JP7748914B2 - Pressure-displacement electrical connector, its manufacturing method, and electronic device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a pressure-displacement electrical connector having an insulating foam elastomer, a method for manufacturing the same, and an electronic device.

Conventionally, pressure-displacement electrical connectors have been used to connect electronic circuit boards. The electrical connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an insulating foamed elastomer formed in a columnar shape with a generally U-shaped cross section; an insulating rubber sheet with a generally U-shaped cross section that covers part of the circumferential surface of the insulating foamed elastomer; and a plurality of thin conductive wires arranged in a generally U-shape on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet and aligned at a generally equal pitch from one end face of the insulating foamed elastomer to the other end face. Both end faces of the insulating foamed elastomer are formed as exposed insulating surfaces, and a high-hardness, insulating protective rubber sheet is provided in an exposed state on the remaining circumferential surface of the insulating foamed elastomer.

Patent No. 3318278

The primary use of conventional insulation displacement electrical connectors was to connect two electronic components (such as electronic circuit boards) secured in place by a housing or holder member, so the insulation displacement electrical connector was secured near the electronic components. In this case, the relative positioning of the electrode terminals of the electronic components and the thin conductive wires of the insulation displacement electrical connector was the responsibility of the housing or holder member that secured them. However, the applications for insulation displacement electrical connectors have expanded in recent years, and there is a demand for using insulation displacement electrical connectors to connect two electronic components in electronic devices where one electronic component is secured in a housing or holder while the other is detachable.

However, conventional insulation displacement electrical connectors such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1 lack a structural mechanism to prevent misalignment of connected electrode terminals. Furthermore, when conventional leaf springs that can prevent misalignment of electrode terminals during connection and disconnection are used, the load required for connection is large, which can result in damage such as peeling off of the plating on the surface of the electrode terminals during connection and disconnection.

The present invention provides a crimp-type electrical connector that can guide the position of the electrode terminals of an electronic component to be crimped, an electronic device equipped with this crimp-type electrical connector, and a method for manufacturing this crimp-type electrical connector.

[1] A pressure-displacement electrical connector comprising: a columnar base formed from an insulating foamed elastomer; an insulating rubber sheet covering a portion of the side surface of the columnar base; and a plurality of conductive thin wires arranged on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet at an arbitrary pitch in a direction intersecting the height direction of the columnar base, wherein the columnar base has a shape in which one side edge of a quadrangular pillar is chamfered to provide a tapered surface, and the insulating rubber sheet covers at least the tapered surface.
[2] The pressure-displacement electrical connector according to [1], wherein the largest of the multiple side surfaces of the columnar base is an exposed surface, a groove-like recess is provided in the exposed surface, and a notch corresponding to the recess is formed in the outline of at least one of the upper and lower bottom surfaces of the columnar base.
[3] The insulation displacement electrical connector according to [1] or [2], wherein the conductive thin wire is a brass wire or a silver wire.
[4] An electronic device equipped with the insulation displacement electrical connector according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the electronic device is configured so that, by pressing an electrode terminal against the tapered surface, the conductive thin wires provided on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet covering the tapered surface and the electrode terminal are electrically connected.
[5] A method for manufacturing the insulation displacement type electrical connector according to any one of [1] to [3],
A method for manufacturing a pressure-displacement electrical connector, comprising: preparing an intermediate rubber sheet on the surface of an insulating rubber sheet on which a plurality of conductive fine wires are arranged parallel to each other at an arbitrary pitch; placing the surface of the intermediate rubber sheet facing downward toward the bottom surface of a molding space in a lower molding die; pressing the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet with a pressing die to align the intermediate rubber sheet with the bottom surface; placing an elastomer material on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet; clamping an upper molding die to the lower molding die; and foaming and hardening the elastomer material to form the columnar base; wherein a slope corresponding to the tapered surface is provided on the bottom surface of the molding space.
[6] A method for manufacturing the insulation displacement type electrical connector according to any one of [1] to [3],
a method for manufacturing a pressure-contact electrical connector, the method comprising: preparing an intermediate rubber sheet on the surface of an insulating rubber sheet on which a plurality of conductive fine wires are arranged parallel to each other at an arbitrary pitch; pressing the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet against a molding bending mold to impart a bending tendency to the intermediate rubber sheet so that the intermediate rubber sheet is warped toward the back surface; placing the front surface of the intermediate rubber sheet facing downward toward the bottom surface of a molding space of a lower molding mold; aligning the intermediate rubber sheet with the bottom surface; placing an elastomer material on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet; clamping an upper molding mold to the lower molding mold; and foaming and hardening the elastomer material to form the columnar base;
[7] A method for manufacturing an insulation displacement electrical connector according to [5], which includes forming a convex portion on the surface of the upper molding die facing the elastomer material, and using the convex portion to form a concave portion on the surface of the columnar base facing the upper molding die.
[8] A method for manufacturing an insulation displacement electrical connector according to [6], which includes forming a convex portion on the surface of the upper molding die facing the elastomer material, and using the convex portion to form a concave portion on the surface of the columnar base facing the upper molding die.

In the insulation displacement electrical connector of the present invention, the position of the electrode terminal of the pressure-welded electronic component can be guided along the tapered surface on which the conductive thin wires are arranged. That is, when the electrode terminal of the electronic component is pressure-welded to the insulation displacement electrical connector fixed to the housing or holder member of the electronic device, the electrode terminal is guided from the tip to the base of the tapered surface. If an abutment member derived from the housing or holder is provided at the base of the tapered surface, the electrode terminal can be fixed between the abutment portion and the base of the tapered surface, preventing its displacement. In this case, the insulating foam elastomer contained in the insulation displacement electrical connector functions as a soft elastic material, preventing damage to the surface of the electrode terminal.
According to the manufacturing method of the present invention, the above-mentioned excellent insulation displacement type electrical connector can be easily manufactured.

1 is a perspective view of an insulation displacement type electrical connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; 1 is a plan view showing the outline of the upper bottom surface 2p of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1. The dashed lines in the figure are imaginary lines that indicate that the outline can be approximated to a rectangle. 1 is a plan view showing the outline of the upper bottom surface 2p of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1. It shows that the outline can be understood by breaking it down into a plurality of sides. 10 is a plan view showing the contour of the upper bottom surface 2p of a modified example of the insulation displacement type electrical connector 1. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which an electrode terminal E is brought into contact with a pressure-displacement electrical connector 1. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an electrode terminal E pressed against the tapered surface 2W of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 and held between the electrode terminal E and another member 100. FIG. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views illustrating a step in a method for manufacturing a pressure-displacement electrical connector. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views illustrating a step in a method for manufacturing a pressure-displacement electrical connector. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views illustrating a step in a method for manufacturing a pressure-displacement electrical connector. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views illustrating a step in a method for manufacturing a pressure-displacement electrical connector. 1 is a photograph of the upper bottom surface of the insulation displacement type electrical connector manufactured in Example 1. 10 is a photograph of the upper bottom surface of the insulation displacement type electrical connector manufactured in Example 2. 1 is a graph showing the compressive load characteristics of insulation displacement electrical connectors manufactured in Examples 1 and 2.

<Pressure-displacement electrical connector>
A first aspect of the present invention is a pressure-displacement electrical connector comprising a columnar substrate formed from an insulating foamed elastomer, an insulating rubber sheet covering a portion of the side surface (circumferential surface) of the columnar substrate, and a plurality of conductive thin wires arranged on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet at an arbitrary pitch in a direction intersecting the height direction of the columnar substrate.
Hereinafter, an embodiment of this aspect will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions and areas of the components in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions for the sake of convenience.

The insulation displacement electrical connector 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a columnar base 2 made of insulating foamed elastomer formed into a columnar shape, an insulating rubber sheet 3 that wraps around and covers part of the side of the columnar base 2, and a plurality of conductive thin wires 4 arranged approximately parallel to each other at an arbitrary pitch on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet 3. The length direction of each conductive thin wire 4 is aligned in a direction that intersects with the height direction (Z direction) of the columnar base 2. In other words, the conductive thin wires 4 are arranged at an approximately equal pitch from the upper bottom surface (one end surface) 2p of the columnar base 2 to the lower bottom surface (other end surface) 2q.

The columnar base 2 has a rectangular pillar shape in which one of its sides (the side forming the boundary between the first side surface 2H and the fourth side surface 2K) is chamfered to form a tapered surface 2W. The tapered surface 2W only needs to be inclined from the fourth side surface 2K to the first side surface 2H, and may be either a flat surface or a curved surface.

The quadrangular prism has two pairs of opposing, substantially parallel side surfaces (a pair of a first side surface 2H and a third side surface 2J, and a pair of a second side surface 2I and a fourth side surface 2K), as well as an upper base surface 2p and a lower base surface 2q. It is preferable that the upper base surface 2p and the lower base surface 2q of the quadrangular prism are rectangular. It is also preferable that the quadrangular prism be a rectangular parallelepiped.

Of the first to fourth side surfaces of the columnar substrate 2, the area of the first side surface 2H is the smallest, the area of the third side surface 2J facing the first side surface 2H is the second smallest, the area of the fourth side surface 2K is the third smallest, and the area of the second side surface 21 is the largest. The area of the tapered surface 2W is larger than the area of the first side surface 2H, smaller than the area of the fourth side surface 2K, and approximately equal to the area of the third side surface 2J.
Based on the above size relationship, when the insulation displacement type electrical connector 1 and the columnar base 2 are viewed in the X direction, the first side surface 2H side is the leading end side, and the third side surface 2J side is the rear end side.

The outline shape of the upper bottom surface 2p of the columnar base 2 in a plan view is based on a roughly rectangular shape, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, with a first corner 2v located at one end of one long side 2s of the roughly rectangular shape cut off, resulting in a tapered shape 2w.

In other words, as shown in Figure 3, the contour shape of the upper bottom surface 2p in a plan view has a first side 2h, a second side 2i, a third side 2j, a fourth side 2k, and a fifth side 2l, which are arranged in an order that allows them to be drawn with a single stroke, and the ends of each side are connected. Furthermore, the first side 2h and the third side 2j face each other and are substantially parallel, and the first side 2h is shorter than the third side 2j. The second side 2i and the fourth side 2k face each other and are substantially parallel, and the second side 2i is longer than the fourth side 2k. Furthermore, the fifth side 2l, which connects the end of the fourth side 2k to the end of the first side 2h, is not parallel to any of the other four sides and intersects the first side 2h and the fourth side 2k at an angle of approximately 30 to 60 degrees, forming a taper 2w.

The contour shape of the upper base surface 2p in a plan view is asymmetric with respect to a perpendicular line that bisects the long side of the approximately rectangular shape (this may be one of the long sides 2s or the other long side). In other words, the contour shape is asymmetric with respect to a perpendicular line that bisects the second side 2i, and is also asymmetric with respect to a perpendicular line that bisects the third side 2j. The remaining three sides are similarly asymmetric with respect to the perpendicular lines that bisect them.

Because the columnar substrate 2 is made of foamed elastomer, it has elasticity and some deformation can occur naturally. Therefore, there is no need to strictly apply geometric definitions to the meanings of terms such as "quadratic column," "rectangle," and "side" used in the above explanation. For example, it is acceptable for one of the sides to be slightly curved rather than straight, for the corners of the quadrangular column or rectangle to be slightly rounded, or for the corners of the rectangle to be slightly warped.

In this embodiment, in the outline shape of the upper bottom surface 2p in plan view shown in Figure 3, due to the effect of the taper 2w, the corner 2u where the first side 2h and the second side 2i are connected tends to warp up in a direction away from the fourth side 2k. For this reason, in the outline shape of the upper bottom surface 2p in plan view, the corner 2u on the tip side may be warped up from the rear end of the taper 2w (the bending point where the fifth side 2l and the fourth side 2k are connected) as the base point. Warping up in this manner may make it easier to guide the electrode terminal to be connected.

In this embodiment, the contour shape of the upper bottom surface 2p in a plan view continues in the depth direction of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 (the Z direction in Figure 1), and the contour shape of an X-Y cross section intersecting the Z direction at any point is basically the same as the contour shape of the upper bottom surface 2p. The contour shape of the lower bottom surface 2q on the opposite side of the upper bottom surface 2p in a plan view is also the same as that of one end surface 2p.

When one looks at the side surface on which the thin conductive wires 4 are arranged, the overall shape of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 can be seen as resembling a sled or boat gliding on snow.

The upper and lower bottom surfaces 2p and 2q of the columnar base 2 are exposed and not covered by other components, making them insulating.

The columnar substrate 2 has a first side surface 2H extending in the Z direction from the first side 2h, a second side surface 2I extending in the Z direction from the second side 2i, a third side surface 2J extending in the Z direction from the third side 2j, a fourth side surface 2K extending in the Z direction from the fourth side 2k, and a fifth side surface (tapered surface 2W) extending in the Z direction from the fifth side 2l. Of these side surfaces, the second side surface 2I, which has the largest area, is exposed and not covered by any other member, making it insulating. Meanwhile, the remaining side surfaces are covered by a continuous insulating rubber sheet 3.

The insulating rubber sheet 3 covers all of the side surfaces of the columnar base 2 except for the second side surface 2I, which has the largest area. That is, one insulating rubber sheet 3 continuously covers the entire surface, from the first side surface 2H at the tip end to the tapered surface 2W, the fourth side surface 2K, and the third side surface 2J at the rear end. The back surface of the insulating rubber sheet 3 is adhered to the columnar base 2, and on the opposite surface, multiple conductive thin wires 4 are arranged in parallel at approximately equal intervals. Each conductive thin wire extends from the end of the first side surface 2H, through the tapered surface 2W and the fourth side surface 2K, to the end of the third side surface 2J. Furthermore, both ends of each conductive thin wire are located at the boundary between the first side surface 2H and the second side surface 2I, and at the boundary between the third side surface 2J and the second side surface 2I, respectively.

The pitch between the conductive fine wires 4 is preferably approximately equal, and can be, for example, about 10 μm to 200 μm. There is no particular limit to the number of conductive fine wires arranged in a row, and it can be, for example, about 5 to 100. The thickness (diameter) of each conductive fine wire may be the same or different, and can be independently set to, for example, about 3 to 500 μm. It is preferable that the thickness of each conductive fine wire be such that a portion of each conductive fine wire can be embedded and fixed in the surface of the insulating rubber sheet 3.

The conductive fine wires 4 are preferably fine metal wires. There are no particular restrictions on the type of metal used for the fine metal wires, and examples include silver, brass, gold, gold alloys, platinum, copper, aluminum, aluminum-silicon alloys, nickel silver, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, and stainless steel. The surface of the fine metal wires may be plated.

The length in the depth direction Z of the insulating rubber sheet 3 on which the conductive thin wires 4 are arranged (corresponding to the height of the columnar substrate 2) is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately depending on the application, for example, approximately 5 mm to 100 mm.

The thickness of the insulating rubber sheet 3 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, approximately 50 to 200 μm. If it is 50 μm or more, it is easy to embed the conductive thin wires 4 on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet 3, and if it is 200 μm or less, it is easy to make it adhere closely to the shape of the side surface of the columnar substrate 2.

Examples of rubber materials that make up the insulating rubber sheet 3 include chloroprene rubber, silicone rubber, isoprene rubber, butyl rubber, fluororubber, and urethane rubber.

Examples of rubber materials that can be used to form the columnar substrate 2 include butadiene-based copolymers such as butadiene-styrene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, and butadiene-isobutylene, as well as foamable rubber materials such as chloroprene polymers, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymers, polyurethane, and silicone rubber. Among these, silicone rubber is preferred as an elastomer, as it offers excellent heat resistance, cold resistance, and weather resistance, as well as electrical insulation and biocompatibility.

The size of the upper bottom surface 2p of the columnar substrate 2 in a plan view is not particularly limited and can be set appropriately depending on the application. Examples of sizes include the following: the length of the first side 2h is 1 to 5 mm, the length of the second side 2i is 5 to 40 mm, the length of the third side 2j is 2 to 10 mm, the length of the fourth side 2k is 3 to 30 mm, and the length of the fifth side 2l (taper 2w) is 2 to 10 mm.

A modified example of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 is a structure in which a recess is provided in a portion of the exposed second side surface 2I of the side surface of the columnar base 2. In the second side surface 2I, the recess forms a groove that continues continuously from the upper bottom surface 2p to the lower bottom surface 2q. The cross section of this groove may be U-shaped, V-shaped, or have another shape.
In the outline shape of the upper bottom surface 2p of the columnar base 2' having the above-mentioned recess in a plan view, a notch corresponding to the above-mentioned recess is formed on the second edge 2i corresponding to the second side surface 2I. An example of this upper bottom surface 2p is shown in Figure 4.

4, a semicircular recess 2g is formed by recessing a portion of the second side 2i toward the fourth side 2k. When the second side 2i is divided into two equal parts, a first region close to the taper 2w and a second region far from the taper 2w, it is preferable that at least a portion of the recess 2g is formed in the first region, more preferably that more than half of the recess 2g is formed in the first region, and even more preferably that the entire recess 2g is formed in the first region. When the recess 2g is located near the taper 2w and facing the taper 2w, the load when connecting the electrode terminal of the electronic component to the vicinity of the tapered surface 2W can be reduced, allowing connection with a small load and preventing damage to the electrode terminal and the thin conductive wire 4.
The columnar substrate 2' is the same as the columnar substrate 2 shown in FIG. 3 except that a recess 2g is formed.

<Action and effect>
To illustrate an example of the effects of the present invention, Fig. 5 shows a plan view of the upper bottom surface 2p of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1. Although reference numerals unnecessary for the explanation have been omitted, the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 has all the configuration of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 shown in Fig. 1. The electrode terminal E in Fig. 5 is a cylindrical electrode terminal provided on an electronic component, and has a shape that extends in the depth direction (Z direction) of the paper.
When the electrode terminal E to be connected is moved in the X direction toward the connecting portion between the first side surface 2H at the tip end of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 and the tapered surface 2W and brought into contact with the tip end of the tapered surface 2W, the electrode terminal E is guided along the tapered surface 2W and its direction of movement is controlled toward its rear end (the fourth side surface 2K side). In this contacting state, an electrical connection is formed between the electrode terminal E and a plurality of conductive thin wires 4 (not shown) arranged in a row on the surface side of the tapered surface 2W or the fourth side surface 2K.

During the above connection, if another member 100 is provided facing the fourth side surface 2K, preferably in close contact with it, as shown in Figure 6, the electrode terminal E can be held between the surface 100a facing the tapered surface 2W of the member 100 and the tapered surface 2W.
The member 100 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a member derived from the housing or holder of an electronic device that is equipped with the insulation displacement type electrical connector of this embodiment.

In the configuration shown in Figure 6, when the electrode terminal E abutting against the tapered surface 2W is pressed in the X direction, the resulting stress causes the corner 2u at the tip to warp in the Y direction. At the same time, the elasticity of the columnar substrate 2 provides stress that suppresses this warping. This elastic force is useful for holding the electrode terminal E. On the other hand, if the elastic force is too strong, there is a risk of damaging the surface of the electrode terminal E or the conductive thin wire 4.

The above risk can be reduced by using a pressure-displacement electrical connector 1 equipped with a columnar base 2' having the aforementioned recess 2g. Referring to Figure 4, when pressure-displacement of the electrode terminal E causes stress that warps the corner 2u in the Y direction, the formation of the recess 2g reduces the elastic force that counteracts this stress.

Furthermore, if another electrode terminal not shown in Figures 5 and 6 is pressed against a location (e.g., the first side surface 2H, the third side surface 2J, or the fourth side surface 2K) away from the tapered surface 2W to which electrode terminal E is pressed, that other electrode terminal and electrode terminal E can be electrically connected via the conductive thin wire 4 of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1. The other electrode terminal and electrode terminal E may be included in different electronic components, or may be included in the same electronic component.

≪Electronic equipment≫
A second aspect of the present invention is an electronic device equipped with the insulation displacement type electrical connector of the first aspect.
In the electronic device of this aspect, it is preferable that the electrode terminals are electrically connected to the thin conductive wires 4 provided on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet 3 covering the tapered surface 2W by pressing the electrode terminals against the tapered surface 2W of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1. In this structure, the thin conductive wires can be electrically connected to the electrode terminals by pressing the columnar electrode terminals from the front end to the rear end of the tapered surface 2W.

<Manufacturing method for pressure-displacement electrical connectors>
A third aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing the insulation displacement type electrical connector of the first aspect.
A first embodiment of the manufacturing method will be described. First, an intermediate rubber sheet 30 is prepared, in which a plurality of conductive thin wires 4 are arranged substantially parallel to one another at an arbitrary pitch on the surface of an insulating rubber sheet 3. The intermediate rubber sheet can be prepared by a known method such as that described in Patent Document 1.

Next, as shown in Figure 7, the surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 on which the thin conductive wires (not shown) are arranged is placed downward toward the bottom surface 50a of the molding space of the lower molding die 50, and the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 is pressed in with a pressing die 51, so that the intermediate rubber sheet 30 conforms to the bottom surface 50a. The pressing die 51 has a pressing portion 51a shaped to reflect the unevenness of the bottom surface so that it fits into the bottom surface of the molding space.

Next, as shown in Figure 8, the elastomer material 20 is placed on the back side of the intermediate rubber sheet 30, and the upper molding die 52 is placed over the molding space of the lower molding die 50 and clamped, causing the elastomer material 20 to foam and harden, thereby forming the columnar substrate 2.

The mold clamping method, heating and pressure conditions during foaming and curing, and material selection for each component can be set as appropriate, and can be implemented by referring to publicly known methods such as Patent Document 1.

The bottom surface 50a of the molding space of the lower molding die 50 used in this embodiment is provided with a slope 50w that corresponds to the tapered surface 2W of the columnar base 2 to be formed. As a result, the intermediate rubber sheet 30 pressed by the pressing die 51 is placed roughly along the slope. Furthermore, the elastomer material 20 placed on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 foams, fills the molding space, and hardens, thereby forming a pressure-displacement electrical connector 1 equipped with a columnar base 2 having a tapered surface 2W that is warped in the shape of the slope 50w.
The insulation displacement electrical connector that has been released from the mold cavity may be subjected to finishing processes such as cutting to an appropriate size depending on the intended use.

A second embodiment of the manufacturing method will be described below. First, the preparation of an intermediate rubber sheet is the same as in the first embodiment.
9, the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 opposite to the surface on which the thin conductive wires are arranged is pressed against a bending mold 55, thereby imparting a bending tendency to the intermediate rubber sheet 30 so that the intermediate rubber sheet 30 is warped toward the back surface. At this time, the rigidity of the plurality of thin conductive wires arranged on the surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 maintains the bending tendency. The region of the bending mold 55 against which the intermediate rubber sheet 30 is pressed may be provided with irregularities corresponding to the shape of the columnar base 2.

Next, the intermediate rubber sheet 30 is placed with its front surface facing downward toward the bottom surface 50a of the molding space of the lower molding die 50, and the intermediate rubber sheet 30 is aligned as closely as possible to the bottom surface 50a. Then, as shown in Figure 10, an elastomer material 20 is placed on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30, and the upper molding die 56 is clamped to the lower molding die 50 to foam and harden the elastomer material 20, thereby forming the columnar substrate 2.

The method of pressing the intermediate rubber sheet 30 against the bending die 55 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a method of holding both ends of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 and pressing it. When using a metal wire with high hardness and rigidity (e.g., brass wire), it may be difficult to make the intermediate rubber sheet 30 conform to the bottom surface 50 a even when using the pressing die 51 exemplified in the first embodiment. On the other hand, after forming a bend using the bending die 55 of this embodiment, it is relatively easy to make the intermediate rubber sheet 30 conform to the bottom surface 50 a.
The method of clamping the mold, the conditions of heating and pressurization during foaming and hardening, the selection of materials for each component, and the like may be set as appropriate, and can be implemented by referring to known methods such as those disclosed in Patent Document 1.

The bottom surface 50a of the molding space of the lower molding die 50 used in this embodiment is provided with a slope 50w that corresponds to the tapered surface 2W of the insulation displacement electrical connector to be formed. Since it is easy to place the pre-bent intermediate rubber sheet 30 in a state that it roughly follows the slope 50w, a pressing process using a pressing die 51 may be performed, but is not necessarily required. Thereafter, the elastomer material 20 placed on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 foams, fills the molding space, and hardens, thereby forming the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 having a columnar base 2 with a tapered surface 2W that is warped to the shape of the slope 50w.
The insulation displacement electrical connector that has been released from the mold cavity may be subjected to finishing processes such as cutting to an appropriate size depending on the intended use.

10, a convex portion 56z is formed on the surface of the upper molding die 56 facing the elastomer material 20. The foamed elastomer material 20 expands in the molding space and hardens while being pressed against the convex portion 56z. This allows a concave portion 2g to be formed on the surface of the columnar base 2 facing the upper molding die 56 (the surface corresponding to the second side surface 2I).
The upper molding die 56 having the convex portion 56z is not limited to use in the manufacturing method of the second embodiment using the bending mold 55 for molding, but may also be used in the manufacturing method of the first embodiment using the pressing mold 51.

In the above description of the manufacturing method, the terms lower molding die, upper molding die, and bottom surface do not necessarily have to correspond to the direction of gravity or the vertical relationship during implementation. For example, the lower molding die may be positioned above the upper molding die. In this case, the "bottom surface" of the lower molding die may be referred to as the "top surface."

[Example 1]
The insulation displacement type electrical connector 1 shown in FIG. 1 was manufactured by the manufacturing method of the second embodiment using a forming bending die.
First, in the same manner as in the manufacturing method disclosed in Patent Document 1, an intermediate rubber sheet 30 was obtained in which approximately 500 brass wires, each 40 μm in diameter, were arranged at an equal pitch of 100 μm on the surface of an insulating rubber sheet 3 (thickness 100 μm, length 300 mm, width 300 mm) made of silicone rubber manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
Next, a bending mold 55 as shown in Fig. 9 was used to press the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 against it, thereby forming a bend on the back surface. The brass wire adhered to the surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 maintained a bend that roughly reflected the shape of the bending mold 55.
Next, the intermediate rubber sheet 30 was placed along the bottom surface 50a of the lower molding die 50 as shown in Figure 8, and an elastomer material 20 containing a silicone rubber compound manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. and a foaming agent was placed on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30. The upper molding die 52 was then clamped and heated at 175°C for 5 minutes under pressure to foam and harden the elastomer material 20, thereby forming a columnar substrate 2 and obtaining a columnar body in which the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet 30 was adhered to each side surface (except the second side surface 2I) of the columnar substrate 2.
Finally, the columnar body was removed from the mold, and excess portions were cut off to obtain the desired insulation displacement electrical connector 1. The manufactured insulation displacement electrical connector 1 had a length in the X direction of 10.9 mm, a width in the Y direction of 3.0 mm, and a height (thickness) in the Z direction of 2.5 mm.
FIG. 11 is a photograph showing a plan view of the upper bottom surface of the insulation displacement type electrical connector 1 manufactured in Example 1.

The compression load characteristics of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 manufactured in Example 1 were evaluated as follows.
The insulation displacement type electrical connector 1 was placed on a horizontal, flat base with the second side surface 2I facing downward, and the compressed terminal was pressed from above, and the amount of compression displacement and the load required for this were measured.
The measurement was carried out using an RTF-1250 manufactured by AND Co., Ltd. under the conditions of maximum compression amount: 1.8 mm, compression speed: 3 mm/min, and load cell: 100 N.
First, a compression test was conducted using a cylinder with a diameter of 30 mm as the compression terminal, with the bottom surface of the cylinder contacting the boundary between the tapered surface 2W and the fourth side surface 2K of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1. The results are shown in Figure 13 as "Compression Test 1-1."
Next, a compression test was performed using a 5 mm cube as the compression terminal, with the bottom surface of the cube contacting the boundary between the tapered surface 2W and the fourth side surface 2K of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1. The results are shown in Figure 13 as "Compression Test 1-2."

[Example 2]
An insulation displacement electrical connector 1 was manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that an upper molding die 56 having a convex portion 56z as shown in Figure 10 was used. The contour shape of the upper bottom surface 2p had a concave portion 2g as shown in Figure 4, and the length in the X direction, width in the Y direction, and height in the Z direction were the same as in Example 1.
A photograph of the top surface of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 manufactured in Example 2 is shown in Figure 12. The photograph shows that the top surface of the manufactured insulation displacement electrical connector 1 has the same shape as the top surface 2p in Figure 4 when viewed in plan. The shape in the photograph shows that the corner 2u in Figure 4 is warped up in a direction away from the fourth side surface 2K due to the elasticity of the foamed elastomer that makes up the columnar base 2, but because the foamed elastomer is soft, it returns to the original shape shown in Figure 4 with a small load.

The compression load characteristics of the insulation displacement electrical connector 1 manufactured in Example 2 were measured and evaluated in the same manner as in Example 1.
The results of using a cylindrical body with a diameter of 30 mm as the compressed terminal are shown in FIG. 13 as "Compression Test 2-1."
The results of using a 5 mm cube as the terminal to be compressed are shown in FIG. 13 as "Compression Test 2-2."

The results of each compression test showed that the insulation displacement type electrical connector 1 of Example 2, which is provided with the recess 2g, can obtain a larger amount of displacement with a smaller load.
Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it was confirmed that when a rod-shaped electrode terminal is pressed from the tip side of the manufactured insulation displacement electrical connector 1 toward the tapered surface 2W, it is guided along the tapered surface 2W toward the rear end side, ensuring proper electrical continuity.

1... Crimp-type electrical connector, 2... Columnar base, 3... Insulating rubber sheet, 4... Thin conductive wire, 2W... Tapered surface, 2g... Recess, 2p... Upper bottom surface, 2q... Lower bottom surface, 2u... Corner portion, 2w... Taper, E... Electrode terminal, 20... Elastomer material, 30... Intermediate rubber sheet, 50... Lower molding die, 50a... Bottom surface, 50w... Slope, 51... Pressing die, 52... Upper molding die, 55... Bending die, 56... Upper molding die, 56z... Convex portion, 100... Member

Claims (8)

a columnar substrate formed of an insulating foamed elastomer;
an insulating rubber sheet covering a part of the side surface of the columnar substrate;
a plurality of conductive thin wires arranged on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet at an arbitrary pitch in a direction intersecting the height direction of the columnar substrate;
In the insulation displacement electrical connector, the columnar substrate has a shape in which one side of a square pillar is chamfered to form a tapered surface, and the insulating rubber sheet covers at least the tapered surface. The insulation displacement electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the largest of the multiple side surfaces of the columnar base is an exposed surface, a groove-like recess is provided in the exposed surface, and a notch corresponding to the recess is formed in the contour of at least one of the upper and lower bottom surfaces of the columnar base. The insulation displacement electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the conductive thin wire is brass wire or silver wire. An electronic device comprising the insulation displacement type electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
an insulating rubber sheet provided on a surface of the insulating rubber sheet covering the tapered surface, the insulating rubber sheet being formed so that the electrode terminal is electrically connected to the conductive thin wire provided on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet covering the tapered surface by pressing the electrode terminal against the tapered surface. A method for manufacturing the insulation displacement type electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of:
An intermediate rubber sheet is prepared, the intermediate rubber sheet having a plurality of conductive thin wires arranged parallel to each other at an arbitrary pitch on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet;
The front surface of the intermediate rubber sheet is placed facing downward toward the bottom surface of the molding space of the lower molding die, and the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet is pressed in by a pressing die, so that the intermediate rubber sheet is aligned with the bottom surface;
forming the columnar substrate by placing an elastomer material on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet, clamping an upper molding die to the lower molding die, and foaming and curing the elastomer material;
a slope corresponding to the tapered surface is provided on the bottom surface of the molding space;
A method for manufacturing insulation displacement electrical connectors. A method for manufacturing the insulation displacement type electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the steps of:
An intermediate rubber sheet is prepared, the intermediate rubber sheet having a plurality of conductive thin wires arranged parallel to each other at an arbitrary pitch on the surface of the insulating rubber sheet;
The back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet is pressed against a bending die for molding, thereby forming a bending tendency in the intermediate rubber sheet so that the intermediate rubber sheet is warped toward the back surface thereof;
The intermediate rubber sheet is placed with the surface facing downward toward the bottom surface of the molding space of the lower molding die, and the intermediate rubber sheet is aligned with the bottom surface;
forming the columnar substrate by placing an elastomer material on the back surface of the intermediate rubber sheet, clamping an upper molding die to the lower molding die, and foaming and curing the elastomer material;
a slope corresponding to the tapered surface is provided on the bottom surface of the molding space;
A method for manufacturing insulation displacement electrical connectors. a convex portion is formed on a surface of the upper molding die facing the elastomer material,
6. The method for manufacturing an insulation displacement electrical connector according to claim 5, further comprising forming recesses on the surface of said columnar substrate facing said upper molding die by said protrusions. a convex portion is formed on a surface of the upper molding die facing the elastomer material,
7. The method for producing an insulation displacement electrical connector according to claim 6, further comprising forming recesses on the surface of said columnar substrate facing said upper molding die by said protrusions.