JP2008084856A - Connector for connecting cold cathode tube, main board having the connector, and mounting method of the cold cathod tube on the main board - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a connector which can conductively connect a cold cathode tube to a main board without soldering, which needs many man-hours, and without using a power feeder, and by which the cold cathode tube can easily be assembled automatically, and to provide the main board having the connector and a mounting method of the cold cathode tube on the main board. <P>SOLUTION: A socket 2 comprises a socket case 21 to house the end of the cold cathode tube 1, a socket cover 22 to be engaged with the socket case 21 on assembling and having a function by which the cold cathode tube 1 is arranged in place, and a socket terminal 23 equipped with first contacts 231a and 231b to be conductively connected to lead wires 12 of both ends of the cold cathode tube 1 on assembling. The socket terminal 23 further has a second contact 234 to be conductively connected to the main board when the connector is mounted on the main board, thereby the cold cathode tube and the main board can be conductively connected without using a power feeder. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a connector for electrically connecting a cold cathode tube used as a backlight of a liquid crystal display device to a main board such as an inverter board, a main board having the connector, and a cold cathode to the main board. It relates to a method for mounting tubes.

  The cold cathode tube is used as a backlight for illuminating the liquid crystal display device from the back or an edge light for illuminating from the side. In order to supply electric power to the cold cathode tube, a method of connecting a feeder to the lead terminals at both ends of the cold cathode tube is generally employed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a feeder line having a terminal fitting is connected to a terminal of a cold cathode tube. In this structure, terminal fittings with insertion holes are crimped to the ends of the two power supply lines connected to the connector, and lead terminals at both ends of the cold cathode tube are inserted into the insertion holes of the terminal fitting and soldered. By doing so, workability is improved.

  The soldering work generally takes man-hours and is not suitable for automation. Further, the solder connection portion is likely to be in an inappropriate state such as a so-called “potato solder” in which the inside is hollow, and there is a case where a connection failure occurs due to subsequent vibration and impact. Thus, for example, Patent Literature 2 describes a flat illumination device including a lamp holder having a contact portion that is electrically connected to the jimet wires at both ends of a cold cathode tube by pressure contact. In this apparatus, it is not necessary to connect the power supply line directly to the cold cathode tube by soldering. Further, Patent Document 3 describes a connection terminal that can be electrically connected to a power supply line without soldering a dimmet wire of a cold cathode tube. This connection terminal facilitates the assembly by facilitating the alignment and press-contact of the jimet wire with the contact portion of the feeder line.

JP 2002-124308 A JP 2001-43715 A JP 2004-259645 A

  Since the structure described in Patent Document 1 is excellent in terms of the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the cold cathode tubes, it is still widely used even today. However, an inappropriate state such as the above-mentioned “potato solder” is likely to occur, and is not suitable for automation. Further, when replacing the cold cathode tube, the entire set including the cold cathode tube, the power supply line and the connector must be replaced, which is somewhat uneconomical.

  On the other hand, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 2, soldering between the cold cathode tube and the power supply line is unnecessary, but the lamp holder that holds the cold cathode tube and the power source are connected by the power supply line. In addition, no power supply line is required for the entire lighting device. Therefore, soldering work is still necessary, and it is difficult to automate the assembly of the entire apparatus.

  The connection terminal described in Patent Document 3 also has a configuration in which a power supply line extends from a contact portion that contacts the cold cathode tube. Further, when the contact portion has a shape as shown in FIG. 5 of Patent Document 3, the surface of the contact portion is damaged at the end portion of the lead wire when the rod-like lead wire of the cold cathode tube contacts the contact portion. There is a fear. Furthermore, when automating the assembly of a cold cathode tube, in general, the direction of access or movement of a robot or the like is preferably limited to a direction substantially perpendicular to a main substrate such as an inverter substrate on which the cold cathode tube is disposed. . This is because the operation of the robot is simplified, so that a robot with a simpler configuration can be used, and the possibility of interference between the robot and other devices is reduced. However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 3, since the cold cathode tube moves in its own axial direction, it is assumed that the cold cathode tube moves in parallel with the main substrate, and a robot with a slightly complicated configuration is required for automation. There is a case.

  In general, the mounting accuracy of the terminals at both ends with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cold cathode tube is not very accurate. Therefore, when the cold cathode tube is held on the fixed lamp holder as in Patent Document 2, particularly when the cold cathode tube has a length of about 1 m or more, an unfavorable stress is applied to the cold cathode tube. There is a risk of damage.

  Therefore, the present invention can connect the cold cathode tube to the main board without performing soldering which requires man-hours and without using a power supply line, and further facilitates the automation of the assembly of the cold cathode tube. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector that can be used, and to provide a main substrate having the connector and a method of mounting a cold cathode tube on the main substrate. The present invention also provides a connector having a structure capable of absorbing these errors even when the dimensional accuracy of the cold cathode tube and the positioning accuracy of the lamp holder are not so high.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is a connector for conducting and connecting a cold cathode tube having a substantially rod-shaped main body and lead wires at both ends of the main body to a main board. A socket case that is disposed on the substrate and can accommodate each end of the cold cathode tube, and a first contact portion that can be accommodated in the socket case and holds the lead wire of the cold cathode tube And a socket terminal having a second contact portion configured to protrude from the socket case when housed in the socket case, and engageable with the socket case and engageable with the socket case In this case, the lead wire of the cold cathode tube disposed in the socket case is pressed so that the first contact portion of the socket terminal grips the lead wire. It has been to provide a connector having a socket cover.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the connector according to claim 1, wherein the cold-cathode tube has a cushioning material attached in the vicinity of the lead wire of the main body, and the socket case and the socket cover are Provided is a connector having a buffer material receiving portion and a buffer material pressing portion that come into contact with the buffer material when the cold cathode tube is assembled.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the connector according to the first aspect, the socket cover has a lead wire pressing portion that comes into contact with the lead wire of the cold cathode tube when the cold cathode tube is assembled. The lead wire pressing portion provides a connector that abuts at two locations opposite to each other with respect to a portion of the lead wire that contacts the first contact portion of the terminal socket.

  The invention according to claim 4 provides a main substrate having the connector according to claim 1 and a cold cathode tube held by the connector.

  The invention according to claim 5 is a connector for electrically connecting a cold cathode tube having a substantially rod-shaped main body and lead wires at both ends of the main body to the main board, and accommodating each end of the cold cathode tube. A socket case that can be accommodated in the socket case, a first contact portion for gripping the lead wire of the cold cathode tube, and the socket case when accommodated in the socket case. A socket terminal having a second contact portion configured to project; and a cold cathode tube which is engageable with the socket case and disposed in the socket case when engaged with the socket case. A socket cover configured to press the lead wire so that the first contact portion of the socket terminal grips the lead wire, and the socket case. And a board connection portion having a connection terminal that is housed in the housing and is conductively connected to the main board and capable of gripping the second contact portion when the housing is engaged with the socket case. A connector is provided.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the connector according to the fifth aspect, the first contact portion and the second contact portion of the socket terminal are connected to each other by an elastic connection portion having elasticity, whereby the The first contact portion provides a connector configured to be displaceable with respect to the socket case with a part of the elastic connection portion as a fulcrum.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the connector according to claim 6, wherein the elastic connection portion of the socket terminal has a shape meandering in a direction substantially perpendicular to a displacement direction of the first contact portion with respect to the socket case. A connector is provided.

  The invention according to claim 8 provides the connector according to claim 5, wherein the socket case is configured to be displaceable to some extent with respect to the housing.

  The invention according to claim 9 provides the connector according to claim 8, wherein the socket case and the housing are engaged with each other with a predetermined gap.

  A tenth aspect of the present invention is the connector according to the eighth aspect, wherein the connection terminal includes a third contact portion that holds the second contact portion of the socket terminal and a board connection that is conductively connected to the main board. A connector that connects the third contact portion and the board connecting portion to each other and has a leg portion having elasticity, whereby the third contact portion is displaceable with respect to the housing. To do.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the connector according to claim 10, wherein the board connecting portion includes a fixed housing fixed to the main board and a movable housing movably accommodated in the fixed housing, The third contact part of the connection terminal is housed in the movable housing, and the leg part and the board connection part of the connection terminal are located outside the movable housing.

  A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the connector according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the connection terminal is a bent portion of the connection terminal outside the movable housing rather than a bent portion of the connection terminal in the movable housing. Provides a connector configured to have low bending stiffness.

  The invention according to claim 13 is the connector according to claim 5, wherein the cold cathode tube has a cushioning material attached in the vicinity of the lead wire of the main body, and the socket case and the socket cover are Provided is a connector having a buffer material receiving portion and a buffer material pressing portion that come into contact with the buffer material when the cold cathode tube is assembled.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the connector according to the fifth aspect, the socket cover has a lead wire pressing portion that comes into contact with the lead wire of the cold cathode tube when the cold cathode tube is assembled. The lead wire pressing portion provides a connector configured to come into contact with two opposite sides of a portion of the lead wire that contacts the first contact portion of the terminal socket.

  According to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a main substrate having the connector according to the fifth aspect and a cold cathode tube held by the connector.

  The invention described in claim 16 is a mounting method for electrically connecting a cold cathode tube having a substantially rod-shaped main body and lead wires at both ends of the main body to a main substrate, wherein each end of the cold cathode tube is connected to the main substrate. A step of preparing a main board in which a socket case that can be accommodated is arranged at a predetermined position; and a socket terminal having a first contact portion and a second contact portion is disposed in the socket case, and the second contact portion Projecting from the socket case to conductively connect to the main substrate, disposing the cold cathode tube in the socket case, and a lead wire pressing portion contacting the lead wire of the cold cathode tube Engaging the socket cover with the socket case, whereby the lead wire is pressed by the lead wire pressing portion and gripped by the first contact portion of the socket terminal. To provide a mounting method comprising connection is being, and step.

  The invention described in claim 17 provides the mounting method according to claim 16, wherein a main operation direction of all steps included in the mounting method is substantially perpendicular to the main board. .

  The invention according to claim 18 is a mounting method for conductively connecting a substantially rod-shaped main body and a cold cathode tube having lead wires at both ends of the main body to the main board, wherein the board connecting portion having a connection terminal is predetermined. A step of preparing a main board disposed at a position of the socket, wherein the connection terminal is electrically connected to the main board, and a socket case capable of accommodating each end of the cold-cathode tube. A step of engaging with a connecting portion; and a socket terminal having a first contact portion and a second contact portion is disposed in the socket case, and the second contact portion is protruded from the socket case to form the board connecting portion. A socket cover including a step of contacting the connection terminal, a step of disposing the cold cathode tube in the socket case, and a lead wire pressing portion that contacts the lead wire of the cold cathode tube. A mounting method including the step of engaging with a socket case, wherein the lead wire is pressed by the lead wire pressing portion and is held by the first contact portion of the socket terminal to be electrically connected. I will provide a.

  The invention according to claim 19 provides the mounting method according to claim 18, wherein a main operation direction of all steps included in the mounting method is substantially perpendicular to the main board. .

  According to the connector for connecting a cold cathode tube according to the present invention, the cold cathode tube and the main board can be reliably connected to each other without performing soldering and using a power supply line. Further, by using one or both of the board connecting portion having the housing and the socket terminal having elasticity, it becomes possible to absorb the dimensional error and positioning error of each component in all directions. Further, in the mounting method according to the present invention, it is possible to limit the main operation direction to a direction substantially perpendicular to the main substrate, which makes it easy to automate the mounting of the cold cathode tubes.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector and a cold cathode tube according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The connector of the first embodiment includes a socket 2 that establishes an electrical connection between the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 1 and a main board described later. The socket 2 is a socket case 21 configured to receive the main body of the cold cathode tube 1, that is, the vicinity of the end of the glass tube 11, and a function of engaging the socket case 21 during assembly and arranging the cold cathode tube 1 in a proper position. And a socket terminal 23 that contacts the substantially rod-shaped lead wires 12 at both ends of the cold cathode tube 1 at the time of assembly. Hereinafter, these three members constituting the socket 2 will be described in detail.

  2a and 2b are perspective views of the socket case 21 as viewed from above and below, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2 a, the socket case 21 has a glass tube housing portion 211 that houses the vicinity of the end of the glass tube 11 of the cold cathode tube 1, and a socket terminal housing portion 212 that houses the socket terminal 23 described above. . The glass tube housing portion 211 has a buffer material receiving portion 213 with which the buffer material 13 attached in the vicinity of both ends of the glass tube 11 of the cold cathode tube 1 abuts when assembled. The buffer material 13 is composed of a member having moderate elasticity such as sponge or elastomer. As shown in FIG. 2B, an insertion hole 214 into which a second contact portion of the socket terminal 23, which will be described later, can be inserted is formed at the bottom of the socket terminal accommodating portion 212. Further, lead wire receiving portions 2151 and 2152 with which the lead wire 12 of the cold cathode tube 1 abuts at the time of assembly are formed at both axial ends of the cold cathode tube 1 of the socket terminal accommodating portion. Further, on both sides of the socket case 21, latch holes 216 that engage with the latches 224 of the socket cover 22 are formed to further improve the assembly accuracy as a connector. Further, in order to facilitate soldering of the socket case 21 to the main board, leg portions 217 having an appropriate shape may be provided on the bottom surface of the socket case 21. Since this soldering can be performed separately in a process different from the mounting of the cold cathode tube, there is no problem in automating the mounting of the cold cathode tube.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the socket cover 22. Unlike FIG. 1, the side facing the cold cathode tube 1 is shown facing upward. As shown in the figure, the socket cover 22 includes an operation surface 221 (see FIG. 1) that is pressed by an operator or a robot during assembly, a buffer material pressing portion 222 that presses the buffer material 13 of the cold cathode tube 1, and a cold cathode tube. It has two lead wire pressing portions 2231 and 2232 which push the one lead wire 12 while positioning, and a latch 224 configured to engage with the latch hole 216 of the socket case 21 described above. The socket cover 22 is preferably made of a transparent resin such as polycarbonate so that the internal state can be confirmed after assembly.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the socket terminal 23. The socket terminal 23 cooperates at the time of assembly and elastically supports the first contact portions 2311 and 2312 configured to sandwich the lead wire 12 of the cold cathode tube 1 and the first contact portions 2311 and 2312, respectively. Parts 2321 and 2322, a base part 233 to which the elastic support parts 2321 and 2322 are connected, and a second contact part 234 extending linearly from the base part 233. The first contact portions 2311 and 2312 have a first opening 235 having a width d1 longer than the diameter of the lead wire 12 of the cold cathode tube 1 and a second opening 235 having a width d2 slightly shorter than the diameter of the lead wire 12. An opening 236 is formed. The elasticity of the two elastic support portions is appropriately selected according to the type and size of the cold cathode tube. For example, the glass tube has a diameter of about 6 mm and a length of about 500 mm, and the lead wire has a diameter of 0.3 to In the case of a typical cold cathode tube having a thickness of 0.6 mm, the first contact portion is preferably configured to hold the lead wire 12 of the cold cathode tube 1 with a force of about 2N.

  In other words, the socket terminal 23 described above has a structure including a pair of cantilever-type contact portions disposed to face each other. However, the portions corresponding to the contact portions 2311 and 2312 and the elastic support portions 2321 and 2322 can be replaced with, for example, a so-called pressure contact type member having a U-shaped opening. The socket terminal 23 is preferably made of a conductive material that can be elastically deformed to some extent, for example, a copper alloy.

  Next, a mounting method of the cold cathode tube 1 using the socket case 21, the socket cover 22, and the socket terminal 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, for example, a case is prepared in which a number of socket cases 21 corresponding to the number of cold-cathode tubes to be mounted are arranged at predetermined positions on a main substrate 4 such as an inverter substrate used in a liquid crystal backlight device. (State of part A in FIG. 5). This arrangement is facilitated by soldering the leg portion 217 of the socket case 21 to the main board 4. Next, as shown in FIG. 1, the socket terminal 23 is disposed in the socket terminal accommodating portion 212 of the socket case 21, and the second contact portion 234 of the socket terminal 23 is placed in the insertion hole 214 and the main board 4 of the socket case 21. Pass through the formed through hole (not shown). Thereby, the socket terminal 23 and the main substrate 4 are conductively connected. Alternatively, the second contact portion 234 may be formed in a so-called surface mount shape, and the second contact portion may be electrically connected to the main substrate without forming the insertion hole in the main substrate 4.

  Next, as shown in part B of FIG. 5, the glass tube 11 of the cold cathode tube 1 is put into the glass tube housing part 211 of the socket case 21. In this state, the cold cathode tube 1 is still “placed”, and therefore the lead wire 12 of the cold cathode tube 1 is located in the first opening 235 of the socket terminal 23 shown in FIG. In this state, the socket cover 22 shown in FIG. 3 is configured such that the buffer material pressing portion 222 of the socket cover 22 contacts the buffer material 13 of the cold cathode tube 1 and the two lead wire pressing portions 2231 and 2232 are cold cathode tube. 1 is placed in contact with the lead wire 12 (state C in FIG. 5), and the operation surface 221 is further pushed from this state to push the cold cathode tube 1 downward, whereby the incorporation of the cold cathode tube 1 is completed. (State of the D part in FIG. 5). In this state, the lead wire 12 of the cold-cathode tube 1 is pushed into the second opening 236 of the socket terminal 23 and is securely connected to the first contact portions 2311 and 2312, and the buffer material 13 is the buffer of the socket case 21. The cold-cathode tube 1 is accurately positioned at a predetermined position by contacting both the material receiving portion 213 and the buffer material pressing portion 222 of the socket cover 22. At this time, the two lead wire pressing portions 2231 and 2232 of the socket cover 22 are used to place two opposite sides of the portion of the lead wire 12 of the cold cathode tube that are in contact with the first contact portion of the terminal socket 23. By pushing, the posture of the cold cathode tube at the time of assembly can be made more stable and a reliable conductive connection can be achieved. Further, the length L1 (see FIG. 2a) of the buffer material receiving portion 213 along the axial direction of the cold cathode tube is made somewhat longer than the axial length L2 (see FIG. 1) of the buffer material 13, thereby making the cold cathode tube. A dimensional error or positioning error of one axial length can be absorbed to some extent. As described above, the cold cathode tube 1 and the socket 2 are mounted on the main substrate 4 and the conductive connection between the cold cathode tube 1 and the main substrate 4 is completed. Therefore, a power supply line for supplying power to the cold cathode tube 1 is not necessary.

  As described above, the arrangement of the socket terminals in the socket case provided on the main board, the arrangement of the cold cathode tubes in the socket case, and the incorporation of the cold cathode tubes using the socket cover (ie, the cold cathode tubes and the sockets) A series of main operations including reliable connection with the terminal can be performed only by operation in a direction perpendicular to the main substrate from above the main substrate. Therefore, by using the configuration according to the present invention, it becomes extremely easy to automate the mounting of the cold cathode tube using a manipulator or the like. Further, the lead wire of the cold cathode tube is generally cylindrical, and the side surface (generally smooth) of the cylinder contacts the first contact portion of the socket terminal, so that the socket terminal is not damaged by the edge of the lead wire. On the contrary, since the contact surface of the first contact portion is also smooth, the lead wire is hardly damaged. Therefore, the lifetime of each element can be extended.

  Next, a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the connector and the cold cathode tube according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a board connecting portion 3a is provided below the socket 2a. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the socket 2a is not directly attached to the main board, but the socket case 21a of the socket 2a has the connector cover 218a that engages with the board connecting portion 3a, and engages with the connector cover 218a. The board connecting portion 3 is attached to the main board. Since other points may be the same as those in the first embodiment, only those relating to the board connecting portion 3a will be described below, and other descriptions will be omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the board connecting portion 3 a is electrically connected to the socket terminal 23 in the housing 31 a that can be engaged (here fitted) with the connector cover 218 a of the socket case 21 a and accommodated in the housing 31 a. And possible connection terminals 32a. The connection terminal 32a includes a third contact portion 321a that establishes an electrical connection by contacting the second contact portion 234 of the socket terminal 23 during assembly, a base portion 322a that supports the third contact portion 321a, and a base portion 322a. It has a mount part 323a that extends to the opposite side of the third contact part 321a and is electrically connected to the main substrate. Although there are three mount parts 323a in the illustrated example, at least one mount part suffices. Similarly to the socket terminal 23, the connection terminal 32a is preferably made of a conductive material that can be elastically deformed to some extent, for example, a copper alloy. Although the illustrated connection terminal is a surface mount type, it is of course possible to make it a through hole type like the socket terminal 23, in which case a through hole is formed on the main substrate.

  Next, a mounting method of the cold cathode tube 1 using the socket case 21a and the board connecting portion 3a described above and the socket cover 22 and the socket terminal 23 similar to those of the first embodiment will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 7, the connection terminal 32a is accommodated in the housing 31a, and the board | substrate connection part 3a is formed. The housing 31a is formed with a through hole 311a through which the second contact portion 234 of the terminal socket 23 is inserted during assembly.

  Next, on the main board 4a such as an inverter board, the board connecting portion 3a shown in FIG. 7 is prepared at a predetermined position of the main board 4a as shown in part A of FIG. At this time, the mount portion 323a of the connection terminal 32a of the substrate connection portion 3a is connected to a predetermined position of the main substrate 4a, and the connection terminal 32a is electrically connected to the main substrate 4a. Next, as shown in part B, an assembly holding the cold cathode tube 1 using the socket 2a, that is, (socket case 21a, socket terminal 23 and socket cover 22) is arranged above each board connecting part 3a. Next, as shown in part C, the assembly is moved downward to fit the housing 31a of the board connecting part 3a to the connector cover 218a of the socket case 21a, and the mounting is completed. Instead of mounting the assembly on the board connecting portion 3a, the socket case 21a is fitted into the board connecting portion 3a in the same procedure as in FIG. 5, and the socket terminal 23 and the cold cathode tube 1 are arranged in the socket case 21a. Finally, it is of course possible to fit the socket cover 22 to the socket case 21a.

  9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9-9 in FIG. As shown in the figure, when the assembly is mounted on the main board 4a, the second contact part 234 of the terminal socket 23 passes through the through hole 311a of the housing 31a of the board connection part 3a, and the connection terminal. It abuts on the third contact portion 321a of 32a. Although the form of contact | abutting can be selected suitably, the structure which hold | grips the 2nd contact part 234 using the 3rd contact part 321a provided with a pair of cantilever type members as shown in figure is suitable. According to such a configuration, the cold cathode tube 1, the socket 2a, and the substrate connecting portion 3a are mounted on the main substrate 4a, and at the same time, the conductive connection between the cold cathode tube 1 and the main substrate 4a is completed. As is clear, also in the second embodiment, a series of main operations can be performed only by operations in a direction perpendicular to the main substrate from above the main substrate.

  As described above, the difference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment lies in whether or not the board connecting portion is used. Whether or not the board connecting portion should be used depends on whether the socket case is soldered to the main board, for example. It depends on whether it can withstand the heat (generally about 260 to 270 ° C.) during application. Therefore, when the heat resistance of the socket case is low, it is possible to use a board connecting portion having a housing with high heat resistance.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the dimensional error or the positioning error of the axial length of the cold cathode tube 1 can be absorbed to some extent, but in the second embodiment, the dimension in an arbitrary direction. Errors and positioning errors can be absorbed. That is, in the second embodiment, the axial direction of the cold cathode tube 1 can be dealt with by the socket case 21a having the buffer material receiving portion having the same configuration as the socket case 21 of the first embodiment. Further, in the direction perpendicular to both the axial direction of the cold cathode tube and the surface of the main substrate (that is, the direction N shown in FIG. 9), the second contact portion 234 of the socket terminal 23 and the third contact portion 321a of the connection terminal 32a By adopting a configuration in which they can slide with respect to each other, errors in dimensions or positioning can be absorbed. Further, as shown in FIG. 10 which shows a cross section taken along the line 10-10 in FIG. 8, the inner surface of the connector cover 218a of the socket case 21a and the direction M perpendicular to both the axial direction and the direction N of the cold cathode tube By providing an appropriate gap 33a between the outer surface of the housing 31a of the board connecting portion 3a, the socket case 21a can be displaced to some extent with respect to the housing 31a, so that positioning errors of the board connecting portion 3a on the main board, etc. Can be absorbed. Obviously, the gap 33a can be formed so that the cold cathode tube can be moved somewhat in the axial direction. In this case, the positioning and dimensional tolerance in the axial direction of the cold cathode tube can be further increased.

  The second embodiment described above can absorb a considerable amount of dimensional error and positioning error. However, in the case of a cold cathode tube having an axial length of 1 m or more, further error absorption may be required. is there. For example, the case where the dimensional error or the positioning error in the direction M is larger than the gap 33a in FIG. Therefore, in the embodiment described below, a cold cathode tube connection connector capable of absorbing a larger dimensional error or positioning error will be described.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a socket case 21b included in the socket of the cold cathode tube connector according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The socket case 21b has a similar configuration to the socket case 21a according to the second embodiment, but differs in that the connector cover 218b extends longer in the vertical direction than the connector cover 218a of the socket case 21a, and will be described later. Thus, the shape of the insertion hole for the socket terminal extending in the connector cover 218b is also different from the corresponding insertion hole 214a of the socket case 21a.

  FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the socket terminal 23b of the connector of the third embodiment. The socket terminal 23b is different from the socket terminal 23 of FIG. 4 in that the second contact portion 234b is connected via an elastic connection portion 237b extending from the side portion of the base 233b, and the total length is a connector cover of the socket case 21b. This is a point that extends longer than the second contact portion 234 of the socket terminal 23 corresponding to the length of 218b.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which the socket terminal 23b and the cold cathode fluorescent lamp 1 are arranged in the socket case 21b, and FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 14-14 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the insertion hole 214b of the socket case 21b through which the second contact portion 234b of the socket terminal 23b is inserted is along the direction M perpendicular to both the axial direction and the vertical direction of the cold cathode tube at the inlet 2141b. As shown in FIG. 14, the length in the M direction is gradually shortened as it goes downward in the vertical direction. Further, the outlet 2142b of the insertion hole 214b has a shape such that the connection portion, that is, the fulcrum portion 238b, to which the second contact portion 234b and the elastic connection portion 237b of the socket terminal 23b are connected can be press-fitted and fixed. Similarly to the socket terminal 23, the socket terminal 23b is made of a conductive material that can be elastically deformed to some extent, for example, a copper alloy. Therefore, the base portion 233b of the socket terminal 23b disposed in the socket case 21b has a fulcrum portion 238b as a fulcrum. As shown in FIG. 4, the displacement is possible within the range of the length L3 of the inlet 2141b of the insertion hole 214b along the direction M. Therefore, the cold cathode tube 11 connected to the socket terminal 23b can be displaced in a range larger than that of the second embodiment with respect to the direction M, and the cold cathode tube dimensional error and the connector positioning error are considerably large. However, the error can be absorbed.

  The spring force of the obtained socket terminal can be arbitrarily adjusted by a combination of the position of the fulcrum portion 238b, the width of the elastic connecting portion 237b, and the plate thickness. The elastic connecting portion 237b is preferably configured such that its wide surface is parallel to the axial direction of the cold cathode tube. Accordingly, it is possible to greatly displace the base portion 233b in the direction M while suppressing a reaction force to the cold cathode tube.

  In order to enable the above-described displacement of the socket terminal, the socket case 21b is configured so that the glass tube accommodating portion 211b and the lead wire receiving portion 2151b are somewhat wider in the direction M, as shown in FIG. Furthermore, in order to smoothly displace the base portion 233b with the fulcrum portion 238b as a fulcrum, the socket case 21b preferably has a recess 219b in the vicinity of the inlet 2141b of the insertion hole 214b.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a socket 23b ′ which is a preferred modification of the socket terminal 23b. The socket terminal 23b 'is different from the socket terminal 23b in that the second contact portion 234b' has a meandering shape in a direction P perpendicular to the direction M (that is, the axial direction of the cold cathode tube connected to the socket terminal 23b '). Accordingly, the base portion 233b ′ of the socket terminal 23b ′ can be displaced to some extent in the direction P with respect to the second contact portion 234b ′. Further, the position of the fulcrum portion 238b ′ can be arbitrarily changed between the base portion 233b ′ and the second contact portion 234b ′ in accordance with an expected dimensional error or positioning error of the cold cathode tube. For example, in FIG. 15, the fulcrum part 238b 'is arranged above the fulcrum part 238b in FIG. 12 (closer to the base part 233b'). In such a case, the displacement width in the direction M is small, but the cold cathode tube is held in a stable state, which is suitable when the error is relatively small.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the socket 2b includes a socket cover 22b having the same configuration and function as the socket cover 22 of the first embodiment. Similarly to the socket cover 22, the socket cover 22b may move downward in the vertical direction and fit into the socket case 21b, or may be pivotally attached to the socket case 21b by a hinge 225b as shown in FIG. May be.

  The third embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 15 has a configuration in which a dimensional error or a positioning error in the direction M is mainly absorbed in the socket case. On the other hand, the fourth embodiment described below absorbs a relatively large dimensional error or positioning error in the board connecting portion.

  FIG. 16 is a view showing a cold cathode tube connector according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, the socket case 21c is connected to the main board 4c by the board connecting portion 3c. In the configuration of FIG. 16, the board connecting portion 3c is attached to the lower surface of the main board 4c, and the connector cover 218c of the socket case 21c is connected to the main board 4c through a mounting hole 41c formed in the main board 4c. However, the board connecting portion 3c may be attached to the upper surface of the main board 4c. The feature of the fourth embodiment is the structure inside the board connecting portion 3c as will be described later. Therefore, the configuration of the socket case 21c may be the same as that of the socket case 21b described above. As shown in FIG. 16, the connector cover 218c can have a protrusion 2181c for supporting a reflector (not shown).

  17 is a perspective view of the board connecting portion 3c as viewed from below, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 18-18 in FIG. The board connection portion 3c includes a fixed housing 31c fixed to the main board 4c, a connection terminal 32c extending downward in the socket case 21c, and preferably connected to the socket terminal 23c similar to the socket terminal 23b, and the socket case 21c. And a movable housing 33c that can be engaged (fitted in this case) with the connector cover 218c and is movably accommodated in the fixed housing 31c.

  Next, the structure of the connection terminal 32c will be described. The connection terminal 32c is disposed in the movable housing 33c, and contacts the second contact part 234c of the socket terminal 23c during assembly to establish electrical connection, for example, a third contact part 321c made of a pair of opposing elastic members, For example, one or more fixed portions 322c fixed to the movable housing 33c by press-fitting, and one or more fixed portions (in the illustrated example) that extend from the fixed portion 322c to the main board 4c in the housing 31c and preferably have one or more bent portions. Two leg portions 323c and one or more substrate connecting portions 324c that penetrate through through holes 42c provided in the main substrate 4c and are electrically connected to the main substrate 4c by soldering or the like. Similarly to the connection terminal 32 described above, the connection terminal 32c is made of a conductive material that can be elastically deformed to some extent, for example, a copper alloy, and the components 321c to 324c of the connection terminal 32c are integrally formed. preferable.

  As shown in FIG. 18, since the leg portion 323c of the connection terminal 32c is elastically deformable, the movable housing 33c can be displaced in the fixed housing 31c mainly in the horizontal direction, that is, in the direction of the arrow M. Therefore, the connector cover 218c fitted to the movable housing 33c can also be displaced in the horizontal direction with respect to the fixed housing 31c. Therefore, the socket 2c (FIG. 16) holding the cold cathode tube 1 can also be displaced with respect to the main board 4c. Become. Thereby, a dimensional error or positioning error much larger than that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is absorbed while maintaining the connection between the second contact portion 234c of the socket terminal 23c and the third contact portion 321c of the connection terminal 32c. Is possible.

  The two leg portions 323c of the connection terminal 32c are preferably configured symmetrically with respect to the third contact portion 321c so that the movable housing 33c can move in the horizontal direction without changing its posture. In addition, the connection terminal 32c is preferably configured such that the bending rigidity of the outer bent portion of the movable housing 33c is lower than that of the bent portion in the movable housing 33c. Such a configuration can be realized, for example, by making the width of the outer leg portion of the movable housing 33c narrower than that of the inner side. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an excessive stress from being generated in the attachment portion of the connection terminal 32c to the movable housing 33c, and the second contact portion 234c of the socket terminal 23c and the third contact portion 321c of the connection terminal 32c. It is possible to absorb a large dimensional error or positioning error while maintaining the connection.

  The movable housing 33c is not an essential component, but functions as a guide member when the connector cover 218c is inserted into the board connecting portion 3c from above at the correct position and direction. Therefore, the second contact portion 234c of the socket terminal 23c can be reliably connected to the third contact portion 321c of the socket terminal 23c.

It is an exploded perspective view of the connector of a 1st embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of the socket case of the connector of FIG. It is a perspective view of the socket case seen from the direction different from FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of the socket cover of the connector of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of the socket terminal of the connector of FIG. It is a figure explaining the mounting method of the cold cathode tube using the connector of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view of the connector of 2nd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the board | substrate connection part used by 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure explaining the mounting method of the cold cathode tube using the connector and board | substrate connection part of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the 9-9 line | wire of FIG. It is sectional drawing in alignment with 10-10 of FIG. It is a perspective view of the socket case of the connector of 3rd Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view of the socket terminal of the connector of 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the socket terminal and the cold cathode tube in the socket case. It is sectional drawing which follows the 14-14 line | wire of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the modification of the socket terminal of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the connector of 4th Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view which looked at the board | substrate connection part of the connector of FIG. 16 from the downward direction. It is sectional drawing which follows the 18-18 line of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cold cathode tube 2 Socket 3 Board connection part 4 Main board 11 Main body 12 Lead wire 13 Buffer material 21 Socket case 22 Socket cover 23 Socket terminal 31 Housing 32 Connection terminal 33 Gap

Claims (19)

A connector for electrically connecting a cold cathode tube having a substantially rod-shaped main body and lead wires at both ends of the main body to the main board,
A socket case disposed on the main substrate and capable of accommodating each end of the cold cathode tube;
A first contact portion for holding the lead wire of the cold-cathode tube, and being configured to protrude from the socket case when received in the socket case. A socket terminal having a second contact portion;
The lead wire of the cold-cathode tube disposed in the socket case is pressed when engaged with the socket case and thereby the first of the socket terminal is engaged. A socket cover configured such that a contact portion grips the lead wire;
Having a connector.   The cold cathode tube has a buffer material attached in the vicinity of the lead wire of the main body, and the socket case and the socket cover are provided with a buffer material receiving portion that contacts the buffer material when the cold cathode tube is assembled. The connector according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer material pressing portion.   The socket cover has a lead wire pressing portion that comes into contact with the lead wire of the cold cathode tube when the cold cathode tube is assembled, and the lead wire pressing portion is the first of the terminal socket of the lead wire. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector is configured to come into contact with two locations opposite to each other with respect to a portion contacting the contact portion.   A main board comprising the connector according to claim 1 and a cold cathode tube held by the connector. A connector for electrically connecting a cold cathode tube having a substantially rod-shaped main body and lead wires at both ends of the main body to the main board,
A socket case capable of accommodating each end of the cold cathode tube;
A first contact portion for holding the lead wire of the cold-cathode tube, and being configured to protrude from the socket case when received in the socket case. A socket terminal having a second contact portion;
The lead wire of the cold-cathode tube disposed in the socket case is pressed when engaged with the socket case and thereby the first of the socket terminal is engaged. A socket cover configured such that a contact portion grips the lead wire;
A housing that can be engaged with the socket case, and a connection that is accommodated in the housing and is conductively connected to the main board, and that can hold the second contact portion when the housing is engaged with the socket case. A board connecting portion having terminals;
Having a connector.   The first contact portion and the second contact portion of the socket terminal are connected to each other by an elastic connection portion having elasticity, whereby the first contact portion has the part of the elastic connection portion as a fulcrum. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the connector is configured to be displaceable relative to the connector.   The connector according to claim 6, wherein the elastic connection portion of the socket terminal has a shape meandering in a direction substantially perpendicular to a displacement direction of the first contact portion with respect to the socket case.   The connector according to claim 5, wherein the socket case is configured to be displaceable to some extent with respect to the housing.   The connector according to claim 8, wherein the socket case and the housing are engaged with each other with a predetermined gap.   The connection terminal connects the third contact portion that holds the second contact portion of the socket terminal, a substrate connection portion that is conductively connected to the main substrate, and the third contact portion and the substrate connection portion. The connector according to claim 8, further comprising a leg portion having elasticity, whereby the third contact portion is displaceable with respect to the housing.   The board connection portion includes a fixed housing fixed to the main board and a movable housing movably accommodated in the fixed housing, and the third contact portion of the connection terminal is accommodated in the movable housing, The connector according to claim 10, wherein the leg portion and the board connection portion of the connection terminal are located outside the movable housing.   12. The connection terminal according to claim 11, wherein the connection terminal is configured such that the bending rigidity of the connection terminal outside the movable housing is lower than that of the connection terminal in the movable housing. connector.   The cold cathode tube has a buffer material attached in the vicinity of the lead wire of the main body, and the socket case and the socket cover are provided with a buffer material receiving portion that contacts the buffer material when the cold cathode tube is assembled. The connector according to claim 5, each having a buffer material pressing portion.   The socket cover has a lead wire pressing portion that comes into contact with the lead wire of the cold cathode tube when the cold cathode tube is assembled, and the lead wire pressing portion is the first of the terminal socket of the lead wire. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the connector is configured to come into contact with two locations opposite to each other with respect to a portion contacting the contact portion.   A main board comprising the connector according to claim 5 and a cold cathode tube held by the connector. A mounting method for conductively connecting a cold cathode tube having a substantially rod-shaped main body and lead wires at both ends of the main body to the main board,
Preparing a main substrate in which a socket case capable of accommodating each end of the cold-cathode tube is disposed at a predetermined position;
Placing a socket terminal having a first contact portion and a second contact portion in the socket case, and projecting the second contact portion from the socket case to electrically connect to the main board;
Arranging the cold cathode tube in the socket case;
A step of engaging a socket cover having a lead wire pressing portion in contact with the lead wire of the cold cathode tube with the socket case, whereby the lead wire is pressed by the lead wire pressing portion and the socket; A step of gripping and conductively connecting to the first contact portion of the terminal; and
Implementation method including   The mounting method according to claim 16, wherein a main operation direction of all steps included in the mounting method is substantially perpendicular to the main substrate. A mounting method for conductively connecting a cold cathode tube having a substantially rod-shaped main body and lead wires at both ends of the main body to the main board,
A step of preparing a main board in which a board connecting portion having a connection terminal is arranged at a predetermined position, wherein the connection terminal is electrically connected to the main board;
Engaging a socket case capable of accommodating each end of the cold cathode tube with the substrate connecting portion;
A step of disposing a socket terminal having a first contact portion and a second contact portion in the socket case, and projecting the second contact portion from the socket case to contact the connection terminal of the board connection portion. When,
Arranging the cold cathode tube in the socket case;
A step of engaging a socket cover having a lead wire pressing portion in contact with the lead wire of the cold cathode tube with the socket case, whereby the lead wire is pressed by the lead wire pressing portion and the socket; A step of gripping and conductively connecting to the first contact portion of the terminal; and
Implementation method including   The mounting method according to claim 18, wherein a main operation direction of all steps included in the mounting method is substantially perpendicular to the main substrate.

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