Connector

Abstract

A connector (13) comprising: a connector housing (17); and a terminal group (11) including a plurality of pin terminals (15), each pin terminal (15) being formed of a metal wire having a predetermined length and being press-fitted and held in a plurality of terminal insertion holes (19) of the connector housing (17), some of the plurality of pin terminals (15) having different overall lengths, the plurality of pin terminals (15) each having a pair of press-fit holders (31) projecting from both side edges of each of the plurality of pin terminals (15) in a width direction at the same distant positions from one end in an insertion direction (a), characterized in that rear end side surfaces (33) of the press-fit holders (31) receive a reaction force with respect to the terminal insertion holes (19) upon press-fitting,and in a state where the plurality of pin terminals (15) are press-fitted and held in the plurality of terminal insertion holes (19) of the connector housing (17), the press-fit retainers (31) are arranged at a rear side of a rear opening of the terminal insertion hole (19) in the insertion direction (a), and an interference suppression gap (51) is provided between a rear end surface (49) of the connector housing (17) and the press-fit retainer (31), so that interference due to contact between a deformed press-fit retainer (31) and the connector housing (17) is prevented.

Description

1. Technical area

[0001] One or more embodiments of the invention relate to a connector.

[0002] In the prior art, a printed circuit board connector 501 as shown in Fig. 11, is used as a printed circuit board connector for wire connection to a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board connector 501 includes a connector housing 503 made of synthetic resin, which is formed to have a substantially rectangular spade shape as a whole, and a plurality of printed circuit board terminals 505 provided to protrude from the connector housing 503. The printed circuit board terminal 505 is also formed to have an L-shape with a base end portion 507 provided to protrude horizontally from the connector housing 503 and an upright portion 509 provided to protrude downward from a distal end portion of the base end portion 507. A distal end of the upright portion 509 is inserted and soldered into a through-hole of the printed circuit board (not shown). A terminal of a counterpart connector (not shown) is connected to the base end portion 507.

[0003] Incidentally, to realize a reliable and stable connection between the printed circuit board terminals and external connection terminals, the corresponding printed circuit board terminals are press-fitted into terminal support holes of a terminal support device (connector housing) to be firmly attached and supported on the terminal support device at a position. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 112, Patent Document 1 discloses a printed circuit board terminal 511 formed from a metal wire having a cross-sectional shape similar in size to or slightly larger than a terminal support hole 515 of a terminal support device 513, and the metal wire is cut at a predetermined length.In addition, upset forging is performed on a press-fitted portion 517 to the terminal support hole 515 in a direction perpendicular to the axis, so that a projection 519 is provided which protrudes on both sides in the direction perpendicular to the axis, which is perpendicular to a press-fit direction.

[0004] According to the presentation in Fig. 13, a portion of the circuit board terminal 511 at one end side in an axial direction (length direction), specifically, the front end side in a press-fitting direction of the terminal support hole 515, becomes a circuit board connection portion 521. In addition, a portion of the circuit board terminal 511 at the other end side, specifically, the rear end side in a press-fitting direction of the terminal support hole 515, becomes a connector connection portion 523.

[0005] Patent document 1 is JP 2011-198594 A.

[0006] EP1 605 549 A1 discloses a pin terminal having press-fit portions and press-fit retainers. When the pin terminal is pressed and retained in an insertion hole of a connector housing, the press-fit portions and press-fit retainers are located within the insertion hole.

[0007] JP 2012 - 84 444 A also discloses a pin terminal having press-in retainers. Here, too, the pin terminal is inserted flush into the housing. This means that the press-in retainers are located within the connector housing in such a way that the pin terminal is pressed into and held in place by a terminal insertion hole in the connector housing.

[0008] DE 10 2013 215 302 A1 discloses a pin terminal and a connector, wherein the pin terminal is not flush with the surface of the connector housing. In particular, the pin terminal is a flat contact for insertion into a plug receptacle along a plug-in direction, comprising a clamping portion with clamping projections projecting in a width direction and a positioning portion having guide surfaces on its narrow sides running parallel to the plug-in direction, wherein the guide surfaces project beyond the clamping projections in the width direction.A receiving block for inserting the flat contact along the insertion direction comprises at least one receptacle for the flat contact, wherein the receptacle has a counter-positioning section with counter-guide surfaces running parallel to the insertion direction and a counter-clamping section, wherein an inner width of the counter-positioning section measured in a width direction running perpendicular to the insertion direction is greater than an inner width of the counter-clamping section. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] However, if the Fig. 11 and Fig. However, when the printed circuit board terminal 505 or the printed circuit board terminal 511 shown in FIG. 13 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 525 or a terminal support hole 515 of a housing, the rear end portion of the printed circuit board terminal 505 or the printed circuit board terminal 511 is pressed and inserted, which may cause a problem in which deformation or scratching is likely to occur at the rear end portion of the terminal. The printed circuit board terminal 511 further has a protrusion 527 for abutment contact on the rear side of the press-fitted portion 517 in the insertion direction; the protrusion 527 for abutment contact is for locking on a locking surface 529 of the terminal support jig 513 to regulate a press-fitting position of the printed circuit board terminal 511 in the axial direction (see FIG. Fig. 12).

[0010] In addition, a plurality of printed circuit board terminals 505 or printed circuit board terminals 511, generally as a multipolar terminal group, are inserted by a dedicated head of an automatic machine (terminal press-in device) when inserting the terminals into the housing. The terminal press-in device requires the printed circuit board terminal 505 or the printed circuit board terminal 511 having different lengths in a case where the multipolar printed circuit board terminals 505 or the printed circuit board terminals 511 are inserted. Accordingly, since the terminal press-in device is to respond to different insertion strokes, a plurality of dedicated heads are required to correspond to the printed circuit board terminals 505 or the printed circuit board terminals 511 having different lengths. Consequently, a mechanism becomes complicated, and it is difficult to miniaturize the device.

[0011] One or more embodiments of the present invention have been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a connector in which a rear end portion of a terminal is not deformed, so that a terminal press-fitting device can be miniaturized and a manufacturing cost thereof can be reduced.

[0012] According to the embodiments, the above object is achieved using the following configurations.

[0013] (1) The object is achieved by a connector according to claim 1.

[0014] According to the connector configured in (1), when the plurality of pin terminals of the terminal group are respectively press-fitted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes of the connector housing by an insertion jig or the like, the rear end side surfaces in the insertion direction of the press-fit holders are supported, and thus, a reaction force can always be absorbed when the pin terminals are press-fitted into the terminal insertion holes of the connector housing. Consequently, the pin terminals of different lengths can be consistently inserted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes of the connector housing with the same stroke. As a result, the terminal press-fit jig can be reduced in size, and it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of a connector.

[0015] (2) In the connector according to (1), at least a pair of press-fitting portions may be formed on a front end side of the pin terminal further forward in the insertion direction a as press-fitting holders so as to protrude from both side edges of the pin terminal in the width direction, and the pair of press-fitting portions are press-fitted and held in the terminal insertion hole.

[0016] According to the connector having the configuration of (2), high press-fitting accuracy and strong press-fitting and holding force are easily achieved compared to a case where a pin terminal is inserted into a terminal insertion hole without the press-fitting portion, since the pair of press-fitting portions projecting from both side edges of the pin terminal in the width direction are press-fitted and held in the terminal insertion hole.

[0017] (3) In the connector according to (2), a non-plastic deformation-processed surface in which no plastic deformation is performed on a terminal surface of the pin terminal is provided in a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit holders and / or a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit portions.

[0018] According to the connector configured according to (3), the non-plastic deformation-processed surface, in which no plastic deformation is performed on a terminal surface of the pin terminal, remains in a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit brackets and / or a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit portions. At the pin terminal, the non-plastic deformation-processed surface is provided near the press-fit portions, thereby preventing deterioration in strength due to the formed press-fit portions. Thus, the terminal is prevented from being deformed when inserting the pin terminal.

[0019] Additionally, in the pin terminal, the non-plastic deformation-machined surface is provided near the press-in fasteners, thereby preventing strength deterioration due to the press-in fasteners formed. This prevents the pin terminal from being deformed or broken when the press-in fasteners are pressed during press-fitting.

[0020] (4) In the connector according to (3), the non-plastic deformation-processed surface is connected to the mating surface by a tapered flat surface having a width that gradually widens.

[0021] According to the connector configured in (4), the non-plastic deformation-processed surface of the pin terminal is connected to the terminal surface by a tapered flat surface with a gradually widening width. The non-plastic deformation-processed surface is not connected to the terminal surface via a right-angle corner. Thus, stress concentration is unlikely to occur in the pin terminal compared to a corner configuration, and thus, higher resistance to terminal deformation during insertion is achieved.

[0022] (5) In the connector according to any one of (2) to (4), the pin terminal has a plurality of pairs of press-fitting portions formed with a spacing in the insertion direction a. The plurality of pairs of press-fitting portions are provided at different positions from each other in a height direction perpendicular to the width direction of the pin terminal.

[0023] According to the connector configured in (5), the front side press-fit portions are first press-fitted in the insertion direction when the pin terminal is inserted into the terminal insertion hole of the connector housing. When press-fitting the rear side press-fit portions of the pin terminal at positions, the rear side press-fit portions of the pin terminal are press-fitted at positions different from the front side press-fit portions in the height direction. Consequently, press-fit portions of the terminal insertion hole into which the rear side press-fit portions of the pin terminal are press-fitted are not closed by the front side press-fit portions thereof. Consequently, the pin terminal has a strong holding force, which is maintained while press-fitting the front side press-fit portions thereof does not affect the holding force of the rear side press-fit portions thereof.

[0024] (6) In the connector according to any one of paragraphs (1) to (5), the pin terminal of the metal wire is formed on which electroplating is carried out in advance.

[0025] According to the connector configured in (6), the metal wire formed by an elongated conductive metal material on which electroplating is performed in advance is cut to the predetermined length to form the pin terminal. Consequently, an improvement in yield can be achieved compared to a case where the pin terminal is formed by press forming. In addition, no broken surface is formed where electroplating is not performed, which can ensure good corrosion resistance and good connection reliability with a counterpart terminal without performing complicated re-electroplating or bending, and high quality can be ensured.

[0026] Furthermore, the pin terminal, formed from the pre-galvanized metal wire, has no undercut or burr, and the plating is uniform over the entire circumference. Consequently, uniform adhesion of the sealing material to the periphery of the pin terminal can be achieved when the terminal insertion hole of the connector housing is sealed using a sealing material, ensuring a good seal.

[0027] According to the connector of the invention, when the plurality of pin terminals of the terminal group are press-fitted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes of the connector housing, the rear end side surfaces in the insertion direction of the press-fit holders formed at the same positions from the distal ends of the pin terminals in the insertion direction are supported by a fitting jig or the like regardless of the different total lengths of the plurality of pin terminals. Consequently, a reaction force of the press-fit of the pin terminals inserted into the terminal insertion holes of the connector housing can always be absorbed. Consequently, the pin terminals of different lengths can be consistently inserted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes of the connector housing with the same stroke.As a result, the terminal press-in device can be reduced in size and it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of a connector.

[0028] By using a terminal assembly and a connector according to the embodiments of the present invention, a terminal press-fitting device can be miniaturized and manufacturing costs of the connector can be reduced, so that a connector can be provided at a low cost.

[0029] As above, the embodiments of the present invention have been briefly described. Furthermore, the present invention will become clearer in detail by reading at least one embodiment of the invention (hereinafter referred to as an "embodiment") with reference to the figures. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE CHARACTERS Fig. 1 shows a partial perspective view of a pin terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the main parts of the Fig. 1 shown pin connection. Fig. 3A shows an enlarged view of the main parts of the pin terminal according to a modification example having tapered flat surfaces on non-plastic deformation-processed surfaces, and Fig. Figure 3B shows a plan view of Fig. 3A. Fig. 4A shows an enlarged view of the main parts of the pin terminal according to a modification example in which press-fitted portions with different heights are provided, and Fig. 4B shows a side view of Fig. 4A. Fig. 5 is a view showing a terminal insertion position of a terminal group of pin terminals with different lengths having the press-fit holders at the same position thereof. Fig. Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of an entire connector in which a plurality of pin terminals of the type shown in Fig. 5 and is held in a plurality of terminal insertion holes of a connector housing. Fig. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the main parts constituting a part of the connector housing in which the terminal insertion holes are provided. Fig. Figure 8A shows a perspective view of the pin terminal before the pin terminal is held by a plug-in head, and Fig. Figure 8B shows a perspective view of the pin terminal held by the plug-in head. Fig. 9 shows a sectional view of the main parts of the connector housing after the pin terminal is press-fitted into the terminal insertion hole. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the main parts constituting a part of the connector in which the pin terminals are inserted into the terminal insertion holes of the connector housing. Fig. 11 shows a vertical sectional view of a printed circuit board connector according to the prior art. Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the main parts in a state where a circuit board terminal in the prior art is attached to a circuit board. Fig. 13 shows a perspective view of the Fig. 12 of the entire circuit board connection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0031] A connection group 11 (cf. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6) a plurality of pin terminals 15 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a printed circuit board connector 13 (cf. Fig. 6) is used, which constitutes a connector. The printed circuit board connector 13 is mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) in which, for example, an electrical junction box of an automobile is housed. The terminal group 11 includes the plurality of pin terminals 15. The pin terminals 15 are formed by cutting an elongated conductive metal wire at a predetermined length and press-fitting and retaining it in a plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 of a connector housing 17 (see FIG. Fig. 6). The pin terminal 15 is bent so that one end (printed circuit board connection portion 21) is formed into an L-shape and then soldered to a conductive path of the printed circuit board (not shown). The other end (electrical contact portion 23) is attached to and connected to a connection terminal of a connector provided at one end of an external electrical wire. In this way, the printed circuit board connector 13 connects an external electrical circuit to the printed circuit board.

[0032] The pin connection 15 is, as shown in the Fig. 1 to 2B, so that it has an overall elongated square rod shape. According to the illustration in the Fig. 6 to 7, the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 are arranged in the connector housing 17, into which the pin terminals 15 are inserted in the longitudinal and horizontal directions. The pin terminals 15 inserted into the terminal insertion holes 19 in each row in the vertical direction of the connector housing 17 have different lengths to be connected to the circuit board. Consequently, the terminal group 11 as shown in Fig. 6, the plurality of pin terminals 15 having different total lengths. In a case where six rows of the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 arranged in a row according to the present embodiment are arranged in the vertical direction, the pin terminals 15 (specifically, a pin terminal 25, a pin terminal 26, a pin terminal 27, a pin terminal 28, a pin terminal 29, and a pin terminal 30 as shown in Fig. 6), which has six types of different lengths, is provided in the connection group 11.

[0033] The plurality of pin terminals 15, including the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 having different total lengths, each has a pair of press-fit brackets 31 at the same positions toward the distal end in the insertion direction. The pair of press-fit brackets 31 protrude from both side edges of the pin terminal 15 in the corresponding width direction. The press-fit bracket 31 is formed by press-forming a transition portion in a direction (direction orthogonal to the axial direction) orthogonal to a longitudinal direction in the longitudinal direction (axial direction). Here, one end side of the pin terminal 15 in the axial direction is directed toward the insertion direction (arrow of a direction in Fig. 1). A rear end side surface 33 in the insertion direction of the press-fit fixture 31 receives a reaction force during insertion into the terminal insertion hole 19. Specifically, the rear end side surface 33 in the insertion direction of the press-fit fixture 31 becomes a pressing surface, which is formed by a pressing force F of an insertion head 39 (see FIG. Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B) at a terminal press-fitting position. In the present embodiment, the press-fitting bracket 31 is formed to be rectangular in a plan view; however, the shape thereof is not limited to this, as long as the rear end side surface 33 in the insertion direction can absorb the reaction force during insertion.

[0034] In addition, each of the pin terminals 15 has a pair of press-fit portions 35 formed on the distal end side with respect to the press-fit holders 31 in the insertion direction. The press-fit portions 35 are formed by press-molding or the like similar to the above description so as to protrude from both side edges of the pin terminal 15 in the width direction. In the pin terminal 15, the press-fit portions 35 are press-fitted and retained in the terminal insertion hole 19. In the present embodiment, the press-fit portion 35 is formed to be rectangular in plan view; however, the shape is not limited to this as long as instability is appropriate and removal from the terminal insertion hole 19 is regulated. Although not shown, the press-fit portion 35 may have an inclined surface that gradually descends toward the distal end side in the insertion direction.The press-in portion 35 has such a roof-like shape that the insertability is improved, whereby the holding properties can be ensured.

[0035] In the present invention, in the pin terminal 15, a pair of press-fit portions 37 is further formed on the distal end side of the pair of press-fit portions 35 in the insertion direction, and a plurality of pairs (two pairs in one example of the figures) of press-fit portions 35 and 37 are formed in the insertion direction. The two pairs of press-fit portions 35 and 37 (see FIG. Fig. 1) are formed to have correspondingly reduced protrusion heights near the distal end of the pin terminal 15 in the insertion direction. In other words, the pair of press-fit portions 37 at the front in the insertion direction has a protrusion height lower than that of the following press-fit portions 35.

[0036] The pin terminal 15 has a non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 remaining in a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit fixtures and / or a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit portions. The non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 represents a surface of a terminal surface 61 of the pin terminal 15 on which no plastic deformation is performed. In one example in the figures, the non-plastic deformation-processed surfaces 63 are provided between the plurality of pairs (two pairs) of press-fit portions 35 and 37 and between the pair of press-fit fixtures 31.Furthermore, "the part of the area between" means that the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 may not be provided in the entire area between the press-fit brackets 31 and the entire area between the press-fit sections 35 and 37. In other words, the area between the press-fit brackets 31 and the part of the area between the press-fit sections 35 and 37 is not necessarily pressed into the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 without pressing.

[0037] In the pin terminal 15 on which the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 is provided, the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 is provided in the vicinity of the press-fit portions 35 and 37. This prevents deterioration in strength due to the formation of the press-fit portions 35 and 37. In this way, the terminal is prevented from being deformed when the pin terminal 15 is inserted. In addition, the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 is provided in the vicinity of the press-fit retainer 31 in the pin terminal 15, and this prevents deterioration in strength due to the formation of the press-fit retainer 31. In this way, the pin terminal 15 is prevented from being deformed or broken when the press-fit retainer 31 is pressed and the pin terminal 15 is press-fitted.

[0038] Fig. 3A shows an enlarged view of a pin terminal 15A according to a modification example, which has a tapered flat surface 65 on the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63. Fig. Figure 3B shows a plan view of Fig. 3A. The non-plastic deformation-machined surface 63, which is shown in the Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B, is connected to the terminal surface 61 by the tapered flat surface 65 with gradually widening width.

[0039] In the pin terminal 15A where the tapered flat surface 65 is provided on the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63, the non-plastic deformation-processed surface 63 is not connected to the terminal surface 61 via a right-angle corner. Thus, stress concentration is less likely to occur in the pin terminal 15A compared to a corner configuration, and thus, higher resistance to terminal deformation during insertion is achieved.

[0040] Fig. Fig. 4A shows an enlarged view of the main parts of a pin terminal 15B according to a modification example in which the press-fit portions 35 and 37 are provided with different heights, and Fig. 4B shows a side view of Fig. 4A. The pin terminal 15B has a plurality of pairs of press-fit portions 35 and 37 which are provided at different positions relative to each other in a height direction (vertical direction in Fig. 4B) perpendicular to the width direction (perpendicular direction to the paper surface in Fig. 4B) of the pin terminal 15. In the example in the figures, the press-fit portions 35 are arranged at positions higher than the positions of the press-fit portions 37.

[0041] When the pin terminal 15B is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 19 of the connector housing 17, the press-fit portions 35 and 37 are provided at different positions from each other in the height direction. First, the press-fit portions 37 on the front side are press-fitted in the insertion direction. When the press-fit portions 35 of the pin terminal 15B are press-fitted on the rear side, the press-fit portions 35 on the rear side are press-fitted at positions different from the positions of the press-fit portions 37 on the front side in the height direction. Accordingly, press-fit portions of the terminal insertion hole 19 into which the press-fit portions 35 of the pin terminal 15B on the rear side are press-fitted are not worn by the press-fit portions 37 thereof on the front side.In this way, the pin terminal 15B has a strong holding force, while the press-fitting of the press-fitting portions 37 thereof at the front does not affect the holding force of the press-fitting portions 35 thereof at the rear.

[0042] In addition, the pin terminal 15 (15A or 15B) is preferably formed from the metal wire on which electroplating has been carried out in advance.

[0043] In this case, since the metal wire made of an elongated conductive metal material, on which electroplating was performed in advance, is cut to the predetermined length, the pin terminal 15 (15A or 15B) is formed. Consequently, performance can be improved compared to a case using the pin terminal formed by press molding. In addition, no broken surface is formed where electroplating is not performed, thereby ensuring good corrosion resistance and good connection to a counterpart terminal without performing complicated re-electroplating or burring, and high quality.

[0044] Furthermore, the pin terminal 15 (15A or 15B), made of the metal wire on which electroplating is performed in advance, has no undercut or burr, and the electroplating is performed evenly over the entire circumference. Consequently, uniform adhesion of the sealing material to the circumference of the pin terminal 15 (15A or 15B) can be achieved in a case where the terminal insertion hole 19 of the connector housing 17 is sealed using a sealing material, thereby ensuring a good seal.

[0045] Fig. 5 is a view showing a terminal insertion position of a terminal group 11 composed of pin terminals 15 having different lengths and having press-fit holders 31 and press-fit portions 35 and 37 at the same positions.

[0046] The pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 with different lengths are set so that a total length of the pin terminal 21 is L1, a total length of the pin terminal 26 is L2, a total length of the pin terminal 27 is L3, a total length of the pin terminal 28 is L4, a total length of the pin terminal 29 is L5, and a total length of the pin terminal 30 is L6 (L1 < L2 < L3 < L4 < L5 < L6). When the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 with different lengths are aligned at the terminal insertion positions (far end of the terminal), the rear ends of the terminals are offset. The rear end side of the terminal becomes a circuit board connection area 21 described above with respect to the circuit board. In addition, the distal end side of the terminal becomes the electrical contact area 23 described above.

[0047] In a case where the rear end of the terminal is pressed so that the pin terminals are inserted into a terminal holding hole 515 of a terminal holding device 513 according to a circuit board terminal 511 in the related art shown in FIGS. Fig. 12 and Fig. 13, there is a need to apply an insertion stroke according to the circuit board terminals 511 when the circuit board terminals 511 have different lengths. Accordingly, a plurality of insertion heads is required.

[0048] Meanwhile, the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 having different lengths in the terminal group 11 according to the present invention have the press-fitting portions 35 and 37 and the press-fitting retainer 31 formed at the same distal positions with respect to the terminal distal end. Consequently, in a case where the rear end side surface 33 of the press-fitting retainer 31 is pressed and inserted into the terminal insertion hole 19 of the connector housing 17 in the insertion direction, the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 having different lengths can all be inserted with the same insertion stroke.

[0049] It follows that the majority of pin terminals 15 in the terminal group 11 can be inserted by a type of plug-in head 39.

[0050] In addition, the press-fit portions 35 and 37 of the pin terminal 15 are set to have the same distance to the rear end side in the insertion direction from the press-fit retainer 31. Therefore, the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 having different lengths may have a die for forming the press-fit retainer 31 and a die for forming the press-fit portions 35 and 37 arranged at the same position (of course, the press-fit retainer 31 and the press-fit portions 35 and 37 may be formed simultaneously by one die).Consequently, a metal wire can be supplied to the dies for the press-fit holder 31 and the press-fit portions 35 and 37 by the supply stroke according to the lengths of different pin terminals 15 in a terminal processing step in which the press-fit holder 31 and the press-fit portions 35 and 37 are formed, and it is easy to control a supply amount of metal wire supplied in the terminal processing step.

[0051] According to the presentation in Fig. 6, the printed circuit board connector 13 according to the present embodiment includes the connector housing 17 having the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 and the terminal group 11 of the plurality of pin terminals 15, as described above. The connector housing 17 is made of a synthetic insulating resin material and formed to have a predetermined shape (e.g., a substantially rectangular squaring shape). In the connector housing 17, the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 receiving the pin terminals 15 are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction by a parallel arrangement, and the terminal insertion holes 19 are arranged vertically in a multi-row configuration. Thus, the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 are arranged in the longitudinal direction and the horizontal direction (see FIG. Fig. 7). In the present embodiment, for example, an example is shown in which the plurality of rows of pin terminals 15 are arranged in six rows. However, this arrangement is not limitative.

[0052] Next, a terminal press-fitting method of the printed circuit board connector 13 will be described.

[0053] According to the presentation in the Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B, the pin terminal 15 is first held by the insertion head 39 (a terminal carrier 41 and a clamping portion 43) in the arrangement of the pin terminal 15 on the connector housing 14.

[0054] On the lower surface of the clamping portion 43 facing the terminal support 41, an engaging groove 45 is provided that engages the pin terminal 15 clamped between the terminal support 41 and a pair of locking projections 47 that lock the rear end side surface 33 of the press-fit holder 31 of the pin terminal 15 in the insertion direction and regulate the backward movement thereof. In this way, the insertion head 39 holds the pin terminal 15, and the distal end of the pin terminal 15, cut to the predetermined length by the terminal cutter (not shown), faces the terminal insertion hole 19 of the connector housing 17 in the insertion direction. The terminal support 41 and the clamping portion 43 lock the rear end side surface 33 in the insertion direction of the press-fit holder 31 and hold the pin terminal 15 in a state in which the backward movement is regulated.

[0055] In the terminal press-fitting device, a housing moving mechanism causes the connector housing 17 to be moved by the distance of an insertion stroke S so that the pin terminals 15 held in the insertion heads 39 are pressed into the corresponding terminal insertion holes 19.

[0056] At this time, the insertion head 39 can lock the press-fit retainer 31 formed at the same position away from the distal end in the insertion direction, regardless of the different total lengths of the pin terminals 15. In this way, the insertion head 39 can always absorb a reaction force of inserting the pin terminal 15 into the terminal insertion hole 19 of the connector housing 17. Accordingly, the insertion head 39 and the housing moving mechanism can consistently insert the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 of different lengths into the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 of the connector housing 17 with the same insertion stroke. The insertion head 39 moves forward by the same stroke relative to the connector housing 17, thereby enabling the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 having different lengths to be inserted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19, respectively.

[0057] In a case where the elongated metal wire to which electroplating has been performed in advance is used as the elongated metal wires cut to the predetermined length to form the pin terminals 15, and the press-fit retainer 31 is attached to the insertion head 39, so that the pin terminal 15 is inserted into the terminal insertion hole 19 of the connector housing 17. Consequently, the insertion head 39 does not come into contact with the circuit board connection portion 21 of the pin terminal 15, so that the electroplating on the circuit board connection portion 21 is protected from peeling. Consequently, when the circuit board connection portion 21 of the pin terminal 15 is soldered to the conductive path of the circuit board, a solder shifts according to peeling of the electroplating.

[0058] Fig. 9 shows a sectional view of the main parts of the connector housing 17 after the pin terminal 15 is press-fitted into the terminal insertion hole 19.

[0059] The press-fit retainer 31 is arranged on the outside of the terminal insertion hole 19, with the pin terminal 15 fully inserted into the terminal insertion hole 19. In other words, a gap is provided between a rear end surface 49 of the housing and the press-fit retainer 31, and the gap becomes an interference suppression gap 51. Although the press-fit retainer 31 is pressed and deformed by the insertion head 39, there is no functional problem. Consequently, the interference suppression gap 51 is provided in the printed circuit board connector 13 between the connector housing 17 and the press-fit retainer 31, and thus interference due to contact between the deformed press-fit retainer 31 and the connector housing 17 can be prevented.In other words, the insertion position of the pin terminal 15 at the terminal insertion hole 19 is accurately determined by the same insertion stroke S by the housing moving mechanism without bringing the press-fit retainer 31 into contact with the connector housing 17. Consequently, the insertion position of the pin terminal 15 is not displaced without the deformation of the rear end surface 49 of the housing with which the press-fit retainer 31 comes into contact.

[0060] According to the presentation in Fig. 10, the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, ..., which have different lengths, are led out from the rear end surface 49 of the housing. Each circuit board connection area 21 is bent at a right angle to the electrical contact area 23, so that on the outside (right side in Fig.10) a longer terminal of the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, ... is arranged. The bent circuit board connection portion 21 is arranged perpendicular to the circuit board (not shown). At this time, the press-fit retainer 31 is exposed at a portion of the circuit board connector 13 immediately after the pin terminal is led out of the terminal insertion hole 19. The above-described noise suppression gap 51 is secured between the exposed press-fit retainer 31 and the rear end surface 49 of the housing.

[0061] Next, operations of the configurations described above are explained.

[0062] In the terminal group 11 according to the present invention, when the plurality of pin terminals 15 of the terminal group 11 are press-fitted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 of the connector housing 17, the rear end side surfaces 33 in the insertion direction of the press-fit holders 31, which are formed at the same position relative to the distal ends of the pin terminals in the insertion direction regardless of the different total lengths of the plurality of pin terminals 15, are held by an insertion device of the insertion head 39 or the like. Therefore, a reaction force of the press-fitting of the pin terminals 15 being press-fitted into the terminal insertion holes 19 of the connector housing 17 can always be absorbed. Consequently, the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 with different lengths can be continuously inserted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 of the connector housing 17 with the same stroke.

[0063] Since each pin terminal 15 of the terminal group 11 according to the present invention has the two pairs of press-fitting portions 35 and 37 projecting from the two side edges of the pin terminal in the width direction, and the press-fitting portions are press-fitted and held in the terminal insertion hole 19, press-fitting accuracy and strong press-fitting and holding force can be easily achieved compared to a case where a pin terminal 15 is inserted into a terminal insertion hole 19 without the press-fitting portions.

[0064] In addition, two pairs of press-fitting portions 35 and 37 are formed to have protrusion heights correspondingly lowered near the distal end of the pin terminal 15 in the insertion direction. A press-contact force with respect to the terminal insertion hole 19 gradually increases with the depth of insertion of the distal end of the pin terminal 15 in the insertion direction being inserted into the terminal insertion hole 19. The press-fitting portions are press-fitted while inner surfaces of the terminal insertion hole 19 are gradually deformed by the two pairs of press-fitting portions 35 and 37. Consequently, the press-fitting resistance can be reduced. Needless to say, a pin terminal in which only the press-fitting retainer 31 is provided without the press-fitting portions 35 and 37 can be press-fitted into the terminal insertion hole 19 as the pin terminal of the terminal group 11 according to the present invention.

[0065] In the printed circuit board connector 13 according to the present embodiment, when the plurality of pin terminals 15 of the terminal group 11 are press-fitted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 of the connector housing 17, the rear end side surfaces 33 in the insertion direction of the press-fit holder 31, which are formed at the same distal position with respect to the distal ends of the pin terminals in the insertion direction, are held by the insertion head 39 of the terminal press-fit jig, regardless of the different total lengths of the plurality of pin terminals 15. Consequently, a reaction force of the press-fit of the pin terminals 15 being press-fitted into the terminal insertion holes 19 of the connector housing 17 can always be absorbed.Consequently, the pin terminals 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 having different lengths can be continuously inserted into the plurality of terminal insertion holes 19 of the connector housing 17 with the same insertion stroke.

[0066] Accordingly, a terminal press-fitting device including the terminal group 11 and the printed circuit board connector 13 according to the present invention can be miniaturized, and the manufacturing cost of the printed circuit board connector 13 can be reduced, so that the printed circuit board connector 13 can be provided at a low cost.

Claims

[1] A connector (13) comprising: a connector housing (17); and a terminal group (11) including a plurality of pin terminals (15), each pin terminal (15) being formed from a metal wire having a predetermined length and being pressed and held in a plurality of terminal insertion holes (19) of the connector housing (17), wherein some of the plurality of pin terminals (15) have different overall lengths, the plurality of pin terminals (15) each have a pair of press-in brackets (31) projecting from both side edges of each of the plurality of pin terminals (15) in a width direction at the same distant positions from one end in an insertion direction (a), characterized by , that Rear end side surfaces (33) of the press-in brackets (31) absorb a reaction force with respect to the terminal insertion holes (19) during press-in, and in a state where the plurality of pin terminals (15) are press-fitted and held in the plurality of terminal insertion holes (19) of the connector housing (17), the press-fit retainers (31) are arranged on a rear side of a rear opening of the terminal insertion hole (19) in the insertion direction (a), and an interference suppression gap (51) is provided between a rear end surface (49) of the connector housing (17) and the press-fit retainer (31) so that interference due to contact between a deformed press-fit retainer (31) and the connector housing (17) is prevented. [2] The connector (13) according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of press-in portions (35) are formed on a front end side of the pin terminal (15) further forward than the press-in brackets (31) in the insertion direction (a) to protrude from both side edges of the pin terminal (15) in the width direction thereof, and the pair of press-fit sections (35) is pressed in and held in the terminal insertion hole (19). [3] The connector (13) according to claim 2, wherein a non-plastic deformation-processed surface (63) in which no plastic deformation is performed on a terminal surface (61) of the pin terminal (15) is provided in a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit holders (31) and / or at a region or a part of the region between the pair of press-fit portions (35). [4] The connector (13) according to claim 3, wherein the non-plastic deformation-processed surface (63) is connected to the terminal surface (61) by a tapered flat surface (65) having a gradually widening width. [5] The connector (13) according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the pin terminal (15) has a plurality of pairs of press-in portions (35, 37) formed with spacings in the insertion direction (a), and the plurality of pairs of press-in portions (35, 37) are provided at different positions from each other in a height direction perpendicular to the width direction of the pin terminal (15). [6] The connector (13) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pin terminal (15) is formed of the metal wire on which electroplating is performed in advance.

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