Connectors and connector assemblies

Abstract

Despite its small size and low profile, it will exhibit high strength even with multiple poles, achieve a high shielding effect, and thus be highly reliable. [Solution] A connector having a roughly rectangular planar shape that mates with a mating connector, comprising a housing, a plurality of terminals attached to the housing, and a shielding portion, wherein the shielding portion includes an outer plate exposed to the outside of the connector, an inner plate exposed to the inside of the connector, and a connecting portion connecting the upper ends of the outer plate and the inner plate, the shielding portion is arranged on all four sides of the housing, the outer plate includes a substrate connection portion arranged at its lower end, the inner plate includes a support portion and a plurality of contact portions that elastically contact the shielding portion of the mating connector, the support portion and the contact portions are separated by a slit portion, and the support portion is fixed to a substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0004] , , ,

[0006]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and a connector assembly.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, to electrically connect a pair of parallel circuit boards, a connector assembly such as a board-to-board connector has been used. The connectors constituting such a connector assembly are attached to each of the mutually opposing surfaces of a pair of circuit boards and are configured to fit and conduct with each other. In addition, in order to make it difficult to be affected by external noise and radio waves and to suppress the emission of noise and radio waves to the outside, a technique of providing a shielding member has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector assembly.

[0004] In the figure, reference numeral 811 denotes a housing of a connector mounted on the surface of one circuit board not shown, and has a receiving recess 812 for receiving a mating connector mounted on the surface of the other circuit board not shown. Further, a plurality of terminals 861 are mounted on the housing 811 in two rows in the longitudinal direction.

[0005] Further, a conductive shielding plate 850 is attached to the housing 811 so as to entirely cover the outer wall surface of the housing 811. The shielding plate 850 includes a strip-shaped outer wall plate 852 that continuously covers the outer wall surface of the housing 811, and an inner wall plate 851 that is substantially parallel to the outer wall plate 852 inside the outer wall plate 852. The inner wall plate 851 is formed by bending the upper end of the outer wall plate 852 inward, and the inner wall plate 851 and the outer wall plate 852 constitute a double shield whose upper ends are connected to each other.

[0006] On the other hand, 911 is a mating housing, which is the housing of the mating connector, and a plurality of mating terminals 961 are mounted on the mating housing 911 in two rows along its longitudinal direction. When the connector and the mating connector are mated together, each mating terminal 961 contacts the corresponding terminal 861 and becomes electrically connected to it. Furthermore, a conductive mating shield plate 950 is attached to the mating housing 911 so as to cover the entire outer wall surface of the mating housing 911.

[0007] The diagram shows the state immediately before the connector and the mating connector are mated together, with the mating surfaces of the connector and the mating surface of the mating connector facing each other, and the mounting surface of the mating connector facing upwards.

[0008] Thus, the outer surface of the housing 811 is covered by a conductive shielding plate 850 that constitutes a double shield, and furthermore, the outer surface of the mating housing 911 is covered by a conductive mating shielding plate 950. As a result, electromagnetic shielding is provided by the shielding plate 850 and the mating shielding plate 950 to both the connector and the mating connector that is received in the receiving recess 812. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-9836 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] However, the conventional connectors and connector assemblies described above cannot adequately cope with the miniaturization of components, the increased signal speed, and the multi-polarity of signals in recent electronic devices. In recent years, electronic devices such as laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, digital cameras, music players, game consoles, and navigation devices have been required to be smaller and lower profile housings and consequently smaller and lower profile components, as well as to be faster and more multi-polarity of signals to cope with the increase in the amount of communication data and the increased speed of communication and data processing. However, in the conventional connectors described above, pursuing miniaturization, lower profile, and multi-polarity results in the shield plate 850 becoming elongated along with the housing 811, causing warping and making the shape of the shield plate 850 unstable, which reduces the reliability of contact between the shield plate 850 and the mating shield plate 950 and the connection pads of the circuit board. Furthermore, the shield plate 850 has poor guiding function in the mating process between the connector and the mating connector.

[0011] The objective here is to solve the aforementioned conventional problems and provide a highly reliable connector and connector assembly that is compact and low-profile, yet exhibits high strength even when multi-pole, and also provides a high shielding effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To this end, the connector comprises a housing, a plurality of terminals attached to the housing, and a shielding portion, and has a generally rectangular planar shape that mates with a mating connector, wherein the shielding portion includes an outer plate exposed to the outside of the connector, an inner plate exposed to the inside of the connector, and a connecting portion connecting the upper ends of the outer plate and the inner plate, the shielding portion is arranged on all four sides of the housing, the outer plate includes a substrate connection portion arranged at its lower end, the inner plate includes a support portion and a plurality of contact portions that elastically contact the shielding portion of the mating connector, the support portion and the contact portions are separated by a slit portion, and the support portion is fixed to a substrate.

[0013] In other connectors, the contact portion is further arranged on both sides of the support portion, and the support portion of the inner plate parallel to the short direction of the connector includes a tongue portion extending inward of the connector, with a protective cover attached to the tip of the tongue portion.

[0014] In other connectors, the support portion further includes an inclined surface that guides the mating connector and a main body portion that extends downward from the lower end of the inclined surface, wherein the upper end of the inclined surface is positioned higher than the upper surface of the terminal holding portion that holds the terminal in the housing.

[0015] In other connectors, the support portion further includes an inclined surface that guides the mating connector, a main body portion extending downward from the lower end of the inclined surface, and a board connection portion disposed at the lower end of the main body portion and fixed to the board, wherein the lower end of the inclined surface is at a higher position than the upper surface of the terminal holding portion that holds the terminals in the housing.

[0016] In other connectors, the outer plate parallel to the longitudinal direction of the connector includes a plurality of board connection portions disposed at its lower end, and the plurality of support portions of the inner plate facing the outer plate each include a single board connection portion disposed at its lower end, and the board connection portions of the outer plate and the board connection portions of the inner plate do not face each other in the short direction of the connector.

[0017] Furthermore, in other connectors, the ends of the connecting parts of each shielding part arranged on the four sides of the housing are connected by corners, and each shielding part is electrically connected to the others.

[0018] In other connectors, the corner portion further includes an inclined constriction to guide the mating connector.

[0019] In other connectors, the terminals are further arranged in a row that extends along the longitudinal direction of the connector, and the terminals include power terminals, which are located at both ends of the row.

[0020] In the connector assembly, it includes the connector of the present disclosure and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present disclosure, the connector and the connector assembly are small and low-profile, and even when multi-polarized, they can exhibit high strength and obtain a high shielding effect, improving reliability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the first embodiment as viewed from the second connector side, where (a) is a view showing the mated state and (b) is a view showing the state immediately before mating. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the first embodiment as viewed from the first connector side, where (a) is a view showing the mated state and (b) is a view showing the state immediately before mating. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a four-sided view of the first connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of the first connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a view seen from the mating surface side and (b) is a view seen from the mounting surface side. [Figure 6] It is an exploded perspective view of the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a four-sided view of the second connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of the second connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a view seen from the mating surface side and (b) is a view seen from the mounting surface side. [Figure 9]The first figure shows a cross-section of the first connector and the second connector in a mated state in the first embodiment, where (a) is a top view seen from the second connector side, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow AA in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow BB in (a). [Figure 10] The second figure shows a cross-section of the first connector and the second connector in a mated state in the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in Figure 9(a), (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the DD arrow in Figure 9(a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the EE arrow in Figure 9(a). [Figure 11] This is a perspective view of the first connector in the second embodiment, as seen from the mating surface side. [Figure 12] This is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the second embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the third embodiment, as seen from the second connector side, where (a) shows the mated state and (b) shows the state immediately before mating. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the third embodiment, as seen from the first connector side, where (a) shows the mated state and (b) shows the state immediately before mating. [Figure 15] This is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the third embodiment. [Figure 16] This is an exploded perspective view of the second connector in the third embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the fourth embodiment, as seen from the second connector side, where (a) shows the mated state and (b) shows the state immediately before mating. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the fourth embodiment, as seen from the first connector side, where (a) shows the mated state and (b) shows the state immediately before mating. [Figure 19] This is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20]A quadrature view of the first connector in the fourth embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view. [Figure 21] A perspective view of the first connector in the fourth embodiment, where (a) is a view from the mating surface side and (b) is a view from the mounting surface side. [Figure 22] This is an exploded perspective view of the second connector in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 23] A quadrature view of the second connector in the fourth embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view. [Figure 24] A perspective view of the second connector in the fourth embodiment, where (a) is a view from the mating surface side and (b) is a view from the mounting surface side. [Figure 25] This is a perspective view showing a conventional connector assembly. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the first embodiment, viewed from the second connector side; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the first embodiment, viewed from the first connector side; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the first embodiment; Figure 4 is a four-view drawing of the first connector in the first embodiment; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the first connector in the first embodiment; Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector in the first embodiment; Figure 7 is a four-view drawing of the second connector in the first embodiment; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the second connector in the first embodiment; Figure 9 is the first drawing showing a cross-section of the first and second connectors in the mated state in the first embodiment; and Figure 10 is the second drawing showing a cross-section of the first and second connectors in the mated state in the first embodiment. In Figures 1 and 2, (a) shows the mated state, and (b) shows the state immediately before mating. In Figure 4, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view. In Figure 5, (a) is a view from the mating surface side, and (b) is a view from the mounting surface side. In Figure 7, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view. In Figure 8, In Figure 9, (a) is a view from the mating surface side, and (b) is a view from the mounting surface side. In Figure 9, (a) is a top view from the second connector side, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA arrow in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the BB arrow in (a). In Figure 10, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the CC arrow in Figure 9(a), (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the DD arrow in Figure 9(a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the EE arrow in Figure 9(a).

[0025] In the figure, 1 is a connector in this embodiment, and is a first connector as one of a pair of board-to-board connectors, which are a connector assembly or a pair of connectors. The first connector 1 is a surface-mount type receptacle connector mounted on the surface of a first substrate, which is a substrate not shown as a mounting member, and has a roughly rectangular planar shape, and is mated with the second connector 101 as a mating connector. The second connector 101 is the other connector in the pair of board-to-board connectors, and is a surface-mount type plug connector mounted on the surface of a second substrate, which is a substrate not shown as a mounting member. The first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are each other's mating connectors in the pair of board-to-board connectors.

[0026] In this embodiment, the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 of the connector assembly are preferably used to electrically connect the first and second substrates, but they can also be used to electrically connect other components. The first and second substrates are, for example, printed circuit boards used in electronic devices, flexible flat cables (FFCs), flexible printed circuits (FPCs), etc., but any type of substrate may be used.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the expressions indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and back, used to describe the configuration and operation of each part of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 of the connector assembly, are relative rather than absolute. They are appropriate when each part of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is in the position shown in the figure, but should be modified and interpreted accordingly if the position changes.

[0028] The first connector 1 comprises a first shield 50 as a shielding portion, which is a shielding member formed by punching, drawing, or other processing on a conductive metal plate, and a first housing 11 as a connector body, which is a housing integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The first housing 11 comprises a flat bottom plate 18, a first protrusion 13 as a terminal holding portion that holds terminals and is formed to protrude upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 18, and corner portions 17 formed to protrude upward from the four corners of the bottom plate 18. The first connector 1 has dimensions of approximately 9 mm in length (dimension in the X-axis direction), approximately 3.5 mm in width (dimension in the Y-axis direction), and approximately 0.8 mm in thickness (dimension in the Z-axis direction), but the dimensions can be changed as appropriate.

[0029] The corner portion 17 is the main part to which the first shield 50 is connected when the first shield 50 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. That is, the first housing 11 is molded by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into the cavity of a mold in which the first shield 50 has been set beforehand, and is integrally connected with the first shield 50 at the corner portion 17 and other parts. Therefore, the first housing 11 and the first shield 50 do not exist separately, but in Figure 3, for the sake of explanation, the first housing 11 and the first shield 50 are shown as existing separately.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, each corner portion 17 has a shape like one of four divisions of the cylindrical wall of a cylindrical body with an outer shape that is roughly square and an inner shape that is roughly circular. In a plan view, it includes an upper wall portion 17a consisting of an arc-shaped portion with a central angle of approximately 90 degrees and a linear portion extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) and the short direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 1, an outer wall portion 17b extending downward (negative Z-axis direction) from the linear outer edge of the upper wall portion 17a, and a cylindrical inner wall portion 17c extending downward from the arc-shaped inner edge of the upper wall portion 17a. At the upper end of the inner wall portion 17c, there is an inclined portion 17d that is covered by the inclined wall 51d1 of the corner portion 51d which is an inwardly inclined constricted portion of the first shield 50, and a shield housing portion 17e that is recessed to accommodate the lower end wall 51d2 of the corner portion 51d. Furthermore, the lower end of the inner wall portion 17c is connected to the tip of a connecting portion 18a that extends outward at each of the four corners of the base plate 18.

[0031] The first protrusion 13 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped member extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the first connector 1, and includes a pair of outer protrusions 13a extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 on both sides in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 1, an inner protrusion 13b extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 at the center in the width direction, and an outer end protrusion 13c extending in the width direction of the first connector 1 so as to connect the longitudinal ends of each outer protrusion 13a and the longitudinal ends of the inner protrusion 13b. Between the outer protrusions 13a on both the left and right sides of the inner protrusion 13b, a pair of inner grooves 12a are formed, which are recesses extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, as part of the first recess 12.

[0032] A first terminal housing cavity 15 is formed from the left and right sides of the inner protrusion 13b, through the bottom surface of the inner groove 12a, to the side surface of the outer protrusion wall 13a. In the example shown in the figure, the first terminal housing cavity 15 is formed so as to penetrate the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction (Z axis direction). Of the first terminal housing cavity 15, the groove-shaped portions formed on the left and right sides of the inner protrusion 13b are referred to as the first terminal housing inner cavity 15a, and the groove-shaped portion formed on the side surface of the outer protrusion wall 13a facing the inner protrusion 13b is referred to as the first terminal housing outer cavity 15b.

[0033] The first terminal housing cavities 15 are arranged in a row at a predetermined pitch (for example, 0.18 mm) to form a row extending in the longitudinal direction. The pitch and number of the first terminal housing cavities 15 can be changed as appropriate. The first terminals 61, which are housed in each of the first terminal housing cavities 15 and attached to the first housing 11, are also arranged in a row on both sides of the inner protrusion 13b at a similar pitch. That is, the first terminals 61 are arranged in a row along each inner recess 12a to form a row extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. In the example shown in the figure, there are 15 first terminals 61 on each side, and the number of poles of the first connector 1 is 30, but the number of first terminals 61 can be increased further, for example, so that the number of poles of the first connector 1 is 70 or more.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in the example in the figure, if there are two types of first terminals 61 housed in each of the first terminal housing cavities 15, namely a narrow first terminal 61A and a wide first terminal 61B, then there are also two types of first terminal housing cavities 15: a narrow first terminal housing cavity 15A that houses the narrow first terminal 61A and a wide first terminal housing cavity 15B that houses the wide first terminal 61B. The wide first terminal housing cavities 15B are formed on both ends of the longitudinal direction in each row on both sides of the width direction of the first housing 11, and the narrow first terminal housing cavities 15A are formed in each row between the wide first terminal housing cavities 15B at both ends.

[0035] The narrow first terminal 61A can be used, for example, as a signal terminal for transmitting signals, and the wide first terminal 61B can be used, for example, as a power terminal or power supply terminal for transmitting power. If necessary, the wide first terminal 61B can be omitted, and all first terminals 61 can be narrow first terminals 61A. In that case, the wide first terminal housing cavity 15B is omitted, and all first terminal housing cavities 15 become narrow first terminal housing cavities 15A.

[0036] Furthermore, since the narrow first terminal housing cavity 15A and the wide first terminal housing cavity 15B have the same configuration except for the width dimension, they will be described as the first terminal housing cavity 15 when explained together. In addition, since the narrow first terminal 61A and the wide first terminal 61B have the same configuration except for the width dimension, they will be described as the first terminal 61 when explained together.

[0037] A side recess 18b is formed in the bottom plate 18 on the widthwise outer side of the first connector 1 at the first protrusion 13, so that the bottom plate 18 has a small width in the widthwise direction of the first connector 1, i.e., it is formed to be narrow. In addition, end recesses 18c are formed at both ends of the bottom plate 18 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, so that the bottom plate 18 has a small length in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, i.e., it is formed to be short.

[0038] Furthermore, cover mounting portions 16 are formed at both longitudinal ends of the inner protrusion 13b, to which the island end cover portion 55 of the first shield 50 is attached. A cover tip accommodating groove 16a is formed at the boundary between the cover mounting portion 16 and both longitudinal ends of the inner protrusion 13b, for accommodating the tip portion 55c of the island end cover portion 55. Also, on the outside of the cover mounting portion 16 with respect to the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, a cover connection portion accommodating opening 18d is formed as an opening that penetrates the bottom plate 18 in the thickness direction. The connecting piece 55a of the island end cover portion 55 is accommodating in the cover connection portion accommodating opening 18d.

[0039] The first shield 50 is a component formed by punching, drawing, or other processes on a conductive metal plate, and when viewed from above, that is, in a plan view, it is a roughly rectangular frame-shaped component that surrounds, or encloses, the first housing 11. It should be noted that in this embodiment, "surround" or "enclose" means not only continuously and seamlessly surrounding the entire circumference of an object such as the first housing 11, but also intermittently surrounding the entire circumference of the object with several breaks, and furthermore, it means continuously and seamlessly or intermittently with several breaks surrounding more than half of the object's circumference.

[0040] The first connector 1 is provided with a first shield 50 as a shielding portion on each of the four sides of the first housing 11. In other words, the first connector 1 is provided with four first shields 50 as shielding portions. The four shields are electrically conductive to each other. In the example shown in the figure, the first shield 50 includes multiple (in the example shown, pairs) first shielding members, which are long side portions 50a as lateral shields, which extend linearly in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1; multiple (in the example shown, pairs) second shielding members, which are short side portions 50b as end shields; and corner portions 50c that connect both ends of each long side portion 50a and both ends of each short side portion 50b at positions corresponding to each corner 17 of the first housing 11. When describing the long side portions 50a, short side portions 50b and corner portions 50c collectively, they are described as the first shield 50. The space surrounded by the first shield 50 is a housing section 50d into which the second connector 101, which is a plug connector, is inserted and housed.

[0041] Furthermore, the first shield 50 has an outer wall 52 as an outer plate exposed to the outside of the first connector 1, an inner wall 51 as an inner plate exposed to the inside of the first connector 1, and a connecting portion 53 that connects the upper end of the outer wall 52 and the upper end of the inner wall 51. The outer wall 52 includes a strip-shaped long-side outer plate 52a that is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 along the long side portion 50a, and a strip-shaped short-side outer plate 52b that is continuous in the short direction of the first connector 1 along the short side portion 50b. The long-side outer plate 52a and the short-side outer plate 52b are separated from each other by an outer plate cutout portion 52c. However, the long-side outer plate 52a and the short-side outer plate 52b are connected via the upper end portion 53a of the connecting portion 53 located above the outer plate cutout portion 52c.

[0042] Furthermore, multiple outer feet 52a1 are formed on the lower edge of the long outer plate 52a, projecting downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) to serve as substrate connection parts. It is desirable that the lower end of each outer foot 52a1 be connected and fixed to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or the like. Also, the lower edge of the short outer plate 52b has a single continuous outer foot 52b1. It is also desirable that the lower end of this outer foot 52b1 be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or the like.

[0043] The inner wall 51 includes a plurality of support portions 51a and a plurality of contact portions 51b adjacent to both sides of the support portions 51a. Each support portion 51a and each contact portion 51b is separated from each other by a slit portion 51c. Each support portion 51a includes an upper portion 51a1 that extends inclined downward and inward from the inner end edge of the upper end portion 53a of the connecting portion 53 toward the inner side of the housing portion 50d, a lower portion 51a2 as a main body that extends linearly downward from the lower end of the upper portion 51a1, and an inner foot portion 51a3 as a substrate connection portion that protrudes downward from the lower end of the lower portion 51a2. It is desirable that the lower end of each inner foot portion 51a3 be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or the like. In this way, each support portion 51a is firmly connected to and fixed to the first substrate. Furthermore, when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the second connector 101, which is inserted into the housing portion 50d, is guided by contacting the inclined upper surface 51a1, so that it is smoothly inserted into the housing portion 50d.

[0044] Each contact portion 51b is a member that elastically contacts the second shield 150, which is the shielding portion of the second connector 101, and includes a spring portion 51b1 that extends inclined downward and inward from the inner edge of the upper end portion 53a of the connecting portion 53 toward the inner side of the housing portion 50d, and a contact projection 51b2 that is curved to bulge toward the inner side of the housing portion 50d near the lower end of the spring portion 51b1. The spring portion 51b1 is formed to be steeper inclined than the upper portion 51a1 of the support portion 51a. As a result, when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the upper portion 51a1 of the support portion 51a contacts the second connector 101 inserted into the housing portion 50d, and then the spring portion 51b1 of the contact portion 51b contacts it. Therefore, damage to the spring portion 51b1 of the contact portion 51b when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated can be reduced.

[0045] In the example shown in the figure, seven contact points 51b are arranged at a pitch of approximately 1.0 mm on each long side 50a, and two contact points 51b are arranged at a pitch of approximately 1.0 mm on each short side 50b. However, the number and pitch of the contact points 51b can be changed as appropriate.

[0046] Furthermore, the spring portion 51b1 is separated from the adjacent support portion 51a by the slit portion 51c and is formed so that its width narrows from its upper end to its lower end, thus providing high flexibility. As a result, the contact projection 51b2 formed near the lower end of the spring portion 51b1 can be flexibly displaced in the longitudinal or widthwise direction of the first connector 1, thereby reliably maintaining contact with the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 inserted into the housing portion 50d.

[0047] At each short side portion 50b, the support portion 51a located in the widthwise center of the first connector 1 (in the example shown in the figure, only one is located in the widthwise center of the first connector 1, but the number can be changed as appropriate) has a tongue portion 51a4 connected to the lower end of the lower portion 51a2 in place of an inner foot portion 51a3. The tongue portion 51a4 is a strip-shaped member that extends horizontally from the lower end of the lower portion 51a2 to the longitudinal center of the first connector 1, i.e., inward, and in the example shown in the figure, it has the same width dimension as the lower portion 51a2. It is desirable that the lower surface of the tongue portion 51a4 be connected at multiple locations (for example, near the lower end of the lower portion 51a2, near the tip of the tongue portion 51a4, etc.) to grounding connection pads etc. formed on the surface of the first substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means.

[0048] Furthermore, an island end cover portion 55, which serves as a protective cover, is connected to the tip of the tongue portion 51a4. In the example shown in the figure, the island end cover portion 55 is made by bending a strip-shaped member having the same width dimension as the tongue portion 51a4, and has a connecting piece 55a extending upward (in the positive Z-axis direction) from the tip of the tongue portion 51a4, a curved portion 55b with one end connected to the upper end of the connecting piece 55a, and a tip portion 55c extending downward from the other end of the curved portion 55b.

[0049] When the first shield 50 and the first housing 11 are integrated, the island end cover portion 55 is integrated with the cover mounting portion 16 on the surface of the outer end convex wall portion 13c, with the tip portion 55c housed in the cover tip receiving groove 16a, and the connecting piece 55a is exposed at the end of the first convex portion 13, covering the cover mounting portion 16. As a result, the end of the first convex portion 13 is covered by the island end cover portion 55, which is integrated with at least a portion of the surface of the outer end convex wall portion 13c, thus providing reliable protection. Furthermore, the strength of the first shield 50 is improved because at least a portion of the short side outer plate 52b is integrated with the corner portion 17 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the island end cover portion 55 is integrated with the first convex portion 13.

[0050] The corner portion 50c includes a corner portion 51d in the inner wall 51. The corner portion 51d is integrated with the corner portion 17 of the first housing 11. The corner portion 51d has a sector-like shape in plan view with a central angle of approximately 90 degrees, and its upper end is connected to the upper end portion 53a of the connecting portion 53. It includes an inclined wall 51d1 that extends gently inward and downward from the housing portion 50d, and a lower end wall 51d2 that extends almost vertically downward from the lower end of the inclined wall 51d1. When the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated, the inclined wall 51d1 abuts against and guides the four corners of the second connector 101 as it is inserted into the housing portion 50d. This positions the second connector 101 relative to the first connector 1 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated.

[0051] Furthermore, the areas near both ends of the long side portion 50a and the areas near both ends of the short side portion 50b are integrated with the corner portion 17 of the first housing 11, along with the corner portion 51d. However, most of the long side portion 50a and most of the short side portion 50b are not integrated with the first housing 11.

[0052] However, in the long side portion 50a, the long side outer plate 52a, which is the outer wall 52, includes a plurality of outer feet 52a1, and the lower end of each outer foot 52a1 can be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate, and the inner wall 51 includes a plurality of support portions 51a, and the lower ends of inner feet 51a3 protruding from the lower end of each support portion 51a can be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate. Furthermore, in the short side portion 50b, the short side outer plate 52b, which is the outer wall 52, includes an outer foot 52b1, and the lower end of the outer foot 52b1 can be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate, and the inner wall 51 includes a support portion 51a, and the lower surface of a tongue portion 51a4 connected to the lower end of the support portion 51a can be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate. Therefore, the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b are elongated members, and despite the fact that most of them are not integrated with the first housing 11, they maintain high strength and do not deform.

[0053] Furthermore, each support portion 51a is robust because the lower surface of the tongue portion 51a4 can be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of the first substrate, and the inclined upper portion 51a1 abuts against the second connector 101 inserted into the housing portion 50d and functions as a guide for the second connector 101. As is clear from the description in Figure 9(c), etc., the lower end of the upper portion 51a1 is located above (in the positive Z-axis direction) the upper surface of the first protrusion 13 of the first housing 11. Therefore, the second connector 101 inserted into the housing portion 50d abuts against the upper portion 51a1 and then abuts against the inner protrusion 13b, so the inner protrusion 13b does not come into contact with the second connector 101 and suffer damage.

[0054] Furthermore, since the contact portion 51b is separated from the adjacent support portion 51a and corner portion 51d by the slit portion 51c, it can freely elastically deform without being constrained by the support portion 51a. Also, as described above, since the spring portion 51b1 of the contact portion 51b is formed to be steeper than the upper portion 51a1 of the support portion 51a, the upper portion 51a1 of the support portion 51a comes into contact with the second connector 101 inserted into the housing portion 50d, and then the spring portion 51b1 of the contact portion 51b comes into contact with the second connector 101. Therefore, damage to the spring portion 51b1 of the contact portion 51b can be reduced when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated together.

[0055] In each long side portion 50a, the outer feet 52a1 of the long side outer plate 52a and the inner feet 51a3 of the inner wall 51 are positioned so as not to face each other when viewed from the width direction (short side direction) of the first connector 1. That is, in a plan view, the outer feet 52a1 and inner feet 51a3, which are arranged in rows in the longitudinal direction of the long side portion 50a, are arranged in a staggered (zigzag) pattern. As a result, the long side portion 50a can maintain high strength and will not deform. Furthermore, it can effectively block noise entering from the outside and noise emitting to the outside.

[0056] Then, when the first shield 50 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding, the corner portion 50c is integrated with the corner portion 17, and the island end cover portion 55 is integrated with the cover mounting portion 16. As a result, the first shield 50 and the first housing 11 are securely integrated and cannot be separated. The lower surface of the tongue portion 51a4 is exposed from the lower surface of the bottom plate 18, and the lower ends of the outer feet 52a1 of the long outer plate 52a, the outer feet 52b1 of the short outer plate 52b, and the inner feet 51a3 of the support portion 51a protrude below the lower surface of the bottom plate 18, so that they can be connected to grounding connection pads etc. formed on the surface of the first substrate. Therefore, the first shield 50 can maintain high strength and is electrically connected to the grounding connection pads etc. of the first substrate, and the entire shield is at the same potential as the grounding line of the first substrate, so that it can exhibit a high shielding effect.

[0057] When the first housing 11 is integrally connected to the first shield 50 within the housing portion 50d, a first recess 12 is formed within the housing portion 50d, which is a recess surrounded by an inner wall 51 and defined below by a bottom plate 18, and which engages with the second connector 101. In addition, an internal groove portion 12a, which is an elongated recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, is formed between the outer convex wall portions 13a on both the left and right sides of the inner convex portion 13b. Furthermore, fitting recesses 12b are formed as part of the first recess 12 on the outer ends of the first convex portion 13 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1. Furthermore, a lateral space 12c, which is an elongated recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, is formed as part of the first recess 12 between the outer convex wall portions 13a on both the left and right sides of the inner convex portion 13b and the inner wall 51 of the long side portion 50a. The lateral space 12c is formed over a wider area than the range corresponding to the row of first terminals 61 in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1.

[0058] The first terminal 61 is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, and other processes on a conductive metal plate, and comprises a retained portion 63, a tail portion 62 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end of the retained portion 63, a proximal connection portion 65 connected to the upper end of the retained portion 63, and a lower connection portion 64 having a substantially U-shaped side profile connected to the lower end of the proximal connection portion 65, wherein a proximal contact portion 65a is formed near the lower end of the proximal connection portion 65, which is curved to bulge inward in the width direction of the first connector 1, and further comprises a distal connection portion 66 connected to the tip of the lower connection portion 64. The distal connection portion 66 is bent and connected to the lower connection portion 64, extends upward (in the positive Z-axis direction), and a distal contact portion 66a is formed near its upper end, which is curved to bulge outward in the width direction of the first connector 1. The distal contact portion 66a, like the proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65, is the portion that contacts the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101, which will be described later. In other words, the first terminal 61 in this embodiment is configured to have a proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65 and a distal contact portion 66a of the distal connection portion 66 that face each other, and to make two-point contact with the second terminal 161. When the first terminal 61 is attached to the first housing 11, the proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65 and the distal contact portion 66a of the distal connection portion 66 protrude into the inner groove portion 12a and face each other.

[0059] The first terminal 61 is then press-fitted into the first terminal housing cavity 15 from the mounting surface 10b side, which is the lower surface (negative Z-axis direction surface) of the first connector 1, and the retained portion 63 is held from both sides by the inner sides of the first terminal housing outer cavity 15b, thereby fixing it to the first housing 11. It is desirable that the retained portion 63 has an engaging projection 63a that bites into the inner sides of the first terminal housing outer cavity 15b. The first terminal 61 is not necessarily attached to the first housing 11 by press-fitting, but may be integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. However, for the sake of explanation, the case in which the retained portion 63 is press-fitted into the first terminal housing outer cavity 15b and held in place will be described here.

[0060] Furthermore, the tail portion 62 is bent and connected to the retained portion 63, extending outward in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), that is, in the width direction of the first connector 1, and is connected to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first substrate by soldering or the like. Note that when the first terminal 61 is a narrow first terminal 61A, the conductive trace is typically a signal line, and when the first terminal 61 is a wide first terminal 61B, the conductive trace is typically a power line.

[0061] For example, the first connector 1 is mounted on the surface of the first substrate by applying solder to the mounting surface 10b side of the first shield 50, the first terminal 61, etc., and then heating and melting the solder in a heating furnace or the like to fix it to the surface of the first substrate. Solder can be applied by applying a solder sheet, applying a solder paste, transferring a solder paste, dipping, or jet soldering. Note that the means for connecting the first shield 50, the first terminal 61, etc. to the connection pads of the first substrate are not necessarily limited to soldering, and may also be used, for example, by conductive adhesive, but here we will describe the case in which soldering is performed.

[0062] When the solder applied in this manner is heated and melted, the first connector 1 is mounted on the surface of the first substrate. At the long side portion 50a of the first shield 50, the lower end of the outer foot portion 52a1 of the long side outer plate 52a and the lower end of the inner foot portion 51a3 of the support portion 51a are connected to the grounding connection pad on the surface of the first substrate. At the short side portion 50b, the lower end of the outer foot portion 52b1 of the short side outer plate 52b and the lower surface of the tongue portion 51a4 of the support portion 51a are connected to the grounding connection pad on the surface of the first substrate. Therefore, the long-side outer plate 52a and short-side outer plate 52b, which are the outer walls 52 of the first shield 50 connected to the connection pads on the surface of the first substrate, are long, narrow, strip-shaped flat plates, yet they are strong and resistant to deformation. Similarly, the support portion 51a, which is the inner wall 51, is also strong and resistant to deformation. Consequently, the overall strength of the first connector 1, whose outer periphery is surrounded by the long-side portion 50a and short-side portion 50b, is high.

[0063] Furthermore, since the long side outer plate 52a of the long side portion 50a is a continuous strip-shaped shielding wall in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, and the short side outer plate 52b of the short side portion 50b is a continuous strip-shaped shielding wall in the short direction (width direction) of the first connector 1, the outer periphery of the first connector 1, except for the missing outer plate portion 52c, is surrounded by a continuous shielding wall and is effectively electromagnetically shielded. Moreover, since the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b, which are connected at numerous points to the grounding connection pads on the surface of the first substrate, are at the same potential as the grounding line of the first substrate as a whole, they can exert a very high electromagnetic shielding effect, and the first connector 1, whose outer periphery is surrounded by the long side portion 50a and the short side portion 50b, is very effectively electromagnetically shielded.

[0064] Furthermore, the support portion 51a on the short side portion 50b and the island end cover portion 55 connected to the support portion 51a are, as a whole, a continuous, long, strip-shaped metal plate, and their shape when viewed from the width direction of the first connector 1 is roughly U-shaped. If left as is, they could potentially function as an antenna and generate noise. However, in the example shown in the figure, the lower surface of the tongue portion 51a4 is connected to grounding connection pads formed on the surface of the first substrate at multiple locations (for example, near the lower end of the lower portion 51a2, near the tip of the tongue portion 51a4, etc.), so there is no risk of it functioning as an antenna and thus no noise is generated. In addition, since there are many contact portions 51b that come into contact with the second shield 150 of the second connector 101, there is no risk of any part of the first shield 50 functioning as an antenna, and the generation of noise can be suppressed.

[0065] Furthermore, the contact portion 51b located on the outermost longitudinal side of the long side portion 50a is located at both ends of the row of first terminals 61 and is positioned further outward in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 than the wide first terminal 61B, which is connected to the power line as a power terminal. Since current as power also generates noise, albeit at a low frequency, by positioning one of the contact portions 51b that contacts the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 further outward in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 than the wide first terminal 61B, which is a power terminal through which current flows, the noise generated by the wide first terminal 61B can be effectively suppressed.

[0066] Furthermore, the outer surface of the first shield 50 surrounding the outer circumference of the first connector 1 does not have any protruding parts such as spring components. Therefore, the first connector 1 is easy to handle during transport operations and mating operations between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, and there is no risk of damaging any protruding parts such as spring components.

[0067] Next, the configuration of the second connector 101 will be described.

[0068] The second connector 101 in this embodiment has a second shield 150 as a shielding member, which is a plug shield formed by punching, drawing, or other processing on a conductive metal plate, and a second housing 111 as a mating connector body, which is a mating housing integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The second housing 111 has a flat bottom plate 118, a second protrusion 112 as a convex portion projecting upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 118, and a pair of protruding ends 117 at each end of the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the second connector 101 projecting upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 118. The second connector 101 has dimensions of, for example, a length (dimension in the X-axis direction) of approximately 8 [mm], a width (dimension in the Y-axis direction) of approximately 3 [mm], and a thickness (dimension in the Z-axis direction) of approximately 0.7 [mm], but the dimensions can be changed as appropriate.

[0069] The protruding end 117 is the main part that connects to the second shield 150 when the second shield 150 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. That is, the second housing 111 is molded by filling an insulating material such as synthetic resin into the cavity of a mold in which the second shield 150 has been set beforehand, and is integrally connected to the second shield 150 at the protruding end 117 and other parts. Therefore, the second housing 111 and the second shield 150 do not exist separately, but in Figure 6, for the sake of explanation, they are shown as existing separately.

[0070] As shown in Figure 6, each protruding end 117 has a rectangular prism-like shape with a rectangular cross-section that extends in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the second connector 101. Each protruding end 117 includes a prism-shaped end wall portion 117a that extends in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the second connector 101, and curved wall portions 117b formed at both ends of the end wall portion 117a. The curved wall portion 117b is an arc-shaped portion with a central angle of approximately 90 degrees in a plan view. The lower ends of the protruding ends 117 are connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction of the base plate 118.

[0071] The second protrusion 112 includes a pair of terminal support walls 112a that extend in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 at both ends of the base plate 118 in the width direction (Y-axis direction). The dimensions of the terminal support walls 112a in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 are set to be smaller than those of the base plate 118, and the longitudinal ends of the terminal support walls 112a and the protruding end 117 are spaced apart. Furthermore, there are no connecting members between the longitudinal ends of the pair of terminal support walls 112a, and they are spaced apart from each other. A central groove 112b is formed, which is a space defined at the bottom by the base plate 118 and at both the left and right ends by the terminal support walls 112a. The central groove 112b is an elongated groove-shaped space with both longitudinal ends open, and when the second connector 101 is fitted with the first connector 1, it accommodates the inner protrusion 13b of the first connector 1.

[0072] Furthermore, a lateral space 112c is formed between each terminal support wall 112a and the outer wall 152 on the long side portion 150a of the second shield 150, which is an elongated space extending in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. This lateral space 112c is formed over a wider area in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 than the area corresponding to the row of second terminals 161.

[0073] Furthermore, a second terminal 161 is attached to the terminal support wall 112a as a terminal to be attached to the second housing 111. The second terminal 161 is arranged in a number corresponding to the pitch of the first terminal 61, so that at least a portion of it is exposed on the surface of the terminal support wall 112a. That is, multiple second terminals 161 are arranged along each terminal support wall 112a, and are arranged in a row that extends in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. In the example shown in the figure, the number of second terminals 161 is 15 on each side, the same as the first terminal 61, and the number of poles of the second connector 101 is 30, the same as the first connector 1. However, the number of second terminals 161 may be increased, for example, so that the number of poles of the second connector 101 is 70 or more.

[0074] In the example shown in the figure, there are two types of second terminals 161 attached to the terminal support wall 112a: a narrow second terminal 161A and a wide second terminal 161B. The wide second terminals 161B are attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction of each row of second terminals 161 attached to each terminal support wall 112a, while the narrow second terminals 161A are attached in each row between the wide second terminals 161B at both ends. Although the second terminals 161 may be attached to the terminal support wall 112a by press-fitting, as with the first terminal 61, for the sake of explanation, the case in which they are integrated with the terminal support wall 112a by overmolding or insert molding will be described here.

[0075] The narrow second terminal 161A can be used, for example, as a signal terminal for transmitting signals, similar to the narrow first terminal 61A, and the wide second terminal 161B can be used, for example, as a power terminal or power supply terminal for transmitting power, similar to the first terminal 61B. If necessary, the wide second terminal 161B can be omitted, and all second terminals 161 can be narrow second terminals 161A.

[0076] Furthermore, since the narrow second terminal 161A and the wide second terminal 161B have the same configuration except for the width dimension, they will be described as second terminal 161 when explained together.

[0077] A side recess 118b is formed in the bottom plate 118 on the widthwise outer side of the second connector 101 at the second protrusion 112. As a result, the bottom plate 118 is formed to be narrower in width than the protruding end 117, with respect to the width of the second connector 101.

[0078] The second shield 150 is a component formed by punching, drawing, or other processing of a conductive metal plate, and as shown in Figure 7(a), when viewed from above, that is, in a plan view, it is a roughly rectangular frame-shaped component that surrounds the second housing 111. The second connector 101 is provided with the second shield 150 as a shielding part on each of the four sides of the second housing 111. In other words, the second connector 101 is provided with four second shields 150 as shielding parts. The four shielding parts are electrically conductive to each other.

[0079] In the example shown in the figure, the second shield 150 includes multiple (in the example shown, pairs) long side portions 150a as lateral shields, which are first shield members extending linearly in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101; multiple (in the example shown, pairs) short side portions 150b as end shields, which are second shield members; and connecting portions 150c that connect both ends of each long side portion 150a to both ends of each short side portion 150b. When describing the long side portions 150a, short side portions 150b and connecting portions 150c collectively, they are described as the second shield 150. The space surrounded by the second shield 150 is a housing portion 150d in which the second terminal 161 is housed.

[0080] Furthermore, the second shield 150 has an outer wall 152 as an outer plate exposed to the outside of the second connector 101, and a connecting portion 153 connected to the upper end of the outer wall 152. The outer wall 152 includes a strip-shaped long-side outer plate 152a that is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 along the long side portion 150a, and a strip-shaped short-side outer plate 152b that is continuous in the short direction of the second connector 101 along the short side portion 150b. The long-side outer plate 152a and the short-side outer plate 152b are separated from each other by an outer plate cutout portion 152c. However, the long-side outer plate 152a and the short-side outer plate 152b are connected via the upper end portion 153a of the connecting portion 153 which is located above the outer plate cutout portion 152c. Furthermore, the upper end portion 153a is connected to the long-side outer plate 152a and the short-side outer plate 152b by a curved curved portion 153b.

[0081] Furthermore, a plurality of outer feet 152a1 projecting downward (in the positive Z-axis direction) are formed on the lower end of the long outer plate 152a. It is desirable that the lower end of each outer foot 152a1 be connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of a second substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. In addition, a plurality of engagement recesses 152a2 may be formed on the outer surface of the long outer plate 152a. In the example shown in the figure, the engagement recesses 152a2 are formed near the lower end of the long outer plate 152a at positions corresponding to each outer foot 152a1. The engagement recesses 152a2 are the parts that engage and make contact with the contact protrusions 51b2 of the contact portion 51b of the first shield 50 of the first connector 1 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated together.

[0082] Furthermore, an outer foot portion 152b1 is formed at the lower end of each short outer plate 152b, which is bent to face outward in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. The lower surface of the outer foot portion 152b1 is preferably connected to a grounding connection pad or the like formed on the surface of a second substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. Each outer foot portion 152b1 is a single elongated member continuous in the width direction of the second connector 101, but as shown in Figure 8(b), multiple or single notches 152b2 can also be formed at any location on each outer foot portion 152b1.

[0083] In the short side portion 150b, the upper end portion 153a of the connecting portion 153 is a strip-shaped flat plate continuous in the short direction of the second connector 101. When the second shield 150 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding, it is integrated with the protruding end portion 117 together with the short side outer plate 152b. The portions near both ends in the longitudinal direction of the long side outer plate 152a are also integrated with the protruding end portion 117, but most of the long side portion 150a is not integrated with the second housing 111. However, since the lower ends of the multiple outer feet 152a1 of the long side outer plate 152a can be connected to grounding connection pads etc. formed on the surface of the second substrate, the long side portion 150a maintains high strength and does not deform. Furthermore, it is electrically connected to the grounding connection pads etc. of the second substrate, and the entire portion is at the same potential as the grounding line of the second substrate, so a high shielding effect can be achieved.

[0084] When the second housing 111 is integrally connected to the second shield 150 within the housing portion 150d, a lateral space 112c, which is an elongated recess extending in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, is formed between the long sides 150a on both the left and right sides of the second protrusion 112. This lateral space 112c is formed over a wider area in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 than the area corresponding to the row of second terminals 161.

[0085] The second terminal 161 is a component integrally formed from a conductive metal plate by punching, bending, and other processing, and comprises a proximal connecting portion 165 extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), a tail portion 162 connected to the lower end of the proximal connecting portion 165 and extending outward in the width direction of the second housing 111 as a substrate connecting portion, an upper connecting portion 164 connected to the upper end of the proximal connecting portion 165, and a distal connecting portion 166 connected to the lower end of the upper connecting portion 164 and facing the proximal connecting portion 165. The tail portion 162 extends horizontally (Y-axis direction) passing below the distal connecting portion 166, and its tip is located outward from the distal connecting portion 166. As described above, the second terminal 161 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. In other words, the second housing 111 is formed by filling the cavity of a mold, which has the second terminal 161 pre-set inside, with an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

[0086] As a result, the second terminal 161 is integrally attached to the terminal support wall 112a such that at least a portion of it is embedded within the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112 in the second housing 111, and substantially the entire surfaces of the proximal connection portion 165 and the upper connection portion 164, and at least a portion of the surface of the distal connection portion 166 are exposed on the inner, upper, and outer surfaces of the terminal support wall 112a. The surfaces of the proximal connection portion 165 and the distal connection portion 166 function as contact portions and make contact with the first terminal 61 provided on the first connector 1. In other words, the second terminal 161 in this embodiment is configured to make two-point contact with the first terminal 61.

[0087] Furthermore, the tail portion 162 extends outward in the width direction from the terminal support wall 112a of the second housing 111 and is connected to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the second substrate by soldering or the like. When the second terminal 161 is a narrow second terminal 161A, the conductive trace is typically a signal line, and when the second terminal 161 is a wide second terminal 161B, the conductive trace is typically a power line.

[0088] For example, the second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of the second substrate by applying solder to the mounting surface 101b side of the second shield 150, the second terminal 161, etc., and then heating and melting the solder in a heating furnace or the like to fix it to the surface of the second substrate. Solder is applied by applying a solder sheet, applying solder paste, transferring solder paste, dipping, jet soldering, etc. Note that the means for connecting the second shield 150, the second terminal 161, etc. to the connection pads of the second substrate are not necessarily limited to soldering, and may also be done by conductive adhesive, for example, but here we will describe the case in which soldering is performed.

[0089] When the solder applied in this manner is heated and melted, the second connector 101 is mounted on the surface of the second substrate. At the long side portion 150a of the second shield 150, the lower end of the outer foot portion 152a1 of the long side outer plate 152a is connected to the grounding connection pad on the surface of the second substrate. Similarly, at the short side portion 150b, the lower surface of the outer foot portion 152b1 of the short side outer plate 152b is connected to the grounding connection pad on the surface of the second substrate. Therefore, the long side outer plate 152a and the short side outer plate 152b, which are the outer walls 152 of the second shield 150 connected to the connection pad on the surface of the second substrate, are long, narrow, strip-shaped flat plates that are strong and resistant to deformation. Consequently, the overall strength of the second connector 101, whose outer periphery is surrounded by the long side portion 150a and the short side portion 150b, is high.

[0090] Furthermore, since the outer plate 152a of the long side portion 150a is a continuous strip-shaped shielding wall in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, and the outer plate 152b of the short side portion 150b is a continuous strip-shaped shielding wall in the short direction (width direction) of the second connector 101, the outer periphery of the second connector 101 is surrounded by a continuous shielding wall, except for the missing outer plate portion 152c, and is effectively electromagnetically shielded. Moreover, since the long side portion 150a and the short side portion 150b, which are connected at numerous points to the grounding connection pads on the surface of the second substrate, are at the same potential as the grounding line of the second substrate as a whole, they can exert a very high electromagnetic shielding effect, and the second connector 101, whose outer periphery is surrounded by the long side portion 150a and the short side portion 150b, is very effectively electromagnetically shielded.

[0091] Furthermore, the outer surface of the second shield 150 surrounding the outer circumference of the second connector 101 does not have any protruding parts such as spring components. Therefore, the second connector 101 is easy to handle during transport operations and mating operations between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, and there is no risk of damaging any protruding parts such as spring components.

[0092] Next, the operation of mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 of the above configuration will be described.

[0093] Here, the first connector 1 is assumed to be surface-mounted on a first substrate (not shown). Specifically, at the long side portion 50a of the first shield 50, the lower end of the outer foot portion 52a1 of the long side outer plate 52a and the lower end of the inner foot portion 51a3 of the support portion 51a are connected to a grounding connection pad on the surface of the first substrate, and at the short side portion 50b, the lower end of the outer foot portion 52b1 of the short side outer plate 52b and the lower surface of the tongue portion 51a4 of the support portion 51a are connected to a grounding connection pad on the surface of the first substrate. The tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 is also assumed to be connected to a connection pad on the surface of the first substrate that is connected to a conductive trace. When the first terminal 61 is a narrow first terminal 61A, the conductive trace is a signal line that transmits high-frequency signals, etc., and when the first terminal 61 is a wide first terminal 61B, the conductive trace is a power line that supplies power.

[0094] Similarly, the second connector 101 is surface-mounted on a second substrate (not shown). Specifically, at the long side portion 150a of the second shield 150, the lower end of the outer foot portion 152a1 of the long side outer plate 152a is connected to a grounding connection pad on the surface of the second substrate, and at the short side portion 150b, the lower surface of the outer foot portion 152b1 of the short side outer plate 152b is connected to a grounding connection pad on the surface of the second substrate. The tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 is also connected to a connection pad on the surface of the second substrate that is connected to a conductive trace. When the second terminal 161 is a narrow second terminal 161A, the conductive trace is a signal line that transmits high-frequency signals, etc., and when the second terminal 161 is a wide second terminal 161B, the conductive trace is a power line that supplies power.

[0095] First, the operator positions the mating surface 10a of the first connector 1 and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 facing each other, as shown in Figures 1(b) and 2(b). When the position of the inner protrusion 13b of the first connector 1 coincides with the position of the central groove 112b of the second connector 101, and the position of the protruding end 117 of the second connector 101 coincides with the position of the mating recess 12b of the first connector 1, the alignment of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed.

[0096] In this state, when the first connector 1 and / or the second connector 101 are moved toward the mating side, i.e., in the mating direction, the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the housing portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 1, the inner protrusion 13b of the first connector 1 is inserted into the central groove portion 112b of the second connector 101, and the protruding end portion 117 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the mating recess 12b of the first connector 1.

[0097] Furthermore, since the mating surface 10a of the first connector 1 has a connecting portion 53 of the first shield 50 surrounding it, and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 has a connecting portion 153 of the second shield 150, even if the mating surface 10a of the first connector 1 and the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 come into contact during mating, they will not be damaged or broken.

[0098] Furthermore, in the initial mating state, that is, when the portion near the mating surface 101a of the second connector 101 has slightly entered the housing portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 1, the curved portion 153b formed around the upper end portion 153a of the connecting portion 153 of the second shield 150 abuts against the inclined upper portion 51a1 of the support portion 51a on the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50, and is smoothly inserted into the housing portion 50d while being guided by the upper portion 51a1. In addition, the curved wall portions 117b of the protruding ends 117 located at the four corners of the second connector 101 abut against the inclined wall 51d1 of the corner portion 51d on the inner wall 51 of the first shield 50, thereby positioning the second connector 101 relative to the first connector 1. Furthermore, since at least a portion of the end of the first protrusion 13 of the first housing 11 is covered by the island end cover portion 55, even if the protruding end 117 of the second connector 101 comes into contact with it, it will not suffer significant damage.

[0099] Next, as shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(a), once the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is complete, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 make contact and conduct electricity, and the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 make contact and conduct electricity. The distance from the mounting surface 10b of the first connector 1 to the mounting surface 101b of the second connector 101, i.e., the mating height, when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated is, for example, about 1 [mm].

[0100] Specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the pair of terminal support walls 112a of the second protrusion 112 of the second housing 111 are inserted into the pair of internal recessed grooves 12a of the first housing 11, and the proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65 and the distal contact portion 66a of the distal connection portion 66 of the first terminal 61, which protrude into the internal recessed grooves 12a and face each other, come into contact with the distal connection portion 166 and proximal connection portion 165 of the second terminal 161, which are exposed on the outer and inner surfaces of the terminal support wall 112a.

[0101] In this case, the lower connection portion 64 of the first terminal 61 and its vicinity have a roughly U-shaped form and are elastically deformable, so the distance between the proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65 and the distal contact portion 66a of the distal connection portion 66, which face each other, can be elastically expanded. As a result, the distance between the proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65 and the distal contact portion 66a of the distal connection portion 66 is elastically widened by the second terminal 161 inserted between them, and in reaction, the second terminal 161 is elastically sandwiched from both sides by the proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65 and the distal contact portion 66a of the distal connection portion 66. As a result, the proximal contact portion 65a of the proximal connection portion 65 of the first terminal 61 and the distal connection portion 166 of the second terminal 161, as well as the distal contact portion 66a of the distal connection portion 66 of the first terminal 61 and the proximal connection portion 165 of the second terminal 161, maintain contact and do not separate even when subjected to shock or vibration, thus maintaining a stable conductive state. Furthermore, the corresponding first terminal 61 and second terminal 161 are in a so-called two-point contact state, and even if contact at one point is lost, contact at the other point is maintained, thus stably maintaining the contact state.

[0102] In this way, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161, which are in contact with each other, are continuously surrounded all around by the inner wall 51 and outer wall 52 of the first shield 50 and the outer wall 152 of the second shield 150, thus providing extremely effective shielding. Therefore, good electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) can be obtained.

[0103] Furthermore, when the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the housing portion 50d of the first shield 50 of the first connector 1, as shown in Figures 9(b) and 10(b), the contact protrusions 51b2 of the contact portion 51b of the first shield 50 contact the outer surfaces of the long-side outer plate 152a and the short-side outer plate 152b of the second shield 150, thereby creating electrical conductivity. As described above, since the contact portions 51b are arranged in large numbers at a pitch of approximately 1.0 [mm], the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 are electrically conductive to each other through the contact portions arranged at large numbers at a short pitch, resulting in equipotential throughout, improving electromagnetic shielding performance, and preventing the generation of noise as no part may function as an antenna at a specific frequency. Furthermore, the contact projection 51b2 engages with the engagement recess 152a2 formed on the long outer plate 152a of the second shield 150, thereby locking the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 together. This ensures that the contact between the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 is reliably maintained, preventing the first shield 50 and the second shield 150 from being released from their fitted state.

[0104] Furthermore, since the lower ends of the numerous outer feet 52a1 formed on the long side outer plate 52a of the first shield 50 and the numerous outer feet 152a1 formed on the long side outer plate 152a of the second shield 150 are connected to connection pads linked to the ground lines on the surfaces of the first and second substrates, equipotential can be maintained over the entire length of the long sides 50a and 150a, even if they are long. Therefore, better electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) can be maintained.

[0105] As described above, in this embodiment, the first connector 1 comprises a first housing 11, a plurality of first terminals 61 attached to the first housing 11, and a first shield 50, and is a connector having a roughly rectangular planar shape that mates with the second connector 101. The first shield 50 includes an outer wall 52 exposed to the outside of the first connector 1, an inner wall 51 exposed to the inside of the first connector 1, and a connecting portion 53 connecting the upper ends of the outer wall 52 and the inner wall 51. The first shield 50 is arranged on all four sides of the first housing 11, the outer wall 52 includes an outer foot portion 52a1 disposed at its lower end, and the inner wall 51 includes a support portion 51a and a plurality of contact portions 51b that elastically contact the second shield 150 of the second connector 101. The support portion 51a and the contact portions 51b are separated by a slit portion 51c, and the support portion 51a is fixed to the first substrate.

[0106] As a result, the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, while being small and low-profile, exhibit high strength even when multi-pinned, and achieve a high shielding effect, thereby improving reliability.

[0107] Furthermore, the contact portion 51b is provided on both sides of the support portion 51a, and the support portion 51a of the inner wall 51 parallel to the short side direction of the first connector 1 includes a tongue portion 51a4 extending inward of the first connector 1, and an island end cover portion 55 is connected to the tip of the tongue portion 51a4.

[0108] Furthermore, the support portion 51a includes an upper portion 51a1 that guides the second connector 101, a lower portion 51a2 that extends downward from the lower end of the upper portion 51a1, and an inner foot portion 51a3 disposed at the lower end of the lower portion 51a2 and fixed to the first substrate, wherein the lower end of the upper portion 51a1 is positioned higher than the upper surface of the first protrusion 13 that holds the first terminal 61 in the first housing 11.

[0109] Furthermore, the outer wall 52 parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 includes a plurality of outer feet 52a1 disposed at its lower end, and the plurality of support portions 51a of the inner wall 51 facing the outer wall 52 each include a single inner foot 51a3 disposed at its lower end, and the outer feet 52a1 of the outer wall 52 and the inner feet 51a3 of the inner wall 51 do not face each other in the short direction of the first connector 1.

[0110] Furthermore, the ends of the connecting portions 53 of each first shield 50, which are arranged on the four sides of the first housing 11, are connected by corner portions 50c, and each first shield 50 is electrically connected to the others.

[0111] Furthermore, the corner portion 50c includes an inclined corner portion 51d that guides the second connector 101.

[0112] Furthermore, the first terminals 61 are arranged in a row to form a column extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1, and the first terminals 61 include wide first terminals 61B, which are located at both ends of the column.

[0113] Next, a second embodiment will be described. Components having the same structure as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted. Similarly, the same operation and effects as those in the first embodiment will also be omitted from the description.

[0114] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the first connector in the second embodiment, viewed from the mating surface side, and Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the second embodiment.

[0115] In the first connector 1 of this embodiment, the island end cover portion 55 of the first shield 50 has larger dimensions in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 1 than the island end cover portion 55 in the first embodiment, and the cover mounting portion 16 to which the island end cover portion 55 is attached covers the outer end convex wall portion 13c of the first protrusion portion 13 of the first housing 11 over almost the entire width direction (Y-axis direction). In addition, the cover tip receiving groove 16a that accommodates the tip portion 55c of the island end cover portion 55 is also formed to extend over almost the entire width direction of the outer end convex wall portion 13c.

[0116] The island end cover portion 55 in this embodiment is connected to the tip of a tongue portion 51a4 that is connected to the lower end of the lower part 51a2 of the support portion 51a located in the widthwise center of the first connector 1 on the short side portion 50b of the first shield 50. The island end cover portion 55 is made by bending a strip-shaped member, and has a connecting piece 55a extending upward (in the positive Z-axis direction) from the tip of the tongue portion 51a4, a curved portion 55b with one end connected to the upper end of the connecting piece 55a, and a tip portion 55c extending downward from the other end of the curved portion 55b.

[0117] In this embodiment, the connecting piece 55a includes a narrow portion 55a1 connected to the tip of the tongue portion 51a4 and having the same width dimension as the tongue portion 51a4, and a wide portion 55a2 connected to the upper end of the narrow portion 55a1 and having the same width dimension as the width dimension of the outer end convex wall portion 13c. The curved portion 55b, one end of which is connected to the upper end of the connecting piece 55a, i.e., the upper end of the wide portion 55a2, and the tip portion 55c extending downward from the other end of the curved portion 55b, have the same width dimension as the wide portion 55a2.

[0118] As described above, in this embodiment, the outer end convex wall portion 13c of the first protrusion 13 is covered by the island end cover portion 55 over almost the entire width direction (Y-axis direction). As a result, each corner portion 17 of the first protrusion 13, which is considered to have relatively low strength, that is, the portion where both ends of the outer convex wall portion 13a and both ends of the outer end convex wall portion 13c are connected, is covered by the island end cover portion 55. Therefore, even if it comes into contact with various parts of the second connector 101 during mating operations between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101, it will not suffer significant damage.

[0119] Note that the other configurations of the first connector 1 in this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, so their description is omitted. Similarly, the configuration of the second connector 101 in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, so its description is omitted. Furthermore, the other basic configurations and effects of the state in which the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated are the same as those of the first embodiment, so their description is omitted.

[0120] Next, a third embodiment will be described. Components having the same structure as those in the first and second embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted. Similarly, the same operations and effects as those in the first and second embodiments will also be omitted from the description.

[0121] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the third embodiment, viewed from the second connector side; Figure 14 is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the third embodiment, viewed from the first connector side; Figure 15 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the third embodiment; and Figure 16 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector in the third embodiment. In Figures 13 and 14, (a) shows the mated state, and (b) shows the state immediately before mating.

[0122] In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the first shield 50 of the first connector 1 is integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding. However, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the first shield 50 of the first connector 1 and the first housing 11 are not integrated, and the first shield 50 is attached to the separately manufactured first housing 11 by methods such as insertion or press-fitting.

[0123] In this embodiment, a pair of corners 17 formed at one end of the first housing 11 in the longitudinal direction are connected to each other by a strip-shaped corner connecting portion 17f extending in the width direction of the first housing 11, and a pair of corners 17 formed at the other end of the first housing 11 in the longitudinal direction are also connected to each other by a strip-shaped corner connecting portion 17f extending in the width direction of the first housing 11.

[0124] Furthermore, a first recess 17f1 is formed on the inner surface of the corner connecting portion 17f, which accommodates the support portion 51a located in the widthwise center of the first connector 1 on the short side portion 50b of the first shield 50. Second recesses 17f2 are formed on both sides of the first recess 17f1, which accommodate the contact portion 51b adjacent to the support portion 51a. Additionally, a third recess 17f3 is formed on the outer surface of the corner connecting portion 17f, which accommodates the short side outer plate 52b on the short side portion 50b of the first shield 50.

[0125] In this embodiment, side edge projections 52b2 are formed on both sides of the short outer plate 52b. When the short outer plate 52b is inserted into the third recess 17f3 from relatively above during the process of attaching the first shield 50 to the first housing 11, the side edge projections 52b2 bite into the inner wall surfaces 17f4 on both sides of the third recess 17f3, and the short outer plate 52b is fixed inside the third recess 17f3.

[0126] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an outer wall projection 17b1 is formed on the outer wall portion 17b of the corner portion 17, projecting in the width direction of the first housing 11. On the other hand, notched recesses 52a2 are formed at the lower edges of both longitudinal ends of the long side outer plate 52a in the long side portion 50a of the first shield 50, into which the outer wall projection 17b1 is fitted. And, a side edge projection 52a3 is formed on the side edge of the long side outer plate 52a facing outward in the longitudinal direction within the recess 52a2. In the process of attaching the first shield 50 to the first housing 11, when the long outer plate 52a is moved from above, the outer wall projection 17b1 is fitted into the fitting recess 52a2, and the side edge projection 52a3 bites into the side wall surface 17b2 of the outer wall projection 17b1 that faces inward in the longitudinal direction of the long outer plate 52a, thereby fixing the long outer plate 52a between the pair of corners 17 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11. Furthermore, the tip 55c of the island end cover portion 55 is inserted into the cover tip receiving groove 16a formed in the first projection 13.

[0127] This ensures that the first shield 50 in this embodiment is securely attached to the separately manufactured first housing 11.

[0128] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower part 51a2 of the support portion 51a located in the widthwise center of the first connector 1 on the short side portion 50b of the first shield 50, the tongue portion 51a4 connected to the lower end of the lower part 51a2, and the island end cover portion 55 connected to the tip of the tongue portion 51a4 are made by bending a strip-shaped member, similar to the lower part 51a2, tongue portion 51a4, and island end cover portion 55 in the first embodiment, but their width dimensions are set to be smaller than the width dimensions of the lower part 51a2, tongue portion 51a4, and island end cover portion 55 in the first embodiment. Moreover, the upper part 51a1 of each support portion 51a, as an inclined surface, does not extend in a flat plate shape from the inner edge of the upper end portion 53a of the connecting portion 53 toward the inside and diagonally downward of the housing portion 50d, as in the first and second embodiments, but is a curved surface that curves downward from the inner edge of the upper end portion 53a of the connecting portion 53. Furthermore, the support portion 51a includes an upper portion 51a1 that guides the second connector 101 and a lower portion 51a2 that extends downward from the lower end of the upper portion 51a1, the upper end of which is higher than the upper surface of the first protrusion 13 that holds the first terminal 61 in the first housing 11.

[0129] Note that the other configurations of the first connector 1 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, so their description will be omitted.

[0130] Next, the configuration of the second connector 101 in this embodiment will be described.

[0131] In the first embodiment described above, an example was given in which the second shield 150 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding. However, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which the second shield 150 and the second housing 111 are not integrated, and the second shield 150 is attached to the separately manufactured second housing 111 by methods such as insertion or press-fitting.

[0132] In this embodiment, an outer recess 117c is formed on the outer surface of the end wall portion 117a of the protruding ends 117 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111, which accommodates the short-side outer plate 152b of the second shield 150. In this embodiment, the outer leg portion 152b1 is not bent relative to the short-side outer plate 152b, but protrudes downward (in the positive Z-axis direction). Furthermore, a protruding end recess portion 117d is formed on the widthwise outer surface of the second housing 111 at the curved wall portion 117b of the protruding end 117, and the longitudinal outer end of the second housing 111 at the protruding end recess portion 117d is defined by the curved wall protrusion portion 117b1. On the other hand, a side edge projection 152a3 is formed on the longitudinally outward-facing side edge of the long-side outer plate 152a at the long side portion 150a of the second shield 150.

[0133] Then, in the process of attaching the second shield 150 to the second housing 111, the short-side outer plate 152b is inserted into the outer recess 117c from relatively above and accommodated, and when the long-side outer plate 152a is moved from relatively above, the vicinity of the longitudinal outer end of the long-side outer plate 152a is inserted into the protruding end recess 117d, the side edge projection 152a3 bites into the longitudinally inward-facing side wall surface 117b2 of the curved wall protrusion 117b1 of the long-side outer plate 152a, and the long-side outer plate 152a is fixed between the pair of curved wall portions 117b formed at both longitudinal ends of the second housing 111.

[0134] This ensures that the second shield 150 in this embodiment is securely attached to the separately manufactured second housing 111.

[0135] The other configurations of the second connector 101 in this embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0136] Furthermore, the other basic configurations and effects when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted.

[0137] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. Note that components having the same structure as those in the first to third embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted. Similarly, the same operations and effects as those in the first to third embodiments will also be omitted.

[0138] Figure 17 is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the fourth embodiment, viewed from the second connector side; Figure 18 is a perspective view of the connector assembly in the fourth embodiment, viewed from the first connector side; Figure 19 is an exploded perspective view of the first connector in the fourth embodiment; Figure 20 is a four-view drawing of the first connector in the fourth embodiment; Figure 21 is a perspective view of the first connector in the fourth embodiment; Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view of the second connector in the fourth embodiment; Figure 23 is a four-view drawing of the second connector in the fourth embodiment; and Figure 24 is a perspective view of the second connector in the fourth embodiment. In Figures 17 and 18, (a) shows the mated state and (b) shows the state immediately before mating; in Figure 20, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view; in Figure 21, (a) is a view from the mating surface side and (b) is a view from the mounting surface side; in Figure 23, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a front view; and in Figure 24, (a) is a view from the mating surface side and (b) is a view from the mounting surface side.

[0139] In this embodiment, similar to the third embodiment, the first shield 50 of the first connector 1 and the first housing 11 are not integrated, and an example is described in which the first shield 50 is attached to the separately manufactured first housing 11 by methods such as insertion or press-fitting. Note that, if necessary, the first shield 50 can be integrated with the first housing 11 by overmolding or insert molding, similar to the first embodiment. However, for the sake of explanation, only the case in which the first shield 50 of the first connector 1 is attached to the separately manufactured first housing 11 will be described here.

[0140] In this embodiment, the first terminal housing cavity 15 includes a hole-shaped first terminal housing cavity 15c formed in the outer convex wall portion 13a and the inner convex portion 13b of the first housing 11. The first terminal housing cavity 15c is connected to and integrated with the first terminal housing inner cavity 15a or the first terminal housing outer cavity 15b at the bottom surface of the inner recessed groove portion 12a.

[0141] Furthermore, the narrow first terminal 61A in this embodiment is a member integrally formed by processing a conductive metal plate, such as by punching, and comprises a retained portion 63 extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), a tail portion 62 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end (negative Z-axis end) of the retained portion 63, a retained connection portion 63b extending in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the first connector 1 from near the lower end of the retained portion 63, a proximal connection portion 65 extending in the vertical direction with its lower end near the tip of the retained connection portion 63b connected, a lower connection portion 64 extending in the width direction of the first connector 1 from the lower end of the proximal connection portion 65, and a distal connection portion 66 extending upward (positive Z-axis direction) from the tip of the lower connection portion 64.

[0142] Furthermore, near the tips of the proximal connection portion 65 and the distal connection portion 66, protruding proximal contact portions 65a and distal contact portions 66a are formed so as to face each other. In addition, the retained portion 63 is the part that is press-fitted into the first terminal housing cavity 15c from below the first housing 11 and retained, and it is desirable that an engaging projection 63a that bites into the side surface of the first terminal housing cavity 15c is formed near its tip.

[0143] Furthermore, the narrow first terminals 61A attached to each internal groove 12a form a terminal row extending along the longitudinal direction of the first connector 1 along each internal groove 12a, and in each terminal row, the orientation of adjacent narrow first terminals 61A is oriented so that they are opposite with respect to the width direction of the internal groove 12a. In the example shown in the figure, the orientation of the narrow first terminal 61A located at the front end (X-axis positive end) of the narrow first terminal 61A attached to the internal groove 12a on the Y-axis positive side is oriented so that the tail portion 62 protrudes toward the Y-axis positive direction, whereas the orientation of the second narrow first terminal 61A from the front end is oriented so that the tail portion 62 protrudes toward the Y-axis negative direction. As described above, the first terminals 16A are mounted in each inner groove 12a in an alternating, opposite orientation. Therefore, the pitch of the tail portions 62 exposed on the mounting surface 11b on both sides of the inner groove 12a is twice the pitch of the narrow first terminal 61A. Consequently, soldering to the connection pads of the first substrate can be easily performed. In addition, the pitch of the proximal connection portion 65 and distal connection portion 66 exposed in the inner groove 12a is also twice the pitch of the narrow first terminal 61A.

[0144] Furthermore, the narrow first terminals 61A attached to each internal groove portion 12a are oriented such that adjacent terminals have the same orientation in the width direction of the first connector 1. In the example shown in the figure, in both the terminal rows on the positive Y-axis side and the negative Y-axis side, the orientation of the narrow first terminal 61A located at the front end (positive X-axis end) is such that the tail portion 62 protrudes toward the positive Y-axis direction, and the orientation of the second narrow first terminal 61A from the front end is such that the tail portion 62 protrudes toward the negative Y-axis direction.

[0145] Regarding the wide first terminal 61B, its shape, structure, arrangement, and method of attachment to the first housing 11 are the same as those of the first to third embodiments described above, so its description will be omitted.

[0146] Furthermore, the other configurations of the first connector 1 in this embodiment are the same as those in the third embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0147] Next, the configuration of the second connector 101 in this embodiment will be described.

[0148] In this embodiment, similar to the third embodiment, the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 and the second housing 111 are not integrated, and an example is described in which the second shield 150 is attached to the second housing 111, which is manufactured separately, by methods such as insertion or press-fitting. If necessary, it is also possible to change the design so that the second shield 150 is integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding or insert molding, similar to the first embodiment, but here, for the sake of explanation, only the case in which the second shield 150 of the second connector 101 is attached to the second housing 111, which is manufactured separately, is described.

[0149] In this embodiment, the second housing 111 is constructed by integrally molding and joining a pair of left and right halves, namely the left half 111A and the right half 111B, with a pair of connecting members 119 interposed between them by overmolding or insert molding. The left half 111A and the right half 111B are identical members arranged to face each other from left to right, as shown in Figure 22.

[0150] The left half portion 111A and the right half portion 111B each include a second protrusion 112 and protruding ends 117 connected to both longitudinal ends of the second protrusion 112. Each connecting member 119 is positioned between the protruding ends 117 of the left half portion 111A and the protruding ends 117 of the right half portion 111B, and is integrated with the left half portion 111A and the right half portion 111B by overmolding or insert molding. The resulting protruding ends 117 are the same as the protruding ends 117 in the third embodiment, so their description is omitted.

[0151] In the second housing 111 obtained by integrating the left half 111A and the right half 111B, the central groove 112b between the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112 of the left half 111A and the terminal support wall 112a of the second protrusion 112 of the right half 111B is a through hole that penetrates from the mating surface 101a to the mounting surface 101b of the second connector 101.

[0152] Furthermore, the second terminal 161 in this embodiment is a component integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing on a conductive metal plate. The second terminal 161 comprises a proximal connection portion 165 extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), a tail portion 162 connected to the lower end of the proximal connection portion 165 and extending in the width direction of the second housing 111 as a substrate connection portion, an upper connection portion 164 connected to the upper end of the proximal connection portion 165, and a distal connection portion 166 connected to the lower end of the upper connection portion 164 and facing the proximal connection portion 165.

[0153] In addition, the second terminal 161 in the first to third embodiments has a tail portion 162 that extends in the direction in which the distal connection portion 166 is located, whereas the second terminal 161 in this embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments in that the tail portion 162 extends in the direction opposite to the direction in which the distal connection portion 166 is located.

[0154] Furthermore, the narrow second terminals 161A attached to each terminal support wall 112a form a terminal row extending along each terminal support wall 112a in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, and in each terminal row, the orientation of adjacent narrow second terminals 161A is oriented so that they are opposite with respect to the width direction of the second connector 101. In the example shown in the figure, the orientation of the narrow second terminal 161A located at the front end (X-axis positive end) of the narrow second terminals 161A attached to the terminal support wall 112a on the Y-axis positive side is oriented so that the tail portion 162 protrudes toward the Y-axis positive direction, while the orientation of the second narrow second terminal 161A located from the front end is oriented so that the tail portion 162 protrudes toward the Y-axis negative direction. As described above, the narrow second terminals 161A are arranged alternately in opposite directions and attached to each terminal support wall 112a. Therefore, the pitch of the tail portions 162 exposed on the mounting surface 111b on both sides of the terminal support wall 112a is twice the pitch of the narrow second terminals 161A. Consequently, soldering to the connection pads of the second substrate can be easily performed. In addition, the pitch of the proximal connection portion 165 and distal connection portion 166 exposed on the terminal support wall 112a is also twice the pitch of the narrow second terminals 161A.

[0155] Furthermore, the proximal connection portion 165 is located closer to the center in the width direction (thickness direction) of the terminal support wall 112a than the distal connection portion 166. In other words, the proximal connection portion 165 of the narrow second terminal 161A is shifted inward in the width direction of the terminal support wall 112a compared to the distal connection portion 166. Thus, in each terminal row, the proximal connection portion 165 and the distal connection portion 166, which serve as contact surfaces between adjacent narrow second terminals 161A, are shifted relative to each other in the width direction of the terminal support wall 112a.

[0156] Furthermore, the narrow second terminals 161A attached to each terminal support wall 112a are oriented such that adjacent terminals have the same orientation in the width direction of the second connector 101. In the example shown in the figure, in both the positive Y-axis and negative Y-axis terminal rows, the orientation of the narrow second terminal 161A located at the front end (positive X-axis end) is such that the tail portion 162 protrudes toward the positive Y-axis, and the orientation of the second narrow second terminal 161A from the front end is such that the tail portion 62 protrudes toward the negative Y-axis.

[0157] Regarding the wide second terminal 161B, its arrangement and other aspects are the same as in the first to third embodiments described above, so its explanation will be omitted.

[0158] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the wide second terminal 161B is integrated with the left half 111A and the right half 111B by overmolding or insert molding before the left half 111A and the right half 111B are integrated. Then, the left half 111A and the right half 111B, each with the integrated wide second terminal 161B, are joined via a pair of connecting members 119 to form a single integrated second housing 111.

[0159] Note that the other configurations of the second connector 101 in this embodiment are the same as those of the third embodiment, so their description will be omitted. Furthermore, the other basic configurations and effects of the state in which the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated are also the same as those of the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0160] Furthermore, the disclosure herein describes features relating to preferred and exemplary embodiments. Various other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the claims herein would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art by reviewing the disclosure herein. [Industrial applicability]

[0161] This disclosure can be applied to connectors and connector assemblies. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0162] 1. First connector 10a, 101a mating surface 10b, 101b Implementation side 11 Housing 1 12, 17f1 First recess 12a Inner groove 12b Fitting recess 12c, 112c lateral space 13. First protrusion 13a Outside convex wall part 13b Inner protrusion 13c Outer end convex wall part 15 First terminal housing cavity 15A Wide first terminal housing cavity 15a First terminal housing inner cavity 15B Narrow first terminal housing cavity 15b Outer cavity housing the first terminal 15c First terminal housing cavity 16 Cover mounting section 16a Cover tip accommodating groove 17, 50c corner 17a Upper wall 17b Exterior wall 17b1 Outer wall protrusion 17b2, 117b2 side wall 17c Inner wall 17d Slope 17e Shield housing 17f Corner connection part 17f2 Second recess 17f3 Third recess 17f4 Interior wall surface 18, 118 bottom plate 18a Connection part 18b, 118b side recess 18c End recess 18d Cover connection port housing opening 50 Shield 1 50a, 150a Long side 50b, 150b Short side 50d, 150d storage area 51 Inner wall 51a Support part 51a1 Upper part 51a2 lower part 51a3 Medial foot 51a4 Tongue 51b Contact part 51b1 Spring part 51b2 Contact protrusion 51c Slit section 51d Corner section 51d1 Sloping wall 51d2 Lower end wall 52, 152 Exterior wall 52a, 152a Long side outer plate 52a1, 52b1, 152a1, 152b1 Lateral foot 52a2 Fitting recess 52a3, 52b2, 152a3 Lateral protrusion 52b, 152b Short side outer plate 52c, 152c Missing outer plate section 53, 150c, 153 connection part 53a, 153a Upper end 55 Island edge cover section 55a Connecting piece 55a1 Narrow section 55a2 Wide section 55b, 153b Curved section 55c Tip 61 1st terminal 61A Narrow first terminal 61B Wide first terminal 62, 162 Tail section 63 Holding part 63a Engagement protrusion 63b Held connection 64 Lower connection part 65, 165 Proximal joint 65a Proximal contact area 66, 166 Distal connection 66a Distal contact area 101 Second connector 111 Second Housing 111A Left half of body 111B Right half of body 112 Second protrusion 112a Terminal support wall 112b Central groove 117 Protruding end 117a End wall 117b Curved wall section 117b1 Curved wall protrusion 117c Outer recess 117d Recessed portion at the protruding end 119 Connecting member 150 2nd Shield 152a2 Engaging recess 152b2 Notch 161 2nd terminal 161A Narrow second terminal 161B Wide second terminal 164 Upper connection part 811 Housing 812 Receiving recess 850 Shielding plate 851 Interior wall panel 852 Exterior wall board 861 terminal 911 Opponent Housing 950 Opponent's shield plate 961 Mating terminal

Claims

1. (a) A connector having a housing, a plurality of terminals attached to the housing, and a shielding portion, and having a generally rectangular planar shape that mates with a mating connector, (b) The shielding portion includes an outer plate exposed to the outside of the connector, an inner plate exposed to the inside of the connector, and a connecting portion that connects the upper ends of the outer plate and the inner plate. (c) The shielding portion is arranged on all four sides of the housing, (d) The outer plate includes a substrate connection portion disposed at its lower end, (e) A connector characterized in that the inner plate includes a support portion and a plurality of contact portions that elastically contact the shielding portion of the mating connector, the support portion and the contact portions are separated by a slit portion, and the support portion is fixed to a substrate.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion is disposed on both sides of the support portion, and the support portion of the inner plate parallel to the short direction of the connector includes a tongue portion extending inward from the connector, and a protective cover is connected to the tip of the tongue portion.

3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the support portion includes an inclined surface that guides the mating connector and a main body portion that extends downward from the lower end of the inclined surface, and the upper end of the inclined surface is located higher than the upper surface of the terminal holding portion that holds the terminal in the housing.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the support portion includes an inclined surface that guides the mating connector, a main body portion extending downward from the lower end of the inclined surface, and a board connection portion disposed at the lower end of the main body portion and fixed to the board, and the lower end of the inclined surface is located higher than the upper surface of the terminal holding portion that holds the terminals in the housing.

5. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the outer plate parallel to the longitudinal direction of the connector includes a plurality of substrate connection portions disposed at its lower end, and each of the plurality of support portions of the inner plate facing the outer plate includes one substrate connection portion disposed at its lower end, and the substrate connection portion of the outer plate and the substrate connection portion of the inner plate do not face each other in the short direction of the connector.

6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the connecting portions of each shielding portion arranged on the four sides of the housing are connected by corner portions, and each shielding portion is electrically connected to one another.

7. The connector according to claim 6, wherein the corner portion includes an inclined constricted portion that guides the mating connector.

8. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the terminals are arranged in a row to form a row extending in the longitudinal direction of the connector, and the terminals include power terminals, the power terminals being located at both ends of the row.

9. A connector assembly comprising a connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

Images