CONNECTOR

Abstract

A connector, to be mounted on a circuit substrate and formed by a metal plate connecting a conductive part of the circuit substrate and a counter conductor, comprises: a frame-shaped frame body part having an upper opening part, a lower opening part, an upper-end opening edge part formed around the upper opening part, and a lower-end opening edge part formed around the lower opening part; a pair of connecting parts formed to extend from the lower-end opening edge part towards an inside of the frame body part and towards the upper-end opening edge part, and to be connected to the plug; a pair of fixed parts that are fixed and connected to the conductive part;and a pair of floating parts that connect the frame body part to the pair of fixed parts and support the frame body part in such a way that the frame body part is freely movable.

Description

Area

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector mounted on a circuit substrate and formed as a single unit by a metal plate connecting a conductive part of the circuit substrate and a counter conductor. background

[0002] A substrate-mounted connector, disclosed in patent literature 1, is conventionally known as a connector to be mounted on a substrate. The substrate-mounted connector in patent literature 1 has legs for surface mounting, and these legs are suspended at four corners of a substantially rectangular mating surface in which an opening is formed. The substrate-mounted connector in patent literature 1 also has a contact part formed from contact pieces extending from the outside of the mating surface in an inward downward direction such that they face each other, and furthermore has a guide part formed such that it inclines downward at the inner edge of the opening.In the substrate-mounted connector described in patent literature 1, if a flat plug to be inserted is slightly displaced, the guide part guides the flat plug, and if the flat plug is displaced significantly, the flat plug comes into contact with the mating surface in such a way that deformation of the contact pieces is prevented.

[0003] However, according to patent literature 1, if the flat connector is displaced significantly in the direction of the elastic deformation of the contact pieces while in contact with the contact part, a load is exerted on the legs suspended at the four corners of the mating surface by the contact pieces. This leads to the problem that a solder joint connecting the connecting parts at the tips of the legs to a logic circuit breaks, interrupting the electrical connection between the connecting parts and the logic circuit. Patent literature 1 also identifies the problem that the connection between the flat connector and the contact pieces becomes unstable if the flat connector is displaced significantly in the direction of the elastic deformation of the contact pieces while in contact with the contact part. Summary

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that is able to maintain an electrically stable connection even if a displacement of a counterpart occurs while the connector is being connected to the counterpart or after such a connection has been made.

[0005] One aspect according to the present invention is a connector that is to be mounted on a circuit substrate and is formed, as a single unit, by a metal plate that connects a conductive part of the circuit substrate and a counter conductor, wherein the connector comprises: a frame-shaped frame body part having an upper opening part, a lower opening part, an upper-end opening edge part formed around the upper opening part, and a lower-end opening edge part formed around the lower opening part; a pair of connecting parts that are configured to extend from the lower-end opening edge part towards an inner side of the frame body part and towards the upper-end opening edge part and are to be connected to the counter conductor; a pair of fixed parts that are fixed and connected to the conductive part;and a pair of floating parts that connect the frame body part to the pair of fixed parts and support the frame body part in such a way that the frame body part is freely movable.

[0006] Another aspect according to the present invention is a connector that is to be mounted on a circuit substrate and is formed, as a single unit, by a metal plate that connects a conductive part of the circuit substrate and a counter conductor, wherein the connector comprises: a frame-shaped frame body part having an upper opening part, a lower opening part, an upper-end opening edge part formed around the upper opening part, and a lower-end opening edge part formed around the lower opening part; a pair of connecting parts that are configured to extend from the upper-end opening edge part towards an inner side of the frame body part and towards the lower-end opening edge part and are to be connected to the counter conductor; a pair of fixed parts that are fixed and connected to the conductive part;a pair of kink suppression parts configured to extend from the lower opening edge part towards an inside of the frame body part and towards the upper opening edge part, covering a lower end section of the pair of connecting parts; and a pair of floating parts connecting the lower opening edge part to the pair of fixed parts, supporting the frame body part so that the frame body part is free to move.

[0007] If the counterpart is displaced relative to the connector during or after the connection between the counterpart and the connecting parts has been established, the pair of connecting parts moves into the junction position with the counterpart. This causes the pair of floating parts to deform elastically, following the movement of the pair of connecting parts, and the frame body part also moves into a junction position with the counterpart and the connecting parts. These actions maintain the junction state between the pair of connecting parts and the counterpart, which is the same as when the counterpart is not displaced relative to the connector.

[0008] The connector according to one or more aspects of the present invention is able to maintain an electrically stable connection even if a displacement of a counter conductor occurs while the connector is being connected to the counter conductor or after such a connection has been made. Brief description of the drawings

[0009] These and other properties, features and advantages of one or more aspects of the present invention will become clear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the following: Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above; Fig. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below; Fig. Figure 3 is an elevation view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 4 is a side view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 5 is a top view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line AA in Fig. 5; Fig. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line BB in Fig. 5; Fig. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below, in a state in which it is mounted on a circuit substrate; Fig. Figure 9 is a top view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention in the state in which it is mounted on the circuit substrate; Fig. Figure 10 is an elevation view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention in the state in which it is mounted on the circuit substrate; Fig. Figure 11 is a side view of the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention in the state in which it is mounted on the circuit substrate; Fig. Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view along line CC in Fig. 9, in which the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the circuit substrate, while a counter conductor is connected in a normal position; Fig. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view along line CC in Fig. 9, in which the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on the circuit substrate, while a counter conductor is connected at a displaced position; Fig. Figure 14 is a perspective view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above; Fig. Figure 15 is a perspective view of the connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below; Fig. 16 is a side view of the connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 17 is a top view of the connector according to the second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line DD in Fig. 17; Fig. Figure 19 is a perspective view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above; Fig. Figure 20 is a perspective view of the connector according to the third embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below; Fig. Figure 21 is an elevation view of the connector according to the third embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 22 is a top view of the connector according to the third embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line EE in Fig. 22; Fig. Figure 24 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above; Fig. Figure 25 is a perspective view of the connector according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below; Fig. Figure 26 is an elevation view of the connector according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 27 is a top view of the connector according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 28 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line FF in Fig. 27; Fig. Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line GG in Fig. 27; Fig. Figure 30 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, viewed from above; Fig. Figure 31 is a perspective view of the connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below; Fig. Figure 32 is an elevation view of the connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 33 is a side view of the connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 34 is a top view of the connector according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 35 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line HH in Fig. 34; and Fig. Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view of the connector along line JJ in Fig. 34. Description of the invention

[0010] Connectors according to embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis form a triaxial rectangular coordinate system. For the purposes of this description, it is assumed that a positive y-axis direction indicates a forward direction, a negative y-axis direction indicates a backward direction, a positive x-axis direction indicates a leftward direction, a negative x-axis direction indicates a rightward direction, a positive z-axis direction indicates an upward direction, and a negative z-axis direction indicates a downward direction. (First embodiment)<Ausgestaltung des Verbinders>

[0011] The design of a connector 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. Items 1 to 11 are described in detail.

[0012] The connector 1 according to the present embodiment is formed as a single unit from a metal plate and is mounted on a mounting surface 100a of a circuit substrate 100 to connect one or more conductive parts 101 of the circuit substrate 100 to a plug 102, which serves as a counterpart. More precisely, the connector 1 comprises a frame body part 10, a connecting part 20, fixed parts 30, floating parts 40, and a retaining part 50.

[0013] The frame body part 10 has a frame shape that is rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body part 10 comprises a lower opening edge part 11 formed around a lower opening part 13, an upper opening edge part 12 formed around an upper opening part 14, the lower opening part 13, the upper opening part 14, recess parts 15 that are recessed upwards between the connecting part 20 and each of the floating parts 40, a pair of side wall parts 16, which are the first side wall parts facing each other, and a pair of side wall parts 17, which are the second side wall parts facing each other and adjoining the side wall parts 16.

[0014] The connecting part 20 is configured to extend from the lower opening edge section 11 of the frame body part 10 towards the inside of the frame body part 10 and towards the upper opening edge section 12. The connecting part 20 extends downwards from the lower opening edge section 11 and is then folded upwards. Therefore, the connecting part 20 is U-shaped when viewed from the front. The connecting part 20 has upper end sections 21 that are positioned below the upper opening edge section 12 of the frame body part 10. The connecting part 20 is connected to the plug 102, and when the connecting part 20 is not connected to the plug 102, there is a gap between the connecting part 20 and the frame body part 10.

[0015] The connecting part 20 consists of a connecting part 20a and a connecting part 20b, which form a pair and face each other. The connecting part 20a and the connecting part 20b are facing surfaces that are oriented towards each other and each have a groove section 22, which is designed such that it is recessed downwards from a corresponding upper end section 21 on a central part in a front-to-back direction, which is a plate width direction. The connecting part 20a and the connecting part 20b include contact parts 23 that project inwards so that they approach each other and come into contact with the plug 102 within the frame body part 10. A gap between the contact part 23 of the connecting part 20a and the contact part 23 of the connecting part 20b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102.The direction in which the pair of connecting part 20a and connecting part 20b face each other is a right-left direction, which is identical to the direction in which the pair of side wall parts 16 face each other.

[0016] The fixed parts 30 are arranged above the retaining part 50. The fixed parts 30 are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering. The fixing and connection of the fixed parts 30 to the conductive part 101 is not limited to re-soldering. The fixed parts 30 can also be fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 by other soldering methods, such as wave soldering.

[0017] The fixed parts 30 each consist of a fixed part 30a and a fixed part 30b, forming a pair. The fixed parts 30a are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 20a. The fixed parts 30b are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 20b.

[0018] The floating parts 40 connect the frame body part 10 and the fixed parts 30 and are each U-shaped when viewed from the front. The floating parts 40 deform elastically to support the frame body part 10 in such a way that the frame body part 10 is freely movable along the mounting surface 100a. "Movable along the mounting surface 100a" here means "movable in the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction parallel to the mounting surface 100a" as well as "movable along the direction that intersects the mounting surface 100a".

[0019] The floating parts 40 each consist of a floating part 40a and a floating part 40b, forming a pair. The floating parts 40a are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 20a to connect the lower opening edge part 11 of the frame body part 10 to the fixed parts 30a. The floating parts 40b are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 20b to connect the lower opening edge part 11 of the frame body part 10 to the fixed parts 30b.

[0020] The retaining element 50 is formed on the frame body part 10. In the state in which the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, without the plug 102 being connected to the connecting part 20, a gap H1 exists (see Fig. 10) between the retaining element 50 and the mounting surface 100a. When the frame body part 10 moves upwards while the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, the retaining element 50 comes into contact with the circuit substrate 100 and thus prevents the upward movement of the frame body part 10, which is the mounting direction – the direction in which the connector 1 is mounted on the circuit substrate 100. The retaining element 50 is formed on a pair of side wall parts 17 of the rectangular frame body part 10. These side wall parts 17 face each other and are also distinct from the pair of side wall parts 16, which face each other and are provided with the connecting element 20 and the floating parts 40.

[0021] The retaining element 50 consists of a retaining element 50a and a retaining element 50b, which form a pair. The retaining element 50a is formed by folding a portion of the frame body part 10 forward approximately 90 degrees from the lower opening edge part 11. The retaining element 50b is provided as a pair over a metal plate seam 1a, which is formed when a metal plate is folded and formed into the connector 1. The retaining element 50b is formed by folding a portion of the frame body part 10 backward approximately 90 degrees from the lower opening edge part 11.

[0022] In the connector 1 with the aforementioned configuration, a length L1 between the lower opening edge section 11 and the lower end section of each of the floating parts 40 is longer than a length L2 between the lower opening edge section 11 and each lower end section of the connecting part 20 (L1 > L2). A length L3 of the floating parts 40 in a panel width direction is shorter than a length L4 of the connecting part 20 in the panel width direction (L3 < L4). The length L4 of the connecting part 20 in the panel width direction is longer than a length L5 of the fixed parts 30 in the panel width direction (L4 > L5). Furthermore, since the fixed parts 30 extend forward from the front end of the floating parts 40 or backward from the rear end of the floating parts 40, the length L5 of the fixed parts 30 in the plate width direction is longer than the length L3 of the floating parts 40 in the plate width direction (L3 < L5).

[0023] Furthermore, connector 1 is formed by performing a folding operation on the metal plate using a clamping device after the plate has been punched out. This creates seam 1a. <Verfahren zum Montieren des Verbinders an dem Schaltungssubstrat>

[0024] A method for mounting the connector 1 on the circuit substrate 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. Items 1 to 11 are described in detail.

[0025] The circuit substrate 100 has the conductive part 101 of a circuit structure around an insertion hole 100b of the mounting surface 100a.

[0026] First, the circuit substrate 100 is turned upside down vertically so that the mounting surface 100a is on the top, and the connector 1 is turned upside down vertically so that the top end opening edge part 12 of the frame body part 10 is on the bottom.

[0027] Next, the vertically inverted connector 1 is inserted from above into the insertion hole 100b of the vertically inverted circuit substrate 100, and the insertion of the connector 1 into the insertion hole 100b is continued until the fixed parts 30 come into contact with the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100.

[0028] Then the fixed parts 30 are connected and fixed to the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering, so that the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100.

[0029] After the connector 1 has been mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, the connector 1 and the circuit substrate 100 are turned vertically back to their original state. In this state, the floating parts 40 and a region of the connecting part 20 are positioned below each of the contact parts 23 below the mounting surface 100a. Furthermore, since the frame body part 10 is positioned within the insertion hole 100b and there is also a gap between the frame body part 10 and the front, rear, left, and right inner walls 100c that form the insertion hole 100b of the circuit substrate 100, the frame body part 10 can also move in the front, rear, left, and right directions within the insertion hole 100b.

[0030] Since the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a while being inserted into the insertion hole 100b, the overall height of the connector 1 and the circuit substrate 100 can be reduced.

[0031] Furthermore, since the fixed parts 30 are formed above the retaining part 50, they are positioned more towards one side of the distal end (a top side) than the retaining part 50 in the upward direction, which is the assembly direction if the vertical reversal is not performed. Accordingly, when the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a, a gap exists between the retaining part 50 and the mounting surface 100a. This gap prevents the retaining part 50 from coming into contact with the mounting surface 100a before the fixed parts 30 come into contact with the conductive part 101. Consequently, the connection between the fixed parts 30 and the conductive part 101 can be ensured.

[0032] It should be noted that the number of connectors 1 mounted on the circuit substrate 100 is not limited to a single connector, but can also be two or more, depending on requirements. In this case, if two or more plugs 102 are connected together with two or more connectors 1, the displacement of the respective plugs 102 relative to the respective connectors 1 can increase. As a solution, the configuration of the present embodiment can stabilize the connection between the respective connecting parts 20 and the respective plugs 102. <Funktionsweise des Verbinders>

[0033] The functioning of connector 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. Items 1 to 13 are described in detail.

[0034] The plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 1, which is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. First, when inserting the plug 102 into the connector 1, to establish a connection between the two, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 13 of the frame body part 10 of the connector 1, which is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100.

[0035] Then the contact parts 23 of the connecting part 20 come into contact with the plug 102, which is inserted from below into the lower opening part 13, and thereby deform elastically outwards in the right-left directions.

[0036] At this point, when the connecting part 20 is pulled upwards by the connector 102 and the frame body part 10 consequently moves upwards following the connecting part 20, the retaining part 50 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 to restrain the upward movement of the connector 1. This restraint prevents buckling and plastic deformation of the floating parts 40.

[0037] Furthermore, the retaining element 50 is formed on the side wall sections 17 of the rectangular frame body section 10, which differ from the side wall sections 16 on which the connecting element 20 and the floating elements 40 are formed. This arrangement makes it possible to increase the width of the retaining element 50 in the right-left direction and to increase the area of ​​contact with the mounting surface 100a, so that the movement of the connector 1 and the frame body section 10 can be reliably restrained.

[0038] Next, the connecting part 20 clamps the plug 102 from the left and right sides by its own elastic restoring force and connects to the plug 102.

[0039] In this case, when the connector 102 is in a displaced state, the connecting part 20 deforms elastically, and the frame body part 10 deforms elastically with the elastic deformation of the connecting part 20. As a result, the connecting part 20 continues to press inwards against the side wall parts 16, and the frame body part 10 deforms elastically, so that a load is exerted on the floating parts 40 via the connecting part 20 and the frame body part 10. The application of the load causes the floating parts 40 to deform elastically and move the frame body part 10 in a load direction. When the frame body part 10 moves in the load direction, the connecting part 20 can maintain the connection state with the connector 102 that is provided when the connector 102 is not displaced relative to the connector 1.As a result, a stable connection is achieved with connector 102.

[0040] Here, the state in which the connector 102 is displaced includes the states in which the connector 102 is displaced from the position in which it is stably connected to the connector part 20 in directions parallel to the front, rear, left, and right, the state in which the connector is inclined in the upward-downward direction, and combinations of these states. The position in which the connector 102 is stably connected to the connector part 20 is the position in which the connector 102 is connected to the connector part 20a and the connector part 20b at a contact pressure of a prescribed value or more, and the connector 102 is connected to the connector part 20a and the connector part 20b at substantially the same contact pressure.

[0041] For example, as in Fig. Figure 13 shows that when the plug 102 is connected to the connecting part 20 in the state where it is inclined to the right with respect to the upward-downward direction, the plug 102 pushes the connecting part 20b in a downward-sloping right direction, so that the connecting part 20b deforms elastically and pushes the frame body part 10 from the inside in the downward-sloping right direction. The floating parts 40 deform elastically by absorbing the load exerted when the frame body part 10 is pushed in the downward-sloping right direction and move the frame body part 10 in the downward-sloping right direction, which is the pushing direction of the connecting part 20b. When the frame body part 10 moves in the direction of the load, the connecting part 20 can suppress the application of an excessive load to the connecting part 20b and also suppress the reduction of the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connecting part 20a.The connecting part 20 can also maintain the connection state with the plug 102, which is provided in the case in which the plug 102 is not moved with respect to the connector 1, so that the connector 1 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0042] Since the floating parts 40 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 16, which face each other in the direction in which the connecting part 20a and the connecting part 20b face each other, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 40 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting part 20 caused by the displacement of the plug 102. Since the floating parts 40 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 16 against which the connecting part 20 presses, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 40 to follow the compressive force exerted by the connecting part 20 on the side wall parts 16 due to the displacement of the plug 102.

[0043] In the process described above, the length L1 between the lower opening edge part 11 and the lower end section of each of the floating parts 40 is longer than the length L2 between the lower opening edge part 11 and each lower end section of the connecting part 20, so that the floating parts 40 can deform more easily than the connecting part 20. Furthermore, providing the recess parts 15 between the connecting part 20 and the floating parts 40 can also facilitate the elastic deformation of the floating parts 40.

[0044] Furthermore, the length L2 between the lower opening edge section 11 and each lower end section of the connecting part 20 is set shorter than the length L1 between the lower opening edge section 11 and the lower end section of each of the floating parts 40, thus improving the connection stability of the connecting part 20. The length L3 of the floating parts 40 in the panel width direction is set shorter than the length L4 of the connecting part 20 in the panel width direction, so that the floating parts 40 can deform more easily than the connecting part 20. Additionally, the connection stability of the connecting part 20 can be improved if the length L4 of the connecting part 20 in the panel width direction is set longer than the length L3 of the floating parts 40 in the panel width direction.

[0045] Furthermore, since the floating parts 40 and a region of the connecting part 20 are positioned below each of the contact parts 23 below the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, the connecting part 20 and the floating parts 40 can deform elastically without colliding with the circuit substrate 100.

[0046] Since the upper end sections 21 of the connecting part 20 are positioned below the upper end of the opening edge section 12, the connecting part 20 can be protected by the frame body 10, thus preventing deformation of the connecting part 20.

[0047] Both in the case where the connecting part 20 presses against the frame body part 10, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 13, and also in the case where the connecting part 20 does not press against the frame body part 10, the floating parts 40 deform elastically according to the compressive force that the connecting part 20 receives from the plug 102. Therefore, the frame body part 10 can behave in a similar manner to that described above, so that the connecting part 20 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0048] Even in the case where a load is applied due to an external force after the connecting part 20 and the plug 102 are connected, the connector 1 can still perform the same operation as if a load were applied at the time when the connecting part 20 and the plug 102 were connected.

[0049] To release the connection between connector 1 and plug 102, plug 102 is pulled downwards. As a result, the floating parts 40 return to their state before connection with plug 102 due to their own elastic restoring force, and the frame body part 10 accordingly returns to its state before connection with plug 102.

[0050] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the connector 1, which is mounted on the circuit substrate 100 and is formed as a single unit from a metal plate connecting the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 to the plug 102, comprises: the pair of connecting parts 20a and 20b, which are configured to extend from the lower opening edge part 11 of the frame body part 10 towards the inside of the frame body part 10 and towards the upper opening edge part 12 and are to be connected to the plug 102; the pair of fixed parts 30a and 30b, which are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101; and the pair of floating parts 40a and 40b, which connect the lower end opening edge part 11 with the pair of fixed parts 30a and 30b respectively and support the frame body part 10 so that the frame body part 10 is freely movable.Accordingly, even if a displacement of plug 102 occurs, it is possible to maintain an electrically stable connection when the connection with plug 102 is made or after a connection with plug 102 has been made.

[0051] In the present embodiment, the connecting part 20 and the floating parts 40 are formed on the same sides of the rectangular frame body part 10, and the retaining part 50 is formed on the other sides. However, without being limited to this, the floating parts 40 and the retaining part 50 can also be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 10, and the connecting part 20 can be formed on the other sides, or the connecting part 20 and the retaining part 50 can be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 10, and the floating parts 40 can be formed on the other sides.

[0052] In the present embodiment, the retaining element 50 is formed on the lower end of the opening edge part 11. However, without being limited to this, the retaining element 50 can also be formed elsewhere than on the lower end of the opening edge part 11 by a method such as cutting and folding a part of the frame body part 10.

[0053] In the present embodiment, the length between the lower opening edge portion 11 and the lower end section of each of the floating parts 40 is set longer than the length between the lower opening edge portion 11 and each lower end section of the connecting part 20. However, without being limited thereto, the length between the lower opening edge portion 11 and the lower end section of each of the floating parts 40 can be identical to the length between the lower opening edge portion 11 and each lower end section of the connecting part 20, or the length between the lower opening edge portion 11 and the lower end section of each of the floating parts 40 can be shorter than the length between the lower opening edge portion 11 and each lower end section of the connecting part 20.

[0054] In the present embodiment, the connector 1 is connected to the plug 102. However, without being limited to this, the connector 1 can also be connected to a conductor other than the plug 102. (Second embodiment)<Ausgestaltung des Verbinders>

[0055] The design of a connector 2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 14 to 18 described in detail.

[0056] The connector 2 according to the present embodiment is formed as a single unit from a metal plate and is mounted on a mounting surface 100a of a circuit substrate 100 to connect the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 to the plug 102. More precisely, the connector 2 comprises a frame body part 110, a connecting part 120, fixed parts 130, floating parts 140, and a retaining part 150.

[0057] The frame body part 110 has a frame shape that is rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body part 110 comprises a lower opening edge part 111 formed around a lower opening part 113, an upper opening edge part 112 formed around an upper opening part 114, the lower opening part 113, the upper opening part 114, a pair of side wall parts 116, which are the first side wall parts facing each other, and a pair of side wall parts 117, which are the second side wall parts facing each other and adjoining the side wall parts 116.

[0058] The connecting part 120 is configured to extend from the lower opening edge section 111 of the frame body part 110 towards the inside of the frame body part 110 and towards the upper opening edge section 112. The connecting part 120 extends downwards from the lower opening edge section 111 and is then folded upwards. Viewed from the front, the connecting part 120 is U-shaped. The connecting part 120 has upper end sections 121 that are positioned below the upper opening edge section 112 of the frame body part 110. The connecting part 120 is connected to the plug 102, and when the connecting part 120 is not connected to the plug 102, there is a gap between the connecting part 120 and the frame body part 110.

[0059] The connecting part 120 consists of a connecting part 120a and a connecting part 120b, which form a pair and face each other. The connecting part 120a and the connecting part 120b are facing surfaces that are oriented towards each other and each have a groove section 122, which is designed such that it is recessed downwards from the upper end section 121 at a central part in a front-to-back direction, which is a plate width direction. The connecting part 120a and the connecting part 120b include contact parts 123 that project inwards so that they approach each other and come into contact with the plug 102 within the frame body part 110. A gap between the contact part 123 of the connecting part 120a and the contact part 123 of the connecting part 120b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102.The direction in which the pair of connecting part 120a and connecting part 120b face each other is a right-left direction, which is identical to the direction in which the pair of side wall parts 116 face each other.

[0060] The fixed parts 130 are arranged below the retaining part 150. The fixed parts 130 are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering. The fixing and connection of the fixed parts 130 to the conductive part 101 is not limited to re-soldering. The fixed parts 130 can also be fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 by other soldering methods, such as wave soldering.

[0061] The fixed parts 130 each consist of a fixed part 130a and a fixed part 130b, forming a pair. The fixed parts 130a are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 120a. The fixed parts 130b are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 120b.

[0062] The floating parts 140, which connect the frame body part 110 and the fixed part 130, are designed to extend downwards from the lower opening edge part 111. The floating parts 140 deform elastically to support the frame body part 110 so that the frame body part 110 is freely movable along the mounting surface 100a.

[0063] The floating parts 140 each consist of a floating part 140a and a floating part 140b, forming a pair. The floating parts 140a are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 120a to connect the lower opening edge part 111 of the frame body part 110 to the fixed parts 130a. The floating parts 140b are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 120b to connect the lower opening edge part 111 of the frame body part 110 to the fixed parts 130b.

[0064] The retaining element 150 is formed on the frame body part 110. In the state in which the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, without the plug 102 being connected to the connecting part 120, a gap H2 exists (see Fig. 16) between the retaining element 150 and the mounting surface 100a. When the frame body part 110 moves downwards, the retaining element 150 comes into contact with the circuit substrate 100 and thereby prevents the downward movement of the frame body part 10, which is the mounting direction – the direction in which the connector 2 is mounted on the circuit substrate 100. The retaining element 150 is formed on the pair of side wall parts 117 of the rectangular frame body part 110. These side wall parts 117 face each other and are also distinct from the pair of side wall parts 116, which face each other and are provided with the connecting element 120 and the floating parts 140.

[0065] The retaining element 150 consists of a retaining element 150a and a retaining element 150b, which form a pair. The retaining element 150a is formed by extending a portion of the frame body part 110 downwards from the lower opening edge part 111 and folding distal end sections forwards by approximately 90 degrees in the direction of extension. The retaining element 150b is provided as a pair across a metal plate seam 2a, which is formed when a metal plate is folded and formed into the connector 2. The retaining element 150b is formed by extending a portion of the frame body part 110 downwards from the lower opening edge part 111 and folding distal end sections backwards by approximately 90 degrees in the direction of extension.

[0066] In the connector 2 with the above-mentioned design, a length L13 of the floating parts 140 in the plate width direction is shorter than a length L14 of the connecting part 120 in the plate width direction (L13 < L14). The length L14 of the connecting part 120 in the

[0067] The length L15 of the fixed parts 130 in the width direction of the plate is longer than the length L15 of the fixed parts 130 in the width direction of the plate (L14 > L15). Furthermore, since the fixed parts 130 project forward from the front end of the floating parts 140 or backward from the rear end of the floating parts 140, the length L15 of the fixed parts 130 in the width direction of the plate is longer than the length L13 of the floating parts 40 in the width direction of the plate (L13 < L15).

[0068] Furthermore, connector 2 is formed by performing a folding operation on the metal plate using a clamping device after the plate has been punched out. This creates seam 2a. <Verfahren zum Montieren des Verbinders an dem Schaltungssubstrat>

[0069] A method for mounting the connector 1 on the circuit substrate 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 14 to 18 described in detail.

[0070] First, the connector 2 is mounted from above on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 so that the fixed parts 130 come into contact with the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100.

[0071] The fixed parts 130 are then connected and fixed to the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering such that the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. It should be noted that the circuit substrate 100 has an insertion hole 100b (not shown) that is formed below the connecting part 120.

[0072] Since the fixed parts 130 are formed below the retaining part 150, they are positioned more towards the distal end (underside) than the retaining part 150 in the downward direction, which is the mounting direction. Accordingly, when the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a, a gap exists between the retaining part 150 and the mounting surface 100a. This gap prevents the retaining part 150 from contacting the mounting surface 100a before the fixed parts 130 come into contact with the conductive part 101. As a result, the connection between the fixed parts 130 and the conductive part 101 is ensured.

[0073] It should be noted that the number of connectors 2 mounted on the circuit substrate 100 is not limited to a single connector, but can also be two or more, depending on requirements. In this case, if two or more plugs 102 are connected together with two or more connectors 2, the displacement of the respective plugs 102 relative to the respective connectors 2 may increase. As a solution, the configuration of the present embodiment can stabilize the connection between the respective connecting parts 120 and the respective plugs 102. <Funktionsweise des Verbinders>

[0074] The functioning of connector 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 14 to 18 described in detail.

[0075] The plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 2, which is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. To establish a connection between the two, the plug 102 is first inserted from below through the insertion hole 100b into the lower opening 113 of the frame body part 110 of the connector 2, which is mounted on the circuit substrate 100.

[0076] Then the contact parts 123 of the connecting part 120 come into contact with the plug 102, which is inserted from below into the lower opening part 113 of the frame body part 110, and thereby deform elastically outwards in the right-left direction.

[0077] Next, the connecting part 120 clamps the plug 102 from the left and right sides by its own elastic restoring force and connects to the plug 102.

[0078] In this case, when the connector 102 is in a displaced state, the connecting part 120 deforms elastically, and the frame body part 110 deforms elastically with the elastic deformation of the connecting part 120. As a result, the connecting part 120 continues to press inwards against the side wall parts 116, and the frame body part 110 deforms elastically, so that a load is exerted on the floating parts 140 via the connecting part 120 and the frame body part 110. The application of the load causes the floating parts 140 to deform elastically and move the frame body part 110 in a load direction. When the frame body part 110 moves in the load direction, the connecting part 120 can maintain the connection state with the connector 102, which is provided when the connector 102 is not displaced relative to the connector 2.As a result, a stable connection is achieved with connector 102.

[0079] For example, if the plug 102 is connected to the connecting part 120 in a state where it is inclined to the right with respect to the upward-downward direction, the plug 102 pushes the connecting part 120b in a downward-sloping right direction, causing the connecting part 120b to deform elastically and push the frame body part 110 from the inside in the downward-sloping right direction. The floating parts 140 deform elastically by absorbing the load exerted when the frame body part 110 is pushed in the downward-sloping right direction and move the frame body part 110 in the downward-sloping right direction, which is the pushing direction of the connecting part 120b.If the frame body part 110 moves in the direction of the load, the connecting part 120 can prevent excessive load from being applied to the connecting part 120b and also prevent a reduction in the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connecting part 120a. The connecting part 20 can also maintain the connection state with the plug 102, which is provided in the case where the plug 102 is not displaced relative to the connector 2, so that the connector 2 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0080] Since the floating parts 140 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 116, which face each other in the direction in which the connecting part 120a and the connecting part 120b face each other, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 140 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting part 120 caused by the displacement of the plug 102. Since the floating parts 140 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 116 against which the connecting part 120 presses, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 140 to follow the compressive force exerted by the connecting part 120 on the side wall parts 116 due to the displacement of the plug 102.

[0081] In the process described above, the length L13 of the floating parts 140 is set shorter in the panel width direction than the length L14 of the connecting part 120 in the panel width direction, so that the floating parts 140 can deform more easily than the connecting part 120. Furthermore, the length L14 of the connecting part 120 is set longer in the panel width direction than the length L13 of the floating parts 140 in the panel width direction, so that the connection stability of the connecting part 120 can be improved.

[0082] Since the upper end sections 121 of the connecting part 120 are positioned below the upper end of the opening edge section 112, the connecting part 120 can be protected by the frame body part 110, thus preventing deformation of the connecting part 120.

[0083] In both cases where the connecting part 120 presses against the frame body part 110 and cases where the connecting part 120 does not press against the frame body part 110, the floating parts 140 deform elastically according to the pressing force that the connecting part 120 receives from the plug 102. Therefore, the frame body part 110 can behave in a similar manner to that described above, so that the connecting part 120 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0084] Even in the case where a load is applied due to an external force after the connecting part 120 and the plug 102 are connected, the connector 2 can still perform the same operation as if a load were applied at the time when the connecting part 120 and the plug 102 were connected.

[0085] To release the connection between connector 2 and plug 102, plug 102 is pulled downwards. As a result, the floating parts 140 return to their state before connection with plug 102 due to their own elastic restoring force, and the frame body part 110 accordingly returns to its state before connection with plug 102.

[0086] At this point, when the connecting part 120 is pulled downwards by the connector 102 and the frame body part 110 consequently moves downwards following the connecting part 120, the retaining part 150 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 to restrain the downward movement of the connector 2. This restraint prevents buckling and plastic deformation of the floating parts 140.

[0087] Furthermore, the retaining element 150 is formed on the side wall sections 117 of the rectangular frame body section 110, which differ from the side wall sections 116 on which the connecting element 120 and the floating elements 140 are formed. This arrangement makes it possible to increase the width of the retaining element 150 in the right-left direction and to increase the area of ​​contact with the mounting surface 100a, so that the movement of the connector 2 and the frame body section 110 can be reliably restrained.

[0088] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the connector 2 comprises: the pair of connecting parts 120a and 120b, which are designed to extend from the lower opening edge part 111 of the frame body part 110 towards the inside of the frame body part 110 and towards the upper opening edge part 112 and are to be connected to the plug 102; the pair of fixed parts 130a and 130b, which are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101; and the pair of floating parts 140a and 140b, which connect the lower opening edge part 111 to the pair of fixed parts 130a and 130b respectively and support the frame body part 110 in such a way that the frame body part 110 is freely movable. Accordingly, even if a displacement of plug 102 occurs, it is possible to maintain an electrically stable connection when the connection with plug 102 is made or after a connection with plug 102 has been made.

[0089] In the present embodiment, the connecting part 120 and the floating parts 140 are formed on the same sides of the rectangular frame body part 110, and the retaining part 150 is formed on the other sides. However, without being limited to this, the floating parts 140 and the retaining part 150 can also be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 110, and the connecting part 120 can be formed on the other sides, or the connecting part 120 and the retaining part 150 can be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 110, and the floating parts 140 can be formed on the other sides.

[0090] In the present embodiment, the connector 2 is connected to the plug 102. However, without being limited to this, the connector 2 can also be connected to a conductor other than the plug 102. (Third embodiment)<Ausgestaltung des Verbinders>

[0091] The design of a connector 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 19 to 23 described in detail.

[0092] The connector 3 according to the present embodiment is formed as a single unit from a metal plate and is mounted on a mounting surface 100a of a circuit substrate 100 to connect the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 to the plug 102. More precisely, the connector 3 comprises a frame body part 210, a connecting part 220, fixed parts 230, floating parts 240, and a retaining part 250.

[0093] The frame body part 210 has a frame shape that is rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body part 210 comprises a lower opening edge part 211 formed around a lower opening part 213, an upper opening edge part 212 formed around an upper opening part 214, the lower opening part 213, the upper opening part 214, a pair of side wall parts 216, which are the first side wall parts facing each other, and a pair of side wall parts 217, which are the second side wall parts facing each other and adjoining the side wall parts 216.

[0094] The connecting part 220 is configured to extend from the lower opening edge section 211 of the frame body part 210 towards the inside of the frame body part 210 and towards the upper opening edge section 212. The connecting part 220 extends downwards from the lower opening edge section 211 and is then folded upwards. Viewed from the front, the connecting part 220 is U-shaped. The connecting part 220 has upper end sections 221 that are positioned below the upper opening edge section 212 of the frame body part 210. The connecting part 220 is connected to the connector 102, and when the connecting part 220 is not connected to the connector 102, there is a gap between the connecting part 220 and the frame body part 210.

[0095] The connecting part 220 consists of a connecting part 120a and a connecting part 220b, which form a pair and face each other. The connecting part 220a and the connecting part 220b are facing surfaces that are oriented towards each other and each have a groove section 222, which is designed such that it is recessed downwards from the upper end section 221 at a central part in a front-to-back direction, which is a plate width direction. The connecting part 220a and the connecting part 220b include contact parts 223 that project inwards so that they approach each other and come into contact with the plug 102 within the frame body part 210. A gap between the contact part 223 of the connecting part 220a and the contact part 223 of the connecting part 220b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102.The direction in which the pair of connecting part 220a and connecting part 220b face each other is a right-left direction, which is identical to the direction in which the pair of side wall parts 216 face each other.

[0096] The fixed parts 230 are arranged below the retaining part 250. The fixed parts 230 are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering. The fixing and connection of the fixed parts 230 to the conductive part 101 is not limited to re-soldering. The fixed parts 230 can also be fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 by other soldering methods, such as wave soldering.

[0097] The fixed parts 230 each consist of a fixed part 230a and a fixed part 230b, forming a pair. The fixed parts 230a are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 220a. The fixed parts 230b are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 220b.

[0098] The floating parts 240 connect the frame body part 210 and the fixed parts 230. Each floating part 240 consists of an inwardly suspended part 241, which extends downward from the lower end of the opening edge part 211; a folded part 242, which is folded outward from a lower end section of the inwardly suspended part 241; and an outwardly suspended part 243, which extends downward from an outer end section of the folded part 242 and connects to the fixed parts 230. The floating parts 240 each have a cranked shape. The floating parts 240 deform elastically to support the frame body part 210 so that the frame body part 210 is freely movable along the mounting surface 100a.

[0099] The floating parts 240 each consist of a floating part 240a and a floating part 240b, forming a pair. The floating parts 240a are configured as a pair on the front and rear of the connecting part 220a to connect the lower opening edge part 211 of the frame body part 210 to the fixed parts 230a. The floating parts 240b are configured as a pair on the front and rear of the connecting part 220b to connect the lower opening edge part 211 of the frame body part 210 to the fixed parts 230b.

[0100] The retaining element 250 is formed on the frame body part 210. In the state in which the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, without the plug 102 being connected to the connecting part 220, a gap H3 exists (see Fig. 21) between the retaining element 250 and the mounting surface 100a. When the frame body part 210 moves downwards, the retaining element 250 comes into contact with the circuit substrate 100 and thereby prevents the downward movement of the frame body part 10, which is the mounting direction – the direction in which the connector 3 is mounted on the circuit substrate 100. The retaining element 250 is formed on the pair of side wall parts 217 of the rectangular frame body part 210. The side wall parts 217 face each other and are also distinct from the pair of side wall parts 216, which face each other and are provided with the connecting element 220 and the floating parts 240.

[0101] The retaining element 250 consists of a retaining element 250a and a retaining element 250b, which form a pair. The retaining element 250a is formed by extending a portion of the frame body part 210 downwards from the lower opening edge part 211 and folding distal end sections forwards by approximately 90 degrees in the direction of extension. The retaining element 250b is provided as a pair across a metal plate seam 3a, which is formed when a metal plate is folded and formed into the connector 3. The retaining element 250b is formed by extending a portion of the frame body part 210 downwards from the lower opening edge part 211 and folding distal end sections backwards by approximately 90 degrees in the direction of extension.

[0102] In the connector 3 with the aforementioned configuration, the length L23 of the floating parts 240 in the panel width direction is shorter than the length L24 of the connecting part 220 in the panel width direction (L23 < L24). The length L24 of the connecting part 220 in the panel width direction is longer than the length L25 of the fixed parts 230 in the panel width direction (L24 > L25). Furthermore, since the fixed parts 230 project forward from the front end of the floating parts 240 or backward from the rear end of the floating parts 240, the length L25 of the fixed parts 230 in the panel width direction is longer than the length L23 of the floating parts 230 in the panel width direction (L23 < L25).

[0103] Furthermore, connector 3 is formed by performing a folding operation on the metal plate using a clamping device after the plate has been punched out. This creates seam 3a. <Verfahren zum Montieren des Verbinders an dem Schaltungssubstrat>

[0104] A method for mounting the connector 3 on the circuit substrate 100 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 19 to 23 described in detail.

[0105] First, the connector 3 is mounted from above on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 so that the fixed parts 230 come into contact with the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100.

[0106] The fixed parts 230 are then connected and fixed to the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering such that the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. It should be noted that the circuit substrate 100 has an insertion hole 100b (not shown) that is formed below the connecting part 220.

[0107] Since the fixed parts 230 are formed below the retaining part 250, they are positioned more towards the distal end (underside) than the retaining part 250 in the upward direction, which is the mounting direction. Accordingly, when the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a, a gap exists between the retaining part 250 and the mounting surface 100a. This gap prevents the retaining part 250 from contacting the mounting surface 100a before the fixed parts 230 come into contact with the conductive part 101. As a result, the connection between the fixed parts 230 and the conductive part 101 is ensured.

[0108] It should be noted that the number of connectors 3 mounted on the circuit substrate 100 is not limited to a single connector, but can also be two or more, depending on requirements. In this case, if two or more plugs 102 are connected together with two or more connectors 3, the displacement of the respective plugs 102 relative to the respective connectors 3 may increase. As a solution, the configuration of the present embodiment can stabilize the connection between the respective connecting parts 220 and the respective plugs 102. <Funktionsweise des Verbinders>

[0109] The functioning of connector 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 19 to 23 described in detail.

[0110] The plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 3, which is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. First, when inserting the plug 102 into the connector 3, to establish a connection between the two, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 213 of the frame body part 210 of the connector 3, which is mounted on the circuit substrate 100.

[0111] Then the contact parts 223 of the connecting part 220 come into contact with the plug 102, which is inserted from below into the lower opening part 213 of the frame body part 210, and thereby deform elastically outwards in the right-left direction.

[0112] Next, the connecting part 220 clamps the plug 102 from the left and right sides by its own elastic restoring force and connects to the plug 102.

[0113] In this case, when the connector 102 is in a displaced state, the connecting part 220 deforms elastically, and the frame body part 210 deforms elastically with the elastic deformation of the connecting part 220. As a result, the connecting part 220 continues to press inwards against the side wall parts 216, and the frame body part 210 deforms elastically, so that a load is exerted on the floating parts 240 via the connecting part 220 and the frame body part 210. The application of the load causes the floating parts 240 to deform elastically and move the frame body part 210 in a load direction. When the frame body part 210 moves in the load direction, the connecting part 220 can maintain the connection state with the connector 102, which is provided when the connector 102 is not displaced relative to the connector 3.As a result, a stable connection is achieved with connector 102.

[0114] For example, if the plug 102 is connected to the connecting part 220 in a state where it is inclined to the right with respect to the upward-downward direction, the plug 102 pushes the connecting part 220b in a downward-sloping right direction, causing the connecting part 220b to deform elastically and push the frame body part 210 from the inside in the downward-sloping right direction. The floating parts 240 deform elastically by absorbing the load exerted when the frame body part 210 is pushed in the downward-sloping right direction and move the frame body part 210 in the downward-sloping right direction, which is the pushing direction of the connecting part 220b.If the frame body part 210 moves in the direction of the load, the connecting part 220 can prevent excessive load from being applied to the connecting part 220b and also prevent a reduction in the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connecting part 220a. The connecting part 220 can also maintain the connection state with the plug 102, which is provided in the case where the plug 102 is not displaced relative to the connector 3, so that the connector 3 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0115] Since the floating parts 240 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 216, which face each other in the direction in which the connecting part 220a and the connecting part 220b face each other, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 240 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting part 220 caused by the displacement of the plug 102. Since the floating parts 240 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 216 against which the connecting part 220 presses, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 240 to follow the compressive force exerted by the connecting part 220 on the side wall parts 216 due to the displacement of the plug 102.

[0116] In the process described above, the length L23 of the floating parts 240 is set shorter in the panel width direction than the length L24 of the connecting part 220 in the panel width direction, so that the floating parts 240 can deform more easily than the connecting part 220. Furthermore, the length L24 of the connecting part 220 is set longer in the panel width direction than the length L23 of the floating parts 240 in the panel width direction, so that the connection stability of the connecting part 220 can be improved.

[0117] Furthermore, forming the floating parts 240 into a cranked shape can also facilitate the elastic deformation of the floating parts 240.

[0118] Since the upper end sections 221 of the connecting part 220 are positioned below the upper end of the opening edge section 212, the connecting part 220 can be protected by the frame body part 210, thus preventing deformation of the connecting part 220.

[0119] In both cases where the connecting part 220 presses against the frame body part 210 and cases where the connecting part 220 does not press against the frame body part 210, the floating parts 240 deform elastically according to the pressing force that the connecting part 220 receives from the connector 102. Therefore, the frame body part 210 can behave in a similar manner to that described above, so that the connecting part 220 can be stably connected to the connector 102.

[0120] Even in the case where a load is applied due to an external force after the connecting part 220 and the plug 102 are connected, the connector 3 can still perform the same operation as if a load were applied at the time when the connecting part 220 and the plug 102 were connected.

[0121] To release the connection between connector 3 and plug 102, plug 102 is pulled downwards. As a result, the floating parts 240 return to their state before connection with plug 102 due to their own elastic restoring force, and the frame body part 210 accordingly returns to its state before connection with plug 102.

[0122] At this point, when the connecting part 220 is pulled downwards by the connector 102 and the frame body part 210 consequently moves downwards following the connecting part 220, the retaining part 250 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 to restrain the downward movement of the connector 3. This restraint prevents buckling and plastic deformation of the floating parts 240.

[0123] Furthermore, the retaining element 250 is formed on the side wall sections 217 of the rectangular frame body section 210, which differ from the side wall sections 216 on which the connecting element 220 and the floating elements 240 are formed. This arrangement makes it possible to increase the width of the retaining element 250 in the right-left direction and to increase the area of ​​contact with the mounting surface 100a, so that the movement of the connector 3 and the frame body section 210 can be reliably restrained.

[0124] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the connector 3 comprises: the pair of connecting parts 220a and 220b, which are designed to extend from the lower opening edge part 211 of the frame body part 210 towards the inside of the frame body part 210 and towards the upper opening edge part 212 and are to be connected to the plug 102; the pair of fixed parts 230a and 230b, which are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101; and the pair of floating parts 240a and 240b, which connect the lower opening edge part 211 to the pair of fixed parts 230a and 230b respectively and support the frame body part 210 and the connecting part 220 in such a way that they are freely movable.Accordingly, even if a displacement of plug 102 occurs, it is possible to maintain an electrically stable connection when the connection with plug 102 is made or after a connection with plug 102 has been made.

[0125] In the present embodiment, the connecting part 220 and the floating parts 240 are formed on the same sides of the rectangular frame body part 210, and the retaining part 250 is formed on the other sides. However, without being limited thereto, the floating parts 240 and the retaining part 250 can also be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 210, and the connecting part 220 can be formed on the other sides, or the connecting part 220 and the retaining part 250 can be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 210, and the floating parts 240 can be formed on the other sides.

[0126] In the present embodiment, the connector 3 is connected to the plug 102. However, without being limited to this, the connector 3 can also be connected to a conductor other than the plug 102. (Fourth embodiment)<Ausgestaltung des Verbinders>

[0127] The design of a connector 4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. Sections 24 to 28 are described in detail.

[0128] The connector 4 according to the present embodiment is formed as a single unit from a metal plate and is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 to connect the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 to a plug 102, which serves as a counterpart. More precisely, the connector 4 comprises a frame body part 310, a connecting part 320, fixed parts 330, floating parts 340, a retaining part 350, and a kink suppression part 360.

[0129] The frame body part 310 has a frame shape that is rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body part 310 comprises a lower opening edge part 311 formed around a lower opening part 313, an upper opening edge part 312 formed around an upper opening part 314, the lower opening part 313, the upper opening part 314, a pair of side wall parts 316, which are the first side wall parts facing each other, and a pair of side wall parts 317, which are the second side wall parts facing each other and adjoining the side wall parts 316.

[0130] The connecting part 320 is configured to extend from the upper opening edge section 312 of the frame body part 310 towards the inside of the frame body part 310 and towards the lower opening edge section 311. The connecting part 320 extends upwards from the upper opening edge section 312 and is then folded downwards. The connecting part 320 has an inverted U-shape, which, viewed from the front, is a vertically inverted U-shape. The connecting part 320 has upper end sections 321 that are positioned below the upper opening edge section 312 of the frame body part 310. The connecting part 320 is connected to the plug 102.

[0131] The connecting part 320 consists of a connecting part 320a and a connecting part 320b, which form a pair and face each other. The connecting part 320a and the connecting part 320b include contact parts 323 that project inwards so that they approach each other and come into contact with the plug 102 inside the frame body part 310. The gap between the contact part 323 of the connecting part 320a and the contact part 323 of the connecting part 320b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. The direction in which the pair of connecting parts 320a and 320b face each other is a right-left direction, identical to the direction in which the pair of side wall parts 316 face each other.

[0132] The fixed parts 330 are arranged below the retaining part 350. The fixed parts 330 are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering. The fixing and connection of the fixed parts 330 to the conductive part 101 is not limited to re-soldering. The fixed parts 330 can also be fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 by other soldering methods, such as wave soldering.

[0133] The fixed parts 330 each consist of a fixed part 330a and a fixed part 330b, forming a pair. The fixed parts 330a are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 320a. The fixed parts 330b are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 320b.

[0134] The floating parts 340, which connect the frame body part 310 and the fixed part 330, are designed to extend downwards from the lower opening edge part 311. The floating parts 340 deform elastically to support the frame body part 310 so that the frame body part 310 is freely movable along the mounting surface 100a.

[0135] The floating parts 340 each consist of a floating part 340a and a floating part 340b, forming a pair. The floating parts 340a are configured as a pair on the front and rear of the connecting part 320a to connect the lower opening edge part 311 of the frame body part 310 to the fixed parts 330a. The floating parts 340b are configured as a pair on the front and rear of the connecting part 320b to connect the lower opening edge part 311 of the frame body part 310 to the fixed parts 330b.

[0136] The retaining element 350 is formed on the frame body part 310. In the state in which the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, without the plug 102 being connected to the connecting part 320, a gap H4 exists (see Fig. 26) between the retaining element 350 and the mounting surface 100a. When the frame body part 310 moves downwards, the retaining element 350 comes into contact with the circuit substrate 100 and thereby prevents the downward movement of the frame body part 310, which is the mounting direction – the direction in which the connector 4 is mounted on the circuit substrate 100. The retaining element 350 is formed on the pair of side wall parts 317 of the rectangular frame body part 310. The side wall parts 317 face each other and are also distinct from the pair of side wall parts 316, which face each other and are provided with the connecting element 320 and the floating parts 340.

[0137] The retaining element 350 consists of a retaining element 350a and a retaining element 350b, which form a pair. The retaining element 350a is formed by extending a portion of the frame body part 310 downwards from the lower opening edge part 311 and folding distal end sections forwards by approximately 90 degrees in the direction of extension. The retaining element 350b is provided as a pair across a metal plate seam 4a, which is formed when a metal plate is folded and formed into the connector 4. The retaining element 350b is formed by extending a portion of the frame body part 310 downwards from the lower opening edge part 311 and folding distal end sections backwards by approximately 90 degrees in the direction of extension.

[0138] The crease-suppression element 360, which is U-shaped when viewed from the front, is designed to extend from the lower opening edge element 311 of the frame body element 310 towards the inside of the frame body element 310 and towards the upper opening edge element 312. The crease-suppression element 360 consists of a crease-suppression element 360a and a crease-suppression element 360b, which form a pair. The crease-suppression element 360 includes wall elements 361, fold-back elements 362, protective elements 363, window opening elements 364, and folded elements 365.

[0139] The wall sections 361 are designed to extend downwards from the lower end of the opening edge section 311 of the frame body section 310.

[0140] The fold-back sections 362 are formed by folding back the lower end of the wall sections 361 upwards. The length of the fold-back sections 362 in the front-to-back direction, i.e., the panel width direction, is shorter than the length of the wall sections 361 in the front-to-back direction.

[0141] The protective parts 363 are formed above the upper end sections of the folding parts 362. The protective parts 363, which face the connecting part 320, come into contact with the connecting part 320 in order to limit the pushing force in the direction in which connecting part 320a and connecting part 320b face each other.

[0142] The protective part 363 of the kink suppression part 360a covers the right side of the lower end section of the connecting part 320a. The protective part 363 of the kink suppression part 360b covers the left side of the lower end section of the connecting part 320b.

[0143] The window holes 364 formed in the protective parts 363 are through holes running in one direction of the plate thickness. Through the window holes 364, the contact parts 323 of the connecting part 320 are projected and exposed in the protruding directions of the contact parts 323.

[0144] The folded parts 365 are each formed by folding a front end section and a rear end section of the corresponding protective part 363 outwards by approximately 90 degrees in a right-left direction. The folded parts 365 also surround the connecting part 320 together with the protective parts 363.

[0145] The folded part 365 of the crease-suppressing part 360a covers the front and back of the lower end section of the connecting part 320a. The folded part 365 of the crease-suppressing part 360b covers the front and back of the lower end section of the connecting part 320b.

[0146] The connector 4 with the configuration described above is formed by performing a folding operation on the metal plate using a clamping device after the plate has been punched out. This creates the seam 4a. <Verfahren zum Montieren des Verbinders an dem Schaltungssubstrat>

[0147] A method for mounting the connector 4 on the circuit substrate 100 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. Sections 24 to 29 are described in detail.

[0148] First, the connector 4 is mounted from above on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 so that the fixed parts 330 come into contact with the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100.

[0149] The fixed parts 330 are then connected and fixed to the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering such that the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. It should be noted that the circuit substrate 100 has a non-illustrated insertion hole 100b, which is formed below the connecting part 320.

[0150] Since the fixed parts 330 are formed below the retaining part 350, they are positioned more towards the distal end (underside) than the retaining part 350 in the downward direction, which is the mounting direction. Accordingly, when the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a, a gap exists between the retaining part 350 and the mounting surface 100a. This gap prevents the retaining part 350 from contacting the mounting surface 100a before the fixed parts 330 come into contact with the conductive part 101. Consequently, the connection between the fixed parts 330 and the conductive part 101 is ensured.

[0151] It should be noted that the number of connectors 4 mounted on the circuit substrate 100 is not limited to a single connector, but can also be two or more, depending on requirements. In this case, if two or more plugs 102 are connected together with two or more connectors 4, the displacement of the respective plugs 102 relative to the respective connectors 4 may increase. As a solution, the configuration of the present embodiment can stabilize the connection between the respective connecting parts 320 and the respective plugs 102. <Funktionsweise des Verbinders>

[0152] The functioning of connector 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. Sections 24 to 29 are described in detail.

[0153] The plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 4, which is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. To establish a connection between the two, the plug 102 is first inserted from below into the lower opening 313 of the frame body part 310 of the connector 4, which is mounted on the circuit substrate 100.

[0154] Then the contact parts 323 of the connecting part 320 come into contact with the plug 102, which is inserted from below into the lower opening part 313 of the frame body part 310, and thereby deform elastically outwards in the right-left direction. In this case, the lower end sections of the connecting part 320 are covered by the protective parts 363 of the kink suppression part 360, so that the connecting part 320 cannot be kinked by the plug 102.

[0155] Next, the connecting part 320 clamps the plug 102 from the left and right sides by its own elastic restoring force and connects to the plug 102.

[0156] In this case, when the connector 102 is in a displaced state, the connecting part 320 deforms elastically, and the frame body part 310 deforms elastically with the elastic deformation of the connecting part 320. As a result, the connecting part 20 presses further from the inside against the side wall parts 316, and the frame body part 10 deforms elastically, so that a load is exerted on the floating parts 340 via the connecting part 320, the buckling suppressor part 360, and the frame body part 310. The application of the load causes the floating parts 340 to deform elastically and move the frame body part 310 in a load-bearing direction. If the frame body part 310 moves in the direction of the load, the connecting part 320 can maintain the connection state with the plug 102, which is provided in the case in which the plug 102 is not moved with respect to the connector 4.As a result, a stable connection is achieved with connector 102.

[0157] For example, if the plug 102 is connected to the connecting part 320 in a state where it is inclined to the right with respect to the upward-downward direction, the plug 102 pushes the connecting part 320b in a downward-right oblique direction, causing the connecting part 320b to deform elastically. The plug 102 also pushes the protective parts 363 of the kink-suppression part 360 in the downward-right oblique direction, causing the kink-suppression part 360 to deform elastically. As a result, the folded parts 365 push the frame body part 310 from the inside in the downward-right oblique direction. The floating parts 340 deform elastically by absorbing the load exerted when the frame body part 310 is pushed in the obliquely downward right direction, and move the frame body part 310 in the obliquely downward right direction, which is the pushing direction of the folded parts 365.If the frame body part 310 moves in the direction of the load, the connecting part 320 can prevent excessive load from being applied to the connecting part 320b and also prevent a reduction in the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connecting part 320a. The connecting part 320 can also maintain the connection state with the plug 102, which is provided in the case where the plug 102 is not displaced relative to the connector 4, so that the connector 4 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0158] Since the floating parts 340 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 316, which face each other in the direction in which the connecting part 320a and the connecting part 320b face each other, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 340 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting part 320 caused by the displacement of the plug 102. Since the floating parts 340 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 316 against which the connecting part 320 presses, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 340 to follow the compressive force exerted by the connecting part 320 on the side wall parts 316 due to the displacement of the plug 102.

[0159] Since the lower end sections of the connecting part 320 are covered with the protective parts 363 in the process described above, it is possible to prevent kinking and deformation of the connecting part 320 at the time of connection between the connecting part 320 and the plug 102.

[0160] In both cases where the connecting part 320 presses against the frame body part 310 and cases where the connecting part 320 does not press against the frame body part 310, the floating parts 340 deform elastically according to the pressing force that the connecting part 320 receives from the connector 102. Therefore, the frame body part 310 can behave in a similar manner to that described above, so that the connecting part 320 can be stably connected to the connector 102.

[0161] Even in the case where a load is applied due to an external force after the connecting part 320 and the plug 102 are connected, the connector 4 can still perform the same operation as if a load were applied at the time when the connecting part 320 and the plug 102 were connected.

[0162] To release the connection between connector 4 and plug 102, plug 102 is pulled downwards. As a result, the floating parts 340 return to their state before connection with plug 102 due to their own elastic restoring force, and the frame body part 310 accordingly returns to its state before connection with plug 102.

[0163] At this point, when the connecting part 320 is pulled downwards by the connector 102 and the frame body part 310 consequently moves downwards following the connecting part 320, the retaining part 350 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 to restrain the downward movement of the connector 4. This restraint prevents buckling and plastic deformation of the floating parts 340.

[0164] Furthermore, the retaining element 350 is formed on the side wall sections 317 of the rectangular frame body section 310, which differ from the side wall sections 316 on which the connecting element 320 and the floating elements 340 are formed. This arrangement makes it possible to increase the width of the retaining element 350 in the right-left direction and to increase the area of ​​contact with the mounting surface 100a, so that the movement of the connector 4 and the frame body section 310 can be reliably restrained.

[0165] According to the present embodiment, the connector 4 thus comprises: the pair of connecting parts 320a and 320b, which are configured to extend from the upper-end opening edge part 312 of the frame body part 310 towards the inside of the frame body part 310 and towards the lower-end opening edge part 311 and are to be connected to the plug 102; the pair of fixed parts 330a and 330b, which are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101; the kink suppression part 360, which consists of the pair of kink suppression parts 360a and 360b, which are configured to extend from the lower-end opening edge part 311 of the frame body part 310 to the inside of the frame body part 310 and cover the distal end sections of the connecting part 320 in the direction of extension; and the pair of floating parts 340a and 340b, which connect the lower opening edge part 311 to the pair of fixed parts 330a and 330b respectively.Connect 330b and support the frame body part 310 in such a way that the frame body part 310 is freely movable. Accordingly, even if a displacement of the plug 102 occurs, it is possible to maintain an electrically stable connection when the connection with the plug 102 is made or after a connection with the plug 102 has been made.

[0166] In the present embodiment, the connecting part 320 and the floating parts 340 are formed on the same sides of the rectangular frame body part 310, and the retaining part 350 is formed on the other sides. However, without being limited thereto, the floating parts 340 and the retaining part 350 can also be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 310, and the connecting part 320 can be formed on the other sides, or the connecting part 320 and the retaining part 350 can be formed on the same sides of the frame body part 310, and the floating parts 340 can be formed on the other sides.

[0167] In the present embodiment, the connector 4 is connected to the plug 102. However, the connector 4 can also be connected to a conductor other than the plug 102, without being limited to this. (Fifth embodiment)<Ausgestaltung des Verbinders>

[0168] The design of a connector 5 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 30 to 36 described in detail.

[0169] The connector 5 according to the present embodiment is formed as a single unit from a metal plate and is mounted on a mounting surface 100a of a circuit substrate 100 to connect the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 to the plug 102. More precisely, the connector 5 comprises a frame body part 410, a connecting part 420, fixed parts 430, floating parts 440, and a retaining part 450.

[0170] The frame body part 410 has a frame shape that is rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body part 410 comprises a lower opening edge part 411, which is formed around a lower opening part 413, an upper opening edge part 412, which is formed around an upper opening part 414, the lower opening part 413, the upper opening part 414, a pair of side wall parts 416, which are the first side wall parts facing each other, and a pair of side wall parts 417, which are the second side wall parts facing each other and adjoining the side wall parts 416. The side wall parts 416 include receiving parts 4161, against which the elastically deformable connecting part 420 can press directly from the inside. The receiving parts 4161 each have a recessed groove part 4162, which is formed inwards along the upward-downward direction by rolling bead processing.

[0171] The connecting part 420 is designed to extend from the lower opening edge section 411 of the frame body part 410 towards the inside of the frame body part 410 and towards the upper opening edge section 412. The connecting part 420 has upper end sections 421 that are positioned below the upper opening edge section 412 of the frame body part 410. The connecting part 420 is connected to the connector 102, and when the connecting part 420 is not connected to the connector 102, there is a gap between the connecting part 420 and the frame body part 410.

[0172] The connecting part 420 consists of a connecting part 420a and a connecting part 420b, which form a pair and face each other. The connecting part 420a and the connecting part 420b are facing surfaces that are oriented towards each other and each have a groove section 422, which is designed such that it is recessed downwards from an upper end section 421 at a central part in a front-to-back direction, which is a plate width direction. The connecting part 420a and the connecting part 420b include contact parts 423 that project inwards so that they approach each other and come into contact with the plug 102 within the frame body part 410. A gap between the contact part 423 of the connecting part 420a and the contact part 423 of the connecting part 420b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102.The direction in which the pair of connecting part 420a and connecting part 420b face each other is a right-left direction, which is identical to the direction in which the pair of side wall parts 416 face each other.

[0173] The fixed parts 430 are arranged above the retaining part 450. Each fixed part 430 has a recess 431. The fixed parts 430 are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 by re-soldering. The fixing and connection of the fixed parts 430 to the conductive part 101 is not limited to re-soldering. The fixed parts 430 can also be fixed and connected to the conductive part 101 by other soldering methods, such as wave soldering.

[0174] The fixed parts 430 each consist of a fixed part 430a and a fixed part 430b, forming a pair. The fixed parts 430a are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 420a. The fixed parts 430b are configured as a pair on the front and back of the connecting part 420b.

[0175] The floating parts 440 connect the frame body part 410 and the fixed parts 430. The floating parts 440, which extend forward or backward from the upper opening edge part 412, are curved in a zigzag and an S-shape on the same planes as the side wall parts 416 of the frame body part 410. The floating parts 440 deform elastically to support the frame body part 410 so that the frame body part 410 is freely movable along the mounting surface 100a.

[0176] The floating parts 440 each consist of a floating part 440a and a floating part 440b, forming a pair. The floating parts 440a are configured as a pair on the front and rear of the connecting part 420a to connect the upper opening edge part 412 of the frame body part 410 to the fixed parts 430a. The floating parts 440b are configured as a pair on the front and rear of the connecting part 420b to connect the upper opening edge part 412 of the frame body part 410 to the fixed parts 430b.

[0177] The retaining element 450 is formed on the frame body part 410. In the state where the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, without the plug 102 being connected to the connecting part 420, a gap H5 exists between the retaining element 450 and the mounting surface 100a. If the frame body part 410 moves upwards while the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, the retaining element 450 comes into contact with the circuit substrate 100 and thus prevents the upward movement of the frame body part 410, which is the mounting direction – the direction in which the connector 5 is mounted on the circuit substrate 100. The retaining element 450 is formed on the pair of side wall parts 417 of the rectangular frame body part 410.The side wall parts 417 face each other and also differ from the pair of side wall parts 416, which face each other and are provided with the connecting part 420 and the floating parts 440.

[0178] The retaining element 450 consists of a retaining element 450a and a retaining element 450b, which form a pair. The retaining element 450a is formed by folding a portion of the frame body part 410 forward approximately 90 degrees from the lower opening edge part 411. The retaining element 450b is provided as a pair across a metal plate seam 5a, which is formed when a metal plate is folded and formed into the connector 5. The retaining element 450b is formed by folding a portion of the frame body part 410 backward approximately 90 degrees from the lower opening edge part 411.

[0179] In the connector 5 with the aforementioned configuration, the length L43 of the floating parts 440 in the plate width direction is shorter than the length L44 of the connecting part 420 in the plate width direction (L43 < L44). Furthermore, since the fixed parts 430 project forward from the front end of the floating parts 440 or backward from the rear end of the floating parts 440, the length L45 of the fixed parts 430 in the plate width direction is longer than the length L43 of the floating parts 420 in the plate width direction (L43 < L45).

[0180] Furthermore, the connector 5 is formed by performing a folding operation on the metal plate using a clamping device after the plate has been punched out. This creates the seam 5a. <Verfahren zum Montieren des Verbinders an dem Schaltungssubstrat>

[0181] A method for mounting the connector 5 on the circuit substrate 100 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 30 to 36 described in detail.

[0182] The circuit substrate 100 has the conductive part 101 of a circuit structure around an insertion hole 100b of the mounting surface 100a.

[0183] First, the circuit substrate 100 is turned vertically so that the mounting surface 100a is on the top, and the connector 5 is turned vertically so that the top end opening edge part 412 of the frame body part 10 is on the bottom.

[0184] Next, the vertically inverted connector 5 is mounted from above on the mounting surface 100a of the vertically inverted circuit substrate 100 so that the fixed parts 430 come into contact with the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100.

[0185] The fixed parts 430 are then connected and fixed to the conductive part 101 of the circuit substrate 100 by reflow soldering such that the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. Since the recess parts 431 are formed on the fixed parts 430, it is possible at this point to visually inspect the reflow soldering through the recess parts 431, thus reducing soldering defects. It should be noted that the circuit substrate 100 has a non-illustrated insertion hole 100b, which is formed below the connecting part 420, which consists of the pair of connecting parts 420a and 420b.

[0186] After the connector 5 has been mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100, the connector 5 and the circuit substrate 100 are turned vertically back into their original state.

[0187] Since the fixed parts 430 are formed above the retaining part 450, they are positioned more towards one side of the distal end (a top side) than the retaining part 450 in the upward direction, which is the assembly direction if the vertical reversal is not performed. Accordingly, when the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a, a gap H5 exists between the retaining part 450 and the mounting surface 100a. This gap prevents the retaining part 450 from coming into contact with the mounting surface 100a before the fixed parts 430 come into contact with the conductive part 101. As a result, the connection between the fixed parts 430 and the conductive part 101 can be ensured.

[0188] Furthermore, the floating parts 440 are formed on the same planes as the side wall parts 416 of the frame body part 410, so that the mounting surface of the connector 5 on the circuit substrate 100 can be reduced.

[0189] Furthermore, since the floating parts 440 are curved in a zigzag or S-shape on the same planes as the side wall parts 416 of the frame body part 410, it is possible to reduce the height of the connector 5 while maintaining the desired degree of elastic deformation of the floating parts 440.

[0190] It should be noted that the number of connectors 5 mounted on the circuit substrate 100 is not limited to a single connector, but can also be two or more, depending on requirements. In this case, if two or more plugs 102 are connected together with two or more connectors 5, the displacement of the respective plugs 102 relative to the respective connectors 5 may increase. As a solution, the configuration of the present embodiment can stabilize the connection between the respective connecting parts 420 and the respective plugs 102. <Funktionsweise des Verbinders>

[0191] The functioning of connector 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to Fig. 30 to 36 described in detail.

[0192] The plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 5, which is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100. First, when inserting the plug 102 into the connector 5, to establish a connection between the two, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 413 of the frame body part 410 of the connector 5, which is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100.

[0193] Then the contact parts 423 of the connecting part 420 come into contact with the plug 102, which is inserted from below into the lower opening part 413, and thereby deform elastically outwards in the right-left direction.

[0194] At this point, when the connecting part 420 is pulled upwards by the connector 102 and the frame body part 410 consequently moves upwards following the connecting part 420, the retaining part 450 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit substrate 100 to restrain the upward movement of the connector 5. This restraint prevents buckling and plastic deformation of the floating parts 440.

[0195] Furthermore, the retaining element 450 is formed on the side wall sections 417 of the rectangular frame body section 410, which differ from the side wall sections 416 on which the connecting element 420 and the floating elements 440 are formed. This arrangement makes it possible to increase the width of the retaining element 450 in the right-left direction and to increase the area of ​​contact with the mounting surface 100a, so that the movement of the connector 5 and the frame body section 410 can be reliably restrained.

[0196] Next, the connecting part 420 clamps the plug 102 from the left and right sides by its own elastic restoring force and connects to the plug 102.

[0197] In this case, when the connector 102 is in a displaced state, the connecting part 420 deforms elastically, and the frame body part 410 deforms elastically with the elastic deformation of the connecting part 420. As a result, the connecting part 420 continues to press inwards against the side wall parts 416, and the frame body part 410 deforms elastically, so that a load is exerted on the floating parts 440 via the connecting part 420 and the frame body part 410. The application of the load causes the floating parts 440 to deform elastically and move the frame body part 410 in a load direction. When the frame body part 410 moves in the load direction, the connecting part 420 can maintain the connection state with the connector 102, which is provided when the connector 102 is not displaced relative to the connector 5.As a result, a stable connection is achieved with connector 102.

[0198] Here, the state in which the connector 102 is displaced includes the states in which the connector 102 is displaced from the position in which it is stably connected to the connector part 420 in directions parallel to the front, rear, left, and right, the state in which the connector is inclined in the upward-downward direction, and combinations of these states. The position in which the connector 102 is stably connected to the connector part 420 is the position in which the connector 102 is connected to the connector part 420a and the connector part 420b at a contact pressure of a prescribed value or more, and the connector 102 is connected to the connector part 420a and the connector part 420b at substantially the same contact pressure.

[0199] Since the floating parts 440 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 416, which face each other in the direction in which the connecting part 420a and the connecting part 420b face each other, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting part 420 caused by the displacement of the plug 102. Since the floating parts 440 are designed to extend from the side wall parts 416 against which the connecting part 420 presses, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating parts 440 to follow the compressive force exerted by the connecting part 420 on the side wall parts 416 due to the displacement of the plug 102.Furthermore, since the floating parts 440 are designed to extend from the receiving parts 4161 of the side wall parts 416, against which the connecting part 420 presses, it is possible to further improve the ability of the floating parts 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting part 420 caused by the displacement of the plug 102. If the floating parts 440 are designed to extend from the contact parts Q that come into contact with the connecting part 420, it is particularly possible to further improve the ability of the floating parts 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting part 420 caused by the displacement of the plug 102.

[0200] Furthermore, since the recessed groove sections 4162 are formed in the receiving sections 4161, the strength of the receiving sections 4161 can be increased compared to the case without the recessed groove sections 4162. Therefore, the pressing force from the connecting section 420 can be reliably transmitted via the receiving sections 4161 to the floating sections 440.

[0201] In the process described above, the length L43 of the floating parts 440 is set shorter in the panel width direction than the length L44 of the connecting part 420 in the panel width direction, so that the floating parts 440 can deform more easily than the connecting part 420. Furthermore, the connection stability of the connecting part 420 can be improved if the length L44 of the connecting part 420 is set longer in the panel width direction than the length L43 of the floating parts 440 in the panel width direction.

[0202] Since the upper end sections 421 of the connecting part 420 are positioned below the upper end opening edge part 412, the connecting part 420 can be protected by the frame body part 410, thus preventing deformation of the connecting part 420.

[0203] In both cases where the connecting part 420 presses against the frame body part 410 and cases where the connecting part 420 does not press against the frame body part 410, the floating parts 440 deform elastically according to the pressing force that the connecting part 420 receives from the connector 102. Therefore, the frame body part 410 can behave in a similar manner to that described above, so that the connecting part 420 can be stably connected to the connector 102.

[0204] Even in the case where a load is applied due to an external force after the connecting part 420 and the plug 102 are connected, the connector 5 can still perform the same operation as if a load were applied at the time when the connecting part 420 and the plug 102 were connected.

[0205] To release the connection between connector 5 and plug 102, plug 102 is pulled downwards. As a result, the floating parts 440 return to their state before connection with plug 102 due to their own elastic restoring force, and the frame body part 410 accordingly returns to its state before connection with plug 102.

[0206] Thus, according to the present embodiment, the connector 5 comprises: the frame-shaped frame body part 410, which has the upper opening part 414, the lower opening part 413, the upper-end opening edge part 412 formed around the upper opening part 414, and the lower-end opening edge part 411 formed around the lower opening part 413; the pair of connecting parts 420a and 420b, which are configured to extend from the lower-end opening edge part 411 towards the inside of the frame body part 410 and towards the upper-end opening edge part 412 and are to be connected to the plug 102; the pair of fixed parts 430a and 430b, which are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101; and the pair of floating parts 440a and 440b, which connect the frame body part 410 with the pair of fixed parts 430a and 430b respectively and movably support the frame body part 410.Accordingly, even if a displacement of plug 102 occurs, it is possible to maintain an electrically stable connection when the connection with plug 102 is made or after a connection with plug 102 has been made.

[0207] In the present embodiment, the floating parts 440 are configured to extend from the contact parts Q that come into contact with the connecting part 420. However, without being limited thereto, the floating parts 440 can be configured to extend from other sections of the receiving parts 4161 besides the contact parts Q.

[0208] The present invention is not limited to the described embodiments with respect to the types, arrangements, number, or the like of the individual components. It is perfectly clear that suitable modifications, such as a suitable substitution of the individual components with those of equivalent effect, are possible within the scope of protection of the appended claims and their equivalents. Commercial applicability

[0209] One or more embodiments of the present invention are advantageously applicable to a connector which is to be mounted on a mounting surface of a circuit substrate and which, as a single unit, is formed by a metal plate which connects a conductive part of the circuit substrate and a counter conductor. List of reference symbols 1 connector 2 connectors 3 connectors 4 connectors 5 connectors 10 Frame body part 11 bottom opening edge part 12 top-end opening edge part 13 lower opening part 14 upper opening part 15 recess part 20 Connecting part 20a Connecting part 20b Connecting part 21 upper end section 22 Grooved part 23 Contact part 30 fixed part 30a fixed part 30b fixed part 40 floating part 40a floating part 40b floating part 50 Retaining part 50a Retention part 50b Retaining part 100 circuit substrate 100a Mounting area 100b insertion hole 100c interior wall 101 conductive part 102 plugs 110 Frame body part 120 connecting part 130 fixed part 140 floating part 150 Retaining part 210 Frame body part 220 Connecting part 230 fixed part 240 floating part 250 Retaining part 310 Frame body part 320 Connecting part 330 fixed part 340 floating part 350 Retaining part 360° bend suppression part 360a Bend suppression part 360b Bend suppression part 361 Wall section 362 Folding back part 363 Protective part 364 Window hole part 365 folded part 410 Frame body part 420 Connecting part 430 fixed part 440 floating part 450 Retaining part Citation list

[0210] Patent literature 1: Japanese patent application disclosure no. H11-339906 QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 11-339906

[0210]

Claims

[1] A connector to be mounted on a circuit substrate and formed, as a single unit, by a metal plate connecting a conductive part of the circuit substrate and a mating conductor, the connector comprising: a frame-shaped frame body part having an upper opening part, a lower opening part, an upper-end opening edge part formed around the upper opening part, and a lower-end opening edge part formed around the lower opening part; a pair of connecting parts formed to extend from the lower-end opening edge part toward an inner side of the frame body part and toward the upper-end opening edge part and to be connected to the counter conductor; a pair of fixed parts fixed and connected to the conductive part; and a pair of floating parts each connecting the frame body part to the pair of fixed parts and movably supporting the frame body part. [2] Connector according to claim 1, wherein: the frame body part has a pair of side wall parts facing each other in a facing direction in which the connecting parts face each other; and each of the floating parts is formed to extend from each of the side wall parts. [3] A connector according to claim 2, wherein each of the floating parts is formed on the same plane as each of the side wall parts. [4] A connector according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: the pair of connecting parts deforms elastically when the connector is connected to the mating conductor or after the connection has been made, in order to be able to press against the side wall parts from the inside; and the pair of floating parts elastically deforms when the pair of connecting parts presses against the pair of side wall parts to allow the frame body part to move in a pressing direction. [5] A connector according to claim 4, wherein each of the floating parts is formed to extend from contact parts of the connecting parts that come into contact with the side wall parts. [6] A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the floating parts connects the upper opening edge part to each of the fixed parts. [7] A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the floating parts connects the lower end opening edge part to each of the fixed parts. [8] The connector of claim 1, comprising a retaining portion formed on the frame body portion, the retaining portion being configured to contact the circuit substrate and thereby restrict movement of the frame body portion in a mounting direction, the direction in which the connector is mounted to the circuit substrate. [9] The connector of claim 8, wherein each of the fixed portions is positioned more to one side of the distal end than the retaining portion. [10] A connector according to claim 8 or 9, wherein: the floating parts connect the respective fixed parts to first side wall parts of the frame body part, the first side wall parts facing each other; and the retaining part is formed on second side wall parts of the frame body part, wherein the second side wall parts differ from the first side wall parts. [11] The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a length of each of the floating parts in a plate width direction is shorter than a length of each of the connecting parts in the plate width direction. [12] A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper opening edge part is arranged above the upper end portions of the connecting parts. [13] A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a gap is formed between the pair of connecting parts and the frame body part when the connecting parts are not connected to the mating conductor. [14] A connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: each of the connecting parts is formed so as to extend downward from the lower end opening edge part and then be folded upward; each of the floating parts is formed so as to extend downward from the lower end opening edge part and then be folded upward to be connected to each of the fixed parts; and a length between the lower-end opening edge part and a lower end portion of each of the floating parts is longer than a length between the lower-end opening edge part and a lower end portion of each of the connecting parts. [15] Connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the fixed parts is connected to a lower end portion of each of the floating parts; and each of the floating parts is formed in a cranked shape. [16] A connector to be mounted on a circuit substrate and formed, as a single unit, by a metal plate connecting a conductive part of the circuit substrate and a mating conductor, the connector comprising: a frame-shaped frame body part having an upper opening part, a lower opening part, an upper-end opening edge part formed around the upper opening part, and a lower-end opening edge part formed around the lower opening part; a pair of connecting parts formed to extend from the upper opening edge part toward an inner side of the frame body part and toward the lower opening edge part and to be connected to the counter conductor; a pair of fixed parts fixed and connected to the conductive part; a pair of buckling suppression parts formed to extend from the lower-end opening edge part toward an inner side of the frame body part and toward the upper-end opening edge part and cover a lower end portion of the pair of connecting parts; and a pair of floating parts each connecting the lower opening edge part with the pair of fixed parts and movably supporting the frame body part.

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