JP7732866B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector comprising rod-shaped terminals, a housing that houses the terminals, external terminals, and a conductive member that electrically connects the terminals to the external terminals.

It has been proposed to use rod-shaped terminals for electrical connections in electrical circuits. For example, one conventional example uses a cylindrical male terminal and a hollow, cylindrical female terminal as rod-shaped terminals of this type. The male terminal is inserted into the hollow portion of the female terminal, and a spring-like contact mounted within the hollow portion of the female terminal presses against the male terminal, electrically connecting the two terminals. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2.)

International Publication No. 2020/208678 International Publication No. 2015/012013

In the conventional example described above, a male terminal is attached to one end of a support portion fixed to the terminal block, and an external terminal is connected to a connection socket (hole) provided at the other end of the support portion. For example, an annular external terminal (so-called LA terminal) is bolted to the connection socket. Because the connection socket is sufficiently firmly fixed to the terminal block, tilting of the connection socket or male terminal is prevented. However, when the male terminal is firmly fixed to the terminal block via the connection socket in this way, if axial misalignment or tilting occurs between the male and female terminals when they are connected, the force required for the connection (so-called insertion force) increases due to increased friction between the terminals. This increased insertion force may impair the efficiency of the connection work.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a connector that improves workability when connecting a mating terminal to a rod-shaped terminal.

To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the connector of the present invention has the following features:

A connector comprising: a rod-shaped terminal; a housing that accommodates the terminal; an external terminal; and a conductive member that electrically connects the terminal and the external terminal,
The housing includes:
a holding portion that holds the terminal so that the terminal is displaceable relative to the housing;
The terminal is
a first contact portion electrically connectable to a mating terminal, and a second contact portion provided at a position different from the first contact portion in the axial direction of the terminal and sandwiching the conductive member between the first contact portion and the external terminal in the radial direction of the terminal,
The conductive member is
the second contact portion elastically contacts the external terminal to electrically connect the terminal and the external terminal;
The terminal is
a flange portion extending from the terminal in the radial direction;
The holding portion of the housing is
The terminal is held so as to allow tilting of the terminal around an engagement point between the holding portion and the flange portion,
The first contact portion is
the terminal is located on one side of the flange portion in the axial direction,
The second contact portion is
a flange portion provided on the other side of the terminal in the axial direction;
It is a connector.
A connector comprising: a rod-shaped terminal; a housing that accommodates the terminal; an external terminal; and a conductive member that electrically connects the terminal and the external terminal,
The housing includes:
a holding portion that holds the terminal so that the terminal is displaceable relative to the housing;
The terminal is
a first contact portion electrically connectable to a mating terminal, and a second contact portion provided at a position different from the first contact portion in the axial direction of the terminal and sandwiching the conductive member between the first contact portion and the external terminal in the radial direction of the terminal,
The conductive member is
the second contact portion elastically contacts the external terminal to electrically connect the terminal and the external terminal;
The terminal is
The second contact portion has a hole into which the external terminal is inserted,
The conductive member is
The second contact portion is sandwiched between the inner surface of the hole of the second contact portion and the outer peripheral surface of the external terminal.
It is a connector.

According to the present invention, a rod-shaped terminal has a first contact portion that contacts the mating terminal and a second contact portion located at a different position from the first contact portion in the axial direction of the terminal. The housing's retaining portion holds the terminal in a displaceable manner. Furthermore, a conductive member is sandwiched between the second contact portion and the external terminal in the radial direction of the terminal, and the conductive member elastically contacts the second contact portion and the external terminal, thereby electrically connecting the terminal and the external terminal. Therefore, when connecting the rod-shaped terminal to the mating terminal, even if the mating terminal (e.g., the hollow cylindrical female terminal described above) approaches the rod-shaped terminal while tilting relative to the first contact portion of the rod-shaped terminal, the rod-shaped terminal's second contact portion displaces (e.g., swings around the retaining portion) in response to the tilt, elastically deforming the conductive member, thereby maintaining the rod-shaped terminal in a position suitable for connection. This reduces the force required to connect the terminals (i.e., insertion force). Therefore, a connector of this configuration can improve the ease of connecting the rod-shaped terminal to the mating terminal. The same effect is achieved when disconnecting connected terminals.

Furthermore, the connector with the above configuration also has other advantages. Specifically, a tip cover (so-called protective cap) may be attached to the tip of the first contact portion of the terminal to prevent the tip from coming into contact with the operator's fingers or surrounding components. To provide this protective function, the tip cover is typically shaped so that its outer edge is slightly outward of the outer edge of the terminal's tip, or so that both outer edges are located at approximately the same position. In other words, the tip cover completely covers the tip of the terminal. However, due to the shape of this tip cover, when separating a terminal from its mating terminal, there is a possibility that the mating terminal may get caught on the outer edge of the tip cover if the mating terminal is tilted. This catch can increase the labor required to separate the terminals or lead to unintended removal of the tip cover. In contrast, the connector of the present invention can maintain the rod-shaped terminal in a position suitable for insertion and removal regardless of the tilt of the mating terminal, thereby preventing such problems from occurring.

The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the detailed description of the invention described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector unit obtained by fitting a male connector according to an embodiment of the present invention to which external terminals are connected and a female connector to which external terminals are connected. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the connector unit shown in FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the male terminal shown in FIG. 2 and an external terminal connected to the male terminal. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part B in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. Figure 8 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 4, which explains how, when the connectors are mated, the male terminal swings in accordance with the inclination of the female terminal, thereby maintaining the posture of the male terminal in a position suitable for connection with the female terminal.

<Embodiment>
A connector unit 2 including a male connector 1A according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the connector unit 2 includes a male connector 1A and a female connector 1B. As shown in Fig. 2, an external terminal 30A connected to an electric wire 31A is connected to a male terminal 10A of the male connector 1A, and an external terminal 30B connected to an electric wire 31B is bolted to a female terminal 10B of the female connector 1B. When the male housing 20A of the male connector 1A to which the external terminal 30A is connected is fitted to the female housing 20B of the female connector 1B to which the external terminal 30B is bolted, the male connector 1A and the female connector 1B function to electrically connect the external terminals 30A and 30B to each other.

For ease of explanation, the following definitions are used to refer to the "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," and "left-right direction," as shown in Figures 1 to 8. The "front-rear direction," "up-down direction," and "left-right direction" are perpendicular to one another. The up-down direction coincides with the mating direction of the male connector 1A and female connector 1B.

The male connector 1A and female connector 1B have similar structures, except for the different types of built-in terminals (male terminals 10A and female terminals 10B), the different locking structures between the built-in terminals and the housing, the different connection structures between the built-in terminals and the external terminals, and the fact that their orientations are reversed. For this reason, as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the female terminals 10B and female housing 20B of female connector 1B have the same reference numerals as those used for the male terminals 10A and male housing 20A in male connector 1A, in the corresponding parts.

First, we will explain the male connector 1A. As shown in Figure 2, the male connector 1A includes a male terminal 10A and a male housing 20A that houses the male terminal 10A. Below, we will explain each of the components that make up the male connector 1A in order.

First, we will explain the male terminal 10A. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the male terminal 10A has a rod-like shape extending in the vertical direction and is formed, for example, by cutting a metal rod-shaped member. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the male terminal 10A integrally comprises a base 11, a contact portion 12 located above the base 11, and a flange portion 15 extending in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions (radial direction of the male terminal 10A) at the boundary between the base 11 and the contact portion 12. That is, the base 11 is located below the flange portion 15, and the contact portion 12 is located above the flange portion 15. The flange portion 15 has a rectangular outer periphery when viewed from the vertical direction, and includes a pair of extension portions 15a extending in the left-to-right direction and a pair of extension portions 15b extending in the front-to-rear direction.

The contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A has a generally cylindrical shape extending upward from the flange portion 15. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the contact portion 12 has a stepped cylindrical shape with a large diameter portion 12a and a small diameter portion 12b that is continuous with the upper side of the large diameter portion 12a and has a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 12a. Furthermore, a locking portion 12c that protrudes upward is provided on the upper end surface of the small diameter portion 12b, and an annular protrusion 12d that protrudes radially outward is provided at the upper end of the locking portion 12c.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a spring contact 18 and a protective cap 19 are attached to the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A. As shown in Figure 3, the metal spring contact 18 has a cylindrical shape that extends vertically. The spring contact 18 is constructed by arranging multiple plate-shaped conductors 18a circumferentially around the male terminal 10A, with the upper and lower ends of the conductors 18a connected by an annular band 18b. The spring contact 18 is attached to the small-diameter portion 12b of the contact portion 12 from above, covering the outer periphery of the small-diameter portion 12b (see Figure 2). When the male connector 1A and the female connector 1B are mated (hereinafter referred to as "connector mating"), the conductors 18a of the spring contact 18 press against both the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B, thereby electrically connecting the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B.

The resin protective cap 19 has a generally truncated cone-like outer shape tapering upward, and a cylindrical through-hole 19a extending vertically is formed inside. The lower end of the inner wall surface of the through-hole 19a is formed with an annular locking protrusion 19b that protrudes radially inward (see Figure 4). The protective cap 19 is attached to the locking portion 12c from above so that the locking portion 12c is inserted into the through-hole 19a and the annular locking protrusion 19b engages with the annular protrusion 12d (see Figure 4). When the protective cap 19 is fully attached, as shown in Figure 4, the protective cap 19 is positioned at the tip (upper end) of the contact portion 12 so as to be adjacent to the upper side of the spring contact 18 attached to the small-diameter portion 12b of the contact portion 12. Furthermore, the engagement between the annular locking protrusion 19b and the annular protrusion 12d prevents the protective cap 19 from slipping upward from the locking portion 12c. The protective cap 19 serves to prevent the tip of the contact portion 12 from coming into direct contact with the operator's fingers or surrounding components.

The outer diameter of the lower end (outermost diameter portion) of the protective cap 19 is larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 12b of the contact portion 12. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the lower end (outermost diameter portion) of the protective cap 19 and the outer diameter of the large diameter portion 12a of the contact portion 12 are larger than the inner diameter of the spring contact 18 (see Figure 4). Therefore, the spring contact 18 is sandwiched vertically between the large diameter portion 12a and the protective cap 19. As a result, the spring contact 18 is prevented from moving downward or coming off upward. Note that the protective cap 19 may abut against the spring contact 18 to sandwich the spring contact 18 between itself and the large diameter portion 12a, or it may be positioned with a small gap between it and the spring contact 18.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the base 11 has a generally cylindrical shape extending vertically downward from the flange portion 15. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the base 11 has a stepped cylindrical shape with a large diameter portion 11a and a small diameter portion 11b that is continuous with the lower side of the large diameter portion 11a and has a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 11a. When the male terminal 10A and external terminal 30A are connected, the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 11b is electrically connected to the inner wall surface 33a of the hollow portion 33 of the tubular portion 32 of the external terminal 30A (described later) via the spring contact 16 (described later) (see Figures 4 to 6).

Next, we will explain the male housing 20A. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the male housing 20A is a resin-molded product with a cylindrical shape that extends in the vertical direction. The male housing 20A integrally includes a terminal accommodating portion 21 and a mating portion 22 located above the terminal accommodating portion 21.

The mating portion 22 has a vertically extending cylindrical shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A housed in the male housing 20A with a gap (see Figure 4), and functions to protect the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A. Furthermore, the mating portion 22 of the male housing 20A has a shape that allows it to be inserted into the cylindrical mating portion 22 of the female housing 20B (see Figure 4), and functions to fit into the mating portion 22 of the female housing 20B.

The terminal accommodating portion 21 has a cylindrical shape that defines a terminal accommodating chamber that is approximately rectangular and extends vertically to correspond to the external shape of the flange portion 15 of the male terminal 10A (see Figure 4), and serves to accommodate the base portion 11 of the male terminal 10A. A substantially rectangular opening 21a is formed at the lower end of the terminal accommodating portion 21 (see Figure 4).

As shown in Figure 4, a pair of locking pieces 23 are formed on a pair of inner walls arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction of the terminal accommodating section 21. The locking pieces 23 extend upward from a pair of oppositely arranged edge portions of the opening 21a in the left-right direction so as to face each other in the left-right direction. Each locking piece 23 is elastically deformable in the left-right direction. A protrusion 24 that protrudes inward in the left-right direction is formed at the tip of each locking piece 23.

As can be seen from Figure 4, the pair of locking pieces 23 engage with the pair of extensions 15a of the flange portion 15 of the male terminal 10A, thereby preventing the male terminal 10A accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 21 from slipping out downward. The left-right spacing between the pair of locking pieces 23 (when non-elastically deformed) is slightly wider than the left-right spacing between the tips of the pair of extensions 15a. The left-right spacing between the tips of the protrusions 24 of the pair of locking pieces 23 (when non-elastically deformed) is slightly narrower than the left-right spacing between the tips of the pair of extensions 15a, and slightly wider than the outer diameter of the large-diameter portion 11a of the base 11. The pair of inner walls arranged opposite each other in the front-rear direction of the terminal accommodating portion 21 form a pair of flat surfaces that are parallel to each other. The components that make up the male connector 1A have been described above.

Next, we will explain how to assemble the connector 1A. The connector 1A is formed by accommodating the male terminals 10A in the male housing 20A. More specifically, the male terminals 10A are inserted into the male housing 20A from below through the opening 21a. This insertion continues until the contact portions 12 move from the interior of the terminal accommodating portion 21 to the interior of the mating portion 22, and the pair of locking pieces 23 are temporarily elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction due to pressure from the pair of extensions 15a of the flange portion 15, and the pair of extensions 15a engage with the protrusions 24 of the pair of locking pieces 23 that have elastically returned to their original position (see Figure 4). The engagement of the pair of extensions 15a with the protrusions 24 of the pair of locking pieces 23 completes the assembly of the male terminals 10A into the male housing 20A, resulting in the connector 1A shown in Figure 4.

When the connector 1A is fully assembled, the male terminal 10A is allowed to tilt (i.e., swing) relative to the male housing 20A (terminal accommodating portion 21) around the engagement points (see Figures 4 and 7) between the pair of extensions 15a of the flange portion 15 and the protrusions 24 of the pair of locking pieces 23 of the male housing 20A. Specifically, the male terminal 10A is allowed to tilt (i.e., swing) in various directions around the circumference.

Furthermore, when the connector 1A is fully assembled, a pair of extensions 15b on the flange portion 15 of the male terminal 10A engage with a pair of inner walls arranged opposite each other in the front-to-rear direction of the terminal accommodating portion 21 of the male housing 20A, thereby restricting axial rotation of the male terminal 10A relative to the male housing 20A.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, an external terminal 30A, to which an electric wire 31A is connected, is connected to the base 11 of the male terminal 10A of the assembled connector 1A. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the external terminal 30A has a rectangular flat plate portion at its tip, and a metal tubular portion 32 is integrally formed on the upper surface of this rectangular flat plate so as to protrude upward. The tubular portion 32 has a cylindrical shape that opens upward, and a spring contact 16 is attached to the hollow portion 33 of the tubular portion 32. The tubular portion 32 is electrically connected to the rectangular flat plate portion by, for example, welding or fusion bonding.

As shown in Figure 3, the metal spring contact 16, like the spring contact 18, has a cylindrical shape that extends vertically. The spring contact 16 has a structure in which multiple plate-shaped conductors 16a are arranged circumferentially around the male terminal 10A, with the upper and lower ends of the conductors 16a connected by an annular band 16b. The spring contact 16 is attached to the hollow portion 33 of the tubular portion 32 from above, covering the cylindrical inner wall surface 33a of the hollow portion 33 (see Figures 2 to 4).

The external terminal 30A is connected to the male terminal 10A by inserting the small diameter portion 11b of the base 11 of the male terminal 10A from above into the cylindrical portion 32, with the spring contact 16 attached to the hollow portion 33 (see Figure 3). When the male terminal 10A and external terminal 30A are connected, the spring contact 16 (more specifically, the conductor 16a) is sandwiched between the outer surface of the small diameter portion 11b of the male terminal 10A and the inner wall surface 33a of the hollow portion 33 of the cylindrical portion 32 of the external terminal 30A, and elastically contacts the outer surface of the small diameter portion 11b and the inner wall surface 33a of the hollow portion 33, thereby electrically connecting the male terminal 10A and external terminal 30A (see Figures 4 to 6).

When the male terminal 10A and external terminal 30A are connected, the spring contact 16 is positioned to circumferentially surround the small-diameter portion 11b of the base 11 of the male terminal 10A. Therefore, the small-diameter portion 11b elastically deforms the spring contact 16, allowing the small-diameter portion 11b (i.e., the male terminal 10A) to tilt (swing) in various directions in the circumferential direction relative to the tubular portion 32 (i.e., the external terminal 30A) (see the white arrows in Figure 8). Furthermore, as described above, when the connector 1A is fully assembled, the male terminal 10A is allowed to tilt (swing) in various directions in the circumferential direction relative to the male housing 20A. As described above, when the male terminals 10A of the connector 1A are connected to the external terminals 30A after assembly, the tilt of the male terminals 10A relative to the male housing 20A is absorbed by the spring contacts 16, allowing the male terminals 10A to tilt (swing) in various directions around the circumference relative to the male housing 20A and external terminals 30A. This concludes the description of the male connector 1A.

Next, we will explain the female connector 1B. As shown in Figure 2, the female connector 1B includes a female terminal 10B and a female housing 20B that accommodates the female terminal 10B. As described above, the male connector 1A and the female connector 1B have similar structures, except for the different types of terminals (male terminal 10A and female terminal 10B) they contain, the different locking structures between the built-in terminals and the housing, the different connection structures between the built-in terminals and the external terminals, and the fact that they are oriented up and down in the opposite directions. Therefore, detailed explanations of the female terminal 10B and the female housing 20B will be omitted below, except for the structure of the contact portion 12 of the female terminal 10B, the locking structure between the female terminal 10B and the female housing 20B, and the connection structure between the built-in terminals and the external terminals.

As shown in Figure 4, the contact portion 12 of the female terminal 10B has a hollow cylindrical shape that opens downward. When the connectors are mated, the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A is inserted into the hollow portion 12e of the contact portion 12 of the female terminal 10B. For this reason, the hollow portion 12e has a cylindrical shape that corresponds to the shape of the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A. As shown in Figure 4, the inner wall surface 12f of the hollow cylindrical portion 12e has a surface shape (a completely flat cylindrical inner surface) that does not have any protrusions that protrude radially inward across the entire vertical area.

Note that the inner wall surface 12f of the hollow portion 12e of the female terminal 10B does not have any components equivalent to the spring-like contacts 18 provided on the male terminal 10A. Therefore, there is no need to provide protrusions (so-called barbs) for holding the spring-like contacts on the inner wall surface 12f of the hollow portion 12e of the female terminal 10B.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the base 11 of the female terminal 10B has a rectangular prism shape extending vertically, and includes a pair of outer walls 13 arranged parallel to each other in the left-right direction and a pair of outer walls 14 arranged parallel to each other in the front-rear direction. The base 11 of the female terminal 10B does not have a portion corresponding to the flange portion 15 of the male terminal 10A (see Figure 2). Furthermore, the female housing 20B does not have a portion corresponding to the pair of locking pieces 23 (pair of protrusions 24) provided on the male housing 20A. Instead, the female housing 20B has press-fit protrusions 25 formed on each of the four inner walls that define the rectangular prism-shaped terminal accommodating chamber of the terminal accommodating portion 21 (see Figure 4). The female terminal 10B is fixed to the female housing 20B by press-fitting the base 11, which has a substantially rectangular prism shape, into the terminal accommodating portion 21 so that the four outer wall surfaces of the base 11 press into contact with the corresponding press-fit projections 25 (see Figure 4).

Once assembled, the female connector 1B, like the male connector 1A, also restricts rotation of the female terminal 10B around its axis relative to the female housing 20B by engaging the pair of outer walls 14 of the female terminal 10B with the pair of inner walls arranged opposite each other in the front-to-back direction of the terminal accommodating portion 21 of the female housing 20B, as well as the pair of outer walls 13 of the female terminal 10B with the pair of inner walls arranged opposite each other in the left-to-right direction of the terminal accommodating portion 21 of the female housing 20B.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, an external terminal 30B connected to an electric wire 31B is bolted to the upper end of the female terminal 10B of the assembled connector 1B. In this example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the external terminal 30B has a rectangular flat portion at its tip, and a through hole 34 is formed in this rectangular flat portion (see Figure 4). The external terminal 30B is fastened to the female terminal 10B with its board side extending to the right by threading a bolt 40B inserted into the through hole 34 into the bolt hole 17 of the female terminal 10B (see Figures 2 and 4). This concludes the description of the female connector 1B.

As shown in Figure 4, the male connector 1A, to which the external terminals 30A are connected, and the female connector 1B, to which the external terminals 30B are fastened, are mated so that the contact portions 12 of the male terminals 10A are inserted into the hollow portions 12e of the contact portions 12 of the female terminals 10B, and the mating portions 22 of the male housing 20A are inserted into the mating portions 22 of the female housing 20B. This results in the connector unit 2 shown in Figure 1.

When the connectors are mated (when the male connector 1A and female connector 1B are fully mated, see Figure 1), as shown in Figure 4, the spring contacts 18 provided on the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A are elastically pressed and clamped radially between the outer wall surface of the small diameter portion 12b of the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A and the inner wall surface 12f of the hollow portion 12e of the contact portion 12 of the female terminal 10B, electrically connecting the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B. As a result, the external terminal 30A (i.e., the electric wire 31A) and the external terminal 30B (i.e., the electric wire 31B) are electrically connected via the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B.

When connecting the male terminal 10A and female terminal 10B, even if the female terminal 10B approaches while tilted relative to the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A, as shown in Figure 8, the base 11 (more specifically, the small diameter portion 11b) of the male terminal 10A displaces relative to the external terminal 30A (more specifically, the cylindrical portion 32) in response to the tilt of the female terminal 10B, elastically deforming the spring contacts 16 (more specifically, swinging around the engagement points between the pair of extensions 15a and the protrusions 24 of the pair of locking pieces 23). This allows the male terminal 10A to be maintained in a position suitable for connection with the female terminal 10B. As a result, the force (i.e., insertion force) required to mate the male connector 1A and the female connector 1B can be reduced.

When separating the mated male and female connectors 1A and 1B, if the female terminal 10B is tilted relative to the contact portion 12 of the male terminal 10A, the inner wall surface 12f of the hollow portion 12e of the female terminal 10B may become caught on the lower end (outermost diameter portion) of the protective cap 19. This may increase the amount of force required to separate the male and female terminals 10A and may result in the protective cap 19 being unintentionally removed. In this regard, the connector unit 2 uses the same mechanism as above to displace the male terminal 10A relative to the external terminal 30A in accordance with the tilt of the female terminal 10B, thereby maintaining the male terminal 10A in a position suitable for connection despite the tilt of the female terminal 10B. As a result, the occurrence of such problems can be prevented.

Furthermore, as described above, the inner wall surface 12f of the hollow portion 12e of the female terminal 10B has a surface shape (a completely flat cylindrical inner surface shape) that does not have any protrusions that protrude radially inward across the entire vertical area. Therefore, when the mated male connector 1A and female connector 1B are separated, the inner wall surface 12f of the hollow portion 12e of the female terminal 10B is prevented from getting caught on the protective cap 19 attached to the tip (upper end) of the male terminal 10A during the process of relative vertical movement between the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B.

<Actions and Effects>
As described above, in the male connector 1A according to this embodiment, the male terminal 10A has a contact portion 12 that is a contact point with the female terminal 10B, and a base portion 11 that is provided at a different location in the axial direction of the male terminal 10A from the contact portion 12. The terminal accommodating portion 21 of the male housing 20A holds the male terminal 10A in a displaceable manner. Furthermore, in the radial direction of the male terminal 10A, the spring-like contact 16 is sandwiched between the base portion 11 and the external terminal 30A, and the spring-like contact 16 elastically contacts the base portion 11 and the external terminal 30A, thereby electrically connecting the male terminal 10A and the external terminal 30A. Therefore, when connecting the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B, even if the female terminal 10B approaches the male terminal 10A while tilted relative to the contact portion 12, the base 11 of the male terminal 10A elastically deforms the spring contact 16 and displaces (e.g., swings) in response to the tilt, thereby maintaining the male terminal 10A in a position suitable for connection and reducing the force required to mate the connectors (i.e., insertion force). Therefore, the male connector 1A according to this embodiment can improve the operability when connecting the male terminal 10A to the female terminal 10B. The same effect is achieved when separating the mated connectors 1A and 1B.

Furthermore, when separating the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B, if the female terminal 10B is tilted, the female terminal 10B may get caught on the outer edge of the protective cap 19. This can increase the amount of force required to separate the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B, or cause the protective cap 19 to come off unintentionally. In contrast, the male connector 1A of this embodiment can maintain the position of the male terminal 10A in a position suitable for connection regardless of the tilt of the female terminal 10B, thereby preventing such problems from occurring.

Furthermore, the contact portion 12 is located on one side of the male terminal 10A, with the base portion 11 located on the other side of the male terminal 10A, with the flange portion 15 of the male terminal 10A sandwiched between them. The male terminal 10A is allowed to tilt (i.e., swing) around the engagement point between the flange portion 15 of the male terminal 10A and the terminal accommodating portion 21 of the male housing 20A. Therefore, when connecting the male terminal 10A and the female terminal 10B, the male terminal 10A can swing in response to the tilt of the female terminal 10B, which is thought to occur particularly frequently, thereby maintaining the male terminal 10A in a position suitable for connection.

Furthermore, the base 11 of the male terminal 10A is inserted into the hollow portion 33 of the tubular portion 32 of the external terminal 30A. The spring-like contacts 16 are sandwiched between the outer surface of the base 11 and the inner wall surface 33a of the hollow portion 33. As a result, the spring-like contacts 16 are positioned to surround the base 11 in the circumferential direction, allowing the spring-like contacts 16 to properly absorb tilts of the male terminal 10A in various directions in the circumferential direction. This allows the male terminal 10A to be maintained in a position suitable for connection.

<Other Aspects>
It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited thereto.

For example, in the above embodiment, the external terminal 30A has a cylindrical portion 32 with a hollow portion 33 into which the base portion 11 of the male terminal 10A is inserted, and the spring-like contact 16 is sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the base portion 11 of the male terminal 10A and the inner wall surface 33a of the hollow portion 33 of the cylindrical portion 32 of the external terminal 30A. Alternatively, the male terminal 10A may have a hole on the bottom surface (lower surface) of the base 11 into which an upwardly protruding protrusion on the external terminal 30A is inserted, and the spring-like contact 16 may be sandwiched between the inner surface of the hole in the base 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion on the external terminal 30A.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the external terminal 30A is equipped with a spring-like contact 16 as a conductive member, which is constructed by connecting multiple plate-like conductors 16a with an annular band 16b. In contrast, the conductive member attached to the external terminal 30A need only be a member that can establish a conductive connection between the male terminal 10A and the external terminal 30A, and does not necessarily have to be the spring-like contact 16 shown in the embodiment.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the male terminal 10A has a cylindrical shape, and the female terminal 10B has a hollow cylindrical shape with a cylindrical inner surface. In contrast, the male terminal 10A may have a rod-like shape, for example, a polygonal prism shape. If the male terminal 10A has a polygonal prism shape, the female terminal 10B may have a hollow tubular shape with a polygonal tubular inner surface that corresponds to the outer peripheral shape of the male terminal 10A.

Here, the features of the embodiment of the connector 1A according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [4].

[1]
A connector (1A) comprising: a rod-shaped terminal (10A); a housing (20A) that accommodates the terminal (10A); an external terminal (30A); and a conductive member (16) that electrically connects the terminal (10A) and the external terminal (30A),
The housing (20A)
a holding portion (21) for holding the terminal (10A) displaceably relative to the housing (20A);
The terminal (10A) is
The terminal (10A) has a first contact portion (12) electrically connectable to a mating terminal (10B), and a second contact portion (11) provided at a position different from the first contact portion (12) in the axial direction of the terminal (10A) and sandwiching the conductive member (16) between the second contact portion (11) and the external terminal (30A) in the radial direction of the terminal (10A),
The conductive member (16)
The second contact portion (11) elastically contacts the external terminal (30A) to electrically connect the terminal (10A) to the external terminal (30A).
Connector (1A).

According to the connector of the above-mentioned configuration [1], the rod-shaped terminal has a first contact portion that contacts the mating terminal and a second contact portion located at a different position from the first contact portion in the axial direction of the terminal. The housing's retaining portion holds the terminal in a displaceable manner. Furthermore, a conductive member is sandwiched between the second contact portion and the external terminal in the radial direction of the terminal, and the conductive member elastically contacts the second contact portion and the external terminal, thereby electrically connecting the terminal and the external terminal. Therefore, when connecting the rod-shaped terminal to the mating terminal, even if the mating terminal (e.g., the hollow cylindrical female terminal described above) approaches the rod-shaped terminal while tilting relative to the first contact portion of the rod-shaped terminal, the rod-shaped terminal's second contact portion displaces (e.g., swings around the retaining portion) in response to the tilt, elastically deforming the conductive member, thereby maintaining the rod-shaped terminal in a position suitable for connection. This reduces the force required to connect the terminals (i.e., insertion force). Therefore, this connector configuration improves the ease of connecting the rod-shaped terminal to the mating terminal. The same effect is achieved when disconnecting connected terminals.

Furthermore, the connector with the above configuration also has other advantages. Specifically, a tip cover (so-called protective cap) may be attached to the tip of the first contact portion of the terminal to prevent the tip from coming into contact with the operator's fingers or surrounding components. To provide this protective function, the tip cover is typically shaped so that its outer edge is slightly outward of the outer edge of the terminal's tip, or so that both outer edges are located at approximately the same position. In other words, the tip cover completely covers the tip of the terminal. However, due to the shape of this tip cover, when separating a terminal from its mating terminal, there is a possibility that the mating terminal may get caught on the outer edge of the tip cover if the mating terminal is tilted. This catch can increase the labor required to separate the terminals or lead to unintended removal of the tip cover. In contrast, the connector of the present invention can maintain the rod-shaped terminal in a position suitable for insertion and removal regardless of the tilt of the mating terminal, thereby preventing such problems from occurring.

[2]
In the connector (1A) described in the above [1],
The terminal (10A) is
a flange portion (15) extending radially from the terminal (10A),
The holding portion (21) of the housing (20A) is
The terminal (10A) is held so as to allow tilting of the terminal (10A) around an engagement point between the holding portion (21) and the flange portion (15),
The first contact portion (12)
Located on one side of the flange portion (15) in the axial direction of the terminal (10A),
The second contact portion (11)
Located on the other side of the flange portion (15) in the axial direction of the terminal (10A),
Connector (1A).

In a connector with the configuration [2] above, the first contact portion is located on one side of the terminal, with the terminal flange sandwiched between them, and the second contact portion is located on the other side of the terminal. The terminal is allowed to tilt (i.e., swing) around the engagement point between the terminal flange and the housing's retaining portion. Therefore, when connecting a rod-shaped terminal to a mating terminal, the rod-shaped terminal can swing in response to the tilt of the mating terminal, which is thought to occur particularly frequently, thereby maintaining the rod-shaped terminal in a position suitable for connection.

[3]
In the connector (1A) according to the above [1] or [2],
The external terminal (30A) is
a hollow portion (33) into which the second contact portion (11) of the terminal (10A) is inserted;
The conductive member (16)
It is sandwiched between the outer peripheral surface of the second contact portion (11) and the inner wall surface (33a) of the hollow portion (33).
Connector (1A).

In the connector of the configuration [3] above, the second contact portion of the external terminal is inserted into the hollow portion of the terminal. The conductive member is sandwiched between the outer surface of the second contact portion and the inner wall surface of the hollow portion (see, for example, Figure 4). This allows the conductive member to circumferentially surround the second contact portion, allowing the conductive member to properly absorb tilt of the rod-shaped terminal in various directions in the circumferential direction. This allows the rod-shaped terminal to be maintained in a position suitable for connection.

[4]
In the connector (1A) according to the above [1] or [2],
The terminal (10A) is
The second contact portion (11) has a hole portion into which the external terminal (30A) is inserted,
The conductive member (16)
The second contact portion (11) is sandwiched between the inner surface of the hole and the outer peripheral surface of the external terminal (30A).
Connector (1A).

In the connector of the configuration [4] above, the external terminal is inserted into the hole (i.e., the second contact portion) of the rod-shaped terminal. The conductive member is sandwiched between the inner surface of the hole and the outer surface of the external terminal. This allows the conductive member to surround the external terminal in the circumferential direction, allowing the conductive member to properly absorb tilt of the rod-shaped terminal in various directions in the circumferential direction. The rod-shaped terminal can be maintained in a position suitable for connection.

1A male connector (connector)
10A male terminal (terminal)
10B female terminal (mating terminal)
11 Base (second contact part)
12 Contact portion (first contact portion)
15 Flange portion 16 Spring-shaped contact (conductive member)
20A male housing (housing)
21 Terminal accommodating portion (holding portion)
30A External terminal 33 Hollow part 33a Inner wall surface

Claims (3)

A connector comprising: a rod-shaped terminal; a housing that accommodates the terminal; an external terminal; and a conductive member that electrically connects the terminal and the external terminal,
The housing includes:
a holding portion that holds the terminal displaceably relative to the housing;
The terminal is
a first contact portion electrically connectable to a mating terminal, and a second contact portion provided at a position different from the first contact portion in the axial direction of the terminal and sandwiching the conductive member between the first contact portion and the external terminal in the radial direction of the terminal,
The conductive member is
the second contact portion elastically contacts the external terminal to electrically connect the terminal and the external terminal;
The terminal is
a flange portion extending from the terminal in the radial direction;
The holding portion of the housing is
The terminal is held so as to allow tilting of the terminal around an engagement point between the holding portion and the flange portion,
The first contact portion is
the terminal is located on one side of the flange portion in the axial direction,
The second contact portion is
a flange portion provided on the other side of the terminal in the axial direction;
connector. 2. The connector according to claim 1,
The external terminals are
a hollow portion into which the second contact portion of the terminal is inserted;
The conductive member is
The second contact portion is sandwiched between an outer peripheral surface of the second contact portion and an inner wall surface of the hollow portion.
connector. A connector comprising: a rod-shaped terminal; a housing that accommodates the terminal; an external terminal; and a conductive member that electrically connects the terminal and the external terminal,
The housing includes:
a holding portion that holds the terminal displaceably relative to the housing;
The terminal is
a first contact portion electrically connectable to a mating terminal, and a second contact portion provided at a position different from the first contact portion in the axial direction of the terminal and sandwiching the conductive member between the first contact portion and the external terminal in the radial direction of the terminal,
The conductive member is
the second contact portion elastically contacts the external terminal to electrically connect the terminal and the external terminal;
The terminal is
The second contact portion has a hole into which the external terminal is inserted,
The conductive member is
The second contact portion is sandwiched between the inner surface of the hole of the second contact portion and the outer peripheral surface of the external terminal.
connector.