Connectors and electronic devices

Abstract

To provide a connector that can improve reliability by making the connector movable with respect to a circuit board by using elastic deformation of a contact and reducing a load applied to a mounting part of the contact due to the elastic deformation.SOLUTION: A connector 10 according to the present disclosure is mounted on a circuit board CB1 and fitted to a connection object 50, and comprises an insulator 20 having a pair of side walls 21b and formed in a rectangular shape and a plurality of contacts 40 attached to the side walls 21b. The contacts 40 each have a mounting part 41, an elastic part 43, and a contact part 46. The mounting part 41 is mounted on the circuit board CB1. The contact part 46 is in contact with the connection object 50 in a fitted state in which the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are fitted to each other. The elastic part 43 is located between the mounting part 41 and the contact part 46 and elastically deformable, and a space is formed between the elastic part 43 and the insulator 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connector and an electronic device. [Background technology]

[0002] The contacts or metal fittings attached to the connector have mounting parts that are mounted on a circuit board. Conventionally, there have been known techniques for suppressing peeling and damage to the mounting parts due to solder cracks caused by stress applied to the mounting parts.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a receptacle connector with a circuit board that can increase the strength of connection and fixation with the circuit board, prevent the connection part of the terminal from peeling off from the circuit board, and prevent damage to the connection part. Patent Document 2 discloses a board connector that can reduce the stress applied from the housing to the board fixing part and improve the fixing strength of the board fixing part to the board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-204479 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-056202 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, neither the circuit board receptacle connector described in Patent Document 1 nor the board connector described in Patent Document 2 adequately considered the possibility of making the connector movable by elastic deformation of the contacts and reducing the load on the contact mounting portion due to stress. For example, when a force parallel to the circuit board or a force in a rotational direction on a plane parallel to the circuit board is applied to the connector, stress is applied to the contact mounting portion, which may cause peeling or damage to the mounting portion due to solder cracks or the like.

[0006] Market demands include improved mating workability and measures to combat vibration, particularly for connectors installed in industrial equipment and automobiles. Specifically, when the connection target is mated with the connector in a misaligned state, or when vibrations are applied to the circuit board and connector, cracks can occur in the soldered mounting area, resulting in separation and short circuits.

[0007] As a measure to prevent solder cracks, Patent Document 2 discloses a board connector in which the connector is fixed to the circuit board and metal fittings are used to distribute stress, thereby reducing the load on the contacts. However, because the connector is not configured to be movable relative to the circuit board, stress may be generated in the contacts and soldered portions when stress is concentrated on the metal fittings and the connector is displaced, which could result in damage or a short circuit.

[0008] In view of these problems, the purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a connector and electronic device that can improve reliability by utilizing elastic deformation of the contacts to make the connector movable relative to the circuit board, and further reducing the load applied to the mounting portion of the contacts due to the elastic deformation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problem, a connector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: A connector mounted on a circuit board and fitted to a connection target, an insulator having a pair of side walls and formed in a rectangular shape; a plurality of contacts attached to the sidewall; Equipped with The contact has a mounting portion, an elastic portion, and a contact portion, the mounting portion is mounted on the circuit board, the contact portion contacts the connection object in a fitted state in which the connector and the connection object are fitted together, the elastic portion is located between the mounting portion and the contact portion and is elastically deformable; A space is formed between the elastic portion and the insulator.

[0010] In order to solve the above problem, an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: The connector is provided as described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the connector and electronic device of one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector can be made movable relative to the circuit board by utilizing the elastic deformation of the contacts, and the elastic deformation can further reduce the load applied to the mounting portion of the contacts, thereby improving reliability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a connector according to an embodiment in a state where a connection target is connected, as seen from above; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a connector according to an embodiment in a state where the connector is separated from a connection target, as seen from above; [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the connector alone in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of FIG. 3 as seen from above. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows VV in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area VI enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VII-VII in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VIII-VIII in FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5. [Figure 10] 4 is a perspective view showing an external appearance of a connection object to be connected to the connector of FIG. 3 as seen from above. [Figure 11] 11 is an exploded perspective view of the connection object of FIG. 10 as seen from above. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows XII-XII in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions refer to the directions of the arrows in the drawings. The directions of the arrows in Figures 1 to 9 and 12 are consistent with each other in different drawings. The directions of the arrows in Figures 10 and 11 are consistent with each other. In some drawings, circuit boards CB1 and CB2, which will be described later, are omitted for the sake of simplicity.

[0014] Fig. 1 is an external perspective view, as seen from above, of a connector 10 according to one embodiment in a state where a connection object 50 is connected. Fig. 2 is an external perspective view, as seen from above, of the connector 10 according to one embodiment in a state where the connector 10 is separated from the connection object 50. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the connector 10 has an insulator 20, a metal fitting 30, and contacts 40. The connection object 50 has an insulator 60, a metal fitting 70, and contacts 80.

[0015] In the following, for example, the connector 10 according to one embodiment will be described as a plug connector, and the connection object 50 as a receptacle connector. That is, the connector 10 in which the portions of the contacts 40 that come into contact with the contacts 80 do not elastically deform when the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are mated with each other will be described as a plug connector. On the other hand, the connection object 50 in which the portions of the contacts 80 that come into contact with the contacts 40 elastically deform when mated will be described as a receptacle connector. The types of the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are not limited to these. For example, the connector 10 may function as a receptacle connector, and the connection object 50 may function as a plug connector.

[0016] In the following description, the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are assumed to be mounted on circuit boards CB1 and CB2, respectively. The connector 10 electrically connects the circuit board CB1 to the circuit board CB2 on which the connection object 50 is mounted, via the connection object 50 mated with the connector 10. The circuit boards CB1 and CB2 may be rigid boards or any other circuit boards. For example, at least one of the circuit boards CB1 and CB2 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPC).

[0017] In the following description, the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are assumed to be connected to each other in a direction perpendicular to the circuit boards CB1 and CB2. That is, as an example, the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are connected to each other in the up-and-down direction. The connection method is not limited to this. The connector 10 and the connection object 50 may be connected to each other in a direction parallel to the circuit boards CB1 and CB2, or may be connected to each other so that one is perpendicular to the circuit board on which they are mounted and the other is parallel to the circuit board on which they are mounted.

[0018] In the following description, the "mating direction" refers to, for example, the up-down direction. The "short-side direction of the connector 10" refers to, for example, the front-rear direction. The "thickness direction of the contacts 40" refers to, for example, the front-rear direction. The "longitudinal direction of the connector 10" refers to, for example, the left-right direction. The "direction perpendicular to the mating direction" refers to, for example, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

[0019] FIG. 3 is an external perspective view showing the connector 10 of FIG. 1 alone as seen from above. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connector 10 of FIG. 3 as seen from above. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the VV arrows in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the area VI enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the VII-VII arrows in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the VIII-VIII arrows in FIG. 6.

[0020] 4, the connector 10 is assembled, for example, by the following method: the metal fittings 30 are press-fitted into the insulator 20 from below, and the contacts 40 are press-fitted into the insulator 20 from above.

[0021] The following mainly describes the configuration of each component of connector 10 when contacts 40 are not elastically deformed. First, the configuration of insulator 20 will be mainly described with reference to FIG.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, the insulator 20 is a component extending in the left-right direction that is injection-molded from an insulating and heat-resistant synthetic resin material. The insulator 20 is formed in a rectangular shape. The insulator 20 extends along the longitudinal direction of the connector 10 and fits into the insulator 60 of the connection object 50. The insulator 20 has four side walls (front, rear, left, and right) and an outer peripheral wall 21 that surrounds the internal space. More specifically, the outer peripheral wall 21 is formed by a pair of short walls 21a on both the left and right sides and a pair of long walls 21b on both the front and rear sides.

[0023] The insulator 20 has a bottom wall 22 from which the outer peripheral wall 21 protrudes upward from its peripheral edge. The bottom wall 22 is formed continuously to connect the pair of longitudinal walls 21b. The insulator 20 has a fitting recess 23 that includes an internal space surrounded by the outer peripheral wall 21 and the bottom wall 22.

[0024] The insulator 20 has a plurality of contact mounting grooves 24 formed in an inverted U-shape on the longitudinal wall 21b. The plurality of contact mounting grooves 24 are formed in the left-right direction and spaced apart from one another at predetermined intervals.

[0025] 5, the contact mounting groove 24 has a first locking portion 24a formed at the lower end on the outer side of the longitudinal wall 21b in the front-to-rear direction. The contact mounting groove 24 has a first groove 24b formed above the first locking portion 24a and extending in the up-down direction on the outer side of the longitudinal wall 21b in the front-to-rear direction. The contact mounting groove 24 has a folded portion 24c formed so as to be folded back in an inverted U shape at the upper end of the longitudinal wall 21b. The contact mounting groove 24 has a second groove 24d formed along the fitting recess 23 on the inner side of the longitudinal wall 21b in the front-to-rear direction. The contact mounting groove 24 has a second locking portion 24e formed at the lower end on the inner side of the longitudinal wall 21b in the front-to-rear direction.

[0026] The insulator 20 has a notch 25 formed at the lower end on the outer side in the front-to-rear direction of the longitudinal wall 21b. The notch 25 overlaps the lower end of the first locking portion 24a and the first groove 24b of the contact mounting groove 24 in the front-to-rear direction, and is formed further inward in the insulator 20 than the contact mounting groove 24. The left-to-right width of the notch 25 is approximately the same as the left-to-right width of the first locking portion 24a of the contact mounting groove 24. The notch 25 cuts out the insulator 20 continuously from a vertical position corresponding to the lower end of the first groove 24b of the contact mounting groove 24, past the vertical positions of the first locking portion 24a, and all the way to the bottom surface of the insulator 20.

[0027] 7, the insulator 20 has metal fitting mounting grooves 26 recessed into the interior of the insulator 20 at both left and right ends. The insulator 20 has guide portions 27 formed from the entire outer upper edge of the short wall 21a to the outer upper edge of both left and right ends of the long wall 21b. The guide portions 27 include inclined surfaces that slope diagonally outward from above to below.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the metal fitting 30 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS.

[0029] The metal fitting 30 is formed by stamping a thin plate of any metal material into the shape shown in the figure. The metal fitting 30 is formed, for example, by punching only. The metal fitting 30 is flat in the longitudinal direction of the connector 10. The processing method for the metal fitting 30 is not limited to this, and may include a step of bending the metal fitting 30 in the thickness direction after punching. When viewed from the front from the left and right, the metal fitting 30 is formed in an M-shape.

[0030] The metal fitting 30 has a locking portion 31 that forms the entire central portion thereof. The metal fitting 30 has a mounting portion 32 that extends outward from the locking portion 31 in the short direction of the connector 10. The metal fitting 30 has a notch 33 that is cut out of the locking portion 31 in the mating direction in which the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are mated, at a position adjacent to the extending portion of the mounting portion 32 in the locking portion 31. The metal fitting 30 is formed so that the shape and arrangement of each component is symmetrical along the front-to-back direction. For example, the metal fitting 30 is formed so that the shape and arrangement of each component is symmetrical about a vertical axis that passes through the center of the metal fitting 30.

[0031] Next, the configuration of the contact 40 will be described with reference mainly to FIGS. 4 to 6 and 8. FIG.

[0032] The contacts 40 are formed into the shape shown in the figure using a progressive die (stamping) from a thin plate of a spring-elastic copper alloy or a Corson copper alloy, for example, including phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, or titanium copper. The contacts 40 are formed by punching and then bending the plate in the thickness direction. The thickness direction of the contacts 40 is, for example, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connector 10. In other words, the thickness direction of the contacts 40 is, for example, approximately parallel to the lateral direction of the connector 10.

[0033] The contacts 40 are formed of, for example, a metal material with a low elastic modulus so that they undergo large changes in shape due to elastic deformation. The surfaces of the contacts 40 are plated with gold, tin, or the like after forming a base with nickel plating.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of contacts 40 are arranged in the left-right direction. As shown in Fig. 5, the contacts 40 are attached to the insulator 20. A pair of contacts 40 arranged at the same left-right position are formed and arranged symmetrically with respect to each other in the front-rear direction. In other words, the pair of contacts 40 are formed and arranged so as to be line-symmetric with respect to a vertical axis passing through the center between them.

[0035] 4, the contact 40 has a mounting portion 41 at its lower end that extends outward in the front-to-rear direction. The contact 40 has a wide first locking portion 42 that is formed continuously upward from the end of the mounting portion 41.

[0036] The contact 40 has a bent portion 43 that is formed continuously upward from the upper end of the first locking portion 42. The bent portion 43 is also configured as an elastic portion that is elastically deformable. The elastic portion includes the bent portion 43 that bends in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction in which the connector 10 and the connection target 50 are mated with each other. For example, the bent portion 43 bends in the thickness direction of the contact 40. The bent portion 43 bends so as to protrude outward in the front-to-rear direction beyond the first locking portion 42. As shown in FIG. 5 , the bent portion 43 bends in a mountain-like shape so as to protrude toward the opposite side from the insulator 20. The bent portion 43 bends smoothly and protrudes in a mountain-like shape so as to move away from the insulator 20 outward in the front-to-rear direction.

[0037] 4 and 8, the contact 40 has a constricted portion 44 formed at the end of the bent portion 43 on the mounting portion 41 side, which reduces the width of the bent portion 43 along the longitudinal direction of the connector 10. The constricted portion 44 is formed at the lower end of the bent portion 43, and is adjacent to the first locking portion 42 in the vertical direction.

[0038] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the contact 40 has a supported portion 45 that extends upward from the upper end of the bent portion 43 in an inverted U-shape. The supported portion 45 has a first extension portion 45a that extends upward in a straight line from the upper end of the bent portion 43. The supported portion 45 has a folded portion 45b that folds back in an inverted U-shape from the upper end of the first extension portion 45a. The supported portion 45 has a second extension portion 45c that extends downward in a straight line from the inner end of the folded portion 45b in the front-to-rear direction. The supported portion 45 has a second locking portion 45d formed at the tip of the second extension portion 45c. The second locking portion 45d includes a narrowed portion that reduces its width in the left-to-right direction and a wide portion that continues downward from the narrowed portion.

[0039] The contact 40 has a first contact portion 46 that includes a part of the outer surface of the first extension portion 45a in the front-rear direction. The contact 40 has a second contact portion 47 that includes a part of the inner surface of the second extension portion 45c in the front-rear direction.

[0040] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the contacts 40 are attached to the contact mounting grooves 24 of the insulator 20. For example, the first locking portions 42 of the contacts 40 are locked into the first locking portions 24a of the contact mounting grooves 24. At this time, the supported portions 45 of the contacts 40 are supported by the longitudinal walls 21b serving as side walls. The first extension portions 45a of the supported portions 45 are disposed in the first grooves 24b of the contact mounting grooves 24. The folded portions 45b of the supported portions 45 are disposed in the folded portions 24c of the contact mounting grooves 24. The second extension portions 45c of the supported portions 45 are disposed in the second grooves 24d of the contact mounting grooves 24. The second locking portions 45d of the supported portions 45 are locked into the second locking portions 24e of the contact mounting grooves 24.

[0041] When the contact 40 is attached to the contact mounting groove 24, the first contact portion 46 of the contact 40 is exposed outward in the front-to-rear direction in the first groove 24b of the contact mounting groove 24. The second contact portion 47 of the contact 40 is exposed inward in the front-to-rear direction in the second groove 24d of the contact mounting groove 24, toward the mating recess 23. The bent portion 43 of the contact 40 is located directly above the first locking portion 24a of the contact mounting groove 24 and at the lower end of the first groove 24b.

[0042] The first locking portion 42 of the contact 40 is located between the mounting portion 41 and the bent portion 43 and is locked to the insulator 20. The bent portion 43 of the contact 40 is located between the mounting portion 41 and the first contact portion 46. The bent portion 43 is located between the mounting portion 41 and the supported portion 45. At this time, the notch 25 of the insulator 20 cuts out the insulator 20 from the end of the bent portion 43 on the first contact portion 46 side toward the mounting portion 41 side. The notch 25 faces the first locking portion 42 of the contact 40 locked to the first locking portion 24a and the bent portion 43 located at the lower end of the first groove 24b in the front-rear direction. The left-right width of the notch 25 is slightly larger than the left-right width of the bent portion 43 of the contact 40. The notch 25 cuts out the insulator 20 continuously from a vertical position corresponding to the end of the bent portion 43 on the first contact portion 46 side, past the vertical position of the first locking portion 42, to the bottom surface of the insulator 20. The notch 25 forms a space between the insulator 20 and the first locking portion 42 and bent portion 43 of the contact 40.

[0043] 7, the metal fitting 30 is attached to the insulator 20. For example, the locking portion 31 of the metal fitting 30 is locked into the metal fitting mounting groove 26 of the insulator 20. The metal fitting 30 is press-fitted into the metal fitting mounting groove 26 of the insulator 20 and is disposed at both the left and right ends of the insulator 20.

[0044] 8, the constricted portion 44 of the contact 40 forms a space between the contact 40 and the insulator 20 in the left-right direction. As described above, the notch 25 of the insulator 20 forms a space between the contact 40 and the insulator 20 in the front-rear direction. As a result, at the constricted portion 44, the contact 40 does not come into contact with the insulator 20 in the front-rear and left-right directions.

[0045] The connector 10 having the above structure is mounted, for example, on a circuit formation surface formed on the mounting surface of a circuit board CB1. More specifically, the mounting portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 is placed on solder paste applied to a pattern on the circuit board CB1. The mounting portion 41 of the contact 40 is placed on the solder paste applied to a pattern on the circuit board CB1. By heating and melting the solder paste in a reflow oven or the like, the mounting portion 32 and the mounting portion 41 are soldered to the pattern. As a result, the mounting of the connector 10 on the circuit board CB1 is completed. Electronic components other than the connector 10, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), controller, or memory, are mounted on the circuit formation surface of the circuit board CB1.

[0046] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 5. With reference to Fig. 9, the function of each component of connector 10 when stress is applied to contact 40 and contact 40 elastically deforms starting from bent portion 43 will be mainly described.

[0047] As described above, the mounting portion 32 of the metal fitting 30 and the mounting portion 41 of the contact 40 are soldered to the circuit board CB1, thereby fixing the insulator 20 to the circuit board CB1. Even in this case, when an external force is applied to the connector 10, the metal fitting 30 and the contact 40 undergo slight elastic deformation, causing a slight change in the position of the insulator 20 relative to the circuit board CB1.

[0048] 9, assume that an external force is applied to the connector 10 and the contacts 40 from the rear to the front. At this time, stress is applied to the contacts 40, and the contacts 40 elastically deform starting from the bent portions 43. For example, the portion of the contacts 40 formed between the supported portion 45 and the mounting portion 41 elastically deforms.

[0049] For example, in Figure 9, the bent portion 43 of the contact 40 attached to the rear of the insulator 20 elastically deforms from a smoothly curved, mountain-like protrusion to a linearly folded shape along the front-to-rear direction. For example, the bent portion 43 extends linearly upward as it moves from bottom to top, and then slopes diagonally upward from rear to front. The relative front-to-rear position of the first locking portion 42 located below the bent portion 43 with respect to the insulator 20 shifts further rearward compared to a state in which the contact 40 is not elastically deformed. The portion of the contact 40 attached to the rear of the insulator 20 formed between the supported portion 45 and the mounting portion 41 elastically deforms so that it slopes diagonally upward as a whole from rear to front.

[0050] 9, the bent portion 43 of the contact 40 attached to the front of the insulator 20 elastically deforms from a smoothly curved, mountain-like protrusion to a shape that bends into the cutout 25 of the insulator 20. For example, as the bent portion 43 moves from top to bottom, it inclines slightly outward in the front-to-rear direction and then bends significantly toward the inside of the cutout 25 of the insulator 20. The relative front-to-rear position of the first locking portion 42 located below the bent portion 43 with respect to the insulator 20 shifts further rearward compared to a state in which the contact 40 is not elastically deformed. The portion of the contact 40 attached to the front of the insulator 20 that is formed between the supported portion 45 and the mounting portion 41 elastically deforms while bending significantly so that the majority of the portion is located inside the cutout 25.

[0051] As described above, the space formed by the notch 25 is formed between the insulator 20 and the portion of the contact 40 that elastically deforms starting from the bent portion 43. The space formed by the notch 25 can accommodate a part of the portion formed between the supported portion 45 and the mounting portion 41 when stress is applied to the contact 40 and the contact 40 elastically deforms starting from the bent portion 43. In this manner, the space is formed between the bent portion 43 and the insulator 20 so that the bent portion 43 can elastically deform. The space is formed between the elastic portion of the contact 40 and the insulator 20 in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction in which the connector 10 and the connection target 50 are mated with each other. For example, the space is formed between the bent portion 43 and the insulator 20 in the plate thickness direction of the contact 40.

[0052] Next, the structure of the connection object 50 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS.

[0053] Fig. 10 is an external perspective view showing, as viewed from above, a connection object 50 to be connected to the connector 10 of Fig. 3. Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing, as viewed from above, the connection object 50 of Fig. 10.

[0054] 11, the connection object 50 has, as major components, an insulator 60, a metal fitting 70, and a contact 80. The connection object 50 is assembled by press-fitting the metal fitting 70 and the contact 80 into the insulator 60 from below.

[0055] The insulator 60 is a rectangular pillar-shaped component injection-molded from an insulating and heat-resistant synthetic resin material. The insulator 60 has a mating recess 61 that is recessed linearly in the left-right direction on its top surface. The insulator 60 has a mating protrusion 62 that protrudes linearly in the left-right direction from the center of the mating recess 61. The mating protrusion 62 is surrounded in the front-rear and left-right directions by the outer peripheral wall of the insulator 60.

[0056] The insulator 60 has guide portions 63 formed on the inner upper edge of the fitting recess 61 at both left and right ends. The guide portions 63 are formed by inclined surfaces that slope diagonally inward and downward at the upper edge of the fitting recess 61. The insulator 60 has metal fitting mounting grooves 64 recessed into the interior of the insulator 60 from the bottom surface at both left and right ends toward the top.

[0057] The insulator 60 has a plurality of contact mounting grooves 65. The contact mounting grooves 65 are recessed from the front side of the bottom of the insulator 60 to the front inner surface of the fitting recess 61 and the front side surface of the fitting protrusion 62. The contact mounting grooves 65 are recessed from the rear side of the bottom of the insulator 60 to the rear inner surface of the fitting recess 61 and the rear side surface of the fitting protrusion 62. The multiple contact mounting grooves 65 are formed at predetermined intervals from one another in the left-right direction.

[0058] The metal fitting 70 is formed by stamping a thin plate of any metal material into the shape shown in Fig. 11. The metal fitting 70 is formed in a U-shape when viewed from above. The metal fitting 70 has a mounting portion 71 at its lower end that extends outward in an L-shape in the front-to-rear direction. The metal fitting 70 has a locking portion 72 that is formed continuously with the mounting portion 71 and is U-shaped when viewed from above.

[0059] The contact 80 is formed by stamping a thin plate of a spring-elastic copper alloy or a Corson copper alloy, for example, containing phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, or titanium copper, into the shape shown in FIG. 11 . The contact 80 is formed, for example, by punching only. The contact 80 is flat in the left-right direction. The processing method for the contact 80 is not limited to this, and may include a step of bending the contact in the thickness direction after punching. The surface of the contact 80 is plated with gold, tin, or the like after forming a nickel base.

[0060] A plurality of contacts 80 are arranged in the left-right direction. Each contact 80 has a mounting portion 81 extending outward in the front-rear direction. Each contact 80 has a locking portion 82 extending linearly upward from the mounting portion 81. Each contact 80 has a resilient contact portion 83 extending inward in the front-rear direction from the connection portion between the mounting portion 81 and the locking portion 82. The resilient contact portion 83 is U-shaped when viewed from the front in the left-right direction. The resilient contact portion 83 is bifurcated. The resilient contact portion 83 has a first resilient contact portion 83a located on the locking portion 82 side in the front-rear direction. The resilient contact portion 83 has a second resilient contact portion 83b located on the opposite side of the first resilient contact portion 83a from the locking portion 82 in the front-rear direction and facing the first resilient contact portion 83a in the front-rear direction.

[0061] 10 , the metal fitting 70 is attached to the metal fitting mounting groove 64 of the insulator 60. For example, the locking portion 72 of the metal fitting 70 is locked into the metal fitting mounting groove 64 of the insulator 60. The metal fittings 70 are disposed at both the left and right ends of the insulator 60.

[0062] The plurality of contacts 80 are respectively attached to the plurality of contact mounting grooves 65 of the insulator 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 12 , which will be described later, the locking portions 82 of the contacts 80 are engaged with portions of the contact mounting grooves 65 of the insulator 60 that are recessed inside the side walls of the insulator 60. At this time, the tip ends of the first resilient contact portions 83a of the contacts 80 are exposed inside the fitting recess 61 from portions of the contact mounting grooves 65 of the insulator 60 that are recessed into the inner surface of the fitting recess 61 in the front-rear direction. Similarly, the tip ends of the second resilient contact portions 83b of the contacts 80 are exposed inside the fitting recess 61 from portions of the contact mounting grooves 65 of the insulator 60 that are recessed into the side surfaces of the fitting protrusions 62 in the front-rear direction. The first resilient contact portions 83a and the second resilient contact portions 83b are elastically deformable in the front-rear direction in the contact mounting groove 65.

[0063] The connection object 50 having the above structure is mounted, for example, on a circuit formation surface formed on the mounting surface of the circuit board CB2. More specifically, the mounting portion 71 of the metal fitting 70 is placed on solder paste applied to a pattern on the circuit board CB2. The mounting portion 81 of the contact 80 is placed on solder paste applied to a pattern on the circuit board CB2. By heating and melting the solder paste in a reflow oven or the like, the mounting portions 71 and 81 are soldered to the pattern. As a result, the mounting of the connection object 50 on the circuit board CB2 is completed. Electronic components other than the connection object 50, including, for example, a camera module and a sensor, are mounted on the circuit formation surface of the circuit board CB2.

[0064] Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow line XII-XII in Fig. 1. The operation of connector 10 when connector 10 is connected to object 50 to be connected will be mainly described with reference to Fig. 12.

[0065] With the connection object 50 facing upside down relative to the connector 10, the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are placed facing each other in the up-down direction while their front-to-back and left-to-right positions are approximately aligned. Then, the connection object 50 is moved downward. At this time, even if their positions are slightly misaligned, for example, in the front-to-back or left-to-right directions, the guide portion 27 of the connector 10 and the guide portion 63 of the connection object 50 will come into contact with each other.

[0066] As a result, the outer peripheral wall 21 of the insulator 20 of the connector 10 is guided into the mating recess 61 of the insulator 60 of the connection object 50. When the connection object 50 is further moved downward, the outer peripheral wall 21 of the insulator 20 and the mating recess 61 of the insulator 60 fit together. The mating recess 23 of the insulator 20 and the mating protrusion 62 of the insulator 60 fit together.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 12 , when the insulator 20 of the connector 10 and the insulator 60 of the connection object 50 are fitted together, the contacts 40 of the connector 10 and the contacts 80 of the connection object 50 come into contact with each other. More specifically, the first contact portion 46 of the contact 40 and the first resilient contact portion 83a of the contact 80 come into contact with each other. The second contact portion 47 of the contact 40 and the second resilient contact portion 83b of the contact 80 come into contact with each other. The contacts 40 and 80 come into contact with each other at two locations. At this time, the tip of the first resilient contact portion 83a of the contact 80 elastically deforms slightly outward in the front-rear direction and elastically displaces toward the inside of the contact mounting groove 65. Similarly, the tip of the second resilient contact portion 83b of the contact 80 elastically deforms slightly inward in the front-rear direction and elastically displaces toward the inside of the contact mounting groove 65.

[0068] As a result of the above, connector 10 is completely connected to connection object 50. At this time, circuit board CB1 and circuit board CB2 are electrically connected via contacts 40 and 80.

[0069] In this state, the first elastic contact portion 83a and the second elastic contact portion 83b of the contact 80 sandwich the supported portion 45 of the contact 40 of the connector 10 from both the front and rear sides by elastic force along the front-rear direction, thereby improving the connection strength of the connection object 50 to the connector 10.

[0070] The connector 10 according to the embodiment described above utilizes elastic deformation of the contacts 40 to allow the connector 10 to move relative to the circuit board CB1. Furthermore, the elastic deformation reduces loads, such as stress, applied to the mounting portions 41 of the contacts 40, thereby improving reliability. For example, the connector 10 includes bent portions 43 in the contacts 40, which elastically deform starting from the bent portions 43 when stress is applied to the contacts 40, thereby dispersing the stress. The bent portions 43 in the contacts 40 increase the length of the elastically deformable portions of the contacts 40, making them more flexible around the bent portions 43. In addition to the above-described effect of dispersing stress, the connector 10 can clearly define the starting point of elastic deformation of the contacts 40 at the bent portions 43. As a result, the connector 10 can suppress stress concentration on the mounting portions 41 of the contacts 40, thereby reducing the load applied to the mounting portions 41.

[0071] This prevents stress from concentrating on the mounting portion 41 of the contact 40, even when, for example, a force parallel to the circuit board CB1 or a force in a rotational direction on a plane parallel to the circuit board CB1 is applied to the connector 10. As a result, peeling and damage to the mounting portion 41 due to solder cracks and the like can be prevented.

[0072] A space is formed between the insulator 20 and the portion of the contact 40 that elastically deforms starting from the bent portion 43, so that the portion that elastically deforms starting from the bent portion 43 can be accommodated in the space. This allows the connector 10 to allow the contact 40 to elastically deform when stress is applied to the contact 40.

[0073] The connector 10 is movable as a whole when the single insulator 20 is moved by elastic deformation of the contacts 40. For example, compared to a connector with a floating structure that has a fixed insulator and a movable insulator that is surrounded by the fixed insulator and can move relative to the fixed insulator, the connector 10 can reduce the number of components required to achieve mobility. The connector 10 can reduce the number of parts and can be made smaller than a connector with a floating structure.

[0074] The insulator 20 has the notch 25 that forms a space between the insulator 20 and the portion of the contact 40 that elastically deforms starting from the bent portion 43, so that the connector 10 can tolerate the elastic deformation of the contact 40 when stress is applied to the contact 40. The notch 25 cuts out the insulator 20 from the end of the bent portion 43 on the first contact portion 46 side toward the mounting portion 41 side to the bottom surface, so that the space is larger. Therefore, the connector 10 can more reliably tolerate the elastic deformation of the contact 40 when stress is applied to the contact 40.

[0075] The contacts 40 have constricted portions 44 that reduce the width of the bent portions 43 along the longitudinal direction of the connector 10, thereby forming a space at the constricted portions 44 between the contacts 40 and the insulator 20 along the longitudinal direction of the connector 10. This allows the connector 10 to suppress solder wicking and flux wicking from the mounting portion 41 due to capillary action. This makes it less likely that the elasticity of the bent portions 43 will decrease and the bent portions 43 will become fixed due to solder wicking and flux wicking from the mounting portion 41. In other words, deterioration of the elastic deformation characteristics of the contacts 40 starting from the bent portions 43 is suppressed.

[0076] The effect of suppressing the deterioration of the elastic deformation characteristics as described above is more pronounced by forming the constricted portion 44 at the end of the bent portion 43 on the side of the mounting portion 41. In addition, the cutout portion 25 of the insulator 20 forms a space in the front-to-rear direction between the contact 40 and the insulator 20 at the constricted portion 44, which further pronouncedly suppresses the deterioration of the elastic deformation characteristics as described above.

[0077] In addition, since the contact 40 has the constricted portion 44, the shape of the first locking portion 42 formed adjacent to the constricted portion 44 becomes clearer. For example, when a die is used to punch out a thin plate during the punching process for processing the contact 40, the shape of the first locking portion 42 becomes clearer. This improves the workability when attaching the contact 40 to the insulator 20.

[0078] By bending bent portion 43 in a mountain-like shape so as to protrude away from insulator 20, connector 10 can maintain a large space capable of accommodating a portion that elastically deforms starting from bent portion 43. Therefore, connector 10 can more reliably tolerate elastic deformation of contacts 40 when stress is applied to contacts 40.

[0079] The contact 40 is located between the mounting portion 41 and the bent portion 43 and has the first locking portion 42 that locks to the insulator 20, so that the effect of elastic deformation of the contact 40 originating from the bent portion 43 is less likely to be transmitted to the mounting portion 41. This further reduces the load applied to the mounting portion 41. Furthermore, the contact 40 is locked to the insulator 20 by both the first locking portion 42 and the second locking portion 45d, which improves the holding force of the contact 40 by the insulator 20. This further reduces the effect of elastic deformation of the contact 40 originating from the bent portion 43 to be transmitted to the mounting portion 41. As a result, the load applied to the mounting portion 41 is further reduced.

[0080] The connector 10 has a metal fitting 30 attached to the insulator 20 that is flat in the longitudinal direction of the connector 10, thereby improving the mounting strength of the insulator 20 to the circuit board CB1. For example, the metal fitting 30 is press-fitted into the insulator 20, and the mounting portion 32 is soldered to the circuit board CB1, so that the metal fitting 30 can stably fix the insulator 20 to the circuit board CB1.

[0081] Metal fitting 30 has notch 33 formed by cutting out locking portion 31 in the mating direction at a position adjacent to the extending portion of mounting portion 32 in locking portion 31, and is thereby able to elastically deform in accordance with the elastic deformation of contacts 40 starting from bent portion 43. This allows connector 10 to tolerate elastic deformation of metal fitting 30 and contacts 40 even when connector 10 is subjected to, for example, a force in a direction parallel to circuit board CB1 or a force in a rotational direction on a plane parallel to circuit board CB1.

[0082] The insulator 20 having the guide portion 27 facilitates the guide between the fitting recess 61 of the connection object 50 and the outer peripheral wall 21 of the insulator 20. In other words, the insertion of the connection object 50 into the connector 10 becomes easier.

[0083] Because the contacts 40 are made of a metal material with a low elastic modulus, the connector 10 can ensure the required amount of elastic deformation of the contacts 40 even when a small external force is applied to the connector 10. In other words, the connector 10 can sufficiently distribute stress by elastically deforming the contacts 40 starting from the bent portions 43. This allows the connector 10 to sufficiently reduce the load applied to the mounting portions 41 of the contacts 40.

[0084] The connector 10 can absorb vibrations caused by some external factor by elastic deformation of the contacts 40 starting from the bent portions 43. This allows the connector 10 to reduce the load applied to the mounting portions 41 of the contacts 40. This prevents damage to the connection portions with the circuit board CB1. In other words, it prevents cracks from occurring in the solder at the connection portions between the circuit board CB1 and the mounting portions 41. This improves connection reliability even when the connector 10 and the connection target 50 are connected.

[0085] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be embodied in other specific forms other than the above-described embodiments without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the foregoing description is illustrative and not limiting. The scope of the disclosure is defined not by the foregoing description but by the appended claims. All modifications within the range of equivalents of any modifications are intended to be embraced therein.

[0086] For example, the shape, arrangement, orientation, and number of each of the above-described components are not limited to those described above and illustrated in the drawings, and may be arbitrarily configured as long as the components can achieve their functions.

[0087] The method of assembling the connector 10 and the connection object 50 described above is not limited to the above description. Any method may be used to assemble the connector 10 and the connection object 50 as long as the connector 10 and the connection object 50 can be assembled in a manner that allows the respective functions to be performed. For example, at least one of the metal fittings 30 and the contacts 40 may be molded integrally with the insulator 20 by insert molding rather than press-fitting. For example, at least one of the metal fittings 70 and the contacts 80 may be molded integrally with the insulator 60 by insert molding rather than press-fitting.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the elastic portion is described as including the bending portion 43 that bends in a direction perpendicular to the mating direction in which the connector 10 and the connection object 50 are mated with each other, but is not limited to this. For example, the elastic portion does not have to be bent, and may be elastically deformable by reducing the width in the front-rear direction, i.e., the plate thickness.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the notch 25 of the insulator 20 is described as cutting the insulator 20 from the end of the bent portion 43 on the first contact portion 46 side toward the mounting portion 41 side to the bottom surface, but this is not limited to this. The notch 25 may be formed in any region of the insulator 20 along the vertical direction, as long as a space is formed between the insulator 20 and the portion of the contact 40 that deforms starting from the bent portion 43. For example, the notch 25 does not have to cut the insulator 20 all the way to the bottom surface, and may cut the insulator 20 to any position above the bottom surface of the insulator 20.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the contact 40 has been described as having a constricted portion 44 that reduces the width of the bent portion 43 along the longitudinal direction of the connector 10, but this is not limiting. The contact 40 may have a constricted portion that reduces the width of the bent portion 43 along the lateral direction of the connector 10, or may not have a component that reduces the width of the bent portion 43, such as the constricted portion 44.

[0091] In the above embodiment, the bent portion 43 is bent in a mountain shape so as to protrude on the side opposite to the insulator 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. The bent portion 43 may be bent so as to protrude on the insulator 20 side.

[0092] In the above embodiment, the contact 40 has been described as having the first locking portion 42 located between the mounting portion 41 and the bent portion 43 and locking to the insulator 20, but this is not limited thereto. The contact 40 may have the first locking portion 42 at a position other than between the mounting portion 41 and the bent portion 43. The contact 40 has been described as having two locking portions, the first locking portion 42 and the second locking portion 45d, but this is not limited thereto. The contact 40 may have only one locking portion, or three or more locking portions.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the connector 10 has been described as having the metal fitting 30 attached to the insulator 20, but the present invention is not limited to this. The connector 10 does not necessarily have to have the metal fitting 30.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the contacts 40 are described as being made of a metal material with a small elastic modulus, but this is not limiting. The contacts 40 may be made of a metal material with any elastic modulus as long as the required amount of elastic deformation can be ensured.

[0095] In the above embodiment, only the contacts 40 of the connector 10 have the bent portions 43, and when stress is applied to the contacts 40, they elastically deform starting from the bent portions 43. However, this is not limiting. A structural portion similar to the bent portions 43 of the contacts 40 may also be formed on the contacts 80 of the connection object 50.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the connection object 50 is described as a receptacle connector connected to the circuit board CB2, but is not limited to this. The connection object 50 may be any object other than a connector. For example, the connection object 50 may be an FPC, a flexible flat cable, a rigid board, or a card edge of any circuit board.

[0097] The connector 10 described above is mounted on an electronic device. The electronic device includes any in-vehicle device, such as a camera, radar, drive recorder, or engine control unit. The electronic device includes any in-vehicle device used in an in-vehicle system, such as a car navigation system, an advanced driver assistance system, or a security system. The electronic device includes any information device, such as a personal computer, a smartphone, a copier, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunction device. The electronic device also includes any industrial equipment.

[0098] Such an electronic device can reduce the load applied to the mounting portion 41 of the contact 40 of the connector 10 due to stress. This makes it possible to prevent the mounting portion 41 from peeling off or being damaged due to solder cracks, etc. Therefore, the reliability of the electronic device as a product having the connector 10 is improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 10 Connectors 20 insulator 21 Outer wall 21a short wall 21b Longitudinal wall (side wall) 22 Bottom wall 23 Fitting recess 24 Contact mounting groove 24a 1st locking part 24b 1st groove 24c Turning section 24d 2nd groove 24e Second locking portion 25 Notch 26 Metal fitting mounting groove 27 Recruitment Department 30 Metal fittings 31 Locking part 32 Mounting section 33 Notch 40 Contacts 41 Mounting section 42 First locking portion (locking portion) 43 Bending section (elastic section) 44 Waist 45 Supported part 45a 1st extension 45b Turning section 45c 2nd extension 45d 2nd locking part 46 1st contact part (contact part) 47 Second contact part 50 Connected Objects 60 insulator 61 Fitting recess 62 mating protrusion 63 Recruitment Department 64 Metal fitting mounting groove 65 Contact mounting groove 70 Metal fittings 71 Mounting section 72 Locking part 80 Contacts 81 Mounting section 82 Locking part 83 Elastic contact part 83a First elastic contact part 83b Second elastic contact part CB1, CB2 circuit board

Claims

1. A connection structure obtained by fitting a connector mounted on a circuit board and a connection object together, The connector comprises: an insulator having a rectangular shape and including a pair of side walls and a fitting recess located between the pair of side walls; a plurality of contacts attached to the sidewall; Equipped with The contact has a mounting portion, an elastic portion, and a supported portion, the mounting portion is mounted on the circuit board, the supported portion is supported by the side wall, and has a first extension portion including a first contact portion and positioned outside the fitting recess, and a second extension portion including a second contact portion and positioned inside the fitting recess, each of the first contact portion and the second contact portion contacts the connection object in the fitted state; the elastic portion is located between the mounting portion and the first contact portion in a fitting direction in which the connector and the connection object are fitted together, and is elastically deformable; a space is formed between the elastic portion and the insulator; the first contact portion is located outside the side wall in a first direction perpendicular to the fitting direction, and includes a part of an outer surface of the first extension portion in the first direction facing away from the fitting recess; the second contact portion is located inside the side wall in the first direction and includes a part of an inner surface of the second extension portion in the first direction that faces the fitting recessed portion, the elastic portion includes a bent portion that bends in the first direction and protrudes outward in the first direction in a mountain-like shape away from the insulator. Connection structure.

2. the insulator has a notch formed by cutting the insulator toward the mounting portion, the notch forming the space; The connection structure according to claim 1 .

3. the notch cuts out the insulator from an end of the elastic portion on the first contact portion side toward the mounting portion side. The connection structure according to claim 2 .

4. The space is formed between the elastic portion and the insulator in the first direction. The connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the elastic portion is located between the mounting portion and the supported portion in the fitting direction. The connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The contact has a constricted portion that reduces the width of the elastic portion along a longitudinal direction of the connector, which is a second direction perpendicular to the mating direction and the first direction. The connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The constricted portion is located at an end of the elastic portion on the mounting portion side. The connection structure according to claim 6.

8. The contact has a locking portion that is located between the mounting portion and the bent portion in the mating direction and that locks onto the insulator. The connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. An electronic device comprising the connection structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images