Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02219131 1997-10-23
~ESCRIPTION
CONNECTOR
Technical Field
This invention relates to a connector, and particularly to
a connector for connecting a battery unit.
Background Art
Among connectors of this kind, the popular type in which the
contact of a male type connector or a female type connector or
the contacts of connectors of both types are exposed outwardly.
Disclosure of Invention
However, when the number of electrodes becomes great and the
distance between the contacts becomes short, the danger of being
short-circuited between the contacts becomes correspondingly
great. Especially, in a connector attached to a battery unit
cont~;ning a battery of larc~e capacity therein, a contact leading
to the electrode of the battery will suffer from great damage
when short-circuiting takes place, and will also be dangerous.
The present invention has as its object to elirninate the
above-noted defect peculiar to the connector according to the
prior art.
To achieve such object, the present invention provides a
connector comprising a header having a plurality of post portions
mounted thereon in such a manner as to protrude outwardly, and
a socket having mounted thereon a plurality of contacts for
contacting with the respective post portions of said header and
being electrically connecte(~ thereto, said socket ~urther having
a plurality of guide grooves for receiving the respective post
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portions of the header thereinto and guiding them to the
corresponding contacts of said socket, said guide grooves forming
slots thin enough to be broken when receiving the post portions
thereinto or sufficiently narrower than the width of the post
portions, these regions oi the contacts of said so,_ket which
contact with ~said post portions being provided so as not to be
exposed outwardly of said socket.
In the present invention, the contacts of the socket are
mounted in the housing of the socket and when the header and the
socket fit to each other, the post portions of the header contact
with the contacts while breaking or enlarging the guide grooves
of the socket.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a front vilew showing the header of a connector
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the header of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a side view of the header of Figure L.
Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the housing
of the header of Figure 1.
Fiyure 5 is a plan view showing a contact (shorter one) used
in the header of Figure 1.
Figure 6 is a plan view showing a contact (longer one) used
in the header of Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a ~ront view showing the socket of the connector
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a plan view of the socket of Figure 7'.
Figure 9 is a side view of the socket of Figure 7.
Figure 10 is a vertica:L cross-sectional view of the guide
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groove of the socket of Figure 7.
Figure ll is a plan view showing a contact w;ed in the
socket of Figure 7.
Figure 12 is a side view showing the contact used in the
socket of Figure 7.
Figure 13 is a part:Ly cross-sectional view showing the
fitted state of the socket and header.
sest Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
The invention will hereinafter be described with respect to
an embodiment thereof shown in the drawings.
Figu~es 1 to 3 show the header lO of a connector according
to the present invention. ~rhe header comprises a housing lOA and
a plurality of contacts 11 and 12 mounted so that the post
portion thereof may protrude outwardly from the housing, and with
predetermined intervals provided in the lengthwise direction of
the housing (see Figures 1 to 3). The details of the contacts
are shown in Figures 5 and 6. As can be seen from these figures,
the contacts comprise post portions llA, 12A, leg portions llC,
12C and connecting portions llB, 12B connecting these together.
The cross-sectional shape of the housing lOA with the post
portions removed is shown in Figure 4. As shown the cross-
section thereof has a short leg portion lOa provided at its
bottom but generally presents a substantially rectangular shape.
As can be seen from F:igures 2, 5 and 6, at least one (11)
of the post portions of the contacts is shorter than the other
post portions (12) and the leg portions llC and 12C of the
contacts protrude downwardly from the bottom (leg portion) of the
housing. Also, at least one of the post portions has its width
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made narrower than the width of the other post portions. As
regards the position at which the post portions protrude from the
housing, that of at least one post portion may be made to differ
from that of the other poc;t portions.
Figures 7 to 10 show the socket 20 of the connector
according to the present invention. The socket comprises a
housing 20A and a plurality of contacts 21 for contacting with
the respective post portions of the header and being eLectrically
connected thereto. The contacts are mounted with predetermined
intervals provided in the lengthwise direction of the housing.
Also the-contacts are mounted in the housing except terminal
portions which will be clescribed later so that the regions
thereof contacting with the post portions may not be exposed
outwardly of the housing.
The socket further has a plurality of guide grooves 2Z for
receiving the respective post portions of the header thereinto
and guiding them to the corresponding contacts of t:he socket.
These guide grooves form slots 22A which are thin enough to be
broken when receiving the post portions therein or sufficiently
narrower than the width of the post portions. For example, each
of the guide grooves is provided so that, as shown in Figure 10,
the cross-sectional portion thereof may present a substantially
M-shape or so that, as can be seen from Figures 7 to 9, it may
be astride at least two (or three) adjacent surfaces of the
housing. In the showing, the opposite side regions of each guide
groove with respect to the slot are formed thinly cLS compared
with the other portions of' the housing and use a mat;erial rich
in flexibility to thereby act as a spring.
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Each of the contacts of the socket, as shown in Figures 11
and 12, comprises a pair of contact pieces 21A, a, terminal
portion 21C and a connecting portion 21B connect:ing these
together. The contact pieces are provided so as to be opposed to
each other as shown in order to receive the post portion of the
header and sandwich it therebetween.
Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the coupled
state of the header and the socket. The post portic~ns of the
contacts of the header pass through the guide grooves of the
socket and are received cmd sandwiched between the mutually
opposed contact pieces of t;he socket and electrically connected
thereto.
The socket, although not shown, is attached in advance, for
example, to a battery unit, and the terminals of the contacts are
connected to the electrodes of the unit. Also, the header,
although not shown, is mounted, for example, on a printed
substrate through the leg ~)ortions of the contacts.
In the socket of the present invention, the plurality of
guide grooves for receiving the respective post portions of the
header thereinto and guidin,g them to the correspondin!~ contacts
of the socket are provided so as to form slots which are thin
enough to be broken when receiving the post portions and so that
those regions of the contacts of the socket which contact with
the post portions of the header may not be exposed outwardly o~
the socket and therefore, the contact portions of the contacts
of the socket are not exposed outwardly of the housing,
irrespective of before and after the connection of the socket and
the header. Accordingly, even when the socket is attached, for
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.
example, to a unit including a battery of large capacity for use,
short-circuiting will not take place and the safety :in handling
will be achieved.
Also, each guide groc,ve is provided so as to be astride at
least two adjacent surfaces of the housing of the socket and
therefore, it becomes possible for the post portions of the
header and the contacts oi. the socket to be connected so as to
become linear with one a.nother or to intersect one another.
Accordingly, about the connection of the header and socket, the
degree of freedom of the d.irection of connection is great.
At least one of the post portions of the conta.cts of the
header is shorter than the other post portions and therefore,
when the post portions and the contacts of the sockel~ are to be
connected together, a diiference in the time for connection
occurs between the longer post portions and the sh.orter post
portion. Thereby, for~ example the connection of a ground
terminal may be staggered :in time so as to take measures such as
improving safety. This also holds true of a case where with
regard to a header differi.ng in the width of the post portions
thereof, the post portic)ns are connected to the contacts of the
socket in a direction intersecting the direction of protrusion
thereof, and further holds true also of a case where with regard
to a header differing in the position of protrusion of the post
portions thereof, the post portions are connected to t]-e contacts
of the socket in a direction intersecting the direction of
protrusion.
