Plug component, contact and contact set

Abstract

To provide a plug component that increase the cross sectional area of a plug although being formed by folding a series of metal plate materials, and can secure sufficient contact reliability for a contact.SOLUTION: There is provided a plug component used for electric connection with a contact, and the plug component is formed by folding a series of metal plate material so as to have a fixation part fixed to a connection object, a substantially plate-like plug which has right and left external surfaces coming into contact with the contact, and an elastic support part which connects with the fixation part, and supports the plug with a spring, wherein the plug is so formed that surfaces of a left face part and a right face part which are parts of the metal plate materials, contact each other on the right and left, and the elastic support part has the spring extending from an upper edge of the left face part or the right face part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a plug component used for electrical connection with a contact, a contact, and a contact set having these.

Background Art

[0002] In various electrical devices such as mobile phones, various components necessary for ensuring the functions of the device are arranged. In addition, contacts may be used to electrically connect connection targets such as these components to each other or substrates to each other.

[0003] There are various such contacts. As one type of such contact, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 with a small number of components is known. This contact is formed by punching and bending a conductive plate material into a predetermined shape. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of Patent Document 1, an inverted U-shaped contact portion 14 protrudes from a housing 12, and the contact portion 14 is supported by a spring portion 16 formed by bending a strip-shaped plate material and biased in the protruding direction.

[0004] In addition, as a component corresponding to an application where a large current flows between connection targets, for example, Non-Patent Document 1 discloses providing a component (plug component) having a plug on one connection target and providing a contact used for electrical connection with the plug on the other connection target.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] According to the plug component as described above, by increasing the contact area between the plug and the contact, the electrical resistance can be suppressed, and the current can flow efficiently. In addition, when used particularly for applications where a large current flows, it is very important to increase the cross-sectional area of the plug.

[0007] Furthermore, it is also important to sufficiently ensure the contact reliability between the plug and the contact (the degree of stability and certainty of the contact between both). In addition, in practice, it is assumed that the relative positional relationship between the plug and the contact deviates from the ideal state to a certain extent. Even in such a case, it is preferable that the contact reliability between the plug and the contact can be similarly ensured.

[0008] Also, if the plug component can be formed by bending a series of metal plates, it is advantageous in terms of productivity and ease of design change. However, it is not easy to increase the cross-sectional area of the plug while forming the plug component by bending a series of metal plates and sufficiently ensure the contact reliability with the contact.

[0009] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a plug component that can increase the cross-sectional area of the plug and sufficiently ensure the contact reliability with the contact while being formed by bending a series of metal plates, as well as a contact and a contact set related to the plug component.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The plug component according to the present invention is a plug component used for electrical connection with a contact, and includes a fixing portion fixed to a connection target, a substantially plate-shaped plug having left and right outer surfaces that contact the contact, and an elastic support portion connected to the fixing portion and supporting the plug by a spring. A series of metal plates are bent to form these components. The plug is formed such that the surfaces of the left and right portions, which are each part of the metal plate, are joined together left and right. The elastic support portion has a configuration including the spring extending from the upper edge of the left or right portion. According to this configuration, it is possible to increase the cross-sectional area of the plug while being formed by bending a series of metal plates, and to sufficiently ensure the contact reliability with the contact.

[0011] More specifically, as the above configuration, the fixing portion includes a left fixing portion disposed on the left side of the left-right position of the plug and a right fixing portion disposed on the right side of the left-right position of the plug. The elastic support portion has a configuration including a left spring portion extending from the upper edge of the left portion and connected to the left fixing portion, and a right spring portion extending from the upper edge of the right portion and connected to the right fixing portion, as separate springs.

[0012] More specifically, as the above configuration, the left spring portion includes a front left spring portion extending from a position closer to the front side of the upper edge of the left portion and a rear left spring portion extending from a position closer to the rear side of the upper edge of the left portion. The right spring portion includes a front right spring portion extending from a position closer to the front side of the upper edge of the right portion and a rear right spring portion extending from a position closer to the rear side of the upper edge of the right portion.

[0013] More specifically, as the above configuration, one of the left and right portions is formed by an element bent from the front edge of the other and an element bent from the rear edge of the other, and a convex portion provided on one of these elements fits into a concave portion provided on the other element, and the fitting portion is caulked.

[0014] The contact according to the present invention is used for electrical connection with a plug having left and right outer surfaces, and includes left and right contact portions arranged to face each other, a left spring portion that biases the left contact portion to the right, and a right spring portion that biases the right contact portion to the left. Between the left and right contact portions, there is a contact through which the plug is inserted so as to push back the contact portion. In a state where the plug is inserted, each of the left and right spring portions biases the corresponding contact portion, and the contact between each of the contact portions and the corresponding outer surface is formed. A configuration is provided with a limiting mechanism that restricts the movement of the contact portion on at least one of the left and right sides in a specific direction. According to this configuration, it is possible to more appropriately ensure contact with the plug.

[0015] Further, in the contact having the above configuration formed of a metal plate material and having a main element including a side wall portion whose surface faces in the left-right direction, an inclined wall portion bent from the upper edge of the side wall portion so as to incline in a direction advancing in the opposite direction of the specific direction as it advances downward, and a bent piece portion bent from the lower edge of the inclined wall portion toward the inner surface of the side wall portion, the contact portion on the specific direction side is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the inclined wall portion, and the limiting mechanism may be configured to limit the movement when the bent piece portion hits the inner surface of the side wall portion.

[0016] More specifically, the limiting mechanism may be configured to limit the movement within a range where the contact is maintained in each of the left and right contact portions. Further, more specifically, the limiting mechanism may be configured to limit the movement of the left contact portion to the left and the movement of the right contact portion to the right within a range where the contact is maintained in each of the left and right contact portions.

[0017] In addition, in the contact having the above-described configuration formed of a metal plate material so as to include a bottom wall portion whose surface faces in the vertical direction, a left side wall portion bent from the left edge of the bottom wall portion so that its surface faces in the left-right direction, a left inclined wall portion bent from the upper edge of the left side wall portion so that its surface faces diagonally upward to the right, a left bent piece portion bent from the lower edge of the left inclined wall portion toward the inner surface of the left side wall portion, a right side wall portion bent from the right edge of the bottom wall portion so that its surface faces in the left-right direction, a right inclined wall portion bent from the upper edge of the right side wall portion so that its surface faces diagonally upward to the left, and a right bent piece portion bent from the lower edge of the right inclined wall portion toward the inner surface of the right side wall portion, the left contact portion on the left side is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the left inclined wall portion, the right contact portion on the right side is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the right inclined wall portion, and the limiting mechanism restricts the leftward movement of the left contact portion within the above range when the left bent piece portion contacts the inner surface of the left side wall portion, and restricts the rightward movement of the right contact portion within the above range when the right bent piece portion contacts the inner surface of the right side wall portion.

[0018] The contact set according to the present invention includes a contact having the above-described configuration fixed to a lower first connection target, and a plug component provided with the plug and fixed to an upper second connection target, and is configured to electrically connect the first connection target to the second connection target via the contact and the plug component.

[0019] More specifically, as the above-described configuration, the plug component may be configured to include a fixing portion fixed to a second connection target, and an elastic support portion connected to the fixing portion and elastically supporting an upper portion of the plug. More specifically, as the configuration, the plug may be formed by overlapping two metal plates left and right, and separate elastic support portions may be connected and provided at two locations in the front and rear at the upper edge of the left metal plate and at two locations in the front and rear at the upper edge of the right metal plate, respectively.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the plug component of the present invention, while forming by bending a series of metal plates, it is possible to increase the cross-sectional area of the plug and sufficiently ensure the contact reliability with the contact.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] The contact set according to each embodiment of the present invention will be described below using each drawing. The up-down, left-right, and front-back directions (conveniently defined as directions orthogonal to each other) in the following description are as shown in FIG. 1 and the like. The contact set of each embodiment has a socket contact 1 (corresponding to the contact of the present invention) and a plug contact 2 (corresponding to the plug component of the present invention).

[0023] 1. First Embodiment First, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the socket contact 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the plug contact 2 according to the first embodiment.

[0024] The socket contact 1 includes a bottom wall portion 11, left and right side wall portions 12L, 12R (hereinafter, may be collectively referred to as the side wall portion 12), left and right inclined wall portions 13L, 13R (hereinafter, may be collectively referred to as the inclined wall portion 13), and left and right bent piece portions 14L, 14R (hereinafter, may be collectively referred to as the bent piece portion 14). In the following description, a series of elements from the side wall portion 12 through the inclined wall portion 13 to the bent piece portion 13 may be referred to as the main portion 10. The overall shape of the socket contact 1 is symmetric about the front-back and left-right directions.

[0025] The bottom wall portion 11 has a surface facing in the up-down direction and is in the shape of a substantially rectangular flat plate having front, back, left, and right sides as the outer edges when viewed from below. The lower surface of the bottom wall portion 11 can be fixed to the connection target by soldering. The left side wall portion 12L is a portion bent from the left edge of the bottom wall portion 11 so that its surface faces in the left-right direction, and is in the shape of a substantially rectangular flat plate having front, back, up, and down sides as the outer edges when viewed from the left.

[0026] The left inclined wall portion 13L is a portion bent from the upper edge of the left side wall portion 12L so that the surface faces diagonally upward to the right, and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape with opposite sides extending in the front and rear as outer edges. It can also be seen that the left inclined wall portion 13L is bent from the upper edge of the left side wall portion 12L so as to incline in the direction of advancing to the right as it advances downward. The left bent piece portion 14L is a portion bent from the lower edge of the left inclined wall portion 13L toward the inner surface (right surface) of the left side wall portion 12L, and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape with opposite sides extending in the front and rear as outer edges.

[0027] The right side wall portion 12R is a portion bent from the right edge of the bottom wall portion 11 so that the surface faces in the left-right direction, and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape with respective sides in the front, rear, upper, and lower as the outer edge when viewed from the left. The right inclined wall portion 13R is a portion bent from the upper edge of the right side wall portion 12R so that the surface faces diagonally upward to the left, and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape with opposite sides extending in the front and rear as outer edges. It can also be seen that the right inclined wall portion 13R is bent from the upper edge of the right side wall portion 12R so as to incline in the direction of advancing to the left as it advances downward.

[0028] The right bent piece portion 14R is a portion bent from the lower edge of the right inclined wall portion 13R toward the inner surface (left surface) of the right side wall portion 12R, and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape with opposite sides extending in the front and rear as outer edges. The socket contact 1 is formed of a single metal plate material so as to have the above-described portions 11 to 14.

[0029] In the left and right main portions 10 of the socket contact 1, the portion near the lower edge of the inclined wall portion 13 (the portion located at the innermost side in the left - right direction) is a contact portion 15 that comes into contact with the plug portion 21 described later. Also, in the left and right main portions 10, mainly the portion of the inclined wall portion 13 is an elastic spring portion 16 that elastically deforms so that the angle formed by the side wall portion 12 and the inclined wall portion 13 generally becomes smaller when the contact portion 15 is pushed outward in the left - right direction, and biases the contact portion 15 inward in the left - right direction. Note that the spring portion 16 also elastically deforms in the same manner when the inner surface of the inclined wall portion 13 in the left - right direction is pushed.

[0030] Regarding the manufacturing process of the socket contact 1, in this embodiment, a single metal plate material is subjected to cutting processing or the like, and as shown in FIG. 3, an intermediate body M1 that serves as the basis of the socket contact 1 in a state connected to the carrier Ca is formed. As the metal plate material, in the example of this embodiment, a brass plate material with a thickness of 0.5 mm is adopted, but it is not limited to this.

[0031] By performing bending processing or the like on the intermediate body M1 shown in FIG. 3, as shown in FIG. 4, the socket contact 1 in a state connected to the carrier Ca is formed, and further, the carrier Ca is cut and removed to obtain the socket contact 1. Also, surface treatment such as plating may be performed on the socket contact 1.

[0032] Regarding the size of the socket contact 1, in the example of this embodiment, the dimension in the left - right direction (the distance between the outer surfaces of the left and right side wall portions 12) is 4.0 mm, the dimension in the up - down direction (the distance from the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 11 to the upper end of the main element 10) is 5.8 mm, the width of the main element 10 (the dimension in the front - rear direction) is 5.4 mm, the width of the bottom wall portion 11 (the dimension in the front - rear direction) is 4.0 mm, and the gap between the left and right contact portions 15 as viewed from above is 0.4 mm. However, the size of the socket contact 1 can be appropriately changed according to product specifications and the like.

[0033] The plug contact 2 includes a plug portion 21 (corresponding to the plug of the present invention) and a total of four extending portions 22 connected to the plug portion 21. The basic shape of the entire plug contact 2 is symmetric about the front and back and symmetric about the left and right.

[0034] The plug portion 21 has outer surfaces exposed on the left and right sides respectively, and has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape with sides on the front, back, top, and bottom as the outer edges when viewed from the left. The plug portion 21 is formed by overlapping two metal plates on the left and right. Separate extending portions 22 are connected and provided at two locations on the front and back of the upper edge of the left metal plate and at two locations on the front and back of the upper edge of the right metal plate respectively.

[0035] Each of the front and rear extending portions 22 on the left side includes a first flat plate portion 22a formed by bending from the upper edge of the left metal plate in the plug portion 21 to make a U-turn to the left, a second flat plate portion 22b formed by bending from the lower edge of the first flat plate portion 22a to make a U-turn to the left, and a third flat plate portion 22c formed by bending at a right angle from the upper edge of the second flat plate portion 22b to the right.

[0036] The surface of the third flat plate portion 22c faces in the vertical direction, and the upper surface can be fixed to the connection target by soldering. Also, appropriate gaps are provided between the plug portion 21 and the first flat plate portion 22a, between the first flat plate portion 22a and the second flat plate portion 22b, and between the third flat plate portion 22c and the portion bent to make a U-turn (the connection portion between the plug portion 21 and the first flat plate portion 22a) so that the plug portion 21 is elastically supported by each extending portion 22. In this way, in the plug contact 2, the plug portion 21 is supported in a well-balanced manner by springs separately formed by each extending portion 22, and a floating structure for supporting the plug portion 21 in a movable state is adopted. With this floating structure, for example, as shown by the dashed arrow in FIG. 7, the plug portion 21 can move and the plug portion 21 can be tilted left and right. Each of the front and rear extending portions 22 on the right side is symmetric with each of the front and rear extending portions 22 on the left side, and the basic functions are also equivalent.

[0037] The plug contact 2 is formed of a single metal plate material so as to have a plug portion 21 and an extension portion 22. Regarding the manufacturing process of the plug contact 2, in this embodiment, a single metal plate material is subjected to cutting or the like to form an intermediate body M2 that serves as the basis of the plug contact 2 connected to the carrier Ca as shown in FIG. 5. As the metal plate material, in the example of this embodiment, a brass or copper alloy plate material with a thickness of 0.3 mm is adopted, but it is not limited thereto.

[0038] By performing bending or the like on the intermediate body M2 shown in FIG. 5, the plug contact 2 connected to the carrier Ca is formed as shown in FIG. 6, and further, the carrier Ca can be cut and removed to obtain the plug contact 2. Regarding the portion of the plug portion 21 shown in FIG. 5, a flat portion 21y and a flat portion 21z are arranged on both sides of the flat portion 21x, and they are bent at 180° at the boundary line of these flat portions so that the surfaces of the flat portion 21y and the flat portion 21z are in close contact with the surface of the flat portion 21x.

[0039] Also, when being bent in this way, the convex portion 21a provided on the flat portion 21y is fitted into the concave portion 21b (a recessed portion formed according to the shape and size of the convex portion 21a) provided on the flat portion 21z, and caulking (caulking process is performed) is carried out so that this fitted state is firmly maintained. This caulking process can be realized by plastically deforming a part of the fitting portion of the convex portion 21a and the concave portion 21b (the portion indicated by β in FIG. 6) by pressing it with a tool and crushing it, and making the convex portion 21a and the concave portion 21b in close contact at that portion. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably maintain the close contact between the above-mentioned flat portions forming the plug portion 21. The plug contact 2 may be subjected to surface treatment such as plating.

[0040] As is clear from the above description, the plug portion 21 is formed such that the surfaces of a flat plate-like portion (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "left surface portion 21L") disposed on the left side, which is a part of the metal plate material, and a flat plate-like portion (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "right surface portion 21R") disposed on the right side are joined together left and right. The right surface portion 21R is formed by an element (flat plate portion 21z) bent from the front edge of the left surface portion 21L and an element (flat plate portion 21y) bent from the rear edge of the left surface portion 21L, and the convex portion 21a provided on the flat plate portion 21y fits into the concave portion 21b provided on the flat plate portion 21z. Further, the fitting portion is caulked. Note that the left surface portion 21L and the right surface portion 21R may be reversed in configuration with respect to each other (that is, the left surface portion 21L may be formed by the flat plate portion 21z and the flat plate portion 21y), and the concave portion 21b may be provided on the flat plate portion 21y and the convex portion 21a may be provided on the flat plate portion 21z.

[0041] Regarding the size of the plug contact 2, in the example of the present embodiment, the dimension in the left-right direction (the distance between the outer surfaces of the left and right second flat plate portions 22b) is 3.0 mm, the dimension in the up-down direction (the distance from the upper surface of the third flat plate portion 22c to the lower end of the plug portion 21) is 9.2 mm, the thickness (dimension in the left-right direction) of the plug portion 21 is 0.6 mm, and the width (dimension in the front-rear direction) of the plug portion 21 is 4.8 mm. However, the size of the plug contact 2 can be appropriately changed according to product specifications and the like.

[0042] Next, the usage form of the contact set of the present embodiment will be described. The contact set serves to electrically connect connection targets to each other. In the example of the present embodiment, the connection targets are substrates disposed so as to face each other vertically. In the following description, for convenience, the lower substrate is referred to as the first connection target X1, and the upper substrate is referred to as the second connection target X2.

[0043] The bottom surface of the socket contact 1 is fixed to the first connection target X1 by soldering. The upper surfaces of the respective third flat portions 22c of the plug contact 2 are fixed to the second connection target X2 by soldering. Next, the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 fixed to each connection target in this way are ideally set in the positional relationship as illustrated in FIG. 7. In the state shown in FIG. 7, the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 have the same orientation in the front-back and left-right directions. The plug contact 2 is positioned directly above the socket contact 1, and both the left-right center position and the front-back center position of the plug contact 2 and the socket contact 1 coincide.

[0044] In the state shown in FIG. 7, at least one of the first connection target X1 and the second connection target X2 is moved in the vertical direction so as to approach each other, whereby the plug portion 21 is inserted into the socket contact 1 (that is, inserted between the left and right contact portions 15), resulting in the state as shown in FIG. 8. In this state, the plug portion 21 of the plug contact 2 is sandwiched between the left and right main portions 10 of the socket contact 1. Note that in FIG. 8 (the same applies to FIGS. 11 and 16 described later), the elastic deformation of the socket contact 1 is omitted.

[0045] The gap between the left and right contact portions 15 of the socket contact 1 before the insertion of the plug portion 21 is smaller than the thickness of the plug portion 21. Therefore, at the time of the insertion, the plug portion 21 is inserted between the left and right contact portions 15 such that the left and right contact portions 15 are pushed outward in the left-right direction (against the biasing force of the spring portion 16). Also, in the state where the plug portion 21 is inserted, since the left and right contact portions 15 are maintained in the state of being pushed outward in the left-right direction, the left and right spring portions 16 bias the contact portions 15 inward in the left-right direction, and the left and right contact portions 15 hold the plug portion 21 in a pressed state.

[0046] Therefore, the stability and certainty of the contact between the left and right contact portions 15 and the plug portion 21 are sufficiently ensured. Further, both the left and right contact portions 15 having sufficient width in the front-rear direction come into contact with the plug portion 21, and the contact area between the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 is sufficiently ensured, thereby suppressing the electrical resistance and enabling efficient current flow between the two. Furthermore, since the contact portion 15 that contacts the plug portion 21 is provided at a position closer to the lower side of the socket contact 1, it is possible to make the contact between the plug portion 21 and the contact portion 15 more stable compared to the case where the contact portion 15 is provided at a position closer to the upper side of the socket contact 1.

[0047] In the actual use of the contact set, the relative positional relationship between the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 does not necessarily reach the ideal state described above, and it is also assumed that a certain degree of positional deviation may occur. However, the contact set of the present embodiment is considered to appropriately ensure the contact between the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 even when such a positional deviation occurs. This point will be described more specifically below.

[0048] First, since the gap between the left and right contact portions 15 in the socket contact 1 is open in the front-rear direction, even if the plug contact 2 is positionally deviated in the front-rear direction, interference of the front-rear end portion of the plug portion 21 with the socket contact 1 is avoided. Therefore, deformation or damage of the socket contact 1 or the plug contact 2 due to the interference is prevented, and a situation where the contact reliability between the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 is impaired is avoided.

[0049] Also, the inclined wall portion 13 in the socket contact 1 is inclined so as to go inward in the left-right direction as it goes downward. Therefore, when the plug contact 2 is positionally deviated in the left-right direction, when the tip of the plug portion 21 hits the inclined wall portion 13 and further advances downward, it can slide along the inclined wall portion 13 and move inward in the left-right direction while advancing downward, and guide the plug portion 21 between the left and right contact portions 15.

[0050] FIG. 9 illustrates a state where the plug contact 2 is displaced in the left - right direction. In the example of FIG. 9, the plug contact 2 is displaced to the right, but the case where it is displaced to the left can be considered in the same way.

[0051] When the second connection target X2 is moved downward from the state shown in FIG. 9, the plug portion 21 slides along the right inclined wall portion 13R, moves downward while approaching the left side, and is guided between the left and right contact portions 15. In particular, in this embodiment, since the floating structure described above is adopted in the plug contact 2, when the tip of the plug portion 21 hits the right inclined wall portion 13R, the plug portion 21 tilts to the left, and it is possible to more smoothly guide the plug portion 21 between the left and right contact portions 15.

[0052] When the plug portion 21 hits, the right inclined wall portion 13R is pushed to the right and the right contact portion 15 moves to the right. If the right contact portion 15 moves too far to the right, the gap between the left and right contact portions 15 becomes larger than the thickness of the plug portion 21, and the plug portion 21 cannot be brought into contact with both the left and right contact portions 15, and there is a risk that the contact area between the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 cannot be sufficiently ensured.

[0053] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the edge α of the right bent piece portion 14R hits the inner surface (that is, the left - hand surface) of the right side wall portion 12R, the bent piece portion 14R is jammed, and the right contact portion 15 is prevented from moving further to the right. That is, the rightward movement of the right contact portion 15 is restricted by the edge α of the right bent piece portion 14R hitting the inner surface of the right side wall portion 12R. In this way, the socket contact 1 is provided with a restricting mechanism for restricting the rightward movement of the right - hand contact portion 15. Note that the movement may be restricted by the edge α of the bent piece portion 14R hitting the corner between the inner surface of the side wall portion 12R and the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 11. The edge α of the bent piece portion 14R hitting the inner surface of the side wall portion 12R is a concept that includes the form of hitting the corner in this way.

[0054] The position of the edge α of the right bent piece portion 14R in the initial state (the state before the plug portion 21 is inserted into the socket contact 1) is set such that the contact between both the left and right contact portions 15 and the plug portion 21 is maintained even when the edge α hits the inner surface of the right side wall portion 12R (that is, the state where the inserted plug portion 21 is positioned maximally to the right). In the example of the present embodiment, the distance between the edge α and the inner surface of the right side wall portion 12R in the initial state is set to be smaller than 0.2 mm (the difference between the thickness of the plug portion 21 and the gap between the left and right contact portions 15 in the initial state), so that even when the inserted plug portion 21 is positioned maximally to the right, the left contact portion 15 is slightly pushed leftward by the plug portion 21. Thereby, a contact force is generated between both the left and right contact portions 15 and the plug portion 21, and it is possible to sufficiently ensure the contact reliability.

[0055] Note that the position of the edge α of the bent piece portion 14R (particularly the position in the left - right direction) can be adjusted by changing one or both of the bending angle of the bent piece portion 14R (the angle formed by the inclined wall portion 13R and the bent piece portion 14R as viewed from the front) and the bending position. Therefore, the socket contact 1 can adjust the bending angle and the bending position so that the position of the edge α of the bent piece portion 14R is appropriate according to the gap between the left and right contact portions 15 or according to the thickness of the plug portion 21.

[0056] Also, even when there is a positional deviation in the rotational direction about the vertical axis in the plug contact 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as rotational deviation), due to the adoption of the floating structure described above in the plug contact 2, the rotational deviation is corrected when the tip of the plug portion 21 hits the inclined wall portion 13, and it is possible to insert the plug portion 21 between the left and right contact portions 15.

[0057] Regarding the vertical length of the plug portion 21, it may be appropriately changed so as to match the vertical distance between the first connection target X1 and the second connection target X2 after connection. For example, when the distance between the first connection target X1 and the second connection target X2 after connection is relatively long, the vertical length of the plug portion 21 may be increased as shown in FIG. 10 accordingly. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the vertical dimension (the distance from the upper surface of the third flat plate portion 22c to the lower end of the plug portion 21) is 23.7 mm, and the pair of convex portions 21a and concave portions 21b described above are provided at two upper and lower positions, and it is possible to more reliably maintain the close contact between the flat plate portions forming the plug portion 21. By using the plug contact 2 shown in FIG. 10, as shown in FIG. 11, even when the distance between the first connection target X1 and the second connection target X2 after connection is relatively long, it is possible to appropriately connect these connection targets to each other.

[0058] Also, the specific form of the extension portion 22 in the plug contact 2 can be variously changed. For example, the plug contact 2 having only one extension portion 22 on one of the left and right sides may be used. Regarding the manufacturing process of the plug contact 2 thus configured, a single metal plate material is subjected to cutting processing or the like, and as shown in FIG. 12, an intermediate body M2 that serves as the basis of the plug contact 2 connected to the carrier Ca is formed. Then, by performing bending processing or the like on this intermediate body M2, the plug contact 2 connected to the carrier Ca as shown in FIG. 13 is formed, and further, the carrier Ca can be cut and removed to obtain the plug contact 2.

[0059] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, emphasis will be placed on the description of matters different from the first embodiment, and the description of matters common to the first embodiment may be omitted.

[0060] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the socket contact 1 according to the second embodiment. As shown in this figure, in the socket contact 1 of this embodiment, each of the left and right main portions 10 is provided with a continuous gap 10a extending from one end (the lower end of the side wall portion 12) to the other end (the outer edge of the bent piece portion 14) at the central position in the front-rear direction, and they are separated in the front-rear direction.

[0061] Therefore, in the socket contact 1 of this embodiment, four contact portions 15 (the front and rear contact portions 15 on the left main portion 10 and the front and rear contact portions 15 on the right main portion 10) are provided. Thereby, when the plug portion 21 is inserted into the socket contact 1, each of these four contact portions 15 can be brought into contact with the plug portion 21.

[0062] Also, in this embodiment, separate spring portions 16 are provided for each contact portion 15, and these spring portions 16 can move independently of each other. Thereby, for example, even when the plug portion 21 is inserted into the socket contact 1 in a state of rotational deviation, according to this rotational deviation, the front and rear spring portions 16 on the left and right can be deformed independently of each other, and the front and rear contact portions 15 can be brought into more stable contact with the plug portion 21.

[0063] 3. Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, emphasis will be placed on the description of matters different from the second embodiment, and the description of matters common to the second embodiment may be omitted.

[0064] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the socket contact 1 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2 according to the third embodiment are connected (a cross-sectional view when the socket contact 1 is cut by a plane that bisects it in the front-rear direction).

[0065] As shown in Fig. 15, in the socket contact 1 of the third embodiment, front and rear guide wall portions 17 whose surfaces face in the front-rear direction are provided so as to sandwich the main element 10 in the front-rear direction. The front and rear guide wall portions 17 are provided on the left and right respectively. Each left guide wall portion 17 is provided so as to sandwich the left main element 10 in the front-rear direction, and each right guide wall portion 17 is provided so as to sandwich the right main element 10 in the front-rear direction.

[0066] Also, each guide wall portion 17 has the same shape and size, and an inclined portion 17a and a vertical portion 17b are provided at the edges on the inner side in the left-right direction. The inclined portion 17a is formed in a region closer to the upper side of each guide wall portion 17, and is provided with an inclination substantially equivalent to that of the adjacent inclined wall portion 13. The position of the inclined portion 17a is set slightly outside in the left-right direction than the inclined wall portion 13. The vertical portion 17b extends in the vertical direction from the lower end of the inclined portion 17a to the bottom wall portion 11. The position of the vertical portion 17b is set outside in the left-right direction than the contact portion 15.

[0067] In the front and rear of the socket contact 1 respectively, the size of the gap (distance in the left-right direction) between the left and right vertical portions 17b is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of the plug portion 21. Also, in the third embodiment, the width (dimension in the front-rear direction) of the plug portion 21 is set to be larger than the front-rear direction distance between the outer surfaces of the front and rear guide wall portions 17. When the plug portion 21 is inserted into the socket contact 1, basically, both the front and rear ends of the plug portion 21 are located outside the front-rear direction positions of the guide wall portions 17.

[0068] Therefore, the guide wall portion 17 serves to guide the plug portion 21 to an appropriate position during the insertion even if the plug contact 2 is displaced in the left-right direction. That is, even if the plug portion 21 is displaced in the left-right direction, the front and rear tip portions hit the inclined portion 17a and are guided inward in the left-right direction while moving downward, and further fit into the gap between the left and right vertical portions 17b, so that the plug portion 21 can be inserted into an appropriate position of the socket contact 1.

[0069] In addition, when the plug contacts 2 are misaligned front and back, or when the width of the plug portion 21 is smaller than the front-to-back distance between the outer surfaces of the front and rear guide wall portions 17, the end portion of the plug portion 21 is located more inward in the front-to-back direction than the guide wall portion 17 at at least one of the front and rear, and there is a possibility that the plug contacts 2 may not hit the guide wall portion 17 even if they are misaligned left and right. Even in such a case, similar to the case of the first embodiment, the socket contact 1 is provided with the bent piece portion 14, and when the edge α of the bent piece portion 14 hits the inner surface of the side wall portion 12, even if the plug contacts 2 are misaligned in the left-right direction, it is possible to prevent the contact portion 15 from moving too far in the left-right direction.

[0070] Also, as shown in FIG. 15, the socket contact 1 of the third embodiment is provided with two lead portions 18 protruding downward from the bottom wall portion 11 so as to be arranged in the front-to-back direction at the center in the left-right direction of the bottom wall portion 11. By inserting the lead portions 18 into the through holes in the substrate of the first connection target X1, it helps to prevent misalignment and rotation of the socket contact 1 when soldering the socket contact 1 to the substrate. Further, by soldering and fixing the lead portions 18 in a state where they are inserted into the through holes, the fixing of the socket contact 1 becomes more stable, and it is possible to prevent, as much as possible, the occurrence of cracks in the solder and the like.

[0071] Regarding the manufacturing process of the socket contact 1 of the third embodiment, a single metal plate material is subjected to cutting and other processes to form an intermediate body M1 that serves as the basis of the socket contact 1 in a state connected to the carrier Ca, as shown in FIG. 17.

[0072] By performing cutting and bending processes at the positions indicated by the broken lines on the intermediate body M1 shown in FIG. 17, the socket contact 1 in a state connected to the carrier Ca is formed as shown in FIG. 18, and further, the carrier Ca can be cut and removed to obtain the socket contact 1. Also, surface treatment such as plating may be performed on the socket contact 1.

[0073] 4. Others As described above, the plug contact 2 of each embodiment is a plug component used for electrical connection with the contact 1, and includes a fixing portion (the third flat plate portion 22c) fixed to the second connection target X2, a substantially plate-shaped plug portion 21 having left and right outer surfaces that contact the contact 1, and an elastic support portion (mainly, portions other than the third flat plate portion 22c in the extending portion 22) that is connected to the fixing portion and supports the plug portion 21 by a spring. A series of metal plates are bent to form these components. The plug portion 21 is formed such that the surfaces of the left surface portion 21L and the right surface portion 21R, which are part of the metal plate, are joined together on the left and right. The elastic support portion has the spring extending from the upper edge of the left surface portion 21L or the right surface portion 21R.

[0074] Therefore, according to the plug contact 2, it is possible to increase the cross-sectional area of the plug portion 21 while being formed by bending a series of metal plates, and to sufficiently ensure the contact reliability with the contact 1. More specifically, since the plug portion 21 is formed in a plate shape such that the surfaces of the left surface portion 21L and the right surface portion 21R are joined together on the left and right, the thickness of the plate shape is twice that of the metal plate. As a result, the cross-sectional area of the plug portion 21 is larger than when a part of the metal plate is simply used as the plug portion 21, and a plug contact 2 suitable for applications where a large current (for example, a current of 32 A) flows is realized.

[0075] Furthermore, while having such characteristics, the thickness of the spring of the elastic support portion of the plug contact 2 is the same as the thickness of the metal plate itself (that is, half the thickness of the plug portion 21). This makes it easier to perform elastic deformation for the floating structure described above and enables the stress generated in the spring to be reduced. When the floating structure of the plug contact 2 functions effectively, even if there is a misalignment between the contacts 1 and 2, the contact reliability between the plug portion 21 (plug contact 2) and the contact portion 15 (socket contact 1) can be sufficiently ensured.

[0076] Also, the plug contact 2 of each embodiment has, as the fixing portions, a left fixing portion disposed on the left side of the left - right direction position of the plug portion 21 and a right fixing portion disposed on the right side of the left - right direction position of the plug portion 21. The elastic support portion has, as separate springs, a left spring portion extending from the upper edge of the left surface portion 21L and connected to the left fixing portion and a right spring portion extending from the upper edge of the right surface portion 21R and connected to the right fixing portion. Thereby, it is possible to elastically support the plug portion 21 in a well - balanced manner in the left - right direction.

[0077] Also, the plug contact 2 of each embodiment has, as the left spring portion, a front - left spring portion extending from a position closer to the front side of the upper edge of the left surface portion 21L and a rear - left spring portion extending from a position closer to the rear side of the upper edge of the left surface portion 21L. As the right spring portion, it has a front - right spring portion extending from a position closer to the front side of the upper edge of the right surface portion 21R and a rear - right spring portion extending from a position closer to the rear side of the upper edge of the right surface portion 21R. Thereby, it is possible to elastically support the plug portion 21 in a well - balanced manner by at least four spring portions provided with a shift in position in the left - right or front - rear direction. Also, for example, even when the plug portion 21 is inserted into the socket contact 1 in a state of rotational displacement, in response to this rotational displacement, each spring portion 16 in the front - rear plug contacts 2 on the left and right can be deformed independently of each other, and the front - rear contact portions 15 can be brought into contact with the plug portion 21 more stably.

[0078] Also, in the plug contact 2 of each embodiment, one of the left surface portion 21L and the right surface portion is formed by an element (one of the flat plate portions 21y and 21z) bent from the front edge of the other, and an element (the other of the flat plate portions 21y and 21z) bent from the rear edge of the other, and a convex portion 21a provided on one of these elements fits into a concave portion 21b provided on the other element. Further, the fitting portion is caulked. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably maintain the close contact between the flat plate portions forming the plug portion 21. As a result, the opening between the flat plate portions 21y and 21z is suppressed, the vertical displacement between the respective fixing portions (the third flat plate portion 22c) is prevented, and a flat state (a state on the same plane) is maintained so that soldering to the second connection target X2 is not hindered.

[0079] Also, the socket contact 1 of each embodiment is used for electrical connection with a plug portion 21 having left and right outer surfaces, and includes left and right contact portions 15 arranged to face each other left and right, a left spring portion 16L that biases the left contact portion 15 to the right, and a right spring portion 16R that biases the right contact portion 15 to the left. A plug portion 21 is inserted between the left and right contact portions 15 so as to push the contact portions 15 away. In a state where the plug portion 21 is inserted, each of the left and right spring portions 16 biases the corresponding contact portion 15 so that contact is made between each contact portion 15 and the outer surface of the corresponding plug portion 21.

[0080] Furthermore, the socket contact 1 is configured to be provided with a limiting mechanism that limits the movement of the contact portion 15 on at least one of the left and right sides in a specific direction to that specific direction. Therefore, according to the socket contact 1, it is possible to more appropriately ensure contact with the plug portion 21.

[0081] That is, in the socket contact 1, since both the left and right contact portions 15 contact the outer surface of the plug portion 21, the electric resistance is suppressed by increasing the contact area with the plug portion 21, and current can flow efficiently between the plug portion 21. Further, in the state where the plug portion 21 is inserted, the left and right spring portions 16 bias the corresponding contact portions 15, respectively, and contact is made between each of the contact portions 15 and the outer surface of the corresponding plug portion 21. Thus, the left and right contact portions 15 are in a state of pressing against the plug portion 21, and it is possible to maintain stable contact.

[0082] Furthermore, since the socket contact 1 is provided with a limiting mechanism, for example, even if the plug portion 21 is displaced relatively largely in the left - right direction, it is possible to prevent, as much as possible, a situation where the contact portion 15 moves too far to the left or right, or a situation where the spring portion 16 deforms greatly to the left or right, and it is possible to ensure more appropriate contact with the plug portion 21.

[0083] The socket contact 1 is formed of a metal plate material so as to have a main element 10 including a side wall portion 12 whose surface faces in the left - right direction, an inclined wall portion 13 bent from the upper edge of the side wall portion 12 so as to incline in a direction advancing in the reverse direction of the specific direction as it advances downward, and a bent piece portion 14 bent from the lower edge of the inclined wall portion 13 toward the inner surface of the side wall portion 12. The contact portion 15 on the specific - direction side is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the inclined wall portion 13, and the limiting mechanism is configured to limit the movement when the bent piece portion 14 contacts the inner surface of the side wall portion 12. In this way, the socket contact 1 can be formed by bending a series of metal plate materials so as to have an excellent configuration for appropriately ensuring contact with the plug portion 21.

[0084] Also, the above - described limiting mechanism is configured to limit the outward movement of the contact portion 15 in the left - right direction within the range where contact between each of the left and right contact portions 15 and the plug portion 21 is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to reliably bring both the left and right contact portions 15 into contact with the plug portion 21.

[0085] In each embodiment, the limiting mechanism is configured to limit the leftward movement of the left contact portion 15 and the rightward movement of the right contact portion 15 within a range in which the contact with the plug portion 21 at each of the left and right contact portions 15 is maintained.

[0086] Specifically, the socket contact 1 of each embodiment includes a bottom wall portion 11 whose surface faces in the vertical direction, a left side wall portion 12L bent from the left edge of the bottom wall portion 11 so that its surface faces in the left - right direction, a left inclined wall portion 13L bent from the upper edge of the left side wall portion 12L so that its surface faces diagonally upward to the right, a left bent piece portion 14L bent from the lower edge of the left inclined wall portion 13L toward the inner surface of the left side wall portion 12L, a right side wall portion 12R bent from the right edge of the bottom wall portion so that its surface faces in the left - right direction, a right inclined wall portion 13R bent from the upper edge of the right side wall portion 12R so that its surface faces diagonally upward to the left, and a right bent piece portion 14R bent from the lower edge of the right inclined wall portion 13R toward the inner surface of the right side wall portion 12R, and is formed of a metal plate material.

[0087] Furthermore, in the socket contact 1 of each embodiment, the left contact portion 15 is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the left inclined wall portion 13L, and the right contact portion 15 is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the right inclined wall portion 13R. Also, the limiting mechanism limits the leftward movement of the left contact portion 15 within the above - mentioned range when the left bent piece portion 14L contacts the inner surface of the left side wall portion 12L, and limits the rightward movement of the right contact portion 15 within the above - mentioned range when the right bent piece portion 14R contacts the inner surface of the right side wall portion 12R.

[0088] Also, the contact set of each embodiment includes a socket contact 1 fixed to the lower first connection target X1, a plug contact 2 having a plug portion 21 and fixed to the upper second connection target X2, and electrically connects the first connection target X1 to the second connection target X2 via the socket contact 1 and the plug contact 2.

[0089] In addition to the above embodiments, the configuration of the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist of the invention. That is, the above embodiments should be considered as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The technical scope of the present invention is shown not by the description of the above embodiments but by the scope of the claims, and it should be understood that all modifications belonging to the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims are included.

Industrial Applicability

[0090] The present invention can be used for contacts enabling electrical connection.

Explanation of Signs

[0091] 1 Socket contact 10 Main part 10a Gap 11 Bottom wall part 12 Side wall part 12L Left side wall part 12R Right side wall part 13 Inclined wall part 13L Left inclined wall part 13R Right inclined wall part 14 Bent piece part 14L Left bent piece part 14R Right bent piece part 15 Contact part 16 Spring part 17 Guide wall part 18 Lead part 2 Plug contact 21 Plug part 21L Left face part 21R Right face part 21a Convex part 21b Concave part 21x~21z Flat plate part 22 Extension part 22a First flat plate part 22b Second flat plate part 22c Third flat plate part X1 First connection target X2 Second connection target

Claims

1. A plug component used for electrical connection with a contact, comprising: a fixing part fixed to an object to be connected; a substantially plate-shaped plug having left and right outer surfaces that contact the contact; an elastic support part connected to the fixing part and supporting the plug by a spring, formed by bending a series of metal plates; the plug is formed such that the surfaces of the left and right portions, which are part of the metal plate, are joined together left and right; the elastic support part has the spring extending from the upper edge of the left or right portion, characterized as a plug component.

2. As the fixing part, it has a left fixing part arranged on the left side of the left-right position of the plug and a right fixing part arranged on the right side of the left-right position of the plug, the elastic support part has a left spring part extending from the upper edge of the left portion and connected to the left fixing part and a right spring part extending from the upper edge of the right portion and connected to the right fixing part, as separate springs, characterized as the plug component according to Claim 1.

3. As the left spring part, it has a front left spring part extending from a position closer to the front of the upper edge of the left portion and a rear left spring part extending from a position closer to the rear of the upper edge of the left portion, as the right spring part, it has a front right spring part extending from a position closer to the front of the upper edge of the right portion and a rear right spring part extending from a position closer to the rear of the upper edge of the right portion, characterized as the plug component according to Claim 2.

4. One of the left and right portions is formed by an element bent from the front edge of the other and an element bent from the rear edge of the other, a convex part provided on one of these elements fits into a concave part provided on the other element, the fitting part is caulked, characterized as the plug component according to Claim 1.

5. A contact used for electrical connection with the plug component according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, having left and right contact parts arranged to face each other left and right, characterized in that the left contact part contacts the left outer surface of the plug and the right contact part contacts the right outer surface of the plug.

6. a left spring part that biases the left contact part to the right; a right spring part that biases the right contact part to the left, A contact through which the plug is inserted so as to push back the contact portions on the left and right sides between the contact portions on the left and right sides, In a state where the plug is inserted, the spring portions on the left and right sides respectively bias the corresponding contact portions, and are formed so that the contact portions respectively come into contact with the corresponding outer surfaces, The contact according to claim 5, further comprising a limiting mechanism that limits the movement of the contact portion on at least one of the left and right sides in a specific direction in the specific direction.

7. A side wall portion whose surface faces in the left-right direction, An inclined wall portion bent from the upper edge of the side wall portion so as to incline in a direction advancing in the reverse direction of the specific direction as it advances downward, The contact according to claim 6, formed of a metal plate material so as to have main elements including a bent piece portion bent from the lower edge of the inclined wall portion toward the inner surface of the side wall portion, The contact portion on the specific direction side is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the inclined wall portion, The limiting mechanism is A contact characterized in that the movement is restricted by the bent piece portion hitting the inner surface of the side wall portion.

8. The limiting mechanism is The contact according to claim 7, wherein the movement is restricted within a range where the contact in each of the left and right contact portions is maintained.

9. The limiting mechanism is The contact according to claim 6, wherein the movement of the left contact portion to the left and the movement of the right contact portion to the right are restricted within a range where the contact in each of the left and right contact portions is maintained.

10. A contact fixed to a first connection target on the lower side, and a plug component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the fixing portion is fixed to a second connection target on the upper side, A contact set that electrically connects a first connection target to a second connection target via the contact and the plug component, The contact is Left and right contact portions arranged to face each other left and right, A left spring portion that biases the left contact portion to the right, A right spring portion that biases the right contact portion to the left, The plug is inserted between the left and right contact portions so as to push back the contact portions, In a state where the plug is inserted, the spring portions on the left and right sides respectively bias the corresponding contact portions, and are formed so that the contact portions respectively come into contact with the corresponding outer surfaces, A contact set, characterized in that a limiting mechanism is provided for restricting the movement of the contact portion on at least one of the left and right sides in a specific direction in the specific direction.

11. The contact has a side wall portion whose surface faces the left-right direction, and an inclined wall portion bent from the upper edge of the side wall portion so as to incline in a direction advancing in the reverse direction of the specific direction as it advances downward, and is formed of a metal plate material so as to have a main element including a bent piece portion bent from the lower edge of the inclined wall portion toward the inner surface of the side wall portion. The contact portion on the specific direction side is provided in a region closer to the lower side of the inclined wall portion. The limiting mechanism is characterized in that the movement is restricted by the bent piece portion hitting the inner surface of the side wall portion. The contact set according to claim 10.

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