Patent Publication Number: US-2013252484-A1

Title: Connecting structure for electronic devices

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present invention is related to a connecting structure of electronic devices which can connect electronic devices having different pitches between contacts. 
     Patent Document 1 discloses a connecting structure of electronic devices that assuredly electrically connects the electronic devices to obtain a high reliability. As shown in  FIG. 17 , in the connecting structure of the electronic devices, one pair of busbars  501  and  503  are attached to a housing and a semiconductor light emitting element (LED)  505  as a light source is also attached to the housing. The busbars  501  and  503  that are formed in the shapes of flat plates and are divided into two include an electric wire connecting part  507 , a Zener diode connecting part  509 , a resistor connecting part  511  and an LED connecting part  513 . In the resistor connecting part  511 , press contact blades  515  and  515  are provided respectively in the busbars  501  and  503  that are divided into two. In the Zener diode connecting part  509 , a single press contact blade  517  is provided in the one busbar  501  and a single press contact blade  519  is provided in the other busbar  503 . 
     In a Zener diode  521 , one lead part  523  is electrically connected to the one busbar  501  and the other lead part  525  is electrically connected to the other busbar  503  respectively, so that the Zener diode  521  is connected in parallel with the one pair of busbars  501  and  503  in the downstream side of a resistor  527 . Thus, the Zener diode functions to protect the LED from a damage due to a sudden large voltage applied to a circuit by a static electricity in the direction where a forward electromotive force is supplied to the diode and to prevent a current from being supplied in the direction where a counter electromotive force is supplied to the diode and similarly protect the LED from the damage. 
     [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2007-149762 
     SUMMARY 
     However, in the related connecting structure of the electronic devices, the two kinds of busbars  501  and  503  are necessary in which connecting parts of different dimensions are formed so as to meet the forms and sizes of the electronic devices. Here, the connecting parts correspond to including the press contact blades  515 ,  515 , the press contact blade  517 , and the press contact blade  519 . Further, a problem arises that only the electronic devices for through holes having the lead parts such as the Zener diode  521  and the resistor  527  can be mounted and electronic devices to be mounted on a surface that are recently increasingly required and inexpensive cannot be connected. In addition thereto, in order to allow a connecting structure to meet the presence or absence of specific electronic devices, a resistor for example, are necessary two kinds of terminals. That is, a terminal required when the resistor is mounted and a terminal required when the resistor is not mounted are necessary. 
     It is therefore one advantageous aspect of the present invention to provide a connecting structure for electronic devices that can connect electronic devices to be mounted on a surface which have different pitches between contacts by using one kind of terminal and can use one kind of terminal irrespective of the presence or absence of the electronic devices. 
     According to one advantage of the invention, there is provided a connecting structure for electronic devices, the connecting structure comprising: 
     a terminal, including:
         a first contact part, provided at one end portion of the terminal, and having a main contact piece, the main contact piece being configured to come in resilient contact with a contact of a first electronic device;   a second contact part, provided at the other end portion of the terminal, and configured to come in press contact with an electric wire; and   a third contact part, provided between the first contact part and the second contact part, having a pair of auxiliary contact pieces configured to respectively come in press contact with a pair of contacts of a second electronic device, and formed with a connecting portion which connects the pair of the auxiliary contact pieces each other in a separatable manner.       

     The connecting structure may comprise a pair of the terminals, and may be configured such that one of the terminal is connected to an anode, the other of the terminal is connected to a cathode, and the connecting portion is separated thereby the pair of the auxiliary contact pieces are series-connected with each other through the second electronic device. 
     The connecting structure may be configured such that in a state where the terminal is inserted into a housing, the connecting portion is disposed on a surface of the terminal facing in a direction opposite to an inserting direction of the terminal. 
     The connecting structure may be configured such that the pair of contacts of the second electronic device are provided on a same surface of the second electronic device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of two terminals used in a connecting structure of electronic devices according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a housing that accommodates the terminals shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the terminal shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4A  is a plan view of the terminal shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 4B  is a sectional view of the terminal seen from a line A-A in  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 4C  is a sectional view of the terminal seen from a line B-B in  FIG. 4A . 
         FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of a semiconductor light emitting element used in the terminals shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of a Zener diode used in the terminals shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram in the connecting structure shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the terminal having a connecting part separated. 
         FIG. 7B  is a perspective view in which an upper part and a lower part of  FIG. 7A  are inverted. 
         FIG. 8  is a development view of the terminal. 
         FIG. 9  is an attaching process diagram of the terminal. 
         FIG. 10  is a cutting process diagram of a connecting part. 
         FIG. 11  is an attaching process diagram of electronic devices. 
         FIG. 12  is an attaching process diagram of a resistor. 
         FIG. 13  is an attaching process diagram of the housing. 
         FIG. 14  is an attaching process diagram of an electric wire holder. 
         FIG. 15  is a perspective view of an LED unit. 
         FIG. 16A  is a plan view of the LED unit. 
         FIG. 16B  is a sectional view seen of the LED unit from a line C-C in  FIG. 16A . 
         FIG. 16C  is a sectional view of the LED unit seen from a line D-D in  FIG. 16A . 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view of a related connecting structure of electronic devices. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of the present invention will be described below by referring to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of two terminals used in a connecting structure of electronic devices according to the present invention.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a housing that accommodates the terminals shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     A connecting structure for electronic devices  11  according to the present embodiment has two terminals  13  of the same form shown in  FIG. 1  as main parts of the structure. The two terminals  13  are accommodated in a housing  15  shown in  FIG. 2  and used. 
     Each of the two terminals  13  includes a first press contact part  19  in one end  17 , a second press contact part  23  in the other end  21  and a third press contact part  25  in an intermediate part between the first press contact part  19  and the second press contact part  23 . The two terminals  13  are spaced from each other and arranged in parallel. In the first press contact part  19 , at least one pair of main contact spring pieces  29  which can respectively come into resilient contact with pairs of contact parts  27  of two electronic devices  11  are arranged and opposed to each other. In the present embodiment, in one terminal  13 , one pair of main contact spring pieces  29  are provided. Between the two terminals, the one pair of adjacent main contact spring pieces  29  are connected to one pair of contact parts of a semiconductor light emitting element  31  as a first one of the electronic devices  11 . Further, the other pair of main contact spring pieces  29  located between the two terminals are connected to one pair of contact parts of a Zener diode  33  as a second one of the electronic devices  11 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the one terminal  13  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     A part of the terminal  13  protrudes to an external part of a housing  15  under a state that the terminal is attached to the housing  15 . In the present embodiment, a side to which a part of the terminal  13  protrudes from the housing  15  is referred to as a “rear” and an opposite side thereto is referred to as a “front”. A rear end of the terminal  13  forms the above-described second press contact part  23 . In the second press contact part  23 , press contact blades  37  are provided that cut and tear a coating of a coated electric wire  35  to come into electric contact with a conductor. 
     In a front part of the press contact blades  37 , the third press contact part  25  is provided. Namely, in the intermediate part between the first press contact part  19  and the second press contact part  23 , the third press contact part  25  is provided. The third press contact part  25  can come into press contact with other electronic devices  11 , for instance, a resistor  39  shown in  FIG. 1 . In the third press contact part  25 , a rear part abutting piece  41 , a rear part resilient leg  43 , an auxiliary contact spring piece  45  and a front part abutting piece  47  are connected forward from the press contact blades  37 . 
     To the front part abutting piece  47  of a back surface side in  FIG. 3 , the first press contact part  19  as one end  17  (a front end) of the terminal  13  is connected through a connecting portion  49  (see  FIG. 4 ). The press contact blade  37 , the rear part abutting piece  41 , the rear part resilient leg  43 , the auxiliary contact spring piece  45 , the front part abutting piece  47  and the first press contact part  19  are integrally stamped by a thin plate working, and then, bent to a form shown in  FIG. 3 . The first press contact part  19  of the terminal  13  is bent in the shape of U so that a pair of side walls  51  are parallel to each other, and the main contact spring pieces  29  are stamped and formed respectively in the side walls  51 . A main body of the terminal  13  is bent and formed in the shape of U and the main contact spring pieces  29  are formed in the one pair of opposed side walls  51  by a stamping work. Thus, a resiliently connecting structure having many electric contact parts  53  can be easily and compactly manufactured. 
       FIG. 4A  is a plan view of the terminal  13  shown in  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 4B  is a view seen from a line A-A thereof, and  FIG. 4C  is a view seen from a line B-B thereof.  FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of the semiconductor light emitting element  31  and  FIG. 5B  is a perspective view of the Zener diode  33 . 
     In the one terminal  13 , one pair of main contact spring pieces  29  are formed in parallel and ends which branch substantially in the shape of Y form the electric contact parts  53 . The electric contact parts  53  are formed in triangular shapes having contacts as apex angles. As shown in  FIG. 4A , the two terminals  13  are spaced from each other and arranged in parallel. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 4C , the electric contact parts  53  are arranged at eight positions including four positions in each of sides. To the electric contact parts  53  at the four positions of an upper one side, upper seat parts  55  respectively formed in the terminals  13  are opposed. Further, to the electric contact parts  53  at the four positions of a lower one side, lower seat parts  57  respectively formed in the terminals  13  are opposed. 
     Between the upper seat parts  55  and the electric contact parts  53  at the four positions of the rear one side, the semiconductor light emitting element  31  is mounted. Between the electric contact parts  53  at the four positions of the lower one side and the lower seat parts  57 , the Zener diode  33  is mounted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5A , the semiconductor light emitting element  31  is the electronic devices  11  to be mounted on a surface which has the one pair of contact parts  27  provided on one surface. Further, as shown in  FIG. 5B , the Zener diode  33  is also the electronic devices  11  to be mounted on a surface which has the one pair of contact parts  27  provided on one surface. 
     In the semiconductor light emitting element  31 , as shown in  FIG. 4C , the surface on which the contact parts  27  are provided is directed to the electric contact parts  53  in an upper stage and a back surface is allowed to abut on the upper seat parts  55 . In the Zener diode  33 , the surface on which the contact parts  27  are provided is directed to the electric contact parts  53  side of a lower stage and a back surface is allowed to abut on the lower seat parts  57 . In the present embodiment, a pitch between contacts of the semiconductor light emitting element  31  is smaller than a pitch between contacts of the Zener diode  33 . Namely, the two electronic devices  11  have different pitches between contacts. In the connecting structure of the electronic devices  11 , the electronic devices  11  having the different pitches between the contacts as described above can be mounted at the same time. Namely, as shown in  FIG. 4C , in one side, the one pair of contact parts  27  of the semiconductor light emitting element  31  come into contact with the adjacent electric contact parts  53  of the two terminals  13 . In the other side, the electric contact parts  53  of the two terminals  13  come into contact with the one pair of contact parts  27  of the Zener diode  33  by striding over at least one electric contact part  53 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4C , the semiconductor light emitting element  31  is connected to the second electric contact part  53  from a left side and the third electric contact part  53  from the left side in the electric contact parts  53  of the upper stage. Further, the Zener diode  33  is connected to the first electric contact part  53  from the left side and the third electric contact part  53  from the left side in the electric contact parts  53  of the lower stage, however, the Zener diode  33  may be connected to the second electric contact part  53  from the left side and the fourth electric contact part  53  from the left side. Further, in the present embodiment, the Zener diode  33  is used in which the pitch between the contacts has a distance two times as large as a pitch between contacts of the electric contact part  53 , however, the Zener diode may be used in which the pitch between the contacts has a distance three times as large as the pitch between the contacts of the electric contact part  53 . In this case, the one pair of contact parts  27  of the Zener diode  33  are connected to the first electric contact part  53  from the left side and the fourth electric contact part  53  from the left side. 
       FIG. 6  is a circuit diagram in the connecting structure shown in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the terminal  13  having a connecting portion  49  separated and  FIG. 7B  is a perspective view in which an upper part and a lower part of  FIG. 7A  are inverted. 
     In the connecting structure of the electronic devices  11 , the semiconductor light emitting element  31  and the Zener diode  33  are connected in parallel between an anode  59  and a cathode  61 . In such a connecting structure of the electronic devices  11 , a circuit is supposed to have the resistor  39  provided between the semiconductor element  31  and the Zener diode  33  and the anode  59 . In such a case, in the third press contact part  25  of this structure, as shown in  FIG. 7A , during a connection of the resistor  39 , the connecting portion  49  is separated between one pair of auxiliary contact spring pieces  45  which are respectively connected to one pair of contact parts  27  of the resistor  39 . 
       FIG. 8  is a development view of the terminal  13 . 
     The terminal  13  is obtained by bending a metal plate of a developed form shown in  FIG. 8  so as to have the form shown in  FIG. 3 . Since the connecting portion  49  is a part that connects the one pair of auxiliary contact spring pieces  45  together as shown in  FIG. 8 , when this portion is cut, the one pair of auxiliary contact spring pieces  45  are separated. Accordingly, when one auxiliary contact spring piece  45  of the one terminal  13  is connected in series to the other auxiliary contact spring piece  45  through the resistor  39 , the second press contact part  23  in the one terminal  13  is connected in series to the first press contact part  19  through the resistor  39 . 
     The resistor  39  is the electronic devices  11  to be mounted on a surface that has the two contact parts  27  on one surface. Thus, the connecting structure of the electronic devices  11  can be compactly formed which can allow the resistor  39  selectively to be mounted or not to be mounted. 
     Now, an attaching process of the connecting structure of the electronic devices  11  having the above-described structure will be described below. 
       FIG. 9  is an attaching process diagram of the terminal.  FIG. 10  is a cutting process diagram of the connecting portion  49 .  FIG. 11  is an attaching process diagram of the electronic devices.  FIG. 12  is an attaching process diagram of the resistor  39 .  FIG. 13  is an attaching process diagram of the housing.  FIG. 14  is an attaching process diagram of an electric wire holder.  FIG. 15  is a perspective view of an LED unit  63 .  FIG. 16A  is a plan view of the LED unit  63 ,  FIG. 16B  is a view seen from a line C-C thereof and  FIG. 16C  is a view seen from a line D-D thereof. 
     The above-described connecting structure of the electronic devices  11  can be preferably used in, for instance, the LED unit  63 . When the connecting structure of the electronic devices  11  is applied to the LED unit  63 , as shown in  FIG. 9 , the two terminals  13  are attached to the housing  15 . 
     In the housing  15 , two terminal accommodating chambers  65  are formed. The terminal accommodating chambers  65  have rear ends as rear walls  67 . On inner wall surfaces of front parts of the rear walls  67 , one pair of holding grooves  69  are respectively formed in the terminal accommodating chambers  65 . The terminal  13  inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber  65  holds the rear wall  67  between the rear part abutting piece  41  and the rear part resilient leg  43  to restrain the terminal from slipping out from the housing  15  and complete the attachment of the terminal  13 . 
     When the terminals  13  are attached to the housing  15 , the connecting portion  49  of the one terminal  13  is cut. The terminal  13  inserted into the terminal accommodating chamber  65  has the connecting portion  49  located in a front surface  73  in an inserting direction. In other words, the connecting portion  49  is disposed on a surface of the terminal  13  facing in a direction opposite to an inserting direction of the terminal  13 . Thus, whether or not the connecting portion  49  is cut in a cut area  71  can be easily recognized by visually recognizing the front surface  73  in the inserting direction from an inserting side of the terminal accommodating chamber  65 . Further, as shown in  FIG. 10 , on a bottom plate  75  of the housing  15 , bottom plate opening parts  77  are formed for attaching the resistor  39 . On the bottom plate opening parts  77  respectively, the pair of holding grooves  69  are provided. Namely, the terminal  13  is inserted from an upper side of the housing  15  and the resistor  39  is inserted from a lower side of the housing  15 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11 , on a front surface of the housing  15 , an LED attaching opening part  79  and a diode attaching opening part  81  are formed in two upper and lower stages. Into the LED attaching opening part  79 , the semiconductor light emitting element  31  is inserted with the contact parts  27  directed downward. Into the diode attaching opening part  81 , the Zener diode  33  is inserted with the contact parts  27  directed upward. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 4C , the contact parts  27  are respectively connected to the electric contact parts  53 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , after the semiconductor light emitting element  31  and the Zener diode  33 , the resistor  39  is inserted. The resistor  39  is inserted with both edge parts guided by the holding grooves  69  from the bottom plate opening part  77 , so that the contact parts  27  are respectively connected to the one pair of auxiliary contact spring pieces  45 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 13 , the housing  15  to which the semiconductor light emitting element  31  and the Zener diode  33  are attached is attached to a lens cover  83 . On a rear end surface of the lens cover  83 , a housing inserting opening  87  is formed. The housing  15  inserted into the lens cover  83  has the press contact blades  37  protruding rearward in the lens cover  83 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 14 , into the lens cover  83  to which the housing  15  is attached, an electric wire holder  89  is inserted from the housing inserting opening  87 . In three outer surfaces of the electric wire holder  89 , U shaped electric wire holding grooves  91  are formed at two positions. To the electric wire holding grooves  91 , the coated electric wires  35  are respectively bent in the shapes of U and attached. On a front surface of the electric wire holder  89 , horizontal press contact blade entering slits  93  are formed which respectively extend over the electric wire holding grooves  91 . Thus, when the electric wire holder  89  is inserted into the lens cover  83 , the press contact blades  37  protruding rearward in the lens cover  83  enter the press contact blade entering slits  93  to connect the press contact blades  37  to the conductors of the electric wires  35 . 
     In the electric wire holder  89  inserted into the lens cover  83 , an engaging pawl  97  protruding in a side surface is engaged with an engaging hole  95  formed in a side part of the lens cover  83  to regulate the disengagement of the housing  15  and the electric wire holder itself from the lens cover  83 . When the housing  15  and the electric wire holder  89  are attached to the lens cover  83 , an LED unit  63  shown in  FIG. 15  is formed. 
     As described above, in the connecting structure of the electronic devices  11 , as shown in  FIG. 16 , the two terminals  13  having the one pair of main contact spring pieces  29  arranged to be opposed to each other are spaced from each other and arranged in parallel. Between the two terminals, the one pair of contact parts  27  of the semiconductor light emitting element  31  are connected to the one pair of adjacent main contact spring pieces  29 . Further, the other pair of main contact spring pieces  29  located between the two terminals are connected to the one pair of contact parts  27  of the Zener diode  33 . Thus, the electronic devices  11  having the different pitches between the contacts can be connected together. 
     Since the two terminals  13  having the one pair of parallel main contact spring pieces  29  which branch substantially in the shapes of Y are spaced from each other and arranged in parallel, the electric contact parts  53  provided at four positions in one side are arranged at eight positions in both sides. Thus, to the electric contact parts  53  of the two terminals  13  adjacent in one side, the semiconductor light emitting element  31  having the small pitch between the contacts can be connected. In the other side, to the electric contact parts  53  of the two terminals  13 , the Zener diode  33  having the large pitch between the contacts can be connected by striding over at least one electric contact part  53 . 
     In addition thereto, when the resistor  39  is not connected in series to the one terminal  13 , the connecting portion  49  of the one terminal  13  is not cut and used. When the resistor  39  is connected in series to the terminal  13 , since the connecting portion  49  of the one terminal  13  is cut as shown in  FIG. 10 , the one kind of terminal  13  can meet the presence or absence of attachment of the resistor  39 . 
     In the connecting structure of the electronic devices  11  according to the present embodiment, the electronic devices  11  to be mounted on a surface which have the different pitches between the contacts can be connected together by using the one kind of terminal  13 . Further, the number of kinds of terminals can be set to the one kind of terminal  13  irrespective of the presence or absence of the electronic devices  11 . 
     According to the connecting structure of the electronic devices, the two terminals having the one pair of main contact spring pieces arranged to be opposed to each other are spaced from each other and arranged in parallel. Between the two terminals, the one pair of contact parts of the first electronic devices are connected to the one pair of adjacent main contact spring pieces. Further, the other pair of main contact spring pieces located between the two terminals are connected to the one pair of contact parts of the second electronic devices. Thus, the electronic devices having different pitches between contacts can be connected together. 
     In addition thereto, when other electronic devices is not connected in series to the one terminal, the connecting portion of the one terminal is not cut and used. When other electronic devices is connected in series to the terminal, since the connecting portion of the one terminal is cut, the one kind of terminal can meet the presence or absence of attachment of other electronic devices. 
     According to the connecting structure of the electronic devices, when the connecting part of the one terminal is separated, the one pair of auxiliary contact spring pieces are separated from each other in the third press contact part of the one terminal. Accordingly, the one separated auxiliary contact spring piece is connected to the second press contact part and the other auxiliary contact spring piece is connected to the first press contact part. When the one pair of separated auxiliary contact spring pieces are connected in series through the resistor, the second press contact part is connected in series to the first press contact part through the resistor. 
     According to the connecting structure of electronic devices, whether or not the connecting portion is cut can be easily recognized by visually recognizing the front surface in the inserting direction from an inserting side of the terminal accommodating chamber. 
     According to the connecting structure of electronic devices, the connecting structure of the electronic devices can be compactly formed which can allow other electronic devices selectively to be mounted or not to be mounted. 
     The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-258230 filed on Nov. 18, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by way of reference. 
     The present invention is extremely useful in providing the connecting structure for the electronic devices in which just one kind of the terminal is necessary for the electronic devices to be mounted on a surface which have different pitches between contacts and irrespective of the presence or absence of the electronic devices.