Electric connector for flat conductor

Abstract

Provided is an electric connector for a flat conductor, wherein the strength of a punching die used for manufacturing a terminal can be ensured to be large enough, and the strength of the terminal itself can be ensured to be large enough. At least one of the first extension portion (21B-1) and the second extension portion (21B-2) of one arm portion (21) is elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the flat conductor (C), and the second extension portion (21B-2) extends in the front-rear direction to a position overlapping the other arm portion (22). The edge of the base arm section (21A) on the receiving space (11) side is separated from the receiving space (11) as the edge faces rearward within a predetermined range in which the edge reaches at least the rear end in the front-rear direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric connector for flat conductors to which flat conductors are connected. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a connector into which a strip-shaped flat conductor extending in the front-to-back direction and having thickness in the up-down direction is inserted forwardly and connected. The connector of patent document 1 is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board, and a plurality of terminals arranged in a terminal arrangement direction with the strip width direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction are held in a housing.

[0003] The terminal is formed into a flat plate by punching a metal plate member, and is arranged with the plate surface at a right angle to the terminal arrangement direction. The terminal has: a lower arm portion extending along the bottom wall of the housing; an upper arm portion extending along the upper wall of the housing; and a connecting portion connecting the front ends of the lower arm portion and the upper arm portion.

[0004] The lower arm portion has a base arm portion extending linearly in the front-to-back direction and two elastic arm portions that can be elastically displaced in the up-down direction. Here, the two elastic arm portions are a front elastic arm portion extending from the front end of the lower arm portion toward the back and a rear elastic arm portion extending from the rear end of the lower arm portion toward the front. The base arm portion is supported from below by the bottom wall of the housing. While the front elastic arm portion is elastically displaced downward, it can contact the flat conductor from below through a front contact portion formed at the rear end of the front elastic arm portion. While the rear elastic arm portion is elastically displaced downward, it can contact the flat conductor from below through a rear contact portion formed at its front end. The upper arm portion presses the flat conductor downward, i.e., toward the front contact portion and the rear contact portion, through a pressing portion formed at its rear end side. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-043299 Summary of the invention

[0006] In Patent Document 1, since the elastic arm portion of the lower arm portion is close to the base arm portion, in the punching die for punching the metal plate member when manufacturing the terminal, the portion corresponding to the elastic arm portion and the base arm portion is small, and it is difficult to ensure sufficient strength of the portion. If the elastic arm portion is set at a higher position in order to greatly separate the elastic arm portion from the base arm portion, the elastic arm portion will approach the upper arm portion. In this case, in the punching die, the portion corresponding to the elastic arm portion and the upper arm portion becomes smaller. That is, the problem of not being able to ensure sufficient strength of the punching die is not eliminated.

[0007] Furthermore, if the distance between the base arm portion and the elastic arm portion is increased by thinning the base arm portion, the strength of the base arm portion is reduced, and thus the strength of the terminal itself is reduced.

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a flat conductor electrical connector capable of ensuring sufficient strength of a punching die used for manufacturing a terminal and also ensuring sufficient strength of a terminal itself.

[0009] (1) The flat conductor electrical connector of the present invention is a flat conductor electrical connector for connecting a flat conductor extending in the front-to-back direction, comprising: a housing, the housing forming a receiving space open to the rear in a manner for inserting the flat conductor forward; and a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being arranged in a direction at right angles to both the front-to-back direction and the thickness direction of the flat conductor as a terminal arrangement direction, and being held in the housing in a state where a plate surface is at right angles to the terminal arrangement direction.

[0010] Based on the above-mentioned flat conductor electrical connector, the present invention is characterized in that the terminal comprises: an arm portion on one side, the arm portion on one side is located on one side relative to the receiving space in the thickness direction and extends in the front-to-back direction; an arm portion on the other side, the arm portion on the other side is located on the other side relative to the receiving space in the thickness direction and extends in the front-to-back direction; and a connecting arm portion, the connecting arm portion connects the front end portion of the arm portion on one side to the front end portion of the arm portion on the other side, the arm portion on one side comprises a base arm portion extending backward from the connecting arm portion and an extended arm portion extending backward from the rear end of the base arm portion, the The extended arm portion comprises: a first extension portion, which extends from the rear end of the base arm portion; and a second extension portion, which is located closer to the receiving space side than the first extension portion and changes direction at the rear end of the first extension portion to extend forward, at least one of the first extension portion and the second extension portion is capable of elastically displacing along the thickness direction, the second extension portion extends to a position overlapping with the other arm portion in the front-to-back direction, and an edge of the base arm portion on the receiving space side reaches at least within a specified range of the rear end in the front-to-back direction, and moves away from the receiving space as it moves toward the rear.

[0011] In the terminal, the second extension extends from the rear end of the first extension toward the front, that is, toward one side of the base arm. In the present invention, the edge of the base arm on one side of the receiving space reaches at least within the specified range of the rear end in the front-to-back direction, and moves away from the receiving space as it moves toward the rear, that is, toward one side of the second extension. That is, the second extension and the base arm will not approach each other, and a large interval will be formed between the two. Therefore, in the punching die for punching the metal plate member when manufacturing the terminal, the part corresponding to the above-mentioned interval is formed larger, so that the sufficient strength of the part can be ensured. In addition, the base arm becomes thinner as it moves toward the rear within the above-mentioned specified range. In other words, the base arm becomes thinner on the rear side of the above-mentioned specified range, but does not become thinner on the front side. Therefore, the reduction in the strength of the base arm caused by making the base arm thinner is controlled to a minimum, the strength of the base arm is ensured to be large enough, and then the strength of the terminal is ensured to be large enough.

[0012] (2) In the invention of (1), the second extension portion may include a contact portion on one side at a position overlapping with the arm portion on the other side in the front-to-back direction, and the contact portion on one side may be in contact with the flat conductor with contact pressure, and the arm portion on the other side may include another contact portion on the other side, and the contact portion on the other side may be in contact with the flat conductor with contact pressure, thereby being able to clamp the flat conductor in cooperation with the contact portion on one side.

[0013] (3) In the invention of (1) or (2), the edge of the base arm portion on the receiving space side may be linearly inclined within the specified range. In this way, in the punching die, the portion corresponding to the edge on the receiving space side can be formed into a simple shape.

[0014] (4) In any one of the inventions (1) to (3), the edge of the other arm on the receiving space side approaches the receiving space as it moves backward within another specified range, and at least a portion of the other specified range overlaps with the specified range of the base arm in the front-to-back direction. That is, the edge of the other arm on the receiving space side is formed in a direction substantially the same as the edge of the one arm on the receiving space side, so that within the above-mentioned other specified range, the size of the interval between the base arm and the other arm in the thickness direction of the flat conductor does not change significantly over the entire area where the above-mentioned specified range overlaps with the above-mentioned other specified range. Therefore, in the punching die, the portion corresponding to the interval can be formed into a simple shape.

[0015] (5) In any one of the inventions (1) to (4), the edge of the other arm portion on the receiving space side may be linearly inclined within the other predetermined range. In this way, in the punching die, the portion corresponding to the edge on the receiving space side can be formed into a simple shape.

[0016] (6) In the invention of any one of (1) to (5), a notch is formed at a position forward of the specified range on the edge of the base arm portion on the receiving space side. When the metal plate member is punched out by a punching die during the manufacture of the terminal, even if a so-called burr is generated, the burr is easily formed in the notch because the notch is formed in advance on the edge of the base arm portion on the receiving space side. Thus, when a burr is formed in the notch, the burr is not likely to protrude into the receiving space. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the flat conductor inserted into the receiving space from being damaged by the burr or from being short-circuited due to the burr.

[0017] (7) In any one of the inventions (1) to (6), the connecting arm may have a notch formed at an edge on the receiving space side. By forming the notch in advance at the edge of the connecting arm on the receiving space side, burrs are less likely to protrude into the receiving space, similar to the invention of (6), and damage or short circuit of the flat conductor can be effectively avoided.

[0018] The present invention can provide a flat-type conductor electrical connector capable of ensuring sufficient strength of a punching die used for manufacturing a terminal and also ensuring sufficient strength of the terminal itself. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the flat conductor electric connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention together with the flat conductor, and shows a state immediately before the flat conductor is connected. Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the flat conductor electric connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention together with the flat conductor, and shows a state immediately before the flat conductor is pulled out. Figure 3 This is a perspective view showing a flat conductor electrical connector in a state where terminals, metal fittings, and movable members are separated. Figure 4 It is a longitudinal sectional view of the flat conductor electrical connector, and shows the cross section at the position of the terminal in the width direction of the connector. Figure 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a flat conductor electrical connector, showing a longitudinal section at the position of a metal fitting in the width direction of the connector, Figure 5(A) shows a state where a metal fitting is pulled out. Figure 5 (B) shows a state where metal fittings are installed. Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the electric connector for a flat conductor just before the flat conductor is inserted. Figure 6 (A) shows the cross section at the location of the terminal, Figure 6 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the locking portion of the movable member, Figure 6 (C) shows a cross section at the position of the cam portion of the movable member. Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the flat conductor electrical connector in a state where the flat conductor is completely inserted. Figure 7 (A) shows the cross section at the location of the terminal, Figure 7 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the locking portion of the movable member, Figure 7 (C) shows a cross section at the position of the cam portion of the movable member. Figure 8 This is a longitudinal sectional view of the flat conductor electrical connector before the flat conductor is pulled out. Figure 8 (A) shows the cross section at the location of the terminal, Figure 8 (B) shows a cross section at the position of the locking portion of the movable member, Figure 8 (C) shows a cross section at the position of the cam portion of the movable member. Fig. 9 It is a longitudinal sectional view of a flat conductor electric connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and shows a cross section at the position of a terminal in the width direction of the connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] <First embodiment> Figure 1 and Figure 2 1 is a perspective view showing a flat conductor electric connector 1 (hereinafter referred to as “connector 1 ”) according to the present embodiment together with a flat conductor C. Figure 1 The state just before the flat conductor C is connected is shown. Figure 2 The state immediately before the flat conductor C is pulled out is shown. Figure 3 The connector 1 is shown in a perspective view in a state where the terminal 20 , the metal fitting 30 , and the movable member 40 are separated.

[0022] The connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface of the circuit substrate (not shown), and the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) parallel to the mounting surface is used as the plug-in and pull-out direction, so that a flat conductor C (for example, FPC) as a counterpart connector can be connected in a plug-in and pull-out manner. The connector 1 is connected to the flat conductor C to electrically connect the circuit substrate and the flat conductor C. In this embodiment, for the X-axis direction (front-to-back direction), the X1 direction is set to the front, and the X2 direction is set to the rear. In addition, the Y-axis direction at right angles to the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) is set to the connector width direction, and the Z-axis direction at right angles to the mounting surface of the circuit substrate is set to the up-down direction.

[0023] The flat conductor C is in the shape of a flexible strip extending in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction), with the width direction of the connector (Y-axis direction) as the width direction and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) as the thickness direction. Figure 2 As shown, the front end side portion is inserted into the housing 10. The flat conductor C is formed into a plurality of circuit portions (not shown) extending in the front-to-back direction and arranged in the connector width direction. The circuit portion is buried in the insulating layer of the flat conductor C and extends in the front-to-back direction to a position near the front end of the flat conductor C. In addition, the circuit portion is exposed at the lower surface of the front end side portion and can contact the terminal 20 described below of the connector 1.

[0024] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the width of the front end side portion of the flat conductor C is narrower than that of other portions. A recess C1 is formed on both side edges of the front end side portion, and the rear end edge of the ear portion C2 located in front of the recess C1 functions as a locked portion C2A that is locked with the locking portion 42 described below of the connector 1 (see Figure 7 (B)). In addition, at the front end of the other portion of the flat conductor C, shoulders C3 are formed on both sides in the width direction of the flat conductor C. Figure 2 As shown, in a state where the flat-type conductor C is inserted into the connector 1 , the shoulder portion C3 approaches a rear end wall portion 18 of the housing 10 described later from the rear.

[0025] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the electrical connector 1 comprises: a housing 10 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin; a plurality of terminals 20 made of metal plates (also see Figure 4 ), which are arranged in the connector width direction as the terminal arrangement direction and are held in the housing 10; metal fittings 30 made of metal plates, which are arranged on both sides of the terminal arrangement range in the connector width direction; and movable members 40 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin or metal, which can be rotated between a closed position and an open position, and the electrical connector 1 is configured to allow the flat conductor C to be inserted and connected from the rear (refer to Figure 1 arrows).

[0026] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with the connector width direction as the length direction, and a receiving space 11 for receiving the flat conductor C is formed as a space open to the rear. The housing 10 has: a lower wall 12 and an upper wall 13 as wall portions extending parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board; two side walls 14 extending in the vertical direction and connecting the two ends of the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 in the connector width direction to each other (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 3 ); and the front wall 15 connecting the front ends of the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 to each other (reference Figure 6 (B)).

[0027] In addition, if Figure 3 As shown, the housing 10 has, on the outside of the side wall 14 in the connector width direction,: an extension portion 16 extending from the outer side surface of the lower portion of the side wall 14; a metal fitting retaining portion 17 provided in the front half of the extension portion 16; and a rear end wall portion 18 provided at the rear end portion of the extension portion 16.

[0028] The receiving space 11 is composed of a lower wall 12, an upper wall 13, and a front wall 15 (see Figure 6 (B)) and two side walls 14 (refer to Figure 3 ) surrounds the front-to-rear direction and receives the front end side portion of the flat conductor C (refer to Figure 7 (A), (B)).

[0029] An upper hole portion 13A is formed on the upper wall 13, and the upper hole portion 13A penetrates in the vertical direction outside the terminal arrangement range. Figure 1 As shown, when the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the upper hole portion 13A allows the following locking portion 42 of the movable member 40 to enter from above (see also Figure 6 (B)).

[0030] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the terminal receiving portions 19 for receiving the terminals 20 are formed in the housing 10 so as to be aligned in the connector width direction. Figure 4 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector 1 at a plane perpendicular to the width direction of the connector, showing a cross section at the position of the terminal 20 in the width direction of the connector. Figure 4 As shown, the terminal receiving portion 19 is formed as a groove portion penetrating the housing 10 in the front-to-back direction. The terminal receiving portion 19 has: a lower groove portion 19A, which is sunken from the upper surface of the lower wall 12 and extends in the front-to-back direction; an upper groove portion 19B, which is sunken from the lower surface of the upper wall 13 and extends in the front-to-back direction; and a front groove portion 19C, which penetrates the front wall 15 in the front-to-back direction and extends in the up-down direction, so that the front ends of the lower groove portion 19A and the upper groove portion 19B are connected to each other, and the terminal receiving portion 19 as a whole is in a transverse U-shape that opens to the rear.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the extension portion 16 is in the shape of a plate having a plate surface at right angles to the up-down direction, and extends in the front-back direction over the entire area of ​​the side wall 14. The metal fitting holding portion 17 is provided at a distance from the outer side surface of the side wall 14 in the connector width direction. The space formed between the metal fitting holding portion 17 and the side wall 14 constitutes a side plate storage portion 10A for storing the side plate portion 43 described below of the movable member 40.

[0032] The metal fitting holding portion 17 is in the shape of a plate having a plate surface that stands at right angles to the connector width direction, and a metal fitting receiving portion 17A (see also FIG. 1 ) for receiving a portion of the metal fitting 30 is formed outside the extension portion 16 in the connector width direction. Figure 5 In addition, if Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , in the metal fitting holding portion 17, a portion located inside the metal fitting receiving portion 17A in the connector width direction stands upward from the extension portion 16. In addition, a latched end portion 17B is provided at the lower portion of the metal fitting holding portion 17 so as to protrude further rearward than the rear end of the metal fitting receiving portion 17A. The latched end portion 17B is located in a range including the metal fitting receiving portion 17A in the connector width direction, is located in a range of the extension portion 16 in the vertical direction, and is latched with the latching leg portion 34 described below of the metal fitting 30 in the vertical direction (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 5 (B)).

[0033] Figure 5 (A) and (B) are longitudinal cross-sectional views of the connector 1, showing the cross-section at the position of the metal fitting 30 in the width direction of the connector. Figure 5 (A) shows a state where a metal fitting 30 is pulled out. Figure 5 (B) shows a state where the metal fitting 30 is installed. Figure 5 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , the metal fitting storage portion 17A is in the shape of a groove extending at a right angle to the width direction of the connector. The lower portion of the metal fitting storage portion 17A extends forward compared to other portions, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (B), the press-fitting fixing portion 31A-1 of the metal fitting 30 described below is held by the press-fitting groove portion 17A-1 formed on the front end side thereof.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, the rear end wall portion 18 is located behind the metal fitting holding portion 17, rises upward from the extension portion 16, and is connected to the outer side surface of the side wall 14. The space formed between the metal fitting holding portion 17 and the rear end wall portion 18 in the front-rear direction constitutes a cam receiving portion 10B for receiving the cam portion 44 described below of the movable member 40.

[0035] The terminal 20 is produced by punching a metal plate member, and is pressed from the front and mounted in the terminal receiving portion 19 of the housing 10 in a state where the plate surface is at a right angle to the width direction of the connector. Figure 4 As shown, the terminal 20 has: a lower arm portion 21, which is located at the lower side (one side) relative to the receiving space 11 in the up-down direction and serves as an arm portion extending in the front-to-back direction along the lower wall 12 of the shell 10; an upper arm portion 22, which is located at the upper side (the other side) relative to the receiving space 11 in the up-down direction and serves as an arm portion extending in the front-to-back direction along the upper wall 13 of the shell 10; a connecting arm portion 23, which extends in the up-down direction along the front wall 15 and connects the front end portions of the lower arm portion 21 and the upper arm portion 22 to each other; and a connecting portion 24, which extends forward from the lower portion of the connecting arm portion 23.

[0036] The lower arm portion 21 is accommodated in the lower groove portion 19A and includes: a base arm portion 21A, which is supported from below by the groove bottom surface 19A-1 constituting the inner surface of the lower groove portion 19A and extends in the front-rear direction; and an extended arm portion 21B, which extends rearward from the rear end of the base arm portion 21A. The entire base arm portion 21A is accommodated in the lower groove portion 19A. Figure 4 As shown, the upper edge of the base arm portion 21A, that is, the edge of the base arm portion 21A on the receiving space 11 side, is linearly inclined downward within a predetermined range S in the front-to-back direction in a manner that moves away from the receiving space 11 as it moves toward the rear. In this embodiment, the predetermined range S is the entire range in the front-to-back direction of the base arm portion 21A. On the other hand, the lower edge of the base arm portion 21A is not inclined relative to the front-to-back direction. That is, the base arm portion 21A gradually tapers toward the rear. The lower edge of the base arm portion 21A is supported on the groove bottom surface 19A-1 in the entire area of ​​the front-to-back direction of the base arm portion 21A.

[0037] The extended arm portion 21B has: a first extended portion 21B-1, which extends from the rear end of the base arm portion 21A; and a second extended portion 21B-2, which is located above the first extended portion 21B-1, that is, on the side of the receiving space 11, and extends in a direction changing manner by turning back from the rear end of the first extended portion 21B-1 to the front. The first extended portion 21B-1 is entirely housed in the lower groove portion 19A, and extends obliquely upward as it moves toward the rear. That is, the gap formed between the lower edge of the first elastic portion 21B-1 and the groove bottom surface 19A-1 of the lower groove portion 19A gradually increases as it moves toward the rear. The first extended portion 21B-1 is allowed to elastically displace in the up and down directions within the range of the gap. Hereinafter, this gap is referred to as the "allowed elastic displacement space 19A-2".

[0038] In the present embodiment, the groove bottom surface 19A-1 of the lower groove portion 19A is formed at the same height throughout the entire area in the front-to-back direction, and therefore, the elastic displacement space 19A-2 is formed as a gap between the groove bottom surface 19A-1 by obliquely setting the first extension portion 21B-1. However, the method of allowing the elastic displacement space 19A-2 is not limited to this. For example, as a modified example, it is also possible to form the groove bottom surface 19A-1 to be lower than other ranges in the range corresponding to the first extension portion 21B-1 in the front-to-back direction to form the elastic displacement space 19A-2. In addition, as another modified example, it is also possible to use the space below the first extension portion 21B-1, that is, the space open to the bottom, as the elastic displacement space 19A-2 in the range corresponding to the first extension portion 21B-1 in the front-to-back direction without setting the lower wall 12. In these modified examples, the first extension portion 21B-1 can also be set to a shape extending in the front-to-back direction without being inclined.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, a portion of the second extension portion 21B-2 is housed in the lower groove portion 19A, and is inclined upward as it moves forward and extends to a position overlapping with the rear end portion of the upper arm portion 22 in the front-to-back direction. In this way, the second extension portion 21B-2 extends toward the front, that is, toward the side of the base arm portion 21A. In this embodiment, the upper edge of the base arm portion 21A forms an inclined edge that is inclined downward in a manner that moves away from the receiving space 11 as it moves toward the rear, that is, toward the side of the second extension portion 21B-2, within the specified range S that reaches the rear end in the front-to-back direction. That is, the second extension portion 21B-2 and the base arm portion 21A will not approach each other, and a large interval is formed between the two. Therefore, in the punching die (not shown) used for punching the metal plate member when manufacturing the terminal 20, the portion corresponding to the above-mentioned interval is formed larger, so that sufficient strength of the portion can be ensured. In addition, the base arm portion 21A becomes thinner as it moves toward the rear within the above-mentioned specified range S. In other words, the base arm portion 21A is tapered on the rear side but not on the front side within the predetermined range S. Therefore, the reduction in the strength of the base arm portion 21A caused by tapering the base arm portion 21A is minimized, the strength of the base arm portion 21A is ensured to be sufficiently large, and the strength of the terminal 20 is ensured to be sufficiently large.

[0040] The lower contact portion 21B-3 is provided at the front end of the second extension portion 21B-2 so as to protrude upward, and serves as a contact portion that can contact the circuit portion of the lower surface of the flat conductor C with contact pressure. When the second extension portion 21B-2 is in a free state, the lower contact portion 21B-3 protrudes from the lower groove portion 19A and is located in the receiving space 11. The gap formed between the second extension portion 21B-2 and the first extension portion 21B-1 in the vertical direction gradually increases toward the rear, and the second extension portion 21B-2 is allowed to elastically displace in the vertical direction within the range of the gap.

[0041] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first extension portion 21B-1 is formed thicker than the second extension portion 21B-2. In this way, in the extension arm portion 21B, the second extension portion 21B-2 located on the free end side is formed thinner, and the first extension portion 21B-1 located on the opposite side of the free end is formed thicker, so that the stress generated in the extension arm portion 21B due to contact with the flat conductor C can be dispersed, thereby preventing the load from being concentrated on a part of the extension arm portion 21B.

[0042] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the first extension portion 21B-1 is formed longer than the second extension portion 21B-2, and the front end of the first extension portion 21B-1 is located in front of the front end of the second extension portion 21B-2. In this way, in this embodiment, the first extension portion 21B-1, which is thicker than the second extension portion 21B-2, is formed longer than the second extension portion 21B-2, so that the elasticity of the first extension portion 21B-1 and the second extension portion 21B-2 can be set to the same level, and as a result, it is easy to ensure an appropriate contact pressure with the flat conductor C.

[0043] like Figure 4 As shown, the upper arm portion 22 is located on the opposite side, i.e., above, of the lower arm portion 21 in the vertical direction across the receiving space 11, and extends obliquely downward as it moves toward the rear while a portion of the upper arm portion 22 is accommodated in the upper groove portion 19B. Figure 4 As shown, the lower edge of the upper arm portion 22, that is, the edge of the upper arm portion 22 on the receiving space 11 side, forms a part of the range in the front-to-back direction of the upper arm portion 22, specifically, in a prescribed range T (another prescribed range) from the front end position of the upper arm portion 22 to a position adjacent to the upper contact portion 22A described later, a slanted edge that is linearly inclined downward in a manner approaching the receiving space 11 as it moves toward the rear. The substantially entire area in the front-to-back direction of the prescribed range T of the upper arm portion 22 is included in the prescribed range S of the base arm portion 21A, and overlaps with the prescribed range S.

[0044] like Figure 4As shown, the lower edge of the upper arm portion 22 is formed to be inclined in the same direction as the upper edge of the specified range S of the base arm portion 21A within the above-mentioned specified range T. That is, within another specified range T, the size of the interval between the base arm portion 21A and the upper arm portion 22 in the up-down direction does not change significantly throughout the entire area where the specified range S overlaps with another specified range T. Therefore, in a punching die (not shown) used for manufacturing the terminal 20, the portion corresponding to the above-mentioned interval can be formed into a simple shape.

[0045] The upper contact portion 22A is provided at the rear end of the upper arm portion 22 so as to protrude downward, and serves as another contact portion that can contact the upper surface of the flat conductor C with a contact pressure. Figure 4 As shown, the upper contact portion 22A protrudes from the upper groove portion 19B and is located in the receiving space 11 when the upper arm portion 22 is in a free state.

[0046] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 6 , the protruding vertex of the upper contact portion 22A is located forward of the protruding vertex of the lower contact portion 21B-3 of the lower arm portion 21 by a distance P. In addition, in the vertical direction, a gap of a size Q smaller than half of the thickness dimension R of the flat conductor C (see (A) of FIG. 6 ) is formed between the protruding vertex of the upper contact portion 22A and the protruding vertex of the lower contact portion 21B-3 to ensure sufficient contact pressure with respect to the flat conductor C. In addition, in the present embodiment, the distance P is set to be smaller than the thickness dimension R of the flat conductor C and smaller than twice the gap dimension Q.

[0047] As described above, by setting the distance P to be smaller than the thickness dimension R of the flat conductor C, even if the flat conductor C is subjected to an external force in the thickness direction (up and down direction) in the state where the flat conductor C is connected to the connector 1 and becomes inclined, the flat conductor C can be easily clamped with contact pressure by the cooperation of the lower contact portion 21B-3 and the upper contact portion 22A. As a result, it is possible to ensure that the flat conductor C is in contact with the terminal 20 with an appropriate contact pressure and prevent the flat conductor C from accidentally falling off.

[0048] Furthermore, since the gap dimension Q is set to be smaller than half of the thickness dimension R of the flat conductor C, by setting the distance P to be smaller than twice the gap dimension Q, the flat conductor C can be easily held with contact pressure by the cooperation of the lower contact portion 21B-3 and the upper contact portion 22A. Therefore, even if the flat conductor C is subjected to an external force in the thickness direction (up and down direction) in the state of being connected to the connector and the flat conductor is tilted, it is possible to ensure that the flat conductor C is in contact with the terminal 20 with an appropriate contact pressure and prevent the flat conductor C from accidentally falling off.

[0049] In the present embodiment, the distance P is set to satisfy both the condition of being smaller than the thickness R of the flat conductor C and the condition of being smaller than twice the gap dimension Q. However, it is not necessary to satisfy both conditions. As long as either condition is satisfied, the flat conductor C can be prevented from accidentally falling off.

[0050] In addition, in the present embodiment, the protruding vertex of the upper contact portion 22A is set to be located in front of the protruding vertex of the lower contact portion 21B-3 of the lower arm portion 21, but as long as the above-mentioned distance P between the protruding vertices satisfies at least one of the above-mentioned two conditions, the relative positional relationship between the protruding vertices in the front-to-back direction is not limited to this. That is, the protruding vertex of the upper contact portion 22A may be located in the rear of the protruding vertex of the lower contact portion 21B-3 of the lower arm portion 21, or the protruding vertices may be located in the same position.

[0051] The connecting arm portion 23 is received in the front groove portion 19C. A press-in protrusion 23A protruding upward is provided on the upper edge of the connecting arm portion 23, and the press-in protrusion 23A bites into the inner surface of the upper wall 13 to hold the terminal 20 in the terminal receiving portion 19. The connecting arm portion 23 is formed with a notch portion 23B at its rear edge, that is, at the edge on the receiving space 11 side. The notch portion 23B opens to the rear at a position directly above the front end side portion of the base arm portion 21A (the connection portion with the connecting arm portion 23).

[0052] The terminal 20 of the present embodiment is formed by punching a metal plate member multiple times. At this time, the punching is repeated multiple times in the vicinity of the connection portion between the base arm portion 21A and the connecting arm portion 23. As a result, larger burrs are sometimes generated in this range. In the present embodiment, a notch portion 23B is formed at a position corresponding to the range, so even if a larger burr as described above is generated, the burr is easily formed in the notch portion 23B. In this way, when a burr is formed in the notch portion 23B, the burr is not easy to protrude into the receiving space 11. Therefore, it is possible to effectively avoid the flat conductor C inserted into the receiving space 11 from being damaged by the burr or short-circuiting through the burr.

[0053] The connection portion 24 extends downward and forward from the lower portion of the connecting arm portion 23 to the outside of the housing 10. The lower edge of the connection portion 24 is located slightly below the lower surface of the lower wall 12 of the housing 10, and when the connector 1 is arranged on the mounting surface of the circuit substrate (not shown), the connection portion 24 is soldered and connected to the corresponding circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface.

[0054] Figure 5 (A) and (B) are three-dimensional cross-sectional views of the connector 1, showing a longitudinal section at the position of the metal fitting 30 in the width direction of the connector. Figure 5(A) shows a state where a metal fitting 30 is pulled out. Figure 5 (B) shows a state where the metal fitting 30 is installed. The metal fitting 30 is produced by punching a metal plate member and bending a portion thereof in the plate thickness direction, and is pressed from the rear and installed in the metal fitting storage portion 17A of the housing 10. By providing the metal fitting 30 so as to be press-fitted, the metal fitting 30 can be easily installed in the housing 10.

[0055] like Figure 5 As shown in (A) and (B) of FIG. 1 , the metal fitting 30 comprises: a main body 31 having a plate surface at right angles to the width direction of the connector; a force-applying portion 32 for applying force to the cam portion 44 of the movable member 40; a fixing leg 33 connected by welding to the mounting surface of the circuit substrate; and a locking leg 34 capable of locking relative to the housing 10 from below (see also FIG. 1 ). Figure 3 ). In the metal fitting 30, the main body 31 having a plate surface at right angles to the width direction of the connector constitutes most of the metal fitting 30, and as described below, only the force-applying portion 32 and the fixing leg 33 are formed by bending in the width direction of the connector. Therefore, the entire metal fitting 30 can be made compactly with a simple shape.

[0056] The main body 31 is located outside the cam portion 44 of the movable member 40 in the connector width direction and adjacent to the cam portion 44, and includes: a fixed arm portion 31A that extends linearly in the front-back direction and is fixed to the housing 10; a movable arm portion 31B that is located above the fixed arm portion 31A and extends in the front-back direction; and a connecting portion 31C that extends in the up-down direction and connects the front end side portions of the fixed arm portion 31A and the movable arm portion 31B to each other. The metal fitting 30 is held in the metal fitting storage portion 17A by pressing the press-fit fixing portion 31A-1 provided at the front end of the fixed arm portion 31A into the press-fit groove portion 17A-1 of the metal fitting storage portion 17A. In addition, when the metal fitting 30 is stored in the metal fitting storage portion 17A, the fixed arm portion 31A is supported by the lower inner wall surface 17A-2 of the metal fitting storage portion 17A.

[0057] The movable arm portion 31B extends in the front-to-back direction and is configured to be elastically displaceable in the up-down direction, i.e., in a direction parallel to the plate surface (rolling surface). The front half of the movable arm portion 31B extends obliquely downward as it moves toward the rear, and the rear half extends linearly from the rear end of the front half to the rear without being inclined. In addition, the shape of the movable arm portion is not limited thereto. For example, the front half of the movable arm portion may extend obliquely upward as it moves toward the rear, and the rear half may extend linearly from the rear end of the front half to the rear without being inclined. The connecting portion 31C extends obliquely forward from the upper edge of the fixed arm portion 31A at the front end position of the fixed arm portion 31A as it moves upward, and connects the front end position portion of the fixed arm portion 31A to the front end portion of the movable arm portion 31B.

[0058] The force applying portion 32 is bent at the upper edge of the movable arm portion 31B at the middle position of the rear half of the movable arm portion 31B in the front-back direction and extends inward in the connector width direction, that is, toward the cam portion 44 side of the movable member 40. The force applying portion 32 has a plate surface (rolled surface) that is perpendicular to the up-down direction and is located directly above the cam portion 44, restricting the upward movement of the cam portion 44 and even the movable member 40 (see Figure 6 (C) Figure 7 (C) Figure 8 (C)).

[0059] In this embodiment, if Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 5 As shown in (B), there is no member above the rear half of the movable arm portion 31B, but as a modified example, a limiting portion located at a predetermined distance from the rear end portion may be formed by a part of the housing 10, for example, above the rear end portion of the movable arm portion 31B. In this modified example, if the rear end portion of the movable arm portion 31B is displaced upward by a predetermined amount, it will abut against the limiting portion from below, and the displacement exceeding this degree will be limited. By configuring in this way, excessive elastic deformation of the movable arm portion 31B upward is limited, so that the cam portion 44 and even the movable member 40 can be further reliably prevented from being disengaged from the housing 10.

[0060] The fixing leg 33 is bent at the lower edge of the fixing arm 31A at a position near the rear end of the fixing arm 31A and extends inward in the width direction of the connector. In this way, the fixing leg 33 is formed to extend inward in the width direction of the connector, that is, on the same side as the force-applying portion 32. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the metal fitting 30 being enlarged in the width direction of the connector due to the provision of the fixing leg 33. The fixing leg 33 is located more rearward than the force-applying portion 32 in the front-to-back direction, and extends over approximately the same range as the force-applying portion 32 in the width direction of the connector. In addition, the lower surface of the fixing leg 33 is located slightly below the lower surface of the lower wall 12 of the housing (see Figure 6 (C) Figure 7 (C) Figure 8 In (C)), when the connector 1 is arranged on the mounting surface of the circuit board (not shown), the fixing leg portion 33 is fixed to the corresponding portion (pad) on the mounting surface by welding.

[0061] The locking leg portion 34 is located forward of the fixed leg portion 33 and is disposed within the range of the force-applying portion 32 in the front-rear direction. The locking leg portion 34 extends downward from the lower edge of the fixed leg portion 33 and then extends forward, and the overall shape is L-shaped. Figure 5 As shown in (B), the L-shaped locking leg 34 is embedded in the locked end 17B of the metal fitting holding portion 17 from the rear, thereby being locked to the locked end 17B from below. In this embodiment, the locking leg 34 is provided at a position separated from the fixed leg 33. Therefore, when the fixed leg 33 is soldered to the corresponding portion of the mounting surface of the circuit board, the molten solder can be prevented from gradually rising toward the housing 10 side along the locking leg 34, that is, the so-called solder rising.

[0062] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the movable member 40 has a plate-shaped operating portion 41 extending over the side wall 14 in the width direction of the connector (see Figure 2 and Figure 3 ) extend within a range between each other; a stopper portion 42, which protrudes from the plate surface of the operating portion 41; and a side plate portion 43 and a cam portion 44 located at both ends of the operating portion 41 in the connector width direction.

[0063] The operation unit 41 is configured to Figure 1 The closed position shown and Figure 2 The locking portion 42 is provided at the rear of the operating portion 41 when in the closed position (the lower part of the operating portion 41 when in the open position) at a position corresponding to the locked portion C2A of the flat conductor C in the width direction of the connector. When the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the locking portion 42 protrudes from the lower surface of the operating portion 41 and is located in the upper hole portion 13A of the housing 10 and the receiving space 11 (see Figure 6 (B)), can interfere with the flat conductor C (refer to Figure 7 Regarding the portion of the locking portion 42 located in the receiving space 11, the rear surface thereof has a guide surface 42A that is inclined downward toward the front, and the front surface thereof has a locking surface 42B that is locked to the locked portion C2A of the flat conductor C from the rear (see Figure 6 (B) and Figure 7 When the movable member 40 is in the open position, the locking portion 42 is located outside the housing 10, and the interference with the flat conductor C is eliminated (see Figure 8 (A), (B)).

[0064] like Figure 3 As shown, the side plate 43 is provided at both ends of the operating portion 41 in the connector width direction in a plate-like manner with a plate surface perpendicular to the connector width direction. The side plate 43 extends in the front-to-back direction from the middle position of the operating portion 41 to a position behind the operating portion 41, and protrudes downward. That is, Figure 3 The rear end of the side plate portion 43 shown in the figure, that is, the protruding end 43A, protrudes further rearward than the rear end of the operating portion 41. In the side plate portion 43, when the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the side plate portion 43 is entirely accommodated in the side plate accommodation portion 10A of the housing 10 (see Figure 1 ), when the movable member 40 is in the open position, the portion other than the protruding end portion 43A is located outside the side plate storage portion 10A (refer to Figure 2 ).

[0065] The cam portion 44 protrudes in a substantially quadrangular prism shape from the outer side surface of the protruding end portion 43A of the side plate portion 43 in the connector width direction, and is always housed in the cam housing portion 10B of the housing 10 regardless of the position of the movable member 40. The cam portion 44 is located directly below the force-applying portion 32 of the metal fitting 30, and is restricted from moving upward by the force-applying portion 32. The cam portion 44 is provided at a position including the rotation axis of the movable member 40 when viewed in the connector width direction, and has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape at right angles to the rotation axis.

[0066] When the movable member 40 is in the closed position, the cam portion 44 is in surface contact with the lower surface of the biasing portion 32 at the first restricted surface 44A that constitutes a flat upper surface in the closed position (see Figure 6 (C) Figure 7 (C)), as a result, the movable member 40 is reliably maintained in the closed position. In addition, when the movable member 40 is in the open position, the cam portion 44 makes surface contact with the lower surface of the force-applying portion 32 at the second restricted surface 44B constituting the flat upper surface in the open position (see Figure 8(C)), as a result, the movable member 40 is reliably maintained in the open position.

[0067] In the present embodiment, in the state where the cam portion 44 contacts the lower surface of the force applying portion 32 at the closed position or the open position, the movable arm portion 31B of the metal fitting 30 is not elastically deformed, that is, the force from the force applying portion 32 does not act on the cam portion 44. However, as a modified example, in at least one of the closed position and the open position, the force applying portion 32 contacts the cam portion 44 while the movable arm portion 31B of the metal fitting 30 is slightly elastically deformed, and a moderate force from the force applying portion 32 acts on the cam portion 44. In addition, as another modified example, in at least one of the closed position and the open position, a gap is formed in the vertical direction between the cam portion 44 and the force applying portion 32.

[0068] In addition, a cam surface 44C is formed between the first restricted surface 44A and the second restricted surface 44B on the outer peripheral surface (the outer peripheral surface parallel to the connector width direction) of the cam portion 44. The cam surface 44C is a protruding curved surface formed at one corner of the cam portion 44. In the present embodiment, during the rotation of the movable member 40 between the closed position and the open position, the cam portion 44 presses the force applying portion 32 upward at the cam surface 44C to elastically displace the movable arm portion 31B, and receives a downward force from the force applying portion 32 as its reaction force.

[0069] The connector 1 of the above structure is assembled as follows. First, the terminal 20 is pressed into and installed in the terminal storage portion 19 of the housing 10 from the front. In addition, the movable member 40 maintained in a closed position is installed in the housing 10 from the top. At this time, the side plate portion 43 of the movable member 40 is stored in the side plate storage portion 10A, and the cam portion 44 is stored in the cam storage portion 10B. Next, the metal fitting 30 is pressed into and installed in the metal fitting storage portion 17A of the housing 10 from the back. At this time, the locking leg portion 34 is engaged with the locked end portion 17B and is locked to the locked end portion 17B from the bottom. In addition, the force application portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is located directly above the cam portion 44, and the upward movement of the cam portion 44 is restricted. In this way, the terminal 20, the metal fitting 30 and the movable member 40 are installed in the housing 10, thereby completing the connector 1.

[0070] In addition, in the present embodiment, the terminal 20, the movable member 40, and the metal fitting 30 are sequentially mounted on the housing 10, but the mounting process of the terminal 20 may be performed after the mounting process of the metal fitting 30 and the movable member 40, or may be performed simultaneously. In addition, in the present embodiment, the movable member 40 is mounted on the housing 10 in a closed position, but the position of the movable member 40 during mounting is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, in an open position.

[0071] Next, the operation of inserting and removing the flat conductor C from the connector 1 will be described.

[0072] First, the connection portion 24 of the terminal 20 of the connector 1 is connected to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit substrate (not shown) by welding, and the fixing leg portion 33 of the metal fitting 30 is connected to the corresponding portion of the circuit substrate by welding. By welding the connection portion 24 and the fixing leg portion 33, the connector 1 is mounted on the circuit substrate.

[0073] Then, if Figure 6 As shown in (A) to (C) of FIG. 1 , the flat conductor C is arranged to extend in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction) along the mounting surface of the circuit board (not shown) and is located behind the connector 1 when the movable member 40 is brought to the closed position (see also FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 ). Next, the flat conductor C is inserted forward (in the X1 direction) into the receiving space 11 of the connector 1.

[0074] In the present embodiment, in the terminal 20, the second extension portion 21B-2 having the lower contact portion 21B-3 is turned around at the rear end of the first extension portion 21B-1 and extends forward. Therefore, when the flat conductor C is inserted into the receiving space 11 from the rear, the flat conductor C is smoothly guided forward by the folded portion of the extension arm portion 21B that is convexly bent toward the rear end of the extension arm portion 21B, i.e., the rearward convex curvature, and reaches the position of the lower contact portion 21B-3. Therefore, there is no risk of buckling caused by contact with the front end of the flat conductor C at any part of the terminal 20. As a result, the terminal 20 can be properly contacted with the flat conductor C.

[0075] During the insertion of the flat conductor C into the receiving space 11, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the lower contact portion 21B-3 of the second extension portion 21B-2 of the terminal 20 and the upper contact portion 22A of the upper arm portion 22, and the second extension portion 21B-2 is pressed downward to elastically displace the second extension portion 21B-2 downward, and the upper arm portion 22 is pressed upward to elastically displace the upper arm portion 22 upward. As a result, the lower contact portion 21B-3 and the upper contact portion 22A are pushed apart. In addition, at this time, the first extension portion 21B-1 is also elastically displaced downward along with the elastic displacement of the second extension portion 21B-2.

[0076] Furthermore, at the position of the stopper 42 of the movable member 40 in the connector width direction, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the guide surface 42A of the stopper 42, and the stopper 42 is pressed upward. Since the stopper 42 is pressed upward, the movable member 40 as a whole moves upward, and accompanying this, the force applying portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is pressed upward by the cam portion 44, and the movable arm portion 31B of the metal fitting 30 is elastically displaced upward. That is, the stopper 42 is allowed to move upward by the elastic displacement of the movable arm portion 31B.

[0077] In this way, the lower contact portion 21B-3 and the upper contact portion 22A of the terminal 20 are pushed apart, and the locking portion 42 of the movable member 40 moves upward, thereby enabling the flat conductor C to be further inserted forward. Figure 7 As shown in (A) to (C) of FIG. 1 , the flat conductor C is inserted into the front wall 15 of the housing 10 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 7 In addition, at this time, if Figure 2 As shown, the shoulder portion C3 of the flat conductor C approaches the rear end wall portion 18 of the housing 10 from the rear.

[0078] When the insertion of the flat conductor C is completed, Figure 7 As shown in (A), the elastically deformed state of the extended arm portion 21B (the first extended portion 21B-1 and the second extended portion 21B-2) of the lower arm portion 21 and the upper arm portion 22 is maintained, and the flat conductor C is clamped by the lower contact portion 21B-3 and the upper contact portion 22A. That is, the upper contact portion 22A presses the flat conductor C from above, and the lower contact portion 21B-3 contacts the circuit portion of the flat conductor C with contact pressure. In this way, the electrical conduction state between the terminal 20 and the flat conductor C is maintained.

[0079] In addition, during the insertion of the flat conductor C, the ear portion C2 of the flat conductor C passes the position of the stopper 42. When the stopper 42 reaches the position of the recess C1, the movable member 40 returns to the closed position. Figure 7 As shown in (B), the locking portion 42 enters the recess C1 from above. As a result, the locking surface 42B of the locking portion 42 is located at a position where it can be locked to the locked portion C2A of the flat conductor C from behind, thereby preventing the flat conductor C from accidentally falling off. Figure 7 As shown in (C), the lower surface (rolled surface) of the biasing portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is in surface contact with the first restricted surface 44A of the cam portion 44 of the movable member 40, and the movable member 40 is maintained in the closed position. In this way, the connection operation of the flat conductor C to the connector 1 is completed.

[0080] When the intention is to unplug from connector 1 Figure 7When the flat conductor C is in the state shown in (A) to (C), that is, in the state connected to the connector 1, the movable member 40 in the closed position is rotated to bring the movable member 40 to the Figure 8 The movable member 40 is in the open position shown in (A) to (C). During the process of the movable member 40 rotating toward the open position, the cam surface 44C of the cam portion 44 is in sliding contact with the lower surface of the force-applying portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 while pressing the force-applying portion 32 upward. When the force-applying portion 32 is pressed, the movable arm portion 31B of the metal fitting 30 is elastically displaced upward, thereby causing the force-applying portion 32 to be displaced upward. That is, the cam portion 44 is allowed to rotate further while receiving the force from the force-applying portion 32.

[0081] In the present embodiment, the force applying portion 32 applies force to the cam portion 44 at its plate surface (rolled surface). Therefore, compared with the case where the force applying portion applies force to the cam portion at the plate thickness surface (fracture surface), the force applying portion 32 can be brought into contact with the cam portion 44 with a smooth surface, and the contact area between the force applying portion 32 and the cam portion 44 can be increased. As a result, even if the force applying portion 32 and the cam portion 44 repeatedly come into contact with each other due to the movement of the movable member 40, the cam portion 44 is not easily worn, and a reduction in the force of the force applying portion 32 can be well avoided.

[0082] When the movable member 40 reaches the open position, Figure 8 As shown in (C), the second restricted surface 44B of the cam portion 44 becomes the upper surface, and the elastically deformed state of the movable arm portion 31B of the metal fitting 30 is released and returns to the free state. As a result, the lower surface of the force-applying portion 32 is in surface contact with the second restricted surface 44B of the cam portion 44, and the movable member 40 is maintained in the open position. In this way, by maintaining the movable member 40 in the open position, it is possible to prevent the movable member 40 from accidentally moving to the closed position.

[0083] Thus, the result of the movable member 40 moving to the open position is that Figure 8 As shown in (B), the locking portion 42 of the movable member 40 is disengaged upward from the recess C1 of the flat conductor C, and the flat conductor C is allowed to be pulled out. Figure 8 The lower surface of the biasing portion 32 shown in (C) is in surface contact with the second restricted surface 44B of the cam portion 44. The flat conductor C is easily removed from the connector 1 by pulling it backward (in the X2 direction), and the removal operation is completed.

[0084] In the present embodiment, a fixing leg 33 is provided on the metal accessory 30, and the fixing leg 33 is provided to be welded and connected to the mounting surface of the circuit substrate. Therefore, during the rotation of the movable component 40, when the force-applying portion 32 receives an upward force from the cam portion 44 of the movable component 40, the welded connection portion of the fixing leg 33 can be used to counteract the above-mentioned upward force. As a result, the metal accessory 30 can be prevented from detaching from the housing.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by providing the locking leg portion 34 on the metal fitting 30, when the force-applying portion 32 receives the upward force from the cam portion 44 of the movable member 40, the locking leg portion 34 is configured to be locked to the locked end portion 17B of the housing 10 from below, thereby preventing the metal fitting 30 from being detached from the housing 10. In particular, before the connector 1 is mounted on the circuit board, since the fixing leg portion 33 has not yet been soldered to the mounting surface of the circuit board, the soldered connection portion of the fixing leg portion 33 cannot resist the above-mentioned upward force. Therefore, providing the locking leg portion 34 and being able to resist the above-mentioned upward force by the locking force between the locking leg portion 34 and the locked end portion 17B is very effective before the connector is mounted.

[0086] In the present embodiment, the circuit portion of the flat conductor C is set to be exposed at the lower surface of the flat conductor C, but instead of this, the circuit portion may be exposed at the upper surface of the flat conductor C. In this case, the upper arm portion 22 of the terminal 20 contacts the circuit portion at the upper contact portion 22A. In addition, the circuit portion may be exposed at both the lower surface and the upper surface of the flat conductor C. In this case, the lower contact portion 21B-3 contacts the circuit portion on the lower surface, and the upper contact portion 22A contacts the circuit portion on the upper surface.

[0087] In this embodiment, the biasing portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 biases the cam portion 44 of the movable member 40 . However, the biased portion of the movable member does not necessarily have to be the cam portion, but may be another portion of the movable member.

[0088] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, the upper edge of the base arm portion 21A forms an inclined edge that moves away from the receiving space 11 as it moves toward the rear, which is the entire range of the base arm portion 21A in the front-to-back direction, but it is not necessarily the entire range of the base arm portion 21A. The above-mentioned inclined edge only needs to be formed in the range that reaches at least the rear end of the base arm portion in the front-to-back direction. Fig. 9As shown in the figure, in the second embodiment, the upper edge of the base arm portion forms an inclined edge within a portion of the front-back direction of the base arm portion, which is different from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts corresponding to the parts of the first embodiment are marked with symbols obtained by adding "100" to the symbols in the first embodiment. The second embodiment will be described below with the main differences from the first embodiment as the center.

[0089] Fig. 9 FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connector 101 according to the second embodiment, showing a cross section at the position of the terminal 120 in the width direction of the connector. Fig. 9 As shown, in the terminal 120, the upper edge of the base arm portion 121A forms an inclined edge that is inclined downward in a manner that moves away from the receiving space 111 as it moves toward the rear, within a specified range U from the front end position to the rear end. Therefore, the second extension portion 121B-2 and the base arm portion 121A do not approach each other, and a large gap is formed between the two. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the portion corresponding to the above-mentioned gap in the punching die is formed larger, so that sufficient strength of the portion can be ensured.

[0090] In addition, the lower edge of the base arm portion 121A extends in a manner that is inclined upward as it moves toward the rear, and a slight gap is formed between it and the groove bottom surface 119A-1 of the housing 110. Therefore, the base arm portion 121A is allowed to elastically deform downward within the range of the gap. In addition, the lower edge of the base arm portion 21A extends in a manner that is not inclined relative to the front-rear direction, and is supported by the groove bottom surface 119A-1, in the approximately front half of the base arm portion 21A.

[0091] In addition, a notch portion 121A-1 is formed at a position forward of the upper edge of the base arm portion 121A relative to the predetermined range U. Specifically, Fig. 9 As shown, the notch 121A-1 is formed at the upper edge of the portion of the base arm portion 121A connected to the connecting arm portion 123. The notch 121A-1 plays the same role as the notch 23B in the first embodiment. That is, a large burr that may be generated by the punching process during the manufacture of the terminal 120 is easily formed in the notch 121A-1, and as a result, it is not easy to protrude into the receiving space 111. Therefore, it is possible to effectively avoid the flat conductor C inserted into the receiving space 111 from being damaged by the burr or short-circuiting through the burr. In addition, the upper edge of the base arm portion 121A extends without being inclined relative to the front-rear direction within the range between the specified range U and the notch 121A-1.

[0092] In this embodiment, the notch 121A-1 is formed to slightly reduce the front end portion of the base arm portion 121A and the connection portion of the connection arm portion 123. However, the front end portion of the base arm portion 121A is originally sufficiently thick, so even if the notch 121A-1 is formed, the strength of the front end portion is ensured to be sufficiently large.

[0093] like Fig. 9 As shown, a portion of the range of the lower edge of the upper arm portion 122 in the front-to-back direction, specifically, within a specified range V (another specified range) from the front end position of the upper arm portion 122 to a position adjacent to the upper contact portion 122A, is formed with an inclined edge that is linearly inclined downward in a manner that approaches the receiving space 111 toward the rear. The specified range V of the upper arm portion 122 includes the specified range U of the base arm portion 121A in the front-to-back direction, and overlaps with the specified range U. That is, within the overlapping range, the lower edge of the upper arm portion 122 is formed to be inclined in a direction substantially the same as that of the upper edge of the base arm portion 121A. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, in the blanking die, the portion corresponding to the interval between the base arm portion 121A and the upper arm portion 122 can be formed into a simple shape.

[0094] In this embodiment, the lower edge of the substantially front half of the base arm portion 121 is supported by the groove bottom surface 119A-1 of the housing 110, but as long as the strength of the front end portion is ensured, it is not necessary to be supported by the groove bottom surface 119A-1, and various modifications are conceivable. Fig. 9 As shown by the middle dotted line, the lower edge 121A-2 in the modified example can also approach upward, that is, toward the receiving space 111 side, as it moves toward the front. In the illustrated example, the lower edge 121A-2 forms an inclined edge that tilts linearly upward as it moves toward the front. At this time, the lower edge 121A-2 tilts more gently than the upper edge of the base arm portion 121A within the specified range U. By forming the lower edge 121A-2 into such a shape, a gap is formed between the lower edge 121A-2 and the groove bottom surface 119A-1. Therefore, through this gap, elastic deformation in the up-down direction of the above-mentioned roughly front half of the base arm portion 121 is allowed. As a result, the strength of the base arm portion 121A can be ensured, and the elastic length of the base arm portion 121A, further, the lower arm portion 121, can be increased.

[0095] In the first and second embodiments, the upper edge of the base arm portion of the terminal is linearly inclined within a specified range so as to move away from the receiving space as it moves backward, but the shape of the upper edge within the specified range is not limited thereto, and as a modified example, it may also be in a stepped shape with a step portion, or in a curved shape. The above modified examples may also be applied to the lower edge of the upper arm portion of the terminal and the lower edge of the base arm portion.

[0096] In the first and second embodiments, both the first and second extension portions of the lower arm portion of the terminal are elastically displaceable in the vertical direction. However, alternatively, only one of the first and second extension portions may be elastically displaceable in the vertical direction. Explanation of symbols

[0097] 1. 101 connector; 10, 110 shell; 11. 111 receiving space; 20, 120 terminal; 21, 121 lower arm (arm of one party); 21A, 121A base arm portion; 21B, 121B extended arms; 21B-1, 121B-1 first extension; 21B-2, 121B-2 second extension; 21B-3, 121B-3 lower contact portion (contact portion on one side); 22, 122 upper arm (the other arm); 22A, 122A upper contact portion (the other contact portion); 23, 123 connecting wall portion; 23B notch portion; 121A-1 notch portion; C flat conductor.

Claims

1. An electric connector for a flat conductor, the electric connector for a flat conductor being connected to a flat conductor extending in a front-rear direction, and comprising: a housing having a receiving space formed therein and open to the rear in such a manner that the flat conductor can be inserted forward; as well as A plurality of terminals, wherein the plurality of terminals are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the thickness direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction, and are arranged and held in the housing in a state where the plate surface is perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction, wherein the flat conductor electrical connector is characterized in that: The terminal comprises: an arm portion on one side, the arm portion on the one side being located at one side relative to the receiving space in the thickness direction and extending in the front-rear direction; and an arm portion on the other side, the arm portion on the other side being located at the other side relative to the receiving space in the thickness direction and extending in the front-rear direction; and a connecting arm portion that connects the front end portions of the one arm portion and the other arm portion to each other, The one arm portion includes a base arm portion extending rearward from the connecting arm portion and an extended arm portion extending rearward from a rear end of the base arm portion. The extension arm portion comprises: a first extension portion extending from the rear end of the base arm portion; and a second extension portion located closer to the receiving space than the first extension portion and extending forward at the rear end of the first extension portion. At least one of the first extension portion and the second extension portion is elastically displaceable along the thickness direction. The second extension portion extends to a position overlapping with the other arm portion in the front-rear direction. The edge of the base arm portion on the receiving space side reaches at least a predetermined range of the rear end in the front-rear direction, and moves away from the receiving space toward the rear.

2. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The second extension portion has one contact portion at a position overlapping with the other arm portion in the front-rear direction, and the one contact portion can contact the flat conductor with a contact pressure. The other arm portion has another contact portion, and the other contact portion can clamp the flat conductor in cooperation with the one contact portion by coming into contact with the flat conductor with a contact pressure.

3. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The edge of the base arm portion on the receiving space side is linearly inclined within the predetermined range.

4. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: An edge of the other arm portion on the receiving space side approaches the receiving space toward the rear within another prescribed range, and at least a portion of the other prescribed range overlaps the prescribed range of the base arm portion in the front-rear direction.

5. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 4, wherein: An edge of the other arm portion on the receiving space side is linearly inclined within the other predetermined range.

6. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: A notch is formed in an edge of the base arm portion on the receiving space side at a position forward of the predetermined range.

7. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein: The connecting arm portion has a notch formed at an edge thereof located at one side of the receiving space.

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