Patent Description:
In recent years, attention has been drawn to so-called smart clothes that can obtain user's biological data such as the heart rate and the body temperature only by being worn by the user. Such smart clothes have an electrode disposed at a measurement site and constituted of a flexible conductor, and when a wearable device serving as a measurement device is electrically connected to the electrode, biological data can be transmitted to the wearable device.

The electrode and the wearable device can be interconnected by, for instance, use of a connector connected to the flexible conductor.

However, when the wearable device is situated away from the measurement site, it is necessary to provide an electric circuit connecting the electrode disposed at the measurement site to the place where the connector is attached, and if such an electric circuit is formed from a flexible conductor, this causes higher electric resistance and higher cost.

To connect an electrode constituted of a flexible conductor to a wearable device by use of an electric wire that has low electric resistance and is inexpensive, it has been desired to develop a small-sized connector connecting the electric wire to the flexible conductor disposed on a garment.

For instance, <CIT> discloses a connector shown in <FIG> as a connector used for connecting an electric wire to a flexible conductor. This connector includes a first connector <NUM> connected to an end of a substrate <NUM> and a second connector <NUM> attached to tips of electric wires <NUM>, and the electric wires <NUM> can be connected to a flexible conductor of the substrate <NUM> by fitting the second connector <NUM> to the first connector <NUM>.

However, the first connector <NUM> and the second connector <NUM> that are separately attached to the end of the substrate <NUM> and the tips of the electric wires <NUM> need to be fitted to each other in order to connect the electric wires <NUM> to the flexible conductor of the substrate <NUM>, and this causes a larger size of a device; and there is a separatable connection portion between the first connector <NUM> and the second connector <NUM>, which impairs the reliability of electric connection.

From <CIT>, a board connector for electrically connecting together circuit boards which are incorporated in, for example, a mobile telephone is known. A dust-proof measure is carried out by swingably attaching a cover member to a plug via a fulcrum shaft, and covering contact portions of the plug and socket in a fitting state with the cover member. In one of the plug and the cover member, a protrusion which causes an end portion to continuously butt against another one of the plug and the cover member from one end to another end is disposed, whereby, when the plug is inserted, the force of inserting the plug is evenly transmitted from the cover member to the whole plug.

From <CIT> a connection system for flexible flat strip cables is known having parallel strip conductors lying at a distance from one another which are bared in the contact area, with a first housing part on whose floor is fastened a principal flexible flat strip cable and a second housing part in which a branch flexible flat strip cable is fixed.

From <CIT> a connection structure is known with: conductor exposing parts of the flat wiring material; conductor exposing part of the flexible printed wiring material; and an overlapping connection means for connecting both exposing parts and to each other.

The present invention has been made to overcome the conventional problems as above and aims at providing a connector that can have a small size while reliably connecting a conductor portion of an electric wire to a conductive portion exposed on a surface of a substrate.

A connector according to the present invention is one connecting a conductor portion of an electric wire to a conductive portion exposed on a surface of a substrate, the connector comprising:.

<FIG> shows a connector <NUM> according to Embodiment <NUM>. The connector <NUM> is used for connecting a plurality of coated electric wires <NUM> to a substrate <NUM> and includes a housing <NUM> made of an insulating resin material and a plurality of contacts <NUM> retained by the housing <NUM>.

The substrate <NUM> is constituted of a sheet type conductive member, and the connector <NUM> is mounted on a surface of the substrate <NUM>.

The coated electric wires <NUM> are aligned in a predetermined alignment direction and each extend in a direction perpendicular to the alignment direction in parallel to the surface of the substrate <NUM>. Each coated electric wire <NUM> has a structure in which the outer periphery of a conductor portion 12A is covered with an insulating coating portion 12B. With the use of the connector <NUM> according to Embodiment <NUM>, the conductor portions 12A of the plurality of coated electric wires <NUM> are electrically connected to a plurality of conductive portions to be described later of the substrate <NUM>. The conductor portion 12A of the coated electric wire <NUM> may be either a so-called solid wire constituted of one conductor or a so-called stranded wire constituted of plural conductors being stranded.

The housing <NUM> extends along the alignment direction of the coated electric wires <NUM>.

For convenience, the substrate <NUM> is defined as extending along an XY plane, the alignment direction of the coated electric wires <NUM> is referred to as "X direction," the direction in which each coated electric wire <NUM> extends toward the housing <NUM> is referred to as "+Y direction," and the direction perpendicular to an XY plane is referred to as "Z direction.

As shown in <FIG>, the housing <NUM> is composed of a first insulator <NUM> and a second insulator <NUM> each of which extends in the X direction and which are separate from each other. The contacts <NUM> extending in the Y direction and aligned in the X direction with an alignment pitch P1 are retained by the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM>, and the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are joined together via the contacts <NUM> with distance from each other in the Y direction.

The first insulator <NUM> has a first flat surface 15A facing the +Z direction and extending in an XY plane. The first flat surface 15A is provided with a plurality of electric wire insertion grooves 15B aligned in the X direction to correspond to the contacts <NUM> and each traversing the first insulator <NUM> in the Y direction, and each electric wire insertion groove 15B is provided at its intermediate portion with a recess portion 15C recessed from the bottom of the electric wire insertion groove 15B toward the -Z direction. The recess portions 15C of the electric wire insertion grooves 15B are joined together in the X direction to form a fitting groove 15D extending in the X direction over the entire X directional width of the first insulator <NUM>.

The bottom surface, facing the -Z direction, of the first insulator <NUM> is provided with a projection portion 15E extending in the X direction over the entire X directional width of the first insulator <NUM> and projecting in the -Z direction.

The second insulator <NUM> has a second flat surface 16A facing the +Z direction and extending in an XY plane in the state where the contacts <NUM> each linearly extend in the Y direction such that the first and second insulators <NUM> and <NUM> are developed, as shown in <FIG>. The second flat surface 16A is provided with a fitting portion 16B extending in the X direction over the entire X directional width of the second insulator <NUM> and projecting in the +Z direction, and the fitting portion 16B is provided with a plurality of protrusion portions 16C aligned in the X direction to correspond to the contacts <NUM> and to be accommodated in the corresponding recess portions 15C of the first insulator <NUM>.

The first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are configured such that, by deforming the contacts <NUM> to insert the fitting portion 16B of the second insulator <NUM> into the fitting groove 15D of the first insulator <NUM>, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are fitted to each other and the second flat surface 16A makes contact with the first flat surface 15A.

As shown in <FIG>, the contact <NUM> is formed from a band shaped metal sheet substantially extending in the Y direction and having conductivity. A mounting portion 14A to be mounted on the substrate <NUM> is disposed at the -Y directional end of the contact <NUM>, and a first retained portion 14B to be retained by the first insulator <NUM> is disposed on the +Y direction side of the mounting portion 14A to be adjacent to the mounting portion 14A. A second retained portion 14C to be retained by the second insulator <NUM> is disposed at the +Y directional end of the contact <NUM>, and a joint portion 14D joining together the first retained portion 14B and the second retained portion 14C is disposed between the first retained portion 14B and the second retained portion 14C.

The first retained portion 14B is provided at its intermediate portion with a recessed bent portion 14E that is bent to be dented in the -Z direction.

The joint portion 14D is formed to be deformable so as to be curved in the thickness direction of the contact <NUM>; when the connector <NUM> is assembled, the joint portion 14D is deformed into a U-shape opening toward the -Y direction such that the second retained portion 14C is situated on the +Z direction side of the first retained portion 14B.

The joint portion 14D is provided at its intermediate portion with a connection portion 14F and an inspection hole <NUM>. The connection portion 14F is formed to project in the -Z direction by lancing the metal plate constituting the contact <NUM>, and the inspection hole <NUM> is situated on the +Y direction side of the connection portion 14F and penetrates the metal plate constituting the contact <NUM> in the thickness direction of the contact <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the mounting portion 14A and the connection portion 14F extend in an XY plane in the same Z directional position, and the bottom of the recessed bent portion 14E is situated on the -Z direction side with respect to the Z directional position of the mounting portion 14A and the connection portion 14F. When the first retained portion 14B of the contact <NUM> is retained by the first insulator <NUM>, the bottom of the recessed bent portion 14E is disposed within the projection portion 15E of the first insulator <NUM>.

The connector <NUM> having the thus-configured contacts <NUM> and the first and second insulators <NUM> and <NUM> that are integrally formed is fabricated by, for instance, insert molding.

As shown in <FIG>, the mounting portions 14A situated at the -Y directional ends of the contacts <NUM> are exposed from the first insulator <NUM> to project in the -Y direction, and the second retained portions 14C situated at the +Y directional ends of the contacts <NUM> are embedded in the second insulator <NUM> such that the second retained portions 14C are not visible from the outside. The joint portions 14D of the contacts <NUM> are exposed between the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM>, and middle portions, in the X direction, of the first retained portions 14B are exposed in the corresponding electric wire insertion grooves 15B of the first insulator <NUM>.

Although not shown in <FIG>, the recessed bent portions 14E of the contacts <NUM> are accommodated in the recess portions 15C formed in the intermediate portions of the electric wire insertion grooves 15B such that the inner surfaces of the recessed bent portions 14E are exposed.

In insert molding, it is necessary to inject resin with the +Y directional ends of the contacts <NUM> to be embedded in the second insulator <NUM> being held from the top and bottom by use of holding pins or other means in a molding die, so that a plurality of insertion holes 16D corresponding to the contacts <NUM> are formed in the second insulator <NUM> as a trace of removal of such holding pins or the like after molding as shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG>, the joint portions 14D of the contacts <NUM> are deformed into a U-shape and folded back toward the -Y direction while the second insulator <NUM> is brought up toward the +Z direction with respect to the first insulator <NUM>, thereby having the connector <NUM> in a pre-assembly state where the second flat surface 16A of the second insulator <NUM> obliquely faces the first flat surface 15A of the first insulator <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the substrate <NUM> on which the connector <NUM> is to be mounted. The substrate <NUM> is, for instance, constituted of a sheet type conductive member having a multilayer structure in which a plurality of wiring layers each formed from a conductor and a plurality of insulating layers are laminated, and a connector mounting region 11A of rectangular shape is formed on a surface of the substrate <NUM> on the +Z direction side. The connector mounting region 11A is formed by peeling off, in a rectangular shape, an insulating layer 11B disposed at the surface of the substrate <NUM> on the +Z direction side, and a depression 11C extending in the X direction is formed in a central portion of the connector mounting region 11A. More specifically, the depression 11C is formed from a through-hole penetrating the substrate <NUM> in the Z direction.

The depression 11C has a size allowing the projection portion 15E projecting in the -Z direction from the bottom surface of the first insulator <NUM> to fit therein.

The inside of the connector mounting region 11A is provided with a plurality of conductive portions 11D aligned in the X direction on the +Y direction side of the depression 11C to correspond to the contacts <NUM> of the connector <NUM>. The conductive portions 11D are formed from part of one wiring layer of the substrate <NUM> and connected to a plurality of wiring portions (not shown) covered with the insulating layer 11B.

Meanwhile, a plurality of fixing portions 11E aligned in the X direction to correspond to the contacts <NUM> of the connector <NUM> are formed on the -Y direction side of the depression 11C in the connector mounting region 11A. While the fixing portions 11E can be formed from part of one wiring layer of the substrate <NUM> as with the conductive portions 11D, the fixing portions 11E are disposed only in the connector mounting region 11A without being connected to a plurality of wiring portions (not shown).

The conductive portions 11D and the fixing portions 11E are separately aligned in the X direction with the same pitch as the alignment pitch P1 of the contacts <NUM>. The distance between the depression 11C and the conductive portions 11D in the Y direction is substantially the same as the distance between the projection portion 15E of the first insulator <NUM> and the connection portions 14F of the contacts <NUM> of the connector <NUM> in the Y direction, and the distance between the depression 11C and the fixing portions 11E in the Y direction is substantially the same as the distance between the projection portion 15E of the first insulator <NUM> and the mounting portions 14A of the contacts <NUM> of the connector <NUM> in the Y direction.

Accordingly, when the projection portion 15E of the first insulator <NUM> of the connector <NUM> is fitted in the depression 11C of the substrate <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, the connection portions 14F of the contacts <NUM> are situated on the conductive portions 11D of the substrate <NUM>, and the mounting portions 14A of the contacts <NUM> are situated on the fixing portions 11E of the substrate <NUM>.

In this state, the connection portions 14F and the mounting portions 14A of the contacts <NUM> are respectively connected to the conductive portions 11D and the fixing portions 11E of the substrate <NUM> by soldering or other methods, whereby the connector <NUM> is mounted on the substrate <NUM>.

When the connector <NUM> is assembled, first, the coated electric wires <NUM> are aligned in the X direction, and the conductor portions 12A drawn from the coated electric wires <NUM> are inserted into the first insulator <NUM> of the connector <NUM> from the -Y direction, as shown in <FIG>.

At this time, each conductor portion 12A is inserted into the corresponding electric wire insertion groove 15B of the first insulator <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. Since the first retained portion 14B of the contact <NUM> is exposed in the electric wire insertion groove 15B, the conductor portion 12A is disposed on a surface of the first retained portion 14B of the contact <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. The conductor portion 12A is inserted into the electric wire insertion groove 15B until the +Y directional end of the conductor portion 12A protrudes on the +Y direction side of the first insulator <NUM> and reaches a position near the connection portion 14F of the contact <NUM> on the +Z direction side of the contact <NUM>.

The inspection hole <NUM> formed in the joint portion 14D of the contact <NUM> is situated on the +Z direction side of the connection portion 14F in the connector <NUM> in the pre-assembly state where the joint portion 14D of the contact <NUM> is deformed in a U-shape such that the second flat surface 16A of the second insulator <NUM> obliquely faces the first flat surface 15A of the first insulator <NUM>. Thus, it is possible to visually check the +Y directional end of the conductor portion 12A through the inspection hole <NUM> from the +Z direction side of the connector <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. In other words, an operator carrying out the connecting operation of the coated electric wires <NUM> can visually check that the +Y directional ends of the conductor portions 12A protrude on the +Y direction side of the first insulator <NUM> by a predetermined length through the inspection holes <NUM> of the contacts <NUM>.

When the insertion length of the conductor portion 12A of the coated electric wire <NUM> is excessively small with respect to the electric wire insertion groove 15B of the first insulator <NUM>, the reliability of electric connection between the conductor portion 12A and the contact <NUM> may decrease; when the insertion length of the conductor portion 12A is excessively large, one conductor portion 12A may be short-circuited with a contact <NUM> corresponding to an adjacent conductor portion 12A. Thus, the reliability of connection of the coated electric wires <NUM> can be improved by checking the +Y directional ends of the conductor portions 12A inserted up to the proper positions.

Next, the second insulator <NUM> is pressed against the first insulator <NUM> in the -Z direction and thereby fitted to the first insulator <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. At this time, the second flat surface 16A of the second insulator <NUM> makes contact with the first flat surface 15A of the first insulator <NUM>, and a middle portion of the conductor portion 12A inserted in the electric wire insertion groove 15B of the first insulator <NUM> is pushed into the recessed bent portion 14E of the contact <NUM> accommodated in the corresponding recess portion 15C of the first insulator <NUM> by the protrusion portion 16C of the second insulator <NUM>.

Thus, the assembling operation of the connector <NUM> is completed.

In the connector <NUM> thus assembled, the conductor portion 12A of the coated electric wire <NUM> and the recessed bent portion 14E of the contact <NUM> make contact with each other in the Y direction with a predetermined contact pressure between the inner lateral surface of the recess portion 15C and the outer lateral surface of the protrusion portion 16C, so that the conductor portion 12A is electrically connected to the recessed bent portion 14E of the contact <NUM>. In addition, since the connection portion 14F of the contact <NUM> is connected to the corresponding conductive portion 11D of the substrate <NUM>, the conductor portion 12A of the coated electric wire <NUM> is electrically connected to the conductive portion 11D of the substrate <NUM> via the contact <NUM>.

It should be noted that the conductor portion 12A of the coated electric wire <NUM> is pushed into the recessed bent portion 14E of the contact <NUM> and thereby bent along the inner surface of the recessed bent portion 14E; accordingly, the +Y directional end of the conductor portion 12A is retracted in the -Y direction and accommodated within the electric wire insertion groove 15B of the first insulator <NUM>. Thus, in the state where the second insulator <NUM> is fitted with the first insulator <NUM>, an operator cannot visually recognize the +Y directional end of the conductor portion 12A even when looking in the inspection hole <NUM> of the contact <NUM> from the +Z direction, as shown in <FIG>. That is, the operator can confirm that the conductor portions 12A have been properly pushed in the recessed bent portions 14E of the contacts <NUM> and electrically connected to the contacts <NUM> based on the fact that the +Y directional ends of the conductor portions 12A are not seen through the inspection holes <NUM> of the contacts <NUM>.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, a locking portion 15F projecting toward the middle of the first insulator <NUM> in the X direction is formed at each of the +X directional end and the -X directional end of the first insulator <NUM>, and likewise, a locked portion 16E corresponding to the locking portion 15F of the first insulator <NUM> is formed at each of the +X directional end and the -X directional end of the second insulator <NUM>. The locking portions 15F and the locked portions 16E interfere with each other, thereby maintaining the fitting state between the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM>.

The recessed bent portion 14E of the contact <NUM> has a sufficient length in the Z direction such that the bottom of the recessed bent portion 14E is situated on the -Z direction side with respect to the mounting portion 14A and the connection portion 14F, and owing to this configuration, the contact area can be ensured between the inner lateral surface of the recessed bent portion 14E and the conductor portion 12A that make contact in the Y direction, thus making it possible to electrically connect the conductor portion 12A to the contact <NUM> with high reliability.

Furthermore, as shown in <FIG>, the bottom of the recessed bent portion 14E of the contact <NUM> is disposed inside the projection portion 15E of the first insulator <NUM>, and the projection portion 15E is inserted in the depression 11C of the substrate <NUM>; therefore, the connector <NUM> with a small thickness can be obtained despite the recessed bent portion 14E having a sufficient length in the Z direction.

While the second retained portions 14C formed at the +Y directional ends of the contacts <NUM> are embedded in the second insulator <NUM> in Embodiment <NUM> above, the invention is not limited thereto.

<FIG> shows a connector <NUM> according to Embodiment <NUM>. The connector <NUM> is configured to use a contact <NUM> in place of the contact <NUM> in the connector <NUM> of Embodiment <NUM>. Specifically, the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM> are joined together by a plurality of contacts <NUM> with distance.

The contact <NUM> is formed from a band shaped metal sheet having conductivity as with the contact <NUM> shown in <FIG> and includes a mounting portion 24A disposed at the -Y directional end of the contact <NUM>, a first retained portion 24B situated on the +Y direction side of the mounting portion 24A to be adjacent to the mounting portion 24A and retained by the first insulator <NUM>, and a joint portion 24D situated on the +Y direction side of the first retained portion 24B to be adjacent to the first retained portion 24B and exposed. In addition, a recessed bent portion 24E is formed at an intermediate portion of the first retained portion 24B, and a connection portion 24F is formed at an intermediate portion of the joint portion 24D. The mounting portion 24A, the first retained portion 24B, the joint portion 24D, the recessed bent portion 24E, and the connection portion 24F have the same structures as those of the mounting portion 14A, the first retained portion 14B, the joint portion 14D, the recessed bent portion 14E, and the connection portion 14F of the contact <NUM> in the connector <NUM> of Embodiment <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the contact <NUM> further includes a second retained portion 24C joined to the joint portion 24D and retained by the second insulator <NUM>, and the second retained portion 24C includes a protruding bent portion <NUM> extending along the outer surface of the protrusion portion 16C of the second insulator <NUM> and exposed.

Accordingly, when the second insulator <NUM> is fitted to the first insulator <NUM> to assemble the connector <NUM>, a middle portion of the conductor portion 12A inserted in the electric wire insertion groove 15B of the first insulator <NUM> is pushed into the recessed bent portion 24E of the contact <NUM> accommodated in the recess portion 15C of the first insulator <NUM> by the protrusion portion 16C of the second insulator <NUM> on which the protruding bent portion <NUM> of the contact <NUM> is exposed. The conductor portion 12A of the coated electric wire <NUM> is sandwiched between the recessed bent portion 24E and the protruding bent portion <NUM> of the contact <NUM> to make contact with both the recessed bent portion 24E and the protruding bent portion <NUM> with a predetermined contact pressure. This improves the reliability of electric connection between the conductor portion 12A and the contact <NUM>, thus increasing the reliability of connection of the coated electric wires <NUM>.

While the inner lateral surface of the recessed bent portion 14E, 24E of the contact <NUM>, <NUM> makes contact with the conductor portion 12A of the coated electric wire <NUM> with a predetermined contact pressure in the Y direction in Embodiments <NUM> and <NUM> above, the recessed bent portion 14E, 24E may have a spring property that presses the conductor portion 12A in the Y direction.

While the connector <NUM>, <NUM> is formed by insert molding in Embodiments <NUM> and <NUM>, the connector <NUM>, <NUM> may be formed by, for instance, press-fitting the contacts <NUM>, <NUM> such that the contacts <NUM>, <NUM> are retained by both the first insulator <NUM> and the second insulator <NUM>.

In Embodiments <NUM> and <NUM>, the substrate <NUM> is constituted of a sheet type conductive member, and either a flexible substrate or a rigid substrate may be used as the substrate <NUM>. Furthermore, the substrate <NUM> is not limited to a sheet type conductive member as long as it has the connector mounting region 11A used for mounting the connector <NUM>, <NUM>.

While the depression 11C of the substrate <NUM> is formed from a through-hole penetrating the substrate <NUM> in the Z direction in Embodiments <NUM> and <NUM>, the depression 11C may be constituted of a recess formed at the surface of the substrate <NUM> on the +Z direction side without penetrating the substrate <NUM> when the substrate <NUM> has a sufficient thickness.

While the connector <NUM> of Embodiment <NUM> and the connector <NUM> of Embodiment <NUM> are configured such that the plurality of coated electric wires <NUM> are connected to the substrate <NUM>, the invention is not limited thereto, and a connector may be configured such that a single coated electric wire <NUM> is connected to the substrate <NUM> in the same manner.

Claim 1:
A connector (<NUM>, <NUM>) connecting a conductor portion (12A) of an electric wire (<NUM>) to a conductive portion (11D) exposed on a surface of a substrate (<NUM>), the connector comprising:
a first insulator (<NUM>) disposed on the surface of the substrate and having a recess portion (15C);
a second insulator (<NUM>) disposed to be able to be fitted to the first insulator and having a protrusion portion (16C) corresponding to the recess portion; and
a contact (<NUM>, <NUM>) having conductivity and retained by both the first insulator and the second insulator,
the contact (<NUM>, <NUM>) including:
a mounting potion (14A, 24A) situated at one end of the contact and mounted on the substrate;
a first retained portion (14B, 24B) situated to be adjacent to the mounting portion and retained by the first insulator;
a second retained portion (14C, 24C) situated at the other end of the contact and retained by the second insulator;
a joint portion (14D, 24D) joining together the first retained portion and the second retained portion and being deformable; and
a connection portion (14F, 24F) electrically connected to the conductive portion of the substrate,
wherein the first retained portion includes a recessed bent portion (14E, 24E) that is accommodated in the recess portion and extends along an inner surface of the recess portion,
the first insulator and the second insulator are fitted to each other such that the conductor portion of the electric wire is sandwiched between the recessed bent portion of the contact and the protrusion portion of the second insulator, and
the conductor portion of the electric wire makes contact with the recessed bent portion between the recess portion and the protrusion portion, whereby the conductor portion of the electric wire is electrically connected to the conductive portion of the substrate via the contact.