Electric connector and manufacturing method of contact pin of electric connector

Abstract

The invention provides an electric connector and a manufacturing method of a contact pin of the electric connector. An electrical connector (1) comprises a pair of contact pins (2). Each of the pair of contact pins (2) is obtained by pressing a wire rod having a rectangular cross-section. The contact pin (2) is provided with a main body section (21) having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. The main body (21) has an outer surface and an inner surface facing each other, and a third surface (213) and a fourth surface (214) facing each other, and the third surface (213) and the fourth surface (214) are orthogonal to the inner surface and the outer surface. The main body (21) is provided with a recess (271) formed on the outer surface, and a pair of protrusions (27) protruding outward from portions of the third surface (213) and the fourth surface (214) adjacent to the recess (271).

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-103601 filed on June 23, 2023 (invention name “Electrical connector and method for manufacturing contact pins of an electrical connector”) and Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-103603 filed on June 23, 2023 (invention name “Electrical connector and method for manufacturing contact pins of an electrical connector”), and furthermore, the contents of these Japanese patent applications are fully incorporated into this specification by reference. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector and a method for manufacturing a contact pin of the electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector used to provide a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable and a method for manufacturing a contact pin of the electrical connector. Background Art

[0003] In order to provide an electrical connection between an electronic device and other electronic devices via a cable, a combination of a socket connector and a plug connector is widely used. In addition, with the improvement of the processing power of electronic devices in recent years, the amount of data sent from an electronic device to other electronic devices via a cable has increased. In order to send a large amount of data in a short time, it is necessary to send a high-frequency signal via a cable, and there is a demand to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the cable, especially the signal transmission characteristics of the cable in the high-frequency band. In response to such a demand, a coaxial cable with excellent signal transmission characteristics in the high-frequency band is widely used. As is well known, a coaxial cable has a coaxial structure in which a core wire, an inner insulating layer, an outer conductor layer (braided layer) and an outer insulating layer are concentrically arranged, wherein the core wire is used to transmit a signal, the inner insulating layer covers the core wire, the outer conductor layer (braided layer) covers the inner insulating layer, and functions as a grounding portion when transmitting a signal, and functions as a shielding portion to prevent the signal from leaking to the outside and the intrusion of electric waves from the outside, and the outer insulating layer covers the outer conductor layer.

[0004] In order to provide such a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable, an electrical connector including a contact pin electrically connected to the core wire of the coaxial cable and an insulating housing covering the contact pin is widely used. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a typical embodiment of such an electrical connector. Figure 1 A pair of contact pins 10 and a housing 11 are shown. Figure 2 It is a plan view showing a semi-finished contact pin 10 . Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main body of the contact pin 10 taken along line AA shown in FIG.

[0005] like Figure 1As shown, the contact pin 10 includes: a main body 101; a contact portion 102, which protrudes from one end of the main body 101 to the front end side and contacts with a corresponding contact pin of a counterpart contact; a terminal portion 103, which extends downward from the other end of the main body 101 and is connected to a corresponding terminal of a circuit board; and a plurality of cut marks 104, which protrude outward from the main body 101. The housing 11 includes: a cylindrical portion 111, which accommodates a portion of the main body 101 of the contact pin 10 extending in the front-to-back direction (Z direction); and a wall portion 112, which extends in the front-to-back direction in the cylindrical portion 111 so as to separate a pair of contact pins 10 in the X direction. The pair of contact pins 10 are accommodated in the cylindrical portion 111 of the housing 11 in a mutually insulated state.

[0006] Next, refer to Figure 2 The manufacturing process of the contact pin 10 is described. First, a metal plate is pressed from the +X direction with a cutter to perform a punching process into a predetermined shape, thereby obtaining a Figure 2 The semi-finished product of the plurality of contact pins 10 shown in FIG. In the semi-finished product stage, the plurality of contact pins 10 are connected to each other via the plurality of carriers 105. In this state, Figure 2 The portions indicated by the middle dotted lines are subjected to dicing to separate the plurality of contact pins 10 from the carrier 105 , thereby obtaining the plurality of contact pins 10 . After such dicing, a portion of the carrier 105 remaining on the main body 101 is a dicing mark 104 .

[0007] Thus, the contact pin 10 can be obtained by punching and cutting a metal plate. However, it is known that such punching crushes the corners of the punched surface (YZ surface) of the contact pin 10 . Figure 3 Indicates along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view) of the main body 101 of the contact pin 10 taken along line AA shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown, the contact pin 10 has: a first surface 106, which extends in the YZ plane and is located in the blanking start direction ( Figure 3 The second surface 107, which is opposite to the first surface 106, is located in the blanking end direction ( Figure 3 The third surface 108, which extends in the XZ plane, is located Figure 3 and a fourth surface 109, which is opposite to the third surface 108, located at Figure 3 On the lower side. Figure 3 , the length of the first surface 106 is represented by L1, the length of the second surface 107 is represented by L2, the length of the third surface 108 is represented by L3, and the length of the fourth surface 109 is represented by L4.

[0008] In order to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector in the high frequency band, it is most preferred that the length L1 of the first surface 106 is equal to the length L2 of the second surface 107 (L1=L2). Figure 3 As shown, when the contact pin 10 is obtained by punching a metal plate, the corner portion in the punching start direction (the corner of the first surface 106) is flattened, so that the corner is deformed to Figure 3 The shape shown by the solid line of the main body 101 (the shape shown by the dotted line is an ideal cross-sectional shape without the flattening of the corners caused by the punching process). As a result, the length L1 of the first surface 106 is significantly smaller than the length L2 of the second surface 107, so there is a large difference between the length L1 of the first surface 106 and the length L2 of the second surface 107. In addition, since the corners of the first surface 106 are flattened, the third surface 108 and the fourth surface 109 are not parallel to each other, and are not orthogonal to the first surface 106. Such a change in the shape of the main body 101 has the problem of deteriorating the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector, especially the signal transmission characteristics in the high frequency band. In particular, when the length L1 and the length L2 in the cross-sectional shape are inconsistent, the areas of the inner side surfaces of a pair of contact pins 10 that are opposite to each other are inconsistent, which significantly deteriorates the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector in the high frequency band.

[0009] In addition, in order to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector in the high frequency band, it is most preferred that the length L1 of the first surface 106 and the length L2 of the second surface 107 are equal to the length L3 of the third surface 108 and the length L4 of the fourth surface 109 (L1, L2 = L3, L4). Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , if a metal plate is punched, the corners of the punched surface (corners of the first surface 106) will be flattened. Therefore, if the flattening of the corners caused by the punching process causes a decrease in the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector, the design value of the width of the contact pin 10 in the direction (Y direction) orthogonal to the punching direction (X direction) (referred to as the "punching width") needs to be at least 1.5 times the thickness of the metal plate. Specifically, the design value of the width of the contact pin 10 in the Y direction (i.e., the "punching width") is Figure 3 The length L2 of the second surface 107 whose corner is not flattened needs to be set to Figure 3 1.5 times or more the length in the X direction of the shape shown by the dotted line in FIG. 1 (i.e., the thickness of the metal plate). Thus, when the contact pin 10 is obtained by punching and cutting as in the past, the punching width of the contact pin 10 is limited by the thickness of the metal plate. Therefore, the length L1 of the first surface 106 and the length L2 of the second surface 107 cannot be equal to the length L3 of the third surface 108 and the length L4 of the fourth surface 109.

[0010] Prior art literature

[0011] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-011653 Summary of the invention

[0012] The present invention has been completed in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its purpose is to obtain each of a pair of contact pins of an electrical connector by stamping a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, rather than by stamping a metal plate and punching it into a predetermined shape, thereby preventing the corners of the main body of each of the pair of contact pins from being flattened and preventing the difference between the length of the first surface and the length of the second surface of the main body from being generated in the cross-sectional shape of the main body, thereby improving the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector.

[0013] In addition, another object of the present invention is to obtain each of a pair of contact pins of an electrical connector by punching a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, rather than punching a metal plate into a predetermined shape, so that the length of the first surface, the length of the second surface, the length of the third surface, and the length of the fourth surface of the contact pin are respectively set to a length more suitable for the signal transmission characteristics, thereby improving the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector. In addition, another object of the present invention is to stabilize the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector by keeping the separation distance of the pair of contact pins of the electrical connector constant.

[0014] Such an object is achieved by the present invention defined by the following (1) to (4).

[0015] (1) An electrical connector capable of being connected to a mating connector inserted from a front end side, the electrical connector comprising: a pair of contact pins; and an insulating housing that accommodates the pair of contact pins in an insulated state, the pair of contact pins each having a main body portion having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the main body portion of each of the pair of contact pins having an outer side surface and an inner side surface that are opposed to each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface that are opposed to each other, the inner side surfaces of the pair of contact pins being opposed to each other with a gap therebetween, and the main body portion of each of the pair of contact pins comprising: a recess formed on the outer side surface; and a pair of protrusions that protrude outward from portions of the third surface and the fourth surface that are adjacent to the recess.

[0016] (2) A method for manufacturing a contact pin, the contact pin being used in an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a pair of contact pins and an insulating housing that houses the pair of contact pins in an insulated state and is connectable to a counterpart connector inserted from a front end side, the method for manufacturing the contact pin comprising a stamping step, in which both end portions of a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape are stamped to form a main body portion having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, a contact portion extending from one end portion of the main body portion, and a terminal portion extending from the other end portion of the main body portion.

[0017] (3) An electrical connector capable of being connected to a counterpart connector inserted from a front end side, the electrical connector comprising: a pair of contact pins; and an insulating housing which accommodates the pair of contact pins in a mutually insulated state, the pair of contact pins being respectively formed of wires having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the pair of contact pins respectively comprising a main body portion having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the inner side surfaces of the main bodies of the pair of contact pins being opposite to each other being flat surfaces, and the pair of contact pins respectively comprising a recessed portion formed in a predetermined portion of an outer side surface of the main body portion opposite to the inner side surface.

[0018] (4) A method for manufacturing a contact pin, characterized in that the contact pin is used for an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a pair of contact pins and an insulating housing that accommodates the pair of contact pins in an insulated state and is connectable to a counterpart connector inserted from a front end side, the method for manufacturing the contact pin comprising a stamping process, in which both end portions of a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape are subjected to stamping processing to form a main body portion having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, a contact portion extending from one end of the main body portion, and a terminal portion extending from the other end of the main body portion, the inner side surfaces of the main bodies of the pair of contact pins facing each other being flat surfaces, and the pair of contact pins respectively having a recessed portion formed in a predetermined portion of an outer side surface of the main body portion facing the inner side surface.

[0019] The effects of the present invention are as follows.

[0020] In the present invention, a pair of contact pins are obtained by punching a wire material having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, so that, unlike a contact pin obtained by punching a metal plate, no flattening occurs at the corner of the main body during the manufacturing process of the contact pin. Therefore, in the cross-sectional shape of the main body, a difference between the length of the first surface and the length of the second surface of the main body can be prevented from occurring, and the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector can be improved.

[0021] Furthermore, in the present invention, since a pair of contact pins are obtained by stamping a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the pull-out width of the contact pin is not limited by the thickness of the metal plate, unlike a contact pin obtained by stamping a metal plate, and can be freely set within the range of the thickness and cross-sectional shape of the available wire. Therefore, the length of the first surface, the length of the second surface, the length of the third surface, and the length of the fourth surface of the contact pin are formed to be substantially equal, thereby improving the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector.

[0022] Moreover, in the present invention, the inner side surfaces of the main body of the pair of contact pins facing each other are flat surfaces. With such a structure, the separation distance of the pair of contact pins can be kept constant. By keeping the separation distance of the pair of contact pins constant, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector can be stabilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a housing and contact pins typically used in a conventional electrical connector.

[0024] Figure 2 Yes means Figure 1 A top view of a semi-finished contact pin is shown.

[0025] Figure 3 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the main body of the contact needle taken along line AA shown in FIG.

[0026] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing the electric connector of the present invention, a circuit board on which the electric connector of the present invention is mounted, and a mating connector connected to the electric connector of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of the electrical connector shown.

[0028] Figure 6 Observe from other angles Figure 4 A perspective view of the electrical connector shown.

[0029] Figure 7 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the housing of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1 , taken along the YZ plane and including the insertion hole.

[0030] Figure 8 yes Figure 4 An exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown.

[0031] Fig. 9 is a three-dimensional diagram of a contact pin.

[0032] Fig.10 It is along Fig. 9 An XY top view of the main body of the contact pin along line BB shown in FIG.

[0033] Fig.11 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the shell.

[0034] Fig.12 This is a perspective view for explaining the press-fitting of the contact pin into the housing.

[0035] Fig.13 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the shell.

[0036] Fig.14 It is a three-dimensional view of the housing from another angle.

[0037] Fig.15 It is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the XZ plane of the CC line electrical connector shown in FIG. 1 and a partial enlarged view of the engaging protrusion of the shell and the engaging protrusion of the housing.

[0038] Fig.16 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the cover.

[0039] Fig.17 This is a three-dimensional view of the cover from another angle.

[0040] Fig.18 1 is a flow chart showing a method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to the present invention.

[0041] Fig.19 This is a flow chart showing a method for manufacturing a contact pin of an electric connector according to the present invention.

[0042] Fig. 20 This is a cross-sectional view taken along the YZ plane including the contact pins in a state where the electric connector is connected to the mating connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, the electrical connector of the present invention will be described based on the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In addition, the figures referred to below are schematic diagrams prepared for illustrating the present invention. The dimensions (length, width, thickness, etc.) of the components shown in the accompanying drawings may not necessarily reflect the actual dimensions. In addition, in each figure, the same reference number is marked for the same or corresponding elements. In the following description, the positive direction of the Z axis of each figure is sometimes referred to as the "front end side" or "front side", the negative direction of the Z axis is referred to as the "base end side" or "rear side", the positive direction of the Y axis is referred to as the "upper side", the negative direction of the Y axis is referred to as the "lower side", the positive direction of the X axis is referred to as the "near front side", and the negative direction of the X axis is referred to as the "inner side". In addition, the Z direction is sometimes referred to as the "plugging and unplugging direction of the connector on the object side", the Y direction is referred to as the "height direction", and the X direction is referred to as the "width direction".

[0044] Figure 4It is a perspective view showing the electric connector of the present invention, a circuit board on which the electric connector of the present invention is mounted, and a mating connector connected to the electric connector of the present invention. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A perspective view of the electrical connector shown. Figure 6 Observe from other angles Figure 4 A perspective view of the electrical connector shown. Figure 7 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the housing of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1 , taken along the YZ plane and including the insertion hole. Figure 8 yes Figure 4 An exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown. Fig. 9 is a three-dimensional diagram of a contact pin. Fig.10 It is along Fig. 9 An XY top view of the main body of the contact pin along line BB shown in FIG. Fig.11 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the shell. Fig.12 This is a perspective view for explaining the press-fitting of the contact pin into the housing. Fig.13 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the shell. Fig.14 It is a three-dimensional view of the housing from another angle. Fig.15 It is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the XZ plane of the electrical connector of the CC line shown in FIG. 1 and a partial enlarged view of the engaging protrusion of the shell and the engaging protrusion of the housing. Fig.16 It is a three-dimensional diagram of the cover. Fig.17 This is a three-dimensional view of the cover from another angle.

[0045] like Figure 4 As shown, the electric connector 1 of the present invention is a socket connector mounted on a circuit substrate 100 provided in any device. When a counterpart connector (plug connector) 200 mounted on the front end of a coaxial cable 300 is inserted into the electric connector 1 from the front end side, the electric connector 1 and the counterpart connector 200 are connected, and an electrical connection is provided between the coaxial cable 300 and the circuit substrate 100 via the electric connector 1 and the counterpart connector 200.

[0046] The coaxial cable 300 has a structure in which a pair of core wires (center conductors) 310 and a pair of inner insulating layers 320 covering the pair of core wires 310 are coaxially arranged, and a first outer insulating layer 330 covering the pair of inner insulating layers 320, an outer conductor layer (braided layer) 340 covering the first outer insulating layer 330, and a second outer insulating layer 350 further covering the outer conductor layer 340 are concentrically arranged. Figure 4, but the base end of the coaxial cable 300 is connected to a device different from the device having the circuit substrate 100. Therefore, if the electrical connector 1 is connected to the counterpart side connector 200, signal communication between the device having the circuit substrate 100 and the other device can be carried out via the coaxial cable 300. Typically, the device having the circuit substrate 100 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the operation of the car, and the other devices connected to the base end of the coaxial cable 300 are in-vehicle network communication devices for in-vehicle Ethernet, etc., car navigation, car audio, in-vehicle cameras, in-vehicle GPS, in-vehicle TV, car radio and other in-vehicle devices. By connecting the electrical connector 1 to the counterpart side connector 200, high-speed signal communication between the in-vehicle device and the ECU can be carried out via the coaxial cable 300 including two core wires (center conductors) 310. In the illustrated embodiment, the electrical connector 1 is a 2-pin connector for providing a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable 300 including two core wires 310, but may be a multi-pin connector (e.g., a 4-pin connector (HSD connector)) for providing a coaxial connection with two or more pairs of coaxial cables 300 including two or more pairs of core wires 310. Hereinafter, a two-pin connector for providing a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable 300 including two core wires 310 will be described.

[0047] like Figures 5 to 8 ,in particular Figure 8 As shown, the electrical connector 1 includes: contact pins 230 (see Fig. 20 ) a pair of contact pins 2 in contact; a housing 3 holding a pair of contact pins 2; a metal shell 4 holding the housing 3; and a cover 5 mounted on the front end side of the housing 4.

[0048] The pair of contact pins 2 are L-shaped members made of conductive materials such as copper alloy, and are obtained by stamping and bending a wire material with a rectangular cross-sectional shape. The contact pins 2 have the following functions: when the electrical connector 1 is connected to the counterpart connector 200, the contact pins 2 contact the corresponding contact pins 230 of the counterpart connector 200 to provide electrical connection between the counterpart connector 200 and the electrical connector 1. The pair of contact pins 2 are respectively pressed into a pair of insertion holes 33 (see FIG. 1 ) formed in the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3. Figure 8 )Inside. Fig. 9 express Figure 8 The pair of contact pins 2 shown. In addition, since the pair of contact pins 2 have the same structure as each other, the structure of the contact pin 2 located on the +X direction side will be described in detail below as a representative example.

[0049] like Fig. 9As shown, the contact needle 2 comprises: a main body portion 21 having a rectangular cross-sectional shape; a contact portion 22 extending from the end portion on the front end side of the main body portion 21 and having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape (more specifically, a circle with portions on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side cut off); and a terminal portion 23 extending from the end portion on the base end side of the main body portion and having a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape. The main body 21 includes: a horizontal extension portion 24, which extends linearly along the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) of the object side connector 200; a connecting portion 25, which bends downward from the base end of the horizontal extension portion 24; a downward extension portion 26, which extends linearly downward from the lower end of the connecting portion 25; two pairs of protrusions 27, which extend from the horizontal extension portion 24 along the height direction (Y direction, outside) of the contact pin 2 which is orthogonal to the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) of the object side connector 200; and a pair of front end protrusions 28, which extend from the third surface 213 and the fourth surface 214 of the front end of the horizontal extension portion 24 along the height direction of the contact pin 2.

[0050] In addition, the horizontal extension portion 24, the connection portion 25, and the downward extension portion 26 each include a first surface 211 and a second surface 212 extending separately from each other, and a third surface 213 and a fourth surface 214 extending separately from each other and orthogonal to the first surface 211 and the second surface 212. The first surface 211 of each of the horizontal extension portion 24, the connection portion 25, and the downward extension portion 26 is a side surface on the +X direction side orthogonal to the X direction, and the second surface 212 of the horizontal extension portion 24, the connection portion 25, and the downward extension portion 26 is a side surface on the -X direction side orthogonal to the X direction. The third surface 213 of the horizontal extension portion 24 is a side surface on the +Y direction side orthogonal to the Y direction, and the fourth surface 214 of the horizontal extension portion 24 is a side surface on the -Y direction side orthogonal to the Y direction. The third surface 213 of the connection portion 25 is a curved surface located on the outer side when viewed from the curved center of the connection portion 25, and the fourth surface 214 of the connection portion 25 is a curved surface located on the inner side when viewed from the curved center of the connection portion 25. The third surface 213 of the downward extending portion 26 is a side surface on the −Z direction side perpendicular to the Z direction, and the fourth surface 214 of the downward extending portion 26 is a side surface on the +Z direction side perpendicular to the Z direction.

[0051] Fig.10 The cross-sectional shape of the horizontal extension portion 24 (along Fig. 9 In addition, the cross-sectional shapes of the connecting portion 25 and the lower extending portion 26 also have the same structure as the cross-sectional shape of the horizontal extending portion 24, so the following is a representative example. Fig.10 The cross-sectional shape of the horizontal extension portion 24 is described in detail. Fig.10 As shown, the cross-sectional shape of the horizontal extension portion 24 is rectangular, more specifically, a long rectangle or a square. Fig.10, the length of the first surface 211 in the height direction (Y direction) is represented by L1, the length of the second surface 212 in the height direction is represented by L2, the length of the third surface 213 in the width direction (X direction) is represented by L3, and the length of the fourth surface 214 in the width direction is represented by L4. The first surface 211 is substantially parallel to the second surface 212, and the third surface 213 is substantially parallel to the fourth surface 214. Moreover, the length L1 of the first surface 211 is substantially equal to the length L2 of the second surface 212. Specifically, in the cross-sectional shape of the horizontal extension portion 24, the ratio of the length L1 of the first surface 211 to the length L2 of the second surface 212 (L1 / L2 or L2 / L1) satisfies a relationship of 0.9 to 1.1. Furthermore, in the cross-sectional shape of the horizontal extension portion 24, the length L3 of the third surface 213 is substantially equal to the length L4 of the fourth surface 214. Specifically, in the cross-sectional shape of the horizontally extending portion 24 , the ratio of the length L3 of the third surface 213 to the length L4 of the fourth surface 214 (L3 / L4 or L4 / L3) satisfies a relationship of 0.9 to 1.1.

[0052] The above-mentioned ratio relationship between the length L1 of the first surface 211 and the length L2 of the second surface 212, and the above-mentioned ratio relationship between the length L3 of the third surface 213 and the length L4 of the fourth surface 214 are satisfied over the entire length of the main body 21 (in the entirety of the horizontal extension portion 24, the connection portion 25, and the lower extension portion 26). Angle θ1 (first angle) formed by the first surface 211 and the third surface 213, angle θ2 (second angle) formed by the first surface 211 and the fourth surface 214, angle θ3 (third angle) formed by the second surface 212 and the third surface 213, and angle θ4 (fourth angle) formed by the second surface 212 and the fourth surface 214 are substantially right angles, and more specifically, angles θ1, θ2, θ3, and θ4 are within the range of 85° to 95°, respectively.

[0053] As described above, the contact pin 2 of the present invention is obtained by stamping and bending a wire material having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. Therefore, unlike the conventional contact pin obtained by punching and cutting a metal plate, the corners (first corner, second corner, third corner and fourth corner) of the main body 21 (horizontally extending portion 24, connecting portion 25 and lower extending portion 26) are not flattened during the manufacturing process, and the shape of the main body 21 is not changed or the change is extremely small. In particular, in the contact pin 2 of the present invention, in the cross-sectional shape of the main body 21, the length L1 of the first surface 211 and the length L2 of the second surface 212 are substantially equal, and the third surface 213 and the fourth surface 214 are parallel to each other and are orthogonal to the first surface 211 and the second surface 212. Thus, in the present invention, unlike the prior art, the difference between the length L1 of the first surface 211 and the length L2 of the second surface 212 can be prevented from occurring during the manufacturing process of the contact pin 2, and the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be improved.

[0054] In addition, as described above, if a metal plate is subjected to a punching process, the corners of the punching surface will be flattened. Therefore, in the case where a contact pin is obtained by punching and cutting as in the past, the width of the contact pin in a direction perpendicular to the punching direction (referred to as the "punching width") is limited by the thickness of the metal plate. Specifically, considering the reduction in the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector caused by the flattening of the corners due to the aforementioned punching process, the pull-out width of the contact pin needs to be at least 1.5 times the thickness of the metal plate. For example, suppose that the contact pin 2 is obtained by punching and cutting as in the past. In this case, if Fig.10 Assuming that the X direction in the figure is the punching direction, the length L1, L2 of the contact pin 2 in the Y direction (i.e., the "punching width") needs to be at least 1.5 times the length L3, L4 of the contact pin 2 in the X direction (i.e., the "thickness of the metal plate"). However, in order to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1, there is a case where the length L1, L2 of the contact pin 2 in the Y direction is desired to be less than 1.5 times the length L3, L4 of the contact pin 2 in the X direction.

[0055] As described above, the contact pin 2 of the present invention is obtained by stamping and bending a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. Therefore, the lengths L1 and L2 of the contact pin 2 in the Y direction are not limited by the lengths L3 and L4 of the contact pin 2 in the X direction. The lengths L1, L2, L3 and L4 of the contact pin 2 depend on the thickness and cross-sectional shape of the wire subjected to the stamping and bending processes, and wires having various thicknesses and cross-sectional shapes can be purchased on the market. Therefore, the lengths L1, L2, L3 and L4 of the contact pin 2 of the present invention are not limited as described above, and can be freely set within the range of the thickness and cross-sectional shape of the purchaseable wire. Therefore, in the present invention, the lengths L1 and L2 of the contact pin 2 in the Y direction can be made smaller than 1.5 times the lengths L3 and L4 of the contact pin 2 in the X direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact pin 2 is formed so that the lengths L1 and L2 are smaller than 1.5 times the lengths L3 and L4. Specifically, the contact pins 2 are formed so that the lengths L1, L2, L3, and L4 are substantially equal (for example, within a range of ±10%). With such a structure, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be improved.

[0056] return Fig. 9 , the inner side surfaces (the second surface 212 of the contact pin 2 in the +X direction and the first surface 211 of the contact pin 2 in the -X direction) of the main body 21 of the pair of contact pins 2 facing each other are flat surfaces orthogonal to the X direction. With such a structure, the separation distance of the pair of contact pins 2 in the X direction can be kept constant. By keeping the separation distance of the pair of contact pins 2 in the X direction constant, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be stabilized. In addition, in the electrical connector 1 of the present invention, in the cross-sectional shape of the main body 21, the length L2 of the second surface 212 of the contact pin 2 in the +X direction is substantially equal to the length L1 of the first surface 211 of the contact pin 2 in the -X direction. Therefore, the areas of the inner side surfaces (the second surface 212 of the contact pin 2 in the +X direction and the first surface 211 of the contact pin 2 in the -X direction) of the pair of contact pins 2 facing each other are substantially the same. As described in the prior art column, the inconsistency of the areas of the inner side surfaces of the pair of contact pins 2 facing each other deteriorates the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1, especially the signal transmission characteristics in the high frequency band. In the contact pin 2 of the present invention, the length L1 of the first surface 211 is approximately equal to the length L2 of the second surface 212, and the areas of the inner side surfaces facing each other of a pair of contact pins 2 are also approximately equal, thereby improving the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1, especially the signal transmission characteristics in the high-frequency band.

[0057] The contact portion 22 is a generally cylindrical portion extending linearly from the front end portion of the horizontal extension portion 24 toward the front end side. More specifically, the contact portion 22 has a generally cylindrical shape in which a portion on the +Y direction side and a portion on the -Y direction side are cut parallel to the XZ plane. Figure 5As shown, when the contact pin 2 is held by the housing 3, the contact portion 22 protrudes from the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3 toward the front end and is exposed. When the electrical connector 1 is connected to the counterpart connector 200, the contact portion 22 contacts the corresponding contact pin 230 of the counterpart connector 200, providing electrical connection between the counterpart connector 200 and the electrical connector 1 (see Fig. 20 The contact portion 22 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape by pressing a pair of molding dies on a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape from both sides (e.g., the first surface 211 side and the second surface 212 side) and performing a stamping process. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the contact portion 22 is substantially circular.

[0058] return Fig. 9 The terminal portion 23 is a substantially pyramidal portion formed in a manner protruding downward from the lower end of the lower extension portion 26 of the main body portion 21. When the contact pin 2 is held by the housing 3, the terminal portion 23 extends downward from the contact pin 2 and is exposed. The terminal portion 23 is connected to the corresponding terminal 120 of the circuit board 100 (see Figure 4 The terminal portion 23 is formed into a substantially pyramidal shape (the form shown in the figure) by pressing a pair of molding dies on a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape from both sides (eg, the first surface 211 side and the second surface 212 side) and performing a stamping process.

[0059] The horizontal extension portion 24 is a plate-like portion that extends linearly along the insertion and extraction direction (Z direction) of the counterpart connector 200. When the pair of contact pins 2 are respectively pressed into the pair of insertion holes 33 of the housing 3, the horizontal extension portion 24 is located inside the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3. In particular, Figure 7 As shown, the horizontally extending portion 24 is held in the insertion hole 33 , whereby the contact pin 2 is held by the housing 3 .

[0060] return Fig. 9 The connecting portion 25 is an L-shaped portion connecting the horizontal extension portion 24 and the lower extension portion 26. The connecting portion 25 is bent downward from the base end portion of the horizontal extension portion 24. One end portion of the connecting portion 25 (the end facing the +Z direction) is continuous with the base end portion of the horizontal extension portion 24, and the other end portion of the connecting portion 25 (the end facing the -Y direction) is continuous with the upper end portion of the lower extension portion 26. The connecting portion 25 is formed by bending a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape. The lower extension portion 26 is a plate-shaped portion that extends linearly downward from the lower end portion of the connecting portion 25. Figure 7 As shown, in a state where the contact pin 2 is held by the housing 3 , the lower extending portion 26 is located within the lower extending portion 32 of the housing 3 .

[0061] The two pairs of protrusions 27 are portions that protrude from the third surface 213 and the fourth surface 214 of the horizontal extension portion 24 in the height direction (Y direction, outside) of the contact pin 2. The two upper protrusions 27 protrude from the third surface 213 toward the +Y direction, and the two lower protrusions 27 protrude from the fourth surface 214 toward the -Y direction. The upper protrusions 27 and the lower protrusions 27 of each pair are formed at positions that are opposite to each other across the horizontal extension portion 24. The two pairs of protrusions 27 each have the following function: when the contact pin 2 is pressed into the insertion hole 33 of the housing 3, the inner side surface of the insertion hole 33 is pressed inwardly, thereby increasing the locking force of the contact pin 2 in the insertion hole 33. In the illustrated embodiment, two pairs of protrusions 27 are formed on the third surface 213 and the fourth surface 214, but the number and positions of the protrusions 27 formed on the third surface 213 and the fourth surface 214 are not limited thereto, and one, two, three, or five or more protrusions 27 may be formed on the third surface 213 or the fourth surface 214. In addition, the two pairs of protrusions 27 have the same structure as each other, and therefore, the structure of the pair of protrusions 27 located on the +Z direction side will be described in detail as a representative example.

[0062] The pair of protrusions 27 protrude outward (in the Y direction) and have a semicircular shape when viewed from the X direction. Such a shape is obtained by pressing a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape from one side to form a mold and performing a stamping process. Specifically, Fig. 9 In the case of the contact pin 2 in the +X direction, a predetermined portion of the first surface 211 is subjected to stamping. Fig. 9 In the case of the contact pin 2 extending in the −X direction, a predetermined portion of the second surface 212 (the side surface on the −X direction side) is subjected to a press working by pressing a molding die to form a pair of protrusions 27 .

[0063] exist Fig. 9 In the case of the contact pin 2 in the +X direction, in order to form a pair of protrusions 27, a predetermined portion of the first surface 211 (the outer surface in the X direction) of the molding die is pressed to form a recess 271 by pressing the molding die, and the first surface 211 (the outer surface in the X direction) of the portion where the recess 271 is formed is located closer to the -X direction than the other portions of the first surface 211. On the other hand, in the corresponding portion of the second surface 212 (the inner surface in the X direction opposite to the other contact pin 2) opposite to the predetermined portion of the first surface 211 of the molding die, the recess 271 is not formed, and the surface becomes a flat surface continuous with the other portions of the second surface 212. About Fig. 9Similarly, for the contact pin 2 in the -X direction, a recess 271 is formed on a predetermined portion of the second surface 212 of the press-molding mold, and the second surface 212 (the outer surface in the X direction) of the portion where the recess 271 is formed is located closer to the +X direction than the other portions of the second surface 212. Furthermore, the recess 271 is not formed on the corresponding portion of the first surface 211 opposite to the predetermined portion of the second surface 212, but becomes a flat surface continuous with the other portions of the first surface 211. Fig. 9 In either the +X direction contact pin 2 or the −X direction contact pin 2 , a pair of protrusions 27 correspond to the recess 271 and protrude outward from portions adjacent to the recess 271 on both surfaces (the third surface 213 and the fourth surface 214 ) in the Y direction.

[0064] The pair of protrusions 27 have the same structure, respectively, and therefore the upper protrusion 27 formed on the third surface 213 of the horizontal extension portion 24 will be representatively described in detail. The upper protrusion 27 is a semicircular protrusion when viewed from above in the X direction, and protrudes upward from the third surface 213. The outer side surface (surface in the +Y direction) of the upper protrusion 27 is a curved surface protruding upward. The two side surfaces (surfaces in the X direction) of the upper protrusion 27 are flat surfaces orthogonal to the X direction. When the contact pin 2 is pressed into the insertion hole 33 of the housing 3, the upper protrusion 27 contacts the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 33 (refer to Figure 7 ).

[0065] return Fig. 9 The pair of front end protrusions 28 are portions protruding from the front end of the horizontal extension portion 24 and the third surface 213 and the fourth surface 214 in the height direction (Y direction, outside) of the contact pin 2. The pair of front end protrusions 28 are formed by pressing a wire material having a rectangular cross-sectional shape from four directions (both sides, top and bottom) with a forming die and performing a stamping process. The pair of front end protrusions 28 have the same structure, so the upper side front end protrusion 28 formed on the third surface 213 of the horizontal extension portion 24 will be described in detail as a representative example. The front end protrusion 28 is a protrusion protruding upward from the third surface 213 and having a rectangular shape when viewed from the X direction. The outer side surface (surface in the +Y direction) of the front end protrusion 28 is a flat surface orthogonal to the Y direction. Both side surfaces (surfaces in the X direction) of the front end protrusion 28 are flat surfaces orthogonal to the X direction.

[0066] The contact pin 2 as described above is pressed into the insertion hole 33 of the housing 3 and is held by the housing 3. The housing 3 is made of an elastic insulating material such as a resin material (for example, a liquid crystal polymer (LCP)). Fig.11 and Fig.12As shown, the housing 3 includes a cylindrical portion 31 extending in the insertion and removal direction of the counterpart connector 200 and a downward extending portion 32 extending downward from the base end of the cylindrical portion 31 .

[0067] like Fig.11 As shown, the cylindrical portion 31 is a cylindrical portion extending linearly along the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) of the object side connector 200. The cylindrical portion 31 has a planar shape of a rounded rectangular when viewed from above in the Z direction. When viewed from above in the Z direction, the length of the cylindrical portion 31 in the width direction (X direction) is greater than the length in the height direction (Y direction). The upper side surface and the lower side surface of the cylindrical portion 31 are flat surfaces that are separated from each other and extend along the plugging and unplugging direction of the object side connector 200, and the two side surfaces of the cylindrical portion 31 in the X direction are curved surfaces that are separated from each other and extend along the plugging and unplugging direction of the object side connector 200. The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 31 is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the insertion hole 43 formed in the main body 41 of the housing 4.

[0068] The cylindrical portion 31 includes: four first pressing ribs 311, which are respectively located on the upper side and the lower side of the cylindrical portion 31 and extend along the plugging and unplugging direction of the object side connector 200; a pair of second pressing ribs 312, which are respectively located on the two side surfaces of the cylindrical portion 31 in the X direction and extend along the plugging and unplugging direction of the object side connector 200; a pair of insertion holes 33, which pass through the cylindrical portion 31 along the plugging and unplugging direction of the object side connector 200; and a wall portion 34, which separates the pair of insertion holes 33.

[0069] The four first pressing ribs 311 are protrusions protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 31. The four first pressing ribs 311 are formed to prevent the contact pin 2 in the insertion hole 33 of the housing 3 from being displaced toward the base end side or from being separated from the insertion hole 33, and to prevent the housing 3 from being separated from the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43 of the shell 4. The four first pressing ribs 311 are respectively formed on the upper side and the lower side of the cylindrical portion 31 at positions corresponding to the two pairs of protrusions 27 of the pair of contact pins 2, and are protrusions extending linearly along the insertion and removal direction (Z direction) of the counterpart connector 200. Two of the four first pressing ribs 311 are located on the upper side of the cylindrical portion 31, and the remaining two are located on the lower side of the cylindrical portion 31. The two first pressing ribs 311 on the upper side are opposed to the two first pressing ribs 311 on the lower side via the pair of insertion holes 33 of the cylindrical portion 31. The two upper first pressing ribs 311 are provided on the upper side of the cylindrical portion 31 to be separated from each other. The two lower first pressing ribs 311 are provided on the lower side of the cylindrical portion 31 to be separated from each other.

[0070] In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, two of the four first pressing ribs 311 are formed symmetrically on the upper side of the cylindrical portion 31, and two are formed symmetrically on the lower side, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, one, two, three, or more than five first pressing ribs 311 may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 31.

[0071] The four first pressing ribs 311 respectively include a low back portion 311a located at the front end of the cylindrical portion 31, a middle back portion 311b extending from the base end of the low back portion 311a to the base end side, and a high back portion 311c extending from the base end of the middle back portion 311b to the base end side.

[0072] The low back portion 311a is located at the front end of the cylindrical portion 31 and is a protruding portion extending at a constant height from the front end toward the base end. Figure 7 As shown, the height (length in the Y direction) of the low back portion 311 a is set so that the low back portion 311 a does not contact the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 of the housing 4 when the housing 3 is held by the casing 4 .

[0073] return Fig.11 , the middle back portion 311b is located between the low back portion 311a and the high back portion 311c. The front end portion of the middle back portion 311b is an inclined portion whose height gradually increases from the front end side toward the base end side, and the front end surface of the middle back portion 311b is an inclined surface that inclines from the inside toward the outside as it moves from the front end side toward the base end side. The front end portion of the front end surface is continuous with the base end portion of the low back portion 311a. The portion of the middle back portion 311b other than the front end portion is a protrusion that extends toward the base end side at a constant height. And, the base end portion of the middle back portion 311b is continuous with the front end portion of the high back portion 311c. The height of the middle back portion 311b (the amount of protrusion in the Y direction) is greater than the height of the low back portion 311a, and less than the height of the high back portion 311c. As Figure 7 As shown, the height (length in the Y direction) of the middle back portion 311b is set so that, when the shell 3 is held by the outer shell 4, the outer side surface (the surface orthogonal to the Y direction) of the middle back portion 311b contacts the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 42 of the outer shell 4 and the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 43.

[0074] In a natural state where no external force is applied to the housing 3, the separation distance in the Y direction between the outer side surface of the middle back portion 311b on the upper side surface of the cylindrical portion 31 and the outer side surface of the middle back portion 311b on the lower side surface of the cylindrical portion 31 is slightly larger than the inner diameter in the Y direction (height direction) of the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43 of the housing 4. With such a structure, when the cylindrical portion 31 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43, the outer side surface of the middle back portion 311b contacts the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 43 of the housing 4 and is pressed inward, so that the housing 3 is held by the housing 4. In addition, since the housing 3 is made of an elastic insulating material, the cylindrical portion 31 can be elastically deformed toward the inside. Therefore, when the housing 3 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43, the outer side surface of the middle back portion 311b of the four first pressing ribs 311 is pressed inward by the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 43, and as a result, the portion of the cylindrical portion 31 where the middle back portion 311b is formed is elastically deformed inward. As a result, the inner side surface of the insertion hole 33 can be brought into contact with the protrusion 27 of the contact pin 2 more firmly, thereby preventing the contact pin 2 in the insertion hole 33 from being displaced and detached from the insertion hole 33.

[0075] return Fig.11 The high back portion 311c is located closer to the base end than the middle back portion 311b, extends from the base end of the middle back portion 311b toward the base end at a constant height, and protrudes outward. The lower end of the front end of the high back portion 311c is continuous with the base end of the middle back portion 311b. Figure 7 As shown, the height (length in the Y direction) of the high back portion 311c is set so that the outer side surface (surface perpendicular to the Y direction) of the high back portion 311c does not contact the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 43 of the housing 4 when the housing 3 is held by the shell 4. In addition, the base end portions of the high back portions 311c of the two first pressing ribs 311 formed on the lower side surface of the cylindrical portion 31 are connected to the front end surface of the front plate 321 of the lower extension portion 32.

[0076] The pair of second pressing ribs 312 are formed to prevent the contact pins 2 in the insertion holes 33 of the housing 3 from being displaced or detached toward the base end side, and to prevent the cylindrical portion 31 from detaching from the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion holes 43, when the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion holes 43 of the shell 4. The pair of second pressing ribs 312 are formed to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 by stably maintaining a constant separation distance in the width direction (X direction) between the pair of contact pins 2 respectively held in the pair of insertion holes 33 of the housing 3.

[0077] like Fig.11As shown, the pair of second pressing ribs 312 are protrusions that are separated from each other and extend linearly along the plugging and unplugging direction of the counterpart connector 200. The pair of second pressing ribs 312 are opposed to each other at an angle of 180 degrees across the pair of insertion holes 33 and the wall portion 34 formed between the pair of insertion holes 33. The pair of second pressing ribs 312 are respectively formed on both side surfaces (both side surfaces in the X direction) of the cylindrical portion 31.

[0078] The pair of second pressing ribs 312 each includes a low back portion 312 a located at the front end portion of the cylindrical portion 31 and a high back portion 312 b extending from the base end portion of the low back portion 312 a toward the base end side.

[0079] The low back portion 312a is located at the front end of the cylindrical portion 31 and is a protrusion extending at a constant height from the front end toward the base end. The height (length in the X direction) of the low back portion 312a is set so that when the housing 3 is held by the shell 4, the low back portion 312a does not contact the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 of the shell 4.

[0080] The high back portion 312b is located closer to the base end side than the low back portion 312a. The front end portion of the high back portion 312b is an inclined portion whose height gradually increases from the front end side toward the base end side, and the front end surface of the high back portion 312b is an inclined surface that tilts from the inside toward the outside as it moves from the front end side toward the base end side. The front end portion of the front end surface is continuous with the base end portion of the low back portion 312a. The portion of the high back portion 312b other than the front end portion is a protrusion that extends toward the base end side at a constant height. The height of the high back portion 312b (the amount of protrusion in the X direction) is greater than the height of the low back portion 312a.

[0081] The high back portion 312b is provided to contact the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43 of the shell 4 when the shell 3 is held by the shell 4, so as to prevent the cylindrical portion 31 of the shell 3 from being separated from the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43. The height (length in the X direction) of the high back portion 312b is greater than the height of the low back portion 312a. In addition, in a natural state where no external force is applied to the shell 3, the total length of the outer diameter of the width direction (X direction) of the cylindrical portion 31 and the height (protrusion amount) of a pair of high back portions 312b is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the width direction of the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43 of the shell 4. With such a structure, when the cylindrical portion 31 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43, the outer side surface of the high back portion 312b contacts the inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 42 and the inner circumference of the insertion hole 43, and is pressed inward, so that the shell 3 is held by the shell 4. Moreover, as described above, the cylindrical portion 31 can be elastically deformed toward the inside. Therefore, when the shell 3 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43, the outer side surface of the high back portion 312b contacts the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 43, is pressed inward, and the portion of the cylindrical portion 31 where the high back portion 312b is formed elastically deforms inward.

[0082] The lower extension portion 32 is a portion that accommodates the lower extension portion 26 of the contact pin 2 when the contact pin 2 is held by the housing 3. Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, the lower extension portion 32 includes: a front plate 321, extending downward from the lower side portion of the base end portion of the cylindrical portion 31; a pair of side wall portions 322, extending from the two ends of the front plate 321 in the width direction (X direction) toward the base end side; a central wall portion 323, between the pair of side wall portions 322, extending from the center in the width direction of the front plate 321 toward the base end side while being separated from the pair of side wall portions 322; a cutout portion 35, formed on the outer side surface of each of the pair of side wall portions 322; and a snap-fit ​​protrusion 36, formed in a manner to separate the pair of cutout portions 35 in the front-to-back direction.

[0083] The front plate 321 is a plate-shaped portion extending vertically downward from the lower portion of the base end portion of the cylindrical portion 31. Figure 7 As shown, in a state where the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3 is completely inserted from the base end side into the insertion hole 43 of the housing 4 , the front end surface of the front plate 321 abuts against the inner side surface of the main body portion 41 of the housing 4 .

[0084] like Fig.11 and Fig.12 As shown, the pair of side wall portions 322 are plate-shaped portions extending from both ends of the front plate 321 in the width direction (X direction) toward the base end side. Fig.12 As shown, two internal spaces for accommodating the lower extensions 26 of the pair of contact pins 2 are defined by the base end surface of the front plate 321, the inner side surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 322, and the outer side surface of the central wall portion 323. When the pair of contact pins 2 are held by the housing 3, the lower extensions 26 of the pair of contact pins 2 are respectively located in the two internal spaces of the lower extension portion 32 of the housing 3. The central wall portion 323 is a plate-shaped portion extending from the center of the width direction (X direction) of the front plate 321 toward the base end side. The central wall portion 323 is located between the pair of side wall portions 322 and faces the pair of side wall portions 322 with a gap therebetween. The central wall portion 323 separates the above two internal spaces.

[0085] return Fig.11 The pair of insertion holes 33 are arranged in parallel in the width direction (X direction) and extend in the plugging and unplugging direction of the counterpart connector 200 separated from each other via the wall portion 34. The pair of insertion holes 33 respectively penetrate the cylindrical portion 31 in the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) of the counterpart connector 200. As described above, a pair of contact pins 2 are respectively pressed into the pair of insertion holes 33. The insertion holes 33 have a shape corresponding to the horizontal extension portion 24 of the contact pin 2, and have a substantially rectangular planar shape when viewed from the Z direction.

[0086] The wall portion 34 is located between the pair of insertion holes 33. The wall portion 34 is a plate-like portion extending linearly from the front end portion to the base end portion of the cylindrical portion 31 along the insertion and extraction direction (Z direction) of the counterpart connector 200 in the cylindrical portion 31 so as to separate the pair of insertion holes 33 adjacent in the width direction.

[0087] The cutout portion 35 is a recessed portion formed at the lower portion of the outer surface of each of the pair of side wall portions 322 along the insertion and removal direction (Z direction) of the respective counterpart connectors 200 of the pair of side wall portions 322. The cutout portion 35 extends from the substantially central portion in the height direction of the side wall portion 322 to the lower end portion, and extends from the front end portion of the side wall portion 322 to the base end portion. The cutout portion 35 includes a first recessed portion 351 formed at the front end side of the cutout portion 35 and a second recessed portion 352 formed at the base end side relative to the first recessed portion 351. The first recessed portion 351 and the second recessed portion 352 are separated by an engaging protrusion 36.

[0088] The first recess 351 is used to prevent the pair of side wall portions 322 of the housing 3 from respectively engaging with the engaging protrusions 49 (see FIG. 4 ) formed on the inner side surface of the housing 4 described later when the housing 3 is inserted into the housing 4. Fig.15 ) The weight reduction part of the contact. Fig.15 As shown, when the housing 3 is accommodated in the case 4 , the outer side surface of the first recess 351 faces the inner side surface of the case 4 with a gap therebetween, and they are not in contact.

[0089] The second recess 352 is used to receive the engaging protrusion 49 of the housing 4 when the housing 3 is received in the housing 4 (see Fig.15 ) concave part. like Fig.15 As shown, when the housing 3 is accommodated in the case 4 , the outer side surface of the second recess 352 faces the inner side surface of the case 4 excluding the engagement protrusion 49 with a gap therebetween, and does not contact each other.

[0090] return Fig.11 and Fig.12The engaging protrusion 36 is a protrusion that is formed on the outer side of the cutout portion 35 of the pair of side wall portions 322 and between the first recess 351 and the second recess 352, and is longer in the height direction (Y direction). The engaging protrusion 36 engages with the engaging protrusion 49 of the housing 4, and has the function of locking the housing 3 inside the housing 4. The engaging protrusion 36 extends linearly from the upper end to the lower end of the cutout portion 35 in the up-down direction. The outer side surface (surface in the X direction) of the engaging protrusion 36 is located on the same plane as the outer side surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 322, and is located at a position closer to the outside than the outer side surface of the cutout portion 35. The snap-fitting protrusion 36 includes: a front inclined portion 361, which protrudes from the outer surface of the side wall portion 322, and the amount of protrusion outward gradually increases from the front end side toward the base end side; a rear inclined portion 362, which protrudes from the outer surface of the side wall portion 322 at a position closer to the base end side than the front inclined portion 361, and the amount of protrusion outward gradually decreases from the front end side toward the base end side; and a flat portion 363, which extends linearly between the front inclined portion 361 and the rear inclined portion 362 along the plug-in and unplugging direction of the object side connector 200.

[0091] The front inclined portion 361 protrudes from the outer side surface of the first recess 351, and has an inclined structure in which the amount of protrusion toward the outside (X direction) gradually increases as it moves from the front end side toward the base end side. The front end portion of the front inclined portion 361 is continuous with the outer side surface of the first recess 351. The outer side surface of the front inclined portion 361 is an inclined surface that is inclined toward the outer side from the front end side toward the base end side. When the shell 3 is inserted into the interior of the housing 4, the front inclined portion 361 is on the base end surface of the engaging protrusion 49 of the housing 4 (the second inclined surface 492 described later, refer to Fig.15 ) while sliding forward.

[0092] The rear inclined portion 362 is a portion protruding from the outer side surface of the second recess 352 at a position closer to the base end than the front inclined portion 361 and having an inclined structure in which the amount of protrusion outward gradually decreases from the front end side toward the base end side. The base end of the rear inclined portion 362 is continuous with the outer side surface of the second recess 352. The outer side surface of the rear inclined portion 362 is an inclined surface that is inclined inward from the front end side toward the base end side. Fig.15 As shown, when the housing 3 is accommodated in the case 4 , the outer side surface of the rear inclined portion 362 contacts the front end surface (first inclined surface 491 described later) of the engaging protrusion 49 of the case 4 .

[0093] return Fig.11 The flat portion 363 is a portion that extends linearly from the base end of the front inclined portion 361 to the front end of the rear inclined portion 362, and has a constant height from the front end side toward the base end side. The outer side surface of the flat portion 363 is a flat surface perpendicular to the X direction. Fig.15As shown, when the housing 3 is accommodated in the outer case 4 , the outer side surface of the flat portion 363 does not contact the inner side surface of the outer case 4 .

[0094] In addition, in the illustrated embodiment, the engaging protrusion 36 extends from the approximately central portion of the height direction (Y direction) of each of the pair of side wall portions 322 of the lower extension portion 32 to the lower end portion, but the length of the engaging protrusion 36 in the Y direction is not limited thereto. When the housing 3 is stored in the storage portion 48 of the outer shell 4, as long as the engaging protrusion 36 of the housing 3 can be engaged with the engaging protrusion 49 of the outer shell 4 to lock the housing 3 in the storage portion 48, the length of the engaging protrusion 36 in the Y direction may be smaller than the illustrated embodiment, or may be larger than the illustrated embodiment. For example, the engaging protrusion 36 may extend from the upper end portion to the lower end portion of the side wall portion 322.

[0095] return Figure 8 The housing 4 has the function of being a shell for accommodating the components of the electrical connector 1 and the function of being an electrical path for electrically connecting the ground terminal 110 on the circuit board 100. Fig.13 and Fig.14 As shown, the housing 4 is a box-shaped member made of a metal material.

[0096] The housing 4 comprises: a main body 41 composed of a front plate 411, a pair of side walls 412, and a top plate 413; a cylindrical portion 42 extending from the front end surface of the front plate 411 of the main body 41 to the front end side; a pair of positioning protrusions 421 formed on the front end surface of the front plate 411 of the main body 41 and at the upper and lower portions of the base end of the cylindrical portion 42; an insertion hole 43 penetrating the front plate 411 of the main body 41; and a through hole 43 extending downward from the lower end of the main body 41. four grounding terminals 44; a pair of wall portions 45 formed on each of a pair of side walls 412 of the main body 41 in a manner separated from each other and extending in the Z direction; a cover receiving portion 46 formed on each outer side of the pair of side walls 412; a snap-fitting wall 47 formed at the base end of the cover receiving portion 46; a storage portion 48 defined by the inner side surfaces of the front plate 411, the pair of side walls 412 and the top plate 413; and a snap-fitting protrusion 49 protruding inward from the inner side surface of the storage portion 48.

[0097] The main body 41 includes a front plate 411, a pair of side walls 412 extending from the ends of the front plate 411 in the width direction to the base end side, and a top plate 413 extending from the upper end of the front plate 411 to the base end side, and has a box-like shape open to the base end side and the lower side. The cylindrical portion 42 is a cylindrical component formed in a manner protruding from the front end surface of the front plate 411 of the main body 41 to the front end side, and is connected to the insertion hole 43. The cylindrical portion 42 functions as an external conductor of the cylindrical portion 31 of the shell 3 covering from the outside. In addition, when the counterpart side connector 200 is connected to the electrical connector 1, the cylindrical portion 42 is respectively connected to the corresponding external contact 240 (refer to Fig. 20 ) contact so that the ground potential of the electrical connector 1 and the counterpart connector 200 are equal.

[0098] like Fig.13 As shown, a pair of positioning protrusions 421 are formed to protrude from the front end surface of the front plate 411 of the main body 41 toward the front end side, and extend outward (in the Y direction) from the upper side surface and the lower side surface of the base end portion of the cylindrical portion 42. The upper end surface of the upper positioning protrusion 421 is located on the same plane as the upper side surface of the top plate 413. The pair of positioning protrusions 421 are provided to perform positioning of the cover 5 relative to the housing 4. The pair of positioning protrusions 421 are arranged to align with a pair of positioning recesses 52 (see FIG. 5 ) of the cover 5 described later. Fig.17 ) corresponding position and shape are formed.

[0099] like Fig.14 As shown, the insertion hole 43 is formed to penetrate the front plate 411 of the main body 41 in the insertion and removal direction (Z direction) of the counterpart connector 200. Furthermore, the width of the inner diameter of the insertion hole 43 (the length in the X direction) is larger than the height of the inner diameter of the insertion hole 43 (the length in the Y direction), corresponding to the rounded rectangular planar shape of the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3.

[0100] like Figure 7 As shown, the insertion hole 43 includes a front end portion having a shape substantially equal to the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 42 and a base end portion formed to be wider than the front end portion, and a step portion 431 is formed between the front end portion and the base end portion. The front end portion of the insertion hole 43 has the same shape as the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 42, is connected to the hollow portion of the cylindrical portion 42, and the base end portion of the insertion hole 43 is connected to the storage portion 48. The step portion 431 has an inclined structure in which the height gradually decreases from the front end side toward the base end side. Figure 7 As shown, in a state where the housing 3 is accommodated in the casing 4 , the step portion 431 is separated from the front end surface of the high back portion 311 c of the first pressing rib 311 of the housing 3 via a gap.

[0101] In addition, if Figure 7 as well as Figure 8As shown, when the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3 is inserted into the housing 4, the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 43 and the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 42 contact the outer side surface of the middle back portion 311b of the four first pressing ribs 311 of the housing 3. As a result, the outer side surface of the middle back portion 311b of the four first pressing ribs 311 of the housing 3 is pressed inward, and the portion of the cylindrical portion 31 where the middle back portion 311b is formed is elastically deformed inward. In addition, when the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 of the housing 4 and the insertion hole 43, the outer side surface of the high back portion 312b of the pair of second pressing ribs 312 of the housing 3 is pressed inward by the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 42 and the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 43, and the portion of the cylindrical portion 31 where the high back portion 312b is formed is elastically deformed inward. By such elastic deformation of the cylindrical portion 31 inward, the contact pin 2 can be locked in the insertion hole 33 of the housing 3.

[0102] return Fig.13 as well as Fig.14 The four ground terminals 44 are respectively connected to the corresponding ground terminals 110 of the circuit substrate 100 (refer to Figure 4 The housing 4 is electrically connected to the ground terminal 110 via the ground terminal 44 .

[0103] The pair of wall portions 45 are provided to form a pair of cover receiving portions 46 for receiving a pair of protruding pieces 54 of the cover 5, respectively, on a pair of side walls 412 of the main body 41. One of the pair of wall portions 45 is formed on the upper side (+Y direction) of each of the pair of side walls 412, and the other is formed on the lower side (-Y direction) of each of the pair of side walls 412, and they are opposed to each other with the pair of cover receiving portions 46 interposed therebetween. The inner side surfaces (inner side surfaces in the Y direction) of each of the pair of wall portions 45 are connected by a snap-fit ​​wall 47, which defines the base end surface of the cover receiving portion 46. The pair of wall portions 45 extend from the front end portions on the outer side surfaces of the side walls 412 to the base end side, and the width (length in the Y direction) gradually increases from the front end side to the base end side. The inner side surfaces of each of the pair of wall portions 45 are flat inclined surfaces that are inclined from the front end side to the snap-fit ​​wall 47 on the base end side.

[0104] A pair of cover receiving portions 46 are respectively formed on the outer side surfaces of the pair of side walls 412 of the main body 41 and between the pair of wall portions 45, and have the function of receiving the pair of protruding pieces 54 of the cover 5. The cover receiving portion 46 is defined by the outer side surface of the side wall 412 of the main body 41, the inner side surface of the pair of wall portions 45, and the front end surface of the engaging wall 47. The opening width of the cover receiving portion 46 in the Y direction gradually decreases from the front end side toward the base end side. With such a structure, the installation of the cover 5 relative to the housing 4 can be guided.

[0105] The engaging wall 47 is formed at the base end of the cover receiving portion 46, and is formed to mount the cover 5 relative to the housing 4. The front end surface of the engaging wall 47 is an inclined surface extending obliquely from the outer side surface of the side wall 412 of the main body 41 toward the outer side and the base end side (see Fig.13 The base end surface of the engagement wall 47 is a flat surface perpendicular to the outer side surface of the cover receiving portion 46 (see Fig.14 The engaging wall 47 is located between the pair of wall portions 45 , extends in the up-down direction (Y direction), and connects the pair of wall portions 45 .

[0106] The storage portion 48 is an internal space of the main body 41 defined by the inner side of the front plate 411, the pair of side walls 412, and the top plate 413, and is a recessed portion opened toward the base end side and the lower side. The components of the electric connector 1 are stored inside the storage portion 48. The storage portion 48 has guide portions 481 formed on the inner side surfaces of both side surfaces of the storage portion 48.

[0107] The guide portion 481 is located on the inner side surface of each of the two side surfaces of the storage portion 48, and is a recessed portion formed in a manner extending linearly along the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) of the counterpart connector 200. The guide portion 481 is formed at positions corresponding to the pair of second pressing ribs 312 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 31. When the cylindrical portion 31 of the housing 3 is inserted into the storage portion 48 from the base end side of the main body 41, the pair of second pressing ribs 312 are respectively inserted into the corresponding guide portions 481. With such a structure, the insertion of the housing 3 into the housing 4 is guided.

[0108] like Fig.14 and Fig.15 As shown, the engaging protrusion 49 is a protrusion that protrudes inward from the inner side surfaces of both side surfaces (i.e., a pair of side walls 412) of the storage portion 48. Fig.15 As shown, the engaging protrusion 49 has a tapered shape in which the width of the mating connector 200 in the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) gradually decreases as it moves away from the inner side surface of the storage portion 48. The engaging protrusion 49 has the following function: when the housing 3 is stored in the storage portion 48 of the shell 4, it engages with the engaging protrusion 36 of the housing 3 to lock the housing 3 in the storage portion 48. The engaging protrusion 49 has a first inclined surface 491 located at the front end side (+Z direction side) and a second inclined surface 492 located closer to the base end side (-Z direction side) than the first inclined surface 491. When the housing 3 is stored in the storage portion 48, the engaging protrusion 49 of the shell 4 is located at a position closer to the base end side than the engaging protrusion 36 of the housing 3.

[0109] The first inclined surface 491 is an inclined surface that is inclined from the front end side toward the base end side and from the outside to the inside. The front end portion of the first inclined surface 491 is continuous with the inner side surface of the storage portion 48. Fig.15As shown, in a state where the housing 3 is accommodated in the accommodation portion 48 , the first inclined surface 491 of the engaging protrusion 49 contacts the base end surface of the rear inclined portion 362 of the engaging protrusion 36 of the housing 3 .

[0110] The second inclined surface 492 is an inclined surface that inclines from the front end side toward the base end side and from the inside to the outside. The front end of the second inclined surface 492 is continuous with the base end of the first inclined surface 491, and the outer side surface of the connecting portion between the first inclined surface 491 and the second inclined surface 492 (the top of the engaging protrusion 49) is a curved surface. The base end of the second inclined surface 492 is continuous with the inner side surface of the storage portion 48. Fig.14 As shown, when the housing 3 is not stored in the storage portion 48, the first inclined surface 491 faces the front plate 411, and the second inclined surface 492 faces the outside. Fig.15 As shown, when the housing 3 is stored in the storage portion 48, a portion of the first inclined surface 491 contacts the rear inclined portion 362, and the rest of the first inclined surface 491 faces the front plate 411. Furthermore, when the housing 3 is stored in the storage portion 48, the entire second inclined surface 492 faces the outside on the -Z direction side in the storage portion 48.

[0111] As described above, the first inclined surface 491 contacts the base end surface of the rear inclined portion 362 of the engaging protrusion 36 of the housing 3, whereby the engaging protrusion 36 of the housing 3 engages with the engaging protrusion 49 of the housing 4. Therefore, when the counterpart connector 200 is inserted into the electrical connector 1, even if an external force in the -Z direction is applied to the housing 3, the housing 3 is locked in the housing 48 of the housing 4 by the engagement of the engaging protrusion 36 with the engaging protrusion 49. In order to increase the locking force of the housing 3 in the housing 48, the inclination of the first inclined surface 491 with respect to the inner side surface of the housing 48 is formed to be larger than the inclination of the second inclined surface 492 with respect to the inner side surface of the housing 48.

[0112] Thus, in the present invention, the housing 3 includes the engaging protrusions 36 that protrude outward from the outer side surfaces of the pair of side wall portions 322 of the lower extension portion 32, and the housing 4 includes the engaging protrusions 49 that protrude inward from the inner side surfaces of the two side surfaces of the storage portion 48. When the housing 3 is stored in the storage portion 48 of the housing 4, the engaging protrusions 36 and the engaging protrusions 49 are engaged, thereby locking the housing 3 in the storage portion 48.

[0113] In order to mount the electrical connector 1 on the circuit board 100, a reflow soldering process is performed, but due to the heat generated during the reflow soldering process, stress relaxation of the housing 3 occurs. As in the past, when the housing 3 is held in the housing 4 only by the friction force of the press-fit surface between the housing 3 and the shell 4, the holding force of the housing 3 in the shell 4 is sharply reduced due to the stress relaxation of the housing 3. On the other hand, in the present invention, the housing 3 is locked in the shell 4 by the engagement of the engagement protrusion 36 of the housing 3 with the engagement protrusion 49 of the shell 4. The holding force of the housing 3 in the shell 4 provided by the engagement of the engagement protrusion 36 of the housing 3 with the engagement protrusion 49 of the shell 4 will not be reduced by the heat generated in the reflow soldering process. Therefore, even after the reflow soldering process, the holding force of the housing 3 in the shell 4 will not be reduced. As a result, even if the object side connector 200 is inserted into the electric connector 1 from the front end side and the object side connector 200 contacts the cylindrical portion 31 of the shell 3, and an external force toward the base end side is applied to the shell 3, the shell 3 can be prevented from shifting toward the base end side in the shell 4, thereby maintaining the contact reliability of the electric connector 1.

[0114] return Figure 8 The cover 5 is mounted on the housing 4 and has the function of guiding the connection between the electrical connector 1 and the counterpart connector 200. Fig.16 and Fig.17 As shown, the cover 5 comprises: a square cylindrical main body 51 opened at the front end side and the base end side; a pair of positioning recesses 52 formed on the base end surface of the main body 51; two protrusions 53 formed on the bottom surfaces (surfaces perpendicular to the Z direction) of the pair of positioning recesses 52; a pair of protruding pieces 54 extending from the main body 51 toward the base end side; and engaging protrusions 55 extending inwardly from the base end side edges of the inner side surfaces of the pair of protruding pieces 54.

[0115] The main body 51 has a square tube shape with openings on the front end side and the base end side. The connection between the electric connector 1 and the target connector 200 is guided by inserting the target connector 200 into the front end side opening of the main body 51. The main body 51 also has a base end side opening 511 that is open on the base end side and through which the cylindrical portion 42 of the housing 4 is inserted from the base end side.

[0116] like Fig.17As shown, the pair of positioning recesses 52 are recesses formed on the base end surface of the main body 51. The pair of positioning recesses 52 has the function of respectively accommodating the pair of positioning protrusions 421 of the housing 4 when the cover 5 is mounted on the housing 4. One of the pair of positioning recesses 52 extends in the width direction along the upper end of the base end side opening 511, and the other of the pair of positioning recesses 52 extends in the width direction along the lower end of the base end side opening 511. The pair of positioning recesses 52 are formed by cutting the base end surface of the main body 51 toward the front end side in a position and shape corresponding to the pair of positioning protrusions 421 of the housing 4 described above. The cover 5 is positioned relative to the housing 4 by inserting the pair of positioning protrusions 421 into the pair of positioning recesses 52. Two protrusions 53 protruding toward the base end side are formed on the bottom surface of each of the pair of positioning recesses 52. That is, in the illustrated embodiment, a total of four protrusions 53 are formed. When the cover 5 is mounted on the housing 4, the two upper protrusions 53 abut against the upper positioning protrusions 421 of the housing 4, and the two lower protrusions 53 abut against the lower positioning protrusions 421 of the housing 4. With such a structure, the cover 5 can be stably positioned relative to the housing 4.

[0117] The pair of protruding pieces 54 are plate-like portions extending from the base end portions of a pair of opposing side surfaces (wall portions) in the X direction of the main body portion 51 toward the base end side. The pair of protruding pieces 54 are opposed to each other with a gap therebetween. The pair of protruding pieces 54 have shapes corresponding to the pair of cover receiving portions 46 of the aforementioned housing 4, respectively, and when the cover 5 is mounted on the housing 4, the pair of protruding pieces 54 are respectively received in the pair of cover receiving portions 46.

[0118] The pair of engagement protrusions 55 engage with the engagement wall 47 formed on the housing 4 and are formed to attach the cover 5 to the housing 4. The pair of engagement protrusions 55 are tapered portions that protrude inward from the base end side edges of the inner side surfaces of the pair of protruding pieces 54.

[0119] The pair of engaging protrusions 55 are respectively provided with an inclined portion 551 located at the base end side and a flat portion 552 extending linearly from the front end of the inclined portion 551. The inclined portion 551 is a portion whose base end surface is continuous with the base end of the protruding piece 54 and whose height (length in the X direction) gradually increases from the base end side to the front end side. The inner side surface of the inclined portion 551 is an inclined surface inclined inwardly from the base end side toward the front end side. When the cover 5 is mounted relative to the housing 4, the inclined portion 551 slides on the front end surface of the engaging wall 47 of the housing 4, thereby gradually elastically deforming the protruding piece 54 outward. The flat portion 552 is a portion extending linearly from the front end of the inclined portion 551 and whose height is constant from the base end side to the front end side. The front end surface of the flat portion 552 is a flat surface perpendicular to the Z direction. The front end surface of the flat portion 552 abuts and engages with the base end surface of the engaging wall 47, thereby mounting the cover 5 on the front end side portion of the housing 4.

[0120] The receiving portion 56 is formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 51 and has a positioning protrusion 220 (see FIG. 2 ) for receiving the housing 210 of the counterpart connector 200. Figure 4 The receiving portion 56 includes: an opening 561 for inserting the positioning protrusion 220 of the housing 210 of the counterpart connector 200; a pair of guide portions 562 for sliding the positioning protrusion 220 of the counterpart connector 200 to guide the connection between the electrical connector 1 and the counterpart connector 200; and a locking portion 563 for locking the positioning protrusion 220 of the housing 210 of the counterpart connector 200.

[0121] The opening 561 is a rectangular opening that opens in the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) of the counterpart connector 200. The counterpart connector 200 is inserted into the electrical connector 1 with the positioning protrusion 220 of the housing 210 of the counterpart connector 200 inserted into the opening 561, thereby positioning the counterpart connector 200 relative to the electrical connector 1. A pair of guide portions 562 are plate-like portions that extend upward from the upper surface of the main body 51 and are opposed to each other. The positioning protrusion 220 of the housing 210 of the counterpart connector 200 slides on the inner side surfaces of the pair of guide portions 562, thereby guiding the connection of the counterpart connector 200 relative to the electrical connector 1. The locking portion 563 is a plate-like portion that connects the base ends of the pair of guide portions 562 to each other. The locking portion 563 is a flat surface orthogonal to the plugging and unplugging direction (Z direction) of the object side connector 200. If the front end of the positioning protrusion 220 of the shell 210 of the object side connector 200 abuts against the locking portion 563, the insertion of the object side connector 200 relative to the electrical connector 1 is restricted.

[0122] Next, refer to Fig.18 and Fig.19 The method S100 for manufacturing the electric connector 1 and the method for manufacturing the contact pins 2 of the electric connector 1 (step S110 ) will be described in detail. Fig.18 1 is a flow chart showing a method for manufacturing an electrical connector according to the present invention. Fig.19 This is a flow chart showing a method for manufacturing a contact pin of an electric connector according to the present invention.

[0123] Fig.18 The manufacturing method S100 shown is performed by an assembly robot or an assembly operator of the electrical connector 1. First, in step S110, the contact pin 2 is manufactured. Fig.19As shown, in step S111 (stamping step), both ends of the wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape are subjected to stamping to form a main body 21 having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, a contact portion 22 extending from one end of the main body 21, and a terminal portion 23 extending from the other end of the main body 21. Furthermore, a portion corresponding to a predetermined portion of the main body 21 of the wire is subjected to stamping to form two pairs of protrusions 27 protruding from the main body 21 toward the outside (Y direction). Furthermore, a portion of the wire corresponding to the front end of the main body 21 is subjected to stamping to form a pair of front end protrusions 28 protruding from the main body 21 toward the outside (Y direction). In addition, the stamping process for forming the contact portion 22 and the terminal portion 23 may be performed simultaneously with the stamping process for forming the main body 21, or may be performed at different times.

[0124] Next, in step S112 (bending step), a part of the main body 21 is bent to form a horizontal extension portion 24 extending linearly along the plugging and unplugging direction of the counterpart connector 200, a connecting portion 25 extending downwardly from the base end of the horizontal extension portion 24, and a lower extension portion 26 extending linearly downwardly from the lower end of the connecting portion 25. As described above, when the contact portion 22, the terminal portion 23, the horizontal extension portion 24, the connecting portion 25, and the lower extension portion 26 are formed, step S110 of manufacturing the contact pin 2 is completed.

[0125] Thus, in the present invention, the pair of contact pins 2 is obtained by punching (process S111) and bending (process S112) a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, rather than by punching and cutting a metal plate as in the past. Thus, the shape of the main body 21 of the pair of contact pins 2 can be prevented from changing, especially the corners of the first surface 211 or the second surface 212 from being flattened, and the difference between the length L1 of the first surface 211 and the length L2 of the second surface 212 of the main body 21 can be prevented from occurring in the cross-sectional shape of the main body 21, thereby improving the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1.

[0126] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of the contact pin 2 of the present invention (step S110), when the contact pin 2 is obtained by punching and cutting a metal plate in the past, there is no cutting mark formed on the main body 21 of the contact pin 2. Therefore, the contact pin 2 of the present invention can be formed into a simpler shape than the conventional contact pin obtained by punching a metal plate into a predetermined shape. Fig.19 In the flowchart shown, step S112 (bending step) is performed after step S111 (pressing step), but the order may be reversed.

[0127] return Fig.18Next, in step S120, a pair of contact pins 2 are respectively pressed into a pair of insertion holes 33 of the housing 3 using an appropriate pressing tool. The pressing of a pair of contact pins 2 into a pair of insertion holes 33 of the housing 3 is performed by the same steps, so the following representatively describes the step of pressing one contact pin 2 into one insertion hole 33 of the housing 3.

[0128] First, the contact portion 22 of the contact pin 2 is inserted into the insertion hole 33 of the housing 3. Next, the connection portion 25 of the contact pin 2 is pressed toward the front end side, and the contact pin 2 is pressed into the insertion hole 33 of the housing 3. When the front end surface of the lower extension portion 26 of the contact pin 2 abuts against the base end surface of the front plate 321, the contact pin 2 is pressed into the insertion hole 33. Another contact pin 2 is pressed into another insertion hole 33 by the same steps.

[0129] Next, in step S130, the housing 3 into which the pair of contact pins 2 are respectively pressed is inserted from the base end side into the storage portion 48 of the housing 4, and further into the insertion hole 43. The insertion of the housing 3 into the insertion hole 43 is completed when the cylindrical portion 31 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 of the housing 4 and the front end surface of the front plate 321 of the housing 3 contacts the base end surface of the front plate 411 of the housing 4.

[0130] In addition, in step S130, when the cylindrical portion 31 of the shell 3 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 42 of the outer shell 4, the front inclined portions 361 of the pair of engaging protrusions 36 of the shell 3 slide on the second inclined surfaces 492 of the pair of engaging protrusions 49 of the outer shell 4, respectively. In the storage portion 48, as the lower extension portion 32 advances toward the front end side, the pair of side wall portions 322 elastically deform inward. When the front inclined portion 361 of the engaging protrusion 36 exceeds the top of the engaging protrusion 49, in the storage portion 48, as the lower extension portion 32 advances toward the front end side, the top of the engaging protrusion 49 slides on the flat portion 363 of the engaging protrusion 36. When the flat portion 363 exceeds the top of the engaging protrusion 49, the side wall portion 322 elastically returns to the outside, and the engaging protrusion 36 engages with the engaging protrusion 49 through a snap fit. As shown in FIG. Fig.15 As shown, in this state, the outer side surface of the rear side inclined portion 362 of the engaging protrusion 36 contacts and engages with the first inclined surface 491 of the engaging protrusion 49. With such a structure, the housing 3 can be locked in the storage portion 48 of the shell 4 to prevent the housing 3 from escaping from the shell 4 to the base end side.

[0131] In addition, when the housing 3 is completely inserted into the outer shell 4, the outer side surfaces of the middle back portions 311b of the four first pressing ribs 311 and the high back portions 312b of the pair of second pressing ribs 312 formed on the cylindrical portion 31 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the insertion hole 43. Therefore, the cylindrical portion 31 is fixed in the cylindrical portion 42 and the insertion hole 43.

[0132] Finally, in step S140, the cover 5 is mounted on the housing 4 from the front end side. Specifically, the front end side portion of the housing 4 is pressed into the base end side of the cover 5 in a posture where the pair of protruding pieces 54 of the cover 5 are respectively inserted into the pair of cover receiving portions 46 of the housing 4. At this time, the inclined portions 551 of the pair of protruding pieces 54 slide on the front end surface of the engaging wall 47 of the housing 4, and as the housing 4 is inserted into the cover 5, the pair of protruding pieces 54 elastically deform outward and open. When the pair of engaging protrusions 55 exceed the base end surface of the engaging wall 47, the pair of protruding pieces 54 elastically recover inward and engage with the buckle. By such engagement based on the buckle, the installation of the cover 5 relative to the front end side portion of the housing 4 is completed. As described above, when the cover 5 is mounted on the housing 4, the manufacturing method S100 of the electrical connector 1 ends.

[0133] Fig. 20 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the YZ plane including the contact pin 2 in a state where the electric connector 1 is connected to the counterpart connector 200. Fig. 20 As shown, the counterpart connector 200 is inserted into the electric connector 1 from the front end side, and the electric connector 1 is connected to the counterpart connector 200. In this state, the contact point portion 22 of the contact pin 2 of the electric connector 1 contacts the corresponding contact pin 230 of the counterpart connector 200. The contact pin 230 of the counterpart connector 200 is connected to the corresponding core wire 310 of the coaxial cable 300. Therefore, in the state where the electric connector 1 is connected to the counterpart connector 200, the contact pin 2 of the electric connector 1 is electrically connected to the corresponding core wire 310 of the coaxial cable 300 via the corresponding contact pin 230 of the counterpart connector 200.

[0134] Furthermore, the cylindrical portion 42 of the housing 4 of the electric connector 1 contacts the corresponding external contact 240 of the mating connector 200. The external contact 240 of the mating connector 200 is connected to the outer conductor layer 340 of the coaxial cable via the conductor members 250 and 260. Therefore, in the state where the electric connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are connected, the cylindrical portion 42 of the housing 4 of the electric connector 1 is electrically connected to the outer conductor layer 340 of the coaxial cable 300 via the corresponding external contact 240 of the mating connector 200.

[0135] As described above, the pair of contact pins 2 of the electrical connector 1 of the present invention are obtained by performing a stamping process (process S111) and a bending process (process S112) on a wire having a rectangular cross section. Therefore, unlike a contact pin obtained by performing a punching process and a cutting process on a metal plate, in the manufacturing process of the contact pin 2, the corners (first corner, second corner, third corner and fourth corner) of the first surface 211 or the second surface 212 of the main body 21 are not flattened, and the shape of the main body 21 does not change. In particular, in the cross-sectional shape of the main body 21 of the contact pin 2, the length L1 of the first surface 211 and the length L2 of the second surface 212 are substantially equal. In this way, according to the present invention, in the cross-sectional shape of the main body 21, the difference between the length L1 of the first surface 211 and the length L2 of the second surface 212 of the main body 21 can be prevented from occurring, and the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be improved.

[0136] Furthermore, in the present invention, each of the pair of contact pins 2 of the electrical connector 1 is obtained by stamping a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape instead of stamping a metal plate into a predetermined shape, thereby enabling the length L1 of the first surface 211, the length L2 of the second surface 212, the length L3 of the third surface 213, and the length L4 of the fourth surface 214 of the contact pin 2 to be set to a length more suitable for the signal transmission characteristics, thereby improving the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1. For example, in the present invention, the lengths L1 and L2 of the contact pin 2 can be made less than 1.5 times the lengths L3 and L4 as needed.

[0137] Furthermore, in the present invention, the inner side surfaces of the main body 21 of the pair of contact pins 2 of the electrical connector 1 (the second surface 212 of the contact pin 2 in the +X direction and the first surface 211 of the contact pin 2 in the -X direction) facing each other are flat surfaces orthogonal to the X direction. With such a structure, the separation distance of the pair of contact pins 2 in the X direction can be kept constant. By keeping the separation distance of the pair of contact pins 2 constant, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be stabilized.

[0138] The above describes the electrical connector of the present invention and the method for manufacturing the contact pin of the electrical connector based on the illustrated embodiments, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Each structure of the present invention can be replaced with any structure that can perform the same function, or any structure can be added to each structure of the present invention.

[0139] Anyone skilled in the art in the field and technology to which the present invention belongs can perform structural changes of the electrical connector of the present invention as described without significantly departing from the principle, concept and scope of the present invention, and the electrical connector with the changed structure is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0140] in addition, Figures 4 to 17 as well as Fig. 20 The number and types of components of the electrical connector shown are merely illustrative examples, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Without departing from the principles and intent of the present invention, the addition or combination of any components, or the deletion of any components are also within the scope of the present invention. Fig.18 and Fig.19 The number and types of steps of the manufacturing method of the electrical connector and the manufacturing method of the contact pin of the electrical connector are merely illustrative, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Within the scope of the principle and intent of the present invention, any steps may be added or combined for any purpose, or any steps may be deleted, which is also within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector that can be connected to a counterpart connector inserted from the front end side, the electrical connector being characterized in that: include: a pair of contact pins; and an insulating housing that accommodates the pair of contact pins in a mutually insulated state; The pair of contact pins each have a main body portion with a rectangular cross-section shape, The main body of each of the pair of contact pins has an outer side surface and an inner side surface facing each other, and a third surface and a fourth surface facing each other, The inner side surfaces of the pair of contact pins are opposed to each other with a gap therebetween. The main body of each of the pair of contact pins includes a recessed portion formed on the outer surface and a pair of protruding portions protruding outward from portions of the third surface and the fourth surface adjacent to the recessed portion.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pair of contact pins further include a contact portion extending from one end of the main body portion and a terminal portion extending from the other end of the main body portion, respectively. The third surface and the fourth surface of the main body are orthogonal to the outer side surface and the inner side surface of the main body, In the cross-sectional shape of the main body, a ratio of a length of the outer side surface to a length of the inner side surface satisfies a relationship of 0.9 to 1.1, and the third surface is parallel to the fourth surface.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer side surface of the main body is parallel to the inner side surface.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The main body portion includes: a horizontal extension portion extending along the plugging and unplugging direction of the counterpart connector; a connecting portion bent downward from the base end of the horizontal extension portion; and a downward extension portion extending linearly downward from the lower end of the connecting portion. The horizontally extending portion, the connecting portion, and the downward extending portion are respectively configured such that, in their cross-sectional shapes, the ratio of the length of the outer side surface to the length of the inner side surface satisfies the relationship of 0.9 to 1.1, and the third surface is parallel to the fourth surface.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing includes a pair of insertion holes for inserting the pair of contact pins, respectively. The pair of protruding portions of the contact pin engage with inner side surfaces of the corresponding insertion holes of the housing, whereby the contact pin is locked in the corresponding insertion holes of the housing.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 2, characterized in that: The length of the outer side surface and the length of the inner side surface are less than 1.5 times the length of the third surface and the length of the fourth surface.

7. A method for manufacturing a contact pin, the contact pin being used in an electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising a pair of contact pins and an insulating housing that houses the pair of contact pins in an insulated state and capable of being connected to a counterpart connector inserted from the front end side, the method for manufacturing the contact pin being characterized by: The invention comprises a stamping process, in which both ends of a wire having a rectangular cross-sectional shape are subjected to stamping processing to form a main body portion having a rectangular cross-sectional shape, a contact portion extending from one end of the main body portion, and a terminal portion extending from the other end of the main body portion.

8. The method for manufacturing a contact pin according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the stamping process, a bending process is also included, in which a portion of the main body is bent to form a horizontal extension portion extending linearly along the plugging and unplugging direction of the object side connector, a connecting portion extending downwardly from the base end of the horizontal extension portion, and a downward extension portion extending linearly downwardly from the lower end of the connecting portion.

9. The method for manufacturing a contact pin according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the punching step, a predetermined portion of the main body of the wire material is punched to form a pair of protrusions protruding outward from the main body.

Images