TWI707504B - Terminals and connectors - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a terminal which has a simple structure, is manufactured at low cost and is reliable, and will not be damaged or deformed even if the terminal and the connector are in contact with other elements. The terminal includes: a body part made of a conductive metal; a tail part connected to a first side of the body part; a contact part connected to a second side of the body part; and a cover The element is movably attached to the body part, and the covering element can be operated to cover at least a part of the contact part.

Description

Terminals and connectors

The invention relates to a terminal and a connector.

The terminals of some conventional connectors are connected to a substrate-shaped mating element such as a printed wiring board, and the mating element has wires exposed on the surface. Some of these terminals have an elastic sheet with elastic properties, and the elastic sheet is crimped to a surface of the wire to ensure contact with the surface of the wire. In some terminals of this type, an elastic piece protruding from the base may contact other elements, and thus may be damaged or deformed due to such contact. In order to solve this problem, a technique is proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). This technology uses a slidable protective cover configured to cover the elastic sheet and attached to the base. When the docking element is connected to the terminal, the protective cover automatically slides to expose the elastic sheet.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional connector and mating element.

In the figure, a connector base 811 made of an insulating material is configured to fit into a mating base 911 of a mating connector that is also made of an insulating material. The base 811 has a terminal accommodating recess 813 configured to accommodate a plurality of terminals 851 connected to the ends of the wires 891. An elastic piece 854 is integrally formed at a position near the front end of each terminal 851 and protrudes upward from that position. In addition, a plate-shaped protective cover 817 can be slidably attached to the base 811. When the base 811 is not fitted to the docking base 911 Bottom, the protective cover 817 is located above the elastic sheet 854 and covers the elastic sheet 854 from above.

A part of a surface of the docking base 911 is recessed to form a receiving space 913. The receiving space 913 is a recessed space. The portion near the front end of the base 811 is inserted and fitted into the storage space 913. A printed wiring board 912 with a plurality of exposed wires 951 is disposed on a surface of the docking base 911. The printed wiring board 912 is provided to extend along the upper surface of the housing space 913 and reach the bottom of the housing space 913.

When the connector and the mating connector are fitted with each other, the portion near the front end of the base 811 is inserted into the receiving space 913, as shown in FIG. 13. Subsequently, a locking portion 824 of a flexible locking piece 821 attached to the base 811 is locked to a locked portion 915 formed at an entrance end of the receiving space 913. This prevents the two connectors from being released from each other. Once a driving element 914 formed to protrude from the bottom of the accommodating space 913 comes into contact with a detecting element 817a connected to the protective cover 817 of the base 811, the driving element 914 relatively moves the detecting element 817a toward the rear end of the terminal 851. The protective cover 817 thus slides toward the rear end of the terminal 851, so that the elastic piece 854 is exposed. The elastic piece 854 thus comes into contact with the wire 951 exposed from the surface of the printed wiring board 912 and extending along the upper surface of the housing space 913.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. JP06-215832

[0008] In this conventional connector, when the terminal 851 is received in the terminal receiving recess 813 of the base 811, the elastic piece 854 of the terminal 851 is protected by the protective cover 817 of the base 811. However, before the terminal 851 is received in the terminal receiving recess 813 of the base 811, the elastic piece 854 is not protected at all. Therefore, for example, when the terminal 851 is transported or temporarily stored before the terminal 851 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating recess 813 of the base 811, the outwardly protruding elastic piece 854 may be in contact with external components (such as tools, instruments, etc.) or located The contact of other terminals 851 around the elastic piece 854 may be damaged or deformed.

Therefore, the present invention provides a terminal and a connector provided with the terminal, which can solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional terminal and the connector. In addition, the terminal and the connector to be provided have a simple structure, are manufactured at low cost, and are reliable, and even if the terminal and the connector are in contact with other components, they will not be damaged or deformed.

To this end, a terminal is provided, which includes: a body part made of a conductive metal; a tail part connected to a first side of the body part; a contact part connected to a first side of the body part Two sides; and a covering element that is movably attached to the body portion, and in the terminal, the covering element can be operable to cover at least a part of the contact portion.

In the other terminal, the covering element can also be detached from the body part.

In yet another terminal, the cover element is still between a closed position where the cover element covers at least a part of the contact portion and an open position where the cover element does not cover any part of the contact portion Able to move.

In still another terminal, the contact portion is also a spring-like element, and at least a part of the contact portion is exposed to the body portion; and the covering element can be operated to cover the contact portion exposed to the At least a part of the part of the body part.

In still another terminal, the body portion further includes a rail portion extending in a front-to-rear direction; and the covering member includes a sliding portion that can be operated to be slidably engaged with the rail unit.

In still another terminal, the covering element further includes a stop component; and the body portion includes: a first stop portion, when the covering element is in the closed position so that the covering element covers at least a part of the contact portion Position, the first stop portion can be operated to engage the stop member; and a second stop portion, when the covering element is in an open position such that the covering element does not cover any part of the contact portion , The second stop part can be operated to engage the stop member.

There is provided a connector including the terminal; and a base capable of being operated to receive the terminal loaded therein.

In another connector, the base further includes a convex portion that can be operated to make the covering element contact the convex portion; and when the covering element is at the covering element, the covering element In the case of covering at least a part of the contact portion in the closed position, when the terminal is loaded into the base, the covering element contacts the convex portion and moves so that the covering element does not cover the contact portion The open position of any part of the

The terminal provided according to the present invention will not be damaged or deformed even if the terminal is in contact with other components. In addition, the terminal has a simpler structure, is manufactured at a lower cost, and is more reliable.

1: connector

11: Pedestal

11a: side wall

11b: dividing wall

11f, 52f, 72f: front end

11r, 15b, 52r: backend

12.72a: Top plate

12a: Convex

13: Terminal receiving recess

13a: Groove

13c, 15c, 52c: upper end

14, 52a: bottom plate

15: Front wall

15a: Joint protrusion

16: Spear

16a: Locking protrusion

17: Insert space

51: Terminal

52: body part

52b, 72b: side plate

52d: spear joint recess

52e: Locked end

52g: Front end joint recess

53: Connection

53a: Core wire clamping part

53b: Cover holding part

54: Contact

54a: base

54b: Front side curve

54c: Upper slope

54d: Rear side bend

54e: Lower side slope

54f: bottom side bend

55: Track Department

56a: Front stop

56b: Rear stop

56c: Inclined surface

71: cover element

72d: bottom

75: Sliding part

75a, 76a: vertical part

75b, 76b: Joint

75c, 76c: separation gap

76: Stop

91: Wire

211: Card

Other features and effects of the present invention will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal according to an embodiment, in which a covering element is in a closed position.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the terminal according to the present embodiment with the cover member in a closed position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a state after the cover member is removed from the terminal according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing that the cover member is configured to be attached to the terminal according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the present embodiment taken along the line A-A of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the present embodiment taken along the line B-B of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the covering member of the terminal according to the present embodiment moves from a closed position to an open position.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the terminal according to the present embodiment with the cover member in an open position.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing an action of loading the terminal into the base of the connector according to the present embodiment.

10A to 10C are cross-sectional views taken along line CC of FIG. 9, showing the action of loading the terminal into the base of the connector according to the present embodiment and showing the action of loading the terminal into the base of the connector step.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the mating element is connected to the connector according to the present embodiment.

12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the docking element is connected to the connector according to the present embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view showing the same part as that shown in FIG. 11.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional connector and mating components.

Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal according to an embodiment, in which a covering element is in a closed position. Fig. 2 is a side view showing the terminal according to the present embodiment with the cover member in a closed position. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a state after the cover member is removed from the terminal according to the present embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing that the cover member is configured to be attached to the terminal according to the present embodiment. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the present embodiment taken along the line A-A of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal according to the present embodiment taken along the line B-B of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the covering member of the terminal according to the present embodiment moves from a closed position to an open position. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the terminal according to the present embodiment with the cover member in an open position.

These figures show a terminal 51 according to this embodiment. Preferably, when the terminal 51 is in a connected state with one end of a wire 91 described later, the terminal 51 is loaded on a base 11 of a connector 1 described later. The terminal 51 and the connector 1 are used for various electronic equipment and various other equipment, such as household equipment, medical equipment, industrial equipment, and transportation equipment, but can be used for any purpose. For ease of description, the terminal 51 and the connector 1 are terminals and connectors for transportation equipment such as automobiles.

Note that, in this embodiment, the expressions indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc. used to describe the configuration and operation of each part included in the terminal 51, the connector 1, and other elements are Relative rather than absolute. These expressions are appropriate when the parts contained in the terminal 51, the connector 1 and other components are in the positions shown in the figure, however, when the terminal 51, the connector 1 and other components When the position of each part contained in the component changes, these directions should be explained in accordance with the change in position.

The terminal 51 is an element integrally formed by a conductive metal plate through processing such as punching and bending. The terminal 51 includes: a body part 52; a connecting part 53, which is a tail part connected to one side of the body part 52 (that is, the rear side of the body part 52 (X-axis negative direction)); and a contact part 54, which It is an elastic piece connected to the other side (ie, the front side) of the main body 52. It is noted that a covering element 71 capable of covering at least a part of the contact portion 54 is attached to the body portion 52. The covering member 71 can be moved, or more specifically, can be slid in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction). It is noted that the covering element 71 is, for example, an element formed of a conductive metal plate through processing such as punching and bending. However, the covering member 71 may be a member formed of a resin (such as a synthetic resin).

The connecting portion 53 includes: a core wire clamping portion 53a, in which a conductive core wire of the wire 91 is clamped and fixed; and a covering clamping portion 53b, through which the wire 91 passes through an insulating covering covering the entire core wire It is clamped and fixed here. Therefore, the connecting portion 53 is electrically and mechanically connected and fixed to the core wire of the lead wire 91. The terminal 51 is connected to the end of the wire 91. Note that the wire 91 can be any of a power line, a ground line, a signal line, and so on.

As shown in FIG. 5, the main body 52 is a groove-shaped element with a substantially U-shaped cross section. The main body 52 includes an elongated flat bottom plate 52a extending in the X-Y plane; a pair of side plate parts 52b standing upward (in the positive direction of the Z axis) from the left and right ends of the bottom plate 52a. The pair of side plate portions 52b extend parallel to each other in the front-rear direction. Each side plate portion 52b has an upper end 52c extending substantially parallel to the bottom plate portion 52a in the front-rear direction. It is noted that a predetermined length from a front end 52f of the body portion 52 The bottom plate portion 52a does not exist in the range of degrees. In addition, the bottom plate portion 52a does not exist in a portion of a predetermined length near a rear end 52r of the main body portion 52. This part is a lance engaging recess 52d. The lance engaging recess 52d is a portion configured to engage a lance 16 when the terminal 51 is loaded into the base 11. The front end of the lance engaging recess 52d is a locking end 52e, and the locking end 52e is configured to be locked by a locking protrusion 16a of the lance 16.

The contact portion 54 is a spring-like element having a shape in which a part of an overall elliptical shape on an X-Z plane is removed. The contact portion 54 includes a flat base portion 54a that extends straight forward from the front end of the bottom plate portion 52a located behind the front end 52f of the main body portion 52; A flat upper inclined portion 54c, which extends straight from the rear end of the front curved portion 54b upward and backward obliquely; a rear curved portion 54d, descends from the rear end of the upper inclined portion 54c and bends obliquely downward and forward; A flat lower inclined portion 54e extends straight from the front end of the rear curved portion 54d downward and forward obliquely; and a bottom curved portion 54f rises from the lower end of the lower inclined portion 54e and curves upward and forward obliquely. At least a part of the contact portion 54 is exposed from the main body portion 52. More specifically, although the upper inclined portion 54c and at least a part of the rear curved portion 54d are exposed above the upper ends 52c of the two side plate portions 52b on an XZ plane, the remaining part of the contact portion 54 is located on the two side plate portions 52b. Below the upper end 52c and thus is protected by the two side plate portions 52b.

Although the front end 52f of the body portion 52 is located in front of the front curved portion 54b of the contact portion 54, the side plate portion 52b extends to the front end 52f. A front end engaging recess 52g is formed at the lower end of the front end 52f of each side plate portion 52b. Referring again to FIG. 10A, the front end engaging recess 52g is a portion configured to engage an engaging convex portion 15a formed on a front wall portion 15 described later when the terminal 51 is loaded in the base 11.

Each side plate portion 52b includes: a rail portion 55 that extends linearly in the front-rear direction; a front stop portion 56a that extends linearly in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) as a first stop portion; and a rear stop portion 56b as A second stop. The rail portion 55 is a portion configured to be slidably engaged by a sliding portion 75 of the covering member 71. The front stop portion 56 a and the rear stop portion 56 b are portions configured to be engaged by a stop portion 76 of the covering member 71. Note that, in the example shown, each of the rail portion 55, the front stop portion 56a, and the rear stop portion 56b is formed to have an elongated shape penetrating the side plate portion 52b in the plate thickness direction (Y-axis direction). Gap-shaped. Each of these portions 55, 56a, and 56b does not necessarily penetrate the side plate portion 52b, but they may be formed in a bottomed groove shape that does not penetrate the side plate portion 52b. In the illustrated example, the upper end of each front stop portion 56a and the upper end of each rear stop portion 56b open toward the upper end 52c of the corresponding side plate 52b, but it is not necessary to open toward the upper end 52c of the corresponding side plate 52b. It is noted that an inclined surface 56c may preferably be formed at the rear end of the front stop portion 56a, so that the gap is enlarged toward the outside of the side plate portion 52b, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

The covering element 71 is an element having a substantially U-shaped cross section. The covering element 71 includes: a flat top plate portion 72a extending on the X-Y plane; and a pair of side plate portions 72b, which hang down (in the negative direction of the Z axis) from the left and right side ends of the top plate portion 72a. The pair of side plate portions 72b extend in the front-rear direction parallel to each other. A sliding portion 75 is formed on the lower end 72d of each side plate portion 72b, and a stop portion 76 is formed on a front end 72f of each side plate portion 72b.

The sliding portion 75 includes: a vertical portion 75a that is separated from other parts of the side plate portion 72b through a pair of separation slits 75c; The center extends straight. In addition, the sliding portion 75 is roughly in the Y-Z plane The L-shaped part. The vertical portion 75a is connected to the side plate portion 72b through its upper end to function as a cantilever-shaped elastic piece. The engaging portion 75b connected to the free end of the elastic piece is configured to enter and slidably engage the rail portion 55, as shown in FIG. 5.

In addition, the stop portion 76 includes: a vertical portion 76a that is separated from the other parts of the side plate portion 72b through a pair of separation slits 76c; and a joint portion 76b that extends from the front end of the vertical portion 76a toward the width direction of the cover member 71 (Y-axis direction) ) Extends straight from the center. In addition, the stop portion 76 is a substantially L-shaped portion on the X-Y plane. The vertical portion 76a is connected to the side plate portion 72b through its rear end to function as a cantilever-shaped elastic piece. The engaging portion 76b connected to the free end of the elastic piece is configured to enter and engage the front stop portion 56a, as shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, when the covering element 71 is in the closed position, the covering element 71 is maintained in a stopped state relative to the terminal 51, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and so on.

Although a part of the contact portion 54 of the terminal 51 is exposed above the upper end 52c of the side plate portion 52b, when the covering element 71 is in the closed position, the covering element 71 at least partially covers the above exposed portion of the contact portion 54. Specifically, the covering element 71 covers a part of the upper inclined portion 54c, the left and right sides and the upper side of the rear curved portion 54d. Therefore, even if the contact portion 54 is a relatively fragile element, the contact portion 54 will not contact other elements (such as external elements). Accordingly, there is no chance that the contact portion 54 will be damaged or deformed due to such contact.

In addition, the cover member 71 is allowed to slide relative to the terminal 51 to reach the open position shown in FIG. 8. As will be described later, referring to FIG. 10A, when the terminal 51 is loaded into the base 11 of the connector 1, the front end 72f of the side plate portion 72b or the top plate portion 72a is in contact with a convex portion 12a of the base 11 described later, and is The covering element 71 receives a force facing the rear of the main body 52 of the terminal 51. Subsequently, the stop part 76 The vertical portion 76a is elastically deformed, and the joint portion 76b is displaced to the outside in the width direction of the covering element 71. This displacement causes the engagement portion 76b to be disengaged from the front stop portion 56a. Since the inclined surface 56c is formed at the rear end of the front stop portion 56a to expand the gap toward the outside of the side plate portion 52b, the joint portion 76b is smoothly displaced toward the outside in the width direction of the covering member 71. This smooth displacement allows the engagement portion 76b and the front stop portion 56a to be released smoothly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the cover element 71 is moved toward the rear of the body portion 52 of the terminal 51 and thereby slides to the open position shown in FIG. 8.

Note that, if necessary, even if the terminal 51 is not loaded into the base 11 of the connector 1, a force is applied by the operator's hand, fingers, etc. or using a tool (such as a pair of pliers) to direct the covering member 71 toward When the main body 52 of the terminal 51 is pushed back, the operator can also slide the covering element 71 relative to the terminal 51.

Once the covering element 71 reaches the open position, the stop portion 76 recovers through its own elastic properties. As shown in FIG. 8, the engaging portion 76b enters the rear stop portion 56b and engages the rear stop portion 56b. Therefore, although the covering element 71 is in the open position, the covering element 71 is maintained in a stopped state relative to the terminal 51.

In addition, because the sliding part 75 is also an elastically deformable element, if necessary, by using the operator's hand, fingers, etc., or through a tool (such as a pair of pliers), make the engaging portion 75b of the sliding part 75 face the covering element 71 Displacement of the outer side in the width direction of the connector and thereby disengage the engagement portion 75b from the rail portion 55, the operator can also remove the covering element 71 from the terminal 51. What is thus obtained is the terminal 51 with the cover element 71 removed, as shown in FIG. 3.

Next, an explanation is provided regarding the following: a covering element with the above-mentioned configuration will be included The action of loading the terminal 51 of 71 into the base 11 of the connector 1; and the action of connecting the mating element to the connector 1.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing an action of loading the terminal into the base of the connector according to the present embodiment. 10A to 10C are cross-sectional views taken along the line C-C of FIG. 9 showing the action of loading the terminal into the base of the connector according to the present embodiment. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the mating element is connected to the connector according to the present embodiment. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the docking element is connected to the connector according to the present embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view showing the same part as that shown in FIG. 11. Note that the steps of the action of loading the terminal into the base of the connector are shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C.

In the figure, a connector 1 is a connector provided according to this embodiment, which is connected to the end of a plurality of cables including a plurality of wires 91. An edge of a card 211 as a docking element is connected to the connector 1. Therefore, the following description assumes that the connector 1 is provided as a so-called card edge connector. In addition, some examples of the card 211 include a printed circuit board, a flexible flat cable (FFC), a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), etc., but may be any type of card-like element. Note that within a predetermined length range from the front end of the card 211 (the right end in FIG. 12), a plurality of wires (not shown) are exposed on the lower surface of the card 211.

The connector 1 is integrally formed of a resin (such as a synthetic resin) which is an insulating material. The connector 1 includes a base 11, which is generally rectangular in shape, and a terminal 51, which is configured to be connected to the end of a wire 91 and loaded into the base 11 in this connected state. Note that a covering element 71 is attached to the terminal 51. In the example shown, ten terminals 51 are arranged parallel to each other, and It is loaded on the base 11 in this arrangement state. However, the number of terminals 51 can be changed to any number corresponding to the number of wires 91. In addition, the pitch of the terminals 51 can be set to any pitch as required.

The base 11 includes a pair of side wall portions 11a, which are provided on the left and right sides of the base 11 and extend along the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) of the connector 1 (that is, the direction in which the card 211 is fitted into the base 11); The top plate portion 12 is located on the upper side and extends on the XY plane; and a bottom plate portion 14 is located below the top plate portion 12 and is parallel to the top plate portion 12. In addition, the base 11 includes a plurality of terminal receiving recesses 13 extending in the front-rear direction within the base 11. The plurality of terminal receiving recesses 13 are arranged side by side with each other in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the base 11. Each terminal accommodating recess 13 has an opening at a rear end 11r of the base 11. Every two adjacent terminal receiving recesses 13 are separated from each other by a partition wall 11b formed between them. In the example shown, there are ten terminal receiving recesses 13. The number of terminal receiving recesses 13 can be changed to any number corresponding to the number of terminals 51 and thus the number of wires 91. In addition, the pitch of the terminal accommodating recesses 13 may be set to any pitch corresponding to the pitch of the corresponding terminal 51 and thus the pitch of the wire 91.

As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, in each terminal accommodating recess 13, a portion close to the rear end 11 r of the base 11 has an upper end defined by the top plate portion 12. However, the portion close to the front end 11f of the base 11 has an open upper end, and is thereby formed as a groove portion 13a. The interval between the upper end 13c of the groove portion 13a and the top plate portion 12 (interstice) is an insertion space 17 into which the card 211 is partially inserted near the front end. The insertion space 17 is a flat space extending in the width direction of the base 11 and has an opening at the front end 11 f of the base 11. The insertion space 17 allows at least the upper end portion of the contact portion 54 of the terminal 51 loaded in the terminal receiving recess 13 to enter. Note that a convex portion 12 a protruding downward from the top plate portion 12 is formed in each terminal accommodating concave portion 13. The groove part 13a and the insertion space 17 are located in front of the convex part 12a (X-axis positive direction). On the spot When the sub 51 is inserted into the terminal accommodating recess 13, the front end 72f of the covering member 71 attached to the terminal 51 comes into contact with the convex portion 12a.

The front wall portion 15 exists at the front end 11 f of the base 11. A rear end 15b of the front wall portion 15 defines the front end of the groove portion 13a, and an upper end 15c of the front wall portion 15 defines the lower surface of the insertion space 17 together with the upper end 13c of the groove portion 13a. In addition, an engaging convex portion 15 a protruding rearward is formed at the rear end 15 b of the front wall portion 15. When the terminal 51 is inserted into the terminal accommodating concave portion 13, the engaging convex portion 15 a engages the front end engaging concave portion 52 g formed at the front end 52 f of the body portion 52 of the terminal 51. On the bottom plate portion 14, a lance 16 is formed at a position directly below the convex portion 12a or at a position closer to the rear end 11r of the base 11 than this position. The lance 16 has a rear end, which is integrally connected with the bottom plate section 14, and a cantilevered front end (free end), which extends upward and forward obliquely. A locking protrusion 16a is formed in a region of the upper surface near the front end of the lance 16. When the terminal 51 is inserted into the terminal accommodating recess 13, the locking protrusion 16 a is locked to the locking end 52 e of the lance formed on the body portion 52 of the terminal 51 engaging the recess 52 d.

In order to load the terminal 51 including the covering member 71 into the base 11 of the connector 1, the operator makes the front end of the terminal 51 face the rear end 11r of the base 11, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10A, and then moves the terminal 51 close to The base 11 is then inserted into the terminal accommodating recess 13. Note that in the examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10A, nine terminals 51 have been loaded into the base 11 by inserting the corresponding terminal receiving recess 13, and the last terminal 51 will be inserted into the corresponding terminal receiving recess 13. The connecting portions 53 of all the terminals 51 are connected to the ends of the corresponding wires 91. In addition, in each terminal 51 corresponding to the terminal receiving recess 13 to be inserted, although a part of each contact portion 54 is exposed above the upper end 52c of the side plate portion 52b, the cover member 71 attached to the body portion 52 is in the closed position and at least Partially cover the above exposure of the contact portion 54 part.

Subsequently, the operator travels the terminal 51 inserted into the terminal receiving recess 13. As the terminal 51 travels toward the front end 11f of the base 11, the bottom plate 52a of the main body 52 moves along the bottom plate 14 of the terminal accommodating recess 13 and the top plate 72a of the covering element 71 moves along the top plate 12 of the terminal accommodating recess 13. When the terminal 51 travels upward, the front end of the lance 16 is pressed down by the bottom plate portion 52a of the main body portion 52. Therefore, the terminal 51 is allowed to smoothly travel in the terminal accommodating recess 13.

Subsequently, once the front end 52f of the body portion 52 of the terminal 51 enters the groove portion 13a, the front end 72f of the covering member 71 comes into contact with the convex portion 12a formed on the top plate portion 12. In the above-mentioned state, if the operator further advances the terminal 51, the covering member 71 receives a force from the convex portion 12a that is directed toward the rear of the body portion 52 of the terminal 51. Subsequently, the vertical portion 76 a of the stop portion 76 is elastically deformed, and the joint portion 76 b is displaced to the outside in the width direction of the covering member 71. This displacement causes the engagement portion 76b to be disengaged from the front stop portion 56a. Subsequently, if the operator further advances the terminal 51, the covering member 71 relatively moves toward the rear of the body portion 52, as shown in FIG. 10B. This causes the proportion of the part covered by the covering element 71 in the contact portion 54 to gradually decrease.

Subsequently, if the operator further advances the terminal 51, the covering member 71 further moves relatively toward the rear of the body portion 52 and reaches the open position shown in FIG. 10C. Subsequently, the engaging portion 76b engages the rear side stop portion 56b, and thereby the covering member 71 becomes unable to move with respect to the body portion 52 any more. In addition, although a part of the contact portion 54 is exposed above the upper end 52c of the side plate portion 52b, the exposed portion protrudes into the insertion space 17 from below.

Once the front end 52f of the main body 52 of the groove 13a and the front wall 15 of the base 11 have entered If the rear end 15b is in contact, the terminal 51 can no longer travel. Note that since the front end engaging recess 52g formed at the front end 52f of the main body portion 52 engages the engaging convex portion 15a of the front wall portion 15, the main body portion 52 is prevented from being displaced downward.

In addition, since the lance engaging recess 52d formed on the bottom plate portion 52a of the main body 52 reaches the tip position of the lance 16, the tip of the lance 16 rises due to the elastic properties of the lance 16, and is formed at the tip. The nearby locking projection 16a locks the locking end 52e of the lance engaging recess 52d. As a result, the main body 52 is prevented from being displaced backward (in the negative X-axis direction). Therefore, for example, even if an external force pulling the terminal 51 backward is applied via the wire 91, the terminal 51 is reliably prevented from falling out of the terminal receiving recess 13.

In this way, the loading of the terminal 51 including the covering member 71 into the base 11 of the connector 1 is completed.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, when the card 211 is connected to the connector 1 loaded with the terminal 51, the front end of the card 211 and the part near the front end are inserted into the insertion space 17 with an opening at the front end 11f of the base 11. Although not shown, a plurality of wires are exposed on the front end of the card 211 and the lower surface in the vicinity thereof. Each contact portion 54 protruding from below in the insertion space 17 is in contact with the corresponding wire. Therefore, electrical conduction is established between each terminal 51 and the corresponding wire of the card 211. In this case, the contact portion 54 is an elastic piece and an elastic piece-shaped element, and has an oval shape with a missing part. The contact portion 54 includes a front side curved portion 54b and a rear side curved portion 54d, each of which is curved to have an arc shape. Therefore, the contact portion 54 can be elastically deformed over a large range in the up-down direction. As a result, if the contact portion 54 is pressed down by the card 211, the elasticity of the contact portion 54 helps maintain reliable contact with the wire exposed on the lower surface of the card 211.

Thus, in this embodiment, the terminal 51 includes: a main body 52 made of a conductive metal; a connecting portion 53 connected to one side of the main body 52; a contact portion 54 connected to the other side of the main body 52; And the covering element 71 is movably attached to the main body 52. In addition, the covering element 71 can cover at least a part of the contact portion 54.

Thus, the contact portion 54 is protected by the cover element 71. Therefore, even if the terminal 51 is in contact with another element (such as an external element), the contact portion 54 will never be damaged or deformed although it is a relatively fragile part. Therefore, the terminal 51 is made smaller, has a simpler structure, is manufactured at a lower cost, and is allowed to have a higher reliability.

In addition, the covering element 71 can be detached from the body part 52. Therefore, if the covering element 71 is required, the covering element 71 can be attached to the body part 52. In addition, if the covering element 71 is not required, the covering element 71 can be detached from the body part 52. Thus, the convenience of the user is improved.

In addition, the covering element 71 can move between a closed position in which the covering element 71 covers at least a part of the contact portion 54 and an open position in which the covering element 71 does not cover any part of the contact portion 54. Therefore, even if the cover element 71 is still attached to the body portion 52, by moving the cover element 71 to the open position, the contact portion 54 is allowed to contact with the mating contact portion (such as the wire of the card 211).

In addition, the contact portion 54 is an elastic element, and at least a part of the contact portion 54 is exposed from the main body 52. The covering element 71 can cover at least a part of the aforementioned portion of the contact portion 54 exposed to the main body portion 52. Therefore, even if the terminal 51 is in contact with an external element or another terminal, the portion of the contact portion 54 exposed to the body portion 52 is protected by the cover element 71. Accordingly, the exposed part will never be damaged or deformed due to such contact.

In addition, the body portion 52 includes a plurality of rail portions 55, and each rail portion 55 extends in the front-rear direction. The covering member 71 includes a plurality of sliding parts 75 configured to slidably engage the corresponding rail parts 55. Therefore, the covering member 71 is allowed to slide smoothly in the front-rear direction.

In addition, the covering element 71 includes a stop portion 76. The main body 52 includes a front stop portion 56a, when the cover element 71 is in a closed position such that the cover element 71 covers at least a part of the contact portion 54, the front stop portion 56a engages the stop portion 76; When 71 is in an open position such that the covering element 71 does not cover any part of the contact portion 54, the rear stop portion 56 b engages the stop portion 76. Therefore, the cover element 71 can be reliably stopped in the closed position to protect the contact portion 54 without any unnecessary movement. In addition, the cover element 71 can be reliably stopped in the open position without obstructing the contact between the contact portion 54 and the butting contact portion.

In this embodiment, the connector 1 includes a terminal 51 and a base 11 allowing the terminal 51 to be loaded therein. In addition, the base 11 includes a convex portion 12a that the covering member 71 can contact. When the terminal 51 is loaded into the base 11 with the cover element 71 in the closed position such that the cover element 71 covers at least a part of the contact portion 54, the cover element 71 comes into contact with the convex portion 12a, and then moves so that the cover element 71 does not cover the open position of any part of the contact portion 54. Therefore, when the operator performs the work of loading the terminal 51 into the base 11 of the connector 1, the work can be performed while the contact portion 54 is protected by the cover member 71. Accordingly, the contact portion 54 will never be damaged or deformed. In addition, when the terminal 51 is loaded into the base 11, the covering member 71 moves from the closed position to the open position. Therefore, no special work is required to move the covering member 71.

It is noted that the disclosure of this specification describes the preferred and exemplary embodiments Related features. By summarizing the disclosure of this specification, those of ordinary skill in the art can naturally conceive of various other embodiments, modifications and variations within the scope of the attached patent application and its spirit.

51: Terminal

52: body part

52b: side panel

52c: upper end

53: Connection

53a: Core wire clamping part

53b: Cover holding part

54: Contact

56a: Front stop

56b: Rear stop

71: cover element

76: Stop

Claims (9)

A terminal includes: a body part made of a conductive metal; a tail part connected to a first side of the body part; a contact part connected to a second side of the body part; and a cover Element, movably attached to the body part; wherein the covering element can be operated to cover at least a part of the contact part, and the covering element can cause the covering element to cover at least a part of the contact part. Move between a closed position of a part and an open position in which the covering element does not cover any part of the contact portion. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the covering member can be detached from the body part. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contact part is an elastic element, and at least a part of the contact part is exposed to the body part; and the covering element can be operated to cover the contact part At least a part of the part exposed from the body part. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion is an elastic element, and at least a part of the contact portion is exposed to the body portion; and the covering element can be operated to cover the contact portion At least a part of the part exposed from the body part. The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the body portion includes a rail portion extending in a front-to-rear direction; and The covering element includes a sliding part that can be operated to slidably engage the rail part. The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the covering element includes a stopping part; and the body portion includes: a first stopping part, when the covering element is in the position so that the covering element When covering the closed position of at least a part of the contact portion, the first stop portion can be operated to engage the stop member; and a second stop portion, when the covering element is in such a way that the covering element does not cover the When any part of the contact portion is in the open position, the second stop portion can be operated to engage the stop member. The terminal according to claim 5, wherein the covering element includes a stopping part; and the body portion includes: a first stopping part, when the covering element is in a position where the covering element covers the contact part When at least a part of the closed position, the first stop portion can be operated to engage the stop component; and a second stop portion, when the covering element is in such a way that the covering element does not cover any part of the contact portion In the open position, the second stop portion can be operated to engage the stop member. A connector includes: a terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and a base capable of being operated to receive the terminal loaded therein. The connector according to claim 8, wherein: The base includes a convex portion that can be operated to make the covering element contact the convex portion; and when the covering element is in the covering element, the covering element covers at least a part of the contact portion When the terminal is loaded into the base in the closed position, the covering element contacts the convex portion and moves to an open position such that the covering element does not cover any part of the contact portion.

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