connector
The connector's elastically deformable shock prevention pin design addresses the issue of plastic deformation by allowing the tip to return to its original position, maintaining effective electric shock prevention under off-axis forces.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024083761
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-23
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-05
AI Technical Summary
Existing connectors with electric shock prevention pins are prone to plastic deformation when subjected to forces applied in directions intersecting the mating direction, leading to potential failure in preventing electric shocks.
A connector design featuring an elastically deformable electric shock prevention pin with a support portion and a tip portion, where the tip moves with elastic deformation and returns to its original position upon force removal, preventing plastic deformation.
The connector effectively prevents plastic deformation of the shock prevention pin even when subjected to forces perpendicular to the mating direction, ensuring reliable electric shock prevention.
Smart Images

Figure 2025177171000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a connector having an electric shock prevention pin. [Background technology]
[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector of this type.
[0003] 16, a receptacle (connector) 90 of Patent Document 1 can be mated with a plug (mating connector) 97 located in front of it along the front-to-rear direction (X direction). That is, the mating direction of the illustrated connector 90 is the front-to-rear direction.
[0004] The connector 90 includes a socket contact (contact) 92 for large currents and an insulator rod (electric shock prevention pin) 96. The contact 92 is covered with an insulator on a plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. A receiving portion 94 is formed inside the contact 92. The receiving portion 94 is a space that opens to the front. The mating connector 97 includes a pin contact (mating contact) 98. The mating contact 98 has a hole 99 formed therein.
[0005] The electric shock prevention pin 96 is located inside the receiving portion 94 and extends in the front-to-rear direction to the front end of the receiving portion 94. The electric shock prevention pin 96 arranged in this manner makes it difficult to insert a finger inside the receiving portion 94. This structure makes it possible to prevent electric shock caused by a finger touching the contact 92. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-78079 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0007] When the connector 90 and the mating connector 97 are mated with each other, the shock prevention pin 96 is received in a hole 99 of the mating contact 98, thereby restricting movement of the shock prevention pin 96. If a force is applied to the connector 90 in a direction intersecting the mating direction (front-to-back direction) while the shock prevention pin 96 is received in the hole 99, the connector 90 moves so as to tilt relative to the front-to-back direction. If the connector 90 tilts significantly, the shock prevention pin 96 received in the hole 99 may be plastically deformed into a bent shape.
[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector equipped with an electric shock prevention pin that is resistant to plastic deformation even when a force is applied to the connector in a direction intersecting the mating direction. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] The present invention provides a first connector, A connector that can be mated with a mating connector located in front along the front-rear direction, the mating connector includes mating contacts, The connector includes a housing, contacts, and an electric shock prevention pin; The housing has a receiving portion formed therein, The storage section is open to the front, The contact is accommodated in the accommodation portion and held by the housing, The contact has a receiving portion formed therein, the receiving portion receives the mating contact along the front-rear direction when the connector is mated with the mating connector, The electric shock prevention pin has a support portion and a tip portion, the support portion is elastically deformable and located inside the receiving portion; the tip portion is located at the front end of the electric shock prevention pin and is supported by the support portion, The surface of the tip portion has insulating properties, the tip end portion is at a predetermined position in an initial state in which the support portion is not elastically deformed, and is spaced apart from the contact in an orthogonal plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, the tip portion moves from the predetermined position in the orthogonal plane in accordance with elastic deformation of the support portion, The tip portion that has moved from the predetermined position returns to the predetermined position as the support portion returns to the initial state. Provide a connector.
[0010] The present invention provides a first connector as a second connector, The housing has a wall, the wall portion is located around the accommodating portion in the orthogonal plane, When the tip receives a force and moves until it contacts the wall, the support portion returns the tip to the predetermined position when the force is removed. Provide a connector.
[0011] The present invention provides a third connector, which is the first connector, The support portion of the electric shock prevention pin has a rod shape extending along the front-rear direction. Provide a connector.
[0012] The present invention provides a fourth connector, which is the first connector, The contact has a plurality of spring pieces and a connecting portion, the connecting portion connects the spring pieces to each other, Each of the spring pieces is a cantilever beam extending from the connecting portion. Provide a connector.
[0013] The present invention provides a fifth connector, which is the first connector, The contact has a plurality of contact portions, The contact portion is arranged in a louvered shape. Provide a connector.
[0014] The present invention provides a sixth connector, which is the first connector, The support portion of the electric shock prevention pin has a front side portion and a rear side portion, the front side portion supports the tip portion; The rear side portion extends rearward from the front side portion, The rear side portion is thinner than the front side portion and is more easily elastically deformed than the front side portion. Provide a connector.
[0015] The present invention provides a seventh connector, which is the first connector, The support portion of the electric shock prevention pin is made of metal. Provide a connector. [Effects of the Invention]
[0016] According to the electric shock prevention pin of the present invention, when the tip portion moves in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction (the mating direction), the support portion returns the tip portion to a predetermined position by a restoring force resulting from elastic deformation without plastic deformation. With this structure, for example, even if a force in a direction intersecting the front-rear direction (the mating direction) is applied to the connector when the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, causing the connector to tilt, the electric shock prevention pin will elastically deform without plastic deformation. In other words, according to the present invention, a connector can be provided that includes an electric shock prevention pin that is resistant to plastic deformation even when a force in a direction intersecting the mating direction is applied to the connector. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a connector and a mating connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, the connector and the mating connector being separated from each other in a separated state; [Figure 2] 2 is a side view showing the connector and the mating connector of FIG. 1. The connector and the mating connector are in a mated state, and the outline of the housing when the connector is tilted is drawn with a dashed line. [Figure 3] 2 is a front view showing a fitting portion of the connector of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a front view showing the connector and the mating connector of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector and the mating connector of FIG. 4 taken along line V-V. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a contact, an electric shock prevention pin, and a part of a housing of the connector of FIG. 5. The outline of the electric shock prevention pin when it is elastically deformed is drawn by a broken line. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the contacts and the electric shock prevention pin in the mated state of FIG. 6. The outlines of the contacts and the electric shock prevention pin when the connector is tilted are drawn by dashed lines. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the contact and the electric shock prevention pin of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the contact and the electric shock prevention pin of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the contact and the electric shock prevention pin of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the contact and the electric shock prevention pin taken along line XI-XI in Fig. 10. A part of the electric shock prevention pin (the part surrounded by the dashed line) is drawn in an enlarged manner. [Figure 12] 9 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the contact and the electric shock prevention pin of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is an exploded perspective view showing the contact and shock prevention pin of FIG. 12, with additional components of the contact drawn on an enlarged scale. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a front view showing the contact and the electric shock prevention pin of FIG. 12. [Figure 15] 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the contact and the electric shock prevention pin of FIG. 14 along the line XV-XV. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a connector and a mating connector of Patent Document 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] 1 and 2, a connector 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be mated with a mating connector 80 located in front of it along the front-rear direction. That is, the mating direction in this embodiment is the front-rear direction. The connector 10 and the mating connector 80 shown in FIG. 1 are in a separated state, separated from each other. The connector 10 and the mating connector 80 shown in FIG. 2 are in a mated state, mated to each other. The front-rear direction in this embodiment is the X direction. In this embodiment, "front" is the +X direction, and "rear" is the -X direction. Terms such as the front-rear direction do not indicate an absolute positional relationship with respect to the ground, but merely indicate a relative positional relationship when the mating connector 80 is defined as being located in front of the connector 10 in the mated state.
[0019] The connector 10 of this embodiment is a charging connector. The connector 10 is connected to a charging device (not shown) via a cable 70. The mating connector 80 is incorporated into an electric vehicle (not shown), such as an electric car. In a mated state, the connector 10 supplies a large current to the mating connector 80 via the cable 70. However, the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied in various ways.
[0020] 4 and 5, the mating connector 80 includes a mating housing 82 made of an insulator and two mating contacts 86 made of a conductor. Each of the mating contacts 86 is a pin. Each of the mating contacts 86 is held by a rear plate 84 of the mating housing 82 and extends rearward from the rear plate 84 along the front-to-rear direction. The two mating contacts 86 are aligned in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the horizontal direction is the Y direction.
[0021] The mating connector 80 of this embodiment includes the above-described components. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the mating housing 82 may be provided as needed. The number of mating contacts 86 may be one, or may be three or more. The mating connector 80 may further include other components in addition to the above-described components.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 5 , each of the mating contacts 86 of this embodiment is made up of two members combined with each other in the front-rear direction. Each of the mating contacts 86 has a hole 88 formed therein. The hole 88 is located in the middle of the mating contact 86 in an orthogonal plane (YZ plane) perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The hole 88 extends along the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the hole 88 widens in the orthogonal plane and opens rearward. Each of the mating contacts 86 of this embodiment has the above-described structure. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the mating contacts 86 may be a single member.
[0023] 1 and 2, the connector 10 has a mating portion 12 that mates with a mating connector 80. The mating portion 12 is located at the front end of the connector 10 in the front-rear direction, and at the top of the connector 10 in the up-down direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the lateral direction. The up-down direction in this embodiment is the Z direction. In this embodiment, "up" is the +Z direction, and "down" is the -Z direction.
[0024] Referring to Fig. 3, the connector 10 of this embodiment includes a housing 20 made of an insulator, two contacts 40, and two shock prevention pins 50. The contacts 40 and the shock prevention pins 50 are provided in the mating portion 12. Each of the contacts 40 is a socket. Referring to Fig. 3 together with Fig. 4, the contacts 40 are provided corresponding to the respective mating contacts 86. The shock prevention pins 50 are provided corresponding to the respective contacts 40.
[0025] The connector 10 of this embodiment includes the above-described parts and members. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the number of contacts 40 may be one, or three or more. The number of electric shock prevention pins 50 may be one, or three or more. In addition to the above-described parts and members, the connector 10 may further include other parts and members.
[0026] 3 and 5, the mating portion 12 of this embodiment is provided with two wall portions 22 corresponding to the contacts 40, respectively. Each of the wall portions 22 is a part of the housing 20. That is, the housing 20 has the wall portions 22. Each of the wall portions 22 has a cylindrical shape and protrudes forward. A storage portion 24, which is a cylindrical space, is formed inside each of the wall portions 22. That is, two storage portions 24 are formed in the housing 20. Each of the storage portions 24 opens forward. Each of the wall portions 22 is located around the storage portion 24 in an orthogonal plane (YZ plane). Each of the wall portions 22 of this embodiment tightly surrounds the storage portion 24 in the orthogonal plane.
[0027] The fitting portion 12 of the housing 20 in this embodiment has the structure described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the structure of the fitting portion 12 can be modified as necessary.
[0028] The following describes one of the contacts 40. The following description is applicable to each of the contacts 40.
[0029] 8, contact 40 of this embodiment is a single metal member. Contact 40 of this embodiment has a cable connecting portion 42, a holding portion 43, a connecting portion 44, and a plurality of spring pieces 46. Cable connecting portion 42 and holding portion 43 each have a cylindrical outer shape. Connecting portion 44 has a cylindrical shape.
[0030] 11, the cable connecting portion 42 is located at the rear of the contact 40 and is connected to the wires (not shown) of the cable 70 (see FIG. 1). The holding portion 43 is located in front of the cable connecting portion 42. A cylindrical holding hole 432 is formed in the holding portion 43. The connecting portion 44 is located in front of the holding portion 43. Each of the spring pieces 46 is connected to the front edge of the connecting portion 44 and extends forward from the connecting portion 44. In other words, the connecting portion 44 connects the spring pieces 46 to each other. Each of the spring pieces 46 is a cantilever extending from the connecting portion 44. With this structure, each of the spring pieces 46 is elastically deformable in an orthogonal plane (the YZ plane) with its front end as a free end.
[0031] 8 and 10, the spring pieces 46 of this embodiment are arranged at equal intervals in an annular shape in an orthogonal plane (YZ plane). As a result, a receiving portion 45 is formed in the contact 40. The receiving portion 45 of this embodiment is a space surrounded by the connecting portion 44 and the eight spring pieces 46 in the orthogonal plane. The receiving portion 45 extends in the front-rear direction and opens forward. The receiving portion 45 is large enough to receive one finger. Referring to FIG. 7, the receiving portion 45 receives the mating contact 86 in the front-rear direction when the connector 10 is mated with the mating connector 80.
[0032] 8 and 10, each of the spring pieces 46 has a contact portion 48. That is, the contact 40 of this embodiment has a plurality of contact portions 48. The contact portions 48 are located at the same position as each other in the front-to-rear direction. The contact portions 48 are arranged at equal intervals in an annular shape on an orthogonal plane (YZ plane), and protrude inward of the orthogonal plane.
[0033] 7, in the mated state, each of the spring pieces 46 is elastically deformed in an orthogonal plane (YZ plane) to sandwich the mating contact 86, whereby the contact portion 48 comes into contact with the mating contact 86 with sufficient contact force. As a result, a charging device (not shown) connected to the connector 10 is electrically connected to the mating connector 80, and a large current flows through the contact 40.
[0034] The contact 40 of this embodiment is a so-called slotted terminal having the above-described structure. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the receiving portion 45 is formed in the contact 40, the structure of the contact 40 can be modified as needed.
[0035] 5 and 6, the contact 40 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 24 and is held by the housing 20. The contact 40 is fixed so as not to move relative to the housing 20. In other words, the contact 40 moves in conjunction with the movement of the housing 20.
[0036] According to this embodiment, the entire contact 40 is located inside the housing 20. More specifically, the contact 40, excluding the cable connection portion 42, is completely housed in the housing portion 24 and is completely covered by the wall portion 22 in the orthogonal plane (YZ plane). A gap is formed between the contact 40 and the wall portion 22 in the orthogonal plane. However, the front end of the wall portion 22 protrudes inward in the orthogonal plane, covering the gap from the front. Therefore, the surface of the contact 40 cannot be touched with fingers.
[0037] As described above, the contacts 40 of this embodiment are disposed inside the housing 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the contacts 40 and the wall portion 22 may be in close contact with each other with no gaps in the orthogonal plane (YZ plane).
[0038] The following describes one of the shock-prevention pins 50. The following description is applicable to each of the shock-prevention pins 50.
[0039] 9 and 11, the electric shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment has a metal held portion 52, a metal support portion 53, and a tip portion 58 made of an insulator. In this embodiment, the held portion 52 and the support portion 53 are integrally formed with each other. The held portion 52 is located at the rear end of the electric shock prevention pin 50 and has a cylindrical shape. The support portion 53 is connected to the front end of the held portion 52 and extends forward from the held portion 52. The tip portion 58 is located at the front end of the electric shock prevention pin 50 and is supported by the support portion 53.
[0040] 6 and 10 , the held portion 52 in this embodiment is press-fit into the holding hole 432 of the contact 40 fixed to the housing 20. As a result, the held portion 52 is fixed so as not to move relative to the housing 20. In other words, the held portion 52 moves as the housing 20 moves. The held portion 52 in this embodiment is directly fixed to the contact 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the held portion 52 may be indirectly fixed to the contact 40. More specifically, the held portion 52 may be fixed to a holder (not shown) separate from the contact 40. In this case, the holder may be fixed to the contact 40.
[0041] 6, the support portion 53 is elastically deformable. More specifically, when no force other than gravity is applied to the electric shock prevention pin 50, the support portion 53 is in its initial state and is not substantially elastically deformed (see the electric shock prevention pin 50 drawn with a solid line in FIG. 6). On the other hand, when a force is applied to the electric shock prevention pin 50, the support portion 53 elastically deforms as shown by the dashed line.
[0042] As shown in Figures 9 and 11, the support portion 53 of this embodiment has a rod shape extending along the front-rear direction. More specifically, the support portion 53 has a round rod shape extending along the front-rear direction. The support portion 53 formed in this manner is similarly elastically deformable in an orthogonal plane (YZ plane). However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support portion 53 may have a square rod shape extending along the front-rear direction, or a flat plate shape extending along the front-rear direction.
[0043] The support portion 53 of this embodiment has a base portion 54, a rear portion 55, and a front portion 56. The base portion 54 has a truncated cone shape and protrudes forward from the front end surface of the held portion 52. The rear portion 55 has a round bar shape and extends forward from the front end of the base portion 54. The front portion 56 is connected to the front end of the rear portion 55 and is located in front of the rear portion 55. That is, the rear portion 55 extends rearward from the front portion 56. The front portion 56 supports the tip portion 58. The size of the rear portion 55 in an orthogonal plane (YZ plane) is smaller than the size of the front portion 56 in the orthogonal plane, except for the boundary between the front portion 56 and the rear portion 55. That is, the rear portion 55 is thinner than the front portion 56 and is more easily elastically deformed than the front portion 56.
[0044] The support portion 53 of this embodiment has the structure described above. When a force is applied to the tip portion 58, mainly the rear portion 55 easily undergoes elastic deformation. The tip portion 58 moves in conjunction with the elastic deformation of the rear portion 55. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the structure of the support portion 53 can be modified as needed. For example, the base portion 54 may be a coil spring. The rear end of the coil spring may be fixed to the contact 40 without using the held portion 52.
[0045] The shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment is made of copper or a copper alloy. That is, the support portion 53 of the shock prevention pin 50 is made of metal and is easily elastically deformed. The contact 40 of this embodiment is also made of copper or a copper alloy. That is, the held portion 52 of the shock prevention pin 50 is made of the same type of metal as the holding portion 43 of the contact 40. This prevents corrosion at the boundary between the shock prevention pin 50 and the contact 40. The shock prevention pin 50 can be made of a copper alloy that is softer than the contact 40, and the contact 40 can be made of pure copper, which has a higher conductivity than the shock prevention pin 50. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support portion 53 of the shock prevention pin 50 may be made of a different type of metal than the contact 40, or may be made of an insulator.
[0046] Referring to FIG. 11 , tip portion 58 of this embodiment is molded from resin and has a main portion 582 and a fixed portion 584. Main portion 582 has a cylindrical shape except for its front end. The front end of main portion 582 has a hemispherical shape that protrudes forward. Fixed portion 584 protrudes rearward from main portion 582. A fixing hole 57 is formed in front portion 56 of support portion 53. Tip portion 58 is insert-molded such that fixed portion 584 fills fixing hole 57. As a result, the surface of tip portion 58 is insulating.
[0047] The tip portion 58 of this embodiment has the structure described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the fixed portion 584 may be screwed into the fixing hole 57 for fixation. The front portion 56 of the support portion 53 may have a pin-shaped portion that protrudes forward. In this case, the tip portion 58 made of an insulator may be attached to the pin-shaped portion so as to cover it. Also, the surface of the metal tip portion 58 may be covered with an insulating film.
[0048] 6 together with FIG. 10, the support portion 53 is located inside the receiving portion 45 of the corresponding contact 40. In the present embodiment, the support portion 53 is located at the center of the receiving portion 45 in the orthogonal plane (YZ plane) when in the initial state. The support portion 53 in the present embodiment is located completely inside the receiving portion 45 except for the front end of the front side portion 56. Meanwhile, the tip portion 58 is located outside the receiving portion 45 beyond the front end of the contact 40. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support portion 53 may be located completely inside the receiving portion 45, including the front end of the front side portion 56.
[0049] The tip 58 arranged as described above prevents a finger from being inserted into the receiving portion 45. That is, a finger cannot touch the metal parts inside or near the receiving portion 45. According to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent an electric shock caused by a finger touching the contact 40.
[0050] 7, in the mated state, the support portion 53 and the tip portion 58 are received in the hole portion 88 of the mating contact 86. By receiving the support portion 53 and the tip portion 58 in the hole portion 88, the mating contact 86 can be inserted into the receiving portion 45. The support portion 53 and the tip portion 58 of this embodiment extend in a round rod shape overall, and are therefore easily received in the hole portion 88. The tip portion 58, which has a hemispherical front end, can be smoothly inserted into the hole portion 88, which widens toward the rear. The tip portion 58 received in the hole portion 88 cannot substantially move relative to the mating contact 86.
[0051] The electric shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment has the above-described structure and is arranged as described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the structure and arrangement of the electric shock prevention pin 50 can be modified as necessary.
[0052] The structure of the electric shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment will be described in more detail below.
[0053] 6, in the initial state where the support portion 53 is not elastically deformed, the tip portion 58 of the electric shock prevention pin 50 is in a predetermined position (see the electric shock prevention pin 50 shown by the solid line in FIG. 6) and is separated from the contact 40 in an orthogonal plane (the YZ plane). As the support portion 53 elastically deforms, the tip portion 58 moves from the predetermined position in the orthogonal plane (see the electric shock prevention pin 50 shown by the dashed line in FIG. 6). The tip portion 58 that has moved from the predetermined position returns to the predetermined position as the support portion 53 returns to its initial state. That is, according to the electric shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment, when the tip portion 58 moves in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction, the support portion 53 returns the tip portion 58 to the predetermined position by the restoring force resulting from elastic deformation, without plastic deformation.
[0054] 7 together with FIG. 2, when a force is applied to the connector 10 in a direction intersecting the mating direction (front-rear direction) with the electric shock prevention pin 50 received in the hole 88 of the mating contact 86, the connector 10 moves so as to tilt relative to the front-rear direction. For example, the mated connector 10 may be removed from the mating connector 80 by tilting it up and down around the mating portion 12. In this case, conventional electric shock prevention pins may be plastically deformed into a bent shape.
[0055] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, even if a force in a direction intersecting the front-to-rear direction (the mating direction) is applied to the connector 10 in the mated state, causing the connector 10 to tilt, the electric shock prevention pin 50 will elastically deform without plastic deformation. In other words, this embodiment can provide a connector 10 equipped with an electric shock prevention pin 50 that is resistant to plastic deformation even when a force in a direction intersecting the mating direction is applied to the connector 10.
[0056] 6, the electric shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment is sufficiently elastically deformable. More specifically, according to the electric shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment, if the tip 58 receives a force and moves until it contacts the wall 22, the support portion 53 returns the tip 58 to a predetermined position when the force is removed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The electric shock prevention pin 50 only needs to be elastically deformable to an extent that it can accommodate expected tilts of the connector 10.
[0057] As shown in Fig. 11, in the electric shock prevention pin 50 of this embodiment, the rear portion of the front side portion 56 of the support portion 53 tapers rearward and extends to the rear side portion 55. Referring to Fig. 7, this structure allows the support portion 53 and the tip portion 58 to be smoothly removed from the hole 88 even if the connector 10 is tilted when removing the connector 10 from the mating connector 80, without causing a problem such as the support portion 53 or the tip portion 58 getting caught on the wall of the hole 88. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the sizes of the tip portion 58 and the support portion 53 in the orthogonal plane (YZ plane) may be the same.
[0058] In addition to the various modifications already described, this embodiment can be further modified in various ways.
[0059] For example, referring to Fig. 12 together with Fig. 5, the connector 10 may include a contact 40A instead of the contact 40. Like the contact 40, the contact 40A holds an electric shock prevention pin 50. However, the contact 40A includes a main member 41A and an additional member 47A that are formed separately from each other.
[0060] Comparing Fig. 12 with Fig. 8, the main member 41A has the same cable connecting portion 42 and holding portion 43 as the contact 40. On the other hand, the main member 41A has a cylindrical portion 46A instead of the connecting portion 44 and spring piece 46 of the contact 40. Apart from the above-mentioned differences, the main member 41A has a structure similar to that of the contact 40. For example, a receiving portion 45A is formed inside the cylindrical portion 46A.
[0061] 12 to 15, the additional member 47A is made of a thin metal plate and has a cylindrical shape with slits. A plurality of contact portions 48A are formed on the additional member 47A. That is, the contact 40A has a plurality of contact portions 48A. The contact portions 48A are arranged in an annular shape. Each of the contact portions 48A extends in the front-rear direction and protrudes inward in an orthogonal plane (the YZ plane). The additional member 47A is fixed inside the receiving portion 45A of the contact 40A and extends along the inner wall surface of the tubular portion 46A in the orthogonal plane. Each of the contact portions 48A is arranged in an annular shape in the orthogonal plane and protrudes toward the center of the receiving portion 45A. That is, the contact portions 48A are arranged in a louvered shape.
[0062] Referring to Figure 15 together with Figure 7, this modified example also makes it possible to provide a connector 10 equipped with an electric shock prevention pin 50 that is resistant to plastic deformation even when a force is applied to the connector 10 in a direction intersecting the mating direction. [Explanation of symbols]
[0063] 10 Connectors 12 Fitting part 20. Housing 22 Wall 24 Storage section 40,40A Contact 41A Main member 42 Cable connection 43 Holding part 432 Retaining hole 44 Connecting part 45,45A Receptor 46 Spring piece 46A Cylindrical part 47A Additional parts 48,48A contact part 50 Anti-electric shock pin 52 Holding part 53 Support part 54 Base 55 rear side 56 Front side 57 Fixing hole 58 Tip 582 Main Section 584 Fixed part 70 Cable 80 Mating Connector 82 Mating housing 84 Rear plate 86 Counterpart Contact 88 Hole
Claims
1. A connector that can be mated with a mating connector located in front along the front-rear direction, the mating connector includes mating contacts, The connector includes a housing, contacts, and an electric shock prevention pin; The housing has a receiving portion formed therein, The storage section is open to the front, The contact is accommodated in the accommodation portion and held by the housing, The contact has a receiving portion formed therein, the receiving portion receives the mating contact along the front-rear direction when the connector is mated with the mating connector, The electric shock prevention pin has a support portion and a tip portion, the support portion is elastically deformable and located inside the receiving portion; the tip portion is located at the front end of the electric shock prevention pin and is supported by the support portion, The surface of the tip portion has insulating properties, the tip end portion is in a predetermined position in an initial state in which the support portion is not elastically deformed, and is spaced apart from the contact in an orthogonal plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction, the tip portion moves from the predetermined position in the orthogonal plane in accordance with elastic deformation of the support portion, The tip portion that has moved from the predetermined position returns to the predetermined position as the support portion returns to the initial state. connector.
2. 2. The connector of claim 1, The housing has a wall, the wall portion is located around the accommodating portion in the orthogonal plane, When the tip receives a force and moves until it contacts the wall, the support portion returns the tip to the predetermined position when the force is removed. connector.
3. 2. The connector of claim 1, The support portion of the electric shock prevention pin has a rod shape extending along the front-rear direction. connector.
4. 2. The connector of claim 1, The contact has a plurality of spring pieces and a connecting portion, the connecting portion connects the spring pieces to each other, Each of the spring pieces is a cantilever beam extending from the connecting portion. connector.
5. 2. The connector of claim 1, The contact has a plurality of contact portions, The contact portion is arranged in a louvered shape. connector.
6. 2. The connector of claim 1, The support portion of the electric shock prevention pin has a front side portion and a rear side portion, the front side portion supports the tip portion; The rear side portion extends rearward from the front side portion, The rear side portion is thinner than the front side portion and is more easily elastically deformed than the front side portion. connector.
7. 2. The connector of claim 1, The support portion of the electric shock prevention pin is made of metal. connector.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Connector and socket contact
JP1996078079A