JPH0141186Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] This invention relates to a rotary connector. More specifically, this invention relates to a rotary connector that electrically connects two circuit boards and allows both circuit boards to rotate relative to each other.

Flexible or rotary connecting devices have been proposed as devices for electrically connecting electrical circuits of two housings that are structured so that they can rotate relative to each other.

For example, an application filed on September 1, 1982
The one described in No. 130131 (Utility Model Publication No. 58-35287) is
In a device that electrically connects a plurality of housings that are connected by a connecting shaft and can mutually rotate around the connecting shaft, a housing made of a soft insulating material whose opposite side walls are formed into a corrugated shape in advance has a corrugated shape. The assembly of the housing, which is formed by arranging formed conductors made of elastic metal, is held by a connecting unit made up of a plurality of holders and support plates and connected by connecting pins, and the connecting unit is integrated with the housing assembly. A flexible connecting device is disclosed which is characterized by having a structure that allows rotation around the connecting pin.

Furthermore, the application filed on September 24, 1982
The one described in No. 141911 (Utility Model Publication No. 58-52785) is
In a device that is equipped with a rotation shaft that rotatably connects a plurality of housings to each other and has a function of electrically connecting the circuits of the housings, one leg of a plurality of metal rods bent into a hook shape is used. The legs are arranged so that their center lines are in a straight line to form a rotation axis, and the other leg is attached to the first insulating block assembly to serve as a terminal for external connection, and is made of a band-shaped elastic metal plate. A sliding terminal having a contact piece for elastic contact with the rotating shaft at one end and an external connection terminal at the other end is installed in the second insulator block assembly, and the second A rotary connection device is disclosed in which the block assembly is provided with a structure for rotatably holding the rotary shaft.

By the way, the rotary connector of this invention has a simpler structure than the conventional one disclosed above, and both circuit boards connected by the connector can be attached and detached at any angular position within the rotation range. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a rotary connector that can be rotated.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rotary connector that has a compact connector shape and is easy to assemble.

Next, specific embodiments of the rotary connector of this invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in the drawings, the rotary connector 10 of this invention consists of an elongated housing 12 made of an insulator and a pair of elongated supports 14 and 16 made of an insulator and symmetrically constructed. In particular, Figure 3,
As is clearly seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the housing 12 has an arc-shaped bottom wall 18 that is open at the bottom, and is spaced at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the housing 12, and further extends beyond the bottom wall 18. A plurality of recesses 20 are formed having inwardly cut arcuate top walls.

Elastic finger members 22 extending downward from the top are formed at both ends of the housing 12 in the longitudinal direction, and an inward protrusion 2 is formed at the lower edge of the finger member 22 .
3 is provided.

An arc-shaped spring contact 24 made of thin metal is pressed into the arc-shaped recess 20 of the housing 12. The contact 24 is in the recess 20
the recess 20 so that it does not easily fall off.
It is preferable to provide a protrusion 26 in the center of the holder.
Both free ends of the arcuate spring contact 24 are connected to the third
As shown in the drawings and FIG. 6, a curved portion 27 is formed so as to be able to positively contact a mating sliding contact, which will be described later.

Since the pair of supports 14 and 16 made of insulators are configured symmetrically, one of the supports 14 and 16 is made of an insulator.
6 will be explained. The support 16 has a flat base 2
6 and an upright portion 28 that stands upright from this base portion 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the base portion 26 is provided with a notch portion 30 formed in a comb-tooth shape. The interval between the notches 30 is determined by the distance between the housing 12
This corresponds to the interval between the arcuate recesses 20 in the figure.

The upright portion 28 of the support body 16 has an arc-shaped bulge 32 on the outside, and the bulge 32 has an arc-shaped recess in the housing 12 at a position that coincides with the notch 30 of the base 26. 20 is formed into a protruding portion 34 that fits into the portion 20. In addition, the bulging portion 3 of the support body 16
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, a V-shaped groove is formed on the top surface of the support 2 when the supports 14 and 16 are combined, and as shown in FIG. An inclined surface 36 is provided so that the combination of 14 and 16 can be rotated by a desired angle.

The upper part of the upright part 28 terminating in the inclined surface 36 of the support 16 has an arcuate protrusion 38 and the other support 1
Arc-shaped grooves 40 into which the four protrusions 38 fit are formed alternately. Further, a groove 46 is formed in the inclined surface 36 of the support 16 into which a curved portion 44 at the tip of a sliding contact 42 disposed on the support 16 is inserted.

Further, elastic finger members 2 at both ends of the housing 12 are provided at both longitudinal ends of the supports 14 and 16.
A convex portion 48 is formed to engage with the inward protrusion of No. 2.

The sliding contact 42 has legs 54 that are soldered 52 to a printed circuit board 50 and a support 1.
The groove 4 of the inclined surface 36 of the support body 16 includes a curved portion 56 extending from the notch 30 of No. 6 to the outside of the protruding portion 34 .
6.

Since each component of the rotary connector 10 of this invention is formed as described above, a pair of supports 1
Sliding contact 4 on each of 4 and 16
2, the legs 54 are passed through predetermined portions of the printed circuit board 50 and soldered 52, and then the upright portions 28 of both supports 14 and 16 are brought close together to connect the overhanging portions of supports 14 and 16. 38 into the respective mating cavities 40, and then the spring contacts 24
The housing 12 with the
The protrusions 23 of the elastic finger members 22 at both ends of the housing 12 are engaged with the protrusions 48 at both ends of the supports 14 and 16.

If the housing 12 and the pair of supports 14 and 16 are assembled in the above manner, the housing 1
The two spring contacts 24 maintain contact with the curved portions 56 of the sliding contacts 42 of the supports 14, 16 and simultaneously electrically connect the circuits of the pair of printed circuit boards 50 fixed to the contacts 42 to each other. , can be mutually rotated in the range from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG.

Furthermore, regardless of the rotational position of both circuit boards 50, the projections 23 of the elastic finger members 22 of the housing 12 are separated from the projections 48 at both ends of the supports 14, 16. It can be removed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is an end view showing the rotary connector of this invention connected to a printed circuit board, Figure 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the connector, and Figure 3 is a part of the housing. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a part of the support body, FIG. 5 is a top view with a part of the housing of the connector of this invention cut away, and FIG.
The figure is an exploded side sectional view of the rotary connector of this invention, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the rotation of the connector. The symbols representing the main parts in the drawings are as follows. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Rotating connector, 12... Housing, 14, 16... Support body, 18... Bottom wall of housing, 20... Arc-shaped recess, 22...
Elastic finger member, 23... protrusion of 22, 2
4... Spring contact, 26... Base of support,
28...Upright part of support body, 30...Notch part, 3
2...Bulge part, 34...Protrusion part, 36...Slanted surface, 38...Circular protrusion part, 40...Groove part, 42
...Sliding Contact, 44...42
curved part, 46... groove, 48... convex part, 50...
Printed circuit board, 54... contact leg.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] An elongated housing made of an insulator, which has a bottom wall that is open to the bottom of the arc, and is cut inward from the bottom wall at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the housing. A recess having a wall surface is provided, a spring contact having an arcuate shape and both ends being free ends is installed in the recess, and has a flat base made of an insulator and an upright part standing upright from the base, and the upright part cutouts are provided in the base and the curved portion of a pair of supports having a curved portion on one side thereof at intervals that match the recesses of the housing, and the top surface of the curved portion is made upright from the one side surface. a groove on the upper side of the inclined surface, and a circular arc-shaped protrusion for pivoting and a groove in which the protrusion is fitted on the upright side; a sliding contact whose one end is attached to the groove of the housing and which extends downward from the curved part along the curved surface and the notch of the base part and is fixed to the printed circuit board; and elastic finger parts are integrally formed at both ends of the housing; A rotating type having an inward protrusion at its lower end, and protrusions engaging with the protrusions of the finger parts at both ends of the support to assemble the housing and the pair of supports. connector.