Connector terminal

Abstract

[Problem] To ensure ample contact pressure in a connector terminal that is used for a card edge connector, even if there are tin-plated contacts. [Solution] A connector terminal 1 provided to a card edge connector 3 to which a card member 2 is inserted and electrically connected, the connector terminal comprising an enclosure 21 that moves by sliding relative to a terminal 6 of the card member when the card member is connected, and an arm 22 that is pivotally supported by the enclosure. The arm comprises a connecting part 42 connected to the enclosure, and an arm body 41 that is connected to the enclosure via the connecting part and extends in a direction of sliding. The arm body is provided with a pressing part 47 that is provided to one side in the direction of sliding and that makes contact with an end of the card member and is displaced when the card member is inserted, and a contact part 51 that is provided to the other side in the direction of sliding and makes contact with the terminal of the card member in a delayed manner in association with displacement of the pressing part. The foregoing are constituted of a bent piece 46 of the arm body.

Description

Connector terminal

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector terminal used in a card edge connector or the like.

[0002] Conventionally, card edge connectors have been known which have a flat opening into which a card member having a card edge terminal formed on a substrate is inserted and which connect to the inserted card member (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a card edge connector that includes connector terminals for connection with card edge terminals (board-side terminals) and a housing for accommodating the connector terminals. The connector terminals have a connection portion formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a contact piece formed of a curved plate-like body is disposed inside the connection portion. The contact piece protrudes through a hole provided in the connection portion and contacts a conductive portion of the card edge terminal to establish an electrical connection.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a connector terminal for connection with a card edge terminal. The connector terminal includes a housing having a groove-shaped cross section with an upper opening, and a flat spring piece supported by the housing and elastically contacting the card edge terminal. The spring piece includes a pressing portion that is located outward from the housing in a free state when not pressed and moves toward the housing when pressed, and a contact portion that moves outward from the housing as the pressing portion moves and makes conductive contact with the card edge terminal.

[0005] JP 2014-3007 A Patent No. 6198365 A

[0006] In the connector terminals of such card edge connectors, the contacts are sometimes plated with gold, tin, etc. to protect the contact surface and prevent the generation of foreign matter. Gold plating is resistant to corrosion and has excellent electrical properties, but it has the problem of making the connector terminals expensive.

[0007] On the other hand, although tin-plated connector terminals are cheaper than gold-plated ones, a thin oxide film forms on the surface of the plating, so the contact pressure required for the connector terminal is greater than that for gold-plated ones. Therefore, if the contact pieces or spring pieces are made of flat plates, it is not easy to ensure the required contact pressure due to their elastic deformation.

[0008] In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to ensure sufficient contact pressure in connector terminals used in card edge connectors even when the contact points are tin-plated.

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is a connector terminal (1, 101, 201) provided in a card edge connector (3) into which a card member (2) is inserted and electrically connected, the connector terminal (1, 101, 201) including a housing (21) that slides relative to the terminal (6) of the card member when the card member is connected, and an arm (22) that is swingably supported by the housing, the arm having a connection part (42) connected to the housing and an arm body (41) that is connected to the housing via the connection part and extends in the sliding direction, the arm body having a pressing part (47) provided on one side in the sliding direction and that comes into contact with and displaces an end of the card member when the card member is inserted, and a contact part (51) provided on the other side in the sliding direction and that comes into contact with the terminal of the card member with a delay as the pressing part displaces, the arm body being configured by a bent piece (46).

[0010] According to this aspect, the arm body is made of a bent piece, which makes it less susceptible to elastic deformation than when the arm body is made of a flat plate, thereby ensuring sufficient strength and contact pressure compared to when the arm body is made of a flat plate.

[0011] In the above aspect, preferably, the housing and the arm are connected by a spring piece (23), and the spring piece is in the shape of a flat plate and is configured to be elastically deformable.

[0012] According to this aspect, the spring piece can be configured to be more easily elastically deformed than the arm body with a simple configuration.

[0013] In the above aspect, preferably, the arm body has a one-side extension portion (44) extending from the connection portion to one side and equipped with the pressing portion, and an other-side extension portion (45) extending to the other side and equipped with the contact portion, and is L-shaped when viewed from the side.

[0014] According to this aspect, the arm body can be configured to be elastically deformable by being pressed by the card member.

[0015] In the above aspect, preferably, the housing is provided with a step (28G) for preventing displacement of the pressing portion.

[0016] According to this aspect, it is possible to prevent the displacement of the pressing portion from being hindered.

[0017] In the above aspect, the housing preferably has a contact hole (31) through which the contact portion can pass.

[0018] According to this aspect, the contact portion can be housed in the housing, and therefore the contact portion can be protected.

[0019] In the above aspect, preferably, the pressing portion is located outside the housing in a free state where it is not pressed, and moves toward the inside of the housing when pressed by the card member, and the contact portion is located inside the housing in the free state, passes through the contact hole as the pressing portion moves, and moves until it is located outside the housing and makes conductive contact with the terminal of the card member.

[0020] According to this aspect, the contact portion can be housed in the housing when in the free state, and therefore the contact portion can be protected.

[0021] In the above aspect, preferably, the arm body has a groove shape that opens upward.

[0022] According to this aspect, sufficient strength and sufficient contact pressure can be ensured with a simple configuration.

[0023] In the above aspect, preferably, the arm body includes a left side portion (55) and a right side portion (56) each having an L-shaped cross section and mirror-symmetrical when viewed in the sliding direction, and the left side portion and the right side portion are welded to each other.

[0024] According to this aspect, the arm body can be configured to have a groove-shaped cross section.

[0025] In the above aspect, preferably, the housing and the arm are connected by a spring piece (23), the connection portion and the spring piece are located inside the housing, and the connection portion is provided with a protrusion (60) that protrudes toward the inner surface of the housing.

[0026] According to this aspect, the protrusion can serve as a fulcrum for moving the contact portion in accordance with the movement of the pressing portion.

[0027] In the above aspect, preferably, the surfaces of the protrusions and the inner surface of the housing are provided with nickel plating films (28H, 59A).

[0028] This configuration reduces the frictional force that may occur between the protrusion and the inner surface of the housing, allowing the arm body to follow the movement of the terminal of the card member, thereby reducing wear that may occur between the contact portion and the terminal of the card member, for example.

[0029] In the above aspect, preferably, a tin plating film (51A) is provided on the surface of the contact portion.

[0030] According to this aspect, the connector terminal can be made less expensive than when a gold plating film is provided.

[0031] In the above aspect, preferably, the terminal has a terminal body (202) including the housing (204) and the arm (22), and a cover member (203) into which the terminal body is inserted and which covers at least a portion of the arm and at least a portion of the housing.

[0032] According to this aspect, the terminal body can be protected by using the cover member.

[0033] According to the above aspect, in the connector terminal used in the card edge connector, it is possible to ensure sufficient contact pressure even when the contact points are tin-plated.

[0034] 5 is a perspective view of a card edge connector provided with connector terminals according to a first embodiment, and a card member connected to the card edge connector, as viewed in the insertion direction; FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge connector according to the first embodiment, and a rear view of the card edge connector (excluding the harness); FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the connector terminals, as viewed from the left front side, with the left and top walls of the housing removed; FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion rearward of the connection portion in FIG. 5; and FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion rearward of the connection portion of a connector terminal according to a modified embodiment, with the right and bottom walls of the housing removed; and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the card edge connector when a card member is inserted and (A) the card member comes into contact with the pressing portion, (B) the card member is further inserted and the pressing portion is pushed up, and (C) the insertion of the card member is completed.

[0035] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A connector terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0036] First Embodiment As shown in FIG. 1, a connector terminal 1 is provided on a card edge connector 3 that connects to a card member 2 such as a printed circuit board.

[0037] The card member 2 is a so-called double-sided board having a flat insulating base material 5 and a plurality of board-side terminals 6 provided on both sides of the base material 5. The board-side terminals 6 are formed of metal foil provided on two side surfaces of the base material 5. The card edge connector 3 is provided with an insertion hole 8 into which the card member 2 is inserted.

[0038] 1 and 2 , the connector terminal 1 is made of a metal member and is connected to a coated conductor wire 9. The card member 2 is inserted into an insertion hole 8 of the card edge connector 3 and slid toward the inside of the insertion hole 8, thereby electrically connecting the board-side terminal 6 to the connector terminal 1.

[0039] 1, for convenience of explanation, the insertion direction (also referred to as the sliding direction) of the card member 2 is defined as rearward, and the direction in which the surface of the card member 2 on which the board-side terminals 6 are provided faces downward, and the explanation will be given by defining up-down, front-rear, and left-right directions. However, the arrangement of the connector terminals 1 and card edge connector 3 used in practice is not limited to these directions. Also, for convenience of explanation, the direction along the surface extending in the front-rear and left-right directions is described as the horizontal direction, but the description of these directions does not limit the arrangement of the connector terminals 1 and card edge connector 3 used in practice.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the card edge connector 3 has a housing 11 that accommodates the connector terminals 1 in addition to the plurality of connector terminals 1 .

[0041] The housing 11 has a box-like shape made of resin material and is provided with an insertion hole 8 into which the card member 2 is inserted. The insertion hole 8 has a generally rectangular shape when viewed from the front to rear direction, and is recessed from the front surface of the housing 11 toward the rear.

[0042] 3, in addition to the insertion hole 8, the housing 11 has a plurality of terminal holes 13 for accommodating the connector terminals 1. The terminal holes 13 are located on both the upper and lower sides of the insertion hole 8, and are recessed forward from the rear surface of the housing 11. Each of the terminal holes 13 defines a terminal accommodating chamber 15, which is a space for accommodating the connector terminal 1.

[0043] The terminal holes 13 are arranged above and below the insertion hole 8. The multiple terminal holes 13 arranged above the insertion hole 8 are referred to as upper terminal holes 13A, and the multiple terminal holes 13 arranged below the insertion hole 8 are referred to as lower terminal holes 13B. The upper terminal holes 13A are arranged side by side at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The lower terminal holes 13B are also arranged side by side at equal intervals in the left-right direction, similar to the upper terminal holes 13A.

[0044] In this embodiment, the interval (pitch) between adjacent upper terminal holes 13A on the left and right is approximately equal to the interval (pitch) between adjacent lower terminal holes 13B on the left and right. The upper terminal holes 13A and the lower terminal holes 13B are shifted by half a pitch in the left-right direction, i.e., arranged in a staggered pattern.

[0045] The housing 11 is provided with a through hole 16 for guiding a part of the connector terminal 1 inserted into the terminal hole 13 to the insertion hole 8. The through hole 16 is formed as a through hole that connects the terminal hole 13 and the insertion hole 8.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 2, the connector terminal 1 is made of a bent metal plate. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the connector terminal 1 includes a housing 21 extending in the front-rear direction, an arm 22 extending in the front-rear direction, and a spring piece 23 connecting the housing 21 and the arm 22.

[0047] The spring piece 23 is configured to be elastically deformable, and the arm 22 is swingably supported on the housing 21 via the spring piece 23. Hereinafter, as necessary, the state when no external force is applied to the connector terminal 1, i.e., when no pressure is applied, will be referred to as the free state.

[0048] 3, the connector terminals 1 are inserted into the upper terminal hole 13A and the lower terminal hole 13B, respectively, and fixed to the housing 11. The connector terminals 1 inserted into the upper terminal hole 13A and the lower terminal hole 13B are of the same type. However, the connector terminal 1 inserted into the lower terminal hole 13B is fixed to the housing 11 in a state in which it is upside down relative to the connector terminal 1 inserted into the upper terminal hole 13A. The structure of the connector terminal 1 will be described below using the connector terminal 1 inserted into the upper terminal hole 13A as an example.

[0049] 2 and 3, the housing 21 has a rectangular cylindrical shape and includes four peripheral walls 24. The peripheral walls 24 are composed of a rectangular bottom wall 25 extending in the front-to-rear direction, a left wall 26 extending upward from the left edge of the bottom wall 25, a right wall 27 extending upward from the right edge of the bottom wall 25, and an upper wall 28 covering the space between the left wall 26 and the right wall 27 from above.

[0050] 2, in this embodiment, the top wall 28 extends from at least one of the upper edges of the left wall 26 and the right wall 27 toward the other. This allows the housing 21 to be constructed by bending a metal plate.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 2 , the upper wall 28 has an upper-wall front portion 28A constituting its front half and an upper-wall rear portion 28B constituting its rear half. The upper-wall rear portion 28B is located higher than the upper-wall front portion 28A. In this embodiment, the upper-wall front portion 28A has a first front upper wall 28C extending rightward from the front upper edge of the left wall 26 and a second front upper wall 28D extending leftward from the front upper edge of the right wall 27 and overlapping the first front upper wall 28C from above. The upper-wall rear portion 28B has a first rear upper wall 28E extending rightward from the rear upper edge of the left wall 26 and a second rear upper wall 28F extending leftward from the rear upper edge of the right wall 27 and overlapping the first rear upper wall 28E from above. A step 28G is formed in the upper wall 28 by the upper-wall front portion 28A and the upper-wall rear portion 28B.

[0052] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the housing 21 further has a front wall 29 extending upward from the front edge of the bottom wall 25. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the front wall 29 is plate-shaped with a main surface facing the front-rear direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this form, and the front wall 29 may be plate-shaped with a curved surface that forms an arc when viewed from above or from the side. The front wall 29 covers the gap between the left wall 26 and the right wall 27 from the front.

[0053] 2, the front edges of the left wall 26 and the right wall 27 extend toward each other in front of the front wall 29. The front edge of the top wall 28 also extends in a direction sloping forward in front of the front wall 29. This gives the front end of the housing 21 a tapered shape.

[0054] 4, a contact hole 31 and a pressing hole 32 are provided in the bottom wall 25, each penetrating the thickness direction. The contact hole 31 is located in front of the pressing hole 32.

[0055] The housing 21 is provided with a front protrusion 34 and a rear protrusion 35 that protrude outward from at least one of the outer surfaces of the left wall 26 and the right wall 27. The front protrusion 34 and the rear protrusion 35 are arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction on at least one of the outer surfaces of the left wall 26 and the right wall 27.

[0056] 2, in this embodiment, the front lower edge of the left wall 26 and the front lower edge of the right wall 27 are folded outward to form a front protruding portion 34. Furthermore, the rear lower edge of the left wall 26 and the rear lower edge of the right wall 27 are folded outward to form a rear protruding portion 35.

[0057] 3, slide grooves 36 recessed outward to the left and right are provided on the lower edges of the terminal holes 13. When the connector terminal 1 is inserted into the terminal holes 13, the front protrusions 34 and the rear protrusions 35 are housed in the slide grooves 36 and slide in the insertion direction.

[0058] The wall surfaces defining the left and right outer edges of the slide groove 36 are provided with locking protrusions (not shown) that protrude inward to the left and right. The locking protrusions protrude between the front protrusion 34 and the rear protrusion 35, thereby preventing the connector terminal 1 from coming off in the insertion direction. However, the method of locking the connector terminal 1 to the housing 11 is not limited to using the locking protrusions.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 2, in order to facilitate insertion of the connector terminal 1 into the terminal hole 13, the front protrusion 34 and the rear protrusion 35 may be provided with an inclined surface 38 at the front edge, which is inclined upward toward the rear.

[0060] In this embodiment, a crimping portion 39 is provided at the rear end of the connector terminal 1 for conductive connection to the core wire of the covered conductor wire 9. However, this is not limited to this embodiment, and the connector terminal 1 may be provided with any structure other than the crimping portion 39 for connection to a circuit board or a conductor wire.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the arm 22 is made up of a metal piece that extends in the direction in which the housing 21 extends, that is, in the front-rear direction (sliding direction).

[0062] The arm 22 is swingably supported by the housing 21 at approximately the center in the front-to-rear direction via the spring piece 23. The arm 22 has an arm main body 41 that forms a contact point with the card member 2, and a connection part 42 that is located inside the housing 21 and forms the connection part between the arm main body 41 and the spring piece 23.

[0063] The arm main body 41 has a rear extension portion 44 (one-side extension portion) extending rearward (one side) from the connection portion 42, and a front extension portion 45 (other-side extension portion) extending forward (the other side) from the connection portion 42. The rear extension portion 44 extends rearward from the connection portion 42 in a horizontal or downwardly sloping direction. The front extension portion 45 extends forward from the connection portion 42 in a downwardly sloping direction. The angle formed by the extension direction of the rear extension portion 44 and the extension direction of the front extension portion 45 is set to be less than 180 degrees, and the arm main body 41 has a V-shape that opens downward in left and right side views. As a result, the arm main body 41 is configured to be elastically deformable so that the angle formed by the two extension directions increases when an upward load is applied to the lower surface of the rear end of the rear extension portion 44 and the lower surface of the front end of the front extension portion 45.

[0064] In the example shown in Figure 6, the arm body 41 is formed by a folded piece 46 folded along a folding line X extending in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the arm body 41 is formed by two folded pieces 46, and each of the rear extension portion 44 and the front extension portion 45 has a pair of left and right side walls 41A and a bottom wall 41B connecting the lower edges of the side walls 41A. As a result, the arm body 41 has a U-shaped cross section and is groove-shaped and open upward. Additionally, the arm body 41 may also have a front wall 41C that covers the space between the left and right side walls 41A from the front.

[0065] However, the cross-sectional shape of the arm body 41 is not limited to a U-shape, as long as the arm body 41 is formed of one or more metal folded pieces 46 folded along at least one folding line X extending in the front-rear direction (also referred to as the insertion direction of the connector terminal 1 or the extension direction of the connector terminal 1).

[0066] The arm body 41 may be configured to be folded upward along a pair of left and right fold lines X extending in the front-rear direction, thereby forming a groove shape that opens upward. Alternatively, the arm body 41 may be configured to be folded downward along a pair of left and right fold lines X extending in the front-rear direction, thereby forming a groove shape that opens downward. Alternatively, the arm body 41 may be folded along a fold line X extending in the front-rear direction, thereby forming a groove shape that has a V-shaped (or L-shaped) cross section that opens upward or downward, etc.

[0067] The arm body 41 may have a triangular tubular shape folded along three fold lines X extending in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, the arm body 41 may have a polygonal tubular shape (such as a square tubular shape or a pentagonal tubular shape) folded along four or more fold lines X extending in the front-rear direction.

[0068] Alternatively, the arm main body 41 may be configured by joining two or more folded pieces 46 folded along folding lines X extending in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 7 , the arm main body 41 may be configured by two folded pieces 46 each bent along two folding lines X and each forming a U-shape. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the left and right folded pieces 46 are arranged in mirror symmetry. The left and right folded pieces 46 may be joined by welding or the like. Alternatively, the arm main body 41 may be configured by joining a pair of folded pieces 46 each having an inverted L-shaped cross section.

[0069] 4 and 5 , when the connector terminal 1 is in a free state, the rear extension portion 44 extends downward and rearward from the connection portion 42, passes through the pressing hole 32, and extends to the outside of the housing 21. On the other hand, the front extension portion 45 extends horizontally or downward and forward from the connection portion 42, but when the connector terminal 1 is in a free state, the front end of the front extension portion 45 is housed inside the housing 21.

[0070] A pressing portion 47 is provided on the rear lower surface of the rear extension portion 44, and is positioned outside the housing 21 when the connector terminal 1 is in a free state. That is, the pressing hole 32 allows the rear extension portion 44 to be guided to the outside of the housing 21, and the pressing portion 47 to protrude outside the housing 21.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6, an extension 48 is provided at the rear end of the rear extension 44. The extension 48 extends upward from the rear end of the rear extension 44. A restricting portion 49 extending rearward is provided at the upper end of the extension 48. When the rear portion of the rear extension 44 moves downward compared to when the connector terminal 1 is in a free state, the restricting portion 49 engages with the front edge of the pressing hole 32, restricting the downward and rearward movement of the rear portion of the rear extension 44.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 8, a contact portion 51 is provided on the front lower surface of the front extension portion 45. The contact portion 51 is provided on the front lower surface of the front extension portion 45 and includes a protrusion 53 that protrudes downward. In this embodiment, the protrusion 53 is formed by embossing the metal member that constitutes the connector terminal 1. A tin plating film 51A is provided on the outer surface of the contact portion 51. Note that in Fig. 8, the tin plating film 51A is indicated by hatching with dots.

[0073] A tin plating film 44A may be provided on the lower end portion of the rear extension 44. The tin plating film 44A is indicated by hatching with dots in Fig. 8, similar to the tin plating film 51A.

[0074] In this embodiment, the arm body 41 includes a left side portion 55 (left bent piece 46) that constitutes its left half, and a right side portion 56 (right bent piece 46) that constitutes its right half. As shown in FIG. 6 , the left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 each have an L-shaped cross section. The left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 are configured to be roughly mirror-symmetrical when viewed in the front-to-rear direction. The left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 are joined to each other at their respective lower edges.

[0075] In this embodiment, the left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 are joined by welding. In FIG. 8 , the welding positions between the left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 are indicated by black circles. As shown in FIG. 8 , the left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 are welded to each other at their respective front and rear portions, and at the portion between them that is located outside the housing 21 in a free state. In this embodiment, the left side portion 55 and the right side portion 56 are welded to each other at a portion that is located above the contact hole 31 and forms the front extension portion 45, a portion that is located near the front edge of the pressing hole 32 and forms the rear extension portion 44, and a portion that forms the extension portion 48. This allows the arm main body 41 to be configured to have a groove-shaped cross section.

[0076] The connecting portion 42 is provided at approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the arm main body 41. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the connecting portion 42 is located approximately in the center in the front-rear direction between the pressing portion 47 and the contact portion 51. The connecting portion 42 has a plate shape extending in the left-right direction, and both ends thereof are connected to the upper edges of the left and right side walls 41A that constitute the arm main body 41, respectively.

[0077] A fulcrum portion 59 is provided on the upper surface of the connection portion 42. As shown in FIG. 6 , the fulcrum portion 59 includes a protrusion 60 protruding upward from the upper surface of the connection portion 42. In this embodiment, the protrusion 60 is formed by embossing the metal member constituting the connector terminal 1. A nickel plating film 59A is provided on the surface of the protrusion 60. A nickel plating film 28H is also provided on the inner surface of the housing 21 (specifically, the inner surface of the upper wall 28) facing the protrusion 60. The nickel plating film 59A may be provided over the entire surface of the fulcrum portion 59, including the protrusion 60. The nickel plating film 28H may also be provided over the entire inner surface (i.e., the lower surface) of the upper wall 28. The nickel plating film 59A is indicated by hatching with dots in FIG. 6 , and the nickel plating film 28H is indicated by hatching with dots in FIG. 8 .

[0078] 5 and 8, the spring piece 23 is a flat plate extending rearward from the upper end of the front wall 29. The spring piece 23 is a cantilever connected to the upper end of the front wall 29. As a result, the rear end of the spring piece 23 is connected to a connecting portion 42. The spring piece 23 is more susceptible to elastic deformation than the arm body 41, and the arm 22 is supported by the spring piece 23 so as to be able to swing relative to the housing 21.

[0079] 4, the fulcrum portion 59 is provided at a position facing the upper wall 28. In this embodiment, the fulcrum portion 59 is already in contact with the inner surface of the housing 21, specifically the inner surface of the upper wall 28. However, this is not limiting, and a gap may be provided between the fulcrum portion 59 and the upper wall 28.

[0080] 9(A), 9(B), and 9(C) show the deformation of the connector terminal 1 from the insertion of the card member 2 until the insertion is complete. As shown in Fig. 9(A), when the card member 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 8, the rear end of the card member 2 comes into contact with the pressing portion 47. When the card member 2 is further inserted into the insertion hole 8, the rear end of the card member 2 pushes up the pressing portion 47. As a result, the pressing portion 47 is displaced upward and moves toward the inside of the housing 21.

[0081] 9(B), as the pressing portion 47 is displaced, the spring piece 23 is deformed, the arm 22 swings about the fulcrum portion 59, and the contact portion 51 is displaced downward. As shown in FIG. 9(C), the contact portion 51 passes through the contact hole 31 and moves to a position outside the housing 21, and after the contact between the card member 2 and the pressing portion 47, the contact portion 51 comes into conductive contact with the terminal of the card member 2.

[0082] In this embodiment, the connector terminal 1 is provided with a folded portion 62 in order to limit the range of forward movement of the arm 22. The folded portion 62 is plate-shaped with a surface facing the front-rear direction. The folded portion 62 is located in front of the front wall 41C of the arm main body 41 in a free state, and limits the range of forward movement of the arm main body 41 when, for example, the card member 2 is pulled out. The folded portion 62 is formed by cutting out at least one of the left wall 26 and the right wall 27 and folding it back toward the inside of the housing 21.

[0083] Next, the effects of the connector terminal 1 configured in this manner will be described.

[0084] In the card edge connector 3, the connector terminals 1 are required to be in appropriate conductive contact with the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2, regardless of the surface condition of the contact points.

[0085] Depending on the metal used for the connector terminal 1, an oxide film may form on the outer surface of the contact when exposed to the outside air. The formed oxide film may hinder the conductive contact between the connector terminal 1 and the board-side terminal 6 of the card member 2.

[0086] It is conceivable to provide a gold plating film on the contacts to prevent the formation of an oxide film even when exposed to the outside air, but providing a gold plating film on the contacts makes the connector terminal 1 expensive.

[0087] Therefore, it is conceivable to ensure conductive contact by providing a tin-plated film on the contacts, and when the card member 2 and the card edge connector 3 are mated, wiping away any foreign matter or film adhering to the surface of the contacts using the contact pressure and frictional force between the contacts and the terminals.

[0088] When a tin plating film is provided on the contacts in this manner, it is necessary to ensure sufficient contact pressure for wiping. In particular, when the thickness of the card member 2 is within the tolerance range, it is not easy to ensure sufficient contact pressure between the connector terminals 1 and the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2, regardless of the error in the thickness of the card member 2.

[0089] The inventors of the present application first adopted the configuration of Japanese Patent No. 6198365 (Patent Document 2 of the prior art document). In this configuration, after contacting the card member 2, the contacts are exposed from the housing 21 and come into contact with the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2. This has the advantage that foreign matter is less likely to adhere to the contacts.

[0090] However, the inventors of the present application have found that if the contacts are provided on spring pieces 23 made of flat plates, it is not easy to ensure the contact pressure required in the case of tin plating due to their elastic deformation.

[0091] Subsequently, through trial and error, the inventors of the present application came up with the idea of ​​configuring the arm body 41 as a bent piece bent along at least one fold line X extending in the front-to-rear direction, and providing the contact portion 51 on the arm body 41. This makes the arm body 41 less susceptible to elastic deformation than when it is configured from a flat plate, and makes it possible to ensure sufficient contact pressure required for tin plating.

[0092] Furthermore, the housing 21 and the arm 22 are connected by a flat spring piece 23. This allows the spring piece 23 to be configured with a simple structure so that it is more easily elastically deformed than the arm body 41. Therefore, when the card member 2 is inserted, it is possible to move the pressing portion 47 and the contact portion 51 while suppressing elastic deformation of the arm body 41, and it is possible to ensure sufficient contact pressure required for tin plating.

[0093] In this embodiment, a tin plating film 44A is provided on the lower end portion of the rear extension 44. Therefore, when the lower end portion of the rear extension 44 is connected to the board-side terminal 6, the connector terminal 1 is electrically connected well to the board-side terminal 6 even in the portion where the tin plating film 44A is provided.

[0094] 9B and 9C, the arm body 41 is configured to have a dogleg shape when viewed from the side, so that the arm body 41 can be made elastic by being pressed by the card member 2, and sufficient contact pressure can be ensured at the contact point 51.

[0095] 9A, 9B, and 9C, as the card member 2 is inserted, the pressing portion 47 is pushed up. Because the fulcrum portion 59 abuts against the inner surface of the top wall 28 of the housing 21, the arm 22 swings about the fulcrum portion 59, and the contact portion 51 can be brought into conductive contact with the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2 after a delay from the contact between the card member 2 and the pressing portion 47. By providing the fulcrum portion 59 between the pressing portion 47 and the contact portion 51 in this manner, the contact portion 51 can be moved away from the housing 21 as the pressing portion 47 moves and can be moved so as to contact the card member 2. Furthermore, by providing the fulcrum portion 59 approximately in the center between the pressing portion 47 and the contact portion 51, the movement range of both the pressing portion 47 and the contact portion 51 can be sufficiently secured.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper wall rear portion 28B is located higher than the upper wall front portion 28A, and a step 28G is formed in the upper wall 28. Therefore, when the pressing portion 47 moves upward due to the insertion of the card member 2, the extension portion 48 is less likely to collide with the inner surface of the upper wall 28, and therefore, the displacement of the pressing portion 47 can be prevented from being hindered.

[0097] Furthermore, when in a free state, the contact portion 51 is housed inside the housing 21. This protects the contact portion 51 and prevents foreign matter from adhering to the contact portion 51. Furthermore, since the surface of the contact portion 51 is provided with a tin plating film 51A, the cost of the connector terminal 1 can be reduced compared to when the contact portion 51 is provided with a gold plating film.

[0098] The fulcrum portion 59 is provided with a protrusion 60 that abuts against the inner surface of the upper wall 28. This provides a fulcrum for moving the contact portion 51 away from the housing 21 and into contact with the card member 2 as the pressing portion 47 moves.

[0099] Heat and other factors applied after the insertion of the card member 2 may cause the card member 2 to contract and expand, resulting in a horizontal load being applied to the contact portion 51 due to friction between the card member 2 and the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2. At this time, the arm body 41 is swingably supported by the spring piece 23, allowing the arm body 41 to move horizontally in response to the movement of the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2. Furthermore, the nickel plating film 59A is provided on the surface of the protrusion 60 constituting the fulcrum portion 59 and on the portion of the inner surface of the upper wall 28 facing the protrusion 60, thereby reducing the friction that may occur between the protrusion 60 and the inner surface of the upper wall 28. This allows the arm body 41 to follow the movement of the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2, thereby reducing wear that may occur between the contact portion 51 and the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2, for example.

[0100] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the housing 21 is configured to have a rectangular box shape. However, the housing 21 is not limited to a box-shaped member that forms the outer shell of the connector terminal 1, and the housing 21 may have any configuration as long as it is configured to support the spring pieces 23 and the arms 22.

[0101] 10A and 10B show a connector terminal 101 according to the second embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, the connector terminal 101 is made of a bent sheet metal member.

[0102] The card edge connector 3 is constructed by directly inserting the connector terminals 101 into the terminal holes 13 provided in the housing 11. For convenience of explanation, the following description will be given with the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions defined based on the arrows shown in Figures 10A and 10B. Note that, as in the first embodiment, the insertion direction of the connector terminals 101 into the terminal holes 13 corresponds to the front-rear direction.

[0103] As in the first embodiment, the connector terminal 101 includes a housing 21 and an arm 22 that is swingably supported by the housing 21, while the connector terminal 101 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the structure of the housing 21.

[0104] As shown in Figures 10 (A) and (B) , the housing 21 of the connector terminal 101 of the second embodiment has a pair of left and right band portions 102 extending forward and backward, and a bottom wall 103 connecting the lower edges of the band portions 102.

[0105] 10A and 10B , similarly to the first embodiment, in this embodiment, the connector terminal 101 includes a wire connection portion 104 that is conductively connected to the covered conductor wire 9 and the arm 22. The wire connection portion 104 has a crimping portion 104A that is crimped to the core wire of the covered conductor wire 9. In this embodiment, the wire connection portion 104 is connected to the arm 22 via the band portion 102 and the bottom wall 103. However, instead of the wire connection portion 104, the connector terminal 101 may include a soldering portion (not shown) that is conductively connected to the arm 22 and soldered to a land provided on the printed circuit board.

[0106] As in the first embodiment, the arm 22 has a connection portion 42 connected to the housing 21, and an arm body 41 connected to the housing 21 via the connection portion 42 and extending in the front-to-rear direction, and is configured by a bent piece 105. The connection portion 42 is connected to the housing 21 (more specifically, the bottom wall 103) via a spring piece 23 similar to that in the first embodiment.

[0107] The connection portion 42 is located above the band portion 102 and is visible from the left and right sides. Also, as shown in Fig. 10(A) , unlike the first embodiment, the housing 21 does not have an upper wall 28. This makes it easy to visually check the state of the arm 22. In other words, it can be said that the housing 21 is provided with a viewing hole 110 that penetrates in the left-right direction and reaches between the left and right band portions 102 (i.e., the interior of the housing 21).

[0108] As in the first embodiment, the arm 22 has a rear extension portion 44 extending rearward from the connection portion 42 and including a pressing portion 47 similar to that in the first embodiment, and a front extension portion 45 extending frontward and including a contact portion 51 similar to that in the first embodiment, forming a dogleg shape in side view. As in the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10(A), a fulcrum portion 59 protruding upward is provided on the upper surface of the connection portion 42. As shown in Fig. 10(B), a contact hole 31 and a pressing hole 32 are provided in the bottom wall 103, as in the first embodiment.

[0109] As in the first embodiment, when the card member 2 is connected to the card edge connector 3, the housing 21 slides relative to the board-side terminals 6 of the card member 2. At that time, as in the first embodiment, the pressing portion 47 comes into contact with the end of the card member 2 and is displaced, and the contact portion 51 comes into contact with the card member 2 with some delay, thereby establishing a conductive connection with the board-side terminals 6.

[0110] When the card member 2 is inserted, the fulcrum portion 59 abuts against the wall surface defining the terminal hole 13 of the housing 11, thereby functioning as a fulcrum that displaces the contact portion 51 in accordance with the displacement of the pressing portion 47.

[0111] <<Third embodiment>> As shown in Figures 11(A) and (B) , a connector terminal 201 according to the third embodiment is composed of a terminal body 202 having the same shape as the connector terminal 101 shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B) , and a metal cover member 203 having a rectangular cylindrical shape.

[0112] The terminal body 202 is inserted into the cover member 203 (see Figure 11 (A)) to form the connector terminal 201 (see Figure 11 (B)), and then inserted into the terminal hole 13 provided in the housing 11 to form the card edge connector 3.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 11(A) , the terminal body 202 includes a housing 204 and an arm 22, similar to the connector terminal 101 of the second embodiment. The housing 204 includes a band portion 102 and a bottom wall 103, similar to the second embodiment. When the terminal body 202 is inserted into the cover member 203, at least a portion of the arm 22 and at least a portion of the housing 204 are covered by the cover member 203. This protects the terminal body 202. The housing 21 of the connector terminal 201 (see Fig. 11(B)) is composed of the housing 204 (also referred to as a main housing) of the terminal body 202 and the cover member 203 (also referred to as a sub-housing).

[0114] While the present invention has been described above based on specific embodiments, these embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Not all of the components of the connector terminals 1, 101, and 201 shown in the above embodiments are necessarily required, and at least those skilled in the art can select appropriate components without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0115] In the first embodiment described above, the fulcrum portion 59 was in advance in contact with the inner surface of the housing 21, specifically the inner surface of the upper wall 28, but the fulcrum portion 59 may be configured to come into contact with the upper wall 28 upon insertion of the card member 2, and the arm main body 41 may swing around the protrusion 60 as a fulcrum.

[0116] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the card member 2 is configured as a double-sided substrate, but the card member 2 may also be configured as a single-sided substrate with a circuit pattern formed on only one side.

[0117] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the nickel plating films 28H, 59A are provided on the inner surface of the housing 21 and the surface of the protrusion 60, respectively, but the nickel plating film may be provided on only one of the inner surface of the housing 21 and the surface of the protrusion 60. In other words, it is sufficient that the nickel plating film is provided on at least one of the inner surface of the housing 21 and the surface of the protrusion 60. The folding line X may extend in a direction slightly inclined with respect to the front-to-rear direction.

[0118] In the second embodiment, the viewing hole 110 is formed in the connector terminal 101 by removing the top wall 28 and the upper halves of the left wall 26 and the right wall 27, but the viewing hole 110 may have any configuration as long as it reaches the inside of the housing 21 and allows the arm 22 to be viewed. For example, the viewing hole 110 may be configured to penetrate a portion of the peripheral wall 24 (e.g., the left wall 26 or the right wall 27), or multiple viewing holes 110 may be provided in the peripheral wall 24.

[0119] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Connector terminal according to the first embodiment 2: Card member 3: Card edge connector 5: Base material 6: Board-side terminal 8: Insertion hole 9: Covered conductor 11: Housing 13: Terminal hole 13A: Upper terminal hole 13B: Lower terminal hole 15: Terminal accommodating chamber 16: Through hole 21: Case 22: Arm 23: Spring piece 24: Peripheral wall 25: Bottom wall 26: Left wall 27: Right wall 28: Top wall 28A: Top wall front portion 28B: Top wall rear portion 28C: First front upper wall 28D: Second front upper wall 28E: First rear upper wall 28F: Second rear upper wall 28G: Step 28H: Nickel plating film 29: Front wall 31: Contact hole 32: Pressing hole 34: Front protrusion 35: Rear protrusion 36: Slide groove 38: Inclined surface 39: Crimping portion 41: Arm body 41A: Side wall 41B: Bottom wall 41C: Front wall 42: Connection portion 44: Rear extension portion 44A: Tin plating film 45: Front extension portion 46: Bent piece 47: Pressing portion 48: Extension portion 49: Restricting portion 51: Contact portion 51A: Tin plating film 53: Protrusion 55: Left side portion 56: Right side portion 59: Fulcrum portion 59A: Nickel plating film 60: Protrusion 62: Folded portion 101: Connector terminal according to second embodiment 102: Belt portion 103: Bottom wall 104 : Wire connection portion 104A : Crimping portion 105 : Bent piece 110 : Viewing hole 201 : Connector terminal according to the third embodiment 202 : Terminal body 203 : Cover member 204 : Housing X : Folding line

Claims

1. A connector terminal provided in a card edge connector into which a card member is inserted and electrically connected, comprising: a housing that slides relative to the terminal of the card member when the card member is connected; and an arm that is swingably supported by the housing, wherein the arm has a connection part connected to the housing and an arm body that is connected to the housing via the connection part and extends in the sliding direction, wherein the arm body is provided on one side in the sliding direction and has a pressing part that comes into contact with and displaces an end of the card member when the card member is inserted, and a contact part that is provided on the other side in the sliding direction and comes into contact with the terminal of the card member with a delay as the pressing part displaces, and wherein the arm body is formed by a bent piece.

2. A connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the arm are connected by a spring piece, the spring piece being flat and configured to be elastically deformable.

3. A connector terminal as described in claim 2, wherein the arm body has a one-side extension portion extending from the connection portion to one side and equipped with the pressing portion, and an other-side extension portion extending to the other side and equipped with the contact portion, and is V-shaped in side view.

4. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a step to prevent displacement of the pressing portion.

5. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a contact hole through which the contact portion can pass.

6. A connector terminal as described in claim 5, wherein the pressing portion is located outside the housing in a free state where it is not pressed, and moves toward the inside of the housing when pressed by the card member, and the contact portion is located inside the housing in the free state, passes through the contact hole as the pressing portion moves, and moves until it is located outside the housing and makes conductive contact with the terminal of the card member.

7. The connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein said arm body is shaped like a groove that opens upward.

8. The connector terminal according to claim 7, wherein the arm bodies each have an L-shaped cross section and include a left side portion and a right side portion that are mirror-symmetrical when viewed in the sliding direction, and the left side portion and the right side portion are welded to each other.

9. A connector terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing and the arm are connected by a spring piece, the connection part and the spring piece are located inside the housing, and the connection part has a protrusion that protrudes towards the inner surface of the housing.

10. The connector terminal according to claim 9, wherein the surface of the projection and the inner surface of the housing are provided with a nickel plating film.

11. A connector terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a tin plating film is provided on the surface of the contact portion.

12. A connector terminal according to claim 1, comprising: a terminal body including said housing and said arm; and a cover member into which said terminal body is inserted, said cover member covering at least a portion of said arm and at least a portion of said housing.

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