Electric connector

Abstract

The number of cores of a terminal is reliably increased in an electrical connector. A receptacle connector (2) is provided with: a plurality of first terminals (10) each formed so as to extend in a width direction (X) and arranged in a length direction (Y); and a housing (30) including long-side wall portions (31) extending in the longitudinal direction so as to hold the plurality of first terminals, the plurality of first terminals being provided in a pair so as to face each other symmetrically in the width direction, the long-side wall portions being provided in a pair so as to hold the pair of first terminals, respectively, the receptacle connector further having second terminals (20), and second terminals which are formed so as to extend in the longitudinal direction, are respectively provided in the width direction between the pair of the plurality of first terminals and the pair of long side wall sections, and are provided in a pair so as to face each other in the longitudinal direction across the pair of the plurality of first terminals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector having a terminal and a housing for holding the terminal. Background Art

[0002] In the past, various technologies related to an electrical connector having terminals and a housing for connecting a printed wiring board, a flexible flat cable, etc. are known. For example, in patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2020-184459), an electrical connector is disclosed, comprising: a plurality of terminals arranged at equal intervals along the length direction; and a housing, which includes a side wall portion extending along the length direction in a manner to hold the plurality of terminals, wherein the plurality of terminals are arranged in a pair in a manner symmetrically opposed to each other in the width direction, and the side wall portion is arranged in a pair in a manner to respectively hold the plurality of terminals of the pair. In addition, the electrical connector also has a pair of reinforcing accessories that are separately configured in a manner that the plurality of terminals are opposed to each other with a pair separated in the length direction.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-184459

[0004] However, in recent years, due to the miniaturization and high functionality of electronic devices such as smart phones and portable terminals, the high-density installation of electronic components mounted on printed wiring substrates has continued to develop, and with this, there is a demand for miniaturization of the electrical connector itself. On the other hand, for example, in order to process a variety of data, it is required to increase the number of cores of terminals such as signal terminals (terminals for sending specified electrical signals) used in electrical connectors. If the electrical connector is enlarged, the number of cores of the terminal can be easily increased if only the latter requirement is considered, but this cannot meet the former requirement. Therefore, it can be said that it would be better to increase the number of cores of the terminal without enlarging the electrical connector.

[0005] In addition, in the electric connector described in Patent Document 1, only the fittings provided on the pair of side walls of the housing are used as terminals, and there is room for improvement in increasing the number of terminals. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and its object is to reliably increase the number of terminals in an electrical connector.

[0007] An electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of first terminals, each of which is formed to extend in a lateral direction orthogonal to the mating direction relative to the other connector and is arranged in a longitudinal direction orthogonal to the mating direction and the lateral direction; and a housing, which includes a wall portion extending in the longitudinal direction in a manner to hold the plurality of first terminals, the electrical connector comprising: a pair of plurality of first terminals, each of which is separately configured in a manner to be opposed in the transverse direction; and a pair of wall portions, each of which holds a pair of plurality of first terminals, the electrical connector further comprising a second terminal, the second terminal being formed to extend in the longitudinal direction and being respectively arranged in the transverse direction between the pair of plurality of first terminals and the pair of wall portions, and the electrical connector comprising a pair of second terminals separately configured in a manner to be opposed in the longitudinal direction with the pair of plurality of first terminals spaced therebetween.

[0008] According to the present invention, the number of terminals can be increased reliably without increasing the size of the electric connector. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention before being mated.

[0010] Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 3 (a) is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of a reinforcing fitting in the socket connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 (b) is an enlarged top view of the vicinity of the reinforcing accessory.

[0012] Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view of the plug connector according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 5 It is a side view of the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention in a state before mating.

[0014] Figure 6 It is along Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed along line VI-VI in FIG.

[0015] Figure 7 It is along Figure 6 A cross-sectional view of the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed along line VII-VII in FIG.

[0016] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1…connector assembly; 2…socket connector (electrical connector); 2a…mating recess; 3…plug connector; 3a…mating protrusion; 10…first terminal; 10a…accommodating space; 11…installation portion; 20…second terminal; 20a…accommodating space; 21…installation portion; 30…housing; 31…long side wall portion; 32…short side wall portion; 33…mating protrusion; 40…reinforcement accessory; 41…third terminal; 50…terminal; 60…terminal; 70…housing; X…width direction; Y…length direction; Z…mating direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in principle, in all the drawings for describing the embodiment, the same reference numerals are attached to the same components and their repeated description is omitted.

[0018] [Connector assembly and structure of electrical connector]

[0019] First, refer to Figure 1 , the structure of a connector assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention is described. Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the connector assembly according to the present embodiment in a non-mated state.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the connector assembly 1 of the present embodiment is constructed to include a socket connector 2 and a plug connector 3, and the socket connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are engaged with each other. Hereinafter, when the socket connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are not distinguished, they are labeled as "connectors 2, 3" or simply "connectors". The connectors 2 and 3 are mounted on a substrate (not shown) such as a printed wiring board as an object to be mounted to which they are electrically connected. Figure 1 , the state in which the side to be engaged (engaging surface) of both the socket connector 2 and the plug connector 3 is the front side and the side to be mounted on the substrate is the back side is shown. In addition, the connectors 2 and 3 can be used as internal components in small electronic devices such as mobile phones, smart phones, digital cameras, and notebook computers. In addition, the socket connector 2 is an example of an "electrical connector" in the present invention. In addition to the above-mentioned substrate, the socket connector 2 can also be installed on various objects such as flexible flat cables, but the following example of installing the socket connector 2 on a substrate is given.

[0021] Here, in Figure 1In the figure (the same applies to other figures), the width direction (width direction) of the connector is marked as "X" (equivalent to the "lateral direction" in the present invention), the length direction (depth direction) of the connector is marked as "Y" (equivalent to the "longitudinal direction" in the present invention), and the mating direction (up and down direction) of the connector is marked as "Z". In other words, the axis along the width direction is defined as the X-axis, the axis along the length direction is defined as the Y-axis, and the axis along the mating direction is defined as the Z-axis. In addition, in this specification, with respect to a certain connector, in the mating direction Z, the side that accommodates the other connector is defined as "up" or "front", and the side that is installed on the substrate is defined as "down" or "inside". Specifically, in the socket connector 2, the direction indicated by "Z1" in the mating direction Z is equivalent to "up", and the direction indicated by "Z2" in the mating direction Z is equivalent to "down". In contrast, for the plug connector 3, in the mating direction Z, the "Z1" in the mating direction Z is equivalent to "up", and the "Z2" in the mating direction Z is equivalent to "down". Figure 1 In the figure, for the sake of convenience, the state from the state of being fitted with the socket connector 2 to the state of being reversed inside and outside is shown, so in fact (that is, when it is in the state of being fitted with the socket connector 2), the direction indicated by "Z2" corresponds to "upward", and the direction indicated by "Z1" corresponds to "downward" (also refer to the following Figures 4 to 7 ).

[0022] Next, in addition to Figure 1 In addition, refer to Figure 2 The receptacle connector 2 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector 2 according to the present embodiment.

[0023] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the socket connector 2 mainly includes a plurality of first terminals 10 and a plurality of second terminals 20, a reinforcing fitting 40, and a housing 30 for holding the first terminals 10, the second terminals 20 and the reinforcing fitting 40. The first terminals 10 and the second terminals 20 are respectively configured as signal terminals for transmitting a predetermined signal. The housing 30 includes: a pair of long side walls 31, which extend in the length direction Y and are separately arranged in a manner opposite to each other in the width direction X; a pair of short side walls 32, which extend in the width direction X and are separately arranged in a manner opposite to each other in the length direction Y; and a mating protrusion 33 that is substantially rectangular in plan view (plan view), which is provided in an internal space surrounded by the pair of long side walls 31 and the pair of short side walls 32, and is used for mating with the plug connector 3.

[0024] The plurality of first terminals 10 are arranged at equal intervals along the length direction Y, and each of the first terminals 10 is formed to extend along the width direction X. In addition, the plurality of first terminals 10 are arranged in a pair in a manner symmetrically opposed to each other in the width direction X, and the plurality of first terminals 10 in a pair are respectively held by a pair of long side walls 31 of the housing 30. The first terminal 10 has a mounting portion 11 at one end in the width direction X, specifically, at the end located toward the outside of the socket connector 2, and is mounted on the substrate by soldering at the mounting portion 11.

[0025] The second terminal 20 is different from the first terminal 10 extending in the width direction X as described above, and is formed to extend in the length direction Y, and the socket connector 2 has two second terminals 20. The two second terminals 20 are respectively provided between a pair of the plurality of first terminals 10 and a pair of long side walls 31 in the width direction X, and are arranged to be opposed to each other with a pair of the plurality of first terminals 10 sandwiched therebetween in the length direction Y, and are respectively held by a pair of short side walls 32. One end (front end) of the second terminal 20 in the length direction Y, specifically, the end located toward the first terminal 10 side, extends to the edge of the fitting protrusion 33 of the housing 30. In addition, the other end of the second terminal 20 in the length direction Y, specifically, the end located toward the outside of the socket connector 2, is provided with a mounting portion 21, and the mounting portion 21 is mounted on the substrate by soldering.

[0026] In addition, the first terminal 10 is formed to accommodate the terminal 50 of the plug connector 3 (i.e., it can be mated), and when the terminal 50 is inserted, a part of the first terminal 10 is elastically deformed in the width direction X. On the other hand, the second terminal 20 is formed to accommodate the terminal 60 of the plug connector 3 (i.e., it can be mated), and when the terminal 60 is inserted, a part of the second terminal 20 is elastically deformed in the length direction Y. In this case, a plurality of spaces 33a for accommodating the elastically deformed portions of the plurality of first terminals 10 and two spaces 33b for accommodating the elastically deformed portions of the two second terminals 20 are formed in the mating protrusion 33 of the housing 30. The first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 can be displaced in the spaces 33a and 33b of the mating protrusion 33 when the terminal 50 and the terminal 60 of the plug connector 3 are inserted, respectively.

[0027] In addition, the socket connector 2 has a pair of reinforcing fittings 40 which are arranged at both ends of the length direction Y and extend in the width direction X respectively. The pair of reinforcing fittings 40 are held by a pair of short side walls 32 which are arranged in an opposing manner with a pair of the plurality of first terminals 10 interposed therebetween, and are arranged to surround the second terminals 20. Moreover, the pair of reinforcing fittings 40 respectively have two third terminals 41 which are arranged near both ends in the width direction X and serve as power terminals. The two third terminals 41 are respectively arranged near the second terminals 20, and on the other hand, unlike the second terminals 20 which extend in the length direction Y, are formed to extend in the width direction X. As Figure 1 As shown, the socket connector 2 has a mating protrusion 3a (in Figure 1 The portion indicated by the dotted line in the figure is accommodated in the roughly rectangular mating recess 2a in the plan view of the portion surrounded by the second terminal 20 and the two third terminals 41. In addition, the mating protrusion 3a of the plug connector 3 is formed by the short side wall portion 72 (also including the terminal 60 and the reinforcing fitting 80) described later.

[0028] Here, in addition to Figure 1 In addition, refer to Figure 3 The fitting recess 2 a of the receptacle connector 2 will be described in detail. Figure 3 (a) is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of a reinforcing fitting 40 in the socket connector 2 of the present embodiment. Figure 3 (b) is an enlarged top view of the vicinity of the reinforcing accessory 40 .

[0029] As described above, the receptacle connector 2 has a substantially rectangular fitting recess 2a in a portion surrounded by the second terminal 20 and the two third terminals 41 in a plan view. Figure 3 As shown in (b), if the mating protrusion 3a (indicated by a dotted line in the figure) of the plug connector 3 is inserted into such a mating recess 2a, the second terminal 20 and the two third terminals 41 contact the mating protrusion 3a, specifically, contact the three sides of the mating protrusion 3a and undergo elastic deformation.

[0030] In this case, a portion (arm portion) of the second terminal 20 is elastically deformed in the longitudinal direction Y, while a portion (arm portion) of each of the two third terminals 41 is elastically deformed in the width direction X. In particular, the third terminal 41 is elastically deformed in the width direction X as is the first terminal 10, but the side on which the elastic deformation is performed in the width direction X is different between the first terminal 10 and the third terminal 41. More specifically, in the first terminal 10, a portion (arm portion) on the side of the fitting protrusion 33, that is, on the side opposite to the long side wall portion 31, is elastically deformed in the width direction X, while in the third terminal 41, a portion (arm portion) on the side of the long side wall portion 31 is elastically deformed in the width direction X.

[0031] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown (also refer to Figure 2 ), the reinforcing fitting 40 has: an upper surface cover portion 42, which covers the upper surface of the mating protrusion 33 of the housing 30 at both ends in the length direction Y; a first side cover portion 43, which covers a portion of the side surfaces at both ends in the length direction Y of the mating protrusion 33 (the portion located on both sides of the second terminal 20 in the width direction X); and a second side cover portion 44, which covers a portion of the side surfaces at both ends in the width direction X of the mating protrusion 33 (the portion located near the both ends in the length direction Y). The reinforcing fitting 40 accommodates the elastically deformed portion of the second terminal 20 and surrounds the space 33b formed in the mating protrusion 33 of the housing 30 through the upper surface cover portion 42, the first side cover portion 43, and the second side cover portion 44. This allows the space 33b to be protected.

[0032] Next, in addition to Figure 1 In addition, refer to Figure 4 The plug connector 3 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view of the plug connector 3 according to the present embodiment.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the plug connector 3 mainly includes a plurality of terminals 50 and a plurality of terminals 60, a reinforcing fitting 80, and a housing 70 for holding the terminals 50, 60 and the reinforcing fitting 80. The terminals 50 and 60 of the plug connector 3 are configured to be respectively engaged with the first terminals 10 and the second terminals 20 of the receptacle connector 2. In addition, the terminals 50 and 60 are configured as signal terminals for transmitting predetermined signals.

[0034] The housing 70 includes: a pair of long side walls 71, which extend in the length direction Y and are separately arranged in an opposing manner in the width direction X; a pair of short side walls 72, which extend in the width direction X and are separately arranged in an opposing manner in the length direction Y; a bottom wall 73, which extends in the length direction Y and the width direction X; and a mating recess 74, which is arranged in an internal space surrounded by the pair of long side walls 71, the pair of short side walls 72 and the bottom wall 73, and accommodates the mating protrusion 33 of the above-mentioned socket connector 2.

[0035] The plurality of terminals 50 are arranged at equal intervals along the length direction Y, and each terminal 50 is formed to extend along the width direction X. In addition, the plurality of terminals 50 are arranged in a pair in a manner symmetrically opposed to each other in the width direction X, and the plurality of terminals 50 in a pair are respectively held by a pair of long side walls 71 of the housing 70. One end of the terminal 50 in the width direction X, specifically, at the end located toward the outside of the plug connector 3, is provided with a mounting portion 51, and the mounting portion 51 is mounted on the substrate by soldering.

[0036] The terminal 60 is different from the terminal 50 extending in the width direction X as described above, and is formed to extend in the length direction Y, and the plug connector 3 has two terminals 60. The two terminals 60 are respectively provided between a pair of multiple terminals 50 and a pair of long side walls 71 in the width direction X, and are arranged to face each other across a pair of multiple terminals 50 in the length direction Y, and are respectively held by a pair of short side walls 72. The terminal 60 has a mounting portion 61 at one end in the length direction Y, specifically at an end located toward the outside of the plug connector 3, and is mounted on the substrate by soldering at the mounting portion 61.

[0037] The receptacle connector 2 is manufactured by integral molding (typically insert molding) using a conductive member such as a copper alloy forming the first terminal 10, the second terminal 20, and the reinforcing fitting 40, and a resin such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) forming the housing 30. Similarly, the plug connector 3 is also manufactured by integral molding (typically insert molding) using a conductive member such as a copper alloy forming the terminals 50, 60 and the reinforcing fitting 80, and a resin such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) forming the housing 70.

[0038] Next, refer to Figures 5 to 7 The first terminals 10 and the second terminals 20 of the receptacle connector 2 and the terminals 50 and 60 of the plug connector 3 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail. Figure 5 This is a side view of the connector assembly 1 according to the present embodiment as viewed along the width direction X in a state before mating. Figure 6 It is along Figure 5 sectional view of the connector assembly 1 according to the present embodiment, taken along line VI-VI in FIG. Figure 7 It is along Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly 1 according to the present embodiment, taken along line VII-VII in FIG.

[0039] like Figure 6As shown, the first terminals 10 of the socket connector 2 are arranged in a pair in a manner symmetrically opposed to each other in the width direction X. One first terminal 10 includes: legs 12, 14 and arm 16, which extend along the mating direction Z and are sequentially separated and arranged along the width direction X; the above-mentioned mounting portion 11, which is connected to the end of the leg 12 on the lower Z2 side and extends along the width direction X; the connecting portion 13, which extends along the width direction X and connects the end of the leg 12 on the upper Z1 side and the end of the leg 14 on the upper Z1 side; and the connecting portion 15, which extends along the width direction X and connects the end of the leg 14 on the lower Z2 side and the end of the arm 16 on the lower Z2 side.

[0040] In the first terminal 10, the space surrounded by the leg portion 12, the connecting portion 13, and the leg portion 14 is filled with resin (housing 30), in other words, they are fixed by the long side wall portion 31 of the housing 30. On the other hand, the arm portion 16 is not fixed by the housing 30, and can be displaced in the width direction X within the space 33a of the housing 30. In addition, in the first terminal 10, an accommodation space 10a for accommodating the terminal 50 of the plug connector 3 is formed through the space surrounded by the leg portion 14, the connecting portion 15, and the arm portion 16.

[0041] On the other hand, the terminals 50 of the plug connector 3 are also arranged in a pair symmetrically opposed to each other in the width direction X, and one terminal 50 includes: legs 52 and 54, which extend in the mating direction Z and are separated from each other in the width direction X; the above-mentioned mounting portion 51, which is connected to the end of the leg 52 on the lower Z1 side and extends in the width direction X; and a connecting portion 53, which extends in the width direction X and connects the end of the leg 52 on the upper Z2 side and the end of the leg 54 on the upper Z2 side. In the terminal 50, the space surrounded by the leg 52, the connecting portion 53 and the leg 54 is filled with resin (housing 70), in other words, they are fixed by the long side wall portion 71 of the housing 70.

[0042] Here, when the terminal 50 of the plug connector 3 is inserted into the accommodation space 10a of the first terminal 10 of the receptacle connector 2, the terminal 50 contacts the leg 14 and the arm 16 forming the accommodation space 10a. Specifically, the leg 14 of the first terminal 10 contacts the leg 52 of the terminal 50 at the contact portion 14a located on the outer wall surface facing the accommodation space 10a, and the arm 16 of the first terminal 10 contacts the leg 54 of the terminal 50 at the contact portion 16a located on the outer wall surface facing the accommodation space 10a. In this case, in the first terminal 10, the arm 16 is elastically deformed in the width direction X in the space 33a of the housing 30, while the leg 14 is fixed by the long side wall portion 31 of the housing 30 and is not deformed substantially. In addition, when the terminal 50 is inserted into the accommodation space 10a of the first terminal 10 as described above, at the same time, the fitting protrusion 33 of the receptacle connector 2 is inserted into the fitting recess 74 of the plug connector 3, and as a result, the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are fitted.

[0043] Then, if Figure 7 As shown, the second terminals 20 of the socket connector 2 are arranged in a pair in a manner symmetrically opposed to each other in the longitudinal direction Y. One second terminal 20 includes: legs 22, 24 and arm 26, which extend in the mating direction Z and are arranged in sequence and separately along the longitudinal direction Y; the above-mentioned mounting portion 21, which is connected to the end of the leg 22 on the lower Z2 side and extends in the longitudinal direction Y; the connecting portion 23, which extends in the longitudinal direction Y and connects the end of the leg 22 on the upper Z1 side and the end of the leg 24 on the upper Z1 side; and the connecting portion 25, which extends in the longitudinal direction Y and connects the end of the leg 24 on the lower Z2 side and the end of the arm 26 on the lower Z2 side.

[0044] In the second terminal 20, the space surrounded by the leg portion 22, the connecting portion 23, and the leg portion 24 is filled with resin (housing 30), in other words, they are fixed by the short side wall portion 32 of the housing 30. On the other hand, the arm portion 26 is not fixed by the housing 30, and can be displaced in the longitudinal direction Y within the space 33b of the housing 30. In addition, in the second terminal 20, the space surrounded by the leg portion 24, the connecting portion 25, and the arm portion 26 forms a storage space 20a for storing the terminal 60 of the plug connector 3.

[0045] On the other hand, the terminals 60 of the plug connector 3 are also arranged in a pair symmetrically opposed to each other in the longitudinal direction Y, and one terminal 60 has: legs 62 and 64, which extend along the mating direction Z and are separated from each other in the longitudinal direction Y; the above-mentioned mounting portion 61, which is connected to the end of the leg 62 on the lower Z1 side and extends in the longitudinal direction Y; and the connecting portion 63, which extends in the longitudinal direction Y and connects the end of the leg 62 on the upper Z2 side and the end of the leg 64 on the upper Z2 side. In the terminal 60, the space surrounded by the mounting portion 61, the leg 62, the connecting portion 63 and the leg 64 is filled with resin (housing 70), in other words, they are fixed by the short side wall portion 72 of the housing 70.

[0046] Here, when the terminal 60 of the plug connector 3 is inserted into the accommodation space 20a of the second terminal 20 of the receptacle connector 2, the terminal 60 contacts the leg 24 and the arm 26 forming the accommodation space 20a. Specifically, the leg 24 of the second terminal 20 contacts the leg 64 of the terminal 60 at the contact portion 24a located on the outer wall surface facing the accommodation space 20a, and the arm 26 of the second terminal 20 contacts the leg 62 of the terminal 60 at the contact portion 26a located on the outer wall surface facing the accommodation space 20a. In this case, in the second terminal 20, the arm 26 is elastically deformed in the longitudinal direction Y in the space 33b of the housing 30, while the leg 24 is fixed by the short side wall portion 32 of the housing 30 and is not deformed substantially. In addition, when the terminal 60 is inserted into the accommodation space 20a of the second terminal 20 as described above, the fitting protrusion 33 of the receptacle connector 2 is also inserted into the fitting recess 74 of the plug connector 3 at the same time.

[0047] In addition, according to Figure 6 and Figure 7 It can be seen that in the socket connector 2, the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 have substantially the same shape. Specifically, the mounting portion 11, the leg 12, the connecting portion 13, the leg 14, the connecting portion 15, the arm 16, and the contact portion 16a of the first terminal 10 correspond to the mounting portion 21, the leg 22, the connecting portion 23, the leg 24, the connecting portion 25, the arm 26, and the contact portion 26a of the second terminal 20, respectively, that is, the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 have a plurality of corresponding structural portions, and the plurality of corresponding structural portions have substantially the same shape. In addition, in relation to the housing 30, in the first terminal 10, the space surrounded by the leg 12, the connecting portion 13, and the leg 14 is filled with the housing 30 (resin), and in the second terminal 20, the space surrounded by the leg 22, the connecting portion 23, and the leg 24 is filled with the housing 30 (resin), and in this point, the structure is also common to the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20. As described above, the filling of the housing 30 (resin) into the space between the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 is performed by insert molding.

[0048] [Function and Effect]

[0049] Next, the operation and effects of the receptacle connector 2 in the present embodiment described above will be described.

[0050] In the present embodiment, the socket connector 2 comprises: a plurality of first terminals 10, which are respectively formed to extend in the width direction X and are arranged in the length direction Y; and a housing 30, which includes a long side wall portion 31 extending in the length direction Y in a manner to hold the plurality of first terminals 10, the socket connector 2 comprises: a pair of plurality of first terminals 10, which are separately arranged in a manner opposite to each other in the width direction X; and a pair of long side walls 31, which respectively hold the pair of plurality of first terminals 10, the socket connector 2 further comprises second terminals 20, the pair of second terminals 20 are formed to extend in the length direction Y, and are respectively arranged between the pair of plurality of first terminals 10 and the pair of long side walls 31 in the width direction X, and the socket connector 2 comprises a pair of second terminals 20 separately arranged in a manner opposite to each other in the length direction Y with the pair of plurality of first terminals 10 interposed therebetween.

[0051] According to this embodiment, since a pair of second terminals 20 are provided between a pair of multiple first terminals 10 in the width direction X and at positions that are separated by a pair of multiple first terminals 10 in the length direction Y, the second terminals 20 can be reliably provided using the space in the socket connector 2 where the multiple first terminals 10 are not provided. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the number of terminals can be reliably increased without increasing the size of the socket connector 2. In particular, according to this embodiment, since the second terminals 20 as signal terminals are provided, the number of signal terminals can be reliably increased.

[0052] In addition, in the present embodiment, the housing 30 has a substantially rectangular mating protrusion 33 in a plan view for mating with the plug connector 3 in a portion surrounded by a pair of multiple first terminals 10 and a pair of second terminals 20, and the front end of each of the pair of second terminals 20 in the longitudinal direction Y extends to the edge of the mating protrusion 33. Thus, the second terminals 20 can be reliably arranged by utilizing the space in the socket connector 2 where the mating protrusion 33 of the housing 30 is not provided.

[0053] In addition, in the present embodiment, the socket connector 2 further includes a pair of third terminals 41, each of which is formed to extend in the width direction X, is disposed near each of the pair of second terminals 20, and is separately arranged in a manner of being opposed to each other with a pair of the plurality of first terminals 10 interposed therebetween in the length direction Y. Thus, the space in the socket connector 2 where the plurality of first terminals 10 and the second terminals 20 are not disposed can be further utilized to reliably dispose other third terminals 41.

[0054] In addition, in the present embodiment, the pair of third terminals 41 includes two third terminals 41 that are separately arranged in a manner of being opposed to each other with the second terminal 20 sandwiched therebetween in the width direction X, and the socket connector 2 is configured such that: in the portion surrounded by the second terminal 20 and the two third terminals 41, there is a substantially rectangular mating recess 2a in a plan view for mating with the mating protrusion 3a of the plug connector 3, and when the mating protrusion 3a of the plug connector 3 is inserted into the mating recess 2a, the second terminal 20 and the two third terminals 41 contact the mating protrusion 3a and are elastically deformed. In this case, the second terminal 20 and the two third terminals 41 contact the three sides of the mating protrusion 3a of the plug connector 3. Thus, the second terminal 20 and the two third terminals 4 can reliably apply elastic force (contact pressure) to the mating protrusion 3a of the plug connector 3 to engage with each other.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 are signal terminals, and the third terminal 41 is a power terminal. Thus, the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 can be used as signal terminals, and the third terminal 41 provided separately from the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 can be used as a power terminal.

[0056] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first terminal 10 is configured to form a receiving space 10a for receiving the terminal 50 of the plug connector 3, and when the terminal 50 is inserted into the receiving space 10a, the arm portion 16 of the first terminal 10 forming the receiving space 10a is elastically deformed in the width direction X, and the second terminal 20 is configured to form a receiving space 20a for receiving the terminal 60 of the plug connector 3, and when the terminal 60 is inserted into the receiving space 20a, the arm portion 26 of the second terminal 20 forming the receiving space 20a is elastically deformed in the length direction Y. In such a present embodiment, the first terminal 10 and the second terminal 20 that are elastically deformed in different directions (orthogonal) when mated can be reliably provided in the receptacle connector 2.

[0057] [Modifications]

[0058] In the above embodiment, the socket connector 2 has a pair of second terminals 20 arranged in a manner of opposing each other with a pair of first terminals 10 interposed therebetween in the longitudinal direction Y. However, in a modified example, a plurality of pairs of second terminals 20 may be provided. In this case, a plurality of (e.g., two, three, etc.) second terminals 20 arranged along the width direction X may be provided in a pair of short side walls 32 in the housing 30 of the socket connector 2. Thus, the number of cores of the signal terminal can be further increased.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the third terminal 41 is used as a power terminal, but in a modified example, the third terminal 41 may be used as a signal terminal, and in another modified example, the third terminal 41 may be used as a ground terminal (ground terminal).

[0060] Thus, the above-mentioned embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0061] Industrial Applicability

[0062] The electrical connector of the present invention can be used for purposes such as connecting substrates with a flat cable in electronic devices such as smart phones and mobile phones that transmit electrical signals at high speed.

Claims

1. An electrical connector, characterized in that: have: A plurality of first terminals, each of which is formed to extend in a lateral direction perpendicular to a mating direction with respect to a mating connector, and is arranged in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the lateral direction; and a housing including a wall portion extending in the longitudinal direction in a manner to hold the plurality of first terminals, The electrical connector has: a pair of the plurality of first terminals, which are separately arranged so as to be opposed in the lateral direction; and a pair of the wall portions, each of which holds a pair of the plurality of first terminals; The electrical connector further comprises a second terminal, which is formed to extend along the longitudinal direction and is respectively arranged between a pair of the plurality of first terminals and the pair of wall portions in the transverse direction, and The electrical connector includes a pair of second terminals that are spaced apart and arranged to face each other across a pair of the plurality of first terminals in the longitudinal direction.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing has a substantially rectangular mating protrusion in a plan view for mating with the mating connector, in a portion surrounded by the pair of the plurality of first terminals and the pair of second terminals. The front end in the longitudinal direction of each of the pair of second terminals extends to the edge end of the fitting protrusion.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electrical connector further includes a pair of third terminals, each of which is formed to extend in the lateral direction, is provided near each of the pair of second terminals, and is separately arranged to oppose each other across a pair of the plurality of first terminals in the longitudinal direction.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 3, characterized in that: The pair of third terminals each includes two third terminals that are separately arranged to face each other across the second terminal in the lateral direction. The electrical connector is composed of: A substantially rectangular mating recessed portion for mating with the mating protruding portion of the mating connector in a plan view is provided in a portion surrounded by the second terminal and the two third terminals. When the fitting protrusion of the mating connector is inserted into the fitting recess, the second terminal and the two third terminals come into contact with the fitting protrusion and are elastically deformed.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The first terminal and the second terminal are signal terminals, The third terminal is a power terminal or a ground terminal.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pair of second terminals respectively include a plurality of second terminals arranged along the transverse direction.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first terminal is configured to form a receiving space for receiving the terminal of the other connector, and when the terminal of the other connector is inserted into the receiving space, a portion of the first terminal forming the receiving space is elastically deformed in the lateral direction. The second terminal is configured to form an accommodation space for accommodating the terminal of the counterpart connector, and when the terminal of the counterpart connector is inserted into the accommodation space, a portion of the second terminal forming the accommodation space is elastically deformed in the longitudinal direction.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first terminal and the second terminal have substantially the same shape and are formed integrally with the housing by insert molding.

9. A connector assembly, characterized in that: have: A first connector, which is the electrical connector according to claim 1 or 2; and a second connector configured to be engageable with the first connector; The second connector has a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the first terminals and the second terminals of the first connector, respectively.

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