Abstract:
An L-shaped contact includes a contact portion adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion to be fixed to a housing, and a connection portion to be connected to a connecting object, and a hole formed in a bent portion between the fixed portion and the connection portion. When the contact is fixed to the housing, the contact is inserted into the housing by pushing an end face of the hole. The L-shaped contact ensures a stable contacting surface area for being pushed by a jig and enables to bear a heavy-electric current to pass therethrough without adversely affecting miniaturization of a connector and extremely narrow pitches of the conductors.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a contact for use in electric and electronic appliances such as digital cameras, video cameras, mobile phone terminals, and the like, and more particularly to a contact having a specific fixing structure for it. 
         [0002]    A contact  50  hitherto used is substantially L-shaped as shown in  FIG. 5 , and comprises at least a contact portion  52  adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion  54  to be fixed to a housing  82 , and a connection portion  56  to be connected to a connecting object. The contact  50  is fixed in one of inserting holes  84  formed in the housing  82  by press-fitting, hooking or the like. When the contacts  50  are inserted into the inserting holes  84  of the housing  82 , two shoulders  58  of the contacts provided between said fixed portion  54  and said connection portion  56  are pushed by means of a given jig to achieve the insertion of the contacts into the housing as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0003]    Patent documents proposed by the applicant of the present application, incorporated herein are Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-312,560/1999) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-206,908) both disclosing contacts having a hole at a predetermined position, and Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H09-050,842) disclosing contacts having a portion to be pushed by a jig. 
       Patent Literature 1 
       [0004]    According to the abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11,-312,560/1999, this invention has an object to provide an electrical connector  10  enabling high speed transmission without causing any cross talk, although socket contacts  14  or  141  of a tuning fork type are arranged with a narrow pitch. Disclosed is an electrical connector  10  including an insulator  12  and socket contacts  14  held and fixed by the insulator  12  and each consisting of two contact pieces  18  arranged in parallel with each other, the two contact pieces each having at one end a connection portion  26  to be connected to a substrate, substantially at its center a fixed portion  24  to be fixed to said insulator, and at the other end a contact portion  22  to contact a mating contact, wherein said socket contacts  14  are each formed with a hole  20  in the proximity of the middle of the fixed portion  24  of the socket contact  14 . 
         [0005]    Incidentally, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-312,560/1999 recites an electrical connector including an insulator and socket contacts held and fixed by the insulator and each consisting of two contact pieces arranged in parallel with each other, the two contact pieces each having at one end a connection portion to be connected to a substrate, substantially at its center a fixed portion to be fixed to said insulator, and at the other end a contact portion to contact a mating contact, wherein said socket contacts are each formed with a hole in the proximity of the middle of the fixed portion of the socket contact. 
       Patent Literature 2 
       [0006]    According to the abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-206,908, this invention has an object to provide an electrical connector  10  enabling characteristic impedance to be matched while ensuring elasticity of contact portions  16  of contacts  14 . Disclosed is an electrical connector  10  including a required number of contacts  14  each having a contact portion  16  adapted to contact a mating connector or a substrate, a fixed portion  18  to be fixed to a housing  12 , and a connection portion  22  to be connected to a substrate, and the housing  12  for fixing the contacts  14  and having a fitting opening  28  into which a mating connector or the like is inserted, wherein the contacts  14  are arranged at the same interval in the longitudinal direction, and the contacts  14  are each provided with a hole  20  between the contact portion  16  and the fixed portion  18 . The hole  20  is the widest at the side nearest to the contact portion  16  and becomes progressively narrower toward the fixed portion  18 . 
         [0007]    Incidentally, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-206,908, recites an electrical connector including a required number of contacts each having a contact portion adapted to contact a mating connector or a substrate, a fixed portion to be fixed to a housing, and a connection portion to be connected to a substrate, and the housing for fixing the contacts and having a fitting opening into which a mating connector or a substrate is inserted, wherein said contacts are arranged at the same interval in the longitudinal direction, and said contacts are each provided with a hole between the contact portion and the fixed portion. Claim  2  recites that in the electrical connector as claimed in claim  1 , said contacts adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction are arranged at the same interval so as to cause characteristic impedance to be matched. Claim  3  recites that in the electrical connector as claimed in claim  2 , said hole is so formed in each of the contacts that the hole is the widest at the side nearest to said contact portion and becomes progressively narrower toward said fixed portion for the purpose of increasing the elasticity of the contact portion. Claim  4  recites that in the electrical connector as claimed in claim  2  or  3 , said hole is triangular. 
       Patent Literature 3 
       [0008]    According to the abstract of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H09-050,842, this invention has an object to provide a press-in contact  10  which can be easily press-fitted in a circuit board by means of a simple jig. Disclosed is a press-in contact  10  comprising two plate-shaped pieces  13  whose positioning parts  12  have a pushing face A  14  adapted to be pushed by a jig, and a jointing portion  15  for jointing the plate-shaped pieces  13  and a connection portion  18 , wherein the connection portion  18  is bent into a substantially J-shape so that center axes of the positioning parts  12  and connection portion  18  are staggered, and said plate-shaped pieces  13  are bent into a C-shape so that center axes of the plate-shaped pieces  13  of the positioning parts  12  and the connection portion  18  are staggered. 
         [0009]    Incidentally, claim 1 of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H09-050,842 recites a press-in contact including a connection portion to be connected to a mating connector, a press-fitting portion to be press-fitted and fixed in a cylindrical through-hole of a printed circuit board, and a contact portion to be conducted to a substrate, wherein said press-in contact comprises two plate-shaped pieces whose positioning parts have a pushing face A adapted to be pushed by a jig, and a jointing portion for jointing the plate-shaped pieces and the connection portion shaped substantially in the form of a J-shape, and center axes of the positioning parts and the connection portion are staggered. Claim  2  recites a method for producing a press-in contact comprising sequentially performed steps of initially punching a metal plate to form a press-in contact material in the form of a plate, drawing the punched press-in contact material to form its press-fitting portion to have a substantially V-shaped cross-section, deforming the press-fitting portion having the substantially V-shaped cross-section worked in said drawing step so as to form the inside of the press-fitting portion into a U-shape, drawing the outside of the press-fitting portion to have a plurality of arc portions and straight portions, further forming plate-shaped pieces  13  and a connection portion  18  by cutting, thereafter bending the connection portion  18  into substantially a J-shape, and finally cut-out the formed press-in contact away from the metal plate. Claim  3  recites a press-in contact including a connection portion to be connected to a mating connector, a press-fitting portion to be press-fitted and fixed in a cylindrical through-hole of a printed circuit board, and a contact portion to be conducted to a substrate, wherein said press-in contact comprises two plate-shaped pieces whose positioning parts have a pushing face A adapted to be pushed by a jig, and a jointing portion for jointing the plate-shaped pieces and the connection portion, and said plate-shaped pieces are bent into a C-shape so that center axes of the plate-shaped pieces of the positioning parts and the connection portion are staggered. 
         [0010]    In recent years, with the miniaturization of electric and electronic appliances, connectors have also been miniaturized and connectors having conductors arranged with extremely narrow pitches have been promoted as well. In the case that a connector is used for electric power purpose, a heavy-current might pass through the contacts of the connector, and therefore it is preferable for the contacts to have wide areas as much as possible in order to pass the heavy-current in consideration of electric resistance. When contacts are inserted into an insulator such as a housing, press-fitting of the contacts are generally performed by the use of a jig or the like. When using a jig, the contacts must necessarily be provided with portions which are to be pushed by the jig. As the portions to be pushed by the jig, two shoulders are often provided between the fixed portion and the connection portion of a contact (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) and the shoulders are pushed by a jig (as shown in  FIG. 6 ) as described in the paragraph explaining the prior art. With such shoulders, passing electric current would be constrained and, moreover, flat faces to be pushed would become narrower due to rounded corners and shear drop caused when forming the contacts. 
         [0011]    In the Patent Literatures 1 and 2, although the contacts are each provided with a hole, such hole is intended to serve to match the characteristic impedance, thus cannot be pushed by a jig. 
         [0012]    Patent Literature 3 relates to the press-in contact which is directly press-fitted into a substrate or circuit board, but not into an insulator such as a housing. Therefore, the contact is press-fitted from the side connecting to a mating object without any limitation of the thickness of a housing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In view of the problems of the prior art described above, the present invention has been accomplished and has an object to provide a contact ensuring its stable contacting surface area for being pushed by a jig and enabling to bear a heavy-electric current to pass therethrough without adversely affecting miniaturization of a connector and extremely narrow pitches of the conductors. 
         [0014]    The object as described above can be accomplished by the contact  10  as claimed in claim  1  including a contact portion  12  adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion  14  to be fixed to a housing  82 , and a connection portion  16  to be connected to a connecting object, in which said fixed portion  14  of said contact is bent substantially vertically to form bent pieces  18  whose end faces  20  are pushed to insert the contact  10  into said housing  82  when the contact  10  is fixed to said housing  82 . 
         [0015]    Moreover, the object as described above can also be achieved by the L-shaped contact  30  as claimed in claim  2  including a contact portion  32  adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion  34  to be fixed to a housing  82 , and a connection portion  36  to be connected to a connecting object, in which said L-shaped contact is formed between said fixed portion  34  and said connection portion  36  with a bent portion which is formed with a hole  38  whose end face  40  is pushed to insert the contact  30  into said housing  82  when the contact  30  is fixed to said housing  82 . 
         [0016]    The connector  80  as claimed in claim  3  is characterized in that when the contact  10  or  30  as claimed in claim  1  or  2  is fixed to said housing  82 , said contact  10  or  30  is inserted into said housing  82  by pushing said end faces  20  of said bent pieces  18  or said end face  40  of said hole  38 . 
         [0017]    As can be seen from the above descriptions, the contact according to the invention can bring about the following significant effects. 
         [0000]    (1) In the contact  10  including a contact portion  12  adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion  14  to be fixed to a housing  82 , and a connection portion  16  to be connected to a connecting object, according to the invention of claim  1  said fixed portion  14  of said contact is bent substantially vertically to form bent pieces  18  whose end faces  20  are pushed to insert the contact  10  into said housing  82  when the contact  10  is fixed to said housing  82 . Therefore, the contact according to the invention can ensure stable contact areas to contact a jig  90  and hence achieve stable press-fitting of the contact, and enables to bear a heavy-current to pass therethrough without adversely affecting miniaturization of a connector  80  and extremely narrow pitches of the conductors.
 
(2) In the L-shaped contact  30  including a contact portion  32  adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion  34  to be fixed to a housing  82 , and a connection portion  36  to be connected to a connecting object, according to the invention of claim  2  said L-shaped contact is formed between said fixed portion  34  and said connection portion  36  with a bent portion which is formed with a hole  38  whose end face  40  is pushed to insert the contact  30  into said housing  82  when the contact  30  is fixed to said housing  82 . Consequently, the contact according to the invention can ensure stable contact areas to contact a jig  90  and hence achieve stable press-fitting of the contact, and enables to bear a heavy-current to pass therethrough without adversely affecting miniaturization of a connector  80  and extremely narrow pitches of the conductors.
 
(3) The connector  80  as claimed in claim  3  is characterized in that when the contact  10  or  30  as claimed in claim  1  or  2  is fixed to said housing  82 , said contact  10  or  30  is inserted into said housing  82  by pushing said end faces  20  of said bent pieces  18  or said end face  40  of said hole  38 . Therefore, the connector  80  according to the invention can ensure stable contact areas of contacts to contact a jig  90  and hence achieve stable press-fitting of the contacts, and enables heavy-current to pass therethrough without adversely affecting miniaturization of the connector  80  and extremely narrow pitches of the conductors.
 
         [0018]    The invention will be more fully understood by referring to the following detailed specification and claims taken in connection with the appended drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  (A) is a perspective view of a contact according to the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 1  (B) is a perspective view of another contact according to the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  (C) is a perspective view of a further contact according to the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  (A) is a view for explaining press-fitting of the contact shown in  FIG. 1  (B); 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  (B) is a view for explaining press-fitting of the contact shown in  FIG. 1  (C); 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  (A) is a perspective view of a connector using the contacts shown in  FIG. 1  (A); 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  (B) is a perspective view of a connector using the contacts shown in  FIG. 1  (B); 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  (C) is a perspective view of a connector using the contacts shown in  FIG. 1  (C); 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a housing used in the connector according to the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a contact of the prior art; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 6  is a view for explaining press-fitting of the contact of the prior art. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    One embodiment of the connector according to the invention will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1  (A) to  4 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  (A) is a perspective view of the contact according to the invention, while  FIG. 1  (B) is a perspective view of another contact according to the invention, and  FIG. 1  (C) is a perspective view of a further contact according to the invention.  FIG. 2  (A) is a view for explaining press-fitting of the contact shown in  FIG. 1  (B), and  FIG. 2  (B) is a view for explaining press-fitting of the contact shown in  FIG. 1  (C).  FIG. 3  (A) is a perspective view of a connector using the contacts shown in  FIG. 1  (A), while  FIG. 3  (B) is a perspective view of a connector using the contacts shown in  FIG. 1  (B), and  FIG. 3  (C) is a perspective view of a connector using the contacts shown in  FIG. 1  (C).  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a housing used in the connector according to the invention. 
         [0032]    The contacts  10  and  30  are made of a metal and formed by means of the press-working of the known technique. Preferred metals from which to form said contacts include brass, beryllium copper, phosphor bronze and the like which comply with the requirements as to springiness, electric conductivity, and the like. 
         [0033]    The contact shown in  FIG. 1  (A) will be explained with reference to the drawing. The contact  10  comprises at least a contact portion  12  adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion  14  to be fixed to the housing  82 , and a connection portion  16  to be connected to a connecting object. 
         [0034]    Said contact portion  12  is the portion adapted to contact a connecting object such as a contact of a mating connector, substrate, flexible printed circuit board, and flexible flat cable. The contact portion  12  may be suitably designed to be a shape and a size so as to permit the contact portion  12  to easily contact the connecting object. In the shown embodiment, the contact portion  12  is substantially L-shaped. 
         [0035]    The connection portion  16  is the portion to be connected to a substrate, flexible printed circuit board or cable. The shape and size of the connection portion may be suitably designed in consideration of its connectivity, strength and the like. In the shown embodiment, the connection portion  16  is of a surface mounting type (SMT), but it may be of an L-shaped dip type or straight dip type.  FIG. 1  (B) shows the straight dip type of the contact  10  which is different from the contact  10  shown in  FIG. 1  (A) only in the shape of connection portion. If the connection portion  16  of the contact  10  shown in  FIG. 1  (A) is extended further in the extending direction of the connection portion  16 , the contact  10  may be varied to a contact of the L-shaped dip type (not shown). 
         [0036]    The fixed portion  14  is the portion to be fixed to the housing  82  as an insulator. In the shown embodiment, the fixed portion  14  is formed by two bent pieces  18  obtained by bending two parts of the contact substantially vertically. The fixed portion  14  is formed by said bent pieces  18  to ensure contacting portions which a jig  90  contacts. The shape and size of said bent pieces  18  may be suitably designed taking into account the miniaturization of the connector  80 , the strength of the housing  82 , the holding force for the contact, easiness of press-fitting and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the fixed portion  14  is substantially U-shaped. 
         [0037]    The contact shown in  FIG. 1  (C) will be explained with reference to the drawing. Said contact  30  is substantially L-shaped and comprises at least a contact portion  32  adapted to contact a mating object, a fixed portion  34  to be fixed to the housing  82 , a connection portion  36  to be connected to a connecting object, and a hole  38  formed in a bent portion between said fixed portion  34  and said connection portion  36 . 
         [0038]    Said contact portion  32  is adapted to contact a connecting object such as a contact of a mating connector, substrate, flexible printed circuit board, and flexible flat cable. The contact portion  32  may be suitably designed to be a shape and a size so as to permit the contact portion  32  to easily contact the connecting object. In the shown embodiment, the contact portion  12  is substantially L-shaped. 
         [0039]    Said connection portion  36  is the portion to be connected to a substrate, flexible printed circuit board or cable. The shape and size of the connection portion may be suitably designed in consideration of its connectivity, strength and the like. In the shown embodiment, the connection portion  36  is of a surface mounting type (SMT), but it may be of an L-shaped dip type. If the connection portion  36  of the contact  30  shown in  FIG. 1  (C) is extended further in the extending direction of the connection portion  36 , the contact  30  may be varied to a contact of the L-shaped dip type (not shown). 
         [0040]    The fixed portion  34  is the portion to be fixed to the housing as the insulator and is formed with bosses as press-fitting portion  22  for press-fitting the contact in the housing. The shape and the size of said fixed portion  34  may be suitably designed in consideration of the holding force for the contact, the strength of the housing  82  and the like. 
         [0041]    There is provided the hole  38  in the bent portion between said fixed portion  34  and said connection portion  36 . Said hole  38  serves to provide a portion which is pushed by a jig  90  for press-fitting the contact  30  into the housing. The shape and size of said hole  38  may be suitably designed taking into account the easiness of pushing by the jig  90 , holding force and strength of the contact, electric current passing through the contact and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the hole  38  is substantially rectangular and has 1.0 mm in width and 2.0 mm in length. 
         [0042]    Connectors  80  using the contacts shown in  FIGS. 1  (A),  1  (B) and  1  (C), respectively will be explained hereinafter. When the contacts  10  and  30  are used in the connectors  80 , respectively, the contacts are press-fitted into the housings  82  as insulators. The housing  82  will be explained hereinafter. 
         [0043]    The housing  82  will be explained. The housing is formed from an electrically insulating plastic material by means of the injection molding of the known technique. The materials for the housing may be suitably selected in consideration of dimensional stability, workability, manufacturing cost, and the like, and generally include polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (66PA or 46PA), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polycarbonate (PC) and the like and combination thereof. 
         [0044]    Said housing  82  is formed with inserting holes  84  into which a required number of contacts  10  or  30 , respectively. The inserting holes  84  are somewhat larger than said contacts  10  or  30  so that the contacts  10  or  30  are fixed in the inserting holes  84  by press-fitting the bent pieces  18  or press-fitting portion  22  of the contacts in the inserting holes  84 . The inserting holes  84  may be suitably designed in consideration of the shapes and sizes of said contacts  10  and  30 , the miniaturization of the connector  80 , the strength of the housing  84 , and the like. 
         [0045]    Finally, the method of press-fitting will be explained. 
         [0046]    First, in the case of the contact  10  shown in  FIG. 1  (B), as shown in  FIG. 2  (A) the contact  10  is inserted (press-fitted) with its contact portion  12  into the inserting hole  84  of the housing  82  from its connection side (that is, the left side in the drawing) by pushing the end faces  20  of said bent pieces  18  of said fixed portion  14  by means of a jig  90 . 
         [0047]    In the case of the contact  30  shown in  FIG. 1  (C), as shown in  FIG. 2  (B) the contact  30  is inserted (press-fitted) with its contact portion  32  into the inserting hole  84  of the housing  82  from its connection side (that is, the left side in the drawing) by pushing the end face  40  of said hole  38  formed in the bent portion between said fixed portion  34  and said connection portion  36  by means of a jig  90 . 
         [0048]    Examples of applications of the invention are contacts for use in electric and electronic appliances such as digital cameras, video cameras, mobile phone terminals, and the like, and particularly contacts having superior means for fixing them. 
         [0049]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.