Electrical connector

A connector for holding a linear conductor by a first contact portion and a second contact portion is provided. The linear conductor is inserted through an insertion portion. The first contact portion is formed in a pressing portion configured to be deformed elastically to press the linear conductor against the second contact portion. The second contact portion is formed in a fixed portion which is not deformed elastically and the second contact portion has at least one edge portion.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is based on PCT filing PCT/JP2017/032639, filed Sep. 11, 2017, which claims priority to JP 2016-251328, filed Dec. 26, 2016, the entire contents of each are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a connector for holding a linear conductor such as a conductor wire or a conductor pin inserted therein.

BACKGROUND ART

For example, connectors produced by processing a metal plate is used for electrically connecting a substrate and a cable to each other. A connector in the following Patent document 1 holds a linear conductor by a first contact portion which has a spring elasticity and a second contact portion which is cut and erected between them. A connector in the following Patent document 2 is configured to hold an electricity supply electric wire by a first spring portion and a second spring portion, and a tip portion of the second spring portion has an edge-shape.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

Patent Documents

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

Conventional connectors have a problem that the holding of a conductor wire is unstable because both contact portions that hold the conductor wire are elastic.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is therefore to provide a connector capable of improving a stability of holding a linear conductor.

Means for Solving the Problems

One aspect of the invention is a connector. This connector is a connector for holding a linear conductor by a first contact portion and a second contact portion, the linear conductor inserted through an insertion portion, wherein:

the first contact portion is formed in a pressing portion configured to be deformed elastically to press the linear conductor against the second contact portion; and

the second contact portion is formed in a fixed portion which is not deformed elastically and the second contact portion has at least one edge portion.

The connector may include:

a front leg and a rear leg which are provided at a front position and a rear position in an insertion direction, respectively; and

a connecting portion which connects the front leg and the rear leg to each other, wherein:

the second contact portion is provided in the connecting portion.

Another aspect of the invention is also a connector. This connector is a connector for holding a linear conductor inserted therein, including:

a front guide portion having an insertion portion;

a front leg and a rear leg which are provided at a front position and a rear position in an insertion direction, respectively;

a connecting portion which connects the front leg and the rear leg to each other and

a pressing portion which presses the inserted linear conductor against the connecting portion, wherein:

the connecting portion has at least one edge portion; and

the linear conductor is held by the pressing portion and the edge portion between the pressing portion and the edge portion.

The edge portion may include a lateral edge portion which extends so as to intersect with the insertion direction when viewed from a side of the pressing portion.

The connecting portion may branch into two portions at a front-rear halfway position in the insertion direction, and the lateral edge portion may be provided in a portion from which the two portions branch off.

The connecting portion may include a portion that is inclined so that the lateral edge portion is convex toward the pressing portion.

The edge portion may include a longitudinal edge portion which extends in the insertion direction when viewed from the side of the pressing portion.

The longitudinal edge portion may be curved so as to be convex toward the pressing portion.

The longitudinal edge portion may be respectively provided on both of left and right sides of the insertion direction when viewed from the side of the pressing portion.

The pressing portion may be a plate spring portion that is inclined with respect to the insertion direction so as to come closer to the edge portion as a position goes toward its tip, and a gradient of a tip portion of the pressing portion may be smaller than that of a base portion thereof.

The connector may be made of a sheet-metal part.

Desired combinations of constituent elements described above and a method, a system, etc. obtained by converting an expression of the invention are also effective as aspects of the invention.

Advantages of the Invention

The invention can provide a connector capable of improving a stability of holding a linear conductor.

EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent constituent elements, members, etc. shown in the drawings are given the same symbol, and redundant descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. The embodiment is just an example and is not intended to restrict the invention. The features described in the invention and combinations of features are not necessarily essential to the invention.

A connector1according to the embodiment of the invention will be described with reference toFIGS. 1-18. As shown inFIG. 1, the connector1is placed on and electrically connected to electrodes5aof the substrate5and mounted (fixed) on the substrate5by soldering or the like. For example, the substrate5is a COB (chip on board) substrate to be used for LED illumination or the like and the connector1is a lead socket for connecting a cable to the COB substrate. As shown inFIG. 2, when necessary, the connector1is covered with a cap3made of an insulating resin. As shown inFIG. 3, the connector1is configured to hold a cable7which is inserted therein, and can establish electrical connection between the substrate5and the cable7. As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, in the cable7, a core wire (conductor wire)7athat is a conductor (linear conductor) is covered with an insulating sheath7b, and part of the insulating sheath7bis removed at a portion of the cable7to be inserted into the connector1. The core wire7amay be a single wire or twisted wires. In the case of the twisted wires, it is preferable that at least a portion of the cable7where insulating sheath7bis removed is coated with a conductive material so as not to come apart.

As shown inFIGS. 5 and 8, the connector1is preferably a single-sheet metal part includes a front guide portion10, a plate spring portion12, a front leg13, rear legs14and15, a connecting portion16, a rear guide portion21, an absorption portion23, a left frame portion24, and a right frame portion26. The front, rear, top, bottom, left, and right directions of the connector1are defined inFIG. 5.

The front guide portion10is a flat portion perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and has an insertion hole (insertion portion)11for the cable7at a center thereof. Although in the illustrated example the insertion hole11is a circular through-hole, it may be a non-circular through-hole or a cut in which a line connecting opening edges is not closed (not a closed loop). The plate spring portion12as a pressing portion is bent rearward from the top end of the front guide portion10and extends rearward in oblique lower direction. As shown inFIGS. 17 and 18, the plate spring portion12has a bending portion12awhere a gradient of the plate spring portion12is changed, the gradient at a rear portion of the bending portion12a(i.e., a tip portion of the plate spring portion12) is smaller than the gradient at a front portion of the bending portion12a(i.e., a base portion of the plate spring portion12). A bottom surface of a portion of the plate spring portion12around the bending portion12aserves as a contact (a first contact portion) to come into contact with the core wire7aof the cable7which is inserted through the insertion hole11, and the contact is disposed so as to be opposed to longitudinal edge portions17,18and a lateral edge portion19(described later). The front leg13is a flat portion perpendicular to the top-bottom direction, and is bent rearward from the bottom end of the front guide portion10and extends rearward in parallel to the front-rear direction. The bottom surface of the front leg13serves as a contact surface to come into contact with the electrode5aof the substrate5. The front leg13also serves as an attachment portion where the connector1is attached to the electrode5aof the substrate5by soldering or the like.

The rear guide portion21is a flat portion perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and has, at a center thereof, an exit portion22through which the cable7is to be inserted. Although in the illustrated example the exit portion22is a cut in which a line connecting opening edges is not closed when viewed from the rear side, it may be a circular or non-circular through-hole. The absorption portion23is a flat portion perpendicular to the top-bottom direction, and is bent forward from the top end of the rear guide portion21and extends forward in parallel to the front-rear direction. The top surface of the absorption portion23serves as an absorption surface to be absorbed by an absorption head (not shown) when the connector1is mounted on the substrate5by a surface mounting machine. The rear legs14,15are flat portions perpendicular to the top-bottom direction, and are bent forward from left portion and right portion of the bottom end of the rear guide portion21and extend forward in parallel to the front-rear direction, respectively. The bottom surfaces of the rear legs14,15serve as surfaces to come into contact with respective electrodes5aof the substrate5. Furthermore, the rear legs14,15serve as attachment portions where the connector1is attached to the electrodes5aof the substrate5by soldering or the like.

The connecting portion16as a fixed portion connects the rear end portion of the front leg13to the front end portions of the rear legs14,15. Starting from the rear end portion of the front leg13, the connecting portion16rises from the rear end portion of the front leg13, extends rearward at a level that is higher than the front leg13, is curved so as to be convex upward (a curved portion20), extends downward, and reaches the front end portions of the rear legs14,15. As shown inFIG. 7, the connecting portion16has the curved portion20which is curved so as to be convex upward (toward the plate spring portion12), and branches, in a front portion of the curved portion20(i.e., on the side of a middle position of the connecting portion16in the front-rear direction), into two portions to left and right sides to extend rearward.

The left frame portion24is a flat portion perpendicular to the left-right direction, is bent forward from the left end portion of the rear guide portion21(located on the left of the exit portion22), and extends forward in parallel to the front-rear direction. A left leg25projects downward from a middle portion, in the front-rear direction, of the left frame portion24. The left leg25is bent in L shape so that a bottom portion thereof extends leftward, and the bottom surface of the left leg25serves as a contact surface to come into contact with an electrode5aof the substrate5. The right frame portion26is a flat portion perpendicular to the left-right direction, is bent forward from the right end portion of the rear guide portion21(located on the right of the exit portion22), and extends forward in parallel to the front-rear direction. A right leg27projects downward from a middle portion, in the front-rear direction, of the right frame portion26. The right leg27is bent in L shape so that a bottom portion thereof extends rightward, and the bottom surface of the right leg27serves as a contact surface to come into contact with an electrode5aof the substrate5. Front end portions24aand26aof the left frame portion24and the right frame portion26are projection/recess-fitted with left and right recesses10a,10aof the front guide portion10, respectively.

As seen from comparison betweenFIGS. 17 and 18, in a process of inserting the cable7into the connector1, the core wire7aof the cable7is inserted through the insertion hole11of the front guide portion10and goes rearward while pushing up the plate spring portion12, and a tip portion of the core wire7agoes out of the connector1past the exit portion22. As shown inFIGS. 12 and 13, the center of the core wire7ais located approximately at the middle between the longitudinal edge portion17and the longitudinal edge portion18.

The core wire7aof the cable7is urged downward (toward the connecting portion16) by elastic force of the plate spring portion12and thereby pressed against the longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19. That is, the core wire7ais held between the plate spring portion12and the longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19. The longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19bite into the outer circumferential surface of the core wire7aand thereby generate holding force for preventing the core wire7afrom coming off. Where the outer diameter of the core wire7ais smaller than or equal to a prescribed length, only the lateral edge portion19bites into the outer circumferential surface of the core wire7aand thereby generates holding force. The connecting portion16is supported by the front leg13at its front end and by the rear legs14,15at its rear end (both end support structure) to form a both end support structure. Thus, the longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19are less prone to be deformed elastically than in a case of a cantilever structure. As a result, the core wire7aof the cable7can be held with higher stability than in the case of the conventional structure that a cable is held between two elastic contact portions. Although the embodiment employs the both end support structure as a structure with which the longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19are less prone to be deformed elastically, another structure may be employed such as a structure in which a member(s) forming edge portions is made thick to increase its stiffness or a structure in which a rib extending in the direction of elastic deformation (front-rear direction) is formed.

As shown inFIG. 17, since the gradient of the plate spring portion12is smaller in the rear of the bending portion12a, as shown inFIG. 18a rear-end edge portion12bof the plate spring portion12does not bite into (engage with) the outer circumferential surface of the core wire7aand, instead, the bottom surface of the bending portion12aof the plate spring portion12touches the outer circumferential surface of the core wire7a. As a result, the risk can be suppressed that when the cable7is pulled out of the connector1, the rear-end edge portion12bof the plate spring portion12is caught on the core wire7aand the plate spring portion12is deformed excessively and thereby damaged.

The embodiment can provide the following advantages:

(1) By the configuration that the core wire7aof the cable7is pressed against the longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19provided in the connecting portion16of the both end support structure by the urging force (elasticity) of the plate spring portion12, the core wire7aof the cable7can be held stably unlike in a case that the longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19are elastic.

(2) The cable7can be pulled out of the connector1merely by pulling the cable1by a force that is stronger than a prescribed force (one action). This is easy because no such manipulation as unlocking is necessary.

(3) Since the gradient of the rear end portion of the plate spring portion12is small so that the rear-end edge portion12bdoes not bite into the core wire7aof the cable7, the risk can be lowered that when the cable7is pulled out of the connector1, the rear-end edge portion12bis caught on the core wire7aand the plate spring portion12is thereby damaged. On the other hand, the longitudinal edge portions17,18and the lateral edge portion19which bite into the core wire7aare provided in the connecting portion16having the both end support structure, the risk that they are damaged is low even if force acts on them when the cable7is pulled out.

Although the invention has been described above using the embodiment as an example, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible to each constituent element and a process employed in the embodiment within the confines of the claims. Modifications will be described below.

What is to be held by the connector1is not limited to a conductor wire and may be a conductor pin; linear conductors in general are objects to be held by the connector1. The connector1may be mounted on a plate body that is not a substrate5. A part of the substrate5may be made of a resin; for example, one of the two branch portions of the connecting portion16may be made of a resin.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS

10: Front guide portion

13: Front leg

14,15: Rear leg

21: Rear guide portion

22: Exit portion

24: Left frame portion

25: Left leg

26: Right frame portion

27: Right leg