connector

Abstract

To maintain electrically stable connection even in occurrence of displacement of a counterpart connection conductor at or after connection with the counterpart connection conductor.SOLUTION: A connector 1 formed integrally by a metal plate that is mounted on a circuit board 100 and connects between a conductor part 101 and a plug 102 of the circuit board 100 includes a frame-shaped frame part 10 including an upper opening part 14, a lower opening part 13, an upper end opening edge part 12 provided at a periphery of the upper opening part 14, and a lower end opening edge part 11 provided at a periphery of the lower opening part 13, a pair of connection parts 20 extending from the lower end opening edge part 11 to the inside and the upper end opening edge part 12 of the frame body part 10 and connected to the plug 102, a pair of fixed parts 30 fixed and connected to the conductive part 101, and a pair of floating parts 40 that connects the frame body part 10 and the pair of fixed parts 30 and supports the frame body part 10 movably.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector that is mounted on a circuit board and is integrally formed with a metal plate for connecting conductive parts of the circuit board to mating connecting conductors. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a board-mounted connector disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as a connector mounted on a board. The board-mounted connector of Patent Document 1 has surface-mounting legs that hang down from the four corners of a substantially rectangular mating surface, and an opening is formed in the mating surface. In addition, in the board-mounted connector of Patent Document 1, contact pieces extend inward and downward from the outside of the mating surface to form opposing contact portions, and a guide portion that is inclined downward is formed on the inner edge of the opening. In addition, the board-mounted connector of Patent Document 1 prevents deformation of the contact pieces by guiding the tab terminal to be inserted when it is slightly misaligned, and by abutting the mating surface when the tab terminal is significantly misaligned. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-339906 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in Patent Document 1, if the tab terminal is significantly misaligned in the direction of elastic deformation of the contact piece while in contact with the contact portion, a load is applied to the legs hanging down from the four corners of the fitting surface via the contact piece, causing the solder connecting the connection portion at the tip of the leg to the connection circuit to peel off, and the connection portion and the connection circuit cannot be electrically connected. Also, in Patent Document 1, if the tab terminal is significantly misaligned in the direction of elastic deformation of the contact piece while in contact with the contact portion, the connection between the tab terminal and the contact piece becomes unstable.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can maintain a stable electrical connection even if the mating connecting conductor is misaligned during or after connection with the mating connecting conductor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The connector according to the present invention is a connector that is integrally formed of a metal plate that is mounted on a circuit board and connects a conductive portion of the circuit board to a mating connecting conductor, the connector comprising a frame-shaped frame body portion having an upper opening, a lower opening, an upper end opening edge portion provided around the upper opening, and a lower end opening edge portion provided around the lower opening, and a Opposing each other a pair of connection parts connected to the mating connection conductor, a pair of fixing parts fixed to and connected to the conductive part, and a pair of floating parts respectively connecting the frame part and the pair of fixing parts and supporting the frame part movably, and the frame part is provided with a pair of connecting parts connected to the mating connection conductor, Provided along the orthogonal front-rear direction A pair of opposing 1. Side wall a pair of second side wall portions adjacent to the pair of first side wall portions and provided along the opposing direction, the second side wall portions facing each other; Each of the pair of floating parts is The pair of first side wall portions are flush with each other from the frame portion. Along the front and back In a zigzag shape Extended R .

[0008] When the mating connecting conductor and the connection parts are connected or after they are connected, if the mating connecting conductor is misaligned relative to the connector, the pair of connection parts move to the connection position with the mating connecting conductor, and the pair of floating parts elastically deform in response to the movement of the pair of connection parts, and the frame body part moves to the connection position of the mating connecting conductor relative to the connection parts, thereby maintaining the connection state between the pair of connection parts and the mating connecting conductor as it would be if the mating connecting conductor was not misaligned relative to the connector. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, even if the mating connecting conductor is misaligned during or after connection with the mating connecting conductor, a stable electrically connected state can be maintained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Diagram 3] 1 is a front view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a plan view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 taken along line B-B. [Figure 8] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention mounted on a circuit board, as viewed from below. [Figure 9] 1 is a plan view of a state in which a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board. [Figure 10] 1 is a front view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention mounted on a circuit board. [Figure 11] 1 is a side view of a state in which a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board. [Figure 12] 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 9 in a state in which the mating connection conductor is connected in a normal position with the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention mounted on a circuit board. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 9 in a state in which the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board and a mating connecting conductor is connected with its position shifted. FIG. [Figure 14] 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 15] 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a side view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a front view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 22 . [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 26] FIG. 11 is a front view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] 28 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 27 shown in FIG. [Figure 29] This is a cross-sectional view of FIG. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Diagram 31] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a front view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 is a side view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 34] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 35] 35 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 34 . [Diagram 36] 35 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 34 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the drawings, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis form a three-axis Cartesian coordinate system, with the positive direction of the y-axis being the forward direction, the negative direction of the y-axis being the backward direction, the positive direction of the x-axis being the leftward direction, the negative direction of the x-axis being the rightward direction, the positive direction of the z-axis being the upward direction, and the negative direction of the z-axis being the downward direction.

[0012] (First embodiment) <Connector configuration> The configuration of a connector 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0013] The connector 1 according to this embodiment is integrally formed from a metal plate, and is mounted on a mounting surface 100a of a circuit board 100 to connect a conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 to a plug 102 serving as a mating connecting conductor. Specifically, the connector 1 has a frame portion 10, a connecting portion 20, a fixing portion 30, a floating portion 40, and a restricting portion 50.

[0014] The frame body 10 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 10 includes a lower end opening edge 11 provided around a lower opening 13, an upper end opening edge 12 provided around an upper opening 14, the lower opening 13, the upper opening 14, a notch 15 cut upward between the connection portion 20 and the floating portion 40, a pair of side wall portions 16 that are first side wall portions opposed to each other, and a pair of side wall portions 17 that are second side wall portions adjacent to the side wall portions 16 and opposed to each other.

[0015] The connection part 20 extends from the lower opening edge 11 of the frame body part 10 toward the inside of the frame body part 10 and toward the upper opening edge 12. The connection part 20 extends downward from the lower opening edge 11 and is then bent upward, so that it is U-shaped when viewed from the front. The upper end 21 of the connection part 20 is located below the upper opening edge 12 of the frame body part 10. The connection part 20 connects to the plug 102, and has a gap between it and the frame body part 10 when not connected to the plug 102.

[0016] The connection part 20 is composed of a pair of connection parts 20a and 20b facing each other. The connection parts 20a and 20b have a groove part 22 recessed below the upper end part 21 at the center of the front-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, on the facing surfaces facing each other. The connection parts 20a and 20b have abutment parts 23 that protrude inwardly so as to be close to each other inside the frame body part 10 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutment part 23 of the connection part 20a and the abutment part 23 of the connection part 20b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. Here, the facing direction of the pair of connection parts 20a and 20b is the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the facing direction of the pair of side wall parts 16.

[0017] The fixing portion 30 is located above the restricting portion 50. The fixing portion 30 is fixed and connected to the conductive portion 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering. Note that the fixing and connection of the fixing portion 30 to the conductive portion 101 is not limited to the case where it is fixed and connected by reflow soldering, and it may be fixed and connected by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0018] The fixing portion 30 is composed of a pair of fixing portions 30a and 30b. The fixing portions 30a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 20a. The fixing portions 30b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 20b.

[0019] The floating part 40 connects the frame body part 10 and the fixed part 30, and is U-shaped when viewed from the front. The floating part 40 supports the frame body part 10 so that it can move along the mounting surface 100a by elastically deforming. Here, being movable along the mounting surface 100a includes not only being movable in the front-rear and left-right directions parallel to the mounting surface 100a, but also being movable in a direction intersecting the mounting surface 100a.

[0020] The floating portion 40 is composed of a pair of floating portions 40a and 40b. The floating portions 40a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 20a, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 11 of the frame body portion 10 to the fixed portion 30a. The floating portions 40b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 20b, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 11 of the frame body portion 10 to the fixed portion 30b.

[0021] The restricting portion 50 is provided on the frame body portion 10, and has a gap H1 (see FIG. 10) between it and the mounting surface 100a when the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 and the plug 102 is not connected to the connecting portion 20. When the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the restricting portion 50 comes into contact with the circuit board 100 when the frame body portion 10 moves upward, thereby restricting the frame body portion 10 from moving upward, which is the mounting direction of the connector 1 relative to the circuit board 100. The restricting portion 50 is provided on a pair of opposing side wall portions 17 that are different from a pair of opposing side wall portions 16 on which the connecting portion 20 and the floating portion 40 of the rectangular frame body portion 10 are provided.

[0022] The restricting portion 50 is composed of a pair of restricting portions 50a and 50b. The restricting portion 50a is formed by bending the lower end opening edge portion 11 of the frame body portion 10 forward by approximately 90 degrees. The restricting portions 50b are provided in pair across a seam 1a of the metal plate formed when the metal plate is bent to form the connector 1, and are formed by bending the lower end opening edge portion 11 of the frame body portion 10 backward by approximately 90 degrees.

[0023] In the connector 1 having the above configuration, the length L1 between the lower end opening edge portion 11 and the lower end portion of the floating portion 40 is longer than the length L2 between the lower end opening edge portion 11 and the lower end portion of the connecting portion 20 (L1 > L2). Also, the length L3 of the floating portion 40 in the plate width direction is shorter than the length L4 of the connecting portion 20 in the plate width direction (L3 < L4). Further, the length L4 of the connecting portion 20 in the plate width direction is longer than the length L5 of the fixing portion 30 in the plate width direction (L4 > L5). Furthermore, the fixing portion 30 protrudes forward from the front end of the floating portion 40 or rearward from the rear end, so that the length L5 of the fixing portion 30 in the plate width direction is longer than the length L3 of the floating portion 40 in the plate width direction (L3 < L5).

[0024] Also, the connector 1 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, whereby it has a seam 1a.

[0025] <Method for mounting the connector on a circuit board> A method for mounting the connector 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention on a circuit board 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0026] The circuit board 100 has a conductive portion 101 of a circuit pattern around the insertion hole 100b on the mounting surface 100a.

[0027] First, the circuit board 100 is inverted up and down so that the mounting surface 100a is on the upper side, and the connector 1 is inverted up and down so that the upper end opening edge portion 12 of the frame portion 10 is on the lower side.

[0028] Next, with respect to the insertion hole 100b of the circuit board 100 inverted up and down, the connector 1 inverted up and down is inserted from above, and the connector 1 is inserted into the insertion hole 100b until the fixing portion 30 abuts against the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100.

[0029] Next, the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portion 30 to the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering for connection and fixation.

[0030] Then, after the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the connector 1 and the circuit board 100 are turned upside down and returned to their original state. In this state, the lower side of the abutting portion 23 of the connection portion 20 and the floating portion 40 are located lower than the mounting surface 100a. The frame portion 10 is located within the insertion hole 100b and has a gap with respect to the front, rear, left and right inner walls 100c that form the insertion hole 100b of the circuit board 100, so that the frame portion 10 can move back and forth and left and right within the insertion hole 100b.

[0031] By mounting the connector 1 on the mounting surface 100a in a state where the connector 1 is inserted into the insertion hole 100b, the connector 1 and the entire circuit board 100 can be made low-profile.

[0032] Furthermore, by providing the fixing portion 30 above the restricting portion 50, in the upward direction, which is the mounting direction when not inverted upside down, the fixing portion 30 is located further toward the tip side (upper side) than the restricting portion 50, so that when the connector 1 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a, there is a gap between the restricting portion 50 and the mounting surface 100a. This prevents the restricting portion 50 from abutting against the mounting surface 100a before the fixing portion 30 abuts against the conductive portion 101, and allows the fixing portion 30 to be reliably connected to the conductive portion 101.

[0033] The number of connectors 1 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, and can be any number as necessary. In this case, when multiple plugs 102 are collectively connected to multiple connectors 1, there is a possibility that the positional deviation of each plug 102 relative to each connector 1 may become large. Therefore, by having the configuration of this embodiment, the connection between each connection portion 20 and each plug 102 can be stabilized.

[0034] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0035] A plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 1 mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100. First, when inserting and connecting the plug 102 into the connector 1, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 13 of the frame portion 10 of the connector 1 mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100.

[0036] Next, the contact portion 23 of the connection portion 20 comes into contact with the plug 102 inserted into the lower opening 13 from below, and is elastically deformed outwardly to the left and right.

[0037] At this time, when the connection portion 20 is pulled upward by the plug 102, causing the frame portion 10 to move upward following the connection portion 20, the restricting portion 50 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to restrict the upward movement of the connector 1. This makes it possible to prevent buckling and plastic deformation of the floating portion 40.

[0038] Furthermore, by providing the regulating portion 50 on a side wall portion 17 different from the side wall portion 16 on which the connection portion 20 and floating portion 40 of the rectangular frame body portion 10 are provided, the left-right width of the regulating portion 50 can be increased, and the contact area with the mounting surface 100a can be increased, thereby reliably regulating the movement of the connector 1 and the frame body portion 10.

[0039] Next, the connecting portion 20 connects to the plug 102 by sandwiching the plug 102 from the left and right sides using its own elastic restoring force.

[0040] At this time, when the plug 102 is misaligned, the connection portion 20 elastically deforms, and the frame body portion 10 elastically deforms with the elastic deformation of the connection portion 20, and the side wall portion 16 is pressed from the inside by the connection portion 20, causing the frame body portion 10 to elastically deform, and a load is applied to the floating portion 40 via the connection portion 20 and the frame body portion 10. The floating portion 40 elastically deforms when the load is applied, and moves the frame body portion 10 in the direction in which the load is applied. In addition, the frame body portion 10 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, so that the connection portion 20 can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 1, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0041] Here, the state in which the plug 102 is misaligned includes a state in which the plug 102 is misaligned in a direction parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions from a position in which the plug 102 is stably connected to the connection portion 20, a state in which the plug 102 is tilted in the up-down direction, and a state in which both of these are combined. In addition, the position in which the plug 102 is stably connected to the connection portion 20 is a position in which the plug 102 is connected to the connection portions 20a and 20b with a contact pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value and is connected to the connection portions 20a and 20b with approximately the same contact pressure.

[0042] For example, as shown in FIG. 13, when the plug 102 is connected to the connection part 20 in a state inclined rightward with respect to the up-down direction, the connection part 20b is pressed in a diagonal direction to the lower right by the plug 102, elastically deforms, and presses the frame part 10 in a diagonal direction to the lower right from the inside. The floating part 40 is elastically deformed by the load applied to the frame part 10 when the frame part 10 is pressed in the diagonal direction to the lower right, and moves the frame part 10 in the diagonal direction to the lower right, which is the pressing direction by the connection part 20b. In addition, the connection part 20 can suppress the application of an excessive load to the connection part 20b and the reduction of the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connection part 20a by the frame part 10 moving in the direction in which the load is applied, and can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 1, and can therefore be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0043] By extending the floating portion 40 from the side wall portions 16 that face each other in the opposing direction of the connecting portion 20a and the connecting portion 20b, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating portion 40 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 20 caused by the positional deviation of the plug 102. In addition, by extending the floating portion 40 from the side wall portion 16 that is pressed by the connecting portion 20, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating portion 40 to follow the elastic deformation of the floating portion 40 caused by the pressing force applied from the connecting portion 20 to the side wall portion 16 caused by the positional deviation of the plug 102.

[0044] In the above operation, by making the length L1 between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating part 40 longer than the length L2 between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the connecting part 20, the floating part 40 can be elastically deformed more easily than the connecting part 20. Furthermore, by providing the notch 15 between the connecting part 20 and the floating part 40, the floating part 40 can be elastically deformed more easily.

[0045] Moreover, by making the length L2 between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the connection part 20 shorter than the length L1 between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating part 40, the connection stability of the connection part 20 can be improved. Moreover, by making the length L3 in the plate width direction of the floating part 40 shorter than the length L4 in the plate width direction of the connection part 20, the floating part 40 can be elastically deformed more easily than the connection part 20. Furthermore, by making the length L4 in the plate width direction of the connection part 20 longer than the length L3 in the plate width direction of the floating part 40, the connection stability of the connection part 20 can be improved.

[0046] Furthermore, by positioning the connection portion 20 below the abutment portion 23 and the floating portion 40 below the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the connection portion 20 and the floating portion 40 can elastically deform without interfering with the circuit board 100.

[0047] Furthermore, by positioning the upper end 21 of the connection portion 20 below the upper opening edge portion 12, the connection portion 20 can be protected by the frame portion 10, thereby preventing the connection portion 20 from being deformed.

[0048] 13, the floating portion 40 elastically deforms in response to the pressing force that the connecting portion 20 receives from the plug 102, even when the connecting portion 20 does not press the frame portion 10. This allows the frame portion 10 to perform the same operation as described above, and the connecting portion 20 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0049] Furthermore, even if the above-mentioned load is applied due to the application of some external force after the connection between the connection portion 20 and the plug 102, the connector 1 can perform the same operation as when a load is applied when the connection portion 20 and the plug 102 are connected.

[0050] When disconnecting the connector 1 from the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled out downward. This causes the floating portion 40 to return to the state before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and accordingly the frame portion 10 returns to the state before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0051] Thus, according to this embodiment, the connector 1, which is mounted on the circuit board 100 and integrally formed with a metal plate that connects the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 and the plug 102, has a pair of connection portions 20 that extend from the lower end opening edge portion 11 of the frame body portion 10 toward the inside of the frame body portion 10 and the upper end opening edge portion 12 of the frame body portion 10 and connect to the plug 102, a pair of fixing portions 30 that are fixed and connected to the conductive portion 101, and a pair of floating portions 40 that respectively connect the lower end opening edge portion 11 and the pair of fixing portions 30 and movably support the frame body portion 10, so that an electrically stable connection can be maintained even if the plug 102 is misaligned during or after connection with the plug 102.

[0052] In this embodiment, the connection portion 20 and the floating portion 40 are provided on the same side of the rectangular frame body portion 10, and the regulating portion 50 is provided on a different side, but this is not limited to the above, and the floating portion 40 and the regulating portion 50 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 10, and the connection portion 20 may be provided on a different side, or the connection portion 20 and the regulating portion 50 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 10, and the floating portion 40 may be provided on a different side.

[0053] In addition, in this embodiment, the restricting portion 50 is provided at the lower opening edge portion 11, but this is not limiting, and the restricting portion 50 may be provided at a portion other than the lower opening edge portion 11 by cutting and raising a part of the frame portion 10, for example.

[0054] In addition, in this embodiment, the length between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating portion 40 is longer than the length between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the connecting portion 20, but this is not limited to the above, and the length between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating portion 40 and the length between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the connecting portion 20 may be the same, or the length between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating portion 40 may be shorter than the length between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the connecting portion 20.

[0055] Further, in this embodiment, the connector 1 is connected to the plug 102, but this is not limiting, and the connector 1 can be connected to a mating connecting conductor other than the plug 102.

[0056] Second embodiment The configuration of a connector 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0057] The connector 2 according to this embodiment is integrally formed from a metal plate, and is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to connect the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 to the plug 102. Specifically, the connector 2 has a frame portion 110, a connection portion 120, a fixing portion 130, a floating portion 140, and a restriction portion 150.

[0058] The frame body 110 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 110 includes a lower end opening edge 111 provided around a lower opening 113, an upper end opening edge 112 provided around an upper opening 114, the lower opening 113, the upper opening 114, a pair of side walls 116 that are first side walls facing each other, and a pair of side walls 117 that are second side walls adjacent to the side walls 116 and facing each other.

[0059] The connection part 120 extends from the lower opening edge 111 of the frame part 110 toward the inside of the frame part 110 and toward the upper opening edge 112. The connection part 120 extends downward from the lower opening edge 111 and is bent upward, so that it is U-shaped when viewed from the front. The upper opening edge 112 of the connection part 120 is located lower than the upper opening edge 112 of the frame part 110. The connection part 120 connects to the plug 102, and has a gap between it and the frame part 110 when not connected to the plug 102.

[0060] The connection part 120 is composed of a pair of connection parts 120a and 120b facing each other. The connection parts 120a and 120b have a groove 122 recessed along the lower side of the upper end opening edge 112 at the center of the front-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, on the facing surfaces facing each other. The connection parts 120a and 120b have abutment parts 123 that protrude inwardly so as to be close to each other inside the frame body part 110 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutment part 123 of the connection part 120a and the abutment part 123 of the connection part 120b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. Here, the facing direction of the pair of connection parts 120a and 120b is the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the facing direction of the pair of side wall parts 116.

[0061] The fixing portion 130 is located below the restricting portion 150. The fixing portion 130 is fixed and connected to the conductive portion 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering. Note that the fixing and connection of the fixing portion 130 to the conductive portion 101 is not limited to the case where it is fixed and connected by reflow soldering, and it may be fixed and connected by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0062] The fixed portion 130 is composed of a pair of fixed portions 130a and 130b. The fixed portions 130a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 120a. The fixed portions 130b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 120b.

[0063] The floating portion 140 connects the frame portion 110 and the fixed portion 130, and extends downward from the lower end opening edge portion 111. The floating portion 140 elastically deforms to support the frame portion 110 so that the frame portion 110 is movable along the mounting surface 100a.

[0064] The floating portion 140 is composed of a pair of floating portions 140a and 140b. The floating portions 140a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 120a, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 111 of the frame body portion 110 to the fixed portion 130a. The floating portions 140b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 120b, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 111 of the frame body portion 110 to the fixed portion 130b.

[0065] The restricting portion 150 is provided on the frame portion 110 and has a space H2 (see FIG. 16) from the mounting surface 100a in a state where the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 and the plug 102 is not connected to the connecting portion 120. When the frame portion 110 moves downward, the restricting portion 150 abuts against the circuit board 100 to restrict the downward movement of the frame portion 110 in the mounting direction of the connector 2 with respect to the circuit board 100. The restricting portion 150 is provided on a pair of opposing side wall portions 117 that are different from the pair of opposing side wall portions 116 on which the connecting portion 120 and the floating portion 140 of the rectangular frame portion 110 are provided.

[0066] The restricting portion 150 is composed of a pair of restricting portions 150a and 150b. The restricting portion 150a extends downward from the lower end opening edge portion 111 of the frame portion 110 and is formed by bending the tip portion in the extending direction forward by approximately 90 degrees. The restricting portion 150b is provided in a pair with the joint 2a of the metal plate when the metal plate is bent to form the connector 2 sandwiched therebetween, extends downward from the lower end opening edge portion 111 of the frame portion 110, and is formed by bending the tip portion in the extending direction backward by approximately 90 degrees.

[0067] In the connector 2 having the above configuration, the length L13 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 140 is shorter than the length L14 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 120 (L13 < L14). Also, the length L14 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 120 is longer than the length L15 in the plate width direction of the fixing portion 130 (L14 > L15). Furthermore, the fixing portion 130 projects forward from the front end of the floating portion 140 or projects backward from the rear end, so that the length L15 in the plate width direction of the fixing portion 130 is longer than the length L13 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 140 (L13 < L15).

[0068] Also, the connector 2 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, thereby having a joint 2a.

[0069] <Method for Mounting Connector on Circuit Board> A method for mounting the connector 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention on the circuit board 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0070] First, the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100 a of the circuit board 100 from above so that the fixing portion 130 abuts against the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 .

[0071] Next, the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portion 130 to the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering to be connected and fixed thereto. Note that the circuit board 100 has insertion holes 100b (not shown) formed below the pair of connecting portions 120.

[0072] By providing the fixing portion 130 below the restricting portion 150, the fixing portion 130 is located further forward (lower) than the restricting portion 150 in the downward mounting direction, so that a gap is formed between the restricting portion 150 and the mounting surface 100a when the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a. This prevents the restricting portion 150 from coming into contact with the mounting surface 100a before the fixing portion 130 comes into contact with the conductive portion 101, and allows the fixing portion 130 to be reliably connected to the conductive portion 101.

[0073] The number of connectors 2 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, and can be any number as necessary. In this case, when multiple plugs 102 are collectively connected to multiple connectors 2, there is a possibility that the positional deviation of each plug 102 relative to each connector 2 may become large. Therefore, by having the configuration of this embodiment, the connection between each connection portion 120 and each plug 102 can be stabilized.

[0074] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0075] A plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 2 mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100. First, when inserting and connecting the plug 102 into the connector 2, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 113 of the frame portion 110 of the connector 2 mounted on the circuit board 100 through the insertion hole 100b.

[0076] Next, the contact portion 123 of the connection portion 120 comes into contact with the plug 102 inserted from below into the lower opening 113 of the frame portion 110, and elastically deforms outwardly to the left and right.

[0077] Next, the connecting portion 120 connects to the plug 102 by sandwiching the plug 102 from the left and right sides using its own elastic restoring force.

[0078] At this time, when the plug 102 is misaligned, the connection portion 120 elastically deforms, and the frame body portion 110 elastically deforms with the elastic deformation of the connection portion 120, and the side wall portion 116 is pressed from the inside by the connection portion 120, and the frame body portion 110 is elastically deformed, so that a load is applied to the floating portion 140 via the connection portion 120 and the frame body portion 110. The floating portion 140 elastically deforms when the load is applied, and moves the frame body portion 110 in the direction in which the load is applied. In addition, the frame body portion 110 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, so that the connection portion 120 can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 2, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0079] For example, when the plug 102 is connected to the connection part 120 in a state in which it is tilted to the right with respect to the up-down direction, the connection part 120b is pressed in a diagonal direction to the lower right by the plug 102, elastically deforms, and presses the frame part 110 in a diagonal direction to the lower right from the inside. The floating part 140 is elastically deformed by the load being applied to the frame part 110 when it is pressed in a diagonal direction to the lower right, and moves the frame part 110 in the diagonal direction to the lower right, which is the pressing direction by the connection part 120b. In addition, the connection part 120 can suppress the application of an excessive load to the connection part 120b and the reduction in the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connection part 120a by the frame part 110 moving in the direction in which the load is applied, and can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 2, and can therefore be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0080] By extending floating portion 140 from side wall portions 116 that face each other in the opposing direction of connecting portion 120a and connecting portion 120b, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 140 to follow elastic deformation of connecting portion 120 due to positional deviation of plug 102. Furthermore, by extending floating portion 140 from side wall portion 116 that is pressed by connecting portion 120, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 140 to follow elastic deformation of floating portion 140 due to the pressing force applied from connecting portion 120 to side wall portion 116 due to positional deviation of plug 102.

[0081] In the above operation, by making the length L13 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 140 shorter than the length L14 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 120, the floating portion 140 can be elastically deformed more easily than the connecting portion 120. Furthermore, by making the length L14 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 120 longer than the length L13 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 140, the connection stability of the connecting portion 120 can be improved.

[0082] Furthermore, by positioning the upper end 121 of the connection part 120 below the upper opening edge part 112, the connection part 120 can be protected by the frame part 110, and therefore deformation of the connection part 120 can be prevented.

[0083] The floating portion 140 elastically deforms in response to the pressing force that the connecting portion 120 receives from the plug 102, not only when the connecting portion 120 presses the frame portion 110, but also when the connecting portion 120 does not press the frame portion 110. This allows the frame portion 110 to perform the same operation as described above, and the connecting portion 120 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0084] Furthermore, even if the above-mentioned load is applied due to the application of some external force after the connection between the connection portion 120 and the plug 102, the connector 2 can perform the same operation as when a load is applied when the connection portion 120 and the plug 102 are connected.

[0085] When disconnecting the connector 2 from the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled out downward. This causes the floating portion 140 to return to the state before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and accordingly the frame portion 110 returns to the state before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0086] At this time, when the connection portion 120 is pulled downward by the plug 102, causing the frame portion 110 to move downward following the connection portion 120, the restricting portion 150 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to restrict the downward movement of the connector 2. This makes it possible to prevent buckling and plastic deformation of the floating portion 140.

[0087] Furthermore, by providing the regulating portion 150 on a side wall portion 117 different from the side wall portion 116 on which the connection portion 120 and the floating portion 140 of the rectangular frame body portion 110 are provided, the left-right width of the regulating portion 150 can be increased, and the contact area with the mounting surface 100a can be increased, thereby reliably restricting the movement of the connector 2 and the frame body portion 110.

[0088] Thus, according to this embodiment, there are a pair of connection portions 120 that extend from the lower opening edge portion 111 of the frame body portion 110 toward the inside of the frame body portion 110 and the upper opening edge portion 112 and connect to the plug 102, a pair of fixing portions 130 that are fixed to and connected to the conductive portion 101, and a pair of floating portions 140 that respectively connect the lower opening edge portion 111 and the pair of fixing portions 130 and movably support the frame body portion 110.By doing so, even if the position of the plug 102 shifts during or after connection with the plug 102, a stable electrically connection can be maintained.

[0089] In this embodiment, the connection portion 120 and the floating portion 140 are provided on the same side of the rectangular frame body portion 110, and the regulating portion 150 is provided on a different side, but this is not limited to the above. The floating portion 140 and the regulating portion 150 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 110, and the connection portion 120 may be provided on a different side, or the connection portion 120 and the regulating portion 150 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 110, and the floating portion 140 may be provided on a different side.

[0090] Further, in this embodiment, the connector 2 is connected to the plug 102, but this is not limiting, and the connector 2 can be connected to a mating connecting conductor other than the plug 102.

[0091] (Third embodiment) The configuration of a connector 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0092] The connector 3 according to this embodiment is integrally formed from a metal plate, and is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to connect the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 to the plug 102. Specifically, the connector 3 has a frame portion 210, a connection portion 220, a fixing portion 230, a floating portion 240, and a restriction portion 250.

[0093] The frame body 210 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 210 includes a lower end opening edge 211 provided around a lower opening 213, an upper end opening edge 212 provided around an upper opening 214, the lower opening 213, the upper opening 214, a pair of side walls 216 that are first side walls facing each other, and a pair of side walls 217 that are second side walls adjacent to the side walls 216 and facing each other.

[0094] The connection part 220 extends from the lower opening edge 211 of the frame body part 210 toward the inside of the frame body part 210 and toward the upper opening edge 212. The connection part 220 extends downward from the lower opening edge 211 and is bent upward, so that it is U-shaped when viewed from the front. The upper end part 221 of the connection part 220 is located below the upper opening edge 212 of the frame body part 210. The connection part 220 connects to the plug 102, and has a gap between it and the frame body part 210 when not connected to the plug 102.

[0095] The connection part 220 is composed of a pair of connection parts 220a and 220b facing each other. The connection parts 220a and 220b have a groove 222 recessed below the upper end 221 at the center of the front-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, on the facing surfaces facing each other. The connection parts 220a and 220b have abutment parts 223 that protrude inwardly so as to be close to each other inside the frame body part 210 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutment part 223 of the connection part 220a and the abutment part 223 of the connection part 220b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. Here, the facing direction of the pair of connection parts 220a and 220b is the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the facing direction of the pair of side wall parts 216.

[0096] The fixing portion 230 is located above the restricting portion 250. The fixing portion 230 is fixed and connected to the conductive portion 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering. Note that the fixing and connection of the fixing portion 230 to the conductive portion 101 is not limited to the case where it is fixed and connected by reflow soldering, and it may be fixed and connected by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0097] The fixed portion 230 is composed of a pair of fixed portions 230a and 230b. The fixed portions 230a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 220a. The fixed portions 230b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 220b.

[0098] Floating portion 240 connects frame body portion 210 and fixed portion 230. Floating portion 240 is crank-shaped and includes inward hanging portion 241 extending downward from lower end opening edge portion 211, bent portion 242 bent outward from the lower end of inward hanging portion 241, and outer hanging portion 243 extending downward from the outer end of bent portion 242 and connected to fixed portion 230. Floating portion 240 elastically deforms to support frame body portion 210 movably along mounting surface 100a.

[0099] The floating portion 240 is composed of a pair of floating portions 240a and 240b. The floating portions 240a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 220a, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 211 of the frame body portion 210 to the fixed portion 230a. The floating portions 240b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 220b, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 211 of the frame body portion 210 to the fixed portion 230b.

[0100] The restricting part 250 is provided on the frame part 210, and has a gap H3 (see FIG. 21) from the mounting surface 100a in a state where the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 and the plug 102 is not connected to the connection part 220. When the frame part 210 moves downward, the restricting part 250 abuts against the circuit board 100, thereby restricting the downward movement in the mounting direction of the connector 3 with respect to the circuit board 100 of the frame part 210. The restricting part 250 is provided on a pair of opposing side wall parts 217 that are different from a pair of opposing side wall parts 216 where the connection part 220 and the floating part 240 of the rectangular frame part 210 are provided.

[0101] The restricting part 250 is composed of a pair of restricting parts 250a and 250b. The restricting part 250a extends downward from the lower end opening edge part 211 of the frame part 210, and the tip part in the extending direction is bent forward by approximately 90 degrees. The restricting part 250b is provided in a pair with the joint 3a of the metal plate when the metal plate is bent to form the connector 3 sandwiched therebetween, extends downward from the lower end opening edge part 211 of the frame part 210, and the tip part in the extending direction is bent backward by approximately 90 degrees.

[0102] In the connector 3 having the above configuration, the length L23 in the plate width direction of the floating part 240 is shorter than the length L24 in the plate width direction of the connection part 220 (L23 < L24). Also, the length L24 in the plate width direction of the connection part 220 is longer than the length L25 in the plate width direction of the fixing part 230 (L24 > L25). Further, the fixing part 230 protrudes forward from the front end of the floating part 240 or protrudes backward from the rear end, so that the length L25 in the plate width direction of the fixing part 230 is longer than the length L23 in the plate width direction of the floating part 240 (L23 < L25).

[0103] Also, the connector 3 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, thereby having a joint 3a.

[0104] <Method for mounting the connector on the circuit board> A method for mounting the connector 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention on the circuit board 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0105] First, the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100 a of the circuit board 100 from above so that the fixing portion 230 abuts against the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 .

[0106] Next, the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portion 230 to the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering to be connected and fixed thereto. Note that the circuit board 100 has insertion holes 100b (not shown) formed below the pair of connecting portions 220.

[0107] By providing the fixing portion 230 below the restricting portion 250, the fixing portion 230 is located further forward (lower) than the restricting portion 250 in the downward mounting direction, and therefore a gap is formed between the restricting portion 250 and the mounting surface 100a when the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a. This prevents the restricting portion 250 from abutting against the mounting surface 100a before the fixing portion 230 abuts against the conductive portion 101, and allows the fixing portion 230 to be reliably connected to the conductive portion 101.

[0108] The number of connectors 3 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, and can be any number as necessary. In this case, when multiple plugs 102 are collectively connected to multiple connectors 3, there is a possibility that the positional deviation of each plug 102 relative to each connector 3 may become large. Therefore, by having the configuration of this embodiment, the connection between each connection portion 220 and each plug 102 can be stabilized.

[0109] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0110] A plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 3 mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100. First, when inserting and connecting the plug 102 into the connector 3, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 213 of the frame portion 210 of the connector 3 mounted on the circuit board 100.

[0111] Next, the contact portion 223 of the connection portion 220 comes into contact with the plug 102 inserted from below into the lower opening 213 of the frame portion 210, and elastically deforms outwardly to the left and right.

[0112] Next, the connecting portion 220 connects to the plug 102 by sandwiching the plug 102 from the left and right sides using its own elastic restoring force.

[0113] At this time, when the plug 102 is misaligned, the connection portion 220 elastically deforms, and the frame body portion 210 elastically deforms with the elastic deformation of the connection portion 220, and the side wall portion 216 is pressed from the inside by the connection portion 220, causing the frame body portion 210 to elastically deform, so that a load is applied to the floating portion 240 via the connection portion 220 and the frame body portion 210. The floating portion 240 elastically deforms when the load is applied, and moves the frame body portion 210 in the direction in which the load is applied. In addition, the connection portion 220 can maintain a connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 3, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0114] For example, when the plug 102 is connected to the connection part 220 in a state in which it is tilted rightward with respect to the up-down direction, the connection part 220b is pressed in a diagonal direction to the lower right by the plug 102, elastically deforms, and presses the frame part 210 in a diagonal direction to the lower right from the inside. The floating part 240 is elastically deformed by the load being applied to the frame part 210 when it is pressed in a diagonal direction to the lower right, and moves the frame part 210 in the diagonal direction to the lower right, which is the pressing direction by the connection part 220b. In addition, the connection part 220 can suppress the application of an excessive load to the connection part 220b and the reduction of the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connection part 220a by the frame part 210 moving in the direction in which the load is applied, and can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 3, and can therefore be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0115] By extending floating portion 240 from side wall portions 216 that face each other in the opposing direction of connecting portion 220a and connecting portion 220b, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 240 to follow elastic deformation of connecting portion 220 due to positional deviation of plug 102. Furthermore, by extending floating portion 240 from side wall portion 216 that is pressed by connecting portion 220, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 240 to follow elastic deformation of floating portion 240 due to the pressing force applied from connecting portion 220 to side wall portion 216 due to positional deviation of plug 102.

[0116] In the above operation, by making the length L23 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 240 shorter than the length L24 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 220, the floating portion 240 can be elastically deformed more easily than the connecting portion 220. Furthermore, by making the length L24 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 220 longer than the length L23 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 240, the connection stability of the connecting portion 220 can be improved.

[0117] Furthermore, by forming the floating portion 240 in a crank shape, the floating portion 240 can be easily elastically deformed.

[0118] Furthermore, by positioning the upper end 221 of the connection part 220 below the upper opening edge 212, the connection part 220 can be protected by the frame part 210, and therefore deformation of the connection part 220 can be prevented.

[0119] The floating portion 240 elastically deforms in response to the pressing force that the connecting portion 220 receives from the plug 102, not only when the connecting portion 220 presses the frame body portion 210, but also when the connecting portion 220 does not press the frame body portion 210. This allows the frame body portion 210 to perform the same operation as described above, and the connecting portion 220 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0120] Furthermore, even if the above-mentioned load is applied due to the application of some external force after the connection between the connection portion 220 and the plug 102, the connector 3 can perform the same operation as when a load is applied when the connection portion 220 and the plug 102 are connected.

[0121] When disconnecting the connector 3 from the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled out downward. This causes the floating portion 240 to return to the state before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and accordingly the frame portion 210 returns to the state before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0122] At this time, when the connection portion 220 is pulled downward by the plug 102, causing the frame portion 210 to move downward following the connection portion 220, the restricting portion 250 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to restrict the downward movement of the connector 3. This makes it possible to prevent buckling and plastic deformation of the floating portion 240.

[0123] Furthermore, by providing the regulating portion 250 on a side wall portion 217 different from the side wall portion 216 on which the connection portion 220 and the floating portion 240 of the rectangular frame body portion 210 are provided, the left-right width of the regulating portion 250 can be increased and the contact area with the mounting surface 100a can be increased, thereby reliably restricting the movement of the connector 3 and the frame body portion 210.

[0124] Thus, according to this embodiment, there are a pair of connecting portions 220 that extend from the lower end opening edge 211 of the frame body portion 210 toward the inside of the frame body portion 210 and the upper end opening edge 212 and connect to the plug 102, a pair of fixing portions 230 that are fixed and connected to the conductive portion 101, and a pair of floating portions 240 that respectively connect the lower end opening edge 211 and the pair of fixing portions 230 and movably support the frame body portion 210 and the pair of connecting portions 220. As a result, even if the position of the plug 102 shifts during or after connection with the plug 102, a stable electrically connection can be maintained.

[0125] In this embodiment, the connection portion 220 and the floating portion 240 are provided on the same side of the rectangular frame body portion 210, and the regulating portion 250 is provided on a different side, but this is not limited to the above. The floating portion 240 and the regulating portion 250 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 210, and the connection portion 220 may be provided on a different side, or the connection portion 220 and the regulating portion 250 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 210, and the floating portion 240 may be provided on a different side.

[0126] Further, in this embodiment, the connector 3 is connected to the plug 102, but this is not limiting, and the connector 3 can be connected to a mating connecting conductor other than the plug 102.

[0127] (Fourth embodiment) <Connector configuration> The configuration of a connector 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0128] The connector 4 according to this embodiment is integrally formed of a metal plate and is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to connect the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 to a plug 102 serving as a mating connecting conductor. Specifically, the connector 4 has a frame portion 310, a connecting portion 320, a fixing portion 330, a floating portion 340, a restricting portion 350, and a buckling suppressing portion 360.

[0129] The frame body 310 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 310 includes a lower end opening edge 311 provided around a lower opening 313, an upper end opening edge 312 provided around an upper opening 314, the lower opening 313, the upper opening 314, a pair of side walls 316 that are first side walls facing each other, and a pair of side walls 317 that are second side walls adjacent to the side walls 316 and facing each other.

[0130] The connecting part 320 extends from the upper opening edge 312 of the frame body part 310 toward the inside of the frame body part 310 and toward the lower opening edge 311. The connecting part 320 extends upward from the upper opening edge 312 and is bent downward, so that it has an inverted U-shape when viewed from the front. An upper end 321 of the connecting part 320 is located below the upper opening edge 312 of the frame body part 310. The connecting part 320 connects to the plug 102.

[0131] The connecting portion 320 is composed of a pair of connecting portions 320a and 320b facing each other. The connecting portions 320a and 320b have abutting portions 323 that protrude inwardly so as to be close to each other inside the frame body portion 310 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutting portions 323 of the connecting portions 320a and 320b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. Here, the pair of connecting portions 320a and 320b face each other in the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the pair of side wall portions 316 facing each other.

[0132] The fixing portion 330 is located below the restricting portion 350. The fixing portion 330 is fixed and connected to the conductive portion 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering. Note that the fixing and connection of the fixing portion 330 to the conductive portion 101 is not limited to the case where it is fixed and connected by reflow soldering, and it may be fixed and connected by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0133] The fixed portion 330 is composed of a pair of fixed portions 330a and 330b. The fixed portions 330a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 320a. The fixed portions 330b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 320b.

[0134] The floating portion 340 connects the frame portion 310 and the fixed portion 330, and extends downward from the lower end opening edge portion 311. The floating portion 340 elastically deforms to support the frame portion 310 so that the frame portion 310 is movable along the mounting surface 100a.

[0135] The floating portion 340 is composed of a pair of floating portions 340a and 340b. The floating portions 340a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 320a, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 311 of the frame body portion 310 to the fixed portion 330a. The floating portions 340b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connection portion 320b, and connect the lower end opening edge portion 311 of the frame body portion 310 to the fixed portion 330b.

[0136] The restricting portion 350 is provided on the frame body portion 310, and has a gap H4 (see FIG. 16 ) between it and the mounting surface 100a when the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 and the plug 102 is not connected to the connecting portion 320. The restricting portion 350 comes into contact with the circuit board 100 when the frame body portion 310 moves downward, thereby restricting the frame body portion 310 from moving downward, which is the mounting direction of the connector 4 on the circuit board 100. The restricting portion 350 is provided on a pair of opposing side walls 317 that are different from a pair of opposing side walls 316 on which the connecting portion 320 and the floating portion 340 of the rectangular frame body portion 310 are provided.

[0137] The restricting portion 350 is composed of a pair of restricting portions 350a and 350b. The restricting portion 350a extends downward from the lower end opening edge 311 of the frame body portion 310, and is formed by bending the tip end in the extending direction approximately 90 degrees forward. The restricting portions 350b are provided as a pair across a seam 4a of the metal plate formed when the metal plate is bent to form the connector 4, and extend downward from the lower end opening edge 311 of the frame body portion 310, and is formed by bending the tip end in the extending direction approximately 90 degrees backward.

[0138] The buckling suppression portion 360 is U-shaped when viewed from the front, and extends from the lower end opening edge 311 of the frame body portion 310 toward the inside of the frame body portion 310 and toward the upper end opening edge 312. The buckling suppression portion 360 is composed of a pair of buckling suppression portions 360a and 360b. The buckling suppression portion 360 includes a wall portion 361, a folded portion 362, a guard portion 363, a window hole portion 364, and a bent portion 365.

[0139] The wall portion 361 extends downward from the lower opening edge portion 311 of the frame portion 310 .

[0140] The folded portion 362 is formed by folding upward the lower end of the wall portion 361. The length of the folded portion 362 in the front-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, is shorter than the length of the wall portion 361 in the front-rear direction.

[0141] The guard portion 363 is provided above the upper end of the folded portion 362. The guard portion 363 faces the connecting portion 320 and abuts against the connecting portion 320 to suppress the biasing force in the opposing direction between the connecting portion 320a and the connecting portion 320b.

[0142] Guard portion 363 of buckling suppression portion 360a covers the right side of the lower end portion of connecting portion 320a, and guard portion 363 of buckling suppression portion 360b covers the left side of the lower end portion of connecting portion 320b.

[0143] The window hole 364 is a through hole that is provided in the guard portion 363 and penetrates in the plate thickness direction. The window hole 364 allows the contact portion 323 of the connection portion 320 to protrude and be exposed in the protruding direction of the contact portion 323.

[0144] The bent portions 365 are formed by bending the front and rear ends of the guard portion 363 outwardly at approximately 90 degrees to the left and right, and surround the connection portion 320 together with the guard portion 363 .

[0145] The bent portions 365 of the buckling suppression portion 360a cover the front and rear of the lower end portion of the connecting portion 320a. The bent portions 365 of the buckling suppression portion 360b cover the front and rear of the lower end portion of the connecting portion 320b.

[0146] The connector 4 having the above-mentioned configuration is formed by punching out a metal plate and then bending it with a jig, thereby forming a seam 4a.

[0147] <How to mount a connector on a circuit board> A method for mounting the connector 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention on the circuit board 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0148] First, the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100 a of the circuit board 100 from above so that the fixing portion 330 abuts against the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 .

[0149] Next, the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portion 330 to the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering to be connected and fixed thereto. Note that the circuit board 100 has insertion holes 100b (not shown) formed below the pair of connecting portions 320.

[0150] By providing the fixing portion 330 below the restricting portion 350, the fixing portion 330 is located further forward (lower) than the restricting portion 350 in the downward mounting direction, and therefore a gap is formed between the restricting portion 350 and the mounting surface 100a when the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a. This prevents the restricting portion 350 from abutting against the mounting surface 100a before the fixing portion 330 abuts against the conductive portion 101, and allows the fixing portion 330 to be reliably connected to the conductive portion 101.

[0151] The number of connectors 4 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, and may be any number as necessary. In this case, when multiple plugs 102 are collectively connected to multiple connectors 4, there is a possibility that the positional deviation of each plug 102 relative to each connector 4 may become large. Therefore, by having the configuration of this embodiment, the connection between each connection portion 320 and each plug 102 can be stabilized.

[0152] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0153] A plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 4 mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100. First, when inserting and connecting the plug 102 into the connector 4, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 313 of the frame portion 310 of the connector 4 mounted on the circuit board 100.

[0154] Next, contact portion 323 of connection portion 320 comes into contact with plug 102 inserted from below into lower opening 313 of frame portion 310, and elastically deforms outward to the left and right. At this time, since the lower end portion of connection portion 320 is covered by guard portion 363 of buckling suppression portion 360, it is possible to prevent connection portion 320 from buckling due to plug 102.

[0155] Next, the connecting portion 320 connects to the plug 102 by sandwiching the plug 102 from the left and right sides using its own elastic restoring force.

[0156] At this time, when the plug 102 is misaligned, the connection portion 320 elastically deforms, and the frame body portion 310 elastically deforms with the elastic deformation of the connection portion 320, and the side wall portion 316 is pressed from the inside by the connection portion 320, and the frame body portion 310 is elastically deformed, and a load is applied to the floating portion 340 via the connection portion 320, the buckling suppression portion 360, and the frame body portion 310. The floating portion 340 elastically deforms when the load is applied, and moves the frame body portion 310 in the direction in which the load is applied. In addition, the connection portion 320 can maintain a connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 4 by the frame body portion 310 moving in the direction in which the load is applied, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0157] For example, when plug 102 is connected to connection portion 320 in a state inclined to the right with respect to the up-down direction, connection portion 320b is pressed in a diagonal direction to the lower right by plug 102 and elastically deforms, and guard portion 363 of buckling suppression portion 360 is pressed in the diagonal direction to the lower right by plug 102 and buckling suppression portion 360 elastically deforms, causing bent portion 365 to press frame body portion 310 in a diagonal direction to the lower right from the inside. When frame body portion 310 is pressed in the diagonal direction to the lower right, a load is applied to floating portion 340, causing it to elastically deform, and it moves frame body portion 310 in the diagonal direction to the lower right, which is the pressing direction by bent portion 365. Furthermore, by moving frame body portion 310 in the direction in which the load is applied, connection portion 320 can prevent excessive load from being applied to connection portion 320b and reduce the contact pressure between plug 102 and connection portion 320a. This makes it possible to maintain the connection state with plug 102 when plug 102 is not misaligned with connector 4, thereby enabling a stable connection to be made with plug 102.

[0158] By extending floating portion 340 from side wall portions 316 that face each other in the opposing direction of connecting portion 320a and connecting portion 320b, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 340 to follow elastic deformation of connecting portion 320 caused by misalignment of plug 102. Furthermore, by extending floating portion 340 from side wall portion 316 that is pressed by connecting portion 320, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 340 to follow elastic deformation of floating portion 340 caused by the pressing force applied from connecting portion 320 to side wall portion 316 caused by misalignment of plug 102.

[0159] In the above operation, since the lower end of the connection portion 320 is covered by the guard portion 363, buckling and deformation of the connection portion 320 when the connection portion 320 and the plug 102 are connected can be prevented.

[0160] The floating portion 340 elastically deforms in response to the pressing force that the connecting portion 320 receives from the plug 102, not only when the connecting portion 320 presses the frame portion 310, but also when the connecting portion 320 does not press the frame portion 310. This allows the frame portion 310 to perform the same operation as described above, and the connecting portion 320 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0161] Furthermore, even if the above-mentioned load is applied due to the application of some external force after the connection between the connection portion 320 and the plug 102, the connector 4 can perform the same operation as when a load is applied when the connection portion 320 and the plug 102 are connected.

[0162] When disconnecting the connector 4 from the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled out downward. This causes the floating portion 340 to return to the state before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and accordingly the frame portion 310 returns to the state before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0163] At this time, when the connection portion 320 is pulled downward by the plug 102, causing the frame portion 310 to move downward following the connection portion 320, the restricting portion 350 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to restrict the downward movement of the connector 4. This makes it possible to prevent buckling and plastic deformation of the floating portion 340.

[0164] Furthermore, by providing the restricting portion 350 on a side wall portion 317 different from the side wall portion 316 on which the connection portion 320 and the floating portion 340 of the rectangular frame body portion 310 are provided, the left-right width of the restricting portion 350 can be increased and the contact area with the mounting surface 100a can be increased, thereby reliably restricting the movement of the connector 4 and the frame body portion 310.

[0165] Thus, according to this embodiment, there are a pair of connecting portions 320 that extend from the upper opening edge 312 of the frame body portion 310 toward the inside of the frame body portion 310 and the lower opening edge 311 and connect to the plug 102, a pair of fixing portions 330 that are fixed to and connected to the conductive portion 101, a pair of buckling suppression portions 360 that extend from the lower opening edge 311 of the frame body portion 310 into the frame body portion 310 and cover the tips of the pair of connecting portions 320 in the extension direction, and a pair of floating portions 340 that respectively connect the lower opening edge 311 and the pair of fixing portions 330 and movably support the frame body portion 310. As a result, an electrically stable connection can be maintained even if the plug 102 is misaligned during or after connection with the plug 102.

[0166] In this embodiment, the connection portion 320 and the floating portion 340 are provided on the same side of the rectangular frame body portion 310, and the restriction portion 350 is provided on a different side; however, this is not limited to the above, and the floating portion 340 and the restriction portion 350 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 310, and the connection portion 320 may be provided on a different side, or the connection portion 320 and the restriction portion 350 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 310, and the floating portion 340 may be provided on a different side.

[0167] In addition, in this embodiment, the connector 4 is connected to the plug 102, but this is not limiting, and the connector 4 can be connected to a mating connecting conductor other than the plug 102.

[0168] Fifth embodiment <Connector configuration> The configuration of a connector 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0169] The connector 5 according to this embodiment is integrally formed from a metal plate, and is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to connect the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 to the plug 102. Specifically, the connector 5 has a frame portion 410, a connecting portion 420, a fixing portion 430, a floating portion 440, and a restricting portion 450.

[0170] The frame body 410 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from below. The frame body 410 includes a lower end opening edge 411 provided around a lower opening 413, an upper end opening edge 412 provided around an upper opening 414, the lower opening 413, the upper opening 414, a pair of side walls 416 that are first side walls facing each other, and a pair of side walls 417 that are second side walls adjacent to the side walls 416 and facing each other. The side walls 416 include a receiving portion 4161 against which the elastically deformable connecting portion 420 can directly press from the inside. The receiving portion 4161 has a recessed groove portion 4162 recessed inward along the vertical direction by bead processing.

[0171] The connection part 420 extends from the lower opening edge 411 of the frame part 410 toward the inside of the frame part 410 and toward the upper opening edge 412. The upper end part 421 of the connection part 420 is located below the upper opening edge 412 of the frame part 410. The connection part 420 is connected to the plug 102, and has a gap between it and the frame part 410 when it is not connected to the plug 102.

[0172] The connection part 420 is composed of a pair of connection parts 420a and 420b facing each other. The connection parts 420a and 420b have a groove part 422 recessed along a lower side than an upper end part 421 at the center of the front-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, on the facing surfaces facing each other. The connection parts 420a and 420b have abutment parts 423 that protrude inwardly so as to be close to each other inside the frame body part 410 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutment part 423 of the connection part 420a and the abutment part 423 of the connection part 420b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. Here, the facing direction of the pair of connection parts 420a and 420b is the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the facing direction of the pair of side wall parts 416.

[0173] The fixing portion 430 is located above the restricting portion 450. The fixing portion 430 has a notch 431. The fixing portion 430 is fixed and connected to the conductive portion 101 on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering. Note that the fixing and connection of the fixing portion 430 to the conductive portion 101 is not limited to the case where it is fixed and connected by reflow soldering, and it may be fixed and connected by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0174] The fixed portion 430 is composed of a pair of fixed portions 430a and 430b. The fixed portions 430a are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 420a. The fixed portions 430b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 420b.

[0175] The floating portion 440 connects the frame body portion 410 and the fixed portion 430. The floating portion 440 extends forward or backward from the upper end opening edge portion 412, and is curved in a zigzag or S-shape on the same plane as the side wall portion 416 of the frame body portion 410. The floating portion 440 elastically deforms to support the frame body portion 410 movably along the mounting surface 100a.

[0176] The floating part 440 is composed of a pair of floating parts 440a and 440b. The floating part 440a is provided in a pair before and after the connecting part 420a, and connects the upper end opening edge part 412 of the frame body part 410 and the fixing part 430a respectively. The floating part 440b is provided in a pair before and after the connecting part 420b, and connects the upper end opening edge part 412 of the frame body part 410 and the fixing part 430b respectively.

[0177] The restricting part 450 is provided on the frame body part 410, and has a space H5 from the mounting surface 100a in a state where the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 and the plug 102 is not connected to the connecting part 420. When the frame body part 410 moves upward in a state where the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the restricting part 450 abuts against the circuit board 100, thereby restricting the upward movement in the mounting direction of the connector 5 with respect to the circuit board 100 of the frame body part 410. The restricting part 450 is provided on a pair of opposing side wall parts 417 that are different from the pair of opposing side wall parts 416 where the connecting part 420 and the floating part 440 of the rectangular frame body part 410 are provided.

[0178] The restricting part 450 is composed of a pair of restricting parts 450a and 450b. The restricting part 450a is formed by being bent approximately 90 degrees forward from the lower end opening edge part 411 of the frame body part 410. The restricting part 450b is provided in a pair sandwiching the joint 5a of the metal plate when the metal plate is bent to form the connector 5, and is formed by being bent approximately 90 degrees backward from the lower end opening edge part 411 of the frame body part 410.

[0179] In the connector 5 having the above configuration, the length L43 in the plate width direction of the floating part 440 is shorter than the length L44 in the plate width direction of the connecting part 420 (L43 < L44). Further, the fixing part 430 projects forward from the front end of the floating part 440 or projects backward from the rear end, so that the length L45 in the plate width direction of the fixing part 430 is longer than the length L43 in the plate width direction of the floating part 440 (L43 < L45).

[0180] Moreover, the connector 5 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it with a jig, thereby forming a seam 5a.

[0181] <How to mount a connector on a circuit board> A method for mounting the connector 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention on the circuit board 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0182] The circuit board 100 has a conductive portion 101 of a circuit pattern around an insertion hole 100b on a mounting surface 100a.

[0183] First, the circuit board 100 is turned upside down so that the mounting surface 100a faces up, and the connector 5 is turned upside down so that the upper opening edge 412 of the frame portion 10 faces down.

[0184] Next, the upside-down connector 5 is mounted from above on the mounting surface 100a of the upside-down circuit board 100 such that the fixing portion 430 abuts against the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100.

[0185] Next, the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portion 430 to the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering to connect and fix the fixing portion 430 to the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100. At this time, by providing the notch 431 in the fixing portion 430, the reflow solder can be visually observed through the notch 431, so that soldering defects can be reduced. Note that the circuit board 100 has an insertion hole 100b (not shown) formed below the pair of connecting portions 420.

[0186] Then, after the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the connector 5 and the circuit board 100 are turned upside down and returned to their original state.

[0187] By providing the fixing portion 430 above the restricting portion 450, in the upward direction, which is the mounting direction when not inverted upside down, the fixing portion 430 is located on the tip side (upper side) of the restricting portion 450, so that when the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a, there is a gap H5 between the restricting portion 450 and the mounting surface 100a. This makes it possible to prevent the restricting portion 450 from abutting against the mounting surface 100a before the fixing portion 430 abuts against the conductive portion 101, and allows the fixing portion 430 to be reliably connected to the conductive portion 101.

[0188] Furthermore, by providing the floating portion 440 on the same plane as the side wall portion 416 of the frame portion 410, the mounting area of ​​the connector 5 on the circuit board 100 can be reduced.

[0189] Furthermore, by bending floating portion 440 into a zigzag or S-shape on the same plane as side wall portion 416 of frame portion 410, the height of connector 5 can be reduced while maintaining a desired amount of elastic deformation of floating portion 440.

[0190] The number of connectors 5 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, and may be any number as necessary. In this case, when multiple plugs 102 are collectively connected to multiple connectors 5, there is a possibility that the positional deviation of each plug 102 relative to each connector 5 may become large. Therefore, by having the configuration of this embodiment, the connection between each connection portion 420 and each plug 102 can be stabilized.

[0191] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0192] A plug 102 is inserted into and removed from the connector 5 mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100. First, when inserting and connecting the plug 102 into the connector 5, the plug 102 is inserted from below into the lower opening 413 of the frame portion 410 of the connector 5 mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100.

[0193] Next, contact portion 423 of connecting portion 420 comes into contact with plug 102 inserted from below into lower opening 413, and elastically deforms outwardly to the left and right.

[0194] At this time, when the connection portion 420 is pulled upward by the plug 102 and the frame portion 410 attempts to move upward following the connection portion 420, the restricting portion 450 comes into contact with the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 to restrict the upward movement of the connector 5. This makes it possible to prevent buckling and plastic deformation of the floating portion 440.

[0195] Furthermore, by providing the regulating portion 450 on the side wall portion 417 different from the side wall portion 416 on which the connection portion 420 and the floating portion 440 of the rectangular frame body portion 410 are provided, the width of the regulating portion 450 in the left-right direction can be increased, and the contact area with the mounting surface 100a can be increased, so that the movement of the connector 5 and the frame body portion 410 can be reliably regulated.

[0196] Next, the connecting portion 420 connects to the plug 102 by sandwiching the plug 102 from the left and right sides using its own elastic restoring force.

[0197] At this time, when the plug 102 is misaligned, the connection portion 420 elastically deforms, and the frame body portion 410 elastically deforms with the elastic deformation of the connection portion 420, and the side wall portion 416 is pressed from the inside by the connection portion 420, and the frame body portion 410 is elastically deformed, and a load is applied to the floating portion 440 via the connection portion 420 and the frame body portion 410. The floating portion 440 elastically deforms when the load is applied, and moves the frame body portion 410 in the direction in which the load is applied. In addition, the connection portion 420 can maintain a connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 5 by the frame body portion 410 moving in the direction in which the load is applied, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0198] Here, the state where plug 102 is misaligned includes a state where plug 102 is misaligned in a direction parallel to the front-rear and left-right directions from a position where plug 102 is stably connected to connecting portion 420, a state where plug 102 is tilted in the up-down direction, and a state where both of these are combined. Also, the position where plug 102 is stably connected to connecting portion 420 is a position where plug 102 is connected to connecting portions 420a and 420b with a contact pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value and where plug 102 is connected to connecting portions 420a and 420b with approximately the same contact pressure.

[0199] By extending the floating portion 440 from the side wall portions 416 opposed to each other in the opposing direction of the connecting portion 420a and the connecting portion 420b, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating portion 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 420 caused by the positional deviation of the plug 102. Furthermore, by extending the floating portion 440 from the side wall portion 416 pressed by the connecting portion 420, it is possible to improve the ability of the floating portion 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 420 caused by the positional deviation of the plug 102 due to the pressing force applied from the connecting portion 420 to the side wall portion 416. Furthermore, by extending the floating portion 440 from the receiving portion 4161 of the side wall portion 416 pressed by the connecting portion 420, it is possible to further improve the ability of the floating portion 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 420 caused by the positional deviation of the plug 102. In particular, by extending the floating portion 40 from the contact portion Q with which the connecting portion 420 contacts, the ability of the floating portion 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 420 due to the positional displacement of the plug 102 can be further improved.

[0200] Furthermore, by providing the groove portion 4162 in the receiving portion 4161, the strength of the receiving portion 4161 can be improved compared to a case in which the groove portion 4162 is not provided, so that the pressing force from the connection portion 420 can be reliably transmitted to the floating portion 440 via the receiving portion 4161.

[0201] In the above operation, by making the length L43 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 440 shorter than the length L44 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 420, the floating portion 440 can be elastically deformed more easily than the connecting portion 420. Furthermore, by making the length L44 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 420 longer than the length L43 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 440, the connection stability of the connecting portion 420 can be improved.

[0202] Furthermore, by positioning upper end 421 of connection portion 420 below upper opening edge 412, connection portion 420 can be protected by frame portion 410, and therefore deformation of connection portion 420 can be prevented.

[0203] The floating portion 440 elastically deforms in response to the pressing force that the connecting portion 420 receives from the plug 102, not only when the connecting portion 420 presses the frame portion 410, but also when the connecting portion 420 does not press the frame portion 410. This allows the frame portion 410 to perform the same operation as described above, and the connecting portion 420 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0204] Furthermore, even if the above-mentioned load is applied due to the application of some external force after the connection between the connection portion 420 and the plug 102, the connector 5 can perform the same operation as when a load is applied when the connection portion 420 and the plug 102 are connected.

[0205] When disconnecting the connector 5 from the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled out downward. This causes the floating portion 440 to return to the state before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and accordingly the frame portion 410 returns to the state before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0206] Thus, according to this embodiment, there is provided a frame-shaped frame body portion 410 having an upper opening 414, a lower opening 413, an upper end opening edge portion 412 provided around the upper opening 414, and a lower end opening edge portion 411 provided around the lower opening 413, a pair of connection portions 420 extending from the lower end opening edge portion 411 toward the inside of the frame body portion 410 and the upper end opening edge portion 412 and connecting to the plug 102, a pair of fixing portions 430 fixed to and connected to the conductive portion 101, and a pair of floating portions 440 respectively connecting the frame body portion 410 and the pair of fixing portions 430 and supporting the frame body portion 410 movably, so that an electrically stable connection can be maintained even if the position of the plug 102 shifts during or after connection with the plug 102.

[0207] In this embodiment, the floating portion 440 extends from the contact portion Q with which the connecting portion 420 comes into contact. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The floating portion 440 may extend from a portion of the receiving portion 4161 other than the contact portion Q.

[0208] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment in terms of the types, arrangement, number, etc. of components, and it goes without saying that the components can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the invention, such as by appropriately replacing them with components that achieve equivalent effects. [Industrial Applicability]

[0209] The present invention is suitable for a connector that is integrally formed with a metal plate that is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board and connects conductive parts of the circuit board to mating connecting conductors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0210] 1 Connector 2 Connector 3 Connector 4 Connector 5 Connectors 10 Frame body part 11 Lower opening edge 12 Upper opening edge 13 Lower opening 14 Upper opening 15 Notch 20 Connection 20a Connection 20b Connection 21 Upper end 22 Groove 23 Contact part 30 Fixed part 30a Fixed part 30b Fixed part 40 Floating section 40a Floating section 40b Floating section 50 Regulatory Department 50a Regulatory Department 50b Regulatory Department 100 Circuit Board 100a Mounting surface 100b Insertion hole 100c inner wall 101 Conductive part 102 Plug 110 Frame body part 120 Connection 130 Fixed part 140 Floating section 150 Regulatory Department 210 Frame body part 220 Connection 230 Fixed part 240 Floating section 250 Regulatory Department 310 Frame body part 320 Connection 330 Fixed part 340 Floating section 350 Regulatory Department 360 Buckling suppression part 360a Buckling suppression part 360b Buckling suppression part 361 Wall 362 Turn-back section 363 Guard Section 364 Window hole 365 Bending part 410 Frame body part 420 Connection 430 Fixed part 440 Floating section 450 Regulatory Department

Claims

1. A connector that is integrally formed by a metal plate mounted on a circuit board and connects a conductive portion of the circuit board to a mating connection conductor, a frame-shaped frame body portion including an upper opening, a lower opening, an upper end opening edge portion provided around the upper opening, and a lower end opening edge portion provided around the lower opening; a pair of connection portions extending from the lower end opening edge portion toward the inside of the frame portion and the upper end opening edge portion, facing each other, and connected to the mating connecting conductor; A pair of fixing parts fixed and connected to the conductive part; a pair of floating portions that respectively connect the frame portion and the pair of fixed portions and movably support the frame portion; having The frame portion is a pair of first side wall portions opposed to each other and provided along a front-rear direction perpendicular to a direction in which the pair of connecting portions oppose each other; and a pair of second side wall portions opposed to each other and adjacent to the pair of first side wall portions and provided along the direction in which the pair of connecting portions oppose each other, Each of the pair of floating portions is The pair of first side wall portions are flush with each other and extend from the frame portion in a zigzag shape along the front and rear of the frame portion. A connector characterized by:

2. The pair of connecting portions are the pair of first side wall portions are elastically deformed during or after connection with the mating connecting conductor, and are capable of pressing the pair of first side wall portions from the inside, The pair of floating portions include the pair of first side wall portions are elastically deformed when pressed by the pair of connecting portions to allow the frame portion to move in the pressing direction; 2. The connector according to claim 1.

3. Each of the pair of floating portions is The pair of first side wall portions are respectively extended from contact portions with the pair of connecting portions, 3. The connector according to claim 2.

4. Each of the pair of floating portions is The upper end opening edge portion and the pair of fixing portions are respectively connected to each other.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

5. Each of the pair of floating portions is The lower end opening edge portion and the pair of fixing portions are respectively connected to each other.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a restricting portion that is provided on the frame portion and abuts against the circuit board to restrict movement of the frame portion in a mounting direction of the connector relative to the circuit board; 2. The connector according to claim 1.

7. Each of the pair of fixing portions is Located on the tip side of the restricting portion in the mounting direction.

7. The connector according to claim 6.

8. The pair of floating portions include The pair of first side wall portions and the pair of fixing portions are respectively connected to each other, The regulating portion is Provided on the pair of second side wall portions, 8. The connector according to claim 6 or 7.

9. A length in a plate width direction of each of the pair of floating portions is shorter than a length in a plate width direction of each of the pair of connecting portions.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The upper end opening edge portion is Located above the upper ends of the pair of connecting portions, 3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

11. The pair of connecting portions are a gap is provided between the frame portion and the mating connecting conductor when the mating connecting conductor is not connected; 3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

12. Each of the pair of connection portions is The lower end opening edge portion is extended downward and then bent upward, Each of the pair of floating portions is The lower end opening edge portion is extended downward, and then bent upward to be connected to the pair of fixing portions, a length between the lower end opening edge portion and a lower end portion of each of the pair of floating portions is longer than a length between the lower end opening edge portion and a lower end portion of each of the pair of connecting portions; 3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

13. Each of the pair of fixing portions is each of the pair of floating portions is connected to a lower end thereof, Each of the pair of floating portions is It is crank-shaped.

3. The connector according to claim 1 or 2.

Images