Electrical connector for circuit board

Abstract

To provide an electrical connector for a circuit board that can achieve good impedance matching while allowing relative movement of a movable housing to a fixed housing.SOLUTION: A middle portion 15 of a terminal 10 is at least partially located in an internal space 25 of an electrical connector 1 for a circuit board, the electrical connector 1 for the circuit board has a dielectric material alignment portion 23, which is located on the opposite side of the internal space 25 to a middle portion 15 and extends along the middle portion 15 with a gap between the middle portion 15 and the internal space, and the alignment portion 23 can follow the middle portion 15 when the middle portion 15 is elastically deformed in the connector width direction perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector for a circuit board that is disposed on a mounting surface of the circuit board. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of this type of electrical connector for a circuit board, the electrical connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. In the electrical connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of terminals arranged in a direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board are bridged across a fixed housing and a movable housing which are separate bodies (separate members). The fixed housing is fixed to the circuit board via the terminals. The movable housing is movable relative to the fixed housing due to elastic deformation of the terminals.

[0003] The terminal is made by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction, and has a connection part formed on the lower end that can be soldered to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a contact part formed on the upper end that can contact a mating terminal provided on a mating connector. In addition, between the connection part and the contact part, there are a fixed-side held part held by the fixed housing, a movable-side held part held by the movable housing, and a deformation part that connects the fixed-side held part and the movable-side held part.

[0004] The deformation portion extends between the fixed housing and the movable housing without being held by either of the two housings, and allows the movable housing to move due to elastic deformation of the deformation portion. The deformation portion is covered by an impedance matching portion made of a dielectric material. The impedance matching portion is formed in contact with the outer surface of the deformation portion by integral molding with the deformation portion, and is elastically deformable together with the deformation portion. In Patent Document 1, the impedance at the terminal is adjusted by covering the deformation portion with the impedance matching portion in this manner, and as a result, impedance matching is achieved. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-222576 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In Patent Document 1, the impedance matching part is formed in contact with the deformed part of the terminal. If the impedance matching part made of a dielectric material is in contact with the deformed part in this way, the impedance at the deformed part may be excessively reduced, making impedance matching at the terminal difficult.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVETION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an electrical connector for circuit boards that is capable of achieving good impedance matching while allowing relative movement of a movable housing with respect to a fixed housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) An electrical connector for a circuit board according to the present invention is an electrical connector for a circuit board placed on a mounting surface of a circuit board, and has a plurality of terminals arranged with a terminal arrangement direction being in a direction parallel to the mounting surface, a fixed housing fixed to the circuit board via the terminals, and a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing, and the terminals have a fixed side held portion held by the fixed housing, a movable side held portion held by the movable housing, and an intermediate portion located between the fixed side held portion and the movable side held portion and elastically deformable, and are arranged to bridge the fixed housing and the movable housing.

[0009] In such an electrical connector for a circuit board, the present invention is characterized in that at least a portion of the intermediate portion is located in the internal space of the electrical connector for the circuit board, and the electrical connector for the circuit board has a longitudinal portion made of a dielectric material that is located on the opposite side of the internal space from the intermediate portion and extends along the intermediate portion with a gap between it and the intermediate portion, and the longitudinal portion is capable of following the intermediate portion when the intermediate portion elastically deforms in the connector width direction perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction.

[0010] In the present invention, the lateral portion made of a dielectric material is provided so as to extend along the intermediate portion of the terminal with a gap between the lateral portion and the intermediate portion. By the lateral portion extending along the intermediate portion in this manner, the impedance at the intermediate portion can be adjusted, and as a result, impedance matching at the terminal can be achieved. At this time, since the lateral portion is located with a gap between the lateral portion and the intermediate portion, it is not in contact with the intermediate portion. Therefore, the impedance at the intermediate portion does not drop excessively, and good impedance matching can be easily achieved. In addition, since the lateral portion can follow the intermediate portion, it does not hinder the elastic deformation of the intermediate portion and therefore the movement of the movable housing.

[0011] (2) In the invention of (1), the extending portion may be formed as a part of the fixed housing and may be capable of being engaged with the movable housing in the connector width direction.

[0012] (3) In the invention of (1), the longitudinal portion may be formed as a separate member from the fixed housing and the movable housing, and may be held by the fixed housing and be capable of engaging with the movable housing in the connector width direction.

[0013] With the above-mentioned configurations (2) and (3), when the movable housing moves in the connector width direction, the side-mounted portion follows the middle portion which elastically deforms in the connector width direction, making it easier to maintain a gap between the side-mounted portion and the middle portion, and thus to maintain good impedance matching, even after the movable housing moves.

[0014] (4) In the invention of (2) or (3), the extending portion may not have a portion that abuts against the movable housing in the terminal arrangement direction, and the movable housing may be movable in the terminal arrangement direction without interfering with the extending portion. With this configuration, the movable housing does not interfere with the extending portion and can move smoothly in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0015] (5) In the invention of (1), the extending portion may be formed as a part of the movable housing and may be capable of being engaged with the fixed housing in the connector width direction.

[0016] (6) In the invention of (1), the longitudinal portion may be formed as a separate member from the fixed housing and the movable housing, and may be held by the movable housing and be capable of engaging with the fixed housing in the connector width direction.

[0017] With the configurations of the above-mentioned (5) and (6), when the movable housing moves in the connector width direction, the side-mounted portion displaces around the engagement position with the fixed housing as a fulcrum, and follows the middle portion of the terminal. As a result, even after the movable housing moves, it becomes easier to maintain a state in which a gap is secured between the side-mounted portion and the middle portion, and thus a state in which impedance matching is well achieved.

[0018] (7) In the invention of (5) or (6), the extending portion may have no portion that abuts against the fixed housing in the terminal arrangement direction and may be movable together with the movable housing in the terminal arrangement direction without interfering with the fixed housing. With this configuration, when the movable housing moves in the terminal arrangement direction, the extending portion moves together with the movable housing without interfering with the fixed housing, so that the movement of the movable housing is smooth. Effect of the Invention

[0019] The present invention can provide an electrical connector for a circuit board that can realize good impedance matching while allowing the movable housing to move relative to the fixed housing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a socket connector and a plug connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state before mating and connection. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the components of the socket connector in FIG. 1 separated from each other. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of the socket connector and the plug connector in FIG. 1, illustrating a state prior to mating connection. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of the socket connector and the plug connector, showing the state after mating and connection. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of a socket connector and a plug connector, showing a floating state after mating connection. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. [Figure 7] 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. [Figure 8] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a side view of a socket connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, viewed in the connector width direction. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention, taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a socket connector 1 and a plug connector 2 according to this embodiment, showing the state before mating and connection. The socket connector 1 is an electrical connector for a circuit board mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown). The plug connector 2, which serves as a mating connector (mating connector) connected to the socket connector 1, is an electrical connector for a circuit board mounted on the mounting surface of another circuit board (not shown). The socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated and connected in a connector height direction (up and down direction shown as Z-axis direction) perpendicular to the mounting surfaces with the mounting surfaces of the circuit boards facing each other, to form an electrical connector assembly. In this embodiment, the plug connector 2 is mated and connected to the socket connector 1 from above.

[0023] The socket connector 1 has a plurality of socket terminals 10 made of a metal plate arranged in one direction (the Y-axis direction) parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, with the terminal arrangement direction being the terminal arrangement direction, and socket housings 20, 30 (a fixed housing 20 and a movable housing 30 described later) made of a dielectric material (electrically insulating material) such as resin that hold the plurality of socket terminals 10.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing each component of the socket connector 1 in a separated state. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 in a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction before mating and shows the cross section at the position of the socket terminal 10. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the socket terminals 10 are arranged in two rows. The two rows of socket terminals 10 are provided symmetrically to each other in the connector width direction (X-axis direction) perpendicular to both the terminal arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) and the up-down direction (Z-axis direction). In this embodiment, the two rows of socket terminals 10 are arranged in a staggered manner, and the socket terminals 10 in one row and the socket terminals 10 in the other row are positioned differently from each other in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0025] The socket housings 20, 30 have a fixed housing 20 that is fixed to a circuit board (not shown) via socket terminals 10, and a movable housing 30 that is movable relative to the fixed housing 20. The socket terminals 10 are provided to bridge between the fixed housing 20 and the movable housing 30.

[0026] The socket terminal 10 is made by bending a metal strip in its thickness direction, and is arranged so that the terminal width direction (direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the socket terminal 10) coincides with the terminal arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) as shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the socket terminal 10 has a connection part 11 formed at one end located below, a fixed-side held part 12 extending upward from the connection part 11, a contact arm part 13 formed at the other end located above the connection part 11 and inward in the connector width direction, a movable-side held part 14 extending downward from the contact arm part 13, and an intermediate part 15 and a transition part 16 located between the fixed-side held part 12 and the movable-side held part 14.

[0027] Prior to further description of the socket terminal 10, the configurations of the fixed housing 20 and the movable housing 30 will be described. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the fixed housing 20 has a rectangular tubular shape with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape with the terminal arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) as the longitudinal direction. The fixed housing 20 has a pair of side walls 21 extending in the terminal arrangement direction and a pair of end walls 24 extending in the connector width direction (X-axis direction) at both ends in the terminal arrangement direction and connected by the pair of side walls 21, and the pair of side walls 21 and the pair of end walls 24 form a peripheral wall. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the end walls 24 extend to a range extending beyond the side walls 21 in the connector width direction. An internal space 25 that is surrounded by the peripheral wall and penetrates in the vertical direction accommodates a part of the movable housing 30 and a part of the socket terminal 10 as shown in Fig. 3. Examples of dielectric materials that constitute the fixed housing 20 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP), elastomers, rubbers, etc.

[0028] The side wall 21 has a lower wall portion 22 that forms the lower part of the side wall 21, and a longitudinal portion 23 that forms the portion other than the lower part of the side wall 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the lower wall portion 22 is formed with a groove-shaped fixed-side holding portion 22A that recesses from the inner wall surface of the lower wall portion 22 and extends in the vertical direction. The fixed-side holding portion 22A has an open lower end and is adapted to hold the fixed-side held portion 12 of the socket terminal 10 that is press-fitted from below.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the along-side portion 23 is located inside the lower wall portion 22 in the connector width direction, and is formed thinner than the lower wall portion 22. In this embodiment, the thickness dimension of the along-side portion 23 gradually increases toward the upper side, as shown in FIG. 3. In addition, the along-side portion 23 is located outside a first leg portion 15A (described later) of the socket terminal 10 in the connector width direction, that is, on the opposite side to the internal space 25. The along-side portion 23 is located with a slight gap between itself and the outer surface of the first leg portion 15A (a plate surface located outside in the connector width direction) in the connector width direction, and extends in the up-down direction along the first leg portion 15A. In this embodiment, the along-side portion 23 does not have an intermittent portion in the terminal arrangement direction, that is, it is continuously solid over the entire area in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0030] 1 to 3, locking portions 23A capable of being locked to the movable housing 30 are provided at a plurality of positions (three positions in this embodiment) in the terminal arrangement direction on the upper portion of the along-side portion 23. The locking portions 23A have standing portions 23B extending upward from the upper end of the wall portion along the first leg portion 15A in the along-side portion 23, and claw portions 23C extending from the upper end of the standing portions 23B. As shown in FIG. 1 to 3, the claw portions 23C extend inward in the connector width direction from the upper end of the standing portions 23B and further downward in a claw-like shape.

[0031] The movable housing 30 is inserted from below into the internal space 25 of the fixed housing 20, and as shown in Fig. 3, the lower part of the movable housing 30 is accommodated in the upper part of the internal space 25. As shown in Fig. 2, the movable housing 30 has a pair of long walls 31 extending in the terminal arrangement direction, a pair of locked wall parts 32 connected to the lower part of the long walls 31 and extending in the terminal arrangement direction, a pair of short walls 33 extending in the connector width direction (X-axis direction) at both ends in the terminal arrangement direction and connected by the pair of long walls 31 and the pair of locked wall parts 32, and a bottom wall 34 (see Fig. 3) that closes the space surrounded by the peripheral walls consisting of the pair of long walls 31 and the pair of short walls 33 from below. The space surrounded by the peripheral walls and opening upward forms a socket-side receiving part 35 for receiving a part of the plug connector 2. Examples of dielectric materials that constitute the movable housing 30 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP).

[0032] 3, an array of socket terminal grooves 31A are formed on the upper portion of the long wall 31, recessed from the inner wall surface of the long wall 31. The socket terminal grooves 31A extend in the vertical direction along the upper portion of the contact arm 13 of the socket terminal 10, and are capable of allowing elastic deformation of the upper portion of the contact arm 13.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 3, the locked wall portion 32 extends outward from the lower end of the long wall 31 in the connector width direction and then extends upward, and has a claw-like cross section taken at a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the locked wall portion 32 has a portion positioned corresponding to the locking portion 23A of the fixed housing 20 in the terminal arrangement direction as the locked portion 32A capable of being locked with the locking portion 23A. As shown in Fig. 3, the locked portion 32A has a groove portion that opens upward to receive the claw portion 23C of the locking portion 23A, and as a result, the locked portion 32A and the claw portion 23C can be locked with each other in the connector width direction.

[0034] In this embodiment, the claw portion 23C does not have a portion that abuts against the locked wall portion 32 in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the entire movable housing 30 is movable in the terminal arrangement direction without interfering with the fixed housing 20.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the bottom wall 34 has a movable holding portion 34A for press-fitting and holding the movable held portion 14 of the socket terminal 10 formed as a hole penetrating the bottom wall 34 in the vertical direction.

[0036] Returning to the explanation of the socket terminal 10, as shown in Fig. 3, the connection portion 11 extends outward in the connector width direction at a position below the bottom surface of the fixed housing 20, and is adapted to be soldered to a corresponding circuit portion (not shown) on the mounting surface of the circuit board. The fixed-side held portion 12 is bent at the inner end of the connection portion 11 in the connector width direction and extends straight upward, and is press-fitted and held by the fixed-side holding portion 22A of the fixed housing 20 with press-fit protrusions formed on both side edges (edges extending vertically on both sides in the terminal width direction).

[0037] The contact arm 13 extends in the vertical direction along the inner wall surface of the long wall 31 of the movable housing 30, and the upper part is elastically deformable in the connector width direction (the plate thickness direction of the contact arm 13). Specifically, the lower part of the contact arm 13 is in contact with the inner wall surface of the long wall 31 as shown in Fig. 3, and is supported from the outside in the connector width direction by the inner wall surface. The upper part of the contact arm 13 is located in correspondence with the socket terminal groove 31A of the long wall 31 in the vertical direction as shown in Fig. 3, and in a state of contact with the plug terminal 50, which is the mating terminal, elastic deformation toward the outside in the connector width direction is permitted by the socket terminal groove 31A. At the upper end of the contact arm 13, a contact part 13A for contacting the plug terminal 50 is formed by bending so as to protrude inward in the connector width direction.

[0038] 3, the movable-side held portion 14 extends linearly downward from the lower end of the contact arm portion 13, and is held by the bottom wall 34 of the movable housing 30. Specifically, the movable-side held portion 14 is press-fit and held by the movable-side holding portion 34A of the movable housing 30 at press-fit protrusions formed on both side edges (edges extending in the vertical direction on both sides in the terminal width direction).

[0039] The intermediate portion 15 has a first leg portion 15A extending in the vertical direction and a second leg portion 15B extending in the connector width direction, and has an overall shape of a generally inverted L-shape. The first leg portion 15A extends straight in the vertical direction along the inner wall surface of the extension portion 23 of the fixed housing 20, and is elastically deformable in the connector width direction. The elastic deformation of the first leg portion 15A allows the movable housing 30 to move (float) in the connector width direction (see FIG. 5). The first leg portion 15A is connected to the upper end of the fixed-side held portion 12 via a transition portion 16 extending from its lower end toward the outside in the connector width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the first leg portion 15A is provided at a position where a gap is formed between the first leg portion 15A and the inner wall surface of the extension portion 23 in the connector width direction.

[0040] The gap between the extending portion 23 and the first leg 15A is formed with a dimension that ensures an appropriate impedance in the socket terminal 10. Here, the value of the "appropriate impedance" is set within a predetermined tolerance range, and therefore the above dimension is also set within a predetermined tolerance range. The extending portion 23 is elastically deformable together with the first leg 15A in the connector width direction, and even in the elastically deformed state, a gap of a dimension within the above tolerance range is ensured between the extending portion 23 and the first leg 15A (see FIG. 5).

[0041] The first leg 15A is also elastically deformable in the terminal arrangement direction. This elastic deformation of the first leg 15A allows the movable housing 30 to move (float) in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0042] The second leg 15B is bent at a right angle at the upper end of the first leg 15A, extends inward in the connector width direction, and is connected to the lower end of the movable-side held portion 14. The second leg 15B extends straight along the bottom surface (lower surface) of the locked wall portion 32 of the movable housing 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the second leg 15B is provided at a position where a gap is formed between the second leg 15B and the bottom surface of the locked wall portion 32 in the connector width direction.

[0043] The gap between the locked wall 32 and the second leg 15B is dimensioned to ensure an appropriate impedance in the socket terminal 10. Here, the value of the "appropriate impedance" is set within a predetermined tolerance range, and therefore the above dimension is also set within a predetermined tolerance range. Even when the second leg 15B is in an elastically deformed state, a gap of a dimension within the above tolerance range is ensured between the locked wall 32 and the second leg 15B.

[0044] In this embodiment, as described above, the longitudinal portion 23 and the first leg 15A, and the locked wall portion 32 and the second leg 15B are positioned with a gap of a dimension that ensures an appropriate impedance, and are not in contact with each other. Therefore, the characteristic impedance in the middle portion 15 does not decrease excessively, and good characteristic impedance matching is achieved.

[0045] Next, the assembly procedure of the socket connector 1 will be described. First, the movable-side held portion 14 of the socket terminal 10 is pressed into the movable-side holding portion 34A of the movable housing 30 from below, thereby attaching the socket terminal 10 to the movable housing 30. Then, the movable housing 30 to which the socket terminal 10 is attached is advanced into the internal space 25 of the fixed housing 20 from below, and the fixed-side held portion 12 of the socket terminal 10 is pressed into the fixed-side holding portion 22A of the fixed housing 20. As a result, the socket terminal 10 is attached to the fixed housing 20. At this time, the claw portion 23C of the locking portion 23A of the fixed housing 20 advances from above into the groove portion of the locked portion 32A of the movable housing 30. In this manner, the assembly of the socket connector 1 is completed.

[0046] Next, the configuration of the plug connector 2, which is a mating connector, will be described. The plug connector 2 has a plurality of plug terminals 50 made of a metal plate as mating terminals, and a plug housing 60 made of a dielectric material (electrically insulating material) such as resin that holds the plug terminals 50. Examples of the dielectric material that constitutes the plug housing 60 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP). As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the plug terminals 50 are arranged in two rows with the terminal arrangement direction being the same direction as the arrangement direction of the socket terminals 10 (Y-axis direction). The two rows of plug terminals 50 are arranged in a staggered pattern corresponding to the socket terminals 10.

[0047] Plug terminal 50 is made by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction, and is arranged so that the terminal width direction coincides with the terminal arrangement direction. As shown in Fig. 3, plug terminal 50 has connection portion 51 formed at one end (upper end in Fig. 3), contact arm portion 52 formed at the other end (lower end in Fig. 3), and contact arm portion 53 bent in a step shape between connection portion 51 and contact arm portion 52.

[0048] Prior to further description of the plug terminals 50, the configuration of the plug housing 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the plug housing 60 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the terminal arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) as the longitudinal direction. The plug housing 60 has a pair of side walls 61 extending in the terminal arrangement direction and a pair of end walls 62 extending in the connector width direction (X-axis direction) and connecting the ends of the pair of side walls 61, and the pair of side walls 61 and the pair of end walls 62 form a peripheral wall. As shown in FIG. 3, the internal space formed by the peripheral wall is divided vertically by an intermediate wall 63 provided at the middle position in the vertical direction, and a part of the socket connector 1 can be received by a plug-side receiving portion 64, which is the lower internal space. In addition, a protruding wall 65 is provided in the plug-side receiving portion 64, protruding downward from the lower surface of the intermediate wall 63 and extending in the terminal arrangement direction. At the lower part of the protruding wall 65, plug terminal grooves 65A are formed in an array, recessed from the side surface of the protruding wall 65 and extending in the vertical direction.

[0049] Returning to the explanation of the plug terminal 50, the connection portion 51 is located above the bottom surface (upper surface in FIG. 3) of the plug housing 60, extends outward in the connector width direction from the upper end of the coupling portion 53, and is adapted to be soldered to a corresponding circuit portion on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown). The contact arm portion 52 has the same shape as the contact arm portion 13 of the socket terminal 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the contact arm portion 52 extends downward from the lower end of the coupling portion 53 along the side surface of the protruding wall 65 of the plug housing 60, and is elastically deformable in the connector width direction (plate thickness direction of the contact arm portion 52). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper portion of the contact arm portion 52 comes into contact with the side surface of the protruding wall 65, and is supported from the inside in the connector width direction by the side surface. 3, the lower part of the contact arm 52 is located in correspondence with the plug terminal groove 65A of the protruding wall 65 in the up-down direction, and the plug terminal groove 65A allows elastic deformation inward in the connector width direction when in contact with the socket terminal 10. At the lower end of the contact arm 52, a contact part 52A for contacting the socket terminal 10 is bent so as to protrude outward in the connector width direction.

[0050] The plug terminal 50 is attached to the plug housing 60 from the bottom side (the top side in FIG. 3 ) of the plug housing 60. Specifically, the lower end of the coupling portion 53 is press-fitted and held in a plug terminal holding hole 63A formed penetrating the intermediate wall 63, and the upper end of the coupling portion 53 is press-fitted and held in a plug terminal holding groove 61A formed by recessing from the inner wall surface of the side wall 61.

[0051] Next, the mating operation between the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 will be described. First, the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mounted on the mounting surfaces of the corresponding circuit boards (not shown) by soldering. That is, the connection portion 11 of the socket terminal 10 is soldered to a corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board, and the connection portion 51 of the plug terminal 50 is soldered to a corresponding circuit portion of another circuit board, whereby the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are attached to the corresponding circuit boards.

[0052] 1 and 3, the plug connector 2 is positioned above the socket connector 1 with the plug-side receiving portion 64 (see FIG. 3) open downward. The plug connector 2 is then lowered in this position, causing the protruding wall 65 to enter the socket-side receiving portion 35 of the movable housing 30 of the socket connector 1 from above. At the same time, the peripheral wall of the movable housing 30 enters the plug-side receiving portion 64 of the plug connector 2 from below. As a result, the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are fitted together, as shown in FIG.

[0053] When the plug connector 2 is fitted into the socket connector 1, as shown in FIG. 4, the contact arm 13 of the socket terminal 10 elastically deforms and contacts the upper part of the contact arm 52 of the plug terminal 50, i.e., the root side part, with contact pressure at the contact portion 13A. Also, the contact arm 52 of the plug terminal 50 elastically deforms and contacts the lower part of the contact arm 13 of the socket terminal 10, i.e., the root side part, with contact pressure at the contact portion 52A. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the socket terminal 10 and the plug terminal 50 contact each other at two points and are electrically connected. In this embodiment, the upper part of the contact arm 52 is supported by the protruding wall 65 of the plug housing 60, and the lower part of the contact arm 13 is supported by the long wall 31 of the movable housing 30, so that the socket terminal 10 and the plug terminal 50 contact each other with a sufficiently high contact pressure. In this manner, the fitting and connecting operation of the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 is completed.

[0054] When there is no deviation in the relative positions of the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 at the time when the mating and connecting operation is completed, the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are in the correct position shown in Fig. 4. In this correct position, the first leg 15A of the socket terminal 10 is positioned so as to have a predetermined gap between it and the inner wall surface of the extension portion 23 of the fixed housing 20 in the connector width direction. The second leg 15B of the socket terminal 10 is positioned so as to have a predetermined gap between it and the bottom surface of the locked wall portion 32 of the movable housing 30 in the vertical direction.

[0055] If the relative positions of the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are misaligned immediately before the connector mating operation is started, the movable housing 30 moves (floats) in the direction in which the misalignment occurs during and after the connector mating operation, making it possible to perform the mating connection with the misalignment absorbed (see Figure 5).

[0056] Furthermore, even if the socket connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are in the correct position (see Figure 4) when the mating connection operation is completed, if the connectors are subsequently used in an environment where vibrations occur, for example, the vibrations are absorbed by the floating of the movable housing 30 of the socket connector 1.

[0057] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the mated socket connector 1 and plug connector 2, showing a state in which the movable housing 30 is floating. Fig. 5 shows a cross section taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction at the position of the socket terminal 10. Fig. 5 also shows a state in which the movable housing 30 is floating toward the X1 side in the connector width direction (X-axis direction). When the movable housing 30 floats toward the X1 side, the first leg 15A of the two socket terminals 10 shown in Fig. 5, i.e., the first leg 15A of both socket terminals 10 located on the X1 side and the X2 side, elastically deforms so as to incline toward the X1 side, with the vicinity of the lower end of the first leg 15A as a fulcrum.

[0058] When the movable housing 30 moves toward the X1 side, as shown in Fig. 5, the X1-side extension portion 23 of the fixed housing 20 elastically deforms with the vicinity of its lower end as a fulcrum so as to incline toward the X1 side following the elastic deformation of the first leg portion 15A on the X1 side of the socket terminal 10. At this time, the X2-side extension portion 23 elastically deforms toward the X1 side following the elastic deformation of the first leg portion 15A on the X2 side. In this embodiment, the thickness dimension (dimension in the X-axis direction) of the extension portion 23 is smallest at the lower end of the extension portion 23. Therefore, the extension portion 23 is easily elastically deformed in the connector width direction (X-axis direction) with the vicinity of its lower end as a fulcrum, and can easily follow the first leg portion 15A of the socket terminal 10.

[0059] In this embodiment, as described above, when the movable housing 30 floats in the connector width direction, the two longitudinal portions 23 of the fixed housing 20 elastically deform in the connector width direction together with the first leg portion 15A adjacent to the longitudinal portions 23. In this manner, the longitudinal portions 23 are capable of following the first leg portion 15A, and therefore do not impede the elastic deformation of the first leg portion 15A and thus the movement of the movable housing 30.

[0060] Even in an elastically deformed state, the extending portion 23 maintains a gap between itself and the first leg 15A within the above-mentioned predetermined allowable range, and does not come into contact with the first leg 15A. In addition, as shown in Fig. 5, when floating in the connector width direction, the second leg 15B of the socket terminal 10 does not elastically deform.

[0061] Even if the movable housing 30 is floating in this manner, a gap is maintained between the longitudinal portion 23 of the fixed housing 20 and the first leg 15A of the socket terminal 10. Therefore, the characteristic impedance of the first leg 15A does not decrease excessively, and the socket terminal 10 can maintain a state in which the characteristic impedance is matched.

[0062] In addition, in this embodiment, as described above, the extending portion 23 of the fixed housing 20 elastically deforms with the vicinity of its lower end as a fulcrum, together with the first leg 15A of the socket terminal 10, following the movement of the movable housing 30. Therefore, even when the extending portion 23 and the first leg 15A are in an elastically deformed state, it becomes easier to maintain a state in which a gap is secured between them, and thus a state in which characteristic impedance matching is satisfactorily achieved.

[0063] Furthermore, when the movable housing 30 floats in the terminal arrangement direction, the floating is permitted by elastic deformation of the intermediate portions 15 of the socket terminals 10 in the terminal arrangement direction. In this embodiment, the longitudinal portion 23 does not have a portion that abuts against the movable housing 30 in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the movable housing 30 does not interfere with the longitudinal portion 23 and can move smoothly in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0064] At this time, the extending portion 23 itself does not elastically deform in the terminal arrangement direction, but moves following the elastically deforming middle portion 15 while maintaining a state in which it covers the first leg portion 15A of the socket terminal 10. In this embodiment, the extending portion 23 is formed solidly and continuously over the entire area in the terminal arrangement direction, so that even when the middle portion 15 is in a state in which it is elastically deformed in the terminal arrangement direction, it reliably covers the first leg portion 15A of the middle portion 15, and as a result, a state in which characteristic impedance matching is achieved in the socket terminal 10 can be satisfactorily ensured.

[0065] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the along-portion 23 was formed as a part of the fixed housing 20, but in the second embodiment, the configuration is different from the first embodiment in that the along-portion is formed as a separate member from the fixed housing and the movable housing. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same parts as in the first embodiment, except for the along-portion, will be denoted by reference numerals obtained by adding "100" to the reference numerals in the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0066] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector 101 according to the second embodiment taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. In FIG. 6, a cross section at the position of the socket terminal 110 in the terminal arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) is shown. In this embodiment, the along-side portion 140 is made of a dielectric material (made of an electrically insulating material) and is a separate member from the fixed housing 120 and the movable housing 130. Examples of the dielectric material constituting the along-side portion 140 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP), elastomers, rubbers, etc. The fixed housing 120 has a shape similar to that of the fixed housing 20 of the first embodiment with the along-side portion 23 omitted. Examples of the dielectric material constituting the fixed housing 120 and the movable housing 130 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP).

[0067] The side-mounted portion 140 is shaped such that a fixed portion 141 held by the fixed housing 120 is provided at the lower end of the side-mounted portion 23 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the side-mounted portion 140 extends outward in the connector width direction from the lower end of the wall portion extending along the first leg portion 115A of the socket terminal 110 and further extends downward, and has an inverted L-shaped cross section perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. The fixed portion 141 is embedded and fixed in the lower wall portion 122 of the fixed housing 120. In this embodiment, the fixed portion 141 is held by the lower wall portion 122 by being integrally molded with the lower wall portion 122. The portion of the side-mounted portion 140 other than the fixed portion 141 has the same shape as the side-mounted portion 23 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the extension portion 140 is capable of being locked in the connector width direction by a locking portion 142 provided on the upper portion with a locked portion 132A of the movable housing.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 6, the along-side portion 140 is provided with a slight gap between it and the first leg portion 115A of the socket terminal 110 in the connector width direction. As in the first embodiment, this gap is set to a dimension such that an appropriate impedance is ensured in the socket terminal 110. When the movable housing 130 floats in the connector width direction, the along-side portion 140 elastically deforms so as to incline following the elastic deformation of the first leg portion 115A and thus the movement of the movable housing 130, with the vicinity of the lower end of the wall portion extending along the first leg portion 115A, i.e., the vicinity of the upper end of the fixed portion 141, as a fulcrum. Even in this floating state, the state in which the gap is formed between the along-side portion 140 and the first leg portion 115A is maintained, and as a result, the state in which the characteristic impedance of the socket terminal 110 is matched is maintained.

[0069] <Third embodiment> In the second embodiment, the along-mounted portion 140 was a separate member from the fixed housing 120 and the movable housing 130, but in the third embodiment, the configuration is different from the second embodiment in that the along-mounted portion is formed as a part of the movable housing. In this embodiment, the differences from the second embodiment will be mainly described, and the same parts as in the second embodiment, except for the along-mounted portion, will be denoted by reference numerals in the second embodiment with "100" added, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0070] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector 201 according to the third embodiment taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. In FIG. 7, the half of the X1 side in the connector width direction is omitted. In this embodiment, the movable housing 230 has a shape similar to that of the movable housing 130 of the second embodiment, which is provided with an extension portion and a fixed portion. Examples of the dielectric material constituting the movable housing 230 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP), elastomers, rubber, and the like. Examples of the dielectric material constituting the fixed housing 220 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP). As shown in FIG. 7, the movable housing 230 does not have a portion corresponding to the locked wall portion 132 in the second embodiment. The movable housing 230 in this embodiment has an extension portion 237 extending from the lower end of the long wall 231 and a fixed portion 238 extending from the lower end of the extension portion 237.

[0071] The extending portion 237 extends outward in the connector width direction from the lower end of the long wall 231 and then extends downward, and has a cross-sectional shape in the terminal arrangement direction that is substantially inverted L-shape. As shown in Fig. 7, the wall portion extending along the first leg portion 215A of the socket terminal 210 in the extending portion 237 is plate-shaped with a thickness that gradually increases upward, similar to the first and second embodiments. The fixed portion 238 has a shape similar to that of the second embodiment, and is embedded in and fixedly held in the lower wall portion 222 of the fixed housing 220.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 7, the along-side portion 237 is provided with a slight gap between it and the first leg portion 215A of the socket terminal 210 in the connector width direction. As in the first and second embodiments, this gap is set to a dimension such that an appropriate impedance is ensured in the socket terminal 210. When the movable housing 230 floats in the connector width direction, the along-side portion 237 elastically deforms so as to incline following the elastic deformation of the first leg portion 215A and thus the movement of the movable housing 230, with the vicinity of the lower end of the wall portion extending along the first leg portion 215A, i.e., the vicinity of the upper end of the fixed portion 238, as a fulcrum. Even in this floating state, the state in which the gap is formed between the along-side portion 237 and the first leg portion 215A is maintained, and as a result, the state in which the characteristic impedance of the socket terminal 210 is matched is maintained.

[0073] In this embodiment, since the fixed portion 238 extending from the lower end of the along-side portion 237 is held by the fixed housing 220, the along-side portion 237 and therefore the movable housing 230 do not move in the terminal arrangement direction, but as an alternative modification, the movable housing may be movable in the terminal arrangement direction. Specifically, instead of the fixed portion 238, for example, a locking portion having the same shape as the locking portion 23A of the first embodiment may be provided extending from the lower end of the along-side portion 237, and a locked portion having the same shape as the locked portion 32A of the first embodiment may be provided on the upper part of the lower wall portion 222 of the fixed housing 220.

[0074] In this modified example, the locking portion and the locked portion lock together in the connector width direction. Therefore, when the movable housing floats in the connector width direction, the longitudinal portion elastically deforms so as to tilt with the locking position between the locking portion and the locked portion as a fulcrum, thereby following the first leg portion in the middle of the terminal. Furthermore, the locking portion and the locked portion do not abut (interfere) with each other in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, smooth movement of the movable housing in the terminal arrangement direction, i.e., floating, is possible.

[0075] <Fourth embodiment> In the second embodiment, the along-mounted portion 140 was a separate member from the fixed housing 120 and the movable housing 130, but in the fourth embodiment, a part of the along-mounted portion is formed as a part of the fixed housing, and the other part of the along-mounted portion is formed as a part of the movable housing, in that respect the configuration is different from that of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the differences from the second embodiment will be mainly described, and the same parts as those in the second embodiment will be denoted by reference numerals in which "200" has been added, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0076] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of a socket connector 301 according to a fourth embodiment. In Fig. 8, the half on the X1 side in the connector width direction is omitted. In this embodiment, the fixed housing 320 has a fixed-side extending portion 323, and the movable housing 330 has a movable-side extending portion 337. Examples of dielectric materials constituting the fixed housing 320 and the movable housing 330 include engineering plastics such as polyamide (PA) and liquid crystal polymer (LCP), elastomers, rubbers, etc.

[0077] The fixed-side extending portion 323 extends upward from the upper end of the lower wall portion 322 of the fixed housing 320, and has a shape similar to that of the extending portion 23 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 3) with the upper half omitted. The movable-side extending portion 337 extends downward from the lower end of the long wall 331 of the movable housing 330 in a generally inverted L-shape, and has a shape similar to that of the extending portion 237 of the third embodiment (see FIG. 7) with the lower half omitted.

[0078] The upper end of the fixed-side extending portion 323 has an outer half cut out in its thickness direction (connector width direction) and is thinner than the other portions. The lower end of the movable-side extending portion 337 has an inner half cut out in its thickness direction (connector width direction) and is thinner than the other portions. As a result, as shown in Fig. 8, the upper end of the fixed-side extending portion 323 and the lower end of the movable-side extending portion 337 are engaged with each other in the connector width direction.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 8, the wall portion formed by the fixed side extending portion 323 and the movable side extending portion 337 in combination has a plate shape whose thickness gradually increases toward the top, as in the first to third embodiments. This wall portion is provided with a slight gap between the first leg portion 315A of the socket terminal 310 in the connector width direction. As in the first to third embodiments, this gap is set to a dimension such that an appropriate impedance is ensured in the socket terminal 310. When the movable housing 330 floats in the connector width direction, the wall portion elastically deforms so as to incline with the elastic deformation of the first leg portion 315A and thus the movement of the movable housing 330, with the vicinity of the lower end of the fixed side extending portion 323 as a fulcrum. Even in this floating state, the state in which the gap is formed between the wall portion and the first leg portion 315A is maintained, and as a result, the state in which the characteristic impedance of the socket terminal 310 is matched is maintained.

[0080] In this embodiment, the upper end of the fixed-side extending portion 323 and the lower end of the movable-side extending portion 337 do not have portions that abut against each other in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the movable housing 330 can move (float) smoothly in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0081] <Fifth embodiment> In the first embodiment, the side-mounted portion 23 is formed as a continuous solid over the entire area in the terminal arrangement direction, but in the fifth embodiment, the side-mounted portion is discontinuous in the terminal arrangement direction because slits are formed at predetermined intervals in the terminal arrangement direction, and in this respect, the configuration differs from that of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same parts as those in the first embodiment will be assigned reference numbers with "400" added to them, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0082] Fig. 9 is a side view of a socket connector 401 according to the fifth embodiment, as viewed in the connector width direction. In Fig. 9, the end portion on the Y2 side in the terminal arrangement direction (Y-axis direction) is omitted. In this embodiment, the upper part of the longitudinal portion 423 of the fixed housing 420 is fixed to the lower part of the movable housing 430, and in this respect, the configuration is different from that of the socket connector 1 of the first embodiment, in which the longitudinal portion 23 is not fixed to the movable housing 30.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 9, the slits 426 are formed in the along-side portion 423 provided on the fixed housing 420 at positions corresponding to the spaces between the socket terminals 410 in the terminal arrangement direction. The slits 426 extend continuously over almost the entire range of the along-side portion 423 in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) and penetrate the along-side portion 423 in the plate thickness direction. As a result, the along-side portion 423 has strips 427 formed on both sides of each slit 426 in the terminal arrangement direction. The strips 427 are formed to have almost the same width as the middle portions of the socket terminals 410 (not shown in Fig. 7). Therefore, the strips 427 cover the middle portions located corresponding to the strips 427.

[0084] In this embodiment, the extending portion 423 is formed by a plurality of thin strips 427 and is discontinuous in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, compared to the first embodiment in which the extending portion 23 is formed solidly and continuously over the entire area in the terminal arrangement direction, the extending portion 423 is more likely to elastically deform in the connector width direction, and the movable housing 430 can more easily float in these directions.

[0085] In this embodiment, the upper portion of the lateral portion 423 of the fixed housing 420 is fixed to the movable housing 430. Therefore, when the movable housing 430 is floating in the terminal arrangement direction, if the middle portion of the socket terminal 410 is elastically deformed in the terminal arrangement direction, the strip 427 of the lateral portion 423 is elastically deformed in the terminal arrangement direction so as to follow the middle portion. Therefore, even when the movable housing 430 is floating, the strip 427 of the lateral portion 423 is maintained covering the middle portion of the socket terminal 410. At this time, a predetermined gap is also maintained between the strip 427 and the middle portion. As a result, the characteristic impedance matching of the socket terminal 410 can be satisfactorily ensured.

[0086] Sixth Embodiment In the first embodiment, the overall shape of the intermediate portion 15 of the socket terminal 10 is substantially inverted L-shaped, but the shape of the intermediate portion is not limited to this. In the sixth embodiment, the intermediate portion of the socket terminal has a portion that is bent into a substantially S-shape, and in this respect, the configuration differs from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same parts as in the first embodiment will be assigned reference numbers with "500" added to the reference numbers in the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section of a socket connector 501 according to the sixth embodiment taken along a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction. In Fig. 10, the half portion on the X1 side in the connector width direction is omitted. As shown in Fig. 10, in this embodiment, a first leg 515A of an intermediate portion 515 of a socket terminal 510 has a bending elastic portion 517 at its lower portion, which is bent into a substantially horizontal S-shape and is elastically deformable. The bending elastic portion 517 has an outer leg 517A, an intermediate leg 517C, and an inner leg 517E extending in the vertical direction, and an upper bent portion 517B and a lower bent portion 517D that connect two of these legs together.

[0088] Specifically, outer leg 517A, middle leg 517C, and inner leg 517E are arranged side by side in that order from the outside in the connector width direction, with upper ends of outer leg 517A and middle leg 517C connected to each other by upper bent portion 517B, and lower ends of middle leg 517C and inner leg 517E connected to each other by lower bent portion 517D. In this embodiment, by providing bent elastic portion 517 in a part of first leg 515A in this manner, it is possible to ensure a large spring length of first leg 515A without increasing the vertical dimension of first leg 515A.

[0089] 10, the upper end of the side portion 523 provided as a part of the fixed housing 520 is fixedly held at the lower part of the movable housing 330. Specifically, the movable housing 530 is formed with a protruding part 536 protruding from the lower end of the long wall 531 in the connector width direction, and the upper end of the side portion 523 is held by the protruding part 536, for example, by integral molding. As shown in FIG. 10, the side portion 523 has an extending part 523D extending downward to a position directly above the lower bent part 517D between the middle leg part 517C and the inner leg part 517E. The extending part 523D is located between the middle leg part 517C, the lower bent part 517D, and the inner leg part 517E with a predetermined gap. This gap is formed with a dimension such that an appropriate impedance is ensured at the socket terminal 510. Here, the value of the "appropriate impedance" is set within a predetermined tolerance range, and therefore the above dimensions are also set within a predetermined tolerance range.

[0090] The extension portion 523D is formed on a part of the elastically deformable longitudinal portion 523, and is displaceable in the connector width direction together with the substantially U-shaped portion formed by the middle leg portion 517C, the lower bent portion 517D, and the inner leg portion 517E. When the substantially U-shaped portion is elastically deformed, the extension portion 523D is displaced to follow the substantially U-shaped portion. As a result, even when the substantially U-shaped portion is in an elastically deformed state, a gap of a dimension within the above-mentioned allowable range is secured between the substantially U-shaped portion and the extension portion 523D.

[0091] 10, a recess 528 that opens downward is formed between the extension portion 523D and another portion of the side portion 523, specifically, a portion 523E that is located outside the extension portion 523D in the connector width direction and in the same range as the extension portion 523D in the vertical direction. The recess 528 accommodates an approximately inverted U-shaped portion formed by the outer leg portion 517A, the upper bent portion 517B, and the middle leg portion 517C. This approximately inverted U-shaped portion is located with a gap of a predetermined dimension between it and the inner wall surface of the recess 528. This gap is formed with a dimension that ensures an appropriate impedance in the socket terminal 510. Here, the value of the "appropriate impedance" is set within a predetermined allowable range, and therefore the above dimension is also set within a predetermined allowable range. Even in the elastically deformed state of the approximately inverted U-shaped portion, a gap of a dimension within the above allowable range is ensured between the approximately inverted U-shaped portion and the inner wall surface of the recess 528.

[0092] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the second leg 515B of the socket terminal 510 is shorter than the second leg 15B (see FIG. 3) of the first embodiment.

[0093] In this embodiment, since the upper end of the along-side portion 523 is held by the overhanging portion 536 of the movable housing 330, the along-side portion 523 and therefore the movable housing 530 do not move in the terminal arrangement direction, but as an alternative modification, the movable housing may be movable in the terminal arrangement direction. Specifically, a locking portion having the same shape as the locking portion 23A of the first embodiment may be provided at the upper end of the along-side portion 523, and a locked portion having the same shape as the locked portion 32A of the first embodiment may be provided at the lower part of the movable housing 530 instead of the overhanging portion 536.

[0094] Seventh Embodiment In the first embodiment, the socket connector 1 was mated with the plug connector 2, with the connection direction being perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board on which the socket connector 1 is mounted, but in the seventh embodiment, the socket connector 1 is mated with the plug connector, with the connection direction being parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and in this respect the configuration differs from the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the same parts as in the first embodiment will be assigned reference numbers with "600" added to them, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section on a plane perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction of a socket connector 601 according to the seventh embodiment. Fig. 11 shows a cross section at the position of a socket terminal 310 in the terminal arrangement direction (Y-axis direction). As shown in Fig. 11, in this embodiment, the socket connector 601 is adapted to be fitted and connected to a mating plug connector (not shown) with the connection direction being the left-right direction (X-axis direction in Fig. 11) parallel to the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown).

[0096] The socket connector 601 of this embodiment has a configuration in which the socket connector 1 (see FIG. 3) of the first embodiment is laid on its side and one end portion of the socket terminal 10 on the side where the connection portion 11 is provided is extended. As shown in FIG. 11, in this embodiment, the socket terminal 610 is provided with an extension portion 618 that is bent at the right end (end portion on the X1 side) of the fixed-side held portion 612 and extends linearly downward, and the connection portion 611 is provided extending rightward from the lower end of the extension portion 618. As shown in FIG. 11, the extension portion 618 of the upper (Z1 side) socket terminal 610 is located to the right (X1 side) of the extension portion 618 of the lower (Z2 side) socket terminal 610 and is formed longer than the extension portion 618.

[0097] In socket connector 601 of this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the gap between along portion 623 of fixed housing 620 and first leg portion 615A of socket terminal 610 is formed with a dimension that ensures appropriate impedance in socket terminal 610. The state in which a gap is formed between along portion 623 and first leg portion 615A is maintained even when movable housing 630 is in a floating state.

[0098] In the first to seventh embodiments described above, the entire intermediate portion of the terminal is accommodated in the internal space formed in the fixed housing, but as an alternative modification, only a part of the intermediate portion may be accommodated. Also, in the first to seventh embodiments, the intermediate portion of the terminal is accommodated in the internal space of the fixed housing, but as an alternative modification, an internal space may be formed in the movable housing and the intermediate portion may be accommodated in that internal space.

[0099] In the first to seventh embodiments, the longitudinal portion of the dielectric member elastically deforms when it conforms to the intermediate portion of the socket terminal, but it is not essential that the longitudinal portion elastically deforms, and it may be configured to be displaced without elastic deformation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1,101,201,301,401,501,601 Socket Connectors 10,110,210,310,410,510,610 Socket terminal 12,612 Fixed side held part 14 Movable side held part 15,515 Middle 20,120,220,320,420,520,620 Fixed Housing 25 Interior Space 30,130,230,330,430,530,630 Movable housing 23,140,237,423,523,623 Alongside section 323 Fixed side installation part 337 Movable side installation part

Claims

1. An electrical connector for a circuit board to be disposed on a mounting surface of the circuit board, a plurality of terminals arranged in a terminal arrangement direction parallel to the mounting surface, a fixed housing fixed to the circuit board via the terminals, and a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing, The terminals each have a fixed-side held portion held by the fixed housing, a movable-side held portion held by the movable housing, and an intermediate portion located between the fixed-side held portion and the movable-side held portion and capable of elastic deformation, and the terminals are disposed so as to span the fixed housing and the movable housing, At least a portion of the intermediate portion is located in an internal space of the electrical connector for a circuit board, the electrical connector for a circuit board has a longitudinal portion made of a dielectric material, the longitudinal portion being located on the opposite side of the intermediate portion from the internal space and extending along the intermediate portion with a gap therebetween; 2. An electrical connector for a circuit board, comprising: a first terminal for connecting a first terminal to a first terminal arranged in a first direction;

2. 2. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the extending portion is formed as a part of the fixed housing and is capable of being engaged with the movable housing in the connector width direction.

3. 2. An electrical connector for a circuit board as described in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal extension portion is formed as a separate member from the fixed housing and the movable housing, is held by the fixed housing, and is capable of engaging with the movable housing in the connector width direction.

4. the extending portion does not have a portion that abuts against the movable housing in the terminal arrangement direction, 4. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 2, wherein said movable housing is movable in the terminal arrangement direction without interfering with said extending portion.

5. 2. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the extending portion is formed as a part of the movable housing and is capable of being engaged with the fixed housing in the connector width direction.

6. 2. An electrical connector for a circuit board as described in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal extension portion is formed as a separate member from the fixed housing and the movable housing, is held by the movable housing, and is capable of engaging with the fixed housing in the connector width direction.

7. 7. An electrical connector for a circuit board as described in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the longitudinal portion does not have a portion that abuts against the fixed housing in the terminal arrangement direction, and is capable of moving in the terminal arrangement direction together with the movable housing without interfering with the fixed housing.

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