Connectors

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector. A housing for retaining terminals is formed in an island shape and is located within a shell. The shell is formed from a single metal plate and comprises: a peripheral wall surrounding the shell, a bottom plate, a pair of first retaining plates, and two pairs of second retaining plates. The peripheral wall is a seamless single-layer structure extending throughout the entire circumference. The first retaining plates each comprise: a rising portion extending along the side surface of the shell, an extended portion located on the upper surface of the shell, and a press-fit portion, the press-fit portion being pressed into a hole in the upper surface. Pairs of second retaining plates are located on either side of the first retaining plate and are respectively embedded in stepped portions at both ends of the shell side surface in the width direction. The second retaining plates protrude further than the upper surface and further than the shell in the width direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector used as, for example, a board-to-board connector mounted on a board. Background Art

[0002] A board-to-board connector is described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-89829). Figure 1 The first connector 10 constituting the board-to-board connector described in Patent Document 1 is shown. Figure 2 The second connector 20 constituting the board-to-board connector is shown.

[0003] The first connector 10 is composed of a first insulator 11 , a plurality of first contacts 12 arranged and held in the first insulator 11 , and a conductive first housing 13 . Figure 3A represents the first housing 13, Figure 3B The diagram shows a state where the first housing 13 is removed from the first connector 10 .

[0004] The first insulator 11 has a bottom plate 11a and a pair of side walls 11b. A central protrusion 11c is formed on the top surface of the bottom plate 11a. Side protrusions 11d are formed on either side of the central protrusion 11c. Concave portions 11e and 11f are formed on opposing sides of the central protrusion 11c and the side protrusions 11d, respectively. The first contact 12 is positioned across these concave portions 11e and 11f, securing and retaining the first insulator 11.

[0005] First housing 13, formed into a rectangular frame, is formed by bending a metal plate and comprises outer wall portions 14, one located on each of the two opposing sides forming the long sides of the rectangle, and outer wall portions 15, one located on each of the other opposing sides forming the short sides of the rectangle. It also comprises a pair of inner wall portions 16, 17, each folded inwardly from these outer wall portions 14, 15 and located inwardly of each outer wall portion 14, 15. Adjacent outer wall portions 14, 15 are connected at their upper ends by a connecting portion 18. Protrusions 17a are formed protruding from both ends of each inner wall portion 17, and an arm portion 19 is formed extending from the center portion of the lower end of each inner wall portion 17.

[0006] The first housing 13 is installed by covering and pressing the first housing 13 from above the first insulator 11 holding the first contact 12, pressing the inner wall portion 17 having the protrusion 17a into the recess 11g on the inner surface of the side wall 11b of the first insulator 11, and pressing the front end 19a of the arm portion 19 into the hole 11i of the step portion 11h at both ends of the central protrusion 11c.

[0007] The second connector 20 comprises a second insulator 21, a plurality of second contacts 22 arranged and held in the second insulator 21, and a conductive second housing 23. The second insulator 21 has a pair of retaining walls 21a, and the second contacts 22 are insert-molded in the second insulator 21 and arranged and fixed to each retaining wall 21a.

[0008] The second housing 23, formed into a rectangular frame, is formed by bending a metal plate and includes outer wall portions 24 located on opposite sides of the rectangular long sides, outer wall portions 25 located on opposite sides of the rectangular short sides, and a connecting portion 26 connecting the upper ends of the outer wall portions 24 and 25. The second housing 23 is installed similarly to the first housing 13 of the first connector 10 by covering and pressing the second housing 23 onto the second insulator 21 holding the second contacts 22.

[0009] The first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are mounted on opposing surfaces of mutually opposing substrates and are connected to each other. Figure 4 The first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are shown in a connected state, and the substrate is not shown. The second connector 20 is fitted into the first housing 13 of the first connector 10 formed in a square frame shape and connected to the first connector 10 .

[0010] Incidentally, as electronic devices used in such connectors mounted on a substrate as board-to-board connectors become smaller, mounting density increases, and the frequency of electrical signals increases, EMI countermeasures are becoming increasingly important.

[0011] However, in the above-mentioned conventional substrate-to-substrate connector formed by the first connector 10 and the second connector 20, the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 each have a conductive first shell 13 and a second shell 23. Although electromagnetic shielding is performed by the above-mentioned first shell 13 and the second shell 23, respectively, the first shell 13 and the second shell 23 constituting each outer contour of the first connector 10 and the second connector 20 are formed in a shape in which the portion forming the outer wall is missing at the corner of the square. Therefore, since electromagnetic leakage occurs from the missing portion of the outer wall, it cannot be said that the shielding effect is sufficient. Summary of the Invention

[0012] The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a connector having good shielding performance and to provide a connector that can prevent damage when mating with or separating from another connector.

[0013] The technical matters described herein are not intended to explicitly or implicitly limit the scope of the invention described in the technical solution, nor are they intended to allow anyone other than those who benefit from the present invention (such as the applicant and the right holder) to limit the invention described in the technical solution. They are merely provided to facilitate understanding of the subject matter of the present invention. The overview of the present invention from other perspectives can be understood, for example, based on the scope of the technical solution at the time of the patent application.

[0014] The connector's conductive housing has four seamless frame-like walls (also referred to herein as "peripheral walls") surrounding the insulating housing that holds the terminals. The conductive housing also has four armor sections (also referred to herein as "second retaining pieces") located at the four corners of the insulating housing to protect them during contact with the other connector.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to this invention, it is possible to obtain a connector that has excellent shielding performance and is protected from damage during mating with and separation from the other connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a first connector of a conventional board-to-board connector.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing a second connector of a conventional board-to-board connector.

[0019] Figure 3A Yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the first housing in FIG.

[0020] Figure 3B Yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a first insulator holding a first contact.

[0021] Figure 4 It means Figure 1 The first connector shown is Figure 2 A perspective view of the second connector after connection is shown.

[0022] Figure 5A This is a perspective view of the connector of the embodiment as viewed from above.

[0023] Figure 5B Observed from below Figure 5A A perspective view of the connector is shown.

[0024] Figure 6A Observed from above Figure 5A A perspective view of a housing holding terminals is shown.

[0025] Figure 6B Observed from below Figure 6A A perspective view of a housing holding terminals is shown.

[0026] Figure 7A Observed from above Figure 5A A perspective view of the housing is shown.

[0027] Figure 7B Observed from below Figure 7A A perspective view of the housing is shown.

[0028] Figure 8A Observed from above Figure 5A A perspective view of the connector shown mated with the other side connector.

[0029] Figure 8B Observed from below Figure 8A A perspective view of the other side connector is shown.

[0030] Figure 9 Yes Figure 5A and Figure 5B The connector shown is Figure 8A and Figure 8B A perspective view showing the other side connector after being fitted.

[0031] Figure 10A Yes Figure 5A and Figure 5B The connector shown is Figure 8A and Figure 8B A cross-sectional view showing a state where the other side connector is in the process of being fitted is shown.

[0032] Figure 10B Yes Figure 5A and Figure 5B The connector shown is Figure 8A and Figure 8B A cross-sectional view showing another state in which the other side connector is in the process of being fitted is shown.

[0033] Description of Reference Numerals

[0034] 10 first connector; 11 first insulator; 11a bottom plate; 11b side wall; 11c central protrusion; 11d lateral protrusion; 11e recess; 11f recess; 11g recess; 11h step; 11i hole; 12 first contact; 13 first housing; 14 outer wall; 15 outer wall; 16 inner wall; 17 inner wall; 17a protrusion; 18 connecting portion; 19 wrist; 19a front end; 20 second connector; 21 second insulator; 21a retaining wall; 22 second contact; 23 second housing; 24 outer wall; 25 outer wall; 26 connecting portion; 30 housing; 30a top surface; 30b side surface; 30c side surface; 3 0e side surface; 30f side surface; 30d lower surface; 31 groove; 32 recess; 33 recess; 34 hole; 35 step portion; 36 central convex portion; 37 recess; 40 terminal; 41 connecting portion; 50 housing; 51 peripheral wall; 51a bent portion; 51b protrusion; 51c protrusion; 52 bottom plate; 52a notch; 53 first retaining piece; 53a rising portion; 53b extended portion; 53c press-fit portion; 54 second retaining piece; 54a protrusion; 60 housing; 70 terminal; 80 housing; 81 outer wall portion; 82 outer wall portion; 81a protrusion; 82a extended portion; 83 connecting portion; 84 inner wall portion; 100 connector; 200 other side connector DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 5A 、 Figure 5B The connector 100 is an embodiment of the connector of the present invention. The connector 100 is a connector mounted on one substrate as a substrate-to-substrate connector, and is a connector into which the other side connector is embedded (a connector that receives the other side connector), corresponding to the above-mentioned, Figure 1 The first connector 10 is shown.

[0037] The connector 100 includes an insulating housing 30 , a plurality of (40 in this example) terminals 40 arranged and held in the housing 30 , and a conductive shell 50 . Figure 6A 、 Figure 6B The state after the housing 50 is removed from the connector 100 is shown. Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B The housing 50 is shown in detail.

[0038] The housing 30 is made of resin and, in this example, is formed into a slender, flat, and roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. Two slender grooves 31 are formed in parallel with each other, with both ends in the longitudinal direction remaining. Recesses 32 and 33 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal inner walls of each of the grooves 31, with each groove 31 having 20 sets of mutually opposing recesses 32 and 33. At both ends of the housing 30 in the longitudinal direction, holes 34 are located in the center of the housing 30 in the width direction and are formed on the upper surface 30a of the housing 30 on the side where the other connector is to be fitted.

[0039] Furthermore, stepped portions 35 are formed at both ends of the side surfaces 30b and 30c in the width direction of the housing 30. The portion separating the two grooves 31 of the housing 30 forms a central convex portion 36 that is slightly higher than the upper surface 30a.

[0040] The terminals 40 are inserted from the lower surface 30d of the housing 30 and mounted on the housing 30. The terminals 40 are positioned across the recesses 32 and 33, with 20 terminals 40 arranged in each slot 31 of the housing 30. It should be noted that the connection portion 41 of each terminal 40, which is soldered to the pad on the substrate, is located in the recess 37 formed in the lower surface 30d of the housing 30, with the front end slightly protruding from the side surfaces 30e and 30f of the housing 30, respectively.

[0041] The housing 50 is formed by processing a metal plate and comprises: a peripheral wall 51 formed in the shape of a rectangular frame, a bottom plate 52 extending from the lower end of the side of the peripheral wall 51 mounted on the substrate (the opposite side to the side where the other side connector is engaged) toward the inner side of the peripheral wall 51, a pair of first retaining pieces 53 extending from the bottom plate 52, and two pairs of second retaining pieces 54.

[0042] Bottom plates 52 are located at both ends of the housing 50 in the longitudinal direction, slightly blocking the opening formed by the peripheral wall 51. A pair of first retaining pieces 53 are formed by standing upright from the bottom plate 52 at both ends of the housing 50 in the longitudinal direction, facing each other. Each first retaining piece 53 is formed by a standing portion 53a, an extension portion 53b that bends inwardly and extends from the standing portion 53a, and a press-fit portion 53c that bends downward and extends from the extension portion 53b.

[0043] Two pairs of second retaining pieces 54 are located on either side of the first retaining piece 53, rising from the bottom plate 52 in the same manner as the rising portions 53a of the first retaining piece 53. Protrusions 54a are formed on the end surfaces of the second retaining pieces 54 facing the first retaining piece 53. It should be noted that notches 52a are provided in the bottom plate 52, positioned between the first retaining piece 53 and the second retaining piece 54.

[0044] The peripheral wall 51 is formed of a single-layered metal plate, with a seamless, continuous metal plate extending along its entire circumference. A curved portion 51a extending outward along its entire circumference is provided at the upper end. Two inwardly projecting protrusions 51b are formed on the upper ends of the opposing sides of the peripheral wall 51, forming the long sides of the rectangle. A similarly inwardly projecting protrusion 51c is formed on the upper ends of the opposing sides forming the short sides of the rectangle.

[0045] The housing 50 having the above structure is formed by drawing a blank (flat plate) having a desired shape, bending the first and second retaining pieces 53 and 54, and protruding the protrusions 51b and 51c. Figure 7A In FIG, arrow D indicates the direction of the drawing process. The bottom plate 52 forms the bottom of the drawing process.

[0046] The housing 50 is mounted on the housing 30 by pressing the housing 50 downward from above the housing 30 holding the terminals 40, pressing the press-fit portions 53c of the pair of first retaining pieces 53 into the holes 34 of the housing 30, and inserting the two pairs of second retaining pieces 54 having protrusions 54a into the stepped portions 35 of the housing 30. The housing 30 is held by the pair of first retaining pieces 53 and the two pairs of second retaining pieces 54, is located in an island shape within the housing 50, and is entirely surrounded by the peripheral wall 51 of the housing 50, thereby completing the Figure 5A 、 Figure 5B The connector 100 shown in FIG. It should be noted that the raised portions 53a of the pair of first retaining pieces 53 are positioned along the side surfaces 30b and 30c of the housing 30 (opposite side surfaces of the housing 30), respectively, and are arranged across the housing 30. The extended portions 53b are located on the upper surface 30a of the housing 30. Furthermore, the upper ends of the second retaining pieces 54, which are embedded in the stepped portions 35 at both ends of the side surfaces 30b and 30c of the housing 30 in the width direction of the portion along which the raised portions 53a of the first retaining piece 53 are sandwiched, protrude further than the upper surface 30a of the housing 30. The side ends opposite to the side where the protrusions 54a are formed protrude further than the housing 30 in the width direction of the side surfaces 30b and 30c, that is, further than the side surfaces 30e and 30f along the longitudinal direction of the housing 30.

[0047] Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B The other side connector 200 is shown to be mated with the connector 100 to form a board-to-board connector. Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B In the figure, 60 denotes an insulating housing, 70 denotes a terminal, and 80 denotes a conductive shell. The terminals 70 are insert-molded on the housing 60 and arranged in two rows, 20 in each row, for a total of 40 in the two rows.

[0048] In this example, the housing 80, formed into a rectangular frame shape, is formed by bending a metal plate and includes outer wall portions 81 located on opposite sides forming the long sides of the rectangle, outer wall portions 82 located on opposite sides forming the short sides of the rectangle, a connecting portion 83 connecting the upper ends of the outer wall portions 81 and 82, and an inner wall portion 84 folded inward from each outer wall portion 82 and located inside the outer wall portions 82. It should be noted that the outer wall portion 82 is missing at the center of the side and is divided into two parts. It also includes extended portions 82a that are bent and extended from both ends of the side and located inside the outer wall portion 81 and overlap with the outer wall portion 81.

[0049] The housing 80 is mounted on the housing 60 by covering the housing 60 holding the terminals 70 and pressing the housing 80 in. Two protrusions 81a protruding outward are formed on the upper ends of both outer walls 81 of the housing 80, respectively.

[0050] Figure 9 The diagram shows the state where the connector 100 and the other side connector 200 are fitted together. The substrates on which the connector 100 and the other side connector 200 are mounted are not shown. The other side connector 200 is formed into a structure that is embedded in the housing 50 of the connector 100 and connected to the connector 100.

[0051] Above, the structure of the connector 100 as an embodiment of the connector of the present invention is described. In addition, the structure of the other side connector 200 and the mating state with the other side connector 200 are also described. According to the structure of the connector 100, the following effects (1) to (3) can be achieved.

[0052] (1) Since the peripheral wall 51 of the housing 50 constituting the outer contour of the connector 100 and responsible for electromagnetic shielding is formed to be seamless throughout the entire circumference, and the metal plate is continuous throughout the entire circumference, electromagnetic leakage does not occur as in the conventional first connector 10, and thus good shielding performance can be obtained.

[0053] In addition, because the connector 100 is a connector in which the other-side connector 200 is embedded and accommodates the other-side connector 200, in the mated state with the other-side connector 200, the other-side connector 200 is also surrounded by the peripheral wall 51 of the shell 50. Therefore, for example, even if the shielding performance of the other-side connector 200 is insufficient, sufficient shielding performance can be achieved in the mated state.

[0054] (2) The structure is such that the rising portions 53a of the pair of first retaining pieces 53 are positioned along the side surfaces 30b and 30c of the housing 30, respectively, and the extension portions 53b are located on the upper surface 30a of the housing 30. The upper ends of the two pairs of second retaining pieces 54 protrude further than the upper surface 30a of the housing 30, and the side ends protrude further than the side surfaces 30e and 30f of the housing 30. Therefore, with the above structure, even if the other side connector 200 deviates from the connector 100 when mated with the other side connector 200, or even if the other side connector 200 tilts to pry the connector 100, damage to the housing 30 caused by the collision between the metal shell 80 of the other side connector 200 and the resin housing 30 can be avoided.

[0055] Figure 10A 、 Figure 10B Indicates the above situation, Figure 10A The other side connector 200 deviates from the longitudinal direction of the housing 30 and is fitted in an inclined manner in the longitudinal direction. Figure 10B The other side connector 200 is shown in a state where it is offset in the width direction of the housing 30 and is fitted with the housing 30 tilted in the width direction. Figure 10A In the embodiment, since the housing 80 of the other side connector 200 collides with the first retaining piece 53, the housing 30 can be prevented from being damaged. Figure 10B In the embodiment, since the housing 80 of the other side connector 200 collides with the second holding piece 54, it is possible to prevent the housing 30 from being damaged. In this way, a pair of first holding pieces 53 and two pairs of second holding pieces 54 have the function of holding the housing 30 and preventing the housing 30 from being damaged.

[0056] (3) The peripheral wall 51 of the housing 50 is different from the structure of the existing first connector 10 in which the metal plate has two layers, inner and outer. It is composed of a single layer of metal plate. In addition, the shell 30 does not exist in the portion where the peripheral wall 51 is located. The peripheral wall 51 exists alone, and the shell 30 is formed into an island-like structure located inside the housing 50. Therefore, according to the above aspects, it is formed into a structure that can easily make the connector miniaturized.

Claims

1. A connector comprising: an insulating housing, a plurality of terminals arranged and held in the housing, and a conductive outer shell, wherein the connector is mated with another connector, and wherein: The shell is formed in an island shape and is located inside the outer shell. The housing is formed of a metal plate and includes: a peripheral wall surrounding the housing; a bottom plate extending from a lower end of the peripheral wall on the side opposite to the side engaged with the other side connector toward the inner side of the peripheral wall; a pair of first retaining pieces and two pairs of second retaining pieces, the pair of first retaining pieces and the two pairs of second retaining pieces extending from the bottom plate. The peripheral wall is a single-layer structure of the metal plate with no joints throughout the entire periphery. The pair of first retaining pieces respectively include: a rising portion, which rises from the bottom plate along the side surfaces of the housing on opposite sides; an extension portion, which is bent and extended from the rising portion and is located on the upper surface of the housing on the side where the other side connector is fitted; a press-in portion, which is bent and extended from the extension portion; and the press-in portions are pressed into holes formed in the upper surface. A step portion that is recessed one level further than the side surface is formed at both ends of the side surface of the housing in the width direction of the portion along which the rising portion is located. Each pair of the two pairs of second retaining pieces is located on both sides of the first retaining piece, stands up from the bottom plate and is embedded in the step portion respectively. The second holding piece protrudes further than the upper surface and further than the side surface of the housing in the width direction.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein: A curved portion that curves outward is provided on the upper end of the peripheral wall over the entire circumference.

Images