Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-22
2001-10-09
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With provision to conduct electricity from panel circuit to...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06299457
ABSTRACT:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority right under 35 U.S.C. 119, of Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 11-303104 filed on Oct. 23, 1998, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connection device and an electronic instrument in which this device is used. More particularly, the invention relates to an electrical connection device by which the terminal portions of a 1st electronic part and a 2nd electronic part which are accommodated inside an electronic instrument are electrically connected and to an electronic instrument in which this device is used.
2. Description of the Related Art
A circuit substrate on which plural set electronic parts are mounted is accommodated inside an electronic instrument. Plural external parts such as, eg, a subsidiary substrate, a power source, a display unit and switches, etc. are connected to this circuit substrate from the exterior. However, when external parts are to be connected to the circuit substrate, it is difficult to effect connection by means of wires after the circuit substrate has been housed in a case of an electronic instrument. Further, if housing in an electronic instrument case is effected after external parts have been soldered to the circuit substrate using wires, it sometimes happens that the soldered portions are pulled and become detached. In such situations, it has been common practice in the past to use electrical connection devices such as connectors or connection terminals, etc. for the purpose of connecting circuit substrates and external parts.
FIG. 6
is a perspective view which shows an electrical connection device which connects a circuit substrate and a subsidiary substrate by means of such conventional connectors. As shown in
FIG. 6
, an electrical connection device
80
which connects a circuit substrate
82
and a subsidiary substrate
84
by means of conventional connectors comprises a female connector
80
b
which is mounted on the subsidiary substrate
84
, and a male connector
80
a
which is mounted on the circuit substrate
82
. The circuit substrate
82
on which the male connector
80
a
is mounted is accommodated and fixed in an electronic part case
86
. Thus, electrical connection to the circuit substrate
82
can be effected by means of the female connector
80
b
even after the circuit substrate
82
has been housed in the electronic part case
86
.
However, with an electrical connection device using conventional connectors such as these, there is the drawback that lowering of the manufacturing efficiency is caused, since the subsidiary substrate
84
moves in the directions of the arrows indicated in
FIG. 6
, and it is not easy to fit the female connector
80
b
of the subsidiary substrate
84
together with the male connector
80
a
of the circuit substrate
82
.
Also, with this electrical connection device using conventional connectors, there is the drawback that a set installation space is needed between the subsidiary substrate
84
and the circuit substrate, and so it is difficult to achieve compactness and a low profile for the electronic part main body. In particular, lower profiles and greater compactness have been demanded for portable mobile telephone, PHS and similar mobile communications terminals in recent years, and lower profiles and greater compactness are therefore also demanded for electrical connection devices.
Electrical connection devices, in which the installation space is made flatter by using resilient elements and compressing them from opposite ends and electronic parts are electrically connected by the urging force of these resilient elements, are commonly used in order to eliminate drawbacks such as the above. FIG.
7
-
FIG. 10
are perspective views which show structures in which conventional electrical connection devices using such resilient elements are employed for portable mobile telephones,
FIG. 7
showing an electrical connection device which uses resilient elements in the form of connection terminals,
FIG. 8
another electrical connection device which uses resilient elements in the form of connection terminals,
FIG. 9
an electrical connection device which uses a resilient element constituted by a coil spring, and
FIG. 10
an electrical connection device which uses a resilient element in which electrically conductive portions and resilient portions are stacked.
As shown in
FIG. 7
, a conventional electrical connection device
90
in which resilient elements in the form of connection terminals are used comprises connection terminals
90
b,
which have one end mounted (not shown in the drawing) on a circuit substrate
92
and whose other ends are urged in the vertical direction, and a trunk portion
90
a
which holds these connection terminals
90
b.
This electrical connection device
90
is mounted on the circuit substrate
92
, and is so installed that, when the circuit substrate
92
is fitted in a case
96
of a portable mobile telephone, the connection terminals
90
b
project from an opening portion
96
a
which is provided in the case
96
. Therefore, electrical connection between the connection terminals
94
a
of a battery pack
94
and the connection terminals
90
b
of the circuit substrate
90
can easily be established by fitting the battery pack
94
on the case
96
.
Apart from the electrical connection device
90
using connection terminals such as these, there is an electrical connection device
100
which, as shown in
FIG. 8
, comprises a holder
100
a
which is fitted on a circuit substrate
102
, and connection terminals
100
c
which are supported by the holder
100
a.
In this case, the holder
100
a
is formed to the general shape of an open box for the purpose of fitting it on the circuit substrate
102
, and a projecting circular rib
100
b
is integrally formed on the upper surface of this generally open-box shape. Further, a portion of the rib
100
b
of the holder
100
is cut out, and the connection terminals
100
c,
which extend to the circuit substrate
102
via this cut-out portion, are fitted on. The connection terminals
100
c
are soldered at one end to a set pattern of the circuit substrate
102
, and they are so installed that their other ends are located at the interior of the rib
100
b
and are bent to a set angle and urged in the vertical direction. Therefore, when a microphone
104
is press-fitted into the rib
100
b
of the holder
100
a,
it is fixed, and, at the same time, its terminal portions
104
a
are electrically connected by coming into contact with the connection terminals
100
c.
Thus, the microphone
104
can easily be fitted on and electrically connected to the circuit substrate
102
even after the circuit substrate
102
has been fitted in a case (not shown) of a portable mobile telephone.
Apart from electrical connection devices using such connection terminals, there is a conventional electrical connection device
110
which uses a resilient element constituted by a spring, and in which, as shown in
FIG. 9
, there is provided a hollow holder
110
a
which has a generally cylindrical shape and in whose interior a coil spring
110
b
is inserted, and there is provision of an upper terminal
110
c
and a lower terminal
110
d,
which are respectively urged by opposite ends of this coil spring
110
b.
This electrical connection device
110
using a spring is so arranged that, when a circuit substrate and a subsidiary substrate such as shown in
FIG. 6
are to be electrically connected, electrical connection can easily be established by an action in which, as illustrated in
FIG. 9
, the terminal portions
112
a
and
114
a
of a circuit substrate
112
and a subsidiary substrate
114
are respectively brought into contact with the upper terminal
110
c
and lower terminal
110
d
at opposite ends of the electrical connection device
110
and pressed. Thus, electrical connection can be effected more easily with the electrical conn
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Nokia Mobile Phones Limited
Patel Tulsidas
LandOfFree
Electrical connection device and electronic instrument using it does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electrical connection device and electronic instrument using it, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electrical connection device and electronic instrument using it will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2584307