Detachable connector and front-panel device including same

• US 7,168,991 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alpine Electronics Incorporated (Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sano, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Tulsidas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHI T
• Application Number:
  US11/369,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20060252291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 439/74, 439/660, 439/376, 439/341
• US Class Current: 439/660
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 35/04 Turnable line connectors with limited rotation angle with frictional contact members

Abstract

A detachable connector is provided in which a male connector unit mounted to a movable panel is attachable to and detachable from a female connector unit mounted to a main body. In a pair of first and second female terminals, the first female terminal which has a longer distance to an axis of rotation of the movable panel includes a sloped portion for being elastically in contact with a leading-end corner of a convex contact of the male connector unit from obliquely above, and the second female terminal includes a contact portion for being elastically in contact with the side surface of the convex contact from below. When the male connector unit is attached to the female connector unit, the sloped portion is in contact with the convex contact at a position that is more distant from the movable panel than the contact portion.

Claims

1. A detachable connector included in a front-panel device provided with a movable panel rotatable between a closed position in which a front portion of a main body of an apparatus is covered and an open position in which the front portion is exposed, the detachable connector comprising:

a male connector unit mounted to one of the movable panel and the main body and including a convex contact; and

a female connector unit mounted to the other of the movable panel and the main body and including a first female terminal and a second female terminal, the first and second female terminals being disposed on opposite sides of an insertion path for allowing the inserted convex contact to pass therethrough,

the male connector unit being attachable to and detachable from the female connector unit with rotation of the movable panel,

wherein the first female terminal has a longer distance to an axis of rotation of the movable panel and includes a sloped portion for being obliquely in contact with the convex contact in an elastic manner, the second female terminal has a shorter distance to the axis of rotation of the movable panel and includes a contact portion for being in contact with a side of the convex contact in an elastic manner, and, when the male connector unit is attached to the female connector unit, a position where the sloped portion is in contact with the convex contact in an elastic manner is more distant from a base end portion of the convex contact than a position where the contact portion is in contact with the convex contact in an elastic manner.

2. The detachable connector according to claim 1, wherein a free end portion of the second female terminal is sloped and extends in a direction away from the insertion path relative to the contact portion.

3. The detachable connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is disposed such that the contact portion is not in contact with a leading-end corner of the convex contact in a process of insertion of the convex contact into the insertion path.

4. The detachable connector according to claim 1, wherein the sloped portion is disposed near a free end of the first female terminal, and a leading-end corner of the convex contact inserted into the insertion path slides on the sloped portion toward a section adjacent to the free end in the sloped portion.

5. The detachable connector according to claim 4, wherein a free end portion of the first female terminal is sloped and extends in a direction away from the insertion path relative to the free-end section of the sloped portion.

6. The detachable connector according to claim 1, wherein a base end portion of the first female terminal is fixed to a circuit board, and the first female terminal includes a substantially U-shaped curved portion between the sloped portion and the base end portion.

7. The detachable connector according to claim 6, wherein the curved portion has a substantially U shape with an open section in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of insertion of the convex contact with respect to the insertion path.

8. The detachable connector according to claim 1, wherein a base end portion of the second female terminal is fixed to a circuit board, and the second female terminal includes a substantially U-shaped curved portion between the contact portion and the base end portion.

9. The detachable connector according to claim 8, wherein the curved portion has a substantially U shape with an open section in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of insertion of the convex contact with respect to the insertion path.

10. A front-panel device comprising:

a movable panel rotatable between a closed position in which a front portion of a main body of an apparatus is covered and an open position in which the front portion is exposed;

a male connector unit mounted to the movable panel and including a convex contact; and

a female connector unit mounted to the main body and including a first female terminal and a second female terminal, the first and second female terminals being disposed on opposite sides of an insertion path for allowing the inserted convex contact to pass therethrough,

the male connector unit being attachable to and detachable from the female connector unit with rotation of the movable panel,

wherein the first female terminal has a longer distance to an axis of rotation of the movable panel and includes a sloped portion for being obliquely in contact with the convex contact in an elastic manner, the second female terminal has a shorter distance to the axis of rotation of the movable panel and includes a contact portion for being in contact with a side of the convex contact in an elastic manner, and, when the male connector unit is attached to the female connector unit, a position where the sloped portion is in contact with the convex contact in an elastic manner is more distant from the movable panel than a position where the contact portion is in contact with the convex contact in an elastic manner.

11. The front-panel device according to claim 10, wherein a free end portion of the second female terminal is sloped and extends in a direction away from the insertion path relative to the contact portion.

12. The front-panel device according to claim 10, wherein the contact portion is disposed such that the contact portion is not in contact with a leading-end corner of the convex contact in a process of insertion of the convex contact into the insertion path.

13. The front-panel device according to claim 10, wherein the sloped portion is disposed near to a free end of the first female terminal, and a leading-end corner of the convex contact inserted into the insertion path slides on the sloped portion toward a section adjacent to the free end in the sloped portion.

14. The front-panel device according to claim 13, wherein a free end portion of the first female terminal is sloped and extends in a direction away from the insertion path relative to the free-end section of the sloped portion.

15. The front-panel device according to claim 10, wherein a base end portion of the first female terminal is fixed to a circuit board incorporated in the main body, and the first female terminal includes a substantially U-shaped curved portion between the sloped portion and the base end portion.

16. The front-panel device according to claim 15, wherein the curved portion has a substantially U shape with an open section in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of insertion of the convex contact with respect to the insertion path.

17. The front-panel device according to claim 10, wherein a base end portion of the second female terminal is fixed to a circuit board incorporated in the main body, and the second female terminal includes a substantially U-shaped curved portion between the contact portion and the base end portion.

18. The front-panel device according to claim 17, wherein the curved portion has a substantially U shape with an open section in a direction substantially parallel to a direction of insertion of the convex contact with respect to the insertion path.

19. A vehicle-mounted electronic apparatus including the front-panel device according to any one of claim 10 to 18.