Connector, mating connector, and connector assembly

Abstract

To provide: a novel connector having a structure suitable for a multicore design; and a mating connector which can be fitted to the novel connector.SOLUTION: A connector 12 comprises: a housing 20 having a bottom part 25; and a plurality of terminals 30 each including an inner terminal 31. The bottom part 25 has a protruding part 28 and two base parts 26. The protruding part 28 protrudes from the base parts 26 in a vertical direction (Z-direction). Each of the base parts 26 has at least one predetermined part 27. The predetermined part 27 includes two passage holes 272 and one spacing part 274. The passage holes 272 penetrate the base parts 26 in the vertical direction. The spacing part 274 spaces the two passage holes 272 away from each other in a pitch direction (Y-direction) and is connected to the protruding part 28 in a width direction (X-direction). The inner terminal 31 has a soldered part 34. The soldered part 34 is partially located inside each of the passage holes 272.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector having a plurality of terminals arranged at a narrow pitch.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses this type of connector.

[0003] Referring to FIG. 16, the connector 90 disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a connector mounted on a substrate 98. The connector 90 includes a housing 91 molded from resin, a number of first contacts (outer terminals) 94, and a number of second contacts (inner terminals) 96. The outer terminals 94 and the inner terminals 96 are arranged at a narrow pitch. Each of the inner terminals 96 has a soldering portion 97. A plurality of openings (through holes) 92 corresponding to the soldering portions 97 are formed at the bottom of the housing 91. The soldering portion 97 is partially located inside the through hole 92, whereby it is possible to visually check whether the soldering portion 97 is properly soldered to the substrate 98.

[0004] The bottom of the housing 91 has a plurality of partition portions 93. Each of the partition portions 93 is located between two through holes 92 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction, thereby preventing a decrease in the strength of the housing 91 due to the formation of the through holes 93.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] If the number of inner terminals 96 is increased while maintaining the size of the housing 91, the distance between two adjacent through holes 94 (adjacent through holes) in the pitch direction becomes shorter. In other words, when molding the housing 91, the gap between the mold parts for forming the adjacent through holes (the part corresponding to the partition 93) becomes smaller. As a result, it becomes difficult to inject resin into the gap, and there is a risk that the partition 93 will not be sufficiently formed. As can be understood from the above explanation, the connector of Patent Document 1 is not necessarily suitable for increasing the number of cores in the connector.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a new connector having a structure suitable for multi-core connections, and a mating connector that can be mated with this new connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a first connector, A connector comprising a housing and multiple terminals, The housing has two side walls, two end walls, and a bottom. Each of the aforementioned side wall portions extends along the pitch direction, The side wall portions are separated from each other in the width direction perpendicular to the pitch direction, The end wall portions are located at both ends of the housing in the pitch direction, The bottom portion connects the side wall portions to each other. The bottom portion has a protrusion and two base portions corresponding to the side wall portion, The base portion is located on both sides of the projection in the width direction, The projection protrudes from the base in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the pitch direction and the width direction, and is connected to at least one of the end wall portions in the pitch direction. Each of the bases has at least one predetermined part, The aforementioned predetermined portion includes two through holes and one partition, Each of the aforementioned through holes penetrates the base in the vertical direction. The partition separates the two through holes from each other in the pitch direction and is connected to the corresponding side wall portion and the projection portion in the width direction. The aforementioned terminals are divided into two terminal rows corresponding to the side wall portion, Each of the aforementioned terminal rows includes at least two inner terminals, Each of the aforementioned inner terminals has a holding portion and a soldering portion. The retained portion of the inner terminal is held by the corresponding side wall portion. The soldering portions of the inner terminals are each partially located inside the through holes. We provide connectors.

[0009] The present invention provides a second connector, which is a first connector, The projection is connected to the two end wall portions in the pitch direction. We provide connectors.

[0010] The present invention provides a third connector, which is a first connector, Each of the aforementioned terminal rows includes at least one outer terminal, The outer terminal has a holding portion and a soldering portion. The retained portion of the outer terminal is held by the corresponding side wall portion. The soldering portion of the outer terminal is located on the outer side in the width direction of the corresponding side wall portion. The inner terminals and outer terminals of each of the terminal rows are arranged alternately in the pitch direction. We provide connectors.

[0011] The present invention provides a fourth connector, which is a first connector, The through holes in one of the bases and the through holes in the other base are arranged alternately in the pitch direction. We provide connectors.

[0012] The present invention provides a fifth connector, which is any one of the first to fourth connectors, where the connector has a receiving portion, and the receiving portion is a space surrounded by the side wall portion, the end wall portion, and the bottom portion. A connector is provided.

[0013] The present invention provides a first mating connector, which is a connector that can be mated with the fifth connector. The mating connector includes a mating housing and a metal fitting guide. The mating housing has an island portion. In a mated state where the connector and the mating connector are mated with each other, the island portion is received in the receiving portion of the connector. The island portion has a groove portion and two protruding wall portions. The protruding wall portions are respectively located on both sides in the width direction of the groove portion. In the mated state, the groove portion receives the protrusion of the connector. The fitting guide has a main portion and two protection portions. The main portion covers an end in the pitch direction of the island portion. The protection portions extend from the main portion and respectively cover and protect ends in the pitch direction of the protruding wall portions. A mating connector is provided.

[0014] The present invention provides a first connector assembly including the fifth connector and the first mating connector. A connector assembly is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0015] The projection of the connector of the present invention protrudes vertically from a base having a through hole and a partition, and is connected to at least one of the end wall portions (a predetermined end wall portion). The projection and partition arranged in this manner can be molded from resin using a mold having a first groove corresponding to the projection and a second groove corresponding to the partition formed therein. Specifically, when molding the housing, resin can be poured from a gate near the predetermined end wall portion into the first groove having a relatively large cross-section, and then the resin can be poured from the first groove into the second groove below. With this molding method, the partition can be reliably formed even if the size of the second groove in the pitch direction is small.

[0016] In other words, the present invention provides a new connector having a structure suitable for multi-core designs. In addition, it provides a mating connector having a structure corresponding to the structure of this new connector, that is, a mating connector that can be mated with this new connector. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. The connector assembly is in a separated state, with the connector and the mating connector separated from each other. [Figure 2] This is another perspective view showing the connector assembly in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a plan view showing the connector of the connector assembly in Figure 1. A portion of the connector (the area enclosed by the dashed line) is shown in enlargement. The outline of the circuit board on which the connector is mounted is partially shown with dashed lines. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the connector along the IV-IV line. [Figure 5] This is a bottom view showing the connector in Figure 3. [Figure 6] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the housing of the connector. A portion of the housing (the area enclosed by the dashed line) is shown in a magnified view. [Figure 7]Figure 6 is a plan view showing the housing. A portion of the housing (the area enclosed by the dashed line) is shown in a magnified view. In the magnified view, the gate positions used during the molding of the housing are shown with dashed lines. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing the mating connector of the connector assembly in Figure 1. The outline of the mating circuit board on which the mating connector is mounted is partially drawn with dashed lines. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the mating connector along the IX-IX line. [Figure 10] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the mating housing of the mating connector. [Figure 11] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the hold-down of the mating connector. [Figure 12] Figure 1 is a side view showing the connector assembly. The connector assembly is in a mated state, with the connector and the mating connector engaged with each other. The outlines of the circuit board and the mating circuit board are partially drawn with dashed lines. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly along the line XIII-XIII. [Figure 14] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly along line XIV-XIV. [Figure 15] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly along the line XV-XV. [Figure 16] This is a plan view showing the connector from Patent Document 1 together with the substrate. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 12, the connector assembly 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a connector 12, which is a plug, and a mating connector 16, which is a receptacle. The connector 12 is a so-called onboard connector mounted on a substrate 82. The mating connector 16 is an onboard connector mounted on a mating substrate 84. The connector 12 can be mated with the mating connector 16 along the vertical direction. In the mated state where the connector 12 and the mating connector 16 are mated with each other, the substrate 82 and the mating substrate 84 are electrically connected to each other. In this embodiment, the vertical direction is the Z direction. In this embodiment, upward is the +Z direction, and downward is the -Z direction.

[0019] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the connector 12 of this embodiment comprises a housing 20 made of an insulator, a plurality of terminals 30 made of a conductor, and two hold-downs 40 made of a conductor. The connector 12 of this embodiment comprises only the above-mentioned components. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the connector 12 may further comprise other components in addition to the above-mentioned components. On the other hand, the hold-downs 40 may be provided as needed.

[0020] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the housing 20 in this embodiment is a single component molded from resin. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the housing 20 may be formed by joining additional components to a main component molded from resin.

[0021] The housing 20 of this embodiment has a peripheral wall portion 21 and a bottom portion 25. The peripheral wall portion 21 has two side wall portions 22 and two end wall portions 23. That is, the housing 20 has two side wall portions 22 and two end wall portions 23.

[0022] Each of the side wall portions 22 extends parallel to each other along the pitch direction, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the pitch direction is the Y direction. The side wall portions 22 are separated from each other in the width direction, which is perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the pitch direction. In this embodiment, the width direction is the X direction.

[0023] The end wall portions 23 are located at both ends of the housing 20 in the pitch direction. Each of the end wall portions 23 in this embodiment extends along the width direction and connects the two side wall portions 22 to each other in the width direction. That is, the circumferential wall portion 21 has a continuous rectangular shape in the horizontal plane (XY plane) perpendicular to the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each of the end wall portions 23 may be separated from the side wall portions 22 in the width direction.

[0024] The bottom portion 25 connects the two side wall portions 22 to each other in the width direction. In this embodiment, the bottom portion 25 connects the two end wall portions 23 to each other in the pitch direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the bottom portion 25 may be separated in the pitch direction from one of the two end wall portions 23.

[0025] The base portion 25 has a projection 28 and two base portions 26 that correspond to the side wall portions 22, respectively. The base portions 26 are located on both sides of the projection 28 in the width direction. In other words, each base portion 26 is located between the projection 28 and the corresponding side wall portion 22 in the width direction. The projection 28 protrudes from the base portions 26 in the vertical direction. More specifically, the projection 28 in this embodiment protrudes downward from the base portions 26. Each of the base portions 26 and projection 28 in this embodiment extends along the pitch direction across the entire base portion 25. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each of the base portions 26 may be located only in the middle portion of the base portion 25 in the pitch direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the projection 28 extends seamlessly along the pitch direction and is connected to the two end wall portions 23 in the pitch direction. With this structure, when molding the housing 20 from resin, the entire projection 28 can be formed by injecting resin from a single gate 80 (injection port) provided on the bottom side (+Z side) of the housing 20. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the projection 28 may include two portions that are separated from each other in the pitch direction. These two portions may each be connected to the two end wall portions 23. On the other hand, the projection 28 may be a single portion connected in the pitch direction to only one of the end wall portions 23. That is, the projection 28 only needs to be connected in the pitch direction to at least one of the end wall portions 23.

[0027] Each of the base portions 26 in this embodiment is provided with a number of through holes 272 and a number of partitions 274. Each of the through holes 272 penetrates the base portion 26 in the vertical direction and has a rectangular shape in the XY plane. Each of the through holes 272 of the base portion 26 is arranged at equal intervals along the pitch direction. Each of the partitions 274 is located between two adjacent through holes 272 in the pitch direction. That is, each of the partitions 274 of the base portion 26 is arranged at equal intervals along the pitch direction. Each of the partitions 274 extends seamlessly along the width direction from the projection 28 to the corresponding side wall portion 22.

[0028] The through holes 272 and partitions 274 in this embodiment have the structure described above and are arranged as described above. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the arrangement of the through holes 272 is not limited to equal intervals.

[0029] Referring to Figures 3 to 5, each of the hold-downs 40 in this embodiment is formed by bending a single metal plate. In other words, each of the hold-downs 40 is a single metal plate with a curve. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each of the hold-downs 40 may be formed by joining multiple members.

[0030] The hold-downs 40 in this embodiment have the same shape as each other. Each hold-down 40 has a fixing portion 42. The hold-downs 40 in this embodiment are insert-molded into the end wall portion 23 of the housing 20, reinforcing the end wall portion 23. When the connector 12 is mounted on the substrate 82, the fixing portion 42 is soldered to the substrate 82. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the hold-downs 40 may be attached to the end wall portion 23 after the housing 20 has been molded.

[0031] Referring to Figures 3 and 5, the terminal 30 is divided into two terminal rows 30R, each corresponding to a side wall portion 22. Each of the terminal rows 30R is positioned on the corresponding side wall portion 22. In this embodiment, each of the terminal rows 30R includes a number of inner terminals 31 and a number of outer terminals 35. The inner terminals 31 and outer terminals 35 of each terminal row 30R are arranged alternately at equal intervals in the pitch direction.

[0032] The terminals 30 in this embodiment are arranged as described above. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each of the terminal rows 30R may contain only two inner terminals 31 and only one outer terminal 35. That is, each of the terminal rows 30R may contain at least two inner terminals 31 and at least one outer terminal 35. Alternatively, each of the terminal rows 30R may contain only two inner terminals 31.

[0033] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the inner terminals 31 in this embodiment have the same shape. Each of the inner terminals 31 is a single bent metal plate. Each of the inner terminals 31 has a holding portion 32 and a soldering portion 34.

[0034] The retained portion 32 of the inner terminal 31 is held by the corresponding side wall portion 22. In this embodiment, each retained portion 32 is insert-molded into the corresponding side wall portion 22 and is exposed from both the lower surface and the widthwise side surface of the corresponding side wall portion 22. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each retained portion 32 may be press-fitted into the corresponding side wall portion 22.

[0035] In this embodiment, each of the retained portion 32 of the inner terminal 31 is provided with two contacts 33. Each contact 33 of the inner terminal 31 is located on opposite sides of the retained portion 32 in the width direction, and in the mated state, it is electrically connected to the mating connector 16.

[0036] Referring to Figure 3, the through holes 272 are formed corresponding to the inner terminals 31. More specifically, the soldering portions 34 of the inner terminals 31 are partially located inside the through holes 272. When the connector 12 is mounted on the substrate 82, each of the soldering portions 34 is soldered to and connected to a conductive pad (not shown) on the substrate 82. Each of the soldering portions 34 is separated from the inner wall surface 273 of the through hole 272 in the XY plane and is securely fixed to the substrate 82 by solder covering the sides of the soldering portions 34 in the XY plane. In addition, it is possible to visually confirm through the through holes 272 whether or not the soldering portions 34 are properly soldered to the substrate 82.

[0037] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the outer terminals 35 in this embodiment have the same shape. Each of the outer terminals 35 is a single bent metal plate. Each of the outer terminals 35 has a holding portion 36 and a soldering portion 38.

[0038] The retained portion 36 of the outer terminal 35 is held by the corresponding side wall portion 22. In this embodiment, each of the retained portions 36 is insert-molded into the corresponding side wall portion 22 and is exposed from both the lower surface and the widthwise side surface of the corresponding side wall portion 22. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each of the retained portions 36 may be press-fitted into the corresponding side wall portion 22.

[0039] In this embodiment, each of the retained portion 36 of the outer terminal 35 is provided with two contacts 37. Each contact 37 of the outer terminal 35 is located on opposite sides of the retained portion 36 in the width direction, and in the mated state, it is electrically connected to the mating connector 16.

[0040] Each of the soldering portions 38 of the outer terminal 35 extends outward in the width direction from the retained portion 36 and is located on the outer side in the width direction of the corresponding side wall portion 22. Referring to Figure 3, when the connector 12 is mounted on the substrate 82, each of the soldering portions 38 is fixed to the conductive pad (not shown) of the substrate 82 by soldering. The soldering portions 38 arranged as described above can be visually inspected along the vertical direction to see whether they are properly soldered to the substrate 82.

[0041] Referring to Figure 5, according to this embodiment, the inner terminals 31 and outer terminals 35 of each terminal row 30R are arranged alternately along the pitch direction. In each terminal row 30R, the soldering portions 34 of two adjacent inner terminals 31 are separated from each other by a distance DS in the pitch direction, and the soldering portions 38 of two adjacent outer terminals 35 are separated from each other by a distance DS in the pitch direction.

[0042] According to the alternating arrangement described above, the distance DS can be kept at a value such that the soldering portions 38 do not short-circuit with each other, while reducing the distance between two adjacent terminals 30 in the pitch direction. In other words, the connector 12 can be made smaller in the pitch direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in each of the terminal rows 30R, two or more inner terminals 31 may be adjacent to each other, or two or more outer terminals 35 may be adjacent to each other.

[0043] Referring to Figure 3, the connector 12 of this embodiment is asymmetrical with respect to the vertical plane (YZ plane), but has a shape that is 180 degrees rotationally symmetrical about an axis parallel to the vertical direction. In particular, the through holes 272 of one of the base portions 26 and the through holes 272 of the other base portion 26 are arranged alternately in the pitch direction. That is, all the through holes 272 are arranged in a zigzag pattern along the pitch direction.

[0044] According to the zigzag arrangement described above, the distance between the soldering portion 34 of one inner terminal 31 of the base 26 and the soldering portion 34 of the other inner terminal 31 of the base 26 can be increased without increasing the width of the connector 12, thereby improving insulation. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the through holes 272 of one base 26 and the through holes 272 of the other base 26 may be aligned in the width direction.

[0045] Referring to Figure 3, the structure of the base 26 will be described from another viewpoint. In this embodiment, each of the base 26 has a plurality of predetermined parts 27. Each predetermined part 27 is a part of the base 26 and includes two through holes 272 and one partition 274. The two through holes 272 of each predetermined part 27 are adjacent to each other in the pitch direction. That is, two predetermined parts 27 that are adjacent to each other in the pitch direction share one through hole 272. Each partition 274 of the predetermined part 27 separates the two through holes 272 from each other in the pitch direction and is connected in the width direction to the corresponding side wall 22 and projection 28.

[0046] Each of the base portions 26 in this embodiment has a number of predetermined parts 27 equal to the number of outer terminals 35. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each of the base portions 26 may have only one predetermined part 27. That is, each of the base portions 26 only needs to have at least one predetermined part 27.

[0047] Referring to Figures 6 and 7, the projection 28 of the connector 12 in this embodiment protrudes vertically from the base 26 having a through hole 272 and a partition 274, and is connected to at least one of the end wall portions 23 (a predetermined end wall portion 23). The projection 28 and partition 274 arranged in this manner can be molded from resin using a mold (not shown) having a first groove (not shown) corresponding to the projection 28 and a second groove (not shown) corresponding to the partition 274. Specifically, since the projection 28 extends from the vicinity of the gate 80, when molding the housing 20, resin can be poured from the gate 80 near the predetermined end wall portion 23 into the first groove having a relatively large cross-section, and the resin can be flowed from the first groove into the second groove.

[0048] If the protrusion 28 is not formed, the cross-section of the first groove (not shown) will be small. If resin is poured through the small cross-section of the first groove into the small cross-section of the second groove (not shown), the viscosity of the resin may cause it to clog before it can reach the far end of the second groove. As a result, the partition 274 may not be sufficiently formed, and the strength of the bottom 25 of the housing 20, where numerous through holes 272 are formed, may decrease.

[0049] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, more resin can be injected from the gate 80 into the first groove (not shown) with a large cross-section compared to when the protrusion 28 is not formed. The large amount of resin injected from the gate 80 pushes the resin flowing into the second groove (not shown), causing the resin to move against viscosity and fill the entire second groove. According to the molding method of this embodiment, the first groove functions as a large flow path for the resin, and the partition 274 can be reliably formed even when the size of the second groove in the pitch direction is small. In addition, the formed protrusion 28 reinforces the housing 20 and makes it less prone to warping. In other words, according to this embodiment, a new connector 12 with a structure suitable for multi-core connectors can be provided.

[0050] According to this embodiment, the projection 28 and all the partitions 274 can be formed using only one gate 80. This manufacturing method can reduce the manufacturing cost of the connector 12. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, two gates 80 may be used to form the projection 28 and all the partitions 274. In this case, the projection 28 may include two portions that are separated from each other in the pitch direction and connected to the end wall portion 23, respectively. However, if two or more gates 80 are provided, weld lines may be generated, which may reduce the strength of the housing 20. Therefore, it is preferable that the number of gates 80 be one. In this case, it is preferable that the projection 28 extends seamlessly along the pitch direction from the vicinity of the gate 80 to the opposite end wall portion 23 in the pitch direction, as in this embodiment.

[0051] Referring to Figure 2 in conjunction with Figure 3, the connector 12 of this embodiment has a receiving portion 14. The receiving portion 14 is a space enclosed by a side wall portion 22, an end wall portion 23, and a bottom portion 25. The receiving portion 14 partially receives the mating connector 16 in the mated state. The mating connector 16 has a structure corresponding to the structure of the connector 12, as will be described below. The mating connector 16 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0052] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the mating connector 16 of this embodiment comprises a mating housing 50 made of an insulator, a plurality of mating terminals 60 made of a conductor, and two mating hold-downs 70 made of a conductor. The mating connector 16 of this embodiment comprises only the above-described components. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the mating connector 16 may further comprise other components in addition to the above-described components.

[0053] Referring to Figure 8 in conjunction with Figures 1 and 2, the mating housing 50 in this embodiment is a single component molded from resin. The mating housing 50 has two mating side wall portions 52, an island portion 56, four connecting portions 55, and a number of partition portions 54. Each of the mating side wall portions 52 extends parallel to each other along the pitch direction. The island portion 56 is located between the two mating side wall portions 52 in the width direction and extends along the pitch direction. The island portion 56 is connected to the mating side wall portions 52 by the connecting portions 55 and partition portions 54.

[0054] Referring to Figure 10, the island portion 56 in this embodiment extends along the pitch direction, beyond both ends of the mating side wall portion 52 in the pitch direction. The mating housing 50 in this embodiment does not have any parts such as walls located on both sides of the island portion 56 in the pitch direction. This structure allows for the reliable formation of the island portion 56 and the mating side wall portion 52 from a relatively small amount of resin when molding the mating housing 50. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the mating housing 50 may have two walls located on both sides in the pitch direction.

[0055] The island portion 56 of this embodiment has a groove portion 57 and two protruding wall portions 58. The groove portion 57 opens on both sides in the pitch direction. Both ends of the groove portion 57 in the pitch direction are grooves with bottoms and are recessed downwards. On the other hand, the middle portion of the groove portion 57 in the pitch direction is a hole that penetrates the mating housing 50 in the vertical direction. The protruding wall portions 58 are located on both sides of the groove portion 57 in the width direction and extend along the groove portion 57 on both sides in the width direction. In other words, each of the protruding wall portions 58 is located in the width direction between the groove portion 57 and one of the mating side wall portions 52.

[0056] The island-shaped portion 56 of this embodiment has the structure described above. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the groove portion 57 may be a groove with a bottom that extends along its entire length in the pitch direction. That is, the holes in the groove portion 57 may be formed as needed. Each of the protruding wall portions 58 may include two portions that are separated from each other in the pitch direction.

[0057] Referring to Figure 8, the mating terminal 60 is divided into two mating terminal rows 60R, each corresponding to the mating side wall portion 52. Each mating terminal 60 in the mating terminal row 60R is arranged at equal intervals in the pitch direction. In this embodiment, each mating terminal row 60R includes a number of inner mating terminals 61 and a number of outer mating terminals 62. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, each terminal row 30R may include only one or more inner mating terminals 61, or may include only one or more outer mating terminals 62.

[0058] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the inner mating terminals 61 in this embodiment have the same shape. The outer mating terminals 62 in this embodiment also have the same shape. The inner mating terminals 61 and the outer mating terminals 62 have similar structures. Specifically, the inner mating terminals 61 and the outer mating terminals 62 are each a single bent metal plate. The inner mating terminals 61 and the outer mating terminals 62 each have a holding portion 63, a soldering portion 64, and a spring portion 66.

[0059] Each of the retained portions 63 of the inner mating terminal 61 is press-fitted into and held by the protruding wall portion 58 of the island-shaped portion 56. Each of the retained portions 63 of the outer mating terminal 62 is press-fitted into and held by the corresponding mating side wall portion 52. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the retained portions 63 may be insert-molded into the mating housing 50.

[0060] In this embodiment, each of the soldering portions 64 of the inner mating terminal 61 is partially located inside the hole of the groove 57. In this embodiment, each of the soldering portions 64 of the outer mating terminal 62 extends outward in the width direction from the retained portion 63 and is partially located on the outside in the width direction of the corresponding mating side wall portion 52. Referring to Figure 8, when the mating connector 16 is mounted on the mating substrate 84, each of the soldering portions 64 is soldered to a conductive pad (not shown) on the mating substrate 84. The soldering portions 64 arranged as described above can be visually inspected along the vertical direction to see whether they are properly soldered to the mating substrate 84.

[0061] Referring to Figures 14 and 15, the spring portions 66 of the inner mating terminal 61 and the outer mating terminal 62 in this embodiment are U-shaped and elastically deformable. Each spring portion 66 is provided with two contacts 68. The two contacts 68 of the mating terminal 60 are located on opposite sides of the spring portion 66 in the width direction and are facing each other in the width direction. In the mated state, each contact 68 of the inner mating terminal 61 contacts the contact 33 of the inner terminal 31 of the connector 12, and each contact 68 of the outer mating terminal 62 contacts the contact 37 of the outer terminal 35 of the connector 12. As a result, the connector 12 and the mating connector 16 are electrically connected to each other.

[0062] Referring to Figure 8, according to this embodiment, the inner mating terminals 61 and outer mating terminals 62 of each mating terminal row 60R are arranged alternately along the pitch direction. This arrangement allows the distance between two adjacent mating terminals 60 in the pitch direction to be reduced while maintaining a distance between two adjacent soldering portions 64 in the pitch direction that does not cause a short circuit. In other words, the mating connector 16 can be miniaturized in the pitch direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, in each mating terminal row 60R, two or more inner mating terminals 61 may be adjacent to each other, or two or more outer mating terminals 62 may be adjacent to each other.

[0063] Referring to Figure 11 in conjunction with Figure 8, each of the mating hold-downs 70 in this embodiment is a single bent metal plate. The mating hold-downs 70 have the same shape as each other. Each of the mating hold-downs 70 has a fixed portion 72 and a mating guide 74. That is, the mating connector 16 is equipped with a metal mating guide 74. Referring to Figure 8 in conjunction with Figure 9, the mating hold-downs 70 are insert-molded at both ends of the island-shaped portion 56 in the pitch direction, reinforcing the mating housing 50. When mounting the mating connector 16 onto the mating substrate 84, the fixed portion 72 is soldered to the mating substrate 84.

[0064] Referring to Figure 11, each of the fitting guides 74 has a main portion 76 and two protective portions 78. In each of the fitting guides 74, the protective portions 78 are located on both sides of the main portion 76 in the width direction and extend upward and inward in the pitch direction from the main portion 76. Referring to Figure 9 in conjunction with Figure 8, each of the main portions 76 of the fitting guides 74 covers the ends of the island portions 56 in the pitch direction. Each of the protective portions 78 of the fitting guides 74 covers and protects the ends of the protruding wall portions 58 in the pitch direction.

[0065] Referring to Figure 1 in conjunction with Figure 8, the mating connector 16 in this embodiment has a mating receiving portion 18. The mating receiving portion 18 is a space enclosed by the mating side wall portion 52 and the mating hold-down portion 70. In the XY plane, the mating receiving portion 18 surrounds the island portion 56. Referring to Figure 13, in the mated state, the island portion 56 of the mating connector 16 is received by the receiving portion 14 of the connector 12, and the side wall portion 22 of the connector 12 is received by the mating receiving portion 18 of the mating connector 16. As can be understood from this structure, the island portion 56 in this embodiment functions as a guide portion when mating the connector 12 with the mating connector 16, similar to a conventional general island portion (not shown).

[0066] Referring to Figure 13 in conjunction with Figure 9, the island-shaped portion 56 of this embodiment differs from conventional island-shaped portions (not shown) in that it has a groove portion 57 that is recessed downwards. In particular, the ends of the island-shaped portion 56 in the pitch direction have a bifurcated shape in a predetermined plane (XZ plane). Each of the mating guides 74 also has a bifurcated shape in the XZ plane. Due to the above structure, the groove portion 57 of the island-shaped portion 56 receives the protrusion 28 of the connector 12 when mated. Referring to Figure 12 in conjunction with Figure 13, even if the connector 12 is provided with a protrusion 28, the protrusion 28 is received by the groove portion 57 when mated, so the distance between the substrate 82 and the mating substrate 84 when mated can be reduced.

[0067] As can be understood from the above explanation, the mating connector 16 has a structure that corresponds to the structure of connector 12. According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a mating connector 16 having a structure that corresponds to the structure of connector 12, that is, a mating connector 16 that can be mated with connector 12. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 Connector Assembly 12 connectors 14 Receptor part 16. Mating connector 18 Receptive part on the other side 20 Housing 21 Peripheral wall section 22 Side wall section 23 End wall section 25 Bottom 26 base 27 Designated section 272 Passing hole 273 Interior wall surface 274 septum 28 Protrusion 30 terminals 30R terminal row 31 Inner terminal 32 Holding part 33 contacts 34 Soldering section 35 Outer terminal 36 Holding part 37 Contacts 38 Soldering section 40 Hold down 42 Fixed part 50 Other side housing 52 Opposing side wall 54 Partition section 55 Connecting part 56 Island 57 Groove 58 Protruding wall section 60. Mating terminal 60R Mating terminal row 61 Inner mating terminal 62 Outside mating terminal 63 Holding part 64 Soldering section 66 Spring section 68 contacts 70 Opponent holds down 72 Fixed part 74 Mating Guide 76 Main body 78 Protection Department Gate 80 82 circuit boards 84 Opposing board

Claims

1. A connector comprising a housing and a plurality of terminals, The housing has two side walls, two end walls, and a bottom; Each of the side walls extends along a pitch direction, The side wall portions are spaced apart from each other in a width direction perpendicular to the pitch direction, The end wall portions are located at both ends of the housing in the pitch direction, the bottom portion connects the sidewall portions to each other; the bottom portion has a protrusion and two base portions corresponding to the side wall portions, the base portions are located on both sides of the protrusion in the width direction, the protrusion protrudes from the base in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the pitch direction and the width direction, and is connected to at least one of the end wall portions in the pitch direction; Each of the bases has at least one predetermined portion; the predetermined portion includes two passage holes and one partition, each of the through holes penetrates the base in the up-down direction; the partition separates the two passage holes from each other in the pitch direction and is connected to the corresponding side wall portion and the corresponding protrusion in the width direction, The terminals are divided into two terminal rows corresponding to the side wall portions, Each of the terminal rows includes at least two inner terminals, Each of the inner terminals has a held portion and a soldering portion, the held portion of the inner terminal is held by the corresponding side wall portion, The soldering portions of the inner terminals are partially located inside the through holes. connector.

2. 2. The connector of claim 1, The protrusion is connected to the two end wall portions in the pitch direction. connector.

3. 2. The connector of claim 1, Each of the terminal rows includes at least one outer terminal; The outer terminal has a held portion and a soldering portion, the held portion of the outer terminal is held by the corresponding side wall portion, the soldering portion of the outer terminal is located outside the corresponding side wall portion in the width direction, The inner terminals and the outer terminals of each of the terminal rows are arranged alternately in the pitch direction. connector.

4. 2. The connector of claim 1, The through holes of one of the base portions and the through holes of the other of the base portions are arranged alternately in the pitch direction. connector.

5. A connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The connector has a receiving portion, The receiving portion is a space surrounded by the side wall portion, the end wall portion, and the bottom portion. connector.

6. A mating connector that can be mated with the connector according to claim 5, The mating connector includes a mating housing and a metal mating guide, The mating housing has an island-shaped portion, the island-shaped portion is received in the receiving portion of the connector when the connector and the mating connector are in a mated state, The island-shaped portion has a groove portion and two protruding wall portions, The protruding wall portions are located on both sides of the groove portion in the width direction, the groove receives the protrusion of the connector in the mated state; The fitting guide has a main portion and two protective portions, the main portion covers an end of the island-shaped portion in the pitch direction, The protective portion extends from the main portion and covers and protects the ends of the projecting wall portion in the pitch direction. Mating connector.

7. A connector according to claim 5 and a mating connector according to claim 6. Connector assembly.

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