JP4399348B2 - Socket connector - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a socket connector. In particular, the present invention relates to a socket connector including a socket contact that applies a contact force to a mating contact with a pair of elastic arms extending in parallel.

  For example, the power connector is a pair of a plug connector and a socket connector. One plug connector is provided with a pin contact to which an electric wire is crimped. The other socket connector is mounted on, for example, a panel of an electronic device and has a socket contact to which an electric wire is crimped. The terminal of the electric wire provided in the socket contact is connected to a circuit board (printed board) in the electronic device.

  For example, as a socket contact used in such a socket connector, there is a tuning fork type contact as shown in FIG. The tuning fork contact is an elastic contact having a tuning fork shape that applies a contact force in a facing direction by two arms. The elastic contact is sometimes called a bifurcated contact.

  In FIG. 8, the tuning fork contact 5 has a long crimping portion 51 for connecting the electric wire 5w by crimping, is provided on the proximal end portion 50 side of the crimping portion 51, and is a flat plate connected to the mating contact. The contact connection part 52 is provided. The contact connecting portion 52 includes a pair of elastic arms 53a and 53b extending substantially in parallel from the base end portion 50 side. At the tip of the pair of elastic arms 53a and 53b, there are a pair of contact points 54a and 54b made of protrusions that face each other and come into contact with the counterpart contact.

  The tuning fork contact 5 shown in FIG. 8 may be deformed, for example, in the direction X (see FIG. 8) where the ends of the pair of elastic arms 53a and 53b are opposite to each other before being assembled into the socket connector. If the tuning fork contact 5 deformed as described above is assembled into a socket connector and used, an appropriate contact pressure may not be obtained between the socket contact and the mating contact.

  In order to prevent the deformation of the pair of elastic arms, for example, a contact 6 shown in FIG. 9 is conceivable. In FIG. 9, the contact 6 has a long crimping part 61 for connecting the electric wire 6 w by crimping, and is provided on the proximal end part 60 side of the crimping part 61, and the cross section connected to the mating contact is substantially A U-shaped contact connecting portion 62 is provided.

  The contact connecting portion 62 includes a pair of elastic arms 63a and 63b extending so that the pair of bent pieces approach each other from the base end portion 60 side. The ends of the pair of elastic arms 63a and 63b are refracted in a direction away from each other, and the refracted portion becomes a pair of contact points 64a and 64b in contact with the mating contact. In the contact 6 of FIG. 9, both sides of the base end portion 60 and the tip end portion 65 are bent to prevent the pair of elastic arms 63a and 63b from being deformed.

  In order to prevent deformation of the elastic arm, for example, a contact 7 shown in FIG. 10 can be considered. In FIG. 10, the contact 7 has a long crimping portion 71 for connecting the electric wire 7w by crimping, is provided on the proximal end portion 70 side of the crimping portion 71, and is enclosed in a rectangular shape connected to the mating contact. The contact connection portion 72 is provided.

  The contact connecting portion 72 includes a cantilevered elastic arm 73 in which a part of a side enclosing in a rectangular shape is bent and surrounded by a main body 72a of the contact connecting portion. The elastic arm 73 has a protruding contact 74 that contacts a mating contact inserted into the main body 72a. The contact 7 prevents the elastic arm 73 from being deformed by surrounding the elastic arm 73 with the main body 72a.

  On the other hand, a socket connector that can always obtain a suitable contact pressure between a plug member (mating contact) and a contact piece (socket contact) has been invented (see, for example, Patent Document 1). FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of an example of the socket connector according to Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 of the present application corresponds to FIG.

  In FIG. 11, the socket connector 80 includes a connector housing 82 and a socket contact 81 accommodated in the connector housing 82. The connector housing 82 has a plug insertion portion 87 into which the mating contact 86 is inserted. The socket contact 81 has a pair of contact spring pieces 83 a and 83 b that elastically contact the counterpart contact 86.

  The pair of contact spring pieces 83a and 83b includes a pair of contact portions 84a and 84b at the distal ends. In addition, a pair of correction protrusions 85a and 85b are integrally provided on the non-contact side edge of the pair of contact spring pieces 83a and 83b.

  The pair of correction protrusions 85a and 85b are provided so as to protrude from a substantially intermediate portion of the outer edge of the contact spring piece portions 83a and 83b or a position closer to the contact base than the intermediate portion. The correction protrusions 85a and 85b are in contact with the facing wall surfaces 88a and 88b of the connector insertion portion 88 when inserted into the connector housing 82, as shown in FIG.

When the contact spring pieces 83a and 83b are deformed, the correction protrusions 85a and 85b push the contact spring pieces 83a and 83b against the wall surfaces 88a and 88b to deform the contact spring pieces 83a and 83b. The shapes of the portions 83a and 83b are corrected. At this time, it is assumed that the “spring property” is not lost in the tip side of the correction protrusions 85a and 85b.
JP 2003-173838 A

  However, when a socket contact with a narrow pitch and a small size is required as in recent years, a contact having a bent piece at the tip as shown in FIG. 9 or FIG. There is a limit to the requirement for pitch. As the elastic contact corresponding to the above requirement, a contact having a simple shape shown in FIGS. 8 and 11 is preferable.

  On the other hand, the contact 81 shown in FIG. 11 corrects the shape of the deformed contact spring pieces 83a and 83b. However, such a contact deformed so that the pair of elastic arms open to the outside, rather than correcting when assembling to the socket connector, by replacing it with a contact that is not deformed outward, and assembling to the socket connector, Reliability is improved with respect to contact pressure with the counterpart contact.

  There is a demand for a socket connector having a socket contact that has a narrow pitch and can be reduced in size. There is also a need for a socket connector that can detect a pair of elastic arms that are deformed to open outward when assembled into a socket connector. That is, these may be the subject of the present invention.

  In view of such a problem, the present invention is a socket connector having a contact for connecting an electric wire and holding a mating contact with a pair of elastic arms, and opens to the outside when the socket connector is assembled. It is an object of the present invention to provide a socket connector capable of detecting a pair of elastic arms deformed in a straight line.

  In order to satisfy the above-mentioned object, the inventor provides a pair of detection projections protruding in opposite directions to each other at the distal ends of the pair of elastic arms, and the pair of detection arms in the insertion holes of the pair of elastic arms in the socket connector. The present invention has invented the following new socket connector having a structure in which a pair of steps capable of detecting the appropriateness of the facing distance in the projection is provided.

  (1) A socket connector that accommodates a contact including a connection part to which an electric wire is connected and a contact connection part provided on a proximal end side of the connection part and connected to a mating contact inside the housing, The contact connecting portion includes a flat contact main body and a pair of elastic arms extending substantially in parallel from the base end side of the contact main body. The distal ends of the pair of elastic arms are opposed to each other and contact the mating contact. And a pair of detection projections protruding in opposite directions to each other, the housing is provided with an insertion hole into which the pair of elastic arms are inserted, A socket connector provided with a pair of steps through which the pair of elastic arms pass or stop depending on a facing distance between the pair of detection protrusions.

  The invention of (1) is a socket connector that accommodates a contact having a connection portion to which an electric wire is connected and a contact connection portion provided on a proximal end side of the connection portion and connected to a counterpart contact inside the housing. The contact connecting portion includes a flat contact main body and a pair of elastic arms extending substantially in parallel from the base end side of the contact main body.

  At the tips of the pair of elastic arms, a pair of contacts that are opposed to each other and are in contact with the counterpart contact are provided. In addition, a pair of detection projections that protrude in opposite directions are provided at the tips of the pair of elastic arms. The housing is provided with an insertion hole into which a pair of elastic arms are inserted. The insertion hole is provided with a pair of steps through which the pair of elastic arms are passed or stopped by the facing distance between the pair of detection protrusions.

  The connection part to which the electric wire is connected can be a pressureless connection which is a solderless connection that connects the conductor (core wire) by penetrating the insulation coating of the electric wire by an appropriate piercing element and deforming or penetrating the conductor. In order to make a good connection with the electric wire, it may be a crimp connection in which the termination is permanently attached to the conductor by forming a barrel around the conductor (core wire).

  The mating contact may be a round or square pin contact, and may usually be a flat or straight blade contact with a chamfered insertion portion and a rectangular cross section with no spring property. A pair of elastic arms extending substantially in parallel from the base end side of the contact main body are connected so as to sandwich the counterpart contact.

  The pair of detection protrusions may be, for example, a shape protruding in a square shape, or may be a mountain-shaped protrusion shape in which a perpendicular side of a right triangle is formed in parallel with a direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the elastic arm. . The opposing distance between the pair of detection protrusions indicates the distance between the opposing sides when the detection protrusion is a square protrusion, and the distance between the opposing vertices when the detection protrusion is a mountain-shaped protrusion. Indicates.

  In the housing, the insertion hole into which the pair of elastic arms is inserted is formed in, for example, a slit shape, and the insertion hole is a first passage that has a large distance between the opposing inner walls in the contact insertion direction. A second passage having a small distance between the opposing inner walls is formed. A pair of steps is provided between the first passage and the second passage so that the pair of elastic arms are passed or stopped by the facing distance between the pair of detection protrusions.

  When the pair of elastic arms are deformed to a predetermined value or more in the opening direction, the pair of detection projections abut against the pair of steps and stop, and the contact cannot be inserted into the housing any more. That is, the contact cannot be assembled to the housing. On the other hand, a pair of elastic arms that are not deformed by more than a prescribed value in the opening direction or a pair of elastic arms that are deformed in the closing direction pass through the second passage without contacting the pair of steps. The contacts can be assembled into the housing.

  It is difficult to detect the distance between the pair of contacts directly in the housing because the counterpart contact is inserted into the pair of contacts. is there. Therefore, the distance between the pair of contacts is indirectly detected by the facing distance between the pair of detection protrusions.

  The socket connector according to the present invention cannot be assembled by assembling a pair of detection protrusions with a pair of steps when assembling a contact deformed so that the pair of elastic arms open outward. It is considered that reliability is improved with respect to contact pressure with the mating contact by assembling the housing by exchanging with a contact that is not deformed to the outside.

  Although it is conceivable to measure the distance between a pair of contacts with a “gap gauge” before assembling the contacts into the housing, such an inspection process simply increases the number of processes. The socket connector according to the present invention is also considered to contribute to the shortening of the entire process from the manufacture of the contact to the assembly of the connector, concurrently serving as the inspection process.

  (2) The connection part is the socket connector according to (1), wherein the electric wire is crimped.

  Crimping an electric wire generally means that a part of a crimp terminal member is bent so as to enclose a core material such as an electric wire and the core material is fixed, and this fixing electrically connects the electric wire and the contact. (Or mechanical) connection. A so-called conductor grip for crimping an electric wire may be provided at the connection portion that becomes the crimp portion. In addition, a so-called insulation grip may be provided in which the electric wire is bent so as to be wrapped from above the covering material to mechanically fix the electric wire.

  The crimping portion is not limited to an open crimp barrel provided with a conductor grip and an insulation grip, and may be a closed crimp barrel. The electric wire may be a single wire or a double wire.

  (3) The socket connector according to (1) or (2), wherein corners of the pair of detection protrusions capable of contacting the pair of steps of the insertion hole are formed at acute angles.

  As described above, the pair of detection protrusions may be, for example, a square protrusion or a right triangle triangular protrusion. In other words, the corners of the pair of detection projections that can contact the pair of steps of the insertion hole may be formed at an acute angle. Moreover, an acute angle is an angle below a right angle as defined. Accordingly, the corners in contact with the pair of steps may be right angles or acute angles of about 60 degrees.

  (4) The housing according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the housing communicates in a direction orthogonal to the insertion hole, and is provided with a through hole that can be elastically displaced in a direction in which the pair of detection protrusions are opposite to each other. Socket connector.

  When the mating contact is connected to the contact inserted into the insertion hole, the distal ends of the pair of elastic arms are elastically displaced in the direction of opening each other. Therefore, the through holes are provided so that the pair of detection protrusions do not contact the inner wall of the insertion hole of the elastic arm.

  The socket connector according to the present invention is provided with a pair of detection projections in which the contacts protrude in opposite directions at the distal ends of the pair of elastic arms, and the insertion holes of the elastic arms in the housing are opposed to the pair of detection projections. Since a step is provided to allow the pair of elastic arms to pass or stop depending on the distance, when the pair of elastic arms deforms to a specified value or more in the opening direction, the pair of detection protrusions stop at the pair of steps. Thus, the contacts cannot be assembled into the socket connector.

  The socket connector according to the present invention is considered to be reliable with respect to the contact pressure with the mating contact by assembling the socket connector by exchanging with a contact that is not deformed outward.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective external view showing an embodiment of a contact according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the tip of the contact according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the contact according to the embodiment. 3A is a plan view of the entire contact, and FIG. 3B is an enlarged plan view of the tip of the contact.

  FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which the contact according to the embodiment is inserted into the housing. 4A is a state diagram before the pair of elastic arms abuts against the pair of steps, and FIG. 4B is a state diagram where the pair of elastic arms abuts the pair of steps. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part in a state where the pair of elastic arms according to the embodiment is in contact with the pair of steps.

  FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the socket connector in which the contacts according to the embodiment are assembled. 6A is a state diagram before the mating contact is inserted into the socket connector, and FIG. 6B is a state diagram when the mating contact is inserted into the socket connector. FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the socket connector in which the contacts according to the embodiment are assembled.

  First, a contact according to the present invention will be described. In FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the contact 1 includes a long connection portion 11 to which the electric wire 1 w is connected, and a contact connection portion 12 connected to a counterpart contact provided on the proximal end 10 side of the connection portion 11. It is equipped with. The contact connecting portion 12 includes a flat contact main body 13 and a pair of elastic arms 13 a and 13 b extending substantially in parallel from the base end side of the contact main body 13.

  At the tip of the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b, a pair of contacts 14a and 14b that are opposed to each other and are in contact with the mating contact are provided. A pair of detection projections 15a and 15b projecting in opposite directions are provided at the tips of the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the contact body 13 is formed by extending a pair of elastic arms 13 a and 13 b that are bifurcated from the base end side and whose plate thickness surfaces are opposed to each other in a lengthwise direction. Yes. The ends of the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b are opened in a V shape so that the mating contacts can be easily inserted, and the tops of the pair of contacts 14a and 14b are formed with gently curved surfaces. The pair of detection protrusions 15a and 15b are formed as rectangular protrusions protruding in opposite directions.

  In FIG. 1, the contact 1 may have a connection part 11 as a crimping part to which the electric wire 1 w is crimped as will be described later, and the connection part 11 may be a press-contacting part to which the electric wire is pressure-contacted. The pin terminal that is inserted into the connector and is “soldered” may be changed to the connection portion 11. The connection part 11 of the contact 1 can be formed according to a use.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the connection part 11 is a crimp part (hereinafter, the connection part 11 is referred to as a crimp part 11) for crimping the electric wire 1 w. As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 3, the crimping part 11 connected to the contact body 13 is provided with an insulation grip 11a and a conductor grip 11b which are open crimp barrels.

  The crimping of the electric wire generally means that a part of the crimp terminal is bent so as to enclose a core material such as an electric wire and the core material is fixed, and by this fixing, the electric wire 1w and the contact 1 are fixed. Is provided with a conductor grip 11b which is electrically (or mechanically) connected. In addition, an insulation grip 11a is provided in which the electric wire 1w and the contact 1 are mechanically fixed by bending the electric wire 1w so as to be wrapped from above the covering material.

  1 or 3, the flat contact body 13 is provided with a pair of bent pieces 16 a and 16 b in which both side edges on the base end 10 side are bent. Thus, the base end 10 and the pair of bent pieces 16a and 16b are formed in a U shape, and the contact 1 is inserted into an insertion hole provided in the housing 2 described later. One bent piece 16b is provided with a hook-like protrusion (lance) 16c for being locked to the housing 2. The base ends of the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b are bent at steps to be reinforced against bending stress.

  In FIG. 3, it can be considered that the ends of the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b are deformed in a closing direction as indicated by a two-dot chain line. However, this deformation is elastically displaced in the direction in which the pair of contacts 14a and 14b open to each other when the mating contact is inserted, so that it is deformed in a preferred direction with respect to the contact pressure with the mating contact. Can be considered.

  In FIG. 4, the socket connector 200 accommodates the contact 1 in the housing 2. In the housing 2, the insertion hole 21 into which the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b are inserted is formed in a slit shape. In the insertion hole 21, a first passage 21 a having a large distance between the opposing inner walls and a second passage 21 b having a small distance between the opposing inner walls are formed in the insertion direction of the contact 1.

  And between the 1st passage 21a and the 2nd passage 21b, a pair of level | step difference 2a * 2b by which a pair of elastic arms 13a * 13b are passed or stopped by the opposing distance in a pair of detection protrusion 15a * 15b Is provided. In the housing 2, a space from the insertion end of the contact 1 to the first passage 21 a is a housing chamber 21 c that houses the contact main body 13 and the crimping portion 11. An insertion hole 22 into which a mating contact 3 described later is inserted is formed on the opposite side of the second passage 21b (see FIG. 4). The insertion hole 22 communicates with the second passage 21b.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the contact 1 is assembled to the housing 2, the contact 1 is inserted from the housing chamber 21 c side of the housing 2. When the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b is deformed to a predetermined value or more in the opening direction, the pair of detection projections 15a and 15b abut against the pair of steps 2a and 2b and stop, and the contact 1 is attached to the housing 2. No further insertion is possible (see FIG. 5). That is, the contact 1 cannot be assembled to the housing 2.

  On the other hand, the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b that are not deformed to a predetermined value or more in the opening direction or the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b that are deformed in the closing direction are not in contact with the pair of steps 2a and 2b. The contact 1 can be assembled to the housing 2 through the second passage 21b.

  When the contact 1 deformed so that the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b are opened to the outside is assembled to the housing 2, the pair of detection projections 15a and 15b cannot abut on the pair of steps 2a and 2b. It is considered that reliability is improved with respect to the contact pressure with the mating contact by assembling the housing 2 by replacing the contact 1 that is not deformed outward.

  In the socket connector 200 assembled in this way, the lance 16c provided on the contact 1 is locked in the locking hole 24 (see FIG. 6). In FIG. 6, the housing 2 communicates in a direction orthogonal to the insertion hole 21, and is provided with a through hole 23 that can be elastically displaced in a direction in which the pair of detection projections 15 a and 15 b oppose each other.

  In FIG. 6, when the mating contact 3 is connected to the contact 1 inserted into the insertion hole 21, the distal ends of the pair of elastic arms 13a and 13b are elastically displaced in a direction to open each other. Therefore, the through hole 23 is provided so that the pair of detection protrusions 15 a and 15 b do not contact the inner wall of the insertion hole 21.

  In FIG. 6, the mating contact 3 is a round or square pin contact, but the mating contact 3 is, for example, a flat plate having a rectangular cross section with a chamfered insertion portion, A straight blade-shaped blade contact may be used. The pair of elastic arms 13 a and 13 b extending substantially in parallel from the base end side of the contact body 13 are connected so as to sandwich the counterpart contact 3.

1 is a perspective external view showing an embodiment of a contact according to the present invention. It is the perspective appearance figure which expanded the front-end | tip part of the contact by the said embodiment. It is a top view of the contact by the said embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-section which shows a mode that the contact by the said embodiment is inserted in a housing. It is a principal part expanded sectional view in the state where a pair of elastic arms by the above-mentioned embodiment contacted a pair of level differences. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the socket connector with which the contact by the said embodiment was assembled. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the socket connector by which the contact by the said embodiment was assembled. It is a perspective external view of the tuning fork type contact used for the socket connector by a prior art. It is a perspective external view of the contact by a prior art. It is a perspective external view of another contact by a prior art. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of an example of the socket connector by a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

1 Contact 1w Electric Wire 2 Housing 2a, 2b Step 3 Partner Contact 10 Base End 11 Connection (crimp)
12 Contact connection portion 13a / 13b Elastic arm 14a / 14b Contact 15a / 15b Detection protrusion 21 Insertion hole

Claims (4)

A socket connector that accommodates a contact inside the housing, comprising: a connection portion to which an electric wire is connected; and a contact connection portion provided on a proximal end side of the connection portion and connected to a counterpart contact;
The contact connecting portion includes a flat contact body and a pair of elastic arms extending substantially in parallel from the base end side of the contact body,
At the tip of the pair of elastic arms, a pair of contact points that are opposed to each other and contact the mating contact are provided, and a pair of detection protrusions that protrude in directions opposite to each other are provided,
The housing is provided with an insertion hole into which the pair of elastic arms are inserted, and the insertion hole has a pair of steps through which the pair of elastic arms are passed or stopped by an opposing distance in the pair of detection protrusions. Socket connector provided.   The socket connector according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion crimps an electric wire.   3. The socket connector according to claim 1, wherein corners of the pair of detection protrusions capable of contacting the pair of steps of the insertion hole are formed at acute angles.   The socket connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing is provided with a through hole that communicates in a direction orthogonal to the insertion hole and is elastically displaceable in a direction in which the pair of detection protrusions are opposite to each other.

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