CONNECTOR

• US 20150111400A1
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Published: 04/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited
• Inventors: HASHIGUCHI, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 9,379,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2428 using meander springs

Abstract

A connector including a soft spring portion. A connector that electrically connects a first printed circuit board and a second printed circuit board includes a contact portion that can be brought into contact with the first printed circuit board, a connection portion that can be connected to the second printed circuit board, and an elastic spring portion that connects the contact portion and the connection portion. The elastic spring portion includes a first spring portion and a second spring portion that are connected via an open loop-shaped integral connection portion.

Claims

1. A connector that electrically connects a first object to be connected and a second object to be connected, comprising:

a contact portion that can be brought into contact with the first object to be connected;

a connection portion that can be connected to the second object to be connected; and

an elastic spring portion that integrally connects the contact portion and the connection portion,

wherein the elastic spring portion includes an integral connection portion that is open loop-shaped, and a first spring portion and a second spring portion that are integrally connected via the integral connection portion, and

wherein the contact portion is pressed by the first object to be connected, causing elastic deformation of the elastic spring portion, the integral connection portion can be moved in the same direction as a contact portion-moving direction in which the contact portion is moved.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first spring portion and the second spring portion are arranged on an imaginary straight line which extends through the contact portion and is parallel to the contact portion-moving direction, and

wherein the integral connection portion is shifted from the imaginary straight line in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the contact portion-moving direction.

3. The connector according to claim 2, further comprising a cover portion that is provided integrally with at least one of the first spring portion, the second spring portion, and the connection portion, and covers the first spring portion, the second spring portion, and the integral connection portion.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion has a hollow rectangular prism shape.

5. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion has a hollow cylindrical shape.

6. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion includes a cover portion-side contact portion that is brought into contact with the contact portion.

7. The connector according to claim 6, wherein the cover portion includes two said cover portion-side contact portions.

8. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion includes a stopper that receives, when the contact portion is pressed by the first object to be connected, causing elastic deformation of the elastic spring portion, the second spring portion so as to prevent the second spring portion from protruding out of the cover portion.

9. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion includes a flat surface that can be surface-mounted on the second object to be connected.

10. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion includes a protruding portion extending along the imaginary straight line.

11. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first spring portion includes:

a first supporting arm portion that supports the contact portion, and extends in an intersecting direction intersecting with the contact portion-moving direction;

a first bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the first supporting arm portion;

a first intermediate arm portion that is integrally connected to the first bent portion and extends in a direction opposite to the first supporting arm portion.

12. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the first spring portion includes:

a first supporting arm portion that supports the contact portion, and extends in an intersecting direction intersecting with the contact portion-moving direction;

a first bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the first supporting arm portion;

a first intermediate arm portion that is integrally connected to the first bent portion and extends in a direction opposite to the first supporting arm portion.

13. The connector according to claim 11, wherein the second spring portion includes:

a second supporting arm portion that supports the connection portion and extends in the intersecting direction;

a second bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to one end of the second supporting arm portion; and

a second intermediate arm portion that is integrally connected to the second bent portion and extends in a direction opposite to the second supporting arm portion,

wherein the integral connection portion includes;

a third bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the first intermediate arm portion;

an integral portion-side arm portion that is integrally connected to the third bent portion and extends in the contact portion-moving direction;

a fourth bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the integral portion-side arm portion;

a fifth bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the second intermediate arm portion; and

a linear arm portion that connects the fourth bent portion and the fifth bent portion, and

wherein the cover portion is integrally connected to the other end of the second supporting arm portion.

14. The connector according to claim 12, wherein the second spring portion includes:

a second supporting arm portion that supports the connection portion and extends in the intersecting direction;

a second bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to one end of the second supporting arm portion; and

a second intermediate arm portion that is integrally connected to the second bent portion and extends in a direction opposite to the second supporting arm portion,

wherein the integral connection portion includes;

a third bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the first intermediate arm portion;

an integral portion-side arm portion that is integrally connected to the third bent portion and extends in the contact portion-moving direction;

a fourth bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the integral portion-side arm portion;

a fifth bent portion that is arc-shaped and is integrally connected to the second intermediate arm portion; and

a linear arm portion that connects the fourth bent portion and the fifth bent portion, and

wherein the cover portion is integrally connected to the other end of the second supporting arm portion.

15. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion has a shape bent into a U-shape, and a protruding end of the contact portion is a bottom of the U-shape.

16. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion has a shape bent into a U-shape, and a protruding end of the contact portion is a bottom of the U-shape.

17. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector can be electrically connected to the second objet to be connected, by having the connection portion brought into contact therewith.

18. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector can be electrically connected to the second objet to be connected, by having the connection portion brought into contact therewith.

19. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector can be electrically connected to the second objet to be connected, by having the connection portion soldered thereto.

20. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the connector can be electrically connected to the second objet to be connected, by having the connection portion soldered thereto.