Electric connector

Abstract

To provide an electric connector that can accurately ensure the contact pressure applied to a mating connector.SOLUTION: In a receptacle connector 2, a space surrounded by a first leg 13, a first connecting portion 14, and a second leg 15 of a terminal 10, and a space surrounded by a third leg 17, a third connecting portion 18, and a fourth leg 19 are filled with a housing 30, and when a terminal 50 of a plug connector 3 is inserted into a mating recess 10a, the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, the second leg 15, and the housing 30 in the space surrounded by these are configured to be displaceable in the short direction X as a whole, and the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, the fourth leg 19, and the housing 30 in the space surrounded by these are configured to be displaceable in the short direction X as a whole, and the terminal 10 is provided on the third leg 17 with a width changing portion 17b whose width changes in the longitudinal direction Y, and the width changing portion 17b is exposed from the housing 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector having terminals and a housing for holding the terminals. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various technologies related to electrical connectors having terminals and housings for connecting printed wiring boards, flexible flat cables, etc. are known. For example, Patent Document 1 (JP 2017-69133 A) discloses an electrical connector having a housing including a terminal accommodating portion that opens upward in the vertical direction (fitting direction) and a bottom portion located below the terminal accommodating portion, a base portion embedded and held in the bottom portion of the housing, a spring portion extending upward from the base portion and accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion so as to be elastically deformable, and a terminal including a contact portion supported by the spring portion.

[0003] In the electrical connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a terminal of a mating connector is inserted into a terminal accommodating portion, the terminal of the mating connector comes into contact with the contact portion of the terminal of the electrical connector, and the spring portion supporting this contact portion elastically deforms in the short direction to apply an elastic force (corresponding to contact pressure) to the terminal of the mating connector. As a result, the spring portion of the electrical connector holds the terminal of the mating connector, ensuring an electrical connection between the terminals of both connectors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-69133 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, electronic devices such as smartphones and mobile terminals have become smaller and more functional, leading to a trend toward higher density mounting of electronic components mounted on printed wiring boards, which in turn has led to a demand for smaller electrical connectors themselves. When electrical connectors are made smaller in this way, their terminals and housings also become very small.

[0006] Here, when the electrical connector described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is miniaturized, the spring part of the terminal also becomes very small (thin) as the terminal becomes smaller. As a result, the elastic force of the spring part of the terminal becomes small, making it difficult to apply sufficient contact pressure (in other words, contact pressure) to the terminal of the mating connector. This may result in, for example, when the electrical connector is repeatedly connected and disconnected, making it impossible to ensure electrical connection between the terminals.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide an electrical connector that can accurately ensure the contact pressure applied to the mating connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An electrical connector according to one embodiment of the present invention is an electrical connector having terminals and a housing for holding the terminals, and mounted on an electrically connected mounted object, wherein the terminals each extend in a mating direction with a mating connector and include a first leg portion, a second leg portion, a third leg portion, and a fourth leg portion spaced apart in sequence along a lateral direction perpendicular to the mating direction, an extension portion connected to an end portion of the first leg portion in a first mating direction, which is one direction in the mating direction, and extending in the lateral direction; a first connecting portion extending in the first mating direction and connecting an end of the first leg portion on a second mating direction side opposite to the first mating direction and an end of the second leg portion on the second mating direction side, a second connecting portion extending laterally and connecting an end of the second leg portion on the first mating direction side and an end of the third leg portion on the first mating direction side, and a third connecting portion extending laterally and connecting an end of the third leg portion on the second mating direction side and an end of the fourth leg portion on the second mating direction side, the housing has a mounting portion to be mounted on an object on an outer surface on the first mating direction side of the terminal, the housing fills a space surrounded by the first leg portion, the first connecting portion, and the second leg portion of the terminal, and also fills a space surrounded by the third leg portion, the third connecting portion, and the fourth leg portion of the terminal, the terminal forms a mating recess for receiving a terminal of a mating connector by the space surrounded by the second leg portion, the second connecting portion, and the third leg portion, and when the terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the mating recess, the terminal comes into contact with the second leg portion and the third leg portion, The first leg, the first connecting portion, the second leg, and the housing filled in the space enclosed by these are configured to be displaceable laterally as a single unit, and the third leg, the third connecting portion, the fourth leg, and the housing filled in the space enclosed by these are configured to be displaceable laterally as a single unit, and the terminal includes a width-changing portion in at least one of the second leg and the third leg, whose width in the vertical direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the horizontal direction changes, and the width-changing portion is exposed from the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the electrical connector of the present invention, the contact pressure applied to the mating connector can be accurately ensured. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a pre-mating state; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 4(a) is an oblique view of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention held in a housing, and FIG. 4(b) is a side view of a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention held in a housing. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is an oblique view of another terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state held in a housing, and FIG. 6(b) is a side view of another terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state held in a housing. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of another terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a side view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a pre-mating state; [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8 . [Figure 10] 9 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 8. [Figure 12] 10 is a partial perspective cross-sectional view of a receptacle connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all drawings for explaining the embodiment, the same members are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0012] [Configuration of connector assembly and electrical connector] First, a configuration of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the connector assembly according to this embodiment in a non-mated state.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the connector assembly 1 according to the present embodiment has a receptacle connector 2 and a plug connector 3, and the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are configured to be fitted together. In the following, when the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are not distinguished from each other, they will be referred to as "connectors 2, 3" or simply "connectors". The connectors 2, 3 are mounted on a substrate (not shown) such as a printed wiring board as an electrically connected mounting target. In FIG. 1, both the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 are shown with the mating side (mating surface) facing up and the side mounted on the substrate facing down. The connectors 2, 3 can be used as internal components in small electronic devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, digital cameras, and notebook computers. The receptacle connector 2 is an example of an "electrical connector" in the present invention. The receptacle connector 2 can be mounted on various mounting targets such as flexible flat cables in addition to the above-mentioned substrates, but the following will be an example of mounting the receptacle connector 2 on a substrate.

[0014] Here, in FIG. 1 (as well as in other figures), the short side direction (width direction) of the connector is indicated as "X" (corresponding to the "horizontal direction" in the present invention), the long side direction (depth direction) of the connector is indicated as "Y" (corresponding to the "vertical direction" in the present invention), and the mating direction (up-down direction) of the connector is indicated as "Z". In other words, the axis along the short side direction is defined as the X axis, the axis along the long side direction is defined as the Y axis, and the axis along the mating direction is defined as the Z axis. In addition, in this specification, one direction in the short side direction X is called the "first short side direction X1", and the opposite direction to the first short side direction X1 in the short side direction X is called the "second short side direction X2". In addition, in this specification, for a certain connector, the side that receives the mating connector in the mating direction Z is defined as the "upper" or "front", and the side that is attached to the board is defined as the "lower" or "rear". Specifically, in the receptacle connector 2, the direction indicated by "Z1" in the mating direction Z (corresponding to the "second mating direction" in the present invention) corresponds to the "upward direction", and the direction indicated by "Z2" in the mating direction Z (corresponding to the "first mating direction" in the present invention) corresponds to the "downward direction". In contrast, in the plug connector 3, for convenience of explanation, in Fig. 1, the plug connector 3 is shown in a state in which it is turned upside down from the state in which it is mated with the receptacle connector 2, so in reality (i.e., when it is mated with the receptacle connector 2), the direction indicated by "Z2" corresponds to the "upward direction", and the direction indicated by "Z1" corresponds to the "downward direction" (see also Figs. 8, 9, and 11 below).

[0015] 1, the receptacle connector 2 mainly comprises a plurality of terminals 10 and 20 serving as signal terminals, a reinforcing metal fitting 40, and a housing 30 that holds the terminals 10, 20 and the reinforcing metal fitting 40. As will be described in detail later, the terminals 10 and 20 are configured to have similar shapes. The housing 30 has longitudinal walls 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36 that extend in the longitudinal direction Y in order along the short-side direction X (particularly in order toward the second short-side direction X2). The longitudinal walls 31, 32 are connected, with the longitudinal wall 31 located on the first short-side direction X1 side and the longitudinal wall 32 located on the second short-side direction X2 side, the longitudinal walls 33, 34 are connected, with the longitudinal wall 33 located on the first short-side direction X1 side and the longitudinal wall 34 located on the second short-side direction X2 side, and the longitudinal walls 35, 36 are connected, with the longitudinal wall 35 located on the first short-side direction X1 side and the longitudinal wall 36 located on the second short-side direction X2 side. In addition, the connected longitudinal walls 31, 32 and the connected longitudinal walls 33, 34 are spaced apart in the short-side direction X, and the connected longitudinal walls 33, 34 and the connected longitudinal walls 35, 36 are spaced apart in the short-side direction X. The longitudinal walls 33, 34 are located in the center of the receptacle connector 2 in the short direction X, while the longitudinal walls 31, 32 are located at the end portion on the first short direction X1 side in the short direction X of the receptacle connector 2, and the longitudinal walls 35, 36 are located at the end portion on the second short direction X2 side in the short direction X of the receptacle connector 2.

[0016] Further, the longitudinal wall portions 31 and 32 are provided with a plurality of terminals 10 and 20 arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y, the longitudinal wall portions 33 and 34 are provided with a plurality of terminals 10 arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y, and the longitudinal wall portions 35 and 36 are provided with a plurality of terminals 10 and 20 arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y. In this case, the total number of the plurality of terminals 10 and 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 31 and 32, the total number of the plurality of terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33 and 34, and the total number of the plurality of terminals 10 and 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 35 and 36 are equal to each other. In particular, the plurality of terminals 10 and 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 31 and 32, the plurality of terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33 and 34, and the plurality of terminals 10 and 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 35 and 36 are arranged at the same corresponding positions in the longitudinal direction Y, respectively. Furthermore, the terminals 10 are continuously arranged along the longitudinal direction Y on the longitudinal walls 33, 34, while the terminals 10 and the terminals 20 are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction Y on the longitudinal walls 31, 32 and the longitudinal walls 35, 36. The longitudinal walls 31, 32, the longitudinal walls 33, 34 and the longitudinal walls 35, 36 correspond to the "first wall", "second wall" and "third wall" in the present invention, respectively.

[0017] On the other hand, the plug connector 3 mainly includes a plurality of terminals 50 and 60 as signal terminals, a reinforcing metal fitting 80, and a housing 70 that holds the terminals 50, 60 and the reinforcing metal fitting 80. As will be described in detail later, the terminals 50 and 60 have similar shapes, and the terminal 50 is configured to fit into the terminal 10 and the terminal 60 is configured to fit into the terminal 20. The housing 70 has longitudinal wall portions 71, 72, and 73 that are provided in order along the short-side direction X, extend in the longitudinal direction Y, and are spaced apart from each other in the short-side direction X. The longitudinal wall portion 72 is located in the center of the plug connector 3 in the short-side direction X, while the longitudinal wall portions 71 and 73 are located at the ends of the plug connector 3 in the short-side direction X.

[0018] Further, the longitudinal wall portion 71 is provided with a plurality of terminals 50, 60 arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y, the longitudinal wall portion 72 is provided with a plurality of terminals 50 arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y, and the longitudinal wall portion 73 is provided with the terminals 50, 60 arranged at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction Y. In this case, the total number of the plurality of terminals 50, 60 provided on the longitudinal wall portion 71, the total number of the plurality of terminals 50 provided on the longitudinal wall portion 72, and the total number of the plurality of terminals 50, 60 provided on the longitudinal wall portion 73 are each equal. In particular, the plurality of terminals 50, 60 provided on the longitudinal wall portion 71, the plurality of terminals 50 provided on the longitudinal wall portion 72, and the plurality of terminals 50, 60 provided on the longitudinal wall portion 73 are each arranged at the same corresponding positions in the longitudinal direction Y. Furthermore, in the longitudinal wall portion 72, the terminals 50 are continuously arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, while in the longitudinal wall portions 71 and 73, the terminals 50 and the terminals 60 are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction Y.

[0019] The receptacle connector 2 is produced by integral molding using a conductive member such as a copper alloy that forms the terminals 10, 20 and the reinforcing metal fittings 40, and a resin such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) that forms the housing 30. Typically, the terminals 10, 20 and the reinforcing metal fittings 40 are insert molded into the housing 30. The plug connector 3 is also produced by integral molding using a conductive member such as a copper alloy that forms the terminals 50, 60 and the reinforcing metal fittings 80, and a resin such as a liquid crystal polymer (LCP) that forms the housing 70. Typically, the terminals 50, 60 and the reinforcing metal fittings 80 are insert molded into the housing 70.

[0020] Next, the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a top view of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, as viewed from above, and Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment.

[0021] 2 and 3, as described above, in the receptacle connector 2, a plurality of terminals 10, 20 are alternately provided on the longitudinal wall portions 31, 32 of the housing 30, a plurality of terminals 10 are continuously provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34 of the housing 30, and a plurality of terminals 10, 20 are alternately provided on the longitudinal wall portions 35, 36 of the housing 30. These multiple terminals 10, 20 are mounted on the board at mounting portions 11, 21 provided at the ends in the short-side direction X, respectively. The mounting portions 11, 21 are portions for connecting the terminals 10, 20 to the board by soldering.

[0022] Specifically, the multiple terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal walls 31, 32 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11, 21 of the terminals 10, 20 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y are alternately positioned on the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side. In this case, the mounting portions 11 of each of the multiple terminals 10 are located on the first short-side direction X1 side (i.e., positioned so as to face the outside of the receptacle connector 2), and the mounting portions 21 of each of the multiple terminals 20 are located on the second short-side direction X2 side (i.e., positioned so as to face the longitudinal walls 33, 34 side). The multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal walls 33, 34 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11 of the terminals 10 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y are alternately positioned on the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side. In this case, the multiple terminals 10 are arranged on the longitudinal walls 33, 34 such that the terminals 10 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y are in a relationship in which the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side are inverted (specifically, inverted on an axis along the fitting direction Z). The multiple terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal walls 35, 36 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11, 21 of the terminals 10, 20 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y are alternately positioned on the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side. In this case, the mounting portion 11 of each of the multiple terminals 10 is located on the second short-side direction X2 side (i.e., located so as to face the outside of the receptacle connector 2), and the mounting portion 21 of each of the multiple terminals 20 is located on the first short-side direction X1 side (i.e., located so as to face the longitudinal walls 33, 34 side).

[0023] Furthermore, when the multiple terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 31, 32, the multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34, and the multiple terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 35, 36 are cut in the XZ plane at a position in the longitudinal direction Y, three terminals 10, 20 lined up along the short direction X appear, and these are arranged in such a manner that the terminal 10 in the center in the short direction X (the one provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34) is sandwiched between both the terminal 10 and the terminal 20. In other words, in the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34, the terminals 10 are continuously arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, while in the longitudinal wall portions 31, 32 and the longitudinal wall portions 35, 36, the terminals 10 and the terminals 20 are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction Y. Therefore, in the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34 and the longitudinal wall portions 35, 36, the terminals 10, 20 arranged at the same corresponding positions in the longitudinal direction Y are different (i.e., alternate).

[0024] Here, if the multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 31, 32 are defined as "one row" (first row), the multiple terminals 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 31, 32 are defined as "one row" (second row), the multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34 whose mounting portions 11 are located on the first short-side direction X1 side are defined as "one row" (third row), the multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34 whose mounting portions 11 are located on the second short-side direction X2 side are defined as "one row" (fourth row), the multiple terminals 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 35, 36 are defined as "one row" (fifth row), and the multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 35, 36 are defined as "one row" (sixth row), it can be said that the receptacle connector 2 has multiple terminals 10, 20 arranged in "six rows" in the short-side direction X.

[0025] 2 and 3, the receptacle connector 2 has a pair of reinforcing metal fittings 40 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction Y, each of which extends in the lateral direction X. The pair of reinforcing metal fittings 40 are provided at a distance from each other across the terminals 10, 20 and the longitudinal walls 31-36 of the housing 30, and are held by a pair of lateral walls 38 of the housing 30 that extend in the lateral direction X and are provided opposite each other in the longitudinal direction Y. Each of the pair of reinforcing metal fittings 40 has two terminals 41 provided near an end on the first lateral direction X1 side and near an end on the second lateral direction X2 side. These terminals 41 are used, for example, as power terminals.

[0026] Next, the terminals 10, 20 of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 7. Fig. 4(a) shows a perspective view of the terminal 10 held in the housing 30, Fig. 4(b) is a side view of the terminal 10 held in the housing 30 as viewed along the longitudinal direction Y, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of only the terminal 10. Fig. 6(a) is a perspective view of the terminal 20 held in the housing 30, Fig. 6(b) is a side view of the terminal 20 held in the housing 30 as viewed along the longitudinal direction Y, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of only the terminal 20. 4 and 6 show only a portion of the housing 30 surrounding one terminal 10, 20. In particular, the housing 30 shown in Fig. 4 and 6 corresponds to a portion of the longitudinal walls 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35, 36. As described above (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2), the terminal 10 is provided on each of the longitudinal walls 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35, 36, and the terminal 20 is provided on each of the longitudinal walls 31, 32, and 35, 36.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 4(a), 4(b) and 5 (particularly FIG. 5), the terminal 10 has a first leg 13, a second leg 15, a third leg 17 and a fourth leg 19, which extend in the mating direction Z and are spaced apart from each other in sequence along the short direction X, an extension 12 connected to an end of the first leg 13 on the downward direction Z2 side and extending in the short direction X, a first connecting portion 14 extending in the short direction X and connecting an end of the first leg 13 on the upward direction Z1 side and an end of the second leg 15 on the upward direction Z1 side, a second connecting portion 16 extending in the short direction X and connecting an end of the second leg 15 on the downward direction Z2 side and an end of the third leg 17 on the downward direction Z2 side, and a third connecting portion 18 extending in the short direction X and connecting an end of the third leg 17 on the upward direction Z1 side and an end of the fourth leg 19 on the upward direction Z1 side. The first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, and the second leg 15 connected together are configured to form a substantially inverted U-shape, and the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, and the fourth leg 19 connected together are configured to form a substantially inverted U-shape. The first leg 13, the second leg 15, the third leg 17, and the fourth leg 19 each include not only a portion extending straight along the fitting direction Z, but also a portion extending at an angle to the fitting direction Z (i.e., a curved portion). The terminal 10 also has the above-mentioned mounting portion 11, which is mounted on the board, on the outer surface (bottom surface) of the extension portion 12 on the downward direction Z2 side.

[0028] Moreover, the terminal 10 forms a fitting recess 10a capable of receiving a terminal 50 (not shown) of the plug connector 3 by a space surrounded by the second leg 15, the second connecting portion 16, and the third leg 17, and when the terminal 50 is inserted into the fitting recess 10a, the terminal 50 comes into contact with the second leg 15 and the third leg 17. As a result, the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, and the second leg 15, which form a substantially inverted U-shape, are displaced together in the short direction X, and the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, and the fourth leg 19, which form a substantially inverted U-shape, are displaced together in the short direction X. In this case, the second leg 15 comes into contact with the terminal 50 at a contact portion 15a on the outer wall surface facing the fitting recess 10a, and the third leg 17 comes into contact with the terminal 50 at a contact portion 17a on the outer wall surface facing the fitting recess 10a.

[0029] Specifically, the contact portion 15a is located at a curved portion of the second leg 15 that protrudes toward the fitting recess 10a, and the contact portion 17a is located at a curved portion of the third leg 17 that protrudes toward the fitting recess 10a. More specifically, the curved portion of the third leg 17 including the contact portion 17a protrudes toward the fitting recess 10a more than the curved portion of the second leg 15 that includes the contact portion 15a, that is, the amount of protrusion toward the fitting recess 10a is greater. Therefore, the contact portion 17a tends to have a larger amount of contact (amount of interference) with the terminal 50 than the contact portion 15a, so the contact portion 17a of the third leg 17 constitutes a main contact with the terminal 50, and the contact portion 15a of the second leg 15 constitutes a sub-contact with the terminal 50.

[0030] The third leg 17 of the terminal 10 has a width-changing portion 17b whose width in the longitudinal direction Y changes, and the width-changing portion 17b is exposed from the housing 30 (FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b)). In this case, the width of the terminal 10 in the longitudinal direction Y changes between W11 and W12 (W11>W12) at the width-changing portion 17b (FIG. 5). Furthermore, each of the second leg 15 and the third leg 17 is configured such that a pair of side surfaces facing each other in the longitudinal direction Y, portions 15c and 17c, are exposed from the housing 30 (FIG. 4(b)). The width-changing portion 17b and the side surface portions 15c and 17c of the terminal 10 exposed from the housing 30 are used to hold the terminal 10 with a mold when the receptacle connector 2 is insert-molded. Specifically, the width-changing portion 17b is used to press the die in the fitting direction Z, and the side portions 15c, 17c are used to press the die in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0031] 6(a), 6(b) and 7 (particularly FIG. 7), the terminal 20 includes a first leg 23, a second leg 25, a third leg 27 and a fourth leg 29, which extend in the fitting direction Z and are spaced apart from each other in the short direction X, an extension 22 connected to an end of the first leg 23 on the downward direction Z2 side and extending in the short direction X, and an extension 23 connected to an end of the first leg 23 on the upward direction Z1 side and an extension 24 connected to an end of the second leg 25 on the upward direction Z2 side. The terminal 20 has a first connecting portion 24 connecting the end of the second leg 25 on the Z1 side, a second connecting portion 26 extending in the short direction X and connecting the end of the second leg 25 on the downward direction Z2 side and the end of the third leg 27 on the downward direction Z2 side, a third connecting portion 28 extending in the short direction X and connecting the end of the third leg 27 on the upward direction Z1 side and the end of the fourth leg 29 on the upward direction Z1 side, and an extension portion 29a connected to the end of the fourth leg 29 on the downward direction Z2 side and extending in the short direction X. The terminal 20 is different from the terminal 10 described above in that it has the extension portion 29a. The first leg 23, the first connecting portion 24, and the second leg 25 connected together are configured to form a substantially inverted U-shape, and the third leg 27, the third connecting portion 28, and the fourth leg 29 connected together are configured to form a substantially inverted U-shape. The first leg 23, the second leg 25, the third leg 27 and the fourth leg 29 include not only portions that extend straight along the mating direction Z, but also portions that extend at an angle to the mating direction Z (i.e., curved portions). The terminal 20 also has the above-mentioned mounting portion 21, which is mounted on the board, on the outer surface (bottom surface) of the extension portion 22 on the downward direction Z2 side.

[0032] Moreover, the terminal 20 forms a fitting recess 20a capable of receiving a terminal 60 (not shown) of the plug connector 3 by a space surrounded by the second leg 25, the second connecting portion 26, and the third leg 27, and when the terminal 60 is inserted into the fitting recess 20a, the terminal 60 comes into contact with the second leg 25 and the third leg 27. As a result, the first leg 23, the first connecting portion 24, and the second leg 25 forming a substantially inverted U-shape are displaced together in the short direction X, and the third leg 27, the third connecting portion 28, and the fourth leg 29 forming a substantially inverted U-shape are displaced together in the short direction X. In this case, the second leg 25 comes into contact with the terminal 60 at a contact portion 25a on the outer wall surface facing the fitting recess 20a, and the third leg 27 comes into contact with the terminal 60 at a contact portion 27a on the outer wall surface facing the fitting recess 20a.

[0033] Specifically, the contact portion 25a is located at a curved portion of the second leg 25 that protrudes toward the fitting recess 20a, and the contact portion 27a is located at a curved portion of the third leg 27 that protrudes toward the fitting recess 20a. More specifically, the curved portion of the second leg 25 including the contact portion 25a protrudes toward the fitting recess 20a more than the curved portion of the third leg 27 that includes the contact portion 27a, that is, the amount of protrusion toward the fitting recess 20a is greater. Therefore, the contact portion 25a tends to have a larger amount of contact (amount of interference) with the terminal 60 than the contact portion 27a, so the contact portion 25a of the second leg 25 constitutes a main contact with the terminal 60, and the contact portion 27a of the third leg 27 constitutes a sub-contact with the terminal 60. In the above-mentioned terminal 10, the main contact is not the contact portion 15a of the second leg 15 but the contact portion 17a of the third leg 17, and in this respect too, terminal 20 differs from terminal 10. In particular, while the main contact is located on third leg 17, which is the one of second leg 15 and third leg 17 that is farther from mounting portion 11, in terminal 10, the main contact is located on second leg 25, which is the one of second leg 25 and third leg 27 that is closer to mounting portion 21, in terminal 20.

[0034] The terminal 20 has a width-changing portion 25b in the second leg 25, whose width in the longitudinal direction Y changes, and this width-changing portion 25b is exposed from the housing 30 (FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b)). In this case, the width of the terminal 20 in the longitudinal direction Y changes between W21 and W22 (W21>W22) at the width-changing portion 25b (FIG. 7). The terminal 10 has a width-changing portion 17b in the third leg 17, not in the second leg 15, so the terminal 20 is also different from the terminal 10 in this respect. Furthermore, each of the second leg 25 and the third leg 27 is configured such that portions 25c, 27c of a pair of side surfaces facing each other in the longitudinal direction Y are exposed from the housing 30 (FIG. 6(b)). The width-changing portion 25b and the side surface portions 25c, 27c of the terminals 20 exposed from the housing 30 are used to hold the terminals 20 with a mold when insert molding the receptacle connector 2. Specifically, the width-changing portion 25b is used to press the mold in the fitting direction Z, and the side surface portions 25c, 27c are used to press the mold in the longitudinal direction Y.

[0035] Next, specific cross-sectional structures of the receptacle connector 2 and the plug connector 3 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 8 to 12. Fig. 8 is a side view of the connector assembly 1 according to this embodiment before mating, as viewed along the short-side direction X (particularly, the second short-side direction X2). Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly 1 according to this embodiment, as viewed along the line IX-IX in Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, as viewed along the line IX-IX in Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the connector assembly 1 according to this embodiment, as viewed along the line XI-XI in Fig. 8, and Fig. 12 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, as viewed along the line XI-XI in Fig. 8. Note that the lines IX-IX and XI-XI in Fig. 8 are cutting lines positioned so as to cut pairs of terminals (10, 20, 50, 60) adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y in the connectors 2 and 3.

[0036] Here, regarding terminals 10, 20, configurations other than those described with reference to Figures 4 to 7 will be described. As shown in Figures 9 to 12, in terminal 10, the space surrounded by first leg 13, first connecting portion 14, and second leg 15 is filled with resin (housing 30), and the space surrounded by third leg 17, third connecting portion 18, and fourth leg 19 is filled with resin. Also, in terminal 20, the space surrounded by first leg 23, first connecting portion 24, and second leg 25 is filled with resin, and the space surrounded by third leg 27, third connecting portion 28, and fourth leg 29 is filled with resin. In such a terminal 10, when the terminal 50 is inserted into the fitting recess 10a, the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, the second leg 15, and the resin filled in the space surrounded by these are displaced in the short-side direction X together, and the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, the fourth leg 19, and the resin filled in the space surrounded by these are displaced in the short-side direction X together, and in such a terminal 20, when the terminal 60 is inserted into the fitting recess 20a, the first leg 23, the first connecting portion 24, the second leg 25, and the resin filled in the space surrounded by these are displaced in the short-side direction X together, and the third leg 27, the third connecting portion 28, the fourth leg 29, and the resin filled in the space surrounded by these are displaced in the short-side direction X together. Basically, the filling of the resin into the space of the terminals 10 and 20 is performed by insert molding.

[0037] More specifically, in the terminal 20 provided on the longitudinal walls 31 and 32 as shown in Fig. 9, the space surrounded by the first leg 23, the first connecting portion 24, and the second leg 25 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 32, and the space surrounded by the third leg 27, the third connecting portion 28, and the fourth leg 29 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 31. In the terminal 10 provided on the longitudinal walls 31 and 32 as shown in Fig. 11, the space surrounded by the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, and the second leg 15 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 31, and the space surrounded by the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, and the fourth leg 19 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 32. 9, the space surrounded by the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, and the second leg 15 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall portion 34, and the space surrounded by the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, and the fourth leg 19 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall portion 33. In addition, in the terminal 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33 and 34 as shown in FIG. 11 (the terminal 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33 and 34 shown in FIG. 9 is inverted (i.e., inverted left and right) about the axis corresponding to the fitting direction Z), the space surrounded by the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, and the second leg 15 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall portion 33, and the space surrounded by the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, and the fourth leg 19 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall portion 34. 9, the space surrounded by the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, and the second leg 15 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 36, and the space surrounded by the third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, and the fourth leg 19 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 35. In addition, in the terminal 20 provided on the longitudinal wall 35, as shown in FIG. 11, the space surrounded by the first leg 23, the first connecting portion 24, and the second leg 25 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 35, and the space surrounded by the third leg 27, the third connecting portion 28, and the fourth leg 29 is filled with the resin of the longitudinal wall 36.

[0038] 10 and 12, the longitudinal wall 31 has slits 31a extending in the fitting direction Z and the short-side direction X between the terminals 10, 20 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y (see also FIG. 8), and the longitudinal wall 32 has slits 32a extending in the fitting direction Z and the short-side direction X between the terminals 10, 20 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y. Similarly, the longitudinal wall 33, 34 has slits 33a, 34a extending in the fitting direction Z and the short-side direction X between the terminals 10, and the longitudinal wall 35, 36 has slits 35a, 36a extending in the fitting direction Z and the short-side direction X between the terminals 10, 20.

[0039] Next, the terminals 50, 60 of the plug connector 3 will be described. As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 11, the terminal 50 has a first leg 53 and a second leg 55 each extending in the fitting direction Z and spaced apart along the short direction X, an extension 52 connected to the end of the first leg 53 on the downward direction Z1 side and extending in the short direction X and including a mounting portion 51, a connecting portion 54 extending in the short direction X and connecting the end of the first leg 53 on the upward direction Z2 side and the end of the second leg 55 on the upward direction Z2 side, and an extension 56 connected to the end of the second leg 55 on the downward direction Z1 side and extending in the short direction X. The terminal 60 also has a first leg 63 and a second leg 65 which each extend in the mating direction Z and are spaced apart along the short direction X, an extension portion 62 which is connected to the downward Z1 side end of the first leg 63 and extends in the short direction X and includes the mounting portion 61, and a connecting portion 64 which extends in the short direction X and connects the upward Z2 side end of the first leg 63 and the upward Z2 side end of the second leg 65.

[0040] In terminal 50, the connected first leg portion 53, connecting portion 54, and second leg portion 55 are configured to form a substantially U-shape when the resin of housing 70 is filled into the space surrounded by them, and this substantially U-shaped portion is adapted to be inserted into fitting recess 10a of terminal 10 of receptacle connector 2. In addition, in terminal 60, the connected first leg portion 63, connecting portion 64, and second leg portion 65 are configured to form a substantially U-shape when the resin of housing 70 is filled into the space surrounded by them, and this substantially U-shaped portion is adapted to be inserted into fitting recess 20a of terminal 20 of receptacle connector 2.

[0041] Next, the arrangement of the terminals 10, 20 in the receptacle connector 2 will be described. Comparing Fig. 9 with Fig. 11 (also see Fig. 2), the multiple terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 31, 32 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11, 21 of the terminals 10, 20 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y are alternately positioned on the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side. Also, the multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal wall portions 33, 34 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11 of the terminals 10 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y are alternately positioned on the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side (in this case, the adjacent terminals 10 are in a relationship of being inverted (i.e., inverted left and right) on an axis corresponding to the fitting direction Z). The multiple terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal walls 35, 36 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11, 21 of the terminals 10, 20 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y are alternately positioned on the first short side direction X1 side and the second short side direction X2 side.

[0042] 9 and 11, when the terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal walls 31, 32, the terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal walls 33, 34, and the terminals 10, 20 provided on the longitudinal walls 35, 36 are cut in the XZ plane at a certain position in the longitudinal direction Y, three terminals 10, 20 lined up along the short direction X appear, but these are arranged in such a manner that the terminal 10 in the center in the short direction X (the terminal 10 provided on the longitudinal walls 33, 34) is sandwiched not only by the terminal 10 or only by the terminal 20, but by both the terminal 10 and the terminal 20. This is because the terminals 10, 20 arranged at the same corresponding positions in the longitudinal direction Y are different between the longitudinal walls 33, 34 and the longitudinal walls 35, 36. 9 and 11, the mounting portion 11 and the mounting portion 21 of the three terminals 10, 20 aligned along the short-side direction X as described above are located on the same side in the short-side direction X (located on the second short-side direction X2 side in FIG. 9, and located on the first short-side direction X1 side in FIG. 11). When looking at the three terminals 50, 60 of the plug connector 3 aligned along the short-side direction X, the mounting portion 51 and the mounting portion 61 are located on the same side in the short-side direction X.

[0043] 9 and 11, in the multiple terminals 10, 20 alternately provided on the longitudinal walls 31, 32, the contact portion 17a of the third leg 17 which is the main contact of the terminal 10 and the contact portion 25a of the second leg 25 which is the main contact of the terminal 20 are located on the same side in the short-side direction X, specifically, on the second short-side direction X2 side. Similarly, in the multiple terminals 10, 20 alternately provided on the longitudinal walls 35, 36, the contact portion 17a of the third leg 17 which is the main contact of the terminal 10 and the contact portion 25a of the second leg 25 which is the main contact of the terminal 20 are located on the same side in the short-side direction X, specifically, on the first short-side direction X1 side. In contrast, in the multiple terminals 10 provided continuously on the longitudinal walls 33, 34, the contact portions 17a of the third leg portions 17, which are main contacts, are positioned alternately on the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side in the terminals 10 adjacent in the longitudinal direction Y. This is because, in the multiple terminals 10 provided on the longitudinal walls 33, 34, adjacent terminals 10 are inverted (i.e., left-right inverted) on the axis corresponding to the fitting direction Z.

[0044] [Action and Effects] Next, the operation and effects of the receptacle connector 2 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0045] In the receptacle connector 2 according to this embodiment, the terminal 10 includes a first leg 13, a second leg 15, a third leg 17, and a fourth leg 19, which each extend in a fitting direction Z with the plug connector 3 and are spaced apart in sequence along the short direction X, an extension portion 12 connected to an end portion of the first leg 13 on the downward direction Z2 side and extending in the short direction X, a first coupling portion 14 extending in the short direction X and connecting an end portion of the first leg 13 on the upward direction Z1 side and an end portion of the second leg 15 on the upward direction Z1 side, and a second coupling portion 15 extending in the short direction X. The terminal 10 has a second connecting portion 16 connecting an end portion of the second leg 15 on the downward Z2 side to an end portion of the third leg 17 on the downward Z2 side, and a third connecting portion 18 extending in the short direction X to connect an end portion of the third leg 17 on the upward Z1 side to an end portion of the fourth leg 19 on the upward Z1 side. The terminal 10 has a mounting portion 11 to be mounted on a board on an outer surface of the extension portion 12 on the downward Z2 side. The housing 30 fills a space surrounded by the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14 and the second leg 15, and also connects the third leg 17 and the fourth leg 19 to the mounting portion 11 on the The first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, the second leg 15, and the third leg 17 form a fitting recess 10a for receiving a terminal 50 of the plug connector 3 in the space surrounded by the second leg 15, the second connecting portion 16, and the third leg 17. When the terminal 50 is inserted into the fitting recess 10a, the terminal 50 comes into contact with the second leg 15 and the third leg 17, and the first leg 13, the first connecting portion 14, the second leg 15, and the housing 30 filled in the space surrounded by these are integrally configured to be displaceable in the short direction X. The third leg 17, the third connecting portion 18, the fourth leg 19 and the housing 30 filled in the space enclosed by these are configured to be displaceable in the short direction X as a whole (hereinafter, these parts which displace as a whole are collectively referred to as the “second displacement portion”), and the third leg 17 has a width changing portion 17b in the third leg 17 whose width changes in the longitudinal direction Y, and the width changing portion 17b is exposed from the housing 30.

[0046] According to such a receptacle connector 2, when the terminal 50 is inserted into the fitting recess 10a of the terminal 10, the above-mentioned first displacement portion and second displacement portion of the terminal 10 are elastically deformed, and elastic force is generated from both the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion, so that a sufficient contact pressure can be applied to the terminal 50 of the plug connector 3, in other words, the applied contact pressure can be strengthened. Therefore, even if the receptacle connector 2 is made small, the contact pressure applied to the terminal 50 of the plug connector 3 can be appropriately secured. Therefore, for example, even if the connectors 2 and 3 are repeatedly attached and detached, a sufficient contact pressure can be continuously applied, and it is possible to ensure electrical connection between the terminals 10 and 50 of the connectors 2 and 3. In addition, in the present embodiment, the width changing portion 17b of the terminal 10, whose width in the longitudinal direction Y changes, is exposed from the housing 30, so that a mold can be pressed against the terminal 10 in the fitting direction Z at the width changing portion 17b, and the receptacle connector 2 can be appropriately insert-molded.

[0047] In the above, the action and effect of the present embodiment has been described with respect to terminal 10 of receptacle connector 2, but receptacle connector 2 has not only terminal 10 but also terminal 20, which has the same configuration as terminal 10. Therefore, the action and effect of terminal 10 as described above can also be obtained from terminal 20. Here, to avoid redundant explanation, explanation of the action and effect of terminal 20 will be omitted. Similarly, in the following, configurations, actions, and effects common to the terminals 10 and 20 will be described using the terminal 10 as a representative. However, configurations, actions, and effects unique to either the terminal 10 or the terminal 20 will be described by specifically referring to either the terminal 10 or the terminal 20.

[0048] Moreover, in this embodiment, particularly in the terminal 20, the second leg 25 is arranged at a position closer to the mounting portion 21 than the third leg 27, and is configured to protrude more toward the fitting recess 20a than the third leg 27. That is, the terminal 20 has a main contact on the second leg 25, which is closer to the mounting portion 21 among the second leg 25 and the third leg 27. As a result, the fixed mounting portion 21 is located in the vicinity of the second leg 25, so that the elastic force of the portion including the second leg 25 can be strengthened, and the contact pressure at the main contact on the second leg 25 can be accurately ensured.

[0049] In this embodiment, the receptacle connector 2 has a plurality of terminals 10 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, the housing 30 has longitudinal walls 31-36 that hold the plurality of terminals 10, and the longitudinal walls 31-36 have slits 31a-36a extending in the fitting direction Z and the short-side direction X between the plurality of terminals 10. The slits 31a-36a thus provided in the longitudinal walls 31-36 allow the longitudinal walls 31-36 to accurately achieve a desired contact pressure that is neither too much nor too little. In this case, the size, shape, etc. of the slits 31a-36a may be designed so as to achieve the desired contact pressure (i.e., elastic force).

[0050] In the present embodiment, the receptacle connector 2 has a plurality of terminals 10 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, and the plurality of terminals 10 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11 of adjacent terminals 10 in the plurality of terminals 10 are alternately positioned in the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side. This allows the plurality of mounting portions 11 arranged in the longitudinal direction Y to be alternately positioned in the first short-side direction X1 side and the second short-side direction X2 side. This makes it possible to ensure a distance between adjacent mounting portions 11 in the longitudinal direction Y, and allows each of the plurality of mounting portions 11 to be accurately soldered.

[0051] Moreover, in this embodiment, the receptacle connector 2 has a plurality of terminals 10, 20 arranged along the short-side direction X, and the plurality of terminals 10, 20 are arranged such that the mounting portions 11, 21 of adjacent terminals among the plurality of terminals 10, 20 are located on the same side in the short-side direction X. This makes it possible to prevent the mounting portions 11, 21 arranged in the short-side direction X from being located opposite each other (in other words, facing each other). Therefore, it is possible to ensure the distance between the mounting portions 11, 21 adjacent to each other in the short-side direction X, and each of the plurality of mounting portions 11, 21 can be soldered accurately.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the receptacle connector 2 has a plurality of terminals 10, 20 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, and the plurality of terminals 10, 20 are arranged such that the second leg portions 15, 25 and the third leg portions 17, 27 of each of the plurality of terminals 10, 20 that protrude more toward the mating recesses 10a, 20a are located on the same side in the lateral direction X. This allows the main contacts of the plurality of terminals 10, 20 arranged in the longitudinal direction Y to be located on the same side in the lateral direction X.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the receptacle connector 2 has a plurality of terminals 10 arranged along the longitudinal direction Y, and the plurality of terminals 10 are arranged such that, in each of the plurality of terminals 10, the second leg 15 and the third leg 17 whichever protrudes more toward the fitting recess 10a is alternately positioned on the first short side X1 side and the second short side X2 side of the terminals 10 adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction Y. This allows the main contacts of the plurality of terminals 10 arranged in the longitudinal direction Y to be alternately positioned on the first short side X1 side and the second short side X2 side.

[0054] In this embodiment, second leg 15 and third leg 17 are each configured such that portions 15c, 17c of a pair of side surfaces opposing each other in longitudinal direction Y are exposed from housing 30. This allows a mold to be pressed against terminal 10 in longitudinal direction Y at portions 15c, 17c of these side surfaces, making it possible to accurately insert mold receptacle connector 2.

[0055] The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. The present invention can be embodied in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0056] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The electrical connector according to the present invention can be used for applications such as connecting boards with a flat cable in electronic devices such as smartphones and mobile phones that transmit electrical signals at high speeds. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1 Connector Assembly 2 Receptacle connector (electrical connector) 3 Plug Connector 10 Terminals 10a Fitting recess 11 Mounting section 12 Extension 13 1st leg 14 1st connection part 15 Second leg 16 2nd connection part 17 Third leg 17b Width change section 18 Third connection part 19 Fourth leg 20 Terminals 20a Fitting recess 21 Mounting section 22 Extension 23 1st leg 24 1st connection part 25 Second leg 25b Width change section 26 2nd connection part 27 Third leg 28 Third connection part 29 4th leg 30 Housing 31~36 Longitudinal wall 31a~36a Slit section 38 Short wall section X Short direction Y Longitudinal direction Z mating direction

Claims

1. An electrical connector having terminals and a housing for holding the terminals, the electrical connector being mounted on an electrically connected device, The terminal is a first leg portion, a second leg portion, a third leg portion, and a fourth leg portion each extending in a mating direction with a mating connector and spaced apart from each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to the mating direction; an extension portion connected to an end portion of the first leg portion on a first mating direction side, which is one direction in the mating direction, and extending in the lateral direction; a first connecting portion extending in the lateral direction and connecting an end portion of the first leg portion on a second mating direction side opposite to the first mating direction and an end portion of the second leg portion on the second mating direction side; a second connecting portion extending in the lateral direction and connecting an end portion of the second leg portion on the first mating direction side and an end portion of the third leg portion on the first mating direction side; a third connecting portion extending in the lateral direction and connecting an end portion of the third leg portion on the second mating direction side and an end portion of the fourth leg portion on the second mating direction side; having the terminal has a mounting portion to be mounted on the object on an outer surface of the extension portion in the first fitting direction, the housing fills a space surrounded by the first leg portion, the first connecting portion, and the second leg portion of the terminal, and also fills a space surrounded by the third leg portion, the third connecting portion, and the fourth leg portion of the terminal, the terminal forms a mating recess for receiving a terminal of the mating connector by a space surrounded by the second leg, the second connecting portion, and the third leg, and when the terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the mating recess, the terminal comes into contact with the second leg and the third leg, and the first leg, the first connecting portion, the second leg, and the housing filled in the space surrounded by these are configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction as a single unit, and the third leg, the third connecting portion, the fourth leg, and the housing filled in the space surrounded by these are configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction as a single unit, the terminal includes a width changing portion in at least one of the second leg portion and the third leg portion, the width of which changes in a vertical direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the horizontal direction, the width changing portion being exposed from the housing; 1. An electrical connector comprising:

2. The second leg portion is disposed at a position closer to the mounting portion than the third leg portion, and is configured to protrude toward the fitting recessed portion by a larger amount than the third leg portion.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

3. The electrical connector has a plurality of the terminals arranged along the longitudinal direction, The housing has a wall portion extending in the vertical direction and holding the plurality of terminals, and the wall portion has a slit portion extending in the fitting direction and the horizontal direction between each of the plurality of terminals.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

4. The electrical connector has a plurality of the terminals arranged along the longitudinal direction, The plurality of terminals are arranged such that the mounting portions of adjacent terminals among the plurality of terminals are alternately positioned on one side and the opposite side in the lateral direction.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

5. The electrical connector has a plurality of the terminals arranged along the lateral direction, The plurality of terminals are arranged such that the mounting portions of adjacent terminals among the plurality of terminals are located on the same side in the lateral direction.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

6. The electrical connector has a plurality of the terminals arranged along the longitudinal direction, The plurality of terminals are arranged such that one of the second leg portion and the third leg portion, whichever of the second leg portion and the third leg portion protrudes larger toward the fitting recess side, is located on the same side in the lateral direction.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

7. The electrical connector has a plurality of the terminals arranged along the longitudinal direction, The plurality of terminals are arranged such that, in each of the plurality of terminals, one of the second leg portion and the third leg portion that protrudes toward the fitting recess side by a larger amount is alternately positioned on one side and the opposite side in the horizontal direction in terminals adjacent in the vertical direction.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

8. Each of the second leg and the third leg is configured such that a portion of a pair of side surfaces opposing each other in the vertical direction is exposed from the housing.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1.

9. 1. An electrical connector comprising: a housing including a first wall portion, a second wall portion, and a third wall portion each extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to a mating direction with a mating connector and arranged in a spaced relationship along a horizontal direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the vertical direction; a plurality of terminals each including a mounting portion at an end in the horizontal direction for electrically connecting to an object to be mounted, the terminals being separately held by each of the first wall portion, the second wall portion, and the third wall portion of the housing and arranged at a distance along the vertical direction; having The terminal is the housing includes two legs extending in the mating direction and spaced apart along the lateral direction, the two legs being respectively held by the housing, and a connecting portion extending in the lateral direction so as to connect ends of the two legs, a space surrounded by the two legs and the connecting portion forms a mating recess for receiving a terminal of the mating connector; When a terminal of the mating connector is inserted into the mating recess, one of the two legs and a part of the housing that holds the leg are configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction as one unit, and the other of the two legs and a part of the housing that holds the leg are configured to be displaceable in the lateral direction as one unit, The electrical connector includes a first row in which a plurality of the terminals having the mounting portion are provided on the first wall portion along the vertical direction on a first horizontal side in the horizontal direction, a second row in which a plurality of the terminals having the mounting portion are provided on the first wall portion along the vertical direction on a second horizontal side opposite to the first horizontal direction, a third row in which a plurality of the terminals having the mounting portion are provided on the second wall portion along the vertical direction on the first horizontal side, a fourth row in which a plurality of the terminals having the mounting portion are provided on the second wall portion along the vertical direction on the second horizontal side, a fifth row in which a plurality of the terminals having the mounting portion are provided on the first horizontal side on the third wall portion along the vertical direction, and a sixth row in which a plurality of the terminals having the mounting portion on the second horizontal side on the third wall portion along the vertical direction, The plurality of terminals provided on each of the first wall portion, the second wall portion, and the third wall portion are arranged such that the mounting portions of the terminals adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are alternately positioned on the first horizontal direction side and the second horizontal direction side.

1. An electrical connector comprising:

10. 1. A connector assembly comprising: A first connector which is the electrical connector according to claim 1 or 9; A second connector configured to be matable with the first connector; having the second connector has a terminal that is inserted into the fitting recess formed in the terminal of the first connector and is electrically connected to the terminal; A connector assembly comprising:

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