JP2024101358A - connector - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that does not require a slide mold when manufacturing a housing and can be manufactured at low cost.
[Solution] A housing 12 of a connector 1 is connected to a board 2 via a peg 3. A support portion 126 that supports the peg 3 is provided on a side wall 122 of the housing 12. The support portion 126 includes a locking portion 1261 extending in the front-rear direction X, and a first bridge 1261-1 and a second bridge 1261-2 that connect the locking portion 1261 and the side wall 122. An accommodation space S is provided between the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2. The connector 1 also includes a first space a1 and a second space a2.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a connector.

Conventionally, there is known a board connector in which a resin box-shaped housing that holds terminals is fixed to the board by pegs (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the board connector described in Patent Document 1, a roughly pocket-shaped press-fit portion that opens upward and downward is formed in the side wall of the housing, and with a peg pressed into this press-fit portion, the lower end of the peg is fixed to the board by soldering or the like, thereby fixing the housing to the board.

JP 2021-61188 A

However, in the above-mentioned board connector, due to the structure in which a press-fit portion that opens in the vertical direction is provided on the box-shaped housing side wall that opens in the front-back direction, a slide mold is required to form the opening in the vertical direction, for example, when molding the housing from resin. This can lead to problems such as a reduced number of products that can be molded from one mold, and an increased man-hour required to manufacture the housing, which ultimately increases the manufacturing cost of the board connector.

The object of the present invention is to obtain a connector that does not require a slide mold for manufacturing the housing and can be manufactured at low cost.

In order to solve the above problem and achieve the above object, the connector is a connector in which a box-shaped housing that opens on one side in a predetermined direction and accommodates terminals is connected to a board via a connecting member, and a support portion that supports the connecting member is provided on a side wall of the housing, and the support portion includes a locking portion that faces the board and extends in a predetermined direction at a distance from the side wall, a first bridge that connects the locking portion to the side wall, and a second bridge that is provided at a distance from the first bridge in the predetermined direction and connects the locking portion to the side wall, and the first bridge and the second bridge are arranged in positions that do not overlap in the predetermined direction, and the connector includes an accommodation space provided between the first bridge and the second bridge, a first space that extends from the first bridge along the second bridge through the accommodation space and opens to the other side in the predetermined direction, and a second space that extends from the second bridge along the first bridge through the accommodation space and opens to one side in the predetermined direction.

The present invention makes it possible to obtain a connector that does not require a slide mold to manufacture the housing and can be manufactured at low cost.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a connector, a substrate, and a peg according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3A is a perspective view showing a state in which a connector and a board are connected with a peg, and FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged view of region A in FIG. 2 . FIG. 4A is a plan view of the housing, and FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3A, and FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram showing a housing in the middle of being molded from resin. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the housing in the middle of being molded from resin, as viewed from above. 6A is a plan view of the connector connected to the board, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6A. FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of region B in FIG.

The connector 1 will be described below. The connector 1 of this embodiment is a board connector that is connected to a board 2 of an electronic device mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile via a peg 3 (connecting member). In the figure, X, Y, and Z are mutually orthogonal directions. The depth direction of the housing 12, which will be described later, is the front-rear direction and is referred to as the "front-rear direction X". One side of the front-rear direction X is referred to as the "front side X1" and the other side is referred to as the "rear side X2". The front-rear direction X is also the specified direction in the present invention.

The width direction of the housing 12, which will be described later, is the left-right direction and is referred to as the "left-right direction Y". One side of the left-right direction Y is referred to as the "left side Y1" and the other side as the "right side Y2". The thickness direction of the board 2 is referred to as the height direction and is referred to as the "height direction Z". One side of the height direction Z is referred to as the "upper side Z1" and the other side as the "lower side Z2". This is merely for convenience of explanation, and does not necessarily match the directions in actual use, and is not intended to limit the directions in actual use.

As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 comprises a plurality of terminals 11 connected to a board 2, and a housing 12 that accommodates the terminals 11. The terminals 11 are formed into a substantially L-shape by bending a metal wire member at substantially right angles in two places, and comprise a board connection portion 111 and a component connection portion 112. The board connection portion 111 is formed at the end of the rear side X2 of the terminal 11, and is connected to the board 2. The component connection portion 112 is formed at the end of the front side X1 of the terminal 11, and is inserted into the housing 12 to be connected to a mating terminal of a mating connector (not shown) that fits into the housing 12.

The housing 12 is a box-shaped resin member that opens to the front side X1 (one side in a predetermined direction) and houses the terminal 11, and includes a bottom wall 121, a side wall 122, an upper wall 123, a rear wall 124, a flange portion 125, and a support portion 126.

The bottom wall 121 faces the upper side Z1, which is the mounting surface of the substrate 2, and extends parallel to said surface. The side walls 122 rise from both ends of the bottom wall 121 in the left-right direction Y to the upper side Z1 and extend in the front-rear direction X. The upper wall 123 extends in the left-right direction Y from the upper edge of one side wall 122 to the upper edge of the other side wall 122, and faces the bottom wall 121 in the height direction Z. The upper wall 123 has a plurality of recessed hollow portions 123a that open to the upper side Z1 and the rear side X2. The hollow portions 123a are formed to randomize the orientation of fibers such as glass fibers contained in the resin when the housing 12 is resin-molded. The hollow portions 123a prevent the orientation of the fibers from being constant, thereby preventing the housing 12 from warping due to the effects of heat, etc.

The rear wall 124 rises from the rear edge of the bottom wall 121 to the upper side Z1 and closes the rear side X2 of the housing 12. The rear wall 124 has a plurality of insertion holes (not shown) that penetrate in the front-rear direction X and through which the terminals 11 are inserted as shown in FIG. 6. The flange portion 125 is a portion provided for purposes such as waterproofing or dustproofing, and is formed around the entire periphery of the opening edge of the housing 12 and spreads outward from the opening. On both sides of the left-right direction Y of the flange portion 125, die punch holes 125a that penetrate in the front-rear direction X are formed.

The die hole 125a is connected to the second space a2, which will be described later. For example, as shown in FIG. 2(B), the die hole 125a may be set to a dimension S1 of 0.5 mm in the left-right direction Y and a dimension S2 of 1.5 mm in the height direction Z. Taking the IP40 standard into consideration, it is more preferable to set the dimensions so that solid objects with a diameter of 1 mm or more cannot enter.

The support portion 126 is a portion that supports the peg 3 as a connecting member that connects the housing 12 to the board 2, and is provided on each side wall 122. As shown in FIG. 3(A), the support portion 126 includes a locking portion 1261, a first bridge 1261-1, and a second bridge 1261-2. The locking portion 1261 is formed in a flat plate shape, with its lower edge facing the board 2 in the height direction Z and extending in the front-rear direction X with a gap in the left-right direction Y from the side wall 122.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the front side X1 of the locking portion 1261 is a wide portion 1261a that has a larger dimension (width) in the height direction Z than the other portions. The wide portion 1261a is the portion of the locking portion 1261 where the hook portion 32 of the peg 3, which will be described later, hooks and its vicinity, and the formation of this wide portion 1261a improves the strength that supports the hook portion 32.

The first bridge 1261-1 is a member that connects the front end X1 of the engagement portion 1261 to the side wall 122, and is formed in a plate shape as shown in FIG. 3(A).

The second bridge 1261-2 is a member that connects the rear end X2 of the engagement portion 1261 to the side wall 122, and is formed in a plate shape and spaced apart from the first bridge 1261-1 in the front-rear direction X, as shown in FIG. 3(A).

As shown in FIG. 4A, the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2 are arranged adjacent to each other in the height direction Z. That is, the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2 are arranged in positions where they do not overlap in the front-rear direction X. Specifically, the second bridge 1261-2 is arranged on the upper side Z1 of the first bridge 1261-1, and the upper surface of the first bridge 1261-1 is located on the same plane as the lower surface of the second bridge 1261-2. Note that the arrangement of the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2 may be reversed. That is, the first bridge 1261-1 may be arranged on the upper side Z1 of the second bridge 1261-2. In this case, it is preferable that the lower surface of the first bridge 1261-1 is located on the same plane as the upper surface of the second bridge 1261-2.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), an accommodation space S is formed between the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2 in the front-rear direction X. As shown in FIG. 7, this accommodation space S is intended to accommodate the hook portion 32 of the peg 3, which will be described later. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(A), a first space a1 is formed on the lower side Z2 of the second bridge 1261-2, and a second space a2 is formed on the upper side Z1 of the first bridge 1261-1.

The first space a1 extends from the first bridge 1261-1 through the storage space S along the second bridge 1261-2 on the lower side Z2 of the second bridge 1261-2 in the front-rear direction X and opens to the rear side X2.

The second space a2 extends from the second bridge 1261-2 through the storage space S along the first bridge 1261-1 on the upper side Z1 of the first bridge 1261-1 in the front-rear direction X and opens to the front side X1.

Next, the board 2 to which the connector 1 is connected will be described. The board 2 is, for example, a printed circuit board in which electronic components are soldered to a plate member, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a pad portion 21 and a terminal connection portion 22. The pad portion 21 is a portion for soldering the fixing portion 33 of the peg 3, which will be described later, and is made of copper foil. The terminal connection portion 22 is a portion to which the board connection portion 111 of the terminal 11 described above is connected, and multiple terminal connection portions 22 are formed to correspond to each terminal 11.

Next, the peg 3 that fixes the connector 1 to the board 2 will be described. The peg 3 is formed by bending a metal plate member, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a flat plate portion 31, a hook portion 32, and a fixing portion 33. The flat plate portion 31 faces the side wall 122 of the housing 12 and extends in the front-rear direction X. The hook portion 32 is formed by folding back from the upper edge of the flat plate portion 31 toward the housing 12. When the hook portion 32 is attached to the housing 12, it hooks onto the upper edge of the locking portion 1261 of the support portion 126, and is accommodated in the accommodation space S.

The hook portion 32 has a protrusion 32a that protrudes toward the wall surface on the wall surface facing the side wall 122 of the housing 12. As shown in FIG. 7, when the hook portion 32 is attached to the locking portion 1261, the protrusion 32a bites into the side wall 122 to secure the peg 3. The fixing portion 33 is the portion that is soldered to the pad portion 21 of the substrate 2, and is formed by folding back toward the opposite side of the hook portion 32, i.e., toward the outside in the left-right direction Y.

Next, the molding of the housing 12 of the connector 1 will be described. The housing 12 is molded, for example, by resin molding. In this case, as described above, the housing 12 opens to the front side X1, the first space a1 opens to the rear side X2, the second space a2 opens to the front side X1, and the hollowed-out portion 123a opens to the rear side X2, so that all of these opening directions are aligned in the front-to-rear direction X. For this reason, the mold for molding the housing 12 is positioned so that it opens in the front-to-rear direction X.

Figure 4 (B) is a schematic diagram showing the housing 12 in the middle of resin molding, and shows the mold for molding the support portion 126. Here, a first mold D1 is closed, extending in the front-rear direction X from the portion where the opening of the first space a1 is formed toward the front side X1 to the position where the end of the rear side X2 of the first bridge 1261-1 is formed. Then, a second mold D2 is closed, extending in the front-rear direction X from the portion where the second space a2 is formed toward the rear side X2 through the portion where the mold hole 125a is formed to the position where the end of the front side X1 of the second bridge 1261-2 is formed.

Here, the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2 are arranged so as not to overlap in the front-to-rear direction X, so the first mold D1 and the second mold D2 do not interfere with each other in the front-to-rear direction X. On the other hand, the first bridge 1261-1 extends along the second bridge 1261-2, and the second bridge 1261-2 extends along the first bridge 1261-1, so the first mold D1 and the second mold D2 are adjacent to each other with a portion overlapping in the height direction Z.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the housing 12 during resin molding as seen from the upper side Z1, showing the mold for molding the upper wall 123. Here, multiple third molds D3 are closed, extending in the front-rear direction X from the portion where the opening of the rear side X2 of the lightening portion 123a is formed toward the front side X1 to the position where the end of the front side X1 of the lightening portion 123a is formed.

Then, with the first mold D1, the second mold D2, and the third mold D3 closed as described above, resin is injected and cooled to harden, and then the first mold D1 and the third mold D3 are opened to the rear side X2 and the second mold D2 is opened to the front side X1 to mold the housing 12. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4(A), an accommodation space S is formed in the overlapping portion of the first mold D1 and the second mold D2. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(B), a first bridge 1261-1 is molded in the portion surrounded by the end of the front side X1 of the first mold D1 and the end face of the lower side Z2 of the second mold D2. Also, a second bridge 1261-2 is molded in the portion surrounded by the end of the rear side X2 of the second mold D2 and the end face of the upper side Z1 of the first mold D1.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), a first space a1 is formed on the rear side X2 of the first bridge 1261-1, extending along the second bridge 1261-2 via the storage space S and opening to the rear side X2. Also, a second space a2 is formed on the front side X1 of the second bridge 1261-2, extending along the first bridge 1261-1 via the storage space S and opening to the front side X1.

In this way, even if the housing 12 includes the first bridge 1261-1, the storage space S, the second bridge 1261-2, etc., the housing 12 can be molded without using a slide mold. In other words, the connector 1 of this embodiment is configured as a slideless connector that does not require a slide mold when molding the housing 12.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the connector 1 is a connector 1 in which a box-shaped housing 12 that opens to the front side X1 (one side in a predetermined direction) and accommodates a terminal 11 is connected to a board 2 via a peg 3 (connecting member). A support portion 126 that supports the peg 3 is provided on a side wall 122 of the housing 12. The support portion 126 faces the board 2 and includes a locking portion 1261 that extends in the front-rear direction X (predetermined direction) at a distance from the side wall 122, a first bridge 1261-1 that connects the locking portion 1261 to the side wall 122, and a second bridge 1261-2 that is provided at a distance from the first bridge 1261-1 in the front-rear direction X and connects the locking portion 1261 to the side wall 122. The first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2 are arranged at positions that do not overlap in the front-rear direction X. The connector 1 is provided with an accommodation space S between the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2, a first space a1 that extends from the first bridge 1261-1 along the second bridge 1261-2 through the accommodation space S and opens to the rear side X2 (the other side in the specified direction), and a second space a2 that opens from the second bridge 1261-2 along the first bridge 1261-1 through the accommodation space S to the front side X1 (one side in the specified direction).

According to this configuration, the housing 12 opens to the front side X1, the first space a1 opens to the rear side X2, and the second space a2 opens to the front side X1, and all of these openings are aligned in the front-rear direction X, so that the mold for molding the housing 12 can be provided to open and close in the front-rear direction X. According to the arrangement and shape of the first bridge 1261-1, the second bridge 1261-2, the storage space S, the first space a1, and the second space a2, the first mold D1 and the second mold D2 can be closed in the front-rear direction X as described above. In this case, the resin is injected and cooled with the first mold D1 and the second mold D2 closed, and the first mold D1 and the second mold D2 are opened in the front-rear direction X, so that the storage space S can be molded in the overlapping portion of the first mold D1 and the second mold D2. Also, the first bridge 1261-1 can be molded in the portion surrounded by the end of the front side X1 of the first mold D1 and the end face of the lower side Z2 of the second mold D2. In addition, the second bridge 1261-2 can be molded in the area surrounded by the end of the rear side X2 of the second mold D2 and the end face of the lower-upper side Z1 of the first mold D1. In this way, the housing 12 including the first bridge 1261-1, the second bridge 1261-2, and the support portion 126 having the accommodation space S can be molded without using a slide mold. Therefore, a connector 1 that can be manufactured at low cost without requiring a slide mold when manufacturing the housing 12 can be obtained.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, by providing the flange portion 125 on the housing 12, it is possible to prevent water droplets and dust from entering the housing 12, and the waterproofness and dustproofness of the connector 1 can be improved. Even when the flange portion 125 is provided in this manner, the flange portion 125 has a die punch hole 125a that communicates with the second space a2, so that the die can be opened and closed in the forward and backward direction X via this die punch hole 125a. Therefore, even in the connector 1 with improved waterproofness and dustproofness, a slide die is not required to manufacture the housing 12, and it can be manufactured at low cost.

The upper surface of the first bridge 1261-1 is located on the same plane as the lower surface of the second bridge 1261-2. With this configuration, the positions of the first space a1 and the second space a2 are shifted in the height direction Z, so interference between the molds that are opened and closed in the areas where the first space a1 and the second space a2 are formed can be suppressed.

When attaching the peg 3 to the housing 12, the hook portion 32 of the peg 3 can be hooked onto the upper edge of the locking portion 1261 to secure the peg 3 to the housing 12. In this case, the peg 3 can be secured to the locking portion 1261 anywhere within the accommodation space S that accommodates the hook portion 32, that is, between the first bridge 1261-1 and the second bridge 1261-2. Therefore, the degree of freedom in arranging the peg 3 can be improved compared to the conventional configuration in which the peg is pressed into a roughly pocket-shaped press-fit portion.

In addition, by providing the wide portion 1261a to the locking portion 1261, the strength of the locking portion 1261 can be improved at the portion where the hook portion 32 of the peg 3 is hooked and in the vicinity thereof. Therefore, the state in which the peg 3 is fixed to the housing 12 can be stably maintained.

The above describes in detail the embodiments and modifications of the connector 1 with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention includes design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

a1 First space a2 Second space S Storage space X Front-rear direction (predetermined direction)
X1 Front side (one side)
X2 Rear (other side)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 connector 11 terminal 12 housing 122 side wall 126 support portion 1261 locking portion 1261-1 first bridge 1261-2 second bridge 2 substrate 3 peg (connecting member)

Claims (6)

A connector in which a box-shaped housing that is open on one side in a predetermined direction and that houses terminals is connected to a board via a connecting member,
A support portion that supports the connection member is provided on a side wall of the housing,
the support portion includes a locking portion that faces the substrate and extends in a predetermined direction with a gap between it and the side wall, a first bridge that connects the locking portion and the side wall, and a second bridge that is spaced apart from the first bridge in the predetermined direction and connects the locking portion and the side wall,
the first bridge and the second bridge are disposed at positions not overlapping with each other in the predetermined direction,
An accommodation space provided between the first bridge and the second bridge;
a first space extending along the second bridge from the first bridge through the accommodation space and opening to the other side in the predetermined direction;
a second space extending along the first bridge from the second bridge through the accommodating space and opening to one side in the predetermined direction. The support portion is provided on a side wall of the housing that extends in the predetermined direction,
A flange portion is provided on an edge of the opening of the housing, the flange portion extending outwardly from the opening,
The connector according to claim 1, wherein the flange portion is provided with a die hole communicating with the second space. the predetermined direction is a front-rear direction intersecting a height direction, which is a plate thickness direction of the substrate,
The first bridge and the second bridge are formed in a plate shape,
2. The connector of claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the first bridge is flush with a lower surface of the second bridge. the predetermined direction is a front-rear direction intersecting a height direction, which is a plate thickness direction of the substrate,
The first bridge and the second bridge are formed in a plate shape,
2. The connector of claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the first bridge is flush with an upper surface of the second bridge. The locking portion is formed in a plate shape extending in the predetermined direction,
2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member includes a hook portion that is hooked onto an upper edge of the locking portion and is received in the receiving space. The connector according to claim 5, characterized in that the engaging portion has a wide portion that is wider than other portions at and near the portion where the hook portion of the connecting member is hooked.

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