Connector

Abstract

A connector includes: a first connector including a first base, an electric wire held by the first base, and a first terminal including a body portion connected to a conductive wire of the electric wire and a contact portion extending in a first direction, the first base including an upper housing having a front surface portion; and a second connector including a second base, a rotatable member including a convex portion, and a second terminal held by the second base, the second terminal including a contact portion extending in a first direction, the second connector being mounted on a surface of the circuit board, to be fitted to the second connector, the first connector moving into engagement with the second connector in the first direction, and the second connector moving into engagement with the second connector in the second direction. When the rotatable member is rotated, the protruding portion comes into contact with the front surface portion, thereby moving the first connector in the second direction when the rotatable member is rotated, and when the first connector is moved in the second direction relative to the second connector, the contact portion of the first terminal comes into contact with the contact portion of the second terminal.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the application filed by "Moles Ltd"., filed on February 18, 2022, with application number 202210149639.0 and entitled "Connector". Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to connectors. Background Technology

[0003] Conventionally, in wire-to-substrate connectors that connect wires such as cables to substrates such as printed circuit boards, in order to improve the electromagnetic shielding characteristics for high-frequency signals, two housings are attached to the base of the wire connector and the base of the substrate connector and the two housings are in contact with each other (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional wire-to-board connector that fits into each other.

[0005] In the figure, reference numeral 801 indicates a wire connector connected to the ends of multiple wires 891, which includes a wire-side base 811 and a wire-side housing 871 attached around the wire-side base 811. Each wire 891 is coaxial and includes a center conductor 892, an outer conductor 893 formed to cover the periphery of the center conductor 892, and an insulating coating between the center conductor 892 and the outer conductor 893. Furthermore, the wire-side housing 871 includes an upper housing 872, a front housing 873, and a rear housing 874 attached to the upper, front, and rear portions of the wire-side base 811, and an upper grounding element 875 and a lower grounding element 876 disposed to contact the upper and lower portions of the outer conductor 893.

[0006] Additionally, the wire connector 801 includes a plurality of wire-side terminals 861 attached to the wire-side base 811. Each wire-side terminal 861 includes a wire connection portion 862 connected to a center conductor 892 exposed at the end of the corresponding wire 891 and a contact portion 864 contacting the substrate-side terminal 961.

[0007] Conversely, reference numeral 901 indicates a substrate connector for the mating wire connector 801, which is a substrate connector mounted on the surface of a substrate (not shown). The substrate connector 901 includes a substrate-side base 911 and a substrate-side housing 971 attached to the periphery of the substrate-side base 911. Furthermore, the substrate-side housing 971 includes a front housing 973 and a rear housing 974 attached to the front and rear portions of the substrate-side base 911. The front housing 973 includes a contact portion 973a that contacts the front housing 873 of the wire-side housing 871 and a substrate connection portion 973b connected to a grounding conductive path (not shown) formed on the surface of the substrate. The rear housing 974 includes a contact portion 974a that contacts the rear housing 874 of the wire-side housing 871 and a substrate connection portion 974b connected to a grounding conductive path (not shown) formed on the surface of the substrate.

[0008] Additionally, the substrate connector 901 includes a plurality of substrate-side terminals 961 attached to the substrate-side base 911. Each substrate-side terminal 961 includes a contact portion 964 that contacts a corresponding wire-side terminal 861 and a substrate connection portion 962 connected to a signal conductive path (not shown) formed on the surface of the substrate. Note that the upper part of the contact portion 964 is a guide portion that is inclined relative to the vertical direction.

[0009] Furthermore, as shown in the figure, when the wire connector 801 and the substrate connector 901 are engaged, the wire-side base 811 and the substrate-side base 911 are engaged, and the corresponding wire-side terminals 861 and substrate-side terminals 961 are in contact with each other and electrically connected. Additionally, the wire-side housing 871 and the substrate-side housing 971 are in contact with each other and electrically connected. Thus, the wire 891 and the substrate are electrically connected to each other, and the signal transmitted between the wire 891 and the substrate via the wire-side terminals 861 and substrate-side terminals 961 is reliably shielded.

[0010] Existing technical documents

[0011] Patent documents

[0012] Patent Document 1: JP2018-045938A Summary of the Invention

[0013] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0014] However, this conventional wire-to-substrate connector is designed for manual operation where the wire connector 801 and the substrate connector 901 are moved relative to each other in the vertical direction and subsequently engaged. This necessitates a large vertical sliding range between the contact portion 864 of the wire-side terminal 861 and the contact portion 964 of the substrate-side terminal 961 to ensure contact between them even with variations in manual operation, resulting in a large vertical dimension. Furthermore, to prevent buckling of either the contact portion 864 of the wire-side terminal 861 or the contact portion 964 of the substrate-side terminal 961, an inclined guide portion needs to be formed for at least one of them, resulting in a large front-to-back dimension.

[0015] In recent years, due to the miniaturization and reduction in height of electronic devices, the connectors inside the housings of electronic devices have also become smaller and smaller. However, the conventional wire-to-board connectors mentioned above have difficulty in meeting the requirements of miniaturization and reduction in height.

[0016] Furthermore, although the transmission of signals has been advancing towards higher speeds in recent years, in this conventional wire-to-substrate connector, the contact portion 864 of the wire-side terminal 861 and the contact portion 964 of the substrate-side terminal 961 have a large amount of sliding in the vertical direction and form a guide portion. As a result, the transmission path from the wire connection portion 862 of the wire-side terminal 861 to the substrate connection portion 962 of the substrate-side terminal 961 is long. This not only results in high impedance but also forms unwanted stubs in the transmission path, which subsequently leads to impedance instability. Therefore, the wire-to-substrate connector is not suitable for high-speed signal transmission.

[0017] The purpose of this document is to address the aforementioned conventional problems and subsequently provide a connector that reliably maintains the connector engagement state and terminal contact state, is suitable for high-speed signal transmission, is simple in construction, low in cost, small in size and low in height, and highly reliable.

[0018] Problem-solving methods

[0019] To this end, this application provides a connector comprising: a first connector including a first base, a wire held by the first base, and a first terminal held by the first base, the first terminal including a body portion of a conductive wire connected to the wire and a contact portion extending in a first direction, wherein the first base includes an upper housing having a front face portion; and a second connector including a second base, a rotatable member including a protrusion, and a second terminal held by the second base, the second terminal including a contact portion extending in the first direction, the second connector being mounted on a surface of a circuit board, wherein, for fitting into the second connector, the first connector moves in the first direction to engage with the second connector, and subsequently, when the rotatable member rotates, the protrusion contacts the front face portion of the first connector, thereby moving the first connector in a second direction when the rotatable member rotates, and when the first connector moves relative to the second connector in the second direction, the contact portion of the first terminal contacts the contact portion of the second terminal.

[0020] According to one embodiment, the contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal extend linearly in the first direction.

[0021] According to one embodiment, when the first connector moves relative to the second connector in the first direction, the contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal will not come into contact with each other.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the contact portion of the second terminal includes a contact end portion formed at the end of the contact portion, and the contact end portion is bent to extend toward the contact portion of the first terminal and contact the vicinity of the far end of the contact portion of the first terminal.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the second terminal includes a tail portion connected to the circuit board, a body portion of the first terminal, and a tail portion of the second terminal extending in the second direction, and when the contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal come into contact with each other, the transmission path connecting the first terminal and the second terminal is generally crankshaft shaped.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the upper housing of the first connector covers at least a portion of the periphery of the first base, and the second connector further includes a second housing covering at least a portion of the periphery of the second base.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the second housing includes a bottom plate portion, wherein the bottom plate portion includes two partition walls that extend vertically upward and are parallel to each other in the width direction.

[0026] Furthermore, this application also provides a connector, comprising: a first connector including a first base, a wire held by the first base, and a first terminal held by the first base, the first terminal including a body portion of a conductive wire connected to the wire and a contact portion extending in a first direction; and a second connector including a second base and a second terminal held by the second base, the second terminal including a contact portion extending in the first direction, the second connector being mounted on the surface of the circuit board, wherein the first connector moves relative to the second connector in the first direction, and subsequently moves relative to the second connector in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction to engage with the second connector, and when the first connector moves relative to the second connector in the second direction, the contact portion of the first terminal contacts the contact portion of the second terminal.

[0027] In another connector, the contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal extend linearly in the first direction.

[0028] Furthermore, in another connector, when the first connector moves relative to the second connector in the first direction, the contact portions of the first terminal and the contact portions of the second terminal do not come into contact with each other.

[0029] In another connector, the contact portion of the second terminal includes a contact end portion formed at the end of the contact portion, and the contact end portion is bent to extend toward the contact portion of the first terminal and contact the vicinity of the far end of the contact portion of the first terminal.

[0030] In another connector, the second terminal includes a tail portion connected to the circuit board, a body portion of the first terminal, and the tail portion of the second terminal extending in the second direction, and when the contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal come into contact with each other, the transmission path connecting the first terminal and the second terminal is generally crankshaft shaped.

[0031] In yet another connector, the first connector further includes a first housing covering at least a portion of the periphery of the first base, and the second connector further includes a second housing covering at least a portion of the periphery of the second base and an actuator rotatably attached to the second housing, wherein the first connector moves in the second direction when the actuator rotates.

[0032] In another connector, the first housing includes a front portion covering at least a portion of the front surface of the first base, the actuator includes a locking protrusion, and when the actuator rotates, the locking protrusion pushes the front portion to move the first connector in the second direction, and when the rotation of the actuator ends, the locking protrusion engages and locks into a front locking recess formed on the front portion.

[0033] The effects of the invention

[0034] According to this disclosure, the connector's mating state and terminal contact state can be reliably maintained. Furthermore, the connector is suitable for high-speed signal transmission, simplifies construction, reduces costs, and improves reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the first connector and the second connector fitting together according to this embodiment.

[0036] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment before the two connectors are engaged with each other.

[0037] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the first connector according to this embodiment.

[0038] Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the second connector according to this embodiment.

[0039] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the state of the first terminal and the second terminal just before the two terminals come into contact with each other according to this embodiment.

[0040] Figure 6A and Figure 6B These are two views showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment just before the two connectors are engaged with each other, wherein, Figure 6A It is the front view, and Figure 6B It is a side view.

[0041] Figure 7A and Figure 7B This is a cross-sectional view showing the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment in their state just before the two connectors are engaged with each other, wherein, Figure 7A It is a sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 6A, and Figure 7B It is along Figure 6A The sectional view made by line BB.

[0042] Figure 8A and Figure 8BThese are two-view diagrams showing the states of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors being vertically engaged with each other, wherein, Figure 8A It is the front view, and Figure 8B It is a side view.

[0043] Figure 9A , Figure 9B and Figure 9C This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors being vertically engaged with each other, wherein, Figure 9A It is along Figure 8A A cross-sectional view drawn from line CC. Figure 9B yes Figure 9A A magnified view of part E in the image, while Figure 9C It is along Figure 8A A sectional view made by line DD.

[0044] Figure 10A and Figure 10B These are two-view diagrams showing the vertically engaged state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment, wherein... Figure 10A It is the front view, and Figure 10B It is a side view.

[0045] Figure 11A and Figure 11B This is a cross-sectional view showing the vertically engaged state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment, wherein, Figure 11A It is along Figure 10A The sectional view made by line FF, and Figure 11B It is along Figure 10A The sectional view made by line GG.

[0046] Figure 12A and Figure 12B These are two side views illustrating the states of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors sliding and engaging with each other horizontally, wherein, Figure 12A It is the front view, and Figure 12B It is a side view.

[0047] Figure 13A and Figure 13B This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors sliding and engaging with each other horizontally, wherein, Figure 13A It is along Figure 12A The sectional view made by line HH, and Figure 13B It is along Figure 12A The sectional view made by line II.

[0048] Figure 14A and Figure 14BThese are two-view diagrams showing the state in which the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment are horizontally slidably engaged. Figure 14A It is the front view, and Figure 14B It is a side view.

[0049] Figure 15A and Figure 15B This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment are horizontally slidably engaged. Figure 15A It is along Figure 14A The sectional view made by line JJ, and Figure 15B It is along Figure 14A The sectional view made by line KK.

[0050] Figure 16 This is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional wire-to-board connector mating together.

[0051] [List of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0052] 1. Wire to baseboard connector

[0053] 10 First Connector

[0054] 11. 811 Cable Side Base

[0055] 11a Side joint protrusion

[0056] 11b front joint convex part

[0057] 11c lower surface

[0058] 12-terminal receiving slot

[0059] 12a Front Terminal Receiving Slot

[0060] 12b rear terminal receiving slot

[0061] 13 Retaining element attachment part

[0062] 14-terminal group placement section

[0063] 14a Front Terminal Group Placement Section

[0064] 14b Rear Terminal Group Placement Section

[0065] 15 fitting recess

[0066] 15a front fitting recess

[0067] 15b Rear Fitting Recess

[0068] 21 Wire Holding Components

[0069] 31 Pressing Components

[0070] 32 terminal contact section

[0071] 32a Front Terminal Contact

[0072] 32b rear terminal contact section

[0073] 60 wire side terminal group

[0074] 60a Front-side Terminal Group

[0075] 60b rear wire side terminal group

[0076] 61, 861 wire side terminals

[0077] 61g and 161g grounding terminals

[0078] 61s and 161s signal terminals

[0079] 62 Grounding connection element

[0080] 63. 731 body part

[0081] Contact sections of 64, 163, 864, 964, 973a, and 974a

[0082] 70 First Shell

[0083] 71 First Upper Shell

[0084] 72 First Lower Shell

[0085] 73 Equipotentialization element

[0086] 91 and 891 wires

[0087] 91a front wire

[0088] 91b rear wiring

[0089] 92 Conductive Wire

[0090] 92g grounding wire

[0091] 92s signal line

[0092] 101 Second Connector

[0093] 111, 911 substrate side base

[0094] 112, 183 Base Plate Section

[0095] 112a upper surface

[0096] 113 Side Panel Section

[0097] 114 partition wall

[0098] 114a Front partition wall

[0099] 114b rear partition wall

[0100] 115 terminal housing section

[0101] 115a Front Terminal Receiving Section

[0102] 115b rear terminal housing section

[0103] 116 dividing ribs

[0104] 121 terminal holding element

[0105] 160 substrate side terminal group

[0106] 160a Front Substrate Side Terminal Group

[0107] 160b rear substrate side terminal group

[0108] 161, 961 substrate side terminals

[0109] 162, 171a tail section

[0110] 164 contact end portion

[0111] 164a contact surface

[0112] 171 Second Shell

[0113] 172, 727 posterior face

[0114] Side views of 173, 714, and 724

[0115] 173a Rotary Shaft Support Hole

[0116] 174, 724a Side joint recess

[0117] 174a Front side joint recess

[0118] 174b Rear Side Joint Recess

[0119] 175, 726 locking recess

[0120] 175a, 726a front locking recess

[0121] 175b, 726b rear locking recess

[0122] 181 actuator

[0123] 182 First side plate section

[0124] 182a Locking Protrusion

[0125] 182b Rotary Plate

[0126] 183a Operating tabs

[0127] 184 Second side plate section

[0128] 184a protruding film

[0129] 712 top face

[0130] 713, 723 front

[0131] 713a front joint opening

[0132] 713b front locking recess

[0133] 715 Eaves

[0134] 716, 725 locking film

[0135] 716a and 725a front locking plates

[0136] 716b and 725b rear locking plates

[0137] 723a front engagement recess

[0138] 728 Containment Space

[0139] 732 contact pad

[0140] 732a front contact piece

[0141] 732b rear contact plate

[0142] 801 wire connector

[0143] 862 Wire Connection Part

[0144] 871 wire side casing

[0145] 872 Upper Shell

[0146] Front casing of 873 and 973

[0147] Rear casing of 874 and 974

[0148] 875 Upper Grounding Element

[0149] 876 Lower Grounding Element

[0150] 892 center conductor

[0151] 893 External Conductor

[0152] 901 board connector

[0153] 971 base plate side shell

[0154] 962, 973b, 974b substrate connection section Detailed Implementation

[0155] The embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0156] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the first and second connectors fitting together according to this embodiment. Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment before the two connectors are engaged with each other. Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the first connector according to this embodiment. Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the second connector according to this embodiment, and Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the state of the first terminal and the second terminal just before the two terminals come into contact with each other according to this embodiment.

[0157] In the figure, reference numeral 101 indicates a second connector, or so-called substrate connector, which is one of the wire-to-substrate connectors 1 according to this embodiment, and is intended to be surface-mounted on a circuit board (not shown) that serves as the substrate. Reference numeral 10 indicates a first connector, or so-called wire connector, which is another of the wire-to-substrate connectors 1, intended to connect to the end of a cable including multiple wires 91, and is used to electrically connect the cable to the circuit board via the second connector 101. Note that the circuit board is a printed circuit board used in electronic devices, etc., but can be a flexible flat cable (FFC), a flexible printed circuit board (FPC), or any type of circuit board.

[0158] Additionally, the wire-to-board connector 1 is preferably a low-height connector with a dimension of less than 5 mm in the height direction (Z-axis direction), and is suitable for ultra-high-speed signal transmission, such as about 112 Gbps, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The wire-to-board connector 1 will be described here as a so-called horizontal sliding engagement method, in which the wire 91 is led out horizontally parallel to the surface of the circuit board, the first connector 10 engages with the second connector 101 in the vertical direction (up-down direction, Z-axis direction) as the first direction, and then slides in the horizontal direction (front-back direction, X-axis direction) as the second direction to complete the engagement.

[0159] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the descriptions of directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back used to describe the movement and configuration of the parts of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are not absolute but relative, and these descriptions are appropriate when the parts of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are in the posture shown in the figure. That is, when their posture changes, these directions should be interpreted differently according to the change in posture.

[0160] In this embodiment, the first connector 10 is integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and includes: a wire-side base 11, which serves as a first base and fits into the substrate-side base 111 of the second connector 101; a wire-side terminal 61, which serves as a first metal terminal, is held by the wire-side base 11 and connected to the front end of the wire 91 to provide communication with a conductive wire 92, which serves as the core wire of the wire 91 and is also held by the wire-side base 11; and a first housing 70, which is made of a conductive metal plate and is attached to the wire-side base 11 to cover at least a portion of the periphery of the wire-side base 11.

[0161] In the example shown in the figure, the conductive wires 92 of each wire 91 include two signal wires 92s for transmitting signals and one ground wire 92g for grounding. Additionally, each wire-side terminal 61 is an element formed by bending an elongated strip of conductive metal plate into a generally dog-leg shape when viewed from the side of the metal plate (along the Y-axis direction), comprising: a body portion 63, serving as a connecting portion, extending generally parallel to the wire 91; and a contact portion 64, extending linearly downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) from the front end (positive X-axis end) of the body portion 63. Furthermore, four wire-side terminals 61 are assigned to each wire 91, and the four wire-side terminals 61 constitute a wire-side terminal group 60 as a first terminal group. More specifically, a wire-side terminal group 60 is connected to the end of each wire 91, and the four wire-side terminals 61 are arranged side-by-side in each wire-side terminal group 60. Here, the two wire-side terminals 61 near the center are used as signal terminals 61s connected to their respective signal lines 92s, while the two wire-side terminals 61 near the outer edges are used as ground terminals 61g connected to the ground wire 92g. As described above, the two ground terminals 61g are arranged on both sides of a pair of signal terminals 61s, and the signals transmitted by the signal terminals 61s in each wire-side terminal group 60 are thus electromagnetically shielded and are almost unaffected by the signals or noise transmitted by the signal terminals 61s in adjacent wire-side terminal groups 60.

[0162] Note that the grounding wire 92g and the grounding terminal 61g are connected by a grounding connection element 62 formed by bending a conductive metal plate into a generally U-shape. Specifically, the end of the grounding wire 92g is connected to the upper center of the grounding connection element 62 by a connection means such as welding, while the body part 63 of each grounding terminal 61g is connected to the lower ends of both sides of the grounding connection element 62 by a connection means such as welding.

[0163] Furthermore, the wire-side terminal groups 60 are arranged side-by-side in two columns extending in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 10. Here, the wire-side terminal groups 60 forming the columns on the front (positive X-axis direction) side of the first connector 10 are referred to as the front wire-side terminal group 60a, and the wire-side terminal groups 60 forming the columns on the rear (negative X-axis direction) side of the first connector 10 are referred to as the rear wire-side terminal group 60b. Figure 3 In the example shown, there are eight front wire side terminal groups 60a and eight rear wire side terminal groups 60b. In addition, the wire 91 connected to the wire side terminal 61 of the front wire side terminal group 60a is called the front wire 91a, and the wire 91 connected to the wire side terminal 61 of the rear wire side terminal group 60b is called the rear wire 91b.

[0164] Furthermore, the rear wire-side terminal group 60b is positioned slightly lower than the front wire-side terminal group 60a in the height direction, and is located between the front wires 91a corresponding to the adjacent front wire-side terminal group 60a in the width direction of the first connector 10. Thus, in a plan view, i.e., when viewed from above (along the Z-axis), the wire-side terminal groups 60 can be densely arranged, and the width dimension of the first connector 10 can be reduced. Note that at all wire-side terminals 61 of all front wire-side terminal groups 60a, the body portions 63 are arranged in the same horizontal plane (XY plane), while the contact portions 64 are arranged in the same vertical plane (YZ plane). Similarly, at all wire-side terminals 61 of all rear wire-side terminal groups 60b, the body portions 63 are arranged in the same horizontal plane, while the contact portions 64 are arranged in the same vertical plane.

[0165] Furthermore, the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 of the front wire-side terminal group 60a is longer than the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 of the rear wire-side terminal group 60b, and the lower end (end point) of the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 of the front wire-side terminal group 60a and the lower end of the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 of the rear wire-side terminal group 60b are set to be located at the same position in the height direction.

[0166] Furthermore, the rear wire 91b is positioned slightly lower than the front wire 91a in the height direction, and is located between adjacent front wires 91a in the width direction of the first connector 10. Thus, in a plan view, the wires 91 can be densely arranged, and the width dimension of the cable can be reduced.

[0167] Note that the wire 91 is held near the portion where it connects to the wire-side terminal 61 by a wire holding element 21 integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The wire holding element 21 is an elongated rod-shaped element extending in the width direction of the first connector 10, integrally formed with each wire 91 by insert molding in a manner that covers the outer periphery of each wire 91. As a result, the front wire 91a and the rear wire 91b can maintain the above-described configuration, and the front wire-side terminal group 60a and the rear wire-side terminal group 60b connected to the front wire 91a and the rear wire 91b can also maintain the above-described configuration.

[0168] In addition, a pressing element 31 integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin is disposed on the wire 91 and the wire-side terminal group 60 protruding forward from the wire holding element 21, and an equipotential element 73 formed by stamping, bending or other processing of a conductive metal plate is also disposed on the pressing element 31.

[0169] Furthermore, the pressing element 31 is an elongated element extending in the width direction of the first connector 10, including a terminal contact portion 32 that is pressed against the upper surface of the body portion 63 of each wire-side terminal 61 and presses the body portion 63 downward. Note that the terminal contact portion 32 pressed against the body portion 63 of the wire-side terminal 61 of the front wire-side terminal group 60a will be referred to as the front terminal contact portion 32a, while the terminal contact portion 32 pressed against the body portion 63 of the rear wire-side terminal group 60b will be referred to as the rear terminal contact portion 32b.

[0170] Additionally, the equipotentialization element 73 includes: an elongated, generally rectangular body portion 731 extending in the width direction of the first connector 10; and contact pieces 732, with their ends facing obliquely downward, which are elongated cantilever-shaped elements formed by cutting off and lifting a portion of the body portion 731. The contact pieces 732 are multiple, each formed so that its end contacts the upper end of a grounding wire 92g connected to a grounding connection element 62 of each wire-side terminal group 60. Each contact piece 732 acts as a cantilever-shaped spring, and the end of each contact piece 732 is pressed against the upper end of the grounding wire 92g by the elastic force exerted by the contact piece 732 itself, thereby reliably maintaining contact with the grounding wire 92g. Thus, the grounding wires 92g of all wires 91 and all grounding terminals 61g connected to the grounding wires 92g via the grounding connection element 62 are made equipotential through the equipotentialization element 73. Note that the contact piece 732 that contacts the grounding wire 92g of the front wire side terminal group 60a will be referred to as the front contact piece 732a, while the contact piece 732 that contacts the grounding wire 92g of the rear wire side terminal group 60b will be referred to as the rear contact piece 732b.

[0171] Furthermore, the wire-side base 11 is an elongated, generally rectangular cuboid element extending in the width direction of the first connector 10, and multiple terminal group placement portions 14, on which respective wire-side terminal groups 60 are placed, are formed on the upper surface of the wire-side base 11. The lower surface of the body portion 63 of the wire-side terminal 60, which is placed on the terminal group placement portion 14, contacts the upper surface of the terminal group placement portion 14. In addition, a terminal receiving groove 12 is formed at the front end of each terminal group placement portion 14, into which the contact portion 64 of each wire-side terminal 61 is inserted. Furthermore, a fitting recess 15, which opens toward the lower surface 11c and is recessed upward (in the positive Z-axis direction) from the lower surface 11c, is formed inside the wire-side base 11. Furthermore, the terminal receiving groove 12 is formed to extend from the front end of the terminal group placement portion 14 to the vicinity of the portion near the connection between the front inner wall surface 15f of the fitting recess 15 corresponding to the terminal group placement portion 14 and the top surface 15u.

[0172] Note that the terminal group placement portions 14 are arranged side by side in a configuration corresponding to the wire-side terminal groups 60, that is, forming two rows that both extend in the width direction of the first connector 10. Here, the terminal group placement portion 14 on which the front wire-side terminal group 60a is placed will be called the front terminal group placement portion 14a, and the terminal group placement portion 14 on which the rear wire-side terminal group 60b is placed will be called the rear terminal group placement portion 14b. In addition, the terminal receiving groove 12 formed at the front end of the front terminal group placement portion 14a will be called the front terminal receiving groove 12a, and the terminal receiving groove 12 formed at the front end of the rear terminal group placement portion 14b will be called the rear terminal receiving groove 12b.

[0173] Furthermore, mating recesses 15 are also formed below the corresponding terminal group placement portions 14. Thus, the mating recess 15 formed below the front terminal group placement portion 14a is referred to as the front mating recess 15a, and the mating recess 15 formed below the rear terminal group placement portion 14b is referred to as the rear mating recess 15b. Note that the front mating recess 15a and the rear mating recess 15b are separated from each other and formed independently. However, it is preferable that the front mating recesses 15a are arranged side-by-side and adjacent to each other in the width direction of the first connector 10 to communicate with each other. Similarly, it is preferable that the rear mating recesses 15b are also arranged side-by-side and adjacent to each other in the width direction of the first connector 10 to communicate with each other.

[0174] Additionally, the rear end edge of the upper surface of the wire-side base 11 serves as the retaining element attachment portion 13 for attaching the wire retaining element 21. Furthermore, an outwardly protruding side engagement protrusion 11a is formed at the upper center of the two sides in the width direction of the wire-side base 11, while an outwardly protruding front engagement protrusion 11b is formed at the upper center of the front surface of the wire-side base 11.

[0175] Note that in the example shown in the figure, the wire-side base 11, the wire retaining element 21, and the pressing element 31 are separate and independent components, but if necessary, all three components or any two components of the wire-side base 11, the wire retaining element 21, and the pressing element 31 can be integrally formed.

[0176] In addition, the first housing 70 includes: a first lower housing 72 that covers the front, rear, left and right sides of the wire-side base 11; and a first upper housing 71 that is attached to the first lower housing 72 to cover the upper side of the wire-side base 11.

[0177] The first lower housing 72 is an elongated, generally quadrangular cylindrical element formed by stamping, bending, or other processes on a conductive metal plate. It includes: a front portion 723 attached to the front surface of the wire-side base 11; a side portion 724 attached to the two sides of the wire-side base 11 in the width direction; a rear portion 727 attached to the rear surface of the wire-side base 11; and a receiving space 728, which is a space within which the wire-side base 11 is received, defined by the front portion 723, the side portion 724, and the rear portion 727.

[0178] Furthermore, an open side engagement recess 724a is formed at the center of the upper edge of each side portion 724, and an upwardly extending locking piece 725 is formed on both sides of the side engagement recess 724a. Additionally, a rearwardly recessed locking recess 726 is formed at the front end of each locking piece 725. Note that the side engagement protrusion 11a of the wire-side base 11 housed within the housing space 728 is housed and engaged in the side engagement recess 724a. Furthermore, the locking piece 716 of the first upper housing 71 is inserted into and locked in the locking recess 726. Here, the locking piece 725 formed near the front portion 723 is referred to as the front locking piece 725a, the locking piece 725 formed near the rear portion 727 is referred to as the rear locking piece 725b, the locking recess 726 formed on the front locking piece 725a is referred to as the front locking recess 726a, and the locking recess 726 formed on the rear locking piece 725b is referred to as the rear locking recess 726b.

[0179] Additionally, an open front engagement recess 723a is formed at the center of the upper edge of the front portion 723. Note that the front engagement protrusion 11b of the wire-side base 11 housed within the housing space 728 is housed and engaged in the front engagement recess 723a.

[0180] The first upper housing 71 is an element formed by stamping, bending, or other processing of a conductive metal plate, including: a top portion 712 that covers the upper side of the wire-side base 11; a front portion 713 that extends downward from the front end of the top portion 712 and covers at least a portion of the front side of the wire-side base 11; a side portion 714 that extends downward from both ends of the top portion 712 in the width direction and covers the vicinity of the upper end of the side surface of the wire-side base 11; and an eaves portion 715 that extends horizontally from the lower end of the side portion 714.

[0181] Furthermore, the upper surface of the body portion 731 of the equipotential element 73 is connected to the lower surface of the top portion 712 by a connection means such as welding. Thus, the grounding wires 92g and grounding terminals 61g of all the wires 91 become equipotential with the first upper housing 71 and the first lower housing 72 attached to the first upper housing 71 via the equipotential element 73. Additionally, a front engagement opening 713a penetrating the front portion 713 in the thickness direction is formed near the center of the upper edge of the front portion 713, while a front locking recess 713b open at the lower edge of the front portion 713 is formed at the center of the lower edge of the front portion 713. Furthermore, the front engagement protrusion 11b of the wire-side base 11 is received and engaged in the front engagement opening 713a, and the locking protrusion 182a of the actuator 181 of the second connector 101 is received and engaged in the front locking recess 713b, resulting in the actuator 181 being locked. Furthermore, a horizontally extending locking piece 716 is formed on the outer edge of the eaves portion 715. As described above, the locking piece 716 is inserted into and locked in the locking recess 726 of the first lower housing 72. Here, the locking piece 716 locked in the front locking recess 726a will be referred to as the front locking piece 716a, and the locking piece 716 locked in the rear locking recess 726b will be referred to as the rear locking piece 716b.

[0182] In this embodiment, the second connector 10 is integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and includes: a substrate-side base 111, which serves as a second base and fits the wire-side base 11 of the first connector 10; a substrate-side terminal 161, which serves as a metal second terminal and is held by the substrate-side base 111 and connected to conductive pads formed on the surface of a circuit board (not shown) to provide conductivity, the conductive pads being connected to conductive lines on the circuit board; a second housing 171, made of a conductive metal plate, attached to the substrate-side base 111 to cover at least a portion of the periphery of the substrate-side base 111; and an actuator 181, made of a conductive metal plate, rotatably attached to the second housing 171.

[0183] Each substrate-side terminal 161 is a component formed by bending an elongated strip of conductive metal plate into a generally dog-leg shape when viewed from the side of the metal plate (along the Y-axis direction). It includes: a tail portion 162 extending generally parallel to the surface of the circuit board in the front-rear direction (X-axis direction); and a contact portion 163 extending linearly upward (in the Z-axis direction) from the rear end (negative X-axis end) of the tail portion 162. Note that the contact portion 163 includes a contact end portion 164 formed at its end (i.e., upper end). Furthermore, the front surface of the contact end portion 164 serves as the contact surface 164a for contacting the wire-side terminal 61. All substrate-side terminals 161 are configured to have the same dimensions.

[0184] Furthermore, the contact end portion 164 is curved to outline an arc that extends forward (in the positive X-axis direction) towards the second connector 101 when viewed from the side, and the tangent plane at the uppermost end of the arc-shaped contact surface 164a is substantially aligned with the vertical plane in the initial state. Additionally, the substrate-side terminal 161 does not include a guide portion for smoothly guiding the wire-side terminal 61 in any part of the contact end portion 164, etc. This is because the wire to substrate connector 1 employs a horizontal sliding engagement method, where the first connector 10 vertically engages with the second connector 101 and then slides horizontally to complete the engagement. More specifically, this is because the wire-side terminal 61 and the substrate-side terminal 161 are adapted to not contact each other when moving and subsequently engaging in a relatively vertical manner with the first connector 10 and the second connector 101, but subsequently contacting each other when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 slide horizontally relative to each other. Therefore, it is not necessary to make the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 contact the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 while the contact portion 64 moves downward relative to the contact end portion 164 and slides vertically. As a result, the upwardly extending contact portion 163 and the contact end portion 164 connected to the upper end of the contact portion 163 will not contact the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 moving downward. Accordingly, it is not necessary to form any inclined guide portion that moves upward with the contact surface 164a away from the vertical surface and then allows the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 and the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 to slide smoothly and contact, thereby preventing bending, damage, etc. of the contact portion 163. As a result, the impedance of the transmission path from the wire-side terminal 61 to the substrate-side terminal 161 is stable because there is almost no extra portion above the uppermost end of the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 that can be used as a short wire.

[0185] Furthermore, the substrate-side terminal 161 is an element that contacts the corresponding wire-side terminal 61 of the first connector 10 when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated together. Thus, similar to the wire-side terminal 61, the four substrate-side terminals 161 constitute a substrate-side terminal group 160 as a second terminal group, and the four substrate-side terminals 161 are arranged side-by-side in each substrate-side terminal group 160. Also similar to the wire-side terminal 61, in each substrate-side terminal group 160, the two substrate-side terminals 161 closest to the center are respectively used as signal terminals 161s, which are connected to a conductive pad connected to a signal line of a circuit board (not shown). The two substrate-side terminals 161 closest to the outer edges are respectively used as ground terminals 161g, which are connected to a conductive pad connected to a ground line of a circuit board (not shown). Note that the tail 162 of each substrate-side terminal 161 is connected to a conductive pad of the circuit board by a connection means such as soldering.

[0186] Furthermore, the substrate-side terminal group 160 is arranged in the same way as the wire-side terminal group 60 in the plan view, and the substrate-side terminal group 160 is arranged side by side to form two columns extending in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the second connector 101. Here, the substrate-side terminal group 160 forming the column on the front side of the second connector 101 will be referred to as the front substrate-side terminal group 160a, and the substrate-side terminal group 160 forming the column on the rear (negative X-axis direction) side of the second connector 101 will be referred to as the rear substrate-side terminal group 160b. Figure 4 In the example shown, the number of front substrate side terminal groups 160a and the number of rear substrate side terminal groups 160b are each eight.

[0187] The rear substrate-side terminal group 160b is located at the same position as the front substrate-side terminal group 160a in the height direction, but is located between adjacent front substrate-side terminal groups 160a in the width direction of the second connector 101. As a result, in a plan view, the substrate-side terminal groups 160 can be densely arranged, and the width dimension of the second connector 101 can be reduced.

[0188] Note that near the lower end of the contact portion 163, the substrate-side terminals 161 are held by an integral terminal retaining element 121 formed of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and are clustered together for each substrate-side terminal group 160. The terminal retaining element 121 is an elongated rod-shaped element extending in the width direction of the second connector 101, and is integrally formed with the four substrate-side terminals 161 by insert forming in a manner that covers the outer periphery near the lower end of the contact portion 163 of the four substrate-side terminals 161.

[0189] Furthermore, the substrate side base 111 includes: an elongated plate-shaped bottom plate portion 112 extending in the width direction of the second connector 101; and a side plate portion 113 connected to both sides of the bottom plate portion 112 in the width direction. The side plate portion 113 is formed to protrude upward from the upper surface 112a of the bottom plate portion 112.

[0190] Furthermore, the base plate portion 112 has two partition walls 114 that extend vertically upward from the upper surface 112a and are parallel to each other in the width direction. Here, the partition wall 114 on the front side of the second connector 101 will be referred to as the front partition wall 114a, and the partition wall 114 on the rear side of the second connector 101 will be referred to as the rear partition wall 114b. In addition, the front surface of each partition wall 114 has a plurality of partition ribs 116 that are formed to protrude forward and extend in the vertical direction. Note that the front side of the partition rib 116 is referred to as the front end surface 116f. Furthermore, in front of each partition wall 114, the portion defined by the adjacent partition ribs 116 in the width direction is a terminal receiving portion 115, in which the contact portion 163 and contact end portion 164 of the substrate side terminal 161 in each substrate side terminal group 160 are received. The terminal receiving portion 115 is formed to extend from the upper end of the partition wall 114 and through the lower surface of the base plate portion 112. Each substrate-side terminal group 160 is inserted from below the base plate portion 112 and attached to the corresponding terminal receiving portion 115. The contact portion 163 and contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 are thus housed within the terminal receiving portion 115. The terminal holding element 121 blocks the terminal receiving portion 115 that is open towards the lower surface of the base plate portion 112, and the tail portion 162 of the substrate-side terminal 161 is exposed below the base plate portion 112. Furthermore, the upper end of the contact end portion 164 is located below the upper end surface 114u of the partition wall 114. The upper end surface 114u is the surface of the top surface 15u of the fitting recess 15 of the wire-side base 11 in the vertically engaged state of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101. It serves as a reference surface, together with the top surface 15u, defining the positional relationship between the substrate-side base 111 and the wire-side base 11 corresponding to each other in the vertical direction, as well as the positional relationship between the substrate-side terminal 161 and the wire-side terminal 61.

[0191] Note that the terminal receiving portions 115 are arranged side by side to correspond to the configuration of the substrate-side terminal group 160, that is, to form two rows that both extend in the width direction of the second connector 101. Here, the terminal receiving portion 115 in front of the front partition wall 114a will be referred to as the front terminal receiving portion 115a, and the terminal receiving portion 115 in front of the rear partition wall 114b will be referred to as the rear terminal receiving portion 115b.

[0192] In addition, in the example shown in the figure, the substrate-side base 111 and the terminal holding element 121 are separate and independent components, but if necessary, the substrate-side base 111 and the terminal holding element 121 can be integrally formed.

[0193] The second housing 171 is a component formed by stamping, bending, or other processes on a conductive metal plate, and includes: an elongated strip-shaped rear portion 172 attached to the rear side of the substrate-side base 111; and a side portion 173 formed to extend forward from both ends of the rear portion 172 and attached to the inner side surfaces of the side plate portions 113 on both sides of the substrate-side base 111 in the width direction. Note that several tail portions 171a are formed at appropriate locations at the lower ends of the rear portion 172 and the side portion 173.

[0194] Furthermore, an open side engagement recess 174 is formed at the center of the upper edge of each side portion 173, and a rearwardly recessed locking recess 175 is formed on the rear edge of the side engagement recess 174. Additionally, the locking piece 716 of the first upper housing 71 of the first connector 10 is received and engaged in the side engagement recess 174, and the locking piece 716 of the first upper housing 71 is inserted into and locked in the locking recess 175. When the locking piece 716 is inserted into and locked in the locking recess 175, the locking recess 175 and the locking piece 716 are in contact with each other. Thus, the grounding wire 92g and grounding terminal 61g of the wire 91 become at the same potential as the first upper housing 71, the first lower housing 72, and the second housing 171. Here, the side engagement recess 174 formed near the front will be referred to as the front side engagement recess 174a, the side engagement recess 174 formed near the rear will be referred to as the rear side engagement recess 174b, the locking recess 175 formed in the front side engagement recess 174a will be referred to as the front locking recess 175a, and the locking recess 175 formed in the rear side engagement recess 174b will be referred to as the rear locking recess 175b.

[0195] Additionally, a rotating shaft support hole 173a extending through the thickness direction is formed near the front end of each side portion 173. The rotating plate 182b of the actuator 181 is inserted into the rotating shaft support hole 173a and is thereby rotatably supported.

[0196] The actuator 181 is an element formed by stamping, bending, or other processes on a conductive metal plate, and has the shape of an elongated drain groove extending in the width direction of the second connector 101 with a U-shaped cross-section. It includes: a flat strip-shaped base plate portion 183 corresponding to the bottom of the drain groove; and flat strip-shaped first side plate portion 182 and second side plate portion 184 corresponding to the sides of the drain groove. The first side plate portion 182 and the second side plate portion 184 are formed to extend parallel to each other and orthogonal to the base plate portion 183 from the two side edges of the base plate portion 183.

[0197] Furthermore, outwardly protruding rotating pieces 182b are formed at both ends of the second connector 101 in the width direction of the first side plate portion 182. Furthermore, outwardly protruding protruding pieces 184a are formed at both ends of the second connector 101 in the width direction of the second side plate portion 184. Furthermore, the actuator 181 is rotatably attached to the second housing 171 by inserting the rotating pieces 182b into the rotating shaft support holes 173a formed on the side surface portion 173 of the second housing 171.

[0198] When the actuator 181 is attached to the second housing 171, the actuator 181 and the second housing 171 come into contact with each other. Thus, in Figure 1 In the fully engaged state shown, the grounding wire 92g and grounding terminal 61g of the wire 91 become equipotential with the actuator 181, in addition to being at the same potential as the first upper housing 71, the first lower housing 72 and the second housing 171.

[0199] Additionally, a locking protrusion 182a is formed at the center of the second connector 101 in the width direction of the first side plate portion 182. Figure 4 In the process, the locking protrusion 182a is obtained by bending the upper edge of the first side plate portion 182 that is aligned with the vertical plane and making the upper edge protrude so that its end faces backward and is inclined upward. It is the part that, after the first connector 10 is vertically fitted into the second connector 101, contacts the front portion 713 of the first upper housing 71 of the first connector 10 when the actuator 181 rotates, and pushes the front portion 713 backward so that the first connector 10 slides horizontally relative to the second connector 101, engages the front locking recess 713b of the front portion 713, and is subsequently locked and then the fitting is completed.

[0200] Furthermore, an operating tab 183a is formed at the center of the second connector 101 in the width direction of the base plate portion 183. The operating tab 183a is cut off near the connection point between the second side plate portion 184 and the base plate portion 183 and is located in... Figure 4 The part formed by the forward protrusion, and the part that is touched by the fingers or the like when the operator operates the actuator 181 with their fingers or the like.

[0201] Next, the operation of the engagement of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 having the above configuration will be described.

[0202] Figure 6A and Figure 6B These are two views showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment just before the two connectors are engaged with each other. Figure 7A and Figure 7B This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment just before the two connectors are engaged with each other. Figure 8A and Figure 8B These are two-view views illustrating the states of the first and second connectors according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors being vertically engaged with each other. Figure 9A , Figure 9B and Figure 9C This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors being vertically engaged with each other. Figure 10A and Figure 10B These are two-view views showing the vertically engaged state of the first and second connectors according to this embodiment. Figure 11A and Figure 11B This is a cross-sectional view showing the vertically engaged state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment. Figure 12A and Figure 12B These are two-view views illustrating the states of the first and second connectors according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors sliding and engaging with each other horizontally. Figure 13A and Figure 13B This is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment during the process of the two connectors sliding and engaging with each other horizontally. Figure 14A and Figure 14B These are two-view views showing the state in which the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment are horizontally slidably engaged. Figure 15A and Figure 15B This is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the first connector and the second connector according to this embodiment are horizontally slidably engaged. Note that, in Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 10A , Figure 10B , Figure 12A , Figure 12B , Figure 14A and Figure 14B middle, Figure 6A , Figure 8A , Figure 10A , Figure 12A , Figure 14A It is the front view, and Figure 6B , Figure 8B , Figure 10B , Figure 12B , Figure 14B It is a side view; in Figure 7A and Figure 7B middle, Figure 7A It is along Figure 6A The sectional view is drawn using line AA, and Figure 7B It is along Figure 6A A sectional view drawn from line BB; in Figure 9A , Figure 9B and Figure 9C middle, Figure 9A It is along Figure 8A A cross-sectional view drawn from line CC. Figure 9B yes Figure 9A A magnified view of part E in the image, while Figure 9C It is along Figure 8A A sectional view drawn from line DD; in Figure 11A and Figure 11B middle, Figure 11A It is along Figure 10A The sectional view made by line FF, and Figure 11B It is along Figure 10A A sectional view made by line GG; in Figure 13A and Figure 13B middle, Figure 13A It is along Figure 12A The sectional view made by line HH, and Figure 13B It is along Figure 12A A sectional view made along line II; and in Figure 15A and Figure 15B In the middle, 15A is along Figure 14A The sectional view made by line JJ, and Figure 15B It is along Figure 14A The sectional view made by line KK.

[0203] Here, it is assumed that the second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of a circuit board (not shown). More specifically, it is assumed that the tails 162 of all the substrate-side terminals 161 are mechanically and electrically connected to their respective conductive pads formed on the surface of the circuit board and connected to the conductive lines of the circuit board by means of connection such as soldering. Furthermore, it is also assumed that the tail 171a of the second housing 171 is mechanically and electrically connected to a conductive pad formed on the surface of the circuit board and connected to the grounding wire by means of connection such as soldering.

[0204] Furthermore, when the first connector 10 is fitted into the second connector 101 surface-mounted on the circuit board, the operator manipulates the first connector 10 with their fingers or the like to position the first connector 10 so that the lower surface 11c of the wire-side base 11 faces the upper surface 112a of the base plate portion 112 of the substrate-side base 111. More specifically, as shown... Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 7A and Figure 7BAs shown, the lower surface 11c of the wire-side base 11 and the upper surface 112a of the bottom plate portion 112 of the substrate-side base 111 are parallel to each other, thereby causing the front locking tabs 716a and 716b on both sides of the first connector 10 in the width direction to face the front side engagement recesses 174a and 174b on both sides of the second connector 101 in the width direction. Consequently, the front fitting recesses 15a and 15b of the wire-side base 11 will also face the front partition wall 114a and 114b of the substrate-side base 111. Note that it is preferable that the actuator 181 of the second connector 101 is in an "open" position, i.e., as... Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 7A and Figure 7B The second side plate portion 184 shown is in a posture that is generally consistent with the vertical plane.

[0205] Next, the operator lowers the first connector 10 relative to the second connector 101, so that the position of the lower surface 11c of the wire-side base 11 is substantially the same in the height direction as the front partition wall 114a and the rear partition wall 114b of the substrate-side base 111, such as... Figure 8A , Figure 8B , Figure 9A , Figure 9B and Figure 9C As shown. Therefore, as Figure 8A and Figure 8B As shown, the side portions 724 on both sides of the first lower housing 72 in the width direction enter the inner side portions 173 on both sides of the substrate side base 111 of the second housing 171 in the width direction. Additionally, as... Figure 9A , Figure 9B and Figure 9C As shown, the front partition wall 114a and the front terminal receiving portion 115a, as well as the rear partition wall 114b and the rear terminal receiving portion 115b of the substrate-side base 111 are positioned just before insertion into the front fitting recess 15a and the rear fitting recess 15b, which are open towards the lower surface 11c of the wire-side base 11. Note that, as Figure 9B As shown, the lower end and vicinity of the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61, which is inserted into the terminal receiving groove 12 from above, reach the vicinity of the portion at the front inner wall surface 15f of the fitting recess 15, which is connected to the top surface 15u. Furthermore, the surface of the contact end portion 164 of the contact portion 64 facing the substrate-side terminal 161 is substantially flush with the front inner wall surface 15f of the fitting recess 15. Additionally, the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 is located behind the front end surface 116f of the separating rib 116 and behind the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61.

[0206] Next, when the operator further lowers the first connector 10 relative to the second connector 101, the vertical engagement is completed, as shown below. Figure 10A , Figure 10B , Figure 11A and Figure 11B As shown. Subsequently, the front locking piece 716a and the rear locking piece 716b of the first connector 10 enter the front side engagement recess 174a and the rear side engagement recess 174b of the second connector 101, and contact or approach the bottom of the front side engagement recess 174a and the rear side engagement recess 174b.

[0207] Therefore, as Figure 11A and Figure 11B As shown, the front partition wall 114a and the front terminal receiving portion 115a, as well as the rear partition wall 114b and the rear terminal receiving portion 115b of the substrate-side base 111 are inserted into and subsequently received within the front fitting recess 15a and the rear fitting recess 15b of the wire-side base 11. In this case, the upper end surfaces 114u of the front partition wall 114a and the rear partition wall 114b of the substrate-side base 111, which serve as reference surfaces, are in contact with each other and the top surfaces 15u of the front fitting recess 15a and the rear fitting recess 15b of the wire-side base 11. The positional relationship between the corresponding substrate-side base 111 and the wire-side base 11, as well as the positional relationship between the substrate-side terminal 161 and the wire-side terminal 61, are thus predetermined in the vertical direction.

[0208] Furthermore, the upper end of the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161, which is set lower than the upper end surface 114u of the partition wall 114, will not contact the top surface 15u of the fitting recess 15. As a result, the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161, including the contact end portion 164, will not receive any force from above or will not be bent or damaged. In addition, the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 is located behind the front end surface 116f of the partition rib 116 and behind the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61. As a result, when the partition wall 114 of the substrate-side base 111 and the terminal receiving portion 115 are inserted into the fitting recess 15 of the wire-side base 11, they will not contact the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61, and will therefore not receive any force from the contact portion 64 to be bent or damaged.

[0209] Next, the operator manipulates the actuator 181 of the second connector 101 to change the position of the actuator 181 from... Figure 10A , Figure 10B , Figure 11A and Figure 11B The "open" posture shown has changed to, for example Figure 14A , Figure 14B , Figure 15A and Figure 15BThe "closed" posture shown refers to the posture in which the second side plate portion 184 is substantially aligned with the horizontal plane. Specifically, the actuator 181 is in... Figure 10B It rotates clockwise around the rotating plate 182b. Then, as... Figure 12A , Figure 12B , Figure 13A and Figure 13B As shown, the actuator 181 is in a position where the second side plate portion 184 is tilted relative to the vertical plane during rotation. Consequently, the first side plate portion 182, parallel to the second side plate portion 184, is also tilted relative to the vertical plane, and thus, as... Figure 13A As shown, the end of the locking protrusion 182a formed on the first side plate portion 182 will contact the front portion 713 of the first upper housing 71 of the first connector 10 and push the front portion 713 backward.

[0210] Accordingly, a horizontal sliding engagement is performed to move the first connector 10 rearward relative to the second connector 101, and thus, as Figure 12B The front locking piece 716a and rear locking piece 716b on both sides of the width direction of the first connector 10 shown move backward and then enter the front locking recess 175a formed on the front side engagement recess 174a and the rear locking recess 175b formed on the rear side engagement recess 174b on both sides of the width direction of the second connector 101, and the contact portion 64 of the wire side terminal 61 moves backward and then contacts the contact end portion 164 of the substrate side terminal 161.

[0211] Note that the upper end surface 114u of the partition wall 114 of the substrate-side base 111 and the top surface 15u of the mating recess 15 of the wire-side base 11 are in contact with each other, and thus also serve as sliding guide surfaces in the case of horizontal sliding engagement. Furthermore, the upper end surface 114u of the partition wall 114 of the substrate-side base 111 is formed over approximately the entire width direction (Y-axis direction) of the second connector 101, while the top surface 15u of the mating recess 15 of the wire-side base 11 is formed over approximately the entire width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 10. Therefore, when viewed from the front (along the X-axis direction), the first connector 10 will not tilt relative to the second connector 101. Accordingly, the first connector 10 can be reliably positioned relative to the second connector 101 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and subsequently horizontally slid into engagement.

[0212] Subsequently, as the operator continues to rotate the actuator 181 of the second connector 101, the first connector 10 moves further rearward relative to the second connector 101, and when the rotation of the actuator 181 ends, the horizontal sliding engagement of the first connector 10 relative to the second connector 101 is completed, thus completing the engagement between the first connector 10 and the second connector 101, as shown below. Figure 14A , Figure 14B , Figure 15A and Figure 15B As shown. Thus, the conductive wire 92 of the wire 91 and the conductive pad formed on the surface of the corresponding circuit board are electrically connected via the wire-side terminal 61 and the substrate-side terminal 161 in the wire-to-substrate connector 1. Here, the actuator 181 is in Figure 15A and Figure 15B As the first connector 10 rotates clockwise, the end of the locking protrusion 182a formed on the first side plate portion 182 contacts the front portion 713 of the first upper housing 71 of the first connector 10, thereby applying a downward force to the front portion 713 and allowing the first connector 10 to be prevented from moving upward relative to the second connector 101 during horizontal sliding engagement.

[0213] Subsequently, actuator 181 assumes a "closed" position, and as Figure 15A As shown, the end of the locking protrusion 182a formed on the first side plate portion 182 engages and locks into the front locking recess 713b formed at the lower end of the front portion 713 in the first upper housing 71 of the first connector 10. Accordingly, even if the first connector 10 or the second connector 101 receives an external force or impact, the actuator 181 can maintain a "closed" position and prevent the engagement between the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 from being unintentionally released. Furthermore, the locking tab 716 of the first upper housing 71, made of a metal plate, enters into the locking recess 175 of the second housing 171, made of a metal plate, to lock therein, thereby reliably preventing the engagement between the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 from being unintentionally released. Note that when an operator touches the operating tab 183a with their fingers or the like and subsequently... Figure 15A When the actuator 181 is rotated counterclockwise, the force applied by the operator is very strong, thereby releasing the lock at the end of the locking protrusion 182a, and the actuator 181 can change its posture to present an "open" posture.

[0214] In addition, such as Figure 15AAs shown, the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 is displaced rearward by the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61, and the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161, together with the area near the lower end of the substrate-side terminal 161 held by the terminal holding element 121, acts as a cantilever-shaped spring and undergoes elastic deformation. Accordingly, by the elastic force applied by the contact portion 163, the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 presses against the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61, and the contact state between the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 and the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 is stably maintained, and the conduction state between the substrate-side terminal 161 and the wire-side terminal 61 is also stably maintained. Furthermore, as described above, the contact surface 164a of the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 has an arc shape that extends forward (in the positive X-axis direction), and the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 and the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 thus make point contact when viewed from the side (along the Y-axis direction). As described above, the substrate-side terminal 161 and the wire-side terminal 61 are electrically connected to each other through stable point contact, and the impedance of the transmission path connecting the substrate-side terminal 161 and the wire-side terminal 61 is thus stably maintained.

[0215] Note that the locking tab 716 of the first upper housing 71 can contact the rear portion of the locking recess 175 of the second housing 171 to stop the horizontal sliding of the first connector 10 relative to the second connector 101, and the first connector 10 will not move excessively backward relative to the second connector 101. Accordingly, the amount of backward displacement of the contact end portion 164 of the substrate side terminal 161 will not be excessive, and the amount of deformation of the contact portion 163 will not be excessive.

[0216] In addition, such as Figure 15A As shown, the contact point between the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 and the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 is located near the lowermost (farthest) end of the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61, and thus the contact portion 64 has almost no portion that can be used as a stub. Furthermore, the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 also has almost no portion that can be used as a stub as described above. Therefore, the stub formed in the transmission path connecting the substrate-side terminal 161 and the wire-side terminal 61 can be minimized, thereby stabilizing the impedance of the transmission path and making the transmission path suitable for high-speed signal transmission.

[0217] In addition, such as Figure 15AAs shown, the transmission path connecting the body 63 of the wire-side terminal 61, the conductive line 92 of the wire 91 connected thereto, and the tail 162 of the substrate-side terminal 161 connected to the conductive pad formed on the surface of the circuit board is composed of the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 and the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161, which extend in a straight line in the vertical direction. The contact end portion 164 is extremely short compared to the contact portion 163. More specifically, in the wire-to-substrate connector 1, the transmission path connecting the conductive line 92 of the wire 91 and the conductive pad formed on the surface of the circuit board is substantially vertical. Accordingly, the transmission path is short in length and has low impedance, and is therefore suitable for high-speed signal transmission.

[0218] In addition, such as Figure 15A As shown, the transmission path from the rear end (negative X-axis end) of the body portion 63 of the wire-side terminal 61 to the end (positive X-axis end) of the tail portion 162 of the substrate-side terminal 161 has a generally crankshaft shape when viewed from the side (along the Y-axis direction), and the body portion 63 and the tail portion 162 do not overlap each other in the vertical direction. More specifically, the transmission path connecting the wire-side terminal 61 and the substrate-side terminal 161 from the rear end of the body portion 63 of the wire-side terminal 61 to the end of the tail portion 162 of the substrate-side terminal 161 includes a portion that does not overlap in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the transmission path will not degrade the signal transmission characteristics.

[0219] Furthermore, when the engagement between the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 is attempted to be completed solely through vertical engagement by lowering the lower-height first connector 10 relative to the lower-height second connector 101, the operator cannot reliably identify the completion of engagement due to the short downward movement (stroke) of the first connector 10. This results in incomplete engagement, and consequently, incomplete contact between the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 and the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61. However, according to this embodiment, the actuator 181 is adapted to be operated to perform horizontal sliding engagement after vertical engagement, thereby achieving complete contact between the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 and the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61. Additionally, the actuator 181 is locked to complete the horizontal sliding engagement, and the operator can reliably identify the completion of engagement without incomplete engagement. Furthermore, as described above, while moving downwards relative to each other and then sliding vertically relative to the contact end portion 164, the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 will not contact the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161, and thus there is no possibility that the contact portion 163 including the contact end portion 164 of the substrate-side terminal 161 will be bent, damaged, etc.

[0220] Furthermore, even when the first connector 10 moves forward relative to the second connector 101 after the horizontal sliding engagement of the first connector 10 relative to the second connector 101 is completed, such as Figure 15A As shown, the locking protrusion 182a formed on the first side plate portion 182 of the actuator 181 is inclined such that the end of the locking protrusion 182a faces rearward and obliquely downward and is received and engaged in the front locking recess 713b of the front portion 713 in the first upper housing 71 of the first connector 10, and thus, when the first connector 10 moves forward (in... Figure 15A When the actuator 181 moves from the center to the left, a downward force acts on the locking protrusion 182a, thereby preventing the actuator 181 from moving in the release direction (in the left). Figure 15A (The center rotates counterclockwise).

[0221] As described above, according to this embodiment, the wire-to-substrate connector 1 includes: a first connector 10, which includes a wire-side base 11, a wire 91 held by the wire-side base 11, and a wire-side terminal 61 held by the wire-side base 11. The wire-side terminal 61 includes a body portion 63 of a conductive wire 92 connected to the wire 91 and a contact portion 64 extending in the vertical direction; and a second connector 101, which includes a substrate-side base 111 and a substrate-side terminal 161 held by the substrate-side base 111. The substrate-side terminal 161 includes a contact portion 163 extending in the vertical direction. The second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of a circuit board. Subsequently, the first connector 10 moves vertically relative to the second connector 101 and then moves horizontally relative to the second connector 101 to engage the second connector 101. When the first connector 10 moves horizontally relative to the second connector 101, the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 contacts the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161.

[0222] Therefore, the first connector 10 can reliably maintain the mating state of the second connector 101 and the contact state of the terminals. In addition, this connector is suitable for high-speed signal transmission, simplifies the construction, reduces costs, and improves reliability.

[0223] Furthermore, the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 and the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161 extend linearly in the vertical direction. Moreover, when the first connector 10 moves vertically relative to the second connector 101, the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 and the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161 do not come into contact with each other. Furthermore, the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161 includes a contact end portion 164 formed at the end of the contact portion 163, and the contact end portion 164 is bent to extend toward and contact the vicinity of the very end of the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61. Furthermore, the substrate-side terminal 161 includes a tail portion 162 connected to the circuit board. The body portion 63 of the wire-side terminal 61 and the tail portion 162 of the substrate-side terminal 161 extend in a second direction. When the contact portion 64 of the wire-side terminal 61 and the contact portion 163 of the substrate-side terminal 161 contact each other, the transmission path connecting the wire-side terminal 61 and the substrate-side terminal 161 is generally crankshaft shaped. In addition, the first connector 10 also includes a first housing 70 covering at least a portion of the periphery of the wire-side base 11, and the second connector 101 also includes a second housing 171 covering at least a portion of the periphery of the substrate-side base 111 and an actuator 181 rotatably attached to the second housing 171. When the actuator 181 rotates, the first connector 10 moves in the horizontal direction. In addition, the first housing 70 includes a front portion 713 covering at least a portion of the front surface of the wire-side base 11, and the actuator 181 includes a locking protrusion 182a, which pushes the front portion 713 to move the first connector 10 in the horizontal direction when the actuator 181 rotates, and engages and locks the locking protrusion 182a in a front locking recess 713b formed on the front portion 713 when the rotation of the actuator 181 ends.

[0224] It should be noted that the disclosure in this specification describes features relevant to preferred and exemplary embodiments. By reading this disclosure, those skilled in the art will naturally conceive of various other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and concept of the appended claims.

[0225] Industrial utilization potential

[0226] This disclosure applies to connectors.

Claims

1. A connector, comprising: (a) A first connector, the first connector including a first base, a wire held by the first base, and a first terminal held by the first base, the first terminal including a body portion of a conductive wire connected to the wire and a contact portion extending in a first direction, wherein the first base includes an upper housing having a front face portion; and (b) A second connector, the second connector including a second base, a rotatable member including a protrusion, and a second terminal held by the second base, the second terminal including a contact portion extending in the first direction, the second connector being mounted on the surface of a circuit board. (c) wherein, for fitting into the second connector, the first connector moves in the first direction to engage with the second connector, and subsequently, as the rotatable member rotates, the protrusion contacts the front portion of the first connector, thereby moving the first connector in the second direction as the rotatable member rotates, and as the first connector moves relative to the second connector in the second direction, the contact portion of the first terminal contacts the contact portion of the second terminal.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein, The contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal extend linearly in the first direction.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, When the first connector moves relative to the second connector in the first direction, the contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal will not come into contact with each other.

4. The connector according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The contact portion of the second terminal includes a contact end portion formed at the end of the contact portion, and the contact end portion is bent to extend toward the contact portion of the first terminal and contact the vicinity of the far end of the contact portion of the first terminal.

5. The connector according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The second terminal includes a tail portion connected to the circuit board, a body portion of the first terminal, and a tail portion of the second terminal extending in the second direction. When the contact portion of the first terminal and the contact portion of the second terminal come into contact with each other, the transmission path connecting the first terminal and the second terminal is generally crankshaft shaped.

6. The connector according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The upper housing of the first connector covers at least a portion of the periphery of the first base, and the second connector further includes a second housing covering at least a portion of the periphery of the second base.

7. The connector according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The second housing includes a bottom plate portion, wherein the bottom plate portion includes two partition walls that extend vertically upward and are parallel to each other in the width direction.

Images