Patent Publication Number: US-7909630-B2

Title: Electrical connector having contact portion

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-138954, filed on May 28, 2008 is incorporated in the application by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector to be connected to a flat conductive member. 
     The flat conductive member includes a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) and a flat cable. The flat conductive member is often connected to an electrical connector (connector) mounted on a circuit board. Japanese Patent Publication, for example, has disclosed a conventional connector connected to the flat conductive member. 
     Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-143827 
     In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, a plurality of terminals is made of a metal plate so that a flat surface of the metal plate is retained. The terminals are held with a housing so that the flat surfaces of the metal plates are parallel to each other in the housing. Each of the terminals includes a contacting arm (contact spring piece) at a lower side thereof and a supporting arm at an upper side thereof extending toward an opening of the housing for receiving the flat conductive member. 
     In the conventional electrical connector, a pressing member is disposed at the opening of the housing to be rotatable from an open position for receiving the flat conductive member easily to a closed position for pressing the flat conductive member to the contacting portion of the contacting arm after the flat conductive member is inserted. When the pressing member is at the open position, the flat conductive member is situated over the contacting portion of the contacting arm. Then, after the pressing member is rotated to the closed position, the pressing member presses the flat conductive member with a pressing portion thereof. Thereby, the flat conductive member contacts with the contacting portion of the contacting arm with a contacting pressure. 
     In the conventional connector described above, the terminal includes one contacting arm. The contacting arm includes contacting portions at two locations in an extending direction thereof for contacting with the flat conductive member steadily. 
     In the conventional connector described above, it is necessary to securely contact with the flat conductive member at the contacting portions thereof with a sufficient contacting pressure. Accordingly, it is desirable that the contacting arm elastically deforms by a large amount at a position of the contacting portion. To this end, in the conventional connector described above, the contacting portions are located close to a forefront portion of the contacting arm. Consequently, both of the contacting portions are situated close to each other and deform together. 
     Accordingly, in the conventional connector described above, when the flat conductive member is inserted into the connector, the two contacting portions situated on the one contacting arm contact with the flat conductive member almost concurrently. When the pressing member presses the contacting portions through the flat conductive member, the contacting portions deform concurrently by almost the same amount. 
     When the two contacting portions are not properly situated against the flat conductive member due to a designing error or a manufacturing error, even though the other of the contacting portions contacts with the flat conductive member with a proper contacting pressure, one of the contacting portions may not obtain a sufficient contacting pressure, thereby resulting in an unstable contact state. 
     In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector to be connected to a flat conductive member including two contacting portions located independently with each other, and capable of obtaining a sufficient and steady contacting pressure with respect to the flat conductive member. 
     Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to attain the objects described above, according to the present invention, an electrical connector to be connected to a flat conductive member (connector) includes a housing and a terminal formed of a metal plate so that a flat surface of the metal plate is retained. The terminal is held and aligned in the housing so that the flat surface of the metal plate becomes parallel to each other. The terminal includes a base portion having an attached portion, and a contacting arm extending from the base portion. The flat conductive member is inserted into a space formed between the contacting arm and a supporting portion facing the contacting arm. 
     The electrical connector further includes a pressing member disposed to be rotatable from an open position for receiving the flat conductive member easily to a closed position for pressing the flat conductive member. The pressing member is supported on the supporting portion to be rotatable. As the pressing member is rotated to the closed position, the flat conductive member is pressed by the pressing member, thereby contacting with the terminal. 
     According to the present invention, in the electrical connector, the terminal includes a first contacting portion situated formed on the contacting arm extending from the base portion and a second contacting portion situated at a position closer to the base portion than the first contacting portion. The first contacting portion is capable of elastic deformation and situated at a position closer to the supporting portion than the second contacting portion in a direction the contacting arm faces the supporting portion in a free state. 
     In the present invention described above, the flat conductive member is inserted into the space between the supporting portion and the contacting arm when the pressing member is at the open position. The first contacting portion formed on the contacting arm is situated at the position closer to the supporting portion than the second contacting portion formed on the base portion. Thereby, the flat conductive member is situated over the first contacting portion in a secure contact state therewith. 
     After the flat conductive member is inserted, when the pressing member is rotated to the closed position, the pressing member presses the first contacting portion through the flat conductive member to deform elastically. As a result, a distance between the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion decreases as the first contacting portion deforms elastically in a direction the contacting arm faces the supporting portion, in other words, a thickness direction of the flat conductive member. The first contacting portion deforms to a position at a level the same as that of the second contacting portion or deforms further with the second contacting portion deforming together. Consequently, the flat conductive member contacts with both of the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion steadily. 
     According to the present invention, it is preferable that the supporting portion is formed at a supporting arm being capable of an elastic deformation upon receiving a force from the pressing member. The second contacting portion situated at the closer side to the base portion than the first contacting portion can deform relatively by a reacting force generated by the elastic deformation of the supporting arm, even in a case that the second contacting portion does not deform elastically. Accordingly, the second contacting portion can contact with the flat conductive member with an elastic pressure. Thus it is possible to obtain a steady contact state with sufficient contacting pressure, together with the first contacting portion. 
     According to the present invention, it is preferable that the supporting portion is situated between the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion in a direction the flat conductive member is inserted. Thereby the flat conductive member is supported on the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion like a beam. When a pressing portion of the pressing member presses the flat conductive member by a reaction force from the supporting portion located between both of the first and second contacting portions, the flat conductive member can contact steadily with the first conductive member and the second conductive member. 
     According to the present invention, the contacting arm may include a first contacting arm and a second contacting arm. The first contacting arm extends from the base portion at a farther position than the second contacting arm. Further, the first contacting arm may be inclined, so that a forefront portion thereof becomes closer to the supporting portion in the direction the contacting arm faces the supporting portion. 
     As described above, in the present invention, the contacting arm includes the first contacting portion and the second contacting portion. The first contacting portion is formed on the contacting arm extending from the base portion. The second contacting portion is situated at a closer side to the base portion than the first contacting portion. The first contacting portion is capable of elastic deformation and situated at a closer position to the supporting portion than the second contacting portion in a direction the contacting arm faces the supporting portion in the free state. Accordingly, when the terminal is pressed through the flat conductive member, the first contacting portion deforms elastically by the flat conductive member, so that the flat conductive member contacts with the second contacting portion. Thereby, the flat conductive member can contact with both of the contacting portions steadily with the sufficient contacting pressure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing an electrical connector for a flat conductive member according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B)  are sectional views showing the electrical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, wherein  FIG. 2(A)  is a sectional view when a pressing member is in a halfway from an open position to a closed position and  FIG. 2(B)  is a sectional view when the pressing member is at the closed position; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view showing a modified example of the electrical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a sectional view showing another modified example of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereunder, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing a connector for a flat conductive member (connector) according to the embodiment of the present invention. The connector includes a housing  10 ; a pressing member  20  for pressing a flat conductive member P being inserted into the housing  10 ; and a terminal  30  for contacting with the flat conductive member P with a contacting pressure through a contacting portion P 1  formed on a lower surface of the flat conductive member P as the flat conductive member P is pressed. The terminal  30  is aligned in a direction perpendicular to a surface of a sheet, that is, a terminal-aligning direction or a width direction of the connector. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the housing  10  having a horizontally long rectangular shape is made of an electrical insulating material and extends in the width direction. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the housing  10  includes an opening portion  12  opened except where a side wall  11  is located at an end thereof in the width direction. The opening portion  12  is opened in a rear direction, which is an opposite direction of a direction (a direction showed by an arrow A in  FIG. 1 ) the flat conductive member P is inserted, and an upper direction. The pressing member  20  is placed in the opening of the opening portion  12 . The housing  10  further includes a receiving groove  12 A for receiving a front end portion of the flat conductive member P. The receiving grove  12 A extends in a front direction from the opening portion  12 . The receiving groove  12 A is formed where the terminals are aligned in the width direction. 
     The housing  10  includes a bottom wall  13  placed on a circuit board (not shown) and an upper wall  14  at a front portion thereof facing the bottom wall  13 . A terminal hole  15  having a slit shape is formed between the bottom wall  13  and the upper wall  14 , for inserting the terminal  30 . The terminal hole  15  is formed in a side of the bottom wall  13 , a side of the upper wall  14 , and a front side of the housing  10  except where the opening portion  12  and the receiving groove  12 A are formed. Since the terminal  30  is formed so that a flat surface of a metal plate is retained and aligned so that the surface of the metal plate becomes parallel to the surface of the sheet, the terminal hole  15  has a slit width (an inner width of the slit in the terminal-aligning direction) corresponding to a thickness of the terminal  30  and aligned with a specific interval in the width direction. 
     The pressing member  20  is made of an electrical insulating material similar to that of the housing  10 . The pressing member  20  is placed at the opening portion  12  of the housing  10  and extends over a range of the opening portion  12  in the width direction. The pressing member  20  includes an operating portion  21  located an upper side of the upper wall  14  when the pressing member  20  is in an open position as shown in  FIG. 1 ; a groove portion  22  located a lower side of the operating portion and inside of the opening portion  12  of the housing  10 ; and a supported portion  23  with an island shape formed inside the groove portion  22 . The pressing member  20  further includes a shaft portion (not shown) for supporting rotation thereof at an end thereof in the width direction. 
     The operating portion  21  has a dimension large enough to be rotated by a finger of an operator from the open position shown in  FIG. 1  to a closed position shown in  FIG. 2(B) . The groove portion  22  and the supported portion  23  are provided at a portion extending from a lower left end of the operating portion  21  in a lower direction. Further, an end surface is formed at a lower right end portion of the operating portion  21 . The end surface forms a stopper portion  21 A abutting against the upper wall  14  of the housing  10  when the pressing member  20  is fully opened. In addition, a pressing portion  21 B is formed with a left side surface extending from the lower left end of the operating portion  21 . As shown in  FIG. 2(B) , the pressing portion  21 B presses the flat conductive member P when the pressing member  20  is at the closed position. 
     The groove portion  22  of the pressing portion  20  is formed so that a tip portion of a supporting arm (described later) of the terminal  30  can penetrate thereto. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the groove portion  22  is formed with a slit width (an inner width of the slit in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet) corresponding to a thickness of the supporting arm, since the terminal  30  is formed of the metal plate having the surface parallel to the surface of the sheet. In addition, the supported portion  23  is formed inside and the lower side of the groove portion  22 . The supported portion  23  also formed so as to connect inner surfaces of the groove portion  22  facing each other in the width direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the supported portion  23  has a partial circular sectional shape at a side facing inside of the groove portion  22  and a linear sectional shape along a lower end surface of the pressing member  20  at a side facing outside of the groove portion  22  (a lower side in  FIG. 1 ). As described later, a supporting portion of the supporting arm of the terminal  30  is located in the groove portion  22  and engages with a circular surface of the supported portion  23 . 
     As described above, the terminal  30  is formed so that the flat surface of the metal plate is retained. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the terminal  30  includes a base portion  31 ; a supporting arm  32  extending in the rear direction (left) from the base portion  31 ; a first contacting arm  33 ; a second contacting arm  34 ; and a connecting portion  35  extending in the front direction (right) from the base portion  31 . The supporting arm  32 , the first contacting arm  33  and the second contacting arm  34  extend in the rear direction (left) from the base portion  31 . The first contacting arm  33  and the second contacting arm  34  face the supporting arm  32  in a vertical direction to form a space for inserting the flat conductive member P. 
     The base portion  31  is to be pushed into the terminal hole  15  of the housing  10  and fixed thereto. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the base portion  31  includes a vertical portion  31 A extending in the vertical direction at a front end portion of the terminal hole  15  and a horizontal portion  31 B extending in a front and rear direction at a lower end portion thereof. 
     The base portion  31  has an L character shape flipped horizontally and is fixed to the housing  10  with the vertical portion  31 A and the horizontal portion  31 B. When the base portion  31  is pushed into the terminal hole  15 , the base portion  31  is fixed to an upper edge and a lower edge of the terminal hole  15 , with an upper edge of the vertical portion  31 A and a lower edge of the horizontal portion  31 B as attached portions. The horizontal portion  31 B and a lower inner surface of the terminal hole  15  hold each other and a protrusion  31 A- 1  provided on an upper surface of the vertical portion  31 A (the attached portion) cuts into an inner surface of the upper edge of the terminal hole  15 , thereby preventing the terminal  30  from coming off. 
     The supporting arm  32  extends in the rear direction, from an upper portion of the vertical portion  31 A of the base portion  31  to an outside the terminal hole  15 . The supporting arm  32  extends in the rear direction with a decline so that an upper surface thereof becomes gradually apart from the inner surface of the upper edge of the terminal hole  15 . Accordingly, a space is formed between the supporting arm  32  and the inner surface of the upper edge of the terminal hole  15 . Thereby, the supporting arm  32  can deform elastically in the vertical direction. The supporting arm  32  includes a supporting portion  32 A bent into a reverse U character shape at a rear end portion thereof. 
     The supporting portion  32 A supports the supported portion  23  of the pressing member  20  with a lower edge of a portion having the reverse U character shape. The supporting portion  32 A does not have to contact with the supported portion  23  constantly if the supporting portion  32 A is supported the shaft portion (not shown) of the pressing member  20  located at the end thereof. The supporting portion  32 A may contact with and support the supported portion  23  at least when the supported portion  23  displaces in the upper direction receiving a reaction force from the flat conductive member P as the pressing member  20  is rotated from the open position to the closed position. 
     The supporting arm  32  may have elasticity so as to deform in the vertical direction, or may not have elasticity. In the embodiment, the supporting arm  32  has elasticity and deforms in the upper direction when the supporting portion  32 A receives the reaction force in the upper direction from the supported portion  23  of the pressing member  20 . In this case, the deformation of the supporting arm  32  is Limited by a lower surface of the upper wall  14  of the housing  10  functioning as a stopper. 
     The first contacting arm  33  and the second contacting arm  34  extend in the rear direction from the horizontal portion  31 B of the base portion  31  having a distance in between. The first contacting arm  33  and the second contacting arm  34  are formed so as to have widths narrower than the horizontal portion  31 B, respectively. The first contacting arm  33  extends from a lower position of the base portion  31 , where is farther from the contacting portion P 1  of the flat conductive member P than the second contacting arm  34 . 
     The first contacting arm  33  also extends in the rear direction farther than the second contacting arm  34 . Consequently, the first contacting arm  33  can deform elastically by a larger amount than the second contacting arm  34  upon receiving a force in the vertical direction, since the first contacting arm  33  can have a longer spring length than that of the second contacting arm  34 . The first contacting arm  33  and the second contacting arm  34  include a first contacting portion  33 A and a second contacting portion  34 A protruding in the upper direction at rear ends thereof, respectively. The first contacting arm  33  is inclined in the upper direction as extending in the rear direction, and the first contacting portion  33 A at the rear end of the first contacting arm  33  is situated at a position upper than the second contacting portion  34 A at the rear end of the second contacting arm  34 . 
     Further, the terminal  30  includes the connecting portion  35  protruding in the front direction from a lower front end of the base portion  31  and bent into the lower direction. The connecting portion  35  has a reverse L character shape. A lower end edge  35 A of the connecting portion  35  is situated at a position contacting with a corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board and soldered to the corresponding circuit portion when the connector is placed on the circuit board. 
     Hereunder, in the embodiment described above, a way to use and a way of working will be explained. 
     (1) First, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the pressing member  20  is set in the open position, that is, set in a position standing upright. When the pressing member  20  is set in the open position, the opening portion  12  of the housing  10  is opened widely in the rear direction, thereby the flat conductive member P can be inserted easily. As indicated with a projected line in  FIG. 1 , the flat conductive member P is inserted in the front direction or the direction of the arrow A into the opening portion  12 . 
     (2) As the flat conductive member P is inserted further, the front end portion of the flat conductive member P enters into the receiving groove  12 A and abuts against a front end surface thereof. Thus the front end portion of the flat conductive member P is settled into a predetermined inserted position. In the state described above, the contacting portion P 1  of the flat conductive member P contacts with the first contacting portion  33 A of the terminal  30  since the first contacting portion  33 A is situated at the position upper than the second contacting portion  34 A. In this state, the contacting portion P 1  contacts lightly and unstably, or does not contact with the second contacting portion  34 A. 
     (3) The pressing member  20  is rotated to the closed position shown in  FIG. 2(B) , through a state shown in  FIG. 2(A) . The pressing member  20  presses the flat conductive member P with the pressing portion  21 B thereof. Accordingly, the flat conductive member P presses the first contacting portion  33 A in the lower direction. When the first contacting portion  33 A is pressed in the lower direction, the first contacting portion  33 A deforms elastically in the lower direction and displaces to the same level with the second contacting portion  34 A in a height direction. As a result, the flat conductive member P contacts with the second contacting portion  34 A steadily, as well as the first contacting portion  33 A. 
     (4) As the pressing member  20  rotates further and is set in the closed position, both of the first contacting portion  33 A and the second contacting portion  34 A are pressed in the lower direction. Thereby, both of the first contacting portion  33 A and the second contacting portion  34 B can contact with contacting portion P 1  of the flat conductive member P with a sufficient contacting pressure. 
     (5) In the embodiment, the space is formed between the supporting arm  32  and the upper wall  14  of the housing  10 . Accordingly, the supported portion  23  of the pressing member  20  pressing the flat conductive member P in the lower direction displaces elastically in the upper direction upon receiving the reaction force from the flat conductive member P as the pressing member  20  is rotated from the open position to the closed position. The supported portion  23  is pressed in the lower direction by an elastic energy generated by the elastic deformation. As a result, the contacting pressure of the flat conductive member P against the first contacting portion  33 A and the second contacting portion  34 A increases further. 
     In the present invention, it is possible to modify in many ways, not limited to the embodiment shown in FIGS.  1  and  2 (A)- 2 (B). The second contacting portion  34 A may not be capable of the elastic deformation. For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the second contacting portion  34 A can be situated at an upper rear end edge of the horizontal portion  31 B of the base portion, thus the second contacting portion  34 A does not deform elastically. 
     Similar to the embodiment described above, the first contacting portion  33 A deforms elastically in the lower direction, from the position upper than the second contacting portion  34 A to the same level with the second contacting portion  34 A in the height direction. Consequently, the flat conductive member P also contacts with the second contacting portion  34 A steadily. 
     In the variation shown in  FIG. 3 , if the supporting arm  32  is capable of an elastic deformation, it is also possible for the flat conductive member P to contact relatively with the second contacting portion  34 A with an elastic pressure by an elastic energy of the supporting arm  32 , without the elastic deformation of the second contacting portion  34 A. In the variation described above, it is possible to downsize the connector in a front to rear direction. 
     Further, as opposed to the cases that each of the terminal  30  includes the first contacting arm  33  having the first contacting portion  33 A, the second contacting arm  34  having the second contacting portion  34 A and the supporting arm  32 , as the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , it is not necessary for each terminal to have all of them. 
     In a variation shown in  FIG. 4 , the terminal  30  and a second terminal  40  are aligned alternately. The second terminal  40  is inserted into the housing in an opposite direction to the terminal  30  and includes only a first contacting arm  43  and a second contacting arm  44  without a supporting arm. Similar to the cases described above, a first contacting portion  43 A of the first contacting arm  43  is situated apart from a second contacting portion  44 A of the second contacting arm  44 , and situated at an upper position than the second contacting portion  44 A. The first contacting portion  33 A of the terminal  30  and the first contacting portion  43 A of the second terminal  40  are situated apart from each other in the direction the flat conductive member P is inserted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , in the variation, since the terminal  30  and the second terminal  40  are aligned alternately, the connecting portions being soldered to the circuit board have twice as wide intervals between the next to each other as the terminals. Accordingly, as compared to the case that the terminals in a single kind are aligned as shown in  FIG. 1 , it is possible to align the terminals with higher density. As a result, it is possible to downsize the connecter in the terminal-aligning direction or the width direction. 
     The embodiments described above as the connector placed horizontally on the circuit board, can be applied to a connector placed vertically on the circuit board, rotating the connector by ninety degrees. 
     The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-138954, filed on May 28, 2008 is incorporated in the application by reference. 
     While the invention has been explained with reference to the specific embodiments of the invention, the explanation is illustrative and the invention is limited only by the appended claims.