JPH0927367A - Connection terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a connector terminal which can be miniaturized and at the same time has high strength and good contact reliability. Since the contact portion 3 of the connecting terminal 2 is formed by bending the contact terminal 3 downward along the longitudinal direction at the center of the plate width, the area occupied by the connecting terminal 2 in the plate width direction is reduced and a narrow pitch can be achieved. This is possible, and at the same time, the strength of the contact portion 3 is increased. Further, since the contact pressure per unit area between the conductor and the contact portion 3 becomes large, the contact reliability becomes good.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a connector terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 4, a conventional connector terminal 101 is composed of an elongated thin metal plate having good conductivity, and its central portion is curved in a U shape. The terminal 101 is held by the body 103 by pushing the U-shaped portion 102 into the recess 104 of the body 103 from below. Terminal 10
A contact portion 105 projecting to the front side is formed on one side of No. 1 and is biased by the U-shaped portion 102. The other end portion of the terminal 101 extends to the back side of the body 103 as a connecting portion 107 for connecting an electric wire.

However, since such a connector terminal is made of an elongated thin metal plate having good conductivity and the contact portion 105 is also thin, there is a problem that the strength is weak. or,
In recent years, connectors have become smaller,
There is a problem that the terminal plate width becomes smaller and the terminal strength becomes weaker. Further, with the miniaturization, the space between adjacent terminals is inevitably narrowed, and the thin plate shape occupies a space in the width direction, which causes a problem that the pitch cannot be narrowed. Further, since the plate width is reduced, the contact pressure per unit area is also reduced, and there is a problem that the contact reliability is poor because a predetermined contact pressure cannot be obtained.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a connector terminal which can be miniaturized, has high strength, and has good contact reliability.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a conductive plate material is punched into an elongated shape so that one end serves as a contact portion and the other end serves as a connection portion for electrically connecting to a conductive pattern of a circuit board. In the connection terminal bent so as to be elastically deformable between the contact portion and the connection portion, the contact portion is formed by bending along the longitudinal direction at the center of the plate width.

Further, after the contact portion is bent, both side edges are closely contacted and overlapped.

Further, the intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction of the contact portion is projected outward.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 9 show an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 8, 1 is an insulating housing and 2 is a connecting terminal.

The insulating housing 1 is generally L-shaped as shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, and has connection terminal accommodating grooves 7 for holding the connection terminals 2 at predetermined intervals. A plurality is formed. The connection terminal accommodating groove 7 is open at the upper side and communicates with the bottom surface 1a of the insulating housing 1 from the middle to the rear end (the right corner in FIG. 9).

A square groove 8 is formed in the side wall of the connection terminal accommodating groove 7.

An opening edge 13 is formed on the bottom surface 1a of the insulating housing 1.

Further, the insulating housing 1 has a stopper wall 6 formed integrally with the insulating housing 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the connecting terminal 2 is bent from a U-shaped bending portion 5 to have a substantially U-shape as a whole, and is a conductive thin plate having elasticity. It is formed by pressing a metal plate.

Further, one end of the U-shape is further bent outward to form a leg portion 4. The leg 4 is the bottom surface 1 of the insulating housing 1.
It projects downward from a and is soldered to the circuit pattern of the circuit board to be electrically connected to the circuit pattern. In the present embodiment, the leg portion 4 serves as the connecting portion of the connecting terminal 2.

On the other hand, the other end of the U-shape serves as the contact portion 3. The contact portion 3 is formed by bending it downward along the longitudinal direction at the center of the plate width, and after bending, both side edges are in close contact with each other and overlapped. Here, the plate width is the width A in FIG. 2, the longitudinal direction is the left and right direction in FIG. 2, and both side edges are both ends of the plate width. Also, the contact part 3
Has an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction protruding outward.

A support portion 11 is provided between the leg portion 4 and the contact portion 3.
Are formed. A claw 9 is formed slightly rearward of the center of the support portion 11.

Next, the assembly of this connector will be described. First, a conductive thin metal plate is punched into an elongated shape with a press. When punching, the plate width of the supporting portion 11 is large with the step portions 10 and 12 as a boundary, and the plate width of the contact portion 3 and the leg portion 4 is smaller than that of the supporting portion 11. The plate width of the support portion 11 is substantially the same as the width between the both-sided rectangular grooves 8 provided on both sides of the connection terminal accommodating groove 7. Next, the punched plate material is bent into a U shape at the bending portion 5, and at the same time, the leg portion 4 is bent outward by 90 °. Next, the connection terminal 2 thus formed
Is inserted from the opening below the connection terminal accommodating groove 7 from the bent portion 5 until the leg portion 4 comes into contact with the opening edge portion 13. When the insertion is completed, the tip of the contact portion 3 comes into contact with the stopper wall 6 and is elastically deformed slightly inward. The connection terminal 2 is fixed to the insulating housing 1 with the claw 9 slightly biting into the square groove 8.

In the connector terminal thus assembled, when the conductor comes into contact with the contact portion 3, the step portion 10 to the contact portion 3 is elastically deformed inward, and a predetermined contact pressure is obtained to obtain a contact with the conductor. Connect electrically. As a result, the conductor and the circuit pattern are electrically connected to each other through the leg portion 4 soldered to the circuit pattern of the circuit board.

Since such a connector terminal is formed by bending the contact portion 3 along the longitudinal direction at the center of the plate width, the connecting terminal 2 is made by pressing a thin plate material. However, the strength of the contact portion 3 is increased. Further, since the occupied area in the plate width direction is small, the pitch can be narrowed and the size can be reduced. Further, the contact pressure per unit area is increased, and the contact reliability is improved. Further, since the contact portion 3 is formed by projecting the central portion along the longitudinal direction outward, reliable contact can be obtained at the same contact position of the contact portion. Further, since the tip end of the contact portion 3 abuts on the stopper wall 6 of the insulating housing 1 and the connection terminal 2 is fixed to the insulating housing 1 in a state of being slightly elastically deformed inward of the U-shape, a conductor is formed. The elastic deformation amount of the connection terminal 2 for obtaining a predetermined contact pressure at the time of contact with can be reduced, and the size can be further reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be considered within the scope of the present invention.
For example, the connecting terminal 2 does not necessarily have to be bent in a U shape, and may have an S shape or an L shape as long as the contact portion 3 is bent along the longitudinal direction at the center of the plate width. or,
In the present invention, after the contact portion 3 is bent, both side edges are brought into close contact with each other and superposed, but it is not always necessary to bring them into close contact, and it is sufficient that they are bent. Further, the leg portion 4 is also bent from the supporting portion 11 by approximately 90 °, but the supporting portion 11 is not bent.
It may be formed by extending straight behind.

[0021]

As described above, since the connecting terminal of the present invention is formed by bending it downward along the longitudinal direction at the center of the plate width of the terminal, the strength can be increased and the terminal can be strengthened. The pitch of the array can be narrowed, and the entire connector can be miniaturized. Further, the contact pressure is increased and the contact reliability is improved.

Further, since the contact portion is formed by protruding the central portion along the longitudinal direction upward, it is possible to contact at the same contact position,
A reliable contact is obtained.

[0023]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a connection terminal of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the connection terminal of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the connection terminal of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a connector to which a connection terminal according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a connector to which a connection terminal according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the connector to which the connection terminal according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a connector to which a connection terminal according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line YY of the connector to which the connection terminal according to the present invention is attached.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a conventional connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Insulation housing 2 Connection terminal 3 Contact part 4 Leg part 5 Bent part 6 Stopper wall 7 Connection terminal accommodating groove 8 Square groove 9 Claw 10 Step part 11 Support part 12 Step part 13 Opening edge part

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A conductive plate material is punched into an elongated shape so that one end serves as a contact portion and the other end serves as a connection portion for electrically connecting to a conductive pattern of a circuit board, and between the contact portion and the connection portion. A connection terminal bent so as to be elastically deformable, wherein the contact portion is formed by bending along the longitudinal direction at the center of the plate width. 2. The connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein after the contact portion is bent, both side edges are closely contacted and overlapped. 3. The connecting terminal according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction of the contact portion is projected outward.