Electrical Connectors for Circuit Boards

Abstract

To provide an electric connector for a circuit board capable of satisfactorily connecting a connection portion to a mounting surface of a circuit board.SOLUTION: A housing 10 includes placement surfaces 11 and 12 facing a circuit board on both sides in a connector height direction. Terminals 20 and 30 include: connecting portions 21, 22, 31, and 32 located on both sides of the housing 10 in the connector height direction and connected to the circuit board; and connecting portions 23, and 33 located in the housing 10 and connecting the two connecting portions 21, 22, 31, and 32. The connecting portions 21, 22, 31, and 32 include connecting exposure portions 21A, 22A, 31A, and 32A exposed from the arrangement surfaces 11 and 12, and both ends of the connecting portion 21, 22, 31, and 32 are bent toward the inside of the housing 10 and embedded in the housing 10 when viewed in an arrangement direction of the terminals 20 and 30, and the connecting portions 23 and 33 connect one ends 21B, 22B, 31B, and 32B of the two connecting portions 21, 22, 31, and 32, respectively.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connector for circuit boards that is disposed between and connects two circuit boards. [Background technology]

[0002] Known examples of this type of electrical connector for circuit boards include a connector disposed between two circuit boards arranged facing each other in the vertical direction, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The connector in Patent Document 1 has a plurality of lead terminals arranged in a direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a housing that holds the plurality of lead terminals embedded therein.

[0003] The housing is a rectangular tube with a vertically extending space formed therethrough and has four walls surrounding the space. The lead terminal has a lower joint portion extending along the lower surface of the housing toward the outside of the connector, an upper joint portion extending along the upper surface of the housing toward the outside of the connector, and a connecting portion (a part of the portion called the "easily deformable portion" and a portion called the "embedded portion") extending vertically along the inner surface of the wall of the housing and connecting the lower joint portion and the upper joint portion.

[0004] The connecting portion connects the inner end of the lower joint portion (the end located on the inside in the wall thickness direction of the housing) with the inner end of the upper joint portion. The lower joint portion is provided so as to be entirely exposed from the bottom surface of the housing, and the lower surface of the lower joint portion is solder-connected to the mounting surface of a circuit board. The upper joint portion is provided so as to be entirely exposed from the top surface of the housing, and the upper surface of the upper joint portion is solder-connected to the mounting surface of another circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4258432 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In Patent Document 1, as described above, the lower and upper joints of the lead terminal are entirely exposed from the lower and upper surfaces of the housing, respectively. In other words, the free outer ends of the lower and upper joints are not held by the housing. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the outer ends of the lower and upper joints, the lower and upper joints may deform, making it difficult to connect them to the mounting surface of the circuit board.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector for a circuit board that can avoid inadvertent deformation of the connecting portions of the terminals and can ensure good connection of the connecting portions to the mounting surface of the circuit board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The electrical connector for circuit boards according to the present invention is disposed between two circuit boards to connect the two circuit boards.

[0009] In such an electrical connector for a circuit board, the present invention comprises a plurality of terminals arranged parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board, and a housing that holds the plurality of terminals by integral molding, the housing having arrangement surfaces facing the circuit board on both sides in the connector height direction, the terminals having connection portions located on both sides of the housing in the connector height direction and connected to the circuit board, and a linking portion located within the housing that links the two connection portions, the connection portions having exposed connection portions exposed from the arrangement surfaces, and both ends of the connection portions bent toward the inside of the housing when viewed in the arrangement direction of the terminals and embedded in the housing, and the linking portion links one end of the two connection portions.

[0010] In the present invention, the connection portions of the terminals are firmly held by having both ends embedded in the housing, so that the connection portions of the terminals are less likely to deform even if subjected to an inadvertent external force.

[0011] In the present invention, the connecting portion may extend linearly in the height direction of the connector. By having the connecting portion extend linearly in the height direction of the connector, two circuit boards can be connected via terminals over the shortest distance, thereby improving signal transmission characteristics. Furthermore, as long as sufficient signal transmission characteristics can be ensured, the connecting portion may be partially bent in the height direction of the connector.

[0012] In the present invention, one of the two connection portions may have an extension portion extending from the other end of the exposed connection portion, the extension portion being bent laterally within the housing and having a lateral exposed portion at its tip that is exposed from a side surface of the housing. With this configuration, after the connector is mounted on a circuit board, the lateral exposed portion can be used as a portion to connect a device for testing electrical continuity.

[0013] In the present invention, the lateral exposed portions may be provided at positions closer to either of the mounting surfaces of the housing in the connector height direction. If a carrier is connected to the lateral exposed portions of the terminals before the connector is manufactured, the connection between the lateral exposed portions and the carrier will be cut after the terminals are held in the housing. In this case, if the lateral exposed portions are provided at positions closer to either of the mounting surfaces of the housing in the connector height direction, the carrier can be easily separated by bringing a carrier cutting tool from the side where the lateral exposed portions are closer.

[0014] In the present invention, the lateral exposed portions may be provided at a central position of the housing in the connector height direction. By providing the lateral exposed portions at a central position in this manner, it is not necessary to be concerned with the vertical orientation of the terminals during connector manufacture, which makes connector manufacture easier. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] In the present invention, it is possible to avoid inadvertent deformation of the connection portion of the terminal and to ensure good connection of the connection portion to the mounting surface of the circuit board. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention together with a circuit board, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are perspective views of some terminals provided in the connector of FIG. 1, where FIG. 2A shows a state as seen from diagonally above, and FIG. 2B shows a state as seen from diagonally below. [Figure 3] 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIA-IIIA in FIG. 1B, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB in FIG. 1B. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 5] 5A is a VA-VA cross-sectional view of FIG. 5B, and FIG. 5B is a VB-VB cross-sectional view of FIG. 5B. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a perspective view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 7] 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIA-VIIA in FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIB-VIIB in FIG. 6B. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section at the position of a terminal in the terminal arrangement direction of a connector according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] First Embodiment Fig. 1(A) is a perspective view showing a connector 1 arranged on a circuit board B1, and Fig. 1(B) is a side view showing the connector 1 arranged on the circuit board B1 and the circuit board B2. As shown in Fig. 1(B), the connector 1 of this embodiment is an electrical connector for circuit boards that is arranged between the circuit boards B1 and B2 that face each other in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), which is the connector height direction, and connects the circuit boards B1 and B2.

[0019] The connector 1 has a housing 10 made of an electrically insulating material such as resin, and a plurality of first terminals 20 and second terminals 30 made of metal and held in the housing 10. Hereinafter, the first terminals 20 and the second terminals 30 will be collectively referred to as "terminals 20, 30" unless there is a need to distinguish between them. The terminals 20, 30 are held in the housing 10 by integral molding (insert molding) in a state where the terminal arrangement direction is the X-axis direction parallel to the mounting surfaces of the circuit boards B1, B2.

[0020] The housing 10 is formed with an outline of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with the terminal arrangement direction (X-axis direction) as its longitudinal direction. The lower surface of the housing 10 forms a lower arrangement surface 11 that faces the mounting surface (upper surface) of the circuit board B1, and the upper surface of the housing 10 forms an upper arrangement surface 12 that faces the mounting surface (lower surface) of the circuit board B2. The lower part of the housing 10 is formed with lower cutouts 13 that are cut out over the entire area in the terminal arrangement direction on both sides in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction). Furthermore, the upper part of the housing 10 is formed with upper cutouts 14 that are cut out over the entire area in the terminal arrangement direction on both sides in the connector width direction.

[0021] The first terminals 20 and the second terminals 30 are terminals with different shapes, and are arranged in multiple terminal rows (four rows in this embodiment) in the connector width direction, with multiple terminals (five terminals in this embodiment) arranged in the terminal arrangement direction. In this embodiment, when the terminal rows are arranged in order from the Y1 side as terminal row L1, terminal row L2, terminal row L3, and terminal row L4, terminal row L1 is the row of the first terminals 20, terminal row L2 is the row of the second terminals 30, terminal row L3 is the row of the second terminals 30, and terminal row L4 is the row of the first terminals 20.

[0022] 1(A), the first terminals 20 of terminal row L1 and the second terminals 30 of terminal row L3 are arranged at the same position in the terminal arranging direction, and the second terminals 30 of terminal row L2 and the first terminals 20 of terminal row L4 are arranged at the same position in the terminal arranging direction. Furthermore, the first terminals 20 of terminal row L1 and the second terminals 30 of terminal row L3, and the second terminals 30 of terminal row L2 and the first terminals 20 of terminal row L4 are arranged alternately in the terminal arranging direction. In other words, the terminals 20, 30 of any terminal row adjacent in the connector width direction are arranged in a staggered pattern in the terminal arranging direction.

[0023] 2(A) and 2(B) are perspective views of some terminals 20, 30 provided in the connector 1, with FIG. 2(A) showing the terminals 20, 30 as viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 2(B) showing the terminals 20, 30 as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 3(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIA-IIIA of FIG. 1(B), and FIG. 3(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIB-IIIB of FIG. 1(B). Each of the terminals 20, 30 is formed by bending a metal strip in the thickness direction. The first terminal 20 has a lower connection portion 21 provided at the bottom of the housing 10, an upper connection portion 22 provided at the top of the housing 10, a connecting portion 23 extending in the vertical direction and connecting the lower connection portion 21 and the upper connection portion 22, a lower extension portion 24 extending continuously from the lower connection portion 21, and an upper extension portion 25 extending continuously from the upper connection portion 22.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), the lower connection portion 21 has a lower connection exposed portion 21A extending in the connector width direction along the lower placement surface 11, and a lower inner end portion 21B (one end portion) which is the inner end of both ends of the lower connection portion 21 when viewed in the terminal arrangement direction, i.e., both ends in the connector width direction, and a lower outer end portion 21C (the other end portion) which is the outer end portion.

[0025] The lower connection exposed portion 21A is exposed from the lower mounting surface 11 of the housing 10, and its lower surface, which is parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board B1, can come into contact with a pad (not shown) of the circuit board B1. The lower connection portion 21 is soldered to the pad of the circuit board B1 with the lower surface of the lower connection exposed portion 21A in contact with the pad.

[0026] 3(A) and 3(B), the lower inner end 21B is bent upward at a right angle to form a generally L-shape, and its upper end is embedded in the lower part of the housing 10. In other words, the upper end of the lower inner end 21B is held within the housing 10 without being exposed in its entirety from the housing 10. The entire portion of the lower inner end 21B excluding the upper end is exposed from the lower placement surface 11 of the housing 10.

[0027] 3(A) and 3(B), the lower outer end 21C is also bent upward at a right angle to form a generally L-shape, and has a shape obtained by inverting the lower inner end 21B in the connector width direction. The upper end of the lower outer end 21C is embedded in the lower part of the housing 10 with its plate surface (a surface perpendicular to the plate thickness surface) exposed from the housing 10. The entire portion of the lower outer end 21C, excluding the upper end, is exposed from the lower placement surface 11 of the housing 10.

[0028] 3(A) and 3(B), the upper connection portion 22 held by the upper part of the housing 10 has a shape obtained by inverting the lower connection portion 21 vertically, and has an upper exposed connection portion 22A extending in the connector width direction along the upper arrangement surface 12 of the housing 10, an upper inner end portion 22B (one end portion) which is the inner end portion of the upper connection portion 22, and an upper outer end portion 22C (the other end portion) which is the outer end portion of the upper connection portion 22. The manner in which the upper connection portion 22 is held by the housing 10 is similar to the manner in which the lower connection portion 21 is held as described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted here.

[0029] Thus, in first terminal 20, both ends of lower connection portion 21, i.e., lower inner end 21B and lower outer end 21C, are firmly held by being embedded in the lower part of housing 10. Also, both ends of upper connection portion 22, i.e., upper inner end 22B and upper outer end 22C, are firmly held by being embedded in the upper part of housing 10. Therefore, lower connection portion 21 and upper connection portion 22 are less likely to deform even when subjected to an inadvertent external force, and lower connection portion 21 and upper connection portion 22 can be well connected to circuit boards B1 and B2.

[0030] The connecting portion 23 extends vertically straight without any inclination within the housing 10, connecting the lower inner end 21B of the lower connection portion 21 and the upper inner end 22B of the upper connection portion 22. The connecting portion 23 is embedded in the housing 10, without being exposed from the housing 10, and is entirely covered by the housing 10. In this embodiment, the connecting portion 23 extends vertically straight, which allows the circuit boards B1 and B2 to be connected via the first terminals 20 in the shortest distance, thereby improving signal transmission characteristics, which is particularly effective when transmitting high-speed signals. Note that, as long as sufficient signal transmission characteristics can be ensured, it is not essential that the connecting portion extend vertically straight without any inclination. The connecting portion may, for example, extend at an incline relative to the vertical direction, or may be bent at an intermediate position in the vertical direction.

[0031] The lower extension portion 24 extends linearly upward from the upper end of the lower inner end portion 21B of the lower connection portion 21 within the housing 10. The lower extension portion 24 is embedded and held in the housing 10 with its plate surface exposed to the lower cutout portion 13 and the other portions covered by the housing 10.

[0032] The upper extension portion 25 has a vertical portion 25A that extends linearly downward from the lower end of the upper outer end 22C of the upper connection portion 22, and a horizontal portion 25B that is bent at a right angle at the lower end of the vertical portion 25A and extends linearly outward in the connector width direction. The vertical portion 25A extends to a position closer to the lower arrangement surface 11 in the up-down direction, specifically, to a position slightly above the lower cutout 13. As shown in Figures 3(A) and (B) , the outer plate surface of the upper end (the portion connected to the upper outer end 22C) of the vertical portion 25A is exposed to the upper cutout 14, and the remaining portion is covered by the housing 10, so that the vertical portion 25A is embedded and held in the housing 10.

[0033] The horizontal portion 25B extends in the connector width direction along the lower cutout 13 directly above the lower cutout 13, and is embedded in the housing 10 with the lower surface of the horizontal portion exposed in the lower cutout 13. The tip (free end) of the horizontal portion 25B is exposed by protruding from the side surface of the housing 10 (a surface perpendicular to the connector width direction), and is formed as a lateral exposed portion 25B-1. The lateral exposed portion 25B-1 is provided at a position closer to the lower arrangement surface 11 in the vertical direction.

[0034] In this embodiment, the side exposed portion 25B-1 is used to inspect the electrical continuity after the connector 1 is mounted on the circuit boards B1 and B2. Specifically, by connecting a probe of an electrical continuity inspection device to the side exposed portion 25B-1 and measuring, for example, voltage or current, it is possible to easily inspect whether the connector 1 is properly soldered to the circuit boards B1 and B2. In this embodiment, the side exposed portion 25B-1 is also used as a portion to be coupled to a carrier before the connector 1 is manufactured.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 2(A), (B) and 3(A), (B), the second terminal 30 has a shape similar to that of the first terminal 20, but differs in shape from the first terminal 20 in that the horizontal portion 35B of the upper extension portion 35 is longer than the horizontal portion 25B of the first terminal 20. Furthermore, the second terminal 30 has the entire connecting portion 33, including its upper end, covered by the housing 10, and in this respect, the second terminal 30 differs in its holding form from the first terminal 20. Portions of the second terminal 30 that are common to the first terminal 20 are designated by reference numerals obtained by adding "10" to the reference numerals of the first terminal 20 (for example, the lower connection portion corresponding to the lower connection portion 21 of the first terminal 20 is designated by reference numeral "31"), and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0036] Similarly to the first terminal 20, the second terminal 30 also has a lower inner end 31B and a lower outer end 31C of the lower connection portion 31 and an upper inner end 32B and an upper outer end 32C of the upper connection portion 32 embedded in the housing 10 and thus firmly held in place. Therefore, the lower connection portion 31 and the upper connection portion 32 are less likely to deform even when subjected to an inadvertent external force, and the lower connection portion 31 and the upper connection portion 32 can be well connected to the circuit boards B1 and B2.

[0037] Furthermore, since the connecting portion 33 is straight and extends in the vertical direction, the second terminal 30 can connect the circuit board B1 and the circuit board B2 in the shortest distance, and the lateral exposed portion 35B-1 can be used to test the electrical conductivity or as a connecting portion with a carrier, similar to the first terminal 20.

[0038] The connector 1 is manufactured as follows. First, two terminal materials are prepared, each having first terminals 20 and second terminals 30 connected to a carrier (not shown) in an alternating arrangement, and are arranged one on each of the Y1 and Y2 sides in the connector width direction (Y-axis direction). The carrier of the terminal material arranged on the Y1 side has the first terminals 20 of terminal row L1 and the second terminals 30 of terminal row L2 connected to it, while the carrier of the terminal material arranged on the Y2 side has the second terminals 30 of terminal row L3 and the first terminals 20 of terminal row L4 connected to it. These two terminal materials are arranged in the connector width direction so that the first terminals 20 of terminal row L1 face the first terminals 20 of terminal row L4, and the second terminals 30 of terminal row L2 face the second terminals 30 of terminal row L3.

[0039] Next, an upper mold (not shown) is placed over the terminal material from above, and a lower mold (not shown) is placed from below, so that the carriers of each terminal material are sandwiched between these molds and the terminals 20, 30 are accommodated in the space within the molds. Next, molten electrical insulating material (resin, etc.) is injected into the space and then solidified to form the housing 10 (insert molding), and at the same time, the terminals 20, 30 are held by the housing 10.

[0040] After the housing 10 is molded, a carrier cutting jig is brought from below to the joining position between the side exposed portion 25B-1 of the first terminal 20 and the carrier and the joining position between the side exposed portion 35B-1 of the second terminal 30 and the carrier, thereby cutting each carrier from the side exposed portion 25B-1 and the side exposed portion 35B-1, thereby completing the connector 1. In this embodiment, the side exposed portion 25B-1 and the side exposed portion 35B-1 are provided at positions closer to the lower arrangement surface 11 of the housing 10 in the vertical direction, so that the carrier can be easily cut off by bringing the jig from below.

[0041] In this embodiment, the lateral exposed portion 25B-1 and the lateral exposed portion 35B-1 are provided at positions closer to the lower arrangement surface 11 of the housing 10 in the vertical direction, but instead, they may be provided at positions closer to the upper arrangement surface 12 of the housing 10 in the vertical direction. In this case, the carrier can be easily separated by bringing a carrier cutting jig from above.

[0042] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, the terminals 20, 30 of any adjacent terminal rows in the four terminal rows are arranged at different positions from each other in the terminal arrangement direction, but the terminal arrangement is not limited to this and various modifications are possible. In this embodiment, the terminals of the two terminal rows located on the outer side in the connector width direction and the terminals of the two terminal rows located on the inner side are arranged at different positions in the terminal arrangement direction, which is a difference from the first embodiment. In addition, in this embodiment, the lateral exposed portions of the terminals are provided at the center of the housing in the vertical direction, which is also a difference from the first embodiment.

[0043] In this embodiment, the explanation will focus on the parts that differ in configuration from the first embodiment, and for parts that have the same configuration as the first embodiment, the reference numerals of the parts in the first embodiment will be given with "100" added, and the explanation will be omitted.

[0044] Fig. 4(A) is a perspective view showing connector 101 of this embodiment, and Fig. 4(B) is a side view of connector 101. In this embodiment, housing 110 does not have cutouts corresponding to lower cutout 13 and upper cutout 14 of housing 10 of the first embodiment, and has a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape with the terminal arrangement direction as the longitudinal direction.

[0045] 4(A), in this embodiment, terminal row L1 is a row of first terminals 120, terminal row L2 is a row of second terminals 130, terminal row L3 is a row of second terminals 130, and terminal row L4 is a row of first terminals 120. The first terminals 120 of terminal row L1 and the first terminals 120 of terminal row L4, which are located on the outer side in the connector width direction, are provided at the same position in the terminal arrangement direction, and the second terminals 130 of terminal row L2 and the second terminals 130 of terminal row L3, which are located on the inner side in the connector width direction, are provided at the same position in the terminal arrangement direction. In addition, the first terminals 120 of terminal row L1 and the first terminals 120 of terminal row L4, and the second terminals 130 of terminal row L2 and the second terminals 130 of terminal row L3 are provided alternately in the terminal arrangement direction.

[0046] 5A is a VA-VA cross-sectional view of FIG. 4B, and FIG. 3B is a VB-VB cross-sectional view of FIG. 4B. As shown in FIG. 5A, the first terminal 120 has a shape obtained by lengthening the lower extension portion 24 of the first terminal 20 of the first embodiment and shortening the upper extension portion 25. Specifically, the lower extension portion 124 extends upward from the upper end of the lower outer end portion 121C of the lower connecting portion 121 to near the center of the housing 110. The upper extension portion 125 has a vertical portion 125A that extends downward from the lower end of the upper outer end portion 122C of the upper connecting portion 122 to the center of the housing 110, and a horizontal portion 125B that is bent at a right angle at the lower end of the vertical portion 125A and extends outward in the connector width direction. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4(A), (B) and 5(A), the lateral exposed portion 125B-1 of the lateral portion 125B protrudes and is exposed from the side surface of the housing 110 at the central position of the housing 110 in the up-down direction.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5(B), the second terminal 130 has a shape obtained by lengthening the lower extension portion 34 of the second terminal 30 of the first embodiment and shortening the upper extension portion 35. Specifically, the lower extension portion 134 extends upward from the upper end of the lower outer end portion 131C of the lower connecting portion 131 to near the center of the housing 110. The upper extension portion 135 has a vertical portion 135A that extends downward from the lower end of the upper outer end portion 132C of the upper connecting portion 132 to the center of the housing 110, and a horizontal portion 135B that is bent at a right angle at the lower end of the vertical portion 135A and extends outward in the connector width direction. In other words, as shown in FIGS. 4(A), 4(B), and 5(B), the lateral exposed portion 135B-1 of the horizontal portion 125B protrudes and is exposed from the side surface of the housing 110 at the center of the housing 110 in the up-down direction.

[0048] In this embodiment, the lateral exposed portion 125B-1 of the first terminal 120 and the lateral exposed portion 135B-1 of the second terminal 130 are located at the center position of the housing 110 in the vertical direction, so when manufacturing the connector 101, there is no need to be aware of the vertical orientation of the first terminal 120 and the second terminal 130, making it easier to manufacture the connector 101.

[0049] Third Embodiment In this embodiment, the shapes of the housing, the first terminals, and the second terminals are exactly the same as the shapes of the housing 110, the first terminals 120, and the second terminals 130 of the second embodiment, but differ from the second embodiment in that the first terminals and the second terminals are arranged in the same arrangement as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts that differ in configuration from the second embodiment will be mainly described, and parts that are common to the second embodiment will be designated by reference numerals in the second embodiment with "100" added, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] FIG. 6(A) is a perspective view showing a connector 201 of this embodiment, and FIG. 6(B) is a side view of the connector 201. FIG. 7(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIA-VIIA of FIG. 6(B), and FIG. 7(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIB-VIIB of FIG. 6(B). As shown in FIGS. 6(A) and (B), the housing 210 of this embodiment is formed in exactly the same shape as the housing 110 of the second embodiment. Furthermore, as seen in FIGS. 7(A) and (B), the first terminal 220 and the second terminal 230 of this embodiment are formed in exactly the same shapes as the first terminal 20 and the second terminal 30 of the first embodiment.

[0051] As shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, terminal row L1 is a row of first terminals 220, terminal row L2 is a row of second terminals 230, terminal row L3 is a row of second terminals 230, and terminal row L4 is a row of first terminals 220, and terminals 220, 230 of any terminal row adjacent in the connector width direction are arranged alternately in the terminal arrangement direction, i.e., in a staggered pattern.

[0052] <Fourth embodiment> In this embodiment, the shapes of the housing and the first terminals are exactly the same as those of the housing 10 and the first terminals 20 in the first embodiment, but the shape of the second terminals is different from that of the second terminals 30 in the first embodiment. Also, the arrangement of the first terminals and the second terminals in this embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the parts that differ in configuration from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and parts that have the same configuration as the first embodiment will be designated by reference numerals obtained by adding "300" to the reference numerals of the parts in the first embodiment, and description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] 8 is a cross-sectional view of connector 301 of this embodiment, showing a cross section at the position of terminals 320, 330 in the terminal arrangement direction. As shown in Fig. 8, second terminal 330 of this embodiment has a connecting portion 333 partially bent in a crank shape, which differs in shape from second terminal 30 of the first embodiment, in which connecting portion 33 is straight throughout the vertical direction. As long as sufficient signal transmission characteristics can be ensured in the terminal, a portion of the connecting portion may be bent, as in connecting portion 333 of second terminal 330 of this embodiment.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 8, second terminal 333 has bent portion 333A bent in a crank shape at the middle position in the vertical direction, and lower straight portion 333B extending straight downward from bent portion 333A and upper straight portion 333C extending straight upward from bent portion 333A are positioned at different positions in the connector width direction. As a modified example, a bent portion may be formed on the first terminal instead of or in addition to the second terminal. The number of bent portions provided on a terminal can be set as appropriate and may be two or more. The shape and position of the bent portions provided on the terminal are not limited to those shown in FIG. 8 and can be modified in various ways.

[0055] In the first to fourth embodiments, the first terminals and the second terminals are arranged in four rows in the connector width direction, but the number of terminal rows can be set as appropriate. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first terminals and the second terminals are so-called bent terminals formed by bending a metal strip member in the plate thickness direction, but instead, they may be so-called punched terminals formed by punching a metal plate member in the plate thickness direction, for example.

[0056] In the first to fourth embodiments, the connection portion of each terminal is connected to the circuit board by soldering, but the manner in which the terminals are connected to the circuit board is not limited to this; for example, the connection portion of each terminal may be connected to the circuit board via an anisotropic conductive film (ACF). [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1,101,201,301 Connectors 10,110,210,310 Housing 11,111,211,311 Lower placement surface 12,112,212,312 Upper placement surface 20,120,220,320 First terminal 21,121,221,321 Lower connection 21A, 121A, 221A, 321A Lower connection exposed part 21B, 121B, 221B, 321B Lower inner end (one end) 21C,121C,221C,321C Lower outer end 22,122,222,322 Upper connection 22A, 122A, 222A, 322A Upper connection exposed part 22B, 122B, 222B, 322B Upper inner end (one end) 22C, 122C, 222C, 322C Upper outer end (other end) 23,123,223,323 Connecting part 25,125,225,325 Upper extension 25B-1,125B-1,225B-1,325B-1 Side exposed part 30,130,230,330 Second terminal 31,131,231,331 Lower connection 31A,131A,231A,331A Lower connection exposed part 31B, 131B, 231B, 331B Lower inner end (one end) 31C,131C,231C,331C Lower outer end 32,132,232,332 Upper connection 32A, 132A, 232A, 332A Upper connection exposed part 32B, 132B, 232B, 332B Upper inner end (one end) 32C, 132C, 232C, 332C Upper outer end (other end) 33,133,233,333 Connecting part 35,135,235,335 Upper extension 35B-1, 135B-1, 235B-1, 335B-1 Lateral exposed portion 333A flexion B1,B2 circuit board

Claims

1. 1. An electrical connector for circuit boards, disposed between two circuit boards and connecting the two circuit boards, a plurality of terminals arranged in a plurality of terminal rows with a direction parallel to the mounting surface of the circuit board as the terminal arrangement direction; a housing that holds the plurality of terminals by integral molding, the housing has arrangement surfaces facing the circuit board on both sides in the connector height direction, The terminals each have a connecting portion located on both sides of the housing in the connector height direction and connected to the circuit board, a connecting portion located within the housing and connecting the two connecting portions, and an extension portion extending from the connecting portions, the connection portion has an exposed connection portion exposed from the arrangement surface, and both ends of the connection portion are bent toward the inside of the housing as viewed in the arrangement direction of the terminals and are embedded in the housing, the coupling portion couples one end of each of the two connection portions, the extension portion extends from the other end of one of the two connection portions, and has a lateral exposed portion at a tip end thereof that is bent laterally within the housing and exposed from a side surface of the housing; the lateral exposed portion of the terminal in the terminal row located on one side of the center position of the housing in the connector width direction perpendicular to the terminal arrangement direction is exposed from the side surface of the one side of the housing, An electrical connector for a circuit board, characterized in that the lateral exposed portion of the terminal in the terminal row located on the other side of the center position of the housing in the connector width direction is exposed from the side surface of the other side of the housing.

2. 2. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion extends straight in the height direction of the connector.

3. 2. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is bent in a height direction of the connector.

4. 4. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the lateral exposed portion is provided at a position closer to one of the arrangement surfaces of the housing in the height direction of the connector.

5. 4. The electrical connector for a circuit board according to claim 1, wherein the side exposed portion is provided at a central position of the housing in the height direction of the connector.

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