Hereunder, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the embodiment, the electrical connector 10 to be connected to the flat conductive member 1 includes a housing 11 formed of an insulative material and arranged above a circuit board (not shown); a plurality of terminals 12 and 13 arranged on the housing 11 in double rows in parallel; metal members 14 attached to the housing 11 and disposed adjacent to ones of the terminals 12 and the terminals 13 at both side edges thereof in an arrangement direction that the terminals 12 and the terminals 13 are arranged; and a pressing member 15 supported on the terminals 12, the terminals 13, and the metal members 14 to be freely rotatable.
As shown in
In the embodiment, each of the terminals 12 to be retained in the terminal receptacle groove 16 is formed of a metal plate having a flat plate shape. As shown in
In the embodiment, each of the terminals 12 is inserted into each of the terminal receptacle grooves 16 from the left side before the metal members 14 is attached. Accordingly, the attaching arm 17 enters the right opening 16C, so that the terminal 12 does not come off the terminal receptacle groove 16.
Further, the connecting arm 18 includes a connecting portion 18A protruding downward at a left side thereof and a fixing groove 18B formed in a right edge of the connecting portion 18A. When the terminal 12 is inserted into the terminal receptacle groove 16, the fixing groove 18B is fitted into a left side of a bottom surface of the housing 11, so that the terminal 12 does not come off the terminal receptacle groove 16. The connecting portion 18A has a lower edge slightly protruding downward with respect to a bottom surface of a lower wall 11A of the housing 11. Accordingly, it is possible to securely connect to a corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board with solder.
In the embodiment, the contacting arm 19 has a short and small shape. Further, the contacting arm 19 has elasticity, and includes a contacting portion 19A in a protrusion shape at a distal end thereof.
In the embodiment, the supporting arm 20 has an upper edge abutting against an inner surface of an upper wall 11B of the housing 11 for support. A distal end of the supporting arm 20 protrudes forward beyond the upper wall 11B and reaches a position of the upper opening 16B of the terminal receptacle groove 16. The distal end of the supporting arm 20 is formed in an inverted U character shape to form a groove portion as a rotation supporting portion 21 for supporting the metal member 14. Further, the distal end of the supporting arm 20 is situated in the upper opening 16B of the terminal receptacle groove 16, and has elasticity.
In the embodiment, the terminals 13 are arranged alternately with respect to the terminals 12. As compared with the terminals 12, each of the terminals 13 includes a supporting arm (not shown) having a shape similar to that of the supporting arm 20. In this case, a portion corresponding to the rotation supporting portion 21 may be omitted. Further, each of the terminals 13 includes a contacting arm extending further than the contacting arm 19 of the terminal 12. The contact arm of the terminal 13 includes a contact portion 19A′ arranged alternately with respect to the contacting arm 19 of the terminal 12 when viewed from above.
In the embodiment, each of the terminals 13 includes a connecting arm extending to a right hand and having a connecting portion 22 at a distal end thereof. Each of the terminals 13 is inserted into a corresponding terminal receptacle groove (not shown) formed in the housing 11 from the right side.
In the embodiment, similar to the terminals 12 and the terminals 13, each of the metal members 14 is formed of a metal plate having a flat plate shape. As shown in
The attaching portion 23 extends linearly in horizontal direction, and has a distal end portion 23A fitted in an attaching hole 25 with a slit shape formed in the housing 11. An engaging protrusion 23A-1 is formed on an upper edge of the distal end portion 23A, and bites into an inner wall of the attaching hole 25, so that the metal member 14 does not come out. The attaching portion 23 further includes an outer portion 23B situated outside the attaching hole 25 in the upper opening 16B of the housing 11. A rotation guide portion 23B-1 having a linear shape is formed on an upper edge (plate thickness surface) of the outer portion 23B for guiding the pressing member 15.
In the embodiment, the protruding portion 24 of the metal member 14 is curved in a U character shape to form a groove portion 26, and is provided with an engaging portion 27 protruding upward at a read edge thereof. The groove portion 26 has a bottom surface situated below the lower wall or supporting surface 11A of the housing 11, so that the electrical connector 10 securely supports the flat conductive member 1. The groove portion 26 extends backward toward outside the housing 11 beyond a rear edge of a sidewall of the housing 11. When the metal members 14 is situated at the close position (described later), a space between the groove portions 26 at both sides opens, thereby making it easy to insert the flat conductive member 1 into the electrical connector 10.
When the metal members 14 press the flat conductive member 1 and the contact portions 19A and 19A′ of the terminals 12 and the terminals 13 deform downward, the flat conductive member 1 is supported on the supporting surface 11A. The groove portions 16 have a groove width and a groove depth large enough for accommodating the engagement portions 1A of the flat conductive member 1. That is, in the groove portion 16, the engaging portion 27 at a front edge of the groove portion 16 has a plate thickness surface 27A at a front edge thereof having a height large enough for engaging the engagement portion 1A of the flat conductive member 1. Note that the groove portions 16 may have an arbitrary groove depth as far as being capable of engaging the engagement portions 1A of the flat conductive member 1.
In the embodiment, the protruding portion 24 of the metal member 14 has a lower edge 28 having a slightly inclined surface. As shown in
When the circuit board is connected to the lower edge 28 with solder, solder contacts with the left end first, and gradually flows toward a right side, so that the lower edge 28 is fixed with solder over an overall length thereof. When the flat conductive member 1 is pulled backward, a force applied to the engaging portion 27 generates moment around the left side of the lower edge 28. Accordingly, it is possible to securely receive the force along with the circuit board.
In the embodiment, the pressing member 15 has a flat plate shape as shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment, the pressing member 15 has groove portions 29 having a slit shape at positions corresponding to the terminals 12 and the terminals 13 along the arrangement direction of the terminals 12 and the terminals 13, so that the distal end portions of the supporting arms 20 of the terminals 12 enter the groove portions 29.
As shown in
In the embodiment, the pressing member 15 further includes sub-shaft portions 32 at both sides thereof in the arrangement direction of the terminals 12 and the terminals 13. As shown in
When the pressing member 15 rotates toward the close position, in the sub-shaft portions 32, the first sides 32A contact with the rotation guide portions 23B-1 first, and then the second sides 32B contact with the rotation guide portions 23B-1. Afterward, the third sides 32C contact with the rotation guide portions 23B-1. During the rotation, the pressing member 15 is supported on the rotation supporting portions 21 of the terminals 12 at the shaft portions 30 from below. Accordingly, when a rotational center of the pressing member 15 moves during the rotation, the shaft portions 30 do not come out of the rotation supporting portions 21.
As shown in
An operation of the flat conductive member 1 will be explained next. First, the electrical connector 10 is placed on the circuit board (not shown) at a specific position. Then, the contacting portions 18A and 22 of the terminals 12 and the terminals 13 are connected to the corresponding circuit portions with solder. Further, the metal members 14 are fixed to corresponding portions at the lower edges 28 thereof.
When the pressing member 15 moves to the open position shown in
When the pressing member 15 rotates to the close position shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment, in the flat conductive member 1, rear edges of the engagement portions 1A face the plate thickness surfaces 27A of the engaging portions 27 of the metal members 14 or the rear edges of the groove portion 26. In a state that the pressing member 15 is situated at the open position and just after the flat conductive member 1 is inserted, even when the flat conductive member 1 is pulled backward, the engagement portions 1A abut against the plate thickness surfaces 27A of the engaging portions 27, thereby preventing the flat conductive member 1 from coming off. Further, even in a state that the pressing member 15 is situated at the close position and the flat conductive member 1 is connected to the terminals 12 and the terminals 13, the engagement portions 1A abut against the plate thickness surfaces 27A of the engaging portions 27, thereby preventing the flat conductive member 1 from coming off.
In the present invention, in addition to the embodiment shown in
As shown in
With the configuration described above, the engagement portion 1A of the flat conductive member 1 engages the plate thickness surface 27A of the engaging portion 27 and the engaging surface 33A of the column portion 33. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce load applied to the engaging portion 27 and improve positional accuracy of the engagement portion 1A.
In the embodiment, the housing 11 is formed through molding with high accuracy. Further, the column portion 33 provides the positional accuracy, and the metal members 14 provide strength.
When the engaging surface 33A of the column portion 33 is situated at a position substantially same as that of the plate thickness surface 27A of the engaging portion 27 in the front-to-rear direction, the engaging surface 33A and the plate thickness surface 27A receive a force from the engagement portion 1A from the beginning.
When the engaging surface 33A of the column portion 33 is situated at a position shifted forward by the distance 5 with respect to the plate thickness surface 27A of the engaging portion 27, the engaging surface 33A of the column portion 33 receives the force from the engagement portion 1A first. After the column portion 33 or the engagement portion 1A elastically deforms to some extent, the engaging surface 33A and the plate thickness surface 27A receive a force from the engagement portion 1A.
In the present invention, in the metal members 14, it is sufficient that the engaging portion 27 and the attaching portion 23 have a flat plate shape. That is, viewed from the arrangement direction of the terminals 12 and the terminals 13, the engaging portion 27 and the attaching portion 23 look overlapped with the terminals 12 and the terminals 13. With this configuration, when the terminals 12 and the terminals 13 are arranged next to each other such that the plate surfaces match with each other, the electrical connector 10 has a width increased only by the plate thickness of the metal members 14. Even when the metal members 14 are bent in the plate thickness direction, the electrical connector 10 has a same width.
As described above, in the metal members 14, it is sufficient that the engaging portion 27 and the attaching portion 23 have a flat plate shape. Accordingly, as indicated with phantom lines in
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-124613, filed on Apr. 28, 2006, is incorporated in the application by reference.
While the invention has been explained with reference to the specific embodiments of the invention, the explanation is illustrative and the invention is limited only by the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2006-124613 | Apr 2006 | JP | national |