Heat path connector

Abstract

To provide a heat path connector including a heat radiation function.SOLUTION: Connectors 2a, 2b are respectively attached to substrates B1, B2 to be used and may be fitted in a mating connector. The connector 2a, 2b includes: a contacts C; a housing D which holds the contact C; and a shell 40, 90 which is formed of a material having high conductivity and attached enclosing the housing D. The shell 40, 90 is formed including mount parts M for joining the connector 2a, 2b to the substrate B1, B2; and heat radiation parts K having a heat radiation function. The substrate B1, B2 has shell joint parts S for joining the mount parts M. Heat from a heating part H on the substrate B1, B2 is transmitted to the shell joint parts S. When the shells 40, 90 are respectively attached to the substrates B1, B2 with the mount parts M joined to the shell joint parts S, the heat transmitted to the shell joint parts S may be transmitted from the mount parts M to the heat radiation parts K to be radiated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat path connector used for electrical connection. [Background technology]

[0002] As electronic devices become more sophisticated and smaller, heat generated by electronic components mounted on printed circuit boards inside electronic devices has become a problem. As an electrical connector used for connection on such printed circuit boards, a connector with a hole for heat dissipation in a part of the connector as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been known. The connector of Patent Document 1 has a fixed housing fixed on the board and a movable housing, and the movable housing has a heat dissipation part in the accommodation space for accommodating the terminals, which dissipates heat in the accommodation space to the outside space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-202042 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in a connector with such a configuration, the heat transferred to the connector is dissipated, and it cannot be said to be effective in dissipating heat by conducting heat on the board to the connector. In order to dissipate heat efficiently under limited volume conditions, a new configuration is needed to conduct heat from the heat source to a part with a heat dissipation function and dissipate it.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and has an object to provide a connector that has the function of conducting heat on a board to the connector and dissipating that heat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the heat path connector of the first invention is a connector that is attached to a substrate and used, and can be mated with a mating connector, and comprises contacts, a housing that holds the contacts, and a shell formed of a highly conductive material and attached to surround the housing, the shell being configured to have a mounting portion for joining the connector to the substrate and a heat dissipation portion having a heat dissipation function, the substrate having a shell joint for joining the mounting portion, and heat from a heat generating portion on the substrate is transferred to the shell joint, and when the mounting portion is joined to the shell joint and the shell is attached to the substrate, the heat transferred to the shell joint can be transferred from the mounting portion to the heat dissipation portion and dissipated.

[0007] In the heat path connector of the first invention of the present invention, it is preferable that the heat dissipation portion has an uneven portion formed by plating the surface of the shell, so as to increase the surface area of ​​the shell.

[0008] In addition, in the heat path connector of the first invention of the present invention, it is preferable that the shell has a smooth portion with a smooth surface at the mating portion that mates with the mating connector, and is configured so that the contact area between the shell and the shell of the mating connector is large.

[0009] In addition, in the heat path connector of the first invention of the present invention, it is preferable that the substrate has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat generating portion to the shell joint, and that the heat transfer path is formed by a conductive wiring pattern.

[0010] In the heat path connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, the mount portion preferably has a conductive foot portion that is elastically deformable while being joined to the shell joining portion.

[0011] In the heat path connector according to the first aspect of the present invention, the leg portion preferably has an L-shaped bend extending outward from the shell.

[0012] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the heat path connector of the second invention is a connector that is attached to a board when used and can be mated with a mating connector, and comprises a heat sink formed of a highly conductive material, contacts that are positioned on the board outside the heat sink when attached to the board, and a housing that holds the contacts and the heat sink, wherein the heat sink is configured to have a mounting portion for joining to the board and a heat sink portion having a heat dissipation function, the board has a heat sink joint for joining the mounting portion, and heat from a heat generating portion on the board is transferred to the heat sink joint, and when the mounting portion is joined to the heat sink joint and the heat sink is attached to the board, the heat transferred to the heat sink joint can be transferred from the mounting portion to the heat sink and dissipated.

[0013] In the heat path connector of the second invention, it is preferable that the heat dissipation portion has an uneven portion formed by plating the surface of the heat dissipation plate, so as to increase the surface area of ​​the heat dissipation plate.

[0014] In addition, in the heat path connector of the second invention of the present invention, it is preferable that the heat sink has a smooth portion with a smooth surface at the mating portion that mates with the mating connector, and is configured so that the contact area between the heat sink and the heat sink of the mating connector is large.

[0015] In addition, in the heat path connector of the second invention, it is preferable that the substrate has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat generating portion to the heat sink joint, and that the heat transfer path is formed by a conductive wiring pattern.

[0016] In the heat path connector according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the contacts are preferably configured to have a heat dissipation function on their surfaces.

[0017] In addition, in the heat path connector of the first or second aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the contact has an uneven portion formed by applying a plating process to the surface, so as to increase the surface area of ​​the contact.

[0018] In addition, in the heat path connector of the first or second invention, the substrate has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat generating portion to a joint between the substrate and the contacts in some of the contacts when the contacts are attached to the substrate, and it is preferable that the heat transfer path is formed by a conductive wiring pattern.

[0019] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the heat path connector of the third aspect of the present invention is a connector that is attached to a substrate and used, and can be mated with a mating connector, and is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of contacts and a housing that holds the plurality of contacts, and the contacts are configured with a heat dissipation function on their surface, and heat transferred from the substrate to the contacts can be dissipated by the heat dissipation function.

[0020] In addition, in the heat path connector of the third invention of the present invention, it is preferable that the contact has an uneven portion formed by applying a plating process to the surface, so that the surface area of ​​the contact is increased. Effect of the Invention

[0021] The heat path connector according to the first aspect of the present invention makes it possible to transfer heat from a heat generating portion on a board to a shell joint portion, conduct it to the shell via a mount portion made of a highly conductive material, and dissipate the heat from the heat dissipation portion. It also makes it possible to conduct heat from a connector provided on a board with a heat generating portion to a mating connector, and dissipate the heat from a heat dissipation portion of the shell of the mating connector.

[0022] In the heat path connector having the above-described configuration, the heat dissipation portion is configured to have projections and recesses formed by plating, so that the surface area of ​​the heat dissipation portion can be increased, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0023] Furthermore, in the heat path connector of the above configuration, the mating portion that mates with the mating connector has a smooth portion and is configured to have a large contact area with the mating shell, thereby improving the thermal conductivity at the mating portion, thereby increasing the amount of heat dissipation from the mating connector, and further enhancing the heat dissipation effect of the connector as a whole.

[0024] Furthermore, in the heat path connector of the above configuration, a heat transfer path for transmitting heat from the heat generating portion to the shell joint is configured as a wiring pattern on the substrate, making it possible to conduct heat to the heat dissipation portion, which has a high heat dissipation effect, thereby further enhancing the heat dissipation effect.

[0025] Furthermore, in the heat path connector of the above configuration, the mounting portion has conductive feet that can elastically deform while remaining joined to the shell joint, so that even in the case of a connector that has a part that can move relatively to the joint between the connector and the board when the connector is joined to the board, such as a floating connector, the mounting portion can remain joined to allow the feet to elastically deform to follow the relative movement, making it possible to apply the heat path connector.

[0026] Furthermore, in the heat path connector having the above-mentioned configuration, the leg portion has an L-shaped bent shape extending outward from the shell, which makes it even easier for the leg portion to be elastically deformed.

[0027] According to the heat path connector of the second invention, it is possible to transfer heat from a heat generating part on a board to a heat sink joint of a heat sink arranged inside the contacts, and to conduct it to the heat sink via a mount made of a highly conductive material, so that the heat can be dissipated from the heat sink. It is also possible to conduct heat from a connector provided on a board with a heat generating part to a mating connector, and to dissipate the heat from the heat sink of the mating connector.

[0028] In the heat path connector having the above-described configuration, the heat sink is configured to have an uneven portion formed by plating, whereby the surface area of ​​the heat sink can be increased, thereby improving the heat dissipation effect.

[0029] Furthermore, in the heat path connector of the above configuration, by having a smooth portion at the mating portion that mates with the mating heat sink, the contact area with the mating heat sink is increased, thereby improving the thermal conductivity at the mating portion, thereby increasing the amount of heat dissipation in the mating connector, and further enhancing the heat dissipation effect of the connector as a whole.

[0030] Furthermore, in the heat path connector of the above configuration, the heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat generating portion to the heat sink joint is configured as a wiring pattern on the board, which enables heat transfer to the heat sink in the heat sink, thereby further enhancing the heat dissipation effect. In this case, by configuring the contacts to be located on the outside of the heat sink, it is possible to secure the area of ​​the wiring pattern to the contacts while securing the heat transfer path to the heat sink joint on the board.

[0031] Furthermore, in the heat path connector of the above configuration, the contacts are configured to have a heat dissipation function on their surfaces, so that in addition to the heat dissipation from the heat dissipation parts of the shell and heat sink, the heat transferred from the board to the contacts can also be dissipated from the contact heat dissipation parts. This allows the heat dissipation effect to be obtained by the contacts even when the connector is small and the shell itself has to be small. In addition, for example, when using the above shell, it is necessary to provide a shell joint and a heat transfer path, which are the connection part between the shell and the board, outside the connection part between the contact and the board, and there is a constraint that the wiring pattern connected to the contacts on the board must be provided by avoiding the shell joint and the heat transfer path, so even if it is not possible to secure a sufficient surface area for the shell's heat dissipation part and mount part, a part of the heat generated near the connector can be dissipated from the contacts.

[0032] Furthermore, in the heat path connector having the above-described configuration, the contacts have uneven portions formed by plating the surfaces of the contacts, which increases the surface area of ​​the contacts and thereby improves the heat dissipation effect of the contacts.

[0033] Furthermore, in the heat path connector having the above-described configuration, some of the contacts have heat transfer paths for transferring heat from the substrate, and these contacts are configured exclusively for heat dissipation, thereby enabling efficient heat dissipation from the contacts.

[0034] According to the heat path connector of the present invention, the connector includes a plurality of contacts and a housing for holding the contacts, and the contacts have a heat dissipation function on their surfaces. This allows heat transferred from the board to the connector to be dissipated from the contacts. In addition, the heat transferred to the contacts can be conducted to the mating connector and dissipated from the contacts of the mating connector.

[0035] Furthermore, in the heat path connector having the above-described configuration, the contacts have uneven portions formed by plating the surfaces of the contacts, which increases the surface area of ​​the contacts and thereby improves the heat dissipation effect of the contacts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the mechanism of a heat path connector according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram illustrating the mechanism of a heat path connector according to the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view of a connector device having a heat path connector according to an embodiment of the present invention in a fitted state; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VV in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plug connector of the connector device. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the plug connector. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 1A is a perspective view of the plug-side shell, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the left side of the shell disassembled into left and right parts. [Figure 9] 1A is a perspective view showing a state in which the plug connector is joined to a board, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating the assembled state. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the receptacle connector. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 13] 1A is a perspective view of the receptacle-side shell, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the right side of the receptacle-side shell disassembled into left and right sides. [Figure 14] 1A is a perspective view showing a state in which the receptacle connector is joined to a board, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view illustrating the assembled state. [Figure 15] 1 is a perspective view showing a plug connector (a) and a receptacle connector (b) before mating of a connector device equipped with a heat path connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 16] 1A is a perspective view showing a plug-side heat sink and a receptacle-side heat sink before mating of a connector device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 17] 16 is a perspective cross-sectional view taken along dashed line VIII-VIII in FIG. 15, showing a connector device having a heat path connector according to an embodiment of the present invention when being mated. [Figure 18] 1 is a perspective view of a plug-side heat sink and a receptacle-side heat sink when a connector device having a heat path connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is mated; [Figure 19] 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along dashed line VIII-VIII in FIG. 15 when a connector device having a heat path connector according to an embodiment of the present invention is mated. [Figure 20] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the mechanism of a heat path connector according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] (First embodiment) The heat path connector according to the present invention is a connector that enhances the effect of dissipating heat on a board. The heat dissipation mechanism in the connector device 1 according to the first embodiment equipped with such a heat path connector will be described. First, the configuration of the connector device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. A specific connector device 1 will be described in the embodiment described later.

[0038] The connector device 1 is composed of a plug connector 2a provided on a first board B1 and a receptacle connector 2b provided on a second board B2, which are fitted to each other on the board. The connectors 2a and 2b are each composed of a contact C, a housing D that accommodates the contact C, and a shell 40, 90 that surrounds and is attached to the housing D. The shells 40 and 90 are respectively joined to shell joints S formed on the boards B1 and B2. The shell of the plug connector 2a is called the plug side shell 40, and the shell of the receptacle connector 2b is called the receptacle side shell 90. Each shell 40, 90 is molded using a highly conductive material. The housing D is molded using an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin. The contacts C, housing D, mounting portion M, and heat dissipation portion K of the connector device 1 are described using the same symbols for parts that have the same function, but have different configurations and shapes.

[0039] An electronic component A, which is a heat generating body, is installed on the second substrate B2, and a heat generating part H, which is heated by the heat of the electronic component A, is generated on the substrate near the electronic component A. A heat transfer path 100 is formed between the heat generating part H and a shell joint part S of the connector joined on the second substrate B2. A heat dissipation member B for dissipating heat is installed on the first substrate B1, and a heat transfer path 100 is also formed between the shell joint part S of the connector joined on the first substrate B1 and the heat dissipation member B. The shell joint part S and the heat transfer path 100 are formed of a material having electrical conductivity, and can effectively conduct heat between the heat generating part H and the connector device 1, or between the heat dissipation member B and the connector device 1. The shell joint part S is formed, for example, by a substrate pattern (wiring pattern).

[0040] The heat transfer path 100 is provided on the substrate by a conductive material. The heat transfer path 100 may be configured by a wiring pattern provided on the substrate, or may be directly connected from a heat generating body such as electronic component A to the connector, or from heat dissipation member B to the connector, by a metal having high thermal conductivity. Also, heat may be guided to the connector by using a heat exchange member such as a vapor chamber.

[0041] The plug shell 40 and the receptacle shell 90 each include a mount portion M for joining to a board, and a heat dissipation portion K for dissipating heat.

[0042] The mount portion M is provided on the lower portion of the shells 40, 90, and is soldered to a shell joint portion S formed on the substrate, thereby joining the shells 40, 90 to the substrate.

[0043] The surfaces of the shells 40, 90 are configured to have an uneven portion formed with a large number of uneven shapes as heat dissipation parts K. The formation of the uneven portions increases the surface area, and the heat dissipation effect can be improved. In order to form the uneven shapes, surface treatment such as plating can be performed. As such plating, microfin plating "Sugohie" by Ebina Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd. can be used. In addition, in order to form the uneven portions, the shells 40, 90 can be pressed to perform doweling on the surfaces.

[0044] It is preferable that each of the shells 40 and 90 has a portion that contacts the housing D. This allows heat to be conducted from the housing D to the shells 40 and 90, which have a higher thermal conductivity. At this time, the shells 40 and 90 are press-fitted into the housing D, so that the housing D and the shells 40 and 90 come into contact with each other with moderate pressure, and heat can be conducted from the housing D to the shells 40 and 90. In addition, by having an uneven shape on the inner surface of each of the shells 40 and 90, the heat dissipation effect inside each of the shells 40 and 90 can be improved. The housing D and the shells 40 and 90 come into contact with each other at the convex surface of the uneven shape, and do not contact each other at the concave surface, and heat is dissipated by thermal conduction at the contact portion and by convection and radiation at the non-contact portion, and effective heat dissipation can be achieved by combining these. In addition, the housing D and the shells 40 and 90 are press-fitted so that the area of ​​the contact surface between them is large, so that heat conductivity can be increased. The surface of the housing D may also be configured to have an uneven shape. Fig. 2 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a contact portion showing a state of a receptacle-side shell 90 having an uneven shape on the inside, which is press-fitted into a housing D having an uneven shape as an example. As shown in Fig. 2, the shells 40, 90 and the housing D are press-fitted so that the contact surface 5a between their respective convex surfaces is widened, thereby increasing thermal conductivity and enabling heat dissipation by convection and radiation in non-contact portions.

[0045] In addition, since the connector having a larger overall surface area of ​​the shell has a higher heat dissipation effect, it is preferable that the connector to be joined to the board on which the heat generating element is installed is configured to have a shell with a larger surface area. For example, in Fig. 1, the receptacle connector 2a joined to the board B2 on the heat generating element side is preferably configured to have a larger surface area than the plug connector 2a.

[0046] The plug shell 40 and the receptacle shell 90 have a mating portion E where the two shells 40, 90 come into contact and fit together. The mating portion E has a smooth portion formed smoothly at the contact portion, and is configured to increase the area of ​​the contact surface. This can improve thermal conductivity. In order to form a smooth shape, a surface treatment such as plating may be performed to smooth the surface.

[0047] Moreover, the surfaces of the contacts C are preferably subjected to a surface treatment such as plating, and configured to have an uneven portion with a large number of uneven shapes. By forming the uneven portions, the surface area of ​​the contacts C is increased, and the heat dissipation effect is improved, and in addition to the heat dissipation at the heat dissipation portion K of the shells 40, 90 described above, the heat dissipation effect at the contacts C can be obtained, and the heat dissipation effect of the connector device 1 can be improved. As with the heat dissipation portion K, the plating treatment can be performed using Ebina Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd.'s microfin plating "Sugohie" or the like.

[0048] Next, the mechanism of heat dissipation in the heat path connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0049] In FIG. 1, the plug connector 2a is joined onto the first board B1, and the receptacle connector 2b is joined onto the second board B2, and they are fitted together at a fitting portion E. An electronic component A is installed on the second board B2, and a heat dissipation member B such as a fan or a heat sink is installed on the first board B1. A heat transfer path 100 is provided between the heat dissipation member B of the first board B1 and the shell joint portion S of the plug connector 2a. In addition, a heat transfer path 100 is also provided between the heat generating portion H of the second board B2 and the shell joint portion S of the receptacle connector 2b. On the second board B2, heat from the heat generating portion H heated by the electronic component A, which is a heat source, is transferred along the heat transfer path 100 on the board B2 to the shell joint portion S of the receptacle connector 2b, and is transferred to the shell 90 via the mount portion M. The heat transferred to the shell 90 is dissipated from the heat dissipation portion K of the receptacle side shell 90. Furthermore, the heat transferred to the parts of the receptacle connector 2b other than the shell 90 is transferred to the contact parts between the housing D and the shell 90, dissipated from the heat dissipation part K, and dissipated by convection and radiation in the non-contact parts.

[0050] Heat that is not dissipated in the receptacle connector 2b is transferred from the fitting portion E to the mating plug-side shell 40, and is dissipated from the heat dissipation portion K of the shell 40. Heat transferred to portions of the plug connector 2a other than the shell 40 is transferred to the contact portion between the housing D and the shell 40 and is dissipated from the heat dissipation portion K of the shell 40, and is dissipated by convection and radiation in non-contact portions. Heat that is not dissipated in the plug connector 2a is transferred to the shell joint portion S via the mounting portion M of the shell 40, and can be dissipated from the heat dissipation member B provided on the board B1 via the heat transfer path 100 on the plug connector 2a side.

[0051] In addition, a part of the heat from the heat generating part H is also transferred to the contacts C configured with a heat dissipation function, and is dissipated from the surfaces of the contacts C. The heat that is not dissipated by the contacts C of the receptacle connector 2b is transferred to the contacts C of the plug connector 2a via the contact portion between the connectors 2a and 2b, and can also be dissipated by the contacts C of the plug connector 2a.

[0052] In this manner, the heat on the board can be dissipated using the heat path connector according to the present invention.

[0053] With the above-mentioned configuration, heat on the board can be dissipated from the connector device 1. The above-mentioned heat path connector according to the present invention can be used in various types of connectors.

[0054] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the heat path connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0055] An example in which the heat path connector of the first embodiment of the present invention is used in a connector device 1(1) equipped with a floating connector (specifically, a receptacle connector 50 having a floating structure) is shown in Figures 3 to 14, and the overall configuration of the connector device 1(1) will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0056] The connector device 1(1) is composed of a plug connector 10 provided on a first board B1 (see FIG. 4) and a receptacle connector 50 provided on a second board B2 (see FIG. 4). The first board B1 and the second board B2 can be electrically connected by fitting the two connectors 10, 50 in a direction perpendicular to the surfaces of the boards B1, B2. A spacer J is disposed between the first board B1 and the second board B2 to maintain a predetermined distance between the two boards B1, B2. In the following description, for convenience, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are defined based on the states shown in Figures 3, 5, 10, 13, and 14, and the fitting direction (height direction) of each connector 10, 50 is referred to as the up-down direction, the longitudinal direction (width direction) of each connector 10, 50 as the front-rear direction, and the short side direction (thickness direction) of each connector as the left-right direction, as the directions of the arrows shown in Figures 3, 5, 10, 13, and 14. Note that Figures 8 and 9 show diagrams in which the connection side to the board is drawn at the bottom of the paper. Note that the symbols used in the connector device 1 are also used for components having the same functions and effects as the connector device 1 (1), but this does not mean that they have the same configuration.

[0057] The plug connector 10 is composed of plug side contacts 30, a plug side housing 20 that accommodates the plug side contacts 30, and a plug side shell 40 that surrounds the plug side housing 20 and is press-fitted into the plug side housing 20. The receptacle connector 50 is composed of receptacle side contacts 80, a fixed side housing 60 and a movable side housing 70 that accommodate the receptacle side contacts 80, and a receptacle side shell 90 that surrounds the housings 60, 70 and is press-fitted into the fixed side housing 60.

[0058] First, the configuration of the plug connector 10 will be described with additional reference to Figures 5 to 7 and 9. The plug connector 10 is composed of a plug-side shell 40 fixed onto the first board B1 and a plug connector main body 10a (see Figure 9), and the plug connector main body 10a is composed of a plug-side housing 20 and a plurality of plug-side contacts 30 held in an aligned state in two rows along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the plug-side housing 20.

[0059] The plug side housing 20 is molded using an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is composed of a plug side housing main body 21 formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape, and a pair of fixing portions 22 provided at the front and rear ends of this housing main body 21.

[0060] The plug-side housing body 21 is generally formed in a generally rectangular box shape with an open bottom. The housing body 21 is provided with a receiving space 25 (a space for receiving the protrusions 75 of the receptacle contacts 50) that is open downward and has a rectangular cross section. The bottom surface of the plug-side housing body 21 is configured as a mating protrusion 26 having an outer shape into which the receptacle connector 50 can be mated. The surface of the housing body 21 may have an uneven shape in part, similar to the shell 40 described later.

[0061] The housing body 21 is provided with contact retaining grooves 21a for press-fitting and retaining the plug side contacts 30 in two rows in the left-right direction and at a predetermined arrangement pitch in the front-rear direction, and each is separated by a partition plate except for the periphery of the contact portion with the receptacle contact 80.

[0062] The fixing part 22 is formed with a substantially rectangular box-shaped protrusion along the end of the housing main body 21, and is attached with the longitudinal direction of the substantially rectangular box-shaped shape aligned with the up-down direction. The board side of the fixing part 22 is formed to a length that contacts the board when the housing main body 21 is joined to the board, and the fitting side is formed shorter than the end of the housing main body 21. The fixing part 22 is inserted into the mounting hole 45 provided at the end of the shell 40 in a state where it protrudes outward, and when the shell 40 is joined to the board, the connector main body 10a including the housing 20 is also fixed to the board with moderate pressure due to the moderate pressure between the shell 40 and the housing 20 by the protrusion, and the length and thickness in the up-down direction of the fixing part 22 are formed according to the position and width of the mounting hole 45 so that the housing 20 and the shell 40 are appropriately pressed together.

[0063] The plug-side contact 30 is formed into a predetermined shape by pressing (punching and bending) a thin flat plate of a conductive material such as metal. The plug-side contact 30 is subjected to a required surface treatment (plating) to cover its surface with a thin film of gold (Au) or the like, and at least a part of the surface of the contact 30 is configured to have an uneven portion formed with an uneven shape by the plating, and has a heat dissipation function. The effect of this will be described in detail later.

[0064] The plug-side contact 30 is configured to have a contact portion 32, a part of which is press-fitted into the contact holding groove 21a of the plug-side housing 20, and elastically displaced substantially in the plate thickness direction below the contact portion 32, and a lead portion 33, which is bent in an L-shape above the portion press-fitted into the contact holding groove 21a and extends outward. The contact portion 32 is bent substantially in an L-shape with a convex portion facing the receiving space 25, and the portion that protrudes most toward the receiving space 25 is configured to come into contact with the mating receptacle-side contact 80. The lead portion 33 is soldered to a board pattern (wiring pattern P) formed on the first board B1 for electrical connection.

[0065] The plug-side shell 40 will be described with additional reference to Fig. 8. Note that Fig. 8 shows the board side of the plug-side shell 40 at the bottom of the page, but the directions will be described according to the arrows shown in Fig. 8, with the longitudinal direction (width direction) of the shell 40 being referred to as the front-rear direction, the height direction being the up-down direction, and the short side direction (thickness direction) being the left-right direction.

[0066] The plug-side shell 40 is made of a material with high electrical conductivity, such as a copper alloy. The plug-side shell 40 has a shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with top and bottom open, and is configured to surround the plug-side housing 20 and be press-fitted into the housing 20. The plug-side shell 40 has a side wall 43 on the longitudinal (front-rear) wall surface and a front-rear wall 44 on the front-rear wall surface. The top of the side wall 43 (on the board side) is provided with a mount portion 41 that extends outward from the side wall 43 and further bends in an L-shape toward the board and extends outward, and a pair of mounting holes 45 formed by hollowing out the ends of the front-rear wall 44 from the board side so that the fixing portion 22 of the plug-side housing main body 21 can be press-fitted into the shell 40 through the mounting holes 45. The plug-side shell 40 is configured to be disassembled in the short-side direction (left-right direction) along an exploded view line 46 in FIG. 8.

[0067] The substrate side of the front and rear walls 44 is provided with a grounding portion 44a that is bent outward in an L-shape, and the grounding portion 44a is soldered to a substrate pattern (shell joint) for joining the conductive shell 40 formed on the first substrate B1.

[0068] The plug side shell 40 has an uneven portion on the entire front and back or on part thereof, in which an uneven shape is formed by a plating process, but the contact surface 43a of the side wall 43 that comes into contact with the receptacle side shell when mated is subjected to a smooth plating process to make the surface smooth, and is configured to be able to come into contact with the receptacle side shell 90 over a wide area.

[0069] The mount section 41 includes a mount foot 41c and a mount ground section 41b at the upper end (substrate side) of the mount foot 41c. The mount section 41 is cut out from the upper end (substrate side) of the mount section 41 to a part where the mount section 41 starts to bend outward in an L-shape from the side wall 43 by a plurality of cutout sections 41a provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and the remaining cutout parts form a plurality of mount feet 41c. The mount ground section 41b is soldered to a conductive substrate pattern (shell joint) formed on the first substrate B1. The mount ground section 41b is soldered to a conductive substrate pattern (shell joint) formed on the first substrate B1.

[0070] The effect of the unevenness formed by plating the above-mentioned plug-side contact 30 will be described. The plug-side contact 30 can increase the efficiency of heat dissipation by being formed so that the surface area of ​​the mount foot 41c is large, but even if the interval between the notches 41a is formed wide and the surface area of ​​the mount foot 41c cannot be made sufficiently large due to reasons such as difficulty in wiring the board pattern (wiring pattern P) to the plug-side contact 30, the plug-side contact 30 having the unevenness can promote heat dissipation in the plug-side contact 30.

[0071] Next, assembly of the plug connector 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that, like Fig. 8, Fig. 9 also shows the board side at the bottom of the page, but directions will be described according to the arrows shown in Fig. 9, with the longitudinal direction (width direction) of the shell 40 being referred to as the front-rear direction, the height direction being the up-down direction, and the lateral direction (thickness direction) being the left-right direction.

[0072] The plug connector body 10a is fixed by soldering the lead portions 33 of the plug-side contacts 30 to a board pattern (wiring pattern P1) on the first board B1 that is formed at the same arrangement pitch as the plug-side contacts 30. The fixing portions 22 of the plug connector body 10a are inserted into the mounting holes 45 of the plug-side shell 40 that has been disassembled into left and right parts, and fixed. The mount ground portion 41b of the shell 40 is then soldered to the board pattern (shell joint portion S1) on the board, and the ground portion 44a of the shell 40 is soldered to the board pattern (shell joint portion S2) on the board, so that the plug connector 10 can be installed on the first board B1.

[0073] Next, the configuration of receptacle connector 50 will be described with additional reference to Figures 10 to 12 and 14. Receptacle connector 50 is composed of a receptacle shell 90 fixed on second board B2 and a receptacle connector main body 50a (see Figure 14), and receptacle connector main body 50a is composed of a fixed housing 60, a movable housing 70 attached so as to be movable relative to this fixed housing 60, and a plurality of receptacle contacts 80 provided across both housings 60, 70 and held in an aligned state in two rows along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of each housing 60, 70.

[0074] The fixed-side housing 60 is molded using an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is formed to have a substantially rectangular plate-shaped base wall 61 that faces the second board B2 from above, left and right walls 62 provided at the left and right ends of the base wall 61, and front and rear walls 63 provided at the front and rear of the base wall 61. The front and rear walls 63 have a pair of shell mounting grooves 63a into which the insertion portions 94a of the receptacle-side shell 90 are inserted from above to press-fit and fix the shell 90 to the fixed-side housing 60. A plurality of contact holding grooves 62a that penetrate the inside of the left and right walls 62 in the up-down direction and are capable of holding the receptacle-side contacts 80 are formed in two rows in the left-right direction at a predetermined arrangement pitch in the front-rear direction.

[0075] The movable housing 70 is molded using an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin, and has a main body wall 71 that faces the base wall 61 of the fixed housing 60 in the vertical direction, protective walls 72 that are provided at the left and right ends of the main body wall 71 and bent in an inverted U shape, and standing walls 73 that are provided at the front and rear ends of the main body wall 71, and a fitting recess 74 (a space that receives the fitting protrusion 26 of the plug connector 10) that is surrounded by these wall surfaces and opens upward is defined in the center. A convex protrusion 75 that protrudes upward from the main body wall 71 is formed in this fitting recess 74. A plurality of contact holding grooves 75a that are formed in a concave cross section and extend in the vertical direction are formed at a predetermined arrangement pitch in the front and rear direction on the left and right side surfaces of this protrusion 75. In addition, a plurality of contact holding holes 71a that penetrate in the vertical direction are formed in the main body wall 71 at a predetermined arrangement pitch in the front and rear direction, and these contact holding holes 71a and contact holding grooves 75a are aligned in the vertical direction and communicate with each other. Incidentally, the outer surface of protective wall 72 is configured so that a part of it comes into contact with the inner surface of side wall 93 of shell 90 when shell 90 is attached. This contact surface may have a partly uneven shape like shell 90 described later, and in that case, when shell 90 is attached, it is preferable that it is attached in a semi-fitted state as described above.

[0076] The movable housing 70 is provided in a state of being suspended above the fixed housing 60 via a plurality of receptacle contacts 80. An elastic portion accommodating space 76 for accommodating an elastically deformable portion of the receptacle contacts 80 (an elastic portion 84 described below) is defined between the lower surface of the movable housing 70 and the upper surface of the fixed housing 60.

[0077] The receptacle side contact 80 is formed into a predetermined shape by pressing (punching and bending) a thin flat plate of a conductive material such as metal. The receptacle side contact 80 has a required surface treatment (plating) to cover its surface with a thin film of gold (Au) or the like, and like the plug side contact 30, at least a part of the surface of the contact 80 has been plated to form an uneven portion. The effect of this is the same as that described for the plug side contact, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] The receptacle side contact 80 is composed of a retaining portion 81 that is pressed into the contact retaining groove 62a of the fixed side housing 60 and extends in the vertical direction, a lead portion 82 that is bent in an approximately L-shape from the lower end of the retaining portion 81 and extends outward in the left-right direction, a contact portion 83 that is pressed into the contact retaining groove 75a, and an elastic portion 84 that connects between the upper end of the retaining portion 81 and the lower end of the contact portion 83 and is elastically deformable in the vertical, left-right and front-rear directions.

[0079] The elastic portion 84 is not fixed to either the fixed side housing 60 or the movable side housing 70, but is loosely inserted between the upper side of the fixed side housing 60 and the lower side of the movable side housing 70, and is a part that can freely elastically deform (a part that can move freely).

[0080] The receptacle shell 90 will be described with additional reference to FIG.

[0081] The receptacle shell 90 is made of a highly conductive material, such as a copper alloy. The receptacle shell 90 surrounds the fixed housing 60 and the movable housing 70, is press-fitted into the fixed housing 60, has a substantially rectangular side wall 93 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and has a pair of fasteners 94 at the front and rear. The lower part (board side) of the side wall 93 is provided with a mount part 91 that extends outward from the side wall 93 and is bent in an L-shape toward the board and extends outward. The receptacle shell 90 is configured to be disassembled in the left-right direction of FIG.

[0082] The fixture 94 is configured to include a fixed end wall 94c capable of suppressing excessive relative movement (floating) in the front-rear direction of the movable housing 70 relative to the fixed housing 60, a pair of left and right insertion portions 94a extending downward from the fixed end wall 94c and inserted into the shell mounting grooves 63a of the fixed housing 60, and a pair of left and right grounding devices 94b extending from the fixed end wall 94c toward the board side and bending outward in the left-right direction. The grounding devices 94b are soldered to a board pattern (shell joint portion) for joining the conductive shell 90 formed on the second board B2.

[0083] The upper part (the mating side) of the side wall 93 is provided with a guide portion 92b bent inward in an L-shape and further bent obliquely downward toward the mating recess 74, a contact surface 92a extending vertically downward from the lower end of the guide portion 92b and formed so as to be able to come into contact with the contact surface 43a of the plug-side shell 40, and a cutout portion 92c cut out from the contact surface 92a to the guide portion 92b. The guide portion 92b has a shape bent obliquely downward, so that the mating protrusion 26 of the plug connector 10 can be smoothly fitted into the mating recess 74.

[0084] The entire or part of the front and back surfaces of the receptacle-side shell 90 are formed with uneven shapes by plating, but contact surface 92a of the receptacle-side shell 90 is subjected to smooth plating to make the surface smooth, so that it can come into contact over a wide area when mated with contact surface 43a of the plug-side shell 40. In addition, the inner surface of side wall 93 is configured to come into contact with the outer surface of protective wall 72 of movable-side housing 70 when shell 90 is attached.

[0085] The mount section 91 includes a mount foot 91c and a mount grounding section 91b at the end of the mount foot 91c on the board side. The mount section 91 is cut out from the end of the mount section 91 on the board side to the part where the mount section 91 starts to bend outward in an L-shape from the side wall 93 by a plurality of cutouts 91a provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction), and the remaining cutout parts form a plurality of mount feet 91c. It is preferable that the mount section of the shell provided for the connector having a floating structure has more cutouts than the shell of the connector not having a floating structure. The more cutouts are provided, the easier the foot will be to elastically deform, and the L-shaped bent shape makes it easier to elastically deform, and the shell can be made to follow the floating. The mount grounding section 91b is soldered to a conductive board pattern (shell joint) formed on the second board B2.

[0086] Next, assembly of receptacle connector 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. As with Fig. 10, Fig. 14 will be described with the board side facing downward as the height direction as the up-down direction, the longitudinal direction (width direction) of shell 90 as the front-rear direction, and the short side direction (thickness direction) of shell 90 as the left-right direction.

[0087] The receptacle connector main body 50a is fixed by soldering the lead portions 82 of the receptacle side contacts 80 to a board pattern (wiring pattern P2) on the second board B2 that is formed with the same arrangement pitch as the receptacle side contacts 80. The insertion portions 94a of the receptacle side shell 90, which has been disassembled into left and right parts, are inserted and fixed into the shell mounting grooves 63a of the receptacle connector main body 50a. The mount grounding portions 91b of the shell 90 are then soldered to the board pattern (shell joint portion S3) on the board that is formed with the same arrangement pitch as the mount foot portions 91c, and the grounding fixtures 94b of the shell 90 are soldered to the board pattern (shell joint portion S4) on the board, thereby allowing the receptacle connector 50 to be installed on the second board B2.

[0088] Next, a method for mating the two connectors 10, 50 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0089] To connect the two connectors 10, 50, the plug connector 10 and the receptacle connector 50 are aligned vertically. That is, the mating protrusion 26 of the plug connector 10 and the mating recess 74 of the receptacle connector 50 are aligned vertically. At this time, by mating the plug connector 10 with the receptacle connector 50 along the guide portion 92b of the shell 40, smooth alignment can be achieved.

[0090] 4, when mating convex portion 26 of plug connector 10 is mated with mating concave portion 74 of the receptacle connector, protrusion portion 75 of receptacle connector 50 is inserted into receiving space 25 of plug connector 10. At this time, contact portion 32 of plug-side contact 30 slides elastically on contact portion 83 of receptacle-side contact 80 in a pressed state.

[0091] Then, when the mating protrusions 26 of the plug connector 10 and the mating recesses 74 of the receptacle contacts 50 are further mated to a predetermined mated state (for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a state in which the boards are spaced a predetermined distance apart by a spacer J disposed between the boards), the positions of the two connectors 10, 50 are determined and the contact state between the plug contacts 30 and the receptacle contacts 80 is maintained. The plug contacts 30 and the receptacle contacts 80 come into elastic contact with an appropriate contact force, electrically connecting the two connectors 10, 50 and enabling the exchange of power and the transmission of signals between the two boards.

[0092] In this mated state, plug shell 40 and receptacle shell 90 come into contact and are mated. By mating both shells 40, 90 in contact over a wide area, it becomes possible to conduct heat from one shell mounted on a substrate with a heat source to the other shell.

[0093] Even if the mating positions of the plug connector 10 and the receptacle connector 50 are displaced from the correct position in the front-rear, left-right, or up-down directions when both connectors 10, 50 are mated, the elastic portions 84 of the receptacle contacts 80, 90 elastically deform in the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions in response to this displacement, and the movable housing 70 moves relative to the fixed housing 60, thereby absorbing the displacement while maintaining the mutual contact state between the plug contacts 30 and the receptacle contacts 80. In addition, the shells 40, 90 attached to surround the housings 20, 60, and 70 can absorb the displacement while maintaining the contact state between the housings 20, 60, and 70 and the shells 40, 90 by elastically deforming and following the displacement at the feet 41c, 91c formed on the mount portions 41, 91. In addition, the numerous feet 91c formed on the mounting portion 91 of the shell 90 attached to the connector 50 including the movable housing 60 are easily elastically deformed, making them easy to follow, and can absorb the positional deviation while maintaining the contact state between the housings 20, 60 and 70 and the shells 40, 90.

[0094] Next, a method of dissipating heat on a substrate according to this embodiment will be described. As an example, a case where a heat generating portion H is provided on the first substrate B1 will be described.

[0095] The plug connector 10 is joined onto the first board B1, and the receptacle connector 50 is joined onto the second board B2, and they are fitted together at the mating convex part 26 and the mating concave part 74. The plug connector 10 joined to the board B1 on which the heat generating part H is installed is configured to have a larger surface area than the mating receptacle connector 50. The heat of the heat generating part H is transferred to the board pattern (shell joint parts S1, S2) of the plug connector 10 along the heat transfer path 100 formed on the first board B1, and is transferred to the shell 40 via the mount part 41. The heat transferred to the shell 40 is dissipated from the uneven part formed on the surface of the shell 40. In addition, the heat transferred to the part of the plug connector 10 other than the shell 40 is transferred to the shell 40 from the contact surface between the housing 20 and the shell 40, dissipated from the uneven part formed on the shell 40, and dissipated by convection and radiation in the non-contact part. Further, a part of the heat from the heat generating portion H is also transmitted to the contact 30 and is dissipated from the uneven portion formed on the surface of the contact 30 .

[0096] Heat that is not dissipated by the plug connector 10 is transferred from contact surface 43a of plug-side shell 40, which is the contact surface during mating, to contact surface 92a of receptacle-side shell 90, and is dissipated from the unevenness of shell 90. Heat transferred to parts of receptacle connector 50 other than shell 90 is transferred to shell 90 from the contact surfaces between housings 60, 70 and shell 90, and is dissipated from the unevenness formed on shell 90, and is dissipated by convection and radiation in non-contact parts. Furthermore, heat transferred from contact 30 via the contact portion with contact 80 is also dissipated from the unevenness formed on the surface of contact 80.

[0097] Heat that is not dissipated in receptacle connector 50 is transferred to shell joints S3 and S4 via mount portion 91, and is dissipated from heat dissipation member B provided on board B2 via heat transfer path 100 on the receptacle connector 50 side.

[0098] In the above embodiment, a part of the heat is dissipated from the uneven portion formed on the surface of the plug contact 30 and the receptacle contact 80 by plating. However, at least one of the contacts 30, 80 may be configured as a heat dissipation contact pin dedicated to heat dissipation. In addition, the contacts may be arranged so that wiring contact pins and heat dissipation contact pins are arranged alternately. By arranging the contacts alternately, it is possible to provide a heat dissipation function while reducing crosstalk that occurs when wiring contacts are close to each other. Furthermore, a heat transfer path 100 that transfers heat from a heat generating portion on the board may be connected to the connection portion between the heat dissipation contact pin and the board, as in the case of the shell.

[0099] Second embodiment Next, a heat path connector according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 15 to 20. A connector device 200 as a heat path connector according to the second embodiment has a configuration in which a plug side heat sink 400 and a receptacle side heat sink 900 are provided near the center of the connector, instead of the shells 40 and 90 provided on the outside of the housing 20 of the plug connector 10 and the housings 60 and 70 of the receptacle connector 50 in the first embodiment. In this configuration, when the plug connector 201 is installed on the board, the contacts 30 are arranged on the outside of the plug side heat sink 400, and the housing 20 accommodates the plug side heat sink 400 and the contacts 30, and when the receptacle connector 202 is installed on the board, the contacts 80 are arranged on the outside of the receptacle side heat sink 900, and the housings 60 and 70 accommodate the receptacle side heat sink 900 and the contacts 80. The present embodiment will be described in detail below, but in the following description, the description overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted as necessary. In addition, in the following description, for convenience, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are defined based on the state shown in Figures 15 to 18, and the fitting direction (height direction) of each connector will be referred to as the up-down direction, the longitudinal direction (width direction) of each connector 201, 202 as the front-rear direction, and the short side direction (thickness direction) of each connector as the left-right direction, as the directions of the arrows shown in Figures 15 to 18.

[0100] First, the mechanism of heat dissipation in the connector device 200 will be described with reference to Fig. 20. A specific example of the connector device 200 will be described in the embodiment described later.

[0101] The connector device 200 is composed of a plug connector 201 provided on a first substrate B1 and a receptacle connector 202 provided on a second substrate B2, which are fitted to each other and are provided on a substrate. The plug connector 201 is composed of a plug-side heat sink 400, contacts C arranged on the outside of the plug-side heat sink 400, and a housing D that accommodates the plug-side heat sink 400 and the contacts C. The receptacle connector 202 is composed of a receptacle-side heat sink 900, contacts C arranged around the receptacle-side heat sink 900, and a housing D that accommodates the receptacle-side heat sink 900 and the contacts C. The heat sinks 400 and 900 are respectively joined to heat sink joints T formed on the substrates B1 and B2. The heat sinks 400 and 900 are formed using a highly conductive material, and can obtain the same effect as the shell in the first embodiment. The housing D is made of an electrically insulating material such as synthetic resin.

[0102] As in the first embodiment, an electronic component A, which serves as a heat generating body, is installed on the second substrate B2, and a heat generating portion H is generated on the substrate near the electronic component A, which is heated by the heat of the electronic component A. A heat transfer path 100 is formed between the heat generating portion H and a heat sink joint T of the connector joined on the second substrate B2. A heat dissipation member B for dissipating heat is installed on the first substrate B1, and a heat transfer path 100 is also formed between the heat sink joint T of the connector joined on the first substrate B1 and the heat dissipation member B.

[0103] The plug-side heat sink 400 and the receptacle-side heat sink 900 are each configured to be bondable to a substrate, and each include a heat sink (not shown) for heat dissipation. The heat sink is configured to have an uneven portion with a large number of uneven shapes formed on the surface, similar to the shell in the first embodiment. In order to form the uneven shape on the heat sinks 400 and 900, surface treatment such as plating may be performed. As such plating, microfin plating "Sugohie" by Ebina Denka Kogyo Co., Ltd. may be used. In addition, in order to form the uneven portion, the heat sinks 400 and 900 may be pressed to perform doweling on the surface.

[0104] Like the shell in the first embodiment, the heat sinks 400, 900 are preferably configured to have a portion that contacts the housing D. This allows heat to be conducted from the housing D to the heat sinks 400, 900, which have higher thermal conductivity. At this time, the heat sinks 400, 900 are configured by being press-fitted into the housing D, so that the housing D and the heat sinks 400, 900 come into contact with each other with an appropriate pressure, allowing heat to be conducted from the housing D to the heat sinks 400, 900.

[0105] The plug-side heat sink 400 and the receptacle-side heat sink 900 have a mating portion E where the two heat sinks 400, 900 come into contact and fit together. The mating portion E has a smooth portion formed smoothly at the contact portion, and is configured to increase the area of ​​the contact surface. This can improve thermal conductivity. To form a smooth shape, a surface treatment such as plating may be performed to smooth the surface.

[0106] Similarly to the first embodiment, the surface of the contact C is preferably subjected to a surface treatment such as plating, so that the surface has a number of projections and recesses.

[0107] Next, the mechanism of heat dissipation in connector device 200 will be described.

[0108] On second board B2, heat from heat generating part H heated by electronic component A, which serves as a heat source, is transferred along heat transfer path 100 on board B2 to heat sink joint part T of receptacle connector 202, and then transferred to receptacle side heat sink 900. The heat transferred to receptacle side heat sink 900 is dissipated from the heat sink part of receptacle side heat sink 900. In addition, heat transferred to parts of receptacle connector 202 other than receptacle side heat sink 900 is transferred to the contact part between housing D and receptacle side heat sink 900, is dissipated from the heat sink part, and is dissipated by convection and radiation in non-contact parts.

[0109] Heat that has not been dissipated by receptacle connector 202 is transferred from mating portion E between receptacle-side heat sink 900 and plug-side heat sink 400 to the mating plug-side heat sink 400, and is dissipated from the heat dissipation portion of receptacle-side heat sink 400. Heat transferred to portions of plug connector 201 other than plug-side heat sink 400 is transferred to the contact portion between housing D and plug-side heat sink 400, and is dissipated from the heat dissipation portion of plug-side heat sink 400, and is dissipated by convection and radiation in non-contact portions. Heat that has not been dissipated by plug connector 201 is transferred to heat sink joint portion T via plug-side heat sink 400, and can be dissipated from heat dissipation member B provided on board B1 via heat transfer path 100 on the plug connector 201 side.

[0110] In addition, a part of the heat from heat generating portion H is also transferred to contacts C configured with a heat dissipation function, and is dissipated from the surfaces of contacts C. Heat that is not dissipated by contacts C of receptacle connector 202 is transferred via the contact portions between contacts C of plug connector 201 and contacts C of receptacle connector 202, and can also be dissipated by contacts C of plug connector 202.

[0111] In this manner, the heat on the board can be dissipated using the heat path connector according to the present invention.

[0112] With the above-mentioned configuration, heat on the board can be dissipated from the connector device 200. The above-mentioned heat path connector according to the present invention can be used in various types of connectors.

[0113] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the heat path connector according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0114] 15(a) and 15(b) show a plug connector 201 and a receptacle connector 202 in a connector device 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. First, the configuration of the plug connector 201 will be described.

[0115] Plug connector 201 is composed of plug-side heat sink 400, plug-side contacts 30 that are arranged on the outside of plug-side heat sink 400 when plug connector 201 is installed on a board, and plug-side housing 20 that accommodates plug-side heat sink 400 and contacts 30. Receptacle connector 202 is composed of receptacle-side heat sink 900, receptacle-side contacts 80 that are arranged on the outside of receptacle-side heat sink 900 when receptacle connector 202 is installed on a board, and fixed-side housing 60 and movable-side housing 70 that accommodate receptacle-side heat sink 900 and contacts 80.

[0116] First, the configuration of the plug connector 201 will be described with additional reference to Fig. 16. The plug-side housing 20 and the contacts 30 in the following description are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore the description will be omitted. The plug-side heat sink 400 is press-fitted into the housing 20 in the longitudinal direction, inside the contacts 30.

[0117] The plug-side heat sink 400 has a substantially rectangular plate-like shape conforming to the shape of the housing 20 so that it can be press-fitted inside the plug-side housing 20. The plug-side heat sink 400 has a protruding press-fit portion 402 that is press-fitted into the housing 20 on a part of a surface 401 in the thickness direction (left-right direction), and the press-fit portion 402 is press-fitted and fixed into a press-fit groove 402a formed in the housing 20. The press-fit groove 402a may be configured to have a protrusion formed in the housing 20 with a width that allows the press-fit portion 402 to be press-fitted, or may have a groove-like configuration formed with a width that allows the press-fit portion 402 to be press-fitted. Furthermore, the plug-side heat sink 400 has a surface 403 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the housing 20 when press-fitted, and a mount portion 405 on a part of a surface 404 of the plug-side heat sink 400, which is the upper surface in FIG. 16 and is the bonding surface to the board when the plug connector 201 is bonded to the board. The lower portion 406 of the heat sink 400 is mated with the receptacle-side heat sink 900 of the receptacle connector 202. This mating state will be described later.

[0118] Plug side heat sink 400 has a heat dissipation function on at least a portion of its surface, including face 403, and for example, surface treatment such as plating can be used to provide unevenness on heat sink 400, thereby increasing the surface area and promoting the dissipation of heat transmitted through mounting portion 405.

[0119] Mounting section 405 becomes an adhesive surface with the substrate, and is formed by providing a plurality of notches 405a so as to divide surface 404 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). Providing these notches 405a and mounting section 405 makes it possible to disperse stress that the soldering portion receives due to deformation of the substrate when mounting section 405 and plug connector 201 are attached to the substrate by solder or the like, and to suppress cracking or peeling of the solder.

[0120] Next, the configuration of receptacle connector 202 will be described with reference back to Fig. 15. In the following description, descriptions of receptacle side housings 60, 70, contacts 80, etc. overlap with those in the first embodiment and will therefore be omitted. Receptacle side heat sink 900 is press-fitted inwardly of contacts 80 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of housings 60, 70.

[0121] The receptacle side heat sink 900 is composed of a main plate 901 having a roughly rectangular shape formed so that it can be press-fitted into the inside of the housing 60, and a clamping plate 902 that clamps the plug side heat sink 400 from the left and right with appropriate pressure when the plug connector 201 is mated from above in Figure 16 (b).

[0122] The main plate 901 has a protruding press-in portion 903 on its thickness direction (left-right direction) surface that is pressed into the housing 60, and has a surface 904 in the longitudinal direction (front-back direction) of the housings 60, 70 when pressed in, and a mounting portion 906 on part of the bottom surface 905 of the receptacle side heat sink 900 in Figure 16, which is the adhesive surface to the board when the receptacle connector 202 is adhered to the board.

[0123] The sandwiching plates 902 may be configured, for example, such that some of the multiple sandwiching plates 902 are press-fitted into mounting holes 907 provided on a surface 904 of the main plate 901 and fixed to the main plate 901. The detailed configuration of the sandwiching plates 902 will be described later.

[0124] Receptacle-side heat sink 900 has projections and recesses formed by plating or the like on at least a portion of its surface, which promotes the release of heat transferred from mount portion 906 and the like.

[0125] Similar to the plug connector 201, the mount portion 906 serves as an adhesive surface for contacting the substrate, and is formed by providing a plurality of notches 906a that divide the lower surface 905 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction).

[0126] 17 to 19, the mating of connectors 201 and 202 will be described together with the detailed configuration of clamping plate 902. When connectors 201 and 202 are mated, lower portion 406 of plug-side heat sink 400 is sandwiched from the left and right by clamping plates 902 of receptacle-side heat sink 900 as connectors 201 and 202 are mated, and both heat sinks 400, 900 are mated. At this time, as shown in FIG. 16, a configuration may be considered in which left clamping plate 908, which sandwiches heat sink 400 from the left side, and right clamping plate 909, which sandwiches heat sink 400 from the right side, are arranged alternately on main plate 901. Clamping plate 902 may be formed integrally with main plate 901, but separate clamping plate 902 is easier to manufacture. 16, a part of sandwiching plate 902 is press-fitted into mounting hole 907 provided in main plate 901 to be fixed. Sandwiching plate 902 is configured to receive lower portion 406 of heat dissipation plate 400 so that heat dissipation plate 400 and sandwiching plate 902 are in contact with each other as widely as possible. Various shapes are possible for such clamping plate 902, but it has a roughly rectangular shape, bending at curved portion 902a slightly outside main plate 901 from the side where clamping plate 902 is pressed into mounting hole 907, and then bending at curved portion 902b to extend upward along heat sink plate 400, and left clamping plate 908 and right clamping plate 909 are formed as bilaterally symmetrical shapes of this shape, and left clamping plate 908 and right clamping plate 909 are arranged alternately in the longitudinal direction of main plate 901, thereby supporting plug side heat sink 400 with appropriate pressure from the left and right, and ensuring a wide contact surface between plug side heat sink 400 and receptacle side heat sink 900. Furthermore, by forming sandwiching plate 902 so that it is slightly bent outward at curved portion 902c on the other end side of mounting hole 907, the lower end of plug-side heat sink 400 is guided in, making it easier to insert, and plug-side heat sink 400 is supported with appropriate pressure from the left and right, ensuring a wide contact surface between plug-side heat sink 400 and receptacle-side heat sink 900. This allows heat transferred from the board to be conducted to each other, and the heat can be released by the uneven portions provided on each side.

[0127] With the above-mentioned configuration, by mounting the connectors 201 and 202 on a substrate, a heat path connector that efficiently dissipates heat under limited volume conditions can be provided. In the above embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the contacts 30 and 80 may be provided with uneven portions by plating or the like to promote heat dissipation.

[0128] In the above-described embodiment, the heat may be dissipated by the heat dissipation function of the contacts 30, 80 without using the shells 40, 90 and the heat sinks 400, 900. Even in this case, as described above, some of the contacts may be configured as heat dissipation contact pins dedicated to heat dissipation. Furthermore, as explained in the first embodiment, a heat transfer path for transferring heat from a heat generating portion H on the board may be connected to the connection portion between the heat dissipation contact pin and the board.

[0129] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the gist of the present invention. The connector body described in the above embodiment may be a connector of another configuration. The floating connector is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment. A floating connector may be used for the plug connector.

[0130] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a floating function was given by providing a large number of cutout portions in the mounting portion of the shell on the receptacle connector side that uses a floating connector, but a floating function may also be given by providing a large number of cutout portions in the mounting portion of the shell of a connector that is not a floating connector.

[0131] In the above embodiment, a stack connection type connector device in which both substrates (first substrate, second substrate) are arranged parallel to each other and electrically connected has been described as an example, however, the present invention is not limited to this configuration and may be applied to a vertical connection type connector device in which both substrates are arranged at right angles to each other and electrically connected, or a horizontal connection type connector device in which both substrates are arranged in the same plane and electrically connected.

[0132] In the above embodiment, a board-mounted connector has been described as an example of the mating connector, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and various connectors, such as a cable-mounted connector, can be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1,200 Connector device 10, 201 Plug connector 20 Plug side housing 25 Receptive Space 26 Fitting protrusion 30 Plug side contact 40 Plug side shell 50, 202 Receptacle Connector 60 Fixed side housing 70 Movable housing 74 Fitting recess 75 Protrusion 80 Receptacle side contact 90 Receptacle side shell 400 Plug side heat sink 900 Receptacle side heat sink

Claims

1. A connector that is attached to a substrate and can be mated with a mating connector, Contacts and a housing for holding the contacts; a heat path shell formed of a highly conductive material and attached to surround the housing; The heat path shell is configured to have a mount portion for joining the connector to the board and a heat dissipation portion having a heat dissipation function, the substrate has a shell joint for joining the mount portion, and heat from a heat generating portion on the substrate is transferred to the shell joint; A heat path connector characterized in that when the mount portion is joined to the shell joint portion and the heat path shell is attached to the substrate, heat transferred to the shell joint portion can be transferred from the mount portion to the heat dissipation portion and dissipated.

2. The heat path connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that the heat dissipation portion has an uneven portion formed by plating the surface of the heat path shell, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the heat path shell.

3. The heat path connector as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heat path shell has a smooth surface at the mating portion that mates with the mating connector, and is configured to increase the contact area between the heat path shell and the mating shell of the mating connector.

4. The heat path connector as described in claim 1, characterized in that the substrate has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat generating portion to the shell joint, the heat transfer path being formed by a conductive wiring pattern.

5. 2. The heat path connector according to claim 1, wherein said mounting portion has conductive legs that are elastically deformable while being joined to said shell joint portion.

6. 6. The heat path connector according to claim 5, wherein the foot portion has an L-shaped bent shape extending outward from the heat path shell.

7. A connector that is attached to a substrate and can be mated with a mating connector, A heat sink formed of a highly conductive material; a contact that is disposed on the board outside the heat sink when the contact is attached to the board; a housing for holding the contacts and the heat sink; the heat sink includes a mount portion for joining to the substrate and a heat sink portion having a heat dissipation function, the substrate has a heat sink joint for joining the mount portion, and heat from a heat generating portion on the substrate is transferred to the heat sink joint; A heat path connector characterized in that when the mounting portion is joined to the heat sink joint portion and the heat sink is attached to the substrate, heat transferred to the heat sink joint portion can be transferred from the mounting portion to the heat sink portion and dissipated.

8. The heat path connector according to claim 7 , wherein the heat dissipation portion has an uneven portion formed by plating a surface of the heat dissipation plate, thereby increasing a surface area of ​​the heat dissipation plate.

9. A heat path connector as described in claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the heat sink has a smooth portion with a smooth surface at the mating portion that mates with the mating connector, and is configured to increase the contact area between the heat sink and the mating heat sink of the mating connector.

10. The heat path connector as described in claim 7, characterized in that the substrate has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat generating portion to the heat sink joint, the heat transfer path being formed by a conductive wiring pattern.

11. 8. The heat path connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact is configured to have a heat dissipation function on a surface thereof.

12. The heat path connector according to claim 11, characterized in that the contact has an uneven portion formed by plating the surface, thereby increasing the surface area of ​​the contact.

13. The heat path connector described in claim 11, characterized in that the substrate has a heat transfer path for transferring heat from the heat generating portion to a joint between the substrate and the contacts in some of the contacts when the contacts are attached to the substrate, and the heat transfer path is formed by a conductive wiring pattern.

14. A connector that is attached to a substrate and can be mated with a mating connector, Multiple contacts and a housing for holding the plurality of contacts; The contact is configured to have a heat dissipation function on a surface thereof, A heat path connector characterized in that heat transferred from the substrate to the contacts can be dissipated by the heat dissipation function.

15. 15. The heat path connector according to claim 14, wherein the contact has an uneven portion formed by plating the surface, so that a surface area of ​​the contact is increased.

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