Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-02
2001-11-27
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
C439S066000, C439S493000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322373
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a contact structure of an electrical connector including a first connector having a plurality of electric contacts and a second connector having a plurality of electric contact elements for electrically connecting these electric contacts and the electric contact elements, and more particularly to an inspecting device for inspecting the performance of the first connector.
For electrically connecting contacts of electrical connectors, in general, the butt contact and the sliding contact have been used. The known sliding contact and a known inspecting device therefor will be explained by referring to
FIGS. 7
to
FIGS. 10A and 10B
.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, a hitherto used electrical connector includes a first connector
10
and a second connector
20
which are brought into abutment against each other to electrically connect a plurality of electric contacts
12
made of solder or the like in the form of hemispherical protrusions provided on one surface of a connector plate
11
of the first connector
10
to a plurality of electric contact elements
26
provided on one surface of a board
22
of the second connector
20
. Such an electrical connector has typically a plug and socket mechanism (not shown) for detachably connecting the first and second connectors
10
and
20
.
In order to give an elasticity to the electric contact elements
26
of the second connector
20
, its board
22
is formed with slits
24
to form small tongue-shaped movable pieces which are parts of the board
22
for elastically supporting the electric contact elements
26
, respectively. With this construction, when the first connector
10
is urged toward the second connector
20
in the direction shown by an arrow T, the electric contacts
12
of the first connector
10
cause the electric contact elements
26
of the second connector
20
to move downwardly as viewed in FIG.
7
.
The known inspecting device for inspecting the performance of such an electrical connector, particularly, the first connector described above will be explained by referring to FIG.
8
. The second connector
20
is fixed by a housing
48
and a block
52
so as to be embraced therebetween. The second connector
20
extends with its edges from the housing
48
and the block
52
and fixed to a hard substrate or board by soldering. The housing
48
includes a fitting opening
66
into which the first connector
10
is inserted. A back-up plate
50
is arranged between the block
52
and the second connector
20
mounted thereon for maintaining the contacting pressure between the first and second connectors. The performance inspection will be effected by urging the first connector received in the fitting opening
66
of the housing
48
toward the second connector
20
.
With the butt contact, if there are any dirt or foreign substances
40
(
FIG. 9A
) on the electric contact and electric contact element, a good electrical connection therebetween could not be obtained when they are caused to abut against each other. In order to overcome this problem, the sliding contact between the electric contact and the electric contact element has generally been employed so that the dirt or foreign substances on the contacting surfaces are wiped or removed by the relative movement between the electric contact and the electric contact element.
In more detail, as shown in
FIGS. 9A
to
9
C, first an electric contact
12
of the first connector
10
contacts an electric contact element
26
at a contact point
29
, and when the first connector
10
is then urged in the direction shown by an arrow U, the electric contact
12
slidably moves on the surface of the electric contact element
26
to a contact point
29
′. However, during such a sliding movement, contaminations or foreign substances
40
are moved by the sliding electric contact
12
in the sliding direction so as to accumulate higher (FIG.
9
A).
FIG. 9B
illustrates the electric contact
12
in
FIG. 9A
in two different positions
29
and
29
′ in one drawing. With such a higher accumulation
42
, the electric contact
12
tends to ride over the accumulation
42
so that the electric contact
12
is rolled or inclined (
FIG. 9C
) as shown by an arrow V, causing a defective electrical connection between the electric contact
12
and the electric contact element
26
.
With an electrical connector having such a contact structure, when the electrical connector is set in an inspecting device to inspect its performance, the defective electrical connection due to the accumulation described above would often be caused, making it impossible to effect a stable inspection.
In order to solve this problem, the inventors of the present application have proposed a contact structure in Japanese Patent Application No. H10-267,393 as shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
. As shown in
FIG. 10A
, a board
22
of a second connector
20
is formed with slits closely around electric contact elements
26
so that the electric contact elements
26
are elastically supported by small tongue-shaped movable pieces of the board
22
formed by the slits, respectively. Each of the small tongue-shaped movable pieces supporting the electric contact element is previously inclined at an angle &ggr; as shown in FIG.
10
A. When the first connector
10
is fitted with the second connector
20
, the electric contact
12
of the first connector
10
urges the electric contact element
26
supported by the small tongue-shaped movable piece of the board
22
to bring the electric contact element
26
into the oppositely inclined position at an angle &dgr; as shown in FIG.
10
B. The relation between the angles &ggr; and &dgr; is &ggr;>&dgr;.
However, such a contact structure suffers a disadvantage from the required inclination of the small tongue-shaped movable pieces at the angle &ggr; to increase in the number of steps for production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a contact structure of an electrical connector which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art and which assures a stable electrical connection between contacts of first and second connectors without the riding of the electric contacts over the accumulations on the surfaces of the electric contacts, even if the rolling of the electric contacts occurs.
It is another object of the invention to provide an inspecting device for an electric connector which is able to inspect its performance under a stable condition.
In order to accomplish the first object of the invention, in a contact structure of an electrical connector including a first connector having a plurality of electric contacts and a second connector having a plurality of electric contact elements provided on its one side, said electric contacts and said electric contact elements being brought into electrical contact with each other when said first and second connectors are fitted with each other, and said second connector having slits to support said electric contact elements elastically and independently, according to the invention said contact structure of said first and second connectors is constructed such that when said electric contacts of the first connector are brought into contact with said electric contact elements of the second connector, the electric contact elements of the second connector are first inclined at an angle &agr; relative to their initial positions before contacting with the electric contacts under the influence of urging force of said electric contacts of the first connector and the electric contact elements are then returned through an angle &bgr; which is in a relation of &agr;>&bgr; by reducing said urging force of said electric contacts to accomplish a stable fitted state between said first and second connectors.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the angle &agr; is 10° to 30°. If the angle &agr; is more than 30°, the inclination of the electric contact elements is so abrupt that there can be a risk of small tongue-shaped movable pieces being damaged at the
Ohtsuki Tomonari
Yamazaki Yasue
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
DDK Ltd.
Sircus Brian
Zarroli Michael C.
LandOfFree
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