Connectors and connector assemblies

Abstract

Even when the connector is miniaturized, the movable housing will not detach from the fixed housing when subjected to external forces such as shock or vibration, or when large misalignments occur, ensuring reliable mating and unmating operations, resulting in a simple structure, low cost, and high reliability. [Solution] A connector comprising a fixed housing, a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing, terminals held by the fixed housing and the movable housing, and a metal blade, wherein the metal blade is held by the fixed housing so as to penetrate in the width direction through a recessed space of the fixed housing that houses the movable housing, the movable housing includes a restricting portion for restricting upward movement of the movable housing, the restricting portion is located in the recessed space, and the portion of the metal blade located in the recessed space is located above the restricting portion.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a board-to-board connector has been used to electrically connect a pair of parallel circuit boards. However, the relative positions of the preset circuit boards may shift. Therefore, in order to absorb the displacement of the circuit board, it has been proposed to make one or both of the connectors have a floating structure (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] FIG. 21 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a conventional connector with a floating structure.

[0004] In the figure, 811 is a fixed housing of a connector mounted on the surface of a circuit board not shown, and is fixed to the surface of the circuit board by fixing brackets 871 disposed outside both longitudinal ends of the fixed housing 811. Further, 831 is a movable housing accommodated inside the fixed housing 811 and is movable with respect to the fixed housing 811.

[0005] Also, each of a plurality of terminal accommodation recesses 837 formed side by side in the longitudinal direction of the movable housing 831 accommodates a terminal 861. The terminal 861 includes a held portion 866 fixed and held in the terminal accommodation recess 837 and a board connection portion 863 fixed to a connection pad on the surface of the circuit board, and includes a spring piece (not shown) formed to curve between the held portion 866 and the board connection portion 863. When the spring piece elastically deform, the movable housing 831 can move elastically with respect to the fixed housing 811 fixed to the surface of the circuit board.

[0006] Furthermore, the fixing bracket 871 has a protruding piece 873 whose tip reaches inside the fixed housing 811. The tip of the protruding piece 873 is located above the housing protrusions 832 that protrude from both longitudinal ends of the movable housing 831. Therefore, the amount of movement of the movable housing 831 relative to the fixed housing 811 is reliably limited by the housing protrusions 832 contacting the protruding piece 873, so that the connector components such as the terminal 861 are not damaged. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 06-163125 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, the conventional connector described above cannot adequately accommodate the miniaturization of components 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 required miniaturization of the housing and, consequently, the miniaturization of each component. However, in the conventional connector described above, fixing brackets 871 are provided on the outer sides of both longitudinal ends of the fixed housing 811, and these fixing brackets 871 fix the fixed housing 811 to the surface of the circuit board and limit the amount of movement of the movable housing 831 relative to the fixed housing 811. Therefore, if the fixing brackets 871 are miniaturized in order to miniaturize the connector, their strength decreases, which not only makes the fixing of the fixed housing 811 to the surface of the circuit board unstable, but also makes it difficult to reliably limit the amount of movement of the movable housing 831 relative to the fixed housing 811, and as a result, various components of the connector, such as the terminals 861, may be damaged.

[0009] Furthermore, when disengaging from a mating connector (not shown), the operator grasps the fixed housing 811 with their fingers or the like and applies a force to pull the connector away from the mating connector. However, if the strength of the fixing bracket 871 is low, the applied force will not be properly transmitted from the fixed housing 811 to the movable housing 831, making it impossible to properly disengage from the mating connector.

[0010] The objective here is to solve the aforementioned problems of the conventional design and to provide a connector and connector assembly that, even when the connector is miniaturized, does not detach from the fixed housing when subjected to external forces such as shock or vibration, or when a large displacement occurs, and that can reliably perform the mating and unmating operation, while also having a simple structure, low cost, and high reliability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] To this end, the connector comprises a fixed housing, a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing, terminals held by the fixed housing and the movable housing, and a metal blade, wherein the metal blade is held by the fixed housing so as to penetrate a recessed space of the fixed housing in the width direction, the movable housing includes a restricting portion for restricting upward movement of the movable housing, the restricting portion is located within the recessed space, and the portion of the metal blade located within the recessed space is located above the restricting portion.

[0012] In other connectors, the restricting portion further includes a planar contact portion that can contact the metal blade, and the metal blade includes a straight portion that can contact the contact portion.

[0013] Furthermore, in other connectors, the restricting portion is a through hole, and the metal blade has an L-shaped cross-section.

[0014] Furthermore, in other connectors, the upper surface of the fixed housing can contact the flange portion of the movable housing, and when the upper surface of the fixed housing is in contact with the flange portion of the movable housing, the metal blade is not in contact with the restricting portion.

[0015] Furthermore, in other connectors, the upward movement limit of the movable housing is when the metal blade comes into contact with the restricting portion, and the downward movement limit of the movable housing is when the upper surface of the fixed housing comes into contact with the flange portion of the movable housing.

[0016] Furthermore, in other connectors, before the connector is mated with the mating connector, the upper surface of the fixed housing is not in contact with the movable housing, and the metal blade is not in contact with the restricting portion.

[0017] The connector assembly comprises the connector of the present disclosure and a mating connector that mates with the connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to this disclosure, the connector can reliably perform the unmating operation without damaging the connector, even during the unmating operation. Furthermore, the structure can be simplified, costs can be reduced, and reliability can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the mated state of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the state of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment before they are mated together. [Figure 3] This is an exploded view of the first connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] A three-view drawing of the first connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional views showing the metal blades of the first connector in the first state in the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D-D in (a). [Figure 6] Cross-sectional views showing the metal blades of the first connector in the second state in the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D'-D' in (a). [Figure 7] Cross-sectional views showing the metal blades of the first connector in the third state in the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 4(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line D''-D'' in (a). [Figure 8] A cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the metal blade of the first connector in the first embodiment, corresponding to the cross-sectional view in FIG. 5(b). [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view showing the power terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 4(b). [Figure 10] A cross-sectional view showing the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 4(b). [Figure 11] An enlarged view of the main part of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, which is an enlarged view of part E in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] An enlarged view of the main part of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, which is an enlarged view of part F in FIG. 10. (a) is the enlarged view of part F in FIG. 10, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line H-H in (a). [Figure 13] An enlarged view of the main part of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, which is an enlarged view of part G in FIG. 10. (a) is the enlarged view of part G in FIG. 10, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line I-I in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line J-J in (a). [Figure 14] A perspective view of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the signal terminals of the first connector in the first embodiment, and corresponds to Figure 10. [Figure 16] This is an exploded view of the second connector in the first embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a side view showing the state in which the first connector and the second connector are mated together in the first embodiment. [Figure 18] This is a cross-sectional view showing the mated state of the first connector and the second connector in the first embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow KK in Figure 17, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow LL in Figure 17. [Figure 19] A three-view drawing of the first connector in the second embodiment, where (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. [Figure 20] This is a cross-sectional view showing the metal blade of the first connector in a first state in the second embodiment, where (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the MM arrow in Figure 19(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the NN arrow in (a). [Figure 21] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing a conventional floating connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0021] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the mated state of the first and second connectors in the first embodiment, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the state before the first and second connectors are mated in the first embodiment, Figure 3 is an exploded view of the first connector in the first embodiment, Figure 4 is a three-view drawing of the first connector in the first embodiment, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the metal blade in the first state of the first connector in the first embodiment, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the metal blade in the second state of the first connector in the first embodiment, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the metal blade in the third state of the first connector in the first embodiment, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the metal blade of the first connector in the first embodiment, corresponding to Figure 5(b), and Figure 9 is the first Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the power terminal of the first connector in the embodiment, as seen through the arrow BB in Figure 4(b); Figure 11 is an enlarged view of the main part of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, as seen through the arrow CC in Figure 4(b); Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the main part of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, as seen through part E in Figure 10; Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the main part of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, as seen through part F in Figure 10; Figure 14 is a perspective view of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment; and Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the signal terminal of the first connector in the first embodiment, corresponding to the cross-sectional view in Figure 10. In Figure 4, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. In Figure 5, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA arrow in Figure 4(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the DD arrow in (a). In Figure 6, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA arrow in Figure 4(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the D'-D' arrows in (a). In Figure 7, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the AA arrow in Figure 4(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the D''-D'' arrows in (a). In Figure 12, (a) is an enlarged view of section F in Figure 10, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the HH arrow in (a). In Figure 13, (a) is an enlarged view of section G in Figure 10, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the II arrow in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the JJ arrow in (a).

[0022] In the figure, 10 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 connector pair. The first connector 10 is a surface-mount type receptacle connector mounted on the surface of a first board, which is a board not shown as a mounting member, and is mated with a second connector 101 as a mating connector. The first connector 10 is a so-called floating-type connector and comprises a first fixed housing 11 as a fixed housing fixedly attached to the surface of the first board, and a first movable housing 31 as a movable housing that is movable relative to the first fixed housing 11.

[0023] On the other hand, the second connector 101 is the other half of a pair of board-to-board connectors that form a connector assembly or connector pair, and is a surface-mount type plug connector mounted on the surface of a second board, which is a board not shown as a mounting member. The second connector 101 may also be a so-called floating-type connector, similar to the first connector 10, but here it is described as not being a floating-type connector, but rather comprising only a second housing 111 as a mating housing, which is a fixed housing fixedly attached to the surface of the second board, and not comprising a movable housing.

[0024] Furthermore, the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 of the connector assembly in this embodiment are preferably used to electrically connect the first substrate and the second substrate as substrates, but they can also be used to electrically connect other components. The first substrate and the second substrate are, for example, printed circuit boards used in electronic devices, flexible flat cables (FFCs), flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs), etc., but any type of substrate may be used.

[0025] 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 10 and the second connector 101 of the connector assembly, are relative rather than absolute. They are appropriate when each part of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 is in the position shown in the figure, but should be modified and interpreted accordingly if the position changes.

[0026] As shown in Figure 4, the first connector 10 is configured to be symmetrical when viewed from the width direction (Y-axis direction) and also symmetrical when viewed from the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction). The first fixed housing 11 and the first movable housing 31 of the first connector 10 are each integrally formed from an insulator (dielectric) such as synthetic resin. The first connector 10 has dimensions of, for example, approximately 92 mm in length (X-axis direction), approximately 10.2 mm in width (Y-axis direction), and approximately 19.3 mm in thickness (Z-axis direction), but these dimensions can be changed as appropriate.

[0027] The first fixed housing 11 is a roughly rectangular tubular member and has a pair of parallel rectangular flat long wall portions 12a extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, a pair of parallel rectangular thick plate members extending in the width direction of the first connector 10, shorter than the long wall portions 12a and connected to the longitudinal ends of the long wall portions 12a, and a recessed space 15 which is a rectangular prism-shaped cavity defined on all four sides by the long wall portions 12a and the short wall portions 12b, with its upper and lower ends (both ends in the Z-axis direction) open. In the example shown in the figure, the recessed space 15 accommodates a regulating protrusion 31d which is part of the first movable housing 31. The lower surface of the first fixed housing 11 is the mounting surface 11b facing the surface of the first substrate. The upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11 functions as a fixed-side lower reference surface that defines the lower limit of the movement range of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, a signal terminal mounting portion 13 and a power terminal mounting portion 14 are formed on the surface on the recessed space 15 side at the lower end (negative Z-axis end) of each long wall portion 12a, i.e., the inner surface.

[0028] The signal terminal mounting portion 13 has a signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a formed therein to hold the fixed-side retained portion 62a of the first signal terminal 61, which is a signal terminal among the terminals of the first connector 10. Each signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a is an elongated groove-shaped recess extending in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), and the fixed-side retained portion 62a of each first signal terminal 61 is housed and held inside it. Furthermore, both sides of each signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a are signal terminal fixed-side retaining walls 13b formed to project relatively toward the center in the width direction of the first fixed housing 11. As shown in Figure 13, both sides of each signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a, that is, the side wall surfaces of the signal terminal fixed-side retaining walls 13b, have signal terminal fixed-side retaining grooves 13b1 that extend upward from the lower end. Furthermore, a lightening cutout 13a1, which is an elongated groove-shaped recess extending vertically, is formed on the bottom surface of each signal terminal fixing side retaining recess 13a. This lightening cutout 13a1 is formed to match the impedance of the first signal terminal 61. In addition, a canopy portion 13c is formed at the upper end of the signal terminal mounting portion 13, protruding toward the center in the width direction of the first fixed housing 11 and defining the upper end of the signal terminal fixing side retaining recess 13a. In the example shown in the figure, 65 signal terminal fixing side retaining recesses 13a are formed on each of the left and right signal terminal mounting portions 13 of the first fixed housing 11 at a predetermined pitch (for example, about 0.3 to 0.5 [mm]), but the number can be changed to match the number of first signal terminals 61.

[0029] Furthermore, the power terminal mounting portion 14 has a power terminal fixed-side retaining recess 14a formed therein for holding the fixed-side retained portion 52 of the first power terminal 51, which is the first fixed portion of the power terminal of the first connector 10. Each power terminal fixed-side retaining recess 14a is an elongated groove-shaped recess extending in the vertical direction, and the fixed-side retained portion 52 of each first power terminal 51 is housed and held inside it. In addition, both sides of each power terminal fixed-side retaining recess 14a are power terminal fixed-side retaining walls 14b formed to project relatively toward the longitudinal center of the first fixed housing 11. In the example shown in the figure, one power terminal fixed-side retaining recess 14a is formed on each of the power terminal mounting portions 14 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first fixed housing 11, but the number can be changed to match the number of first power terminals 51.

[0030] The first movable housing 31 has a pair of parallel rectangular plate-shaped long wall portions 31a extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, a pair of parallel rectangular plate-shaped members extending in the width direction of the first connector 10, shorter than the long wall portions 31a and connected to the longitudinal ends of the long wall portions 31a, a mating housing cavity 35 which is a rectangular prism-shaped cavity defined on all four sides by the long wall portions 31a and the short wall portions 31b and has an open upper end (positive Z-axis end), and a bottom portion 31c which is connected to the lower ends of the long wall portions 31a and the short wall portions 31b and closes the lower end (negative Z-axis end) of the mating housing cavity 35. The lower surface of the flange portion 31c1 of the bottom portion 31c functions as a movable side lower limit reference surface that defines the lower limit of the movement range of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11.

[0031] In this embodiment, the first movable housing 31 is located above the first fixed housing 11 and does not enter the recessed space 15. In other words, in the vertical direction, the lower surface of the flange portion 31c1 is located above the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11.

[0032] Furthermore, the first movable housing 31 includes a restricting portion 31e that restricts the upward movement of the first movable housing 31. On the lower surface of the flange portion 31c1 of the bottom portion 31c near both longitudinal ends of the first movable housing 31, restricting protrusions 31d are formed so as to protrude downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) and are housed in the recessed space 15 of the first fixed housing 11. Each restricting protrusion 31d has a through hole formed as a restricting portion 31e that penetrates the restricting protrusion 31d in the width direction of the first connector 10. As shown in Figure 5, a metal blade 75, which is a positioning member attached to the first fixed housing 11, is inserted into the restricting portion 31e, and the metal blade 75 abuts against the lower wall 31e1 or the upper wall 31e2, which are planar contact portions of the restricting portion 31e, thereby defining the upper or lower limit of the range of movement of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11. In the state shown in Figure 5, the portion of the metal blade 75 located within the recessed space 15 can be said to be located above the regulating portion 31e.

[0033] In this embodiment, the lower wall 31e1 functions as a movable-side upper limit reference surface that defines the upper limit of the movement range of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11 by contacting the metal blade 75, but the upper wall 31e2 does not contact the metal blade 75 and does not function as a movable-side upper limit reference surface that defines the upper limit of the movement range of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11. Also, in the example shown in the figure, the restricting portion 31e is shown as a hole with all four walls (top, bottom, left, and right) closed, but it may also be a U-shaped portion with one of the left or right side walls open.

[0034] As shown in Figure 3, each metal blade 75 is a component integrally formed by bending or other processes on a metal plate, and includes a main body portion 76 as a strip-shaped, elongated straight section extending in the width direction of the first connector 10, and fixed portions 77 formed at both longitudinal ends of the main body portion 76 and fixed to the first fixed housing 11. The main body portion 76 includes a vertical plate portion 76a substantially parallel to the short wall portion 12b, a lower plate portion 76b that bends approximately 90 degrees from the lower end of the vertical plate portion 76a and protrudes in the longitudinal direction of the first fixed housing 11, and an upper plate portion 76c that bends approximately 90 degrees from the upper end of the vertical plate portion 76a and protrudes in the longitudinal direction of the first fixed housing 11, and has a substantially U-shaped cross-section. The upper plate portion 76c can be omitted as appropriate, and if the upper plate portion 76c is omitted, the cross-sectional shape of the main body portion 76 is substantially L-shaped. Furthermore, the fixed portion 77 includes a projection 77a that protrudes upward and a recess 77b that is recessed from both longitudinal ends of the main body portion 76 toward the longitudinal center.

[0035] Furthermore, in the long wall portion 12a of the first fixed housing 11, a mounting hole 12a2 is formed as a through hole for attaching the metal blade 75 at a location corresponding to the restricting portion 31e of the restricting projection 31d housed in the recessed space 15. The metal blade 75 is moved in the width direction of the first fixed housing 11 and inserted into the mounting hole 12a2, passing through the restricting portion 31e of the restricting projection 31d as shown in Figures 5-7, and the fixed portions 77 formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction are press-fitted into the mounting holes 12a2 formed in the long wall portions 12a on both the left and right sides to secure it. As a result, the metal blade 75 is held in the first fixed housing 11 so as to penetrate the recessed space 15 in the width direction and is positioned above the lower wall 31e1 of the restricting portion 31e within the recessed space 15. Note that both ends of the metal blade 75 in the longitudinal direction do not protrude outward beyond the outer surfaces of the long wall portions 12a on both the left and right sides.

[0036] Thus, the metal blade 75, which is attached to the first fixed housing 11 and functions as a positioning member to limit the amount of movement of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11, does not protrude outward from the first fixed housing 11, allowing the first fixed housing 11, and consequently the first connector 10, to be miniaturized. Furthermore, since the metal blade 75 is a U-shaped or L-shaped member with a large quadratic modulus of area and high strength, even when miniaturized, it can still exert sufficient strength to limit the amount of movement of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11.

[0037] In the first state, which is the initial state before the first connector 10 is mated with the second connector 101, that is, when no external force is applied to the first connector 10 and the first movable housing 31 can move relative to the first fixed housing 11 in the vertical, widthwise, and longitudinal directions of the first connector 10, as well as tilt, as shown in Figure 5, the metal blade 75 is not in contact with the lower wall 31e1 of the restricting portion 31e, and is located above the lower wall 31e1. In other words, there is a gap between the lower surface of the lower plate portion 76b of the metal blade 75 and the lower wall 31e1. Also, the metal blade 75 is not in contact with the upper wall 31e2 of the restricting portion 31e, and is located below the upper wall 31e2. In other words, there is a gap between the upper surface of the upper plate portion 76c of the metal blade 75 and the upper wall 31e2. Thus, in the initial state, as shown in Figure 5, the lower surface of the flange portion 31c1 of the bottom portion 31c is spaced apart from and above the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11, and the restricting portion 31e is not in contact with the metal blade 75. Therefore, the first movable housing 31, which has a restricting protrusion 31d on which the restricting portion 31e is formed, can move freely in a floating state relative to the first fixed housing 11.

[0038] Furthermore, when the first movable housing 31 moves upward (in the positive Z-axis direction) relative to the first fixed housing 11, and reaches the second state, which is the upper limit of upward movement, as shown in Figure 6, the metal blade 75 comes into contact with the lower wall 31e1 of the restricting portion 31e, and the first movable housing 31 can no longer move upward relative to the first fixed housing 11. In other words, the lower surface of the lower plate portion 76b of the metal blade 75 comes into contact with the lower wall 31e1, and the upward movement of the first movable housing 31, which has a restricting protrusion 31d on which the restricting portion 31e is formed, is stopped.

[0039] On the other hand, when the first movable housing 31 moves downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) relative to the first fixed housing 11, and reaches the third state, which is the limit of downward movement, i.e., the lower limit state, as shown in Figure 7, the lower surface of the flange portion 31c1 of the bottom portion 31c comes into contact with the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11, and the first movable housing 31 can no longer move downward relative to the first fixed housing 11. Note that in the lower limit state, the metal blade 75 does not come into contact with any part of the restricting portion 31e, so no load is placed on the metal blade 75. For example, when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated, a relatively strong force is applied from above, causing the lower limit state. However, such a strong force is not transmitted to the mounting hole 12a2 of the first fixed housing 11 via the metal blade 75, but is received and distributed by the relatively large upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11, so that no part of the first fixed housing 11 is damaged.

[0040] Furthermore, the metal blade 75 may be modified, for example, as shown in Figure 8, to have a trough shape in which the lower plate portion 76b includes a U-shaped curved portion 76b1 and a protruding plate portion 76b2 that protrudes upward from the tip of the curved portion 76b1.

[0041] Furthermore, in the long wall portion 12a of the first fixed housing 11, a mounting recess 12a1 is formed as a through recess to which a housing fixing bracket 71 is attached, at a location corresponding to the longitudinally outward side of the restricting protrusion 31d housed in the recessed space 15, compared to the restricting portion 31e. Each housing fixing bracket 71 is a member integrally formed by bending or other processing of a metal plate, and includes a main body portion 74 that is substantially parallel to the short wall portion 12b, a pair of elongated leg portions 72 extending downward (in the negative Z-axis direction) connected to both ends of the main body portion 74 via bent portions 74b, and a tail portion 73 that is bent at approximately 90 degrees from the lower end of the leg portions 72 and extends outward in the width direction of the first fixed housing 11. A central fixing portion 74a is formed at the lower end of the main body portion 74, which protrudes downward and bites into the mounting recess 12a1 for fixation. Lateral fixing portions 72a are formed near the upper ends of the pair of leg portions 72, which bite into the inner wall of the groove-shaped mounting recess 12a1 for fixation. The lower surface of the tail portion 73 is connected and fixed to a connecting pad formed on the surface of a first substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. As a result, the first fixing housing 11 is securely fixed to the first substrate.

[0042] Each of the first power terminals 51 is an elastic member integrally formed by punching, bending, and other processing on a conductive metal plate, and as shown in Figures 3 and 9, it includes a fixed-side retained portion 52 as a first fixed portion, a tail portion 53 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end of the fixed-side retained portion 52, a spring portion 54 as a bent portion connected to the upper end of the fixed-side retained portion 52, a movable-side retained portion 56 as a second fixed portion connected to the upper end of the spring portion 54, and a contact portion 55 connected to the upper end of the movable-side retained portion 56. In each first power terminal 51, the fixed-side retained portion 52, the tail portion 53, the contact portion 55, and the movable-side retained portion 56 have dimensions in the width direction (X-axis direction) that are larger than the dimensions in the width direction (X-axis direction) of each part of the elongated rod-shaped first signal terminal 61, and are flat or wide strip-shaped. Furthermore, the fixed-side retained portion 52 and the movable-side retained portion 56 each include a plurality of protrusions 52a and 56a that project outward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction (X-axis direction).

[0043] The spring portion 54 at each first power terminal 51 is divided in its width direction (X-axis direction) to form multiple (four in the example shown in the figure) divided bent portions 54-1 that are separate and independent from each other. Similarly, the movable side held portion 56 at each first power terminal 51 is divided in its width direction (X-axis direction) to form multiple (two in the example shown in the figure) divided fixed portions 56-1 that are separate and independent from each other. Furthermore, the contact portion 55 at each first power terminal 51 is divided in its width direction (X-axis direction) to form multiple (four in the example shown in the figure) divided contact portions 55-1 that are separate and independent from each other.

[0044] Each segmented bent portion 54-1 is an elongated, elastic member. Each segmented bent portion 54-1 includes a first bent portion 54a, a second bent portion 54b, a third bent portion 54c, and a long extended portion 54d that linearly connects the second bent portion 54b and the third bent portion 54c, and functions as an elastically deformable portion that is bent in a roughly S-shape in a side view. As a result, the spring portion 54 located between the fixed-side held portion 52 and the movable-side held portion 56 can deform flexibly, and the first movable housing 31 can move flexibly relative to the first fixed housing 11. Therefore, the first movable housing 31 can move relative to the first fixed housing 11 in the span direction of the first power terminal 51, i.e., the width direction of the first connector 10, and in the pitch direction of the first power terminal 51, i.e., the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10. Furthermore, the first movable housing 31 can also tilt relative to the first fixed housing 11 in the span direction of the first power terminal 51.

[0045] The contact portion 55 of each first power terminal 51 is the portion that contacts the second power terminal 151 of the second connector 101, and is located within the mating housing cavity 35 of the first movable housing 31. More specifically, as shown in Figure 9, the contact portion 55 is housed within the mating housing cavity 35 in power terminal contact portion housing recesses 34d formed on both sides of a thick plate-shaped central wall portion 34 that is arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10. At least a portion of the contact projection 55a formed on the contact portion 55 that bulges outward in the width direction of the first movable housing 31 protrudes outward from the side surface of the central wall portion 34 and contacts the second power terminal 151.

[0046] Furthermore, the movable side retained portion 56 connected to the lower end of the contact portion 55 is housed in a power terminal movable side retaining recess 34f formed in the bottom portion 31c so as to communicate with the lower end of the power terminal contact portion housing recess 34d, its back surface is in contact with the bottom wall 34e of the power terminal movable side retaining recess 34f, and both sides in the width direction are in contact with both wall surfaces of the power terminal movable side retaining recess 34f, with multiple protrusions 56a biting into both wall surfaces of the power terminal movable side retaining recess 34f. As a result, the movable side retained portion 56 is stably held.

[0047] Furthermore, the fixed-side retained portion 52 is housed within the power terminal fixed-side retaining recess 14a formed in the power terminal mounting portion 14, and both sides in the width direction of the fixed-side retained portion 52 are in contact with both sides of the power terminal fixed-side retaining recess 14a, i.e., with the wall surface of the power terminal fixed-side retaining wall 14b, and the multiple protrusions 52a bite into the wall surface of the power terminal fixed-side retaining wall 14b. As a result, the fixed-side retained portion 52 is stably held.

[0048] The tail portion 53 is bent at approximately 90 degrees to the fixed-side retained portion 52 which extends in the vertical direction, and extends outward in the width direction of the first fixed housing 11. Its lower surface is connected and fixed to a connection pad formed on the surface of a first substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. This connection pad is typically connected to a conductive trace for transmitting power on the first substrate, or to a conductive trace that functions as a ground wire.

[0049] Each of the first signal terminals 61 is an elastic, elongated rod-shaped member integrally formed from a conductive metal plate by punching, bending, or other processing. As shown in Figure 14, it includes a fixed-side retained portion 62a as a first fixed portion fixed to the first fixed housing 11, a movable-side retained portion 62b as a second fixed portion fixed to the first movable housing 31, a tail portion 63 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end of the fixed-side retained portion 62a, a spring portion 64 between the fixed-side retained portion 62a and the movable-side retained portion 62b, and a contact portion 65 connected to the upper end of the movable-side retained portion 62b. In the example shown in the figure, the first signal terminals 61 are arranged in pairs of left and right rows extending in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, with 65 terminals in each row at a predetermined pitch (for example, about 0.3 to 0.5 mm). The number and pitch of the first signal terminals 61 can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10, the first signal terminals 61 in each row on the left and right are arranged symmetrically. Each first signal terminal 61 is formed by bending a plate material extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10 within the cross-section (YZ plane) of the first connector 10 as shown in Figure 10.

[0050] The spring portion 64 includes a first bent portion 64a as a first bent portion and a second bent portion 64b as a second bent portion, and the first bent portion 64a and the second bent portion 64b each include three straight portions 64a1 to 64a3 and 64b1 to 64b3, and each straight portion is connected such that the angle between two adjacent straight portions is obtuse. More specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 14, the first bent portion 64a includes three straight portions 64a1 to 64a3 and two obtuse angled corners 64a12 and 64a23, with the straight portions 64a1 and 64a2 bent and connected at corner 64a12, and the straight portions 64a2 and 64a3 bent and connected at corner 64a23. Furthermore, the second bent portion 64b includes three straight portions 64b1 to 64b3 and two obtuse-angled corner portions 64b12 and 64b23, where the straight portions 64b1 and 64b2 are bent and connected at corner portion 64b12, and the straight portions 64b2 and 64b3 are bent and connected at corner portion 64b23. As shown in the figure, the straight portion 64a3 of the first bent portion 64a and the straight portion 64b1 of the second bent portion 64b may be common, or the straight portion 64a1 of the first bent portion 64a may be common with the portion near the upper end of the fixed-side holding portion 62a.

[0051] Furthermore, in each of the first bent section 64a and the second bent section 64b, the direction of the obtuse angle formed by the two adjacent straight sections (the direction in which the obtuse angle opens) is on the same side, but in the first bent section 64a and the second bent section 64b, the direction of the obtuse angle formed by the two adjacent straight sections is on opposite sides. In other words, in the first bent section 64a, the straight sections 64a1 and 64a3 on both sides bend at the obtuse angle corners 64a12 and 64a23 toward the same side of the central straight section 64a2 (the lower right side in Figure 14), and in the second bent section 64b, the straight sections 64b1 and 64b3 on both sides bend at the obtuse angle corners 64b12 and 64b23 toward the same side of the central straight section 64b2 (the upper left side in Figure 14).

[0052] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the spring portion 64 includes a third bent portion, a third bent portion 64c, in addition to the first bent portion 64a and the second bent portion 64b. The third bent portion 64c is located between the movable side held portion 62b and the second bent portion 64b, and includes three straight portions 64c1 to 64c3, where each straight portion is connected to the others such that the angle between two adjacent straight portions is obtuse, similar to the case of the first bent portion 64a and the second bent portion 64b. More specifically, the third bent portion 64c includes three straight portions 64c1 to 64c3 and two obtuse-angled corner portions 64c12 and 64c23, where the straight portions 64c1 and 64c2 are bent and connected at corner portion 64c12, and the straight portions 64c2 and 64c3 are bent and connected at corner portion 64c23. Furthermore, in the third bent section 64c, similar to the first bent section 64a and the second bent section 64b, the direction of the obtuse angle formed by two adjacent straight sections (the direction in which the obtuse angle opens) is on the same side. In other words, in the third bent section 64c, the straight sections 64c1 and 64c3 on both sides bend at the obtuse angle corners 64c12 and 64c23 toward the same side of the central straight section 64c2 (the lower right side in Figure 14). Note that the direction of the obtuse angle formed by two adjacent straight sections in the third bent section 64c is on the same side as in the first bent section 64a and opposite to that of the second bent section 64b.

[0053] Furthermore, the third bent portion 64c and the second bent portion 64b are connected by an extension portion 64d that extends in a substantially straight line. As shown in Figure 10, the extension portion 64d is inclined so as it moves upward towards the first connector 10, it moves outward in the width direction of the first connector 10. In this way, the extension portions 64d of the first signal terminals 61 arranged on the left and right sides in the width direction of the first connector 10 are inclined, so the spacing between the second bent portions 64b of the first signal terminals 61 arranged on the left and right sides in the width direction of the first connector 10, and between the first bent portion 64a and the fixed-side holding portion 62a can be narrowed, and consequently the width of the first fixed housing 11 and the first connector 10 can be narrowed and made smaller. Furthermore, the straight portion 64c1 of the third bent portion 64c may be in common with the portion near the upper end of the extended portion 64d, and the straight portion 64b3 of the second bent portion 64b may be in common with the portion near the lower end of the extended portion 64d.

[0054] Furthermore, since the first bent portion 64a includes a narrow portion 64an on the lower side, i.e., on the fixed-side held portion 62a side, and a wide portion 64aw on the upper side, i.e., on the second bent portion 64b side, the impedance of each first signal terminal 61 and the impedance of adjacent first signal terminals 61 can be adjusted and matched, and the overall impedance of the first signal terminals 61 can be matched to maintain electrical characteristics.

[0055] Furthermore, a connecting portion 64e is formed between the third bent portion 64c at the upper end of the spring portion 64 and the movable side held portion 62b, which is a further bent portion. In the connecting portion 64e, the two adjacent straight portions, the straight portions 64c3 and the movable side held portion 62b, are bent and connected such that the angle between them is obtuse. The direction of the obtuse angle between the two adjacent straight portions in the connecting portion 64e is on the same side as the second bent portion 64b and opposite to the third bent portion 64c.

[0056] The first signal terminal 61 is used to transmit signals, and in recent years, various signals have become faster, so it may be possible to transmit high-frequency signals of, for example, 16 GHz (32 Gbps). When transmitting such high-frequency signals, if the angle between two adjacent straight sections at each bend of the spring section 64 is 90 degrees or less, signal loss occurs, and the signal characteristics of the transmitted high-frequency signal deteriorate. However, in this embodiment, at each bend of the spring section 64, the straight sections are bent and connected such that the angle between two adjacent straight sections is obtuse, so the SI characteristics of the transmitted high-frequency signal do not deteriorate.

[0057] As shown in Figure 10, the spring portion 64, when viewed from the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the first connector 10, has an overall roughly S-shaped form and functions as an elastically deformable portion. However, the spring portion 64 does not include a portion that is gently and smoothly curved in an arc shape, but rather includes portions such as the first bent portion 64a and the second bent portion 64b, in which a plurality of bent corners are continuously formed such that the angle between two adjacent straight portions is an obtuse angle. In other words, a plurality of corners are continuously formed by bending straight portions in small increments, creating a portion that appears to be roughly curved in a large, gently and smoothly arc shape.

[0058] Generally, when a long, slender rod-shaped component such as the first signal terminal 61 is bent into a gentle, smooth arc, variations tend to occur after bending. For example, the position of the contact portion 65 at the upper end may shift from the tail portion 63 at the lower end in the longitudinal or widthwise direction, making it difficult to accurately manufacture the first signal terminal 61. As a result, the assembly process of the first connector 10, which includes the process of attaching the first signal terminal 61 to the first fixed housing 11 and the first movable housing 31, becomes complicated, and stress is applied to various parts of the first connector 10 after assembly, reducing the reliability of the first connector 10.

[0059] However, as shown in the example in the figure, if multiple small bent corners are formed in succession to create a roughly gentle and smooth arc shape, the overall shape can be easily corrected by correcting the bend of each small bent corner. This makes it easy to correct variations and manufacture the first signal terminal 61 accurately. Therefore, the assembly process of the first connector 10 is not complicated, and no stress is applied to any part of the first connector 10, thus improving the reliability of the first connector 10.

[0060] Thus, the spring portion 64, with one end connected to the fixed-side retained portion 62a held by the first fixed housing 11 and the other end connected to the movable-side retained portion 62b held by the first movable housing 31, has a roughly S-shaped form when viewed from the side and includes an extended portion 64d that extends in a substantially straight line, a second bent portion 64b and a third bent portion 64c connected to the extended portion 64d, and a first bent portion 64a connected to the second bent portion 64b. As a result, the length of the portion that is not constrained by the first fixed housing 11 or the first movable housing 31, that is, the portion that can be freely elastically deformed, is increased. Therefore, the spring portion 64 located between the fixed-side retained portion 62a and the movable-side retained portion 62b can be flexibly deformed, and the first movable housing 31 can move flexibly relative to the first fixed housing 11. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the spring portion 64 is located below the visor portion 13c that defines the upper end of the signal terminal fixing side retaining recess 13a of the first fixed housing 11, and below the bottom portion 31c of the first movable housing 31, so that it can deform without interfering with the first fixed housing 11 and the first movable housing 31. Therefore, the first movable housing 31 can move relative to the first fixed housing 11 in the span direction of the first signal terminal 61, i.e., in the width direction of the first connector 10, and in the pitch direction of the first signal terminal 61, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10. In addition, the first movable housing 31 can also tilt relative to the first fixed housing 11 in the span direction of the first signal terminal 61.

[0061] Furthermore, the spring portion 64 may be modified to not include the third bent portion 64c, as shown in Figure 15. In this case, it is desirable to provide a second connecting portion 64f having a similar configuration to the connecting portion 64e in place of the third bent portion 64c. It is also desirable that the second connecting portion 64f bends toward the opposite side from the connecting portion 64e, and that the extending portion 64d is not inclined but extends almost upright in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction).

[0062] The tail portion 63 is bent at approximately 90 degrees to connect to the fixed-side retained portion 62a, which extends in the vertical direction, and extends outward in the width direction of the first fixed housing 11. Its lower surface is connected and fixed to a connection pad formed on the surface of a first substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. This connection pad is typically connected to a conductive trace for transmitting signals on the first substrate. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(a), when viewed from above, at least the tip of the tail portion 63 is located outside the width direction of the long wall portion 12a of the first fixed housing 11, and is arranged to form a row extending along the long wall portion 12a in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10. Therefore, when mounting the first connector 10 onto the surface of the first substrate, the operator can easily visually confirm the connection status of the tail portion 63 to the connection pad formed on the surface of the first substrate. Furthermore, the tail portion 63 is set such that its tip protrudes less outward in the width direction than the long wall portion 12a of the first fixed housing 11, and its length is shortened. This prevents an increase in the impedance of the first signal terminal 61.

[0063] The contact portion 65 of each first signal terminal 61 is the part that contacts the second signal terminal 161 of the mating signal terminal, the second connector 101. It is a linear, rod-shaped or strip-shaped portion with a rectangular cross-section and approximately constant dimensions in the width direction (X-axis direction) and thickness direction (Y-axis direction). It functions as a cantilever with its lower end, connected to the movable side holding portion 62b, as the base end (fixed end) and its upper end as the free end. Specifically, the contact portion 65 has its lower end connected to the movable side holding portion 62b, stands upright overall, and is located within the mating housing cavity 35 of the first movable housing 31. More specifically, as shown in Figure 10, the contact portion 65 is housed within the mating housing cavity 35 in signal terminal contact portion housing recesses 34a formed on both sides of a thick plate-shaped central wall portion 34 that is arranged to extend in the longitudinal direction of the first connector 10. Then, at least a portion of the contact projection 65a formed on the contact portion 65, which bulges outward in the width direction of the first movable housing 31, protrudes outward from the side surface of the central wall portion 34 and contacts the second signal terminal 161. When it comes into contact with the second signal terminal 161, the contact portion 65 elastically deforms from outward to inward in the width direction of the first connector 10, and the contact projection 65a elastically displaces inward from the side surface of the central wall portion 34.

[0064] The movable retained portion 62b connected to the lower end of the contact portion 65 has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and is a linear rod-shaped or strip-shaped portion with constant dimensions in the width direction (X-axis direction) and thickness direction (Y-axis direction), and includes a plurality of protrusions 62b1 projecting outward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction (X-axis direction). The movable retained portion 62b also includes a locking portion 62b2 formed in its thickness direction. The locking portion 62b2 is formed by pressing a part of the movable retained portion 62b from the width direction outward toward the first connector 10 and causing plastic deformation. As shown in Figure 14, the surface of the movable retained portion 62b facing outward in the width direction of the first connector 10 (front surface) is a recessed dimple, but as shown in Figure 10, the surface of the movable retained portion 62b facing inward in the width direction of the first connector 10 (back surface) is a protrusion.

[0065] The movable side retained portion 62b is housed in the signal terminal movable side retaining recess 34b formed in the bottom portion 31c so as to communicate with the lower end of the signal terminal contact portion housing recess 34a, and its back surface contacts the bottom wall 34c of the signal terminal movable side retaining recess 34b, with the protruding locking portion 62b2 biting into the bottom wall 34c and being locked in place. In addition, both sides of the movable side retained portion 62b in the width direction contact both wall surfaces of the signal terminal movable side retaining recess 34b, and a plurality of protrusions 62b1 bite into both wall surfaces of the signal terminal movable side retaining recess 34b. As a result, the movable side retained portion 62b is stably held. Furthermore, since the contact portion 65 elastically deforms from the outside to the inside in the width direction of the first connector 10 with the locking portion 62b2 as a fulcrum, the amount of deformation becomes constant and the resulting spring force becomes constant, so the pressing force applied to the contact projection 65a against the second signal terminal 161 becomes constant and the contact state between the contact projection 65a and the second signal terminal 161 becomes stable. In addition, since the connecting portion 64e as a bent portion is connected to the lower end of the movable side retained portion 62b, and the spring portion 64 is offset from the movable side retained portion 62b, the operator can easily insert the movable side retained portion 62b into the signal terminal movable side retaining recess 34b from below while holding the spring portion 64.

[0066] The fixed-side retained portion 62a includes a main body portion 62a1 with a rectangular cross-sectional shape and a linear rod-shaped or strip-shaped body portion 62a1 having constant dimensions in the width direction (X-axis direction) and thickness direction (Y-axis direction), and a plurality of protrusions 62a2 projecting outward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction (X-axis direction) of the main body portion 62a1. The protrusions 62a2 function as locking portions that engage with the first fixed housing 11. Note that the portion of the main body portion 62a1 in which the protrusions 62a2 are located and the portion below the protrusions 62a2 do not come into contact with the first fixed housing 11, and a space exists between the first fixed housing 11 and the main body portion 62a1. As shown in Figure 13, the main body portion 62a1 of the fixed-side retained portion 62a is set such that its width is smaller than the width of the portion corresponding to the signal terminal fixed-side retaining groove 13b1 in the signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a, and the distance between the tips of the left and right protrusions 62a2 is larger than the width of the portion corresponding to the signal terminal fixed-side retaining groove 13b1 in the signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a. As a result, the fixed-side retained portion 62a of the first signal terminal 61, which is inserted into the signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a from below, is stably held by the left and right protrusions 62a2 biting into the left and right walls of the signal terminal fixed-side retaining groove 13b1.

[0067] The first signal terminal 61 is used to transmit signals, and as mentioned above, it may transmit high-frequency signals of, for example, 16 GHz (32 Gbps). When transmitting such high-frequency signals, it is necessary to match the impedance. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, a space consisting of air with a relative permittivity lower than that of the first fixed housing 11 is provided between the main body 62a1 of the fixed-side retained portion 62a and the bottom surface of the signal terminal fixed-side retaining recess 13a of the first fixed housing 11, which is a dielectric, to allow adjustment of the dielectric constant of the dielectric surrounding the fixed-side retained portion 62a. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, a first lightening space 34c1 and a second lightening space 34c2 are provided between the movable-side retained portion 62b and the bottom 31c of the first movable housing 31, which is a dielectric, to allow adjustment of the dielectric constant of the dielectric surrounding the movable-side retained portion 62b, thereby allowing adjustment of the impedance of the first signal terminal 61.

[0068] Furthermore, in each left and right column, a pair of first signal terminals 61 adjacent to each other in the width direction (X-axis direction) may be used as a differential pair to transmit high-frequency signals. In such cases, it is necessary to match the impedance between adjacent first signal terminals 61 in the width direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the width dimension of the spring portion 64 is set to be larger than the fixed-side held portion 62a, movable-side held portion 62b, and contact portion 65, in which a part of the first fixed housing 11 or the first movable housing 31 is interposed between adjacent first signal terminals 61 in the width direction, and the distance between adjacent spring portions 64 in which the first fixed housing 11 or the first movable housing 31 is not interposed is shortened, thereby making it possible to adjust the dielectric constant of the space surrounding the spring portion 64, and thereby making it possible to adjust the impedance between adjacent first signal terminals 61 in the width direction.

[0069] Next, we will describe the configuration of the second connector 101, which serves as the mating connector.

[0070] Figure 16 is an exploded view of the second connector in the first embodiment, Figure 17 is a side view showing the mated state of the first and second connectors in the first embodiment, and Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view showing the mated state of the first and second connectors in the first embodiment. In Figure 18, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow KK in Figure 17, and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow LL in Figure 17.

[0071] In this embodiment, the second connector 101 is configured to be symmetrical when viewed from the width direction (Y-axis direction), and also symmetrical when viewed from the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction). The second housing 111 of the second connector 101 is a component integrally formed from an insulator (dielectric) such as synthetic resin.

[0072] The second housing 111 includes a pair of parallel rectangular plate-shaped long wall portions 112a extending in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, a pair of parallel rectangular plate-shaped members extending in the width direction of the second connector 101, shorter than the long wall portions 112a and connected to the longitudinal ends of the long wall portions 112a, an upper cavity 135 which is a prismatic cavity with four faces defined by the long wall portions 112a and the short wall portions 112b and an open upper end (negative Z-axis end), a lower cavity 133 which is a prismatic cavity with four faces defined by the long wall portions 112a and the short wall portions 112b and an open lower end (positive Z-axis end), and a bottom wall 134 which closes the space between the upper cavity 135 and the lower cavity 133. Furthermore, lower flanges 111c are formed at the lower ends of both longitudinal ends of the second housing 111 so as to protrude outward in the longitudinal direction and outward in the width direction. Housing fixing brackets 171 are housed and held in these lower flanges 111c.

[0073] Furthermore, the second connector 101 includes a plurality of second terminals that serve as mating terminals to be attached to the second housing 111. Among these second terminals, the signal terminal is the second signal terminal 161 which serves as the mating signal terminal, and among these second terminals, the power terminal is the second power terminal 151 which serves as the mating power terminal.

[0074] Each of the second signal terminals 161 is an elastic, elongated rod-shaped member integrally formed from a conductive metal plate by punching, bending, and other processing. As shown in Figure 16, it includes a retained portion 162 as a fixing portion fixed to the second housing 111, a tail portion 163 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end (positive Z-axis end) of the retained portion 162, and a contact portion 165 connected to the upper end of the retained portion 162. The retained portion 162 includes a plurality of protrusions 162a projecting outward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction (X-axis direction). The second signal terminals 161 are arranged in the same number and with the same pitch as the first signal terminals 61, forming a pair of left and right rows extending in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101. The number and pitch of the second signal terminals 161 can be appropriately changed to match the first signal terminals 61. Furthermore, when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101, the second signal terminals 161 in each row on the left and right are arranged symmetrically. Each second signal terminal 161 is formed by bending a plate material extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 within the cross-section (YZ plane) of the second connector 101 as shown in Figure 18.

[0075] The second signal terminal 161 is inserted into the lower cavity 133 from below (positive Z-axis direction) of the second housing 111 and inserted through a signal terminal insertion hole (not shown) formed in the bottom wall 134, thereby attaching it to the second housing 111. When the second signal terminal 161 is attached to the second housing 111, as shown in Figure 18, the contact portion 165 extends vertically along the inner wall of the long wall portion 112a within the upper cavity 135, the held portion 162 is held along the inner wall of the long wall portion 112a within the signal terminal insertion hole and the lower cavity 133, and the tail portion 163 is exposed on the lower surface (upper Z-axis side) of the second housing 111 and extends outward in the width direction of the second housing 111. The lower surface of the tail portion 163 is connected and fixed to a connection pad formed on the surface of a second substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. These connection pads are typically connected to conductive traces on a second substrate for transmitting signals.

[0076] Furthermore, each of the second power terminals 151 is an elastic flat plate or wide strip-shaped member integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processing of a conductive metal plate, and as shown in Figure 16, it includes a retained portion 152 as a fixing portion fixed to the second housing 111, a tail portion 153 as a substrate connection portion connected to the lower end (positive Z-axis end) of the retained portion 152, and a contact portion 155 connected to the upper end of the retained portion 152. The retained portion 152 each includes a plurality of protrusions 152a projecting outward in the width direction from both sides in the width direction (X-axis direction). The second power terminals 151 are arranged one at each of the longitudinal ends of the second housing 111, but their number and arrangement can be appropriately changed to match the first power terminals 51. Each second power terminal 151 is formed by bending a plate material that extends in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction of the second connector 101 within the cross-section (YZ plane) of the second connector 101 as shown in Figure 18.

[0077] The second power terminal 151 is inserted into the lower cavity 133 from below (positive Z-axis direction) of the second housing 111 and inserted through a power terminal insertion hole (not shown) formed in the bottom wall 134, thereby attaching it to the second housing 111. When the second power terminal 151 is attached to the second housing 111, as shown in Figure 18, the contact portion 155 extends vertically along the inner wall of the long wall portion 112a within the upper cavity 135, the held portion 152 is held along the inner wall of the long wall portion 112a within the signal terminal insertion hole and the lower cavity 133, and the tail portion 153 is exposed on the lower surface (upper Z-axis side) of the second housing 111 and extends outward in the width direction of the second housing 111. The lower surface of the tail portion 153 is connected and fixed to a connection pad formed on the surface of a second substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. The connection pad is typically connected to a conductive trace on the second substrate that transmits power, or a conductive trace that functions as a ground wire.

[0078] Furthermore, the housing fixing bracket 171 is a component integrally formed by bending or other processes on a metal plate, and includes a main body portion 174 that is substantially parallel to the short wall portion 112b, a pair of leg portions 172 that extend downward (in the positive Z-axis direction) connected near both ends of the main body portion 174, and a tail portion 173 that is connected at a bend of approximately 90 degrees from the lower end of the leg portions 172 and extends outward in the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111 as a substrate connection portion. Each of the leg portions 172 includes a projection 172a that protrudes outward in the width direction from its width direction (Y-axis direction) side surface. The housing fixing bracket 171 is then housed and attached in a bracket mounting recess 111d formed in the lower flange 111c. The projection 172a bites into the inner wall of the bracket mounting recess 111d and is fixed in place. The lower surface of the tail portion 173 is connected and fixed to a connection pad formed on the surface of a second substrate (not shown) by means of soldering or other means. This ensures that the second housing 111 is securely fixed to the second substrate.

[0079] For the sake of explanation, the second connector 101 has been described as a so-called straight-type connector, mounted upright on the surface of the second substrate, that is, with the upper cavity 135 opening upward (negative Z-axis direction), and the upper cavity 135 extending perpendicular to the second substrate. However, the second connector 101 is not limited to a straight type, and may be a so-called right-angle type connector. In the case of a right-angle type, the long wall portion 112a is approximately parallel to the surface of the second substrate, and the upper cavity 135 is also mounted approximately parallel to the surface of the second substrate.

[0080] Next, the operation of mating the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 of the above configuration will be described.

[0081] Here, the first connector 10 is surface-mounted on the first circuit board by soldering the tail portion 63 of the first signal terminal 61, the tail portion 53 of the first power terminal 51, and the tail portion 73 of the housing fixing bracket 71 to connection pads on the surface of the first circuit board (not shown). Furthermore, the connection pad to which the tail portion 63 of the first signal terminal 61 is connected is connected to a conductive trace for transmitting signals on the first circuit board, and the connection pad to which the tail portion 53 of the first power terminal 51 is connected is connected to a conductive trace for transmitting power on the first circuit board.

[0082] Similarly, the second connector 101 is surface-mounted on the second board by soldering the tail portion 163 of the second signal terminal 161, the tail portion 153 of the second power terminal 151, and the tail portion 173 of the housing fixing bracket 171 to connection pads on the surface of the second board (not shown). Furthermore, the connection pad to which the tail portion 163 of the second signal terminal 161 is connected is connected to a conductive trace for transmitting signals on the second board, and the connection pad to which the tail portion 153 of the second power terminal 151 is connected is connected to a conductive trace for transmitting power on the second board.

[0083] First, the operator positions the mating surface of the first connector 10 (upper side in Figure 2) and the mating surface of the second connector 101 (lower side in Figure 2) facing each other, and adjusts the position of the second housing 111 of the second connector 101 so that it aligns with the position of the mating housing cavity 35 in the first movable housing 31 of the first connector 10. This completes the alignment of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101, as shown in Figure 2.

[0084] In this state, when the first connector 10 and / or the second connector 101 are moved toward the mating side, i.e., in the mating direction, the second housing 111 is inserted into the mating housing cavity 35 of the first movable housing 31, and the central wall portion 34 of the mating housing cavity 35 is inserted into the upper cavity 135 of the second housing 111.

[0085] As a result, as shown in Figures 1, 17, and 18, when the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated together, the first movable housing 31 and the second housing 111 are mated together, and the corresponding first signal terminal 61 and the second signal terminal 161 become electrically connected, and the corresponding first power terminal 51 and the second power terminal 151 become electrically connected.

[0086] Specifically, at least the portion near the upper end of the elongated wall portion 112a of the second housing 111 enters between the elongated wall portion 31a and the central wall portion 34 in the mating housing cavity 35, the central wall portion 34 of the mating housing cavity 35 enters the upper cavity 135 of the second housing 111, and the widthwise center side surface of the contact portion 165 of the second signal terminal 161, which is arranged along the inner wall of the elongated wall portion 112a in the upper cavity 135, contacts the outwardly protruding portion of the side surface of the central wall portion 34 of the contact projection 65a of the contact portion 65 of the first signal terminal 61, which is housed in the signal terminal contact portion housing recess 34a of the central wall portion 34, thereby enabling electrical connection between the first signal terminal 61 and the second signal terminal 161. At this time, the contact portion 65 of the first signal terminal 61 functions as a cantilever that elastically deforms with the locking portion 62b2 as a fulcrum, and the contact projection 65a is pressed against the surface of the contact portion 165 of the second signal terminal 161 by the elasticity exhibited by the cantilever, so that the electrical connection between the first signal terminal 61 and the second signal terminal 161 is reliably maintained.

[0087] Furthermore, when at least the portion near the upper end of the long wall portion 112a of the second housing 111 enters the space between the long wall portion 31a and the central wall portion 34 within the mating housing cavity 35, and the central wall portion 34 of the mating housing cavity 35 enters the upper cavity 135 of the second housing 111, the surface of the second connector 101 on the widthwise center side of the contact portion 155 of the second power terminal 151, which is arranged along the inner wall of the long wall portion 112a within the upper cavity 135, contacts the portion of the contact projection 55a of the contact portion 55 of the first power terminal 51, which is housed in the power terminal contact portion housing recess 34d of the central wall portion 34, which protrudes outward from the side surface of the central wall portion 34, thereby enabling electrical connection between the first power terminal 51 and the second power terminal 151. At this time, the contact portion 55 of the first power terminal 51 functions as a cantilever, and the contact projection 55a is pressed against the contact surface of the contact portion 155 of the second power terminal 151 by the elasticity exhibited by the cantilever, so that the electrical connection between the first power terminal 51 and the second power terminal 151 is reliably maintained.

[0088] In this way, once the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated together, even if, for example, the positional relationship between the first substrate and the second substrate changes and the second connector 101 is displaced relative to the first connector 10, or if it is subjected to external forces such as shock or vibration, the spring portion 54 of the first power terminal 51 and the spring portion 64 of the first signal terminal 61 deform flexibly to appropriately absorb the displacement of the first movable housing 31 mated with the second housing 111 relative to the first fixed housing 11, and the mated state of the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 is maintained without being released.

[0089] Thus, in this embodiment, the first connector 10 comprises a first fixed housing 11, a first movable housing 31 movable relative to the first fixed housing 11, a first power terminal 51 and a first signal terminal 61 held by the first fixed housing 11 and the first movable housing 31, and a metal blade 75. The metal blade 75 is held by the first fixed housing 11 so as to penetrate the recessed space 15 of the first fixed housing 11 in the width direction, the first movable housing 31 includes a restricting portion 31e for restricting upward movement of the first movable housing 31, the restricting portion 31e is located within the recessed space 15, and the portion of the metal blade 75 located within the recessed space 15 is located above the restricting portion 31e.

[0090] As a result, even if the first connector 10 is miniaturized, the first movable housing 31 will not detach from the first fixed housing 11 when subjected to external forces such as shock or vibration, or when a large displacement occurs, ensuring reliable mating and unmating operations. This simplifies the structure, reduces costs, and improves reliability.

[0091] Furthermore, the restricting portion 31e includes a planar lower wall 31e1 that can contact the metal blade 75, and the metal blade 75 includes a main body portion 76 that can contact the lower wall 31e1. In addition, the restricting portion 31e is a through hole, and the metal blade 75 has an L-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11 can contact the flange portion 31c1 of the first movable housing 31, and when the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11 is in contact with the flange portion 31c1 of the first movable housing 31, the metal blade 75 is not in contact with the restricting portion 31e. Furthermore, the limit of upward movement of the first movable housing 31 is when the metal blade 75 contacts the restricting portion 31e, and the limit of downward movement of the first movable housing 31 is when the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11 contacts the flange portion 31c1 of the first movable housing 31. Furthermore, before the first connector 10 is mated with the second connector 101, the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11 is not in contact with the first movable housing 31, and the metal blade 75 is not in contact with the restricting portion 31e.

[0092] 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.

[0093] Figure 19 is a three-view drawing of the first connector in the second embodiment, and Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view showing the metal blade in the first state of the first connector in the second embodiment. In Figure 19, (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view. In Figure 20, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the MM arrow in Figure 19(b), and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the NN arrow in (a).

[0094] As shown in Figure 19, the first connector 10 in this embodiment has significantly reduced dimensions in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) compared to the first connector 10 in the first embodiment.

[0095] Specifically, in the first fixed housing 11 of the first connector 10, the dimensions in the longitudinal and width directions are the same as in the first embodiment, while the dimensions in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) are significantly reduced compared to the first embodiment. Accordingly, the vertical dimensions of the first signal terminal 61, the first power terminal 51, and the housing fixing bracket 71 are also significantly reduced compared to the first embodiment. Furthermore, the position of the mounting hole 12a2, which serves as a through hole to which the metal blade 75 formed in the first fixed housing 11 is attached, has also been significantly lowered.

[0096] However, the distance from the upper surface 11a of the first fixed housing 11 to the mounting hole 12a2 is the same as in the first embodiment. Also, the shape and dimensions of the metal blade 75 as a positioning member attached to the first fixed housing 11 are the same as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the shape and dimensions of the first movable housing 31, as well as the shape and dimensions of the restricting protrusion 31d and the restricting portion 31e which is a through hole formed on the first movable housing 31, are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0097] Therefore, the upper and lower limits of movement of the first movable housing 31 relative to the first fixed housing 11 are set in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0098] Note that the other basic configurations of the first connector 10 in this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted. Similarly, the configuration of the second connector 101 in this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, so its description will be omitted. Furthermore, the operation of mating the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 in this embodiment, as well as the other basic configurations and effects of the state in which the first connector 10 and the second connector 101 are mated, are the same as those of the first embodiment, so their description will be omitted.

[0099] 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]

[0100] This disclosure can be applied to connectors and connector assemblies. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 10. First connector 11. First Fixed Housing 11a Top surface 11b Implementation side 12a, 31a, 112a long wall section 12a1 Mounting recess 12a2 Mounting hole 12b, 31b, 112b Short wall section 13 Signal terminal mounting section 13a Retaining recess on the fixed side of the signal terminal 13a1 Lightweighting of the retaining part on the fixed side of the signal terminal 13b Signal terminal fixed side retaining wall 13b1 Signal terminal fixed side holding groove 13c Eaves 14 Power terminal mounting section 14a Power terminal fixing side retaining recess 14b Power terminal fixed side retaining wall 15 Concave space 31. First movable housing 31c bottom 31c1 Flange section 31d Regulatory protrusion 31e Regulatory Department 31e1 Lower wall 31e2 Upper wall 34 Central wall section 34a Recessed portion housing the signal terminal contact area 34b Retaining recess on the movable side of the signal terminal 34c, 34e, 134 bottom wall 34c1 Signal terminal movable side retaining part, first weight reduction cutout 34c2 Signal terminal movable side retaining part second weight reduction cutout 34d Power terminal contact area housing recess 34f Power terminal movable side retaining recess 35 Opponent Housing Enclosure 51 1st power supply terminal 52, 62a Fixed side held part 52a, 56a, 62a2, 62b1, 77a, 152a, 162a, 172a protrusion 53, 63, 73, 153, 163, 173 Tail section 54, 64 Spring section 54-1 Split bend 54a 1st bending part 54b 2nd bending part 54c 3rd bend 54d, 64d extension part 55, 65, 155, 165 Contact area 55-1 Split contact part 55a, 65a contact protrusion 56, 62b Movable side held part 56-1 Split fixed part 61 1st signal terminal 62a1, 74, 76, 174 Main body 62b2 Locking part 64a First curve 64an narrow part 64aw wide section 64a1, 64a2, 64a3, 64b1, 64b2, 64b3, 64c1, 64c2, 64c3 Straight section 64a12, 64a23, 64b12, 64b23, 64c12, 64c23 corner 64b 2nd bend 64c 3rd bend 64e Connecting section 64f 2nd connection part 71, 171 Housing fixing brackets 72, 172 Legs 72a Side fixed part 74a Central fixed part 74b Bend part 75 Metal Blade 76a Vertical plate section 76b Lower plate part 76b1 Curved section 76b2 Projecting plate part 76c Upper plate section 77 Fixed part 77b recess 101 Second connector 111 Second Housing 111c Lower flange 111d Mounting recess for metal fittings 133 Lower cavity 135 Upper cavity 151 2nd power supply terminal 152, 162, 866 Retained part 161 2nd signal terminal 811 Fixed Housing 831 Movable Housing 832 Housing protrusion 837 Terminal housing recess 861 terminal 863 Circuit board connection section 871 Fixing bracket 873 Projecting piece

Claims

1. (a) A connector comprising a fixed housing, a movable housing movable relative to the fixed housing, terminals held by the fixed housing and the movable housing, and a metal blade, (b) The metal blade is held in the fixed housing so as to penetrate the recessed space of the fixed housing in the width direction, (c) The movable housing includes a restricting portion for restricting upward movement of the movable housing, the restricting portion being located within the recessed space, (d) A connector characterized in that the portion of the metal blade located within the recessed space is located above the regulating portion.

2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the restricting portion includes a planar contact portion that can contact the metal blade, and the metal blade includes a straight portion that can contact the contact portion.

3. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the restricting portion is a through hole and the metal blade has an L-shaped cross-section.

4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the fixed housing can contact the flange portion of the movable housing, and when the upper surface of the fixed housing is in contact with the flange portion of the movable housing, the metal blade is not in contact with the restricting portion.

5. The connector according to claim 4, wherein the limit of upward movement of the movable housing is when the metal blade comes into contact with the restricting portion, and the limit of downward movement of the movable housing is when the upper surface of the fixed housing comes into contact with the flange portion of the movable housing.

6. The connector according to claim 1, in the state before the connector is mated with the mating connector, the upper surface of the fixed housing is not in contact with the movable housing, and the metal blade is not in contact with the restricting portion.

7. A connector assembly having a connector according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

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