Connector and connector assembly

Abstract

To improve the reliability without damaging a mating guide portion or the like of a connector body during a mating operation.SOLUTION: A connector body includes a fitting guide portion in which a fitting recess into which a mating fitting guide portion is inserted is formed, and a reinforcing bracket includes a main body attached to the end wall of the fitting guide portion, a pair of left and right connecting arms that are connected to both ends of the main body and extend toward the center of the connector body in the longitudinal direction, which are attached to the side wall of the fitting guide portion, and the connecting arm includes a side plate portion extending in the mating direction, and a side wall upper cover portion connected to the upper end of the side plate portion, and at least a part of the outside of the side plate portion is covered by the outer portion of the side wall, and the side wall upper cover portion is curved such that its tip faces the inside of the fitting recess and covers at least a part of the upper surface of the inner portion of the side wall.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to connectors and connector assemblies. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, connectors such as board-to-board connectors have been used to electrically connect a pair of parallel circuit boards. Such connectors are attached to the opposing surfaces of the pair of circuit boards and are mated with each other to establish electrical continuity. Furthermore, a technology has been proposed in which reinforcing metal fittings attached to both ends function as locking members to maintain the mated state with the mating connector (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector.

[0004] In the figure, reference numeral 811 denotes a housing of a connector mounted on a circuit board (not shown), and the connector is mated with a mating connector (not shown) for electrical connection. The housing 811 has a pair of side walls extending in the longitudinal direction and a pair of mating guides connected to both longitudinal ends of the side walls, with each mating guide having a mating recess. A plurality of terminals 861 are attached to the side walls, and a reinforcing metal fitting 851 is attached to the mating guides. The reinforcing metal fitting 851 has a lateral arm 853 extending along the side wall of the housing 811 and a U-shaped arm 858 extending along the mating recess, with the tip of the U-shaped arm 858 engageable with recesses 817 formed at both ends of a center island 813 of the housing 811.

[0005] When the connector is mated with the mating connector, each terminal 861 comes into contact with the mating terminal of the mating connector. This electrically connects the circuit board on which the connector is mounted to the mating circuit board on which the mating connector is mounted. The mating convex portion of the mating housing also enters the mating concave portion of the mating guide portion of the housing. Then, the reinforcing metal fitting 851 attached to the mating guide portion engages with the mating reinforcing metal fitting attached to the mating convex portion of the mating housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-207557 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the conventional connectors described above, the housing 811 can be damaged or broken during the mating operation. When mating a connector attached to a circuit board with a mating connector attached to a mating circuit board, depending on the work conditions, the operator may not be able to visually check the mating surfaces of the housing 811 and the mating surfaces of the mating housing, and may have to perform the mating operation by feel. In particular, as board-to-board connectors have become smaller and thinner in recent years, it has become difficult for the operator to visually check the mating surfaces of the housing 811 and the mating surfaces of the mating housing.

[0008] In this case, the operator adjusts the position of the mating housing relative to the housing 811 by sliding the mating surfaces of the housing 811 and the mating surfaces of the mating housing, and inserts the mating convex portion of the mating housing into the mating concave portion of the housing 811.

[0009] Therefore, before the alignment of the housing 811 and the mating housing is complete, a force may be applied to the housing 811 from the mating housing in the mating direction, or the mating surface of the mating housing may be rubbed against the mating surface of the housing 811 due to the action of rotating the mating housing relative to the housing 811. In such cases, a portion of the mating surface of the housing 811 may be subjected to a large pressing force, resulting in scratches or damage. In particular, as board-to-board connectors have become smaller and thinner in recent years, the thickness of each part of the housing 811 is thin, and if a strong force is applied, it may be easily damaged. Furthermore, the terminals 861 may come into contact with components of the mating connector, such as the mating housing, and may be damaged or broken.

[0010] It is also possible to use reinforcing bracket 851 and the mating reinforcing bracket as electrical circuit connecting components by connecting them to the power lines of the circuit board and the mating circuit board, etc. However, if reinforcing bracket 851 is not sufficiently flexible, contact between reinforcing bracket 851 and the mating reinforcing bracket may not be maintained when vibrations or shocks generated when an electronic device on which the circuit board is mounted is dropped or subjected to external force are transmitted, and sufficient conductivity as a power line may not be ensured.

[0011] The object of this invention is to provide a connector and connector assembly that solves the problems of the conventional connectors and is highly reliable, in which the mating guide portions of the connector body are not damaged or broken during the mating operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To this end, the connector comprises a connector body, terminals attached to the connector body, and a reinforcing metal fitting attached to the connector body, the connector body including mating guide portions formed at both longitudinal ends, the mating guide portions having mating recesses into which mating mating guide portions formed at both longitudinal ends of the mating connector body of the mating connector are inserted, and the reinforcing metal fittings extend in the width direction of the connector body. End wall cover a portion attached to an end wall portion of the fitting guide portion End wall cover Part and End wall cover Department End wall An outer cover portion, Outer longitudinal direction of the connector body Flat plate facing End wall Outer cover and the end wall outer cover portion a pair of left and right connecting arms that are bent and connected to both widthwise ends of the mating recess and extend toward the center of the longitudinal direction of the connector body, the connecting arms being attached to the side wall portions of the mating guide portion, a bottom cover portion that covers the bottom surface of the mating recess, and a pair of left and right contact arms that are connected to both left and right sides of the bottom cover portion and can come into contact with a mating reinforcing metal fitting attached to a mating mating guide portion inserted into the mating recess, the connecting arms including a side plate portion and a side wall upper cover portion connected to the upper end of the side plate portion, at least a part of the outside of the side plate portion is covered by the outer part of the side wall portion, the side wall upper cover portion extends so that its tip faces obliquely downward into the mating recess, and the upper surface of the side wall upper cover portion near the tip forms an inclined surface that faces obliquely downward into the mating recess, the contact arms destination The end of the connector extends obliquely upward outward in the width direction of the connector body, an upper surface of the contact arm portion near the tip thereof is an inclined surface that is substantially parallel to the inclined surface of the upper surface of the side wall upper cover portion near the tip thereof; The aforementioned Tip of contact arm The end faces and is adjacent to the tip of the side wall upper cover portion.

[0013] In another connector, the side plate portion further includes a through hole, and the outer portion and the inner portion of the side wall portion are connected through the through hole.

[0014] In still another connector, the upper surface of the outer portion of the side wall is located lower than the upper end of the side wall upper cover portion.

[0015] In still another connector, the lower end surfaces of the side plates are exposed below the side walls and can come into contact with the surface of a circuit board on which the connector is mounted.

[0018] The connector assembly includes the connector of the present disclosure and a mating connector that mates with the connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present disclosure, the connector has improved reliability because the mating guide portion of the connector body is not damaged or broken during the mating operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view seen from the second connector side, showing the positional relationship between the first connector and the second connector before they are mated in the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are two-sided views of a first connector according to the present embodiment, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in (a). [Figure 4] 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the first connector in the present embodiment taken along the line BB in FIG. 3(a), and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view of the first connector in the line CC in FIG. 3(a). [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view seen from the first connector side, showing the positional relationship between a first connector and a second connector before they are mated in the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the second connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a second connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 8]10 is a plan view seen from the second connector side when the first connector and the second connector are released from mating in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow DD in FIG. 8 when the first connector and the second connector in the present embodiment are released from their mating state. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a perspective view seen from the second connector side showing the positional relationship between the first connector and the second connector before mating in this embodiment, Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the first connector in this embodiment, Fig. 3 is a two-sided view of the first connector in this embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the first connector in this embodiment. In Fig. 3, (a) is a plan view, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in (a), and in Fig. 4, (a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 3(a) and (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 3(a).

[0023] In the drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a connector in this embodiment, which is a first connector that is one of a pair of board-to-board connectors that are a connector assembly (connector assembly). The first connector 1 is a surface-mount connector that is mounted on the surface of a first substrate, which is a substrate (not shown) that serves as a mounting member, and is mated with a second connector 101 that serves as a mating connector. The second connector 101 is the other of the pair of board-to-board connectors, and is a surface-mount connector that is mounted on the surface of a second substrate, which is a substrate (not shown) that serves as a mounting member.

[0024] The first connector 1 and the second connector 101 in this embodiment are preferably used to electrically connect a first board and a second board as substrates, but can also be used to electrically connect other members. The first board and the second board are, for example, printed circuit boards used in electronic devices, flexible flat cables (FFC), flexible circuit boards (FPC), etc., but may be any type of board.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the expressions indicating directions such as up, down, left, right, front, and rear used to explain the configuration and operation of each part of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are not absolute but relative, and are appropriate when each part of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is in the position shown in the figure, but if the position changes, they should be interpreted differently in accordance with the change in position.

[0026] The first connector 1 has a first housing 11 as a connector main body integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. As shown in the figure, the first housing 11 has a roughly rectangular thick plate shape that is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped, and on the side where the second connector 101 is fitted, i.e., on the mating surface 11a side (the positive Z-axis direction side), a roughly rectangular recess 12 is formed that is surrounded by a periphery and fits with the second housing 111 of the second connector 101. The first connector 1 has dimensions of, for example, a length (dimension in the X-axis direction) of approximately 6.0 mm, a width (dimension in the Y-axis direction) of approximately 2.0 mm, and a thickness (dimension in the Z-axis direction) of approximately 0.6 mm, although these dimensions can be changed as appropriate. Within the recess 12, a first protrusion 13 serving as a central island that fits into the recessed groove 113 described below is formed integrally with the first housing 11, and on both sides of the first protrusion 13 (the positive and negative Y-axis sides), side wall portions 14 extending parallel to the first protrusion 13 are formed integrally with the first housing 11.

[0027] In this case, the first protrusion 13 and the side wall 14 protrude upward (in the positive direction of the Z axis) from a bottom plate 18 that defines the bottom surface of the recess 12, and extend in the longitudinal direction (in the X axis direction) of the first housing 11. As a result, groove portions 12a, which are elongated recesses extending in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, are formed as part of the recess 12 on both sides of the first protrusion 13.

[0028] Here, a first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a having a recessed groove shape is formed on both side surfaces of the first protrusion 13. Furthermore, a first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b having a recessed groove shape is formed on the inner side surface of the side wall portion 14. The first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a and the first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b are connected to each other at the bottom surface of the recessed groove portion 12a and are integrated with each other. Therefore, when describing the first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a and the first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b collectively, they will be described as the first terminal-accommodating cavity 15. The first terminal-accommodating cavity 15 is formed to penetrate the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction (Z-axis direction).

[0029] In this embodiment, the first terminal-accommodating cavities 15 are formed side by side in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, on both sides of the first housing 11 in the width direction (Y-axis direction). Specifically, a plurality of first terminal-accommodating cavities 15 (e.g., 10) are formed on each side of the first protrusion 13 at a predetermined pitch (e.g., about 0.35 mm). The pitch and number of the first terminal-accommodating cavities 15 can be changed as appropriate. A plurality of first terminals 61, which are accommodated in each of the first terminal-accommodating cavities 15 and loaded into the first housing 11, are also arranged on each side of the first protrusion 13 at the same pitch.

[0030] The first terminal 61 is a member formed as a single unit by punching, bending, and other processing a conductive metal plate, and comprises a held portion 63, a tail portion 62 connected to the lower end of the held portion 63, an upper connection portion 67 connected to the upper end of the held portion 63, a second contact portion 66 connected to the lower end of the upper connection portion 67 and facing the held portion 63, a lower connection portion 64 connected to the lower end of the second contact portion 66, and an inner connection portion 65 connected to the end of the lower connection portion 64 opposite the second contact portion 66.

[0031] The held portion 63 extends in the fitting direction (Z-axis direction), i.e., in the thickness direction of the first housing 11, and is fitted into and held in the first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b. The tail portion 62 is bent and connected to the held portion 63, extends outward in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction), i.e., in the width direction of the first housing 11, and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first board. The conductive trace is typically a signal line. The upper connection portion 67 is a curved portion that protrudes upward (positive Z-axis direction).

[0032] A second contact portion 66 extending downward (in the negative direction of the Z axis) is connected to the lower end of the upper connection portion 67 opposite the held portion 63. The upper connection portion 67 includes an inclined portion 67a that descends obliquely downward from the upper end in a straight line or in a gently curved shape, and a protruding portion 67b that protrudes inward in the width direction of the first housing 11 at the lower end of the inclined portion 67a.

[0033] The lower connection portion 64 is a portion having a substantially U-shaped side surface that is connected to the lower end of the second contact portion 66. In the lower connection portion 64, the portion connected to the lower end of the second contact portion 66 is a downward outer curved portion 64b, and the portion connected to the lower end of the inner connection portion 65 is a downward inner curved portion 64a. Furthermore, a first contact portion 65a that is curved approximately 180 degrees so as to protrude upward and toward the second contact portion 66 is connected to the upper end of the inner connection portion 65.

[0034] The first terminal 61 is fitted into the first terminal-accommodating cavity 15 from the mounting surface 11b, which is the lower surface (surface in the negative direction of the Z axis) of the first housing 11, and the held portion 63 is sandwiched from both sides by the side walls of the first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b formed on the inner side surface of the side wall portion 14, thereby being fixed to the first housing 11. In this state, i.e., when the first terminal 61 is loaded into the first housing 11, the first contact portion 65a and the second contact portion 66 are located on both the left and right sides of the recessed groove portion 12a and face each other.

[0035] 4(b), when viewed from the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of the first housing 11, most of the held portion 63 is accommodated in the first terminal-accommodating outer cavity 15b, and most of the first contact portion 65a is accommodated in the first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a. Furthermore, the upper surface of the upper connecting portion 67 is located lower than the upper surface of the side wall portion 14, i.e., the mating surface 11a of the first housing 11, and the upper surface of the first contact portion 65a is also located lower than the upper surface of the first protrusion 13. In other words, the first terminal 61 does not protrude from the mating surface 11a.

[0036] The first terminal 61 is a member integrally formed by processing a metal plate, and therefore has a certain degree of elasticity. As is clear from its shape, the distance between the first contact portion 65a and the second contact portion 66, which face each other, can be elastically changed. That is, when the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101 is inserted between the first contact portion 65a and the second contact portion 66, the distance between the first contact portion 65a and the second contact portion 66 elastically expands.

[0037] The portion of the first protrusion 13 that corresponds to the first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a is a thin wall portion 13a that is small in width. Therefore, even when the second terminal 161 is inserted between the first contact portion 65a and the second contact portion 66 and the gap between the first contact portion 65a and the second contact portion 66 elastically expands, the first terminal 61, more specifically the inner connecting portion 65 and the downward inner curved portion 64a, do not come into contact with the thin wall portion 13a of the first protrusion 13. The portion of the first protrusion 13 that does not correspond to the first terminal-accommodating inner cavity 15a does not have a small width, and its lower end is connected to the bottom plate 18 that defines the bottom surface of the recessed groove portion 12a.

[0038] Furthermore, first protruding ends 21 serving as mating guides are disposed on both longitudinal ends of the first housing 11. Each first protruding end 21 has a mating recess 22 formed as part of the recess 12. The mating recess 22 is a substantially rectangular recess, and is connected to both longitudinal ends of each recessed groove 12a. When the first connector 101 and the second connector 101 are mated, a second protruding end 122 of the second connector 101 is inserted into the mating recess 22.

[0039] The first protruding end portion 21 further includes sidewall extensions 21c, which extend from both longitudinal ends of the sidewall portion 14 in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11, and end wall portions 21b, which extend in the width direction of the first housing 11 and have both ends connected to the sidewall extensions 21c. In each first protruding end portion 21, the end wall portions 21b and the sidewall extensions 21c connected to both ends form a continuous, approximately U-shaped side wall, defining three sides of the approximately rectangular fitting recess 22. The end wall portions 21b each have a recessed outer end recess 23a on their outer surface, and a recessed inner end recess 23b on their inner surface. The sidewall extensions 21c each have a recessed inner recess 23c on their inner surface. A slit-shaped intermediate recess 23d is formed between the inner and outer surfaces, penetrating vertically.

[0040] A recessed island end recess 17a is formed in the longitudinal end face (the face facing the end wall portion 21b) of an island end portion 17, which is the longitudinal end portion of the first housing 11 in the first protrusion 13. Furthermore, a slit-shaped island recess 17b penetrating in the vertical direction is formed at the boundary between the island end recess 17a and the upper surface of the island end portion 17. A bottom opening 18a penetrating the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction is formed in the bottom plate 18, which defines the bottom surface of the fitting recess 22.

[0041] A first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is attached to the first protruding end 21 as a reinforcing metal fitting to be loaded into the first housing 11. In this embodiment, the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is a member formed as a single unit by subjecting a metal plate to processing such as punching and bending, and includes an end wall cover portion 57 as a main body covering the outside of the end wall portion 21b of the first protruding end 21, connecting arms 53 connected to both left and right ends of the end wall cover portion 57, a bottom cover portion 58 connected to the end wall cover portion 57 and covering the bottom surface of the fitting recess 22, and an island end cover portion 55 and a pair of left and right contact arms 54 connected to the bottom cover portion 58.

[0042] The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 and the first housing 11 are integrated with each other by overmolding (insert molding). Therefore, the various portions of the first housing 11 where the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 is attached, such as the outer end recess 23a, inner end recess 23b, intermediate recess 23d, island end recess 17a, and island recess 17b, do not necessarily exist separately from the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 and in the shapes shown in Fig. 2, but it should be noted that the illustration in Fig. 2 is provided solely for the convenience of explanation.

[0043] The end wall cover portion 57 includes an end wall upper cover portion 57a ​​that extends overall in the width direction of the first housing 11 and covers more than half of the upper surface of the end wall portion 21b, an end wall outer cover portion 57b that extends downward from the outer edge of the end wall portion 21b in the end wall upper cover portion 57a, and a tail portion 57c that is bent and connected to the lower end of the end wall outer cover portion 57b and extends in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction), i.e., outward in the longitudinal direction of the first housing 11.

[0044] The end wall upper cover portion 57a ​​is an inclined portion extending diagonally downward from the upper end of the end wall portion 21b toward the fitting recess 22, and is accommodated in the inner end recess 23b near the upper end with the outer surface of the inclined portion exposed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the upper end of the inner surface of the first housing 11 at the longitudinal end of the fitting recess 22 is inclined and covered by the end wall upper cover portion 57a. The outer end recess 23a of the end wall portion 21b is almost entirely covered by the end wall outer cover portion 57b. Furthermore, the tail portion 57c is connected, by soldering or the like, to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the first board. The conductive trace is typically a power line or a ground line.

[0045] The connecting arms 53 are bent and connected to both ends of the end wall cover portion 57 in the width direction (Y-axis direction), and extend toward the center of the first housing 11 in the longitudinal direction. A roughly rectangular, flat side plate portion 53b is formed at the tip of each connecting arm 53, and a side wall upper cover portion 53a is connected to the upper end of the side plate portion 53b.

[0046] When the first reinforcing bracket 51 and the first housing 11 are integrated, a majority of the connecting arm 53 is embedded in the first protruding end 21, and a majority of the side plate 53b is embedded in the side wall extension 21c in a position such that it is housed in the intermediate recess 23d formed in the side wall extension 21c, as shown in FIG. 4(a). Therefore, both the outside and the inside of the side plate 53b are covered with the insulating material, such as synthetic resin, that forms the first housing 11. That is, at least a portion, and preferably a majority, of the outside of the side plate 53b is covered by the side wall extension outer portion 21c1 that defines the outside of the intermediate recess 23d, and at least a portion, and preferably a majority, of the inside of the side plate 53b is covered by the side wall extension inner portion 21c2 that defines the inside of the intermediate recess 23d. Side plate portion 53b has a through-hole 53d formed therein, penetrating side plate portion 53b in the thickness direction, and side wall extension outer portion 21c1, which is the outer portion of side wall extension portion 21c, and side wall extension inner portion 21c2, which is the inner portion of side wall extension portion 21c, are connected to each other through through-hole 53d. Therefore, side wall extension portion 21c is firmly integrated with side plate portion 53b, and exhibits high strength even though it is small in width and thin.

[0047] The dimension of side plate portion 53b in the fitting direction, i.e., the vertical direction (Z-axis direction), is larger than that of side wall extension portion 21c, and the vicinity of the upper and lower ends of side plate portion 53b are exposed above and below side wall extension portion 21c. It is desirable that lower end surface 53c of side plate portion 53b be flush with the lower surface of tail portion 57c, abut against the surface of the first board, and be connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a power line or a ground line. This further improves the strength of side wall extension portion 21c and side plate portion 53b integrated together.

[0048] The sidewall upper cover portion 53a connected to the upper end of the side plate portion 53b is curved by more than 90 degrees, with its tip 53e extending diagonally downward toward the fitting recess 22, and the upper surface near the tip 53e forms an inclined surface 53f. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the sidewall upper cover portion 53a is curved with a relatively small radius of curvature and is exposed so as to cover at least a portion, preferably more than half, of the upper surface of the sidewall extension inner portion 21c2. The upper surface of the sidewall extension outer portion 21c1 is exposed and not covered by the sidewall upper cover portion 53a, but is located lower than the upper end of the sidewall upper cover portion 53a. The upper end of the sidewall upper cover portion 53a is located at the same position as the upper end of the end wall upper cover portion 57a.

[0049] The bottom cover portion 58 includes an end-wall lower cover portion 58a that is bent and connected to the tip of the end-wall upper cover portion 57a ​​of the end-wall cover portion 57 and extends in the vertical direction, and a bottom portion 58b that is bent approximately 90 degrees to the lower end of the end-wall lower cover portion 58a and connected to the lower end of the end-wall lower cover portion 58a and extends approximately parallel to the XY plane toward the longitudinal center of the first housing 11. The end-wall lower cover portion 58a covers more than half of the lower half of the inner end recess 23b formed in the end wall portion 21b. The bottom portion 58b also blocks more than half of the bottom opening 18a that penetrates the bottom plate 18 in the plate thickness direction, and its upper surface essentially forms the bottom surface of the fitting recess 22.

[0050] The island end cover portion 55 includes an island end outer surface cover portion 55a that is bent at approximately 90 degrees and connected to the tip of the bottom surface portion 58b of the bottom surface cover portion 58 and extends in the vertical direction, an island end upper surface cover portion 55b that is connected to the upper end of the island end outer surface cover portion 55a and bent at approximately 180 degrees, and an island end recessed portion 55c that extends downward from the tip of the island end upper surface cover portion 55b. The width dimension of the island end cover portion 55 is set narrower than that of the bottom surface cover portion 58 and slightly narrower than the width of the first protrusion 13.

[0051] When the first reinforcing bracket 51 and the first housing 11 are integrated, the entire island end recessed portion 55c and part of the island end upper surface cover portion 55b are embedded in the first protrusion 13 in a position as if housed in the island recess 17b, as shown in FIG. 3(b). Furthermore, the island end outer surface cover portion 55a and a majority of the island end upper surface cover portion 55b are exposed at the end of the first protrusion 13, covering the entire island end recess 17a. This ensures that the end of the first protrusion 13 is covered by the integrated island end cover portion 55, thereby providing reliable protection. Furthermore, the strength of the first reinforcing bracket 51 is improved because the end wall cover portion 57 is integrated with the end wall portion 21b and the island end cover portion 55 is integrated with the first protrusion 13 at both longitudinal ends.

[0052] Each of the pair of left and right contact arms 54 has a spring portion 54a whose base end is connected to a side end of the bottom portion 58b of the bottom cover portion 58, and a contact protrusion 54b connected to the tip (free end) of the spring portion 54a. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the contact arm 54 is a plate member curved to form a generally S-shape when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. The spring portion 54a is a curved portion that protrudes outward in the width direction of the first housing 11, and its tip functions as a spring that can elastically displace in the width direction of the first housing 11. The contact protrusion 54b is a curved portion that protrudes toward the center of the width direction of the first housing 11, and comes into contact with the second reinforcing metal fitting 151 of the second connector 101 when the first connector 101 and the second connector 101 are mated and the second protruding end 122 is inserted into the mating recess 22. Furthermore, when the contact protrusion 54b comes into contact with the second reinforcing bracket 151 of the second connector 101, the spring portion 54a is elastically displaced outward in the width direction of the first housing 11, but since it is accommodated within the inner recess 23c formed on the inner surface of the side wall extension portion 21c, it does not abut against the side wall extension portion 21c.

[0053] Furthermore, the upper half of the contact protrusion 54b extends so that its tip 54c faces diagonally upward outward in the width direction of the first housing 11, and the upper surface near the tip 54c forms an inclined surface 54d. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the tip 54c of the contact protrusion 54b faces and is close to the tip 53e of the side wall upper cover portion 53a, and the inclined surface 54d of the contact protrusion 54b is approximately parallel to the inclined surface 53f of the side wall upper cover portion 53a but is offset downward from the inclined plane on which the inclined surface 53f exists. Therefore, when the second protruding end 122 is inserted into the fitting recess 22, the second reinforcing metal fitting 151 first abuts against the inclined surface 53f of the side wall upper cover portion 53a and slides along said inclined surface 53f, and then abuts against the inclined surface 54d of the contact protrusion 54b and slides, thereby preventing a large downward force from acting on the contact arm portion 54 and preventing buckling of the spring portion 54a. Furthermore, because the side wall upper cover portion 53a and the contact arm portion 54 are separately connected to the connecting arm portion 53 and the bottom cover portion 58, respectively, in the unlikely event that the second reinforcing metal fitting 151 collides with the side wall upper cover portion 53a and the connecting arm portion 53 is deformed, the contact arm portion 54 is prevented from being displaced accordingly.

[0054] Next, the configuration of second connector 101 will be described.

[0055] Figure 5 is an oblique view seen from the first connector side showing the positional relationship between the first connector and the second connector before mating in this embodiment, Figure 6 is an exploded view of the second connector in this embodiment, and Figure 7 is a plan view of the second connector in this embodiment.

[0056] Second connector 101, serving as a mating connector in this embodiment, has second housing 111, serving as a mating connector main body, integrally formed from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. As shown in the figure, second housing 111 has a roughly rectangular, thick plate-like shape that is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped. An elongated groove 113 extending in the longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) of second housing 111 and second protrusions 112, which define the outer side of groove 113 and serve as elongated protrusions extending in the longitudinal direction of second housing 111, are integrally formed on the side of second housing 111 that is fitted into first connector 1, i.e., on the mating surface 111a side (Z-axis negative side). Second protrusions 112 are formed along both sides of groove 113 and along both sides of second housing 111. The second connector 1 has dimensions of, for example, approximately 5.2 mm in length, approximately 1.9 mm in width, and approximately 0.5 mm in thickness, but these dimensions can be changed as appropriate.

[0057] Further, second terminals 161 serving as mating terminals are arranged on each second protrusion 112. The second terminals 161 are arranged at a pitch corresponding to the number of first terminals 61. The recessed groove 113 is closed by a bottom plate on the side that is mounted on the second board, i.e., on the mounting surface 111b side (the Z-axis positive direction side).

[0058] Second protruding end portions 122 serving as mating guide portions are disposed on both longitudinal ends of the second housing 111. The second protruding end portions 122 are thick members that extend in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the second housing 111 and have both ends connected to both longitudinal ends of each second convex portion 112, and their upper surfaces have a substantially rectangular shape. The second protruding end portions 122 function as insertion convex portions that are inserted into the mating recessed portions 22 of the first protruding end portion 21 of the first connector 1 when the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mated. A second reinforcing metal fitting 151 serving as a mating reinforcing metal fitting is attached to the second protruding end portions 122.

[0059] It should be noted that the second terminal 161 and the second reinforcing metal fitting 151 are components that are integrated with the second housing 111 by overmolding (insert molding), and therefore do not exist apart from the second housing 111. However, for the sake of convenience, they are depicted in Figure 6 as if they are apart from the second housing 111.

[0060] The second terminal 161 is a member integrally formed by punching, bending, or other processes from a conductive metal plate, and includes a first contact portion 165, a connecting portion 164 connected to the upper end of the first contact portion 165, a second contact portion 166 connected to the outer end of the connecting portion 164, and a tail portion 162 connected to the lower end of the second contact portion 166. The tail portion 162 extends outward from the second housing 111 and is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad connected to a conductive trace on the second board. The conductive trace is typically a signal line. The surfaces of the first contact portion 165, the connecting portion 164, and the second contact portion 166 are exposed on each side surface of the second protrusion 112 and the mating surface 111a.

[0061] An inclined portion 164a that descends in a relatively long straight line or a gentle curve from the end of the mating surface 111a toward the mounting surface 111b is formed on the first contact portion 165 side of the connecting portion 164. Furthermore, a protruding portion 164b that protrudes outward in the width direction of the second housing 111 is formed on the second contact portion 166 side of the connecting portion 164 at the boundary with the second contact portion 166.

[0062] The second reinforcing bracket 151 is a member formed as a single unit by punching, bending, and other processing of a metal plate, and comprises a central covering portion 157 as a main body portion that covers the outside of the second protruding end portion 122, and side covering portions 153 connected to both the left and right ends of the central covering portion 157.

[0063] The central covering portion 157 includes a protruding end upper cover portion 157a that extends in the width direction of the second housing 111 and covers more than half of the upper surface of the second protruding end portion 122, a connection cover portion 157b that is bent approximately 90 degrees and connected to the outer edge of the second protruding end portion 122 of the protruding end upper cover portion 157a, and a tail portion 157c that is bent and connected to the lower end of the connection cover portion 157b and extends outward in the front-to-rear direction (X-axis direction), i.e., the longitudinal direction of the second housing 111. The tail portion 157c is connected by soldering or the like to a connection pad that is connected to a conductive trace on the second board. The conductive trace is typically a power line or a ground line.

[0064] The side cover portion 153 includes a connection cover portion 153a bent approximately 90 degrees and connected to both left and right ends of the protruding end upper cover portion 157a, and a side cover portion 153b extending downward from the lower end of the connection cover portion 153a. The lower end of the side cover portion 153b is connected to a connection pad on the second board by soldering or the like. The connection pad is preferably connected to a conductive trace on the second board that functions as a power line or a ground line.

[0065] Next, the operation of mating and releasing the first connector 1 and second connector 101 configured as described above will be described.

[0066] Figure 8 is a plan view seen from the second connector side when the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment are disengaged, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow DD in Figure 8 when the first connector and the second connector in this embodiment are disengaged.

[0067] Here, the first connector 1 is surface-mounted on the first board by connecting the tail portions 62 of the first terminals 61 by soldering or the like to connection pads connected to conductive traces on the first board (not shown), connecting the lower end surfaces 53c of the side plate portions 53b of the first reinforcing bracket 51 by soldering or the like to connection pads connected to conductive traces on the first board, and connecting the tail portions 57c of the end wall cover portions 57 of the first reinforcing bracket 51 by soldering or the like to connection pads on the first board. Note that the conductive traces connected to the connection pads to which the tail portions 62 of the first terminals 61 are connected are signal lines, and the conductive traces connected to the connection pads to which the lower end surfaces 53c of the side plate portions 53b of the first reinforcing bracket 51 and the tail portions 57c of the end wall cover portions 57 are connected are power lines or ground lines.

[0068] Similarly, the second connector 101 is surface-mounted on the second board by connecting the tail portions 162 of the second terminals 161 by soldering or the like to connection pads connected to conductive traces on a second board (not shown), connecting the lower ends of the side cover portions 153b of the second reinforcing bracket 151 by soldering or the like to connection pads connected to conductive traces on the second board, and connecting the tail portions 157c of the central covering portion 157 of the second reinforcing bracket 151 by soldering or the like to connection pads on the second board. Note that the conductive traces connected to the connection pads to which the tail portions 162 of the second terminals 161 are connected are signal lines, and the conductive traces connected to the connection pads to which the lower ends of the side cover portions 153b of the second reinforcing bracket 151 and the tail portions 157c of the central covering portion 157 are connected are power lines or ground lines.

[0069] First, the operator positions the mating surface 11a of the first housing 11 of the first connector 1 opposite the mating surface 111a of the second housing 111 of the second connector 101, as shown in Figure 1 or 5, and when the position of the second convex portion 112 of the second connector 101 matches the position of the corresponding groove portion 12a of the first connector 1 and the position of the second protruding end portion 122 of the second connector 101 matches the position of the corresponding mating recess 22 of the first connector 1, the alignment of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed.

[0070] In this state, when the first connector 1 and / or the second connector 101 is moved in a direction approaching the mating side, i.e., in the mating direction (Z-axis direction), the second convex portion 112 and the second protruding end portion 122 of the second connector 101 are inserted into the recessed groove portion 12a and the mating recess 22 of the first connector 1. As a result, when the mating of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 is completed, the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161 are brought into an electrically conductive state.

[0071] Specifically, the second terminal 161 of the second connector 101 is inserted between the first contact portion 65a and the second contact portion 66 of each first terminal 61, so that the first contact portion 65a of the first terminal 61 contacts the first contact portion 165 of the second terminal 161, and the second contact portion 66 of the first terminal 61 contacts the second contact portion 166 of the second terminal 161. As a result, the conductive trace coupled to the connection pad on the first substrate to which the tail portion 62 of the first terminal 61 is connected is electrically connected to the conductive trace coupled to the connection pad on the second substrate to which the tail portion 162 of the second terminal 161 is connected. Note that the engagement between the protrusion 67b of the first terminal 61 and the protrusion 164b of the second terminal 161 ensures reliable coupling between the first terminal 61 and the second terminal 161, thereby reliably maintaining the mated state between the first connector 1 and the second connector 101.

[0072] Furthermore, the second protruding end 122 is inserted into the fitting recess 22, and the contact protrusion 54b of the contact arm 54 of the first reinforcing bracket 51 comes into contact with the side cover portion 153b of the second reinforcing bracket 151 attached to the second protruding end 122. As a result, conduction is established between the conductive trace coupled to the connection pad on the first board to which the lower end surface 53c of the side plate portion 53b of the first reinforcing bracket 51 and the tail portion 57c of the end wall cover portion 57 are connected, and the conductive trace coupled to the connection pad on the second board to which the lower end of the side cover portion 153b of the second reinforcing bracket 151 and the tail portion 157c of the central cover portion 157 are connected.

[0073] However, because the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 are mounted on the first board and the second board, respectively, which have large areas, the operator cannot visually check the mating surface 11a of the first connector 1 and the mating surface 111a of the second connector 101, and must perform the mating work by feel. As a result, accurate alignment cannot be achieved by feel, and the positions of the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 may become misaligned. For example, the second connector 101 may become misaligned in the X-axis or Y-axis direction relative to the first connector 1, causing the second protruding end 122 of the second connector 101 to move out of position with the mating recess 22 of the first connector 1.

[0074] In this state, when the operator moves the first connector 1 and / or the second connector 101 in the mating direction, for example, the protruding end upper cover portion 157a of the central cover portion 157 covering the second protruding end portion 122 of the second connector 101 abuts against the side wall extension portion 21c that defines the side of the mating recess 22, so that the side wall extension portion 21c is subjected to a strong downward pressing force. However, as described above, the side plate portion 53b of the first reinforcing bracket 51 is embedded in the side-wall extension portion 21c, and most of the outer side of the side plate portion 53b is covered by the side-wall extension outer portion 21c1, and most of the inner side of the side plate portion 53b is covered by the side-wall extension inner portion 21c2. Furthermore, the side plate portion 53b is also connected to the side-wall extension outer portion 21c1 and the side-wall extension inner portion 21c2 through the through-hole 53d formed in the side plate portion 53b. Therefore, even though the side-wall extension portion 21c is thin, it has high strength and is not susceptible to damage or breakage. Furthermore, the end wall portion 21b is covered by the end-wall cover portion 57 and is integrated with the end-wall cover portion 57, so it has high strength and is not susceptible to damage or breakage. Furthermore, the end of the first protrusion 13 is covered by the island end cover portion 55 and is integrated with the end-wall cover portion 57, so it has high strength and is not susceptible to damage or breakage.

[0075] Furthermore, the side wall upper cover portion 53 connected to the upper end of the side plate portion 53b is curved with a relatively small radius of curvature and is exposed so as to cover the upper surface of the side wall extension inner portion 21c2, thereby providing high strength and reliably protecting the upper surface of the side wall extension inner portion 21c2. The upper surface of the side wall extension outer portion 21c1 is exposed and not covered by the side wall upper cover portion 53a, but is located lower than the upper end of the side wall upper cover portion 53a, so the protruding end upper cover portion 157a of the second connector 101 does not abut against it. Furthermore, the first terminal 61 does not protrude from the mating surface 11a, i.e., the upper surface of the side wall portion 14, and the upper surface of the side wall portion 14 is located lower than the upper end of the side wall upper cover portion 53a, so the protruding end upper cover portion 157a of the second connector 101 does not abut against it. Therefore, the first terminals 61 and the various parts of the first housing 11 are not damaged or broken by the protruding end upper cover part 157a of the second connector 101.

[0076] Furthermore, because end wall upper cover portion 57a ​​of end wall cover portion 57 is an inclined surface and side wall upper cover portion 53a includes inclined surface 53f and functions as a guide surface, even if second protruding end portion 122 of second connector 101 is out of position with mating recess 22 of first connector 1, a so-called self-alignment function allows second connector 101 to automatically align with mating recess 22 of first connector 1 and be smoothly inserted into mating recess 22. Therefore, first connector 1 and second connector 101 can be easily mated.

[0077] Next, when disengaging the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 that have been mated with each other, the first terminals 61 arranged in two rows along both sides of the first convex portion 13 and the second terminals 161 arranged in two rows along both sides of the concave groove portion 113 are securely coupled with each other, thereby reliably mating the first connector 1 and the second connector 101. Therefore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, it is desirable to tilt the second connector 101 so as to rotate it about the X-axis relative to the first connector 1, and disengage the first terminals 61 and the second terminals 161 one row at a time. Note that Figures 8 and 9 show a state in which the coupling between the first terminals 61 and the second terminals 161 in only one row (the left row in Figure 9) is released.

[0078] When the second connector 101 is further rotated around the X-axis relative to the first connector 1 after the first terminals 61 and second terminals 161 in one row are disengaged, the second terminals 161 in the other row (the row on the right in FIG. 9) rotate around the protrusion 164b of the second terminal 161 that is engaged with the protrusion 67b of the first terminal 61 (clockwise in the example shown in FIG. 9). At this time, the portion of the second terminal 161 where the first contact portion 165 is connected to the connection portion 164 moves on an arc centered on the protrusion 164b while being pressed against the first contact portion 65a that protrudes toward the second contact portion 66 of the first terminal 61. However, since the inclined portion 164a that describes a relatively long straight line or a gentle curve is formed in this portion, the portion can move smoothly without encountering significant resistance. Therefore, the coupling between the first terminals 61 and the second terminals 161 in the other row can be released by applying a weaker force than the coupling between the first terminals 61 and the second terminals 161 in one row.

[0079] In other words, the magnitude of the force required to disengage the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 has a first peak when the first terminals 61 and the second terminals 161 in one row are disengaged, and a second peak when the first terminals 61 and the second terminals 161 in the other row are disengaged, but in this embodiment, the second peak is lower because the second terminals 161 include the inclined portions 164a that form a relatively long straight line or a gentle curve. Therefore, the first connector 1 and the second connector 101 can be easily disengaged.

[0080] As described above, in this embodiment, the first connector 1 comprises a first housing 11, first terminals 61 attached to the first housing 11, and a first reinforcing metal fitting 51 attached to the first housing 11. The first housing 11 includes first protruding end portions 21 formed at both longitudinal ends, each having a fitting recess 22 into which a second protruding end portion 122 formed at both longitudinal ends of a second housing 111 of the second connector 101 is inserted. The first reinforcing metal fitting 51 includes an end wall cover portion 57 extending in the width direction of the first housing 11, the end wall cover portion 57 attached to an end wall portion 21b of the first protruding end portion 21, and a second terminal 61 connected to both ends of the end wall cover portion 57 and extending toward the longitudinal center of the first housing 11. The connecting arm 53 includes a pair of left and right connecting arms 53 attached to the side wall extension 21c of the first protruding end 21, the connecting arm 53 including a side plate 53b extending in the fitting direction and a side wall upper cover 53a connected to the upper end of the side plate 53b, at least a part of the outside of the side plate 53b is covered by the side wall extension outer portion 21c1 of the side wall extension 21c, and the side wall upper cover 53a is curved so that its tip 53e faces inside the fitting recess 22 and covers at least a part of the upper surface of the side wall extension inner portion 21c2 of the side wall extension 21c.

[0081] As a result, side wall extension 21c is integrated with side plate 53b and exhibits high strength despite its thinness, so that first protruding end 21 and the like will not be damaged or broken even if a large pressing force is applied from second connector 101 during the mating operation. Therefore, the protected state of first housing 11 is reliably maintained, improving reliability.

[0082] Side plate portion 53b includes a through hole 53d, through which side wall extension outer portion 21c1 and side wall extension inner portion 21c2 of side wall extension portion 21c are connected, so that side wall extension portion 21c is firmly integrated with side plate portion 53b.

[0083] Furthermore, the upper surface of the side wall extension outer portion 21c1 of the side wall extension portion 21c is located lower than the upper end of the side wall upper cover portion 53a. Therefore, the side wall extension outer portion 21c1 is not subjected to a large pressing force from the second connector 101 during the mating operation, and is not damaged or broken.

[0084] Furthermore, the lower end surface 53c of the side plate portion 53b is exposed below the side wall extension portion 21c and can abut against the surface of the first circuit board on which the connector 1 is mounted, thereby further improving the strength of the integrated side wall extension portion 21c and side plate portion 53b.

[0085] Furthermore, the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 includes a bottom cover portion 58 that covers the bottom surface of the fitting recess 22, and a pair of left and right contact arms 54 connected to the left and right sides of the bottom cover portion 58, which are capable of contacting the second reinforcing metal fitting 151 attached to the second protruding end portion 122 inserted into the fitting recess 22, and the contact arms 54 include a spring portion 54a that is elastically displaceable in the width direction of the first housing 11, and a contact protrusion 54b connected to the free end of the spring portion 54a and protruding in the width direction of the first housing 11. This allows the first reinforcing metal fitting 51 to reliably maintain electrical continuity with the second reinforcing metal fitting 151.

[0086] Furthermore, the upper half of the contact protrusion 54b extends so that its tip 54c faces diagonally upward outward in the width direction of the first housing 11, and the tip 54c faces and is close to the tip 53e of the side wall upper cover part 53a, and is located lower than the tip 53e of the side wall upper cover part 53a. This prevents a large pressing force from the second connector 101 from acting on the contact arm 54, and prevents buckling of the spring part 54a.

[0087] It should be noted that the disclosure herein describes features of preferred and exemplary embodiments, and that various other embodiments, modifications, and variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims will occur to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure herein. [Industrial Applicability]

[0088] The present disclosure is applicable to connectors and connector assemblies. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 First Connector 11 First Housing 11a, 111a mating surface 11b, 111b mounting surface 12,817 recess 12a Groove 13 First convex part 13a Thin wall section 14 Side wall 15 First terminal receiving cavity 15a First terminal receiving inner cavity 15b First terminal accommodating outer cavity 17 Island end 17a Island edge depression 17b Island depression 18 Bottom plate 18a bottom opening 21 First protruding end 21b End wall 21c Side wall extension 21c1 Side wall extension outer part 21c2 Side wall extension inner part 22 Fitting recess 23a Outer end recess 23b Inner end recess 23c Inner recess 23d Middle recess 51 First reinforcing bracket 53 Connecting arm 53a Side wall upper cover 53b Side plate part 53c Lower end surface 53d through hole 53e, 54c tip 53f, 54d sloped surface 54 Contact arm 54a Spring part 54b Contact protrusion 55 Island end cover 55a Island end outer cover 55b Island end top cover 55c Island edge immersion section 57 End wall cover 57a End wall upper cover 57b End wall outer cover 57c, 62, 162, 157c tail section 58 Bottom cover 58a End wall lower cover 58b Bottom part 61 1st terminal 63 Holding part 64 Lower connection part 64a Lower inner curve 64b Lower outer curve 65 Inner connection 66, 166 2nd contact part 67 Upper connection part 67a, 164a Slope section 67b, 164b protrusion 101 Second Connector 111 Second Housing 112 Second convex part 113 Concave groove part 122 Second protruding end 151 Second reinforcing bracket 153 Lateral cover 153a, 157b Connection cover part 153b Side cover part 157 Central cover part 157a Projecting end upper cover part 161 2nd terminal 164 Connection 165 1st contact part 811 Housing 813 Nakajima 851 Reinforcement metal fittings 853 Lateral Arm 858 U-arm 861 terminal

Claims

1. (a) A connector comprising a connector body, a terminal attached to the connector body, and a reinforcing metal fitting attached to the connector body, (b) the connector main body includes mating guide portions formed at both longitudinal ends, the mating guide portions having mating recesses into which mating mating guide portions formed at both longitudinal ends of the mating connector main body of the mating connector are inserted; (c) The reinforcing metal fitting includes an end wall cover portion extending in the width direction of the connector body and attached to the end wall portion of the fitting guide portion; an end wall outer cover portion of the end wall cover portion that is a flat plate-shaped end wall outer cover portion facing outward in the longitudinal direction of the connector body; a pair of left and right connecting arms that are bent and connected to both ends of the end wall outer cover portion in the width direction and extend toward the longitudinal center of the connector body and are attached to the side wall portion of the fitting guide portion; a bottom cover portion that covers the bottom surface of the fitting recess; and a pair of left and right contact arms connected to both left and right sides of the bottom cover portion that are capable of coming into contact with a mating reinforcing metal fitting attached to a mating mating guide portion inserted into the fitting recess. (d) the connecting arm portion includes a side plate portion and a side wall upper cover portion connected to an upper end of the side plate portion, and at least a part of an outer side of the side plate portion is covered by an outer portion of the side wall portion; (e) A connector characterized in that the side wall upper cover portion extends with its tip facing diagonally downward toward the mating recess, the upper surface of the side wall upper cover portion near the tip forming an inclined surface facing diagonally downward toward the mating recess, the contact arm portion extends with its tip facing diagonally upward toward the outside width of the connector body, the upper surface near the tip of the contact arm forms an inclined surface that is approximately parallel to the inclined surface near the tip of the upper surface of the side wall upper cover portion, and the tip of the contact arm is opposite and close to the tip of the side wall upper cover portion.

2. 2. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the side plate includes a through hole, and the outer and inner portions of the side wall are connected to each other through the through hole.

3. 3. The connector according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the outer portion of the side wall is located lower than an upper end of the side wall upper cover portion.

4. 4. The connector according to claim 1, wherein the lower end surface of the side plate portion is exposed below the side wall portion and is capable of abutting against the surface of a circuit board on which the connector is mounted.

5. A connector assembly comprising the connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a mating connector that mates with the connector.

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