Connectors, and contacts and housings for connectors.

Abstract

To provide a connector for providing a contact of which a contact part smoothly moves up and down even in a case where there is one portion to which a contact preload of a housing is provided.SOLUTION: A housing comprises a penetrating inner space in which a contact can be accommodated. The housing includes a contact part, which protrudes outside from a housing opening end and can be in contact with a mating electronic substrate, and a spring part in a meandering shape continued with the contact part. An inside formation surface, which is located in the inner space of the housing in a preload state and prepares the inner space of the housing with the spring part of the contact in the preload state, can be in contact with at least two contact portions at different heights in a long axis direction of the contact. The contact portions are preload receiving portions in which the housing receives a preload from the spring part. The at least two contact portions include a first contact portion and a second contact portion. The first contact portion is a contact portion at the maximum height, and the second contact portion is lower than the first contact portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector, as well as contacts and housings for a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a mode of electrically connecting electronic substrates to each other via a connector has been known. A connector includes contacts and a housing. As the contacts, those having a contact portion capable of contacting the other electronic substrate and a spring portion formed in a meandering shape can be used. As the housing, one having an inner space for accommodating the contacts and having an open end through which the contacts can move up and down along the long axis direction can be used.

[0003] Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose a mode in which extending portions are formed so as to be able to contact inner forming surfaces that form an inner space located on the open end side of the housing, respectively, from both end portions of the contact portion, and both extending portions are at the same height level in the long axis direction of the contact.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Here, the inventors of the present invention have newly discovered that there are areas for improvement in the following cases. Specifically, depending on the application of the other electronic substrate, there may be constraints on the form of the contact and housing. Specifically, there may be constraints on the height of the contact and the size of the opening end of the housing. Accordingly, it may be necessary to arrange an extended portion that can contact the inner forming surface located near the opening end of the housing from only one end, rather than from both ends of the contact portion located on the tip side of the contact.

[0006] In this case, the contact and the inner surface of the housing are in mutual contact, and the housing receives the preload of the contact by the spring at only one point on the open end side of the housing. Therefore, the stress distribution generated in the spring of the contact is unlikely to be balanced between one side and the other side of the spring in a cross-sectional view, and there is a risk that the contact portion of the contact may tilt to one side. As a result, when the contact portion of the contact is pressed against the pad of the mating electronic substrate, there is a risk that the contact portion will rub against the inner surface of the housing when the contact portion moves downward in the longitudinal direction due to the compression of the spring and when the contact portion moves upward due to the extension of the spring. Therefore, overall, it may be difficult to provide a contact that allows for smooth vertical movement of the contact portion along the longitudinal direction.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a connector, a contact for a connector, and a housing that can provide a contact in which the contact portion moves smoothly up and down along the long axis direction, even when the portion to which the contact is preloaded to the housing is at one location on the open end side of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, in one embodiment of this disclosure, A connector comprising a housing having contacts and a through-hole inner space capable of accommodating the contacts, The contact comprises a contact portion that protrudes outward from the open end of the housing and can contact the opposing electronic substrate, and a spring portion that is continuous with the contact portion and has a meandering shape, and is provided in the inner space of the housing in a preloaded state. The spring portion of the preloaded contact and the inner forming surface that forms the inner space of the housing are able to contact each other at at least two contact portions that are at different height levels in the longitudinal direction of the contact. The contact portion is a preload receiving portion that the housing receives from the spring portion, and the at least two contact portions include a first contact portion and a second contact portion. A connector is provided in which, in a cross-sectional view, the first contact portion is the contact portion at the highest height level, and the second contact portion is at a lower height level than the first contact portion.

[0009] To achieve the above objective, in one embodiment of this disclosure, A contact for a connector, It can be housed in a housing with a through-hole interior space. It comprises a contact portion that can come into contact with the other electronic substrate, and a spring portion that is continuous with the contact portion and has a meandering shape, and is provided in the inner space in a preloaded state, The spring portion of the preloaded contact is capable of contacting at least two local regions with different height levels in the longitudinal direction with respect to the inner forming surface that forms the inner space of the housing. The at least two local regions include a first local region and a second local region, In a cross-sectional view, a contact is provided in which the first local region can contact the inner forming surface of the housing at the highest height level, and the second local region is at a lower height level than the first local region.

[0010] To achieve the above objective, in one embodiment of this disclosure, A housing for a connector, A housing is provided that has a through inner space capable of accommodating a contact, and an inner forming surface that forms the inner space is capable of contacting the contact in the preloaded state at at least two locations, and the thickness dimensions of the housing at the at least two contact portions are different from each other.

Advantages of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, even when there is one location at the opening end side of the housing where the preload of the contact against the housing is provided, it is possible to provide a contact in which the contact portion smoothly moves up and down along the long axis direction.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure as viewed from the upper surface side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure as viewed from the bottom surface side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure in which a part of the internal cross-sectional structure is visible. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the contact portion between the contact and the housing of the connector of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the insertion mode of the contact into the inner space of the housing over time. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the contact before preloading. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view schematically showing the contact after completion of preloading. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, the connector of the present disclosure, as well as the contacts and the housing for the connector, will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. Various elements in the drawings are merely shown schematically and exemplarily for the understanding of the present disclosure, and the appearance, dimensional ratios, etc. may be different from the actual ones.

[0014] [Overall Configuration of the Connector] First, the overall configuration of the connector of the present disclosure will be described. Then, the characteristic parts of the connector of the present disclosure will be described.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure as viewed from the upper surface side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure as viewed from the bottom surface side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure in which a part of the internal cross-sectional structure is visible. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the connector of the present disclosure.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the connector 100 of the present disclosure includes integrally combined contacts 10 and a housing 20.

[0017] The housing 20 has a through inner space 23 capable of accommodating the contacts 10 in a cross-sectional view (see FIG. 4). The "capable of accommodating" mentioned here refers to a state in which all of the spring part and the block part, which are components of the contact 10, and at least a part of the contact part are accommodated before and after the pressing contact of the pad or the like of the mating electronic base material to the contact part of the contact 10 described later. The "through inner space" mentioned here refers to a space region having two openings facing each other at both ends, and refers to a space in which the contact part located on one side of the contact described later and the connection part located on the other side can project from the two openings, respectively.

[0018] The inner space 23 is formed by the inner forming surface 27. The inner forming surface 27 can be a substantially straight line in cross-sectional view, parallel to the long axis A of the contact 10 (or the direction of the center line L or L1 along the long axis A of the contact 10) (see Figures 4, 5, and 9). The housing 20 can take the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped as an overall structure (see Figure 1).

[0019] In this case, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the top surface 21 can be, for example, 5mm to 100mm, preferably 10mm to 50mm, for example 15mm. The thickness can be, for example, 2mm to 20mm, preferably 3mm to 10mm, for example 5mm. Note that the vertical and horizontal dimensions do not need to be the same.

[0020] The housing 20 of this disclosure may include an insulating resin material. The housing 20 may include, but is not limited to, at least one thermosetting resin material selected from the group consisting of, for example, phenolic resin, epoxy resin, silicone resin, and unsaturated polyester resin.

[0021] The contact 10 of this disclosure comprises a contact portion 11, a spring portion 12, a block portion 13, and a connecting portion 14. The contact 10 is not particularly limited, but includes a metal material, such as a copper-based material, and may include phosphor bronze as an example. As will be described later, the contact 10 is insertable into the inner space 23 of the housing 20 so that it can be combined integrally with the housing 20 (see Figure 6).

[0022] Of these, the contact portion 11 and the connecting portion 14 are located on one end and the other end of the contact 10, respectively, and are positioned in the same row along the long axis of the contact 10. On the other hand, the spring portion 12 and the block portion 13 can both be located within the inner space 23 of the housing.

[0023] (Contact area) The contact portion 11 is located on one end of the contact 10. From the viewpoint of reducing the pressing pressure applied by the other electronic substrate to the contact portion 11 per unit contact area with the other electronic substrate, it is preferable that the cross-sectional shape of the contact portion 11 is tapered at least at the end. The contact portion 11 protrudes outward from an open end 26 formed on the upper surface 21 of the housing 20 by the spring portion 12 and is able to contact the other electronic substrate. Although not particularly limited, as an example, three contact portions 11 can be arranged in a row at a predetermined interval along the direction of arrow X in Figure 1, and two contact portions 11 can be arranged in a row at a constant interval, and these can be arranged alternately at a predetermined interval along the direction of arrow Y (direction perpendicular to the X direction).

[0024] As an example, the distance between one adjacent contact portion 11 and the other adjacent contact portion 11 can be 0.3 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 5 mm, for example 1 mm. The height of the contact portion 11 itself protruding from the upper surface 21 of the housing 20 can be 0.3 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 5 mm, for example 1 mm. The longitudinal width of the contact portion 11 itself protruding from the upper surface 21 of the housing 20 can be 0.3 mm to 10 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 5 mm, for example 1 mm. The short-side width of the contact portion 11 itself protruding from the upper surface 21 of the housing 20 can be 0.05 mm to 5 mm, preferably 0.1 mm to 3 mm, for example 0.2 mm.

[0025] (Spring section) The spring portion 12 is continuous with the contact portion 11 on one side and with the block portion 13 on the other side, and has a meandering shape. Furthermore, when an external force is applied, the spring portion 12 becomes compressed and can then be deformed back to its original extended state due to its elastic properties.

[0026] Due to the properties of the spring portion 12 described above, it is compressible and expandable, and the contact portion 11, which is continuous with the spring portion 12, is able to move up and down in the longitudinal direction of the contact 10 via the open end 26 of the housing 20. Specifically, when a pad of the opposing electronic substrate presses against the contact portion 11 of the contact 10, the spring portion 12 compresses accordingly, allowing the contact portion 11 to move downward in the longitudinal direction.

[0027] Subsequently, the compressed spring portion 12 expands due to its elastic properties, allowing the contact portion 11 to move upward in the longitudinal direction. This upward movement causes the contact portion 11 to protrude outward from the open end 26 formed on the upper surface 21 of the housing 20, enabling it to contact the opposing electronic substrate.

[0028] From the viewpoint of facilitating the compression and extension of the spring portion 12, in a cross-sectional view, the spring portion 12 does not contact the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20 in the longitudinal axis direction of the contact (see Figure 4). That is, in the longitudinal axis direction of the contact, a clearance is provided between the curved portions 12X, 12Y, and 12Z of the spring portion 12 and the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20, and the two are separated from each other.

[0029] In cross-sectional view, the curved portions 12X and 12Y are located on the same plane. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of ensuring space for the locking portions 13a and 13b, which will be described later, to lock onto the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20, the curved portion 12Z is ​​located inward from the curved portions 12X and 12Y (see Figure 4).

[0030] Furthermore, the preload (or preload force) is maximized when the contact 10 is fully inserted into the inner space 23 of the housing 20. As a result, the contact 10, including the preloaded spring portion, can also reach its maximum preload state in the inner space 23 when fully inserted. By preloading the contact 10, including the spring portion 12, the spring portion 12 of the contact 10 is partially compressed beforehand.

[0031] Therefore, when the pads of the other electronic substrate are pressed against the contact portion 11, the normal force on the stretching side relative to a predetermined displacement of the contact portion 11 can be made relatively smaller compared to the case where no preload is applied. As a result, the force acting from the contact 10 side to the other electronic substrate is reduced compared to the case where no preload is applied, so the quality of the other electronic substrate can be continuously ensured.

[0032] The maximum preload state of the spring portion is achieved when the insertion of the contact 10 is complete, which allows for the press-fitting of the block portion 13 (described later) to be completed. This is achieved when a local area of ​​the spring portion 12 is pressed and in contact with the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20, as described later.

[0033] As a result, the spring portion 12 can be partially compressed when the contact 10 is fully inserted, compared to the stretched spring portion before insertion. Consequently, it is possible to maximize the preload state of the spring portion before pressing the pad of the mating electronic substrate against the contact portion 11 of the contact 10.

[0034] (Block section) The block portion 13 is continuous with the spring portion 12 on one side and continuous with the connecting portion 14 on the other side. The block portion 13 can be press-fitted into the inner space 23 of the housing 20 while in contact with the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20 when the contact 10 is inserted into the inner space 23 of the housing 20.

[0035] Furthermore, the block portion 13 has locking portions 13a and 13b on both ends in a cross-sectional view that can be locked to the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. Due to the presence of these locking portions 13a and 13b, the contact 10 is locked to the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20, and after the insertion of the contact 10 into the inner space 23 of the housing 20 is complete, it is possible to prevent the contact 10 from completely coming out of the inner space 23 to the outside.

[0036] While not particularly limited, in order to prevent crack formation on the housing 20 side during press-fitting, the height levels of the locking portions 13a and 13b may not be the same, and there may be a slight difference in height. The definition of "height level" will be explained later.

[0037] (Connection part) The connecting portion 14 is located on the other end of the contact 10. The connecting portion 14 is continuous with the block portion 13 and protrudes outward from the open end 28 formed on the bottom surface 22 of the housing 20 when the insertion of the contact 10 is complete, and is capable of being soldered to a predetermined electronic substrate.

[0038] [Features of this disclosure] The following describes the features of the connector 100 of this disclosure. Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the contact portion between the contacts and the housing of the connector of this disclosure.

[0039] The inventors of the present invention have diligently considered ways to improve the contact 10 so that the contact portion 11 moves smoothly up and down along the longitudinal axis, even when the portion to which the preload of the spring portion 12 is applied to the housing 20 is at only one location on the open end 26 side of the housing 20. As a result, the inventors of the present invention have come up with the present disclosure based on the following idea.

[0040] Specifically, this disclosure is based on the idea of ​​providing at least two contact portions 30 that "contact the spring portion 12 of the preloaded contact 10 with the inner forming surface 27 that forms the inner space 23 of the housing 20, and are at different height levels relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the contact 10."

[0041] Based on this concept, as shown in Figure 5, this disclosure adopts a configuration in which, in a cross-sectional view, the first contact portion 31 of at least two components of the contact portion 30 is the contact portion at the highest height level, and the other second contact portion 32 is at a lower height level than the first contact portion 31. In cases where a specific contact portion is not referred to, such as the first contact portion 31 and the second contact portion 32, the reference numeral 30 is used to indicate the contact portion.

[0042] From another perspective, the features of this disclosure can also be described according to the difference in distance from a predetermined position. Specifically, in this disclosure, with respect to the position of the opening end 26 of the housing 20, the first contact portion 31 may be located proximal to the opening end 26, while the second contact portion 32 may be located distal to the opening end 26 (see Figure 5).

[0043] In this disclosure, "height level" refers to the relative coordinate position when the longitudinal axis A of the contact is defined as a coordinate axis or coordinate line, and "different height levels" refers to different positions on the coordinate axis in the longitudinal axis A, and / or a greater-than / less-than relationship between the coordinate values ​​on the coordinate axis in the longitudinal axis A.

[0044] Furthermore, the "highest height level contact portion" as used in this disclosure refers to the portion located closest to the opening end 26 in the longitudinal axis direction A, with reference to the position of the opening end 26 of the housing 20, as shown in Figure 5, for example. From another perspective, the "highest height level contact portion" as used in this disclosure refers to the portion where the extension initiation region, where the meandering spring portion 12 begins to extend from one side of the contact portion 11, comes into contact with the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20.

[0045] In this disclosure, the "extension initiation region of the spring portion 12" refers to a substantially horizontal region located between the boundary portion between the contact portion 11 and the spring portion 12 and the first curved portion of the meandering spring portion. In this disclosure, the "substantially horizontal region of the spring portion 12" refers to a region extending in a direction intersecting the long axis direction of the contact 10, for example, in a perpendicular direction.

[0046] With this configuration, as shown in Figure 5, at least two contact portions 30 can be provided. Because the spring portion 12 takes a meandering shape, a total of two or more contact portions 30 can be positioned on both sides with respect to the center line L along the long axis of the contact. That is, the first contact portion 31 and the second contact portion 32 are not positioned biased to one side with respect to the center line L.

[0047] As described above, the contact portion 30 is the part of the housing 20 that receives the preload from the spring portion 12. In other words, the contact portion 30 is the preload receiving portion (or may also be called the preload load receiving portion, preload receiving portion, or preload force receiving portion). Therefore, there are at least two places where the housing 20 receives the preload force from the spring portion 12, and these can be positioned on both sides with respect to the center line L.

[0048] As a result, even when the portion where the preload of the contact 10 to the housing 20 is applied is at only one location on the open end side of the housing 20, the stress distribution generated in the spring portion 12 can be balanced between one side and the other side of the spring portion 12 in a cross-sectional view.

[0049] As a result, it is possible to prevent the contact portion 11 of the contact from tilting to one side. Therefore, when the contact portion 11 of the contact is pressed against the pad of the opposing electronic substrate, it is possible to prevent the contact portion 11 from rubbing against the inner forming surface 27 of the housing when the contact portion 11 moves downward in the longitudinal direction due to the compression of the spring portion 12 and when the contact portion 11 moves upward due to the extension of the spring portion 12.

[0050] From the above, even if the portion where the preload of the contact 10 to the housing 20 is applied is at only one location on the open end side of the housing 20, it is possible to provide a contact 10 that allows for smooth vertical movement of the contact portion 11 along the long axis.

[0051] In addition to the technical effects described above, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the following technical effects may also be achieved.

[0052] As described above, friction between the contact portion 11 and the inner surface 27 of the housing can be prevented when the contact portion 11 moves up and down along the long axis. Therefore, the movement trajectory of the contact portion 11 during downward movement and the movement trajectory of the contact portion 11 during upward movement can be made to be approximately the same line. In other words, the movement trajectory of the contact portion 11 of the contact 10 can be kept constant.

[0053] As a result, the pads of the opposing electronic substrate can be pressed against the contact portion 11 located at a predetermined location repeatedly and stably with high precision. Therefore, the pads can be pressed against the contact portion 11 dozens of times, for example 30 times, without replacing the predetermined contact portion 11.

[0054] From the above, a stable connection between the contact portion 11 and the mating electronic substrate becomes possible, thereby improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the connector 100 and the mating electronic substrate. Furthermore, since the movement trajectory of the contact portion 11 of the contact 10 can be kept constant, it is also advantageous in that the accuracy of controlling the displacement amount of the vertical movement of the contact portion 11 of the contact 10 can be improved.

[0055] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the housing 20 has two or more points where it receives preload from the spring portion 12. Therefore, in terms of the physical force that can be applied to the housing 20, it is possible to avoid concentrating the preload of the spring portion 12 on the housing 20 in one place. In other words, compared to the case where it is concentrated in one place, the preload of the spring portion 12 on the housing 20 can be distributed.

[0056] In terms of the potential thermal load on the housing 20, when soldering the contact 10 to a predetermined electronic substrate via the connection portion 14 of the contact 10, heat may be generated during the connection process. As mentioned above, the contact 10 is made of metal and therefore has thermal conductivity. Consequently, a thermal load may also be applied to the housing 20, which is in contact with the spring portion 12 of the housing 20.

[0057] In this regard, the housing 20 receives preload from the spring portion 12 at a total of two or more points. That is, the housing 20 and the spring portion 12 are in contact at a total of two or more points. Therefore, it is possible to avoid concentrating the heat load on the housing 20 in one place. In other words, the heat load on the housing 20 can be distributed compared to the case where it is concentrated in one place.

[0058] From the above, it is possible to distribute both the physical force (corresponding to preload) (or preload force) and the thermal load that may be applied to the housing 20. As a result, deformation of the housing can be suppressed and the amount of deformation of the housing can be reduced.

[0059] Furthermore, in order to suitably provide the above-mentioned at least two first contact portions 31 and second contact portions 32 which are at different height levels, it is necessary that the thickness dimensions of the housing 20, which the spring portion 12 at the contact portions can partially contact, are different from each other. In contrast, in conventional connectors, the two extending portions that are components of the contact, which extend from both ends of the contact portion, were at the same height level in the long axis direction of the contact. As a result, the thickness dimensions of the housing at the point where these extending portions and the inner surface formed of the housing come into contact are the same. In this respect as well, the housing 20, which is a component of the connector 100, also has a unique configuration compared to conventional ones.

[0060] Specifically, the housing 20 for the connector has a through-internal space 23 capable of accommodating the contact 10, and the internal forming surface 27 that forms the internal space 23 is capable of contacting the pre-loaded contact 10 at at least two locations, and the thickness dimensions of the housing 20 at two or more contact locations are different from each other.

[0061] With this configuration, compared to conventional housings, there are parts of the housing 20 with different thickness dimensions, which allows the thickness dimension of the contact area, i.e., the part of the housing 20 that receives the preload of the contact 10, to be relatively increased. As a result, the overall strength of the housing 20 itself can be improved.

[0062] With this configuration, since housings with different thickness dimensions are used at two or more contact points, the two contact points may be at different height levels. To achieve a preloaded contact 10, a spring section or a meandering spring section may be used. As a result, a total of two or more contact points can be positioned on both sides with respect to the center line along the long axis of the contact. This makes it possible to balance the stress distribution generated in the spring section between one side and the other side of the spring section in a cross-sectional view, and prevents tilting of the contact portion to one side.

[0063] Furthermore, in order to suitably provide the above-mentioned at least two first contact portions 31 and second contact portions 32 which are at different height levels, the contacts 10 which are components of the connector 100 can also have the following characteristics, corresponding to the above-mentioned characteristics of the connector 100 itself.

[0064] Specifically, the spring portion 12 of the preloaded contact 10 is capable of contacting the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20 in at least two local regions that are at different height levels in the longitudinal direction. These at least two contact regions include a first local region 12a and a second local region 12b. Furthermore, in cross-sectional view, the first local region 12a is capable of contacting the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20 at the highest height level, while the second local region 12b is at a lower height level than the first local region 12a.

[0065] In this regard, conventionally, even if there were multiple local regions of the spring portion of the contact, each of them contacted the housing at the same height level. In contrast, in the contact of this disclosure, the local regions 12a and 12b of the spring portion 12 of its constituent element contact the housing at mutually different height levels. That is, the contact points of the contact with the housing are not the same. In this respect, the above contact 10 also has a unique configuration compared to conventional ones.

[0066] (Preloaded contacts) Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the insertion of the contacts into the inner space of the housing over time. The left side of Figure 6 shows the stage in which the insertion of contact 10α into the inner space 23 begins. The center side of Figure 6 shows the stage in which the insertion of contact 10β into the inner space 23 continues. The right side of Figure 6 shows the stage in which the insertion of contact 10γ into the inner space 23 is completed. Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the contacts before preloading. Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the contacts after preloading is complete.

[0067] As described above, the contact is insertable into the inner space 23 of the housing 20 so that it can be combined integrally with the housing 20. Specifically, first, as shown in the left diagram of Figure 6 and Figure 7, insertion of the contact 10α into the inner space 23 is started. At this stage, no external force is applied to the contact 10α, so the contact 10α is in an extended state.

[0068] Next, as shown in the center view of Figure 6, the insertion of the contact 10α into the inner space 23 is continued. Specifically, the insertion of the contact 10α into the inner space 23 is continued so that the contact portion 11 of the contact passes through the open end 26 of the housing 20 and the block portion 13 is pressed into the inner space 23 while in contact with the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. Upon initiation of this press-fitting, the spring portion 12β may be in a compressed state compared to the spring portion 12α at the stage shown in the left view of Figure 6.

[0069] Next, the insertion of the contact 10α into the inner space 23 is continued so that the entire block portion 13 fits within the inner space 23, completing the insertion of the contact 10 into the inner space 23 as shown in the right-hand diagram of Figure 6 and Figure 8. At this insertion completion stage, the press-fitting of the block portion 13 is complete.

[0070] Specifically, as shown in the right-hand diagram of Figure 6, at this stage, the extension start region 12γa, where the spring portion 12γ begins to extend from one side of the contact portion 11, is pressed against the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. In addition, the substantially horizontal region 12γb adjacent to the second curved portion is also pressed against the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. As a result, with the block portion 13 pressed in, both the extension start region 12γa and the substantially horizontal region 12γb of ​​the spring portion 12γ are pressed against the inner forming surface 27, which can result in the maximum preload of the spring portion 12γ. That is, the preload of the contact including the spring portion 12γ as a whole can be maximized.

[0071] In one embodiment, this disclosure is preferably expressed in the following ways.

[0072] Firstly, it is preferable that at least the first contact portion 31 is located outside the contour line 26a of the open end 26 of the housing 20 (see Figure 5).

[0073] As described above, the first contact portion 31 is the portion where the extension starting region, where the meandering spring portion 12 begins to extend from one side of the contact portion 11, comes into contact with the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. In this regard, even if a protruding extension portion exists on the other side opposite to the one side of the contact portion 11 in a cross-sectional view, the first contact portion 31 is still outside the contour line 26a, so it is possible to suitably avoid contact between the extension portion and the contact portion 11 and the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. As a result, smoother vertical movement of the contact portion 11 along the long axis can be achieved.

[0074] Secondly, in cross-sectional view, it is preferable that the spring portion 12 is continuous with only one side of the contact portion 11, and that the other side of the contact portion 11 is separated from the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20.

[0075] In this configuration, the meandering spring portion 12 extends from only one side of the contact portion 11, and there is no extension from the other side opposite to the one side of the contact portion 11, and this other side and the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20 are separated from each other. This makes it possible to secure a clearance, for example a minute clearance, between the other side of the contact portion 11 and the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. This makes it possible to suitably avoid contact between the contact portion 11 and the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20. As a result, smoother vertical movement of the contact portion 11 along the long axis is possible. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suitably avoiding contact with the inner forming surface 27 of the housing 20 in a cross-sectional view, the lower corner portion 11b of the other side 11a of the contact portion 11 can be made into a notched shape (see Figure 5).

[0076] Thirdly, it is preferable that the second contact portion is located at the next lowest height level after the first contact portion.

[0077] As described above, in order to prevent the contact portion 11 of the contact from tilting to one side, it is effective to ensure that the stress distribution generated in the spring portion 12 is balanced between one side and the other side of the spring portion 12 in a cross-sectional view.

[0078] In this regard, for example, if the housing 20 is formed by combining two parts into a single unit, a projection can be provided at any location on the inner surface of either housing part. For example, this projection can be inserted and positioned on a substantially horizontal area adjacent to the curved portion of the spring portion 12, which is located relatively below the second contact portion 32 shown in Figure 5.

[0079] In this case, both the first and second contact portions may be positioned biased to one side with respect to the center line L. In light of this, and from the viewpoint of suitably positioning the first and second contact portions on both sides with respect to the center line L, it is preferable that the second contact portion be at the next lowest height level after the first contact portion.

[0080] Furthermore, in one embodiment of this disclosure, it is more preferable to adopt the following aspects.

[0081] Specifically, it is more preferable that there are three or more contact portions 30A between the inner forming surface 27A of the housing and the spring portion 12A (see Figure 9). Depending on the number of curved portions of the spring portion 12A, the upper limit of the number of contact portions 30A is 20 or less, preferably 10 or less, and can be as many as 5 as shown in Figure 9.

[0082] As an example, the above-mentioned embodiment of the three or more contact portions 30A can be realized by configuring the housing 20A and the contacts 10A as follows.

[0083] For example, a contact 10A can be used that, in a cross-sectional view, gradually increases in width as the height level of the contact portion 30A decreases. In other words, as shown in Figure 9, a contact 10A can be used that, in a cross-sectional view, comprises a contact portion 11A and a spring portion 12A that is continuous with the contact portion 11A and has a substantially pyramidal outer edge shape.

[0084] In this case, it is preferable that the housing 20A is configured to conform to the shape of the spring portion 12A. As an example, a housing 20A can be used in which, in cross-sectional view, the inner surface 27A of the housing 20A is configured to have a stepped structure, that is, a continuous multi-step structure.

[0085] However, without limitation, even when the inner surface of the housing has a substantially straight shape parallel to the long axis direction of the contact in cross-sectional view (see Figure 4), the above-mentioned embodiments relating to the three or more contact portions 30A can be realized by adopting the following configuration.

[0086] For example, when two or more parts are combined to form a single housing, a projection is provided at any point on the inner surface of each housing part so as to be in contact with the spring portion 12A, and this projection is inserted and positioned on the substantially horizontal area of ​​the spring portion 12A at a predetermined location. This makes it possible to realize configurations involving three or more contact portions 30A.

[0087] As an example, as shown in Figure 9, a configuration can be adopted in which five contact portions 30A are provided. Specifically, the five contact portions 30A consist of a first contact portion 31A, a second contact portion 32A, a third contact portion 33A, a fourth contact portion 34A, and a fifth contact portion 35A.

[0088] In a cross-sectional view, the first contact portion 31A is the contact portion at the highest height level. The second contact portion 32A is the contact portion at the next lowest height level after the first contact portion 31A. The third contact portion 33A is the contact portion at the next lowest height level after the second contact portion 32A. The fourth contact portion 34A is the contact portion at the next lowest height level after the third contact portion 33A. The fifth contact portion 35A is the contact portion at the next lowest height level after the fourth contact portion 34A.

[0089] Here, in cross-sectional view, the spring portion 12A takes on a meandering shape, and as a result, each contact portion 30A can be sequentially and alternately positioned on both sides with respect to the center line L1 along the long axis of the contact 10A. Specifically, the first contact portion 31A, the second contact portion 32A, the third contact portion 33A, the fourth contact portion 34A, and the fifth contact portion 35A can be sequentially and alternately positioned on both sides with respect to the center line L1.

[0090] Each contact portion 30A is the portion where the housing 20A receives the preload from the spring portion 12A. Therefore, the portion of the housing 20A that receives the preload from the spring portion 12A can be sequentially and alternately positioned on both sides with respect to the center line L1. As a result, compared to the configuration shown in Figure 5, where there are two contact portions, the stress distribution generated in the spring portion 12A can be more balanced between one side and the other side of the spring portion 12A in a cross-sectional view. Consequently, the contact portion 11A of the contact can be more effectively prevented from tilting to one side.

[0091] Furthermore, the housing 20A receives preload from the spring portion 12A at a total of three or more locations, and in the embodiment shown in Figure 9 as an example, there are a total of five locations. Therefore, compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the preload of the spring portion 12A acting on the housing 20A can be distributed more evenly.

[0092] Furthermore, the fact that the housing 20A receives preload from the spring portion 12A at a total of three or more points means that the housing 20A and the spring portion 12A are in contact at a total of three or more points. Therefore, compared to the configuration shown in Figure 5 (number of contact points: 2), the thermal load on the housing 20A can be more evenly distributed.

[0093] Based on the above, compared to the configuration shown in Figure 5 (number of contact points: 2), both the physical force (preload force) and the thermal load that may be applied to the housing 20A can be more effectively distributed. As a result, it becomes possible to further suppress the deformation of the housing and reduce the amount of deformation of the housing.

[0094] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and various improvements and design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. [Industrial applicability]

[0095] The connectors of this disclosure, as well as the contacts and housings for such connectors, can be used for electrical connection to a given electronic substrate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 100, 100A connector 10, 10A contact 10α Contact before preloading 10β Contact during preloading stage 10γ Contact after preload (preload completion stage) 11, 11A, 11α, 11β, 11γ Contact area 11a The other side of the contact area 11b Lower corner portion on the other side of the contact area 12, 12A, 12α, 12β, 12γ Spring part 12a First local region of the spring 12b Second local region of the spring 12γa Spring section extension start region 12γb Approximately horizontal area of ​​the spring section Blocks 13, 13A, 13α, 13β, 13γ 14, 14α, 14β, 14γ connection points 20, 20A Housing 21 Top of housing 22 Housing bottom 23. Interior space of the housing 26 Open end of housing 26a Contour line of the open end 27, 27A Inner forming surface of the housing 30, 30A contact part 31, 31A First contact portion 32, 32A Second contact portion 33A Third contact portion 34A Fourth contact portion 35A Fifth contact portion A. Long axis of contact L, L1 Center line along the long axis of the contact X is the direction in which the contact parts are arranged in rows at predetermined intervals. Direction perpendicular to the YX direction (direction in which contact parts are arranged in rows at predetermined intervals)

Claims

1. A connector comprising a housing having contacts and a through-hole inner space capable of accommodating the contacts, The contact comprises a contact portion that protrudes outward from the open end of the housing and can contact the opposing electronic substrate, and a spring portion that is continuous with the contact portion and has a meandering shape, and is provided in the inner space of the housing in a preloaded state. The contact portion is movable vertically in the direction of the long axis of the contact via the open end of the housing. The spring portion of the contact in the preloaded state and the inner forming surface that forms the inner space of the housing are able to contact each other at at least two contact portions that are at different height levels in the longitudinal direction of the contact. The at least two contact portions are the portions in which the meandering spring portion contacts the inner forming surface of the housing, and the housing is a preload receiving portion that receives the spring portion, and the at least two contact portions include a first contact portion and a second contact portion. A connector in which, in a cross-sectional view, the first contact portion is the contact portion at the highest height level, and the second contact portion is at a lower height level than the first contact portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein, with reference to the position of the open end, the first contact portion is located proximal to the open end, and the second contact portion is located distal to the open end.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first contact portion and the second contact portion are positioned on either side of the center line of the contact along the long axis direction.

4. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least the first contact portion is located outside the contour line of the open end.

5. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, in a cross-sectional view, the spring portion is continuous from only one side of the contact portion, and the other side of the contact portion is separated from the inner forming surface of the housing.

6. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second contact portion is a contact portion located at the next lowest height level after the first contact portion.

7. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the thickness dimensions of the housing at at least two of the contact portions are different from each other.

8. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein three or more of the contact portions serving as preload receiving portions are provided.

9. The connector according to claim 8, which is dependent on claim 3, wherein the three or more contact portions are alternately positioned on both sides with respect to the center line along the long axis of the contact.

10. The connector according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, in a cross-sectional view, the width dimension of the meandering spring portion gradually increases as the height level of the contact portion decreases.

11. The connector according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, in cross-sectional view, the inner surface of the housing has a stepped structure.

12. A contact for a connector, It can be housed in a housing with a through-hole interior space. It comprises a contact portion that can come into contact with the other electronic substrate, a spring portion that is continuous with the contact portion and has a meandering shape, and a block portion that is continuous with the spring portion. The contact is provided in the inner space of the housing in a preloaded state. The contact portion is movable vertically in the direction of the long axis of the contact via the open end of the housing. The spring portion of the preloaded contact is capable of contacting the inner forming surface that forms the inner space of the housing in at least two local regions that are at different height levels in the longitudinal direction. The inner forming surface is capable of contacting the spring portion of the preloaded contact at at least two locations, and the thickness dimensions of the housing having these at least two contact portions differ from each other with respect to the position of the open end of the housing. The at least two local regions are regions in which the meandering spring portion contacts the inner forming surface of the housing, and include a first local region and a second local region. In a cross-sectional view, the first local region is able to contact the inner forming surface of the housing at the highest height level, and the second local region is at a lower height level than the first local region. One side of the spring portion is continuous with the contact portion, while the other side of the spring portion is continuous with the block portion having a locking portion that can be locked onto the inner forming surface. In the contact, in the longitudinal axis direction of the contact, the curved portion of the spring portion closest to the block portion is positioned inward compared to the other curved portions.

13. The contact according to claim 12, wherein, in a cross-sectional view, the width dimension of the meandering spring portion gradually increases as the height level of the local region that can contact the inner forming surface of the housing decreases.

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