JP3713138B2 - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector mounted in an electrical apparatus, and more particularly to a lock structure for a board inserted into the electrical connector.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The structure of the conventional electrical connector 60 will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conventional electric connector 60 and a partial substrate 40 in which the lock lever portion 56 and the housing 12 are integrated. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional electrical connector 60 using a metal lock lever 16 and a partial substrate 40.
The conventional electrical connector 60 mainly comprises a housing 12 and contacts 14.
[0003]
The contact 14 is made of metal and is manufactured by a known press working or the like. The contact 14 is composed of three parts: a connection part 38 connected to a substrate in the device, a fixed part fixed to the housing 12, and a contact part 36 contacting the substrate 40.
The housing 12 is an electrically insulating plastic and is manufactured by a known technique such as injection molding. The housing 12 is provided with a groove A34 into which a required number of the contacts 14 are inserted and fixed. The shape of the housing 12 is substantially U-shaped. The housing 12 includes a main body portion 32 and guide portions 30 provided on both sides of the main body portion 32 in the width direction.
[0004]
First, the conventional electrical connector 60 of FIG. 2 will be described.
A lock lever portion 56 is provided at the tip of the guide portion 30 of the housing 12. The lock lever portion 56 holds or locks the substrate 40. The lock lever portion 56 is provided with a holding portion 24 that holds the substrate 40, a knob portion 48 that is picked up by hand when the substrate 40 is removed, and a slit A58 that moves the knob portion 48 when picked up by the hand. The pressing portion 24 is caught on the upper surface of the substrate 40 to hold the substrate 40.
Further, a slit 50 is provided on the outside of the side wall 62 of the guide portion 30 in order to give the lock lever portion 56 springiness when the substrate 40 is inserted.
[0005]
Next, the conventional electrical connector 60 of FIG. 3 will be described.
The electrical connector 60 of FIG. 3 uses the lock lever portion 56 of FIG. 2 described above as another lock lever 16. The lock lever 16 is made of metal and is manufactured by a known press working or the like.
An insertion groove 26 for inserting and fixing the lock lever 16 is provided at the tip of the guide portion 30 of the housing 12. The lock lever 16 is fixed to the insertion groove 26 by press fitting or caulking.
The lock lever 16 is provided with a knob portion 48 that is picked by hand when removing the substrate 40 at one end, and a pressing portion 24 that holds the substrate 40 in the vicinity of the knob portion 48. The pressing portion 24 is caught on the upper surface of the substrate 40 to hold the substrate 40.
The lock lever 16 is provided with a connection plate 46 that is soldered to a substrate in the device.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the plastic lock lever portion 56 integrally formed with the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 2 is used, the lock lever portion 56 is electrically insulating plastic, and the lock lever portion 56 is damaged when the substrate 40 is repeatedly inserted and removed. There was a problem to be solved, such as no longer being locked.
It is also considered that the lock lever as shown in FIG. 3 is made of a separate metal part so that the lock lever portion 56 is not damaged even if the substrate 40 is repeatedly inserted and removed.
However, in many cases, the surface of the substrate 40 is patterned in all places. As a result, the metal lock lever 16 is short-circuited with the pattern of the substrate 40 to cause a problem to be solved such that a contact failure occurs.
In addition, when the metal lock lever 16 of the electrical connector 60 and the pattern of the substrate 40 are short-circuited, it is necessary to replace the electrical connector 60 itself or the device itself, leading to an increase in cost.
[0007]
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the lock lever 16 is not deformed or damaged even when the board 40 is repeatedly inserted and removed, and the board 40 is fitted. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector 10 that does not short-circuit with the pattern of the substrate 40.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The purpose is to provide a main body part 32 for holding and fixing the contacts 14 and a predetermined number of contacts 14, a guide part 30 for guiding the substrate 40 to the fitting parts 29 of the main body part 32 at both ends of the main body part 32, and this guide. In the electrical connector comprising the housing 12 having the lock lever portion 56 for holding the substrate 40 on the free end side of the portion 30,
The slit 50 is provided on the outer side in the width direction of the lock lever portion 56, the insertion hole is provided on the bottom surface side of the guide portion 30, and the groove 25 and the wall 27 are disposed on the side of the fitting port 28 of the side wall 62 of the guide portion 30. The housing 12 is bent at a substantially right angle near the central portion and a press-fit portion 20 held and fixed at one end by the slit 50 of the housing 12 and a hook portion 54 hooked to the tip of the guide portion 30 of the housing 12 at the other end. In addition, this can be achieved by comprising the reinforcing metal fitting 16 having the connecting portion 47 connected to the main body 17 and inserted into the insertion hole of the housing 12 and the protruding portion 45 including the connecting plate 46 connected to the substrate 40.
[0009]
The catching portion 54 of the reinforcing bracket 16 is formed in a “J” shape. It can be easily hooked to the housing 12.
The protruding portion 45 of the reinforcing metal fitting 16 is formed in an “L” shape. It can be reliably connected to the substrate 40 and can be easily processed.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The electrical connector of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a partial board 40, the electrical connector 10 of the present invention, and the reinforcing metal fitting 16, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the reinforcing metal fitting 16 used in the electric connector 10 of the present invention. .
The electrical connector 10 of the present invention is also mainly composed of a housing 12, a contact 14, and a reinforcing metal fitting 16.
There are various sizes of the electrical connector 10, but in this embodiment, the length is 72 mm, the width is 29 mm, and the thickness is about 4.0 to 5.2 mm. The width varies depending on the contact pitch dimension and the number of cores. In this embodiment, the contact pitch is 0.8 mm and the number of cores is 144 cores. The contact pitch may be 0.5 to 2.54 mm, the number of cores may be 72 to 200, and the like is appropriately designed depending on the function and application.
The shape of the electrical connector 10 is substantially U-shaped, and the fitting port 28 into which the board 40 is inserted is formed at the U-shaped portion.
[0011]
The structure of each component will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, the reinforcing metal fitting 16 which is a point part of the present invention will be described.
The reinforcing metal fitting 16 is made of metal and is manufactured by a known press working. As the material of the reinforcing metal fitting 16, spring property, strength, and the like are required, so brass, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, and the like are generally used. However, considering the spring property and cost, phosphor bronze is preferable.
[0012]
The reinforcing metal fitting 16 is mainly composed of a catching portion 54, a press-fit portion 20, and an L-shaped projecting portion 45, and has a substantially “J” shape.
Each part will be described.
A press-fit portion 20 that is press-fitted into the housing 12 is provided on one end side of the reinforcing metal fitting 16. The press-fitting portion 20 is generally provided with a protrusion or a convex portion (not shown) for press-fitting.
On the other end side, a hooking portion 54 for hooking on the housing 12 is provided. The reinforcing bracket 16 is positioned by the hooking portion 54 being hooked on the housing 12. As the shape of the catching portion 54, it is bent into a substantially “J” shape on the protruding portion 45 side. The shape of the catching portion 54 is not limited to the “J” shape as long as it is a shape catching on the housing 12, and may be any shape.
[0013]
An L-shaped protrusion 45 bent at a substantially right angle is provided at a substantially central portion of the reinforcing metal fitting 16. The projecting portion 45 projects inward (fit opening 28) in a state of being fixed to the housing 12.
The projecting portion 45 includes a connecting portion 47 and a connection plate 46. The connecting portion 47 is a portion connected to the main body of the reinforcing metal fitting 16, and the connecting plate 46 is a portion soldered to the substrate 40 connected to the connecting portion 47.
The reinforcing metal fitting 16 is inserted into the housing 12 in the direction of the arrow “A” as shown in FIG.
[0014]
Next, the housing 12 which is one of the point portions of the present invention will be described. The housing 12 is an electrically insulating plastic and is manufactured by a known injection molding or the like. As the material of the housing 12, heat resistance and fluidity are required, so polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), etc. It is used. LCP is good considering heat resistance and fluidity.
The shape of the housing 12 is a substantially “U” shape as shown in FIG.
The housing 12 mainly includes a main body portion 32 and a guide portion 30.
[0015]
The main body 32 is provided with a groove A34 into which a required number of contacts 14 are inserted and fixed. The contact 14 is fixed to the groove A34 by press fitting or the like. The size of the groove A34 is appropriately designed in consideration of the fixing method.
Further, a fitting portion 29 with the substrate 40 is provided on the fitting port 28 side of the main body portion 32, and a contact portion 36 of the contact 14 projects from the fitting portion 29.
The guide portion 30 is provided on both sides of the main body portion 32 in the width direction. The guide portion 30 is a guide portion for guiding the substrate 40 from the fitting port 28 to the fitting portion 29. A groove (not shown) is often provided for general guidance.
[0016]
A holding portion 24 having a function of a lock lever is formed integrally with the housing 12 at the distal end portion of the guide portion 30 in the same manner as the electrical connector 60 of FIG. In order to move the pressing portion 24, a knob portion 48 is provided at the most distal end portion of the guide portion 30.
In addition, a slit 50 is provided on the outer side in the width direction of the presser portion 24 so that the presser portion 24 is springable and slidable. The reinforcing metal fitting 16 is inserted and fixed between the slit 50 and the presser portion 24 by press-fitting or caulking. The width of the slit 50 may be any size as long as the presser portion 24 can slide and does not break when sliding, and is appropriately designed in consideration of strength and function.
[0017]
An insertion hole (not shown) into which the connecting portion 47 of the reinforcing metal fitting 16 is inserted is provided on the bottom surface side of the guide portion 30 of the housing 12. This insertion hole is for holding the reinforcing metal fitting 16, and the size is appropriately designed in consideration of strength, holding force, and spring property of the reinforcing metal fitting 16.
Further, a groove 25 and a wall 27 are provided inside the side wall 62 of the housing 12 (on the fitting port 28 side). By providing the groove 25 and the wall 27, the side wall 62 is reinforced without losing the slidability of the lock lever portion.
The role of the reinforcing metal fitting 16 described above is intended to reinforce when the presser portion 24 is slid.
[0018]
Next, the contact 14 will be described.
The contact 14 is made of metal and is manufactured by a known press working. As a material for the contact 14, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze, or brass having generally good spring properties is used. Phosphor bronze is better when considering springiness and cost.
The contact 14 is composed of three parts: a connection portion 38 that is connected to the substrate 64, a fixed portion that is fixed to the housing 12, and a contact portion 36 that is in contact with the substrate 40. In the present embodiment, the surface mounting type (SMT) is illustrated, but it may be a straight dip type or an L type dip type.
[0019]
【The invention's effect】
By taking the structure as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
Since the lock lever portion 56 that is hooked on the substrate 40 remains electrically insulating, no short circuit occurs between the electrical connector 10 and the substrate 40 no matter what pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate 40.
Since the reinforcing bracket 16 is disposed to reinforce the lock lever portion 56, the lock lever portion 56 is not damaged even when the board 40 is repeatedly inserted and removed, and the electrical connector itself is not replaced.
-Since the lock lever part 56 is not damaged, the stable insertion / extraction of the board | substrate 40 can be repeated.
-Since the electrical connector 10 and the board | substrate 40 do not short-circuit, the electrical connector 10 and apparatus itself are no longer exchanged.
-Since there is no short circuit or breakage, the highly reliable electrical connector 10 can be obtained.
The reinforcing bracket 16 can be easily inserted into the housing 12 and can be easily positioned.
Since the groove 25 and the wall 27 are provided on the side of the fitting opening 28 of the side wall 62 of the housing 12, the side wall 62 of the housing 12 can be prevented from being damaged even when the board 40 is repeatedly inserted and removed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a part of a board, an electrical connector of the present invention, and a reinforcing metal fitting.
(B) It is a perspective view of the reinforcement metal fitting used for the electrical connector 10 of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a part of a board and a conventional electrical connector.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another conventional electrical connector different from a part of a substrate.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 60 Electrical connector 12 Housing 14 Contact 16 Reinforcing bracket 20 Press-fit portion 24 Presser portion 25 Groove 26 Insert groove 27 Wall 28 Fitting port 29 Fitting portion 30 Guide portion 32 Main body portion 34 Groove A
36 Contact portion 38 Connection portion 40 Substrate 45 Projection portion 46 Connection plate 47 Connection portion 48 Knob portion 50 Slit 54 Hook portion 56 Lock lever portion 58 Slit A
62 side wall

Claims (1)

Lock for pressing contact with a body portion for holding and fixing a predetermined number of contacts with the guide portion for guiding the substrate at both ends to the fitting portion of the main body portion of the main body portion of the substrate to the free end side tip of the guide portion In an electrical connector comprising a housing having a lever part,
The housing in which a slit is provided on the outer side in the width direction of the lock lever portion and an insertion hole is provided on the bottom surface side of the guide portion, and a groove and a wall are disposed on the fitting port side of the side wall of the guide portion;
A press-fitting portion that is held and fixed to the slit of the housing at one end, and a substantially “J” -shaped hook portion that hooks to the free end of the guide portion of the housing at the other end and bends substantially at right angles near the center portion. And a reinforcing metal fitting having a projecting portion formed in a substantially “L” shape including a connecting portion connected to the main body and inserted into the insertion hole of the housing and a connecting plate connected to the substrate. Electrical connector.

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