Connector

• US 20050202730A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eiji Takeda, Toshiaki Horii, Tsukasa Kubo
• Original Assignee: Eiji Takeda, Toshiaki Horii, Tsukasa Kubo
• Inventors: Takeda, Eiji, Horii, Toshiaki, Kubo, Tsukasa
• Granted Patent: US 7,255,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/748
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/03 characterised by the material, e.g. plating, or coating materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/432 by stamped-out resilient tongue snapping behind shoulder in base or case
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending

Abstract

A connector having a compact engagement structure providing a high retaining force is provided. A shoulder is provided on an inner wall of a housing for storing a contact. The shoulder is inclined so that a distal end thereof projects toward a first end of the housing with respect to a proximal end thereof. An engaging piece which engages the shoulder is provided on an engaging portion of a contact body. An inner edge of a distal end of the engaging piece is chamfered. The contact is inserted into a storage chamber of the housing from a second end of the housing, and the engaging piece smoothly lifts from the distal end of the shoulder to the proximal end. Accordingly, the contact is retained by the housing with a high retaining force.

Claims

1. A connector comprising:

a cylindrical housing comprising a first end formed with a first opening, a second end opposing to the first end and being formed with a second opening, and a storage chamber formed between the first end and the second end;

a contact body inserted from the second end of the housing and stored in the storage chamber; and

an electric cable connected to the contact body and extending from the second end of the housing,

the connector to be fitted to an opposite connector inserted from the first end of the housing, wherein

the contact body comprising a contact portion which comes into contact with a contact of the opposite connector, a crimp terminated portion for crimp terminating the end of the electric cable, and an engaging portion provided between the crimp terminated portion and the contact portion;

the engaging portion including an engaging plate extending in parallel with the direction of insertion of the contact body, and an engaging piece connected to the engaging plate and being resiliently deformable,

the engaging piece is inclined from the proximal end to the distal end in such a manner that the distal end lifts from the engaging plate,

the storage chamber is provided with an inner wall opposing to the engaging plate,

the inner wall is formed with a shoulder for engaging the engaging piece, and

the shoulder is inclined from the proximal end to the distal end and the distal end thereof projects toward the first end of the housing.

2. A contact according to claim 1, wherein

the engaging piece includes an inner surface opposing to the engaging plate, an outer surface extending in parallel with the inner surface and opposing to the inner wall, and a distal end surface connecting the inner surface and the outer surface at the distal end of the engaging piece, and

a chamfered inner edge is formed between the distal end surface and the inner surface.

3. A connector according to claim 1, wherein

the engaging plate is formed with a projection at a position opposing to the engaging piece so as to project in the lifting direction of the engaging piece.

4. A connector according to claim 1, wherein

the contact body is formed of titan-copper plate containing titan and copper.

5. A connector according to claim 1, wherein

the engaging piece is provided with a projected portion at a midsection between the proximal end and the distal end so as to project in the direction of lifting of the engaging piece.

6. A connector according to claim 1, wherein

the contact portion includes a contact plate which comes into contact with the contact of the opposite connector, a contact spring opposing to the contact plate, and a side wall for connecting the contact spring and the contact plate, and an insertion port for press-fitting the contact of the opposite connector is formed between the contact plate and the contact spring.

7. A connector according to claim 1, wherein

the contact portion includes a contact plate which comes into contact with the contact of the opposite connector, and

the contact plate comes into contact with the contact of the opposite connector by being press-fitted into the opposite contact.

8. A method for manufacturing a contact including an engaging piece forming step for forming an engaging piece projecting from a contact body of the contact by cutting and bending part of a metal plate which constitutes the contact body, wherein:

punching the metal plate by a punch comprising a chamfering portion which comes into abutment with an inner edge at the distal end of the engaging piece and a retaining portion which comes into abutment with a midsection located between the proximal end and the distal end of the engaging piece, so as to chamfer the inner edge and form a projection at the midsection in the engaging piece forming step.