Spring connector

Abstract

Provided is a spring connector capable of suppressing occurrence of discontinuous conduction due to vibration and impact. This spring connector comprises: a tube; a contact pin, the tip of which protrudes from the opening of the tube; and a spring that presses the contact pin toward the protruding direction. The tube has, on the outer periphery thereof, a through hole that exposes a portion of the contact pin in a direction substantially perpendicular to the protruding direction of the tube. An elastic member that presses, in the substantially vertical direction, the exposed portion of the contact pin exposed from the through hole is attached to the outer periphery of the tube.

Description

Spring Connector

[0001] The present invention relates to a spring connector.

[0002] A conventional spring connector is known to be composed of three components: a contact pin, a tube, and a spring. In this case, the current conduction path is from the tip of the contact pin → the contact pin entry tube (the part inside the tube) → the inner surface of the tube hole → the rear end of the tube. In order to stabilize the contact resistance, it is necessary to ensure contact pressure between the side of the contact pin entry tube and the inner surface of the tube hole. Conventionally, the rear end of the contact pin has a diagonally cut surface, and a spring applies pressure in the axial direction to ensure force toward the side of the contact pin, i.e., lateral pressure.

[0003] The above structure can experience discontinuous conduction due to vibration or impact. This occurs when the contact pressure momentarily weakens due to vibration or impact, causing internal contact separation, in which the contact pin and tube separate. Therefore, the challenge was to develop a constant connection structure that would maintain contact pressure even when subjected to stronger vibration or impact.

[0004] Furthermore, with conventional structures, the spring pressure varies depending on the spring design and the amount of contact pin depression, making it impossible to maintain a constant contact pressure, making it difficult to design the spring pressure and contact pressure independently.

[0005] The patent document 1 below discloses a structure in which a thin flat spring is added to sandwich the contact pin entry tube portion to generate contact pressure. When this structure is applied to a spring connector having a tube, the diameter of the tube becomes large.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-88040

[0007] Conventional spring connectors can sometimes experience discontinuous electrical continuity due to vibration or impact.

[0008] One object of the present invention is to provide a spring connector that can be used in special environments where vibration or shock occurs by suppressing the occurrence of discontinuous conduction due to vibration or shock. Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the description of this specification.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a spring connector comprising: a tube; a contact pin whose tip protrudes from an opening in the tube; and a spring that urges the contact pin in the protruding direction, wherein the tube has a through hole on its outer periphery that exposes a portion of the contact pin in a direction approximately perpendicular to the protruding direction of the tube, and an elastic member is attached to the outer periphery of the tube that presses the exposed portion of the contact pin exposed from the through hole in the approximately perpendicular direction.

[0010] According to the above aspects of the present invention, a spring connector can be realized that can suppress the occurrence of discontinuous conduction due to vibration or impact.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spring connector 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the spring connector 1, with the ring-shaped elastic body not shown. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a tube, which is a component of the spring connector 1. FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the spring connector 1. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the spring connector 1. FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spring connector 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spring connector 1B according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal sectional view of a spring connector 1C according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1D according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1E according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1F according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1G according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1H according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1I according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1J according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1K according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1L according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a cross sectional view of a spring connector 1M according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a spring connector 10 according to a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] 1 to 6, a spring connector 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. As shown in these figures, the spring connector 1 includes a conductive contact pin 10, a conductive tube 20 that slidably houses the contact pin 10, a coil spring 30 that is disposed within the tube 20 and biases the contact pin 10 in a direction that causes the contact pin 10 to protrude from the tube 20, and an annular elastic body 40 that serves as an elastic member that presses the contact pin 10 laterally. Here, the left side of FIG. 1 when viewed from the front is defined as the leading end direction of the spring connector 1, and the right side is defined as the rear end direction.

[0013] The conductive contact pin 10 is cylindrical and has a large diameter portion 11 that can slide within the large diameter surface 21a of the tube 20, and a small diameter portion 12 that can protrude from the tube 20. The contact pin 10 is, for example, made of a copper alloy with a metal plating layer such as Au plating applied to the surface. The tip of the contact pin 10 is, for example, hemispherical and forms one of the contact points of the spring connector 1. The contact pin 10 has a blind hole 13 that opens to the rear end surface, into which the tip side of the coil spring 30 fits. In other words, a portion of the tip side of the coil spring 30 is located inside the blind hole 13.

[0014] 3, the conductive tube 20 has a divided structure, and includes an inner tube portion 21 as a first tube portion and an outer tube portion 25 as a second tube portion. When assembling the spring connector 1, the inner tube portion 21 and the outer tube portion 25 are integrated by press-fitting.

[0015] The conductive inner tube portion 21 has a bottomless structure and a through structure with openings at both ends. The inner circumferential surface of the inner tube portion 21 has a large diameter surface 21a and a small diameter surface 21b. The large diameter surface 21a slidably accommodates the large diameter portion 11 of the conductive contact pin 10 and accommodates the coil spring 30. The small diameter surface 21b is located at the tip of the inner tube portion 21 and prevents the conductive contact pin 10 from slipping out. That is, the diameter of the small diameter surface 21b is smaller than the diameter of the large diameter portion 11 of the contact pin 10 but larger than the diameter of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, and slidably accommodates the small diameter portion 12. The contact pin 10 is prevented from slipping out of the inner tube portion 21 by the boundary between the large diameter portion 11 and the small diameter portion 12 (the tapered step portion) abutting the rear end of the inner tube portion 21 relative to the small diameter surface 21b. The outer shape of the inner tube portion 21 has, in order from the tip side, a small diameter portion 22a, an intermediate diameter portion 22b, a large diameter portion 22c, and an insertion portion 22d. The small diameter portion 22a is the portion through which the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10 passes, and its inner periphery forms a small diameter surface 21b. The intermediate diameter portion 22b has an outer diameter intermediate between the small diameter portion 22a and the large diameter portion 22c, and the large diameter portion 22c has an outer diameter suitable for press-fitting into a mating housing or the like. The small diameter insertion portion 22d is the portion that enters the inside of the outer tube portion 25 during press-fitting.

[0016] The conductive outer tube portion 25 has a bottomed hole 26 that accommodates the rear portion of the inner tube portion 21. The hole 26 has an inner circumferential surface 26a and a bottom surface 26b, and the bottom surface 26b has a generally planar shape (approximately flat shape) perpendicular to the inner circumferential surface 26a. The rear end surface 27 of the outer tube portion 25 is also generally planar and forms a pad that serves as the other contact point of the spring connector 1 and is capable of contacting a mating contact point.

[0017] The outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion 22d of the inner tube portion 21 has an outer diameter that allows it to be press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface 26a of the outer tube portion 25. The insertion portion 22d of the inner tube portion 21 generates a required holding force to maintain the connection between the inner tube portion 21 and the outer tube portion 25 after being press-fitted into the hole 26 of the outer tube portion 25.

[0018] The coil spring 30 is made by forming a common metal wire, such as piano wire or stainless steel wire, into a coil shape. The coil spring 30 is composed of a small-diameter portion 31 including the tip end and a large-diameter portion 32 including the rear end and provided for stabilizing the position. The tip of the small-diameter portion 31 is received in the bottomed hole 13 of the contact pin 10 and abuts against the bottom surface 13b. The rear end of the large-diameter portion 32 is received in the hole 26 of the outer tube portion 25 and abuts against the bottom surface 26b. Therefore, the coil spring 30 biases the contact pin 10 in the protruding direction.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner tube portion 21 has a lateral groove 23 on the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 22a, which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20. The depth of the lateral groove 23 is formed greater than the thickness of the small diameter portion 22a, thereby forming a through hole 24 on the bottom surface of the lateral groove 23. In this case, an exposed portion 12a, which is a part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10 exposed from the through hole 24, has a portion that is higher than the bottom surface of the lateral groove 23. As shown in FIG. 4 , the exposed portion 12a is a portion that protrudes from the bottom surface of the lateral groove 23.

[0020] The annular elastic body 40 is made of elastic resin such as elastic rubber that is flexible to stretch, and for example, a commercially available O-ring can be used. The annular elastic body 40 is attached to the outer periphery of the small-diameter portion 22a so that a portion of it fits into and engages with the lateral groove 23. As shown in Figure 4, the annular elastic body 40 presses the exposed portion 12a of the contact pin 10 exposed from the through-hole 24 laterally, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube 20 in Figure 4), thereby generating lateral pressure (contact pressure).

[0021] In assembling the spring connector 1, the large diameter portion 11 of the contact pin 10 and the coil spring 30 are placed inside the inner tube portion 21, then the insertion portion 22d at the rear side of the inner tube portion 21 is pressed into the hole portion 26 of the outer tube portion 25, the inner tube portion 21 and the outer tube portion 25 are integrated to form the tube 20, and the annular elastic body 40 is attached to the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 22a to complete the spring connector 1.

[0022] The current conduction path in the spring connector 1 is from the tip of the contact pin 10 → the inlet tube portion of the contact pin 10 (the portion inside the inner tube portion 21) → the inner surface of the inner tube portion 21 → the small-diameter insertion portion 22d of the inner tube portion 21 → the inner circumferential surface 26a of the hole 26 of the outer tube portion 25 → to the rear end of the outer tube portion 25. In this case, the annular elastic body 40 constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small-diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (for example, toward the center of the tube). Therefore, the inlet tube portion of the contact pin 10 and the inner surface of the inner tube portion 21 come into contact with a sufficiently large contact pressure (line contact is possible between the two).

[0023] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0024] (1) In the spring connector 1, the inner tube portion 21 has a through hole 24 on its outer periphery that exposes the contact pin 10. The exposed portion 12a of the contact pin 10 exposed from the through hole 24 is constantly pressed laterally by the annular elastic body 40 serving as an elastic member, so that the contact portion of the contact pin 10 and the inner surface of the inner tube portion 21 can be brought into contact with each other with a sufficiently large and stable contact pressure. This makes it possible to prevent or suppress the occurrence of discontinuous conduction due to vibration or impact, and realizes a spring connector 1 with low contact resistance, stability, and high reliability.

[0025] (2) The contact pressure between the inlet tube portion of the contact pin 10 and the inner surface of the inner tube portion 21 depends only on the elasticity of the annular elastic body 40. Therefore, the contact pressure can be kept constant regardless of the elastic force design of the coil spring 30 or fluctuations in spring pressure due to the amount of depression of the contact pin 10. Furthermore, since the contact pressure design can be made independent of the spring design and the contact pressure can be stabilized even when applied to various models, resistance to vibration and short-term interruptions can be ensured.

[0026] (3) The inner tube portion 21 has a lateral groove 23 on its outer periphery that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20, and a through hole 24 is formed in the bottom surface of the lateral groove 23. Therefore, the exposed portion 12a of the contact pin 10 that is exposed from the through hole 24 has a portion that is higher than the bottom surface of the lateral groove 23, i.e., a protruding portion. Therefore, a special shape is not required as the elastic member, and a general, stretchable, annular elastic body 40 that can tighten the outer periphery of the inner tube portion 21 can be used. For example, an inexpensive O-ring that is available as a standard product can be used.

[0027] (4) The annular elastic body 40 goes around the outer periphery of the inner tube portion 21 so as to fit into the lateral groove 23 of the inner tube portion 21. Therefore, the annular elastic body 40 will not come off the inner tube portion 21 under normal conditions of use. Furthermore, fitting the annular elastic body 40 into the lateral groove 23 prevents the annular elastic body 40 from shifting in position, and stabilizes the pressing force that presses the exposed portion 12a of the contact pin 10 laterally.

[0028] (5) The tube 20 is configured by press-fitting together the inner tube portion 21 as a bottomless first tube portion and the outer tube portion 25 as a bottomed second tube portion connected to the base end side (small-diameter insertion portion 22d) of the inner tube portion 21, and a structure for preventing the contact pin 10 from coming out can be formed in advance in the inner tube portion 21. This eliminates the need for crimping after the contact pin 10 is assembled, and eliminates the need for the inner tube portion 21 to have a thin-walled portion for crimping. As a result, even if the lateral groove 23 for fitting the annular elastic body 40 is formed in the inner tube portion 21, only the thick-walled portion can be formed, which has sufficient strength to withstand deformation due to external forces, and the entire spring connector can be shortened.

[0029] (Embodiment 2) Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1A according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The spring connector 1A uses an annular elastic body 40A with a cross-section different from the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of Embodiment 1. In other words, the cross-section of the annular elastic body 40A in the spring connector 1A is substantially rectangular with rounded corners. The other configurations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment 1, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0030] (Embodiment 3) Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1B according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The spring connector 1B uses an annular elastic body 40B having a cross-section different from the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of Embodiment 1. In other words, the cross-section of the annular elastic body 40B in the spring connector 1B is oval. The other configurations are the same as those of the above-described Embodiment 1, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0031] 9 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1C according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The spring connector 1C uses an annular elastic body 40C having a cross-section different from that of the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the cross-section of the annular elastic body 40C in the spring connector 1C is substantially rectangular with the side facing the inner tube portion 21 formed in an arc shape. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0032] 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1D according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The spring connector 1D uses an annular elastic body 40D having a cross-section different from that of the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of the first embodiment. That is, the cross-section of the annular elastic body 40D in the spring connector 1D is substantially rectangular, with the side facing the inner tube portion 21 formed into a narrow convex shape. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and substantially the same effects are achieved.

[0033] (Embodiment 6) Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1E according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. The spring connector 1E uses an annular elastic body 40E having a cross-section different from the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of Embodiment 1. That is, the cross-section of the annular elastic body 40E in the spring connector 1E is a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners and recessed centers on each side. The rest of the configuration is the same as in the previously described Embodiment 1, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0034] (Embodiment 7) Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1F according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. The spring connector 1F uses an annular elastic body 40F with a different annular shape from the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of Embodiment 1. That is, the annular shape of the annular elastic body 40F in the spring connector 1F is a substantially triangular shape with rounded corners. In this case, the annular elastic body 40F is made of an elastic metal, an elastic resin, or the like. Due to its flexibility, the annular elastic body 40F constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as in the previously described Embodiment 1, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0035] (Embodiment 8) Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1G according to embodiment 8 of the present invention. The spring connector 1G uses an annular elastic body 40G having a different annular shape from the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of embodiment 1. That is, the annular shape of the annular elastic body 40G in the spring connector 1G is a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners. In this case, the annular elastic body 40G is made of elastic metal, elastic resin, or the like. Due to its flexibility, the annular elastic body 40G constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as in embodiment 1 described above, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0036] (Embodiment 9) Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1H according to Embodiment 9 of the present invention. The spring connector 1H uses an annular elastic body 40H that has a different annular shape from the annular elastic body 40 of the spring connector 1 of Embodiment 1. That is, the annular shape of the annular elastic body 40H in the spring connector 1H is a polygonal shape with rounded corners. In this case, the annular elastic body 40H is made of an elastic metal, an elastic resin, or the like. Due to its flexibility, the annular elastic body 40H constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as in the previously described Embodiment 1, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0037] (Embodiment 10) Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1I according to Embodiment 10 of the present invention. While the spring connector 1 of Embodiment 1 uses an annular elastic body 40, the spring connector 1I uses a non-annular elastic body 40I as the elastic member. That is, the non-annular elastic body 40I in the spring connector 1I has a linear connecting portion 41 and arc-shaped portions 42 formed on both sides of the linear connecting portion 41. The pair of arc-shaped portions 42 engage with and clamp the outer periphery of the inner tube portion 21, thereby attaching the non-annular elastic body 40I to the inner tube portion 21, and the linear connecting portion 41 engages (enters) with the lateral groove 23 of the inner tube portion 21. The linear connecting portion 41 abuts against the exposed portion 12a, which is a part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10. In this case, the non-annular elastic body 40I is made of elastic metal, elastic resin, or the like. The flexibility of the non-annular elastic body 40I constantly presses the exposed portion 12a laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and substantially the same effects are achieved. Furthermore, when the non-annular elastic body 40I is made of metal, there is an advantage that it can be formed by sheet metal processing of a plate material.

[0038] (Embodiment 11) Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1J according to embodiment 11 of the present invention. While the spring connector 1 of embodiment 1 uses an annular elastic body 40, the spring connector 1J uses a non-annular elastic body 40J as the elastic member. That is, the non-annular elastic body 40J in the spring connector 1J is approximately U-shaped. When attached, one side of the non-annular elastic body 40J engages (enters) with the lateral groove 23 of the inner tube portion 21, and the other side abuts against the side of the inner tube portion 21 opposite the portion where the lateral groove 23 is formed. In this case, the non-annular elastic body 40J is made of elastic metal, elastic resin, or the like. Due to its flexibility, the non-annular elastic body 40J constantly presses the exposed portion 12a of the contact pin 10 laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as that of embodiment 1 described above, and substantially the same effects are achieved. Furthermore, when the non-annular elastic body 40J is made of metal, there is an advantage that it can be formed by sheet metal processing of a plate material.

[0039] (Embodiment 12) Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1K according to embodiment 12 of the present invention. The spring connector 1K uses a non-annular elastic body 40K similar to the annular elastic body 40F, which has a generally triangular shape with rounded corners, of the spring connector 1F of embodiment 7 shown in Figure 12. That is, the non-annular elastic body 40K has a generally triangular shape with rounded corners, with one apex cut out and open. The non-annular elastic body 40K is made of an elastic metal, elastic resin, or the like. The non-annular elastic body 40K engages with the outer periphery of the contact pin 10, and due to the flexibility of the non-annular elastic body 40K, constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as in embodiment 7 described above, and substantially the same effects are achieved.

[0040] (Embodiment 13) Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1L according to embodiment 13 of the present invention. The spring connector 1L uses a non-annular elastic body 40L similar to the annular elastic body 40G, which has a roughly rectangular shape with rounded corners, of the spring connector 1G of embodiment 8 shown in Figure 13. That is, the non-annular elastic body 40L has a shape in which one side of the roughly rectangular shape with rounded corners is cut out to make it discontinuous. The non-annular elastic body 40L is made of elastic metal, elastic resin, or the like. The non-annular elastic body 40L engages with the outer periphery of the contact pin 10, and due to its flexibility, constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as that of embodiment 8 described above, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0041] (Embodiment 14) Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1M according to embodiment 14 of the present invention. The spring connector 1M uses a non-annular elastic body 40M similar to the annular elastic body 40H, which has a rounded polygonal shape, of the spring connector 1H of embodiment 9 shown in Figure 14. That is, the non-annular elastic body 40M has a shape in which one side of the rounded polygonal shape is cut out to form an open shape. The non-annular elastic body 40M is made of elastic metal, elastic resin, or the like. The non-annular elastic body 40M engages with the outer periphery of the contact pin 10, and due to its flexibility, constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as in embodiment 9 described above, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0042] (Embodiment 15) Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 1N according to embodiment 15 of the present invention. The spring connector 1N uses a non-annular elastic body 40N similar to the annular elastic body 40G, which has a roughly rectangular shape with rounded corners, of the spring connector 1G of embodiment 8 shown in Figure 13. That is, the non-annular elastic body 40N has a shape with three orthogonal sides, with one side of the roughly rectangular shape with rounded corners removed. The non-annular elastic body 40N is made of elastic metal, elastic resin, or the like. The non-annular elastic body 40N engages with the outer periphery of the contact pin 10, and due to its flexibility, constantly presses the exposed portion 12a, which is part of the small diameter portion 12 of the contact pin 10, laterally, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube 20 (toward the center of the tube). The rest of the configuration is the same as that of embodiment 8 described above, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0043] 21 is a cross-sectional view of a spring connector 10 according to a sixteenth embodiment of the present invention. The spring connector 10 has a contact pin 10A without a bottomed hole 13, instead of the contact pin 10 with a bottomed hole 13 of the first embodiment. Accordingly, a coil spring 30A with a different diameter than that of the first embodiment is used. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and substantially the same functions and effects are achieved.

[0044] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0045] In each of the above embodiments, the explanation is based on the premise that the inner tube portion 21, which is a component of the tube 20, has a lateral groove 23 on its outer periphery in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the through hole 24 is formed in the bottom surface of the lateral groove 23, and the exposed portion 12a of the contact pin 10 exposed from the through hole 24 has a protruding portion that is higher than the bottom surface of the lateral groove 23. In this case, the lateral groove 23 and the through hole 24 are not limited to being provided in one location, but may be provided in multiple locations.

[0046] Alternatively, one or more through holes may be formed by drilling one or more horizontal holes (for example, tapered holes) in the radial direction of the tube 20. In this case, the annular elastic body or non-annular elastic body serving as the elastic member may need to have a special shape so that the exposed portion 12a of the contact pin 10 can be pressed through the through holes.

[0047] In each of the above embodiments, the tube 20 is a two-part structure in which the inner tube portion 21 and the outer tube portion 25 are press-fitted together, but the tube may be a one-part structure or a three or more-part structure.

[0048] The material of the annular elastic body or non-annular elastic body as the elastic member is rubber, resin, metal, etc., but the material is not critical as long as it can produce the required elasticity or flexibility.

[0049] In the above embodiment, a coil spring is used as the spring that biases the contact pin in the direction of protruding from the tube, but the spring shape is arbitrary, and it is also possible to use, for example, a straight spring, a barrel-shaped spring, etc. Also, in embodiment 1 etc., the rear end of the coil spring 30 has a large diameter portion 32 for stabilizing the posture, but it is not limited to this structure.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the contact pin has a semi-spherical tip, but the shape of the contact pin is arbitrary.

[0051] According to the present specification, there is provided a spring connector having the following aspects.

[0052] (Mode 1) A spring connector comprising: a tube; a contact pin whose tip protrudes from an opening in the tube; and a spring that urges the contact pin in the protruding direction, wherein the tube has a through hole on its outer periphery that exposes a portion of the contact pin in a direction approximately perpendicular to the protruding direction of the tube; and an elastic member that presses the exposed portion of the contact pin exposed from the through hole in the approximately perpendicular direction is attached to the outer periphery of the tube.

[0053] According to the above-described first aspect, it is possible to realize a spring connector that can suppress the occurrence of discontinuous conduction due to vibration or impact.

[0054] (Aspect 2) A spring connector, wherein the exposed portion of the contact pin has a portion protruding from the through hole.

[0055] According to the above-mentioned second aspect, the elastic member does not need to have a special shape, and an elastic body that can tighten or press the outer periphery of the tube can be used.

[0056] (Aspect 3) A spring connector, wherein the elastic member is an annular elastic body that encircles the outer periphery of the tube.

[0057] According to the third aspect, since the elastic member is an annular elastic body, it is difficult for the elastic member to come off the tube. Also, it is possible to stabilize the pressing force that presses the exposed portion of the contact pin laterally.

[0058] (Aspect 4) A spring connector, wherein the elastic member is a non-annular elastic body that engages with the outer periphery of the tube.

[0059] According to the above-mentioned aspect 4, since the elastic member is a non-annular elastic body, various shapes can be adopted. Furthermore, when the non-annular elastic body is made of metal, there is an advantage that it can be formed by sheet metal processing of a plate material.

[0060] (Aspect 5) The spring connector according to the present invention, wherein the tube has a lateral groove on an outer periphery thereof that is perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube, and the through hole is formed in a bottom surface of the lateral groove.

[0061] According to the fifth aspect, since the through-hole is formed in the bottom surface of the lateral groove, the exposed portion of the contact pin that is exposed through the through-hole has a portion that is higher than the bottom surface of the lateral groove, i.e., a protruding portion. Therefore, a special shape of the elastic member is not required, and an elastic body that can tighten or press the outer periphery of the tube can be used. The lateral groove is also effective in positioning the elastic member and preventing it from coming off.

[0062] (Aspect 6) A spring connector, wherein the tube has a first tube portion that has no bottom and a second tube portion that has a bottom and is connected to a base end side of the first tube portion, and the through hole is formed in the first tube portion.

[0063] According to the above-mentioned aspect 6, the first tube portion can be formed in advance with a structure for preventing the contact pin from coming out, which eliminates the need to crimp the first tube portion after the contact pin is installed, and makes it easy to make the wall thickness of the first tube portion thick enough to allow for groove processing such as a horizontal groove for attaching the elastic member.

[0064] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I, 1J, 1K, 1L, 1M, 1N, 1O Spring connector 10, 10A Contact pin 11 Large diameter portion 12 Small diameter portion 12a Exposed portion 20 Tube 21 Inner tube portion 23 Horizontal groove 24 Through hole 25 Outer tube portion 30, 30A Coil spring 40 Annular elastic body 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D, 40E, 40F, 40G, 40H Annular elastic body 40I, 40J, 40K, 40L, 40M, 40N Non-annular elastic body

Claims

1. A spring connector comprising: a tube; a contact pin whose tip protrudes from an opening in the tube; and a spring that urges the contact pin in the protruding direction, wherein the tube has a through hole on its outer periphery that exposes a portion of the contact pin in a direction approximately perpendicular to the protruding direction of the tube, and an elastic member that presses the exposed portion of the contact pin exposed from the through hole in the approximately perpendicular direction is attached to the outer periphery of the tube.

2. The spring connector according to claim 1, wherein the exposed portion of the contact pin has a portion protruding from the through hole.

3. A spring connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic member is an annular elastic body that encircles the outer periphery of the tube.

4. A spring connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the elastic member is a non-annular elastic body that engages with the outer periphery of the tube.

5. A spring connector as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tube has a lateral groove on its outer periphery in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the tube, and the through hole is formed in the bottom surface of the lateral groove.

6. A spring connector as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the tube has a first tube portion without a bottom and a second tube portion with a bottom connected to the base end side of the first tube portion, and the through hole is formed in the first tube portion.

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