Patent Publication Number: US-8968032-B2

Title: Structure including an interface section having displaceable contact portions with reinforced portions

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is the National Stage of PCT/JP2011/067044 filed on Jul. 27, 2011, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Japanese Application No. 2010-177682 filed on Aug. 6, 2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. The international application under PCT article 21(2) was not published in English. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a structure which comprises an interface section having displaceable contact portions and, in particular, relates to a mechanism protecting the contact portions. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector which comprises a mechanism protecting contact portions of contacts. The connector includes a holder member and protection covers, wherein the holder member holds the contact portions so that the contact portions project upwards, and the protection covers protect the contact portions, respectively. 
     PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS 
     Patent Document(s) 
     Patent Document 1: JP 2005-39944 A 
     DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved by Invention 
     However, there is a possibility in the connector of Patent Document  1  that certain directions or strengths of external forces might damage the protection covers as well as the contacts. 
     It is therefore an object to provide a structure comprising an interface section which is tolerant to an imaginable force on the basis of a suitable combination of the arrangement of contact portions of contacts and reinforcement thereof. 
     Means for Solving the Problems 
     The present invention provides a structure which comprises a plurality of contacts, a holder member, a reinforcement member and urging means. Each of the plurality of contacts has a contact portion and a spring portion which supports the contact portion so that the contact portion is displaceable along an up-down direction. Each of the contact portions has two reinforced portions. The holder member holds the plurality of contacts. Because of the holding, the plurality of contacts are arranged in a pitch direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and side surfaces of the reinforced portions of neighboring one of the contact portions face each other in the pitch direction. The reinforcement member has a reinforcement portion. When the reinforcement member is positioned at an initial position, the reinforcement portion is positioned between the neighboring contact portions so as to reinforce, at least in part, the reinforced portions facing each other. The urging means urges the reinforcement member to move towards the initial position. 
     Advantageous Effect of Invention 
     Under a disconnection state of the structure and a mating structure, the reinforcement portion reinforces side portions of the contact portions which project from the holder member. Thus, the contacts are protected suitably. 
     The neighboring contact portions can share a single reinforcement portion because each reinforcement portion is provided between the neighboring contact portions in the pitch direction. Therefore, the structure can be downsized. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view showing the structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front view showing the structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged, side view showing contact portions and around them of the structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the structure of  FIG. 2 , partially cut out along line V--V. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of  FIG. 3 , taken along line VI-VI. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view showing a contact included in the structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing an interface section included in the structure of  FIG. 1 , as seen from below. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing an assembly included in the structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 10  is a front view showing a mating structure which is connectable with the structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view showing a structure according to a first modification. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing a structure according to a second modification. 
         FIG. 13  is a top plan view showing the structure of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view showing the structure of  FIG. 13 , partially cut out along XIV--XIV line. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view showing a structure according to a third modification. 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view showing an interface section included in the structure of  FIG. 15 , as seen from below. 
         FIG. 17  is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the structure of  FIG. 3 , taken along line XVII-XVII. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 6 , the structure  100  according to the embodiment comprises a plurality of contacts  120  made of metal, a plurality of additional contact portion  130  made of metal, a holder member  140  made of insulative material, a reinforcement member  160  made of insulative material and a case  180  made of insulative material. 
     A connection object of the structure  100  is a mating structure  500 . As partially shown in  FIG. 10 , the mating structure  500  has a plurality of mating contact portions  520 , a plurality of protrusion ribs  540  and additional mating contact portions  560 . The mating contact portions  520  are portions to be connected with the contacts  120 . The mating contact portions  520  and the protrusion ribs  540  are alternately aligned in a pitch direction (an X direction: a width direction). As understood from  FIG. 10 , the protrusion rib  540  projects from the mating contact portion  520  by a predetermined size S in an up-down direction (a Z direction). The additional mating contact portions  560  are provided so as to be displaceable. The additional mating contact portions  560  are portions to be connected with the additional contact portion  130 . The additional mating contact portions  560  are arranged differ from the mating contact portions  520  in a front-back direction (a Y direction) so as not to prevent a connection between the mating contact portions  520  and the contacts  120 . The additional mating contact portions  560  are illustrated with dotted lines because a relation between the mating contact portions  520  and the protrusion ribs  540  are brought into focus in  FIG. 10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , each of the contacts  120  of the structure  100  has a contact portion  122 , a spring portion  126 , a held portion  127 , a fixed portion  128  and a supporter portion  129 . The contact portion  122  is brought into contact with the mating contact portion  520 . The spring portion  126  supports the contact portion  122 . The held portion  127  extends downward from one end of the spring portion  126 . The fixed portion  128  is provided to a lower end of the held portion  127 . The supporter portion  129  is provided to the front end of the contact portion  122 . 
     The contact portion  122  is bent in an inverted V-like shape. In other words, the contact portion  122  has a A-like (a peak-like) shape, and a top portion  123  of the contact portion  122  projects upwards. Both side portions of the contact portion  122  constitute reinforced portions  124  reinforced by the reinforcement member  160  (described hereafter). In other words, each of the contact portions  122  has two reinforced portions  124 . 
     The supporter portion  129  is made to be widened than a width of the contact portion  122 . In other words, the supporter portion  129  has a shape jutting sideways in comparison with the contact portion  122 . Therefore, the contact portion  122  and the supporter portion  129  constitute a T-like shape. 
     The spring portion  126  uses its resilience and supports the contact portion  122  displaceable in the up-down direction. The held portion  127  is made to be widened in comparison with the spring portion  126  or the like, and press-fit projections press-fitted into holder member  140  are provided on sides of the held portion  127 . The fixed portion  128  is a portion configured to be fixed to the circuit board  320  (see  FIG. 9 ) by soldering or the like. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , the holder member  140  arranges and holds a plurality of the contacts  120  in line in the pitch direction (the X direction). In detail, the held portions  127  are press-fitted in holding grooves  144  provided in the vicinity of a front end of the holder member  140  so that the contacts  120  are held by the holder member  140 . By being held in this way, a plurality of the contact portions  122  are lined in the pitch direction (an X direction), side surfaces  124 ′ (see  FIG. 4 ) of the reinforced portions  124  of one of the neighboring contact portions  122  in the pitch direction (the X direction) are faced each other in the pitch direction (the X direction). Moreover, the supporter portion  129  has a larger size than the width of the contact portion  122  in the pitch direction (the X direction) because a broad-width direction of the supporter portion  129  is oriented in the pitch direction (the X direction). As shown in  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , the holder member  140  is provided with pivot portions  142  projecting outward in the pitch direction (the X direction). 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 ,  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 , the reinforcement member  160  has two arm portions  162  and a coupling portion  164  coupling the arm portions  162  in the pitch direction (the X direction). Approximately, the reinforcement member  160  has a rectangular C-shape. The arm portions  162  are pivotally supported by pivot portions  142  provided on the holder member  140 . 
     The coupling portion  164  is formed with slits corresponding the contact portions  122  of the contacts  120 . As a result, the reinforcement portions  166  are formed between the slits, respectively, of the coupling portion  164 . An interface section  200  shown in  FIG. 8  is assembled by attaching the reinforcement member  160  to the holder member  140 , followed by inserting the contacts  120  in the holder member  140 . Upon this insertion, the contact portions  122  are inserted between the slits, respectively, from below. According to the insertion, the reinforcement portion  166  is positioned between the neighboring contact portions  122 , in the pitch direction (the Y direction), faced each other. 
     When an assembly  300  shown in  FIG. 9  is assembled, the interface section  200  is mounted and fixed on the circuit board  320  on which a package  340  made by molding an IC chip or the like with resin is mounted. The interface section  200  is mounted and fixed on the circuit board  320  so that a rotation range of the reinforcement member  160  is limited to a predetermined extent defined the holder member  140  and the circuit board  320 . In two limitation positions defining a rotatable range, one of the limitation positions, where a projection amount of the reinforcement portion  166  from the holder member  140  is at the maximum, is defined as an initial position. In other words, the reinforcement portion  166  projects from the holder member  140  to the most extent when the reinforcement member  160  is at the initial position. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 8 , a bottom surface of the reinforcement portion  166  (i.e. a bottom surface of the coupling portion  164 ) is supported by supporter portions  129  of the contacts  120 . Therefore, the reinforcement member  160  is urged to move towards the initial position. In other words, the contacts  120  also serve as an urging means for urging the reinforcement member  160  to move towards the initial position. 
     The structure  100  shown in  FIG. 1  is obtained by accommodating the assembly  300  (see  FIG. 9 ) in a case  180  with the interface section  200  exposed. As understood from  FIG. 1 , an arrangement of the contact portions  122  and the additional contact portions  130  is similar to that of an interface section of a plug connector of standard-A USB  3 . 0 . However, a metal shell is not provided in comparison with the USB connector so that the whole structure  100  is downsized. 
     Moreover, in the structure  100  of the embodiment, the reinforcement portion  166  exists between the reinforced portions  124  of neighboring one of the contact portions  122  in the pitch direction (the X direction). As a result, the reinforcement portion  166  reinforces, at least in part, the reinforced portions  124  as seen in the pitch direction (the X direction), as shown in  FIG. 4 . Therefore, even if a force directed in the pitch direction (the X direction) is exerted to the contact portions  122 , the reinforcement portions  166  can receive the reinforced portions  124  of the contact portions  122 . As a result, the contacts  120  can be prevented from being damaged as much as possible. 
     In order to obtain an effect which prevents damage of the contacts  120 , it is preferable that a size of the reinforcement portion  166  in the pitch direction is more than two third of a distance between the neighboring contact portions  122 . In order to reduce a clearance between the contact portion  122  and the reinforcement portion  166  as match as possible and to reinforce with reliability, it is more preferable that a size of the reinforcement portion  166  in the pitch direction (the X direction) is more than 80% of a distance between neighboring contact portions  122  in the pitch direction. 
     In this embodiment, the supporter portions  129  support the reinforce portion  166  of the reinforce portion  160  so that a displacement of the contact portion  122  of the contact  120  is connected with another displacement of the reinforcement portion  166 . Therefore, according to this embodiment, a weakening of protection of the contact portions  122  of the contacts  120  because of an undesired displacement of the reinforcement portion  166  alone does not occur. 
     On the other hand, in the structure  100 , a position relation between the contact portion  122  and the reinforcement portion  166  is defined, in consideration of another position relation between the mating contact portion  520  and the protrusion ribs  540 , so that the protrusion ribs  540  push the reinforcement portion  166  down before a contact between the contact portions  122  and the mating contact portions  520 . To be more specific, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the top portion  123  of the contact portion  122  of the contact  120  projects upward from the uppermost portion  168  of the reinforcement portion  166  when the reinforcement member  160  is positioned at the initial position. Under this state, a distance D between the top portion  123  and the uppermost portion  168  of the reinforcement portion  166  in the up-down direction (the Z direction) is larger than a projection size (the predetermined size S) of the protrusion rib  540  of the mating structure  500 . Therefore, the protrusion ribs  540  do not push down the reinforcement portions  166  and contact portions  122  before the contact portions  122  are brought into contact with the mating contact portions  520 . 
     (A First Modification) 
     In the above-described structure  100  (see  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 4 ), the distance D between the top portion  123  and the uppermost portion  168  of the reinforcement portion  166  is defined in consideration of the projection size (the predetermined size S) of the protrusion rib  540  of the mating structure  500 . However, the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     With reference to  FIG. 11 , a structure  100   a  of the first modification has an interface section  200   a  similar to the interface section  200  according to the above-described embodiment except for a shape of the reinforcement portion  166 . In detail, the reinforcement portion  166   a  is provided with depression portion  167  depressed downward by a size in consideration of the projection size (the predetermined size S). Therefore, an exposed size of the reinforced portion  124  can be reduced so that a protection of the contact portion  122  is ensured. A contact between protrusion rib  540  and the reinforcement portion  166   a , which may prevent another contact between the contact portion  122  and the mating contact portion  520 , can be avoided. 
     For example, when the mating structure  500  has no protrusion ribs  540 , the reinforcement portion  166  may be formed so that almost the entire contact portion  122  is covered with the reinforcement portion  166  as seen in the pitch direction (the X direction) without providing the depression portion and that the contact portion  122  is completely protected. In this case, the mating contact portion  520  has a thickness in the Z direction so that the contact portion  122  is firstly connected with the mating contact portion  520 . 
     (A Second Modification) 
     The above-described structure (see  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9 ) comprises the reinforcement member  160  independent of other members. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, with reference to  FIG. 12  to  FIG. 14 , the arm portion  182  and the reinforcement portion  186  are constituted as a part of a case  180   b  in a structure  100   b  according to the second modification. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12  to  FIG. 14 , the arm portion  182  according to the second embodiment is provided for every reinforcement portion  186  so that the reinforcement portions  186  are not connected with each other in the pitch direction. The arm portions  182  are provided to the case  180  so that a holder member  140   b  has no need to pivotally support the arm portions  182 . Therefore, the holder member  140   b  is not provided with the pivot portion. The contact  120  according to the embodiment has a structure same as the contact  120  according to the above-described embodiment. The bottom of the reinforcement portion  186  is supported by the supporter portions  129  of end portions of the contacts  120  (a supporting condition is not shown). 
     In the structure  100   b  according to the second embodiment, grooves  188  are provided to the case  180   b  in order to form the arm portions  182  so that a contamination or the like may enter inside the case  180   b  through grooves  188 . Therefore, the structure  100  according to the above-described embodiment is preferable to the structure  100   b  according to the second embodiment in view of a protection of the package  340  accommodated in the cases  180 ,  180   b.    
     (A Third Modification) 
     The contacts  120  also serve the urging means for urging the reinforcement member  160  to move towards the initial position in the structure  100  (see  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 8 ) according to above-described embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. 
     With reference to  FIG. 15  to  FIG. 17 , an interface section  200   c  of a structure  100   c  according to the third modification comprises a plurality of contacts  120   c , additional contact portions  130 , a holder member  140   c  holding the contacts  120   c , a reinforcement member  160   c  and resilient member (a spring)  190 . As understood from  FIG. 15 , the structure including the interface section  200   c  is accommodated in the case  180   c  with the interface section  200   c  exposed. 
     As understood from  FIG. 15  and  FIG. 16 , the reinforcement member  160   c  is constituted by coupling a plurality of reinforcement portion  166   c  in the pitch direction (the X direction). The resilient member  190  pushes its bottom surface up so that the reinforcement member  160   c  is urged to move towards the initial position. 
     On the other hand, the contacts  120   c  have a structure having no supporter portion  129  (see  FIG. 7 ) so that the reinforcement portion  166   c  can be displaced independently of a displacement of the contact portion  122  of the contact  120   c.    
     If a displacement of the reinforcement portion  166   c  is not connected with another displacement of the contact portion  122  of the contacts  120   c , the contact between the protrusion ribs  540  and the reinforcement portion  166   c  does not prevent the contact between the contact portion  122  and the mating contact portion  520 , for example even though the mating structure  500  has the protrusion ribs  540 . However, there is possibility that the appropriate protection of the contacts  120  is not attained when only reinforcement portion  166   c  is displaced by undesired external force or the like so that a degree of exposure of the reinforced portion  124  is increasing to excess. Therefore, the displacement of the contact portion  122  of the contact  120  and the displacement of the reinforcement portion  166  are preferable to be connected, as the structure  100  according to the above-described embodiments. 
     With citing specific examples, the explanation was made about the present invention as above. However the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the holder member and the case are different-pieces in any of above-described embodiment and the modifications. However, the holder member and the case may be a single-piece. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present invention can be applied to a memory card or a connector which has the interface section described above. 
     DESCRIPTION OF NUMERALS 
       100 ,  100   a ,  100   b ,  100   c  structure 
       120  contact (urging means) 
       120   c  contact 
       122  contact portion 
       123  top portion 
       124  reinforced portion 
       124 ′ side surface 
       126  spring portion 
       128  fixed portion 
       129  supporter portion 
       130  additional contact portion 
       140 ,  140   b ,  140   c  holder member 
       142  pivot portion 
       144  holding groove 
       160 ,  160   a ,  160   c  reinforcement member 
       162  arm portion 
       164  coupling portion 
       166 ,  166   a ,  166   c  reinforcement portion 
       167  depression portion 
       168  uppermost portion 
       180 ,  180   b ,  180   c  case 
       182  arm portion 
       186  reinforcement portion 
       188  groove 
       190  resilient member (urging means) 
       200 ,  200   a ,  200   b ,  200   c  interface section 
       300  assembly 
       320  circuit board 
       340  package 
       500  mating structure 
       520  mating contact portion 
       540  protrusion rib 
       560  additional mating contact portion