contact

Abstract

To provide a contact which allows a multi-structured leaf spring to be easily used as a leaf spring while making it possible to support a contact part from both the leaf spring side and an arm part side, and which can prevent stress from being excessively high.SOLUTION: A contact comprises: a base part connected to a first connection target; a first leaf spring part which has one end coupled to the base part; a second leaf spring part which has one end coupled to the other end of the first leaf spring part, and which is disposed on the first leaf spring part; a contact part which has one end coupled to the other end of the second leaf spring part, and which comes into contact with a second connection target located on the upper side; and an arm part which is coupled to the other end of the contact part and extends downward. When the contact part is pushed downward, the first leaf spring part and the second leaf spring part are deformed while biasing the contact part upward, and the arm part supports the contact part while sliding on a slide surface provided on the first leaf spring part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact used for electrically connecting objects to be connected to each other. [Background technology]

[0002] Mobile phones and other electrical devices are equipped with various components necessary for the device to function properly. Contacts are often used to electrically connect these components (connected devices) together.

[0003] There are various types of such contacts, and one known type of contact is the contact disclosed in Patent Document 1. The contact of Patent Document 1 has a joint portion that can be joined to a printed wiring board, a spring portion (plate spring) formed by bending one end of the joint portion, a support portion connected to the spring portion, an actual contact portion (contact portion) connected to the support portion, and an arm portion connected to the actual contact portion.

[0004] When the actual contact portion of this contact is pressed down from above, the tip of the arm moves toward the spring portion while abutting against the joint portion. At this time, the actual contact portion is pressed into contact with the ground conductor by elastic deformation around the folded-back portion of the spring portion, the bent portion where the support portion and the actual contact portion are joined, and the bent portion where the actual contact portion and the arm portion are joined. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-217535 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] According to the contact of Patent Document 1, by abutting the tip of the arm against the joint (bottom), the contact part can be supported from both the leaf spring side and the arm side, making it easier to stabilize the contact part. However, while adopting this structure, using a multi-layered leaf spring in which multiple leaf springs are connected together as the leaf spring is not easy, as it requires lengthening the arm or ensuring that the arm does not interfere with the leaf spring.

[0007] Furthermore, in the contact of Patent Document 1, the joint (bottom) is rigid and hardly bends, so when the contact part is pressed down, the stress concentration area that occurs at the contact point between the arm part and the joint tends to be high. Therefore, measures such as stricter limits on the amount of depression of the actual contact part tend to be required to prevent stress from exceeding the allowable range.

[0008] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a contact that allows the contact portion to be supported from both the leaf spring side and the arm side, while also allowing the leaf spring to be easily made of a multi-layered structure, and that prevents excessive stress. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The contact of the present invention is a contact that electrically connects a first connection object and a second connection object, and comprises: a base portion that is connected to the first connection object; a first leaf spring portion that has one end connected to the base portion; a second leaf spring portion that has one end connected to the other end of the first leaf spring portion and is positioned above the first leaf spring portion; a contact portion that has one end connected to the other end of the second leaf spring portion and contacts the second connection object above; and an arm portion that is connected to the other end of the contact portion and extends downward; when the contact portion is pressed downward, the first leaf spring portion and the second leaf spring portion deform while urging the contact portion upward, and the arm portion supports the contact portion while sliding on a slide surface provided on the first leaf spring portion.

[0010] This configuration allows the contact portion to be supported from both the leaf spring side and the arm side, while also allowing for the use of a multi-layered leaf spring, which prevents excessive stress. Note that the term "downward" here includes the concept of a diagonally downward direction.

[0011] More specifically, the sliding surface may be configured to slope downward as the arm slides further. Also, more specifically, the slope of the sliding surface may be configured to increase as the arm slides further.

[0012] More specifically, the above configuration may be such that the base portion has a bottom wall portion with an outer surface facing downward, the first leaf spring portion is connected to the rear end of the bottom wall portion and has a first flat plate portion that faces the bottom wall portion in the vertical direction, and the slide surface is formed as the upper surface of the first flat plate portion.

[0013] More specifically, the above configuration may be such that the base portion has a rear wall portion whose outer surface faces rearward, the first plate spring portion has a second flat plate portion connected to the lower end of the rear wall portion and extending in the front-to-rear direction, and the slide surface is formed as the upper surface of the second flat plate portion.

[0014] More specifically, the second plate spring portion may be configured to have, in order from the end of the first plate spring portion, a third flat portion extending upward, a fourth flat portion extending rearward, and an inclined portion extending diagonally upward and rearward, and the arm portion may extend diagonally forward and downward from the contact portion and slide diagonally forward and downward on the sliding surface.

[0015] More specifically, the above configuration may be configured such that a bent portion, which is a piece-like portion bent upward, is provided in a part of the first plate spring portion, and the slide surface is the upper surface of the bent portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the contact of the present invention, the contact portion can be supported from both the leaf spring side and the arm side, and a multi-layered leaf spring can be easily used as the leaf spring, thereby preventing excessive stress. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a contact according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the contact according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the rear. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the contact according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the left. [Figure 4] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a contact according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the transition of deformation of the contact when the second connection object is pressed downward from the initial state. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the transition of deformation of the contact when the second connection object is pressed downward from the initial state. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a plate material before a contact is assembled. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram showing a contact assembled from the plate material shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a contact according to a first modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a contact according to a first modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a contact according to a second modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a contact according to a second modified example. [Figure 12A] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram regarding the length of the vertical portion in the L-shaped portion. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the height of a contact is adjusted according to a second modified example. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional side views of contacts according to a third modified example and a comparative example. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the transition of deformation of a contact according to a third modified example when the contact portion is pressed downward from the initial state. [Figure 16] 10 is a plan view showing a plate material before assembling contacts according to a comparative example and a third modified example. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a contact according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the contact according to the fourth modified example, viewed from a different angle. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a rear view of a contact according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing the transition of deformation of a contact according to a fourth modified example when an external force is applied from the initial state. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a contact according to a fifth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Contacts according to embodiments of the present invention and their modifications will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, up-down, left-right, and front-rear directions (directions perpendicular to each other) are as shown in FIG. 1 and elsewhere. Note that the above directions do not limit the direction in which the contact is mounted on a device. Contact X serves to electrically connect two connection targets (for convenience, referred to as a first connection target and a second connection target).

[0019] <Contact configuration> Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a contact X according to one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the contact X as viewed from behind. Fig. 3 is a side view of the contact X as viewed from the left. Fig. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the contact X. Fig. 4 is a view of the contact X cut along a cutting plane extending in the up-down and front-rear directions as viewed from the left.

[0020] The contact X includes a base portion Bs connected to a first connection target and an extension portion Ex extending from the base portion Bs. The base portion Bs has a bottom wall portion 1, a left side wall portion 61, and a right side wall portion 62. The extension portion Ex includes, in order from the side connected to the base portion Bs, a first leaf spring portion 2, a second leaf spring portion 3, a contact portion 4, and an arm portion 5. The extension portion Ex is provided so that the left and right sides correspond to the width direction and extends in a direction perpendicular to this width direction. These elements constituting the contact X are integrally formed by bending a conductive plate material (plate material Pa in FIG. 7, which will be described later) or the like.

[0021] In this embodiment, a metal plate (for example, a plate made of stainless steel (SUS301, etc.)) is used as the conductive elastic plate. By integrally forming the elements that make up the contact X from a series of metal plates, it is not necessary to bond these parts together in the manufacturing process of the contact X, which prevents poor adhesion and allows the contact X to be formed efficiently.

[0022] The contact X is extremely small so that it can be mounted on a portable communication terminal or the like, and for example, has a left-right dimension of about 0.7 mm, a front-rear dimension of about 1.5 mm, a vertical dimension in the initial state of about 1.25 mm, and a plate thickness of about 0.06 mm. The vertical dimension of the left and right side wall portions 61, 62 is about 0.68 mm, and in the initial state where the contact portion 4 is not pressed down (i.e., a state where it is not elastically deformed), the vertical distance from the upper ends of the left and right side wall portions 61, 62 to the contact portion 4 is about 0.57 mm, and the front-rear distance from the rear ends of the left and right side wall portions 61, 62 to the contact portion 4 is about 0.4 mm.

[0023] The configuration of the contact X (configuration in the initial state) will be described in detail below.

[0024] The bottom wall 1 is a flat plate extending in the left-right and front-rear directions, and can be fixed to and electrically connected to a first connection object. The bottom wall 1 can be connected to the first connection object by soldering, but may also be connected to the first connection object by other methods.

[0025] The first leaf spring portion 2 has a bent portion 21 and a first flat plate portion 22. One end of the bent portion 21 is connected to the rear end of the bottom wall portion 1. The bent portion 21 is formed by bending it upward, then rearward, and then forward. That is, the bent portion 21 is U-shaped when viewed from the left and right. The rear end of the first flat plate portion 22 is connected to the other end of the bent portion 21. The first flat plate portion 22 extends in the front-rear direction parallel to the bottom wall portion 1 and faces the bottom wall portion 1 in the up-down direction.

[0026] The second plate spring portion 3 has a bent portion 31, a second flat plate portion 32, a bent portion 33, a third flat plate portion , a bent portion 35, and an inclined portion .

[0027] One end of the bent portion 31 is connected to the front end of the first flat plate portion 22. The bent portion 31 is formed by bending the front end of the first flat plate portion 22 upward at a right angle. The second flat plate portion 32 extends in the vertical direction. The lower end of the second flat plate portion 32 is connected to the other end of the bent portion 31. One end of the bent portion 33 is connected to the upper end of the second flat plate portion 32. The bent portion 33 is formed by bending the upper end of the second flat plate portion 32 backward at a right angle.

[0028] The front end of the third flat plate portion 34 is connected to the other end of the bent portion 33. The third flat plate portion 34 extends in the front-rear direction parallel to the first flat plate portion 22. The front-rear length of the third flat plate portion 34 is slightly shorter than half the front-rear length of the first flat plate portion 22. One end of the bent portion 35 is connected to the rear end of the third flat plate portion 34. The bent portion 35 is formed by bending the rear end of the third flat plate portion 34 rearward and upward (i.e., diagonally upward and rearward).

[0029] The lower end of the inclined portion 36 is connected to the other end of the bent portion 35. The inclined portion 36 extends diagonally upward and rearward. The angle formed between the third flat plate portion 34 and the inclined portion 36 is greater than 90° and less than 180°, and is set to approximately 120° in this embodiment. The upper end of the inclined portion 36 is connected to one end of the contact portion 4.

[0030] The contact portion 4 is a portion that comes into contact with the upper second connection object, and is formed at a portion where the plate material is folded back in a roughly U-shape. In the example of this embodiment, the contact portion 4 is formed such that the central portion in the left-right direction on the outer surface of the folded back portion is raised, and the second connection object comes into contact with this raised raised portion 4a (see FIG. 1). However, the shape of the contact portion 4 is not limited to this, and the entire left-right portion may also come into contact with the second connection object.

[0031] The upper end of the arm 5 is connected to the other end of the contact portion 4. The arm 5 extends diagonally downward and forward from the other end of the contact portion 4 and is positioned below the inclined portion 36. A small gap S is provided between the tip 5A (lower end) of the arm 5 and the upper surface of the first flat portion 22 (the slide surface 22A described below). This allows, for example, a liquid plating material to enter the gap S during manufacturing of the contact X, facilitating thorough plating. However, it is also possible to omit the gap S and ensure that the tip 5A and the upper surface of the first flat portion 22 are in contact even in the initial state. As described above, the second leaf spring portion 3 is provided, in this order, from the end of the first leaf spring portion 2. The second flat portion 32 extends upward, the third flat portion 34 extends rearward, and the inclined portion 36 extends diagonally upward and rearward.

[0032] The pair of left and right side walls 61, 62 are formed to rise from both left and right ends of the bottom wall 1 via connecting portions 7a (FIG. 8) described below, and face each other in the left-right direction. The folded portion 21, the first flat plate portion 22, the folded portion 31, the second flat plate portion 32, the folded portion 33, the third flat plate portion 34, a part of the folded portion 35, and a lower part of the arm portion 5 are sandwiched between the pair of side walls 61, 62 in the left-right direction.

[0033] Openings 61A and 62A are provided in approximately central regions of the left and right sidewalls 61 and 62, respectively. This allows, during manufacturing of the contact X, for example, a liquid plating material to flow into the inside of the sidewalls 61 and 62 through the openings 61A and 62A, making it easier to more reliably plate the inside of the sidewalls 61 and 62.

[0034] <Contact deformation transition> When the contact X is in an initial state, with a first connection object connected below the bottom wall 1, the second connection object can be moved downward from above the contact portion 4, causing the contact portion 4 to move downward (push in). Furthermore, the leaf spring including the first leaf spring portion 2 and the second leaf spring portion 3 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "leaf spring Sp") functions as a leaf spring that elastically supports the contact portion 4, and when the contact portion 4 is pressed downward, it deforms while urging the contact portion 4 upward. Therefore, by using the contact X, a stable electrical connection between the first connection object and the second connection object can be established.

[0035] 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the transition of deformation of the contact X when the second connection object 200 is moved downward from the initial state. Note that in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the contact X is shown as a side cross-sectional view.

[0036] Fig. 5(A) shows the state immediately after the second connection object 200 comes into contact with the contact portion 4. Fig. 5(B) shows the state after the second connection object 200 has been moved downward from the state of Fig. 5(A) and the contact portion 4 has been moved downward by a displacement x1. In the state of Fig. 5(B), the contact portion 4 is pressed, causing the leaf spring Sp to elastically deform, thereby urging the contact portion 4 upward (towards the second connection object 200).

[0037] The rear end of the first plate spring portion 2 is connected to the base portion Bs. When the contact portion 4 moves downward, the first plate spring portion 2 is pressed downward at a position of the second plate portion 32 (when the arm portion 5 is in contact with the first plate portion 22, this is the tip portion 5A of the arm portion 5 and the second plate portion 32) which is forward of this connected position. Therefore, when the contact portion 4 is pressed downward and the plate spring Sp is elastically deformed, the first plate portion 22 of the first plate spring portion 2 tilts diagonally downward and forward (tilting so that the front side is lowered). This tilt (diagonally downward and forward) of the first plate portion 22 becomes greater as the contact portion 4 moves downward.

[0038] 5(B), the first plate portion 22 is tilted slightly downward and forward. Also, in the state of FIG. 5(B), the tip 5A of the arm 5 has not yet come into contact with the upper surface of the first plate portion 22 (the slide surface 22A described later).

[0039] FIG. 5(C) shows a state in which the contact portion 4 has been further displaced downward from the state shown in FIG. 5(B) (a state in which the amount of displacement from the initial state is x2). In the state shown in FIG. 5(C), the tip portion 5A of the arm portion 5 contacts the upper surface of the first flat plate portion 22 and begins to slide forward on this upper surface. In this way, the upper surface of the first flat plate portion 22 serves as a surface along which the tip portion 5A of the arm portion 5 slides (this surface is referred to as the "sliding surface 22A").

[0040] 5(C), the first flat plate portion 22 is tilted further diagonally downward and forward from the state in FIG. 5(B), and the sliding surface 22A is also tilted accordingly. In this state, a normal force N1 (solid arrow in FIG. 5) is generated between the tip end 5A and the first flat plate portion 22, and further, a friction force F' (dashed arrow in FIG. 5) in the opposite direction to the sliding direction is generated at the tip end 5A.

[0041] The greater this frictional force F', the greater the force required to slide the tip portion 5A, and therefore the greater the force required to press down the contact portion 4 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "press-down force Z"). However, in this embodiment, because the slide surface 22A is inclined diagonally downward and forward, the frictional force F' is smaller than when it is not inclined, and it is possible to reduce the press-down force Z accordingly.

[0042] As the contact portion 4 continues to be pressed downward, the inclination of the sliding surface 22A gradually increases, and the tip portion 5A slides forward on the sliding surface 22A. At this time, the greater the inclination of the sliding surface 22A, the smaller the frictional force F' becomes.

[0043] As the contact portion 4 is pressed downward, the elastic deformation of the leaf spring Sp gradually increases, and the elastic force of the leaf spring Sp (the force urging the contact portion 4 upward) also gradually increases. However, at the contact X, the increase in the pressing force Z due to the gradual increase in the elastic force of the leaf spring Sp and the decrease in the pressing force Z due to the gradual decrease in the frictional force F' cancel each other out to some extent. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a sudden increase in the pressing force Z as the contact portion 4 is pressed downward.

[0044] 6(A) shows a state in which the contact portion 4 is further displaced downward from the state shown in FIG. 5(C) (a state in which the amount of displacement from the initial state is x3). In the state shown in FIG. 6(A), the lower surface of the front end portion of the first flat plate portion 22 is in contact with the upper surface of the bottom wall portion 1.

[0045] Figure 6(B) shows the state in which the contact part 4 is further displaced downward from the state in Figure 6(A) (the amount of displacement from the initial state is x4). In the state in Figure 6(B), the sliding of the tip part 5A has progressed further compared to the state in Figure 6(A).

[0046] Fig. 6(C) shows the state in which the contact portion 4 has been further displaced downward from the state in Fig. 6(B) (the amount of displacement from the initial state is x5). Fig. 6(C) shows the state in which the contact portion 4 has been pressed almost to its maximum, in which the bent portion 35 comes into contact with the upper surface of the arm portion 5, and the first flat plate portion 22 has been further bent from the state in Fig. 6(B).

[0047] As described above, the contact X is a contact that electrically connects the first connection object and the second connection object, and includes a base portion Bs that is connected to the first connection object, a first plate spring portion 2 that has one end connected to the base portion Bs, a second plate spring portion 3 that has one end connected to the other end of the first plate spring portion 2 and is positioned above the first plate spring portion 2, a contact portion 4 that has one end connected to the other end of the second plate spring portion 3 and contacts the second connection object above, and an arm portion 5 that is connected to the other end of the contact portion 4 and extends downward.

[0048] Furthermore, in the contact X, when the contact portion 4 is pressed downward, the leaf spring Sp deforms while urging the contact portion 4 upward, and the arm portion 5 supports the contact portion 4 while sliding on the slide surface 22A provided on the first leaf spring portion 2. Therefore, the contact X makes it possible to support the contact portion 4 from both the front and rear sides while preventing excessive stress.

[0049] More specifically, the contact portion 4 of the contact X is configured to be supported from the front by the second leaf spring portion 3 and from the rear by the arm portion 5, making it possible to easily stabilize the contact portion 4, similar to the contact of Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication No. 2001-217535).

[0050] In the contact of Patent Document 1, the joint is rigid and hardly bends, so when the actual contact portion is pressed down, the stress concentration area that occurs at the contact point between the arm (corresponding to arm 5 in this embodiment) and the joint (corresponding to bottom wall 1 in this embodiment) tends to be high. In contrast to this, in the contact X of this embodiment, the arm 5 is formed so that it slides in contact with the first flat plate 22 (first leaf spring portion 2) rather than the bottom wall 1. The first flat plate 22 (first leaf spring portion 2), which is part of the leaf spring, bends more easily than the bottom wall 1, so it is possible to prevent the stress generated by contact of the tip 5A from becoming too high.

[0051] As described above, the sliding surface 22A of the contact X is inclined downward (diagonally downward and forward in this embodiment) as the sliding of the arm 5 progresses. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the frictional force F' compared to when the sliding surface 22A is not inclined.

[0052] Furthermore, the inclination of the sliding surface 22A of the contact X increases as the sliding of the arm portion 5 progresses. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to prevent a sudden increase in the pressing force Z as the downward pressing of the contact portion 4 progresses.

[0053] Furthermore, in the contact of Patent Document 1, the leaf spring (spring portion) that elastically supports the contact portion has a simple form such as a cantilever beam, but in the contact X of this embodiment, a multi-layered leaf spring with multiple connected leaf spring portions 2 and 3 is used as the leaf spring that elastically supports the contact portion 4. Therefore, compared to when a leaf spring such as that in Patent Document 1 is used, the contact X makes it easier to increase the working area (the range of motion of the leaf spring in actual use), making it possible to ensure a sufficient working area while reducing the product size.

[0054] When the above-mentioned multi-layered leaf spring is used as the leaf spring that elastically supports the contact portion 4, it is not easy to adopt a structure in which the tip portions of the arms abut against the bottom to support the contact portion from both the leaf spring side and the arm side, as in the contact of Patent Document 1, because it requires lengthening the arms or ensuring that the arms do not interfere with the leaf spring. However, in this embodiment, this problem is solved by devising a structure in which the tip portions of the arms 5 abut against the first leaf spring portion 2.

[0055] <Product height adjustment> Fig. 7(A) is a plan view showing the plate material Pa before assembling the contact Xa shown in Fig. 8(A). That is, the contact Xa is manufactured by performing a bending process on the plate material Pa. Note that Fig. 8(A) is a view of the contact Xa as seen from behind. Furthermore, the contact Xa is the same as the contact X of the embodiment described above (Fig. 1, etc.).

[0056] As shown in FIG. 7(A), the plate material Pa has connecting portions 7a that connect the bottom wall portion 1 to the side wall portions 61 and 62. In the contact Xa (FIG. 8(A)) assembled based on the plate material Pa, one connecting portion 7a is formed by bending the left end of the bottom wall portion 1 leftward and upward, and is connected to the lower end of the side wall portion 61. The other connecting portion 7a is formed by bending the right end of the bottom wall portion 1 rightward and upward, and is connected to the lower end of the side wall portion 62. In other words, the connecting portion 7a is formed by bending it once.

[0057] In contrast, Fig. 7(B) is a plan view showing the plate material Pb before assembling the contact Xb shown in Fig. 8(B). That is, the contact Xb is manufactured by performing a bending process on the plate material Pb. Fig. 8(B) is a view of the contact Xb as seen from behind.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 7(B), the plate material Pb has connecting portions 7b that connect the bottom wall portion 1 and the side wall portions 61, 62, respectively. In a contact Xb (FIG. 8(B)) assembled based on the plate material Pb, one connecting portion 7b has a bent portion 71 formed by bending the left end of the bottom wall portion 1 leftward and downward, a connecting portion 72 connected to the bent portion 71 and extending downward, and a bent portion 73 bent from the lower end of the connecting portion 72 leftward and downward and connected to the lower end of the side wall portion 61. The other connecting portion 7b has a bent portion 71 formed by bending the right end of the bottom wall portion 1 rightward and downward, a connecting portion 72 connected to the bent portion 71 and extending downward, and a bent portion 73 bent from the lower end of the connecting portion 72 rightward and downward and connected to the lower end of the side wall portion 62. In other words, the connecting portion 7b is formed by two bending operations.

[0059] In this way, by changing the design of the connecting portions 7a and 7b, the height of the bottom wall portion 1 of the contact Xb can be made higher by a height h than that of the contact Xa, as shown in Fig. 8. Therefore, the product height Hb of the contact Xb can be easily made higher by a height h than the product height Ha of the contact Xa. In other words, it is easy to adjust the product height of the contacts.

[0060] <First Modification> 1, in the contact X according to the embodiment described above, the upper surface of the third flat plate portion 34 constituting the second leaf spring portion 3 is exposed to the outside and is formed as an adsorption surface 34A. When the contact X is transported, the adsorption surface 34A is adsorbed by the transport device.

[0061] 9 is a perspective view of the contact X1 according to the first modification. In the contact X1 shown in FIG. 9, a piece 8 is formed that is bent upward and to the right from the upper end of the side wall portion 61 and extends rightward in a flat plate shape. As shown in the side cross-sectional view of the contact X1 in FIG. 10, the piece 8 is formed to cover the upper side of the third flat plate portion 34.

[0062] The upper surface of the piece 8 can be used as an adsorption surface 8A. When the contact X1 is transported, the adsorption surface 8A is adsorbed by, for example, a vacuum adsorption type transport device. As a result, the adsorption surface 8A is formed separately from the third flat plate portion 34, and deformation of the second leaf spring portion 3 due to adsorption can be suppressed. The piece 8 may be formed to extend from the side wall portion 62.

[0063] <Second Modification> Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a contact X2 according to a second modified example. The contact X2 shown in Fig. 11 includes a rear wall 60 that connects side walls 61, 62 in the left-right direction.

[0064] FIG. 12 is a side cross-sectional view of the contact X2, showing the initial state (a state in which no force is applied to the contact portion 4). As shown in FIG. 12, the contact X2 has a first leaf spring portion 20 formed and connected to the lower end of the rear wall portion 60. The first leaf spring portion 20 has a bent portion 210 and a first flat portion 220. One end of the bent portion 210 is connected to the lower end of the rear wall portion 60. The bent portion 210 is formed by bending the lower end of the rear wall portion 60 downward and forward at a right angle. The rear end of the first flat portion 220 is connected to the other end of the bent portion 210. The first flat portion 220 extends in the front-rear direction. A second leaf spring portion 3 is connected to the front end of the first flat portion 220. The arm portion 5 is disposed above the first flat portion 220.

[0065] According to the second modified example, when the contact portion 4 is pressed downward, the first flat plate portion 220 tilts forward and downward, and the tip portion 5A of the arm portion 5 slides forward on the slide surface 220A, which is the upper surface of the first flat plate portion 220. This makes it possible to obtain the same effect as the embodiment described above. Furthermore, when the contact portion 4 is pressed downward, the first flat plate portion 220 bends, so that the stress generated in the stress concentration portion of the arm portion 5 can be reduced.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 11, the contact X2 has L-shaped portions 91 and 92 that extend downward from the lower ends of the sidewall portions 61 and 62, respectively.

[0067] Here, Fig. 13(A) is a rear view of contact X2a, which is the same as contact X2 shown in Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 13(A), L-shaped portion 91 has a vertical portion 91A extending downward from the lower end of side wall portion 61, a bent portion 91B having one end connected to the lower end of vertical portion 91A and bent downward and to the left at a right angle, and a horizontal portion 91C connected to the other end of bent portion 91B and extending to the left. L-shaped portion 92 has a vertical portion 92A extending downward from the lower end of side wall portion 62, a bent portion 92B having one end connected to the lower end of vertical portion 92A and bent downward and to the right at a right angle, and a horizontal portion 92C connected to the other end of bent portion 92B and extending to the right. That is, the L-shaped portions 91 and 92 extend toward each other from the lower ends of the side wall portions 61 and 62, respectively, and are formed in a substantially L-shape when viewed from the front-rear direction. A gap Sa is provided between the horizontal portions 91C and 92C.

[0068] On the other hand, Figure 13(B) is a rear view of contact X2b, which is an example in which the lengths of vertical portions 91A, 92A of L-shaped portions 91, 92 are longer than those of contact X2a (Figure 13(A)). Note that gap Sb in contact X2b has the same left-right width as gap Sa. In this modification, it is possible to form L-shaped portions 91, 92 as described above, and by adjusting the lengths of vertical portions 91A, 92A, it is possible to easily adjust the product heights Ha, Hb of contacts X2a, X2b.

[0069] Furthermore, the product height of the contact may be adjusted by changing the position of the bending of the L-shaped portions 91, 92, which have the same length before bending. In this case, the width of the gap between the horizontal portions 91C, 92C in the left-right direction will change. Furthermore, the lengths of the vertical portions 91A, 92A of the L-shaped portions 91, 92 may vary depending on the position in the front-rear direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 12A , the L-shaped portion 91 may include an L-shaped portion 91x in the front region, an L-shaped portion 91y in the central region, and an L-shaped portion 91z in the rear region (similar to the L-shaped portion 92), and the lengths of the vertical portions of the L-shaped portions in the front and rear regions may be longer than the length of the vertical portion of the L-shaped portion in the central region.

[0070] <Third Modification> Next, a third modified example will be described. Fig. 14(B) shows a side cross-sectional view of a contact X3 according to the third modified example, and Fig. 14(A) shows a side cross-sectional view of a contact X30 according to a comparative example for comparison with the contact X3.

[0071] 14, in the initial state, the bending angles at the bent portions 21 and 31 of the contact X3 are larger than those of the contact X30. As a result, the product height H3 of the contact X3 is larger than the product height H30 of the contact X30. Furthermore, the contact X3 has a cut-bent portion 22B in the flat portion 22.

[0072] The cut and bent portion 22B is formed by cutting and bending a part of the flat plate portion 22, and has a shape in which a piece-like portion connected to the rear side of a bending line (corresponding to the front edge of the cut and bent portion 22B) extending left and right is bent upward. As shown in Fig. 14, the upper surface of the cut and bent portion 22B is approximately horizontal (perpendicular to the up and down direction) in the initial state and serves as the slide surface 22A described above.

[0073] 15(A) to 15(D) are diagrams showing the progression of deformation of the contact X3 from the initial state (FIG. 15(A)) when the contact portion 4 is pressed downward. When the contact portion 4 is pressed downward, the cut and bent portion 22B tilts forward and downward, and the tip portion 5A of the support portion 5 slides forward while contacting the upper surface of the cut and bent portion 22B.

[0074] Fig. 16 is a plan view showing plate materials P30 and P3 in the unfolded state (pre-assembly state) of contact X30 and contact X3, respectively. As shown in Fig. 16, the unfolded length PL is the same for plate materials P30 and P3, but the product height can be changed by changing the bending angle at bent portions 21 and 31 as described above. By making the unfolded length PL the same, it becomes easy to use the same manufacturing equipment (mold, etc.) when forming either contact. In addition, in accordance with the change in the bending angle, the widths W61 and W62 (vertical width) of side wall portions 61 and 62 of contact X3 (P3) are made wider than those of contact X30 (P30), as shown in Fig. 16.

[0075] 14, if the cut-and-bent portion 22B were not provided in the contact X3, the distance between the tip portion 5A and the slide surface 22A (first flat plate portion 22) would be too great in the initial state, resulting in a large difference in operational characteristics between the contact X3 and the contact X30. In this regard, in this modified example, the cut-and-bent portion 22B is provided to prevent this distance from becoming too great, and the product height can be changed by changing the bending angle at the bending portions 21 and 31, while consideration is given to minimizing the difference in operational characteristics.

[0076] <Fourth Modification> Next, a fourth modified example will be described. Figures 17 and 18 show perspective views of the contact X4 according to the fourth modified example, viewed from different angles, and Figure 19 shows the contact X4 as viewed from behind.

[0077] In the contact X4, a stopper 61B is formed by bending the upper end of the side wall portion 61 to the right, and a stopper 62B is formed by bending the upper end of the side wall portion 62 to the left. In addition, in the contact X4, protrusions 5B are formed midway along the support portion 5, protruding to the left and right.

[0078] 20 is a diagram showing the progression of deformation of the contact X4 when a forward external force F (unintentional external force due to contact with a foreign object, etc.) is applied to the contact portion 4. When the external force F is applied, the deformation of the contact X4 progresses as shown in this figure, and at the stage shown in FIG. 20(C), contact has occurred at four points Y1 to Y4 on the contact X4.

[0079] More specifically, the bent portion 31 contacts the bottom wall portion 1 at the Y1 position, the inclined portion 36 contacts the rear end of the piece portion 8 at the Y2 position, the tip portion 5A contacts the first flat plate portion 22 at the Y3 position, and the protrusion portion 5B contacts the stoppers 61B, 62B at the Y4 position. These contacts prevent further deformation of the contact X4 even if an unintended external force F is applied to the contact X4, making it possible to prevent damage to the contact X4, performance degradation, etc. as much as possible.

[0080] <Fifth Modification> Next, a fifth modified example will be described. Fig. 21 shows a perspective view of a contact X5 according to the fifth modified example. The contact X5 has the same basic configuration as the contact X1 of the first modified example, except that a support piece 81 is provided on the arm portion 8.

[0081] A portion of the piece 8 of the contact X5 is bent downward at a location toward the rear of the piece 8, forming a support piece 81 whose tip can be brought into contact with the second leaf spring portion 3 (third flat plate portion 34). This support piece 81 functions similarly to the support piece of the invention related to the applicant's patent (Japanese Patent No. 6482143), and makes it easy to manufacture the contact X5 by adjusting the initial protrusion amount or initial load. In other words, even if the same plate material is used for the contact X5, the initial protrusion amount or initial load can be adjusted by simply changing the bending depth of the support piece 81 when manufacturing the contact X5.

[0082] <Other> In addition to the above-described embodiments, various modifications can be made to the configuration of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. In other words, the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above-described embodiments, and should be understood to include all modifications that fall within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] The present invention can be used for contacts provided in, for example, portable communication devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Bottom wall 2 First leaf spring part 3 Second leaf spring part 4 Contact area 5 Arm 5A tip 5B Protrusion 7a,7b Connecting part 8 Half 8A Adsorption surface 20 First leaf spring part 21 Bending section 22 1st flat plate part 22A Slide surface 22B Cut and bent section 31 Bending section 32 2nd flat plate part 33 Bending section 34 3rd flat plate part 34A Adsorption surface 35 Bending section 36 Slope 60 Rear wall 61,62 Side wall 61A,62A opening 61B, 62B stopper 71 Bending section 72 Connection 73 Bending section 81 Support piece 91,92 L-shaped part 91A,92A Vertical section 91B, 92B bending section 91C,92C horizontal part 100 First connection target 200 Second connection target 210 Bending section 220 Flat plate part 220A slide surface Bs bass part Ex extension Pa,Pb plate material S, Sa, Sb gap X, X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X30 Contact X2a, X2b contacts

Claims

1. A contact that electrically connects a first connection object and a second connection object, a base portion connected to the first connection object; a first leaf spring portion having one end connected to a rear portion of the base portion; a second leaf spring portion having one end connected to a front end of the first leaf spring portion and disposed above the first leaf spring portion; a contact portion having one end connected to the other end of the second leaf spring portion and configured to contact the second connection object above; an arm portion connected to the other end of the contact portion and extending diagonally forward and downward; Equipped with the first leaf spring portion has a substantially horizontal first flat plate portion extending in the front-rear direction, and a lower end of the arm portion is in contact with or has a small gap with a slide surface which is an upper surface of the first flat plate portion; When the contact portion is pressed downward, a leaf spring including the first leaf spring portion and the second leaf spring portion deforms while urging the contact portion upward, the arm portion supports the contact portion while sliding forward on the sliding surface of the first flat plate portion, and the sliding surface inclines so that the front portion faces downward as the sliding progresses.

2. A contact as described in Claim 1, characterized in that the inclination of the sliding surface increases as the sliding of the arm portion progresses.

3. The base portion has a rear wall portion whose outer surface faces rearward, 3. The contact according to claim 1, wherein the first leaf spring portion is connected to a lower end of the rear wall portion.

4. A contact as described in Claim 3, characterized in that the base portion has side wall portions on the left and right, and the lower ends of the side wall portions have L-shaped portions extending downward, the L-shaped portions consisting of a vertical portion and a horizontal portion connected to the lower ends of the vertical portion, and the horizontal portion is located lower than the first flat portion of the first leaf spring portion.

5. The base portion has a bottom wall portion whose outer surface faces downward, the first leaf spring portion has a first flat plate portion connected to a rear end portion of the bottom wall portion and facing the bottom wall portion in the up-down direction; 3. The contact according to claim 1, wherein the slide surface is formed as an upper surface of the first flat plate portion.

6. The second leaf spring portion is 6. A contact according to claim 1, characterized in that a second flat portion extending upward, a third flat portion extending rearward, and an inclined portion extending diagonally upward and rearward are provided in this order from an end of the first leaf spring portion.

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