Relay connector, and fpc substrate for relay connector

Abstract

Provided is a relay connector that improves problems such as degradation and delay of signals between a first substrate and a second substrate, and an FPC substrate for the relay connector. The relay connector includes a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion, a first insertion space in which the first substrate is inserted being provided in the first housing portion, and a second insertion space in which the second substrate is inserted being provided in the second housing portion, and a plurality of terminals provided across both the first housing portion and the second housing portion. A substrate connecting portion is provided on one side of the second housing portion of a part of the plurality of terminals, and the substrate connecting portion is capable of connecting with a substrate surface of a third substrate when at least a part of the second housing portion is inserted through a through-hole provided in the third substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a relay connector, and more particularly to a relay connector capable of connecting a first substrate and a second substrate, and an FPC substrate for the relay connector. Background Technology

[0002] An optical transceiver is a device used to convert between electrical signals and optical signals. It is electrically connected to an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mounted on a printed wiring board via a connector mounted on the printed wiring board.

[0003] Existing jack connectors are typically mounted on printed circuit boards (PCBs) with the optical transceiver's insertion / removal direction parallel to the PCB surface (e.g., see Patent Document 1). However, in this mounting method, depending on the location of the optical transceiver, the distance from the jack to the integrated circuit sometimes increases. In other words, the pattern length of the PCB increases, leading to signal degradation and delay problems as the signal speed increases.

[0004] In the invention described in Patent Document 2, the aforementioned problems are addressed by aligning the insertion / removal direction of the optical transceiver perpendicular to the surface of the printed circuit board. The jack assembly 30 of Patent Document 2 is an assembly that electrically connects a module 20, such as an optical transceiver, capable of plug-in connection, to an integrated circuit 13, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). It is mounted substantially perpendicular to the front surface 101 of the printed circuit board (substrate) 100 housed within the housing 11 of the communication system 10. The jack assembly 30 includes a connector 200 and a cover 400 that houses the connector 200. When the module 20 is inserted into the connector 200, the module 20 is electrically connected to the front surface 101 of the printed circuit board 100 in a state substantially perpendicular to the surface of the printed circuit board, and transmits signals on the printed circuit board 100 via a pattern applied to the printed circuit board 100. Clearly, according to the structure of Patent Document 2, compared to the connector in Patent Document 1 where the insertion / removal direction of the optical transceiver is parallel to the surface of the printed circuit board, the pattern length of the printed circuit board can be shortened. Therefore, problems such as signal degradation and delay can be alleviated to some extent. However, even in the invention described in Patent Document 2, all communication is still carried out via patterns on a printed wiring board, and therefore the aforementioned problems have not been completely resolved.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7082068

[0006] Patent Document 2: US Patent Publication No. 2004 / 0097374 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a relay connector that addresses the problems in the prior art described above, and an FPC substrate for the relay connector.

[0008] To address the aforementioned issues, one aspect of the present invention relates to a relay connector characterized by comprising: a housing having a first housing portion and a second housing portion, wherein the first housing portion has a first insertion space for inserting a first substrate, and the second housing portion has a second insertion space for inserting a second substrate; and a plurality of terminals provided across both the first housing portion and the second housing portion, wherein a substrate connecting portion is provided on one side of the second housing portion of a portion of the plurality of terminals, and the substrate connecting portion is capable of connecting to the substrate surface of the third substrate when at least a portion of the second housing portion is inserted into a through hole provided in a third substrate.

[0009] According to this method, the relay connector can be installed with at least a portion of the second housing inserted into a through hole provided on the third substrate. Therefore, the first substrate and the second substrate can be directly connected via terminals provided inside the relay connector, instead of being connected via a pattern on a printed wiring board.

[0010] The first substrate and the second substrate can be directly connected via terminals, rather than via patterns on a printed wiring board. Therefore, a relay connector that improves the signal degradation and delay problems between the first substrate and the second substrate, as well as an FPC substrate for the relay connector, are provided. Attached Figure Description

[0011] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a relay connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate that can be used with the relay connector, and its peripheral components, and is a view showing the state before the substrate is connected.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a perspective view showing a relay connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, a substrate that can be used with the relay connector, and its peripheral components, and is a view showing the state after the substrate is connected.

[0013] Figure 3 It means that it has been set. Figure 1 , Figure 2 The diagram shows a schematic perspective view of the system according to one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating the use of the relay connector.

[0014] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of an FPC substrate unit that can be used in a relay connector according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional view showing the state of the FPC substrate inside the relay connector when the FPC substrate is connected to the relay connector.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the state of the FPC substrate inside the relay connector when the card edge plate is further connected to the relay connector.

[0017] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 and Figure 6 The diagram shows an enlarged view of the multiple terminals located on the relay connector and the mounting metal parts.

[0018] Figure 8 It is a 3D view of the signal terminals and grounding terminals.

[0019] Figure 9 It is a three-dimensional view of the signal terminals and the power terminals.

[0020] Figure 10 This is a partial enlarged view of the substrate surface of the system substrate.

[0021] Figure 11 It is a 3D view of the metal parts being installed.

[0022] Figure 12 This is a three-dimensional view of the front surface of a horizontally positioned repeater connector.

[0023] Figure 13 This is a three-dimensional view of the rear surface of a vertically positioned repeater connector.

[0024] Figure 14 These are the front surface view, top view, and rear surface view of the relay connector.

[0025] Figure 15 Through with Figure 13 The same method is used to show a perspective view of the relay connector mounted on the system board.

[0026] Figure 16 yes Figure 15 Top view.

[0027] Figure 17 yes Figure 16 The diagram is a sectional view along line AA, showing a cross-section of the signal terminals included in the first terminal group A.

[0028] Figure 18 yes Figure 16 The diagram shows a sectional view along line BB, and is a cross-section of the signal terminals included in the second terminal group B.

[0029] Figure 19 yes Figure 16The diagram is a cross-sectional view along the CC line, and is a cross-section of the grounding terminal included in the first terminal group A.

[0030] Figure 20 yes Figure 16 The DD line cross-sectional view is a diagram showing the cross-section of the grounding terminal included in the second terminal group B.

[0031] Figure 21 yes Figure 16 The diagram is a cross-sectional view along the EE line, showing a cross-section of the power supply terminals included in the first terminal group A.

[0032] Figure 22 yes Figure 16 The diagram is a sectional view along line FF, showing a cross-section of the power supply terminals included in the second terminal group B.

[0033] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0034] 1…Relay connector; 2…System; 5…Connector; 10…Housing; 11…First housing section; 12…Second housing section; 20…Signal terminal; 23…First signal contact; 24…Second signal contact; 30…Ground terminal; 33…First ground contact; 34…Second ground contact; 40…Substrate connection terminal; 44…Electrical contact (signal contact); 45…Substrate connection section; 50…Mounting metal part; 55…Fixing part; 60…Substrate connection terminal (power terminal); 64…Electrical contact (power contact); 65…Substrate connection section; 70…System substrate (third substrate); 71…Through hole; 73…Ventilation port; 75…Internal space; 80…FPC substrate (second substrate); 90…Module (optical transceiver); 92…Flange plate (first substrate); 110…First insertion space; 117…Through hole; 120…Second insertion space; 125…Through hole; 129…Space. Detailed Implementation

[0035] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Only the preferred embodiments are shown for ease of explanation, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0036] exist Figure 1 , Figure 2In this diagram, a relay connector according to one embodiment of the present invention, a substrate capable of being used with the relay connector, and its peripheral components are shown in perspective. According to this relay connector 1, for example, a retaining plate 92 (“first substrate”) and an FPC substrate 80 (“second substrate”) inserted into a first housing portion 11 and a second housing portion 12 of the relay connector 1 can be interconnected. Furthermore, these retaining plates 92 and FPC substrates 80 are merely examples of substrates that can be connected via the relay connector 1, and this embodiment is not limited to the use of these substrates. Figure 1 The diagram shows the state of these substrates before they were connected. Figure 2 The state of these substrates after they are connected is shown.

[0037] The edge plate 92 is a known material. Figure 1 , Figure 2 Commercially available products as shown are acceptable. For example, it could also be a structural component of a module such as an optical transceiver 90. Furthermore, the optical transceiver 90 is an example of a module that can be used with the card edge plate 92. The card edge plate 92 can be installed in other modules besides the optical transceiver 90, or the card edge plate 92 can be used alone without using a module.

[0038] Figure 1 , Figure 2 The shown clamping plate 92 is positioned at the front end of the main body 91 of the optical transceiver 90, clamped by internal substrates 93A and 93B in a vertical direction "Z" (a third direction) orthogonal to both the front-rear direction "X" ("first direction") and the width direction "Y" ("second direction"), i.e., built into the optical transceiver 90, and has a predetermined length along the width direction "Y" orthogonal to the front-rear direction "X". A cable support portion 95 is provided at the rear end side, capable of supporting the optical cable 3 along the front-rear direction "X".

[0039] Figure 3 Set Figure 1 , Figure 2 The system of repeater connectors shown is illustrated in a schematic perspective view. System 2 includes housings (70, 74), multiple housings 76 mounted on the housings, and multiple repeater connectors 1 (in... Figure 3 Only the second shell portion 12 is shown in the middle.

[0040] Regarding the outer casing, for convenience, Figure 3Only a portion of the structural components constituting the housing are shown, namely the system substrate 70 forming the sidewall and the base plate 74 forming the bottom wall. System substrates 70A and 70B are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction "Y," and together they form one sidewall of the housing. In addition, various structural components are actually housed inside the housing 700, but for the sake of simplicity in the drawings, only the FPC substrate 80 and a portion of the structural components relevant to this embodiment, namely the connector 5 and the heat sink 15, are shown here. Furthermore, in the following description and drawings, the letters "A" or "B" are added to the reference numerals only where it is deemed convenient for differentiation.

[0041] The housing 76 is disposed upright, facing outward in a vertical direction from one substrate surface 701 of the system substrate 70. The mounting orientation of the housing 76 relative to the system substrate 70 is not particularly limited; for example, the housing 76A disposed on the system substrate 70A is mounted in a horizontal orientation "Y", and the housing 76B disposed on the system substrate 70B is mounted in a vertical orientation "Z". Figure 1 , Figure 2 The optical transceiver 90 of the shown edge-type plate 92 is inserted into each housing 76 from one substrate surface 701 toward another substrate surface 702 (along X1). That is, similar to the invention described in Patent Document 2, the system substrate 70 is perpendicular to the insertion and removal direction of the optical transceiver 90 and is arranged along the surface (YZ surface) formed by the width direction "Y" and the vertical direction "Z". When the optical transceiver 90 is inserted into the housing 76, the edge-type plate 92 provided on the front end side of the optical transceiver 90 is inserted into the first housing portion 11 of the repeater connector 1.

[0042] Each relay connector 1 is mounted in the housing such that a portion of the second housing portion 12 is inserted from one substrate surface 701 toward another substrate surface 702 (along X1) into a through hole 71 provided on the system substrate 70. Figure 3 Only the inserted second housing portion 12 is shown in the diagram. The through-hole 71 is configured to penetrate the plane orthogonal to the insertion direction "X1" of the second housing portion 12, in other words, to form a plane (YZ plane) formed by the width direction "Y" and the vertical direction "Z". In order to cool the interior 700 of the housing, a vent 73 communicating with the interior 700 of the housing is also provided on the system substrate 70. The vent 73 is arranged between the through-holes 71, thereby effectively dissipating the heat emitted from the FPC substrate 80 to the outside of the housing.

[0043] The FPC substrate 80 is inserted at one end from another substrate surface 702 toward a substrate surface 701 (along X2) into the second housing portion 12 of each relay connector 1. At this time, the FPC substrate 80 is housed inside the housing 700. The FPC substrate 80 used in this embodiment has some special shapes, but its basic structure is the same as that of a normal FPC substrate. Therefore, the FPC substrate 80 can be easily manufactured by processing commercially available products. In addition to the straight portions 831, 841, 851 that are formed at one end inserted into the second housing portion 12, the FPC substrate 80 also includes extended portions 832-833, 842-845, 852-854 that extend toward the base plate 74 in the width direction "Y" and / or the downward direction "Z2". The other end of the FPC substrate, namely the end of the extension portions 832-833, is connected to the connector 5 provided on the base plate 74. In addition, the ends of the extension portions 842-845 and 852-854 are connected to the heat sink 15 provided on the base plate 74. In order to improve the cooling effect, gaps 86-88 are formed between the extension portions 832-833, 842-845, and 852-854 to achieve the shortest distance and the largest possible distance in the direction toward the connector 5.

[0044] exist Figures 4-6 The detailed structure of one end of the FPC substrate is shown in a three-dimensional view. Figure 4 This is a 3D view of one end of the FPC substrate unit. Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing the state of the FPC board inside the repeater connector when the FPC board is connected to the repeater connector. More specifically, it is a perspective view showing the connection state of the FPC board with the multiple terminals and mounting metal parts disposed in the repeater connector. Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing the state of the FPC substrate inside the relay connector when the card edge plate is further connected to the relay connector, and more specifically, the connection state between the FPC substrate, the card edge plate, and the multiple terminals and mounting metal parts disposed in the relay connector.

[0045] like Figure 4 As clearly shown, the FPC substrate 80 has a first pad portion 810 and a second pad portion 820 arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction "Y" via a gap 82 at one end in the front-rear direction "X". On each of the front and back surfaces of these first pad portions 810 and second pad portions 820, a plurality of first pads 811 and second pads 821 arranged along the width direction "Y" are provided, corresponding to the plurality of terminals 20 and 30 provided on the repeater connector 1. In addition, concave locking portions 812 and 822 for locking the FPC substrate 80 to the repeater connector 1 are respectively provided on the outer surfaces of the first pad portions 810 and second pad portions 820 in the width direction "Y".

[0046] like Figure 5 As shown, when the FPC substrate 80 is connected to the relay connector 1, the multiple terminals 20 and 30 provided on the relay connector 1 are elastically connected to the first pad 811 and the second pad 821, respectively, and the locking portion 54 of the mounting metal part 50 provided on the relay connector 1 is elastically locked to the locking portions 812 and 822 respectively provided on the first pad portion 810 and the second pad portion 820. Similarly, when the retaining edge plate 92 is connected to the relay connector 1, as... Figure 6 As shown, multiple terminals 20 and 30 provided on the relay connector 1 are elastically connected to multiple pads 911 provided on the card edge plate 92, and in addition to these terminals 20 and 30, terminals 40 and 60 are also elastically connected in the same way.

[0047] exist Figure 7 The middle shows Figure 5 and Figure 6 The diagram shows an enlarged view of the multiple terminals 20, 30, 40, 60, and the mounting metal part 50. These terminals 20, 30, 40, 60 can be classified into two groups in the vertical direction "Z". A first terminal group A, comprising a portion of each of terminals 20, 30, 40, 60, is formed on the upper side, and a second terminal group B, comprising the remaining portions of each of terminals 20, 30, 40, 60, is formed on the lower side. The first terminal group A and the second terminal group B are arranged separately from each other in the vertical direction "Z". Furthermore, a portion of terminals 20A, 30A, 40A, 60A in the first terminal group A and another portion of terminals 20B, 30B, 40B, 60B in the second terminal group B have the same arrangement in the width direction "Y" and are staggered in the width direction "Y" to form an interlaced configuration. The terminals 20A, 30A, 40A, and 60A included in the first terminal group A and the terminals 20B, 30B, 40B, and 60B included in the second terminal group B have the same arrangement in the width direction "Y". Therefore, only the first terminal group A will be described in detail below, and the description of the second terminal group will be omitted or simplified.

[0048] The first terminal group A includes a signal terminal 20A, a ground terminal 30A, and substrate connection terminals 40A and 60A. The substrate connection terminals 40A and 60A also include a signal terminal 40A and a power terminal 60A. All of these signal terminals 20A, ground terminals 30A, signal terminals 40A, and power terminals 60A are arranged along the front-to-back direction "X" and are equally spaced adjacent to each other in the width direction "Y". Similarly, the second terminal group B includes signal terminals 20B, ground terminals 30B, signal terminals 40B, and power terminals 60B, all of which are also arranged along the front-to-back direction "X" in the repeater connector 1 and are equally spaced adjacent to each other in the width direction "Y".

[0049] The first terminal group A and the second terminal group B form gaps in the front of the front-rear direction "X" and in the vertical direction "Z" to clamp the first pad portion 810 and the second pad portion 820 of the FPC substrate 80. Similarly, a gap is formed in the rear of the front-rear direction "X" and in the vertical direction "Z" to clamp the pad portion of the retaining plate 92. When connecting the FPC substrate 80 and the retaining plate 92 to the relay connector 1, the FPC substrate 80 is inserted into the gap formed in the front of the front of the front-rear direction "X", and the retaining plate 92 is inserted into the gap formed in the rear, so that the FPC substrate 80 and the retaining plate 92 abut against each other from opposite sides in the front-rear direction "X" along the front-rear direction "X".

[0050] The signal terminals 20A and ground terminals 30A included in the first terminal group A are arranged in a group "S" of "ground terminal, signal terminal, signal terminal, ground terminal". In each group "S", two signal terminals 20A are sandwiched between two ground terminals 30A on both sides. By arranging them in this way, the problem of so-called crosstalk can be mitigated. In the first terminal group A, a total of 8 such groups "S", namely "S1" to "S8", are provided along the width direction "Y". More specifically, it is arranged such that another group "T", described later, is sandwiched between a total of 4 groups "S1" to "S4" and a total of 4 groups "S5" to "S8", that is, in the center along the width direction "Y". In addition, the ground terminals forming the ends of each group "S" are allowed to be repeated between adjacent groups. For example, in groups “S1” to “S3”, signal terminal 20A and ground terminal 30A are arranged in the order of “ground terminal 30A, signal terminal 20A, signal terminal 20A, ground terminal 30A, signal terminal 20A, signal terminal 20A, ground terminal 30A, signal terminal 20A, signal terminal 20A, …”. The fourth ground terminal 30A is a structural element of both the first group “S1” and the second group “S2”. In addition, the seventh ground terminal 30A is a structural element of both the second group “S2” and the third group “S3”.

[0051] Another group of "T" located in the center of the width direction "Y" is formed by arranging the signal terminals 40 and power terminals 60 included in the first terminal group A in the order of "signal terminal, power terminal, power terminal, signal terminal". Group "T" is different from the groups "S1" to "S8" mentioned above, therefore, the terminals of group "S" are not repeated.

[0052] exist Figure 8 In the diagram, the signal terminal 20 and the ground terminal 30 are shown in a perspective view, with the aforementioned group "S" as the unit, in other words, arranged in the order of "ground terminal, signal terminal, signal terminal, ground terminal". The signal terminal 20 and the ground terminal 30 have the same size and shape, and are formed into plate shapes by cutting and bending metal plates.

[0053] Signal terminal 20 is used for high-speed transmission. Signal terminal 20 has a base 21 in the center, a first signal contact 23 at one end, and a second signal contact 24 at the other end. When in... Figure 7 In the current state, the first signal contact 23 contacts the designated pads of the card edge plate 92, and the second signal contact 24 contacts the designated pads of the FPC substrate 80, thereby connecting them. The press-in protrusion 210 used when fixing to the repeater connector 1 is provided in a state that protrudes in the width direction "Y" at approximately the center of the base 21, and a stepped portion 25 is provided on the side closer to the second signal contact 24 than the press-in protrusion 210 for adjusting the height of the first signal contact 23 and the second signal contact 24 in the vertical direction "Z".

[0054] Grounding terminal 30 is used for grounding connection. Similar to signal terminal 20, grounding terminal 30 also has a base 31 in the center, a first grounding contact 33 at one end, and a second grounding contact 34 at the other end. When in... Figure 7 In the current state, the first grounding contact 33 contacts the designated pads of the card edge plate 92, and the second grounding contact 34 contacts the designated pads of the FPC substrate 80, thereby grounding them. Similar to the signal terminal 20, a press-in protrusion 310 is provided in approximately the center of the base 31, and a stepped portion 35 is provided on the side near the second grounding contact 34.

[0055] exist Figure 9 In the perspective view, the signal terminal 40 and the power terminal 60 are shown in a configuration where the aforementioned groups of "T" are used as units, in other words, arranged in the order of "signal terminal, power terminal, power terminal, signal terminal". Figure 10 The substrate surface 701 of the system substrate 70 (“third substrate”) is shown in the figure (see reference). Figure 3 (A partially enlarged view.)

[0056] Multiple pads 75 to 79 are provided on the substrate surface 701 of the system substrate 70 to surround the through-hole 71. A total of four pads 75 and 76 are arranged in the order of pads 75, 76, 76, 75 along the width direction "Y" in the outer regions of the vertical direction "Z" of the through-hole 71, and are positioned at the center in the width direction "Y". Signal terminals 40 and power terminals 60 are soldered to these pads 75 and 76, respectively. Additionally, two pads 77 are provided on each outer region of the through-hole 71 in the width direction "Y", for a total of four. Mounting metal parts 50 are soldered to these pads 77. Furthermore, strip-shaped common pads 78 and 79, spaced apart in the width direction "Y" by pads 75 and 76, are provided on the outer regions of the through-hole 71 in the vertical direction "Z". Ground terminals 30 are soldered to these common pads 78 and 79.

[0057] Similar to signal terminal 20 and ground terminal 30, signal terminal 40 and power terminal 60 have the same size and shape, and are formed into plate shapes by cutting and bending metal plates. Signal terminal 40 and power terminal 60 extend as a whole along the front-back direction "X", but unlike signal terminal 20 and ground terminal 30, one end of them is bent at a right angle in the vertical direction "Z" so that they stand upright perpendicular to the housing 10.

[0058] The signal terminal 40 is used for low-speed transmission. The signal terminal 40 has a base 41 at its center, a signal contact 44 serving as an electrical contact at one end, and a substrate connection portion 45 at its other end. This substrate connection portion 45 is bent at a right angle in the vertical direction "Z" and has a connection surface 45a along the surface formed by the width direction "Y" and the vertical direction "Z" (YZ plane). When in... Figure 7 In the current state, the electrical contact 44 contacts the designated pads of the card edge plate 92, and the substrate connection portion 45 is soldered to the pads 75 of the system substrate 70, connecting the card edge plate 92 and the system substrate 70. The press-in protrusion 410 used when fixing to the repeater connector 1 is provided on the substrate connection portion 45 side of the base 41 in a state of protruding in the width direction "Y".

[0059] The power terminal 60 is used to supply power to the optical transceiver 90 via the system substrate 70. Similar to the signal terminal 40, the power terminal 60 also has a base 61 at the center, a power contact 64 serving as an electrical contact at one end, and a substrate connection portion 65 at the other end. This substrate connection portion 65 is formed by bending at a right angle in the vertical direction "Z" to create a connection surface 65a along the surface (YZ plane) formed by the width direction "Y" and the vertical direction "Z". When in... Figure 7In the current state, the electrical contact 64 contacts the designated pads of the card edge plate 92, and the substrate connection portion 65 is soldered to the pads 76 of the system substrate 70, connecting the card edge plate 92 and the system substrate 70. The press-in protrusion 610 used when fixing to the repeater connector 1 is provided on the substrate connection portion 65 side of the base 61 in a "Y" shape in the width direction.

[0060] exist Figure 11 The figure shows a perspective view of the mounting metal part 50. The mounting metal part 50, like the terminal 20, is formed into a plate shape by cutting and bending a metal plate, and extends in the same front-back direction "X" as the terminal 20.

[0061] The mounting metal part 50 has a generally rectangular base 51 at its center. A press-in protrusion 510, used for fixing to the repeater connector 1, is positioned approximately at the center of the base 51, protruding in a vertical "Z" direction. A fixing part 55 is provided at one end of the base 51 in the front-rear "X" direction. This fixing part 55 is erected perpendicular to the housing 10, in other words, bent at a right angle in the width "Y" direction, thus forming a fixing surface 55a along the plane formed by the width "Y" direction and the vertical "Z" direction (YZ plane). An elastic arm 53, capable of elastic deformation in the width "Y" direction, also extends from one end along the front-rear "X" direction, with a locking part 54 bent and protruding in the width "Y" direction at its front end. When in... Figure 7 In the state of being fixed, the fixing part 55 is soldered to the pad 77 of the system substrate 70, and the locking part 54 is locked to the concave locking parts 812 and 822 provided on the first pad part 810 and the second pad part 820 of the FPC substrate 80.

[0062] exist Figures 12-14 The images below show individual diagrams of the relay connectors. Figure 12 This is a 3D view of the front surface of a horizontally positioned repeater connector. Figure 13 This is a 3D view of the rear surface of a vertically positioned repeater connector. Figure 14 (a) shows the front surface view of the relay connector. Figure 14 (b) represents its top view. Figure 14 (c) represents its subsequent surface diagram. Figure 15 The system board will be equipped with a relay connector to communicate with... Figure 13 The same 3D diagram is shown. Furthermore, although... Figure 15 Although not clearly shown in the figure, in addition to the card edge plate 92, the relay connector 1 is also connected to the FPC substrate 80.

[0063] The repeater connector 1 includes: a resin housing 10, and a... Figure 7The arrangement shown includes multiple terminals 20 and mounting metal parts 50 on the housing 10. The housing 10 includes a first housing portion 11 and a second housing portion 12 arranged adjacent to each other along the front-rear direction "X". Both the first housing portion 11 and the second housing portion 12 are generally rectangular, and the second housing portion 12 has a smaller cross-section than the first housing portion 11 on the plane formed by the width direction "Y" and the vertical direction "Z" (YZ plane). The second housing portion 12 with this smaller cross-section is inserted into a through hole 71 of the system substrate 70.

[0064] A first insertion space 110 for inserting a retaining plate 92 is provided in the first housing portion 11, and a second insertion space 120 for inserting an FPC substrate 80 is provided in the second housing portion 12. The retaining plate 92 is inserted into the first insertion space 110 from the first housing portion 11 toward the second housing portion 12 along an "X1" direction. On the other hand, the FPC substrate 80 is inserted into the second insertion space 12 from the second housing portion 12 toward the first housing portion 11 along an "X2" direction. A gap 82 is formed at the insertion opening of the second insertion space 120 with respect to the FPC substrate 80. Figure 5 The partition 121 corresponding to the FPC substrate 80 is housed in the gap 82 when the FPC substrate 80 is inserted into the second insertion space 120, thereby enabling the FPC substrate 80 to be positioned at a predetermined position in the second insertion space 120.

[0065] The first housing portion 11 and the second housing portion 12 each have a plurality of terminal slots 113 (see reference). Figure 13 , Figure 15 (etc.) so that terminals 20, etc., can be provided in the housing 10. The terminals 20, etc., are arranged at predetermined positions with equal intervals between each other in a state of being adjacent in the front-rear direction "X" and in the width direction "Y" using terminal slots 113, etc. At this time, the signal terminals 20 and ground terminals 30 are completely disposed inside the housing 10. On the other hand, only one side of the signal contact 44 and the power contact 60 of the signal terminal 40 and the power contact 64 is disposed inside the housing 10, especially inside the first housing part 11. The substrate connecting parts 45, 65 and their peripheral parts are housed in a state of being exposed to the outside of the housing 10 in the front-rear direction "X". More specifically, the space 129 at the boundary between the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12, especially on one side of the second housing part 12, is exposed to the outside of the housing 10.

[0066] Multiple through holes 125, which connect the base 31 of each grounding terminal 30 located inside the housing 10 to the outside of the housing 10, are provided in the second housing portion 12 along the vertical direction "Z" to penetrate the housing 10. By allowing solder to flow into these through holes 125, each grounding terminal 30 can be soldered to a common pad 78 of the system substrate 70. More specifically, the common pad 78 can electrically connect all five through holes 125 (and grounding terminals 30) located on one side of the group "T" (signal terminal, power terminal, power terminal, signal terminal) located in the center of the width direction "Y". Similarly, the common pad 79 can electrically connect all through holes 125 (and grounding terminals 30) located on the other side of the group "T", thus strengthening the grounding connection function on each side.

[0067] To facilitate connection with the common pads 78 and 79, all through holes 125 are provided in the front-to-back direction "X" at substantially the same position as the connection surfaces 45a and 65a of the substrate connection portions 45 and 65, along the width direction "Y". Furthermore, to facilitate connection with the system substrate 70, the mounting portion 55 of the metal part 50, particularly the mounting surface 55a on the side of the second housing portion 12 (see reference...) Figure 12 The through-hole 125, the connecting surfaces 45a and 65a of the substrate connecting portions 45 and 65 are also positioned in the front-to-back direction "X" at substantially the same position as the connecting surfaces 45a and 65a of the through-hole 125 and the substrate connecting portions 45 and 65. As a result, the through-hole 125, the connecting surfaces 45a and 65a of the substrate connecting portions 45 and 65, and the fixing surface 55a of the fixing portion 55 can all be easily soldered to the designated pads of the system substrate 70. Furthermore, "substantially" here means that it can be slightly offset within a range that does not hinder soldering.

[0068] The mounting metal parts 50 are respectively fixed to two sides in the width direction "Y" of the first housing part 11. Each side of the first housing part 11 is provided with a pressing groove 112 into which the base 51 of the mounting metal part 50 can be pressed. The mounting metal part 50 is fixed by sliding along the pressing groove 112 in the front-back direction "X". When the mounting metal part 50 slides, the elastic arm 53 of the mounting metal part 50 passes through the hole provided between the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 and is placed in the groove 123 (see reference) on the inner wall of the second insertion space 120 of the second housing part 12. Figure 12 , 13 Guided along “X1”, the locking part 54 provided at the front end is positioned so as to lock with the locking part 812 of the FPC substrate 80 inserted into the second housing part 12 in the “X2” direction.

[0069] exist Figure 16 The middle shows Figure 15 A top view, and, in Figures 17-22 The middle shows Figure 16 Sectional views at positions A through F.

[0070] Figure 17 and Figure 18 respectively with Figure 16 The cross-sections at lines AA and BB are equivalent. More specifically, Figure 17 The cross-section of signal terminal 20A included in the first terminal group A is shown. Figure 18 The cross-section of the signal terminal 20B included in the second terminal group B is shown.

[0071] in addition, Figure 19 and Figure 20 respectively with Figure 16 The cross-sections at the CC and DD lines are equivalent. More specifically, Figure 19 The cross-section of the grounding terminal 30A included in the first terminal group A is shown. Figure 20 The cross-section of the grounding terminal 30B included in the second terminal group B is shown.

[0072] and, Figure 21 and Figure 22 respectively with Figure 16 The cross-sections at the EE and FF lines are equivalent. More specifically, Figure 21 The diagram shows a cross-section of the substrate connection terminals, particularly the power supply terminal 60A, included in the first terminal group A. Figure 22 The cross-section of the substrate connection terminals, particularly the power supply terminal 60B, included in the second terminal group B is shown. Furthermore, the signal terminals 40A and 40B can be considered identical to the power supply terminals 60A and 60B.

[0073] like Figures 19-22 As clearly shown, when a portion of the second housing portion 12 is inserted into the through hole 71 along the insertion direction "X1", the system substrate 70 is in a state where the connection surfaces 45a and 65a of the substrate connection terminals 40 and 60 on the substrate surface 701 are opposite to the fixing surface 55a of the mounting metal part 50 which is arranged in the front-rear direction "X" at a position substantially the same as the connection surfaces 45a and 65a. The substrate surface 701 is located near the front side in the insertion direction "X1" and is provided with pads 75 to 79.

[0074] like Figure 17 , Figure 18 As clearly shown, at the cross-sectional position of the signal terminal 20, the relay connector 1 is fixed to the common pads 78 and 79 of the system substrate 70 by using solder 122a and 122b in the gap between the through hole 71 and the outer side of the second housing portion 12 in the vertical direction "X".

[0075] The signal terminal 20 is provided across both the first housing portion 11 and the second housing portion 12 through through holes 117 and 127 respectively, which communicate the first insertion space 110 and the second insertion space 120. The first signal contact 23 of the signal terminal 20 is positioned in the first insertion space 110, and the second signal contact 24 is positioned in the second insertion space 120. One end of the retaining plate 92 can be elastically clamped in the vertical direction between the first signal contact 23A of the signal terminal 20A and the first signal contact 23B of the signal terminal 20B. Similarly, one end of the FPC substrate 80 can be elastically clamped in the vertical direction between the second signal contact 24A of the signal terminal 20A and the second signal contact 24B of the signal terminal 20B.

[0076] like Figure 19 and Figure 20 As clearly shown, at the cross-sectional position of the grounding terminal 30, the relay connector 1 is fixed to the common pads 78 and 79 of the system substrate 70 by using solder 122a and 122b in the gap between the through hole 71 and the outer side surface in the vertical "X" direction of the second housing portion 12. Furthermore, the base 31 of each grounding terminal 30 provided on the second housing portion 12 is soldered to the common pad 79 of the system substrate 70 by solder flowing in through the through hole 125, thereby strengthening the grounding connection.

[0077] Similar to the signal terminal 20, the ground terminal 30 is provided across both the first housing portion 11 and the second housing portion 12 through through holes 117 and 127 respectively provided in the first housing portion 11 and the second housing portion 12, which communicate with the first insertion space 110 and the second insertion space 120. The first ground contact 33 of the ground terminal 30 is positioned in the first insertion space 110, and the second ground contact 34 is positioned in the second insertion space 120. One end of the clamping plate 92 can be elastically clamped in the vertical direction between the first ground contact 33A of the ground terminal 30A and the first ground contact 33B of the ground terminal 30B. Similarly, one end of the FPC substrate 80 can be elastically clamped in the vertical direction between the second ground contact 34A of the ground terminal 30A and the second ground contact 34B of the ground terminal 30B.

[0078] like Figure 21 and Figure 22 As clearly shown, when a portion of the second housing portion 12 is inserted into the through hole 71 along the insertion direction "X1", the system substrate 70 becomes a connection surface 45a, 65a on the substrate surface 701 that is substantially the same as the connection surface 45a, 65a in the front-rear direction "X" as the connection surface 45a, 65a (see reference). Figures 12-15In a state where the mounting metal part 50 (etc.) faces the fixing surface 55a, the substrate surface 701 is located near the front side in the insertion direction "X1" and is provided with pads 75 to 79. Furthermore, at the cross-sectional position of the substrate connection terminal shown in the above figure, the power terminal 60 (and the signal terminal 40) is provided across both the first housing part 11 and the second housing part 12 through the through hole 117 provided in the first housing part 11 and the space 129 formed in the second housing part 12. At this time, the electrical contacts 64 (and the signal contacts 44), more specifically the power contacts 64A (and the signal contacts 44A), and the power contacts 64B (and the signal contacts 44B), which are positioned in the first insertion space 110, form an insertion port that can elastically clamp one end of the retaining plate 92 in the vertical direction. Additionally, the substrate connection part 65 (and the substrate connection part 45) are respectively positioned in the second housing part 12. On the other hand, the substrate connecting portion 65A (and substrate connecting portion 45A) and substrate connecting portion 65B (and substrate connecting portion 45B) located on one side of the second housing portion 12 are soldered to the pads 76 and 75 provided on the substrate surface 701 of the system substrate 70 on the connecting surfaces 65a and 45a. Furthermore, although not clearly shown in the accompanying drawings, the fixing surface 55a of the fixing portion 55 of the mounting metal part 50 is simultaneously fixed to the pads 77 provided on the substrate surface 701 of the system substrate 70 via the fixing surface 55a.

[0079] By illustrating several specific embodiments and examples, including the preferred mode for carrying out the invention, other aspects, features, and effects of the invention can be readily understood from the following detailed description. Furthermore, the invention can be configured in other and different ways, and many of its details can be modified based on various explicit viewpoints without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the drawings and descriptions are merely illustrative and not limiting.

Claims

1. A relay connector, characterized in that, have: The housing has a first housing portion and a second housing portion, wherein the first housing portion is provided with a first insertion space for inserting a first substrate, and the second housing portion is provided with a second insertion space for inserting a second substrate; and Multiple terminals are provided, spanning both the first housing portion and the second housing portion. A substrate connecting portion is provided on one side of the second housing portion of a portion of the plurality of terminals. When at least a portion of the second housing portion is inserted into a through hole provided in the third substrate, the substrate connecting portion can be connected to the substrate surface of the third substrate.

2. The relay connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate connecting portion has a connecting surface, and when at least a portion of the second housing portion is inserted into the through hole in the direction from the first housing portion toward the second housing portion, the connecting surface can be connected to the substrate surface of the system substrate located near the front side in the insertion direction.

3. The relay connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connecting surface is positioned to expose to the outside of the housing.

4. The relay connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting surface is arranged along the surface that intersects the insertion direction.

5. The relay connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting surface is disposed on one side of the second housing portion at the boundary between the first housing portion and the second housing portion in a first direction along the insertion direction.

6. The relay connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting surface is formed by bending the portion of the terminals along the surface that intersects the insertion direction.

7. The relay connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first substrate is inserted into the first insertion space from the first housing portion toward the second housing portion. The second substrate is inserted into the second insertion space from the second housing portion toward the first housing portion.

8. The relay connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, One contact of each of the plurality of terminals is disposed in the first insertion space, and another contact of another portion of the plurality of terminals is disposed in the second insertion space.

9. The relay connector according to claim 1, characterized in that, The terminal portion consists of multiple substrate connection terminals with electrical contacts disposed in the first insertion space and the substrate connection portion disposed on one side of the second housing portion.

10. The relay connector according to claim 9, characterized in that, The plurality of terminals further include: A plurality of signal terminals are configured with a first signal contact located in the first insertion space and a second signal contact located in the second insertion space; and A plurality of grounding terminals with a first grounding contact in the first insertion space and a second grounding contact in the second insertion space.

11. The relay connector according to claim 10, characterized in that, The plurality of signal terminals, the plurality of ground terminals, and the plurality of substrate connection terminals are arranged adjacent to each other in a second direction that intersects with the first direction along the insertion direction.

12. The relay connector according to claim 10, characterized in that, The substrate connection terminals include signal terminals and power terminals.

13. The relay connector according to claim 12, characterized in that, The signal terminal is a terminal used for high-speed transmission, and the signal terminal is a terminal used for low-speed transmission.

14. The relay connector according to claim 10, characterized in that, A first terminal group, comprising a portion of the plurality of signal terminals, a portion of the plurality of ground terminals, and a portion of the plurality of substrate connection terminals, and a second terminal group, comprising another portion of the plurality of signal terminals, another portion of the plurality of ground terminals, and another portion of the plurality of substrate connection terminals, are arranged in a state of being mutually separated in a third direction that intersects both the first direction and the second direction along the insertion direction.

15. The relay connector according to claim 14, characterized in that, A portion of the plurality of signal terminals, a portion of the plurality of ground terminals, and a portion of the plurality of substrate connection terminals included in the first terminal group are arranged in the same direction as another portion of the plurality of signal terminals, another portion of the plurality of ground terminals, and another portion of the plurality of substrate connection terminals included in the second terminal group.

16. The relay connector according to claim 14, characterized in that, A portion of the plurality of signal terminals, a portion of the plurality of ground terminals, and a portion of the plurality of substrate connection terminals included in the first terminal group are staggered with another portion of the plurality of signal terminals, another portion of the plurality of ground terminals, and another portion of the plurality of substrate connection terminals included in the second terminal group in the second direction, thereby being configured in an interleaved manner.

17. The repeater connector according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, The housing is also provided with a mounting metal part having a fixing part that can be fixed to the surface of the substrate.

18. The relay connector according to claim 2, characterized in that, The housing is also provided with a mounting metal part having a fixing part that can be fixed to the surface of the substrate, and the connecting surface is positioned in a first direction along the insertion direction at a position substantially the same as the fixing surface of the fixing part.

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