JP7497389B2 - connector - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a connector.

Conventionally, connectors such as board-to-board connectors have been used to electrically connect a pair of parallel circuit boards. Such connectors are attached to each of the opposing surfaces of the pair of circuit boards, and are fitted together to provide electrical continuity. In addition, a technology has been proposed in which reinforcing metal fittings attached to both ends function as locking members to maintain the mated state with the mating connector (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing a reinforcing metal fitting of a conventional connector. In the figure, (a) shows the second reinforcing metal fitting, and (b) shows the first reinforcing metal fitting.

In FIG. 8(b), 851 is a first reinforcing metal fitting attached to both longitudinal ends of the housing of the first connector mounted on the first circuit board (not shown), and in FIG. 8(a), 951 is a second reinforcing metal fitting attached to both longitudinal ends of the housing of the second connector mounted on the second circuit board (not shown).

The first reinforcing metal fitting 851 is a member formed integrally by punching, bending, and other processes on a metal plate, and includes a plate-shaped main body 852 extending in the width direction of the first connector, board connection parts 856 extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector from both ends of the main body 852 and soldered to the first circuit board for fixing, side engagement pieces 858 extending upward from the ends of each board connection part 856, side engagement recesses 858a formed on the surface of the side engagement pieces 858, a curved central engagement piece 854 connected to the center of the main body 852, and a central engagement edge part 854a which is the tip edge of the central engagement piece 854.

The second reinforcing metal fitting 951 is a member formed integrally by punching, bending, and other processes on a metal plate, and includes a plate-shaped main body 952 extending in the width direction of the second connector, a board connection portion 956 extending in the width direction of the second connector from the lower edges of both ends of the main body 952 and soldered to the second circuit board for fixing, side engagement pieces 958 formed on both side shoulders of the main body 952, side engagement protrusions 958a formed on the side edges of the side engagement pieces 958, a curved central engagement piece 954 connected to the center of the main body 952, and a central engagement protrusion 954a formed on the surface of the central engagement piece 954.

When the first connector and the second connector are mated, the side engagement pieces 858 and the central engagement piece 854 of the first reinforcing bracket 851 and the side engagement pieces 958 and the central engagement piece 954 of the second reinforcing bracket 951 engage with each other. Specifically, the side engagement recesses 858a and the central engagement edge 854a of the first reinforcing bracket 851 engage with the side engagement protrusions 958a and the central engagement protrusions 954a of the second reinforcing bracket 951. This locks the first connector and the second connector, and the mated state is maintained. When mating, either the first reinforcing bracket 851 or the second reinforcing bracket 951 engages with the mating reinforcing bracket upside down from the position shown in the figure.

In addition, since the first reinforcing bracket 851 and the second reinforcing bracket 951 are in contact with each other and conductive, by connecting the board connection portion 856 of the first reinforcing bracket 851 to the power line of the first circuit board and connecting the board connection portion 956 of the second reinforcing bracket 951 to the power line of the second circuit board, the power line of the first circuit board and the power line of the second circuit board are electrically connected via the first reinforcing bracket 851 and the second reinforcing bracket 951.

JP 2010-198996 A

However, in the conventional connector, the first reinforcing metal fitting 851 and the second reinforcing metal fitting 951 require rigidity for reinforcement, and the side engaging piece 858 and the central engaging piece 854, and the side engaging piece 958 and the central engaging piece 954 do not have sufficient flexibility compared to the terminals. Therefore, when vibrations or shocks are transmitted when an electronic device on which the first circuit board and the second circuit board are mounted is dropped or subjected to an external force, the respective engaging pieces cannot flexibly deform elastically, and all contact between the first reinforcing metal fitting 851 and the second reinforcing metal fitting 951 is not maintained, and it is considered that sufficient conductivity as a power line cannot be ensured.

In addition, the contact area between the side engagement recess 858a and central engagement edge 854a of the first reinforcing bracket 851 and the side engagement protrusion 958a and central engagement protrusion 954a of the second reinforcing bracket 951 is extremely small, so the contact resistance between the first reinforcing bracket 851 and the second reinforcing bracket 951 is large. This may limit the amount of current that can flow between the power line of the first circuit board and the power line of the second circuit board.

The present invention aims to solve the problems of the conventional connectors, and provide a highly reliable connector that can reliably maintain the engagement between the first terminal of the first connector and the second terminal of the second connector, and can reliably maintain the electrical continuity between the first terminal and the second terminal, thereby reliably maintaining the mating between the first connector and the second connector.

To this end, the connector includes a first connector having a first connector body and a plurality of first terminals aligned in the longitudinal direction of the first connector body and loaded on both sides in the width direction of the first connector body, and a second connector having a second connector body that mates with the first connector body and a plurality of second terminals aligned in the longitudinal direction of the second connector body and loaded on both sides in the width direction of the second connector body, each of the first terminals includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion facing each other, the first contact portion overlaps a corresponding second terminal, and an overlap amount, which is an amount of displacement of the first contact portion in the width direction, is determined by comparing a cross-sectional view of the first connector with that of the second connector so that a central axis in the width direction of the first connector body and a central axis in the width direction of the second connector body coincide with each other. When superimposed on a cross-sectional view , the clearance amount in the width direction of the first connector body is larger than the clearance amount in the width direction of the first connector body, which is the amount of gap generated between the inner wall surface of the protruding end recess of the first connector body, which is formed longitudinally outboard of the first connector body more than the first terminal, and which is a reference surface for positioning the second connector body in the width direction of the first connector body, and the outer wall surface of the second protruding end of the second connector body, which is formed longitudinally outboard of the second connector body more than the second terminal, and which is a reference surface for positioning the first connector body in the width direction of the second connector body, and when the first connector body and the second connector body are engaged, each of the second terminals is inserted between the first contact portion and the second contact portion of the corresponding first terminal and makes contact with the first terminal.

In another connector, the first terminals located at both ends of the first connector body in the longitudinal direction among the multiple first terminals are wider than the other first terminals, and the second terminals located at both ends of the second connector body in the longitudinal direction among the multiple second terminals are wider than the other second terminals.

In yet another connector, all of the first terminals have the same cross-sectional shape, and all of the second terminals have the same cross-sectional shape.

In yet another connector, each of the first terminals further includes a held portion held by the first connector body, and an elastically deformable contact arm having the first contact portion and a second contact portion, one end of which is connected to the held portion, and the second contact portion is located closer to the held portion than the first contact portion.

In yet another connector, each of the first terminals further includes a tail portion that is connected at one end to the held portion and electrically connected to a connection pad on a substrate, and the held portion is located outside the contact arm portion in the width direction of the first connector body.

According to the present invention, the engagement state between the first terminal of the first connector and the second terminal of the second connector can be reliably maintained, and the conductive state between the first terminal and the second terminal can be reliably maintained, so that the mating between the first connector and the second connector is reliably maintained, improving reliability.

1A and 1B are perspective views of a first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a view seen obliquely from above, and FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 5A and 5B are perspective views of a second connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 5A is a view seen obliquely from above, and FIG. 5B is a view seen obliquely from below. 4 is an exploded view of the second connector according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 1A and 1B are three-view diagrams showing a state in which a first connector and a second connector are mated with each other in an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is an oblique view seen from diagonally above, (b) is an oblique view seen from diagonally below, and (c) is a side view. 6A and 6B are diagrams illustrating the relationship between the overlap of the first terminal and the second terminal and the clearance of the first housing and the second housing in an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views taken along the lines AA and BB in FIG. 6C. 1A and 1B are perspective views showing reinforcing metal fittings of a conventional connector, in which FIG. 1A shows a second reinforcing metal fitting and FIG.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded view of the first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from diagonally above, and Figure 3 is an exploded view of the first connector according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from diagonally below. In Figure 1, (a) is a view viewed from diagonally above, and (b) is a view viewed from diagonally below.

In the figure, 1 is a first connector that is one of a pair of board-to-board connectors that are connectors in this embodiment. The first connector 1 is a surface-mount connector that is mounted on the surface of a first board, which is a board not shown in the figure as a mounting member, and is mated with a second connector 101, which is a mating connector described below. The second connector 101 is the other of the pair of board-to-board connectors, and is a surface-mount connector that is mounted on the surface of a second board, which is a board not shown in the figure as a mounting member.

The first connector 1 and the second connector 101 in this embodiment are preferably used to electrically connect the first and second boards as substrates, but can also be used to electrically connect other members. The first and second boards are, for example, printed circuit boards used in electronic devices, flexible flat cables (FFCs), flexible printed circuits (FPCs), etc., but may be any type of board.

In addition, in this embodiment, the expressions indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back used to explain the configuration and operation of each part of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are relative, not absolute, and are appropriate when each part of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is in the position shown in the figure, but if the position changes, they should be interpreted differently depending on the change in position.

The first connector 1 has a first housing 11, which is a housing serving as a first connector body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. As shown in the figure, the first housing 11 has a roughly rectangular thick plate shape that is roughly a rectangular parallelepiped, and a roughly rectangular recess 12 surrounded by a periphery is formed on the side where the second connector 101 is inserted, i.e., the mating surface 11a side (upper side in FIG. 2). A first protrusion 13 serving as an island is formed integrally with the first housing 11 within the recess 12, and side walls 14 extending parallel to the first protrusion 13 are formed integrally with the first housing 11 on both sides of the first protrusion 13.

In this case, the first protrusion 13 and the side wall 14 protrude upward from the bottom surface of the recess 12 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11. As a result, on both sides of the first protrusion 13, as part of the recess 12, a groove portion 12a, which is an elongated recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, is formed between the first protrusion 13 and the side wall 14.

Here, a first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a having a groove shape is formed on both side surfaces of the first protrusion 13. Also, a first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b having a groove shape is formed on the inner side surface of the side wall portion 14. The first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a and the first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b are connected to each other at the bottom surface of the groove portion 12a and integrated with each other, so when describing the first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a and the first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b collectively, they are described as the first terminal-accommodating cavity 15.

In this embodiment, the first terminal accommodating cavities 15 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11 and are formed on both sides of the first housing 11 in the width direction. Specifically, a plurality of first terminal accommodating cavities 15 are formed on both sides of the first protrusion 13 at a predetermined pitch. The first terminals 61 as terminals accommodated in each of the first terminal accommodating cavities 15 are also arranged on both sides of the first protrusion 13 at a similar pitch.

In addition, since there are two types of first terminals 61 accommodated in each of the first terminal accommodating cavities 15, a wide first terminal 61A and a narrow first terminal 61B, there are also two types of first terminal accommodating cavities 15, a wide first terminal accommodating cavity 15A that accommodates the wide first terminal 61A and a narrow first terminal accommodating cavity 15B that accommodates the narrow first terminal 61B. The wide first terminal accommodating cavities 15A are formed on both ends of the longitudinal direction in each row on both sides of the width direction of the first housing 11, and the narrow first terminal accommodating cavities 15B are formed between the wide first terminal accommodating cavities 15A on both ends in each row. In the example shown in the figure, for convenience of explanation, two narrow first terminal accommodating cavities 15B are formed on each side of the first protrusion 13, but the number may be one on each side, three or more on each side, and can be set arbitrarily.

The wide first terminal accommodating cavity 15A and the narrow first terminal accommodating cavity 15B have the same configuration except for the width dimension, so when describing them collectively, they will be described as the first terminal accommodating cavity 15. The wide first terminal 61A and the narrow first terminal 61B have the same configuration except for the width dimension, so when describing them collectively, they will be described as the first terminal 61.

The first terminal 61 is a member integrally formed by punching, bending, and other processes on a conductive metal plate, and includes a held portion 63, a tail portion 62 having one end connected to the lower end of the held portion 63, and an elastically deformable contact arm portion 68 having one end connected to the upper end of the held portion 63. The contact arm portion 68 is a plate member bent into an approximately U-shape, and specifically includes an upper connection portion 67 connected to the upper end of the held portion 63, a second contact portion 66 formed near the inner end of the upper connection portion 67, a lower connection portion 64 connected to the second contact portion 66, and a first contact portion 65 formed near the free end of the lower connection portion 64.

The held portion 63 extends vertically, i.e., in the thickness direction of the first housing 11, and is fitted into and held in the first terminal accommodating outer cavity 15b. The tail portion 62 is bent and connected to the held portion 63, extends outward in the left-right direction, i.e., in the width direction of the first housing 11, and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace of the first board.

Furthermore, the contact arm 68 extends from the held portion 63 toward the inside in the width direction of the first housing 11. Specifically, the upper connection portion 67 is bent and connected to the held portion 63, and extends toward the inside in the width direction of the first housing 11. A second contact portion 66 is formed at the inner end of the upper connection portion 67, which is bent downward and curved so as to protrude toward the inside in the width direction of the first housing 11. The lower connection portion 64 is a portion having a U-shaped side shape connected to the lower end of the second contact portion 66. At the free end of the lower connection portion 64, i.e., near the upper end on the inner side, a first contact portion 65 is formed, which is bent into a U shape and curved so as to protrude toward the outside in the width direction of the first housing 11.

In particular, the first contact portion 65 of the wide first terminal 61A is wider in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, so the contacting portion is curved to have a cylindrical shape with its axis in the longitudinal direction.

The first terminal 61 is inserted into the first terminal accommodating cavity 15 from the mounting surface 11b side (the lower side in FIG. 3), and the held portion 63 is clamped from both sides by the side walls of the first terminal accommodating outer cavity 15b formed on the inner side surface of the side wall portion 14, thereby being fixed to the first housing 11. In this state, that is, in the state in which the first terminal 61 is loaded into the first housing 11, the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 are located on both the left and right sides of the recessed groove portion 12a and face each other. The distance between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 facing each other is set to be narrower than the distance between the first contact portion 165 and the second contact portion 166 of the second terminal 161, which will be described later, provided in the second connector 101. In addition, both the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 are set to overlap the second terminal 161.

The first terminal 61 is a member that is integrally formed by processing a metal plate, and therefore has elasticity. The first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 can both be elastically displaced in the width direction of the first housing 11. The distance between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 that face each other can be elastically changed. That is, when the second terminal 161 is inserted between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66, the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 are elastically displaced in the width direction of the first housing 11, and the distance between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 is elastically expanded.

Furthermore, all of the first terminals 61, i.e., the wide first terminals 61A and the narrow first terminals 61B, have the same longitudinal cross-sectional shape, i.e., the cross-sectional shape along the axis extending from the free end of the tail portion 62, through the held portion 63, to the free end of the contact arm portion 68. Therefore, the electrical length from the tail portion 62 to the contact portion with the second terminal 161 is the same for all of the first terminals 61.

In addition, a first protruding end 21 is provided at each of the longitudinal ends of the first housing 11 as a fitting guide. A protruding end recess 22 is formed as part of the recess 12 at each of the first protruding ends 21. The protruding end recess 22 is a substantially rectangular recess and is connected to both longitudinal ends of each recessed groove portion 12a. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are fitted together, the protruding end recess 22 functions as an insertion recess into which a second protruding end 122 of the second housing 111 of the second connector 101 is inserted.

The pair of inner wall surfaces 22a located on both sides of the width of the first housing 11 in the protruding end recess 22 are planes extending in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11 and in the mating direction of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, and face the pair of outer wall surfaces 122a of the second protruding end 122 inserted into the protruding end recess 22, functioning as reference surfaces for positioning the second housing 111 in the width direction of the first housing 11. The distance between the mutually facing inner wall surfaces 22a is set to be wider than the distance between the outer wall surfaces 122a. In other words, a clearance is set in the width direction of the first housing 11 between the opposing inner wall surfaces 22a and outer wall surfaces 122a.

Furthermore, the first protruding end 21 includes a side wall extension 21b extending from both longitudinal ends of the side wall 14 in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, and an end wall 21c extending in the lateral direction of the first housing 11 and having both ends connected to the side wall extension 21b.

The first protruding end 21 is fitted with a first reinforcing metal fitting 51 as a reinforcing metal fitting. The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is accommodated and held in a first metal fitting holding recess 26 formed on the outer periphery of the first protruding end 21. The first metal fitting holding recess 26 includes a continuous outer end accommodating portion 26a extending in the thickness direction of the first housing 11 and in a direction along the central axis of the V-shaped side wall formed by the end wall portion 21c and the side wall extension portion 21b connected to both ends of the end wall portion 21c, a side plate portion accommodating cavity 26d connected to the outer end accommodating portion 26a and formed between the side wall portion 14 and the side wall extension portion 21b, and opening outward in the width direction of the first housing 11, and a central leg portion accommodating cavity 26c connected to the outer end accommodating portion 26a and opening on the outer surface of the end wall portion 21c.

The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is a member formed as a single unit by punching, bending, and other processes on a metal plate, and includes a first main body portion 52 as a long, thin, strip-shaped main body portion extending in the width direction of the first housing 11, and a first side plate portion 57 as a side plate portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, which is bent and connected to the outer end of the first main body portion 52 in the width direction of the first housing 11. The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is U-shaped when viewed from the mating surface 11a side, and is housed in each of the first metal fitting holding recesses 26.

The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 further includes a first side leg 56 as a board connection part connected to the lower end of the first side plate part 57, and a first central leg 55 as a board connection part connected to the lower end of the widthwise inner end of the first housing 11 in the first main body part 52. The first side leg 56 is a plate-like member extending on the same plane as the first side plate part 57, and the first central leg 55 is a plate-like member extending on the same plane as the first main body part 52. The lower end of the first side leg 56 can be connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad formed on the surface of the first board. By connecting the lower end of the first side leg 56 to the reinforcing connection pad of the first board by soldering or the like, the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 becomes less likely to deform, and the strength of the first housing 11 is more effectively reinforced.

The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is fitted into the first metal fitting retaining recess 26 from the mating surface 11a side, the first side leg 56 is accommodated in the side plate portion accommodating cavity 26d, and the first central leg 55 is accommodated in the central leg portion accommodating cavity 26c, and is fixed to the first housing 11.

Next, the configuration of the second connector 101 will be described.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the second connector in an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is an exploded view of the second connector in an embodiment of the present invention viewed from diagonally above. In Figure 4, (a) is a view viewed from diagonally above, and (b) is a view viewed from diagonally below.

The second connector 101 as a mating connector has a second housing 111 as a mating housing as a second connector main body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. As shown in the figure, the second housing 111 has a roughly rectangular thick plate shape that is roughly a rectangular parallelepiped. On the side of the second housing 111 that is inserted into the first connector 1, that is, on the mating surface 111a side (upper side in FIG. 4(a)), an elongated groove portion 113 extending in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111 and a second convex portion 112 as an elongated convex portion that defines the outside of the groove portion 113 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111 are integrally formed. The second convex portion 112 is formed along both sides of the groove portion 113 and along both sides of the second housing 111.

Each second protrusion 112 has a groove-shaped second terminal accommodating cavity 115 that is formed so as to straddle the inner side surface of the second protrusion 112, the upper surface of the second protrusion 112, and the outer side surface of the second protrusion 112. A second terminal 161 as a mating terminal is accommodated and loaded in the second terminal accommodating cavity 115. As shown in the figure, the groove portion 113 is closed by the bottom on the side that is mounted on the second board, i.e., the mounting surface 111b (the lower surface in FIG. 4B).

In this embodiment, the second terminal accommodating cavities 115 are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111 and are formed on both sides of the second housing 111 in the width direction. Specifically, a plurality of second terminal accommodating cavities 115 are formed in the second protrusion 112 at a predetermined pitch. The second terminals 161 as terminals accommodated in each of the second terminal accommodating cavities 115 are also arranged in a plurality of second terminal accommodating cavities 115 at a similar pitch in the second protrusion 112.

In addition, since there are two types of second terminals 161 accommodated in each of the second terminal accommodating cavities 115, a wide second terminal 161A and a narrow second terminal 161B, there are also two types of second terminal accommodating cavities 115, a wide second terminal accommodating cavity 115A that accommodates the wide second terminal 161A and a narrow second terminal accommodating cavity 115B that accommodates the narrow second terminal 161B. The wide second terminal accommodating cavities 115A are formed on both ends of the length in each row on both sides of the width direction of the second housing 111, and the narrow second terminal accommodating cavities 115B are formed between the wide second terminal accommodating cavities 115A at both ends in each row. In the example shown in the figure, for convenience of explanation, two narrow second terminal receiving cavities 115B are formed in each of the second protrusions 112 on both sides, but the number can be one on each side, three or more on each side, and can be set as desired.

The wide second terminal accommodating cavity 115A and the narrow second terminal accommodating cavity 115B have the same configuration except for the width dimension, so when describing them collectively, they are described as the second terminal accommodating cavity 115. The wide second terminal 161A and the narrow second terminal 161B have the same configuration except for the width dimension, so when describing them collectively, they are described as the second terminal 161.

The second terminal 161 is a member formed integrally by punching, bending, and other processes on a conductive metal plate, and includes a held portion 163, a tail portion 162 connected to the lower end of the held portion 163, a connection portion 164 connected to the upper end of the held portion 163, a first contact portion 165 connected to the inner end of the connection portion 164, and a second contact portion 166 formed on the outer surface of the held portion 163. The portion of the second terminal 161 excluding the tail portion 162 is substantially U-shaped. A second contact recess 166a is formed on the surface of the second contact portion 166.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first contact portion 165 is formed in a planar shape. As described above, the first contact portion 65 of the wide first terminal 61A is cylindrical with the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11 as its axis, so the first contact portion 65 can contact the first contact portion 165 of the planar second terminal 161 in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the entire width of the terminal.

Furthermore, since the first contact portion 65 is formed on the tip side of the first terminal 61, it is relatively flexible, so even if the planar first contact portion 165 is slightly tilted relative to the longitudinal direction, it can follow and make contact across its entire width.

The second terminal 161 is then fitted into the second terminal accommodating cavity 115 from the mating surface 111a side, and the held portion 163 is accommodated in a portion formed on the outer side surface of the second protrusion 112 in the second terminal accommodating cavity 115, and is fixed to the second housing 111 by being clamped from both sides by the side walls. Desirably, the second terminal 161 is fixed integrally with the second housing 111 by a molding method called insert molding or overmolding.

In this state, i.e., when the second terminal 161 is loaded into the second housing 111, the surfaces of the first contact portion 165, the connection portion 164, and the second contact portion 166 are exposed to the respective side surfaces and the mating surface of the second protrusion 112. The tail portion 162 also extends outward from the second housing 111 and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad that is connected to a conductive trace on the second board.

The first contact portion 165 and the second contact portion 166 are fixed to the second housing 111 so as to sandwich the second protrusion 112 from both sides, and therefore neither of them can be substantially displaced in the width direction of the second housing 111, and the distance between them remains unchanged. In other words, even if the second terminal 161 is inserted between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 of the first terminal 61, the first contact portion 165 and the second contact portion 166 do not substantially displace in the width direction of the second housing 111, and the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 are displaced elastically.

Furthermore, all second terminals 161, i.e., both wide second terminals 161A and narrow second terminals 161B, have the same longitudinal cross-sectional shape, i.e., the cross-sectional shape along the axis extending from the free end of tail portion 162, through held portion 163, to the tip of first contact portion 165. Therefore, the electrical length from tail portion 162 to the contact portion with first terminal 61 is the same for all second terminals 161.

The second housing 111 is provided at both longitudinal ends with second protruding ends 122 as mating guides. The second protruding ends 122 are thick members that extend in the width direction of the second housing 111 and have both ends connected to both longitudinal ends of each second convex portion 112. The second protruding ends 122 function as insertion convex portions that are inserted into the protruding end recesses 22 of the first protruding end 21 of the first connector 1 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated.

The pair of outer wall surfaces 122a located on both sides of the width direction of the second housing 111 at the second protruding end 122 are planes extending in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111 and in the mating direction of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, and face a pair of inner wall surfaces 22a of the protruding end recess 22 of the first protruding end 21 into which the second protruding end 122 is inserted, and function as a reference surface for positioning the first housing 11 in the width direction of the second housing 111. The distance between the outer wall surfaces 122a is set to be narrower than the distance between the inner wall surfaces 22a. In other words, a clearance is set in the width direction of the second housing 111 between the opposing inner wall surfaces 22a and the outer wall surfaces 122a.

Next, we will explain the operation of mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 configured as described above.

Figure 6 is a three-view diagram showing the first connector and the second connector in a state where they are mated with each other in an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a diagram explaining the relationship between the overlap of the first terminal and the second terminal and the clearance of the first housing and the second housing in an embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 6, (a) is a perspective view seen diagonally from above, (b) is a perspective view seen diagonally from below, and (c) is a side view, and in Figure 7, (a) and (b) are cross-sectional views taken along the arrows A-A and B-B in Figure 6(c).

In this embodiment, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 may be connected to a signal line or to a power line.

For example, all of the first terminals 61 and all of the second terminals 161 can be connected to the power line as parallel circuits. In this case, the wide first terminal 61A and the narrow first terminal 61B have the same vertical cross-sectional shape and the same electrical length, and only the width dimension is different. Similarly, the wide second terminal 161A and the narrow second terminal 161B have the same vertical cross-sectional shape and the same electrical length, and only the width dimension is different. Therefore, the resistance value depends only on the width dimension, and it is possible to easily perform current division calculations. In addition, since the wide first terminal 61A and the second terminal 161A, which have a large current amount and therefore a large amount of heat, are present at both ends of the first housing 11 and the second housing 111 in the longitudinal direction, heat is easily dissipated to the outside and heat is not trapped inside the first connector 1 and the second connector 101.

For example, the wide first terminal 61A and the second terminal 161A can be connected to a power line, and the narrow first terminal 61B and the second terminal 161B can be connected to a signal line. In this case, for example, a power line from a battery mounted in an electronic device can be connected to the wide first terminal 61A and the second terminal 161A, and a signal line carrying a signal indicating the identification number, remaining charge, temperature, etc. of the battery can be connected to the narrow first terminal 61B and the second terminal 161B. In this case, the wide first terminal 61A and the second terminal 161A to which the power line is connected are present at both ends of the first housing 11 and the second housing 111 in the longitudinal direction, so that heat is easily dissipated to the outside and heat is not trapped inside the first connector 1 and the second connector 101.

Here, the first connector 1 is surface-mounted on the first board by connecting the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace of the first board (not shown) by soldering or the like, and connecting the lower end of the first side leg portion 56 of the first reinforcing bracket 51 to a reinforcing connection pad of the first board by soldering or the like. Note that the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 62 of the narrow first terminal 61B is connected is a signal line, and the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 62 of the wide first terminal 61A is connected is a power line. Also, the connection pads to which the tail portions 62 are connected are separate and distinct from each other. Therefore, each of the four wide first terminals 61A provided in the first connector 1 is connected to each of the four power lines.

Similarly, the second connector 101 is surface-mounted on the second board by connecting the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace of the second board (not shown). The conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 162 of the narrow second terminal 161B is connected is a signal line, and the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 162 of the wide second terminal 161A is connected is a power line. The connection pads to which the tail portions 162 are connected are separate and distinct from each other. Therefore, each of the four wide first terminals 161A provided in the second connector 101 is connected to one of the four power lines.

First, the operator places the mating surface 11a of the first housing 11 of the first connector 1 opposite the mating surface 111a of the second housing 111 of the second connector 101, and when the position of the second convex portion 112 of the second connector 101 matches the position of the corresponding concave groove portion 12a of the first connector 1 and the position of the second protruding end 122 of the second connector 101 matches the position of the corresponding protruding end recess 22 of the first connector 1, the alignment of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is complete.

In this state, when the first connector 1 and/or the second connector 101 is moved in a direction approaching the mating side, i.e., in the mating direction, the second convex portion 112 and the second protruding end portion 122 of the second connector 101 are inserted into the recessed groove portion 12a and the protruding end recessed portion 22 of the first connector 1. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, when the first housing 11 and the second housing 111 are mated and the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 are brought into a conductive state.

In detail, the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101 is inserted between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 of each first terminal 61, the first contact portion 65 of the first terminal 61 contacts the first contact portion 165 of the second terminal 161, and the second contact portion 66 of the first terminal 61 contacts the second contact portion 166 of the second terminal 161. As a result, the conductive trace connected to the connection pad on the first substrate to which the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 is connected and the conductive trace connected to the connection pad on the second substrate to which the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 is connected are electrically connected. In this case, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 are in multi-point contact, so that the conductive state is reliably maintained.

Then, the contact arm 68 functions as a spring, so that the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 clamp the second terminal 161 from both sides. Furthermore, the second contact portion 66 of the first terminal 61 engages with the second contact recess 166a formed on the surface of the second contact portion 166 of the second terminal 161. This firmly holds the second terminal 161 by the first terminal 61, preventing the second terminal 161 from coming off the first terminal 61, and reliably maintaining the engagement between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101.

In addition, due to the function of the contact arm 68 as a spring, even if the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in the width direction of the first housing 11, the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 can maintain a contact state with the first contact portion 165 and the second contact portion 166 of the second terminal 161. Therefore, even if vibrations or shocks generated when an electronic device on which the first and second boards are mounted is dropped or subjected to an external force are transmitted and the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in the width direction of the first housing 11, the conductive state between the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 can be maintained, so that a phenomenon called a momentary interruption in which the conduction is temporarily interrupted does not occur.

Furthermore, since the wide first terminal 61A, which has a stronger spring function of the contact arm 68 than the narrow first terminal 61B, is present on both longitudinal ends of the first housing 11, even if the second housing 111 rotates or displaces relative to the first housing 11, the rotational moment caused by the spring force exerted by the contact arm 68 of the wide first terminal 61A, which is located at a long distance from the center of rotation, is large, so the amount of displacement is suppressed and no interruption occurs.

As described above, the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 of the first terminal 61 are set to overlap with the second terminal 161. Here, overlap means that, assuming that the contact arm portion 68 does not elastically deform, i.e., the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 do not elastically displace, when the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed in a state in which the central axis in the width direction of the first housing 11 and the central axis in the width direction of the second housing 111 are aligned as shown by the axis C, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 overlap with the second terminal 161, and the amount of overlap is the amount of overlap.

In other words, overlap means that when a cross-sectional view of the first connector 1 when the first terminal 61 is in its initial state before the contact arm 68 is elastically deformed is superimposed on a cross-sectional view of the second connector 101 so that the central axis in the width direction of the first housing 11 coincides with the central axis in the width direction of the second housing 111, the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 overlap the second terminal 161, and the amount of overlap is the overlap amount.

In this embodiment, not only one of the two contact portions of the first terminal 61, but both of the two contact portions, i.e., both the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66, are set to overlap with the second terminal 161. Specifically, the overlap amount of the first contact portion 65 is the overlap amount with the first contact portion 165 of the second terminal 161, and is indicated by α1 in FIG. 7(a), and the overlap amount of the second contact portion 66 is the overlap amount with the second contact recess 166a formed on the surface of the second contact portion 166 of the second terminal 161, and is indicated by α2 in FIG. 7(a).

The relationship α1>α2 is set because the second contact portion 66, which is relatively close to the held portion 63 that is held and fixed to the first housing 11, has a relatively low elasticity, i.e., is relatively hard and has a relatively small amount of elastic displacement, whereas the first contact portion 65, which is relatively far from the held portion 63, has a relatively high elasticity, i.e., is relatively soft and has a relatively large amount of elastic displacement.

In this way, both the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 on both sides of the second terminal 161 overlap with the second terminal 161. Therefore, even if the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in either the left or right direction in the width direction of the first housing 11, the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 can displace accordingly, and the second terminal 161 can be maintained in a state of being clamped from both sides. Therefore, even if the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in the width direction of the first housing 11, the second terminal 161 is prevented from coming off the first terminal 61, the engagement between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is reliably maintained, the amount of displacement is suppressed, and no momentary interruption occurs. In addition, the electrical length from the tail portion 62 to the contact portion with the second terminal 161 does not change.

For example, if only the first contact portion 65 overlaps the second terminal 161 and the second contact portion 66 does not overlap the second terminal 161, when the second terminal 161 is displaced in a direction away from the held portion 63 relative to the first terminal 61, the second contact portion 66 cannot displace accordingly and moves away from the second terminal 161. In this case, the state in which the first terminal 61 holds the second terminal 161 from both sides is not maintained, so the engagement between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 becomes uncertain, the amount of displacement increases, and there is a possibility of an instantaneous interruption. Furthermore, the contact with the second terminal 161 at a position close to the tail portion 62 disappears and the contact with the second terminal 161 is made at a position far from the tail portion 62, so the electrical length increases.

As described above, the first housing 11 is set to have a widthwise clearance between the inner wall surface 22a of the protruding end recess 22 of the first housing 11 and the outer wall surface 122a of the second protruding end 122 of the second connector 101. Here, the widthwise clearance of the first housing 11 is a gap between the inner wall surface 22a of the protruding end recess 22 of the first housing 11 and the outer wall surface 122a of the second protruding end 122 of the second connector 101 inserted into the protruding end recess 22 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are fitted together with the center axis of the widthwise direction of the first housing 11 and the center axis of the widthwise direction of the second housing 111 aligned as shown by the axis C, as shown in FIG. 7(b), and the amount of the gap is the amount of clearance.

In other words, the widthwise clearance of the first housing 11 is the gap that occurs between the opposing inner wall surface 22a and outer wall surface 122a when the cross-sectional view of the first connector 1 is superimposed on the cross-sectional view of the second connector 101 so that the widthwise central axis of the first housing 11 coincides with the widthwise central axis of the second housing 111, and the amount of the gap is the clearance amount.

In this embodiment, the overlap amount of the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 is set to be larger than the widthwise clearance amount of the first housing 11. Specifically, the widthwise clearance amount of the first housing 11 is indicated by β in FIG. 7(b). The relationship is set such that α1>α2>β.

In this way, since both of the overlap amounts of the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 are larger than the clearance amount in the width direction of the first housing 11, even if the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in either the left or right direction in the width direction of the first housing 11, the displacement amount does not exceed the clearance amount, so the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 can displace accordingly, and the state in which the second terminal 161 is clamped from both sides can be maintained. Therefore, even if the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in the width direction of the first housing 11, the second terminal 161 is prevented from coming off the first terminal 61, the engagement between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is reliably maintained, the displacement amount is suppressed, and no momentary interruption occurs. In addition, the electrical length from the tail portion 62 to the contact portion with the second terminal 161 does not change.

Thus, in this embodiment, the connector includes a first connector 1 including a first housing 11 and a plurality of first terminals 61 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11 and loaded on both sides of the width direction of the first housing 11, a second housing 111 that fits with the first housing 11, and a second connector 101 including a plurality of second terminals 161 arranged in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111 and loaded on both sides of the width direction of the second housing 111. Each of the first terminals 61 includes a first contact portion 65 and a second contact portion 66 that face each other, and both the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 overlap the second terminal 161, and each of the second terminals 161 is inserted between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 of the corresponding first terminal 61 and contacts the first terminal 61 when the first housing 11 and the second housing 111 are fitted together.

This ensures that the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 are reliably maintained in an engaged state, and the mating between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is reliably maintained, improving reliability. Even if the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in the width direction of the first housing 11, the second terminal 161 is prevented from coming off the first terminal 61, and the mating between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is reliably maintained while the amount of displacement is suppressed, preventing momentary interruption.

The amount of overlap between the first contact portion 65 and the second contact portion 66 is greater than the amount of clearance in the width direction of the first housing 11. As a result, even if the second terminal 161 is displaced relative to the first terminal 61 in the width direction of the first housing 11, neither the first contact portion 65 nor the second contact portion 66 will come off the second terminal 161, and the electrical length from the tail portion 62 to the contact portion with the second terminal 161 will not change.

Furthermore, the first terminals 61A located at both ends of the first housing 11 in the longitudinal direction of the multiple first terminals 61 are wider than the other first terminals 61B, and the second terminals 161A located at both ends of the second housing 111 in the longitudinal direction of the multiple second terminals 161 are wider than the other second terminals 161B. This allows heat to dissipate easily to the outside, and heat does not build up inside the first connector 1 and the second connector 101. Even if the second housing 111 is displaced so as to rotate or twist relative to the first housing 11, the amount of displacement is suppressed, and no momentary interruption occurs.

Furthermore, all of the first terminals 61 have the same vertical cross-sectional shape, and all of the second terminals 161 have the same vertical cross-sectional shape. This ensures that the engagement between all of the first terminals 61 and the second terminals 161 is the same, so that the engagement between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is maintained reliably, improving reliability.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second contact recess 166a on the outside of the second terminal 161 contacts the second contact portion 66 close to the tail portion 62 and the held portion 63 of the first terminal 61, and the planar first contact portion 165 on the inside of the second terminal contacts the first contact portion 65 on the tip side far from the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61.

The second contact portion 66 of the first terminal 61 is close to the tail portion 62 and the held portion 63, so it has high rigidity, and by coming into contact with the second contact recess 166a when mated, it can have good contact pressure and mating force.

In addition, the first contact portion 65 of the first terminal 61 is far from the tail portion 62 and the held portion 63 and is relatively flexible, so it can make good contact with the first contact portion 165 of the planar second terminal 161. Even when contact cannot be maintained across the entire width of the second contact recess 166a and the second contact portion 66 due to an impact or other reason, the first contact portion 65 can maintain stable contact across the width of the terminal.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

This invention can be applied to connectors.

1 First connector 11 First housing 11a, 111a Fitting surface 11b, 111b Mounting surface 12 Recess 12a, 113 Recess groove 13 First protrusion 14 Side wall 15a First terminal accommodating inner cavity 15A Wide first terminal accommodating cavity 15b First terminal accommodating outer cavity 15B Narrow first terminal accommodating cavity 21 First protruding end 21b Side wall extension 21c End wall 22 Protruding end recess 22a Inner wall surface 26 First metal fitting holding recess 26a Outer end accommodating portion 26c Central leg accommodating cavity 26d Side plate accommodating cavity 51, 851 First reinforcing metal fitting 52 First main body 55 First central leg 56 First lateral leg 57 First side plate 61 First terminal 61A Wide first terminal 61B Narrow first terminal 62, 162 Tail portion 63, 163 Hold portion 64 Lower connecting portion 65, 165 First contact portion 66, 166 Second contact portion 67 Upper connecting portion 68 Contact arm portion 101 Second connector 111 Second housing 112 Second protruding portion 115A Wide second terminal accommodating cavity 115B Narrow second terminal accommodating cavity 122 Second protruding end portion 122a Outer wall surface 161 Second terminal 161A Wide second terminal 161B Narrow second terminal 164 Connecting portion 166a Second contact recess 852, 952 Main body portion 854, 954 Central engaging piece 854a Central engaging edge portion 856, 956 Board connecting portion 858, 958 Side engaging piece 858a Side engaging recess 951 Second reinforcing metal fitting 954a Central engaging protrusion 958a Side engaging protrusion

Claims (5)

(a) a first connector including a first connector body and a plurality of first terminals arranged in a longitudinal direction of the first connector body and mounted on both sides in a width direction of the first connector body;
(b) a second connector including a second connector body that fits with the first connector body and a plurality of second terminals that are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the second connector body and loaded on both sides in a width direction of the second connector body,
(c) each of the first terminals includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion facing each other;
(d) the first contact portion overlaps the corresponding second terminal;
(e) an overlap amount, which is an amount of displacement in the width direction of the first contact portion, is larger than a widthwise clearance amount of the first connector body, which is an amount of a gap generated between an inner wall surface of a protruding end recess of the first connector body , which is formed longitudinally outboard of the first connector body relative to the first terminal, and an outer wall surface of a second protruding end of the second connector body, which is formed longitudinally outboard of the second connector body relative to the second terminal, and which is a reference surface for positioning the first connector body in the width direction of the second connector body, when a cross-sectional view of the first connector is superimposed on a cross-sectional view of the second connector so that the central axis of the first connector body in the width direction and the central axis of the second connector body in the width direction coincide with each other ,
(f) A connector characterized in that, when the first connector body and the second connector body are mated, each of the second terminals is inserted between the first contact portion and the second contact portion of the corresponding first terminal and makes contact with the first terminal. Among the plurality of first terminals, first terminals located at both ends in a longitudinal direction of the first connector body are wider than the other first terminals,
The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second terminals located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the second connector body among the plurality of second terminals are wider than the other second terminals. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein all of the first terminals have the same longitudinal cross-sectional shape, and all of the second terminals have the same longitudinal cross-sectional shape. A connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the first terminals includes a held portion held by the first connector body, and an elastically deformable contact arm having the first contact portion and a second contact portion, one end of which is connected to the held portion, and the second contact portion is located closer to the held portion than the first contact portion. A connector as described in claim 4, wherein each of the first terminals includes a tail portion having one end connected to the held portion and electrically connected to a connection pad on a substrate, and the held portion is located outside the contact arm portion in the width direction of the first connector body.

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