Connector

• US 8,814,586 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Original Assignee: NHK Spring Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Shigeki, Takamura, Noritoshi, Saito, Makoto, Masuda, Michiya
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US13/636,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20130012047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 439/263, 439/265, 439/259, 439/261, 439/266, 439/268
• US Class Current: 439/263
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/193 Means for increasing contact pressure at the end of engagement of coupling part , e.g. zero insertion force or no friction
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6273 comprising two latching arms

Abstract

A connector that includes a male terminal which has a conductive property and a tip portion of which is formed in a bar shape, and includes a coil spring formed of a conductive wire rod with an inner diameter smaller than a diameter of the tip portion of the male terminal and that linearly extends at an end portion at which the male terminal is inserted. The male terminal is inserted into the coil spring while a force that expands an inner diameter of at least a vicinity of the end portion is applied to an extending portion, and thereafter fitted to the coil spring by releasing the force.

Claims

1. A connector that is interposed between two connection objects to enable electrical continuity between the connection objects, the connector comprising:

a male terminal which has a conductive property and a tip of which is formed in a bar shape;

a female terminal formed of a conductive wire rod that is wound with an inner diameter smaller than a diameter of the male terminal, the wire rod linearly extending at an end portion of the female terminal at which the male terminal is to be inserted;

a male terminal bracket that holds the male terminal; and

a female terminal bracket that holds the female terminal and that is connectable to the male terminal bracket,

wherein the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal while a force that expands an inner diameter of at least a vicinity of the end portion is applied to the linearly extending portion, and thereafter fitted to the female terminal by releasing the force, and

wherein the male terminal bracket includes a diameter expanding unit that expands a diameter of at least the linearly extending portion of the female terminal along with insertion of the male terminal into the female terminal.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a vicinity of another end portion of the female terminal is tightly wound.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an end portion of the female terminal, the end portion being different from the linearly extending portion, is fixed to the female terminal bracket.

4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the female terminal bracket includes a diameter changing unit that holds the linearly extending portion of the female terminal and moves the linearly extending portion on a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the female terminal to thereby expand the diameter of the female terminal.

5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein

the male terminal bracket includes a guide pin that extends parallel to the male terminal and that protrudes from a tip of the male terminal in an extending direction, and

the female terminal bracket includes a hole in which the guide pin is insertable.