connector

Abstract

In a through-hole type connector that can connect to flat objects and is mounted on a circuit board, the connector prevents the connected object from falling off. [Solution] The locking member 30 of the connector 10 comprises a spring portion 34 and a locking portion 36 elastically supported by the spring portion 34. When the object to be connected 80 is inserted, the object to be connected 80 comes into contact with the locking portion 36, causing the spring portion 34 to elastically deform and the locking portion 36 to retract. When the object to be connected 80 reaches a predetermined position, the spring portion 34 elastically returns to its original position, and the locking portion 36 locks the object to be connected 80.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a board-through connector that can be attached to a through-hole of a board and can be connected to a flat connection object.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a connector that can be connected to a flat connection object. In this connector, the terminal includes a contact portion that elastically contacts the connection object and a support portion that supports the portion of the connection object where the contact portion contacts from the opposite side.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a board-through connector that can be attached to a through-hole of a board.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] A first object of the present disclosure is to prevent the connection object from falling off in a board-through connector that can be attached to a through-hole of a board and can be connected to a flat connection object. A second object of the present disclosure is to reduce the insertion force required for inserting the connection object in a connector in which the terminal includes a contact portion and a support portion. A third object of this disclosure is to prevent light from leaking from near the contour line of the through-hole in the substrate to the other side of the substrate in a through-hole connector that is attached to the through-hole in the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The configuration of the connector described herein will be explained below using the directional concepts of front-to-back direction, width direction, and up-and-down direction. Since these directional concepts are based on the connector, they do not limit the installation direction (orientation) of the connector when it is in use.

[0008] (First aspect) The connector according to the first embodiment is a through-hole type connector that can be attached to a through-hole in a circuit board and can be connected to a flat object to be connected, the connector comprising a terminal portion for connecting to the object to be connected, a housing having a chamber into which the object to be connected is inserted, and a locking member for locking the object to be connected, the locking member comprising a spring portion and a locking portion elastically supported by the spring portion, the locking member comprising a spring portion and a locking portion elastically supported by the spring portion when the object to be connected is inserted, the object to be connected comes into contact with the locking portion and the spring portion elastically deforms, causing the locking portion to retract, and when the object to be connected reaches a predetermined position, the spring portion elastically returns to its original position and the locking portion locks the object to be connected.

[0009] This embodiment relates to a through-hole type connector that can be attached to a through-hole in a circuit board and is capable of connecting to a flat object. The connector comprises a terminal portion for connecting to an object and a housing having a chamber into which the object to be connected is inserted.

[0010] By the way, connectors with the above configuration require protection from the detachment of the connected object. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connector is equipped with a locking member for securing the object to be connected. The locking member comprises a spring portion and a locking portion elastically supported by the spring portion. When the object to be connected is inserted, the object comes into contact with the locking portion, causing the spring portion to elastically deform and the locking portion to retract. When the object to be connected reaches a predetermined position, the spring portion elastically returns to its original position, and the locking portion locks the object to be connected. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the connected object from falling off without requiring any special operation from the user.

[0011] In the embodiments described later, the flat object to be connected is a flexible flat cable (FFC), but the flat object to be connected in this embodiment is not limited to this. The flat object to be connected may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) or something else.

[0012] In the first and second embodiments of the connector, the connector comprises an operating part, and when the operating part is operated, the spring part is elastically deformed and the locking by the locking part is released.

[0013] In this embodiment, the connector includes an operating part. When the operating part is operated, the spring part elastically deforms, releasing the locking mechanism. Therefore, the user can release the locking mechanism by operating the control unit.

[0014] In the embodiments described later, the operating part is provided as part of the locking member, but the operating part in this embodiment is not limited to this. The operating part may be provided as part of the housing or as another component.

[0015] In the first to third embodiments, the connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted into the through-hole of the substrate in the downward direction of the connector, and the direction in which the operating part is operated is downward direction of the connector.

[0016] In this embodiment, the connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted into the through hole in the downward direction, and the direction in which the operating part is operated is downward from the connector. Therefore, the direction in which the connector is inserted into the circuit board and the direction in which the operating part is operated are the same. Consequently, when the user operates the operating part, it is difficult to apply force to the connector in a direction that would peel the connector away from the circuit board. As a result, detachment of the connector from the circuit board due to operation of the operating part can be prevented.

[0017] In the embodiments described later, the connector is surface-mounted on the substrate, but the connector in this embodiment is not limited to this. The connector may also be through-hole mounted on the substrate.

[0018] In the first to fourth embodiments, the connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted downward into the through hole of the substrate in the first to second embodiment, the housing chamber is located below the connector with respect to the substrate, and the operating part is located below the connector with respect to the substrate.

[0019] In this embodiment, the connector is attached to the circuit board by being inserted downwards into a through-hole in the circuit board, the housing chamber is located below the connector relative to the circuit board, and the operating section is also located below the connector relative to the circuit board. Therefore, the user can insert and remove objects connected to the containment chamber and operate the control unit on the underside (same side) of the connector relative to the circuit board. As a result, a connector with improved workability can be achieved.

[0020] The connector according to the 1st to 5th aspects, in the 1st to 2nd aspects, the connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted downward in the connector direction with respect to the substrate, the direction in which the operation part is operated is the downward direction of the connector, the accommodation chamber is located below the connector with respect to the substrate, and the operation part is located below the connector with respect to the substrate.

[0021] According to this aspect, the effects of the 1st to 3rd aspects and the 1st to 4th aspects are achieved.

[0022] The connector according to the 1st to 6th aspects, in any of the 1st to 1st to 5th aspects, the locking member is held by the housing by being press-fitted into the housing, the press-fitting direction of the locking member with respect to the housing is the same direction as the insertion direction of the connection object with respect to the housing, and the locking member includes a joint portion joined to the substrate.

[0023] In this aspect, the locking member is held by the housing by being press-fitted into the housing, and the press-fitting direction of the locking member with respect to the housing is the same direction as the insertion direction of the connection object with respect to the housing.

[0024] By the way, in the connector having the above configuration, when the connected connection object is pulled in the removal direction, a force in the direction of coming out of the housing is applied to the locking member. Therefore, the locking member includes a joint portion joined to the substrate. For this reason, the locking member is suppressed from coming out of the housing.

[0025] (Second aspect) A connector according to the second-first embodiment is a connector that can be connected to a flat object to be connected, the connector comprising a terminal portion for connecting to the object to be connected and a housing having a accommodating chamber into which the object to be connected is inserted, the terminal portion comprising at least one terminal for connecting to the object to be connected, the terminal comprising a held portion held by the housing, a contact portion that elastically contacts the object to be connected from the upper side of the connector, a support portion that supports the portion of the object to be connected that the contact portion contacts from the lower side of the connector, and a connecting portion that connects the support portion and the held portion, the connecting portion comprising a avoidance portion recessed below the connector than the support portion.

[0026] This embodiment relates to a connector that can be connected to a flat object. The connector comprises a terminal section for connecting to an object and a housing having a chamber into which the object to be connected is inserted. The terminal section consists of at least one terminal for connecting to the object. The terminal comprises a held portion held by the housing, a contact portion that elastically contacts the object to be connected from the upper side of the connector, and a support portion that supports the portion of the object to be connected that the contact portion contacts from the lower side of the connector. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which, for example, a part of the housing supports the portion of the object to be connected that the contact portion makes contact with from below the connector, it is possible to appropriately ensure contact pressure at the contact portion. This is because the material constituting the housing (e.g., synthetic resin) is more susceptible to deformation due to high temperatures than the material constituting the terminal (e.g., metal).

[0027] By the way, in order to provide a support part on a terminal, it is necessary to provide a connecting part on the terminal that connects the part to be held and the support part. However, during the process of inserting the object to be connected, the tip of the object to be connected may rub against the connecting part, which may increase the required insertion force. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connecting portion is provided with a recessed portion that is recessed below the connector compared to the support portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tip of the object being connected from rubbing against the connecting part during the insertion process. As a result, a connector with reduced insertion force can be realized.

[0028] In the embodiments described later, the connector is of the through-board type, but the connector in this embodiment is not limited to this. In the embodiments described later, the connector includes a locking member for securing the object to be connected, but the connector in this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0029] In the second embodiment of the connector according to the second embodiment of the second embodiment, the connector has a back wall that faces the tip of the object to be connected in the insertion direction and defines the insertion limit of the object to be connected, and the back end of the avoidance portion in the insertion direction is located at the same position as the back wall in the insertion direction, or further back in the insertion direction than the back wall.

[0030] In this embodiment, the connector has a back wall that faces the tip of the object to be connected in the insertion direction and defines the insertion limit of the object to be connected. Here, the rear end of the avoidance section in the insertion direction is located at the same position as the rear wall in the insertion direction, or further rear than the rear wall in the insertion direction. Therefore, compared to a configuration where the rear end of the avoidance section is located closer to the front of the rear wall in the insertion direction, the required insertion force can be effectively reduced.

[0031] In the embodiments described later, the back wall is the rear surface in the insertion direction of the housing chamber provided in the housing (the back wall surface of the housing chamber), but the back wall in this embodiment is not limited to this. The back wall may also be provided on the terminal. Specifically, one side surface 25a in the connector width direction of the first extension portion 25 of the terminal 20 (see Figure 7) may function as the "back wall".

[0032] In the second-third embodiment of the connector, the portion of the avoidance part that is closer to the insertion direction than the back wall does not have a portion that is inclined upward toward the back in the insertion direction.

[0033] In this embodiment, the portion of the avoidance section that is closer to the insertion direction than the back wall does not have a portion that slopes upward toward the back in the insertion direction. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the portion of the avoidance section that is closer to the insertion direction than the back wall has a portion that slopes upward toward the back in the insertion direction, the required insertion force can be effectively reduced.

[0034] In the second-fourth embodiment, the connector, in any of the second-first to second-third embodiments, has a support portion which is a plane facing upwards from the connector and which contacts the object to be connected, and the length of the avoidance portion in the insertion direction is longer than the length of the support plane in the insertion direction.

[0035] In this embodiment, the support portion includes a support plane that faces upwards towards the connector and contacts the object to be connected. Here, the length of the avoidance portion in the insertion direction is longer than the length of the support plane in the insertion direction. Therefore, the avoidance section can be made longer in the insertion direction, which effectively reduces the required insertion force.

[0036] The connector according to the second-fifth embodiment, in any of the second-to-fifth embodiments, comprises a housing lower surface constituting the lower surface of the housing chamber, and an arrangement groove formed on the housing lower surface, the arrangement groove in which the support portion and the avoidance portion are arranged, wherein the portion of the housing lower surface corresponding to the avoidance portion in the insertion direction is located below the upper surface of the avoidance portion.

[0037] In this embodiment, the housing comprises a lower surface of the housing chamber that constitutes the lower surface of the housing chamber, and an arrangement groove formed in the lower surface of the housing chamber. A support portion and an avoidance portion are arranged in the arrangement groove. Here, the portion of the lower surface of the containment chamber that corresponds to the avoidance section in the insertion direction is located below the upper surface of the avoidance section. Therefore, the lower surface of the containment chamber can be prevented from obstructing the insertion of the object to be connected. In addition, it is easier to ensure the strength of the connecting part compared to a configuration in which the upper surface of the avoidance part is located below the lower surface of the containment chamber.

[0038] The connector according to the second-sixth embodiment, in any of the second-sixth embodiments, comprises a terminal portion composed of a plurality of terminals, the plurality of terminals being held in the housing by being press-fitted into the housing, the direction in which the plurality of terminals are press-fitted into the housing is downward towards the connector, the housing comprises a lower surface constituting the lower surface of the housing chamber, and a groove formed in the lower surface, the groove in which the support portion and the avoidance portion are arranged, the portion of the lower surface corresponding to the avoidance portion in the insertion direction being located below the upper surface of the avoidance portion.

[0039] In this embodiment, the terminal section is composed of multiple terminals. The multiple terminals are held in the housing by being press-fitted into the housing. The direction in which the multiple terminals are press-fitted into the housing is downwards towards the connector.

[0040] Incidentally, with connectors configured as described above, variations can occur in the amount of pressure applied to the housing by multiple terminals. Therefore, the housing comprises a lower surface of the housing chamber that constitutes the lower side of the housing chamber, and an arrangement groove formed in the lower surface of the housing chamber. A support portion and an avoidance portion are arranged in the arrangement groove. Here, the portion of the lower surface of the containment chamber that corresponds to the avoidance section in the insertion direction is located below the upper surface of the avoidance section. Therefore, even if there is variation in the amount of pressure applied to multiple terminals, it is possible to prevent the portion of the lower surface of the housing chamber that corresponds to the avoidance section in the insertion direction from being located above the upper surface of the avoidance section.

[0041] In the connector according to embodiment 2-7, in any embodiment 2-1 to 2-6, the housing chamber is configured to define the insertion direction when the object to be connected is housed in the housing chamber, and the contact portion slides against the object to be connected when the object to be connected is inserted into the housing chamber.

[0042] The connector according to embodiment 2-8, in any embodiment of 2-1 to 2-6, does not include a pressing member (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-041463) that is rotatable or insertable into the housing and presses the object to be connected upward.

[0043] The connector according to embodiment 2-9, in any embodiment of 2-1 to 2-6, does not include a pressing member (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-153059) that is rotatable or insertable into the housing and elastically deforms the terminals to press the contact portion into contact with the object to be connected.

[0044] (Third aspect) The connector according to the third embodiment is a through-hole type connector attached to a through-hole in a substrate, wherein the connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted into the through-hole in the substrate in a downward direction, and the connector is positioned on the upper side of the substrate and includes a flange that covers the entire circumference of the contour line of the through-hole.

[0045] This embodiment relates to a through-hole type connector that is mounted in a through-hole of a circuit board. The connector is attached to the circuit board by being inserted downwards into a through-hole in the circuit board.

[0046] Incidentally, with connectors of this configuration, light can sometimes leak from near the outline of the through-hole in the circuit board to the other side of the board. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connector is positioned on the upper side of the substrate and includes a flange that covers the entire circumference of the contour line of the through hole. Therefore, it is possible to prevent light from leaking from near the outline of the through-hole in the substrate to the other side of the substrate.

[0047] In the embodiments described later, the connector is a connector that can connect to a flat object, but the connector in this embodiment is not limited to this. In the embodiments described later, the flange is provided as part of the housing, but the flange in this embodiment is not limited to this. The flange may be composed of part of the housing and part of the terminal, or it may be composed of other members as well.

[0048] The connector according to the third-second embodiment, in the third-first embodiment, comprises a plurality of terminals arranged with the front-to-back direction of the connector as the terminal arrangement direction, the through-hole has a shape with the front-to-back direction of the connector as the longitudinal direction, the flange comprises a longitudinal central portion where the plurality of terminals are arranged, and a pair of longitudinal outer portions that constitute the longitudinal outer portion with respect to the longitudinal central portion, the width dimension of the pair of longitudinal outer portions is larger than the width dimension of the longitudinal central portion.

[0049] In this embodiment, the connector comprises a plurality of terminals arranged with the front-to-back direction of the connector as the terminal arrangement direction. The through-hole has a shape with the front-to-back direction of the connector as its longitudinal direction. The flange portion comprises a longitudinal central portion on which multiple terminals are arranged, and a pair of longitudinal outer portions that form a longitudinally outer portion relative to the longitudinal central portion. Here, the width dimension of the connector of the pair of longitudinal outer portions is greater than the width dimension of the connector of the longitudinal central portion. Therefore, even if the connector rotates within the plane of the circuit board and shifts from its normal position, the flange is more likely to maintain a state where it covers the entire circumference of the outline of the through hole. In addition, because the dimension in the connector width direction of the longitudinal central part of the flange is small, the width dimension of the connector can be reduced in a structure where the terminal connection part is located on the outside of the flange in the connector width direction.

[0050] In the connector according to the third-third embodiment, the vertical dimension of the flange portion is 20% or less of the vertical dimension of the connector, as in the third-first or third-second embodiment.

[0051] In this embodiment, the vertical dimension of the flange is 20% or less of the vertical dimension of the connector. Therefore, the amount by which the connector protrudes upward from the circuit board can be reduced.

[0052] In the embodiments described later, the amount by which the connector protrudes upward from the substrate is less than the thickness of the substrate, but this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0053] In the third-fourth embodiment, the connector is configured to completely seal the through-hole in the substrate in any of the third-first to third-third embodiments.

[0054] In this embodiment, the connector is configured to completely block the through-hole in the circuit board. Therefore, it is possible to prevent light leakage from areas other than the contour lines of the through-holes in the circuit board. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0055] [Figure 1] This is an exploded perspective view of the connector of the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the connector and the circuit board. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view (perspective view of the connection structure) showing the connector mounted on the circuit board and the object to be connected. [Figure 4] Another disassembled perspective view of the connector. [Figure 5] Another perspective view showing the connector and the circuit board. [Figure 6] This is another perspective view (perspective view of the connection structure) showing the connector mounted on the circuit board and the object to be connected. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of the terminal. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view of the locking component. [Figure 9] This is a magnified perspective view of a portion of the locking mechanism. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the connector cut at the terminal position. [Figure 11] This is another cross-sectional perspective view of the connector cut at the terminal position. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the connector cut at the locking portion. [Figure 13]This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the connector cut at the deformation-restricting section. [Figure 14] This is a cross-sectional perspective view of the connector cut at the joint of the locking member. [Figure 15] This is a magnified perspective view of a part of the connector. [Figure 16] This is a close-up perspective view of another part of the connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0056] The following describes preferred embodiments of the connector relating to this disclosure.

[0057] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the connector 10 according to this embodiment is a through-hole 95 attached to a substrate 90. The connector 10 is configured to be connectable to a flat object 80. The object 80 is, for example, an FPC. The object 80 has a pair of locking recesses 81.

[0058] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the connector 10 comprises a terminal portion 20 connected to the object to be connected 80, a locking member 30 for securing the object to be connected 80, and a housing 40 having a receiving chamber 43 (see Figure 11) into which the object to be connected 80 is inserted.

[0059] The terminal section 20 is composed of multiple terminals 20. For simplicity, the terminal section 20 and the terminals 20 are given the same reference numeral. The multiple terminals 20 have the same structure as each other and are arranged with the front-to-back direction of the connector as the arrangement direction. As shown in Figure 7, each terminal 20 is formed while maintaining a flat plate shape as its whole, with the plate thickness direction oriented in the arrangement direction.

[0060] As shown in Figures 7 and 11, the terminal 20 comprises a connection portion 21 that is connected to the substrate 90 which is the object to be attached, a held portion 22 that is held in the housing 40, and a contact portion 23 that contacts the object to be connected 80.

[0061] The connector 21 comprises a pair of connecting pieces 21A and 21B. One connecting piece 21A or 21B extends to one side in the connector width direction, and the other connecting piece 21A or 21B extends to the other side in the connector width direction. The pair of connecting pieces 21A and 21B have a symmetrical structure in the connector width direction.

[0062] Each connecting piece 21A, 21B comprises an extension portion 21a extending in the width direction of the connector and a tip portion 21b connected to the object to be attached 90. The tip portion 21b is formed to protrude downward from the connector compared to the extension portion 21a.

[0063] As shown in Figure 11, the retained portion 22 is held by the housing 40 in the connector width direction. As shown in Figure 7, the retained portion 22 has a press-fit projection 22a. The press-fit projection 22a is provided on only one side of the connector width direction. The end of the retained portion 22 on one side in the connector width direction is located one side further to the connector width direction than the end of the contact portion 23 on the same side.

[0064] The contact portion 23 is an elastic contact portion 23 that elastically contacts the object to be connected 80 from the upper side of the connector. The contact portion 23 extends from a first extension portion 25 that extends downward from the retained portion 22 of the connector to one side in the width direction of the connector. Specifically, the contact portion 23 comprises an elastic piece 23a that extends diagonally downward to one side in the width direction, and a contact portion 23b provided at the tip of the elastic piece 23a.

[0065] The terminal 20 includes a support portion 24 that supports the portion of the object to be connected 80 that the contact portion 23 makes contact with from below the connector. The support portion 24 is provided on the tip side of the second extension portion 26 that extends from the lower end of the first extension portion 25 to one side in the width direction of the connector.

[0066] The support portion 24 comprises a front-side inclined surface 24a, a support plane 24b, and a rear-side inclined surface 24c. The support plane 24b extends parallel to the connector width direction. The range in the connector width direction where the support plane 24b is provided includes the position where the contact portion 23 contacts the object to be connected 80.

[0067] The first extension 25 and the second extension 26 function to connect the held portion 22 and the support portion 24. The first extension 25 and the second extension 26 are sometimes collectively referred to as connecting portions 25 and 26.

[0068] The upper surface 26a of the second extension 26 is located below the connector compared to the support plane 24b of the support portion 24. Therefore, the second extension 26 is less likely to come into contact with the tip of the object to be connected 80. The second extension 26 is sometimes referred to as the avoidance portion 26. The upper surface 26a of the second extension 26 extends parallel to the connector width direction. One end of the upper surface 26a of the second extension 26 in the connector width direction connects to the other end of the rear inclined surface 24c of the support portion 24 in the connector width direction. The length of the upper surface 26a of the second extension 26 in the connector width direction is longer than the length of the support plane 24b in the connector width direction, and also longer than the length of the support portion 24 in the connector width direction.

[0069] One side surface 25a of the first extension 25 in the connector width direction is located on the other side in the connector width direction relative to the back wall surface 43c of the housing chamber 43 (see Figure 11).

[0070] The other side surface 25b of the first extension 25 in the width direction extends parallel to the vertical direction. The other side surface 25b of the first extension 25 in the width direction lies on the same plane as the other side surface 22b of the held portion 22 in the width direction.

[0071] (Locking member 30) As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the locking member 30 comprises a spring portion 34 and a locking portion 36 elastically supported by the spring portion 34. As shown in Figure 12, the locking portion 36 locks the object to be connected 80.

[0072] A pair of spring sections 34 are provided, one at the front and one at the back. The pair of spring sections 34 connect the other side plate section 33 and the one side plate section 35 in the connector width direction. The spring sections 34, the other side plate section 33, and the one side plate section 35 are all positioned on the same plane with their plate thickness direction oriented vertically. The other side plate section 33 and the one side plate section 35 both have an elongated shape in the front-to-back direction of the connector.

[0073] The other side plate portion 33 has a recess 33a on one side edge in the width direction that is recessed to the other side in the width direction. The spring portion 34 extends from the bottom of the recess 33a toward the one side plate portion 35. In other words, the recess 33a functions to increase the length of the spring portion 34. The spring portion 34 is formed such that its width dimension (dimension in the front-rear direction of the connector) gradually decreases from the other side in the width direction toward the one side.

[0074] A pair of locking portions 36 are provided, one at the front and one at the back. As shown in Figure 12, each of the pair of locking portions 36 comprises a curved portion 36a connected to one side plate portion 35 and a locking portion body 36b. The locking portion body 36b is oriented with its plate thickness direction in the front-rear direction. The locking portion body 36b has an inclined portion 36b1 that contacts the tip of the object to be connected 80 when the object to be connected 80 is inserted. When the tip of the object to be connected 80 contacts the inclined portion 36b1, the spring portion 34 deforms, causing the locking portion 36 to retract.

[0075] The locking member 30 includes an operating part 35 for releasing the locking by the locking portion 36. The operating part 35 is provided as one side plate portion 35. In other words, one side plate portion 35 functions as the operating part 35. Specifically, when the user operates the operating part 35 downwards from the connector, the spring portion 34 deforms, causing the locking portion 36 to retract.

[0076] One side plate portion 35 is provided with a bead portion 35a that improves the rigidity of the one side plate portion 35. The bead portion 35a extends in the front-rear direction of the connector and bulges outwards on the lower side of the connector. The bead portion 35a is formed by beading (stringing process).

[0077] One side plate portion 35 has an enlarged portion 35b in the central region in the front-rear direction of the connector, which is enlarged toward one side in the width direction. The enlarged portion 35b has the effect of guiding the user's operation toward the central region in the front-rear direction of the one side plate portion 35.

[0078] As shown in Figure 13, the locking member 30 includes a displacement restricting part 37 that functions to prevent the spring portion 34 from undergoing plastic deformation. When the operating part 35 is operated to a large extent, the displacement restricting part 37 comes into contact with a part of the housing 40, preventing further operation.

[0079] A pair of displacement restricting sections 37 are provided, one at the front and one at the rear. Each of the pair of displacement restricting sections 37 comprises a curved section 37a connected to one side plate section 35, and a displacement restricting section body 37b. The displacement restricting section body 37b is oriented in the front-rear direction with its plate thickness direction. The displacement restricting section body 37b has a shape that protrudes to the other side in the connector width direction. This protruding direction is the same direction as the direction in which the locking member 30 is assembled to the housing 40.

[0080] The curved portion 37a of the displacement restricting portion 37 is provided on the outer side in the front-rear direction of the connector and on one side in the width direction of the connector, relative to the curved portion 36a of the locking portion 36. Furthermore, the displacement restricting portion body 37b is located further outward in the front-rear direction of the connector than the locking portion body 36b.

[0081] As shown in Figure 14, the locking member 30 includes a retained portion 32 that is held by the housing 40. The retained portion 32 is held by the housing 40 by being press-fitted into the housing 40. The direction in which the retained portion 32 is press-fitted into the housing 40 is the other side of the connector width direction.

[0082] The locking member 30 comprises a first vertical extension portion 38a, a widthwise extension portion 38b, and a second vertical extension portion 38c. The retained portion 32 protrudes from the first vertical extension portion 38a to the other side in the width direction of the connector. The retained portion 32 is provided with a press-fit projection 32a (see Figure 9). The press-fit projection 32a is provided only on the lower edge of the connector among the upper and lower edges of the retained portion 32. The lower end of the second vertical extension portion 38c is connected to the front-rear end of the other side plate portion 33 in the front-rear direction of the connector via a curved portion 38d.

[0083] The locking member 30 includes a joint portion 31 that is joined to the object to be attached 90. The joint portion 31 protrudes from the upper end of the first upper and lower extension portion 38a to one side in the connector width direction. The joint portion 31 is joined to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 90.

[0084] The first vertical extension portion 38a, the widthwise extension portion 38b, and the second vertical extension portion 38c are all flat plate shapes with their thickness direction oriented in the front-to-back direction of the connector, and are located on the same plane. Similarly, the held portion 32 and the joining portion 31 are also flat plate shapes with their thickness direction oriented in the front-to-back direction of the connector, and are located on the same plane, just like the first vertical extension portion 38a, the widthwise extension portion 38b, and the second vertical extension portion 38c.

[0085] (Housing 40) As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the housing 40 comprises a general portion 41 and a flange portion 42 which has a larger vertical cross-section compared to the general portion 41. Both the general portion 41 and the flange portion 42 are substantially rectangular parallelepiped in shape.

[0086] Specifically, the flange portion 42 is larger in the front-to-back and width directions than the general portion 41. The outer end of the flange portion 42 in the connector width direction is located further outward in the connector width direction than the outer end of the general portion 41 in the connector width direction. The outer end of the flange portion 42 in the connector front-to-back direction is located further outward in the connector front-to-back direction than the outer end of the general portion 41 in the connector front-to-back direction. As a result, the flange portion 42 protrudes outward around the entire circumference of the housing 40 when viewed from above or below than the general portion. This protruding portion around the entire circumference functions to cover the entire circumference of the contour line 95a of the through hole 95.

[0087] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the flange portion 42 has recesses 42a and 42b that are recessed inward in the connector width direction in the region where the connection portions 21 of the multiple terminals 20 and the joint portion 31 of the locking member 30 are arranged (a part of the region located towards the center in the front-to-back direction of the connector). In the region where the recesses 42a and 42b are provided, the dimension of the flange portion 42 in the connector width direction is reduced.

[0088] The recesses 42a and 42b comprise a recess 42a on one side in the width direction and a recess 42b on the other side in the width direction. Since the joint portion 31 of the locking member 30 is located on one side of the housing 40 in the width direction of the connector, the recess 42a on one side in the width direction has a larger dimension in the front-to-back direction of the connector than the recess 42b on the other side in the width direction.

[0089] As shown in Figure 13, the vertical dimension of the flange portion 42 is smaller than the vertical dimension of the general portion 41, specifically 20% or less. Furthermore, the vertical dimension of the flange portion 42 is smaller than the thickness of the substrate 90.

[0090] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the housing 40 includes a housing chamber 43 into which the object to be connected 80 is inserted and accommodated. The housing chamber 43 is provided in the general part 41 of the housing 40. The housing chamber 43 is open on one side in the connector width direction, allowing the object to be connected 80 to be inserted from one side in the connector width direction. In other words, the insertion direction of the object to be connected 80 is the other side in the connector width direction, and the removal direction of the object to be connected 80 is the one side in the connector width direction.

[0091] The housing chamber 43 has a lower surface 43a, an upper surface 43b, and a rear wall surface 43c. The rear wall surface 43c constitutes the rear surface of the housing chamber 43 in the insertion direction. The rear wall surface 43c is a plane whose normal direction is oriented toward one side in the connector width direction. The rear wall surface 43c defines the insertion limit of the object to be connected 80. The rear wall surface 43c is sometimes referred to as the rear wall 43c.

[0092] The housing 40 is configured to hold a plurality of terminals 20 by press-fitting them with the connector facing downwards. Specifically, the housing 40 has a plurality of terminal retaining grooves 44 formed therein for holding the terminals 20. The terminal retaining grooves 44 are open from the housing 40 toward the connector. Each terminal retaining groove 44 is connected to a housing chamber 43 inside the housing 40.

[0093] As shown in Figure 11, the terminal retaining groove 44 extends below the lower surface 43a of the housing chamber. The portion of the terminal retaining groove 44 below the lower surface 43a of the housing chamber has a support portion 24 and a avoidance portion 26 for the terminal 20. Hereinafter, the portion of the terminal retaining groove 44 below the lower surface 43a of the housing chamber may be referred to as the arrangement groove portion 44 provided on the lower surface 43a of the housing chamber.

[0094] The housing 40 is configured to hold the locking member 30 by press-fitting the locking member 30 with the direction other than the connector width direction as the press-fitting direction.

[0095] The flange portion 42 has a joint arrangement groove 49 in which the joint portion 31 of the locking member 30 is positioned. In other words, the flange portion 42 is formed to protrude outward in the width direction of the connector relative to the general portion 41 even at the position where the joint portion 31 of the locking member 30 is located (position in the front-rear direction of the connector, cross-sectional position in Figure 14). Furthermore, a joint arrangement groove 49 is formed in the portion of the flange portion 42 where the joint portion 31 is located, recessed in the upward direction of the connector. As a result, light leakage is prevented even at the position where the joint portion 31 of the locking member 30 is positioned.

[0096] <Effects and Effects> Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be described from a first perspective.

[0097] This embodiment relates to a through-hole 95 connector 10 that can be attached to a through-hole 95 of a substrate 90 and can be connected to a flat object 80, as shown in Figures 1 to 6. The connector 10 comprises a terminal portion 20 that connects to the object 80 and a housing 40 having a receiving chamber 43 into which the object 80 is inserted.

[0098] By the way, in a connector 10 with the above configuration, it is required to prevent the object 80 to be connected from falling off. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connector 10 is equipped with a locking member 30 for locking the object to be connected 80. As shown in Figure 12, the locking member 30 is equipped with a spring portion 34 and a locking portion 36 elastically supported by the spring portion 34. When the object to be connected 80 is inserted, the object to be connected 80 comes into contact with the locking portion 36, causing the spring portion 34 to elastically deform and the locking portion 36 to retract. When the object to be connected 80 reaches a predetermined position, the spring portion 34 elastically returns to its original position, and the locking portion 36 locks the object to be connected 80. Therefore, the object 80 to be connected can be prevented from falling off without requiring any special operation by the user.

[0099] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12, the connector 10 includes an operating part 35. When the operating part 35 is operated, the spring part 34 elastically deforms, releasing the locking by the locking part 36. Therefore, the user can release the locking mechanism by operating the control unit 35.

[0100] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connector 10 is attached to the substrate 90 by being inserted into the through hole 95 in the downward direction, and as shown in Figure 12, the direction in which the operating part 35 is operated is downward from the connector. Therefore, the direction in which the connector 10 is inserted into the substrate 90 and the direction in which the operating unit 35 is operated are the same. Consequently, when the user operates the operating unit 35, it is difficult to apply a force to the connector 10 that would peel the connector 10 away from the substrate 90. As a result, it is possible to prevent the connector 10 from peeling away from the substrate 90 due to the operation of the operating unit 35.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connector 10 is attached to the substrate 90 by being inserted downwards into the through-hole 95 of the substrate 90. As shown in Figure 11, the housing chamber 43 is located below the connector relative to the substrate 90, and the operating section 35 is also located below the connector relative to the substrate 90. Therefore, the user can insert and remove the object 80 to be connected to the containment chamber 43 and operate the operation unit 35 on the lower side (same side) of the connector relative to the circuit board 90. As a result, a connector 10 with good workability can be realized.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the locking member 30 is held in the housing 40 by being press-fitted into the housing 40, and the direction in which the locking member 30 is press-fitted into the housing 40 is the same as the direction in which the object to be connected 80 is inserted into the housing 40. By the way, in a connector 10 with the above configuration, when the connected object 80 is pulled in the removal direction, a force is applied to the locking member 30 in the direction of pulling it out of the housing 40. Therefore, in this embodiment, the locking member 30 includes a joining portion 31 that is joined to the substrate 90. Therefore, the locking member 30 is prevented from coming out of the housing 40.

[0103] Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained from a second perspective.

[0104] This embodiment relates to a connector 10 that can be connected to a flat object 80. The connector 10 comprises a terminal portion 20 that connects to the object 80, and a housing 40 having a housing chamber 43 (Figures 10 and 11) into which the object 80 is inserted. The terminal portion 20 consists of at least one terminal 20 that connects to the object 80. As shown in Figure 7, the terminal 20 comprises a held portion 22 held by the housing 40, a contact portion 23 that elastically contacts the object 80 from the upper side of the connector, and a support portion 24 that supports the portion of the object 80 that the contact portion 23 contacts from the lower side of the connector. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which, for example, a part of the housing 40 supports the portion of the object to be connected 80 that the contact portion 23 contacts from below the connector, it is possible to appropriately ensure contact pressure at the contact portion 23. This is because the material constituting the housing 40 (e.g., synthetic resin) is more susceptible to deformation due to high temperatures than the material constituting the terminal 20 (e.g., metal).

[0105] By the way, as shown in Figure 7, in order to provide the support portion 24 on the terminal 20, it is necessary to provide connecting portions 25 and 26 on the terminal 20 that connect the held portion 22 and the support portion 24. However, during the process of inserting the object to be connected 80, the tip portion of the object to be connected 80 may rub against the connecting portions 25 and 26, which may increase the required insertion force. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the connecting portions 25 and 26 are provided with a recessed portion 26 that is recessed below the connector than the support portion 24. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tip of the object to be connected 80 from rubbing against the connecting parts 25 and 26 during the insertion process of the object to be connected 80. As a result, a connector 10 with reduced insertion force can be realized.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the connector 10 has a back wall 43c that faces the tip of the object to be connected 80 in the insertion direction and defines the insertion limit of the object to be connected 80. Here, the rear end of the avoidance portion 26 in the insertion direction is located at the same position as the rear wall 43c, or further rear than the rear wall 43c in the insertion direction. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the rear end of the avoidance portion 26 in the insertion direction is located on the front side in the insertion direction relative to the rear wall 43c, the required insertion force can be effectively reduced.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the portion of the avoidance section 26 that is closer to the front of the back wall 43c in the insertion direction does not have a portion that slopes upward toward the back in the insertion direction. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the portion of the avoidance section 26 that is closer to the insertion direction than the back wall 43c has a portion that slopes upward toward the back in the insertion direction, the required insertion force can be effectively reduced.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the support portion 24 includes a support plane 24b that faces upward towards the connector and contacts the object to be connected 80. Here, the length of the avoidance portion 26 in the insertion direction is longer than the length of the support plane 24b in the insertion direction. Therefore, the avoidance portion 26 can be made longer in the insertion direction, which effectively reduces the required insertion force.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, the housing 40 includes a lower surface 43a of the housing chamber 43, which constitutes the lower surface of the housing chamber 43, and an arrangement groove 44 formed in the lower surface 43a of the housing chamber. A support portion 24 and a avoidance portion 26 are arranged in the arrangement groove 44. Here, the portion of the lower surface 43a of the containment chamber that corresponds to the avoidance portion 26 in the insertion direction is located below the upper surface 91 of the avoidance portion 26. Therefore, the lower surface 43a of the storage chamber can be prevented from obstructing the insertion of the object to be connected 80. In addition, compared to the configuration in which the upper surface 91 of the avoidance portion 26 is located below the lower surface 43a of the storage chamber, it is easier to ensure the strength of the connecting portions 25 and 26.

[0110] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the terminal section 20 is composed of a plurality of terminals 20. The plurality of terminals 20 are held in the housing 40 by being press-fitted into the housing 40. The direction in which the plurality of terminals 20 are press-fitted into the housing 40 is downward towards the connector.

[0111] By the way, in a connector 10 with the above configuration, variations may occur in the amount of press-fitting of the multiple terminals 20 into the housing 40. Therefore, in this embodiment, the housing 40 includes a lower surface 43a of the housing chamber 43, which constitutes the lower surface of the housing chamber 43, and an arrangement groove 44 formed on the lower surface 43a of the housing chamber. A support portion 24 and an avoidance portion 26 are arranged in the arrangement groove 44. Here, the portion of the lower surface 43a of the containment chamber that corresponds to the avoidance portion 26 in the insertion direction is located below the upper surface 91 of the avoidance portion 26. Therefore, even if there is variation in the amount of press-fitting of multiple terminals 20, it is possible to prevent the portion of the lower surface 43a of the housing chamber that corresponds to the avoidance portion 26 in the insertion direction from being located above the upper surface 91 of the avoidance portion 26.

[0112] Next, the effects and advantages of this embodiment will be explained from a third perspective.

[0113] This embodiment relates to a through-hole 95 connector 10 attached to a substrate 90, as shown in Figures 1 to 6. The connector 10 is attached to the substrate 90 by being inserted downwards into the through-hole 95 of the substrate 90. By the way, in a connector 10 with this configuration, light may leak from near the contour line 95a of the through-hole 95 in the substrate 90 to the other side of the substrate 90. Therefore, in this embodiment, the connector 10 is positioned on the upper side of the substrate 90 and includes a flange portion 42 that covers the entire circumference of the contour line 95a of the through hole 95. Therefore, it is possible to prevent light from leaking to the opposite side of the substrate 90 from near the contour line 95a of the through hole 95 in the substrate 90.

[0114] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connector 10 includes a plurality of terminals 20 arranged with the front-to-back direction of the connector as the terminal arrangement direction. The through-hole 95 has a shape with the front-to-back direction of the connector as its longitudinal direction. As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the flange portion 42 comprises a longitudinal central portion (the portion where the recesses 42a and 42b are formed) on which a plurality of terminals 20 are arranged, and a pair of longitudinal outer portions (the portions where the recesses 42a and 42b are not formed) that constitute the longitudinal outer portion relative to the longitudinal central portion. Here, the width dimension of the connector of the pair of longitudinal outer portions is greater than the width dimension of the connector of the longitudinal central portion. Therefore, even if the connector 10 rotates within the plane of the substrate 90 and shifts from its normal position, the flange portion 42 can easily maintain a state where it covers the entire circumference of the contour line 95a of the through hole 95. In addition, since the dimension in the connector width direction of the longitudinal central portion of the flange portion 42 is small, the width dimension of the connector 10 can be reduced in a structure where the connection portion 21 of the terminal 20 is located on the outside of the flange portion 42 in the connector width direction.

[0115] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 13, the vertical dimension of the flange portion 42 is 20% or less of the vertical dimension of the connector 10. Therefore, the amount by which the connector 10 protrudes upward from the circuit board 90 can be reduced.

[0116] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connector 10 is configured to completely block the through-hole 95 in the substrate 90. Specifically, the connector 10 itself does not have a hole that penetrates in the vertical direction of the connector. Therefore, light leakage from areas other than the vicinity of the contour line 95a of the through-hole 95 in the substrate 90 can also be prevented.

[0117] Preferred embodiments of the connector described herein have been described above, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The following explanation is for clarification purposes only. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0118] 10 connectors 20 Terminal (terminal section) 22 Holding part 23 Contact area 24 Support part 24b Support plane 25,26 Connection part 26 Second extension part (avoidance part) 30 Locking member 31 Joint 32 Holding part 34 Spring section 35 One side panel (operating section) 36 Locking part 40 Housing 41 General section 42 Guard section 42a, 42b recess 43 Confinement Rooms 43a Lower surface of the containment chamber 43c Rear wall of the containment chamber (back wall) 44 Terminal holding groove (placement groove) 80 Connection target 90 Circuit board (object to be mounted) 95 through holes 95a Outline

Claims

1. A through-hole type connector that can be attached to a through-hole in a circuit board and is capable of connecting to a flat object, The aforementioned connector is A terminal portion to be connected to the object to be connected, A housing having a chamber into which the object to be connected is inserted, A locking member for securing the object to be connected, Equipped with, The locking member is The spring part, A locking portion elastically supported by the spring portion, Equipped with, When the object to be connected is inserted, the object to be connected comes into contact with the locking portion, causing the spring portion to elastically deform and the locking portion to retract. When the object to be connected reaches a predetermined position, the spring portion elastically returns to its original position, and the locking portion locks the object to be connected. connector.

2. The connector is equipped with an operating section, When the operating part is operated, the spring part elastically deforms, and the locking by the locking part is released. The connector according to claim 1.

3. The connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted downwards into the through hole of the substrate. The direction in which the aforementioned operating part is operated is downwards from the connector. The connector according to claim 2.

4. The connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted downwards into the through hole of the substrate. The aforementioned housing chamber is located below the connector relative to the circuit board. The operating unit is located below the connector relative to the circuit board. The connector according to claim 2.

5. The connector is attached to the substrate by being inserted into the substrate in a downward direction. The direction in which the aforementioned operating part is operated is downwards from the connector. The aforementioned housing chamber is located below the connector relative to the circuit board. The operating unit is located below the connector relative to the circuit board. The connector according to claim 2.

6. The locking member is held in the housing by being press-fitted into the housing. The direction in which the locking member is pressed into the housing is the same as the direction in which the object to be connected is inserted into the housing. The locking member includes a bonding portion that is bonded to the substrate. The connector according to claim 1.

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