Contact terminal and electronic connector having the same

Abstract

To provide a contact terminal and an electronic connector equipped with the same, capable of simplifying a manufacturing process, reducing a production cost, and easily controlling a finish dimension of the terminal and a deformation degree in buffering.SOLUTION: A contact terminal extending along an insertion direction and having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the contact terminal comprising two surfaces, a connecting portion, a base portion, and a buffering structure portion, the two surfaces being on two opposite sides along a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction; The connection portion is located at the first end, the base portion is located at the second end, the buffering structure portion includes at least two connection portions disposed between the base portion and the connection portion and formed at intervals, each connection portion has at least two connection arms connected to each other, each connection arm extends linearly, the connection arms of the two connection portions are formed to surround a polygonal hole in a closed shape, and the polygonal hole penetrates the two surfaces along a thickness direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrically conductive connection device, and more particularly to a contact terminal and an electronic connector having the contact terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] Contact terminals are connection structures that are often used when connecting electronic components together. In order to prevent damage to the structure due to excessive pressure being applied to the contact terminal when the connector is pressed in, a buffer structure is usually provided in the contact terminal between the base portion that is held and fixed within the housing of the electronic component and the connection portion that is inserted into the connection hole of the other party to prevent damage due to excessive pressure being applied.

[0003] One existing cushioning structure for contact terminals involves bending the terminal body in its thickness direction to impart elasticity and provide a cushioning effect. Another existing cushioning structure involves bending and deforming the terminal body in multiple stages at multiple bending angles to impart elasticity and provide a cushioning effect. Although these processing methods enable the contact terminal to withstand a greater press-fit force, they have the following problems.

[0004] Disadvantage 1: A buffer structure formed by bending in the thickness direction can improve elasticity, but if the force in the thickness direction is uneven during press-fitting, the contact terminals are likely to be distorted or buckle.

[0005] Disadvantage 2: Although a buffer structure that bends and deforms in multiple stages at multiple angles can alleviate the problem of uneven force being applied to the contact terminal, the manufacturing method for bending and deforming in multiple stages at multiple angles is difficult, which increases the number of processing steps and increases production costs.In addition, it is difficult to manage the dimensions of contact terminals that are bent and deformed in multiple stages at multiple angles, and to control the degree of deformation during buffering. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] US Patent No. US US 9,620,877B Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the shortcomings of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and aims to provide a contact terminal and an electronic connector equipped with the same that simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces production costs, and that allows for easy control of the finished dimensions of the terminal and the degree of deformation during cushioning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention proposes a contact terminal, the contact terminal extending along an insertion direction, having a first end and a second end facing each other, and including two surfaces, a connecting portion, a base portion, and a buffer structure portion; the two surfaces are on opposite sides along a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction, the connecting portion is located at the first end, the base is located at the second end; The buffer structure portion is characterized in that it has at least two connecting portions arranged between the base portion and the connecting portion and formed at an interval, each connecting portion having at least two connecting arms connected to each other, each connecting arm extending linearly, the connecting arms of the two connecting portions being formed to surround a polygonal hole having a closed shape, and the polygonal hole penetrating the two surfaces along the thickness direction.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention further proposes an electronic connector, which includes a housing and the above-mentioned contact terminal, and is characterized in that the base and buffer structure of the contact terminal are held and fixed within the housing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] By using the above-mentioned technical means, the present invention has the following advantages and effects.

[0011] First, since the polygonal holes of the buffer structure penetrate both surfaces of the contact terminal of the present invention, when each connecting arm of the buffer structure receives a force, the force is transmitted in a direction parallel to both surfaces, and uneven force in the thickness direction can be avoided, thereby effectively suppressing distortion and buckling of the buffer structure.

[0012] Second, the buffer structure employs a simple structure, such as the connecting arm and polygonal holes, which allows it to be formed in one step by simple punching, making it easy to impart elasticity and buffering effects. This effectively reduces manufacturing difficulty and production costs, and also makes it easy to manage the dimensions of the finished product and control the degree of deformation during buffering.

[0013] Therefore, the present invention can provide a contact terminal and an electronic connector equipped with the same that can simplify the manufacturing process and reduce production costs, while easily controlling the finished dimensions of the terminal and the degree of deformation during buffering. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a contact terminal according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a front view of a contact terminal according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a side view of a contact terminal according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic view showing a state in which a contact terminal according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is inserted into a corresponding connection hole. [Figure 5] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an electronic connector according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a contact terminal according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front view of a contact terminal according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a contact terminal according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view of a contact terminal according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of a contact terminal of the prior art as a comparative example. [Figure 11] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between change in length and applied external force in the contact terminals according to the first to third preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contact terminal of the comparative example in FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of displacement of the end points and the magnitude of the applied external force in the contact terminals according to the first to third preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contact terminal of the comparative example in FIG. [Figure 13] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of displacement of the first connection point and the magnitude of the applied external force in the contact terminals according to the first to third preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contact terminal of the comparative example in FIG. [Figure 14] 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of displacement of the second connection point and the magnitude of the applied external force in the contact terminals according to the first to third preferred embodiments of the present invention and the contact terminal of the comparative example in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the predetermined objects of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings and preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0016] 1 to 3 show a contact terminal 10 according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and according to these drawings, the contact terminal 10 includes two surfaces 11, a connecting portion 20, a base portion 30, and a buffer structure portion 40.

[0017] 1 to 3, the contact terminal 10 extends along an insertion direction D1 and has a first end and a second end facing each other. The tip of the first end of the contact terminal 10 is designated as end point E, the connection portion 20 and the base portion 30 are located at the first end and the second end of the contact terminal 10, respectively, and the buffer structure 40 is located between the connection portion 20 and the base portion 30. One end of the buffer structure 40 close to the connection portion 20 is designated as first connection point C1, and the point where it is connected to the base portion 30 is designated as second connection point C2.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the two surfaces 11 of the contact terminal 10 are located on opposite sides along a thickness direction D2 that intersects with the insertion direction D1 of the contact terminal 10, and the two surfaces 11 include at least the range from the connection portion 20 to the buffer structure portion 40.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the buffer structure 40 includes two connecting parts spaced apart from each other, each connecting part connected between the base 30 and the connecting part 20 and having two connecting arms connected to each other, the two connecting arms being a first connecting arm 41A and a second connecting arm 41B, each connecting arm extending linearly, the second connecting arm 41B being connected between the first connecting arm 41A and the base 30, the first connecting arm 41A and the second connecting arm 41B of the two connecting parts being formed to surround a closed polygonal hole 42, and the polygonal hole 42 penetrates both surfaces 11 along the thickness direction D2.

[0020] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the contact terminal 10 has a central axis C extending along the insertion direction D1. L The connecting portion 20, the buffer structure portion 40 and the base 30 are arranged along the central axis C L The polygonal hole 42 is arranged along the central axis C L The connecting arms of each connecting portion are positioned on the central axis C L It is positioned so as to be offset from the

[0021] The contact terminal 10 is manufactured by punching a single sheet of plate material. More specifically, the plate material has opposing upper and lower surfaces, and the outer shape of the contact terminal 10 is formed by punching (i.e., press forming), with the upper and lower surfaces of the plate material becoming the two surfaces 11 of the contact terminal 10, respectively. During the punching process, components such as the connecting arm and polygonal hole 42 are simultaneously formed, thereby integrally forming the buffer structure 40. Thereafter, simple finishing processes are performed on the connecting portion 20, base portion 30, or buffer structure 40 as necessary to complete the contact terminal 10 of the present invention.

[0022] To explain the buffer structure 40 in more detail, the buffer structure 40 has a simple external design in which the polygonal hole 42 is surrounded by a plurality of connecting arms, and the polygonal hole 42 penetrates both surfaces 11. Therefore, in manufacturing the contact terminal 10 of the present invention, the buffer structure 40 can be almost completed by a simple punching process alone, which effectively simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces production costs.

[0023] Meanwhile, in other embodiments, each of the connecting portions may have three or more connecting arms, and different shapes of the polygonal holes 42 may be formed. Also, the buffer structure 40 may be composed of three or more connecting portions, and as long as the connecting arms of any two adjacent connecting portions are formed to surround a closed polygonal hole 42, the same advantages as above, such as simplified manufacturing processes and reduced production costs, can be maintained. In short, the number of connecting portions and connecting arms is not limited to that of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer structure 40 is formed between both surfaces 11, i.e., between the upper and lower surfaces of the plate material to be punched. This allows the buffer structure 40 to be completed by punching the plate material, eliminating the need for other processing steps. In addition, by similarly forming the connection portion 20 between the both surfaces 11, when an external force is applied, the force is transmitted from the connection portion 20 to the buffer structure 40 and is then transmitted between the both surfaces 11, improving structural stability when the force is applied.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4 , the completed contact terminal 10 is inserted into a connection hole 91 of an electrical connection partner to be electrically and structurally coupled. The connection hole 91 here is provided on a printed circuit board (PCB), but is not limited thereto. The insertion and coupling process will be described in detail below. When inserting the contact terminal 10 of the present invention into the connection hole 91, the contact terminal 10 and the connection hole 91 are first set in their relative positions, and then the contact terminal 10 is inserted into the connection hole 91 along the insertion direction D1. During the insertion process, when the connection portion 20 of the contact terminal 10 abuts on the edge of the female terminal of the connection hole 91, an external force F is applied along the insertion direction D1. At this time, the buffer structure 40 elastically deforms to appropriately absorb the applied external force F.

[0026] Furthermore, the central axis C extends linearly. L When an external force F is transmitted from the connection portion 20 to each connecting arm through the connecting arms that are arranged offset from the connecting portion 20, a component force is generated, and the polygonal holes 42 that penetrate both surfaces 11 weaken the structural strength and increase the elasticity, causing the buffer structure portion 40 to elastically deform and exhibit a buffering effect, thereby preventing the contact terminal 10 of the present invention from being damaged by the external force F.

[0027] As described above, the cushioning structure of the contact terminal of the prior art is formed by bending and deforming in multiple stages at multiple bending angles, which has drawbacks such as high manufacturing difficulty and production costs, and difficulty in controlling the dimensions and degree of deformation of the finished product. In contrast, the contact terminal 10 of the present invention has the following advantages and effects.

[0028] First, the polygonal holes 42 of the buffer structure 40 penetrate both surfaces 11 along the thickness direction D2 of the contact terminal of the present invention, so that when each connecting arm of the buffer structure 40 receives a force, the force is transmitted in a direction parallel to both surfaces 11, and uneven force in the thickness direction D2 can be avoided, thereby effectively suppressing distortion and buckling of the buffer structure 40.

[0029] Second, the buffer structure 40 employs a simple structure, such as the connecting arm and polygonal hole 42, and can be formed in one operation by simple punching. This allows for easy formation of elasticity and buffering effects, effectively reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the contact terminal 10 of the present invention, cutting production costs, and easily controlling the dimensions of the finished product and the degree of deformation during buffering.

[0030] Third, the buffer structure 40 has a simple design and is integrally molded by punching, which increases the productivity of the contact terminal 10 of the present invention and the stability of the finished product, and makes it easy to grasp the finished dimensions of the contact terminal 10 and the degree of deformation of the buffer structure 40 during buffering.

[0031] In this way, the present invention provides a contact terminal 10 whose structure is less likely to distort when subjected to force, has low manufacturing difficulty and production costs, and allows for easy dimensional control of the finished product and easy understanding of the degree of deformation of the buffer structure 40.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in the present invention, the base 30 includes a base portion 31 and a support portion 32, and both ends of the support portion 32 are connected to the buffer structure portion 40 and the base portion 31, respectively. As shown in Figure 2, the width of the support portion 32 is larger than each connecting arm of the buffer structure portion 40, and the width of the outer shell connecting arm is relatively small, thereby weakening the strength of the buffer structure portion 40 and ensuring elastic deformation ability and buffering effect.

[0033] In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, all of the connecting arms of the buffer structure 40, i.e., the first connecting arm 41A and the second connecting arm 41B, have the same first width W1, i.e., the same cross-sectional area. As a result, when an external force F applied to the contact terminal 10 of the present invention is transmitted to the buffer structure 40, the force received by each connecting arm having the same cross-sectional area is approximately uniform, resulting in uniform force distribution and preventing structural distortion. In addition, the support portion 32 has a second width W2, and the first width W1 is smaller than the second width W2 (W1 <W2)。

[0034] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the first width W1 to the second width W2 is preferably in the range of 0.35 to 0.8, including the endpoints (0.35≦W1 / W2≦0.8). This setting ensures the elastic deformation capacity and cushioning performance of the buffer structure 40 while avoiding the problem of the connecting arms 41A, 41B becoming excessively thin and fragile. In contrast, in other embodiments, even if the widths of the connecting arms 41A, 41B are different, the structural strength of the buffer structure 40 is sufficient as long as the ratio of the connecting arms 41A, 41B to the second width W2 is within the above range.

[0035] 2, the two connecting portions of the buffer structure 40 are aligned along the central axis C LWith this design, when an external force F is transmitted to the buffer structure 40, it is evenly distributed to the two connecting parts, improving the structural stability of the buffer structure 40 during buffering and extending its service life. Meanwhile, in other embodiments, an even number of connecting parts, such as four, six, or eight, may be provided. In any case, these connecting parts are arranged symmetrically about the central axis C. L If the external force F is applied to the central axis C L Since the wires are evenly distributed on both sides of the connecting portion, the structure can be stabilized. Thus, the number of connecting portions of the present invention is not limited to two as in the first preferred embodiment.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, a first angle θ1 is formed between the first connecting arm 41A of the two connecting portions, and a second angle θ2 is formed between the first connecting arm 41A and the second connecting arm 41B. The sum of the first angle θ1 and the two second angles θ2 is in the range of 90° to 360°, including the end values ​​(90°≦θ1+2*θ2≦360°). This allows the buffer structure 40 to have a shape suitable for elastic deformation. For example, in a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sum of the first angle θ1 and the two second angles θ2 exceeds 180° (θ1+2*θ2>180°), and the buffer structure 40 has a kite shape as shown in FIG. 2.

[0037] 2 and 3, in this preferred embodiment, the base portion 31 of the base 30, the buffer structure 40, and the connection portion 20 are arranged along the insertion direction D1, and the support portion 32 of the base 30 is formed to bend in the thickness direction D2. Specifically, the processing method is to punch a plate material to integrally form the outer shape of the contact terminal 10 of the present invention, the buffer structure 40, and the structural shape of the connection portion 20, and then bend the second end of the contact terminal 10 in the thickness direction D2, thereby simultaneously forming the base portion 31 and the support portion 32, thereby enabling manufacturing without significantly increasing the processing steps or the difficulty of manufacturing.

[0038] The bending structure of the support portion 32 of the base portion 30 creates a further elastic deformation structure between the buffer structure portion 40 and the base portion 31 of the base portion 30, improving the buffer performance of the entire contact terminal 10 of the present invention. Furthermore, by connecting the support portion 32 to the center of the base portion 31, the external force F generated when inserting into the connection hole 91 is transmitted from the first end to the second end of the contact terminal 10 without bias, thereby ensuring the overall structural stability of the contact terminal 10 of the present invention.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5 , a first preferred embodiment of the present invention further provides an electronic connector, which includes a housing 90 and a plurality of the contact terminals 10, the plurality of contact terminals 10 being arranged in the housing 90 at intervals, and each of the contact terminals 10 being held and fixed in the housing 90 via the base 30 and the buffer structure 40.

[0040] The electronic connector is preferably a press-fit connector, such as, but not limited to, a wire-to-board (WTB) connector, a board-to-board (BTB) connector, a pin header, etc. By installing a plurality of the contact terminals 10, which are easy to manufacture and have low production costs, in the electronic connector, the electronic connector as a whole can also achieve the same advantages of easy manufacturing and low production costs.

[0041] 6 and 7 show a contact terminal 10A according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is substantially the same as the first preferred embodiment except that the sum of the first angle θ1 and the two second angles θ2 is 180° (θ1+2*θ2=180°). As a result, the buffer structure 40A has a triangular shape, and the second connecting arms 41B of the two connecting portions are connected linearly.

[0042] 8 and 9 show a contact terminal 10B according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the first preferred embodiment except that the sum of the first angle θ1 and the two second angles θ2 is less than 180° (θ1+2*θ2<180°), resulting in the buffer structure 40B having an arrow-shaped configuration.

[0043] To verify the cushioning effect of the cushioning structures 40, 40A, 40B of the contact terminals 10, 10A, 10B of the present invention, three preferred embodiments of the present invention will be compared below with a comparative contact terminal 50 shown in Fig. 10. The comparative contact terminal 50 does not have the cushioning structures 40, 40A, 40B of the present invention, and instead has a linear structure 60 extending along the insertion direction D1 between the base portion 30 and the connection portion 20.

[0044] In the present invention, a computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation is performed to examine the relationship between the external force F and structural deformation that occurs when the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B and the comparative contact terminal 50 are inserted into the connection hole 91. As shown in Figures 2, 7, 9, and 10, this CAE simulation measured the change in length of the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B in response to the external force F, the displacement of the end point E, the displacement of the first connection point C1, and the displacement of the second connection point C2.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, a CAE simulation was performed on six contact terminal models. The undeformed length L of each of the six contact terminals 10, 10A, 10B, and 50 was 14.184 mm. Three of the data were obtained for the same width ratios of the buffer structures 40, 40A, and 40B with different outer shapes according to the first, second, and third preferred embodiments of the present invention. Specifically, the first width W1 (the width of the connecting arm) of each of the three models was 0.35 mm, the second width W2 (the width of the support portion 32) was 0.64 mm, and the ratio of twice the first width W1 to the second width W2 was 1.1 (2*W1 / W2=1.1). The second angle θ2 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention was 105°, the second angle θ2 of the second preferred embodiment was 65°, and the second angle θ2 of the third preferred embodiment was 55°.

[0046] The other model is a comparative contact terminal 50 shown in FIG. 10, in which the width of the linear structure 60 corresponds to the second width W2 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, that is, 0.64 mm.

[0047] The remaining two models use the buffer structure 40 of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention but have different width ratios. Specifically, the first width W1 of these two models is 0.3 mm and 0.32 mm, respectively, and the ratio of twice the first width W1 to the second width W2 is 0.94 and 1, respectively (2*W1 / W2=0.94, 2*W1 / W2=1).

[0048] 11, which shows the relationship between the applied external force F and the change in length of the contact terminals 10, 10A, 10B, and 50, the contact terminal 50 of the comparative example, which does not have the buffer structure 40, 40A, or 40B, does not provide a sufficient buffer effect because the shortening of the length L, i.e., the deformation amount of the contact terminal 50, is small. Furthermore, when the applied external force F exceeds 68 N, the connection portion 20 is compressed and deformed by the connection hole 91, and the contact terminal 50 is stretched, causing the length L to exceed its initial value. In other words, the contact terminal 50 is damaged.

[0049] In contrast, the three preferred embodiments of the present invention utilize the elastic deformation of the buffer structures 40, 40A, and 40B as a buffer, thereby reducing the length L of the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B by a much greater amount than the contact terminal 50 of the comparative example. When the external force F exceeds approximately 94 N, the buffer structures 40, 40A, and 40B approach their elastic deformation limits, compressing and deforming the connection portion 20, causing the length L of the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B to extend. However, even when the external force F reaches 100 N, the length L does not exceed its initial value. Therefore, the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B of the present invention have a higher allowable limit for the external force F than the comparative example. In other words, the provision of the buffer structures 40, 40A, and 40B reliably prevents the structure of the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B from being damaged by the external force F during insertion.

[0050] It was also found that the order of the shortening of the length L, i.e., the magnitude of the deformation (large → small), was the first preferred embodiment (kite-shaped) > the second preferred embodiment (triangular) > the third preferred embodiment (arrow-shaped). In other words, among the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B of the three preferred embodiments of the present invention, the kite-shaped buffer structure 40 of the first preferred embodiment exhibited the highest buffer performance.

[0051] Furthermore, comparing the data of the three models with different width ratios in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is found that the smaller the first width W1 (i.e., the smaller 2*W1 / W2), the greater the shortening of the length L of the contact terminal 10, i.e., the greater the elastic deformation amount and the higher the elastic deformation limit of the buffer structure 40. Therefore, the buffering capacity of the buffer structure 40 can be adjusted by designing the width of the connecting arm within a range that does not weaken the structure.

[0052] 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the magnitude of the applied external force F and the displacement of the end point E. As shown in this graph, the displacement of the end point E indicates the distance that the base 30 moves toward the base portion 31, and represents the overall deformation of each contact terminal 10, 10A, 10B, 50. In the comparative example contact terminal 50 that does not have the buffer structures 40, 40A, 40B, the displacement of the end point E was only about 0.01 to 0.02 mm. Furthermore, as described above, when the external force F exceeds 68 N, the connection portion 20 is deformed, so the displacement of the end point E at that time decreases, and when the length L of the contact terminal 50 exceeds its initial value, the end point E moves in the opposite direction (away from the base portion 31 of the base 30).

[0053] In contrast, the contact terminals 10, 10A, and 10B of the three preferred embodiments of the present invention utilize the elastic deformation of the buffer structures 40, 40A, and 40B as a buffer, thereby achieving a displacement of the end point E of 0.03 mm or more, and are found to have superior elastic deformation capacity and buffering performance compared to the comparative contact terminal 50. Furthermore, when comparing data from three models with different width ratios in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, it was found that the smaller the first width W1 (i.e., the smaller 2*W1 / W2), the larger the displacement of the end point E, i.e., the larger the overall displacement of the contact terminal 10, and the higher the allowable limit of external force F, making it less likely for structural damage to occur.

[0054] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the applied external force F and the displacement of the first connection point C1. As shown in this graph, the displacement of the first connection point C1 refers to the distance traveled by the base 30 toward the base 31. By analyzing the displacement of the first connection point C1 at the top of each buffer structure 40, 40A, and 40B, we compared the deformation of buffer structures 40, 40A, and 40B with different shapes. It can be seen that in the three preferred embodiments of the present invention, the displacement of all first connection points C1 reaches 0.045 mm or more. In contrast, the displacement of the first connection point C1 of the contact terminal 50 of the comparative example, i.e., the top of the linear structure 60, is only approximately 0.01 mm. Therefore, the displacement of the buffer structures 40, 40A, and 40B of the present invention is improved by more than four times. Furthermore, when comparing the data of the three models with different width ratios in the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, it was found that, as mentioned above, the smaller the first width W1, the greater the displacement of the first connection point C1, and the higher the elastic deformation capacity and cushioning performance of the buffer structure 40.

[0055] 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the magnitude of the applied external force F and the displacement of the second connection point C2 of the contact terminals 10, 10A, 10B, 50. As shown in this graph, the displacement of the second connection point C2 indicates the distance that the second connection point C2 moves toward the base portion 31 of the base 30. By analyzing the displacement of each second connection point C2, it is possible to compare the elastic deformation of each base 30. As such, Figures 12, 13, and 14 clarify the relationship between the overall deformation of the contact terminals 10, 10A, 10B, the total deformation of the base 30 corresponding to the buffer structure 40, 40A, 40B, and the displacement of each base 30 itself.

[0056] 12 to 14, the displacement of the second connection point C2 was found to be a maximum of approximately 0.01 mm, while the displacement of the first connection point C1 was found to be at least 0.045 mm. Therefore, the overall deformation of each contact terminal 10, 10A, 10B is mainly due to the deformation of the buffer structures 40, 40A, 40B. Furthermore, compared to the contact terminal 50 of the comparative example, the increase in the displacement of the end point E in the contact terminals 10, 10A, 10B of the three preferred embodiments of the present invention is due to the increase in the displacement of the first connection point C1, i.e., the increase in the deformation of the buffer structures 40, 40A, 40B. Therefore, the provision of the buffer structures 40, 40A, 40B in the contact terminals 10, 10A, 10B of the present invention improves their elastic deformation capacity and buffering performance, thereby preventing structural damage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10, 10A, 10B contact terminal 11 Surface 20 Connection 30 base 31 Base 32 Support part 40, 40A, 40B buffer structure 41A First connecting arm 41B Second connecting arm 42 polygonal holes 50 contact terminal 60 Linear structure 90 Housing 91 Connection hole C1 First connection point C2 Second connection point C L central axis D1 Insertion direction D2 thickness direction E end point F external force L length W1 1st width W2 Second width θ1 1st angle θ2 2nd angle

Claims

1. a contact terminal extending along an insertion direction and having a first end and a second end facing each other, the contact terminal including two surfaces, a connecting portion, a base portion, and a buffer structure portion; the two surfaces are on opposite sides along a thickness direction intersecting the insertion direction, the connecting portion is located at the first end, the base is located at the second end; The buffer structure portion is arranged between the base portion and the connection portion and has at least two connecting portions formed at an interval, each connecting portion having at least two connecting arms connected to each other, each connecting arm extending linearly, the connecting arms of the two connecting portions being formed to surround a polygonal hole having a closed shape, and the polygonal hole penetrating the two surfaces along the thickness direction.

2. The contact terminal according to claim 1, wherein the base portion includes a base portion and a support portion, both ends of which are connected to the buffer structure portion and the base portion, respectively, and the width of the support portion is greater than the width of each connecting arm of the buffer structure portion.

3. 3. The contact terminal according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the width of each connecting arm of the buffer structure to the width of the support portion is in the range of 0.35 to 0.8, including end values.

4. 3. The contact terminal according to claim 2, wherein all of the connecting arms of the buffer structure have the same width.

5. The contact terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the contact terminal has a central axis extending along the insertion direction, the number of the at least two connecting portions is an even number, and the connecting portions are arranged symmetrically around the central axis.

6. the buffer structure includes two connecting portions, each connecting portion includes two connecting arms, the two connecting arms being respectively a first connecting arm and a second connecting arm; the second connecting arm is connected between the first connecting arm and the base; The contact terminal of claim 5, wherein a first angle is formed between the first connecting arms of the two connecting portions, a second angle is formed between the first connecting arm and the second connecting arm connected thereto, and the sum of the first angle and the two second angles is in the range of 90° to 360°, including end values.

7. The contact terminal according to claim 6 , wherein the sum of the first angle and the two second angles exceeds 180°.

8. 7. The contact terminal according to claim 6, wherein the sum of the first angle and the two second angles is 180 degrees.

9. The contact terminal described in claim 1, characterized in that the base includes a base portion and a support portion, both ends of which are connected to the buffer structure portion and the base portion, respectively, the base portion of the base, the buffer structure portion and the connection portion are arranged along the insertion direction, and the support portion of the base is bent toward the thickness direction.

10. An electronic connector comprising a housing and the contact terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a base portion and a buffer structure portion of the contact terminal are held and fixed within the housing.

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