Electrical connector

Abstract

To secure high robustness when an electric connector is fitted.SOLUTION: A receptacle connector (30) includes a housing (31) in which a plurality of signal terminals are arranged, and a pair of reinforcing metal fittings (50) for reinforcing both end sides in the longitudinal direction of the housing. The housing has a bottom wall (32), a pair of short walls (33), a pair of long walls (34), and an island-shaped protruding wall (35). Each reinforcing metal fitting includes an outer plate portion (51) extending along the outer side surface of the short wall, a short wall protecting portion (53) extending from the outer plate portion to cover the upper surface of the short wall, a pair of side plate portions (61) extending along the outer side surfaces of the pair of long walls, a pair of long wall protecting portions (63) extending from the pair of side plate portions to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls, and a pair of connecting portions (66) connecting both side edges of the outer plate portion and side edges of the pair of side plate portions. A pair of corner protection portions (71) extend from the outer plate portion, and upper surfaces of a pair of corner portions (36) between the short wall and the pair of long walls are covered with the pair of corner protection portions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to electrical connectors. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrical connectors mounted on circuit boards and the like are known in which reinforcing metal fittings are embedded in a resin housing to enhance robustness (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The housing of the electrical connector described in Patent Document 1 has a rectangular bottom wall in a plan view, a pair of short walls and a pair of long walls rising from the four sides of the bottom wall, and island-shaped protruding walls provided inside the pair of short walls and the pair of long walls. Reinforcing metal fittings are embedded at both ends of the housing in the longitudinal direction, and the reinforcing metal fittings reinforce both ends of the short walls and the long walls in the longitudinal direction, ensuring the robustness of the electrical connector.

[0003] This reinforcing metal fitting is formed by bending a single metal plate that has been punched to a predetermined shape. An outer plate portion that serves as the base of the reinforcing metal fitting is provided on the short wall of the housing, and an upper plate portion extends from the upper edge of the outer plate portion to cover the upper surface of the short wall. A pair of side plate portions that are continuous with both side edges of the outer plate portion are embedded in the pair of long walls of the housing, and a pair of upper plate portions extend from the upper edges of the pair of side plate portions to cover the upper surfaces of the long walls. The upper surfaces of the short wall and long wall are partially covered by each upper plate portion of the reinforcing metal fitting, and the resin short wall and long wall are protected by the reinforcing metal fitting. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-184459 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the electrical connector described in Patent Document 1, the short wall and the pair of long walls are covered from above by the respective upper plates, but the corners of the housing between the short wall and the pair of long walls are not covered by the upper plates, which means that if the connectors are misaligned when mated, the corners of the housing may be damaged.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector that can ensure high robustness when the connectors are mated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An electrical connector according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing having a rectangular shape in plan view in which a plurality of signal terminals are arranged, and a pair of reinforcing metal fittings reinforcing both longitudinal ends of the housing, the housing having a rectangular shape in plan view, a pair of short walls erected at both longitudinal ends of the bottom wall, a pair of long walls erected at both lateral ends of the bottom wall, and an island-shaped protruding wall surrounded by the pair of short walls and the pair of long walls, and each of the reinforcing metal fittings has an outer plate portion along the outer surface of the short wall, a short wall protecting portion extending from the outer plate portion so as to cover the upper surface of the short wall, and a protruding wall extending from the outer plate portion so as to cover the outer surface of the pair of long walls. The short wall and the pair of long walls are connected to each other by a pair of side plate portions extending along the short wall surface, a pair of long wall protection portions extending from the pair of side plate portions to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls, and a pair of connecting portions connecting both side edges of the outer plate portion to the side edges of the pair of side plate portions, wherein a pair of corner protection portions extend from one of the outer plate portion and the pair of side plate portions to the other, bypassing the pair of connecting portions, and the tips of the pair of corner protection portions are spaced a predetermined distance from the upper edge of the other of the outer plate portion and the pair of side plate portions, and the above problem is solved by the pair of corner protection portions covering the upper surfaces of the pair of corners between the short wall and the pair of long walls. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In one aspect of the electrical connector of the present invention, the upper surfaces of the short walls of the housing are covered by short wall protective portions extending from the outer plate portion, and the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls of the housing are covered by a pair of long wall protective portions extending from the pair of side plate portions. The upper surfaces of the corners of the housing are covered by a pair of corner protective portions extending from either the outer plate portion or the pair of side plate portions. Thus, even if a pair of connecting portions connecting the outer plate portion and the pair of side plate portions are not exposed from the upper surfaces of the corners of the housing, the corners of the housing can be protected by the pair of corner protective portions. Even if the connectors interfere with each other when mated, the short walls, long walls, and corners of the housing are protected from loads in the mating direction of the connectors, thereby increasing the robustness of the electrical connector. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a plug connector and a receptacle connector according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of an end portion of a receptacle connector according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a reinforcing metal fitting according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams of the mating operation of the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4A and 4B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a misaligned state of the connector of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a receptacle connector according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an end portion of a receptacle connector according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a reinforcing metal fitting according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams of the fitting operation of the connector of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams illustrating a misaligned state of the connector of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a reinforcing metal fitting according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment The receptacle connector of the first embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the plug connector and receptacle connector of the first embodiment. For ease of explanation, the circuit board on the plug connector side is indicated by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 1. In the following explanation, the circuit board side of the plug connector and receptacle connector will be referred to as the bottom, and the opposite side will be referred to as the top.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, plug connector (mating electrical connector) 20 and receptacle connector (electrical connector) 30 are so-called BtoB (Board to Board) connectors that electrically connect circuit boards 11 and 12. A plurality of mounting pads (not shown) are provided on the surface (the bottom surface in Fig. 1) of one circuit board 11, and a plug connector 20 is fixed to each mounting pad. Similarly, a plurality of mounting pads (mounting surfaces) 15 and 16 are provided on the surface of the other circuit board 12, and a receptacle connector 30 is fixed to each mounting pad 15 and 16. The circuit boards 11 and 12 are composed of printed circuit boards, flexible boards, etc.

[0012] A rectangular annular mating portion 22 is formed in the resin housing 21 of the plug connector 20, and a rectangular annular receiving space 37 that receives the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 is formed in the resin housing 31 of the receptacle connector 30. The mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 fits into the receiving space 37 of the receptacle connector 30, and each signal terminal 23 of the plug connector 20 exposed on the outer surface of the mating portion 22 comes into contact with each signal terminal 41 of the receptacle connector 30 within the receiving space 37. This electrically connects the circuit boards 11, 12 to each other via the plug connector 20 and the receptacle connector 30.

[0013] When connecting such circuit boards 11 and 12 to each other, the plug connector 20 is hidden by one circuit board 11, making it difficult to align the plug connector 20 with the receptacle connector 30 on the other circuit board 12. If the plug connector 20 is pushed into the receptacle connector 30 while it is misaligned with respect to the receptacle connector 30, a load may act on the housing 31 of the receptacle connector 30 in the mating direction Z, causing damage. In particular, in recent years, there has been a demand for smaller connector sizes as electronic devices become smaller and lighter, and small connectors have the disadvantage of being easily damaged when incorrectly attached.

[0014] Therefore, the housing 31 of the receptacle connector 30 of this embodiment is provided with a pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 on both sides of the resin housing 31 in the longitudinal direction X. A short wall protective portion 53 of the reinforcing metal fitting 50 is exposed from the upper surface of the short wall 33 of the housing 31, a pair of long wall protective portions 63 of the reinforcing metal fitting 50 are exposed from the upper surfaces of a pair of long walls 34 of the housing 31, and a pair of corner protective portions 71 are exposed from the upper surfaces of a pair of corners 36 of the housing 31. The short wall protective portion 53, the pair of long wall protective portions 63, and the pair of corner protective portions 71 protect the short wall 33, long wall 34, and corners 36 of the housing 31, thereby ensuring the robustness of the receptacle connector 30.

[0015] The receptacle connector will be described in detail with reference to Figures 2 to 4. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector of the first embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view of an end of the receptacle connector of the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the reinforcing metal fitting of the first embodiment. Note that Figure 3(A) shows a perspective view of the end of the receptacle connector as seen from the outside, and Figure 3(B) shows a perspective view of the end of the receptacle connector as seen from the inside. Figure 4(A) shows a perspective view of the reinforcing metal fitting as seen from the outside, and Figure 4(B) shows a perspective view of the reinforcing metal fitting as seen from the inside.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the receptacle connector 30 is formed by embedding a plurality of signal terminals 41 and a pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 in a resin housing 31. The housing 31 has a bottom wall 32 that is rectangular in plan view, a pair of short walls 33 erected at both ends of the bottom wall 32 in the longitudinal direction X, a pair of long walls 34 erected at both ends of the bottom wall 32 in the lateral direction Y, and an island-shaped protruding wall 35 surrounded by the pair of short walls 33 and the pair of long walls 34. In the housing 31, a rectangular annular receiving space 37 is formed by the pair of short walls 33, the pair of long walls 34, and the island-shaped protruding wall 35 to receive the rectangular annular mating portion 22 (see Fig. 1) of the plug connector 20.

[0017] The plurality of signal terminals 41 and the pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 are integrated into the housing 31 by insert molding. In this case, the receptacle connector 30 is formed by filling a mold in which the plurality of signal terminals 41 and the pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 are set with molten resin. For this reason, the plurality of signal terminals 41 and the pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 are not separated from the housing 31, but for convenience of explanation, FIG. 2 shows the plurality of signal terminals 41 and the pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 separated from the housing 31. Note that the receptacle connector 30 may also be formed by press-fitting the plurality of signal terminals 41 and the pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 into the housing 31.

[0018] A plurality of signal terminals 41 are arranged on the pair of long walls 34 of the housing 31. The signal terminals 41 are formed by bending a metal piece. Each signal terminal 41 has a U-shaped terminal curved portion 42 that fits along the outer surface of the long wall 34, a contact spring 43 that extends from one end of the terminal curved portion 42 toward the protruding wall 35, and a terminal mounting portion 44 that protrudes from the other end of the terminal curved portion 42 to the outside of the long wall 34. The contact spring 43 is accommodated in an upright state in an accommodating groove 38 cut out of the outer surface of the protruding wall 35, and the space inside the accommodating groove 38 allows the contact spring 43 to flex in the plate thickness direction (the short-side direction Y of the housing 31).

[0019] The space between the terminal mounting portion 44 and the curved terminal portion 42 is embedded inside the long wall 34 (see FIG. 1). Therefore, when the terminal mounting portion 44 of the receptacle connector 30 is soldered, the outer surface of the long wall 34 prevents the molten solder from advancing along the surface of the terminal mounting portion 44. In other words, the insulating resin with low wettability blocks the molten solder, preventing the solder from ascending along the surface of the terminal mounting portion 44, a phenomenon known as solder wicking. When the terminal mounting portion 44 of the signal terminal 41 is soldered to the mounting pad 16 of the circuit board 12 (see FIG. 1), the receptacle connector 30 is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit of the circuit board 12.

[0020] A pair of reinforcing metal fittings 50 are provided on both ends of the housing 31 in the longitudinal direction X. The reinforcing metal fittings 50 are formed by bending a metal plate that has been punched into a predetermined shape. The reinforcing metal fittings 50 are formed with a short wall protective portion 53, a pair of long wall protective portions 63, a pair of corner protective portions 71, and a protruding wall protective portion 57. The short wall protective portion 53 protects the upper surface of the short wall 33, and the pair of long wall protective portions 63 protect the upper surfaces of the ends of the pair of long walls 34 in the longitudinal direction X. In addition, the pair of corner protective portions 71 protect the upper surfaces of the pair of corner portions 36, and the protruding wall protective portion 57 protects the upper surface of the end of the island-shaped protruding wall 35 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0021] 3 and 4, an outer plate portion 51 that serves as a base for the reinforcing metal fitting 50 is provided on the short wall 33 of the housing 31. The outer plate portion 51 extends in the short direction Y of the housing 31 along the outer surface inside the short wall 33. A short wall protective portion 53 extends from the upper edge of the outer plate portion 51 so as to cover the upper surface of the short wall 33. The short wall protective portion 53 is curved in an inverted U shape in cross section, and the top surface of the short wall protective portion 53 protects the short wall 33 from interference with the plug connector 20 (see FIG. 1). An inner plate portion 55 extends from the short wall protective portion 53 along the inner surface of the short wall 33, and the short wall protective portion 53 and the inner plate portion 55 form guides on both ends in the longitudinal direction X when the plug connector 20 is mated.

[0022] A bottom plate portion 56 extends from the lower edge of the inner plate portion 55 along the bottom surface of the bottom wall 32, and a protruding wall protection portion 57 extends from the bottom plate portion 56 to cover the end of the protruding wall 35. The protruding wall protection portion 57 branches into a T-shape on the upper surface of the protruding wall 35, and the top surface of the protruding wall protection portion 57 protects the protruding wall 35 from interference from the plug connector 20. A branch portion 59a of the protruding wall protection portion 57 is connected to the bottom plate portion 56, and a pair of branches 59b, 59c of the protruding wall protection portion 57 face each other with the protruding wall 35 in between. By embedding the tips of the pair of branches 59b, 59c in the bottom wall 32, the strength of the connector against loads in the mating direction Z is increased and sinking of the protruding wall protection portion 57 is suppressed.

[0023] A pair of side plate portions 61 of the reinforcing metal fitting 50 are provided on the pair of long walls 34 of the housing 31. The pair of side plate portions 61 extend in the longitudinal direction X of the housing 31 along the outer surfaces inside the pair of long walls 34. A pair of long wall protective portions 63 extend from the upper edges of the pair of side plate portions 61 so as to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls 34. Each long wall protective portion 63 is curved in an inverted U shape in cross section, and the top surface of each long wall protective portion 63 protects the long wall 34 from interference with the plug connector 20. A leg portion 65 extends from each long wall protective portion 63 along the inner surface of the long wall 34, and the long wall protective portion 63 and the leg portion 65 form guides at both ends in the lateral direction Y when the plug connector 20 is mated.

[0024] The lower edge of the outer plate portion 51 is bent outward to form a pair of outer plate mounting portions 52, and the lower edges of a pair of side plate portions 61 are bent outward to form a pair of side plate mounting portions 62. The pair of outer plate mounting portions 52 and the pair of side plate mounting portions 62 are soldered to mounting pads 15 (see FIG. 1 ). The space between the short wall protective portion 53 and the pair of outer plate mounting portions 52 is embedded inside the short walls 33, and the space between the pair of long wall protective portions 63 and the pair of side plate mounting portions 62 is embedded inside the pair of long walls 34. Therefore, when the pair of outer plate mounting portions 52 and the pair of side plate mounting portions 62 are soldered, the molten solder is blocked by the resin short walls 33 and the pair of long walls 34, preventing solder wicking.

[0025] Furthermore, both side edges of the outer plate portion 51 and the side edges of the pair of side plate portions 61 are connected via a pair of connecting portions 66. The pair of connecting portions 66 are provided inside a pair of corners 36 between the short wall 33 and the pair of long walls 34, and the pair of connecting portions 66 are not exposed from the upper surfaces of the pair of corners 36. Therefore, in order to protect the corners 36 of the housing 31, a pair of corner protection portions 71 extend from the upper edge of the outer plate portion 51 so as to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of corners 36. The pair of corner protection portions 71 diagonally cross the corners 36 of the housing 31, and the top surfaces of the pair of corner protection portions 71 protect the corners 36 of the housing 31 from interference with the plug connector 20.

[0026] More specifically, the corner protection portion 71 extends from the upper edge of the end of the outer plate portion 51 on one side of the connection portion 66 toward the upper edge of the end of the side plate portion 61 on the other side of the connection portion 66. The tip of the corner protection portion 71 is spaced apart from the upper edge of the end of the side plate portion 61 with a small gap, and the resin of the long wall 34 fills this gap (see FIG. 5(C) in particular). By embedding the tip of the corner protection portion 71 in the long wall 34, the strength of the connector against loads in the mating direction Z is increased and sinking of the corner protection portion 71 is suppressed. In this way, the corner portion 36 of the housing 31 is protected by the corner protection portion 71 that extends from the upper edge of the outer plate portion 51 to bypass the connection portion 66.

[0027] Furthermore, slits 73 are formed between the pair of corner protection portions 71 and the short wall protection portions 53, and the resin of the short walls 33 fills these slits 73. Because the pair of corner protection portions 71 and the short wall protection portions 53 are separated by the slits 73, the shape of the corner protection portions 71 does not affect the shape of the short wall protection portions 53. There is no need to align the width of the top surfaces of the corner protection portions 71 and the short wall protection portions 53 in the longitudinal direction X of the housing 31, and the folding position P between the short wall protection portions 53 and the inner plate portion 55 can be positioned outward in the longitudinal direction X of the housing 31. This allows the short walls 33 to be made thinner, thereby enabling the receptacle connector 30 to be made more compact.

[0028] When viewed from above, the top surfaces of the pair of corner protection portions 71 are cut out at an angle, and fracture surfaces 74 of the pair of corner protection portions 71 are exposed on the inner surface of the housing 31. To cover the fracture surfaces 74 by insert molding, a certain resin thickness is required, but by exposing the fracture surfaces 74, this certain resin thickness is no longer necessary, making insert molding easier. When the connectors are mated, the short wall protection portion 53 and the long wall protection portion 63 come into contact with the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 and are guided into the receiving space 37. Therefore, even if the fracture surfaces 74 of the corner protection portions 71 are exposed on the inner surface of the housing 31, the fracture surfaces 74 make it difficult for the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 to come into contact with them.

[0029] The mating operation of the connector will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram of the mating operation of the connector of the first embodiment. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of a misaligned state of the connector of the first embodiment. Note that Figures 5(A) and 6(A) are top views of the receptacle connector, Figures 5(B) and 6(B) are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector taken along line AA, and Figures 5(C) and 6(C) are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector taken along line BB. For ease of explanation, the plug connector is shown schematically here.

[0030] 5(A) and 5(B), the plug connector 20 is positioned above the receptacle connector 30. When the plug connector 20 is precisely aligned with the receptacle connector 30, the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 is positioned directly above the receiving space 37 of the receptacle connector 30. In this state, when the plug connector 20 is brought closer to the receptacle connector 30 from the mating direction Z, the rectangular annular mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 fits into the receiving space 37 of the receptacle connector 30, and the island-shaped protruding wall 35 of the receptacle connector 30 fits inside the mating portion 22.

[0031] At this time, the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 is guided in the longitudinal direction X by the short wall protection portion 53 and the inner plate portion 55, and is guided in the lateral direction Y by the pair of long wall protection portions 63 and the pair of leg portions 65 (see FIG. 3(A)). Therefore, the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 smoothly fits into the receiving space 37 of the receptacle connector 30. Because there is no interference between the receptacle connector 30 and the plug connector 20, no load is applied to the corner protection portions 71 in the mating direction Z (see FIG. 5(C)). In this case, although fracture surfaces 74 of the pair of corner protection portions 71 are exposed to the inner surface of the housing 31, the mating portion 22 is not scraped by the fracture surfaces 74.

[0032] 6(A) and 6(B), when the plug connector 20 is misaligned with respect to the receptacle connector 30, the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 is disengaged from the receiving space 37 of the receptacle connector 30. In this state, when the plug connector 20 is brought closer to the receptacle connector 30 from the mating direction Z, the mating portion 22 of the plug connector 20 abuts against the reinforcing metal fitting 50 of the receptacle connector 30. At this time, the short wall 33 of the housing 31 is protected by the short wall protecting portion 53 of the reinforcing metal fitting 50, and the long wall 34 of the housing 31 is protected by the long wall protecting portion 63 of the reinforcing metal fitting 50.

[0033] 6(C), the corner 36 between the short wall 33 and long wall 34 of the housing 31 is also protected by the corner protection portion 71 of the reinforcing metal fitting 50. As described above, resin also fills the gap between the tip of the corner protection portion 71 and the upper edge of the side plate portion 61, preventing the tip of the corner protection portion 71 from sinking. In this way, the short wall protection portion 53, long wall protection portion 63, and corner protection portion 71 increase the overall strength of the housing 31 against loads in the connector mating direction Z. Even if the receptacle connector 30 and the plug connector 20 interfere with each other, the housing 31 of the receptacle connector 30 is prevented from being damaged.

[0034] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the upper surfaces of the short walls 33 of the housing 31 are covered by the short wall protective portions 53 extending from the outer plate portion 51, and the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls 34 of the housing 31 are covered by the pair of long wall protective portions 63 extending from the pair of side plate portions 61. The upper surfaces of the corner portions 36 of the housing 31 are covered by the pair of corner protective portions 71 extending from the outer plate portion 51. Therefore, even if a pair of connecting portions 66 connecting the outer plate portion 51 and the pair of side plate portions 61 is configured not to be exposed from the upper surfaces of the corner portions 36 of the housing 31, the corner portions 36 of the housing 31 can be protected by the pair of corner protective portions 71. Even if the connectors interfere with each other when mated, the short walls 33, long walls 34, and corner portions 36 of the housing 31 are protected from loads in the mating direction Z of the connectors, thereby improving the robustness of the receptacle connector 30.

[0035] <Second embodiment> Next, a receptacle connector according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the receptacle connector according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an end portion of the receptacle connector according to the second embodiment. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a reinforcing metal fitting according to the second embodiment. Fig. 8(A) shows a perspective view of the end portion of the receptacle connector as seen from the outside, and Fig. 8(B) shows a perspective view of the end portion of the receptacle connector as seen from the inside. Fig. 9(A) shows a perspective view of the reinforcing metal fitting as seen from the outside, and Fig. 9(B) shows a perspective view of the reinforcing metal fitting as seen from the inside. Regarding the receptacle connector according to the second embodiment, descriptions of configurations similar to those of the receptacle connector according to the first embodiment will be omitted. For ease of explanation, the plug connector is shown schematically.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 7, in the housing 91 of the second embodiment, both ends of the pair of long walls 94 in the longitudinal direction X are raised by one step. Furthermore, the reinforcing bracket 110 of the second embodiment is formed with a pair of terminal portions 123 that cover the lower sides of the pair of long walls 94. However, because both ends of the pair of long walls 94 are raised by one step, the pair of terminal portions 123 on the lower sides of the pair of long walls 94 are less likely to function as guides in the short direction Y. For this reason, the reinforcing bracket 110 of the second embodiment is formed with a pair of long wall protectors 119 that cover the upper sides of the pair of long walls 94, in addition to the pair of terminal portions 123 that cover the lower sides of the pair of long walls 94.

[0037] In the housing 91, a receiving space 98 for receiving the rectangular annular mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 is formed by a bottom wall 92, a pair of short walls 93, a pair of long walls 94, and an island-shaped protruding wall 95. A plurality of signal terminals 101 are provided in a middle portion of the housing 91 in the longitudinal direction X, and a pair of reinforcing metal fittings 110 are provided on both end sides of the housing 91 in the longitudinal direction X. In order to prevent interference between the skirt 83 of the plug connector 80 and the pair of long walls 94 when the connectors are mated, the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls 94 are formed in a stepped shape so that the height of the plurality of signal terminals 101 in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction X is lower than the height of the reinforcing metal fittings 110 on both end sides in the longitudinal direction X.

[0038] The signal terminal 101 is formed with a U-shaped terminal curved portion 102 that fits along the outer surface of the long wall 94, a contact spring 103 that extends from one end of the terminal curved portion 102 toward the protruding wall 95, and a terminal mounting portion 104 that protrudes from the other end of the terminal curved portion 102 to the outside of the long wall 94. The contact spring 103 is housed in an upright state in a housing groove 99 that is formed by cutting out the outer surface of the protruding wall 95, and the space inside the housing groove 99 allows the contact spring 103 to flex in the plate thickness direction (the short-side direction Y of the housing 91). The terminal mounting portion 104 is soldered to the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), and the receptacle connector 90 is electrically connected to a signal processing circuit on the circuit board.

[0039] 8 and 9 , an outer plate portion 111 is provided along the outer surface of the short wall 93 of the housing 91, and a short-wall protective portion 113 extends from the upper edge of the outer plate portion 111 so as to cover the upper surface of the short wall 93. An inner plate portion 114 extends from the short-wall protective portion 113 along the inner surface of the short wall 93, and the short-wall protective portion 113 and the inner plate portion 114 form guides for both ends in the longitudinal direction X. A bottom plate portion 115 extends from the lower edge of the inner plate portion 114 along the bottom surface of the bottom wall 92, and a protruding wall protective portion 116 extends from the bottom plate portion 115 so as to cover the end of the protruding wall 95. The protruding wall protective portion 116 branches into branches 117a-117c, and the tips of a pair of branches 117b, 117c are embedded in the bottom wall 92.

[0040] A pair of side plate portions 121 are provided along the outer surfaces of the pair of long walls 94 of the housing 91, and a pair of long wall protection portions 119 and a pair of terminal portions 123 extend from the upper edges of the pair of side plate portions 121. The pair of long wall protection portions 119 cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls 94 on the upper side, and the pair of terminal portions 123 cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls 94 on the lower side. The long wall protection portions 119 are curved in an inverted U-shape in cross section, and the curved shape of the long wall protection portions 119 forms guides on both ends in the lateral direction Y. In this way, even if the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls 94 are formed in a stepped shape, the pair of long wall protection portions 119 can function as guides in the lateral direction Y.

[0041] The pair of terminal portions 123 extend from the upper edges of the pair of side plate portions 121 toward the protruding wall 95, and a pair of contact springs 125 are formed on the tip sides of the pair of terminal portions 123. The pair of contact springs 125 are housed in an upright state in a housing groove 99 formed by cutting out the outer surface of the protruding wall 95, and the space inside the housing groove 99 allows the contact springs 125 to flex in the plate thickness direction (the short-side direction Y of the housing 91). In addition, the lower edge of the outer plate portion 111 is bent outward to form a pair of outer plate mounting portions 112, and the lower edges of the pair of side plate portions 121 are bent outward to form a pair of side plate mounting portions 122 and a pair of terminal mounting portions 124.

[0042] The space between the short wall protective portion 113 and the pair of outer plate mounting portions 112 is embedded inside the short wall 93, and the space between the pair of long wall protective portions 119 and the pair of side plate mounting portions 122, and the pair of terminal portions 123 and the pair of terminal mounting portions 124 are embedded inside the pair of long walls 94. Therefore, when soldering the pair of outer plate mounting portions 112, the pair of side plate mounting portions 122, and the pair of terminal mounting portions 124, the resin short wall 93 and the pair of long walls 94 block the molten solder, preventing solder wicking. When the plug connector 80 is electrically connected to a power circuit on a circuit board (not shown) by soldering, the reinforcing metal fittings 110 not only reinforce the housing 91 but also function as power terminals for the receptacle connector 90.

[0043] Both side edges of the outer plate portion 111 and the side edges of the pair of side plate portions 121 are connected via a pair of connecting portions 126. A pair of corner protection portions 127 extend from the upper edge of the outer plate portion 111 so as to cover the upper surfaces of a pair of corner portions 96 of the housing 91. The tips of the corner protection portions 127 are spaced apart from the upper edges of the ends of the side plate portions 121 by a small gap, and the resin of the long wall 94 fills this gap (see FIG. 10(C) in particular). The pair of corner protection portions 127 and the short wall protection portions 113 are separated by slits 128, which prevents the shape of the corner protection portions 127 from affecting the shape of the short wall protection portions 113. In addition, fracture surfaces 129 of the pair of corner protection portions 127 are exposed to the inner surface of the housing 91, facilitating insert molding.

[0044] The mating operation of the connector will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the mating operation of the connector of the second embodiment. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of a misaligned state of the connector of the second embodiment. Note that Figures 10(A) and 11(A) are top views of the receptacle connector, Figures 10(B) and 11(B) are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector taken along line CC, and Figures 10(C) and 11(C) are cross-sectional views of the receptacle connector taken along line DD. For ease of explanation, the plug connector is shown schematically here.

[0045] As shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the plug connector 80 is positioned above the receptacle connector 90. A pair of shoulders 97 are formed on both ends of a pair of long walls 94 of the receptacle connector 90 in the longitudinal direction X by raising the upper surfaces of the long walls 94 by one step. A skirt 83 is formed on the plug connector 80 facing the long walls 94. Corners of the skirt 83 are cut out so as to avoid the pair of shoulders 97 of the receptacle connector 90. When the plug connector 80 is precisely aligned with the receptacle connector 90, the mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 is positioned directly above the receiving space 98 of the receptacle connector 90.

[0046] In this state, when the plug connector 80 is brought close to the receptacle connector 90 in the mating direction Z, the rectangular annular mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 fits into the receiving space 98 of the receptacle connector 90, and the island-shaped protruding wall 95 of the receptacle connector 90 fits inside the mating portion 82. At this time, the mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 is guided in the longitudinal direction X by the short wall protective portion 113 and the inner plate portion 114, and the mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 is guided in the lateral direction Y by the pair of long wall protective portions 119. Therefore, the mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 fits smoothly into the receiving space 98 of the receptacle connector 90.

[0047] Furthermore, shoulder 97 of receptacle connector 90 avoids skirt 83 of plug connector 80 and comes into contact with circuit board 86 of plug connector 80. Shoulder 97 of receptacle connector 90 coming into contact with circuit board 86 reduces interference between long wall 94 of receptacle connector 90 and skirt 83 of plug connector 80. In other words, a small gap is formed between the upper surface of the lower tier of long wall 94 covered by terminal portion 123 and skirt 83 of plug connector 80. Skirt 83 of plug connector 80 prevents solder wicking.

[0048] 11(A) to 11(C), when the plug connector 80 is misaligned with respect to the receptacle connector 90, the mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 is disengaged from the receiving space 98 of the receptacle connector 90. In this state, when the plug connector 80 is brought closer to the receptacle connector 90 from the mating direction Z, the mating portion 82 of the plug connector 80 abuts against the reinforcing metal fitting 110 of the receptacle connector 90. At this time, the housing 91 of the receptacle connector 90 is protected from interference by the plug connector 80 by the short wall protective portion 113, the long wall protective portion 119, and the corner protective portion 127 of the reinforcing metal fitting 110.

[0049] As described above, according to the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, even if the connectors interfere with each other when mating, the robustness of the receptacle connector 90 is improved. In addition, the receptacle connector 90 will not damage the skirt 83 of the plug connector 80.

[0050] In the reinforcing metal fittings 50, 110 of the first and second embodiments, a pair of corner protection portions 71, 127 extend from the outer plate portion 51, 111, but the pair of corner protection portions 71, 127 may also extend from a pair of side plate portions 61, 121. For example, as shown in the modified example of Fig. 12, a reinforcing metal fitting 131 may have a pair of corner protection portions 134 extending from a pair of side plate portions 133 toward the outer plate portion 132. Even with this configuration, the robustness of the receptacle connector can be improved when the connectors are mated.

[0051] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, a pair of corner protection portions extend from the upper edge of the end of the outer plate portion toward the upper edge of the end of the pair of side plate portions, but the pair of corner protection portions may extend from the outer plate portion or the pair of side plate portions so as to cover a pair of corner portions of the housing.

[0052] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, slits are formed between the outer plate portion and the pair of corner protection portions, but slits do not have to be formed between the outer plate portion and the pair of corner protection portions.

[0053] In addition, in the first and second embodiments, a bottom plate portion and a protruding wall protection portion are formed on the reinforcing fitting, but in cases where the protruding wall has sufficient strength, the bottom plate portion and the protruding wall protection portion do not need to be formed on the reinforcing fitting.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the fractured surfaces of the pair of corner protection parts are exposed to the inner surface of the housing, but the fractured surfaces of the pair of corner protection parts may be embedded in the housing.

[0055] In the first and second embodiments, the outer plate portions are aligned along the outer surfaces of the short walls, but the outer plate portions may be aligned along the outer surfaces of the short walls at any position in the thickness direction within the short walls. Similarly, the side plate portions are aligned along the outer surfaces of the long walls, but the side plate portions may be aligned along the outer surfaces of the long walls at any position in the thickness direction within the long walls.

[0056] As described above, the electrical connector (receptacle connector 30, 90) of this embodiment is an electrical connector including a housing (31, 91) having a rectangular shape in plan view in which a plurality of signal terminals (41, 101) are arranged, and a pair of reinforcing metal fittings (50, 110) that reinforce both longitudinal ends of the housing, and the housing has a bottom wall (32, 92) having a rectangular shape in plan view, a pair of short walls (33, 93) erected at both longitudinal ends of the bottom wall, a pair of long walls (34, 94) erected at both lateral ends of the bottom wall, and an island-shaped protruding wall (35, 95) surrounded by the pair of short walls and the pair of long walls, and each reinforcing metal fitting is The housing has an outer plate portion (51, 111) along the outer surface of the short wall, a short wall protective portion (53, 113) extending from the outer plate portion to cover the upper surface of the short wall, a pair of side plate portions (61, 121) along the outer surface of the pair of long walls, a pair of long wall protective portions (63, 119) extending from the pair of side plate portions to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls, and a pair of connecting portions (66, 126) connecting both side edges of the outer plate portion to the side edges of the pair of side plate portions, and a pair of corner protective portions (71, 127) extending from either the outer plate portion or the pair of side plate portions cover upper surfaces of a pair of corner portions (36, 96) between the short wall and the pair of long walls. With this configuration, the upper surfaces of the short walls of the housing are covered by the short wall protective portions extending from the outer plate portion, and the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls of the housing are covered by the pair of long wall protective portions extending from the pair of side plate portions. The upper surfaces of the corners of the housing are covered by a pair of corner protection parts extending from either the outer plate part or the pair of side plates. Therefore, even if a pair of connecting parts connecting the outer plate part and the pair of side plates are configured not to be exposed from the upper surfaces of the corners of the housing, the pair of corner protection parts can protect the corners of the housing. Even if the connectors interfere with each other when mated, the short wall, long wall, and corners of the housing are protected from loads in the mating direction of the connectors, thereby increasing the robustness of the electrical connector.

[0057] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the pair of corner protection portions extend from the outer plate portion to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of corners, and slits (73, 128) are formed between the short wall protection portions and the pair of corner protection portions. With this configuration, the pair of corner protection portions and the short wall protection portions are separated by the slits, so the shape of the corner protection portions does not affect the shape of the short wall protection portions.

[0058] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the pair of corner protection portions extend from either the outer plate portion or the pair of side plates toward the other, and the tips of the pair of corner protection portions are embedded in the housing. With this configuration, by embedding the tips of the pair of corner protection portions in the housing, the strength of the connector against loads in the mating direction is increased, and sinking of the pair of corner protection portions is suppressed, thereby providing good protection for the corners of the housing.

[0059] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the fracture surfaces (74, 129) of the pair of corner protection portions are exposed to the inner surface of the housing. With this configuration, it is not necessary to cover the fracture surfaces of the pair of corner protection portions with resin, which makes insert molding easier.

[0060] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the reinforcing metal fitting has an inner plate portion (55, 114) extending from the short wall protection portion along the inner surface of the short wall, a bottom plate portion (56, 115) extending from the inner plate portion along the bottom surface of the bottom wall, and a protruding wall protection portion (57, 116) extending from the bottom plate portion to cover the protruding wall. With this configuration, the short wall protection portion and the inner plate portion can form a longitudinal guide when mating with the mating electrical connector. In addition, the protruding wall protection portion can protect the protruding wall of the housing.

[0061] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the outer plate portion is formed with an outer plate mounting portion (52, 112) that is fixed to the mounting surface, the pair of side plate portions are formed with a pair of side plate mounting portions (62, 122) that are fixed to the mounting surface, the short wall protective portion and the outer plate mounting portion are embedded inside the short wall, and the pair of long wall protective portions and the pair of side plate mounting portions are embedded inside the pair of long walls. With this configuration, when the outer plate mounting portion and the pair of side plate mounting portions are fixed to the mounting surface with solder, the short wall and the pair of long walls prevent the solder from rising up along the surface of each mounting portion, i.e., so-called solder wicking.

[0062] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the reinforcing metal fitting has a pair of legs 65 extending from the pair of long wall protection portions along the inner surfaces of the pair of long walls. With this configuration, the pair of long wall protection portions and the pair of legs form a guide in the short direction when mating with the mating electrical connector.

[0063] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the reinforcing metal fitting has a pair of terminal portions 123 extending from the pair of side plate portions toward the protruding wall. With this configuration, the reinforcing metal fitting can function as a terminal.

[0064] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the plurality of signal terminals are provided in the longitudinally intermediate portion of the pair of long walls, and the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls are stepped so that the height of the plurality of signal terminals is lower than the height of the reinforcing bracket. With this configuration, the upper surfaces of the upper steps of the pair of long walls contact the mounting surface to which the mating electrical connector is fixed, thereby reducing interference between the upper surface of the lower step of the pair of long walls and the skirt of the mating electrical connector.

[0065] In the electrical connector of this embodiment, the pair of long wall protection portions cover the upper surfaces (shoulder portions 97) of the pair of long walls, and the pair of terminal portions cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls on the lower side. With this configuration, even if the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls are formed in a stepped shape, the pair of long wall protection portions can function as guides in the short direction.

[0066] Although the present embodiment has been described, other embodiments may be obtained by combining the above-described embodiments and modifications in whole or in part.

[0067] Furthermore, the technology of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and may be variously changed, substituted, or modified within the scope of the spirit of the technical idea. Furthermore, if the technical idea can be realized in a different way due to technological advances or other derived technologies, it may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may fall within the scope of the technical idea. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 30, 90: Receptacle connector (electrical connector) 31, 91: Housing 32, 92: Bottom wall 33, 93: Short wall 34, 94: long wall 35, 95: Projection wall 36, 96: Corner 41, 101: Signal terminals 50, 110, 131: Reinforcement metal fittings 51, 111, 132: Outer panel part 52, 112: Outer panel mounting section 53, 113: Short wall protection part 55, 114: Inner plate part 56, 115: Bottom plate part 57, 116: Thrust wall protection section 61, 121, 133: Side plate part 62, 122: Side plate mounting section 63, 119: Long wall protection part 65: Legs 66, 126: Connection part 71, 127, 134: Corner protection part 73, 128: Slit 74, 129: Fractured surface 123:Terminal section

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a housing having a rectangular shape in a plan view in which a plurality of signal terminals are arranged, and a pair of reinforcing metal fittings for reinforcing both ends of the housing in the longitudinal direction, the housing has a bottom wall that is rectangular in plan view, a pair of short walls erected at both ends of the bottom wall in a longitudinal direction, a pair of long walls erected at both ends of the bottom wall in a lateral direction, and an island-shaped protruding wall surrounded by the pair of short walls and the pair of long walls, Each of the reinforcing metal fittings has an outer plate portion along the outer surface of the short wall, a short wall protective portion extending from the outer plate portion to cover the upper surface of the short wall, a pair of side plate portions along the outer surfaces of the pair of long walls, a pair of long wall protective portions extending from the pair of side plate portions to cover the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls, and a pair of connecting portions connecting both side edges of the outer plate portion to side edges of the pair of side plate portions, an electrical connector characterized in that a pair of corner protection portions extend from one of the outer plate portion and the pair of side plate portions toward the other, bypassing the pair of connection portions, the tips of the pair of corner protection portions are spaced a predetermined distance from the upper edge of the other of the outer plate portion and the pair of side plate portions, and the pair of corner protection portions cover the upper surfaces of a pair of corners between the short wall and the pair of long walls.

2. The pair of corner protection portions extend from the outer plate portion so as to cover upper surfaces of the pair of corner portions, 2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a slit is formed between the short wall protection portion and the pair of corner protection portions.

3. 3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the tips of the pair of corner protection portions are embedded in the housing, and the resin of the housing fills the predetermined gap.

4. 4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein fracture surfaces of the pair of corner protection portions are exposed on an inner surface of the housing.

5. 5. An electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the reinforcing metal fitting has an inner plate portion extending from the short wall protection portion along the inner surface of the short wall, a bottom plate portion extending from the inner plate portion along the bottom surface of the bottom wall, and a protruding wall protection portion extending from the bottom plate portion to cover the protruding wall.

6. an outer plate mounting portion to be fixed to a mounting surface is formed on the outer plate portion, and a pair of side plate mounting portions to be fixed to the mounting surfaces are formed on the pair of side plate portions, An electrical connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the space between the short wall protection portion and the outer plate mounting portion is embedded inside the short wall, and the space between the pair of long wall protection portions and the pair of side plate mounting portions is embedded inside the pair of long walls.

7. 7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing metal fitting has a pair of legs extending from the pair of long wall protection portions along the inner surfaces of the pair of long walls.

8. 7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing metal fitting has a pair of terminal portions extending from the pair of side plate portions toward the protruding wall.

9. the plurality of signal terminals are provided at intermediate portions of the pair of long walls in the longitudinal direction, 9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the upper surfaces of the pair of long walls are formed in a stepped shape so that the height of the plurality of signal terminals is lower than the height of the reinforcing metal fittings.

10. 10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, wherein the pair of long wall protection portions cover upper surfaces of the upper sections of the pair of long walls, and the pair of terminal portions cover upper surfaces of the lower sections of the pair of long walls.

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