JPH07302640A - Press-contact type connector and terminal for the connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a terminal of a press-contact type connector so as to reduce the number of component parts and enhance an assembling property in the press-contact type connector having the terminal which can be elastically deviated in the axial direction. CONSTITUTION:One or more meander units 13c meandering in an S shape are repeated on the same plane between a tip and a base end, thus forming a meandering portion 13. The structure having the meandering portion 13 constitutes a terminal 3. The terminal is elastically deviated by elastic deformation in the axial direction of the meandering portion. As a result, it is possible to dispense with a spring member for energizing the terminal due to deviation so as to reduce the number of component parts and enhance an assembling property.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention In the present invention, a terminal is elastically displaceable in an axial direction, and each terminal of a mating connector is pressed against the tip of the movable terminal to obtain an electrical connection with the mating connector. The present invention relates to a push-type connector.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A push-type connector can absorb a positional error of a movable range of a terminal with a mating connector, and a relatively large positional error can be tolerated. For this reason, it is used as a useful tool when the positioning of connectors tends to become unstable, such as when electrically connecting one device unit and another device unit through the built-in connectors. There is. For example, it is used to connect the main body of an audio device for a car and an operation panel. In other words, for audio equipment for automobiles, a structure that allows the operation panel to be detached from the main body and taken out when leaving the automobile has recently been introduced to prevent theft. This is a method of using a press contact type connector so that when the operation panel is attached to a predetermined attachment portion, an electrical connection with the main body portion can be automatically obtained.

As described above, the push-connect type connector is useful for electrical connection between one device unit and another device unit, but in connection therewith, surge voltage due to static electricity poses a problem. That is, there is a problem in that static electricity generated in the entire equipment unit is discharged when the connectors contact each other, thereby destroying the electronic circuit of the equipment unit. For this reason, the push-connect type connector generally incorporates a mechanism for processing surge voltage.

12 and 13 show a typical conventional structure of the pressing type connector as described above. As shown in the figure, in the conventional push-type connector 40, the terminal 41 is composed of a coil spring 41s and a terminal body 41c, and the terminal body 4 is deformed in the housing 42 by deformation of the coil spring 41s.
1c is displaced as indicated by arrow Y. The electrical connection with the mating connector M is performed by the terminal body 41c.
The terminal C of the mating connector M is pressed against the tip of the. Further, a shell member 43 is attached to the housing 42, and the shell member 43 is configured to process a surge voltage due to static electricity. Specifically, the shell member 43 is attached to the housing 42 so as to be displaced in the same direction as the terminal body 41c. When the terminals of the mating connector M are pressed against each other, the discharging terminals (not shown in the figure) at both ends of the mating connector M are pressed against the shell member 43 to discharge the surge voltage. I am supposed to do it. Here, Pm and Pd in FIG. 12 are substrates to which the push-type connector 40 and the mating connector M are connected, respectively.

Such a conventional push-type connector has the following problems. First, there is the problem of cost increase factors. That is, since the coil spring is used, the number of parts is increased, and the work of assembling the coil spring, which is difficult to handle, into the housing is a factor of cost increase, and it is expensive to secure the contact between the coil spring and the terminal. It is necessary to apply a gold plating as a whole,
This has also been a factor in increasing costs. Secondly, there is a problem that surge protection cannot always be sufficiently performed. That is, the surge voltage can be discharged through the shell member only at a specific terminal of the mating connector, and if the other terminals are discharged to the push-type connector, surge protection cannot be performed.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the number of parts and improve the assemblability of a push type connector. Another object of the present invention is to improve surge protection performance of a push-type connector.

[0007]

In order to reduce the number of parts and to improve the assembling ability, in the present invention, each terminal is elastically displaceable in the housing in the axial direction, and the tip of each terminal. With respect to a push-connect type connector in which each terminal of the mating connector is pushed into contact with the mating connector to obtain an electrical connection with the mating connector, a meandering S-shape is formed in the same plane between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion. The terminal is formed by a structure having a meandering portion formed by repeating one or more meandering units, and the terminal is elastically displaced by elastic deformation of the meandering portion in the axial direction.

Since the terminal is formed so as to be elastically deformed in the axial direction at the meandering portion in this manner, the coil spring as in the conventional press contact type connector is not required and the number of parts can be reduced. Further, the assembling property can be greatly improved because the number of parts is reduced and the terminal has a substantially flat plate shape and is easy to handle.

Further, the meandering portion for elastic deformation of the terminal according to the present invention has a structure in which meandering units meandering in an S shape are repeated in the same plane, and therefore can be formed by punching out a thin metal plate. . Therefore, it is possible to obtain much better workability than the conventional terminal having a coil spring or the like as an element. In this punching process, the entire terminal is basically formed by punching, but the serpentine portion may be punched as a separate member if necessary.

Further, in the present invention, in order to improve the surge protection performance, a surge protection element is attached to the above-mentioned pressing type connector, and the surge voltage is absorbed by each terminal individually by the surge protection element. ing. As a result, the surge voltage can be absorbed individually for all the terminals, and the surge protection performance can be improved.

In using the surge protection element as described above, the surge protection element is mounted on the mounting portion formed on the lower surface of the housing, and the elastically deformable contact arm is attached to the base end portion of the terminal in a direction intersecting the axial direction. It is preferable that the contact arm of the terminal is pressed against the surge protection element of the mounting portion.

According to this structure, the contact arm can be naturally pressed against the surge protection element when the terminal is inserted into the housing for mounting, and the contact arm can be specially contacted with the surge protection element. Excellent assemblability can be obtained without requiring steps.

[0013]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below. First Embodiment This embodiment is an example in which surge protection is performed by a structure similar to that of the above-described conventional push-fit type connector. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the push-type connector 1 according to the present embodiment includes an insulating housing 2, and the housing 2.
A plurality of terminals 3, 3, ...
, And a conductive cover member 4 assembled to the housing 2 from the outside as main elements.

The terminal 3 is formed by punching a thin metal plate and then subjecting it to necessary press working.
As shown in, the fixing portion 10, from the base end side toward the tip end side,
It has a structure including a board insertion portion 12, a meandering portion 13, a guide receiving portion 14, and a pressing portion 15.

The fixing portion 10 is a portion for fixing to the housing 2, and a pair of locking claws 10t and 10t are provided so as to project at right angles to the axial direction (X direction shown by the arrow).
t is formed in the housing 2 by the lock receiving portions 16, 16
It can be firmly fixed by fitting and locking (Fig. 5). Further, the protrusions 10d for separation (FIG. 8) are made to project to the side opposite to the protruding direction of the locking claws 10t, 10t.
Is provided, and the meandering portion 13, which will be described later, is separated from the inner wall of the housing 2 by the height of the separating protrusion 10d. This is to prevent the meandering portion 13 from coming into contact with the inner wall of the housing 2 and impairing its spring characteristic.

The board insertion portion 12 has locking claws 10t and 10t.
2 is projected at a right angle to the protruding direction of
As shown in FIG. 3, the push-type connector 1 is fixed to the board Pm and is electrically connected to the terminals of the circuit on the board Pm by being fitted and soldered to the board Pm. .

The meandering portion 13 is formed by repeating a meandering unit 13u meandering in a laterally long S-shape in the same plane five times, and by deforming with an arc-shaped bending portion 13c as a fulcrum, the whole is elastic. Axially expands and contracts, and this expansion and contraction causes terminal 3
Gives the displacement movement of. That is, when the mating connector M is pressed as shown in FIG. 2, the meandering portion 13 contracts, and the terminal 3 retracts accordingly. On the other hand, when the mating portion M is not pressed, the meandering part 13 as shown in FIG. The part 13 is in a fully extended state.

The guide receiving portion 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is slidably inserted into a guide hole 18 in a guide portion 17 formed at a top portion of the housing 2 so as to project slightly narrower. . And this guide receiving portion 14
Is guided by the guide hole 18 during the displacement movement of the terminal 3 due to the expansion and contraction of the meandering portion 13, the stability of the displacement movement is maintained.

The pressing portion 15 is a terminal C of the mating connector M.
It is formed in an arc shape so that the tip is rounded at the portion that presses and makes electrical connection.

The cover member 4 is in the form of an elongated box having an open lower portion, and a cover portion 21 having an elongated opening 20 in the upper portion thereof.
And leg portions 22 and 2 hung from each end of the cover portion 21.
2 (FIG. 3; only one is shown in the drawing), the cover portion 21 covers the guide portion 17 of the housing 2, and the legs 22, 22 of the guide portion 17 hang down along the side surface of the housing 2. The housing 2 is assembled with. Further, the cover portion 21 has terminals 3g for grounding at both ends,
With respect to g, the pressing portions 15 and 15 are contacted from above, so that the cover member 4 is connected to the terminal 3
The urging force that pushes upward in the state shown in the figure is received by g and 4g. When the terminals of both connectors are pressed against each other at the time of connection with the mating connector M, the discharge terminals Cg and Cg at both ends of the mating connector M are pressed and contacted (FIG. 3). Static electricity from the connector M is discharged to the cover member 4, and surge protection is achieved.

Second Embodiment This embodiment is an example provided with a surge protection element for surge protection, and is basically the same as the first embodiment. Therefore, in the following, the push-type connector of the first embodiment will be described. The same parts as those in 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, in the push-type connector 30 according to this embodiment, the housing 31 has a mounting portion 32 at the lower end thereof, and the surge protection element 33 is mounted on the mounting portion 32. It is installed with one surface exposed downward. The surge protection element 33 is formed in an elongated strip shape with a thickness of 1 mm or less, and its length is the housing 3
The length is almost the same as that of 1, and all the terminals 34, 3
4, ... can be covered. The surge protection element 33 has a characteristic of conducting when a voltage of a certain level or more is applied, and as such an element, for example, an element described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 503049/1990 can be used. it can.

On the other hand, each terminal 34 is provided with a contact arm 35 protruding from the lower end of the fixed portion 10 in the opposite direction to the board insertion portion 12, and the contact arm 35 is provided in the surge protection element 3.
By elastically pressing against 3, the respective terminals 34 and the surge protection element 33 are electrically connected. Then, when a high voltage due to the discharge of static electricity from the mating connector M is applied to the terminal 34, the surge protection element 33 conducts and discharges to the ground due to the above-mentioned characteristics, so that surge protection is achieved.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the meandering portion is provided and the terminal is formed so as to be displaced by elastic deformation in the axial direction by the meandering portion, the number of parts can be reduced and the assemblability can be improved as compared with the conventional pressing connector. In addition, the workability of the terminal itself can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a push-type connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a mating connector is pressed against the pressing connector of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view seen from the direction of the arrow DA in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view seen from the arrow DB direction in FIG.

5 is a bottom view seen from the direction of the arrow DC in FIG.

6 is a side view as seen from the direction of the arrow DD in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the terminal.

8 is a side view as seen from the direction of the arrow DE in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing a state in which a mating connector is pressed against a pressing connector according to another embodiment.

10 is a bottom view of the press contact type connector of FIG. 9 corresponding to FIG. 5;

11 is a plan view of the press contact type connector of FIG. 9 corresponding to FIG. 4;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional push-type connector.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the push-type connector of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 30 Pressing type connector 2, 31 Housing 3, 34 Terminal 13 Meandering part 13u Meandering unit 32 Mounting part 33 Surge protection element 35 Contact arm M Counterpart connector C terminal

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. Each terminal is elastically displaceable in an axial direction in a housing, and each terminal of a mating connector is pressed against the tip of each terminal to obtain an electrical connection with the mating connector. The terminal used in such a push-type connector has a meandering portion formed by repeating one or more meandering units that meander in an S shape in the same plane between the tip end portion and the base end portion. A terminal for a press-connecting connector, characterized in that the meandering portion is elastically deformed in the axial direction to perform elastic displacement movement. 2. The terminal for a press-connecting connector according to claim 1, wherein the meandering portion is formed by punching out a thin metal plate. 3. Each terminal is elastically displaceable in the housing in the axial direction, and each terminal of the mating connector is pressed against the tip of each terminal to obtain an electrical connection with the mating connector. In such a push-type connector, each terminal has a meandering part formed by repeating one or more meandering units meandering in an S shape in the same plane between the tip part and the base end part. A press contact type connector characterized in that the meandering portion is elastically deformed in the axial direction so as to perform an elastic displacement movement. 4. The push-type connector according to claim 3, wherein the meandering portion is formed by punching out a thin metal plate. 5. The push-type connector according to claim 3, further comprising a surge protection element. 6. A surge protection element is mounted on a mounting portion formed on the lower surface of the housing, and an elastically deformable contact arm is projectingly provided at a base end portion of the terminal in a direction intersecting the axial direction, and the contact of this terminal is made. The push-type connector according to claim 5, wherein the arm is pressed against the surge protection element of the mounting portion to provide electrical connection between the terminal and the surge protection element.