Patent Application
20230113196
The present disclosure relates to a connector.
Patent Document 1 discloses a female terminal formed, such as by bending an electrically conductive metal plate. The female terminal includes a box-shaped electrical contact portion, into which a male terminal is inserted, in a front part and a pair of conductor crimping pieces in the form of an open barrel in a rear part. The conductor crimping pieces are crimped and fixed to a conductor exposed by stripping a coating of a coated wire.
Patent Document 2 discloses a female connector provided with a female terminal fitting, first and second obliquely wound coil springs and a female housing for holding the both obliquely wound coil springs. The both obliquely wound coil springs are in the form of coils formed by winding a wire material made of electrically conductive metal a plurality of times. The female terminal fitting is in the form of a flat plate and a core wire is connected to one end part of the female terminal fitting.
The female terminal fitting is accommodated in the female housing while being sandwiched by the two obliquely wound coil springs. When the female connector is connected to a mating male connector, the first obliquely wound coil spring is sandwiched by a wall surface (contact wall) and the female terminal fitting in the female housing and the second obliquely wound coil spring is sandwiched by the male terminal fitting provided in the male connector and the female terminal fitting. At this time, the second obliquely wound coil spring contacts the female terminal fitting and a terminal connecting portion and the female terminal fitting and the male terminal fitting are electrically connected by resilient restoring forces of the both obliquely wound coil springs. Further, the first obliquely wound coil spring is arranged to press the female terminal fitting toward the core wire.
Patent Document 1: JP 2014-241219 A
Patent Document 2: JP 2019-046760 A
In the case of Patent Document 1, a step of crimping the conductor crimping pieces to the conductor is necessary. In the case of Patent Document 2, since the second obliquely wound coil spring is interposed between the male terminal fitting provided in the male connector and the female terminal fitting, the connector tends to be enlarged.
A connector of the present disclosure was completed on the basis of the above situation and aims to enable the omission of a crimping step without enlargement.
The present disclosure is directed to a connector with a conductive member capable of electrically contacting two conductors as connection objects, and a pressing member made of a resilient insulating material, the pressing member applying a pressing force in a contact direction to the conductive member and the two conductors, wherein the pressing member includes a first pressing portion for applying a pressing force to one of the conductors and a second pressing portion for applying a pressing force to the other conductor, and the first and second pressing portions are resiliently deformable independently of each other.
According to the present disclosure, a crimping step can be omitted without enlargement.
First, embodiments of the present disclosure are listed and described.
The connector of the present disclosure is provided with a conductive member capable of electrically contacting two conductors as connection objects, and a pressing member made of a resilient insulating material, the pressing member applying a pressing force in a contact direction to the conductive member and the two conductors, wherein the pressing member includes a first pressing portion for applying a pressing force to one of the conductors and a second pressing portion for applying a pressing force to the other conductor, and the first and second pressing portions are resiliently deformable independently of each other.
According to the configuration of the present disclosure, since the conductive member and the conductors are held in contact by the resilient pressing force in the contact direction applied from the pressing member, a step of crimping the conductors and the conductive member is unnecessary. Since the pressing member is made of the insulating material and a structure for insulation needs not be provided separately from the pressing member, the enlargement of the connector can be avoided. Therefore, the connector of the present disclosure can omit a crimping step without being enlarged. Since the first and second pressing portions are resiliently deformable independently of each other, one conductive member can be reliably brought into contact with the two conductors even if an outer diameter of the one conductor receiving the pressing force from the first pressing portion and that of the other conductor receiving the pressing force from the second pressing portion are different.
(2) Preferably, the pressing member includes a coupling portion for coupling the first and second pressing portions. According to this configuration, the first and second pressing portions can be integrally handled.
(3) Preferably, in (2), the coupling portion is integrally connected to the first and second pressing portions and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first and second pressing portions. According to this configuration, the pressing member can be configured as a single component.
(4) Preferably, in (3), the conductive member is formed of an electrically conductive plate material overlapped on the first pressing portion, the second pressing portion and the coupling portion, and the coupling portion and a part of the conductive member facing the coupling portion are narrower than the first and second pressing portions. According to this configuration, the first and second pressing portions can be resiliently deformed independently of each other and the conductive member can be deformed, following resilient deformation of the first and second pressing portions.
(5) Preferably, in (2), the pressing member includes a first component having the first pressing portion and a second component separate from the first component and having the second pressing portion, the coupling portion is configured by engaging a first engaging portion formed on the first component and a second engaging portion formed on the second component, and the first and second components are relatively displaceably coupled by the coupling portion. According to this configuration, when the first or second pressing portion is resiliently deformed, that resilient deformation does not affect the mating pressing portion.
(6) The connector is provided with the conductive member on a fixed side fixed to a supporting portion, and the conductive member on a movable side configured to be relatively displaced with respect to the supporting portion according to resilient deformation of the pressing member, the conductors being sandwiched between the conductive member on the fixed side and the conductive member on the movable side. According to this configuration, the conductors and the conductive member on the fixed side can be reliably brought into contact without being affected by the resilient deformation of the pressing member.
A specific first embodiment of a connector of the present disclosure is described below with reference to
A connector of the first embodiment includes a female connector F and a male connector M to be connected to each other as shown in
The female housing 10 is made of a synthetic resin material and includes, as shown in
A connecting portion 13 open in the front end surface of the housing body 11 is formed in a front end part of the cavity 12. The connecting portion 13 has a function as a supporting portion for fixing the fixed conductive member 35 to be described later. The inside of the connecting portion 13 functions as a connection space for connecting a first conductor 42 and a second conductor 57 to be described later. As shown in
As shown in
The front member 20 is cap-shaped and includes, as shown in
The plurality of pressing members 25 are made of an electrically insulating rubber material and resiliently deformable. The plurality of pressing members 25 are individually accommodated in the plurality of connecting portions 13. The pressing member 25 is arranged while being placed on the bottom surface of the connecting portion 13. As shown in
The first pressing portion 26R constitutes a rear end side part of the pressing member 25, and the second pressing portion 26F constitutes a front end side part of the pressing member 25. The first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F are front-rear symmetrically shaped. The coupling portion 27 couples the front end of the first pressing portion 26R and the rear end of the second pressing portion 26F. The upper surface of the first pressing portion 26R, that of the coupling portion 27 and that of the second pressing portion 26F are connected at the same height.
One side surface, out of both left and right side surfaces of the pressing member 25, is recessed into a groove in the coupling portion 27. That is, a cross-sectional area of the coupling portion 27 is smaller than those of the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F when the pressing member 25 is cut perpendicular to the front-rear direction, which is an arrangement direction of the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F. Accordingly, the coupling portion 27 is more easily resiliently deformed than the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F. When the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F are resiliently deformed, a rear end part of the coupling portion 27 follows the first pressing portion 26R and a front end part of the coupling portion 27 follows the second pressing portion 26F, wherefore a movement of the first pressing portion 26R is hardly transmitted to the second pressing portion 26F and a movement of the second pressing portion 26F is hardly transmitted to the first pressing portion 26R.
The movable conductive member 30 is, for example, formed of a plate material made of metal such as copper or aluminum. The movable conductive member 30 has the same shape as the upper surface of the pressing member 25. As shown in
The movable conductive member 30 has a rectangular shape long in the front-rear direction as a whole. A maximum width of the movable conductive member 30 is set larger than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 14. One side edge part in the lateral direction of the movable conductive member 30 is cut into a groove, whereby the coupling conductive portion 32 is formed. The first conductive portion 31R is displaced in the vertical direction integrally with an upper surface part of the first pressing portion 26R. The second conductive portion 31F is displaced in the vertical direction integrally with an upper surface part of the second pressing portion 26F. The coupling conductive portion 32 is displaced in the vertical direction integrally with an upper surface part of the coupling portion 27.
The fixed conductive member 35 is, for example, formed of a plate material made of metal such as copper or aluminum, similarly to the movable conductive member 30. As shown in
The fixed conductive member 35 is fixed and mounted in an upper end part of the connecting portion 13 by fitting both left and right end parts of the three mounting portions 36 into the groove portions 15 of the connecting portion 13. The fixed conductive member 35 is located above the pressing member 25 and the movable conductive member 30 and is vertically facing the movable conductive member 30 across a predetermined gap. Vertical intervals between the lower ends of the first and second contact point portions 37R, 37F and the upper surface of the movable conductive member 30 in a state where the pressing member 25 is not resiliently deformed are set smaller than outer diameters of the first and second conductors 42, 57 to be described later. Widths of the first and second contact point portions 37R, 37F are set smaller than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 14. In a front view of the female connector F, the first and second contact point portions 37R, 37F are arranged between the pair of positioning portions 14.
The first wire moment 40 is an integrated assembly of a plurality of first coated wires 41 and one first holding member 45. The first coated wire 41 is such that the first conductor 42 is surrounded by a first insulation coating 43. The first conductor 42 is a single core wire made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum and has such rigidity as to maintain a circular cross-sectional shape. The outer diameter of the first conductor 42 is set smaller than widths of the first and second conductive portions 31R, 31F and smaller than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 14. In an end part of the first coated wire 41, the first insulation coating 43 is removed to expose the first conductor 42. An exposed part of the first conductor 42 is defined as a first connecting end portion 44.
As shown in
The first wire moment 40 is mounted into the housing body 11 from behind the female housing 10. With the first wire moment 40 mounted in the female housing 10, the locking projections 46 of the first holding member 45 are locked to the retaining projections 19 of the female housing 10, whereby the first wire moment 40 is retained and held in the female housing 10.
In an assembling process, the first connecting end portions 44 of the plurality of first conductors 42 are successively passed through the insertion portions 17 and the guide portions 16, enter the connecting portions 13 and are squeezed and sandwiched between the first conductive portions 31R and the first contact point portions 37R. In the state where the pressing member 25 is not resiliently deformed, an interval between the first conductive portion 31R and the first contact point portion 37R is smaller than an outer diameter of the first connecting end portion 44. Thus, the first conductive portion 31R is displaced downward while resiliently deforming and squeezing the first pressing portion 26R. By a resilient restoring force of the first pressing portion 26R, the first conductor 42 and the first conductive portion 31R are conductively connected with a predetermined contact pressure and the first conductor 42 and the first contact point portion 37R are conductively connected with a predetermined contact pressure.
With the first conductor 42 sandwiched between the first conductive portion 31R and the first contact point portion 37R, the first pressing portion 26R is resiliently deformed to be vertically squeezed. However, since the coupling portion 27 is interposed between the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F, the resilient deformation of the first pressing portion 26R does not affect the second pressing portion 26F. Further, although the first conductive portion 31R is displaced downward integrally with the first pressing portion 26R, the coupling conductive portion 32 having a small width and more easily deformable than the first and second conductive portions 31R, 31F is interposed between the first and second conductive portions 31R, 31F. In addition, the second pressing portion 26F resiliently presses the second conductive portion 31F upward. In this way, the coupling conductive portion 32 is bent and deformed and the second conductive portion 31F is held substantially at the same height as that when the first conductor 42 is not sandwiched between the first conductive portion 31R and the first contact point portion 37R.
The male housing 50 constituting the male connector M is made of synthetic resin and, as shown in
The second wire module 55 is an integrated assembly of a plurality of second coated wires 56 and one second holding member, similarly to the first wire moment 40. Similarly to the first coated wire 41, the second coated wire 56 is configured such that the second conductor 57 is surrounded by a second insulation coating 58. The second conductor 57 is a single core wire made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum and has such rigidity as to maintain a circular cross-sectional shape.
The outer diameter of the second conductor 57 is set smaller than the widths of the first and second conductive portions 31R, 31F, smaller than the interval between the projecting ends of the pair of positioning portions 14 and smaller than the outer diameter of the first conductor 42. In an end part of the second coated wire 56, the first insulation coating 43 is removed to expose the second conductor 57. An exposed part of the second conductor 57 is defined as a second connecting end portion 59. The second holding member 60 has the same shape as the first holding member 45 and is integrated with the second coated wires 56 by having the same configuration as the first holding member 45.
The second wire module 55 is also mounted into the housing portion 51 by having a configuration similar to that of the first wire moment 40. With the second wire module 55 mounted in the male housing 50, the second connecting end portions 59 of the second conductors 57 project into the receptacle 52 from the front surface of the housing portion 51.
In connecting the male connector M and the female connector F, the female connector F is fit into the receptacle 52. In a connection process, the second connecting end portions 59 of the second conductors 57 are passed through the insertion holes 24, enter the connecting portions 13 and are inserted between the second conductive portions 31F and the second contact point portions 37F. At this point of time, the first conductor 42 is sandwiched between the first conductive portion 31R and the first contact point portion 37R, but the coupling conductive portion 32 is bent and deformed and the coupling portion 27 is resiliently deformed due to rigidity acting on the second conductive portion 31F from the second pressing portion 26F. Therefore, the interval between the second conductive portion 31F and the second contact point portion 37F is kept smaller than the outer diameter of the second conductor 57. In this way, the second conductive portion 31F is displaced downward while resiliently deforming and squeezing the second pressing portion 26F.
Since the outer diameter of the second conductor 57 is smaller than that of the first conductor 42, there is a height difference between the first conductive portion 31R and the second conductive portion 31F and a vertical resilient deformation amount of the second pressing portion 26F is smaller than that of the first pressing portion 26R. Since the coupling portion 27 linking the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F has a lower rigidity than the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F, the resilient deformation of the first pressing portion 26R hardly affects the second pressing portion 26F. Therefore, the second pressing portion 26F can apply a pressing force toward the second conductor 57.
If the outer diameter of the first conductor 42 and that of the second conductor 57 are equal, the resilient deformation amount of the first pressing portion 26R and that of the second pressing portion 26F are the same as shown in
The male connector M constituting the connector of the first embodiment includes the female housing 10 into which the first conductors 42 and the second conductors 57 are inserted. The movable conductive members 30 and the fixed conductive members 35 configured to electrically contact the first and second conductors 42, 57 as connection objects are accommodated in the female housing 10. The male connector M includes the pressing members 25 made of the resilient insulating material. The pressing member 25 applies a pressing force in a contact direction to the movable conductive member 30, the fixed conductive member 35 and the first and second conductors 42, 57 inserted into the female housing 10. The pressing member 25 includes the first pressing portion 26R for applying a pressing force to the first conductor 42 and the second pressing portion 26F for applying a pressing force to the second conductor 57. The first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F are resiliently deformable independently of each other.
According to this configuration, the movable conductive member 30 and the fixed conductive member 35 contact the first and second conductors 42, 57 by the resilient pressing force in the contact direction applied from the pressing member 25. Thus, a step of crimping the movable conductive member 30 and the fixed conductive member 35 to the first conductor 42 and a step of crimping the movable conductor and the fixed conductive member 35 to the second conductor 57 are unnecessary. Since the pressing member 25 is made of the insulating material and a structure for insulation needs not be provided separately from the pressing member 25, the enlargement of the female connector F can be avoided.
The connector of the first embodiment can omit the crimping step without being enlarged. Since the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F are resiliently deformed independently of each other, one conductive member can be reliably brought into contact with the first and second conductors 42, 57 even if the outer diameter of the first conductor 42 receiving the pressing force from the first pressing portion 26R and that of the second conductor 57 receiving the pressing force from the second pressing portion 26F are different.
Since the pressing member 25 includes the coupling portion 27 coupling the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F, the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F can be integrally handled. Since the coupling portion 27 is integrally connected to the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F, the pressing portion 25 configured as a single component could be realized.
The movable conductive member 30 is made of the electrically conductive plate material overlapped on the first pressing portion 26R, the second pressing portion 26F and the coupling portion 27. The coupling portion 27 and a part of the movable conductive member 30 facing the coupling portion 27 (coupling conductive portion 32) are narrower than the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F. According to this configuration, the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F can be resiliently deformed independently of each other, and the movable conductive member 30 can be deformed, following the resilient deformation of the first and second pressing portions 26R, 26F.
The connector includes the fixed conductive member 35 fixed to the connecting portion 13 of the female housing 10 and the movable conductive member 30 configured to be relatively displaced with respect to the connecting portion 13 according to the resilient deformation of the pressing member 25. The first and second conductors 42, 57 are sandwiched between the fixed conductive member 35 and the movable conductive member 30. According to this configuration, the first conductor 42 and the fixed conductive member 35 can be reliably brought into contact and the second conductor 57 and the fixed conductive member 35 can be reliably brought into contact without being affected by the resilient deformation of the pressing member 25.
A specific second embodiment of the connector of the present disclosure is described below with reference to
The pressing member 70 of the second embodiment is configured by assembling a first component 71R and a second component 71F separate from the first component 71R. The first component 71R is a single component including the first pressing portion 72R and a first engaging portion 73R and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. The first engaging portion 73R is formed by recessing the front end surface of the first component 71R and in the form of a vertical groove open in the upper and lower surfaces of the first component 71R. In a plan view of the pressing member 70, the first engaging portion 73R has a trapezoidal shape having a width increasing from a front end toward a rear end. A most part of the first component 71R behind the first engaging portion 73R functions as the first pressing portion 72R.
The second component 71F is a single component including the second pressing portion 72F and a second engaging portion 73F and has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. The second engaging portion 73F is in the form of a rib projecting from the rear end surface of the second component 71F and extending in the vertical direction. In a plan view, the second engaging portion 73F has a trapezoidal shape having a width increasing from a front end toward a rear end, similarly to the first engaging portion 73R. A most part of the second component 71F in front of the second engaging portion 73F functions as the second pressing portion 72F.
The first engaging portion 73R and the second engaging portion 73F constitute the coupling portion 74 for coupling the first and second pressing portions 72R, 72F. The first and second components 71R, 71F are restricted from being relatively displaced in the front-rear direction and lateral direction and, on the other hand, coupled to be relatively displaceable in the vertical direction (resilient deforming direction of the first and second pressing portions 72R, 72F) by the engagement of the first and second engaging portions 73R, 73F. Therefore, the resilient deformation of the first pressing portion 72R does not affect the second pressing portion 72F when the first pressing portion 72R is resiliently deformed. The resilient deformation of the second pressing portion 72F does not affect the first pressing portion 72R when the second pressing portion 72F is resiliently deformed.
The present invention is not limited to the above described and illustrated embodiments and is represented by claims. The present invention is intended to include all changes in the scope of claims and in the meaning and scope of equivalents and also include the following embodiments.
Although the first and second pressing portions are coupled by the coupling portion in the above first and second embodiments, the first and second pressing portions may not be coupled.
Although the movable conductive member is a plate-like member made of metal such as copper or aluminum in the above first and second embodiments, the movable conductive member may be a linear member or rod-like member made of metal or may be an electrically conductive member formed of a metal foil of copper, aluminum or the like, carbon powder, carbon nanotubes or the like and to be applied to the pressing member.
Although the pressing member is made of rubber in the above first and second embodiments, the pressing member is not limited to the one made of rubber and may be made of synthetic resin.
Although the first and second conductors are the single core wires of the wires in the above first and second embodiments, the first and second conductors are not limited to the core wires and may be formed by solidifying stranded wires by ultrasonic welding, laser welding or the like or may be busbars made of a metal plate material.
In the above first and second embodiments, at least one of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion on the movable side may be formed with a projection-like contact point portion.
In the above first and second embodiments, a plurality of movable conductive members may be integrated with one first pressing portion.
In the above first and second embodiments, a plurality of movable conductive members may be integrated via a coupling portion.
In the above first and second embodiments, a plurality of fixed conductive members may be integrated via a coupling portion.
Although the movable conductive member and the fixed conductive member are brought into contact with the conductors in the above first and second embodiments, the fixed conductive member may not be provided and only the movable conductive member may be brought into contact with the conductors or the movable conductive member may not be provided and only the fixed conductive member may be brought into contact with the conductors.
In the above first and second embodiments, the pressing member and the movable conductive member may be provided instead of the fixed conductive member, and a pair of the movable conductive members may be resiliently brought into contact with the two conductors by resilient forces of a pair of the pressing members.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-038711 | Mar 2020 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2021/005441 | 2/15/2021 | WO |
