Electric connector and connector coupling body

Abstract

To provide an electric connector and an electric connector coupling body, capable of achieving a more reduced size.SOLUTION: A receptacle connector is mounted to a substrate 6, and fits together with a plug connector in a normal direction of a mounting surface 6a of the substrate 6. A plurality of shield plates 12 is connected to a ground electrode pattern that is formed on the mounting surface 6a, and are erected so as to extend in a Y-axis direction orthogonal to an arrangement direction of the receptacle terminals 11 in the mounting surface 6a, at positions that divide the arrangement of the receptacle terminals 11 into sets and at positions on both ends of the arrangement of the receptacle terminals 11. An electrically conductive ground plate 13 is connected to the ground electrode pattern that is formed on the mounting surface 6a, and is erected so as to extend in the arrangement direction of the receptacle terminals 11 in the vicinity of the end surfaces of the shield plates 12 on one side in the Y-axis direction. An insulating receptacle housing retains the receptacle terminals 11, the shield plates 12, and the ground plate 13 in a state where the receptacle terminals are insulated from the shield plates and the ground plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electrical connectors and connector combinations. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector having a configuration in which a U-shaped ground contact is arranged around a pair of signal contacts as an electromagnetic shield, and the signal contacts and the ground contacts are inserted into an insulator. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-192939 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the connector disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the interval between adjacent ground contacts needs to be large enough to allow the resin to flow in when the insulator is molded.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has an object to provide an electrical connector and a connector assembly that can be made more compact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, an electrical connector according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: An electrical connector that is mounted on a substrate and mates with a mating connector in a normal direction to a mounting surface of the substrate, a plurality of conductive contacts, each of which is connected to a signal electrode formed on the mounting surface and which contacts a signal transmission member of the mating connector, which are arranged in a line along the mounting surface in the same orientation, and each of which transmits a differential signal as one adjacent pair; a plurality of conductive shield plates connected to a ground electrode formed on the mounting surface, and erected at positions that divide the contact arrangement into groups and at both ends of the contact arrangement so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the contact arrangement direction on the mounting surface; a conductive ground plate connected to a ground electrode formed on the mounting surface and extending in the arrangement direction of the contacts in the vicinity of one end face of the shield plate in the orthogonal direction; an insulating housing that holds the contacts, the shield plate, and the ground plate in a mutually insulated state; Equipped with.

[0007] A first surface aligned along the mounting surface; a second surface that is parallel to the first surface and is closer to the mating connector than the first surface; a pair of third surfaces along the pair of shield plates that sandwich the set of contacts that transmit differential signals; and a fourth surface along a portion of the ground plate facing the set of contacts, whereby five of six surfaces of an imaginary rectangular parallelepiped that includes the set of contacts are defined. This may also be the case.

[0008] when a life-size projected image of the contacts as seen in the arrangement direction is projected toward the arrangement direction, the shield plate encompasses the projected image, When a life-size projected image of the contact as viewed in the orthogonal direction is projected toward the orthogonal direction, the ground plate includes the projected image. This may also be the case.

[0009] The housing holds the shield plate or the ground plate in a tight contact state. This may also be the case.

[0010] The housing holds the shield plate or the ground plate in a press-fit state. This may also be the case.

[0011] The ground plate has a first cutout portion in a portion closest to the shield plate. This may also be the case.

[0012] The shield plate has a second cutout portion in a portion closest to the ground plate. This may also be the case.

[0013] A gap between one end face of the shield plate in the orthogonal direction and the ground plate is filled with solder. This may also be the case.

[0014] At least one of the ground plate and the shield plate is gold-plated on the surface of the adjacent portions. This may also be the case.

[0015] A connector assembly according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises: A plurality of electrical connectors according to the first aspect of the present invention mounted on a substrate; The electrical connectors are arranged and connected to each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the contacts of the electrical connectors are arranged on the mounting surface of the board. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, further miniaturization can be achieved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an electrical connector pair according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing a foot pattern formed on a mounting surface of a substrate on which a receptacle connector that constitutes the electrical connector pair of FIG. 1 is mounted. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an end portion of a coaxial cable. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a receptacle connector. [Diagram 5] 5 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing a receptacle terminal, a shield plate, and a ground plate with the receptacle housing omitted. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. [Figure 8] 8A is a diagram of the part shown in Fig. 7 as viewed in the X-axis direction, and Fig. 8B is a diagram of the part shown in Fig. 7 as viewed in the Y-axis direction. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an electromagnetic noise path between a plurality of receptacle terminals; [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the plug connector. [Figure 11] 1A is a perspective view of a plug housing constituting a plug connector, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the plug housing of FIG. 1A taken along a plane parallel to the YZ plane. [Figure 12] 1A is a perspective view of a plug terminal constituting a plug connector, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a part of a plug housing to which the plug terminal is attached. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which an electric cable is connected to a plug housing and a plug contact. [Figure 14] 1A is a perspective view showing a state in which a first shell is attached to a configuration of a plug housing, a plug contact, and an electric cable, FIG. 1B is a view showing a state in which the first shell is made transparent and attached to the plug housing, and FIG. 1C is a perspective view of the first shell. [Figure 15] 1A is a perspective view of a second shell, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a state in which the second shell is attached to a configuration of a plug housing, a plug contact, an electric cable, and a first shell. [Figure 16] FIG. [Figure 17] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the receptacle connector and the plug connector are mated with each other; [Figure 18]13 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing how the receptacle housing and the plug housing are fitted together; FIG. [Figure 19] 1A is a perspective view showing a signal transmission path, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing one receptacle connector and a plug connector, with the first shell and the plug housing partially omitted. [Figure 20] 4 is an exploded perspective view of a first locking portion and a connector assembly. FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. [Figure 22] 4 is a perspective view of a connector assembly showing an attachment location of a first locking portion. FIG. [Diagram 23] FIG. [Figure 24] 1A is a front view of the electronic connector pair before and after latching, respectively; [Diagram 25] 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic connector pair taken along a plane parallel to the YZ plane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, the description will be given according to a three-axis orthogonal coordinate system of XYZ shown in the drawings as appropriate.

[0019] [Electrical connector pair] As shown in Fig. 1, the electrical connector pair 1 includes a connector assembly 2 and a connector array 3. The connector assembly 2 is configured by arranging and connecting a plurality of receptacle connectors 4 side by side on a mounting surface 6a of a substrate 6. The connector array 3 is configured by arranging a plurality of plug connectors 5. The receptacle connectors 4 are mounted on the substrate 6, and the plug connectors 5 are connected to a plurality of electric cables 7.

[0020] The receptacle connector 4 and the plug connector 5 are mated one-to-one with the mating direction being the normal direction (Z-axis direction) of the mounting surface 6a of the board 6. In this way, the electrical connector pair 1 connects the board 6 and multiple electrical cables 7. When the receptacle connector 4 and the plug connector 5 are mated, the board 6 and the electrical cables 7 are electrically connected, enabling signal transmission between the electrical circuits and electronic components on the board 6 and the electrical cables 7. The electrical connector pair 1 can be considered to be a connector with a multi-row, multi-column connection structure in which the connector assembly 2 and the connector array 3 are mated with each other.

[0021] [substrate] The substrate 6 is, for example, a printed wiring board or a flexible printed circuit board on which electronic circuits or electronic components are mounted, and is housed, for example, in an electronic device (not shown). The receptacle connector 4 constituting the connector assembly 2 is connected by solder connection or the like to a signal electrode pattern 6b and a ground electrode pattern 6c (shown in FIG. 2) formed on the mounting surface 6a of the substrate 6.

[0022] 2, the signal electrode patterns 6b formed on the mounting surface 6a of the substrate 6 are arranged in the X-axis direction. Moreover, the signal electrode patterns 6b are arranged in four rows in the Y-axis direction.

[0023] The ground electrode pattern 6c has two patterns. One has a portion that sandwiches a pair of signal electrode patterns 6b in the X-axis direction and a portion that connects these portions in the X-axis direction. The other is made up of multiple patterns arranged in the Y-axis direction in a region further outward than both ends of the arrangement of the signal electrode patterns 6b in the X-axis direction.

[0024] In this embodiment, the mounting surface 6a of the substrate 6 is parallel to the XY plane. Therefore, the normal direction of the mounting surface 6a is the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, the plane parallel to the XY plane is appropriately referred to as the "horizontal plane", the +Z direction is the "up" direction, and the -Z direction is the "down" direction.

[0025] [Electrical cable] The electric cable 7 is used, for example, to transmit an electric signal between the board 6 housed in an electronic device and another board. In this embodiment, the electric cable 7 is a two-core flat coaxial cable. As shown in FIG. 3, the electric cable 7 includes a pair of inner conductors 7a, an insulator 7b, an outer conductor 7c, and a protective coating 7d. The pair of inner conductors 7a are made of linear metal wires (e.g., copper wires). The insulator 7b covers the circumferential surface of each inner conductor 7a. The outer conductor 7c is made of a metal braided wire and covers the periphery of each inner conductor 7a via the insulator 7b. The protective coating 7d covers the circumferential surface of the outer conductor 7c. The electric cable 7 enables signal transmission by a potential difference between the two inner conductors 7a and the outer conductor 7c. The electric cables 7 are connected to the plug connector 5 in a state where they are arranged in the X-axis direction.

[0026] The electric cable 7 is merely an example. For example, the inner conductor 7a may be a twisted wire made of multiple metal wires or a single metal wire. Also, the outer conductor 7c may be a wound copper plate instead of a metal braided wire.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, the receptacle connector 4 that constitutes the connector assembly 2 and the plug connector 5 that constitutes the connector array 3 are configured to be able to be fitted into and removed from each other along the normal direction (Z-axis direction) of the mounting surface 6a of the substrate 6.

[0028] [Connector assembly] A description will be given of the configuration of the connected connector body 2. First, a detailed configuration of each of the receptacle connectors 4 constituting the connected connector body 2 will be described.

[0029] [Receptacle connector] As shown in FIG. 4, the receptacle connector 4 is a flat connector that is long in the X-axis direction as a whole.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the receptacle connector 4 includes a receptacle housing 10 facing the mounting surface 6a of the board 6, a plurality of receptacle terminals 11 for signal transmission, a shield plate 12 that constitutes an electromagnetic wave shield, and a ground plate 13 that also constitutes an electromagnetic wave shield.

[0031] [Receptacle housing] 5, the receptacle housing 10 forms the main body of the receptacle connector 4. The receptacle housing 10 has a rectangular outer shape with the X-axis direction as the longitudinal direction. The receptacle housing 10 is a member molded from an insulating material containing resin.

[0032] A recess 10a is provided on an upper surface facing the +Z direction of the receptacle housing 10. The opening of the recess 10a extends in the X-axis direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the receptacle housing 10.

[0033] Further, the recess 10a is provided with a plurality of contact press-fitting portions 10b, a plurality of shield plate press-fitting portions 10c, and a ground plate press-fitting portion 10d. The contact press-fitting portions 10b are arranged at regular intervals in the X-axis direction. A pair of receptacle terminals 11 is press-fitted into each of the contact press-fitting portions 10b from below. The shield plate press-fitting portions 10c are provided on both sides of each of the contact press-fitting portions 10b in the X-axis direction. A shield plate 12 is press-fitted into the shield plate press-fitting portions 10c from above. The ground plate press-fitting portion 10d is formed to extend in the X-axis direction at a position that is in the -Y direction as viewed from the contact press-fitting portions 10b and the shield plate press-fitting portion 10c. A ground plate 13 is press-fitted into the ground plate press-fitting portion 10d from above.

[0034] The receptacle housing 10 holds a plurality of receptacle terminals 11 arranged in parallel in the X-axis direction, a plurality of shield plates 12, and a ground plate 13. The receptacle housing 10 is interposed between the receptacle terminals 11 and the shield plate 12 and the ground plate 13, and insulates them from each other.

[0035] [Receptacle terminal] The receptacle terminals 11 are conductive members formed, for example, by punching a metal plate member having elasticity. As shown in Fig. 5, the receptacle terminals 11 are provided with a fixing portion 11a, a receptacle contact portion 11b, and a board connection portion 11c. As shown in Fig. 5, the receptacle terminals 11 are arranged in the same direction with the plate thickness direction being in the X-axis direction, and the fixing portions 11a are inserted from below to above into the contact press-fitting portions 10b. As a result, the receptacle terminals 11 are fixed and held in the receptacle housing 10.

[0036] When the receptacle terminals 11 are fixed to the receptacle housing 10, the receptacle contact portions 11b protrude into the recesses 10a of the receptacle housing 10. When the receptacle terminals 11 are fixed to the receptacle housing 10, the board connection portions 11c are arranged along the mounting surface 6a of the board 6. The board connection portions 11c are located on and connected to the signal electrode pattern 6b (see FIG. 2). In this manner, the receptacle terminals 11 connect to the signal electrode pattern 6b (see FIG. 2) formed on the mounting surface 6a, and contact the plug terminals 21 of the plug connector 5, and are arranged in a row in the same direction along the mounting surface 6a, with adjacent pairs transmitting differential signals as a set.

[0037] [Shield plate] The shield plates 12 are conductive members formed, for example, by punching a metal plate member having elasticity. As shown in FIG. 5, the shield plates 12 are provided with a main body 12a and a board connection portion 12b. As shown in FIG. 5, the shield plates 12 are arranged in the same direction with the plate thickness direction being in the X-axis direction, and are pressed downward from above into the shield plate press-in portion 10c with the board connection portion 12b facing downward. The board connection portion 12b is located on the ground electrode pattern 6c (see FIG. 2) and is connected thereto by soldering. In addition, the shield plate 12 is provided with a shield plate cutout portion 12c at the end of the board connection portion 12b in the -Y direction.

[0038] [Ground plate] The ground plate 13 is a conductive member formed, for example, by punching a metal plate member having elasticity. As shown in FIG. 5, the ground plate 13 is provided with a main body 13a and a board connection portion 13b. The ground plate 13 is pressed downward from above into the ground plate press-in portion 10d with the board connection portion 13b facing downward, with the board thickness direction being the Y-axis direction and the ground plate 13 extending in the X-axis direction. The board connection portion 13b is located on the ground electrode pattern 6c (see FIG. 2). Note that the ground plate 13 is provided with a ground plate cutout portion 13c between the board connection portions 13b arranged in the X-axis direction.

[0039] [Summary of shield and ground plates] In summary, as shown in FIG. 6, the receptacle terminals 11 are arranged in a row on the mounting surface 6a of the board 6 along a direction perpendicular to the same direction (along the X-axis direction) so that they face the same direction. Adjacent pairs of the receptacle terminals 11 transmit differential signals as a set. The shield plate 12 is connected to the ground electrode pattern 6c formed on the mounting surface 6a, and is erected so as to extend in an orthogonal direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the receptacle terminals 11 in the mounting surface 6a at positions that divide the arrangement of the receptacle terminals 11 into pairs and at positions at both ends of the arrangement of the receptacle terminals 11. The ground plate 13 is connected to the ground electrode pattern 6c (see FIG. 2) formed on the mounting surface 6a, and is erected so as to extend in the arrangement direction of the receptacle terminals 11 (X-axis direction) close to one end face (-Y end face) of the shield plate 12 in the Y-axis direction.

[0040] In other words, in the receptacle connector 4, as shown in FIG. 7, five of the six faces of a virtual solid (rectangular prism) containing the set of receptacle terminals 11 are defined by a first receptacle surface S1 along the mounting surface 6a, a second receptacle surface S2 parallel to the first receptacle surface S1 and facing the plug connector 5, a pair of third receptacle surfaces S3 respectively along a pair of shield plates 12 that sandwich the set of receptacle terminals 11 that transmit differential signals, and a fourth receptacle surface S4 along a portion of the ground plate 13 that faces the set of receptacle terminals 11.

[0041] As shown in Fig. 8(A), when viewed in the X-axis direction, receptacle terminal 11 is hidden by shield plate 12. Now consider the case where a life-size projected image of receptacle terminal 11 is projected in the X-axis direction. In this case, shield plate 12 is positioned and sized to encompass the projected image. As shown in Fig. 8(B), when a life-size projected image of receptacle terminal 11 viewed in the Y-axis direction is projected in the Y-axis direction, ground plate 13 encompasses the projected image.

[0042] The receptacle housing 10 holds the shield plate 12 or the ground plate 13 in a press-fit state. However, the receptacle housing 10 may be molded with the receptacle terminals 11, the shield plate 12, or the ground plate 13 inserted. In this case, the receptacle housing 10 holds the shield plate 12 or the ground plate 13 in a tight contact state.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 8A, the shield plate 12 has a shield plate cutout 12c at a position adjacent (closest portion to) the ground plate 13. As shown in FIG. 8B, the ground plate 13 has a ground plate cutout 13c at a position adjacent to the shield plate 12. In this manner, the resin portion of the receptacle housing 10 can be disposed in the space defined by the shield plate cutout 12c and the ground plate cutout 13c. This makes it easier to press the shield plate 12 and the ground plate 13 into the receptacle housing 10. In addition, when the shield plate 12 and the ground plate 13 are insert-molded to form the receptacle housing 10, the molten resin can flow easily through the shield plate cutout 12c and the ground plate cutout 13c. It is to be noted that either shield plate cutout portion 12c or ground plate cutout portion 13c may be omitted.

[0044] Also, the shield plate cutout portion 12c and the ground plate cutout portion 13c may not be provided. In this case, if there is a gap between the end face of the shield plate 12 in the -Y direction and the ground plate 13, it is preferable to fill the gap with solder to connect the shield plate 12 and the ground plate 13. In this way, it is possible to further improve the electromagnetic wave shielding performance of the shield plate 12 and the ground plate 13. In this case, at least one of the shield plate 12 and the ground plate 13 may be gold-plated on the surface around the adjacent parts. The gold plating is further formed on the nickel-plated surface of the ground plate 13. In this way, the solder melts and flows over the gold plating in the reflow process, so that the solder can be sufficiently filled in the gap between the shield plate 12 and the ground plate 13.

[0045] As described above, in the receptacle connector 4, three of the six sides around the receptacle terminal 11 are surrounded by a pair of shield plates 12 and ground plate 13. Only the mounting surface 6a (first receptacle surface S1) of the board 6, the surface in contact with the plug connector 5 (second receptacle surface S2), and the surface facing +Y are not surrounded. Of these, the surface facing +Y is surrounded by the ground plate 13 of another receptacle connector 4 installed at a position in the +Y direction. Therefore, when mated with the plug connector 5, almost the entire periphery of the receptacle terminal 11 can be surrounded by the electromagnetic shield of the receptacle connector 4 as well as the electromagnetic shield of the plug connector 5, thereby improving the electromagnetic shielding performance of the electrical connector pair 1.

[0046] When an electromagnetic shield plate formed by bending the electromagnetic shield plate into a U-shape and forming three sides is used as the electromagnetic shield around the pair of receptacle terminals 11 instead of the pair of shield plates 12 and one ground plate 13, the gap between the electromagnetic shield plates needs to be large enough to allow the resin to enter. In addition, an area where the electromagnetic shield plates overlap is inevitably generated, and a space is required for the bent portion, so that the space occupied by the electromagnetic shield surrounding the pair of receptacle terminals 11 becomes large. Therefore, if the electromagnetic shield around the pair of receptacle terminals 11 is formed of the pair of shield plates 12 and one ground plate 13 as in the receptacle connector 4, the space occupied by the electromagnetic shield surrounding the pair of receptacle terminals 11 can be made smaller than this. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to provide a U-shaped electromagnetic shield plate for each pair of receptacle terminals 11, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure of the receptacle connector 4 can be simplified.

[0047] Further, the shield plate 12 is provided with a shield plate cutout 12c, and the ground plate 13 is provided with a ground plate cutout 13c. As shown in FIG. 9, the shield plate cutout 12c and the ground plate cutout 13c are located at the corners of the space surrounded by the electromagnetic shield. This makes it possible to lengthen the distance from the pair of receptacle terminals 11 to the shield plate cutout 12c and the ground plate cutout 13c. As shown in FIG. 9, when the electromagnetic wave emitted from the receptacle terminal 11 passes through the shield plate cutout 12c and the ground plate cutout 13c and enters another receptacle terminal 11, the path can be a bent path. This makes it possible to minimize the deterioration of the shielding performance (near-end crosstalk, far-end crosstalk) of the electromagnetic shield.

[0048] [Plug connector] Next, the plug connector 5 that fits one-to-one with the receptacle connector 4 will be described. As shown in Fig. 10 to Fig. 16, the plug connector 5 includes a plug housing 20 serving as a base body, a plurality of plug terminals 21 that serve as signal transmission paths, a plurality of first shells 22 that serve as electromagnetic shields between the plug terminals 21 and the outside, a second shell 23 that also serves as an electromagnetic shield, and a cover portion 24 that enhances the rigidity of the plug connector 5. Note that the XYZ coordinate system in Fig. 10 to Fig. 16 is for when the plug connector 5 is fitted with the receptacle connector 4.

[0049] [Plug housing and plug terminal] The plug housing 20 is an insulating member made of, for example, resin. As shown in FIG. 11(A), the plug housing 20 is a member whose overall longitudinal direction is the X-axis direction. At both ends of the plug housing 20 in the X-axis direction, a cover connection portion 20a that connects to a cover portion 24 described below is provided. In addition, a plug arrangement portion 20b in which a plurality of plug terminals 21 are arranged is provided between the two cover connection portions 20a. The plug arrangement portion 20b constituting the plug housing 20 holds the plurality of plug terminals 21 (see FIG. 12(B)) in a state in which they are arranged in one direction with the same orientation. The plug arrangement portion 20b has a shape in which plug mounting portions 200 in which a pair of plug terminals 21 are arranged are connected in the X-axis direction.

[0050] The plug terminal 21 is a conductive member formed, for example, by punching a metal plate member having elasticity. As shown in FIG. 12(A), the plug terminal 21 includes a fixing portion 21a fixed to the plug housing 20, a plug contact portion 21b that contacts one-to-one with a conductive receptacle terminal 11 of the receptacle connector 4, and a cable connection portion 21c that connects with an inner conductor 7a of the electric cable 7. The fixing portion 21a is provided at the center of the plug terminal 21 that extends in the vertical direction. The plug contact portion 21b extends downward from the fixing portion 21a, and the cable connection portion 21c extends in a direction inclined at 60° in the Y direction along the YZ plane with respect to the upward direction. When mated with the receptacle connector 4, the plug contact portion 21b contacts the receptacle terminal 11 at a portion along the mating direction (Z-axis direction). The cable connection portion 21c is connected to the inner conductor 7a of the electric cable 7 extending in the inclined direction at a portion along the inclined direction that inclines from the mating direction (Z-axis direction) toward the perpendicular direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the arrangement direction and the mating direction.

[0051] 12(B), the fixing portion 21a is embedded in the plug mounting portion 200. The plug contact portion 21b extends in the Z-axis direction and contacts with a receptacle contact portion 11b (see FIG. 5) of the receptacle terminal 11 as described below. The cable connection portion 21c extends at an angle from the +Z direction to the +Y direction along the YZ plane and is connected to the inner conductor 7a of the electric cable 7 by soldering as shown in FIG.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 11(B), the plug mounting portion 200 constituting the plug housing 20 includes a plug fixing portion 201, a fitting portion 202, and a support portion 203. In the plug terminal 21, at least a portion between the plug contact portion 21b and the cable connecting portion 21c, i.e., the fixing portion 21a, is closely fixed to the plug fixing portion 201 of the plug housing 20. Note that in Fig. 11(B), the plug terminal 21 and the second shell 23 are also shown.

[0053] 14(B), the fitting portion 202 fits into the recess 10a of the receptacle connector 4 in the vertical direction, and supports the plug contact portion 21b on a first plug surface P1 extending in the fitting direction (Z-axis direction) and in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) of the plug terminals 21. The support portion 203 is connected to the fitting portion 202, and supports the cable connection portion 21c on a second plug surface P2 extending in the above-mentioned inclination direction in which the cable connection portions 21c of the plug terminals 21 extend and in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction).

[0054] [First shell] The first shell 22 is an elastic conductive member formed by punching and bending a metal plate-like member. As shown in Fig. 13, the plug connector 5 is connected to one electric cable 7, and a pair of adjacent plug terminals 21 form a set to transmit differential signals. As shown in Fig. 14(A) and Fig. 14(B), the first shell 22 is provided for each set of the pair of plug terminals 21 in a state insulated from the plug terminals 21 by the overhang of the plug fixing portion 201. As shown in Fig. 14(B), the first shell 22 covers the plug terminals 21 except for the plug contact portion 21b.

[0055] 14(B) and 14(C), the first shell 22 has opposing wall portions 22a that extend in the oblique direction in which the cable connection portion 21c extends and in the arrangement direction of the plug terminals 21, and cover the pair of plug terminals 21 on a third plug surface P3 that is parallel to the second plug surface P2. The first shell 22 also has a pair of side wall portions 22b that are disposed to sandwich the pair of plug terminals 21 in the arrangement direction of the plug terminals 21 (X-axis direction).

[0056] [Second shell] The second shell 23 is an elastic conductive member formed by punching and bending a metal plate-like member. As shown in Fig. 15(A) and Fig. 15(B), the second shell 23 extends in the inclined direction in which the cable connection portion 21c extends and in the arrangement direction (X-axis direction) of the plug terminals 21, and covers the multiple plug terminals 21 on the fourth plug surface P4 (see Fig. 14(B)) on the opposite side of the third plug surface P3 with respect to the second plug surface P2 as a reference, that is, from the opposite side of the first shell 22 with respect to the cable connection portion 21c as a reference. In the plug connector 5, the first shell 22 and the second shell 23 realize an electromagnetic shield that surrounds the pair of plug terminals 21 from all sides. In addition, extensions 23a that contact the shield plate 12 of the receptacle connector 4 are provided at both ends of the second shell 23 in the X-axis direction so as to extend in the -Z direction.

[0057] [Cover part] The cover portion 24 is an elastic conductive member formed by punching and bending a metal plate member. As shown in Fig. 16, the cover portion 24 is attached to cover connection portions 20a provided at both ends in the X-axis direction of the plug housing 20, thereby covering the multiple plug terminals 21 from above the first shell 22. The cover portion 24 can improve the mechanical strength of the plug connector 5. In addition, two notches 24b are provided in the X-axis direction of the cover portion 24. By providing the notches 24b, a jig used when removing the plug connector 5 mated with the receptacle connector 4 can be locked.

[0058] The above is the configuration of the plug connector 5. According to the plug connector 5, the cable connection portion 21c is inclined from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction. Therefore, the vertical size of the plug connector 5 can be reduced, and the height of the electrical connector pair 1 can be reduced.

[0059] [Mating of receptacle connector and plug connector] As shown in Fig. 17, in the electrical connector pair 1, a receptacle connector 4 and a plug connector 5 are fitted together. As shown in Fig. 18, a fitting recess 10e is provided at both ends in the X-axis direction of the receptacle housing 10, and a fitting protrusion 20c is provided at both ends in the X-axis direction of the plug housing 20. Thus, when the receptacle connector 4 and the plug connector 5 are fitted together, the fitting protrusion 20c of the plug housing 20 is fitted into the fitting recess 10e of the receptacle housing 10. This makes it possible to determine the fitting position of the plug connector 5 relative to the receptacle connector 4.

[0060] Furthermore, by fitting the receptacle connector 4 and the plug connector 5, the receptacle terminal 11 and the plug terminal 21 come into one-to-one contact with each other. As a result, as shown in Fig. 19(A), a signal transmission path is generated that connects the signal electrode pattern 6b of the substrate 6, the receptacle terminal 11, the plug terminal 21, and the inner conductor 7a of the electric cable 7. As shown in Fig. 19(B), the receptacle terminal 11 and the plug terminal 21 are surrounded by the shield plate 12, the ground plate 13, the first shell 22, and the second shell 23. The shield plate 12, the ground plate 13, the first shell 22, and the second shell 23 are connected to each other and to the outer conductor 7c and the ground electrode pattern 6c of the electric cable 7, and therefore act as an electromagnetic shield around the signal transmission path.

[0061] [Connector combination and connector array] 20, the multiple receptacle connectors 4 are mounted in a row with no gaps in the Y-axis direction along the mounting surface 6a of the substrate 6, with their longitudinal directions aligned in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the number of receptacle connectors 4 arranged is four. However, this is not limited to this. The number of receptacle connectors 4 arranged may be any number.

[0062] [Connection part] The receptacle connectors 4 are connected at both ends in the X-axis direction by connecting portions 30. As shown in FIG. 21, the connecting portions 30 are elastic conductive members formed by stamping and bending a metal plate-shaped member. The connecting portions 30 are ), a plurality of extensions 30b extending downward from the main body 30a, and a shaft support 30c supporting the rotation shaft of the first locking portion 31 described below.

[0063] The length of the main body 30a in the Y-axis direction (first direction) is the same as the length of the arrangement of the four receptacle connectors 4. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 22, protruding portions 10f that protrude outward along the X-axis direction are provided at the lower portions of both ends in the X-axis direction of the receptacle housing 10. The upper surface of the protruding portion 10f is horizontal, and the main body 30a is placed on the upper surface thereof.

[0064] A pair of extension portions 30b are provided for each receptacle connector 4. Meanwhile, a receiving portion 10g that receives the extension portions 30b is provided on the protruding portion 10f of the receptacle housing 10 (see FIG. 17). When the extension portion 30b is inserted and press-fitted into the receiving portion 10g, the main body portion 30a is placed on the upper surface of the protruding portion 10f, and the connecting portion 30 connects multiple receptacle connectors 4. The lower end of the extension portion 30b is connected to a ground electrode pattern 6c (see FIG. 2) formed on the mounting surface 6a of the substrate 6.

[0065] [Axis branch] As shown in FIG. 21, the pivot support portion 30c is provided in a pair connected to both ends of the connecting portion 30 in the Y-axis direction. The pivot support portion 30c is bent in an upside-down U-shape when viewed in the Y-axis direction. The pair of lower ends of the pivot support portion 30c are connected to the ground electrode pattern 6c (see FIG. 2) on the mounting surface 6a of the board 6 by soldering. The pivot support portion 30c has a board connection portion 300 that is connected to the board 6. The pivot support portion 30c is formed directly above the board connection portion 300. "Directly above" means that a certain object is used as a reference and an object is located above it. As shown in FIG. 22, at the four corners of the receptacle housing 10 when viewed from above, the corners are cut out and pivot support portions 10h having surfaces that connect to the upper surfaces of the protruding portions 10f are provided.

[0066] With the above-described configuration, the connecting portion 30 extends in the Y-axis direction and connects a plurality of receptacle connectors 4 together.

[0067] [First locking part] As shown in FIG. 23, the connector assembly 2 includes a pair of first locking portions 31. The first locking portions 31 are provided at both ends in the X-axis direction of the arrangement of the receptacle connectors 4. The first locking portions 31 are elastic, conductive members formed by punching and bending a metal plate-like member. The first locking portions 31 include a pair of rotation centers 31a and abutment portions 31b (see FIG. 22). Furthermore, the abutment portions 31b are provided with notches 31c.

[0068] [Center of rotation] The rotation center 31a is provided at both ends of the first locking portion 31 in the Y-axis direction (both ends of the arrangement of the receptacle connectors 4). As shown in FIG. 22, the rotation center 31a passes through the U-shaped portion of the support portion 30c constituting the connecting portion 30, and is placed on the upper surface of the support portion 10h of the receptacle housing 10, so that it is supported by these. The rotation center 31a rotates about a rotation axis along the Y-axis direction. The rotation center 31a may be supported only by the receptacle housing 10, or may be supported only by the connecting portion 30. In this way, it is sufficient that at least one of the receptacle housing 10 and the connecting portion 30 has a support portion formed therein for rotatably supporting the rotation center 31a.

[0069] [Contact part] The contact portion 31b is an L-shaped member when viewed in the Y-axis direction. As shown in Figures 24(A) and 24(B), the position of the contact portion 31b can be moved around the rotation center portion 31a.

[0070] [Second locking part] 16, the plug connector 5 is provided with second locking portions 24a. The second locking portions 24a are provided on both ends in the X-axis direction of the cover portion 24. The second locking portions 24a are part of the cover portion 24, and are elastic members that protrude outward more than the cover portion 24 and bend.

[0071] [Engagement between the first locking portion and the second locking portion] In the connector assembly 2, with the first locking portion 31 open, i.e., with the first locking portion 31 located at the first position shown in FIG. 24(A), the plug connector 5 is inserted from above into the receptacle connector 4 to mate them together. When the mating of the receptacle connector 4 and the plug connector 5 is completed, as shown in FIG. 24(B), the first locking portion 31 rotates to the second position shown in FIG. 24(B). During this rotation, the abutment portion 31b of the first locking portion 31 abuts against the second locking portion 24a, deforming the second locking portion 24a. The second locking portion 24a abuts against the first locking portion 31 and is elastically deformed. When the first locking portion 31 reaches the second position shown in Figure 24 (B), the shape of the second locking portion 24a, which had been elastically deformed, returns to its original shape by matching with the cutout portion 31c, thereby achieving engagement between the first locking portion 31 and the second locking portion 24a.

[0072] To release the mating between the receptacle connector 4 and the plug connector 5, the first locking portion 31 is rotated from the second position shown in Fig. 24(B) where it is locked with the second locking portion 24a to the first position shown in Fig. 24(A) where it is unlocked from the second locking portion 24a. That is, the second locking portion 24a is capable of locking with and unlocking from the first locking portion 31. The first locking portion 31 may be capable of locking with and unlocking from the second locking portion 24a by sliding instead of rotating.

[0073] 1, the abutment portion 31b constituting the first locking portion 31 extends across multiple receptacle connectors 4. This allows the first locking portion 31 to lock multiple receptacle connectors 4 together.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 25, the signal transmission paths formed by each receptacle connector 4 and plug connector 5 are the same, and the path lengths are the same. As a result, even when the receptacle connectors 4 are arranged and the plug connectors 5 are mated one-to-one, the impedances of the multiple transmission paths can be matched. Also, as shown in FIG. 25, even when the receptacle connectors 4 are arranged and the plug connectors 5 are mated one-to-one, the electric cables 7 can be drawn out obliquely upward from each mated plug connector 5, so that the height of the electrical connector pair 1 can be reduced. That is, according to this electrical connector pair 1, even when the receptacle connectors 4 are arranged and the plug connectors 5 are mated one-to-one, the impedances can be matched, and the height of the electrical connector pair 1 can be reduced.

[0075] 25, a series of transmission paths connecting the receptacle terminal 11, the plug terminal 21, and the inner conductor 7a of the electric cable 7 are surrounded by the ground plate 13, the shield plate 12, each portion of the first shell 22, and the second shell. This improves the shielding performance of the electromagnetic shield of the electric connector pair 1.

[0076] In this embodiment, the plug connector 5 is fitted to all the receptacle connectors 4. However, this is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that the plug connector 5 is fitted to at least one of the receptacle connectors 4.

[0077] Various embodiments and modifications of the present invention are possible without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments are for the purpose of explaining the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the scope of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 electrical connector pair, 2 connector assembly, 3 connector array, 4 receptacle connector (electrical connector), 5 plug connector (mating connector), 6 board, 6a mounting surface, 6b signal electrode pattern (signal electrode), 6c ground electrode pattern (ground electrode), 7 electrical cable, 7a inner conductor, 7b insulator, 7c outer conductor, 7d protective coating, 10 receptacle housing, 10a recess, 10b contact press-in portion, 10c shield plate press-in portion, 10d ground plate press-in portion, 10e mating recess, 10f protruding portion, 10g receiving portion, 10h support portion, 11 receptacle terminal (contact), 11a fixing portion, 11b receptacle contact portion, 11c board connection portion, 12 shield plate, 12a main body portion, 12b board connection portion, 12c shield plate cutout portion (second cutout portion), 13 ground plate, 13a body portion, 13b board connection portion, 13c ground plate cutout portion (first cutout portion), 20 plug housing, 20a cover connection portion, 20b plug arrangement portion, 20c mating protrusion portion, 21 plug terminal (signal transmission member), 21a fixing portion, 21b plug contact portion, 21c cable connection portion, 22 first shell, 22a opposing wall portion, 22b side wall portion, 23 second shell, 23a extension portion, 24 cover portion, 24a second locking portion, 24b cutout portion, 30 connecting portion, 30a body portion, 30b extension portion, 30c pivot support portion, 31 first locking portion, 31a rotation center portion, 31b contact portion, 31c cutout portion, 200 Plug mounting portion, 201 plug fixing portion, 202 mating portion, 203 support portion, S1 first receptacle surface (first surface), S2 second receptacle surface (second surface), S3 third receptacle surface (third surface), S4 fourth receptacle surface (fourth surface), S5 fifth receptacle surface, P1 first plug surface, P2 second plug surface, P3 third plug surface, P4 fourth plug surface

Claims

1. An electrical connector that is mounted on a substrate and mates with a mating connector in a normal direction to a mounting surface of the substrate, a plurality of conductive contacts, each of which is connected to a signal electrode formed on the mounting surface and which contacts a signal transmission member of the mating connector, which are arranged in a line along the mounting surface in the same orientation, and each of which is an adjacent pair that transmits a differential signal; a plurality of conductive shield plates connected to a ground electrode formed on the mounting surface, and erected at positions that divide the contact arrangement into groups and at both ends of the contact arrangement so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the contact arrangement direction on the mounting surface; a conductive ground plate connected to a ground electrode formed on the mounting surface and extending in the arrangement direction of the contacts in the vicinity of one end face of the shield plate in the orthogonal direction; an insulating housing that holds the contacts, the shield plate, and the ground plate in a mutually insulated state; 1. An electrical connector comprising:

2. A first surface aligned along the mounting surface; a second surface that is parallel to the first surface and is closer to the mating connector than the first surface; a pair of third surfaces along the pair of shield plates sandwiching the pair of contacts for transmitting differential signals; and a fourth surface along a portion of the ground plate facing the set of contacts, whereby five of six surfaces of an imaginary rectangular parallelepiped including the set of contacts are defined.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

3. when a life-size projected image of the contacts as seen in the arrangement direction is projected toward the arrangement direction, the shield plate encompasses the projected image, When a life-size projected image of the contact as viewed in the orthogonal direction is projected toward the orthogonal direction, the ground plate includes the projected image.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

4. The housing holds the shield plate or the ground plate in a tight contact state.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

5. The housing holds the shield plate or the ground plate in a press-fit state.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

6. The ground plate has a first cutout portion provided in a portion closest to the shield plate.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4.

7. The shield plate has a second cutout portion in a portion closest to the ground plate.

5. The electrical connector of claim 4.

8. The ground plate has a first cutout portion provided in a portion closest to the shield plate.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5.

9. The shield plate has a second cutout portion in a portion closest to the ground plate.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5.

10. A gap between one end face of the shield plate in the orthogonal direction and the ground plate is filled with solder.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

11. At least one of the ground plate and the shield plate is gold-plated on the surface of the adjacent portions.

9. The electrical connector of claim 8.

12. A plurality of electrical connectors according to any one of claims 1 to 9 mounted on a substrate, The electrical connectors are arranged and connected to each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the contacts of the electrical connectors are arranged on the mounting surface of the board. Connector assembly.

Images