阅读说明：本技术 弹簧连接器 (Spring connector ) 是由 渡边靖 于 2019-09-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：弹簧连接器(2)具有防水用弹性部件(50)。防水用弹性部件(50)具有与触点单元(10)分别对应的筒状部(51)。通过筒状部(51)被相对应的触点单元(10)的第1销(11)与中间部件(13)夹持,防水用弹性部件(50)使触点单元(10)贯穿且也将第1销(11)与中间部件(13)之间水密密封。防水用弹性部件(50)在相邻的筒状部(51)之间具有挡水构造部(52),用于防止与相邻的筒状部分别对应的触点单元(10)的第1销(11)彼此因该第1销(11)彼此之间的水的存在而电导通。(The spring connector (2) has a waterproof elastic member (50). The waterproof elastic member (50) has cylindrical sections (51) corresponding to the contact units (10). The cylindrical part (51) is clamped between the 1 st pin (11) and the intermediate member (13) of the corresponding contact unit (10), and the waterproof elastic member (50) penetrates the contact unit (10) and seals the space between the 1 st pin (11) and the intermediate member (13) in a watertight manner. The waterproof elastic member (50) has a water-blocking structure (52) between adjacent cylindrical sections (51) for preventing the 1 st pins (11) of the contact units (10) respectively corresponding to the adjacent cylindrical sections from being electrically connected to each other due to the presence of water between the 1 st pins (11).)

1. A spring connector is provided with:

a plurality of contact units having a 1 st pin for contacting a 1 st connection object, a 2 nd pin for contacting a 2 nd connection object, and an intermediate member for biasing the 1 st pin and the 2 nd pin in a direction away from each other;

a housing having a cover and a case, the cover having a through hole through which the tip of the 1 st pin is exposed, and the case having a through hole through which the tip of the 2 nd pin is exposed, and supporting the plurality of contact units; and

a waterproof elastic member that has a cylindrical portion corresponding to each of the plurality of contact units and is provided between the cover and the housing, the cylindrical portion being interposed between an inner side of the 1 st pin of the corresponding contact unit and an outer side of the intermediate member, whereby the waterproof elastic member seals the 1 st pin and the intermediate member in a watertight manner,

the waterproof elastic member has a water blocking structure portion between the adjacent cylindrical portions, and the water blocking structure portion prevents conduction between the 1 st pins of the contact units respectively corresponding to the adjacent cylindrical portions due to the presence of water between the 1 st pins.

2. The spring connector of claim 1,

the length of the water blocking structure portion in a cross direction intersecting with the arrangement direction of the adjacent cylindrical portions is equal to or longer than the outer dimension of the cylindrical portion in the cross direction.

3. A spring connector is provided with:

a plurality of contact units having a 1 st pin for contacting a 1 st connection object, a 2 nd pin for contacting a 2 nd connection object, and an intermediate member for biasing the 1 st pin and the 2 nd pin in a direction away from each other;

a housing having a cover and a case, the cover having a through hole through which the tip of the 1 st pin is exposed, and the case having a through hole through which the tip of the 2 nd pin is exposed, and supporting the plurality of contact units; and

a waterproof elastic member that has a cylindrical portion corresponding to each of the plurality of contact units and is provided between the cover and the housing, the cylindrical portion being interposed between an inner side of the 1 st pin of the corresponding contact unit and an outer side of the intermediate member, whereby the waterproof elastic member seals the 1 st pin and the intermediate member in a watertight manner,

the waterproof elastic member has a water-blocking structure portion between the adjacent cylindrical portions, and the length of the water-blocking structure portion in a cross direction intersecting with the arrangement direction of the adjacent cylindrical portions is equal to or longer than the outer dimension of the cylindrical portion in the cross direction.

4. The spring connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the water blocking structure includes a protrusion.

5. The spring connector of claim 4,

the protrusion has an upper end contacting an inner side of the cover in a state where the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object.

6. The spring connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the water blocking structure includes a groove.

7. The spring connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the housing supports the plurality of contact units so that the plurality of contact units penetrate through an internal space defined between the cover and the housing,

the waterproof elastic member is provided between the cover and the housing to divide the internal space into a 1 st section on the 1 st pin side and a 2 nd section on the 2 nd pin side.

8. The spring connector of claim 7,

the cover has a communication hole communicating the outside with the 1 st partition.

9. The spring connector according to claim 7 or 8,

the waterproof elastic member is elastically deformed by the 1 st pin being pushed against the 1 st connection object,

the 1 st division in the connected state in which the 1 st pin is pushed against the 1 st connection object has a larger division volume than in the non-contact state in which the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object.

10. The spring connector of claim 8,

the waterproof elastic member is elastically deformed by the 1 st pin being pushed against the 1 st connection object,

a divisional volume of the 1 st division in a connected state in which the 1 st pin is pushed against the 1 st connection object is larger than a non-contact state in which the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object,

the communication hole becomes a passage for discharging the water immersed in the 1 st partition to the outside when transitioning from the connected state to the non-contact state.

11. The spring connector of claim 10,

the waterproof elastic member includes:

the cylindrical portion having a convex shape facing the through hole of the cover;

a lower edge portion sandwiched between the cover and the housing; and

a bevel portion between the cylindrical portion and the lower edge portion,

the water that has entered flows down the slope portion to reach the lower edge portion,

the communication hole is provided at a position opposite to the inclined surface portion.

12. The spring connector of claim 11,

when the connection state is established, the outside air flows in through the communication hole, and when the state is changed to the non-contact state, the inflowing air is discharged from the communication hole.

13. The spring connector according to claim 11 or 12,

the communication hole is provided at a position where a lower end of the communication hole is close to an upper surface of the lower edge.

14. A spring connector is provided with:

a contact unit having a 1 st pin for contacting a 1 st connection object, a 2 nd pin for contacting a 2 nd connection object, and an intermediate member for biasing the 1 st pin and the 2 nd pin in a direction away from each other;

a housing having a cover and a case, the cover supporting the contact unit, the cover having a through hole through which a tip of the 1 st pin is exposed, the case having a through hole through which a tip of the 2 nd pin is exposed; and

a waterproof elastic member that has a cylindrical portion corresponding to the contact unit and is provided between the cover and the housing, the cylindrical portion being interposed between an inner side of the 1 st pin of the corresponding contact unit and an outer side of the intermediate member, whereby the waterproof elastic member seals the 1 st pin and the intermediate member in a watertight manner,

the waterproof elastic member includes:

the cylindrical portion having a convex shape facing the through hole of the cover;

a lower edge portion sandwiched between the cover and the housing; and

a bevel portion between the cylindrical portion and the lower edge portion,

the cover has a communication hole provided at a position opposite to the inclined surface portion.

15. The spring connector of claim 14,

the housing supports the contact unit so that the contact unit penetrates through an internal space defined between the cover and the housing,

the waterproof elastic member is provided between the cover and the housing to divide the internal space into a 1 st section on the 1 st pin side and a 2 nd section on the 2 nd pin side,

the communication hole communicates the outside with the 1 st partition.

16. The spring connector of claim 15,

the waterproof elastic member is elastically deformed by the 1 st pin being pushed against the 1 st connection object,

a divisional volume of the 1 st division in a connected state in which the 1 st pin is pushed against the 1 st connection object is larger than a non-contact state in which the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object,

the communication hole becomes a passage for discharging the water immersed in the 1 st partition to the outside when transitioning from the connected state to the non-contact state.

17. The spring connector of claim 16,

when the connection state is established, the outside air flows in through the communication hole, and when the state is changed to the non-contact state, the inflowing air is discharged from the communication hole.

18. The spring connector according to any one of claims 14 to 17,

the communication hole is provided at a position where a lower end of the communication hole is close to an upper surface of the lower edge.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a spring connector.

Background

The spring connector is used to electrically connect a 1 st electronic device (for example, a mobile communication device such as a smartphone or a business wireless terminal) as one connection object and a 2 nd electronic device (for example, a charging cradle or the like of the mobile communication device) as the other connection object.

The spring connector holds a conductive, retractable pin-shaped contact unit so that both ends thereof are exposed. The spring connector is used in a state in which the 1 st pin as one end portion of the contact unit is opened to connect to the 1 st electronic device and in a state in which the 2 nd pin as the other end portion of the contact unit is connected to the circuit of the 2 nd electronic device. The spring connector is seen by the ordinary consumer as being incorporated in the 2 nd electronic device.

The 1 st electronic device is provided with a concave-convex structure portion for contacting with the spring connector. When the spring connector is inserted into the concave-convex structure and the 1 st electronic device is pushed against the spring connector, the 1 st pin of the contact unit is pressed against the electrode provided on the concave-convex structure, and the electrical conduction is ensured. Thereby, the 1 st electronic device is electrically connected to the 2 nd electronic device. Since the user of the 1 st electronic device can electrically connect the 1 st electronic device and the 2 nd electronic device by simply pushing the 1 st electronic device against the spring connector, the 1 st electronic device and the 2 nd electronic device are used in many devices from the viewpoint of improving convenience.

From the viewpoint of convenience, spring connectors are required to be waterproof, and manufacturers are also required to make efforts to meet the demands.

For example, patent document 1 discloses a structure in which a waterproof elastic member is interposed between a 1 st pin and an intermediate member when a contact unit is assembled, thereby sealing the 1 st pin and the intermediate member in a watertight manner. The intermediate member is a member interposed between the 1 st pin and the 2 nd pin and holding the spring.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-174497

Disclosure of Invention

Miniaturization is one of the demands for spring connectors. As one of the methods for achieving miniaturization, there is a method of setting the arrangement intervals of a plurality of contact units narrower than in the past. However, if the arrangement interval of the contact units is narrow, there is a problem that short-circuiting between the contact units is likely to occur due to sandwiching of the immersed water. In the present specification, for the sake of easy understanding, only "water" is referred to, but a liquid containing water and having the same conductivity as water is also included in the meaning of "water". This is because these liquids can be treated equally to "water" in nature.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a technique for a spring connector that achieves both waterproof performance and miniaturization.

The invention according to claim 1 is a spring connector including:

a plurality of contact units having a 1 st pin for contacting a 1 st connection object, a 2 nd pin for contacting a 2 nd connection object, and an intermediate member for biasing the 1 st pin and the 2 nd pin in a direction away from each other;

a housing having a cover and a case, the housing supporting the plurality of contact units, the cover having a through hole through which a tip of the 1 st pin is exposed, the case having a through hole through which a tip of the 2 nd pin is exposed; and

a waterproof elastic member having a cylindrical portion corresponding to each of the plurality of contact units and provided between the cover and the housing, the cylindrical portion being interposed between an inner side of the 1 st pin of the corresponding contact unit and an outer side of the intermediate member, whereby the waterproof elastic member seals the 1 st pin and the intermediate member in a watertight manner,

the waterproof elastic member has a water blocking structure between the adjacent cylindrical portions, and the water blocking structure prevents conduction between the 1 st pins of the contact units respectively corresponding to the adjacent cylindrical portions due to the presence of water between the 1 st pins.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the length of the water blocking structure portion in a cross direction intersecting with the arrangement direction of the adjacent cylindrical portions is equal to or longer than the outer dimension of the cylindrical portion in the cross direction.

The invention according to claim 2 is a spring connector including:

a plurality of contact units having a 1 st pin for contacting a 1 st connection object, a 2 nd pin for contacting a 2 nd connection object, and an intermediate member for biasing the 1 st pin and the 2 nd pin in a direction away from each other;

a housing having a cover and a case, the housing supporting the plurality of contact units, the cover having a through hole through which a tip of the 1 st pin is exposed, the case having a through hole through which a tip of the 2 nd pin is exposed; and

a waterproof elastic member having a cylindrical portion corresponding to each of the plurality of contact units and provided between the cover and the housing, the cylindrical portion being interposed between an inner side of the 1 st pin of the corresponding contact unit and an outer side of the intermediate member, whereby the waterproof elastic member seals the 1 st pin and the intermediate member in a watertight manner,

the waterproof elastic member has a water-blocking structure portion between the adjacent cylindrical portions, and the length of the water-blocking structure portion in the intersecting direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the adjacent cylindrical portions is equal to or longer than the outer dimension of the cylindrical portion in the intersecting direction.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the water blocking structure includes a protrusion.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the protrusion has an upper end contacting an inner side of the cap in a state where the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the water blocking structure includes a groove.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the housing supports the plurality of contact units so that the plurality of contact units penetrate through an internal space defined between the cover and the housing,

the waterproof elastic member is provided between the cover and the housing to divide the internal space into a 1 st section on the 1 st pin side and a 2 nd section on the 2 nd pin side.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the cover has a communication hole for communicating the outside with the 1 st partition.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the waterproof elastic member is elastically deformed by the 1 st pin being pushed against the 1 st connection object,

the first partition has a larger partition volume in the 1 st partition in a connected state in which the 1 st pin is pushed against the 1 st connection object than in a non-contact state in which the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the waterproof elastic member is elastically deformed by the 1 st pin being pushed against the 1 st connection object,

a volume of the 1 st division in a connected state in which the 1 st pin is pushed against the 1 st connection object is larger than a non-contact state in which the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object,

when the connection state is changed to the non-contact state, the communication hole is a passage for discharging the water immersed in the 1 st section to the outside.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the waterproof elastic member includes: the cylindrical portion having a convex shape facing the through hole of the lid; a lower edge portion sandwiched between the cover and the housing; and an inclined surface portion between the cylindrical portion and the lower edge portion,

the water that has entered flows down the inclined surface portion to reach the lower edge portion,

the communication hole is provided at a position opposite to the inclined surface portion.

The following spring connectors are also possible: when the connection state is established, the outside air flows in through the communication hole, and when the connection state is changed to the non-contact state, the inflowing air is discharged from the communication hole.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the communication hole is provided at a position where a lower end of the communication hole is close to an upper surface of the lower edge.

The 3 rd aspect of the present invention is a spring connector including:

a contact unit having a 1 st pin for contacting a 1 st connection object, a 2 nd pin for contacting a 2 nd connection object, and an intermediate member for biasing the 1 st pin and the 2 nd pin in a direction away from each other;

a housing having a cover and a case, the housing supporting the contact unit, the cover having a through hole through which a tip of the 1 st pin is exposed, the case having a through hole through which a tip of the 2 nd pin is exposed; and

a waterproof elastic member having a cylindrical portion corresponding to the contact unit and provided between the cover and the housing, the cylindrical portion being interposed between an inner side of the 1 st pin of the corresponding contact unit and an outer side of the intermediate member, whereby the waterproof elastic member seals the 1 st pin and the intermediate member in a watertight manner,

the waterproof elastic member includes:

the cylindrical portion having a convex shape facing the through hole of the lid;

a lower edge portion sandwiched between the cover and the housing; and

an inclined surface portion between the cylindrical portion and the lower edge portion,

the cover has a communication hole provided at a position facing the inclined surface portion.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the housing supports the contact unit so that the contact unit penetrates through an internal space defined between the cover and the housing,

the waterproof elastic member is provided between the cover and the housing to divide the internal space into a 1 st section on the 1 st pin side and a 2 nd section on the 2 nd pin side,

the communication hole communicates the outside with the 1 st partition.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the waterproof elastic member is elastically deformed by the 1 st pin being pushed against the 1 st connection object,

a volume of the 1 st division in a connected state in which the 1 st pin is pushed against the 1 st connection object is larger than a non-contact state in which the 1 st pin is not in contact with the 1 st connection object,

when the connection state is changed to the non-contact state, the communication hole is a passage for discharging the water immersed in the 1 st section to the outside.

The following spring connectors are also possible: when the connection state is established, the outside air flows in through the communication hole, and when the connection state is changed to the non-contact state, the inflowing air is discharged from the communication hole.

The following spring connectors are also possible: the communication hole is provided at a position where a lower end of the communication hole is close to an upper surface of the lower edge.

Effects of the invention

According to the aspect of the present invention, even when water is transferred between the 1 st pin and the through hole thereof and enters the housing, for example, the water can be prevented from being interposed between the adjacent contact units by the water blocking structure. A spring connector which achieves both waterproof performance and miniaturization can be realized.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a spring connector.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing the structure of the spring connector.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an assembled state in a longitudinal section along the arrangement direction of the contact units.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an exploded state in a longitudinal section along the arrangement direction of the contact units.

Fig. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view cut in the extending and contracting direction showing a configuration example of the contact unit, and is a sectional view in a partially assembled state.

Fig. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view cut in the extending and contracting direction showing a configuration example of the contact unit, and is a sectional view in an assembled state.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a structural example of the waterproof elastic member.

Fig. 7 is a conceptual view illustrating a possibility of a moving path of water which is immersed by being transferred to the 1 st pin.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the 1 st electronic device to be connected 1 mounted on the 2 nd electronic device to be connected 2 nd, and the 1 st pin 11 is in contact with the 1 st terminal to be connected 1.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the waterproof elastic member in modification 1.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a waterproof elastic member in modification 2.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a waterproof elastic member in modification 3.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a waterproof elastic member according to modification 4.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining a modification of the height setting in the case where the water stop structure portion is implemented as the protrusion.

Detailed Description

Although an example of the embodiment will be described, it is needless to say that the embodiment to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to the following embodiment. The vertical and horizontal directions of the spring connector will be described with reference to the arrow shown in the drawing. The left and right are considered directions in the case of front (front) view.

[ 1 st embodiment ]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the structure of a spring connector according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing the structure of the spring connector according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view showing a configuration example of the spring connector according to embodiment 1, and is a sectional view in an assembled state in a vertical section along an arrangement direction of the contact units.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a configuration example of the spring connector according to embodiment 1, and is a sectional view in an exploded state in a vertical section along the arrangement direction of the contact units.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the spring connector 2 according to embodiment 1 includes a plurality of contact units 10 arranged in a predetermined arrangement pattern, a housing 30 supporting the contact units 10, and a waterproof elastic member 50 provided in the housing 30.

In the spring connector 2 of the present embodiment, the number of the contact units 10 is five, and the arrangement pattern thereof is one row in the horizontal direction, but the number and arrangement pattern of the contact units 10 to be provided are not limited to the present embodiment.

Fig. 5A is a longitudinal sectional view cut in the extending and contracting direction showing a configuration example of the contact unit 10, and is a sectional view in a partially assembled state. Fig. 5B is a longitudinal sectional view cut in the extending and contracting direction showing a configuration example of the contact unit 10, and is a sectional view in an assembled state.

The contact unit 10 includes a 1 st pin 11 for contacting a 1 st connection object, a 2 nd pin 12 for contacting a 2 nd connection object, and an intermediate member 13 for biasing the 1 st pin 11 and the 2 nd pin 12 in a direction of separating them from each other.

The 1 st pin 11 is made of a conductive material (e.g., copper, a copper alloy, or the like), and serves as a contact portion that is in contact with an electrode of a 1 st electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, a mobile phone, an IC recorder, or the like, without limitation to the type of device) to be connected 1 st. The 1 st pin 11 has a small diameter portion 111 in a projecting shape and a large diameter portion 112 connected to a lower end portion of the small diameter portion 111 in this order from above. A small-diameter hole portion 114 is recessed inside the small-diameter portion 111 concentrically with the projection of the small-diameter portion 111, and a concentric large-diameter hole portion 115 is recessed next to the lower end of the small-diameter hole portion 114.

The small diameter portion 111 and the large diameter portion 112 are connected to each other in a stepped manner, and the upper surface of the large diameter portion 112 is a stepped surface and is in contact with the inner surface of the housing 30 to perform an operation of preventing the 1 st pin 11 from falling off upward.

The small-diameter hole portion 114 is used to connect the 1 st pin 11 and the intermediate member 13.

The 2 nd pin 12 is made of a conductive material (e.g., copper or a copper alloy, etc.), and has a small diameter portion 121 and a large diameter portion 122 in this order from the bottom.

The small diameter portion 121 serves as a contact portion that contacts an electrode of a 2 nd electronic device (for example, a charging cradle of the 1 st electronic device, a device that communicates by being electrically connected to the 1 st electronic device, or the like) to be connected to the 2 nd electronic device.

The large diameter portion 122 is a portion that is loosely fitted to the intermediate member 13.

The intermediate member 13 includes, in order from above, a rod-shaped portion 131, a cylindrical portion 132, and a spring 133 held inside the cylindrical portion 132. The rod-shaped portion 131 and the cylindrical portion 132 are integrally molded from a conductive material (e.g., copper or a copper alloy). The spring 133 is a coil spring made of, for example, a piano wire or a stainless steel wire.

The rod-like portion 131 is a portion pressed into the small-diameter hole portion 114 of the 1 st pin 11. As an assembly procedure, after the rod-like portion 131 is press-fitted into the cylindrical portion 51 of the waterproof elastic member 50, the rod-like portion 131 and the cylindrical portion 51 are press-fitted into the 1 st pin 11. Thereby, the rod-like portion 131 and the cylindrical portion 51 are press-fitted into the large-diameter hole portion 115 of the 1 st pin 11, and the tip end portion of the rod-like portion 131 is press-fitted into the small-diameter hole portion 114 of the 1 st pin 11.

A flange 134 extends from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 132. When the elastic waterproof member 50 is sandwiched between the flange 134 and the 1 st pin 11, the flange is pushed against the lower surface of the elastic waterproof member 50 to support the elastic waterproof member 50.

The contact unit 10 is partially assembled in the state of fig. 5A by assembling the intermediate member 13 and assembling the 2 nd pin 12 and the intermediate member 13. Specifically, 1) the spring 133 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 132, 2) the large diameter portion 122 of the 2 nd pin 12 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 132, and 3) the opening end of the cylindrical portion 132 is narrowed to prevent the 2 nd pin 12 from falling off, thereby being partially assembled in preparation for the assembly of the spring connector 2.

After the partial assembly, the 2 nd pin 12 is biased downward by the spring 133 in a state of being slidable inside the cylindrical portion 132. The 2 nd pin 12 is in a state capable of being projected/received from and electrically connected to the cylindrical portion 132 of the intermediate member 13.

As shown in fig. 3, the housing 30 includes a cover 31 and a case 32 made of insulating resin, and a metal sleeve 33. The housing 30 is assembled by covering the case 32 with the cover 31, thereby dividing the inner space 80. The contact unit 10 is supported by the housing 30 so as to penetrate the internal space 80.

The cover 31 forms a housing space with a step opened downward. The housing space can house the case 32. A through hole 311 through which the 1 st pin 11 can be inserted and the tip end of which is exposed upward of the housing 30 is provided in the ceiling wall portion of the housing space.

Press-fitting holes 312 of the sleeve 33 extend from the left and right outer edges of the cover 31. The sleeve 33 is used for inserting a screw or the like for attachment when attaching the spring connector 2 to the 2 nd connection object. The sleeve 33 may also be insert-molded at the time of manufacturing the cap 31.

The cover 31 has a communication hole 314 (see fig. 1 and 2) in a portion above the level difference between the front and rear surfaces, and an engagement hole 313 in a portion below the level difference between the front and rear surfaces. The engagement hole 313 engages with the engagement claw 322 of the case 32 when the case 32 is assembled.

The left-right width and the front-rear width of the case 32 are lengths that match the size of the opening of the cover 31 into which the case 32 can be inserted from below. The length in the vertical direction, i.e., the height of the case 32 is slightly shorter than the portion with the step of the housing space of the cover 31. Therefore, when the housing 32 is inserted into the cover 31, an inner space 80 (refer to fig. 3) is defined between the upper surface of the housing 32 and the top wall of the cover 31.

The housing 32 has a vertical through hole 321 through which the tip of the 2 nd pin 12 is exposed. When the cover 31 and the housing 32 are assembled, the through-holes 321 correspond one-to-one to the through-holes 311 of the cover 31, and are provided at concentric positions in the up-down direction among the corresponding holes.

The case 32 has engaging claws 322 on the front surface and the rear surface, which engage with the engaging holes 313 of the cover 31 when the cover 31 is assembled. The position where the engagement claw 322 is provided may be any position as long as it can be engaged with the engagement hole 313, and may be provided at other positions such as the left and right side surfaces.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a structural example of the waterproof elastic member 50.

The waterproof elastic member 50 is a member that is impermeable to water and nonconductive and divides an internal space 80 defined by being provided between the cover 31 and the case 32 into a 1 st partition 81 on the 1 st pin 11 side and a 2 nd partition 82 on the 2 nd pin 12 side (see fig. 3). The waterproof elastic member 50 is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber.

The waterproof elastic member 50 is a box-shaped member opened downward, and has a shape in which the bathtub is turned upside down. Specifically, a cylindrical portion 51 and a water blocking structure portion 52 are provided on the upper surface of the waterproof elastic member 50. A slope 53 is formed downward from the entire periphery of the upper surface, and a lower edge 54 is extended in a flange shape from the lower end of the slope 53.

The cylindrical portions 51 correspond to the contact units 10, are provided in the same number as the contact units 10, and have a convex shape facing the through-hole 311 of the cover 31. The cylindrical portions 51 are sandwiched between the 1 st pin 11 and the intermediate member 13 of the corresponding contact unit 10, and are interposed between the inside of the 1 st pin 11 and the outside of the intermediate member 13, thereby sealing the 1 st pin 11 and the intermediate member 13 in a watertight manner (see fig. 5B).

The water blocking structure 52 is provided between adjacent cylindrical portions 51. Specifically, the water blocking structure 52 is designed as a wall-shaped protrusion, and the length in the cross direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the adjacent cylindrical portions 51 (the same as the arrangement direction of the contact units 10) is designed to be equal to or greater than the outer dimension of the cylindrical portions 51 in the cross direction, when viewed from the downward direction of the protrusion (corresponding to the downward direction of the spring connector 2 viewed from directly above). In fig. 6, the length of the water blocking structure 52 in the front-rear direction is equal to or greater than the length of the cylindrical portion 51 in the front-rear direction. The water stop structure 52 is set to have a height such that the upper end thereof is in contact with the inside of the cover 31 in a state where the 1 st pin 11 is not in contact with the 1 st connection object (see the partially enlarged view of fig. 3). The water stop structure 52 may have a height such that the upper end thereof does not contact the inside of the cover 31 in a state where the 1 st pin 11 does not contact the 1 st connection object.

The lower edge 54 functions as a watertight packing between the cover 31 and the case 32 by being sandwiched therebetween when the cover 31 and the case 32 are assembled.

Next, an assembly flow of the spring connector 2 will be explained.

First, as described above, the 2 nd pin 12 of the contact unit 10 is partially assembled with the intermediate member 13 (see fig. 5A).

Next, the contact unit 10 is lifted up with the waterproof elastic member 50 interposed therebetween, and the both are partially assembled (see fig. 5B). Specifically, the rod-shaped portion 131 of the partially assembled contact unit 10 is inserted through the cylindrical portion 51 of the waterproof elastic member 50. At this time, the insertion direction corresponds to the protruding direction of the cylindrical portion 51. Then, the rod-like portion 131 in a state of protruding from the cylindrical portion 51 is press-fitted into the small-diameter hole portion 114 and the large-diameter hole portion 115 of the 1 st pin 11. Thus, the cylindrical portion 51 is elastically deformed to fill the space between the large-diameter hole portion 115 of the 1 st pin 11 and the rod portion 131, and is sandwiched between the large-diameter hole portion 115 of the 1 st pin 11 and the rod portion 131 in a watertight manner. In the present embodiment, since five contact units 10 are used, five contact units are similarly assembled.

Next, the partially assembled contact unit 10 and the waterproof elastic member 50 are covered with the housing. At this time, the 2 nd pin 12 of each contact unit 10 is inserted into the through hole 321 of the housing 32. The lower edge 54 of the waterproof elastic member 50 is mounted on the outer edge of the housing 32.

Next, the housing 32 into which the contact unit 10 is inserted is covered and press-fitted so as to be accommodated in the cover 31. At this time, the 1 st pin 11 of the contact unit 10 is inserted into the through hole 311 of the cover 31 and press-fitted. During the press-fitting, the lower edge 54 of the waterproof elastic member 50 is sandwiched between the lower surface of the portion with the step of the housing space of the cover 31 and the upper surface of the outer peripheral portion of the case 32. When the press-fitting amount is sufficient, the engagement claws 322 of the case 32 are fitted into the engagement holes 313 of the cover 31, and the cover 31 and the case 32 are integrally fixed to the waterproof elastic member 50. Accordingly, the assembly of the spring connector 2 is completed.

The operation and effect of the water blocking structure 52 will be described.

In a non-contact state where the 1 st pin 11 is not connected to the 1 st electronic device to be connected, the spring connector 2 is in a state shown in fig. 3. Since there is a small gap between the 1 st pin 11 and the through-hole 311 of the cover 31, it is impossible to determine the possibility that water is transmitted from the outside through the gap and enters.

Fig. 7 is a conceptual view illustrating a possibility of a moving path of water which is transferred and immersed in the 1 st pin 11. The water that has been transferred to and entered between the 1 st pin 11 and the through-hole 311 of the cover 31 is transferred downward to the outer surface of the 1 st pin 11 and further drops down on the slope 53 of the waterproof elastic member 50 to the vicinity of the lower edge 54, as shown in path example K1.

In the case where the path through which the 1 st pin 11 is transmitted is between the adjacent contact units 10 as shown in path example K2, in the conventional spring connector without the water blocking structure 52, the water may remain in a state of being interposed between the adjacent contact units 10. In particular, if the interval between adjacent contact units 10 is shortened, the adhesion of water is easily exhibited, and water in a state of adhering to the adjacent contact units 10 so as to connect them remains as it is, which may cause an electrical short circuit.

If the arrangement interval of the contact units 10 can be sufficiently secured with respect to the amount of water entering, even if water reaches between the contact units 10, short-circuiting via water does not occur. However, in order to miniaturize the spring connector 2, it is desirable to set the arrangement interval of the contact units 10 as narrow as possible. As the arrangement interval of the contact units 10 is set narrower, even when the amount of water to be immersed is small, the 1 st pins 11 of the adjacent contact units 10 are likely to be electrically connected to each other by the presence of water between the 1 st pins, and short-circuited.

However, the spring connector 2 of the present embodiment has a wall-shaped water blocking structure 52 between adjacent contact units 10. Therefore, the water that has entered as in the case of the route K2 is guided by the inclined surface portion 53, falls down on the inclined surface portion 53, and flows down to the vicinity of the lower edge portion 54. The immersed water does not intervene between the adjacent contact units 10, and does not cause conduction between the adjacent contact units 10.

Although water flowing down to the vicinity of the lower edge 54 when the inclined surface 53 falls is temporarily left at a position away from the 1 st pin 11, drainage through the communication hole 314 in association with the attachment/detachment operation of the 1 st electronic device to be connected 1 and the 2 nd electronic device to be connected 2 is promoted, and the possibility of occurrence of a short circuit through water can be reduced.

The promotion of water drainage through the communication hole 314 will be described.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a 1 st electronic device (for example, a smartphone) to be connected 1 st attached to a 2 nd electronic device (for example, a charging cradle) to be connected 2 nd, and a 1 st pin 11 in a contact state with a terminal to be connected 1 st.

Here, the volume of the 1 st partition 81 of the internal space 80 is focused. In a connected state where the 1 st pin 11 is pressed against the electrode 91 of the 1 st electronic device T1 to be connected, the waterproof elastic member 50 is elastically deformed. As a result, the partitioned volume of the 1 st partition 81 is larger than that in the non-contact state (see fig. 3) where the 1 st pin 11 is not in contact with the electrode 91 of the 1 st electronic device T1 to be connected 1 st.

The cover 31 is provided with a communication hole 314. The communication hole 314 is provided at a position facing the inclined surface 53 of the waterproof elastic member 50, and a lower end of the communication hole 314 is located close to an upper surface of the lower edge 54 (see fig. 4). The communication hole 314 is a hole that communicates the outside with the 1 st partition 81 at a position near the lower edge 54 of the waterproof elastic member 50. Accordingly, in the connected state where the 1 st pin 11 is pressed against the electrode 91 of the 1 st electronic device T1 to be the 1 st connection target, the outside air corresponding to the increase in the partition volume of the 1 st partition 81 flows into the case 30 through the communication hole 314.

When the 1 st electronic device T1 to be connected 1 is disconnected from the 2 nd electronic device T2 to be connected 2 nd, the partition volume of the 1 st partition 81 is restored to the volume of the untouched state. At this time, the amount of air previously flowing in from the communication hole 314 is pushed out from the housing 30 to be discharged this time. The force of the discharged air flow or the waterproof elastic member 50 elastically deformed to return to its original shape acts on the inside of the housing 30 so as to positively push out the water flowing down to the vicinity of the lower edge 54 of the waterproof elastic member 50 and accumulated in the vicinity of the communication hole 314. The interaction between the communication hole 314 and the waterproof elastic member 50 functions as a dummy pump for removing water from the 1 st partition 81.

When the amount of water flowing down to the vicinity of the lower edge portion 54 of the waterproof elastic member 50 and accumulated increases and reaches the lower end of the hole of the communication hole 314, or when the 2 nd electronic device T2 to be connected is inclined, the water flowing down to the vicinity of the lower edge portion 54 and accumulated can be naturally discharged from the communication hole 314.

As described above, the spring connector 2 according to the present embodiment can prevent a short circuit between the contact units due to the trapping of water, and can achieve both waterproof performance and downsizing.

[ modified example ]

While the embodiment to which the present invention is applied has been described above as an example, the embodiment to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and addition, omission, and modification of the components can be appropriately performed.

[ 1 st modification ]

For example, although the water-blocking structure 52 is implemented as a protrusion in the above embodiment, it may be implemented as a groove as in the water-blocking structure 52B of the waterproof elastic member 50B shown in fig. 9.

[ 2 nd modification ]

As in the water blocking structure 52C of the waterproof elastic member 50C shown in fig. 10, both the protrusion and the groove may be used.

[ 3 rd modification ]

The water stop structure 52 is not limited to a straight wall or groove, and may have a curved design. For example, as shown in fig. 11, the water blocking structure 52D may be designed as an arc-shaped protrusion, and the water blocking structure 52D may surround one of the adjacent contact units 10 in an arc shape. In this case, the water blocking structure 52D is not provided between the adjacent cylindrical portions 51. The water blocking structure 52D may be formed of a groove portion instead of the protrusion portion. The water-blocking structure 52D may be designed so that the groove portion surrounds the outer periphery thereof, and one water-blocking structure 52D may have a protrusion and a groove portion.

[ 4 th modification ]

In the above embodiment, the arrangement of the contact units 10 is exemplified as a linear row, but the arrangement pattern can be changed as appropriate, and the shape of the water blocking structure 52 can be set as appropriate according to the arrangement pattern, as well as the shape of the embodiment.

For example, in the case of an arrangement pattern in which two rows are arranged and five contact units 10 are arranged for each 1 row as in the waterproof elastic member 50E shown in fig. 12, the water blocking structure 52E may be provided not only between the contact units 10 adjacent in the left-right direction but also between the contact units 10 adjacent in the front-rear direction. The water stop structure 52E may be implemented by a groove instead of the protrusion as shown in fig. 12.

[ 5 th modification ]

In the above embodiment, the water blocking structure 52 is implemented as a protrusion, and the height thereof is set to abut against the inner surface of the ceiling wall of the housing 30. In this case, as shown in the enlarged partial view of fig. 3, the water blocking structure 52 contacts the inside of the cover 31 below the step between the small diameter portion 111 and the large diameter portion 112 of the 1 st pin 11. However, the position in the height direction at which the water blocking structure 52 contacts the inside of the cover 31 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in fig. 13, the water blocking structure 52 may be set to abut against the inside of the cover 31 at a position above the step between the small diameter portion 111 and the large diameter portion 112 of the 1 st pin 11.

Description of the reference numerals

2 … spring connector

10 … contact unit

11 … item 1 pin

12 … No. 2 pin

13 … intermediate member

30 … casing

31 … cover

32 … casing

50 … waterproof elastic member

51 … cylindrical part

52(52B, 52C, 52D, 52E, 52F) … Water stop Structure

53 … ramp portion

54 … lower edge

80 … inner space

81 … partition 1

82 partition 2 of 82 …

311 … through hole

314 … communication hole

T1 … No. 1 electronic device

T2 … electronic device No. 2.