CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150255908A1
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: TAKAMURA, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 9,312,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2407 characterized by the resilient means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2414 conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62 Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/50 mounted on a PCB [Printed Circuit Board]

Abstract

A connector for an electronic device is provided. The connector includes a connector housing to be connected to the electronic device, a terminal fitting held by the connector housing, and a relay terminal to be held between a distal end of the terminal fitting and the contact portion of the electronic device when the connector housing is connected to the electronic device. The relay terminal includes an electrically-insulating member and an electrically-conductive portion. The electrically-conductive portion includes a conductor provided on the electrically-insulating member to electrically couple a contact portion of the electronic device and the terminal fitting to each other. The conductor extends in a direction intersecting a center axis of the connector in a state in which the conductor is in contact with at least one of the contact portion of the electronic device and the terminal fitting.

Claims

1. A connector for an electronic device, the connector comprising:

a connector housing adapted to be connected to the electronic device;

a terminal fitting held by the connector housing, the terminal fitting being electrically coupled to a contact portion of the electronic device when the connector housing is connected to the electronic device; and

a relay terminal adapted to be held between a distal end of the terminal fitting and the contact portion of the electronic device when the connector housing is connected to the electronic device,

wherein the relay terminal comprises an electrically-insulating member and an electrically-conductive portion, the electrically-conductive portion comprising a conductor provided on a the electrically-insulating member to electrically couple the contact portion of the electronic device and the terminal fitting to each other, the conductor extending in a direction intersecting a center axis of the connector in a state in which the conductor is in contact with at least one of the contact portion of the electronic device and the terminal fitting.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein said direction in which the conductor extends is perpendicular to the center axis of the connector.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the conductor is overlaid on a surface of the electrically-insulating member.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-conductive portion comprises a plurality of said conductors arranged at a given pitch in another direction intersecting the center axis of the connector, and

wherein at least one of the conductors electrically couples the terminal fitting and the contact portion of the electronic device to each other.

5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-insulating member has elasticity.

6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrically-insulating member has at least one lateral surface formed as a convex arc surface smoothly connecting a surface of the electrically-insulating member that faces the contact portion and a surface of the electrically-insulating member that faces the terminal fitting to each other, and

wherein the electrically-conductive portion comprises a contact portion contacting pattern, a terminal contacting pattern and an arc portion pattern, the contact portion contacting pattern being overlaid on the surface of the electrically-insulating member that faces the contact portion, the terminal contacting pattern being overlaid on the surface of the electrically-insulating member that faces the terminal fitting, and the arc portion pattern being overlaid on the convex arc surface to connect the contact portion contacting pattern and the terminal contacting pattern to each other.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a first component provided at one end of a device housing and a second component provided on a side of the other end of the device housing, the second component being arranged coaxially with the first component,

wherein the device housing comprises a second component reference surface configured to position the second component when the second component is biased and pressed toward the one end of the device housing such that a center axis of the second component is aligned coaxially with a center axis of the first component, and

wherein the relay terminal is held between a distal end of the terminal fitting and the contact portion of the second component so that the relay terminal is elastically deformed to bias the second component toward the one end of the device housing.

8. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is an in-vehicle camera.