Abstract:
A connector includes a first and a second terminal portions each having: a substrate pressing portion; a spacer pressing portion; and a fulcrum portion arranged between the substrate pressing portion and the spacer pressing portion, a spacer arranged between the spacer pressing portions of the first and the second terminal portions, and a clipping section formed of the substrate pressing portions of the first and the second terminal portions. The clipping section opens and closes while operating the fulcrum portions as a fulcrum. The spacer pressing portions of the first and the second terminal portions close via the fulcrum when the clipping section opens.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This invention relates to a connector and, in particular, to a type of a connector which establishes an electrical connection of electrodes thereto when a card-like substrate, on an end portion of which the electrodes are formed, is inserted into the connector. 
         [0002]    There is a type of a connector (a socket) to establish an electrical connection when a card-like substrate, on one side of which a plurality of electrodes (circuit conductors) are provided, is inserted into the connector. The connector includes terminal clamps which connect the plurality of the electrodes to the substrate by clamping the substrate when the substrate is inserted. The terminal clamps have an elastic force, and holds the substrate by the elastic force, thereby maintaining the electrical connection. 
         [0003]    Since the terminal clamp provided on the connector into which the substrate is inserted maintains the electrical connection with the electrode of the substrate by the elastic force of itself as described above, various arts are proposed to assure the electrical connection. 
         [0004]    For example,  FIG. 5  shows a substrate connecting structure according to a conventional art  1  disclosed in a Patent Document 1. In the conventional art  1 , a terminal unit  70  includes a plurality of substrate connecting terminals  71  and a shaft member which supports the substrate connecting terminals  71  to arrange the substrate connecting terminals  71  in a predetermined manner. The shaft member is made of a circular insulating resin, and is held to be clipped by a bent portion of the substrate connecting terminal. In this way, clipping and connecting portion  72  to which a circuit conductor  77  of a circuit substrate connects is placed in a proper position. 
         [0005]      FIG. 6  shows a structure of a card-edge connector  90  according to a conventional art  2  disclosed in a Patent Document 2. A terminal clip  80  of the card-edge connector  90  limits a movement of a circuit substrate  84  by a limiting unit  83  including an elastic connect piece  81  and a locking part  82  when the circuit substrate  84  is inserted into the card-edge connector  90 . 
         [0006]    [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2001-155802 
         [0007]    [Patent Document 2] JP-A-2003-7375 
         [0008]    Generally, a card-edge connector in which a substrate on which conductive connecting terminals are formed on both sides is inserted into the connector cannot make only a connecting terminal of a terminal clip receive a connecting weight when the substrate is inserted into the connector. 
         [0009]    As a result, a housing is needed to receive a reactive force of the connecting terminal. Accordingly, if the housing is formed by a resin such as a plastic, the above reactive force acts continually, whereby a so-called creep in which deformation of the housing is increased with the course of time occurs due to the produced heat. If creep occurs, the connecting weight is reduced. Consequently, it may decrease a reliability of the connecting. 
         [0010]    In the conventional art  2 , the connecting weight is received by the terminal alone. However, since the locking part  82  of the terminal clip  80  at the under side on the upper side of the substrate, there is a concern that the both sides conductor is short-circuited. Therefore, it is necessary to have a sufficient width between the terminals, and it is difficult to minimize the connector. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0011]    In view of the above circumstances, an object of the invention is to solve the above problems. Specifically, the object is to avoid the creep phenomenon occurred to the housing when the substrate in which the conductor is formed on the both sides is inserted into the terminal clip. 
         [0012]    In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention there is provided a connector, including: 
         [0013]    a first and a second terminal portions each having:
       a substrate pressing portion;   a spacer pressing portion; and   a fulcrum portion arranged between the substrate pressing portion and the spacer pressing portion;       
 
         [0017]    a spacer arranged between the spacer pressing portions of the first and the second terminal portions; and 
         [0018]    a clipping section formed of the substrate pressing portions of the first and the second terminal portions, and the clipping section opens and closes while operating the fulcrum portions as a fulcrum, and wherein the spacer pressing portions of the first and the second terminal portions close via the fulcrum when the clipping section opens. 
         [0019]    Preferably, the first and the second terminal portions are separately formed; and wherein each of the fulcrum portions includes a fulcrum hole for inserting a pin serving as a common fulcrum. 
         [0020]    Preferably, the first and the second terminal portions are electrically insulated from each other. 
         [0021]    In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the present invention there is also provided a connector, including: 
         [0022]    a first and a second terminal portions each having:
       a substrate pressing portion;   a compressive portion; and   a fulcrum portion arranged between the substrate pressing portion and the compressive portion; and       
 
         [0026]    a clipping section formed of the substrate pressing portions of the first and the second terminal portions, and the clipping section opens and closes while operating the fulcrum portions as a fulcrum, 
         [0027]    wherein an opening operation of the clipping section generates forces acting on the compressive portions of the first and the second terminal portions in a closing direction of the compressive portions via the fulcrum so that the forces are canceled to each other. 
         [0028]    According to the invention, when a predetermined member such as a substrate is inserted into a connector, both sides of the substrates are pressed down by a predetermined pressing force of two terminal portions which open and close around a supporting point, the reactive force of the pressing force is acted in a compression direction via the supporting point, and the force which acts in the compression direction is received by a predetermined spacer. Therefore, forces which expand the inside of a housing of the connector are not acted. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a card-edge connector according to an embodiment of the invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is an perspective view of a terminal clamping portion of the card-edge connector according to the embodiment; 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a cross section of the card-edge connector according to the embodiment; 
           [0033]      FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a cross section of the card-edge connector according to the embodiment, in particular, showing a state in which a substrate is inserted; 
           [0034]      FIG. 5  shows a substrate connecting structure according to a conventional art  1 ; and 
           [0035]      FIG. 6  shows a structure of a card-edge connector according to a conventional art  2 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0036]    Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the invention (hereinafter an embodiment) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0037]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a card-edge connector  10  according to the embodiment, and also shows a substrate  19  which is inserted into the card-edge connector  10 .  FIG. 2  is an perspective view of a terminal clamping portion  20  which is a component of the card-edge connector  10 .  FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a cross section of the card-edge connector  10 .  FIG. 4  is a schematic view of a cross section of the card-edge connector  10  in a state in which a substrate is inserted. 
         [0038]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the card-edge connector  10  includes a resin housing  12 , a plurality of terminal clamping portions  20 , a comb-like spacer  15 , and a pin  17 . Here, wires  18  are connected to the terminal clamping portions  20 . 
         [0039]    The housing  12  includes a terminal insertion port  31  for incorporating the terminal clamping portions  20 , a substrate insertion port  32  into which the substrate  19  is inserted, and a pin hole  13  into which the pin  17  is inserted. 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the terminal clamping portion  20  is incorporated into the housing  12  as a set with two terminals of a first terminal  20   a  and a second terminal  20   b . In  FIG. 1 , twenty sets of the terminal clamping portions  20  are incorporated into the housing  12 . The first terminal  20   a  and the second terminal  20   b  have an identical structure, and are integrally formed by press molding a conductive metallic plate with a high spring characteristic such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy. In this embodiment, the first terminal  20   a  and the second terminal  20   b  are symmetrically disposed in top and bottom. 
         [0041]    The first terminal  20   a  includes a terminal body  21   a  and a clipping portion  30   a  with X-axis as a longitudinal direction. The terminal body  21   a  includes a fulcrum portion  25   a , wire connection portion  28   a , and contact portion  29   a.    
         [0042]    The fulcrum portion  25   a  includes a fulcrum rear edge  41   a , a fulcrum supporting portion  42   a , and a pin insertion portion  43   a.    
         [0043]    In the fulcrum portion  25   a , the contact portion  29   a  is connected to an edge in a longitudinal direction (an edge in a minus direction of X-axis), and the clipping portion  30   a  is formed on the other edge (an edge in a plus direction of X-axis). At the fulcrum portion  25   a , a part in which the contact portion  29   a  is formed is the fulcrum rear edge  41   a . The fulcrum supporting portion  42   a  extends from the fulcrum rear edge  41   a  in a predetermined length in a horizontal direction (a plus direction of X-axis). Here, the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a  has such a configuration that a region in a minus direction of Y-axis is eliminated so as to the width of the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a  is less than half of the width of the fulcrum rear edge  41   a.    
         [0044]    The pin insertion portion  43   a  is formed in a substantially circular shape in a downward vertical direction (a minus direction of Z-axis) at a side edge of the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a , that is, an edge in a non-longitudinal direction (an edge in a plus direction of Y-axis). A circular fulcrum hole  26   a  into which the pin  17  functioning as a fulcrum is inserted is formed on an substantial center of the pin insertion portion  43   a.    
         [0045]    The clipping portion  30   a , the width of which is same as that of the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a , is formed on an edge extending in a longitudinal direction (an edge in a plus direction of X-axis) of the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a.    
         [0046]    The clipping portion  30   a  includes a inclining portion  22   a , contact pressing portion  23   a , and a guide portion  24   a.    
         [0047]    Specifically, the inclining portion  22   a  is formed so as to extend from an edge of the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a  in a diagonally downward left direction (a plus direction of X-axis and a minus direction of Z-axis). An edge of the inclining portion  22   a  is about the same height as a center of the fulcrum hole  26   a . The contact pressing portion  23   a  is formed on an edge of the inclining portion. Such a shape makes the clipping portion  30   a  have an elastic force in a up and down direction. 
         [0048]    The contact pressing portion  23   a  is downcurved in a convex shape. A peak of the convex shape of the contact pressing portion  23   a  is a contact point with a circuit conductor provided on the substrate  19 . 
         [0049]    The guide portion  24   a  is formed on a left edge (an edge in a plus direction of X-axis) of the contact pressing portion  23   a . The guide portion  24   a  is formed at a predetermined height toward a diagonally upward left. The predetermined height is set to be lower than the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a . 
         [0050]    On the other hand, the contact portion  29   a  extending toward a diagonally downward right direction is formed on an edge of the fulcrum portion  25   a  in a minus direction of X-axis, that is, on an edge of the fulcrum rear edge  41   a , so as to be slightly higher than the center of the fulcrum hole  26   a  The wire connection portion  28   a  is formed on a right edge (an edge in a plus direction of X-axis) of the contact pressing portion  23   a . The wire connection portion  28   a  includes a spacer pressing portion  27   a  and a press-contact portion  35   a . A left edge of the spacer pressing portion  27   a  is connected to the contact portion  29   a . The spacer pressing portion  27   a  is horizontally formed at a predetermined length, and extends slightly higher toward a diagonally upward right direction at a right side of the space pressing portion  27   a . It is noted that a horizontally-formed face is called a pressing face  50   a . The press-contact portion  35   a  to which an edge of the wire  18  is attached is formed on a right edge (an edge in a minus direction of X-axis) of the spacer pressing portion  27   a . Ribs each having a predetermined height stand upwardly at both edges in a non-longitudinal direction (both edges in Y-axis direction) of the spacer pressing portion  27   a , respectively. An upper ends of the ribs are slightly lower than the fulcrum supporting portion  42   a.    
         [0051]    The second terminal  20   b  has an identical structure as the first terminal  20   a  as described above, and a detailed description of the structure is omitted. The second terminal  20   b  includes a terminal body  21   b  and a clipping portion  30   b . The terminal body  21   b  includes a fulcrum portion  25   b , a wire connection portion  28   b , and a contact portion  29   b . The fulcrum portion  25   b  includes a fulcrum rear edge  41   b , a fulcrum supporting portion  42   b , and a pin insertion portion  43   b  on which a fulcrum hole  26   b  is formed. The clipping portion  30   b  includes a inclining portion  22   b , a contact pressing portion  23   b , and a guide portion  24   b . The wire connection portion  28   b  includes a spacer pressing portion  27   b  having a pressing face  50   b , and press-contact portion  35   b.    
         [0052]    The first terminal  20   a  and the second terminal  20   b  are arranged at a predetermined clearance so that the pressing face  50   a  of the spacer pressing portion  27   a  is opposed to the pressing face  50   b  of the spacer pressing portion  27   b . The spacer  15  having about the same thickness as the clearance is inserted between the pressing faces  50   a ,  50   b , thereby both edges of the spacer  15  are engaged to a spacer engaging portion  33  shown in  FIG. 1 . Since each width of the fulcrum supporting portions  42   a ,  42   b  is less than half of each width of the fulcrum rear edge  41   a ,  41   b  as described above, the clipping portions  30   a ,  30   b  extending at the same width from the fulcrum supporting portions  42   a ,  42   b  do not contact with each other. 
         [0053]    Next, a description is made on a condition where a set of the terminal clamping portion  20  is inserted into the housing  12  with reference to a schematic view of a cross section of the card-edge connector  10  as shown in  FIG. 3 . In FIG.  3 , the first terminal  20   a  and the second terminal  20   b  shown in  FIG. 2  are inserted from the terminal insertion port  31  to be incorporated in the housing  12  so that the guide portions  24   a ,  24   b  are located adjacent to the substrate insertion port  32 . 
         [0054]    One common pin  17  is inserted into the fulcrum hole  26   a  of the first terminal  20   a  and the fulcrum hole  26   b  of the second terminal  20   b . The pin  17  is formed of an insulating material such as a resin. A part of cylindrical portion of the pin  17  is eliminated along the longitudinal direction in terms of the facility of insertion. Specifically, both sides (right and left sides) of the pin  17  are vertically eliminated in cross sectional view as shown in  FIG. 3 , and two flat faces are symmetrically formed along the longitudinal direction in the pin  17  as shown in  FIG. 1 . More specifically, in cross sectional view as shown in  FIG. 3 , assume Z-axis as a reference of central angle, portions where the central angle of the pin  17  ranges from 315 to 45 degree and from 135 to 225 degree are arc-shape (curved face), and portions where the central angle of the pin  17  ranges from 45 to 135 degree and from 225 to 315 degree are straight-line (flat face). 
         [0055]    Both edges of the pin  17  are engaged to the pin insertion hole  13  and fixed when the pin  17  is inserted with a predetermined portion from the pin insertion hole  13 . When the pin  17  is fixed, the pin  17  is inserted through the fulcrum holes  26   a  of the first terminals  20   a  and the fulcrum holes  26   b  of the second terminals  20   b  included in a plural set of the terminal clamping portion  20  incorporated in the housing  12 . In this way, the movement of the first terminals  20   a  and the second terminals  20   b  is restricted in a horizontal direction (X-axis direction) in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0056]    As to the guide portion  24   a  of the first terminal  20   a  and the guide portion  24   b  of the second terminal  20   b , the edges thereof are arranged adjacent to the inside of the substrate insertion port  32  of the housing  12 , and extend toward an expanding direction from a center in a vertical direction (Z-axis direction), respectively. 
         [0057]    The two spacer pressing portions  27   a ,  27   b  are arranged at a right side of the center in  FIG. 3 , and the spacer  15  is inserted between the two opposing pressing faces  50   a  and  50   b.    
         [0058]    Next, when the substrate  19  is inserted into the housing  12 , a state of the constituent elements of the first terminal  20   a  and the second terminal  20   b  and acting force will be described with reference to  FIG. 4 . 
         [0059]    When the substrate  19  is inserted through the substrate insertion port  32 , the substrate  19  is guided by the two guide portions  24   a ,  24   b  so as to move rightward. As the substrate  19  moves rightward, the two contact pressing portions  23   a ,  23   b  move upward and downward (A direction in the figure) and away from each other. At this time, a pressing force (a contact weight) acts on the contact pressing portions  23   a ,  23   b  by an elastic force on the clipping portions  30   a ,  30   b.    
         [0060]    At the same time, a reactive force of the above-described contact weight is acted on the clipping portions  30   a ,  30   b  with the pin  17  as a fulcrum. Therefore, a rotating force is occurred to the fulcrum portion  25   a  of the first terminal  20   a  in a clockwise direction (B 1  direction in the figure) with the pin  17  as a fulcrum, and a rotating force is occurred to the fulcrum portion  25   b  of the second terminal  20   b  in a counterclockwise direction (B 2  direction in the figure) with the pin  17  as a fulcrum. 
         [0061]    As a consequence, a moving force in a downward direction (C 1  direction in the figure) is acted on the spacer pressing portion  27   a  of the first terminal  20   a , and a moving force in a upward direction (C 2  direction in the figure) is acted on the spacer pressing portion  27   b  of the second terminal  20   b.    
         [0062]    At this time, the two spacer pressing portions  27   a ,  27   b  is restricted to move by the spacer  15  since the spacer  15  is arranged between the two spacer pressing portions  27   a ,  27   b . Consequently, a force in a compressive direction (C 1  and C 2  directions in the figure) is acted on the spacer  15  by the pressing face  50   a  of the spacer pressing portion  27   a  and the pressing face  50   b  of the spacer pressing portion  27   b . At this time, the force acting on the spacer  15  from the pressing face  50   a  of the first terminal  20   a  and the force acting on the spacer  15  from the pressing face  50   b  of the second terminal  20   b  have same amplitude. Therefore, the two forces are canceled each other, and the spacer  15  does not move upward and downward. 
         [0063]    That is, when the substrate  19  is inserted through the substrate insertion port  32 , although the force acting on the pin  17  in a shearing direction and the compressive force on the spacer  15  are acted on the card-edge connector  10 , the broadening force of the inside of the housing  12  is not acted. 
         [0064]    In other words, the spacer  15  receives two sets of the contact weight generated by broadening the clipping portions  30   a ,  30   b  of the terminal clamping portion  20  through the fulcrum as two sets of contact weight canceled each other. Therefore, the force broadening the housing  12  do not act, and the occurrence of the creep is evaded. Further, since the intensity of the housing  12  can be lowered, a reduction for the housing  12  in size and weight can be realized. 
         [0065]    The present invention has been described with reference to the embodiment as stated above. However, this embodiment is an example. What various changes and modifications to the combination of the constituent elements can be done and what such changes and modifications are deemed to come within the scope of the present invention would be apparent to those skilled in the art. 
         [0066]    For example, the spacer  15  may be removed if it is unnecessary to insulate the first terminal  20   a  from the second terminal  20   b . In this case, since the two spacer pressing portions  27   a ,  27   b  receive mutual forces, the intensity of the housing  12  may be as in view of the acting force. Further, although the force by the pressing faces  50   a ,  50   b  acts on the spacer  15  on a face, the force may act on a point or on a line. Further, the spacer pressing portions  27   a ,  27   b  may directly extend from the fulcrum portions  25   a ,  25   b  without the contact portions  29   a ,  29   b.    
         [0067]    This invention can be applied to industrial products such as computers, an electronic device and an automobile where the products and parts performing an electrical connection by inserting a substrate including a conductor at the edge thereof are used.