JPS5853476B2 - connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a loose contact of the terminal group with an electrical connection necessary through a simple construction, by providing a dummy terminal useless for an electrical connection at the end of the terminal group.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a connection device that press-contacts a large number of terminals provided on an insulator and a large number of terminals provided on a flexible insulating sheet to establish electrical continuity between the two terminals.

Recently, thermal recording methods that develop color when heated are being put into practical use.

The thermal head in this recording system has a large number of terminals for supplying power to a unit consisting of a large number of heating resistors arranged in parallel on an insulating plate (insulator).

For example, the number of these terminals is 1 at a rate of 2 to 5 per 1 mm.
Some are arranged in parallel over a length of 00 mm to 300 mm.

This large number of terminals must be connected to terminals on the power supply unit side that selectively supplies power to the heat generating units.

As a connection device for such a large number of terminals, one in which terminals are provided on a flexible insulating sheet as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is known.

That is, on the insulating substrate 10, for example, a first terminal group 12 is formed by arranging a large number of terminals 11 connected to a heat generating unit in parallel.

One end portion of a flexible insulating sheet 20 (hereinafter referred to as "sheet 20") is disposed opposite to this first terminal group 12.

This sheet 20 has a second terminal group 22 in which terminals 21 corresponding to the terminals 11 of the first terminal group 12 are arranged in parallel.

Then, the sheet 2 is attached to the first terminal group 12 on the insulating substrate 10.
A rubber-like elastic body 30 is placed on the sheet 20 side, with the second terminal group 22 on the top facing each other, and these are placed between two sandwiching bodies 31.
．． 32 and screwed together with a screw 33.

Thus, the elastic body 30 is compressed between the clamping bodies 31 and 32, and the reaction force brings the first terminal group 12 and the second terminal group 22 into pressure contact, thereby establishing an electrical connection.

Note that the other end of the sheet 20 is connected to, for example, a power supply unit that supplies power to a heat generating unit.

In this way, the connection using the sheet 20 provided with the terminals 21 is suitable because it gives a degree of freedom in the relative positions of the two units, and has the advantage that a large number of terminals can be easily connected.

However, the conventional connection device described above has the following drawbacks.

That is, the sheet 20 has a thickness of about several tens to several hundred microns (μ
), a terminal 21 serving as a conductive path with a thickness of about 15 to 70 μm is formed into a sheet 20 with a width of 10 μm by printing or vapor deposition.
They are about 0 to 300 μm and are arranged in parallel at a density of 2 to 5 pieces per 1 mm.

When such a sheet 20 is pressed against the insulating substrate 10 by the elastic body 30, as shown in FIG. It is pushed down using the terminal 21a of the section as a fulcrum.

However, the sheet 20 does not deform stepwise at the terminal 21a at the end, but deforms into a curved shape as shown in the figure.

The reaction force of this deformation acts to deform the sheet 20 in the portion B, where several terminals near the terminal 21a at the end are arranged in parallel, in a direction away from the insulating substrate 10.

Therefore, some of the terminals at the ends of the first terminal group 12 and the second terminal group 22 have the disadvantage that electrical contact is incomplete.

The length of the portion B that causes contact failure of the terminal due to the deformation in the direction in which the sheet 20 separates from the insulating substrate 10 is the length of the portion B of the sheet 20.
the material, the thickness and width of the terminals 21, the spacing between the terminals 21,
Although it varies somewhat depending on the material of the elastic body 30 and the amount of deformation (in other words, the pressing force), it is generally about 1 of the thickness of the sheet 20.
It is about 0 times.

This invention has been made in view of the above points, and includes a group terminal that does not contribute to electrical connection at the end of the terminal group, and the incomplete contact portion due to the deformation of the flexible insulating sheet is borne by the dummy terminal. The present invention provides a connection device that allows the user to

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be explained below.
The same reference numerals are used for the same constituent members as in the conventional one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and some explanations thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, reference numeral 13.23 indicates a dummy terminal, and the dummy terminal 13 is provided on the insulating substrate 10, and the dummy terminal 23 is provided on the sheet 20 so as to face the dummy terminal 13.

These dummy terminals 13.23 are provided at the ends of the first terminal group 12 and the second terminal group 22, and are provided so as to be present in opposing portions of the insulating substrate 10 and the sheet 20. It is.

Therefore, the terminal 13 provided on the insulating substrate 10
No electrical connection is made to a unit (not shown) provided on the insulating substrate 10.

Then, the second terminal group 22 and the dummy terminals 2 are placed on the insulating substrate 10 on which the first terminal group 12 and the dummy terminals 13 are provided.
The sheets 20 provided with 3 sheets are stacked facing each other, and two clamping bodies 31 and 32 are fixed thereon with screws 33 via an elastic body 30.

With this configuration, the sheet 20 deforms near the boundary between the presence and absence of terminals due to the compression of the elastic body 30, but the portion B deforms in the direction away from the insulating substrate 10.
The terminal is dummy terminal 13°23.

Therefore, if the dummy terminals 13 and 23 are provided at the ends of the first terminal group 21 and the second terminal group 22, the terminals 11 and 21 of the first terminal group 12 and the second terminal group 22 can contact each other. The number of defects can be reduced.

Furthermore, if the dummy terminals 13 and 23 are provided over the entire portion B where the sheet 20 deforms in the direction away from the insulating substrate 10,
Poor contact between the first terminal group 12 and the second terminal group 22 can be completely prevented.

Furthermore, if the dummy terminals 13 and 23 are made wider than the terminals 11 and 21 of the first terminal group 12 and the second terminal group 22 as shown in FIG. 4, they can be identified as dummy terminals. Not only is it easy to use, but also the rigidity of the dummy terminal 23 is increased by the sheet 20.
Reduce the deformation of.

On the contrary, if the dummy terminals are provided with the same width and spacing as the terminals 11 and 21 of the first terminal group 12 and the second terminal group 22, it is extremely easy to form the dummy terminals. .

Furthermore, the dummy terminals 13 and 23 shown in FIG.
0 and the sheet 200, but without doing this, the thickness of the dummy terminals is reduced to the thickness of the first terminal group 1.
The thickness of the terminals 11 and 21 of the second terminal group 22 can be approximately equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the terminals 11 and 21 on the insulating substrate 10 or the sheet 20.

In this case, since there is only one dummy terminal, the configuration is simple.

Note that if the dummy terminal is sloped in the direction in which the terminals of the first and second terminal groups are arranged, deformation of the sheet 20 can be reduced, and in this way, the width of the dummy terminal can be reduced.

As is clear from the above description, the connection device of the present invention is
With a simple configuration that only provides one dummy terminal, it has an excellent effect of preventing poor contact between terminal groups that require electrical connection.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 show a conventional connecting device, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view thereof, FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams of the present invention. An embodiment of the connecting device is shown, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an enlarged main part thereof. 10... Insulating board, 11... Terminal, 1
2...First terminal group, 13...Dummy terminal, 20...Flexible insulation sheet, 21
...Terminal, 22... Second terminal group, 2
3...Dummy terminal, 30...Elastic body,
31, 32... sandwiching body.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A first terminal group in which terminals are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals on an insulator, and a second terminal group in which terminals are arranged in parallel on a flexible insulating sheet corresponding to the first terminal group. , an elastic body for press-contacting the terminals of the second terminal group to the terminals of the first terminal group, and a connecting device for electrically connecting two units; A connection device characterized in that a dummy terminal that does not provide electrical connection between the two units is provided at the end of at least one of the terminal groups. 2. The dummy terminal is provided over the length of the portion where the flexible insulating sheet is deformed by being pressed by the elastic body in the direction in which the terminals of the terminal group are arranged side by side. Connection device. 3. The connection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dummy terminals are arranged in parallel in substantially the same manner as the terminals of the terminal group. 4. The connection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dummy terminal is formed in a different shape from the terminals of the terminal group. 5 Da □ One terminal has a thickness that is equal to
2. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the connection device is formed approximately equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the terminals of the terminal group, and is provided on an insulator or a flexible insulating sheet.