Connector set and connector

Abstract

To provide a connector set capable of reducing the size.SOLUTION: The connector set includes a mating connector 102. The mating connector 102 has a first mating contact 70B and a second mating contact 70B. The first mating contact 70B has a first contact piece 71 and a second contact piece 71, a first contact connection part 72, a first joint terminal 73, and a second joint terminal 73. The first contact connection part 72 connects the first contact piece 71 and the second contact piece 71. The first joint terminal 73 and the second joint terminal 73 protrude from the bottom end of the first contact piece 71 and the second contact piece 71. The mating connector 102 has a metal body 70A. The metal body 70A has a second contact connection part 72, a first side part 71 and a second side part 71, an outer side part 74, and a third joint terminal 73.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a connector set and a connector, and more particularly, to a connector set including a connector and a mating connector to be connected to the connector, the connector, and a connector used as the mating connector. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector and another connector (mating connector) for electrically connecting electrical components to each other. The connector described in Patent Document 1 has a housing and a plurality of contacts. The plurality of contacts are arranged in two rows and provided in the housing. The right-side portions of the contacts in the right row are held in the housing, and the left-side portions (i.e., the spring piece) rise from approximately the center of the housing. The left-side portions of the contacts in the left row are held in the housing, and the right-side portions (i.e., the spring piece) rise from approximately the center of the housing.

[0003] The other connector described in Patent Document 1 has a housing and a plurality of other connector-side contacts. The multiple other connector-side contacts are provided in the housing in two rows, similar to the contacts on the connector side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-107048 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The connector described in Patent Document 1 has multiple contacts arranged in two rows, and a spring piece on one side of each of the left and right rows of contacts is arranged in the center of the housing. Since the spring pieces are arranged in the center of the housing in this way, the width of the connector increases, and there is a problem that it is difficult to miniaturize the connector. In addition, the other connector in Patent Document 1 also has multiple other connector side contacts arranged in two rows to match the arrangement of the contacts on the connector side, and there is a problem that the width of the other connector increases, and it is difficult to miniaturize the other connector.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a connector set and a connector that can be made smaller. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A connector set according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a connector set including a connector and a mating connector that is connected to the connector by moving relatively in a first direction with respect to the connector. The connector has a first contact and a second contact, and a housing. The housing holds the first contact and the second contact. The mating connector has a first mating contact, a second mating contact, and a mating housing. The first mating contact contacts the first contact. The second mating contact contacts the second contact. The mating housing holds the first mating contact and the second mating contact. The first contact and the second contact have a first contact terminal, a second contact terminal, and a connecting portion. The connecting portion connects the first contact terminal and the second contact terminal. The mating housing has a first surface and a pair of side surfaces. The first surface is provided on the contact side of the mating connector in the first direction. The pair of side surfaces are arranged on both sides of the first surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first mating contact and the second mating contact are arranged apart from each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The first mating contact has a first contact piece and a second contact piece, a first mating connection part, and a first connecting terminal and a second connecting terminal. The first contact piece is arranged on each of the pair of side surfaces and has a first outer surface that contacts the first contact terminal. The second contact piece has a second outer surface that contacts the second contact terminal. The first mating connection part is arranged on the first surface and connects the upper ends of the first contact piece and the second contact piece. The first connecting terminal and the second connecting terminal are formed to protrude from the lower ends of the first contact piece and the second contact piece, respectively, and are joined to a board. The mating connector further has a conductive metal body arranged at an end of the mating connector in the third direction. The first mating contact is arranged between the second mating contact and the metal body when viewed from the first direction. The metal body has a second mating connection portion, a first side portion, a second side portion, an outer portion, and a third connecting terminal.The second mating connection portion has an upper surface on a contact side of the mating connector in the first direction. The first side portion and the second side portion are connected to both sides of the second mating connection portion in the second direction and extend downward from the connected portion. The outer portion is connected to a side of the second mating connection portion opposite the first mating contact in the third direction and extends downward from the connected portion. The third connecting terminal is joined to the board. When viewed from the first direction, a distance in the second direction between a protruding tip of the first connecting terminal and the first outer surface and a distance in the second direction between a protruding tip of the second connecting terminal and the second outer surface are equal to or less than a distance in the second direction between the first outer surface and the second outer surface. A connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a connector in the connector set, The connector includes the first contact, the second contact, and the housing. A connector according to an aspect of the present disclosure is a connector used as a mating connector in the connector set, The mating connector has the first mating contact, the second mating contact, and the mating housing. Effect of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure has the advantage of enabling further miniaturization. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment, seen obliquely from above. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector as viewed obliquely from below. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the connector. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the contact as viewed from the front-rear direction. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged plan view of a part of the lower surface of the connector as viewed from below. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a part of the lower surface of the connector as viewed obliquely from below. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A1-A1 in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the mating connector according to the embodiment, as viewed obliquely from above. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A2-A2 in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A3-A3 in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side view of the mating connector. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view of the mating connector as viewed from below. [Figure 13] Fig. 13A is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view perpendicular to the front-rear axis) showing a state before the mating connector is connected to the connector, and Fig. 13B is a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view perpendicular to the front-rear axis) showing a state after the mating connector is connected to the connector. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is another cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view perpendicular to the left-right axis) showing the state after the mating connector has been connected to the connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] (Embodiment) (1) Overview Hereinafter, an overview of the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 8, FIG. 13A, and FIG. 13B. The connector 101 and the mating connector 102 are detachably connected to each other. This connection electrically and mechanically connects the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 to each other. The connector 101 and the mating connector 102 are attached to a substrate 4 (see FIG. 13A), such as a printed wiring board or a flexible printed wiring board. The connector 101 is used to electrically connect between a plurality of substrates 4 mounted on a mobile device such as a smartphone (smartwatch, Bluetooth (registered trademark) earphone, hearing aid, electronic cigarette). Of course, this is not intended to limit the use of the connector 101 and the mating connector 102, and the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 may be used in electronic devices other than mobile devices, such as a camera module. Furthermore, the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 are not limited to being used to electrically connect multiple boards 4 together, but may be used to electrically connect multiple components together, such as between the board 4 and a display, or between the board 4 and a battery.

[0011] (2) Details The connector 101, the mating connector 102, and the connecting device 100 of this embodiment will be described in detail below. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of each of the housings 1, 60 of the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 will be referred to as the front-rear direction (first direction), the lateral direction of the housings 1, 60 as the left-right direction (second direction), and the thickness direction of the housings 1, 60 as the up-down direction (third direction). Note that arrows representing these directions (up, down, left, right, front, rear) as viewed from the center of the connector 101 or the mating connector 102 are shown in Figs. 1 to 14, but these arrows are merely shown for the purpose of assisting the description and do not have any substance. In addition, the above-mentioned directional definitions are not intended to limit the use of the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 of this embodiment.

[0012] (2.1) Connector First, a connector 101 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The connector 101 of this embodiment is a socket (female connector) and includes a housing 1, a plurality of contacts 2 (six in this embodiment), and a pair of retaining metal fittings 3.

[0013] The housing 1 is a resin molded body having a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction and is made of an insulating resin material (for example, LCP (Liquid Crystal Polymer) resin). In this embodiment, the housing 1 is an insert molded product with a pair of retaining metal fittings 3 as insert parts. The housing 1 has a bottom wall 12 and a peripheral wall 11. The bottom wall 12 is plate-like and long in the front-rear direction, and constitutes the bottom of the housing 1. The peripheral wall 11 protrudes upward from the periphery of the bottom wall 12 and is a rectangular frame-like shape in a plan view.

[0014] Specifically, the peripheral wall 11 is composed of a pair of first wall portions 121 and a pair of second wall portions 122. The pair of first wall portions 121 are a pair of wall portions along the front-rear direction of the peripheral wall 11. The pair of second wall portions 122 are a pair of wall portions along the left-right direction of the peripheral wall 11. In other words, the pair of second wall portions 122 are wall portions intersecting (for example, perpendicular to) the front-rear direction. The portion surrounded by the pair of first wall portions 121, the pair of second wall portions 122, and the bottom wall 12 constitutes a recess 13 into which the housing 60 of the mating connector 102 fits. In other words, the peripheral wall 11 surrounds the recess 13. The housing 60 of the mating connector 102 fits into the recess 13, whereby the mating connector 102 is connected to the connector 101.

[0015] The housing 1 has a plurality of (six in this example) slits 123 arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction. Each of the six slits 123 has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction in a plan view, and is composed of a pair of first through-holes 15 that penetrate the pair of first wall portions 121 in the up-down direction, and a second through-hole 16 that penetrates the bottom wall 12 in the up-down direction. The six contacts 2 are held in the housing 1 by being pushed into the six slits 123 from below.

[0016] The housing 1 has a taper 124 in the upper half of the inner surface of the second wall portion 122. The taper 124 is inclined so as to widen the opening area of ​​the recess 13 from the lower end toward the upper end. The taper 124 becomes a surface that guides the mating connector 102 into the recess 13 when the mating connector 102 is fitted into the recess 13 of the connector 101. Note that the lower half of the inner surface of the second wall portion 122 is, for example, perpendicular to the upper surface of the bottom wall 12 (i.e., parallel to the outer surface of the second wall portion 122).

[0017] The contact 2 is a metal molded body made of a metal material such as a copper alloy. The contact 2 is gold plated. The contact 2 does not have to be gold plated. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the contact 2 has a pair of contact terminals 21, a connecting portion 23, and a pair of joining terminals 24, which are integrally formed.

[0018] Each of the pair of contact terminals 21 has an inner piece 211, an outer piece 212, a connecting piece 213, a gill portion 214, and a protrusion 215, which are integrally configured. Each of the pair of contact terminals 21 has an inverted U shape with the upper end as the apex when viewed from the front and rear direction. The pair of contact terminals 21 are held by the pair of first wall portions 121 in a state where they are lined up in the left and right direction. That is, the pair of contact terminals 21 are held by the peripheral wall 11 in a state where they face each other with the recess 13 between them. In this embodiment, there is no obstacle (for example, a part of the housing 1 and / or a terminal) between the pair of contact terminals 21 (see FIG. 1). That is, the pair of contact terminals 21 face each other inside the recess 13 without any obstacle between them.

[0019] The inner piece 211 is, for example, a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction, and is exposed in the recess 13 (see FIG. 1). The inner piece 211 is disposed so as to come into contact with a contact 70 (described later) of the mating connector 102 when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102 (i.e., when the mating connector 102 is fitted into the recess 13 of the connector 101).

[0020] A protrusion 215 (second hook portion) protruding in the thickness direction (left-right direction) of the inner piece 211 is integrally provided on the inner surface of the inner piece 211. The above-mentioned inner surface is the inner surface in the direction in which each of the pair of contact terminals 21 faces each other (left-right direction). That is, each of the pair of contact terminals 21 has a protrusion 215 provided on the inner surface in the facing direction. The protrusion 215 is a portion that is hooked with a hook recess 77 (second mating hook portion) of a contact 70B (described later) of the mating connector 102 when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102. The protrusion amount W1 of the protrusion 215 is larger than the depth W2 of the hook recess 77. For example, the protrusion amount W1 is 0.02 m, and the depth W2 is 0.015. As a result, when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102, the protrusion 215 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the hook recess 77. As a result, the pair of contact terminals 21 and the contacts 70B are in stable electrical contact with each other.

[0021] More specifically, when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102, the protrusion 215 is aligned vertically with the step 77a of the hooking recess 77 and is located above the step 77a (see FIG. 13B). Therefore, unless an attempt is made to pull the mating connector 102 out of the connector 101 with a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the step 77a of the contact 70B is hooked onto the protrusion 215 of the contact 2, and the connection between the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 is not released. In other words, the protrusion 215 of the contact 2 and the hooking recess 77 of the contact 70B form a locking mechanism that can release the connection between the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 by applying a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0022] The outer piece 212 is, for example, a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction, and faces the inner piece 211. The outer piece 212 is located outside the inner piece 211 in the direction in which the pair of contact terminals 21 are arranged (left-right direction). The outer piece 212 is not exposed to the recess 13, and is held by the peripheral wall 11 (first wall portion 121). The left surface (outer surface) of the left outer piece 212 is disposed at a distance from the left first wall portion 121 (see FIG. 7). Similarly, the right surface (outer surface) of the right outer piece 212 is disposed at a distance from the right first wall portion 121. That is, the outer piece 212 has a surface (outer surface) opposite to the surface facing the inner piece 211 and disposed at a distance from the peripheral wall 11.

[0023] The connecting piece 213 connects the upper ends (the ends opposite the connecting portion 23) of the inner piece 211 and the outer piece 212. The connecting piece 213 has an inverted U shape with the upper end as the apex when viewed from the front and rear direction.

[0024] The gills 214 are a portion that is held by the peripheral wall 11. The gills 214 protrude in the front-rear direction from both ends of the outer piece 212 in the front-rear direction.

[0025] The connecting portion 23 is, for example, a rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction. The connecting portion 23 is located between the pair of contact terminals 21 so as to cover the second through-hole 16 of the bottom wall 12 of the slit 123. The left end of the connecting portion 23 is integral with the lower end of the left inner piece 211. The right end of the connecting portion 23 is integral with the lower end of the right inner piece 211. In other words, the connecting portion 23 connects the pair of contact terminals 21 at the bottom wall 12 of the recess 13.

[0026] Each of the pair of joining terminals 24 is provided at the lower end of each of the pair of contact terminals 21. That is, the left joining terminal 24 is provided at the lower end of the outer piece 212 of the left contact terminal 21. The right joining terminal 24 is provided at the lower end of the outer piece 212 of the right contact terminal 21. The pair of joining terminals 24 is located outside the pair of contact terminals 21 in the direction in which the pair of contact terminals 21 are arranged (left-right direction). That is, the pair of joining terminals 24 are arranged at both ends of the direction in which the pair of contact terminals 21 are arranged in the contact 2 (left-right direction). Each of the pair of joining terminals 24 is located at the lower end side of the pair of first wall portions 121, extends toward the outside in the left-right direction, and is exposed from the housing 1. The lower surface of each of the pair of joining terminals 24 is a joining surface that is joined to the board 4 (more specifically, a conductor formed on the surface of the board 4) by, for example, soldering. That is, the pair of joining terminals 24 is configured to be joined to the board 4. In this embodiment, a plurality of (here, six) connecting terminals 24 are arranged on each of the left and right sides of the housing 1.

[0027] The multiple (six in this embodiment) contacts 2 are roughly divided into signal terminals 51 and power terminals 52 (see FIG. 1). The signal terminals 51 are terminals through which a signal current (for example, a current of about 0.3 A) flows. The power terminals 52 are terminals through which a power current (for example, a current of about 3.0 A) flows. The six contacts 2 are lined up in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the housing 1, and two power terminals 52 are disposed at both the front and rear ends of the housing 1 so as to sandwich the four signal terminals 51 therebetween. That is, of the multiple contacts 2, the contacts 2 at the very ends on both the front and rear sides are the power terminals 52, and the contacts 2 other than the very ends are the signal terminals 51. The width dimensions (front-rear dimension) of the signal terminals 51 and the power terminals 52 are approximately the same.

[0028] The pair of retaining metal fittings 3 are metal molded bodies made of a metal material such as a copper alloy. The pair of retaining metal fittings 3 are provided at both ends of the housing 1 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction). The pair of retaining metal fittings 3 have the function of increasing the strength of the housing 1 by being attached to the housing 1. Each of the pair of retaining metal fittings 3 has one main piece 31, a pair of first outer pieces 32, one second outer piece 33, a pair of first retaining terminals 34 (retaining terminals), a pair of second retaining terminals 35 (retaining terminals), an inner piece 36, and a hook recess 363 (first hook portion). These are integrally configured. In the following description, since the pair of retaining metal fittings 3 are symmetrical to each other in the front-rear direction, only the retaining metal fitting 3 attached to the front end of the housing 1 will be described as an example.

[0029] The main piece 31 is a portion that covers the front-rear end of the upper surface of the peripheral wall 11 in a substantially U-shape. More specifically, the main piece 31 covers the upper surface of the second wall portion 122 and one end (the end on the second wall portion 122 side) of the upper surface of each of the pair of first wall portions 121. More specifically, the main piece 31 has a pair of first main piece portions 311 and one second main piece portion 312. The pair of first main piece portions 311 cover one end in the longitudinal direction of the upper surface of each of the pair of first wall portions 121. More specifically, the pair of first main piece portions 311 cover the upper surface of each of the pair of first wall portions 121 from the front end in the longitudinal direction to a position beyond the front power terminal 52. Also, the pair of first main piece portions 311 cover the outer edge of each of the upper surfaces of the pair of first wall portions 121 while exposing the inner edge. The second main piece portion 312 is a portion that covers the upper surface (for example, almost the entire upper surface) of the second wall portion 122. The second main piece portion 312 is connected to the front end portions of the pair of first main piece portions 311.

[0030] The pair of first outer pieces 32 are portions extending from each of the pair of first main piece portions 311 of the main piece 31 to each outer surface of the pair of first wall portions 121. The width in the front-rear direction of each of the pair of first outer pieces 32 is, for example, approximately the same as the width in the front-rear direction of each of the pair of first main piece portions 311. The lower end of each of the pair of first outer pieces 32 is located, for example, lower than the center in the up-down direction of each of the pair of first wall portions 121.

[0031] The second outer piece 33 is a portion extending from the second main piece portion 312 of the main piece 31 to the outer surface of the second wall portion 122. The second outer piece 33 covers almost the entire outer surface of the second wall portion 122.

[0032] The pair of first holding terminals 34 are terminals extending from each of the pair of first outer pieces 32. More specifically, the pair of first holding terminals 34 protrude downward from the lower end of each of the pair of first outer pieces 32 along the outer side surface of the first wall portion 121 and are exposed from the lower surface of the first wall portion 121. The lower end of the left first holding terminal 34 is disposed adjacent (e.g., in front of) the left joining terminal 24 of the power terminal 52. Similarly, the lower end of the right first holding terminal 34 is disposed adjacent (e.g., in front of) the right joining terminal 24 of the power terminal 52. The lower surface of each of the pair of first holding terminals 34 is a joining surface that is joined to the board 4 (more specifically, a conductor formed on the surface of the board 4) by, for example, soldering.

[0033] The pair of second holding terminals 35 are terminals extending from the second outer piece 33. More specifically, each of the pair of second holding terminals 35 is bent from both the left and right ends of the lower end of the second outer piece 33 so as to follow the lower surface of the second wall portion 122, and protrudes outward in the left-right direction. The left second holding terminal 35 is disposed adjacent to (for example, in front of) the left first holding terminal 34. Similarly, the right second holding terminal 35 is disposed adjacent to (for example, in front of) the right first holding terminal 34. The lower surface of each of the pair of second holding terminals 35 is a joining surface that is joined to the board 4 (more specifically, a conductor formed on the surface of the board 4) by, for example, soldering.

[0034] The first holding terminal 34 and the second holding terminal 35 on the left side are aligned in the front-rear direction with the six joining terminals 24 located on the left side. Similarly, the first holding terminal 34 and the second holding terminal 35 on the right side are aligned in the front-rear direction with the six joining terminals 24 located on the right side.

[0035] The first holding terminal 34 and the second holding terminal 35 on the left side are joined to the same pad on the substrate 4 (see FIG. 13A) as the pad to which the left joining terminal 24 of the power supply terminal 52 is joined. This electrically connects the holding metal fitting 3 to the power supply terminal 52. As a result, the holding metal fitting 3 functions as a part of the power supply terminal 52, and the current capacity of the power supply terminal 52 is increased.

[0036] A pitch distance P1 between the power supply terminal 52 (adjacent contacts) and the pair of first retention terminals 34 is smaller than a pitch distance P2 between the multiple contacts 2 (see FIG. 1). A pitch distance P3 between the pair of first retention terminals 34 and the pair of second retention terminals 35 is smaller than the pitch distance P2. This makes it easier to bond the first retention terminals 34 and the second retention terminals 35 to the same pad as the power supply terminal 52 adjacent to them.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first holding terminal 34 is disposed adjacent to the power terminal 52, but the second holding terminal 35 may be disposed adjacent to the power terminal 52.

[0038] The inner piece 36 is a portion extending from the second main piece portion 312 of the main piece 31 to the inner surface of the second wall portion 122. An upper half portion 361 of the inner piece 36 covers the taper 124 of the second wall portion 122, and a lower half portion 362 of the inner piece 36 covers the lower side surface of the taper 124 of the second wall portion 122. For this reason, the upper half portion 361 of the inner piece 36 is inclined along the taper 124, and the lower half portion 362 of the inner piece 36 is approximately perpendicular to the upper surface of the bottom wall 12.

[0039] The inner piece 36 is provided with a hooking recess 363 that hooks onto a protrusion 75 (described later) of the mating connector 102 fitted into the recess 13. The hooking recess 363 is provided in a concave shape in a lower half 362 of the inner piece 36. The hooking recess 363 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front and rear directions. The hooking of the hooking recess 363 onto the protrusion 75 can increase the removal force when the mating connector 102 is pulled out from the connector 101.

[0040] The structure of the housing 1 will be further described with reference to FIGS.

[0041] The housing 1 has a spacing recess 125 and a gill recess 126. Hereinafter, the spacing recess 125 and the gill recess 126 will also be referred to as the recess 125 and the recess 126, respectively.

[0042] The recesses 125 are provided on end faces 123a on both sides in the left-right direction of the slits 123 at the very ends on both the front and rear sides. The end faces 123a are portions of the peripheral wall 11 that face the outer pieces 212 of each of the pair of contact terminals 21 of the power terminal 52 in the direction in which the pair of contact terminals 21 of the power terminal 52 are lined up (left-right direction). The recesses 125 ensure a gap between the peripheral wall 11 and each of the outer pieces 212 of each of the pair of contact terminals 21 of the power terminal 52 in the direction in which the pair of contact terminals 21 of the power terminal 52 are lined up. The recesses 125 are provided from the lower end to near the upper end of the slit 123, and are open at the lower end of the slit 123. In this embodiment, the recesses 125 are provided only in the slits 123 at the very ends of the multiple slits 123, but may be provided in other slits 123.

[0043] The recess 125 allows each of the pair of contact terminals 21 of the power terminal 52 to bend into the recess 125 when a load is applied from the mating connector 102 connected to the connector 101. This reduces the load acting on the pair of contact terminals 21 from the mating connector 102, and as a result, the pair of contact terminals 21 can be prevented from being plastically deformed due to the load from the mating connector 102. Since the strength of the areas around the slits 123 at the very front and rear ends of the housing 1 is improved by the retaining metal fittings 3, the housing 1 is less likely to be elastically deformed. Therefore, the recess 125 allows the load on the pair of contact terminals 21 to be released from the mating connector 102.

[0044] The recesses 126 are portions into which the gills 214 of the contacts 2 fit. The recesses 126 are provided on the front and rear side surfaces 123b of each of the multiple slits 123 at positions facing the gills 214 of the contacts 2. In other words, the recesses 126 are provided at positions on both the left and right ends of the front and rear side surfaces 123b of each of the slits 123. In further other words, the recesses 126 are provided at positions facing the gills 214 of the peripheral wall 11 in the front-rear direction (the direction in which the contacts are arranged). The recesses 126 are provided from the lower end to near the upper end of the slits 123, and are open at the lower end of the slits 123.

[0045] (2.2) Mating connector Next, the mating connector 102 that is detachably connected to the connector 101 of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to Figures 8 to 12. The mating connector 102 of this embodiment is a header (male connector) and includes a housing 60 and a plurality of contacts 70 (six in this embodiment).

[0046] The multiple contacts 70 are held in the housing 60 while being lined up in the front-rear direction. The multiple contacts 70 correspond one-to-one to the multiple contacts 2 of the connector 101. When the mating connector 102 is connected to the connector 101 (i.e., when the housing 60 is fitted into the recess 13 of the connector 101), the multiple contacts 70 are electrically connected one-to-one to pairs of contact terminals 21 of the multiple contacts 2. Of the multiple contacts 70, the endmost contacts 70A on both the front and rear sides are used as power terminals 92, and the contacts 70B other than the endmost ones are used as signal terminals 91.

[0047] The housing 60 is an insulating resin molded body. In this embodiment, the housing 60 is an insert molded product with a plurality of contacts 70 as inserts. The housing 60 is, for example, a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The housing 60 has a size that fits into the recess 13 of the connector 101. The housing 60 has an upper surface (first surface) 66, a lower surface (second surface) 61, a left side surface 62, a right side surface 63, a front end surface 64, and a rear end surface 65. The upper surface 66 and the lower surface 61 extend along the front-rear direction (contact arrangement direction). The left side surface 62 and the right side surface 63 are a pair of side surfaces that extend along the front-rear direction and are arranged on both the left and right sides of the upper surface 66. The front end surface 64 and the rear end surface 65 are end surfaces on both sides in the front-rear direction.

[0048] The housing 60 has a protrusion 67 (see Figs. 11 and 12). The protrusion 67 protrudes from the lower surface 61 of the housing 60 and extends along the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the lower surface 61. In this embodiment, two protrusions 67 are provided. One protrusion 67A is formed on the lower surface 61 in a range from one end to the center in the longitudinal direction. The other protrusion 67B is formed on the lower surface 61 in a range from the other end to near the center in the longitudinal direction. That is, the two protrusions 67A and 67B are arranged in a line with a gap between them. The two protrusions 67A and 67B are provided at the center of the width direction of the lower surface 61. Note that the longitudinal position of the lower surface 61 where the protrusion 67 is provided is preferably a position where a load acts on the mating connector 102 when the mating connector 102 is inserted into the recess 13 of the connector 101 in a misaligned manner. This protrusion 67 can prevent the mating connector 102 from breaking midway in the longitudinal direction of the lower surface 61 when the mating connector 102 is inserted into the recess 13 of the connector 101 in a misaligned manner.

[0049] The contacts 70 are metal molded bodies made of a metal material such as a copper alloy. The contacts 70 are gold plated. The contacts 70 do not have to be gold plated. The contacts 70 are arranged on the surface of the housing 60 in a line in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction) of the housing 60. Of the contacts 70, the endmost contacts 70A on both the front and rear sides are provided at both ends of the housing 60 in the longitudinal direction (front-rear direction).

[0050] The contact 70 has a pair of contact pieces 71, a connecting portion 72, and a pair of joining terminals 73, which are integrally formed (see FIG. 9).

[0051] Each of the pair of contact pieces 71 is, for example, a rectangular plate that is long in the vertical direction. Each of the pair of contact pieces 71 is provided so as to be exposed on the left side surface 62 and the right side surface 63 of the housing 60. Each of the pair of contact pieces 71 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the left side surface 62 and the right side surface 63. The pair of contact pieces 71 come into contact with a corresponding pair of contact terminals 21 when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102.

[0052] The connecting portion 72 is a portion that connects the pair of contact pieces 71. The connecting portion 72 is, for example, a rectangular plate that is long in the left-right direction. The connecting portion 72 is provided so as to be exposed on the upper surface 66 of the housing 60. The left and right ends of the connecting portion 72 are connected to the upper ends of the pair of contact pieces 71.

[0053] The pair of joining terminals 73 are, for example, rectangular plate-shaped and long in the left-right direction. One left-right end of each of the pair of joining terminals 73 is connected to the lower end of the pair of contact pieces 71. Each of the pair of joining terminals 73 protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the lower end of each of the left side surface 62 and the right side surface 63 of the housing 60. The lower surfaces of the pair of joining terminals 73 are joining surfaces that are joined to the board 4 (more specifically, the conductor formed on the surface of the board 4) by, for example, soldering.

[0054] The front and rear end contacts 70A further have an outer piece 74, a protrusion 75 (first mating hook portion), and a notch 76. The front end contact 70A and the rear end contact 70A have the same structure. For this reason, only the outer piece 74, protrusion 75, and notch 76 of the front end contact 70A will be described, and a description of the outer piece 74, protrusion 75, and notch 76 of the rear end contact 70A will be omitted.

[0055] The outer piece 74 is, for example, a rectangular plate and extends from the connecting portion 72 of the front-most contact 70A to the front end face 64 of the housing 60. The outer piece 74 extends from the upper end of the front end face 64 toward the lower end.

[0056] The protrusion 75 is provided on the outer surface of the outer piece 74 and protrudes in the thickness direction of the outer piece 74. The protrusion 75 is a portion that is hooked into the hook recess 363 of the retaining metal fitting 3 of the connector 101 when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102. The protrusion amount W3 of the protrusion 75 is larger than the depth W4 of the hook recess 363 (see FIG. 13B). For example, the protrusion amount W3 is 0.02 m and the depth W4 is 0.015 m. As a result, when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102, the protrusion 75 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the hook recess 363. As a result, the endmost contact 70A and the retaining metal fitting 3 are in stable electrical contact.

[0057] Furthermore, when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102, the protrusion 75 is aligned in the vertical direction with the upper step 363a of the hooking recess 363 and is located below the step 363a (see FIG. 14). Therefore, unless an attempt is made to pull the mating connector 102 out of the connector 101 with a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the protrusion 75 of the mating connector 102 is caught in the hooking recess 363 of the connector 101, and the connected state between the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 is not released. In other words, the protrusion 75 of the mating connector 102 and the hooking recess 363 of the connector 101 form a locking mechanism that can release the connected state between the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 by applying a force equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0058] The cutouts 76 are provided on both sides in the width direction (left-right direction) of the outer piece 74 (see FIG. 8). The cutouts 76 are provided on both the left and right sides near the tip (lower end) of the outer piece 74. The cutouts 76 are cut out in, for example, a semicircular shape. Meanwhile, the front end surface 64 of the housing 60 is provided with two fitting portions 641 that fit into the cutouts 76 on both the left and right sides. The fitting portions 641 are semicircular so as to be able to fit into the cutouts 76, and are provided on the front end surface 64 as, for example, stepped portions. Since the cutouts 76 are caught by the fitting portions 641, the outer piece 74 can be prevented from rolling up from the front end surface 64 of the housing 60 when the mating connector 102 is pulled out of the connector 101.

[0059] The contacts 70B other than the end ones further have a hooking recess 77 (second mating hooking portion). That is, the contacts 70 include the contacts 70B having the hooking recess 77. The hooking recess 77 is provided on the outer side surface in the left-right direction of each of the pair of contact pieces 71 of the contact 70B. The hooking recess 77 is, for example, rectangular in front view from the left-right direction, and is recessed in the thickness direction of the contact piece 71. The hooking recess 77 hooks onto the protrusion 215 of the corresponding contact 2 of the connector 101 when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102. More specifically, the lower step 77a of the hooking recess 77 is aligned with the protrusion 215 in the up-down direction and is located below the protrusion 215 (see FIG. 13B). The hooking recess 77, together with the protrusion 215 of the contact 2, constitutes a locking mechanism that can release the connection state between the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 by applying a force of a predetermined value or more.

[0060] 8 and 12, in the front-rear direction (contact arrangement direction), the width D1 of the pair of joining terminals 73 of the endmost contact 70A among the multiple contacts 70 is larger than the width D2 of the pair of joining terminals 73 of the contact 70B other than the endmost contact 70. This can improve the joining strength between the joining terminals 73 of the endmost contact 70A and the substrate 4 (see FIG. 13A).

[0061] 8 and 12, in the left-right direction (the direction in which the pair of contact pieces 71 are arranged), the length L1 of the pair of connecting terminals 73 of the endmost contact 70A among the multiple contacts 70 is shorter than the length L2 of the pair of connecting terminals 73 of the contact 70B other than the endmost contact. This makes it possible to prevent the pair of connecting terminals 73 of the contact 70B other than the endmost contact from contacting the retaining metal fitting 3 of the connector 101 when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, the cross-sectional shape (cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the front-rear direction) of the contact 70 (70A and 70B) is box-shaped. That is, most of the pair of contact pieces 71, excluding at least the upper and lower ends (i.e., almost the entirety), extend linearly in the up-down direction. Also, most of the connecting portion 72, excluding at least the left and right ends (i.e., almost the entirety), extend linearly in the left-right direction. Since the cross-sectional shape of the contact 70 is box-shaped in this way, that is, since there are no warped or curved parts in the cross-sectional shape of the contact 70, the path length of the conductive path from one connecting terminal 73 to one contact piece 71, the connecting portion 72, the other contact piece 71, and the other connecting terminal 73 in this order can be shortened as much as possible, and the conductor resistance of the contact 70 can be reduced.

[0063] In the contacts 70 (70A and 70B), corners 78 where the pair of contact pieces 71 and the connecting portion 72 are connected are chamfered to form an inclined surface of, for example, 45 degrees. This allows the mating connector 102 to be smoothly fitted into the recess 13 when the connector 101 and the mating connector 102 are connected to each other without the corners 78 getting caught on the connector 101.

[0064] 10, the pair of contact pieces 71 of the endmost contact 70A are inclined in the opposing direction (inward in the left-right direction) from the lower surface 61 toward the upper surface 66 of the housing 60. This allows the mating connector 102 (particularly the endmost contact 70A) to be easily inserted into and removed from the recess 13 of the connector 101 even when the retaining metal fittings 3 are provided at both the front and rear ends of the connector 101.

[0065] (2.3) Connection device The connector 101 is mounted on a board 4 (hereinafter also referred to as a "first board 41") built into an electronic device such as a smartphone (see FIG. 13A). A mating connector 102 detachably connected to the connector 101 is mounted on another board 4 (hereinafter also referred to as a "second board 42") also built into the electronic device (see FIG. 13A). A first electric component is mounted on the first board 41, and a second electric component is mounted on the second board 42. The first electric component is, for example, a battery (first battery), and the second electric component is, for example, a battery (second battery).

[0066] 13A and 13B, by connecting the connector 101 to the mating connector 102, the first conductor of the first board 41 and the second conductor of the second board 42 are electrically connected. Specifically, the contacts 2 of the connector 101 are electrically connected to the contacts 70 of the mating connector 102, so that the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102. At this time, the signal terminals 51 of the connector 101 (for example, four) are electrically connected to the corresponding signal terminals 91 of the mating connector 102. Also, the power terminals 52 of the connector 101 (for example, two) are electrically connected to the corresponding power terminals 92 of the mating connector 102. In this way, by connecting the connector 101 to the mating connector 102, for example, the first electric component and the second electric component are electrically connected via the connector 101 and the mating connector 102. As a result, for example, power is supplied from the first battery to the second battery.

[0067] In this embodiment, the connection device 100 is configured by the connector 101, the mating connector 102, the first board 41, and the second board 42. In other words, the connection device 100 includes the first board 41 on which a first electric component is mounted, the second board 42 on which a second electric component is mounted, the connector 101 mounted on the first board 41, and the mating connector 102 mounted on the second board 42 and fitted into the recess 13 of the connector 101. Note that in Figs. 13A and 13B, the mating connector 102 is shown upside down and left to right as compared to Figs. 8 to 10.

[0068] Here, when the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102, the pair of contact terminals 21 are pushed outward in the left-right direction by the contacts 70, as shown in Fig. 13B. Therefore, each of the pair of contact terminals 21 contacts the contacts 70 in a state in which it is elastically deformed outward in the left-right direction. In other words, each of the pair of contact terminals 21 contacts the contacts 70 due to an elastic force that tries to return to its original state.

[0069] More specifically, in this embodiment, the protrusion amount W1 of each of the protrusions 215 of the pair of contact terminals 21 is greater than the depth W2 of the hooking recess 77 of the contact 70B. Therefore, when the protrusions 215 come into contact with the bottom surface of the hooking recess 77, the pair of contact terminals 21 are electrically connected to the contact 70B. In this manner, when the protrusions 215 come into contact with the bottom surface of the hooking recess 77, the electrical contact between the pair of contact terminals 21 and the contact 70B is stabilized. When the connector 101 is pulled out from the mating connector 102, the protrusions 215 are caught by the step portion 77a of the hooking recess 77. This makes it difficult for the connector 101 to come off from the mating connector 102.

[0070] When the connector 101 is connected to the mating connector 102, as shown in FIG. 14, the projection 75 of the end contact 70A of the mating connector 102 is pushed into the hook recess 363 of the retaining metal fitting 3 of the connector 101. In this state, the projection amount W3 of the projection 75 is greater than the depth W4 of the hook recess 363, so the projection 75 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the hook recess 363. This contact electrically connects the end contact 70A of the mating connector 102 to the retaining metal fitting 3 of the connector 101. The projection 75 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the hook recess 363, so that the electrical contact between the end contact 70A and the retaining metal fitting 3 is stabilized. When the connector 101 is pulled out from the mating connector 102, the projection 75 gets caught on the step portion 363a of the hook recess 363. This makes it even more difficult for the connector 101 to come off from the mating connector 102.

[0071] In this embodiment, when the connector 101 is pulled out from the mating connector 102, the protrusions 215 of the contacts 2 are caught in the hooking recesses 77 of the contacts 70B, and the protrusions 75 of the contacts 70A are caught in the hooking recesses 363 of the retaining fittings 3. This provides a high-removal structure that requires a high removal force.

[0072] As described above, according to the connector 101 of this embodiment, the pair of contact terminals 21 of each contact 2 are held by the peripheral wall 11 in a state in which they face each other across the recess 13, and are connected by the connecting portion 23. In other words, there is no contact terminal that stands up from the center of the recess 13. This allows the width of the housing 1 (the width in the direction in which the pair of contact terminals 21 are arranged) to be made smaller, and the connector 101 can be made more compact.

[0073] Moreover, according to the mating connector 102 of this embodiment, the pair of contact pieces 71 of the mating connector 102 are provided on a pair of side surfaces 62, 63 of the housing 60, and are connected by a connecting portion 72 provided on the upper surface 66 of the housing 60. That is, there is no contact piece rising from the center in the width direction (the direction in which the pair of contact pieces 71 are aligned) of the housing 60. This allows the width of the housing 60 (the width in the direction in which the pair of contact pieces 71 are aligned) to be made smaller, and the mating connector 102 can be made smaller. In addition, since the outer piece 74 extending from the connecting portion 72 is provided with a protrusion 75, the removal force when the mating connector 102 is pulled out from the connector 101 can be increased.

[0074] Moreover, according to the connection device 100 of this embodiment, a connection device that exhibits the effects of the connector 101 and the effects of the mating connector 102 can be provided.

[0075] (3) Summary The connector (101) of the first aspect includes a housing (1) and a plurality of contacts (2). The housing (1) has a recess (13) into which a mating connector (102) fits, and a peripheral wall (11) surrounding the recess (13). The plurality of contacts (2) are arranged in a line in the housing (1). Each of the plurality of contacts (2) has a pair of contact terminals (21) and a connecting portion (23). The pair of contact terminals (21) are held by the peripheral wall (11) in a state of facing each other with the recess (13) therebetween, and come into contact with a mating contact (70) of the mating connector (102) fitted into the recess (13). The connecting portion (23) connects the pair of contact terminals (21).

[0076] According to this configuration, the pair of contact terminals (21) of each contact (2) are held by the peripheral wall (11) in a state in which they face each other across the recess (13), and are connected by the connecting portion (23). In other words, there is no contact terminal rising from the center of the recess (13). This allows the width of the housing (1) (the width in the direction in which the pair of contact terminals (21) are arranged) to be smaller, and the connector (101) can be made more compact.

[0077] In the connector (101) of the second embodiment, the pair of contact terminals (21) in the first embodiment have spring properties that allow them to be elastically deformed in the opposing directions.

[0078] This configuration stabilizes the contact between each of the pair of contact terminals 21 and the mating contact 70. This increases the force required to remove the mating connector 102 from the connector 101. In other words, it makes it difficult for the mating connector 102 to come off from the connector 101.

[0079] In the connector (101) of the third aspect, in the first or second aspect, each of the pair of contact terminals (21) protrudes from the inner circumferential surface of the peripheral wall (11) into the recess (13).

[0080] According to this configuration, each of the pair of contact terminals (21) can be brought into contact with the mating connector (102) fitted in the recess (13).

[0081] In the connector (101) of the fourth aspect, in any one of the first to third aspects, each of the plurality of contacts (2) further includes a pair of connecting terminals (24). The pair of connecting terminals (24) is provided on each of the pair of contact terminals (21) and connected to the substrate (4).

[0082] According to this configuration, the pair of contact terminals (21) enables the connector (101) to be stably joined to the board (4).

[0083] The connector (101) of the fifth aspect is any one of the first to fourth aspects, and further includes a retaining metal fitting (3) provided on the peripheral wall (11). The direction in which the contacts (2) are arranged is the contact arrangement direction. The peripheral wall (11) includes a pair of first wall portions (121) and a second wall portion (122). The pair of first wall portions (121) are aligned along the contact arrangement direction. The second wall portion (122) intersects with the contact arrangement direction. The retaining metal fitting (3) has a main piece (31), a pair of first outer pieces (32), and a second outer piece (33). The main piece (31) covers an upper surface of the second wall portion (122) and an end portion of the upper surface of each of the pair of first wall portions (121) on the second wall portion (122) side. The pair of first outer pieces (32) extend from the main piece (31) to the outer surfaces of the pair of first walls (121). The second outer piece (33) extends from the main piece (31) to the outer surface of the second wall (122).

[0084] According to this configuration, the housing (1) is provided with a retaining fitting (3) having a main piece (31) and a pair of first outer pieces (32) and second outer pieces (33), making the housing (1) robust and less likely to break.

[0085] In the connector (101) of the sixth aspect, in the fifth aspect, the retaining metal fitting (3) has an inner piece (36) extending from the main piece (31) to the inner surface of the second wall portion (122). The inner piece (36) has a first hook portion (363) that hooks onto the first mating hook portion (75) of the mating connector (102) fitted into the recess (13).

[0086] This configuration makes it possible to increase the force required to remove the mating connector (102) from the connector (101).

[0087] In the seventh aspect of the connector (101), in the fifth or sixth aspect, the retaining fitting (3) has a pair of retaining terminals (34, 35) extending from each of the pair of first outer pieces (32) or the second outer piece (33).

[0088] According to this configuration, the pair of holding terminals (34, 35) can be soldered to the board (4) together with the pair of joining terminals (24) of the endmost contact (2). This allows the holding metal fitting (3) and the pair of joining terminals (24) of the endmost contact (2) to be electrically connected via the board (4). As a result, the current capacity of the endmost contact (2) can be increased by utilizing the holding metal fitting (3).

[0089] In the connector (101) of the eighth aspect, in the seventh aspect, the contacts (2) adjacent to the pair of holding terminals (34) among the plurality of contacts (2) are regarded as adjacent contacts (2). The pitch interval (P1) between the pair of holding terminals (34) and the adjacent contact (2) is smaller than the pitch interval (P2) of the plurality of contacts (2).

[0090] According to this configuration, the pair of joining terminals (24) of the adjacent contacts (2) can be easily soldered to the board (4) together with the pair of holding terminals (34).

[0091] In the connector (101) of the ninth aspect, in any one of the first to eighth aspects, each of the pair of contact terminals (21) has a second hook portion (215). The second hook portion (215) is provided on an inner surface of each of the pair of contact terminals (21) in a mutually opposing direction, and is hooked onto a second mating hook portion (77) of the mating connector (102) fitted into the recess (13).

[0092] This configuration makes it possible to increase the force required to remove the mating connector (102) from the connector (101).

[0093] In the connector (101) of the tenth aspect, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, spacing recesses (125) for ensuring spacing between each of the pair of contact terminals (21) are provided at locations on the peripheral wall (11) facing the pair of contact terminals (21) in the direction in which each of the pair of contact terminals (21) is arranged.

[0094] According to this configuration, each of the pair of contact terminals 21 can bend into the spacing recess 125 when it receives a load from the mating connector 102 fitted in the recess 13. This reduces the load acting on the pair of contact terminals 21 from the mating connector 102, and as a result, it is possible to prevent each of the pair of contact terminals 21 from being plastically deformed due to the load from the mating connector 102.

[0095] In a connector (101) of an eleventh aspect, in any one of the first to tenth aspects, a direction in which the contacts (2) are arranged is defined as a contact arranging direction. Each of the pair of contact terminals (21) has gills (214) protruding on both sides in the contact arranging direction. A gill recess (126) into which the gill (214) fits is provided at a location of the peripheral wall (11) facing the gill (214) in the contact arranging direction.

[0096] According to this configuration, the gills (214) can stably hold the contacts (2) on the peripheral wall (11). In addition, the gill recesses (126) can facilitate insertion of the contacts (2) into the housing (1), improving the ease of assembly of the connector (101).

[0097] The mating connector (102) of the twelfth aspect has a mating housing (60) and a plurality of mating contacts (70). The mating housing (60) fits into the recess (13) of the connector (101). The plurality of mating contacts (70) are arranged in a line in the mating housing (60). The direction in which the plurality of mating contacts (70) are arranged is the contact arrangement direction. The mating housing (60) has a first surface (66), a pair of side surfaces (62, 63), and end surfaces (64, 65). The first surface (66) is aligned along the contact arrangement direction. The pair of side surfaces (62, 63) are aligned along the contact arrangement direction and are disposed on both sides of the first surface (66). The end surfaces (64, 65) are end surfaces on one end side in the contact arrangement direction. Each of the plurality of mating contacts (70) has a pair of contact pieces (71) and a connecting portion (72). The pair of contact pieces (71) is provided on each of the pair of side surfaces (62, 63) and contacts a pair of contact terminals (21) of the connector (101). The connecting portion (72) is provided on the first surface (66) and connects the pair of contact pieces (71). The endmost mating contact (70A) of the plurality of mating contacts (70) further has an outer piece (74) and a first mating hook portion (75). The outer piece (74) extends from the connecting portion (72) to the end surfaces (64, 65). The first mating hook portion (75) is provided on the outer piece (74) and hooks onto the first hook portion (363) of the connector (101).

[0098] According to this configuration, the pair of contact pieces (71) of the mating connector (102) are provided on a pair of side surfaces (62, 63) of the mating housing (60) and are connected by a connecting portion (72) provided on the first surface (66) of the mating housing (60). In other words, there is no contact piece rising from the center in the width direction of the mating housing (60). This allows the width of the mating housing (60) (the width in the direction in which the pair of contact pieces (71) are aligned) to be smaller, and the mating connector (102) to be compact. In addition, the first mating hook portion (75) is provided on the outer piece (74) extending from the connecting portion (72), so that the removal force when removing the mating connector (102) from the connector (101) can be increased.

[0099] In the mating connector (102) of the thirteenth aspect, in the twelfth aspect, each of the plurality of mating contacts (70) further includes a pair of connecting terminals (24). The pair of connecting terminals (24) is provided on each of the pair of contact pieces (71) and is connected to the substrate (4).

[0100] According to this configuration, each mating connector (102) has a pair of connecting terminals (24) provided on each of the pair of contact pieces (71), so that the mating connector (102) can be stably connected to the board (4).

[0101] In the mating connector (102) of the 14th aspect, in the 13th aspect, in the contact arrangement direction of the multiple mating contacts (70), the width (D1) of the pair of connecting terminals (24) of the endmost mating contact (70A) is larger than the width (D2) of the pair of connecting terminals (24) of the mating contact (70B) other than the endmost.

[0102] This configuration can improve the bonding strength between the pair of connecting terminals 24 of the endmost mating contact 70A and the board 4. Also, the current capacity of the endmost mating contact 70A can be increased.

[0103] In the mating connector (102) of the 15th aspect, in the 13th or 14th aspect, in the direction in which each pair of contact pieces (71) is arranged, the length (L1) of the pair of connecting terminals (24) of the endmost mating contact (70A) among the multiple mating contacts (70) is shorter than the length (L2) of the pair of connecting terminals (24) of the mating contact (70B) other than the endmost one.

[0104] According to this configuration, when a retaining metal fitting (3) is provided at the end of the connector (101), the pair of connecting terminals (24) of the endmost mating contact (70A) can be prevented from coming into contact with the retaining metal fitting (3).

[0105] In the mating connector (102) of the 16th aspect, in any one of the 12th to 15th aspects, the surface of the mating housing (60) opposite to the first surface (66) is the second surface (61). A pair of contact pieces (71) of the endmost mating contact (70A) are inclined in opposing directions from the second surface (61) toward the first surface (66).

[0106] According to this configuration, even when a retaining metal fitting (3) is provided at the end of the connector (101), the mating connector (102) (particularly the endmost mating contact (70A)) can be easily inserted into and removed from the recess (13) of the connector (101).

[0107] The mating connector (102) of the seventeenth aspect is the same as any one of the thirteenth to sixteenth aspects, in which a notch (76) is provided on each of both widthwise sides of the outer piece (74). A fitting portion (641) that fits into the notch (76) is provided on each of end faces (64, 65) of the mating housing (60).

[0108] According to this configuration, the cutout portion (76) is caught in the fitting portion (641), thereby preventing the outer piece (74) from being turned up from the mating housing (60).

[0109] In a mating connector (102) of an 18th aspect, in any one of the 12th to 17th aspects, the plurality of mating contacts (70) include a mating contact (70B) having a second mating hook portion (77). The second mating hook portion (77) is provided on each outer surface of a pair of contact pieces (71) of the mating contact (70B) and hooks onto the second hook portion (215) of the connector (101) when the mating housing (60) is fitted into the recess (13) of the connector (101).

[0110] This configuration makes it possible to increase the force required to remove the mating connector (102) from the connector (101).

[0111] In the mating connector (102) of the 19th aspect, in any one of the 12th to 18th aspects, the surface of the mating housing (60) opposite to the first surface (66) is a second surface (61). The second surface (61) is provided with a protrusion that protrudes from the second surface (61) and extends along the longitudinal direction of the second surface (61).

[0112] According to this configuration, when the mating connector (102) is misaligned and inserted into the connector (101), the mating connector (102) can be prevented from breaking midway along the longitudinal direction of the second surface (61).

[0113] A connection device of a twentieth aspect includes a first board (41), a second board (42), a connector (101), and a mating connector (102). The first board (41) has a first electric component mounted thereon. The second board (42) has a second electric component mounted thereon. The connector (101) is a connector (101) of any one of the first to eleventh aspects and is mounted on the first board (41). The mating connector (102) is a mating connector (102) of any one of the twelfth to nineteenth aspects and is mounted on the second board (42) and fitted into a recess (13) of the connector (101).

[0114] It is possible to provide a connection device that exhibits the effects of the connector (101) of the first to eleventh aspects and the effects of the mating connector (102) of the twelfth to nineteenth aspects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0115] 1. Housing 2. Contact 3 Retaining bracket 4,41 First board (board) 4,42 Second board (board) 21 Pair of contact terminals (first contact terminal, second contact terminal) 23 Connecting part 60 Housing (Matching Housing) 62 Left side (pair of sides) 63 Right side (pair of sides) 64 Front end surface 66 Top surface (first surface) 70B Contact (1st mating contact, 2nd mating contact) 70A Contact (metal body) 71 A pair of contact pieces (first contact piece, second contact piece) of the contact 70B 71 A pair of contact pieces (first side portion, second side portion) of the contact 70A 72 Connection portion of contact 70B (first mating connection portion) 72 Connection portion of contact 70A (second mating connection portion) 73 A pair of connecting terminals (first connecting terminal, second connecting terminal, third connecting terminal) 74 Outer piece (outer part) 101 Connector 102 Mating connector D1, D2 Width of a pair of mating terminals

Claims

1. A connector set including a connector and a mating connector that moves relative to the connector in a first direction to be connected to the connector, The connector comprises: A first contact and a second contact; a housing for holding the first contact and the second contact; The mating connector is a first mating contact that comes into contact with the first contact; a second mating contact that comes into contact with the second contact; a mating housing for holding the first mating contact and the second mating contact; having The first contact and the second contact are A first contact terminal; A second contact terminal; a connecting portion connecting the first contact terminal and the second contact terminal, The mating housing is a first surface provided on a contact side of the mating connector in the first direction, and a pair of side surfaces arranged on both sides of the first surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first mating contact and the second mating contact are spaced apart from each other in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, The first mating contact is a first contact piece disposed on each of the pair of side surfaces and having a first outer surface in contact with the first contact terminal, and a second contact piece having a second outer surface in contact with the second contact terminal; a first mating connection portion disposed on the first surface and connecting upper ends of the first contact piece and the second contact piece; a first connecting terminal and a second connecting terminal formed to protrude from a lower end of the first contact piece and a lower end of the second contact piece, respectively, and joined to a substrate; The mating connector further includes a conductive metal body disposed at an end of the mating connector in the third direction, the first mating contact is disposed between the second mating contact and the metal body when viewed from the first direction, The metal body is a second mating connection portion having an upper surface on a contact side of the mating connector in the first direction; a first side portion and a second side portion connected to both sides of the second mating connection portion in the second direction and extending downward from the connected portion; an outer portion that is connected to the second mating connection portion on a side opposite to the first mating contact in the third direction and extends downward from the connected portion; a third connecting terminal connected to the substrate; When viewed from the first direction, a distance in the second direction between a protruding tip of the first connecting terminal and the first outer surface and a distance in the second direction between a protruding tip of the second connecting terminal and the second outer surface are equal to or smaller than a distance in the second direction between the first outer surface and the second outer surface. Connector set.

2. the connecting portion of the first contact has an upper surface and a lower surface opposed to each other in the first direction, an upper surface of the connecting portion of the first contact is disposed on the first mating contact side with respect to the lower surface, and is continuous with a first contact surface that contacts the first contact piece of the first contact terminal and a second contact surface that contacts the second contact piece of the second contact terminal; The connector set according to claim 1 .

3. The third connecting terminal is connected to a lower end of the first side portion. The connector set according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the connector further includes a retaining metal fitting disposed at each end of the housing in the third direction, the metal body contacts a portion of the retaining metal fitting that is disposed at one end of the housing in the third direction. The connector set according to claim 1 .

5. The first mating coupling portion of the first mating contact is disposed at a center of the mating connector in the second direction. The connector set according to claim 1 .

6. When viewed from the first direction, a distance in the second direction between a protruding tip of the first connecting terminal and the first outer surface and a distance in the second direction between a protruding tip of the second connecting terminal and the second outer surface are equal to each other. The connector set according to claim 1 .

7. A connector in the connector set according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The connector includes the first contact, the second contact, and the housing. connector.

8. A connector used as a mating connector in the connector set according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The mating connector has the first mating contact, the second mating contact, and the mating housing. connector.

Images