Electrical connectors – Coupling part with actuating means urging contact to move... – Urging stacked contacts to move with respect to rest of...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-29
2001-04-24
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part with actuating means urging contact to move...
Urging stacked contacts to move with respect to rest of...
C439S329000, C439S637000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220881
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card edge connector which is inserted into a connector receiving chamber provided with a wiring substrate having a plurality of rectangular terminal connecting portions disposed in predetermined positions on both front and rear surfaces of the wiring substrate, and into which a plurality of terminals each having an elastic contact segment to be in contact with a terminal contact portion via the opening of a corresponding terminal receiving chamber are inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
A card edge connector shown in
FIG. 6
has been widely known. The card edge connector
1
of
FIG. 6
includes terminals
5
each having elastic contact segment
4
inserted into terminal receiving chambers
3
and
3
′ on the upper side and the lower side of a rectangular connector housing
2
. The card edge connector
1
is to be inserted into a connector receiving chamber
7
provided with a wiring substrate
6
in the middle.
In the middle of the connector housing
2
, a space
8
for separating the terminal receiving chambers
3
and
3
′ and into which the wiring substrate
6
is inserted is provided. The terminal receiving chambers
3
and
3
′ are provided with openings
9
and
9
′ communicating with the space
8
, respectively.
Each of the terminals
5
is made of a conductive metal material, and comprises an elastic contact segment
4
and a wire connecting portion
11
to which a wire
10
is connected by caulking. The elastic contact segment
4
is provided with a contact portion
12
protruding from the openings
9
and
9
′ by a predetermined length. The contact portion
12
is situated in the middle of the bent portion.
The connector receiving chamber
7
is formed by caving a device casing
13
so as to accommodate the connector housing
2
. Both front and rear surfaces of the wiring substrate
6
are provided with a plurality of rectangular terminal connecting portions (not shown) sandwiched by the elastic contact segments and in contact with the contact portions one by one.
When the card edge connector
1
is inserted into the connector receiving chamber
7
, each of the elastic contact segments
4
is brought into contact with corresponding one of the terminal connecting portions and bent by the front surface or the rear surface of the wiring substrate
6
, so that electric connection can be obtained.
In the prior art, due to variations in lengths A, B, C, and D indicated in
FIG. 6
(length A is the thickness of the wiring substrate
6
, inclusive of the thickness of the terminal connecting portions; length B is the distance between two facing contact portions
12
; length C is the distance between the inner walls of the connector receiving chamber
7
; and length D is the height of the connector housing
2
in the direction corresponding to the length C), the contact load of the respective elastic contact segments against the respective terminal connecting portions cannot be stabilized, which might result in a fault in electric contact.
Since the device casing
13
, the connector receiving chamber
7
, and the connector housing
2
are all made of a synthetic resin material, they are liable to be adversely affected by a change in the environment. When they are used at a high temperature, the length C of the connector receiving chamber
7
and the length D of the connector housing
2
are increased, with the elastic contact segments
4
being in contact. As the increased amount becomes larger, the contact load becomes smaller.
Meanwhile, the elastic contact segments
4
are limited in terms of width, thickness, and flexibility, due to the limited spaces in the terminal receiving chamber
3
and
3
′ and the space
8
. Moreover, only limited types of material can be used for the elastic contact segments
4
, in view of conductive efficiency. As a result, it becomes difficult to absorb the contact load by adjusting the lengths, and a fault occurs in electric contact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector which can ensure stable contact between terminal connecting portions of a wiring substrate and elastic contact segments.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, the card edge connector comprises a first connector housing, a second connector housing, a plurality of terminals, an assisting unit, and a holding mechanism. The first connector housing is to be received by either the front surface or the rear surface of a wiring substrate of a connector housing. The first connector housing has a plurality of first terminal chambers and first openings communicating with the plurality of first terminal chambers. The wiring substrate has a plurality of rectangular terminal connecting portions disposed in predetermined positions on the front surface and the rear surface. The first openings face the surface receiving the first connector housing. The second connector housing is to be received by either the front surface or the rear surface of the wiring substrate whichever does not receive the first connector housing. The second connector housing has a plurality of second terminal chambers and second openings communicating with the second terminal chambers. The second openings face the surface receiving the second connector housing. The plurality of terminals are to be inserted into the first terminal chambers and the second terminal chambers. Each of the terminals is provided with a wire connecting portion and an elastic contact segment having a contact portion to be in contact with corresponding one of the terminal connecting portions via corresponding one of the first openings or the second openings. The edge of each elastic contact segment is bent back toward the wire connecting portion. Each of the contact portions is formed in the middle of the bent portion of the corresponding elastic contact segment. The assisting unit assists the elastic contact segments in resisting separation of the first connector housing and the second connector housing inside the connector receiving chamber. The holding mechanism holds the assisting unit, and is provided to the first connector housing and the second connector housing. The holding mechanism comprises rotary support axes and bearings for rotatably supporting the first connector housing and the second connector housing.
With this structure, when the card edge connector is inserted into the connector receiving chamber, the wiring substrate is sandwiched by the elastic contact segments pressing its front and rear surfaces. The elastic contact segments are brought into contact with the terminal connecting portions and flexed to press them, thereby obtaining electric connection. Meanwhile, the assisting unit resists separation of the first connector housing and the second connector housing inside the connector receiving chamber, so as to assist the elastic contact segments in securing required contact load. Even if there is a length variation between the inner walls of the connector receiving chamber, or even if the elastic contact segments wear with time, the assisting unit maintain the contact load required between the contact portions and the terminal connecting portions.
As the contact load of the elastic contact segments against the terminal connecting portions of the wiring substrate provided to the connector receiving chamber is stabilized, insufficient contact can be prevented, and high reliability can be expected.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, the assistant unit is made up of spring members each having two arms and a coil to be engaged with the holding mechanism, and each of the coils is formed by rounding the mid section of a metal wire.
With the assisting unit of this structure, when the card edge connector is inserted into the connector receiving chamber, the two arms push in the opposite direction to the separating direction of the first connector housing and the second connector housi
Murakami Takao
Yamamoto Masaya
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Donovan Lincoln
Yazaki -Corporation
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