Connector, device equipped with connector, connector mounting method, mating connector, and mating device equipped with mating connector

Abstract

To provide a connector capable of reducing a distance between terminals in a pitch direction.SOLUTION: A connector 10 comprises a plurality of terminals 20 and a housing 30. The terminals 20 are arranged in a pitch direction. Each terminal 20 has a first mounting part 201, a second mounting part 203, a first contact part 205, a second contact part 207, and a supporting part 213. The supporting part 213 extends from the first contact part 205 to support the second contact part 207. The second contact part 207 is opposed to the first contact part 205 in a width direction and is movable by elastic deformation of the supporting part. The second mounting part 203 is formed on the supporting part 213 so as to be separated from the first mounting part 201 in a width direction. The first mounting part 201 and the second mounting part 203 are projected downward from a bottom face 361 of the housing 30. In a plane orthogonal to the pitch direction, positions of the first mounting part 201, the second mounting part 203, the first contact part 205, and the second contact part 207 of each terminal 20 are the same as those of the other terminal 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector and its peripheral technology, and more particularly to a connector having a plurality of terminals arranged in a pitch direction and its peripheral technology. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a connector having a plurality of terminals arranged in a pitch direction, and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

[0003] 31, a connector 90 disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of terminals 92 and a housing 94 that holds the terminals. The plurality of terminals 92 are held in the housing 94 so as to form two terminal rows. In each of the terminal rows, the terminals 92 are aligned in a pitch direction (X direction). The two terminal rows are also aligned in a horizontal direction (Y direction) that is perpendicular to the pitch direction.

[0004] 32, each of the terminals 92 of the connector 90 includes a mounting portion 921, a held portion 923, a support portion 925, a first contact portion 927, and a second contact portion 929. The mounting portion 921 is fixed to a board (not shown) when the connector 90 is mounted on the board. The held portion 923 is held by the housing 94. The support portion 925 extends from the first contact portion 927 and supports the second contact portion 929.

[0005] 31, in each terminal row, the terminals 92 face in the same direction. Specifically, in each terminal row, the terminals 92 are arranged so that their mounting portions 921 face outward in the width direction (Y direction). Furthermore, when viewed along the pitch direction (X direction), the terminals 92 in each terminal row overlap each other.

[0006] As can be seen from Figure 31, the mating connector 100 includes mating terminals 110 corresponding to the terminals 92 of the connector 90, and a mating housing 120 that holds them. The multiple mating terminals 110 are held in the mating housing 120 to form two mating terminal rows. In each mating terminal row, the mating terminals 110 are aligned in the pitch direction. The two mating terminal rows are also aligned in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the pitch direction.

[0007] 31 , each of the mating terminals 110 includes a mating mounting portion 111, a mating held portion 113, and a U-shaped portion 115. When the mating connector 100 is mounted on a mating board (not shown), the mating mounting portion 111 is fixed to the mating board. The mating held portion 113 is held by the mating housing 120. When the connector 90 and the mating connector 100 are mated, the U-shaped portion 115 enters between the first contact portion 927 and the second contact portion 929 of the terminal 92 and is electrically connected to the first contact portion 927 and the second contact portion 929.

[0008] 31, in each mating terminal row, the mating terminals 110 are arranged so that the mating mounting portions 111 face outward in the width direction. In other words, when viewed along the pitch direction, the mating terminals 110 in each mating terminal row overlap each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-46670 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] In the connector 90 disclosed in Patent Document 1, the minimum distance between two adjacent terminals 92 in the pitch direction depends on the arrangement of pads provided on the board so as to correspond to the mounting portions 921 of the terminals 92. A space is provided between adjacent pads in the pitch direction to prevent electrical conduction between the pads. Therefore, the connector 90 disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem that it is difficult to reduce the distance between adjacent terminals 92 in the pitch direction.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a connector that can reduce the distance between adjacent terminals in the pitch direction. Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector that can reduce the distance between adjacent terminals in the pitch direction. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that includes such a connector. Another object of the present invention is to provide a mating connector that can be mated with such a connector. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mating device that includes such a mating connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention provides a first mounting method for mounting a connector on a substrate, comprising: The connector includes a plurality of terminals and a housing that holds the terminals, the housing has a bottom surface; The terminals are arranged in a pitch direction, Each of the terminals has a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, a first contact portion, a second contact portion, and a support portion, the support portion is at least partially elastically deformable, extends from the first contact portion, and supports the second contact portion; the second contact portion faces the first contact portion in a width direction perpendicular to the pitch direction, and is movable in the width direction by utilizing elastic deformation of the support portion; the second mounting portion is formed in a part of the support portion and is positioned apart from the first mounting portion in the width direction, the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion protrude downward from the bottom surface of the housing in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the pitch direction and the width direction, In a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction, the positions of the first mounting portion, the second mounting portion, the first contact portion, and the second contact portion of each of the terminals are the same as those of the other terminals, The implementation method includes: The first mounting portion of one of the two terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction is soldered to a pad on the board, and the second mounting portion of the remaining terminal is soldered to another pad on the board. Provide implementation instructions.

[0013] The present invention also provides a first connector, A connector comprising a plurality of terminals and a housing for holding the terminals, the housing has a bottom surface; The terminals are arranged in a pitch direction, Each of the terminals has a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, a first contact portion, a second contact portion, and a support portion, the support portion is at least partially elastically deformable, extends from the first contact portion, and supports the second contact portion; the second contact portion faces the first contact portion in a width direction perpendicular to the pitch direction, and is movable in the width direction by utilizing elastic deformation of the support portion; the second mounting portion is formed in a part of the support portion and is positioned apart from the first mounting portion in the width direction, the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion protrude downward from the bottom surface of the housing in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the pitch direction and the width direction, In a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction, the positions of the first mounting portion, the second mounting portion, the first contact portion, and the second contact portion of each of the terminals are the same as those of the other terminals. Provide a connector.

[0014] The present invention also provides a first connector as the second connector, the connector is adapted to be fitted in the up-down direction with a mating connector having a mating locking portion, The first contact portion functions as a locking portion that, together with the mating locking portion, locks the mated state when the connector and the mating connector are mated. Provide a connector.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention provides a third connector, which is the first or second connector, The second mounting portion is located between the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the width direction. Provide a connector.

[0016] The present invention also provides a fourth connector, which is the third connector, the terminals located at odd numbers in the pitch direction and the terminals located at even numbers Of the terminals One of the second mounting portions is recessed in the pitch direction. Provide a connector.

[0017] Furthermore, the present invention provides a fifth connector, which is the first or second connector, The second contact portion is located between the second mounting portion and the first contact portion in the width direction. Provide a connector.

[0018] The present invention also provides a sixth connector, which is the fifth connector, the housing is provided with confirmation windows corresponding to at least every other second mounting portion of the terminals, Each of the confirmation windows opens upward, When the connector is mounted on the board, the fixation of the corresponding second mounting portion to the board can be visually confirmed through each of the confirmation windows. Provide a connector.

[0019] Furthermore, the present invention provides a seventh connector, which is any one of the first to sixth connectors, When viewed along the pitch direction, the terminals have the same shape. Provide a connector.

[0020] Furthermore, the present invention provides an eighth connector, which is any one of the first to seventh connectors, The second mounting portion protrudes most downwardly among the support portions. Provide a connector.

[0021] Furthermore, the present invention provides a ninth connector, which is any one of the first to eighth connectors, The connector has two terminal rows, Each of the terminal rows has the terminal, In each of the terminal rows, the terminals are arranged in the pitch direction, The terminal rows are aligned in the width direction, The arrangement of the terminals on one side of the terminal row and the arrangement of the terminals on the other side of the terminal row are rotationally symmetric. Provide a connector.

[0022] Furthermore, the present invention provides a tenth connector, which is any one of the first to eighth connectors, The connector has two terminal rows, Each of the terminal rows has the terminal, In each of the terminal rows, the terminals are arranged in the pitch direction, The terminal rows are aligned in the width direction, The arrangement of the terminals in one of the terminal rows is symmetrical with respect to a line that passes through the middle of the terminal row and is parallel to the pitch direction. Provide a connector.

[0023] The present invention also provides a device including, as a first device, any one of the first to tenth connectors and a substrate, A plurality of pads are arranged in a staggered pattern on the substrate, The pads correspond to the terminals, respectively. One of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion of the corresponding terminal is fixed to each of the pads, The first mounting portions and the second mounting portions of the terminals arranged in the pitch direction are fixed to the pads in a staggered manner. Provide the device.

[0024] The present invention also provides a first mating connector that can be mated with any of the first to tenth connectors, The connector includes a plurality of mating terminals and a mating housing that holds the mating terminals, one of the two mating terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction has a mating first mounting portion, and the other has a mating second mounting portion; one of the two mating terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction does not have the mating second mounting portion, The first mating mounting portion and the second mating mounting portion are spaced apart from each other in the width direction. Provide a mating connector.

[0025] The present invention also provides a first mating connector as the second mating connector, The mating housing is provided with mating confirmation windows corresponding to the mating second mounting portions. Provide a mating connector.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention provides a third mating connector, which is the first or second mating connector, Each of the mating terminals has a mating locking portion, In a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction, the position of the mating locking portion of each of the mating terminals is the same as that of the other mating terminals. Provide a mating connector.

[0027] Furthermore, the present invention provides a mating device including, as a first mating device, any one of first to third mating connectors and a mating board, A plurality of mating pads are arranged in a staggered pattern on the mating substrate, the mating pads correspond to the mating terminals, respectively; the mating pads are fixed to the first mating mounting portion or the second mating mounting portion of the corresponding mating terminals, The first mating mounting portions and the second mating mounting portions of the mating terminals arranged in the pitch direction are fixed to the mating pads in a staggered manner. Provide the other device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the mounting method of the present invention, one of two terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction has a first mounting portion soldered to a pad on the board, and the remaining terminal has a second mounting portion soldered to another pad on the board. This allows the two pads on the board corresponding to the two terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction to be positioned with a shift in the width direction. Therefore, not only is there no need to provide a space between these two pads in the pitch direction, but the two pads can also be positioned so that they partially overlap each other. This reduces the distance between adjacent terminals in the pitch direction.

[0029] Furthermore, according to the connector of the present invention, each terminal has a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion located apart from the first mounting portion in the width direction. This allows one of two terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction to be fixed to the board using the first mounting portion, and the other terminal to be fixed to the board using the second mounting portion. As a result, restrictions imposed by the board on which the connector is mounted can be alleviated, and the distance between two adjacent terminals in the pitch direction can be reduced.

[0030] In addition, according to the connector of the present invention, each terminal has a first contact portion and a second contact portion, and in a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction, the positions of the first contact portion and the second contact portion of each terminal are the same as those of the other terminals. This makes it easy to control the insertion / extraction force of the connector with respect to the mating connector. Therefore, when increasing the number of terminals in the connector, the limitations imposed by the insertion / extraction force are alleviated. Furthermore, by minimizing the insertion / extraction force, wear on the terminals can be suppressed, thereby achieving high connection reliability. The same effect can be achieved with the mating connector of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the connector of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view showing the connector of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing one of the terminals included in the connector of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 2 is a plan view showing a device including the connector and substrate of FIG. 1. The connector is mounted on the substrate. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 5 taken along the line AA. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the device of FIG. 5 along the line BB. [Figure 8]2 is a perspective view showing a mating connector that can be mated with the connector of FIG. 1. The mating connector is turned upside down. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a bottom view showing the mating connector of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the mating connector of FIG. 8. [Figure 11] 9 is a perspective view showing one of the first mating terminals included in the mating connector of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 12] 9 is a perspective view showing one of the second mating terminals included in the mating connector of FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 13] 9 is a bottom view showing a mating device including the mating connector and mating board of FIG. 8. The mating device is mounted on the mating board. [Figure 14] 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the mating device of FIG. 13 taken along line CC. [Figure 15] 9 is a plan view showing the connector of Fig. 1 and the mating connector of Fig. 8. The connector and the mating connector are mated with each other. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD showing the connector and the mating connector of FIG. 15. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a plan view showing the connector of FIG. 17. [Figure 19] FIG. 18 is a bottom view showing the connector of FIG. 17. [Figure 20] 18 is a perspective view showing one of the first terminals included in the connector of FIG. 17. FIG. [Figure 21] 18 is a perspective view showing one of the second terminals included in the connector of FIG. 17. FIG. [Figure 22] 18 is a plan view of a device including the connector and substrate of FIG. 17. The connector is mounted on the substrate. [Figure 23] 23 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 22 taken along the line EE. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 22 taken along the line FF. [Figure 25]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the terminal of FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the terminal of FIG. 20. [Figure 27] FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the terminal of FIG. 21. [Figure 28] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a modified example of the device of FIG. 5. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 28 taken along line GG. [Figure 30] 29 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 28 taken along line HH. [Figure 31] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a connector and a mating connector described in Patent Document 1. [Figure 32] 32 is a perspective view showing one of the terminals included in the connector of FIG. 31. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] (First embodiment) Referring to Fig. 1, a connector 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of terminals 20 and a housing 30 that holds the terminals 20. In this embodiment, each of the terminals 20 is made of a metal plate, and the housing 30 is made of insulating resin. Also, in this embodiment, the terminals 20 are held in the housing 30 by press-fitting. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The terminals 20 may also be held in the housing 30 by insert molding.

[0033] As can be seen from Figure 1, in this embodiment, the terminals 20 are arranged in two rows. In other words, the connector 10 has two terminal rows 22, 24, and each of the terminal rows 22, 24 has a plurality of terminals 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The connector 10 may also have only one terminal row. When there is only one terminal row, the shape of the housing that holds the terminals also differs from that of the housing 30.

[0034] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in each of the terminal rows 22 and 24, the terminals 20 are arranged in a pitch direction. In this embodiment, the pitch direction is the X direction. The terminal rows 22 and 24 are arranged in a width direction that is perpendicular to the pitch direction. In this embodiment, the width direction is the Y direction. In the following description, the +Y direction may be referred to as the first width direction, and the -Y direction may be referred to as the second width direction.

[0035] 2 and 3, the housing 30 has a rectangular shape that is long in the pitch direction when viewed in the up-down direction perpendicular to both the pitch direction and the width direction. The housing 30 also has a frame-like outer wall portion 32, an island-shaped portion 34 surrounded by the outer wall portion 32, and a bottom portion 36 connecting the outer wall portion 32 and the island-shaped portion 34. In this embodiment, the up-down direction is the Z direction. The +Z direction is upward, and the -Z direction is downward.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 2 , the island-shaped portion 34 of the housing 30 is provided with a plurality of confirmation windows 341. Each confirmation window 341 opens upward. In this embodiment, the confirmation windows 341 are provided in two rows corresponding to the terminal rows 22 and 24, respectively. The confirmation windows 341 corresponding to the terminal row 22 correspond to every other second mounting portion 203 (described later) of the terminals 20 in the terminal row 22. Each confirmation window 341 corresponds to one second mounting portion 203. Similarly, the confirmation windows 341 corresponding to the terminal row 24 correspond to every other second mounting portion 203 (described later) of the terminals 20 in the terminal row 24. In addition, the confirmation windows 341 corresponding to the terminal row 22 and the confirmation windows 341 corresponding to the terminal row 24 are alternately arranged. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the confirmation windows 341 correspond to at least every other second mounting portion 203 of the terminals 20 in the terminal rows 22 and 24.

[0037] 3, the bottom 36 of the housing 30 has a bottom surface 361 facing downward. In other words, the housing 30 has a bottom surface 361 facing downward.

[0038] 1 and 2, an upwardly opening receiving portion 38 is formed between the outer wall portion 32 and the island-shaped portion 34. The receiving portion 38 partially receives the mating connector 50 when the connector 10 and a mating connector 50 (described later) are mated.

[0039] 4, each of the terminals 20 in the terminal row 22 has a first mounting portion 201, a second mounting portion 203, a first contact portion 205, a second contact portion 207, a held portion 209, a connecting portion 211, and a support portion 213. The terminal 20 is formed so that the positions of the first mounting portion 201, the second mounting portion 203, the first contact portion 205, and the second contact portion 207 are the same as those of the other terminals 20 in a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction. In this embodiment, each of the terminals 20 is manufactured by stamping and bending a metal plate.

[0040] 5 and 6, each of the terminals 20 in the terminal row 24 is formed in the same shape as the terminals 20 in the terminal row 22. However, the terminals 20 in the terminal row 24 are the terminals 20 in the terminal row 22 rotated 180° about an axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, the first mounting portion 201 of the terminal 20 extends in the width direction, and one end thereof forms one end of the terminal 20. The held portion 209 extends upward from the other end of the first mounting portion 201. The held portion 209 has two protruding portions 215 that protrude on both sides in the pitch direction. The connecting portion 211 extends from the upper end of the held portion 209, curves, and extends obliquely downward in the first width direction. The connecting portion 211 supports the first contact portion 205 at its tip. In this embodiment, the first contact portion 205 is a part of the connecting portion 211. The supporting portion 213 extends obliquely downward from the first contact portion 205 in the second width direction, and is then bent. 1st width directionThe support portion 213 is further bent in the second width direction, and then extends obliquely upward in the second width direction. In addition, the support portion 213 is bent and extends obliquely downward in the first width direction. The second mounting portion 203 is formed in a part of the support portion 213. In other words, the second mounting portion 203 is a part of the support portion 213. In this embodiment, the second contact portion 207 is supported by the support portion 213. More specifically, the second contact portion 207 is a part of the support portion 213. In this manner, the support portion 213 extends from the first contact portion 205 and supports the second contact portion 207. In this embodiment, the second contact portion 207 is located between the second mounting portion 203 and the first contact portion 205 in the width direction.

[0042] 4, the second contact portion 207 faces the first contact portion 205 in the width direction. The support portion 213 is at least partially elastically deformable. By utilizing this elastic deformation of the support portion 213, the second contact portion 207 is movable at least in the width direction.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 , the connector 10 is mounted on a substrate 80 to form a part of a device. In other words, the device includes at least the connector 10 and the substrate 80. When the connector 10 is mounted on the substrate 80, the first mounting portion 201 and the second mounting portion 203 of the terminal 20 are selectively fixed to the substrate 80. To enable this, the first mounting portion 201 and the second mounting portion 203 protrude downward from the bottom surface 361 of the housing 30 in the up-down direction. In particular, the second mounting portion 203 protrudes furthest downward among the support portions 213. The second mounting portion 203 is located farthest from the first mounting portion 201 in the width direction.

[0044] As can be seen from FIGS. 5 to 7 , when the connector 10 is mounted on the substrate 80, the first mounting portion 201 of one of two terminals 20 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction is soldered to a pad 801 on the substrate 80. The second mounting portion 203 of the remaining one of the two terminals 20 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction is soldered to another pad 801 on the substrate 80. In this way, the first mounting portions 201 and the second mounting portions 203 of the terminals 20 aligned in the pitch direction are fixed alternately to the pads 801 on the substrate 80 using solder 82. In other words, in each of the terminal rows 22 and 24, the first mounting portions 201 and the second mounting portions 203 of the terminals 20 are fixed alternately to the pads 801 on the substrate 80 using solder 82. To accommodate this, a plurality of pads 801 are arranged in a staggered pattern on the substrate 80. The pads 801 correspond to the terminals 20, respectively. More specifically, each of the pads 801 corresponds to only one of the first mounting portion 201 and the second mounting portion 203 of the corresponding terminal 20. One of the first mounting portion 201 and the second mounting portion 203 of the corresponding terminal 20 is fixed to each of the pads 801.

[0045] As can be seen from FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, the arrangement of one terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 and the arrangement of the other terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 are rotationally symmetrical about an axis along the vertical direction that passes through the middle between the terminal rows 22 and 24. However, the arrangement of one terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 and the arrangement of the other terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 are not symmetrical about a line that passes through the middle between the terminal rows 22, 24 and is parallel to the pitch direction. As a result, only one of two terminals 20 adjacent in the width direction is fixed to the board 80 using the second mounting portion 203. In other words, two second mounting portions 203 that are closest to each other are not both soldered, thereby reducing or eliminating the possibility of a short circuit due to the solder 82.

[0046] 5, when the connector 10 is mounted on the board 80, the fixation of the first mounting portion 201 and the second mounting portion 203 to the board 80 can be seen from above in the vertical direction. More specifically, in this embodiment, each of the first mounting portions 201 is partially located outside the housing 30 in the width direction, so that the fixation of the first mounting portion 201 to the board 80 can be seen from above or diagonally above the board 80. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the housing 30 is provided with confirmation windows 341 corresponding to each of the second mounting portions 203 fixed to the board 80, so that the fixation of the corresponding second mounting portion 203 to the board 80 can be seen through each of the confirmation windows 341 while maintaining the strength of the housing 30.

[0047] As described above, in this embodiment, the pads 801 on the substrate 80 are arranged in a staggered pattern. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a space between adjacent pads 801 in the pitch direction. In fact, it is possible to arrange adjacent pads 801 so that they partially overlap in the pitch direction. Therefore, the pitch of the pads 801 can be reduced in the pitch direction. This alleviates the restrictions imposed by the pads 801 in the connector 10, and it is possible to reduce the distance between two terminals 20 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction. This is advantageous in terms of miniaturizing the connector 10 and increasing the number of terminals 20. Especially Contribute.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, the positions of the first contact portion 205 and the second contact portion 207 of each of the terminals 20 in each of the terminal rows 22 and 24 are as follows: In the width direction The force is the same as that of the other terminals 20. This makes it easy to control the insertion / extraction force of the connector 10 relative to the mating connector 50. Therefore, when increasing the number of terminals 20 of the connector 10, the restrictions imposed by the insertion / extraction force are alleviated. Furthermore, by minimizing the insertion / extraction force, wear on the terminals 20 can be suppressed, thereby achieving high connection reliability.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 8, the mating connector 50 includes a plurality of mating terminals 60 and a mating housing 70 that holds the mating terminals 60. The mating connector 50 is configured to be able to be fitted to the connector 10 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, each of the mating terminals 60 is made of a metal plate, and the mating housing 70 is made of insulating resin. Also, in this embodiment, the mating terminals 60 are held in the mating housing 70 by insert molding. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The mating terminals 60 may also be held in the mating housing 70 by press-fitting.

[0050] 9 and 10, the mating housing 70 has a rectangular shape that is long in the pitch direction. The mating housing 70 also has a pair of long walls 72, a short wall 74 connecting the long walls 72, and an upper portion 76. The upper portion 76 of the mating housing 70 is provided with mating confirmation windows 761 that respectively correspond to the mating second mounting portions 615 (described below).

[0051] 9 and 10 , the mating terminals 60 are arranged in two rows corresponding to the long wall 72 to form mating terminal rows 62, 64. In each of the mating terminal rows 62, 64, the mating terminals 60 are arranged in the pitch direction. The mating terminals 60 correspond to the terminals 20 of the connector 10, respectively. When the mating connector 50 and the connector 10 are mated, the mating terminals 60 each come into contact with the corresponding terminal 20.

[0052] 11 and 12, the mating terminal 60 includes two types of mating terminals 601, 603 having different shapes, i.e., a first mating terminal 601 (FIG. 11) and a second mating terminal 603 (FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 11, the first mating terminal 601 has a first mating mounting portion 611 and a U-shaped portion 613. As shown in FIG. 12, the second mating terminal 603 has a first mating mounting portion 611, a U-shaped portion 613, and a second mating mounting portion 615. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The second mating terminal 603 does not necessarily have to have the first mating mounting portion 611.

[0053] 9 and 10 , each of the mating terminal rows 62, 64 is configured by alternately arranging first mating terminals 601 and second mating terminals 603. In other words, of two mating terminals 60 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction, one is the first mating terminal 601 and the other is the second mating terminal 603. Therefore, one of the two mating terminals 60 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction has a first mating mounting portion 611, and the other has a second mating mounting portion 615. Furthermore, one of the two mating terminals 60 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction does not have a second mating mounting portion 615. In addition, in each of the mating terminal rows 62, 64, the first mating mounting portion 611 and the second mating mounting portion 615 are spaced apart from each other in the width direction.

[0054] 11 and 12, each of the mating terminals 60 has a mating locking portion 617 formed on the U-shaped portion 613. The mating locking portion 617 is recessed in the width direction. In this manner, the mating connector 50 has the mating locking portion 617. As can be seen from FIG. 8, in each of the mating terminal rows 62, 64, the position of the mating locking portion 617 of each of the mating terminals 60 is the same as that of the other mating terminals 60 in a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction.

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 , the mating connector 50 is mounted on a mating board 85 to form a part of a mating device. In other words, the mating device includes at least the mating connector 50 and a mating board 85. When the mating connector 50 is mounted on the mating board 85, the first mating terminal 601 is fixed to the mating board 85 using the first mating mounting portion 611, and the second mating terminal 603 is fixed to the mating board 85 using the second mating mounting portion 615. To achieve this, a plurality of mating pads 851 are arranged in a staggered pattern on the mating board 85. The mating pads 851 on the mating board 85 correspond to the mating terminals 60, respectively. The first mating mounting portion 611 or the second mating mounting portion 615 of the corresponding mating terminal 60 is fixed to each of the mating pads 851 using solder 87. As a result, the first mating mounting portions 611 and the second mating mounting portions 615 of the mating terminals 60 arranged in the pitch direction are fixed to the mating pads 851 in a staggered manner.

[0056] 13 and 14 , when the mating connector 50 is mounted on the mating board 85, the fixation of the first mating mounting portion 611 and the second mating mounting portion 615 to the mating board 85 can be seen from below. More specifically, in this embodiment, the first mating mounting portion 611 is located outside the mating housing 70, so the fixation of the first mating mounting portion 611 to the mating board 85 can be seen from below the mating board 85. Also, in this embodiment, the upper part 76 of the mating housing 70 is provided with mating confirmation windows 761 corresponding to the second mating mounting portions 615, respectively. Therefore, the fixation of the second mating mounting portions 615 to the mating board 85 can be seen through the mating confirmation windows 761 while maintaining the strength of the mating housing 70.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 , when the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 are mated with each other, the mating connector 50 is partially received in the receiving portion 38 of the connector 10. At this time, the U-shaped portion 613 of each mating terminal 60 is inserted between the first contact portion 205 and the second contact portion 207 of the corresponding terminal 20. The second contact portion 207 is movable in the width direction due to elastic deformation of the support portion 213, allowing the U-shaped portion 613 to enter. As a result, each terminal 20 comes into contact with the corresponding mating terminal 60 and is electrically connected to each other. At this time, the first contact portion 205 at least partially enters the mating locking portion 617. When the connector 10 and the mating connector 50 are mated with each other, the first contact portion 205 functions as a locking portion that locks the mated state together with the mating locking portion 617.

[0058] In the mating connector 50 of this embodiment, similarly to the connector 10, the distance between two mating terminals 60 adjacent to each other in the pitch direction can be reduced.

[0059] (Second embodiment) 17 to 19, a connector 10A according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of terminals 20A and a housing 30A that holds the terminals 20A. The connector 10A of this embodiment has the same configuration as the connector 10 of the first embodiment, except for the following points.

[0060] 17 to 19, the housing 30A does not have the confirmation window 341 (see FIG. 1). In all other respects, the housing 30A is the same as the housing 30 of the first embodiment.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the terminal 20A includes two types of terminals 26 and 28, namely, a first terminal 26 and a second terminal 28, which have different shapes.

[0062] As can be seen from a comparison between Fig. 20 and Fig. 4, the first terminal 26 has almost the same shape as the terminal 20 of the first embodiment. However, the position of the second mounting portion 203 of the first terminal 26 is different from the position of the second mounting portion 203 of the terminal 20 of the first embodiment. More specifically, the position of the second mounting portion 203 of the first terminal 26 is closer to the first contact portion 205 than the position of the second mounting portion 203 of the terminal 20 of the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the second mounting portion 203 is located between the first contact portion 205 and the second contact portion 207 in the width direction.

[0063] 20, the second terminal 28 has almost the same shape as the first terminal 26. However, the second mounting portion 203 of the second terminal 28 is recessed in the pitch direction. In other words, the size of the second mounting portion 203 of the second terminal 28 is smaller than the size of the second mounting portion 203 of the first terminal 26 in the pitch direction.

[0064] As shown in Figures 18 and 19, in each of the terminal rows 22, 24, the first terminals 26 and the second terminals 28 are alternately arranged. In other words, of two terminals 20A adjacent to each other in the pitch, one is the first terminal 26 and the other is the second terminal 28. As a result, the second mounting portion 203 of one of the terminals 20A located at odd positions in the pitch direction and the terminals 20A located at even positions is recessed in the pitch direction. Nevertheless, in this embodiment, when each of the terminal rows 22, 24 is viewed along the pitch direction, the second mounting portion 203 of the terminal 20A All have the same shape.

[0065] 22 to 24, when connector 10A is mounted on board 80A, first mounting portions 201 of the first terminals 26 are fixed to board 80A, and second mounting portions 203 of the second terminals 28 are fixed to board 80A. Because second mounting portions 203 of second terminals 28 are recessed in the pitch direction, escape space is secured for fillets of solder 82 used for fixing.

[0066] As can be seen from FIGS. 22 to 24 , the first mounting portions 201 and second mounting portions 203 of the terminals 20A arranged in the pitch direction are fixed alternately to the board 80A. To achieve this, a plurality of pads 801 are arranged in a staggered pattern on the board 80A to correspond to the terminal rows 22 and 24, respectively. In this embodiment, the widthwise spacing between the pads 801 to which the first mounting portions 201 of each of the terminal rows 22 and 24 are fixed and the pads 801 to which the second mounting portions 203 are fixed is narrower than that in the first embodiment. However, these pads 801 are still spaced apart from each other in the widthwise direction. Therefore, the pitch of the pads 801 in the pitch direction can be reduced. Therefore, the connector 10A can achieve the same effects as the connector 10 of the first embodiment.

[0067] 22, the first mounting portion 201 of the terminal 20A is partially located outside the housing 30A. Therefore, the fixation of the first mounting portion 201 to the board 80A can be seen from above. In addition, the second mounting portion 203 of the terminal 20A is exposed inside the receiving portion 38 of the housing 30A. Therefore, the fixation of the second mounting portion 203 to the board 80A can be seen from above.

[0068] The present invention has been described above by presenting an embodiment thereof, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0069] (First Modification) For example, in the first implementation Form 25 can be used in place of the terminals 20 of the connector 10. In this case, if necessary, the shape of the housing 30 is changed to fit the terminals 20B.

[0070] As can be seen from a comparison of FIG. 25 and FIG. 4, in the terminal 20B, the first mounting portion 201The shape of the terminal 20B from the second mounting portion 203 to the second contact portion 207 is the same as that of the terminal 20 of the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 25 , in the terminal 20B, the support portion 213 extends further from the second mounting portion 203 and is bent in the second width direction. The support portion 213 extends further upward, is bent again in the second width direction, and is further bent diagonally downward in the first width direction. The length of the support portion 213 from the second mounting portion 203 to the second contact portion 207 of the terminal 20B is longer than that of the terminal 20. Therefore, the support portion 213 of the terminal 20B can be made softer than the support portion 213 of the terminal 20. Therefore, compared to the connector 10 of the first embodiment, the connector including the terminal 20B can more easily control the insertion / removal force with respect to the mating connector 50, thereby improving connection reliability.

[0071] (Second Modification) Moreover, instead of the first terminal 26 and the second terminal 28 of the connector 10A of the second embodiment, a first terminal 26C and a second terminal 28C shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 can be used. Each of the first terminal 26C and the second terminal 28C is bent in the same manner as the terminal 20B in Fig. 25. In this case, if necessary, the shape of the housing 30A is modified to fit the first terminal 26C and the second terminal 28C. In this modification, the same effects as in the first modification can be obtained.

[0072] (Third Modification) 28 to 30, in the connector 10D of this modified example, the arrangement of one terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 and the arrangement of the other terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 are symmetrical with respect to a line that passes through the middle of the terminal rows 22, 24 and is parallel to the pitch direction. If the distance between the second mounting portions 203 of two adjacent terminals 20 in the width direction is sufficient, the arrangement of one terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 and the arrangement of the other terminal 20 in the terminal rows 22, 24 do not need to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to an axis that passes through the middle of the terminal rows 22 and 24 and runs along the vertical direction. Similar modifications are possible for the connector 10A of the second embodiment.

[0073] (Fourth Modification) The mating connector 50 of the first embodiment includes two types of mating terminals 60 with different shapes, but may include only the second mating terminals 603. Even when each of the second mating terminals 603 has a first mating mounting portion 611 and a second mating mounting portion 615, it is possible to reduce the distance between the mating terminals 60. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 10, 10A, 10D Connector 20, 20A, 20B terminals 201 First Mounting Section 203 Second Mounting Section 205 First contact point 207 Second contact part 209 Holding part 211 Connecting part 213 Support part 215 Protrusion 22,24 terminal row 26,26C 1st terminal 28,28C 2nd terminal 30,30A housing 32 Exterior wall 34 Island 341 Confirmation window 36 Bottom 361 bottom 38 Receptor 50 Mating connector 60 Mating terminal 601 First mating terminal 603 Second mating terminal 611 Counterpart first mounting part 613 U-shaped part 615 Counterpart second mounting part 617 Counterpart lock part 62,64 Mating terminal row 70 Mating housing 72 Long wall 74 Short wall 76 Upper 761 Other party confirmation window 80,80A board 801 Pad 82 Solder 85 Counterpart board 851 Mating pad 87 Solder

Claims

1. A mounting method for mounting a connector on a substrate, comprising: The connector includes a plurality of terminals and a housing that holds the terminals, the housing has a bottom surface; The terminals are arranged in a pitch direction, Each of the terminals has a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, a first contact portion, a second contact portion, and a support portion, the support portion is at least partially elastically deformable, extends from the first contact portion, and supports the second contact portion; the second contact portion faces the first contact portion in a width direction perpendicular to the pitch direction, and is movable in the width direction by utilizing elastic deformation of the support portion; the second mounting portion is formed in a part of the support portion and is positioned apart from the first mounting portion in the width direction, the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion protrude downward from the bottom surface of the housing in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the pitch direction and the width direction, In a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction, the positions of the first mounting portion, the second mounting portion, the first contact portion, and the second contact portion of each of the terminals are the same as those of the other terminals, The implementation method includes: The first mounting portion of one of the two terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction is soldered to a pad on the board, and the second mounting portion of the remaining terminal is soldered to another pad on the board. How to implement it.

2. A connector comprising a plurality of terminals and a housing for holding the terminals, the housing has a bottom surface; The terminals are arranged in a pitch direction, Each of the terminals has a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, a first contact portion, a second contact portion, and a support portion, the support portion is at least partially elastically deformable, extends from the first contact portion, and supports the second contact portion; the second contact portion faces the first contact portion in a width direction perpendicular to the pitch direction, and is movable in the width direction by utilizing elastic deformation of the support portion; the second mounting portion is formed in a part of the support portion and is positioned apart from the first mounting portion in the width direction, the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion protrude downward from the bottom surface of the housing in a vertical direction perpendicular to both the pitch direction and the width direction, In a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction, the positions of the first mounting portion, the second mounting portion, the first contact portion, and the second contact portion of each of the terminals are the same as those of the other terminals. connector.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 2, the connector is adapted to be fitted in the up-down direction with a mating connector having a mating locking portion, The first contact portion functions as a locking portion that, together with the mating locking portion, locks the mated state when the connector and the mating connector are mated. connector.

4. The connector according to claim 2 or 3, The second mounting portion is located between the first contact portion and the second contact portion in the width direction. connector.

5. 5. The connector according to claim 4, The second mounting portion of one of the terminals positioned at odd numbers in the pitch direction and the terminals positioned at even numbers in the pitch direction is recessed in the pitch direction. connector.

6. The connector according to claim 2 or 3, The second contact portion is located between the second mounting portion and the first contact portion in the width direction. connector.

7. 7. The connector of claim 6, the housing is provided with confirmation windows corresponding to at least every other second mounting portion of the terminals, Each of the confirmation windows opens upward, When the connector is mounted on the board, the fixation of the corresponding second mounting portion to the board can be visually confirmed through each of the confirmation windows. connector.

8. A connector according to any one of claims 2 to 7, When viewed along the pitch direction, the terminals have the same shape. connector.

9. A connector according to any one of claims 2 to 8, The second mounting portion protrudes most downwardly among the support portions. connector.

10. A connector according to any one of claims 2 to 9, The connector has two terminal rows, Each of the terminal rows has the terminal, In each of the terminal rows, the terminals are arranged in the pitch direction, The terminal rows are aligned in the width direction, The arrangement of the terminals on one side of the terminal row and the arrangement of the terminals on the other side of the terminal row are rotationally symmetrical. connector.

11. A connector according to any one of claims 2 to 9, The connector has two terminal rows, Each of the terminal rows has the terminal, In each of the terminal rows, the terminals are arranged in the pitch direction, The terminal rows are aligned in the width direction, The arrangement of the terminals in one of the terminal rows is symmetrical with respect to a line that passes through the middle of the terminal row and is parallel to the pitch direction. connector.

12. A device comprising the connector according to any one of claims 2 to 11 and a substrate, A plurality of pads are arranged in a staggered pattern on the substrate, The pads correspond to the terminals, respectively. One of the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion of the corresponding terminal is fixed to each of the pads, The first mounting portions and the second mounting portions of the terminals arranged in the pitch direction are fixed to the pads in a staggered manner. device.

13. A mating connector that can be mated with the connector according to any one of claims 2 to 11, The connector includes a plurality of mating terminals and a mating housing that holds the mating terminals, The mating terminals each have a mating first mounting portion of the same shape, one of the two mating terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction has a mating second mounting portion, and the other of the two mating terminals adjacent to each other in the pitch direction does not have the mating second mounting portion; The first mating mounting portion and the second mating mounting portion are spaced apart from each other in the width direction. Mating connector.

14. The mating connector according to claim 13, The mating housing is provided with mating confirmation windows corresponding to the mating second mounting portions. Mating connector.

15. The mating connector according to claim 13 or 14, Each of the mating terminals has a mating locking portion, In a plane perpendicular to the pitch direction, the position of the mating locking portion of each of the mating terminals is the same as that of the other mating terminals. Mating connector.

16. A mating device comprising the mating connector according to any one of claims 13 to 15 and a mating board, A plurality of mating pads are arranged in a staggered pattern on the mating substrate, the mating pads correspond to the mating terminals, respectively; the mating pads are fixed to the first mating mounting portion or the second mating mounting portion of the corresponding mating terminals, The first mating mounting portions and the second mating mounting portions of the mating terminals arranged in the pitch direction are fixed to the mating pads in a staggered manner. The other device.

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