Connector

Abstract

To provide a connector that can be miniaturized in a terminal arrangement direction.SOLUTION: A socket connector includes a plurality of terminals that perform a conductive connection between a flat conductor 2 and a plug connector. The plurality of terminals are configured to include a plurality of first terminals 5A and a plurality of second terminals 5B. Each of the first terminals 5A and the second terminals 5B includes a flat conductor side terminal portion conductively connected to the flat conductor contact portion formed on the upper surface 2A of the flat conductor 2, and a plug connector side terminal portion 34 conductively connected to the plug connector. The plug connector side terminal 34 of the first terminal 5A and the plug connector side terminal 34 of the second terminal 5B are located side by side in an intersecting direction (Z direction) with respect to a terminal arrangement direction (X direction).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known connectors that accommodate flat conductors and are electrically connected to a connection object by mating with the conductor. For example, the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a connection terminal that has a conductor connection portion at one end that electrically connects with the flat conductor and a mating terminal connection portion at the other end into which the connection object is inserted. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-103081 A, FIG. 17 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Electronic devices are becoming increasingly smaller. Accordingly, the demand for smaller connectors and flat conductors is also increasing year by year. To address this demand, one method is to reduce the spacing between connection terminals in the terminal arrangement direction. However, there is a limit to how much a simple arrangement of connection terminals can be reduced in size in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0005] The present application was made against the background of the above-mentioned prior art, and has as its object to reduce the size of a connector in the terminal arrangement direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, some embodiments disclosed in this application are configured to have the following features.

[0007] That is, one embodiment disclosed in the present application is a connector having a plurality of terminals that electrically connect a flat conductor and a connection object, the plurality of terminals being configured to have a plurality of first terminals and a plurality of second terminals, each of the first terminals and the second terminals having a flat conductor side terminal portion that electrically connects with a flat conductor contact portion formed on a first surface of the flat conductor, and a connection object side terminal portion that electrically connects with the connection object, the connection object side terminal portion of the first terminal and the connection object side terminal portion of the second terminal being positioned side by side in a direction intersecting the terminal arrangement direction.

[0008] According to the above embodiment, the connector has a plurality of first terminals and a plurality of second terminals, and the connection target terminal portions of the first terminals and the second terminals adjacent to each other in the terminal arrangement direction of the plurality of terminals are aligned in a direction intersecting the terminal arrangement direction. This allows the spacing between the plurality of terminals to be reduced in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, according to the above embodiment, the connector can be made smaller in size in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0009] The connection object side terminal portion of the first terminal can be configured to be located on the side of the first surface, and the connection object side terminal portion of the second terminal can be configured to be located on the side of the second surface of the flat conductor opposite the first surface.

[0010] According to this embodiment, the connection target side terminal portion of the first terminal and the connection target side terminal portion of the second terminal are positioned so as to sandwich the flat conductor, so that the size of the connector in the thickness direction of the flat conductor can be reduced. This prevents the connector from becoming too small, allowing the connector to be made smaller in size in the terminal arrangement direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the disclosure of the present application, the connector can be made smaller in size in the terminal arrangement direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a connector according to an embodiment, including a front, right side, and top view. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the flat conductor and terminal of FIG. 1, including a front view, a left side view, and a plan view. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line III-III in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the retainer is temporarily fastened. [Figure 4] Rear view of the connector in Figure 1. [Figure 5] 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line VV of FIG. 1 showing a state in which the retainer is temporarily fastened. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of line VI-VI in Figure 1. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view of the housing of FIG. 1; [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view including the front, right side, and bottom surfaces of the retainer of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 2 is a front view partially showing the arrangement of the plug connector-side terminal portions of the terminals in FIG. 1; [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view showing the plug connector side terminal portion of the terminal in FIG. 1, including a rear view, a right side view, and a top view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a socket connector 1 according to the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. The socket connector 1 electrically connects a flat conductor 2 to a plug connector (mating connector) (not shown) as a "connection object" fixed to a substrate (not shown). Herein, when the terms "first" and "second" are used in this specification and claims, they are used to distinguish between different components, and are not used to indicate a particular order or superiority or inferiority.

[0014] For convenience, in this specification and claims, as shown in FIG. 1 etc., the width direction (left-right direction) of the socket connector 1 is referred to as the X direction, the depth direction (front-rear direction) as the Y direction, and the height direction (up-down direction) as the Z direction. Furthermore, in the Y direction, the insertion direction of the flat conductor 2 into the socket connector 1 is referred to as the front side, and the removal direction is referred to as the rear side. In the socket connector 1, the side of an operating unit 21 (described below) that releases the mated state with the plug connector is referred to as the upper side in the Z direction. However, these do not limit the mating connection direction of the socket connector 1 or the method of mounting on a board. The socket connector 1 here is arranged so that the "terminal arrangement direction" is the X direction, the "terminal extension direction" and the "plug connector mating and removal directions" are the Y direction, and the "contact direction between the flat conductor 2 and the plug connector" is the Z direction.

[0015] Configuration of socket connector 1 (Figs. 1 to 10)

[0016] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, etc., the socket connector 1 includes a housing 3, a retainer 4, and terminals 5. The socket connector 1 is configured so that the flat conductors 2 are inserted from the rear of the housing 3 in the Y direction. Furthermore, the socket connector 1 is configured so that the retainer 4 is pushed in and attached from the front of the housing 3 in the Y direction when the flat conductors 2 have been completely inserted into the housing 3. The socket connector 1 is configured so that the flat conductors 2 are prevented from falling out of the socket connector 1 by attaching the retainer 4 to the housing 3. Furthermore, with the retainer 4 attached, the housing 3 is configured so that a plug connector (not shown) is attached from the front in the Y direction. In this way, the socket connector 1 is configured to electrically connect the flat conductors 2 and the plug connector.

[0017] Flat conductor 2

[0018] First, the flat conductor 2 that is fitted and connected to the socket connector 1 will be described.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the flat conductor 2 has a thin, flat plate shape and is arranged so that its plate surface extends along the XY plane. The flat conductor 2 has an upper surface 2A as a "first surface" located on the upper side in the Z direction and a lower surface 2B as a "second surface" located on the lower side in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the flat conductor 2 is inserted into the socket connector 1 with its front end located at the front end in the Y direction as the leading edge. As shown in FIG. 2, the flat conductor 2 has a flat conductor contact portion 2a arranged on one surface of the insulating substrate, for example, on the upper surface 2A near the front end. The flat conductor 2 has multiple flat conductor contact portions 2a, which are arranged in the width direction (X direction) of the flat conductor 2. Each of the multiple flat conductor contact portions 2a is configured to be in conductive contact with a multiple terminal 5 when the flat conductor 2 is mated and connected to the socket connector 1.

[0020] Locking holes 2c serving as "locking portions" are formed in side edges 2b located on both outer sides in the X direction of the flat conductor 2. When the socket connector 1 and the flat conductor 2 are mated and connected, locking protrusions 18 of the locking spring portion 11, which will be described later, fit into the locking holes 2c. When the flat conductor 2 is pulled rearward in the Y direction, which is the removal direction, relative to the socket connector 1, the edges of the locking holes 2c catch on the locking protrusions 18 in the removal direction, thereby preventing the flat conductor 2 from coming out. The locking holes 2c of the flat conductor 2 may be recessed rather than hole-shaped, or may have other shapes, as long as they can prevent the flat conductor 2 from coming out.

[0021] Housing 3

[0022] The housing 3 is made of an electrically insulating resin molded body. As shown in Figure 1 and other figures, the housing 3 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is shortest in the Z direction and longer in the X direction than in the Y direction. As shown in Figure 3 and other figures, the housing 3 has a flat conductor accommodating portion 6, a fitting portion 7, and a terminal accommodating portion 8.

[0023] The flat conductor accommodating portion 6 is a portion that accommodates the flat conductor 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the flat conductor accommodating portion 6 has an H-shaped hole when viewed from the rear. The flat conductor accommodating portion 6 has a flat conductor insertion portion 9, a communication hole 10, and a locking spring portion 11. The flat conductor accommodating portion 6 here has two communication holes 10, 10 and two locking spring portions 11, 11.

[0024] The flat conductor insertion portion 9 is a portion corresponding to the horizontal bar of the H-shape of the flat conductor accommodating portion 6. That is, the flat conductor insertion portion 9 has a depth extending from the rear surface of the housing 3 to the middle position in the Y direction of the housing 3 (see FIG. 3), and is groove-shaped extending along the X direction of the housing 3 to near both outer left and right ends. The length of this flat conductor insertion portion 9 in the X direction is approximately equal to the overall width of the flat conductor 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 4).

[0025] The lower side of the flat conductor insertion portion 9 in the Z direction is a flat conductor receiving surface 12 that has a rectangular planar shape along the XY plane (see FIG. 3). The flat conductor receiving surface 12 is formed across the entire width of the flat conductor insertion portion 9 in the X direction, excluding the areas of the communication holes 10, 10 formed near both the left and right outer sides in the X direction (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 13 that communicates with the end of the flat conductor insertion portion 9 is formed in the side of the housing 3. By observing the opening 13, it can be confirmed whether the flat conductor 2 is completely inserted into the housing 3 or not.

[0026] The left and right communication holes 10, 10 correspond to the two vertical bars of the H-shape of the flat conductor receiving portion 6. The left and right communication holes 10, 10 are formed on both the left and right outer sides of the housing 3 in the X direction, so that holes (see FIG. 5) that penetrate the front and back surfaces of the housing 3 in the Y direction and communicate with the external space on both sides are aligned along the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 5, two temporary fastening protrusions 10a, 10a that protrude outward in the X direction are formed on the inner wall of each of the left and right communication holes 10, 10 in the X direction. The temporary fastening protrusions 10a, 10a can temporarily fasten the retainer 4 during the process of attaching or detaching the retainer 4 to or from the housing 3. The left and right communication holes 10, 10 respectively house left and right locking springs 11, 11. The rear side of the communication hole 10 is partitioned into upper and lower sections by the locking springs 11, and a deformation space 14 for the locking springs 11 is formed above the locking springs 11 (see FIG. 5, etc.).

[0027] The locking spring portion 11 is a portion that prevents the flat conductor 2 from coming off. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the locking spring portion 11 has an elastic arm portion 15, an upper side surface portion 16, a pressing portion 17, a locking protrusion portion 18, and a jig operating portion 19.

[0028] The elastic arm portion 15 is a portion that allows elastic deformation of the locking spring portion 11. The elastic arm portion 15 is formed in a cantilever shape that slopes downward from the rear end in the Y direction of the communicating hole 10 and from the upper side in the Z direction toward the front in the Y direction. The front end of the elastic arm portion 15 extends in the Y direction to a position slightly beyond the front end of the flat conductor insertion portion 9.

[0029] The upper side surface portion 16 is a portion that prevents the locking spring portion 11 from floating up by coming into contact with the retainer 4 attached to the housing 3 when the flat conductor 2 is fully accommodated (see FIG. 6). The upper side surface portion 16 is formed on the upper side of the elastic arm portion 15, from the front end to the middle position in the Y direction. The upper side surface portion 16 is configured as a rectangular flat surface along the XY plane. The upper side surface portion 16 faces the deformation space 14, and is configured to enter the deformation space 14 when the locking spring portion 11 elastically deforms upward. The upper side surface portion 16 is configured to face the lower side of the retainer 4 that has entered the deformation space 14, with a small gap between them (see FIG. 6).

[0030] The pressing portion 17 presses the flat conductor 2 inserted into the flat conductor insertion portion 9 toward the flat conductor receiving surface 12. The pressing portion 17 is formed by a lower surface extending from the front of the elastic arm portion 15 to its intermediate position in the Y direction. The pressing portion 17 is formed by a rectangular surface along the XY plane. The pressing portion 17 is not formed near the front end of the elastic arm portion 15, and therefore has a smaller area than the upper surface portion 16. Although the pressing portion 17 faces the flat conductor insertion portion 9, it is offset from the flat conductor receiving surface 12 in the X direction and does not directly face it (see FIG. 4 ). However, the pressing portion 17 presses the flat conductor 2 against the flat conductor receiving surface 12, thereby sandwiching and holding the flat conductor 2 between the pressing portion 17 and the flat conductor receiving surface 12. This increases the holding force of the locking spring portion 11 on the flat conductor 2 and prevents the flat conductor 2 from rattling inside the flat conductor accommodating portion 6.

[0031] The pressing portion 17 may be positioned taking into consideration the position of the flat conductor contact portion 2a when the flat conductor 2 is fully accommodated. That is, the pressing portion 17 may be formed in a region closer to the entrance of the flat conductor insertion portion 9 (toward the base of the elastic arm portion 15) than the position of the flat conductor contact portion 2a, or in a region on the opposite side (toward the tip of the elastic arm portion 15), or may be formed on both sides. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 , the pressing portion 17 is preferably formed in a region closer to the entrance of the flat conductor insertion portion 9 (toward the base of the elastic arm portion 15) than the position of the flat conductor contact portion 2a. This prevents flapping of the flat conductor 2 outside the housing 3 at the portion pressed by the pressing portion 17, thereby suppressing flapping at the position of the flat conductor contact portion 2a. This prevents damage to the flat conductor-side terminal portion 33 (described later) that is in conductive contact with the flat conductor contact portion 2a.

[0032] As will be described later, the locking spring portion 11 has a locking protrusion 18, which prevents the flat conductor 2 from coming off the housing 3. For this reason, the pressing portion 17 may be configured not to press the flat conductor 2.

[0033] The locking protrusion 18 is a portion that fits into the locking hole 2c of the flat conductor 2 when the flat conductor 2 is completely inserted into the housing 3 and in a fully accommodated state. As shown in FIG. 5, the locking protrusion 18 has an oblique prism shape that protrudes downward from the pressing portion 17. That is, both the front and back sides of the locking protrusion 18 are inclined so that the tip (lower) side is located forward compared to the base (upper) side that connects to the pressing portion 17. This makes it difficult for the flat conductor 2 to get caught on the locking protrusion 18 when inserted into the housing 3, but makes it easier for the flat conductor 2 to get caught on the locking protrusion 18 when pulled in the removal direction from the housing 3 in a state where the locking hole 2c and the locking protrusion 18 are engaged (fully accommodated state).

[0034] The locking protrusion 18 configured in this manner acts to interfere with the flat conductor 2 during the process of accommodating the flat conductor 2 in the flat conductor accommodating section 6, causing the locking spring section 11 to elastically deform toward the deformation space 14. On the other hand, in the accommodation-completed state where the flat conductor 2 has been accommodated in the flat conductor accommodating section 6, the locking protrusion 18 is fitted into the locking hole 2c, causing the locking spring section 11 to elastically return, thereby acting to prevent movement of the flat conductor 2.

[0035] The jig operating portion 19 is a portion that has the function of releasing the locking protrusion 18 that has entered the locking hole 2c from the locking hole 2c. The jig operating portion 19 is formed as an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the rear between the front end of the elastic arm portion 15 and the front end of the pressing portion 17. The jig operating portion 19 is rectangular in shape when viewed from the bottom. The jig operating portion 19 is configured to be operated by a jig that is inserted into the communication hole 10 from the front of the housing 3 when the flat conductor 2 has been completely accommodated and the retainer 4 is temporarily fastened to the housing 3. Because the jig operating portion 19 is configured as an inclined surface, when the tip of the jig hits and is pressed backward, it generates a force that pushes the locking spring portion 11 upward. As a result, the lower end of the locking protrusion 18 is displaced above the upper surface 2A of the flat conductor 2, releasing the engagement with the locking hole 2c, and the flat conductor 2, which had been prevented from coming out of the housing 3, can be pulled out of the housing 3.

[0036] As described above, in the socket connector 1 of this embodiment, in order to release the engagement between the locking protrusion 18 and the locking hole 2c, it is necessary to insert a jig into the communication hole 10 of the housing 3 and then operate the locking spring portion 11. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the operator from unintentionally touching the locking spring portion 11 and thereby releasing the engagement between the locking protrusion 18 and the locking hole 2c.

[0037] The fitting portion 7 is a portion that fits with a plug connector. As shown in FIG. 1 etc., the fitting portion 7 has a fitting peripheral wall 20, an operating portion 21, and a fitting protrusion 22. The fitting peripheral wall 20 is formed by an outer wall located on the front side of the housing 3. The housing 3 is configured to fit with the inner peripheral surface of a square-tube-shaped plug connector (not shown). For this reason, the fitting peripheral wall 20 has a shape that corresponds to the inner peripheral surface of the plug connector.

[0038] The operating portion 21 is a portion that has the function of releasing the socket connector 1, which is mated with the plug connector, from a retained state. The operating portion 21 is formed in a cantilever shape that rises from the front end in the Y direction and the upper end in the Z direction of the housing 3 toward the rear in the Y direction. The operating portion 21 is configured to be elastically deformed by pressing its rear end downward.

[0039] The fitting projections 22 are pulled by recesses and projections (not shown) formed on the inner circumferential surface of the plug connector. The mating projection 22 is a portion that catches on the recess in the inner peripheral surface of the plug connector and prevents the socket connector 1 from coming off the plug connector. The mating projection 22 is formed to protrude upward from the upper side surface of the operating portion 21. The front side of the mating projection 22 is formed with a gentle slope that protrudes upward toward the rear. On the other hand, the back side of the mating projection 22 is formed with a steep slope that protrudes upward toward the rear. This makes it difficult for the mating projection 22 to get caught when the socket connector 1 is inserted into the plug connector. On the other hand, when the socket connector 1 is pulled in the removal direction from the plug connector with the mating projection 22 engaged with the recess in the inner peripheral surface of the plug connector, it is easily caught in the recess in the inner peripheral surface of the plug connector.

[0040] The fitting projection 22 is configured so that the upper end of the fitting projection 22 is displaced below the recess in the inner peripheral surface of the plug connector by pressing the rear end side of the operating portion 21 downward, thereby releasing the socket connector 1 from the state where it is fitted to the plug connector.

[0041] The terminal accommodating portion 8 is a portion that accommodates the terminal 5. As shown in Fig. 7, the terminal accommodating portion 8 has a terminal accommodating hole 23 and a partition wall 24. The terminal accommodating hole 23 has a depth from the front surface of the housing 3 to a central position in the Y direction of the housing 3, and is groove-shaped extending along the Z direction of the housing 3 to near the top and bottom ends (see Fig. 3). The partition wall 24 has a hysteresis curve shape in front view (see Fig. 7), and extends from a central position in the Z direction of the terminal accommodating hole 23 over the entire depth from the front end to the rear end of the terminal accommodating hole 23 (see Fig. 3).

[0042] The terminals 5 accommodated in the terminal accommodating holes 23 are configured with first and second terminals 5A and 5B, as described below (see FIG. 2). Correspondingly, as shown in FIG. 7, the terminal accommodating holes 23 are partitioned by a partition wall 24 into a first terminal accommodating hole 23A located on the upper side in the Z direction and a second terminal accommodating hole 23B located on the lower side. The front surface of the housing 3 has a first terminal accommodating hole opening 25A on the upper side in the Z direction and a second terminal accommodating hole opening 25B on the lower side, with the partition wall 24 as the boundary. Each of the first and second terminal accommodating holes 23A and 23B communicates with the flat conductor insertion portion 9 at its end, i.e., at the rear end in the Y direction and the middle position in the Z direction, i.e., at the position where the partition wall 24 is formed in the Z direction (see FIG. 3). This allows the terminals 5 to be arranged so as to be able to contact both the flat conductor 2 and the plug connector.

[0043] As will be described later, the socket connector 1 has a plurality of terminals 5, which are arranged in the X direction, which is the "terminal arrangement direction" (see FIG. 2). Therefore, the terminal accommodating holes 23 (first terminal accommodating holes 23A and second terminal accommodating holes 23B) and the partition walls 24 are arranged in the X direction in a plurality of rows corresponding to the plurality of terminals 5 arranged in the X direction (see FIG. 7).

[0044] Retainer 4

[0045] The retainer 4 is a component that functions to ensure reliable conductive contact between the flat conductors 2 and the plug connector and the terminals 5 arranged in the housing 3. The retainer 4 is formed of an electrically insulating resin molded body. As shown in FIG. 8 and other figures, the retainer 4 has an angular U-shape in plan view, with its shortest length in the Z direction and its length longer in the X direction than in the Y direction. The width of the retainer 4 in the X direction corresponds to the width between the left and right outer sides of the left and right communicating holes 10 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 8, the retainer 4 has a cover portion 26, left and right deformation restricting portions 27, 27, and left and right jig abutting portions 28, 28. The retainer 4 is configured to be attached to the housing 3 by inserting the portions corresponding to the left and right deformation restricting portions 27, 27 and the jig abutting portions 28, 28 into the left and right communicating holes 10 from the front of the housing 3 in a pushing manner (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

[0046] As shown in Fig. 1, the lid portion 26 is a portion that covers the front surface of the housing 3, i.e., the terminal accommodating holes 23. The lid portion 26 has a flat plate shape along the XZ plane that is longer in the X direction than in the Z direction when viewed from the front (see Fig. 8). By providing the lid portion 26, the socket connector 1 can prevent workers from unintentionally touching the terminals 5 and can also prevent situations in which the functionality of the terminals 5 is reduced due to foreign matter entering the terminal accommodating holes 23 or colliding with the terminals 5.

[0047] The cover portion 26 is formed with a plurality of terminal introduction portions 29 penetrating the cover portion 26 in the Y direction, corresponding to the first terminal accommodating hole side opening 25A and the second terminal accommodating hole side opening 25B (see FIGS. 1, 7, and 9). The terminal introduction portions 29 are formed with smaller opening areas than the first terminal accommodating hole side opening 25A and the second terminal accommodating hole side opening 25B. Furthermore, the terminal introduction portions 29 are arranged so as to guide the plug connector contact pieces to appropriate positions relative to the terminals 5. The front opening side of the terminal introduction portions 29 has an inclined surface in the shape of an inverted truncated pyramid. The socket connector 1 has the terminal introduction portions 29, which enable the plug connector contact pieces to be inserted more easily and reliably.

[0048] The deformation restricting portion 27 is a component that changes the behavior of the locking spring portion 11. The deformation restricting portion 27 has a U-shape with a corner when viewed from behind, and extends rearward from the outermost end of the cover portion 26 in the X direction and from the upper side in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 6 , the deformation restricting portion 27 has a length in the Y direction that allows it to enter the deformation space 14 when attached to the housing 3. The deformation restricting portion 27 also has a height that corresponds to the length in the Z direction of the deformation space 14 formed by the position of the locking spring portion 11 in the fully accommodated state. Therefore, the deformation restricting portion 27 can enter the deformation space 14 in the fully accommodated state in which the locking protrusion 18 of the locking spring portion 11 is securely fitted into the locking hole 2c of the flat conductor 2.

[0049] The deformation restricting portion 27 of the retainer 4 restricts the deformation of the locking spring portion 11 by entering the deformation space 14. Therefore, even if an attempt is made to pull the flat conductor 2 out of the socket connector 1, the deformation is restricted to prevent the locking spring portion 11 from floating up, so the locking spring portion 11 does not bend easily. As a result, the locked state between the locking protrusion 18 and the locking hole 2c is not easily released, and the flat conductor 2 can be prevented from falling out of the socket connector 1.

[0050] An interference-receiving portion 30 is formed at the tip of the deformation restricting portion 27, i.e., at the rear end in the Y direction. The interference-receiving portion 30 is configured to elastically deform and contact the locking spring portion 11 located in the deformation space 14. When the interference-receiving portion 30 enters the deformation space 14 from the state shown in FIG. 5 , if the locking spring portion 11 is present, it acts as a support rod and interferes, preventing the interference-receiving portion 30 from entering further rearward. Therefore, when the locking spring portion 11 is elastically deformed toward the deformation space 14, i.e., when the insertion is not yet complete, the retainer 4 cannot be securely attached to the housing 3. Therefore, by observing the attachment state of the retainer 4 to the housing 3, it is possible to detect whether the flat conductor 2 is completely inserted into the housing 3.

[0051] The jig abutment portion 28 is a portion for removing the retainer 4 attached to the housing 3. The jig abutment portion 28 has a rectangular bottom surface whose plate surface faces the back surface of the socket connector 1 (see FIG. 4), and is shaped like a square tube extending rearward from the outermost end of the cover portion 26 in the X direction and from the lower side in the Z direction (see FIGS. 5 and 6). The jig abutment portion 28 is formed slightly shorter in the Y direction than the deformation restricting portion 27. As shown in FIG. 6, the jig abutment portion 28 is configured so as not to come into contact with the locking protrusion 18 even when the retainer 4 is securely attached to the housing 3. The jig abutment portion 28 is formed slightly shorter than the length in the Z direction from the bottom surface of the communicating hole 10 to the flat conductor receiving surface 12. Therefore, the jig abutting portion 28 can enter the communicating hole 10 below the flat conductor 2 inserted into the flat conductor insertion portion 9.

[0052] As a result, when the retainer 4 is attached to the housing 3, the jig abutment portion 28 is located inside the communication hole 10, through which a jig can be operated from the external space behind the housing 3. When the tip of the jig is pressed forward so as to abut against the jig abutment portion 28, the retainer 4 is removed from the housing 3.

[0053] As described above, in the socket connector 1 of this embodiment, in order to remove the retainer 4 attached to the housing 3, it is necessary to insert a jig into the communication hole 10 of the housing 3 and then push the jig abutment portion 28 of the retainer 4 forward. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the worker from unintentionally releasing the mated state between the retainer 4 and the housing 3.

[0054] 5, the jig abutment portion 28 has temporary fastening holes 28a, 28a formed penetrating the front and rear sides of the inner surface in the X direction. The temporary fastening holes 28a, 28a are formed in positions in the Z direction corresponding to the temporary fastening protrusions 10a, 10a formed on the inner surface in the X direction of the communication hole 10 of the housing 3. The temporary fastening protrusions 10a, 10a fit into the temporary fastening holes 28a, 28a when the deformation restricting portion 27 and the locking spring portion 11 do not overlap in the Y direction during attachment or detachment of the retainer 4 to or from the housing 3. Therefore, the locking spring portion 11 can be deformed into the deformation space 14 in a temporary fastening state in which the retainer 4 is not completely removed from the housing 3.

[0055] A jig insertion hole 31 is formed between the deformation restricting portion 27 and the jig abutting portion 28 in the Z direction. The jig insertion hole 31 extends in the Y direction, and the cover portion 26 also passes through in the Y direction (see FIG. 8). The jig insertion hole 31 is located corresponding to the locking spring portion 11 when the retainer 4 is attached to the housing 3 (see FIG. 6). Therefore, when the retainer 4 is attached to the housing 3, the socket connector 1 is configured so that the deformation restricting portion 27 enters the deformation space 14 and the jig operating portion 19 of the locking spring portion 11 enters the jig insertion hole 31.

[0056] In the socket connector 1 configured in this manner, a jig can be inserted into the jig insertion hole 31 from the cover portion 26 and brought into contact with the jig operating portion 19. At this time, by leaving the retainer 4 in a temporarily fixed state, the jig operating portion 19 can be operated with the jig to lift the locking spring portion 11 into the deformation space 14. This releases the engagement between the locking hole 2c of the flat conductor 2 and the locking protrusion 18, allowing the flat conductor 2, which has been retained by the housing 3, to be pulled out from the housing 3.

[0057] 6, a connecting reinforcement portion 31a may be formed between the deformation restricting portion 27 and the jig abutting portion 28 and on the front side in the Y direction where it does not interfere with the fit between the jig insertion hole 31 and the locking spring portion 11. The connecting reinforcement portion 31a connects the deformation restricting portion 27 and the jig abutting portion 28 at the top and bottom. By including the connecting reinforcement portion 31a, the retainer 4 can prevent bending deformation when the deformation restricting portion 27 and the jig abutting portion 28 are inserted into the communicating hole 10. Therefore, by including the connecting reinforcement portion 31a, the retainer 4 can smoothly insert the deformation restricting portion 27 and the jig abutting portion 28 into the communicating hole 10.

[0058] Terminal 5

[0059] The terminals 5 are electrically conductive metal pieces. The terminals 5 are inserted into the terminal receiving holes 23 by being pushed in from the front of the housing 3 (see FIG. 3). The flat conductor 2 has a plurality of terminals 5, which electrically connect the flat conductor 2 and the plug connector. As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the plurality of terminals 5 are configured to have a plurality of first terminals 5A and a plurality of second terminals 5B. Although the first terminals 5A and the second terminals 5B have different shapes, they often have similar functions. Therefore, here, the characteristics of the first terminals 5A and the second terminals 5B will be described by assigning them the symbols "A" and "B," respectively, and the rest will be described collectively as terminals 5.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 2 , each of the terminals 5 (first terminal 5A and second terminal 5B) has a fixing portion 32, a flat-conductor-side terminal portion 33, and a plug-connector-side terminal portion 34 as a "connection-target-object-side terminal portion." The terminals 5 are mostly flat-plate shaped along the YZ plane. The plug-connector-side terminal portion 34 is formed by bending from the YZ plane. Meanwhile, the fixing portion 32 and the flat-conductor-side terminal portion 33 extend rearward from the rear end of the plug-connector-side terminal portion 34. As shown in FIG. 3 , the fixing portion 32 is inserted into a terminal fixing groove formed at the rear end of the terminal accommodating hole 23 of the housing 3, thereby fixing the terminal 5 to the housing 3. The flat-conductor-side terminal portion 33 is inserted into a portion where the rear end of the terminal accommodating hole 23 communicates with the flat-conductor inserting portion 9, and is exposed to the flat-conductor inserting portion 9.

[0061] 2 and 3, the flat conductor side terminal portion 33 has a flat conductor side elastic arm 35 and a flat conductor side contact portion 36. The flat conductor side terminal portion 33 is a portion that is electrically connected to the flat conductor contact portion 2a formed on the upper surface 2A of the flat conductor 2. The flat conductor side terminal portion 33 is arranged so that the first terminals 5A and the second terminals 5B are alternately arranged in the X direction.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 3 , the flat conductor side elastic arm 35 extends rearward from the upper front end of the flat conductor insertion portion 9. The flat conductor side elastic arm 35 is located above the flat conductor 2 inserted into the flat conductor insertion portion 9. The front (rear) end of the flat conductor side elastic arm 35 is configured to elastically deform, particularly in the Z direction. The flat conductor side contact portion 36 is formed at the tip of the flat conductor side elastic arm 35 so as to protrude downward from the flat conductor side elastic arm 35. The flat conductor side contact portion 36 is positioned below the upper surface 2A of the flat conductor 2 inserted into the flat conductor insertion portion 9. Therefore, the flat conductor 2 inserted into the flat conductor insertion portion 9 receives a pressing force from the flat conductor side contact portion 36 and is sandwiched between the flat conductor 2 and the flat conductor receiving surface 12. The flat conductor side terminal portion 33 is configured in this manner so that the flat conductor side contact portion 36 presses against the flat conductor contact portion 2a to establish conductive contact.

[0063] Here, in the fully accommodated state, the direction in which the flat conductor side terminal portion 33 presses the flat conductor contact portion 2a (i.e., downward in the Z direction) is the same as the direction in which the pressing portion 17 of the locking spring portion 11 presses the flat conductor 2 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Therefore, in the socket connector 1, the pressing portion 17 presses the flat conductor 2, thereby reducing the load applied to the flat conductor side terminal portion 33 and preventing damage to the flat conductor side terminal portion 33.

[0064] On the other hand, the direction in which the flat conductor side terminal portion 33 presses the flat conductor contact portion 2a may be opposite to the direction in which the pressing portion 17 of the locking spring portion 11 presses the flat conductor 2. This can increase the contact pressure between the flat conductor side terminal portion 33 and the flat conductor 2.

[0065] The plug connector side terminal portion 34 is a portion that is electrically connected to a plug connector contact piece formed on the plug connector. The plug connector side terminal portion 34 is accommodated in the terminal accommodating hole 23, as shown in FIG. 3. As described above, the terminal accommodating hole 23 is divided into upper and lower portions by the partition wall 24 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 3, the plug connector side terminal portion 34 is arranged such that the first terminal 5A is accommodated in the first terminal accommodating hole 23A located on the upper side, and the second terminal 5B is accommodated in the second terminal accommodating hole 23B located on the lower side. That is, as also shown in FIG. 9, the plug connectors of the first terminals 5A that are adjacent in the X direction, which is the "terminal arrangement direction", are arranged such that the first terminals 5A are accommodated in the first terminal accommodating hole 23A located on the upper side, and the second terminals 5B are accommodated in the second terminal accommodating hole 23B located on the lower side. The plug-connector-side terminal portion 34 of the second terminal 5B and the plug-connector-side terminal portion 34 of the second terminal 5B are positioned side by side in the Z direction, which is a direction intersecting the X direction.

[0066] Thus, a pair of plug connector side terminal portions 34, each consisting of a first terminal 5A and a second terminal 5B, are arranged side by side not in the X direction, which is the "terminal arrangement direction," but in the Z direction, which is a direction intersecting the "terminal arrangement direction." This results in a wider spacing between adjacent plug connector side terminal portions 34 in the X direction (between adjacent first terminals 5A and adjacent second terminals 5B). Therefore, this embodiment can prevent contact between adjacent plug connector side terminal portions 34 and ensure a sufficient area for forming an insulating wall by the housing 3 that separates adjacent plug connector side terminal portions 34 in the X direction. Furthermore, the spacing between multiple terminals 5 can be reduced in the X direction. This embodiment can therefore reduce the size of the socket connector 1, particularly in the X direction. Furthermore, this embodiment can accommodate flat conductor contact portions 2a arranged at narrower intervals.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 9 , the plug connector-side terminal portion 34 of the first terminal 5A is located on the top surface 2A of the flat conductor 2, and the plug connector-side terminal portion 34 of the second terminal 5B is located on the bottom surface 2B opposite the top surface 2A. That is, the socket connector 1 is configured so that the plug connector-side terminal portion 34 of the first terminal 5A and the plug connector-side terminal portion 34 of the second terminal 5B sandwich the flat conductor 2 from above and below. This prevents the socket connector 1 from unnecessarily increasing in size in a direction transverse to the "terminal arrangement direction," e.g., the Z direction. Furthermore, the lengths of the transmission lines between the flat conductor-side terminal portion 33 and the plug connector-side terminal portion 34 of the first terminal 5A and the second terminal 5B are equal, preventing problems such as extremely different conduction resistances. This prevents the socket connector 1 from increasing in size in the thickness direction of the flat conductor 2, thereby enabling the socket connector 1 to be miniaturized in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0068] However, the arrangement of a pair of plug connector side terminal portions 34 consisting of the first terminal 5A and the second terminal 5B may be in a direction intersecting the "terminal arrangement direction", and the first terminal 5A and the second terminal 5B may be arranged biased to either the top or bottom of the flat conductor 2.

[0069] The plug connector side terminal portion 34 has a wall portion 37, a receiving portion 38, and a resilient contact piece 39 (see FIG. 10 , etc.). The wall portion 37 forms the outer periphery of the plug connector side terminal portion 34 in the X and Z directions. The wall portion 37 is formed by bending a metal piece constituting the terminal 5 around an axis in the Y direction. The wall portion 37 is formed on the upper side and both left and right sides of the first terminal 5A, and on the upper side and right side of the second terminal 5B. The wall portion 37 functions to prevent bending deformation of the plug connector side terminal portion 34, accommodate the resilient contact piece 39 in the terminal accommodating hole 23, and allow the plug connector contact piece to be smoothly inserted into the terminal accommodating hole 23. The receiving portion 38 is formed on the lower surface of the upper wall portion 37. The receiving portion 38 has a hemispherical shape that protrudes downward. The receiving portion 38 functions to receive the plug connector contact piece pressed by the resilient contact piece 39.

[0070] The resilient contact piece 39 is a portion that electrically contacts with the plug connector contact piece. As shown in Fig. 10, the resilient contact piece 39 includes a base end portion 40, a spring portion 41, a contact portion 42, and a spring portion deformation suppression portion 43. The resilient contact piece 39 is arranged so that the "plate width direction" is the X direction, the "plate thickness direction" is the Z direction, and the "longitudinal direction" is the Y direction, except for the spring portion deformation suppression portion 43. The resilient contact piece 39 is formed by bending a single metal piece, with the region of the spring portion deformation suppression portion 43 being wider than the other regions.

[0071] The base end 40 is located at the rear end in the Y direction. The base end 40 has a flat portion 44. The flat portion 44 is along the XY plane and extends longer in the Y direction than in the X direction. The spring portion 41 extends in a cantilevered manner from the base end 40 forward in the Y direction. The spring portion 41 is configured so that its front end is elastically deformable, particularly in the Z direction. The contact portion 42 is the portion that comes into contact with the plug connector contact piece. The contact portion 42 is provided on the front upper surface of the spring portion 41, and has a hemispherical shape that protrudes upward.

[0072] The spring portion deformation suppressing portion 43 is formed by bending one side of the elastic contact piece 39 in the plate width direction (X direction) from the base end portion 40 to a middle position in the Y direction of the spring portion 41 in a direction intersecting the plate surface (XY plane) of the base end portion 40, i.e., in the Z direction. As described above, the spring portion 41 is configured to elastically deform particularly in the Z direction. In contrast, the spring portion deformation suppressing portion 43 is formed to extend in the Z direction. This allows the spring portion deformation suppressing portion 43 to suppress flexural deformation of the spring portion 41 in the plate thickness direction (Z direction).

[0073] Generally, flat springs with tongue-shaped contact pieces on connection terminals have a small spring constant. In other words, when flat springs are used for the contact pieces that electrically connect with the plug connector contact pieces, the springs become soft, making it difficult for the contact pressure (contact pressure) between the connection terminals to become high. In an attempt to solve this problem, the width (plate width) of the contact pieces is increased or their thickness (plate thickness) is increased, but this results in an increase in the size of the connection terminals and, ultimately, the size of the connector that houses the connection terminals.

[0074] In contrast, according to this embodiment, the resilient contact piece 39 is provided with a spring portion deformation suppressing portion 43 formed by bending one side of the resilient contact piece 39 in the Z direction from the base end portion 40 to the middle position in the Y direction of the spring portion 41. Therefore, according to this embodiment, by increasing the spring constant of the spring portion 41, it is possible to suppress bending deformation in the thickness direction of the resilient contact piece 39, thereby increasing the contact pressure of the resilient contact piece 39. Furthermore, in this case, the terminal 5 and the socket connector 1 do not become larger by widening the width or increasing the thickness of the resilient contact piece 39.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 10 , the spring portion 41 has a first length L1 in the Z direction from the base end 40. On the other hand, the spring portion deformation suppressing portion 43 has a second length L2 in the Z direction from the base end 40. The second length L2 is shorter than the first length L1. Therefore, the spring portion deformation suppressing portion 43 is within the range of extension of the spring portion 41 in the Z direction. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the contact pressure of the resilient contact piece 39 can be increased without increasing the size of the terminal 5 and the socket connector 1, particularly in the Z direction. Furthermore, since the second length L2 is shorter than the first length L1, the plug connector contact piece that is inserted into the plug connector side terminal portion 34 by pressing down the contact portion 42 can penetrate deep into the plug connector side terminal portion 34, overlapping above the spring portion deformation suppressing portion 43 without interfering with it. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the effective mating length between the plug connector side terminal portion 34 and the plug connector contact piece can be ensured.

[0076] Furthermore, the spring portion deformation suppression portion 43 is shaped to fit within the range of the maximum width Wm (see FIG. 9) of the spring portion 41 in the X direction. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the contact pressure of the elastic contact piece 39 can be increased without increasing the size of the terminal 5 and the socket connector 1 in the X direction.

[0077] 10, the spring portion 41 is configured to extend at an angle from the flat portion 44. Therefore, no other configuration or space is required between the spring portion 41 and the base end portion 40. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the contact pressure of the resilient contact piece 39 can be increased without increasing the size of the terminal 5 and the socket connector 1, particularly in the Y direction.

[0078] Variations

[0079] The deformation restricting portion 27 shown in FIG. 6 and the like may be formed slightly higher than the length of the deformation space 14 in the Z direction. In this case, the deformation restricting portion 27 is The upper side surface portion 16 may have the same height in the front-to-rear direction, or may be formed slightly higher near its front end (the side of the connecting reinforcement portion 31a) than the length of the deformation space 14 in the Z direction. On the housing 3 side, the upper side surface portion 16 may also be formed as an inclined surface that slopes upward toward the rear. With this configuration, the upper side surface portion 16 functions to be pressed down by the retainer 4 attached to the housing 3 when the flat conductor 2 is completely accommodated.

[0080] When the retainer 4 is attached to the housing 3, the deformation restricting portion 27 configured in this manner enters the deformation space 14 and elastically deforms the locking spring portion 11 in the opposite direction to the deformation space 14, i.e., downward in the Z direction. This causes the locking spring portion 11 to bend in a direction that increases the degree of engagement between the locking protrusion 18 and the locking hole 2c. This makes it even more difficult for the locking protrusion 18 to be released from the locking hole 2c, preventing the flat conductor 2 from falling out of the socket connector 1.

[0081] Furthermore, the deformation restricting portion 27 presses down the upper surface portion 16 of the locking spring portion 11, causing the locking spring portion 11 to bend toward the flat conductor 2. Then, the pressing portion 17 presses the flat conductor 2 against the flat conductor receiving surface 12, so that the flat conductor 2 is held sandwiched between the pressing portion 17 and the flat conductor receiving surface 12. Therefore, the flat conductor 2 can be prevented from rattling inside the flat conductor accommodating portion 6 due to the higher holding force of the locking spring portion 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Socket Connector (Connector) 2 Flat conductors 2A Top surface (first surface) 2B bottom surface (second surface) 2a Flat conductor contact part 2b Side edge 2c Locking hole (locking part) 3. Housing 4 retainer 5 terminals 5A 1st terminal 5B Second terminal 6 Flat conductor housing 7 Fitting part 8 Terminal housing 9 Flat conductor insertion part 10 Communication hole 10a Temporary fixing protrusion 11 Locking spring part 12 Flat conductor receiving surface 13 Opening 14 Transformed Space 15 Elastic arm 16 Upper side part 17 Pressing section 18 Locking protrusion 19 Jig operation unit 20 Fitting peripheral wall 21 Control section 22 Fitting protrusion 23 Terminal receiving hole 23A First terminal receiving hole 23B Second terminal receiving hole 24 Partition Wall 25A First terminal receiving hole side opening 25B Second terminal receiving hole side opening 26 Lid 27 Deformation control section 28 Jig contact part 28a Temporary fixing hole 29 Terminal introduction part 30 Interfered part 31 Jig insertion hole 31a Connection reinforcement part 32 Fixed part 33 Flat conductor side terminal 34 Plug connector side terminal (connection object side terminal) 35 Flat conductor side elastic arm 36 Flat conductor side contact part 37 Wall 38 Receiving part 39 Elastic contact piece 40 Proximal end 41 Spring part 42 Contact part 43 Spring deformation suppression part 44 Plane part L1 First length L2 Second length Wm Maximum width X Width direction, left and right direction (board width direction, terminal arrangement direction) Y Depth direction, front-back direction (longitudinal direction) Z height direction, up and down direction

Claims

[Claim 1] A connector having a plurality of terminals for electrically connecting a flat conductor to a connection object, The plurality of terminals include a plurality of first terminals and a plurality of second terminals, and each of the first terminals and the second terminals is a flat conductor side terminal portion electrically connected to the flat conductor contact portion formed on the first surface of the flat conductor; a connection object side terminal portion that is electrically connected to the connection object, A connector, characterized in that the connection object side terminal portion of the first terminal and the connection object side terminal portion of the second terminal are positioned side by side in a direction intersecting a terminal arrangement direction.

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