Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Flexible panel
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-30
2001-04-17
Donovan, Lincoln (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Flexible panel
C439S382000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217345
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, more particularly to a connector inserted into a connector receiving recess fitted with a flexible print-circuit having a plurality of terminal connecting short strips. The connector also has a plurality of terminals each formed with an elastic contact piece for contracting one of the terminal connecting short strips through an opening of a terminal accommodating chamber of the connector.
2. Prior Art
A typical one of such connectors is shown in
FIG. 8
, which is known generally.
FIG. 8
shows a connector
1
having a rectangular connector housing
2
provided with a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers
3
(only one chamber is illustrated in
FIG. 8
) each of which receives a terminal
5
having an elastic contact piece
4
. The connector is inserted in a connector receiving recess
7
fitted with a flexible print-circuit (called as FPC hereinafter)
6
.
The plurality of terminal accommodating chambers
3
each have an opening
8
defined in a wall thereof to be opposed to FPC
6
of the connector receiving recess
7
. The elastic contact piece
4
is constructed to project by a given distance from the opening
8
. In addition, the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers
3
each have the opening at the rear end thereof for inserting a terminal
5
into the terminal accommodating chamber
3
.
The terminal
5
is made of an electrical conductive metal and has both an elastic contact piece
4
and a wire connection portion
11
that crimps an electrical wire
10
. The elastic contact piece
4
has a contact portion
12
in the middle of a folded-back forward part thereof. The elastic contact piece
4
is projecting from the opening
8
toward the wire connection portion
11
.
The connector receiving recess
7
is defined in an instrument case
13
so as to receive the connector housing
2
. FPC
6
arranged in the connector receiving recess
7
has a plurality of terminal connecting short strips (not shown) each connecting with the contact portion
12
of one of the terminals
5
.
When the connector receiving recess
7
receives the connector
1
, each elastic contact piece
4
deflects resiliently and abuts against the terminal connecting short strip (not shown) for electrical contact thereof with a suitable contact force.
Now, an object of the invention will be discussed hereinafter.
In the aforementioned prior art, as shown in
FIG. 8
, there may be variations in distance A between the opposite walls of the connector receiving recess
7
, in distance B between FPC
6
and the second wall, and in an original height C from a bottom wall of the connector housing
2
to the contact portion
12
. Thus, a deflection allowance D of the elastic contact piece
4
is not defined reliably, causing disadvantageously an unreliable contact force between the elastic contact piece
4
and the terminal connecting short strip.
In addition, since the instrument case
13
, of which the connector receiving recess
7
and the connector housing
2
are made of synthetic resin, is influenced by a surrounding high temperature, the distances A, B of the connector receiving recess
7
vary in a larger range so that the elastic contact piece
4
may have an undesirable smaller contact force.
Meanwhile, the elastic contact piece
4
is limited in width, thickness, and deflection since it must be located in the terminal accommodating chamber
3
in relation to the connector receiving recess
7
. Moreover, the elastic contact piece
4
is limited in material due to electric conductivity.
Furthermore, when the elastic contact piece
4
has a comparatively large elastic coefficient, the contact force varies in a lager range corresponding to the deflection of the elastic contact piece
4
. Thus, a small variation of the dimensions A, C may cause a comparatively large variation of the contact force of the elastic contact piece
4
, which may make the elastic contact piece
4
yield with time. Accordingly, as mentioned above, the elastic contact piece
4
provides an unsteady contact force against the terminal connecting short strip.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to eliminate such disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector having an elastic contact piece that provides a steady contact force against a terminal connecting short strip of a connector receiving recess.
For achieving the object, in a first configuration according to the present invention, an electrical connector includes a connector housing, a plurality of terminals, an assisting means, and a support means. The connector housing can be received in a connector receiving recess having a first wall fitted with a plurality of terminal connecting short strips. The connector housing has a plurality of terminal accommodating chambers with openings through which the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers communicate with the first wall side of the connector receiving recess. Furthermore, each terminal has a wire connection portion and an elastic contact piece extending from the wire connection portion. The elastic contact piece is defined by folding back a forward part of the terminal toward the wire connection portion. The folded-back portion has a contact portion formed at the middle part thereof to contact the terminal connecting short strip through the opening. The plurality of terminals are inserted in the terminal accommodating chambers of the connector housing. Meanwhile, the assisting means can resiliently abut against a second wall opposing to the first wall in respect of the connector receiving recess, which urges additionally the elastic contact piece against the terminal connecting short strip. The support means formed in the connector housing is engaged with the assisting means to hold it.
When thus configured connector is inserted into the connector receiving recess, the elastic contact piece abuts against the terminal connecting short strip to resiliently deflect to make electrical connection thereof with a suitable contact force while the assisting means resiliently abuts against the second wall of the connector receiving recess, even if there are variations in the distance between the first and second walls of the connector receiving recess and in the connector height that is the height of the contact portion of the elastic contact piece, and even when the elastic contact piece has yielded with time. The assisting means can act to keep a suitable contact force between the contact portion and the terminal connecting short strip.
This, as discussed above, allows a steady contact force of the elastic contact piece against the terminal connecting short strip of the connector receiving recess, providing a reliable electrical connector.
In a second configuration of the present invention, which is dependent on the electrical connector described in the first configuration, the assisting means is a spring member made of a metal wire rod to have a coiled portion and a couple of arms. The coiled portion is defined by coiling an intermediate portion of the metal wire rod to be engageable with the support means. One of the arms has a reaction portion abutting against the second wall of the connector receiving recess.
Thus, in regard to the assisting means consisting of the spring member including the coiled portion and the couple of the arms, when the reaction portion resiliently abuts against the second wall of the connector receiving recess, the couple of arms resiliently deflect against the wall to pivot around the coiled portion toward each other. Thus, even if there are the variations in size as mentioned above, the assisting means always serves additionally to provide a steady contact force to the elastic contact piece. Moreover, the assisting means requiring no electrical conductivity may be made of a more durable wire rod having a higher allowable stress and a higher yield stress like a piano wire.
Accordingly, the assisting mean consisting of the spring member allows a connecto
Murakami Takao
Yamamoto Masaya
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Donovan Lincoln
Le Thanh-Tam
Yazaki -Corporation
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