Connector and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

We provide technology related to reducing the pitch of connectors. [Solution] The interposer 1 includes a housing 4 which is flat and has a plurality of contact housing chambers 6 that penetrate in the thickness direction, and a plurality of contacts 5 which are each housed in the plurality of contact housing chambers 6 of the housing 4. Each contact 5 includes two metal terminals (10, 11) which are arranged to face each other in the thickness direction, an elastically deformable cylindrical tube 12 which connects the two metal terminals (10, 11), and a liquid metal 13 which fills the internal space 12S of the tube 12. The two metal terminals (10, 11) are electrically connected to each other via the liquid metal 13. Air 70 is present in the internal space 12S of the tube 12. The two metal terminals (10, 11) are configured to move closer to each other in the thickness direction with the compression of the air 70 and the elastic deformation of the tube 12.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] As shown in FIG. 13 of the present application, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic component socket 100 for connecting an electronic component such as a semiconductor package to a circuit board. The electronic component socket 100 includes a housing 103 having a side wall 101 and a bottom wall 102, and a plurality of terminals 104 disposed through the bottom wall 102 of the housing 103.

[0003] Each terminal 104 has a contact portion 105 that can contact an electrode of an electronic component and a connection portion 106 that can be connected to a land of a circuit board. The contact portion 105 is bent into a convex shape so that the contact portion 105 can make reliable electrical contact with the electrode of the electronic component, and is supported by an arm-shaped portion 107 that is easily elastically deformed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the configuration of Patent Document 1 described above, in order to obtain a stroke of the contact portion 105, it is necessary to greatly bend the arm-shaped portion 107, so there is a limit to downsizing the terminal 104 itself. Therefore, there remains room for improvement regarding the narrowing of the pitch of the electronic component socket 100.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique related to narrowing the pitch of a connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A connector is provided, comprising a housing that is flat and has a plurality of contact housing chambers that penetrate in the thickness direction, and a plurality of contacts each housed in the plurality of contact housing chambers of the housing, wherein each contact comprises two metal terminals arranged to face each other in the thickness direction of the housing, an elastically deformable cylindrical connecting member connecting the two metal terminals, and a conductive fluid filling the internal space of the connecting member, wherein the two metal terminals are electrically connected to each other via the conductive fluid, a gas is present in the internal space of the connecting member, and the two metal terminals are configured to move closer to each other in the thickness direction of the housing with the compression of the gas and the elastic deformation of the connecting member. The connecting member may include a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, which are arranged at different positions in the thickness direction of the housing and have different thicknesses from each other. The thickness of the second cylindrical portion may be thinner than the thickness of the first cylindrical portion. The second cylindrical portion may be positioned at least one of the two ends of the connecting member in the thickness direction of the housing. Each metal terminal has a press-fit portion that is press-fitted into the connecting member, and the second cylindrical portion may be arranged radially opposite to the press-fit portion. Each metal terminal may have a press-fit portion that is press-fitted into the connecting member. Each metal terminal may have a larger diameter portion than the press-fit portion. Each metal terminal has a contact portion exposed to the outside from the housing, and the press-fit portion and the contact portion may be arranged back-to-back with the large-diameter portion in between. Each metal terminal has a contact portion exposed to the outside from the housing, and the press-fit portion and the contact portion may protrude from the large-diameter portion in opposite directions. The contact portion may have a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion. The plurality of contacts may include long contacts whose dimension in the thickness direction is a first length, and short contacts whose dimension in the thickness direction is a second length shorter than the first length. The two metal terminals include a first metal terminal and a second metal terminal, and the inner circumferential surface of each contact housing chamber is formed with a plurality of inward protrusions into which the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal is press-fitted, and a receiving portion for receiving the large-diameter portion of the second metal terminal, and the contact may be held in the housing by the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal being press-fitted into the plurality of inward protrusions. The two metal terminals include a first metal terminal and a second metal terminal, and the inner circumferential surface of each contact housing chamber is formed with a first receiving portion for receiving the large diameter portion of the first metal terminal and a second receiving portion for receiving the large diameter portion of the second metal terminal, and the contact may be held in the housing by positioning the large diameter portion of the first metal terminal and the large diameter portion of the second metal terminal between the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion in the thickness direction. When the first metal terminal is rotated relative to the first receiving portion, the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal may switch between a passable state in which it can pass through the first receiving portion in the thickness direction of the housing, and a non-passable state in which it cannot pass through the first receiving portion in the thickness direction of the housing. There may be a gap between the inner surface of each contact housing chamber and the outer surface of the connecting member of each contact. A manufacturing method is provided, which involves attaching one of the two metal terminals to the connecting member, filling the internal space of the connecting member with the conductive fluid, and attaching the other of the two metal terminals to the connecting member. A manufacturing method is provided, which involves attaching one of the two metal terminals to the connecting member, filling the internal space of the connecting member with the conductive fluid, attaching the other of the two metal terminals to the connecting member, and press-fitting the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal into the plurality of inward protrusions. A manufacturing method is provided, comprising attaching one of the two metal terminals to the connecting member, filling the internal space of the connecting member with the conductive fluid, attaching the other of the two metal terminals to the connecting member, the first metal terminal passing through the first receiving portion, and then rotating the first metal terminal after passing through to switch from the passable state to the passable state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this disclosure, it is possible to achieve a narrower connector pitch. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A perspective view of the interposer. (First embodiment) [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of a portion of the interposer with a cutout. (First embodiment) [Figure 3] A perspective view of the contact. (First embodiment) [Figure 4] This is a side cross-sectional view of the interposer. (First embodiment) [Figure 5] This is a side cross-sectional view of the interposer. (First embodiment) [Figure 6] This is a side cross-sectional view of the interposer. (First embodiment) [Figure 7] This is the manufacturing flow for an interposer. (First Embodiment) [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of a cutout in the interposer. (Second Embodiment) [Figure 9] This is the manufacturing flow for the interposer. (Second Embodiment) [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of a cutout in the interposer. (Third embodiment) [Figure 11] This is a partial plan view of the interposer. (Third Embodiment) [Figure 12] This is the manufacturing flow for the interposer. (Third Embodiment) [Figure 13] This is a simplified diagram of Figure 5 in Patent Document 1.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described through embodiments of the invention, but the invention according to the claims is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, not all of the configurations described in the embodiments are necessarily essential as means for solving the problems. For the sake of clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been appropriately omitted and simplified. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same elements, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0011] In the following embodiments, when necessary for convenience, they will be divided and described in a plurality of sections or embodiments. However, unless otherwise specified, they are not unrelated to each other, and one is related to a partial or entire modification example, application example, detailed explanation, supplementary explanation, etc. of the other. Also, in the following embodiments, when referring to the number of elements, etc. (including the number, numerical value, quantity, and range, etc.), unless otherwise specified or clearly limited to a specific number in principle, it is not limited to that specific number, and it may be more or less than the specific number.

[0012] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, the constituent elements (including operation steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential unless otherwise specified or clearly considered essential in principle. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of the constituent elements, unless otherwise specified and clearly considered not to be so in principle, it includes those substantially approximating or similar to the shape, etc. This also applies to the above numbers, etc. (including the number, numerical value, quantity, and range).

[0013] (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Figure 1 shows an interposer 1. The interposer 1 is a specific example of a connector. The interposer 1 typically connects an LGA package 2 (Land Grid Array) to a rigid substrate 3. Therefore, the interposer 1 is also called an LGA socket.

[0014] The LGA package 2 is a specific example of an electronic component. The LGA package 2 is a semiconductor package in which multiple lands 2A are arranged in a grid pattern.

[0015] Rigid substrate 3 is a specific example of a circuit board. Rigid substrate 3 is a substrate in which multiple lands 3A are arranged in a grid pattern. Rigid substrate 3 is typically a paper phenolic board or a glass epoxy board.

[0016] In this embodiment, the number of cores in the interposer 1 is typically 3,000 to 10,000. However, the number of cores in the interposer 1 may be 3,000 or less, or 10,000 or more.

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the interposer 1 includes a housing 4 and a plurality of contacts 5 held in the housing 4. The interposer 1 may further include positioning guides for positioning the LGA package 2 relative to the housing 4. Alternatively, the housing 4 itself may have the function of positioning the LGA package 2 relative to the housing 4. In this embodiment, the plurality of contacts 5 are arranged in a grid. The pitch of the plurality of contacts 5 is set to, for example, 1 millimeter or less.

[0018] <Housing 4> As shown in Figure 2, the housing 4 is flat and has a plurality of contact housing chambers 6 that penetrate in the thickness direction of the housing 4. Hereinafter, the thickness direction of the housing 4 will also be referred to as the vertical direction. The vertical direction includes the upward direction when viewing the LGA package 2 from the interposer 1 and the downward direction when viewing the interposer 1 from the LGA package 2. The terms vertical direction, upward, and downward are used for convenience of explanation and do not limit the orientation of the interposer 1 when in use. The housing 4 has an upward-facing housing upper surface 4A and a downward-facing housing lower surface 4B. Therefore, each contact housing chamber 6 opens to the housing upper surface 4A and the housing lower surface 4B. Each contact housing chamber 6 extends cylindrically along the vertical direction. More specifically, the inner circumferential surface 6A of the contact housing chamber 6 is a perfect circle in plan view.

[0019] An annular contact receiving flange 7 is formed at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 6A of each contact housing chamber 6, projecting radially inward. The contact receiving flange 7 has an upward-facing upper flange surface 7A and a downward-facing lower flange surface 7B. The lower flange surface 7B is flush with the lower housing surface 4B. The inner circumferential surface of the contact receiving flange 7 is perfectly circular in plan view.

[0020] The housing 4 is made of an easily elastically deformable insulating material, such as silicone rubber. This allows the housing 4 to flexibly deform to follow the warping of the LGA package 2 or the rigid substrate 3. However, instead, the housing 4 may be formed of an insulating material that is not easily elastically deformable, such as LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer).

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each contact 5 includes an upper terminal 10, a lower terminal 11, a tube 12, and liquid metal 13.

[0022] <Top terminal 10・Bottom terminal 11> The upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 are specific examples of metal terminals. The upper terminal 10 is a specific example of a first metal terminal. The lower terminal 11 is a specific example of a second metal terminal. The upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 are typically made of copper or a copper alloy. The upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction. The upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 are constructed as separate parts.

[0023] <Top terminal 10> As shown in Figure 4, the upper terminal 10 has a contact portion 15, a press-fit portion 16, and a large-diameter portion 17. The contact portion 15, the large-diameter portion 17, and the press-fit portion 16 are arranged downwards in this order. The contact portion 15 protrudes upward from the large-diameter portion 17. The press-fit portion 16 protrudes downward from the large-diameter portion 17. That is, the contact portion 15 and the press-fit portion 16 protrude from the large-diameter portion 17 in opposite directions. Therefore, the contact portion 15 and the press-fit portion 16 are arranged back-to-back with the large-diameter portion 17 in between.

[0024] The contact portion 15 includes a cylindrical portion 15A having a straight outer surface in the vertical direction, and a hemispherical portion 15B that is convex upward.

[0025] The press-fit portion 16 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a straight outer surface in the vertical direction.

[0026] The large-diameter portion 17 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer circumferential surface 17A that is a perfect circle in plan view. The diameter of the large-diameter portion 17 is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 15A of the contact portion 15. Furthermore, the diameter of the large-diameter portion 17 is larger than the diameter of the press-fit portion 16.

[0027] <Lower terminal 11> The lower terminal 11 has a contact portion 20, a press-fit portion 21, and a large-diameter portion 22. The contact portion 20, the large-diameter portion 22, and the press-fit portion 21 are arranged upward in this order. The contact portion 20 protrudes downward from the large-diameter portion 22. The press-fit portion 21 protrudes upward from the large-diameter portion 22. That is, the contact portion 20 and the press-fit portion 21 protrude from the large-diameter portion 22 in opposite directions. Therefore, the contact portion 20 and the press-fit portion 21 are arranged back-to-back with the large-diameter portion 22 in between.

[0028] The contact portion 20 includes a cylindrical portion 20A having a straight outer surface in the vertical direction and a hemispherical portion 20B that is convex downwards.

[0029] The press-fit portion 21 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a straight outer surface in the vertical direction.

[0030] The large-diameter portion 22 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an outer circumferential surface 22A that is a perfect circle in plan view. The diameter of the large-diameter portion 22 is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 20A of the contact portion 20. Furthermore, the diameter of the large-diameter portion 22 is larger than the diameter of the press-fit portion 21.

[0031] <Tube 12> Tube 12 is a specific example of a flexible cylindrical connecting member. Tube 12 is made of an easily elastically deformable material, such as silicone rubber. Tube 12 is positioned to extend in the vertical direction. Tube 12 connects the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 by being positioned between them. Hereinafter, the radial direction of the cylindrically configured tube 12 may simply be referred to as the radial direction.

[0032] The tube 12 has an upper thin-walled portion 60, a thick-walled portion 61, and a lower thin-walled portion 62. The upper thin-walled portion 60, the thick-walled portion 61, and the lower thin-walled portion 62 are arranged in this order from bottom to top. The upper thin-walled portion 60, the thick-walled portion 61, and the lower thin-walled portion 62 are integrally formed. The upper thin-walled portion 60 and the lower thin-walled portion 62 are specific examples of the second cylindrical portion. The thick-walled portion 61 is a specific example of the first cylindrical portion.

[0033] The upper thin-walled portion 60 is located at the upper end of the tube 12. The upper thin-walled portion 60 is positioned radially opposite the press-fit portion 16. The press-fit portion 16 is press-fitted into the upper thin-walled portion 60. As a result, the upper terminal 10 is held in place by the upper thin-walled portion 60 of the tube 12. The upper thin-walled portion 60 is also in contact with the large-diameter portion 17 in the vertical direction. This enables the vertical positioning of the upper terminal 10 relative to the tube 12. The upper thin-walled portion 60 has an inner circumferential surface 60A.

[0034] The thick-walled portion 61 is located in the center of the tube 12 in the vertical direction. The thick-walled portion 61 is positioned between the upper thin-walled portion 60 and the thick-walled portion 61. The thick-walled portion 61 connects the upper thin-walled portion 60 and the thick-walled portion 61 to each other. The thick-walled portion 61 has an inner circumferential surface 61A.

[0035] The lower thin-walled portion 62 is located at the lower end of the tube 12. The lower thin-walled portion 62 is positioned radially opposite the press-fit portion 21. The press-fit portion 21 is press-fitted into the lower thin-walled portion 62. As a result, the lower terminal 11 is held in place by the lower thin-walled portion 62 of the tube 12. The lower thin-walled portion 62 is also in contact with the large-diameter portion 22 in the vertical direction. This enables the vertical positioning of the lower terminal 11 relative to the tube 12. The lower thin-walled portion 62 has an inner circumferential surface 62A.

[0036] The radial thickness 60T of the upper thin-walled portion 60, the radial thickness 61T of the thick-walled portion 61, and the radial thickness 62T of the lower thin-walled portion 62 satisfy 60T = 62T < 61T. That is, the thickness 60T of the upper thin-walled portion 60 is thinner than the thickness 61T of the thick-walled portion 61. Similarly, the thickness 62T of the lower thin-walled portion 62 is thinner than the thickness 61T of the thick-walled portion 61.

[0037] The inner diameters of the upper thin-walled section 60, the thick-walled section 61, and the lower thin-walled section 62 are equal to each other. Therefore, the outer diameters of the upper thin-walled section 60 and the lower thin-walled section 62 are equal, and these are smaller than the outer diameter of the thick-walled section 61.

[0038] <Liquid metal 13> The liquid metal 13 is a specific example of a conductive fluid. The liquid metal 13 is filled in the internal space 12S of the tube 12. Specifically, the liquid metal 13 is filled in the internal space 12S, which is divided vertically by the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 and radially by the tube 12. The filling rate of the liquid metal 13 in the internal space 12S is typically set to 50% or more and less than 100%. The filling rate of the liquid metal 13 in the internal space 12S may be set in the range of 70% to 95%. The filling rate of the liquid metal 13 in the internal space 12S may be set in the range of 80% to 90%. The filling rate is the ratio of the volume of the liquid metal 13 to the volume of the internal space 12S of the tube 12. Therefore, it can be said that the internal space 12S of the tube 12 contains the liquid metal 13 and air 70. Similarly, it can be said that the internal space 12S of the tube 12 is filled with the liquid metal 13 and air 70. Air 70 is a specific example of a gas. The gas can be replaced with other gases, such as nitrogen gas.

[0039] The liquid metal 13 is typically composed of a metal having the following properties: It is a liquid when the temperature is between 5 and 35 degrees Celsius. • Low electrical resistance. • It is difficult to vaporize even when heated by electricity.

[0040] As an example of a liquid metal 13 having the above properties, a liquid metal containing Ga (gallium) and Sn (tin) is included. Another example of a liquid metal 13 is a liquid metal containing a eutectic alloy of Ga (gallium), In (indium), and Sn (tin). Galinstan (registered trademark) is a commercially available liquid metal of this type. Galinstan has a boiling point of 1300 degrees Celsius or higher, a melting point of -19 degrees Celsius, and is a liquid metal at room temperature (22 degrees Celsius). Furthermore, Galinstan forms an oxide film at the contact interface with air, and the oxide film functions as a seal, suppressing the vaporization of the liquid metal.

[0041] It is conceivable to apply a plating mainly composed of In or Sn to the portions of the upper terminal 10 and lower terminal 11 that come into contact with the liquid metal 13, namely the press-fit portion 16 of the upper terminal 10 and the press-fit portion 21 of the lower terminal 11, in order to improve wettability and contact resistance with the liquid metal 13.

[0042] The contact angle of the liquid metal 13 with respect to the tube 12 is typically less than 35 degrees. This contact angle may also be less than 15 degrees. By achieving such a contact angle, the inner circumferential surface 61A of the thick-walled portion 61 is wetted with the liquid metal 13 over its entire surface, thereby ensuring electrical conductivity between the upper terminal 10 and the liquid metal 13 even if air 70 is present in the internal space 12S. As an example, if the aforementioned galinstan is used as the liquid metal 13 and silicone rubber is used as the tube 12, the contact angle of the liquid metal 13 with respect to the inner circumferential surface 61A of the thick-walled portion 61 is set to 13 degrees when the temperature of the liquid metal 13 is 25 degrees. As shown in Figure 4, in the unloaded state of the contact 5, the filling rate of the liquid metal 13 can be set so that the press-fit portion 16 is wetted with the liquid metal 13.

[0043] The viscosity of the liquid metal 13 can be adjusted as appropriate within a range that does not impede the fluidity of the liquid metal 13. Therefore, the liquid metal 13 may, for example, be in the form of a paste.

[0044] With the above configuration, the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 are always electrically connected to each other via the liquid metal 13 before and after the use of the interposer 1. Furthermore, while maintaining electrical contact with each other, the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 can move closer to each other in the vertical direction due to the compression of the air 70 and the elastic deformation of the tube 12. When the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 move closer to each other, the internal pressure of the air 70 and the elastic restoring force of the tube 12 cause the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 to experience a repulsive force that causes them to move away from each other.

[0045] <Assembly of Interposer 1> Please refer to Figure 4. Figure 4 shows the state in which contact 5 is housed in contact housing chamber 6. As shown in Figure 4, contact 5 is housed in the corresponding contact housing chamber 6 by moving downward toward the corresponding contact housing chamber 6.

[0046] The contact 5 is held by the contact receiving flange 7 while housed in the contact housing chamber 6. Specifically, the contact 5 is held by the contact receiving flange 7 by the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 of the contact 5 contacting the upper flange surface 7A of the contact receiving flange 7 in the vertical direction.

[0047] At this time, the contact portion 20 of the lower terminal 11 penetrates the contact receiving flange 7 in the vertical direction and is exposed downwards beyond the lower surface 4B of the housing 4.

[0048] In contrast, the contact portion 15 of the upper terminal 10 is exposed above the housing upper surface 4A of the housing 4. For example, the contact portion 15 of the upper terminal 10 is located above the housing upper surface 4A of the housing 4, and the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 is located below the housing upper surface 4A of the housing 4. That is, the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 is completely housed in the contact housing chamber 6.

[0049] Furthermore, a gap G exists between the inner circumferential surface 6A of the contact housing chamber 6 and the outer circumferential surface 12A of the tube 12. This gap G allows the tube 12 to bulge radially outward.

[0050] <Using Interposer 1> Figure 5 shows the behavior of the contacts 5 when the interposer 1 is in use. As shown in Figure 5, the interposer 1 is mounted on a rigid substrate 3. The interposer 1 includes, for example, a hold-down (not shown), and is fixed to the rigid substrate 3 by soldering the hold-down to the rigid substrate 3. As shown in Figure 5, with the interposer 1 mounted on the rigid substrate 3, the contact portion 20 of the lower terminal 11 of each contact 5 is in contact with the land 3A of the rigid substrate 3. At this time, in the case of at least some of the multiple contacts 5, the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 will be floating upward from the contact receiving flange 7 in order to absorb the warping of the rigid substrate 3.

[0051] In this state, to connect the LGA package 2 to the rigid substrate 3, the LGA package 2 is pressed against the interposer 1 by operating a clamp (not shown). As a result, each land 2A of the LGA package 2 comes into contact with the contact portion 15 of the upper terminal 10 of the corresponding contact 5, and pushes down the contact portion 15. That is, the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11. At this time, as described above, the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 maintain electrical contact with each other via the liquid metal 13, and the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11 accompanied by the compression of the air 70 and the elastic deformation of the tube 12. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the thick-walled portion 61 of the tube 12 elastically deforms so as to bulge radially outward, and the upper thin-walled portion 60 and lower thin-walled portion 62 of the tube 12 compressively deform in the vertical direction.

[0052] In this embodiment, air 70 is present in the internal space 12S of the tube 12 along with the liquid metal 13. The upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11 accompanied by the compression of the air 70. Therefore, compared to the case where air 70 is not present in the internal space 12S of the tube 12 and the aforementioned filling rate is 100%, in this embodiment, the tube 12 is less likely to bulge radially outward as the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11. This makes it possible to reduce the gap G between the inner circumferential surface 6A of the contact housing chamber 6 and the outer circumferential surface 12A of the tube 12, thereby contributing to a narrower pitch of the interposer 1.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tube 12 has an upper thin-walled portion 60 and a lower thin-walled portion 62, and as the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, the upper thin-walled portion 60 and the lower thin-walled portion 62 are compressed and deformed in the vertical direction. In this way, because the tube 12 has an upper thin-walled portion 60 and a lower thin-walled portion 62 that are actively compressed and deformed in the vertical direction, when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, it is difficult for an external force to act on the thick-walled portion 61 that would compress the thick-walled portion 61 in the vertical direction. Therefore, compared to the case where the thickness of the tube 12 is uniform in the vertical direction throughout its entire length, in this embodiment, when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, the tube 12 is less likely to bulge radially outward. As a result, the gap G between the inner circumferential surface 6A of the contact housing chamber 6 and the outer circumferential surface 12A of the tube 12 can be reduced, thus contributing to a narrower pitch for the interposer 1.

[0054] In this way, each land 2A of the LGA package 2 becomes electrically connected to the corresponding land 3A of the rigid substrate 3 via the upper terminal 10, liquid metal 13, and lower terminal 11 of the contact 5 in that order.

[0055] On the other hand, to detach the LGA package 2 from the rigid substrate 3, one simply needs to operate the clamp mentioned above to move the LGA package 2 upwards away from the rigid substrate 3. As a result, the upper terminal 10 is pushed back upwards by the internal pressure of the air 70 and the elastic restoring force of the tube 12 itself, and the state of the interposer 1 returns to the state shown in Figure 4.

[0056] Thus, with each contact 5 of this embodiment, the current path length from each land 2A of the LGA package 2 to the corresponding land 3A of the rigid substrate 3 is extremely short because the current path is straight along the vertical direction. Therefore, excellent high-frequency characteristics are achieved.

[0057] Furthermore, the simple configuration of each contact 5 contributes to the reduction in height of the interposer 1.

[0058] Figure 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of the interposer. In the figures from Figure 6 onward, the shape of the tube 12 is depicted in a simplified manner. As shown in Figure 6, the vertical dimension 5H of each contact 5 is configured to increase as it approaches the center of the interposer 1 in a plan view. That is, the multiple contacts 5 include long contacts 5P, whose vertical dimension 5H is a first length, and short contacts 5Q, whose vertical dimension 5H is a second length shorter than the first length. The long contacts 5P are located in the center of the interposer 1 in a plan view. The short contacts 5Q are located on the outer edge of the interposer 1 in a plan view. By changing the length of the tube 12 of each contact 5, the distance between the upper terminal 10 and the lower terminal 11 of each contact 5 is adjusted. This makes it possible to absorb the warping of the LGA package 2 and the rigid substrate 3 when the LGA package 2 is connected to the rigid substrate 3.

[0059] <Manufacturing method> The manufacturing method of the interposer 1 will be described below with reference to Figure 7. First, multiple contacts 5 are manufactured (S100). Specifically, the lower terminal 11 is press-fitted into the tube 12 (S110), liquid metal 13 is filled into the tube 12 (S120), and the upper terminal 10 is press-fitted into the tube 12 (S130).

[0060] However, the upper terminal 10 may be pressed into the tube 12 first, then the tube 12 may be filled with liquid metal 13, and then the lower terminal 11 may be pressed into the tube 12. Alternatively, the upper terminal 10 and lower terminal 11 may be pressed into the tube 12, and then the tube 12 may be filled with liquid metal 13. In this case, it is conceivable to secure a temporary flow path for filling the tube 12 with liquid metal 13 between the upper terminal 10 or lower terminal 11 and the tube 12. Furthermore, the upper terminal 10 and lower terminal 11 may be pressed into the tube 12 after the tube 12 has been filled with liquid metal 13. In this case, it would be effective to slightly increase the viscosity of the liquid metal 13. After multiple contacts 5 have been fabricated (S100), each contact 5 is placed in the corresponding contact housing chamber 6 (S140).

[0061] The first embodiment has been described above. The first embodiment has the following features.

[0062] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the interposer 1 (connector) includes a housing 4 which is flat and has a plurality of contact housing chambers 6 that penetrate in the thickness direction, and a plurality of contacts 5 which are each housed in the plurality of contact housing chambers 6 of the housing 4. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, each contact 5 includes two metal terminals (10, 11) arranged to face each other in the thickness direction of the housing 4, an elastically deformable cylindrical tube 12 (connecting member) that connects the two metal terminals (10, 11), and a liquid metal 13 (conductive fluid) that fills the tube 12. The two metal terminals (10, 11) are electrically connected to each other via the liquid metal 13. Air 70 is present in the internal space 12S of the tube 12. The two metal terminals (10, 11) are configured to move closer to each other in the thickness direction of the housing 4 with the compression of the air 70 and the elastic deformation of the tube 12. With the above configuration, a narrow pitch of the interposer 1 can be achieved. Of particular note is that, with the above configuration, as the two metal terminals (10, 11) approach each other, the air 70 is compressed, which suppresses the tube 12 from expanding radially outward. This effectively contributes to reducing the pitch of the interposer 1.

[0063] As mentioned above, air 70 is present in the internal space 12S of tube 12. Therefore, it can be said that each contact 5 includes two metal terminals (10, 11), tube 12, liquid metal 13, and air 70.

[0064] Furthermore, as mentioned above, air 70 is present in the internal space 12S of the tube 12. Therefore, when we say that the liquid metal 13 is filling the internal space 12S of the tube 12, it means that the liquid metal 13 is filling the internal space 12S of the tube 12 to the extent that air 70 remains in the internal space 12S of the tube 12. The filling rate of the liquid metal 13 in the internal space 12S of the tube 12 is typically set to 50% or more and less than 100%.

[0065] Furthermore, the tube 12 includes a second cylindrical portion (60, 62) and a thickened portion 61 (first cylindrical portion). The second cylindrical portion (60, 62) and the thickened portion 61 are positioned at different locations in the thickness direction of the housing 4. The second cylindrical portion (60, 62) and the thickened portion 61 have different thicknesses. With this configuration, when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, either the second cylindrical portion (60, 62) or the thickened portion 61 can be actively compressed and deformed in the vertical direction, thereby suppressing the tube 12 from bulging radially outward.

[0066] Furthermore, the thickness of the second cylindrical portion (60, 62) is thinner than the thickness of the thick-walled portion 61. With this configuration, when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, the second cylindrical portion (60, 62) is actively compressed and deformed in the vertical direction, so that almost no external force acts on the thick-walled portion 61 to compress it in the vertical direction, thereby suppressing the thick-walled portion 61 from bulging radially outward.

[0067] Furthermore, the second cylindrical portions (60, 62) are positioned at the two ends of the tube 12 in the thickness direction of the housing 4. With this configuration, when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, the upper or lower end of the tube 12 is actively compressed and deformed in the vertical direction.

[0068] Furthermore, either or both of the upper thin-walled portion 60 and the lower thin-walled portion 62 can be omitted. Even in this case, it goes without saying that the air 70 is compressed as the two metal terminals (10, 11) move closer to each other, so the tube 12 does not expand radially outward.

[0069] Furthermore, each metal terminal (10, 11) has a press-fit portion (16, 21) that is press-fitted into the tube 12. The second cylindrical portions (60, 62) are arranged radially opposite to the press-fit portions (16, 21). With this configuration, when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, the second cylindrical portions (60, 62) are compressed and deformed radially while being constrained by the press-fit portion 16. Therefore, when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, the upper thin-walled portion 60 can be compressed and deformed vertically while maintaining a stable posture.

[0070] Furthermore, each metal terminal (10, 11) has a press-fit portion (16, 21) that is press-fitted into the tube 12. With this configuration, good workability is achieved when connecting the two metal terminals (10, 11) with the tube 12.

[0071] Furthermore, each metal terminal (10, 11) has a larger diameter portion (17, 22) than the press-fit portion (16, 21). With this configuration, when the press-fit portion (16, 21) is pressed into the tube 12, the positioning of the press-fit portion (16, 21) relative to the tube 12 is achieved.

[0072] Furthermore, each metal terminal (10, 11) has a contact portion (15, 20) that is exposed to the outside from the housing 4. The press-fit portion (16, 21) and the contact portion (15, 20) are arranged back-to-back with the large-diameter portion (17, 22) in between. With the above configuration, each metal terminal (10, 11) can be realized with a simple structure.

[0073] Furthermore, each metal terminal (10, 11) has a contact portion (15, 20) that is exposed to the outside from the housing 4. The press-fit portion (16, 21) and the contact portion (15, 20) protrude in opposite directions from the large-diameter portion (17, 22). With the above configuration, each metal terminal (10, 11) can be realized with a simple structure.

[0074] Furthermore, the contact points (15, 20) have a smaller diameter than the large-diameter sections (17, 22). This configuration contributes to reducing the weight of the interposer 1.

[0075] Furthermore, there is a gap G between the inner circumferential surface 6A of each contact housing chamber 6 and the outer circumferential surface 12A of the tube 12 of each contact 5. With this configuration, elastic deformation of the tube 12 radially outward is permitted.

[0076] Furthermore, the interposer 1 is manufactured by attaching one of the two metal terminals (10, 11) to the tube 12, filling the tube 12 with liquid metal 13, and then attaching the other of the two metal terminals (10, 11) to the tube 12. By following this method, the manufacturing cost of the interposer 1 can be reduced.

[0077] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment, omitting any redundant explanations.

[0078] In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 4, with the contact 5 housed in the contact housing chamber 6, the contact 5 can be easily pulled upward from the contact housing chamber 6. Therefore, when the interposer 1 is turned upside down, there is a risk that the contact 5 may unintentionally fall out of the housing 4.

[0079] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the contact 5 is held in the housing 4 by press-fitting. Specifically, a plurality of inward protrusions 30 are formed at the upper end of the inner circumferential surface 6A of each contact housing chamber 6. In this embodiment, the plurality of inward protrusions 30 includes three inward protrusions 30. However, instead, the plurality of inward protrusions 30 may include two or four or more inward protrusions 30. As shown in Figure 8, the three inward protrusions 30 are arranged at equal intervals in a plan view. The diameter of the circle passing through the radially inward apex of the three inward protrusions 30 before elastic deformation is smaller than the diameter of the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10. Similar to the first embodiment, a contact receiving flange 7 is formed at the lower end of the inner circumferential surface 6A of each contact housing chamber 6. The contact receiving flange 7 is a specific example of a receiving portion that receives the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11.

[0080] As shown in Figure 8, with the contact 5 housed in the contact housing chamber 6, the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 is press-fitted against the three inward protrusions 30. In this state, the three inward protrusions 30 are elastically deformed radially outward, acting as an elastic restoring force radially inward on the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10. This elastic restoring force holds the contact 5 in place within the housing 4.

[0081] In the state shown in Figure 8, to connect the LGA package 2 to the rigid substrate 3, the LGA package 2 is pressed against the interposer 1 by operating a clamp (not shown). As a result, each land 2A of the LGA package 2 comes into contact with the contact portion 15 of the upper terminal 10 of the corresponding contact 5, and pushes down the contact portion 15. That is, the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11. This movement of the upper terminal 10 releases the press-fit, and the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 moves below the three inward protrusions 30. When the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 moves below the three inward protrusions 30, the three inward protrusions 30 elastically return to their pre-press-fit state, so that they are slightly opposed to the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 in the vertical direction. This opposing relationship prevents the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 from moving upward beyond the three inward protrusions 30, thereby preventing the contact 5 from falling out of the contact housing chamber 6.

[0082] Next, the manufacturing method of the interposer 1 will be described with reference to Figure 9. Steps S100 to S130 are the same as steps S100 to S130 of the first embodiment described above, so their description will be omitted. In this embodiment, step S140, in which each contact 5 is housed in the corresponding contact housing chamber 6, differs from step S140 of the first embodiment described above. That is, step S140 in this embodiment includes step S150 in which the lower terminal 11 passes through three inward protrusions 30, and step S160 in which the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 is press-fitted into the three inward protrusions 30.

[0083] The second embodiment has been described above. The second embodiment has the following features.

[0084] Specifically, the two metal terminals (10, 11) include an upper terminal 10 (first metal terminal) and a lower terminal 11 (second metal terminal). The inner circumferential surface 6A of each contact housing chamber 6 is formed with a plurality of inward protrusions 30 into which the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 is press-fitted, and a contact receiving flange 7 (receiving portion) that receives the large-diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11. The contact 5 is held in the housing 4 by the press-fitting of the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 into the plurality of inward protrusions 30. With this configuration, the handling of the interposer 1 is improved. In addition, since the press-fitting is released when the upper terminal 10 moves toward the lower terminal 11, the movement of the upper terminal 10 toward the lower terminal 11 is permitted.

[0085] Furthermore, the interposer 1 is manufactured by attaching one of the two metal terminals (10, 11) to the tube 12, filling the tube 12 with liquid metal 13, attaching the other of the two metal terminals (10, 11) to the tube 12, and press-fitting the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 into the multiple inward protrusions 30. By this method, the manufacturing cost of the interposer 1 can be reduced.

[0086] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the second embodiment, omitting any redundant explanations.

[0087] In the second embodiment described above, before the interposer 1 is used, the contact 5 is held in the housing 4 by press-fitting the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 into the three inward protrusions 30, as shown in Figure 8.

[0088] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, before and after the use of the interposer 1, the contact 5 is held in the housing 4 because the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 is positioned below the three inward protrusions 30. In this embodiment, the three inward protrusions 30 are a specific example of a first receiving portion that receives the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10. The contact receiving flange 7 is a specific example of a second receiving portion that receives the large-diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11. The contact 5 is held in the housing 4 because the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 and the large-diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 are positioned between the three inward protrusions 30 and the contact receiving flange 7 in the vertical direction.

[0089] Specifically, on the outer circumferential surface 17A of the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10, three upper recesses 31 are formed to correspond to the three inward protrusions 30. The three upper recesses 31 are formed at equal intervals in a plan view. Similarly, on the outer circumferential surface 22A of the large-diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11, three lower recesses 32 are formed to correspond to the three inward protrusions 30. The three lower recesses 32 are formed at equal intervals in a plan view.

[0090] Figure 11 shows two states of the upper terminal 10: a passable state in which the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 can pass through the three inward protrusions 30 in the vertical direction, and an impassable state in which the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 cannot pass through the three inward protrusions 30 in the vertical direction.

[0091] In the passable state shown in Figure 11, the three upper recesses 31 of the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 are aligned with the three inward protrusions 30, and the three upper recesses 31 of the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 and the three inward protrusions 30 are not in a positional relationship that faces each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, in this passable state, the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 can pass through the space inside the three inward protrusions 30 without coming into contact with the three inward protrusions 30.

[0092] In the impassable state shown in Figure 11, the contact 5 is rotated 30 degrees from the passable state. At this time, the three inward protrusions 30 are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction to the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10. Therefore, in this impassable state, the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 cannot pass through the space inside the three inward protrusions 30 without coming into contact with the three inward protrusions 30.

[0093] Thus, in this embodiment, the state of the upper terminal 10 can be switched between a passable state and a passable state simply by rotating the upper terminal 10 relative to the three inward protrusions 30.

[0094] As shown in Figure 10, three lower recesses 32 are also formed in the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11. By aligning the three lower recesses 32 with the three inward protrusions 30, the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 can pass through the space inside the three inward protrusions 30 without coming into contact with them.

[0095] With the above configuration, to house the contact 5 in the contact housing chamber 6, first, the contact 5 is inserted into the contact housing chamber 6 with the three lower recesses 32 formed in the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 aligned with the three inward protrusions 30. Next, with the three upper recesses 31 formed in the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 aligned with the three inward protrusions 30, the upper terminal 10 is pushed down so that the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 passes through the space inside the three inward protrusions 30. As a result, the tube 12 elastically deforms so that it bulges slightly radially outward, as shown in Figure 10. In this state, the state of the upper terminal 10 is switched from a passable state to a passable state by rotating the upper terminal 10 relative to the three inward protrusions 30. Then, the downward load on the upper terminal 10 is released. As a result, the upper terminal 10 rises due to the elastic restoring force of the tube 12, and the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 abuts against the three inward protrusions 30. As a result, the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 and the large-diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 are positioned between the three inward protrusions 30 and the contact receiving flange 7, and the contact 5 is held in the housing 4. In this embodiment, while the contact 5 is held in the housing 4, the contact 5 is in a preloaded state. Specifically, as shown in Figure 10, with the large-diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 abutting against the three inward protrusions 30, elastic energy remains in the tube 12, continuously pushing up the upper terminal 10. This prevents the contact 5 from moving around in the contact housing chamber 6 when the interposer 1 is handled. However, the contact 5 does not necessarily have to be in a preloaded state while it is held in the housing 4.

[0096] Next, the manufacturing method of the interposer 1 will be described with reference to Figure 12. Steps S100 to S130 are the same as steps S100 to S130 of the first embodiment described above, so their description will be omitted. In this embodiment, step S140, in which each contact 5 is housed in the corresponding contact housing chamber 6, differs from step S140 of the first embodiment described above. That is, step S140 in this embodiment includes step S200 in which the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 passes through three inward protrusions 30, step S210 in which the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 passes through three inward protrusions 30, and step S220 in which the state of the upper terminal 10 is switched from a passable state to a passable state by rotating the upper terminal 10 relative to the three inward protrusions 30.

[0097] The third embodiment has been described above. The third embodiment has the following features.

[0098] The two metal terminals (10, 11) include an upper terminal 10 (first metal terminal) and a lower terminal 11 (second metal terminal). On the inner circumferential surface 6A of each contact housing chamber 6, three inward projections 30 (first receiving parts) that receive the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 and a contact receiving flange 7 (second receiving part) that receives the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 are formed. The contact 5 is held in the housing 4 by positioning the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 and the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 between the three inward projections 30 and the contact receiving flange 7 in the vertical direction. With this configuration, the handling performance of the interposer 1 is improved.

[0099] Furthermore, when the upper terminal 10 is rotated relative to the three inward protrusions 30, the state of the upper terminal 10 switches between a passable state in which the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 can pass through the three inward protrusions 30 in the vertical direction, and a passable state in which the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 cannot pass through the three inward protrusions 30 in the vertical direction. With the above configuration, a configuration in which the large diameter portion 17 of the upper terminal 10 and the large diameter portion 22 of the lower terminal 11 are positioned between the three inward protrusions 30 and the contact receiving flange 7 in the vertical direction can be easily realized.

[0100] Furthermore, the interposer 1 is manufactured by attaching one of the two metal terminals (10, 11) to the tube 12, filling the tube 12 with liquid metal 13, attaching the other of the two metal terminals (10, 11) to the tube 12, allowing the upper terminal 10 to pass through the three inward protrusions 30, and then rotating the upper terminal 10 after passing through to switch from a passable state to a passable state. By following this method, the manufacturing cost of the interposer 1 can be reduced.

[0101] The present invention has been described in detail above based on embodiments, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments already described, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0102] 1. Interposer (connector) 2 LGA packages 2A Land 3 Rigid substrate 3A Land 4 Housing 4A Housing top 4B Housing bottom 5 Contact 5H dimensions 5P Long Contact Lenses 5Q Short Contact Lenses 6. Contact Room 6A Inner surface 7. Contact receiving flange (receiving part, second receiving part) 7A Flange top surface 7B Flange bottom 10 Upper terminal (metal terminal, first metal terminal) 11. Lower terminal (metal terminal, second metal terminal) 12 Tubes (connecting members) 12S interior space 12A Outer surface 13. Liquid metal (conductive fluid) 15 Contact point 15A Cylindrical section 15B Hemisphere section 16 Press-fit section 17 Large diameter section 17A Outer surface 20 Contact point 20A Cylindrical section 20B Hemisphere section 21 Press-fit section 22 Large diameter section 22A Outer surface 30 Inward projection (first receiving portion) 31 Upper recess 32 Lower recess 60 Upper thin-walled section (second cylindrical section) 60A Inner surface 60T thickness 61 Thick-walled section (first cylindrical section) 61A Inner surface 61T thickness 62 Lower thin-walled section (second cylindrical section) 62A Inner surface 62T thickness 70 Air G Gap

Claims

1. A housing having a flat plate shape and multiple contact housing chambers penetrating in the thickness direction, Each of the multiple contact housing chambers of the housing is housed a plurality of contacts, Includes, Each contact, Two metal terminals are arranged so as to face each other in the thickness direction of the housing, A cylindrical connecting member that is easily elastically deformable and connects the two metal terminals, A conductive fluid is filled into the internal space of the connecting member, Includes, The two metal terminals are electrically connected to each other via the conductive fluid. A gas is present in the internal space of the connecting member. The two metal terminals are configured to move closer to each other in the thickness direction of the housing, accompanied by the compression of the gas and the elastic deformation of the connecting member. connector.

2. The connector according to claim 1, The connecting member includes a first cylindrical portion and a second cylindrical portion, which are arranged at different positions in the thickness direction of the housing and have different thicknesses from each other. connector.

3. The connector according to claim 2, The thickness of the second cylindrical portion is thinner than the thickness of the first cylindrical portion. connector.

4. The connector according to claim 3, The second cylindrical portion is positioned at least one of the two ends of the connecting member in the thickness direction of the housing. connector.

5. The connector according to claim 4, Each metal terminal has a press-fit portion that is press-fitted into the connecting member. The second cylindrical portion is arranged radially opposite to the press-fit portion. connector.

6. The connector according to claim 1, Each metal terminal has a press-fit portion that is press-fitted into the connecting member. connector.

7. The connector according to claim 6, Each metal terminal has a larger diameter portion than the press-fit portion. connector.

8. The connector according to claim 7, Each metal terminal has a contact portion that is exposed to the outside from the housing. The press-fit portion and the contact portion are arranged back-to-back with the large-diameter portion in between. connector.

9. The connector according to claim 7, Each metal terminal has a contact portion that is exposed to the outside from the housing. The press-fit portion and the contact portion protrude from the large-diameter portion in opposite directions. connector.

10. A connector according to claim 8 or 9, The contact portion has a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion. connector.

11. The connector according to claim 10, The plurality of contacts include long contacts whose dimension in the thickness direction of the housing is a first length, and short contacts whose dimension in the thickness direction of the housing is a second length shorter than the first length. connector.

12. The connector according to claim 10, The two metal terminals include a first metal terminal and a second metal terminal. On the inner surface of each contact housing chamber, The large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal is press-fitted into a plurality of inward protrusions, A receiving portion that receives the large-diameter portion of the second metal terminal, A structure has been formed, The contact is held in the housing by the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal being press-fitted into the plurality of inward protrusions. connector.

13. The connector according to claim 10, The two metal terminals include a first metal terminal and a second metal terminal. On the inner surface of each contact housing chamber, A first receiving portion that receives the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal, A second receiving portion that receives the large-diameter portion of the second metal terminal, A structure has been formed, The contact is held in the housing by positioning the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal and the large-diameter portion of the second metal terminal between the first receiving portion and the second receiving portion in the plate thickness direction. connector.

14. The connector according to claim 13, When the first metal terminal is rotated relative to the first receiving portion, the large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal switches between a passable state in which it can pass through the first receiving portion in the thickness direction of the housing, and a non-passable state in which it cannot pass through the first receiving portion in the thickness direction of the housing. connector.

15. The connector according to claim 1, There is a gap between the inner surface of each contact housing chamber and the outer surface of the connecting member of each contact. connector.

16. A method for manufacturing a connector according to claim 1, Attach one of the two metal terminals to the connecting member. The conductive fluid is filled into the internal space of the connecting member. The other of the two metal terminals is attached to the connecting member. Manufacturing method.

17. A method for manufacturing a connector according to claim 12, Attach one of the two metal terminals to the connecting member. The conductive fluid is filled into the internal space of the connecting member. The other of the two metal terminals is attached to the connecting member. The large-diameter portion of the first metal terminal is press-fitted into the plurality of inward protrusions. Manufacturing method.

18. A method for manufacturing a connector according to claim 14, Attach one of the two metal terminals to the connecting member. The conductive fluid is filled into the internal space of the connecting member. The other of the two metal terminals is attached to the connecting member. The first metal terminal passes through the first receiving portion, After passage, the first metal terminal is rotated to switch from the passable state to the passable state. Manufacturing method.

Images