terminal body of FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the sheath part of the terminal body of FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the projecting portion of FIG. 7, FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the spring piece of FIG. 3, FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a metal plate forming the terminal body of FIG. FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a so-called card edge connector in which a substrate B having a terminal portion T is fitted on the end surface. The substrate B is held by the housing H. The connector 1 is a connector housing 2 in which a connector terminal 3 with which a terminal portion T of the board B contacts is accommodated. An electric wire C is connected to the connector terminal 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the connector housing 2 includes a hood portion 20 in which a fitting side of the substrate B is opened and the housing H is fitted, and a substrate connected to the hood portion 20 and held by the housing H. It has the fitting part 21 in which B is fitted, and the terminal accommodating chamber 22 in which the connector terminal 3 is accommodated. The fitting portion 21 is formed adjacent to the terminal accommodating chamber 22. Further, a terminal insertion port 23 for inserting the connector terminal 3 into the terminal accommodating chamber 22 is formed on the opposite side of the hood portion 20 of the connector housing 2 across the fitting portion 21.

  The connector terminal 3 includes a terminal body 4 as a first terminal component shown in FIG. 6 and a spring piece 5 as a second terminal component shown in FIG. The terminal body 4 has an opening (opening 40 shown in FIG. 6) in the insertion direction of the connector terminal 3 (housing H side). The spring piece 5 has a shape folded back with the opening 50 in the front in the insertion direction of the connector terminal 3. The spring piece 5 is accommodated in the terminal body 4 with the opening 50 facing the opening (opening 40) of the terminal body 4. In the following description, the insertion direction (arrow X direction shown in FIG. 3) of the connector terminal 3 with respect to the terminal accommodating chamber 22 of the connector housing 2 is expressed as “front” and the opposite direction is expressed as “rear”.

  The connector terminal 3 is inserted and accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 22 from the terminal insertion port 23. The plurality of connector terminals 3 are accommodated so as to be opposed to each other with the fitting portion 21 sandwiched therebetween, and are accommodated in the connector housing 2 so as to be divided into two upper and lower stages in a zigzag shape. In the terminal housing chamber 22 of the connector housing 2, a projection 24 is provided in front of the connector terminal 3 and protrudes toward the opening 50 of the spring piece 5 of the terminal body 4 inserted into the terminal housing chamber 22. . The tip of the protrusion 24 is an inclined surface 24 a formed obliquely so that the side far from the fitting portion 21 is close to the terminal insertion port 23. A protrusion opening 25 is formed between the terminal accommodating chamber 22 and the fitting portion 21 so that a part of the spring piece 5 can protrude into the fitting portion 21.

  The terminal body 4 is formed by bending a metal plate 4a having good electrical conductivity punched out as shown in FIG. FIG. 10 shows only a part constituting one terminal body 4, but in reality, parts constituting a plurality of terminal bodies 4 are connected by carriers 6 a and 6 b at both ends thereof. ing. As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal body 4 includes a sheath-like portion 41 in which the spring piece 5 is accommodated, and a binding portion 42 for crimping and fixing the electric wire C. The binding portion 42 includes an outer cover caulking portion 42 a that holds the outer periphery of the external insulator of the electric wire C, and a conductor caulking portion 42 b that holds the electric wire C and is electrically connected to the sheath-like portion 41.

  Further, in front of the sheath-like portion 41, there is an energizing connection portion 43 that fixes the spring piece 5 in the sheath-like portion 41 and is electrically connected to the sheath-like portion 41. The energizing connection portion 43 includes a projecting portion 44a facing the spring piece 5 and a caulking piece 44b formed by cutting out the side surface of the terminal body 4. The spring piece 5 is fixed by caulking between the protruding portion 44a and the caulking piece 44b. On the other hand, a rear portion of the sheath-like portion 41 has a receiving portion 45 that restricts the retraction of the folded portion of the spring piece 5. The receiving portion 45 is formed by cutting out the side surface of the terminal body 4 and bending it inward at a substantially right angle. The receiving part 45 is provided at a position in contact with or close to the folded portion of the spring piece 5. Further, an opening 46 is formed at a position where the spring piece 5 can protrude into the fitting portion 21 through the protrusion opening 25 on the facing side of the energizing connection portion 43 of the sheath-like portion 41.

  In addition, the protrusion part 44a in this embodiment is formed by stamping to the metal plate 4a. Further, the protruding portion 44 a may be configured to be provided on the spring piece 5 instead of the terminal body 4. In short, any one of the fixed portions of the spring piece 5 or the terminal main body 4 may be configured to have the protruding portion 44a facing the terminal main body 4 or the spring piece 5. The terminal body 4 and the spring piece 5 can be fixed by a method other than caulking, for example, a method such as welding.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the spring piece 5 has a shape folded back with the front of the connector terminal 3 as the opening 50, and the folded portion is formed in a convex curved shape toward the rear of the connector terminal 3. A curved surface portion 51 is formed. A sliding contact portion 52 is formed at the end portion 5 b opposite to the one end portion 5 a fixed to the terminal body 4 by the energization connection portion 43. The sliding contact portion 52 is formed in a convex curved shape toward the inner side of the spring piece 5 so as to come into contact with the protruding portion 24 when the connector terminal 3 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 22.

  Further, the spring piece 5 is fixed to the terminal main body 4 by the energizing connection portion 43, and is a straight portion 53 along the terminal main body 4, but is folded back with the one end portion 5 a fixed to the terminal main body 4. A bent portion 54 is formed between the curved portion 51 and the bent portion so as to be separated from the terminal body 4. Furthermore, a convex curved contact portion 55 is formed between the curved surface portion 51 and the sliding contact portion 52 toward the outside of the spring piece 5.

  The connector terminal 3 is formed by the following procedure. 12 is a perspective view showing a state of the spring piece 5 before being incorporated into the terminal body 4, FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the spring piece 5 is arranged on the metal plate 4a, and FIG. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a state where the carrier is cut from the state of FIG. 14.

  The spring piece 5 is punched out of a metal plate with good conductivity and bent in advance to the state shown in FIG. As in the case of the terminal body 4 described above, FIG. 12 shows only a portion constituting one spring piece 5, but actually a portion constituting a plurality of spring pieces 5 is connected by a carrier 7. It has become. Then, after the spring piece 5 in the state shown in FIG. 12 is overlaid on the metal plate 4a shown in FIG. 10 (see FIG. 13), each part of the terminal body 4 is bent and connected to the carriers 6a, 6b and 7. The connector terminal 3 is formed as it is (see FIG. 14). Thereafter, the carriers 6a, 6b, and 7 are cut.

  Thereby, as shown in FIG. 15, the connector terminal 3 with which the spring piece 5 and the terminal main body 4 were integrated is obtained. In this connector terminal 3, the caulking position of the spring piece 5 is close to the opening 40 of the terminal body 4, so that the workability of assembling the spring piece 5 is good, and the carrier of the spring piece 5 is cut after the spring piece 5 is assembled. Is possible. Further, in this connector terminal 3, the contact portion between the spring piece 5 and the terminal body 4 is not a surface contact between the surface of the spring piece 5 and the surface of the terminal body 4, but a point contact by the tip of the protruding portion 44a. Therefore, contact reliability is improved.

  Next, assembly of the connector housing 2 of the connector terminal 3 having the above configuration will be described. 16A is a side sectional view showing a state of starting the assembly operation of the connector terminal 3 to the connector housing 2, FIG. 16B is a side sectional view showing a state during the assembly operation, and FIG. 16C is a side sectional view showing the state of completion of the assembly operation. It is.

  When the connector terminal 3 is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 22 from the terminal insertion port 23 of the connector housing 2, as shown in FIG. 16A, the protruding portion 24 of the connector housing 2 is an opening in the front in the insertion direction of the connector terminal 3. 40 enters the connector terminal 3, and the tip of the protrusion 24 faces the opening 50 of the spring piece 5 in the connector terminal 3. When the connector terminal 3 is pushed forward from this state, as shown in FIG. 16B, the sliding contact portion 52 of the spring piece 5 comes into contact with the inclined surface 24a of the protrusion 24 of the connector housing 2, and is fitted along the inclined surface 24a. It is pushed to the part 21 side.

  Thereby, the contact part 55 of the spring piece 5 is pushed out from the terminal accommodating chamber 22 to the fitting part 21 through the protrusion opening 25. 16C, when the sliding contact portion 52 of the spring piece 5 exceeds the lower end of the inclined surface 24a at the tip of the projection 24 and reaches the lower surface 24b of the projection 24, the fitting portion is formed through the projection opening 25. The contact portion 55 of the spring piece 5 that is pushed out and protruded by the member 21 can come into contact with the terminal portion T of the substrate B that is fitted into the fitting member 21.

  Next, assembly of the board B to the connector 1 configured as described above will be described. FIG. 17A is a side sectional view showing a state of starting the assembly operation of the board B to the connector 1, and FIG. 17B is a side sectional view showing the state of completion of the assembly operation.

  When the housing H holding the board B is fitted to the hood part 20 of the connector 1 in which the connector terminal 3 is accommodated as described above, the board B is fitted to the fitting part of the connector housing 2 as shown in FIG. The contact portion 55 of the spring piece 5 that has entered the inside 21 and has been pushed out and projected to the fitting portion 21 through the projection opening 25 comes into contact with the terminal portion T of the substrate B as shown in FIG.

  That is, when the connector terminal 3 in this embodiment is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber 22 from the terminal insertion opening 23 of the connector housing 2, the contact portion 55 of the spring piece 5 is fitted from the terminal accommodating chamber 22 through the protruding opening 25. When the board B is fitted to the fitting part 21, the terminal part T of the board B is pushed out and protruded by the joint part 21 and comes into contact with the terminal part T of the board B fitted into the fitting part 21. Therefore, if only the space for storing the spring piece 5 in the terminal main body 4 is secured, the space for inserting the protrusion 24 of the connector housing 2 is secured on the inside of the terminal body 4, and the connector terminal 3 and the size of the connector 1 that accommodates it can be reduced.

  As described above, in the connector 1 according to the present embodiment, when the board B is fitted into the fitting portion 21 of the connector housing 2, the contact portion of the spring piece 5 protruding to the fitting portion 21 through the protruding opening 25. Since the curved surface portion 51 of the spring piece 5 is elastically deformed when 55 is pushed toward the protruding opening 25 side, a high contact load between the contact portion 55 of the spring piece 5 and the terminal portion T of the substrate B is applied by the restoring force. Can be obtained. At this time, since the internal stress of the spring piece 5 is distributed to the contact portion 55, the curved surface portion 51, and the bent portion 54, the plastic deformation of the spring piece 5 is suppressed, and the durability of the connector terminal 3 is improved. To do. When the bent portion 54 is not provided, the linear portion 53 is in close contact with the inner surface of the terminal body 4, so that the internal stress of the spring piece 5 is concentrated at two locations of the contact portion 55 and the curved portion 51. The maximum stress value is larger than that in the case of 54.

  Further, when the board B is fitted into the fitting portion 21 of the connector housing 2, the spring piece 5 moves from the state shown in FIG. 17A to the state shown in FIG. It is pushed to the side, that is, the projecting opening 25 side. As a result, the curved portion 51 that is the folded portion of the spring piece 5 tends to retreat toward the terminal insertion port 23 side, but in the connector terminal 3 in the present embodiment, the receiving portion 45 that is provided behind the sheath-like portion 41 Retraction of the curved surface portion 51 of the spring piece 5 is restricted. Therefore, the end portion 5b of the spring piece 5 and the sliding contact portion 52 are prevented from being dragged into the fitting portion 21 due to the fitting of the board B, and buckling deformation is prevented, and the connection reliability of the connector terminal 3 is improved. It has improved.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful as a connector terminal and connector used for electrical connection of various devices mounted on automobiles and the like.

B board T terminal part H housing C electric wire 1 connector 2 connector housing 3 connector terminal 4 terminal body 4a metal plate 5 spring pieces 6a, 6b, 7 carrier 20 hood part 21 fitting part 22 terminal accommodating chamber 23 terminal insertion port 24 protrusion part 25 Protrusion opening 40 Opening portion 41 Sheath-like portion 42 Bundling portion 42a Cover caulking portion 42b Conductor caulking portion 43 Current connection portion 44a Protruding portion 44b Caulking piece 45 Receiving portion 46 Opening portion 50 Opening portion 51 Curved portion 52 Sliding contact portion 53 Linear part 54 Bent part 55 Contact part

Claims (2)

A connector housing having a terminal accommodating chamber, a terminal insertion opening into the terminal accommodating chamber, and a fitting portion formed adjacent to the terminal accommodating chamber and fitted with a substrate having a terminal portion on the end surface. On the other hand, a connector terminal that is inserted and accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber from the terminal insertion port,
A terminal body;
It is a shape folded with the front in the insertion direction of the connector terminal as an opening, and the folded portion has a curved surface portion formed in a convex curved shape toward the rear in the insertion direction of the connector terminal, A spring piece housed in the terminal body and having a contact portion protruding from the terminal housing chamber to the fitting portion;
The terminal is located in a position where the terminal body is in contact with or close to an end on the rear side of the curved surface portion, and is located in the width direction of the spring piece perpendicular to the insertion direction of the connector terminal side of the body, the insertion direction and a central portion in the direction orthogonal to the width direction of the spring piece of the connector terminal is made from bent portion toward the inside of the terminal receiving chamber, the folded portion of the spring piece A connector terminal having a receiving portion for restricting retreat. The connector housing has a protrusion protruding toward the opening of the spring piece in the terminal body inserted in the terminal housing chamber forward of the insertion direction of the connector terminal in the terminal housing chamber; A projecting opening from which a part of the spring piece can project;
The spring piece is a slidable contact portion formed at an end opposite to one end fixed to the terminal body, and slides on the protrusion when the connector terminal is inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber. The contact portion is pushed out from the terminal accommodating chamber to the fitting portion through the protruding opening and protrudes when the protruding portion contacts the sliding contact portion. The connector terminal according to claim 1.

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