connector

Abstract

The present invention provides a connector that allows connection to sheet-like objects while also being able to be made thinner. [Solution] The device includes a first insulator 13 having a first support surface S1, a second insulator 14 having a second support surface S2, and a contact member 15 held by the second insulator and having a contact portion C exposed to the second support surface. A boss 15B that protrudes from the contact portion and extends through the first through hole 13C of the first insulator to the back side of the first insulator, and a protruding portion 15D formed at the tip of the boss press the contact portion toward the first support surface, and a part of the sheet-like conductive member 21, whose conductive portion 23 is exposed toward the second support surface, is sandwiched between the first support surface and the second support surface, and the contact portion comes into contact with the conductive portion, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the conductive portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a connector that is connected to a sheet-like object to be connected.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, so-called smart clothing that can acquire biometric information of a user such as heart rate and body temperature just by wearing it has attracted attention. This smart clothing includes electrodes arranged at measurement locations, and by electrically connecting a wearable device as a measurement device to the electrodes, it is possible to transmit biometric information to the wearable device. The connection between the electrode and the wearable device can be achieved, for example, by using a connector connected to a conductor drawn from the electrode.

[0003] As this type of connector, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a connector as shown in FIG. 29. The connector has a housing 2 and a base member 3 arranged on both sides of a flexible substrate 1 with the flexible substrate 1 sandwiched therebetween. The cylindrical portion 4A of the contact 4 is passed through a contact through-hole 2A of the housing 2, and the flange 4B of the contact 4 is sandwiched between the housing 2 and a conductor 1A exposed on the surface of the flexible substrate 1.

[0004] In this state, by pushing the base member 3 toward the housing 2, as shown in FIG. 30, the protrusion 3A of the base member 3 is inserted into the protrusion housing portion 4C of the contact 4 with the flexible substrate 1 sandwiched therebetween, and the inner surface of the protrusion housing portion 4C contacts the conductor 1A with a predetermined contact force, whereby the contact 4 is electrically connected to the conductor 1A. Also, as shown in FIG. 29, by press-fitting a housing fixing post 3B protruding from the base member 3 into a post housing portion 2B of the housing 2, the housing 2 and the base member 3 are fixed to each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-129244 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] By mating a wearable device to the connector disclosed in Patent Document 1, the wearable device can be connected to the electrodes of smart clothing. However, because the side surface of the projection 3A inserted into the projection housing portion 4C of the contact 4 causes the conductor 1A of the flexible substrate 1 to come into contact with the inner surface of the projection housing portion 4C of the contact 4, it is necessary to secure a contact area of ​​a predetermined size in the direction of the projection 3A's protrusion, i.e., in the height direction of the connector, which results in the problem of increasing the overall height of the connector. For example, thin connectors are desired for use in smart clothing.

[0007] This invention was made to solve the problems of the conventional methods, and aims to provide a connector that can be made thinner while still being able to connect to a sheet-like object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The connector according to this invention is A first insulator having a first support surface extending in a predetermined direction on its surface, A second insulator is arranged in an overlapping direction perpendicular to a predetermined direction with respect to the first insulator and has a second support surface facing the first support surface, A contact member having a contact portion that is held by the second insulator and exposed to the second support surface, A pressing mechanism for pressing the contact portion toward the first support surface and Equipped with, The first insulator has a first through-hole that penetrates the first insulator in the overlapping direction from the first support surface to the back surface of the first insulator at a position corresponding to the contact portion. The pressing mechanism has a boss that passes through the first through hole and extends to the back side of the first insulator, and uses the boss to press the contact portion toward the first support surface. A portion of a sheet-like object to be connected, with its conductive portion exposed toward the second support surface, is sandwiched between the first and second support surfaces, and the contact portion comes into contact with the conductive portion, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the conductive portion.

[0009] The retaining mechanism is formed by a contact member, and the contact member can be configured to include a boss that protrudes from the contact portion and a protruding portion formed at the tip of the boss and extending in a predetermined direction from the first through hole on the back side of the first insulator. In this case, it is preferable that the second insulator has a second through-hole that penetrates the second insulator in the overlapping direction and opens to the second support surface, and the contact member has a contact body that is inserted into the second through-hole and has a contact portion formed thereon. Furthermore, the first and second insulators may be flexible.

[0010] Furthermore, the contact member has a contact through-hole that penetrates the contact member in the overlapping direction so as to pass through the contact portion and communicates with the first through-hole, and the pressing mechanism is formed by a second insulator, and the second insulator may be configured to include a boss that extends through the contact through-hole and the first through-hole to the back side of the first insulator, and a protruding portion formed at the tip of the boss that extends from the first through-hole in a predetermined direction on the back side of the first insulator. In this case, the second insulator has a second through-hole that penetrates the second insulator in the overlapping direction and a recess that communicates with the second through-hole and opens to the second support surface, and the contact member has a contact body that is inserted into the second through-hole and a flat plate portion adjacent to the contact body and inserted into the recess, and it is preferable that the contact portion and the contact through-hole are formed in the flat plate portion.

[0011] The contact portion preferably has at least one projection that protrudes toward the first support surface of the first insulator. Furthermore, it is preferable that the first insulator has at least one projection that protrudes from the first support surface toward the contact portion of the contact member at a position corresponding to the contact portion.

[0012] Each comprises multiple contact members held by the second insulator, The first insulator has a plurality of first through holes corresponding to a plurality of contact members, A portion of the object to be connected, in which multiple conductive parts are exposed toward the second support surface, may be sandwiched between the first support surface and the second support surface, and the contact portions of the multiple contact members may come into contact with the multiple conductive parts, thereby electrically connecting the multiple contact members to the multiple conductive parts. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this invention, the contact member has a contact portion exposed on the second support surface of the second insulator, the first insulator has a first through hole that penetrates the first insulator from the first support surface to the back surface of the first insulator at a position corresponding to the contact portion of the contact member, and the pressing mechanism has a boss that passes through the first through hole to the back surface of the first insulator and uses the boss to press the contact portion toward the first support surface, so that a part of the sheet-like object to be connected, with a conductive portion exposed toward the second support surface, is sandwiched between the first support surface and the second support surface, and the contact portion comes into contact with the conductive portion, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the conductive portion, making it possible to make the object thinner while enabling connection to a sheet-like object to be connected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view of the connector of Embodiment 1 connected to the connection object, seen from obliquely above. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of the connector of Embodiment 1 connected to the connection object, seen from obliquely below. [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view showing the first insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] It is a partial cross-sectional view showing the first insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing the second insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] It is a partial cross-sectional view showing the second insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view of the contact member used in the connector of Embodiment 1, seen from obliquely above. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of the contact member used in the connector of Embodiment 1, seen from obliquely below. [Figure 10] It is a perspective view of the connection object connected to the connector of Embodiment 1, seen from obliquely above. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of Embodiment 1 during the connection to the connection object. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of Embodiment 1 after completing the connection to the connection object. [Figure 13] It is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 12. [Figure 14] It is a partial cross-sectional view showing the connector according to a modification of Embodiment 1 after completing the connection to the connection object. [Figure 15] It is a perspective view of the connector of Embodiment 2 connected to the connection object, seen from obliquely above. [Figure 16] This is a perspective view of the connector of Embodiment 2, which is connected to an object, seen from a diagonal downward angle. [Figure 17] This is an exploded perspective view of the connector according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 18] This is a perspective view showing the first insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 2. [Figure 19] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the first insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 2. [Figure 20] This is a perspective view of the second insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 2, viewed from diagonally above. [Figure 21] This is a perspective view of the second insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 2, viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 22] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing the second insulator used in the connector of Embodiment 2. [Figure 23] This is a perspective view of the contact member used in the connector of Embodiment 2, viewed from diagonally above. [Figure 24] This is a perspective view of the contact member used in the connector of Embodiment 2, viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 25] This is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of Embodiment 2 in the process of connecting to the object to be connected. [Figure 26] This is a cross-sectional view showing the connector of Embodiment 2 after it has been connected to the object to be connected. [Figure 27] This is a magnified view of a portion of Figure 26. [Figure 28] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing a modified example of Embodiment 2, in which connection to the object to be connected has been completed. [Figure 29] This is a disassembled perspective view of a conventional connector. [Figure 30] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing a conventional connector. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described based on the attached drawings. Embodiment 1 Figures 1 and 2 show a connector 11 according to Embodiment 1 connected to a sheet-like conductive member 21. The connector 11 is used, for example, as a clothing-side connector for mating a wearable device, and has a flat-plate shaped housing 12 made of an insulating material. The housing 12 is composed of a first insulator 13 and a second insulator 14. The housing 12 is attached to the sheet-like conductive member 21 by overlapping and fixing the first insulator 13 and the second insulator 14 together while sandwiching a part of the sheet-like conductive member 21 between the first insulator 13 and the second insulator 14.

[0016] Furthermore, the connector 11 has a plurality of contact members 15 held in the housing 12. The plurality of contact members 15 are arranged in the housing 12 in two parallel rows.

[0017] For convenience, the sheet-like conductive member 21 and the housing 12 extend along the XY plane, the direction in which the multiple contact members 15 are arranged will be called the X direction, and the direction in which the second insulator 14 is superimposed on the first insulator 13 will be called the +Z direction.

[0018] Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the connector 11. A sheet-like conductive member 21 is positioned on the +Z side of the first insulator 13, a second insulator 14 is positioned on the +Z side of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and a plurality of contact members 15 are positioned on the +Z side of the second insulator 14.

[0019] As shown in Figure 4, the first insulator 13 has a flat plate shape extending along the XY plane and has a surface 13A oriented in the +Z direction and a back surface 13B oriented in the -Z direction. The first insulator 13 has a plurality of first through holes 13C that penetrate the first insulator 13 in the Z direction, from the surface 13A to the back surface 13B. The plurality of first through holes 13C correspond to the plurality of contact members 15 and are arranged in two parallel rows that extend in the X direction.

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, recesses 13D are formed on the back surface 13B of the first insulator 13, which communicate with each of the first through holes 13C and have a diameter larger than the diameter of the first through holes 13C. Furthermore, the surface 13A on the +Z direction side of the first insulator 13 forms a first support surface S1 that extends along the XY plane.

[0021] As shown in Figure 6, the second insulator 14 has a flat plate shape extending along the XY plane and has a surface 14A oriented in the +Z direction and a back surface 14B oriented in the -Z direction. The second insulator 14 has multiple second through-holes 14C formed therein, each penetrating the second insulator 14 in the Z direction from the surface 14A to the back surface 14B. The multiple second through-holes 14C correspond to the multiple contact members 15 and the multiple first through-holes 13C of the first insulator 13, and are arranged in two parallel rows extending in the X direction.

[0022] As shown in Figure 7, the back surface 14B on the -Z direction side of the second insulator 14 forms a second support surface S2 that extends along the XY plane, and the second through hole 14C opens into the second support surface S2.

[0023] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the contact member 15 is made of a conductive material such as metal and has a contact body 15A and a boss 15B which is integrally formed with the contact body 15A and extends in the -Z direction from the contact body 15A. The contact body 15A has a rectangular prism shape with its central axis extending along the Z direction and its corners rounded. The -Z side of the contact body 15A extends along the XY plane and forms the contact portion C of the contact member 15.

[0024] Boss 15B has a pin shape and is formed to protrude in the -Z direction from the center of contact portion C. Furthermore, the contact portion C has multiple protrusions 15C formed around the boss 15B so as to surround the boss 15B, and each protrudes in the -Z direction.

[0025] The contact body 15A has a height in the Z direction that is approximately the same as the thickness of the flat-shaped second insulator 14, and a size in the XY plane that is slightly smaller than the second through-hole 14C of the second insulator 14. When the connector 11 is assembled, the contact body 15A is inserted into the second through hole 14C of the second insulator 14, and the contact portion C, which is the -Z direction side of the contact body 15A, is exposed to the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 14. Furthermore, the boss 15B has a height in the Z direction that is greater than the sum of the thickness of the flat plate-shaped first insulator 13 and the thickness of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the diameter of the first through hole 13C of the first insulator 13.

[0026] The sheet-like conductive member 21 is used, for example, to electrically connect multiple wiring sections of clothing on which a connector 11 is mounted to multiple contact members 15. As shown in Figure 10, it has a sheet body 22 made of an insulating material and a conductive portion 23 formed on the sheet body 22.

[0027] The sheet body 22 has a substantially rectangular first sheet portion 22A extending along the XY plane and a substantially trapezoidal second sheet portion 22B connected to the first sheet portion 22A and extending along the XY plane. The first sheet portion 22A is the portion sandwiched between the first insulator 13 and the second insulator 14 when the connector 11 is connected to the sheet-like conductive member 21, and has a plurality of through holes 22C corresponding to a plurality of first through holes 13C in the first insulator 13 and a plurality of second through holes 14C in the second insulator 14. Furthermore, the through hole 22C shall have a diameter approximately equal to that of the boss 15B of the contact member 15, and a diameter smaller than the size of the contact body 15A in the XY plane.

[0028] The conductive portion 23 has a conductive pattern that is exposed at least on the +Z direction side of the sheet body 22. The conductive pattern has a plurality of first connecting portions 23A arranged in the first sheet portion 22A to correspond to a plurality of through holes 22C and to include each of the corresponding through holes 22C, and a plurality of second connecting portions 23B arranged in the second sheet portion 22B and connected to the plurality of first connecting portions 23A of the first sheet portion 22A.

[0029] Various types of conductive members can be used as the sheet-like conductive member 21, such as a sheet body 22 made of an insulating material such as resin with a conductive layer 23 formed on the surface in the +Z direction; a sheet body 22 made of an insulating fabric or knitted fabric with a conductive layer 23 formed on the surface by a printing method; or a sheet body 22 made of an insulating fabric or knitted fabric with a conductive layer 23 formed by sewing or knitting the conductive part 23 into it. However, the conductive part 23 must be exposed at least on the +Z direction side of the sheet body 22.

[0030] When assembling the connector 11, first, the multiple first through holes 13C of the first insulator 13, the multiple through holes 22C of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the multiple second through holes 14C of the second insulator 14 are aligned with each other. In this state, the first sheet portion 22A of the sheet-like conductive member 21 is sandwiched between the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 13 and the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 14. Specifically, the first sheet portion 22A of the sheet-like conductive member 21 is superimposed on the +Z side of the first insulator 13, and furthermore, the second insulator 14 is superimposed on the +Z side of the first sheet portion 22A of the sheet-like conductive member 21.

[0031] Next, the multiple contact members 15 are sequentially inserted from the +Z direction into the multiple first through holes 13C of the first insulator 13, the multiple through holes 22C of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the multiple second through holes 14C of the second insulator 14.

[0032] Here, the contact body 15A of the contact member 15 has a height in the Z direction that is approximately equal to the thickness of the second insulator 14, and the boss 15B has a height in the Z direction that is greater than the sum of the thickness of the first insulator 13 and the thickness of the sheet-like conductive member 21. As shown in Figure 11, the surface of the contact body 15A on the +Z direction side forms a surface that is approximately the same as the surface 14A of the second insulator 14, and the tip of the boss 15B protrudes in the -Z direction from the first through hole 13C of the first insulator 13.

[0033] As a result, as shown in Figure 12, the tips of the bosses 15B of the multiple contact members 15 that protrude in the -Z direction from the multiple first through holes 13C of the first insulator 13 are deformed. As a result, as shown in Figure 13, the tip of the deformed boss 15B is housed in the recess 13D which communicates with the first through hole 13C of the first insulator 13, forming a protruding portion 15D that extends from the first through hole 13C along the XY plane. In this way, the assembly of connector 11 is completed. Furthermore, the surface of the contact body 15A of the multiple contact members 15 on the +Z direction side is exposed from the second insulator 14.

[0034] A contact member 15 having a contact portion C, a boss 15B, and a protruding portion 15D forms a pressing mechanism for pressing the contact portion C toward the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 13. That is, the portion of the first insulator 13 located around the first through hole 13C and the sheet-like conductive member 21 are sandwiched between the contact portion C and the protruding portion 15D of the contact member 15, and the contact portion C of the contact member 15 is pressed toward the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 13. As a result, the contact portion C exposed on the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 14 comes into contact with the first connecting portion 23A of the conductive portion 23 exposed on the +Z direction side around the through hole 22C of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the contact member 15 is electrically connected to the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21.

[0035] Furthermore, since the contact portion C of the contact member 15 is formed with multiple protrusions 15C that project in the -Z direction toward the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 13, the reliability of the electrical connection between the contact member 15 and the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21 is improved.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, multiple protrusions 13E can be formed on the first insulator 13 at positions corresponding to the contact portion C of the contact member 15, projecting in the +Z direction from the first support surface S1 toward the contact portion C. In this way, the multiple protrusions 15C of the contact member 15 and the multiple protrusions 13E of the first insulator 13 exert a compressive force in the Z direction on the sheet-like conductive member 21, further improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the contact member 15 and the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21.

[0037] Furthermore, even if multiple protrusions 13E are formed only on the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 13, without forming multiple protrusions 15C on the contact member 15, the reliability of the electrical connection between the contact member 15 and the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21 can be improved. Furthermore, the number of protrusions 15C on the contact member 15 or protrusions 13E on the first insulator 13 is not limited to multiple protrusions; it is sufficient to have at least one protrusion 15C or protrusion 13E.

[0038] Furthermore, it is desirable that the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 13, the first sheet portion 22A of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 14 be bonded to each other using an adhesive or the like. For example, by interposing adhesive sheets between the first support surface S1 and the first sheet portion 22A, and between the first sheet portion 22A and the second support surface S2, and then heating to melt the adhesive sheets, the first insulator 13, the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the second insulator 14 can be bonded together. This forms a connector 11 with a waterproof function.

[0039] The protruding portion 15D of each contact member 15 can be formed by mechanically processing and deforming the tip of the boss 15B. Alternatively, the tip of the boss 15B may be deformed by applying a compressive force in the Z direction to the boss 15B while utilizing the heat generated during the bonding of the first insulator 13, the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the second insulator 14.

[0040] The first insulator 13 and the second insulator 14 can also be formed from a flexible resin material such as flexible epoxy resin, or from a rubber material. By using the flexible first insulator 13 and the second insulator 14 in this way, the comfort of the garment can be improved when the connector 11 is used as a garment-side connector.

[0041] Embodiment 2 Figures 15 and 16 show a connector 31 according to Embodiment 2, connected to a sheet-like conductive member 21. Similar to the connector 11 of Embodiment 1, the connector 31 is used, for example, as a clothing-side connector for mating a wearable device, and has a flat-plate shaped housing 32 made of an insulating material. The housing 32 is composed of a first insulator 33 and a second insulator 34. The sheet-like conductive member 21 is the same as the one used in Embodiment 1.

[0042] Furthermore, the connector 31 has a plurality of contact members 35 held in the housing 32. The plurality of contact members 35 are arranged in the housing 32 in two parallel rows.

[0043] Figure 17 shows an exploded perspective view of the connector 31. A sheet-like conductive member 21 is positioned on the +Z side of the first insulator 33, a plurality of contact members 35 are positioned on the +Z side of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and a second insulator 34 is positioned on the +Z side of the plurality of contact members 35.

[0044] As shown in Figure 18, the first insulator 33 has a flat plate shape extending along the XY plane and has a surface 33A oriented in the +Z direction and a back surface 33B oriented in the -Z direction. The first insulator 33 has a plurality of first through holes 33C formed therein, each penetrating the first insulator 33 in the Z direction from the surface 33A to the back surface 33B. The plurality of first through holes 33C correspond to the plurality of contact members 35 and are arranged in two parallel rows extending in the X direction.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, recesses 33D are formed on the back surface 33B of the first insulator 33, which communicate with each of the first through holes 33C and have a diameter larger than the diameter of the first through holes 33C. Furthermore, the surface 33A on the +Z direction side of the first insulator 33 forms a first support surface S1 that extends along the XY plane.

[0046] As shown in Figures 20 and 21, the second insulator 34 has a flat plate shape extending along the XY plane and has a surface 34A oriented in the +Z direction and a back surface 34B oriented in the -Z direction. The second insulator 34 has multiple second through-holes 34C formed therein, each penetrating the second insulator 34 in the Z direction from the surface 34A to the back surface 34B. The multiple second through-holes 34C correspond to the multiple contact members 35 and the multiple first through-holes 33C of the first insulator 33, and are arranged in two parallel rows extending in the X direction.

[0047] As shown in Figure 22, a recess 34D is formed on the back surface 34B of the second insulator 34, communicating with each of the second through holes 34C and positioned adjacent to the second through holes 34C in the -Y direction. The recess 34D is open in the -Z direction. Furthermore, a pin-shaped boss 34F is formed protruding from the bottom surface 34E of the recess 34D facing the -Z direction, and extends in the -Z direction. The boss 34F has a height in the Z direction that is greater than the sum of the thickness of the flat plate-shaped first insulator 33 and the thickness of the sheet-like conductive member 21, plus the depth of the recess 34D. Furthermore, the back surface 34B on the -Z direction side of the second insulator 34 forms a second support surface S2 extending along the XY plane, and the second through hole 34C and recess 34D open into the second support surface S2.

[0048] As shown in Figures 23 and 24, the contact member 35 is made of a conductive material such as metal and has a contact body 35A and a flat plate portion 35B positioned adjacent to the contact body 35A in the -Y direction. The flat plate portion 35B is formed to be thinner than the height dimension of the contact body 35A in the Z direction, and the -Z direction side surface of the contact body 35A and the -Z direction side surface of the flat plate portion 35B form the same surface.

[0049] A contact through-hole 35C is formed in the center of the flat plate portion 35B, penetrating the flat plate portion 35B in the Z direction, and the -Z side surface of the flat plate portion 35B forms a contact portion C extending along the XY plane. Furthermore, the contact portion C has a plurality of protrusions 35D formed around the contact through hole 35C so as to surround the contact through hole 35C, and each protrudes in the -Z direction.

[0050] The contact body 35A has a height in the Z direction that is approximately the same as the thickness of the flat-shaped second insulator 34, and a size in the XY plane that is slightly smaller than the second through-hole 34C of the second insulator 34. Furthermore, the flat plate portion 35B has a height in the Z direction that is approximately equal to the depth of the recess 34D of the second insulator 34, and has a size in the XY plane that is slightly smaller than that of the recess 34D. When the connector 31 is assembled, the flat plate portion 35B is inserted into the recess 34D of the second insulator 34, and the contact portion C, which is the -Z direction side of the flat plate portion 35B, is exposed to the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 34. Furthermore, the contact through-hole 35C has a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the boss 34F of the second insulator 34.

[0051] When assembling the connector 11, first, the multiple contact members 35 are moved relative to the second insulator 34 from the -Z direction, and the multiple bosses 34F of the second insulator 34 are passed through the contact through holes 35C of the multiple contact members 35, thereby holding the multiple contact members 35 in the second insulator 34. At this time, the contact body 35A of each contact member 35 is inserted into the corresponding second through hole 34C of the second insulator 34, and the flat plate portion 35B of each contact member 35 is inserted into the corresponding recess 34D of the second insulator 34.

[0052] Here, the contact body 35A of the contact member 35 has a height in the Z direction that is approximately equal to the thickness of the second insulator 34, and the flat plate portion 35B has a height in the Z direction that is approximately equal to the depth of the recess 34D of the second insulator 34. Therefore, the surface of the contact body 35A on the +Z direction side forms approximately the same surface as the surface 34A of the second insulator 34, and the surfaces of the contact body 35A and the flat plate portion 35B on the -Z direction side form approximately the same surface as the back surface 34B of the second insulator 34.

[0053] Next, the multiple first through holes 33C of the first insulator 33, the multiple through holes 22C of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the multiple contact members 35 held by the second insulator 34 are aligned with each other. In this state, the first sheet portion 22A of the sheet-like conductive member 21 is sandwiched between the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 33 and the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 34. At this time, the multiple bosses 34F of the second insulator 34 are sequentially inserted into the multiple through holes 22C of the sheet-like conductive member 21 and the multiple first through holes 33C of the first insulator 33.

[0054] Here, the boss 34F of the second insulator 34 has a height in the Z direction that is greater than the sum of the thickness of the first insulator 33 and the thickness of the sheet-like conductive member 21 plus the depth of the recess 34D. As shown in Figure 25, the tip of the boss 34F protrudes in the -Z direction from the first through hole 33C of the first insulator 33.

[0055] As a result, as shown in Figure 26, the tips of the bosses 34F of the second insulator 34, which protrude in the -Z direction from each of the multiple first through holes 33C of the first insulator 33, are deformed. As a result, as shown in Figure 27, the tip of the deformed boss 34F is housed in the recess 33D which communicates with the first through hole 33C of the first insulator 33, and a protruding portion 34G is formed that extends from the first through hole 33C along the XY plane. In this way, the assembly of connector 31 is completed. Furthermore, the surface of the contact body 35A of the multiple contact members 35 on the +Z direction side is exposed from the second insulator 34.

[0056] The second insulator 34, which has a recess 34D, a boss 34F, and a protruding portion 34G, forms a pressing mechanism for pressing the contact portion C of the contact member 35 toward the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 33. That is, the first insulator 33 and the sheet-like conductive member 21 located around the flat plate portion 35B of the contact member 35 and the first through hole 33C are sandwiched between the bottom surface 34E of the recess 34D and the protruding portion 34G, and the contact portion C of the contact member 35 is pressed toward the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 33. As a result, the contact portion C exposed on the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 34 comes into contact with the first connecting portion 23A of the conductive portion 23 exposed on the +Z direction side around the through hole 22C of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the contact member 35 is electrically connected to the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21.

[0057] Furthermore, since the contact portion C of the contact member 35 is formed with multiple protrusions 35D that project in the -Z direction toward the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 33, the reliability of the electrical connection between the contact member 35 and the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21 is improved.

[0058] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 28, multiple protrusions 33E can be formed on the first insulator 33 at positions corresponding to the contact portion C of the contact member 35, projecting in the +Z direction from the first support surface S1 toward the contact portion C. In this way, the multiple protrusions 35D of the contact member 35 and the multiple protrusions 33E of the first insulator 33 exert a compressive force in the Z direction on the sheet-like conductive member 21, further improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the contact member 35 and the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21.

[0059] Furthermore, even if multiple protrusions 33E are formed only on the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 33, without forming multiple protrusions 35D on the contact member 35, the reliability of the electrical connection between the contact member 35 and the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21 can be improved. Furthermore, the number of protrusions 35D on the contact member 35 or protrusions 33E on the first insulator 33 is not limited to multiple protrusions; it is sufficient to have at least one protrusion 35D or protrusion 33E.

[0060] Furthermore, it is desirable that the first support surface S1 of the first insulator 33, the first sheet portion 22A of the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the second support surface S2 of the second insulator 34 be bonded to each other using an adhesive or the like. For example, by interposing adhesive sheets between the first support surface S1 and the first sheet portion 22A, and between the first sheet portion 22A and the second support surface S2, and then heating to melt the adhesive sheets, the first insulator 33, the sheet-like conductive member 21, and the second insulator 34 can be bonded together. This forms a connector 31 with a waterproof function. Furthermore, the multiple protruding portions 34G of the second insulator can each be formed by thermally deforming the tip of the boss 34F.

[0061] When the connector 11 of Embodiment 1 and the connector 31 of Embodiment 2 described above are mounted on clothing, for example, the multiple second connection parts 23B arranged on the second sheet portion 22B of the sheet-like conductive member 21 shown in Figure 10 are connected to multiple wiring parts of the clothing. Then, a mating connector (not shown) is fitted into the connectors 11 and 31, and the multiple contact members of the mating connector come into contact with the contact bodies 15A and 35A of the multiple contact members 15 and 35 exposed from the housings 12 and 32.

[0062] Furthermore, the connector according to this invention is not limited to the number of contact members 15 in the connector 11 of Embodiment 1 and the number of contact members 35 in the connector 31 of Embodiment 2, but only needs to have at least one contact member 15, 35 that is electrically connected to the conductive portion 23 of the sheet-like conductive member 21. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1 Flexible substrate, 1A Conductor, 2 Housing, 2A Through hole for contact, 2B Post housing, 3 Base member, 3A Projection, 3B Post for housing fixing, 4 Contact, 4A Cylindrical part, 4B Flange, 4C Projection housing, 11,31 Connector, 12,32 Housing, 13,33 First insulator, 13A,14A,33A,34A Front surface, 13B,14B,33B,34B Back surface, 13C,33C First through hole, 13D,33D,34D Recess, 13E,15C,33E,35D Projection, 14,34 Second insulator, 14C,34C Second through hole, 15,35 Contact member, 15A,35A Contact body, 15B,34F Boss, 15D,34G Protruding part, 21 Sheet-shaped conductive member, 22 sheet body, 22A first sheet portion, 22B second sheet portion, 22C through hole, 23 conductive portion, 23A first connection portion, 23B second connection portion, 34E bottom surface, 35B flat plate portion, 35C contact through hole, S1 first support surface, S2 second support surface, C contact portion.

Claims

1. A first insulator having a first support surface extending in a predetermined direction on its surface, A second insulator is arranged in an overlapping direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction with respect to the first insulator and has a second support surface facing the first support surface, A contact member having a contact portion that is held by the second insulator and exposed to the second support surface, A pressing mechanism for pressing the contact portion toward the first support surface and Equipped with, The first insulator has a first through-hole that penetrates the first insulator in the overlapping direction from the first support surface to the back surface of the first insulator at a position corresponding to the contact portion. The pressing mechanism has a boss that passes through the first through hole and extends to the back side of the first insulator, and uses the boss to press the contact portion toward the first support surface. A connector in which a portion of a sheet-like object to be connected, with a conductive portion exposed toward the second support surface, is sandwiched between the first support surface and the second support surface, and the contact portion contacts the conductive portion, thereby electrically connecting the contact member to the conductive portion.

2. The aforementioned holding mechanism is formed by the contact member, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact member includes a boss formed to protrude from the contact portion and a protruding portion formed at the tip of the boss and extending from the first through hole in the predetermined direction on the back side of the first insulator.

3. The second insulator has a second through-hole that penetrates the second insulator in the overlapping direction and opens to the second support surface. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the contact member has a contact body that is inserted into the second through hole and has the contact portion formed thereon.

4. The connector according to claim 2, wherein the first insulator and the second insulator are flexible.

5. The contact member has a contact through-hole that penetrates the contact member in the overlapping direction so as to pass through the contact portion and communicates with the first through-hole, The aforementioned retaining mechanism is formed by the second insulator, The connector according to claim 1, wherein the second insulator includes a boss that extends through the contact through-hole and the first through-hole to the back side of the first insulator, and a protruding portion formed at the tip of the boss that extends from the first through-hole in the predetermined direction on the back side of the first insulator.

6. The second insulator has a second through-hole that penetrates the second insulator in the overlapping direction, and a recess that communicates with the second through-hole and opens to the second support surface. The contact member comprises a contact body inserted into the second through hole and a flat plate portion adjacent to the contact body and inserted into the recess. The connector according to claim 5, wherein the contact portion and the contact through hole are formed in the flat plate portion.

7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion has at least one projection that protrudes toward the first support surface of the first insulator.

8. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the first insulator has at least one projection that protrudes from the first support surface toward the contact portion of the contact member at a position corresponding to the contact portion.

9. Each of the contact members is held by the second insulator, The first insulator has a plurality of first through holes corresponding to a plurality of contact members, The connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a part of the object to be connected, in which a plurality of conductive parts are exposed toward the second support surface, is sandwiched between the first support surface and the second support surface, and the plurality of contact members are electrically connected to the plurality of conductive parts by the contact portions of the plurality of contact members contacting the plurality of conductive parts.

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