JP6801936B1 - Terminal fittings and connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve both low insertion force at the time of substrate insertion and improvement of conduction reliability after substrate insertion. SOLUTION: An elastic contact piece 23 of a terminal fitting 20 mounted on a connector into which a board 2 is inserted is located at a first contact portion 41 located on the front side in the board insertion direction and on the rear side in the board insertion direction. The second contact portion 42, the first fulcrum portion 45 which is a fulcrum of elastic deformation when the first contact portion 41 is pressed against the substrate 2, and the second contact portion 42 are pressed against the substrate 2. It is configured to have a second fulcrum portion 48, which is a fulcrum of elastic deformation at the time. Then, the first fulcrum portion 45 is configured to move the first contact portion 41 in a direction away from the substrate 2 when the first contact portion 41 is pressed against the substrate 2, and the second contact portion 45 is configured. When the second contact portion 42 is pressed against the substrate 2, the fulcrum portion 48 moves the second contact portion 42 away from the substrate 2 and moves the first contact portion 41 to the substrate 2. It is configured to move in the approaching direction. [Selection diagram] Fig. 2

Description

The present invention relates to terminal fittings and connectors.

A card edge connector is a type of connector used in electronic devices. The card edge connector is a socket type connector used by inserting a circuit board. The terminal fitting in the card edge connector is provided with an elastic contact piece that is pressed by inserting the circuit board, and the elastic contact piece contacts the electrode arranged on the surface of the circuit board to ensure continuity with the electrode. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-108595

The card edge connector is required to have both a low insertion force when the substrate is inserted and an improvement in the reliability of conduction (contact of the elastic contact piece with the electrode) after the substrate is inserted. However, these are mutually contradictory matters, and for example, if the contact force of the elastic contact piece with respect to the electrode is increased in order to improve the reliability of conduction, this may lead to an increase in the substrate insertion force. In particular, the substrate insertion force is greatly affected by the reaction force of the elastic contact piece when the edge of the circuit board first abuts on the elastic contact piece when the substrate is inserted.

An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of achieving both a low insertion force when inserting a substrate and an improvement in conduction reliability after inserting a substrate.

According to one aspect of the invention
A terminal fitting that is attached to a connector into which a substrate is inserted and has an elastic contact piece that comes into contact with an electrode arranged on the surface of the substrate in a mated state between the substrate and the connector.
The elastic contact piece is
The first contact portion located on the front side in the insertion direction of the substrate and
The second contact portion located on the rear side in the insertion direction of the substrate and
A first fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum for elastic deformation when the first contact portion is pressed against the substrate,
A second fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum for elastic deformation when the second contact portion is pressed against the substrate,
Have,
The first fulcrum portion and the second fulcrum portion are arranged at different positions.
The first fulcrum portion is configured to move the first contact portion in a direction away from the substrate when the first contact portion is pressed against the substrate.
When the second contact portion is pressed against the substrate, the second fulcrum portion moves the second contact portion in a direction away from the substrate and a direction in which the first contact portion approaches the substrate. Terminal fittings configured to move towards are provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both a low insertion force when the substrate is inserted and an improvement in conduction reliability after the substrate is inserted.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the card edge connector which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side sectional view which shows the structural example of the terminal metal fitting which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the terminal metal fitting which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the processing operation of the elastic contact piece provided with the terminal metal fitting which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows a specific example of the relationship between the insertion force of a circuit board and the contact force of an elastic contact piece.

Hereinafter, the terminal fittings and the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the card edge connector and the terminal fittings used for the card edge connector will be described as an example.

(1) Overall Configuration of Card Edge Connector First, the overall configuration of the card edge connector according to the present embodiment will be briefly described.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the card edge connector.

The card edge connector 1 is also called an edge connector socket or slot, and is a female connector used as a pair with a circuit board 2 having an electrode portion (electrical contact) formed in the vicinity of the edge. Since such a card edge connector 1 is directly fitted to the circuit board 2, it is very useful for complicating the configuration and reducing the product cost.

Here, the circuit board 2 that is the mating partner of the card edge connector 1 will be briefly described. The circuit board 2 is also called a printed circuit board, and is formed by forming conductor wiring on a plate-shaped member of an insulator. Further, on the circuit board 2, a plurality of electrode portions (but not shown) conducting with the wiring of the circuit board 2 are provided on the surface near the edge of the circuit board 2 for electrical connection with the card edge connector 1. It is formed so as to line up on top.

The card edge connector 1 to be fitted to the circuit board 2 is roughly divided into a housing portion 10 and a terminal fitting 20 (however, not shown in FIG. 1) mounted on the housing portion 10. It is configured to prepare.

The housing portion 10 is formed by integrally molding a resin material having an insulating property (for example, polybutylene terephthalate: PBT), and is configured so that the terminal fitting 20 can be accommodated therein. More specifically, the housing portion 10 is configured to have a storage space for containing the terminal metal fitting 20 and to be able to seal the insertion side of the terminal metal fitting 20 into the storage space by a retainer (but not shown). ing.

Further, the housing portion 10 has a fitting portion 10a that fits with the end edge of the circuit board 2 on the side opposite to the retainer mounting side. The fitting portion 10a has an opening into which the edge of the circuit board 2 can be inserted, and the elastic contact piece 40 (however, not shown in FIG. 1) included in the terminal fitting 20 is located in the opening. There is. The details of the elastic contact piece 40 of the terminal fitting 20 will be described later.

In the card edge connector 1 having such a configuration, when the edge of the circuit board 2 is inserted into the fitting portion 10a (see the arrow in the drawing), the circuit board 2 and the housing portion 10 are put into a fitting state. Then, in the fitted state between the circuit board 2 and the housing portion 10, each electrode arranged on the surface of the circuit board 2 and the elastic contact piece 40 of each terminal fitting 20 mounted on the housing portion 10 are attached to each other. Contact. As a result, in the card edge connector 1, the continuity between each electrode of the circuit board 2 and each terminal fitting 20 in the housing portion 10 is ensured.

(2) Configuration of Terminal Brackets Next, a configuration example of the terminal fittings 20 used in the card edge connector 1 according to the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a configuration example of a terminal terminal according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the terminal terminal according to the present embodiment.

The terminal fitting 20 is plated on a conductive metal plate (for example, a copper plate or a copper alloy plate, or any of them) having a predetermined thickness (for example, a constant thickness within the range of 0.2 to 0.5 mm). It is formed by punching and bending the card edge connector 1 and is installed in the housing portion 10 of the card edge connector 1. That is, the terminal fitting 20 is configured to be accommodated and used in the housing portion 10 of the card edge connector 1 in the card edge connector 1 which is the mating partner of the circuit board 2. The housing portion 10 accommodates a number of terminal fittings 20 corresponding to the number of electrode portions on the circuit board 2 (that is, the same number as the electrode portions). When the electrode portions are arranged on both sides of the circuit board 2, the terminal fittings 20 are housed in the housing portion 10 in a state where the terminal fittings 20 having the same shape are opposed to each other so as to sandwich the circuit board 2. It has become.

Each of the terminal fittings 20 housed in the housing portion 10 is configured as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, for example. That is, the terminal fitting 20 includes a wire barrel portion 21, an insulation barrel portion 22, and a connecting portion 23.

The wire barrel portion 21 is arranged so as to be located on one end side of the connection portion 23 (the side opposite to the insertion side of the circuit board 2 to be connected), and the core wire exposed near the end edge of the electric wire (not shown). It is a so-called open barrel type that is configured to be connected to. However, it does not necessarily have to be an open type connected by crimping, and may be connected by pressure welding or soldering, or may be a closed type, for example.

The insulation barrel portion 22 is arranged so as to be located further away from the connection portion 23 than the wire barrel portion 21, and is of an open barrel type configured so that the insulating coating portion of the electric wire can be fixed. Is. However, the insulation barrel portion 22 does not necessarily have to be in the open type connected by crimping as in the wire barrel portion 21, and may be connected by pressure welding or closed type, for example. I do not care.

The connection portion 23 is for ensuring an electrical connection with the electrode portion of the circuit board 2, and includes a housing portion 30 continuous with the wire barrel portion 21 and an elastic contact piece 40 supported by the housing portion 30. , And are configured.

The housing portion 30 has a bottom surface portion 31 extending along the insertion direction of the circuit board 2 and each side wall portion 32 provided so as to rise from both side edges of the bottom surface portion 31, and a groove opened on the upper side by these. Shape It is formed in a cross-sectional shape. Further, the housing portion 30 has upper surface portions 33a and 33b provided so as to extend from either one of the side wall portions 32, and the upper surface portions 33a and 33b cover a part of the upper side of the housing portion 30. It is formed like this. The upper surface portions 33a and 33b function as a regulating piece portion that regulates the movement of the elastic contact piece 40, as will be described in detail later.

The elastic contact piece 40 is formed in a leaf spring shape extending from the edge of the bottom surface portion 31 of the housing portion 30 along the insertion direction of the circuit board 2, and is pressed and elastically deformed by the insertion of the circuit board 2. It is configured in. When the elastic contact piece 40 comes into contact with the electrode of the circuit board 2, continuity with the electrode is ensured.

In order to ensure continuity with the electrodes of the circuit board 2, the elastic contact piece 40 functions as a pressed point pressed by the insertion of the circuit board 2, and comes into contact with the electrodes of the circuit board 2 after being pressed. It has a first contact portion 41 and a second contact portion 42. The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are both arranged near the top of the convex shape protruding toward the circuit board 2, but are located at different positions in the insertion direction of the circuit board 2. .. Specifically, the first contact portion 41 is located on the front side (front side) of the circuit board 2 in the insertion direction, and the second contact portion 42 is on the rear side (back side) of the circuit board 2 in the insertion direction. ) Is located. The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are connected via a draw spring portion 43.

The first free end 44a extending from the first contact 41 comes into contact with the upper surface 33a of the housing 30. As a result, the upper surface portion 33a functions as a regulating piece portion, and the movement of the first contact portion 41 in the direction opposite to the pressing direction is restricted. Further, the second free end portion 44b extending from the second contact portion 42 also comes into contact with the upper surface portion 33b of the housing portion 30. As a result, the upper surface portion 33b functions as a regulating piece portion, and the movement of the second contact portion 42 in the direction opposite to the pressing direction is restricted.

The first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are arranged so as to be exposed from the housing portion 30 in a state where movement is restricted by the regulation piece portion, that is, in a free state where the movement is not pressed by the circuit board 2. There is. That is, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are located closer to the circuit board 2 than the edge of the side wall portion 32 of the housing portion 30, so that they can come into contact with the electrodes of the circuit board 2. It is arranged like this.

Further, the elastic contact piece 40 is a second plate continuous with a folded-back portion 45 rising from the edge of the bottom surface portion 31 of the housing portion 30, a first plate-shaped portion 46 extending from the folded-back portion 45, and the first plate-shaped portion 46. It has a plate-shaped portion 47 and an inflection point 48 located between the first plate-shaped portion 46 and the second plate-shaped portion 47, and is a constituent piece of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42. Is connected to the second plate-shaped portion 47 via the bent portion 49.

The folded-back portion 45 supports the first plate-shaped portion 46 so as to be positioned substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion 31 with a gap, and serves as a fulcrum when the first plate-shaped portion 46 swings. When the first contact portion 41 is pressed against the circuit board 2, the first plate-shaped portion 46 moves in a direction approaching the bottom surface portion 31 due to the elastic deformation accompanying the first contact portion 41. That is, the folded-back portion 45 functions as a first fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum when the first plate-shaped portion 46 elastically deforms when the first contact portion 41 is pressed against the circuit board 2. Hereinafter, the folded-back portion 45 is also referred to as a first fulcrum portion 45.

The inflection point 48 connects the first plate-shaped portion 46 and the second plate-shaped portion 47 so as to extend at different angles. When the inflection point 48 comes into contact with the bottom surface portion 31 due to the movement of the first plate-shaped portion 46, the inflection point portion 48 serves as a fulcrum when the second plate-shaped portion 47 swings after the contact. When the second contact portion 42 is pressed against the circuit board 2, the second plate-shaped portion 47 moves in a direction approaching the bottom surface portion 31 due to the elastic deformation accompanying the pressing. That is, the inflection point 48 functions as a second fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum when the second plate-shaped portion 47 elastically deforms when the second contact portion 42 is pressed against the circuit board 2. .. Hereinafter, the inflection point 48 is also referred to as a second fulcrum 48.

As described above, in the elastic contact piece 40, the first fulcrum portion 45 and the second fulcrum portion 48 are arranged at different positions.
Specifically, the first fulcrum portion 45 is located on the front side (front side) of the circuit board 2 in the insertion direction with respect to the first contact portion 41. As a result, when the first contact portion 41 is pressed against the circuit board 2, the first fulcrum portion 45 is configured to move the first contact portion 41 away from the circuit board 2.
Further, the second fulcrum portion 48 is located between the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 in the insertion direction of the circuit board 2. As a result, when the second contact portion 42 is pressed against the circuit board 2, the second fulcrum portion 48 moves the second contact portion 42 away from the circuit board 2 and moves the first contact portion 41 away from the circuit board 2. It is configured to move toward the circuit board 2. When the first contact portion 41 is moved in the direction approaching the circuit board 2, when the first contact portion 41 comes into contact with the circuit board 2, it is subsequently between the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42. The extension spring portion 43 located at is elastically deformed so as to bend.

In the elastic contact piece 40 having such a configuration, the constituent pieces of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 and the second plate-shaped portion 47 are connected via a bent portion 49. Therefore, even when the elastic contact piece 40 is configured so that the second fulcrum portion 48 is located between the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42, the parts of a plurality of pieces are not combined. It can be formed by bending a single plate-shaped member. This means that the terminal fitting 20 provided with the elastic contact piece 40 having such a configuration can be formed by bending a single plate-shaped member.

(3) Usage of the terminal fitting Next, a usage mode of the terminal fitting 20 having the above-described configuration will be described. Here, the processing operation of the elastic contact piece 40 included in the terminal fitting 20 when the circuit board 2 is inserted into the fitting portion 10a of the housing portion 10 accommodating the terminal fitting 20 will be mainly described as an example. To do.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a processing operation of an elastic contact piece included in the terminal fitting according to the present embodiment.

When the circuit board 2 is inserted into the fitting portion 10a of the housing portion 10, as shown in FIG. 4A, the edge of the circuit board 2 is first of all the terminal fitting 20 housed in the housing portion 10. The elastic contact piece 40 comes into contact with the vicinity of the first contact portion 41.

Then, when the insertion of the circuit board 2 is continued as it is, as shown in FIG. 4B, the edge of the circuit board 2 tries to get over the first contact portion 41 of the elastic contact piece 40. As a result, the first contact portion 41 is pressed by the circuit board 2 toward the side of the bottom surface portion 31 of the terminal fitting 20, that is, in the direction away from the circuit board 2. When the first contact portion 41 becomes a pressed point, in the elastic contact piece 40, the first contact portion 41 uses the first fulcrum portion 45 as a fulcrum, and the first plate-shaped portion 46 is mainly elastically deformed to cause the first contact portion. The position of 41 moves. That is, when the first contact portion 41 is pressed by the circuit board 2, the first contact portion 41 moves in a direction away from the circuit board 2 with the first fulcrum portion 45 located at the position farthest from the pressed point as a fulcrum. As a result, the circuit board 2 can get over the first contact portion 41. At this time, by appropriately setting the distance between the first contact portion 41 and the first fulcrum portion 45 (for example, increasing the distance as much as possible), the spring constant when the elastic contact piece 40 elastically deforms can be set. It can be made smaller, and the pressing force (insertion force of the circuit board 2) required for its elastic deformation can be suppressed to a low level.

When the circuit board 2 gets over the first contact portion 41, as shown in FIG. 4C, the elastic contact piece 40 is second due to elastic deformation of the first plate-shaped portion 46 with the first fulcrum portion 45 as the fulcrum. The fulcrum portion 48 comes into contact with the bottom surface portion 31. Further, if necessary, elastic deformation also occurs in the extension spring portion 43 and the like on the terminal side of the second fulcrum portion 48. As a result, it is possible to continue inserting the circuit board 2 while the first contact portion 41 is in contact with the lower surface side of the circuit board 2.

When the circuit board 2 is continuously inserted as it is, as shown in FIG. 4D, the edge of the circuit board 2 comes into contact with the vicinity of the second contact portion 42 of the elastic contact piece 40.

Then, when the circuit board 2 is further inserted, as shown in FIG. 4 (e), the edge of the circuit board 2 tries to get over the second contact portion 42. As a result, the second contact portion 42 is pressed by the circuit board 2 toward the side of the bottom surface portion 31 of the terminal fitting 20, that is, in the direction away from the circuit board 2. When the second contact portion 42 becomes a pressed point, in the elastic contact piece 40, the second contact portion 42 uses the second fulcrum portion 48 as a fulcrum, and the second plate-shaped portion 47 is mainly elastically deformed to form the second contact portion. The position of 42 moves. That is, when the second contact portion 42 is pressed against the circuit board 2, the second contact portion 42 moves in a direction away from the circuit board 2 with the second fulcrum portion 48 in contact with the bottom surface portion 31 as a fulcrum. As a result, the circuit board 2 can get over the second contact portion 42.

At this time, the second fulcrum portion 48 is located between the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42. Further, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are connected and integrated. Therefore, when the second contact portion 42 moves in the direction away from the circuit board 2, the first contact portion 41 tends to move in the direction closer to the circuit board 2. That is, a force that tends to rotate in the clockwise direction in the drawing acts on the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42. However, the first contact portion 41 is already in contact with the lower surface side of the circuit board 2. Therefore, when the first contact portion 41 tries to move in the direction approaching the circuit board 2, the extension spring portion 43 elastically deforms, whereby the contact force of the first contact portion 41 with the circuit board 2 is increased. It will increase.

After the circuit board 2 gets over the second contact portion 42, at least one of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42, preferably both of them, comes into contact with the electrodes arranged on the lower surface of the circuit board 2. It will be in the state of. As a result, continuity between the electrodes of the circuit board 2 and the terminal fitting 20 provided with the elastic contact piece 40 is ensured.

(4) Transition of Substrate Insertion Force Next, the transition of the insertion force of the circuit board 2 during the above-mentioned processing operation will be described.

The insertion force Fm of the circuit board 2 is represented by the product of the contact force Fc of the elastic contact piece 40 with respect to the circuit board 2 and the friction coefficient μ of the contact portion, as shown in the following equation (1).

Fm = Fc × μ ・ ・ ・ (1)

Further, if the edge of the circuit board 2 or the contacted portion of the elastic contact piece 40 has a taper (inclination), the insertion force Fm of the circuit board 2 has an angle as shown in the following equation (2). The parameter f (θ) is integrated, and the insertion force becomes the maximum value when the circuit board 2 rides on the contact portion of the elastic contact piece 40.

Fm = Fc × μ × f (θ) ・ ・ ・ (2)

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the relationship between the insertion force of the circuit board and the contact force of the elastic contact piece.
Here, the relationship between the insertion force of the circuit board 2 and the contact force of the elastic contact piece 40 in the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 5A, and the insertion force of the circuit board and the contact force of the elastic contact piece in the comparative example are shown in FIG. The relationship is shown in FIG. 5 (b). The elastic contact piece of the comparative example has a first contact portion on the front side in the insertion direction and a second contact portion on the rear side in the insertion direction, as in the case of the present embodiment, but each is connected. It is assumed that it is configured to elastically deform independently and independently.
In the figure, in both the present embodiment and the comparative example, the horizontal axis is the substrate insertion amount (for example, unit: mm), and the vertical axis is the magnitude of force (for example, unit: N) on the coordinate space. The amount of substrate insertion where the edge of the substrate exceeds the first contact is "1", the amount of insertion of the substrate where the edge of the substrate exceeds the second contact is "3.9", and the contact force of the first contact at the end is set. It shows the transition of the insertion force and the contact force when "4" and the contact force of the second contact portion at the final stage are assumed to be "2".

For example, when the substrate insertion amount is "1", in the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the first contact portion 41 has the first fulcrum portion 45 as a fulcrum, and therefore the first contact portion thereof. The contact force of the portion 41 becomes "2" at about half of the final stage, and the substrate insertion force at that time becomes "5". On the other hand, in the case of the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the contact force becomes maximum at the final stage of "4" with the edge of the substrate riding on the first contact portion, so that the substrate is simultaneously present. The insertion force also becomes the maximum "10" (that is, the above equation (2) is applied).
After that, when the substrate insertion amount is "1" to "3", only the first contact portion is in contact and sliding, so both the contact force and the substrate insertion force remain the same (that is, the graph in the figure shows. It changes (that is, the above equation (1) is applied). That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the circuit board 2 can be inserted with a smaller substrate insertion force than in the case of the comparative example.
Then, when the amount of the substrate inserted is around "3", the edge of the substrate comes into contact with the second contact portion. In the case of the present embodiment, a rotational force is generated to move the first contact portion 41 as the second contact portion 42 moves. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, the second contact portion 42 Not only the contact force of the first contact portion 41 but also the contact force of the first contact portion 41 increases. As a result, when the edge of the substrate rides on the second contact portion 42, the contact force of the first contact portion 41 reaches the final “4”. This is because the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are connected and the second fulcrum portion 48 exists between them. In the case of the comparative example not provided with such a configuration, As shown in FIG. 5B, even if the edge of the substrate abuts on the second contact portion, the contact force of the first contact portion does not change.
In the case of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5A, the substrate insertion force becomes the maximum value when the substrate edge rides on the second contact portion 42, but at this point, the first contact portion 41 has a maximum value. Since the edge of the board is already on the board, the equation (1) is applied to the board insertion force, and the angle parameter is not integrated. Therefore, the maximum value of the substrate insertion force in the case of the present embodiment can be suppressed to about "8", which is lower than the maximum value of the substrate insertion force in the case of the comparative example.

(5) Effects obtained by the present embodiment According to the present embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

(A) In the present embodiment, in the elastic contact piece 40 of the terminal fitting 20, when the first contact portion 41 on the front side in the substrate insertion direction is pressed against the circuit board 2, the first fulcrum portion 45 becomes the first contact portion 41. Is moved away from the circuit board 2, and when the second contact portion 42 on the rear side in the substrate insertion direction is pressed against the circuit board 2, the second fulcrum portion 48 moves the second contact portion 42 to the circuit board 2. The first contact portion 41 is configured to be moved toward the circuit board 2 while being moved away from the circuit board 2.
In the elastic contact piece 40 having such a configuration, the first contact portion 41 first moves with the first fulcrum portion 45 as the fulcrum, so that the spring constant for the elastic deformation can be reduced, and as a result, the first contact portion 40 becomes the first. The force required for pressing the 1 contact portion 41 (insertion force of the circuit board 2) can be suppressed low. That is, since the force when the circuit board 2 first comes into contact with the first contact portion 41 can be suppressed to a low level, the circuit board 2 can be inserted with a relatively small substrate insertion force.
Moreover, in the elastic contact piece 40, after the circuit board 2 comes into contact with the second contact portion 42, the first contact portion 41 is moved as the second contact portion 42 moves by using the second fulcrum portion 48 as a fulcrum. Since a rotational force is generated to move the first contact portion 41, the contact force of the first contact portion 41 to the circuit board 2 can be increased.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve both low insertion force at the time of inserting the substrate and improvement of reliability of conduction (contact of the elastic contact piece 40 with the electrode) after the insertion of the substrate, which are contradictory to each other. It will be possible.

(B) In the present embodiment, the elastic contact piece 40 of the terminal fitting 20 has a maximum board insertion force after the circuit board 2 comes into contact with the second contact portion 42, and the circuit board 2 has only the first contact portion 41. The substrate insertion force is configured to be less than the maximum value at the stage of contact with (see FIG. 5A). Therefore, while the substrate insertion force is kept low at the beginning of insertion when the circuit board 2 is in contact with only the first contact portion 41, the reliability of conduction due to the increase in contact force after the contact between the circuit board 2 and the second contact portion 42 is achieved. It can be improved. Moreover, even after the contact with the second contact portion 42, since the substrate edge of the first contact portion 41 is already on the board at that time, the angle parameter is not integrated in the substrate insertion force, and as a result. Therefore, it is possible to keep the maximum value of the substrate insertion force relatively low.

(C) In the present embodiment, the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 of the elastic contact piece 40 of the terminal fitting 20 are exposed from the housing portion 30 constituting the terminal fitting 20 in a free state where they are not pressed. It is arranged to do. Therefore, when the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 are arranged so as to be arranged in front of and behind the substrate insertion direction, the edge of the circuit board 2 is set as the edge of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42, respectively. Can be brought into contact with each other in order. Moreover, since it is possible to reliably contact each of them, the first contact portion 41 wipes off dust and the like adhering to the electrode portion of the circuit board 2, and the clean electrode portion and the second contact portion 42 can come into contact with each other. Therefore, it is very suitable for achieving both a low insertion force at the time of inserting the substrate and an improvement of conduction reliability after the insertion of the substrate.

(D) In the present embodiment, the housing portion 30 constituting the terminal fitting 20 has a regulating piece portion that restricts the movement of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 in the direction opposite to the pressing direction. ing. Therefore, the positions of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 in the unpressed free state can be regulated to prevent the contact position with the edge of the circuit board 2 from being scattered, so that the substrate can be inserted. It is very suitable for ensuring low insertion force at the time.

(E) The terminal fitting 20 in the present embodiment is formed by bending a single plate-shaped member. Specifically, for example, in the elastic contact piece 40 of the terminal fitting 20, the constituent pieces of the first contact portion 41 and the second contact portion 42 and the second plate-shaped portion 47 are connected via the bent portion 49. There is. Therefore, even when the elastic contact piece 40 is formed in a complicated shape as described above in order to achieve both a low insertion force when inserting the substrate and an improvement in conduction reliability after inserting the substrate, a plurality of pieces are used. It can be formed by bending a single plate-shaped member instead of combining the parts of the above, and it is extremely difficult to suppress the complexity of the configuration of the terminal fitting 20 and realize the cost reduction of the terminal fitting 20. It becomes suitable for.

(F) In the present embodiment, the terminal fitting 20 is mounted on the housing portion 10 constituting the card edge connector 1 and used. The card edge connector 1 is used by inserting the circuit board 2, but according to the present embodiment, it is possible to achieve both a low insertion force when the board is inserted and an improvement in conduction reliability after the board is inserted. It is easy to use for the user of the card edge connector 1, and has excellent electrical reliability.

(6) Modifications and the like Although the embodiments of the present invention have been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be appropriately modified without departing from the gist thereof.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the terminal fitting 20 is arranged on one surface side of the circuit board 2 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. For example, in the card edge connector 1, the terminal fittings 20 may be arranged corresponding to both sides of the circuit board 2. In that case, the terminal fittings 20 corresponding to both sides are arranged so that the elastic contact pieces 40 face each other, and the edge of the circuit board 2 is inserted between them. Further, the terminal fittings 20 facing each other may be arranged at the same positions in the substrate insertion direction, or may be arranged at different positions offset from each other.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the terminal fitting 20 constitutes the card edge connector 1 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, in the terminal fitting according to the present invention, even if the connector is a connector other than the card edge connector, the electrodes, terminals, etc. to be fitted with the terminal fitting come into contact with the first contact portion and the second contact portion in order. If it is inserted, it can be applied in exactly the same way.

1 ... Card edge connector, 2 ... Circuit board, 10 ... Housing part, 10a ... Fitting part, 20 ... Terminal metal fittings, 21 ... Wire barrel part, 22 ... Insulation barrel part, 23 ... Connection part, 30 ... Housing part , 31 ... bottom surface, 32 ... side wall, 33a, 33b ... top surface (regulatory piece), 40 ... elastic contact piece, 41 ... first contact, 42 ... second contact, 43 ... extension spring, 44a ... 1st free end, 44b ... 2nd free end, 45 ... Folded part (1st fulcrum), 46 ... 1st plate, 47 ... 2nd plate, 48 ... Variable part ( 2nd fulcrum part), 49 ... Bending part

Claims (5)

An elastic contact piece that is attached to a connector into which a substrate is inserted and that contacts an electrode arranged on the surface of the substrate in a mated state between the substrate and the connector, and a housing portion that supports the elastic contact piece. It is a terminal fitting equipped with
The elastic contact piece is
The first contact portion located on the front side in the insertion direction of the substrate and
The second contact portion located on the rear side in the insertion direction of the substrate and
A first fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum for elastic deformation when the first contact portion is pressed against the substrate,
A second fulcrum portion that serves as a fulcrum for elastic deformation when the second contact portion is pressed against the substrate,
Have,
The first fulcrum portion and the second fulcrum portion are arranged at different positions.
The first fulcrum portion is located on the front side in the insertion direction of the substrate with respect to the first contact portion, and when the first contact portion is pressed against the substrate, the first contact portion is pressed against the substrate. It is configured to move away from
When the second contact portion is pressed against the substrate, the second fulcrum portion moves the second contact portion in a direction away from the substrate and a direction in which the first contact portion approaches the substrate. It is configured to move toward the,
The first contact portion and the second contact portion are arranged so as to be exposed from the housing portion in a free state where they are not pressed.
The housing portion is a terminal fitting having a regulating piece portion that restricts the movement of the first contact portion and the second contact portion in a direction opposite to the pressing direction . In the elastic contact piece, the insertion force of the substrate becomes the maximum value after the contact between the substrate and the second contact portion, and the insertion force of the substrate is reached at the stage where the substrate is in contact with only the first contact portion. The terminal fitting according to claim 1, wherein the first fulcrum portion and the second fulcrum portion are arranged so that is less than the maximum value. The terminal fitting according to claim 1 or 2 , which is formed by bending a single plate-shaped member. The terminal fitting according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and
The housing part to which the terminal fitting is mounted and
Connector with. The connector according to claim 4 , which is a card edge connector.