Connector and connector unit

Abstract

To provide a connector and a connector unit, of which a size can be reduced, and reliability is improved.SOLUTION: A connector 100A includes: a metal support layer 10; a first insulation layer 20; a conductor layer 30; and a second insulation layer 40, and is used for a connection with the other connection component. The conductor layer 30 includes a plurality of terminal parts 32, and a plurality of wiring parts 31 that is formed so as to be extended from the plurality of terminal parts 32, and is formed to one surface of the insulation layer 20. The metal support layer 10 includes bending parts A1 to A3, and is formed to the other surface of the insulation layer 20. The metal support layer 10 is bent along the bending parts A1 to A3 in order to form a connection region 50 for being connected to the other connection component. The second insulation layer 40 is formed onto one surface of the first insulation layer 20 so as to cover one part of the plurality of wiring parts 31.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector and a connector unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Connectors are used to connect circuit boards in electronic devices. The connector includes a number of conductive contacts and is mounted on one circuit board by soldering or the like. The multiple contacts of the connector mounted on one circuit board are brought into contact with the multiple contacts of the connector mounted on the other circuit board, respectively. This establishes an electrical connection between the circuit boards.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a connector in which a number of contacts are arranged in a row. The contacts are formed by stamping or pressing a conductive sheet metal material and are inserted into a number of slots arranged in a row. Here, each slot includes a central connecting portion and two legs at both ends. Each contact can be selectively inserted into either the central connecting portion or the legs of the slot. This allows the pitch between adjacent contacts to be changed between a first pitch and a second pitch smaller than the first pitch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-185871 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In recent years, with the miniaturization of electronic devices such as mobile devices, there is a demand for miniaturization of the circuit boards mounted on the electronic devices as well as the connectors used to connect the circuit boards. This requires a reduction in the width of the contacts of the connector and a reduction in the pitch between the contacts.

[0006] However, in Patent Document 1, due to the limit of processing accuracy of the thin metal plate material, it is difficult to reduce the width of the contact. Also, in the circuit board, the land parts for mounting the contacts are arranged relatively widely apart to prevent short circuits due to solder contact. In this case, the multiple contacts are also arranged relatively widely apart, and the pitch between the multiple contacts cannot be reduced.

[0007] Furthermore, when mounting the connector on the circuit board using solder, the molten solder may flow in an unintended direction between the connector and the circuit board, which may reduce the reliability of the connector after mounting.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector and a connector unit which can be miniaturized and have improved reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A connector according to one aspect of the present invention is a connector used for connecting to other connection components, and comprises a first insulating layer, a mounting portion and a wiring portion extending from the mounting portion, a conductor layer formed on one side of the first insulating layer, a metal support layer having a bent portion and formed on the other side of the first insulating layer, and a second insulating layer formed so as to cover a portion of the wiring portion, and the metal support layer is bent along the bent portion to form a connection region for connecting to the other connection component.

[0010] A connector unit according to another aspect of the present invention includes a first connector which is the connector described above, and a second connector which is connected to the connection region of the first connector. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of a connector and a connector unit, and to improve the reliability of the connector and the connector unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a connector unit according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the connector before bending. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of one of the connectors. [Figure 4] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the configuration of the other connector. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a connector assembly sheet. [Figure 6] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 7] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 8] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 9] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 10] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 11] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 12] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 13] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 14] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 15] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 16] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 17] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 18] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 19] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing method for a connector. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a connector according to a second embodiment. [Figure 21] 13 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the connector according to the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a connector according to a third embodiment. [Diagram 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 22. [Figure 24] 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 22. [Diagram 25] 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. 22. [Figure 26] 13 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the connector according to the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 27] 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 26. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A connector and a connector unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] 1. First embodiment <1> Connector Basic Configuration FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a connector unit according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector unit 1 includes two connectors 100. Each connector 100 is manufactured by folding a laminate including a metal support layer 10, a first insulating layer 20, a conductor layer 30, and a second insulating layer 40 into a predetermined shape. In FIG. 1, in order to facilitate understanding of the structure, a hatched pattern is applied to the metal support layer 10, and a dot pattern is applied to the first insulating layer 20. Furthermore, in FIG. 1 and certain figures from FIG. 2 onwards, which will be described later, only the outline of the second insulating layer 40 is shown by a thick two-dot chain line so that the structure of the portion covered by the second insulating layer 40 can be easily understood.

[0015] In the following description, when the two connectors 100 need to be distinguished from each other, the two connectors 100 are referred to as connectors 100A and 100B, respectively. Connector 100A is a plug-type connector and has a convex portion 101 formed by bending. Connector 100B is a receptacle-type connector and has a concave portion 102 formed by bending. The convex portion 101 of connector 100A and the concave portion 102 of connector 100B are fitted together, whereby the conductor layers 30 of the connectors 100A and 100B come into contact with each other. This electrically connects connector 100A and connector 100B.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the connector 100 before bending. As shown in FIG. 2, before bending, the metal support layer 10 has a substantially rectangular shape. The longitudinal direction of the metal support layer 10 is called the first direction, and the width direction (short direction) of the metal support layer 10 is called the second direction. The metal support layer 10 is formed of, for example, a material having spring characteristics. In this example, the metal support layer 10 is formed of stainless steel. The first insulating layer 20 includes, for example, a resin material, and is formed on the entire surface of the metal support layer 10. In this example, the first insulating layer 20 includes polyimide. The thickness of the first insulating layer 20 is, for example, 3 μm or more and 12.5 μm or less.

[0017] The conductor layer 30 contains, for example, copper, and is formed on the first insulating layer 20. The conductor layer 30 has a plurality of (six in this example) wiring portions 31 and a plurality of (six in this example) terminal portions 32. The plurality of terminal portions 32 are provided so as to be aligned at equal intervals in the second direction near one end portion of the first insulating layer 20 in the first direction. The plurality of wiring portions 31 are provided on the first insulating layer 20 so as to extend in the first direction from the plurality of terminal portions 32 and to be aligned in the second direction. The width (length in the second direction) of each wiring portion 31 is, for example, 10 μm or more and 400 μm or less, preferably 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less, and more preferably 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less. The pitch of the wiring parts 31 (the distance between adjacent wiring parts 31) is, for example, 50 μm or more and 400 μm or less, preferably 50 μm or more and 250 μm or less, and more preferably 0.2 mm (200 μm) or less. In this case, the connector 100 can be easily miniaturized. The multiple terminal parts 32 are respectively connected to multiple land parts of a circuit board (not shown) by solder. In this way, the connector 100 is mounted on the circuit board.

[0018] In the conductor layer 30, boundaries between the wiring portions 31 and the terminal portions 32 are set at a common position in the first direction. In Fig. 2, an imaginary straight line VL1 extending in the second direction is indicated by a dashed line. This imaginary straight line VL1 is a straight line passing through multiple boundaries between the wiring portions 31 and the terminal portions 32 in a plan view.

[0019] The dimension D1 in the first direction of each terminal portion 32 is 30 μm or more and 750 μm or less. The dimension D2 in the second direction of each terminal portion 32 is, for example, 10 μm or more and 400 μm or less, preferably 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less, and more preferably 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less, similar to the width of each wiring portion 31. When the dimension D1 in the first direction of each terminal portion 32 is 30 μm or more and 750 μm or less and the dimension D2 in the second direction of each terminal portion 32 is 10 μm or more and 250 μm or less, the connector 100 can be more easily miniaturized.

[0020] In this embodiment, the dimension D1 in the first direction of the multiple terminals 32 may be the same, or the dimension D1 in the first direction of some of the terminals 32 may be different from the dimension D1 in the first direction of the other terminals 32. Also, in this embodiment, the dimension D2 in the second direction of the multiple terminals 32 may be the same, or the dimension D2 in the second direction of some of the terminals 32 may be different from the dimension D2 in the second direction of the other terminals 32.

[0021] The second insulating layer 40 includes, for example, a resin material, and is formed on the first insulating layer 20 so as to cover a part of the conductor layer 30. Specifically, the second insulating layer 40 is formed on the first insulating layer 20 so as to cover a part of the wiring portion 31 from the boundary between the terminal portion 32 and the wiring portion 31 of the conductor layer 30. In the example of FIG. 2, the second insulating layer 40 has a rectangular shape extending in the second direction from one long side to the other long side of the first insulating layer 20 within a part of the first direction of the first insulating layer 20. In this example, the second insulating layer 40 includes polyimide. The thickness of the second insulating layer 40 is, for example, 5 μm or more and 30 μm or less. In the example of FIG. 2, a part of the second insulating layer 40 is formed so as to fill the gaps between the multiple wiring portions 31.

[0022] The configuration of the connector 100 has been described with reference to Fig. 2, so further features of each of the connectors 100A and 100B will be described below. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of one of the connectors, 100A. The left part of Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the connector 100A before bending, and the right part of Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the connector 100A after bending. As shown in the left part of Fig. 3, the metal support layer 10 of the connector 100A extends in the second direction and has three bent parts A1, A2, A3 arranged in this order in the first direction.

[0023] In this example, the region of the connector 100A including the bent portions A2 and A3 becomes the connection region 50 for connection to the connector 100B. That is, the portion of the wiring portion 31 in the connection region 50 becomes the contact portion 51 for contacting the wiring portion 31 of the connector 100B. Therefore, the contact portion 51 is provided so as to straddle the bent portions A2 and A3. In the left part of FIG. 3, the contact portion 51 of each wiring portion 31 is shown by a hatched pattern. The contact portion 51 may be nickel-plated or gold-plated. In this case, the electrical connectivity of the contact portion 51 is improved.

[0024] The connector 100A is bent along the bends A1-A3 so that the metal support layer 10 is on the inside and the conductor layer 30 is on the outside. In this example, the bending angle of the connector 100A at each of the bends A1-A3 is approximately 90 degrees. That is, the connector 100A is bent so that the angle between two regions of the metal support layer 10 sandwiching each of the bends A1-A3 is approximately 90 degrees.

[0025] By bending the connector 100A, the connection area 50 becomes convex as shown in the right part of Fig. 3. This forms a convex portion 101 on the connector 100A. After bending, each dimension of the connector 100A in the second direction (width direction), height direction, and depth direction is, for example, 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. In the example on the right part of Fig. 3, the up-down direction is the height direction, and the direction perpendicular to the width direction and height direction is the depth direction.

[0026] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the other connector 100B. The left part of Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the connector 100B before bending, and the right part of Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the connector 100B after bending. As shown in the left part of Fig. 4, the metal support layer 10 of the connector 100B extends in the second direction and has six bent parts B1 to B6 arranged in this order in the first direction.

[0027] In this example, the region of the connector 100B including the bent portions B4 and B5 becomes the connection region 50 for connection to the connector 100A. That is, the portion of the wiring portion 31 in the connection region 50 becomes the contact portion 51 for contacting the wiring portion 31 of the connector 100A. Therefore, the contact portion 51 is provided so as to straddle the bent portions B4 and B5. In the left part of FIG. 4, the contact portion 51 of each wiring portion 31 is shown by a hatched pattern. As with the connector 100A, the contact portion 51 may be nickel-plated or gold-plated.

[0028] The connector 100B is bent along the bends B1-B6 so that the metal support layer 10 is on the inside and the conductor layer 30 is on the outside. In this example, the bending angle of the connector 100B at each of the bends B1-B6 is approximately 90 degrees. That is, the connector 100B is bent so that the angle between two regions of the metal support layer 10 sandwiching each of the bends B1-B6 is approximately 90 degrees.

[0029] By bending the connector 100B, the connection area 50 becomes concave as shown in the right part of Fig. 4. This forms a recess 102 in the connector 100B. After bending, each dimension of the connector 100B in the second direction (width direction), height direction, and depth direction is, for example, 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. In the example of the right part of Fig. 4, the up-down direction is the height direction, and the direction perpendicular to the width direction and height direction is the depth direction.

[0030] <2> Connector manufacturing method Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a connector assembly sheet. As shown in Fig. 5, in this embodiment, a plurality of connectors 100 are formed in an aligned state on a connector assembly sheet 2 by a roll-to-roll method. Connectors 100A and 100B may be formed on separate connector assembly sheets 2.

[0031] A method for manufacturing the connector 100 will be described below with reference to a cross section of one connector 100 formed on the connector assembly sheet 2. Figures 6 to 19 are views for explaining one example of a method for manufacturing the connector 100. Figures 6 to 19 correspond to cross sections of the connector 100 taken along line AA in Figure 2. Note that while a method for manufacturing the connector 100A will be described in Figures 6 to 19, the method for manufacturing the connector 100B is also similar, except that in Figures 6 to 19, bent portions B1 to B6 are formed in the metal support layer 10 instead of bent portions A1 to A3.

[0032] First, as shown in FIG. 6, a metal sheet 2A made of, for example, stainless steel is prepared. The thickness of the metal sheet 2A is, for example, 35 μm to 100 μm, and preferably 50 μm to 100 μm. The material of the metal sheet 2A is not limited to stainless steel, and may be other metals such as aluminum. Next, as shown in FIG. 7, a mask 110 is formed on a specific portion of the metal sheet 2A. The mask 110 may be formed, for example, by exposing and developing a photosensitive dry film resist.

[0033] Next, the portion of the metal sheet 2A exposed from the mask 110 is etched using an etching solution. The etching solution may be, for example, a ferric chloride solution. As a result, the portion of the metal sheet 2A exposed from the mask 110 is removed, and the metal support layer 10 is formed, as shown in FIG. 8. Thereafter, the mask 110 is removed from the metal support layer 10, as shown in FIG.

[0034] Next, as shown in Fig. 10, a mask 120 having a plurality of (three in this example) linear slits 121 is formed on the metal support layer 10. The method for forming the mask 120 is the same as the method for forming the mask 110. Then, the portions of the metal support layer 10 exposed from the slits 121 of the mask 120 are etched for a relatively short time using an etching solution. The etching solution may be the same as the etching solution used in the steps of Figs. 7 and 8. As a result, a plurality of (three in this example) linear shallow grooves a1, a2, and a3 are formed in the metal support layer 10 as shown in Fig. 11.

[0035] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 12, the mask 120 is removed from the metal support layer 10. The portions of the metal support layer 10 where the grooves a1 to a3 are formed become the bent portions A1 to A3 of the metal support layer 10, respectively. Moreover, the region including the bent portions A2 and A3 becomes the connection region 50 of the connector 100. Note that the steps in Figs. 10 to 12 may be performed before the steps in Figs. 7 to 9. Moreover, the grooves a1 to a3 may be formed by laser processing using, for example, a YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) laser, instead of the steps in Figs. 10 to 12.

[0036] Next, as shown in FIG. 13, a first insulating layer 20 is formed on the upper surface of the metal support layer 10. The first insulating layer 20 may be formed by applying a photosensitive resin precursor to the entire upper surface of the metal support layer 10 and exposing the photosensitive resin precursor to ultraviolet light. In this example, the material of the first insulating layer 20 is polyimide, but it may be other resins such as epoxy. Next, as shown in FIG. 14, a seed layer 30A is formed so as to cover the upper surface of the first insulating layer 20. The seed layer 30A is formed by, for example, sputtering. Examples of materials for the seed layer 30A include chromium, copper, nickel, titanium, and alloys thereof.

[0037] 15, a mask 130 having a predetermined pattern of openings 131 is formed on the upper surface of the seed layer 30A. The pattern of the openings 131 is the inverse of the pattern of the conductor layer 30 in FIG 2. The method for forming the mask 130 is similar to the method for forming the mask 110.

[0038] Next, as shown in Fig. 16, a plating layer 30B is formed on the upper surface of the seed layer 30A through the opening 131 of the mask 130 by, for example, copper plating. Then, as shown in Fig. 17, the mask 130 and the exposed portions of the seed layer 30A are sequentially removed. This forms a conductor layer 30 having a laminated structure of the seed layer 30A and the plating layer 30B. As shown by the dashed line in Fig. 17, in each portion of the conductor layer 30, a wiring portion 31 and a terminal portion 32 are set so as to be adjacent to each other across a predetermined boundary on the first insulating layer 20. The portion of the wiring portion 31 located on the connection region 50 becomes a contact portion 51.

[0039] Next, as shown in Fig. 18, a second insulating layer 40 is formed on the upper surface of the first insulating layer 20 so as to cover a portion of each wiring portion 31 of the conductor layer 30. Note that the seed layer 30A is not shown in Figs. 18 and 19. Here, a portion of each wiring portion 31 includes a portion of a predetermined length in the first direction from the boundary between the corresponding terminal portion 32 and the wiring portion 31. The predetermined length is, for example, not less than 3250 µm and not more than 3970 µm, and is preferably set so that the second insulating layer 40 does not overlap any of the bent portions A1, A2, and A3.

[0040] The second insulating layer 40 may be formed by applying a photosensitive resin precursor to the entire upper surface of the first insulating layer 20 and exposing the photosensitive resin precursor in a predetermined area to ultraviolet light. In this example, the material of the second insulating layer 40 is polyimide, but it may be other resins such as epoxy.

[0041] By forming the second insulating layer 40, the connector assembly sheet 2 in Fig. 5 on which the multiple connectors 100A before folding are formed is completed. In this example, a first metal coating layer 32a and a second metal coating layer 32b are further formed on the surfaces (upper and side surfaces) of the terminal portions 32 as shown in Fig. 19.

[0042] The first metal coating layer 32a is, for example, nickel, and the second metal coating layer 32b is, for example, gold. In this case, the first metal coating layer 32a improves the adhesion between the copper plating layer 30B and the second metal coating layer 32b. In addition, the second metal coating layer 32b protects the plating layer 30B and prevents corrosion of the plating layer 30B.

[0043] 14 to 17, the conductor layer 30 is formed by a semi-additive method, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The conductor layer 30 may be formed by an additive method or a subtractive method.

[0044] Thereafter, the connectors 100A are collected from the connector assembly sheet 2. Finally, the collected connectors 100A are folded along the folding portions A1 to A3. This completes the connector 100A on the right side of FIG. 3. According to the above manufacturing method, it is not necessary to use an adhesive layer in manufacturing the connector 100. This can improve the heat resistance of the connector 100.

[0045] <3> effect (a) In the connector 100 according to the present embodiment, a conductor layer 30 having a plurality of terminal portions 32 and a plurality of wiring portions 31 is formed on one surface of a first insulating layer 20. In addition, a metal support layer 10 having bend portions A1-A3 or bend portions B1-B6 is formed on the other surface of the first insulating layer 20. The metal support layer 10 is bent along the bend portions A1-A3 or bend portions B1-B6 to form a connection region 50.

[0046] According to this configuration, it is possible to manufacture the connector 100 using a manufacturing technique for a wired circuit board. Therefore, the connection area 50 can be formed small. In addition, the pattern of the conductor layer 30 can be formed arbitrarily using the manufacturing technique for the wired circuit board, which improves the degree of freedom in arranging the multiple terminal portions 32. Therefore, even if the connection area 50 is formed small, the multiple terminal portions 32 can be arranged so that a short circuit does not occur when the connector 100 is mounted on a circuit board or the like by soldering. As a result, the connector 100 can be made small.

[0047] Specifically, in the connection region 50, a plurality of contact portions 51 that come into contact with other connectors 100 are provided so as to extend in a first direction and to be aligned in a second direction intersecting the first direction. In this case, the connector 100 can be used for transmitting various electric signals. Furthermore, by using a manufacturing technique for wired circuit boards, it is possible to reduce the width of each contact portion 51 in the second direction and to reduce the pitch between the plurality of contact portions 51. Therefore, even when the plurality of contact portions 51 are aligned in the second direction, the connector 100 can be made smaller in size.

[0048] Furthermore, when the connector 100 is mounted on a circuit board or the like using solder, there is a possibility that the molten solder may move from the surface of the terminal portion 32 along the surface of the wiring portion 31. Excess solder adhering to the wiring portion 31 reduces the reliability of the connector 100. In response to this, in the above-described connector 100, the second insulating layer 40 is formed on the first insulating layer 20 so as to cover a part of the wiring portion 31 without covering the terminal portion 32. As a result, even if molten solder comes into contact with the terminal portion 32, the movement of the solder from the terminal portion 32 toward the wiring portion 31 is restricted by the second insulating layer 40.

[0049] As a result, the connector 100 can be made smaller and its reliability can be improved.

[0050] (b) In the above connector 100, the second insulating layer 40 is formed so as to cover a part of the wiring portion 31 from the boundary between the terminal portion 32 and the wiring portion 31 which are integrally formed. That is, a portion of the wiring portion 31 with a predetermined length from the boundary between the terminal portion 32 and the wiring portion 31 is covered by the second insulating layer 40. This prevents the molten solder from moving from the surface of the terminal portion 32 to the surface of the wiring portion 31 even when the molten solder comes into contact with the terminal portion 32. Furthermore, the presence of the second insulating layer 40 as described above allows the terminal portion 32 which is formed with minute dimensions to be subjected to a surface treatment.

[0051] (c) In each of the connector 100A in Fig. 3 and the connector 100B in Fig. 4, the second insulating layer 40 is provided on the first insulating layer 20 so as not to overlap any of the plurality of bent portions A1-A3, B1-B6 in a plan view. This prevents the second insulating layer 40 from being bent, reducing the likelihood of the second insulating layer 40 peeling off from the first insulating layer 20. Furthermore, since the thickness of the connector 100 does not increase at the bent portions A1-A3, B1-B6, ease of bending is maintained and a decrease in accuracy of the bending process due to the thickness is suppressed.

[0052] (d) Since the connector unit 1 includes the connectors 100A, 100B that are connected to each other, it is possible to reduce the size of the connector unit 1. This allows the connector unit 1 to be mounted in small electronic devices such as mobile devices.

[0053] 2. Second embodiment In the connector 100 according to the first embodiment, the multiple terminal portions 32 are arranged to line up along a straight line (for example, the imaginary straight line VL1 in FIG. 2) extending in the second direction. That is, the multiple terminal portions 32 are provided at the same position in the first direction. However, the embodiment is not limited to this. Some of the multiple terminal portions 32 may be provided at different positions in the first direction relative to the other terminal portions 32.

[0054] The connector according to the second embodiment will be described with respect to differences from the connector 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 20 is a plan view showing one configuration example of the connector according to the second embodiment. The plan view of Fig. 20 corresponds to the plan view of Fig. 2 described in the first embodiment, and shows the connector 100 before bending.

[0055] If the distance between each two adjacent terminals 32 becomes small, a short circuit is likely to occur between the adjacent terminals 32 when the connector 100 is mounted on a circuit board or the like by soldering. On the other hand, there are cases where it is desired to arrange a large number of terminals 32 in a narrow area in the second direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the positions in the first direction of each two terminals 32 adjacent to each other in the second direction are set to be different from each other. In the example of FIG. 20, the multiple terminals 32 are arranged in a staggered manner in the second direction. In other words, the multiple terminals 32 are arranged in a zigzag manner in the second direction. In this case, even if the multiple terminals 32 are arranged at a high density in the second direction, each two terminals 32 adjacent to each other in the second direction are spaced apart from each other in the first direction. Therefore, the distance between each two terminals 32 can be made larger than when the multiple terminals 32 are arranged along a straight line.

[0056] With this configuration, in the connector 100 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to make the pitch of the wiring portions 31 (the distance between adjacent wiring portions 31) smaller than that of the connector 100 according to the first embodiment. In the connector 100 of FIG. 20, the pitch of the wiring portions 31 in the second direction is smaller than that of the connector 100 according to the first embodiment. In addition, the pitch of the terminal portions 32 in the second direction is also smaller than that of the connector 100 according to the first embodiment. As a result, the connector 100 of FIG. 20 includes a larger number (nine in this example) of wiring portions 31 and a larger number (nine in this example) of terminal portions 32 than that of the connector 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0057] Furthermore, in the connector 100 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of (13 in this example) second insulating layers 40 are formed on the first insulating layer 20 so as to cover a plurality of portions of the conductor layer 30 excluding the plurality of terminal portions 32. Specifically, each of the plurality of second insulating layers 40 is formed so as to cover a portion of the wiring portion 31 within a predetermined length range from the boundary between the wiring portion 31 and the terminal portion 32. In this case, the outer surfaces of the plurality of wiring portions 31 are covered by the second insulating layer 40 at positions near the plurality of terminal portions 32 of the conductor layer 30 and are not exposed.

[0058] Therefore, when the multiple terminals 32 are mounted on a circuit board or the like with solder, the solder in contact with one terminal 32 is prevented from flowing to another terminal 32 adjacent to the one terminal 32 or moving along the surface of the wiring portion 31. As a result, excess solder is prevented from adhering to the wiring portion 31, and the occurrence of short circuits between the multiple terminals 32 due to solder is reduced.

[0059] Each of the multiple second insulating layers 40 according to the present embodiment is preferably provided so as not to overlap any of the multiple bent portions set in the metal support layer 10 in a plan view, similar to the second insulating layer 40 according to the first embodiment. In this case, since the second insulating layer 40 is not bent, peeling of the second insulating layer 40 from the first insulating layer 20 is reduced. Furthermore, since the thickness of the connector 100 at the bent portion does not increase, the ease of bending is maintained and a decrease in accuracy of the bending process due to the thickness is suppressed.

[0060] 20, the pitch of the terminal portions 32 in the second direction is set to be constant, but the pitch of the terminal portions 32 in the second direction does not have to be constant. In this case, only two terminal portions 32 having a small pitch in the second direction among the multiple terminal portions 32 may be disposed at different positions from each other in the first direction. That is, some of the multiple terminal portions 32 may be arranged along a straight line extending in the second direction, and the remaining terminal portions 32 may be arranged in a zigzag pattern in the second direction.

[0061] Here, in the connector 100 of FIG. 20, the first insulating layer 20 has a pair of short sides at both ends in the first direction. Of the pair of short sides of the first insulating layer 20, one short side (the lower short side in FIG. 20) is called one short side SS. Also, among the multiple terminal parts 32, the multiple terminal parts 32 close to the one short side SS of the first insulating layer 20 are called multiple outer terminal parts. That is, the multiple terminal parts 32 located closer to the one short side SS of the first insulating layer 20 are called multiple outer terminal parts. Also, the multiple terminal parts 32 located farther from the one short side SS than the multiple outer terminal parts are called multiple inner terminal parts. In this case, the conductor layer 30 may have a configuration in which the wiring part 31 is not formed between the multiple inner terminal parts and the one short side SS.

[0062] Fig. 21 is a plan view showing another example of the configuration of the connector according to the second embodiment. In the connector 100 in Fig. 21, the shape of the conductor layer 30 is different from that of the conductor layer 30 in Fig. 20. In the conductor layer 30 in Fig. 21, the wiring parts 31 are not formed between the inner terminal parts 32i and one short side SS of the first insulating layer 20. Even in such a configuration, the inner terminal parts 32i and the outer terminal parts 32o are arranged in a zigzag pattern in the second direction, so that excess solder is prevented from adhering to the wiring parts 31 and the occurrence of short circuits between the terminal parts 32 due to solder, as in the example in Fig. 20.

[0063] 3. Third embodiment The connector according to the third embodiment will be described with respect to the differences from the connector 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 22 is a plan view showing one configuration example of the connector according to the third embodiment. Fig. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 22, Fig. 24 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 22, and Fig. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 22. In the cross-sectional views of Figs. 24 to 25, the conductor layer 30 is shown by one type of hatching pattern.

[0064] In the connector 100 according to the present embodiment, a part of the second insulating layer 40 is formed in a part of the region of the upper surface of the first insulating layer 20 where the conductor layer 30 is not formed. In the connector 100 of FIG. 22, a part of the second insulating layer 40 is formed in a band shape extending in the second direction on a region between the plurality of terminal portions 32 and one short side SS of the metal support layer 10 in a plan view. In the following description, in the example of FIG. 22, a part of the second insulating layer 40 located between the plurality of terminal portions 32 and one short side SS of the metal support layer 10 in a plan view is referred to as a guide portion 40G.

[0065] 22, the guide portion 40G is adjacent to some of the multiple terminal portions 32. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, the thickness of the second insulating layer 40 including the guide portion 40G is set to be greater than the thickness of the conductor layer 30 in the stacking direction of the metal supporting layer 10 and the first insulating layer 20. As a result, the height position of the upper end portion (upper end surface) of the second insulating layer 40 is located higher than the height position of the upper end portion (upper end surface) of the conductor layer 30 in the stacking direction of the metal supporting layer 10 and the first insulating layer 20.

[0066] According to this configuration, when molten solder is placed on one terminal portion 32, the guide portion 40G formed adjacent to the one terminal portion 32 prevents the solder from flowing from the terminal portion 32 toward the one short side SS. In this manner, the guide portion 40G functions as a guide portion for keeping the molten solder on the terminal portion 32. As a result, when the multiple terminal portions 32 are mounted on a circuit board or the like by solder, the occurrence of short circuits between the multiple terminal portions 32 due to solder is reduced.

[0067] In this embodiment, the second insulating layer 40 may be formed to surround each terminal portion 32 in a plan view. Fig. 26 is a plan view showing another configuration example of the connector according to the third embodiment. Fig. 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in Fig. 26. The cross-sectional view in Fig. 27 corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 24. In the cross-sectional view in Fig. 27, the conductor layer 30 is shown by one type of hatching pattern, similar to the example in Fig. 24.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 26, the connector 100 of this example is different from the connector 100 of FIG. 22 in that the second insulating layer 40 is formed on the first insulating layer 20 so as to surround each terminal portion 32. According to this configuration, as shown by the outlined arrow in FIG. 27, the upper surface of each terminal portion 32 is surrounded by the second insulating layer 40 in a state of being exposed facing upward. As a result, a recess is formed with the upper surface of the terminal portion 32 as the bottom. Therefore, when molten solder is placed on one terminal portion 32, the molten solder is guided by the second insulating layer 40 and held in the recess. As a result, when the multiple terminal portions 32 are mounted on a circuit board or the like by solder, the occurrence of short circuits between the multiple terminal portions 32 due to the solder is further reduced.

[0069] 4. Other embodiments 19, the first metal coating layer 32a and the second metal coating layer 32b are formed on the surface of the terminal portion 32, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The first metal coating layer 32a and the second metal coating layer 32b do not have to be formed on the surface of the terminal portion 32. Alternatively, only one of the first metal coating layer 32a and the second metal coating layer 32b may be formed on the surface of the terminal portion 32.

[0070] (b) In the above embodiment, the bending angle of the metal support layer 10 along the bending portions A1 to A3 or B1 to B6 is 90 degrees, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The bending angle of the metal support layer 10 may be another angle. Here, the bending angle of the metal support layer 10 is preferably 20 degrees or more and 150 degrees or less. In this case, damage to the metal support layer 10 due to bending can be more reliably prevented.

[0071] (c) In the above embodiment, the connection region 50 has a convex or concave shape. Therefore, the metal support layer 10 has two or more bent portions A1 to A3 or B1 to B6. In this case, the connector 100 contacts other connecting components more reliably. This can improve the reliability of the connection of the connector 100.

[0072] However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. As long as the connector 100 contacts other connecting parts with sufficient reliability, the metal support layer 10 only needs to have one bent portion, and the connection area 50 does not need to have a convex or concave shape. For example, in the connector unit 1, two or more metal support layers 10 that are connected to each other may have the same shape.

[0073] (d) In the above embodiment, the bends A1 to A3 or the bends B1 to B6 are formed by forming grooves at predetermined positions in the metal support layer 10, but this is not limited to the above. The bends A1 to A3 or the bends B1 to B6 may be formed by forming linear marks or the like on the metal support layer 10. Alternatively, nothing in particular may be formed on the metal support layer 10 as long as the metal support layer 10 can be bent at the bends A1 to A3 or the bends B1 to B6.

[0074] (e) In the above embodiment, the connector 100 is distributed in a folded state, but the embodiment is not limited to this. The connector 100 may be distributed in an unfolded state.

[0075] Even in this case, in the connector 100, a conductor layer 30 having a plurality of terminal portions 32 and a plurality of wiring portions 31 is formed on one surface of a first insulating layer 20. In addition, a metal support layer 10 having bent portions A1-A3 or B1-B6 is formed on the other surface of the first insulating layer 20. The metal support layer 10 can be bent along the bent portions A1-A3 or B1-B6, and the contact portion 51 is provided so as to straddle the bent portions A1-A3 or B1-B6.

[0076] According to this configuration, connector 100 is distributed in an unfolded state. After distribution of connector 100, a user of connector 100 can form connection region 50 for connection to another connection component by folding metal support layer 10 along folding portions A1-A3 or folding portions B1-B6.

[0077] (f) In the connector 100 according to the first embodiment, the multiple terminal portions 32 may be arranged in a staggered pattern in the second direction, similar to the second embodiment. In other words, in the connector 100 according to the first embodiment, the multiple terminal portions 32 may be arranged in a zigzag pattern in the second direction.

[0078] 5. Correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment Below, examples of the correspondence between each component of the claims and each part of the embodiment will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Various other elements having the configuration or function described in the claims can also be used as each component of the claims.

[0079] In the above embodiment, connectors 100, 100A, 100B are examples of connectors, one of connectors 100A, 100B is another example of a connector, the other of connectors 100A, 100B is an example of another connecting part, first insulating layer 20 is an example of an insulating layer, terminal portion 32 is an example of a mounting portion, wiring portion 31 is an example of a wiring portion, and conductor layer 30 is an example of a conductor layer.

[0080] In addition, bend portions A1 to A3 and B1 to B6 are examples of bend portions, metal support layer 10 is an example of a metal support layer, second insulating layer 40 is an example of a second insulating layer, connection region 50 is an example of a connection region, two terminal portions 32 adjacent to each other in the second direction in connector 100 of Figure 20 are examples of a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, respectively, and inner terminal portion 32i and outer terminal portion 32o adjacent to each other in the second direction in connector 100 of Figure 21 are examples of a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion, respectively.

[0081] In addition, the first metal coating layer 32a and the second metal coating layer 32b are examples of metal coating layers, one of the connectors 100A, 100B is an example of a first connector, the other of the connectors 100A, 100B is an example of a second connector, and the connector unit 1 is an example of a connector unit.

[0082] 6. Summary of the embodiment (1) The connector according to paragraph 1 is A connector used for connecting to other connection components, A first insulating layer; a conductor layer having a mounting portion and a wiring portion extending from the mounting portion and formed on one surface of the first insulating layer; a metal support layer having a bent portion and formed on the other surface of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer formed so as to cover a portion of the wiring portion; The metal supporting layer is folded along the bent portion to form a connection region for connecting to the other connecting component.

[0083] In this connector, a conductor layer having a mounting portion and a wiring portion is formed on one surface of a first insulating layer, and a metal support layer having a bent portion is formed on the other surface of the first insulating layer. The metal support layer is bent along the bent portion to form a connection region.

[0084] According to this configuration, it is possible to manufacture the connector using a manufacturing technique for wired circuit boards. Therefore, the connection area can be formed small. In addition, the manufacturing technique for wired circuit boards allows the pattern of the conductor layer to be formed arbitrarily, improving the degree of freedom in arranging the mounting part. Therefore, even if the connection area is formed small, the mounting part can be arranged so that a short circuit does not occur when the mounting part is mounted on a circuit board or the like by soldering.

[0085] Furthermore, when the mounting portion is mounted on a circuit board or the like by soldering, there is a possibility that the molten solder may move from the surface of the mounting portion along the surface of the wiring portion. Excess solder adhering to the wiring portion reduces the reliability of the connector. In response to this, in the above connector, a second insulating layer is formed on one side of the first insulating layer so as to cover a portion of the wiring portion without covering the mounting portion. As a result, even if molten solder comes into contact with the mounting portion, the movement of the solder from the mounting portion toward the portion of the wiring portion is restricted by the second insulating layer.

[0086] As a result, the connector can be made smaller and its reliability can be improved.

[0087] (2) In the connector according to the first aspect, The second insulating layer may cover the portion of the wiring portion from a boundary between the mounting portion and the wiring portion.

[0088] In this case, a portion of the wiring part that is a predetermined length from the boundary between the mounting part and the wiring part is covered with the second insulating layer, so that even if molten solder comes into contact with the mounting part, the molten solder is prevented from migrating from the surface of the mounting part to the surface of the wiring part.

[0089] (3) In the connector according to the first or second aspect, the conductor layer includes a plurality of mounting portions and a plurality of wiring portions; the wiring portions are formed so as to extend in a first direction from the mounting portions, the plurality of mounting portions are arranged to be spaced apart in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and include a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion adjacent to each other in the second direction; A position of the first mounting portion in the first direction and a position of the second mounting portion in the first direction may be different from each other.

[0090] In this case, even if the multiple mounting parts are arranged at high density in the second direction, the first mounting part and the second mounting part are spaced apart from each other in the first direction, thereby reducing the occurrence of short circuits between the first mounting part and the second mounting part due to solder when the multiple mounting parts are mounted on a circuit board or the like.

[0091] (4) In the connector according to the third aspect, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; The length of each of the plurality of mounting portions in the first direction is not less than 30 μm and not more than 750 μm, The length of each of the plurality of mounting portions in the second direction may be not less than 10 μm and not more than 250 μm.

[0092] In this case, the connector can be more easily miniaturized.

[0093] (5) In the connector according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, a portion of the second insulating layer is formed on a region of the one surface of the first insulating layer where the conductor layer is not formed, so as to surround a portion of the mounting portion or to be adjacent to the mounting portion; In a stacking direction of the metal support layer and the first insulating layer, a thickness of a portion of the second insulating layer may be larger than a thickness of the conductor layer.

[0094] In this case, when molten solder is placed on the mounting portion, a part of the second insulating layer functions as a guide for keeping the solder on the mounting portion, thereby further reducing the occurrence of short circuits caused by the solder when the mounting portion is mounted on a circuit board or the like.

[0095] (Item 6) In the connector according to any one of items 1 to 5, The connector includes: The device may further include a metal coating layer formed on the mounting portion.

[0096] In this case, the surface of the mounting portion can be protected by the metal coating layer.

[0097] (7) In the connector according to any one of the above items 1 to 6, The connection area may have a convex or concave shape.

[0098] In this case, the connector comes into contact with the other connecting component more reliably, thereby improving the reliability of the connection of the connector.

[0099] (8) The connector unit according to 8 is A first connector which is the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and a second connector connected to the connection region of the first connector.

[0100] In this case, since the connector unit can be made smaller, the connector unit can be mounted on small electronic devices such as mobile devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1...connector unit, 2...connector assembly sheet, 2A...metal sheet, 10...metal support layer, 20...first insulating layer, 30...conductor layer, 30A...seed layer, 30B...plating layer, 31...wiring portion, 32...terminal portion, 32a...first metal coating layer, 32b...second metal coating layer, 32i...inner terminal portion, 32o...outer terminal portion, 40...second insulating layer, 40G...gas Id portion, 50...connection area, 51...contact portion, 100, 100A, 100B...connector, 101...projection portion, 102...recess, 110, 120, 130...mask, 121...slit, 131...opening, A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6...bending portion, D1, D2...dimension, SS...one short side, VL1...virtual straight line, a1, a2, a3...groove portion,

Claims

1. A connector used for connecting to other connection components, A first insulating layer; a conductor layer having a mounting portion and a wiring portion extending from the mounting portion and formed on one surface of the first insulating layer; a metal support layer having a bent portion and formed on the other surface of the first insulating layer; a second insulating layer formed so as to cover a portion of the wiring portion; A connector, wherein the metal support layer is folded along the bent portion to form a connection region for connecting to the other connection component.

2. The connector according to claim 1 , wherein the second insulating layer covers the portion of the wiring portion from a boundary between the mounting portion and the wiring portion.

3. the conductor layer includes a plurality of mounting portions and a plurality of wiring portions; the wiring portions are formed so as to extend in a first direction from the mounting portions, the plurality of mounting portions are arranged to be spaced apart in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and include a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion adjacent to each other in the second direction; 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a position of the first mounting portion in the first direction and a position of the second mounting portion in the first direction are different from each other.

4. the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular to each other; a length in the first direction of each of the plurality of mounting portions is not less than 30 μm and not more than 750 μm; 4. The connector according to claim 3, wherein the length of each of the plurality of mounting portions in the second direction is not less than 10 μm and not more than 250 μm.

5. a portion of the second insulating layer is formed on a region of the one surface of the first insulating layer where the conductor layer is not formed, so as to surround a portion of the mounting portion or to be adjacent to the mounting portion; 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of a portion of the second insulating layer in a stacking direction of the metal support layer and the first insulating layer is greater than a thickness of the conductor layer.

6. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a metal coating layer formed on said mounting portion.

7. The connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection area has a convex or concave shape.

8. A first connector which is the connector according to claim 1 or 2; a second connector connected to the connection region of the first connector.

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