Repairable connector

Abstract

A serviceable connector includes a connector module and a bracket mounted on the connector module. The connector module includes: a receptacle connector configured to engage with a plug connector from the outside of a housing; a module base plate on which the receptacle connector is mounted; and a board-to-board connector mounted on the module base plate and electrically connected to the receptacle connector via the module base plate. The bracket includes a cylindrical portion and a support portion fixed to an internal circuit board.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to a repairable connector. [Previous Technology]

[0002] As shown in Figure 15 of this application, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connector element 107, which includes a first connector 102 and a second connector 106. The first connector 102 includes a board-to-board connector 101 disposed on a flexible circuit board 100, and the second connector 106 includes a board-to-board connector 104 disposed on a rigid circuit board 103 and a USB 3.2 Type-C interface 105. The board-to-board connector 104 is fitted with the board-to-board connector 101.

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-106648. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] In the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the plug connector that engages with the interface 105 is subjected to external forces applied in various directions such as prying or torsion, there is a risk that the interface 105 may be damaged.

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a repairable connector that is not easily damaged even if the plug connector is subjected to external forces applied in various directions such as prying or torsion.

[0006] A repairable connector is provided, which is detachably mounted on an internal circuit board disposed within the housing of an electronic device. The repairable connector includes: a connector module; and a bracket mounted on the connector module. The connector module includes: a receptacle connector configured to engage with a plug connector from outside the housing; a module substrate on which the receptacle connector is mounted; and a board-to-board connector electrically connected to the receptacle connector via the module substrate by means of mounting on the module substrate. The bracket includes a cylindrical portion annularly surrounding the plug connector engaged with the receptacle connector to maintain the orientation of the plug connector engaged with the receptacle connector, and a support portion integrally formed with the cylindrical portion. When the repairable connector is mounted on the internal circuit board, the support portion is disposed on the side opposite the internal circuit board of the board-to-board connector and configured to be secured to the internal circuit board.

[0007] According to this application, a repairable connector can be realized that will not be damaged even if the plug connector is subjected to external forces applied in various directions such as prying or torsion. The above and other objects, features and advantages of this application will be more fully understood from the detailed description and drawings given below.

Implementation Method

[0009] Hereinafter, this application will be described by way of embodiments. However, the invention described in the claims is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, not all configurations described in the embodiments are necessary means to solve the problem. For clarity, the following description and drawings have been partially omitted or appropriately simplified. In the drawings, the same elements are given the same element symbols, and repeated descriptions have been omitted as necessary.

[0010] In the following embodiments, for ease of explanation, the description may be divided into multiple parts or embodiments as necessary. Unless otherwise expressly stated, these are not independent of each other, but may be associated with each other as modifications, applications, detailed descriptions or supplements. Furthermore, in the following embodiments, when numerical values ​​such as the quantity, amount, number or range of components are mentioned, unless explicitly specified or in principle explicitly limited to a specific quantity, these quantities are not limited to the specified values ​​and may include values ​​greater than or less than the stated quantities.

[0011] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, each element (including operating steps, etc.) is not necessarily required unless explicitly stated or clearly considered essential in principle. Similarly, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of components, unless explicitly stated or clearly determined in principle, such descriptions should be understood to include substantially similar or approximate structures. The same applies to numerical references such as numbers, values, quantities, or ranges.

[0012] (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present application will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a serviceable connector 1 mounted on an internal circuit board. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the serviceable connector 1 after being removed from the internal circuit board 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the internal circuit board 2 separated from the housing 4.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the repairable connector 1 is detachably mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, which is disposed within the housing 4 of the electronic device 3. The repairable connector 1 is replaceably accommodated within the housing 4 of the electronic device 3. Typically, the repairable connector 1 is fastened to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 using two screws 5. This allows the owner of the electronic device 3 to detachably mount the repairable connector 1 to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 themselves, thereby ensuring the right to repair the repairable connector 1.

[0014] The electronic device 3 is typically a portable terminal, such as a notebook computer, tablet computer, or smartphone; however, it can also be a fixed terminal, such as a desktop computer.

[0015] The housing 4 includes a board support portion 4A for supporting the internal circuit board 2 and a side wall portion 4B extending upward from the board support portion 4A. The internal circuit board 2 is normally fixed to the board support portion 4A by screws (not shown). A fitting hole 4C is formed on the side wall portion 4B for fitting the plug connector 6, which serves as an external connector, with the serviceable connector 1.

[0016] Here, referring to Figure 1, the terms "insertion and removal direction", "vertical direction" and "width direction" are defined. The insertion and removal direction, the vertical direction and the width direction are mutually orthogonal directions.

[0017] The insertion and removal directions refer to the directions in which the plug connector 6 is inserted into or removed from the serviceable connector 1. The insertion and removal directions include the engagement direction and the removal direction. The engagement direction is the direction in which the plug connector 6 approaches the serviceable connector 1 when engaged. The removal direction is the direction in which the plug connector 6 is removed from the serviceable connector 1 when withdrawn.

[0018] The vertical direction refers to the direction orthogonal to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2. The vertical direction includes the upward direction and the downward direction. The upward direction is the direction that the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 faces. The downward direction is the opposite of the upward direction. The terms "upward" and "downward" are used for convenience of explanation only and do not limit the direction of the electronic device 3 during use.

[0019] As described above, the width direction is perpendicular to both the insertion and removal directions and the vertical direction. The width direction includes an inner width direction and an outer width direction. The inner width direction is the direction toward the center of the width direction of the serviceable connector 1, and the outer width direction is the direction away from the center of the width direction of the serviceable connector 1.

[0020] Referring again to Figure 3, a positioning element 7 is provided between the internal circuit board 2 and the outer casing 4. The positioning element 7 includes two upwardly protruding positioning pins 7A, two screw holes 7B, and a recess 7C. The two positioning pins 7A, the two screw holes 7B, and the recess 7C are arranged sequentially along the removal direction.

[0021] The internal circuit board 2 is typically a rigid board, such as a paper phenolic board or an epoxy glass board. Multiple electrode pads 2B are provided on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2. The internal circuit board 2 includes two screw holes 2C, which are configured to clamp the electrode pads 2B in the width direction. The internal circuit board 2 also includes two positioning holes 2D, which are configured to clamp the electrode pads 2B in the width direction. Two positioning pins 7A of the positioning member 7 are inserted into the two positioning holes 2D of the internal circuit board 2. In this state, the two screw holes 2C of the internal circuit board 2 are aligned with the two screw holes 7B of the positioning member 7. The internal circuit board 2 also includes a recess 2E, which is formed between the electrode pads 2B and the side wall portion 4B of the housing 4. The position of the recess 2E corresponds to the recess 7C of the positioning member 7.

[0022] Two internal threaded holes 4D are formed in the plate support portion 4A of the outer casing 4. The two internal threaded holes 4D are aligned with the two threaded holes 7B of the positioning member 7.

[0023] Instead of the positioning element 7 which has two positioning pins 7A, the positioning element 7 can be omitted, and an equivalent positioning pin is provided on the plate support portion 4A of the housing 4.

[0024] Next, the serviceable connector 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 9. Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of the serviceable connector 1. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the serviceable connector 1. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the serviceable connector 1 includes a connector module 10 and a bracket 11 mounted on the connector module 10.

[0025] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the connector module 10. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connector module 10 includes a module substrate 12, a socket connector 13, and a board-to-board connector 14.

[0026] The module substrate 12 is typically a rigid plate. However, the module substrate 12 can also be a flexible plate. As shown in FIG7, the module substrate 12 has a connector mounting surface 12A, on which a receptacle connector 13 and a board-to-board connector 14 are mounted. The receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12, thereby being adjacent to each other in the insertion and removal directions. The receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are arranged sequentially along the mating direction, and the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are independent components and are spaced apart from each other in the insertion and removal directions.

[0027] On the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12, a plurality of electrode pads 12B for the socket connector 13 and a plurality of electrode pads 12C for the board-to-board connector 14 are formed. The module substrate 12 has two screw holes 12D and two positioning holes 12E. The two screw holes 12D are formed to clamp the electrode pads 12C in the width direction. The two positioning holes 12E are also formed to clamp the electrode pads 12C in the width direction.

[0028] Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector 13. As shown in Figure 8, the receptacle connector 13 of this embodiment is a 24-pin connector conforming to the USB Type-C interface specification. Alternatively, the receptacle connector 13 can also be a 16-pin, 14-pin, or 6-pin connector. Furthermore, the receptacle connector 13 can also be a connector conforming to other interface specifications, such as USB Type-A, USB Type-B, mini USB Type-B, Micro USB Type-B, or Lightning interface.

[0029] The socket connector 13 includes a connector body 20 and a metal housing 21.

[0030] The connector body 20 includes a contact portion 22, a solder portion 23, and a housing 24 made of insulating resin. The contact portion 22 is the part that makes electrical contact with the plug connector 6 shown in FIG. 1, and is formed by arranging a plurality of electrode pads 22B on a rigid substrate 22A. The solder portion 23 includes a plurality of contacts 23A, each contact 23A being soldered to a corresponding electrode pad 12B on the module substrate 12 shown in FIG. 7. The contacts 23A are electrically connected to the electrode pads 22B of the contact portion 22. The housing 24 houses the contact portion 22 and the solder portion 23. It should be noted that, for simplicity, the electrode pads 22B shown in FIG. 8 are connected in a continuous manner. Similarly, for simplicity, the contacts 23A are also schematically shown to be connected in a continuous manner.

[0031] The housing 21 is an electromagnetic shielding layer covering the connector body 20. The functions of the housing 21 include: guiding the plug connector 6 in the insertion and removal directions when the plug connector 6 shown in FIG. 1 is engaged with the socket connector 13; maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 when engaged with the socket connector 13; and positioning the plug connector 6 on a plane perpendicular to the insertion and removal directions. Therefore, when the plug connector 6 is engaged with the socket connector 13, it is housed within the housing 21.

[0032] FIG9 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the board-to-board connector 14. The board-to-board connector 14 electrically connects the module substrate 12 and the internal circuit board 2 when the module substrate 12 and the internal circuit board 2 are parallel to each other. As shown in FIG9, the board-to-board connector 14 includes a plurality of contacts 30 and a flat housing 31 for accommodating the contacts 30. The board-to-board connector 14 is a so-called compression connector, which is electrically connected to the internal circuit board 2 by pressing against it.

[0033] The multiple contacts 30 are typically made of copper or copper alloy, and the housing 31 is typically made of insulating resin by injection molding.

[0034] As shown in FIG6, the housing 31 has a surface 31A facing the module substrate and a surface 31B facing the circuit board. When the board-to-board connector 14 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A, the surface 31A facing the module substrate faces the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12. As shown in FIG1, when the serviceable connector 1 is mounted on the internal circuit board 2, the surface 31B facing the circuit board faces the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7, each contact 30 includes: a welding portion 30A, which is welded to a corresponding electrode pad 12C formed on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12; a fixing portion 30B, which is normally fixed to the housing 31 by press fitting; and an elastic portion 30C, which cantilevered out from the fixing portion 30B. The elastic portion 30C includes a contact portion 30D, which protrudes downward from the surface 31B of the housing 31 facing the circuit board before the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the internal circuit board 2. The contact portion 30D is configured to move up and down with the elastic deformation of the elastic portion 30C. Thus, each contact 30 can be elastically displaced in the thickness direction of the housing 31. When the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 as shown in FIG. 1, the contact portion 30D contacts the corresponding electrode pad 2B of the internal circuit board 2 with the elastic deformation of the elastic portion 30C, as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, the board-to-board connector 14 is pressed against the connector mounting surface 2A by overcoming the spring restoring force of the elastic part 30C, thereby electrically connecting to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2.

[0036] As shown in FIG7, the plurality of contacts 23A of the socket connector 13 and the plurality of contacts 30 of the board-to-board connector 14 are electrically connected to each other via circuits (not shown) on the module substrate 12.

[0037] By configuring the socket connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 as independent components in this way, the contacts 30 of the board-to-board connector 14 can be designed in a highly flexible manner. For example, by adjusting the thickness of each contact 30, the required spring characteristics of each contact 30 can be ensured, and the transmission path length of each contact 30 can be shortened as much as possible.

[0038] Referring back to Figure 6, the bracket 11 includes a cylindrical portion 40 and a supporting portion 41. The cylindrical portion 40 and the supporting portion 41 are integrally formed. The bracket 11 is formed as a single component. The cylindrical portion 40 and the supporting portion 41 are arranged sequentially along the fitting direction.

[0039] The support 11 is typically made of insulating resin or metal. When the support 11 is made of insulating resin, it can be formed by, for example, injection molding or machining of materials such as polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), nylon resin, or liquid crystal polymer (LCP). When the support 11 is made of metal, it can be formed by, for example, metal injection molding (MIM) or machining of stainless steel, or by die casting of zinc alloy.

[0040] A receiving space 40A for accommodating the socket connector 13 is formed within the cylindrical portion 40. The receiving space 40A extends along the insertion and removal directions. When viewed along the insertion and removal directions, the cylindrical portion 40 is annular, surrounding the socket connector 13. In other words, the cylindrical portion 40 annularly surrounds the plug connector 6 that engages with the socket connector 13, thereby maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 that engages with the socket connector 13. As shown in FIG8, by covering the socket connector 13, the cylindrical portion 40 protects the housing 21 and the contact portion 22 of the socket connector 13. Furthermore, as shown in FIG4, by annularly surrounding the housing 21, the cylindrical portion 40 enhances the function of the housing 21, namely: guiding the plug connector 6 in the insertion and removal directions; maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 that engages with the socket connector 13; and positioning the plug connector 6 in a plane perpendicular to the insertion and removal directions. In other words, the cylindrical portion 40 provides these guiding, orientation holding, and positioning functions. Thanks to the directional retention function, even if the plug connector 6 that is mated with the socket connector 13 is subjected to external forces applied in various directions, such as prying or twisting, the socket connector 13 is difficult to be damaged.

[0041] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, in this embodiment, the receiving space 40A of the cylindrical portion 40 is formed to accommodate the entire length of the socket connector 13 in the insertion and removal directions. Alternatively, the receiving space 40A of the cylindrical portion 40 may be formed to accommodate only the end portion of the socket connector 13 on the disengagement side.

[0042] The support portion 41 is flat, as shown in FIG1. ​​When the serviceable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, the support portion 41 spans the board-to-board connector 14 and is positioned on the opposite side of the internal circuit board 2. As shown in FIG5, when the bracket 11 is mounted on the connector module 10, the support portion 41 contacts the module board 12 of the connector module 10 with substantially no gap. As shown in FIG6, the support portion 41 includes two screw holes 41A. It should be noted that only one of the two screw holes 41A is shown in FIG6.

[0043] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the connector module 10 is mounted on the bracket 11 by sliding along the removal direction. This allows the connector module 10 to be secured to the bracket 11. The securing method may include, for example, press-fitting, soldering, welding, or other suitable methods.

[0044] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in order to mount the serviceable connector 1 onto the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, the two positioning pins 7A of the positioning member 7 shown in Figure 2 are inserted into the two positioning holes 12E of the module substrate 12 shown in Figure 7. In this state, the serviceable connector 1 is fixed to the internal circuit board 2 by means of screw fastening. Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, two screws 5 are inserted into the two screw holes 41A of the support portion 41 of the bracket 11 and screwed into the two internal screw holes 4D of the housing 4 shown in Figure 3. In this case, the screws 5 pass through the two screw holes 12D of the module substrate 12 of the connector module 10 shown in Figure 7, the two screw holes 2C of the internal circuit board 2 shown in Figure 3, and the two screw holes 7B of the positioning member 7. By fixing the support portion 41 of the bracket 11 to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 in this way, the board-to-board connector 14 is pressed against the connector mounting surface 2A in the internal circuit board 2. As a result, the contacts 30 of the board-to-board connector 14 make electrical contact with the electrode pads 2B of the internal circuit board 2 with high contact reliability.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, when the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, the plug connector 6 engages with the socket connector 13 of the repairable connector 1 through the mating hole 4C. When the plug connector 6 engages with the socket connector 13, it is subjected to external forces (e.g., prying or torsion) applied from various directions, resulting in a force acting on the socket connector 13 in a plane perpendicular to the insertion and removal directions. As shown in FIG. 2, this force is transmitted sequentially through the housing 21, the cylindrical portion 40, and the support portion 41 of the repairable connector 13, and is received by the internal circuit board 2. In other words, the external force is dispersed and received by the housing 21, the cylindrical portion 40, the support portion 41, and the internal circuit board 2 of the socket connector 13 of the repairable connector 1. Therefore, even if the plug connector 6 is subjected to such forces, the repairable connector 1 is not easily damaged. In particular, as shown in FIG. 8, this configuration effectively suppresses damage to the contact portion 22 of the connector body 20 of the socket connector 13.

[0046] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the serviceable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, the cylindrical portion 40 must be securely fixed to the internal circuit board 2 to withstand prying of the plug connector 6. For this purpose, for example, in addition to fixing the support portion 41 to the internal circuit board 2 with screws, the cylindrical portion 40 itself can also be fixed to the internal circuit board 2 with screws. However, in this case, four screws are required to mount the serviceable connector 1 on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, which complicates the replacement of the serviceable connector 1.

[0047] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG2, the support portion 41 is fixed to the inner circuit board 2 by screws, and the support portion 41 and the cylindrical portion 40 are integrally formed. Thus, the cylindrical portion 40 is securely fixed to the connector mounting surface 2A of the inner circuit board 2 by the support portion 41. Therefore, the cylindrical portion 40 can be securely fixed to the inner circuit board 2 without directly screwing it to it. This allows the serviceable connector 1 to be mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the inner circuit board 2 with a reduced number of screws.

[0048] However, it should be noted that the support part 41 of the repairable connector 1 can be fixed to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 not only by screws, but also by, for example by snap-fit.

[0049] The first embodiment of this application has been described above, and this first embodiment includes the following features:

[0050] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the repairable connector 1 is detachably mounted on an internal circuit board 2 disposed within the housing 4 of the electronic device 3. As shown in Figure 6, the repairable connector 1 includes a connector module 10 and a bracket 11 mounted on the connector module 10. The connector module 10 includes: a receptacle connector 13 configured to engage with a plug connector 6 from outside the housing 4; a module base plate 12 on which the receptacle connector 13 is mounted; and a board-to-board connector 14 mounted on the module base plate 12 and electrically connected to the receptacle connector 13 via the module base plate 12. The bracket 11 includes a cylindrical portion 40 that annularly surrounds the plug connector 6 engaging with the receptacle connector 13 to maintain the orientation of the plug connector 6 engaging with the receptacle connector 13, and a support portion 41 integrally formed with the cylindrical portion 40. When the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the internal circuit board 2, the support portion 41 is disposed on the side of the internal circuit board 2 opposite to the board-to-board connector 14 and is fixed to the internal circuit board 2. With this structure, even if the plug connector 6 is subjected to external forces applied in all directions such as prying or torsion, the repairable connector 1 will not be damaged.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, the cylindrical portion 40 positions the plug connector 6 in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction in which the plug connector 6 and the socket connector 13 engage. This configuration enables the plug connector 6 to be positioned with high precision in the vertical plane.

[0052] As shown in FIG6, the module substrate 12 has a connector mounting surface 12A, on which a receptacle connector 13 is mounted and a board-to-board connector 14 is also mounted. Compared to a configuration in which the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on opposite surfaces of the module substrate 12, this configuration helps to reduce the height of the serviceable connector 1.

[0053] The socket connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted adjacent to each other on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12 along the mating direction. This configuration helps to reduce the width of the serviceable connector 1.

[0054] The module substrate 12 is a rigid substrate. Compared with the structure using a flexible substrate, such a structure can reduce the manufacturing cost of the repairable connector 1.

[0055] The board-to-board connector 14 electrically connects the module substrate 12 and the internal circuit board 2 in a parallel manner. This configuration helps to reduce the overall height of the electronic device 3.

[0056] The board-to-board connector 14 includes a flat housing 31 and a plurality of contacts 30 housed by the housing 31. This configuration helps to reduce the profile of the board-to-board connector 14.

[0057] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the support 41 is detachably fixed to the internal circuit board 2 by screws. This structure allows the owner of the electronic device 3 to easily replace the serviceable connector 1.

[0058] As shown in Figure 6, the bracket 11 is made of metal. This structure gives the bracket 11 high rigidity, thereby reducing the possibility of the bracket 11 being damaged when the plug connector 6 is subjected to external forces such as prying.

[0059] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of this application will be described with reference to FIG10. The differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment described above will be explained in detail below, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0060] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG2 and FIG3, two positioning pins 7A are formed on the positioning member 7 for positioning the internal circuit board 2 and the repairable connector 1 to each other.

[0061] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG10, two positioning pins 31C are formed on the housing 31 of the board-to-board connector 14 of the connector module 10 of the repairable connector 1 to position the internal circuit board 2 and the repairable connector 1 relative to each other. Therefore, the positioning member 7 shown in FIG3 can be omitted.

[0062] (Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG11. In the following, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be explained in detail, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0063] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG4, the socket connector 13 of the connector module 10 of the repairable connector 1 includes a housing 21.

[0064] However, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG11, the outer shell 21 is omitted. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the function performed by the outer shell 21 is performed by the cylindrical part 40.

[0065] Specifically, in this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 40 serves to guide the plug connector 6 to move along the insertion and removal directions; maintain the direction in which the plug connector 6 engages with the socket connector 13; and position the plug connector 6 on a plane perpendicular to the insertion and removal directions. Furthermore, when the bracket 11 is made of metal, the cylindrical portion 40 also functions as an electromagnetic shield.

[0066] Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of this application will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. In the following, the differences from the first embodiment described above will be explained in detail, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0067] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, the connector module 10 includes a board-to-board connector 14, which is surface-mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12. The board-to-board connector 14 is a so-called compression connector, which is electrically connected to the internal circuit board 2 by pressing against it.

[0068] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG13, the connector module 10 includes a plug connector 50 surface-mounted on a connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12. The plug connector 50 is a specific example of a board-to-board connector. The plug connector 50 includes a flat plug housing 51 and a plurality of plug contacts 52 held by the plug housing 51. As shown in FIG12, the plug connector 50 mates with a receptacle connector 53 surface-mounted on a connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 to form a so-called mating connector. The receptacle connector 53 includes a flat receptacle housing 54 and a plurality of receptacle contacts 55 held by the receptacle housing 54. Each receptacle contact 55 is configured to elastically deform in the insertion and removal directions.

[0069] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the plug connector 50 and the socket connector 53 are mated together in the vertical direction. The plug connector 50 and the socket connector 53 electrically connect the module base plate 12 to the internal circuit board 2, respectively, and the two base plates are parallel to each other.

[0070] To mount the serviceable connector 1 onto the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, the plug connector 50 and the receptacle connector 53 are first engaged. Therefore, the plurality of plug contacts 52 of the plug connector 50 and the plurality of receptacle contacts 55 of the receptacle connector 53 are mechanically and electrically in contact. Next, with the plug connector 50 and receptacle connector 53 engaged, the serviceable connector 1 is secured to the internal circuit board 2 using screws as described above. By securing the support portion 41 of the bracket 11 to the internal circuit board 2, accidental removal of the plug connector 50 from the receptacle connector 53 is prevented, thereby maintaining the engaged state of the plug connector 50 and receptacle connector 53 with high reliability.

[0071] (Fifth Embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG14. The differences from the first embodiment described above will be explained in detail below, and repeated descriptions will be omitted. FIG14 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the connector module 10.

[0072] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG7, the socket connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on the same connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12. In other words, both connectors are mounted on the same surface.

[0073] Conversely, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG14, the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on opposite surfaces of the module substrate 12. Specifically, the module substrate 12 includes a first connector mounting surface 12P and a second connector mounting surface 12Q opposite to the first connector mounting surface 12P. The first connector mounting surface 12P faces upward, and the second connector mounting surface 12Q faces downward. The receptacle connector 13 is mounted on the first connector mounting surface 12P, and the board-to-board connector 14 is mounted on the second connector mounting surface 12Q.

[0074] According to this configuration, with the serviceable connector 1 mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2, as shown in FIG1, compared with the first embodiment, the vertical position of the socket connector 13 relative to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 is offset upward. Therefore, by providing the socket connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 on the same surface or opposite surfaces of the module substrate 12, the vertical position of the socket connector 13 relative to the connector mounting surface 2A of the internal circuit board 2 can be adjusted.

[0075] Those skilled in the art can combine the first to fifth embodiments as needed.

[0076] It is obvious from the above description of this application that the embodiments of this application can be varied in many ways. Such variations should not be considered as a departure from the spirit and scope of this application, and all such modifications that are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0008] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a repairable connector mounted on an internal circuit board (first embodiment). Figure 2 is a perspective view of a repairable connector after being removed from the internal circuit board (first embodiment). Figure 3 is a perspective view of the internal circuit board separated from the housing (first embodiment). Figure 4 is a perspective view of a repairable connector (first embodiment). Figure 5 is a perspective view of a repairable connector from another angle (first embodiment). Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of a repairable connector (first embodiment). Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of a connector module (first embodiment). Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a socket connector (first embodiment). Figure 9 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a board-to-board connector (first embodiment). Figure 10 is a perspective view of the internal circuit board and connector module (second embodiment). Figure 11 is a perspective view of a connector module (third embodiment). Figure 12 is a perspective view of a repairable connector after being removed from the internal circuit board (fourth embodiment). Figure 13 is a perspective view of a repairable connector (fourth embodiment). Figure 14 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of a connector module (fifth embodiment). Figure 15 is a simplified version of Figure 1 in Patent Document 1.

Claims

1. A serviceable connector, detachably mounted on an internal circuit board disposed within the housing of an electronic device, the serviceable connector comprising: Connector module; The connector module includes: a receptacle connector configured to engage with a plug connector from the outside of the housing; a module substrate on which the receptacle connector is mounted; and a board-to-board connector electrically connected to the receptacle connector via the module substrate by means of mounting on the module substrate. The bracket includes: a cylindrical portion annularly surrounding the plug connector engaged with the receptacle connector to maintain the orientation of the plug connector engaged with the receptacle connector; and a support portion integrally formed with the cylindrical portion, wherein the support portion is disposed on the side opposite to the internal circuit board of the board-to-board connector when the serviceable connector is mounted on the internal circuit board; wherein the support portion is configured to be fixed to the internal circuit board.

2. The serviceable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion is configured to position the plug connector on a plane orthogonal to the mating direction in which the plug connector and the socket connector engage.

3. The repairable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the module substrate has a connector mounting surface, the receptacle connector is mounted on the connector mounting surface, and the board-to-board connector is mounted on the connector mounting surface.

4. The repairable connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the receptacle connector and the board-to-board connector are mounted on the connector mounting surface of the module substrate so that they are adjacent to each other in the mating direction in which the plug connector and the receptacle connector engage.

5. The repairable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the module substrate has a first connector mounting surface and a second connector mounting surface opposite to the first connector mounting surface, the socket connector is mounted on the first connector mounting surface, and the board-to-board connector is mounted on the second connector mounting surface.

6. The repairable connector as described in claim 1, wherein the module substrate is a rigid substrate.

7. The repairable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the board-to-board connector is configured to electrically connect the module substrate and the internal circuit board when the module substrate and the internal circuit board are parallel to each other.

8. The serviceable connector as described in claim 7, wherein the board-to-board connector comprises: Flat shell; And multiple contacts fixed by the housing.

9. The serviceable connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is configured to be detachably secured to the internal circuit board by screw fastening.

10. The repairable connector as described in claim 1, wherein the bracket is made of metal.

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