PCB connectors

Abstract

This reduces variations in the position of multiple terminal fittings on the circuit board. [Solution] The PCB connector A comprises a plurality of terminal fittings 40 that are surface-mounted on the circuit board 50, and a housing 10 that is fixed to the circuit board 50 while holding the plurality of terminal fittings 40 so that they are aligned parallel to the circuit board 50. The housing 10 is constructed by assembling a mounting member 11 that holds the plurality of terminal fittings 40, and a fitting member 30 which is a separate part from the mounting member 11 and has a hood portion 31 into which the mating connector 55 is fitted.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a board connector. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a printed board connector that can be surface-mounted on a printed board on which a copper foil for soldering is formed. The board connector includes a housing made of synthetic resin and a plurality of contacts fixed to a copper foil plate for soldering. The housing has a recessed portion to be fitted to a mating connector and a wall portion at the back of the recessed portion. The plurality of contacts are arranged so as to be aligned in parallel with the mounting surface of the printed board, and are press-fitted so as to penetrate through the wall portion of the housing. When connecting a plurality of contacts to a printed board, first, the lead portions of the contacts are placed on the solder paste applied to the copper foil plate for soldering. In this state, the solder paste is melted in a reflow furnace, and then the printed board, the housing, and the contacts are cooled. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-039257 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In the cooling step, the synthetic resin housing heated in the reflow furnace deforms as it cools. When the housing deforms, variation occurs in the position of each contact relative to the printed board. As a countermeasure for this, it is conceivable to adjust the mounting positions of the respective contacts in the housing in anticipation of the deformation of the housing. However, since the housing having a recessed portion as in Patent Document 1 has a complicated overall shape, it is difficult to predict how the housing will deform in the cooling step.

[0005] The PCB connector described herein is completed based on the circumstances described above, and aims to reduce variations in the position of multiple terminal fittings relative to the circuit board in a PCB connector that is attached to a circuit board by reflow. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The substrate connectors of this disclosure are Multiple terminal fittings surface-mounted on a circuit board, The facility comprises a housing fixed to the circuit board, which holds the plurality of terminal fittings so that they are aligned parallel to the circuit board, The aforementioned housing is A mounting member that holds the plurality of terminal fittings, This component is separate from the aforementioned mounting member and is constructed by assembling a fitting member having a hood portion into which the mating connector is fitted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to reduce variations in the position of multiple terminal fittings relative to the circuit board. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the PCB connector of Example 1 mounted on a circuit board. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing a circuit board connector in the process of being assembled. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the state of a circuit board connector before mounting components are attached. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view showing a board connector attached to a circuit board. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing the PCB connector attached to the circuit board. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a front view of the fitting member. [Figure 7]Figure 7 is a side view of the fitting member. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a rear view of the fitting member. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the mounting components constituting the PCB connector of Example 2 with terminal fittings attached. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. Any combination of the following embodiments, insofar as they do not contradict each other, is also included as a form for carrying out the invention. The substrate connectors of this disclosure are (1) The device comprises a plurality of terminal fittings that are surface-mounted on a circuit board, and a housing that is fixed to the circuit board while holding the plurality of terminal fittings so that they are aligned parallel to the circuit board, wherein the housing is constructed by assembling a mounting member that holds the plurality of terminal fittings and a mating member which is a separate part from the mounting member and has a hood portion into which a mating connector is fitted. According to this disclosure, since the mounting member that holds the terminal fittings and the mating member into which the mating connector is fitted are separate parts, the mounting member can be formed into a simple shape that is less deformable in the reflow process. This makes it possible to reduce the variation in the position of the plurality of terminal fittings held by the mounting member relative to the circuit board.

[0010] (2) Preferably, the circuit board has pegs that are surface-mounted, and the pegs are integrated with the mounting member. With this configuration, multiple terminal fittings can be reliably connected to the circuit board.

[0011] (3)(2) The peg and the mounting member may be integrated by insert molding. This configuration reduces the number of assembly steps compared to press-fitting the peg into the mounting member.

[0012] In (4) (2) or (3), the mounting member includes a terminal holding portion integrated with the plurality of terminal fittings, and a pair of left and right board mounting portions connected to both side edges of the terminal holding portion and integrated with the pegs, and it is preferable that the pair of board mounting portions are fitted into positioning portions formed on the fitting member. According to this configuration, an assembly structure of the mounting member and the fitting member can be established without being affected by the positions of the plurality of terminal fittings.

[0013] In (5) (1) to (3), the terminal fitting has a board connecting portion that extends rearward of the mounting member and is soldered to the circuit board, and it is preferable that the fitting member is assembled to the mounting member from the front side. According to this configuration, the fitting member does not interfere with the board connecting portion of the terminal fitting during the process of assembling the mounting member and the fitting member. Therefore, there is no need for the fitting member to have a split structure.

[0014] In (6) (5), it is preferable that the fitting member includes a front locking portion that abuts against the mounting member from the front side, and a rear locking portion that locks against the mounting member from the rear side. According to this configuration, during the process of assembling the fitting member to the mounting member, the hood portion is elastically deformed, so that the rear locking portion passes through the mounting member. When the mounting member is sandwiched between the front locking portion and the rear locking portion, the fitting member and the mounting member are held in an assembled state.

[0015] In (7) (1) to (3), it is preferable that the mounting member and the fitting member are made of different materials. According to this configuration, by using a material with high heat resistance for the mounting member and an inexpensive material with low heat resistance for the fitting member, it is possible to achieve both suppressing variation in the position of the terminal fitting relative to the circuit board and reducing cost.

[0016] [Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] [Example 1] A substrate connector A of Embodiment 1, embodying the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown in the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims are included. In Embodiment 1, the front-to-back direction is defined as the F direction in Figures 1, 5 and 7. The up-and-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figures 1 to 4 and 6 to 8. The left-to-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figures 1 to 3, 5, 6 and 8.

[0017] The PCB connector A of this embodiment 1 is a component mounted on the mounting surface 51 of the circuit board 50. Functionally, the PCB connector A comprises one housing 10, a plurality of terminal fittings 40, and a pair of symmetrical pegs 20. Structurally, the PCB connector A is assembled from a mounting module 45 and a mating member 30. Hereinafter, the orientation of the PCB connector A will be described assuming that the mounting surface 51 is facing horizontally upward.

[0018] The housing 10 has a flattened rectangular shape overall. The housing 10 is constructed by assembling a mounting member 11 made of synthetic resin and a fitting member 30 made of synthetic resin, which is molded as a separate part from the mounting member 11. In this embodiment 1, LCP resin (liquid crystal polymer) is used as the material for the mounting member 11. Compared to PBT, which will be described later, LCP resin has the characteristics of having a lower expansion rate with respect to temperature changes, high heat resistance, and excellent dimensional stability. The mounting member 11 is a component that makes up the mounting module 45.

[0019] The mounting member 11 is a single component having one terminal holding portion 12 and a pair of symmetrical substrate housing portions 14. The terminal holding portion 12 is a flat plate oriented with its thickness in the front-to-back direction. The thickness dimension of the terminal holding portion 12 is constant throughout its entire area. In a front view of the substrate connector A viewed from the front, the terminal holding portion 12 forms a rectangle with a width dimension in the left-to-right direction that is larger than its height dimension in the up-to-down direction. The height dimension of the terminal holding portion 12 is constant throughout the entire width of the mounting member 11. The terminal holding portion 12 has a plurality of press-fit holes 13 formed therein, penetrating the terminal holding portion 12 in the front-to-back direction (thickness direction of the terminal holding portion 12). The plurality of press-fit holes 13 are arranged in two upper and lower stages. In each stage, the plurality of press-fit holes 13 are arranged in the left-to-right direction parallel to the mounting surface 51.

[0020] The substrate housing portion 14 is the part connected to both the left and right side edges of the terminal holding portion 12. The substrate housing portion 14 is a flat plate oriented in the left-right direction in its thickness direction. The thickness dimension of the substrate housing portion 14 is constant throughout its entire area. In a side view of the PCB connector A viewed from the side, the substrate housing portion 14 forms a rectangle in which the length dimension in the front-to-back direction is larger than the height dimension. The height dimension of the terminal holding portion 12 is constant throughout the entire width of the mounting member 11. The height dimension of the substrate housing portion 14 is the same as that of the terminal holding portion 12. The upper surface of the substrate housing portion 14 and the upper surface of the terminal holding portion 12 are continuous and flush with each other, and the lower surface of the substrate housing portion 14 and the lower surface of the terminal holding portion 12 are continuous and flush with each other. The substrate housing portion 14 and the mounting member 11 are connected at a right angle to each other at a position slightly forward of the rear end of the substrate housing portion 14. The upper and lower surfaces and outer surface of the substrate housing section 14 function as guide outer surfaces 15 (guide sections) that provide a guide function when assembling the mounting member 11 and the mating member 30.

[0021] A pair of pegs 20 are integrated into a pair of substrate housing sections 14 by insert molding. The pegs 20 are made of metal plate material. The front view shape of the pegs 20 is bent to form an L shape. The pegs 20 have a plate-shaped solder portion 21 parallel to the mounting surface 51 and a holding portion 22 that rises upward from the plate-shaped solder portion 21. Most of the holding portion 22, excluding the lower end, is embedded in the substrate housing section 14. The pair of pegs 20 are components that make up the mounting module 45.

[0022] The mating member 30 is made of PBT (polybutylene terephthalate). The mating member 30 is a single component having a hood portion 31, a pair of symmetrical positioning portions 35, a pair of left and right front locking portions 39F, and one front locking portion 39F. The hood portion 31 is the part for mating with the mating connector 55 and has a rectangular tube shape that penetrates in the front-to-back direction. The hood portion 31 is composed of an upper wall portion 32, a bottom wall portion 33, and a pair of symmetrical side wall portions 34.

[0023] A pair of positioning portions 35 are formed on both the left and right side walls 34. The positioning portions 35 are shallow groove-shaped recesses on the inner surfaces of the side walls 34. The positioning portions 35 extend linearly in the front-rear direction. The inner surface of the positioning portion 35 functions as a guide inner surface 36 (guide portion) that slides against the guide outer surface 15 of the substrate housing portion 14. A stopper 37 is formed at the front end of the positioning portion 35 (side wall portion 34). The rear end of the positioning portion 35 is open to the rear of the side wall portion 34 (fitting member 30). Slits 38 extending in the front-rear direction are formed on both the left and right ends of the bottom wall portion 33. The slits 38 penetrate the bottom wall portion 33 in the vertical direction and open at the rear end of the bottom wall portion 33.

[0024] A pair of elongated front locking portions 39F are formed on the inner surface (bottom surface) of the upper wall portion 32. The front locking portions 39F protrude downward in a rib-like manner. In a front view, the pair of front locking portions 39F are arranged symmetrically. A single rear locking portion 39R is formed at the rear end of the upper wall portion 32. The rear locking portion 39R is located in the left-right center of the hood portion 31 (fitting member 30). The rear locking portion 39R, like the front locking portions 39F, protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the upper wall portion 32.

[0025] The terminal fitting 40 is a component formed by bending a long, slender metal member. The terminal fitting 40 has a terminal connection portion 41 and a substrate connection portion 42. The terminal connection portion 41 is a portion that extends straight in the front-rear direction. The terminal connection portion 41 is designed to connect to the mating terminal (not shown) of the mating connector 55. The substrate connection portion 42 is a portion that extends downward from the rear end of the terminal connection portion 41. The substrate connection portion 42 consists of a leg portion 43 connected to the rear end of the terminal connection portion 41 and a substrate fixing portion 44 that extends cantilevered rearward from the lower end of the leg portion 43. The terminal fitting 40 is attached to the mounting member 11 by press-fitting the terminal connection portion 41 into the press-fit hole 13 from the rear of the mounting member 11. The terminal fitting 40 is a component that constitutes the mounting module 45.

[0026] Multiple terminal lands 52 and a pair of left and right fixing lands 53 are formed on the mounting surface 51 of the circuit board 50. The multiple terminal lands 52 are connected to a plant circuit (not shown) formed on the mounting surface 51. Solder paste (not shown) is applied to the upper surfaces of the multiple terminal lands 52 and the pair of fixing lands.

[0027] The manufacturing and assembly of the PCB connector A in this embodiment 1 are carried out in parallel with the process of attaching the PCB connector A to the circuit board 50. The procedure is described below. First, in the process of molding the mounting member 11 with a mold, the peg 20 is integrated by insert molding. Next, a plurality of terminal fittings 40 are attached to the molded mounting member 11. At this time, the mounting member 11 and the mating member 30 remain separated. The mounting module 45 is formed by the fixed-side projection that integrates the mounting member 11, the terminal fittings 40 and the peg 20.

[0028] The assembled mounting module 45 is placed on the mounting surface 51 of the circuit board 50. Specifically, the board fixing portion 44 of the terminal fitting 40 is placed on the solder paste of the terminal land 52, and the plate-shaped solder portion 21 of the peg 20 is placed on the solder paste of the fixing land 53. Then, the circuit board 50 and the mounting module 45 are heated in a reflow oven (not shown) to melt the solder paste. After this, the circuit board 50 and the mounting module 45 are cooled, and the board connection portion 42 of the terminal fitting 40 and the terminal land 52 are electrically fixed together via solder, and the peg 20 is fixed to the fixing land 53.

[0029] After the mounting module 45 is fixed to the circuit board 50, the front-mounted fitting member 30 is assembled to the mounting module 45. During the assembly process, a pair of board housing portions 14 are fitted into the positioning portion 35. During the fitting process, the outer surface 15 of the guide and the inner surface 36 of the guide slide against each other, thereby restricting vertical and horizontal positional displacement and tilting between the mounting member 11 and the fitting member 30. Also, during the fitting process, the lower end of the held portion 22 of the peg 20 moves within the slit 38.

[0030] Towards the end of the mating process, when the rear locking portion 39R contacts the upper edge of the terminal holding portion 12, the upper wall portion 32 curves upward, causing the rear locking portion 39R to move over the terminal holding portion 12. Then, when the mounting member 11 and the mating member 30 reach the proper assembled state, the rear locking portion 39R passes over the terminal holding portion 12, causing the upper wall portion 32 to elastically return to its original position, and the rear locking portion 39R becomes locked to or close to the terminal holding portion 12 from the rear. This restricts the forward relative displacement (detachment) of the mating member 30 with respect to the mounting module 45.

[0031] When the mounting member 11 and the mating member 30 are properly assembled, the rear surface of the front locking portion 39F and the front surface of the terminal holding portion 12 come into contact with or close proximity to each other, and the front surface of the substrate housing portion 14 and the stopper 37 come into contact with or close proximity to each other. This restricts the rearward relative displacement of the mating member 30 with respect to the mounting module 45. As a result, the assembly process of the mounting member 11 (mounting module 45) and the mating member 30 (manufacturing of the board connector A) is completed, and at the same time, the mounting of the board connector A to the circuit board 50 (mounting process) is completed.

[0032] During the cooling process after heating in a reflow oven, plastic deformation occurs in the heated resin mounting member 11. The form of deformation of the mounting member 11 during cooling is difficult to predict as the shape of the mounting member 11 becomes more complex. However, the mounting member 11 of this embodiment 1 is composed of a flat terminal holding portion 12 and a flat substrate housing portion 14, and there are almost no partial recesses or protrusions on the surface of the mounting member 11. Therefore, the form of deformation of the mounting member 11 during the cooling process is relatively easy to anticipate. In this embodiment 1, the arrangement of multiple press-fit holes 13 in the mounting member 11 is adjusted according to the anticipated form of deformation. As a result, the variation in the height of the substrate fixing portion 44 relative to the circuit board 50 (mounting surface 51) (relative position in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 51) between multiple terminal fittings 40 after cooling is kept to a minimum.

[0033] The PCB connector A of this embodiment 1 comprises a plurality of terminal fittings 40 that are surface-mounted on a circuit board 50, and a housing 10 that is fixed to the circuit board 50 while holding the plurality of terminal fittings 40 so as to be parallel to the circuit board 50. The housing 10 is constructed by assembling a mounting member 11 that holds the plurality of terminal fittings 40 and a mating member 30 having a hood portion 31 into which the mating connector 55 is fitted. The mounting member 11 and the mating member 30 are molded as separate parts from each other.

[0034] According to this embodiment 1, the mounting member 11 that holds the terminal fittings 40 and the mating member 30 into which the mating connector 55 is fitted are separate parts, making it possible to mold the mounting member 11 into a simple shape that is less prone to deformation during the reflow process. This reduces variations in the height position of the multiple terminal fittings 40 (substrate fixing portion 44) held by the mounting member 11 relative to the circuit board 50.

[0035] The PCB connector A has a peg 20 that is surface-mounted on the circuit board 50. The peg 20 is integrated with the mounting member 11. With this configuration, multiple terminal fittings 40 can be reliably connected to the circuit board 50. Since the peg 20 and the mounting member 11 of the PCB connector A are integrated by insert molding, the assembly process is simpler compared to a connector in which the peg 20 is press-fitted into the mounting member 11.

[0036] The mounting member 11 has a terminal holding portion 12 integrated with a plurality of terminal fittings 40, and a pair of left and right substrate housing portions 14 integrated with a peg 20. The pair of substrate housing portions 14 are connected to both side edges of the terminal holding portion 12. The pair of substrate housing portions 14 are fitted into positioning portions 35 formed on the fitting member 30. With this configuration, the assembly structure of the mounting member 11 and the fitting member 30 can be established without being affected by the position of the terminal fittings 40.

[0037] The terminal fitting 40 has a board connection portion 42 that extends to the rear of the mounting member 11 and is soldered to the circuit board 50. The mating member 30 is assembled to the mounting member 11 from the front. With this configuration, the mating member 30 does not interfere with the board connection portion 42 of the terminal fitting 40 during the process of assembling the mounting member 11 and the mating member 30. Therefore, there is no need to make the mating member 30 a split structure.

[0038] The fitting member 30 has a front locking portion 39F that abuts against the mounting member 11 from the front, and a rear locking portion 39R that locks against the mounting member 11 from the rear. With this configuration, during the process of assembling the fitting member 30 to the mounting member 11, the rear locking portion 39R passes over the mounting member 11 as the hood portion 31 elastically deforms. The mounting member 11 is held in the assembled state by being sandwiched between the front locking portion 39F and the rear locking portion 39R.

[0039] The mounting member 11 and the mating member 30 are made of different materials. Specifically, the mounting member 11 is made of LCP, which has relatively high heat resistance, while the mating member 30 is made of PBT, which has low heat resistance but is inexpensive. This configuration makes it possible to suppress variations in the position of the terminal fittings 40 relative to the circuit board 50 and to reduce costs at the same time.

[0040] [Example 2] The mounting module 60 constituting the substrate connector of Embodiment 2, which embodies the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Figure 9. In Embodiment 2, the front-to-back direction is defined as the F direction in Figure 9. The up-and-down direction is defined as the H direction in Figure 9. The left-to-right direction is defined as the R direction in Figure 9.

[0041] The mounting module 60 of this embodiment 2 has a different structure from that of embodiment 1 in which the substrate mounting portion 62 of the mounting member 61 and the peg 20 are integrated. Since the other components are the same as those of embodiment 1, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and the explanation of the structure, operation, and effect is omitted. The substrate mounting portion 62 of the mounting member 61 that constitutes the mounting module 60 of this embodiment 2 has a press-fit portion 63 formed therein. The peg 20 is integrated with the substrate mounting portion 62 (mounting member 61) by press-fitting its retained portion 22 into the press-fit portion 63.

[0042] [Other examples] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings, but is shown in the claims. The present invention includes the meaning of equivalents of the claims and all modifications within the claims, and also includes the following embodiments. The peg may be integrated with the fitting member. The mounting component and the mating component may be mated at a location other than the substrate mounting portion. The material of the mounting component and the material of the mating component may be the same. The material used for the mounting components may be something other than LCP. The material of the mating member may be something other than PBT. The mating member may be of a split type. In this case, the degree of freedom in the assembly direction of the mating member to the mounting member increases. That is, the mating member can be assembled to the mounting member from the rear or the side. The mounting components may be divided in the direction of the arrangement of terminal fittings (a direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board). The present invention can also be applied to circuit board connectors of the type in which the tabs of the terminal fittings face perpendicular to the circuit board. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] A... Connector for circuit board 10… Housing 11… Mounting components 12...Terminal holding part 13…Press-fit hole 14... Circuit board housing section 15… Guide outer surface 20... pegs 21...Plate-shaped solder section 22...Holded part 30… Fitting member 31…Food Department 32...Top wall part 33...Bottom wall 34... Side wall section 35...Positioning section 36… Guide interior 37... Stopper 38... Slit 39F...Front locking section 39R…Rear locking part 40…Terminal fittings 41...Terminal connection section 42... Circuit board connection section 43...legs 44...Board fixing part 45…Implementation Modules 50... Circuit board 51…Implementation aspects 52... Terminal pads 53... Fixed Land 55...Mutual connector 60…Implementation Modules 61… Mounting components 62... Circuit board mounting section 63... Press-fit section

Claims

1. Multiple terminal fittings surface-mounted on a circuit board, The facility comprises a housing fixed to the circuit board, which holds the plurality of terminal fittings so that they are aligned parallel to the circuit board, The aforementioned housing is A mounting member that holds the plurality of terminal fittings, A connector for a circuit board, comprising a mating member having a hood portion into which a mating connector is fitted, which is a separate component from the aforementioned mounting member.

2. The circuit board has pegs that are surface-mounted on the aforementioned circuit board, The connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the peg is integrated with the mounting member.

3. The connector for a circuit board according to claim 2, wherein the peg and the mounting member are integrated by insert molding.

4. The aforementioned mounting member is The terminal holding portion integrated with the aforementioned plurality of terminal fittings, It has a pair of left and right substrate mounting portions that are connected to both side edges of the terminal holding portion and are integrated with the peg, The substrate connector according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the pair of substrate mounting portions are fitted into positioning portions formed on the fitting member.

5. The terminal fitting has a board connection portion that extends to the rear of the mounting member and is soldered to the circuit board, The connector for a circuit board according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mating member is assembled to the mounting member from the front.

6. The fitting member is, A front locking portion that contacts the aforementioned mounting member from the front, The connector for a circuit board according to claim 5, further comprising a rear locking portion that locks with the mounting member from the rear.

7. The mounting member and the mating member are made of different materials, as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, for a circuit board connector.

Images