Repairable connector

Abstract

We provide a repairable connector that is resistant to damage even if the plug connector is gouged. [Solution] The repairable connector 1 includes a connector module 10 and a bracket 11 mounted on the connector module 10. The connector module 10 includes a receptacle connector 13 to which a plug connector 6 can be mated from outside the housing 4, a module board 12 on which the receptacle connector 13 is mounted, and a board-to-board connector 14 mounted on the module board 12, which is electrically connected to the receptacle connector 13 via the module board. The bracket 11 includes a barrel portion 40 and a support portion 41. The support portion 41 is fixed to the housing board 2.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a repairable connector.

Background Art

[0002] As shown in FIG. 15 of the present application, Patent Document 1 discloses an electrical connector assembly 107 including a first connector 102 formed by providing a board-to-board connector 101 on a flexible circuit board 100, and a second connector 106 formed by providing a board-to-board connector 104 and a USB 3.2 Type-C interface 105 on a rigid circuit board 103. The board-to-board connector 104 is fitted to the board-to-board connector 101.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1 above, when the plug connector fitted to the interface 105 is pried (forced), the interface 105 may be damaged.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a repairable connector that is difficult to be damaged even when the plug connector is pried.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A repairable connector is provided, which is detachably mounted on a housing substrate located inside the housing of an electronic device, and includes a connector module and a bracket attached to the connector module, wherein the connector module includes a receptacle connector into which a plug connector can be mated from outside the housing, a module substrate on which the receptacle connector is mounted, and a board-to-board connector mounted on the module substrate, which is electrically connected to the receptacle connector via the module substrate, and the bracket includes a barrel portion that covers the plug connector mated to the receptacle connector in an annular manner, thereby maintaining the orientation of the plug connector mated to the receptacle connector, and a support portion formed integrally with the barrel portion and positioned on the opposite side of the housing substrate, sandwiching the board-to-board connector when the repairable connector is mounted on the housing substrate, and the support portion is fixed to the housing substrate. The barrel portion may position the plug connector in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction in which the plug connector is mated with the receptacle connector. The module board has a connector mounting surface on which the receptacle connector is mounted, The board-to-board connector may be mounted on the connector mounting surface. The receptacle connector and the board-to-board connector may be mounted on the connector mounting surface of the module board such that they are adjacent in the mating direction for mating the plug connector into the receptacle connector. The module substrate has a first connector mounting surface and a second connector mounting surface opposite to the first connector mounting surface, the receptacle connector may be mounted on the first connector mounting surface, and the substrate-to-substrate connector may be mounted on the second connector mounting surface. The module substrate may be a rigid substrate. The board-to-board connector may electrically connect the module board to the housing board while the module board and the housing board are parallel to each other. The board-to-board connector may include a flat housing and a plurality of contacts held in the housing. The support portion may be detachably fixed to the housing substrate by screw fastening. The bracket may be made of metal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, a repairable connector is realized that is less likely to be damaged even if the plug connector is gouged. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the repairable connector mounted on the housing circuit board. (First Embodiment) [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the repairable connector after it has been removed from the housing circuit board. (First Embodiment) [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the enclosure circuit board, drawn separately from the enclosure. (First Embodiment) [Figure 4] A perspective view of a repairable connector. (First embodiment) [Figure 5] A perspective view of the repairable connector from a different angle. (First Embodiment) [Figure 6] Disassembled perspective view of a repairable connector. (First embodiment) [Figure 7] This is an exploded perspective view of the connector module. (First Embodiment) [Figure 8] This is an exploded perspective view of a receptacle connector. (First Embodiment) [Figure 9] This is a perspective view of a partially cutaway board-to-board connector. (First Embodiment) [Figure 10] This is a perspective view of the housing substrate and connector module. (Second Embodiment) [Figure 11] A perspective view of the connector module. (Third embodiment) [Figure 12] This is a perspective view of the repairable connector after it has been removed from the housing circuit board. (Fourth embodiment) [Figure 13] It is a perspective view of a repairable connector. (Fourth Embodiment) [Figure 14] It is a partially cutaway perspective view of a connector module. (Fifth Embodiment) [Figure 15] It is a simplified view of FIG. 1 of Patent Document 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] 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 clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings have been appropriately omitted and simplified. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0010] In the following embodiments, when necessary for convenience, they will be described by dividing them into a plurality of sections or embodiments. However, unless otherwise explicitly stated, they are not unrelated to each other, and one is related to the other as a partial or total modification example, application example, detailed explanation, or supplementary explanation, etc. Also, in the following embodiments, when referring to the number of elements, etc. (including the number, numerical value, quantity, and range, etc.), unless otherwise explicitly stated or limited to a specific number in principle, it is not limited to that specific number, and it may be more than or less than the specific number.

[0011] Furthermore, in the following embodiments, the constituent elements (including operation steps, etc.) are not necessarily essential unless otherwise explicitly stated or considered to be essential in principle. Similarly, in the following embodiments, when referring to the shape, positional relationship, etc. of the constituent elements, etc., unless otherwise explicitly stated or considered not to be so in principle, it includes those substantially approximate or similar to the shape, etc. This also applies to the above numbers, etc. (including the number, numerical value, quantity, and range).

[0012] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the housing substrate 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the repairable connector 1 is removed from the housing substrate 2. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the housing substrate 2 drawn away from the housing 4.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the repairable connector 1 is detachably mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 disposed in the housing 4 of the electronic device 3. The repairable connector 1 is easily built-in and replaceable within the housing 4 of the electronic device 3. Typically, the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 by screw fastening using two screws 5. Thereby, the owner of the electronic device 3 can, by his own hands, make the repairable connector 1 detachable from the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, and thus the right to repair the repairable connector 1 is ensured.

[0014] The electronic device 3 is typically a portable terminal such as a laptop computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone terminal. However, the electronic device 3 may be a stationary terminal such as a desktop computer.

[0015] The housing 4 includes a substrate support portion 4A that supports the housing substrate 2 and a side wall portion 4B that rises from the substrate support portion 4A. The housing substrate 2 is typically fixed to the substrate support portion 4A by screw fastening not shown. In the side wall portion 4B, a fitting hole 4C is formed for the plug connector 6 as an external connector to fit with the repairable connector 1.

[0016] Here, referring to FIG. 1, the “insertion / removal direction”, the “vertical direction”, and the “width direction” are defined. The insertion / removal direction, the vertical direction, and the width direction are directions orthogonal to each other.

[0017] The insertion / removal direction is the direction in which the plug connector 6 is inserted into or removed from the repairable connector 1. The insertion / removal direction includes the mating direction and the removal direction. The mating direction is the direction in which the plug connector 6 is brought closer to the repairable connector 1 when mating the plug connector 6 into the repairable connector 1. The removal direction is the direction in which the plug connector 6 is moved away from the repairable connector 1 when removing the plug connector 6 from the repairable connector 1.

[0018] The vertical direction is perpendicular to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing board 2. The vertical direction includes both upward and downward. Upward is the direction in which the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing board 2 faces. Downward is the opposite direction to upward. Upward and downward are merely terms used for explanatory purposes and do not specify the orientation of the electronic device 3 when it is in use.

[0019] As mentioned above, the width direction is the direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction and the vertical direction. The width direction includes the inward and outward directions. The inward direction is the direction toward the center of the repairable connector 1 in the width direction. The outward direction is the direction toward the center of the repairable connector 1 in the width direction.

[0020] Continuing to refer to Figure 3, a positioning member 7 is positioned between the housing substrate 2 and the housing 4. The positioning member 7 has two positioning pins 7A protruding upward, two screw holes 7B, and a notch 7C. The two positioning pins 7A, the two screw holes 7B, and the notch 7C are formed in this order toward the removal direction.

[0021] The housing substrate 2 is typically a rigid substrate. Rigid substrates are typically paper phenolic boards or glass epoxy boards. Multiple electrode pads 2B are provided on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2. The housing substrate 2 has two screw holes 2C positioned to sandwich the multiple electrode pads 2B. The housing substrate 2 also has two positioning holes 2D positioned to sandwich the multiple electrode pads 2B. Two positioning pins 7A of the positioning member 7 are inserted into the two positioning holes 2D of the housing substrate 2. In this state, the two screw holes 2C of the housing substrate 2 are positioned correspondingly to the two screw holes 7B of the positioning member 7. The housing substrate 2 further has a notch 2E. The notch 2E is formed to be located between the multiple electrode pads 2B and the side wall portion 4B of the housing 4. The notch 2E is positioned correspondingly to the notch 7C of the positioning member 7.

[0022] Two female threads 4D are formed in the substrate support portion 4A of the housing 4. The two female threads 4D are positioned correspondingly to the two screw holes 7B of the positioning member 7.

[0023] Alternatively, instead of the positioning member 7 having two positioning pins 7A, the positioning member 7 may be omitted, and the substrate support portion 4A of the housing 4 may have equivalent positioning pins.

[0024] Next, the repairable connector 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 to 9. Figures 4 and 5 are perspective views of the repairable connector 1. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the repairable connector 1. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the repairable connector 1 includes a connector module 10 and a bracket 11 that is mounted on the connector module 10.

[0025] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the connector module 10. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connector module 10 includes a module board 12, a receptacle connector 13, and a board-to-board connector 14.

[0026] The module board 12 is typically a rigid board. However, the module board 12 may be a flexible board instead. As shown in Figure 7, the module board 12 has a connector mounting surface 12A on which a receptacle connector 13 and a board-to-board connector 14 are mounted. The receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are surface-mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module board 12 so that they are adjacent in the insertion / removal direction. The receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are arranged in this order in the mating direction. The receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are separate components. The receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are arranged apart from each other in the insertion / removal direction.

[0027] The connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12 has a plurality of electrode pads 12B for the receptacle connector 13 and a plurality of electrode pads 12C for the substrate-to-substrate connector 14. The module substrate 12 has two screw holes 12D and two positioning holes 12E. The two screw holes 12D are formed to sandwich the plurality of electrode pads 12C in the width direction. The two positioning holes 12E are formed to sandwich the plurality of electrode pads 12C in the width direction.

[0028] Figure 8 shows an exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector 13. As shown in Figure 8, the receptacle connector 13 in this embodiment is a 24-pin connector conforming to the USB Type-C® shape standard. However, the number of pins of the receptacle connector 13 may be 16, 14, or 6. Furthermore, the receptacle connector 13 may be a connector conforming to other shape standards such as USB Type-A®, USB Type-B®, mini USB Type-B®, Micro USB Type-B®, or Lightning®.

[0029] The receptacle connector 13 includes a connector body 20 and a metal shell 21.

[0030] The connector body 20 includes a contact portion 22, a soldering portion 23, and an insulating resin housing 24. The contact portion 22 is the part that electrically contacts the plug connector 6 shown in Figure 1, and is composed of a plurality of electrode pads 22B formed on a rigid substrate 22A. The soldering portion 23 includes a plurality of contacts 23A that are soldered to a plurality of electrode pads 12B of the module substrate 12 shown in Figure 7. The plurality of contacts 23A are electrically connected to the plurality of electrode pads 22B of the contact portion 22. The housing 24 holds the contact portion 22 and the soldering portion 23. Note that in Figure 8, the plurality of electrode pads 22B are drawn as being connected to each other for simplification. Similarly, the plurality of contacts 23A are drawn as being connected to each other for simplification.

[0031] The shell 21 is an electromagnetic shield that covers the connector body 20. The shell 21 has the functions of guiding the plug connector 6 in the insertion / removal direction when the plug connector 6 shown in Figure 1 is mated with the receptacle connector 13, maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 when it is mated with the receptacle connector 13, and positioning the plug connector 6 in a plane perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction. Therefore, when the plug connector 6 is mated with the receptacle connector 13, the plug connector 6 is housed within the shell 21.

[0032] Figure 9 shows a partially cutaway perspective view of the board-to-board connector 14. The board-to-board connector 14 electrically connects the module board 12 to the housing board 2 when the module board 12 and the housing board 2 are parallel to each other. As shown in Figure 9, the board-to-board connector 14 includes a plurality of contacts 30 and a flat housing 31 that holds the plurality of contacts 30. The board-to-board connector 14 is a so-called compression type connector that is electrically connected to the housing board 2 by being pressed against the housing board 2.

[0033] The multiple contacts 30 are typically formed by press-forming copper or a copper alloy. The housing 31 is typically formed by injection molding of insulating resin.

[0034] The housing 31 has a module board facing surface 31A that faces the connector mounting surface 12A of the module board 12 when the board-to-board connector 14 is surface-mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module board 12 as shown in Figure 6, and a housing board facing surface 31B that faces the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing board 2 when the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing board 2 as shown in Figure 1.

[0035] Each contact 30 includes a soldering portion 30A which is soldered to a corresponding electrode pad 12C formed on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12 as shown in Figure 7, a fixing portion 30B which is typically fixed to the housing 31 by press-fitting, and a spring portion 30C which is cantilevered and supported by the fixing portion 30B. The spring portion 30C has a contact portion 30D which protrudes downward from the housing substrate-facing surface 31B of the housing 31 before the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2. The contact portion 30D is configured to move back and forth in the vertical direction with elastic deformation of the spring portion 30C. Therefore, it can be said that each contact 30 is elastically displaceable in the thickness direction of the housing 31. Then, with the repairable connector 1 mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 as shown in Figure 1, the contact portion 30D contacts the corresponding electrode pad 2B of the housing substrate 2 as shown in Figure 3, with elastic deformation of the spring portion 30C. In other words, the board-to-board connector 14 is electrically connected to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing board 2 by being pressed against the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing board 2 in a manner that resists the spring elastic restoring force of the spring portions 30C of the multiple contacts 30.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, the multiple contacts 23A of the receptacle connector 13 and the multiple contacts 30 of the board-to-board connector 14 are electrically connected to each other via a circuit (not shown) on the module board 12.

[0037] In this way, by constructing the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 as separate components, the multiple contacts 30 of the board-to-board connector 14 can be designed with a high degree of freedom. For example, by adjusting the plate thickness of each contact 30, the required springiness for each contact 30 can be ensured, and the transmission path length of each contact 30 can be made as short as possible.

[0038] Returning to Figure 6, the bracket 11 includes a barrel portion 40 and a support portion 41. The barrel portion 40 and the support portion 41 are integrally formed. The bracket 11 is made of a single part. The barrel portion 40 and the support portion 41 are arranged in this order in the fitting direction.

[0039] Bracket 11 is typically made of insulating resin or metal. When bracket 11 is made of insulating resin, it is formed, for example, by injection molding or machining insulating resins such as PBT (Polybutylene terephthalate), PPS (Poly Phenylene Sulfide), nylon resin, or LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer, registered trademark). When bracket 11 is made of metal, it is formed, for example, by MIM (Metal Injection Molding) or machining of stainless steel, or by die casting of zinc alloy.

[0040] The barrel portion 40 has a housing space 40A for housing the receptacle connector 13. The housing space 40A is formed to extend in the insertion / removal direction. The barrel portion 40 is formed in an annular shape so as to cover the receptacle connector 13 when viewed in the insertion / removal direction. In other words, the barrel portion 40 maintains the orientation of the plug connector 6 mated to the receptacle connector 13 by annularly covering the plug connector 6 mated to the receptacle connector 13. By covering the receptacle connector 13, the barrel portion 40 protects the shell 21 and contact portion 22 of the receptacle connector 13 as shown in Figure 8. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the barrel portion 40 enhances the shell 21's functions of guiding the plug connector 6 in the insertion / removal direction, maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 mated to the receptacle connector 13, and positioning the plug connector 6 in a plane perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction. In other words, the barrel portion 40 can be said to perform the functions of guiding the plug connector 6 in the insertion and removal direction, maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 when mated with the receptacle connector 13, and positioning the plug connector 6 in a plane perpendicular to the insertion and removal direction. The function of maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 when mated with the receptacle connector 13 helps to suppress damage to the receptacle connector 13 even if the plug connector 6 mated with the receptacle connector 13 is gouged.

[0041] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, in this embodiment, the housing space 40A of the barrel portion 40 is formed to accommodate the receptacle connector 13 over its entire length in the insertion and removal direction. However, alternatively, the housing space 40A of the barrel portion 40 may be formed to accommodate only the tip of the receptacle connector 13 in the removal direction.

[0042] The support portion 41 is flat and, as shown in Figure 1, is positioned on the opposite side of the housing substrate 2 from the substrate-to-substrate connector 14 when the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2. As shown in Figure 5, the support portion 41 makes substantially gapless contact with the module substrate 12 of the connector module 10 when the bracket 11 is attached to the connector module 10. As shown in Figure 6, the support portion 41 has two screw holes 41A. Note that in Figure 6, only one of the two screw holes 41A is shown.

[0043] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the connector module 10 is mounted to the bracket 11 by sliding it in the removal direction. This fixes the connector module 10 to the bracket 11. Typically, the fixing means may be press-fitting, soldering, welding, or other methods.

[0044] Then, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, in order to mount the repairable connector 1 on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, the two positioning pins 7A of the positioning member 7 shown in Figure 2 are inserted into the two positioning holes 12E of the module substrate 12 shown in Figure 7, and the repairable connector 1 is fixed to the housing substrate 2 by screw fastening. Specifically, the two screws 5 shown in Figure 2 are inserted into the two screw holes 41A of the support part 41 of the bracket 11 and screwed into the two female screws 4D of the housing 4 shown in Figure 3. At this time, the two screws 5 pass through the two screw holes 12D of the module substrate 12 of the connector module 10 shown in Figure 7, the two screw holes 2C of the housing substrate 2 shown in Figure 3, and the two screw holes 7B of the positioning member 7, respectively. In this way, by fixing the support portion 41 of the bracket 11 to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, the substrate-to-substrate connector 14 is pressed against the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, thereby enabling the multiple contacts 30 of the substrate-to-substrate connector 14 to make electrical contact with the multiple electrode pads 2B of the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 with high contact reliability.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, with the repairable connector 1 mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, the plug connector 6 mates with the receptacle connector 13 of the repairable connector 1 via the mating hole 4C. When the plug connector 6 is gouged while mated with the receptacle connector 13, an external force acts on the receptacle connector 13 in a plane perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction. As shown in Figure 2, this external force is absorbed by the housing substrate 2 via the shell 21, barrel portion 40, and support portion 41 of the receptacle connector 13 of the repairable connector 1 in that order. In other words, the external force is absorbed in a distributed manner by the shell 21, barrel portion 40, support portion 41, and housing substrate 2 of the receptacle connector 13 of the repairable connector 1. Therefore, a repairable connector 1 is realized that is less susceptible to damage even if the plug connector 6 is gouged. In particular, damage to the contact portion 22 of the connector body 20 of the receptacle connector 13 shown in Figure 8 is effectively suppressed.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, when mounting the repairable connector 1 to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, it is necessary to firmly fix the barrel portion 40 to the housing substrate 2 in order to accommodate the notch of the plug connector 6. For this reason, as an example, in addition to screwing the support portion 41 to the housing substrate 2, it is conceivable to screw the barrel portion 40 itself to the housing substrate 2. In this case, the number of screws required to mount the repairable connector 1 to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 would be four, making the replacement of the repairable connector 1 complicated.

[0047] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the support portion 41 is screw-fastened to the housing substrate 2, and the support portion 41 is integrally formed with the barrel portion 40. Therefore, the barrel portion 40 is firmly fixed to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 via the support portion 41. Consequently, the barrel portion 40 is firmly fixed to the housing substrate 2 even without screw-fastening the barrel portion 40 to the housing substrate 2. Thus, in this embodiment, the repairable connector 1 can be mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 with a small number of screws.

[0048] However, the method for fixing the support portion 41 of the repairable connector 1 to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 is not limited to screw fastening; for example, a snap-fit ​​may be used.

[0049] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, but the first embodiment described above has the following features.

[0050] That is, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the repairable connector 1 is detachably mounted on a housing substrate 2 located inside the housing 4 of the electronic device 3. As shown in Figure 6, the repairable connector 1 includes a connector module 10 and a bracket 11 attached to the connector module 10. The connector module 10 includes a receptacle connector 13 into which a plug connector 6 can be mated from outside the housing 4, a module substrate 12 on which the receptacle connector 13 is mounted, and a board-to-board connector 14 mounted on the module substrate 12, which is electrically connected to the receptacle connector 13 via the module substrate. The bracket 11 includes a barrel portion 40 that maintains the orientation of the plug connector 6 mated to the receptacle connector 13 by covering the plug connector 6 mated to the receptacle connector 13 in an annular shape, and a support portion 41 that is integrally formed with the barrel portion 40 and is positioned on the opposite side of the housing substrate 2, sandwiching the board-to-board connector 14, when the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the housing substrate 2. The support section 41 is fixed to the housing circuit board 2. With the above configuration, a repairable connector 1 is realized that is less likely to be damaged even if the plug connector 6 is gouged.

[0051] Furthermore, referring to Figure 2, the barrel portion 40 positions the plug connector 6 in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction in which the plug connector 6 is mated with the receptacle connector 13. With the above configuration, a high level of positioning of the plug connector 6 in that plane can be achieved.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the module substrate 12 has a connector mounting surface 12A on which the receptacle connector 13 is mounted, and the board-to-board connector 14 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A. This configuration contributes to reducing the height of the repairable connector 1 compared to the case where the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on both sides of the module substrate 12, respectively.

[0053] Furthermore, the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module board 12 so that they are adjacent to each other in the mating direction. This configuration contributes to miniaturization of the repairable connector 1 in the width direction.

[0054] Furthermore, the module board 12 is a rigid board. With this configuration, the repairable connector 1 can be manufactured at a lower cost compared to when the module board 12 is made of a flexible board.

[0055] Furthermore, the board-to-board connector 14 electrically connects the module board 12 to the housing board 2 when the module board 12 and the housing board 2 are parallel to each other. This configuration contributes to reducing the height of the electronic device 3.

[0056] Furthermore, the board-to-board connector 14 includes a flat housing 31 and a plurality of contacts 30 held in the housing 31. This configuration contributes to reducing the height of the board-to-board connector 14.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the support portion 41 is detachably fixed to the housing substrate 2 by screw fastening. With this configuration, the owner of the electronic device 3 can easily replace the repairable connector 1.

[0058] Furthermore, the bracket 11 shown in Figure 6 is made of metal. With the above configuration, the bracket 11 can be made highly rigid, thereby suppressing damage to the bracket 11 when the plug connector 6 is gouged.

[0059] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 10. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment, omitting any redundant explanations.

[0060] In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, two positioning pins 7A are formed on the positioning member 7 to position the housing substrate 2 and the repairable connector 1 relative to each other.

[0061] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 10, two positioning pins 31C are formed on the housing 31 of the board-to-board connector 14 of the connector module 10 of the repairable connector 1, to position the housing substrate 2 and the repairable connector 1 relative to each other. This makes it possible to omit the positioning member 7 shown in Figure 3.

[0062] (Third embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 11. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment, omitting any redundant explanations.

[0063] In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 4, the receptacle connector 13 of the connector module 10 of the repairable connector 1 has a shell 21.

[0064] However, in this embodiment, the shell 21 is omitted, as shown in Figure 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, the barrel portion 40 performs the functions that the shell 21 had in the first embodiment.

[0065] Specifically, in this embodiment, the barrel portion 40 performs the functions of guiding the plug connector 6 in the insertion and removal direction, maintaining the orientation of the plug connector 6 when mated with the receptacle connector 13, and positioning the plug connector 6 in a plane perpendicular to the insertion and removal direction. Furthermore, if the bracket 11 is made of metal, the barrel portion 40 also performs the function of an electromagnetic shield.

[0066] (Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment, omitting any redundant explanations.

[0067] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, in the first embodiment described above, the connector module 10 includes a board-to-board connector 14 surface-mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12. The board-to-board connector 14 is a so-called compression type connector that is electrically connected to the housing substrate 2 by being pressed against it.

[0068] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, the connector module 10 includes a plug connector 50 surface-mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module substrate 12. The plug connector 50 is a specific example of a board-to-board connector. The plug connector 50 includes a flat plug housing 51 and a plurality of plug contacts 52 held in the plug housing 51. As shown in Figure 12, the plug connector 50 is a so-called mating type connector that is electrically connected to the housing substrate 2 by mating with a socket connector 53 surface-mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2. The socket connector 53 includes a flat socket housing 54 and a plurality of socket contacts 55 held in the socket housing 54. Each socket contact 55 is configured to be elastically deformable in the insertion and removal direction.

[0069] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the plug connector 50 and the socket connector 53 are mated together in the vertical direction. The plug connector 50 and the socket connector 53 electrically connect the module board 12 on which the plug connector 50 is mounted and the housing board 2 on which the socket connector 53 is mounted, with the module board 12 and the housing board 2 parallel to each other.

[0070] To mount the repairable connector 1 on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, first, the plug connector 50 is mated with the socket connector 53. This causes the multiple plug contacts 52 of the plug connector 50 to make mechanical and electrical contact with the multiple socket contacts 55 of the socket connector 53. Next, with the plug connector 50 and the socket connector 53 mated with each other, the repairable connector 1 is fixed to the housing substrate 2 by screw fastening as described above. Then, by fixing the support portion 41 of the bracket 11 to the housing substrate 2, unintentional dislodgement of the plug connector 50 from the socket connector 53 is suppressed, thereby maintaining a high level of mating between the plug connector 50 and the socket connector 53.

[0071] (Fifth embodiment) Next, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 14. The following description will focus on the differences between this embodiment and the first embodiment, omitting any redundant explanations. Figure 14 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the connector module 10.

[0072] In the first embodiment described above, as shown in Figure 7, the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on the connector mounting surface 12A of the module board 12. That is, the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on the same plane.

[0073] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 are mounted on the front and back sides of the module board 12. Specifically, the module board 12 has a first connector mounting surface 12P and a second connector mounting surface 12Q opposite to the first connector mounting surface 12P. The first connector mounting surface 12P is the surface facing upwards. The second connector mounting surface 12Q is the surface facing downwards. The receptacle connector 13 is mounted on the first connector mounting surface 12P, and the board-to-board connector 14 is mounted on the second connector mounting surface 12Q.

[0074] With the above configuration, as shown in Figure 1, when the repairable connector 1 is mounted on the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2, the relative vertical position of the receptacle connector 13 with respect to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 is shifted upward compared to the first embodiment. In this way, the relative vertical position of the receptacle connector 13 with respect to the connector mounting surface 2A of the housing substrate 2 can be changed by arranging the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 on the same plane of the module substrate 12, or by arranging the receptacle connector 13 and the board-to-board connector 14 on the front and back of the module substrate 12.

[0075] 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]

[0076] 1 Repairable Connector 2. Enclosure board 2A connector mounting side 2B electrode pads 2C screw hole 2D positioning holes 2E Notch 3 Electronic equipment 4 cabinets 4A Board support part 4B Side wall part 4C mating hole 4D Female Thread 5 screws 6 Plug Connectors 7 Positioning member 7A Positioning pin 7B Screw hole 7C Notch 10 Connector Modules 11 brackets 12 Module boards 12A connector mounting surface 12B electrode pads 12C electrode pads 12D screw hole 12E Positioning hole 12P First Connector Mounting Side 12Q Second connector mounting side 13 Receptacle Connectors 14 Board-to-board connectors 20 Connector body 21 Shell 22 Contact area 22A Rigid PCB 22B Electrode Pads 23 Soldering section 23A Contact 24 Housing 30 Contacts 30A soldering section 30B Fixed part 30C Spring part 30D contact part 31 Housing 31A Module board opposing surface 31B Housing circuit board opposing surface 31C Positioning pin 40 Barrel section 40A Accommodation space 41 Support Department 41A Screw hole 50 Plug Connectors (Board-to-Board Connectors) 51 Plug Housing 52 Plug Contacts 53 Socket Connectors 54 Socket Housing 55 Socket Contacts

Claims

1. A repairable connector that is detachably mounted on a housing circuit board located inside the housing of an electronic device, Connector module and A bracket to be attached to the connector module, Includes, The aforementioned connector module is A receptacle connector into which a plug connector can be mated from the outside of the housing, A module board on which the aforementioned receptacle connector is mounted, A board-to-board connector, which is mounted on the module board, is electrically connected to the receptacle connector via the module board, Includes, The aforementioned bracket is A barrel portion that covers the plug connector fitted into the receptacle connector in an annular shape, thereby maintaining the orientation of the plug connector fitted into the receptacle connector, A support portion is integrally formed with the barrel portion and is positioned on the opposite side of the housing substrate, sandwiching the substrate-to-substrate connector, when the repairable connector is mounted on the housing substrate. Includes, The support portion is fixed to the housing substrate. Repairable connector.

2. A repairable connector according to claim 1, The barrel portion positions the plug connector in a plane perpendicular to the mating direction in which the plug connector is mated with the receptacle connector. Repairable connector.

3. A repairable connector according to claim 1, The module board has a connector mounting surface on which the receptacle connector is mounted, The aforementioned board-to-board connector is mounted on the connector mounting surface, Repairable connector.

4. A repairable connector according to claim 3, The receptacle connector and the board-to-board connector are mounted on the connector mounting surface of the module board such that they are adjacent to each other in the mating direction in which the plug connector is mated with the receptacle connector. Repairable connector.

5. A repairable connector according to claim 1, The module substrate has a first connector mounting surface and a second connector mounting surface opposite to the first connector mounting surface. The receptacle connector is mounted on the first connector mounting surface, The aforementioned board-to-board connector is mounted on the second connector mounting surface. Repairable connector.

6. A repairable connector according to claim 1, The module substrate is a rigid substrate. Repairable connector.

7. A repairable connector according to claim 1, The board-to-board connector electrically connects the module board to the housing board when the module board and the housing board are parallel to each other. Repairable connector.

8. A repairable connector according to claim 7, The aforementioned board-to-board connector is A flat housing and Multiple contacts held in the housing, include, Repairable connector.

9. A repairable connector according to claim 1, The support portion is detachably fixed to the housing substrate by screw fastening. Repairable connector.

10. A repairable connector according to claim 1, The bracket is made of metal. Repairable connector.

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