JP6861603B2 - Electrical connectors and terminals - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical connector and a terminal having one terminal having two contact portions in the connection direction with respect to the mating connector.

In order to improve the contact (connection) reliability with the mating connector, an electric connector having two contacting portions at one terminal in the connecting direction toward the mating connector is known, for example, in Patent Document 1. Has been done.

The terminal in the electric connector of Patent Document 1 is made by bending and bending a strip-shaped metal plate so that the connection direction is the terminal longitudinal direction, and has two elastic arms. Both of the two elastic arm portions extend in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, and the base portions are connected to each other with a part of them as the base portion, and have a contact portion bent at the tip. The two elastic arms can be elastically flexed independently of each other from their respective bases. For example, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 8 of Patent Document 1, the two elastic arms are bent so as to overlap each other at the bases. The two elastic arms are located at the same position in the terminal arrangement direction, and the contact portions are provided at different positions in the terminal longitudinal direction. Thus, when the mating body, for example, the pin-shaped mating terminal moves toward the terminal in the connecting direction, the mating terminal contacts the two contact portions with a time lag and has two contact points. The contact reliability is improved.

JP 2016-173998

However, in Patent Document 1, the contact portions of the two elastic arms are provided so that the contact points formed by the mountain-shaped bent vertices are at different positions in the terminal longitudinal direction. Yes. However, since the two elastic arms are bent so as to overlap each other at the base so that they are at the same position in the terminal arrangement direction, when one of the elastic arms undergoes elastic bending, the elasticity of the other is increased. A part of the arm portion is in a positional relationship in which it abuts on the contact portion of the other elastic arm portion and receives interference.

Therefore, even if one of the elastic arms bends under the contact pressure with the mating terminal at the contacting portion, it interferes with the other contacting portion when a limited amount of bending occurs. Therefore, the amount of deflection cannot be increased any more and the amount of deflection cannot be secured sufficiently. This means that a sufficiently large contact pressure with the mating terminal cannot be obtained.

Further, in Patent Document 1, in order to reduce the terminal (width) dimension in the arrangement direction of the plurality of terminals, as described above, the two elastic arms are 180 so that the surfaces of their bases overlap each other. By bending it, it is provided at the same position in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the degree of bending at the bent edge of the base is extremely large, and the strength of the terminal at the bent edge is reduced.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention sufficiently suppresses the terminal width dimension in the terminal arrangement direction as much as possible, secures the strength of the terminals, and does not cause the contact portions of the two elastic arms to interfere with each other in an elastic flexion state. An object of the present invention is to provide an electric connector and a terminal provided with a terminal capable of ensuring a sufficient amount of deflection, that is, a sufficient contact pressure with the mating body.

In the electric connector according to the present invention and the terminals for that purpose, a plurality of terminals having the connection direction to the mating connector as the terminal longitudinal direction are held in a plurality of arrangements by the housing with the direction perpendicular to the terminal longitudinal direction as the terminal arrangement direction. There is.

In such an electric connector and a terminal, the terminal is made of a bent metal plate and forms one member, and has a first elastic arm portion and a second elastic arm portion arranged side by side in the terminal arrangement direction. A base in which the first base portion of the first elastic arm portion and the second base portion of the second elastic arm portion are connected in a bent state in which the rolled plate surfaces perpendicular to the respective plate thickness directions are perpendicular to each other. Is forming
It has an attachment portion for attaching a conductive strip located in the other direction opposite to the first elastic arm portion and the second elastic arm portion with respect to the base portion.
The first elastic arm portion extends from the first base portion in one direction in the terminal longitudinal direction to the first straight portion and extends from the first straight portion in one direction to the free end and comes into contact with the mating connector. The surface of the rolled plate of the first contact portion, the first base portion, the first straight portion, and the first contact portion is parallel to the terminal arrangement direction.
The second elastic arm portion has a second straight portion extending in one direction from the second base portion to a position ahead of the first straight portion in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, and a terminal at the tip of the second straight portion. It has a second contact portion that is bent in the plate thickness direction toward the arrangement direction and further bent in the plate thickness direction toward the terminal longitudinal direction and is located ahead of the first contact portion in the one direction. Both the contact portion and the second contact portion are formed so as to come into contact with the mating connecting body on the rolled plate surface, and the mating connecting body also comes into contact with the first contacting portion after contacting the second contacting portion by moving in the connecting direction. As described above, a straight line in the connecting direction passing through the second contact portion having a positional relationship with the first contact portion also passes through the first contact portion.

In the present invention having such a configuration, since the bases of the first base and the second base are bent at right angles, the terminal width (dimension in the terminal arrangement direction) is the first elastic arm while ensuring the strength at the base. The size can be suppressed to the width plus the thickness of the second elastic arm, and it is not so large as compared with the case of the conventional terminal.

The first contact portion and the second contact portion are both located at positions where the terminal width overlaps with the mating connector in the terminal arrangement direction, but are located at different positions in the terminal longitudinal direction, while the first contact portion and the second contact portion are located. Since the parts other than the above are located at different positions in the terminal arrangement direction, they do not interfere with each other in the elastic flexion state. Therefore, the first contact portion and the second contact portion can be greatly bent without any restriction, and as a result, a large contact pressure between the first contact portion and the second contact portion can be secured.

Since both the first contact portion and the second contact portion have the rolled plate surface as the contact surface with the mating connecting body, the contact width with the mating connecting body, and thus the contact area becomes large, and the contact becomes smooth.

In the present invention, the second contact portion of the second elastic arm portion is oriented in the above-mentioned one direction in which the free end thereof is in the direction away from the first contact portion of the first elastic arm portion in the terminal longitudinal direction. can do.

By doing so, in the flat shape of the terminal material before bending, the portion forming the second contact portion of the second elastic arm portion forms the second straight portion, and the portion is not in the terminal longitudinal direction but in the terminal longitudinal direction. It can be positioned so as to extend in the direction perpendicular to the terminal (terminal arrangement direction), and as a result, the size of the terminal material in the terminal longitudinal direction can be suppressed. Since the yield of the terminal material at the time of material removal depends on the terminal longitudinal direction dimension, the yield is improved by extending the second contact portion not in the terminal longitudinal direction but in the direction perpendicular to the terminal longitudinal direction, while in the perpendicular direction. Since the portion forming the second contact portion is located ahead of the range in which the first elastic arm portion extends in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, there is originally a margin for the second contact portion, and this space is available. The material portion located in can be used for the portion forming the second contact portion, and the terminal material is not required for the second contact portion even in the right angle direction.

Further, in both the first contact portion and the second contact portion, the contact surface with respect to the mating body can be made to come to one of the rolled plate surfaces of the terminal material. Since the terminal material is usually shaped by punching, "sagging" occurs at the punched edge above the rolled plate surface on the front and back, and "burr" occurs on the other side. Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the contact surface of the first contact portion and the second contact portion with respect to the mating body can be located on the one surface on which the "sag" is formed, so that the mating contact can be made. The body can make smooth contact without being affected by "burrs".

On the other hand, with respect to the above-described form, the second contact portion of the second elastic arm portion is in the other direction in which the free end thereof is in the direction close to the first contact portion of the first elastic arm portion in the terminal longitudinal direction. You can also make it face up.

In such a form, the tip of the second contact portion (the portion that first starts contact with the mating connection body) that comes into contact with the mating connection before the first contact forms a convex curved portion, so that the tip edge is formed. Does not collide with the mating connector, and guides the mating connector on the convex curved surface is surely and smoothly performed.

Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that reinforcing ribs are formed at least at least the second base portion of the first base portion of the first elastic arm portion and the second base portion of the second elastic arm portion. Under such a form, when ribs are formed at least on the second base, the second base, and thus the entire base, can be reinforced, and the ribs can be provided so as to project to the outer surface in the terminal arrangement direction. When the terminal is held by the housing at the base, its holding strength is improved.

As described above, the present invention bends the first base portion of the first elastic arm portion of the terminal and the second base portion of the second elastic arm portion of the terminal so that the rolled plate surfaces of those materials are at right angles to each other. The rolled plate surface forms a surface parallel to the terminal arrangement direction from the first base portion to the first contact portion of the first elastic arm portion, and the second elastic arm portion is the first in the terminal longitudinal direction from the second base portion. The second straight portion extending in one direction to the position ahead of the straight portion, and the tip of the second straight portion are bent in the plate thickness direction toward the terminal arrangement direction and further bent in the plate thickness direction toward the terminal longitudinal direction. It has a second contact portion that is bent in one direction and is located ahead of the first contact portion, so that both the first contact portion and the second contact portion come into contact with the mating body on the rolled plate surface. The second contact portion has a positional relationship with respect to the first contact portion so that the mating connection body is formed and makes contact with the first contact portion after contact with the second contact portion by moving in the connection direction. Therefore, the degree of processing at the time of bending between the first base portion and the second base portion is not large, and the strength of both bases is improved by bending rather than causing a local decrease in strength at the bending edge. The terminal dimensions in the terminal arrangement direction are also kept small by adding the plate thickness of the second base to the width of the first base, and the second straight part is the first straight part. The second contact portion is located at the front side in the terminal longitudinal direction with respect to the first contact portion while being displaced from the portion in the terminal arrangement direction, and the second elastic arm portion is in an elastic flexed state. Since it does not interfere with one contact portion, a sufficient amount of deflection, that is, contact pressure with the mating connector can be secured.

It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the connector as one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the various members of the connector of FIG. 1 separately. It is sectional drawing which shows the connector of FIG. 1 and the mating connector in the state before connection. It is a perspective view which shows one of the terminals of the connector of FIG. 1 extracted. It is a perspective view of the terminal which shows the modification of the terminal of FIG. 4A. It is a perspective view which shows the terminal of another embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an electric connector I (hereinafter referred to as “connector I”) as an embodiment of the present invention.

The connector I includes a housing 10 made of an electrically insulating material, a shield case 20 made of a metal plate fitted therein, a terminal holder 30 made of an electrically insulating material inserted in the housing 10, and the terminal holder. It has various members of the terminal 40 made of a metal plate held by the body 30. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a separated state of these members before assembly. Further, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the completed connector I after assembling the various members together with the mating connector II in a state before the mating connector II as the mating connector is connected.

Since the present invention is characterized by the terminal 40, the description starts from this terminal 40. As seen in FIG. 2, the terminal 40 has two types of terminals 40A having the same main portion and different only in the length of the connecting portion provided at the rear end (the end portion in the direction away from the mating connector II). It has a terminal 40B. The description of the terminal 40B will be omitted by adding B instead of A with the code of each part used for the description of the terminal 40A. The two types of terminals 40A and 40B are alternately arranged and integrally molded and held by the terminal holder 30, and the terminal holder 30 is vertically inverted with respect to the housing 10 in two upper and lower stages. The two types of terminals 40A and 40B, which are assembled so as to form two and are held by the two terminal holders 30, are alternately arranged by the terminal holders 30 in the terminal arrangement direction Y. When the two terminal holders 30 are assembled in the housing 10, the terminals 40A and 40B are arranged in a staggered pattern as a whole (terminals 40B are arranged in the connector height direction Z of the terminals 40A).

Both the terminal 40A and the terminal 40B are made of a metal plate, and the connection direction with the mating connector II (see FIG. 3) as the mating connector is the terminal longitudinal direction X, and the two terminals perpendicular to the terminal longitudinal direction X. One of the directions is the terminal arrangement direction Y, the other is the connector height direction Z (the vertical direction of the two terminal holders 30 located above and below), and the terminal arrangement is for one terminal holder 30. The terminals 40A and 40B are alternately arranged in the direction Y.

The terminal holders 30 that alternately position and hold the terminals 40A and 40B form two stages in the connector height direction Z, and are in opposite postures that are symmetrical with each other in the connector height direction Z. , Two are provided so as to form a pair, and both of the two terminal holders 30 are incorporated and held in one common housing 10. As a result, the two types of terminals 40A and 40B arranged in two stages are alternately positioned in a staggered manner while being held by the housing 10 as described above.

In FIG. 2, in each of the two-stage terminal holders 30, two types of terminals 40A and 40B are alternately arranged in the terminal arrangement direction, but one of the upper and lower stages at the same position in the terminal arrangement direction. The terminals 40A and 40B are shown in a separated state before being held by the terminal holder 30. As described above, since the two-stage terminal holders 30 are arranged in a vertically symmetrical posture, the terminals 40A and 40B shown separately have a vertically symmetrical shape and face each other in a vertically symmetrical posture. I'm taking it.

Explaining one of the two types of terminals 40A and 40B, which differ only in the length of the connecting portion and have the same form in the other portion, the terminal 40A is formed on the rolled plate surface of the terminal material (metal plate). A base portion 41A that is bent at a right angle to form an L shape has a first base portion 41A-1 and a second base portion 41A-2 that are perpendicular to each other (see FIG. 4A). The terminal 40A is independent of the first elastic arm portion 42A extending from the first base portion 41A-1 in one direction of the terminal longitudinal direction X and the first elastic arm portion 42A from the second base portion 41A-2. Like the arm portion 42A, it has a second elastic arm portion 43A extending in one direction of the terminal longitudinal direction X, and a mounting portion 44A located in the terminal longitudinal direction X in the other direction with respect to the base portion 41A. On the other hand, as described above, the other terminal 40B is different only in that the mounting portion 44B of the terminal 40B is longer than the mounting portion 44A of the terminal 40A as compared with the terminal 40A, and further. As will be described later, the same form as the terminal 40A is used except that the connecting portion 45B of the terminal 40B has a larger step in the terminal height direction Z than the connecting portion 45A of the terminal 40A (see FIG. 3). (However, in FIG. 2, since the posture is symmetrical, it is drawn in an upside-down posture). As described above, the other terminal 40B is different from the terminal 40A in that it is set longer in the terminal longitudinal direction than the mounting portion 44A of the one terminal 40A. The form of the terminal 40A will be described in detail, and the description of the other terminal 40B, which differs only in the mounting portion 44B, will be omitted.

The terminal 40A in FIG. 1 held by the terminal holder 30 and the terminal 40A in FIG. 2 shown separately from the terminal holder 30 are shown in FIG. 4 (A) with respect to the postures in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is shown in the upside-down position. Hereinafter, the terminal 40A will be described with reference to FIG. 4 (A).

The first elastic arm portion 42A of the terminal 40A has a first straight portion 42A-1 extending from the first base portion 41A-1 in one direction toward the mating body in the terminal longitudinal direction X and the above one direction. It has a first contact portion 42A-2 formed on the free end side located at. The first straight portion 42A-1 passes through the oblique arm portion 42A-3 having an upward inclination in FIG. 4 (A) from the first straight portion 42A-1 toward the first contact portion 42A-2. It is connected to the first contact portion 42A-2. The first contact portion 42A-2 is formed of a mountain-shaped portion that is bent so as to incline downward in FIG. 4A toward the free end with respect to the oblique arm portion 42A-3. The vertices of this chevron shape form a point of contact with the mating connector. The first straight portion 42A-1 and the first contact portion 42A-2 are not bent in the terminal arrangement direction Y, but form a straight line in the terminal longitudinal direction X when viewed from above, and the first straight portion 42A-1 and the first contact portion 42A-2. The upper surfaces of the straight portion 42A-1 and the first contact portion 42A-2 are formed on the same rolled plate surface as the first base portion 41A-1. That is, the same rolled surface faces upward in the entire range from the first base portion 41A-1 to the first contact portion 42A-2.

The first base portion 41A-1 has a flat plate shape in which the rolled plate surface is located on a plane extending in the terminal longitudinal direction X and the terminal arrangement direction Y, and a part thereof will be described below in the terminal arrangement direction Y. A side protruding portion 41A-1-1 protruding toward the second elastic arm portion 43A is provided.

In the second base portion 41A-2 bent at a right angle to the first base portion 41A, ribs 41A-2A projecting outward from the side surface (direction away from the first base portion 41A) extend in the terminal longitudinal direction X. Is formed. The second elastic arm portion 43A extending in one direction from the second base portion 41A-2 in the terminal longitudinal direction X extends in the terminal longitudinal direction X without changing the direction of the rolled plate surface in the second base portion 41A-2. It has a straight portion 43A-1 and a second contact portion 43A-2 provided on the free end side thereof. A window portion 41A-2-1 is formed on the lower edge of the second base portion 41A-2, and the side protrusion portion 41A-1-1 of the first base portion 41A-1 is formed on the window portion 41A-2-1. Is protruding. Further, on the upper edge of the second base portion 41A-2, a locking projection 41A-2B for preventing the housing 10 from coming off is provided.

The second straight portion 43A-1 extends beyond the first elastic arm portion 42A described above in one direction of the terminal longitudinal direction X, and passes through the two-step bent portion 43A-3 to the second contact portion 43A-. It is connected to 2. The two-stage bent portion 43A-3 is formed wider than the width of the tip of the first elastic arm portion, and is bent at a right angle to the rolled plate surface of the second straight portion 43A-1 in the terminal arrangement direction. After pointing toward the first elastic arm portion 42A with Y, the upper edge side thereof is bent with respect to the rolled plate surface and inclined toward one direction of the terminal longitudinal direction X, and the second contact portion 43A-2. Has moved to. The second contact portion 43A-2 extends from the upper edge of the two-stage bending portion 43A-3 and extends in one direction of the terminal longitudinal direction X in the same manner as the first contact portion 42A-2 of the first elastic arm portion 42A. It is bent toward it and extends to the free end in that one direction. The second contact portion 43A-2 has a chevron shape similar to that of the first contact portion 42A-2, and its apex forms a contact point with the mating body. The second contact portion 43A-2 is formed on a rolled plate surface on the same side as the first contact portion 42A-2 as a result of bending at the second base portion 41A-2 and the two-stage bending portion 43A-3 described above. .. The second contact portion 43A-2 is located at substantially the same position as the first contact portion 42A-2 in the terminal arrangement direction Y, and is at the apex of the second contact portion 43A-2 in the connector height direction Z. It is located at substantially the same position as the apex of the first contact portion 42A-2. In other words, the mating body whose connection direction is the terminal longitudinal direction X contacts the second contact portion 43A-2 in the connection process, and then contacts the first contact portion 42A-2 as the connection movement progresses. Will be done. In the present embodiment, the terminal width of the second contact portion 43A-2 (dimension width in the terminal arrangement direction Y) is provided so as to be substantially the same as the first contact portion 42A-2 in the terminal arrangement direction Y. However, in the present invention, the present invention is not limited to this, and the terminal widths of the first contact portion 42A-2 and the second contact portion 43A-2 may have an overlapping range in the terminal arrangement direction Y. That is, in the process of moving the relative connecting body in the connection direction, after the mating connecting body comes into contact with the second contact portion 43A-2, regardless of the width of the contact width (contact length in the terminal width direction), the first The second contact portion 43A-2 and the first contact portion 42A-2 may have a positional relationship in the terminal arrangement direction Y so as to make contact with the one contact portion 42A-2.

The terminal 40A is a connecting portion in which a mounting portion 44A extending from the first base portion 41A-1 in the terminal longitudinal direction X in the opposite direction to the other direction (to the right in FIG. 4A) forms a crank shape. It is provided via 45 A. In FIG. 4A, the mounting portion 44A forms a concave curved surface extending in the terminal longitudinal direction X on the lower surface side, and a conductive strip such as a cable core is arranged on the concave curved surface and is solder-connected. It has become like. As described above, with respect to the terminal 40A, the mounting portion 44B of the terminal 40B is longer than the mounting portion 44A in the terminal longitudinal direction X, and the connecting portion 45B is larger than the connecting portion 45A in the terminal height direction Z. Even if the terminals 40A and 40B are arranged in a staggered pattern, the mounting portions 44A and the mounting portions 44B are sufficiently separated from each other, so that the conductive strips can be easily soldered and connected between the mounting portions 44A and the mounting portions 44B.

As seen in FIG. 2, the terminals 40A and 40B are alternately arranged by the terminal holder 30 in the terminal arrangement direction Y, and are held at the portion of the base portion 41A by integral molding with the terminal holder 30. .. When incorporating the terminal holders 30 for holding the terminals 40A and 40B into the housing 10 described later, two terminal holders 30 are prepared, and these are arranged in upper and lower stages as shown in FIG. When positioned in the opposite posture, the two-stage terminals 40A and 40B held by these two terminal holders 30 are arranged in a staggered manner.

The terminal holder 30 itself has a horizontally long substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. For example, the upper trailing edge of the terminal holder 30 located in the upper part of FIG. 2 (the edge at the position closer to the mounting portion 44A of the terminal 40A on the upper surface side). ), A stopper protrusion 31 is provided along the terminal arrangement direction Y, and a claw-shaped locking projection 32 for locking with the housing 10 is provided on the side end surface in the terminal arrangement direction Y. Has been done.

Next, as can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing 10 has a front cylinder portion (left square cylinder portion in FIGS. 2 and 3) 11 that substantially forms a square cylinder, and a housing 10 that is larger than the front cylinder portion 11. It has a rear cylinder portion 12 having a large outer shape. An intermediate wall 13 that divides the internal space of the housing 10 into front and rear halves is provided at a boundary position between the front cylinder portion 11 and the rear cylinder portion 12 in the terminal longitudinal direction X.

As seen in FIG. 2, the front cylinder portion 11 has a square tubular surface having a slightly trapezoidal cross section, and the upper and lower inner wall surfaces of the front cylinder portion 11 have the above-mentioned terminals 40A. The terminal groove 14A accommodating the one elastic arm portion 42A and the second elastic arm portion 43A and the terminal groove 14B accommodating the first elastic arm portion 42B and the second elastic arm portion 43B of the terminal 40B extend in the terminal longitudinal direction X and the terminal arrangement direction Y. Are arranged in. The two types of terminal grooves 14A and 14B have the same shape.

The rear cylinder portion 12 has a partition wall 15 that divides the internal space of the rear cylinder portion 12 into upper and lower parts and extends in the terminal longitudinal direction X. The space above the partition wall 15 and the space below the partition wall 15 are formed by forming two insertion portions 16 into which the terminal holder 30 in the vertically inverted posture is inserted in a vertically symmetrical shape, and the partition wall 15 is formed in the terminal longitudinal direction. It is provided so as to protrude from the insertion portion 16 at X. Further, the insertion portion 16 has a locking portion (not shown in the drawing) that locks with the locking projection 32 of the terminal holder 30 on the inner wall surfaces on the front side and the back side of the paper surface in FIG. It is provided. Thus, when the two terminal holders 30 are respectively inserted into the two insertion portions 16 in the upside-down posture, the stopper protrusion 31 of the terminal holders 30 comes into contact with the right end of the housing 10. Positioning is performed in the terminal longitudinal direction X, and the locking projection 32 is locked with the locking portion of the housing to prevent it from coming off.

Further, the rear cylinder portion 12 of the housing 10 is provided with locking claws 17 for locking with the shield case 20 described later on the upper and lower outer surfaces, and both ends in the terminal arrangement direction Y are slightly up and down and slightly forward. A protruding flange-shaped ridge portion 18 is provided.

The shield case 20 fitted to the housing 10 has a shape facing the outer peripheral surface of the front cylinder portion 11 of the housing 10 and the front surface (front surface surrounding the front cylinder portion 11) of the rear cylinder portion 12 and the upper and lower surfaces. It has a tubular portion 21 and a horizontal U-shaped frame portion 22. In the tubular portion 21 formed so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the front tubular portion 11 of the housing 10, the peripheral edge 21-1 of the opening thereof is slightly narrowed inward to form a ridge, and the front cylinder of the housing 10 is formed. It is designed to be locked to the outer peripheral edge of the front surface of the portion 11. Further, the frame portion 22 has a front plate portion 22-1 facing the front surface of the rear cylinder portion 12 of the housing 10 and a flat plate portion 22-2 facing the upper and lower surfaces of the rear cylinder portion 12, and the flat plate portion. A locking window 22-3 for locking with the locking claw 17 of the housing 10 in the terminal longitudinal direction X is formed in 22-2. Thus, the shield case 20 is fitted to the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 3, and has a function of shielding the terminals 40A and 40B in the housing 10.

In the present invention, the terminal 40A can be formed as shown in FIG. 5 instead of being formed as shown in FIG. 4 (A). In FIG. 4A, both the first contact portion 42A-2 of the first elastic arm portion 42A and the second contact portion 43A-2 of the second elastic arm portion 43A are oriented in one direction in the terminal longitudinal direction X. Although it had a free end, in the example of FIG. 5, the first elastic arm portion 42A and its first contact portion 42-2 are the same as in the case of FIG. 4 (A), but the second elastic arm portion 43A. The second contact portion 43A-2 of'2 faces the first contact portion 42A-2 with its free end facing in the opposite direction to that in FIG. 4A, that is, in the other direction in the terminal longitudinal direction X. ing.

The second elastic arm portion 43A'in FIG. 5 is a two-step bent portion 43A connecting the tip of the second straight portion 43A'-1 to the second contact portion 43A'-2, which is the same as in the case of FIG. 4 (A). '-3 is different from the two-step bent portion 43A-3 in the second elastic arm portion 43A in the case of FIG. 4 (A). The two-stage bent portion 43A'-3 in FIG. 5 is bent at the tip of the second straight portion 43A'-1 at the lower edge of the second straight portion 43A'-1, and is bent with the first base portion 41A-1. After forming the intermediate portion 43A'-4 having parallel rolled plate surfaces, the portion forming one end side in the terminal longitudinal direction X at one edge of the intermediate portion 43A'-4 is bent with respect to the rolled plate surface. After lifting, the second contact portion 43A'-2 is formed by bending in the other direction in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, and the second contact portion 43A'-2 has a free end facing in the other direction. , The free ends of the first contact portion 42A-2 are opposite to each other.

The upper surface of the second contact portion 43A'-2 formed in this manner is a rolled plate surface, but due to the bending procedure of the two-stage bending portion 43A'-3, the first contact portion 42A-2 It is formed by the rolled plate surface on the opposite side of the upper surface. According to the second contact portion 43A'-2 of the form of FIG. 5, the second contact portion 43A'-2 collides with the portion closest to the mating connection body in the terminal longitudinal direction X, that is, the mating connection body collides at the start of connection. Since the part that may be affected is convexly curved toward the mating connection body, the mating connecting body is immediately guided to the slope of the second contact portion 43A'-2 even if it tries to collide, so that due to a collision. The terminals are not damaged and are connected smoothly.

In the example of FIG. 5, a pressure welding groove 44A-1 is formed in the mounting portion 44A, and the facing inner edge of the pressure welding groove 44A-1 forms a pressure welding blade, and the core wire of the cable is pressure-welded in the pressure welding groove 44A-1. It is designed to be connected.

Next, the mating connector II as the mating connector connected to the connector I described above will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 3, the mating connector II is formed by holding the mating terminal 60 and the shield case 70 made of a metal plate in a housing 50 made of an electrically insulating material.

The housing 50 has a main body portion 51 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape, and a central plate portion 52 extending from the main body portion 51 toward the connector I in the terminal longitudinal direction X and extending in the terminal arrangement direction Y. On the upper and lower surfaces of the central plate portion 52, a terminal groove 53 for accommodating the terminal 60 described later is formed so as to extend in the terminal longitudinal direction X, and the terminal groove 53 is also formed so as to penetrate the main body portion 51. ing. The housing 50 is provided with a short column portion 54 or the like for positioning with a circuit board (not shown) on the bottom surface thereof.

The terminal 60 is made by bending a metal strip-shaped piece and has a substantially L-shape. The terminal 60 having a substantially L shape has a connecting portion 61 and a contact portion 62 housed in the terminal groove 53 on the bottom surface (left side surface in FIG. 3) side of the housing 50, and is a free end from the contact portion 62. A tip guide portion 63 that is inclined and bent so that the side is located at the groove bottom of the terminal groove 53 is formed, and the tip guide portion 63 guides the terminals 40A and 40B of the connector I at the start of contact at the inclined portion. It has become. Most of the contact portion 62 is in a floating state in the terminal groove 53, and elastic deformation toward the groove bottom of the terminal groove 53 is possible. The connection portion 61 is solder-connected to, for example, a circuit board (not shown) or the like. The metal shield case 70 faces the held cylinder portion 71 held on the outer peripheral surface of the main body 51 of the housing 50 and the other direction in the terminal longitudinal direction X from the held cylinder portion 71, that is, the connector I. It has an empty cylinder portion 72 extending in the direction. The empty cylinder portion 72 has a stepwise smaller outer shape than the held cylinder portion 71 at the end position of the main body portion 51 of the housing 50 in the other direction, and extends in the other direction as it is. The inner cylinder surface of the empty cylinder portion 72 is fitted onto the front cylinder portion 11 of the housing 10 of the connector I to surround the front cylinder portion 11, and the upper and lower inner surfaces of the empty cylinder portion 72 are slightly between the front cylinder portion 11 and the front cylinder portion 11. A gap is formed. The upper and lower inner surfaces of the empty cylinder portion 72 are provided with contact protrusions 72A that bulge inward from the upper and lower walls of the empty cylinder portion 72 by embossing or the like. When the contact protrusion 72A is externally fitted to the front cylinder portion 11, the contact with the front cylinder portion 11 causes a slight elastic deflection in the upper and lower walls of the empty cylinder portion 72, and the front cylinder portion The contact with 11 is ensured.

The mating connector II as the mating connector formed in this way is connected to the connector I described above in the following manner.

As seen in FIG. 3, the front cylinder portion 11 of the connector I and the empty cylinder portion 72 of the mating connector II face each other, and the connector I and the mating connector II are arranged close to each other in the terminal longitudinal direction X.

In this state, when the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 21 of the shield case 20 covering the outer peripheral surface of the front tubular portion 11 of the housing 10 of the connector I is fitted into the empty tubular portion 72 of the shield case 70 of the mating connector II. The first contact portion 42A-2; 42B and the second contact portion 43A-2; 43B-2 of the terminal 40A; 40B of the connector I depend on the contact portion 62; 62 of the terminal 60; 60 of the mating connector II and the elastic force. Contact with contact pressure.

The contact between the terminal 40A; 40B of the connector I and the terminal 60; 60 of the mating connector II is the first contact portion 42A-2 and the second contact portion 43A of the terminal 40A at the beginning of the outer fitting of the mating connector II with respect to the connector I. Since -2 is moved back and forth in the terminal longitudinal direction X and is in the same position in the terminal arrangement direction Y (the same applies to the terminal 40B), the terminal 60 of the mating connector II becomes the terminal 60 of the mating connector II as the mating connector II connector I is deeply fitted. First, it comes into contact with the second contact portions 43A-2 and 43B-2 of the terminals 40A; 40B of the connector I, and then comes into contact with the first contact portions 42A-2; 42B-2.

In the present invention, the first contact portions 42A-2; 42B-2 and the second contact portions 43A-2, 43B-2 of the terminals 40A; 40B are substantially at the same position in the terminal arrangement direction Y, but in the terminal longitudinal direction X. Even if the second contact portion 43A-2; 43B-2 is in a different position and abuts on the terminal 60 of the mating connector II and is greatly elastically deformed in the connector height direction Z, the second contact portion 43A; 43B is the first. One elastic arm portion 42A; 42B does not interfere with each other, and a large amount of elastic deformation, that is, a large contact pressure with the terminal 60 of the mating connector II can be secured.

However, the positions of the first elastic arm portion 42A; 42B and the second elastic arm portion 43A; 43B are different in the terminal arrangement direction Y by forming the base portion 41A by bending the rolled plate surface of the terminal material at a right angle. Therefore, the terminal width dimension of the terminal 40A; 40B (dimension in the terminal arrangement direction Y) is obtained by adding the plate thickness dimension of the second elastic arm portion 43A; 43B to the width dimension of the first elastic arm portion 42A; 42B. In the connector I, the high-density arrangement of terminals, that is, the width nest size of the connector can be reduced in size, which is only a small size and is suppressed to a small terminal width size.

10 Housing 43A-1 (43B-1) Second straight part 40 (40A; 40B) Terminal 43A-2 (43A-2) Second contact part 41A (41B) Base 44A (44B) Mounting part 41A-1 (41B) -1) 1st base I connector 41A-2 (41B-2) 2nd base II mating connector (mating connector)
42A (42B) 1st elastic arm part X terminal longitudinal direction 42A-1 (42B-1) 1st straight part Y terminal arrangement direction 42A-2 (42B-2) 1st contact part Z connector height direction 43A (43B) ) Second elastic arm

Claims (5)

In an electric connector in which a plurality of terminals whose connection direction to the mating connector is the terminal longitudinal direction is held by the housing with the direction perpendicular to the terminal longitudinal direction as the terminal arrangement direction.
The terminals are made of a bent metal plate and form one member, and are arranged side by side adjacent to each other in the terminal arrangement direction and have a first elastic arm portion and a second elastic arm portion extending in one direction in the terminal longitudinal direction. Then, the first base portion of the first elastic arm portion and the second base portion of the second elastic arm portion are connected in a bent state in which the rolled plate surfaces perpendicular to the respective plate thickness directions are perpendicular to each other. Forming the base,
It has an attachment portion for attaching a conductive strip located in the other direction opposite to the first elastic arm portion and the second elastic arm portion with respect to the base portion.
The first elastic arm portion has a first straight portion having a rolled plate surface in the same direction as the rolled plate surface of the first base and extending in one direction from the first base portion in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, and the first straight portion. It has a first contact portion that extends from the portion to the free end in one direction and comes into contact with the mating connector, and any of the rolled plate surfaces of the first base portion, the first straight portion, and the first contact portion. Makes a surface parallel to the terminal arrangement direction,
The second elastic arm portion, the rolled sheet surface without the rolled plate surface in the same direction of the second base portion, extending in the one direction toward the other party than the first linear portion with the terminal longitudinally from said second base The second straight portion and the tip of the second straight portion are bent in the plate thickness direction toward the terminal arrangement direction and further bent in the plate thickness direction toward the terminal longitudinal direction from the first contact portion in the above one direction. A portion having a second contact portion located on the front side and having a rolled plate surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the terminal is formed between the second straight portion and the second contact portion, and the portion is formed. The tip side is bent in the plate thickness direction to form the second contact portion, and both the first contact portion and the second contact portion are formed so as to come into contact with the mating connecting body on the rolled plate surface, and the mating connecting body. The second contact portion becomes the first contact portion so that the other contact body has contact pressure in the same direction with respect to the first contact portion and also contacts the first contact portion after the contact with the second contact portion by moving in the connection direction. An electric connector characterized by having a positional relationship with each other. Claim 1 that the second contact portion of the second elastic arm portion is oriented in the one direction in which the free end thereof is in the direction away from the first contact portion of the first elastic arm portion in the longitudinal direction of the terminal. Electrical connector described in. Claim that the second contact portion of the second elastic arm portion is oriented in the other direction in which the free end thereof is in the direction close to the first contact portion of the first elastic arm portion in the terminal longitudinal direction. The electric connector according to 1. Of claims 1 to 3, wherein reinforcing ribs are formed at least at least the second base of the first base of the first elastic arm and the second base of the second elastic arm. The electrical connector described in one. In the terminal for an electric connector in which a plurality of terminals whose connection direction to the mating connector is the terminal longitudinal direction is held in a plurality of arrangements by the housing with the direction perpendicular to the terminal longitudinal direction as the terminal arrangement direction.
The terminal is made of a bent metal plate and forms one member, and has a first elastic arm portion and a second elastic arm portion arranged side by side in the terminal arrangement direction, and the first elastic arm portion of the terminal. The first base portion and the second base portion of the second elastic arm portion form a base portion in which the rolled plate surfaces perpendicular to the respective plate thickness directions are connected in a bent state at right angles to each other.
It has an attachment portion for attaching a conductive strip located in the other direction opposite to the first elastic arm portion and the second elastic arm portion with respect to the base portion.
The first elastic arm portion has a first straight portion having a rolled plate surface in the same direction as the rolled plate surface of the first base and extending in one direction from the first base portion in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, and the first straight portion. It has a first contact portion that extends from the portion to the free end in one direction and comes into contact with the mating connector, and any of the rolled plate surfaces of the first base portion, the first straight portion, and the first contact portion. Makes a surface parallel to the terminal arrangement direction,
The second elastic arm portion, the rolled sheet surface without the rolled plate surface in the same direction of the second base portion, extending in the one direction toward the other party than the first linear portion with the terminal longitudinally from said second base The second straight portion and the tip of the second straight portion are bent in the plate thickness direction toward the terminal arrangement direction and further bent in the plate thickness direction toward the terminal longitudinal direction from the first contact portion in the above one direction. A portion having a second contact portion located on the front side and having a rolled plate surface perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the terminal is formed between the second straight portion and the second contact portion, and the portion is formed. The tip side is bent in the plate thickness direction to form the second contact portion, and both the first contact portion and the second contact portion are formed so as to come into contact with the mating connecting body on the rolled plate surface, and the mating connecting body. The second contact portion becomes the first contact portion so that the other contact body has contact pressure in the same direction with respect to the first contact portion and also contacts the first contact portion after the contact with the second contact portion by moving in the connection direction. A terminal for an electric connector, characterized in that a straight line in the connection direction passing through the second contact portion having a positional relationship with the first contact portion also passes through the first contact portion.

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