movable connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a movable connector that allows for greater freedom in the shape of the movable part of the first terminal piece and the shape of the contact part of the second terminal piece. [Solution] The movable terminal piece 8 is made of a single metal piece that is held in a fixed housing 3 and has a movable portion 8c that movably supports the movable housing 2, and the movable terminal piece 9 is held in the movable housing 2 and has a contact portion 9c that makes electrical contact with the pin terminal P2. The movable housing 2 is configured to be movable in a first direction intersecting the fitting direction of the pin terminal P2, a second direction intersecting both the fitting direction and the first direction, and an oblique direction. The movable terminal piece 8 and the contact terminal piece 9 are each formed as different metal processed bodies of separate shapes and have a connecting piece portion 8d and a locking piece portion 9a as terminal-to-terminal connecting portions that connect them to each other, and the movable terminal piece 8 and the contact terminal piece 9 are configured not to detach from each other in the direction away from each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector having a floating function, that is, a movable connector.

Background Art

[0002] As a connector for making electrical connection with an object to be connected, a movable connector having a floating function is known. The movable connector generally includes a fixed housing mounted on a substrate, a movable housing having a fitting chamber for inserting the object to be connected, and a plurality of terminals having a movable portion that is fixed at one end to the fixed housing, fixed at the other end to the movable housing, and supports the movable housing movably between the one end and the other end.

[0003] When such movable connectors are classified according to the difference in terminal structure, first, a movable connector (movable socket connector) having socket terminals whose contact portions for making electrical contact with the object to be connected are spring structures is known (Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-165128). As another movable connector, a movable connector (movable plug connector) having plug terminals whose contact portions for making electrical contact with the object to be connected are pin-shaped is known (Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-93531).

[0004] Conventional movable connectors with such a basic configuration have a function to absorb misalignment of the object to be connected when the object to be connected is inserted into the mating chamber. If the insertion position of the object to be connected is misaligned with the insertion opening of the mating chamber, the movable housing in contact with the object to be connected is displaced by the movable part of the terminal, thereby absorbing the misalignment of the object to be connected. Furthermore, when the object to be connected is mated in the mating chamber, the movable housing has a function to absorb relative misalignment that occurs between the object to be connected and the circuit board on which the movable connector is mounted, by displacing the movable part of the terminal. Therefore, the movable connector requires flexibility in the movable part of the terminal that supports the displacement of the movable housing. In particular, in the aforementioned movable connector having a socket terminal with a spring structure for the contact part, it is required that the contact part exerts appropriate contact pressure on the object to be connected so that the contact part can maintain stable conductive contact with the object to be connected even if the movable housing is displaced. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-165128 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-93531 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the terminals of conventional movable connectors are formed as a single, integrated piece of metal. Therefore, for example, if the thickness of the metal piece of the terminal material is made as thin as possible to increase the flexibility of the movable part of the terminal, it becomes difficult to obtain the contact pressure at the contact point with the object to be connected, which is necessary to obtain stable conductive contact, in the case of the movable connector having a socket terminal. Also, in the case of the movable connector having a plug terminal, the thickness of the pin-shaped contact part becomes thinner, which reduces the rigidity of the contact part and makes it more prone to bending. In that case, when mating with the mating terminal of the object to be connected, there is a risk of bending or buckling due to contact with the mating terminal.

[0007] Therefore, if the thickness of the metal plate of the terminal material is increased in order to increase the contact pressure at the contact point of the spring structure and to increase the rigidity of the pin-shaped contact point, there is a problem that the flexibility of the movable part decreases, making it difficult for the movable housing to displace.

[0008] To achieve both the flexibility of the movable part and the proper function of the contact part, which are thus in a contradictory relationship, one possible approach is to use a terminal material with an appropriate plate thickness that does not cause the above-mentioned problems as a contact part, while making the spring length of the movable part as long as possible. However, the longer the spring length of the movable part, the larger the movable connector becomes overall, which presents another challenge: it becomes difficult to meet the demand for miniaturization of the movable connector.

[0009] The present invention was made against the backdrop of the conventional technologies described above. Its purpose is to provide a movable connector that can achieve both the functions required for the movable part of the terminal and the functions required for the contact part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above objective, the present invention is configured to have the following features.

[0011] That is, the present invention relates to a movable connector comprising a first housing, a second housing having a mating chamber for inserting an object to be connected and movable relative to the first housing, a first terminal piece held by the first housing and having a movable part that movably supports the second housing, and a second terminal piece held by the second housing and having a contact part that electrically contacts the object to be connected within the mating chamber, wherein the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece are each formed as separate members of metal, and the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece have an inter-terminal connecting part that connects them to each other.

[0012] According to the movable connector of the present invention, since the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece are each formed as separate components from metal pieces, the first terminal piece having a movable part and the second terminal piece having a contact part can be configured as terminals with different characteristics in terms of shape, plate thickness, material, etc., according to the functions required for them. Furthermore, compared to the case in which the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece are formed as a single unit from a single metal piece, the movable connector of the present invention allows for greater freedom in the shape of the movable part of the first terminal piece and the shape of the contact part of the second terminal piece that can be manufactured. The contact part can be configured as a contact part having a spring structure that presses against the object to be connected (socket terminal), or a pin-shaped contact part that receives press contact from the object to be connected and makes conductive contact (plug terminal), etc.

[0013] Furthermore, since the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece of the present invention have a terminal-to-terminal connecting portion, even though the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece are separate components, the movable portion of the first terminal piece exhibits a floating function, making it possible to reliably support the second housing in a movable manner relative to the first housing.

[0014] In the present invention, the thickness of the first terminal piece can be made thinner than the thickness of the second terminal piece.

[0015] According to the present invention, the plate thickness of the first terminal piece having a movable part can be made relatively thinner than the plate thickness of the second terminal piece having a contact part, thereby increasing the flexibility of the movable part and making the second housing easier to move. On the other hand, with respect to the contact part, it is possible to achieve appropriate contact pressure in a contact part having a spring structure, for example, and to increase the rigidity of a pin-shaped contact part, without being constrained by the plate thickness of the first terminal piece. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the functions required of a movable part and the functions required of a contact part.

[0016] In the present invention, the thickness of the first terminal piece can be made thicker than the thickness of the second terminal piece.

[0017] According to the present invention, the plate thickness of the first terminal piece having a movable part can be made relatively thicker than the plate thickness of the second terminal piece having a contact part, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of ​​the movable part and enabling impedance matching. In this case, the contact part can be made to have increased flexibility while maintaining the impedance matching characteristics of the movable part, thereby realizing the functions required of the contact part depending on the type of movable connector. For example, there are multi-pole connectors that have many spring-structured contact parts, but because multi-pole connectors have a large number of terminals, the insertion force when mating with the object to be connected becomes high, making it difficult to insert the object to be connected and thus making the mating work difficult. With the present invention, the plate thickness of the contact part is thin and the spring structure is flexible, so the insertion force of the object to be connected can be reduced. In this way, the present invention can also achieve both the functions required of the movable part and the functions required of the contact part.

[0018] The terminal connecting portion of the present invention can be configured to have a connecting piece portion provided on either the first terminal piece or the second terminal piece, and a locking piece portion provided on the other that locks with the connecting piece portion.

[0019] According to the present invention, the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece are connected so as not to move relative to each other by locking the connecting piece and the locking piece, so that the movable part of the first terminal piece can reliably support the second housing so that it can move via the terminal-to-terminal connecting part and the second terminal piece. Furthermore, even if the second housing moves, the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece will not separate.

[0020] The locking piece portion of the present invention can be configured as a crimping locking piece that bites into the connecting piece portion.

[0021] According to the present invention, the crimping locking piece bites into the connecting piece, allowing the locking piece to be firmly fixed to the connecting piece despite the simple connection structure.

[0022] The locking piece portion of the present invention can be configured as a pressing contact piece having a locking edge that presses against and contacts the connecting piece portion.

[0023] According to the present invention, by the locking edge of the locking piece portion pressing against and locking with the connecting piece portion, the locking piece portion can be firmly fixed to the connecting piece portion while having a simple connection structure.

[0024] The second housing of the present invention can be configured to have a fixing groove for the connecting piece portion into which the connecting piece portion is press-fitted.

[0025] According to the present invention, by press-fitting the connecting piece portion of the first terminal piece into the fixing groove for the connecting piece portion of the second housing, the fixing force of the first terminal piece with respect to the second housing can be reinforced, and while having a simple connection structure, the movable portion of the first terminal can be reliably supported so as to be movable with respect to the second housing.

Effects of the Invention

[0026] According to the movable connector of the present invention, since the first terminal piece having a movable portion and the second terminal piece having a contact portion are separate members, they can be configured as terminals having characteristics corresponding to the functions required for each. Further, since the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece have a connection portion between the terminals, the movable portion of the first terminal piece exhibits a floating function, and the second housing can be reliably supported so as to be movable with respect to the first housing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0027] [Figure 1] Perspective view including the front, plan, and right side views of the movable connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Partial exploded perspective view including the front, plan, and right side views of the movable connector of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Exploded perspective view including the front, plan, and right side views of the terminal provided in the movable connector of FIG. 1. [Figure 4]In the explanatory diagram of the terminals in Figure 3, subdivision (a) is a front view of the contact-side terminal piece, subdivision (b) is a right side view of the contact-side terminal piece, subdivision (c) is a rear view of the contact-side terminal piece, subdivision (d) is a bottom view of the contact-side terminal piece, subdivision (e) is a right side view of the movable-side terminal piece, and subdivision (f) is a rear view of the movable-side terminal piece. [Figure 5] Right side view of the movable connector in Figure 1. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI. [Figure 7] A cross-sectional view of the movable connector in Figure 1, along the YZ plane at the center in the X direction. [Figure 8] A perspective view including the front, top, and right side views of a movable connector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is a partially exploded perspective view of the movable connector, including the front, top, and right side views. [Figure 10] Figure 8 shows an exploded perspective view including the front, top, and right side views of the terminals on the movable connector. [Figure 11] In the explanatory diagram of the terminals in Figure 10, subdivision (a) is a front view of the contact-side terminal piece, subdivision (b) is a right side view of the contact-side terminal piece, subdivision (c) is a rear view of the contact-side terminal piece, subdivision (d) is a right side view of the movable-side terminal piece, and subdivision (e) is a front view of the movable-side terminal piece. [Figure 12] A cross-sectional view of the movable connector in Figure 8, along the YZ plane at the center in the X direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the movable connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The movable connector 1 shown in the following embodiment is mounted on a circuit board P1, and connects the pin terminal P2, which is provided on the housing of the mating connector that is the "object to be connected", to the circuit board P1 by inserting it perpendicularly toward the circuit board P1 and mating it. The housing of the mating connector is provided with a shield connection terminal (not shown) that makes electrical contact with a shield member 7, which will be described later, in addition to the pin terminal P2. Thus, the movable connector 1 is configured as a "movable coaxial connector" that makes electrical connection with the pin terminal P2 and the shield connection terminal of the mating connector, which have a circular cross-section.

[0029] The terms "first" and "second" used in this specification and in the claims are used to distinguish different components of the invention and are not used to indicate a specific order or superiority. Furthermore, in this specification and in the claims, for the sake of explanation, the left-right direction of the movable connector 1 is described as the X direction, the front-back direction as the Y direction, and the height direction as the Z direction, as shown in Figure 1, etc. The side of the substrate P1 (see Figures 6 and 7) in the height direction (Z direction) of the movable connector 1 is described as the "lower side," and the side of the movable connector 1 is described as the "upper side," but these do not limit the mating direction of the movable connector 1 or the way it is mounted on the substrate P1.

[0030] First Embodiment [Figures 1-7]

[0031] The movable connector 1 comprises a movable housing 2, a fixed housing 3, terminals 4, and multiple retaining brackets 5. The movable housing 2 is supported by the terminals 4 so as to be movable relative to the fixed housing 3 which is mounted on a circuit board P1. As a result, even if the central axis of the pin terminal P2, which is the object to be connected, is misaligned with the central axis of the movable housing 2, the movable housing 2, receiving the insertion force of the pin terminal P2, moves in the X, Y, or XY direction, thereby absorbing the misalignment between their central axes and achieving a conductive connection. In addition, the movable housing 2 can also move in the Z direction, which is the insertion direction of the pin terminal P2.

[0032] Movable housing 2

[0033] The movable housing 2 comprises a housing body 6 made of an electrically insulating synthetic resin and a conductive shielding member 7 made of a metal material. The shielding member 7 is insert-molded into the housing body 6, and therefore the movable housing 2 is constructed as a single molded body.

[0034] The housing body 6 has a cylindrical peripheral wall 6a formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned along the Z direction. The cylindrical peripheral wall 6a is formed in a cylindrical shape, with an insertion opening 6b for the pin terminal P2 formed at one end along its central axis, and an opening 6c formed at the other end.

[0035] A projection 6d is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a on the side of the opening 6c, projecting in the X direction. The projection 6d is formed as a plate-like piece projecting from the right and left sides of the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a, respectively. The housing of the mating connector, which is the "object to be connected" to the movable connector 1, is fitted and connected to the outer circumferential surface of the housing body 6 and the shield body 7a, which will be described later. This allows the shield connection terminals of the mating connector to make electrical contact with the shield body 7a. During this fitting connection, the visor portion 6a1 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a acts as a stopper, preventing the insertion of the housing of the mating connector in the Z direction. In addition, since the visor portion 6a1 is positioned to cover the upper surface of the fixed housing 3, it functions to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the fixed housing 3. A constriction portion 6a2 is formed between the visor portion 6a1 and the projection 6d.

[0036] A mating chamber 6e into which a pin terminal P2 is inserted is formed inside the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a. The contact-side terminal piece 9 of the terminal 4, which will be described later, is positioned in the mating chamber 6e. A pair of terminal retaining grooves 6f communicating with the mating chamber 6e are formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a. The terminal retaining grooves 6f are formed in accordance with the pair of press-fit pieces 9b2 of the terminal 4, which will be described later, and are formed in a groove shape into which each press-fit piece 9b2 can be inserted. Opposite the terminal retaining grooves 6f, a pressure receiving portion 6g is formed to receive the pressure of the base piece 9b1 of the contact-side terminal piece 9 of the terminal 4, which will be described later.

[0037] The shield member 7 has a shield body 7a that covers the entire outer surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a, and a shield contact piece 7b that extends from the shield body 7a.

[0038] The shield body 7a is formed in a cylindrical shape. Specifically, due to its cylindrical shape, the shield body 7a surrounds the entire circumference of the contact-side terminal piece 9 of the terminal 4, which is located in the mating chamber 6e, at the outer position of the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a. Furthermore, the upper end of the shield body 7a is formed at a position above the end of the mating chamber 6e on the insertion opening 6b side. This ensures that the portion of the terminal 4 located inside the housing body 6 (the connecting piece 8d of the contact-side terminal piece 9 and the movable-side terminal piece 8) is shielded from electromagnetic noise and static electricity along its entire circumference and the entire length along the Z direction, so that it is not affected by them.

[0039] The shield contact piece 7b has a vertical piece portion 7b1 extending downward in the Z direction from the lower end of the cylindrical shield body 7a, and a contact piece portion 7b2 that bends from the lower end of the vertical piece portion 7b1 and extends along the bottom surface 6d1 of each protrusion 6d of the aforementioned cylindrical peripheral wall 6a. The contact piece portion 7b2 is positioned in-plane on the bottom surface 6d1 of the protrusion 6d and has a contact surface 7b3 that extends in the XY direction. This contact surface 7b3 is in electrical contact with the retaining fitting 5, which will be described later.

[0040] Fixed housing 3

[0041] The fixed housing 3 is configured as a base member to which the movable housing 2, the terminals 4, and the multiple retaining brackets 5 are attached. The fixed housing 3 is an electrically insulating resin molded body, and its shape is formed as a polygonal frame-shaped plate.

[0042] The fixed housing 3 has base portions 3a formed on it, which are flat surfaces facing each of the bottom surfaces 6d1 of the protrusions 6d of the movable housing 2 described above. A pair of base portions 3a are provided so as to form two sides of the rectangular frame-shaped fixed housing 3. The base portions 3a are formed as rectangular surfaces corresponding to the shape of the opposing surfaces of the protrusions 6d, i.e., the rectangular shape.

[0043] Each base portion 3a is provided with a support piece housing portion 3a1. Two groove-shaped support piece housing portions 3a1 are formed for each base portion 3a. The support piece 5d of the retaining fitting 5, which will be described later, is housed in the support piece housing portion 3a1 so as to be movable at least in the Z direction. Therefore, the inner space of the support piece housing portion 3a1 is formed as a displacement-allowing space that allows movement of the support piece 5d.

[0044] A housing portion 3b is formed between the right base portion 3a and the left base portion 3a in the X direction. The housing portion 3b is formed as a rectangular through-hole in plan view that penetrates the plate thickness of the fixed housing 3 in the Z direction, and the movable terminal piece 8 of the aforementioned terminal 4 is placed here. By forming the housing portion 3b as a through-hole rather than a bottomed recess, and utilizing the plate thickness of the fixed housing 3 as a housing space for the movable terminal piece 8, the overall height of the fixed housing 3 and the movable connector 1 is reduced, resulting in a low profile design.

[0045] A pair of side wall portions 3c, which constitute two sides of the fixed housing 3, are provided at the front and rear positions of the base portion 3a in the Y direction. The side wall portions 3c are formed higher than the base portion 3a in the Z direction and have a protruding surface portion 3c1 that protrudes from the base portion 3a. The protruding surface portion 3c1 is formed as a movement restricting portion that prevents excessive movement of the movable housing 2 in the Y direction. In addition, the upper surface of the base portion 3a is formed lower in the Z direction than the upper surface of the side wall portion 3c. By positioning the protruding portion 6d of the movable housing 2 between the pair of protruding surface portions 3c1 so that it does not protrude upward from the upper surface of the side wall portion 3c in the Z direction, the overall height of the movable connector 1 can be reduced compared to the case where the protruding portion 6d is positioned beyond the upper surface of the side wall portion 3c.

[0046] Furthermore, the side wall portion 3c is provided with a retaining portion 3c2 for retaining fittings that holds the fixing pieces 5b of each of the multiple retaining fittings 5, which will be described later. The retaining portion 3c2 is configured as a press-fit groove that holds the fixing pieces 5b by press-fitting, and firmly holds the retaining fitting 5.

[0047] On the inner surface of the front side wall portion 3c in the Z direction, there is a terminal holding portion 3c3 that holds the mounting piece portion 8b for the fixed housing of the movable terminal piece 8 of the terminal 4, which will be described later (Figure 7). The terminal holding portion 3c3 is formed as a groove that holds the left and right plate edges of the terminal piece that constitutes the mounting piece portion 8b for the fixed housing.

[0048] Terminal 4

[0049] Terminal 4 has a movable terminal piece 8 as the "first terminal piece" and a contact-side terminal piece 9 as the "second terminal piece". These terminal pieces 8 and 9 are each constructed as metal processed bodies made of separate metal pieces. In this embodiment, the plate thickness of the movable terminal piece 8 and the plate thickness of the contact-side terminal piece 9 are the same.

[0050] Movable side terminal piece 8

[0051] The movable terminal piece 8 has a board connection portion 8a, a mounting portion 8b for the fixed housing, a movable portion 8c, and a connecting portion 8d that forms a "terminal connection portion".

[0052] The board connection part 8a is soldered to the circuit on board P1.

[0053] The mounting piece 8b for the fixed housing is held by the terminal holding portion 3c3 (Figure 7) of the fixed housing 3. The mounting piece 8b for the fixed housing has press-fit protrusions 8b1 formed on the left and right edges of the plate, and when these are press-fitted into the terminal holding portion 3c3, the movable terminal piece 8 is held by the fixed housing 3.

[0054] The movable part 8c is formed as a spring piece that supports the movable housing 2 so that it can move relative to the fixed housing 3. The movable part 8c is formed in a trapezoidal wave-like shape and has a first extension part 8c1, a first lateral part 8c2, a second extension part 8c3, a second lateral part 8c4, and a third extension part 8c5. This movable part 8c is positioned inside the housing part 3b and a pair of side wall parts 3c of the fixed housing 3, and is housed within the height range of the fixed housing 3 in the Z direction, contributing to the low profile of the movable connector 1.

[0055] The first extension portion 8c1 is formed as a spring piece that extends in the Z direction to connect the mounting piece 8b for the fixed housing and one end of the first lateral piece 8c2. The first lateral piece 8c2 is formed as a linear spring piece that extends in the direction (Y direction) intersecting the insertion direction (Z direction) for inserting the pin terminal P2 into the movable housing 2. The second extension portion 8c3 is formed as a spring piece that connects the first lateral piece 8c2 and the second lateral piece 8c4. The second lateral piece 8c4 is formed as a linear spring piece that extends in the direction (Y direction) intersecting the insertion direction (Z direction) for inserting the pin terminal P2 into the movable housing 2, similar to the first lateral piece 8c2. The third extension portion 8c5 is formed as a spring piece that connects the second lateral piece 8c4 and the connecting piece 8d.

[0056] Thus, the movable part 8c has a different shape from the movable part of the conventional movable connector, namely a rounded, wave-shaped spring piece having an upward-facing arc-shaped bend in the Z direction, a downward-facing arc-shaped bend, and a vertically extending extension connecting these arc-shaped bends. Specifically, the movable part 8c is formed as a trapezoidal, wave-shaped spring piece by connecting adjacent straight-shaped spring pieces at a bending angle 8c6. More precisely, the movable part 8c has a shape in which the first lateral piece 8c2 connects the first extension 8c1 and the second extension 8c3 at a bending angle 8c6, and the second lateral piece 8c4 connects the second extension 8c3 and the third extension 8c5 at a bending angle 8c6.

[0057] In conventional corrugated movable parts, for example, when a forward load is applied in the Y direction (front-to-back direction), stress is generated along the entire length of the arc-shaped bend, and deep stress is also generated in the thickness direction, resulting in stress throughout the entire movable part. Also, when an upward load is applied in the Z direction (up-down direction), deep stress is generated in the thickness direction. In contrast, in the trapezoidal corrugated movable part 8c, when a forward load is applied in the Y direction (front-to-back direction), stress is generated only on the surface of the first lateral piece 8c2, the second lateral piece 8c4, and each bending angle 8c6, preventing deep stress from being generated in the thickness direction. Also, when an upward load is applied in the Z direction, stress is limited to the surface of each bending angle 8c6. Therefore, the trapezoidal corrugated movable part 8c of this embodiment can reduce the displacement load compared to the conventional corrugated movable part, and the movable housing 2 can be easily moved in the X direction, Y direction, Z direction, and combined directions due to the flexible elastic deformation of the movable part 8c, resulting in a movable connector 1. Furthermore, the second extension portion 8c3 is shaped to extend diagonally from the first lateral piece 8c2 to the second lateral piece 8c4, gradually moving away from the first extension portion 8c1. This prevents the second extension portion 8c3 from coming into contact with the first extension portion 8c1 when the first lateral piece 8c2 and the second lateral piece 8c4 are displaced in the direction that brings them closer together (Y direction).

[0058] The connecting piece 8d is formed in a rectangular shape and has a projection 8d1 that protrudes rearward in the Y direction. The projection 8d1 engages downward in the Z direction with the engagement recess 9b3 of the base piece 9b1 of the contact-side terminal piece 9, which will be described later, and prevents the movable-side terminal piece 8 and the contact-side terminal piece 9 from separating.

[0059] Contact side terminal piece 9

[0060] The contact-side terminal piece 9 has a locking piece 9a, a mounting base 9b, and a contact portion 9c, which serve as a "terminal-to-terminal connecting portion".

[0061] The locking piece portion 9a has a pair of crimping locking pieces 9a1. The crimping locking pieces 9a1 are formed in the shape of a pair of elastic arms and bite into and lock onto the connecting piece portion 8d of the movable terminal piece 8, thereby firmly connecting the contact terminal piece 9 and the movable terminal piece 8 to each other.

[0062] The mounting base 9b has a base piece 9b1 and a pair of press-fit pieces 9b2 extending in the Y direction from the left and right plate edges of the base piece 9b1. The base piece 9b1 has an engagement recess 9b3 on the surface facing the connecting piece portion 8d of the movable terminal piece 8. The projection 8d1 of the aforementioned connecting piece portion 8d fits into the engagement recess 9b3 and engages with it. This prevents the connecting piece portion 8d and the base piece 9b1 from moving away from each other in the Z direction and becoming detached. In addition to the crimping and fixing of the connecting piece portion 8d by the crimping locking piece 9a1 described above, the engagement between the projection 8d1 and the engagement recess 9b3 also ensures that the movable terminal piece 8 and the contact terminal piece 9 are securely held together and not separated.

[0063] The contact portion 9c has a support base 9c1 connected to the mounting base 9b and a plurality of contact pieces 9c2.

[0064] The support base 9c1 includes a connecting portion 9c3 that extends in the Z direction and connects to the mounting base 9b, a first annular support portion 9c4 connected to the connecting portion 9c3, a pair of support arms 9c5 made of metal pieces with an arc-shaped cross-section that extend in the Z direction from the first annular support portion 9c4, and a second annular support portion 9c6 connected to the support arms 9c5.

[0065] Each of the multiple contact pieces 9c2 is formed as a spring piece extending downward in the Z direction in a cantilevered manner from its second annular support portion 9c6. In this embodiment, three contact pieces 9c2 having such a spring structure are formed. Each contact piece 9c2 is formed in a funnel shape that narrows from the base end towards the central axis of the insertion opening 6b of the movable housing 2. When it receives the insertion force of the pin terminal P2 inserted through the insertion opening 6b, it elastically deforms to open away from its central axis, thereby making pressing contact with the pin terminal P2.

[0066] The three contact pieces 9c2 are spaced apart at 120° intervals via slits, and press against the pin terminal P2 from three directions, each utilizing its own spring action. This allows the contact pieces 9c2 to center the inserted pin terminal P2 at the center of the three contact pieces 9c2. Furthermore, the three contact pieces 9c2 make multi-point contact (3-point contact) along the circumferential direction at predetermined positions along the length of the pin terminal P2. Therefore, even if the pin terminal P2 is not inserted straight into the insertion opening 6b but is inserted and fitted at an angle, the multi-point contact allows it to follow the inclined position of the pin terminal P2 and make contact. Moreover, since the holding force of the multiple contact pieces 9c2 that holds the pin terminal P2 is stronger than the spring force of the movable part 8c, the three contact pieces 9c2 hold the pin terminal P2, displacing the movable housing 2 in the X, Y, or XY direction, thereby eliminating misalignment of the insertion axis of the pin terminal P2.

[0067] Retaining bracket 5

[0068] The retaining bracket 5 is constructed as a metal processed body made of metal pieces. The movable connector 1 is provided with two retaining brackets 5. Each retaining bracket 5 has a pair of fixed legs 5a, a pair of fixed pieces 5b, a retaining piece 5c for the movable housing, and a pair of support pieces 5d.

[0069] The fixed leg portion 5a is the part that is soldered to the circuit board P1.

[0070] As described above, the fixing piece 5b is press-fitted into the retaining part 3c2 for the retaining bracket on the side wall portion 3c of the fixed housing 3. This fixes the retaining bracket 5 to the fixed housing 3. Furthermore, the movable housing 2 is fixed to the fixed housing 3 via the retaining bracket 5.

[0071] The retaining piece 5c for the movable housing is formed in a bridge shape that extends in the Y direction, connecting the base ends of the front fixed legs 5a and fixing piece 5b in the Y direction with the base ends of the rear fixed legs 5a and fixing piece 5b. The retaining piece 5c for the movable housing functions as a stopper that restricts the movement of the protruding portion 6d of the movable housing 2 so as not to be excessively displaced in the X and Z directions. As a result, the movable housing 2 is restricted from excessive movement in the X direction and from detaching upward in the Z direction.

[0072] The support piece 5d is formed as a spring piece having a support projection 5d2 at the tip of an elastic arm 5d1 having a spring structure. The elastic arm 5d1 extends in the Y direction on the left and right sides of the movable connector 1 and is formed as a spring piece that bends and extends from a central front position in the Y direction toward the support piece housing portion 3a1 of the fixed housing 3. The support projection 5d2 presses and contacts the contact surface 7b3 of the shield member 7 exposed on the bottom surface 6d1 of the protruding portion 6d of the movable housing 2 from below in the Z direction. That is, the support projection 5d2 presses and contacts the contact surface 7b3 so as to constantly bias the movable housing 2 upward by the spring of the elastic arm 5d1.

[0073] If the movable housing 2 is not constantly biased upward, and the protruding portion 6d is separated from the retaining piece 5c for the movable housing, then when the circuit board P1 on which the movable connector 1 is mounted, and the equipment containing the circuit board P1 are subjected to vibration or shock, the protruding portion 6d may come into contact with the retaining piece 5c for the movable housing, producing an abnormal noise and potentially raising suspicion of equipment malfunction. However, as mentioned above, if the protruding portion 6d is in pressing contact with the retaining piece 5c for the movable housing, such problems do not occur.

[0074] How to use movable connector 1

[0075] Next, we will explain how to use and operate the movable connector 1 with the structure described above.

[0076] Movable connector 1 in the unmated connection state of pin terminal P2

[0077] In the un-mated state of the pin terminal P2 of the movable connector 1, the board connection portion 8a of terminal 4 and the fixing leg portion 5a of the retaining bracket 5 are soldered to the board P1 and fixed. In this state, the movable housing 2 is constantly biased upward in the Z direction via the support projections 5d2 by the spring force of the elastic arms 5d1 of the four support pieces 5d. The four support pieces 5d are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line along the X direction and the center line along the Y direction, and elastically support the movable housing 2 from below without bias. The upper surfaces of each protrusion 6d of the movable housing 2 are in contact with the retaining piece 5c for the movable housing of the retaining bracket 5 from below in the Z direction. In addition, each protrusion 6d of the movable housing 2 is positioned above the base portion 3a of the fixed housing 3, spaced apart with a gap in between.

[0078] Furthermore, the movable housing 2 can move in the X direction until the constricted portion 6a2 of the cylindrical peripheral wall 6a abuts against the retaining piece 5c for the movable housing. In the Y direction, the movable housing 2 can move until the protruding portion 6d abuts against the protruding surface portion 3c1 of the side wall portion 3c of the fixed housing 3. In the Z direction upward, the movable housing 2 cannot move any further upward because, as described above, the protruding portion 6d is always in contact with the retaining piece 5c for the movable housing. On the other hand, in the Z direction downward, the movable housing 2 can move until the protruding portion 6d pushes the support piece 5d downward and abuts against the base portion 3a of the fixed housing 3.

[0079] Mating connection of pin terminal P2 to movable connector 1

[0080] To connect the pin terminal P2 of the mating connector to the movable connector 1, the housing of the mating connector is mated to the movable housing 2, thereby inserting the pin terminal P2 through the insertion opening 6b. If the central axis of the pin terminal P2 and the central axis of the insertion opening 6b are misaligned in at least one of the X or Y directions, the pin terminal P2 can contact the guiding inclined surface forming the insertion opening 6b to guide its insertion. At this time, the movable housing 2 can move in at least one of the X or Y directions. During this movement, the movable housing 2 moves while the contact surface 7b3 of the shielding member 7 slides in contact with the support projection 5d2 of the support piece 5d. Therefore, the grounding connection made from the shielding member 7 via the retaining fitting 5 is not interrupted, and the grounding connection of the shielding member 7 to the substrate P1 can always be maintained even when the movable housing 2 is mating with the moving pin terminal P2. Therefore, the influence of external electromagnetic waves and static electricity during mating can be eliminated, and the pin terminal P2 and the circuit on the board P1 can be properly electrically connected.

[0081] The pin terminal P2, having entered the mating chamber 6e from the insertion opening 6b, is inserted downward while receiving pressing contact from the three contact pieces 9c2. At this time, the movable housing 2 can move downward while resisting the biasing force of the support piece 5d until the protruding portion 6d abuts against the base portion 3a. When the pin terminal P2 is inserted to a predetermined depth, the pin terminal P2 is mated and connected to the movable connector 1. In this mated connection state, the movable housing 2 can move relative to the fixed housing 3 by the movable portion 8c of the terminal 4. Therefore, even in operating environments where vibration and shock are present, the elastic deformation of the movable portion 8c absorbs the vibration and shock applied to the movable housing 2 and the fixed housing 3, preventing the occurrence of cracks in the soldered portion of the board connection portion 8a.

[0082] Second embodiment [Figures 8-12]

[0083] Next, the movable connector 10 of the second embodiment will be described. The difference between the movable connector 10 and the movable connector 1 of the first embodiment lies in the configuration of the movable housing 11 and the terminals 12. The remaining configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment. Note that components identical to those of the first embodiment in this embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

[0084] The movable housing 11 of the second embodiment has a rectangular tubular housing body 13 made of a resin molded body and a conductive shielding member 14 made of a cylindrical metal material. The housing body 13 is fixedly positioned inside the shielding member 14, which is formed to be thicker than the housing body 13. Any method can be used to fix the housing body 13 and the shielding member 14, such as adhesive or press-fitting, but in this embodiment, they are fixed by press-fitting.

[0085] The shield member 14 has a cylindrical shield body 14a. The shield body 14a has an insertion opening 14b that communicates with the insertion opening 13a of the pin terminal P2 of the housing body 13. The shield member 14 also has a shield contact piece 14c that protrudes in a plate-like shape in the XY direction from the lower end of the shield body 14a. In this embodiment, the support projection 5d2 of the support piece 5d of the retaining fitting 5 is in contact with the shield contact piece 14c by pressing against it and is electrically connected. Furthermore, when the movable housing 2 is moving, the shield contact piece 14c has the same function as the protruding portion 6d of the housing body 6 in the first embodiment.

[0086] The terminal 12 has a movable terminal piece 8 and a contact terminal piece 9. In this embodiment, the thickness of the movable terminal piece 8 and the contact terminal piece 9 are the same. The connecting piece portion 8d of the movable terminal piece 8 is press-fitted into a terminal holding groove 13b, which is provided in the housing body 13 as a "fixing groove for the connecting piece portion" (Figure 12). The terminal holding groove 13b holds the connecting piece portion 8d by sandwiching the left and right plate edges along the longitudinal direction (Z direction) of the connecting piece portion 8d. The connecting piece portion 8d also has a protruding portion 8e formed thereon. The contact terminal piece 9 has a pressing contact piece 9d, which is a "locking piece portion" that presses and makes contact with the protruding portion 8e. The pressing contact piece 9d is formed as a short spring piece obtained by partially cutting and bending the base piece 9b1 of the mounting base portion 9b. The pressing contact piece 9d has a locking edge 9d1 that presses and makes contact with the protruding portion 8e. The locking edge 9d1 presses against and locks against the protruding portion 8e, preventing the connecting piece 8d (movable terminal piece 8) and the base piece 9b1 (contacting terminal piece 9) from moving away from each other in the Z direction and becoming detached.

[0087] In the terminal 4 of the first embodiment, a crimping process is required during manufacturing to crimp the pair of crimping locking pieces 9a1 of the contact-side terminal piece 9 to the connecting piece portion 8d of the movable-side terminal piece 8. However, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to integrate the movable-side terminal piece 8 and the contact-side terminal piece 9 in advance, and the movable-side terminal piece 8 and the contact-side terminal piece 9 can be connected during the assembly process of the movable connector 10. That is, in this embodiment, by press-fitting the connecting piece portion 8d into the terminal holding groove 13b of the housing body 13, the pressing contact piece 9d is locked into the protruding portion 8e, reinforcing the retention of the connection. Therefore, since the crimping process as in the first embodiment is unnecessary, this embodiment has the advantage of being easier to manufacture.

[0088] Modified Examples of Embodiments

[0089] The embodiments of the movable connectors 1 and 10 described above can be modified and implemented according to various purposes.

[0090] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which metal plates of the same thickness were used for the movable terminal piece 8 and the contact terminal piece 9, but they may also be made of metal plates of different thicknesses.

[0091] That is, for example, the thickness of the movable terminal piece 8 having a movable part 8c can be made thinner than the thickness of the contact terminal piece 9 having a contact part 9c. This increases the flexibility of the movable part 8c and makes the movable housings 2 and 11 easier to move. On the other hand, with respect to the contact part 9c, regardless of the thickness of the movable terminal piece 8, the contact part 9c having a spring structure can be made to exert appropriate contact pressure on the pin terminal P2. Therefore, in this modified example, it is possible to achieve both the function required for the movable part 8c and the function required for the contact part 9c.

[0092] Conversely, the thickness of the movable terminal piece 8 having the movable part 8c can also be made thicker than the thickness of the contact terminal piece 9 having the contact part 9c. Regardless of the thickness of the contact terminal piece 9, by making the thickness of the movable part 8c thicker, the cross-sectional area of ​​the movable part 8c can be increased, and impedance matching can be performed. In this case, the contact part 9c can be made thinner than the movable part 8c without being constrained by the thickness of the movable part 8c, thereby increasing the flexibility of the contact part 9c. For example, the aforementioned contact part 9c has three contact pieces 9c2, but as the number of contact pieces increases, it is expected that inserting the pin terminal P2 will become more difficult, and the workability during mating connection will decrease. However, even in such cases, regardless of the thickness of the impedance-matched movable terminal piece 8, the workability can be improved by adjusting the thickness of the contact part 9c to alleviate the insertion force. Therefore, even in this modified example, it is possible to achieve both the function required for the movable part 8c and the function required for the contact part 9c.

[0093] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the contact-side terminal piece 9 has a spring-structured contact portion 9c, i.e., a socket terminal. However, it may also be configured to have a pin-shaped contact portion, i.e., a plug terminal. Of course, in this case, the structure of the movable housings 2 and 11 must also be modified accordingly.

[0094] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which there are three contact pieces 9c2, but other configurations are also possible. However, in order to maintain the tracking ability to the pin terminal P2 by multi-point contact as described above, it is preferable to have three or more contact pieces 9c2 rather than one or two.

[0095] In the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which a shielding member 7 is provided on the movable housing 2. However, if a shielding effect is not required for the movable connector 1, it can be omitted. In that case, the support projection 5d2 of the retaining fitting 5 will be in pressing contact with the bottom surface 6d1 of the protruding portion 6d, which is made of a resin molded body.

[0096] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the support projection 5d2 of the retaining bracket 5 constantly biases the movable housing 2 upward in the Z direction. However, the movable housing 2 may simply be placed on the support projection without constant biasing. In this case, the elastic arm 5d1 may support the movable housing 2 by elastically deforming when the movable housing 2 is pushed downward in the Z direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1. Movable connector (first embodiment) 2 Movable housing 3 Fixed Housing 3a Base 3a1 Support piece housing 3b Housing section 3c Side wall part 3c1 Projecting surface part 3c2 Retaining part for retaining bracket 3c3 Terminal holding part 4 terminals 5. Retaining hardware 5a Fixed leg 5b Fixed piece 5c Retaining piece for movable housing 5d support piece 5d1 Elastic Arm 5d2 Support protrusion 6 Housing body 6a Cylindrical peripheral wall 6a1 Canopy section 6a2 Constricted area 6b Insertion port 6c aperture 6d protrusion 6d1 base 6e Mating chamber 6f Terminal holding groove 6g pressure receiving part 7 Shielding member 7a Shield body 7b Shield contact piece 7b1 Vertical piece 7b2 Contact piece 7b3 Contact surface 8. Movable terminal piece (first terminal piece) 8a Board connection section 8b Mounting piece for fixed housing 8b1 Impaction projection 8c Moving part 8c1 First extension 8c2 First horizontal section 8c3 Second extension 8c4 Second horizontal section 8c5 Third extension 8c6 bent corner 8d Connection piece (connection between terminals) 8d1 protrusion 8e Projection 9. Contact-side terminal piece (second terminal piece) 9a Locking piece (connection between terminals) 9a1 Crimping locking piece 9b Mounting base 9b1 Base piece 9b2 Press-fit piece 9b3 Engaging recess 9c Contact part 9c1 Support base 9c2 contact piece 9c3 Connecting part 9c4 First ring support section 9c5 Support arm 9c6 Second ring support section 9d Pressing contact piece (locking piece portion) 9d1 Locking edge 10. Movable connector (second embodiment) 11. Movable Housing 12 terminals 13 Housing body 13a Through port 13b Terminal holding groove (fixing groove for connecting piece) 14 Shielding member 14a Shield body 14b Through-hole 14c Shield Contact Piece

Claims

1. The first housing and A second housing that is movable relative to the first housing, A first terminal piece, which is held in the first housing and is composed of a single metal piece having a movable part that movably supports the second housing, A movable connector comprising a second terminal piece held in the second housing and having a contact portion that makes conductive contact with an object to be connected, The second housing is configured to be movable relative to the first housing in a first direction intersecting the fitting direction of the object to be connected, a second direction intersecting both the fitting direction and the first direction, and an oblique direction including the components of the first direction and the second direction, when the object to be connected is fitted to the movable connector. The second housing moves in the first direction, the second direction, and the oblique direction due to the elastic deformation of the movable part. The first terminal piece and the second terminal piece are each formed as different metal processed bodies of separate shapes, and have an inter-terminal connecting portion that connects them to each other, and are configured so that the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece do not detach from each other in the direction away from each other. Movable connector.

2. The first housing and A second housing that is movable relative to the first housing, A first terminal piece is held in the first housing and has a movable portion that movably supports the second housing, A movable connector comprising a second terminal piece held in the second housing and having a contact portion that makes conductive contact with an object to be connected, The second housing is configured to be movable in both directions: a first direction intersecting the fitting direction of the object to be connected, and a second direction intersecting both the fitting direction and the first direction. The first terminal piece and the second terminal piece are each formed as different metal processed bodies of separate shapes, and have an inter-terminal connecting portion that connects them to each other, and are configured so that the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece do not detach from each other in the direction away from each other. The first housing has a receiving portion formed as a through hole that penetrates the first housing in the fitting direction, and the movable portion is arranged in the receiving portion. Movable connector.

3. The terminal-to-terminal connecting portion has a connecting piece portion provided on either the first terminal piece or the second terminal piece, and a locking piece portion provided on the other terminal piece that engages with the connecting piece portion. The movable connector according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The locking piece has a crimping locking piece that engages with the connecting piece. The movable connector according to claim 3.

5. The connecting piece portion has a projection, The other of the above has an engaging recess into which the projection engages, The terminal connecting portion locks the first terminal piece and the second terminal piece together so that they do not detach from each other in a direction away from each other, through the engagement of the projection and the engaging recess. The movable connector according to claim 3.

6. The locking piece portion includes a pressing contact piece having a locking edge that presses against and contacts the connecting piece portion. The movable connector according to claim 3.

7. The second housing has a fixing groove for the connecting piece that holds the connecting piece, The second housing is configured to reinforce the locking of the pressing contact piece to the connecting piece by holding the connecting piece with the fixing groove for the connecting piece. The movable connector according to claim 6.

Images