Electric connector

Abstract

To reduce the size in the arrangement direction of movable housings.SOLUTION: An electric connector 10 includes: a pair of mating connection portions 90D1 and 90D2 each bridged between a fixing housing 20 and a plurality of movable housings 50 and each connected to a mating terminal 16; and a plurality of terminals 90 each having an elastic deformation portion 90E that allows displacement of the plurality of movable housings 50 with respect to the fixing housing 20 by elastic deformation. One terminal 90 is provided per movable housing 50. The pair of mating connection portions 90D1 and 90D2 face each other in a bridging direction X perpendicular to an arrangement direction Y and an insertion direction Z. The elastic deformation portion 90E extends to one side in the crossing direction X with respect to the pair of mating connection portions 90D1 and 90D2. The movable housing 50 is formed such that the dimension in the arrangement direction Y is smaller than the dimension in the crossing direction X.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector having a plurality of movable housings into which connection objects are inserted that are displaceable relative to a fixed housing. [Background technology]

[0002] The connector described in Patent Document 1 below includes a fixed housing fixed to a circuit board, a movable housing provided with multiple mating chambers (insertion chambers) into which connection objects are inserted, and multiple terminals bridged between the fixed and movable housings, each terminal contacting a respective connection object within each insertion chamber. A tapered guide surface is provided on the front side of each insertion chamber in the insertion direction of the connection object, and each guide surface guides the connection object into the corresponding insertion chamber. The movable housing is divided into multiple sections, and each terminal is allowed to move relative to the fixed housing due to elastic deformation. This allows the relative displacement to absorb misalignment, vibration, and other issues in the insertion position of each connection object, thereby suppressing sliding between the terminal and each connection object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5606588 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art With the recent trend toward miniaturization of electronic devices, there is a demand for miniaturization of electronic components such as connectors.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can be made smaller in size in the direction in which the movable housings are arranged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The electrical connector of the first embodiment comprises a fixed housing fixed to a substrate, a plurality of movable housings arranged so as to be displaceable relative to the fixed housing, each having an insertion chamber into which a connection object is inserted in an insertion direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction, and a plurality of terminals respectively bridged between the fixed housing and the plurality of movable housings, each having a pair of mating connection portions which connect to each of the connection objects inside each of the insertion chambers, and each having an elastic deformation portion which allows displacement of the plurality of movable housings relative to the fixed housing by elastic deformation, wherein each movable housing has one terminal, the pair of mating connection portions facing each other in a bridge direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction and the insertion direction, the elastic deformation portion extending to one side of the bridge direction relative to the pair of mating connection portions, and the movable housing is formed so that its dimension in the arrangement direction is smaller than its dimension in the bridge direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the electrical connector of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size in the arrangement direction of the movable housings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a connection object is inserted. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a connection target is not inserted. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a cut surface taken along line F3-F3 in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing a cut surface taken along line F4-F4 in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross section shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view showing a fixed housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view showing a fixed housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 1 is a perspective view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 11] 1 is a perspective view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 12] 1 is a plan view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 13] 1 is a bottom view showing a movable housing of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] 1 is a perspective view showing a terminal of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] 1 is a perspective view showing a fixing member of an electrical connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An electrical connector 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 15. For ease of explanation, the arrow FR shown in each figure indicates the front of the electrical connector 10, the arrow LH indicates the left of the electrical connector 10, and the arrow UP indicates the top of the electrical connector 10. Hereinafter, when the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions are used in the description, they refer to directions relative to the electrical connector 10. These directions are unrelated to the directions of the electrical connector 10 when in use. In addition, some symbols may be omitted in each figure to make the drawings easier to understand.

[0010] (composition) As shown in Figures 1 to 7, an electrical connector 10 according to this embodiment is mounted on a substrate 12 and electrically connected to a mating connector 14 (see Figures 1 to 4), and includes a fixed housing 20, a plurality (six in this case) of movable housings 50, and a plurality (six in this case) of terminals 90. The mating connector 14 is composed of a plurality (six in this case) of pin-shaped mating terminals 16 and an insulating member 18 that holds the plurality of mating terminals 16. Each of the plurality of mating terminals 16 corresponds to the "object to be connected" in the present invention.

[0011] The fixed housing 20 is fixed to the board 12 using a fixing member 36 (see FIG. 15 ). The multiple movable housings 50 are arranged in the left-right direction of the electrical connector 10 and are displaceable relative to the fixed housing 20. Each of these movable housings 50 is provided with an insertion chamber 60. Each insertion chamber 60 is configured so that a mating terminal 16 is inserted into it in an insertion direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the multiple movable housings 50. Furthermore, on the front side of each insertion chamber 60 in the insertion direction, multiple tapered front-rear guide surfaces 74 and multiple tapered left-right guide surfaces 80 are provided to guide each mating terminal 16 into each insertion chamber 60. The left-right guide surfaces 80 correspond to the “guide surface” in this invention.

[0012] The plurality of terminals 90 are bridged between the fixed housing 20 and the plurality of movable housings 50. These terminals 90 come into contact with the respective mating terminals 16 inside the respective insertion chambers 60, and are configured to allow the displacement of the plurality of movable housings 50 relative to the fixed housing 20 by their respective elastic deformations.

[0013] In addition, arrow X, as appropriately shown in each figure, indicates the bridging direction (bridging direction) of the multiple terminals 90 between the fixed housing 20 and the multiple movable housings 50, arrow Y indicates the arrangement direction of the multiple movable housings 50 and the multiple terminals 90 (the longitudinal direction of the fixed housing 20), arrow Z indicates the insertion / removal direction of each mating terminal 16 into each insertion chamber 60, and arrow Z1 indicates the insertion direction of each mating terminal 16 into each insertion chamber 60. The bridging direction X coincides with the front-to-rear direction of the electrical connector 10, the arrangement direction Y coincides with the left-to-right direction of the electrical connector 10, the insertion / removal direction Z coincides with the up-to-down direction of the electrical connector 10, and the insertion direction Z1 coincides with the bottom of the electrical connector 10. In the following description, the bridging direction X may be referred to as the "front-to-rear direction," the arrangement direction Y may be referred to as the "left-to-right direction," and the insertion / removal direction Z may be referred to as the "up-to-down direction."

[0014] (Regarding fixed housing) 1 to 9, the fixed housing 20 is formed in a box shape with its longitudinal direction extending in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) and its bottom open. The fixed housing 20 is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and includes a front wall 20A, a rear wall 20B, a left wall 20C, a right wall 20D, and a top wall 20E. The front wall 20A and the rear wall 20B face each other in the front-to-rear direction, the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D face each other in the left-to-right direction, and the top wall 20E connects the upper ends of the front wall 20A, the rear wall 20B, the left wall 20C, and the right wall 20D in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions.

[0015] An elongated rectangular opening 22, elongated in the left-right direction, is formed on the front side of the upper wall 20E. An inclined surface 24, which slopes downward toward the opening 22, is formed on the upper surface of the edge of the opening 22. A right-end inclined surface 26 is formed on the right edge of the opening 22, extending leftward and downward from a position below the inclined surface 24. A left-end inclined surface 28 is formed on the left edge of the opening 22, extending rightward and downward from near the lower end of the inclined surface 24. The upper end of the right-end inclined surface 26 is located slightly below the lower end of the left-end inclined surface 28. The right-end inclined surface 26 corresponds to the "fourth inclined surface" in this invention, and the left-end inclined surface 28 corresponds to the "fifth inclined surface" in this invention. Hereinafter, the right-end inclined surface 26 will be referred to as the "fourth inclined surface 26," and the left-end inclined surface 28 will be referred to as the "fifth inclined surface 28."

[0016] Cylindrical positioning bosses 30 are formed on the undersides of the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D for positioning the fixed housing 20 on the board 12. These positioning bosses 30 are fitted into circular positioning holes (not shown) formed in the board 12. Left and right legs 32 that protrude outward in the left-right direction are formed on the lower parts of the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D. Each of these legs 32 has a fixing groove 34. The fixing groove 34 formed in the left leg 32 opens to the left, upward, and downward, while the fixing groove 34 formed in the right leg 32 opens to the right, upward, and downward. These fixing grooves 34 correspond to fixing members 36.

[0017] The fixing members 36 (see FIG. 15 ) are, for example, made by punching and bending a metal plate into a predetermined shape, and are attached to the left and right legs 32, respectively. Each fixing member 36 is composed of a housing fixing portion 36A formed in a rectangular plate shape with the plate thickness in the left-right direction, and a board fixing portion 36B extending outward in the left-right direction from the lower end of the housing fixing portion 36A. The housing fixing portion 36A is fitted into the fixing groove 34. A plurality of claws 37 protruding outward in the front-rear direction are formed in a vertical alignment at both front and rear ends of the housing fixing portion 36A. These claws 37 fit into the inner surfaces of the fixing grooves 34, thereby holding the housing fixing portion 36A to the leg 32. The board fixing portion 36B is disposed below the leg 32 and is fixed to the board 12 by means of soldering or the like.

[0018] A notch 38 is formed in the lower part of the front wall 20A, cut from the lower side. This notch 38 has a rectangular shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. The lower end of the rear wall 20B is spaced upward from the board 12, and a gap 40 is formed between the lower end of the rear wall 20B and the board 12. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 9 , a plurality of (six in this example) terminal fixing grooves 42 extending in the up-down direction are formed side by side in the left-right direction on the front surface of the rear wall 20B (the surface facing the front wall 20A). These terminal fixing grooves 42 are formed so that the rear side is wider in the left-right direction than the front side, and correspond to the terminals 90. Furthermore, a plurality of (six in this example) protrusions 44 protruding downward are formed side by side in the arrangement direction on the lower surface of the rear part of the upper wall 20E. The plurality of protrusions 44 and the plurality of terminal fixing grooves 42 are aligned in the left-right direction.

[0019] (About the moving housing) 1 to 7 and 10 to 13, the multiple movable housings 50 are formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with the longitudinal direction in the up-down direction (insertion / removal direction Z), and the dimension in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) is set to be smaller than the dimension in the front-rear direction (bridge direction X). These movable housings 50 are all formed in the same shape and are housed inside the fixed housing 20 lined up in the left-right direction. The dimension in the left-right direction of the multiple movable housings 50 is set so that there are slight gaps between each other and between the left wall 20C and the right wall 20D of the fixed housing 20.

[0020] A front protrusion 52 that protrudes forward and downward is formed at the front end of the lower part of each movable housing 50. The front side of the lower part of this front protrusion 52 is beveled. This front protrusion 52 is inserted into the cutout 38 of the fixed housing 20. Furthermore, a pair of left and right rear legs 54 that protrude downward are formed at both left and right ends of the lower rear end of each movable housing 50. The amount by which the left and right rear legs 54 protrude from the bottom surface of each movable housing 50 is set to be equal to the amount by which the front protrusions 52 protrude from the bottom surface of each movable housing 50. The vertical dimension of each movable housing 50 is set to be slightly smaller than the distance from the bottom surface of the top wall 20E of the fixed housing 20 to the top surface of the base plate 12.

[0021] The front surface of each movable housing 50 faces closely to the front wall 20A of the fixed housing 20. A rear protrusion 56 protruding rearward is formed on the upper part of each movable housing 50. This increases the front-to-rear dimension of each movable housing 50 at the upper part of the movable housing 50. A vertical groove 58 extending in the up-down direction is formed on the rear surface of the rear protrusion 56. This vertical groove 58 opens upward and rearward. A protrusion 44 of the fixed housing 20 is inserted into this vertical groove 58. This protrusion 44 and the front wall 20A of the fixed housing 20 limit the front-to-rear displacement of each movable housing 50 relative to the fixed housing 20 within a predetermined (constant) range. Furthermore, the left-to-right dimension of the protrusion 44 is set slightly smaller than the left-to-right dimension of the vertical groove 58, so that the left-to-right displacement of each movable housing 50 relative to the fixed housing 20 is limited within a predetermined (constant) range. That is, each movable housing 50 is capable of relative displacement with respect to the fixed housing 20 within a predetermined (constant) range in all directions, front to back, left to right, up to down.

[0022] An insertion chamber (terminal fitting chamber) 60 extending in the vertical direction is formed in approximately the center of each movable housing 50 when viewed in the vertical direction. The insertion chamber 60 is rectangular when viewed in the vertical direction and opens at the underside of each movable housing 50. As shown in Fig. 13, a groove 62 recessed forward is formed in a corner on the front right side of the insertion chamber 60, and a groove 64 recessed leftward is formed in a corner on the rear left side of the insertion chamber 60. A top wall 66 is provided at the upper end of the insertion chamber 60, and an insertion opening 68 having a rectangular shape when viewed in the vertical direction is formed in the center of the top wall 66.

[0023] A lateral protrusion 70 that protrudes in a step toward the left (one side in the arrangement direction Y) is formed on the left side of the upper part of the movable housing 50 above the insertion opening 68. Furthermore, a lateral recess 72 that is recessed in a step toward the left side is formed on the right side of the upper part of the movable housing 50 above the insertion opening 68. Therefore, the upper part of the movable housing 50 is formed in a roughly crank shape when viewed in the front-to-rear direction. The lower surface of the lateral protrusion 70 is a step surface 70A facing downward, and the lower surface of the lateral recess 72 is a step surface 72A facing upward. This step surface 72A is located slightly below the step surface 70A.

[0024] Furthermore, tapered front-rear guide surfaces (bridge direction guide surfaces) 74 and left-right guide surfaces (arrangement direction guide surfaces) 80 are provided on the upper portion of each movable housing 50 above the insertion opening 68 to guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion opening 68 (insertion chamber 60). The front-rear guide surfaces 74 are composed of a front inclined surface 76 that extends downward from the front end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68, and a rear inclined surface 78 that extends downward from the rear end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68. The front inclined surface 76 and the rear inclined surface 78 face each other in the front-rear direction (bridge direction X) and are tapered so as to approach each other as they approach the insertion opening 68. The upper ends of the front inclined surface 76 and the rear inclined surface 78 are located at the same height and are disposed at the upper end of the movable housing 50.

[0025] The left-right guide surface 80 includes a left-side inclined surface 82 that extends downward from the left end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68, and a right-side inclined surface 84 that extends downward from the right end of the upper end of the movable housing 50 toward the insertion opening 68. The left-side inclined surface 82 and the right-side inclined surface 84 face each other in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) and are tapered so as to approach each other toward the insertion opening 68. The upper end of the left-side inclined surface 82 is located below the upper ends of the front inclined surface 76 and the rear inclined surface 78, and the upper end of the right-side inclined surface 84 is located below the upper end of the left-side inclined surface 82. The upper end of this right-side inclined surface 84 is connected to the step surface 72A of the side recess 72 described above. Furthermore, an outer inclined surface 86 is formed on the upper part of the movable housing 50, extending downward from the upper end of the left-side inclined surface 82 toward the left and downward sides. The outer inclined surface 86 is formed on the above-mentioned lateral protrusion 70. The lower end of the outer inclined surface 86 is located slightly above the upper end of the right inclined surface 84.

[0026] The left inclined surface 82 corresponds to the "first inclined surface" in the present invention, the right inclined surface 84 corresponds to the "second inclined surface" in the present invention, and the outer inclined surface 86 corresponds to the "third inclined surface" in the present invention. Hereinafter, the left inclined surface 82 will be referred to as the "first inclined surface 82," the right inclined surface 84 will be referred to as the "second inclined surface 84," and the outer inclined surface 86 will be referred to as the "third inclined surface 86."

[0027] (About terminals) The plurality of terminals 90 (see FIG. 14) are formed, for example, by punching and bending a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape, and are formed into an elongated shape with the longitudinal direction being the front-to-rear direction (bridge direction X). Each terminal 90 integrally includes a fixed portion 90A fixed to the fixed housing 20, a board connecting portion 90B extending from the fixed portion 90A and connecting to the board 12, a movable-side fixed portion 90C fixed to the movable housing 50, a pair of front and rear mating connecting portions 90D1 and 90D2 extending from the movable-side fixed portion 90C and connecting to the mating terminal 16, and an elastically deformable portion 90E bridging between the fixed portion 90A and the movable-side fixed portion 90C.

[0028] The fixed portion 90A is formed in a plate shape with its thickness in the front-to-rear direction, and is fitted from below into left and right fixing grooves 34 formed in the fixed housing 20. A plurality of claws 91 protruding outward in the left and right directions are formed in a vertical alignment at both left and right ends of the fixed portion 90A. These claws 91 bite into the inner surfaces of the fixing grooves 34, thereby holding the fixed portion 90A in the fixed housing 20. The board connection portion 90B extends to the rear side of the rear wall 20B through a gap 40 between the lower end of the rear wall 20B of the fixed housing 20 and the board 12, and is fixed (electrically connected) to the board 12 by means of soldering or the like.

[0029] The movable-side fixed portion 90C includes a front wall 90C1 and a rear wall 90C2 facing each other in the front-rear direction, and a right wall 90C3 connecting the right ends of the front wall 90C1 and the rear wall 90C2 in the front-rear direction. The movable-side fixed portion 90C has a generally U-shape (approximately a C-shape) with an open left side when viewed in the vertical direction. The movable-side fixed portion 90C is fitted into the insertion chamber 60 of the movable housing 50 from below. A plurality of claws 93 protruding to the left are vertically aligned at the left end of the rear wall 90C2, and a plurality of claws 92 protruding forward are vertically aligned at the front end of the right wall 90C3. The claws 92 are inserted into grooves 62 formed in the front right corner of the insertion chamber 60 and engage with the inner surfaces of the grooves 62, while the claws 93 are inserted into grooves 64 formed in the rear left corner of the insertion chamber 60 and engage with the inner surfaces of the grooves 64. As a result, the movable-side fixed portion 90C is held by the movable housing 50.

[0030] The pair of front and rear mating connection portions 90D1, 90D2 extend upward from the upper ends of the front wall 90C1 and rear wall 90C2 of the movable-side fixed portion 90C. Contact portions CP1, CP2 bent toward each other are formed in the vertical middle of the mating connection portions 90D1, 90D2. The mating terminal 16 inserted into the insertion chamber 60 is inserted between the mating connection portions 90D1, 90D2 including these contact portions CP1, CP2. As a result, the contact portions CP1, CP2 come into contact with the mating terminal 16, and the terminal 90 is electrically connected to the mating terminal 16 within the insertion chamber 60.

[0031] The elastically deforming portion (spring portion) 90E constitutes the longitudinal intermediate portion of the terminal 90 and is disposed below the rear protrusion 56 of the movable housing 50 within the fixed housing 20. The elastically deforming portion 90E is composed of a fixed-side vertical extension portion 90E1 extending upward from the upper end of the fixed portion 90A, an upper horizontal extension portion 90E2 extending forward and slightly upward from the upper end of the fixed-side vertical extension portion 90E1, a movable-side vertical extension portion 90E3 extending downward from the front end of the upper horizontal extension portion 90E2, and a lower horizontal extension portion 90E4 extending forward from the lower end of the movable-side vertical extension portion 90E3. The front end portion of the lower horizontal extension portion 90E4 is bent upward and is integrally connected to the lower end of the rear wall 90C2 of the movable-side fixed portion 90C. The elastic deformation of the elastic deformation portion 90E allows the movable housing 50 to be displaced relative to the fixed housing 20 in all directions, including front, rear, left, right, and up and down.

[0032] 6, in this embodiment, in a pair of movable housings 50 adjacent in the left-right direction (arrangement direction Y) (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "adjacent movable housings 50"), the lateral protrusion 70 of the right-side movable housing 50 fits inside the lateral recess 72 of the left-side movable housing 50. In other words, the adjacent movable housings 50 partially overlap when viewed from the insertion direction Z1 (insertion / removal direction Z). Note that hereinafter, of a pair of movable housings 50 adjacent in the left-right direction, the right-side movable housing 50 may be referred to as the "adjacent right-side movable housing 50," and the left-side movable housing 50 may be referred to as the "adjacent left-side movable housing 50."

[0033] In this embodiment, a portion of the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in the adjacent left movable housing 50 (i.e., one of the adjacent movable housings 50) is formed on the adjacent right movable housing 50 (i.e., the other of the adjacent movable housings 50). In detail, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in the adjacent left movable housing 50 include a first inclined surface 82 and a second inclined surface 84 formed on the adjacent left movable housing 50, and a third inclined surface 86 formed on the adjacent right movable housing 50 on the front side (upper side; arrow UP side) of the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent left movable housing 50 in the insertion direction Z1. This third inclined surface 86 faces the first inclined surface 82 of the adjacent left movable housing 50 in the arrangement direction Y. When viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left and the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the right partially overlap with each other.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in the right-end (rightmost) movable housing 50 (corresponding to the “movable housing located at one end in the arrangement direction” in the present invention) are configured by a first inclined surface 82 and a second inclined surface 84 formed on the right-end movable housing 50 and a fourth inclined surface 26 formed on the fixed housing 20 on the near side of the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50 in the insertion direction Z1. This fourth inclined surface 26 faces the first inclined surface 82 of the right-end movable housing 50 in the arrangement direction Y. That is, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in the right-end movable housing 50 are configured by a part of the right-end movable housing 50 and a part of the fixed housing 20. Furthermore, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50 and the fourth inclined surface 26 partially overlap each other.

[0035] 5 and 6 , in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in the leftmost (leftmost) movable housing 50 (corresponding to the "movable housing located at the other end in the arrangement direction" in this invention) are made up of a first inclined surface 82 and a second inclined surface 84 formed on the leftmost movable housing 50, a third inclined surface 86 formed on the movable housing 50 adjacent to the right of the leftmost movable housing 50, and a fifth inclined surface 28 formed on the fixed housing 20 on the near side in the insertion direction Z1 relative to the first inclined surface 82 of the leftmost movable housing 50. In other words, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in the leftmost movable housing 50 are made up of a part of the leftmost movable housing 50, a part of the movable housing 50 adjacent to the right of the leftmost movable housing 50, and a part of the fixed housing 20. When viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the first inclined surface 82 and the fifth inclined surface 28 of the leftmost movable housing 50 partially overlap each other.

[0036] 6, a movable gap 94 (reference numeral omitted in figures other than FIG. 6) is formed between adjacent movable housings 50 to allow relative displacement between them along the insertion direction Z1 (i.e., relative displacement between adjacent movable housings 50 in the insertion / removal direction Z). This movable gap 94 is formed between the step surface 72A (see FIGS. 10 to 13; reference numeral omitted in FIG. 6) of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left and the step surface 70A (see FIGS. 10 to 13; reference numeral omitted in FIG. 6) of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the right.

[0037] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0038] In the electrical connector 10 configured as described above, multiple movable housings 50 are arranged to be displaceable relative to a fixed housing 20 fixed to a circuit board 12. Each movable housing 50 has an insertion chamber 60, and a mating terminal 16 is inserted into the insertion chamber 60 in an insertion direction Z1 perpendicular to the arrangement direction Y of the movable housings 50. A plurality of tapered left and right guide surfaces 80 are provided on the front side of each insertion chamber 60 in the insertion direction Z1 to guide each mating terminal 16 into the insertion chamber 60. A plurality of terminals 90 are bridged between the fixed housing 20 and the multiple movable housings 50. These terminals 90 contact the respective mating terminals 16 inside the respective insertion chambers 60 and allow relative displacement of the multiple movable housings 50 relative to the fixed housing 20 through their respective elastic deformations. This allows the relative displacement to absorb misalignment and vibration of the insertion position of each mating terminal 16, thereby suppressing sliding between each terminal 90 and each mating terminal 16.

[0039] Moreover, in this embodiment, the movable housings 50 adjacent to each other in the arrangement direction Y partially overlap when viewed from the insertion direction Z1 of the mating terminals 16. Also, a portion (outer inclined surface 86) of the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chambers 60 provided in one of the adjacent movable housings 50 is formed on the other of the adjacent movable housings 50 (the movable housing 50 on the right). This makes it easier to ensure space for the left and right guide surfaces 80 even when attempting to narrow the arrangement pitch of the terminals 90 (i.e., narrow the pitch of the insertion chambers 60). Therefore, the electrical connector 10 can be made smaller in size in the arrangement direction Y while ensuring a sufficient amount of guidance of the mating terminals 16 by the left and right guide surfaces 80. As a result, it is possible to make electronic devices in which the electrical connector 10 is provided smaller.

[0040] In this embodiment, the left-right guide surface 80 that guides the mating terminals 16 to the insertion chambers 60 provided in one of the movable housings 50 adjacent in the arrangement direction Y (left-right direction) (the adjacent left movable housing 50) is configured to include a first inclined surface 82, a second inclined surface 84, and a third inclined surface 86. The first inclined surface 82 and the second inclined surface 84 are formed on the adjacent left movable housing 50 and face each other in the arrangement direction Y. The third inclined surface 86 is formed on the adjacent right movable housing 50 and is disposed on the near side in the insertion direction Z1 with respect to the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent left movable housing 50. The third inclined surface 86 guides the mating terminals 16 to the second inclined surface 84, and the second inclined surface 84 can guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chambers 60. In this way, the insertion chamber 60 into which the mating terminal 16 is guided and the above-mentioned second inclined surface 84 are formed in the same movable housing 50 (the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left), so that the guidance of the mating terminal 16 into the insertion chamber 60 is stable.

[0041] That is, for example, if the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent left movable housing 50 is omitted (eliminated) and the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent right movable housing 50 is extended downward (toward the lower end side of the omitted second inclined surface 84), the left and right guide surfaces 80 can be formed using only the first inclined surface 82 and the third inclined surface 86. However, in that case, the mating terminals 16 are guided directly from the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent right movable housing 50 to the insertion chamber 60 of the adjacent left movable housing 50, and therefore, the third inclined surface 86 and the insertion chamber 60 are displaced relative to each other, which may cause unstable guidance of the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chamber 60, but this can be avoided in this embodiment.

[0042] Moreover, in this embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent left movable housing 50 and the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent right movable housing 50 partially overlap each other. This prevents gaps, steps, etc. from being formed between the second inclined surface 84 and the third inclined surface 86 when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, thereby preventing the mating terminals 16 from being caught in the gaps, steps, etc. and being damaged.

[0043] In addition, in this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chambers 60 of the right-end movable housing 50 include a fourth inclined surface 26 that is formed on the fixed housing 20 on the near side in the insertion direction Z1 relative to the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50. Therefore, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chambers 60 of the right-end movable housing 50 can be expanded in the arrangement direction Y by the fourth inclined surface 26.

[0044] Moreover, in this embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the second inclined surface 84 of the right-end movable housing 50 and the fourth inclined surface 26 of the fixed housing 20 partially overlap each other. This prevents gaps, steps, etc. from being formed between the second inclined surface 84 and the fourth inclined surface 26 when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, thereby preventing the mating terminals 16 from being caught in the gaps, steps, etc. and being damaged.

[0045] In this embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chambers 60 of the leftmost movable housing 50 include a fifth inclined surface 28 that is formed on the fixed housing 20 on the near side in the insertion direction Z1 with respect to the first inclined surface 82 that is formed on the leftmost movable housing 50. Therefore, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chambers 60 of the leftmost movable housing 50 can be expanded in the arrangement direction Y by the fifth inclined surface 28.

[0046] Moreover, in this embodiment, when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, the first inclined surface 82 of the leftmost movable housing 50 and the fifth inclined surface 28 of the fixed housing 20 partially overlap each other. This prevents gaps, steps, etc. from being formed between the first inclined surface 82 and the fifth inclined surface 28 when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, thereby preventing the mating terminals 16 from being caught in the gaps, steps, etc. and being damaged.

[0047] In this embodiment, a movable gap 94 is formed between adjacent movable housings 50 to allow relative displacement between them in the insertion direction Z1. This allows adjacent movable housings 50 to be displaced independently of each other in the insertion direction Z1 of the mating terminals 16, making it easier to absorb misalignment of the insertion position of each mating terminal 16, vibrations, etc.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the multiple movable housings 50 are all formed in the same shape. This makes it possible to manufacture the multiple movable housings 50 using the same molding die, for example, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency.

[0049] In this embodiment, the terminals 90 have a longitudinal direction in the bridging direction X, which is perpendicular to the arrangement direction Y when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, and the longitudinal intermediate portion of each terminal 90 is an elastically deformable portion 90E. Therefore, the dimensions of each terminal 90 in the arrangement direction Y can be set small, while ensuring a sufficient amount of elastic deformation of each terminal 90.

[0050] <Supplementary explanation of the embodiment> In the above embodiment, the multiple movable housings 50 are all formed in the same shape, but this is not limiting. For example, the rightmost movable housing 50 may be formed in a shape different from the other movable housings 50. In this case, for example, the second inclined surface 84 of the rightmost movable housing 50 may be extended upward, thereby eliminating the fourth inclined surface 26 of the fixed housing 20.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the fixed housing 20 is configured to have the fifth inclined surface 28, but this is not limiting, and the fixed housing 20 may be configured not to have the fifth inclined surface 28.

[0052] In addition, in the above embodiment, the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent left movable housing 50 and the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent right movable housing 50 are configured to partially overlap when viewed from the insertion direction Z1, but this is not limited to this. That is, the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent left movable housing 50 and the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent right movable housing 50 may be configured to be adjacent to each other without any gap between them when viewed from the insertion direction Z1. This also applies to the relationship between the second inclined surface 84 of the rightmost movable housing 50 and the fourth inclined surface 26 of the fixed housing 20, and the relationship between the first inclined surface 82 of the leftmost movable housing 50 and the fifth inclined surface 28 of the fixed housing 20.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the left and right guide surfaces 80 that guide the mating terminals 16 into the insertion chambers 60 provided in the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left include the first inclined surface 82, the second inclined surface 84, and the third inclined surface 86, but this is not limited to this. For example, the second inclined surface 84 of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the left may be omitted, and the third inclined surface 86 of the adjacent movable housing 50 on the right may be extended downward (toward the lower end side of the omitted second inclined surface 84), so that the left and right guide surfaces 80 are formed by only the first inclined surface 82 and the third inclined surface 86. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10 Electrical Connector 12 PCB 16 Counterpart terminal (connection object) 20 Fixed Housing 50 Movable Housing 60 Insertion Room 90 terminals 90D1, 90D2 mating connection part 90E Elastic deformation part X Straight direction Y array direction Z1 Insertion direction

Claims

1. a fixed housing fixed to the substrate; a plurality of movable housings arranged displaceably relative to the fixed housing, each having an insertion chamber provided therein into which a connection object is inserted in an insertion direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction; a plurality of terminals respectively bridged between the fixed housing and the plurality of movable housings, each having a mating connection portion connected to a respective connection object within each insertion chamber, and each having an elastic deformation portion that allows displacement of the plurality of movable housings relative to the fixed housing by elastic deformation; Equipped with No part of the fixed housing is interposed between the plurality of movable housings, the fixed housing includes an upper wall having an opening that opens toward the front side in the insertion direction, An inclined surface is formed on the edge of the opening, a tapered guide surface for guiding the connection object to the insertion opening is formed on the movable housing on a front side of the insertion opening of the connection object into the insertion chamber in the insertion direction, The movable housing is positioned further back in the insertion direction than the opening, and the end of the guide surface in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction and the insertion direction is an electrical connector that faces the portion of the fixed housing where the inclined surface is formed in the insertion direction.

2. 2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of movable housings are all formed in the same shape.

3. 3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the terminals has a longitudinal direction that is perpendicular to the insertion direction, and an intermediate portion of each of the terminals in the longitudinal direction serves as the elastically deformable portion.

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