connector

Abstract

To maintain electrically stable connection even when positional deviation of a mating connection conductor has occurred during or after connection with the mating connection conductor.SOLUTION: A connector 4 is integrally formed by a metal plate which is mounted on a circuit board 100 so as to connect a plug 102 to a conductive part 101 of the circuit board 100. The connector comprises: a frame body part 310 which has a frame-like shape; a pair of connection parts 320 which are provided extendingly from an upper end opening edge 312 toward the inside of the frame body part 310 and a lower end opening edge 311 so as to be connected to the plug 102; a pair of fixing parts 330 which are fixed and connected to the conductive part 101; a pair of buckling suppression parts 360 which are provided extendingly from the lower end opening edge 311 toward the inside of the frame body part 310 and the upper end opening edge 312 so as to cover lower ends of the pair of connection parts 320; and a pair of floating parts 340 each of which connects the lower end opening edge 311 to each of the pair of fixing parts 330, and which movably support the frame body part 310.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 25

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A conventional 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, the board-mounted connector of Patent Document 1 has contact pieces that extend inward and downward from the outside of the mating surface to form opposing contact portions, and a downwardly slanted guide portion is formed on the inner edge of the opening. The board-mounted connector of Patent Document 1 guides the inserted tab terminal by this guide portion when it is slightly misaligned, and prevents deformation of the contact pieces by abutting against 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 mating 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, resulting in an electrical disconnection between the connection portion and the connection circuit. 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 mounted on a circuit board and is integrally formed from a metal plate that connects a conductive portion of the circuit board to a mating connecting conductor, and that has: a frame-shaped frame body portion that has an upper opening, a lower opening, an upper end opening edge portion that is provided around the upper opening, and a lower end opening edge portion that is provided around the lower opening; a pair of connecting portions that extend from the upper end opening edge portion toward the inside of the frame body portion and the lower end opening edge portion and connect to the mating connecting conductor; a pair of fixing portions that are fixed to and connected to the conductive portions; a pair of buckling suppression portions that extend from the lower end opening edge portion toward the inside of the frame body portion and the upper end opening edge portion and cover lower ends of the pair of connecting portions; and a pair of floating portions that respectively connect the lower end opening edge portion and the pair of fixing portions and movably support the frame body portion. the pair of connection portions include abutment portions that abut against the mating connection conductors, the pair of buckling suppression portions include a guard portion, a window hole portion, and a bent portion, the window hole portion being provided in the guard portion and causing the abutment portions to protrude and expose, The bent portion is formed by bending the front end and the rear end of the guard portion, and surrounds the connecting portion together with the guard portion. A connector characterized by:

[0007] When the mating connecting conductor and the connection portions are connected or after they are connected, if the mating connecting conductor is misaligned relative to the connector, the pair of connection portions move to the connection position with the mating connecting conductor, and the pair of floating portions elastically deform following the movement of the pair of connection portions, and the frame body portion moves to the connection position of the mating connecting conductor relative to the connection portions, thereby maintaining the connection state between the pair of connection portions and the mating connecting conductor that would be the case if the mating connecting conductor were not misaligned relative to the connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even if the mating connecting conductor is misaligned during or after connection with the mating connecting conductor, a stable electrical connection can be maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 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. [Figure 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 the 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 CC line in FIG. 9 of a state in which the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board and a mating connection conductor is connected in a normal position. [Figure 13] 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC line in FIG. 9 of a state in which the connector according to the first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a circuit board and a mating connection conductor is connected with its position shifted. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a side view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a front view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 22 taken along line E-E. [Figure 24] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a front view of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 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] 28 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 27 . [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from above. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from below. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a front view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 33] FIG. 10 is a side view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 35] 35 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 34 . [Figure 36] 35 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 34 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A connector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis form a three-axis Cartesian coordinate system, with the positive y-axis direction representing the forward direction, the negative y-axis direction representing the backward direction, the positive x-axis direction representing the leftward direction, the negative x-axis direction representing the rightward direction, the positive z-axis direction representing the upward direction, and the negative z-axis direction representing the downward direction.

[0011] (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.

[0012] The connector 1 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 with the plug 102 serving as a mating connecting conductor. Specifically, the connector 1 has a frame portion 10, a connecting portion 20, a fixed portion 30, a floating portion 40, and a restricting portion 50.

[0013] The frame body 10 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 10 includes a lower opening edge 11 provided around a lower opening 13, an upper opening edge 12 provided around an upper opening 14, the lower opening 13, the upper opening 14, a notch 15 cut out upward between the connection portion 20 and the floating portion 40, a pair of side walls 16 that are first side walls facing each other, and a pair of side walls 17 that are second side walls adjacent to the side walls 16 and facing each other.

[0014] 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, forming a U-shape 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 when not connected to the plug 102, there is a gap between the connection part 20 and the frame body part 10.

[0015] The connecting portion 20 is composed of a pair of connecting portions 20a and 20b facing each other. The connecting portions 20a and 20b have a groove 22 recessed below the upper end 21 in the center of the opposing surfaces in the front-to-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, on the opposing surfaces. The connecting portions 20a and 20b have abutting portions 23 that protrude inward so as to be close to each other inside the frame body 10 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutting portions 23 of the connecting portions 20a and 20b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. The opposing direction of the pair of connecting portions 20a and 20b is the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the opposing direction of the pair of side wall portions 16.

[0016] 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 the fixing and connection is by reflow soldering, and the fixing and connection may be by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0017] 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.

[0018] The floating section 40 connects the frame body section 10 and the fixed section 30, and is U-shaped when viewed from the front. The floating section 40 supports the frame body section 10 so that it can move along the mounting surface 100a by elastically deforming. Here, being movable along the mounting surface 100a not only means being movable in the front-rear and left-right directions parallel to the mounting surface 100a, but also includes being movable in directions intersecting the mounting surface 100a.

[0019] 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 connecting portion 20a, and connect the bottom opening edge 11 of the frame body portion 10 to the fixed portion 30a, respectively. The floating portions 40b are provided in pairs at the front and rear of the connecting portion 20b, and connect the bottom opening edge 11 of the frame body portion 10 to the fixed portion 30b, respectively.

[0020] The restricting portions 50 are provided on the frame body portion 10, and have a distance H1 (see FIG. 10 ) between them 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 portions 50 come 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 on the circuit board 100. The restricting portions 50 are 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.

[0021] 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 opening edge 11 of the frame body 10 forward at approximately 90 degrees. The restricting portions 50b are provided as a 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 opening edge 11 of the frame body 10 rearward at approximately 90 degrees.

[0022] In the connector 1 having the above configuration, the length L1 between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating portion 40 is longer than the length L2 between the lower end opening edge 11 and the lower end 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 backward 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).

[0023] Also, the connector 1 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, whereby it has a seam 1a.

[0024] <Method of Mounting the Connector to the Circuit Board> A method of mounting the connector 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention to the circuit board 100 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.

[0025] The circuit board 100 has a conductive portion 101 of a circuit pattern around the insertion hole 100b on the mounting surface 100a.

[0026] First, the circuit board 100 is inverted up and down so that the mounting surface 100a faces upward, and the connector 1 is inverted up and down so that the upper end opening edge 12 of the frame portion 10 faces downward.

[0027] 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 through the insertion hole 100b until the fixing portion 30 abuts against the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100.

[0028] 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 fixing.

[0029] 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 part of the abutting portion 23 of the connecting portion 20 and the floating portion 40 are located below the mounting surface 100a. The frame portion 10 is located within the insertion hole 100b and has a gap between it and the front, rear, left, and right inner walls 100c that form the insertion hole 100b of the circuit board 100, allowing it to move back and forth and left and right within the insertion hole 100b.

[0030] By mounting the connector 1 on the mounting surface 100a while the connector 1 is inserted into the insertion hole 100b, the connector 1 and the entire circuit board 100 can be made low-profile.

[0031] Furthermore, by providing the fixing portion 30 above the restricting portion 50, the fixing portion 30 is located closer to the tip (upper side) than the restricting portion 50 in the upward direction, which is the mounting direction when the connector 1 is not inverted upside down, and therefore there is a gap between the restricting portion 50 and the mounting surface 100a when the connector 1 is mounted on 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, allowing the fixing portion 30 to be reliably connected to the conductive portion 101.

[0032] The number of connectors 1 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, but can be any number as needed. 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.

[0033] <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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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 outward to the left and right.

[0036] 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 abuts against 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.

[0037] 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 width of the regulating portion 50 in the left-right direction can be increased, and the contact area with the mounting surface 100a can be increased, thereby reliably restricting the movement of the connector 1 and the frame body portion 10.

[0038] Next, the connecting portion 20 connects to the plug 102 by sandwiching the plug 102 from the left and right using its own elastic restoring force.

[0039] At this time, if the plug 102 is misaligned, the connection portion 20 elastically deforms, and the elastic deformation of the connection portion 20 causes the frame portion 10 to elastically deform, and the connection portion 20 presses the side wall portion 16 from the inside, causing the frame portion 10 to elastically deform, thereby applying a load to the floating portion 40 via the connection portion 20 and the frame portion 10. The floating portion 40 elastically deforms when the load is applied, and moves the frame portion 10 in the direction in which the load is applied. Furthermore, as the frame portion 10 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, the connection portion 20 can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 that would be the case if the plug 102 were not misaligned with respect to the connector 1, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0040] 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 or left-right direction from the position where 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. Also, 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.

[0041] For example, as shown in FIG. 13 , when plug 102 is connected to connection portion 20 while tilted to the right relative to the vertical direction, connection portion 20b is pressed diagonally downward to the right by plug 102, elastically deforming and pressing frame body portion 10 diagonally downward to the right from the inside. When frame body portion 10 is pressed diagonally downward to the right, a load is applied to floating portion 40, causing it to elastically deform and move frame body portion 10 in the diagonal direction downward to the right, which is the pressing direction of connection portion 20b. Furthermore, when frame body portion 10 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, connection portion 20 can prevent excessive load from being applied to connection portion 20b and a reduction in contact pressure between plug 102 and connection portion 20a. This allows connection state with plug 102 to be maintained when plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to connector 1, thereby enabling stable connection with plug 102.

[0042] By extending floating portion 40 from side wall portions 16 that face each other in the opposing direction of connecting portion 20a and connecting portion 20b, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 40 to follow elastic deformation of connecting portion 20 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102. Furthermore, by extending floating portion 40 from side wall portion 16 that is pressed by connecting portion 20, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 40 to follow elastic deformation of floating portion 40 that occurs due to the pressing force applied from connecting portion 20 to side wall portion 16 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102.

[0043] In the above operation, by making the length L1 between the lower opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating part 40 longer than the length L2 between the lower 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 a notch 15 between the connecting part 20 and the floating part 40, the floating part 40 can be elastically deformed more easily.

[0044] Furthermore, by making the length L2 between the lower opening edge 11 and the lower end of the connecting portion 20 shorter than the length L1 between the lower opening edge 11 and the lower end of the floating portion 40, the connection stability of the connecting portion 20 can be improved. Furthermore, by making the length L3 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 40 shorter than the length L4 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 20, the floating portion 40 can be elastically deformed more easily than the connecting portion 20. Furthermore, by making the length L4 in the plate width direction of the connecting portion 20 longer than the length L3 in the plate width direction of the floating portion 40, the connection stability of the connecting portion 20 can be improved.

[0045] Furthermore, by positioning the connecting portion 20 below the abutment portion 23 and the floating portion 40 below the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the connecting portion 20 and the floating portion 40 can elastically deform without interfering with the circuit board 100.

[0046] Furthermore, by positioning the upper end 21 of the connection portion 20 below the upper end opening edge portion 12, the connection portion 20 can be protected by the frame portion 10, thereby preventing deformation of the connection portion 20.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] To release the connection between the connector 1 and the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled downward. This causes the floating part 40 to return to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and the frame part 10 also returns to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0050] Thus, according to this embodiment, the connector 1, which is mounted on the circuit board 100 and integrally formed from 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 opening edge portion 11 of the frame body portion 10 toward the inside of the frame body portion 10 and the upper 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 to and connected to the conductive portion 101, and a pair of floating portions 40 that respectively connect the lower opening edge portion 11 and the pair of fixing portions 30 and support the frame body portion 10 movably, so that a stable electrical connection can be maintained even if the position of the plug 102 shifts during or after connection with the plug 102.

[0051] 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 this. 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.

[0052] 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 location other than the lower opening edge portion 11 by cutting and raising a part of the frame body portion 10, for example.

[0053] Furthermore, 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 this, 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.

[0054] Furthermore, 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 connection conductor other than the plug 102.

[0055] (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.

[0056] 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 connecting portion 120, a fixed portion 130, a floating portion 140, and a restricting portion 150.

[0057] The frame body 110 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 110 includes a lower opening edge 111 provided around a lower opening 113, an upper 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 adjacent to the side walls 116 and facing each other as second side walls.

[0058] The connection part 120 extends from the lower opening edge 111 of the frame body part 110 toward the inside of the frame body 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 below the upper opening edge 112 of the frame body part 110. The connection part 120 connects to the plug 102, and when not connected to the plug 102, there is a gap between the connection part 120 and the frame body part 110.

[0059] The connecting portion 120 is composed of a pair of connecting portions 120a and 120b facing each other. The connecting portions 120a and 120b have grooves 122 recessed below the upper opening edge 112 in the center of the opposing surfaces in the front-to-rear direction, which is the plate width direction. The connecting portions 120a and 120b have abutting portions 123 that protrude inward so as to be close to each other inside the frame portion 110 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutting portions 123 of the connecting portions 120a and 120b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. The pair of connecting portions 120a and 120b faces each other in the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the facing direction of the pair of side wall portions 116.

[0060] 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 the fixing and connection is by reflow soldering, and the fixing and connection may be by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0061] The fixed portion 130 is made up 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.

[0062] The floating portion 140 connects the frame body 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 body portion 110 so that the frame body portion 110 can move along the mounting surface 100a.

[0063] The floating portion 140 is composed of a pair of floating portions 140a and 140b. A pair of floating portions 140a is provided in front of and behind the connecting portion 120a, and connects the lower opening edge 111 of the frame body portion 110 to the fixed portion 130a. A pair of floating portions 140b is provided in front of and behind the connecting portion 120b, and connects the lower opening edge 111 of the frame body portion 110 to the fixed portion 130b.

[0064] The restricting part 150 is provided on the frame part 110 and has a gap H2 (see FIG. 16) from the mounting surface 100a when the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 and the plug 102 is not connected to the connection part 120. When the frame part 110 moves downward, the restricting part 150 abuts against the circuit board 100 to restrict the downward movement of the frame part 110 in the mounting direction of the connector 2 with respect to the circuit board 100. The restricting part 150 is provided on a pair of opposed side wall parts 117 different from a pair of opposed side wall parts 116 on which the connection part 120 and the floating part 140 of the rectangular frame part 110 are provided.

[0065] The restricting part 150 is composed of a pair of restricting parts 150a and 150b. The restricting part 150a extends downward from the lower end opening edge part 111 of the frame part 11, and the tip part in the extending direction is bent forward by approximately 90 degrees. The restricting part 150b is provided in a pair sandwiching the joint 2a of the metal plate when forming the connector 2 by bending the metal plate, extends downward from the lower end opening edge part 111 of the frame part 110, and the tip part in the extending direction is bent backward by approximately 90 degrees.

[0066] In the connector 2 having the above configuration, the length L13 in the plate width direction of the floating part 140 is shorter than the length L14 in the plate width direction of the connection part 120 (L13 < L14). Also, the length L14 in the plate width direction of the connection part 120 is longer than the length L15 in the plate width direction of the fixing part 130 (L14 > L15). Further, the fixing part 130 projects forward from the front end of the floating part 140 or projects backward from the rear end, so that the length L15 in the plate width direction of the fixing part 130 is longer than the length L13 in the plate width direction of the floating part 140 (L13 < L15).

[0067] Also, the connector 2 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, thereby having a joint 2a.

[0068] <Method for Mounting the Connector on the 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.

[0069] 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 .

[0070] Next, the connector 2 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portions 130 to the conductive portions 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering to connect and fix them. Note that the circuit board 100 has insertion holes 100b (not shown) formed below the pair of connecting portions 120.

[0071] By providing the fixing portion 130 below the restricting portion 150, the fixing portion 130 is positioned closer to the tip (lower) than the restricting portion 150 in the downward mounting direction, and therefore there is a gap 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, ensuring reliable connection of the fixing portion 130 to the conductive portion 101.

[0072] The number of connectors 2 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, but can be any number as needed. 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, it is possible to stabilize the connection between each connection portion 120 and each plug 102.

[0073] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0074] 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 through the insertion hole 100b into the lower opening 113 of the frame portion 110 of the connector 2 mounted on the circuit board 100.

[0075] Next, the contact portion 123 of the connection portion 120 comes into contact with the plug 102 inserted into the lower opening 113 of the frame portion 110 from below, and is elastically deformed outward to the left and right.

[0076] 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.

[0077] At this time, if the plug 102 is misaligned, the connecting portion 120 elastically deforms, and the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 120 causes the frame body portion 110 to elastically deform, and the connecting portion 120 presses the side wall portion 116 from the inside, causing the frame body portion 110 to elastically deform, thereby applying a load to the floating portion 140 via the connecting 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. Furthermore, as the frame body portion 110 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, the connecting portion 120 can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 that would be the case if the plug 102 were not misaligned with respect to the connector 2, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0078] For example, when plug 102 is connected to connecting portion 120 while tilted to the right relative to the vertical direction, connecting portion 120b is pressed diagonally downward to the right by plug 102, elastically deforming and pressing frame body portion 110 diagonally downward to the right from the inside. When frame body portion 110 is pressed diagonally downward to the right, a load is applied to floating portion 140, causing it to elastically deform and move frame body portion 110 in the diagonal direction downward to the right, which is the pressing direction of connecting portion 120b. Furthermore, when frame body portion 110 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, connecting portion 120 can prevent excessive load from being applied to connecting portion 120b and a reduction in contact pressure between plug 102 and connecting portion 120a. This allows the connecting state with plug 102 to be maintained when plug 102 is not misaligned with connector 2, thereby enabling stable connection with plug 102.

[0079] 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 the elastic deformation of connecting portion 120 that occurs due to misalignment 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 the elastic deformation of floating portion 140 that occurs due to the pressing force applied from connecting portion 120 to side wall portion 116 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102.

[0080] In the above operation, by making the length L13 of floating portion 140 in the plate width direction shorter than the length L14 of connecting portion 120 in the plate width direction, floating portion 140 can be elastically deformed more easily than connecting portion 120. Furthermore, by making the length L14 of connecting portion 120 in the plate width direction longer than the length L13 of floating portion 140 in the plate width direction, the connection stability of connecting portion 120 can be improved.

[0081] Furthermore, by positioning the upper end 121 of the connection part 120 below the upper opening edge 112, the connection part 120 can be protected by the frame part 110, and therefore deformation of the connection part 120 can be prevented.

[0082] 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.

[0083] 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.

[0084] To release the connection between the connector 2 and the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled downward. This causes the floating portion 140 to return to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and the frame portion 110 also returns to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0085] 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 abuts against 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.

[0086] 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 floating portion 140 of the rectangular frame body portion 110 are provided, the width of the regulating portion 150 in the left-right direction 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.

[0087] Thus, according to this embodiment, by having a pair of connection portions 120 that extend from the lower end opening edge portion 111 of the frame body portion 110 toward the inside of the frame body portion 110 and the upper end 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 end opening edge portion 111 and the pair of fixing portions 130 and movably support the frame body portion 110, it is possible to maintain a stable electrical connection even if the position of the plug 102 shifts during or after connection with the plug 102.

[0088] 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 this. 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.

[0089] Furthermore, 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 connection conductor other than the plug 102.

[0090] (Third embodiment) The configuration of a connector 3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0091] 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 connecting portion 220, a fixed portion 230, a floating portion 240, and a restricting portion 250.

[0092] The frame body 210 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 210 includes a lower opening edge 211 provided around a lower opening 213, an upper 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 adjacent to the side walls 216 and that are second side walls facing each other.

[0093] The connecting portion 220 extends from the lower opening edge 211 of the frame body portion 210 toward the inside of the frame body portion 210 and toward the upper opening edge 212. The connecting portion 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 221 of the connecting portion 220 is located below the upper opening edge 212 of the frame body portion 210. The connecting portion 220 connects to the plug 102, and has a gap between it and the frame body portion 210 when not connected to the plug 102.

[0094] The connecting portion 220 is composed of a pair of connecting portions 220a and 220b facing each other. The connecting portions 220a and 220b have grooves 222 recessed below the upper end portions 221 in the center of the opposing surfaces in the front-to-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, on the opposing surfaces. The connecting portions 220a and 220b have abutting portions 223 that protrude inward so as to be close to each other inside the frame body portion 210 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutting portions 223 of the connecting portions 220a and 220b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. The opposing direction of the pair of connecting portions 220a and 220b is the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the opposing direction of the pair of side wall portions 216.

[0095] 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 the fixing and connection is by reflow soldering, and the fixing and connection may be by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0096] The fixed portion 230 is made up 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.

[0097] Floating portion 240 connects frame body portion 210 and fixed portion 230. Floating portion 240 is crank-shaped and includes an inwardly hanging portion 241 extending downward from lower end opening edge portion 211, a bent portion 242 bent outward from the lower end of inwardly hanging portion 241, and an outwardly 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 so that it can move along mounting surface 100a.

[0098] The floating portion 240 is composed of a pair of floating portions 240a and 240b. A pair of floating portions 240a is provided in front of and behind the connecting portion 220a, and connects the lower opening edge 211 of the frame body portion 210 to the fixed portion 230a. A pair of floating portions 240b is provided in front of and behind the connecting portion 220b, and connects the lower opening edge 211 of the frame body portion 210 to the fixed portion 230b.

[0099] 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 connecting part 220. When the frame part 210 moves downward, the restricting part 250 abuts against the circuit board 100 to restrict the downward movement of the frame part 210 in the mounting direction of the connector 3 with respect to the circuit board 100. 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 connecting part 220 and the floating part 240 of the rectangular frame part 210 are provided.

[0100] 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 is formed by bending the tip part in the extending direction forward by approximately 90 degrees. The restricting part 250b is provided in a pair sandwiching the joint 3a of the metal plate when forming the connector 3 by bending the metal plate, extends downward from the lower end opening edge part 211 of the frame part 210, and is formed by bending the tip part in the extending direction backward by approximately 90 degrees.

[0101] <* 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 connecting part 220 (L23 < L24). Also, the length L24 in the plate width direction of the connecting part 220 is longer than the length L25 in the plate width direction of the fixing part 230 (L24 > L25). Furthermore, the fixing part 230 protrudes forward from the front end of the floating part 240 or 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).

[0102] Also, the connector 3 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, thereby having a joint 3a.

[0103] <Method for Mounting Connector on 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.

[0104] 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 .

[0105] Next, the connector 3 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portions 230 to the conductive portions 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering to connect and fix them. Note that the circuit board 100 has insertion holes 100b (not shown) formed below the pair of connecting portions 220.

[0106] By providing fixing portion 230 below restricting portion 250, fixing portion 230 is positioned closer to the tip (lower) of restricting portion 250 in the downward mounting direction, and therefore there is a gap between restricting portion 250 and mounting surface 100a when connector 3 is mounted on mounting surface 100a. This prevents restricting portion 250 from abutting against mounting surface 100a before fixing portion 230 abuts against conductive portion 101, allowing fixing portion 230 to be reliably connected to conductive portion 101.

[0107] The number of connectors 3 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, but can be any number as needed. 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, it is possible to stabilize the connection between each connection portion 220 and each plug 102.

[0108] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 3 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0109] 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.

[0110] 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 is elastically deformed outward to the left and right.

[0111] Next, the connecting portion 220 connects to the plug 102 by sandwiching the plug 102 from the left and right using its own elastic restoring force.

[0112] At this time, if the plug 102 is misaligned, the connecting portion 220 elastically deforms, and the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 220 causes the frame body portion 210 to elastically deform, and the connecting portion 220 presses the side wall portion 216 from the inside, causing the frame body portion 210 to elastically deform, thereby applying a load to the floating portion 240 via the connecting 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. Furthermore, as the frame body portion 210 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, the connecting portion 220 can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 that would be the case if the plug 102 were not misaligned with respect to the connector 3, and can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0113] For example, when the plug 102 is connected to the connecting portion 220 while tilted to the right relative to the up-down direction, the connecting portion 220b is pressed diagonally downward to the right by the plug 102, elastically deforming and pressing the frame body portion 210 in the diagonal downward to the right from the inside. When the frame body portion 210 is pressed diagonally downward to the right, the floating portion 240 is elastically deformed by the load applied thereto, and moves the frame body portion 210 in the diagonal downward to the right, which is the pressing direction of the connecting portion 220b. Furthermore, when the frame body portion 210 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, the connecting portion 220 can prevent an excessive load from being applied to the connecting portion 220b and a reduction in the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connecting portion 220a. This allows the connecting portion 220 to maintain a connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with respect to the connector 3, thereby enabling a stable connection with the plug 102.

[0114] 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 the elastic deformation of connecting portion 220 that occurs due to misalignment 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 the elastic deformation of floating portion 240 that occurs due to the pressing force applied from connecting portion 220 to side wall portion 216 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102.

[0115] In the above operation, by making the length L23 of floating portion 240 in the plate width direction shorter than the length L24 of connecting portion 220 in the plate width direction, floating portion 240 can be elastically deformed more easily than connecting portion 220. Furthermore, by making the length L24 of connecting portion 220 in the plate width direction longer than the length L23 of floating portion 240 in the plate width direction, the connection stability of connecting portion 220 can be improved.

[0116] Furthermore, by forming the floating portion 240 in a crank shape, the floating portion 240 can be easily elastically deformed.

[0117] 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.

[0118] 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.

[0119] 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.

[0120] To release the connection between the connector 3 and the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled downward. This causes the floating portion 240 to return to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and the frame portion 210 also returns to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0121] 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 abuts against 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.

[0122] Furthermore, by providing the restricting portion 250 on a side wall portion 217 different from the side wall portion 216 on which the connecting portion 220 and floating portion 240 of the rectangular frame body portion 210 are provided, the width of the restricting portion 250 in the left-right direction 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.

[0123] Thus, according to this embodiment, there are provided a pair of connection 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 to 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 connection portions 220. As a result, even if the position of the plug 102 shifts during or after connection with the plug 102, a stable electrical connection can be maintained.

[0124] In this embodiment, the connecting 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 this. The floating portion 240 and the regulating portion 250 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 210, and the connecting portion 220 may be provided on a different side, or the connecting 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.

[0125] Furthermore, 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 connection conductor other than the plug 102.

[0126] (Fourth embodiment) <Connector configuration> The configuration of a connector 4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0127] Connector 4 according to this embodiment is integrally formed from a metal plate and is mounted on mounting surface 100a of circuit board 100 to connect conductive portion 101 of circuit board 100 with plug 102, which serves as a mating connecting conductor. Specifically, connector 4 has frame portion 310, connecting portion 320, fixed portion 330, floating portion 340, restricting portion 350, and buckling suppressing portion 360.

[0128] The frame body 310 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from above. The frame body 310 includes a lower opening edge 311 provided around a lower opening 313, an upper 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 adjacent to the side walls 316 and that are second side walls facing each other.

[0129] The connecting portion 320 extends from the upper opening edge 312 of the frame body 310 toward the inside of the frame body 310 and toward the lower opening edge 311. The connecting portion 320 extends upward from the upper opening edge 312 and is bent downward, forming an inverted U-shape when viewed from the front. An upper end 321 of the connecting portion 320 is located below the upper opening edge 312 of the frame body 310. The connecting portion 320 connects to the plug 102.

[0130] 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 inward so as to be close to each other inside the frame 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. The pair of connecting portions 320a and 320b faces each other in the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the facing direction of the pair of side wall portions 316.

[0131] 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 the fixing and connection is by reflow soldering, and the fixing and connection may be by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0132] 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.

[0133] The floating portion 340 connects the frame body 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 body portion 310 so that the frame body portion 310 can move along the mounting surface 100a.

[0134] 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 connecting portion 320a, and connect the bottom opening edge 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 connecting portion 320b, and connect the bottom opening edge 311 of the frame body portion 310 to the fixed portion 330b.

[0135] The restricting portions 350 are provided on the frame body portion 310, and have a distance H4 (see FIG. 16 ) between them 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 portions 350 come into contact with the circuit board 100 when the frame body portion 310 moves downward, thereby restricting downward movement of the frame body portion 310, which is the mounting direction of the connector 4 on the circuit board 100. The restricting portions 350 are provided on a pair of opposing side wall portions 317 that are different from a pair of opposing side wall portions 316 on which the connecting portion 320 and the floating portion 340 of the rectangular frame body portion 310 are provided.

[0136] The restricting portion 350 is composed of a pair of restricting portions 350a and 350b. The restricting portion 350a extends downward from the lower opening edge 311 of the frame body 310, and is formed by bending its tip end in the extending direction forward approximately 90 degrees. 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 are extended downward from the lower opening edge 311 of the frame body 310, and are formed by bending its tip end in the extending direction backward approximately 90 degrees.

[0137] The buckling suppression portion 360 is U-shaped when viewed from the front, and extends from the lower opening edge 311 of the frame body portion 310 toward the inside of the frame body portion 310 and toward the upper 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.

[0138] The wall portion 361 extends downward from the lower end opening edge portion 311 of the frame body portion 310.

[0139] 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.

[0140] Guard portion 363 is provided above the upper end of folded portion 362. Guard portion 363 faces connecting portion 320 and abuts against connecting portion 320 to suppress the biasing force in the opposing direction between connecting portions 320a and 320b.

[0141] The guard portion 363 of the buckling restraint portion 360a covers the right side of the lower end portion of the connecting portion 320a, and the guard portion 363 of the buckling restraint portion 360b covers the left side of the lower end portion of the connecting portion 320b.

[0142] The window hole 364 is a through-hole that is provided in the guard portion 363 and penetrates the guard portion 363 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.

[0143] The bent portions 365 are formed by bending the front and rear ends of the guard portion 363 outward at approximately 90 degrees to the left and right, and surround the connection portion 320 together with the guard portion 363 .

[0144] The bent portions 365 of the buckling restraint portion 360a cover the front and rear of the lower end portion of the connecting portion 320a, and the bent portions 365 of the buckling restraint portion 360b cover the front and rear of the lower end portion of the connecting portion 320b.

[0145] The connector 4 having the above-described configuration is formed by punching out a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, thereby forming a seam 4a.

[0146] <Method of mounting 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.

[0147] 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 .

[0148] Next, the connector 4 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100 by soldering the fixing portions 330 to the conductive portions 101 of the circuit board 100 by reflow soldering to connect and fix them. Note that insertion holes 100b (not shown) are formed in the circuit board 100 below the pair of connecting portions 320.

[0149] By providing the fixing portion 330 below the restricting portion 350, the fixing portion 330 is positioned further forward (lower) than the restricting portion 350 in the downward mounting direction, and therefore there is a gap 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 coming into contact with the mounting surface 100a before the fixing portion 330 comes into contact with the conductive portion 101, ensuring reliable connection of the fixing portion 330 to the conductive portion 101.

[0150] The number of connectors 4 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, but can be any number as needed. 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, it is possible to stabilize the connection between each connection portion 320 and each plug 102.

[0151] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 4 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0152] 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.

[0153] Next, contact portion 323 of connecting portion 320 comes into contact with plug 102 inserted from below into lower opening 313 of frame body portion 310, and elastically deforms outward to the left and right. At this time, the lower end of connecting portion 320 is covered by guard portion 363 of buckling suppression portion 360, and therefore, can be prevented from buckling by plug 102.

[0154] 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.

[0155] At this time, if the plug 102 is misaligned, the connecting portion 320 elastically deforms, and the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 320 elastically deforms the frame body portion 310. Furthermore, the connecting portion 320 presses the side wall portion 316 from the inside, elastically deforming the frame body portion 310, and a load is applied to the floating portion 340 via the connecting portion 320, the buckling suppression portion 360, and the frame body portion 310. The floating portion 340 elastically deforms in response to the load, causing the frame body portion 310 to move in the direction in which the load is applied. Furthermore, the movement of the frame body portion 310 in the direction in which the load is applied allows the connecting portion 320 to maintain the connection state with the plug 102 that would be the case if the plug 102 were not misaligned with respect to the connector 4, thereby enabling a stable connection with the plug 102.

[0156] 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 a diagonal direction to the lower right by plug 102, causing buckling suppression portion 360 to elastically deform, causing bending 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 causing frame body portion 310 to move in the diagonal direction to the lower right, which is the pressing direction by bending portion 365. Furthermore, by moving the frame body portion 310 in the direction in which the load is applied, the connection portion 320 can prevent excessive load from being applied to the connection portion 320b and reduce the contact pressure between the plug 102 and the connection portion 320a, and can maintain the connection state with the plug 102 when the plug 102 is not misaligned with the connector 4, thereby enabling a stable connection with the plug 102.

[0157] 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 the elastic deformation of connecting portion 320 that occurs due to 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 the elastic deformation of floating portion 340 that occurs due to the pressing force applied from connecting portion 320 to side wall portion 316 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102.

[0158] In the above operation, since the lower end of the connection part 320 is covered by the guard part 363, buckling and deformation of the connection part 320 when the connection part 320 and the plug 102 are connected can be prevented.

[0159] 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 body portion 310, but also when the connecting portion 320 does not press the frame body portion 310. This allows the frame body portion 310 to perform the same operation as described above, and the connecting portion 320 can be stably connected to the plug 102.

[0160] 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.

[0161] To release the connection between the connector 4 and the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled downward. This causes the floating portion 340 to return to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and the frame portion 310 also returns to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0162] At this time, when the connecting portion 320 is pulled downward by the plug 102, causing the frame portion 310 to move downward following the connecting portion 320, the restricting portion 350 abuts against 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.

[0163] Furthermore, by providing the restricting portion 350 on a side wall portion 317 different from the side wall portion 316 on which the connecting portion 320 and the floating portion 340 of the rectangular frame body portion 310 are provided, the width of the restricting portion 350 in the left-right direction 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.

[0164] As described above, according to this embodiment, the frame body 310 has a pair of connecting portions 320 that extend from the upper opening edge 312 of the frame body 310 toward the inside of the frame body 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 310 into the frame body 310 and cover the tip ends 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 310. As a result, a stable electrical connection can be maintained even if the plug 102 is misaligned during or after connection with the plug 102.

[0165] In this embodiment, the connecting portion 320 and the floating portion 340 are provided on the same side of the rectangular frame body portion 310, and the restricting portion 350 is provided on a different side, but this is not limited to this. The floating portion 340 and the restricting portion 350 may be provided on the same side of the frame body portion 310, and the connecting portion 320 may be provided on a different side, or the connecting portion 320 and the restricting 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.

[0166] Furthermore, 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.

[0167] (Fifth embodiment) <Connector configuration> The configuration of a connector 5 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0168] 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 fixed portion 430, a floating portion 440, and a restricting portion 450.

[0169] The frame body 410 is frame-shaped and rectangular when viewed from below. The frame body 410 includes a lower opening edge 411 provided around a lower opening 413, an upper 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 adjacent to the side walls 416 and face each other as second side walls. The side walls 416 include a receiving portion 4161 against which the elastically deformable connecting portion 420 can directly press from the inside. A recessed groove 4162 is formed in the receiving portion 4161 by bead processing, facing inward along the vertical direction.

[0170] The connection part 420 extends from the lower opening edge 411 of the frame body part 410 toward the inside of the frame body 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 body part 410. The connection part 420 connects to the plug 102, and when not connected to the plug 102, there is a gap between the connection part 420 and the frame body part 410.

[0171] The connecting portion 420 is composed of a pair of connecting portions 420a and 420b facing each other. The connecting portions 420a and 420b have grooves 422 recessed below the upper end portions 421 in the center of the opposing surfaces in the front-to-rear direction, which is the plate width direction, on the opposing surfaces. The connecting portions 420a and 420b have abutting portions 423 that protrude inward so as to be close to each other inside the frame body portion 410 and abut against the plug 102. The distance between the abutting portions 423 of the connecting portions 420a and 420b is smaller than the diameter of the plug 102. The opposing direction of the pair of connecting portions 420a and 420b is the left-right direction, which is the same direction as the opposing direction of the pair of side wall portions 416.

[0172] 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 the fixing and connection is by reflow soldering, and the fixing and connection may be by a method other than reflow soldering, such as flow soldering.

[0173] The fixed portion 430 is made up 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.

[0174] The floating portion 440 connects the frame body portion 410 and the fixed portion 430. The floating portion 440 extends forward or rearward 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 so that it can move along the mounting surface 100a.

[0175] 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.

[0176] The restricting part 450 is provided on the frame body part 410, and has a gap 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 connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a of the circuit board 100, the restricting part 450 abuts against the circuit board 100 when the frame body part 410 moves upward, thereby restricting the upward movement of the frame body part 410 in the mounting direction of the connector 5 with respect to the circuit board 100. The restricting part 450 is provided on a pair of opposing side wall parts 417 that are different from a 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.

[0177] The restricting part 450 is composed of a pair of restricting parts 450a and 450b. The restricting part 450a is formed by bending forward by approximately 90 degrees 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 bending backward by approximately 90 degrees from the lower end opening edge part 411 of the frame body part 410.

[0178] 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). Also, 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).

[0179] The connector 5 is formed by punching a metal plate and then bending it using a jig, thereby forming a seam 5a.

[0180] <Method of mounting 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.

[0181] The circuit board 100 has a conductive portion 101 of a circuit pattern around the insertion hole 100b on the mounting surface 100a.

[0182] First, the circuit board 100 is turned upside down so that the mounting surface 100a faces upward, and the connector 5 is turned upside down so that the upper opening edge 412 of the frame portion 10 faces downward.

[0183] Next, the upside-down connector 5 is mounted from above on the mounting surface 100a of the upside-down circuit board 100 so that the fixing portion 430 abuts against the conductive portion 101 of the circuit board 100.

[0184] 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 inspected through the notch 431, thereby reducing soldering defects. Note that the circuit board 100 has insertion holes 100b (not shown) formed below the pair of connecting portions 420.

[0185] 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 positions.

[0186] By providing the fixing portion 430 above the restricting portion 450, the fixing portion 430 is located closer to the tip (upper side) than the restricting portion 450 in the upward direction, which is the mounting direction when the connector 5 is not inverted upside down, and therefore there is a gap H5 between the restricting portion 450 and the mounting surface 100a when the connector 5 is mounted on the mounting surface 100a. This prevents the restricting portion 450 from coming into contact with the mounting surface 100a before the fixing portion 430 comes into contact with the conductive portion 101, and allows the fixing portion 430 to be reliably connected to the conductive portion 101.

[0187] 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.

[0188] Furthermore, by bending the floating portion 440 in a zigzag or S-shape on the same plane as the side wall portion 416 of the frame body portion 410, the connector 5 can be made low-profile while maintaining the desired amount of elastic deformation of the floating portion 440.

[0189] The number of connectors 5 mounted on the circuit board 100 is not limited to one, but can be any number as needed. 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, it is possible to stabilize the connection between each connection portion 420 and each plug 102.

[0190] <Connector operation> The operation of the connector 5 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

[0191] 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.

[0192] Next, the contact portion 423 of the connecting portion 420 comes into contact with the plug 102 inserted into the lower opening 413 from below, and is elastically deformed outward to the left and right.

[0193] At this time, when the connecting portion 420 is pulled upward by the plug 102 and the frame portion 410 attempts to move upward following the connecting 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.

[0194] Furthermore, by providing the restricting portion 450 on the side wall portion 417, which is different from the side wall portion 416 on which the connecting portion 420 and the floating portion 440 of the rectangular frame body portion 410 are provided, the width of the restricting portion 450 in the left-right direction can be increased, and the contact area with the mounting surface 100a can be increased, thereby reliably restricting the movement of the connector 5 and the frame body portion 410.

[0195] 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.

[0196] At this time, if plug 102 is misaligned, connecting portion 420 elastically deforms, and the elastic deformation of connecting portion 420 causes frame body portion 410 to elastically deform, and connecting portion 420 presses side wall portion 416 from the inside, causing frame body portion 410 to elastically deform, thereby applying a load to floating portion 440 via connecting portion 420 and frame body portion 410. Floating portion 440 elastically deforms when the load is applied, causing frame body portion 410 to move in the direction in which the load is applied. Furthermore, frame body portion 410 moves in the direction in which the load is applied, so that connecting portion 420 can maintain the connection state with plug 102 that would be the case if plug 102 were not misaligned with respect to connector 5, and can be stably connected to plug 102.

[0197] Here, a state in which plug 102 is misaligned includes a state in which plug 102 is misaligned in a direction parallel to the front-rear or left-right direction from the position where plug 102 is stably connected to connecting portion 420, a state in which plug 102 is tilted in the up-down direction, and a state in which both of these are combined. Also, the position in which plug 102 is stably connected to connecting portion 420 is a position in which plug 102 is connected to connecting portions 420a and 420b with a contact pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined value and is connected to connecting portions 420a and 420b with approximately the same contact pressure.

[0198] By extending floating portion 440 from side wall portions 416 that face each other in the opposing direction of connecting portion 420a and connecting portion 420b, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 440 to elastically deform in response to elastic deformation of connecting portion 420 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102. Furthermore, by extending floating portion 440 from side wall portion 416 that is pressed by connecting portion 420, it is possible to improve the ability of floating portion 440 to elastically deform in response to the pressing force applied from connecting portion 420 to side wall portion 416 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102. Furthermore, by extending floating portion 440 from receiving portion 4161 of side wall portion 416 that is pressed by connecting portion 420, it is possible to further improve the ability of floating portion 440 to elastically deform in response to elastic deformation of connecting portion 420 that occurs due to misalignment of plug 102. In particular, by extending the floating portion 40 from the contact portion Q where the connecting portion 420 contacts, the ability of the floating portion 440 to follow the elastic deformation of the connecting portion 420 due to misalignment of the plug 102 can be further improved.

[0199] Furthermore, by providing the groove portion 4162 in the receiving portion 4161, the strength of the receiving portion 4161 can be improved compared to when the groove portion 4162 is not provided, and therefore the pressing force from the connecting portion 420 can be reliably transmitted to the floating portion 440 via the receiving portion 4161.

[0200] In the above operation, by making the length L43 of the floating portion 440 in the plate width direction shorter than the length L44 of the connecting portion 420 in the plate width direction, the floating portion 440 can be elastically deformed more easily than the connecting portion 420. Furthermore, by making the length L44 of the connecting portion 420 in the plate width direction longer than the length L43 of the floating portion 440 in the plate width direction, the connection stability of the connecting portion 420 can be improved.

[0201] Furthermore, by positioning the upper end 421 of the connection part 420 below the upper opening edge 412, the connection part 420 can be protected by the frame part 410, and therefore deformation of the connection part 420 can be prevented.

[0202] Floating portion 440 elastically deforms in response to the pressing force that connecting portion 420 receives from plug 102, not only when connecting portion 420 presses frame body portion 410, but also when connecting portion 420 does not press frame body portion 410. This allows frame body portion 410 to perform the same operation as described above, and connecting portion 420 can be stably connected to plug 102.

[0203] 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.

[0204] To release the connection between the connector 5 and the plug 102, the plug 102 is pulled downward. This causes the floating portion 440 to return to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102 due to its own elastic restoring force, and the frame portion 410 also returns to the state it was in before it was connected to the plug 102.

[0205] As described above, 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 opening edge portion 412 provided around the upper opening 414, and a lower opening edge portion 411 provided around the lower opening 413, a pair of connection portions 420 extending from the lower opening edge portion 411 toward the inside of the frame body portion 410 and the upper 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 connecting the frame body portion 410 and the pair of fixing portions 430 respectively 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.

[0206] In this embodiment, the floating portion 440 extends from the contact portion Q with which the connecting portion 420 contacts, but this is not limiting, and the floating portion 440 may extend from a portion of the receiving portion 4161 other than the contact portion Q.

[0207] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments in terms of the types, arrangements, numbers, etc. of components, and can of course be modified as appropriate within the scope of the gist of the invention, such as by appropriately replacing the components with components that have equivalent effects. [Industrial Applicability]

[0208] The present invention is suitable for a connector that is integrally formed from a metal plate that is mounted on the mounting surface of a circuit board and connects conductive parts of the circuit board with mating connecting conductors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0209] 1 connector 2 connectors 3 Connectors 4 Connectors 5 Connectors 10 Frame 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 part 40b Floating section 50 Regulatory Department 50a Regulatory Department 50b Regulatory Department 100 Circuit Boards 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 Turned part 363 Guard Section 364 Window hole 365 Bending section 410 Frame body part 420 Connection 430 Fixed part 440 Floating section 450 Regulatory Department

Claims

[Claim 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 connecting 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 connecting portions extending from the upper end opening edge portion toward the inside of the frame body portion and the lower end opening edge portion, and connected to the mating connecting conductor; a pair of fixing portions fixed to and connected to the conductive portion; a pair of buckling suppression portions extending from the lower end opening edge portion toward the inside of the frame body portion and the upper end opening edge portion and covering lower ends of the pair of connection portions; a pair of floating portions that connect the lower end opening edge portion and the pair of fixed portions, respectively, and movably support the frame body portion; and the pair of connection portions each include a contact portion that contacts the mating connection conductor, The pair of buckling restraint portions include a guard portion, a window hole portion, and a bending portion, the window hole is provided in the guard portion and allows the abutment portion to protrude and be exposed; The bent portion is formed by bending a front end portion and a rear end portion of the guard portion, and surrounds the connection portion together with the guard portion. A connector characterized by:

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