Terminal block

Abstract

To provide a terminal block which can easily perform a connection operation of a terminal, can achieve miniaturization, and can pull out an electric wire extending from a terminal so as not to interfere with another object.SOLUTION: A terminal block T includes a housing 1 attached to a substrate surface Sf, and a terminal member 2 and an elastic member 3 provided in the housing 1. The housing 1 has a terminal insertion port 11A into which a terminal W1t is inserted and a terminal insertion port 11B into which a terminal W2t is inserted, and the terminal insertion ports 11A and 11B open upward perpendicular to the substrate surface Sf. The terminal member 2 includes a flat plate part 26A connected to the terminal W1t and a flat plate part 26B connected to the terminal W2t. The elastic member 3 includes a flat plate part 39A that presses the terminal W1t against the flat plate part 26A, and a flat plate part 39B that presses the terminal W2t against the flat plate part 26B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal block in which a plurality of terminals are connected to a common terminal member. [Background technology]

[0002] The terminal block of Patent Document 1 is composed of a single conductive plate that is a terminal member, and this terminal block has a base portion soldered to a grounding wiring pattern formed on the upper surface of the board, and multiple mounting portions to which round terminals provided on each harness are fixed with screws.

[0003] The terminal block of Patent Document 2 is composed of a case, a conductive plate that is a terminal member attached to the case, and a terminal portion, and the terminal portion is composed of a screw hole formed in the conductive plate and a terminal screw that is screwed into the screw hole. A crimp terminal attached to an electric wire is connected to the terminal portion, and input electric wires can be connected from either the front or rear direction of the terminal block, and output electric wires can be drawn out from either direction.

[0004] However, the configurations of Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the problem that a tool is required to turn the screw member when connecting the terminal and the terminal member, making the terminal connection work complicated. Also, because the terminal block needs to be provided with a structure that screws into the screw member, there is also the problem that the terminal block cannot be made compact. Furthermore, there is a risk that the electric wire extending from the terminal connected to the terminal member may interfere with other objects located near the terminal block. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6717095 [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3151308 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a terminal block that allows terminal connection work to be easily performed, can be made compact, and allows electric wires extending from the terminals to be pulled out without interfering with other objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the terminal block of the present invention comprises a housing that is mounted on a predetermined installation surface, and a terminal member and an elastic member that are mounted on the housing, wherein the housing has a first terminal insertion port into which a first terminal is inserted and a second terminal insertion port into which a second terminal is inserted, the first terminal insertion port and the second terminal insertion port open in the same direction perpendicular to the installation surface, the terminal member has a first terminal portion to which the first terminal is connected and a second terminal portion to which the second terminal is connected, and the elastic member has a first terminal pressing portion that presses the first terminal against the first terminal portion and a second terminal pressing portion that presses the second terminal against the second terminal portion.

[0008] It is also preferable that the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion are provided between the first terminal pressing portion and the second terminal pressing portion.

[0009] Furthermore, it is preferable that the elastic member is formed of a leaf spring, and when the direction perpendicular to the installation surface in which the first terminal and the second terminal are inserted into the first terminal insertion port and the second terminal insertion port is defined as downward, the first terminal pressing portion is formed of one end of the leaf spring and extends so that the distance between it and the first terminal portion becomes narrower as it extends downward, and the second terminal pressing portion is formed of the other end of the leaf spring and extends so that the distance between it and the second terminal portion becomes narrower as it extends downward.

[0010] Furthermore, it is preferable that the housing has a first jig insertion port into which a first jig is inserted and a second jig insertion port into which a second jig is inserted, the first jig insertion port and the second jig insertion port opening in the same direction perpendicular to the installation surface, the first terminal pressing portion being configured to be displaceable to a position where the first terminal is not pressed by the first jig, and the second terminal pressing portion being configured to be displaceable to a position where the second terminal is not pressed by the second jig. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, a terminal block can be provided that allows terminal connection work to be easily performed, can be made smaller, and allows electrical wires extending from the terminals to be pulled out without interfering with other objects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a terminal block according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of the same terminal block. [Figure 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing a housing that constitutes the terminal block according to the embodiment, in which (A) is a perspective view, (B) is a plan view, and (C) is a bottom view. [Figure 3] 10A to 10G are diagrams showing a housing that constitutes the terminal block according to the embodiment, where (D) is a front view, (E) is a rear view, (F) is a right side view, and (G) is a left side view. [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are diagrams showing terminal members constituting the terminal block according to the embodiment, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a plan view. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing terminal members constituting the terminal block according to the embodiment, with FIG. 10C being a front view. [Figure 6] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing an elastic member that constitutes the terminal block according to the embodiment, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a front view. [Figure 7] 4A and 4B are diagrams showing a cover that constitutes a part of the terminal block according to the embodiment, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a rear view. [Figure 8]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal block according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 1A is a cross-sectional view of a terminal block for explaining the operation of connecting a terminal to the terminal block according to the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of a terminal block for explaining the operation of disconnecting the terminal. [Figure 10] 10A is a perspective view of a terminal block according to a modified example of the present invention, and FIG. 10B is an exploded perspective view of the same terminal block. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a state in which a plurality of terminal blocks are arranged in parallel, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a front view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A terminal block T according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the front-rear direction X, left-right direction Y, and up-down direction Z indicated by arrows in the drawings are linear directions that are perpendicular to one another, and the up-down direction Z is a direction perpendicular to the installation surface described below. Fig. 1(B) shows the terminal block T shown in Fig. 1(A) in an exploded state.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the terminal block T is composed of a housing 1, a terminal member 2 and an elastic member 3 provided on the housing 1, and a cover 4. The terminal block T is a terminal block for a printed circuit board that is attached to a printed circuit board B (see Fig. 8), and is a common terminal block that electrically connects a common terminal (not shown) on the printed circuit board B to terminals W1t, W2t (see Fig. 8) provided at the end of an electric wire W (see Fig. 9).

[0015] The housing 1 is a single resin part having electrical insulation properties, and has an internal space S that houses a part of the terminal member 2 and the elastic member 3. When the cover 4 is not attached to the housing 1, the internal space S is exposed at the front end of the housing 1. The housing 1 is provided on a substrate surface Sf (see FIG. 8), which is a predetermined installation surface. FIGS. 2 and 3A to 3G show only the housing 1.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 1 is formed symmetrically and has a rear wall portion 1A that covers the rear of the internal space S, a right side wall portion 1B that covers the right side of the internal space S, a left side wall portion 1C that covers the left side of the internal space S, a bottom portion 1D that covers the bottom of the internal space S, and a terminal insertion portion 1E located above the internal space S.

[0017] A right side wall 1B provided at the right end of rear wall 1A, a left side wall 1C provided at the left end of rear wall 1A, and a bottom 1D provided at the lower end of rear wall 1A all protrude forward from rear wall 1A. Protrusions 15A-15F, 16A, and 16B and recesses 17A-17F, 18A, and 18B, which will be described later, are provided on side walls 1B and 1C. A terminal insertion opening 13A, which will be described later, is provided between bottom 1D and right side wall 1B, and a terminal insertion opening 13B, which will be described later, is provided between bottom 1D and left side wall 1C.

[0018] Terminal insertion portion 1E provided at the upper end of rear wall portion 1A is provided with terminal insertion openings 11A and 11B, which will be described later. A jig insertion opening 12A, which will be described later, is provided between terminal insertion portion 1E and right side wall portion 1B, and a jig insertion opening 12B, which will be described later, is provided between terminal insertion portion 1E and left side wall portion 1C.

[0019] The housing 1 also has partitions 1F and 1G that separate the terminal insertion openings 11A and 11B as part of the terminal insertion portion 1E. The partition 1F is provided at the upper end of the terminal insertion portion 1E, and the partition 1G is provided at the lower end of the terminal insertion portion 1E. The dimension of the partition 1G in the left-right direction Y is larger than the dimension of the partition 1F in the left-right direction Y.

[0020] The housing 1 has a terminal socket 11A provided in the right half of the terminal insertion portion 1E as a first terminal socket into which a first terminal is inserted, and a terminal socket 11B provided in the left half of the terminal insertion portion 1E as a second terminal socket into which a second terminal is inserted. The terminal sockets 11A and 11B are adjacent to each other in the left-right direction Y, separated by partition walls 1F and 1G, and open upward (i.e., in the same direction perpendicular to a board surface Sf described below). The rear, right, and left sides of the terminal sockets 11A and 11B are covered by the terminal insertion portion 1E, and the front sides of the terminal sockets 11A and 11B are covered by a cover 4.

[0021] The housing 1 also has a jig insertion opening 12A located to the right of the terminal insertion opening 11A as a first jig insertion opening into which a first jig for disconnecting the first terminal is inserted, and a jig insertion opening 12B located to the left of the terminal insertion opening 11B as a second jig insertion opening into which a second jig for disconnecting the second terminal is inserted. Like the terminal insertion openings 11A and 11B, the jig insertion openings 12A and 12B open upward. The rear, right, and left sides of the jig insertion opening 12A are covered by the rear wall 1A, the right side wall 1B, and the terminal insertion portion 1E, and the front of the jig insertion opening 12A is covered by the cover 4. The rear, left and right sides of jig insertion port 12B are covered by rear wall 1A, left side wall 1C and terminal insertion portion 1E, and the front of jig insertion port 12B is covered by cover 4.

[0022] The housing 1 also has a terminal insertion opening 13A at the right end of the bottom 1D as a first board terminal insertion opening through which the first board terminal is inserted, and a terminal insertion opening 13B at the left end of the bottom 1D as a second board terminal insertion opening through which the second board terminal is inserted. The terminal insertion openings 13A and 13B open downward (i.e., toward the board surface Sf). The rear, left, and right sides of the terminal insertion opening 13A are covered by the bottom 1D and the right side wall 1B, and the front of the terminal insertion opening 13A is covered by the cover 4. The rear, right, and left sides of the terminal insertion opening 13B are covered by the bottom 1D and the left side wall 1C, and the front of the terminal insertion opening 13B is covered by the cover 4.

[0023] The housing 1 also has protrusions 14A and 14B provided in the internal space S to suppress displacement of the elastic member 3. The protrusions 14A and 14B protrude forward from the rear wall portion 1A and restrict deformation and movement of the elastic member 3 in the internal space S by coming into contact with the elastic member 3.

[0024] The housing 1 also has protrusions 15A-15F, 16A, and 16B that protrude forward at the front end of the housing 1 as front fitting portions that fit with an adjacent front component (the cover 4 in this embodiment). The protrusions 15A-15F are formed by cylindrical projections. The protrusions 16A and 16B are formed by projections that extend in the vertical direction Z and form the right and left ends of the housing 1.

[0025] The housing 1 also has recesses 17A-17F, 18A, and 18B recessed forward at the rear end of the housing 1 as rear fitting portions for fitting with adjacent rear components. The recesses 17A-17F are formed as cylindrical holes. The recesses 18A and 18B are formed as recesses extending in the vertical direction Z and are exposed at the right and left ends of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the recesses 17A-17F, 18A, and 18B are not used.

[0026] The housing 1 also has upper end faces 19A and 19B that are configured to be visible from above and serve as marking sections on which identification names (not shown) of the terminal sockets 11A and 11B are written. The upper end faces 19A and 19B are inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z, with the upper end face 19A being formed by the upper part of the right side wall portion 1B and the upper end face 19B being formed by the upper part of the left side wall portion 1C. The identification names of the terminal sockets 11A and 11B are, for example, numbers, and the terminal sockets 11A and 11B can be identified by referring to the numbers printed or affixed to the upper end faces 19A and 19B.

[0027] The terminal member 2 is a single metal part having electrical conductivity, and is connected to a common terminal (not shown) and terminals W1t and W2t (see FIG. 8). The terminal member 2 is a conductive plate formed by bending a metal plate having a thickness of less than 1 mm, for example. FIGS. 4 and 5(A) to 5(C) show only the terminal member 2.

[0028] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the terminal member 2 is formed symmetrically and has rod portions 21A, 21B, flat plate portions 22A, 22B, bent portions 23A, 23B, flat plate portions 24A, 24B, bent portions 25A, 25B, flat plate portions 26A, 26B, and bent portion 27.

[0029] The rod portions 21A and 21B extend in the vertical direction Z. The rod portions 21A and 21B are curved to form an arc when viewed from above or below. The rod portion 21A is provided at the lower end of the flat plate portion 22A, and the rod portion 21B is provided at the lower end of the flat plate portion 22B. The rod portions 21A and 21B function as board terminal portions to be connected to a common terminal.

[0030] The flat plate portions 22A and 22B extend parallel to the up-down direction Z and the front-rear direction X, and have flat surfaces facing right and left. The flat plate portion 22A is provided adjacent to the right side wall portion 1B of the housing 1, and the flat plate portion 22B is provided adjacent to the left side wall portion 1C of the housing 1.

[0031] Bent portions 23A and 23B are bent so that flat plate portions 22A and 22B form a right angle with flat plate portions 24A and 24B. Bent portion 23A connects the rear end of flat plate portion 22A to the right end of flat plate portion 24A, and bent portion 23B connects the rear end of flat plate portion 22B to the left end of flat plate portion 24B.

[0032] The flat plate portions 24A, 24B extend parallel to the left-right direction Y and the up-down direction Z, and have flat surfaces facing forward and backward. The flat plate portions 24A, 24B are provided adjacent to the rear wall portion 1A of the housing 1.

[0033] Bent portions 25A and 25B are bent so that flat plate portions 24A and 24B form a right angle with flat plate portions 26A and 26B. Bent portion 25A connects the left end of flat plate portion 24A to the rear end of flat plate portion 26A, and bent portion 25B connects the right end of flat plate portion 24B to the rear end of flat plate portion 26B.

[0034] The flat plate portions 26A, 26B extend parallel to the front-rear direction X and the up-down direction Z, and have flat surfaces facing right and left. The flat plate portions 26A, 26B are adjacent to each other and face each other in the left-right direction Y. The flat plate portion 26A functions as a first terminal portion to which a first terminal is connected, and the flat plate portion 26B functions as a second terminal portion to which a second terminal is connected.

[0035] Bent portion 27 is bent so as to form an arc with a central angle of 180 degrees when viewed from above or below. Bent portion 27 connects the front end of flat plate portion 26A to the front end of flat plate portion 26A.

[0036] The elastic member 3 is a single metal part having electrical conductivity, and is a spring member that presses the terminals W1t, W2t (see FIG. 8) against the terminal member 2. The elastic member 3 is, for example, a plate spring formed by bending a metal plate less than 1 mm in thickness. Figures 6(A) and 6(B) show only the elastic member 3.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, the elastic member 3 is formed symmetrically and has a flat plate portion 31, bending portions 32A, 32B, flat plate portions 33A, 33B, bending portions 34A, 34B, curved portions 35A, 35B, bending portions 36A, 36B, flat plate portions 37A, 37B, bending portions 38A, 38B, and flat plate portions 39A, 39B.

[0038] The flat plate portion 31 extends parallel to the left-right direction Y and has flat surfaces facing upward and downward. The dimension of the flat plate portion 31 in the left-right direction Y is smaller than the distance between the flat plate portions 22A and 22B of the terminal member 2. The flat plate portion 31 is provided on the bottom portion 1D of the housing 1.

[0039] Bent portions 32A and 32B are bent so that flat plate portion 31 and flat plate portions 33A and 33B form an obtuse angle. Bent portion 32A connects the right end of flat plate portion 31 to the lower end of flat plate portion 33A, and bent portion 32B connects the left end of flat plate portion 31 to the lower end of flat plate portion 33B.

[0040] The flat plate portions 33A and 33B extend obliquely with respect to the up-down direction Z so that the distance between the flat plate portions 33A and 33B in the left-right direction Y increases upward. Therefore, one end of the flat plate portion 33A is the lower end and the left end, and the other end is the upper end and the right end. Similarly, one end of the flat plate portion 33B is the lower end and the right end, and the other end is the upper end and the left end.

[0041] Bent portions 34A and 34B are bent so that flat plate portions 33A and 33B form a predetermined angle with curved portions 35A and 35B. Bent portion 34A connects the upper end of flat plate portion 33A to curved portion 35A, and bent portion 34B connects the upper end of flat plate portion 33B to curved portion 35B.

[0042] Curved portions 35A and 35B are curved so as to form an arc with a central angle of 180 degrees or more when viewed from the front or rear. Curved portion 35A is curved so that flat plate portion 33A and flat plate portion 37A form an acute angle, and curved portion 35B is curved so that flat plate portion 33B and flat plate portion 37B form an acute angle.

[0043] Bent portions 36A and 36B are bent so that curved portions 35A and 35B form a predetermined angle with flat portion 37A and 37B. Bent portion 36A connects curved portion 35A to the right end of flat portion 37A, and bent portion 36B connects curved portion 35B to the left end of flat portion 37B.

[0044] The flat plate portions 37A, 37B extend slightly obliquely with respect to the left-right direction Y. The parallelism of the flat plate portions 37A, 37B with respect to the left-right direction Y is greater than the parallelism of the flat plate portions 39A, 39B with respect to the left-right direction Y.

[0045] Bent portions 38A and 38B are bent so that flat plate portions 37A and 37B form an obtuse angle with flat plate portions 39A and 39B. Bent portion 38A connects the left end of flat plate portion 37A to the upper end of flat plate portion 39A, and bent portion 38B connects the right end of flat plate portion 37B to the upper end of flat plate portion 39B.

[0046] The flat plate portions 39A, 39B extend obliquely with respect to the up-down direction Z so that the distance between the flat plate portions 39A, 39B in the left-right direction Y decreases downward. Therefore, one end of the flat plate portion 39A is the upper end and the right end, and the other end is the lower end and the left end. Similarly, one end of the flat plate portion 39B is the upper end and the left end, and the other end is the lower end and the right end.

[0047] The flat plate portion 39A is formed by one end of a leaf spring and functions as a first terminal pressing portion that presses the first terminal against the first terminal portion, while the flat plate portion 39B is formed by the other end of the leaf spring and functions as a second terminal pressing portion that presses the second terminal against the second terminal portion.

[0048] The cover 4 is a single resin part having electrical insulation properties, and is attached to the housing 1 to cover the front of the internal space S of the housing 1. Figures 7(A) and 7(B) show only the cover 4.

[0049] 7, the cover 4 has recesses 41A to 41F, 42A, and 42B recessed forward at the rear end of the cover 4 as engaging portions that fit with the housing 1. The recesses 41A to 41F are formed as cylindrical holes that penetrate the cover 4. The recesses 42A and 42B are formed as recesses that extend in the vertical direction Z and are exposed at the right and left ends of the cover 4.

[0050] The cover 4 is attached to the housing 1 by fitting the protrusions 15A to 15F, 16A, and 16B of the housing 1 into the recesses 41A to 41F, 42A, and 42B of the cover 4 together.

[0051] 8 shows a state in which a part of the terminal member 2 and the elastic member 3 are housed in the internal space S of the housing 1. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the housing 1, the terminal member 2, and the elastic member 3 cut perpendicularly to the front-rear direction X.

[0052] As shown in Figure 8, the terminal member 2 is provided in the housing 1 so that the rod portions 21A, 21B are inserted into the terminal insertion openings 13A, 13B, and the flat portions 26A, 26B and the bent portion 27 are positioned below the partition portions 1F, 1G.

[0053] The rod portions 21A, 21B protruding downward from the terminal insertion openings 13A, 13B are inserted into through holes (not shown) of the printed circuit board B and soldered to the back surface Sb of the printed circuit board B. In this way, the housing 1 is provided on the front surface Sf of the printed circuit board B, and the terminal member 2 is connected to a common terminal of the printed circuit board B.

[0054] The elastic member 3 is provided on the housing 1 such that the flat plate portion 31 is located above the bottom portion 1D, the flat plate portion 33A is located between the right sidewall portion 1B and the protrusion 14A, the flat plate portion 33B is located between the left sidewall portion 1C and the protrusion 14B, and the flat plate portions 39A and 39B sandwich the flat plate portions 26A and 26B. That is, the flat plate portions 26A and 26B are provided between the flat plate portions 39A and 39B. The flat plate portion 39A extends downward so that the distance between it and the flat plate portion 26A becomes narrower, and the lower end of the flat plate portion 39A contacts the flat plate portion 26A. Similarly, the flat plate portion 39B extends downward so that the distance between it and the flat plate portion 26B becomes narrower, and the lower end of the flat plate portion 39B contacts the flat plate portion 26B.

[0055] The flat plate portions 39A, 39B are configured to be displaceable to positions away from the flat plate portions 26A, 26B by the terminals W1t, W2t inserted into the terminal insertion ports 11A, 11B. The flat plate portions 39A, 39B are also configured to be displaceable to positions where they do not press down on the terminals W1t, W2t by a jig J (see FIG. 9(B)) inserted into the jig insertion ports 12A, 12B.

[0056] The terminal W1t is a first terminal provided at an end of an electric wire W (see FIG. 9), and the terminal W2t is a second terminal provided at an end of another electric wire W (not shown). In this embodiment, the terminals W1t and W2t are rod-shaped crimp terminals.

[0057] The jig J is, for example, a tool made of an electrically insulating resin and has a flat, pointed tip. The jig J in this embodiment serves as both a first jig for disconnecting the first terminal and a second jig for disconnecting the second terminal.

[0058] The manner of use of the terminal block T will be described with reference to Fig. 9. The left half of the terminal block T is not shown in the figure because it has the same configuration as the right half of the terminal block T. It is assumed that the terminal block T is provided on the board surface Sf of the printed circuit board B by connecting the rod portions 21A and 21B to wiring (not shown) on the printed circuit board B.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 9A, when the terminal W1t is inserted into the terminal insertion port 11A, the flat plate portion 39A is displaced away from the flat plate portion 26A, and the terminal W1t is sandwiched between the flat plate portions 26A and 39A. At this time, the flat plate portion 39A presses the terminal W1t against the flat plate portion 26A due to the restoring force of the elastic member 3. In this way, the terminal W1t is connected to the flat plate portion 26A, and the terminal W1t is sandwiched between the flat plate portions 26A and 39A. When the terminal W1t is pulled upward while sandwiched between the flat plate portions 26A and 39A, the lower end of the flat plate portion 39A, which is one end of the leaf spring, tries to bite into the terminal W1t, thereby firmly holding the terminal W1t.

[0060] Furthermore, by inserting the terminal W2t into the terminal insertion port 11B, the terminal W2t displaces the flat plate portion 39B to a position away from the flat plate portion 26B and is sandwiched between the flat plate portions 26B, 39B. At this time, the flat plate portion 39B presses the terminal W2t against the flat plate portion 26B due to the restoring force of the elastic member 3. In this way, the terminal W2t is connected to the flat plate portion 26B and is sandwiched between the flat plate portions 26B, 39B. The flat plate portion 39B functions in the same way as the flat plate portion 39A, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] 9(B), when disconnecting the flat plate portion 26A from the terminal W1t, the jig J is inserted into the jig insertion port 12A, whereby the jig J presses the flat plate portion 37A downward and displaces the flat plate portion 39A to a position away from the terminal W1t (i.e., a position where the terminal W1t is not pressed down). In this way, the connection between the flat plate portion 26A and the terminal W1t is released, and the terminal W1t can be pulled out upward.

[0062] Furthermore, when disconnecting the flat plate portion 26B from the terminal W2t, the jig J is inserted into the jig insertion port 12B, whereby the jig J presses the flat plate portion 37B downward and displaces the flat plate portion 39B to a position away from the terminal W2t (i.e., a position where the terminal W2t is not pressed down). In this way, the connection between the flat plate portion 26B and the terminal W2t is released, and the terminal W2t can be pulled out upward.

[0063] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) The terminal W1t (first terminal) can be connected to the terminal member 2 by inserting the terminal W1t (first terminal) through the terminal insertion port 11A (first terminal insertion port) and inserting it between the flat plate portion 26A (first terminal portion) and the flat plate portion 39A (first terminal pressing portion). The terminal W2t (second terminal) can be connected to the terminal member 2 by inserting the terminal W2t (second terminal) through the terminal insertion port 11B (second terminal insertion port) and inserting it between the flat plate portion 26B (second terminal portion) and the flat plate portion 39B (second terminal pressing portion). Therefore, the terminals W1t and W2t can be connected to the terminal member 2 without using a screw member, which facilitates the connection of the terminals W1t and W2t and allows the terminal block T to be made smaller. Furthermore, because the terminal insertion ports 11A, 11B are open upward (in the same direction perpendicular to the board surface Sf (installation surface) on which the housing 1 is provided), the electric wires W can be drawn out from the terminals W1t, W2t above the terminal block T without being drawn out to the left or right of the terminal block T. Therefore, the electric wires W extending from the terminals W1t, W2t can be drawn out without interfering with other objects provided on the board surface Sf near the terminal block T.

[0064] (2) The flat plate portions 26A and 26B are provided between the flat plate portions 39A and 39B. According to this configuration, by inserting the terminal W1t between the flat plate portions 26A and 39A and inserting the terminal W2t between the flat plate portions 26B and 39B, the terminal W1t, the flat plate portions 26A and 26B, and the terminal W2t can be sandwiched between the flat plate portions 39A and 39B.

[0065] (3) The flat plate portion 39A is formed by one end of a leaf spring and extends downward (in the direction in which the terminals W1t, W2t are inserted into the terminal insertion openings 11A, 11B) so that the distance between the flat plate portion 39A and the flat plate portion 26A becomes narrower as it extends downward. The flat plate portion 39B is formed by the other end of the leaf spring and extends downward so that the distance between the flat plate portion 39A and the flat plate portion 26B becomes narrower as it extends downward. With this configuration, when an attempt is made to pull upward the terminal W1t inserted between the flat plate portions 26A and 39A, the flat plate portion 39A, which is one end of the leaf spring, tries to bite into the terminal W1t, thereby effectively preventing the terminal W1t from being unintentionally pulled out. Furthermore, when an attempt is made to pull upward the terminal W2t inserted between the flat plate portions 26B and 39B, the flat plate portion 39B, which is the other end of the leaf spring, tries to bite into the terminal W2t, thereby effectively preventing the terminal W2t from being unintentionally pulled out.

[0066] (4) By inserting the jig J (first jig) through the jig insertion port 12A (first jig insertion port) and displacing the flat plate portion 39A, the connection between the terminal W1t and the terminal member 2 can be released. Also, by inserting the jig J (second jig) through the jig insertion port 12B (second jig insertion port) and displacing the flat plate portion 39B, the connection between the terminal W2t and the terminal member 2 can be released. Also, because the jig insertion ports 12A and 12B are open upward, it is possible to prevent the jig J from coming into contact with other objects provided on the substrate surface Sf near the terminal block T.

[0067] (5) The housing 1 has upper end faces 19A, 19B that are visible from above (i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the board surface Sf, which is the installation surface). With this configuration, when inserting the terminals W1t, W2t into the terminal sockets 11A, 11B, the terminal sockets 11A, 11B can be easily identified by referring to the identification names printed on the upper end faces 19A, 19B.

[0068] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the above configurations can be modified. For example, the following modifications can be made, or the following modifications can be combined to make the present invention.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 10, the terminal block T may be composed of a plurality of housings 1, terminal members 2 and elastic members 3 provided in each housing 1, and a cover 4. Fig. 10(B) shows the terminal block T shown in Fig. 10(A) in an exploded state.

[0070] 10 includes a terminal block T having a plurality of housings 1 arranged adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction X, with a cover 4 attached to the frontmost housing 1 of the plurality of housings 1. Of the housings 1 adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction X, the front housing 1 covers the internal space S, terminal insertion openings 11A, 11B, jig insertion openings 12A, 12B, and front of terminal insertion openings 13A, 13B of the rear housing 1. Of the housings 1 adjacent to each other in the front-to-rear direction X, the convex portions 15A-15F, 16A, 16B of the rear housing 1 are fitted with the concave portions 17A-17F, 18A, 18B of the front housing 1.

[0071] 11, by arranging the terminal blocks T shown in FIG. 10 in the left-right direction Y, it is possible to provide multiple terminal insertion openings 11A, 11B closely spaced apart. In this case, because the terminal insertion openings 11A, 11B and the jig insertion openings 12A, 12B are open upward, it is possible to provide multiple terminal blocks T without any gaps in the left-right direction Y. Furthermore, it is possible to provide multiple terminal blocks T without any gaps in the left-right direction Y while allowing the upper end surfaces 19A, 19B, which are name marking portions, to be visible from above.

[0072] The shapes of the components constituting the terminal block T may be changed as appropriate. For example, the terminal member 2 may have a flat plate portion instead of the rod portions 21A and 21B. That is, the terminal member 2 may have a flat board terminal portion. Also, for example, instead of the partition portions 1F and 1G, the housing 1 may have a single partition portion that is continuous from the upper end to the lower end of the terminal insertion portion 1E. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1. Housing 1A Rear wall 1B Right side wall 1C Left side wall 1D bottom 1E Terminal insertion part 1F,1G bulkhead section 2 Terminal material 3 Elastic member 4 Cover 11A, 11B terminal sockets (1st terminal socket, 2nd terminal socket) 12A, 12B Jig insertion port (1st jig insertion port, 2nd jig insertion port) 13A, 13B Terminal insertion hole 14A,14B protrusion 15A~15F, 16A, 16B convex part 17A~17F, 18A, 18B recessed parts 19A,19B Top end surface 21A,21B Rod part 22A, 22B, 24A, 24B flat plate part 23A,23B,25A,25B,27 Bend part 26A, 26B Flat plate part (1st terminal part, 2nd terminal part) 31,33A,33B,37A,37B Flat plate part 32A,32B,34A,34B,36A,36B,38A,38B Bend part 35A, 35B curved section 39A, 39B Flat portion (first terminal pressing portion, second terminal pressing portion) 41A~41F, 42A, 42B recessed parts B. Printed circuit board J Jig (1st jig, 2nd jig) S interior space SF board surface (installation surface) Sb Back side of the board T terminal block W electric wire W1t, W2t terminals (first terminal, second terminal) X Anteroposterior direction Y left / right direction Z vertical direction

Claims

1. a housing provided on a predetermined installation surface; a terminal member and an elastic member provided in the housing, the housing has a first terminal insertion port into which a first terminal is inserted and a second terminal insertion port into which a second terminal is inserted, the first terminal insertion port and the second terminal insertion port opening in the same direction perpendicular to the installation surface; the terminal member has a first terminal portion to which the first terminal is connected and a second terminal portion to which the second terminal is connected, The elastic member has a first terminal pressing portion that presses the first terminal against the first terminal portion, and a second terminal pressing portion that presses the second terminal against the second terminal portion. A terminal block characterized by:

2. The first terminal portion and the second terminal portion are provided between the first terminal pressing portion and the second terminal pressing portion.

2. The terminal block according to claim 1.

3. the elastic member is formed of a leaf spring, When the direction perpendicular to the installation surface in which the first terminal and the second terminal are inserted into the first terminal insertion port and the second terminal insertion port is defined as downward, the first terminal pressing portion is formed by one end of the leaf spring and extends downward so that the distance between the first terminal portion and the first terminal pressing portion becomes narrower as the first terminal pressing portion extends downward, The second terminal pressing portion is formed by the other end of the leaf spring, and extends downward so that the distance between the second terminal portion and the second terminal pressing portion becomes narrower as the second terminal pressing portion extends downward.

3. The terminal block according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the housing has a first jig insertion port into which a first jig is inserted and a second jig insertion port into which a second jig is inserted, the first jig insertion port and the second jig insertion port opening in the same direction perpendicular to the installation surface, The first terminal pressing portion is configured to be displaceable by the first jig to a position where it does not press the first terminal, and the second terminal pressing portion is configured to be displaceable by the second jig to a position where it does not press the second terminal.

3. The terminal block according to claim 1 or 2.

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