Electrical connector for flat conductors

Abstract

To provide an electrical connector for flat conductors that can maintain the terminals in their correct positions in the terminal arrangement direction and effectively suppress solder buildup. [Solution] The housing 10 has a receiving portion 11 that is open toward the rear to receive a flat conductor, and a first terminal receiving groove portion 17 that accommodates a first terminal 20 with the terminal arrangement direction being the groove width direction. The first terminal 20 has a connecting portion 21C that can be connected to the mounting surface of a circuit board, and a restricted portion 21D whose movement in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted from the housing 10, both located below the receiving portion 11. The restricted portion 21D extends upward from the connecting portion 21C. The first terminal receiving groove portion 17 has a first groove portion 17D that accommodates the connecting portion 21C and a second groove portion 17E that accommodates the restricted portion 21D. The gap between the connecting portion 21C and the inner surface of the first groove portion 17D is larger than the gap between the restricted portion 21D and the inner surface of the second groove portion 17E.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector for flat conductors, which is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board and to which flat conductors are connected.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector in which a flat cable is inserted and connected to the mounting surface of a circuit board. In Patent Document 1, the direction in which the flat cable is inserted is referred to as "rearward", but here it will be described as "forward". In the above connector, first terminals and second terminals (collectively referred to as "terminals" when there is no need to distinguish) made of metal plates, which are alternately arranged with the width direction of the flat cable as the terminal arrangement direction, are held by a housing made of an insulating material. Here, the adjacent first terminal and second terminal are arranged in a posture where the plate surfaces face each other. In the housing, first terminal holding recesses and second terminal holding recesses (collectively referred to as "terminal holding recesses" when there is no need to distinguish) are formed corresponding to the first terminals and second terminals respectively. The first terminal is press-fitted and held in the first terminal holding recess from the rear, and the second terminal is press-fitted and held in the second terminal holding recess from the front.

[0003] The terminals have tail portions connected to the ends of lower arm portions extending in the front-rear direction along the lower wall of the housing, and are solder-connected to the mounting surface of the circuit board at the lower ends of the tail portions. The terminal holding recesses of the housing are in a groove shape having a groove width in the terminal arrangement direction, and have a narrow-width portion with a small groove width and a wide-width portion with a larger groove width than the narrow-width portion. For example, the terminal holding recess is formed as a narrow-width portion in the range corresponding to the lower part of the tail portion, and is formed as a wide-width portion in the range corresponding to the upper part of the tail portion and the arm portion continuously extending in the front-rear direction and connected to the upper part.

[0004] The lower part of the tail section is housed in a narrow section, and its movement in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted by the inner surface of the groove in the narrow section. When the lower part of the tail section is housed in a narrow section in this way, when the tail section is soldered to the mounting surface of the circuit board, the flux contained in the solder melts and rises between the plate surface of the lower part of the tail section and the inner surface of the groove in the narrow section due to capillary action, resulting in what is known as flux rise. In Patent Document 1, a wide section is formed in the terminal holding recess in the area corresponding to the upper part of the tail section and the arm section. Therefore, the gap between the plate surface of the upper part of the tail section and the arm section and the inner surface of the groove in the wide section is large, so capillary action does not occur, and even if flux rise occurs in the narrow section, further flux movement is suppressed in the wide section. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-287398 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the connector described in Patent Document 1, a narrow section is provided in the terminal holding recess in the area corresponding to the lower part of the tail in order to stabilize the position of the tail in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the connector described in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that flux rise will occur in the above-mentioned area, and there is room for improvement in terms of better suppressing flux rise.

[0007] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an electrical connector for flat conductors that can maintain terminals in their correct positions in the terminal arrangement direction and effectively suppress solder buildup and flux buildup (hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, simply referred to as "solder buildup"). [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The flat conductor electrical connector according to the present invention is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board, and the flat conductor is connected with the front-to-back direction parallel to the mounting surface as the insertion / removal direction, and is made of a metal plate, and has a plurality of terminals arranged with the width direction of the flat conductor as the terminal arrangement direction so that the plate surfaces face each other, and a housing that holds the plurality of terminals.

[0009] In the present invention, the present invention provides an electrical connector for a flat conductor, wherein the housing has a receiving portion that is open toward the rear to receive the flat conductor, and a housing groove portion that accommodates the terminals with the terminal arrangement direction being the groove width direction, the terminals have a connecting portion that can be connected to the mounting surface and a restricted portion whose movement in the terminal arrangement direction from the housing is restricted, the restricted portion being on the circuit board side of the receiving portion in the thickness direction of the flat conductor perpendicular to the mounting surface, the restricted portion extending from the connecting portion toward the opposite side of the circuit board in the thickness direction, the housing groove portion having a first groove portion that accommodates the connecting portion and a second groove portion that accommodates the restricted portion, and the gap between the connecting portion and the inner surface of the first groove portion is larger than the gap between the restricted portion and the inner surface of the second groove portion.

[0010] In this invention, in the housing groove portion of the housing, the gap between the connection portion and the inner surface of the first groove portion is larger than the gap between the restricted portion and the inner surface of the second groove portion. In other words, a large gap is formed in the groove width direction between the board surface of the connection portion, which is the part that is directly soldered to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and the inner surface of the first groove portion. Therefore, when soldering, capillary action does not occur in the above gap, and solder buildup can be effectively suppressed.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present invention, the gap between the restricted portion and the inner surface of the second groove in the housing groove is smaller than the gap between the connecting portion and the inner surface of the first groove. Therefore, the inner surface of the second groove restricts the movement of the restricted portion in the terminal arrangement direction, making it easier to maintain the restricted portion, and consequently the connecting portion, in the correct position in the terminal arrangement direction. In addition, the second groove is formed on the opposite side from the circuit board side of the first groove in the thickness direction of the flat conductor. Therefore, if solder buildup does not occur in the first groove located on the circuit board side as described above, solder buildup will not occur in the second groove either.

[0012] (2) In the invention of (1), the terminal has a held portion held by the housing, and a contact arm portion and a base arm portion that are located on the circuit board side of the receiving portion in the thickness direction and extend rearward from the held portion, the contact arm portion has a contact portion that can contact the circuit board side surface of the flat conductor, the base arm portion is located on the circuit board side of the contact arm portion and extends in the front-rear direction with a range that overlaps with the contact arm portion, the connecting portion is connected to the rear end of the base arm portion, the housing groove portion has a third groove portion that communicates with the first groove portion and houses the base arm portion, and the gap between the base arm portion and the inner surface of the groove of the third groove portion may be larger than the gap between the restricted portion and the inner surface of the groove of the second groove portion.

[0013] In this invention, the contact arm and the base arm are provided with overlapping areas in the front-to-back direction, allowing the terminal to be miniaturized in the front-to-back direction by the amount of overlap. In this shape, the connecting portion connected to the rear end of the base arm is located close to the contact portion. However, since the base arm and the contact arm are formed as arms spaced apart from each other, the continuous path from the connecting portion to the contact portion in the terminal follows the base arm, the held portion, and the contact arm. Therefore, the connecting portion and the contact portion are spaced far apart along this path. Furthermore, the gap between the base arm and the inner surface of the third groove is larger than the gap between the regulated portion and the inner surface of the second groove. In other words, a large gap is formed between the plate surface of the base arm and the inner surface of the third groove, so solder rise does not occur in the area of ​​the base arm. Therefore, the movement of molten solder from the connecting portion to the contact portion can be suppressed more effectively.

[0014] (3) In the invention of (2), the receiving groove portion has a fourth groove portion that accommodates a part of the contact arm portion, and the gap between the part of the contact arm portion and the inner surface of the fourth groove portion is smaller than the gap between the base arm portion and the inner surface of the third groove portion, so that the fourth groove portion can restrict the movement of the contact arm portion in the terminal arrangement direction on the inner surface of the groove. By restricting the movement of the contact arm portion in the terminal arrangement direction on the inner surface of the fourth groove portion in this way, it becomes easier to maintain the contact portion in the correct position in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0015] (4) In the invention of (3), the receiving groove portion may be formed such that the second groove portion and the fourth groove portion have the same groove width and communicate with each other to form a single groove portion. By having the second groove portion and the fourth groove portion communicate with each other to form a single groove portion in this way, the receiving groove portion can be made into a simple shape, which makes it easier to manufacture the housing.

[0016] (5) In the invention of (3) or (4), the contact portion protrudes toward the receiving portion in the thickness direction, with the protruding end located within the receiving portion, and the receiving groove portion has a fifth groove portion that accommodates a part of the contact portion and extends to the rear end of the housing in the front-rear direction, wherein the gap between a part of the contact portion and the inner surface of the fifth groove portion is larger than the gap between a part of the contact arm portion and the inner surface of the fourth groove portion, and the fifth groove portion may be closed from the front by a front inner surface portion located within the range of the contact portion in the front-rear direction.

[0017] The size of the gap into which a flat conductor enters at the terminal position in the terminal arrangement direction greatly affects the ease of inserting the flat conductor and the contact state between the contact portion and the flat conductor. When the contact portion protrudes into the receiving portion, the position of the protruding end of the contact portion in the thickness direction determines the size of the gap. Therefore, accurately identifying the position of the protruding end in the thickness direction is extremely important, and inspections are often performed on manufactured connectors to identify the position of the protruding end. For example, this inspection is performed by shining light into the receiving portion from the rear and imaging the reflected light from the rear. In this case, the position of the protruding end of the contact portion is identified by the difference in brightness (contrast) between the light reflected from the contact portion protruding into the receiving portion and the light reflected from the surrounding area of ​​the contact portion as viewed from the rear in the captured image.

[0018] In this invention, a portion of the contact portion is housed in the fifth groove. If the gap between a portion of the contact portion and the inner surface of the fifth groove is less than or equal to the gap between a portion of the contact arm and the inner surface of the fourth groove, the position of the protruding end of the contact portion can be determined by the contrast between the light reflected from the contact portion and the light reflected from the rear end surface of the portion of the housing where the fifth groove is formed. However, since the rear end surface is positioned rearward relative to the contact portion, it is difficult to focus on both the rear end surface and the contact portion during imaging, making it difficult to capture a clear image. In this invention, the gap between a portion of the contact portion and the inner surface of the fifth groove is larger than the gap between a portion of the contact arm and the inner surface of the fourth groove, and the fifth groove is closed from the front by the front inner surface. Therefore, when viewed from the rear, the front inner surface is present around the contact portion. Consequently, the position of the protruding end of the contact portion can be determined by the contrast between the light reflected from the contact portion and the light reflected from the front inner surface. In this invention, the front inner surface is located within the range of the contact area in the front-to-back direction; in other words, the front inner surface is close to the contact area in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, it is easy to focus on both the front inner surface and the contact area during imaging, making it easy to capture a clear image, and thus the position of the protruding end of the contact area can be easily identified.

[0019] (6) In the inventions of (1) to (5), the size of the gap between the terminal and the inner surface of the groove in the housing groove may be determined by the size of the groove width in the housing groove. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] The present invention provides an electrical connector for flat conductors that can maintain the terminals in their correct positions in the terminal arrangement direction and effectively suppress solder buildup. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an electrical connector for a flat conductor according to an embodiment of the present invention, together with a flat conductor, and shows the state immediately before inserting the flat conductor. [Figure 2]It is a perspective view showing each member in a separated state of an electrical connector for a flat conductor. [Figure 3] (A) is a cross-sectional view of the housing at the position of the first terminal accommodating groove, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor at the position of the first terminal accommodating groove. [Figure 4] (A) is a cross-sectional view of the housing at the position of the second terminal accommodating groove, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor at the position of the second terminal accommodating groove. [Figure 5] (A) is a cross-sectional view of the housing at the position of the lock fitting accommodating groove, and (B) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor at the position of the lock fitting accommodating part. [Figure 6] (A) is a plan view of a part of the electrical connector for a flat conductor, and (B) is a bottom view of a part of the electrical connector for a flat conductor. [Figure 7] It is a view showing a cross-section at the position of the first contact part of the first terminal in the front-rear direction, where (A) shows the state seen from the obliquely rearward direction and (B) shows the state seen from the rearward direction. [Figure 8] It is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor immediately before inserting the flat conductor, where (A) shows a cross-section at the position of the first terminal, (B) shows a cross-section at the position of the second terminal, and (C) shows a cross-section at the position of the lock fitting. [Figure 9] It is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor immediately after inserting the flat conductor, where (A) shows a cross-section at the position of the first terminal, (B) shows a cross-section at the position of the second terminal, and (C) shows a cross-section at the position of the lock fitting. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector for a flat conductor after the connection of the flat conductor is completed, where (A) shows a cross-section at the position of the first terminal, (B) shows a cross-section at the position of the second terminal, and (C) shows a cross-section at the position of the lock fitting. [Figure 11] It is a perspective view showing a part of the electrical connector for a flat conductor according to a modified example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0023] The flat conductor electrical connector 1 (hereinafter referred to as "connector 1") according to this embodiment is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown), and a flat conductor C (e.g., FPC) as a mating connector is connected so that it can be inserted and removed in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) parallel to the mounting surface. Connector 1 electrically connects the circuit board and the flat conductor C when the flat conductor C is connected. In this embodiment, in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction), the X1 direction is forward and the X2 direction is backward. In addition, the Y-axis direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction in the plane parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board (XY plane) is the connector width direction, and the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the mounting surface of the circuit board is the up-and-down direction.

[0024] The flat conductor C is a flexible strip extending in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction) with the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) as its width, and is inserted into and removed from the connector 1 in a position with the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) as its thickness. Multiple circuit sections extending in the front-to-back direction are formed on the flat conductor C, arranged in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the flat conductor C. These circuit sections are embedded in the insulating layer of the flat conductor C and extend in the front-to-back direction, reaching the front end of the flat conductor C. Furthermore, the circuit section has a connection circuit section C1 exposed on the upper surface of the flat conductor C at its front end, and is capable of contacting the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 of the connector 1, which will be described later. The connection circuit section C1 has a first circuit section C1A that contacts the first terminal 20 and a second circuit section C1B that contacts the second terminal 30, and the two are offset in the front-to-back direction and alternately positioned in the width direction of the flat conductor C.

[0025] Furthermore, the flat conductor C has notches C2 formed on both side edges of the front end portion, and the rear end edge of the lug portion C3 located in front of the notches C2 functions as a locked portion C3A that locks with the locking portion 42B-1 of the connector 1, which will be described later (see Figure 10(C)).

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the connector 1 comprises a housing 10 made of an electrical insulating material such as resin, a plurality of first terminals 20 and second terminals 30 made of metal plates arranged in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction) as the terminal arrangement direction and held by the housing 10, metal plate locking fittings 40 positioned on both outer sides of the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction, and a movable member 50 made of an electrical insulating material such as resin that can move between a closed position and an open position, as described later, and a flat conductor C is inserted and connected from the rear.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 are arranged alternately in the terminal arrangement direction, and their plate surfaces face each other in the terminal arrangement direction. In addition, one locking mechanism 40 is provided on each of the outer sides of the terminal arrangement range, and is positioned so that its plate surface faces the plate surfaces of the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the housing 10 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with the terminal arrangement direction as its longitudinal direction, and a receiving portion 11 for receiving a flat conductor C is formed as a space that is open toward the rear. The housing 10 has a lower wall 12 facing the mounting surface of the circuit board, an upper wall 13 extending above the lower wall 12 and parallel to the lower wall 12, two side walls 14 extending in the vertical direction and connecting the ends of the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 in the terminal arrangement direction, and a front wall 15 (see Figure 3(A)) connecting the front ends of the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13. A movable member housing space 16 for housing the movable member 50 is formed in front of the front wall 15 and between the two side walls 14 in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0029] The receiving section 11 is formed by being surrounded by a lower wall 12, an upper wall 13, and two side walls 14, and is designed to receive the front end portion of the flat conductor C from the rear (see Figures 9(A) to (C)).

[0030] As shown in Figures 1 and 3(A), the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 have their rear ends positioned forward of the portions within the terminal arrangement range and their rear ends positioned forward of the portions outside the terminal arrangement range. Also, as shown in Figure 3(A), the lower wall 12 and the upper wall 13 have their front ends positioned backward of the portions within the terminal arrangement range and their front ends positioned backward of the portions outside the terminal arrangement range. As shown in Figures 3(A), 4(A), and 5(A), the lower wall 12 has an overhang 12A that extends forward of the front wall 15. The upper surface of the overhang 12A is lower than the upper surface of the other portions of the lower wall 12 (portions other than the overhang 12A), and its lower surface is at the same vertical position as the lower surface of the other portions. In other words, the overhang 12A is thinner than the other portions of the lower wall 12, i.e., it is formed with a smaller wall thickness.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(A) and 4(A), the housing 10 has a first terminal receiving groove 17 for accommodating and holding the first terminal 20, and a second terminal receiving groove 18 for accommodating and holding the second terminal 30, both located within the terminal arrangement range in the terminal arrangement direction. The first terminal receiving groove 17 and the second terminal receiving groove 18 are arranged alternately at predetermined intervals in the terminal arrangement direction. Also, as shown in Figure 5(A), the housing 10 has lock fitting receiving grooves 19 for accommodating and holding the lock fittings 40, located on both ends of the receiving portion 11 in the terminal arrangement direction, in other words, on both outer sides of the terminal arrangement range.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3(A), the first terminal housing groove 17 is shaped like a slit that expands perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction and penetrates the housing 10 in the front-to-back direction. The first terminal housing groove 17 has portions with different groove width dimensions (dimensions in the terminal arrangement direction), specifically, a narrow portion with a groove width slightly wider than the plate thickness dimension of the first terminal 20 (dimensions in the terminal arrangement direction), and a wide portion with a groove width larger than the narrow portion.

[0033] The first terminal housing groove 17 has a lower groove 17A that extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12, an upper groove 17I that extends in the front-rear direction along the upper wall 13, and a front groove 17J that extends in the up-down direction along the front wall 15.

[0034] The lower groove portion 17A is recessed from the upper surface of the lower wall 12 and extends in the front-rear direction, penetrating the lower wall 12. As shown in Figure 3(A), the lower groove portion 17A has a front lower groove portion 17B located in a range P forward of the intermediate position in the front-rear direction, specifically the rear end position of the first terminal holding portion 17K described later, and a rear lower groove portion 17C located in a range Q backward of the intermediate position.

[0035] The front lower groove 17B is formed to be narrow throughout its entire length. In the front lower groove 17B, the rear portion is formed within a part of the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction, specifically within the range of the first terminal holding portion 17K, while the front portion is formed in front of the front wall 15 within the range of the protruding portion 12A.

[0036] The rear lower groove 17C, as shown in Figure 3(A), has a wide first groove 17D, a third groove 17F, and a fifth groove 17H, and a narrow second groove 17E and a fourth groove 17G. The first groove 17D is formed at the lower rear of the rear lower groove 17C, penetrating the lower wall 12 in the vertical direction. The second groove 17E is formed at an intermediate vertical position at the rear of the rear lower groove 17C. The second groove 17E is located directly above the first groove 17D, in other words, on the opposite side of the circuit board in the vertical direction, and extends in the front-rear direction along the first groove 17D. As shown in Figures 3(A) and 6(B), the rear end of the second groove 17E has a groove width that increases towards the rear.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3(A), the third groove 17F extends forward of the first groove 17D, reaching the front end of the rear lower groove 17C, or in other words, the rear end of the front lower groove 17B. The third groove 17F is formed with the same groove width as the first groove 17D, and together with the first groove 17D, they form a single wide groove. By having the first groove 17D and the third groove 17F communicate with each other to form a single groove, the first terminal housing groove 17 can be made into a simple shape, thus facilitating the manufacture of the housing 10.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3(A), the fourth groove 17G is located forward of the second groove 17E and the fifth groove 17H, and directly above the third groove 17F, extending along the third groove 17F to the front end of the rear lower groove 17C. The fourth groove 17G is formed with the same groove width dimensions as the front lower groove 17B and the second groove 17E, and in the lower groove 17A, it forms a single narrow groove together with the front lower groove 17B and the second groove 17E. By having the front lower groove 17B, the second groove 17E, and the fourth groove 17G communicate with each other to form a single groove, the first terminal housing groove 17 can be made into a simple shape, thus facilitating the manufacture of the housing 10.

[0039] The fifth groove 17H ​​is formed on the upper rear portion of the rear lower groove 17C, as shown in Figure 3(A). The fifth groove 17H ​​is located directly above the second groove 17E and extends in the front-rear direction along the second groove 17E from the midpoint of the rear lower groove 17C to the rear end of the lower wall 12. The fifth groove 17H ​​is formed with the same groove width dimensions as the first groove 17D and the third groove 17F, forming a wide groove.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(A), the fifth groove 17H ​​is closed from the front by the front inner surface 17H-1 at both ends in the groove width direction. The front inner surface 17H-1 is located within the range of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 of the first terminal 20, which will be described later, in the front-rear direction, and forms an inclined surface that slopes upward as it approaches the front. As will be described later, the front inner surface 17H-1 is used as a reflective surface that reflects light irradiated from the rear when performing an inspection to identify the position of the protruding end of the first lower contact portion 21E-1.

[0041] The upper groove 17I is recessed from the lower surface of the upper wall 13 and extends in the front-rear direction, penetrating the upper wall 13. The front groove 17J extends in the vertical direction, connecting the lower groove 17A and the upper groove 17I, and penetrates the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction. The upper groove 17I and the front groove 17J are formed with the same groove width dimensions as the front lower groove 17B, second groove 17E, and fourth groove 17G of the lower groove 17A, but are narrower. Also, as shown in Figure 3(A), a first terminal holding portion 17K for press-fitting and holding the first terminal 20 is formed at the front of the front groove 17J. The first terminal holding portion 17K extends in the groove width direction and connects the opposing groove inner surfaces (two surfaces that face each other in the groove width direction) of the front groove 17J.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4(A), the second terminal housing groove 18 is shaped like a slit that expands perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction and penetrates the housing 10 in the front-to-back direction. The second terminal housing groove 18 has portions with different groove width dimensions, specifically, a narrow portion with a groove width slightly wider than the plate thickness dimension of the second terminal 30, and a wide portion with a groove width larger than the narrow portion.

[0043] The second terminal housing groove 18 has a lower groove 18A that extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12, an upper groove 18D that extends in the front-rear direction along the upper wall 13, and a front groove 18E that extends in the up-down direction along the front wall 15.

[0044] The lower groove portion 18A is recessed from the upper surface of the lower wall 12 and extends in the front-rear direction, penetrating the lower wall 12. The lower groove portion 18A has a front lower groove portion 18B formed in the area in front of the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction, i.e., in the area of ​​the protruding portion 12A, and a rear lower groove portion 18C formed in the area behind the front lower groove portion 18B.

[0045] The front lower groove 18B is wide throughout its entire length, as shown in Figure 4(A). The front end portion 18B-1 of the front lower groove 18B penetrates the protruding portion 12A in the vertical direction. The rear lower groove 18C widens towards the front in the area of ​​the front end portion and is continuous with the front lower groove 18B, and is narrow in most of the area excluding the front end portion.

[0046] The upper groove 18D is recessed from the lower surface of the upper wall 13 and extends in the front-rear direction, penetrating the upper wall 13. The front groove 18E extends in the vertical direction, connecting the lower groove 18A and the upper groove 18D, and penetrates the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction. In the area of ​​the front end, the groove width of the upper groove 18D and the front groove 18E increases as it moves forward, and in the area excluding the front end, it is formed to be narrow with the same groove width dimension as the rear lower groove 18C.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(A), a second terminal holding portion 18F for press-fitting and holding the second terminal 30 is formed at the rear of the front groove portion 18E. The second terminal holding portion 18F extends in the groove width direction and connects the opposing inner surfaces of the front groove portion 18E (two surfaces that face each other in the groove width direction).

[0048] As shown in Figure 5(A), the lock fitting housing groove 19 is shaped like a slit that expands perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction and penetrates the housing 10 in the front-to-back direction. The lock fitting housing groove 19 has portions with different groove width dimensions, specifically, a narrow portion with a groove width dimension slightly wider than the plate thickness dimension of the lock fitting 40, and a wide portion with a groove width dimension greater than the narrow portion.

[0049] The lock fitting housing groove 19 has a lower groove 19A that extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12, an upper groove 19D that extends in the front-rear direction along the upper wall 13, and a front groove 18E that extends in the up-down direction along the front wall 15.

[0050] The lower groove portion 19A is recessed from the upper surface of the lower wall 12 and extends in the front-rear direction, penetrating the lower wall 12. The lower groove portion 19A has a front lower groove portion 19B formed in the area in front of the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction, i.e., in the area of ​​the protruding portion 12A, and a rear lower groove portion 19C formed in the area behind the front lower groove portion 19B.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5(A), the rear lower groove 18C is formed to be narrow in the front-rear direction except for the front end 19B-1 of the front lower groove 19B, and wide in the area of ​​the front end 19B-1. The front end 19B-1 of the front lower groove 19B penetrates the protruding portion 12A in the vertical direction. Furthermore, at the rear of the front end 19B-1, the groove width increases as it moves forward.

[0052] The upper groove 19D is recessed from the lower surface of the upper wall 13 and extends in the front-rear direction, penetrating the upper wall 13. The front and rear portions of the upper groove 19D penetrate the upper wall 13 in the vertical direction. The front groove 19E extends in the vertical direction, connecting the lower groove 19A and the upper groove 19D, and penetrates the front wall 15 in the front-rear direction. In the area of ​​the front end, the groove width of the upper groove 19D and the front groove 19E increases as it moves forward, and in the area excluding the front end, it is formed to be narrow with the same groove width dimension as the rear lower groove 19C.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(A), a lock fitting holder portion 19F for press-fitting and holding the lock fitting 40 is formed at the rear of the front groove portion 19E. The lock fitting holder portion 19F extends in the groove width direction and connects the opposing inner surfaces of the front groove portion 19E (two surfaces that face each other in the groove width direction).

[0054] The first terminal 20 is made by punching out a metal plate member in the thickness direction, as shown in Figures 2 and 3(B). The first terminal 20 has a lower arm portion 21 that extends in the front-rear direction, an upper arm portion 22 that extends in the front-rear direction above the lower arm portion 21, and a connecting portion 23 that extends in the up-down direction and connects the intermediate portions of the lower arm portion 21 and the upper arm portion 22. The upper arm portion 22 is elastically displaceable in a lever-like manner with the connecting portion 23 as a fulcrum when subjected to the pressing force of the first shaft portion 53 of the movable member 50 (see Figure 10(A)).

[0055] As shown in Figure 3(B), the lower arm portion 21 extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12 of the housing 10 and is housed in the lower groove portion 17A. The lower arm portion 21 has an extended portion 21A located in front of the connecting portion 23, and a base arm portion 21B, a connecting portion 21C, a restricted portion 21D, and a first lower contact arm portion 21E located behind the connecting portion 23.

[0056] The extended portion 21A extends along the groove bottom surface (lower inner wall surface) of the front lower groove portion 17B and is supported from below by the groove bottom surface. The extended portion 21A has a support portion 21A-1 formed at the front and a held portion 21A-2 formed at the rear. The support portion 21A-1 is located within the range of the protruding portion 12A in the front-rear direction, and its lower end is housed in the front lower groove portion 17B. The support portion 21A-1 supports the first shaft portion 53 of the movable member 50, which will be described later, from below. The held portion 21A-2 is located directly below the first terminal holding portion 17K in the front-rear direction and is housed in the front lower groove portion 17B. The held portion 21A-2 is held by a press-fit projection 21A-3 protruding from its upper end, which bites into the lower surface of the first terminal holding portion 17K.

[0057] The base arm portion 21B extends rearward from the lower rear end of the held portion 21A-2 along the groove bottom surface (lower inner wall surface) of the rear lower groove portion 17C and is supported from below by the groove bottom surface. The base arm portion 21B is smaller in the vertical direction than the extending portion 21A, i.e., it is thinner, and is housed in the third groove portion 17F. The connecting portion 21C is connected to the rear end of the base arm portion 21B and forms the rear end of the lower arm portion 21, and is housed in the first groove portion 17D. The connecting portion 21C is larger in the vertical direction than the base arm portion 21B, i.e., it is thicker, and its lower end is located slightly below the lower surface of the lower wall 12 (see Figure 8(A)). The connecting portion 21C can be soldered to a circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown) by contacting it at its lower end.

[0058] The restricted portion 21D is formed extending upward from the upper end of the connecting portion 21C and is housed in the second groove 17E. As will be described later, the restricted portion 21D is restricted from moving in the terminal arrangement direction by the opposing inner wall surface of the second groove 17E.

[0059] The first lower contact arm 21E extends rearward from the upper rear end of the held portion 21A-2, along the base arm 21B. In other words, the first lower contact arm 21E is positioned in a range that overlaps with the base arm 21B in the front-rear direction. By providing the first lower contact arm 21E and the base arm 21B in a range that overlaps in the front-rear direction, the first terminal 20 can be miniaturized in the front-rear direction by the amount of overlap.

[0060] The rear end of the first lower contact arm 21E is located at an intermediate position in the receiving portion 11 in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 3(B), specifically in front of the restricted portion 21D and in the vicinity of the restricted portion 21D. The first lower contact arm 21E is located above the base arm 21B with a gap between it and the base arm 21B, and is elastically displaceable in the vertical direction within the range of the gap. The first lower contact arm 21E has a first lower contact portion 21E-1 at its rear end that protrudes upward, and while elastically displacing downward, the first lower contact portion 21E-1 contacts the lower surface of the flat conductor C, pressing the flat conductor C from below (see Figure 10(A)). As a modified example, if a circuit portion is exposed on the lower surface of the front end portion of the flat conductor C, the first lower contact portion 21E-1 may be configured to contact the circuit portion.

[0061] In the first lower contact arm 21E, the portion excluding the first lower contact arm 21E-1 is housed in the fourth groove 17G. As will be described later, the movement of the first lower contact arm 21E in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted by the opposing inner wall surface of the fourth groove 17G. As shown in Figure 3(B), when the first lower contact arm 21E is in a free state, the upper end of the first lower contact arm 21E-1 is located within the receiving portion 11, and the lower part (excluding the upper end) is housed within the fifth groove 17H ​​(see also Figure 8(A)).

[0062] As shown in Figure 3(B), the upper arm portion 22 extends in the front-rear direction along the groove bottom surface (upper inner wall surface) of the upper groove portion 17I and is housed within the upper groove portion 17I. The upper arm portion 22 has a pressure-receiving arm portion 22A located in front of the connecting portion 23 and a first upper contact arm portion 22B located behind the connecting portion 23.

[0063] A gap is formed between the upper arm portion 22 and the bottom surface of the upper groove portion 17I, allowing the upper arm portion 22 to be elastically displaced within the range of this gap. Furthermore, the movement of the upper arm portion 22 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted by the opposing inner wall surface of the upper groove portion 17I.

[0064] The front portion of the pressure-receiving arm 22A extends forward from the upper groove 17I of the housing 10 and is located within the movable member housing space 16. This front portion is formed as a pressure-receiving part 22A-1 that receives the pressing force from below from the first shaft portion 53 of the movable member 50, which will be described later. The pressure-receiving part 22A-1 has a recess formed by the recessing of its lower edge, and when the movable member 50 is in the closed position, a part of the first shaft portion 53 is housed within this recess (see Figure 10(A)).

[0065] The rear end of the first upper contact arm 22B is located at an intermediate position in the receiving portion 11 in the front-rear direction, specifically at the same position as the rear end of the first lower contact arm 21E, as shown in Figure 3(B). The first upper contact arm 22B has a first upper contact portion 22B-1 at its rear end that protrudes downward, and the first upper contact portion 22B-1 makes contact with the first circuit portion C1A on the upper surface of the flat conductor C with contact pressure while elastically displacing upward (see Figure 10(A)).

[0066] The connecting portion 23 is housed in the front groove portion 17J and is located behind the first terminal holding portion 17K and adjacent to the first terminal holding portion 17K.

[0067] As shown in Figures 2 and 4(B), the second terminal 30 is made by punching out a metal plate member with the same thickness as the first terminal 20 in the thickness direction. The second terminal 30 has a lower arm portion 31 that extends in the front-rear direction, an upper arm portion 32 that extends in the front-rear direction above the lower arm portion 31, and a connecting portion 33 that extends in the up-down direction and connects the intermediate portions of the lower arm portion 31 and the upper arm portion 32. The upper arm portion 32 is elastically displaceable in a lever-like manner with the connecting portion 33 as a fulcrum when subjected to the pressing force of the second shaft portion 55 of the movable member 50 (see Figure 10(B)).

[0068] As shown in Figure 4(B), the lower arm portion 31 extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12 of the housing 10 and is housed in the lower groove portion 18A. The lower arm portion 31 has a base arm portion 31A and a connecting portion 31B located in front of the connecting portion 33, and a held portion 31C and a second lower contact arm portion 31D located behind the connecting portion 33.

[0069] The base arm portion 31A extends along the groove bottom surface (lower inner wall surface) of the front lower groove portion 18B and is supported from below by the groove bottom surface. The base arm portion 31A has a support portion 31A-1 at its front that can support the second shaft portion 55 of the movable member 50, which will be described later, from below. The support portion 31A-1 is located within the range of the protruding portion 12A in the front-rear direction, and its lower end is housed in the front lower groove portion 18B. When the movable member 50 is in the closed position, the support portion 31A-1 supports the second shaft portion 55 from below (see Figure 10(B)).

[0070] The connecting portion 31B is connected to the front end of the base arm portion 31A, forms the front end of the lower arm portion 31, and is housed in the front end portion 18B-1 of the front lower groove portion 18B. The connecting portion 31B is larger, i.e., thicker, than the base arm portion 31A in the vertical direction, and its lower end is located slightly below the lower surface of the lower wall 12 (see Figure 8(B)). The connecting portion 31B can be soldered to the circuit portion (pad) on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown) by contacting it at its lower end.

[0071] The retained portion 31C is located directly below the second terminal retaining portion 18F in the front-rear direction. The retained portion 31C is held in place by a press-fit projection 31C-1 protruding from its upper end, which bites into the lower surface of the second terminal retaining portion 18F.

[0072] The second lower contact arm 31D extends rearward from the rear end of the held portion 31C. As shown in Figure 4(B), the second lower contact arm 31D extends with an upward inclination as it moves rearward, and is elastically displaceable vertically within the range of the gap formed between it and the bottom surface of the groove of the rear lower groove portion 18C. The second lower contact arm 31D has a second lower contact portion 31D-1 that protrudes upward at its rear end, and while elastically displacing downward, it contacts the lower surface of the flat conductor C with the second lower contact portion 31D-1, pressing the flat conductor C from below (see Figure 10(B)). The second lower contact arm 31D is longer than the first lower contact arm 21E of the first terminal 20, and its rear end extends to the vicinity of the rear end opening of the receiving portion 11. Therefore, the second lower contact portion 31D-1 is located rearward from the first lower contact portion 21E-1. As a variation, if a circuit is exposed on the underside of the front end portion of the flat conductor C, the second lower contact portion 31D-1 may be configured to contact the circuit.

[0073] As shown in Figure 4(B), the upper arm portion 32 extends in the front-rear direction along the groove bottom surface (upper inner wall surface) of the upper groove portion 18D and is housed within the upper groove portion 18D. The upper arm portion 32 has a pressure-receiving arm portion 32A located in front of the connecting portion 33 and a second upper contact arm portion 32B located behind the connecting portion 33.

[0074] A gap is formed between the upper arm portion 32 and the bottom surface of the upper groove portion 18D, allowing the upper arm portion 32 to be elastically displaced within the range of this gap. Furthermore, the movement of the upper arm portion 32 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted by the opposing inner wall surface of the upper groove portion 18D.

[0075] The front portion of the pressure-receiving arm 32A extends forward from the upper groove 18D of the housing 10 and is located within the movable member housing space 16. This front portion is formed as a pressure-receiving part 32A-1 that receives the pressing force from the second shaft portion 55 of the movable member 50 from below. The pressure-receiving part 32A-1 has a recess formed by the recessing of its lower edge, and when the movable member 50 is in the closed position, a part of the second shaft portion 55 is housed within this recess (see Figure 10(B)).

[0076] The second upper contact arm 32B has a second upper contact portion 32B-1 at its rear end that protrudes downward, and the second upper contact portion 32B-1 makes contact pressure with the second circuit portion C1B on the upper surface of the flat conductor C while undergoing an upward elastic displacement state (see Figure 10(B)). The second upper contact arm 32B is longer than the first upper contact arm 22B of the first terminal 20, and its rear end extends to the vicinity of the rear end opening of the receiving portion 11. Therefore, the second upper contact portion 32B-1 is located in the same position as the second lower contact portion 31D-1 in the front-rear direction, and is located behind the first upper contact portion 22B-1.

[0077] The connecting portion 33 is housed in the front groove portion 18E and is located in front of the second terminal holding portion 18F and adjacent to the second terminal holding portion 18F.

[0078] As shown in Figures 2 and 5(B), the locking mechanism 40 is made by punching out a metal plate member thicker than the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 in the thickness direction. The locking mechanism 40 has a lower arm portion 41 extending in the front-rear direction, an upper arm portion 42 extending in the front-rear direction above the lower arm portion 41, and a connecting portion 43 extending in the up-down direction and connecting the intermediate portions of the lower arm portion 41 and the upper arm portion 42. The upper arm portion 42 is elastically displaceable in a lever-like manner with the connecting portion 43 as a fulcrum when subjected to the pressing force from the third shaft portion 57 of the movable member 50 (see Figure 10(C)).

[0079] As shown in Figure 5(B), the lower arm portion 41 extends in the front-rear direction along the lower wall 12 of the housing 10 and is housed in the lower groove portion 19A. The lower arm portion 41 has a base arm portion 41A and a fixing portion 41B located in front of the connecting portion 43, and a retained arm portion 41C located behind the connecting portion 43.

[0080] The base arm portion 41A extends along the groove bottom surface (lower inner wall surface) of the front lower groove portion 19B and is supported from below by the groove bottom surface. The base arm portion 41A has a support portion 41A-1 at its front that can support the third shaft portion 57 of the movable member 50, which will be described later, from below. The support portion 41A-1 is located within the range of the protruding portion 12A in the front-rear direction, and its lower end is housed in the front lower groove portion 19B. The support portion 41A-1 is configured to support the third shaft portion 57 from below when the movable member 50 is in the closed position (see Figure 10(C)).

[0081] The fixing portion 41B is connected to the front end of the base arm portion 41A, forms the front end of the lower arm portion 41, and is housed in the front end portion 19B-1 of the front lower groove portion 19B. The fixing portion 41B is larger, i.e., thicker, than the base arm portion 41A in the vertical direction, and its lower end is located slightly below the lower surface of the lower wall 12 (see Figure 8(C)). The fixing portion 41B can be fixed by soldering by contacting the corresponding portion (pad) on the mounting surface of a circuit board (not shown) at its lower end.

[0082] The retained arm portion 41C extends along the groove bottom surface (lower inner wall surface) of the rear lower groove portion 19C and is supported from below by the groove bottom surface. The front part of the retained arm portion 41C is located directly below the lock fitting retaining portion 19F in the front-rear direction. A press-fit projection 41C-1 is formed on the front part, protruding from its upper end, and the retained arm portion 41C is held in place by the press-fit projection 41C-1 biting into the lower surface of the lock fitting retaining portion 19F.

[0083] As shown in Figure 5(B), the upper arm portion 42 extends in the front-rear direction along the groove bottom surface (upper inner wall surface) of the upper groove portion 19D and is housed within the upper groove portion 19D. The upper arm portion 42 has a pressure-receiving arm portion 42A located in front of the connecting portion 43 and a locking arm portion 42B located behind the connecting portion 43.

[0084] A gap is formed between the upper arm portion 42 and the bottom surface of the upper groove portion 19D, allowing the upper arm portion 42 to be elastically displaced within the range of this gap. Furthermore, the movement of the upper arm portion 42 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted by the opposing inner wall surface of the upper groove portion 19D.

[0085] The front portion of the pressure-receiving arm 42A extends forward from the upper groove 19D of the housing 10 and is located within the movable member housing space 16. This front portion is formed as a pressure-receiving part 42A-1 that receives the pressing force from below from the third shaft portion 57 of the movable member 50, which will be described later. A projection 42A-2 that protrudes downward is formed at the front end of the pressure-receiving part 42A-1, and this projection 42A-2 can be locked onto the third shaft portion 57 of the movable member 50 from the front.

[0086] The locking arm 42B has a locking portion 42B-1 at its rear end that protrudes downward, and the locking portion 42B-1 can be locked from the rear to the locking portion C3A of the flat conductor C (see Figure 10(C)). The rear end of the locking arm 42B extends to the vicinity of the rear end opening of the receiving portion 11. Therefore, the locking portion 42B-1 is located in approximately the same position as the second upper contact portion 32B-1 of the second terminal 30 in the front-rear direction, and is located behind the first upper contact portion 22B-1 of the first terminal 20.

[0087] As shown in Figure 1, the movable member 50 is plate-shaped and extends almost the entire width of the movable member housing space 16 in the terminal arrangement direction. The movable member 50 is movable (rotatable) between an open position where the plate surface is parallel to the vertical direction (see Figure 1) and a closed position where the plate surface is parallel to the front-rear direction (see Figures 10(A) to (C)). In the open position, the lower part of the movable member 50 is housed within the movable member housing space 16, and the upper part extends above the movable member housing space 16. The upper part forms an operating section 51 that receives the operation for rotating the movable member 50. The operating section 51 extends outside the movable member housing space 16 regardless of which rotation position the movable member 50 is in.

[0088] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lower part of the movable member 50 in the open position has a first slit portion 52, a second slit portion 54, and a third slit portion 56 that penetrate the movable member 50 in the front-rear direction, at positions corresponding to the first terminal 20, the second terminal 30, and the locking fitting 40 in the terminal arrangement direction (see also Figures 3(B), 4(B), and 5(B)). In other words, the terminal arrangement range is formed with the first slit portion 52 and the second slit portion 54 arranged alternately, and one third slit portion 56 is formed on each of the outer sides of the terminal arrangement range.

[0089] As shown in Figure 3(B), the first slit portion 52 accommodates the pressure-receiving portion 22A-1 of the first terminal 20. A first shaft portion 53 is also provided within the first slit portion 52. The first shaft portion 53 is located at the lower end of the first slit portion 52 and connects opposing inner wall surfaces in the terminal arrangement direction. As shown in Figure 3(B), the first shaft portion 53 has a roughly oval shape with a cross section perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction extending in the front-rear direction.

[0090] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(B), the first shaft portion 53 is positioned vertically between the support portion 21A-1 and the pressure receiving portion 22A-1 of the first terminal 20. In the open position, the first shaft portion 53 is supported by the upper edge of the support portion 21A-1 and is positioned with a slight gap from the lower edge of the pressure receiving portion 22A-1 (see also Figure 8(A)). As will be described later, when the movable member 50 moves to the closed position, the first shaft portion 53 functions as a cam that pushes up and displaces the pressure receiving portion 22A-1 upwards while being supported by the support portion 21A-1 (see Figure 10(A)).

[0091] As shown in Figure 4(B), the second slit portion 54 houses the pressure-receiving portion 32A-1 of the second terminal 30. A second shaft portion 55 is also provided within the second slit portion 54. The second shaft portion 55 is located at the lower end of the second slit portion 54 and connects opposing inner wall surfaces in the terminal arrangement direction. As shown in Figure 4(B), the second shaft portion 55 has a cross-section perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction that extends in the front-rear direction; specifically, it has a shape like a roughly rectangular rear end with a roughly circular shape attached to the upper part.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(B), the second shaft portion 55 is positioned vertically between the support portion 31A-1 and the pressure receiving portion 32A-1 of the second terminal 30. In the open position, the second shaft portion 55 is positioned with a slight gap from the upper edge of the support portion 31A-1, and its rear end is in contact with the lower edge of the recess of the pressure receiving portion 22A-1 (see also Figure 8(B)). As will be described later, when the movable member 50 moves to the closed position, the second shaft portion 55 functions as a cam that pushes up and displaces the pressure receiving portion 32A-1 upwards while being supported by the support portion 31A-1 (see Figure 10(B)).

[0093] As shown in Figure 5(B), the third slit portion 56 houses the pressure-receiving portion 42A-1 of the locking fitting 40. A third shaft portion 57 is also provided within the third slit portion 56. The third shaft portion 57 is located at the lower end of the third slit portion 56 and connects opposing inner wall surfaces in the terminal arrangement direction. As shown in Figure 5(B), the third shaft portion 57 has a cross-section perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction that extends in the front-rear direction, specifically a shape in which a roughly circular shape is attached to the upper part of the rear end of a roughly rectangular shape that extends in the front-rear direction.

[0094] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(B), the third shaft portion 57 is positioned vertically between the support portion 41A-1 and the pressure-receiving portion 42A-1 of the locking fitting 40. In the open position, the third shaft portion 57 is positioned with a slight gap from the upper edge of the support portion 41A-1, and its rear end is in contact with the lower edge of the pressure-receiving portion 42A-1 (see also Figure 8(C)). As will be described later, when the movable member 50 moves to the closed position, the third shaft portion 57 functions as a cam that pushes up and displaces the pressure-receiving portion 42A-1 upwards while being supported by the support portion 41A-1 (see Figure 10(C)).

[0095] Connector 1 is assembled as follows: First, the second terminal 30 is press-fitted into the second terminal housing groove 18 of the housing 10 from the front. Then, the locking fitting 40 is press-fitted into the locking fitting housing groove 19 of the housing 10 from the front. Note that the installation of the second terminal 30 and the locking fitting 40 may be done in either order or simultaneously.

[0096] Next, with the movable member 50 in the open position (see Figure 2), the lower part of the movable member 50 is positioned from the front into the movable member housing space 16 of the housing 10. At this time, the second shaft portion 55 is positioned between the support portion 31A-1 and the pressure receiving portion 32A-1 of the second terminal 30, and the third shaft portion 57 is positioned between the support portion 41A-1 and the pressure receiving portion 42A-1 of the lock fitting 40. Next, the first terminal 20 is press-fitted into the first terminal housing groove portion 17 of the housing 10 from the rear. As a result, the first shaft portion 53 of the movable member 50 is positioned between the support portion 21A-1 and the pressure receiving portion 22A-1 of the first terminal 20.

[0097] By attaching the first terminal 20 to the housing 10, the vertical movement of the first shaft portion 53 is restricted by the support portion 21A-1 and the pressure receiving portion 22A-1. In addition, a portion of the rear end of the second shaft portion 55 fits into the recess of the pressure receiving portion 32A-1 (see Figure 5(B)), and a portion of the rear end of the third shaft portion 57 is positioned to be able to lock onto the protrusion 42A-2 of the pressure receiving portion 42A-1 from the rear (see Figure 6(B)). As a result, the movable member 50 is prevented from unintentionally coming off the housing 10. In this way, the movable member 50 is attached to the housing 10 in a state where it can move between the open position and the closed position, and the connector 1 is completed.

[0098] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), with the first terminal 20 press-fitted and held in the first terminal housing groove 17, the extended portion 21A of the lower arm portion 21 is housed in the narrow front lower groove 17B, the base arm portion 21B is housed in the wide third groove 17F, the connecting portion 21C is housed in the wide first groove 17D, the restricted portion 21D is housed in the narrow second groove 17E, the portion of the first lower contact arm portion 21E excluding the first lower contact portion 21E-1 is housed in the narrow fourth groove 17G, and the lower part (excluding the upper end) of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 is housed in the wide fifth groove 17H. Furthermore, the upper arm portion 22, excluding the pressure receiving portion 22A-1, is housed in the narrow upper groove 17I, and the connecting portion 23 is housed in the narrow front groove 17J.

[0099] Therefore, the movement of the first terminal 20 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted by the inner surfaces of the opposing grooves of the front lower groove 17B, second groove 17E, fourth groove 17G, upper groove 17I, and front groove 17J, which are narrow grooves, respectively, for the extended portion 21A, the restricted portion 21D, the first lower contact arm portion 21E (excluding the first lower contact portion 21E-1), the upper arm portion 22, and the connecting portion 23. As a result, the movement of the first terminal 20 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted, making it easier to maintain the first terminal 20 in its correct position.

[0100] In particular, since the restricted portion 21D is located directly above the connecting portion 21C, maintaining the restricted portion 21D in its correct position makes it easier to maintain the connecting portion 21C in its correct position as well. Therefore, it becomes easier to properly connect the connecting portion 21C to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board. Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the fifth groove portion 17H that accommodates the lower part of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 is wide, the inner surface of the opposing groove of the narrow fourth groove portion 17G restricts the movement of the first lower contact arm portion 21E, making it easier to maintain the first lower contact portion 21E-1 in its correct position.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the first terminal 20 is press-fitted and held in the first terminal housing groove 17, the base arm 21B, the connecting portion 21C, and a part of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 (excluding the upper end portion) are located within the wide grooves, i.e., within the third groove 17F, the first groove 17D, and the fifth groove 17H, with a large gap between the plate surface and the inner surface of the groove in the groove width direction. Therefore, the gaps formed between the plate surface of the base arm portion 21B and the inner surface of the groove of the third groove portion 17F, between the plate surface of the connecting portion 21C and the inner surface of the groove of the first groove portion 17D, and between the plate surface of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 and the inner surface of the groove of the fifth groove portion 17H are larger than the gaps formed between the plate surface of the held portion 21A-2 and the inner surface of the groove of the front lower groove portion 17B, between the plate surface of the restricted portion 21D and the inner surface of the groove of the second groove portion 17E, between the plate surface of the first lower contact arm portion 21E and the inner surface of the groove of the fourth groove portion 17G, between the plate surface of the upper arm portion 22 and the inner surface of the groove of the plate surface of the upper groove portion 17I, and between the plate surface of the connecting portion 23 and the inner surface of the groove of the front groove portion 17J.

[0102] In particular, a large gap is formed between the plate surface of the connecting portion 21C and the inner surface of the first groove portion 17D. This prevents capillary action from occurring in the gap when soldering the connecting portion 21C to the circuit portion of the circuit board, thus effectively suppressing solder buildup. Furthermore, the third groove portion 17F, which communicates with the first groove portion 17D, is also wide, and a large gap is formed between the plate surface of the base arm portion 21B and the inner surface of the third groove portion 17F, further improving the suppression of solder buildup.

[0103] Furthermore, although the second groove 17E that accommodates the restricted portion 21D directly above the connection portion 21C is narrow, if no solder buildup occurs in the first groove 17D located below the second groove 17E, i.e., on the circuit board side, then no solder buildup will occur in the second groove 17E either.

[0104] In this embodiment, the base arm portion 21B and the first lower contact arm portion 21E are provided in the first terminal 20 with overlapping areas in the front-rear direction, so the connecting portion 21C connected to the rear end of the base arm portion 21B is located close to the first lower contact portion 21E-1. However, since the base arm portion 21B and the first lower contact arm portion 21E are formed as arms spaced apart from each other, the continuous path from the connecting portion 21C to the first lower contact portion 21E-1 in the first terminal 20 follows the path of the base arm portion 21B, the held portion 21A-2, and the first lower contact arm portion 21E. Therefore, the connecting portion 21C and the first lower contact portion 21E-1 are spaced far apart along this path. Furthermore, a large gap is formed between the base arm portion 21B and the inner surface of the groove of the third groove portion 17F, so no solder buildup occurs in the area of ​​the base arm portion 21B. Therefore, the movement of molten solder from the connection portion 21C to the first lower contact portion 21E-1 can be suppressed more effectively.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4(A) and (B), when the second terminal 30 is press-fitted and held in the second terminal housing groove 18, the portion of the base arm 31A of the lower arm 31, excluding the support portion 31A-1, is housed in the narrow front lower groove 18B, and the held portion 31C and the second lower contact arm 31D are housed in the narrow rear lower groove 18C. In addition, the upper arm 32, excluding the pressure receiving portion 32A-1, is housed in the narrow upper groove 18D, and the connecting portion 33 is housed in the narrow front groove 18E.

[0106] Therefore, the movement of the second terminal 30 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted by narrow grooves, namely the narrow portion of the front lower groove 18B, the rear lower groove 18C, the upper groove 18D, and the inner surfaces of the opposing grooves of the front groove 18E, respectively, which comprise a part of the base arm 31A (excluding the support portion 31A-1), the held portion 31C, the second lower contact arm 31D, the upper arm 32, and the connecting portion 33. As a result, the movement of the second terminal 30 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted, making it easier to maintain the second terminal 30 in its correct position.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the second terminal 30 is press-fitted and held in the second terminal housing groove 18, the support portion 31A-1 and the connecting portion 31B are located within the wide groove, that is, in the wide portion of the front lower groove 18B, with a large gap between the plate surface and the inner surface of the groove in the groove width direction.

[0108] In particular, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), a large gap is formed between the plate surface of the connecting portion 31B and the inner surface of the groove at the front end portion 18B-1 of the front lower groove portion 18B. This prevents capillary action from occurring in the gap when soldering the connecting portion 31B to the circuit portion of the circuit board, thus effectively suppressing solder buildup. Furthermore, the portion of the front lower groove portion 18B that communicates with the front end portion 18B-1 is also wide, and a large gap is formed between the plate surface of the support portion 31A-1 and the inner surface of the groove at that portion, further effectively suppressing solder buildup. Note that the movable member 50 is not shown in Figures 6(A) and (B).

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5(A) and (B), when the lock fitting 40 is press-fitted and held in the lock fitting housing groove 19, the rear end of the base arm portion 41A of the lower arm portion 41 (excluding the support portion 41A-1) is housed in the narrow front lower groove portion 19B, and the held arm portion 41C is housed in the narrow rear lower groove portion 19C. In addition, the upper arm portion 42, excluding the pressure receiving portion 42A-1, is housed in the narrow upper groove portion 19D, and the connecting portion 43 is housed in the narrow front groove portion 19E.

[0110] Therefore, the movement of the locking mechanism 40 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted at the rear end of the base arm 41A, the held arm 41C, and the upper arm 42 by narrow grooves, namely the narrow portion of the front lower groove 19B, the rear lower groove 19C, the upper groove 19D, and the inner surfaces of the opposing grooves of the front groove 19E. As a result, the movement of the locking mechanism 40 in the terminal arrangement direction is restricted, making it easier to maintain the locking mechanism 40 in its correct position.

[0111] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the lock fitting 40 is press-fitted and held in the lock fitting housing groove 19, the support portion 41A-1 and the fixing portion 41B are positioned within the wide groove, that is, in the wide portion of the front lower groove 19B, with a large gap between the plate surface and the inner surface of the groove in the groove width direction.

[0112] In particular, as shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), a large gap is formed between the plate surface of the fixing part 41B and the inner surface of the groove at the front end portion 19B-1 of the front lower groove portion 19B. This prevents capillary action from occurring in the gap when soldering the fixing part 41B to the corresponding part of the circuit board, thus effectively suppressing solder buildup. Furthermore, the portion of the front lower groove portion 19B that communicates with the front end portion 19B-1 is also wide, and a large gap is formed between the plate surface of the support part 41A-1 and the inner surface of the groove in that portion, which further effectively suppresses solder buildup.

[0113] In this embodiment, after the connector 1 is completed, an inspection is performed to determine the vertical position of the protruding ends of the first contact portions 21E-1 and 22B-1 (first lower contact portion 21E-1 and first upper contact portion 22B-1) of the first terminal 20, and the vertical position of the protruding ends of the second contact portions 31D-1 and 32B-1 (second lower contact portion 31D-1 and second upper contact portion 32B-1). Here, "protruding ends" refer to the upper end of the first lower contact portion 21E-1, the lower end of the second upper contact portion 32B-1, the upper end of the second lower contact portion 31D-1, and the lower end of the second upper contact portion 32B-1.

[0114] The inspection apparatus (not shown) used in the above inspection comprises an illumination unit, an imaging unit, and a position determination processing unit. In the above inspection, the illumination unit illuminates the receiving unit 11 from the rear with light, and the imaging unit captures the reflected state of the light from the rear. Furthermore, the position determination processing unit determines the position of the protruding end of each contact part 21E-1, 22B-1, 31D-1, 32B-1 based on the difference in brightness (contrast) between the light reflected from the contact parts 21E-1, 22B-1, 31D-1, 32B-1 that protrude into the receiving unit 11 in the captured image and the light reflected from the surrounding parts of the contact parts 21E-1, 22B-1, 31D-1, 32B-1 when viewed from the rear. In this embodiment, the position of the protruding end is determined by measuring the distance from the upper end position of the rear end surface of the lower wall 12 as the reference position in the vertical direction.

[0115] In this embodiment, the first lower contact portion 21E-1 of the first terminal 20 is located at an intermediate position in the receiving portion 11 in the front-rear direction, and is positioned further forward and recessed than the rear end surface of the lower wall 12. If the fifth groove 17H ​​that accommodates the lower part of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 were narrow, for example, having dimensions less than or equal to the fourth groove 17G, the position of the upper end of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 would be determined by the contrast between the light reflected by the first lower contact portion 21E-1 and the light reflected by the rear end surface of the lower wall 12 in the housing 10 where the fifth groove 17H ​​is formed. However, as described above, the first lower contact portion 21E-1 is positioned further forward and recessed than the rear end surface of the lower wall 12. In other words, the rear end surface of the lower wall 12 is positioned offset rearward relative to the first lower contact portion 21E-1. In other words, because the rear end surface of the lower wall 12 is significantly misaligned with the first lower contact portion 21E-1 in the front-to-back direction, it is difficult to focus on both the rear end surface and the first lower contact portion 21E-1 during imaging, making it difficult to capture a clear image.

[0116] In this embodiment, a large gap is formed between the lower part of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 and the inner surface of the groove of the fifth groove portion 17H, and the fifth groove portion 17H is closed from the front by the front inner surface 17H-1. In other words, when viewed from the rear, as shown in Figures 7(A) and (B), the front inner surface 17H-1 is present around the first lower contact portion 21E-1. Therefore, the position of the upper end (protruding end) of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 is determined by the contrast between the light reflected by the first lower contact portion 21E-1 and the light reflected by the front inner surface 17H-1. Specifically, the position of the upper end is determined by measuring the distance from the reference position to the upper end of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 (distance R shown in Figure 7(B)) in the vertical direction, using the upper end position of the front inner surface 17H-1, which is the same position as the upper end position of the rear end surface of the lower wall 12, as the reference position. Note that the movable member 50 is not shown in Figures 7(A) and (B).

[0117] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(A), the front inner surface 17H-1 is located within the range of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 in the front-rear direction; in other words, the front inner surface 17H-1 is close to the first lower contact portion 21E-1 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is easy to focus on both the front inner surface 17H-1 and the first lower contact portion 21E-1 during imaging, and it is easy to capture a clear image, so the upper end position of the first lower contact portion 21E-1 can be easily identified.

[0118] Furthermore, the position of the lower end (protruding end) of the first upper contact portion 22B-1 is determined by measuring the distance (distance S shown in Figure 7(B)) from the upper end of the front inner surface 17H-1 of the fifth groove portion 17H to the lower end of the first upper contact portion 22B-1 in the vertical direction, using the upper end of the front inner surface 17H-1 of the fifth groove portion 17H as the reference position. The first upper contact portion 22B-1 is in the same position as the first lower contact portion 21E-1 in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the front inner surface 17H-1 of the fifth groove portion 17H is close to the first upper contact portion 22B-1 in the front-to-back direction. As a result, it is easy to focus on both the front inner surface 17H-1 and the first upper contact portion 22B-1 during imaging, and it is easy to capture a clear image, so the position of the lower end of the first upper contact portion 22B-1 can be easily determined.

[0119] On the other hand, the positions of the protruding ends of the second contact portions 31D-1 and 32B-1 of the second terminal 30 are determined by measuring the respective protruding ends from the upper end position of the rear end surface of the lower wall 12, which is used as the reference position. In this embodiment, the second contact portions 31D-1 and 32B-1 are located near the rear end opening of the receiving portion 11 in the front-rear direction, in other words, near the rear end surface of the lower wall 12. Therefore, it is easy to focus on both the rear end surface of the lower wall 12 and the second contact portions 31D-1 and 32B-1 during imaging, and it is easy to capture a clear image, so the positions of the protruding ends of the second contact portions 31D-1 and 32B-1 can be easily determined.

[0120] Next, the insertion and removal operation of the flat conductor C into and out of the connector 1 will be described. First, the connection portion 21C of the first terminal 20 and the connection portion 31B of the second terminal 30 of the connector 1 are soldered to the corresponding circuit portions on the circuit board (not shown), and the fixing portion 41B of the locking fitting 40 is soldered to the corresponding portion on the circuit board. By soldering the connection portions 21C, 31B and 41B, the connector 1 is attached to the circuit board.

[0121] When connecting the flat conductor C to the connector 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 8(A) to (C), the flat conductor C is positioned behind the connector 1 with the movable member 50 moved to the open position, so that it extends in the front-to-back direction (X-axis direction).

[0122] Next, the flat conductor C is inserted into the receiving portion 11 of the connector 1, facing forward (in the X1 direction). During the insertion of the flat conductor C into the receiving portion 11, the front end of the flat conductor C first abuts against the second contact portions 31D-1 and 32B-1 of the second terminal 30, pushing apart the second contact arms 31D and 32B (the second lower contact arm 31D and the second upper contact arm 32B). In other words, the second lower contact arm 31D is elastically displaced downward, and the second upper contact arm 32B is elastically displaced upward. Almost simultaneously, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the locking portion 42B-1 of the locking fitting 40, causing the locking arm 42B to elastically displace upward.

[0123] As the flat conductor C is further inserted forward, the front end of the flat conductor C abuts against the first contact portions 21E-1 and 22B-1 of the first terminal 20, pushing apart the first contact arms 21E and 22B (first lower contact arm 21E and first upper contact arm 22B). In other words, the first lower contact arm 21E is elastically displaced downward, and the first upper contact arm 22B is elastically displaced upward. As the flat conductor C is further inserted forward, its front end abuts against the front wall 15 from behind, as shown in Figures 9(A) to (C), completing the insertion of the flat conductor C. Even after the insertion of the flat conductor C is complete, the first contact arms 21E and 22B and the second contact arms 31D and 32B maintain their elastically displaced state, gripping the flat conductor C between the first contact portions 21E-1 and 22B-1 and the second contact portions 31D-1 and 32B-1. As a result, the first upper contact portion 22B-1 makes contact with the first circuit portion C1A of the flat conductor C with contact pressure, and the second upper contact portion 32B-1 makes contact with the second circuit portion C1B of the flat conductor C with contact pressure.

[0124] Furthermore, with respect to the locking mechanism 40, after the locking arm 42B elastically displaces upward during the insertion process of the flat conductor C, and once the lugs C3 of the flat conductor C pass the position of the locking portion 42B-1, the locking arm 42B returns to its free state and protrudes into the notch C2 of the flat conductor C from above. As a result, as shown in Figure 9(C), when the insertion of the flat conductor C is completed, the locking portion 42B-1 is positioned to be able to lock onto the locked portion C3A of the flat conductor C from the rear. It should be noted that it is not essential for the locking arm 42B to return to a completely free state. For example, the locking portion 42B-1 may protrude into the notch C2 of the flat conductor C while the locking arm 42B is still slightly elastically displaced.

[0125] Next, the operating part 51 of the movable member 50 is operated with a finger to move (rotate) it from the open position to the closed position. When the movable member 50 moves to the closed position, as shown in Figures 10(A) to (C), the first shaft portion 53, the second shaft portion 55, and the third shaft portion 57 are in an extended position with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction. At this time, the first shaft portion 53 and the second shaft portion 55, which are located corresponding to the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 respectively, are supported from below by the support portion 21A-1 and the support portion 31A-1, respectively, and press down on the pressure receiving portion 22A-1 and the pressure receiving portion 32A-1 from below, displacing the pressure receiving arm portion 22A and the pressure receiving arm portion 32A upward. As a result, as shown in Figures 10(A) and (B), the upper arm portion 22 and the upper arm portion 32 are displaced in a lever-like manner, and the first upper contact arm portion 22B and the second upper contact arm portion 32B are displaced downward. Then, the first upper contact portion 22B-1 and the second upper contact portion 32B-1 make contact with the first circuit portion C1A and the second circuit portion C1B of the flat conductor C, respectively, with increased contact pressure, and an electrically conductive state is maintained.

[0126] Furthermore, when the movable member 50 moves to the closed position, as shown in Figure 10(C), the third shaft portion 57, which is positioned corresponding to the locking fitting 40, presses the pressure receiving portion 42A-1 from below, displacing the pressure receiving arm portion 42A upward. As a result, the upper arm portion 42 is displaced in a lever-like manner, causing the locking arm portion 42B to be displaced downward, and the locking portion 42B-1 penetrates further into the notch portion C2 of the flat conductor C. Therefore, the state in which the locking portion 42B-1 can be locked to the locked portion C3A from the rear is maintained, and the rearward dislodgement of the flat conductor C is effectively prevented. In this way, when the movable member 50 moves to the closed position, the connection operation of the flat conductor C to the connector 1 is completed.

[0127] In the embodiments described above, the size of the gap between the first terminal 20 and the inner surface of the groove of the first terminal housing groove 17 is determined by the width of the groove in the first terminal housing groove 17. Specifically, the plate thickness of the connection portion 21C of the first terminal 20 is made uniform, and the first groove 17D of the housing 10 that houses the connection portion 21C is made wider, thereby creating a large gap between the connection portion 21C and the inner surface of the groove of the first groove 17D. As a result, capillary action and subsequent solder buildup during soldering of the connection portion 21C are suppressed.

[0128] However, the form of increasing the gap between the connecting portion 21C and the inner surface of the first groove portion 17D is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible. For example, as a modified example, the size of the gap between the first terminal and the inner surface of the groove portion of the first terminal housing groove may be determined by the thickness of the plate in the first terminal. Specifically, the gap between the connecting portion and the inner surface of the groove portion of the first groove may be increased by making the first groove portion narrower and making the connecting portion thinner. Figure 11 is a perspective view of a part of the rear side of the connector 101 according to this modified example. In Figure 11, the movable member is not shown. Also, in Figure 11, parts corresponding to the previously described embodiment are indicated by adding "100" to the reference numerals in the previously described embodiment. Hereinafter, this modified example will be described focusing on the parts that differ in configuration from the previously described embodiment, and the description of parts common to the previously described embodiment will be omitted.

[0129] In this modified example, as shown in Figure 11, the first groove 117D of the housing 110 that accommodates the connection portion 121C of the first terminal 120 is formed as a narrow groove. Furthermore, the connection portion 121C is formed with a smaller plate thickness at the bottom than at the top, i.e., it is thinner. Therefore, a large gap in the groove width direction is formed between the connection portion 121C and the inner surface of the first groove 117D. As a result, when the connection portion 121C is soldered to the corresponding circuit portion of the circuit board, capillary action does not occur in the gap, and solder buildup is effectively prevented.

[0130] In this modified example, a configuration for suppressing solder buildup at the connection of the first terminal has been described, but a similar configuration may also be adopted for the connection of the second terminal and the fixing part of the locking fitting 140. Specifically, by making the front end of the front lower groove of the second terminal housing groove narrower and thinning the lower part of the connection of the second terminal, a large gap is formed between the connection part and the inner surface of the groove at the front end of the front lower groove. Similarly, by making the front end of the front lower groove of the locking fitting housing groove narrower and thinning the lower part of the fixing part, a large gap is formed between the fixing part and the inner surface of the groove at the front end of the front lower groove. Furthermore, it is not essential to thin only the lower part of each connection and fixing part; for example, the entire connection and fixing part may be thinned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1,101 Connector 10,110 Housing 11 Reception Department 17. First terminal housing groove (housing groove) 17D,117D First groove 17E Second groove 17F Third groove 17G Fourth groove 17H Fifth groove 20,120 First terminal (terminal) 21A-2 Part to be held 21B Base arm 21C, 121C connection 21D Regulated part 21E First lower contact arm (contact arm) 21E-1 First lower contact part (contact part) C Flat conductor

Claims

1. An electrical connector for flat conductors, which is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board, and in which flat conductors are connected with the insertion / removal direction parallel to the mounting surface facing forward, It is made of metal plate, and has multiple terminals arranged such that the width direction of the flat conductor is the terminal arrangement direction, with the plate surfaces facing each other. In an electrical connector for flat conductors having a housing that holds the plurality of terminals, The housing has a receiving portion that is open towards the rear to receive the flat conductor, and a receiving groove portion that accommodates the terminals with the terminal arrangement direction being the groove width direction, The terminal has a connecting portion that can be connected to the mounting surface and a restricted portion whose movement in the terminal arrangement direction from the housing is restricted, and is located on the circuit board side of the receiving portion in the thickness direction of the flat conductor perpendicular to the mounting surface. The restricted portion extends from the connection portion toward the opposite side from the circuit board side in the thickness direction, The receiving groove portion has a first groove portion for receiving the connecting portion and a second groove portion for receiving the restricted portion. An electrical connector for flat conductors, characterized in that the gap between the connecting portion and the inner surface of the first groove is larger than the gap between the restricted portion and the inner surface of the second groove.

2. The terminal has a retained portion held by the housing, and a contact arm portion and a base arm portion that are located on the circuit board side of the receiving portion in the thickness direction and extend rearward from the retained portion. The contact arm portion has a contact portion that can contact the circuit board side surface of the flat conductor, The base arm is located closer to the circuit board than the contact arm and extends in a range that overlaps with the contact arm in the front-rear direction. The aforementioned connecting portion is connected to the rear end of the base arm portion, The aforementioned receiving groove has a third groove that communicates with the first groove and accommodates the base arm. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the base arm portion and the inner surface of the groove portion of the third groove portion is larger than the gap between the restricted portion and the inner surface of the groove portion of the second groove portion.

3. The aforementioned accommodating groove portion has a fourth groove portion that accommodates a part of the contact arm portion, The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 2, wherein the gap between a part of the contact arm and the inner surface of the fourth groove is smaller than the gap between the base arm and the inner surface of the third groove, and the fourth groove is capable of restricting the movement of the contact arm in the terminal arrangement direction on its inner surface.

4. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 3, wherein the receiving groove portion is formed such that the second groove portion and the fourth groove portion have the same groove width and communicate with each other to form a single groove portion.

5. The contact portion protrudes toward the receiving portion in the thickness direction, and its protruding end is located within the receiving portion. The aforementioned accommodating groove portion accommodates a part of the contact portion and has a fifth groove portion that extends in the front-rear direction to the rear end of the housing. The flat conductor electrical connector according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the gap between a part of the contact portion and the inner surface of the fifth groove is larger than the gap between a part of the contact arm and the inner surface of the fourth groove, and the fifth groove is closed from the front by a front inner surface located within the range of the contact portion in the front-rear direction.

6. The flat conductor electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the size of the gap between the terminal and the inner surface of the groove in the housing groove is determined by the size of the groove in the housing groove.

Images