Movable Connector

Abstract

To miniaturize a movable connector having a plurality of movable parts at a terminal.SOLUTION: The movable connector has a stationary housing, a movable housing displaceable with respect to the stationary housing, and a terminal 104 displaceably supporting the movable housing with respect to the stationary housing. The terminal 104 has a stationary side held part held by the stationary housing, a movable side held part held by the movable housing, a movable part 104a elastically deformable between the stationary side held part and the movable side held part, and a contact terminal piece 10 conductively connected to a plug connector. The movable part 104a has a low back side movable part, and a high back side movable part 32 formed as a component separate from the low back side movable part. The low back side movable part and the high back side movable part 32 are arranged so that they overlap each other in a view point from a connection direction to the plug connector.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a movable connector, and more particularly to a movable connector suitable for use with a large current. [Background technology]

[0002] A movable connector is known that includes a fixed housing, a movable housing that fits and connects to an object to be connected, and a plurality of terminals each having a contact portion that makes conductive contact with the object to be connected and a movable portion that supports the movable housing so that the movable housing can be displaced relative to the fixed housing. The movable connector is configured so that the movable portion located in a terminal movable space that is a region between the fixed housing and the movable housing is elastically deformed, thereby displacing the movable housing relative to the fixed housing and absorbing misalignment when the movable connector is fitted to the object to be connected.

[0003] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for movable connectors to handle large currents. However, when a large current is applied, the conductor resistance of the terminals becomes a problem. In a movable connector, if the cross-sectional area of ​​the terminals is increased in order to reduce the conductor resistance of the terminals, the movable part becomes difficult to flexibly and elastically deform. For this reason, a movable connector in which the movable part is divided is known, as shown in Patent Document 1, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-286530 A, FIG. 10 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In order to reduce the conductor resistance in such a movable connector with divided movable parts, it is necessary to secure the cross-sectional area of ​​the movable parts by increasing the number of movable parts. However, when the number of movable parts is increased, the width is increased especially in the terminal arrangement direction, and the movable connector also becomes larger.

[0006] The present invention has been made against the background of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and an object of the present invention is to miniaturize a movable connector having a plurality of movable parts in a terminal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured to have the following features.

[0008] That is, the present invention provides a movable connector having a first housing attached to a board, a second housing that fits and connects to an object to be connected, and a terminal that supports the second housing so that it can be displaced relative to the first housing, wherein the terminal has a first housing held portion held by the first housing, a second housing held portion held by the second housing, a movable portion that can elastically deform between the first housing held portion and the second housing held portion, and a contact portion that is conductively connected to the object to be connected, the movable portion having a first movable terminal portion and a second movable terminal portion, and when viewed from the arrangement direction of the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion, the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged without overlapping each other.

[0009] The movable connector of the present invention is configured to divide the movable parts to increase their number, thereby making it possible to apply the movable parts to large currents while ensuring their flexibility. In addition, according to the present invention, the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are arranged without overlapping each other when viewed from the arrangement direction (terminal arrangement direction) of the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part. Therefore, even if the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part are close to each other in the terminal arrangement direction, they are unlikely to come into contact with each other, so the first movable terminal part and the second movable terminal part can be arranged as close as possible to each other in the terminal arrangement direction, and the movable connector can be made smaller.

[0010] The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion may be configured to be arranged so as to at least partially overlap when viewed from a fitting direction of the connection objects.

[0011] According to the present invention, the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged to overlap at least partially when viewed from the fitting direction of the connection objects, so that the movable connector can be made smaller in size in the terminal arrangement direction by the amount of overlap between the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion.

[0012] The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion may be configured so as not to overlap each other when viewed from a fitting direction of the connection objects.

[0013] According to the present invention, the first and second movable terminal portions are arranged so as not to overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the objects to be connected, so that the first and second movable terminal portions are unlikely to come into contact with each other regardless of the direction in which the movable portion is displaced.

[0014] The terminal further has a first board connection portion and a second board connection portion, the first board connection portion extending from a first side in the arrangement direction of the first housing held portion, and the second board connection portion extending from a second side in the arrangement direction of the first housing held portion that is opposite the first side.

[0015] According to the present invention, the first board connection portion extends from a first side in the terminal arrangement direction of the first housing held portion. On the other hand, the second board connection portion extends from a second side in the terminal arrangement direction of the first housing held portion, which is opposite to the first side. Therefore, the first board connection portion and the second board connection portion can be arranged close to each other in the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the movable connector can be made smaller in size in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0016] The terminal has a connecting portion that connects the contact portion to the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion, and the connecting portion can be configured to connect the first movable terminal portion to the front side and connect the second movable terminal portion to the back side.

[0017] According to the present invention, the connecting portion connects the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion with their positions shifted between the front side and the back side. Therefore, even in the connecting portion where the conductive path of the terminal branches from the contact portion to the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion, the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion can be arranged without overlapping each other when viewed from the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion can be arranged as close as possible to each other in the terminal arrangement direction over the entire extension direction of both, and the movable connector can be made smaller.

[0018] The first movable terminal portion has a first vertical piece extending from the first housing held portion, and the first vertical piece of the first movable terminal portion can be configured to be arranged so as to overlap the second movable terminal portion without protruding from it, when viewed from the connection direction.

[0019] The first movable terminal portion has a first bent portion curved in a U-shape at the end of the first vertical piece, and the first bent portion of the first movable terminal portion can be configured to be positioned so as to overlap the second movable terminal portion without protruding from it when viewed from the connection direction.

[0020] The first movable terminal portion has a second vertical piece extending from the first bent portion, and the second vertical piece of the first movable terminal portion can be configured to be arranged so as to overlap the second movable terminal portion without protruding from it when viewed from the connection direction.

[0021] The first movable terminal portion has a first front and rear piece extending from the second vertical piece via a second bending portion, and the first front and rear piece of the first movable terminal portion can be configured to be arranged so as to overlap without protruding from the second movable terminal portion when viewed from the connection direction. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, the movable connector can be made smaller while ensuring the flexibility of the movable portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view including a front view, a right side view, and a plan view showing a movable connector according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] Cross-sectional view of line II-II in Figure 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is an external perspective view including a front view, a left side view, and a plan view showing a terminal provided in the movable connector of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an external perspective view including the rear, left side, and top views of the terminal in FIG. 3 . [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a left side view of the terminal in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the terminal of FIG. 3 . [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing the movable connector according to the second embodiment, taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is an external perspective view including a rear view, a left side view, and a plan view showing a terminal provided in the movable connector of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the terminal of FIG. 8 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A socket connector 1 as one embodiment of the "movable connector" of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board P1 (see FIG. 2, etc.) as a "substrate." The socket connector 1 is mated and connected to a plug connector (not shown) as an "object to be connected," and is electrically connected to the circuit board P1.

[0025] When the terms "first" and "second" are used in this specification and claims, they are used to distinguish different components of the invention, and are not used to indicate a specific order or superiority or inferiority. In this specification and claims, for convenience, as shown in FIG. 1, etc., the width direction (left and right direction) of the socket connector 1 is described as the X direction, the depth direction (front and back direction) is described as the Y direction, and the height direction (up and down direction) is described as the Z direction. The side of the socket connector 1 facing the circuit board P1 in the Z direction is described as the lower side, and the side of the socket connector 1 is described as the upper side. However, they do not limit the direction of fitting connection of the socket connector 1, etc., or the way of mounting on the circuit board P1. The socket connector 1 here is arranged so that the "terminal arrangement direction" is the X direction, the "terminal extension direction" and the "contact direction with the connection object" are the Y direction, the "fitting direction of the connection object" is downward in the Z direction, and the "removal direction of the connection object" is upward in the Z direction.

[0026] First embodiment (Figs. 1 to 6)

[0027] Configuration of socket connector 1 (Figs. 1 to 6)

[0028] As shown in Fig. 1 etc., the socket connector 1 comprises a fixed housing 2 as a "first housing", a movable housing 3 as a "second housing", and a plurality of terminals 4. This socket connector 1 is mounted on an upper surface P2 as a "board surface" which is one surface of a circuit board P1 arranged along the X and Y directions. The socket connector 1 is configured so that the movable housing 3 can be displaced relative to the fixed housing 2. The plug connector is configured so that the fitting direction with the socket connector 1 is the downward direction in the Z direction approaching the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1, and the plug connector is fitted from above the socket connector 1 to electrically connect the respective contacts.

[0029] Fixed housing 2

[0030] The fixed housing 2 is formed of a resin molded body. As shown in FIG. 1 etc., the fixed housing 2 is formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape that is shortest in the Z direction and slightly longer in the X direction than in the Y direction. The fixed housing 2 is disposed on the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1. The fixed housing 2 is fixed to the circuit board P1 by a fixing metal fitting 5 that is L-shaped in front view after folding a plate piece in half. The fixed housing 2 has fixing metal fitting attachment parts 2b that extend in a groove shape in the Z direction at the four corners in a plan view. The fixing metal fitting 5 is configured so that one of the L-shaped plate pieces is press-fitted from the lower end side of the fixing metal fitting attachment part 2b to be fixed to the fixed housing 2, and the other L-shaped plate piece is fixed to the circuit board P1 by soldering or the like.

[0031] The hollow fixed housing 2 is attached to the circuit board P1 with an accommodation space 2a defined therein between the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1. The accommodation space 2a accommodates the movable housing 3 and the terminals 4. As described below, the terminals 4 have movable parts 4a that are accommodated in the accommodation space 2a and support the movable housing 3 displaceably relative to the fixed housing 2 (see FIG. 3, etc.).

[0032] The fixed housing 2 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped exterior and includes a flat front wall 2c, a rear wall 2d, side walls 2e, 2e, and upper walls 2f, 2f that surround the storage space 2a. The front wall 2c located at the front in the Y direction and the rear wall 2d located at the rear in the Y direction are both aligned along the X and Z directions. The side walls 2e, 2e located on both the left and right outer sides in the X direction are both aligned along the Y and Z directions and connect the front wall 2c and the rear wall 2d. The upper walls 2f, 2f located at the front and rear in the Y direction are connected to the upper end of the front wall 2c and the upper end of the rear wall 2d, respectively. The upper walls 2f, 2f are both aligned along the X and Y directions and connect the left and right side walls 2e, 2e.

[0033] The upper surface of the fixed housing 2 is formed with a top opening 2g having a rectangular periphery in a plan view. The periphery of the top opening 2g is formed by front and rear upper wall portions 2f, 2f and left and right side wall portions 2e, 2e. The upper portion of the movable housing 3 accommodated in the accommodation space 2a is exposed to the outside through the top opening 2g. The front and rear upper wall portions 2f, 2f that constitute the periphery of the top opening 2g of the fixed housing 2 restrict the displacement of the movable housing 3 in the Y direction, and the left and right side wall portions 2e, 2e that constitute the periphery of the top opening 2g restrict the displacement of the movable housing 3 in the X direction. Furthermore, the top wall portions 2f, 2f of the fixed housing 2 restrict the displacement of the movable housing 3 upward in the Z direction, that is, in the removal direction of the plug connector, which is the opposite direction to the mating direction of the plug connector.

[0034] A low-back terminal piece holding portion 2hA (see FIG. 7) and a high-back terminal piece holding portion 2hB (see FIG. 7) are formed on the inner surface (accommodation space 2a) of the front wall portion 2c and the rear wall portion 2d. Both the low-back terminal piece holding portion 2hA and the high-back terminal piece holding portion 2hB have the function of holding terminals 4. Both the low-back terminal piece holding portion 2hA and the high-back terminal piece holding portion 2hB are formed in a groove shape extending from the lower end in the Z direction to the upper side along the X direction. The low-back terminal piece holding portion 2hA is located in front of the high-back terminal piece holding portion 2hB in the Y direction.

[0035] The lower ends of the front wall 2c and the rear wall 2d are spaced apart from the upper surface P2 of the circuit board P1 in the region where the low-side terminal piece holding portion 2hA and the high-side terminal piece holding portion 2hB are formed. That is, the external space and the accommodation space 2a communicate with each other below the low-side terminal piece holding portion 2hA and the high-side terminal piece holding portion 2hB.

[0036] A plurality of such low-back side terminal piece holding portions 2hA and high-back side terminal piece holding portions 2hB are formed in parallel along the X-direction on each of the front wall portion 2c and the rear wall portion 2d. In this embodiment, since the socket connector 1 has two terminals 4 on the front and rear sides, respectively, the low-back side terminal piece holding portions 2hA and high-back side terminal piece holding portions 2hB are also formed in pairs on each of the front wall portion 2c and the rear wall portion 2d.

[0037] Movable Housing 3

[0038] The movable housing 3 is formed of a resin molded body. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the movable housing 3 is formed in a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape that is longer in the X direction than in other directions, corresponding to the fixed housing 2. The movable housing 3 is disposed so as to be displaceable with respect to the fixed housing 2, and is configured to be mated and connected with a plug connector.

[0039] The movable housing 3 has a hollow rectangular exterior and includes a flat front wall 3c, a rear wall 3d, side walls 3e, 3e, and a top wall 3f. The front wall 3c located at the front in the Y direction and the rear wall 3d located at the rear in the Y direction extend along the X and Z directions so as to face each other. The side walls 3e, 3e located on both the left and right outer sides in the X direction extend along the Y and Z directions so as to face each other, connecting the front wall 3c and the rear wall 3d. The top wall 3f located at the top in the Z direction is connected to the upper end of the front wall 3c, the upper end of the rear wall 3d, and the upper ends of the side walls 3e, 3e.

[0040] The upper parts of the front wall 3c, the rear wall 3d and the side walls 3e, 3e protrude upward beyond a top opening 2g formed in the top surface of the fixed housing 2. The front wall 3c and the rear wall 3d come into contact with the front and rear upper wall portions 2f, 2f that respectively constitute the periphery of the top opening 2g, thereby restricting excessive displacement of the movable housing 3 in the Y direction relative to the fixed housing 2. Similarly, the side walls 3e, 3e come into contact with the left and right lateral wall portions 2e, 2e that respectively constitute the periphery of the top opening 2g, thereby restricting excessive displacement of the movable housing 3 in the X direction relative to the fixed housing 2.

[0041] Furthermore, the movable housing 3 of this embodiment has a partition wall 3g extending in the Y and Z directions so as to connect between the opposing front wall 3c and rear wall 3d. A mating chamber 3h with a plug connector is formed inside the movable housing 3 (see FIG. 2, etc.), and an opening formed at the upper end of the mating chamber 3h serves as an insertion port 3i of the plug connector. In this embodiment, the partition wall 3g divides the internal space of the movable housing 3 in two at the center in the X direction, and the movable housing 3 has two mating chambers 3h and two insertion ports 3i along the X direction.

[0042] An insertion guide surface 3j, which is an inclined surface having an inverted truncated pyramid shape, is formed between the upper ends of both the top wall 3f and the partition wall 3g and the lower ends (insertion opening 3i) of both the top wall 3f and the partition wall 3g. The insertion guide surface 3j is a portion that guides the plug connector to be fitted to the movable housing 3 toward the insertion opening 3i and drops it into the fitting chamber 3h.

[0043] 2, the movable housing 3 has a movable-side engaging portion 3a. The movable-side engaging portion 3a comes into contact with an upper wall portion 2f of the fixed housing 2, and thereby has a function of restricting upward displacement of the movable housing 3 relative to the fixed housing 2 in the Z direction, i.e., in the direction in which the plug connector is removed.

[0044] The movable engagement portion 3a has a heat dissipation portion 3b through which heat in the accommodation space 2a is convected to the external space. As a result, not only is heat in the accommodation space 2a transferred between the accommodation space 2a and the external space by thermal conduction, but heated air in the accommodation space 2a is transferred directly to the external space by convection through the heat dissipation portion 3b. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the heat in the accommodation space 2a can be dissipated to the outside of the socket connector 1 through the heat dissipation portion 3b.

[0045] On the inner surfaces (fitting chamber 3h) of the front wall 3c and the rear wall 3d, a movable terminal holding portion 3k consisting of a groove extending upward from the lower end in the Z direction is formed along the X direction. The movable terminal holding portion 3k has a function of holding the terminal 4.

[0046] A plurality of such movable-side terminal holding portions 3k are formed on each of the front wall 3c and the rear wall 3d in a line along the X-direction. In this embodiment, since the socket connector 1 has two terminals 4 on the front and rear sides, two movable-side terminal holding portions 3k are formed on each of the front wall 3c and the rear wall 3d.

[0047] Terminal 4

[0048] The socket connector 1 of this embodiment has two terminals 4, one at the front and one at the back. All of these four terminals 4 have the same shape. Each of the four terminals 4 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line of the socket connector 1 in the X direction as an axis, and is also arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line in the Y direction as an axis. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each of these terminals 4 is attached to the socket connector 1 so that the plate surface is along the Y direction and the Z direction, with the plate width direction being the X direction. Therefore, each of the multiple terminals 4 is arranged in the X direction and mainly extends in the Y direction. Here, one terminal 4 arranged on the rear side of the socket connector 1 in the Y direction will be described. The terminal 4 arranged on the front side of the socket connector 1 in the Y direction is the same as the terminal 4 arranged on the rear side, except that the front-to-rear positional relationship is reversed.

[0049] The terminal 4 is an electric conductor made of a conductive metal piece. The terminal 4 has a movable part 4a that can be elastically deformed. The terminal 4 supports the movable housing 3 so that it can be displaced relative to the fixed housing 2. In this embodiment, the terminal 4 is composed of three types of terminal pieces: a contact terminal piece 10 as a "contact part", a plurality of low-back side terminal pieces 20, for example, three, and a plurality of high-back side terminal pieces 30, for example, two. The movable part 4a is formed on both the high-back side terminal piece 30 and the low-back side terminal piece 20. There may be at least one movable part 4a for each of the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30.

[0050] The contact terminal piece 10 is configured in a flat plate shape extending substantially along the XZ plane. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the contact terminal piece 10 has a movable-side held portion 11 as a "second housing held portion", a front contact piece 12, and a rear contact piece 13. In this embodiment, two front contact pieces 12 and one rear contact piece 13 are connected to one movable-side held portion 11.

[0051] The movable-side held portion 11 is located on the side of the lower end of the contact terminal piece 10. The movable-side held portion 11 is a portion for fixing the contact terminal piece 10 to the movable housing 3. The movable-side held portion 11 has a flat plate shape whose plate surface is along the XZ plane, and is formed into a rectangular shape that is longer in the X direction than in the Z direction when viewed from the front. The movable-side held portion 11 has press-fit protrusions 11a that protrude outward to the left and right from the edges at both the left and right ends. The press-fit protrusions 11a are fixed by press-fitting into the movable-side terminal holding portion 3k when the contact terminal piece 10 is attached to the movable housing 3 and accommodated in the fitting chamber 3h.

[0052] The terminal 4 has a connecting surface 14A as a "connecting portion" and a connecting back surface 14B as a "connecting portion". The connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B have the function of connecting the contact terminal piece 10 to the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30. The connecting surface 14A is formed on the front side of the movable-side held part 11, and the connecting back surface 14B is formed on the back side of the movable-side held part 11. Both the connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B are formed as planes extending along the XZ plane. The connecting surface 14A connects the low-back side terminal piece 20 to the front side of the movable-side held part 11 as the "front side", and the connecting back surface 14B connects the high-back side terminal piece 30 to the back side of the movable-side held part 11 as the "back side".

[0053] According to this embodiment, the connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B connect the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 to the front and back surfaces of the movable-side held portion 11 with their positions shifted. The terminal 4 branches its conduction path from the contact terminal piece 10 to the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 by the connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B. Therefore, the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 can be arranged without overlapping each other on the connecting surface 14A and the connecting back surface 14B as well, when viewed from the terminal arrangement direction. Therefore, the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 can be arranged as close as possible in the X direction, which is the terminal arrangement direction, over the entire Y direction, which is the extension direction of both, and the socket connector 1 can be made smaller in size.

[0054] The front contact piece 12 has a front elastic arm 12a and a front contact portion 12b. The front elastic arm 12a extends upward from the movable held portion 11 with an inclination toward the front in the Y direction along the insertion direction of the plug connector. The front elastic arm 12a supports the front contact portion 12b connected to its tip (upper) end in a displaceable manner. The front elastic arm 12a is configured to press the front contact portion 12b against the terminal of the plug connector from the rear toward the front in the Y direction. The front contact pieces 12 of this embodiment extend upward one by one from the upper end of the movable held portion 11 and positions shifted to the left and right from the center in the X direction.

[0055] The front contact portion 12b is bent in a mountain shape protruding forward in the Y direction in a side view. That is, the front contact portion 12b is formed as a rolled surface, and is configured so that the plate surface comes into rolled surface contact with the terminal of the plug connector. The front contact portion 12b is disposed so that the top portion that comes into contact with the terminal of the plug connector protrudes forward in the Y direction beyond the insertion opening 3i of the movable housing 3 in a plan view.

[0056] The rear contact piece 13 has a similar configuration to the front contact piece 12, and is provided adjacent to the two front contact pieces 12 arranged in the X direction. The tip (upper) end of the rear contact piece 13 is located lower than the tip (upper) end of the front contact piece 12. The rear contact piece 13 has a rear elastic arm 13a and a rear contact portion 13b. The rear elastic arm 13a extends upward from the movable-side held portion 11 along the insertion direction of the plug connector, with a larger inclination forward in the Y direction than the front elastic arm 12a. The rear elastic arm 13a supports the rear contact portion 13b connected to its tip (upper) end in a displaceable manner. The rear elastic arm 13a is configured to press the rear contact portion 13b against the terminal of the plug connector from the rear toward the front in the Y direction.

[0057] The rear contact portion 13b is bent in a mountain shape protruding forward in the Y direction in a side view. That is, the rear contact portion 13b is formed as a rolled surface, and is configured so that the plate surface comes into rolled surface contact with the terminal of the plug connector. The rear contact portion 13b is disposed so that the top portion that comes into contact with the terminal of the plug connector protrudes forward in the Y direction beyond the insertion opening 3i of the movable housing 3 in a plan view.

[0058] The low-back side terminal piece 20 has a movable housing side base 21, a low-back side movable part 22 as a "first movable terminal part", a fixed side held part 23 as a "first housing held part", and a board connecting part 24 as a "first board connecting part". The low-back side terminal piece 20 is formed as a single part having different functions for each part by punching a flat conductive metal piece as a material into a long and thin plate shape and then bending the same.

[0059] The low-back side terminal piece 20 is a portion that can be elastically deformed when the plug connector is fitted into the movable housing 3. On the other hand, the contact terminal piece 10 requires a certain contact pressure with the terminal of the plug connector to be electrically connected. For this reason, the low-back side terminal piece 20 is formed with a thinner plate thickness than the contact terminal piece 10. The low-back side terminal piece 20 of this embodiment has a plate thickness that is 70 to 80% of that of the contact terminal piece 10.

[0060] The movable housing side base 21 is a portion for connecting the low back terminal piece 20 to the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base 21 is located at the front end of the low back terminal piece 20. The movable housing side base 21 has a flat plate shape along the XZ plane, and is formed into a rectangular shape that is longer in the Z direction than in the X direction when viewed from the front. The movable housing side base 21 is disposed so that the plate surface on the rear side faces the connecting surface 14A of the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base 21 is joined to the connecting surface 14A by laser welding, resistance welding, or the like. As a result, the movable housing side base 21 is joined to the movable side held portion 11 of the contact terminal piece 10.

[0061] The socket connector 1 only needs to have the contact terminal piece 10 and the low-back side terminal piece 20 electrically connected to each other. Therefore, the method of connecting the contact terminal piece 10 and the low-back side terminal piece 20 is not limited to welding. For example, the socket connector 1 may be configured such that the contact terminal piece 10 and the low-back side terminal piece 20 are electrically connected to each other by press-fitting both the contact terminal piece 10 and the low-back side terminal piece 20 into the movable terminal holding portion 3k that holds the terminal 4.

[0062] The low-back side movable part 22 is the movable part 4a of the low-back side terminal piece 20. The low-back side movable part 22 extends between the fixed-side held part 23 and the movable-side held part 11. The low-back side movable part 22 has a floating function that supports the movable housing 3 so that it can be displaced in three-dimensional directions relative to the fixed housing 2. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the low-back side movable part 22 has, in order from the side closer to the fixed-side held part 23, a first vertical piece 22a, a first bent part 22b, a second vertical piece 22c, a second bent part 22d, a first front / rear piece 22e, and a third bent part 22f.

[0063] The first vertical piece 22a extends obliquely upward from the fixed-side held portion 23 toward the front in the Y direction. The first bent portion 22b is bent in an inverted U shape in side view at the upper end of the first vertical piece 22a. The second vertical piece 22c extends obliquely downward from the first bent portion 22b toward the front in the Y direction. The second bent portion 22d is bent toward the front in the Y direction at the lower end of the second vertical piece 22c. The first front-rear piece 22e extends forward in the Y direction from the second bent portion 22d. The third bent portion 22f is bent upward at the front end in the Y direction of the first front-rear piece 22e.

[0064] In the low-back side movable part 22, stress generated when the low-back side movable part 22 is elastically deformed tends to concentrate on the first bent part 22b, the second bent part 22d, and the third bent part 22f, compared to the first vertical piece part 22a, the second vertical piece part 22c, and the first front and rear piece part 22e. However, in this embodiment, the plate widths of the first bent part 22b, the second bent part 22d, and the third bent part 22f are formed wider than the plate widths of the first vertical piece part 22a, the second vertical piece part 22c, and the first front and rear piece part 22e. Therefore, according to this embodiment, stress generated when the low-back side movable part 22 is elastically deformed tends to be dispersed.

[0065] The fixed-side held portion 23 is a portion for fixing the low-side terminal piece 20 to the fixed housing 2. The fixed-side held portion 23 extends along the Z direction between the lower end of the first vertical piece portion 22a and the front end of the board connection portion 24. Press-fit protrusions 23a that protrude outward in the X direction are formed on both side edges in the plate width direction (X direction) of the fixed-side held portion 23. The press-fit protrusions 23a are press-fitted into and bite into the low-side terminal piece holding portion 2hA provided on the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2, thereby fixing the low-side terminal piece 20 to the fixed housing 2 (see FIG. 7).

[0066] The board connection portion 24 is located in a portion including one end of the low-side terminal piece 20, and is a portion for electrically connecting the low-side terminal piece 20 to the circuit of the circuit board P1 and fixing it to the circuit board P1. One end (rear end) of the board connection portion 24 protrudes rearward in the Y direction from below the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2 when the low-side terminal piece 20 is attached to the fixed housing 2 (see FIG. 2). A soldering portion is formed mainly by the lower plate surface of the board connection portion 24 and the upper surface of the circuit board P1 (see FIG. 2).

[0067] The high-back side terminal piece 30 has a movable housing side base portion 31, a high-back side movable portion 32 as a "second movable terminal portion", a fixed side held portion 33 as a "first housing held portion", and a board connecting portion 34 as a "second board connecting portion". The high-back side terminal piece 30 is formed as a single part having different functions for each portion by punching a flat conductive metal piece as a material into a long and thin plate shape and then bending the same.

[0068] Like the low-back side terminal piece 20, the high-back side terminal piece 30 is a portion that can be elastically deformed when the plug connector is fitted into the movable housing 3. For this reason, the high-back side terminal piece 30 is also formed with a thinner plate thickness than the contact terminal piece 10. Like the low-back side terminal piece 20, the high-back side terminal piece 30 of this embodiment has a plate thickness that is 70 to 80% of the contact terminal piece 10.

[0069] The movable housing side base 31 is a portion for connecting the high back terminal piece 30 to the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base 31 is located at the front end of the high back terminal piece 30. The movable housing side base 31 has a flat plate shape along the XZ plane, and is formed into a rectangular shape longer in the Z direction than in the X direction when viewed from the front. The movable housing side base 31 is arranged so that the plate surface on the front side faces the connecting back surface 14B of the contact terminal piece 10. The movable housing side base 31 is joined to the connecting back surface 14B by laser welding, resistance welding, or the like. As a result, the movable housing side base 31 is joined to the movable side held portion 11 of the contact terminal piece 10.

[0070] The socket connector 1 only needs to have the contact terminal piece 10 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 electrically connected to each other. Therefore, the method of connecting the contact terminal piece 10 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 is not limited to welding. For example, the socket connector 1 may be configured such that the contact terminal piece 10 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 are electrically connected to each other by press-fitting both the contact terminal piece 10 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 into the movable terminal holding portion 3k that holds the terminal 4.

[0071] The high-back side movable part 32 is the movable part 4a of the high-back side terminal piece 30. The high-back side movable part 32 extends between the fixed-side held part 33 and the movable-side held part 11. The high-back side movable part 32 has a floating function that supports the movable housing 3 so that it can be displaced in three-dimensional directions relative to the fixed housing 2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the high-back side movable part 32 has, in order from the side closer to the fixed-side held part 33, a first vertical piece part 32a, a first bent part 32b, a second vertical piece part 32c, a second bent part 32d, a first front and rear piece part 32e, and a third bent part 32f.

[0072] The first vertical piece 32a extends obliquely upward from the fixed-side held portion 33 toward the front in the Y direction. The first bent portion 32b is bent in an inverted U shape in side view at the upper end of the first vertical piece 32a. The second vertical piece 32c extends obliquely downward from the first bent portion 32b toward the front in the Y direction. The second bent portion 32d is bent toward the front in the Y direction at the lower end of the second vertical piece 32c. The first front-rear piece 32e extends forward in the Y direction from the second bent portion 32d. The third bent portion 32f is bent upward at the front end in the Y direction of the first front-rear piece 32e.

[0073] In the high-back side movable part 32, stress during elastic deformation tends to concentrate on the first bent part 32b, the second bent part 32d, and the third bent part 32f, compared to the first vertical piece part 32a, the second vertical piece part 32c, and the first front and rear piece part 32e. However, in this embodiment, the plate widths of the first bent part 32b, the second bent part 32d, and the third bent part 32f are formed wider than the plate widths of the first vertical piece part 32a, the second vertical piece part 32c, and the first front and rear piece part 32e. Therefore, according to this embodiment, stress during elastic deformation of the high-back side movable part 32 is easily dispersed.

[0074] In the terminal 4, particularly in the movable part 4a, if a spring length is ensured to facilitate elastic deformation, the part becomes soft but the electrical resistance increases. To deal with this, the plate width of the movable part 4a may be made thicker in the extension direction of the movable part 4a, i.e., in the parts that are long in the Y direction and Z direction, and the plate width of the movable part 4a may be made narrower in the parts that are short in the Y direction and Z direction. In this way, the electrical resistance is reduced in the parts that are long in the extension direction of the movable part 4a, and the spring is soft in the parts that are short in the extension direction of the movable part 4a. This makes it possible to equalize both the ease of elastic deformation and the electrical resistance in the movable part 4a regardless of the part.

[0075] Furthermore, the plate width may be different at the portion where the low-back terminal piece 20 and the high-back terminal piece 30 face each other. For example, the first vertical piece 22a and the first vertical piece 32a may be formed so that the shorter first vertical piece 22a in the extension direction is thinner and the longer first vertical piece 32a is thicker. The first front-rear piece 22e and the first front-rear piece 32e may be formed so that the longer first front-rear piece 22e in the extension direction is thicker and the shorter first front-rear piece 32e is thinner. The second vertical piece 22c and the second vertical piece 32c have the same length in the extension direction, so the plate width may be the same.

[0076] Similarly, the movable housing side base portion 21 and the movable housing side base portion 31 may be formed so that the longer movable housing side base portion 21 is thicker and the shorter movable housing side base portion 31 is thinner.

[0077] The fixed-side held portion 33 is a portion for fixing the high-back side terminal piece 30 to the fixed housing 2. The fixed-side held portion 33 extends along the Z direction between the lower end of the first vertical piece portion 32a and the front end of the board connection portion 34. Press-fit protrusions 33a that protrude outward in the X direction are formed on both side edges in the plate width direction (X direction) of the fixed-side held portion 33. The press-fit protrusions 33a are pressed into and bite into the high-back side terminal piece holding portion 2hB provided on the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2, thereby fixing the high-back side terminal piece 30 to the fixed housing 2 (see FIG. 7).

[0078] The board connection portion 34 is located in a portion including one end of the high-back side terminal piece 30, and is a portion for electrically connecting the high-back side terminal piece 30 to the circuit of the circuit board P1 and fixing it to the circuit board P1. One end (rear end) of the board connection portion 34 protrudes rearward in the Y direction from below the rear wall portion 2d of the fixed housing 2 when the high-back side terminal piece 30 is attached to the fixed housing 2 (see FIG. 2). A soldering portion is formed mainly by the lower plate surface of the board connection portion 34 and the upper surface of the circuit board P1 (see FIG. 2).

[0079] As described above, the low-side terminal piece 20 has a similar configuration and shape to the high-side terminal piece 30. In addition, in a side view, the low-side terminal piece 20 extends in a manner such that the portions other than the board connection portion are aligned with the high-side terminal piece 30 and do not overlap each other.

[0080] That is, the socket connector 1 of this embodiment is configured to divide the movable part 4a to increase the number of the movable parts, so that it can be applied to a large current while ensuring the flexibility of the movable part 4a. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are arranged without overlapping each other when viewed from the arrangement direction of the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32, that is, when viewed from the side. Therefore, even if the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are close to each other in the arrangement direction, that is, the X direction, they are unlikely to come into contact with each other. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 can be arranged as close as possible to each other in the arrangement direction, and the socket connector 1 can be made smaller in size.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 are arranged so as not to overlap when viewed from the fitting direction of the plug connector, i.e., in a plan view. For example, the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 are arranged alternately at equal intervals along the X direction as shown in FIG. 6. In this way, the adjacent low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 are arranged so as not to overlap in any of the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. Therefore, according to the socket connector 1 of this embodiment, the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 can be made unlikely to come into contact with each other regardless of the direction in which the movable part 4a is displaced.

[0082] The low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 may be arranged so that the gap between them is as small as possible in their respective arrangement directions, i.e., in the X direction, within a range in which they do not overlap in a plan view. In this way, the socket connector 1 can be made smaller in size in the X direction while keeping the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 from easily coming into contact with each other.

[0083] Second embodiment (Figs. 7 to 9)

[0084] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a socket connector 101 as a second embodiment of the "movable connector" of the present invention will be described, mainly focusing on the configuration differences from the above-mentioned socket connector 1. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the socket connector 101 can achieve the same effects as the above-mentioned socket connector 1.

[0085] Configuration of socket connector 101 (Figs. 7 to 9)

[0086] The socket connector 101 of this embodiment includes a fixed housing 2 as a "first housing", a movable housing 3 as a "second housing", and a plurality of terminals 104. The fixed housing 2 and the movable housing 3 are similar in the socket connector 1 and the socket connector 101.

[0087] Terminal 104

[0088] In the socket connector 101 of the present embodiment, four terminals 104 having the same shape are arranged in the same manner as the terminal 4. Therefore, here, one terminal 104 arranged on the rear side of the socket connector 101 in the Y direction will be described.

[0089] The terminal 104 has a movable part 104a that can be elastically deformed. In this embodiment, the terminal 104 is composed of three types of terminal pieces: a contact terminal piece 10 as a "contact part", a plurality of, for example, five low-back side terminal pieces 120, and a plurality of, for example, five high-back side terminal pieces 130. The movable part 104a is formed on both the high-back side terminal piece 130 and the low-back side terminal piece 120. The low-back side terminal piece 120 has a movable housing side base part 21, a low-back side movable part 22 as a "first movable terminal part", a fixed side held part 23 as a "first housing held part", and a board connection part 124 as a "first board connection part". The high-back side terminal piece 130 has a movable housing side base 31, a high-back side movable portion 32 as a "second movable terminal portion", a fixed side held portion 33 as a "first housing held portion", and a board connection portion 134 as a "second board connection portion".

[0090] Thus, terminal 104 is similar to terminal 4 except that the low-side terminal piece 120 has a board connection portion 124, the high-side terminal piece 130 has a board connection portion 134, and the low-side terminal piece 120 and the high-side terminal piece 130 are each composed of five pieces.

[0091] In this embodiment, when viewed from the fitting direction of the plug connector, i.e., in a plan view, the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 are arranged so as to overlap at least partially. Therefore, the socket connector 101 can be made smaller in size in the arrangement direction of the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32, i.e., in the X direction, by the amount of overlap between the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32.

[0092] For example, as shown in FIG. 8, five low-side movable parts 22 and five high-side movable parts 32 are both arranged at equal intervals along the X direction. The low-side movable parts 22 and the high-side movable parts 32 are arranged so that all five of them completely overlap each other in the X direction in a plan view without protruding from each other. Therefore, although the socket connector 101 has two movable parts 104a, the low-side movable parts 22 and the high-side movable parts 32, the width in the X direction, which is the arrangement direction of these, is the same length as the configuration with one movable part 104a. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the socket connector 101 can be made smaller while ensuring flexibility by the divided movable parts 104a.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 9, when the low-side movable part 22 and the high-side movable part 32 are arranged so as to completely overlap each other without protruding from each other in the X-direction in a plan view, the board connection part 124 and the board connection part 134 will interfere with each other.

[0094] In contrast, in the socket connector 101, the board connection part 124 at the end extending from the low-back side movable part 22 extends from the left side of the fixed-side held part 23 as the "first side in the arrangement direction". On the other hand, the board connection part 134 at the end extending from the high-back side movable part 32 extends from the right side of the fixed-side held part 33 as the "second side in the arrangement direction", which is the opposite side to the "first side". Therefore, the board connection part 124 and the board connection part 134 can be arranged close to each other in the arrangement direction, i.e., the X direction. Therefore, the socket connector 101 can be made smaller in size in the arrangement direction of the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32, i.e., the X direction.

[0095] In this embodiment, it is sufficient that the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 are arranged so that at least a portion of them overlap when viewed in a plane, and this does not exclude the low-back side movable part 22 and the high-back side movable part 32 from overlapping at least a portion of them when viewed from the side.

[0096] Variations

[0097] In the first embodiment, the terminal 4 is composed of three types of terminal pieces: the contact terminal piece 10, the low-back side terminal piece 20, and the high-back side terminal piece 30. However, the contact terminal piece 10 and one of the low-back side terminal piece 20 and the high-back side terminal piece 30 may be formed as a single part that is previously combined. This is also the case in the second embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1 Socket connector (movable connector) 2 Fixed housing (first housing) 2a Containment space 2b Fixture mounting part 2c Front wall 2d back wall 2e Side wall part 2f Upper wall 2g Top opening 2hA Low back side terminal piece holder 2hB High back side terminal piece holder 3 Movable housing (second housing) 3a Movable side engaging part 3b Heat dissipation part 3c front wall 3d back wall 3e side wall 3F ceiling wall 3g bulkhead 3h mating chamber 3i Insertion port 3j Insertion guide surface 3k Movable side terminal holding part 4 Terminals 4a Moving part 5 Fixing bracket 10 Contact terminal piece (contact part) 11 Movable side held portion (second housing held portion) 11a Press-fit projection 12 Front contact piece 12a Front Elastic Arm 12b Front contact part 13 Rear contact piece 13a Rear Elastic Arm 13b Rear contact part 14A Connection surface (connection part) 14B Back side of connection (connection part) 20 Low side terminal piece 21 Movable housing side base 22 Low-back side movable part (first movable terminal part) 22a First vertical piece 22b First bend 22c Second vertical piece 22d Second bend 22e First front and rear piece 22f Third bend 23 fixed side held portion (first housing held portion) 23a Press-fit projection 24 Board connection portion (first board connection portion) 30 High back side terminal piece 31 Movable housing side base 32 High-back movable part (second movable terminal part) 32a First vertical piece 32b First bend 32c Second vertical piece 32d Second bend 32e First front and rear piece 32f Third bend 33 fixed side held portion (first housing held portion) 33a Press-fit projection 34 Board connection portion (second board connection portion) 101 Socket connector (movable connector) 104 Terminal 104a Moving part 120 Low back side terminal piece 124 board connection portion (first board connection portion) 130 High back side terminal piece 134 Board connection portion (second board connection portion) P1 Circuit Board P2 top surface (board surface) X width direction, left and right direction Y Depth direction, front-back direction (first direction) Z Height direction, up and down direction

Claims

1. A first housing; a second housing displaceable relative to the first housing; a terminal supporting the second housing so as to be displaceable relative to the first housing, The terminal is a first housing held portion held by the first housing; a second housing held portion held by the second housing; a movable portion that is elastically deformable between the first housing held portion and the second housing held portion; A contact portion that is electrically connected to a connection object, the movable portion has a first movable terminal portion and a second movable terminal portion formed as a separate part from the first movable terminal portion, the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are arranged to overlap each other when viewed from a direction in which the first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion are connected to the connection object, The first movable terminal portion is a plurality of linearly extending first portions; a bent portion that is curved in a U-shape and connects the first portions to each other, The first movable terminal portion is characterized in that the first portion and the bent portion are disposed on a rear side of the second movable terminal portion in the connection direction. Movable connector.

2. The first portion of the first movable terminal portion is arranged so as to overlap the second movable terminal portion without protruding from it when viewed from the connection direction. The movable connector according to claim 1.

3. The first housing includes: a first terminal piece holding portion that holds the first housing held portion of the first movable terminal portion; a second terminal piece holding portion that holds the first housing held portion of the second movable terminal portion, The first terminal piece holding portion is positioned apart from the second terminal piece holding portion in the connection direction and in a direction intersecting the plate width direction of the terminal.

3. The movable connector according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The first movable terminal portion and the second movable terminal portion have different plate widths at predetermined locations facing each other. The movable connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The first movable terminal portion is a first bent portion that is bent in an inverted U-shape from the first housing held portion side toward the connection direction; a second bent portion and a third bent portion bent in a direction opposite to the connection direction from the first bent portion side, The second movable terminal portion is disposed facing the outside of the outer periphery of the first bent portion, and is disposed facing the inside of the inner periphery of the second bent portion and the third bent portion. The movable connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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