JP2005294238A - Electric connector - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of forming an inexpensive connector with highly reliable electrical connection whose sizes can be uniformly reduced in a pitch direction of an adjoining contact and a direction perpendicular to the pitch direction of the contact for an electric connector wherein a contact is energized by force of a spring to be electrically connected with a contact to be connected. <P>SOLUTION: In a two spring part 2c of the contact, a band-like spring relevance part connecting a contact part 2h and a holding part 2e in expansion status is bent from a part near the contact part while changing a bending position in parallel with a slide direction by turns at angles of 0 to 90 repeatedly to form a three-dimensional spring shape like coil spring with sufficient spring efficiency. Thus, the sizes can be uniformly reduced in the pitch direction of the adjoining contact and the direction perpendicular to the pitch direction of the contact, and a space can be effectively used. Since the contact part 2a, the three-dimensional spring part 2c, the wire connection part 2b and the holding part 2e to the housing 3 can be integrally formed by using an existing press work technique, this is a method of forming an inexpensive connector with highly reliable electrical connection. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a connector structure in which an electrical connector is formed by pressing a contact from a metal thin plate, and a contact portion is urged to a contact to be connected by a spring force.

The first conventional technique is called a probe connector, and will be described below with reference to FIG.

The probe connector 6 accommodates a first contact 7 that is electrically connected to the contact 4 to be connected, a coil spring 10 that urges the first contact 7 toward the contact 4 and makes contact, and a first contact 7. In addition, a second contact 8 that is electrically connected, a connection portion 8b that electrically connects the substrate 5 provided in the second contact 8, and a housing 9 that fixes the second contact 8 are provided.

The contact 7 is substantially hat-shaped, and the contact 8 is cup-shaped and is crimped as shown in 8a after the contact 7 and the coil spring 10 are assembled to prevent the contact 7 from coming off.

In the second conventional technique, there is a type in which a contact portion, a spring portion, and a holding portion of a contact are integrally formed by press punching, which will be described below with reference to FIG.

The connector 11 includes a contact 12 that is electrically connected to the contact 4 to be connected, and a housing 13 that fixes the contact 12.
The contact 12 includes a contact portion 12a, a spring portion 12c that urges and contacts the contact portion 12a toward the contact 4, a connection portion 12b that is electrically connected to the substrate 5, a contact prevention portion 12d of the contact 12, a housing 13 and a holding portion 12e are integrally provided, and the contact 12 is formed by press punching a metal thin plate.
United States Patent 4,778,404 (2nd page, FIG. 1 to FIG. 3)
By the way, the structure of this contact is a structure formed by adding a bending process after extracting a two-dimensional spring by pressing. Although the space can be used effectively, the characteristics of the spring are basically two-dimensional. Compared with a coil spring having good spring efficiency, the spring characteristics are inferior.

In the first conventional technique, both the pitch direction of the adjacent contacts and the direction orthogonal to the pitch direction of the contacts can be uniformly reduced, and the space can be effectively utilized. There is a problem that the number of parts is large and the manufacturing cost is high, and there is no positive structure for keeping the contact force necessary for the electrical connection between the contact 7 and the contact 8 constant, and the reliability of the electrical connection is high. There is a fatal problem of low.

In the second prior art, regarding the dimension in the pitch direction of adjacent contacts, only the plate thickness of the contacts mainly affects the size, so that the size can be reduced most. However, the pitch of the contacts is not limited. Regarding the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the direction, the spring portion 12c is two-dimensional, and in order to ensure the necessary spring characteristics, it is necessary to take a larger space for the spring portion than in the first conventional technique. As a result, there is a problem that the connector is enlarged.

Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve the problems of both conventional configurations, and it is possible to uniformly reduce both the pitch direction of adjacent contacts and the direction perpendicular to the pitch direction of the contacts. The present invention is intended to provide an electrical connector with high reliability of electrical connection, low number of parts, and low manufacturing cost.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a contact having a contact portion, a prevention portion from coming out of the housing, a spring portion for urging the contact portion toward a connection symmetrical contact, and a holding portion for the housing. In addition, the wire connecting portion is integrally formed by stamping and bending a metal thin plate.

The spring part repeats at an angle of 0 to 90 degrees while changing the bending position in parallel to the sliding direction from the position close to the contact part to the belt-like spring corresponding part connecting the contact part and the holding part in the unfolded state. It is characterized by having a three-dimensional spring shape like a coil spring by bending.

A spring portion having a three-dimensional spring shape like a coil spring with good spring efficiency can be formed from a thin metal plate, so that both the pitch direction of adjacent contacts and the direction perpendicular to the pitch direction of the contacts can be reduced in size equally. Can be used effectively.

Further, by using an existing press working technique, the contact part, the prevention part from coming off from the housing, the spring part, the holding part to the housing wing, and the connection part are integrally formed. It is possible to improve the reliability of electrical connection.

Further, the number of parts is reduced for the above reason, and as a result, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

As described above, the electrical connector of the present invention can effectively reduce the space by making it possible to uniformly reduce both the pitch direction of adjacent contacts and the direction perpendicular to the pitch direction of the contacts. Thus, the reliability of electrical connection can be improved and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a connector provided with a contact embodying the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

1 is an assembled sectional view, FIG. 2 is an assembled plan perspective view, and FIG. 3 is an assembled bottom perspective view. The connector 1 includes a contact 2 and a housing 3.

The contact portion 2a protrudes from the upper side of the housing 3 and is urged by the spring portion 2c to contact the contact 4 to be connected. The connection portion 2b protrudes from the lower side of the housing and is soldered through the through hole 5a of the substrate 5. The

4 shows an exploded cross-section, and FIG. 5 shows an assembled cross-sectional perspective view.
The contact 2 has the functions of a contact part 2a having a substantially hemispherical tip, a drop prevention part 2d, a spring part 2c, and a holding part 2e, and is integrally formed from a thin metal plate.
The housing 3 is formed from an electrically insulating synthetic resin material and has at least one accommodation hole 3 a that can accommodate the contact 2.
The receiving hole 3a has a round hole 3a1 through which the contact part 2a of the contact 2 passes, a hook part 3a2 of the contact prevention part 2d from the housing of the contact 2, a receiving hole 3a3 for receiving the spring part 2c, and a recess for holding the holding part 2e. A groove 3a4 is provided.

The contact holding portion 2e is held in the concave groove 3a4 to have a rotation prevention structure, and has a convex press-fit portion 2e1 to be press-fitted and fixed to the housing.

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the contact 2 and shows the configuration of the contact. A bent portion 2f is provided to adjust the center position between the contact portion 2a and the spring portion 2c, and a bent portion 2g is provided to adjust the center position between the holding portion 2e and the spring portion 2c.

FIG. 7 shows details of the manufacturing process of the contact 2 and a method of forming a coil spring-like three-dimensional spring by pressing and bending from a thin metal plate.
Fig.7 (a) shows the front view of the expansion | deployment state after a press punching process, FIG.7 (e) has shown the enlarged perspective view of the contact part 2h vicinity.
Here, the contact portion 2h and the holding portion 2e are obliquely connected to a belt-like spring corresponding portion 2i.
FIG. 7B shows a front view of the processed state of the contact portion 2a, the drop prevention portion 2d, and the bent portion 2f, and FIG. 7F shows an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the contact portion 2a.
FIG. 7C shows a front view of the spring portion 2c in a machining start state, and is close to the contact portion 2a according to a bending position virtual line 2j parallel to the sliding direction written on the spring corresponding portion 2i in the unfolded state. The bending process is repeatedly performed at an angle of 0 to 90 degrees while sequentially changing the bending position.
FIG. 7G shows an enlarged perspective view near the contact portion 2a.
FIG. 7D shows a plan view of the spring part 2c in a state where the bending process is completed, and FIG. 7H shows an enlarged perspective view of the spring part 2c.
That is, the belt-like spring-like portion 2i in the unfolded state is repeatedly bent at an angle of 0 to 90 degrees while sequentially changing the bending position from a position close to the contact portion 2a according to the bending position virtual line 2j parallel to the sliding direction. Thus, a coil spring-like three-dimensional spring shape can be formed, so that a contact having a contact portion 2a, a spring portion 2c, a connection portion 2b, and a holding portion 2e to the housing 3 are integrally stamped from a metal thin plate and It can be formed by bending.

FIG. 8 shows the details of the method for forming the pitch angle of the coil spring-like three-dimensional spring portion 2 c in the contact 2.
FIG. 8A shows a front view of the expanded state of the contact 2, and FIG. 8C shows a front view of the state in which the spring portion 2c is formed by repeatedly bending FIG. 8A by the above method. . Here, the pitch angle α1 of the spring corresponding portion 2i is the same as the angle α1 of the spring portion 2c in the developed state FIG.
That is, the pitch angle of the spring part 2c can be set by press punching. For example, a spring having a larger pitch angle than α1 in FIG. 8C, such as the pitch angle α2 shown in the front view 8D. In the part 2c, as shown in the front view of the unfolded state in FIG. 8B, the angle α2 of the spring corresponding part 2i may be increased.

FIG. 9 shows details of a method for forming the number of turns of the spring portion 2 c in the contact 2.
9A shows a front view of the expanded state of the contact 2, and FIG. 9C shows a state in which the coil spring-like three-dimensional spring portion 2c is formed by repeatedly bending FIG. 9A by the above method. The front view of is shown. Here, the winding number N1 of the spring portion 2c can be adjusted by L1 in the developed state FIG. 9A when the bending process is repeatedly performed by the above method.
That is, the number of turns of the spring portion 2c can be set by press punching. For example, a spring having a larger number of turns than N1 in FIG. 9C, such as the number of turns N2 shown in the front view 9D. In the portion 2c, the length L2 of the spring corresponding portion 2i may be increased as shown in the plan view of the unfolded state in FIG.

FIG. 10 shows details of a method of forming the shape of the contact 2 as viewed from the sliding direction of the coil spring-like three-dimensional spring portion 2c.
FIG. 10A shows a plan view of the spring 2 c in the middle of formation of the contact 2.
FIG.10 (b) has shown the bottom view of Fig.10 (a), and shows the said shape of the spring part 2c.
Here, the said shape of the spring part 2c can be adjusted with the repeated bending angle (alpha) 3 of the spring part 2c in FIG.10 (b).
That is, the shape of the spring portion 2c can be set by press bending, and FIGS. 10C and 10D show the difference in shape due to the difference in bending angle α3. For example, if the bending angle α3 is set to 60 ° as shown in the enlarged view 10c of the shape, the shape of the spring portion 2c can be a hexagon, which is shown in FIG. 10d of the shape. If the bending angle α3 is 45 °, an octagon can be obtained.

FIG. 11 shows details of a method of forming the size of the contact 2 as viewed from the sliding direction of the coil spring-like three-dimensional spring portion 2c.
FIG. 11A shows a front view of the spring 2 in the middle of formation of the spring portion 2 c in the contact 2.
FIG. 11B and FIG. 11C show details of the method for forming the size of the spring portion 2c.
Here, the size of the spring portion 2c depends on the size of the pitch L3 between the bending position virtual lines 2j marked on the spring corresponding portion 2i in the developed state of the contact in FIG. Can be adjusted.
That is, the size of the pseudo spring 2c can be set by press bending. For example, in FIGS. 11B and 11C, the size of the pitch L3 between the bending position virtual lines 2j is large or small. It shows that it becomes.

It is sectional drawing which shows embodiment of the electrical connector which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is the perspective view seen from the plane side which shows embodiment of the electrical connector which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is the perspective view seen from the bottom face side which shows embodiment of the electrical connector which concerns on the Example of this invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded cross-sectional perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an assembled cross section corresponding to FIG. 3. It is the perspective view seen from the back side corresponding to the contact 2 of FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the formation method of the contact 2 which concerns on the Example of this invention. 7 (a), 7 (b), 7 (c), and 7 (d) are front views showing states for each forming process, and FIG. 7 (e) is shown in FIG. 7 (a). FIG. 7 (f) is an enlarged perspective view of a processing portion corresponding to FIG. 7 (b), FIG. 7 (g) is FIG. 7 (c), and FIG. 7 (h) is a processing portion corresponding to FIG. It is explanatory drawing of the formation method of the pitch angle of the pseudo | simulated coil spring part 2c which concerns on the Example of this invention. 8 (a) and 8 (b) are front views before the contact 2 is bent. FIG. 8 (c) corresponds to FIG. 8 (a), and FIG. 8 (d) corresponds to FIG. 8 (b). It is a front view after bending. It is explanatory drawing of the formation method of the winding number of the three-dimensional spring part 2c like a coil spring which concerns on the Example of this invention. 9 (a) and 9 (b) are front views before the contact 2 is bent. FIG. 9 (c) corresponds to FIG. 9 (a), and FIG. 9 (d) corresponds to FIG. 9 (b). It is a front view after bending. It is explanatory drawing of the formation method of the shape of the coil spring-like three-dimensional spring part 2c which concerns on the Example of this invention. 10 (a) shows a front view of the bending process, FIG. 10 (b) shows a bottom view of FIG. 10 (a), and FIGS. 10 (c) and 10 (d) show FIG. 10 (b). It is shape explanatory drawing of the spring part 2c when (alpha) is made into arbitrary angles. It is explanatory drawing of the formation method of the size of the coil spring-like three-dimensional spring part 2c which concerns on the Example of this invention. FIG. 11A shows a front view in the middle of bending, and FIGS. 11B and 11C show explanatory views of the size of the spring 2c corresponding to FIG. 11A. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing the 1st example of the conventional electric connector. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing the 2nd example of the conventional electric connector.

Explanation of symbols

1, 6, 11 Connector 2, 7, 8, 12 Contact 2a Contact part 2b Connection part 2c Spring part 2d Retaining part 2e Holding part 2e1 Press-fitting part 2f, 2g Bending part 2h Contact part 2i before bending Processing before bending Spring corresponding part 2j Bending position virtual lines 3, 9, 13 Housing 4 Contact 5 to be connected 5 Substrate 10 Coil spring

Claims (1)

An electrical connector comprising: at least one contact having a slidable contact portion that contacts a connection symmetrical contact; and a housing that fixes a part of the contact.
The contact includes the contact portion, a contact prevention portion of the contact from the housing, a spring portion that urges the contact portion toward the connection symmetrical object, a holding portion fixed to the housing, and a connection. Are integrally formed by stamping and bending a metal thin plate,
While the spring part is a belt-shaped spring corresponding part connecting the contact part and the holding part in the unfolded state, the bending part is repeatedly changed from 0 to 90 degrees in parallel with the sliding direction from a position close to the contact part. An electrical connector having a coil spring-like three-dimensional spring shape by bending at an angle.

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