JPH0127276Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a rotary connector, and more specifically, to a rotary connector that electrically connects printed circuit boards that rotate with each other.

[Prior Art] Small audio systems or calculators, etc., are made up of multiple units hinged to each other and can be unfolded for use and folded for storage, but there is a need for a connector to electrically connect the units. has been done. One conventional connector that has been proposed for this purpose is one in which a highly flexible thin metal piece is used as the conductive connecting member of the connector, and the metal piece is bent when the two units are opened and closed. However, in this type of connector, stress is concentrated on the curved portion of the metal piece when the connector is opened and closed, and if this connector is used repeatedly, there is a risk that the connector will eventually become fatigued and break.

[Purpose of the invention] Considering the above disadvantages, the purpose of this invention is to prevent stress from concentrating only on a part of the thin metal piece.
To provide a rotary connector that will not be damaged even if it is repeatedly opened and closed over a long period of time.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a rotary connector which has a simple structure and can accurately connect a plurality of units in a mutually rotatable manner.

[Configuration of the invention] Figures 1 to 3 show one of the embodiments of the rotary connector of the invention that yields the best results. It consists of a second housing 14 and a contact conductor 16 disposed within both housings 12,14.

In this embodiment, the first housing 12
The housing 14 and the second housing 14 are arranged opposite to each other, and have the same structure. Therefore, the same parts will be described below using the same reference numerals.

Opposing longitudinal sides of the housings 10, 14 are formed into arcuate surfaces 20 that include an angle of at least 45 degrees from a desired distance from the bottom surface 18 and extend from the top of the surface to the top of the housings 10, 14. The side surface leading to the surface is sloped 22 at a 45 degree angle. The housing has partition walls 2 at regular intervals of the arcuate surface 20.
4, a recess 2 which is wide enough to insert the contact conductor 16 and is open to the outside;
6 is formed.

A contact conductor support surface 28 having an arcuate surface parallel to the arcuate surface 20 of the partitioner 24 and set back inward by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the contact conductor 16 is provided on the inner surface of the partition wall 24 on the recess side. It is integrally formed with.

The bottom surface 30 of the recess 26 is flat, and the side surface 32 facing the open side extends vertically, and the bottom surface 30 of the recess 26 is flat.
An opening 36 is provided at the corner where the bottom surface 30 and the vertical side surface 32 intersect, allowing the leg portion 34 of the contact conductor 16 to penetrate through the bottom surface 30 and protrude outward.

The contact conductor 16 is constructed by punching out a highly elastic thin metal plate, and as can be seen from the elevation view shown in FIG. 1 and the perspective view shown in FIG. , annular top 3
8, a shaft portion 40 extending from the top portion 38, and a shaft portion 4
a branch part 42 that extends in a right angle direction from 0 and can be placed on the bottom surface 18 of the recess 26;
The leg 34 extends more perpendicularly and can be inserted into the opening 36. The contact conductor 16 is attached to the first housing 12 and the second housing 14, as shown in FIG.
The conductor legs 34 projecting outwardly from 6 are secured to the printed circuit board 50 to be connected to each other by suitable means, such as by soldering.

First housing 12 and second housing 14
can be rotated from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 2 by means of a pin 44 provided at its end and a connecting member 46 rotatably attached to the pin 44.

The printed circuit board 5 is attached with the contact conductor 16.
When both housings 12, 14, which are fixed at 0, 52, are rotated from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. Two shaft portions 40 extending from the annular top portion 38 of the contact conductor 16 branch from the tip, and the surface of the shaft portion 40 curves along the conductor support surface 28 formed in an arc. Therefore, stress does not concentrate on a part of the contact conductor 16, and both housings 12,1
Even if 4 is repeatedly opened and used, the contact conductor 16 will not be damaged.

The embodiment described with respect to FIGS. 1-3 has two legs 34 of contact conductor 16.
This is a case where both of the two are fixed to printed circuit boards 50 and 52.

However, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotating connector of this invention has a pin fixed to a printed circuit board 50 by bending the tip of one leg 54 of the contact conductor 16 inward. contact 5
4 can be modified and implemented so that it can be removably inserted. In this case, those skilled in the art can easily modify the designs of the first housing 112 and the second housing 114 according to the configuration of the conductor 16.

According to the description of the preferred embodiment described above, the rotary connector of this invention achieves the intended purpose without stress concentration on a part of the curved portion of the contact conductor when the connector is rotated. There are certain effects that can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of the rotary connector of this invention fixed to a printed circuit board and juxtaposed, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the rotary connector rotated from the position shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. The figure is an exploded perspective view showing a cutaway half of the contact conductor of the rotary connector of this invention and a part of the housing of the connector. FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the structure of a connector when the contact conductor of FIG. 4 is used. The main symbols in the figure are listed below. 10... Rotating connector, 12... First housing, 14... Second housing, 16
... Contact conductor, 20 ... Arc surface, 24 ...
Partition wall, 26... recess, 28... conductor support surface, 34
...Legs of the contact conductor, 38...Annular top of the contact conductor, 40...Shaft of the contact conductor, 44...Pin, 46...Connecting member, 50,5
2...Printed circuit board, 54...pin-shaped contact.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. A pair of housings made of an insulator having an arcuate surface on one side in the longitudinal direction, and recesses spaced apart in the longitudinal direction on the side surface having the arcuate surface of the housing. A connecting member is arranged such that the side surfaces having the circular arc surfaces of the pair of housings face each other so as to be able to rotate with respect to each other, and the connecting member is housed in the recess of the pair of housings. a contact conductor, the contact conductor comprising two shafts extending in parallel from an annular top, and legs penetrating the housing and connecting to the printed circuit board; A rotary connector comprising: a conductor support surface having an arcuate surface with which the shaft portion of the contact conductor can come into contact when bent in the recess. 2. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the arcuate surface includes an angle of at least 45 degrees. 3. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the leg portions of the contact conductors are fixed to a printed circuit board. 4. The rotary connector according to claim 1, wherein the leg portions of the contact conductors are shaped so that they can be attached to and detached from pin-shaped contacts fixed to a printed circuit board.