Disclosure of utility model
In view of the above, an object of the present utility model is to provide an electrical connector for a flat conductor and an electrical connector assembly for a flat conductor, which can suppress resistance at the time of inserting the flat conductor to be low.
(1) An electrical connector for flat conductors according to the present utility model is an electrical connector for flat conductors disposed on a mounting surface of a circuit board and connected to the flat conductors extending in a front-rear direction, the electrical connector comprising: a housing into which the flat conductor is inserted forward; a plurality of terminals arranged and held in the housing in a terminal arrangement direction which is a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the connector height direction; and a movable member that is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the terminal arrangement direction and is movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the terminals are made of metal that forms a flat surface that is orthogonal to the terminal arrangement direction, and the plurality of terminals include: an upper arm portion having a first contact pressure portion for generating a contact pressure on an upper surface of the flat conductor; and a lower arm portion having a second contact pressure portion that generates a contact pressure on a lower surface of the flat conductor, the first contact pressure portion having a first introduction portion that is inclined rearward and toward a direction away from the second contact pressure portion in the connector height direction to constitute a rear portion of the first contact pressure portion, and a first guide portion that extends forward from the first introduction portion and that extends at a slope that is less steep than a slope of the first introduction portion in the connector height direction to be closer to the second contact pressure portion or parallel to the mounting surface, the first guide portion constituting a front portion of the first contact pressure portion, the second introduction portion having a second introduction portion that is inclined rearward and toward a direction away from the first contact pressure portion in the connector height direction to constitute a rear portion of the second contact pressure portion, the second guide portion being formed at a slope that is less steep than a slope of the first introduction portion in the connector height direction to be closer to the second contact pressure portion or parallel to the mounting surface, the first guide portion constituting a transition portion that is not steep toward the front portion than the second introduction portion, and the second guide portion being formed to be closer to the front portion than the second guide portion in the transition portion.
In the above (1), since the first contact pressure portion has the first introduction portion inclined rearward and toward the direction away from the second contact pressure portion in the connector height direction to constitute the rear portion of the first contact pressure portion, the first introduction portion extends forward from the first introduction portion and extends closer to the second contact pressure portion in the connector height direction or parallel to the mounting surface at a slope that is shallower than the slope of the first introduction portion, the first introduction portion constitutes the front portion of the first contact pressure portion, the second contact pressure portion has the second introduction portion inclined rearward and toward the direction away from the first contact pressure portion in the connector height direction to constitute the rear portion of the second contact pressure portion, the second introduction portion extends forward from the second introduction portion and extends closer to the first contact pressure portion in the connector height direction or parallel to the mounting surface at a slope that is shallower than the slope of the second introduction portion, and the second introduction portion can be made less resistant to transition between the first introduction portion and the front portion as a transition between the first introduction portion and the second introduction surface.
(2) In the above (1), the first transition portion may be located rearward with respect to the second transition portion.
In the above (2), the first transition portion and the second transition portion can be easily displaced in the front-rear direction by positioning the first transition portion rearward with respect to the second transition portion.
(3) In the connector according to (1), a portion of the upper arm portion that is rearward of the first contact pressure portion may be formed with a rearward extending portion that abuts against the shaft portion of the movable member in the connector height direction.
In the above (3), since the extension portion is in contact with the shaft portion of the movable member in the connector height direction, accidental removal of the movable member can be prevented. Further, the position of the upper arm portion in the connector height direction can be accurately determined by abutting the shaft portion of the movable member.
(4) In the above-described connector, in addition to the press-fit fixing portion, a press-fit fixing portion for press-fitting fixing with the housing may be formed in a portion of the lower arm portion forward of the second contact pressure portion, and a thickness of the upper arm portion in the connector height direction may be larger than a thickness of the lower arm portion in the connector height direction, as viewed in the connector height direction, except for the press-fit fixing portion.
In the above (4), since the press-fit fixing portion is formed in the lower arm portion, the terminal can be stably held in the housing by the press-fit fixing portion. In addition, the terminal can obtain a sufficient spring length by the upper arm portion having a large thickness.
(5) In the above (1), the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion may be provided on different terminals.
In the above (5), by providing the upper arm portion and the lower arm portion in different terminals, the first transition portion and the second transition portion can be easily shifted in the front-rear direction.
(6) In the above-described aspect (1), the second introduction portion of the second contact pressure portion of the lower arm may have a smaller angle with the mounting surface than the first introduction portion of the first contact pressure portion of the upper arm.
In the above (6), since the slope of the second introduction portion is made slower than the slope of the first introduction portion, the resistance at the time of inserting the flat conductor can be further reduced.
(7) In the above-described connector, the movable member may be provided with a first terminal accommodating groove penetrating in the connector height direction and exposing the rear portion of the upper arm portion of the terminal, and the housing may be provided with a second terminal accommodating groove penetrating in the connector height direction and exposing the rear portion of the lower arm portion of the terminal.
In the above (7), since the movable member and the housing are each formed with the terminal accommodating groove for accommodating the terminal so as to be exposed, the terminal can be reliably held by the movable member and the housing, and the terminal can be prevented from being shaken.
(8) In the above-described configuration (1), the movable member may have a locking portion, and the locking portion may be retracted to allow insertion of the flat conductor by the movable member being rotated by interference of the tip of the flat conductor with the locking portion when the flat conductor is inserted, and the flat conductor may be prevented from being pulled out by the locking portion being locked with the flat conductor when the movable member is in the closed position.
In the above (8), the flat conductor can be prevented from being accidentally pulled out by interference between the locking portion and the flat conductor.
(9) In addition to (1), the flat conductor electrical connector may further include a metal fitting that is disposed outside the arrangement range of the terminals in the terminal arrangement direction and that is held by the housing, the metal fitting including: a main body portion adjacent to the movable member in the terminal arrangement direction and having a plate surface at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction; and an urging portion that is located on an upper side with respect to the movable member in the connector height direction and urges the movable member, the urging portion extending toward the movable member side with respect to the main body portion in the terminal arrangement direction, the movable member being urged from an upper side by a plate surface of the urging portion.
In the above (9), the urging portion urges the cam portion at the plate surface (rolled surface) thereof. Therefore, the urging portion can be brought into contact with the cam portion with a smooth surface, and the contact area between the urging portion and the cam portion can be increased, as compared with the case where the cam portion is urged at the plate thickness surface (breaking surface) of the urging portion. As a result, even if the urging portion and the cam portion repeatedly slide in contact with each other due to the movement of the movable member, abrasion of the cam portion is less likely to occur, and a decrease in the urging force of the urging portion can be favorably avoided.
(10) The flat conductor electrical connector assembly of the present utility model is characterized by comprising: an electrical connector for flat conductors as described in any one of (1) to (9) above; and a flat conductor inserted into the flat conductor electrical connector.
In the above (10), since the first contact pressure portion has the first introduction portion inclined rearward and toward the direction away from the second contact pressure portion in the connector height direction to constitute the rear portion of the first contact pressure portion, the first introduction portion extends forward from the first introduction portion and extends closer to the second contact pressure portion in the connector height direction or parallel to the mounting surface at a slope that is shallower than the slope of the first introduction portion, the first introduction portion constitutes the front portion of the first contact pressure portion, the second contact pressure portion has the second introduction portion inclined rearward and toward the direction away from the first contact pressure portion in the connector height direction to constitute the rear portion of the second contact pressure portion, the second introduction portion extends forward from the second introduction portion and extends closer to the first contact pressure portion in the connector height direction or parallel to the mounting surface at a slope that is shallower than the slope of the second introduction portion, and the second introduction portion can be made less resistant to transition between the first introduction portion and the front portion as a transition between the first introduction portion and the second introduction surface.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present utility model will be described with reference to the drawings.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an electrical connector 1 for flat conductors (hereinafter, also referred to as "connector 1") according to an embodiment of the present utility model together with a flat conductor C, and shows a state immediately before insertion of the flat conductor C. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the flat conductor electrical connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present utility model together with the flat conductor C, and shows a state in which the flat conductor C is inserted halfway. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the flat conductor electrical connector 1 according to the embodiment of the present utility model together with the flat conductor C, and shows a state in which the insertion of the flat conductor C is completed. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the flat conductor electrical connector 1 of fig. 1 at a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction Y, showing a cross-section at the position of the terminal 20. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the flat conductor electrical connector 1 of fig. 2 at a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction Y, showing a cross-section at the position of the terminal 20. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the flat conductor electrical connector 1 of fig. 3 at a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction Y, showing a cross-section at the position of the terminal 20. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the first contact pressure portion 22A and the second contact pressure portion 21A of the terminal 20.
The flat conductor electrical connector 1 of the present embodiment is disposed on a mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), and the connector 1 is configured to connect a flat conductor C extending in the front-rear direction X in a pluggable manner with the front-rear direction X parallel to the mounting surface as a pluggable direction. The connector 1 is disposed on the mounting surface of the circuit board and then connected to the flat conductor C, thereby electrically connecting the circuit board and the flat conductor C.
In fig. 1 to 7, in order to facilitate understanding of the direction, the stereoscopic coordinates X, Y, Z are set, X is the front-rear direction, which is the insertion/extraction direction of the flat conductor C with respect to the connector 1, Y is the terminal arrangement direction, Z is the connector height direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, X1 is the front with respect to the front-rear direction X, X2 is the rear with respect to the terminal arrangement direction Y, Y1 is the left with respect to the terminal arrangement direction Y, Y2 is the right with respect to the connector height direction Z, Z1 is the upper with respect to the lower with respect to the connector height direction Z, and Z2 is the lower with respect to the connector height direction Z.
The flat conductor C has a flexible strip shape extending in the front-rear direction X, having the terminal arrangement direction Y as the width direction, and having the connector height direction Z as the thickness direction, and the front end side portion thereof is inserted into the housing 10 as shown in fig. 2. The flat conductors C are formed such that a plurality of circuit portions (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction X are arranged in the terminal arrangement direction Y. The circuit portion is embedded in the insulating layer of the flat conductor C and extends in the front-rear direction X to a position near the front end of the flat conductor C. The circuit portion is exposed at the lower surface of the distal end portion, and can be brought into contact with a terminal 20 of the connector 1, which will be described later.
As shown in fig. 1, notch portions C1 are formed at both side edges of the front end side portion of the flat conductor C, and the rear end edge of the ear portion C2 located in front of the notch portions C1 functions as a locked portion C2A to be locked with a locking portion 42 (see fig. 4) of the connector 1.
As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the connector 1 includes: a case 10 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin; a plurality of terminals 20 (see fig. 4) made of metal plates arranged in the connector width direction as a terminal arrangement direction Y and held in the housing 10; metal fittings 30 made of metal plate, which are arranged on both outer sides of the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction Y; and a movable member 40 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin or metal, which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the terminal arrangement direction Y and is movable between a closed position and an open position, and the connector 1 is configured so that the flat conductor C is inserted and connected from the rear.
As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the housing 10 extends in a longitudinal direction with a terminal arrangement direction Y parallel to a mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), and a receiving space 11 for receiving a front end portion of the flat conductor C is formed as a space opened toward the rear X2. The housing 10 includes: a lower wall 12, the lower wall 12 facing the mounting surface and extending parallel thereto; an upper wall 13, the upper wall 13 being opposed to the lower wall 12 in the connector height direction Z so as to extend in a range including a terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction Y; and side walls (not shown) located on both end sides of the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 in the terminal arrangement direction Y.
Further, as shown in fig. 1, the housing 10 has, at the outside than the side wall in the terminal arrangement direction Y: a fitting holding portion 14 provided at a front half portion of the side wall; and a rear end wall portion 15 provided at a rear end portion of the side wall.
As shown in fig. 4, the terminal housing portion 16 housing the terminals 20 is formed in the housing 10 and the movable member 40 so as to be aligned in the terminal alignment direction Y. The terminal housing portion 16 is formed as a groove portion penetrating the housing 10 in the front-rear direction X. The terminal housing portion 16 includes: a lower groove portion 16A which is submerged from the upper surface of the lower wall 12 and extends in the front-rear direction X; and an upper groove 16B which is recessed from the lower surface of the movable member 40 and extends in the front-rear direction X, and the terminal housing 16 has a lateral U shape that is open rearward as a whole.
As shown in fig. 1, the fitting holding portion 14 has a plate shape rising up with a plate surface at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction Y, and a fitting accommodating portion 14A for accommodating a part of the fitting 30 is formed on the outer side of the side wall in the terminal arrangement direction Y.
As shown in fig. 2, the rear end wall 15 is located at the rear X2 of the fitting holding portion 14 and is connected to the outer surface of the side wall of the housing 10. The space formed between the fitting holding portion 14 and the rear end wall portion 15 in the front-rear direction X constitutes a cam accommodating portion for accommodating a cam portion 44 described later of the movable member 40.
The terminals 20 are made of metal forming a flat surface perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction Y, and are manufactured by punching out a metal plate member, and are press-fitted from the front X1 in a state where the plate surface is perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction Y, and are attached to the terminal housing portion 16 of the housing 10. As shown in fig. 4, the terminal 20 has: a lower arm portion 21 extending in the front-rear direction X along the lower wall 12 of the housing 10 and accommodated in the lower groove portion 16A; an upper arm 22 extending in the front-rear direction X along the inner wall of the top of the movable member 40 and accommodated in the upper groove 16B; a coupling arm portion 23 that extends in the connector height direction Z along an inner wall of a front portion of the movable member 40 and couples front end portions of the lower arm portion 21 and the upper arm portion 22 to each other; and a connecting portion 24 extending forward X1 from a lower portion of the connecting arm portion 23, the lower edge of the connecting portion 24 being soldered to the mounting surface of the circuit board.
The upper arm 22 extends long rearward X2 from the upper portion of the connecting arm 23, and has a first contact pressure portion 22A protruding downward Z2 formed at the rear end thereof, so that a contact pressure is generated between the first contact pressure portion 22A and the upper surface of the flat conductor C.
The lower arm portion 21 extends long rearward X2 from the lower portion of the connecting arm portion 23, and a second contact pressure portion 21A protruding upward Z1 is formed at the rear end thereof, so that a contact pressure is generated between the second contact pressure portion 21A and the lower surface of the flat conductor C.
The first contact pressure portion 22A located at the upper side Z1 and the second contact pressure portion 21A located at the lower side Z2 are opposed to each other in the connector height direction Z at positions of the range overlapping in the front-rear direction X, and a narrowest portion S (see fig. 7) is formed at the front portions of both portions so as to make the interval therebetween narrowest. The first contact pressure portion 22A of the upper arm portion 22 has a first introduction portion 22A-1 at a portion (rear portion) of the rear side X2 of the lower edge thereof, and has a first guide portion 22A-2 at a portion (front portion) of the front side X1 thereof. The front end region of the first guide portion 22A-2 is located at the narrowest portion S.
The first guide portion 22A-2 is formed in the upper arm portion 22 such that the first guide portion 22A-1 is inclined toward the front X1 with respect to the mounting surface in a direction toward the second contact pressure portion 21A in the connector height direction Z, and the first guide portion 22A-2 is inclined toward the front X1 from the first guide portion 22A-1 with respect to the mounting surface in a gentle inclination than the first guide portion 22A-1, and extends substantially parallel to the mounting surface.
The second contact pressure portion 21A of the lower arm portion 21 has a second introduction portion 21A-1 at a portion (rear portion) of the rear side X2 of the upper edge thereof, and has a second guide portion 21A-2 at a portion (front portion) of the front side X1 thereof. The front end region of the second guide portion 21A-2 is located at the narrowest portion S.
The second guide portion 21A-2 is formed in the second contact pressure portion 21A of the lower arm portion 21, is inclined toward the front X1 with respect to the mounting surface in a direction approaching the first contact pressure portion 22A in the connector height direction Z, and the second guide portion 21A-2 is inclined toward the front X1 from the second guide portion 21A-1 with respect to the mounting surface in a gentle inclination than the second guide portion 21A-1, is approaching the first guide portion 22A-2 of the first contact pressure portion 22A, or extends substantially parallel with respect to the mounting surface.
Further, as shown in fig. 7, a first transition portion 22A-3 as a transition portion between the first introduction portion 22A-1 and the first guide portion 22A-2 and a second transition portion 21A-3 as a transition portion between the second introduction portion 21A-1 and the second guide portion 21A-2 are formed at different positions in the front-rear direction X. For example, as shown in fig. 7, the intersection point of the first introduction portion 22A-1 and the first introduction portion 22A-2 (or the intersection point of the extension lines) and the intersection point of the second introduction portion 21A-1 and the second introduction portion 21A-2 (or the intersection point of the extension lines) are shifted by a distance P in the front-rear direction X. In the present embodiment, the first transition portion 22A-3 of the upper arm portion 22 is set to be located further rearward X2 than the second transition portion 21A-3 of the lower arm portion 21. This makes it possible to easily shift the first transition portion 22A-3 and the second transition portion 21A-3 in the front-rear direction X.
In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 4, the upper arm 22 is formed longer than the lower arm 21 in the front-rear direction X, and a extending portion 22B extending further rearward X2 is formed at the rear side X2 of the first contact pressure portion 22A of the upper arm 22, and the extending portion 22B extends substantially parallel to the mounting surface in a free state in which the flat conductor C is not inserted. The extension 22B is in contact with the movable member 40 (specifically, the shaft 45 of the movable member 40) in the connector height direction Z. This can prevent the movable member 40 from being accidentally pulled out. Further, by abutting the movable member 40 (specifically, the shaft portion 45 of the movable member 40), the position of the upper arm portion 22 in the connector height direction Z can be accurately determined.
In the present embodiment, a press-fit fixing portion 21B protruding upward Z1, that is, the upper arm 22 is formed in a portion of the lower arm 21 in front of the second contact pressure portion 21A (a portion closer to the connecting arm portion 23), and the press-fit fixing portion 21B is used to press-fix the terminal 20 and the housing 10. The thickness of the upper arm portion 22 in the connector height direction Z is larger than the thickness of the lower arm portion 21 in the connector height direction Z as viewed in the connector height direction Z except for the portion pressed into the fixing portion 21B. Since the press-fit fixing portion 21B is formed in the lower arm portion 21, the terminal 20 can be stably held in the housing 10 by the press-fit fixing portion 21B. In addition, the terminal 20 can obtain a sufficient spring length by the upper arm portion 22 having a large thickness.
The connection portion 24 extends from the lower portion of the connecting arm portion 23 to the lower portion Z2 and the front portion X1 to the outside of the housing 10. The lower edge of the connection portion 24 is located slightly below the lower surface of the lower wall 12 of the housing 10, and the connection portion 24 is soldered to a corresponding circuit portion (pad) on a mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown) in a state in which the connector 1 is arranged on the mounting surface.
The metal fitting 30 is manufactured by punching out a metal plate member and bending a part thereof in the plate thickness direction, and is press-fitted into the metal fitting housing portion 14A of the case 10 from the rear side X2. By providing the metal fitting 30 so as to be press-fit in this manner, the metal fitting 30 can be easily attached to the housing 10.
As shown in fig. 2, the metal fitting 30 has: a main body 31 having a plate surface at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction Y; and a biasing portion 32 for biasing a cam portion 44 of the movable member 40, which will be described later. In the metal fitting 30, the main body portion 31 having a plate surface perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction Y constitutes most of the metal fitting 30, and therefore the metal fitting 30 can be manufactured compactly in a simple shape.
The urging portion 32 extends inward in the terminal arrangement direction Y, that is, toward the cam portion 44 side of the movable member 40. The urging portion 32 has a plate surface (rolled surface) perpendicular to the connector height direction Z, and is located directly above the cam portion 44 to restrict upward movement of the cam portion 44 and even the movable member 40 (see fig. 2).
As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the movable member 40 is formed such that the width in the terminal arrangement direction Y of the front portion is larger than the width in the terminal arrangement direction Y of the rear portion when viewed in the front-rear direction. The movable member 40 has: an L-shaped operation portion 41 (see also fig. 5) extending over the range between the side walls of the housing 10 in the terminal arrangement direction Y, having a horizontal portion 41A extending along the mounting surface of the circuit board and a vertical portion 41B extending in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board, wherein a handle portion 14B-1 is formed at substantially the center of the vertical portion 41B in the terminal arrangement direction Y, and the user can grasp the handle portion 14B-1 and lift it up, thereby facilitating the opening of the movable member 40; a locking portion 42 (see also fig. 4) protruding downward Z2 from the plate surface of the horizontal portion 41A; and side plate portions 43 and cam portions 44 (see fig. 2) located at both ends of the horizontal portion 41A in the terminal arrangement direction Y.
As shown in fig. 5, a first terminal accommodating groove 41A-1 is formed in the horizontal portion 41A of the operation portion 41 of the movable member 40, which penetrates in the connector height direction Z, and is exposed by the rear portion of the upper arm portion 22 of the terminal 20, and a second terminal accommodating groove 12A is formed in the lower wall 12 of the housing 10, which penetrates in the connector height direction Z, and is exposed by the rear portion of the lower arm portion 21 of the terminal 20. Thus, the terminal 20 can be reliably held by the movable member 40 and the housing 10, and rattling of the terminal 20 can be prevented.
The operation unit 41 is configured to receive an operation of moving (rotating) the movable member 40 between the closed position and the open position shown in fig. 1. The locking portion 42 is provided at the rear of the operating portion 41 when in the closed position at a position corresponding to the locked portion C2A of the flat conductor C in the terminal arrangement direction Y. When the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the locking portion 42 protrudes from the lower surface of the operation portion 41, is positioned in the receiving space 11 of the housing 10, and can interfere with the flat conductor C (see fig. 4). The rear surface of the portion of the locking portion 42 located in the receiving space 11 has a guide surface 42A inclined downward as going forward, and the front surface thereof has a locking surface 42B (see fig. 4) that is locked from the rear to the locked portion C2A of the flat conductor C. When the flat conductor C is inserted, the tip of the flat conductor C interferes with the guide surface 42A of the locking portion 42 to rotate the movable member 40, so that the locking portion 42 is retracted upward Z1 to allow insertion of the flat conductor C, and when the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the locking portion 42 is locked with the locked portion C2A of the flat conductor C to prevent the flat conductor C from being pulled out.
As shown in fig. 2, the side plate portions 43 are provided at both end positions of the operation portion 41 in the terminal arrangement direction Y in a plate-like manner having a plate surface at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction Y. In the side plate portion 43, when the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the entire side plate portion 43 is accommodated in the side plate accommodating portion of the housing 10 (see fig. 1).
The cam portion 44 protrudes from the outer surface of the side plate portion 43 in the terminal arrangement direction Y in a substantially quadrangular prism shape, and is always accommodated in the cam accommodating portion of the housing 10 regardless of the position of the movable member 40. The cam portion 44 is located immediately below the biasing portion 32 of the metal fitting 30, and is restricted from moving upward Z1 by the biasing portion 32. The cam portion 44 is provided at a position including the rotation axis of the movable member 40 as viewed in the terminal arrangement direction Y, and has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the rotation axis.
When the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the flat upper surface of the cam portion 44 makes surface contact with the lower surface of the urging portion 32, and as a result, the movable member 40 can be reliably maintained in the closed position. Before the cam tip of the cam portion 44 (the convex curved surface formed at the upper right corner of the cam portion 44 in fig. 2) passes over the urging portion 32, the cam portion 44 is urged toward the closed position side by the urging portion 32, and after the cam tip of the cam portion 44 passes over the urging portion 32, the cam portion 44 is urged toward the open position side by the urging portion 32, as a result, the movable member 40 can be reliably maintained at the open position.
The connector 1 of the above-described structure is assembled as follows. First, the terminal 20 is press-fitted from the front X1 to the terminal accommodating portion 16 of the housing 10. Further, the movable member 40 held in the posture of the closed position is attached to the housing 10 from above Z1. At this time, the side plate portion 43 of the movable member 40 is accommodated in the side plate accommodating portion, and the cam portion 44 is accommodated in the cam accommodating portion. Next, the metal fitting 30 is press-fitted and attached to the metal fitting housing portion 14A of the case 10 from the rear side X2. Further, the biasing portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is located directly above the cam portion 44, and the upward movement of the cam portion 44 is restricted. In this way, the terminal 20, the metal fitting 30, and the movable member 40 are mounted to the housing 10, thereby completing the connector 1.
In the present embodiment, the terminal 20, the movable member 40, and the metal fitting 30 are mounted to the housing 10 in this order, but the terminal 20 may be mounted after the metal fitting 30 and the movable member 40 are mounted, or may be mounted at the same time. In the present embodiment, the movable member 40 is set to be mounted to the housing 10 in the closed position, but the posture of the movable member 40 at the time of mounting is not limited to this, and may be, for example, the open position.
Next, the operation of inserting and extracting the flat conductor C into and from the connector 1 will be described.
First, the connection portions 24 of the terminals 20 of the connector 1 are soldered to corresponding circuit portions of a circuit board (not shown), and the metal fittings 30 are soldered to corresponding portions of the circuit board. The connector 1 is mounted on a circuit board by solder connection between the connection portion 24 and the metal fitting 30.
Next, as shown in fig. 4 to 6, the flat conductor C is positioned behind the connector 1 in a state where the movable member 40 is brought to the closed position so as to extend in the front-rear direction X along the mounting surface (not shown) of the circuit board (see also fig. 1). Next, the flat conductor C is inserted into the receiving space 11 of the connector 1 in the front direction X1.
During the insertion of the flat conductor C into the receiving space 11, the tip end (tip end of the front side X1) of the flat conductor C is brought into contact with the first lead-in portion 22A-1 of the first contact pressure portion 22A formed in the upper arm portion 22 and the second lead-in portion 21A-1 of the second contact pressure portion 21A formed in the lower arm portion 21. The second contact pressure portion 21A of the lower arm portion 21 is displaceable in the connector height direction Z by the elastic deflection of the lower arm portion 21, and therefore, when the second contact pressure portion 21A is pressed downward Z2 by the front end lower side of the flat conductor C, a reaction force directed upward Z1 from the second introduction portion 21A-1 of the second contact pressure portion 21A is received, and the front end upper side of the flat conductor C is pushed toward the first introduction portion 22A-1 by the reaction force. Therefore, when the flat conductor C is inserted in the state of fig. 4 toward the front side X1, the tip of the flat conductor C displaces the second contact pressure portion 21A downward, and the interval between the first and second introduction portions 22A-1 and 21A-1 is widened while the contact pressure is generated between the two portions and the resistance force directed toward the rear side X2 is received. In the present embodiment, the slope of the second introduction portion 21A-1 is steeper than the slope of the first introduction portion 22A-2, but the slope of the second introduction portion 21A-1 is slower than the slope of the first introduction portion 22A-1, so that the resistance to the rear direction X2 is correspondingly smaller.
Further, at the position of the locking portion 42 of the movable member 40 in the terminal arrangement direction Y, the tip of the flat conductor C abuts against the guide surface 42A of the locking portion 42 to press the locking portion 42 upward. As the locking portion 42 is pressed upward, the movable member 40 moves upward as a whole, and as a result, the urging portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is pressed upward by the cam portion 44, and the metal fitting 30 is elastically displaced upward. That is, the locking portion 42 is allowed to move upward by the elastic displacement of the metal fitting 30. In this way, the locking portion 42 of the movable member 40 moves upward, and thereby the flat conductor C can be inserted further forward.
Next, when the flat conductor C is inserted further forward, the flat conductor C advances while expanding the space between the first introduction portion 22A-1 of the upper arm 22 and the second introduction portion 21A-1 of the lower arm 21. In the present embodiment, since the first transition portion 22A-3 between the first introduction portion 22A-1 and the first guide portion 22A-2 of the upper arm portion 22 is located closer to the rear side X2 than the second transition portion 21A-3 between the second introduction portion 21A-1 and the second guide portion 21A-2 of the lower arm portion 21, the flat conductor C reaches the first transition portion 22A-3 and then reaches the second transition portion 21A-3 (see fig. 7), and therefore the resistance against the flat conductor C toward the rear side X2 increases stepwise without increasing sharply, and the resistance against the insertion of the flat conductor C can be suppressed to be low.
Next, the flat conductor C reaches the positions of the first guide portion 22A-2 of the upper arm portion 22 and the second guide portion 21A-2 of the lower arm portion 21. The first guide portion 22A-2 has a slope that is slower than the slope of the first guide portion 22A-1 of the rear portion X2 thereof, and the second guide portion 21A-2 has a slope that is slower than the slope of the second guide portion 21A-1 of the rear portion X2 thereof. Therefore, when the tip of the flat conductor C enters the range of the first guide portion 22A-2 and the second guide portion 21A-2, the resistance of the flat conductor C to the rear direction X2 is further reduced.
If the flat conductor C is inserted further toward the front X1, the tip of the flat conductor C reaches the narrowest portion S of the tip regions of the first guide portion 22A-2 and the second guide portion 21A-2, and the maximum contact pressure is generated at the narrowest portion S with respect to the first contact pressure portion 22A and the second contact pressure portion 21A. The contact pressure is set to a value that can sufficiently ensure a good contact state between the flat conductor C and the terminal 20.
When the flat conductor C is inserted further toward the front X1 while ensuring the contact pressure with the terminal 20 at the narrowest portion S, the tip of the flat conductor C abuts against the housing 10, and further insertion is restricted to reach a predetermined insertion position (see fig. 6).
In addition, during the insertion of the flat conductor C, the ear portion C2 of the flat conductor C passes through the position of the locking portion 42, and when the locking portion 42 reaches the position of the notch portion C1, the movable member 40 returns to the closed position, and the locking portion 42 enters the notch portion C1 from above. As a result, the locking surface 42B of the locking portion 42 is positioned so as to be locked to the locked portion C2A of the flat conductor C from behind, whereby accidental falling of the flat conductor C is prevented. The lower surface (rolled surface) of the biasing portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is in surface contact with the upper surface of the cam portion 44 of the movable member 40, and the movable member 40 is maintained in the closed position. In this way, the connection operation of the flat conductor C to the connector 1 is completed.
In the present utility model, the flat conductor electrical connector assembly can also be configured by the flat conductor electrical connector 1 of the above-described configuration and the flat conductor C inserted into the flat conductor electrical connector 1.
When the flat conductor C in the state shown in fig. 6, that is, in the state of being connected to the connector 1 is intended to be pulled out from the connector 1, the movable member 40 located at the closed position is rotated to bring the movable member 40 to the open position. During the rotation of the movable member 40 to the open position, the cam surface of the cam portion 44 presses the urging portion 32 upward while making sliding contact with the lower surface of the urging portion 32 of the metal fitting 30. When the urging portion 32 is pressed, the metal fitting 30 is elastically displaced upward, and thereby the urging portion 32 is displaced upward. That is, the cam portion 44 is allowed to further rotate while receiving the urging force from the urging portion 32.
In the present embodiment, the urging portion 32 urges the cam portion 44 at the plate surface (rolled surface) thereof. Therefore, the urging portion 32 can be brought into contact with the cam portion 44 with a smooth surface, and the contact area between the urging portion 32 and the cam portion 44 can be increased, as compared with the case where the cam portion is urged at the plate thickness surface (breaking surface) of the urging portion. As a result, even if the urging portion 32 and the cam portion 44 repeatedly slide in contact with each other due to the movement of the movable member 40, abrasion of the cam portion 44 is less likely to occur, and a decrease in the urging force of the urging portion 32 can be satisfactorily avoided.
When the movable member 40 reaches the open position, the locking portion 42 of the movable member 40 is disengaged upward from the notch portion C1 of the flat conductor C, and the flat conductor C is allowed to be pulled out. Then, by pulling out the flat conductor C to the rear X2, the flat conductor C can be easily pulled out from the connector 1, and the pulling-out operation is completed.
However, the present utility model is not limited to the embodiments shown and described in fig. 1 to 6, and various modifications are possible.
(1) In the present embodiment, the circuit portion of the flat conductor C is set to be exposed at the lower surface of the flat conductor C, but instead of the above, the circuit portion may be exposed at the upper surface of the flat conductor C. In this case, the upper arm portion 22 of the terminal 20 is in contact with the circuit portion at the first contact pressure portion 22A. The circuit portion may be exposed on both the lower surface and the upper surface of the flat conductor C. In this case, the second contact pressure portion 21A is in contact with the circuit portion of the lower surface, and the first contact pressure portion 22A is in contact with the circuit portion of the upper surface.
(2) In the present embodiment, the upper arm portion 22 formed with the first contact pressure portion 22A and the lower arm portion 21 formed with the second contact pressure portion 21A are formed on the same terminal 20, but the upper arm portion 22 formed with the first contact pressure portion 22A and the lower arm portion 21 formed with the second contact pressure portion 21A may be formed on different terminals 20, for example, may be formed on two terminals 20 adjacent to each other in the terminal arrangement direction Y. At this time, the upper arm portion 22 formed with the first contact pressure portion 22A and the lower arm portion 21 formed with the second contact pressure portion 21A may extend in the same direction, that is, in the rear direction X2, but the directions may be opposite to each other.
(3) In the present embodiment, the biasing portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is set to bias the cam portion 44 of the movable member 40, but the biased portion of the movable member 40 is not necessarily the cam portion 44, and may be another portion of the movable member 40.
(4) In the present embodiment, the first transition portion 22A-3 of the upper arm portion 22 is set to be located at the rear X2 of the second transition portion 21A-3 of the lower arm portion 21, but the first transition portion 22A-3 of the upper arm portion 22 may be located at the front X1 of the second transition portion 21A-3 of the lower arm portion 21.
(5) In the present embodiment, the number of terminals 20 is 4, but the number of terminals 20 is not limited, and may be, for example, 10, 24, or 34.
In summary, the main aspects of the present utility model are as follows:
(1) An electrical connector 1 for flat conductors, the electrical connector 1 for flat conductors being disposed on a mounting surface of a circuit board for connection with a flat conductor C extending in a front-rear direction X, the electrical connector 1 for flat conductors comprising: a housing 10, wherein the housing 10 is inserted with the flat conductor C in the front direction X1; a plurality of terminals 20, the plurality of terminals 20 being arranged and held in the housing 10 with a direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction X and the connector height direction Z as a terminal arrangement direction Y; and a movable member 40, the movable member 40 being rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the terminal arrangement direction Y and movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the terminals 20 are made of metal forming a flat surface orthogonal to the terminal arrangement direction Y, and the plurality of terminals 20 include: an upper arm portion 22 having a first contact pressure portion 22A for generating a contact pressure on the upper surface of the flat conductor C; and a lower arm portion 21 having a second contact pressure portion 21A generating a contact pressure on a lower surface of the flat conductor C, the first contact pressure portion 22A having a first introduction portion 22A-1 and a first guide portion 22A-2, the first introduction portion 22A-1 being inclined toward the rear direction X2 and toward a direction away from the second contact pressure portion 21A in the connector height direction Z to constitute a rear portion of the first contact pressure portion 22A, the first guide portion 22A-2 extending from the first introduction portion 22A-1 toward the front direction X1 and extending at a slope that is gentle than a slope of the first introduction portion 22A-1 in the connector height direction Z toward the second contact pressure portion 21A or parallel to the mounting surface, the first guide portion 22A-2 constituting a front portion of the first contact pressure portion 22A, the second contact pressure portion 21A having a second introduction portion 21A-1 and a second guide portion 21A-2, the second introduction portion 21A-1 being inclined toward the rear direction X2 and toward the connector height direction Z toward the second introduction portion 21A-2 and extending at a slope that is gentle than a slope of the first introduction portion 22A-1 toward the front portion 21A or parallel to the second introduction portion 21A-2 in the connector height direction Z to constitute a slope of the second contact pressure portion 21A-2 toward the front portion 21A, the first transition portion 22A-3, which is a transition portion between the first introduction portion 22A-1 and the first guide portion 22A-2, and the second transition portion 21A-3, which is a transition portion between the second introduction portion 21A-1 and the second guide portion 21A-2, are formed at different positions in the front-rear direction X.
(2) Preferably, the first transition 22A-3 is located aft X2 relative to the second transition 21A-3.
(3) Preferably, the upper arm portion 22 is formed with a extension portion 22B extending rearward X2 at a portion closer to the rear X2 than the first contact pressure portion 22A, and the extension portion 22B abuts against the shaft portion 45 of the movable member 40 in the connector height direction Z.
(4) Preferably, a press-fit fixing portion 21B protruding toward the upper arm portion 22 for press-fitting fixation with the housing 10 is formed in the lower arm portion 21 at a portion forward of the second contact pressure portion 21A by X1, and the thickness of the upper arm portion 22 in the connector height direction Z is larger than the thickness of the lower arm portion 21 in the connector height direction Z as viewed in the connector height direction Z except for the press-fit fixing portion 21B.
(5) Preferably, the upper arm 22 and the lower arm 21 are provided to different terminals 20.
(6) Preferably, the angle formed by the second lead-in portion 21A-1 of the second contact pressure portion 21A of the lower arm portion 21 and the mounting surface is smaller than the angle formed by the first lead-in portion 22A-1 of the first contact pressure portion 22A of the upper arm portion 22 and the mounting surface.
(7) Preferably, the movable member 40 is formed with a first terminal accommodating groove 41A-1 penetrating in the connector height direction Z and exposed by the rear portion of the upper arm portion 22 of the terminal 20, and the lower wall 12 of the housing 10 is formed with a second terminal accommodating groove 12A penetrating in the connector height direction Z and exposed by the rear portion of the lower arm portion 21 of the terminal 20.
(8) Preferably, the movable member 40 has a locking portion 42, and when the flat conductor C is inserted, the tip of the flat conductor C interferes with the locking portion 42 to rotate the movable member 40, so that the locking portion 42 is retracted to allow insertion of the flat conductor C, and when the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the flat conductor C is prevented from being pulled out by locking the locking portion 42 to the flat conductor C.
(9) Preferably, the flat conductor electrical connector 1 further includes a metal fitting 30, the metal fitting 30 being disposed outside the arrangement range of the terminals 20 in the terminal arrangement direction Y and held by the housing 10, the metal fitting 30 having: a main body portion 31, the main body portion 31 being adjacent to the movable member 40 in the terminal arrangement direction Y and having a plate surface at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction Y; and an urging portion 32 that urges the movable member 40 while the urging portion 32 is located on the upper side with respect to the movable member 40 in the connector height direction Z, the urging portion 32 extending toward the movable member 40 side with respect to the main body portion 31 in the terminal arrangement direction Y, and the movable member 40 being urged from the upper side by the plate surface of the urging portion 32.
(10) An electrical connector assembly for a flat conductor, comprising: an electrical connector 1 for flat conductors; and a flat conductor C inserted into the flat conductor electrical connector 1.
While the structure and principles of the utility model have been described above in connection with the preferred embodiments, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the foregoing examples are illustrative only and are not to be construed as limiting the utility model. Therefore, the present utility model can be modified and changed within the spirit of the claims, and all such modifications and changes fall within the scope of the claims of the present utility model.