Composite contact

Abstract

A composite contact includes a main body part, a first elastic piece which extends from the main body part and elastically contacts with a terminal disposed at an end part of a fluorescent tube and a second elastic piece which extends from the main body part and aims at elastically contacts with a conductive pattern which is formed on at least one of a front surface and a back surface of a circuit board, and the main body part, the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece are formed as one integrated part by a single member.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view which shows the outline of the structure of a liquid crystal display device which includes a composite connector according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a circuit board, the composite connector and cold-cathode tubes;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded perspective view of the composite connector;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a single connector;

FIG. 5 is a sectional perspective view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the connector;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the connector as it is viewed along the arrow direction VII in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a contact;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a main part taken along the line IX-IX of FIG. 3, showing a state where outer leads are not connected with the contact;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a main part taken along the line X-X of FIG. 2, showing a state where outer leads are connected with the contact;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line XI-XI of FIG. 3;

FIG. 12A is a perspective view for describing an operation of mounting the composite connector to the circuit board, while FIG. 12B is a sectional view of a main part taken along the line XIIB-XIIB of FIG. 12A;

FIG. 13A is a perspective view for describing an operation of mounting the composite connector to the circuit board while FIG. 13B is a sectional view of a main part taken along the line XIIIB-XIIIB of FIG. 13A;

FIG. 14 is a side view of a main part according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a side view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16A is a side view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention, while FIG. 16B is a view seen from the arrow direction XVIB in FIG. 16A;

FIG. 17A is a perspective view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention, while FIG. 17B is a plan view of the main part viewed from the arrow direction XVIIB in FIG. 17A;

FIGS. 18A and 18B are sectional views of a main part each for describing a connection between a composite connector and a circuit board;

FIG. 19 is a partial exploded perspective view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the main part taken along the line XX-XX of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a partial exploded perspective view of a main part according to a further another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 23A and 23B are partially sectional views of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention, of which FIG. 23A shows a state before a pair of elastic pieces pinch an outer lead and FIG. 23B shows a state where the pair of elastic pieces pinch the outer lead;

FIG. 24A shows a state where the pair of elastic pieces are being pressed after FIG. 23B, while FIG. 24B shows a state where pressing of the pair of elastic pieces are completed;

FIG. 25 is a partially sectional view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 26 is a schematic perspective view of a main part for describing mounting of a cold-cathode tube according to another further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27A is a sectional view of a main part which shows an insertion preparing step, FIG. 27B is a cross sectional view of a main part which shows an insertion step, and FIGS. 27C and 27D are cross sectional views of a main part which show a pinching step.

FIG. 28A is a sectional view of a main part which shows the insertion preparing step according to another further embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 28B is a sectional view of a main part which shows the insertion step, and FIG. 28C is a sectional view of a main part which shows a holding release step.

FIG. 29A is a sectional view of a main part which shows the insertion preparing step according to another further embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 29B is a cross sectional view of a main part which shows the insertion step, FIGS. 29C and 29D are sectional views of a main part which show the pinching step, and FIG. 29E is a sectional view of a main part which shows the holding release step.

FIG. 30 is a sectional view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 31 is a sectional view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a schematic perspective view of a main part for describing mounting of a cold-cathode tube according to another further embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 33A, 33B and 33C are sectional views of a main part which show the insertion preparing step, and FIG. 33D is a sectional view of a main part which shows the insertion step.

FIG. 34 is a sectional view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 35A and 35B are partial sectional views of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention, of which FIG. 35A shows a state as it is prior to insertion of outer leads between pair of elastic pieces and FIG. 35B shows a state as it is upon insertion of the outer leads between the pair of elastic pieces.

FIG. 36A shows a state as it is during pressing of the pair of elastic pieces after a state shows in FIG. 35B, and FIG. 36B shows a state as it is at the completion of the pressing of the pair of elastic pieces.

FIG. 37 is a sectional view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 38A is a side view of a main part according to another further embodiment of the present invention, while FIG. 38B is a sectional view taken along the line XXXVIIIB-XXXVIIIB of FIG. 38A.

Claims

1. A composite contact, comprising: a main body part;a first elastic piece which extends from the main body part and elastically contacts with a terminal disposed at an end part of a fluorescent tube; anda second elastic piece which extends from the main body part and elastically contacts with a conductive pattern which is formed on at least one of a front surface and a back surface of a circuit board,wherein the main body part, the first elastic piece and the second elastic piece are formed as one integrated part by a single member.

2. A composite contact according to claim 1, wherein a pair of the first elastic pieces are provided, andthe pair of first elastic pieces include, at mutually opposed positions, contact parts which are capable of pinching the terminal disposed at the end part of the fluorescent tube in a radial direction.

3. A composite contact according to claim 1, wherein the second elastic pieces form one or more pairs, andthe pair of second elastic pieces are capable of pinching the front surface and the back surface of the circuit board.

4. A composite contact according to claim 3, wherein the pair of second elastic pieces include contact parts which contact the corresponding front surface and back surface of the circuit board,an insertion space, which is for sliding and inserting the circuit board along a predetermined insertion direction, is defined between the pair of second elastic pieces, andthe contact parts of the pair of second elastic pieces are located at different positions from each other with respect to the predetermined insertion direction.

5. A composite contact according to claim 3, wherein the corresponding second elastic piece can contact the conductive pattern which is formed on at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the circuit board.

6. A composite contact according to claim 1, wherein the only one second elastic piece is provided, andthe only one second elastic piece can contact the corresponding conductive pattern which is formed on at least one of the front surface and the back surface of the circuit board.