Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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AE-382 PATENT
BATTERY_CONNECTOR
1 FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
The present invention relates to an electrical
connector for detachable connection to a battery pack or
cassette type electronic package.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Figure 5 shows an example of a known connector for
achieving an electrical connection to a battery pack.
Re~erring to Figure 5, the known structure includes a
contact member 10' including contact portion 11' for making
an electrical contact with an electrode 41' of a battery
pack 40'. A connecting portion 12' retains a wire 30'
soldered thereto, and a fixing portion 13' (anchoring
portion) for fixing, for example, by caulking the contact
member to the body of a housing or terminal base 20'.
Fixing of the contact member to the main part by
caulking is not only troublesome but is also extremely
complicated since the caulking force has to be controlled
considering its state after caulking, e.y., a state in which
the contact member may rotate to the left or right but is
fixed without any play against vertical movement.
In order to solve the above-described problem, the
present invention is aimed at making it possible to secure
the contact member without requiring caulking, by employing
a specific form and construction of the contact member, as
well as the structure of a terminal base or a housing which
receives the contact member.
SUMMARY_OF THE INVENTION_
To this end, according to the present invention,
there is provided a connector for connecting ~o a battery,
comprising: a plurality of contact members and a housing
mounting the contact members, each contact mem~er including
a contact portion for electrically connecting to a battery
electrode. A connecting portion is provided for connecting
a wire member. A fixing portion interconnects the contact
portion and the connecting portion, and fixes the contact
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1 member to the housing. The fixing portion has an inverse U-
shaped cross-section with an opposing pair of side walls and
an engaging arm extending therefrom towards the contact
portion. Each side wall has an aperture, the housing
including a recess for receiving and holding the fixing
portions of the contact members and an engaging portion for
engaging with the engaging arms of the contact members. The
inner wall surfaces of the recess have projections which
engage with the openings in the fixing portions of the
contact members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrical
connector showing a contact member exploded therefrom in
accordance with the present invention for electrical
connection to a battery pack.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of an
embodiment of the connecting structure in accordance with
the present invention.
Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line
A-A of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a sectional view illustrating the
state of connection between the contact member of the
electrical connector and the battery pack as shown in Figure
2.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of an example of a
known electrical connector and a battery pack.
An embodiment of the present invention will be
described hereinafter.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT:
Figure 1 shows an electrical connector having a
contact member 10 provided on a terminal plate and a battery
pack 40 (or other electronic package of cassette type) which
contacts the contact member 10 for electrical contact
therewith. Terminal plate of Figure 1 is secured to a
predetermined portion of the apparatus body on which the
battery pack is to be mounted. There are a plurality of
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1 contact members 10 which are arrayed to extend in the
longitudinal direction of the housing 20 as shown in Figure
1. .
Each contact member 10 has a contact portion 11
which also serves as a leaf spring, a connecting portion 12
for connection to a wire 30, and a fixing portion 13 which
interconnects the contact portion and the connecting portion
and fixes the contact portion to the housing. In the
illustrated embodiment, the contact portion 11 is disposed
so as to be exposed externally.
The contact portion 11 projects into a cavity for
receiving the battery pack and connects an electrode exposed
on the bottom of the battery case in the cavity for
electrical contact therewith.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the fixing portion
13 has a main part composed of a pair of opposing side walls
13A which define an inverse U-shaped cross-section and an
engaging arm 13B which extends downward from the main part
towards the contact portion. Each side wall 13A of the
fixing portion 13A has an opening 13C.
lrhe housing 20 includes a recess 21 for receiving
and holding the fixing portion of each contact and an
engaging portion 22 for engaging with the engaging arm 13B
of the contact member. In the illustration, the engaging
portion 22 of the housing has a tapered wall surface 22A.
Projections 21A, for engaging with the openings in the
fixing portion of the contact members, are for~ed in the
inner wall surfaces of the recess 21.
Figure 4 illustrates the manner in which the
contact portion 11 contacts an electrode 41 of the battery
pack. The arrangement is such that, when the battery pack
is mounted on a device, the electrode 41 presses the contact
portion 11 of the contact so as to be held in contact
therewith as illustrated.
3s For mounting the contact member 10 in accordance
with the present invention, the pair of opposing side walls
13A of the fixing portion 13 of the contact member is fitted
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1 in the recess 21 of the housing. In this state, the
projecticns 21A on the inner wall surface engage with the
openings 13A in the side walls. Since the side walls tend
to expand outward, the fixing portion of the contact member
are fixed and held in the recess of the housing. At the
same time, the engaging arms 13B engage with a step which is
presented by the tapered wall surface 22A of the engaging
portion of the housing.
As has been described, the connecting structure in
accordance with the present invention, makes it possible to
securely mount the fixing portion of the contact member in
a recess of a housing simply by pressing the contact member
into the housing, without requiring caulking, by virtue of
the specific structure of the contact member and the
housing, thus significantly improving the mounting
eEficiency of the contact member.
Having described the preferred embodiment herein,
it should be appreciated that variations may be made thereto
without departing from the contemplated scope of the
invention. Accordingly, the preferred embodiment described
herein is illustrative and not limiting, the true scope of
the invention being set forth in the claims appended hereto.
