Electric component with soldering-less terminal fitment

• US 6,093,053 A
• Filed: 09/25/1998
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hokuriku Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hokuriku Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Horioka, Yasuaki, Kotani, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hammond, Briggitte R.
• Application Number:
  US09/160,662
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 439/441, 439/437, 439/438, 439/444
• US Class Current: 439/444
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/515 Terminal blocks providing connections to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/027 comprising means for positioning or holding the parts to be soldered or welded
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/26 Connections in which at least one of the connecting parts has projections which bite into or engage the other connecting part in order to improve the contact H01R4/188, H01R4/203, H01R4/5075 take precedence; using shape memory materials H01R4/01

Abstract

An electric component with a soldering-less terminal fitment capable of preventing a contact portion of the terminal fitment from being detached from an electrode on a surface of a circuit board due to slippage thereof on the circuit board. A terminal fitment arranged between a circuit board and an insulating casing includes a connection conductor holding section and a contact terminal section having a proximal portion formed integrally with the connection conductor holding section. The contact terminal section includes a contact portion, which is pressedly contacted with an electrode on the circuit board by elasticity. The contact terminal section includes a curved portion which is curved in a manner to be projected in a direction of insertion of a connection conductor through the terminal fitment and provided on a distal end thereof with the contact portion. The contact portion is constituted by a biting element. The biting element is so inclined that a distal end thereof is positioned on a projected side of the curved portion as compared with a proximal portion thereof.

Claims

1. An electric component with a soldering-less terminal fitment, comprising:

a circuit board provided on a front surface thereof with at least one circuit pattern including electrodes;

an insulating casing including an inner surface and a peripheral wall;

said insulating casing having said circuit board received therein so as to form a space between said front surface of said circuit board and said inner surface of said insulating casing and surround an outer periphery of said circuit board with said peripheral wall of said insulating casing;

said peripheral wall of said insulating casing being formed with a through-hole via which a connection conductor is inserted into said space of said insulating casing; and

a terminal fitment including a connection conductor holding section arranged between each of said electrodes on said circuit board and said inner surface of said insulating casing to hold an end of the connection conductor inserted into said space via said through-hole without soldering and a contact terminal section formed integrally with said connection conductor holding section and including a contact portion contacted with said electrode;

said contact terminal section including a curved portion formed so as to be projected in a direction apart from said peripheral wall of said insulating casing through which said through-hole is formed;

said curved portion being provided so as to exhibit elasticity to forcedly press said contact portion of said contact terminal section against said electrode when it is kept compressed;

said contact portion of said contact terminal section being formed by raising a portion of said contact terminal section positioned at a distal end of said curved portion toward said front surface of said circuit board, to thereby provide at least one biting element having a distal end biting into said electrode;

said biting element being so inclined that said distal end thereof is positioned on a projected side of said curved portion as compared with a proximal portion thereof;

said connection conductor holding section includes a flat plate portion having a plate surface arranged opposite to an opening of said through-hole facing said space and a plurality of biting sections formed by raising said flat plate portion in a direction of insertion of the connection conductor through said flat plate portion;

said biting sections being formed into a shape which permits the end of the connection conductor to be interposedly held therebetween and said biting sections to bite into the end of the connection conductor when force is applied to the connection conductor in a direction in which the connected conductor is drawn out of said connection conductor holding section;

said curved portion of said contact terminal section and said biting element each have a plate surface contiguous to said plate surface of said flat plate portion and are so formed that a plate-like portion in an elongated shape which is contiguous to said flat plate portion is machined;

said plate-like portion being formed at a distal end thereof with a punched hole for providing said biting element of which a distal portion is arranged on said distal end of said plate-like portion; and

said contact terminal section further includes a pair of interposing portions arranged outside said punched hole to interpose said biting element therebetween and bent toward said distal end of said plate-like portion, so that said biting element may be outwardly projected from said punched hole.

2. The electric component as defined in claim 1, wherein said plate-like portion is formed at a portion thereof positionally corresponding to said curved portion thereof with a slit of an elongated shape so as to extend in a longitudinal direction thereof;

said slit being formed so as to communicate with said punched hole.

3. The electric component as defined in claim 1, wherein said biting element is positioned at said distal end thereof in a virtual plane defined so as to be parallel to said plate surface of said flat plate portion and be in a plane of said flat plate portion.

4. An electric component with a soldering-less terminal fitment, comprising:

a circuit board provided on a front surface thereof with at least one circuit pattern including electrodes;

an insulating casing including an inner surface and a peripheral wall;

said insulating casing having said circuit board received therein so as to form a space between said front surface of said circuit board and said inner surface of said insulating casing and surround an outer periphery of said circuit board with said peripheral wall of said insulating casing;

said peripheral wall of said insulating casing being formed with a through-hole via which a connection conductor is inserted into said space of said insulating casing; and

a terminal fitment including a connection conductor holding section arranged between each of said electrodes on said circuit board and said inner surface of said insulating casing to hold an end of the connection conductor inserted into said space via said through-hole without soldering and a contact terminal section formed integrally with said connection conductor holding section and including a contact portion contacted with said electrode;

said connection conductor holding section including a flat plate portion having a plate surface arranged opposite to an opening of said through-hole facing said space and a plurality of biting sections formed by raising said flat plate portion in a direction of insertion of the connection conductor through said flat plate portion;

said biting sections being formed into a shape which permits the end of the connection conductor to be interposedly held therebetween and permits said biting sections to bite into the end of the connection conductor when force is applied to the connection conductor in a direction in which the connection conductor is drawn out of said connection conductor holding section;

said contact terminal section including a curved portion which is so formed that a plate-like portion of an elongated shape having a plate surface contiguous to said plate surface of said flat plate portion and connected at a proximal end thereof to said flat plate portion is projected in a direction apart from said peripheral wall of said insulating casing through which said through-hole is formed;

said plate-like portion being formed with a punched hole for providing said biting element of which a distal portion is positioned on a side of said distal end of said plate-like portion; and

said contact terminal section further including a pair of interposing portions arranged outside said punched hole to interpose said biting element therebetween and bent toward said distal end of said plate-like portion, to thereby outwardly project said biting element from said punched hole, resulting in providing said contact portion.

5. The electric component as defined in claim 4, wherein said plate-like portion is formed at said curved portion thereof with a slit of an elongated shape so as to extend in a longitudinal direction thereof;

said slit being formed so as to communicate with said punched hole.

6. The electric component as defined in claim 5, wherein said biting element is positioned at said distal end thereof in a virtual plane defined so as to be parallel to said plate surface of said flat plate portion and be in a plane of said flat plate portion.

7. The electric component as defined in claim 6, wherein said virtual plane is so defined that an angle between said virtual plane and said biting element is set to be 45 degrees.