Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-29
2001-12-11
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S733100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328576
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of invention
The present invention relates to a terminal structure for relatively small electric current which is used in the electrical connection of various equipment mounted in an automobile or the like, and more particularly to a substrate-use terminal structure using a rectangular rod and press-fitted and held in a terminal holding wall of a connector housing.
2. Related art
Conventionally, various terminal structures have been known as substrate-use terminal structures using rectangular rods.
In a conventional substrate-use terminal structure
51
using a rectangular rod, which is shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, substrate-use terminals
52
formed of rectangular rods are respectively press-fitted and held in a plurality of terminal holding holes
4
provided in a terminal holding wall
3
of a connector housing
2
. Two pairs of first retaining projections
54
, which are respectively formed so as to be press-fitted to both side walls
5
of the terminal holding hole
4
, are formed on both sides of a retaining section
53
of the substrate-use terminal
52
which is held in the terminal holding hole
4
.
More specifically, an electrical contact portion
55
, which has its height increased by being subjected to forging by being pressed from its lateral directions, is formed in a front portion of the substrate-use terminal
52
, and is adapted to be electrically connected to an electrical contact portion of a mating connector. Further, an electrical connection portion
56
which retains the cross-sectional shape of the rectangular rod is formed in a rear portion of the substrate-use terminal
52
, and is passed through a circuit pattern of a substrate
8
mounted on the rear surface of the connector housing
2
and is soldered thereto.
With the substrate-use terminal structure
51
using a rectangular rod in the above-described construction, a C—C section including the first retaining projections
54
located in the retaining section
53
of the substrate-use terminal
52
is shown in FIG.
9
. If this substrate-use terminal
52
is press-fitted into the terminal holding hole
4
located in the terminal holding wall
3
of the connector housing
2
, the first retaining projections
54
are fixed by being interference-fitted by means of a lap-fitting allowance with respect to both side walls
5
of the terminal holding hole
4
.
However, with the conventional substrate-use terminal structure
51
using a rectangular rod, since the lap-fitting allowance is provided only in the horizontal direction between the first retaining projections and both side walls
5
of the terminal holding hole
4
, there has been a problem in that the substrate-use terminal
52
has play in the vertical direction, and the holding force declines due to the play.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described problem, and its object is to provide a substrate-use terminal structure using a rectangular rod which, even if the substrate-use terminal is inserted into a terminal holding hole of a connector housing, does not exhibit play in the vertical direction, and does not cause the holding force to decline.
In accordance with the present invention, the above-described problem is overcome by a substrate-use terminal structure formed of a rectangular rod in which substrate-use terminals are each press-fitted and held in a plurality of terminal holding holes provided through a terminal holding wall of a connector housing, comprising: a pair of first retaining projections formed horizontally on a retaining section of the substrate-use terminal held in the terminal holding hole, so as to be pressed-fitted to both side walls of the terminal holding hole; and a second retaining projection formed in a vertical direction on the retaining section of the substrate-use terminal held in the terminal holding hole, so as to be press-fitted to at least one of a top wall and a bottom wall of the terminal holding hole.
In addition, in the above-described substrate-use terminal structure using a rectangular rod, wherein a protrusion is provided on at least one of the first retaining projection and the second retaining projection.
In accordance with the substrate-use terminal structure using a rectangular rod having the above-described construction, the pair of first retaining projections are formed in the horizontal direction on the retaining section of the substrate-use terminal which is held in the terminal holding hole, so as to be press-fitted to both side walls of the terminal holding hole, and the second retaining projection is provided in the vertical direction on the retaining section of the substrate-use terminal which is held in the terminal holding hole, so as to be press-fitted to at least one of the top wall and the bottom wall of the terminal holding hole.
Accordingly, the substrate-use terminal is press-fitted to both side walls of the terminal holding hole by means of the first retaining projections, and is also press-fitted to at least one of the top wall and the bottom wall by means of the second retaining projection. Hence, it is possible to obtain a highly reliable substrate-use connector in which the holding force in the horizontal and vertical directions is enhanced, and there is no play.
In addition, if the protrusion is provided on a distal end portion of at least one of the first retaining projection and the second retaining projection, it is possible to provide a large lap-fitting allowance with respect to the top wall or the bottom wall of the terminal holding hole, and the lap-fitting area can be decreased, so that the press-fitting force can be reduced. Hence, it is possible to improve the efficiency in inserting the substrate-use terminals into the housing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4969259 (1990-11-01), Macek et al.
patent: 5263880 (1993-11-01), Schwarz et al.
patent: 5692928 (1997-12-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 5897401 (1999-04-01), Fili et al.
patent: 6042429 (2000-03-01), Bianca et al.
patent: 6152782 (2000-11-01), Volkert et al.
Gushi Ross
Paumen Gary
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
Yazaki -Corporation
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