Connector

Abstract

To narrow an interval between projections on which a plurality of terminals are mounted, facilitate manufacturing, make downsizing possible and improve reliability.SOLUTION: Disclosed is a connector that includes a first housing and a plurality of first terminals mounted in the first housing. The first housing includes a pair of half body parts molded integrally with the plurality of first terminals and an end portion coupling the pair of half body parts. The pair of half body parts is coupled by the end portion in a mutually separated state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors. [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 (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector.

[0004] In the figure, reference numeral 811 denotes a connector housing to be mounted on a circuit board (not shown), and has a pair of elongated protrusions 812 extending in the longitudinal direction. A plurality of terminals 861 are attached to the protrusions 812 in a line in the longitudinal direction of the connector.

[0005] When the connector is mated with a mating connector (not shown), the protrusions 812 are inserted into a pair of grooves formed in the mating housing of the mating connector, so that the terminals 861 come into contact with the mating terminals (not shown) mounted side by side in the grooves, thereby establishing electrical contact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-126789 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the conventional connector, the terminals 861 are formed to be integrated with the housing 811, and therefore, when the connector is made smaller, the interval between the protrusions 812 becomes narrower and the pitch between the terminals 861 becomes smaller, making manufacturing difficult. Typically, the terminals 861 are integrated with the pair of protrusions 812 of the housing 811 by a molding method known as overmolding or insert molding, and therefore, when the interval between the protrusions 812 becomes narrower and the pitch between the terminals 861 becomes narrower, it becomes difficult to accurately arrange a large number of terminals 861 in positions corresponding to the pair of protrusions 812 in the mold for molding the housing 811.

[0008] The objective here is to solve the problems of the conventional connectors, to provide a connector that can narrow the spacing between the protrusions to which multiple terminals are attached, is easy to manufacture, can be made compact, and is highly reliable. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To this end, the connector comprises half-body portions each including a connector body and a plurality of terminals attached to the connector body, body end portions formed at both ends of the connector body of each half-body portion, and reinforcing metal fittings integrated with the body end portions, each of the connector bodies including a protrusion extending in its longitudinal direction and integrated with the terminal, each of the terminals including a wide contact extending in the vertical direction and an upper portion narrower than the contact and connected to the upper end of the contact, and the terminals arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the protrusion are positioned so that the orientations of adjacent terminals are opposite to each other in the width direction of the protrusion, and the upper portions of adjacent terminals overlap when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the protrusion.

[0010] In another connector, each of the terminals further includes a tail portion that protrudes outward in the width direction of the connector body and is connected to a substrate, and the terminals are arranged so that the tail portions of adjacent terminals protrude in opposite directions to each other in the width direction of the connector body.

[0011] In yet another connector, each of the connector bodies further includes a bottom plate portion extending in its longitudinal direction, the convex portion is integrally formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion, and the tail portion protrudes from the bottom plate portion outward in the width direction of the connector body.

[0012] In still another connector, the space between the left and right half portions is an elongated groove portion extending in the longitudinal direction of the connector, and the groove portion opens onto the upper and lower surfaces of the connector.

[0013] A connector pair includes a connector of the present disclosure and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

[0014] Also, the connector comprises a first housing and a plurality of first terminals attached to the first housing, wherein the first housing includes a pair of half-body portions integrally molded with the plurality of first terminals and an end portion connecting the pair of half-body portions, and the pair of half-body portions are connected by the end portion while spaced apart from each other.

[0015] In other connectors, the ends are also integrally molded with the reinforcing bars.

[0016] In yet another connector, the pitch of the tail portions of the first terminals on each side of each half portion is twice the pitch of the first terminals, and the tail portions on the inner widthwise sides of the connector in one half portion and the tail portions on the inner widthwise sides of the connector in the other half portion are offset from each other by half a pitch.

[0017] In still another connector, the tail portions of the first terminals on the inner side in the width direction of the connector are all visible from the mating surface.

[0018] The connector assembly includes the connector of the present disclosure and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

[0019] Also, a method for manufacturing a connector includes a first housing and a plurality of first terminals attached to the first housing, and includes a step of integrally molding each of a pair of half portions of the first housing with the plurality of first terminals, and a step of joining the molded pair of half portions by their ends while the half portions are spaced apart from each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present disclosure, the connector can narrow the spacing between the protrusions to which multiple terminals are attached, making it easier to manufacture, allowing for miniaturization, and improving reliability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first connector according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a perspective view of the left half of the first connector according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a perspective view showing a step of manufacturing the left half body of the first connector according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are two-view diagrams showing a first step of manufacturing a first protruding end portion of a first connector in the present embodiment, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a bottom view. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are two-view diagrams showing a second step of manufacturing the first protruding end portion of the first connector in the present embodiment, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a bottom view. [Figure 7] 6A and 6B are enlarged views showing the main parts of the first and second steps of manufacturing the first protruding end portion of the first connector in this embodiment, where (a) is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 5 and (b) is an enlarged view of part F in FIG. 6. [Figure 8]6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the first and second steps of manufacturing the first protruding end portion of the first connector in this embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 5, (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 6, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] 1 is a perspective view seen from the first connector side, showing a state immediately before the first connector and the second connector are mated in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is an exploded view of the left half body of a modified example of the first connector according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first connector in this embodiment, FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector in this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the left half body of the first connector in this embodiment.

[0024] In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a first connector, which is one of a pair of board-to-board connectors in this embodiment. The first connector 1 is a surface-mount 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, which is a mating connector (described below). The second connector 101 is the other of the pair of board-to-board connectors, and is a surface-mount connector mounted on the surface of a second substrate, which is a substrate (not shown) serving as a mounting member.

[0025] The first connector 1 and the second connector 101 in this embodiment are preferably used to electrically connect a first board and a second board as substrates, but can also be used to electrically connect other members. The first board and the second board are, for example, printed circuit boards used in electronic devices, flexible flat cables (FFC), flexible circuit boards (FPC), etc., but may be any type of board.

[0026] 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 1 and the second connector 101 are not absolute but relative, and are appropriate when each part of the first connector 1 and the 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.

[0027] The first connector 1 is configured by connecting a pair of left and right half bodies, i.e., a left half body 10A and a right half body 10B, using a first reinforcing metal fitting 51 as a reinforcing metal fitting and a covering portion 16 integrally molded by a molding method known as overmolding, outsert molding, or insert molding (hereinafter referred to as "insert molding"). The left half body 10A and the right half body 10B are identical members arranged facing each other, and therefore will be described collectively as half body 10. The left half body 10A and the right half body 10B each have a generally gate-shaped shape in a plan view (projected onto the XY plane), and the space between the connected left half body 10A and right half body 10B forms an elongated groove 13 extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the first connector 1. The groove 13 is a through-hole that opens on the top and bottom surfaces of the first connector 1.

[0028] In this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the first connector 1 is described as having a pair of half portions 10, i.e., two half portions arranged in parallel, but it may also be having three or more half portions 10 arranged in parallel. Furthermore, the half portions 10 do not necessarily have to have a generally gate-like shape, and may have any shape as long as both longitudinal ends can be joined by the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 and the covering portion 16.

[0029] The half body portions 10 are integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin and include a first housing 11 serving as a connector main body having a generally gate-like shape in a plan view. Each first housing 11 includes a thin, strip-shaped bottom plate portion 17 extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the first housing 11, and a first protrusion 12 as a thin, protruding portion formed integrally on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 17 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11. The first protrusion 12 is a member having an inverted U-shaped cross section and includes a curved mating surface 12a located on the upper side (positive Z-axis direction) and outer and inner surface 12b and 12c connected to both the left and right sides of the mating surface 12a. The outer and inner surface 12b and 12c are a pair of flat surfaces that are parallel to each other and face each other, and extend in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11. Since the widthwise dimension (Y-axis direction) of the first protrusion 12 is shorter than the widthwise dimension of the bottom plate portion 17, the bottom plate portion 17 protrudes outward in the widthwise direction from the outer surface 12b and the inner surface 12c at the lower end (end on the negative Z-axis direction) of the first protrusion 12. The lower surface of the bottom plate portion 17 is the mounting surface 17a of the first housing 11 that faces the surface of the first board.

[0030] A first terminal 61 is disposed on each first protrusion 12. A plurality of first terminals 61 (32 in the example shown in the figure) are disposed at a predetermined pitch. Each first terminal 61 is a member integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processes on a conductive metal plate, and has a main body 63 extending in the width direction of the first protrusion 12, a tail portion 62 connected to one end of the main body 63, a contact portion 65 bent at approximately 90 degrees to the other end of the main body 63 and extending in the vertical direction, and an upper end 64 bent at approximately 90 degrees to the upper end of the contact portion 65.

[0031] The main body portion 63 is a portion that is embedded in and held in the bottom plate portion 17. The tail portion 62 extends outward in the width direction from the bottom plate portion 17 and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad that is connected to a conductive trace on the first board. The conductive trace is typically a signal line. The contact portion 65 is a portion that comes into contact with a second terminal 161 (described below) of the second connector 101 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, and preferably includes a contact recess 65a recessed from the surface.

[0032] The first terminal 61 is integrated with the first housing 11 by insert molding. That is, the first housing 11 is formed by filling an insulating material into a cavity of a mold in which the first terminal 61 has been set beforehand. As a result, the first terminal 61 is attached integrally to the first housing 11 with the lower surfaces of the main body portion 63 and the tail portion 62 exposed on the mounting surface 17a of the bottom plate portion 17, and the surfaces of the contact portion 65 and the upper end portion 64 exposed on the outer surface 12b or the inner surface 12c of the first protrusion 12 and the mating surface 12a.

[0033] Furthermore, the first terminals 61 attached to each first protrusion 12 are oriented so that adjacent first terminals face opposite directions in the width direction of the first protrusion 12. In the example shown in the figure, of the first terminals 61 attached to the first protrusion 12 of the left half body 10A, the first terminal 61 located at the front end (the end in the positive direction of the X-axis) is oriented so that its tail portion 62 projects outward (toward the positive direction of the Y-axis), while the first terminal 61 located second from the front end is oriented so that its tail portion 62 projects inward (toward the negative direction of the Y-axis). In this way, the first terminals 61 are attached to the first protrusion 12 in an alternating arrangement so that their tail portions face inward (toward the negative direction of the Y-axis). Because the first terminals 61 are attached to the first protrusion 12 in an alternating arrangement so that their tail portions face inward, the pitch between the tail portions 62 projecting from both sides of the first protrusion 12 is twice the pitch between the first terminals 61. This facilitates connection to connection pads on the first board by soldering or the like. Furthermore, the pitch of the contact portions 65 exposed on the outer surface 12b of the first protrusion 12 and the pitch of the contact portions 65 exposed on the inner surface 12c are also twice the pitch of the first terminals 61.

[0034] It should be noted that the first terminal 61 is a component that is integrated with the first housing 11 by insert molding, and therefore is not separate from the first housing 11. However, for the sake of convenience, it is depicted in FIG. 2 as if it were separate from the first housing 11.

[0035] A first protruding end 18, which is a main body end that functions as a mating guide, is disposed on each longitudinal end of the first convex portion 12. The first protruding end 18 is a member connected to each longitudinal end of each first convex portion 12 and is formed to connect the left half body portion 10A and the right half body portion 10B. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the first protruding end 18 functions as an insertion convex portion that is inserted into a mating recess 122 of a second protruding end 121 (described later) provided on the second connector 101.

[0036] The first protruding end portion 18 is made up of the extended end portions 14 and embedded portions 15 of the left and right half portions 10, as well as the covering portion 16 and the first reinforcing metal fitting 51.

[0037] An extended end portion 14 extending in the longitudinal direction is integrally connected to each longitudinal end of the first protrusion 12 of each half body portion 10, and an embedded portion 15 extending further in the longitudinal direction of the first protrusion 12 is integrally connected to each extended end portion 14. The extended end portions 14 extend obliquely inward, and the embedded portion 15 extends in the longitudinal direction from a position offset inward at the tip of the extended end portion 14, and is located inside the outer surface 12b of the first protrusion 12. That is, the extended end portion 14 of the left half body portion 10A extends obliquely to the right (negative direction of the Y axis), and the embedded portion 15 extends in the longitudinal direction from a position offset to the right at the tip of the extended end portion 14. Further, extension end portion 14 of right half body portion 10B extends obliquely to the left (positive direction of the Y-axis), and embedded portion 15 extends in the longitudinal direction from a position offset to the left at the tip of extension end portion 14.

[0038] At least a portion of the extended end portions 14 of the left and right half portions 10 and the entire embedded portion 15 are covered with a covering portion 16 made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin. Specifically, the embedded portions 15 of the left and right half portions 10 are brought close to each other and covered with the first reinforcing metal fittings 51, and then insert molding is performed to form the covering portion 16. This forms a first protruding end portion 18 that integrates the extended end portions 14 and embedded portions 15 of the left and right half portions 10, as well as the covering portion 16 and the first reinforcing metal fittings 51, thereby joining the left and right half portions 10. The covering portion 16 does not necessarily need to cover the entire embedded portion 15; it is sufficient to cover the embedded portion 15 to an extent sufficient to join the left and right half portions 10. However, it is desirable to cover the entire embedded portion 15 to maximize the joining strength. It should be noted that the covering portion 16 is a component formed by insert molding so as to be integrated with other components, and does not exist independently and separate from other components. However, for convenience of explanation, it is depicted in FIG. 2 as if it exists independently.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3 , the extension end portion 14 has an upper surface 14a located on the upper side, outer and inner surfaces 14b and 14c connected to both the left and right sides of the upper surface 14a, and a lower surface 14d located on the lower side. The lower surface 14d is located above the mounting surface 17a, and at least a portion of it is covered by the covering portion 16. The upper surface 14a is substantially flush with the mating surface 12a of the first protrusion 12. The inner surface 14c is inclined obliquely inward relative to the inner surface 12c of the first protrusion 12. The outer surface 14b includes an inclined outer surface 14b1 inclined obliquely inward relative to the outer surface 12b of the first protrusion 12, and a parallel outer surface 14b2 that is substantially parallel to the outer surface 12b of the first protrusion 12. The parallel outer surface 14 b 2 is substantially flush with the outer surface of the covering portion 16 and forms part of the outer surface of the first protruding end portion 18 .

[0040] The embedded portion 15 is a member having a generally rectangular parallelepiped overall shape and includes a top surface 15a located on the upper side, outer and inner surfaces 15b and 15c on both left and right sides, a bottom surface 15d located on the lower side, and end surfaces 15e at both longitudinal ends of the first connector 1. The top surface 15a and the bottom surface 15d are parallel to each other, and the distance between the top surface 15a and the bottom surface 15d, i.e., the thickness of the embedded portion 15, is thinner than the thickness of the extension end 14 and the first protrusion 12. The top surface 15a is located below the mating surface 12a, and the bottom surface 15d is located above the mounting surface 17a. The outer surface 15b is a plane substantially parallel to the outer surface 12b of the first protrusion 12, but is located inside the outer surface 12b, i.e., toward the center of the width of the first housing 11. The inner surface 15c includes a parallel inner surface 15c1 that is a plane substantially parallel to the inner surface 12c of the first protrusion 12, and an inclined inner surface 15c2 that is substantially parallel to the inner surface 14c of the extension end 14. Furthermore, the end surface 15e is a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. The embedded portion 15 is entirely covered by the covering portion 16, i.e., is embedded in the covering portion 16.

[0041] In this way, the extension end 14 extends at an inward angle, and the embedded portion 15 is located inside the outer surface 12b of the first protrusion 12. This allows the width of the first protruding end 18 (the dimension in the Y-axis direction) to be smaller than the width of the first connector 1 (the distance between the outer surfaces 12b of the left and right first protrusions 12). If the width of the first protruding end 18 does not need to be smaller than the width of the first connector 1, the extension end 14 does not necessarily need to be inclined obliquely inward, and can extend straight. Alternatively, the extension end 14 can be omitted by extending the embedded portion 15 directly from both longitudinal ends of the first protrusion 12. In this case, the longitudinal dimension of the first connector 1 can be shortened. Furthermore, when three or more half portions 10 are arranged in parallel, the extension end 14 can also extend in a Y-shape from both longitudinal ends of the first protrusion 12.

[0042] The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is a member formed as a single unit by subjecting a metal plate to processes such as punching and bending, and includes a generally rectangular upper plate 54 extending in the width direction of the first housing 11, generally rectangular leg portions 55 connected to both left and right edges of the upper plate 54 and extending downward, and an end wall outer surface covering portion 52 and an end wall inner surface covering portion 53 connected to both front and rear edges of the upper plate 54 and extending downward. A tail portion 52a is connected to the lower end of the end wall outer surface covering portion 52. The width of the end wall outer surface covering portion 52 is greater than the width of the end wall inner surface covering portion 53.

[0043] As described above, the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is integrated with the covering portion 16 to form the first protruding end portion 18. The upper plate 54 is embedded in the upper surface of the first protruding end portion 18, and the upper surface of the upper plate 54 is flush with the upper surface of the covering portion 16, thereby forming a majority of the upper surface of the first protruding end portion 18. The left and right leg portions 55 are embedded in the left and right outer surfaces of the first protruding end portion 18, and the outer surfaces of the legs 55 are flush with the outer surface of the covering portion 16, thereby forming a majority of the outer surface of the first protruding end portion 18. Furthermore, the end wall outer surface covering portion 52 and the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 are embedded in the outer surface and inner surface of the end wall of the first protruding end portion 18, and the outer surfaces of the end wall outer surface covering portion 52 and the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 are flush with the outer surface and inner surface of the end wall of the covering portion 16, thereby forming a majority of the outer surface and inner surface of the end wall of the first protruding end portion 18.

[0044] The tail portion 52a is bent at approximately 90 degrees and connected to the lower end of the end wall outer surface covering portion 52, extends outward in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first board. The conductive trace is typically a power line. If necessary, the lower end of the leg portion 55 can be arranged to approach or abut the surface of the first board. In this case, connecting the lower end of the leg portion 55 to the connection pad on the first board by soldering or the like improves the connection strength of the first reinforcing bracket 51 to the first board.

[0045] Next, a method for manufacturing the first connector 1 having the above-described structure will be described.

[0046] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing one step of manufacturing the left half body portion of the first connector in this embodiment, Fig. 5 is a two-sided view showing a first step of manufacturing the first protruding end portion of the first connector in this embodiment, Fig. 6 is a two-sided view showing a second step of manufacturing the first protruding end portion of the first connector in this embodiment, Fig. 7 is an enlarged view showing a main part of the first and second steps of manufacturing the first protruding end portion of the first connector in this embodiment, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the first and second steps of manufacturing the first protruding end portion of the first connector in this embodiment. In Figs. 5 and 6, (a) is a top view, (b) is a bottom view, Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of part E in Fig. 5, (b) is an enlarged view of part F in Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 5, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 5, (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 6, and (d) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in Fig. 6.

[0047] The first terminals 61 are members made of a metal plate bent in the thickness direction, and are manufactured by subjecting the metal plate to processes such as punching and bending, and are supplied in a state in which a plurality of them are connected to a flat terminal carrier 68 as a carrier, as shown in Fig. 4. The tip of the tail portion 62 of each first terminal 61 is connected to the terminal carrier 68 via a thin and long connecting arm 68a, and the tail portion 62 is cut off from the connecting arm 68a at a cutting portion 68b, thereby becoming the member shown in Fig. 2.

[0048] Then, in the process of integrating with the first housing 11 by insert molding, the first terminals 61 are supplied in a state in which a plurality of them are connected to a carrier 68, as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows an example of manufacturing the left half body 10A. In this case, the first terminals 61 oriented so that the tail portions 62 protrude outward (toward the positive direction of the Y axis) are connected to the terminal carrier 68 on the right side in Fig. 4, and the first terminals 61 oriented so that the tail portions 62 protrude inward (toward the negative direction of the Y axis) are connected to the terminal carrier 68 on the left side in Fig. 4, and are set in a primary molding die (not shown). By holding and manipulating the terminal carrier 68 to which the plurality of first terminals 61 are connected, the plurality of first terminals 61 can be simultaneously positioned and set in the molding die.

[0049] Next, the cavity of the molding die is filled with a molten insulating material such as synthetic resin. That is, the first insert molding is performed. The insulating material may be any type of material, but in this example, it is LCP (liquid crystal polymer). In the first insert molding, it is desirable to select the material with emphasis on fluidity. Then, once the filled insulating material cools and solidifies to form the first housing 11, the molding die is opened, and the left half body 10A is removed, with the terminal carrier 68 still connected to the first terminal 61, as shown in FIG. 4. Similarly, the right half body 10B is also produced, with the terminal carrier 68 still connected to the first terminal 61.

[0050] Next, only the terminal carrier 68 connected to the inwardly protruding tail portion 62 (the terminal carrier 68 on the left side in FIG. 4) is cut out from the left half body 10A in which the terminal carrier 68 remains connected to the first terminal 61 as shown in FIG. 4, while the terminal carrier 68 connected to the outwardly protruding tail portion 62 (the terminal carrier 68 on the right side in FIG. 4) is left as is. Similarly, only the terminal carrier 68 connected to the inwardly protruding tail portion 62 is cut out from the right half body 10B in which the terminal carrier 68 remains connected to the first terminal 61, while the terminal carrier 68 connected to the outwardly protruding tail portion 62 is left as is.

[0051] Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the left half 10A and the right half 10B, each having a terminal carrier 68 connected only to the tail portion 62 protruding outward, are set in a second molding die (not shown) in a state where they face each other. Specifically, the insides of the left and right half 10 face each other, the first housings 11 of the left and right half 10 are parallel to each other, the mounting surfaces 17a and the longitudinal end faces 15e of the first housings 11 of the left and right half 10 are flush with each other, and the embedded portions 15 of the left and right half 10 are close to each other but do not touch each other. Note that, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the left and right half 10 facing each other are positioned so that the distance between the parallel inner surfaces 15c1 of the facing embedded portions 15 is a predetermined distance L2, and then set in the second molding die.

[0052] Furthermore, the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is set in the secondary molding die so as to cover at least a portion of the extended end portions 14 of the left and right half body portions 10 and the entire embedded portion 15. In this case, the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is set with the tip of its tail portion 52a connected to a metal fitting carrier 58 serving as a carrier. When the tail portion 52a is cut off from the metal fitting carrier 58 at the cutting portion 58b, the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 becomes a member as shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in Figures 7(a), 8(a) and (b), the first reinforcing bracket 51 is set so that a gap is formed between its upper plate 54 and the upper surface 15a of the embedded portion 15, a gap is formed between its leg portion 55 and the outer surface 15b of the embedded portion 15, a gap is formed between its end wall outer surface covering portion 52 and the end surface 15e of the embedded portion 15, and a gap is formed between its end wall inner surface covering portion 53 and the inclined inner surface 15c2 of the embedded portion 15, and the lower end of the leg portion 55 is below the lower surface 15d of the embedded portion 15 and at approximately the same height as the mounting surface 17a.

[0053] Next, the cavity of the molding die is filled with a molten insulating material, such as synthetic resin. This is the second insert molding process. The insulating material can be any type of material; however, in this case, LCP is used, as in the first insert molding process, emphasizing fluidity. In the second insert molding process, the insulating material can also be selected based on its strength and its ability to melt and bond with the insulating material used in the first insert molding process. Once the insulating material cools and solidifies to form the covering portion 16, the molding die is opened, and the left and right half portions 10, each with its longitudinal ends joined by the first protruding end portions 18, are removed, as shown in FIG. 6 .

[0054] In this case, the left and right half portions 10 are integrated with the covering portion 16 with at least a portion of the extension end portion 14 and the entire embedded portion 15 covered by the covering portion 16, and the first reinforcing bracket 51 is integrated with the covering portion 16 so as to cover at least a portion of the outer surface of the covering portion 16. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7(b), 8(c), and 8(d), etc., the first reinforcing bracket 51 has gaps between its upper plate 54, legs 55, end wall outer surface covering portion 52, and end wall inner surface covering portion 53 and the upper surface 15a, outer surface 15b, end surface 15e, and inclined inner surface 15c2 of the embedded portion 15, which are filled with the insulating material of the covering portion 16. Furthermore, the gaps between the parallel inner surfaces 15c1 of the opposing embedded portions 15 are also filled with the insulating material of the covering portion 16. Furthermore, the area below the lower surface 15d of the embedded portion 15 is also filled with the insulating material of the covering portion 16, and the lower surface of the covering portion 16 is substantially flush with the mounting surface 17a. Furthermore, the parallel outer surface 14b2 of the extension end portion 14 is substantially flush with the outer surface of the covering portion 16 and forms part of the outer surface of the first protruding end portion 18.

[0055] 7(a), there is a gap between the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 of the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 and the inclined inner side surface 15c2 of the embedded portion 15, and because the inclined inner side surface 15c2 is inclined, the molten insulating material filled into the cavity of the molding die in the second insert molding flows smoothly between the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 and the left and right inclined inner side surfaces 15c2 and between the opposing parallel inner side surfaces 15c1 of the embedded portion 15, filling the cavity without any gaps. Furthermore, because the space between the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 and the left and right inclined inner side surfaces 15c2 is larger, the amount of insulating material filled increases.

[0056] 7(a), the dimension in the width direction of the first connector 1 of the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 of the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 facing the gap between the parallel inner surfaces 15c1 of the embedded portion 15, i.e., width L1, is preferably set larger than the distance L2 between the parallel inner surfaces 15c1. That is, it is preferable to set L1 > L2. The width of the end wall outer surface covering portion 52 is larger than the width of the end wall inner surface covering portion 53. As a result, the boundary between the parallel inner surface 15c1 of the embedded portion 15 molded by the first insert molding and the covering portion 16 molded by the second insert molding is covered by the end wall outer surface covering portion 52 and the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 when viewed from the front-rear direction (X-axis direction), making it difficult to separate. This improves the strength of the first protruding end portion 18.

[0057] 7(a), the dimension of the leg portion 55 of the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, i.e., length L3, is desirably set to be greater than the length L4 of the outer surface 15b of the embedded portion 15. That is, it is desirable to set L3 > L4. Furthermore, it is desirable that the end of the outer surface 15b closer to the longitudinal center of the first connector 1 be positioned closer to both longitudinal ends of the first connector 1 than the end of the leg portion 55 closer to the longitudinal center of the first connector 1. As a result, the boundary between the outer surface 15b of the embedded portion 15 molded by the first insert molding and the covering portion 16 molded by the second insert molding is covered by the leg portion 55 when viewed in the width direction (Y-axis direction), making it difficult to separate, and therefore improving the strength of the first protruding end portion 18.

[0058] Furthermore, whether viewed from the top-bottom direction, the front-back direction (longitudinal direction), or the left-right direction (width direction), at least a portion of embedded portion 15 overlaps with any of upper plate 54, end wall outer surface covering portion 52, end wall inner surface covering portion 53, and leg portion 55 of first reinforcing metal fitting 51, i.e., is arranged so as to overlap. This improves the strength of first protruding end portion 18.

[0059] Finally, the remaining terminal carriers 68 and metal fitting carriers 58 are cut away from the left and right half-body portions 10 whose longitudinal ends are joined by the first protruding ends 18 as shown in Fig. 6. This allows the first connector 1 as shown in Fig. 1 to be obtained.

[0060] Next, the configuration of second connector 101 that forms a connector pair together with first connector 1, and the operation of fitting first connector 1 and second connector 101 together will be described.

[0061] FIG. 9 is a perspective view seen from the first connector side, showing the state immediately before the first connector and the second connector are mated in this embodiment.

[0062] In this embodiment, second connector 101 as a mating connector has second housing 111 as a mating connector main body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. As shown in the figure, second housing 111 has a substantially rectangular thick plate shape that is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. A substantially rectangular recess 112 that is surrounded by a periphery and fits with first housing 11 is formed on the side of second housing 111 where first connector 1 is fitted, i.e., on the mating surface 111a side (the Z-axis negative direction side). A second protrusion 113 serving as an island portion that fits with groove 13 is formed integrally with second housing 111 within recess 112. Sidewalls 114 that extend parallel to second protrusion 113 are also formed integrally with second housing 111 on both sides of second protrusion 113.

[0063] The second protrusion 113 and the side wall 114 protrude upward (in the negative Z-axis direction) from the bottom surface of the recess 112 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. As a result, on both sides of the second protrusion 113, recessed groove portions 112a, which are elongated recesses extending in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 (in the X-axis direction), are formed as part of the recess 112.

[0064] Groove-shaped second terminal accommodating groove cavities 115a are formed on both side surfaces of second protrusion 113 and on the inner side surface of sidewall 114 to accommodate second terminals 161. Hole-shaped second terminal accommodating hole cavities 115b are formed in second protrusion 113 and sidewall 114 to accommodate second terminals 161. Second terminal accommodating groove cavities 115a and second terminal accommodating hole cavities 115b are connected to each other at the bottom surface of groove 112a and integrated with each other, so that second terminal accommodating groove cavities 115a and second terminal accommodating hole cavities 115b will be collectively referred to as second terminal accommodating cavities 115. The second terminal accommodating cavities 115 are arranged at a pitch corresponding to the first terminals 61 and in the same number.

[0065] The second terminal 161 is a member integrally formed by processing a conductive metal plate such as by punching, and includes a main body portion (not shown), a tail portion 162 connected to the lower end of the main body portion, a connecting portion (not shown) extending from the vicinity of the lower end of the main body portion in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of second connector 101, and a contact portion 165 extending upward (Z-axis negative direction) from the connecting portion. Note that it is desirable that a contact protrusion 165a protruding toward the main body portion is formed near the tip of the contact portion 165.

[0066] The main body portion is a portion that is press-fitted into and held in the second terminal accommodating cavity 115b. The tail portion 162 is bent and connected to the lower end of the main body portion, extends in the width direction of the second housing 111, and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad that is connected to a conductive trace on the second board. The conductive trace is typically a signal line. Furthermore, the contact portion 165 is a portion that comes into contact with the first terminal 61 of the first connector 1 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated. Preferably, the contact protrusion 165a engages with the contact recess 65a formed in the contact portion 65 of the first terminal 61.

[0067] The second terminal 161 is inserted into the second terminal accommodating cavity 115 from below the second housing 111 and attached to the second housing 111. As a result, the main body of the second terminal 161 is press-fitted into and held in the second terminal accommodating hole cavity 115b, the contact portion 165 is accommodated in the second terminal accommodating groove cavity 115a and exposed to the concave groove portion 112a, and the lower surface of the tail portion 162 is exposed to the mounting surface 111b, which is the lower surface of the second housing 111.

[0068] Similarly to the first terminals 61, the second terminals 161 mounted in each groove 112a are oriented such that adjacent terminals face opposite directions in the width direction of the groove 112a. In the example shown in FIG. 9 , the second terminal 161 mounted in the groove 112a on the Y-axis positive side is oriented such that the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 located at the front end (the end in the X-axis positive direction) is oriented such that the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 from the front end is oriented such that the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 faces in the Y-axis negative direction. In this manner, the second terminals 161 are mounted in the groove 112a so that they face in opposite directions, and therefore the pitch of the tail portions 162 exposed on the mounting surface 111b on both sides of the groove 112a is twice the pitch of the second terminals 161. This facilitates connection to connection pads on the second board by soldering or the like. The pitch of the contact portions 165 exposed in the recessed groove portion 112a is also twice the pitch of the second terminals 161.

[0069] Further, second protruding ends 121 serving as mating guides are disposed on both longitudinal ends of the second housing 111. Each second protruding end 121 has a mating recess 122 formed as part of the recess 112. The mating recess 122 is a substantially rectangular recess and is connected to both longitudinal ends of each recessed groove 112a. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the first protruding end 18 of the first connector 1 is inserted into the mating recess 122. Furthermore, a second reinforcing metal fitting 151 serving as a mating reinforcing metal fitting is attached to the second protruding end 121. The second reinforcing metal fitting 151 is integrated with the second housing 111 by insert molding.

[0070] The second reinforcing metal fitting 151 is a member integrally formed by subjecting a metal plate to processes such as punching and bending, and includes a second main body portion 152 extending in the width direction of the second housing 111, side cover portions 153 connected to both left and right ends of the second main body portion 152, contact side portions 154 disposed on the left and right inner walls of the mating recess 122, and a tail portion 156 connected to the lower end of the second main body portion 152. The tail portion 156 extends outward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 and is connected and fixed by soldering or the like to a connection pad (not shown) exposed on the surface of the second board. Note that the connection pad is preferably connected to a conductive trace such as a power line.

[0071] Next, the operation of mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 configured as described above will be described.

[0072] Here, the first connector 1 is assumed to be surface-mounted on the first board by connecting the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first board (not shown), and by connecting the tail portion 52a of the first reinforcing bracket 51 by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to the conductive trace on the first board. Note that 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, and the conductive trace connected to the connection pad to which the tail portion 52a of the first reinforcing bracket 51 is connected is assumed to be a power line.

[0073] Similarly, the second connector 101 is surface-mounted on the second board by connecting the tail portions 162 of the second terminals 161 by soldering or the like to connection pads connected to conductive traces on the second board, and by connecting the tail portions 156 of the second reinforcing brackets 151 by soldering or the like to connection pads connected to conductive traces on the second board. Note that the conductive traces connected to the connection pads to which the tail portions 162 of the second terminals 161 are connected are signal lines, and the conductive traces connected to the connection pads to which the tail portions 156 of the second reinforcing brackets 151 are connected are power lines.

[0074] First, the operator positions the mating surface 12a of the first convex portion 12, which serves as the mating surface of the first housing 11 of the first connector 1, opposite the mating surface 111a of the second housing 111 of the second connector 101, and when the position of the first convex portion 12 of the first connector 1 matches the position of the corresponding groove portion 112a of the second connector 101 and the position of the first protruding end portion 18 of the first connector 1 matches the position of the corresponding mating recess 122 of the second connector 101, the alignment of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed.

[0075] In this state, when the first connector 1 and / or the second connector 101 is moved in a direction approaching the mating side, i.e., in the mating direction, the first convex portion 12 and the first protruding end portion 18 of the first connector 1 are inserted into the recessed groove portion 112a and the mating recess 122 of the second connector 101. This completes the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101. Then, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 are brought into an electrically conductive state.

[0076] Next, a modified example of the first connector 1 will be described.

[0077] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the left half of a modified first connector according to the present embodiment.

[0078] In the modification shown in the figure, the first terminal 61 does not have a main body portion 63, but has a contact portion 65 extending in the vertical direction, a tail portion 62 bent at approximately 90 degrees and connected to the lower end of the contact portion 65, and an upper end portion 64 bent at approximately 90 degrees and connected to the upper end of the contact portion 65. An embedded portion 64a bent at approximately 90 degrees and extending downward is connected to the tip of the upper end portion 64. The embedded portion 64a is a portion that extends downward from the mating surface 12a and is embedded in the first protrusion 12.

[0079] In the first terminal 61 shown in Figure 2 etc., the tail portion 62 extends in the opposite direction to the facing direction of the contact portion 65, but in the first terminal 61 of the modified example shown in Figure 10, the tail portion 62 extends in the same direction as the facing direction of the contact portion 65. This makes it easy to hold the terminal carrier 68 connected to the tip of the tail portion 62 via the elongated connecting arm 68a and set the multiple first terminals 61 in the primary molding die from both the left and right sides so that they face alternately in opposite directions.

[0080] The rest of the configuration, operation, and effects of the first terminal 61 of the modified example shown in FIG. 10 are similar to those of the first terminal 61 shown in FIG. 2 and so on, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0081] Thus, in this embodiment, the first connector 1 comprises half-body portions 10 each including a first housing 11 and a plurality of first terminals 61 attached to the first housing 11, first protruding end portions 18 formed at both ends of the first housing 11 when the first housings 11 of each half-body portion 10 are butted together, and first reinforcing fittings 51 attached to the first protruding end portions 18. Each of the first housings 11 is a component integrated with the first terminal 61 by primary insert molding, and includes a first protrusion 12 extending longitudinally and holding the first terminal 61, an extended end portion 14 connected to both longitudinal ends of the first protrusion 12, and an embedded portion 15 extending from the extended end portion 14, and the first protruding end 18 includes a covering portion 16 that covers at least a portion of the extended end portion 14 and the entire embedded portion 15 of each first housing 11, and the covering portion 16 is a component integrated with the extended end portion 14, the embedded portion 15 and the first reinforcing bracket 51 by secondary insert molding.

[0082] This makes it possible to narrow the distance between the first protrusions 12 of the first housing 11 to which the multiple first terminals 61 are attached, thereby enabling the miniaturization of the first connector 1. Furthermore, the manufacture of the first connector 1 becomes easier, and the reliability of the first connector 1 is improved.

[0083] Furthermore, first reinforcing metal fitting 51 includes an upper plate 54 extending in the width direction of first housing 11, a pair of left and right leg portions 55 connected to both left and right side edges of upper plate 54 and extending downward, and an end wall outer surface covering portion 52 and an end wall inner surface covering portion 53 connected to both front and rear side edges of upper plate 54 and extending downward, and embedded portion 15 is arranged so that at least a portion of embedded portion 15 overlaps upper plate 54, leg portions 55, end wall outer surface covering portion 52, and end wall inner surface covering portion 53 when viewed from the top-bottom, front-back, and left-right directions. As a result, embedded portion 15 of left half body portion 10A and embedded portion 15 of right half body portion 10B are firmly joined by covering portion 16 integrated with first reinforcing metal fitting 51, reliably forming first protruding end portion 18 and reliably joining left half body portion 10A and right half body portion 10B.

[0084] Furthermore, the embedded portion 15 of each first housing 11 extends in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11 and includes parallel inner surfaces 15c1 that face the embedded portions 15 of the other first housings 11, and the distance L2 between the opposing parallel inner surfaces 15c1 is smaller than the width L1 of the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 of the first reinforcing bracket 51 that is disposed so as to face the gap between the opposing parallel inner surfaces 15c1. As a result, the boundary between the parallel inner surfaces 15c1 of the embedded portion 15 formed by the first insert molding and the covering portion 16 formed by the second insert molding overlaps with the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 when viewed from the front-to-rear direction, making separation difficult and improving the strength of the first protruding end portion 18.

[0085] Furthermore, the end wall inner surface covering portion 53 is arranged so as to face the inclined inner surface 15c2 of the embedded portion 15, which is connected to each of the opposing parallel inner surfaces 15c1 and is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, and so as to have a gap between it and the inclined inner surface 15c2.

[0086] Furthermore, the embedded portion 15 of each first housing 11 extends in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11 and includes an outer surface 15b facing the leg portion 55 of the first reinforcing metal fitting 51, and the length L4 of the outer surface 15b is shorter than the length L3 of the leg portion 55. As a result, the boundary between the outer surface 15b of the embedded portion 15 molded by the first insert molding and the covering portion 16 molded by the second insert molding is covered by the leg portion 55 when viewed from the left and right, making separation difficult and improving the strength of the first protruding end portion 18.

[0087] Furthermore, the extended end portions 14 of each first housing 11 extend from both longitudinal ends of the first convex portion 12, inclining toward the inside in the width direction of the first connector 1, and the width of the first protruding end portion 18 is smaller than the width of the first connector 1. In this way, since the width of the first protruding end portion 18 can be made smaller than the width of the first connector 1, it can be accommodated even if, when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the contact side portions 154 are arranged on the left and right inner walls of the mating recess 122 of the second housing 111 into which the first protruding end portion 18 is inserted, making the width inside the mating recess 122 substantially smaller.

[0088] It should be noted that the disclosure of this specification describes features related to preferred and exemplary embodiments. Various other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will naturally occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the disclosure of this specification. For example, the staggered arrangement of the terminals does not have to be regular. Also, the arrangement of the terminals does not have to be the same on the left and right halves. Furthermore, the left and right halves do not have to be line-symmetrical. [Industrial Applicability]

[0089] The present disclosure can be applied to connectors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1 First Connector 10A Left half body 10B Right half of body 11 First Housing 12 First protrusion 12a, 111a mating surface 12b, 14b, 15b outer surface 12c, 14c, 15c inner surface 13, 112a Concave groove part 14 Extension end 14a, 15a top surface 14b1 Slanted outer surface 14b2 Parallel outer surface 14d, 15d bottom surface 15 Buried section 15c1 Parallel inner surface 15c2 Slanted inner surface 15e end face 16 Covering part 17 Bottom plate part 17a, 111b Mounting surface 18 First protruding end 51 First reinforcing bracket 52 End wall outer covering 52a, 62, 156, 162 tail section 53 End wall inner surface covering 54 Upper Plate 55 Legs 58 Metal fittings carrier 58b, 68b cutting section 61 1st terminal 63 Main body 64 Upper end 64a Embedded part 65, 165 contact area 65a Contact recess 68 Terminal Carrier 68a Connecting arm 101 Second Connector 111 Second Housing 112 recess 113 Second convex part 114 Side wall 115 Second terminal receiving cavity 115a Second terminal receiving groove cavity 115b Second terminal receiving hole cavity 121 Second protruding end 122 fitting recess 151 Second reinforcing bracket 152 Second main body 153 Lateral cover 154 Contact side 161 2nd terminal 165a Contact protrusion 811 Housing 812 convex part 861 terminal

Claims

1. (a) a connector comprising a first housing and a plurality of first terminals attached to the first housing, (b) the first housing includes a pair of half portions integrally formed with the plurality of first terminals and an end portion connecting the pair of half portions; (c) A connector characterized in that the pair of half-body portions are joined by the end portions while being spaced apart from each other.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the end is integrally molded with a reinforcing bar.

3. 3. A connector as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the pitch of the tail portions of the first terminals on each side of each half portion is twice the pitch of the first terminals, and the tail portions on the inner side of the connector in the width direction in one half portion and the tail portions on the inner side of the connector in the width direction in the other half portion are shifted from each other by half a pitch.

4. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the tail portions of the first terminals on the inner side in the width direction of the connector are all visible from the mating surface.

5. A connector assembly comprising the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

6. (a) A method for manufacturing a connector including a first housing and a plurality of first terminals attached to the first housing, the method comprising: (b) molding each of the pair of half portions of the first housing integrally with a plurality of first terminals; (c) joining the pair of molded half-body portions by their ends while the half-body portions are spaced apart from each other.

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