Board-mounted connector and board with connector

Abstract

To provide a substrate-mounted connector excellent in productivity.SOLUTION: A substrate-mounted connector 1 includes a housing 2, a plurality of terminals 3A, 3B press-fitted into the housing 2, the housing 2 includes a pair of protective wall portions 38 projecting from the housing 2 so as to sandwich a first press-fit hole 33A and a second press-fit hole 33B in a predetermined direction. A terminal 3A to be press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole 33A is configured such that the curved portion 17 extends from a first terminal portion 11 toward one side in a predetermined direction, and a terminal 3B press-fitted into the second press-fitting hole 33B is configured such that the curved portion 17 extends from the first terminal portion 11 toward the other side in the predetermined direction. The press-fit hole closest to the protective wall portion 38 on one side in the predetermined direction is the second press-fit hole 33B, and the press-fit hole closest to the protective wall portion 38 on the other side in the predetermined direction is the first press-fit hole 33A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a board-mounted connector having a structure in which terminals are press-fitted and held in a housing and to be mounted on a circuit board, and a board with the connector mounted on the circuit board.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a board-mounted connector, a connector has been proposed in which a terminal is press-fitted into a press-fitting hole provided in a housing, one end portion of the terminal is used as a contact portion (so-called tab) with a mating terminal, and the other end portion of the terminal is used as a contact portion with a conductor pattern on a circuit board (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Terminals used in this type of connector are generally manufactured through punching and pressing of a metal thin plate.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, since the board-mounted connector is mounted so that the connector is assembled on the board surface or the board edge of the circuit board, generally, the contact point between the mating terminal of the terminal and the contact point between the conductor pattern of the circuit board are offset from each other in the thickness direction of the circuit board. Therefore, in the process of manufacturing the terminal, bending is applied to the terminal so that both ends of the terminal have such an offset shape. For example, when manufacturing a typical crank-shaped terminal as used in the above-described conventional connector, bending for bending at least two portions of the terminal is required. From the viewpoint of improving the productivity of the terminal (and thus the productivity of the connector), it is desirable to perform the bending process in the process of manufacturing the terminal as efficiently as possible.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a board-mounted connector with excellent productivity and a board with a connector using the connector.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to achieve the above-described object, the board-mounted connector and the board with a connector according to the present invention are characterized by the following [1] to [4]. [1] A board-mounted connector including a housing and a plurality of terminals press-fitted into the housing, which is to be mounted on a circuit board, wherein the housing has a first press-fitting hole, a second press-fitting hole disposed at a position different from the first press-fitting hole in a predetermined first direction, and a pair of protective wall portions protruding from the housing so as to sandwich the first press-fitting hole and the second press-fitting hole in a second direction intersecting the first direction; each of the plurality of terminals has a first terminal portion having a first contact portion that comes into contact with a mating terminal and is conductively connected, and a press-fitting portion press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole or the second press-fitting hole; A second terminal portion that extends from the first terminal portion and has a bent portion that bends around a bending axis along the axis of the first terminal portion, and a second contact portion that is offset from the first contact portion in an intersecting direction intersecting the axis of the first terminal portion and is to be conductively connected to the conductor pattern of the circuit board. The terminal press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole is configured such that the bent portion of the terminal extends from the first terminal portion toward one side in the second direction and the second terminal portion including the curved portion and the second contact portion is located at a position offset to one side in the second direction with respect to the first terminal portion as described above. The terminal press-fitted into the second press-fitting hole is configured such that the bent portion of the terminal extends from the first terminal portion toward the other side in the second direction and and the second terminal portion including the curved portion and the second contact portion is located at a position offset to the other side in the second direction with respect to the first terminal portion as described above. The press-fitting hole closest to the protective wall portion on the one side in the second direction is the second press-fitting hole. The press-fitting hole closest to the protective wall portion on the other side in the second direction is the first press-fitting hole. The pair of protective wall portions project from the housing toward the reverse side so as to sandwich the second terminal portion of the terminal extending from the first press-fitting hole and the second press-fitting hole in the second direction, in a direction opposite to the fitting progress direction of the housing in the fitting direction of the housing with the mating housing. It is a board-mounted connector. [2] In the connector according to [1] above, each of the plurality of terminals has a shape in which a continuous plate-like body having the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion is bent at the bent portion, and the width of the bent portion in the direction along the axis of the first terminal portion is larger than the plate thickness of the plate-like body in the first terminal portion and larger than the plate thickness of the plate-like body in the second terminal portion, and is configured as described above. It is a board-mounted connector. [3] In the connector according to [1] or [2] above, The second terminal portion of the terminal is a standing portion that extends from the first terminal portion, passes through the curved portion, and extends along the intersecting direction, a first portion that extends in the direction along the axis from the end of the standing portion, and a second portion that extends from the end of the first portion toward the second contact portion. a board-mounted connector. [4] A board with a connector, comprising a circuit board and the connector according to any one of the above [1] to [3] mounted on the circuit board, wherein the circuit board has a notch in which the side edge of the circuit board is recessed in a concave shape along the board surface, and the connector is arranged such that the housing is fitted into the notch and the second terminal portion of the terminal is conductively connected to the conductor pattern of the circuit board, and is mounted on the circuit board. A board with a connector.

[0007] According to the board-mounted connector configured as described in [1] above, a second terminal portion having a second contact location that will be conductively connected to the conductor pattern of the circuit board extends from a first terminal portion having a first contact location that will be conductively connected to the mating terminal and has a curved portion that bends around a bending axis along the axis of the first terminal portion. The terminal has a shape in which the first contact location with the mating terminal and the second contact location with the conductor pattern of the circuit board are in offset positions. For example, when the terminal has a crank shape as in the above-described conventional example, after manufacturing a preform having a first terminal portion and a second terminal portion by punching a metal thin plate (see, for example, the chain terminal shown in FIG. 8), a single bending process may be performed at the above-described curved portion so that the first contact location and the second contact location are offset in a predetermined direction. That is, the number of bending processes applied to the terminal can be reduced compared to the number of times (at least two times) in the above-described conventional example. In addition, when the terminal has a more complex shape, for example, a preform having such a shape may be manufactured at the punching stage, or additional bending processes may be performed after the bending process to the above-described crank shape. In any case, as described above, the number of bending processes can be reduced compared to the conventional example.

[0008] Furthermore, since the position of the curved portion of the terminal included in the connector of this configuration is different from that of the terminal of the above-described conventional example, and the first contact location and the second contact location are offset, it is possible to use the end face of the first terminal portion (for example, the end face of the end portion on the side opposite to the first contact location; see FIGS. 6 and 7) as the pressing surface of the press-fitting jig. Therefore, the structure of the terminal can be simplified compared to the case where a dedicated pressing surface (for example, a so-called shoulder portion) is separately provided on the terminal.

[0009] As described above, the board-mounted connector of this configuration can simplify the structure of the terminal and reduce the number of bending processes performed at the manufacturing stage of the terminal, and thus is superior in productivity compared to the conventional connector.

[0010] In addition, as another effect, the board-mounted connector of this configuration can be miniaturized compared to the connector of the conventional example. Specifically, the terminal press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole is configured such that the curved portion of the terminal extends toward one side in a predetermined direction (second direction) from the first terminal portion. Conversely, the terminal press-fitted into the second press-fitting hole is configured such that the curved portion of the terminal extends toward the other side in the predetermined direction (second direction) from the first terminal portion. As a result, the second terminal portion of the terminal press-fitted into the press-fitting hole (second press-fitting hole) closest to the protective wall portion on one side thereof extends away from the protective wall portion (i.e., toward the other side), and the second terminal portion of the terminal press-fitted into the press-fitting hole (first press-fitting hole) closest to the protective wall portion on the other side thereof extends away from the protective wall portion (i.e., toward one side). Therefore, since it is not necessary to design the protective wall portion to escape outward to avoid contact with the second terminal portion of the terminal, the size of the housing in the direction along the board surface can be reduced.

[0011] According to the board-mounted connector having the configuration of [2] above, the width of the curved portion in the direction along the axis of the first terminal portion of the terminal is larger than the plate thickness of the first terminal portion and larger than the plate thickness of the second terminal portion. Thereby, the strength of the curved portion of the terminal can be increased, and the shape of the terminal after bending is properly maintained as designed. As a result, even when a plurality of terminals are held in the housing, it is easy to improve the coplanarity (flatness) of the second contact portions of the respective terminals, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the circuit board and the connector can be improved.

[0012] According to the board-mounted connector having the configuration of [3] above, the second terminal portion of the terminal has a standing portion that extends from the first terminal portion, passes through the curved portion, and extends along the intersecting direction, a first portion that extends in the direction along the axis from the end of the standing portion, and a second portion that extends from the end of the first portion toward the second contact portion. Thereby, for example, even when the circuit board is arranged at a position offset in the intersecting direction from the first terminal portion (see FIG. 4, for example), after reducing the number of bending times during terminal manufacturing as described above, the terminal can be connected to the conductor pattern of the circuit board.

[0013] According to the circuit board with a connector having the configuration of [4] above, the terminals press-fitted into the housing are connected to the conductor patterns of the circuit board in a state where the housing of the connector is arranged to be fitted into the concave notch portion of the circuit board. Thereby, compared with the case where the connector is mounted by placing the connector on the board surface of the circuit board, the overall height of the circuit board with the connector can be reduced.

Effects of the Invention

[0014] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a board-mounted connector with excellent productivity and a circuit board with a connector using the connector.

[0015] The present invention has been briefly described above. Further, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, a board-mounted connector 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a board 7 with a connector will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the connector 1 includes a housing 2 and a plurality of terminals 3 press-fitted into the housing 2, and is mounted on a circuit board 4 for use. By this mounting, a board 7 with a connector is manufactured.

[0018] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 10, "front-rear direction", "left-right direction", "up-down direction", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "up" and "down" are defined. The "front-rear direction", "left-right direction" and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-rear direction coincides with the fitting direction between the connector 1 and a mating connector (not shown), and the front side of the fitting direction where the mating connector fits is defined as the front side, and the opposite fitting direction back side is defined as the rear side. The left-right direction coincides with the arrangement direction in which a plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A and a plurality of lower press-fitting holes 33B (see FIG. 5 etc.) described later of the housing 2 are arranged. Hereinafter, each member constituting the connector 1 will be described in order.

[0019] First, the terminal 3 will be described. The connector 1 includes a plurality of upper-stage terminals 3A to be press-fitted into the upper-stage press-fitting holes 33A and a plurality of lower-stage terminals 3B to be press-fitted into the lower-stage press-fitting holes 33B, as a plurality of terminals 3 as shown in FIG. 5 and the like. Hereinafter, first, the upper-stage terminal 3A will be described.

[0020] The upper-stage terminal 3A shown in FIG. 6 is formed by performing bending processes on a preformed body 3g (see FIG. 8), which is obtained by performing punching and pressing processes on a flat metal thin plate, at the bending portions 17, 20, 22 (see FIG. 6). The preformed body 3g includes a first terminal portion 11 extending linearly and a second terminal portion 12 extending in a substantially L shape. For each of the first terminal portion 11 and the second terminal portion 12, the cross-section orthogonal to the extending direction is rectangular.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 6, the first terminal portion 11 has a shape that extends linearly in the front-rear direction as a whole. The front end portion of the first terminal portion 11 functions as a first contact portion 13 that comes into contact with and is conductively connected to a mating terminal (female terminal, not shown) accommodated in the mating connector. At a position rearward of the first contact portion 13 of the first terminal portion 11, a pair of press-fitting protrusions 14 protruding in both the left and right directions are provided at two locations in the front-rear direction, respectively.

[0022] At a position rearward of the press-fitting protrusions 14 of the first terminal portion 11, a wide portion 15 protruding further in both the left and right directions than the pair of press-fitting protrusions 14 is provided. The wide portion 15 functions as a stopper that defines the front-rear direction position of the upper-stage terminal 3A with respect to the housing 2 during the press-fitting of the upper-stage terminal 3A. The rear end surface (a rectangular plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction) of the first terminal portion 11 functions as a pressing surface 16 for pressing a press-fitting jig (not shown) during the press-fitting of the upper-stage terminal 3A. Therefore, since the press-fitting jig can be pressed against the pressing surface 16 located on the extension line of the axis of the first contact portion 13, the structure of the terminal 3 can be simplified as compared with the case where a dedicated pressing surface (for example, a so-called shoulder portion) is separately provided on the terminal 3. Further, it is difficult for defects such as buckling to occur in the first terminal portion 11 during press-fitting.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 6, the second terminal portion 12 includes a curved portion 17 that extends rightward from the rear end portion of the first terminal portion 11 (the portion behind the wide portion 15) and curves upward, an upright portion 18 that extends upward from the upper end portion of the curved portion 17, a first portion 19 that extends rearward from the upper end portion of the upright portion 18, a curved portion 20 that extends rearward from the rear end portion of the first portion 19 and curves downward, a second portion 21 that extends downward from the lower end portion of the curved portion 20, a curved portion 22 that extends downward from the lower end portion of the second portion 21 and curves rearward, and a second contact portion 23 that extends rearward from the rear end portion of the curved portion 22. The second contact portion 23 will be conductively connected to the conductor pattern 42A of the circuit board 4 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The curved portion 17 curves around a bending axis X that is offset parallel to the right side from the axis of the first terminal portion 11.

[0024] Thus, in the upper terminal 3A, the second terminal portion 12 is located at a position offset to the right with respect to the first terminal portion 11 (see FIG. 6(a)). Also, the second contact portion 23 is located at a position offset downward with respect to the first contact portion 13 (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0025] In the upper terminal 3A, the crank shape (see FIG. 6(b)) formed by the first terminal portion 11, the upright portion 18, and the first portion 19 when viewed in the left - right direction can be obtained by performing a single bending process on the curved portion 17. Therefore, compared with a general processing method of obtaining a crank shape by bending two locations in the extending direction of the terminal, the number of bending processes applied to the terminal to obtain the crank shape can be reduced.

[0026] In the upper terminal 3A, the plate thickness T2 of the second terminal portion 12 (see Fig. 6(a)) is smaller than the plate thickness T1 of the first terminal portion 11 (see Fig. 6(b)) (see also Fig. 8(b)). More specifically, the second terminal portion 12 has a shape in which the thickness is reduced in a direction in which the outer surface of the curved portion 17 (the lower surface in Fig. 8(b)) approaches the inner surface of the curve (the upper surface in Fig. 8(b)), so that the plate thickness T2 of the second terminal portion 12 is thinner than the plate thickness T1 of the first terminal portion 11. Therefore, the bending process when providing the curved portion 17 of the second terminal portion 12 becomes easier. Further, in this example, a plurality of upper terminals 3A are arranged in the housing 2 in a state of being arranged side by side in the left-right direction (see Fig. 4 etc.). In this case, between the upper terminals 3A adjacent in the left-right direction, the curved portion 17 of the left upper terminal 3A and the left end surface of the rear end portion of the first terminal portion 11 of the right upper terminal 3A are closest in the left-right direction (see Fig. 9(b)). In this regard, to the extent that the plate thickness T2 (i.e., the thickness in the left-right direction) of the curved portion 17 (= a part of the second terminal portion 12) is made thinner so as to be reduced in the direction away from the adjacent first terminal portion 11, the distance Y in the left-right direction between the two (so-called insulation distance) can be increased.

[0027] In the upper terminal 3A, the width T3 in the front-rear direction of the curved portion 17 and the standing portion 18 (see Fig. 6(b)) is larger than the plate thickness T1 and the plate thickness T2. Therefore, the rigidity of the curved portion 17 can be increased, and the shape of the upper terminal 3A after the bending process of the curved portion 17 is properly maintained. As a result, the coplanarity (flatness) of the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of upper terminals 3A is increased, improving the reliability of the electrical connection between the circuit board 4 and the connector 1. The upper terminal 3A has been described above.

[0028] The upper terminal 3A described above is manufactured, for example, as follows. First, a metal thin plate is punched out to obtain a chain terminal in which a plurality of preliminary molded bodies 3g are connected by a carrier 5 as shown in FIG. 8(a). Next, press working is sequentially performed only on the second terminal portions 12 of the respective preliminary molded bodies 3g with respect to the chain terminal, so that the plate thickness T2 of the second terminal portion 12 of each preliminary molded body 3g is made smaller than the plate thickness T1 of the first terminal portion 11 (see also FIG. 8(b)). Next, in the chain terminal, the carrier 5 is removed to separate the plurality of preliminary molded bodies 3g from each other, and bending processes are respectively performed on the bending portions 17, 20, 22 (see FIG. 6) of each preliminary molded body 3g. Thereby, a plurality of upper terminals 3A are obtained. Note that the bending process on a part or all of the bending portions 17, 20, 22 (see FIG. 6) may be performed before or after the press fitting of the upper terminal 3A into the housing 2.

[0029] As understood from the above-described manufacturing procedure, at the second contact portion 23 of the upper terminal 3A, the punched surface (cutting surface) generated when the metal thin plate is punched out faces and is connected to the conductor patterns 42A and 42B of the circuit board 4. From the viewpoint of achieving good electrical connection, in this example, the punched surface of the second contact portion 23 is plated. Examples of the plating material include gold (Au). Note that gold plating is generally provided on the base material after providing an under-plating such as copper or nickel on the base material, and then provided on the under-plating. Note that not only the punched surface of the second contact portion 23 but also the entire punched surface of the upper terminal 3A may be subjected to the same plating process. In this example, the same plating process is also performed on the second contact portion 23 of the lower terminal 3B described later.

[0030] Next, the lower terminal 3B will be described. For the lower terminal 3B shown in FIG. 7, for configurations that are the same as or equivalent to the configuration of the upper terminal 3A shown in FIG. 6, the same reference numerals as those used for the upper terminal 3A will be used to replace their descriptions. The second contact portion 23 of the lower terminal 3B will be conductively connected to the conductor pattern 42B of the circuit board 4 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The lower terminal 3B is also manufactured from a chain terminal as shown in FIG. 8 through the same process as the upper terminal 3A. The lower terminal 3B also exhibits the same functions and effects as the various functions and effects described above regarding the upper terminal 3A. Hereinafter, the main differences between the lower terminal 3B and the upper terminal 3A will be described.

[0031] In the lower terminal 3B, contrary to the upper terminal 3A, the curved portion 17 extends from the rear end portion of the first terminal portion 11 toward the left side (see FIG. 7(a)). That is, the curved portion 17 is curved around a curved axis X that is offset parallel to the left side from the axis of the first terminal portion 11. For this reason, in the upper terminal 3A, the second terminal portion 12 is offset to the right side with respect to the first terminal portion 11 (see FIG. 6(a)), whereas in the lower terminal 3B, the second terminal portion 12 is offset to the left side with respect to the first terminal portion 11 (see FIG. 7(a)).

[0032] In the lower terminal 3B, the overall shape of the second terminal portion 12 is different from that of the upper terminal 3A. For this reason, in the upper terminal 3A, the second contact portion 23 is offset to the lower side with respect to the first contact portion 13 (see FIG. 6(b)), whereas in the lower terminal 3B, the second contact portion 23 is offset to the upper side with respect to the first contact portion 13 (see FIG. 7(b)). As a result, in a state where the upper terminal 3A and the lower terminal 3B are press-fitted into the upper press-fitting hole 33A and the lower press-fitting hole 33B of the housing 2, respectively, the second contact portion 23 of the upper terminal 3A and the second contact portion 23 of the lower terminal 3B will be located on the same plane (see FIGS. 4, etc.). The above is the description of the lower terminal 3B.

[0033] Next, the housing 2 will be described. The housing 2 is a resin molded product and includes a rectangular cylindrical main body portion 31 that extends in the front-rear direction and is long in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like. The rear end of the main body portion 31 is closed by a rectangular flat rear end wall 32 (see FIGS. 4 and 5), while the front end of the main body portion 31 is open. When the connector 1 is mated with the mating connector, the mating connector is inserted and fitted into the internal space of the main body portion 31 through the front end opening of the main body portion 31, and is maintained in the mated state by a lock portion 31a provided at the center in the left-right direction on the upper wall of the main body portion 31.

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 3(c) and 5 and the like, the rear end wall 32 is provided with a plurality of upper stage press-fitting holes 33A arranged in the left-right direction, and a plurality of lower stage press-fitting holes 33B are provided at positions below the plurality of upper stage press-fitting holes 33A so as to be arranged in the left-right direction. Each of the upper stage press-fitting holes 33A and the lower stage press-fitting holes 33B is a through hole having a rectangular cross section and penetrating in the front-rear direction.

[0035] The first terminal portion 11 of the upper stage terminal 3A is inserted and press-fitted into the upper stage press-fitting hole 33A from the rear. This press-fitting is performed by pressing the first terminal portion 11 forward with a press-fitting jig (not shown) pressed against the pressing surface 16. This press-fitting proceeds while rubbing the press-fitting projection 14 of the first terminal portion 11 against the inner wall surface of the upper stage press-fitting hole 33A, and is completed when the widened portion 15 of the first terminal portion 11 abuts against the rear end edge of the upper stage press-fitting hole 33A. Similarly, the first terminal portion 11 of the lower stage terminal 3B is inserted and press-fitted into the lower stage press-fitting hole 33B from the rear.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 4, in the state where press-fitting is completed, the first contact portion 13 of the first terminal portion 11 of the upper terminal 3A and the lower terminal 3B is located within the internal space of the main body portion 31, and the second terminal portion 12 of the upper terminal 3A and the lower terminal 3B extends rearward from the rear end wall 32 of the main body portion 31, and the second contact portion 23 is exposed outside the main body portion 31. The second contact portions 23 of the plurality of upper terminals 3A are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and at the front side position thereof, the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of lower terminals 3B are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The second contact portions 23 of the plurality of upper terminals 3A and the lower terminals 3B are all located on the same plane. The second contact portions 23 of the plurality of upper terminals 3A are connected to the conductor pattern 42A of the circuit board 4, and the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of lower terminals 3B will be connected to the conductor pattern 42B of the circuit board 4.

[0037] The lateral interval (pitch) between adjacent upper press-fitting holes 33A and the lateral interval (pitch) between adjacent lower press-fitting holes 33B are the same. In this example, as can be understood from Fig. 3(b), the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A are arranged shifted to the left by half a pitch with respect to the plurality of lower press-fitting holes 33B. In other words, the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A and the plurality of lower press-fitting holes 33B are arranged so as to have a positional relationship (so-called zigzag, staggered) that does not overlap each other in the vertical direction when viewed from the front-rear direction.

[0038] Therefore, the first terminal portion 11 of the lower terminal 3B1 (see FIGS. 3(b) and 10) press-fitted into the rightmost lower press-fitting hole 33B among the plurality of lower press-fitting holes 33B is located to the right of the first terminal portion 11 of the upper terminal 3A press-fitted into the rightmost upper press-fitting hole 33A among the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A. Conversely, the first terminal portion 11 of the upper terminal 3A1 (see FIGS. 3(b) and 10) press-fitted into the leftmost upper press-fitting hole 33A among the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A is located to the left of the first terminal portion 11 of the lower terminal 3B press-fitted into the leftmost lower press-fitting hole 33B among the plurality of lower press-fitting holes 33B. In this example, in order to avoid interference with the locking portion 31a, no upper press-fitting hole 33A is provided in the central region in the left-right direction (see FIG. 3(b)). Thereby, the low-profile of the main body portion 31 can be further promoted.

[0039] Furthermore, for each of the upper terminal 3A and the lower terminal 3B, the offset amount in the left-right direction between the first terminal portion 11 and the second terminal portion 12 coincides with the above half pitch. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10, with respect to the lower terminal 3B having the first terminal portion 11 press-fitted into the lower press-fitting hole 33B and the upper terminal 3A having the first terminal portion 11 press-fitted into the upper press-fitting hole 33A located to the left of the lower press-fitting hole 33B by the above half pitch, in the left-right direction, the position of the second terminal portion 12 of the upper terminal 3A coincides with the position of the first terminal portion 11 of the lower terminal 3B, and the position of the first terminal portion 11 of the upper terminal 3A coincides with the position of the second terminal portion 12 of the lower terminal 3B.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5 and the like, on the rear end wall 32, between the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A and the plurality of lower press-fitting holes 33B in the vertical direction, a flat partition wall portion 34 that protrudes rearward and extends in the left-right direction is provided so as to separate the two from each other. In this example, the upper surface of the partition wall portion 34 is continuous flush with the lower end edge of the inner wall of the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A. In this way, by providing the partition wall portion 34, the insulation distance (especially the creepage distance) between the upper terminal 3A press-fitted into the upper press-fitting hole 33A and the lower terminal 3B press-fitted into the lower press-fitting hole 33B can be increased compared to the case where there is no partition wall portion 34.

[0041] On the lower surface of the partition wall portion 34, auxiliary wall portions 35 that protrude downward are provided at respective left - right direction positions corresponding to the plurality of lower - stage press - fitting holes 33B (see FIGS. 5 and 10, etc.). In other words, each auxiliary wall portion 35 is provided between adjacent upper - stage press - fitting holes 33A in the left - right direction (see FIG. 10). Thereby, since the auxiliary wall portion 35 supports the partition wall portion 34, even if the thickness of the partition wall portion 34 is made thinner, the collapse or the like of the partition wall portion 34 is suppressed. Further, since the second terminal portions 12 (particularly, the first location 19) of each lower - stage terminal 3B are located within the space between adjacent auxiliary wall portions 35 (see FIG. 10), the insulation distance between adjacent lower - stage terminals 3B becomes larger.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2 and the like, on the upper - side regions of the left - and right - hand side surfaces of the main body portion 31, a pair of protruding portions 36 are provided so as to protrude in the left - right direction and extend in the front - rear direction. The pair of protruding portions 36 function as stoppers that define the vertical position of the housing 2 with respect to the circuit board 4 when the housing 2 is mounted on the circuit board 4 of the electronic device. Each protruding portion 36 is provided with a peg mounting portion 37, and a metal peg 6 is attached and fixed to each peg mounting portion 37.

[0043] On the main body portion 31, a pair of protective wall portions 38 are provided so as to continuously protrude further rearward from the pair of protruding portions 36. As a result, the pair of protective wall portions 38 are arranged so as to sandwich the second terminal portions 12 of the plurality of upper - stage terminals 3A and lower - stage terminals 3B that extend rearward from the plurality of upper - stage press - fitting holes 33A and lower - stage press - fitting holes 33B in the left - right direction, and function to protect the second terminal portions 12 of the plurality of upper - stage terminals 3A and lower - stage terminals 3B. On the lower surfaces of the pair of protective wall portions 38, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, a pair of engaging protrusions 39 that protrude downward are provided. The pair of engaging protrusions 39 are to be inserted into a pair of positioning holes 44 (see FIG. 2) of the circuit board 4.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 10, in this example, for the lower terminal 3B1 in which the first terminal portion 11 is press-fitted into the lowermost right lower press-fitting hole 33B among the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A and lower press-fitting holes 33B, the second terminal portion 12 is located on the left side (i.e., the inner side in the left-right direction) of the first terminal portion 11. Similarly, for the upper terminal 3A1 in which the first terminal portion 11 is press-fitted into the uppermost left upper press-fitting hole 33A among the plurality of upper press-fitting holes 33A and lower press-fitting holes 33B, the second terminal portion 12 is located on the right side (i.e., the inner side in the left-right direction) of the first terminal portion 11. Therefore, it becomes easier to ensure a large distance L1 between the second terminal portion 12 of the lower terminal 3B1 and the right protective wall portion 38, and a large distance L2 between the second terminal portion 12 of the upper terminal 3A1 and the left protective wall portion 38.

[0045] In other words, in both the upper press-fitting hole 33A and the lower press-fitting hole 33B, while arranging the first terminal portion 11 of the terminal 3 as far as possible to the outer side in the left-right direction, the second terminal portion 12 of the terminal 3 can be arranged at a position away from the pair of protective wall portions 38. Therefore, since it is not necessary to design the pair of protective wall portions 38 to be recessed outward in the left-right direction in order to avoid contact with the second terminal portion 12, the size of the housing 2 in the arrangement direction (i.e., the left-right direction) can be reduced. The housing 2 has been described above.

[0046] Next, the circuit board 4 will be described. The resin circuit board 4 has a rectangular flat plate shape in which a rectangular notch 41 is formed in a region excluding the left and right end portions of the front end face, as shown in FIG. 2. The notch 41 has a shape corresponding to the outer shape (the shape viewed from the up-down direction) of the main body portion 31 of the housing 2.

[0047] On the upper surface of the rear region of the notch 41 of the circuit board 4, a plurality of conductor patterns 42A are provided so as to be arranged in the left-right direction corresponding to the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of upper terminals 3A, and a plurality of conductor patterns 42B are provided so as to be arranged in the left-right direction at a position in front of the plurality of conductor patterns 42A corresponding to the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of lower terminals 3B.

[0048] On the upper surface of the outer regions in the left - right direction of the notch portion 41 of the circuit board 4, a pair of recesses 43 are provided corresponding to a pair of pegs 6 fixed to the housing 2. A pair of pegs 6 will be received and soldered in the pair of recesses 43. On the upper surface of the outer regions in the left - right direction of the plurality of conductor patterns 42A, 42B of the circuit board 4, a pair of positioning holes (through - holes) 44 are provided. The above is the description of the circuit board 4.

[0049] To mount the connector 1 on the circuit board 4, as shown in FIG. 2, first, the housing 2 is arranged above the circuit board 4. Next, the main body portion 31 of the housing 2 is inserted so as to be fitted into the notch portion 41 of the circuit board 4, a pair of pegs 6 are received in the pair of recesses 43, and a pair of engaging protrusions 39 are inserted into the pair of positioning holes 44. The second contact portions 23 of the plurality of upper - stage terminals 3A are brought into contact with the plurality of conductor patterns 42A respectively, and the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of lower - stage terminals 3B are brought into contact with the plurality of conductor patterns 42B respectively. The housing 2 and the circuit board 4 are brought closer to each other in the vertical direction until the lower surfaces of the pair of overhanging portions 36 abut against the circuit board 4 (see FIG. 1).

[0050] Next, a pair of pegs 6 received in the pair of recesses 43 are adhesively fixed to the pair of recesses 43 with an adhesive or solder, and the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of upper - stage terminals 3A are fixed to the plurality of conductor patterns 42A with solder, and the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of lower - stage terminals 3B are fixed to the plurality of conductor patterns 42B with solder. Thereby, the mounting of the housing 2 on the circuit board 4 is completed. In this way, by mounting the connector 1 so as to be fitted into the notch portion 41 provided in the circuit board 4, compared with the case of mounting the connector 1 by placing it on the substrate surface of the circuit board 4, the overall structure of the connector 1 and the circuit board 4 can be made lower in height.

[0051] <Function and Effect> As described above, according to the board-mounted connector 1 according to the present embodiment, the second terminal portion 12 having the second contact portion 23 to be conductively connected to the conductor patterns 42A and 42B of the circuit board 4 extends from the first terminal portion 11 having the first contact portion 13 to be conductively connected to the mating terminal, and has a curved portion 17 that bends around a bending axis along the axis of the first terminal portion 11. Thus, the terminals 3A and 3B are configured. For example, when the terminals 3A and 3B have the crank shape as described above, after punching out a preform 3g having the first terminal portion 11 and the second terminal portion 12 from a thin metal plate (see FIG. 8 for example), the first terminal portion 11 and the second terminal portion 12 are bent once so as to be offset in the thickness direction of the circuit board 4, whereby the terminals 3A and 3B can be manufactured. That is, the number of bending processes applied to the terminals 3A and 3B can be reduced compared to the above-described example.

[0052] Furthermore, since the position of the curved portion 17 of the terminal 3 included in the connector 1 is different from that of the terminal of the conventional example described above, and the first contact portion 13 and the second contact portion 23 are offset, the end face of the first terminal portion 11 can be used as the pressing surface 16 of the press-fitting jig. Therefore, the structure of the terminal 3 can be simplified compared to the case where a dedicated pressing surface (for example, a so-called shoulder portion) is separately provided on the terminal 3.

[0053] As described above, even when the first contact portion 13 with the mating terminal and the second contact portion 23 with the conductor patterns 42A and 42B of the circuit board 4 are in offset positions, the board-mounted connector 1 according to the present embodiment can simplify the structure of the terminals 3A and 3B and reduce the number of bending processes applied to the terminals 3A and 3B. Therefore, it is excellent in productivity.

[0054] Furthermore, the upper terminal 3A press-fitted into the upper press-fitting hole 33A is configured such that the curved portion 17 of the upper terminal 3A extends from the first terminal portion 11 of the upper terminal 3A toward one side in the arrangement direction. Conversely, the lower terminal 3B press-fitted into the lower press-fitting hole 33B is configured such that the curved portion 17 of the lower terminal 3B extends from the first terminal portion 11 of the lower terminal 3B toward the other side in the arrangement direction. Thereby, in both the upper press-fitting hole 33A and the lower press-fitting hole 33B, while arranging the first terminal portions 11 of the terminals 3A and 3B as far as possible to the outside in the arrangement direction, the second terminal portions 12 can be arranged at positions away from the protective wall portion 38. Therefore, since it is not necessary to design the protective wall portion 38 to escape to the outside in order to avoid contact with the second terminal portion 12, the size of the housing 2 in the arrangement direction can be reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, the width T3 of the curved portion 17 in the direction along the axis of the first terminal portions 11 of the terminals 3A and 3B is larger than the thickness T1 of the first terminal portions 11 and larger than the thickness T2 of the second terminal portions 12. Thereby, the rigidity of the curved portions 17 of the terminals 3A and 3B can be increased, and the shapes of the terminals 3A and 3B after bending are properly maintained. As a result, the coplanarity (flatness) of the second contact portions 23 of the plurality of terminals 3A and 3B is improved, and the reliability of the electrical connection between the circuit board 4 and the connector 1 is enhanced.

[0056] Furthermore, the second terminal portion 12 has a standing portion 18 that extends from the first terminal portion 11, passes through the curved portion 17, and extends along the crossing direction, a first portion 19 that extends in the direction along the axis from the end of the standing portion 18, and a second portion 21 that extends from the end of the first portion 19 toward the second contact portion 23. Thereby, even when the circuit board 4 is arranged at a position offset in the crossing direction from the first terminal portion 11, after reducing the number of bending times during the manufacture of the terminal 3 as described above, the terminal 3 can be connected to the conductor patterns 42A and 42B of the circuit board 4.

[0057] Further, in a state where the housing 2 of the connector 1 is arranged to be fitted into the notch 41 of the circuit board 4, the terminals 3 press-fitted into the housing 2 are connected to the conductor patterns 42A and 42B of the circuit board 4. Thereby, compared with the case where the connector 1 is placed on the board surface of the circuit board 4, the overall height of the board 7 with the connector can be reduced.

[0058] <Other embodiments> Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified, improved, etc. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, arrangement location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the width T3 of the curved portion 17 in the direction along the axis of the first terminal portion 11 of the terminals 3A and 3B is larger than the thickness T1 of the first terminal portion 11 and also larger than the thickness T2 of the second terminal portion 12. On the contrary, the width T3 of the curved portion 17 in the direction along the axis of the first terminal portion 11 of the terminals 3A and 3B may be smaller than the thickness T1 of the first terminal portion 11 or may be smaller than the thickness T2 of the second terminal portion 12.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, regarding the thickness of the plate-like body constituting the terminal 3, the thickness T2 in the second terminal portion 12 is thinner than the thickness T1 in the first terminal portion 11. On the contrary, the thickness T2 in the second terminal portion 12 and the thickness T1 in the first terminal portion 11 may be the same.

[0061] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the board-mounted connector 1 and the board 7 with the connector according to the present invention are briefly summarized and listed in [1] to [4] below, respectively. [1] A board-mounted connector (1) including a housing (2) and a plurality of terminals (3A, 3B) press-fitted into the housing (2), which is to be mounted on a circuit board (4), wherein the housing (2) is a first press-fitting hole (33A), a second press-fitting hole (33B) disposed at a position different from the first press-fitting hole (33A) in a predetermined first direction (vertical direction), and a pair of protective wall portions (38) protruding from the housing (2) so as to sandwich the first press-fitting hole (33A) and the second press-fitting hole (33B) in a second direction (left and right direction) intersecting the first direction. Each of the plurality of terminals (3A, 3B) has a first terminal portion (11) having a first contact portion (13) that will come into contact with a mating terminal and be conductively connected, and a press-fitting portion (14) press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole (33A) or the second press-fitting hole (33B). a second terminal portion (12) having a curved portion (17) extending from the first terminal portion (11) and bending around a bending axis (X) along the axis of the first terminal portion (11), and a second contact portion (23) that is offset from the first contact portion (13) in a direction intersecting the axis of the first terminal portion (11) and will be conductively connected to the conductor patterns (42A, 42B) of the circuit board (4). The terminal (3A) press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole (33A) is configured such that the curved portion (17) of the terminal (3A) extends from the first terminal portion (11) toward one side in the second direction (left and right direction). The terminal (3B) press-fitted into the second press-fitting hole (33B) is configured such that the curved portion (17) of the terminal (3B) extends from the first terminal portion (11) toward the other side in the second direction (left and right direction). The press-fitting hole closest to the protective wall portion (38) on the one side in the second direction (left and right direction) is the second press-fitting hole (33B). The press-fitting hole closest to the protective wall portion (38) on the other side in the second direction (left and right direction) is the first press-fitting hole (33A). A board-mounted connector (1). [2] In the connector (1) according to [1] above, Each of the plurality of terminals (3A, 3B) A continuous plate-like body (3g) having the first terminal portion (11) and the second terminal portion (12) has a shape curved at the curved portion (17), and the width (T3) of the curved portion (17) in the direction along the axis of the first terminal portion (11) is larger than the plate thickness (T1) of the plate-like body in the first terminal portion (11) and larger than the plate thickness (T2) of the plate-like body in the second terminal portion (12). A board-mounted connector (1). [3] In the connector (1) according to the above [1] or [2], The second terminal portion (12) of the terminal (3) is a standing portion (18) extending from the first terminal portion (11), passing through the curved portion (17) and extending along the intersecting direction, a first portion (19) extending from an end of the standing portion (18) in the direction along the axis, and a second portion (21) extending from an end of the first portion (19) toward the second contact portion (23). A board-mounted connector (1). [4] A board (7) with a connector, comprising a circuit board (4) and the connector (1) according to any one of the above [1] to [3] mounted on the circuit board (4), wherein the circuit board (4) is formed with a notch (41) in which a side edge of the circuit board (4) is recessed in a concave shape along the board surface, and the connector (1) is arranged such that the housing (2) is fitted into the notch (41) and the second terminal portion (12) of the terminal (3) is conductively connected to conductor patterns (42A, 42B) of the circuit board (4), and is mounted on the circuit board (4). A board (7) with a connector.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0062] 1 Connector 2 Housing 3A Upper terminal (terminal) 3B Lower terminal (terminal) 3G preform (plate-like body) 4 Circuit board 7 Substrate with connector 11 First terminal part 12 Second terminal part 13 First contact point 14 Press-fit projection (press-fit point) 17 Bending point 23 Second contact point 33A Upper press-fit hole (press-fit hole) 33B Lower press-fit hole (press-fit hole) 38 Protective wall part 41 Notch 42A Conductor pattern 42B Conductor pattern

Claims

1. A board-mounted connector that includes a housing and a plurality of terminals press-fitted into the housing and is to be mounted on a circuit board, wherein the housing has, a first press-fitting hole, a second press-fitting hole disposed at a position different from the first press-fitting hole in a predetermined first direction, and a pair of protective wall portions protruding from the housing so as to sandwich the first press-fitting hole and the second press-fitting hole in a second direction intersecting the first direction, each of the plurality of terminals has, a first terminal portion having a first contact portion that will come into contact with and be conductively connected to a mating terminal, and a press-fitting portion press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole or the second press-fitting hole, a second terminal portion extending from the first terminal portion and having a bent portion bent around a bending axis along the axis of the first terminal portion, and a second contact portion that is offset from the first contact portion in an intersecting direction intersecting the axis of the first terminal portion and that will be conductively connected to a conductor pattern of the circuit board, the terminal press-fitted into the first press-fitting hole is configured such that, the bent portion of the terminal extends from the first terminal portion toward one side in the second direction, and the second terminal portion including the bent portion and the second contact portion is offset to the one side in the second direction with respect to the first terminal portion, the terminal press-fitted into the second press-fitting hole is configured such that, the bent portion of the terminal extends from the first terminal portion toward the other side in the second direction, and the second terminal portion including the bent portion and the second contact portion is offset to the other side in the second direction with respect to the first terminal portion, the press-fitting hole closest to the protective wall portion on the one side in the second direction is the second press-fitting hole, the press-fitting hole closest to the protective wall portion on the other side in the second direction is the first press-fitting hole, the pair of protective wall portions protrude from the housing toward the reverse side so as to sandwich the second terminal portion of the terminal extending from the first press-fitting hole and the second press-fitting hole in the second direction, on the side opposite to the fitting progress direction of the housing in the fitting direction of the housing with the mating housing, a board-mounted connector.

2. In the connector according to claim 1, each of the plurality of terminals, A continuous plate-like body having the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion has a shape curved at the curved portion, and a width of the curved portion in a direction along the axis of the first terminal portion is larger than a thickness of the plate-like body in the first terminal portion and larger than a thickness of the plate-like body in the second terminal portion, and is configured as such. A board-mounted connector.

3. In the connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, the second terminal portion of the terminal has an erected portion that extends from the first terminal portion, passes through the curved portion, and extends along the intersecting direction, a first portion that extends in a direction along the axis from an end of the erected portion, and a second portion that extends from an end of the first portion toward the second contact portion. A board-mounted connector.

4. A board with a connector, comprising a circuit board and the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3 mounted on the circuit board, wherein the circuit board has a notch that is recessed in a concave shape along the side edge of the circuit board in a direction along the board surface, and the connector is arranged such that the housing is fitted into the notch and the second terminal portion of the terminal is conductively connected to the conductor pattern of the circuit board, and is mounted on the circuit board. A board with a connector.

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