Abstract:
A connector detaching device detaches a connector that has a terminal projecting from a frame thereof and is attached to a board by insertion of the terminal into the board. The connector is attached to the board having a through hole filled by the frame of the connector attached to the board. The device includes: a board supporting jig that has a base and plural supporting arms extending from the base in an arrayed manner and supports the board with the plural supporting arms from a surface of the board to which the connector is attached by straddling the connector; and a push-out jig that has an insertion rod having a diameter smaller than the through hole and pushes the frame of the connector by the insertion rod through the through hole from a side reverse to the side of the surface to which the connector is attached.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a board to which a connector is attached, a connector which is attached to a board, and a connector detaching device which detaches a connector attached to a board, and a method of detaching a connector.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     A connector which is attached to a printed circuit board which is built in a server, a communication device, etc. and connects the printed circuit board and an electric circuit together, has hitherto been widely used. Usually, a connector is provided with multiple terminals which are connected to each of the multiple electric lines extending from an electric circuit, these multiple terminals are each inserted into multiple through holes provided in a printed circuit board, the terminals are further fixed, by soldering, for example, whereby the printed circuit board and the electric circuit are electrically connected together via the connector.  
         [0005]     Incidentally, usually, it is not expected that when a connector is once attached to a printed circuit board, the attached connector might be detached and, therefore, by press fitting the terminals of the connector into the through holes of the printed circuit board, the connector is firmly fixed to the printed circuit board, whereby efficient and positive energization is achieved between the printed circuit board and the electric circuit. However, when failures occur in part of the inner components of a server, a communication device, etc. and inspection, replacement and the like of the components are performed, it becomes necessary to extract the connector from the printed circuit board.  
         [0006]     Because as described above, a connector provided with many terminals is firmly fixed to a thin printed circuit board, there is a possibility that when the connector is to be taken out with hand, the through holes might be forced open, resulting in the breakage of the board, and that the terminals might be broken and remain within the board. Although it is conceivable to disassemble a connector and to take out the terminals one by one in order to avoid the breakage of a board, this takes much trouble and time. Such difficulty in detaching a connector prevents the reuse of printed circuit boards and connectors.  
         [0007]     Methods of detaching a connector by use of a jig have been known in addition to methods of detaching a connector with hand as described above.  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagram to explain how to detach a connector from a board by use of a jig.  
         [0009]     Part (A) of  FIG. 1  shows a board  10  provided with multiple through holes (not illustrated), a connector  20  attached to the board  10 , and a jig  30  which pulls the connector  20 . As shown in part (A) of  FIG. 1 , the connector  20  is constituted by a housing  21  which is provided with a gripping area  21   a  to be gripped by the jig  30  and multiple terminals  22  which project from the housing  21 , and this connector  20  is attached to the board  10  when the multiple terminals  22  are each inserted into the multiple through holes made in the board  10 . By withdrawing the jig  30  which grips the gripping area  21   a  of the connector  20  in the direction of the arrow A, it is possible to detach the connector  20  from the board  10  without damaging the terminals  22  etc.  
         [0010]     Part (B) of  FIG. 1  shows a board  10 , a connector  20  and a jig  40  which depresses the connector  20  from the terminal  22  side. In the connector shown in part (B) of  FIG. 1 , the gripping area  21   a  shown in part (A) of  FIG. 1  is not provided. However, the terminals  22  are supported by a small housing  21  and the terminals  22  are inserted into the through holes of the board  10 , pierce through the through holes and project. The jig  40  depresses the terminal  22  side projecting from the board  10  and, therefore, it is possible to detach the connector  20  from the board  10  although the housing  21  is not provided with the gripping area  21   a.    
         [0011]     However, in the method shown in part (A) of  FIG. 1 , it is necessary that the housing  21  of the connector  20  have the gripping area  21   a  having a width and strength large enough for catching the jig  30  above the portion from which the terminals  22  project, thereby posing the problem that the thickness and width of the connector  20  increase considerably. In the method shown in part (B) of  FIG. 1 , there is a possibility that the terminals  22  buckles or the board  10  warps when the jig  40  depresses the connector  20 , with the result that the connector  20  could not be detached from the board  10 .  
         [0012]     In addition to the above-described methods, there have been proposed a technique which uses a shapememory alloy, which is less apt to be deformed and can be restored to an original state by heat even when deformed, and suppresses the deformation of the terminals during the detachment of the connector from the board (refer to the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-199821), a technique which gives elasticity to a portion of contact between the board and the connector and reduces the breakage of the connector terminals (refer to the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-88038), etc. By using these techniques described in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-199821 and the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-88038 in combination with the above-described connector detaching methods which use a jig, it is possible to detach the connector  20  from the board  10  without breaking the connector  20  and the board  10  and to reuse the connector  20  and the board  10 .  
         [0013]     However, in the method shown in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-199821, the terminals of a connector are fabricated from an expensive shapememory alloy, thereby posing the problem that the cost of the whole device rises. In the method shown in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-88038, it is necessary that the minute portion where the connector and the board are in contact with each other be subjected to special working, thereby posing the problem that the manufacturing of the connector and the board becomes complicated.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and provides a board, a connector, a connector detaching device and a method of detaching connector, which can detach the connector by a simple mechanism without the breakage of the connector and the board.  
         [0015]     The present invention provides a board to which a connector having a terminal projecting from a frame thereof is attached by insertion of the terminal, including:  
         [0016]     a terminal insertion section into which the terminal is inserted; and  
         [0017]     a through section having a through hole which pierces through both sides of the board and which is filled by the frame by the insertion of the terminal into the terminal insertion section.  
         [0018]     With the board of the present invention, in addition to the terminal insertion section into which the terminal of the connector is inserted, there is made a through hole which is filled by the frame of the connector, and by pushing the frame of the connector from this through hole, it is possible to detach the connector without the breakage of the terminal of the connector.  
         [0019]     In the present invention, there is provided a connector which is connected to a board, which includes:  
         [0020]     a frame;  
         [0021]     a terminal which projects from one surface of the frame and is inserted into the board; and  
         [0022]     a high-strength section which is provided within the one surface of the frame and can withstand the abutting by a force necessary for the extraction of the terminal from the board.  
         [0023]     With the connector of the present invention, a high-strength section is provided within on the same surface as the surface on which the terminal is provided. Therefore, a through hole is made in the board and by the depression of the high-strength section from the through hole, this connector can be easily detached from the board.  
         [0024]     It is preferred that the connector of the present invention further have a through section having a through hole which pierces through the frame from a position within the one surface nearer to the center relative to the position of the high-strength section to an opposite side of the frame.  
         [0025]     In a case where a wide connector has been attached to a thin board and the like, even when a through hole is provided in the board and the connector is depressed via the through hole, there is a possibility that the board might warp, with the board adhering to the connector, making it impossible to detach the connector. By the arrangement in which a through hole is provided in the connector and the board is supported from a direction reverse to a force with which the connector is depressed, a warp of the board is suppressed and the connector can be positively detached.  
         [0026]     The present invention provides a connector detaching device which detaches a connector having a terminal projecting from a frame thereof, which has been attached to a board by insertion of the terminal into the board, wherein:  
         [0027]     the connector detaching device detaches the connector attached to the board having a through hole which is filled by the frame of the connector attached to the board, and  
         [0028]     the connector detaching device includes:  
         [0029]     a board supporting jig which is provided with a base and a plurality of supporting arms extending from the base in an arrayed manner and supports the board with the plurality of supporting arms from a surface of the board to which the connector is attached by straddling the connector; and  
         [0030]     a push-out jig which is provided with an insertion rod, which has a diameter smaller than the through hole, and pushes the frame of the connector by use of the insertion rod through the through hole from a side reverse to the side of the surface to which the connector is attached.  
         [0031]     With the connector detaching device of the present invention, the insertion rod pushes the frame of the connector via the through hole of the board and, therefore, the connector can be detached from the board without the breakage of the terminal of the connector.  
         [0032]     It is preferred that there be made a through hole which pierces in a direction toward the substrate and that the board supporting jig be provided with an abutting rod which extends from the base and supports the board by being inserted into the through hole of the connector.  
         [0033]     With a connector detaching device in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the board is supported by the insertion rod in a direction reverse to the direction in which the insertion rod pushes the connector and, therefore, a warp of the board is reduced and the connector can be efficiently detached.  
         [0034]     The present invention provides a connector detaching method which detaches a connector attached to a board by insertion of a terminal into the board and which has the terminal projecting from a frame thereof, wherein:  
         [0035]     the board has a through hole which is filled by the frame of the connector attached to the board, and  
         [0036]     the method includes the steps of:  
         [0037]     supporting the board by use of a board supporting jig which is provided with a base and a plurality of supporting arms extending from the base in an arrayed manner and supporting the board with the plurality of arms from a surface of the board to which the connector is attached by straddling the connector;  
         [0038]     inserting the insertion rod, which is smaller in diameter than the through hole, into the through hole from a side reverse to the side of the surface of the board to which the connector is attached; and  
         [0039]     detaching the terminal from the board by pushing the frame of the connector by use of the insertion rod of the push-out jig.  
         [0040]     According to the present invention, the connector is detached from the board by a simple mechanism without the breakage of the board and the connector.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0041]      FIG. 1  is a diagram to explain how to detach a connector from a board by use of a jig;  
         [0042]      FIG. 2  is a diagram to show a connector in a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0043]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of a board in the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0044]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a board  200  and a connector  100  when the connector  100  is attached to the board  200 ;  
         [0045]      FIG. 5  is a diagram to show a connector detaching device in the first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0046]      FIG. 6  is a diagram to show a connector in a second embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0047]      FIG. 7  is a diagram to show a connector detaching device in the second embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0048]     Embodiments of the present invention will be described.  
         [0049]      FIG. 2  is a diagram to show a connector in a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0050]     Part (A) of  FIG. 2  shows a side view of a connector  100 , and part (B) of  FIG. 2  shows a view of the connector  100  shown in part (A) of  FIG. 2  as viewed from above.  
         [0051]     As shown in part (A) of  FIG. 2 , the connector  100  is constituted by a housing  110  and multiple terminals  120  held by the housing  110 , and these multiple terminals  120  project from one surface of the housing  110 . As shown in part (B) of  FIG. 2 , a reinforcing portion  130  having high strength is provided within the surface of the housing  110  from which the terminals  120  project. The housing  110  corresponds to an example of the “frame” in the connector of the present invention, the terminals  120  correspond to an example of the “terminal” in the connector of the present invention, and the reinforcing portion  130  corresponds to an example of the “high-strength section” in the connector of the present invention.  
         [0052]      FIG. 3  is a view of a board in the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0053]     A board  200  has the shape of a thin plate, and multiple insertion holes  210   a  are made in the board  200 . The multiple insertion holes  210   a  pierce through both surfaces of the plate and each of the multiple terminals  120  shown in  FIG. 2  is inserted into the insertion holes  210   a . In the board  200 , a through hole  220   a  is made in a portion which is opposed to the reinforcing portion  130  of the connector  100  when the terminal  120  is inserted into insertion hole  210   a . The portion  220  where the insertion hole  210   a  is provided corresponds to an example of the “terminal insertion section” in the board of the present invention, and the portion  210  where the through hole  220   a  is made corresponds to an example of the “through section” in the board of the present invention.  
         [0054]     Each of the multiple terminals  120  provided in the connector  100  shown in  FIG. 2  is inserted into each of the multiple insertion holes  210   a  made in the board  200  shown in  FIG. 3  and the connector  100  is press fitted into the board  200 , whereby the connector  100  is attached to the board  200 .  
         [0055]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the board  200  and the connector  100  when the connector  100  is attached to the board  200 . Incidentally, because the insertion hole  210   a  shown in  FIG. 3  is made to adapt to the size of the terminal  120 , the terminal  120  is fitted into the insertion hole without a clearance. For this reason, hereinafter, in figures which show the condition in which the terminal is inserted into the insertion hole, there is no special distinction between the terminal and the insertion hole.  
         [0056]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the connector  100  is attached to the board  200 , the terminal  120  projects from the back surface of the surface of the board  200  to which the connector  100  is attached (hereinafter, the surface to which the connector  100  is attached is called the attaching surface), and the through hole  220   a  made in the board  200  is filled by the reinforcing portion  130  of the connector  110 .  
         [0057]      FIG. 5  is a diagram to show a connector detaching device in the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0058]     The connector detaching device is constituted by a push-out jig  310 , a board supporting bed  320  and a depressing jig  330 .  
         [0059]     The board supporting bed  320  is constituted by a base  321  and multiple supporting rods  322  which extend vertically upward from the base  321 , and the push-out jig  310  is provided with a depressing plate  311  and insertion rods  312  which are smaller in diameter than the through holes  220   a  of the board  200 . The base  321  corresponds to an example of the “base” in the connector detaching device of the present invention, the multiple supporting rods  322  correspond to an example of the “plurality of supporting arms” in the connector detaching device of the present invention, the board supporting bed  320  corresponds to an example of the “plate supporting jig” in the connector detaching device of the present invention. The insertion rod  312  corresponds to an example of the “insertion rod” in the connector detaching device of the present invention, and the push-out jig  310  corresponds to an example of the “push-out jig” in the connector detaching device of the present invention.  
         [0060]     Hereinafter, a series of procedures for detaching the connector  100  from the board  200  by using this connector detaching device will be described.  
         [0061]     First, the board  200  is placed on the board supporting bed  320  in such a manner that with the attaching surface (the surface to which the connector  100  is attached) facing downward, the connector  100  is positioned between the multiple supporting rods  322 . As a result, the multiple supporting rods  322  of the board supporting bed  320  support the board  200  from the attaching surface side by straddling the connector  100 . This step of supporting the board  200  with the board supporting bed  320  corresponds to an example of the step of “supporting the board by use of a board supporting jig” in the connector detaching method of the present invention.  
         [0062]     Subsequently, the insertion rod  312  of the push-out jig  310  is inserted into the through hole  220   a  of the board  200 . As a result, the board supporting bed  320  supports the board  200  from the attaching surface side and, at the same time, the insertion rod  312  is inserted into the through hole  220   a  from the backside of the attaching surface of the board  200  and brought into contact with the reinforcing portion  130  of the connector  100 . This step of inserting the insertion rod  312  into the through hole  220   a  corresponds to the step of “inserting the insertion rod” in the connector detaching method of the present invention.  
         [0063]     When the insertion rod  312  is inserted, the depressing plate  311  is depressed by the depressing jig  330  in the direction of the arrow C. The connector  100  is pushed down by the insertion rod  312  and the terminal  120  is extracted from the insertion hole  210   a  and detached from the board  200 . This step of detaching the connector  100  from the board  200  by use of the insertion rod  312  corresponds to an example of the step of “detaching the terminal from the board” in the connector detaching method of the present invention.  
         [0064]     The reinforcing portion  130  which comes into contact with the insertion rod  312  has high strength and can withstand the abutting force with which the reinforcing portion  130  is pushed by the insertion rod  312 . Because the depressing jig  330  depresses the housing  110  which supports the terminal  120 , and not the terminal  120  itself, with the connector detaching device of this embodiment, it is possible to easily detach the connector  100  from the board  200  by reducing the breakage of the terminal  120  and the like.  
         [0065]     With the foregoing, the description of the first embodiment of the present invention is finished, and the second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The first and second embodiments of the present invention have almost the same constitutional features, with the exception that the construction of the connector and the board supporting bed are partially different. Therefore, the same parts are identified by the same reference characters, their descriptions are omitted, and a description will be given only of points in which the first and second embodiments differ.  
         [0066]     In a case where a connector having a large width is attached to a board which is thin and apt to warp, if the reinforcing portion of the connector is depressed by the insertion road in the same manner as in the first embodiment, there might sometimes occur a case where the board deflects and it is difficult to detach the connector from the board. In a connector detaching device of this embodiment, the deflection of the board is reduced by supporting the board from a surface opposite to the surface on which the depressing by the insertion rod is preformed.  
         [0067]      FIG. 6  is a diagram to show a connector in a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0068]     As shown in part (A) of  FIG. 6 , in a connector  500  of this second embodiment, the number of terminals  120  is larger than in the connector  100  of the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , and the transverse length in which the terminals  120  are arrayed increases accordingly. Also, as shown in part (B) of  FIG. 6 , in the connector  500  in a position inward from the position where a reinforcing portion  130  is provided, there is made a through hole  540   a  which pierces through a housing  510 . When the connector  500  is attached to a board  200 , a through hole  540   a  is filled by the board  200 . The portion  540  where this through hole  540   a  is made corresponds to an example of the “through section” in a connector of the present invention.  
         [0069]      FIG. 7  is a diagram to show a connector detaching device in the second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0070]     Although the connector detaching device of this embodiment has almost the same construction as the connector detaching device of the first embodiment shown in  FIG. 5 , there is provided an abutting rod  323  which extends from a base  321  of a board supporting bed  320  and is inserted into the through hole  540   a  of the connector  500  which is attached to the board  200 . This abutting rod  323  corresponds to an example of the “abutting rod” in the connector detaching device of the present invention.  
         [0071]     When the board  200  to which the connector  500  has been attached is placed on the board supporting bed  320 , with the attaching surface (the surface to which connector  500  is attached) facing downward, the multiple supporting rods  322  support the board  200  from the attaching surface side by straddling the connector  500  and, at the same time, the abutting rod  323  is inserted into the through hole  540   a  made in the connector  500  and is caused to abut against the attaching surface of the board  200 .  
         [0072]     Subsequently, an insertion rod  312  of a push-out jig  310  is inserted into an insertion hole  220   a  of the board  200  and a depressing plate  311  is depressed by a depressing jig  330  in the direction of the arrow C. Because at that time, the board  200  is supported by the abutting rod  323  in the direction reverse to the direction of the arrow C, the trouble that the board  200  deflects is alleviated. Thus, with the connector detaching device of the second embodiment, even in a case where a large connector is attached to a thin and wide board, the connector can be positively detached from the connector.  
         [0073]     In the foregoing, the description has been given of an example of a connector in which terminals project from only one surface of the frame. However, a connector of the present invention may be such that terminals project also from a surface other than the one surface of the frame.  
         [0074]     Also, in the foregoing, the description has been given of an example in which the high-strength section of the connector which is depressed by the connector detaching device is provided in two places at ends which interpose the position where the terminals are provided. However, the high-strength section in the connector of the present invention may be provided in a gap between the terminals or the like. In this case, it is possible to suppress an increase in connector size. Similarly, in the foregoing, the description has been given of an example in which the through section of the board into which the insertion rod of the connector detaching device is inserted is provided outward from the terminal insertion section into which the terminals of the connector are inserted. However, the through section and the terminal insertion section in the board of the present invention may be provided in a mixed manner. In this case, it is possible to suppress an increase in connector size.  
         [0075]     The abutting rod of the present invention and the through hole of the connector of the present invention may be provided in a suitable position between the multiple terminals of the connector.  
         [0076]     Also, in the foregoing, the description has been given of an example in which the depressing plate  311  is depressed by the depressing jig  330 , whereby the insertion rod  312  is indirectly pushed. However, the insertion rod called as such in the present invention may also be pushed by human beings without the use of the depressing jig.