Electrical connector structure

A connector structure configured to electrically connect an electrical component to a circuit board is disclosed. The connector structure may include a female connector secured to the circuit board; and a male terminal extending from the electrical component and inserted into the female connector. The female connector may include a connector housing secured to the circuit board; a connector-side terminal located within the connector housing and including a female contact configured to receive the male terminal; and a contact sleeve located within the connector housing and secured to the female contact. The female contact may be displaceable within the connector housing. The male terminal may be deformed so as to press the contact sleeve against a frictional inner surface of the connector housing by a restoring force of the male terminal.

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-072154 filed on Apr. 4, 2019, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technology disclosed herein relates to a connector structure configured to electrically connect an electrical component to a circuit board.

BACKGROUND

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-146289 describes a connector structure configured to electrically connect an electrical component to a circuit board. This connector structure includes a male terminal provided on the electrical component and a female connector provided on the circuit board, and the male terminal is inserted into the female connector. The female connector includes a connector-side terminal and a connector housing that houses the connector-side terminal. The connector-side terminal includes a female contact configured to receive the male terminal.

SUMMARY

Plate-shaped circuit boards tend to easily vibrate under an external force, and may cause resonance. In this regard, in the above-described connector structure, the female contact of the connector-side terminal is displaceable with respect to the connector housing. This can suppress transmission of the vibration of the circuit board to the electrical component. On the other hand, it is difficult to reduce the vibration of the circuit board itself.

In view of the foregoing, the present disclosure provides a technique for a connector structure that can reduce or suppress vibration of a circuit board.

A connector structure disclosed herein may be configured to electrically connect an electrical component to a circuit board. The connector structure may include a female connector provided on the circuit board and a male terminal provided on the electric component. The male terminal is inserted into the female connector. The female connector may include a connector housing secured to the circuit board, a connector-side terminal including a female contact configured to receive the male terminal, and a contact sleeve secured to the female contact. The connector-side terminal and the contact sleeve are located within the connector housing. The female contact of the connector-side terminal may be displaceable with respect to the connector housing. The male terminal may be elastically deformed such that the contact sleeve is pressed against an inner surface of the connector housing by a restoring force of the male terminal. The inner surface generates a friction force when the contact sleeve moves with respect to the connector housing.

In the connector structure described above, the female contact of the connector-side terminal is displaceable with respect to the connector housing. Thus, when vibration occurs in the circuit board, transmission of the vibration from the circuit board to the electrical component is suppressed. In addition, the male terminal connected to the female contact is deformed, and the restoring force of the male terminal works on the female contact and the contact sleeve. The restoring force of the male terminal presses the contact sleeve against the inner surface of the connector housing. When vibration occurs in the circuit board and the contact sleeve relatively displaces on the connector housing, a friction force is generated between the contact sleeve and the connector housing. The vibration of the circuit board is damped by this friction force. The connector structure disclosed herein can reduce or absorb the vibration generated in the circuit board, as well as can suppress the vibration transmission from the circuit board to the electrical component and the vibration transmission from the electrical component to the circuit board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment of the present technique, the connector housing may further comprise other inner surface opposing to the frictional inner surface. A portion of the male terminal that is located on electrical component side may be located on frictional inner surface side. Another portion of the male terminal that is located on female contact side may be located on other inner surface side.

In one embodiment of the present technique, an opening may be provided in the circuit board. The male terminal may be inserted into the female connector through the opening. In this case, a longitudinal direction of the male terminal may be substantially perpendicular to the circuit board. The term “substantially perpendicular” as used herein means a range of ±10 degrees with respect to vertical (i.e., 90 degrees).

In one embodiment of the present technique, the connector-side terminal may comprise a distal end portion at which the female contact is provided, a proximal end portion secured to the connector housing, and a plate spring portion extending between the distal end portion and the proximal end portion. With such a configuration, the female contact can be held displaceably with respect to the connector housing by a relatively simple configuration.

In one embodiment of the present technique, the plate spring portion may have a U-shape. However, the specific structure of the connector-side terminal, including the plate spring portion, is not particularly limited.

In one embodiment of the present technique, one or both of the contact sleeve and the connector housing may be constituted of resin. According to such a configuration, an appropriate friction force can be generated between the contact sleeve and the connector housing. However, in other embodiments, one or both of the contact sleeve and the connector housing may be constituted of other insulators, not resin.

In one embodiment of the present technique, the connector housing may comprise a base housing secured to the circuit board and a main housing slidable with respect to the base housing.

In one embodiment of the present technique, the proximal end portion of the connector-side terminal may be secured to the main housing.

Embodiment

A connector structure10of an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The connector structure10of the present embodiment is used to electrically connect an electrical component2to a circuit board4. For example, the connector structure10is employed in a power regulation unit of an electric vehicle, and detachably connects the electrical component2such as a semiconductor module to the circuit board4. However, the use application of the connector structure10is not particularly limited. The connector structure10can be employed in a variety of devices and equipment.

FIGS. 1 and 2schematically show a structure of the connector structure10. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the connector structure10includes a male terminal12and a female connector14. The male terminal12is provided on the electrical component2, and the female connector14is provided on the circuit board4. The male terminal12is constituted of a conductive material such as metal (e.g., copper). The male terminal12has an elongated pin shape and projects from the electrical component2toward the circuit board4. Although not particularly limited, the male terminal12may be substantially perpendicular to the circuit board4. The male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14through an opening6provided in the circuit board4.

The female connector14includes a connector-side terminal20, a connector housing30, and a contact sleeve40. The connector-side terminal20is constituted of a conductive material such as metal (e.g., copper). The connector-side terminal20includes a first female contact22, a second female contact24, and a plate spring portion26. The first female contact22is positioned at a distal end of the connector-side terminal20and receives the male terminal12inserted into the female connector14.

The second female contact24is positioned at a proximal end of the connector-side terminal20and is secured to the connector housing30. The second female contact24is coupled to a board-side terminal28soldered to the circuit board4, and is electrically connected to the circuit board4via the board-side terminal28. The plate spring portion26extends between the first female contact22and the second female contact24. The plate spring portion26is elastically deformable, and holds the first female contact22displaceably with respect to the connector housing30. Although not particularly limited, the plate spring portion26in the present embodiment has a U-shape.

The connector housing30houses the connector-side terminal20, and is secured to the circuit board4by soldering. Although not particularly limited, the connector housing30is constituted of an insulator such as resin. The specific structure of the connector housing30is not particularly limited. The connector housing30of the present embodiment includes a base housing32secured to the circuit board4, a main housing34detachably attached to the base housing32, and a top housing36detachably attached to the main housing34, although this is a mere example. The main housing34and the top housing36are vertically slidable with respect to the base housing32.

The contact sleeve40is located inside the connector housing30and is attached to the first female contact22of the connector-side terminal20. The contact sleeve40at least partially covers the first female contact22, and prevents the first female contact22from directly contacting the connector housing30. Although not particularly limited, the contact sleeve40is constituted of an insulator such as resin. The material of the contact sleeve40may be the same as or different from the material of the connector housing30.

As shown inFIG. 1, before the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14, the connector-side terminal20(particularly, the plate spring portion26) in the female connector14has its natural shape. In this state, gaps G1and G2are present on both sides of the contact sleeve40, and the first female contact22and the contact sleeve40can freely displace with respect to the connector housing30. Before the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14, the main housing34and the top housing36is slid upward relative to the base housing32. From this state, the main housing34and the top housing36are slid downward to the base housing32, by which the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14. In prior art, the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14, with a position P1of the male terminal12aligned with a position P2of the first female contact22. However, in the present embodiment, the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14, with the position P1of the male terminal12offset from the position P2of the first female contact22. The main housing34is provided with an inclined surface34aat its lower end, and the contact sleeve40is provided with an inclined surface40aat its lower end. When the male terminal12is moved up to the first female contact22, the inclined surfaces34aand40acontact a tip of the male terminal12and guide the tip of the male terminal12to the position of the first female contact22.

As a result, as shown inFIG. 2, the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14. As shown inFIG. 2, the male terminal12inserted into the female connector14flexes and deforms in a direction parallel to the circuit board4(in a leftward direction inFIG. 2). The main housing34includes a right inner surface (frictional inner surface)34band a left inner surface34c. The male terminal12deforms such that a portion of the male terminal12that is closer to the electrical component2is located closer to the frictional inner surface34b, and another portion of the male terminal12that is closer to the first female contact22is located closer to the inner surface34c. In this state, the male terminal12is under a restoring force thereof that works to return the male terminal12to the straight shape. The contact sleeve40is pressed against the frictional inner surface34bof the connector housing30by the restoring force of the male terminal12. InFIG. 2, the gap G2on one side of the contact sleeve40disappears, and an arrow RF indicates the pressing force to the contact sleeve40against the frictional inner surface34b. As such, when vibration occurs in the circuit board4, the contact sleeve40displaces relative to the connector housing30, by which a friction force FF is generated between the contact sleeve40and the connector housing30. The vibration of the circuit board4is damped by the friction force FF. As described above, the connector structure10of the present embodiment can reduce vibration occurring in the circuit board4as well as can suppress transmission of the vibration from the circuit board4to the electrical component2.

In addition, when the friction force FF is generated between the contact sleeve40and the connector housing30, a natural frequency of the circuit board4is increased. Normally, the circuit board4is supported via a plurality of vibration isolation bushings. Since a damping rate of the vibration isolation bushings is high in a high frequency range (for example, in a range of 400 hertz or more), resonance of the circuit board4can be effectively suppressed by increasing the natural frequency of the circuit board4.

In the embodiment described above, a position of the electrical component2including the male terminal12is adjusted with respect to the circuit board4in order to offset the position P1of the male terminal12from the position P2of the first female contact22. As a result, the position P1of the male terminal12is offset from the center of the opening6of the circuit board4. Alternatively or additionally, as shown inFIG. 3, the position of the female connector14may be adjusted with respect to the circuit board4. In this case, the position P2of the first female contact22is offset from the center of the opening6of the circuit board4. Alternatively, as shown inFIG. 4, the structure of the first female contact22may be changed, for example, by increasing a thickness of a base portion22ato deform the male terminal12to be inserted.

In the embodiment described above, the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14with the position P1of the male terminal12offset from the position P2of the first female contact22. On the other hand, the male terminal12may be inserted into the female connector14with the position P1of the male terminal12aligned with the position P2of the first female contact22. In this case, after the male terminal12is inserted into the female connector14, the electrical component2may be displaced with respect to the circuit board4in the direction parallel to the circuit board4.

In the embodiment described above, the contact sleeve40and the connector housing30are constituted of resin. According to such a configuration, an appropriate friction force can be generated between the contact sleeve40and the connector housing30. In addition, generation of foreign matter caused by friction is relatively small. However, as another embodiment, one or both of the contact sleeve40and the connector housing30is not limited to being constituted of resin and may be constituted of other insulators. For example, materials used for the contact sleeve40and the connector housing30can be appropriately selected according to the target friction force FF.

While specific examples of the present disclosure have been described above in detail, these examples are merely illustrative and place no limitation on the scope of the patent claims. The technology described in the patent claims also encompasses various changes and modifications to the specific examples described above. The technical elements explained in the present description or drawings provide technical utility either independently or through various combinations. The present disclosure is not limited to the combinations described at the time the claims are filed. Further, the purpose of the examples illustrated by the present description or drawings is to satisfy multiple objectives simultaneously, and satisfying any one of those objectives gives technical utility to the present disclosure.