Electrical Connectors

Abstract

To improve the signal transmission characteristics of an electric connector.SOLUTION: An electric connector 1 includes contact pins 2L and 2U, insulating housings 3L and 3U that house the contact pins 2L and 2U inside, and metal outer contact covering housings 3L and 3U. The contact pins 2L and 2U each include a horizontal extension 21, a contact portion 22, a connection portion 23, a downward extension 24, and a press-fit shoulder 26 extending in the width direction from the side of the base end of the horizontal extension 21. The width of the press-fit shoulder 26 of each of the contact pins 2L and 2U decreases from the proximal side to the distal side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 17

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to electrical connectors used to provide a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable. [Background technology]

[0002] A combination of a receptacle connector and a plug connector is widely used to provide an electrical connection between an electronic device and another electronic device via a cable. In addition, with the recent improvement in the processing power of electronic devices, the amount of data transmitted from an electronic device to another electronic device via a cable is increasing. In order to transmit a large amount of data in a short time, it is necessary to transmit a high-frequency signal via a cable, and there is a need to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the cable, particularly the signal transmission characteristics of the cable in the high-frequency band. In response to such needs, a coaxial cable having high signal transmission characteristics in the high-frequency band is widely used. As is well known, a coaxial cable has a coaxial structure in which a core wire for transmitting a signal, an inner insulating layer covering the core wire, an outer conductor layer (braided layer) covering the inner insulating layer, and an outer insulating layer covering the outer conductor layer are concentrically arranged.

[0003] In order to provide such a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable, an electrical connector including a contact pin electrically connected to a core wire of the coaxial cable, an insulating housing covering the contact pin, and an outer contact covering the housing and further electrically connected to an outer conductor layer of the coaxial cable is widely used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). FIG. 1 shows a housing 10 and a contact pin 11 typically used in such an electrical connector. The housing 10 is an L-shaped member including a cylindrical portion 101 extending in the front-rear direction and a downward extension portion 102 extending downward from a base end portion of the cylindrical portion 101. The cylindrical portion 101 of the housing 10 has an insertion hole 103 formed therein, which penetrates the cylindrical portion 101 in the front-rear direction. The contact pin 11 includes a horizontal extension portion 111 that extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction and is held within the tubular portion 101 of the housing 10, a contact portion 112 that protrudes toward the tip side from the tip of the horizontal extension portion 111 and makes contact with a corresponding contact pin of the mating contact, a connection portion 113 that extends in a curved downward direction from the base end of the horizontal extension portion 111, a downward extension portion 114 that extends downward from the lower end of the connection portion 113, and a terminal portion 115 that is formed at the lower end of the downward extension portion 114 and is connected to a corresponding terminal of a circuit board.

[0004] 1, in order to hold the contact pin 11 in the housing 10, it is necessary to press the contact pin 11 into the insertion hole 103 of the housing 10. To enable the contact pin 11 to be pressed into the insertion hole 103 of the housing 10, a pair of press-fit shoulders 116 is formed at the base end of the horizontal extension portion 111 of the contact pin 11. By forming such a pair of press-fit shoulders 116 at the base end of the horizontal extension portion 111, it becomes possible to press the contact pin 11 into the insertion hole 103 of the housing 10 using a press-fitting tool 12 as shown in FIG.

[0005] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of press-fitting the contact pin 11 into the insertion hole 103 of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the contact pin 11 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 103 by using a press-fitting tool 12 through a press-fit window 104 formed on the base end side of the cylindrical portion 101 of the housing 10 so as to open to the base end side. The press-fitting tool 12 has a pair of protrusions 121 for pressing a pair of press-fit shoulders 116 of the contact pin 11, respectively. Each of the pair of protrusions 121 of the press-fitting tool 12 is a rod-shaped portion having a diameter that can be inserted into the press-fit window 104 of the housing 10 and protruding toward the tip side. The pair of protrusions 121 of the press-fitting tool 12 presses the pair of press-fit shoulders 116 of the contact pin 11, thereby allowing the contact pin 11 to be press-fitted into the insertion hole 103 of the housing 10. Thus, in an electrical connector providing a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable, it has been necessary to provide a pair of press-fit shoulders 116 at the base end of the horizontally extending portion 111 of the contact pin 11.

[0006] However, the terminal diameter (width) of the contact pin 11 increases in the portion where the press-fit shoulder 116 of the contact pin 11 is provided, which reduces the impedance of the portion where the press-fit shoulder 116 of the contact pin 11 is provided, resulting in a problem that the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector, particularly in the high frequency band, deteriorate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-12635 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and its object is to suppress deterioration of signal transmission characteristics caused by press-fit shoulders of contact pins of an electrical connector for providing a coaxial connection with a coaxial cable, thereby improving the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] Such objectives are as follows: 4 This is achieved by the present invention. (1) An electrical connector that can be connected to a mating connector that is inserted from the front end, A contact pin and an insulating housing that houses the contact pins therein; a metallic outer contact covering the housing; The contact pin is a horizontal extension portion located within the housing and extending linearly in a direction in which the mating connector is inserted and removed; a contact portion extending linearly from a tip end of the horizontal extension portion toward the tip end and exposed from the housing; A connection portion extending downward from a base end portion of the horizontal extension portion; a downward extension portion that extends linearly downward from a lower end portion of the connection portion; The horizontal extension portion is connected to the side of the base end portion of the mating connector. The above a press-in shoulder extending in a width direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction; The width of the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin decreases from the base end toward the tip end. And, the housing includes a cylindrical portion extending linearly in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, and a downward extension portion extending downward from a base end of the cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portion of the housing includes an insertion hole for inserting the contact pin therethrough, and a recess formed on a base end surface of the cylindrical portion, the recess opening toward the base end and communicating with the insertion hole; the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin is received within the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing; the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing is defined by a bottom surface facing the base end side and a wall portion extending from the bottom surface toward the base end side, The press-fit shoulder of the contact pin faces the bottom surface of the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing with a gap therebetween, whereby an air layer exists between the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin and the bottom surface of the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing. 1. An electrical connector comprising:

[0012] ( 2The bottom surface of the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing is a flat surface perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector. 1 ) An electrical connector as described in

[0013] ( 3 The base end of the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin protrudes from the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing toward the base end side. 1 )or( 2 ) An electrical connector as described in

[0014] ( 4 The width of the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin gradually decreases from the base end side to the tip end side. 3 13. The electrical connector according to claim 12, Effect of the Invention

[0015] In the present invention, the width of the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin of the electrical connector decreases from the base end to the tip end, so that the reduction in impedance at the portion where the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin is formed can be suppressed, and thus an electrical connector having improved signal transmission characteristics can be provided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a housing and contact pins typically used in a conventional electrical connector. [Diagram 2] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of press-fitting a contact pin into an insertion hole of the housing shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing an electrical connector of the present invention, a circuit board on which the electrical connector of the present invention is mounted, and a mating connector to be coupled with the electrical connector of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3, seen from a different angle. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the YZ plane including upper and lower contact pins of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a lower contact pin. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an upper contact pin. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing modified examples of the lower contact pins. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing a work-in-progress of a lower contact pin. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lower housing as seen from a different angle. [Figure 14] 13 is a perspective view for explaining a method of press-fitting a lower contact pin into a lower housing. FIG. [Figure 15] 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining a method of press-fitting a lower contact pin into a lower housing. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a perspective view showing the lower housing and the lower contact pin after the lower contact pin has been press-fitted into the lower housing; FIG. [Figure 17] 17 is an XZ plane cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 16. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an outer contact. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the shell seen from a different angle. [Figure 21] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining attachment of an outer contact to a shell. [Figure 22] FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the cover seen from a different angle. [Figure 24] 1 is a cross-sectional view of the YZ plane including the lower contact pins and the upper contact pins in a state in which the electrical connector and the mating connector are connected to each other. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electrical connector of the present invention. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the electrical connector of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 2 is a front view of the electrical connector of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the electrical connector of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the electrical connector of the present invention. [Diagram 30] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the electrical connector of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The electrical connector of the present invention will be described below based on a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings. The drawings referred to below are schematic diagrams prepared for the purpose of describing the present invention. The dimensions (length, width, thickness, etc.) of each component shown in the drawings do not necessarily reflect the actual dimensions. In addition, the same reference numbers are used for the same or corresponding components in each drawing. In the following description, the positive direction of the Z axis in each drawing is referred to as the "tip side" or "front side", the negative direction of the Z axis is referred to as the "base end side" or "rear side", the positive direction of the Y axis is referred to as the "upper side", the negative direction of the Y axis is referred to as the "lower side", the positive direction of the X axis is referred to as the "front side", and the negative direction of the X axis is referred to as the "rear side". In addition, the Z direction is referred to as the "insertion / removal direction of the mating connector", the Y direction is referred to as the "height direction", and the X direction is referred to as the "width direction".

[0018] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the electrical connector of the present invention, a circuit board on which the electrical connector of the present invention is mounted, and a mating connector to be connected to the electrical connector of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3 from another angle. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the YZ plane including the upper contact pin and the lower contact pin of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the lower contact pin. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the upper contact pin. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of the lower contact pin. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a work-in-progress of the lower contact pin. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the lower housing. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the lower housing from another angle. FIG. 14 is a perspective view for explaining a method of press-fitting the lower contact pin into the lower housing. FIG. 15 is a schematic view for explaining a method of press-fitting the lower contact pin into the lower housing. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing the lower housing and the lower contact pins after the lower contact pins have been press-fitted into the lower housing. Fig. 17 is an XZ plane cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in Fig. 16. Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the outer contact. Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the shell. Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the shell seen from another angle. Fig. 21 is a diagram for explaining attachment of the outer contact to the shell. Fig. 22 is a perspective view of the cover. Fig. 23 is a perspective view of the cover seen from another angle. Fig. 24 is a YZ plane cross-sectional view including the lower contact pins and the upper contact pins in a state in which the electrical connector and the mating connector are coupled.

[0019] 3, the electrical connector 1 of the present invention is a receptacle connector mounted on a circuit board 100 provided in an arbitrary device. When a mating connector (plug connector) 200 attached to one end of four coaxial cables 300 is inserted into the electrical connector 1 from the tip side and the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are coupled, an electrical connection is provided between the four coaxial cables 300 and the circuit board 100 via the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200.

[0020] The coaxial cable 300 has a coaxial structure in which a core wire (center conductor) 310, an inner insulating layer 320 covering the core wire 310, an outer conductor layer (braided layer) 330 covering the inner insulating layer 320, and an outer insulating layer 340 covering the outer conductor layer 330 are concentrically arranged. Although omitted in FIG. 3, the other end of the coaxial cable 300 is connected to a device other than the device including the circuit board 100. Therefore, when the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are connected, signal communication between the device including the circuit board 100 and the other device is possible via the coaxial cable 300. Typically, the device including the circuit board 100 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls the operation of an automobile, and the other device to which the other end of the coaxial cable 300 is connected is an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation system, a car audio system, an in-vehicle camera, an in-vehicle GPS, an in-vehicle TV, or an in-vehicle radio. By coupling the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200, high-speed signal communication between an in-vehicle device and an ECU via four coaxial cables 300 becomes possible. The electrical connector 1 may be a one-pin connector for providing a coaxial connection with one coaxial cable 300, or may be a multi-pin connector for providing a coaxial connection with a plurality of coaxial cables 300. Hereinafter, the electrical connector 1 will be described as a four-pin connector for providing a coaxial connection with four coaxial cables 300.

[0021] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, particularly Figure 7, the electrical connector 1 includes two lower contact pins 2L and two upper contact pins 2U that each contact corresponding contact pins 220 (see Figure 24) of the mating connector 200, two lower housings 3L each holding the two lower contact pins 2L, two upper housings 3U each holding the two upper contact pins 2U, four cylindrical outer contacts 4 that cover the two lower housings 3L and the two upper housings 3U, a metal shell 5 that holds the lower housings 3L, the upper housing 3U, and the outer contacts 4, a shielding member 6 inserted into the shell 5 to prevent electromagnetic interference between the two lower contact pins 2L and the two upper contact pins 2U, a lid body 7 that closes the shell 5 from the base end side, and a cover 8 attached to the tip side of the shell 5.

[0022] Each of the lower contact pins 2L and the upper contact pins 2U is an L-shaped member made of a conductive material such as a copper alloy. Each of the lower contact pins 2L and the upper contact pins 2U has a function of contacting a corresponding contact pin 220 of the mating connector 200 when the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are connected to each other, thereby providing an electrical connection between the mating connector 200 and the electrical connector 1. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, each of the lower contact pins 2L and the upper contact pins 2U includes a horizontal extension portion 21 extending linearly in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200, a contact portion 22 extending linearly from the tip of the horizontal extension portion 21 toward the tip side, a connection portion 23 extending in a curved manner downward from the base end of the horizontal extension portion 21, a downward extension portion 24 extending linearly downward from the lower end of the connection portion 23, and a contact portion 25 protruding downward from the lower end of the downward extension portion 24. The horizontal extending portion 21 has a terminal portion 25, a pair of press-fit shoulders 26 extending from both sides (both side surfaces in the X direction) of the base end of the horizontal extending portion 21 in the width direction (X direction, outward) of the lower contact pin 2L or the upper contact pin 2U perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200, and a pair of cut marks 27 protruding in the width direction of the lower contact pin 2L or the upper contact pin 2U from both sides of a portion of the horizontal extending portion 21 on the tip side of the portion where the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 are formed. The lower contact pin 2L and the upper contact pin 2U have the same configuration except that the horizontal extending portion 21 and the downward extending portion 24 have different lengths, so that the structure of the lower contact pin 2L will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 8 as a representative.

[0023] The horizontal extension portion 21 is a plate-like portion extending linearly in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. When the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312 (see FIG. 7) formed in the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L, the horizontal extension portion 21 is located inside the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L. In particular, as shown in FIG. 6, a portion of the horizontal extension portion 21 other than the base end portion is held in the insertion hole 312 formed in the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L, whereby the lower contact pin 2L is held by the lower housing 3L.

[0024] The contact portion 22 is a columnar portion extending linearly from the tip of the horizontally extending portion 21 toward the tip side. In addition, in a state in which the lower contact pin 2L is held by the lower housing 3L, the contact portion 22 protrudes toward the tip side from the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L and is exposed. When the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are connected, the contact portion 22 comes into contact with the corresponding contact pin 220 of the mating connector 200, and an electrical connection between the mating connector 200 and the electrical connector 1 is provided.

[0025] The connection portion 23 is a plate-like portion that connects the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24. The connection portion 23 is curved downward from the base end of the horizontal extension portion 21. The downward extension portion 24 is a plate-like portion that extends linearly downward from the lower end of the connection portion 23. When the lower contact pin 2L is held by the lower housing 3L, the downward extension portion 24 is located within the downward extension portion 32 (see FIG. 7) of the lower housing 3L. The terminal portion 25 is a cone-like portion formed to protrude downward from the lower end of the downward extension portion 24. When the lower contact pin 2L is held by the lower housing 3L, the terminal portion 25 extends downward from the lower contact pin 2L and is exposed. The terminal portion 25 is connected to a corresponding terminal 120 (see FIG. 3) of the circuit board 100.

[0026] The pair of press-fit shoulders 26 are plate-like portions extending from both sides (both side surfaces in the X direction) of the base end of the horizontal extension portion 21 toward the width direction (X direction) of the lower contact pin 2L. The thickness (length in the Y direction) of each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 is the same as the thickness of the horizontal extension portion 21. Therefore, the upper surface of the horizontal extension portion 21 and the upper surfaces of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 are located on the same plane. Similarly, the lower surface of the horizontal extension portion 21 and the lower surfaces of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 are also located on the same plane. The thickness of the horizontal extension portion 21 and the thickness of each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 may be set to different values ​​as appropriate depending on the shape, state, etc. of the lower housing 3L into which the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted.

[0027] Each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 has a tapered shape in which the width (length in the X direction) gradually decreases from the base end side (-Z direction) toward the tip end side (+Z direction). In addition, the base end surface (end surface in the -Z direction) of each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 is a flat surface perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. As will be described later, the base end surfaces of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 are pressed by a press-fitting tool 400 (see FIG. 15 ) to press the lower contact pin 2L into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L. In the illustrated configuration, each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 has a tapered shape in which the width gradually decreases (monotonically decreases) from the base end side toward the tip end side, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIGS. 10A and 10B show modified examples of the lower contact pin 2L. In the modified lower contact pin 2L shown in Fig. 10A, the width of each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 decreases discontinuously from the base end side (-Z direction) to the tip end side (+Z direction), and each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 is stepped in the XZ plane view. In the modified lower contact pin 2L shown in Fig. 11B, the width of each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 decreases non-monotonically from the base end side (-Z direction) to the tip end side (+Z direction), and each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 is arc-shaped in the XZ plane view. The embodiments using the modified lower contact pin 2L shown in Figs. 10A and 10B are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0028] The pair of cut marks 27 are portions that protrude in the width direction of the lower contact pin 2L from both side surfaces of a portion on the tip side of the portion of the horizontal extension portion 21 where the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 are formed. The pair of cut marks 27 are parts of the carrier 28 (see FIG. 11) that remain on the horizontal extension portion 21 of the lower contact pin 2L when the lower contact pin 2L is separated from the carrier 28 during manufacturing of the lower contact pin 2L. Hereinafter, the manufacturing process of the lower contact pin 2L will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 11.

[0029] In the manufacturing process of the lower contact pin 2L, first, a metal plate is punched into a predetermined shape to obtain a work-in-progress as shown in FIG. 11. At the stage of the work-in-progress, the connection portion 23 of the lower contact pin 2L is not bent, and the carrier 28 is connected to both side surfaces of a portion of the horizontal extension portion 21 of the lower contact pin 2L that is on the tip side of the portion where the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 are formed. In this state, a cutting process is performed on the portion shown by the dotted line in FIG. 11, and the lower contact pin 2L is separated from the carrier 28. After such cutting process, a portion of the carrier 28 remaining on the horizontal extension portion 21 is a pair of cut marks 27.

[0030] Next, a bending process is performed to bend the connection portion 23 of the lower contact pin 2L downward (in the -Y direction), and the lower contact pin 2L shown in FIG. 8 is obtained. During the bending process, it is preferable to bend the connection portion 23 so that the angle formed by the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L is slightly larger than 90 degrees. More specifically, it is preferable to bend the connection portion 23 so that the angle between the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L is about 91 to 92 degrees. By making the angle between the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24 slightly larger than 90 degrees at the time of manufacturing the lower contact pin 2L, it becomes possible to adjust the angle between the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L when the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L. Specifically, when the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L, the downward extension 24 of the lower contact pin 2L is pressed against the rear rib 325 (see FIG. 13) formed on the inside of the downward extension 32 of the lower housing 3L, so that the angle between the horizontal extension 21 and the downward extension 24 of the lower contact pin 2L can be adjusted. In the above description, the lower contact pin 2L is bent after being separated from the carrier 28, but the present invention is not limited to this. The lower contact pin 2L may be separated from the carrier 28 after being bent. The manufacturing process of the lower contact pin 2L has been described above, but the manufacturing method of the upper contact pin 2U is the same as the manufacturing process of the lower contact pin 2L, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0031] The lower contact pin 2L as described above is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L and held by the lower housing 3L. Similarly, the upper contact pin 2U is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312 of the upper housing 3U and held by the upper housing 3U. Each of the lower housing 3L and the upper housing 3U is made of an insulating material having elasticity such as a resin material. As shown in FIG. 7, each of the lower housing 3L and the upper housing 3U includes a cylindrical portion 31 extending in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector 200 and a downward extension portion 32 extending downward from the base end of the cylindrical portion 31. The lower housing 3L and the upper housing 3U have the same configuration except that the lengths of the cylindrical portion 31 and the downward extension portion 32 are different. Therefore, the structure of the lower housing 3L will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, and the structure of the upper housing 3U will not be described.

[0032] 12 and 13, the tubular portion 31 is a tubular portion extending linearly in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. The tubular portion 31 includes four ribs 311 formed at equal angular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion 31, an insertion hole 312 penetrating the tubular portion 31 in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector 200, a ceiling portion 313 extending from an upper portion of the base end surface of the tubular portion 31 toward the base end side, and a recess 33 formed on the base end surface of the tubular portion 31 and opening toward the base end side.

[0033] The four ribs 311 are formed at equal angular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the tubular portion 31 and are protrusions that extend linearly in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. When the lower housing 3L is press-fitted into the outer contact 4, the four ribs 311 elastically deform and come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the outer contact 4. This structure ensures coaxiality between the lower housing 3L and the outer contact 4 and prevents the lower housing 3L from coming off the outer contact 4. Furthermore, by ensuring coaxiality between the lower housing 3L and the outer contact 4, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be improved.

[0034] In the illustrated embodiment, four ribs 311 are formed at equal angular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 31, but the number of ribs 311 formed at equal angular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 31 is not limited to this, and three, five or more ribs 311 may be formed at equal angular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 31. By forming at least three ribs 311 at equal angular intervals on the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 31, it is possible to obtain the effect of ensuring the coaxiality between the lower housing 3L and the outer contact 4 as described above, and the effect of preventing the lower housing 3L from coming off the outer contact 4.

[0035] The insertion hole 312 penetrates the cylindrical portion 31 at the center of the cylindrical portion 31 in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector 200. As described above, the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312. The insertion hole 312 has a shape corresponding to the horizontal extension portion 21 of the lower contact pin 2L, and a portion of the horizontal extension portion 21 of the lower contact pin 2L excluding the base end portion is held in the insertion hole 312.

[0036] The ceiling portion 313 extends from the upper portion of the base end surface of the cylindrical portion 31 toward the base end side, and covers the connection portion 23 and the downward extension portion 32 of the lower contact pin 2L from above with a gap therebetween. The ceiling portion 313 protrudes from the base end surface of the cylindrical portion 31 toward the base end side so that the upper surface of the ceiling portion 313 is continuous with the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 31. The lower surface of the ceiling portion 313 is a flat surface perpendicular to the Y axis. The corner formed by the base end surface and the lower surface of the ceiling portion 313 is chamfered, and a slope 314 is formed between the base end surface and the lower surface of the ceiling portion 313.

[0037] The recess 33 has a function of accommodating a pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L therein when the lower contact pin 2L is held by the lower housing 3L. As shown in FIG. 13, the recess 33 is formed on the base end surface of the tubular portion 31 so as to open toward the base end side, and further communicates with the insertion hole 312. The recess 33 is defined by a bottom surface 331 facing the base end side and a wall portion 332 extending from the bottom surface 331 to the base end side. The bottom surface 331 is a flat surface perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200, and the insertion hole 312 is formed in the center of the bottom surface 331 in the width direction (X direction). The wall portion 332 is a portion extending from the four edges of the bottom surface 331 toward the base end side so as to surround the bottom surface 331. A slope 315a sloping from the base end side toward the tip end side is formed between the upper wall portion 332 and the lower surface of the ceiling portion 313. Meanwhile, a slope 315b sloping from the base end side toward the tip end side is formed between the lower wall portion 332 and the downward extension portion 32. These slopes 315a and 315b function as guide portions when the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312.

[0038] The downward extension portion 32 is a portion that accommodates the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L when the lower contact pin 2L is held by the lower housing 3L. The downward extension portion 32 includes a front plate 321 extending downward from a lower portion of the base end surface of the tubular portion 31, and a pair of walls 322 extending from both ends of the front plate 321 in the width direction (X direction) toward the base end side.

[0039] The front plate 321 is a plate-like portion extending vertically downward from a lower portion of the base end surface of the cylindrical portion 31. As shown in Fig. 12, a front rib 323 extending linearly along the width direction (X direction) of the front plate 321 is formed on the tip end surface of the front plate 321. The front rib 323 is a portion that comes into contact with the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5 when the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L is inserted from the base end side into the insertion hole 53 (see Fig. 7) of the shell 5, and serves to position the lower housing 3L and correct the angle formed by the front plate 321 and the base end surface of the cylindrical portion 31.

[0040] When the lower housing 3L is obtained by molding using an insulating material having elasticity such as a resin material, the angle formed by the front plate 321 and the cylindrical portion 31 tends to deviate from 90 degrees due to shrinkage of the insulating material after molding. Such deformation of a molded product due to shrinkage of the insulating material after molding is called molding collapse. In the present invention, when the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L is inserted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the front rib 323 formed on the tip surface of the front plate 321 contacts the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5. Therefore, even if the angle formed by the front plate 321 and the cylindrical portion 31 deviates from 90 degrees due to molding collapse, the front rib 323 contacts the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5, so that the angle formed by the front plate 321 and the cylindrical portion 31 can be corrected. In this way, by correcting the angle formed by the front plate 321 and the cylindrical portion 31 to 90 degrees, it is possible to make constant the positional relationship between the lower housing 3L and the lower contact pins 2L housed in the lower housing 3L (i.e., the distance and interval between the lower contact pins 2L and the insulating material), thereby stabilizing the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1. In addition, by the front rib 323 coming into contact with the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5, it is possible to prevent the lower housing 3L from rattling within the main body portion 51 of the shell 5.

[0041] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, a rear rib 325 is formed on the base end surface of the front plate 321, extending linearly along the width direction (X direction) of the front plate 321. The rear rib 325 is formed at a position facing the front rib 323 across the front plate 321. The rear rib 325 is provided to adjust the angle formed by the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L. As described above, the lower contact pin 2L is formed so that the angle formed by the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24 is slightly larger than 90 degrees. Therefore, when the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L, the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L is pressed against the rear rib 325 formed on the inside of the downward extension portion 32 of the lower housing 3L, thereby adjusting the angle formed by the horizontal extension portion 21 and the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L. As a result, the angle formed by the front plate 321 of the lower housing 3L and the base end surface of the tubular portion 31 accurately coincides with the angle formed by the horizontal extension portion 21 and downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L.

[0042] The pair of walls 322 are plate-like portions extending from both ends of the front plate 321 in the width direction toward the base end. The base end surface of the front plate 321 and the inner surfaces of the pair of walls 322 define an internal space of the downward extension portion 32. When the lower contact pin 2L is held by the lower housing 3L, the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L is located in the internal space of the downward extension portion 32 of the lower housing 3L. A side rib 324 is formed on each outer surface of the pair of walls 322. The side rib 324 extends linearly in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200 on each outer surface of the pair of walls 322. The side rib 324 is provided to position the lower housing 3L when the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L is inserted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. In addition, when the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L is inserted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the lateral ribs 324 come into contact with the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5, thereby preventing the lower housing 3L from rattling inside the main body portion 51 of the shell 5.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 14, the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the lower housing 3L. Hereinafter, the process of press-fitting the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. Note that the process of press-fitting the upper contact pin 2U into the upper housing 3U is similar to the process of press-fitting the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L, so a description of the process of press-fitting the upper contact pin 2U into the upper housing 3U will be omitted.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 14, the lower contact pin 2L is pressed into the lower housing 3L from the base end side. When the lower contact pin 2L is pressed into the lower housing 3L, as shown in FIG. 15, a press-fitting tool 400 is used to press the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L. The press-fitting tool 400 has a pair of protrusions 410 that press the base end surfaces of the pair of press-fitting shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L, respectively, and a recess 420 for receiving the connection portion 23 and the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L. The pair of protrusions 410 are block-shaped portions whose tip surfaces are flat surfaces perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. The thickness (length in the Y direction) of each of the pair of protrusions 410 is approximately equal to the distance between the lower surface of the ceiling portion 313 of the lower housing 3L and the upper surfaces of the pair of wall portions 322 of the downward extension portion 32. Therefore, the pair of protrusions 410 can be inserted into the space between the lower surface of the ceiling portion 313 of the lower housing 3L and the upper surfaces of the pair of wall portions 322 of the downward extension portion 32. In addition, when the connection portion 23 and the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L are positioned in the recess 420 and the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the lower housing 3L, the outer sides of the pair of protrusions 410 protrude outward in the width direction beyond the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L, as shown in FIG.

[0045] First, the contact portion 22 of the lower contact pin 2L is inserted from the base end side into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L. Next, the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400 are brought into contact with the base end surfaces of the pair of press-fitting shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L, respectively. Next, the press-fitting tool 400 is pressed toward the tip end side to press the lower contact pin 2L into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L. Thereafter, the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L comes into contact with the rear rib 325 of the lower housing 3L, and the positioning of the lower contact pin 2L in the lower housing 3L is performed. Thereafter, the pressure on the lower contact pin 2L by the press-fitting tool 400 is released, and the press-fitting of the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L is completed.

[0046] 15, at the stage where the press-fitting of the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L is completed, the base ends 261 of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L protrude toward the base end side from the recess 33 formed on the base end surface of the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L and are exposed. With this configuration, the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400 can be used to press the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L until the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L comes into contact with the rear rib 325 of the lower housing 3L and the positioning of the lower contact pin 2L within the lower housing 3L is performed.

[0047] In this way, in the lower housing 3L of the present invention, a space for inserting the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400 is formed between the lower surface of the ceiling portion 313 of the lower housing 3L and the upper surfaces of the pair of wall portions 322 of the downward extension portion 32. Furthermore, there is no portion between the lower surface of the ceiling portion 313 of the lower housing 3L and the upper surfaces of the pair of wall portions 322 of the downward extension portion 32 that prevents the insertion of the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400. Therefore, the entire surfaces of the base end surfaces of the pair of press-fitting shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L can be pressed by the press-fitting tool 400 having the pair of protrusions 410 whose tip surfaces are flat surfaces as shown in FIG.

[0048] On the other hand, in the housing 10 typically used in the conventional electrical connector described with reference to FIG. 2, a press-fit window 104 is formed on the base end side of the cylindrical portion 101 of the housing 10. However, when the contact pin 11 of the conventional electrical connector is press-fitted into the housing 10 using the press-fitting tool 400, the wall portions on both sides in the width direction among the four wall portions defining the press-fitting window 104 come into contact with a pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400. Therefore, the contact pin 11 cannot be press-fitted into the housing 10 using the press-fitting tool 400. For this reason, when the contact pin 11 of the conventional electrical connector is press-fitted into the housing 10, it is necessary to use the press-fitting tool 12 having a pair of rod-shaped protrusions 121 protruding toward the tip side, as described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0049] In the electrical connector 1 of the present invention, a space for inserting a pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400 is formed between the underside of the ceiling portion 313 of the lower housing 3L and the upper surfaces of a pair of wall portions 322 of the downward extension portion 32, so there is no need to pinpoint press the base end surfaces of the pair of press-fitting shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L using a press-fitting tool 12 having a pair of rod-shaped protrusions 121 protruding toward the tip side, as described with reference to Figure 2.

[0050] The lower contact pin 2L is more stably pressed into the lower housing 3L by pressing the entire surface of the base end surface of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L with the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fit tool 400 than by pinpoint pressing the base end surface of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L with the pair of rod-shaped protrusions 121 of the press-fit tool 12. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the electrical connector 1 of the present invention, the press-fitting process of the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L is performed using the press-fit tool 400 having the pair of protrusions 410 whose tip portions are flat, so that the press-fitting process of the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L can be performed quickly and stably. As a result, the productivity of the electrical connector 1 can be improved.

[0051] FIG. 16 shows the lower housing 3L and the lower contact pin 2L after the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the lower housing 3L. FIG. 17 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 16, which passes through the horizontal extension 21 of the lower contact pin 2L. As shown in FIG. 16, the downward extension 24 of the lower contact pin 2L is located in the internal space of the downward extension 32 of the lower housing 3L. Also, as shown in FIG. 17, the portion of the horizontal extension 21 of the lower contact pin 2L, excluding the base end portion, is located in the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L. Also, a pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L are located in the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L.

[0052] 16 and 17, the base ends 261 of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L protrude toward the base end side beyond the wall portion 332 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L. Therefore, the base ends 261 of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L are exposed from the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L.

[0053] The pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L face the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L via a gap. Therefore, an air layer exists between the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L. As is well known, the dielectric constant of air is 1.0, which is lower than the dielectric constant of the conductive material constituting the lower contact pin 2L. Therefore, by providing an air layer between the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L, it is possible to suppress a decrease in impedance at the location where the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L are formed.

[0054] In particular, each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L has a tapered shape whose width gradually decreases from the base end side to the tip end side. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 17, the distance between the tip side surface (front surface) of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L gradually increases from the tip end side to the base end side. Therefore, the thickness of the air layer between the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L gradually increases from the tip end side to the base end side. With this configuration, it is possible to more effectively suppress the decrease in impedance at the location where the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L are formed.

[0055] 16 and 17, the relationship between the lower contact pin 2L and the lower housing 3L and the effect of suppressing impedance decrease due to the shape of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L have been described in detail, but these descriptions can also be applied to the upper contact pin 2U and the upper housing 3U. In other words, the effect of suppressing impedance decrease due to the relationship between the upper contact pin 2U and the upper housing 3U and the shape of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the upper contact pin 2U is similar to the effect of suppressing impedance decrease due to the relationship between the lower contact pin 2L and the lower housing 3L and the shape of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L.

[0056] Returning to Fig. 7, the four outer contacts 4 each function as an external conductor that covers the cylindrical portions 31 of the two lower housings 3L and the two upper housings 3U from the outside. When the mating connector 200 is connected to the electrical connector 1, the four outer contacts 4 each come into contact with a corresponding outer contact 230 (see Fig. 24) of the mating connector 200, thereby equalizing the ground potential of the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200. All four outer contacts 4 have the same structure except for the different mounting angles relative to the shell 5, so that one outer contact 4 will be described in detail below as a representative example.

[0057] 18, the outer contact 4 is a cylindrical member made of a metal material. The outer contact 4 includes a cylindrical main body 41, four ribs 42 protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 41, and a pair of positioning protrusions 43 protruding outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 41.

[0058] The main body 41 is a cylindrical portion extending linearly in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. The four ribs 42 are formed to prevent the outer contact 4 from coming off the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 due to its own weight, and to ensure coaxiality between the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. The four ribs 42 are formed at equal angular intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion of the main body 41, and extend linearly in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector 200. The four ribs 42 are elastically deformable inward. Therefore, when the outer contact 4 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the four ribs 42 are elastically deformed inward. After the outer contact 4 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the four ribs 42 come into contact with the inner side surface of the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, so that the outer contact 4 is fixed in the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. This makes it possible to prevent the outer contact 4 from coming off from the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 due to its own weight. Also, since the four ribs 42 abut against the inner side of the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, it is possible to ensure coaxiality between the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. Furthermore, by ensuring coaxiality between the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, it is possible to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1.

[0059] In the illustrated embodiment, four ribs 42 are formed at equal angular intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion of the main body 41, but the number of ribs 42 formed at equal angular intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion of the main body 41 is not limited to this, and three, five or more ribs 42 may be formed at equal angular intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion of the main body 41. By forming at least three ribs 42 at equal angular intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the base end portion of the main body 41, it is possible to obtain the effect of ensuring the coaxiality between the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 described above.

[0060] The pair of positioning protrusions 43 are provided to regulate the mounting angle of the outer contact 4 to the shell 5. Each of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 is a plate-like portion formed so as to extend linearly outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body 41. The pair of positioning protrusions 43 face each other across a gap. The base end of each of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 is integrated with the outer circumferential surface of the main body 41 and extends linearly in the radial direction of the main body 41. The height of each of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 is higher than the height of four ribs 42 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 41. The outer contact 4 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 in such an orientation that the pair of positioning protrusions 43 are inserted into positioning recesses 531 (see FIG. 21 ) of the shell 5 described later, so that the mounting angle of the outer contact 4 to the shell 5 is regulated.

[0061] 7, the shell 5 functions as a housing for accommodating each component of the electrical connector 1, and also functions as an electrical path for electrically connecting between the four outer contacts 4 and the ground terminal 110 on the circuit board 100. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, the shell 5 is a box-shaped member made of a metal material. The shell 5 includes a main body 51 consisting of a front plate 511, a pair of side walls 512, and a top plate 513, a press-fit protrusion 52 formed on the tip surface of the front plate 511 of the main body 51, four insertion holes 53 penetrating the front plate 511 and the press-fit protrusion 52 of the main body 51, four press-fit recesses 54 formed on the press-fit protrusion 52, an engagement portion 55 and a pair of locking portions 56 formed on the outer surfaces of each of the pair of side walls 512, four ground terminals 57 extending downward from the lower end of the main body 51, and a partition portion 58 inside the main body 51 for preventing electromagnetic interference between the two lower housings 3L and the two upper housings 3U, together with the shielding member 6.

[0062] The main body 51 includes a front plate 511, a pair of side walls 512 extending from the widthwise ends of the front plate 511 toward the base end, and a top plate 513 extending from the upper end of the front plate 511 toward the base end, and has a box-like shape that is open toward the base end and downward. The components of the electrical connector 1 are housed in the internal space of the main body 51 defined by the front plate 511, the pair of side walls 512, and the inner surface of the top plate 513.

[0063] 19, the press-fit protrusion 52 is formed to protrude toward the tip side from the tip side surface of the front plate 511 of the main body 51. The press-fit protrusion 52 has a shape corresponding to a press-fit recess 83 (see FIG. 23) of the cover 8, which will be described later. When the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the press-fit protrusion 52 of the shell 5 is press-fitted into the press-fit recess 83 of the cover 8.

[0064] The four insertion holes 53 are circular holes formed to penetrate the front plate 511 and the press-fit protrusions 52 of the main body 51 in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. Four outer contacts 4 are press-fitted into the four insertion holes 53 from the tip side. Each of the insertion holes 53 includes a positioning recess 531 for receiving a pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4, four first guide portions 532 for guiding the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4, a locking surface 533 for locking the insertion of the outer contact 4, and two second guide portions 534 for guiding the upper two of the four ribs 311 of the lower housing 3L or the upper housing 3U.

[0065] The positioning recess 531 is formed to receive the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4. The positioning recess 531 is formed on the press-fit protrusion 52 so as to communicate with the insertion hole 53 and extend in the radial direction of the insertion hole 53. As shown in FIG. 21 , the outer contact 4 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 with the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 positioned in the positioning recess 531. With this configuration, it is possible to position the outer contact 4 with respect to the shell 5. When the outer contact 4 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the base end surfaces of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 abut against the positioning recess 531 of the shell 5.

[0066] Furthermore, the depth (length in the Z direction) of the positioning recess 531 is adjusted so that, when the outer contact 4 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the tip ends of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 are exposed from the positioning recess 531 toward the tip side. Therefore, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 are sandwiched between the shell 5 and the cover 8. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the outer contact 4 from coming off the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, and further to prevent the outer contact 4 from rattling within the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5.

[0067] Returning to FIG. 19, the four first guide portions 532 are recesses formed at the tip of the insertion hole 53 to guide the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4, and the depth of the recesses gradually decreases from the tip side to the base side. When the outer contact 4 is press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 with the pair of positioning projections 43 of the outer contact 4 positioned in the positioning recesses 531, the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4 come into contact with the four first guide portions 532. Since the depth of the first guide portions 532 gradually decreases from the tip side to the base side, each of the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4 is elastically deformed inward as it slides on the first guide portions 532. This configuration makes it easy to press the outer contact 4 into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. Furthermore, the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4 come into contact with the inner side of the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, thereby ensuring coaxiality between the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. As described above, by ensuring coaxiality between the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be improved.

[0068] Furthermore, the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4 are pressed against the inner surface of the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 by their own elastic restoring force, thereby ensuring an electrical connection between the outer contact 4 and the shell 5. As described below, the shell 5 is electrically connected to the ground terminal 110 of the circuit board 100 via the ground terminal 57, so that by ensuring an electrical connection between the outer contact 4 and the shell 5, the potential of the outer contact 4 can be reliably set to ground potential, and the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be stabilized.

[0069] 21, when the outer contacts 4 have been press-fitted into the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, the tips of the four ribs 42 formed on the main body 41 of the outer contact 4 protrude further toward the tip side than the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5 and are exposed. After the four outer contacts 4 are press-fitted into the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5 from the tip side, the four ribs 42 of the outer contacts 4 abut against the inner side surfaces of the insertion holes 82 of the cover 8 (see FIGS. 22 and 23). With this configuration, it is possible to ensure coaxiality between the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, the outer contacts 4, and the insertion holes 82 of the cover 8.

[0070] The locking surface 533 is a flat surface formed in the insertion hole 53 and perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. Press-fitting of the outer contact 4 into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 is completed when the outer contact 4 abuts against the locking surface 533. The diameter of the portion of the insertion hole 53 in front of the locking surface 533 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the main body portion 41 of the outer contact 4, and the diameter of the portion of the insertion hole 53 behind the locking surface 533 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L or the upper housing 3U.

[0071] 20, the two second guide portions 534 are recesses formed on the upper surface of the base end portion of the insertion hole 53 so as to extend linearly in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. When the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L or the upper housing 3U is inserted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 from the base end side, the upper two of the four ribs 311 formed on the tubular portion 31 of the lower housing 3L or the upper housing 3U are inserted into the two second guide portions 534, respectively. With this configuration, the lower housing 3L or the upper housing 3U can be positioned relative to the shell 5.

[0072] Returning to FIG. 19, the four press-fit recesses 54 are recesses formed on the press-fit protrusion 52 at the upper, lower, left side, and right side of the four insertion holes 53 so as to sandwich the four insertion holes 53 from above, below, left, and right. Each of the four press-fit recesses 54 has a shape corresponding to four protrusions 85 (see FIG. 23) of the cover 8, which will be described later. When the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the four protrusions 85 of the cover 8 are press-fitted into each of the four press-fit recesses 54. With this configuration, the prying strength of the attachment of the cover 8 to the shell 5 can be improved.

[0073] The engaging portion 55 is formed so as to protrude outward from the outer surface of each of the pair of side walls 512. The engaging portion 55 has a tapered shape whose height gradually increases from the tip side toward the base end side, and the tip surface of the engaging portion 55 is inclined. On the other hand, the base end surface of the engaging portion 55 is a flat surface perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. The engaging portion 55 engages with an engaging hole 861 (see FIGS. 22 and 23) of the cover 8 described later, thereby enabling the cover 8 to be attached to the shell 5.

[0074] The pair of locking portions 56 are formed so as to protrude outward from the outer surfaces of the pair of side walls 512. The tip surface of the locking portion 56 is a flat surface perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. When the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the base end surfaces of the pair of protruding pieces 86 (see Figs. 22 and 23) of the cover 8 abut against the tip surfaces of the locking portions 56, and the attachment of the cover 8 to the shell 5 is locked. The base end surfaces of the pair of protruding pieces 86 of the cover 8 abut against the tip surfaces of the locking portions 56, thereby positioning the cover 8 relative to the shell 5. In addition, after the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the pair of locking portions 56 may be deformed using an appropriate tool so as to press the protruding pieces 86 of the cover 8 onto the side walls 512 from the outside. By performing such an operation, it is possible to prevent the protruding pieces 86 of the cover 8 from opening outward.

[0075] The four ground terminals 57 extend downward from the lower end of the main body 51. The four ground terminals 57 are respectively connected to corresponding ground terminals 110 (see FIG. 3) of the circuit board 100. As described above, the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4 are pressed against the inner surface of the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 by their own elastic restoring force, so that the shell 5 and the outer contact 4 are electrically connected. Furthermore, the shell 5 is electrically connected to the ground terminals 110 of the circuit board 100 via the ground terminals 57, so that the potential of the outer contact 4 electrically connected to the shell 5 becomes equal to the ground potential.

[0076] 20, the partition portion 58 is a plate-like portion extending along the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200 so as to separate adjacent insertion holes 53 in the width direction inside the main body portion 51. The partition portion 58 has a function of preventing electromagnetic interference between the two lower contact pins 2L and between the two upper contact pins 2U in a state in which the two lower housings 3L and the two upper housings 3U are held inside the shell 5.

[0077] Further, a press-fit groove 581 for press-fitting the shielding member 6 is formed on the inner surface of each of the pair of side walls 512 and the partition portion 58. By inserting the shielding member 6 into the press-fit groove 581, it is possible to prevent electromagnetic interference between the lower contact pin 2L and the upper contact pin 2U adjacent to each other in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. Further, the partition portion 58 of the shell 5, the shielding member 6, and the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5 define two housing storage compartments 59 for respectively storing the two lower housings 3L.

[0078] Furthermore, a fitting groove 582 for fitting the lid body 7 is formed in the base end portion of the inner surface of each of the pair of side walls 512. By fitting the lid body 7 into the fitting groove 582, the base end portion of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5 is closed. Moreover, the partition portion 58 of the shell 5, the shield member 6, the lid body 7, and the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5 define two housing storage compartments 59 for respectively storing the two upper housings 3U.

[0079] Returning to FIG. 7, as described above, the shielding member 6 is press-fitted into the press-fit groove 581 of the shell 5 from below the shell 5, and has a function of preventing electromagnetic interference between the lower contact pin 2L and the upper contact pin 2U adjacent to each other in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. The shielding member 6 is a plate-shaped member made of the same metal material as the shell 5. The shielding member 6 includes a plate-shaped main body portion 61, three press-fit protrusions 62 formed on the main body portion 61, and a terminal portion 63 extending downward from the main body portion 61. The three press-fit protrusions 62 are formed side by side in the width direction of the main body portion 61. One of the three press-fit protrusions 62 in the center protrudes toward the tip end side, and the two on the left and right protrude toward the base end side. When the shielding member 6 is press-fitted into the press-fit groove 581 of the shell 5, the three press-fit protrusions 62 elastically deform inward and come into contact with the press-fit groove 581 of the shell 5. This configuration prevents the shield member 6 from coming off the press-fit groove 581 of the shell 5. The terminal portion 63 extends downward from the main body portion 61, and is connected to a corresponding shield terminal 130 of the circuit board 100 (see FIG. 3).

[0080] The lid body 7 has a function of closing the base end opening of the shell 5. The lid body 7 is a plate-like member made of the same metal material as the shell 5. The lid body 7 includes a plate-like main body portion 71 and two pairs of fitting protrusions 72 formed so as to protrude outward from both side surfaces of the main body portion 71. The lid body 7 is attached to the shell 5 by fitting the two pairs of fitting protrusions 72 of the lid body 7 into the fitting grooves 582 of the shell 5.

[0081] The cover 8 is attached to the shell 5 and has a function of guiding the connection between the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200. As shown in Fig. 22 and Fig. 23, the cover 8 includes a square cylindrical main body 81 that opens to the tip side, four insertion holes 82 formed on the base end surface of the main body 81, a press-fit recess 83 formed on the base end surface of the main body 81, four projections 84 formed in the press-fit recess 83, four convex portions 85 that protrude from the press-fit recess 83 to the base end side, a pair of projection pieces 86 that extend from the main body 81 to the base end side, and a receiving portion 87 formed on the upper surface of the main body 81 for receiving a positioning convex portion 211 (see Fig. 3) of the mating connector 200.

[0082] The main body 81 has a square tube shape that opens at the tip side. The mating connector 200 is inserted into the tip side opening of the main body 81, thereby guiding the connection between the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200. The four insertion holes 82 are circular openings formed on the base end surface of the main body 81. When the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the four outer contacts 4 protruding from the shell 5 at the tip side are inserted into the insertion holes 82 of the cover 8. At this time, the tip portions of the four ribs 42 of the outer contacts 4 abut against the inner side surfaces of the insertion holes 82 of the cover 8. With this configuration, it is possible to ensure coaxiality between the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, the outer contacts 4, and the insertion holes 82 of the cover 8.

[0083] 23, the press-fit recess 83 is formed on the base end surface of the main body 81. The press-fit recess 83 has a shape corresponding to the press-fit protrusion 52 of the shell 5 described above. When the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the press-fit protrusion 52 of the shell 5 is press-fitted into the press-fit recess 83 of the cover 8, increasing the attachment strength of the cover 8 to the shell 5.

[0084] The four protrusions 84 are formed in the press-fit recess 83 so as to face the four positioning recesses 531 of the shell 5, respectively, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5. Each of the four protrusions 84 has a conical shape whose diameter gradually decreases from the tip side toward the base side. As described above, the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 is located in the positioning recess 531 of the shell 5, and further, the tip portions of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 protrude from the positioning recess 531 of the shell 5 to the tip side. Therefore, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the protrusions 84 come into contact with the tip portions of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4. Therefore, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 are sandwiched between the cover 8 and the shell 5. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the outer contact 4 from coming off the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, and further to prevent the outer contact 4 from rattling in the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5.

[0085] The four protrusions 85 are formed in the press-fit recess 83 so as to face the four press-fit recesses 54 of the shell 5, respectively, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5. The protrusions 85 have a shape corresponding to the press-fit recesses 54 of the shell 5. Therefore, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the four protrusions 85 of the cover 8 are press-fitted into the four press-fit recesses 54 of the shell 5, respectively. With this configuration, the prying strength of the attachment of the cover 8 to the shell 5 can be improved.

[0086] The pair of protruding pieces 86 are plate-like portions extending from both ends in the width direction of the base end surface of the main body 81 toward the base end side. The pair of protruding pieces 86 face each other with a gap therebetween. Each of the pair of protruding pieces 86 has an engagement hole 861. When the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5 from the tip side of the shell 5 in order to attach the cover 8 to the shell 5, the pair of protruding pieces 86 slide on the tip surfaces of the engagement parts 55 formed on the respective outer surfaces of the pair of side walls 512 of the shell 5. As described above, since the tip surfaces of the engagement parts 55 of the shell 5 are inclined, the pair of protruding pieces 86 slide on the engagement parts 55 of the shell 5, and the pair of protruding pieces 86 open outward. After that, when the engagement holes 861 of the pair of protruding pieces 86 pass the engagement parts 55 of the shell 5, the pair of protruding pieces 86 close, and the engagement holes 861 of the pair of protruding pieces 86 engage with the engagement parts 55 of the shell 5, and the cover 8 is locked to the shell 5.

[0087] The receiving portion 87 is formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 81, and has a function of receiving the positioning protrusion 211 of the case 210 of the mating connector 200. The receiving portion 87 is provided with an opening 871 for inserting the positioning protrusion 211 of the case 210 of the mating connector 200, a pair of guide portions 872 that slide the positioning protrusion 211 of the mating connector 200 and guide the connection of the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200, and a locking portion 873 for locking the positioning protrusion 211 of the case 210 of the mating connector 200.

[0088] The opening 871 is a rectangular opening that opens in the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200. The mating connector 200 is inserted into the electrical connector 1 in such a position that the positioning protrusion 211 of the case 210 of the mating connector 200 is inserted into the opening 871, thereby positioning the mating connector 200 with respect to the electrical connector 1. The pair of guide parts 872 are plate-like parts that extend upward from the upper surface of the main body 81 and face each other. The positioning protrusion 211 of the case 210 of the mating connector 200 slides on the inner surfaces of the pair of guide parts 872, thereby guiding the connection of the mating connector 200 to the electrical connector 1. The locking part 873 is a plate-like part that connects the base ends of the pair of guide parts 872 to each other. The locking portion 873 is a flat surface perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction (Z direction) of the mating connector 200, and when the tip of the positioning protrusion 211 of the case 210 of the mating connector 200 abuts the locking portion 873, the insertion of the mating connector 200 into the electrical connector 1 is restricted.

[0089] The electrical connector 1 including the components described above can be assembled, for example, by the following procedure. First, the two lower contact pins 2L are press-fitted into the insertion holes 312 of the two lower housings 3L using a press-fitting tool 400. The two lower contact pins 2L are press-fitted into the insertion holes 312 of the two lower housings 3L by the same procedure, so the procedure for press-fitting one lower contact pin 2L into the insertion hole 312 of one lower housing 3L will be representatively described below.

[0090] First, the contact portion 22 of the lower contact pin 2L is inserted into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L. Next, the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400 is brought into contact with the entire base end surface of the pair of press-fitting shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L. Next, the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400 press the entire base end surface of the pair of press-fitting shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L, and the lower contact pin 2L is press-fitted into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L. When the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L comes into contact with the rear rib 325 formed on the base end surface of the front plate 321 of the downward extension portion 32 of the lower housing 3L, the press-fitting of the lower contact pin 2L into the insertion hole 312 of the lower housing 3L is completed. As described above, when the press-fitting of the lower contact pin 2L into the lower housing 3L is completed, the base end portions 261 of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L are exposed on the base end side from the recess 33 formed on the base end surface of the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L. Therefore, the entire surfaces of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L can be pressed using the pair of protrusions 410 of the press-fitting tool 400 until the downward extension portion 24 of the lower contact pin 2L comes into contact with the rear rib 325 of the lower housing 3L and the positioning of the lower contact pin 2L in the lower housing 3L is performed. By the same procedure, the two upper contact pins 2U are press-fitted into the insertion holes 312 of the two upper housings 3U, respectively.

[0091] Next, the four outer contacts 4 are press-fitted from the tip side into the four insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, respectively, to attach the four outer contacts 4 to the shell 5. The press-fitting of the four outer contacts 4 into the four insertion holes 53 of the shell 5 is performed by the same procedure, so below, a procedure for press-fitting one outer contact 4 into one insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 will be representatively described. The outer contacts 4 are press-fitted from the tip side into the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, respectively, in a position such that the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contacts 4 are positioned in the positioning recesses 531 of the shell 5. Furthermore, when the outer contacts 4 are press-fitted into the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, the four ribs 42 of the outer contacts 4 come into contact with the inner side surfaces of the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5, so that the outer contacts 4 are fixed in the insertion holes 53 of the shell 5. With this configuration, rattling of the outer contact 4 in the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 is suppressed, and further, the coaxiality of the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 is ensured. As described above, by ensuring the coaxiality of the outer contact 4 and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be improved. In addition, the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4 are pressed against the inner surface of the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 by their own elastic restoring force, so that the shell 5 and the outer contact 4 are electrically connected. The shell 5 is connected to the ground terminal 110 of the circuit board 100 via the ground terminal 57, so that the potential of the outer contact 4 electrically connected to the shell 5 becomes equal to the ground potential.

[0092] Next, the two lower housings 3L are press-fitted from the base end side into the corresponding through holes 53 of the shell 5. The two lower housings 3L are press-fitted into the corresponding through holes 53 of the shell 5 by the same procedure, so the procedure for press-fitting one lower housing 3L into the corresponding through hole 53 of the shell 5 will be described below. First, the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L is press-fitted into the corresponding through hole 53 of the shell 5 from the base end side. Press-fitting of the lower housing 3L into the corresponding through hole 53 of the shell 5 is completed when the front rib 323 of the lower housing 3L contacts the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5. When the press-fitting of the lower housing 3L into the corresponding through hole 53 of the shell 5 is completed, the four ribs 311 formed on the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L contact the inner surface of the corresponding through hole 53 of the shell 5. Therefore, the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L is fixed in the corresponding insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. With this configuration, rattling of the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L in the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 is suppressed, and further, coaxiality between the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5 is ensured. In addition, by ensuring the coaxiality between the cylindrical portion 31 of the lower housing 3L and the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1 can be improved. Furthermore, since the pair of lateral ribs 324 formed on the downward extension portion 32 of the lower housing 3L contacts the inner side surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5, rattling of the downward extension portion 32 of the lower housing 3L in the main body portion 51 of the shell 5 is suppressed. By the same procedure, the two upper housings 3U are press-fitted into the corresponding insertion holes 53 of the shell 5 from the base end side.

[0093] Next, the shielding member 6 is press-fitted into the press-fit groove 581 of the shell 5 from below. As a result, two housing storage compartments 59 for respectively storing the two lower housings 3L are defined by the partition portion 58 of the shell 5, the shielding member 6, and the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5. With the two lower housings 3L stored in the two housing storage compartments 59, respectively, the lower contact pins 2L inserted in each lower housing 3L are surrounded by the metallic conductive member, i.e., the shell 5 and the shielding member 6. Therefore, electromagnetic interference with each lower contact pin 2L can be prevented.

[0094] Next, the lid 7 is attached to the shell 5 by fitting the fitting protrusion 72 of the lid 7 into the fitting groove 582 of the shell 5 from the base end side. Two housing storage compartments 59 for storing the two upper housings 3U are defined by the partition portion 58 of the shell 5, the shielding member 6, the lid 7, and the inner surface of the main body portion 51 of the shell 5. In a state in which the two upper housings 3U are stored in the two housing storage compartments 59, respectively, the upper contact pins 2U inserted in each upper housing 3U are surrounded by metallic conductive members, i.e., the shell 5, the shielding member 6, and the lid 7. Therefore, electromagnetic interference with each upper contact pin 2U can be prevented. Furthermore, by closing the base end portion of the shell 5 with the cover 7, the two lower contact pins 2L and the two upper contact pins 2U housed inside the shell 5 are covered with a member made of a conductive material on the tip end side, base end side, both sides, and upper side, except for the lower surface side where the terminal portion 25 extends outward. In this manner, by covering the periphery of the two lower contact pins 2L and the two upper contact pins 2U housed inside the shell 5 with a member made of a conductive material, the effect of preventing electrical interference with the two lower contact pins 2L and the two upper contact pins 2U can be improved, and the characteristic impedance of the electrical connector 1 can be improved.

[0095] Finally, the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5 from the tip side. Specifically, the four outer contacts 4 are inserted into the four insertion holes 82 of the cover 8, respectively, and the press-fit protrusions 52 of the shell 5 are press-fitted into the press-fit recesses 83 formed on the base end surface of the main body 81 of the cover 8. Furthermore, when the engagement holes 861 formed in the pair of protruding pieces 86 of the cover 8 engage with the engagement parts 55 formed on the pair of side walls 512 of the main body 51 of the shell 5, respectively, and the cover 8 is locked to the shell 5, the attachment of the cover 8 to the shell 5 is completed. In a state where the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the four protrusions 85 of the cover 8 are press-fitted into the four press-fit recesses 54 of the shell 5, respectively. With this configuration, the prying strength of the attachment of the cover 8 to the shell 5 can be improved.

[0096] As described above, the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 are positioned in the positioning recess 531 of the shell 5, and further, the tip portions of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 protrude toward the tip side from the positioning recess 531 of the shell 5. Therefore, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the protrusion 84 of the cover 8 contacts the tip portions of the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4. Therefore, the pair of positioning protrusions 43 of the outer contact 4 are sandwiched between the cover 8 and the shell 5. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the outer contact 4 from coming off from the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, and further to prevent the outer contact 4 from rattling in the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5.

[0097] Furthermore, as described above, when the outer contact 4 is completely press-fitted into the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the tip portions of the four ribs 42 formed on the main body 41 of the outer contact 4 protrude further toward the tip side than the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5. Therefore, when the cover 8 is attached to the shell 5, the four ribs 42 of the outer contact 4 abut against the inner side surface of the insertion hole 82 of the cover 8. With this configuration, it is possible to ensure coaxiality among the insertion hole 53 of the shell 5, the outer contact 4, and the insertion hole 82 of the cover 8. Although an example of an assembly procedure for the electrical connector 1 has been described in detail so far, the assembly procedure for the electrical connector 1 of the present invention is not limited to this, and the electrical connector 1 can be assembled by any appropriate assembly procedure.

[0098] 24 is a cross-sectional view of the YZ plane including the lower contact pin 2L and the upper contact pin 2U in a state where the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are coupled. As shown in FIG. 24, the mating connector 200 is inserted into the electrical connector 1 from the tip side, and when the positioning protrusion 211 of the case 210 of the mating connector 200 abuts against the locking portion 873 of the electrical connector 1, the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are coupled. In this state, the contact portions 22 of the lower contact pin 2L and the upper contact pin 2U of the electrical connector 1 come into contact with the corresponding contact pins 220 of the mating connector 200. The contact pins 220 of the mating connector 200 are connected to the core wires 310 of the corresponding coaxial cables 300. Therefore, when the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are connected, the lower contact pin 2L and the upper contact pin 2U of the electrical connector 1 are electrically connected to the core wire 310 of the coaxial cable 300 via the corresponding contact pins 220 of the mating connector 200.

[0099] Furthermore, the outer contacts 4 of the electrical connector 1 are in contact with the corresponding outer contacts 230 of the mating connector 200. The outer contacts 230 of the mating connector 200 are connected to the outer conductor layers 330 of the corresponding coaxial cables. Therefore, in a state in which the electrical connector 1 and the mating connector 200 are coupled together, the outer contacts 4 of the electrical connector 1 are electrically connected to the outer conductor layers 330 of the coaxial cables 300 via the corresponding outer contacts 230 of the mating connector 200. With this configuration, the electrical connector 1 is coaxially connected to the four coaxial cables 300 via the mating connector 200.

[0100] As described above, the width of each of the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L and the upper contact pin 2U of the electrical connector 1 of the present invention gradually decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side. Furthermore, the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L or the upper contact pin 2U faces the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L or the upper housing 3U with a gap therebetween. Therefore, there is an air layer between the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L, and between the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the upper contact pin 2U and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the upper housing 3U. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress a decrease in impedance at the location where the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L or the upper contact pin 2U are formed. As a result, it is possible to improve the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1, particularly the signal transmission characteristics in the high frequency band.

[0101] Furthermore, the thickness of the air layer between the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the lower housing 3L, and between the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the upper contact pin 2U and the bottom surface 331 of the recess 33 of the upper housing 3U, gradually increases from the tip side to the base side. With this configuration, it is possible to more effectively suppress the decrease in impedance at the location where the pair of press-fit shoulders 26 of the lower contact pin 2L are formed. As a result, it is possible to more effectively improve the signal transmission characteristics of the electrical connector 1, particularly the signal transmission characteristics in the high frequency band.

[0102] Although the electrical connector of the present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. Each component of the present invention can be replaced with any component that can exert a similar function, or any component can be added to each component of the present invention.

[0103] Those skilled in the art in the field and technology to which the present invention pertains will be able to modify the configuration of the described electrical connector of the present invention without significantly departing from the principles, concepts, and scope of the present invention, and electrical connectors having modified configurations are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0104] In addition, the numbers and types of components of the electrical connector shown in the drawings are merely examples for the purpose of explanation, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. Within the scope of the principles and intent of the present invention, any embodiment in which any component is added or combined, or any component is deleted, is also within the scope of the present invention.

[0105] For reference, six-side views of the electrical connector according to the embodiment of the present invention are shown in Figs. 25 to 30. Fig. 25 is a plan view of the electrical connector of the present invention. Fig. 26 is a bottom view of the electrical connector of the present invention. Fig. 27 is a front view of the electrical connector of the present invention. Fig. 28 is a rear view of the electrical connector of the present invention. Fig. 29 is a left side view of the electrical connector of the present invention. Fig. 30 is a right side view of the electrical connector of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0106] 1...electrical connector 2L...lower contact pin 2U...upper contact pin 21...horizontal extension 22...contact portion 23...connection portion 24...downward extension 25...terminal portion 26...press-fit shoulder 261...base end 27...cut mark 28...carrier 3L...lower housing 3U...upper housing 31...tubular portion 311...rib 312...insertion hole 313...ceiling portion 314...slope 315a...slope 315b...slope 32...downward extension 321...front plate 322...wall portion 323...front rib 324...side rib 325...rear rib 33...recess 331...bottom surface 332...wall portion 4...outer contact 41...main body portion 42...rib 43...positioning protrusion 5...shell 51...main body portion 511...front plate 512...side wall 513...top plate 52...press-fit protrusion 53...insertion hole 531...positioning recess 532...first guide portion 533...locking surface 534...second guide portion 54...press-fit recess 55...engagement portion 56...locking portion 57...ground terminal 58...partition portion 581...press-fit groove 582...fitting groove 59...housing storage section 6...shield member 61...main body portion 62...press-fit projection 63...terminal portion 7...lid 71...main body portion 72...fitting protrusion 8...cover 81...main body portion 82...insertion hole 83...press-fit recess 84...projection 85...projection 86...projecting piece 861...engagement hole 87...receiving portion 871...opening 872...guide portion 873...locking portion 100...circuit board 110...ground terminal 120...terminal 130...shield terminal 200...mating connector 210...case 211...positioning protrusion 220...contact pin 230...outer contact 300...coaxial cable 310...core wire 320...inner insulating layer 330...outer conductor layer 340...outer insulating layer 400...press-fitting tool 410...projection 420...recess 10...housing 101...tubular portion 102...downward extension 103...insertion hole 104...press-fitting window 11...contact pin 111...horizontal extension 112...contact portion 113...connection portion 114...downward extension 115...terminal portion 116...press-fitting shoulder 12...press-fitting tool 121...projection

Claims

1. An electrical connector that can be connected to a mating connector that is inserted from the tip side, A contact pin and an insulating housing that houses the contact pins therein; a metallic outer contact covering the housing; The contact pin is a horizontal extension portion located within the housing and extending linearly in a direction in which the mating connector is inserted and removed; a contact portion extending linearly from a tip end of the horizontal extension portion toward the tip end and exposed from the housing; A connection portion extending downward from a base end portion of the horizontal extension portion; a downward extension portion that extends linearly downward from a lower end portion of the connection portion; a press-fit shoulder extending from a side portion of the base end portion of the horizontal extension portion in a width direction perpendicular to the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, The width of the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side, the housing includes a cylindrical portion extending linearly in the insertion / removal direction of the mating connector, and a downward extension portion extending downward from a base end of the cylindrical portion, the cylindrical portion of the housing includes an insertion hole for inserting the contact pin therethrough, and a recess formed on a base end surface of the cylindrical portion, the recess opening toward the base end and communicating with the insertion hole; the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin is received within the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing; the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing is defined by a bottom surface facing the base end side and a wall portion extending from the bottom surface toward the base end side, An electrical connector characterized in that the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin faces the bottom surface of the recess in the cylindrical portion of the housing via a gap, thereby creating an air layer between the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin and the bottom surface of the recess in the cylindrical portion of the housing.

2. 2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing is a flat surface perpendicular to the insertion and removal direction of the mating connector.

3. 3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a base end of the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin protrudes toward the base end from the recess of the cylindrical portion of the housing.

4. 4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a width of the press-fit shoulder of the contact pin gradually decreases from the base end side toward the tip end side.

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