Connector structure

The connector structure maintains high communication performance by using stacked sub-connectors with positioning parts to align insertion holes accurately, addressing the issue of decreased accuracy with increased holes.

JP2024175884APending Publication Date: 2024-12-19SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023093965
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-06-07
Publication Date
2024-12-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

As the number of insertion holes in a connector structure increases to accommodate higher communication demands, the accuracy of positioning each hole relative to a mating connector decreases, leading to deteriorating communication performance.

Method used

The connector structure incorporates multiple sub-connectors stacked along a first direction, each with positioning parts that align with a mating connector, ensuring precise positioning of insertion holes through first and second positioning sections.

Benefits of technology

This configuration maintains high communication performance by improving the accuracy of insertion hole alignment even with increased numbers of holes, using positioning pins or holes for precise alignment.

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Abstract

To provide a connector structure capable of suppressing the degradation of communication performance.SOLUTION: A connector structure includes a plurality of sub-connectors stacked along a first direction. Each of the plurality of sub-connectors has a tip surface parallel to the first direction, a plurality of insertion holes extending along a second direction intersecting the tip surface and opening at the tip surface, a first positioning portion positioned adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, and a second positioning portion positioned adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction. Each of the plurality of sub-connectors is positioned with respect to a mating connector by the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector structure. [Background technology]

[0002] A connector structure is known that includes a housing having a front end surface and a plurality of insertion holes that open onto the front end surface, and a plurality of electric wires arranged in the plurality of insertion holes (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Each electric wire in such a connector structure is connected to each terminal of a mating connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-069166 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the connector structure described above, for example, there may be a need to increase the amount of communication, in which case it is expected that the number of insertion holes will increase. However, if the number of insertion holes is increased, the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole with the mating connector decreases, which may result in a decrease in communication performance.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a connector structure capable of suppressing degradation of communication performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector structure disclosed herein comprises a plurality of sub-connectors stacked along a first direction, each of the plurality of sub-connectors having an end surface parallel to the first direction, a plurality of insertion holes extending along a second direction intersecting the end surface and opening into the end surface, a first positioning portion positioned adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, and a second positioning portion positioned adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, and each of the plurality of sub-connectors is positioned relative to a mating connector by the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a connector structure that can suppress degradation of communication performance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a connector structure according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the sub-connector shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sub-connector shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the sub-connector taken along line IV-IV shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of the connector structure shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of a connector structure according to a modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged view of the connector structure shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the contents of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The connector structure disclosed herein is [1] "a connector structure comprising a plurality of sub-connectors stacked along a first direction, each of the plurality of sub-connectors having an end surface parallel to the first direction, a plurality of insertion holes extending along a second direction intersecting the end surface and opening into the end surface, a first positioning portion positioned adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, and a second positioning portion positioned adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, each of the plurality of sub-connectors being positioned relative to a mating connector by the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion."

[0011] In the connector structure described in [1] above, each sub-connector has a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion, and is positioned relative to the mating connector by the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion. That is, each sub-connector is positioned separately relative to the mating connector while being independent of each other. This improves the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole with respect to the mating connector, compared to when an integrated connector is positioned relative to the mating connector, for example. Therefore, even if the number of insertion holes increases with an increase in communication volume, a decrease in communication performance can be suppressed. Therefore, this connector structure can suppress a decrease in communication performance.

[0012] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [2] "the connector structure according to the above [1], in which each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is a positioning pin." This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole with the mating connector with a simple configuration.

[0013] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [3] "the connector structure according to the above [1], in which each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is a positioning hole." This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole with respect to the mating connector with a simple configuration.

[0014] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [4] "the connector structure according to any one of [1] to [3] above, further comprising a fixing member surrounding the plurality of sub-connectors and bundling the plurality of sub-connectors when viewed from the second direction, and a gap exists between the plurality of sub-connectors and the fixing member to allow each of the plurality of sub-connectors to move." This allows the plurality of sub-connectors to be stably fixed by the fixing member, and by ensuring the movement of each sub-connector, the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole with respect to the mating connector can be improved.

[0015] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [5] "the connector structure according to any one of [1] to [4] above, in which the plurality of insertion holes are configured by a first insertion hole row aligned along a third direction intersecting the first direction when viewed from the second direction, and a second insertion hole row positioned adjacent to the first insertion hole row in the first direction and aligned along the third direction when viewed from the second direction, the first positioning portion is positioned adjacent to the first insertion hole row and the second insertion hole row in the third direction when viewed from the second direction, and the second positioning portion is positioned on the opposite side of the first positioning portion with respect to the first insertion hole row and the second insertion hole row when viewed from the second direction." This allows the number of insertion holes in the connector structure to be secured while improving the accuracy of alignment of each insertion hole of each sub-connector with the mating connector.

[0016] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [6] "the connector structure according to any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein each of the plurality of sub-connectors further has an electric wire disposed in at least one of the plurality of insertion holes." This can improve the accuracy of aligning the electric wire with the mating connector.

[0017] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [7] "the connector structure according to the above [6], in which the electric wires are each a plurality of electric wires of a flexible flat cable." This can improve the accuracy of aligning the plurality of electric wires of the flexible flat cable with respect to the mating connector.

[0018] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [8] "the connector structure according to any one of [1] to [7] above, wherein each of the plurality of sub-connectors further has an optical fiber disposed in at least one of the plurality of insertion holes." This can improve the accuracy of alignment of the optical fiber with respect to the mating connector.

[0019] The connector structure of the present disclosure may be [9] "the connector structure according to any one of [1] to [8] above, in which each of the plurality of sub-connectors is symmetrical with respect to a center line parallel to the first direction and a center line parallel to a third direction intersecting the first direction when viewed from the second direction." This can improve the degree of freedom in arranging each sub-connector.

[0020] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the connector structure of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a front view of the connector structure of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the connector structure 1 includes a plurality of sub-connectors 2 and a fixing member 3. The plurality of sub-connectors 2 are stacked along the Z-axis direction (first direction). The sub-connectors 2 are independent of each other. Any of the plurality of sub-connectors 2 is movable relative to the other sub-connectors 2. The sub-connectors 2 are not fixed to each other. The sub-connectors 2 may be lightly engaged with each other while being movable relative to each other.

[0022] The fixing member 3 has, for example, a ring shape. In this embodiment, the fixing member 3 has a rectangular ring shape. The fixing member 3 surrounds the multiple sub-connectors 2 when viewed from the Y-axis direction (a second direction intersecting the first direction). The fixing member 3 bundles the multiple sub-connectors 2. The fixing member 3 is not fixed to each sub-connector 2. In other words, each sub-connector 2 is movable relative to the fixing member 3.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a front view of one sub-connector 2 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sub-connector 2 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the sub-connector 2 has a ferrule 21, a first cable 22, a second cable 23 (see Fig. 3), a first positioning portion 24, and a second positioning portion 25.

[0024] The ferrule 21 includes a first main surface 21a, a second main surface 21b, a pair of side surfaces 21c, a front end surface 21d, and a rear end surface 21e. Each of the first main surface 21a and the second main surface 21b is a flat surface that intersects with the Z-axis direction. The second main surface 21b faces the opposite side to the first main surface 21a. The side surface 21c is a flat surface that intersects with the X-axis direction (a third direction that intersects with both the first direction and the second direction). The pair of side surfaces 21c face the opposite sides to each other. Each of the front end surface 21d and the rear end surface 21e is a flat surface that intersects with the Y-axis direction and is parallel to the Z-axis direction. The rear end surface 21e faces the opposite side to the front end surface 21d.

[0025] The ferrule 21 includes a first insertion hole row F1 and a second insertion hole row F2. The first insertion hole row F1 includes a plurality of insertion holes 21f aligned along the X-axis direction when viewed from the Y-axis direction. The second insertion hole row F2 is located next to the first insertion hole row F1 in the Z-axis direction when viewed from the Y-axis direction. The second insertion hole row F2 includes a plurality of insertion holes 21f aligned along the X-axis direction when viewed from the Y-axis direction. In this manner, the plurality of insertion holes 21f of the ferrule 21 are constituted by the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2. The insertion holes 21f extend along the Y-axis direction intersecting the front end surface 21d, and open to each of the front end surface 21d and the rear end surface 21e.

[0026] The ferrule 21 includes a first through hole 21g and a second through hole 21h. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the first through hole 21g and the second through hole 21h are located next to the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2 in the X-axis direction. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the second through hole 21h is located on the opposite side of the first through hole 21g with respect to the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2. Each of the first through hole 21g and the second through hole 21h penetrates the ferrule 21 in the Y-axis direction and opens at the front end surface 21d and the rear end surface 21e. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the ferrule 21 is symmetrical with respect to a center line parallel to the Z-axis direction and a center line parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the sub-connector 2 along the line IV-IV shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2 to FIG. 4, the first cable 22 is, for example, a flexible flat cable (FFC). The first cable 22 has a plurality of electric wires 221, a plurality of electric wires 222, and a coating 223. In this embodiment, two adjacent electric wires 221 and two adjacent electric wires 222 are alternately arranged along the X-axis direction. The coating 223 bundles the plurality of electric wires 221 and the plurality of electric wires 222. The tip portions of the electric wires 221 and the electric wires 222 are exposed from the coating 223 and are disposed in the insertion holes 21f of the first insertion hole row F1. The tips of the electric wires 221 and the electric wires 222 reach the tip surface 21d of the ferrule 21. The electric wires 221 function as, for example, a working electrode. The electric wires 222 function as, for example, a ground electrode.

[0028] The second cable 23 is, for example, a flexible flat cable (FFC) similar to the first cable 22. The second cable 23 has a plurality of electric wires 231, a plurality of electric wires 232, and a coating 233. In this embodiment, two adjacent electric wires 231 and two adjacent electric wires 232 are alternately arranged along the X-axis direction. The two electric wires 221 of the first cable 22 and the two electric wires 231 of the second cable 23 are arranged along the Z-axis direction. The two electric wires 222 of the first cable 22 and the two electric wires 232 of the second cable 23 are arranged along the Z-axis direction. The coating 233 bundles the plurality of electric wires 231 and the plurality of electric wires 232. The tip portions of the electric wires 231 and the electric wires 232 are exposed from the coating 233 and are disposed in the insertion holes 21f of the second insertion hole row F2. The ends of the electric wire 231 and the electric wire 232 reach the tip surface 21d of the ferrule 21. The electric wire 231 functions as, for example, a ground electrode. The electric wire 232 functions as, for example, an operating electrode.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, the ferrule 21 includes a first arrangement surface 21k and a second arrangement surface 21n. Each of the first arrangement surface 21k and the second arrangement surface 21n is a flat surface intersecting the Z-axis direction. The first arrangement surface 21k faces the same direction as the first main surface 21a and is recessed from the first main surface 21a. The position of the first arrangement surface 21k in the Z-axis direction is approximately the same as the center position of the insertion hole 21f of the first insertion hole row F1. The first arrangement surface 21k and the first main surface 21a are connected by a first connection surface 21j. The first connection surface 21j is a flat surface intersecting the Y-axis direction. The insertion hole 21f of the first insertion hole row F1 opens in the same direction as the first arrangement surface 21k on the first arrangement surface 21k. That is, on the first arrangement surface 21k, the insertion hole 21f is a groove. In this case, the electric wire 221 and the electric wire 222 can be guided to the tip surface 21d in a state in which they are arranged in the insertion holes 21f (grooves) in the first arrangement surface 21k.

[0030] The second arrangement surface 21n faces the same direction as the second main surface 21b and is recessed from the second main surface 21b. The position of the second arrangement surface 21n in the Z-axis direction is approximately the same as the center position of the insertion hole 21f of the second insertion hole row F2. The second arrangement surface 21n and the second main surface 21b are connected by the second connecting surface 21m. The second connecting surface 21m is a flat surface that intersects with the Y-axis direction. The insertion hole 21f of the second insertion hole row F2 opens in the same direction as the second arrangement surface 21n on the second arrangement surface 21n. That is, on the second arrangement surface 21n, the insertion hole 21f is a groove. In this case, the electric wire 231 and the electric wire 232 can be guided to the tip surface 21d in a state where they are arranged in the insertion hole 21f (groove) on the second arrangement surface 21n.

[0031] 2 and 3, the first positioning portion 24 is, for example, a positioning pin. The first positioning portion 24 is inserted into the first through hole 21g. In this embodiment, the first positioning portion 24 is, for example, press-fitted into the first through hole 21g. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the first positioning portion 24 is located next to the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2 in the X-axis direction. A tip of the first positioning portion 24 protrudes from the tip surface 21d of the ferrule 21. A rear end of the first positioning portion 24 protrudes from the rear end surface 21e of the ferrule 21.

[0032] The second positioning portion 25 is, for example, a positioning pin. The second positioning portion 25 is inserted into the second through hole 21h. In this embodiment, the second positioning portion 25 is, for example, press-fitted into the second through hole 21h. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the second positioning portion 25 is located next to the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2 in the X-axis direction. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the second positioning portion 25 is located on the opposite side of the first positioning portion 24 with respect to the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2. The tip of the second positioning portion 25 protrudes from the tip surface 21d of the ferrule 21. The rear end of the second positioning portion 25 protrudes from the rear end surface 21e of the ferrule 21.

[0033] The sub-connector 2 is positioned relative to the mating connector by the first positioning portion 24 and the second positioning portion 25. Specifically, the sub-connector 2 is connected to the mating connector such that the first positioning portion 24 and the second positioning portion 25 are inserted into positioning holes of the mating connector with the tip surface 21d facing the mating connector. This ensures the positional accuracy of the sub-connector 2 relative to the mating connector, and therefore the positional accuracy of each insertion hole 21f relative to the mating connector. When viewed from the Y-axis direction, the sub-connector 2 is symmetrical with respect to each of a center line parallel to the Z-axis direction and a center line parallel to the X-axis direction.

[0034] 5 is a partially enlarged view of the connector structure 1 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 5, a first gap G1 and a second gap G2 that allow each sub-connector 2 to move exist between the multiple sub-connectors 2 and the fixing member 3. Specifically, the fixing member 3 includes a pair of inner surfaces 3a and a pair of inner surfaces 3b. The inner surface 3a is, for example, a flat surface that intersects with the Z-axis direction. The pair of inner surfaces 3a face each other in the Z-axis direction. The inner surface 3b is, for example, a flat surface that intersects with the X-axis direction. The pair of inner surfaces 3b face each other in the X-axis direction.

[0035] The maximum width of the sub-connectors 2 in the Z-axis direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of inner surfaces 3a. The first gap G1 exists between the first main surface 21a of the sub-connector 2 closest to one of the inner surfaces 3a among the sub-connectors 2 and the one inner surface 3a. The maximum width of the sub-connectors 2 in the X-axis direction is smaller than the distance between the pair of inner surfaces 3b. The second gap G2 exists between the side surface 21c of the sub-connector 2 and one inner surface 3b. In this embodiment, the width W1 of the first gap G1 in the Z-axis direction is larger than the width W2 of the second gap G2 in the X-axis direction. The width W1 may be, for example, 0.2 mm to 2 mm, or 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and is, for example, about 1.0 mm. The width W2 may be, for example, 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, or 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm, and is, for example, about 0.5 mm. In this way, since the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 exist between the multiple sub-connectors 2 and the fixing member 3, each sub-connector 2 is movable relative to the fixing member 3 while being bundled by the fixing member 3. The tip of the second positioning portion 25 includes a tapered surface 251. This makes it easier for the second positioning portion 25 to be inserted into the positioning hole of the mating connector. The tip of the first positioning portion 24 also includes a tapered surface.

[0036] As described above, in the connector structure 1, each sub-connector 2 has the first positioning portion 24 and the second positioning portion 25, and is positioned relative to the mating connector by the first positioning portion 24 and the second positioning portion 25. That is, each sub-connector 2 is positioned separately relative to the mating connector while being independent of each other. This improves the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole 21f with respect to the mating connector, compared to, for example, a case where an integrated connector is positioned relative to the mating connector. Therefore, even if the number of insertion holes 21f increases with an increase in communication volume, a decrease in communication performance can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the connector structure 1, a decrease in communication performance can be suppressed.

[0037] Each of the first positioning portion 24 and the second positioning portion 25 is a positioning pin, which makes it possible to improve the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole 21f with the mating connector with a simple configuration.

[0038] The connector structure 1 includes a fixing member 3 that surrounds the multiple sub-connectors 2 when viewed from the Y-axis direction and bundles the multiple sub-connectors 2. A first gap G1 and a second gap G2 that allow each sub-connector 2 to move exist between the multiple sub-connectors 2 and the fixing member 3. This allows the multiple sub-connectors 2 to be stably fixed by the fixing member 3, and also ensures the movement of each sub-connector 2, thereby improving the accuracy of aligning each insertion hole 21f with the mating connector.

[0039] The multiple insertion holes 21f of the ferrule 21 are configured by a first insertion hole row F1 aligned along the X-axis direction when viewed from the Y-axis direction, and a second insertion hole row F2 positioned adjacent to the first insertion hole row F1 in the Z-axis direction and aligned along the X-axis direction when viewed from the Y-axis direction. The first positioning section 24 is positioned adjacent to the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2 in the X-axis direction when viewed from the Y-axis direction. The second positioning section 25 is positioned on the opposite side of the first positioning section 24 with respect to the first insertion hole row F1 and the second insertion hole row F2 when viewed from the Y-axis direction. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of alignment of each insertion hole 21f of each sub-connector 2 with respect to the mating connector while ensuring the number of insertion holes 21f of the connector structure 1.

[0040] Each sub-connector 2 has a plurality of electric wires 221 and a plurality of electric wires 222 arranged in a plurality of insertion holes 21f. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of aligning the electric wires 221 and 222 with respect to the mating connector.

[0041] The electric wire 221 and the electric wire 222 are each a plurality of electric wires of a flexible flat cable (first cable 22). This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of aligning the plurality of electric wires of the flexible flat cable with respect to the mating connector.

[0042] When viewed from the Y-axis direction, each sub-connector 2 is symmetrical with respect to a center line parallel to the Z-axis direction and a center line parallel to the X-axis direction. This improves the degree of freedom in arranging each sub-connector 2. For example, even if the first main surface 21a and the second main surface 21b of at least one sub-connector 2 among the multiple sub-connectors 2 are reversed, the function of the connector structure 1 is not affected.

[0043] [Variations] Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0044] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a connector structure according to a modified example. As shown in Fig. 6, the connector structure 1 may include a plurality of sub-connectors 4 instead of the plurality of sub-connectors 2. The plurality of sub-connectors 4 are stacked along the X-axis direction. That is, in the modified example, the X-axis direction is the first direction.

[0045] The sub-connector 4 has a ferrule 41. The ferrule 41 includes a tip surface 41d that intersects the Y-axis direction (a second direction intersecting the first direction) and is parallel to the X-axis direction. The sub-connector 4 includes a plurality of insertion holes 41f that extend along the Y-axis direction and open to the tip surface 41d. The sub-connector 4 has a plurality of electric wires 421 and a plurality of optical fibers 431 arranged in the plurality of insertion holes 41f. This can improve the accuracy of aligning both the electric wires and the optical fibers with respect to the mating connector.

[0046] The sub-connector 4 has a first positioning portion 41g and a second positioning portion 41h. The first positioning portion 41g is located next to the multiple insertion holes 41f in the Z-axis direction (a third direction intersecting both the first and second directions) when viewed from the Y-axis direction. In the modified example, the Z-axis direction is the third direction. The second positioning portion 41h is located on the opposite side of the multiple insertion holes 41f to the first positioning portion 41g when viewed from the Y-axis direction.

[0047] Each of the first positioning portion 41g and the second positioning portion 41h is, for example, a positioning hole. Each of the first positioning portion 41g and the second positioning portion 41h penetrates the ferrule 41 in the Y-axis direction and opens at the front end surface 41d and the rear end surface of the ferrule 41. The sub-connector 4 is connected to the mating connector such that the positioning pins of the mating connector are inserted into each of the first positioning portion 41g and the second positioning portion 41h with the front end surface 41d facing the mating connector. Even in such a case, the accuracy of alignment of each insertion hole 41f with respect to the mating connector can be improved by a simple configuration. At least one of the first positioning portion 41g and the second positioning portion 41h may be a groove or the like formed in the ferrule 41.

[0048] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged view of the connector structure 1 shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, between the sub-connectors 4 and the fixed member 3, there are a first gap G3 and a second gap G4 that allow each sub-connector 4 to move. The maximum width of the sub-connectors 4 in the Z-axis direction is smaller than the distance between a pair of inner surfaces 3a of the fixed member 3. The first gap G3 is between the first main surface 41a and one of the inner surfaces 3a of the sub-connector 4. The maximum width of the sub-connectors 4 in the X-axis direction is smaller than the distance between a pair of inner surfaces 3b of the fixed member 3. The second gap G4 is between the side surface 41c of the sub-connector 4 and one of the inner surfaces 3b.

[0049] In this embodiment, the width W3 of the first gap G3 in the Z-axis direction is larger than the width W4 of the second gap G4 in the X-axis direction. The width W3 may be, for example, 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, or 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm, and is, for example, about 0.5 mm. The width W4 may be, for example, 0.2 mm to 2 mm, or 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and is, for example, about 1.0 mm. In this case, as in the embodiment, each sub-connector 4 is movable relative to the fixing member 3 while being bound by the fixing member 3. The first positioning portion 41g includes a cylindrical surface 41s and a tapered surface 41t. This makes it easier for the positioning pin of the mating connector to be inserted into the first positioning portion 41g. The second positioning portion 41h also includes a cylindrical surface and a tapered surface. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1. Connector structure 2,4…Sub-connector 3…Fixing member 3a…Inner surface 3b…Inner surface 21,41…Ferrule 21a, 41a...First main surface 21b…Second main surface 21c,41c…side 21d, 41d...Tip surface 21e…Rear end surface 21f, 41f...Insertion hole 21g…1st through hole 21h…Second through hole 21j...1st connection surface 21k…1st placement surface 21m…Second connection surface 21n…Second placement surface 22…1st cable 23…Second cable 24,41g…1st positioning part 25,41h…Second positioning section 221...Electric wire 222...Electric wire 223…Covering 231...Electric wire 232...Electric wire 233…Covering 421...Electric wire 431...Optical fiber F1: First insertion hole row F2: Second insertion hole row G1, G3...First gap G2, G4: Second gap

Claims

1. A plurality of sub-connectors are stacked along a first direction, Each of the plurality of sub-connectors is A tip surface parallel to the first direction; a plurality of insertion holes extending along a second direction intersecting the tip surface and opening in the tip surface; a first positioning portion located adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction; a second positioning portion located adjacent to the plurality of insertion holes when viewed from the second direction, A connector structure, wherein each of the plurality of sub-connectors is positioned relative to a mating connector by the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion.

2. The connector structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is a positioning pin.

3. The connector structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first positioning portion and the second positioning portion is a positioning hole.

4. a fixing member that surrounds the plurality of sub-connectors and bundles the plurality of sub-connectors when viewed from the second direction, 4. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein a gap is present between the plurality of sub-connectors and the fixing member, allowing each of the plurality of sub-connectors to move.

5. the plurality of insertion holes are configured by a first insertion hole row aligned along a third direction intersecting the first direction when viewed from the second direction, and a second insertion hole row positioned adjacent to the first insertion hole row in the first direction and aligned along the third direction when viewed from the second direction, the first positioning portion is located adjacent to the first insertion hole row and the second insertion hole row in the third direction when viewed from the second direction, The connector structure according to claim 1 , wherein the second positioning portion is located on the opposite side of the first positioning portion with respect to the first insertion hole row and the second insertion hole row when viewed from the second direction.

6. 4. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sub-connectors further includes an electric wire disposed in at least one of the plurality of insertion holes.

7. 7. The connector structure according to claim 6, wherein the electric wire is each of a plurality of electric wires of a flexible flat cable.

8. 4. The connector structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sub-connectors further includes an optical fiber disposed in at least one of the plurality of insertion holes.

9. A connector structure described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the multiple sub-connectors is symmetrical with respect to a center line parallel to the first direction and a center line parallel to a third direction that intersects the first direction when viewed from the second direction.

Citation Information

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