This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-195630, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector that is mounted on a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among conventional connectors, there are devices that are configured so that a connector main body is mounted on a substrate by soldering a fixing clasp, which is attached to the connector main body, to the substrate. (For example, see the Official Gazette of JP-A No. 2002-151191.) This type of fixing clasp is configured so that components such as a pair of latching pieces is provided thereon, and these latching pieces are inserted into attachment holes formed in the substrate. These latching pieces latch to (i.e., catch on) the edge portions of the attachment holes. For this reason, even in a state prior to the fixing clasp (i.e., pair of latching pieces) being soldered to the substrate, the connector main body can be temporarily joined to the substrate.
Nonetheless, in cases such as when external force acts upon the connector main body in the above-described state of temporary joining, the latching pieces sometimes deforms and the above-described temporary joining capability can be lost.
The present invention was made to solve the above-described problems, and in order to achieve this goal a first aspect relates to a connector comprising: a connector main body mounted on a substrate; a latching piece that is attached to the connector main body and which temporarily joins the connector main body to the substrate by temporarily latching to an edge portion of an attachment hole formed in the substrate; and a rib having a width wider than the latching piece and which is attached to the connector main body, and which is inserted into the attachment hole, and when external force in a direction of moving away from the substrate acts on one end side of the connector main body, whose end portions in the width direction interfere with the interior peripheral portion of the attachment hole, so as to generate resistance force that resists the external force.
In the connector of the first aspect, the latching piece attached to the connector main body is caught on the edge portion of the attachment hole in the substrate, whereby the connector main body is temporarily fixed to the substrate. Also, the rib attached to the connector main body is formed wider than the latching piece and inserted into the attachment hole of the substrate. When external force acts on one end side of the connector main body in a direction away from the substrate, the ends of the rib in the widthwise direction interfere with the inner peripheral portion of the attachment hole and generate resistance force that resists the external force. Accordingly, movement away from the substrate of the connector main body is controlled and deformation of the latching piece can be suppressed.
A second aspect for achieving the above-stated goal relates to a connector comprising: a connector main body mounted on a substrate; a latching piece that is attached to the connector main body and which temporarily joins the connector main body to the substrate by temporarily latching to an edge portion of an attachment hole formed in the substrate; and a rib that is attached to the connector main body, is inserted into the attachment hole, and deforms and latches with the latching piece when external force of a preset value or greater in a direction that moves toward the latching piece by itself is applied.
In the connector according to the second aspect, the latching piece attached to the connector main body is caught on the edge portion of the attachment hole of the substrate, whereby the connector main body is temporarily held to the substrate. Also, the rib attached to the connector main body is inserted into the attachment hole of the substrate. When external force of a preset value or more toward the latching piece side is applied to the rib, the rib deforms and latches with the latching piece. Due to this, deformation of the latching piece can be suppressed.
The third aspect for achieving the above goal relates to the connector of the second aspect, wherein the rib is formed so that the width thereof is wider than the latching piece.
A connector 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described based on
As shown in
A fixing clasp 20 is attached to left and right side walls 14A of the connector main body 14 (only the side wall 14A of the left side is shown in
Latching pieces 24 and 26 are integrally provided at both ends in the front and rear directions with respect to the main body 22. The latching pieces 24, 26 are formed into long square bar forms that extend downward, and respectively inserted into attachment holes 28 and 30 formed on the substrate 12 so as to penetrate through the substrate 12. Each of the attachment holes 28, 30 is formed as a long hole extending along the front and rear directions of the substrate 12. As shown in
Further, as shown in
In addition, when the latching pieces 24, 26 are inserted into the attachment holes 28, 30, the inclined surfaces provided on the latching pieces 24, 26 at the end sides thereof rub against the edge portions of the attachment holes 28, 30, whereby the latching pieces 24, 26 flex in directions moving away from each other. When the latching pieces 24, 26 reach preset attaching positions, the latching pieces 24, 26 elastically rebound and the claws 24A, 26A are caught on the edge portions of the attachment holes 28, 30.
Further, in the connector 10, at both end portions of the fixing clasp 20 in the front and rear directions, force-receiving ribs 32 and 34 are provided integrally. The force-receiving ribs 32, 34 act as ribs in the connector of the present invention. The force-receiving ribs 32, 34 are formed into long board shapes, they extend out toward the bottom, are respectively inserted into the attachment holes 28 and 30 of the substrate 12, and thus, penetrate through the substrate 12. Also, as shown in
The width measurements L1 of the base ends of the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 are formed to be larger than the width measurements L2 of the base ends of the latching pieces 24, 26. Therefore, the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 are configured to be less flexible in the front and rear directions compared with the latching pieces 24, 26. Any portions such as claw portions protruding in the front and rear directions are not provided on neither of the force-receiving ribs 32 and 34, and accordingly, the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 are not necessarily formed so as to flex when the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 is inserted into the attachment holes 28, 30.
Additionally, the width measurements of the tip sides of the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 are formed to be thinner than the width measurement L1 of the base ends thereof (i.e., the tip end sides are sharper than the base ends thereof) so as to be easily inserted into the attachment holes 28, 30.
In the connector 10, in the state of the above-described temporary joining, when external force F (see
On the other hand, when the above-described external force G is at or above a predetermined value, the force-receiving rib 32 deforms toward the rear side (i.e., toward the latching piece 24) due to the interference with the inner peripheral surface of the attachment hole 28 and latches (i.e., comes into contact) with the latching piece 24, as shown in
Additionally, except in the case when the connector main body 14 rotates relative to the substrate 12 as described above, in the case when the connector main body 14 is twisted three-dimensionally relative to the substrate 12 and an external force acts upon the force-receiving ribs 32, or in the case when a direct external force G acts upon the force-receiving ribs 32, the force-receiving ribs 32 deforms toward the side of the latching piece 24 and latches (i.e., comes into contact) therewith.
In the above-described state of temporary joining, when, for example, an external force in the direction of moving away from the substrate 12 is applied to the rear side of the connector main body 14, the force-receiving rib 34 generates resistance force that resists the external force. Further, when an external force of a predetermined strength or more is applied to the force-receiving rib 34 towards the latching piece 26 side, the force-receiving rib 34 deforms and latches with the latching piece 26, whereby deformation of the latching piece 26 is suppressed.
Next, function of the present exemplary embodiment will be explained.
In the connector 10 configured as described above, in a state of the connector main body 14 being temporarily joined with the substrate 12 by the latching pieces 24, 26 of the fixing clasp 20, when the external force F is applied to the front end side of the connector main body 14 in a direction separating away from the substrate 12, whose end portions in the width direction of the force-receiving rib 32 interferes with the inner peripheral surface of the attachment hole 28 and generates resistance force that resists the external force F. Accordingly, movement of the connector main body 14 away from the substrate 12 and deformation of the latching piece 24 due to the external force F is suppressed. Accordingly, the state of the above-described temporary joining by the connector main body 14 can be maintained.
Further, when the external force G that is applied to the force-receiving rib 32 due to interference with the inner peripheral surface of the attachment hole 28 is at or greater than a preset value, the force-receiving rib 32 deforms toward the latching piece 24 side and latches therewith. Due to this, deformation of the latching piece 24 is suppressed, and the state of latching of the latching piece 24 relative to the edge portion of the attachment hole 28 (i.e., the state of catching of the claw 24A) is maintained. Consequently, the above-described state of temporary joining by the latching piece 24 can be maintained.
Additionally, in the connector 10, the fixing clasp 20 is formed symmetrically at both sides in the front and rear directions so the same fixing clasp 20 can be used in the left side or the right side of the connector main body 14, and accordingly, increases in the number of parts can be prevented.
Although in the connector 10 according to the above-described embodiment, the f latching pieces 24, 26 and the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 are disposed on the fixing clasp 20 attached to the connector main body 14, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned exemplary embodiment. The present invention includes an embodiment having a configuration wherein both the latching piece 26 and force-receiving rib 34 are omitted.
Although the connector 10 according to the above-described exemplary embodiment is configured so that the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 have the width measurements L2 of the tip side thinner than the width measurement L1 of the base end side, a connector having a width measurements L2 of the tip end sides that are the same as the width measurements L1 of the base end sides are preferable in that the force-receiving ribs 32, 34 easily deform toward the latching pieces 24, 26.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006-195630 | Jul 2006 | JP | national |
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Number | Date | Country |
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2002-151911 | May 2002 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20080020607 A1 | Jan 2008 | US |