Connector and connector assembly
View Patent ↗A connector includes a cylindrical, elastically deformable insertion portion that is inserted into a recess of a plug contact, the insertion portion having a contact portion placed on an outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion and a pressing portion placed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion and on an opposite side to the contact portion across the fitting axis, part of a sheet-like connection target having a flexible conductor exposed on at least one surface being sandwiched between the pressing portion and an inner surface of the recess in a direction orthogonal to the fitting axis, the inner surface of the recess contacting a front surface of the connection target, and the pressing portion contacting a back surface of the connection target.
1 . A connector comprising:
a plug contact in a cylindrical shape having conductivity and having a recess extending along a fitting axis; and
an inner contact having conductivity and having an insertion portion in a cylindrical shape which is elastically deformable, which is inserted into the recess, and through which the fitting axis passes,
wherein the insertion portion includes: a contact portion that is placed on an outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion and that comes into contact with the plug contact in the recess; and a pressing portion placed on the outer peripheral surface of the insertion portion and on an opposite side to the contact portion across the fitting axis,
wherein part of a sheet-like connection target having a flexible conductor exposed on at least one surface is sandwiched between the pressing portion and an inner surface of the recess in a direction orthogonal to the fitting axis, the inner surface of the recess comes into contact with a front surface of the connection target, and the pressing portion comes into contact with a back surface of the connection target, whereby the plug contact is directly electrically connected to the flexible conductor in a case where the flexible conductor is exposed on the front surface of the connection target, and the plug contact is electrically connected to the flexible conductor via the inner contact in a case where the flexible conductor is exposed on the back surface of the connection target,
wherein the insertion portion includes the contact portion and the pressing portion that are formed in the same position in a direction along the fitting axis, and
wherein, by part of the connection target being sandwiched between the pressing portion and the inner surface of the recess, the insertion portion is elastically deformed such that a spacing between the contact portion and the pressing portion is narrowed, and the contact portion elastically comes into contact with the inner surface of the recess, while the pressing portion elastically presses the part of the connection target toward the inner surface of the recess.
2 . The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the plug contact includes a cylindrical portion and a first flange formed at one end of the cylindrical portion,
the inner contact includes a second flange formed at one end of the insertion portion and placed to be stacked with the first flange,
the recess is formed of an interior of the cylindrical portion, and
the connection target is sandwiched between the first flange and the second flange.
3 . The connector according to claim 2 , comprising a housing having an insulating property and configured to hold the connection target, the plug contact, and the inner contact,
wherein the housing includes:
a top insulator provided with a contact through hole that is penetrated by the cylindrical portion of the plug contact and that is smaller than the first flange; and
a bottom insulator, and
the top insulator is fixed to the bottom insulator such that the cylindrical portion of the plug contact penetrates the contact through hole and that the connection target, the first flange, and the second flange are sandwiched between the top insulator and the bottom insulator.
4 . The connector according to claim 3 , wherein the bottom insulator includes an inner contact temporary holding unit that is inserted into an interior of the insertion portion of the inner contact and that temporarily holds the inner contact.
5 . The connector according to claim 4 , wherein the inner contact temporary holding unit includes: a columnar portion extending along the fitting axis; and a pair of temporary holding pieces protruding from an outer peripheral portion of the columnar portion in a direction that is orthogonal to the fitting axis and that is orthogonal to the contact portion and the pressing portion around the fitting axis, and
the inner contact is temporarily held on the bottom insulator by putting the insertion portion on the inner contact temporary holding unit.
6 . The connector according to claim 5 , wherein the insertion portion of the inner contact includes: a large-diameter portion having a circular cylindrical shape with a center at the fitting axis; and a small-diameter portion joined to the large-diameter portion and having a circular cylindrical shape with a center at the fitting axis,
the inner contact is temporarily held on the bottom insulator by the pair of temporary holding pieces being fitted to an interior of the small-diameter portion, and
the contact portion and the pressing portion are placed on an outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion.
7 . A connector assembly comprising:
the connection target; and
the connector according to claim 1 connected to the connection target,
wherein the connection target includes: an opening corresponding to the recess of the plug contact; and a protruding portion protruding from an edge portion of the opening into the opening, and
the insertion portion is inserted into the recess through the opening while pushing the protruding portion, and the protruding portion, as part of the connection target, is sandwiched between the pressing portion and an inner surface of the recess.