Board connecting terminal and connector using the terminal

Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C439S260000, C439S062000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06524114

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a board connecting terminal and a connector using the same, which connector connects circuit boards orthogonally arranged, for example, in a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 18
shows a prior art connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-302909. This connector consists of a female connector
122
openable-and-closable about a hinge
121
as a fulcrum and a male connector
123
inserted the female connector
122
.
The female connector
122
consists of an upper and lower pair of housings
124
of synthetic resin and terminals
125
accommodated in each housing
124
. The terminal
125
has an elastically contacting piece
125
on one side and an electric wire crimping portion (not shown) on the other side. The elastically contacting piece
125
projects from a rectangular opening
126
of the housing
124
, and the electric wire crimping portion is crimped to an electric wire
127
.
The male connector
123
consists of a housing
128
of synthetic resin and terminals
129
accommodated in the housing
128
in upper and lower layers. The terminal
129
has a tabular electrically contacting portion
129
and an electric wire crimping portion (not shown), and the electrically contacting portion
129
projects from an opening
130
each provided on both front and back sides of the housing
128
.
The male housing
128
has tapered pushing portions
131
on the front end. The female housing
124
has, on the hinge side, tapered pushed portions
132
for the respective pushing portions
131
.
On inserting the male connector
123
into the female connector
122
the tapered pushing portion
131
abuts the pushed portion
132
, while closing the upper and lower housings
124
. By this, the upper and lower elastically contacting pieces
125
are put into contact with the electrically contacting portions
129
elastically, and the electric wires
127
,
133
are mutually connected.
With respect to the above prior art connector
122
, however, because the electric wire
127
, as a circuit conductor, has to be connected to the terminal
125
by means of the crimping, the pressure welding, or the welding, many man-hours are required. Therefore, this connector has no degree of freedom of attaching or detaching the electric wire
127
to/from the terminal
125
. The circuit (the terminal)
129
is connected to the connector
122
only in parallel (horizontal).
When both ends of the elastically contacting piece of the terminal
125
of the connector
122
are fixed in the opening
126
of the housing
124
, the spring modulus of the elastically contacting piece becomes larger. Therefore, when a necessary displacement of the elastically contacting piece is not secured because of, for example, a dimension error of the terminal
125
, a necessary contact pressure would not be obtained. When a projection of the elastically contacting piece is small because of a dimension error, the contact pressure for the mating terminal (the circuit conductor)
129
becomes small, thereby lowering reliability of the electrical connection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a board connecting terminal and a connector using the terminal, which connector can be applied to circuit boards arranged in a crossing direction or an orthogonal direction to each other, can reduce time for the connection with the circuit conductors, can enhance the degree of freedom of attaching to or detaching from the circuit conductors, can easily secure a necessary contact pressure to the circuit conductors, and can securely connect both the circuit boards with an appropriate contact pressure.
In order to achieve the above object, as a first aspect of the present invention, a board connecting terminal comprises: a first elastic contact portion projecting arcuately or mountain-shapedly; a second elastic contact portion curved or inclined and extending in substantially the same direction as a projecting direction of the first elastic contact portion; and a middle baseplate portion being curved or straight and connecting the first elastic contact portion and the second elastic contact portion.
As a second aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, a short straight portion is formed at a free end of the first elastic contact portion.
As a third aspect of the present invention, based on the first aspect, in place of the second elastic contact portion, another elastic contact portion in substantially the same shape as the first elastic contact portion and is formed axial-symmetrically with the first elastic contact portion.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, a connector, using the board connecting terminal having any one of the first to third aspects, to put the first elastic contact portion into contact with a first circuit board and put the second elastic contact portion into contact with a second circuit board comprises: a connector housing accommodating at least the first elastic contact portion of the board connecting terminal; and a supporting portion provided on the connector housing so as to slidably support the middle baseplate portion, wherein the free end of the first elastic contact portion abuts, or is fixed to the connector housing, and the board connecting terminal is longitudinally slidably supported by the supporting portion.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, based on the fourth aspect with the board connecting terminal of the third aspect, a free end of the second elastic contact portion is slidably supported by the connector housing.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, based on the fourth aspect, a stopping portion to abut the supporting portion is formed between the middle baseplate portion and the second elastic contact portion.
As a seventh aspect of the present invention, based on the fourth aspect, the connector housing consists of a pair of housings openable-and-closable through a hinge, and the first circuit board is inserted between the housings.
As an eighth aspect of the present invention, based on the fourth aspect, the connector housing has a board insertion hole in which the first elastic contact portion projects and an opening from which the second elastic contact portion projects.
As a ninth aspect of the present invention, based on the fourth aspect, the connector housing is provided with an engaging means to engage the second circuit board.
As a tenth aspect of the present invention, based on any one of the fourth to ninth aspects, at least two kinds of board connecting terminals having different respective lengths are provided, and the board connecting terminal having a longer length is put into contact with a third circuit board arranged behind the second circuit board.
According to the above-described structures of the present invention, the following advantages are provided.
(1) Because the first elastic contact portion is put into contact with one circuit board and the second elastic contact portion is put into contact with the other circuit board, both the crossed or orthogonal circuit boards can be securely and easily connected to each other with low cost. That is, because the crimping work of an electric wire and a terminal is unnecessary, connection time for the terminal and the circuit conductor of the circuit board is reduced, the degree of freedom of attaching/detaching the terminal to/from the circuit conductor, and assemblage and maintaining are made easier.
Because the second elastic contact portion extends in substantially the same direction the projecting direction of the first elastic contact portion, the first and second elastic contact portions are bent stably when the first elastic contact portion is pressed on one circuit board and the second elastic contact portion is pressed on the other circuit board. And, because the contact pressures of both the elastic contact portions against the circuit boards are smoothly balanced (equalized) through the m

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