Patent Publication Number: US-8540534-B2

Title: Connector

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Applicants claim priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of Japanese Patent Application No. JP2010-234908 filed Oct. 19, 2010. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a connector which is configured to be mounted on a circuit board and is configured to be mated with a mating connector. 
     For example, a connector of this type is disclosed in JP-B2 4454651, contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The connector of JP-B2 4454651 has a housing and a terminal installed in the housing. The terminal is prevented from being damaged when the mating connector mated with the connector is removed from the connector. Especially, according to a second embodiment disclosed in JP-B2 4454651, the terminal of the connector has an elastic portion shaped in a U-like shape (see FIGS. 6 and 7 of JP-B2 4454651). The elastic portion has a bottom arm, an upper-extending arm and a middle portion formed between the bottom arm and the upper-extending arm. The middle portion has a curved portion and an engaging protrusion formed on the curved portion. The engaging protrusion protrudes from the curved portion toward a lower end of a facing wall of the housing. The engaging protrusion is engaged with the facing wall when the mating connector is removed from the connector so that the terminal is prevented from being damaged. 
     The connector of JP-B2 4454651 is formed with a gap between the engaging protrusion and the facing wall under an unmated state where the connector is not mated with the mating connector. When the mating connector is removed, the engaging protrusion moves to the facing wall over the gap so that the engaging protrusion is engaged with the facing wall of the housing. However, the middle portion which is formed with the engaging protrusion is essentially difficult to be moved. Therefore, it is necessary to shorten the gap as possible. 
     However, it is impossible to avoid a variation within a tolerance when an actual product is produced. If the gap under the unmated state is designed to have a too small tolerance, the engaging protrusion might obstruct the terminal to be attached to the housing so that the terminal is unable to be installed into the housing. 
     On the other hand, if the gap is designed to have a relatively large tolerance, the engaging protrusion might not be engaged with the facing wall when the mating connector is removed from the connector. Even if the engaging protrusion is engaged with the facing wall, a position at which the engaging protrusion is engaged with the facing wall might be upper than a preferable position so that the terminal is damaged. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector configured to be mated with and removed from a mating connector. The connector comprises a housing and a terminal. The terminal of the connector is able to be installed into the housing easily and securely. Moreover, the terminal is prevented from being damaged when a mating connector is removed from the connector. 
     One aspect of the present invention provides a connector matable with a mating connector having a plurality of mating terminals. The connector comprises a housing and a plurality of terminals. The housing has a side wall, a facing wall and a receiving depression. The side wall is an external wall of the housing and extends in a first direction. The facing wall is formed so as to face the side wall in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The receiving depression is formed between the side wall and the facing wall in the second so as to be depressed downward. The terminals is arranged in the first direction so as to be held by the housing. Each of the terminals has an attached portion, a first spring portion, an upward-extending portion, an elastic support portion and a contact portion. The attached portion is attached to the housing. The first spring portion is formed between the attached portion and the upward-extending portion so as to extend within the receiving depression. The upward-extending portion extends upward from the first spring portion. The elastic support portion further extends upward from the upward-extending portion. The contact portion is supported by the elastic support portion. The upward-extending portion has an abutting portion formed at a boundary between the upward-extending portion and the elastic support portion. The abutting portion is opposite to the facing wall. The elastic support portion is formed so as to be bent more easily than a spring formed with the first spring portion and the upward-extending portion. The contact portion is brought into contact with the mating terminal under a mated state where the connector is mated with the mating connector so that the abutting portion is pressed against the facing wall. 
     An appreciation of the objectives of the present invention and a more complete understanding of its structure may be had by studying the following description of the preferred embodiment and by referring to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a housing of the connector of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a terminal of the connector of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is another perspective view showing the terminal of  FIG. 3 , as seen along a different direction of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view showing a part of the terminal of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of  FIG. 1  and a mating connector, wherein the connector and the mating connector are under an unmated state. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of  FIG. 1  and the mating connector, wherein the connector and the mating connector are under a mated state. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the connector of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view showing a modification of the terminal of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 10  is another perspective view showing the terminal of  FIG. 9 , as seen along a different direction of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view showing another modification of the connector of  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  6  and  7 , a connector  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention is a receptacle connector which is configured to be mounted on and fixed to a circuit board (not shown). On the other hand, a mating connector  50  according to the present embodiment is a plug connector which is configured to be mounted on and fixed to a mating circuit board (not shown). The mating connector  50  has a mating housing  520  and a plurality of mating terminals  510  held by the mating housing  520 . The connector  10  is matable with the mating connector  50 . In other words, the connector  10  forms a board-to-board connector assembly together with the mating connector  50 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  6  and  7 , the connector  10  comprises a housing  200  and a plurality of terminals  100 . The housing  200  extends long in the X-direction (first direction). The terminals  100  are arranged in the X-direction (first direction) so as to be held by the housing  200 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  6  and  7 , the housing  200  has two opposite attached walls (side walls)  210  in the Y-direction (second direction), a facing wall  220  and receiving depressions  230 . Each of the attached wall  210  is an external wall of the housing  200  and extends in the X-direction (first direction). The facing wall  220  is formed so as to face the attached walls  210  in the Y-direction (second direction). In other words, the facing wall  220  is located between the attached walls  210  in the Y-direction. More specifically, the facing wall  220  is formed on a middle part of the housing  200  in the Y-direction so as to be apart from the attached walls  210  in the Y-direction. The facing wall  220  rises along the positive Z-direction. The facing wall  220  is provided with an abutment portion  225  formed on a middle portion thereof in the Z-direction. As described later, the abutment portion  225  is configured so that a part of the terminal  100  is brought into abutment with the abutment portion  225 . In other words, the abutment portion  225  is configured to be pressed by a part of the terminal  100  under a mated state where the connector  10  is mated with the mating connector  50 . The receiving depressions  230  are formed between the respective attached walls  210  and the facing wall  220  in the Y-direction (second direction) so as to be depressed downward (i.e. along the negative Z-direction). 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  4 ,  6  and  7 , each of the terminals  100  has an attached portion  110 , a downward-extending portion  120 , a bottom portion (first spring portion)  130 , an upward-extending portion  140 , an elastic support portion  150  and a contact portion  180 . The aforementioned portions for each of the terminals  100  are formed by bending a common metallic material. The attached portion  110  is attached to the attached wall  210  of the housing  200 . The downward-extending portion  120  extends downward (i.e. along the negative Z-direction) from the attached portion  110  within the receiving depression  230 . The bottom portion  130  is formed between the attached portion  110  and the upward-extending portion  140  so as to extend within the receiving depression  230 . According to the present embodiment, the bottom portion  130  extends from the downward-extending portion  120  to the upward-extending portion  140 . The upward-extending portion  140  extends upward (i.e. along the positive Z-direction) from the bottom portion  130 . The elastic support portion  150  further extends upward (i.e. along the positive Z-direction) from the upward-extending portion  140 . The contact portion  180  is supported by the elastic support portion  150 . As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the attached portion  110  is formed with opposite press-fitted portions  115  protruding in the X-direction. The press-fitted portions  115  are engaged with an inside surface of the attached wall  210  when the attached portion  110  is press-fitted into the attached wall  210  so that the terminal  100  is attached to the attached wall  210  of the housing  200 . As can be seen from  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the bottom portion  130  connects a lower end (first lower end) of the downward-extending portion  120  with a lower end (second lower end) of the upward-extending portion  140  in a state that the first lower end and the second lower end are apart from each other in the Y-direction. A combination of the downward-extending portion  120 , bottom portion  130  and the upward-extending portion  140  has a J-like shape, as seen along the X-direction. 
     The upward-extending portion  140  has an abutting portion  145  formed at a boundary between the upward-extending portion  140  and the elastic support portion  150 . The abutting portion  145  is opposite to the abutment portion  225  of the facing wall  220 . As can be seen from  FIG. 7 , the contact portion  180  is brought into contact with the mating terminal  510  under the mated state where the connector  10  is mated with the mating connector  50  so that the abutting portion  145  is pressed against the abutment portion  225  of the facing wall  220 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the abutting portion  145  according to the present embodiment is apart from the facing wall  220  under an unmated state where the connector  10  is not mated with the mating connector  50 . 
     The elastic support portion  150  according to the present embodiment has a thin elastic portion  160  and a connecting portion  170 . The thin elastic portion  160  is thinner than the upward-extending portion  140 . In detail, each of the thin elastic portion  160  and the upward-extending portion  140  is shaped to have a uniform thickness. The thickness of the thin elastic portion  160  is smaller than the thickness of the upward-extending portion  140 . The connecting portion  170  connects the upward-extending portion  140  and the thin elastic portion  160  with each other. 
     The abutting portion  145  is located at an upper end of the upward-extending portion  140  so that the abutting portion  145  is able to be moved relatively easily than other parts of the upward-extending portion  140  under the mated state. Furthermore, the thin elastic portion  160  is thinner than the upward-extending portion  140  so that the thin elastic portion  160  is more elastically-flexible than the upward-extending portion  140 . More specifically, the elastic support portion  150  is formed so as to be bent more easily than a spring formed with the bottom portion  130  and the upward-extending portion  140 . The contact portion  180  is mainly supported elastically by the thin elastic portion  160  of the elastic support portion  150  when the abutting portion  145  is pressed against the facing wall  220  under the mated state. Under the mated state, a movement of the contact portion  180  is mainly caused by an elastic deformation of the thin elastic portion  160  of the elastic support portion  150 . On the other hand, the upward-extending portion  140  is hardly moved when the contact portion  180  is moved. According to the present embodiment, a pressed state of the abutting portion  145  where the abutting portion  145  is pressed against the facing wall  220  is maintained even when the mating connector  50  is removed from the connector  10 . 
     The connecting portion  170  according to the present embodiment has a first end which borders the upward-extending portion  140  and a second end which borders the thin elastic portion  160 . The connecting portion  170  becomes thinner gradually from the first end toward the second end. In other word, the connecting portion  170  is formed to be tapered. According to the present embodiment, the tapered-shape of the connecting portion  170  makes it possible to avoid a stress concentration to a boundary between the upward-extending portion  140  and the elastic support portion  150 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the connecting portion  170  according to the present embodiment has a tapered surface  172  formed on a front-side thereof and a back surface  174  formed on a backside thereof. The tapered surface  172  faces the facing wall  220 . The tapered surface  172  extends from the first end of the connecting portion  170  to the second end of the connecting portion  170  so as to recede from the facing wall  220  gradually. The back surface  174  is formed so as to extend linearly together with a backside surface of the thin elastic portion  160 . As can be seen from  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the aforementioned structure of the connecting portion  170  makes it possible to widen a gap between the thin elastic portion  160  and the facing wall  220  as compared with a case that the terminal  100  has a uniform thickness. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to allow the thin elastic portion  160  to be elastically deformed in a wide range as compared with the case that the terminal  100  has the uniform thickness. According to the present embodiment, the pressed state of the abutting portion  145  against the facing wall  220  may be maintained more securely. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the upward-extending portion  140  has an upward-extending surface (i.e. the abutting portion  145 ) facing the facing wall  220  while the connecting portion  170  has the tapered surface  172  facing the facing wall  220 . The upward-extending surface and the tapered surface  172  meet each other at a meeting point as seen along the X-direction. It is possible to draw a first tangent line at a point which is located on the upward-extending surface and is nearest to the meeting point. Similarly, it is possible to draw a second tangent line at a point which is located on the tapered surface  172  and is nearest to the meeting point. The first tangent line and the second tangent line make an angle θ (theta). According to the present embodiment, It is preferable that the angle θ is not less than 120 degrees and not more than 150 degrees. In other words, it is preferable that the upward-extending surface and the tapered surface  172  make an angle from 120 degrees to 150 degrees. The stress concentration to the boundary between the upward-extending portion  140  and the elastic support portion  150  might occur if the angle θ is less than 120 degrees. On the other hand, the tapered surface  172  of the connecting portion  170  might become longer so that the elastic support portion  150  gets too close to the facing wall  220  if the angle θ is more than 150 degrees. If the elastic support portion  150  is too close to the facing wall  220 , a range within which the elastic support portion  150  is able to be deformed may be too narrow. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the elastic support portion  150  has an upper end  155  in the Z-direction. The contact portion  180  according to the present embodiment extends from the upper end  155  of the elastic support portion  150  toward the downward-extending portion  120  (i.e. toward the side wall  210 ) while extending toward the bottom portion  130 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , the contact portion  180  is designed to be brought into contact with the mating terminal  510  under the mated state of the connector  10  with the mating connector  50 . 
     The terminal  100  according to the present embodiment is made of a metallic intermediate member having an uniform thickness. The metallic intermediate member is pressed partially so that the pressed parts become thinner than the other parts. In other words, the pressed metallic intermediate member (pressed member) is formed with thin parts and thick parts. The terminal  100  is formed by bending the pressed member. According to the present embodiment, the pressed member is formed with a boundary portion between the thick part and the thin part. The boundary portion is not shaped as a sharp drop but a tapered portion which becomes thinner gradually from the thick part to the thin part. The connecting portion  170  of the elastic support portion  150  is made from the boundary portion of the pressed member. The attached portion  110 , the downward-extending portion  120 , the bottom portion  130  and the upward-extending portion  140  are formed by bending the thick parts. The thin elastic portion  160  of the elastic support portion  150  and the contact portion  180  are formed by bending the thin parts. As can be seen from the aforementioned description, the attached portion  110 , the downward-extending portion  120 , the bottom portion  130  and the upward-extending portion  140  have the same thickness as one another. Similarly, the thin elastic portion  160  and the contact portion  180  have the same thickness as each other. 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the facing wall  220  of the connector  10  has overlapped portions each of which is overlapped with the terminal  100  as seen along the Y-direction. As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the overlapped portion of the facing wall  220  according to the present embodiment has a uniform thickness in a cross-section which is parallel to the YZ-plane. However, various modifications are possible with respect to the facing wall  220 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , a connector  10   a  according to a modification comprises the terminals  100  and a housing  200   a  formed with a facing wall  220   a . The facing wall  220   a  is provided with an abutment portion  225   a  and a thin portion  227   a . The abutment portion  225   a  is configured to be pressed by the abutting portion  145  under the mated state of the connector  10   a  with the mating connector  50 . The thin portion  227   a  is located upper than the abutment portion  225   a . The thin portion  227   a  faces the contact portion  180  of the terminal  100  in the Y-direction (second direction). The thin portion  227   a  is formed to be thinner than the abutment portion  225   a . In detail, the thin portion  227   a  recesses in the Y-direction so as to withdraw from the contact portion  180 . The recess of the thin portion  227   a  contributes to widen a region within which the contact portion  180  is movable (i.e. the region within which the elastic support portion  150  is elastically deformable). The thin portion  227   a  is able to be omitted so that the facing wall  220  is formed only with the abutment portion  225   a  if the housing  200  has enough strength without the thin portion  227   a.    
     The elastic support portion  150  of the terminal  100  of the connector  10  according to the previously described embodiment has the thin elastic portion  160  which is formed to be thinner than the upward-extending portion  140  so as to realize the elastically-flexible spring. However, various modifications are possible with respect to the spring of the terminal  100 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , a terminal  100   b  according to another modification is formed by bending a metallic intermediate member having a uniform thickness. The terminal  100   b  is formed with an elastic support portion  150   b  and a contact portion  180   b . The elastic support portion  150   b  and the contact portion  180   b  have different structures than the elastic support portion  150  and the contact portion  180  of the terminal  100 , respectively. In detail, the elastic support portion  150   b  has a narrow portion  160   b  and a connecting portion  170   b . The narrow portion  160   b  is narrower than the upward-extending portion  140  in the X-direction (first direction). In other words, the elastic support portion  150   b  has a portion (narrow portion  160   b ) which is formed to be narrower than the upward-extending portion  140  in the X-direction. The connecting portion  170   b  connects the upward-extending portion  140  with the narrow portion  160   b . According to the present modification, the contact portion  180   b  and the narrow portion  160   b  has a same width so that the contact portion  180  is also narrower than the upward-extending portion  140 . The narrow portion  160   b  according to the present modification has a small width as compared with the upward-extending portion  140  so that the narrow portion  160   b  is more elastically-flexible than the upward-extending portion  140 . However, the thin elastic portion  160  according to the previously described embodiment is more elastically-flexible than the narrow portion  160   b . Therefore, the previously described embodiment is more preferable than the present modification. It is possible to combine the present modification with the previously described embodiment. Specifically, the thin elastic portion  160  may be formed to be narrower than the upward-extending portion  140  in the X-direction. Moreover, it is possible to combine the present modification with the previously described modification. Specifically, the terminal  100   b  having the narrow portion  160   b  may be installed into the housing  200   a  formed with the facing wall  220   a  having the thin portion  227   a.    
     The terminal  100  of the connector  10  according to the previously described embodiment has the attached portion  110  and the downward-extending portion  120 . However, various modifications are possible with respect to the installation of the terminal  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , a connector  10   c  according to another modification comprises a plurality of terminals  100   c  and a housing  200   c . The housing  200   c  has side walls  210   c  formed on opposite ends thereof in the Y-direction. Each of the side walls  210   c  is located at the outside of the housing  200   c  in the Y-direction while each of the terminals  100   c  is located at the inside of the housing  200   c  in the Y-direction. The housing  200   c  further has a facing wall  220   c  which faces each of the side walls  210   c  in the Y-direction. The facing wall  220   c  is lower than the side wall  210   c . In other words, the facing wall  220   c  is smaller than the side wall  210   c  in the Z-direction. The facing wall  220   c  has an abutment portion  225   c  and a trapezoid portion formed on upside of the abutment portion  225   c . The trapezoid portion has a trapezoid-like cross-section as seen along the X-direction. The trapezoid portion has an upper surface. The upper surface of the trapezoid portion is located below the contact portion  180  of the terminal  100   c . Each of the side walls  210   c  is provided so as to be apart from the facing wall  220   c . The housing  200   c  further has receiving depressions  230   c  which are formed between the respective side walls  210   c  and the facing wall  220   c.    
     The illustrated terminal  100   c  of the connector  10   c  has an attached portion  110   c , a first spring portion  130 , an upward-extending portion  140 , an elastic support portion  150  and a contact portion  180 . The attached portion  110   c  is attached to and held by the housing  200   c  so as to protrude downward (i.e. along the negative Z-direction) from the housing  200   c . The first spring portion  130  is formed between the attached portion  110   c  and the upward-extending portion  140  so as to extend within the receiving depression  230   c . According to the present modification, the first spring portion  130  extends from the attached portion  110   c  to the upward-extending portion  140 . The upward-extending portion  140  extends upward (i.e. along the positive Z-direction) from the first spring portion  130 . The elastic support portion  150  further extends upward (i.e. along the positive Z-direction) from the upward-extending portion  140 . The contact portion  180  is supported by the elastic support portion  150 . The first spring portion  130  connects an upper end of the attached portion  110   c  with a lower end of the upward-extending portion  140  in a state that the upper end and the lower end are apart from each other in the Y-direction. According to the present modification, similar to the previously described embodiment, the contact portion  180  is mainly supported elastically by the elastic support portion  150  when the abutting portion  145  is pressed against the abutment portion  225   c  of the facing wall  220   c  under the mated state of the connector  10   c  with a mating connector (not shown). According to the present modification, a movement of the contact portion  180  is mainly caused by an elastic deformation of the elastic support portion  150 . According to the present modification, similar to the previously described embodiment, a pressed state of the abutting portion  145  where the abutting portion  145  is pressed against the facing wall  220   c  is maintained securely. Thus, it is possible to prevent the terminal  100   c  to be removed from the housing  200   c  or damaged when the mating connector is removed from the connector  10   c.    
     The present application is based on a Japanese patent application of JP2010-234908 filed before the Japan Patent Office on Oct. 19, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     While there has been described what is believed to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such embodiments that fall within the true scope of the invention.