Connector assembly with multiple mating connectors

Abstract

To provide a connector assembly in which a first connector and a second connector can be fitted together with smaller power, and which furthermore enables a waterproof function thereof to be further improved.SOLUTION: A first housing of a first connector includes: an island-like projected portion; a first inner peripheral wall enclosing the island-like projected portion; a first reception portion formed in a peripheral shape between the island-like projected portion and the first inner peripheral wall; a first outer peripheral wall enclosing the first inner peripheral wall; and a recessed portion which is formed in a peripheral shape between the first inner peripheral wall and the first outer peripheral wall. A second housing of a second connector includes: a second inner peripheral wall which is fitted into the first reception portion; an island-like recessed portion into which the island-like projected portion is fitted; a second outer peripheral wall which is fitted into the recessed portion; and a second reception portion into which the first inner peripheral wall is fitted. When fitting the first connector and the second connector, an abutment portion which is at least a part of a first terminal displaced through a contact of the first terminal and a second terminal is abutted to an inner wall of the second outer peripheral wall on a surface orthogonal to a length direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector assembly having a first connector and a second connector that mate with each other, and more particularly to a connector assembly having a first connector and a second connector that mate with each other in multiple ways. [Background technology]

[0002] Small connector assemblies are now used in a variety of items and environments, such as electronic devices like mobile phones and everyday items like bicycles, and there is an urgent need to improve the waterproofing capabilities of these small connector assemblies. However, there is also a demand for further miniaturization of small connector assemblies, and unlike relatively large connectors that can use bayonet connections to improve waterproofing, it is not easy to adopt new waterproofing structures for these assemblies.

[0003] For example, in small connector assemblies that connect connectors fixed to circuit boards in a board-to-board manner, a coating agent is generally applied to fill gaps where the connector terminals connect to the circuit board and where the first connector and second connector connect to achieve waterproofing. However, this is not an appropriate solution, as deterioration over time can often cause problems such as the coating agent interfering with the electrical connection between the connector terminals.

[0004] Furthermore, for example, there is a small connector assembly for board-to-board connection, such as the connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1, which is particularly of the type in which a first connector and a second connector are multiple-fitted and which employs a press-fit structure to improve waterproofing. The connector assembly disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a multiple-fit connector assembly configured so that the central protrusion of the first connector fits into the central recess of the second connector, the contact support wall of the first connector fits into the support wall receiving recess of the second connector, and simultaneously the support wall of the second connector fits into the support wall receiving recess of the first connector. In this connector assembly, in order to improve waterproofing, a structure is employed in which, when the first connector and the second connector are mated, an endless press-fit protrusion provided on the second connector is press-fit into an endless press-fit groove provided on the first connector. This press-fit structure creates a seal between the mating surface of the second housing and the mating surface of the first housing, thereby sealing the inner portion of the connector assembly surrounded by the press-fit protrusion from the outside, thereby preventing water from entering between the mating surface of the second housing and the mating surface of the first housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-157529 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the connector assembly of Patent Document 1, in order to achieve waterproofing, the press-fit protrusion needs to be pressed into the press-fit groove in the mating direction, which results in a problem in that the force that needs to be applied when mating the first connector and the second connector becomes considerably large, reducing usability for the user. The present invention aims to solve the problems in the prior art, and to provide a connector assembly in which a first connector and a second connector are multiple-fitted, in which the first connector and the second connector can be fitted with less force, while at the same time achieving further improvements in waterproofing performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a connector assembly according to one aspect of the present invention is a connector assembly including a first connector and a second connector that mate with each other, wherein the first connector has a first housing and a plurality of first terminals held by the first housing and arranged along a length direction perpendicular to a mating direction of the first connector and the second connector, and the second connector has a second housing and a plurality of second terminals held by the second housing and arranged along a length direction perpendicular to the mating direction, a first inner peripheral wall that protrudes toward the mating side with the connector and extends along the length direction on a mating surface perpendicular to the mating direction; a first inner peripheral wall that protrudes toward the mating side and surrounds the periphery of the island-shaped protrusion on the mating surface; a first receiving portion that is recessed on the side opposite to the mating side and is formed circumferentially between the island-shaped protrusion and the first inner peripheral wall on the mating surface; a first outer peripheral wall that protrudes toward the mating side and surrounds the periphery of the first inner peripheral wall on the mating surface; the second housing has a second inner peripheral wall that protrudes toward the mating side with the first connector and is formed circumferentially on a mating surface perpendicular to the mating direction, the second inner peripheral wall being fitted into the first receiving portion when the first connector and the second connector are mated; an island-shaped recess that is recessed on the opposite side to the mating side and is formed inside the second inner peripheral wall on the mating surface, the island-shaped recess being fitted into the island-shaped protrusion when the first connector and the second connector are mated; a second outer peripheral wall surrounding the periphery of the second inner peripheral wall, the second outer peripheral wall being fitted into the recessed portion when the first connector and the second connector are mated; and a second receiving portion recessed on the opposite side to the mating side and formed circumferentially between the second inner peripheral wall and the second outer peripheral wall on the mating surface, the second receiving portion being fitted into the first inner peripheral wall when the first connector and the second connector are mated; and when the first connector and the second connector are mated, at least a portion of the first terminal displaced through contact between the first terminal and the second terminal isThe connector assembly is characterized by being configured to form an abutment portion that abuts on the inner wall of the second outer peripheral wall in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. According to this connector assembly, at least a portion of the displaced first terminal, i.e., the abutment portion, and further at least a portion of the first housing holding the first terminal, are brought into contact with the wall of the second connector in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, thereby blocking a path for water to enter and improving waterproofing. Furthermore, the force applied in the mating direction to displace the first terminal can be concentrated at approximately one point on the first terminal, and the force in the mating direction can be converted into a force in the width direction. Therefore, compared to a conventional structure in which the direction of force application (mating direction) is the same as the press-fit direction, the first connector and the second connector can be mated with less force and at the same time waterproofing can be achieved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, in a connector assembly of a type in which a first connector and a second connector are multiple-fitted, it is possible to provide a connector assembly in which the first connector and the second connector can be fitted together with less force, while at the same time achieving further improvement in waterproofing performance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing only the plug connector in FIG. 1, turned upside down. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the receptacle connector. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the plug connector. [Figure 7] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views corresponding to the line BB in FIG. 3, showing the mating process of the receptacle connector and the plug connector in stages. [Figure 8] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views corresponding to the line BB in FIG. 3, showing the mating process of the receptacle connector and the plug connector in stages. [Figure 9] 4A to 4C are cross-sectional views corresponding to the line BB in FIG. 3, showing the mating process of the receptacle connector and the plug connector in stages. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions of components, etc. described in the following embodiments may be changed depending on the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied or various conditions. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically described below.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly 3 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and more specifically, of a receptacle connector 1 and a plug connector 2 included in the connector assembly 3, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing only the plug connector 2 in Figure 1 turned upside down, and Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2. The receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated with each other along a mating direction "α" in the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figures 1 to 3 all show the connectors 1 and 2 in a state before they are mated.

[0012] In actual use, the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are fixed to separate circuit boards (not shown) and connected to each other in a board-to-board manner. However, the present invention is not limited to connector assemblies that are connected board-to-board, but can also be widely applied to connector assemblies that employ other connection methods.

[0013] The receptacle connector 1 has a receptacle housing 10 and a plurality of receptacle signal terminals 20, fourteen in total here, held in the receptacle housing 10 and arranged along a length direction "β" perpendicular to the mating direction "α". The plug connector 2 has a plug housing 50 and a plurality of plug signal terminals 60, fourteen in total here, held in the plug housing 50 and arranged along the length direction "β" corresponding to the receptacle signal terminals 20.

[0014] The receptacle housing 10 and the plug housing 50 are each integrally manufactured from an electrically insulating material such as resin, and have a roughly rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. The receptacle housing 10 may be small, for example, with a length direction "β" dimension of approximately 2 to 10 mm and a width direction "γ" dimension orthogonal to both the mating direction "α" and the length direction "β" of approximately 1 to 5 mm. The plug housing 50 has a size similar to that of the receptacle housing 10.

[0015] The receptacle signal terminals 20 are held in the receptacle housing 10 by insert molding. The receptacle connector 1 is soldered to a circuit board on the bottom 11 side of the receptacle housing 10 using the receptacle signal terminals 20 held in place by insert molding. Similarly, the plug signal terminals 60 are also held in the plug housing 50 by insert molding. The plug connector 2 is soldered to a circuit board on the bottom 51 side of the plug housing 50 using the plug signal terminals 60 held in place by insert molding.

[0016] 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of receptacle connector 1, and more specifically, a perspective view of receptacle signal terminals 20 and receptacle connector 1 with receptacle signal terminals 20 removed, i.e., receptacle housing 10. As explained above, receptacle signal terminals 20 are held in receptacle housing 10 by insert molding, so in the actual manufacturing process, receptacle housing 10 does not exist in the state shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, FIG. 4 should be understood as merely a convenient drawing for understanding the structure of receptacle connector 1.

[0017] The receptacle housing 10 includes, in the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface) perpendicular to the mating direction "α", a first receiving portion 16, a first inner peripheral wall 13, a recessed portion 17, and a first outer peripheral wall 14, in this order, surrounding the island-shaped protrusion 12.

[0018] The central island-shaped protrusion 12 is a generally rectangular portion that protrudes toward the mating side of the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 and extends along the length direction "β" on the mating surface (the "β-γ" plane). The island-shaped protrusion 12 is provided with terminal grooves 12a that are recessed inward from the outer wall 12b of the island-shaped protrusion 12 in the width direction "γ" and open on the mating side, corresponding to each receptacle signal terminal 20. A portion of each receptacle signal terminal 20 is accommodated in the terminal grooves 12a in an elastically deformable state. The opposite side 11a (FIGS. 7 to 9) of the terminal grooves 12a from the mating side is closed by the receptacle housing 10.

[0019] The first inner peripheral wall 13 is a roughly rectangular frame-shaped portion that protrudes toward the mating side and extends at least along the length direction "β" and width direction "γ", surrounding the island-shaped protrusion 12 on the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface).

[0020] The first receiving portion 16 is a roughly rectangular concave portion that is recessed on the side opposite the mating side and is formed circumferentially between the island-shaped protrusion 12 and the first inner wall 13 on the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface), extending at least along the length direction "β" and the width direction "γ".

[0021] The first outer peripheral wall 14 is a generally rectangular frame-shaped portion that protrudes toward the mating side and extends at least along the length direction "β" and width direction "γ" to surround the periphery of the first inner peripheral wall 13 on the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface). The first outer peripheral wall 14 forms the outermost wall of the receptacle housing 10. However, the first outer peripheral wall 14 does not necessarily have to be the outermost wall.

[0022] The recessed portion 17 is a roughly rectangular recessed portion that is recessed on the side opposite the mating side and is formed circumferentially between the first inner peripheral wall 13 and the first outer peripheral wall 14 on the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface), extending at least along the length direction "β" and the width direction "γ".

[0023] The receptacle signal terminals 20 are arranged along the length direction "β" in two rows in the width direction "γ", each row containing a plurality of receptacle signal terminals 20, here seven, and these two rows of receptacle signal terminals 20 are arranged symmetrically opposite each other in the width direction "γ" across the island-shaped protrusion 12.

[0024] The receptacle signal terminal 20 held in the receptacle housing 10 includes, in the direction away from the island-shaped protrusion 12 and along the width direction "γ", an elastic contact portion 22, a base portion 21, an approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23, and a first connection portion 24, in this order.

[0025] The base 21 is a portion of the bottom 11 of the receptacle housing 10 that extends along the width direction "γ" and is formed to be relatively wide in the length direction "β". The base 21 closes the hole 11b (FIGS. 7 to 9) in the bottom 11 of the receptacle housing 10 and forms a part of the bottom 11 of the receptacle housing 10. Because the bottom 11 of the receptacle housing 10 is completely closed using the base 21, the first receiving portion 16 is not visible from the bottom 11 of the receptacle connector 1.

[0026] The resilient contact portion 22 is a generally S-shaped curved portion extending cantilever-like from the bottom 11 of the receptacle housing 10 toward the mating side. The end of the resilient contact portion 22 opposite the mating side is connected to one end of the base 21 in the width direction "γ" and is supported by the base 21. Near the free end of the resilient contact portion 22 on the mating side, a contact portion 22a is provided that contacts the plug signal terminal 60 of the plug connector 2 when the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Figure 3. The resilient contact portion 22 is accommodated in the terminal groove 12a of the island-shaped protrusion 12 in an elastically deformable state. However, even when accommodated in the terminal groove 12a, the contact portion 22a is positioned so as to protrude slightly from the outer wall 12b of the island-shaped protrusion 12 toward the first receiving portion 16 in the width direction "γ." By installing it in this manner, when the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated, the plug signal terminal 60 of the plug connector 2 inserted into the first receiving portion 16 comes into more reliable contact with the contact portion 22a.

[0027] The approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 is held by the first inner peripheral wall 13 with a portion 13c of the first inner peripheral wall 13 included within the U-shape. In other words, resin flows into the interior of the U-shape of the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 during insert molding, thereby fixing the receptacle signal terminal 20 to the first inner peripheral wall 13. Furthermore, during insert molding, the outer surface of the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 held by the first inner peripheral wall 13 is formed to be flush with the walls 13a, 13b, etc. of the first inner peripheral wall 13, that is, they are formed so that they are flush with each other. However, they do not necessarily have to be flush with each other.

[0028] Like the base 21, the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 is formed relatively wide in the longitudinal direction "β" and mainly includes three parts, namely, an inner portion 23A located proximal to the island-shaped convex portion 12 in the width direction "γ" and provided on the inner wall 13a side of the first inner circumferential wall 13, an outer portion 23C located distal to the island-shaped convex portion 12 in the width direction "γ" and provided on the outer wall 13b side of the first inner circumferential wall 13, and a convex curved portion 23B connecting the mating side ends of the inner portion 23A and the outer portion 23C.

[0029] The inner portion 23A cooperates with the base 21 and the island-shaped protrusion 12 to form a part of the first receiving portion 16. A recess 23a is provided on the outer surface of the inner portion 23A, i.e., on a part of the first receiving portion 16, to form a catch with a predetermined part of the plug signal terminal 60 of the plug connector 2 when the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated. The provision of the recess 23a facilitates maintaining the connection between the receptacle signal terminal 20 and the plug signal terminal 60. The end of the inner portion 23A opposite the mating side is connected to the other end of the base 21 in the width direction "γ," i.e., the end opposite to the one end connected to the end of the resilient contact portion 22. As a result, the ends of the resilient contact portion 22 and the inner portion 23A are connected to each other via the base 21.

[0030] The first connection portion 24 is a portion used as a soldering portion for the circuit board, and is connected to the end of the outer portion 23C opposite the mating side, and extends along the width direction "γ" while having the same width in the length direction "β".

[0031] 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of the plug connector 2, and more specifically, a perspective view of the plug signal terminals 60 and the plug connector 2 with the plug signal terminals 60 removed, i.e., the plug housing 50. As explained above, the plug signal terminals 60 are held in the plug housing 50 by insert molding, and therefore, like FIG. 4, FIG. 6 should be understood as a merely expedient drawing for understanding the structure of the plug connector 2.

[0032] The plug housing 50 includes a second inner peripheral wall 53, a second receiving portion 57, and a second outer peripheral wall 54, in this order, surrounding the island-shaped recess 56 on a mating surface (the "β-γ" plane) perpendicular to the mating direction "α".

[0033] The second inner peripheral wall 53 is a generally rectangular frame-like portion that protrudes toward the mating side of the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2, is formed circumferentially on the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface), and extends at least along the length direction "β" and the width direction "γ". The second inner peripheral wall 53 is fitted into the first receiving portion 16 when the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated.

[0034] The central island-shaped recess 56 is recessed on the side opposite to the mating side and is a generally rectangular recessed portion extending at least along the length direction "β" and width direction "γ" formed inside the second inner circumferential wall 53 on the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface). The island-shaped protrusion 12 is fitted into the island-shaped recess 56 when the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated.

[0035] The second outer peripheral wall 54 is a generally rectangular frame-shaped portion that protrudes toward the mating side and surrounds the periphery of the second inner peripheral wall 53 on the mating surface (the "β-γ" surface), extending at least along the length direction "β" and the width direction "γ." The second outer peripheral wall 54 forms the outermost wall of the plug housing 50. However, the second outer peripheral wall 54 does not necessarily have to be the outermost wall. The second outer peripheral wall 54 is fitted into the recessed portion 17 when the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated. A step portion 55 tapered toward the mating side may be provided on the mating side of the second outer peripheral wall 54 to enhance waterproofing. Correspondingly, the recessed portion 17 is provided with a stepped recess 18 that is complementary in shape to the step portion 55. In this way, additional features may be added to the second outer peripheral wall 54 and the recessed portion 17 to enhance waterproofing. Of course, the step shape is not necessarily required, and a smooth slope or other shape may be used.

[0036] The plug signal terminals 60 are arranged along the length direction "β" in two rows in the width direction "γ", each row including a plurality of plug signal terminals 60, seven in this case, and these two rows of plug signal terminals 60 are arranged opposite each other in the width direction "γ" with the island-shaped recess 56 separating them.

[0037] The plug signal terminal 60 held in the plug housing 50 includes, in the direction away from the island-shaped recess 56 and along the width direction "γ", a substantially inverted U-shaped portion 61 and a second connecting portion 62 in this order.

[0038] The approximately inverted U-shaped portion 61 is held by the second inner circumferential wall 53 with a portion 53c of the second inner circumferential wall 53 included inside the U-shape. In other words, resin flows into the inside of the U-shape of the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 61 during insert molding, thereby fixing the plug signal terminal 60 to the second inner circumferential wall 53.

[0039] The approximately inverted U-shaped portion 61 mainly includes three parts: an inner portion 61A located proximal to the island-shaped recess 56 in the width direction "γ" and provided on the inner wall 53a side of the second inner circumferential wall 53; an outer portion 61C located distal to the island-shaped recess 56 in the width direction "γ" and provided on the outer wall 53b side of the second inner circumferential wall 53; and a top portion 61B connecting the mating end portions of the inner portion 61A and the outer portion 61C.

[0040] During insert molding, the outer surfaces of top portion 61B and outer portion 61C are formed to be flush with walls 53a, 53b, etc. of second inner peripheral wall 53. On the other hand, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, the outer surface of inner portion 61A is installed so that it protrudes slightly further into second receiving portion 57 than outer wall 53b of second inner peripheral wall 53, that is, it is not flush with outer wall 53b. This installation ensures that, when receptacle connector 1 and plug connector 2 are mated, inner portion 61A more reliably contacts receptacle signal terminals 20 of receptacle connector 1, and more specifically, recesses 23a provided in inner portions 23A of receptacle signal terminals 20, which are formed flush with inner wall 13a of first inner peripheral wall 13.

[0041] Since the outer portion 61C is the portion that comes into contact with the contact portion 22a of the receptacle signal terminal 20 when the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 are mated, it is formed relatively wider in the longitudinal direction "β" than the inner portion 61A and the top portion 61B to ensure more reliable contact.

[0042] The second connection portion 62 is a portion used as a soldering portion for the circuit board, and is connected to the end of the outer portion 61C opposite the mating side, and extends along the width direction "γ" while having the same width in the length direction "β".

[0043] The principle of the waterproof structure according to the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 9. These figures correspond to the cross section taken along line BB in Figure 3, and show the mating process of the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2 in stages. Figure 7 shows the state before mating, Figure 8 shows the state during mating, and Figure 9 shows the state after mating is complete.

[0044] 7 and 8, when mating begins, the island-shaped convex portion 12 of the receptacle connector 1 is fitted into the island-shaped concave portion 56 of the plug connector 2, the second inner peripheral wall 53 of the plug connector 2 is fitted into the first receiving portion 16 of the receptacle connector 1, and the second outer peripheral wall 54 of the plug connector 2 is fitted into the recessed portion 17 of the receptacle connector 1. These multiple fitted portions obstruct the path of water intrusion, improving the waterproof function.

[0045] Focus on the relationship between the second inner circumferential wall 53 and the first receiving portion 16. During insertion, the outer portion 61C of the plug signal terminal 60 held by the second inner circumferential wall 53 comes into contact with the contact portion 22a of the elastic contact portion 22 protruding into the first receiving portion 16, and at the same time, the inner portion 61A of the plug signal terminal 60 comes into contact with the inner portion 23A of the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 of the receptacle signal terminal 20.

[0046] 9, at least when the mating is completed, the inner portion 61A of the plug signal terminal 60 contacts the inner portion 23A of the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23, particularly a part of the inner portion 23A on the opposite side to the mating side, for example, the vicinity of the edge 23Aa of the recess 23a of the inner portion 23A, and the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 is displaced, for example, tilting, around this contact position (61A, 23Aa). Note that to enable displacement, a gap "G1" is formed between the outer portion 23C of the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 and the inner wall 54a of the second outer peripheral wall 54 during mating (such as the state shown in FIG. 8). As the generally inverted U-shaped portion 23 is displaced, the outer portion 23C of the generally inverted U-shaped portion 23, for example, a portion 23Ca of the mating side thereof, abuts against the inner wall 54a of the second outer peripheral wall 54 in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction β, in other words, in the “α-γ” plane formed by the mating direction α and the width direction γ. This blocks the path of water penetration at least at this abutment position (23Ca, 54a), thereby improving the waterproofing function. Note that if the outer surface of the outer portion 23C is formed to be flush with the outer wall 13b of the first inner peripheral wall 13, for example, if they are formed to be flush, the peripheral portion of the first inner peripheral wall 13 that holds the outer portion 23C will also displace together with the outer portion 23C and abut against the inner wall 54a of the second outer peripheral wall 54. Therefore, in this case, the path of water intrusion is blocked not only at the receptacle signal terminal 20 but also at the contact positions (13b, 54a) with the first inner peripheral wall 13, thereby further improving the waterproof function.

[0047] The force that must be applied in the mating direction "α" to displace the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 is smaller than when the contact positions (61A, 23Aa) and the abutment positions (23Ca, 54a) are close to each other due to the positional relationship between the contact positions (61A, 23Aa) and the abutment positions (23Ca, 54a), and more specifically, because the contact positions (61A, 23Aa) and the abutment positions (23Ca, 54a) are spaced apart in the mating direction "α." Furthermore, this force is smaller than in a conventional structure in which the direction of force application (the mating direction) and the press-fitting direction are the same, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. According to this configuration, the force applied in the mating direction "α" to displace the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 can be concentrated on a portion 23Aa of the inner portion 23A, i.e., on approximately one point on the receptacle signal terminal 20, rather than on the entire inner portion 23A. Furthermore, since the force applied in the mating direction "α" is converted into a force in the width direction "γ", the repulsive force generated to displace the approximately inverted U-shaped portion 23 is not transmitted directly to the user.

[0048] Next, attention will be paid to the relationship between the second outer peripheral wall 54 and the recessed portion 17. To further improve the waterproof function, the displaced outer portion 23C may be configured to be in contact with the inner wall 54a of the second outer peripheral wall 54 (23Ca, 54a), in other words, pressed against the inner wall 54a of the second outer peripheral wall 54, thereby pressing the outer wall 54b of the second outer peripheral wall 54 toward the inner wall 14a of the first outer peripheral wall 14 in the width direction "γ". This presses the outer wall 54b of the second outer peripheral wall 54 against the inner wall 14a of the first outer peripheral wall 14, thereby improving the waterproof function of the second outer peripheral wall 54 not only on the inner wall 54a side but also on the outer wall 54b side.

[0049] Although not necessarily preferable from the viewpoint of waterproofing, in order to smoothly mate the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2, a gap "G2" may be formed between the outer wall 54b of the second outer peripheral wall 54 and the inner wall 14a of the first outer peripheral wall 14 on one side in the width direction "γ" centered on the island-shaped protrusion 12 and the island-shaped recess 56. The gap "G2" reduces the force required to mate the receptacle connector 1 and the plug connector 2, allowing for smoother mating. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 Receptacle connector (first connector) 2 Plug Connector (Second Connector) 3 Connector Assembly 10 First Housing 12 Island-shaped convex part 13 First inner peripheral wall 13b Other contact parts 14 1st outer peripheral wall 14a Internal wall 16 First Receptor 17 Depression 20 1st terminal 21 Base 22 Elastic contact part 22a Contact part 23 Approximately inverted U-shaped part 23A Inner part 23C outer part 23Ca Contact part 23B Convex curved part 50 Second Housing 53 Second inner peripheral wall 54 Second outer peripheral wall 54a Interior wall 54b Exterior wall 55 Step part 56 Island-shaped recess 57 Second Receptor 60 2nd terminal 61 Approximately inverted U-shaped part 61A Inner part 61B Top part 61C outer part 62 Second connection part

Claims

1. A connector assembly comprising a first connector and a second connector that mate with each other, the first connector has a first housing and a plurality of first terminals held by the first housing and arranged along a length direction perpendicular to a mating direction of the first connector and the second connector; the second connector has a second housing and a plurality of second terminals held in the second housing and arranged along a length direction perpendicular to the mating direction, The first housing includes: an island-shaped protrusion that protrudes toward the mating side with the second connector and extends along the length direction on a mating surface that is perpendicular to the mating direction; a first inner peripheral wall that protrudes toward the fitting side and surrounds the island-shaped protrusion on the fitting surface; a first receiving portion recessed on the opposite side to the fitting side and formed circumferentially between the island-shaped protrusion and the first inner circumferential wall on the fitting surface; a first outer peripheral wall that protrudes toward the fitting side and surrounds the first inner peripheral wall on the fitting surface; a recessed portion recessed on the opposite side to the fitting side and formed circumferentially between the first inner peripheral wall and the first outer peripheral wall on the fitting surface; and The second housing includes: a second inner peripheral wall that projects toward the mating side with the first connector and is formed circumferentially on a mating surface perpendicular to the mating direction, the second inner peripheral wall being fitted into the first receiving portion when the first connector and the second connector are mated; an island-shaped recess formed on the mating surface inside the second inner circumferential wall, the island-shaped recess being recessed on the opposite side to the mating side, and into which the island-shaped protrusion is fitted when the first connector and the second connector are mated; a second outer peripheral wall that protrudes toward the mating side and surrounds the second inner peripheral wall on the mating surface, the second outer peripheral wall being fitted into the recessed portion when the first connector and the second connector are mated; a second receiving portion recessed on the opposite side to the mating side and formed circumferentially between the second inner peripheral wall and the second outer peripheral wall on the mating surface, into which the first inner peripheral wall is fitted when the first connector and the second connector are mated; and A connector assembly characterized in that, when the first connector and the second connector are mated, through contact between the first terminal and the second terminal, at least a portion of the displaced first terminal forms an abutment portion that abuts against the inner wall of the second outer wall in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

2. 2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein when the abutment portion abuts against the inner wall of the second outer peripheral wall, at least a portion of the first inner peripheral wall together with the abutment portion forms another abutment portion that abuts against the inner wall of the second outer peripheral wall.

3. the first terminal includes a generally inverted U-shaped portion held by the first inner peripheral wall, the generally inverted U-shaped portion including an inner portion located proximal to the island-shaped protrusion in a width direction perpendicular to both the fitting direction and the length direction and provided on the inner wall side of the first inner peripheral wall, an outer portion located distal to the island-shaped protrusion in the width direction and provided on the outer wall side of the first inner peripheral wall, and a convexly curved portion connecting end portions of the inner portion and the outer portion on the fitting side, 2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein when the first connector and the second connector are mated, the abutment portion displaced through contact between the inner portion and the second terminal abuts against the inner wall of the second outer wall in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

4. the first terminal further includes a resilient contact portion having a contact portion on the mating side, and a base portion connecting ends of the resilient contact portion and the inner portion on the side opposite to the mating side, the contact portion is provided in a state of protruding from the island-shaped protrusion toward the inner portion in the width direction, 4. The connector assembly of claim 3, wherein said inner portion and said base cooperate with said island-shaped protrusion to form a portion of said first receiving portion.

5. 4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein a position where the abutting portion abuts against the inner wall of the second outer peripheral wall and a position where the inner portion abuts against the second terminal are spaced apart from each other in the mating direction.

6. 4. The connector assembly according to claim 3, wherein when the first connector and the second connector are mated, the outer wall of the second outer wall is pushed in the width direction through abutment between the abutment portion and the inner wall of the second outer wall, thereby bringing the outer wall of the second outer wall and the inner wall of the first outer wall into close contact.

7. 7. The connector assembly of claim 6, wherein when the first connector and the second connector are mated, a gap is formed between the outer wall of the second outer wall and the inner wall of the first outer wall on one side in the width direction centered on the island-shaped convex portion and the island-shaped concave portion.

8. 2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein a portion of said second outer peripheral wall on said mating side is tapered toward said mating side.

Images