connector

Abstract

To provide a connector which allows visibility improvement in keying determination while allowing improvement in EMC resistance.SOLUTION: A connector 1 has a base body 10 and a keying member 20. The base body 10 is made of a conductive metal die cast, and it has a connector fitting part 12 into which a mating connector is inserted. The keying member 20 has a keying part 27, and it plays a role for permitting only an appropriate mating connector to be inserted into the connector fitting part 12. The keying member 20 is inserted into the connector fitting part 12 except for a flange part 23. The keying member 20 is made of resin, and it has a color according to the shape of the keying part 27.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector whose exterior is constructed from a conductive metallic material. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Connectors whose exterior is shielded with a conductive metal material such as die-casting to improve EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) resistance are known.

[0003] One of the issues with this type of connector is the visibility of keying. Keying discrimination refers to distinguishing which connector is the mating connector among multiple types of connectors that are similar in shape. Also, visibility of keying discrimination refers to the characteristic of being able to visually distinguish the mating connector.

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes a structure in which a colored resin member is placed over the die-casting to improve the visibility of keying discrimination. With this structure, the color of the resin member ensures good visibility of keying discrimination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-051925 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The connector proposed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 is mounted on a circuit board and housed together with the circuit board in a metal housing. The housing has an opening for fitting a mating connector to the connector housed in the housing, and when housed in the housing, the connector is disposed immediately inside the opening of the housing. In order to improve EMC resistance, it is desirable to electrically connect the housing and the shield of the connector over as short a distance as possible.

[0007] However, in the case of the connector proposed in Patent Document 1, the outer wall of the connector mating part that mates with the mating connector is made of a resin material. Therefore, in the case of the connector of Patent Document 1, electrical connection with the housing can only be made behind the connector mating part, which increases the distance between the housing and the connector shield, and there is a risk of a decrease in EMC resistance. In the case of the connector of Patent Document 1, the latch piece for latching with the mating connector forms the outer wall of the connector mating part and extends to near its tip, but this part is for latching with the mating connector and cannot be used for electrical connection for the shield.

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector which achieves both improved visibility for distinguishing keying and improved EMC resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The connector of the present invention that achieves the above object comprises: a conductive base body having a connector fitting portion formed with a fitting opening and adapted to receive a mating connector inserted through the fitting opening; The connector is characterized by having a keying member that is inserted into the connector fitting portion and that allows only a matching mating connector to be inserted into the connector fitting portion.

[0010] The connector of the present invention is equipped with a keying member. Therefore, by using keying members of different colors for multiple types of mating connectors with different keying, improved visibility of keying identification is ensured. Furthermore, in the case of the connector of the present invention, the keying member is inserted into the connector fitting portion. Therefore, the outer wall of the connector fitting portion is a conductive base, and the metal housing and the connector shield can be electrically connected over a short distance, improving EMC resistance.

[0011] Here, in the connector of the present invention, when the keying member allows insertion into the connector fitting portion of the mating connector, it is preferable that the outer surface of the keying member is not exposed from the base except for the front end portion on the fitting opening side.

[0012] If the outer surface of the keying member is not exposed from the base except for the front end on the mating opening side, it is possible to achieve electrical contact between the metal housing and the front end of the base over a short distance.

[0013] In the connector of the present invention, the base preferably has a locking hole that opens to the outer surface of the base and to the inside of the connector fitting portion, for preventing the mating connector inserted into the connector fitting portion from coming off.

[0014] By providing a locking hole, a structure can be adopted in which the locking portion of the mating connector is locked into the locking hole from the inside of the connector mating portion. This eliminates the need to further widen the opening of the housing for locking, as in the connector of Patent Document 1, thereby improving EMC resistance in this respect as well.

[0015] Furthermore, in the connector of the present invention, it is preferable that the base comprises an insert mounting portion that is inserted into the circuit board and soldered thereto, and a surface mounting portion that comes into contact with the surface of the circuit board when the insert mounting portion is inserted into the circuit board and is soldered to the surface of the circuit board.

[0016] When this structure is adopted, the presence of the plug-in mounting portion enables the connector to be firmly fixed to the circuit board, and the presence of the surface mounting portion provides a stronger electrical connection than if the connector and the circuit board ground were connected by only the plug-in mounting portion, thereby further improving EMC resistance.

[0017] In addition, in the connector of the present invention, it is preferable to have a contact having a board connection portion that is soldered to the circuit board and a contact portion that extends through the connector fitting portion toward the mating connector and makes contact with a contact of the mating connector inserted into the connector fitting portion.

[0018] The connector of the present invention can be configured as a connector to be mounted on a circuit board.

[0019] In the connector of the present invention, the base is preferably made of die-cast metal.

[0020] By using metal die-casting, it is possible to produce a strong connector whose external shape does not easily deform.

[0021] In the connector of the present invention, the keying member is preferably made of resin.

[0022] By using resin, it is possible to produce keying members in a variety of colors.

[0023] In the connector of the present invention, the keying member is preferably one of a plurality of types of keying members having different colors for respective mating connectors having different keying.

[0024] By associating the shape and color of the keying, it is possible to improve both the visibility of the keying and the EMC resistance. Effect of the Invention

[0025] As described above, according to the present invention, a connector is realized which achieves both improved visibility for keying discrimination and improved EMC resistance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2A to 2C are four-side views of the connector according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in a perspective view in FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a keying member and a base body of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the keying member and the substrate separately. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0028] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the concept of a mating connector is also shown by dashed lines.

[0029] Figure 2 is a four-side view of the connector according to one embodiment of the present invention, the perspective view of which is shown in Figure 1. Figure 2(A) is a top view, Figure 2(B) is a front view, Figure 2(C) is a side view, Figure 2(D) is a rear view, and Figure 2(E) is a bottom view. Figures 2(B) to 2(D) also show a circuit board 40 by dashed lines. Furthermore, Figure 2(C) also shows a metal housing 50 in which the connector and the circuit board are housed by dashed lines.

[0030] The connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a base 10, a keying member 20, and a subunit 30 having contacts.

[0031] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a keying member and a base body of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Furthermore, Figure 4 shows the keying member and the base separately. Figures 4(A-1), (B-1), and (C-1) are top, side, and bottom views, respectively, of the keying member. Also, Figures 4(A-2), (B-2), and (C-2) are top, side, and bottom views, respectively, of the base.

[0033] As for the subunits, they are in a state of being assembled onto the substrate in both Figs.

[0034] The connector of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0035] The connector 1 of this embodiment includes the base 10, the keying member 20, and the subunit 30, as described above.

[0036] First, the concept of the mating connector 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0037] The mating connector 2 is a connector that mates with the connector 1 of this embodiment, and includes a housing 2a, two contacts 2b, and a locking piece 2c that locks with the connector 1 to prevent it from coming loose.

[0038] Next, the base 10 and the keying member 20 of this embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

[0039] The base 10 is made of metal die-casting and is conductive. A mating opening 11 that opens toward the mating connector 2 (see FIG. 1) is formed in the base 10, and a connector mating portion 12 that is engaged with the mating connector 2 inserted through the mating opening 11 is formed inside the mating opening 11. A locking hole 13 is formed in the upper portion of the base 10. The locking hole 13 opens to the outer surface (upper surface) of the base 10 and to the inside of the connector mating portion 12. When the mating connector 2 is inserted into the connector mating portion 12, the locking piece 2c of the mating connector 2 enters the locking hole 13 from the inside of the connector mating portion 12, thereby preventing the mating connector 2 from coming off.

[0040] Furthermore, locking holes 14a, 14b are formed on the left and right sides of the base 10, which open to the outer surface of the base 10 and the inside of the connector fitting portion 12, and a locking hole 15 is also formed at the bottom, which opens to the outer surface of the base 10 and the inside of the connector fitting portion 12. These locking holes 14a, 14b, 15 formed in three places, on the left, right, and bottom, are for locking a keying member 20. The keying member 20 will be described later.

[0041] In addition, the base 10 is formed with a plurality of bosses 16 protruding downward. These bosses 16 are inserted into a circuit board 40 as shown in FIG. 2 and soldered to the circuit board 40. Furthermore, a plurality of pads 17 (also see FIG. 4(C-2)) are formed on the bottom surface of the base 10. These pads 17 come into contact with the surface of the circuit board 40 when the bosses 16 are inserted into the circuit board 40 and are soldered to the surface of the circuit board 40 (see FIG. 2(C)). Here, the bosses 16 correspond to an example of the insertion mounting portion according to the present invention, and the pads 17 correspond to an example of the surface mounting portion according to the present invention.

[0042] Moreover, the keying member 20 of the connector 1 is made of resin and has an opening 21 open toward the mating connector 2 and a wide cavity 22 at the back side of the opening 21. The mating connector 2 is directly inserted into the cavity 22 of the keying member 20 through the opening 21 of the keying member 20, which is inserted into the connector fitting portion 12 of the base 10. The keying member 20 has a flange 23 that spreads around the opening 21. When the keying member 20 is inserted into the base 10, the flange 23 abuts against the front wall 10a of the base 10 around the fitting opening 11. This makes the color of the keying member 20 easier to see than a keying member whose entire structure fits into the connector fitting portion 12.

[0043] Furthermore, locking pieces 24a, 24b (see FIG. 4(A-1)) are provided on the left and right sides of this keying member 20, and locking piece 25 (see FIG. 4(B-1)) is provided on the bottom of the keying member 20. When this keying member 20 is inserted into the base body 10, the locking pieces 24a, 24b, 25 enter the locking holes 14a, 14b, 15 of the base body 10, respectively, and thus the keying member 20 is attached to the base body 10.

[0044] In addition, an opening 26 is formed in the upper portion of the keying member 20 so as to open the locking hole 13 of the base 20 and not interfere with the locking of the locking piece 2c of the mating connector 2 even when the keying member 20 is attached to the base 10.

[0045] Furthermore, on the left and right sides of the inside bottom of cavity 22 of keying member 20, in the example shown here, keying sections 27 are provided that extend forward and backward in a stepped shape. These keying sections 27 have the function of allowing only a mating connector 2 that is compatible with this connector 1 to be inserted, and preventing the insertion of a mating connector 2 that is not compatible with this connector 1. The shape of keying sections 27 and the color of keying member 20 correspond one-to-one, improving the visibility of keying identification.

[0046] Further, the subunit 30 of the connector 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0047] The subunit 30 is provided with two contacts 31. Each contact 31 has a board connection portion 31a (see FIG. 4(D)) and a contact portion 31b (see FIG. 4(B)). The board connection portion 31a is soldered to the circuit board 40. The board connection portion 31a of the contact 31 in this embodiment is a board connection portion of a type that is inserted into the circuit board 40 and soldered. However, the board connection portion 31a may be a board connection portion of a type that is soldered to the surface of the circuit board 40, similar to the pad 17 on the bottom of the base 10. The contact portion 31b extends inside the connector fitting portion 12 toward the mating connector side and electrically contacts a contact 2b (see FIG. 1) of the mating connector 2 inserted into the connector fitting portion 12.

[0048] The subunit 30 also has a subhousing 32. The subhousing 32 supports the contacts 31 with the board connecting portions 31a of the contacts 31 protruding downward, and also supports the contact portions 31b from below. The subunit 30 also has a sub-shield portion 33 that surrounds the contact portions 31b of the contacts 31 and the portion of the subhousing 32 that supports the contact portions 31b from below.

[0049] As shown in Figs. 2B and 2D, the boss 16 of the base 10 and the board connection portion 31a of the contact 31 are inserted into the circuit board 40 and soldered to the circuit board 40. The pad 17 (see Fig. 4E) of the base 10 is soldered to the surface of the circuit board 40. The connector 1 mounted on the circuit board 40 is accommodated in a metal housing 50 (see Fig. 2C) together with the circuit board 40. When the connector 1 is accommodated in the metal housing 50, a mating connector 2 (see Fig. 1) is inserted into the connector 1, and an opening 51 for insertion is provided in the metal housing 50. The connector 1 is disposed in the metal housing 50 at a position immediately inside the opening 51 with the mating opening 11 facing the opening 51. The metal housing 50 and the shield made of the base 10 of the connector 1 are electrically connected to each other by, for example, a conductive piece 52 made of a part of the metal housing 50. In the case of the connector 1 of this embodiment, the keying member 20, except for the flange portion 23, is inserted into the connector fitting portion 12 of the base 10. Therefore, the outer surface of the base 10 extends to the immediate vicinity of the opening 51 of the metal housing 50. Therefore, the conductive piece 52 can connect the metal housing 50 and the shield of the connector 1 over a short distance, improving the EMC resistance performance.

[0050] In this example, the metal housing 50 and the shield of the connector 1 are connected by a conductive piece 52 consisting of a part of the metal housing 50. However, the method of connecting the metal housing 50 and the shield of the connector 1 is not limited to a specific connection method, and the connection may be made by a conductive member separate from the metal housing 50. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Connector 2 Mating Connector 10 Base 11 Mating opening 12 Connector fitting part 13,14a,14b,15 Locking hole 16 Boss 17 Pad 20 Keying material 21 Aperture 22 Cavity 23 Flange 24a, 24b, 25 locking piece 26 Aperture 27 Keying section 30 Subunits 31 Contact 31a Board connection part 31b Contact part 32 Sub-housing 33 Sub-shield section 40 Circuit Board 50 Metal case 51 Aperture 52 Conductive section

Claims

1. a conductive base body having a connector fitting portion formed with a fitting opening and adapted to receive a mating connector inserted through the fitting opening; a keying member inserted into the connector fitting portion to allow only a matching mating connector to be inserted into the connector fitting portion; The keying member includes: a first surface on which a first engaging piece that is engaged with the base body is provided; a second surface that is connected to the first surface and that is provided with a second engaging piece that is engaged with the base; a third engaging piece that is engaged with the base body and that is connected to the second surface and has a third surface that faces the first surface; a first keying portion that allows insertion of a corresponding mating connector is provided at a portion where the first surface and the second surface are connected; A second keying portion that allows insertion of a matching mating connector is provided at a portion where the second surface and the third surface are connected. A connector characterized by:

2. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein when the keying member allows the mating connector to be inserted into the connector mating portion, the outer surface of the keying member is not exposed from the base except for the front end portion on the mating opening side.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the base has a locking hole that opens to an outer surface of the base and to an inside of the connector fitting portion, and prevents a mating connector inserted into the connector fitting portion from coming out.

4. 4. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the base body comprises an insert mounting portion which is inserted into a circuit board and soldered thereto, and a surface mounting portion which comes into contact with a surface of the circuit board when the insert mounting portion is inserted into the circuit board and is soldered to the surface of the circuit board.

5. A connector as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is provided with a contact having a board connection portion that is soldered to a circuit board, and a contact portion that extends within the connector fitting portion toward the mating connector and makes contact with a contact of the mating connector inserted into the connector fitting portion.

6. 6. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the base body is made of a die-cast metal.

7. 7. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the keying member is made of resin.

8. 8. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the keying member is one of a plurality of types of keying members having different colours for respective mating connectors having different keying.

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