Electrical connectors – Self aligning contact
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-31
2002-12-10
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Self aligning contact
C439S079000, C439S083000, C439S686000, C439S733100, C439S848000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06491536
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a connector for use on a board and, more particularly, to a connector that is mounted on, for example, a printed circuit board.
A conventional connector mounted on a board has a terminal fused to the board.
However, when the connector mounted as above is slightly moved relative to the board and the terminal within this connector is moved following this movement thereof, the following inconvenience occurs. Namely, there is the possibility that cracks or fractures will occur in the fused portion between the board and the terminal, with the result that a state of electrical connection therebetween becomes unstable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Not Applicable
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thereupon, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector that is simple in structure and has a high reliability on the electrical connection.
To attain the above object, a connector according to a first aspect of the present invention has a housing mounted on a board and a terminal retained in a terminal accommodation chamber. The housing has the terminal accommodation chamber. The terminal has a hollow-cylindrical connectable portion, into which a corresponding connection pin is inserted, and a leg plate extending from the connectable portion toward the board. The leg-plate has a first plate portion extending from the connectable portion and a second plate portion substantially perpendicular to the first leg portion. The first plate portion and the second plate portion are partly connected to each other, and the second plate portion is connected to the board.
According to this construction, the leg plate of the terminal has the first plate portion and the second plate portion substantially perpendicular to the first plate portion, and the first and the second plate portion are partly connected to each other. And in addition the second plate portion is connected to the board. Therefore, when the terminal has received a stress acting thereon from a direction perpendicular to the first plate portion thereof, the first plate portion is deformed to thereby mitigate this stress. When the terminal has received a stress acting thereon from a direction perpendicular to the second plate portion thereof, the second plate portion is deformed to thereby mitigate this stress. In this way, the stresses acting at least from the two directions are mitigated by the first and the second plate portion. Accordingly, a stable state of electrical connection is obtained, whereby the reliability of this construction is enhanced.
A second aspect of the present invention is the connector wherein in the first aspect of connector the second plate portion is bent from the first plate portion.
According to this construction, the second plate portion is bent in a direction different from that in which the leg plate is extended. Therefore, the second plate portion is easily bent, whereby the workability of the terminal is enhanced.
A third aspect of the present invention is the connector wherein in the first aspect of connector the first plate portion has a stopper piece that externally protrudes and the housing has a slit into which the stopper piece is inserted.
According to this construction, the stopper piece of the first plate portion is inserted into the slit and is thereby retained. Therefore, the backlash of the terminal within the housing is suppressed. Therefore, the position of one of the housing and the terminal relative to the other is easily and reliably set, whereby the connector is easily connected to the board.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is the connector wherein in the first aspect of connector the second plate portion has a spring portion that is bent.
According to this construction, the spring portion mitigates the stress acting in the longitudinal direction (the direction in which the leg plate is extended) of the terminal. For this reason, when the terminal within the housing has received a stress acting in a direction perpendicular to the board in a state of its having been connected onto the board, the spring portion absorbs the stress and mitigates the same. Accordingly, the stress acting in the three directions are mitigated with the result that a more stable state of electrical connection is obtained, whereby the reliability on the connector is enhanced.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is the connector wherein in the fourth aspect of connector the second plate portion is bent from the first plate portion.
According to this construction, the bending direction of the spring portion and the bending direction of the second plate portion relative to the first plate portion differ from each other. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously perform the bending of the both without impairing the dimensional precision after the bending thereof. Accordingly, it is possible to provide the terminal that is easy to work and high in precision.
A sixth aspect of the present invention is the connector wherein in the first aspect of connector the housing is constructed of a housing main body and a spacer block. The terminal accommodation chamber is formed in the housing main body. With the terminal being inserted into the terminal accommodation chamber from a side opposite to that on which the connection pin is inserted into the connectable portion, the spacer block is assembled to the housing main body. As a result of this, the spacer block stops the draw-off of the terminal; the connectable portion is retained by the housing main body; and the leg plate is retained by the spacer block.
According to this construction, the connector is provided through the easy operation of the spacer block being assembled to the housing main body after the insertion of the terminal into the terminal accommodation chamber. Also, in this construction, the position at which the stress is generated in the terminal is dispersed into two positions, i.e., the interior of the housing and the interior of the spacer block. Therefore, compared to a case where the stress-generation position is concentrated on one member, the stress is unlikely to directly act on the second plate portion. Therefore, the durability of the portion of connection of the second plate portion and the board is further enhanced.
A seventh aspect of the present invention is the connector wherein in the sixth aspect of connector the first plate portion has an externally protruding stopper piece; and the spacer block has a slit having the stopper piece inserted therein.
According to this construction, the second plate portion is disposed at a proper position by inserting the stopper piece into the slit of the spacer block after the accommodating of the connectable portion of the terminal into the housing main body.
An eighth aspect of the present invention is the connector wherein in the third aspect of connector the housing has a rib protruding along the slit.
According to this construction, with the stopper piece of the first plate portion being inserted in the slit, the rib retains the first plate portion. Therefore, a backlash is prevented from occurring in the second plate portion, whereby a stable connection structure is provided.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4007977 (1977-02-01), Bauerle
patent: 4762500 (1988-08-01), Dola et al.
patent: 5186633 (1993-02-01), Mosser, III
Bradley P. Austin
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Nguyen Truc
Yazaki -Corporation
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