Terminals and connectors

Abstract

To provide terminals and connectors that can suppress the occurrence of poor electrical conductivity. [Solution] The terminal 1 is a terminal 1 that connects to a connection target 200, and comprises a first contact portion 10, a second contact portion 20, and a pivot portion 30. The first contact portion 10 contacts the connection target 200. The second contact portion 20 extends from the first contact portion 10 and also contacts the connection target 200. The pivot portion 30 supports the first contact portion 10. The first contact portion 10 faces one surface 200a of the connection target 200 and is formed to tilt around the pivot portion 30 when it contacts the end of the connection target 200. The second contact portion 20 faces the other surface 200b of the connection target 200, which is different from the one surface 200a, and is formed to tilt around the pivot portion 30 due to the tilting of the first contact portion 10 and to contact the other surface 200b of the connection target 200.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a terminal and a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a contact terminal having a first contact piece, a second contact piece, and a fulcrum support portion. The first contact piece and the second contact piece each have a first contact surface and a second contact surface that contact one surface of a substrate to be connected. The fulcrum support portion supports the first contact piece and the second contact piece so as to be swingable. When connecting the contact terminal and the substrate, when the substrate is moved with respect to the contact terminal, the edge of the substrate passes through the second contact surface of the second contact piece located in front of the moving direction and abuts against the first contact surface of the first contact piece located behind the moving direction. When the substrate is further moved with respect to the contact terminal, the edge of the substrate continues to press the first contact surface of the first contact piece, causing the first contact piece to tilt. Then, the second contact piece supported via the fulcrum support portion with respect to the first contact piece swings so as to approach one surface of the substrate. As a result of this swing, the second contact surface of the second contact piece contacts one surface of the substrate. When the movement of the substrate with respect to the contact terminal is completed, both the first contact surface of the first contact piece and the second contact surface of the second contact piece contact one surface of the substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the device described in Patent Document 1, when the edge of the substrate and the first contact surface of the first contact piece come into contact, the substrate or the first contact surface of the first contact piece is scraped, generating foreign matter such as metal powder, which may remain on one side of the substrate. Here, the first contact surface of the first contact piece and the second contact surface of the second contact piece both face one side of the substrate. Therefore, when the substrate moves further, the remaining foreign matter may get stuck between one side of the substrate and the second contact surface of the second contact piece. This causes a problem in which poor conductivity occurs between the substrate and the second contact piece.

[0005] This invention was made under the circumstances described above, and aims to provide terminals and connectors that can suppress the occurrence of conductivity failures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, the terminal according to the present invention is A terminal that connects to the object to be connected, A first contact portion that contacts the object to be connected, A second contact portion extends from the first contact portion and contacts the object to be connected, The system comprises a pivot point portion that supports the first contact portion, The first contact portion is formed to face one of the surfaces of the object to be connected, and to tilt around the pivot point when it contacts the end of the object to be connected. The second contact portion faces the other surface of the object to be connected, which is different from the one surface, and is formed to tilt around the pivot point portion due to the tilting of the first contact portion, so as to contact the other surface of the object to be connected. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The present invention provides terminals and connectors that can suppress the occurrence of poor conductivity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3A] This is a front view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3B] This is a rear view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3C] This is a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3B. [Figure 4] This is an exploded cross-sectional view of a connector according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] (A) is a cross-sectional view (1) illustrating the operation of the terminals of the connector according to the embodiment. (B) is a cross-sectional view (2) illustrating the operation of the terminals of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] (A) is a cross-sectional view (1) illustrating the effect of the terminals of the connector according to the embodiment. (B) is a cross-sectional view (2) illustrating the effect of the terminals of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of a terminal relating to a comparative example. [Figure 8] This is a disassembled cross-sectional view of a modified connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes a connector 100 equipped with terminal 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, with reference to the figures. For ease of understanding, mutually orthogonal XYZ coordinates are set and referred to as appropriate. The +Z direction of the XYZ coordinates is the same direction as the insertion direction D1, which is the direction in which the object to be connected 200 is inserted into the housing 90 in which terminal 1 is housed, as shown in Figure 1. The -Z direction is the same direction as the direction D3, which is the direction in which terminal 1 is inserted into the housing 90, as shown in Figure 2. The Y-axis direction is the width direction of the connector 100, and the X-axis direction is the thickness direction of the connector 100.

[0010] Terminal 1 is, for example, a component of connector 100 which is an automotive part. Terminal 1 is mounted on circuit board B. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, terminal 1 is connected to connection target 200 and used. Connector 100 includes, in addition to terminal 1, housing 90.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, housing 90 houses and protects terminal 1. Housing 90 is made of, for example, an insulating material. Specifically, housing 90 is formed, for example, by injection molding resin. However, it is not limited thereto, and the material and manufacturing method of housing 90 may be other than these. Inside this housing 90, a terminal accommodation chamber for accommodating terminal 1 is formed. At the lower part of the terminal accommodation chamber, a curved surface 90a curved in accordance with the curved surface at the lower end of terminal 1 is formed. Also, on the lower outer surface of housing 90, an opening 91 into which connection target 200 is inserted is formed.

[0012] Also, on the upper part of housing 90, fixing protrusions 92 used for fixing to circuit board B are formed. Two fixing protrusions 92 are provided and protrude upward (+Z direction). Fixing protrusion 92 fixes housing 90 to circuit board B by catching on (locking to) circuit board B.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, circuit board B is a printed board on which a conductive electrode portion is formed on the surface closer to +Z. However, it is not limited thereto. Circuit board B is not limited to a printed board and may be other types of boards. On this circuit board B, through hole B1 and fixing hole B2 are formed.

[0014] Through hole B1 is a hole penetrating in the plate thickness direction (Z-axis direction). In the present embodiment, four through holes B1 are formed in circuit board B.

[0015] The fixing hole B2 is a hole that penetrates in the plate thickness direction (Z-axis direction). In this embodiment, two fixing holes B2 are formed in the circuit board B. A fixing protrusion 92 protruding from the upper part of the housing 90 is inserted into the fixing hole B2. The fixing protrusion 92 is inserted into the fixing hole B2 while being hooked on the upper surface B3 of the circuit board B so that the housing 90 does not come off from the circuit board B.

[0016] The connection target 200 is electrically connected to the terminal 1. The material of the connection target 200 is, for example, copper or aluminum. Further, the connection target 200 is formed by punching a metal plate of the above material by press working. Thereby, one surface 200a provided closer to +X and the other surface 200b provided closer to -X are formed on the connection target 200. In this embodiment, the other surface 200b is a surface provided on the opposite side, that is, the back side, to one surface 200a of the connection target 200. However, it is not limited to this. The other surface 200b does not have to be a surface provided on the opposite side, that is, the back side, to one surface 200a of the connection target 200, and may be another surface. Also, in this embodiment, the connection target 200 is a rod-shaped mating terminal. However, it is not limited to this. The connection target 200 may be other than a rod-shaped mating terminal. For example, the connection target 200 may be an elongated substrate.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal 1 is formed of a conductive material and electrically connects the electrode portion of the circuit board B and the connection target 200. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, for example, the terminal 1 is formed by being punched out from a metal plate material by press working and then bent. As the metal plate material, for example, a copper (Cu) plate plated with tin (Sn) is used. However, the material of the metal plate material is not limited to this. Other materials than a copper (Cu) plate plated with tin (Sn) may be used for the metal plate material. This terminal 1 includes a main body portion 50, a first contact portion 10, a second contact portion 20, a fulcrum portion 30, and a connecting portion 40.

[0018] The main body 50 is formed in an elongated plate shape extending in the Z-axis direction. The main body 50 is positioned in the terminal housing chamber of the housing 90 with its +Z end protruding from the housing 90. The main body 50 is provided with a protruding portion 51, a locking portion 52, and a mounting portion 60.

[0019] The protruding portion 51 is formed, for example, by cutting the tie bar, which is the connecting portion of the terminal group to which the multiple terminals 1 are connected before bending. The protruding portion 51 is formed to protrude in both the +Y direction and the -Y direction.

[0020] The locking portion 52 is positioned lower (towards -Z) than the protruding portion 51. The locking portion 52 engages with the inner surface of the terminal housing chamber of the housing 90 by biting into the inner surface of the chamber. The locking portion 52 is formed on the end face of the main body portion 50 and is composed of multiple protrusions.

[0021] The mounting portion 60 is provided at the other end of the main body portion 50 on the +Z side. The mounting portion 60 is mounted in the through-hole B1 provided in the circuit board B. The mounting portion 60 is, for example, inserted into the through-hole B1 and electrically connected to the through-hole B1 by soldering. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 60 is formed as a press-fit terminal. The mounting portion 60, which consists of a press-fit terminal, has four spring-shaped contact pieces, an upper end connecting portion that connects the contact pieces at their upper ends, and a lower end connecting portion that connects the contact pieces at their lower ends. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 60 is formed as a press-fit terminal, but is not limited to this. The mounting portion 60 may be formed as something other than a press-fit terminal. For example, the mounting portion 60 may be formed as a rod-shaped projection, inserted into the through-hole B1, and electrically connected by soldering.

[0022] Furthermore, the main body portion 50 is bent from one end on the -Z side, starting from the pivot point portion 30, and then the first contact portion 10 is extended from there.

[0023] The first contact portion 10 is the part that contacts the connection target 200. The first contact portion 10 is formed in the shape of an elongated plate that extends generally upward (in the +Z direction) from the pivot portion 30. The first contact portion 10 is also formed so that its -X-side opposing surface 10a faces one surface 200a of the connection target 200. When it contacts the tip (the +Z-side end) of the connection target 200, the first contact portion 10 is structurally formed to tilt in the rotational direction R1 around the pivot portion 30. This first contact portion 10 has a first extension portion 11, a second extension portion 12, a third extension portion 13, a first bent portion 14, and a second bent portion 15.

[0024] The first extension 11 extends from the main body 50. The first extension 11 extends in a straight line without any bends.

[0025] The second extension portion 12 extends at an inclination from the first bent portion 14 with respect to the direction in which the first extension portion 11 extends. Specifically, the second extension portion 12 extends at an inclination in the direction opposite to the rotational direction R1 with respect to the direction in which the first extension portion 11 extends. Furthermore, the second extension portion 12 extends at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction D1. The second extension portion 12 extends in a straight line without having a bent portion.

[0026] The third extension 13 extends at an inclination from the second bent portion 15 with respect to the direction in which the second extension 12 extends. Specifically, the third extension 13 extends at an inclination in the rotational direction R1 with respect to the direction in which the second extension 12 extends. The third extension 13 extends in a straight line without having a bent portion.

[0027] In the first contact portion 10 formed as described above, at least the second extension portion 12 of each part of the first contact portion 10 extends at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction D1. However, it is not limited to this. In the first contact portion 10, not only the second extension portion 12, but also one or both of the first extension portion 11 and the third extension portion 13 may extend at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction D1.

[0028] The second contact portion 20, like the first contact portion 10, is a portion that contacts the connection target 200. The second contact portion 20 is formed in an elongated plate shape that extends generally downward (in the -Z direction) from the connecting portion 40. Furthermore, the second contact portion 20 is formed so that its +X-side opposing surface 20a faces the other surface 200b of the connection target 200. Therefore, before the connection target 200 is inserted into the housing 90, the opposing surface 20a of the second contact portion 20 faces the opposing surface 10a of the first contact portion 10. The second contact portion 20 tilts around the pivot portion 30 due to the tilting of the first contact portion 10. Due to this tilting, the second contact portion 20 is formed to contact the other surface 200b of the connection target 200. The second contact portion 20 has an extended portion 21 and a contact-forming portion 22.

[0029] The extension portion 21 extends downward (in the -Z direction) from the connecting portion 40. The extension portion 21 extends in a straight line without any bends.

[0030] The contact forming portion 22 extends downward (in the -Z direction) from the extension portion 21. The contact forming portion 22 protrudes in the +X direction and is formed in a gentle arc shape. A contact point C is provided at the apex of the arc shape of the contact forming portion 22.

[0031] The pivot point portion 30 is formed by bending with a nearly constant radius of curvature when viewed in the -Y direction. The pivot point portion 30 is positioned on the curved surface 90a at the bottom of the terminal housing chamber of the housing 90. The pivot point portion 30 becomes the center point when the first contact portion 10 and the second contact portion 20 tilt.

[0032] The connecting portion 40 is provided at one end (the +Z side end) of the first contact portion 10. The connecting portion 40 connects the first contact portion 10 and the second contact portion 20. The connecting portion 40 connects the opposing surfaces 10a of the first contact portion 10 and the opposing surfaces 20a of the second contact portion 20 along an intersecting direction D2 that intersects the insertion direction D1. In this embodiment, the intersecting direction D2 is the same direction as the X-axis direction. In plan view, the connecting portion 40 is formed by curving into a substantially circular arc shape.

[0033] Next, the method of electrical connection of the device to be connected to the connector 100 having the terminal 1 configured as described above will be explained with reference to a diagram.

[0034] First, as shown in Figure 3C, the worker inserts the device to be connected 200 into the housing 90 that houses the terminal 1 through the opening 91 in the insertion direction D1.

[0035] As the connection target 200 moves in the insertion direction D1, the tip of the connection target 200 (the end on the +Z side) comes into contact with the first contact portion 10, as shown in Figure 5(A). More specifically, the tip of the connection target 200 (the end on the +Z side) comes into contact with the opposing surface 10a of the second extension portion 12. At this time, the connection target 200 is not in contact with the second contact portion 20. Furthermore, as the connection target 200 moves in the insertion direction D1, the second extension portion 12, which extends at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction D1, is pushed by the tip of the connection target 200 and tilts in the rotational direction R1 around the pivot portion 30.

[0036] The first contact portion 10, including the second extension portion 12, and the second contact portion 20 are connected by a connecting portion 40. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5(B), when the second extension portion 12 tilts in the rotational direction R1, the second contact portion 20 also tilts in the rotational direction R1. As a result, the object to be connected 200 comes into contact with the second contact portion 20 while remaining in contact with the opposing surface 10a of the first contact portion 10. More specifically, the object to be connected 200 also comes into contact with the opposing surface 20a of the second contact portion 20.

[0037] With the above steps, the connection of the device to be connected 200 to the connector 100 having terminal 1 is completed.

[0038] As explained above, in the terminal 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the first contact portion 10 faces one surface 200a of the connection target 200, and the second contact portion 20 faces the other surface 200b of the connection target 200, which is on the opposite side of the first surface 200a. Therefore, even if foreign matter F is generated between the first contact portion 10 and the first surface 200a when connecting the terminal 1 to the connection target 200, it is difficult for the foreign matter F to reach the other surface 200b, which is located opposite the first surface 200a, and it is difficult for it to get stuck between the second contact portion 20 and the other surface 200b.

[0039] In the comparative example shown in Figure 7, both the contact surface 10b of the first contact portion 10 and the contact surface 20b of the second contact portion 20 face one of the surfaces 200a of the connection target 200. In this case, when connecting terminal 1A to the connection target 200, if foreign matter F is generated between the first contact portion 10 and the surface 200a, this foreign matter F may get stuck between the second contact portion 20 and the surface 200a. This may cause poor conductivity due to the foreign matter F.

[0040] In this embodiment, in particular, if the corners of the connection target 200 are not chamfered, the surface or plating of the first contact portion 10 may be scraped by the corners, and scraped foreign matter F may be generated on one of the surfaces 200a. However, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), even if foreign matter F is generated between the first contact portion 10 and one of the surfaces 200a, it is difficult for the foreign matter F to reach the other surface 200b, which is located opposite to the first surface 200a, and it is difficult for it to get stuck between the second contact portion 20 and the other surface 200b. As a result, the terminal 1 of this embodiment can suppress the occurrence of poor conductivity caused by foreign matter F.

[0041] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second extension portion 12, which is part of the first contact portion 10, is formed at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction D1. Therefore, upon contact with the connection target 200, the second extension portion 12 structurally tilts in the rotational direction R1. The second contact portion 20, which is connected to the first contact portion 10 including the second extension portion 12 via the connecting portion 40, also structurally tilts in the rotational direction R1. As a result, the other surface 200b of the connection target 200 can be reliably brought into contact with the opposing surface 20a of the second contact portion 20, thus improving the reliability of conductivity with the connection target 200 according to the terminal 1. In other words, the terminal 1 can improve the reliability of conductivity with the connection target 200 while suppressing the occurrence of conductivity failures caused by foreign matter F.

[0042] Furthermore, the terminal 1 according to this embodiment includes a connecting portion 40. The connecting portion 40 connects a first contact portion 10 and a second contact portion 20 facing each other along the intersecting direction D2. Therefore, by adjusting the size of the connecting portion 40 and the gap G in the X-axis direction, it is possible to connect connection targets 200 of different thicknesses to the terminal 1, or to adjust the contact pressure between the terminal 1 and the connection target 200. As a result, the terminal 1 can improve the reliability of conductivity with the connection target 200 while suppressing the occurrence of conductivity failures caused by foreign matter F.

[0043] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0044] For example, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), one surface 200a of the connection target 200 is the opposite side, i.e., the back side, of the other surface 200b. However, it is not limited to this. One surface 200a may be a surface other than the opposite side, i.e., the back side, of the other surface 200b. For example, one surface 200a may be an inclined surface that is tilted relative to the other surface 200b.

[0045] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the second extension portion 12, which is part of the first contact portion 10, is formed at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction D1. However, it is not limited to this. The entire first contact portion 10 may be formed at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction D1.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first contact portion 10 has a first extension portion 11, a second extension portion 12, a third extension portion 13, a first bent portion 14, and a second bent portion 15. That is, the first contact portion 10 has two bent portions. However, it is not limited to this. The first contact portion 10 may have only one bent portion. Also, as shown in the modified terminal 2 in Figure 8, the first contact portion 10 may have three bent portions. Specifically, the first contact portion 10 of terminal 2 has a first extension portion 11, a second extension portion 12, a third extension portion 13, a fourth extension portion 16, a first bent portion 14, a second bent portion 15, and a third bent portion 17.

[0047] Here, in the modified terminal 2, the fourth extension portion 16 extends from the main body portion 50. The first extension portion 11 extends in a straight line without any bent portions. The fourth extension portion 16 extends at an inclination angle that is approximately the same as the inclination angle of the second extension portion 12. The first extension portion 11 is bent starting from the third bent portion 17 with respect to the direction in which the fourth extension portion 16 extends, and extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The first extension portion 11 extends in a straight line without any bent portions. In the modified example, the first contact portion 10 has three bent portions, but is not limited to this, and the first contact portion 10 may have four or more bent portions.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the connection target 200 is a rod-shaped mating terminal. However, it is not limited to this. The connection target 200 may be something other than a rod-shaped mating terminal. For example, the connection target 200 may be cylindrical. Also, it may be something other than a terminal; for example, the connection target 200 may be a lead wire, or other electronic components or circuit components.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the intersecting direction D2 is described as being the same direction as the X-axis direction. However, it is not limited to this. The intersecting direction D2 may include all directions that intersect the insertion direction D1. However, it is preferable that the intersecting direction D2 is a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction D1 (a direction parallel to the XY plane).

[0050] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mounting target for terminal 1 is described as circuit board B. However, it is not limited to this. The mounting target for terminal 1 may be something other than circuit board B.

[0051] The present invention can be implemented in various forms and modified without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. The embodiments described above are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1,1A,2: Terminal, 10: First contact part, 10a: Opposing surface, 10b: Contact surface, 11: First extension part, 12: Second extension part, 13: Third extension part, 14: First bend part, 15: Second bend part, 16: Fourth extension part, 17: Third bend part, 20: Second contact part, 20a: Opposing surface, 20b: Contact surface, 21: Extension part, 22: Contact forming part, 30: Pivot part, 40: Connecting part, 50: Main body part, 51: 52: protruding part, 60: mounting part, 90: housing, 90a: curved surface, 91: opening, 92: fixing protrusion, 100: connector, 200: connection target, 200a: one side, 200b: other side, B: circuit board, B1: through hole, B2: fixing hole, B3: top surface, C: contact, D1: insertion direction, D2: crossing direction, D3: direction, F: foreign matter, R1: rotation direction, G: gap.

Claims

1. A terminal that connects to the object to be connected, A first contact portion that contacts the object to be connected, A second contact portion extends from the first contact portion and contacts the object to be connected, The system comprises a pivot point portion that supports the first contact portion, The first contact portion is formed to face one side of the object to be connected, and to tilt around the pivot point when it contacts the end of the object to be connected. A terminal wherein the second contact portion faces the other surface of the object to be connected, which is different from the one surface, and is formed to tilt around the pivot point portion due to the tilting of the first contact portion, so as to contact the other surface of the object to be connected.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first contact portion is formed at an inclination with respect to the insertion direction in which the object to be connected is inserted into the terminal.

3. The terminal according to claim 1, further comprising a connecting portion provided at one end of the first contact portion and connecting the first contact portion and the second contact portion.

4. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion connects the first contact portion and the second contact portion facing each other along an intersecting direction that intersects the insertion direction in which the object to be connected is inserted into the terminal.

5. The terminal according to claim 3, wherein the connection target is a rod-shaped mating terminal.

6. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the connection target, when inserted into a housing that accommodates the terminal, contacts the first contact portion.

7. The main body portion is provided with the first contact portion, The first contact portion extends from one end of the main body portion, after being bent starting from the pivot point portion. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the other end of the main body is provided with a mounting portion that is mounted in a through-hole provided on a circuit board.

8. Housing and A connector comprising a terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is housed in the housing.

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