Connecting method, connecting structure, contact and connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020366010-A1
Application number	US-202016803334-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	May 17, 2019
Publication date	Nov 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A first connection portion is formed at an end portion of a flexible conductor by folding the end portion of the flexible conductor in halves along a folding line extending in a given direction, and a contact-side connection portion of a contact presses the first connection portion from opposite sides in a thickness direction of the first connection portion to thereby electrically connect the contact to the flexible conductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connecting method for electrically connecting a contact having conductivity to a flexible conductor extending in a given direction, the connecting method comprising:
forming a first connection portion at an end portion of the flexible conductor by folding the end portion of the flexible conductor in halves along a folding line extending in the given direction; and pressing the first connection portion with a contact-side connection portion of the contact from opposite sides in a thickness direction of the first connection portion to thereby electrically connect the contact to the flexible conductor.

2 . The connecting method according to claim 1 , wherein the halves of the end portion of the flexible conductor folded along the folding line are bonded together to form the first connection portion.

3 . The connecting method according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of nipping pieces provided to the contact-side connection portion are bent to sandwich the first connection portion from the opposite sides to thereby electrically connect the contact to the flexible conductor.

4 . The connecting method according to claim 1 , wherein the first connection portion is inserted into a slit provided to the contact-side connection portion to thereby electrically connect the contact to the flexible conductor.

5 . A connecting structure in which a contact having conductivity is electrically connected to a flexible conductor extending in a given direction,
wherein the flexible conductor includes a first connection portion that is formed by folding an end portion of the flexible conductor in halves along a folding line extending in the give direction, wherein the contact includes a contact-side connection portion, and wherein the first connection portion is pressed with the contact-side connection portion from opposite sides in a thickness direction of the first connection portion to thereby electrically connect the contact to the flexible conductor.

6 . A contact having conductivity that is to be electrically connected to a flexible conductor extending in a given direction, the contact comprising:
a contact-side connection portion to be connected to a first connection portion that is formed at an end portion of the flexible conductor by folding the end portion of the flexible conductor in halves along a folding line extending in the given direction, wherein the contact-side connection portion presses the first connection portion from opposite sides in a thickness direction of the first connection portion to be electrically connected to the flexible conductor.

7 . The contact according to claim 6 , wherein the contact is formed of a metal sheet,
wherein the contact-side connection portion includes a pair of nipping pieces separately extending in opposite directions, and wherein the pair of nipping pieces are bent to sandwich the first connection portion from opposite sides in a thickness direction of the first connection portion to thereby electrically connect the contact to the first connection portion.

8 . The contact according to claim 6 , wherein the contact is formed of a metal sheet,
wherein the contact-side connection portion includes a slit, and wherein the first connection portion is inserted into the slit to thereby electrically connect the contact to the first connection portion.

9 . A connector comprising:
a plurality of contacts having conductivity; a plurality of flexible conductors connected to the plurality of contacts and each extending in a given direction; and a housing for holding the plurality of contacts, wherein each contact of the plurality of contacts includes: a contact-side connection portion that is disposed at an end of the each contact and connected to a corresponding flexible conductor; a contact portion that is disposed at another end of the each contact and comes into contact with a corresponding contact of a counter connector when the connector is fitted with the counter connector along a fitting axis; and a holding portion that is disposed between the contact-side connection portion and the contact portion and is embedded in and held by the housing, wherein each flexible conductor of the plurality of flexible conductors includes: a first connection portion that is formed by folding an end portion lying in the given direction of the each flexible conductor in halves along a folding line extending in the given direction; and a second connection portion that is disposed at another end portion in the given direction of the each flexible conductor, and wherein the contact-side connection portion of the each contact presses the first connection portion of a corresponding flexible conductor from opposite sides in a thickness direction of the first connection portion, whereby the plurality of contacts are electrically connected to the plurality of flexible conductors.

10 . The connector according to claim 9 ,
wherein the plurality of conductive contacts are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the fitting axis, and wherein the plurality of flexible conductors extend substantially radially about the fitting axis within a plane perpendicular to the fitting axis.

11 . The connector according to claim 10 ,
wherein the second connection portions of the plurality of flexible conductors are aligned in a circumferential direction about the fitting axis within the plane perpendicular to the fitting axis.

12 . The connector according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first connection portion of the each flexible conductor has a width W 1 that is narrower than a width W 2 of a corresponding second connection portion when viewed from a direction along the fitting axis.

13 . The connector according to claim 12 ,
wherein an arrangement pitch P of the plurality of contacts is wider than the width W 1 of the first connection portion of the each flexible conductor and narrower than the width W 2 of the second connection portion of the each flexible conductor when viewed from the direction along the fitting axis.

14 . The connector according to claim 9 , wherein the plurality of flexible conductors are made of conductive fibers.

15 . The connector according to claim 9 , further comprising a cover member covering the first connection portion of the each flexible conductor that is connected to the contact-side connection portion of the each contact while allowing the second connection portion of the each flexible conductor to be exposed.

Assignees

• Japan Aviation Electronics Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nakamura Keisuke

Classifications

• H01R43/048 Primary

  Crimping apparatus or processes (H01R43/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R12/592 Primary

  connections to contact elements · CPC title

• H01R13/02

  Contact members · CPC title

• H01R12/69

  deformable terminals, e.g. crimping terminals · CPC title

• H01R4/182

  for flat conductive elements, e.g. flat cables (H01R4/01 takes precedence) · CPC title