JP2020064724A - Terminal and connector - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the contact reliability of a terminal with respect to the mating terminal. SOLUTION: A terminal 1 is electrically connected to a mating terminal 200 and a conduction pattern of a circuit board 503, and is housed in a terminal storage chamber 111 of a housing 110 fixed to the circuit board 503, and is conductive. The terminal 1 is formed of a plate and includes a main body portion 10, a bending portion 20, and a contact portion 30. The main body portion 10 has a locking portion for locking to the terminal accommodating chamber 111 of the housing 110. The bent portion 20 extends from one end of the main body portion 10 and is formed in a U shape. The contact portion 30 is provided at the extended tip of the bent portion 20 and comes into contact with the mating terminal 200. The bent portion 20 has a contact portion C that comes into contact with the main body portion 10 when at least the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. [Selection diagram] FIG. 8

Description

  The present invention relates to terminals and connectors.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a connector including a terminal electrically connected to a mating terminal. The terminal of the connector described in Patent Document 1 is a U-shaped bend in which a contact portion with which a mating terminal comes into contact, a main body portion fixed to the housing, and a contact portion formed at the tip extending while curving from the main body portion. And a soldering portion that extends from the main body portion to the side opposite to the contact portion and is soldered to the substrate.

JP, 08-083653, A

  In the terminal described in Patent Document 1, the contact reliability between the mating terminal and the terminal is insufficient, and there is room for improvement.

  The present invention has been made under the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to improve the contact reliability of a terminal with respect to a mating terminal.

In order to achieve the above object, the terminal according to the first aspect of the present invention is
A terminal formed of a conductive plate that is electrically connected to a mating terminal and a conductive portion of the connector connection target and that is housed in a terminal accommodating chamber of a housing that is fixed to the connector connection target. ,
A main body having a locking portion that locks in the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing,
A bent portion extending from one end of the main body portion and having a U-shape;
A contact portion provided at the extended tip of the bent portion and in contact with the mating terminal,
Equipped with
The bent portion has a contact portion that comes into contact with the main body portion at least when the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion.

A terminal according to a second aspect of the present invention is
A terminal formed of a conductive plate that is electrically connected to a mating terminal and a conductive portion of the connector connection target and that is housed in a terminal accommodating chamber of a housing that is fixed to the connector connection target. ,
A main body having a locking portion that locks in the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing,
A bent portion extending from one end of the main body portion and having a U-shape;
An extending portion that is bent and extended from the other end of the main body portion and has a mounting portion for mounting on a mounting surface of the connector connection target,
Equipped with
The extension portion has a protrusion that protrudes from the other end of the main body toward the mounting surface.

The extending portion has an extending portion main body that extends in parallel with the mounting surface and has a first surface facing the mounting surface.
A second surface may be formed on the mounting portion so as to face the mounting surface and be closer to the mounting surface than the first surface.

  The tip of the protruding portion and the second surface may be on the same surface in a state where the mounting portion is mounted on the mounting surface.

The contact portion is provided at the extended tip of the bent portion and is in contact with the mating terminal.
The bent portion may have a contact portion that comes into contact with the main body portion at least when the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion.

  The contact portion of the bent portion may be separated from the main body portion before the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion.

  The separation distance from the main body portion to the contact portion before the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion may be equal to or less than the thickness of the conductive plate.

  The contact portion of the bent portion may be in contact with the body portion before the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion.

  The contact portion of the bent portion may be in surface contact with the main body portion.

The bent portion has a contact portion that is folded back from one end of the main body portion and is in close contact with the main body portion,
The contact portion that is in surface contact with the body portion may be the contact portion.

  The bent portion may be folded and connected in a hairpin shape from one end of the main body portion.

  The contact portion of the bent portion may be in point contact or line contact with the main body portion.

A connector according to a third aspect of the present invention is
A terminal according to the first or second aspect of the present invention;
A housing that is fixed to the connector connection target and that houses the terminal;
Equipped with.

  In the present invention, the contact reliability of the terminal with respect to the mating terminal can be improved.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a camera module including the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is an exploded sectional view of a camera module. It is a perspective view of a connector and a circuit board. It is sectional drawing of a connector and a circuit board. It is a perspective view of a terminal. It is sectional drawing of a terminal. It is sectional drawing (the 1) for demonstrating the connection method of a terminal and a partner terminal. It is sectional drawing (the 2) for demonstrating the connection method of a terminal and a partner terminal. It is sectional drawing of the terminal which concerns on a comparative example. It is sectional drawing of the terminal which concerns on a comparative example when a partner terminal contacts. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the second embodiment when the mating terminal contacts. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the third embodiment when the mating terminal contacts. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the fourth embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the terminal which concerns on Embodiment 4 when a partner terminal contacts.

Embodiment 1.
Hereinafter, the terminal 1 and the connector 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding, XYZ coordinates are set and appropriately referred to. The Z-axis direction of the XYZ coordinates is a moving direction D1 in which the mating terminal 200 moves in order to connect the mating terminal 200 to the terminal 1 of the connector 100, as shown in FIG. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are directions orthogonal to the Z-axis direction.

  The connector 100 is used, for example, in the camera module 300 mounted on the automobile shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the camera module 300 is composed of a first unit 400 and a second unit 500.

  The first unit 400 includes a unit housing 401 formed of an insulating material and a mating terminal 200 formed integrally with the unit housing 401 and formed of a conductive material. The unit housing 401 has a hole 402 into which the connection target 301 of the camera module 300 is fitted. One end 200a of the mating terminal 200 projects into the hole 402. The other end 200b of the mating terminal 200 is exposed to the outside from the bottom surface 403 (the surface on the −Z side) of the unit housing 401.

  The second unit 500 includes a case 501 formed of an insulating material, a circuit board 503 assembled to the case 501 with screws 502, and a connector 100 fixed to the circuit board 503. A conduction pattern (conduction portion) is formed on the mounting surface 503a of the circuit board 503. As shown in FIG. 3, the terminal 1 included in the connector 100 is electrically connected to the conduction pattern. The mounting surface 503a is a surface parallel to the XY plane in the first embodiment.

  The connector 100 includes a housing 110 and a terminal 1. In the first embodiment, the connector 100 includes six terminals 1.

  A terminal accommodating chamber 111 is formed in the housing 110 as shown in FIG. The terminal 1 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating chamber 111. A part of the terminal 1 is exposed to the outside from the upper surface 111a of the housing 110. The housing 110 is fixed to the mounting surface 503 a of the circuit board 503 in a state where the housing 1 accommodates the terminal 1.

  The terminal 1 is formed by bending a single conductive plate. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the terminal 1 includes a main body portion 10, a bending portion 20, a contact portion 30, and an extending portion 40.

  The main body portion 10 is a portion extending in the Z-axis direction and has a pair of locking portions 11 that lock with the inner wall surface of the terminal accommodating chamber 111 of the housing 110. The terminal 1 is fixed to the terminal housing chamber 111 of the housing 110 by locking the locking portion 11 on the inner wall surface.

  The bent portion 20 is formed by being folded back from the upper end 10a on the + Z side of the main body portion 10 and extending, and is partially curved in a U shape. Here, the “U-shape” in the first embodiment includes a substantially U-shape that does not have a straight portion and is curved as a whole. The bent portion 20 is configured to bend when the mating terminal 200 contacts the contact portion 30. Further, the bent portion 20 has a contact portion C that comes into contact with the main body portion 10.

  In the first embodiment, the contact portion C contacts the main body portion 10 in both the state before the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30 and the state after the mating terminal 200 is connected. There is. In addition, the bent portion 20 includes a hairpin portion 21 that is folded back in a hairpin shape from the upper end 10 a of the main body portion 10, a folded back extension portion 22 that extends from the hairpin portion 21 in parallel with the main body portion 10, and a folded back extension portion 22. The bending portion main body 23 is formed to be curved in a U shape. Here, the “hairpin-shaped” in the first embodiment means that the folded portion itself is folded so as to have a gap 21a without being in close contact with itself, and the portion other than the hairpin portion 21 (the main body portion 10 and the folded extension portion). 22) is in a close contact state. The folded-back extension portion 22 is in close contact with the main body portion 10, and in the first embodiment, the close contact portion is configured as a contact portion C. Therefore, the contact portion C is in surface contact with the main body portion 10 at the contact portion.

  The contact part 30 is a part to which the mating terminal 200 is connected, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the contact portion 30 is provided at the tip 20 a of the bent portion 20 (specifically, the bent portion main body 23) and is arranged outside the housing 110. The contact portion 30 is composed of, for example, a convex portion formed by being pressed from the back side of the tip 20a of the bent portion 20.

  The extending portion 40 is bent and extends from the lower end 10b on the −Z side of the main body portion 10. The extended portion 40 has an extended portion main body 41, a mounting portion 42 for mounting on the mounting surface 503 a of the circuit board 503, and a protruding portion 43.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the extension body 41 extends in parallel with the mounting surface 503a. A bottom surface 41 a that faces the mounting surface 503 a is formed on the extension body 41.

  The mounting portion 42 is, for example, a portion mounted on the mounting surface 503a by soldering, and extends before being mounted on the mounting surface 503a while slightly inclining downward from the Y-axis direction. The mounting portion 42 has a bottom surface 42a that faces the mounting surface 503a. The bottom surface 42a is provided closer to the mounting surface 503a (−Z side) than the bottom surface 41a of the extension body 41. Accordingly, the mounting portion 42 is configured to be easily soldered to the mounting surface 503a.

  The projecting portion 43 projects from the lower end 10b of the main body portion 10 toward the mounting surface 503a. The protruding portion 43 is provided so as to protrude at least closer to the mounting surface 503a (−Z side) than the bottom surface 41a of the extended portion main body 41. The tip of the protruding portion 43 and the bottom surface 42a of the mounting portion 42 are on the same surface (the same surface as the mounting surface 503a) when the mounting portion 42 is mounted on the mounting surface 503a.

  A method of connecting the terminal 1 and the mating terminal 200 of the connector 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the “state after the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30” shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 does not mean that the mating terminal 200 is simply in contact with the contact portion 30, The bending portion 20 of the terminal 1 is bent by the load from the mating terminal 200, and the first unit 400 and the second unit 500 are completely fitted together.

  When the first unit 400 is moved together with the mating terminal 200 in the movement direction D1 (−Z direction), the mating terminal 200 comes into contact with the contact portion 30 of the terminal 1, as shown in FIGS. Then, a load is applied from the mating terminal 200 in the same direction as the moving direction D1, and the bending portion 20 bends. The mating terminal 200 is connected to the terminal 1 while maintaining an appropriate contact load due to the elastic force of the bent portion 20. As a result, the mating terminal 200 and the terminal 1 are electrically connected. Then, the connection between the first unit 400 and the second unit 500 is completed, and the camera module 300 is completed.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 4 and 8, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 is either before or after the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. Also in, the contact is made with the main body portion 10. Therefore, a large radius of curvature R of the bent portion 20 shown in FIG. 4 can be secured. Thereby, when the mating terminal 200 comes into contact with the contact portion 30 and the bent portion 20 is bent, the stress applied to the bent portion 20 can be dispersed.

  On the other hand, in the terminal 1A according to the comparative example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the bent portion 20 does not have the contact portion C that comes into contact with the main body portion 10. In this case, since the folded back extended portion 22A of the bent portion 20 is arranged on the + Y side of the folded back extended portion 22 of the first embodiment, the radius of curvature R of the bent portion 20 becomes smaller. As a result, when the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30, the stress applied to the bent portion 20 when the bent portion 20 is bent is likely to concentrate on a part. In addition, the terminal described in Patent Document 1 also has a problem.

  However, in the first embodiment, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 6 and 9, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 is in contact with the main body portion 10. Since the folded back extended portion 22 of the bent portion 20 is arranged on the −Y side of the folded back extended portion 22A of the terminal 1A according to the comparative example, a large radius of curvature R of the bent portion 20 can be secured. Thereby, when the mating terminal 200 comes into contact with the contact portion 30 and the bent portion 20 is bent, the stress applied to the bent portion 20 can be dispersed. In addition, the size of the bent portion 20 is not increased in order to secure a large radius of curvature R, and thus the size of the entire connector 100 is not increased. As a result, the contact reliability of the terminal 1 to the mating terminal 200 can be improved while maintaining the size of the entire connector 100.

  In addition, in the first embodiment, the protruding portion 43 protrudes from the lower end 10b on the −Z side of the main body portion 10 toward the mounting surface 503a. Therefore, when the mating terminal 200 comes into contact with the contact portion 30, it is possible to prevent the tip of the protruding portion 43 from coming into contact with the mounting surface 503a of the circuit board 503 and moving the main body portion 10 in the −Z direction. can do.

  On the other hand, in the terminal 1A according to the comparative example shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the extending portion 40 does not have the protruding portion 43 that contacts the mounting surface 503a. In this case, when the mating terminal 200 comes into contact with the contact portion 30, the lower end 10b of the body portion 10 rotates about the rotation direction D2 with the mounting portion 42 mounted on the mounting surface 503a as a base point. The body portion 10 may move in the −Z direction due to the movement. Then, a load is applied to the mounting portions of the mounting surface 503a and the mounting portion 42, and the solder of the mounting portion 42 may be damaged. In addition, the terminal 1A may fall off from the housing. In addition, the terminal described in Patent Document 1 also has a problem.

  However, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, when the mating terminal 200 comes into contact with the contact portion 30, the tip of the protruding portion 43 comes into contact with the mounting surface 503 a of the circuit board 503. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lower end 10b of the main body portion 10 from rotating around the mounting portion 42 mounted on the mounting surface 503a as a base point. As a result, the main body 10 does not move in the −Z direction, and as a result, the contact reliability of the terminal 1 with the mating terminal 200 can be improved.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the bent portion 20 of the terminal 1 has the hairpin portion 21. Therefore, when the bending portion 20 is bent from the main body portion 10 in the manufacture of the terminal 1, stress can be prevented from concentrating on the connecting portion between the main body portion 10 and the bending portion 20 and cracking the portion.

Embodiment 2.
In the terminal 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 is in surface contact with the main body portion 10. However, it is not limited to this. Like the terminal 2 according to the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 may be in point contact or line contact with the main body portion 10. In addition, in the terminal 2, the contact portion C is in point contact or line contact with the main body portion 10 both before and after the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. . The terminal 2 has a structure similar to that of the terminal 1 except that the contact portion C is in point contact or line contact with the main body 10. Therefore, the terminal 2 can also achieve the same effect as the terminal 1. However, in the terminal 2, the contact portion C is brought into point contact or line contact with the main body portion 10 in a state before the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30 due to the elastic force of the conductive plate forming the terminal 2. Since it is difficult to do so, the terminal 1 according to the first embodiment is preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturing.

Embodiment 3.
In the terminal 2 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 is before and after the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. In any of these states, the main body portion 10 is in contact. However, the contact portion C may be in contact with the main body portion 10 at least after the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. For example, in the terminal 3 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 is separated from the main body portion 10 before the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, when the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 comes into contact with the main body portion 10. The terminal 3 has a structure similar to that of the terminal 2 except that the contact portion C is separated from the main body portion 10 in a state before the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. Therefore, the terminal 3 can also achieve the same effect as the terminal 2. In the third embodiment, the mating terminal 200 is in point contact or line contact with the main body portion 10 after being connected to the contact portion 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The contact portion C may be in surface contact with the main body portion 10 after being connected to the contact portion 30.

  In the terminal 3 according to the third embodiment, if the separation distance L from the main body portion 10 to the contact portion C is too large, even if the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30, the contact portion C is not included in the main body portion 10. May not come into contact with. Therefore, the separation distance L is preferably equal to or less than the thickness t of the conductive plate forming the terminal 3.

  Although the first to third embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments.

  For example, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 makes a surface contact with the body portion 10 both before and after the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. is doing. Further, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 makes a point contact with the main body portion 10 both before and after the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30. Or they are in line contact. However, it is not limited to this. For example, like the terminal 4 shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, in the state before the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30, the contact portion C of the bent portion 20 makes a point contact or a line contact with the main body portion 10. Then, when the mating terminal 200 is connected to the contact portion 30, the contact portion C may be in surface contact with the main body portion 10.

  The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for explaining the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

  1, 1A, 2, 3, 4: terminals, 10: main body, 10a: upper end (one end of main body), 10b: lower end (other end of main body), 11: locking portion, 20: bent portion, 20a : Tip, 21: hairpin part, 21a: gap (of hairpin part), 22 and 22A: folded extension part, 23: bent part body, 30: contact part, 40: extension part, 41: extension part body, 41a: bottom surface (first surface), 42: mounting portion, 42a: bottom surface (second surface), 43: protruding portion, 100: connector, 110: housing, 111: terminal accommodating chamber, 111a: upper surface, 200: mating terminal , 200a: one end, 200b: the other end, 300: camera module, 301: connection target, 400: first unit, 401: unit housing, 402: hole, 403: bottom surface, 500: second unit , 501: Case, 502: Ne , 503: circuit board (connector connection object), 503a: mounting surface, C: contact portion, R: a radius of curvature, D1: direction of movement, D2: rotating direction, L: distance, t: thickness.

Claims (13)

A terminal formed of a conductive plate that is electrically connected to a mating terminal and a conductive portion of the connector connection target and that is housed in a terminal accommodating chamber of a housing that is fixed to the connector connection target. ,
A main body having a locking portion that locks in the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing,
A bent portion extending from one end of the main body portion and having a U-shape;
A contact portion provided at the extended tip of the bent portion and in contact with the mating terminal,
Equipped with
The said bending part has a contact part which contacts the said main-body part, at least when the said other terminal is connected to the said contact part, A terminal. A terminal formed of a conductive plate that is electrically connected to a mating terminal and a conductive portion of the connector connection target and that is housed in a terminal accommodating chamber of a housing that is fixed to the connector connection target. ,
A main body having a locking portion that locks in the terminal accommodating chamber of the housing,
A bent portion extending from one end of the main body portion and having a U-shape;
An extending portion that is bent and extended from the other end of the main body portion and that has a mounting portion for mounting on a mounting surface that the connector connection target has,
Equipped with
The terminal has a protrusion that protrudes from the other end of the main body toward the mounting surface. The extending portion has an extending portion main body that extends in parallel with the mounting surface and has a first surface facing the mounting surface.
The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the mounting portion is formed with a second surface facing the mounting surface and closer to the mounting surface than the first surface.   The terminal according to claim 3, wherein the tip of the protruding portion and the second surface are on the same surface in a state where the mounting portion is mounted on the mounting surface. The contact portion is provided at the extended tip of the bent portion and is in contact with the mating terminal.
The terminal according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the bent portion has a contact portion that comes into contact with the main body portion at least when the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion.   The terminal according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the contact portion of the bent portion is separated from the main body portion before the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion.   The terminal according to claim 6, wherein a separation distance from the main body portion to the contact portion before the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion is equal to or less than a thickness of the conductive plate.   The terminal according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the contact portion of the bent portion is in contact with the main body portion before the mating terminal is connected to the contact portion.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion of the bent portion is in surface contact with the main body portion. The bent portion has a contact portion that is folded back from one end of the main body portion and is in close contact with the main body portion,
The terminal according to claim 9, wherein the contact portion that is in surface contact with the main body portion is the contact portion.   The terminal according to claim 10, wherein the bent portion is folded back and connected in a hairpin shape from one end of the main body portion.   The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion of the bent portion is in point contact or line contact with the main body portion. A terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 12,
A housing that is fixed to the connector connection target and that houses the terminal;
With a connector.

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