Connector Unit

Abstract

To provide a connector unit capable of guiding a plug into the inside of a shell without damaging the plug when inserting the plug into the shell through an opening.SOLUTION: A connector unit includes a connector body 110 having a contact pin 111 and an insulator 112 that holds the contact pin 111, a shell 120 that has a square cylinder shape surrounding the connector body 110 and extending in a predetermined direction, and into which a plug electrically connected to the contact pin 111 is inserted from an opening 121 along the predetermined direction, and a plate member 130 provided along the predetermined direction at an inner corner of the shell 120. The tip portion of the plate member 130 on the opening 121 side is located outside the shell 120, and the tip portion is smoothly bent toward the outside of the shell 120.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector unit. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in a connector system into which a plug connected to a cable such as a Cat6A standard cable is inserted, in order to prevent the plug from being inserted incorrectly, the cross-sectional shape of the plug is not simply rectangular but is made to have notched corners, and the shape of the connector opening is sometimes changed to correspond to this shape. Specifically, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, a part of the shell that defines the opening of the connector is bent inward to change the shape of the opening of the connector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 10,424,872 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, there is a possibility that the plug being inserted may be damaged by the edge formed at the tip of the inwardly bent portion.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a connector unit that can guide a plug into the shell without damaging the plug when the plug is inserted into the shell through an opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the connector unit of the present invention employs the following measures. That is, a connector unit according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a connector body having contact pins and holding members for holding the contact pins, a shell that surrounds the connector body and has a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in a predetermined direction, into which a plug electrically connected to the contact pins is inserted from an opening along the predetermined direction, and a plate-like member provided at an inner corner of the shell along the predetermined direction, wherein the plate-like member: a member independent of the shell, The tip portion on the opening side is located outside the shell, and the tip portion is smoothly bent toward the outside of the shell.

[0007] The connector unit according to this aspect includes a connector body having contact pins and retaining members for retaining the contact pins, a shell having a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in a predetermined direction and surrounding the connector body, into which a plug electrically connected to the contact pins is inserted in the predetermined direction through an opening, and a plate-like member provided in the predetermined direction at an inner corner of the shell, so that the shape of the opening as viewed from the predetermined direction can be changed with the plate-like member. This makes it possible, for example, to match the changed shape of the opening to the shape of the plug, thereby preventing erroneous insertion of the plug. Furthermore, the tip of the plate-shaped member on the opening side is located outside the shell and is smoothly bent toward the outside of the shell, so that when the plug is inserted into the shell through the opening, the tip of the plate-shaped member can guide the plug into the inside of the shell without damaging the plug. Furthermore, since the plate-like members are components independent of the shell, the positions and number of the plate-like members can be easily changed.

[0008] In addition, in a connector unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the plate-like member is arranged across one wall surface and another wall surface of the shell adjacent to each other across the corner when the opening is viewed from the front from the specified direction.

[0009] According to the connector unit of this embodiment, when the opening is viewed from the front in a predetermined direction, the plate-like member is arranged across one wall surface and the other wall surface of adjacent shells, sandwiching a corner, so that the shape of the opening viewed from a predetermined direction can be changed to one in which the corner has been cut out with a shortcut.

[0010] In the connector unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the plate-like member is bent so that the tip portion is rounded.

[0011] According to the connector unit of this aspect, the plate-like member has a tip portion bent to form an R-shape, so that the R-shape allows the plug to be guided into the shell without damaging the plug.

[0012] In the connector unit according to one aspect of the present invention, the plate-like member has a claw portion at a portion located inside the shell, and is engaged with the shell by the claw portion.

[0013] According to the connector unit of this aspect, the plate-shaped member has a claw portion in the portion located inside the shell, and is engaged with the shell by the claw portion, so that the plate-shaped member can be attached to the shell in a simple manner.

[0014] In addition, in a connector unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, the plate-shaped member has two of the claw portions, one of which is engaged with one wall surface of the shell, and the other of which is engaged with another wall surface adjacent to the one wall surface across the corner portion.

[0015] According to the connector unit of this embodiment, one claw portion is engaged with one wall surface of the shell, and the other claw portion is engaged with another wall surface adjacent to the one wall surface across a corner, so that the plate-shaped member can be attached to the shell in a simple and secure manner.

[0016] In addition, in a connector unit according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the length dimension of the shell along the specified direction is Ls, the length dimension of the plate-like member along the specified direction is 0.3Ls or more and 1.0Ls or less.

[0017] According to the connector unit of this embodiment, when the length dimension of the shell along a predetermined direction is Ls, the length dimension of the plate-shaped member along the predetermined direction is 0.3Ls or more and 1.0Ls or less, so that the plug can be slid stably inside the shell along the plate-shaped member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, when the plug is inserted into the shell through the opening, the plug can be guided to the inside of the shell without being damaged. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a top perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a top perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a front view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the connector according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] 1 is a front view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 14] 1 is a top perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a side view of a plate-shaped member according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A connector unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] The connector unit 100 is a device that is mounted on a substrate (not shown) and into which a plug (not shown) connected to a cable such as a Cat6A standard cable is inserted, thereby enabling the substrate and the plug to be electrically connected.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the connector unit 100 is a device having an outer shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. The connector unit 100 includes a connector body 110, a shell 120, and a plate-like member .

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6, the connector body 110 has a plurality of contact pins 111 and an insulator (holding member) 112. As shown in FIG.

[0024] The contact pin 111 has a tip that contacts an electrode of the plug and a base that is mounted on the substrate. The contact pin 111 is a thin, pin-shaped member made of a conductive material (for example, a copper alloy). All of the contact pins 111 are held by an insulator 112 .

[0025] The insulator 112 is a block-shaped member made of an insulating material (for example, a thermoplastic resin). As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the insulator 112 has a base portion 112a and a protrusion 112b formed to protrude from the front surface of the base portion 112a. The "front surface" here refers to the surface of base 112a facing through opening 121 of shell 120, which will be described later (see FIG. 5). The surface of base 112a opposite to the front surface is referred to as the "rear surface" (see FIG. 6).

[0026] As shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of grooves 112c are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of the protrusion 112b along the protruding direction of the protrusion 112b. In Fig. 5, the grooves 112c are formed in two rows, upper and lower, with four grooves in each row in the horizontal direction. However, the number and arrangement of the grooves 112c are changed as appropriate to accommodate the number and arrangement of the contact pins 111, which are changed depending on the specifications of the connector unit 100.

[0027] When each contact pin 111 is held by the insulator 112, the tip end portion of each contact pin 111 extends along each groove 112c formed in the protruding portion 112b of the insulator 112, as shown in Figures 5, 7, and 8. The tip end of each contact pin 111 is curved in an arc shape so as to be convex in a direction away from the upper or lower surface of the protruding portion 112b. The tip end of the contact pin 111 curved in an arc shape comes into contact with an electrode of the plug.

[0028] 6, 7, and 8, when each contact pin 111 is held by the insulator 112, the base end portion of the contact pin 111 protrudes from the rear surface (rear face) of the base portion 112a of the insulator 112 and is bent downward. The base end of the contact pin 111 is mounted on a substrate.

[0029] The connector body 110 configured as described above is surrounded by a shell 120, as shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6. In other words, the shell 120 holds the connector body 110 inside.

[0030] 9, the shell 120 is a metal (e.g., stainless steel) member that constitutes the outer shell of the connector unit 100, and has a rectangular cylindrical shape that extends in a predetermined direction. The shell 120 is formed from a plate material that has been punched into a predetermined shape by press working. A plug is inserted in a predetermined direction into the space (inside the shell 120) surrounded by the wall surface (peripheral wall) of the shell 120.

[0031] The term "rectangular cylindrical shape" as used herein refers to a cylindrical shape in which the shape of opening 121 (the cross-hatched portion) is polygonal (a rectangle in the case of FIG. 10) when shell 120 is viewed from the front, as shown in Fig. 10. In this case, it goes without saying that the cross-sectional shape of shell 120 in a plane perpendicular to the direction in which shell 120 extends (predetermined direction) will also be the same polygon.

[0032] The circumferential wall of the shell 120 is formed with slits 122 and locking holes 123. These are used when locking a plate-like member 130 (described later) to the shell 120. The slits 122 may be formed naturally when the beams 124 that elastically contact the plugs inserted into the shell 120 are formed by press working.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, 7 and 8, a plate-like member 130 is attached to the inside of the shell 120 configured as above. Specifically, the plate-shaped members 130 are attached to at least one inner corner of the shell 120. At this time, one plate-shaped member 130 is attached to one corner. In the case of Fig. 10, the plate-shaped members 130 are attached to two corners that are adjacent in the vertical direction. However, the number and arrangement of the plate-like members 130 may be changed as appropriate depending on the specifications of the connector unit 100 (the shape of the plug to be inserted).

[0034] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the plate-shaped member 130 is made of metal (for example, stainless steel) and has a main body portion 131 and claw portions 132.

[0035] The main body 131 is a plate-like (strip-like) part that extends in a predetermined direction. The main body 131 has a tip 131a and a base end 131b, and the portion including the tip 131a (tip portion) is smoothly curved.

[0036] The term "smoothly bent" used here means that the bend is gentle without forming a sharp edge, and an example of this is bent portion 131c that forms a rounded portion. The R portion is formed in an arc shape with a radius of 0.15 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less, for example.

[0037] The claws 132 are plate-shaped portions that protrude from each side edge of the main body 131 and are smaller than the main body 131 . The claw portion 132 is provided on a portion of the main body portion 131 that fits inside the shell 120 when the plate-like member 130 is attached to the shell 120 .

[0038] The plate-like member 130 configured as described above is attached to the shell 120 so that the main body 131 is aligned with the extension direction of the corner of the shell 120 (i.e., the predetermined direction in which the shell 120 extends) as shown in Figures 1 to 3, 5, 7 and 8, and so that the main body 131 cuts out the corner of the shell 120 by shortening it as shown in Figure 13, which is a front view. The term "shortcut" as used herein refers to a state in which, for example, as shown in FIG. 13 when viewed from the front, in a square cylindrical shell 120, a plate-like member 130 is provided across one wall surface and another wall surface adjacent to the target corner, without coming into contact with the corner.

[0039] This changes the shape of opening 121 (the cross-hatched portion) when shell 120 is viewed from the front, as shown in FIG. 13 when compared with FIG. Specifically, opening 121 (see FIG. 10) has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front, and becomes opening 121 (see FIG. 13) with two corners of the rectangle cut away. The shape of opening 121 after plate-like member 130 is attached corresponds to the shape of the plug to be inserted into shell 120, thereby providing a mechanism for preventing erroneous insertion of the plug.

[0040] At this time, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, 5, 7 and 8, the plate-like member 130 is positioned relative to the shell 120 so that the bent portion 131c of the main body portion 131 is positioned at least outside the opening 121 of the shell 120, and so that the tip 131a of the main body portion 131 faces outside (towards the outer peripheral surface) of the shell 120. In other words, in the main body 131 of the plate-shaped member 130, the portion protruding outward from the opening 121 of the shell 120 (the portion including the tip 131a) is smoothly bent toward the outside of the shell 120, thereby forming the bent portion 131c. This allows the plug to be guided into the inside of the shell 120 without being damaged when the plug is inserted into the inside of the shell 120 through the opening 121.

[0041] An example of a method for attaching the plate-shaped member 130 to the shell 120 is to insert the claw portions 132 of the plate-shaped member 130 into the slits 122 or locking holes 123 formed in the shell 120 as shown in FIG. 14, and then bend and lock the claw portions 132 as shown in FIG. 1. At this time, one of the two claw portions 132 is engaged with a slit 122 or an engagement hole 123 formed in one wall surface of the rectangular cylindrical shell 120. The other of the two claw portions 132 is engaged with a slit 122 or an engagement hole 123 formed in the other wall surface adjacent to the one wall surface across the corner.

[0042] Here, as shown in FIG. 7, when the length dimension Lp of the main body 131 of the plate-like member 130 is defined as the length dimension along a predetermined direction, and the depth (length dimension along a predetermined direction) of the shell 120 is defined as Ls, for example, by setting Lp to be 0.3Ls or more and 1.0Ls or less, the plug can be slid stably inside the shell 120 up to the connector main body 110 side.

[0043] 7, the base end 131b of the main body 131 of the plate-like member 130 can be made to reach the base 112a of the insulator 112 and pressed down by the base 112a, thereby stabilizing the main body 131. For the position of the base end 131b, see FIG. 11.

[0044] According to this embodiment, the following effects are achieved. Since the plate-like member 130 is provided along a predetermined direction at an inner corner of the shell 120, the shape of the opening 121 when viewed from a predetermined direction can be changed by the plate-like member 130. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous insertion of the plug, for example, by making the shape of the opening 121 after the change correspond to the shape of the plug.

[0045] Furthermore, the tip portion of the plate-shaped member 130 on the opening 121 side (the portion including the tip 131a of the main body 131) is located outside the shell 120, and this tip portion is smoothly bent toward the outside of the shell 120, so that when a plug is inserted into the shell 120 from the opening 121, the tip portion of the plate-shaped member 130 can guide the plug into the inside of the shell 120 without damaging the plug.

[0046] Furthermore, since the plate-like members 130 are components independent of the shell 120, the positions and number of the plate-like members 130 can be easily changed.

[0047] Furthermore, when the tip portion of plate-like member 130 is bent to form an R-shape, the R-shape allows the plug to be guided inside shell 120 without damaging the plug.

[0048] Furthermore, when the plate-shaped member 130 has the claws 132 and is engaged with the shell 120 by the claws 132, the plate-shaped member 130 can be attached to the shell 120 in a simple manner.

[0049] Furthermore, when one claw portion 132 is engaged with one wall surface of the shell 120 and the other claw portion 132 is engaged with another wall surface adjacent to the one wall surface across a corner, the plate-like member 130 can be attached to the shell 120 in a simple and secure manner.

[0050] Furthermore, when the depth of shell 120 is Ls, the length dimension Lp along a predetermined direction of plate-shaped member 130 is set to be 0.3Ls or more and 1.0Ls or less, so the plug can be slid stably inside shell 120 along plate-shaped member 130.

[0051] The bent shape of the bent portion 131c of the plate-like member 130 is not limited to the shape shown in Fig. 12, and for example, as shown in Fig. 15, a portion including the tip 131a of the main body 131 may be bent in a tapered shape to form a C-face. The dimension of the C-face is, for example, 0.15 mm or more and 0.6 mm or less.

[0052] Furthermore, as a method for attaching plate-shaped member 130 to shell 120, in addition to the method using claw portions 132, a welding method can also be adopted. In this case, by directly welding main body portion 131 to shell 120, claw portions 132 can be omitted from plate-shaped member 130. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 100 Connector Unit 110 Connector body 111 Contact pin 112 Insulator (retaining member) 112a base 112b Convex part 112c groove 120 shells 121 Aperture 122 Slit 123 Locking hole 124 Beam 130 Plate-shaped member 131 Main body 131a tip 131b proximal end 131c Bend section 132 Claw

Claims

1. a connector body having contact pins and a holding member for holding the contact pins; a shell that surrounds the connector body and has a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in a predetermined direction, and into which a plug that is electrically connected to the contact pins is inserted from an opening along the predetermined direction; a plate-like member provided along the predetermined direction at an inner corner of the shell; Equipped with The plate-like member is a member independent of the shell, A connector unit in which a tip portion on the opening side is located outside the shell and the tip portion is smoothly bent toward the outside of the shell.

2. The connector unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plate-like member is provided across one wall surface and another wall surface of the shells adjacent to each other across the corner when the opening is viewed from the front in the predetermined direction.

3. 3. The connector unit according to claim 1, wherein the tip of the plate-like member is bent to form an R-shape.

4. 4. The connector unit according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like member has a claw portion at a portion located inside the shell, and is engaged with the shell by the claw portion.

5. the plate-shaped member has two of the claw portions, One of the claw portions is engaged with the one wall surface, The connector unit according to claim 4 , wherein the other claw portion is engaged with the other wall surface.

6. A connector unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the length dimension of the shell along the specified direction is Ls, the length dimension of the plate-shaped member along the specified direction is 0.3Ls or more and 1.0Ls or less.

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