Substrate case, card edge substrate unit, and card edge connection structure

Abstract

Provided is a substrate housing capable of easily housing a card edge substrate. A substrate housing (10) for housing a card edge substrate (40) having a contact point portion (42) at an end portion of a substrate main body (41) is provided with: a housing main body (20) forming a housing space (S1) capable of housing the substrate main body; and a fitting cylinder (30) which is formed in a cylindrical shape that opens in a direction parallel to the main surface (F) of the card edge substrate and extends from the inside to the outside of the accommodation space, and which forms a fitting space (S2) in which the contact part can be accommodated and a card edge connector (50) connected to the card edge substrate can be fitted, the housing main body being formed in a box shape having a substrate passage opening (M1) on one surface, and the housing main body being formed in a box shape in which the substrate passage opening (M1) passes through the housing main body. And a substrate main body which passes through the substrate passing opening in a posture in which the main surface is parallel to the one surface, a contact passing opening (M2) through which the contact part passes is formed in a part of the fitting cylinder body located in the accommodating space, and the contact part is arranged in the fitting space.

Description

Substrate housing, card edge substrate unit and card edge connection structure Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate housing, a ferrule substrate unit, and a ferrule connection structure for accommodating a ferrule substrate having contact portions at the ends of a substrate body. Background Technology

[0002] A housing for accommodating a substrate with contact portions at its ends is known (Patent Document 1). The housing comprises: a first accommodating portion open on its upper surface, a cylindrical second accommodating portion open on its side, and a cylindrical connecting portion connecting the two accommodating portions. When the substrate is housed in the housing, an elastic member is mounted on the substrate, causing the substrate to tilt and the end (contact portion) of the substrate to enter the connecting portion. At this time, the elastic member contacts an abutment portion provided in the connecting portion while the contact portion enters the second accommodating portion. Then, the substrate is oriented to a horizontal position, thereby accommodating the substrate in the first accommodating portion.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117914

[0004] However, in the aforementioned housing, after the substrate is tilted into the connecting portion and the second receiving portion, it must undergo orientation deformation, which presents a problem that makes it difficult to receive the substrate into the housing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above, the present invention provides a substrate housing, a card edge substrate unit, and a card edge connection structure that can easily accommodate a card edge substrate.

[0006] The invention described in technical solution 1 is a substrate housing for accommodating a card edge substrate having contact portions at the ends of a substrate body. It comprises: a housing body forming a accommodating space capable of accommodating the substrate body; and a fitting cylinder forming a cylindrical shape that opens in a direction parallel to the main surface of the card edge substrate and extends outward from the interior of the accommodating space, and forming a fitting space capable of accommodating the contact portions and for fitting a card edge connector connected to the card edge substrate. The housing body is formed in the shape of a box with a substrate passage opening on one side, and supports the substrate body passing through the substrate passage opening in an orientation parallel to the main surface relative to the one side. A contact passage opening for the contact portions is formed in a portion of the fitting cylinder located within the accommodating space, and the contact portions passing through the contact passage opening are disposed in the fitting space.

[0007] In the invention described in technical solution 1, a substrate passage opening is provided on one side of the housing body, and the substrate body passes through the substrate passage opening in an attitude parallel to one side of the housing body. Additionally, a contact passage opening for the contact portion to pass through is provided in a portion of the housing space of the fitting cylinder, and the contact portion passing through the contact passage opening is disposed in the fitting space. According to this structure, the card edge substrate (substrate body and contact portion) can be housed in the housing body and fitting cylinder while maintaining an attitude parallel to one side of the housing body. Therefore, it is not necessary to tilt or change the attitude of the card edge substrate, and the card edge substrate can be easily housed in the substrate housing. Furthermore, various electronic components are mounted on both the front and back sides of the card edge substrate. Since the card edge substrate is housed in the housing body while maintaining an attitude parallel to one side of the housing body, interference between the electronic components and the housing body and fitting cylinder can be prevented during the housing process. As described above, the operation of assembling the card edge substrate into the substrate housing can be mechanized (automated), thus reducing the cost of housing the card edge substrate in the substrate housing.

[0008] The invention described in technical solution 2 is a substrate housing for accommodating a card edge substrate having contact portions at the ends of a substrate body. It comprises: a housing body forming a receiving space capable of accommodating the substrate body; and a fitting cylinder formed as a cylinder that opens in a direction parallel to the main surface of the card edge substrate and extends from the inside of the receiving space to the outside, forming a fitting space capable of accommodating the contact portions and for fitting a card edge connector connected to the card edge substrate. The housing body is configured to be divisible into a first split housing and a second split housing. The first split housing is formed with a [missing information - likely a feature or design feature] on one side. The substrate is supported by the substrate body through the substrate through the opening, which is in a box-like shape and is positioned so that the main surface is parallel to the other side or orthogonal to the other side. The second split housing is configured to sandwich the substrate body between itself and the first split housing and to close the substrate through opening. The fitting cylinder is provided in the first split housing, and a contact through opening is formed in a part of the fitting cylinder located in the receiving space for the contact portion to pass through. The contact portion passing through the contact through opening is disposed in the fitting space.

[0009] In the invention described in technical solution 2, the housing body is configured to be divisible into a first split housing and a second split housing. A substrate passage opening is provided on one side of the first split housing, and the substrate body passes through the substrate passage opening in an orientation parallel or orthogonal to one side of the first split housing. Furthermore, a contact passage opening for the contact portion to pass through is provided in a portion of the fitting cylinder located within the receiving space, and the contact portion passing through the contact passage opening is disposed in the fitting space. According to this structure, the card edge substrate (substrate body and contact portion) can be housed in the first split housing and the fitting cylinder while maintaining an orientation parallel or orthogonal to one side of the first split housing. Therefore, the card edge substrate can be easily housed in the substrate housing without tilting or changing its orientation. In addition, various electronic components are mounted on both the front and back sides of the card edge substrate. Since the card edge substrate is housed in the first split housing while maintaining an orientation parallel or orthogonal to one side of the housing body, interference between the electronic components and the first split housing, etc., can be prevented during the housing of the card edge substrate. As mentioned above, the process of assembling the card edge substrate into the substrate housing can be mechanized (automated), thus reducing the cost of housing the card edge substrate in the substrate housing.

[0010] In the case of the substrate housing described in technical solution 3, it is preferable that the above-mentioned fitting cylinder and the above-mentioned housing body are separately constructed and installed on the above-mentioned housing body.

[0011] According to the substrate housing described in technical solution 3, since the fitting cylinder is a component separate from the housing body, the fitting cylinder can be installed on the housing body after the edge substrate is housed in the housing body. This simplifies the operation of housing the edge substrate in the substrate housing (housing body).

[0012] In the case of the substrate housing described in technical solution 4, it is preferable that after the substrate body is housed in the housing space, the fitting cylinder is installed on the housing body, and the fitting cylinder is provided with a separation structure that contacts both the front and back surfaces of the substrate body, separating the housing space from the fitting space.

[0013] In the case of the substrate housing described in technical solution 5, it is preferable to provide a separation structure in the above-mentioned fitting cylinder. This separation structure contacts the main surface of the above-mentioned substrate body that is opposite to the opening of the above-mentioned contact point and the end surface of the above-mentioned substrate body that is opposite to the opening of the above-mentioned fitting cylinder, and separates the above-mentioned receiving space from the above-mentioned fitting space.

[0014] In the case of the substrate housing described in technical solution 6, it is preferable that the substrate body is supported on the first segmented housing in an attitude in which the main surface is parallel to one of the first segmented housings. A first partition is provided in the fitting cylinder, which contacts one of the main surfaces of the substrate body that is the side of the first segmented housing. A second partition is provided in the second segmented housing, which closes the fitting space by contacting the other main surface of the substrate body. The first partition and the second partition constitute a partition structure that separates the receiving space from the fitting space.

[0015] According to the substrate housing described in technical solutions 4 to 6, since the receiving space and the fitting space can be separated by the partition structure, foreign objects can be prevented from entering the receiving space (the interior of the housing body) from the fitting space. As a result, the card edge substrate (electronic components mounted on the substrate body) can be protected from the influence of foreign objects.

[0016] The card edge substrate unit described in technical solution 7 includes: the substrate housing described in technical solution 1 or 2, and the card edge substrate housed in the substrate housing.

[0017] The card edge connection structure described in technical solution 8 includes: the card edge substrate unit described in technical solution 7, and the card edge connector connected to the card edge substrate.

[0018] According to the card edge substrate unit described in technical solution 7 and the card edge connection structure described in technical solution 8, the same effect as the invention of technical solution 1 can be obtained, such as being able to easily accommodate the card edge substrate in the substrate housing.

[0019] Furthermore, in the case of manufacturing an electronic substrate unit such as a card edge substrate unit, the object-side housing for mating with the card edge connector is disposed on the substrate body in a manner that surrounds the contact portion and is fixed to the substrate body by welding or the like. In this case, the object-side housing must be prepared and welded, which results in unnecessary work and increased manufacturing costs in the electronic substrate unit manufacturing process. In contrast, in the card edge substrate unit described in technical solution 7 and the card edge connection structure described in technical solution 8, the fitting cylinder provided on the housing body functions as a pseudo object-side housing for accommodating the contact portion. According to this structure, the work of fixing the object-side housing to the substrate body can be omitted, thus enabling the simple and low-cost manufacturing of the card edge substrate unit.

[0020] In the case of the card edge connection structure described in technical solution 9, it is preferable that the card edge substrate has the contact portion at the ends on both the front and back sides, and the card edge connector has: a housing including a pair of contact receiving portions facing each other across the substrate entry groove, the substrate entry groove being for the end of the substrate body to enter when the housing is fitted with the fitting cylinder; and a plurality of terminals, received in the housing, clamping the end that has entered the substrate entry groove and contacting both the front and back sides of the contact portion, the housing having ribs disposed between the pair of contact receiving portions, and a cutout portion formed at the end of the substrate body, the cutout portion being for the ribs to engage when the card edge connector is fitted with the fitting cylinder.

[0021] According to the edge connection structure described in technical solution 9, since the ribs connect a pair of contact receiving portions, it is possible to suppress the separation or approach of the pair of contact receiving portions, and to maintain the pair of contact receiving portions at a predetermined interval. As a result, the interval between the multiple terminals housed in the pair of contact receiving portions also becomes constant, thus allowing the terminals to contact the contact portions on both the front and back surfaces of the edge substrate with appropriate pressure. Furthermore, when the edge connector is fitted into the fitting cylinder, the ribs engage with the cutout portion, thereby suppressing vibration of the edge connector in a direction parallel to the main surface of the edge substrate. Additionally, by connecting the pair of contact receiving portions with ribs, the rigidity of the entire housing is increased, thus suppressing vibration of the edge connector in a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the edge substrate when the end (contact portion) of the edge substrate is clamped in the substrate entry groove.

[0022] According to the present invention, the card edge substrate can be easily housed in the substrate housing. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the card edge connection structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the card edge connection structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and the state in which the card edge connector is connected to the card edge substrate unit.

[0025] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge substrate unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the substrate housing according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the card edge substrate unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of a card edge connector with a card edge connection structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 7 is a top view of a snap-edge connector with a snap-edge connection structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the edge connection structure (before connection) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the edge connection structure (after connection) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 10 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge substrate unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 11A is an anatomical view showing the card edge substrate unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 11B is a cross-sectional view of the card edge substrate unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of a card edge connector with a card edge connection structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the edge connection structure (before connection) according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the edge connection structure (after connection) according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 15A is a front view schematically showing a portion of a snap-edge connector with a snap-edge connection structure according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 15B is a perspective view of the edge substrate of the edge substrate unit according to a modified example of the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge substrate unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 17A is an anatomical view showing the card edge substrate unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 17B is a cross-sectional view of the card edge substrate unit according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view of a card edge substrate unit schematically illustrating the card edge connection structure according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0045] 1, 2, 3, 4... Edge connection structure; 5, 6, 7, 8... Edge substrate unit; 10, 11, 12, 13... Substrate housing; 15, 16, 17... Separation structure; 20, 22, 27... Housing body; 23, 28... First segmented housing; 24, 29... Second segmented housing; 26... Second separation part; 30, 35, 47, 301... Fitting cylinder; 33... First separation part; 40... Edge substrate; 41... Substrate body; 42... Contact part; 46... Cutout part; 50, 80... Edge connector; 51... Terminal; 71... Contact receiving part; 82... Housing; 87... Substrate entry groove; 88... Rib; F... Main surface; M1... Substrate through opening; M2, M3... Contact through opening; S1... Receiving space; S2... Fitting space. Detailed Implementation

[0046] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, X1, X2, Y1, Y2, Z1, and Z2 in each figure represent left, right, front, back, up, and down. Additionally, the "front-back direction," "up-down direction," and "left-right direction" are orthogonal to each other. In this specification, terms indicating direction and position are used, but these terms are used for ease of explanation and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0047] [First Embodiment: Edge Connection Structure]

[0048] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the card edge connection structure 1 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the card edge connection structure 1.

[0049] The edge connection structure 1 includes an edge substrate unit 5 and an edge connector 50. The edge substrate unit 5 is, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted in an automobile. The edge substrate unit 5 includes a substrate housing 10 constituting the outer casing and an edge substrate 40 housed in the substrate housing 10. The edge connector 50 is mounted to the end of a wiring harness 57 extending from a controlled object (not shown). The edge connector 50 engages with the fitting cylinder 30 of the substrate housing 10 and connects to the edge substrate 40 housed in the substrate housing 10.

[0050] [Substrate housing]

[0051] Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the substrate housing 10 will be described. Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge substrate unit 5. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the substrate housing 10. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the card edge substrate unit 5.

[0052] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the substrate housing 10 is a container for housing the edge substrate 40. The substrate housing 10 is made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin. The substrate housing 10 includes a housing body 20 and a fitting cylinder 30. The housing body 20 is formed into a low-height cuboid shape, and has a receiving space S1 (see Figure 3) inside which can accommodate the edge substrate 40 (substrate body 41). The fitting cylinder 30 is narrower in the left-right direction than the housing body 20, and is formed into a square cylinder protruding from the front of the housing body 20. The fitting cylinder 30 has a fitting space S2 (see Figure 1) inside which the edge connector 50 can be fitted.

[0053] <Shell Body>

[0054] As shown in Figures 3-5, the main body 20 of the housing is formed as a box with a substrate passage opening M1 on its upper surface (one side). More specifically, the main body 20 is formed as a tray-like structure with depth, where the corner walls 20B rise from the periphery of the bottom wall 20A. The bottom wall 20A is formed as a quadrilateral flat plate, and the corner walls 20B are formed as a rectangular tube. As shown by the double-dotted lines (imaginary lines) in Figures 3 and 4, the substrate passage opening M1 is a quadrilateral opening divided by the upper edge of the corner walls 20B, and when viewed from above, the entire bottom wall 20A is exposed. Furthermore, the upper surface (one side) of the housing 20 can also be understood as the upper surface (one side) of the housing 20 assuming the substrate passage opening M1 is not present.

[0055] At the four corners of the housing body 20, four substrate fixing parts 21 protrude upwards from the bottom wall 20A (only a portion of the substrate fixing parts 21 is shown in Figure 3, etc.). Each substrate fixing part 21 is formed in a cuboid shape, and an internal threaded hole 21A is formed on its upper surface. The upper surface of each substrate fixing part 21 is located near the center of the height of the corner peripheral wall 20B (see Figure 5).

[0056] <Matching cylinder>

[0057] As shown in Figures 3-5, the fitting cylinder 30 is integrally formed with the housing body 20 at the central portion of the front side of the corner peripheral wall 20B in the left-right direction. A portion of the fitting cylinder 30 is recessed into the interior of the housing body 20 and extends outward (front) from the interior of the housing body 20 (accommodation space S1). The fitting cylinder 30 is formed as a cylinder with a narrower left-right width compared to the housing body 20. Specifically, the fitting cylinder 30 is formed as a cylinder with a rectangular cross-section that is longer in the left-right direction and has rounded corners, and opens forward (in a direction parallel to the main surface F of the retaining plate 40).

[0058] The fitting cylinder 30 is formed into a square tube shape by a bottom wall 30A, a top wall 30B, and a pair of side walls 30C. The bottom wall 30A and the top wall 30B are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction across a fitting space S2, and the pair of side walls 30C are mounted at the left and right ends of the bottom wall 30A and the top wall 30B. Multiple fitting protrusions 31 protruding radially outward are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder 30, located outside the housing body 20. A pair of fitting protrusions 31 are formed on the outer surfaces of the bottom wall 30A and the top wall 30B, respectively, and on the outer surfaces of the pair of side walls 30C, respectively. Additionally, a locking claw 32 protrudes from the outer surface (lower surface) of the bottom wall 30A (see Figure 5). The locking claw 32 is disposed between the pair of fitting protrusions 31 and is formed as a block with a downwardly sloping surface from the front to the rear.

[0059] Inside the housing body 20 (accommodation space S1), the top wall 30B of the cylinder is removed. The rear portion (outside the housing body 20) of each cylinder side wall 30C is formed to be shorter (lower) in the vertical direction than the front portion (outside the housing body 20). The upper end surface of the rear portion of each cylinder side wall 30C is aligned with the upper surface of the substrate fixing portion 21. In addition, the fitting cylinder 30 has a cylinder end wall 30D that connects to the rear end of the cylinder bottom wall 30A and the pair of cylinder side walls 30C. The cylinder end wall 30D protrudes upward from the rear end of the cylinder bottom wall 30A (or bottom wall 20A), and the upper end surface of the cylinder end wall 30D is aligned with the upper end surface of the substrate fixing portion 21. The rear portion of the cylinder end wall 30D and the pair of cylinder side walls 30C are formed into a U-shape (Japanese "コ" shape) that is open in the front when viewed from above, and constitute a first partition portion 33 that contacts the lower surface (main surface F) of the retaining plate 40. The first partition 33 is a partition wall that divides the shell body 20 and the fitted cylinder 30.

[0060] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the fitted cylinder 30 has a second partition 34 suspended from the rear end of the top wall 30B. The second partition 34 is part of the front wall (central portion in the left-right direction) of the corner peripheral wall 20B of the housing body 20, and is connected to the central portions in the front-rear direction of the top wall 30B and a pair of side walls 30C. The lower end of the second partition 34 is at the same height as the upper end of the end wall 30D (first partition 33), and extends upward from the bottom wall 30A. The lower corner of the front of the second partition 34 is chamfered at an angle.

[0061] A contact passage opening M2 is formed in the rear part (a portion) of the fitting cylinder 30, located inside the housing body 20 (receiving space S1). As shown by the double-dotted lines (imaginary lines) in Figures 3 and 4, the contact passage opening M2 is a quadrilateral-shaped opening divided by the rear parts of a pair of cylinder sidewalls 30C and the upper edge of the cylinder end wall 30D, exposing the rear part of the cylinder bottom wall 30A when viewed from above. In detail, the first partition 33 (the rear parts of each cylinder sidewall 30C and the cylinder end wall 30D) is one level lower than the front part of the fitting cylinder 30 (each cylinder sidewall 30C), so the contact passage opening M2 is an opening divided by the rear parts of a pair of cylinder sidewalls 30C and the upper edge of the cylinder end wall 30D, assuming that the first partition 33 is set to the same height as the front part of the fitting cylinder 30. Furthermore, the contact passage opening M2 also serves as the substrate passage opening M1, and therefore can also be understood as a part of the substrate passage opening M1.

[0062] [Card edge substrate]

[0063] Referring to Figures 3 and 5, the card edge substrate 40 will be described. The card edge substrate 40 is a so-called electrical substrate (printed circuit board), and has a substrate body 41 formed in the shape of a thin plate, and a contact portion 42 formed at the end of the lower surface of the substrate body 41.

[0064] <Substrate main body>

[0065] The substrate body 41 is formed into a quadrilateral shape that is slightly smaller than the substrate through opening M1 of the housing body 20 when viewed from above. In other words, the substrate body 41 (edge ​​substrate 40) is formed to allow the substrate through opening M1 in a horizontal position (parallel to the upper surface or bottom wall 20A of the housing body 20) and to be received in the housing body 20 in a horizontal position. Clearance insertion holes 43 for screws 45 to pass through in the thickness direction (vertical direction) are formed at the four corners of the substrate body 41. Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, circuitry is formed on at least one of the upper surface (surface) and lower surface (back side) of the substrate body 41, and multiple electronic components are mounted (soldered).

[0066] Furthermore, in this specification, the surface of the substrate body 41 (edge ​​substrate 40) that is formed as a thin plate and has a significantly larger area than other surfaces is referred to as the "main surface F". Since the substrate body 41 (edge ​​substrate 40) is thin plate-shaped, there must be another surface with a larger area opposite to one main surface F. That is, two main surfaces F exist on both the front and back surfaces of the substrate body 41 (edge ​​substrate 40), with one of the two main surfaces F being the front surface and the other being the back surface.

[0067] <Contact Section>

[0068] Contact portion 42 is formed on the leading edge of substrate body 41 and at its center in the left-right direction. Contact portion 42 is part of substrate body 41 including a plurality of electrode patterns 44 formed on the lower surface (back side) of substrate body 41. For example, four electrode patterns 44 are formed at equal intervals in the left-right direction on the lower surface of substrate body 41. Each electrode pattern 44 is electrically connected to a circuit formed on substrate body 41.

[0069] [Assembly steps of the card edge substrate unit]

[0070] Referring to Figures 1, 3, and 5, an example of the assembly steps of the card edge substrate unit 5, or in other words, the step of housing the card edge substrate 40 within the substrate housing 10, will be described. The card edge substrate unit 5 may be assembled automatically, for example, using a manufacturing apparatus (not shown), or by manual operation by an operator.

[0071] The substrate housing 10 is placed on the horizontal top plate of the worktable in a horizontal position (the substrate is placed through the opening M1 and the contact is placed through the opening M2) with the substrate facing upwards. The retaining plate 40 is positioned above the substrate housing 10 in a horizontal position (the main surface F is parallel to the upper surface of the substrate housing 10) (see Figure 3). While maintaining the horizontal position, the retaining plate 40 is lowered, and the substrate body 41 enters the interior of the housing body 20 (receiving space S1) through the substrate through the opening M1, and the contact part 42 enters the interior of the fitting cylinder 30 (fitting space S2) through the contact through the opening M2. The substrate body 41 is placed on the upper end face of the four substrate fixing parts 21 and the first partition part 33, and each screw 45 passing through the clearance insertion hole 43 is screwed into the internal thread hole 21A of the substrate fixing part 21, thereby fixing it to the housing body 20 (see Figures 1 and 5).

[0072] As described above, the housing body 20 supports the substrate body 41, which passes through the substrate passage opening M1 in a horizontal position (a position in which the main surface F is parallel to one side), while maintaining the position during passage. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, the substrate body 41, which has passed through the substrate passage opening M1, is housed in the housing body 20's housing space S1, and the contact portion 42, which has passed through the contact passage opening M2, is disposed in the fitting space S2 of the fitting cylinder 30. In addition, the upper end surface of the first partition 33 of the fitting cylinder 30 contacts the lower surface of the substrate body 41 (the main surface F of the substrate body 41 that is opposite to the contact passage opening M2). The lower rear surface of the second partition 34 contacts the front end surface of the substrate body 41 (the end surface opposite to the opening of the fitting cylinder 30). The first partition 33 and the second partition 34 constitute a partition structure 15 that separates the housing space S1 from the fitting space S2.

[0073] Next, a potting material (not shown), such as polyurethane resin, is injected (filled) into the housing body 20 (accommodation space S1) to seal the substrate body 41. This improves the waterproofness, dustproofness, and shock resistance of the substrate body 41. Furthermore, if waterproofing is not required, the potting material can be omitted.

[0074] Thus, the card edge substrate unit 5 is completed.

[0075] In the first embodiment described above, the card edge substrate unit 5 (substrate housing 10) is configured such that a substrate passage opening M1 is provided on the upper surface (one side) of the housing body 20, and the substrate body 41 passes through the substrate passage opening M1 in a horizontal position parallel to the upper surface (or bottom surface) of the housing body 20. Furthermore, a contact passage opening M2 for the contact portion 42 to pass through is provided in a portion of the receiving space S1 of the fitting cylinder 30, and the contact portion 42 passing through the contact passage opening M2 is disposed in the fitting space S2. According to this structure, the card edge substrate 40 (substrate body 41 and contact portion 42) can be housed in the housing body 20 and fitting cylinder 30 while maintaining a position parallel to the upper surface of the housing body 20. Therefore, the card edge substrate 40 can be easily housed in the substrate housing 10 without tilting or changing its position. Furthermore, various electronic components are mounted on both the front and back sides of the card edge substrate 40. However, since the card edge substrate 40 is housed in the housing body 20 while maintaining a horizontal posture, interference between the electronic components and the housing body 20 and the fitting cylinder 30 can be prevented during the housing process of the card edge substrate 40. As described above, the operation of assembling the card edge substrate 40 into the substrate housing 10 can be mechanized (automated), thereby reducing the cost of housing the card edge substrate 40 in the substrate housing 10.

[0076] Furthermore, in the card edge substrate unit 5 (substrate housing 10) according to the first embodiment, a separation structure 15 is configured to separate the receiving space S1 from the fitting space S2. According to this structure, it is possible to prevent foreign objects from entering the receiving space S1 (the interior of the housing body 20) from the fitting space S2 before the potting material is filled into the housing body 20. Thus, the card edge substrate 40 (the electronic component mounted on the substrate body 41) can be protected from the influence of foreign objects. In addition, it is also possible to prevent the potting material filled into the housing body 20 from leaking into the fitting space S2.

[0077] Furthermore, in the substrate housing 10 according to the first embodiment, it is used with the upper surface of the housing body 20 open, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate housing 10 may also have a cover (not shown) that closes the upper surface of the housing body 20 (the substrate passes through the opening M1) after the edge substrate 40 is housed in the housing body 20. In this case, potting material may be omitted.

[0078] [Card edge connector]

[0079] Next, the edge connector 50 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the edge connector 50. Figure 7 is a top view of the edge connector 50. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the edge connection structure 1 (before connection).

[0080] The edge connector 50 is a so-called waterproof connector, and has a structure that seals the gap between itself and the fitting cylinder 30 when it is fitted with the substrate housing 10. As shown in FIG6, the edge connector 50 includes multiple (e.g., four) terminals 51, a housing 52, a housing seal 53, a retainer 54, a wire seal 55, and a sealing cap 56. Furthermore, since the multiple terminals 51 have the same structure, this specification mainly describes one terminal 51. The same applies to the multiple components corresponding to the multiple terminals 51. Moreover, at least one terminal 51 and its corresponding components are sufficient, and their number can be freely increased or decreased.

[0081] <Terminal>

[0082] Four terminals 51 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. Terminals 51 are fixed to the end (rear end) of cables 58 (wires). Terminals 51 are formed, for example, by punching and bending a sheet of metal. Terminal 51 has: a crimping portion 60, crimped to the end of the cable 58; and a connecting portion 61, extending rearward from the crimping portion 60. The connecting portion 61 is cylindrical, with a terminal contact portion 62 formed on its upper surface that bends upward, and a locking hole 63 formed on its lower surface. Additionally, a retaining gap 64 is formed between the upper surface of the connecting portion 61 and the crimping portion 60. Furthermore, multiple cables 58 fixed to multiple terminals 51 are bundled together to form a cable bundle 57.

[0083] <Outer Shell>

[0084] As shown in Figures 6-8, the outer casing 52 has an outer cylindrical portion 65, an inner cylindrical portion 66, a retaining mounting hole 67, and a locking arm 68. The outer casing 52 is integrally molded, for example, from a non-conductive synthetic resin.

[0085] (Outer cylinder part, inner cylinder part)

[0086] The outer cylinder portion 65 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross-section that is longer in the left-right direction and has rounded corners, and opens towards the rear. The fitting cylinder 30 of the substrate housing 10 is fitted into the outer cylinder portion 65 (see Figure 2). The inner cylinder portion 66 is disposed inside the outer cylinder portion 65. The inner cylinder portion 66 is formed to be longer than the outer cylinder portion 65 in the front-rear direction and extends outward from both ends of the outer cylinder portion 65 in the front-rear direction. The inner cylinder portion 66 has a housing body portion 70, a contact housing portion 71, and a sealing member housing portion 72.

[0087] (Containment Main Body)

[0088] The housing body 70 is formed as a cylindrical shape, smaller than the outer cylinder 65, and having a rectangular cross-section that is longer in the left-right direction with rounded corners. The housing body 70 is connected to the front end of the outer cylinder 65, extends rearward from the front end of the outer cylinder 65, and protrudes rearward beyond the opening of the outer cylinder 65. The housing body 70 is formed to be able to enter the interior (fitting space S2) of the fitting cylinder 30 of the substrate housing 10. An annular sealing member placement space S3 is formed between the outer cylinder 65 and the housing body 70 (see Figure 8). The outer shell seal 53, which will be described later, is placed in the sealing member placement space S3. Furthermore, the upper rear portion of the outer cylinder 65 is cut off in a manner that leaves the rear portion of the housing body 70 (retaining mounting hole 67) open.

[0089] (Contact Containment Department)

[0090] The contact receiving portion 71 is formed as a thick plate extending rearward from the lower part of the rear end face of the receiving main body portion 70. The contact receiving portion 71 is formed to be thinner than the receiving main body portion 70 and can enter between the bottom wall 30A of the fitting cylinder 30 and the card edge base plate 40 (contact portion 42) (see Figure 8).

[0091] (Containment room)

[0092] Four housing chambers 73, which house four terminals 51 in an electrically insulated state, are arranged in a row in the left-right direction (see Figure 7). Each housing chamber 73 has a through hole that extends through both the housing body 70 and the contact housing 71 in the front-back direction. Terminals 51 are inserted into the housing chambers 73 through openings formed on the front end face of the housing body 70. Four contact openings 74, communicating with the four housing chambers 73, are provided on the top surface of the contact housing 71. Terminal contact portions 62 of the terminals 51 housed in the housing chambers 73 protrude from the contact openings 74.

[0093] As shown in Figure 8, a spear-shaped portion 75 is provided in the receiving chamber 73, protruding upward from the bottom surface and extending backward. The spear-shaped portion 75 is configured to be elastically displaced in the vertical direction with the root portion (front end) as a fulcrum. A spear-shaped claw portion 75A is formed at the end portion (rear end) of the spear-shaped portion 75, which engages with the locking hole 63 of the terminal 51 received in the receiving chamber 73.

[0094] (Sealing component housing)

[0095] As shown in Figure 6, the sealing element receiving portion 72 is formed as a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross-section that is longer in the left-right direction and has rounded corners. The sealing element receiving portion 72 is connected to the front end of the outer cylinder portion 65 and protrudes forward from the front end of the outer cylinder portion 65. A sealing element pressing space S4 communicating with four receiving chambers 73 is formed inside the sealing element receiving portion 72. The line seal 55, described later, is inserted into the sealing element pressing space S4 under pressure (see Figure 8).

[0096] (Keep the mounting holes)

[0097] A retaining mounting hole 67 is formed on the upper surface of the housing body 70 at the cut-off portion of the upper rear part of the outer cylinder 65 (see Figure 8). The retaining mounting hole 67 is a through hole that is longer in the left-right direction and communicates with all four housing chambers 73. The retaining member 54, which will be described later, is installed in the retaining mounting hole 67.

[0098] (Locking arm)

[0099] As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the locking arm 68 is formed as a flat plate extending in the front-rear direction and is disposed in the lower part of the sealing element placement space S3. An arm insertion hole 76 communicating with the sealing element placement space S3 is provided on the lower front side of the outer cylinder 65. The locking arm 68 is sway-supported by the upper edge of the arm insertion hole 76 as a fulcrum. The locking arm 68 extends forward and backward from the arm insertion hole 76. The rear end of the locking arm 68 coincides with the rear end of the receiving body 70, and the front end of the locking arm 68 is located further forward than the front end of the inner cylinder 66 (sealing element receiving part 72). A locking claw 68A protrudes from the rear end of the upper surface of the locking arm 68. A release operation part 68B is provided at the front end of the lower surface of the locking arm 68.

[0100] <Outer shell seal>

[0101] The outer casing seal 53 is formed into a ring shape from a material that can be elastically deformed, such as synthetic rubber. Wavy protrusions and convexities are formed on the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the outer casing seal 53 (see Figures 6 and 8). As shown in Figure 8, the inner cylinder portion 66 of the outer casing 52 passes through the annular outer casing seal 53, and the outer casing seal 53 is disposed in the seal placement space S3. The outer casing seal 53 disposed in the seal placement space S3 flattens the protrusions on its inner peripheral surface and is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the receiving body portion 70 of the inner cylinder portion 66.

[0102] <Retaining component>

[0103] The retainer 54 is integrally molded, for example, from a non-conductive synthetic resin. As shown in FIG6, the retainer 54 has a retaining outer portion 54A formed in an inverted U-shape, and a retaining protrusion 54B protruding downward from the lower surface of the retaining outer portion 54A. The retaining protrusion 54B is formed to be able to be inserted into the retaining mounting holes 67 of the receiving body portion 70 and enter the four receiving chambers 73.

[0104] <Line Seals>

[0105] The wire seal 55 is formed into a cuboid shape, for example, from a material that can be elastically deformed, such as synthetic rubber. As shown in Figures 6 and 8, when viewed from the front, the wire seal 55 is a rectangular shape with rounded corners that is longer in the left-right direction, and is formed to fit into the sealing member pressing space S4 of the sealing member receiving portion 72. A wavy pattern of unevenness is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the wire seal 55. The four sealing member through holes 55A for the four cables 58 to pass through are formed in a row in the left-right direction. When the wire seal 55 is fitted into the sealing member pressing space S4, the four sealing member through holes 55A communicate with the four receiving chambers 73 of the housing 52. A wavy pattern of unevenness is formed on the inner peripheral surface of each sealing member through hole 55A.

[0106] <Sealing cap>

[0107] As shown in Figures 6-8, the sealing cap 56 has: a cap body 77, which is formed to be larger than the sealing element receiving portion 72 of the outer casing 52; and a pair of cap arms 78, which extend downward from both sides of the cap body 77 in the left-right direction. The sealing cap 56 is integrally molded, for example, from a non-conductive synthetic resin. The cap body 77 is formed in a box shape with an opening at the back. On the front wall of the cap body 77, four cap through holes 77A for four cables 58 to pass through are formed in a row in the left-right direction. On the front wall of the cap body 77, four cap protrusions 77B are formed, which protrude inward (rearward) from the periphery of the four cap through holes 77A. After extending downward from both sides of the cap body 77 in the left-right direction, the pair of cap arms 78 bend towards each other.

[0108] [Assembly steps for the card edge connector]

[0109] Next, referring to Figures 1, 6 to 8, an example of the assembly steps of the card edge connector 50 will be described.

[0110] Terminal 51 is crimped to the end of cable 58, passing through the cover through-hole 77A of sealing cover 56 from front to rear, and through the sealing through-hole 55A of wire seal 55 (see Figure 8). Cable 58 is disposed inside the sealing through-hole 55A, flattening the protrusion of the inner circumferential surface of sealing through-hole 55A and sealing it in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of sealing through-hole 55A (see Figure 8). Terminal 51 is inserted into receiving chamber 73 through the sealing receiving portion 72 of housing 52 and through the opening formed on the front end face of receiving body portion 70. Terminal 51 is inserted while the end of connecting portion 61 contacts spear-shaped claw portion 75A and elastically deforms spear-shaped portion 75. As terminal 51 is inserted, spear-shaped claw portion 75A moves forward relative to connecting portion 61 while contacting it, and is engaged in locking hole 63 of connecting portion 61 (see Figure 8). In this state, the terminal contact portion 62 of the terminal 51 protrudes from the contact opening 74 of the contact receiving portion 71, and the retaining gap 64 of the connecting portion 61 is opposite to the retaining mounting hole 67 (see Figure 8).

[0111] The retainer 54 is inserted into the retaining mounting hole 67 from top to bottom and is housed inside the retaining mounting hole 67. When the retainer 54 is housed in the retaining mounting hole 67, the retaining protrusion 54B protrudes into the interior of the four receiving chambers 73 and engages with the retaining gap 64 of the terminal 51 housed in the receiving chamber 73 (see Figure 8). Because the retaining protrusion 54B interferes with the rear end of the connecting portion 61, the removal of the terminal 51 housed in the receiving chamber 73 is restricted. In addition, the retaining outer part 54A constitutes part of the outer part of the receiving main body 70.

[0112] The wire seal 55 is pressed from front to rear into the sealing insertion space S4 of the sealing member receiving portion 72 under pressure, and engages with the sealing insertion space S4 (see Figure 8). The protrusion on the outer peripheral surface of the wire seal 55, which engages with the sealing insertion space S4, is flattened and comes into close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the sealing member receiving portion 72 (see Figure 8). As a result, the gap between the housing 52 and the cable 58 is sealed, and the housing 52 becomes a waterproof structure. The sealing cover 56 covers the sealing member receiving portion 72 of the housing 52 from the front and presses down on the wire seal 55 that engages with the sealing member receiving portion 72 (see Figures 7 and 8). The cover protrusion 77B of the sealing cover 56 comes into close contact with the front end of the wire seal 55 (see Figure 8). A pair of cover arms 78 of the sealing cover 56 are configured to edge the front side of the arm insertion through hole 76 of the outer cylinder portion 65 (see Figure 1). A locking arm 68 protruding from the arm insertion through hole 76 is disposed between the pair of cover arms 78.

[0113] Thus, the assembly of the card edge connector 50 is completed.

[0114] [Connection between the card edge substrate unit and the card edge connector]

[0115] Next, referring to Figures 1, 2, 8, and 9, an example of the steps for connecting the card edge connector 50 to the card edge substrate unit 5 will be described. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the card edge connection structure 1 (after connection).

[0116] The inner cylinder 66 of the edge connector 50 is inserted into the interior of the mating cylinder 30 of the base plate housing 10 through the front opening (matting space S2), and the mating cylinder 30 is inserted between the outer cylinder 65 and the inner cylinder 66 (sealing space S3). When the edge connector 50 is inserted into the mating cylinder 30, a plurality of mating protrusions 31 provided on the mating cylinder 30 contact the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder 65. The edge connector 50 is inserted into the mating cylinder 30 while being guided by the plurality of mating protrusions 31.

[0117] During the insertion of the edge connector 50 into the fitting cylinder 30, the locking claw portion 68A interferes with the engaging claw portion 32 of the fitting cylinder 30, and the locking arm 68 elastically deforms downward. The locking claw portion 68A passes over the engaging claw portion 32 and engages with the engaging claw portion 32 (see Figure 9). This prevents the edge connector 50 from disengaging from the fitting cylinder 30.

[0118] Furthermore, during the insertion of the edge connector 50 into the fitting cylinder 30, the contact receiving portion 71 of the housing 52 enters the lower side of the front end of the substrate body 41, and the terminal contact portion 62 protruding from the contact receiving portion 71 interferes with the lower end of the second partition portion 34. As the insertion of the edge connector 50 is further carried out, the terminal contact portion 62 is pressed downward while contacting the second partition portion 34 and the contact portion 42, and elastically contacts the electrode pattern 44 of the contact portion 42 (see Figure 9).

[0119] Furthermore, during the insertion of the retaining connector 50 into the fitting cylinder 30, the fitting cylinder 30 enters the sealing space S3 relative to it and is pressed under pressure between the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylinder portion 65 and the outer circumferential surface of the housing seal 53. The outer circumferential surface protrusion of the housing seal 53 is flattened and comes into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the fitting cylinder 30 (see Figure 9). As a result, the gap between the housing 52 and the fitting cylinder 30 is sealed.

[0120] Thus, the edge connector 50 engages with the fitting cylinder 30, and the edge connector 50 connects to the edge substrate unit 5 (edge ​​substrate 40) (see Figures 2 and 9). In this state, the contact receiving portion 71 is disposed below the contact portion 42, and the end face (rear end face) of the contact receiving portion 71 abuts against (or is slightly opposed to) the front of the cylinder end wall 30D of the first partition portion 33. The end face (rear end face) of the receiving body portion 70 abuts against (or is slightly opposed to) the front of the second partition portion 34. Furthermore, when the edge connector 50 is pulled out of the fitting cylinder 30, by pushing up the release operation portion 68B, the locking arm 68 rotates, causing the locking claw portion 68A to disengage from the engaging claw portion 32, and the edge connector 50 can be pulled out.

[0121] Furthermore, in the manufacture of electronic substrate units such as the edge connector 5, sometimes the object-side housing for mating with the edge connector 50 is arranged on the substrate body 41 in a manner surrounding the contact portion 42, and fixed to the substrate body 41 by welding or the like (not shown). In this case, the object-side housing must be prepared and welded, resulting in unnecessary work and increased manufacturing costs for the electronic substrate unit. In contrast, in the edge connection structure 1 (edge ​​connector 5) according to the first embodiment, the mating cylinder 30 functions as a pseudo object-side housing for housing the contact portion 42. According to this structure, since the work of fixing the object-side housing to the substrate body 41 can be omitted, the edge connector 5 can be manufactured simply and at low cost.

[0122] [Other implementation methods and variations]

[0123] Next, referring to FIGS. 10 to 18, other embodiments and modifications will be described. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge substrate unit 6 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11A is an exploded anatomical view of the card edge substrate unit 6 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of the card edge substrate unit 6 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge connector 80 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the card edge connection structure 2 (before connection) according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the card edge connection structure 2 (after connection) according to the second embodiment. FIG. 15A is a front view schematically showing a portion of the card edge connector 80 according to a modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 15B is a perspective view of the card edge substrate 40 of the card edge substrate unit 6 according to a modification of the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the card edge substrate unit 7 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17A is an exploded anatomical view of the card edge substrate unit 7 according to the third embodiment. Figure 17B is a cross-sectional view of the card edge substrate unit 7 according to the third embodiment. Figure 18 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the card edge substrate unit 8 according to the fourth embodiment. Furthermore, in the following description, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same structures as those in the substrate housing 10, card edge substrate unit 5, and card edge connection structure 1 (card edge connector 50) according to the first embodiment, and the same descriptions are omitted.

[0124] <Second Implementation>

[0125] As shown in Figures 10 and 11A, in the baseboard housing 11 of the edge connection structure 2 (edge ​​substrate unit 6) according to the second embodiment, the fitting cylinder 35 is separately constructed from the housing body 20 and is installed on the housing body 20. The fitting cylinder 35 is made of, for example, metal or synthetic resin, and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a rectangular cross-section that is longer in the left-right direction and has rounded corners. A cylinder flange portion 36 protruding radially outward is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting cylinder 35. The cylinder flange portion 36 is located near the center in the front-rear direction of the fitting cylinder 35.

[0126] The fitting cylinder 35 (rear part of the fitting cylinder 35), located behind the flange portion 36, is inserted into the mounting opening 20C on the front of the housing body 20 (corner peripheral wall 20B) and disposed inside the housing body 20 (receiving space S1). Each cylinder side wall 30C constituting the rear part of the fitting cylinder 35 is divided into a lower side wall 36A and an upper side wall 36B by a slit (contact through opening M3) formed in the central part in the vertical direction. The lower end wall 36C is connected to the rear end of the bottom wall 30A and the pair of lower side walls 36A, and the upper end wall 36D is connected to the rear end of the top wall 30B and the pair of upper side walls 36B. The rear part of the bottom wall 30A, the pair of lower side walls 36A, and the lower end wall 36C constitute a first partition 37, and the rear part of the top wall 30B, the pair of upper side walls 36B, and the upper end wall 36D constitute a second partition 38. The first partition 37 and the second partition 38 are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction through the opening M3, separated by a slit-shaped contact. Furthermore, at the abutment portion (rear end) of the slit (contact through the opening M3) of the fitting cylinder 35, an abutment rod 39 is provided between a pair of cylinder sidewalls 30C. The front corner of the abutment rod 39 is chamfered at an angle.

[0127] Furthermore, in the fitting cylinder 35 (front portion of the fitting cylinder 35) located further forward than the flange portion 36, a plurality of fitting protrusions 31 are formed, similar to those of the fitting cylinder 30 of the substrate housing 10 according to the first embodiment. Additionally, in the substrate housing 11 according to the second embodiment, a locking claw portion 32 is formed on the outer surface (upper surface) of the top wall 30B of the cylinder. Furthermore, in the retaining edge substrate unit 6 according to the second embodiment, contact portions 42 (a plurality of electrode patterns 44) of the retaining edge substrate 40 are formed at the ends of both the front and back surfaces of the substrate body 41.

[0128] [Assembly steps of the card edge substrate unit]

[0129] An example of the assembly steps for the card edge substrate unit 6 will be described. First, similar to the assembly steps for the card edge substrate unit 5 in the first embodiment, the card edge substrate 40 (substrate body 41) is housed in the housing body 20 (housing space S1) through the substrate through the opening M1 while maintaining a horizontal posture, and is fixed to each substrate fixing part 21 by screws 45 (see Figure 11A).

[0130] After the substrate body 41 is housed in the housing space S1, the fitting cylinder 35 is mounted on the housing body 20. The rear part of the fitting cylinder 35 is inserted into the mounting opening 20C of the housing body 20. When the fitting cylinder 35 is inserted, the front end (contact portion 42) of the substrate body 41 enters the contact passage opening M3 of the fitting cylinder 35 (see Figure 11B). The cylinder flange portion 36 interferes with the front edge of the mounting opening 20C, thereby restricting the insertion of the fitting cylinder 35 into the housing body 20 (see Figure 11B). Furthermore, the fitting cylinder 35 (cylinder flange portion 36) is preferably fixed to the housing body 20 by an adhesive. In addition, the front end face of the retaining substrate 40 (contact portion 42) abuts against the rear end face of the abutment rod 39.

[0131] As shown in Figure 11B, the contact portion 42 of the card edge substrate 40 is disposed in the fitting space S2 through the contact through the opening M3. The upper end surface of the first partition portion 37 contacts the lower surface (main surface F) of the substrate body 41, and the lower end surface of the second partition portion 38 contacts the upper surface (main surface F) of the substrate body 41. The first partition portion 37 and the second partition portion 38 clamp the substrate body 41 from the upper and lower sides, contact the front and back surfaces of the substrate body 41, and form a partition structure 16 that separates the receiving space S1 from the fitting space S2.

[0132] Finally, as needed, potting material is filled into the housing body 20 (accommodation space S1). Thus, the card edge substrate unit 6 is completed.

[0133] According to the second embodiment described above, since the fitting cylinder 35 is a component separate from the housing body 20, the fitting cylinder 35 can be installed on the housing body 20 after the edge substrate 40 is housed in the housing body 20. As a result, the operation of housing the edge substrate 40 in the substrate housing 11 (housing body 20) can be made easier.

[0134] Next, the edge connector 80 according to the second embodiment will be described. The edge connector 80 is a waterproof connector having a structure similar to that of the edge connector 50 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG12, the edge connector 80 includes a plurality of (e.g., 12) terminals 51, a housing 82, a housing seal 83, a retainer 84, a wire seal 85, and a sealing cap 86.

[0135] Furthermore, viewed from the back (or front), the 12 terminals 51 are arranged in a grid pattern of 2 rows and 6 columns. That is, there are 6 terminals 51 arranged in the left-right direction in two layers. In addition, the housing 82, housing seal 83, retainer 84, wire seal 85, and sealing cover 86 are constructed with corresponding elements that are similar to those of the card edge connector 50 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the differences from the card edge connector 50 according to the first embodiment will be briefly described below.

[0136] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the outer casing 82 has an outer cylindrical portion 65, an inner cylindrical portion 66, a retaining mounting hole 67, and a locking arm 68, and is integrally molded, for example, from a non-conductive synthetic resin. A pair of contact receiving portions 71, facing each other in the vertical direction and separated by a substrate entry groove 87, are formed at the rear of the inner cylindrical portion 66. Details will be described later. When the edge connector 80 is engaged with the fitting cylinder 35, the front end portion (contact portion 42) of the substrate body 41 enters the substrate entry groove 87.

[0137] The inner cylinder 66 contains a main housing 70 and a pair of contact housings 71 arranged in a grid pattern of 2 rows and 6 columns, comprising 12 housing chambers 73. Twelve contact openings 74 are provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of contact housings 71, which pass through the substrate entry groove 87. The upper housing chamber 73 has a spear-shaped portion 75 protruding downwards from the top and extending rearwards. The lower housing chamber 73 also has a spear-shaped portion 75 protruding upwards from the bottom and extending rearwards.

[0138] The retaining mounting hole 67 is a through hole that extends through the receiving body portion 70 in the left-right direction, and it opens on the side of the receiving body portion 70, which protrudes rearward from the outer cylinder portion 65 (not shown in FIG12). Twelve retaining holes (not shown) communicating with the twelve receiving chambers 73 are provided on the top and bottom surfaces constituting the retaining mounting hole 67. A locking arm 68 is provided on the upper part of the sealing element placement space S3. An arm insertion hole 76 communicating with the sealing element placement space S3 is provided on the upper front surface of the outer cylinder portion 65, and the locking arm 68 is swayably supported with the lower edge of the arm insertion hole 76 as a fulcrum. A locking claw portion 68A protrudes from the rear end of the lower surface of the locking arm 68, and a release operation portion 68B is provided at the front end of the upper surface of the locking arm 68.

[0139] The outer casing seal 83 is formed into a ring shape from an elastically deformable material and is disposed in the seal placement space S3. It flattens the protrusion on its inner circumferential surface and makes close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the receiving body 70. The retainer 84 is integrally molded, for example, from a non-conductive synthetic resin. The retainer 84 has a retaining outer portion 84A formed in a transverse U-shape, a retaining body 84B extending to the right from the retaining outer portion 84A, and 12 retaining protrusions 84C protruding from the upper and lower surfaces of the retaining body 84B. A plate-shaped retaining flange 84D extending in the vertical direction is formed at the right end of the retaining body 84B.

[0140] The wire seal 85 is formed into a cuboid shape from an elastically deformable material and is configured to fit into the seal press-in space S4 of the seal receiving portion 72. The wire seal 85 has 12 seal through holes 55A for 12 cables 58 arranged in 2 rows and 6 columns. The sealing cap 86 is integrally molded, for example, from a non-conductive synthetic resin. On the front wall of the cap body 77, 12 cap through holes 77A for 12 cables 58 are arranged in 2 rows and 6 columns. A pair of cap arms 78 extend upwards from both sides of the cap body 77 in the left-right direction and then bend towards each other.

[0141] The edge connector 80 according to the second embodiment is assembled according to the same steps as the edge connector 50 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG13, in the assembled state of the edge connector 80, the terminal contact portion 62 of the terminal 51 protrudes from the contact opening 74 of the contact receiving portion 71 into the substrate entry groove 87. In addition, the retaining member 84 is inserted into the retaining mounting hole 67 from left to right. Each retaining protrusion 84C protrudes from the retaining hole into the interior of the receiving chamber 73 and engages with the retaining gap 64 of the terminal 51. Furthermore, the retaining outer portion 84A and the retaining flange portion 84D of the retaining member 84 constitute part of the outer portion (left and right sides) of the receiving body portion 70.

[0142] The edge connector 80 of the second embodiment is connected to the edge substrate unit 6 following the same steps as the edge connector 50 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG14, when the edge connector 80 is inserted into the fitting cylinder 35, the contact portion 42 of the edge substrate 40 enters the substrate entry groove 87 of the housing 82 relative to each other, interfering with the plurality of terminal contact portions 62 protruding from the opposing surfaces of a pair of contact receiving portions 71 into the substrate entry groove 87. When the edge connector 80 is inserted, the contact portion 42 opens the opposing terminal contact portions 62 in the vertical direction while entering between the opposing terminal contact portions 62 in the vertical direction. The opposing terminal contact portions 62 in the vertical direction clamp the contact portion 42 that has entered the substrate entry groove 87 and contact the front and back surfaces (electrode pattern 44) of the contact portion 42.

[0143] Thus, the card edge connector 80 is connected to the card edge substrate unit 6. In this state, the end faces (rear faces) of a pair of contact receiving portions 71 abut against (or are opposed to) the front faces of the lower end wall 36C and the upper end wall 36D with a slight gap.

[0144] According to the second embodiment described above, the edge connection structure 2 can achieve the same effect as the edge connection structure 1 described in the first embodiment, such as the ability to omit the operation of fixing the object-side shell to the substrate body 41.

[0145] <Modifications of the Second Embodiment>

[0146] As shown in FIG15A, in a variation of the second embodiment, the housing 82 of the snap-fit ​​connector 80 has a rib 88 disposed between a pair of contact receiving portions 71. The rib 88 is disposed in an upright position at the center of the substrate entry groove 87 in the left-right direction, connecting the pair of contact receiving portions 71. The substrate entry groove 87 is divided into two parts in the left-right direction by the rib 88.

[0147] As shown in FIG15B, in a modified example of the second embodiment, a cutout 46 is formed at the front end of the substrate body 41. The cutout 46 is recessed from the front end toward the rear in the center of the substrate body 41 in the left-right direction. The contact portion 42 is divided into two parts in the left-right direction by the cutout 46. When the retaining connector 80 is fitted with the fitting cylinder 35, the rib 88 fits into the cutout 46.

[0148] According to the modified embodiment of the second embodiment, the edge connection structure 2, since the rib 88 connects a pair of contact receiving portions 71, it is possible to suppress the separation or approach of the pair of contact receiving portions 71, and to maintain the pair of contact receiving portions 71 at a predetermined interval. As a result, the interval between the plurality of terminals 51 housed in the pair of contact receiving portions 71 also becomes constant, thus allowing the terminals 51 (terminal contact portions 62) to contact the contact portions 42 on both the front and back surfaces of the edge substrate 40 with appropriate pressure. Furthermore, when the edge connector 80 is fitted into the fitting cylinder 35, the rib 88 engages with the cutout portion 46, thus suppressing the vibration of the edge connector 80 in the left-right direction. In addition, by connecting the pair of contact receiving portions 71 with the rib 88, the overall rigidity of the housing 82 is increased, thus suppressing the vibration of the edge connector 80 in the up-down direction when the end (contact portion 42) of the edge substrate 40 is clamped in the substrate entry groove 87.

[0149] Furthermore, in a variation of the second embodiment, a rib 88 is centrally positioned between a pair of contact receiving portions 71 in the left-right direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The number and position of the ribs 88 can also be freely varied. In this case, the number and position of the cutouts 46 of the substrate body 41 are preferably also varied according to the number and position of the ribs 88.

[0150] <Third Implementation Method>

[0151] As shown in Figures 16 and 17A, in the substrate housing 12 of the edge connection structure 3 (edge ​​substrate unit 7) according to the third embodiment, the housing body 22 is formed to be divisible along the vertical direction. Specifically, the housing body 22 is formed to be divisible into a first divided housing 23 and a second divided housing 24. Furthermore, the first divided housing 23 has a structure that is substantially the same as the housing body 20 of the substrate housing 10 according to the first embodiment, so its detailed description is omitted.

[0152] The fitting cylinder 301 is integrally formed with the first partition shell 23. The fitting cylinder 301 has a structure substantially the same as the fitting cylinder 30 of the substrate shell 10 according to the first embodiment, and has a contact passage opening M2 at the rear of the receiving space S1 for the contact portion 42 to pass through. In addition, the second partition portion 34 provided on the fitting cylinder 30 is omitted in the fitting cylinder 301, and the engaging claw portion 32 provided on the bottom wall 30A of the fitting cylinder 30 is provided on the top wall 30B. In addition, inside the fitting cylinder 301, an abutment rod 39 for abutting the front end face of the retaining plate 40 (contact portion 42) is provided between a pair of cylinder side walls 30C.

[0153] Furthermore, in the card edge substrate unit 7 according to the third embodiment, similar to the card edge substrate unit 6 according to the second embodiment, the contact portion 42 (multiple electrode patterns 44) of the card edge substrate 40 is formed at the ends of both the front and back surfaces of the substrate body 41.

[0154] The second partition shell 24 is generally formed as a shallow tray with an open lower surface. An inner wall 25 and a second partition 26 are provided near the center of the front part of the second partition shell 24 in the left-right direction (corresponding to the position of the fitting cylinder 301). The inner wall 25 is suspended from the front end of the second partition shell 24. Viewed from the front, the lower edge of the inner wall 25 is arched. The second partition 26 is disposed on the rear side of the inner wall 25 and is suspended from the top surface of the second partition shell 24. The second partition 26 has a pair of partition sidewalls 26A extending rearward from both ends of the inner wall 25 in the left-right direction, and a partition end wall 26B mounted at the rear end of the pair of partition sidewalls 26A. The partition sidewalls 26A and partition end wall 26B extend downward beyond the inner wall 25.

[0155] When assembling the edge substrate unit 7 according to the third embodiment, the edge substrate 40 is housed in the first partition housing 23 following the same steps as the edge substrate unit 5 according to the first embodiment. That is, the first partition housing 23 supports the substrate body 41, which passes through the substrate passage opening M1 in a horizontal position (a position in which the main surface F is parallel to one side), while maintaining the horizontal position. The contact portion 42 passes through the contact passage opening M2 and is disposed in the fitting space S2 of the fitting cylinder 301 (see FIG17A).

[0156] Next, the second segmented housing 24 is positioned above the first segmented housing 23 (see Figure 17A), lowered while maintaining a horizontal posture, and sandwiching the substrate body 41 between itself and the first segmented housing 23. The second segmented housing 24 closes the substrate through the opening M1, and the first segmented housing 23 and the second segmented housing 24 are connected to form the housing body 22 (see Figure 17B). Furthermore, the second segmented housing 24 is preferably fixed to the first segmented housing 23 by an adhesive. In addition, the inner wall 25 overlaps with the inner surface of the front wall of the first segmented housing 23, and the lower end of the inner wall 25 is located slightly below the top wall 30B of the fitting cylinder 301.

[0157] As shown in Figure 17B, the upper end face of the first partition 33 contacts the lower surface (main surface F) of the substrate body 41, and the lower end face of the second partition 26 contacts the upper surface (main surface F) of the substrate body 41. The second partition 26 contacts the upper surface (main surface F) of the substrate body 41, thereby closing the fitting space S2. The first partition 33 and the second partition 26 clamp the substrate body 41 from the upper and lower sides, forming a partition structure 17 that separates the receiving space S1 from the fitting space S2.

[0158] Furthermore, although the illustration is omitted, the card edge substrate unit 7 (card edge substrate 40) according to the third embodiment is connected to the card edge connector 80 according to the second embodiment.

[0159] According to the substrate housing 12 of the third embodiment, the card edge substrate 40 (substrate body 41 and contact portion 42) can be housed in the first dividing housing 23 and the fitting cylinder 301 while maintaining a posture parallel to the upper surface of the first dividing housing 23. Therefore, it is not necessary to tilt or change the posture of the card edge substrate 40, and the same effect as the substrate housing 10 of the first embodiment can be obtained, such as the ability to easily house the card edge substrate 40 in the substrate housing 12.

[0160] Furthermore, the features of the substrate housing 11 involved in the second embodiment (including variations, the same applies below) can also be applied to the substrate housing 12 involved in the third embodiment, and the fitting cylinder 301 can be detachably disposed in the first partition housing 23 (not shown). In this case, the first partition portion 33 of the first partition housing 23, the inner wall 25 of the second partition housing 24, the second partition portion 26, etc. (not shown) can also be omitted.

[0161] <Fourth Implementation>

[0162] As shown in Figure 18, in the edge connection structure 4 (edge ​​substrate unit 8) according to the fourth embodiment, the main body 27 of the substrate housing 13 is configured to be divisible in the left-right direction. The main body 27 is formed to be divisible into a first divided housing 28 and a second divided housing 29.

[0163] The first segmented housing 28 is, for example, formed in the shape of a box with a substrate passage opening M1 on its right surface (one side), and supports the substrate body 41, which passes through the substrate passage opening M1 in a horizontal position (a position in which the main surface F is orthogonal to the left surface). The second segmented housing 29 is, for example, formed in the shape of a generally plate, and is disposed with the substrate body 41 sandwiched between it and the first segmented housing 28, and closes the substrate passage opening M1. Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, it is preferable that the first segmented housing 28 is provided with a structure that supports (fixes) the substrate body 41.

[0164] The fitting cylinder 47 is integrally provided with the first partition shell 28. The fitting cylinder 47 has a structure that is substantially the same as the fitting cylinder 35 of the substrate shell 10 according to the second embodiment, and has a contact passage opening M3 at the rear of the receiving space S1 for the contact portion 42 to pass through.

[0165] According to the substrate housing 13 of the fourth embodiment, the same effect as that of the substrate housing 10 of the first embodiment can be obtained, which can easily accommodate the edge substrate 40. In addition, the features of the substrate housing 11 of the second embodiment can be applied to the substrate housing 13 of the fourth embodiment, and the fitting cylinder 47 is detachably provided in the first partition housing 28 (not shown).

[0166] Furthermore, in the substrate housings 10 to 13 of the first to fourth embodiments, a separation structure 15 to 17 is provided to separate the receiving space S1 from the fitting space S2. However, it is not limited to this and the separation structure 15 to 17 (not shown) may also be omitted.

[0167] In addition, in the edge connection structures 1 to 4 of the first to fourth embodiments, the edge connector 50 is a waterproof connector, but it is not limited to this and may also be a non-waterproof connector (not shown).

[0168] Furthermore, the above description of the embodiments illustrates one aspect of the substrate housing, the card edge substrate unit, and the card edge connection structure according to the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The constituent elements in the above embodiments can be appropriately substituted or combined with existing constituent elements, etc., and the content of the invention described in the claims is not limited based on the description of the above embodiments.

Claims

1. A substrate housing, wherein the substrate housing accommodates a retaining substrate having contact portions at the ends of a substrate body, characterized in that, The device comprises: a housing body forming a receiving space capable of accommodating the substrate body; and a fitting cylinder forming a cylindrical shape that opens in a direction parallel to the main surface of the card edge substrate and extends from the inside of the receiving space to the outside, and forming a fitting space capable of accommodating the contact portion and allowing a card edge connector connected to the card edge substrate to fit into it. The housing body is formed in the shape of a box having a substrate passage opening on one side, and supports the substrate body passing through the substrate passage opening in an attitude in which the main surface is parallel to the one side. A contact passage opening for the contact portion to pass through is formed in a part of the fitting cylinder located in the receiving space, and the contact portion passing through the contact passage opening is disposed in the fitting space.

2. A substrate housing, wherein the substrate housing accommodates a retaining substrate having contact portions at the ends of a substrate body, characterized in that, The device comprises: a housing body forming a receiving space capable of accommodating the substrate body; and a fitting cylinder forming a cylindrical shape that opens in a direction parallel to the main surface of the card edge substrate and extends from the inside of the receiving space to the outside, and forming a fitting space capable of accommodating the contact portion and fitting with a card edge connector that can be connected to the card edge substrate. The housing body is formed to be divisible into a first split housing and a second split housing. The first split housing is formed into a box shape with a substrate passage opening on one side and supports the substrate body passing through the substrate passage opening in an orientation where the main surface is parallel to the one side or orthogonal to the one side. The second split housing is configured to sandwich the substrate body between itself and the first split housing and to close the substrate passage opening. The fitting cylinder is disposed in the first split housing, and a contact passage opening for the contact portion to pass through is formed in a portion of the fitting cylinder located in the receiving space. The contact portion passing through the contact passage opening is disposed in the fitting space.

3. The substrate housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fitted cylindrical body is separately constructed from the main body of the shell and is installed on the main body of the shell.

4. The substrate housing according to claim 3, characterized in that, After the substrate body is housed in the housing space, the fitting cylinder is installed on the housing body. The fitting cylinder is provided with a partition structure that contacts both the front and back surfaces of the substrate body, separating the housing space from the fitting space.

5. The substrate housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The fitting cylinder is provided with a partition structure that contacts a main surface of the substrate body that is opposite to the opening of the contact point and an end surface of the substrate body that is opposite to the opening of the fitting cylinder, thereby separating the receiving space from the fitting space.

6. The substrate housing according to claim 2, characterized in that, The substrate body is supported on the first segmented housing in an attitude in which the main surface is parallel to one side of the first segmented housing. A first partition is provided in the fitting cylinder, which contacts one of the main surfaces of the substrate body that is the side of the first segmented housing. A second partition is provided in the second segmented housing, which closes the fitting space by contacting the other main surface of the substrate body. The first partition and the second partition constitute a partition structure that separates the receiving space from the fitting space.

7. A card edge substrate unit, characterized in that, It comprises: a substrate housing as described in claim 1 or 2; and the card edge substrate, which is housed in the substrate housing.

8. A card edge connection structure, characterized in that, It comprises: the card edge substrate unit as described in claim 7; and the card edge connector, which is connected to the card edge substrate.

9. The card edge connection structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The card edge substrate has contact portions at the ends on both sides of the front and back. The card edge connector has: a housing including a pair of contact receiving portions facing each other across a substrate entry groove, the substrate entry groove being for the end of the substrate body to enter when the housing is fitted with the fitting cylinder; and a plurality of terminals, received in the housing, clamping the end that has entered the substrate entry groove and contacting both sides of the contact portions. The housing has ribs disposed between the pair of contact receiving portions, and a cutout is formed at the end of the substrate body, the cutout being for the ribs to engage when the card edge connector is fitted with the fitting cylinder.

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