connector

Abstract

In a connector that connects a flat conductor to a circuit board, the isolation characteristics of the connector are improved to reduce noise. [Solution] The connector 1 comprises a signal terminal, a first ground terminal 21, a second ground terminal 31, and a housing 51. The housing 51 has an insertion portion 52 into which the end of a flat conductor is inserted from the front of the housing 51. The first ground terminals 21 are located to the right and left of the signal terminals, respectively. The signal terminals and the first ground terminals 21 extend forward from the rear of the housing 51. The second ground terminal 31 is located to the right of the right-side first ground terminal 21 or to the left of the left-side first ground terminal 21, and extends backward from the front of the housing 51. When the connector 1 is viewed from the right or left, the front of the signal terminals, the front of the first ground terminal 21, and the rear of the second ground terminal 31 overlap each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention mainly relates to a connector for connecting an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) or FFC (Flexible Flat Cable) to a rigid substrate.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, as a transmission medium for transmitting signals or power, FPC or FFC is widely used. Hereinafter, FPC, FFC, and other flat transmission media are referred to as "flat conductors".

[0003] Also, currently, connectors for connecting flat conductors to a substrate (rigid substrate) are widely popular. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-155243 (Patent Document 1) describes an example of such a connector. Hereinafter, when simply referred to as "substrate", it means a rigid substrate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem of the present invention is to enhance the isolation characteristics of a connector for connecting a flat conductor to a substrate and reduce noise.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 is a connector for connecting a flat conductor to a substrate, comprising a plurality of terminals and a housing that supports the plurality of terminals, wherein the housing has an insertion portion into which the end of the flat conductor is inserted from the front of the housing, and the plurality of terminals are signal terminals that extend forward from the rear of the housing, with the rear portion connected to a signal terminal connection portion of the substrate and the front portion in contact with a signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor, and terminals that extend forward from the rear of the housing, respectively, and are arranged to the right and left of the signal terminals, respectively, with the rear portions of each connected to a ground terminal connection portion of the substrate, The connector includes two first ground terminals, the front of which contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor; and a second ground terminal, extending rearward from the front of the housing and positioned to the right of the first ground terminal located to the right of the signal terminal or to the left of the first ground terminal located to the left of the signal terminal, the front of which is connected to a ground terminal connection portion of the substrate and the rear of which contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor, wherein when the connector is viewed from the right or left, the front of the signal terminal, the front of each of the two first ground terminals, and the rear of the second ground terminal overlap each other.

[0007] The connector of this invention has a terminal set including a signal terminal, two first ground terminals, and a second ground terminal. In this terminal set, the first ground terminals are located to the right and left of the signal terminal, respectively, and the second ground terminal is located to the right of the first ground terminal located to the right of the signal terminal, or to the left of the first ground terminal located to the left of the signal terminal. When the connector is viewed from the right or left, the front of the signal terminal, the front of each of the two first ground terminals, and the rear of the second ground terminal overlap each other. Each first ground terminal and each second ground terminal has the function of shielding the signal terminal. For example, if another transmission path exists to the right of the terminal set, the second ground terminal is located to the right of the first ground terminal located to the right of the signal terminal. This creates a structure in which a double shield is provided between the signal terminal of the connector and the other transmission path. Furthermore, if another transmission path exists to the left of the terminal set, the second ground terminal in the terminal set is positioned to the left of the first ground terminal located to the left of the signal terminal. This creates a structure in which a double shield is provided between the connector's signal terminal and the other transmission path. Additionally, if other transmission paths exist to the right and left of the terminal set, the two second ground terminals in the terminal set may be positioned to the right of the first ground terminal located to the right of the signal terminal and to the left of the first ground terminal located to the left of the signal terminal, respectively. This creates a structure in which a double shield is provided between the connector's signal terminal and the other transmission path located to the right of the terminal set, and between the connector's signal terminal and the other transmission path located to the left of the terminal set.

[0008] Furthermore, in the connector of this invention, each first ground terminal extends forward from the rear of the housing, while the second ground terminal extends backward from the front of the housing. For example, in a terminal set, if the second ground terminal is positioned to the right of the first ground terminal which is positioned to the right of the signal terminal, the right side of the signal terminal is covered by the first ground terminal which extends forward from the rear of the housing and the second ground terminal which extends backward from the front of the housing. This expands the area shielding the signal terminal from its right side in the front-to-back direction, thereby increasing the shielding area of ​​the signal terminal. Also, in a terminal set, if the second ground terminal is positioned to the left of the first ground terminal which is positioned to the left of the signal terminal, this expands the area shielding the signal terminal from its left side in the front-to-back direction, thereby increasing the shielding area of ​​the signal terminal.

[0009] Furthermore, in the connector of the present invention, each first ground terminal extends forward from the rear of the housing, with its rear end connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the substrate, and its front end in contact with a ground terminal contact portion provided on the underside of the end of the flat conductor. On the other hand, the second ground terminal extends backward from the front of the housing, with its front end connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the substrate, and its rear end in contact with a ground terminal contact portion provided on the underside of the end of the flat conductor. Thus, the connector of the present invention has a structure in which each first ground terminal is connected to the ground of the substrate at the rear of the housing, and the second ground terminal is connected to the ground of the substrate at the front of the housing. In other words, the connector of the present invention has a structure in which the shield covering the signal terminals (each first ground terminal and second ground terminal) is connected to the ground of the substrate at multiple different locations. This structure allows for the formation of multiple paths through which noise current flows within the connector, and allows these paths to be distinct from each other.

[0010] Furthermore, in the connector of the present invention, each first ground terminal extends forward from the rear of the housing, and the second ground terminal extends rearward from the front of the housing, and when the connector is viewed from the right or left, the fronts of the two first ground terminals and the rears of the second ground terminals overlap each other. In this configuration, the rears of each first ground terminal are located at the rear of the housing, the fronts of the second ground terminals are located at the front of the housing, and the fronts of each first ground terminal and the rears of the second ground terminals are located in the middle of the housing in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the length of each first ground terminal is close to the distance from the rear of the housing to the middle of the housing in the front-to-rear direction, i.e., half the front-to-rear dimension of the housing, and the length of the second ground terminal is close to the distance from the front of the housing to the middle of the housing in the front-to-rear direction, i.e., half the front-to-rear dimension of the housing. Since the length of each of the first and second ground terminals is close to half the front-to-back dimension of the housing, the lengths of each of the first and second ground terminals become equal and shorter (one of the ground terminals does not become extremely short while the other becomes extremely long). By shortening the length of each ground terminal, the impedance of each ground terminal can be reduced, making it easier for noise current to flow.

[0011] As described above, the connector of the present invention allows for the formation of a structure in which a double shield is arranged between the signal terminals of the connector and other transmission paths, the area shielded over the signal terminals can be increased, multiple paths through which noise current flows can be formed within the connector, these paths can be made distinct from each other, and the length of each ground terminal can be shortened to facilitate the flow of noise current. Therefore, the isolation characteristics of the connector, that is, the isolation characteristics of the transmission path formed by the terminal set of the connector, can be improved, thereby reducing noise.

[0012] In the connector according to claim 2, the rear end of the second ground terminal is located behind the front ends of the signal terminal and the two first ground terminals, respectively, in the invention according to claim 1. This allows for a larger overlap of the front of the signal terminal, the front of the two first ground terminals, and the rear of the second ground terminal when the connector is viewed from the right or left. This reliably improves the isolation characteristics of the connector.

[0013] In the connector of the invention according to claim 3, in the connector of the invention according to claim 1, a board connection portion is formed at the rear end of the signal terminal that is connected to the signal terminal connection portion of the board, a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of the signal terminal that contacts a signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor, a board connection portion is formed at the rear end of each of the first ground terminals that is connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the board, a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of each of the first ground terminals that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor, a board connection portion is formed at the front end of the second ground terminal that is connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the board, a transmission body contact portion is formed at the rear end of the second ground terminal that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor, the board connection portions of the signal terminal and the two first ground terminals are located at the rear end of the housing, the board connection portion of the second ground terminal is located at the front end of the housing, and the transmission body contact portions of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals and the second ground terminal are located in the middle of the housing in the front-rear direction. The connector of this invention can be used to obtain the same effects as the connector of the invention according to claim 1.

[0014] The connector according to claim 4 is the connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals are arranged so as to overlap with the front of the signal terminals, the front of the two first ground terminals, and the rear of the second ground terminals when the connector is viewed from above, and includes a third ground terminal which is partly connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the substrate and the other part is in contact with the ground terminal contact portion provided on the upper surface of the end of the flat conductor. In the connector according to the invention, the third ground terminal functions as a shield that covers the front of the signal terminals, the front of the two first ground terminals, and the rear of the second ground terminals from above. By providing the third ground terminal, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of noise into the signal terminals of the connector and the radiation of noise from the signal terminals.

[0015] In the connector according to claim 5, in the connector according to claim 4, a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of the signal terminal that contacts a signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor; a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of each of the first ground terminals that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor; a transmission body contact portion is formed at the rear end of the second ground terminal that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor; the third ground terminal has a plate-shaped shielding portion that extends in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, the shielding portion is located above the respective transmission body contact portions of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals and the second ground terminal, the right edge of the shielding portion is located to the right of the transmission body contact portion of the rightmost terminal among the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals and the second ground terminal, and the left edge of the shielding portion is located to the left of the transmission body contact portion of the leftmost terminal among the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals and the second ground terminal. In the connector of this invention, the shielding portion of the third ground terminal broadly covers the area from the leftmost contact point of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal, to the rightmost contact point of the signal terminal. This enhances the shielding effect of the third ground terminal on the signal terminal, the first ground terminal, and the second ground terminal.

[0016] In the connector according to claim 6, in the connector according to claim 4, a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of the signal terminal that contacts a signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor; a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of each of the first ground terminals that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor; a transmission body contact portion is formed at the rear end of the second ground terminal that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor; the third ground terminal has a plate-shaped shielding portion that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions, and the shielding portion is located above the respective transmission body contact portions of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal. Furthermore, the front edge of the shielding portion is located in front of the front end of the signal terminal and the terminal that is furthest forward of the two first ground terminals, or the position of the front edge of the shielding portion in the front-rear direction coincides with the position of the front end of the signal terminal and the terminal that is furthest forward of the two first ground terminals in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the rear edge of the shielding portion is located behind the rear end of the second ground terminal, or the position of the rear edge of the shielding portion in the front-rear direction coincides with the position of the rear end of the second ground terminal in the front-rear direction. In the connector of the present invention, the shielding portion of the third ground terminal broadly covers at least from the front end of the signal terminal and the foremost of the two first ground terminals to the rear end of the second ground terminal. This enhances the shielding effect of the third ground terminal on the signal terminal, the first ground terminal and the second ground terminal.

[0017] The connector according to claim 7 is the connector according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of terminals include two signal terminals, and when the connector is viewed from the right or left, the front portions of the two signal terminals, the front portions of the two first ground terminals, and the rear portion of the second ground terminal overlap each other. According to the connector of this invention, differential signals can be transmitted using two signal terminals, and the isolation characteristics of the differential signal transmission path can be improved.

[0018] The connector according to claim 8 is the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a plurality of terminal sets including the signal terminals, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal, wherein the plurality of terminal sets are arranged in the left-right direction. According to the connector of this invention, the isolation characteristics of each terminal set can be enhanced by the first ground terminal and the second ground terminal in each terminal set. For example, in two adjacent terminal sets, crosstalk between the high-frequency signal flowing through the signal terminals of one terminal set and the high-frequency signal flowing through the signal terminals of the other terminal set can be suppressed. Therefore, even if a plurality of terminal sets are arranged at narrow intervals within the connector, high quality of the high-frequency signals flowing through the signal terminals of each terminal set can be ensured. Thus, a compact connector capable of transmitting a large number of high-frequency signals simultaneously can be realized.

[0019] The connector according to claim 9 is a connector according to any one of claims 4 to 6, comprising a plurality of terminal sets including the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, the second ground terminal, and the third ground terminal, wherein the plurality of terminal sets are arranged in the left-right direction. According to the connector of this invention, the isolation characteristics of each terminal set can be improved by the first ground terminal and the second ground terminal in each terminal set, and furthermore, the noise immunity of each terminal set can be improved by the third ground terminal in each terminal set. Therefore, in realizing a compact connector that can transmit a large number of high-frequency signals at once, the quality of each high-frequency signal to be transmitted can be further improved.

[0020] The connector of the invention according to claim 10 is the connector of the invention according to claim 7, and includes a plurality of terminal sets including the two signal terminals, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal, and the plurality of terminal sets are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. According to the connector of the invention, a compact connector capable of collectively transmitting a large number of differential signals can be realized, and high quality of each differential signal to be transmitted can be ensured.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, in a connector for connecting a flat conductor to a substrate, the isolation characteristics of the connector can be enhanced to reduce noise.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a state of a connector, a substrate, and a flat conductor of an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the upper rear left side. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory view showing the upper surface of the substrate in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] (A) is an explanatory view showing the upper surface of a flat conductor in an embodiment of the present invention, and (B) is an explanatory view showing the lower surface of the flat conductor. [Figure 4] (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a flat conductor cut along the cutting line b-b in FIG. 3(A), and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a flat conductor cut along the cutting line c-c in FIG. 3(A). [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing a state of a connector of an embodiment of the present invention with a lock lever separated from a housing as viewed from the upper rear left side. [Figure 6] (A) is a front view of a connector of an embodiment of the present invention with a lock lever removed, and (B) is a plan view of the connector. [Figure 7] (A) is a bottom view of a connector of an embodiment of the present invention with a lock lever removed, and (B) is a rear view of the connector. [Figure 8](A) is a cross-sectional view of the connector cut along the cutting line dd in Figure 6(A), (B) is a cross-sectional view of the connector cut along the cutting line ee in Figure 6(A), and (C) is a cross-sectional view of the connector cut along the cutting line ff in Figure 6(A). [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing four terminal sets in a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing the structure and operation of the lock lever in a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] (A) is a perspective view showing the signal terminals in a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, (B) is a perspective view showing the first ground terminal in the connector, (C) is a perspective view showing the second ground terminal in the connector, and (D) is a perspective view showing the third ground terminal in the connector. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram showing a top view of the terminal set in a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is an explanatory diagram showing a view from the right of the terminal set in the connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the signal terminal, the first ground terminal, and the second ground terminal are in contact with the lower surface of the end of a flat conductor inserted into the housing in a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a third ground terminal is in contact with the upper surface of the end of a flat conductor inserted into the housing in a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement results of the isolation characteristics in a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector in the first comparative example. [Figure 18] This is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector in the second comparative example. [Figure 19]This is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector in the third comparative example. [Figure 20] This is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector in the fourth comparative example. [Figure 21] This is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector in the fifth comparative example. [Figure 22] This is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0023] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. When describing the directions of the connector in this embodiment—up (Ud), down (Dd), front (Fd), back (Bd), left (Ld), and right (Rd)—follow the arrows drawn in the lower left of Figures 1, 2, 4-10, and 12-22.

[0024] (Overview of the connector) Figure 1 shows a view of the connector 1 of an embodiment of the present invention from the upper rear left side. In Figure 1, the connector 1 is shown together with the substrate 61 and the flat conductor 71.

[0025] Connector 1 is a connector that connects a flat conductor 71 to a circuit board 61. As shown in Figure 1, connector 1 is mounted on the upper surface 61A of the circuit board 61. The flat conductor 71 is also mated into connector 1 in a removable manner.

[0026] (substrate) Figure 2 shows the top surface 61A of the substrate 61. The substrate 61 is a rigid substrate and is formed from a hard insulating material. Although not shown in detail, the substrate 61 is provided with a signal wiring pattern and a ground layer, both formed from conductive material. The top surface 61A of the substrate 61 is the component mounting surface. As shown in Figure 2, signal terminal connection pads 62 and ground terminal connection pads 63, 64, and 65, each formed from conductive material, are formed on the top surface 61A. The signal terminal connection pad 62 is connected to the signal wiring pattern of the substrate 61. The ground terminal connection pads 63, 64, and 65 are connected to the ground layer of the substrate 61, respectively. The dashed line in Figure 2 indicates the position on the top surface 61A where the connector 1 is mounted. The signal terminal connection pad 62 is a specific example of a "signal terminal connection part," and the ground terminal connection pads 63, 64, and 65 are specific examples of "ground terminal connection parts."

[0027] (Flat conductor) Figure 3(A) shows the top surface of the flat conductor 71. Figure 3(B) shows the bottom surface of the flat conductor 71. Figure 4(A) shows the cross-section of the flat conductor 71 cut along the cutting line bb in Figure 3(A), viewed from the right in Figure 3(A). Figure 4(B) shows the cross-section of the flat conductor 71 cut along the cutting line cc in Figure 3(A), viewed from the right in Figure 3(A). Note that the cutting position indicated by the cutting line bb in Figure 3(B) is the same as the cutting position indicated by the cutting line bb in Figure 3(A), and the cutting position indicated by the cutting line cc in Figure 3(B) is the same as the cutting position indicated by the cutting line cc in Figure 3(A).

[0028] In this embodiment, the flat conductor 71 is an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). As shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), the flat conductor 71 has a lower ground layer 72 made of a conductive material, a lower base layer 73 made of a flexible insulating material and provided above the lower ground layer 72, four signal wiring patterns 74 made of a conductive material and provided above the lower base layer 73 (see dashed lines in Figure 3(B)), an upper base layer 75 made of a flexible insulating material and provided above the four signal wiring patterns 74, and an upper ground layer 76 made of a conductive material and provided above the upper base layer 75. In addition, coverlays 77 are formed on the lower surface of the lower ground layer 72 and the upper surface of the upper ground layer 76, respectively, in the portion of the flat conductor 71 excluding the end 79.

[0029] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(A), an upper ground terminal contact portion 81 is formed on the upper surface 79A of the end portion 79 of the flat conductor 71 by covering the upper surface of the upper ground layer 76 with a plating film 80. As shown in Figure 3(A), the upper ground terminal contact portion 81 is formed over the entire area of ​​the upper surface 79A of the end portion 79 of the flat conductor 71, excluding the edges.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(A), a lower ground terminal contact portion 83 is formed on the lower surface 79B of the end portion 79 of the flat conductor 71 by covering the lower surface of the lower ground layer 72 with a plating film 82. As shown in Figure 3(B), five lower ground terminal contact portions 83 are formed on the lower surface 79B of the end portion 79 of the flat conductor 71, and these lower ground terminal contact portions 83 are arranged in the left-right direction.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(B), four signal terminal contact portions 86 are formed on the lower surface 79B of the end portion 79 of the flat conductor 71. Each signal terminal contact portion 86 is formed at the end portion 79 of the flat conductor 71, below the lower base layer 73, by providing a pattern 84 made of a conductive material and separated from the lower ground layer 72, and covering the lower surface of the pattern 84 with a plating film 85, as shown in Figure 4(B). The four signal terminal contact portions 86 are each connected to four signal wiring patterns 74 via via holes 87. As shown in Figure 3(B), the four signal terminal contact portions 86 are arranged in the left-right direction on the lower surface 79B of the end portion 79 of the flat conductor 71. The four signal terminal contact portions 86 are positioned between two adjacent lower ground terminal contact portions 83. Also, each signal terminal contact portion 86 is separated from the lower ground terminal contact portions 83 on either side of it.

[0032] (Connector details) Figure 5 shows the connector 1 with the lock lever 57 separated from the housing 51, viewed from the upper rear left. Figure 6(A) is a front view of the connector 1. Figure 6(B) is a top view of the connector 1. Figure 7(A) is a bottom view of the connector 1. Figure 7(B) is a rear view of the connector 1. Figure 8(A) shows a cross-section of the connector 1 cut along the cutting line dd in Figure 6(A), viewed from the right. Figure 8(B) shows a cross-section of the connector 1 cut along the cutting line ee in Figure 6(A), viewed from the right. Figure 8(C) shows a cross-section of the connector 1 cut along the cutting line ff in Figure 6(A), viewed from the right. Note that Figures 6(A) to 8(C) show the connector 1 with the lock lever 57 removed. Figure 9 shows the four terminal sets 5 to 8 of the connector 1.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, connector 1 comprises four terminal sets 5, 6, 7, and 8. Each terminal set 5-8 includes a signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and a third ground terminal 41, as shown in Figure 9. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, connector 1 comprises a housing 51 that supports each of the terminals 11, 21, 31, and 41 of the four terminal sets 5-8, and a locking lever 57 that locks the flat conductor 71 mated into connector 1.

[0034] (housing) As shown in Figures 6(A) to 7(B), the housing 51 is made of an insulating material. The housing 51 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, having a front surface 51A, a rear surface 51B, a top surface 51C, a bottom surface 51D, a right surface 51E, and a left surface 51F. The housing 51 also has a horizontally elongated and low-profile shape, with its left-right dimension being longer than its front-to-back dimension, and its vertical dimension being shorter than its front-to-back dimension.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(A), the housing 51 has an insertion portion 52 into which the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 is inserted from the front of the housing 51. The insertion portion 52 is a hole or recess that opens on the front surface 51A of the housing 51 and extends from the front surface 51A toward the rear inside the housing 51. The insertion portion 52 also extends from the left end to the right end of the housing 51. The insertion portion 52 also has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71. As shown in Figures 8(A) to 8(C), the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 is inserted into the insertion portion 52 from the front of the housing 51, fits into the insertion portion 52, and is positioned inside the housing 51.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(A), a front terminal support portion 53 is provided at the lower front of the housing 51 to support the second ground terminals 31. As shown in Figures 6(A) and 7(A), eight second ground terminals 31 are supported by the front terminal support portion 53.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8(B) and 8(C), a rear terminal support portion 54 is provided at the front of the housing 51 to support the signal terminals 11, the first ground terminal 21, and the third ground terminal 41. As shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B), the rear terminal support portion 54 supports four signal terminals 11, eight first ground terminals 21, and four third ground terminals 41.

[0038] (Lock lever) In Figure 1, the lock lever 57 is a mechanism that locks the flat conductor 71 inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51, preventing the flat conductor 71 from coming out of the housing 51. The lock lever 57 is positioned above the housing 51 and is rotatably mounted on the housing 51.

[0039] Figure 10(A) shows a cross-section of the lock lever 57 cut along the cutting line aa in Figure 1, viewed from the right (upper left in Figure 1). This figure shows the state in which the flat conductor 71 inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51 is locked to the housing 51 by the lock lever 57. Figure 10(B) shows the state in which the lock lever 57 has been rotated to release the lock.

[0040] As shown in Figure 10(A), a pivot shaft 58 is provided at the right front end of the lock lever 57. Similarly, a pivot shaft is also provided at the left front end of the lock lever 57. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, lock lever support portions 55 are provided at the right front end and left front end of the housing 51, respectively. As shown in Figure 10(A), the pivot shaft 58 at the right front end of the lock lever 57 is rotatably supported by the lock lever support portion 55 at the right front end of the housing 51. Similarly, the pivot shaft at the left front end of the lock lever 57 is rotatably supported by the lock lever support portion 55 at the left front end of the housing 51. As a result, the lock lever 57 is rotatably mounted on the housing 51, as shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B).

[0041] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(A), notches 88 are formed at the right and left ends of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71, respectively. Also, as shown in Figure 10(A), a locking projection 59 is provided at the right end of the lock lever 57. Similarly, a locking projection is also provided at the left end of the lock lever 57. When the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 is inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51, the left and right locking projections 59 of the lock lever 57 enter inside the left and right notches 88 of the flat conductor 71, respectively. As a result, the flat conductor 71 is locked by each locking projection 59, the flat conductor 71 is locked to the housing 51, and the flat conductor 71 is prevented from coming out of the housing 51.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(B), when the lock lever 57 is rotated, the left and right locking protrusions 59 of the lock lever 57 extend outwards from the inside of the left and right notches 88 of the flat conductor 71. This releases the lock of the flat conductor 71 from the housing 51, allowing the flat conductor 71 to be removed from the housing 51.

[0043] (Terminal configuration) Connector 1 has four terminal sets 5 to 8, as shown in Figure 9. Each terminal set 5 to 8 includes a signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and a third ground terminal 41.

[0044] Figure 11(A) shows the signal terminal 11. As shown in Figure 11(A), the signal terminal 11 is formed from a conductive material into a rod shape that is bent or curved at multiple points. The signal terminal 11 has a substrate connection portion 12, a supported portion 13, a spring portion 14, a transmitter contact portion 15, and an inclined portion 16. The substrate connection portion 12 is formed at one end of the signal terminal 11. The supported portion 13 is formed on the other side of the substrate connection portion 12. The spring portion 14 is formed on the other side of the supported portion 13. The transmitter contact portion 15 is formed at the other end of the signal terminal 11 and is located on the other side of the spring portion 14. The inclined portion 16 is formed at the tip of the other end of the signal terminal 11.

[0045] As shown in Figure 8(C), at the signal terminal 11, the supported portion 13 is embedded in and supported by the rear terminal support portion 54 of the housing 51. The board connection portion 12 is connected to the signal terminal connection pad 62 of the board 61, for example, by soldering. The transmission contact portion 15 contacts the signal terminal contact portion 86 of the flat conductor 71.

[0046] Figure 11(B) shows the first ground terminal 21. As shown in Figure 11(B), the first ground terminal 21 is formed from a conductive material into a rod shape that is bent or curved at multiple points. The first ground terminal 21 has a substrate connection portion 22, a supported portion 23, a spring portion 24, a transmitter contact portion 25, and an inclined portion 26. The shape, size, and structure of the first ground terminal 21 are the same as those of the signal terminal 11.

[0047] As shown in Figure 8(B), at the first ground terminal 21, the supported portion 23 is embedded in and supported by the rear terminal support portion 54 of the housing 51. The board connection portion 22 is connected to the ground terminal connection pad 63 of the board 61, for example, by soldering. The transmission body contact portion 25 contacts the lower ground terminal contact portion 83 of the flat conductor 71.

[0048] Figure 11(C) shows the second ground terminal 31. As shown in Figure 11(C), the second ground terminal 31 is formed from a conductive material into a rod shape that is bent or curved at multiple points. The second ground terminal 31 has a substrate connection portion 32, a supported portion 33, a spring portion 34, a transmitter contact portion 35, and an inclined portion 36. As can be seen by comparing Figure 11(C) and 11(B), the shape of the supported portion 33 of the second ground terminal 31 is different from the shape of the supported portion 23 of the first ground terminal 21. Also, the length of the spring portion 34 of the second ground terminal 31 is slightly longer than the length of the spring portion 24 of the first ground terminal 21. Except for these points, the second ground terminal 31 is formed in the same way as the first ground terminal 21.

[0049] As shown in Figure 8(A), at the second ground terminal 31, the supported portion 33 is embedded in and supported by the front terminal support portion 53 of the housing 51. The board connection portion 32 is connected to the ground terminal connection pad 64 of the board 61, for example, by soldering. The transmission body contact portion 35 contacts the lower ground terminal contact portion 83 of the flat conductor 71.

[0050] Figure 11(D) shows the third ground terminal 41. The third ground terminal 41 is made of a conductive material. As shown in Figure 11(D), the third ground terminal 41 has a shielding portion 42, two substrate connection portions 43, two supported pieces 44, a spring portion 45, a transmission body contact portion 46, and an inclined portion 47. The shielding portion 42 is formed in a plate shape that extends in the X1-X2 direction and the Y1-Y2 direction in Figure 11(D). One substrate connection portion 43 extends in the X1 direction from the X1 side and Y1 side end of the shielding portion 42. The other substrate connection portion 43 extends in the X1 direction from the X1 side and Y2 side end of the shielding portion 42. Also, one of the supported pieces 44 protrudes in the Y1 direction from the Y1 side end of the X1 side portion of the shielding portion 42. The other supported piece 44 protrudes in the Y2 direction from the Y2 end of the X1 side portion of the shielding portion 42. In addition, the portion of the shielding portion 42 closer to X2 than the portion where the two supported pieces 44 are formed is a spring portion 45. Furthermore, the portion of the shielding portion 42 from the portion closer to X2 than the spring portion 45 to the X2 end is bent so as to protrude in the Z2 direction. The protruding end of this bent portion is the transmitter contact portion 46. In addition, the portion of the shielding portion 42 from the portion closer to X2 than the transmitter contact portion 46 to the X2 end is an inclined portion 47.

[0051] At the third ground terminal 41, the two supported pieces 44 are supported by the rear terminal support portion 54 of the housing 51, as shown in Figure 7(B). Also, as shown in Figure 8(A), the board connection portion 43 is connected to the ground terminal connection pad 65 of the board 61, for example by soldering. Furthermore, the transmission body contact portion 46 contacts the upper ground terminal contact portion 81 of the flat conductor 71.

[0052] (Terminal arrangement) Figure 12 shows the terminal set 5 viewed from above. Figure 13 shows the terminal set 5 viewed from the right.

[0053] As shown in Figure 12, in terminal set 5, the two first ground terminals 21 are located to the right and left of the signal terminal 11, respectively. The two second ground terminals 31 are located to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11, and to the left of the first ground terminal 21 located to the left of the signal terminal 11, respectively.

[0054] Furthermore, in the terminal set 5, the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 are arranged to extend forward from the rear of the housing 51. Specifically, the board connection portion 12 formed at one end of the signal terminal 11 is located at the rear end of the housing 51, and the transmission body contact portion 15 formed at the other end of the signal terminal 11 is located in the middle of the housing 51 in the front-to-back direction. Also, the board connection portion 22 formed at one end of each first ground terminal 21 is located at the rear end of the housing 51, and the transmission body contact portion 25 formed at the other end of each first ground terminal 21 is located in the middle of the housing 51 in the front-to-back direction.

[0055] On the other hand, in the terminal set 5, the two second ground terminals 31 are arranged to extend from the front to the rear of the housing 51. Specifically, the board connection portion 32 formed at one end of each second ground terminal 31 is located at the front end of the housing 51, and the transmission body contact portion 35 formed at the other end of each second ground terminal 31 is located in the middle of the housing 51 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, in the terminal set 5, the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31 are each located at the bottom of the housing 51 (below the insertion portion 52). In addition, the rear end of each second ground terminal 31 is located behind the front ends of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21, respectively.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, when the connector 1 is viewed from the right or left, the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of each of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the second ground terminal 31 overlap each other in the terminal set 5. Here, the front of the signal terminal 11 is the part enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 11(A), that is, the part of the signal terminal 11 where the spring portion 14, the transmission body contact portion 15, and the inclined portion 16 are formed. Also, the front of the first ground terminal 21 is the part enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 11(B), that is, the part of the first ground terminal 21 where the spring portion 24, the transmission body contact portion 25, and the inclined portion 26 are formed. Furthermore, the rear part of the second ground terminal 31 is the portion enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 11(C) of the second ground terminal 31, that is, the portion of the second ground terminal 31 where the spring portion 34, the transmission body contact portion 35, and the inclined portion 36 are formed. Specifically, as can be seen in Figures 12 and 13, when the connector 1 is viewed from the right or left, in the terminal set 5, the portion of the front part of the signal terminal 11 from the front end of the spring portion 14 to the front end of the inclined portion 16, the portion of the front part of each first ground terminal 21 from the front end of the spring portion 24 to the front end of the inclined portion 26, and the portion of the rear part of each second ground terminal 31 from the rear end of the spring portion 34 to the rear end of the inclined portion 36 overlap with each other. Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the terminal set 5, the positions of the transmission body contact portion 15 of the signal terminal 11, the transmission body contact portion 25 of each first ground terminal 21, and the transmission body contact portion 35 of each second ground terminal 31 are all aligned in the front-to-back direction.

[0058] In this embodiment, the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 are identical in shape and size to each other, and their arrangement in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions is also identical to each other. Therefore, when the connector 1 is viewed from the right or left, the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 completely overlap.

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, in the terminal set 5, the third ground terminal 41 is positioned to extend forward from the rear of the housing 51. Specifically, the board connection portion 43 of the third ground terminal 41 is located at the rear end of the housing 51, and the transmission body contact portion 46 of the third ground terminal 41 is located in the middle of the housing 51 in the front-to-back direction.

[0060] Furthermore, when the connector 1 is viewed from above, in the terminal set 5, the third ground terminal 41 is positioned to overlap with the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the two second ground terminals 31, as shown in Figure 12. Specifically, the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 is located above the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the two second ground terminals 31. The shielding portion 42 extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions so as to cover the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the two second ground terminals 31 from above.

[0061] More specifically, the right edge 42A of the shielding portion 42 is located to the right of the transmission body contact portion of the rightmost terminal among the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31 (in this embodiment, the transmission body contact portion 35 of the rightmost second ground terminal 31). Also, the left edge 42B of the shielding portion 42 is located to the left of the transmission body contact portion of the leftmost terminal among the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31 (in this embodiment, the transmission body contact portion 35 of the leftmost second ground terminal 31). Furthermore, the front edge 42C of the shielding portion 42 is located in front of the front end of the frontmost terminal among the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 (in this embodiment, since the front ends of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 are aligned, the front ends of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front edge 42C of the shielding portion 42 is located in front of the transmission body contact portion 35 of the two second ground terminals 31. Also, the rear edge 42D of the shielding portion is located behind the rear end of the furthest-positioned terminal of the two second ground terminals 31 (in this embodiment, since the rear ends of the two second ground terminals 31 are aligned, this refers to the rear ends of the two second ground terminals 31). In addition, in this embodiment, the rear edge 42D of the shielding portion 42 is located behind the supported portion 13 of the signal terminal 11 and the supported portions 23 of the two first ground terminals 21.

[0062] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, in the terminal set 5, the position of the transmission body contact portion 46 of the third ground terminal 41 in the front-to-back direction coincides with the position of the transmission body contact portion 15 of the signal terminal 11, the transmission body contact portion 25 of each first ground terminal 21, and the transmission body contact portion 35 of each second ground terminal 31, respectively, in the front-to-back direction.

[0063] The arrangement of the signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and third ground terminal 41 in terminal sets 6 to 8 is the same as that of terminal set 5, as shown in Figure 9. The four terminal sets 5 to 8 are arranged in the housing 51 in a horizontal direction. Although the four terminal sets 5 to 8 are arranged in a line as shown in Figure 9, they do not necessarily have to be arranged in a line.

[0064] (Contact between terminal and flat conductor) Figure 14 shows the state in which four signal terminals 11, eight first ground terminals 21, and eight second ground terminals 31 are in contact with the lower surface 79B of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51.

[0065] When the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 is inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51, as shown in Figure 14, the transmission body contact portions 15 of the four signal terminals 11, each included in the four terminal sets 5 to 8, contact the four signal terminal contact portions 86 formed on the lower surface 79B of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71. In addition, the transmission body contact portions 25 of the eight first ground terminals 21, each included in the four terminal sets 5 to 8, contact the lower ground terminal contact portions 83 formed on the lower surface 79B of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71. In addition, the transmission body contact portions 35 of the eight second ground terminals 31, each included in the four terminal sets 5 to 8, contact the lower ground terminal contact portions 83 formed on the lower surface 79B of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71.

[0066] Figure 15 shows the state in which the four third ground terminals 41 are in contact with the upper surface 79A of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51.

[0067] When the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 is inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51, as shown in Figure 15, the transmission body contact portions 46 of the four third ground terminals 41, each included in the four terminal sets 5 to 8, contact the upper ground terminal contact portions 81 formed on the upper surface 79A of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71.

[0068] Furthermore, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the inclined portion 16 of the signal terminal 11 extends forward while being inclined downward. When the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 is inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51, the tip of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 contacts the upper surface of the inclined portion 16 of the signal terminal 11, causing the spring portion 14 of the signal terminal 11 to elastically deform, and the inclined portion 16 and the transmission body contact portion 15 of the signal terminal 11 to be displaced downward. Then, the transmission body contact portion 15 of the signal terminal 11 makes strong contact with the signal terminal contact portion 86 formed on the lower surface 79B of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 due to the elastic force of the spring portion 14. Similarly, when the end 79 of the flat conductor 71 is inserted into the insertion portion 52 of the housing 51, the transmission body contact portion 25 of each first ground terminal 21 makes strong contact with the lower ground terminal contact portion 83 of the flat conductor 71 due to the elastic force of the spring portion 24, the transmission body contact portion 35 of each second ground terminal 31 makes strong contact with the lower ground terminal contact portion 83 of the flat conductor 71 due to the elastic force of the spring portion 34, and the transmission body contact portion 46 of the third ground terminal 41 makes strong contact with the upper ground terminal contact portion 81 of the flat conductor 71 due to the elastic force of the spring portion 45.

[0069] (Considerations on the isolation characteristics of connectors, Part 1) In the connector 1 of the embodiment of the present invention, each terminal set 5 to 8 includes a signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, and two second ground terminals 31. The first ground terminals 21 are positioned to the right and left of the signal terminal 11, respectively. Furthermore, the second ground terminals 31 are positioned to the right of the first ground terminal 21 positioned to the right of the signal terminal 11, and to the left of the first ground terminal 21 positioned to the left of the signal terminal 11. When the connector 1 is viewed from the right or left, the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of each of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the second ground terminals 31 overlap each other. Both the first ground terminals 21 and the second ground terminals 31 have the function of shielding the signal terminal 11. In each terminal set 5 to 8, the signal terminal 11 is double-shielded from its right by the first ground terminal 21 and the second ground terminal 31 positioned to the right of the signal terminal 11. Furthermore, the signal terminal 11 is double-shielded from its left by a first ground terminal 21 and a second ground terminal 31 located to the left of the signal terminal 11. Therefore, the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11 in two adjacent terminal sets among the four terminal sets 5 to 8 can be improved. Also, if there is another transmission path to the left of connector 1, the isolation characteristics between the signal terminal 11 in terminal set 5 and the other transmission path to the left of connector 1 can be improved. Also, if there is another transmission path to the right of connector 1, the isolation characteristics between the signal terminal 11 in terminal set 8 and the other transmission path to the right of connector 1 can be improved.

[0070] Here, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the connector 1 of this embodiment has a configuration in which two second ground terminals 31 are located to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11, and to the left of the second ground terminal 31 located to the left of the signal terminal 11. This configuration is used to confirm, using the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector 1 of this embodiment and the connector of the first comparative example, that the effect of improving the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc., can be obtained.

[0071] Figures 16(A) and 16(B) show the arrangement of the signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and third ground terminal 41 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector 1 of this embodiment. Figure 16(C) shows the measurement results of the isolation characteristics between the signal terminal 11 included in terminal set 5, which is the leftmost of the four terminal sets 5 to 8 in the connector 1 of this embodiment, and the signal terminal 11 included in terminal set 6, which is the second from the left. In the graph of Figure 16(C), the horizontal axis is the frequency of the signal used for measurement, and the vertical axis is the signal attenuation between the two signal terminals. The horizontal and vertical axes of the graphs are the same for the graphs in Figures 17(C), 18(C), 19(C), 20(C), and 21(B) described later.

[0072] Figure 16(C) shows that the signal attenuation between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, in connector 1 of this embodiment is greater than 50 dB (below -50 dB) across the entire frequency range up to 15 GHz.

[0073] On the other hand, Figures 17(A) and 17(B) show the arrangement of the signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and third ground terminal 41 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the first comparative example. In the connector of the first comparative example, as shown in Figures 17(A) and 17(B), the two second ground terminals 31 in each terminal set 5 to 8 are positioned further forward than the two second ground terminals 31 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector 1 of this embodiment. Furthermore, because the position of each second ground terminal 31 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the first comparative example is shifted significantly further forward compared to the position of each second ground terminal 31 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector 1 of this embodiment, when the connector of the first comparative example is viewed from the right or left, the rear of each second ground terminal 31 in each terminal set 5 to 8 does not overlap with the front of the signal terminal 11 and the front of the two first ground terminals 21. Note that the connector of the first comparative example is the same as connector 1 of this embodiment, except for the position of the second ground terminal of each terminal set. Therefore, each terminal set and each terminal of the connector of the first comparative example are denoted by the same reference numerals as each terminal set and each terminal of connector 1 of this embodiment. Figure 17(C) shows the measurement results of the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of the connector of the first comparative example.

[0074] Figure 17(C) shows that, in the connector of the first comparative example, the signal attenuation between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, is less than 50 dB (above -50 dB) at frequencies around 6 GHz, 7 GHz, and 10 GHz.

[0075] As can be seen by comparing the measurement results for connector 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 16(C) with the measurement results for the connector of the first comparative example shown in Figure 17(C), the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of connector 1 of this embodiment are higher than the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of the connector of the first comparative example. In other words, from the two measurement results shown in Figures 16(C) and 17(C), it can be confirmed that connector 1 of this embodiment, which has a configuration in each terminal set 5 to 8 where the two second ground terminals 31 are located to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11, and to the left of the second ground terminal 31 located to the left of the signal terminal 11, respectively, has the effect of improving the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0076] (Considerations on the isolation characteristics of connectors, Part 2) In each of the terminal sets 5 to 8 of the connector 1 in this embodiment, each first ground terminal 21 extends forward from the rear of the housing 51, while each second ground terminal 31 extends backward from the front of the housing 51. With this configuration, in each of the terminal sets 5 to 8, the right side of the signal terminal 11 is covered by the first ground terminal 21 extending forward from the rear of the housing 51 and the second ground terminal 31 extending backward from the front of the housing 51. This expands the area shielding the signal terminal 11 from its right side in the front-to-back direction, thereby increasing the shielding area of ​​the signal terminal 11. Similarly, in each of the terminal sets 5 to 8, the left side of the signal terminal 11 is covered by the first ground terminal 21 extending forward from the rear of the housing 51 and the second ground terminal 31 extending backward from the front of the housing 51. This expands the area shielding the signal terminal 11 from its left side in the front-to-back direction, thereby increasing the shielding area of ​​the signal terminal 11. This improves the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0077] Furthermore, in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector 1 of this embodiment, each first ground terminal 21 extends forward from the rear of the housing 51, with a substrate connection portion 22 formed at the rear end connected to the ground terminal connection pad 63 of the substrate 61, and a transmission body contact portion 25 formed at the front end contacting the lower ground terminal contact portion 83 of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71. On the other hand, each second ground terminal 31 extends rearward from the front of the housing 51, with a substrate connection portion 32 formed at the front end connected to the ground terminal connection pad 64 of the substrate 61, and a transmission body contact portion 35 formed at the rear end contacting the lower ground terminal contact portion 83 of the end 79 of the flat conductor 71. Thus, the connector 1 of this embodiment has a structure in which each first ground terminal 21 is connected to the ground of the substrate 61 at the rear of the housing 51, and each second ground terminal 31 is connected to the ground of the substrate 61 at the front of the housing 51. In other words, the connector 1 of this embodiment has a structure in which the shield covering the signal terminals 11 (each first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31) is connected to the ground of the substrate 61 at multiple different locations. This structure allows for the formation of multiple paths through which noise current flows within the connector 1, and these paths can be made distinct from each other. This improves the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0078] Here, we will confirm, using the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector 1 of this embodiment and the connector of the second comparative example, that the connector 1 of this embodiment, which has a configuration in each terminal set 5 to 8 in which each first ground terminal 21 extends forward from the rear of the housing 51 and each second ground terminal 31 extends backward from the front of the housing 51, and a configuration in which each first ground terminal 21 at the rear of the housing 51 is connected to the ground of the circuit board 61 and each second ground terminal 31 at the front of the housing 51 is connected to the ground of the circuit board 61, provides an effect of improving the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0079] Figures 18(A) and 18(B) show the arrangement of the signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and third ground terminal 41 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the second comparative example. In each terminal set 5 to 8 of connector 1 in this embodiment, each first ground terminal 21 extends from the rear to the front of the housing 51, and each second ground terminal 31 extends from the front to the rear of the housing 51. In contrast, in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the second comparative example, as shown in Figures 18(A) and 18(B), each first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31 extend from the rear to the front of the housing 51. Furthermore, in the connector of the second comparative example, when the connector is viewed from the right or left, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the spring portion 34, transmission body contact portion 35, and inclined portion 36 of each second ground terminal 31 overlap with the spring portion 14, transmission body contact portion 15, and inclined portion 16 of the signal terminal 11, and the spring portion 24, transmission body contact portion 25, and inclined portion 26 of the two first ground terminals 21, respectively. Also, in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the second comparative example, the position of the front end of each second ground terminal 31 in the front-rear direction coincides with the position of the front end of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 in the front-rear direction. In addition, in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector 1 of this embodiment, each first ground terminal 21 is connected to the ground of the substrate 61 at the rear of the housing 51, and the second ground terminal 31 is connected to the ground of the substrate 61 at the front of the housing 51. In contrast, in the second comparative example, as shown in Figures 18(A) and 18(B), each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector has a first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31 connected to the ground of the circuit board 61 at the rear of the housing 51. Since the connector of the second comparative example is the same as connector 1 of this embodiment, except for the arrangement of the second ground terminals in each terminal set, each terminal set and each terminal of the connector of the second comparative example is denoted by the same reference numerals as each terminal set and each terminal of connector 1 of this embodiment.Furthermore, Figure 18(C) shows the measurement results of the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of the connector of the second comparative example.

[0080] Figure 18(C) shows that, at frequencies around 8 GHz, the signal attenuation between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of the connector in the second comparative example is less than 50 dB (above -50 dB).

[0081] As can be seen by comparing the measurement results for connector 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 16(C) with the measurement results for the connector of the second comparative example shown in Figure 18(C), the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of connector 1 of this embodiment are higher than the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of the connector of the second comparative example. In other words, from the two measurement results shown in Figures 16(C) and 18(C), it can be confirmed that connector 1 of this embodiment, which has a configuration in each terminal set 5 to 8 in which each first ground terminal 21 extends from the rear to the front of the housing 51 and each second ground terminal 31 extends from the front to the rear of the housing 51, and in which each first ground terminal 21 at the rear of the housing 51 is connected to the ground of the substrate 61 and each second ground terminal 31 at the front of the housing 51 is connected to the ground of the substrate 61, can be used to improve the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0082] (Considerations on the isolation characteristics of connectors, Part 3) In each of the terminal sets 5 to 8 of the connector 1 of this embodiment, each first ground terminal 21 extends forward from the rear of the housing 51, and each second ground terminal 31 extends backward from the front of the housing. When the connector 1 is viewed from the right or left, the front portions of the two first ground terminals 21 and the rear portions of the two second ground terminals 31 overlap each other. In this configuration, the rear portion of each first ground terminal 21 is located at the rear of the housing 51, the front portion of each second ground terminal 31 is located at the front of the housing 51, and the front portions of each first ground terminal 21 and the rear portions of each second ground terminal 31 are located in the middle of the housing 51 in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, the length of each first ground terminal 21 is close to the distance from the rear of the housing 51 to the middle of the housing in the front-to-back direction, i.e., half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51, and the length of each second ground terminal 31 is close to the distance from the front of the housing 51 to the middle of the housing in the front-to-back direction, i.e., half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51. Since the lengths of each first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31 are close to half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51, the lengths of each first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31 become equal and shorter than each other (there is no situation where one of the ground terminals is extremely short and the other is extremely long). By shortening the lengths of the first ground terminal 21 and the second ground terminal 31, the impedance of the first ground terminal 21 and the second ground terminal 31 can be lowered, making it easier for noise current to flow. This improves the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0083] Here, using the measurement results of the isolation characteristics of the connector 1 of this embodiment and the connector of the third comparative example, it is confirmed that the connector 1 of this embodiment, in which the length of each first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31 is close to half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51, has the effect of improving the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0084] Figures 19(A) and 19(B) show the arrangement of the signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and third ground terminal 41 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the third comparative example. In each terminal set 5 to 8 of connector 1 in this embodiment, the length of each first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31 is close to half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51. In contrast, in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the third comparative example, as shown in Figures 19(A) and 19(B), the length of each first ground terminal 21 is close to half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51, but the length of each second ground terminal 31 is significantly larger than half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51. Note that the connector of the third comparative example is the same as connector 1 of this embodiment, except for the length of the second ground terminal of each terminal set. Therefore, each terminal set and each terminal of the connector of the third comparative example are denoted by the same reference numerals as each terminal set and each terminal of connector 1 of this embodiment. Figure 19(C) shows the measurement results of the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of the connector of the third comparative example.

[0085] Figure 19(C) shows that, in the connector of the third comparative example, the signal attenuation between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, is less than 50 dB (above -50 dB) at frequencies around 6 GHz, 7.5 GHz, and 9 GHz.

[0086] As can be seen by comparing the measurement results for connector 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 16(C) with the measurement results for the connector of the third comparative example shown in Figure 19(C), the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of connector 1 of this embodiment are higher than the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of the connector of the third comparative example. In other words, from the two measurement results shown in Figures 16(C) and 19(C), it can be confirmed that connector 1 of this embodiment, in which the length of each first ground terminal 21 and each second ground terminal 31 is close to half the front-to-back dimension of the housing 51, has the effect of improving the isolation characteristics between signal terminals 11, etc.

[0087] (Other effects) Each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector 1 in this embodiment includes a third ground terminal 41. The third ground terminal 41 functions as a shield that covers the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the two second ground terminals 31 from above. By providing the third ground terminal 41, it is possible to suppress noise intrusion into the signal terminal 11, etc., and noise radiation from the signal terminal 11, etc.

[0088] Furthermore, the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 is located above the respective transmission body contact portions 15, 25, and 35 of the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31. The right edge of the shielding portion 42 is located to the right of the transmission body contact portion 35 of the second ground terminal 31 located furthest to the right in each terminal set 5 to 8, and the left edge of the shielding portion 42 is located to the left of the transmission body contact portion 35 of the second ground terminal 31 located furthest to the left in each terminal set 5 to 8. In this way, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 extends significantly in the left-right direction, covering all the transmission body contact portions 15, 25, and 35 of the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31. This enhances the shielding effect of the third ground terminal 41 on the signal terminal 11, the first ground terminals 21, and the second ground terminals 31.

[0089] Furthermore, the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 is located above the respective transmission body contact portions 15, 25, and 35 of the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31. The front edge of the shielding portion 42 is located in front of the respective front ends of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear edge of the shielding portion 42 is located behind the rear ends of the two second ground terminals 31. In this way, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 extends significantly in the front-to-back direction, covering all the transmission body contact portions 15, 25, and 35 of the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31. This enhances the shielding effect of the third ground terminal 41 on the signal terminal 11, the first ground terminals 21, and the second ground terminals 31.

[0090] Furthermore, the connector 1 of this embodiment is equipped with four terminal sets 5 to 8, which are arranged in the housing 51 in a left-right direction. As described above, each terminal set 5 to 8 has high isolation characteristics, so the distance between the terminal sets 5 to 8 in the left-right direction can be reduced while suppressing crosstalk of high-frequency signals flowing through the signal terminals 11 included in each terminal set 5 to 8. This makes it possible to realize a compact connector that can transmit a large number of high-frequency signals simultaneously.

[0091] (An example of a change in the permitted terminal position) In the connector 1 of the above embodiment, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the signal terminal 11, the two first ground terminals 21, and the two second ground terminals 31 are arranged such that the front-to-back positions of the transmission body contact portions 15, 25, and 35 of these terminals coincide with each other. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. When the connector is viewed from the right or left, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the signal terminal 11, each first ground terminal 21, and each second ground terminal 31 may be arranged such that the front-to-back position of the transmission body contact portion 35 of the second ground terminal 31 differs from the front-to-back positions of the transmission body contact portions 15 and 25 of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21, within the range where the overlap of the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of each first ground terminal 21, and the rear of each second ground terminal 31 is maintained.

[0092] Here, Figures 20(A) and 20(B) show the arrangement of the signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, two second ground terminals 31, and third ground terminal 41 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the fourth comparative example. In the connector of the fourth comparative example, as shown in Figures 20(A) and 20(B), the two second ground terminals 31 in each terminal set 5 to 8 are positioned further back than the two second ground terminals 31 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector 1 of this embodiment. As a result, the front-to-back position of the transmission body contact portion 35 of each second ground terminal 31 is different from the front-to-back position of the transmission body contact portions 15 and 25 of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21, respectively. However, when the connector of the fourth comparative example is viewed from the right or left, the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the two second ground terminals 31 overlap each other in each terminal set 5 to 8. Note that the connector of the fourth comparative example is the same as connector 1 of this embodiment, except for the position of each second ground terminal in each terminal set, so each terminal set and each terminal of the connector of the fourth comparative example is denoted by the same reference numerals as each terminal set and each terminal of connector 1 of this embodiment. Figure 20(C) shows the measurement results of the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of the connector of the fourth comparative example. From Figure 20(C), it can be seen that the attenuation between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6 of the connector of the fourth comparative example is greater than 50 dB (below -50 dB) across the entire frequency range up to 15 GHz. As can be seen by comparing the measurement results for the connector of the fourth comparative example shown in Figure 20(C) with the measurement results for the connector 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 16(C), the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of the connector of the fourth comparative example are equivalent to the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of the connector 1 of this embodiment.In other words, when the connector is viewed from the right or left, even if the signal terminal 11, each of the first ground terminals 21, and each of the second ground terminals 31 are arranged such that the position of the transmission body contact portion 35 of the second ground terminal 31 in the front-to-back direction differs from the position of the transmission body contact portions 15 and 25 of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 in the front-to-back direction, within the range where the overlap of the front of the signal terminal 11, the front of each first ground terminal 21, and the rear of each second ground terminal 31 is maintained in each terminal set 5 to 8, the isolation characteristics between the signal terminals 11, etc., can be improved.

[0093] (An example of a permitted change in terminal configuration) In each of the terminal sets 5 to 8 of the connector 1 in the above embodiment, two second ground terminals 31 are located to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11, and to the left of the first ground terminal 21 located to the left of the signal terminal 11, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. In each of the terminal sets 5 to 8, one second ground terminal 31 may be located to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11, and no second ground terminal 31 may be located to the left of the first ground terminal 21 located to the left of the signal terminal 11. Alternatively, one second ground terminal 31 may be located to the left of the first ground terminal 21 located to the left of the signal terminal 11, and no second ground terminal 31 may be located to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11.

[0094] Here, Figure 21(A) shows the arrangement of the signal terminal 11, two first ground terminals 21, a second ground terminal 31, and a third ground terminal 41 in each terminal set 5 to 8 of the connector of the fifth comparative example. In the connector of the fifth comparative example, as shown in Figure 21(A), in each terminal set 5 to 8, one second ground terminal 31 is located to the left of the first ground terminal 21 which is located to the left of the signal terminal 11, and no second ground terminal 31 is located to the right of the first ground terminal 21 which is located to the right of the signal terminal 11. Note that the connector of the fifth comparative example is the same as connector 1 of this embodiment, except that the second ground terminal is not located to the right of the first ground terminal which is located to the right of the signal terminal, so each terminal set and each terminal of the connector of the fifth comparative example are denoted by the same reference numerals as each terminal set and each terminal of connector 1 of this embodiment. Furthermore, Figure 21(B) shows the measurement results of the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of the connector of the fifth comparative example. From Figure 21(B), it can be seen that the attenuation between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of the connector of the fifth comparative example is greater than 50 dB (below -50 dB) across the entire frequency range up to 15 GHz. As can be seen by comparing the measurement results for the connector of the fifth comparative example shown in Figure 21(B) with the measurement results for connector 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 16(C), the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of the connector of the fifth comparative example are equivalent to the isolation characteristics between the two signal terminals 11 included in terminal set 5 and terminal set 6, respectively, of connector 1 of this embodiment.In other words, in each terminal set 5 to 8, if one second ground terminal 31 is placed to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11, and the second ground terminal 31 is not placed to the left of the first ground terminal 21 located to the left of the signal terminal 11, or if one second ground terminal 31 is placed to the left of the first ground terminal 21 located to the left of the signal terminal 11, and the second ground terminal 31 is not placed to the right of the first ground terminal 21 located to the right of the signal terminal 11, the isolation characteristics between the signal terminals 11, etc., can be improved.

[0095] (Other examples of permitted terminal configuration changes) Furthermore, in the connector 1 of the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, one signal terminal 11 is provided between the two first ground terminals 21 in each terminal set 5 to 8. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in the connector 91 in Figure 22, two signal terminals 11 may be provided between the two first ground terminals 21 in each terminal set 5 to 8. In each terminal set 5 to 8, the two signal terminals 11 can be used, for example, for the transmission of differential signals.

[0096] In connector 91, the two signal terminals 11 are identical to each other. Furthermore, the structure supporting the signal terminals 11 in the housing 51 is identical to each other between the two signal terminals 11, as described above. In addition, the positions of the two signal terminals 11 in the front-to-back direction are identical to each other, and the positions of the two signal terminals 11 in the up-to-down direction are also identical to each other. Moreover, the two signal terminals 11 are positioned to extend forward from the rear of the housing 51. When connector 91 is viewed from the right or left, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the front of each of the two signal terminals 11, the front of each of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the second ground terminal 31 overlap with each other. Furthermore, when connector 91 is viewed from above, in each terminal set 5 to 8, the third ground terminal 41 is positioned to overlap with the front of the two signal terminals 11, the front of the two first ground terminals 21, and the rear of the two second ground terminals 31, respectively.

[0097] (Other permitted changes) In each of the terminal sets 5 to 8 of the connector 1 in the above embodiment, the front edge 42C of the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 is located in front of the front end of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 that are located furthest forward. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In each of the terminal sets 5 to 8, the position of the front edge of the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 in the front-rear direction may be made to coincide with the position of the front end of the signal terminal 11 and the two first ground terminals 21 that are located furthest forward. Also, in each of the terminal sets 5 to 8 of the connector 1 in the above embodiment, the rear edge 42D of the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 is located behind the rear end of the second ground terminal 31. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In each of the terminal sets 5 to 8, the position of the rear edge of the shielding portion 42 of the third ground terminal 41 in the front-rear direction may be made to coincide with the position of the rear end of the second ground terminal 31 in the front-rear direction. These points also apply to the connector 91.

[0098] Furthermore, in the connector 1 of the above embodiment, a third ground terminal 41 is provided for each terminal set, and therefore, in a connector 1 equipped with four terminal sets 5 to 8, four third ground terminals 41 are provided. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The connector may be provided with, for example, one third ground terminal that covers multiple terminal sets arranged in the housing 51 together. The same applies to the connector 91 described above.

[0099] Furthermore, although the connectors 1 and 91 in the above embodiment are each equipped with four terminal sets 5 to 8, the number of terminal sets in the connector of the present invention may be one, two, three, or five or more.

[0100] Furthermore, although the above embodiment uses a connector connecting an FPC and a rigid substrate as an example, the present invention can also be applied to a connector connecting an FFC and a rigid substrate. Also, although the above embodiment uses a case where the connector 1 is mounted on the rigid substrate 61 as an example, the connector of the present invention can also be mounted on the surface of the FPC.

[0101] Furthermore, the present invention may be modified as appropriate, provided that it does not contradict the gist or idea of ​​the invention as can be read from the claims and the specification as a whole, and connectors with such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1. 91 Connector 5-8 terminal set 11 Signal terminals 12. Board connection section 15. Transmission contact section 21 First ground terminal 22 Board connection section 25 Transmission body contact section 31 Second ground terminal 32 Board connection section 35 Transmission body contact section 41 Third ground terminal 42 Shielding part 42A Right edge 42B Left edge 42C leading edge 42D trailing edge 43. Circuit board connection section 46 Transmission body contact section 51 Housing 52 Insertion section 61 circuit boards 62 Signal terminal connection pad (signal terminal connection section) 63, 64, 65 Ground terminal connection pads (ground terminal connection part) 71 Flat conductor 79 End 79A Top 79B Bottom 81 Upper ground terminal contact area (ground terminal contact area) 83 Lower ground terminal contact area (ground terminal contact area) 86 Signal terminal contact part

Claims

1. A connector for connecting a flat conductor to a circuit board, It comprises multiple terminals and a housing that supports the multiple terminals, The housing has an insertion portion into which the end of the flat conductor is inserted into the housing from the front of the housing. The aforementioned multiple terminals are, A signal terminal extending forward from the rear of the housing, with its rear portion connected to the signal terminal connection portion of the circuit board, and its front portion contacting the signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor, Two first ground terminals extend forward from the rear of the housing, respectively, and are positioned to the right and left of the signal terminals, with their respective rear ends connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the circuit board and their respective front ends in contact with the ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. It includes a second ground terminal that extends rearward from the front of the housing and is positioned to the right of the first ground terminal located to the right of the signal terminal or to the left of the first ground terminal located to the left of the signal terminal, the front of which is connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the substrate and the rear of which contacts the ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor, A connector characterized in that, when viewed from the right or left, the front of the signal terminal, the front of each of the two first ground terminals, and the rear of the second ground terminal overlap each other.

2. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear end of the second ground terminal is located behind the front ends of the signal terminal and the two first ground terminals.

3. A board connection portion is formed at the rear end of the signal terminal, which is connected to the signal terminal connection portion of the board, and a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of the signal terminal, which contacts the signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. A substrate connection portion is formed at the rear end of each of the first ground terminals, which is connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the substrate, and a transmission body contact portion is formed at the front end of each of the first ground terminals, which contacts the ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. The front end of the second ground terminal has a substrate connection portion that connects to the ground terminal connection portion of the substrate, and the rear end of the second ground terminal has a transmission body contact portion that contacts the ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that the board connection portions of the signal terminal and the two first ground terminals are located at the rear end of the housing, the board connection portion of the second ground terminal is located at the front end of the housing, and the transmission body contact portions of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals and the second ground terminal are located in the middle of the housing in the front-rear direction.

4. The aforementioned multiple terminals are, The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a third ground terminal which, when viewed from above, is positioned to overlap with the front of the signal terminal, the front of the two first ground terminals, and the rear of the second ground terminal, and a portion of which is connected to the ground terminal connection portion of the substrate, and the other portion of which is in contact with the ground terminal contact portion provided on the upper surface of the end of the flat conductor.

5. The front end of the signal terminal has a transmission contact portion that contacts a signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. Each of the first ground terminals has a transmission body contact portion formed at its front end that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. A transmission body contact portion is formed at the rear end of the second ground terminal, which contacts the ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. The third ground terminal has a plate-shaped shielding portion that extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The shielding portion is located above the transmission contact portion of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal. The right edge of the shielding portion is located to the right of the transmission contact portion of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, and the rightmost terminal among the second ground terminals. The connector according to claim 4, characterized in that the left edge of the shielding portion is located to the left of the transmission contact portion of the leftmost terminal among the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal.

6. The front end of the signal terminal has a transmission contact portion that contacts a signal terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. Each of the first ground terminals has a transmission body contact portion formed at its front end that contacts a ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. A transmission body contact portion is formed at the rear end of the second ground terminal, which contacts the ground terminal contact portion provided on the lower surface of the end of the flat conductor. The third ground terminal has a plate-shaped shielding portion that extends in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. The shielding portion is located above the transmission contact portion of the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal. The front edge of the shielding portion is located in front of the front end of the signal terminal and the frontmost terminal of the two first ground terminals, or the position of the front edge of the shielding portion in the front-rear direction coincides with the position of the front end of the signal terminal and the frontmost terminal of the two first ground terminals in the front-rear direction. The connector according to claim 4, characterized in that the rear edge of the shielding portion is located behind the rear end of the second ground terminal, or the position of the rear edge of the shielding portion in the front-rear direction coincides with the position of the rear end of the second ground terminal in the front-rear direction.

7. The plurality of terminals include two of the signal terminals, The connector according to claim 1, characterized in that when the connector is viewed from the right or left, the front portions of the two signal terminals, the front portions of the two first ground terminals, and the rear portion of the second ground terminal overlap each other.

8. The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a plurality of terminal sets including the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal, wherein the plurality of terminal sets are arranged in the left-right direction.

9. The connector according to any one of 4 to 6, comprising a plurality of terminal sets including the signal terminal, the two first ground terminals, the second ground terminal, and the third ground terminal, wherein the plurality of terminal sets are arranged in the left-right direction.

10. The connector according to claim 7, comprising a plurality of terminal sets including the two signal terminals, the two first ground terminals, and the second ground terminal, wherein the plurality of terminal sets are arranged in the left-right direction.

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