Connector and connector pair

Abstract

To provide high strength and excellent shielding performance while maintaining a compact, low-profile design, thereby enhancing reliability.SOLUTION: In a connector pair having a first connector and a second connector mated with the first connector, when the first connector and the second connector are mated, a first high-frequency terminal and a second high-frequency terminal contacting the first high-frequency terminal are arranged in a rotationally symmetric configuration when viewed from the side, and a first shield and a second shield include a board-connecting portion at their lower ends.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors and connector pairs. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, connectors such as board-to-board connectors have been used to electrically connect a pair of parallel circuit boards. Such connectors are attached to the opposing surfaces of the pair of circuit boards and are fitted together to provide electrical continuity. Furthermore, technology has been proposed that provides a shielding member to reduce the influence of external noise and radio waves and to suppress the emission of noise and radio waves to the outside (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector.

[0004] In the figure, reference numeral 811 denotes a housing of a receptacle connector as a connector mounted on the surface of a first circuit board (not shown), and has a mating recess 812 into which a plug connector mounted on the surface of a second circuit board (not shown) is inserted and mated. The mating recess 812 has a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the four sides of the mating recess 812 are defined by sidewalls 814. A pair of protrusions 813 are formed within the mating recess 812 and protrude from a bottom plate 818 thereof. An opening 818a is formed in the bottom plate 818 between the protrusions 813.

[0005] A plurality of terminals 861 are attached to each of the protrusions 813, lined up in the longitudinal direction of the protrusions 813. Each terminal 861 has a contact portion 865 protruding from the inner wall surface of the side wall portion 814 and a tail portion 862 protruding from the protrusion 813 into the opening 818a. The tail portion 862 is soldered to a connection pad formed on the surface of the first circuit board. When the receptacle connector is mated with a plug connector, the contact portion 865 comes into contact with a terminal of the plug connector, establishing electrical continuity.

[0006] Furthermore, a conductive shell 851 is attached to the housing 811 so as to entirely cover the outer wall surface of the side wall portion 814. The conductive shell 851 has a plurality of board connection portions 851a, which are soldered to connection pads formed on the surface of the first circuit board. Since the outer peripheral surface of the housing 811 is covered with the conductive shell 851 in this manner, the conductive shell 851 provides an electromagnetic shielding effect to both the receptacle connector and the plug connector that is inserted into and mated with the mating recess 812. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-177884 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the conventional connectors described above cannot adequately accommodate the miniaturization of components and the increasing signal speeds in recent electronic devices. Electronic devices such as laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, music players, game consoles, and navigation devices require smaller and thinner housings and correspondingly smaller and thinner components. Furthermore, higher signal speeds are also required to accommodate increases in communication data volume and higher communication and data processing speeds. However, the conventional connectors described above are unable to adequately meet the demand for smaller and thinner connectors because the dimensions of each part of the housing 811 are large, and reducing the dimensions of each part results in insufficient strength. Furthermore, as various signals become faster, the transmission of high-frequency signals is sometimes required. However, the conventional connectors do not have a sufficiently high electromagnetic shielding effect, making it impossible to transmit high-frequency signals.

[0009] The object of this invention is to provide a connector and connector pair that solve the problems of the conventional connectors, that are small and low-profile, yet exhibit high strength and can obtain a high shielding effect, and that are highly reliable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To this end, the first connector is a first connector that mates with a second connector and includes a first connector body, a first terminal attached to the first connector body, a first high-frequency terminal attached to the first connector body, and a first shield that surrounds the entire periphery of the first connector body, wherein the first shield includes an inclined portion that extends diagonally downward and is formed on the inner peripheral edge at its upper end, and also includes a plurality of linear portions and a plurality of curved portions, and is integrally connected to the first connector body at the curved portions and is separated from the first connector body at the linear portions.

[0011] In another first connector, the first shield further includes an outer wall, an inner wall formed inside the outer wall, a connecting portion connecting the upper end of the outer wall and the upper end of the inner wall, a flange portion extending outward and connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and an accommodating portion surrounded by the inner wall and accommodating the second connector, and the inner wall in the linear portion includes a mating spring portion that elastically contacts the second shield of the second connector.

[0012] In yet another first connector, the outer wall and flange portion are continuous over the entire periphery of the first connector body.

[0013] In yet another first connector, the fitting spring portion is further separated from the other portion of the inner wall of the linear portion by a slit portion.

[0014] In yet another first connector, the mating spring portion further includes an inclined surface portion extending diagonally downward from the connecting portion inward of the accommodating portion, and a lower inner wall portion formed at the lower end of the inclined surface portion and extending downward.

[0015] In yet another first connector, the curved portion further includes a gently inclined surface portion extending diagonally downward from the connecting portion inward of the accommodating portion, the gently inclined surface portion having a gentler inclination angle than the inclined surface portion.

[0016] In still another first connector, the space defined by the outer wall, the inner wall and the connecting portion in the curved portion is filled with the constituent material of the first connector body.

[0017] In still another first connector, the inner wall surface of the curved portion further comprises a locked portion, and the constituent material further comprises a locking portion that meshes with the locked portion.

[0018] The connector pair includes the first connector and a second connector that mates with the first connector.

[0019] In another connector pair, the second connector further comprises a second connector body, a second terminal attached to the second connector body, a second high-frequency terminal attached to the second connector body, and a second shield surrounding the entire periphery of the second connector body, the second shield including a second inner shield extending in the width direction of the second connector between the second terminal and the second high-frequency terminal, and when the first connector and the second connector are mated, the first shield and the second shield come into contact and are electrically conductive.

[0020] Yet another first connector is a first connector that mates with a second connector, comprising: a first connector main body, first terminals attached to the first connector main body, first high-frequency terminals attached to the first connector main body, and a first shield surrounding the first connector main body, wherein the first shield includes four linear portions and four curved portions, and further includes an outer wall, an inner wall inside the outer wall that is approximately parallel to the outer wall, and a connecting portion that connects an upper end of the outer wall to an upper end of the inner wall, the lower part of the outer wall is connected to a substrate, the space defined by the outer wall, inner wall, and connecting portion in the curved portion is filled with a constituent material of the first connector main body, the inner wall of the linear portion includes a mating spring portion that can abut against the second connector, and when viewed from the mating direction, the first connector main body is not present in the area where each mating spring portion is arranged, and each mating spring portion does not overlap with the first terminal or the first high-frequency terminal.

[0021] In still another first connector, the arc length of the cylindrical inner wall portion of the first connector body at the curved portion is shorter than the arc length of the lower end of the inner wall of the first shield at the curved portion.

[0022] In still another first connector, the position of the lower end of the first connector body at the curved portion is higher than the position of the lower end of the outer wall of the first shield at the curved portion.

[0023] In yet another first connector, the lower end of the outer wall of the first shield at the curved portion further includes a flange portion.

[0024] In still another first connector, the inner wall surface of the curved portion further comprises a locked portion, and the constituent material further comprises a locking portion that meshes with the locked portion.

[0025] Still another connector pair includes the first connector and a second connector that mates with the first connector.

[0026] In yet another connector pair, the second connector further comprises a second connector body, a second terminal attached to the second connector body, a second high-frequency terminal attached to the second connector body, and a second shield surrounding the entire periphery of the second connector body, the second shield including a second inner shield extending in the width direction of the second connector between the second terminal and the second high-frequency terminal, and when the first connector and the second connector are mated, the first shield and the second shield come into contact and are electrically conductive.

[0027] Also, the connector pair includes a first connector and a second connector that mates with the first connector, wherein the first connector includes a first connector body, a plurality of first terminals arranged to form a row, a pair of first high-frequency terminals arranged at both ends of the row of the first terminals, and a first shield that surrounds the entire periphery of the first connector, and the second connector includes a second connector body, a plurality of second terminals arranged to form a row, a pair of second high-frequency terminals arranged at both ends of the row of the second terminals, and a first shield that surrounds the entire periphery of the second connector. the second terminal is attached integrally to the second connector body, the first terminal has a U-shaped side surface that is capable of receiving the second terminal and is elastically deformable, the first high-frequency terminal and the second high-frequency terminal all have the same shape and include an elastically deformable contact portion and a board connection portion, when the first connector and the second connector are mated, the first high-frequency terminal and the second high-frequency terminal in contact with the first high-frequency terminal are arranged rotationally symmetrically when viewed from the side, and the first shield and the second shield include the board connection portion at their lower ends.

[0028] In yet another connector pair, the first shield has a substantially rectangular inner wall including four linear portions and four curved portions, and only the curved portions are integrally connected to the first connector body, the first terminal, first high-frequency terminal, and first shield are fixed to the first connector body, and the second terminal, second high-frequency terminal, and second shield are fixed to the second connector body.

[0029] In yet another connector pair, the first shield further includes an outer wall, an inner wall formed inside the outer wall, a connecting portion connecting the upper end of the outer wall to the upper end of the inner wall, a flange portion extending outward and connected to the lower end of the outer wall, and a accommodating portion surrounded by the inner wall and accommodating the second connector, and the inner wall in the linear portion includes a mating spring portion that elastically contacts the second shield.

[0030] In still another connector pair, the board connecting portions of the first shield and the second shield further have flat portions that extend outward from the lower ends of the first shield and the second shield via curved portions.

[0031] In yet another connector pair, the planar portion of the first shield further includes a notch.

[0032] In still another connector pair, the curved portion of the first shield is formed over the entire periphery of the first shield.

[0033] In yet another connector pair, the planar portion of the second shield further includes a notch.

[0034] In still another connector pair, the curved portion of the second shield is formed over the entire periphery of the second shield.

[0035] In yet another connector pair, the first high-frequency terminal and the second high-frequency terminal further include a held portion, a board connecting portion connected to a lower end of the held portion, and an upper connecting portion connected to an upper end of the held portion.

[0036] In still another connector pair, the board connecting portion is bent and connected to the held portion.

[0037] In still another connector pair, the contact portions of the pair of first high-frequency terminals in the first connector face in opposite directions, and the contact portions of the pair of second high-frequency terminals in the second connector face in opposite directions.

[0038] Also, a second connector is provided which mates with a first connector and includes a second connector main body, second terminals attached to the second connector main body, second high-frequency terminals attached to the second connector main body, and a second shield which surrounds the entire periphery of the second connector main body, wherein the second shield is a frame-like member which is substantially rectangular in plan view and includes an outer wall which is a continuous wall around the entire periphery and an upper wall which covers more than half of the upper surface of the second connector main body, wherein the upper wall is substantially rectangular in plan view, and three of its four sides are connected continuously to the upper end of the outer wall and the other side is connected to an inner wall which is parallel to the outer wall, and two of its four corners are connected continuously to the upper end of the outer wall at four corners of the second shield, and the upper wall includes openings, and the second connector main body, all of the second terminals, and the second high-frequency terminals are housed inside the outer wall.

[0039] In yet another second connector, the inner wall further includes a board connecting portion at a lower end, the board connecting portion being located between the second terminal and a second high-frequency terminal.

[0040] In yet another second connector, the second shield further includes a board connecting portion, and the board connecting portion has a flat portion that extends outward from the lower end of the second shield via a curved portion.

[0041] In yet another second connector, the flat portion of the second shield further includes a notch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0042] According to the present disclosure, the connector and connector pair are small and low-profile, yet exhibit high strength and can achieve a high shielding effect, thereby improving reliability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0043] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a first connector and a second connector before they are fitted together in a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a first connector according to a first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a view seen from diagonally above, and FIG. 1B is a view seen from diagonally below. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are three-view diagrams of the first connector according to the first embodiment, in which (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the first connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the first connector according to the first embodiment, where FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4A, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 4A. [Figure 7] 5A and 5B are perspective views of the second connector according to the first embodiment, in which FIG. 5A is a view seen from diagonally above, and FIG. 5B is a view seen from diagonally below. [Figure 8] 3A to 3C are three-view diagrams of the second connector according to the first embodiment, in which (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the second connector according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a plan view of a first connector and a second connector in an initial mating state according to a first embodiment; [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are cross-sectional views of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in an initial mating state, where FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 10, and FIG. [Figure 12] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment have been fitted together; FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a plan view showing a state in which the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment have been fitted together. FIG. [Figure 14] 14A and 14B are cross-sectional side views showing a state in which the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment have been completely mated, where FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 13, and FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 14A and 14B are cross-sectional views of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment after mating is completed, where FIG. 14A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line GG in FIG. 13, and FIG. 14B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the first connector according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are two-sided views of a first connector according to a second embodiment, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in (a). [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are two-sided views of a first shield according to a second embodiment, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ in (a). [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are two-sided views of a first housing according to a second embodiment, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow KK in (a). [Figure 20] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0044] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0045] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the first connector and the second connector according to the first embodiment before they are mated, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the first connector according to the first embodiment, Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the first connector according to the first embodiment, Fig. 4 is a three-view diagram of the first connector according to the first embodiment, Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the first connector according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the first connector according to the first embodiment. In Fig. 2, (a) is a view seen from diagonally above, and (b) is a view seen from diagonally below, in Fig. 4, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view, and in Fig. 6, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 4(a), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 4(a).

[0046] In the figures, reference numeral 10 denotes a connector in this embodiment, which is a first connector serving as one of a pair of board-to-board connectors. The first connector 10 is a surface-mount receptacle connector mounted on the surface of a first substrate, which is a substrate (not shown) serving as a mounting member, and is mated with a second connector 101 serving as a mating connector. The second connector 101 is the other of the pair of board-to-board connectors, and is a surface-mount plug connector mounted on the surface of a second substrate, which is a substrate (not shown) serving as a mounting member.

[0047] The first connector 10 and the second connector 101 of the connector pair in this embodiment are preferably used to electrically connect a first substrate and a second substrate as substrates, but can also be used to electrically connect other members. The first substrate and the second substrate are, for example, printed circuit boards, flexible flat cables (FFC), flexible circuit boards (FPC), etc. used in electronic devices, but may be any type of substrate.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the expressions indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear used to explain the configuration and operation of each part of the first connector 10 and second connector 101 of the connector pair are relative rather than absolute, and are appropriate when each part of the first connector 10 and second connector 101 is in the position shown in the figure, but if the position changes, they should be interpreted differently in accordance with the change in position.

[0049] The first connector 10 has a first shield 50 as a first outer shield, which is a receptacle shield formed by punching, drawing, etc., from a conductive metal plate, and a first housing 11 as a first connector main body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The first housing 11 has a flat bottom plate 18, first protrusions 13 as protrusions protruding upward from the top surface of the bottom plate 18, and corner portions 17 protruding upward from the four corners of the bottom plate 18.

[0050] The corner portions 17 are portions that are connected to the first shield 50 when the first shield 50 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. That is, the first housing 11 is molded by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into the cavity of a mold in which the first shield 50 has been set beforehand, and the first housing 11 is integrally connected to the first shield 50 at the corner portions 17. Therefore, the first housing 11 and the first shield 50 do not exist separately, but for convenience of explanation, in FIG. 3 , the first housing 11 and the first shield 50 are shown as if they exist separately.

[0051] 3, each corner 17 has a shape like one of the quartered cylindrical walls, and includes, in a plan view, an upper wall portion 17a having an arc-like shape with a central angle of approximately 90 degrees, a cylindrical outer wall portion 17b extending downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) from the outer edge of the upper wall portion 17a, a cylindrical inner wall portion 17c extending downward from the inner edge of the upper wall portion 17a, and a pair of flat side wall portions 17d extending downward from the edges of the upper wall portion 17a corresponding to both ends of the arc with a central angle of approximately 90 degrees. The inner wall portion 17c has a shield housing portion 17e recessed to house the inner wall 51 of the corner portion 50c of the first shield 50. The lower end of the shield housing portion 17e includes a divergent portion 17f that widens downward. Both sides of the divergent portion 17f are inclined side surfaces 17g that serve as locking surfaces with the spacing between them increasing downward. The lower end of the inner wall portion 17c is connected to the tip of a connecting portion 18a that extends outward from each of the four corners of the bottom plate 18.

[0052] The first protrusion 13 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the first connector 10, and includes a pair of outer protrusions 13a extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10 on both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 10, an inner protrusion 13b extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10 at the center in the width direction, and a pair of lateral protrusions 13c extending in the width direction and connecting both longitudinal ends of the outer protrusion 13a and the inner protrusion 13b. A pair of inner recessed grooves 12a, which are recesses extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, are formed as part of the first recess 12 between the outer protrusions 13a on both left and right sides of the inner protrusion 13b.

[0053] Here, first signal terminal-accommodating cavities 15 are formed from the left and right side surfaces of the inner convex portion 13b, through the bottom surface of the inner groove portion 12a, and to the side surfaces of the outer convex portion 13a. In the example shown in the figure, the first signal terminal-accommodating cavities 15 are formed so as to penetrate the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction (Z-axis direction). Of the first signal terminal-accommodating cavities 15, the groove-shaped portions formed on the left and right side surfaces of the inner convex portion 13b are referred to as first signal terminal-accommodating inner cavities 15a, and the groove-shaped portions formed on the side surfaces of the outer convex portion 13a facing the inner convex portion 13b are referred to as first signal terminal-accommodating outer cavities 15b.

[0054] A plurality of the first signal terminal-accommodating cavities 15 (three in the example shown in the figure) are formed side by side in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined pitch (for example, 0.35 mm). The pitch and number of the first signal terminal-accommodating cavities 15 can be changed as appropriate. A plurality of first terminals 61, which are accommodated in each of the first signal terminal-accommodating cavities 15 and attached to the first housing 11, are also arranged at the same pitch on both sides of each first protrusion 13. That is, a plurality of the first terminals 61 are arranged along each inner groove portion 12a, forming a pair of parallel terminal rows.

[0055] Further, second shield accommodating slits 13d are formed on the outer sides of both longitudinal ends of the first protrusion 13, i.e., on the outer sides of the lateral protrusions 13c, as slits into which inner walls 151 (described below) of a second shield 150 of the second connector 101 enter. In the example shown in the figure, the second shield accommodating slits 13d are formed so as to penetrate the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction, but they do not necessarily have to penetrate the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction.

[0056] Side recesses 18b are formed in the bottom plate 18 on the outer side of the first connector 10 in the width direction of the first protrusion 13, thereby reducing the dimension of the bottom plate 18 in the width direction of the first connector 10, i.e., making it narrower. In addition, end recesses 18c are formed in the bottom plate 18 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, thereby reducing the dimension of the bottom plate 18 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, i.e., making it shorter.

[0057] Furthermore, first high-frequency terminal support portions 16 are formed as a pair of support portions protruding upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 18 outside the first protrusion 13 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10. As shown in FIG. 4( a), the first high-frequency terminal support portions 16 are generally U-shaped columnar members when viewed from above, and have first high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 16a extending in the up-down direction. The first high-frequency terminal support portions 16 are arranged so that the openings of the first high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 16a face in opposite directions. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4( a), the first high-frequency terminal support portions 16 are arranged point-symmetrically about the center of the first connector 10 when viewed from above, i.e., in a plan view, and are spaced apart from the center of the width direction of the first connector 10 and biased outward in the width direction. A first high-frequency terminal 71 is accommodated in the first high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 16a. Further, below and in front of the first high frequency terminal accommodating groove 16a, a first high frequency terminal accommodating opening 16b is formed as an opening that penetrates the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction.

[0058] The first shield 50 is a member that is integrally formed by subjecting a conductive metal plate to processing such as punching and drawing, and as shown in Fig. 4(a) , when viewed from above, i.e., in a plan view, is a substantially rectangular frame-like member that surrounds the periphery of the first housing 11. The first shield 50 includes an inclined surface portion 51d and a gently inclined surface portion 51h that are formed on the inner peripheral edge at the upper end of the first shield 50 and extend obliquely downward. The first shield 50 also includes a plurality of (in the example shown in the figure, a pair of) long side portions 50a as linear portions extending linearly in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, a plurality of (in the example shown in the figure, a pair of) short side portions 50b as linear portions extending linearly in the width direction of the first connector 10, and a plurality of (in the example shown in the figure, four) corner portions 50c as curved portions curved at approximately 90 degrees connecting one end of the long side portion 50a and one end of the short side portion 50b.

[0059] The first shield 50 also includes an outer wall 52, an inner wall 51 that is substantially parallel to the outer wall 52 on the inside of the outer wall 52, and a connecting portion 53 that connects and integrates the upper end of the outer wall 52 with the upper end of the inner wall 51. The outer wall 52 is a continuous wall around the entire periphery, whereas the inner wall 51 is separated into a fitting spring portion 51a and a fitting positioning portion 51b by slits 53a formed in portions of the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b near the corner portion 50c. The space surrounded by the portions of the inner wall 51 that correspond to the long side portion 50a, the short side portion 50b, and the corner portion 50c forms an accommodating portion 50d into which the second connector 101, which is a plug connector, is inserted and accommodated.

[0060] The mating spring portions 51a are linearly extending portions included within the ranges of the long sides 50a and the short sides 50b, and function as ground springs that elastically contact an outer wall 152 of a second shield 150 of the second connector 101 when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated, thereby maintaining electrical continuity between the first shield 50 and the second shield 150. The mating positioning portions 51b are portions where a part of the long side portion 50a and a part of the short side portion 50b are connected to both sides of a curved corner portion 50c, and guide the second connector 101 inserted into the accommodating portion 50d when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated. Specifically, the second connector 101 is inserted into the accommodating portion 50d while the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 is in contact with the mating positioning portions 51b, thereby positioning the second connector 101 relative to the first connector 10.

[0061] The fitting spring portion 51a has an upper end connected to the lower end of the connecting portion 53, and includes an inclined surface portion 51d extending diagonally downward inward of the accommodating portion 50d, an engaging protrusion 51c formed at the lower end of the inclined surface portion 51d and protruding inward of the accommodating portion 50d, and an inner wall lower portion 51e extending substantially vertically downward from the lower end of the engaging protrusion 51c. The engaging protrusion 51c is a portion that engages with an engaging protrusion 152c formed on an outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated, and extends linearly in the longitudinal or width direction of the first connector 10. Each fitting spring portion 51a is not connected to the first housing 11, and both ends thereof are separated from other portions by slit portions 53a, so that it is relatively flexible and can be elastically deformed in the direction of approaching or moving away from the outer wall 52.

[0062] The vicinity of the upper end of the fitting positioning portion 51b is a connecting portion with the upper end of the inner wall 51 of the connecting portion 53, and forms a gently inclined surface portion 51h that slopes gently downward inward into the accommodating portion 50d. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), when viewed in the longitudinal and width directions of the first connector 10, the inclination angle of the gently inclined surface portion 51h, i.e., the taper angle, is gentler than the taper angle of the inclined surface portion 51d of the fitting spring portion 51a. When the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated, the gently inclined surface portion 51h comes into contact with the second connector 101 inserted into the accommodating portion 50d, and then the inclined surface portion 51d comes into contact with the second connector 101. This reduces damage to the fitting spring portion 51a when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated.

[0063] Furthermore, the corner portion 50c included in the fitting positioning portion 51b is a portion that is connected to the first housing 11 when the first shield 50 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding, and specifically, is a portion that is integrated with the corner portion 17. Note that other portions of the first shield 50 are separated from the first housing 11. Therefore, when the first shield 50 and the first housing 11 are integrated, the outer wall 52 and the connecting portion 53 at the corner portion 50c cover the outer wall portion 17b and the upper wall portion 17a at the corner portion 17. Furthermore, the inner wall 51 at the corner portion 50c is accommodated in a shield accommodating portion 17e formed in the inner wall portion 17c at the corner portion 17. Furthermore, the divergent portion 51f included in the lower end of the inner wall 51, which becomes wider as it goes downward, is accommodated within the divergent portion 17f of the shield accommodating portion 17e, and the inclined side surfaces 51g on both sides of the divergent portion 51f, which become wider apart as they go downward, are engaged opposite the inclined side surfaces 17g of the divergent portion 17f.

[0064] This ensures that the corner portion 50c and the corner portion 17 are securely integrated and inseparable. The corner portion 50c is integrated with the corner portion 17 of the first housing 11, and the space defined by at least the outer wall 52, the inner wall 51, and the connecting portion 53 is filled with the insulating material that constitutes the first housing 11. That is, the corner portion 50c is robust because its rear side is filled with the material that constitutes the first housing 11. Furthermore, the mating positioning portion 51b, including the corner portion 50c, is highly robust, and therefore will not deform or break even if a portion of the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 near a mating surface 101a (described later) abuts against it.

[0065] A flange portion 54, which is a flat portion extending outward, is connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52 via a curved portion 52a that is curved at approximately 90 degrees. The curved portion 52a and the flange portion 54 are connected continuously around the entire periphery to the lower end of the outer wall 52. In the example shown in the figure, small notches 54a are formed in multiple locations on the flange portion 54, but the notches 54a can be omitted as appropriate.

[0066] The flange portion 54 functions as a board connection portion, its lower surface being parallel to the surface of the first board and connected to a connection pad on the surface by soldering or the like. The connection pad is typically connected to a ground line. The outer wall 52 is a continuous wall around the entire periphery. In addition, its upper end is connected to a continuous portion at the connecting portion 53, including a portion extending perpendicular to the outer wall 52 in the cross section shown in FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b). Its lower end is a continuous member like the flange portion 54, connected to a member extending perpendicular to the outer wall 52 in the cross section shown in FIGS. 6( a) and 6(b). This provides relatively high rigidity and resistance to deformation. In this embodiment, the flange portion 54 is connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52 continuously around the entire periphery. However, if relatively high rigidity is not required, the flange portion 54 may be connected to only a portion of the outer wall 52.

[0067] When the first housing 11 is connected to the first shield 50 in the accommodating portion 50d, the accommodating portion 50d has a first recess 12 that is surrounded by an inner wall 51 and defined below by a bottom plate 18, and that mates with the second connector 101. As described above, inner grooves 12a, which are elongated recesses extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, are formed between the outer protrusions 13a on both the left and right sides of the inner protrusions 13b as part of the first recess 12. Furthermore, outer grooves 12c, which are elongated recesses extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, are formed between each outer protrusion 13a and the inner wall 51 as part of the first recess 12. Furthermore, mating recesses 12b are formed as part of the first recess 12 on the outer sides of both ends of the first protrusions 13 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10.

[0068] The first terminal 61 is a member integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing from a conductive metal plate, and includes a held portion 63, a tail portion 62 serving as a board connection portion connected to the lower end of the held portion 63, an outer connection portion 65 connected to the upper end of the held portion 63, and a lower connection portion 64 having a substantially U-shaped side surface connected to the lower end of the outer connection portion 65, with a contact portion 65a curved to bulge inward in the width direction of the first connector 10 formed near the lower end of the outer connection portion 65, and further includes an inner connection portion 66 connected to the tip of the lower connection portion 64. The inner connection portion 66 is bent and connected to the lower connection portion 64, extends upward (in the positive direction of the Z axis), and near its upper end is a contact portion 66a curved to bulge outward in the width direction of the first connector 10. Like the contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65, the contact portion 66a is a portion that comes into contact with the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101. That is, the first terminal 61 in this embodiment has the contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65 and the contact portion 66a of the inner connection portion 66 that face each other, and is configured to make two-point contact with the second terminal 161. When the first terminal 61 is attached to the first housing 11, the contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65 and the contact portion 66a of the inner connection portion 66 protrude into the inner groove portion 12a and face each other.

[0069] The first terminal 61 is press-fitted into the first signal terminal accommodating cavity 15 from the mounting surface 10b side, which is the bottom surface (surface in the negative direction of the Z axis) of the first connector 10, and the held portion 63 is sandwiched from both sides by the inner side surfaces of the first signal terminal accommodating outer cavity 15b, thereby being fixed to the first housing 11. Note that the first terminal 61 does not necessarily have to be attached to the first housing 11 by press-fitting, and may be integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. However, for convenience of explanation, the case where the held portion 63 is press-fitted and held in the first signal terminal accommodating outer cavity 15b will be described here.

[0070] The tail portion 62 is bent and connected to the held portion 63, extends outward in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), i.e., the width direction of the first connector 10, and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first board. The conductive trace may be a power line for supplying power, but is typically a signal line. The signal line will be described as one that does not transmit high-frequency signals but transmits signals of normal frequencies (e.g., frequencies less than 10 GHz) that are lower than high-frequency signals. The tail portion 62 is visible when viewed from the mating direction of the first connector 10, i.e., from the mating face 10a side.

[0071] The first high-frequency terminal 71 is a member formed as an integral part by punching, bending, or other processing of a conductive metal plate, and includes a held portion 73, a tail portion 72 serving as a board connection portion connected to the lower end of the held portion 73, and an upper connection portion 75 connected to the upper end of the held portion 73.

[0072] The held portion 73 extends in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and is press-fitted into and held in the first high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 16a. As described above, the first high-frequency terminal supporting portions 16 are arranged so that the openings of the respective first high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 16a face opposite directions, and therefore the first high-frequency terminals 71, with their held portions 73 held in the first high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 16a, also face opposite directions. Note that the first high-frequency terminals 71 do not necessarily have to be attached to the first housing 11 by press-fitting, and may be integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. However, for convenience of explanation, the case where the held portion 73 is press-fitted into and held in the first high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 16a will be described here.

[0073] Furthermore, the tail portion 72 is bent and connected to the held portion 73, extends in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), i.e., toward the center of the width direction of the first connector 10, and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first board. Note that the conductive trace is a signal line, and will be described as one that typically transmits a high-frequency signal such as an RF signal (for example, a frequency of 10 GHz or more).

[0074] Furthermore, the upper connection portion 75 is curved in a substantially S-shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, and the curved portion that bulges out toward the center of the width direction of the first connector 10 functions as a contact portion 75a. The contact portion 75a is the portion that comes into contact with the second high-frequency terminal 171 of the second connector 101.

[0075] The first high-frequency terminals 71 are press-fitted from the mounting surface 10b side into the first high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 16a of the first high-frequency terminal support portion 16 located in the fitting recess 12b, and the held portions 73 are sandwiched from both sides by the inner side surfaces of the first high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 16a, thereby being fixed to the first housing 11. In this state, i.e., in a state in which the first high-frequency terminals 71 are loaded into the first housing 11, the contact portions 75a of the pair of first high-frequency terminals 71 face in opposite directions.

[0076] The first connector 10 is placed on the surface of the first board with a first solder sheet (not shown) applied to the mounting surface 10b side, and is fixed and mounted on the surface of the first board by heating and melting the first solder sheet in a heating furnace or the like. Note that the means for connecting the first shield 50, first terminals 61, first high-frequency terminals 71, etc. to the connection pads, etc. of the first board is not necessarily limited to soldering, and may be, for example, a conductive adhesive, etc., or, even if soldering is used, it may not be the application of a solder sheet but may be the application of solder paste, transfer of cream solder, hot-dip soldering, jet soldering, etc., but for convenience of explanation, the case where a solder sheet is used will be described here.

[0077] The first solder sheet includes a pair of elongated, strip-shaped long side portions that extend continuously and linearly in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, a pair of elongated, strip-shaped short side portions that extend continuously and linearly in the width direction of the first connector 10, and a plurality of rectangular short portions whose long sides extend in the width direction of the first connector 10 and whose short sides extend in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10. It is desirable that both ends of each short side portion are connected to the long side portion. Furthermore, the long side portions and short side portions do not necessarily need to extend continuously and may be discontinuous, but here they will be described as extending continuously.

[0078] The pair of long side portions are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 54 corresponding to the long side portion 50a of the first shield 50, and the pair of short side portions are attached to the lower surface of the flange portion 54 corresponding to the short side portion 50b of the first shield 50. Furthermore, the short portions are attached to the lower surface of the tail portion 62 of each first terminal 61 and the lower surface of the tail portion 72 of each first high-frequency terminal 71, respectively.

[0079] When the first connector 10 is mounted on the surface of the first substrate by heating and melting the applied first solder sheet, the curved portion 52a and flange portion 54, which are continuously connected around the entire circumference to the lower end of the outer wall 52 of the first shield 50, are connected without gaps to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate. Therefore, the strength of the first shield 50 connected to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate is high, and ultimately the strength of the entire first connector 10, whose periphery is surrounded by the first shield 50, is high. Furthermore, the electromagnetic shielding effect exerted by the first shield 50, which is connected without gaps to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate, is extremely high, and the first connector 10, whose periphery is surrounded by the first shield 50, is electromagnetically shielded very effectively. In particular, the smoothness of the lower surface of the flange portion 54 is high, so the strength of the first shield 50 connected to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate can be extremely high, and since there is no gap between the first shield 50 and the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate, the electromagnetic shielding effect can also be extremely high.

[0080] Thus, the first connector 10 has high strength and a high electromagnetic shielding effect, and can transmit high-frequency signals even when made small and low-profile. For example, even when the longitudinal, width, and height dimensions of the first connector 10 are set to 3.3 mm or less, 2.3 mm or less, and 0.7 mm or less, the first high-frequency terminal 71 can transmit high-frequency signals of about 60 GHz.

[0081] Next, the configuration of second connector 101 will be described.

[0082] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the second connector in the first embodiment, Fig. 8 is a three-view diagram of the second connector in the first embodiment, and Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the second connector in the first embodiment. In Fig. 7, (a) is a diagram viewed from diagonally above, (b) is a diagram viewed from diagonally below, and in Fig. 8, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view.

[0083] Second connector 101 in this embodiment has second shield 150 as a second outer shield, which is a plug shield formed by processing such as punching and drawing a conductive metal plate, and second housing 111 as a second connector main body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. Second housing 111 has a flat bottom plate 118, second protrusion 112 as a protrusion protruding upward from the top surface of bottom plate 118 at the center in the longitudinal direction of second connector 101, and a pair of protruding end portions 122 protruding upward from the top surface of bottom plate 118 at both ends in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of second connector 101. Second protrusion 112 is narrower than protruding end portion 122 and is located more inward in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of second connector 101 than both ends of protruding end portion 122.

[0084] The second protrusion 112 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, and has a groove-like central groove 112b recessed downward from the upper surface at the center in the width direction, with left and right portions of the central groove 112b serving as terminal support walls 112a that support second terminals 161 as mating terminals. The second terminals 161 are arranged at a pitch corresponding to the first terminals 61, and the corresponding number of second terminals 161 are arranged so that at least a portion of each second terminal 161 is exposed on the surface of the terminal support wall 112a. That is, a plurality of second terminals 161 are arranged along each terminal support wall 112a, forming a pair of parallel terminal arrays (mating terminal arrays).

[0085] Each protruding end 122 includes outer wall surfaces facing outward in the longitudinal direction and on both sides in the width direction of the second connector 101, an upper surface 122b facing the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101, and an inner wall surface 122c facing inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. Each protruding end 122 is spaced apart from both longitudinal ends of the second convex portion 112. A second high-frequency terminal support portion 116 serving as a support portion is formed on each protruding end 122. The second high-frequency terminal support portion 116 has a second high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 116a extending in the up-down direction as a high-frequency terminal accommodating groove, and has a generally U-shaped shape when viewed from above. 8(a), when viewed from above, i.e., in a plan view, they are arranged so as to be point-symmetrical about the center of second connector 101 and so as to be offset outward in the width direction away from the center in the width direction of second connector 101. Second high-frequency terminal 171 is accommodated in second high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 116a as a high-frequency terminal. Further, below and in front of second high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 116a, second high-frequency terminal accommodating openings 116b are formed as openings that penetrate bottom plate 118 in the plate thickness direction. Furthermore, in each protruding end portion 122, a first high-frequency terminal accommodating recess 116c is formed in front of the second high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 116a, as a counterpart terminal accommodating recess that extends from the second high-frequency terminal accommodating opening 116b to the upper surface 122b and opens onto the upper surface 122b.

[0086] The second shield 150 is a member integrally formed by subjecting a conductive metal plate to processes such as punching and drawing, and is a roughly rectangular frame-like member in a plan view, surrounding the periphery of the second housing 111. The second shield 150 includes a pair of long sides 150a extending linearly in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, a pair of short sides 150b extending linearly in the width direction of the second connector 101, and four corners 150c curved at approximately 90 degrees that connect one end of the long sides 150a and one end of the short sides 150b.

[0087] The second shield 150 includes an outer wall 152, an inner wall 151 serving as a second inner shield, and an upper wall 153. The outer wall 152 is a continuous wall around the entire periphery. The upper wall 153 is connected to the upper end of the outer wall 152 near each short side portion 150b, corner portions 150c at both ends of the short side portion 150b, and both ends of each long side portion 150a, and is formed so as to cover at least a portion, preferably more than half, of the upper surface 122b of the protruding end portion 122. The upper wall 153 is formed with a first high-frequency terminal accommodating opening 153a corresponding to the first high-frequency terminal accommodating recess 116c. Furthermore, the inner wall 151 has its upper end connected to the longitudinally inner end of the second connector 101 at the upper wall 153, extends downward, and is formed to cover at least a portion, preferably almost the entire inner wall surface 122c of the protruding end portion 122. The upper end of the inner wall 151 is formed with a curved upper wall connection portion 151a connected to the upper wall 153, and the lower end of the inner wall 151 is connected with a tail portion 151b serving as a board connection portion, the tip of which is curved so as to face the longitudinally inner side of the second connector 101. The lower surface of the tail portion 151b is parallel to the surface of the second board and is connected to a connection pad on the surface by soldering or the like. The connection pad is typically connected to a ground line. The space surrounded by the outer wall 152 corresponding to the pair of long side portions 150a and the pair of inner walls 151 forms the second recess 113 into which the first protrusion 13 of the first connector 10 is inserted and accommodated.

[0088] A flange portion 154 serving as a flat portion is connected to the lower end of the outer wall 152 via a curved portion 152a that is curved at approximately 90 degrees. The curved portion 152a and the flange portion 154 are continuously connected to the lower end of the outer wall 152 around the entire periphery. In the example shown in the figure, small notches 154a are formed in multiple locations on the flange portion 154, but the notches 154a can be omitted as appropriate.

[0089] The flange portion 154 functions as a substrate connection portion, and its lower surface is parallel to the surface of the second substrate and is connected to a connection pad on the surface by soldering or the like. The connection pad is typically connected to a ground line. The outer wall 152 is a continuous wall around the entire periphery, and its lower end is a continuous member like the flange portion 154, and is connected to a member extending in a direction perpendicular to the outer wall 152 in cross section. This makes the outer wall 152 relatively rigid and less likely to deform. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the flange portion 154 is connected to the lower end of the outer wall 152 continuously around the entire periphery, but if relatively high rigidity is not required, it may be connected to only a portion of the outer wall 152.

[0090] Furthermore, outer walls 152 corresponding to long side portion 150a and short side portion 150b have engaging protrusions 152c protruding outward. When first connector 10 and second connector 101 are mated with each other, engaging protrusions 152c engage with engaging protrusions 51c formed on inner walls 51 of first shield 50 of first connector 10, and extend linearly in the longitudinal and width directions of second connector 101.

[0091] The second shield 150 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. That is, the second housing 111 is formed by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into a cavity of a mold in which the second shield 150 has been set beforehand, and the second housing 111 is integrally connected to the second shield 150 at the protruding end 122.

[0092] The second terminal 161 is a member integrally formed by subjecting a conductive metal plate to processes such as punching and bending, and includes an outer connection portion 165 extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), a tail portion 162 serving as a board connection portion connected to the lower end of the outer connection portion 165, an upper connection portion 164 connected to the upper end of the outer connection portion 165, and an inner connection portion 166 connected to the lower end of the upper connection portion 164 and facing the outer connection portion 165. The second terminal 161 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. That is, the second housing 111 is molded by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into the cavity of a mold in which the second terminal 161 has been set beforehand.

[0093] As a result, the second terminal 161 is integrally attached to the terminal support wall 112a so that at least a portion of the second terminal 161 is embedded in the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112 of the second housing 111, and at least a portion of the surfaces of the outer connection portion 165, the upper connection portion 164, and the inner connection portion 166 are exposed on the outer, upper, and inner surfaces of the terminal support wall 112a. The surfaces of the outer connection portion 165 and the inner connection portion 166 function as contact portions and come into contact with the first terminal 61 of the first connector 10. The tail portion 162 extends from the terminal support wall 112a toward the outside in the width direction of the second housing 111 and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad coupled to a conductive trace on the second board. The tail portion 162 is disposed at a position overlapping the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 when viewed in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the second connector 101. The conductive traces may be power lines for supplying power, but are typically signal lines. In this description, the signal lines are assumed to transmit signals at normal frequencies (e.g., frequencies less than 10 GHz) that are lower than high-frequency signals, rather than high-frequency signals.

[0094] Furthermore, the second terminal 161 does not necessarily have to be integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding, but may be attached to the second housing 111 by press-fitting or the like. However, for the sake of convenience, the following description will be given of the case where the second terminal 161 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding.

[0095] The second high-frequency terminal 171 is a member formed as an integral part by subjecting a conductive metal plate to processing such as punching and bending, and includes a held portion 173, a tail portion 172 serving as a board connection portion connected to the lower end of the held portion 173, and an upper connection portion 175 connected to the upper end of the held portion 173.

[0096] The held portion 173 extends in the vertical direction and is press-fitted into the second high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 116a to be held therein, and since, as described above, the second high-frequency terminal supporting portions 116 are arranged so that the openings of the respective second high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 116a face in opposite directions, the second high-frequency terminals 171 with their held portions 173 held in the second high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 116a also face in opposite directions. Note that the second high-frequency terminal 171 does not necessarily have to be attached to the second housing 111 by press-fitting, and may be integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding; however, for convenience of explanation, the case where the held portion 173 is press-fitted into the second high-frequency terminal accommodating groove 116a and held therein will be described here.

[0097] Furthermore, the tail portion 172 is bent and connected to the held portion 173, extends in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), i.e., toward the center of the width direction of the second connector 101, and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the second board. Note that the conductive trace is a signal line, and will be described as one that typically transmits a high-frequency signal such as an RF signal (for example, a frequency of 10 GHz or more).

[0098] Furthermore, upper connection portion 175 is curved in a substantially S-shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction of second connector 101, and the curved portion that bulges out toward the center of second connector 101 in the width direction functions as contact portion 175a. Contact portion 175a is the portion that comes into contact with first high-frequency terminal 71 included in first connector 10.

[0099] The second high-frequency terminals 171 are press-fitted from the mounting surface 101b side into second high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 116a of second high-frequency terminal support portions 116 located on protruding end portions 122, and the held portions 173 are sandwiched from both sides by the inner side surfaces of second high-frequency terminal accommodating grooves 116a, thereby being fixed to the second housing 111. In this state, i.e., in a state in which the second high-frequency terminals 171 are loaded into the second housing 111, the contact portions 175a of the pair of second high-frequency terminals 171 face in opposite directions.

[0100] In the example shown in the figure, second high-frequency terminal 171 is formed to have the same dimensions and shape as first high-frequency terminal 71. Therefore, first high-frequency terminal 71 can be used as second high-frequency terminal 171.

[0101] Then, second connector 101 is placed on the surface of the second board with a second solder sheet (not shown) applied to mounting surface 101b, and is fixed and mounted on the surface of the second board by heating and melting the second solder sheet in a heating furnace or the like. Note that the means for connecting second shield 150, second terminal 161, second high-frequency terminal 171, etc. to connection pads, etc. on the second board is not necessarily limited to soldering, and may be, for example, a conductive adhesive, etc., or, even if soldering is used, it may not be the application of a solder sheet but may be the application of solder paste, transfer of cream solder, hot-dip soldering, jet soldering, etc., but for convenience of explanation, the case where a second solder sheet is used will be described here.

[0102] The second solder sheet includes a pair of elongated, strip-shaped long side portions that extend continuously and linearly in the longitudinal direction of second connector 101, a plurality of elongated, strip-shaped short side portions that extend continuously and linearly in the width direction of second connector 101, and a plurality of rectangular short portions whose long sides extend in the width direction of second connector 101 and whose short sides extend in the longitudinal direction of second connector 101. It is desirable that both ends of each short side portion are connected to the long side portion. Furthermore, the long side portions and short side portions do not necessarily need to extend continuously and may be discontinuous, but here they will be described as extending continuously.

[0103] The pair of long side portions are attached to the lower surface of flange portion 154 corresponding to long side portion 150a of second shield 150, the pair of short side portions are attached to the lower surface of flange portion 154 corresponding to short side portion 150b of second shield 150, and the other pair of short side portions are attached to the lower surface of tail portion 151b of inner wall 151. Furthermore, each short portion is attached to the lower surface of tail portion 162 of each second terminal 161 and the lower surface of tail portion 172 of each second high-frequency terminal 171, respectively.

[0104] When the second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of the second substrate by heating and melting the second solder sheet applied in this manner, the curved portion 152a and flange portion 154, which are continuously connected around the entire periphery to the lower end of the outer wall 152, which is continuous around the entire periphery of the second shield 150, are connected without gaps to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate. Therefore, the strength of the second shield 150 connected to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate is high, and ultimately the strength of the entire second connector 101, the periphery of which is surrounded by the second shield 150, is high. Furthermore, the electromagnetic shielding effect exerted by the second shield 150 connected without gaps to the connection pads on the surface of the second substrate is extremely high, and the second connector 101, the periphery of which is surrounded by the second shield 150, is electromagnetically shielded very effectively. In particular, since the underside of the flange portion 154 is highly smooth, the strength of the second shield 150 connected to the connection pad on the surface of the second substrate can be made extremely high, and since no gaps are created between the second shield 150 and the connection pad on the surface of the second substrate, the electromagnetic shielding effect can also be made extremely high.

[0105] Furthermore, each of the protruding ends 122 at both longitudinal ends of the second connector 101 has its outer wall surface facing outward in the longitudinal direction and on both widthwise sides of the second connector 101 covered by the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150, its upper surface 122b facing the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 covered by the upper wall 153 of the second shield 150, and its inner wall surface 122c facing inward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 covered by the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150, so that the entire periphery is shielded, and therefore the second high-frequency terminal 171 supported by the second high-frequency terminal support portion 116 formed on the protruding end 122 is electromagnetically shielded very effectively.

[0106] Thus, second connector 101 has high strength and a high electromagnetic shielding effect, and is therefore capable of transmitting high-frequency signals even when made small and low-profile. For example, even when the longitudinal, width, and height dimensions of second connector 101 are set to 2.9 mm or less, 1.9 mm or less, and 0.7 mm or less, second high-frequency terminal 171 can transmit high-frequency signals of approximately 60 GHz.

[0107] Next, the operation of mating the first connector 10 and second connector 101 configured as described above will be described.

[0108] Figure 10 is a plan view of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in an initial state of mating, Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in an initial state of mating, Figure 12 is an oblique view of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in a state where mating is complete, Figure 13 is a plan view of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in a state where mating is complete, Figure 14 is a side cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in a state where mating is complete, and Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment in a state where mating is complete. 11, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in FIG. 10, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the DD arrow in FIG. 10; in FIG. 14, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the EE arrow in FIG. 13, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the FF arrow in FIG. 13; and in FIG. 15, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the GG arrow in FIG. 13, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the HH arrow in FIG. 13.

[0109] Here, the first connector 10 is assumed to be surface-mounted on the first substrate by soldering the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61, the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71, and the curved portion 52a and flange portion 54 connected continuously around the entire periphery to the lower end of the outer wall 52 that is continuous around the entire periphery of the first shield 50 to connection pads connected to conductive traces of the first substrate (not shown). Also, the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71 is connected is assumed to be a signal line that transmits a high-frequency signal like an antenna wire connected to an antenna, the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the curved portion 52a and flange portion 54 of the first shield 50 are connected is assumed to be a ground line, and the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 is connected is assumed to be a signal line that transmits a signal of a lower frequency than the high-frequency signal.

[0110] Similarly, the second connector 101 is surface-mounted on the second substrate by soldering the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161, the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171, the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150, and the curved portion 152a and flange portion 154 that are continuously connected around the entire circumference to the lower end of the outer wall 152 that is continuous around the entire circumference of the second shield 150 to connection pads that are linked to conductive traces of the second substrate (not shown). Furthermore, the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171 is connected is a signal line that transmits high-frequency signals like an antenna wire connected to an antenna, the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 151b of the inner wall 151 of the second shield 150 and the curved portion 152a and flange portion 154 of the second shield 150 are connected is a ground line, and the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 is connected is a signal line that transmits a signal of a lower frequency than the high-frequency signal.

[0111] First, the operator positions the mating surface 10a of the first connector 10 and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 opposite each other, as shown in FIG. 1, and when the position of the first convex portion 13 of the first connector 10 matches the position of the second concave portion 113 of the second connector 101 and the position of the protruding end portion 122 of the second connector 101 matches the position of the corresponding mating concave portion 12b of the first connector 10, the alignment of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 is completed.

[0112] In this state, when the first connector 10 and / or the second connector 101 is moved in a direction approaching the mating side, i.e., in the mating direction, the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the accommodating portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 10, the first convex portion 13 of the first connector 10 is inserted into the second concave portion 113 of the second connector 101, and the protruding end portion 122 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the mating concave portion 12b of the first connector 10.

[0113] Furthermore, the mating surface 10a of the first connector 10 is surrounded by the connecting portion 53 of the first shield 50, and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 is surrounded by the outer wall 152 and upper wall 153 of the second shield 150, so even if the mating surface 10a of the first connector 10 and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 come into contact during mating, they will not be damaged or broken.

[0114] 10 and 11, that is, in a state where the portion of the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 near the mating surface 101a has entered the accommodating portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 10, as shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), the portion of the outer wall 152 of the corner 150c of the second shield 150 near the mating surface 101a abuts against the gently inclined surface 51h near the upper end (near the mating surface 10a) of the mating positioning portion 51b at the corner 50c of the first shield 50, and is inserted into the accommodating portion 50d while being guided by the gently inclined surface 51h. This positions the second connector 101 relative to the first connector 10. Corner portion 50c included in fitting positioning portion 51b is robust because it is integrated with corner portion 17 of first housing 11 and has its back side filled with the insulating material that constitutes first housing 11. Therefore, fitting positioning portion 51b is so robust that it will not deform or break even if it comes into contact with a portion of second shield 150 of second connector 101 near fitting surface 101a.

[0115] Furthermore, a portion of the outer wall 152 at the corner portion 150c of the second shield 150 near the fitting surface 101a comes into contact with the gently inclined surface portion 51h, and then comes into contact with the inclined surface portion 51d of the fitting spring portion 51a of the first shield 50. This reduces damage to the fitting spring portion 51a.

[0116] Next, as shown in Figures 12 to 15, when the mating of first connector 10 and second connector 101 is completed, first terminal 61 and second terminal 161 become conductive, and first high-frequency terminal 71 and second high-frequency terminal 171 become conductive.

[0117] Specifically, a pair of terminal support walls 112a of the second protrusion 112 of the second housing 111 are inserted into a pair of inner groove portions 12a of the first housing 11, and as shown in Figure 15(a), the contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65 and the contact portion 66a of the inner connection portion 66 of the first terminal 61 protrude into the inner groove portions 12a, and come into contact with the outer connection portion 165 and the inner connection portion 166 of the second terminal 161 exposed on the outer and inner surfaces of the terminal support walls 112a.

[0118] At this time, the lower connection portion 64 of the first terminal 61 and its vicinity are generally U-shaped and elastically deformable, so that the gap between the opposing contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65 and the contact portion 66a of the inner connection portion 66 can be elastically expanded. Therefore, the gap between the contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65 and the contact portion 66a of the inner connection portion 66 is elastically expanded by the second terminal 161 inserted therebetween, and as a reaction to this, the second terminal 161 is elastically sandwiched from both sides by the contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65 and the contact portion 66a of the inner connection portion 66. As a result, the corresponding contact portion 65a of the outer connection portion 65 of the first terminal 61 and the outer connection portion 165 of the second terminal 161, and the contact portion 66a of the inner connection portion 66 of the first terminal 61 and the inner connection portion 166 of the second terminal 161, maintain contact and do not separate even when subjected to impact or vibration, thereby maintaining a stable conductive state. Furthermore, the corresponding first terminal 61 and second terminal 161 are in contact at two points, i.e., a two-point contact state, and even if the contact at one point is released, the contact at the other point is maintained, so the contact state can be maintained stably.

[0119] 15(b), the first high-frequency terminal support portion 16 located in the fitting recess 12b is inserted into the first high-frequency terminal accommodating recess 116c of the protruding end portion 122, and the contact portion 75a of the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the contact portion 175a of the second high-frequency terminal 171 come into contact. At this time, the curved upper connecting portions 75 and 175 themselves of the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the second high-frequency terminal 171 are elastically deformable, and therefore the contact portions 75a and 175a of the first and second high-frequency terminals 71 and 171 can elastically displace in the width direction of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101. As a result, the corresponding contact portions 75a of the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the contact portions 175a of the second high-frequency terminal 171 maintain contact and do not separate even when subjected to impact or vibration, and a stable conduction state can be maintained. Note that the corresponding first high-frequency terminal 71 and second high-frequency terminal 171 are in a so-called single-contact state, in that they are in contact at only one point, and no unintended stubs or divided circuits are formed in the signal transmission line from tail portion 72 of first high-frequency terminal 71 to tail portion 172 of second high-frequency terminal 171. This stabilizes the impedance of the transmission line, and good SI characteristics can be obtained.

[0120] In this way, the first high-frequency terminal 71 and the second high-frequency terminal 171, which are in contact with each other, are completely surrounded by the inner wall 51 and the outer wall 52 of the first shield 50 and the inner wall 151 and the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150, and are therefore extremely effectively shielded. Therefore, the impedance of the signal transmission line from the tail portion 72 of the first high-frequency terminal 71 to the tail portion 172 of the second high-frequency terminal 171 is stabilized, and good SI characteristics can be obtained.

[0121] Furthermore, when the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the accommodation portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 10, the outer surface of the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 abuts or comes close to the inner surface of the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50, and as shown in FIGS. 14(a) and 15(a), the engaging protrusions 152c formed on the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 engage with the engaging protrusions 51c formed on the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50. Note that the mating spring portion 51a of the inner wall 51 on which the engaging protrusions 51c are formed is separated from other portions at both ends by slits 53a and is relatively flexible, so that the state of engagement with the engaging protrusions 152c of the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 can be reliably maintained. This locks the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 together, preventing the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 from being disengaged. Furthermore, the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 are in contact with each other, are electrically connected, and are at the same potential, thereby improving the electromagnetic shielding properties.

[0122] As described above, in the present embodiment, the connector pair comprises a first connector 10 including a first housing 11, a first terminal 61 attached to the first housing 11, a first high-frequency terminal 71 attached to the first housing 11, and a first shield 50 surrounding the entire periphery of the first housing 11, and a second connector 101 including a second housing 111, a second terminal 161 attached to the second housing 111, a second high-frequency terminal 171 attached to the second housing 111, and a second shield 150 surrounding the entire periphery of the second housing 111, and mating with the first connector 10. The second connector 101 is attached to the second housing 111 and further includes an inner wall 151 extending in the width direction of the second connector 101 between the second terminal 161 and the second high-frequency terminal 171.

[0123] This allows the first terminal 61 and the first high-frequency terminal 71, as well as the second terminal 161 and the second high-frequency terminal 171, to be attached to the small, low-profile first connector 10 and the second connector 101 mounted on the first board and the second board, and despite being small and low-profile, they exhibit high strength and can obtain a high shielding effect, improving reliability.

[0124] In the present embodiment, the first connector 10 includes a first housing 11, a first terminal 61 attached to the first housing 11, a first high-frequency terminal 71 attached to the first housing 11, and a first shield 50 surrounding the entire periphery of the first housing 11, and is mated with the second connector 101. The first shield 50 includes an inclined surface 51d and a gently inclined surface 51h as inclined portions extending diagonally downward and formed on the inner peripheral edge at the upper end thereof, and also includes long side portions 50a and short side portions 50b as a plurality of linear portions and a plurality of corner portions 50c, and is integrally connected to the first housing 11 at the corner portions 50c and separated from the first housing 11 at the long side portions 50a and short side portions 50b.

[0125] In this way, the first connector 10 has the first housing 11, to which the first terminal 61 and the first high-frequency terminal 71 are attached, surrounded entirely by the first shield 50, and the corner portions 50c of the first shield 50 are integrally connected to the first housing 11. Therefore, despite being small and low-profile, the connector exhibits high strength and can obtain a high shielding effect, thereby improving reliability.

[0126] Furthermore, the first shield 50 includes an outer wall 52, an inner wall 51 that is substantially parallel to the outer wall 52 on the inside of the outer wall 52, a connecting portion 53 that connects the upper end of the outer wall 52 to the upper end of the inner wall 51, a flange portion 54 that is connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52 and extends outward, and an accommodating portion 50d that is surrounded by the inner wall 51 and that accommodates the second connector 101, and the inner wall 51 at the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b includes mating spring portions 51a that elastically contact the second shield 150 of the second connector 101. Therefore, the first shield 50 can reliably maintain contact with the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 and will not be damaged or broken.

[0127] Furthermore, the outer wall 52 and the flange portion 54 are continuous around the entire periphery of the first housing 11. Therefore, the strength and shielding effect of the first shield 50 are improved, and therefore the strength and shielding effect of the first connector 10 are improved.

[0128] Furthermore, the fitting spring portion 51a is separated from other portions of the inner wall 51 on the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b by the slit portion 53a. Therefore, the fitting spring portion 51a can freely elastically deform and can reliably maintain contact with the second shield 150 of the second connector 101. In addition, an external force applied to the first shield 50 is prevented from being transmitted to the first housing 11, preventing the first housing 11 from being damaged or broken.

[0129] Furthermore, mating spring portion 51a includes an inclined surface portion 51d extending diagonally downward from connecting portion 53 toward the inside of accommodating portion 50d, and an engaging protrusion 51c formed at the lower end of inclined surface portion 51d and protruding toward the inside of accommodating portion 50d. Therefore, when first connector 10 and second connector 101 are mated, inclined surface portion 51d can smoothly guide second shield 150, and engaging protrusion 51c can reliably engage with second shield 150, thereby preventing disengagement between first connector 10 and second connector 101.

[0130] Furthermore, corner portion 50c includes gently inclined surface portion 51h that extends diagonally downward from connecting portion 53 inward of accommodating portion 50d and has a gentler inclination angle than inclined surface portion 51d. Therefore, when first connector 10 and second connector 101 are mated, gently inclined surface portion 51h abuts against second connector 101 inserted into accommodating portion 50d, and then inclined surface portion 51d abuts against second connector 101, thereby reducing damage to mating spring portion 51a.

[0131] Furthermore, at corner portion 50c, the space defined by outer wall 52, inner wall 51, and connecting portion 53 is filled with the constituent material of first housing 11. Therefore, corner portion 50c is highly robust and will not deform or break even when second shield 150 of second connector 101 abuts against it, so that second connector 101 can be reliably positioned relative to first connector 10 when first connector 10 and second connector 101 are mated.

[0132] Moreover, in the present embodiment, second connector 101 includes second housing 111, second terminal 161 attached to second housing 111, second high-frequency terminal 171 attached to second housing 111, and second shield 150 surrounding the entire periphery of second housing 111, second shield 150 including inner wall 151 extending in the width direction of second connector 101 between second terminal 161 and second high-frequency terminal 171, and when first connector 10 and second connector 101 are mated, first shield 50 and second shield 150 come into contact and are conductive. Therefore, while being small and low-profile, second connector 101 exhibits high strength and can obtain a high shielding effect, improving reliability.

[0133] In this embodiment, the first connector 10 includes a first housing 11, a first terminal 61 attached to the first housing 11, a first high-frequency terminal 71 attached to the first housing 11, and a first shield 50 surrounding the first housing 11, and is mated with the second connector 101. The first shield 50 includes four linear portions, namely, long side portions 50a and short side portions 50b, and four corner portions 50c, as well as an outer wall 52, an inner wall 51 that is substantially parallel to the outer wall 52 on the inside of the outer wall 52, and a connecting portion 53 that connects the upper end of the outer wall 52 to the upper end of the inner wall 51. The lower portion of the outer wall 52 is connected to the first board, and the outer wall 52, the inner wall 51, and the connecting portion 53 surround the first connector 10 at the corner portion 50c. The defined space is filled with the constituent material of the first housing 11, and the inner walls 51 on the long side portions 50a and short side portions 50b include mating spring portions 51a that can come into contact with the second connector 101. When viewed from the mating direction, end recesses 18c and outer recessed groove portions 12c where the first housing 11 is not present are formed in the areas where the mating spring portions 51a are arranged, and the mating spring portions 51a do not overlap with the first terminals 61 or the first high-frequency terminals 71. Therefore, despite being small and low-profile, the connector exhibits high strength and can obtain a high shielding effect, improving reliability.

[0134] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Components having the same structure as those in the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. Furthermore, descriptions of the same operations and effects as those in the first embodiment will also be omitted.

[0135] Fig. 16 is an exploded view of the first connector in the second embodiment, Fig. 17 is a two-sided view of the first connector in the second embodiment, Fig. 18 is a two-sided view of the first shield in the second embodiment, and Fig. 19 is a two-sided view of the first housing in the second embodiment. In Fig. 17, (a) is a top view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II in (a), in Fig. 18, (a) is a top view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line JJ in (a), and in Fig. 19, (a) is a top view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line KK in (a).

[0136] In this embodiment, the first connector 10, similar to the first embodiment, includes a first shield 50 serving as a first outer shield, which is a receptacle shield formed by punching, drawing, or the like, from a conductive metal plate, and a first housing 11 serving as a first connector main body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. When the first shield 50 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding, the first housing 11 is integrally connected to the first shield 50 at its four corners 17. Therefore, the first housing 11 and the first shield 50 do not exist separately, but for convenience of explanation, FIG. 16 shows the first housing 11 and the first shield 50 as if they exist separately, and FIGS. 18 and 19 show the first housing 11 and the first shield 50 separately.

[0137] In this embodiment, each of the corner portions 17, as in the first embodiment, has a shape like one of the quartered cylindrical walls, and includes an upper wall portion 17a having an arc-like shape with a central angle of approximately 90 degrees in a plan view, a cylindrical outer wall portion 17b extending downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) from the outer edge of the upper wall portion 17a, a cylindrical inner wall portion 17c extending downward from the inner edge of the upper wall portion 17a, and a pair of flat side wall portions 17d extending downward from the edges of the upper wall portion 17a corresponding to both ends of the arc with a central angle of approximately 90 degrees. In the example shown in Fig. 16, each side wall portion 17d has a recessed portion 17d1 recessed except for the periphery, but the recessed portion 17d1 can be omitted and the side wall portion 17d can be made flat, as in the first embodiment.

[0138] The inner wall portion 17c has a shield housing portion 17e recessed to accommodate the inner wall 51 at a corner portion 50c included in the fitting positioning portion 51b of the first shield 50. However, in the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the shield housing portion 17e does not include a divergent portion 17f, and its lower end portion is formed to be approximately parallel to the upper surface of the connection portion 18a of the bottom plate 18. As shown in Figures 16 and 19(b), it is desirable to form a locking protrusion 17h that protrudes inward of the housing portion 50d as a locking portion in at least a portion near the lower end portion of the shield housing portion 17e.

[0139] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, corner portions 50c included in fitting positioning portion 51b of first shield 50 do not include divergent portions 51f, unlike the first embodiment, and their lower ends are formed so as to be substantially parallel to the upper surface of flange portion 54. The upper end vicinity of fitting positioning portion 51b including corner portions 50c forms gently inclined surface portions 51h that are gently inclined diagonally downward inward of accommodating portion 50d, similar to the first embodiment.

[0140] In this embodiment, the fitting positioning portion 51b includes a positioning lower portion 51j extending substantially vertically downward from the lower end of the gently inclined surface portion 51h. As shown in Fig. 18(b), it is desirable that a locking recess 51k, which serves as a locked portion and recesses toward the inside of the accommodation portion 50d, is formed in at least a part of the inner wall surface of the positioning lower portion 51j, i.e., in the vicinity of the lower end of the wall surface facing the outer wall 52.

[0141] As a result, when the first shield 50 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding, as shown in FIG. 17(b), a portion of the constituent material of the first housing 11 filled on the back side of the corner portion 50c penetrates into the locking recess 51k, forming the locking protrusion 17h, which engages with the locking recess 51k. Therefore, the corner portion 50c and the corner portion 17 are securely integrated and inseparable. The outer wall surface of the positioning lower portion 51j, i.e., the wall surface facing inward of the accommodating portion 50d, and the inner wall portion 17c of the corner portion 17 are substantially flush with each other extending vertically. The concave and convex portions of the locking protrusion 17h and the locking recess 51k may have opposite shapes; that is, the locked portion may be formed as a locking protrusion and the locking portion may be formed as a locking recess.

[0142] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length of the arc of the portion of first housing 11 filling the back side of corner portion 50c, which is the curved portion of first shield 50, i.e., cylindrical inner wall portion 17c, which is the inner surface of corner portion 17, is set to be shorter than the length of the arc of lower end 51m of inner wall 51 at corner portion 50c. Therefore, when first connector 10 and second connector 101 are mated, second connector 101 inserted into accommodating portion 50d is guided by gently inclined surface portion 51h of corner portion 50c without being affected by inner wall portion 17c, and can be reliably mated with first connector 10.

[0143] 17(b), the position of the lower end 17j of the corner 17 is set higher than the position of the lower end of the outer wall 52 at the corner 50c. Therefore, the flange 54 connected to the lower end of the outer wall 52 can be reliably connected to the connection pad of the first board by soldering, and the first connector 10 can be reliably mounted on the first board.

[0144] Furthermore, other basic configurations of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0145] In addition, the operation of mating the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 in this embodiment, as well as other basic configurations and effects when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated, are the same as those in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0146] It should be noted that the disclosure herein describes features of preferred and exemplary embodiments, and that various other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure herein. [Industrial Applicability]

[0147] The present disclosure is applicable to connectors and connector pairs. [Explanation of symbols]

[0148] 10 First Connector 10a, 101a mating surface 10b, 101b Mounting surface 11 First Housing 12 First recess 12a Inner groove 12b, 812 fitting recess 12c Outer groove 13 First convex part 13a Outside convex part 13b Inner convex part 13c Lateral convex part 13d Second shield receiving slit 15 First signal terminal receiving cavity 15a First signal terminal receiving inner cavity 15b First signal terminal receiving outer cavity 16 1st high frequency terminal support part 16a First high frequency terminal receiving groove 16b, 153a First high frequency terminal receiving opening 17 Corner 17a Upper wall 17b Exterior wall 17c Inner wall 17d Side wall part 17d1 Otoribe 17e Shield housing 17th floor, 51st floor Suehirobe 17g, 51g sloped side 17h Locking protrusion 17j, 51m lower end 18, 118, 818 bottom plate 18a Connection 18b side recess 18c End recess 50 First Shield 50a, 150a long side 50b, 150b short side 50c, 150c corners 50d storage compartment 51, 151 Inner wall 51a Fitting spring part 51b Fitting positioning portion 51c, 152c Engagement protrusion 51d Slope section 51e Lower inner wall 51h Gentle slope section 51j Positioning bottom 51k locking recess 52, 152 exterior wall 52a, 152a curved section 53 Connecting part 53a Slit section 54, 154 flange 54a, 154a notch 61 1st terminal 62, 72, 151b, 162, 172, 862 tail section 63, 73, 173 Retained part 64 Lower connection part 65, 165 Outer connection 65a, 66a, 75a, 175a, 865 contact part 66, 166 Inner connection 71 1st high frequency terminal 75, 164, 175 Upper connection part 101 Second Connector 111 Second Housing 112 Second convex part 112a Terminal support wall 112b Central groove 113 Second recess 116 2nd high frequency terminal support part 116a Second high frequency terminal receiving groove 116b Second high frequency terminal receiving opening 116c First high frequency terminal accommodating recess 122 Protruding end 122b Top surface 122c Inner wall surface 150 Second Shield 151a Upper wall connection 153 Upper Wall 161 2nd terminal 171 2nd high frequency terminal 811 Housing 813 Convex 814 Side wall 818a opening 851 Conductive Shell 851a PCB connection part 861 terminal

Claims

1. (a) A connector pair having a first connector and a second connector mating with the first connector, (b) the first connector comprises a first connector body, a plurality of first terminals arranged in a row, a pair of first high-frequency terminals arranged at both ends of the row of first terminals, and a first shield surrounding the entire periphery of the first connector; (c) the second connector includes a second connector body, a plurality of second terminals arranged in a row, a pair of second high-frequency terminals arranged at both ends of the row of second terminals, and a second shield surrounding the entire periphery of the second connector; (d) the second terminal is attached integrally to the second connector body, and the first terminal has a U-shaped side surface capable of receiving the second terminal and being elastically deformable; (e) the first and second high-frequency terminals all have the same shape and include an elastically deformable contact portion and a board connection portion, and when the first connector and the second connector are mated, the first high-frequency terminal and the second high-frequency terminal in contact with the first high-frequency terminal are arranged in rotational symmetry when viewed from the side, (f) A connector pair, wherein the first shield and the second shield include board connection portions at their lower ends.

2. the first shield has a substantially rectangular inner wall including four linear portions and four curved portions, and only the curved portions are integrally connected to the first connector body; 2. The connector pair according to claim 1, wherein the first terminal, the first high-frequency terminal, and the first shield are fixed to the first connector body, and the second terminal, the second high-frequency terminal, and the second shield are fixed to the second connector body.

3. the first shield includes an outer wall, an inner wall formed inside the outer wall, a connecting portion connecting an upper end of the outer wall with an upper end of the inner wall, a flange portion connected to a lower end of the outer wall and extending outward, and a housing portion surrounded by the inner wall and housing the second connector; 3. The connector pair according to claim 2, wherein an inner wall of the linear portion includes a mating spring portion that elastically contacts the second shield.

4. 2. The connector pair according to claim 1, wherein the board connecting portions of the first and second shields have flat portions that extend outward from the lower ends of the first and second shields via curved portions.

5. 5. The connector pair of claim 4, wherein the planar portion of the first shield includes a notch.

6. 5. The connector pair according to claim 4, wherein the curved portion of the first shield is formed along the entire periphery of the first shield.

7. 5. The connector pair of claim 4, wherein the planar portion of the second shield includes a notch.

8. 5. The connector pair according to claim 4, wherein the curved portion of the second shield is formed along the entire periphery of the second shield.

9. 2. The connector pair according to claim 1, wherein the first high-frequency terminal and the second high-frequency terminal include a held portion, a board connection portion connected to a lower end of the held portion, and an upper connection portion connected to an upper end of the held portion.

10. The connector pair according to claim 9 , wherein the board connecting portion is bent and connected to the held portion.

11. 2. The connector pair according to claim 1, wherein contact portions of the pair of first high-frequency terminals in the first connector face in opposite directions, and contact portions of the pair of second high-frequency terminals in the second connector face in opposite directions.

12. (a) A second connector that mates with a first connector, the second connector comprising: a second connector body; a second terminal attached to the second connector body; a second high-frequency terminal attached to the second connector body; and a second shield that surrounds the entire periphery of the second connector body; (b) the second shield is a substantially rectangular frame-shaped member in a plan view, and includes an outer wall that is a continuous wall around the entire periphery, and an upper wall that covers more than half of the upper surface of the second connector body, (c) the upper wall is substantially rectangular in plan view, three of its four sides are continuously connected to an upper end of the outer wall, the remaining side is connected to an inner wall parallel to the outer wall, and two of its four corners are continuously connected to the upper end of the outer wall at four corner portions of the second shield, and the upper wall includes openings; (d) A second connector, characterized in that the second connector body, all second terminals, and second high-frequency terminals are housed inside the outer wall.

13. The second connector according to claim 12 , wherein the inner wall includes a board connection portion at a lower end thereof, the board connection portion being located between the second terminal and the second high-frequency terminal.

14. The second connector according to claim 12 , wherein the second shield includes a board connection portion, the board connection portion having a flat portion extending outward from a lower end of the second shield via a curved portion.

15. The second connector of claim 14 , wherein the planar portion of the second shield includes a notch.

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